Tired of chasing your mouse? Use keyboard shortcuts

The mouse, one of the greatest advances in computing history, provides you with an intuitive point-and-click method for using your computer. Depending on the type of work you're doing, however, sometimes using a mouse actually slows you down. If you are a good typist, taking your hands away from the keyboard to move the mouse can use up a few seconds. Over the course of a full day, you could save several minutes by using keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse.

You can use your keyboard instead of your mouse to do these three tasks:

Start a program using a keyboard shortcut

The Start menu is great for finding programs, but its multiple levels of folders can be time consuming to navigate. If there is a program you start frequently, you should set a keyboard shortcut for it so that you can start the program without taking your hands off the keyboard.

To set a keyboard shortcut to start a program

1.	Click the Start menu, and then click All Programs. Right-click the program that you want to start with a keyboard shortcut, and then click Properties.
2.	Click in the Shortcut key box. Now press the letter on your keyboard that you want to use to start the program. Make it easy to remember—for example, press I for Microsoft Internet Explorer. Note: You can use either uppercase or lowercase letters when creating your keyboard shortcuts—and when accessing them later. In the Shortcut key box, Microsoft Windows XP automatically adds Ctrl + Alt + before the key you pressed. When you want to start the program, hold down both the CTRL and ALT keys simultaneously, while also pressing the letter you chose. This way, your program won't start every time you type that letter.
3.	Click OK.
4.	Now test your shortcut. Hold down the CTRL and ALT keys, and then press the letter you chose. If you find it difficult to hold down two keys at once, read Turn on the Sticky Keys feature. Your program should start.

When your friends see you start up programs without touching your mouse, they just might think you have a psychic connection with your computer!

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Navigate menus using the keyboard

You can speed up tasks in almost any program by choosing menu items using your keyboard instead of your mouse. This operation is particularly handy when you're performing repetitive tasks.

To control menus using your keyboard

1.	With your program open, press the ALT key. Notice that one letter on each menu name is now underlined. To open the menu, press the underlined key. For example, in Internet Explorer, the View menu name shows the V underlined after you press the ALT key. To open the View menu, press the ALT key, and then press V.
2.	Now, each menu item will show one letter underlined. To access or activate the menu item you want, simply press the underlined key. For example, in Internet Explorer, after you open the View menu, the Privacy Report menu item shows the V underlined. Instead of clicking Privacy Report with your mouse, you can just press the V key.
3.	You can also choose menu commands by pressing key sequences quickly, without waiting for the menus to open. For example, to quickly view a Web page's privacy report in Internet Explorer, press ALT, V, V. Similarly, to save a Web page in Internet Explorer, you would normally click the File menu, and then click Save As. To choose the same commands using your keyboard, press ALT, F, A.

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Control windows using your keyboard

If you like to keep four or five windows open while you work (or play) on your computer, you'll appreciate knowing these keyboard shortcuts. You can quickly switch between your Web browser, e-mail, instant message windows, and other programs without taking your hands off the keyboard.

Action	Shortcut
Minimize a window to your taskbar	ALT, SPACEBAR, N
Maximize a window so it takes up your whole desktop	ALT, SPACEBAR, X
Restore a window so it's visible but doesn't take up your whole desktop	ALT, SPACEBAR, R
Close a window	ALT+F4
Switch to the last window you had open	ALT+TAB
Switch to any window	Hold down the ALT key, and press TAB until the window you want is active

Programs often start up in a "restored" state, where the window takes up only part of the screen. To maximize the window so that it takes up the entire screen, press the ALT key, press the SPACEBAR, and then press X. This will feel natural after you do it a few times, and you will feel much more efficient while using your computer.

5 useful Windows XP tricks

You know that feeling you get when your friends or family see you do something on your computer that they've never seen before?

If you haven't had this opportunity, here's where you start.

If you have, then you know that you're feeling like the world's coolest power-user when this happens. Knowledge is power! Here are five Windows XP tips that will get you/keep you schoolin' your friends and family.

Don't just maximize your windows—go full screen

When you need a really big window, don't just maximize it: go full screen! To view a window full screen, hold down the Ctrl key and double-click the window's title bar—or when the window is active, press the F11 key at the top of your keyboard—to get the biggest window possible.

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Add the Links toolbar to My Computer

You know what would make a great toolbar? One where you could put your favorite applications and documents so that you could open them from any window at any time. Guess what? You can and here's how: click Start, then My Computer. Now right-click the toolbar and then click Links. You now have the Links toolbar on your windows, just like in Internet Explorer. Note: Make sure that Lock the Toolbars is not checked. Click on it to deselect it if it is.

The really cool thing about the Links toolbar is that it's completely customizable. Try this: Navigate to your favorite application and drag and drop its icon to the Links toolbar. You just created a shortcut. Do this again and again for as many applications as you want to appear on the toolbar.

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Arrange windows on your desktop

You can display any two windows side by side on the desktop by first clicking a window's button on the Taskbar. Next, press and hold the Ctrl key and right-click the second window that you want to open, then click Tile Vertically. This works great when you want to view two Microsoft Word or Microsoft Internet Explorer windows at the same time.

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Organize your files into groups

Organize your files by grouping them. Try this: Open a folder containing several different subfolders and file types. Right-click any empty space on the window's contents pane, click Arrange Icons By, and then click Show in Groups. To arrange the window's contents, right-click again in any empty space on the window's contents pane, point to Arrange Icons By, and click Name, Size, Type, or Modified.

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Make your own icons

It's shockingly easy to create your own icons in Windows XP. Let's do it: Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click Paint. On the Image menu, click Attributes. Type 32 for both the Width and Height of the document, and make sure that Pixels is selected under Units. Click OK to create a new 32x32-pixel document: the size of an icon.

Now add type, color, or do whatever you'd like to your image. I like to shrink photos (headshots work best) to 32x32 and simply paste them into my Paint document. When you're finished, open the File menu and click Save As. Use the dialog box to choose where you want to save your file, then give it a name followed by ".ico" (without the quotes), and click Save. (The extension ".ico" tells Windows that it's an icon file.) You just created an icon! Now you can change any shortcut or folder to your own icon—just browse to it on your hard drive.

These tips are from the book, Windows XP Killer Tips by Kleber Stephenson, ISBN 073571357X. Published here with the permission of Pearson Education, Inc.

Speed up menu display

Microsoft Windows XP uses many visual effects to provide a rich, friendly interface. One of these settings allows menus to fade into view when you open them. This visual effect is so smooth that you may never have noticed it; however, the effect does cause menus to take a little longer to appear.

On a fast computer, this shouldn't be an issue. But on a computer that isn’t responding as quickly as you'd like, you can make menus display faster.

To speed up menu display

1.	Click Start. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2.	Click the Advanced tab. In the Performance area, click Settings.
3.	On the Visual Effects tab in the Performance Options dialog box, clear the Fade or slide menus into view check box.
4.	Click OK.
5.	In the System Properties dialog box, click OK.

Now when you click a menu, it will appear almost instantly.

Simplify using your mouse: change double-click to single-click

When you browse the Web with Microsoft Internet Explorer, links open with a single click. Yet, when you browse My Computer or My Documents, a single click lets you select a file or folder, but you have to double-click to open it.

If you'd rather single-click to open files and folders, you can change the setting on your mouse (don't worry, this process doesn't require any double clicks).

To change the settings on your mouse

1.	Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2.	Click Tools, and then click Folder Options.
3.	Click Single-click to open an item. Then, click OK.

Now you can navigate folders and open files with a single rather than a double click. If you need to select a file, simply hold your mouse over the file for a few seconds without clicking.

Using Windows XP

Digital photography The features in Windows XP make it easy to transfer pictures directly from your digital camera to your computer and even organize and share your photos.

Games for Windows Games for Windows open a wide world of fantasy and adventure. Take a break from reality and have fun with friends and family at any age.

Making movies With Windows Movie Maker, you can use your computer to create and edit home movies with a few simple drag-and-drop moves. Then you can share your movies via the web, e-mail, your computer, or CD.

Music and video With its fast and flexible playback features, Windows Media Player makes it easy to enjoy your favorite music and movies whenever you like.

TV and multimedia Take advantage of these resources to get the most out of your Media Center personal computer.

Instant messaging Windows Messenger lets you instantly communicate with friends and family all around the world from your computer, using text chat and even voice and video.

Security and privacy Learn to keep your computer and personal data more secure with Windows XP.

Computer setup and maintenance Learn how to set up, personalize, and maintain your computer running Windows XP.

Home and small business networking Networks let you share files, printers, and other peripherals. Get the information you need to set up and maintain your own network.

Pen and ink Find out how to put the features of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition to work for you.

Working remotely Get as much work done on the road as you can in the office. Find out how to use the mobility features of Windows XP Professional.

Accessibility Accessibility features in Windows XP make it easier for people with accessibility needs to work efficiently.

Internet tips Find time-saving tips for browsing the web using Windows XP.

Download Free Vista and XP SP3 via IE App Compatibility VPC Images

Since 2007, Microsoft has been offering free copies of Windows XP and Windows Vista for download, in order to make up for a handicap specific to the Windows client, namely the fact that two different versions of Internet Explorer cannot be installed and run simultaneously on the same operating system.

While it is cooking the first Release Candidate build for Internet Explorer 8, the Redmond company is also supporting Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 6, a context in which it is a pain for developers to test their content on all versions of IE.

The situation has caused Microsoft to come up with the Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC images, a solution designed to circumvent the limitations of IE running on Windows via virtualization.

With the Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC images, Microsoft is offering developers no less than four free copies of Windows packaged as Virtual Hard Disk Images and designed to integrate with the company's free virtualization offerings. The four VHD downloads feature a new release date, just ahead of the end of 2008, although the launched products are similar to those made available in August 2008, following the availability of Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2.

“VPC Hard Disk Image for testing websites with different IE versions on Windows XP SP2, Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista,” Microsoft revealed. “This download page contains four separate VPC images, depending on what you want to test: IE6-XPSP3_VPC.exe contains a Windows XP SP3 with IE6 VHD file; IE7-XPSP2_VPC.exe contains a Windows XP SP2 with IE7 VHD file; IE8B2-XPSP3_VPC.exe contains a Windows XP SP3 with IE8 Beta 2 VHD file; and IE7-VIS1.exe+IE7-VIS2.rar+IE7-VIS3.rar contain a Vista Image with IE7 VHD file. Note: For The Vista image, you will need all three files, downloaded and in the same directory, then simply run IE7-VIS1.exe.”

According to Microsoft, all the VPC images are time bombed and set to expire in January, 2009. In early 2009 the company plans to deliver Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1, having already made available the pre-RC Partner Build. After the availability of IE8 RC, the Redmond giant is expected to deliver a fresh set of VPC images with a new expiration date.


Download:

External Mirror 1 - IE6-XPSP3 [EXE]

External Mirror 2 - IE7-VIS1 [EXE]

External Mirror 3 - IE7-VIS2 [EXE]

External Mirror 4 - IE7-VIS3 [RAR]

External Mirror 5 - IE7-XPSP2 [RAR]

External Mirror 6 - IE8B2-XPSP3 [EXE]

source: softpedia.com

Windows XP gets another stay of execution

Microsoft has extended the final OEM and reseller delivery date for the Windows XP from January 31, 2009 to May 30, 2009.

The cut off date for PC makers to obtain licenses for the software was January 31, 2009. Still, vendors have to place their orders before the official cutoff date of January 31, but they dont have to take delivery until May. Microsoft granted the reprieve largely because of customer's preference for XP.

Microsoft also recently extended the Vista "downgrade" deadline for OEMs to July 31 and netbooks and low-cost laptops will be able to run XP until at least June 2010, so chances are you'll be able to get XP until Windows 7 ships.

PC makers largely stopped selling XP installed on desktops and laptops in late 2007, but they are available to customers who order online or have a business account with OEMs such as Dell or Hewlett-Packard. Recently, Dell offered customers, the option to get Windows XP instead of Vista on many models.

If you are an XP lover and have bought a Vista system, you have two choices to get XP:

* To buy an XP license before June 30 and install it over Vista, and
* To "downgrade" to XP Professional using an XP Professional install disc or a "downgrade" XP Pro install disc supplied by the PC maker

Downgrade option is available only to Vista Ultimate or Vista Business users

source: neowin.net

How to install Windows 98 after Windows XP?

This procedure assumes that Windows XP is installed on drive C:

Drive C: must be FAT16 or FAT32 to be able to install Windows 98 after XP is already installed. The 98/Me installation routine cannot write to an NTFS partition.

You must have a second hard disk or partition formatted for FAT16/32 in order to be able to install Windows 98/Me.

As always, installing 98/Me to the same partition as Windows XP is Not recommended!

I recommend the use of a Windows 98 Startup disk for this procedure. You should ensure that DEBUG.EXE is on your Startup disk. On a 98 Startup disk, created from Add/Remove Programs, its in the EBD.CAB file on the Startup disk. For a 98 Startup disk created from FAT32EBD.EXE its on the floppy

Installing Windows 98

1. Use a Win98 Startup disk (with CD support) to boot your computer.

2. Insert your Win98 CD into the CD Rom drive.

3. At the A: prompt type X:\Win98\Setup.exe where X: is your CD-ROM drive.

4. Proceed with the install. When prompted for the install location, you'll see C:\Windows.000. Choose Other directory and change this to the drive you wish to install 98 to and name the folder Windows (or something else if you prefer).

5. Complete the Win98 install. Allow the computer to boot into Win98.

Repairing the Windows XP Boot Loader

1. Create a Win98 Startup Disk

2. Create a Notepad file with the following entries, exactly as shown:

L 100 2 0 1 N C:\BOOTSECT.DOS R BX 0 R CX 200 W Q

3. Save the file to the Win98 Startup Disk as READ.SCR

4. Boot the computer with the Win98 Startup Disk and at the A: prompt type

DEBUG <read.scr

Steps 1 - 4 create the BOOTSECT.DOS file needed to boot Win98. You may need to use the ATTRIB C:\BOOTSECT.DOS -S -H -R command if BOOTSECT.DOS already exists and you get an error when trying to recreate it.

5. Configure your computer to boot from the CD drive. This is done in the BIOS, or your computer may offer the option at startup if it detects a bootable CD. If your computer does not support booting from CD-Rom, you should also be able to boot with a 98 Startup disk, and run WINNT.EXE from the I386 folder of your XP CD.

6. Insert your XP CD and boot from it.

7. You'll see some files being copied, then you'll be presented with a choice of installing or repairing an existing installation. Choose Repair.

8. You'll be asked which XP installation you want to log into. Enter 1. There is usually only one installation.

9. You'll be prompted for the Administrator password. For Home, the default password is blank, so just hit Enter. For Pro, enter the same password you did during setup for the Administrator account (this is not the same as the password for an Admin level account. It must be the Administrator account password).

10. At the C:\Windows prompt, type FIXBOOT. You'll be prompted to confirm. Do so.

11. When FIXBOOT is finished, remove the XP CD and type EXIT and the machine will reboot.

12. Reconfigure your computer to boot from the hard drive if necessary.

You will now get the XP Boot loader with your choice of operating system.

Note: This tip was originally written by Doug Knox.

Tweak Windows XP

I want to tweak Windows XP and I don't want to spend any money on fancy software. Do you have any freeware software recommendations for me?

Yes! There are a few freeware software packages on the web that can and will help you tweak Windows XP (and also Win9X, NT & W2K) to some extent. I usually recommend 2 option I use the most. Both are free and will give you a lot of control over hidden system tweaks.

Microsoft TweakUI

The first is Microsoft Tweak UI which is a part of the MS Powertoys. Make sure you install the latest version (v2.0) and not an earlier one.

If you have an older version of TweakUI installed, use Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel to uninstall it now. This includes the older version of TweakUI previously available as part of the single "Powertoys for Windows XP" package.

Download TweakUI for Windows XP

Unzip TweakUiPowertoySetup.zip using an unzip utility and place the files in a new folder in a convenient location, such as your desktop. Double-click TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe, and follow the instructions on-screen.

To start TweakUI, use the TweakUI shortcut in your Start Menu (it's no longer found in Control Panel), or run \windows\system32\tweakui.exe.

Note for Win9X users: This version will only work on Windows XP. For Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows 98, and Windows 95 you should download TweakUI version 1.33 (local download)

Unzip tweakui.zip using an unzip utility and place the files in a new folder in a convenient location, such as your desktop.

Right-click on the tweakui.inf file and select Install to install it on your system.

To start TweakUI, double-click the TweakUI icon in Control Panel.

Note: There's a bug in this installer. If it prompts you to insert a disk or specify the location of the TweakUI files, just point to the folder containing the files you just unzipped, and click Ok.

Send to Toys

One of my favorite tools, one that I usually install right after finishing setting up any new system.

Send To Toys is an enhancement of the Send To system menu. It has many nice features including:

• Send To Toys Control Panel Applet allows you to manage the Send To system menu content, and configure Send To Toys settings.

• "Add to Send To menu" and "Remove from Send To menu" allows you to personalize the Send To system menu for drives, folders, and programs.

• Send To "Clipboard (as name)" copies the name of the file or files to the clipboard. Hold down the CTRL key to change the settings for this extension.

• Send To "Command Prompt" opens a DOS console window, setting the current directory to the selected folder. If the selection was a file, the folder containing the file will be the active directory and the name of the file will be typed for you at the prompt. Hold down the CTRL key to change the active directory to a different folder

• Send To "Favorites" adds a shortcut to your Favorites list. Hold down the CTRL key for the "Add Favorite" dialog.

• Send To "Folder..." sends a file or files to another folder, you will be shown a dialog box that lets you choose where the files should be copied. To move the files press and hold down the SHIFT key. The creation of a new folder is not supported on Windows 95, 98, and NT.

• Send To "Recycle Bin" send a file or files to the Recycle Bin. Hold down the CTRL key to perform a file shredding.

• Send To "Run..." sends a file or files to the Run command dialog

Send to Toys is freeware and can be installed on any version of Windows.

Download Send to Toys v2.4 (527kb)

XenTweak

I'm very impressed with this low-level tweaking utility. I quote from the author's website:

"Want to tune and tweak your computer with settings that are normally hidden deep inside your registry ? Instead of wading through settings XenTweak can install all in one settings - saving a lot of time. XenTweak differs from other tweak programs because it tweaks the most common and tested settings. It also tweaks some settings never before seen in other tweak programs. XenTweak is only about 200k in size and it will increase your systems efficiency and performance.

I wrote XenTweak primarily for myself to save time when sorting out PC's, as I can enter in all the relevant registry tweaks in a very short space of time. After a short while quite a few people said that I should release XenTweak, so I did and I hope you like it. Just because XenTweak hasn't got a nice eye candy interface doesn't mean that its no good - in fact quite the opposite as it doesn't rely on external components and libraries. XenTweak is self contained and makes its own files when needed.

I have extensively tested all the options and tweaks and found them to work very nicely indeed, however I do recommend that you backup your registry. XenTweak is a new product and is still in its early stages of development and you may find things that I have missed so don't hesitate to contact me and I shall rectify anything that may arise. Just because XenTweak hasn't got a nice eye candy interface doesn't mean that its no good!"

Features include:

- tweaks hundreds and hundreds of settings
- tweaks appearance settings
- tweaks start menu settings
- tweaks hardware settings
- tweaks CD & DVD speed settings
- tweaks HD speed settings
- tweaks modem speeds for faster connections and downloads
- tweaks network settings
- tweaks software settings
- tweaks internet explorer settings
- tweaks outlook settings
- tweaks performance and system settings
- tweaks cache settings
- tweaks shutdown problems
- tweaks security settings
- tweaks for covering up your tracks
- tweaks for defragmenting your memory
- tweaks for startup settings
- tweaks for various fixes
- tweaks for power management settings
- runs on win 95,98,98SE,ME,NT,2000 and XP
- self sufficient and creates its own files

and lots more... As I said, very impressive, and as always - free.

Download XenTweak v0.74 (2.05mb)

BTW, you should also check out Xen, a toll that'll cleanup your hard drive of all the junk that builds up over time and delete the trails that may lead people to who you are and what you do online? With this tool, you can delete cached files, history, URLs,
cookies and so much more!

Download Xen v1,85 (814kb)

ClipPath (Version 2.1)

This cool little freeware program can easily add a "Copy to Path" context menu to Windows Explorer.

ClipPath is a shell extension for Windows 95/98/NT4.0/2000 allowing to copy the name of a file to the clipboard. Just right-click the file in the Explorer and select the "ClipPath (\)" command from the ClipPath Pop-up Menu.

If you select multiple filenames, you'll be able to create a list of semicolon (;) separated filenames on a single line.

Download ClipPath v2.1 (30kb)

Installation of this extension is easy. First, copy ClipPath.dll and ClipPath.inf to any directory. Open the Explorer and right-click on the Setup Information file (ClipPath.inf). Choose the INSTALL command. When you're done installing, you can delete the original files.

Change XP Boot Screen

Depending on which computer manufacturer made your computer, you might have a simple splash screen displayed as the BIOS loads or you might be inundated with advertising throughout the entire boot process. These are two separate image locations requiring editing in multiple places and some confidence in your computing skills, as the BIOS option can potentially damage your system if done incorrectly.

Changing the Windows Boot Screen

I'll start with the Windows boot screen, since that's fairly easy and doesn't necessarily require any direct modification of system files. There are several ways to approach changing the boot screen. One option is to eliminate it completely, opting to display a blank screen until Windows completes the boot process. To turn off the boot logo, Click Start > Run and type MSCONFIG in the run dialog box to launch the System Configuration Utility. On the BOOT.INI tab, check the box next to /NOGUIBOOT and click OK. The next time you reboot your computer, you'll see the BIOS screen and then nothing until Windows loads completely. The downside to this option is you won't get any feedback if your PC gets hung up somewhere in the boot process.

To maintain a more visual boot process, while also eliminating any boot branding, you might simply want to replace the boot image. The easy way to do this is to download a freeware app from WinCustomize called BootSkin. The app automatically overrides the default Windows boot screen, replacing it with one of the many options in the WinCustomize BootSkin library. With some practice you can make your own custom BootSkin as well.

Download BootSkin

If you want to get really geeky, a third option is to edit the operating system file where the boot screen information resides. You need to be careful in doing this or you can end up with a computer that won't boot. The first part of the process is to create or find an image you want to use. If your computer simply has the all black Windows XP boot screen, with the XP logo like the one pictured below, you don't need a very large image.

Simply create a 215x147 .bmp file with 16 colors (NOT 16-bit) in any image editor and you've got a working replacement. If your computer manufacturer overrides this default screen with something else, you may need to get creative to eliminate all the branding. In general, using a black background looks more consistent, but you can use any of the 16 colors in your palette.

With your new image created, you need a freeware app called Resource Hacker to make some changes.

Before proceeding, locate ntoskrnl.exe in your Windows > system32 folder. Make a copy of the file called newntoskrnl.exe or something equally easy to remember and leave the copy in the system32 folder.

Make a second copy of the ntoskrnl.exe on your desktop (this is the one you will edit).

Open ntoskrnl.exe in Resource Hacker. Expand Bitmap > 5 and highlight the 1033 folder. Right-click the 1033 icon and choose Replace Resource.

Click the Open file with new bitmap button and locate the image you created earlier. Click the Replace button. Save and exit Resource Hacker. You can optionally replace all elements of the boot screen by editing each portion of the Bitmap.

Reboot into SafeMode and copy your newly created ntoskrnl.exe file into the Windows > system32 folder.

Note: If you are using Windows 2000, you can simply replace the image in the Bitmap > 1 > 1033 location with a 640x480 16 color Bitmap to modify the Win2k boot screen in a similar fashion.

Changing the BIOS Splash Screen

To eliminate the branded splash screen associated with your BIOS, you need to obtain the firmware update for your BIOS and edit the logo file that's part of the BIOS fileset before applying the update. Since every computer model and manufacturer uses a slightly different BIOS configuration, it's important to get the BIOS specific to your computer from the support section of the manufacturer's Website. In some cases, like my HP laptop, it's become virtually impossible to replace the logo because the BIOS flash process is contained in an .exe file that runs locally in Windows rather than from a separate disk.

Assuming your PC manufacturer has you create a floppy designed to flash the PC bios, you can fairly easily make a change to the logo displayed. In following the directions to create the BIOS boot disk, simply replace the included logo.bmp file in the BIOS update package with a logo.bmp file created by you. The key here is to use a 16 color (NOT 16-bit color) 640x480 BMP file. Copy your logo.bmp file onto the disk used for your BIOS update and run the bundled logo.bat file by double-clicking it. This converts the logo.bmp to a format ready for the BIOS update.

It's vital to keep all the files in the BIOS update named exactly as they were or your computer may not work after the update. Any changes made to BIOS update files should be done at your own risk and with extreme care.