Computerzworld

A handy trick you can do with Windows services is starting and stopping them based on a schedule you set. This way you can run background processes during a time where you will not be using the computer in order to maximize resources available to you.

For example, suppose I only wanted to run Folding@Home during non-business hours (5 PM - 8 AM), here is how I would do it:

1. Open your Services configuration: Start > Run > services.msc
2. Set the service’s startup type to Manual.
3. Create a new text file called “Folding-Start.bat” with the line: net start folding-service-name
4. Create another text file called “Folding-Stop.bat” with the line: net stop folding-service-name
5. Create a Windows Scheduled Task to run “Folding-Start.bat” at 5 PM every weekday.
6. Create another Scheduled Task to run “Folding-Stop.bat” at 8 AM every weekday.

This will ensure the service is not running during working hours, so the resources will not be used. Of course this same process and be applied to any other Windows Service you have on your system.

Sometimes when you are creating or editing a file, you need to save it with an extension other than the application’s default. This is especially true when dealing with text files. One way you can do this is by selecting “Save As” and changing the type of file to “Any file” and typing in the name. A quicker way to do this, however is to put the desired file name in quotes.

For example, you can save a file “test file.132″ in Notepad, by simply opening Notepad, typing in some text and then going to Save As. In the dialog, enter “test file.132″ (with the quotes) in the file name box and the file will be saved with the 132 extension.

This can be done regardless of what type of file you have selected to save it as in the save dialog box as the value in quotes overrides the selected file extension. A handy trick to know if you work with a lot of different text file types.

Many of us these days burn our own CDs for various reasons, and sometimes you may want that CD to begin a program automatically when you insert the CD - just like the CDs you would buy at the store. This is very easy to do. The Autorun feature of Windows is based on a file on the CD called autorun.inf. Windows simply searches for that file which tells it which program on the CD to run automatically, and Windows (usually) dutifully complies. So, to make your own CDs autorun, you simply need to creare your own autorun.inf file. To do so, open your favorite text editor (Notepad will do) and enter two lines:

[autorun]
open=filename.exe

where filename.exe is replaced by the name of the program on your CD which you want to run automatically. Save this file as autorun.inf and place it on your CD when you burn it.

There are more complex options available to to from autorun files, and you can even use third-party autorun creation programs to allow you to create more complex ones with little hassle. Moon Valley Software puts one out and so does KarenWare.