Magnifier enlarges part of the screen. This is especially useful for viewing objects that are difficult to see. It's also helpful for people who generally have difficulty seeing the screen.

To open Magnifier:

• Click on the Start button, then All Programs, then Accessories, then Ease of Access, then click on Magnifier.

Move the pointer to the part of the screen that you want to magnify.

Change any of the following Magnifier settings:

To invert the colors for better readability Select Invert Colors.
This might be useful if, for example, a document has black text on a white background, but for you, white text on a black background is easier to read.

To dock the Magnifier window to the edge of the screen
Select Docked, and then click a location from the Dock Position list.

To keep the Magnifier settings dialog box minimized when you open Magnifier
Select Minimize on Startup.

To resize the Magnifier window.
Move the mouse pointer over the edge of the magnification window until the pointer becomes a double-headed arrow (on some computers, the pointer might change to a different form).

Drag the window border to resize the window.

To move the Magnifier window.
Move the mouse pointer over the magnification window.
Drag the window to where you want it on your desktop.

To see an enlarged version of what your mouse is pointing at
Select Follow mouse cursor.

To see the area where your pointer moves when you press the TAB or arrow keys
Select Follow keyboard focus.

To see what you're typing
Select Follow text editing.

In the Scale Factor list, select a level. The zoom level in the Magnifier window will change right away. Adjust the level until it's right for you.

Windows comes with a basic screen reader called Narrator that reads text on the screen aloud and describes some events (such as an error message appearing) that happen while you're using the computer.

To open Narrator:

• Click on the Start button, then All Programs, then Accessories, then Ease of Access, then click on Narrator.

Instead of relying on the physical keyboard to type and enter data, you can use On-Screen Keyboard. On-Screen Keyboard displays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys. You can select keys using the mouse or another pointing device, or you can use a single key or group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen.

To open the On-Screen Keyboard:

• Click on the Start button, then All Programs, then Accessories, then Ease of Access, then click on On-Screen Keyboard.

Since my last post, Windows 7 RC1 has been released. I am now assembling a production system to use for the installation of RC1. I have changed my mind on how I wanted to test this new OS from Microsoft. My original idea was to use a typical system with widely available components.

I then thought back on all of the new technology that has come out since Windows XP was released. I think everyone will agree that Windows Vista was somewhat of a stepping stone. Just like Windows Millennium was to Windows 98SE.

We now have hard drives over one terabyte, Quad-core processors, and 64-bit computers. And quite a bit of these are now out in production systems, like yours. 64-bit enabled motherboards have been out for years now. If your computer’s motherboard was manufactured within the last few years, your computer is probably 64-bit compatible.

With that said, I started to look at some of the features of Windows 7 and what hardware I would need to run them. As I stated before, 64-bit enabled computers are pretty much mainstream now, and with the memory limit of 128 gigabytes, opposed to 4 gigabyte memory limit on 32-bit, I think this is the way to go.

Note:
You cannot do an in-place upgrade of a 32-bit operating system to a 64-bit operating system. To do this, you have to backup your files and settings and then restore them to the new installation.

Microsoft has had two different versions (32-bit & 64-bit) of their Windows operating systems (XP & Vista) that support x86-64 architecture since 2005. So I will use the 64-bit for this installation. I also want to use the Windows XP mode for Windows 7. This requires a processor that has Virtualization Technology (VT). The Intel E6600 processor in my system has VT. So the VT processors are out there, you have to check with the manufacturer to see if it is compatible.

So with all of that information, I will put together a production system in the next few days from standard parts from my favorite vendors. I already have a parts list, and it’s time to see how cheaply I can put this together (I have a big surprise for what I use as a monitor).

One of the components of the Internet connection on your computer is a built-in set of TCP/IP instructions. TCP/IP can sometimes become corrupted. If your connection to the Internet is really slow or you cannot connect to the Internet, and you have tried all other methods to resolve the problem, TCP/IP might be causing it.

Because TCP/IP is a core component of Windows, you cannot remove it. However, you can reset TCP/IP to its original state. If you have any custom settings (default gateway, DNS server, etc.), you will need to set these again manually.

Use an automatic method to reset TCP/IP

Revised 10/7/2020. The Microsoft Fix It application to automatically reset the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) in Windows XP initially referenced in this article is no longer available for download.

Use a manual method to reset TCP/IP

Note This section is intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with advanced troubleshooting, ask someone for help. In Windows XP, a reset command is available in the IP context of the NetShell utility. Follow these steps to use the reset command to reset TCP/IP manually:

1. To open a command prompt, click Start and then click Run. Copy and paste (or type) the following command in the Open box and then press ENTER:
   cmd
2. At the command prompt, copy and paste (or type) the following command and then press ENTER:
   netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt
   Note: If you do not want to specify a directory path for the log file, use the following command:
   netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt

When you run the reset command, it rewrites two registry keys used by TCP/IP. This has the same result as removing and reinstalling the protocol. The reset command rewrites the following two registry keys:

SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCP\Parameters\

To run the manual command successfully, you must specify a file name for the log, in which the actions that netsh takes will be recorded. When you run the manual command, TCP/IP is reset, and the actions taken are recorded in the log file, known as resetlog.txt in this article.

The first example, c:\resetlog.txt, creates a path where the log will reside. The second example, resetlog.txt, creates the log file in the current directory. In either case, if the specified log file already exists, the new log will be appended to the end of the existing file.