To being, load the Registry Editor from the run box (Press WINDOWS KEY + R to access this) by typing “regedit” and clicking OK:

Once this loads, browse to the following registry key on the left hand side:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurre ntVersionPoliciesExplorer

Then, right click on the white space in the right hand side and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and call it “NoDrives“:

Double click on “NoDrives” to enter a Decimal value. This value depends on the drives you wish to hide, and is created by adding the numbers for each drive you wish to hide from the list below. Click OK once you have entered this number.

For example, to hide drive D you would enter a decimal value of 8. To hide both drives D and E, you would enter a decimal value of 24 (8+16):

A = 1
B = 2
C = 4
D = 8
E = 16
F = 32
G = 64
H = 128
I = 256
J = 512
K = 1024
L = 2048
M = 4096
N = 8192
O = 16384
P = 32768
Q = 65536
R = 131072
S = 262144
T = 524288
U = 1048576
V = 2097152
W = 4194304
X = 8388608
Y =16777216
Z = 33554432
All drives = 67108863

Once you restart your computer, the selected drives should be hidden. If you wish to remove the hidden drives, browse to the NoDrives registry value and delete it.

As with all registry modifications, care should be taken to ensure that these steps are followed exactly. You should make a backup of your system before any major changes should things go wrong.

Launching the Backup and Restore Center

To launch the Backup and Restore Center, do the following:
1. Press the Start buttom
2. Type Backup
3. Select Backup and Restore Center

Backing up Your Files

To backup your files, click Backup Files and follow the directions given to you. Select the directories and files you want to backup and find a suitable place to store these files. I recommend an external hard drive or a DVD.

Restoring Your Files

Launch the Backup and Restore center and click Restore Files. Locate the medium your files are stored on and follow the instructions to get your previously backed up files back.

Back Up and Restore the Registry

Some guides in this book will require you to change values in your registry. If you make a mistake and don’t correct it, you may find your computer is not as functional as it was before. To protect yourself from any mistakes, you need to backup your registry. To back up and restore your registry, do the following:

Backup the Registry

1. Press Start > Run (Winkey+R) and type regedit
2. Left click Computer in the left pane
3. Go to File > Export
4. Save the file (for extra caution, save the file to a
USB thumb drive)

Restore the Registry

1. Press Start > Run (Winkey+R) and type regedit
2. Left click Computer in the left pane
3. Go to File > Import
4. Choose the backup file you created

Recovering Lost Data on Your Drive

I lost some photos recently and after trying a few different recovery programs, I came across Recuva. My problem was solved and now I you to use this great software. Recuva (pronounced “recover”) is a freeware Windows utility to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from your computer. This includes files emptied from the Recycle bin as well as images and other files that have been deleted by user error from digital camera memory cards or MP3 players. It will even bring back files that have been deleted by bugs, crashes and viruses!

Get a Windows Vista Recovery Disc

Most new computers these days come with windows Vista installed. Most of these computers don’t come with any kind of Windows Vista disc. Some may come with a recovery disc but they are bad news as most recovery disks will delete all your files and restore your computer to the state it was in when you first purchased it.

Windows Vista DVD’s come with a recovery center to allow you to fix operating system related problems. If you do not have this DVD, Microsoft made a recovery disc for this purpose.

Please Note: This disc cannot be used to install or reinstall Windows Vista.

Download Windows Vista Recovery Disc