How do I password protect my files and folders in Windows?

How do I password protect my files and folders in Windows?

Because most versions of Windows do not include a method of password protecting your files and folders, this page provides steps for encrypting files and folders instead. To password protect your files and folders in Windows, you need to use a third-party program.

Microsoft Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10 users

Unfortunately, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 do not provide any features for password protecting files or folders. You need to use a third-party software program to accomplish this.

If you want to encrypt a file or folder, this can be done by following these steps:

• Select the file or folder you want to encrypt.
• Right-click the file or folder and select Properties.
• On the General tab, click the Advanced button.
• Check the box for the "Encrypt contents to secure data" option, then click OK on both windows.

Microsoft Windows XP Professional users

The steps below for encrypting the files on Windows XP Professional apply to users who are using a computer that has two or more accounts. If you are using a single account, see the other security solutions section.

• Select the file or folder you want to encrypt.
• Right-click the file or folder and click Properties.
• On the General tab, click the Advanced button.
• Check the "Encrypt contents to secure data" option.
• Click Apply and then OK.

Encrypt contents to secure data is grayed out

If you are using the Home edition of Microsoft Windows XP, see the Windows XP Home steps.

Show "Encrypt" on the context menu

The newest version of TweakUI also enables you to show the Encrypt option in the context menu. To do this, follow the steps below.

• Open TweakUI.
• In the TweakUI window, select Explorer.
• In the right side of the window under Settings, locate Show 'Encrypt' on the context menu and check the box. This option should be below Prefix 'shortcut to' on new shortcuts and above Show 'View workgroup computers' in NetPlaces.
• I'm missing "Show 'Encrypt' on the context menu" in TweakUI.

Microsoft Windows XP Home users

• Select the file or folder you want to encrypt.
• Right-click the file or folder and click Properties.
• Click the Sharing tab.
• Check the box Make this folder private.
• Click Apply and then OK.

Make this folder private is grayed out

For this option to work on Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, you must meet the below requirements.

• The hard drive must be formatted in NTFS and not FAT32 File System.
• The folder you are attempting to encrypt is your personal folder. For example, if your name is Bob, you must encrypt the following folder or a folder within it:

          C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\

• You cannot encrypt any folders outside of this folder. If you want to encrypt folders outside of this folder, see the other security solutions section below.

Other security solutions for protecting your files and folders in Windows

1. File and folders not frequently used - An easy way to password protect files is to create an archive of the files using a compression tool. When the archive is created, you can encrypt the contents by specifying a password.
2. Windows ME and Windows XP users - Windows ME and Windows XP come with their own compression utility. This utility can also be used to compress and password-protect files.
3. Windows Vista and Windows 7 users - Windows Vista and Windows 7 also include a compression utility. However, password protection for the compressed files is not possible without the use of a third-party software program.

Tip

When a file is compressed, users can still view a listing of the files in the compressed file. If you want both your file names and the contents to be hidden, move all the files into a single folder and password protect that folder.

File and folders frequently used or accessed

If you need to password protect or encrypt data you frequently use, you need to install a third-party program that allows you to protect your files and folders. Below are some free and commercial solutions.

• 7-Zip - A free file and folder zipping utility, which also includes the ability to password-protect zipped files and folders.
• AxCrypt - An excellent free encryption utility that enables users to encrypt all files within a folder and not allow those files to be viewed unless a passphrase (password) is known.
• Folder Guard - A commercial version of a password protection software that enables you to password-protect files, folders, and other Windows resources.
• Protected Folder- For a small fee, it's an excellent software program that enables you to password protect folders.

Open a search for more solutions to password-protect files and folders.

Things to remember when encrypting or password protecting files and folders

• There is no such thing as a 100% protected file. There are numerous tools, utilities, and instructions for how to break encryption and passwords on files. However, the protection methods listed above will protect your files from the majority of users who may encounter them. If you are working with really sensitive data, we suggest a commercial product for protecting your files and data.
• Even though a file or folder may be password protected, it still can be deleted (unless the program supports the ability to protect files from being deleted). Always remember to back up all your files, even those protected by passwords.
• If you forget the password, unless you're willing to spend the time attempting to break it or pay someone else to break the password, all the data in the file or folder will be lost. Thus, it is important to back up a copy of the non-password protected files or folders, just in case.

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How to move the mouse cursor with the keyboard in Windows

Whether your mouse breaks, runs out of batteries, or if you want to have an alternative way to the cursor, you can use the arrow keys on the numeric keypad. Before proceeding, make sure the Num Lock feature is toggled on by pressing the key until you see an indicator light or can type numbers with the keypad.

• Shortcut key combo
• Windows 10
• Windows 8
• Windows 7, Vista, or XP
• How to use Mouse Keys

Shortcut in all versions of Windows

1. Press Left Alt+Left Shift+Num Lock on your keyboard at the same time to get a dialog box similar to the example shown below.

2. When the window appears, press Spacebar or Enter to say Yes.
3. Repeat this process to turn Mouse Keys off.

Windows 10

If the shortcut key combination listed above did not work, you may enable or disable Mouse Keys, using the following steps. If your mouse isn't working, use the Tab key and Spacebar to navigate through menus.

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard.
2. In the box that appears, type Ease of Access mouse settings and press Enter.
3. In the Mouse Keys section, toggle the switch under Use numeric pad to move the mouse around the screen to On.
4. Press Alt+F4 to exit this menu.

Windows 8

If the shortcut key combination listed above did not work, you may enable or disable Mouse Keys, using the following steps. If your mouse isn't working, use the Tab key and Spacebar to navigate through menus.

1. With nothing selected, type the word "Mouse" anywhere on the Start Screen.
2. Arrow down to Ease of Access mouse settings and press Enter.
3. Toggle the switch under Mouse Keys to On.
4. Press Alt+F4 to exit this menu.

Windows XP, Vista and 7

If the shortcut key combination listed above did not work, you may enable or disable Mouse Keys using the following steps. If your mouse isn't working, use the Tab key and Spacebar to navigate through menus.

1. While viewing the Desktop, press the Windows Key or Click Start in the lower left-hand corner.
2. Select Control Panel from the list on the right-hand side.
3. Within the Control Panel, open Ease of Access.
4. Under Ease of Access Center, select Change how your mouse works.
5. Check the checkbox next to Turn on Mouse Keys.
6. Select Apply then OK.

Tip: If you want to change the cursor's movement speed or other settings, select Set up Mouse Keys.

How to use Mouse Keys

The following table shows each of the keys on the Numeric Keypad and how they interact with the mouse cursor. Make sure you're only using the Keypad to execute these actions.

Desired Action	Key Combination
Move up and to the left	Press 7
Move up	Press 8
Move up and to the right	Press 9
Move left	Press 4
Move right	Press 6
Move down and to the left	Press 1
Move down	Press 2
Move down and to the right	Press 3
Select the left mouse button	Press /
Select both of the mouse buttons	Press *
Select the right mouse button	Press -
Click	With the left button selected, press 5
Right-click	With the right button selected, press 5
Double-click	With the left button selected, press +
Drag an item	Point to the item, and then press 0
Drop the item you are dragging	Press.

Enjoy.....

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3 hidden modes in an android phone which you must know

3 hidden modes in the Android Mobile phones:

1.  Fast Boot mode
2. Download mode
3. Recovery mode

DISCLAIMER: This information is intended for experienced users. It is not intended for basic users, hackers, or mobile thieves.
Please do not try any of the following methods if you are not familiar with mobile phones.
We'll not be responsible for the use or misuse of this information, including loss of data or hardware damage. So use it at your own risk.

1. Fast Boot Mode This mode is used to flash the phone firmware using command-line tools. To access this mode:

1. Power off your Phone.
2. Press and hold Call and End Call/Power keys.

2. Download Mode This mode is also used to flash the phone firmware. Mostly this mode is used by GUI tools for easier and quicker flashing. To access this mode:

1. Power off your phone.
2. Press and hold Volume Down, OK and End Call/Power keys.

3. Recovery Mode This mode is used for recovery purposes like to reset the phone firmware. To access this mode:

1. Power off your phone.
2. Press and hold Volume Down, Call and End Call/Power keys. Once the alert triangle is shown on screen, press the " Menu " key to reset the firmware or press " Home " and" End Call/Power " keys to show the recovery menu.

Enjoy.
don't forget to comment...

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Lists of Hidden Secret Applications / Programs of Windows XP

Lots of hidden applications or programs exist in your Windows XP operating system. These hidden applications are really very useful and can save much time when you really know these application's utility or application. Microsoft never tells you these applications/programs description. All these hidden programs are really powerful for similar activities like registry editing, group policy editing, communicating with others, etc. This page presents lots of hidden secret programs/application and you will be glad knowing these hidden applications activities.
Lists of Hidden Secret Applications / Programs of Windows XP:
In the following paragraphs, you will find 20+ hidden secret applications or programs of Microsoft Windows XP operating system:

Private Character Editor: Hidden Font Editor Private Character Editor is used to create unique letters and logos for your font library according to your own choice. This program is totally for designing icons and Characters.

Instructions for Private Character Editor: Click on Start menu and click select Run In the “Run” window, type EUDCEDIT and hit Enter key of your keyboard...

IExpress: Hidden Install Creator IExpress program is for converting your files to EXECUTABLE files. This technology is designed to simplify the creation of a setup program. Using the step-by-step IExpress Wizard, you can create self-extracting files that automatically run the setup program contained inside. The setup program can be a .inf file or an executable program. IExpress technology automatically removes the setup files after installation, saving the user time and frustration.

Instructions for IExpress:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type iexpress and hit Enter key of your keyboard

Disk Cleanup: Cleaning Harddisk, This program is used for cleaning hard disk to offer more space to your hard-disk.

Instructions for Disk Cleanup:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type cleanmgr and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

MS-DOS Editor: Hidden Text Editor Windows XP comes with another text editor besides Notepad – it’s called the MS-DOS Editor is another text editor like Notepad and it’s commonly referred to simply as Edit. You can use it like Notepad. Moreover, it offers many more features such as the ability to work with multiple text files and change the background and text colors.

Instructions for MS-DOS Editor:
1)Click on the Start menu and click select Run.
2) In the “Run” window, type edit and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

Netmeeting: Hidden Internet Conference Application NetMeeting of Windows XP can deliver a complete Internet conferencing solution for all Windows users with multi-point data conferencing, text chat, whiteboard, and file transfer, as well as point-to-point audio and video.

Instructions for Netmeeting:
1. Click on Start menu and click select Run
2. In the “Run” window, type conf and hit Enter key of your keyboard

Windows Chat: Hidden Windows ChatProgram Windows Chat can be used to communicate with someone on another computer. But both computers must be connected to the same network (for
example, a local area network [LAN] or the Internet) and each computer must be running a similar protocol, such as TCP/IP. So, you can communicate with others easily.

Instructions for Windows Chat:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type winchat and hit Enter key of your keyboard

Windows Media Player 5.1: Hidden Windows Media Player Do you know that there is windows media player 5.1 in your windows XP. You can use it to listen to music.

Instructions for Windows Windows Media Player 5.1:
1. Click on Start menu and click select Run
2. In the “Run” window, type mplay32 and hit Enter key of your keyboard

Windows Media Player 6.4: Hidden Windows Media Player This is another secret of Windows XP. Here you can find Windows Media Player 6.4 (classic) to play your media files.

Instructions for Windows Media Player 6.4:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type mplayer2 and hit Enter key of your keyboard

Note:
Windows Media Player 6.4 (Classic) is installed along with Windows Media Player 7. The only update is that it now supports the latest codecs.

Dr. Watson: Troubleshooting tool This program Is for repairing problems in Windows

Instructions for Dr. Watson:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type drwtsn32 and hit Enter key of your keyboard

Clipboard Viewer: Windows ClipboardViewing This program is for viewing contents of Windows clipboard

Instructions for Clipboard Viewer:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type clipboard and hit Enter key of your keyboard

DirectX diagnosis: Diagnose DirectX, video, and sound This program is for viewing contents of Windows clipboard

Instructions for DirectX diagnosis:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type dxdiag and hit Enter key of your keyboard

Character Map: Find unusual characters This program is used for finding unusual characters.

Instructions for Character Map:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type charmap and hit Enter key of your keyboard

Mcft Synchronization Manager: File synchronization on the network This program is very helpful which allows synchronization of files on the network for when working offline. But this program is apparently undocumented.

Instructions for Mcft Synchronization Manager:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type mobsync and hit Enter key of your keyboard

ODBC Data Source Administrator: If you like to do with databases, you can use this hidden program of Windows XP.

Instructions for ODBC Data Source Administrator:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type odbcad32 and hit Enter key of your keyboard

Object Packager: With this secret Windows XP program, you can do with packaging objects for insertion in files, appears to have comprehensive help files

Instructions for Object Packager:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type packager and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

Group Policy Editor: This program is used to manage group policies and permissions

Instructions for Group Policy Editor:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type gpedit.msc and hit Enter key of your keyboard

System configuration: This program is used to control startup programs.

Instructions for System configuration:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type MSConfig and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

Driver Verifier Manager: It seems to be a utility for monitoring the actions of drivers, which might be useful for people having driver problems. Undocumented.

Instructions for Driver Verifier Manager :
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type verifier and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

Microsoft Telnet Client: This program is used to remotely access to any device.

Instructions for Microsoft Telnet Client:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type telnet and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

System Monitor: System Monitor is a very useful, highly configurable tool, tells you everything you ever wanted to know about any aspect of PC performance

Instructions for System Monitor:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type perfmon and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

Program Manager: Program Manager is a program that can be used as a Legacy Windows 3.x desktop shell.

Instructions for Program Manager:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type program and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

Syskey: Secures XP Account database Syskey secures the XP account database. Use Syskey with care, it’s virtually undocumented but it appears to encrypt all passwords

Instructions for Syskey:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type syskey and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

System Configuration Editor: System Configuration Editor can be used to modify System.ini & Win.ini just like in Win98!

Instructions for System Configuration Editor:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type sysedit and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

Remote Access phone book: This program’s documentation is virtually non-existent.

Instructions for Remote Access phone book :
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type as phone and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

Registry Editor: Registry Editor is used for hacking the Windows Registry.

Instructions for Registry Editor:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type regedt32 Regedit and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

Network shared folder wizard: t is used to create shared folders on the network.

Instructions for Network shared folder wizard:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type shrubs and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

File signature verification tool: It’s a simple file siganture verification tool.

Instructions for File signature verification tool:
1. Click on the Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type sigverif and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

Volume Control: This program is helpful for those people that lose it from the System Notification area.

Instructions for Volume Control: 1.Click on Start menu and click select Run 2. In the “Run” window, type sndvol32 and hit Enter key of your keyboard.

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How to turn your iPhone into a Wi-Fi hotspot

How to turn your iPhone into a Wi-Fi hotspot

There are many good things about turning your iPhone to a wireless hotspot. For example, you are traveling somewhere and you are carrying your laptop or tablet. You have two options, you can work offline on the tablet or laptop, or browse the internet on a very small screen. It would be great if you could use your 3G or 4G connection of the iPhone and go online on your laptop or tablet, right?

The good thing is that you can easily do this with your iPhone. It is quite easy to share your cellular connection with other devices you use. This feature is popular as tethering and it is really helpful -you don’t have to look for a café or a restaurant to use the internet or search for a free public hotspot.

Turning your iPhone to a wireless hotspot is quite easy. However, we recommend you to contact your carrier first and see if they allow this option or whether it is included in your monthly plan. This will exclude the chances of any unplanned extra fees. You also have to take care of your monthly bandwidth quota. In case you have limited bandwidth for the month, make sure to use this option only when you really need it.

Why should I create a Wi-Fi hotspot with my iPhone?

Let's say you're traveling with your iPhone and MacBook or a Wi-Fi-only iPad and want to do some work. At this point you've got two options: do the work on the larger-screen devices, but without being able to connect to any online resources; or go online but be stuck with a smaller screen.

Turning your iPhone into a Wi-Fi hotspot gives you a handy third option, allowing the laptop and tablet to piggyback on the phone's web connection. Wi-Fi hotspots are great for working on the go.

It's easy to turn your iPhone into a hotspot, but you may wish to speak to your phone carrier first or at least check your contract's terms and conditions; some networks prefer you not to do this and may charge you extra (or cap your data allowance) if they spot you set up a hotspot.


And while we're talking about data allowances, this is another thing to bear in mind: if you have a limited allowance you should only use the Wi-Fi hotspot for a short amount of time.

How to create an iPhone hotspot

Tethering basically transforms your iPhone into a wireless router just like the ones we all have at our homes. Of course, you won’t be able to login to the new router using its default IP (for example 192.168.1.1 and password) and tweak its settings, but it practically does the same job. Then the iPhone sends a wireless signals which enables us to connect our devices to the internet. The laptop or tablet can connect to the iPhone either by USB, or Bluetooth or wireless. It is quite good to know that your beloved iPhone can do this. So, if you want to turn your iPhone to a wireless hotspot follow these steps:

1. Tap the Settings icon
2. Then tap on Cellular and turn on Cellular Data. Make sure to set it to 3G or 4G in the Cellular Data Options.
3. Go back and tap Personal Hotspot and turn it ON..
4. Tap on Wi-Fi Password and enter a password you would like to use to connect your devices. At the same time, this will prevent others from connecting to your wireless hotspot.
5. On the laptop click on the Network icon and from the available networks select the one labeled as “iPhone” or similar.
6. Click on that network name and enter the password you have set up earlier.

Now you will be able to browse the Internet on any device you connect to your personal wireless hotspot. However, don’t forget you are using the data connection from your iPhone. Maybe you won’t get so good performance as with the Internet connection you have at home, but we are sure you will be able to do all the tasks you want to do.

Here's how to set up an iPhone Wi-Fi hotspot:

• Open the Settings app, then select Mobile Data. (In iOS 10 or later. In some older versions of iOS you just select Mobile.)
• Tap Personal Hotspot, and set Personal Hotspot to On. (Tap the slide so it turns green.)
• If Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth are off, iOS will ask if you want to turn them back on. We'd recommend doing so - without them, the hotspot will be limited to USB. This is more secure, however.
• Tap 'Wi-Fi Password' and enter a suitable password. (This isn't related to your Apple ID or usual Wi-Fi connection.)
• Now check the name of the hotspot listed under To Connect Using Wi-Fi (we get "David's iPhone").
• Click the Wi-Fi icon in your Mac's Menu bar, or open the Settings app and tap Wi-Fi on an iPad, and choose the Wi-Fi hotspot.
• Enter the password from Step 4.
• That should be it. You should now be able to browse the internet on your MacBook or Wi-Fi-only iPad using the connection provided by your iPhone.

Don’t forget to turn OFF the hotspot when you don’t use it since it will drain your iPhone battery very quickly.

What are the dangers of creating an iPhone hotspot

There is always a possibility that someone will try to connect to your iPhone hotspot and use your bandwidth without your knowledge. If you have set up a password as we have mentioned before you shouldn’t worry about this. However, if someone guesses your password you will be notified when he or she gets connected to the wireless hotspot. If this happens you will be notified so you can react in time.

Another thing you have to take good care of is bandwidth. It is quite easy to forget paying attention to it while you are surfing. However, you can always use third-party apps to control the bandwidth. At the same time avoid downloading large files or updating your computer. This can consume large amounts of data and very soon you will hit the limit. So, always make sure to pay attention to this. Plus, when you use your iPhone as a hotspot you will notice the battery gets drained faster than usual.

Dangers & warnings

What if someone tries to hijack your connection, burning through your data connection and/or accessing dodgy sites and content?

You should be okay because the iPhone hotspot is password-protected. (All the more reason not to choose the word "password" or something else that's easily guessed.) And you'll see a small notification at the top of your iPhone's screen when a device accesses its hotspot, so you'll get a warning if someone in your train carriage does manage to guess your password.


A more important warning concerns data limits on your own surfing. It's easy to forget when accessing the web over a device that's normally limited to Wi-Fi connections, that you're working against a 3G or 4G data limit. Remember that you're on the clock, so to speak, and we'd suggest avoiding downloading large apps and similar.

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The Top 7 Proxy Services For Gaming

Previously we have published an article on "Access Blocked Sites In Schools And College". Here in this article we will see some proxy sites to unblock, blocked gaming sites, Not only gaming sites but others too. Many companies block famous game sites from their internet to keep employers off of them. This is also true for schools and various other organizations. There is a way to get past these blocks by using a proxy and being able to access the games. Here are the top proxy sites that are ad-free.

Free Gate:

One of the best things about this service is that it can be used in both the English and Chinese languages. Since China is notorious for blocking sites, those who are international and want to unlock websites can use this one. It is the most popular site around because it works and works well. However, most employers know about this one, so if they block it, you won’t be able to use it. User reviews are high for this service.

Ultra Surf:

This one does require a download but doesn’t require any installation to run. Supports both English and Chinese, it is a great choice for getting through gaming sites. When there is heavy Internet censorship, this is the one to use. It has a great rating and it is one that is not as recognizable as Free Gate so it has a chance of being open rather than blocked. Surf the web without one trace of your IP address.

GTunnel:

Those who frequent Skype or GTalk will find accessing this site simple, as you can do it through these services. If you want to protect your anonymity online, this is the site to use. Because of its easy to use the platform, it has a high rating among users.

Tor:

Tor supports many different languages, not just common English and Chinese. It has been around for some time and is one of the proxies that support instant messaging clients and also those who need to log in remotely. Protect your browsing habits and access sites you never thought possible.

Gapp Proxy:

Based on Google App Engine, Gapp Proxy is one of the newer proxies. This service had its last update in 2010, so it is not as up to date as some of the sites. Users will need to create a GAE application to access this service. Though it is one of the top 10 free proxies, it is a little bit difficult to get going. However, once that is done, it is smooth sailing.

Hyk-proxy:

The last update was the final one to this service, but it still will get you past all those blocked sites. To use this service you must create a Google App Engine application. You will need JAVA to be able to access this proxy and set up can be a bit of a pain. Though it may not be popular enough to do any future updates, it still works great the way it is.

Your Freedom:

Saving the best for last, this rudimentary service will not cost a dime. Those who are worried about SPAM and about pop-ups will not have to worry about this service. It is by far one of the superior services that allow access to any site. They are constantly updating, so their new platforms allow users to enjoy getting through even the toughest security set-ups.

Where there’s a will there’s away. If you want to get into a game page bad enough you can by using a proxy server. Some are difficult to set up but others will allow instant access with a simple download. The trick is to find one that is not blocked by the employer or country.

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How To Boot Ubuntu From A USB Flash Drive

 How To Boot Ubuntu From A USB Flash Drive

Below are the three methods, that can be adopted to boot Ubuntu OS from a USB Flash Drive!

Option 1: Boot Ubuntu as a Live CD from a USB Flash Drive

Use this option to install Ubuntu as a Live Install, which allows you to boot from the USB flash drive in Ubuntu, experience the Linux environment but will not retain any changes or settings after you shut down. This is a great way to get a feel for the OS, test some of it's capabilities as well as typical hardware compatibility.

Programs you may need to download:

1. Ubuntu 10.04 Live CD ISO is available at ubuntu.com.
2. Universal USB Installer available at pendrivelinux.com.

What you will need:

1. Computer Running Windows XP/Vista/7.
2. Fat32 Formatted USB 2.0 Flash Drive, at least 1GB.
3. PC with a Bios that can boot from USB.

Now with all of the necessary components in place, we can begin to set up our Ubuntu Live USB Drive,

1. Run the Universal USB Installer by Pendrivelinux.com that you downloaded earlier.
2. Choose Ubuntu 9.10/10.04.1 Desktop i386.
3. Select the Ubuntu Live CD that you downloaded earlier.
4. Choose your Flash Drive.
5. In this instance, we are going to leave the persistence option unchecked.

This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on the speed of your system. At one point the progress bar will freeze until it is done, and this is the lengthiest wait of the process.

Once complete, you can reboot your computer with the USB flash drive in the USB port, press F12 for the Boot Menu and choose the removable media to boot from and you are in.

As this is a Live USB, any changes you make to the Ubuntu environment will not persist through a reboot. This is because running in this mode, Ubuntu uses available RAM in place of Swap and Hard Disk space. This option also contains the install files needed to install Ubuntu directly to your desktop if you should so desire.


Option 2: Boot Ubuntu as a Live CD with Persistence from a USB Flash Drive

This option will install Ubuntu Linux onto your flash drive with an area for persistent storage. You will be able to restart the computer, boot back into the Linux environment and all settings or changes made previously will persist.

Note: This option is particularly hard on Flash Memory, as there can be quite a bit of reading and writing to the Flash Memory.

What you will need:

1. Computer Running Windows XP/Vista/7.
2. Fat32 Formatted USB 2.0 Flash Drive, at least 2GB.
3. PC with a Bios that can boot from USB.

Now with all of the necessary components in place, we can begin to set up our Ubuntu Live USB Drive,

1. Run the Universal USB Installer by Pendrivelinux.com that you downloaded earlier.
2. Choose Ubuntu 9.10/10.04.1 Desktop i386.
3. Select the Ubuntu Live CD that you downloaded earlier.
4. Choose your Flash Drive.
5. Select the Persistence Option of 1GB Casper-RW.

This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on the speed of your system. At one point the progress bar will freeze until it is done, and this is the lengthiest wait of the process.

Once complete, you can reboot your computer with the USB flash drive in the USB port, press F12 for the Boot Menu and choose the removable media to boot from and you are in.

As this is a Live USB with Persistence, any changes you make to the Ubuntu environment will keep through a reboot. This option also contains the install files needed to install Ubuntu directly to your desktop if you should so desire.


Option 3: Install Ubuntu directly to a USB flash drive

This option works by installing Ubuntu to the flash drive like a complete installation. It does not retain the installation files to install on another system. This will allow you to use Ubuntu exactly as if it were installed alone on the hard disk. You can boot from it with any computer that can boot from a USB flash drive.

Note: This method requires that you disable your hard drive in BIOS to prevent overwriting your current operating system and force the install onto the USB drive.

What you will need:

1. USB 2.0 Flash Drive, at least 4GB.
2. PC with a BIOS that can boot from USB.
3. Blank CD.
4. A Computer with the ability to Burn CD/DVD.

Now with all of the necessary components in place, we can begin the process,

1. First, you will need to burn your Ubuntu ISO to CD using a program like ImgBurn available at ImgBurn.com.
2. Boot your computer and press F2 to enter the system BIOS. Within here you will want to disable your Hard Drive. If this is not an option in your BIOS, I would suggest shutting down your computer and unplugging the power and data cables from your hard drive before proceeding. Note: If you choose not to disable your hard drive, you run the risk of installing Ubuntu on top of your current OS and can lose valuable information.
3. After you have disabled your hard drive, place the Ubuntu Live CD into your computer and boot from this.
4. At the initial boot screen, choose to try Ubuntu, not install.
5. Once Ubuntu loads, plug in the desired flash drive into the computer.
6. Now, double click on the Install Ubuntu icon that appears on the desktop.
7. The first 3 screens are language, time zone, and keyboard layout.
8. Now Ubuntu will notify you that there is a disk mounted, and asks to unmount it. This is your flash drive. Give it permission to unmount.
9. This is the prepare disk space screen. I chose to leave mine at default and let the installer handle the partitions needed by Linux.
10. Now you will see the login and user information screen.
11. Now you are ready to install, click install.
12. At one point during the installation, you may notice a skip button appear on the bottom left. This is to skip the auto-update, and finally the language packs. I chose to skip the language packs update.
13. This may take a while, mine took about 35 minutes to complete. When it is done, eject the disk and shut down the computer. Plug your hard drive back in if necessary, or boot your computer into bios and re-enable it. Reboot your computer and press F12 to enter the boot menu, choose the flash drive and boot into Ubuntu.

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