The control panel is basically a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that has been there in almost all versions of Windows Operating System. It is quite useful because it makes it easier for both novices and professionals to make all the necessary changes that they might require on their computer systems. Using the control panel, users can perform a wide range of tasks such as those described below:

• Changing program accessibility options
• Adding new hardware
• Adding or removing software programs
• Managing administrative tools and options
• Making changes to the automatic update option
• Setting time and date
• Changing display settings
• Changing folder options
• Managing fonts and graphics
• Changing Internet settings
• Changing mouse and keyboard settings
• Setting up or remove network connections
• Installing or linking printers, faxes, scanners, and cameras
• Managing system tools and settings
• Changing user settings and parameters
• Setting up a wireless network connection
• Making changes in Windows firewall settings
• Changing the taskbar and start menu settings and options

The control panel in Windows is displayed as a separate folder, but you will be surprised to know that it does not physically exist on your system. The page that is displayed when you click on the “control panel” contains only the shortcuts to all the various applets that are available in Windows. The actual applets are in fact .CPL files, all of which are stored in the system32 folder of Windows.

To access control panel, you just have to click on ‘Start’ and select “control panel” from the list. Making changes and managing all the various tools and options is also easy and everything gets done in just a few clicks. However, it’s necessary that you log in as an administrator or a user having administrative rights because some components such as the administrative tools, date and time, firewall settings and others require you to have administrative rights. Just ensure this and you will easily be able to make all the desired changes in your computer.

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If your Windows based computer is constantly being bombarded with “c windows system32″ type of error messages and if you have been left wondering as to what went wrong and what needs to be done, then just keep reading to know what all you can do to resolve this issue. To start with, I would like to tell you that there are mainly two types of problems that usually lead to such errors. Both these problems are quite different from each other, but since they affect the same components in your Windows Operating Systems, the error messages are more or less the same.

The error “Cannot find C:\Windows\System32\System32.exe” usually occurs when you have the W32.KWBot.C.Worm virus on your computer. The errors may also continue to appear in case your anti-virus program could not effect a complete removal of this virus and its components from your computer. If this happens, you will have to manually remove the entries from the Windows Registry. Detailed guidelines on how to remove the problematic entries from the Registry are available at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833767. Just follow the instructions given in here and you will soon be able to stop the irritating “c windows system32″ type of errors.

The other types of error messages such as “C:\Winnt\System32\config.nt” and “C:\Windows\System32\Autoexec.nt” occur when some critical system files are missing from your computer. The missing system files are usually Config.nt, Autoexec.nt, and Command.com. Detailed instruction on how to resolve these issues is available at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324767.

Whatever you do, I would recommend that you first create a backup of he Windows Registry and your important files and folders. Step-by-step instructions given on Microsoft’s Website are no doubt quite easy to understand and implement, but since the final outcome depends a lot on your computer’s configuration as well, backing up your data does seems to be the right thing to do. I would add that you start right away before more problems and errors start appearing on your computer screen.

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Spamming has become a big problem and since it wastes plenty of your productive time and effort, it’s necessary that you take proactive steps to curb this growing menace. You may have already added the names or domains of spammers in the blocked senders list of your outlook express mail client, but that itself won’t be enough because the blocked senders list is stored on your hard drive and can get easily damaged or erased in case of a crash or system instability. If your computer somehow loses the blocked senders list, it would mean that you will have to do all the hard work all over again and worst still you will have to manually delete all the spam mails that might start reappearing in your inbox.

To tide over such potential vulnerabilities, you need to create multiple backups of your blocked senders list. For this you will have to access the “Registry Editor” on your computer and follow the instructions as available on Microsoft’s customer support website. Detailed instructions on creating backup files of blocked senders list are available at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/276511. Tweaking the registry is not something that is generally recommended, but if you follow the step-by-step instructions as given on this web site, it’s highly unlikely that you will make any grave mistakes. Just don’t try to do things on your own and you will easily be able to create backup copies of your blocked senders list.

For reducing the probability of loss to its barest minimum, you need to store the backed up copy of your blocked senders list at multiple locations such the various drives on your computer, CD/DVD, flash drives, tape drives, and even online if you wish so. This would help you in avoiding unnecessary problems that might come up in case your computer crashes and you are left with no other option but to format your C drive and reinstall Windows. Not to mention the complete peace of mind that you will have after creating backup copies of your blocked senders list.

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Cannot connect to Internet? Well, don’t get hyper because more often than not it’s just an overloaded network server that is responsible for this. However, you have every right to try out your own things because although quite common, an overloaded network server is not the only thing that can make Internet inaccessible to you.

You may not be aware, but there are plenty of other reasons as well such as a badly configured firewall setting or an inappropriate entry in the proxy settings of your Internet connection. Sometimes, it has also been noticed that a dysfunctional Internet connection has been the result of malicious software codes such as viruses, Trojans, worms, spywares etc. Some of these unwanted software codes can take complete control of your system and when this happens, it might make Internet inaccessible to you.

So, if you cannot connect to Internet, I would recommend that you first try to find the root cause of the problem. Your first step should be to run a virus scan on your computer using an effective anti-virus software program. For best results, you need to turn off the “System Restore”, before you actually click on the Scan button. System Restore continually keeps creating backups of your system and if you do not turn it off during a virus scan, chances are high that the virus might resurface after some time.

If a virus-scan fails to improve your situation, you should move on to other issues such as your firewall and proxy settings. The easiest thing to do here is just reset all the settings to their default levels. You should make further changes only when the default settings fail to give the desired results. If none of this works, then I must admit that you will have no other option but to pick up your phone and call your Internet service provider. That’s the last and final remedy in case you cannot connect to Internet.

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