"Access Denied." Two of the most frustrating words in the English language. If your computer blasphemes you with these words, and you know you've entered your user name and password correctly, the solution may be as simple as a registry edit:

1. Start Regedit
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SYSTEM / CurrentControlSet / Control / Lsa
3. Change the value of a key called "restrictanonymous" to 0 instead of 1
4. Don't change "restrictanonymoussam" value.
5. Reboot

Another useful tip from Bob Cerrelli:

Sometimes when you reinstall WindowsXP, you can receive an Access Denied error when trying to open a previous user's directory.
To take ownership of that folder again:

1. Log on with an account that has administrator rights
2. Right click on the folder
3. Select Properties
4. Click on the Security tab
5. Click on the Advanced button
6. Click on the Owner tab
7. In the list of Names, click on your name
8. To take ownership, click on Replace owner on subcontainers and objects
9. Click OK and Yes

As CNET editor Seamus Condron points out, integrated antivirus and spyware software doesn’t always give you the same protection you’d get from separate solutions. Condron recommends the following:

• For antivirus protection, I use a program called Avast. The home edition is free with yearly registration renewal. I have been using it for years and am very content.
• For spyware and adware, I use the free versions of Ad-Aware. The free versions do not do real-time scanning (which I recommend for most users), but I do manual scans once every few days or so, and my PC is clean as a whistle.
• The last program I use is CCleaner. It’s a system optimizer program that basically cleans your computer of broken files and DLLs from removed software. It will also clean out temporary directories, etc.

You can read about and download these programs directly from CNET’s Download.com.

Keyboard shortcuts are just like back roads—except the former allows you to complete tasks without removing your hands from your keyboard, while the latter increases your odds of carjacking and assault. (Close, right?)  

If you’re using Windows XP, you’ll want to peruse CNET’s list of 10 keyboard shortcuts, which include:

• Alt Tab lets you switch on the fly between all of your open windows. Press the combination once to switch to your last open window or multiple times to switch to any other open window. Holding down Alt Tab will bring up a system window that shows you what apps are running and which one you're switching to.

• Ever wonder why almost every Windows program has the F in File underlined, not to mention the E in Edit, and so on so forth across the top of the Window? Hit Alt that letter to open that particular menu; you can either use the arrow keys to move around within that window, or keep your eyes peeled for more underlined letters to use more Alt key combinations.

• Windows M minimizes all open windows, and Windows D shows your desktop. (These results look similar, but they're slightly different; Windows M minimizes all windows that support the command, while Windows D actually raises the desktop to the top.) This is a great one for when the boss pops up in your cubicle. Once the boss gone, hit Shift Windows M to bring up your minimized windows, or Windows D to drop your desktop back down again.

Photo CC 2.0, Kit Hartford

This is one of the most useful tips I’ve found on CNET yet, and I’ve been through just about all of them. (Feel free to recommend a hobby, as clearly I’m in need of suggestions.)

&ld