There are utilities like the freeware CCleaner software that can easily let you list and modify auto-run programs from the Windows XP system registry like this:

Above: In CCleaner, click Tools (large icon on left) then Startup (white button in middle column) to see this list.

However if you’re the type that would rather do this the "old fashioned way", you can get to this information and get the same editing ability by using the tried-and-true registry editor.

You can get to the registry editor in one of two ways.

1. Click Start / Run / type regedit / click OK.
2. Right click on a blank area of the desktop, click New from the context menu that appears, click Shortcut, type regedit in the dialog box that appears (no need to click Browse), click Next, click Finish. This will place a regedit icon on your desktop that you can double-click to launch the Registry Editor.

Inside the registry editor you have to expand some folders - in a specific order - to get to the "run" list.

The order is as follows:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
• SOFTWARE
• Microsoft
• Windows
• CurrentVersion
• Run

It should look something like this when you’re done:

From here you have the same modify/delete ability as you do with CCleaner, except using the built-in registry editor instead.

IMPORANT NOTE: Messing around with the Windows registry can seriously screw up your Windows installation if done wrong.

It is highly suggested to BACKUP your registry first. This is done easily via the registry editor by simply clicking File then Export. Do this before making any registry changes. Make sure when exporting your "Export Range" is ticked as "All".

Like this (see bottom left):

Didn’t find what you were looking for in Run?

Maybe it’s not there. Maybe it’s in the Start menu’s "Startup" folder instead.

Click Start, All Programs, Startup and check that menu. You can remove any menu entry there by simply right-clicking on it and left-clicking Delete.

If you delete something on a goof, don’t worry because it’s in the Recycle Bin where you can put it back in case you make a mistake.

Just remember there is no Recycle Bin ability with the registry editor. Your only means of restoring something you deleted is by importing a .reg file you exported as explained above.

With most digital cameras there is the ability to store photos in "RAW" format instead of the standard JPG/JPEG.

When you take shots to be stored in RAW, the first thing you notice is that it takes a really long time for the cam to finish storing the photo after taking the shot.

The second thing you notice is that it’s not the easiest thing in the world to work with if you don’t have the proper software to read the RAW format.

The third thing you notice is that it takes seemingly forever to get RAW format imagery off the camera because it’s just so honkin’ huge in file size.

Is there any particular advantage to using RAW?

Yes and no. More on that in a moment.

What does RAW mean?

RAW is a "minimally processed" digital image stored on your digital camera when the shot is taken. You can think of them as "unprocessed" photos.

Is RAW the same on all digital cameras?

NO. This is because digital cameras of different makes have different ways of producing an unprocessed image.

Yes, this is confusing but it’s the truth. When you take a photo "in RAW", the actual data of the image is different per make. Canon is different from Pentax is different from Casio is different from Nikon is different from Olympus, etc. You get the idea. RAW is not a universal format.

How do I work with a RAW image?

Typically you need the software that came provided with your digital camera to work with them at all.

Granted, Picasa does support many RAW formats from different manufacturers, however its editing capabilities are very limited. Better to use the software that came with the camera.

What is the reason I would want a RAW image?

Best possible quality and most editing capability. The RAW file gives you more control over the final image - particularly for print purposes.

When would be a bad time to use RAW?

When shooting/storing in RAW it takes the camera a long time to save the file because each one is humongous. If you’re doing fast-style photography, RAW is a bad idea.

When would be a good time to use RAW?

Portraits, i.e. shots where you can take your time, RAW may serve a good advantage to you.

If you want to learn more about the technical stuff concerning RAW, see the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format

This chapter is a video presentation.

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This chapter is a video presentation.

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This chapter is a video presentation.

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As stated earlier, most simple video editors allow for adding additional audio such as background music and sound effects.

Important things to remember:

With free video editing software such as Windows Movie Maker, you only have one additional audio track. If you choose to have music played throughout the entire presentation, that audio track is being used and you cannot add any additional sound at that point.

With sound effects you can add as many as you wish due to the fact they’re short (once a sound effect has finished playing, you can add another, and another after that, and so on).

Common Mistakes Made by Beginners

Too LOUD
When adjusting your volume for background music/effects, it is typical that beginners will have the volume much too high. The important thing to remember is that background music and effects are supposed to be IN THE BACKGROUND and not be “front and center”.

Some sound effects are louder/quieter than the others
People will usually find whatever sound effect they can find on the internet, then drop it into their presentation. At times this may present a problem because some some effects are louder/quieter than others. Being that you only have one audio track to work with, you may have to individually adjust volume for each sound effect if your video editing software allows it.

Remember: It is worth it to spend time making sure the audio is of proper volume to avoid annoying your audience with sound that is too loud/quiet.

Over-use of music/effects
Beginners will think “I have to make this interesting! I have to add more sound! More effects!” No, you don’t. The presentation overall is what counts and not the add-ons. Granted, sometimes effects can be entertaining/interesting/funny, but most of the time they’re not.

If you’re spending more time worrying about music/effects than you are the presentation itself, this is bad. The presentation counts first.

A title slate is simply text on-screen and nothing else. Slates are using to introduce scenes into your video should they be necessary.

Sometimes the only slates you need is at the beginning (such as stating the title of the video) and at the end (for credits). At other times you may need slates during the video to separate different chapters. For example, if you were producing an instructional video that showed a 5-step process on how to do something, each one of those 5 steps would most likely need a title slate to introduce each step.

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A transition from one video clip to another means under most circumstances that an effect is being applied. For example, dissolving (sometimes known as fading) from one clip to another is a digital effect.

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In simple terms, the difference between video and audio is that video is for motion imagery and audio is for sound.

However the way in which video and audio are edited are distinctively different.

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The timeline is a horizontal bar typically located at the bottom for any video editing software you may use. You use this bar to “jump” to specific points in your video to make edits, such as adding video, removing video, transitions and so on.

Using the timeline in modern-day software is very easy because all you have to do is literally drag and drop what’s known as “clips” into the timeline to begin editing.

Using Windows Movie Maker as an example:

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When working with video editing software it’s important to understand the file formats you will be working with.

The most common formats will be files that end with the extensions AVI, MPG (or MPEG), MOV and WMV.

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