Build the best one for Windows Server 2003 roles

A look at Refactor, the free Visual Basic 2005 tool

Creating Multithreaded Windows Forms applications with Windows Forms 2.0

Making Internet Phone Calls Using Skype  Skype lets you use the internet to make phone calls to other Skype users and also to regular telephones. Wei-Meng Lee shows you how to set it up and start talking.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Watching Ports with Port Reporter  Here's another cool tool from Redmond. It monitors port usage for security reasons and for troubleshooting network connectivity problems. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, shows you where to get it and how to make the most out of it.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Using Log Parser 2.2  Log Parser is one cool tool, and it can help you analyze all kinds of logs with ease. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, shows you where to get it and how to make the most of it.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Cooking with Windows Server, Part 2  In this excerpt from Robbie Allen's Windows Server Cookbook, Robbie shows you how to build web sites and how to mailbox-enable a user.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Getting Your Bluetooth Headset to Work in XP  With Bluetooth support built into SP2, getting a Bluetooth headset to work should be a breeze. But it ain't necessarily so. Wei-Meng Lee shows you how to do it.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Is This Security Alert Really from Microsoft?  An excellent way to get information about Windows updates is via email with Microsoft Technical Security Notification Services. But how do you know what's real and what's a spoof? Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, shows you.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Easy Scripting  Windows scripts are far more powerful than mere batch files--and much harder to use as well. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, gives you hard-won advice on how to more easily create scripts, and offers many helpful resources.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Cooking with Windows Server, Part 1  In this excerpt from Robbie Allen's Windows Server Cookbook, Robbie shows you how to activate Windows Server 2003, how to find large folders and files on a volume, and how to hide a file or folder.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Navigating SharePoint  Where to begin if you're getting started with SharePoint? Jeff Webb, author of Essential SharePoint, gives you the basics in a few short steps.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Run Multiple OSes with Virtual PC and VMware Workstation  Need to run multiple operating systems on your PC? Virtual OSes are the way to go. J.W. Olsen gives you the lowdown on Virtual PC and VMware Workstation.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Powering Up Terminal Services with Service Pack 1  Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 includes useful enhancements to Terminal Services. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, has details and offers tips on how to make the best use of them.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Using Tabbed Browsing in Internet Explorer 6  You don't need to wait for Internet Explorer 7 for tabbed browsing--with the latest MSN Toolbar, you can use it in IE 6. Wei-Meng Lee shows you how to use it.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

A Guided Tour of the Newest Longhorn Build  What's the current state of Longhorn? Wei-Meng Lee takes a look at the latest build of Longhorn and gives you a guided tour.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Using the Security Configuration Wizard  One of the enhancements in Service Pack 1 for Windows Server 2003 is the new Security Configuration Wizard (SCW), a tool designed to help admins secure their servers against attack. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, shows you what it does, how it works, and how you can use it.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Using Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool  The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool can rid your PC of malware, even if you're already protected by antivirus software. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, shows you the ins and outs of how to use it.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

A Look at Google Web Accelerator  The beta of Google Web Accelerator was released to great fanfare, and then quickly pulled. Does it actually work--and what are the privacy implications? Jake Ludington gives you the inside scoop.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Ferreting Out Near-Identical Records in Access  Working with lists of contacts is a common database activity, but as a list grows, so do the chances for duplicate records. Ken Bluttman shows one technique for ferreting out these near-identical records in Access using the InStr function to find when one value in one field is inside the value of the same field in another record. Ken is the author of Access Hacks.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Some Useful Scripts from Readers  Readers often offer the best advice for nagging problems. In this article, Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, shares reader scripts for remotely enabling Remote Desktop, and controlling a default printer in a roaming profile.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

How to Boost XP Performance  PC feeling a bit sluggish? It's not tough to juice up its performance. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, shows you how to do it in a few easy steps.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Which Is the Best Desktop Search Tool?  There are plenty of desktop search tools out there--but which one is the best? Jake Ludington puts Google Desktop Search, Windows Desktop Search, and Copernic Desktop Search through their paces, and tells you his top choice.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Copy Scheduled Tasks to Remote Machines  There are times when for ease and security reasons, you'll want to schedule a task to run on a remote PC. Where to begin? Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, gives you step-by-step instructions for getting it done.   [O'Reilly Network]

Hacking Windows XP  Learn how to make better use of the XP login screen, how to give Internet Explorer a face lift, and how to build your own Firefox search engine, in these three excerpts from Windows XP Hacks, 2nd Edition.   [O'Reilly Network]

Thumbing Through Firefox Tabs  Add-ons such as tabbed browsing extensions let you try out all sorts of features that can save you time and are just plain cool to use. Troy Mott highlights four extensions you can use to take advantage of tabbed browsing in Firefox: TabBrowser Preferences, miniT (drag+indicator), SessionSaver, and All-in-One Gestures. Troy is a coauthor of Windows XP in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Finding an Application's Registry Keys  How can you find out which registry values you need to deploy for a third-party or in-house app you want to manage using Group Policy? Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, gives you the rundown on how to do it easily.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Creating a Windows DLL with Visual Basic  Think it's not possible to create a Windows DLL using Visual Basic? Think again. Ron Petrusha shows you that it's not so tough.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Adding Custom Buttons to Internet Explorer  Have you ever wanted to extend the Internet Explorer toolbar by adding your own buttons? It's not that tough to do. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, walks you through it in a few easy steps.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Protect Yourself from WiFi Snoops  You needn't be at the mercy of WiFi snoops. There's a lot you can do to protect your home or business network, without spending a lot of time or even any money. Preston Gralla, author of Windows XP Hacks, 2nd Edition, shows you how with step-by-step guides to hiding your network SSID, filtering out MAC addresses, and using encryption.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

More Windows Explorer Hacks  Face it, XP's Windows Explorer can use a lot of help for doing even the most basic things, such as copying files. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, is back with another set of hacks to power it up.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]

Automating Desktop Tasks in XP  Tired of repeating the same mouse clicks and keystrokes for basic tasks you do every day? It's time to automate them. Mitch Tulloch, author of Windows Server Hacks, tells you about five great tools that can do it for you.   [O'Reilly Network]

Hacking Firefox: Add Stuff to Your Toolbars  Learn how to trick out your Firefox toolbars in this excerpt from Firefox Hacks. This hack shows you how to upgrade toolbars, with a focus on two example extensions that benefit from toolbar icons: InfoLister and Gmail Notifier.   [WindowsDevCenter.com]