Before making any system changes set a restore point.

Tired of seeing your pointer as an arrow or an hourglass all the time? Windows XP offers a number of alternative pointer schemes, such as Dinosaur, Ocean and Sports.

Open the Control Panel, double-click Mouse, and select the Pointers tab. (If you start in Category view, select Appearance and Themes, then click Mouse Pointers under "See Also.")

Next to Schemes, click the down arrow and select a scheme to preview its pointers. Click OK to apply the scheme to your desktop. Simple as that.

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Microsoft offers important updates, which include security and other critical updates, to help protect your computer against new viruses and other security threats that can spread over the Internet or a network. Other updates contain enhancements, such as upgrades and tools that can help your computer run more smoothly.