Tutorials

How to Make a "Create System Restore Point" Shortcut in XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 This tutorial will provide you with a create a manual system restore point shortcut that will instantly create a restore point with an optional description and success message in XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. System Restore isn't available for Windows RT. Restore points contain information about registry settings and other system information that Windows uses. System Restore points do not include personal user files in the C:\Users\(user-name) folders. For this shortcut to work, you must have System Protection turned on for the C: (Windows) drive. If you do not have it on, then you will get the error below when you try to use the...

How to Add or Remove Index Locations in Windows 7 and Windows 8 The Index keeps track of the files on your computer and stores information about the files, including the file name, date modified, and properties like author, tags, and rating. The index is used to make searching for files in Windows much faster. Instead of looking through your entire hard disk for a file name or file property, Windows scans the index, which allows most results to appear in a small fraction of the time that a search without the index would take. This tutorial will show you how to add or remove folder locations to be included in the index search results in Windows 7 and Windows 8. You will not be able to add removable locations to be included in the...

How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to a RSS Feed in Internet Explorer Feeds, also known as RSS feeds, XML feeds, syndicated content, or web feeds, contain frequently updated content published by a website. They are often used for news and blog websites, but are also used for distributing other types of digital content, including pictures, audio files, or video. Internet Explorer can discover and display feeds as you visit websites. You can also subscribe to feeds to automatically check for and download updates that you can view later. In addition, when you add a Web Slice to your Favorites bar, you automatically subscribe to its associated feed. This tutorial will show you how to subscribe or unsubscribe to a RSS feed in Internet...

How to Enable or Disable Windows Media Center This will show you how to enable or disable Windows Media Center from being able to run by specific or all users in Windows 7. Windows Media Center is not available in the Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic editions. . The N and KN editions of Windows 7 have all the features that normally come with each individual Windows 7 edition, except for Windows Media Player 12 and related programs, such as Windows Media Center or Windows DVD Maker. The N editions of Windows 7 allow you to choose your own media player and software required to manage and play CDs, DVDs, and other digital media files. If you choose to use Windows Media Player 12, downloading it, along with related...

TRUECRYPT is a free open source application that allows you to encrypt files, folders, partitions or even entire physical drives. It is a very useful alternative to Windows Bitlocker Drive Encryption, which is only available in Windows 7 Ultimate. Truecrypt's basic mode of operation is to encrypt all data and free space within a nominated container/volume using well established encryption algorithms and user-defined passwords or key files. The container with the encrypted data is accessed by mounting the container as a drive using the Truecrypt service. Update 29/05/2014 : the current status of Truecrypt Development is unknown. Please refer to this blog for some background : akselvoll.net: How to securely download TrueCrypt 7.1a...

How to Correctly Setup a Dual Boot with Windows 7 and LinuxMint13 Historically, dual booting Windows and a Linux distribution was fraught with risks due to the propensity of the Linux GRUB loader to interfere with and corrupt the Windows bootloader. This often left the Windows installation unbootable, which then required several complex steps in order to rescue the Windows installation. In recent distributions, the Linux GRUB loader has now been updated to GRUB2, which tends not to have an adverse effect on the Windows bootloader. This tutorial will show you the easiest method to successfully dual-boot Windows 7 and Linux, using the LinuxMint13 Cinnamon distribution as an example. This method has also been tested on, and works with...

MACRIUM REFLECT - Create Bootable Rescue USB Flash Drive How to Create a Bootable Rescue USB Flash Drive for Macrium Reflect In order to restore a Macrium image when your Windows operating system cannot be started, you are required to boot from a rescue CD, which holds a compact Linux operating system. The Linux operating system on this rescue CD allows you to quickly browse the disks and partitions of your PC, and select the image you wish to restore. Within Macrium reflect, there is no direct way to create a bootable USB drive, but there is a very simple workaround to create bootable rescue USB drives. This tutorial will show you how to do that, so you can forgo the stack of rescue CD's sitting on your desk. If you manage...

How to Create an Elevated Task Manager Shortcut in Windows 7 This will show you how to create a elevated Task Manager shortcut that will "run as an administrator" in Windows 7 when opened. It will open as if you clicked Show processes from all users in the default Task Manager. You will need to be logged in as an administrator to be able to use this elevated Task Manager shortcut. EXAMPLE: Default Task Manager and Elevated Task Manager Here's How: 1. Right click on a empty space on the desktop and click on New and Shortcut. 2. Copy and Paste the location below into the location box, then click on the Next button. (see screenshot below) C:\Windows\System32\taskmgr.exe 3. Type in Task Manager for a name, and click on...

How to Change the Width of Columns in Windows Explorer This will show you how to change the width of columns that display details about files in a folder in Windows Explorer. You will need to have the folder in Windows Explorer displayed with Details view to have columns displayed. In Libraries, column width changes are applied to all included folders in the library. In Windows Explorer, column changes are only applied to that specific folder and the specific location it was opened from (ex: Start menu vs Windows Explorer), and will not be applied to any other folder unless Apply to Folders is used, or it is used to set a default for all folders. To Automatically Size Columns to Fit in Windows Explorer 1. In Windows...

How to Turn On or Off "Two-step Verification" for your Microsoft Account "Microsoft account" is the new name for what used to be called a "Windows Live ID." Your Microsoft account is the combination of an email address and a password that you use to sign in to Windows 8 or services like Hotmail, Messenger/Skype, SkyDrive, Windows Phone, Xbox LIVE, Zune, Office Live, and Outlook.com. If you use an email address and password to sign in to these or other services, you already have a Microsoft account—but you can also sign up for a new one at any time. . Two-step verification uses two ways to verify your identity whenever you sign in to your Microsoft account: Your Microsoft account password An extra security code Two-step...

Enable or Disable the Use Of Offline Files in Windows 7 and Windows 8 If you work with files on a network, you can make the files available offline so you can access them even when your computer is not connected to the network. This is especially useful if you use a laptop to connect to a workplace network. When you make a network file, or all files in a network folder, available offline, Windows creates a copy of the file or folder on your computer. This is called an offline file. The next time you disconnect from the network, you'll still be able to open, modify, and save the file the same way you would if you were still connected. And when you do connect to the network again, Windows will automatically sync the offline file on...

How to Add or Remove Favorites from Navigation Pane in Windows 7 This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the Favorites folder in the Windows Explorer Navigation Pane in Windows 7. The default folder for Favorites is the Links folder located at the location below. C:\Users\(user-name)\Links You can only do this while logged into an administrator account. This will affect all user account's on the computer. EXAMPLE: Favorites in Navigation Pane NOTE: This is the Favorites group added (default) (left screenshot below) and removed (right screenshot below) from the Navigation Pane. Here's How: 1. Open the Start Menu and type regedit.exe in the search line, then press enter. 2. If prompted by UAC, then click...

How to Change the Time Zone in Windows 7 This will show you how to change the Time Zone and turn Daylight Saving Time on or off in Windows 7. Here's How: 1. Right click on the clock, at the far right of the taskbar, and click on Adjust Date/Time. (See screenshot below) A) Go to step 3. OR 2. Left click on the clock, at the far right of the taskbar, and click on Change date and time settings. (See screenshot below) 3. Click on the Change time zone button. (See screenshot below) NOTE: If you would like to be notified with a notification balloon when the clock changes, then check the Notify me when the clock changes box. 4. Click on the Time Zone drop down menu and select your time zone. (See screenshot below step 6) NOTE...

How to Open and Use Disk Cleanup in Windows 7 and Windows 8 You can use Disk Cleanup to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your drives, which can help your PC run faster. It can delete temporary files and system files, empty the Recycle Bin, and remove a variety of other items that you might no longer need. This tutorial will show you how to open and use Disk Cleanup in Windows 7 and Windows 8. The Disk Cleanup exe file is located at C:\Windows\System32\cleanmgr.exe. Checking the Hibernation File Cleaner option to be deleted will also disable hibernate. Here's How: 1. Press the Windows+R keys to open the Run dialog, type cleanmgr, and press Enter. 2. Select the drive that you want to use Disk Cleanup on, and...

How to Disable the "Open File Security Warning" in Windows This will show you how to enable or disable XP, Vista, or Windows 7 prompting you with the Open File Security Warning when you open or run a downloaded or copied file from the internet or another computer on your computer. The Open File - Security Warning prompt is a security measure in Windows 7 and Vista to ask for your permission (like UAC) before allowing a downloaded or copied file from the internet or another computer to be opened or run on your computer. Disabling Open File - Security Warning will reduce the security level of Windows, and place your computer at a higher risk of being infected by malware. Disable at your own risk if you no longer want to have...

How to Create an Elevated Program Shortcut Any User is able to Run in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 This will show you how to create an elevated program shortcut that allows any user (ex: Standard user) to be able to run a program that runs as administrator without being prompted to enter the administator's password each time in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. If the user you want to have this shortcut has been restricted with Parental Controls in Windows 7 with it set as Standard Account can only use the programs I allow, then they will not be able to use the shortcut in this tutorial since they will not be allowed to use the runas.exe file used by this shortcut. Windows 7 will not allow runas.exe to be added to the allowed to...

How to Set CPU Priority Level for Applications and Processes in Windows 7 Windows shares the processor time between all running processes based upon their priority. If a process has a higher priority, it gets more processor time compared to a process having a lower priority. This tutorial will show you how to Set Priority of an application or process in Task Manager to have it run with a Realtime, High, Above Normal, Normal, Below Normal, or Low processor priority level in Windows 7 or Vista. The changes you make to the priority level of the current instance of an application or process are only temporary and not set permanently. Once you close the application or restart your system, Windows forgets your custom priority and...

How to Add "Restart Explorer" to Desktop Context Menu in Windows This tutorial will show you how to add Restart Explorer to the desktop context menu in Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8. When used by any user, it will automatically kill the explorer.exe process, and restart the explorer.exe process when you are ready to. While you must be logged in as an administrator to be able to add or remove the context menu, all users will be able to use it. When you right click or press and hold on the desktop and click/tap on Restart Explorer, you will see a command prompt window open indicating that it has killed the explorer.exe process, and will wait on you to press a key before restarting the explorer.exe process. This way you can use...

How to Configure Windows to Create a Dump File for when you get a BSOD This will show you how to set to create either a Kernel memory dump, Small memory dump (minidump), Complete memory dump, or no memory dump file when you get a BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. For more information about crash dump files, please see: Understanding Crash Dump Files - Ask the Performance Team - Site Home - TechNet Blogs You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this tutorial. Complete memory dump A complete memory dump records all the contents of physical memory (RAM) at the time of the crash. A complete memory dump may contain data from processes that were running when the memory dump was...

How to Change Event Sound Effects in Windows 7 and Windows 8 This tutorial will show you how to change the sounds applied to events in Windows and Programs as a Sound Theme for your user account in Windows 7 and Windows 8. Windows 7 and Windows 8 uses .wav (wave) files played for the sound events. The default folder that Windows 7 and Windows 8 uses to store the sound files in is located at C:\Windows\Media. For fun and sharing, you can post the sounds that you use at this link if you would like to. :) To Change Sound Events in "Sounds" Dialog Settings 1. Do step 2, 3, or 4 below for how you would like to open the Sound dialog. 2. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on the Sound icon, and go to step 5 below...