Tutorials

How to Burn a "ISO" or "IMG" Disc Image file to a CD/DVD in Windows 7 and Windows 8 This tutorial will show you how to use the built-in Windows Disc Image Burning Tool to burn a ISO or IMG disc image file to a CD/DVD in Windows 7 and Windows 8. Windows Disc Image Burner will need to be set as the default program with all of it associations (.iso & .img) set to it for this to work. It is by default in Windows 7 and 8. Here's How: 1. Place a blank unformatted CD or DVD into your CD/DVD drive, and do step 2 or 3 below. NOTE: If a AutoPlay window opens with the option to format the CD/DVD, then just close it. 2. Right click or press and hold on the ISO or IMG file that you want to burn to CD/DVD, click/tap on Burn disc image...

How to Create a "Switch User" Shortcut in Windows 7 Fast User Switching or Switch User is a feature in the Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions that allows you to switch to a different user account on your computer without having to close any programs and files first in the user account that you are currently logged on to, and then be able to switch right back where you left off. This makes it easier to share a computer with other users on the same computer. This will show you how to create or download a Switch User shortcut. "Switch User" Keyboard Shortcut Press the keys below one at a time, and not together, to open the Start Menu, navigate to "Switch User", and use it by...

How to Change the Font on the Log On Screen in Windows 7 This will show you how to change the font of specific items on the logon screen in Windows 7. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. EXAMPLE: Log on screen Here's How: 1. If you have not already, you will need to download and install Resource Hacker. 2. If you have not already, you will need to take ownership (Option Three at link) of and set permissions to "allow" the Administrators group "full control" of the authui.dll.mui file at the location below. NOTE: If you do not have an English copy of Windows 7 installed, then you will need to open your language folder instead of en-US...

How to Delete a User Account in Windows 7 and Windows 8 This tutorial will show you different ways on how to delete a user account or domain user account in Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to delete a user account. You will not be able to delete a user account that is logged in. It must be logged off first. Do not delete all administrator accounts on the computer. You need to have at least one administrator account created on the computer. Before deleting the user account, be sure to backup anything that you do not want to lose in it's C:\Users\(user-name) profile folder and subfolders. To Delete an User Account in Control Panel "User Accounts" 1. Open the Control Panel...

Hey all I think everybody knows how to change the logon screen background according to Brinks tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/5382-log-screen-change.html Well, this tutorial will help show you how to change or remove the log on screen text branding in Windows 7.You can remove after install, but I don't know if you can edit/replace it after installation. I did managed to replace it before installation modifying the install.wim file. EXAMPLE: Log On Screen Here's How: 1. In Windows Explorer, go to C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd and take ownership of the basebrd.dll file. 2. If you do not already have reshacker or restorator installed, then download and install one of them or a program like them. 3. In Windows...

How to Rebuild the Index 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. If the index cannot find a file in it's seach results that you know exists or not exists in an indexed location, then this will show you how to manually rebuild and update the index to have accurate search results from...

How to Allow or Prevent Changing Desktop Background in Windows This tutorial will show you how to allow or prevent all or specific users to be able to add, configure, or change desktop background wallpaper through Personalization in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. The Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions do not have the Personalization feature included in them, so this tutorial will not apply to them. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. This will not prevent users on the computer from right clicking on an image and clicking on Set as desktop background (on computer) or Set as Background (on website), to change the desktop background wallpaper as that image. To disable...

How to Create a "Volume Mixer" Shortcut in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 This will show you how to create or download a Volume Mixer shortcut that opens the same Volume Mixer pop-up as when you click on the Volume system icon on the taskbar and click on the Mixer link at the bottom. EXAMPLE: Volume Mixer To Download the "Volume Mixer" Shortcut NOTE: This shortcut will open at the far right corner of the far right monitor. If you have more than one monitor, then you may wish to remove the location part in red in OPTION TWO below from this shortcut to have it open on your main display instead. 1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below. Volume_Mixer.zip...

How to Clear and Reset the Print Spooler Queue in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 This tutorial will show you how to clear and reset the print spooler queue in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. This can be handy if you have a document stuck in the print spooler, and/or not allowing your computer to go to sleep automatically if set to do so. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. If the print spooler issue persists after resetting it below, the installed printer driver may not be compatible or corrupted. Check the printer manufacturer's website to download and install the latest Windows compatible driver for it. To Automatically Clear and Reset Print Spooler Queue with a BAT File...

How to Completely Uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials This tutorial will guide you through removing Microsoft Security Essentials completely from your machine, either so you may reinstall it or make sure everything is cleaned up to move to a new anti-virus. This guide assumes you have no antivirus protection installed at the moment. If you do, disable it during this guide as it may interfere with this procedure. Always Uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials the proper way through Control Panel - Uninstall A Program when possible. DO NOT FOLLOW THIS TUTORIAL IF YOU HAVE WINDOWS 8 or WINDOWS 10, IT WILL CORRUPT WINDOWS DEFENDER. Then continue to this method. If the uninstaller fails for whatever reason, then attempt this...

How to Mark a Partition as Inactive in Windows 7 and Vista Marking a partition as active on a basic disk means that the computer will use the loader (an operating system tool) on that partition to start the operating system. Marking a partition as active if it doesn't contain the loader for an operating system may cause your computer to become unbootable. This tutorial will show you how to mark a partition as inactive in Windows 7 and Vista in case you marked it as active by mistake. If you mark the wrong active partition as inactive by mistake and can no longer boot from it, then you can do a startup repair to fix it. EXAMPLE: Partition Marked as Active and Inactive NOTE: This is an example of my D: data partition shown as...

How to Add or Remove "Enable forced button/lid shutdown" in Power Options The Enable forced button/lid shutdown setting is to have a forced shudown (set to On) or normal shutdown (set to Off) of the computer when the system "power button" is pressed or "lid closed" if their action is set to Shut down. This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the Enable forced button/lid shutdown setting under Power buttons and lid in the advanced power settings of all power plans for all users in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this tutorial. If the Enable forced button/lid shutdown setting is enabled and a user presses the power button to shut down the system, any open...

How to Remove and Restore Default "Send To" Context Menu Items in Windows 7 and Windows 8 This will show you how to either remove or restore the default Send To context (right click) menu. This includes the Compressed (zipped) Folder, Desktop (create shortcut), Documents, Fax recipient, and Mail recipient menu items. You can press and hold SHIFT + Right Click and release SHIFT on a item to see an expanded Sent To context menu. The hidden SendTo system folder is located at the path below: C:\Users\(user-name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo OR (shorter) Shell:SendTo EXAMPLE: Default Send To Context Menu EXAMPLE: Expanded Send To Context Menu NOTE: The expanded Send To context menu is opened by pressing and...

How to Enable or Disable Gadgets in Windows 7 and Vista This will show you how to enable or disable all currently running gadgets, and from being able to add new desktop gadgets for specific or all users in Vista and Windows 7. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. For you to be able to use and add gadgets to your desktop, you must: Have gadgets enabled below. Show Desktop Items needs to be checked in order to see the gadgets. EXAMPLE: "Desktop gadgets are managed by your system administrator." NOTE: When gadgets is disabled, this will be the message all users will get when they try to add a gadget. Using a REG File Download 1. To Enable Gadgets for Current User A) Click on...

How to Change the Network Name and Icon in Windows 7 This tutorial will show you how to change the network name and icon in the Network and Sharing Center. Change Network Name and Icon in Network and Sharing Center 1. Click or right click on the Network icon in the notification area, then click on Open Network and Sharing Center. (See screenshot below) OR 2. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click on the Network and Sharing Center icon. 3. Click on an active network icon. (See screenshot below) NOTE: This will not work with a unidentified network. 4. This will open the Set Network Properties window. (See screenshot below) 5. To Change the Network Name A) In the Network name field, type the new name you want for...

Office 2013 "Sign in" and Cloud Capabilities - Turn On or Off How to Turn On or Off "Sign in" and Cloud File Open and Save in Office 2013 This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off "Sign in" link and cloud capabilities (SkyDrive, Office 365 SharePoint) in Office 2013. Cloud capabilities will be completely turned off, you will be able to save and load files ONLY to/from your local computer. EXAMPLE: Here's How: 1. Do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do. 2. To Turn On "Sign in" and Cloud Capabilities in Office 2013 NOTE: This is the default setting. A) Click/tap on the download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below. Sign_in-OFFICE2013.reg...

How to Clear all Event Logs in Event Viewer using Windows PowerShell This tutorial will show you how to quickly clear all event logs in Event Viewer with a one line PowerShell script. This one line command clears each log in the Event log list one at a time. wevtutil el gets the Event log list and passes the list to Foreach-Object which calls wevtutil cl for each log in the Event log list. This process does not clear Analytic or Debug logs. If you have them enabled, wevutl returns an error, but the other logs are cleared. If you are trouble shooting an issue on your computer it is NOT advisable to clear the Event logs. The Event logs provide technical information about your system that could help resolve an issue. Only clear the...

How to Enable or Disable Windows Key Shortcuts in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 This tutorial will allow you to enable or disable all Windows Key + key shortcut hotkeys for all or specific users in Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. Pressing the Windows Key by itself will still open the Start menu even when Windows key shortcut hotkeys are set to disabled. Enable or Disable Windows Key Hotkeys using a REG File 1. Do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do. 2. To Enable Windows Key Hotkeys for All Users NOTE: This is the default setting. A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4...

How to Hide or Restore Hidden Windows Updates in Windows 7 and Windows 8 This tutorial will show you how to either hide or unhide Windows Updates to have them listed or not listed as available to install again in Windows 7 and Windows 8. To Hide a Windows Update 1. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Windows Update icon. (see screenshot below) 2. After you check for updates, click/tap on the .....update(s) is available link. (See screenshot below) 3. Right click or press and hold on a listed Windows Update that you want to hide, then click/tap on Hide Update. (See screenshot below) 4. If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes. 5. You will now notice that the now hidden Windows Update is grayed out...

How to Scan Suspicious Files using Online Scanners Sometimes files downloaded from the internet or copied from external USB storage may contain malicious content that your usual anti-malware defenses fail to detect. If you ever suspect this to be the case, you can upload these files to sites that are able scan these files more thoroughly. The advantage of using this technique is that the files are scanned using several different engines (anti-malware products) thereby providing a greater probability of detecting malicious content. I realise there are a plethora of online scanners available, and every person has their favorite that they swear by. However, the goal of this tutorial is to provide access to the fastest and most...