Tutorials

How to Set a Default Folder View for All Folders in Windows 7 This will show you how to set a default folder view setting for all Windows Explorer folders to open with in Windows 7. This will not affect the folder view settings in libraries and library folders, the small File -> "Save as", "Open" common dialog type windows, or a window's default size and position. Here's How: 1. Set a default folder template that you want to have all Windows Explorer folders to use. NOTE: You can choose between having General Items, Documents, Pictures, Music, or Video as the default folder template for all folders. 2. When finished, apply the folder view to all folders. If you wish to undo this and restore the folder view settings...

How to Enable or Disable Windows Updates from Automatically Restarting the Computer This will show you how to enable or disable Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 from automatically restarting the computer after 5 minutes of installing a Windows Update that requires a restart to finish installing. Even though if you disable automatic restart for Windows Update, you will still be required to restart the computer to finish installing the Windows Update. However, you will be able to do this when you are able to instead of it doing it automatically while you were working on something and losing it.After you install an important update in Windows 8 and 8.1, you receive a notice that you have to restart the PC in three days. If the restart...

How to Change the Keyboard Layout in Windows 7 This will show you how to change the keyboard layout to customize your keyboard for a specific input language or format. The keyboard layout controls which characters appear on the screen when you press the keys on your keyboard. Some input languages have several keyboard layouts; others have only one. This can make it easier to enter text or edit documents in multiple languages. Before you will be able to change the Keyboard layout, you must add a input language and keyboard layout that you want to use first. To Change Default Input Language and Keyboard Layout NOTE: This will allow you to select an added input language and keyboard layout to use as the default for all input...

How to Create a "Downloads" Library with Correct Icon in Windows 7 and Windows 8 This will show you how to create a Downloads library in Windows 7 and Windows 8 that has the original default Downloads library icon with the blue arrow pointing downwards on a glass plate. EXAMPLE: Original Downloads Library Icon Here's How: 1. To Download the Downloads Library Icon A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the Downloads_Library.zip file that contains the original Downloads library icon. http://www.sevenforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=182017&stc=1&d=1320291655 B) Save the ZIP file to your desktop. C) Double click/tap on the ZIP file to open it, then extract (drag and frop) the Downloads_Library.ico file to the...

How to Setup a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and Vista This will show you how to install Windows 7 and Vista to dual boot with when you already have either Windows 7 or Vista installed first.With a dual boot installaton, you will have two operating systems (OS) installed. When you start the computer, you will have the choice to choose which OS you would like to start up to. This method is the easiest way of doing a dual boot with these two operating systems.When dual booting with another OS (ex: Vista or XP), you may not always have that OS partition show up in Computer with a driver letter in Windows 7. If this happens, then you will just need to add a drive letter to the OS (ex: Vista or XP) partition in Windows 7 Disk...

Extract an ISO File to the Windows Desktop This suggests an excellent, free program to use and how to extract an ISO / Disk Image File using that program to the Windows desktop, or wherever you like, for use in any number of situations. First you will need to download and then install this program from the link below. Download 7-Zip for Windows To start with, I'm going to suggest the ISO file be stored at the Documents location in the Windows 7 or Vista start menu or the My Documents location in the Windows XP start menu, though it can be stored anywhere you like and know where it is; this just makes it very easy to browse to as this is one of the first listed locations when 7-Zip is opened as you'll see. Let's get started! I...

How to Create a System Restore Point in Windows 7 By default in Windows 7 for all drives that System Protection is turned on for, System Protection creates a scheduled restore point only if no other restore points have been created in the last 7 days, and before significant system events such as a program or driver installation. For more information about restore points, see: Restore Points (Windows) System Restore: frequently asked questions - Microsoft Windows Help This tutorial will show you how to manually create a restore point whenever you want one. These restore points contain information about registry settings and other system information that Windows 7 uses. System Restore points do not include the personal user...

How to Enable or Disable System Icons on Taskbar in Windows 7 and Windows 8 The notification area is a part of the taskbar that provides a temporary source for notifications and status. It can also be used to display icons for system and program features that are not on the desktop. The notification area was known historically as the system tray or status area. By default, the only icons that will be visible in this area are some system icons. However, you can select which icons appear on the taskbar, and which icons hide in the overflow section. This will show you how to enable or disable the Notification Area System Icons for all user accounts on the computer. These are the Clock, Volume, Network, Action Center, and Power...

How to Change Maximum and Minimum Password Age in Windows 7 and Windows 8 This will show you how to change the maximum and minimum password age in days the password for all users can be used before it expires and must be changed by the user in Windows 7 and Windows 8. By default it is 42 days maximum password age, 0 days minimum password age. In Windows 8, this only applies to local accounts, and not Microsoft accounts.. Maximum Password Age - This security setting determines the period of time (in days) that a password can be used before the system requires the user to change it. You can set passwords to expire after a number of days between 1 and 999, or you can specify that passwords never expire by setting the number of...

How to Shrink a Partition or Volume in Windows 7 This will show you how to shrink an existing partition or volume using Disk Management or Diskpart in Windows 7 to create unallocated disk space, from which you can create a new partition or volume with.You must be logged on in an administrator account to be able to do this tutorial. If while shrinking a partition below, you get a Convert to Dynamic disks? type prompt, do not do so. If you disable the Disk Defragmenter service, then you will get the error below when you try to do anything in Disk Management. If you get this error, then make sure that the Disk Defragmenter service is set to only Manual. Using Disk Management 1. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click on...

Microsoft has created a toolset called the Windows Performance Toolkit, or WPT, to help developers and users visualize and troubleshoot performance issues. One of the tools in this toolset is specifically designed to assist with capturing traces of boot, shutdown, or reboot cycles, and can provide insight into drivers, services, winlogon, explorer, disk and CPU utilization, and even help with seeing things like disk fragmentation and driver load order. Installing the tools Before gathering any data, you will first need to download the installation packages necessary to install the Windows Performance Toolkit on your Windows 7 machine. The Windows Performance Toolkit is a part of the Windows 7 SDK, but you won’t need to install the...

How to Clean Install Windows on a MSATA (SSD) Drive This tutorial would be applicable for any system shipped with a MSATA drive as a cache device using Intel Smart Response Technology (ISRT). This tutorial will show you how to install Windows 7 or Windows 8 on the MSATA drive instead. Re-installation of Windows would delete everything stored on the system so make sure that you have backup of all your important data stored externally. Here's how you can start: First you need to prepare your BIOS for installing windows on the MSATA drive. We need to disable the Intel Smart Response Technology. Tap F2 at the startup to enter BIOS. Under SATA OPERATION change to AHCI from ISRT. For some systems it would be different combination...

Virtual Machine - Troubleshoot Performance Issues How to Troubleshoot Slow Performance of a Virtual Machine This tutorial will be assuming you are using VMWare Player for this tutorial, although these tips hold true in other virtual platforms-such as Windows Virtual PC and VirtualBox. This tutorial also assumes your virtual machines files are stored on your local disk C drive. When the guide mentions the word VM, it is referring to the Virtual Machine. 1.) Your Disks are Fragmented The first reason is most likely due to fragmentation of your Hard disk or the virtual disk itself: (This applies to vmware player and workstation as well as others) Linux Distros (ubuntu, zorin, etc.) do not need to be defragged due to...

How to Add "Lock Computer and Turn Off Monitor" to the Context Menu in Windows This tutorial will show you how to add Lock Computer and Turn Off Monitor to the desktop context menu in Windows 7 and Windows 8. When used by a user, it will lock the computer and turn off the display (monitors). To return to Windows, you would just need to move the mouse or press a key on the keyboard to turn on the display (monitors) again, then log on from the lock computer screen. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to add this to the desktop context menu, but all users on the computer will be able to use the context menu. EXAMPLE: "Lock Computer and Turn Off Monitor" added to Desktop Context Menu Here's How: 1. Do either...

How to Make Windows 7 Require a User Name and Password in Log On Screen This will show you how to make Windows 7 require all users to type in their user name and password in the Windows log on screen instead of only selecting their user icon and entering their password. This is like the old classic Windows log on screen.For the "User name" entry field in the log on screen, you would type in your account's user name as it is on your C:\Users\(user-name) folder. To log on to a domain, you would type Domain Name (Computer Name)/User name instead in the "User name" entry field. If you did not create a password (recommended to have one) for your user account, then just leave the field empty. You can press TAB or SHIFT+TAB to move...

Windows 7 Installation Failure - Troubleshoot These steps cover most of the current installation failures encountered. They do not cover hardware issues which can be tested separately from Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7. 1. Back up your files, power down to unplug all other Hard Drives and peripherals except keyboard, mouse and ethernet cable (which increases chance it will start up connected so you can get most of your other drivers via Updates). 2. Boot into BIOS setup, reset to defaults, set SATA controller to AHCI, Hard Drive first to boot, Save changes and Exit. An SSD may have newer firmware to install on its Support Downloads webpage. 3. Search all tabs in BIOS setup for evidence of an EFI BIOS, including...

How to Use CCleaner to Clean Out Junk Files in Windows This Guide will show you how to use CCleaner to clean out Junk files. This program does not delete anything related to personal files or anything to do with your personal data. (Such as documents or music for example.) For a complete understanding of what is checked to clean and what it does, see here. Piriform - Windows Tab Remember the default settings selected are safe and fine to use. This just gives more information on what is actually cleaned, letting you decide if you want CCleaner to clean it or not. CLEANER 1.) Download CCleaner from the official site. http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download Once downloaded, run the installer as you would install any other...

How to Move an Open Window with the Keyboard This tutorial will show you how to move a Window/Program using your keyboard. It is especially useful when you cannot access the top of the window which allows you to drag it to a new location. Method #1 NOTE: Method #1 won't work with a maximized Window. Alt-Tab or Click On the Window Press "Alt & Space" Press "M" Use your arrow keys to move the Window Press Enter to exit Method #2 NOTE: Method #2 will move your Window to the right or left half of the screen in the same manner as dragging a window to the right or left of the screen will. Press the Windows Key & Right Arrow or Left Arrow Method #3 NOTE: Method #3 will move your Window one display to the right or left. - Kudos...

Fix Empty Favorites in Navigation Pane in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 This tutorial will show you how to fix Favorites when it is empty under it without any favorite links in the Windows Explorer navigation pane in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. Double check to make sure that the Favorites links are not just hidden by mistake, and needed to be unhidden. If you only deleted the Favorites links, then you could use the tutorial below to restore them instead: How to Restore the Default Favorite Links in Windows 7 Navigation Pane EXAMPLE: Favorites - Default and Empty NOTE: If Favorites is completety empty in the Navigation Pane and in...

Dinesh's Complete Internet Troubleshooting Guide This is your one-stop internet related issues guide. Here I will show you some ways to fix your high speed or dial up internet connection issues with Windows 7.I will show you some very useful and basic steps that you can follow without having much technical expertise. All you have to do is identify your issue and follow the troubleshooting according to it.I do not guarantee that it will 100% work for you. However, these methods have been tried and tested and has worked 8/10 times. So try your luck. Here's How: Step 1: Identify your internet connection: A: Do you have a high speed connection or a dial-up connection? If you use a telephone line and connect it to your computer...