Windows 8 to Feature SmartScreen File Checking

Internet Explorer users are already aware of "SmartScreen"  filter which contains a list of known malicious links and compares the user visited links with the list. If a match is found, it warns the user. Now Microsoft is going to include this "SmartScreen" mechanism in Windows 8. According to our friend "Long Zheng", In Windows 8, SmartScreen...

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Customize Windows Vista and 7 Media Center Using Media Center Studio

"Media Center Studio" is a free and very useful utility for Windows Vista and 7. It allows you to easily customize look of Windows Media Center. If you want to manually change the Media Center look, you'll need to edit a system file "ehres.dll" which is stored in "%windir%\ehome" directory. But no need to do so much complicated task, you can easily...

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Add Control Panel, Task Manager, Windows Update and Other Useful Shortcuts with Icons in My Computer Context Menu

Control Panel, Task Manager, Device Manager are a few system applications which we use frequently in our daily computer tasks. Wouldn't it be great if we can access them quickly by right-click on My Computer icon on Desktop? Today we are going to share a registry script which will add following shortcuts in My Computer context menu: Programs...

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Get Windows 7′s Advanced “Windows Update” in Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 and 2008

Good news for Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 and 2008 users. Microsoft has released an updated "Windows Update Agent" for all these OS which brings the new advanced Windows 7's "Windows Update" feature to these older Windows OS. Following is a preview of Windows 7's "Windows Update" window: You'll get a similar interface in Windows Vista...

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TransTaskbar: Get Transparent Taskbar and Start Menu in Windows XP, Vista and 7

TransTaskbar" is a portable, small and free application which can make Windows Taskbar and Startmenu transparent. It might become useful if you are using Windows XP and want to get some transparency for eye candy effects or if you are using Windows Vista or 7 but can't enjoy Aero interface because your Graphics card is not capable to run it. It...

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How to Remove Windows Vista Startup ORB Animation (aka Pearl Animation)?

Windows Vista shows a nice ORB animation aka Pearl animation just before the Welcome screen. It looks like following image: Microsoft removed this animation from Windows 7 as it takes a few seconds to show the animation. If you are using Windows Vista and want to remove the startup ORB animation, this article will help you. The ORB animation is shown...

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Disk2vhd: New Utility to Create VHD Versions of Physical Disks

"Disk2vhd" is a new utility released by Sysinternals team at Microsoft which allows you to create VHD versions of physical disks. If you are not aware of these technical terms, lets help you in understanding them. VHD refers to "Virtual Hard Disk" which is a file format used in Microsoft virtual machines. So by using "Disk2vhd" you can create VHD...

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WinShake: Get Windows 7 “Aero Shake”, “Aero Peek” and “Show Desktop” Features in XP and Vista

"WinShake" is a very small program which can bring Windows 7's "Aero Shake", "Aero Peek" and "Show Desktop" features to Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista. Its size is 600KB and it doesn't take much resources. The new version 2.02 finally adds true Windows 7 Aero Taskbar Peek, making it possible to Peek at a window, just by hovering over its Taskbar Button. You can even Peek at minimized windows. This new function, plus all the other ones, can now also be used with your mouse. Features List: Feature = New (Windows 7 Aero) Taskbar Peek...

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Get Transparent Context Menus in Windows XP, Vista and 7

Recently we blogged about "TransTaskbar" which can make Windows Taskbar and Start menu transparent. Today we are going to share another similar utility. "TCM (TransConMenu)" is a very small and portable utility created by the same person "Solo-Dev" @ DA which makes Window menus and context menus (menu which is shown when you right-click on something)...

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How to Get Windows Vista and 7′s “Copy as Path” Option in Windows XP Context Menu?

Windows Vista and 7 provides a very useful option "Copy as Path" which appears whenever you right-click on a file/folder. You might need to press "Shift" key while right-clicking on the file/folder. This option automatically copies the full path of selected file/folder which can be used anywhere else. If you are using Windows XP and want to get...

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Microsoft Releases “Patch Registration Cleanup Tool” to Fix Errors While Updating “Windows

Installer” Based ProductsMany times when you try to update a product which was installed using Windows Installer, you might receive errors and the update process gets failed. Actually "Windows Installer" uses the registry to record information about updates installed for each Windows Installer-based product. These registry keys help identify the state of each update: registered, applied, superseded, or obsoleted. Information about installed updates is stored across several registry keys and values. To allow for the product to be in a serviceable...

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Texturize Windows XP, Vista and 7 Taskbar using Taskbar Texturizer

Here is another awesome tool created by our friend "Solo-Dev" @ DA. "Taskbar Texturizer" is a small tool which can add various textures to your Windows Taskbar to make it more stylish. Its portable, so you don't need to install it. It can also be set to run at windows start up, along with auto-applying the last skin that was chosen. The start menu...

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Get Windows 7′s “Desktop Background SlideShow” Feature in XP and Vista Using Microsoft’s Official “Winter Fun Wallpaper Changer” Powertoy

Who said "Desktop Background SlideShow" is a new feature in Windows 7? Did you know Microsoft once released a similar powertoy for Windows XP? "Desktop Background SlideShow" is a feature present in Windows 7 which allows you to set more than one wallpaper for your Desktop. Windows automatically cycles through the selected wallpapers after a fixed...

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Messenger Aero Switcher: Disable Aero UI in Windows Live Messenger (WLM) Under Windows Vista and 7

If you use latest version of Windows Live Messenger (WLM) under Windows Vista or 7, you might have noticed that it uses Windows Aero theme to draw window borders, titlebar buttons, etc. Older versions of WLM didn't use Aero frame, they used to provide their own GUI. If you miss the old GUI and want to get it back, you can get it by turning...

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How to Disable Autorun Functionality in Windows Using Registry Editor?

Whenever you insert a USB drive, CD/DVD, etc into your system, Windows automatically launches an Autorun dialog box which allows you to select an action from the given list. You can browse the content, play media files, etc using Autorun dialog box. Sometimes you might find the Autorun functionality annoying and might want to disable it permanently....

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System Screensavers Tweaker: Access Secret Hidden Screen Saver Settings in Windows Vista and 7

Windows Vista and 7 come with some new and interesting screen savers like Aurora, Mystify, Ribbons and Bubbles. All these screen savers are good but the worst part is you are not allowed to customize their settings. There are no options available to customize any of these screen savers. We have posted a tutorial to customize these screen savers...

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How to Add Windows 7 “God Mode” Shortcut in Desktop Context Menu?

We have talked about "God Mode" found in Windows 7 which allows quick access to all Control Panel options in a single place. To access this hidden "God Mode" you have to create a new folder or a new shortcut but today in this tutorial, we are going to tell you how to add a shortcut to "God Mode" in Desktop context menu so that you can quickly and...

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How to Add Windows 7 “God Mode” Shortcut in My Computer Context Menu?

As you all know "God Mode" in Windows 7 allows quick access to all Control Panel options in a single place. To access this hidden "God Mode" you have to create a new folder or a new shortcut but today in this tutorial, we are going to tell you how to add a shortcut to "God Mode" in My Computer context menu so that you can quickly and easily access...

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How to Get Windows XP Styled Classic “Alt+Tab” Switcher Screen in Windows Vista and 7?

Whenever you press "Alt+Tab" key combination in Windows Vista or 7, it shows a new improved screen which shows running application names along with their live thumbnails so that you can see the window content before switching to them. The "Alt+Tab" switcher screen also shows "Desktop" in the list so that you can directly access Desktop icons without...

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[FIX] Welcome Screen is Displayed for 30 Seconds If a Solid Color is Set as Desktop Background in Windows 7

Some Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 users might face a weird bug which has been confirmed by Microsoft and would be fixed in upcoming SP1. The bug appears when you set a Solid Color as Desktop background. Right-click on desktop and select Personalize option. Click on Desktop Background at the bottom of the window. Select Solid Colors option in Picture...

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Stardock LogonStudio: Change Windows XP, Vista and 7 Login Screen

Stardock LogonStudio allows Windows XP, Vista and 7 users to edit, change, and apply new logon screens. LogonStudio comes built with a visual editor to make it easy to create your own logons which can then be uploaded to websites to be used by others users. System Requirements: Windows 7, Vista or XP Minimum screen resolution: 1024 width and 768...

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Vista/7 Navigation Button Colorizer: Change Windows Vista and 7 Explorer Navigation Buttons Color

"Vista/7 Navigation Button Colorizer" is a small and portable tool created by vasanrulez @ DA to change the color of navigation buttons in Windows Vista and 7 Explorer. Navigation buttons are the small Left and Right arrows which can be found in Explorer windows. This tool allows you to easily change the color of navigation buttons otherwise you'll...

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Microsoft Launched “Automated Troubleshooting Services” to Fix Common Maintenance Problems for Windows XP and Vista

Microsoft has launched online "Automated Troubleshooting Services" to automatically detect and fix common maintenance problems such as broken desktop shortcuts, unused icons, disk volume errors, and incorrect system time display. It fixes following issues: Problems with desktop shortcuts and icons Shortcuts on the desktop don't work or are broken Desktop icons are broken or have not been used in 3 months Startup items don't work or are broken System maintenance tasks Free up disk space by repairing disk volume errors such as bad sectors,...

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Add “Hide” and “Unhide” Options in File / Folder Context Menus in Windows XP, Vista and 7

Almost all computer users hide their important and private files/folders regularly to prevent unwanted access. To hide a file/folder, you need to enter its Properties and then select the "Hidden" option. Wouldn't it be great if you get a "Hide" option in all Files and Folders context menu so that you just need to right-click on a file/folder and...

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Acer Gridvista: Get Windows 7 “Aero Snap” Feature in XP and Vista

Today we are sharing another freeware which is called "Acer Gridvista". This application makes more effective use of large monitors by dividing them into sections where you can place your windows. Acer Gridvista divides your screen into two, three or four sections in which you can drag & drop windows. The windows will then be automatically...

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How to Auto-Hide or Disable Command Bar (aka Folder Band) in Windows Vista and 7 Explorer?

Recently an AskVG reader "Nick C" asked following question via e-mail: Is there a way to hide the 'organize' bar in windows 7 explorer?  I can hide everything else, but unlike Vista there isn't an option to hide that bar.Its not the first time we received this query. Lots of people want to hide the Command Bar aka Folder Band in Windows Vista...

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FxVisor: Windows Vista and 7 Shortcut Overlay Arrow Remover

indows Vista, 7 and all previous versions show a small arrow on all shortcut files. Although it helps in identifying shortcut files but many people don't like it as it hides some part of the actual icon. If you are also one of them, you can use "Windows Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover" to remove the ugly arrow. You can also set it to a small arrow if you want. It works in Windows Vista and 7. Download L...

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KB980182: Out-of-Band Patch for Internet Explorer

Microsoft has released an out-of-band patch for Internet Explorer which addresses the vulnerability discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-018. This security update resolves nine privately reported vulnerabilities and one publicly disclosed vulnerability in Internet Explorer. The most severe vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page using Internet Explorer. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate...

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AquaSnap: Get Windows 7′s Aero Snap and Aero Shake Features in Windows XP and Vista

AquaSnap greatly enhances the way you can arrange windows on your Desktop. It gives you the possibility to snap windows to the edges or to the corners of the desktop simply by dragging and dropping them where you want. AquaSnap is a great replacement for the Aero Snap and Aero Shake features of Windows 7 and is compatible with every Windows...

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VistaSwitcher: The Best FREE Windows Alt-Tab Feature Replacement

If you are bored with the default Alt-Tab switcher screen in Windows and want to change it with something new and refreshing, here is a great tool for you. VistaSwitcher is an elegant and powerful task management utility for Windows OS. Once installed, it replaces the default Windows Alt-Tab dialog with a nice box that shows a list of all ...

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