Tag: Windows 7

Safe Mode and Recovery From Windows Registry Errors

Today, I bumped into a colleague at work who reads this blog and we had a brief chat about yesterday’s article and the fact that I could have come off a little too casual in the way I provided the instructions without warning about the potential risks (up to and including nuking your Windows installation) …

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Stop Windows Update Taking Over the Shutdown Button

Shut down and install updates button

Another quick tip for tonight. Sometimes, when you want to shutdown your computer you might notice that the shutdown button looks like this in Windows 7: When pressed, this button will finish the installation of pending updates for Windows and then shutdown the computer. Sometimes, this isn’t convenient and if you have a habit of …

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Snap Your Applications into Place in Windows 7

Last year I covered a stack of keyboard shortcuts for Windows including some specific to Windows 7. I covered the keyboard shortcuts for snapping windows the the left or right half of the screen 9and hopefully that has come in handy for you). In true form, Microsoft provides another way to do the same thing …

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Recover Heavily Infected Computers with Microsoft Standaline System Sweeper

Here’s a quick tip for tonight. Microsoft has quietly developed a tool for use in situations where a computer just won’t start due to the number and/or severity of infections riddling it. Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper (MSSS) is not a replacement for a traditional antivirus which is designed continuously in the background checking for nasty …

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Tweak the Shutdown Button in Windows 7

Taskbar and Start Menu Properties in Windows 7

Here is another quick tip for tonight. If you ever wanted the shutdown button in the Start Menu in Windows 7 to do something else other than shutdown the computer you can change it to do something else such as: switch users log off, lock your computer, restart your computer, put your computer to sleep …

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Add the Recycle Bin to the Taskbar in Windows 7

Create a New Taskbar Toolbar

With a clean install of Windows 7 the only thing that you would normally see on your desktop is a lone icon being the Recycle Bin. Windows Explorer has migrated to the taskbar and Computer (formerly “My Computer”) now lives in the Start Menu. Furthermore, it can be a pain getting to the Recycle Bin …

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Bring Desktop Gadgets to the Fore in Windows 7

'Show Desktop' Shortcut in Windows 7

Another quick tip for tonight. If you use desktop gadgets to keep track of the weather, system resources or other bits and pieces that take your fancy it can be a hassle to move windows out of the way. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways to look at your gadgets without moving your windows. …

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Easily Resize Images Under Windows Vista and Windows 7

Another quick tip for tonight. Under Windows XP you could install a variety of “Powertoys” that would add extra functionality to the operating system that was missing out of the bo. One such function was the ability to quickly and easily resize images which relied upon a third party solution unless you installed the Powertoy. Unfortunately, since …

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Check Your Computer’s Reliability in Windows 7

Windows 7 - Reliability Monitor

Here’s another quick tip for you this evening. Windows 7 includes a neat little utility that tracks various events on your computer such as updates, warnings and critical events (like application and operating system crashes). This little utility also rates your computer’s overall stability over time with hiccups bringing the score down whilst prolonged stability …

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Fix Problems with Windows Update in Windows 7

Completed Windows Update Troubleshooting in Windows 7

Windows 7 comes with all sorts of built in troubleshooters that fix a variety of issues such as network connectivity problems and enabling the transparent glass effect on your desktop when it is not working. One major issue that people may come across is Windows Update not working properly or offering you updates which you …

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