Owner: PCWizKid's Tech Talk URL:http://PCWizKid.blogspot.com Join Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:19:40 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: PCWizKid is devoted to all those in need of help with their Windows, Linux and MAC software and or hardware issues. The primary intent is to provide Tips’n'Tricks for making your computing life a bit easier. PCWizKid’s Viral Video Tutorials are posted all Site statistics:Click here
TIP #5 Windows Vista - You Have The Right! 2007-04-29 14:57:57
User Account Control (UAC) is enabled by default in windows Vista
. Microsoft recommends leaving it enabled to protect against the installation and execution of malicious software. This results in pop-up warning messages.
However if you are confident that your installed applications running are safe you may be finding the User Account Control pop-ups messages annoying when asking you always for permission to proceed to do simple tasks? You can control the behavior of UAC through the local computer policy.
Disable it with for example with these easy steps in my video tutorial [Watch the video]
Digg It! Bookmark to del.cio.us
Read more:Windows
, Right
, Windows Vista
Directx 10 - Do you have the power? 2007-04-26 05:45:57
Did you know that Directx 10 is only for Windows Vista?
DirectX 10 being available only on Vista means that users such as hardcore pc gamers with the latest supported video cards will benefit. Unfortunately getting the latest DirectX certified video card does not come cheap.
Lets take a look at the first series of DirectX 10 supported video cards [Learn more]
Read more:power
TIP #4 Windows Vista - No More Sidekick 2007-04-26 03:18:09 So what about the sidebar and its gadgets? This concept is not new and nothing really to brag about. Linux GUIs and Mac OS X had them for years now. However if you have only been exposed to windows this is will be a pleasant surprise to an extent. The fact is the vista sidebar was designed with new displays in mind. This means if you have the traditional CRT monitor display or first generation LCD screens, these are probably not widescreen. Having a widescreen monitor is truly Microsoft’s intent for you use and enjoy properly the sidebar.
Lets face it a traditional monitor display has limited space to display your programs and so on, the last thing you want is a think sidebar taking up a chunk. In my Tip #4 I show you how to disable the sidebar from running, even after reboot. [Watch the video]
Read more:Windows
, Vista
, Windows Vista
, Sidekick
TIP #3 Windows Vista - Where Did It Run To? 2007-04-25 02:18:30
If you have asked yourself how and why the WindowsVista
menu has grown to not only be more complex but also large, and where has the RUN Command option gone?Ask no more you can enable the old Run menu option aswell as the old Windows XP style menus that existed on every other version of Windows until Vista. Of course you can manually access ondemand the Run command window by just hitting Windows key + R key.
Follow my video tutorial to enable it permanently on the menu. [Watch the video]
Read more:Windows Vista
…so what are you really getting? 2007-04-23 18:34:10
If you haven’t evaluated which features are available in each editions of Windows Vista and are planning to buy it, take a moment to review and choose the one that’s right for you based on your needs. I have compiled a quick reference chart that shows you what you are missing between each edition.
[Learn more]
Read more:hellip
TIP #2 Windows Vista - Security Calling 2007-04-22 06:39:04 Security has been stepped up along with more alerts in WindowsVista
.
Are they nagging and annoying you? If you want to disable these notifications follow these easy steps in my video to turn them off.
[Watch the video]
Read more:Windows Vista
, Calling
Does Windows Vista got what it takes for you? 2007-04-18 21:14:38
What do you think is WindowsVista
’s biggest issue with users?
It is not surprising that the top rated issue is the lack of proper drivers in windows vista followed by application compatibility issues.
[Learn more]
TIP #6 Windows Vista - Free Screen Capture Tool 2007-05-02 16:59:57
Did you know that WindowsVista
has a free screen capture tool? Its called the Snipping Tool. The Snipping Tool allows you to take full or partial screen captures of your windows or desktop and save them as snippets of images on your computer. Though this is a basic screen shot tool its quite powerful since it has the capability to allow custom portions of your screen to be captures and even included a few editing options. [Learn more]
Digg It! Bookmark to del.cio.us
Read more:Windows Vista
TIP #12 Windows Vista - Features? What Features? 2007-05-01 16:42:42
Does your WindowsVista
have features enabled that you find useless? Take control and improve your performance by disabling them, or maybe you want to enable some features also you never knew existed.
A comprehensive description of the list of features and the steps to turning them on or off has been put together by PCWizKid. [Learn more]
Read more:Windows Vista
Windows Vista - Send It Over 2007-05-06 02:52:00
Customize the items in The “Send To” context menu in WindowsVista
to what you want with these easy steps.
Dont get stuck with just the default options. If you want Notepad for example to be an option in the “Send To” menu follow my video tutorial to customize the “Send To” menu.
[Watch the video]
Read more:Windows Vista
Windows Vista - The codec problem - Video support 2007-05-10 03:28:46 Are you using Windows
Media player 11?
Whether you have or not yet, there are some positive upgrades such as the sleek new look, revamped playback controls, sync with your mp3 player and more intuitive media management for your large collections of video, audio and even album art.
However, like with anything, take the good with bad, and for Windows Media 11 there is no exception. After trying it myself, the first thing I went to test was video codec support. I found it to be lacking. This has been a big issue in previous versions of Windows Media players. Audio files are no problem, images, not an issue, its the video type support that falls short. Again, unless you are playing a standard AVI or WMV file for example ,there are issues with other codecs such as Xvid, DivX, Mov and so on. So whats the solution if you want to keep using windows Media player 11 you ask? A Vista
Codec Pack v4.4.1 has just been released containing all the codecs you would possibly need to play your Read more:Windows Vista
PC vs Mac - TV commercial Spoofs 2007-05-12 20:30:21 When it comes to making fun of the PC world and specially Microsoft, I must admit Apple commercial spoofs do a great job at it. I’m going to be unbiased here and say there is truth to it however exaggerated it may look in the TV commercials. Anyways for fun, I have posted the lated Apple commercial released last week which hits on the fact that there are way too many versions of Windows Vista >> take a look at the videos here on my page<<
Read more:Spoofs
Review - Windows Vista Media Center - Part 2 2007-05-18 05:44:34 Have you tried the built in Windows
Media Center
in Vista
? This is a series review - part 2 on how you can manage your Photos using Picture Library.
The Picture Library is found within the Pictures + Videos option in Windows Media Center
. Once you access this area you will be able to navigate your folders and view thumbnail images in a easy to use horizontal listing. One thing I found useful is the Photo touch-up functionality. Despite the limited features for editing a digital photo, the basics are there allowing you to ready your pictures for printing, sharing, creating slide shows or simpling burning them CD/DVD for example. Options are readily available and intuitive to use however I would have like to see further customization features to arrange things differently on the screen.
I have created a brief video that shows you the Picture library [Watch my video]
Read more:Windows Vista
Review - Windows Vista Media Center - Part 1 2007-05-17 04:43:31 If you have media on your PC such as videos, music , photos and download the occasional movie or TV show, Windows
Media Center
may be your one stop show to managing it all in one place.
My first impression is, this is no iTunes, this is not meant to be a Adobe Photoshop and it is definitely not a DivX player. So what is this then you ask? Well let me start with some observations I had when I first looked at it.
Attractive interface makes it easy to navigate to each area
Single spot to perform tasks such as DVD burn, create a slide show, edit a photo.
Ability to access online media (videos) such as TV, Movies and latest News
Widescreen support (for those who can afford a wide screen monitor - not me)
There is a little of everything for everyone, however those without Vista
Premium or Ultimate editions are out of luck since windows media center does not come bundled on other versions of vista. For those interested to see an introduction to Windows Media Center
[Watch my video]
Read more:Windows Vista
Vista Compatability tool 2007-06-13 11:43:03
Microsoft has launched the Windows Vista
Hardware Assessment tool.
You can download the version 2.0 Beta version now. The assessment tool allows you to see how much effort it will take to migrate from your Windows XP hardware to Vista by testing the hardware and device-driver capability of PCs against the OS.
Microsoft claims that “Through use of the detailed inventory data, the tool will assess and report whether the computers can run Windows Vista, where to find drivers for devices on the computers, and provide recommendations for hardware upgrades, where appropriate.”
One major issue with compatibility is not only drivers and software, but the video card hardware demand Vista requires if you want use the eye candy effects and the Aero look read up on the type of video cards you can use.
To download the tool you will need a Windows Live or Passport log-on and register for using the tool.
If you are curious to see what are the features in each version of Windows Vista,
Windows Vista - Powertoys 2007-06-25 12:15:06 Many windows users are used to the Tweakui goodies of PowerToys and utilities as such. It seems WindowsVista
has been left out? Users are wondering where is the free tweaking utility for Vista? You might have gone to a 3rd party tweaking tool already, if you havent and are still waiting for Microsoft to release its official PowerToys for Vista, you can get some relief now.
On Microsoft Technet there has been a new “unofficial” release of a PowerToy for Windows Vista
- Called Elevate Command PowerToy. Essentially it allows you to run as administrator programs and command prompts. This gives you the proper privileges in case you are getting UAC issues when running simple commands or accessing certain system files in Windows Vista.
Click here to download the PowerToy directly.
Virtual PC 2007 - Free download by Microsoft 2007-07-10 08:32:57 Microsoft has released for its windows users Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, a free download. Before you run off to get it lets review the desktop virtualization capabilities of this tool, you decide if its for you. First off ask yourself these questions and see if you agree with any or all.
[Read my review on the tool]
Read more:Microsoft
Windows Vista Games - Hacked for XP 2007-07-13 13:43:52 Get ready to be shocked!
Have you been waiting for some worth while games for your DirectX compatible video card in WindowsVista
?
There are some great game titles coming out this year, other than Halo 2 and Shadowrun that you can really get into. If you have Windows XP dont worry, I’ve head through The Inquirer that a hacking group has patches to make these DirectX10 Games
work with DirectX9 in XP.
However here is the latest list of Windows Vista
Games worth playing in my book:
HALO 2
Release Date: May 1, 2007
Halo 2 on the PC contains the original Halo 2 as well as the Multiplayer Map Pack and a level editor
Shadowrun
Release Date: May 29, 2007
FASA Studio is working on a first-person shooter for the PC, based on the old RPG of the same name.
Age of Conan - Hyborian Adventures.
Release Date: November 2007The barbarian have finally seized the throne of Aquilonia. But Conan’s rule is on the brink of chaos, spiraling towards the doom of ancient evils. In th Read more:Hacked
Tweaking Windows Vista - Get more performance fast 2007-07-20 08:50:33 Here are a few obvious and not so obvious tweaks you should be doing to your WindowsVista
if you are finding performance to be a problem. If you dont want to install 3rd party tweaking utilities or want to just do things manually then follow these suggested tweaks.
Explorer Performance Tweaks
1. Click Start, right click on Computer, and click Properties.
2. Click Advanced System Settings.
3. Click on the Advanced tab. Under Performance, click Settings.
Uncheck these options:
Fade or slide menus into view
Fade or slide tooltips into view
Fade out menu items after clicking
Show shadows under menus
Slide open combo boxes
Slide taskbar buttons
Use a background image for each folder type
Close the Performance Options & System Properties dialogs.
Disable DEP / NoExecute Protection
DEP, otherwise known as NoExecute, is a piece of technology in Windows that prevents processes from being altered in live memory. This lowers the frequency of certain attacks, but it can also have some adve Read more:Tweaking
Windows updates - XP ends soon, Vista late with SP1 2007-07-26 10:04:45 As with each version of Microsoft’s OS’s there is a end of life, specifically when it comes to “officially” supporting it with updates
. I remember when Windows
NT reached the end not too long ago. Next its Windows XP. Yes dont turn a blind eye, before you know it there will be no more Windows XP support, meaning updates from Microsoft. So whats next Vista
? Well with the anxiously anticipated release of Vista’s Service pack 1, many have opted to stick with XP for now, but how much longer can you hang in there?
With windows XP going off the market early 2008, this means that probably in 2009 Microsoft will stop releasing non-security software updates, which means you would want a supported OS , next in line is Vista. However with rumors of Vista’s Service Pack now being released in later this year early 2008 and now some saying 2009!! This must be making windows users a little worried perhaps?
If Microsoft continues to face delay after delay then
Microsoft’s Next Era of Electronics 2007-07-27 14:06:02 Microsoft
’s Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer’s reveals in his presentation at Microsoft Show and Tell (Financial Analyst Meeting the direction they are taking towards consumer electronics. With Apple’s new direction on focusing also on Consumer Electronics, you can see why Microsft wants to improve the user experience making more exciting and adaptable products that work with other technologies. The interaction between your latest gadget and what is mainstream and commonly used is what consumers are looking for, but how is Microsoft going to do it?
One way Microsoft plans to gain market share over competitors such as Apple would be by becoming a Advertising Powerhouse and concentrating on becoming a devices company with various business models according to each type of competency (windows Mobile , Zune, Xbox and so on) while making partnerships with hardware manufacturers such as Motorola and Samsung to provide the hardware.
The roadmap Microsoft has planned (t
Pimping your desktop the old fashion way 2007-08-06 21:45:05 Best desktop Wallpaper
Its time for a new look? or perhaps you just installed or received a new operating system and are stuck with ugly default wallpapers? No sweat, I have a few of my favorite locations on the net where you can quickly get hassle free ( no adds or popups) top notch desktop/laptop wallpaper in all sizes.
The first place is WallPaperStock.net , a terrific place to get all kids of desktop wallpaper for anyone, in both regular and widescreen sizes. Another site is Wallpaper9.com which has also a great little selection I havent found on other sites such as the Storm Trooper you see here.
If you are open to Artistic talent and fan art, check out the Digitalart.org where you can find an interesting selection of artwork ranging from movies, sci-fi and fantasy.
If your not the type to install Windows Blinds or other 3rd party eye candy software which may slow down your PC performance, then just changing your wallpaper is a great place to start, followed by customizing your
Vista performance boost with latest updates 2007-08-10 00:31:00 If you cant wait for the official Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista
, there are some recent alternatives. Just 2 days ago Microsoft released a reliability and performance update. Download each update individually directly from Microsoft right now. These updates
are not available in the automated windows update, so get these while their hot!
If you want the Reliability update get here:
Windows Vista 32 bit version
Windows Vista 64 Bit version
If you want the Performance update get here:
Windows Vista 32 bit version
Windows Vista 64 bit version
Windows Vista Kernel Hacked? - Get the fix now 2007-08-20 13:27:06 Microsoft Security Advisory: Update to improve Kernel Patch Protection
Microsoft has released a security advisory to announce that an update is available for the Kernel Patch Protection feature that is included with x64-based Windows
operating systems. The fix has been made available for those with x64 bit OS here.
Microsoft says “the update does increase the reliability, performance, and resiliency provided by Kernel Patch Protection.” The question is, why and what is really the problem for this high priority update? Allegedly there could be a vulnerability in the x64 kernel which is why this patch update may be so important. For example PatchGuard keeps 64-bit Vista
safer from unsigned code so that when you install a driver from a 3rd party any malicious code does not affect the Kernel.
Read more:Hacked
, Windows Vista
HALO 3 IS HERE 2007-09-24 21:47:00 In case you missed the Microsoft marketing machine beating on your skull, Halo 3 is set to release tonight at midnight. And like all major events, your friendly television stations are stepping in to freeload off the fervor…I mean they’re coming in to help spread the love.There are well over 10,000 Halo 3 parties happening around the country today, none of which you can attend. Otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. Tonight at 9pm EST Spike TV is broadcasting Game Head live from the marquee launch even at the Best Buy in New York City. “Halo 3: Launched!” will follow the festivities going on this evening as celebrities and fans gather to celebrate the biggest event in entertainment this year. Watching from home will probably be better than standing in line with smelly gamers. At least you’ll get behind the scenes access to the party, even if you can’t win any of the nifty prizes Microsoft is throwing at fans.Not to be outdone, the Sci Fi Channel has their own Halo 3 plan
Windows Vista Kernel Hacked? - Get the fix now 2007-08-20 12:57:00 Microsoft Security Advisory: Update to improve Kernel Patch ProtectionMicrosoft has released a security advisory to announce that an update is available for the Kernel Patch Protection feature that is included with x64-based Windows
operating systems. The fix has been made available for those with x64 bit OS here.Microsoft says "the update does increase the reliability, performance, and resiliency provided by Kernel Patch Protection." The question is, why and what is really the problem for this high priority update? Allegedly there could be a vulnerability in the x64 kernel which is why this patch update may be so important. For example PatchGuard keeps 64-bit Vista
safer from unsigned code so that when you install a driver from a 3rd party any malicious code does not affect the Kernel. Read more:Hacked
, Windows Vista
Vista performance boost with latest updates 2007-08-09 15:38:00 If you cant wait for the official Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista
, there are some recent alternatives. Just 2 days ago Microsoft released a reliability and performance update. Download each update individually directly from Microsoft right now. These updates
are not available in the automated windows update, so get these while their hot!If you want the Reliability update get here:Windows Vista 32 bit versionWindows Vista 64 Bit version If you want the Performance update get here:Windows Vista 32 bit versionWindows Vista 64 bit version
Pimping your desktop the old fashion way - Wallpaper 2007-08-06 21:02:00 Its time for a new look? or perhaps you just installed or received a new operating system and are stuck with ugly default wallpapers? No sweat, I have a few of my favorite locations on the net where you can quickly get hassle free ( no adds or popups) top notch desktop/laptop wallpaper in all sizes.The first place is WallPaperStock.net , a terrific place to get all kids of desktop wallpaper for anyone, in both regular and widescreen sizes. Another site is Wallpaper9.com which has also a great little selection I havent found on other sites such as the Storm Trooper you see here.If you are open to Artistic talent and fan art, check out the Digitalart.org where you can find an interesting selection of artwork ranging from movies, sci-fi and fantasy.If your not the type to install Windows Blinds or other 3rd party eye candy software which may slow down your PC performance, then just changing your wallpaper is a great place to start, followed by customizing your desktop icons to match and
Microsoft’s Next Era of Electronics - 2008 2007-07-27 14:20:00 Microsoft's Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer’s reveals in his presentation at Microsoft Show and Tell (Financial Analyst Meeting the direction they are taking towards consumer electronics. With Apple's new direction on focusing also on Consumer Electronics, you can see why Microsft wants to improve the user experience making more exciting and adaptable products that work with other technologies. The interaction between your latest gadget and what is mainstream and commonly used is what consumers are looking for, but how is Microsoft going to do it?One way Microsoft plans to gain market share over competitors such as Apple would be by becoming a Advertising Powerhouse and concentrating on becoming a devices company with various business models according to each type of competency (windows Mobile , Zune, Xbox and so on) while making partnerships with hardware manufacturers such as Motorola and Samsung to provide the hardware.The roadmap Microsoft has planned (taken from the Read more:Microsoft
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