Tech Geek

2010-01-05T05:46:00.001-08:00

How to extend Win7's trial to a full four months

In a nutshell: If you install Windows 7 and don't enter an installation key, the 30-day activation clock starts. To see how many days you have left, click Start, right-click Computer, and choose Properties. At the bottom of the dialog under Windows Activation, you'll see the number of days left in your trial period.

When that number gets perilously close to zero, you can extend the free period another 30 days via the following steps:

Step 1: Click Start, All Programs, Accessories. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run As Administrator. Enter your administrator password.

Step 2: Type the following command and press Enter:

slmgr -rearm

Note the space after slmgr and the hyphen in front of rearm.

Once the OS restarts, the Properties dialog described above will indicate that Windows 7's activation grace period has been reset to a full 30 days.

You can run the -rearm trick a total of three times. If you perform a -rearm at the end of each 30-day period, you end up with 120 days of full, unfettered Windows 7 use without having to supply an activation key in the interim.

Step 3: Restart Windows 7.

Control your Time Zone from a Command Prompt in Windows 7

2010-01-05T05:44:00.000-08:00

Windows 7 includes tzutil.exe, which is a command line utility that lets you set or change
the time zone or get details on the current time zone.

To change the time zone, use the /s command.
For example, tzutil /s "universal standard time".

To display the current time zone, use the /g command.
For example, tzutil /g.

To get a list of all available time zones, use the /l command.
For example, tzutil /l.

An easy way to open the Run Command Window is to use the following key combination:
Windows Key and the R key
next, type cmd into the window that opens.
next type your timezone command at the c prompt:

Click on Image to enlarge

Handy collection of Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts

2010-01-05T05:32:00.001-08:00

Win+Up: Maximize the active window
Win+Down: Minimize / Restore the active window
Win+Left arrow: Snap the active window to left
Win+Right arrow: Snap the active window to right
Win+Shift+Left: Jump to left monitor
Win+Shift+Right: Jump to right monitor
Win+Space: All windows become transparent, you can peek at the desktop
Win+Home: Minimize all but the active window
Win+G: Bring gadgets to the top of the Z-order
Win+P: External display options (mirror, extend desktop, etc)
Win+X: Mobility Center (same as Vista, but still handy!)
Win+T: Focus and scroll through items on the taskbar
Win+1 to 5: Choose item by its location order on the taskbar
Win+(+/-): Zoom in/out
Shift+Click a taskbar item: Open a new instance of that application

Add "Hide File Ext." & "Show Hidden Files", To Right Click Context Menu

2010-01-05T05:31:00.000-08:00

Now you don't have go through the many steps in Windows Explorer to change the "View Folder Options"
I use them, they are safe and free. Works with WindowsXP, Vista and Windows 7

Download the file HERE
Here's another one Click HERE

Secure Data On USB Drives In Windows 7

2010-01-05T04:13:00.001-08:00

A picture is always worth 1000 words:

Change Text/Background Colors In "CMD"

2010-01-04T20:35:00.001-08:00

Tired of a black background and white text, change the colors, spruce it up.

1. Click the Start button.

2. Click run.

3. Type 'cmd' ( without the quotes ) or open from accessories

4. With CMD open, type in 'help color' (without the quotes) hit enter

5. Scroll down to see the list of numbers from 0 to 9 and letters from A to F.

Type 'color 6' to have yellow text, 'color 4' to have red text, 'color A' to have light green text etc. ( Ignore all quotes )

To change the color of the text as well as the background, type 'color ce' ( without the quotes ) to have light yellow text on a light red background or any other combination. The first letter/number is the color of the background and the second is the color of the text.

2010-01-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

I know that this works on a 32 bit install since that's what I am using, but do not know about a 64 bit install.

Windows 7 and Vista use a protocol known as a "Link-Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) Responder" component. The LLTD component is not preinstalled in XP.

Although XP can be successfully networked with Vista and Windows 7 without it, I found that it has made the experience easier and more reliable to install LLTD to XP. What it does is permit the XP computers to be readily discovered on the network and "show up" in the network map (Network Folder) in Vista and Windows 7, provided that you are using the same Workgroup name and have File and Printer sharing enabled.

There are 2 different means to achieve this, depending on what Service Pack your install of XP is using.

If you are running XP with SP2, then you can download and install the LLTD component here: CLICK HERE

If you are running XP with SP3, then a Hotfix is needed which can be downloaded here: CLICK HERE

To check that each of your computers has the LLTD protocol running, in the Networking Folder on each computer, right click the networking adapter that you use and choose Properties. Look in the list for "Link-Layer Topology Discovery Responder".

If it isn't listed, then click Add, then Protocol. Highlight Microsoft, then click the LLTD entry. If it's not there, then you are on an XP machine and it needs to be installed.

Handy Windows 7 Shortcuts

2010-01-04T20:21:00.000-08:00

Middle click an app on dock – Open a new app instance

Middle click a thumbnail from dock – Close app instance/tab

Alt – bring up old-style file menus where they’ve been removed

Winkey + X – bring up laptop settings control panel

Winkey + (shift +) tab – Flip 3D task switcher

Easily Record Troubleshooting Steps In Windows 7

2010-01-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

When you need to explain how to produce a tech support issue, instead of typing it out by hand or trying to talk someone through it over the phone, Windows 7 has a tool called the Problem Steps Recorder.

Click Start, type PSR.EXE and hit Enter.

Click the Start Record button and go through the steps to recreate the issue. Add comments at any point by clicking the Add Comment button.

When done, click the Stop Record button, enter the output file name and save.

You end up with an MHT with details and screenshots of your performed steps.

Restore The Quick Launch Toolbar

2010-01-03T03:04:00.001-08:00

Right click on an empty space on the Windows 7 taskbar and make sure Lock the taskbar is not checked.

Right click on an empty space on the Windows 7 taskbar and from the Context Menu, click Toolbars and then New Toolbar.

When the New Toolbar, Choose a folder window appears, paste the following into the location bar:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch and click Select Folder.

The Quick Launch toolbar will be on the right side next to the System Tray. To move it to the familiar left:

Click on the left edge (dotted lines) of the new Quick Launch toolbar, and drag it over to the left as far as it will go.

To remove the text labels, right-click on the left edge of the toolbar (dotted lines) and from the Context Menu, uncheck both Show Text and Show Title.

Click and drag the left edge of the regular Windows taskbar toolbar (dotted lines to the right of the Start button) to the left of the taskbar, over the new Quick Launch toolbar. Stop when both toolbars are the size you want.Restore The Quick Launch Toolbar

Vista Upgrade DVD can be tricked into installing as a full install -- whoops!

2010-01-03T03:00:00.001-08:00

Microsoft implemented a clean-install lock down on its Vista upgrades. So, uh... we can only assume it was not supposed to do this.

Contrary to Microsoft's original intention, if you're stuck without a previous edition of Windows and just want a clean install of Vista -- and you are holding but an upgrade to Vista -- you can now do just that.

Yep, Microsoft slipped on this one.

An option offered by previous upgrade editions of Windows is that Microsoft allowed you a clean install -- that is, without having to first install an older version. The installer did, however, check if you owned an older version of Windows.

The way in which the upgrade CD verified this was to request the aging install CD. Once the installer was satisfied, you popped in the newer Windows CD and all was blissfully peaceful in the land.

With Vista coming screaming into the world, Microsoft was apparently intent on smashing that serenity. You see, it required that you have an existing Windows install on the system in which you intend to install Vista.

Don't have an existing install? According to Microsoft's Knowledge Base, when you attempt to install Windows Vista with your legitimately-acquired upgrade key, "you will be blocked from continuing."

Its solution to this? Well, it says you can take your pick of two; you can either spend more money on another product license -- a full one this time, you silly git -- or start the upgrade installation from within an existing install of Windows 2000, Windows XP, or even Vista itself.

This was supposed to mean that you can no longer perform a clean install with the upgrade CD/DVD of the latest version of Windows.

Or so it seemed up until not a full day ago, for there is a third option.

In a twist of fate, the likes of which Microsoft must be rather miffed, the Vista upgrade can, indeed, perform a shiny clean install without requiring anything else but itself.

The lads over at DailyTech discovered that you first must install Vista with the upgrade media without using a license key -- this installs the 30-day trial. Once you're in here, you can initiate the actual install, or 'upgrade' as the kids call it, and this will accept your upgrade key.

It's not quite a clean install, but it's a handy trick to have up the sleeve, nonetheless.

Vista: Firewall Outbound Filtering Added, How To Turn It On

2010-01-03T02:59:00.001-08:00

New feature could make third-party firewalls unnecessary for some users--we'll see how effective it is. To configure (off by default): Start > Run > wf.msc seems to be the easiest way to get there--I'm sure there are others.

Not sure of the exact setting yet as there are three areas: Domain, Private, and Public.

If you click on Windows Firewall Properties under the three areas above > Firewall State > Outbound Connections > select/toggle Blocked, only the first area, Domain, changes to blocked. I'm guessing that is sufficient until told otherwise.

Windows Vista Usability, Tips and Tricks

2010-01-03T02:57:00.001-08:00

Here are a series of little know tips and tricks to make using Vista much easier:

1. Run as Administrator: Some software won't install, even if you are logged in as an administrator. So right click on the setup file you are trying to execute and choose Run as an Administrator to get it to install properly.

2. Edit your startup applications with Windows Defender. Start Windows Defender and click Tools and then Software Explorer and then remove or disable programs you don't want to run at start up or remove programs from memory

3. In the Network and Sharing menu click “Customize” next to the network and choose Public to make your system more secure if you are on a public Wi-Fi connection or if you wireless network is not secured with WEP or WPA. Make your network Private if you want you computer to be auto discoverable which means it can be easily found by other computers on your home network.

4. Shift and then right click on a folder or any program to add the items "Copy as path" and "Open command window here" to the menu.

5. Keyboard shortcut secret: From left to right assign the icons on your QuickLaunch bar a number. To launch each one hold down the Windows logo key and type the number of position of the application. So if you have Firefox then Word then Windows Media player then type Windows key and then 1 to launch Firefox. Tap Windows key and the 2 to launch Word and so on.

Windows Vista Registry

2010-01-03T02:53:00.000-08:00

Change the ribbons screensaver ribbon or width

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Screensavers\

Ribbons

create a new dword called NumRibbons and give ait hexadecimal value of 00000100. Next, create a new dword called RibbonWidth and give it the hexadecimal value of 3c23d70a0 xit the Registry. the ribbons screensaver will now have the new settings.

to restore the old settings, delete the dwords

Change registerd users and company name

Hard to do once installed, so I give here.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

Values needed are RegisteredOwner and RegisteredOrganization, can cahnge to whatever you like.

Enable New Boot Screen

2010-01-03T02:50:00.001-08:00

There is a cool trick that will allow you to see what may have been a new boot screen for Windows Vista.

Enable New Boot Screen:

1. Click on the start orb and type in "MSCONFIG" in the textbox.

2. Once the System Configuration tool loads, click on the Boot tab.

3. Under Boot Options check "No GUI Boot".

4. Hit OK and reboot to see the new screen.

Administrator Account

2010-01-03T02:48:00.000-08:00

Want full admistrator account?

Right click my puter and manage

Expand local user and groups

Click on users

Double click administrator

Uncheck account is disabled

Close all windows.

log off and back on as administrator.

I did this next step, but, you could loose a lot of security. You can just leave your first account and log back on to it when your finished with administrator account.

Do this at own risk I did with no problems.

Go to user accounts in control panel and delete old account that wasn't the administrator.

New Shortcut in Vista's Sendto Menu - How to make one

2010-01-03T02:46:00.001-08:00

This works great.

1. Click start > all programs > accessories > "run"
2. In the run box, type shell:sendto click okay
A window will open with the current sendto shortcuts.
3. Right click anywhere on the window, select "new shortcut".
4. Click Browse, find your shortcut, click okay.

2010-01-03T02:44:00.001-08:00

Normally when you want to select a file or folder, it is somewhat difficult to determine exactly what is check and what isn't.

To change this:

Start the Windows Explorer

Go to Tools / Folder Options

Click on the View tab

Check the box for Use check boxes to select items its at the bottom

Fed up with UAC permissions ? Then this may help.

2010-01-03T02:42:00.000-08:00

First thing to do is activate the admin account, to do this do the following, allow any\all security prompts while doing this, and do not type the quote marks, they are only to signify what you need to type:-

Click on Start - Search

Type "cmd"

Right click on cmd (it appears at the top of the window) then select 'Run as administrator' from the options

In the black DOS box type the following at the command line: "Net user administrator activate:yes" then hit enter\return.

That will activate the admin account, so now log off from your normal account and you should find the admin account as an account option, click on that to log into that account, once in it set up a strong password, use a mix of upper\lower case and characters and numbers etc, the longer the better (within reason), just make sure you remember what this password is or you will be stuffed if you need to get back in at a future point, but you need to do this to protect the account.

Now thats all really, all you do from here on is any programs your installing that always pester you for UAC permission each time try installing them from this admin account (obviously uninstall from the other account first), once installed log back into your normal account and see if it's worked, as I said my experience has been patchy at best due to being riddled with so many hardware faults etc, but the program I did find this worked on (sometimes anyway) was SUPERAntiSpyware, I really got fed up with that needing permission to run every time I booted, and this seemed to work and allowed it to run without the nag screen, I can only hope it helps as I haven't been able to check more thoroughly, but thought it worth posting in the hope it does help given users may resort to turning off the UAC, hope it helps.

Vista Oddities, Missing BOOTMGR.exe error

2010-01-03T02:36:00.001-08:00

One of the odd things I have run into installing and repairing Vista systems is that Vista has a nasty habit of installing its boot files on the first active drive or partition it finds, so it is possible to have system files on one drive or partition while boot files can reside on another. If this happens and something happens to the drive or partition with boot files on it this will make tour system unbootable and get a BOOTMGR.exe missing or corrupt error.

After lots of research I found probably the only fixes that will allow you to get your system back to full running order. I found this on Microsofts Vista forum.

Hope this helps someone.

To resolve this problem, use the following methods in the order in which they are presented.

Method 1: Repair the BCD store by using the Startup Repair option

You can use the Startup Repair option in the Windows Recovery Environment to repair the BCD store. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.

2. Press a key when you are prompted.

3. Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next.

4. Click Repair your computer.

5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.

6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Startup Repair.

7. Restart the computer.

Method 2: Rebuild the BCD store by using the Bootrec.exe tool

If the previous method does not resolve the problem, you can rebuild the BCD store by using the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment. To do this, follow these steps: 1. Put the Windows Vista installation disc in the disc drive, and then start the computer.

2. Press a key when you are prompted.

3. Select a language, a time, a currency, and a keyboard or another input method, and then click Next.

4. Click Repair your computer.

5. Click the operating system that you want to repair, and then click Next.

6. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click Command Prompt.

7. Type Bootrec /RebuildBcd , and then press ENTER. • If the Bootrec.exe tool runs successfully, it presents you with an installation path of a Windows directory. To add the entry to the BCD store, type Yes . A confirmation message appears that indicates the entry was added successfully.

If the Bootrec.exe tool cannot locate any missing Windows installations, you must remove the BCD store, and then you must re-create it. To do this, type the following commands in the order in which they are presented. Press ENTER after each command.

Bcdedit /export C:\BCD_Backup

ren c:\boot\bcd bcd.old

Bootrec /rebuildbcd

8. Restart the computer.

NVidia Drivers On Vista

2010-01-03T02:35:00.000-08:00

NVIDIA (for a while) hasn't had much luck with drivers on Windows Vista (link).

When you install Windows Vista, it is likely that Microsoft will install drivers that work very well for you. However, if you uninstall that driver, it is entirely possible Windows will never figure out how to get it working again and you will be stuck in a state of bad graphics and terrible resolution.

If you find yourself in this state, you probably won't find any drivers for your NVIDIA card on Vista. However, you may find the following links useful:

X86 (32 bit) drivers

X64 (64 bit) drivers

Those appear to be the latest drivers available for Vista. See the supported products tab of the site to see if your card qualifies.

If you install an incorrect driver you will most likely have a terrible experience. Windows may boot fine, but video intensive applications (like playing a game or a DVD) will probably result in a blue screen. Poor video drivers are a common reason for blue screens in Vista.

As a note, I am using this driver: link for my nVidia Quadro FX Go1400 256MB without problems. It's an older release but I'm too afraid to try anything else since I have a lot of giant applications installed.

Caution: Update your video drivers at your own risk! While Windows usually does OK at recovering or providing recovery options via safe mode, the last thing you want is your PC stuck in a blue screen/reboot loop because your video driver is crazy.

How To Prevent XP From Deleting Vista Restore Points, Easy Registry Fix

2010-01-03T02:31:00.002-08:00

I've been using this fix for months. This assumes that XP sees Vista as drive D.

To keep Windows XP from deleting restore points of the volume in Windows Vista, add the following registry entry under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices\Offline registry subkey in Windows XP:

Value name: \DosDevices\D:

Type: REG_DWORD

Value data: 1

Note If the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices\Offline registry subkey does not exist, you must manually create this registry subkey. Create this registry entry when you have installed Windows Vista on the "D" partition in Windows XP.

Effects of this workaround

After you restart Windows XP, you cannot access the volume that is created in Windows Vista from Windows XP. However, you can still access the volume that is created in Windows XP from Windows Vista. You must use Windows XP drive or an additional drive such as a USB thumb drive for data exchange.

High Disk and CPU Usage for 10 Minutes After Boot Solution

2010-01-03T02:31:00.000-08:00

In Vista there is a new service called superfetch which analyzes program you use most often and remembers code to make it work faster next time. In all reality it doesnt improve performance much if at all.

When this service is running it can cause constant (and annoying) disk and cpu usage for the first 10 minutes or so of vista loading.

if you disable this service, it stops all this access from occurring. I have disabled it on my dell xps m1730 which runs vista business, and my system still boots just as quick, but without all the disk and cpu usage afterwards.

here is how to disable the service:

1) in the start menu search box type (without quotation marks) "services.msc" and hit enter

2) scroll down the list that appeared until you see a service named "Superfetch"

3) Double Click on the Superfetch Service and a dialog box will appear, in the 'Startup type' drop-down list in the centre of the dialog box, change from automatic to disabled.

4) click OK

5) right click on the Superfetch Service and left click stop.

6) click cross in the top right corner

you are all done,

next time you boot windows, superfetch will not start and you should have very minimal disk and cpu usage as it should be!

Useful Windows Vista shortcuts

2010-01-03T02:30:00.000-08:00

Windows + E : Windows Explorer

Windows + D : Show Desktop

Windows + B : Focuses selection to the first icon on the notification area, use arrow keys to navigate and Spacebar to select

Windows + F : Find Files and Folders (AKA Search)

Windows + Tab : 3D-Flip cycles through your standard applications (only available for Vista versions with Aero enabled)

Windows + Ctrl + Tab : Launches 3D-Flip but stays on the desktop so that you can scroll in directions

Windows + M : Minimize all windows

Windows + Shift + M : Undo minimize all windows

Windows + R : Open Run window

Windows + Pause/Break : System Information

Windows + F1 : Windows Help

Windows + U : Ease of Access

Windows + Spacebar : Displays Windows Sidebar (provided enabled)

Windows + L : Locks the computer (needs password to reactivate)

Windows + T : Tabs through applications on the taskbar

Ctrl + Shift + Escape : Launches the Task Manager

Vista 64, Disk Cleanup and System Restore

2010-01-03T02:27:00.001-08:00

This is for anyone running any version of Vista 64 bit that uses the built in Disk Cleanup to remove all but the latest restore point, it doesn't work. Went looking today and found out why, apparently the shortcut in the Start menu points to the wrong exe for Disk Cleanup. In case it points to the 32 bit version of it in the SysWOW64 folder and not the 64 bit version in the System32 folder.

That being said it is a quick and easy fix to get Disk Cleanup to work porperly,

1. Click on Start, All Programs, Accessories, and then click on System Tools.

2. Right click on “Disk Cleanup” and from the context menu that appears click on “Properties”.

3. Change the “Target” from “%SystemRoot%\SysWOW64\cleanmgr.exe” to “%SystemRoot%\system32\cleanmgr.exe”.

4. Click on OK. If User Account Control prompts you for consent, click on Continue or provide the appropriate credentials.

Cleanup SP1

2010-01-03T02:26:00.001-08:00

This removes the extra clutter after you install SP1 in vista.

*note: you cannot uninstall SP1 after you do this.

many users report getting back 2 gigs and some report 4 gigs or more after useing this

in command type:

Vsp1cln.exe

offtopic:

in command if you type: sfc/scannow

it will search for corrupted system files. Not sp1 related by the way.

Join Vista to XP Network

2010-01-03T02:25:00.000-08:00

If you are having difficulty joining Vista to an XP Network make sure the Network names are the same.

The default name for an XP network is Mshome and the default name for the Vista network is Workgroup. You will have to choose one or the other in order to put the different systems together on the one network.

To change the name go to Control Panel > System > Computer Name.

Adding Clocks/Different Time Zones

2010-01-03T02:21:00.001-08:00

Open up the Date and Time Control Panel applet. Flip to the “Additional Clocks” tab. There, you can configure two more clocks from different time zones. They’ll appear in the tooltip when you hover over the Taskbar clock.

How to Rename Multiple or A Series of Files in Windows Vista

2010-01-03T02:20:00.001-08:00

If you have multiple files, or a series of files that you want to rename the file name to a name with same common pattern differentiated by just the numbering, Windows Vista itself provides an easy way to rename the files, by using just the Windows Explorer (you may known it as Computer, Documents, Pictures or Musics).

How to Rename Multiple Files in Windows Vista with Windows Explorer

In Windows Explorer folder, select a few files that you would like to rename. You can press and hold CTRL key while click on each of the files that you want to select multiple files. In your files are listed in successive order, simply highlight the first file, hold down the SHIFT key, and the click on the last file in the batch to select all files between them.

Once the files are selected, right click on any one of the files, and select “Rename”. Or simply press F2. Type in a new base name that you want to use, press ENTER when done. The files will then be renamed to the same name you typed with a number in parentheses appended to the end of the name to make up a unique name for each file, i.e. NEWFILENAME (x), with x starting from 1 and running consecutively till every document is named. Extension is not affected

Revert Renaming Files

If you accidentally rename files wrongly, or don’t feel like the naming convention done by Windows Vista, press CTRL+Z keyboard shortcut to undo the rename change. Alternatively, click on “Edit” menu, and select “Undo”.

Adding Columns in Task MGR Processes

2010-01-03T02:16:00.001-08:00

Vista give you a lot more troubleshooting options in the Task Manager than previous Windows versions

Open Task Mgr and click Processes tab, and in the View menu, click “Select Columns” this will open a new window with a whole list of options you can add as new columns and when you right-click a process, you can select either “Go to Service(s)” or “Open File Location.” These are all long overdue options.

Unblock Blocked Startup Programs In Vista

2010-01-03T02:14:00.001-08:00

I get around blocked startup programs by using Task Scheduler to start them. I use this method for CoreTemp and a few other programs.

1. Remove the program from the Startup folder or the Run registry key

2. Launch the Task Scheduler

3. From the Actions panel on the right, select Create Task...

4. Give the task a description

5. Go to the Security Options on the General tab

6. Select an user account with administrative privileges

7. Select the radio button Run only when user is logged on

8. Check the box Run with highest privileges

9. Go to the Triggers tab and click New...

10. In Begin the task, select At log on

11. In the Settings options, select All users

12. In the Advanced Settings options, check the box Enabled

13. Click OK to close the dialog

14. Go to the Actions tab and click New...

15. For Action, select Start a program

16. In the Settings options, browse for the Program/Script you want to execute on startup

17. Click OK to close the dialog

18. Go to the Settings tab

19. Check the box Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed

20. Uncheck the box Stop the task if it runs longer than

21. Click OK to save and close the task properties

How To Integrate And Slipstream SP1 Into Windows Vista RTM

2010-01-03T02:12:00.001-08:00

To slipstream SP1 into Vista RTM media is by using “reverse integration” trick where users install the Vista image to a machine, install the Service Pack and then re-capture the image as in the guide below.

1. Prepare another hard disk or a drive partition (Guide: Change size of existing partition in Vista).

2. Install Windows Vista RTM to the secondary partition or drive (not the main boot or system partition). The primary reason for installing a new copy of Vista in another partition or drive is to ensure that no boot associated files of that computer related to BCD and boot.ini being part of the final Vista DVD image with SP1 integrated.

3. After installation finished, Windows Vista will boot into Out of the Box Experience (OOBE), where users will come to the part after setup that requires users to set up his or her user name, password, general settings and etc. Once in the OOBE phase, type Ctrl-Shift-F3 to enter Audit mode.

4. The system will reboot into Audit mode, and a SysPrep window will pop up and show. Do not close the SysPrep window.

5. Run the Vista SP1 setup installer (e.g. Windows6.0-KB936330-X86-wave0.exe, Windows6.0-KB936330-X64-wave0.exe or Windows6.0-KB936330-X86(x64)-wave0.exe), and let the service pack installation completes.

6. Optionally, users can run a new tool comes with SP1 called Vsp1cln.exe to remove older versions of components that have been upgraded to new versions in SP1 to save disk space. To remove these older RTM files, simply run Vsp1cln.exe via Winkey+R (Run command) or via the command prompt after SP1 is installed.

7. After the completion of SP1 service pack, the users will come back at the main Vista desktop with the SysPrep window open. At the SysPrep selection dialog, select OOBE, Generalize, and then Shut Down the system.

8. Boot the system into a WinPE disk or another OS install (i.e. Windows XP). Do NOT boot back into Vista.

9. Run the following imagex command (imagex can be download here or found in WAIK). Note that GimageX (a gui front-end for imagex) is not supported.

imagex /compress maximum /flags "Ultimate" /capture d: c:\install.wim "Windows Vista Ultimate"

where d: is the drive Vista is installed on and c:\install.wim is the location to store the new install.wim. Replace “Ultimate” after the /flags switch with whatever edition of Vista installed (supported flags are HomeBasic, HomePremium, Starter, Ultimate, Enterprise, ServerDatacenter, ServerEnterprise and ServerStandardand, all no space between words) to slipstream SP1, and also the drive letter of where Vista is installed and location to save the generated install.wim.

10. Once the image has been built, replace the old install.wim in the Vista RTM ISO in \Sources\ with the newly created install.wim using a registered version of UltraISO (Version 8.0 or higher). Save the ISO and you’re done.

You can also rebuild the ISO using vLite by extracting the contents of the Vista RTM ISO to a temporary directory, replacing the install.wim and using vLite’s Vista Burning/ISO creation features. One can also use vLite to remove unwanted features in Vista SP1.

Note that the whole process above is to slipstream SP1 into a single edition of Vista. To integrate SP1 into all the editions of Vista, repeat steps above for each edition and use the imagex /append function to build an install.wim that contains all the editions of Vista, and then replace the original install.wim with install.wim with all editions or editions required in the RTM ISO image as per last 2 steps.

Low space on Recovery Hard Drive - Free up the disc space

2010-01-02T22:19:00.001-08:00

I recommend you take a backup of the registry before proceeding with the

steps, so that any damage to the registry during modification can be

restored.

CAUTION: The following steps involve registry modifications.

Therefore, a registry backup is essential. An

incorrect registry entry may cause serious system

problems or prevent the computer from starting. You

will not be warned of any incorrect registry entries.

If the registry is not backed up, the only way to

recover the system is by reinstalling the operating

system.

To backup the registry:

1. Click Start and Type Run in the Start Search.

2. Type REGEDIT in the Open field and click OK.

3. Click "File" in the menu.

4. Click "Export" from the drop-down menu.

5. Click the down arrow beside "Save In" and select Local Disk (C:).

6. Type BACKUP.REG in the File Name field.

7. Verify that the "All" radio button under the "Export Range" is

selected.

8. Click Save.

After taking a backup of the registry, remove the programs from the

registry by following these steps:

1. Click Start and Type Run and type regedit in the Open Field.

2. After the Registry Editor loads, perform the following steps:

Go to the following entry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters

Click the '+' sign next to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

Click the '+' sign next to System

Click the '+' sign next to CurrentControlSet

Click the '+' sign next to Services

Click the '+' sign next to LanmanServer

Click the '+' sign next to Parameters

3. If the value DiskSpaceThreshold exists then double click on it and

skip to step 5

4. If the value does not exist, from the Edit menu select New - DWord

value. Enter a name of DiskSpaceThreshold. Click OK then double click

on the new value

5. Set the base to decimal and enter a value that you want the event to

be generated at from 0-99.

Click OK

Restart the machine

This should definitely free some space on the drive D.

Own any file

2010-01-02T22:15:00.001-08:00

Vista wont let you delete or overwrite a file?

This might help.

Open command prompt.

Takeown /f c:\windows\foldername\nameoffilehere

"press enter and type"

cacls c:\windows\foldername\nameoffile /g username:f

It will ask "are you sure ? press Y and enter.

Favorite Screen Saver As Your Desktop Background

2010-01-02T22:13:00.001-08:00

Find the filename of the screensaver you want to use as your desktop background.

Right click on the Command Prompt shortcut on your Start menu and select the Run as Administrator command.

Type the following command: screensaver.scr /p65552 (Where screensaver.scr is the filename of the screensaver you want to use.) press Enter.

The screen saver will begin running as your desktop background. It will block out your desktop and any icons on the desktop will be inaccessible while the screensaver is running. The Start menu and the Taskbar will still be accessible.

There will be a screensaver icon on the Taskbar you can only right-click on. When you do, the Taskbar will hide and the screen saver will go full screen. In full screen, press Alt+F4 to close the screen saver. Or press the Windows key on your keyboard to make the Start menu and Taskbar accessible again.

Get Rid Of Old Device Drivers Hidden In Vista

2010-01-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

Over time unused, but still installed, drivers can cause problems if they inadvertently become enabled. They can cause hardware conflicts or just cause the system to behave erratically. You can locate and remove any old and unused drivers by enabling a special feature in Device Manager that allows it to display non-present devices.

To configure Device Manager to display non-present devices you will need to add an environment variable DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES to the Environment Variables dialog box. Begin by, accessing the Start menu, right-click on Computer, and select the Properties command. When you see the System window, select the Advanced System Settings link. When you do, you’ll encounter a UAC and will have to deal with it appropriately.

When the System Properties dialog box appears, click the Environment Variables button. When you see the Environment Variables dialog box, you’ll see that it contains two panels titled User Variables and System Variables. Environment variables added to the User Variables panel will be available only when that user logs on. Environment variables added to the System Variables panel will be available to all users.

Click the New button. When the New System Variable dialog box appears, type devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices in the Variable Name text box and type 1 in the Variable Value text box.

Then, click OK twice — once to close the New System Variable dialog box and once to close the Environment Variables dialog box.

To view the non-present devices, access the Start menu, right-click on Computer, and select Manage. When the Computer Management window appears, select Device Manager. Once Device Manager is active, pull down the View menu and select Show Hidden Devices. Now, open the various branches in the Device Manager tree and look for device icons that appear translucent or faded.

To remove the device drivers for any of the non-present devices, simply right-click on the faded icon and select the Uninstall command. Once you are done, close Device Manager and restart your system.

Quickly Access Network Connections

2010-01-02T21:41:00.000-08:00

Click Start.

Type ncpa.cpl in the Start Search panel.

Click Enter.

Click the ncpa.cpl item that appeared in the results list.

Network Connections will open.

Click Start.

Select Control Panel.

Type Network Connections in the Search panel.

Click View Network Connections in the results list.

The dialog box for Network Connections will open.

3 Handiest Of 77 Windows Vista Keyboard Shortcuts

2010-01-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

Go 'up' a level: Alt+Up Arrow

Go 'back': Alt+Left Arrow

Go 'forward': Alt+Right Arrow

Windows key

Opens or closes the Start menu

Windows + D

Displays your desktop

Windows + E

Opens the Computer window

Windows + F

Opens the Search window

Ctrl + Windows + F

Searches for computers (if you're on a network)

Windows + L

Locks your computer or switches users

Windows + M

Minimizes all windows

Shift + Windows + M

Restores minimized windows

Windows + R

Opens the Run dialog box

Windows + T

Cycles through programs on the Taskbar

Windows + U

Opens the Ease of Access Center

Ctrl + A

Selects everything in a window

Ctrl + C

Copies selected items

Ctrl + X

Cuts selected items

Ctrl + V

Pastes cut or copied items

Ctrl + Y

Redoes an action

Ctrl + Z

Undoes an action

Displays Help

Highlights the label of a selected item for editing

Opens the Search window

Ctrl + F4

Closes the current document

Alt + F4

Closes the current item or program

Refreshes a window

Cycles through elements in a window or on the desktop

F10

Activates a program's menu bar

Shift + Windows + F10

Displays the shortcut menu for a selected item

Delete

Deletes selected items to the Recycle Bin

Shift + Delete

Deletes selected items permanently

Alt + Enter

Displays the properties of a selected item

Ctrl + Esc

Opens the Start menu

Alt + Esc

Cycles through items in the order you opened them

Ctrl + Shift + Esc

Opens the Windows Task Manager

Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock

Turns the Mouse Keys feature on or off

Hold for five seconds + Num Lock

Turns the Toggle Keys feature on or off

Windows + Pause

Displays the System Properties dialog box

Left Alt + Left Shift + Print Screen

Turns the High Contrast feature on or off

Right Shift for 8 seconds

Turns the Filter Keys feature on and off

Press Shift five times

Turns the Sticky Keys feature on or off

Alt + Spacebar

Opens the shortcut menu for the current window

Alt + Tab

Switches between open items

Windows + Tab

Cycles through open items with Flip 3-D

Ctrl + Alt + Tab

Displays open items (use the arrow keys to switch between them)

Ctrl + Windows + Tab

Displays open items with Flip 3-D (use the arrow keys to cycle through them)

Alt + D

Moves to the Address bar

Displays the Address bar drop-down list

Ctrl + N

Opens a new window

F11

Maximizes/minimizes the current window

Left arrow

Collapses a selection or selects its parent folder

Alt + Left arrow

Shows the previous folder

Right arrow

Displays the current selection or selects its first subfolder

Alt + Right arrow

Shows the next folder

Asterisk (keypad)

Displays subfolders within a selected folder

End

Displays the bottom of the current window

Home

Displays the top of the current window

Minus Sign (keypad)

Collapses the selected folder

Plus Sign (keypad)

Displays the contents of the selected folder

In the Vista Sidebar

Windows + G

Cycles through gadgets

Windows + Spacebar

Brings all gadgets to the front; selects Sidebar

Tab

Cycles through Sidebar controls

In a dialog box

Displays Help

Displays items in a drop-down list

Backspace

In Save As or Open dialog, opens a folder one level up from a selected folder

Enter

Works like a mouse click for some selected options

Spacebar

Selects or deselects an active check box

Tab

Moves forward through dialog box options

Ctrl + Tab

Hops from tab to tab

Shift + Tab

Moves backward through dialog box options

Ctrl + Shift + Tab

Hops backward from tab to tab

In Vista Help

Alt + A

Displays the customer support page

Alt + C

Displays the Help And Support Contents

Ctrl + F

Opens Find dialog box for the current topic

Alt + N

Displays the connection settings menu

Ctrl + P

Prints a help topic

Moves to the Search box

F10

Displays Options menu

Alt + Home

Displays the Help And Support home page

How to defragment your pagefile in Vista

2010-01-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

How to defragment your pagefile in Vista

By opening a Command Prompt session with administrative privileges, you can use the defragmentation program with various command-line options. (For details, type defrag /? at the command prompt.).

In addition to enabling scripts to incorporate defragmentation tasks, the command-line approach offers an option to analyze and report on the fragmentation status of a disk without actually carrying out the defrag operation. Type defrag c: –a –v, for example, to generate a verbose report on the condition of drive C. (You can add >%temp%\report.txt to the end of that command string to funnel the report into a text file saved in the Temp folder.). The last line of the report will recommend a defrag run if the system thinks you need it.

Using Disk Defragmenter's Analysis Report, you can determine whether your page file is fragmented. Although page file fragmentation is normally not a serious issue, a severely fragmented page file can reduce your system's performance. Disk Defragmenter cannot consolidate your page file, because Windows holds it open while you work. However, if you have more than one volume available (even if the second volume is on the same physical hard disk as your system drive), you can work around the problem as follows:

1. Open Control Panel and double-click the System icon (in the System and Maintenance category).

2. In the task pane on the left side of the window, click Advanced System Settings.

3. On the Advanced tab of the System Properties dialog box, click the Settings button under Performance.

4. On the Advanced tab of the Performance Options dialog box, click Change under Virtual Memory.

5. From the list of available drives, choose a volume other than the one that holds your current page file. This drive will hold your temporary page file.

6. Choose the Custom Size option, choose System Managed Size, and click Set.

7. Select the drive that contains the fragmented page file, choose the Paging File option, and then click Set.

8. Close open dialog boxes to save your settings, and restart the computer to allow it to stop using the old page file and begin using the new one.

9. Defragment the drive that previously held your page file. This consolidates the free space on that volume so that your new page file will be stored in contiguous space.

10. Repeat steps 1 through 8, this time creating a page file on the original disk and eliminating the temporary page file you created. Then reboot to allow the new, defragmented page file to take over.

Tweak Vista's Logon Screen

2010-01-02T21:31:00.000-08:00

Before editing the Windows Registry you should back it up for safekeeping.

Click the Start button, type Regedit in the Start Search box, and then press Enter. When you do, you'll encounter a UAC and will need to respond accordingly. Once the Registry Editor launches, locate the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

Remove the shutdown button from the Logon screen.

Locate and double-click the shutdownwithoutlogon value. When the Edit DWORD dialog box appears, type a 0 in the Value data text box and click OK.

Add a warning or whatever message you want to the screen.

To add a title to the message.

Locate and double-click the legalnoticecaption value. When the Edit DWORD dialog box appears, type the title in the Value data text box and click OK.

To add the message.

Locate and double-click the legalnoticetext value. When the Edit DWORD dialog box appears, type the message in the Value data text box and click OK.

You can configure the Logon screen to display logon statistics.

Right click anywhere inside the System key and select New, DWORD (32-bit) Value. When the new value appears, type DisplayLastLogonInfo and then press Enter twice. When the Edit DWORD dialog box appears, type a 1 in the Value data text box and click OK.

You can create your own and change the Logon screen wallpaper using a nice GUI program called LogonStudio from Stardock. Take a Look Here

Resize A Vista Partition Without Damaging Data

2010-01-02T21:29:00.001-08:00

Backing up your data beforehand is recommended.

Go to the start menu and right click on the Computer entry. When you do that you will see a menu you might not have even known was there. It might take a while to appear.

Expand the Storage entry and click on the Disk Management entry to show your hard disk layout.

Right click the partition you want to resize.

If you want to shrink a partition, choose shrink. You will see the amount of space available for resizing as calculated by Vista. Click the up or down arrows or enter the amount to set the size for shrinking. It may take some time and the new partition will show up as unallocated space in the partition map.

If you want to expand a partition a Wizard will walk you through the procedure. Click on the Expand entry in the right click menu to start the Wizard. The Wizard will open to a window that allows you to delete a partition in order to make room for the expansion. Once you have set the size of the available space you want to use to expand the partition, click Next and then finalize the changes.

Login As Administrator From Welcome Screen

2010-01-02T21:27:00.003-08:00

Enter the following command in the Administrator mode.

Type cmd in the Vista Start Run box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.

To active Administrator account, type:

net user Administrator /active:yes

To deactivate Administrator account, type:

net user Administrator /active:no

Add Any Application To The Desktop Right-Click Menu

2010-01-02T21:27:00.001-08:00

As always, backup your registry before editing.

1. Open regedit.exe through the Start menu Search or Run box, and scroll down to the following key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell

2. Right-click on the Shell key, and then select New, Key from the menu. Give the new key the name that you want to show up on the Desktop context menu.

3. Right-click on the new key, and then select New, Key from the menu. Give this key the name command in lowercase.

4. Click on command on the left side, and then double-click on the (Default) key in the right side to edit the string value. Type in the full path to the application that you want to launch and hit Enter.

Now when you right-click on the Desktop, the name you chose in Step 2 should be listed in the context menu.

Add The Print Directory Option For File System Folders

2010-01-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

1. Click Start, type Notepad. Right-click Notepad and choose Run as Administrator.

2. Copy the following text to Notepad:

@echo off

dir %1 /-p /o:gn > "%temp%\Listing"

start /w notepad /p "%temp%\Listing"

del "%temp%\Listing"

exit

3. Click File, Save (CTRL+S), mention the file name/path as %windir%\printdir.bat and press ENTER. The file printdir.bat is now saved to the Windows folder.

4. Download printdir_vista.reg: Download here

5. Save printdir_vista.reg to Desktop, right-click and choose Merge. (If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.)

If you only want to view the file contents, and don't want to send it to the printer, change the 3rd line in step 2. from start /w notepad /p "%temp%\Listing" to start /w notepad "%temp%\Listing".

Create A Keyboard Shortcut To Open Any Folder

2010-01-02T21:24:00.000-08:00

Right click the folder that you want to create a keyboard shortcut for and click Send To and Desktop (Create Shortcut).

Go to the Desktop and right click the shortcut that was created.

Click Properties.

In the Shortcut Key box, enter the keyboard shortcut that you want to use. (Such as, Ctrl + Alt + H)

Click OK.

Add And Edit Favorite Links In Windows Explorer Sidebar

2010-01-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

Go to the folder, drag and drop to the Favorite Links Sidebar (in the Navigation Pane) and your shortcut will be stored in there.

Or, right click on the empty space below the favorite links and click Open Favorite Links Folder. Here you can add, delete, or edit shortcut links that you want to appear in the Windows Explorer Sidebar.

To rearrange the list of shortcuts in the sidebar, just drag and drop. Adding the favorite links also helps to quickly access folders while saving files. You can see the favorite links section in the sidebar of Save As option. So if you use a certain folder to save files more often, you can pin that folder to the favorite links.

Install XP's Backup Utility Into Windows Vista

2010-01-02T21:20:00.001-08:00

First you need access to a working installation of XP Pro.

Once there, open Windows Explorer and navigate to the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

Locate and copy the following files to a folder (named such as, Backup Utility) on a USB drive:

Ntbackup.exe – Windows Backup Utility executable

Ntmsapi.dll – Removable Storage Public Interfaces

Vssapi.dll – Volume Shadow Coy Requestor/Writer

Insert the USB drive into a Vista system, then copy the entire Backup Utility folder over to the C:\Program Files folder.

Open the Backup Utility folder, right click on the Ntbackup.exe file, and select the Send To, Desktop (create shortcut) command. (Move the shortcut to the Start menu if you want.)

Now you need to enable the Removable Storage Management system.

Access the Control Panel, select Programs, and then click Turn Windows Features on or off.

In the Windows Features dialog box, locate and select the Removable Storage Management check box, then click OK.

Now locate and click the Ntbackup.exe shortcut and you will be able to choose which files and folders you want to backup.

If you encounter a warning about the Removable Storage Service even though it is running as it should be, just select the Don't alert me again check box and click OK.

Best Way To Be Safe Online, Best software for FREE

2010-01-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

1. Always do your updates once a week or set up automatic updates.

2. Install a antivirus for FREE, always be sure its updated.

AVG Antivirus Free Edition (Recommended)

Avast Home Edition

3. Install Antispyware for FREE.

Windows Defender (Recommend)

Ad-Aware Anniversary Edition

4.Install a site advisor, to be sure the website your visiting is safe. (AVG Antivirus already has a site advisor, your choice)

McAfee Site Advisor (Recommended)

TUNE UP YOUR PC AND SPEED IT UP! 7 Simple Step by Step

2010-01-02T21:08:00.000-08:00

Follow Step By Step

1. Adjust Your Visual Effects : Go To Start - Control Panel - System And Maintenance - System - Advanced System Settings - Advanced - Performance Settings - Click On Custom - and Select Only Smooth Edges Of Screen Fonts And Use Visual Styles On Windows And Buttons.

2. Disable Uneeded Startup Programs : Download Winpatrol, View And Select Which Startup Programs You Dont Need.

3. Delete TEMP Files : Go To Run Type TEMP And Click Ok, And Delete Evreything That Appears Right There.

4.Delete All Your INTERNET HISTORY : Delete ALL Your Private Data If Using Firefox On Tools - Options - Clear Private Data And Select All And Click Clear Private Data, On Internet Explorer Internet Options - General - Delete - SELECT ALL And Delete.

5. Do A Disk Cleanup : Using Windows Disk Clean Up, Start - Control Panel - System And Maintenance - Click Below Administrative Tools - Free Disk Space - It's Going To Ask You Wish Files To Delete Select ALL.

6. Defrag Your PC : I Would Recommend Using Auslogics Defrag Or DISK MD

7. FINALLY RESTART YOUR PC And You're Good To Go !

WINPATROL

AUSLOGICS DEFRAG

Vista Command Prompt Commands

2010-01-02T21:07:00.000-08:00

Append

The append command can be used by programs to open files in another directory as if they were located in the current directory.

Arp

The arp command is used to display or change entries in the ARP cache.

Assoc

The assoc command is used to display or change the file type associated with a particular file extension.

The at command is used to schedule commands and other programs to run at a specific date and time.

Attrib

The attrib command is used to change the attributes of a single file or a directory.

Auditpol

The auditpol command is used to display or change audit policies.

Bcdedit

The bcdedit command is used to view or make changes to Boot Configuration Data.

Bitsadmin

The bitsadmin command is used to create, manage, and monitor download and upload jobs.

Bootcfg

The bootcfg command is used to build, modify, or view the contents of the boot.ini file, a hidden file that is used to identify in what folder, on which partition, and on which hard drive Windows is located.

Break

The break command sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking on DOS systems.

Cacls

The cacls command is used to display or change access control lists of files.

Call

The call command is used to run a script or batch program from within another script or batch program.

Certreq

The certreq command is used to perform various certification authority (CA) certificate functions.

Certutil

The certutil command is used to dump and display certification authority (CA) configuration information in addition to other CA functions.

Change

The change command changes various terminal server settings like install modes, COM port mappings, and logons.

Chcp

The chcp command displays or configures the active code page number.

Chdir

The chdir command is used to display the drive letter and folder that you are currently in. Chdir can also be used to change the drive and/or directory that you want to work in.

Chglogon

The chglogon command enables, disables, or drains terminal server session logins.

Chgport

The chgport command can be used to display or change COM port mappings for DOS compatibility.

Chgusr

The chgusr command is used to change the install mode for the terminal server.

Chkdsk

The chkdsk command, often referred to as check disk, is used to identify and correct certain hard drive errors.

Chkntfs

The chkntfs command is used to configure or display the checking of the disk drive during the Windows boot process.

Choice

The choice command is used within a script or batch program to provide a list of choices and return of the value of that choice to the program.

Cipher

The cipher command shows or changes the encryption status of files and folders on NTFS partitions.

Clip

The clip command is used to redirect the output from any command to the clipboard in Windows.

Cls

The cls command clears the screen of all previously entered commands and other text.

Cmd

The cmd command starts a new instance of the command interpreter.

Cmdkey

The cmdkey command is used to show, create, and remove stored user names and passwords.

Cmstp

The cmstp command installs or uninstalls a Connection Manager service profile.

Color

The color command is used to change the colors of the text and background within the Command Prompt

window.

Comp

The comp command is used to compare the contents of two files or sets of files.

Compact

The compact command is used to show or change the compression state of files and directories on NTFS partitions.

Convert

The convert command is used to convert FAT or FAT32 formatted volumes to the NTFS format.

Copy

The copy command does simply that - it copies one or more files from one location to another.

Date

The date command is used to show or change the current date.

Debug

The debug command starts Debug, a command line application used to test and edit programs.

Defrag

The defrag command is used to defragment a drive you specify. The defrag command is the command line version of Microsoft's Disk Defragmenter.

Del

The del command is used to delete one or more files. The del command is the same as the erase command.

Dir

The dir command is used to display a list of files and folders contained inside the folder that you are currently working in. The dir command also displays other important information like the hard drive's serial number, the total number of files listed, their combined size, the total amount of free space left on the drive, and more.

Diskcomp

The diskcomp command is used to compare the contents of two floppy disks.

Diskcopy

The diskcopy command is used to copy the entire contents of one floppy disk to another.

Diskpart

The diskpart command is used to create, manage, and delete hard drive partitions.

Diskraid

The diskraid command starts the DiskRAID tool which is used to manage and configure RAID arrays.

Dispdiag

The dispdiag command is used to output a log of information about the display system.

Doskey

The doskey command is used to edit command lines, create macros, and recall previously entered commands.

Driverquery

The driverquery command is used to show a list of all installed drivers.

Echo

The echo command is used to show messages, most commonly from within script or batch files. The echo command can also be used to turn the echoing feature on or off.

Edit

The edit command starts the MS-DOS Editor tool which is used to create and modify text files.

Edlin

The edlin command starts the Edlin tool which is used to create and modify text files from the command line.

Endlocal

The endlocal command is used to end the localization of environment changes inside a batch or script file.

Erase

The erase command is used to delete one or more files. The erase command is the same as the del command.

Eventcreate

The eventcreate command is used to create a custom event in an event log.

Exe2Bin

The exe2bin command is used to convert a file of the EXE file type (executable file) to a binary file.

Exit

The exit command is used to end the Command Prompt session that you're currently working in.

Expand

The expand command is used to extract a single file or a group of files from a compressed file.

Fastopen

The fastopen command is used to add a program's hard drive location to a special list stored in memory, potentially improving the program's launch time by removing the need for MS-DOS to locate the application on the drive.

The fc command is used to compare two individual or sets of files and then show the differences between them.

Find

The find command is used to search for a specified text string in one or more files.

Findstr

The findstr command is used to find text string patterns in one or more files.

Finger

The finger command is used to return information about one or more users on a remote computer that's running the Finger service.

For

The for command is used to run a specified command for each file in a set of files. The for command is most often used within a batch or script file.

Forfiles

The forfiles command selects one or more files to execute a specified command on. The forfiles command is most often used within a batch or script file.

Format

The format command is used to format a drive in the file system that you specify.

Fsutil

The fsutil command is used to perform various FAT and NTFS file system tasks like managing reparse points and sparse files, dismounting a volume, and extending a volume.

Ftp

The ftp command can used to transfer files to and from another computer. The remote computer must be operating as an FTP server.

Ftype

The ftype command is used to define a default program to open a specified file type.

Getmac

The getmac command is used to display the media access control (MAC) address of all the network controllers on a system.

Goto

The goto command is used in a batch or script file to direct the command process to a labeled line in the script.

Gpresult

The gpresult command is used to display Group Policy settings.

Gpupdate

The gpupdate command is used to update Group Policy settings.

Graftabl

The graftabl command is used to enable the ability of Windows to display an extended character set in graphics mode.

Graphics

The graphics command is used to load a program that can print graphics.

Help

The help command provides more detailed information on any of the other Command Prompt commands..

Hostname

The hostname command displays the name of the current host.

Icacls

The icacls command is used to display or change access control lists of files. The icacls command is an updated version of the cacls command.

The if command is used to perform conditional functions in a batch file.

Ipconfig

The ipconfig command is used to display detailed IP information for each network adapter utilizing TCP/IP. The ipconfig command can also be used to release and renew IP addresses on systems configured to receive them via a DHCP server.

Irftp

The irftp command is used to transmit files over an infrared link.

Iscsicli

The iscsicli command starts the Microsoft iSCSI Initiator, used to manage iSCSI.

Label

The label command is used to manage the volume label of a disk.

Loadfix

The loadfix command is used to load the specified program in the first 64K of memory and then runs the program.

Lodctr

The lodctr command is used to update registry values related to performance counters.

Logman

The logman command is used to create and manage Event Trace Session and Performance logs. The logman command also supports many functions of Performance Monitor.

Logoff

The logoff command is used to terminate a session.

Mem

The mem command shows information about used and free memory areas and programs that are currently loaded into memory in the MS-DOS subsystem.

Mkdir (Md)

The mkdir command is used to create a new folder.

Mklink

The mklink command is used to create a symbolic link.

Mmc

The mmc command can be used to open Microsoft Management Console in author mode or to a specific snap-in console, all from the Command Prompt.

Mode

The mode command is used to configure system devices, most often COM and LPT ports..

More

The more command is used to display the information contained in a text file. The more command can also be used to paginate the results of any other Command Prompt command.

Mountvol

The mountvol command is used to display, create, or remove volume mount points.

Move

The move command is used to move one or files from one folder to another. The move command is also used to rename directories.

Msg

The msg command is used to send a message to a user.

Msiexec

The msiexec command is used to start Windows Installer, a tool used to install and configure software.

Mstsc

The mstsc command starts the Remote Desktop Connection tool from the Command Prompt.

Muiunattend

The muiunattend command starts the Multilanguage User Interface unattended setup process.

Nbtstat

The nbtstat command is used to show TCP/IP information and other statistical information about a remote computer.

Net

The net command is used to display, configure, and correct a wide variety of network settings.

Netcfg

The netcfg command is used to install the Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE), a lightweight version of Windows used to deploy workstations.

Netstat

The netstat command is most commonly used to display all open network connections and listening ports.

Nlsfunc

The nlsfunc command is used to load information specific to a particular country or region.

Nslookup

The nslookup is most commonly used to display the hostname of an entered IP address. The nslookup command queries your configured DNS server to discover the IP address.

Ocsetup

The ocsetup command starts the Windows Optional Component Setup tool, used to install additional Windows features.

Openfiles

The openfiles command is used to display and disconnect open files and folders on a system.

Path

The path command is used to display or set a specific path available to executable files.

Pathping

The pathping command functions much like the tracert command but will also report information about network latency and loss at each hop.

Pause

The pause command is used within a batch or script file to pause the processing of the file. When the pause command is used, a Press any key to continue. Message displays in the command window.

Ping

The ping command sends an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request message to a specified remote computer to verify IP-level connectivity.

Pkgmgr

The pkgmgr command is used to start the Windows Package Manager from the Command Prompt. Package Manager installs, uninstalls, configures, and updates features and packages for Windows.

Pnpunattend

The pnpunattend command is used to automate the installation of hardware device drivers.

Pnputil

The pnputil command is used to start the Microsoft PnP Utility, a tool used to install a Plug and Play device from the command line.

Popd

The popd command is used to change the current directory to the one most recently stored by the pushd command. The popd command is most often utilized from within a batch or script file.

Print

The print command is used to print a specified text file to a specified printing device.

Prompt

The prompt command is used to customize the appearance of the prompt text in Command Prompt.

Pushd

The pushd command is used to store a directory for use, most commonly from within a batch or script program.

Qappsrv

The qappsrv command is used to display all Remote Desktop Session Host servers available on the network.

Qprocess

The qprocess command is used to display information about running processes.

Query

The query command is used to display the status of a specified service.

Quser

The quser command is used to display information about users currently logged on to the system.

Qwinsta

The qwinsta command is used to display information about open Remote Desktop Sessions.

Rasdial

The rasdial command is used to start or end a network connection for a Microsoft client.

Recover

The recover command is used to recover readable data from a bad or defective disk.

Reg

The reg command is used to manage the Windows Registry from the command line. The reg command can perform common registry functions like adding registry keys, exporting the registry, etc.

Regsvr32

The regsvr32 command is used to register a DLL file as a command component in the Windows Registry.

Relog

The relog command is used to create new performance logs from data in existing performance logs.

Rem

The rem command is used to record comments or remarks in a batch or script file.

Rename (Ren)

The rename command is used to change the name of the individual file that you specify.

Replace

The replace command is used to replace one or more files with one or more other files.

Reset Session (Rwinsta)

The reset session command is used to reset the session subsystem software and hardware to known initial values.

Rmdir (Rd)

The rmdir command is used to delete an existing and completely empty folder.

Robocopy

The robocopy command is used to copy files and directories from one location to another. The robocopy command is superior to the more simple copy command because robocopy supports many more options. This command is also called Robust File Copy.

Route

The route command is used to manipulate network routing tables.

Rpcping

The rpcping command is used to ping a server using RPC.

Runas

The runas command is used to execute a program using another user's credentials.

The sc command is used to configure information about services. The sc command communicates with the Service Control Manager.

Schtasks

The schtasks command is used to schedule specified programs or commands to run a certain times. The schtasks command can be used to create, delete, query, change, run, and end scheduled tasks.

Secedit

The secedit command is used to configure and analyze system security by comparing the current security configuration to a template.

Set

The set command is used to enable or disable certain options in Command Prompt.

Setlocal

The setlocal command is used to start the localization of environment changes inside a batch or script file.

Setver

The setver command is used to set the MS-DOS version number that MS-DOS reports to a program.

Setx

The setx command is used to create or change environment variables in the user environment or the system environment.

Sfc

The sfc command is used to verify and replace important Windows system files. The sfc command is also referred to as System File Checker and Windows Resource Checker.

Shadow

The shadow command Is used to monitor another Remote Desktop Services session.

Share

The share command is used to install file locking and file sharing functions in MS-DOS.

Shift

The shift command is used to change the position of replaceable parameters in a batch or script file.

Shutdown

The shutdown command can be used to shut down, restart, or log off the current system or a remote computer.

Sort

The sort command is used to read data from a specified input, sort that data, and return the results of that sort to the Command Prompt screen, a file, or another output device.

Start

The start command is used to open a new command line window to run a specified program or command. The start command can also be used to start an application without creating a new window.

Subst

The subst command is used to associate a local path with a drive letter. The subst command is a lot like the net use command except a local path is used instead of a shared network path.

Sxstrace

The sxstrace command is used to start the WinSxs Tracing Utility, a programming diagnostic tool.

Systeminfo

The systeminfo command is used to display basic Windows configuration information for the local or a remote computer.

Takeown

The takedown command is used to regain access to a file that that an administrator was denied access to when reassigning ownership of the file.

Taskkill

The taskkill command is used to terminate a running task. The taskkill command is the command line equivalent of ending a process in Task Manager in Windows.

Tasklist

Displays a list of applications, services, and the Process ID (PID) currently running on either a local or a remote computer.

Tcmsetup

The tcmsetup command is used to setup or disable the Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI) client.

Time

The time command is used to show or change the current time.

Timeout

The timeout command is typically used in a batch or script file to provide a specified timeout value during a procedure. The timeout command can also be used to ignore keypresses.

Title

The title command is used to set the Command Prompt window title.

Tracerpt

The tracerpt command is used to process event trace logs or real-time data from instrumented event trace providers.

Tracert

The tracert command sends Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request messages to a specified remote computer with increasing Time to Live (TTL) field values and displays the IP address and hostname, if available, of the router interfaces between the source and destination.

Tree

The tree command is used to graphically display the folder structure of a specified drive or path.

Tsdiscon

The tsdiscon command is used to disconnect a Remote Desktop session.

Tskill

The tskill command is used to end the specified process.

Type

The type command is used to display the information contained in a text file.

Typeperf

The typerperf command displays performance data in the Command Prompt window or writes the data to specified log file.

Unlodctr

The unlodctr command removes Explain text and Performance counter names for a service or device driver from the Windows Registry.

Ver

The ver command is used to display the current Windows version.

Verify

The verify command is used to enable or disable the ability of Command Prompt to verify that files are written correctly to a disk.

Vol

The vol command shows the volume label and serial number of a specified disk, assuming this information exists.

Vssadmin

The vssadmin command starts the Volume Shadow Copy Service administrative command line tool which displays current volume shadow copy backups and all installed shadow copy writers and providers.

W32Tm

The w32tm command is used to diagnose issues with Windows Time.

Waitfor

The waitform command is used to send or wait for a signal on a system.

Wbadmin

The wbadmin command is used start and stop backup jobs, display details about a previous backup, list the items within a backup, and report on the status of a currently running backup.

Wevtutil

The wevtutil command starts the Windows Events Command Line Utility which is used to manage event logs and publishers.

Where

The where command is used to search for files that match a specified pattern.

Whoami

The whoami command is used to retrieve user name and group information on a network.

Winrm

The winrm command is used to start the command line version of Windows Remote Management, used to manage secure communications with local and remote computers using web services.

Winrs

The winrs command is used to open a secure command window with a remote host.

Winsat

The winsat command starts the Windows System Assessment Tool, a program that assesses various features, attributes, and capabilities of a computer running Windows.

Wmic

The wmic command starts the Windows Management Instrumentation Command line (WMIC), a scripting interface that simplifies the use of Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and systems managed via WMI.

Xcopy

The xcopy command can copy one or more files or directory trees from one location to another.

How to make Vista's taskbar look and act like Win 7's

2010-01-01T03:12:00.000-08:00

How to make Vista's taskbar look and act like Win 7's

This does not include or add "Pin To Taskbar Function" which is not really needed due to the "Quick Launch Feature"

This is a "Regedit" so do so at your own risk and please back it up.

1. Open "Regedit" and navigate to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop(Expand) and click on "Window Metrics"

2. Right click on empty space and create a new "String" and name it "MinWidth" and give it a value of "-285"

3. Close Regedit.

4. Right click "Taskbar" and unlock

5. Right click "Taskbar" again, hover over "Toolbars" and enable "Quick Launch" if it isn't already.

6. Using your mouse, expand the Quick Launch area to show all Icons.

7. Right click an area in the Quick Launch and hover over "View" and select "Large Icons"

8. Right click "Taskbar" again and select "Properties", click the "Taskbar Tab" and select all except "Auto-Hide The Taskbar"

9. Done.

To add an item/program, just right click the program and "Add To Quick Launch"

EDIT: This method also works for Windows XP and since XP does not have the "Add To Quick Launch" in the right click context you can easily add it to the "Quick Launch" by simply dragging the program Icon to the taskbar.

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