Computer Hardware and Software
Posts tagged Windows
Access Skydrive with Windows Explorer
Apr 24th
Some of you may have noticed that I now prefer using Skydrive service from Microsoft if I want to share files. This free Service lets you use 25 GB of online space for free for storing anything you want for your personal use. You can use this to store your files and can be accessed anywhere anytime using your Windows live sign in username and password adding a considerable amount of security.
Normally You need a Browser to access it using a internet enabled system. Sometime this is not a great way to access your files. Skydrive Explorer is such a tool which can let you access 25 GB Skydrive with Windows Explorer without opening any browser.
SkyDrive Explorer is a free, easy-to-use, but very powerful extension for Windows Explorer. With SkyDrive Explorer you can make any every-day operations with your documents from Microsoft Live SkyDrive™ service (read more..) using Windows Explorer, as if they were on your computer.
Features:
- View the structure and contents of folders in SkyDrive™;
- View files information (type, size, creation date in GMT format);
- Create new root folders and subfolders;
- Copy files into the storage;
- Delete files and folders;
- Copy files from the storage to the computer;
- Copy folders and subfolders from the storage to the computer keeping their structure;
- Use Drag & Drop for files operations;
- Rename files and folders;
- Create links to SkyDrive™ folders on your computer;
- Copy URL of the selected object(s) to the Clipboard;
- Automatic check for the latest version;
- Bidirectional languages support;
- Selection of your preferred interface language;
Give it a try even if you are using other products like Microsoft Live Mesh or from other companies.
PS: The Free version of Skydrive Explorer should be fine for everyone. For rare cases where you would need the paid version, just use the Skydrive Website instead 
Windows 7 vs. Ubuntu 9.04 EyeCandy
Mar 2nd
I just found this nice video in Youtube:
You think thats impressive? Me too Looks cool – but do you really need all this eyecandy stuff? I like Windows 7 because it is just the right amount of visual cool looking stuff so you are able to work as efficient as possible. But this varies between each person.
PS: I have UBUNTU 9.10 as second multiboot system and it is really helpfull to impress other people 
Peeking into Windows’s virtual store
Feb 22nd
In the user data area in Windows Vista, Server 2008 and Seven there is a folder called “VirtualStore” which you can find in C:\Users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Local\ .
It is worth having a peek now and again. Here’s part of mine:
image showing my VirtualStore folder
But what exactly is that folder for?
The Virtual Store is a feature of User Account Control, the centerpiece of Windows’ new enhanced security. Read the rest of this entry »
SuperFetch – What is this?
Feb 22nd
SuperFetch is a technology in Windows NT 6.0 (Vista) and onwards that is often misunderstood. I decided to delve into this technology to see what it is all about, and to dispel some of the myths surrounding this feature.
Very succinctly put, SuperFetch is a technology which allows Windows to manage the amount of random access memory in the machine it runs on more efficiently. SuperFetch is part of Windows’ memory manager; a less capable version, called PreFetcher, is included in Windows XP. SuperFetch tries to make sure often-accessed data can be read from the fast RAM instead of the slow hard drive.
SuperFetch’ goals:
SuperFetch has two goals: it decreases boot time, and makes sure applications that you use the most load more efficiently. SuperFetch also takes timing into account, in that it will adapt itself to your usage patterns.
Microsoft confirms rootkit cause of Windows XP blue screen of death
Feb 20th
Microsoft has confirmed that a rootkit is responsible for the blue screen problems currently occurring with Windows XP following a recent update intended to fix a 17-year old security vulnerability in the virtual DOS machine. According to a post on Microsoft’s Security Response Center blog, all of the affected systems were infected with the Alureon rootkit.
The company says that the rootkit made several modifications to the system’s behaviour, which caused the systems to become unstable. It also determined that 64-bit systems are not affected. Apparently, however, not all 32-bit systems with the Alureon rootkit were affected: the “chain of events” relating to when the machine was infected and when the update was installed played a role. Microsoft went on to say that it had “not found quality issues with security update MS10-015″. Only a few days ago, based on its own analysis, Symantec had suspected that a rootkit was responsible for the blue screen of death (BSOD) issues.
TweetMyPC version 3 released!
Feb 16th
About
TweetMyPC is a little software-application for Windows, written in VB.Net using the .Net-Framework v3.0, which allows you to control and access your computer from anywhere by simply sending a twitter-message with a special command as its content.
Why twitter?
Most time when you want to connect two personal computers you need a Read the rest of this entry »
Windows 7 in 7 Minutes
Feb 15th
You are a developer and you write /are going to write Software for Windows Seven?
If you can answer both Questions with yes, then take a look at these short but verry informative videos at: http://www.msdev.com/Directory/SeriesDescription.aspx?CourseId=151
Windows 7 in 7 Minutes!Get to know Windows 7, 7 minutes at a time! In this series of short, code-focused videos you’ll see how to take advantage of the great new [Business Decision Maker, Technical Decision Maker, Developer] features in Windows 7. Each video is under seven minutes long, so you can check out a new video in less time than it takes to check your mail or grab your morning cup of coffee!
Environment Variables in Windows NT
Feb 6th
Environment variables are specially named aliases or placeholders for certain basic system properties that are present for convenience in programming and in system administration. Although they are mostly of interest to technical people, some can be useful to the average PC user and these are discussed here.
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Environment variables have long been used in computer operating systems and are present in Unix, DOS, and Windows The word “environment” used in the context here refers to various features of the computer system and certain basic system data. Here is one of Microsoft’s definitions:
Environment variables are strings that contain information such as drive, path, or file name. They control the behavior of various programs. For example, the TEMP environment variable specifies the location in which programs place temporary files.
Q. What is Windows 7 XP mode?
Feb 5th
A. Windows XP Mode is available in the Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions of Windows 7. It is essentially two things: the new version of Virtual PC, called Windows Virtual PC, and a Windows XP Professional SP3 virtual machine (VM) configured with Windows Firewall and automatic updates enabled. XP Mode could be preinstalled on new computers if OEMs choose to install it, and the mode will also be available as a download from Microsoft.
Windows 7 hides the XP VM from the desktop user. Applications that will only run on Windows XP are executed within the VM, but the application window is displayed on the Windows 7 desktop, offering the end user a seamless experience. Applications installed on the VM will also be displayed in the Windows 7 Start menu and can be pinned to the Task Bar. Redirection of user data folders is performed with XP Mode, so when a user accesses an application running in XP Mode they still see their normal document folders.
XP Mode is essentially just running a VM on Windows 7 with seamless application execution. Organizations that use this technology will probably also want to integrate with Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V), which is part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), to get better management of the Windows XP image.
To enable the Windows XP Mode, your processor must support virtualization (it must have AMD-V or Intel VT) and virtualization must be enabled in the BIOS.
The inclusion of XP Mode will allow organizations to adopt Windows 7, even with applications that don’t run on Windows 7, by running the applications in the VM. Long-term applications should still be updated to run natively on Windows 7, however, to allow the VM to be retired. Running applications natively provides better performance and less management overhead than the maintenance required on the Windows XP image.
Newsletter: Springboard Series Insider: Volume 2, No. 2
Feb 3rd
Yesterday I signed up to many Microsoft Newsletters and today I received this really interesting and helpfull one called Springboard Series Insiders. If you are a System Administrator / Developer or just interested in Microsoft technologies, then you should sign up to this newsletter now at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/default.aspx?ITPID=insider .
But here now the newsletter: Read the rest of this entry »