I appreciate that you want to be helpful and I don't want to drag this out but your reference to RT is puzzles me. Also. I have no problem starting from either the Desktop or the Start screen. Maybe you could send me an email?
My face is red. I goofed big time and left out a crucial point. You can't enter HTML into a Gmail message directly but have to copy and paste from a browser or HTML editor. I will correct the tip. Thanks, Mike, for waking me up. Firefox should work then.
The only place I know of that routinely and systematically reports on the updates to avoid is in the paid version of a well-known newsletter. Maybe some of our members know of a free one.
However, there are numerous forums and blogs where problems with updates are often reported. This is not done in a systematic way but here are some suggestions:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-ushttp://www.infoworld.com/blogs/infoworld-tech-watchhttp://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/
There are many others and readers may have other suggestions.
The list was not specifically directed at Windows 7. It is based on popularity as measured by number of reads. Windows 7 is considerably more popular than Windows 8. If you are interested in Windows 8 tips, you can find plenty of them by looking at past Tech Tips or doing a site search.
File Meta enables a capability for certain metatags already built into Windows. You cannot create new ones with it. However, there are several useful editable fields that will be added to context menu. One is called "Comments" and gives you plenty of flexibility. Other useful ones are "Tags", "Subject", "Categories".
Hope that answered your question.
Since I don't know how you "lost" the program, I can't comment on what happened to your settings. As far as I can see, the program does not provide a way to export settings. Wish I could be more helpful but offhand I don't know where the program stores settings. A quick search of the Registry didn't reveal anything obvious.
Malwarebytes on my system says the program is clean. Winaero is a well-known site. VirusTotal does raise one flag out of 54 scans but these false positives happen. Naturally, if you are uneasy about the program, you should skip it.
Offhand, I don't know of conflicts with other add-ons but it is always possible. I have tried it on FF with Ghostery, ABP, and No Script all running without noticing any conflicts. On Chrome, I have it and ABP running together.
On another subject, there are comments at Mozilla that say Privacy Badger breaks Reddit. I haven't personally looked into this.
Privacy Badger is labeled "beta" so problems are always possible.
A number of the sites given in the article's list have threads for Linux and Macs. Just as one example, Tom's Hardware has a forum, "Linux/Free BSD", with over 33 thousand posts.
Unless you are familiar with drivers, you should probably leave them alone. Drivers have many functions and should be uninstalled only by someone who is knowledgeable about its specific purposes.
The yellow icon on a driver in the list created by this utility does not mean the driver should be uninstalled.
Added: Here is a little discussion about "kernel mode" http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff554836%28v=vs...
The extension was originally written for Chrome and only later offered for Firefox. The FF version is still labeled beta and is not yet offered at the Mozilla repository. I have the impression that the FF version may not yet be as good at blocking as the Chrome version. I am using the extension mostly on Chrome so don't have much experience with it on FF. Thanks for relating your experience using it on FF. Anyone else have experience on FF where ads get through?
Download the vlc-2.2.0-win64.exe file and run it. It should install as an update to your existing version of VLC. However, some people prefer in general to first uninstall older versions before installing a new one and that is another option. In any event, back up your system first before installing any new software.
Thanks for your interesting comments, johnvk.
I am a molecular spectroscopist, not a computer professional, so my computer science friends may need to correct me but here is my understanding of hard links. Hard links are just addresses in the underlying file structure system so mentioning which folder actually contains a file is probably not what I should have referred to. Both folders C:\Windows\system32 and WinSxS can have a reference to the same file. There may be only one collection on the disk of bits called the file but it will be listed by File Explorer as being present in both folders.
I understood you to be trying the Dism method. Sorry, if I misunderstood. The method for Windows 7 uses Disk Cleanup and if that is not working for you, more information about what is happening might help. Please post your problem in the forum where help with individual problems can be given.
It has been announced that there is no Windows Media Center for Windows 10. I don't know exactly how an existing system with Windows Media Center will be upgraded. Anyone else know?
As far as I understand it, Windows 8.1 with Bing is basically the same as other 8.1 systems. Microsoft says larger tablets (8" and up) will get the free Windows 10 upgrade. If you have an ARM processor I don't know where that leaves you.What OEMs will offer is unknown. At this time, much is still up in the air.
A lot of things already changed with Windows 8/8.1. Features were added, features were dropped. Windows 10 has more changes and is still in development. If there is a particular feature you are interested in, try asking about it from someone who is running a trial copy or ask at our forum http://www.techsupportalert.com/freeware-forum/system/14857-free-upgrade-to-windows-10-a.html
I don't know if the Windows 10 upgrade will have Bing as the default search. It wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft made it the default in all upgrades but I don't know.
This link(http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_8-windows_install/regarding-windows-8-sl-64-bit-os/6a7c460a-1031-43b9-b0b0-36417495b8e9) has some information about Windows 8 SL. You will need Windows 8.1 to upgrade to Windows 10.
Joe, I tried the test in both Windows 7 64-bit and Windows 8.1 64-bit. Both said my FF 38.0.1 was unsafe. I also have add-ons and had to disable NoScript since the test uses JavaScript.
Joe, I don't know if if an add-on is interfering with the test or may actually be protecting you. Maybe somebody who knows more can tell us. As for the settings in about:config, I am not sure exactly what they do but it seems reasonable to change them. If the change causes trouble, they can be reset.
You have to either enter the command with the full path for the file Coreinfo.exe or run it in a command window referenced to the same folder that contains Coreinfo.exe. See this article - http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/how-open-windows-command-prompt-any-folder.htm.
As the article says, the UEFI and secure boot requirement is applicable only to new systems and upgrades can be applied to existing systems that use the older BIOS instead of UEFI
A typical upgrade has the option for a clean install or for retaining personal files. I do not personally know what happens to a dual boot system but this link says Windows 10 upgrade keeps the Linux partition but removes grub.
BTW check this link for some old Windows features that get removed when you upgrade.
Still, the lack of clarity about many questions related to Windows 10 at this late date is disturbing, although not rare for Microsoft. At times the company seems entirely unable to come clean about its policies.
Computerworld, for example, installed the 10130 build from a disk image onto a new VM on a Mac -- not as an upgrade from one equipped with Windows 7 or 8.1 -- and although it was marked as "Windows is activated," that may not last.
Personally, I would not upgrade immediately. There is no rush. When Windows RTM comes out at the end of July, I suspect it will still have bugs. Let the dust settle for a couple of months and see what people are experiencing.
If you are happy enough with Windows 7, you might even want to wait until it is time for you to buy a new computer. Then you can get Windows 10 already installed. Upgrades can be a hassle.
The article is clear that removing or keeping Flash is up to the individual user. It says, "It is time to assess whether you should keep it." If you need it, that's your choice. It's clear that systems without Flash are more secure and the article gives ways to uninstall Flash for those PC owners who decide that they do not need Flash. If you want to keep Flash, that's your decision.
Several of the comments ask questions about HTML5. HTML5 is the current standard markup language for web sites. Among other improvements, it contains support for multimedia. All modern browsers support it although Internet Explorer is not fully compliant. That means, for example, that video can be displayed seamlessly on web pages without any need for plug-ins or special APIs. The browser does the work of display. The PC user does not have to install anything extra. Many sites, including YouTube, are using HTML5. For more information, there is a Wikipedia article here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML5
Usage patterns vary. I know many people who almost never need Flash. Your figure of 60% Flash reflects your particular interests. Also, anyone who uses mobile platforms will see far less Flash. Almost any web site that is designed these days is using HTML5. It is the current standard.
If you need to use sites with Flash, then you might want to use a browser that has a plug-in or extension that lets you selectively enable and disable Flash. For example, NoScript for Firefox will let you block Flash except for the specific sites you want to use. There are also a number of general security suggestions in this article that are worth looking at. Also, be sure to update your Flash player every time Adobe releases another security patch.
Added later: Flashblock is another Firefox add-on.
As I understand it, you don't have to install the upgrade as soon as it is downloaded to your system but can install later. Others are asking similar questions and some answers are at this Microsoft site.
I haven't actually done it but I think you should be able to go back to Windows 7 with your system image. You probably have to do it with a bootable USB key or DVD since I suspect the image won't work directly from Windows 10 but I could be wrong. Be sure your PC will recognize whatever medium you are using. Another thing I don't know is how activation will work when you try to downgrade after the 30-day period. Your Windows 7 license is converted to a Windows 10 license when you upgrade. Microsoft licensing is always murky so it is conceivable that you might have to do a telephone activation.
You are right, Joe. This tool is of limited use but I thought it should be pointed out. Microsoft needs to come up with something better. Although (as you pointed out in the forum) those who have the Pro version of Windows 10 can use the Group Policy Editor to block updates, owners of the home version are up the creek if Microsoft botches an update.
Rob, I confess I am puzzled by your request. I have recently written a number of tips about Windows 10. They cover a variety of topics and also include a list of articles to get more information.
What is the source of your "understanding"? Do you work for Microsoft? Could you please document the exact purpose of the updates? Can you tell us what the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) actually does? How does the "experience' of a customer get "improved"? Wouldn't monitoring what the customer does be necessary in order to "improve" their experience? Labeling concerns as FUD without explanation is not helpful. Instead you could do the PC community a service by making it clear for average users what these updates are for. And no - vague terms like CEIP are not an explanation.
The upgrade is certainly optional. As the title says, this article applies only to those who reserved a copy of Windows 10 back in earlier days. If you reserved a copy, Microsoft assumes you want it. If you didn't specifically reserve a copy, you may be nagged to upgrade but nothing will be downloaded unless you agree to it.
Well. it seems I was wrong to assume that Microsoft would not download Windows 10 unless you indicated you want it. It has been reported that anyone who gets Windows updates automatically may get Windows 10 downloaded to their system whether they asked for it or not. It doesn't get installed but it takes up a lot of space.
I should have mentioned that not everybody installed the Windows updates that created the service. They seem to have been KB 3075249, KB 3080149, and KB 3068708. You may have avoided them. Thanks for reminding me that not everybody will have the service.
The build shown here is the stable build that everyone on the regular track has. If you are an insider you got build 10565 today. It does have a somewhat different start menu.
The home page for the program says, "Spybot Anti-Beacon comes in two flavours; as a standard installation or as a Portable Edition compatible with PortableApps." Can you give us a link to the stand-alone version 1.5?
Added later: OK, someone has pointed out the section on the home page called "Safer-Networking Download Section", which I overlooked.
I changed internet service recently..Now I have 512 kbps connection.
My previous connection was 256 kbps. and in torrent it used to give down speed of 60 kbps.
However for new connection I am not even getting down speed of 60 kbps.. :(
Is it a problem of my connection or do I need to delete cookies or something. If that is the case does anyone know how to do that?
I always make sure that seeds to peer ratio is high..
on speedtest.net download speed is . 0.51 Mbps upload speed is 0.21 Mbps.
Can anyone help?
The last time upgraded my connection from 128kbps to 256kbps my torrent speed incresed from 30kbps to 60kbps.
Downloaded the Comodo software but the website is degenerate. You cannot create a User Account - just loops back to the Sign In Page... contacting Comodo is also difficult and when you do they just say there nothing we can do?
I Changed the color as indicated on both
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Colors.
But every time I hibernate the PC (Win 8.1) the windows go back to white background, only the log-off log-on actually works.
I tried changing the color even in all the HKEY_USERS but nothing changed.
Any idea?
I did find a way to keep the colors, have no image at all as desktop background, pretty soon we'll go back to dos, sure pc would be faster.
Thanks Microsoft..
No, again every windows goes back to white after a screen lock or PC hibernate, only the logon gets the wanted color.
Any idea how to make the system reconsider the colors in the registry without having to close every program and logoff?
Like many on here I used teh free version of LogMeIn for many years and now find myself looking for another provider. Can anyone make a suitable recommendation please? My requirements are:
1 Simple remote access of my home pc, from my laptop and/or ipad when I'm away from home
2 Unattended access of my home pc
3 Just need simple access to my documents etc on my home pc. Don't need options to print to local printer, file share etc
4 Speed and smooth operation is important. I don't want to wait several seconds for a responce after clicking mouse
5 Free
6 Easy set up
There seems to be so much on the market and as I'm not the most IT literate, any help would be appreciated.
Your "download" button for Comodo is actually the link to Avira.
Also, there's a separate page for Linux antivirus. https://www.comodo.com/home/internet-security/antivirus-for-linux.php
I'm not so sure there's really any point because Linux is so virus-resistant anyhow. But it's good to see Tux getting some love.
If you need to file a state tax e.g., New York, TaxAct's "free" suddenly jumps to $18 because you need the "Ultimate" bundle, fees, addons, yadda yadda.
I tried Quanta Plus; I'm sure it's very powerful but it sure isn't user friendly.
So I've gone back to SeaMonkey. It doesn't look like it's changed in ten years. Whether that's good or bad you decide. It makes better code than LibreOffice.
I still think OcenAudio beats Audacity, most of the time. Better set of tools, and smaller download. I just installed the latest version on LinuxMint, piece of cake.
I just did this with a cassette tape of our choir. I connected my cassette player into the line in of my pc, and recorded it to one file (didn't need to babysit it, just let it run). I opened the file and by zooming in I can see where songs begin and end. I highlight what looks to be one song with the mouse and copy and paste that one song (and a little extra) to a new file. I trim it to just the right length, apply any filters etc. then save as a mp3 and wav file (for CD).
I used OcenAudio on LinuxMint, but Audacity should work the same way.
I have a bunch of old PZM mics, and they pick up everything. Their main claim is they don't pick up reflections from nearby floors or table tops, so there is no strange comb-filtering effect that puts nulls in your frequency response. (That Media College blurb misstates this effect as "reverberation", which is way different.)
What you want to reduce extraneous sound is a directional mic. Cardioid is usually the best you can get in a cheap mic, but unidirectional ones have tighter patterns. A paraboloid reflector is better yet, for faraway sounds (think bird calls). But usually you will get the best sound by putting your mic as close to the source as possible. Use a clip-on mic or headset-mounted.
KDirStat is the program that WinDirStat was cloned from. And, naturally, you don't have to worry about trojans in that.
Baobab is a Gnome app that comes with some distros, like Mint. It's also called "Disk Usage Analyzer". After searching around Gismo's in vain, I discovered I already had it.
You have to watch where you get software when you run Windows. Get it right from the Gramps Project, not a "freeware site". And antivirus programs have a lot of false positives.
I run Linux, and usually get apps right from the distro repositories so I know they're clean.
Gramps is probably the only open source genealogy program, so deserves support. It runs great in openSUSE (KDE based) and Mint (Debian/Ubuntu/Gnome3 based). No fooling around with Wine or VM.
Gramps is up to version 4.1.1. I found some bugs in ver.3 and I see they've been fixed.It's in the repositories of openSUSE and Ubuntu so install is quick & EZ in Linux.
This is a list of the most recently posted comments on the site sorted so that the most recent comments appear first.
You can however sort the list on Article title by clicking on the column heading. To see actual comments click the + sign.
This link has a variety of GMail tips.
I have seen no information on this. If anyone knows more, please let us know.
Update: According to this link, prices will be 119.99 for Windows 10 Home, $199.99 for Windows 10 Pro
This article has more news about phone updates- http://www.pcworld.com/article/2923085/microsoft-will-bypass-carriers-pu...
A typical upgrade has the option for a clean install or for retaining personal files. I do not personally know what happens to a dual boot system but this link says Windows 10 upgrade keeps the Linux partition but removes grub.
BTW check this link for some old Windows features that get removed when you upgrade.
Nobody knows. Microsoft has not been clear. See this post
Perfmon reports for Windows 7 systems were described in a previous TSA article.
Yes, Microsoft added a low-power state to the shut down options in Windows 8.1. See this discussion: http://www.techsupportalert.com/freeware-forum/system/12944-method-of-sh...
In this post, Greg Keizer comments:
There was an article about this program a few months ago: http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/microsoft-image-composite-editor.html
Several of the comments ask questions about HTML5. HTML5 is the current standard markup language for web sites. Among other improvements, it contains support for multimedia. All modern browsers support it although Internet Explorer is not fully compliant. That means, for example, that video can be displayed seamlessly on web pages without any need for plug-ins or special APIs. The browser does the work of display. The PC user does not have to install anything extra. Many sites, including YouTube, are using HTML5. For more information, there is a Wikipedia article here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML5
If you need to use sites with Flash, then you might want to use a browser that has a plug-in or extension that lets you selectively enable and disable Flash. For example, NoScript for Firefox will let you block Flash except for the specific sites you want to use. There are also a number of general security suggestions in this article that are worth looking at. Also, be sure to update your Flash player every time Adobe releases another security patch.
Added later: Flashblock is another Firefox add-on.
As I understand it, you don't have to install the upgrade as soon as it is downloaded to your system but can install later. Others are asking similar questions and some answers are at this Microsoft site.
You are right, Joe. This tool is of limited use but I thought it should be pointed out. Microsoft needs to come up with something better. Although (as you pointed out in the forum) those who have the Pro version of Windows 10 can use the Group Policy Editor to block updates, owners of the home version are up the creek if Microsoft botches an update.
Rob, I confess I am puzzled by your request. I have recently written a number of tips about Windows 10. They cover a variety of topics and also include a list of articles to get more information.
Well. it seems I was wrong to assume that Microsoft would not download Windows 10 unless you indicated you want it. It has been reported that anyone who gets Windows updates automatically may get Windows 10 downloaded to their system whether they asked for it or not. It doesn't get installed but it takes up a lot of space.
The home page for the program says, "Spybot Anti-Beacon comes in two flavours; as a standard installation or as a Portable Edition compatible with PortableApps." Can you give us a link to the stand-alone version 1.5?
Added later: OK, someone has pointed out the section on the home page called "Safer-Networking Download Section", which I overlooked.
I changed internet service recently..Now I have 512 kbps connection.
My previous connection was 256 kbps. and in torrent it used to give down speed of 60 kbps.
However for new connection I am not even getting down speed of 60 kbps.. :(
Is it a problem of my connection or do I need to delete cookies or something. If that is the case does anyone know how to do that?
I always make sure that seeds to peer ratio is high..
on speedtest.net download speed is . 0.51 Mbps upload speed is 0.21 Mbps.
Can anyone help?
The last time upgraded my connection from 128kbps to 256kbps my torrent speed incresed from 30kbps to 60kbps.
Downloaded the Comodo software but the website is degenerate. You cannot create a User Account - just loops back to the Sign In Page... contacting Comodo is also difficult and when you do they just say there nothing we can do?
Does not deserve 5 stars!
I Changed the color as indicated on both
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Colors.
But every time I hibernate the PC (Win 8.1) the windows go back to white background, only the log-off log-on actually works.
I tried changing the color even in all the HKEY_USERS but nothing changed.
Any idea?
I did find a way to keep the colors, have no image at all as desktop background, pretty soon we'll go back to dos, sure pc would be faster.
Thanks Microsoft..
No, again every windows goes back to white after a screen lock or PC hibernate, only the logon gets the wanted color.
Any idea how to make the system reconsider the colors in the registry without having to close every program and logoff?
Do they know what the W10 will cost after the year has come and gone?
http://onevidtube.com/ is great one that support maximum size of 2 GB
Like many on here I used teh free version of LogMeIn for many years and now find myself looking for another provider. Can anyone make a suitable recommendation please? My requirements are:
1 Simple remote access of my home pc, from my laptop and/or ipad when I'm away from home
2 Unattended access of my home pc
3 Just need simple access to my documents etc on my home pc. Don't need options to print to local printer, file share etc
4 Speed and smooth operation is important. I don't want to wait several seconds for a responce after clicking mouse
5 Free
6 Easy set up
There seems to be so much on the market and as I'm not the most IT literate, any help would be appreciated.
Your "download" button for Comodo is actually the link to Avira.
Also, there's a separate page for Linux antivirus. https://www.comodo.com/home/internet-security/antivirus-for-linux.php
I'm not so sure there's really any point because Linux is so virus-resistant anyhow. But it's good to see Tux getting some love.
If you need to file a state tax e.g., New York, TaxAct's "free" suddenly jumps to $18 because you need the "Ultimate" bundle, fees, addons, yadda yadda.
I tried Quanta Plus; I'm sure it's very powerful but it sure isn't user friendly.
So I've gone back to SeaMonkey. It doesn't look like it's changed in ten years. Whether that's good or bad you decide. It makes better code than LibreOffice.
I still think OcenAudio beats Audacity, most of the time. Better set of tools, and smaller download. I just installed the latest version on LinuxMint, piece of cake.
I just did this with a cassette tape of our choir. I connected my cassette player into the line in of my pc, and recorded it to one file (didn't need to babysit it, just let it run). I opened the file and by zooming in I can see where songs begin and end. I highlight what looks to be one song with the mouse and copy and paste that one song (and a little extra) to a new file. I trim it to just the right length, apply any filters etc. then save as a mp3 and wav file (for CD).
I used OcenAudio on LinuxMint, but Audacity should work the same way.
I have a bunch of old PZM mics, and they pick up everything. Their main claim is they don't pick up reflections from nearby floors or table tops, so there is no strange comb-filtering effect that puts nulls in your frequency response. (That Media College blurb misstates this effect as "reverberation", which is way different.)
What you want to reduce extraneous sound is a directional mic. Cardioid is usually the best you can get in a cheap mic, but unidirectional ones have tighter patterns. A paraboloid reflector is better yet, for faraway sounds (think bird calls). But usually you will get the best sound by putting your mic as close to the source as possible. Use a clip-on mic or headset-mounted.
The free version of DaVinci doesn't run on Linux.
You forgot the Linux versions!
KDirStat is the program that WinDirStat was cloned from. And, naturally, you don't have to worry about trojans in that.
Baobab is a Gnome app that comes with some distros, like Mint. It's also called "Disk Usage Analyzer". After searching around Gismo's in vain, I discovered I already had it.
You have to watch where you get software when you run Windows. Get it right from the Gramps Project, not a "freeware site". And antivirus programs have a lot of false positives.
I run Linux, and usually get apps right from the distro repositories so I know they're clean.
Gramps is probably the only open source genealogy program, so deserves support. It runs great in openSUSE (KDE based) and Mint (Debian/Ubuntu/Gnome3 based). No fooling around with Wine or VM.
Gramps is up to version 4.1.1. I found some bugs in ver.3 and I see they've been fixed.It's in the repositories of openSUSE and Ubuntu so install is quick & EZ in Linux.
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