Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool
Posted by kglee | Filed under Software Fixes
Windows 7 USB Download Tool Lets You Install Windows from a Thumb Drive
If you’re trying to install Windows 7 on a netbook (or are having issues with your PC’s optical drive), the free USB Download Tool from Microsoft allows you to take a .ISO image and turn it into a bootable flash drive.
This was created not only for netbook users, but for anyone that opted to download Windows 7 from Microsoft in lieu of ordering an installation DVD. Windows 7 USB Download Tool can create a bootable flash drive (or DVD, if you prefer) from the downloaded .ISO file in quick fashion—just install it and follow the on-screen prompts. Note that if you opt to use a flash drive, it must be 4GB or larger to hold all the files.
The coolest part: Microsoft has open sourced this little app. Why, you ask? They got a bit of flak early on in the project for re-using open-source code and improperly documenting it (as well as making the program itself closed source), but true to their word that it was only a mistake, it’s been brought back and declared open source for all to use. So if you still haven’t gotten Windows 7 installed on that netbook of yours, head on over to CodePlex, Microsoft’s open-source repository, and download the tool now.
There was a bit of a furore over Microsoft’s ‘Windows 7 Netbook Installation tool’ back in November because they broke the cardinal rule this decade of software development: they used open-source code and didn’t declare it. Even worse, they modified open-source code and locked it up in proprietary, closed-source software. FOR SHAME!
But it’s OK: it was just a mistake, an honest mistake. They didn’t mean to include the open-source code fragments. So they pulled the software from their site and said it would be back in a little while, properly documented, and open-sourced. Well, it’s been a month and it’s finally back! It’s also now hosted on CodePlex, Microsoft’s open-source repository — cool.
If you weren’t aware such a tool existed, it creates bootable USB sticks from .ISO (CD or DVD) images, ideal for installing Windows 7 on a netbook or any other device without an optical drive. If you need more info – perhaps if you want to rejuvenate a tired old netbook for a grandparent this Christmas
How To Reset Your Password on Windows with the Help of a CD/DVD or USB Flash Drive
Posted by kglee | Filed under Software Fixes
Many times we face this problem when we forget or lost Windows password or somebody had changed the password of our system. In such a situation either we have to install windows again or find a solution to reset the password so that we can log into Windows easily. In this post, I will show you how you can reset the password on Windows easily with the help of your Flash Drive without reformatting or reinstalling your system.. In this post I will use a Flash Drive of 2 GB. Below are the steps to reset Windows password using bootable USB Flash Drive.
Step1. Download a free demo version of Windows Password Key 8.0
http://www.lostwindowspassword.com/downloads/Windows_Password_Key_Demo.exe
Step2. Run the downloaded file to install Windows Password Key 8.0.
You can install Windows Password Key 8.0 on any PC you have access to.
Step3.Windows Start menu – From your Microsoft Windows Start Programs menu, select Windows Password Key | Windows Password Key 8.0.exe. . Windows Password Key 8.0 will be launched automatically.
Step4. Create a bootable USB Flash Drive
4.1 You can click “Browse” to browse Windows Password Key 8.0 image file. The file is usually located as the default.
Undocumented Method for a Clean Install of Windows 7 with Upgrade Media
Posted by kglee | Filed under Software Fixes
To perform a clean install of Windows 7 with Upgrade media, you need to install
Windows 7 once using the Upgrade Setup disk, but without entering your product
key during Setup. Then, once you’ve loaded the Windows 7 desktop for the
first time, you can run Setup again from within Windows 7 and choose Upgrade
(even though you’ll be “upgrading” to the exact same version of Windows 7).
Allow Setup to complete a second time, and then you’re good to go: you can
enter your product key after the second Setup routine is completed and activate
Windows 7 successfully.
Here are the complete instructions:
Step 1: Install Windows 7
Boot your PC with the Windows 7 Upgrade DVD. After the preliminary loading
screen, install Windows 7 normally. When you are prompted to enter your product
key, leave the product key field blank, deselect the option titled “Automatically
activate Windows when I’m online,” and then continue.
Setup will install Windows Once Windows 7 is successfully installed and you are logged on, you’ll be presented with your new Windows 7 desktop. Don’t get too comfortable, however, as you’re
about to do it all again.
Step 2: Upgrade from Windows 7…to Windows 7
If you try to activate Windows now, it will fail because you’ve performed a clean
install of Windows 7 and you have only an Upgrade product key. That means you
have 30 days during which you can run this non-activated version of Windows 7.
But why wait 30 days?
According to Microsoft, Upgrade versions of Windows 7 support upgrading
from “a compliant version of Windows, such as Windows 7, Windows Vista, or
Windows XP.” Well, you just installed Windows 7, so why not just upgrade from
that install? That’s right: you’re going to upgrade the non-activated clean install
you just performed, which will provide you with a version of the OS that you
can, in fact, activate. (more…)
Clean Install Windows 7 With Upgrade Media
Posted by kglee | Filed under Software Fixes
Clean Install Windows 7 With Upgrade Media and Product Key on Formatted or Empty Blank Hard Drive
Clean Install and Activate Windows 7 with MediaBootInstall Registry Hack
Boot from dvd, install windows 7 without entering serial key.
1. After booting up, ensure that no Windows Updates pending task which requires a system reboot to finish installing.
Tip: Normally, an orange-colored shield icon will be displayed next to Shutdown button in the Start Menu Power Button or at notification tray area if a restart is required.
If reboot is required, restart the computer to allow any pending updates is installed.
2. Run Registry Editor (RegEdit).
3. Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\OOBE
4. In the right pane, change the value data for MediaBootInstall from 1 to 0.
MediaBootInstall Registry
Alternatively, just download and execute MediaBootInstall.reg to merge the value into registry.
5. Open an elevated command prompt as administrator.
6. Run the command below to reset Windows 7 activation status:
slmgr -rearm
Rearm Windows
7. Reboot the computer.
8. Run the Activate Windows utility (accessible from bottom section of Control Panel -> System and Security -> System, or type Activate Windows into Start Search), type in the upgrade product key and activate Windows.
Rand-O-Rama: The Long Shelf Life of Ayn Rand’s Legacy
Posted by kglee | Filed under Cool Videos
Not too much about computers, but very interesting!
Windows 7 Tweaks
Posted by kglee | Filed under Software Fixes
How to modify UAC
Start › user accounts › change user account control settings › adjust slider
How to disable Page File (Warning: Do Not Do this unless you have A LOT of memory)
Start › system › Advanced system settings › Performance › Settings › Advance › Virtual memory › Change › No paging file › Set › OK
How to disable Hibernation
Start › cmd › type: powercfg -h off › Enter
How to disable System Restore
Start › System › System protection › Configure
How to turn off Search Indexing
a) Start › services › windows search › disable
b) Start › computer › right click c drive › properties › untick: Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties
c) Start › Indexing options › modify › show all locations › double click users in summary of selected locations › uncheck users directory › double click start menu in the summary of selected locations › uncheck start menu directory › ok
How to turn off Remote Differential Compression
Start › Control panel › programs › turn windows features on or off › uncheck Remote Differential Compression › ok
This makes file transfers (copy, move) faster by turnig off “Remote Differential Compression” (RDC). Copying a 1.91 GB folder from the main HDD to a folder on an external USB drive resulting in …
With RDC turned on: 3:23 – three minutes and 23 seconds (with a stopwatch).
With RDC turned off: 2:25 – two minutes and 25 seconds. (more…)
I baked my video card in the oven, It fixed it
Posted by kglee | Filed under Hardware
Last week I was working on a laptop that has a discreet video card. I ran a diagnostic test that made me think the computer was working with the exception of the video part.
I read an article I found on Reddit about putting the card in an oven to reflow all the microscopic solder joints to give back the connectivity.
There was nothing to lose as the card was bad.
After the cooling I put the card back in the laptop and it fired right up to my amazement.
Great BIOS Guide
Posted by kglee | Filed under Hardware
I found this guide on Maximum PC. All I did was take the article and make it a downloadable PDF file.
Ultimate BIOS Guide
Power users routinely punch into the BIOS in order to fine tune their system, but it can be an intimidating place never before burrowed beneath the surface. And just like in real life, poking around in unknown places can be don’t know what you’re doing or where you’re going. On the other hand, once you understand the inner workings center, a whole world of overclocking and troubleshooting suddenly opens up. But what exactly is the BIOS?