Did you see Windows 10?

 

Ok, I subscribed Insider Program (https://insider.windows.com/) and downloaded my beautiful  Tecnical Preview of Windows 10 64 bit.

Let's try it inside a Virtual Machine!

How to obtain MD5 hash

Do you need to obtain the MD5 of a file?
Use HashCheck!

It adds a "Create checksum file" voice in the contextual menu when your right-click a file.

Download:
http://code.kliu.org/hashcheck/downloads/HashCheckInstall-2.1.11.exe

More info:
http://code.kliu.org/hashcheck/

How to explore your HDD with WinDirStat

WinDirStat is a disk usage statistics viewer and cleanup tool and it's very usefull to search big files that fill your HDD.

There is a OSX version too!

Download:
http://windirstat.info/

Your next Windows 8 wallpaper

Windoge 8

Download:
http://n2.9cloud.us/160/piccit_windoge_8_x_post_from_rdoge_590249542.jpg

Beware of Cryptolocker !

Cryptolocker is a ransomware in evolution that crypt your personal files in your hard disks / removable disks, etc... and then offers you to pay a ransom to decrypt your files.

Yep, you can't access and use your data.


The crypt method is too hard to decrypt without the key, so the best way is DON'T GET CRYPTOLOCKER.

How? Pay attention to e-mail attachments and use common sense!

More info (there is a software to prevent the infection):
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/cryptolocker-ransomware-information

Speed up your Win8.1 on boot #2

Fast startup should be activated when you install Windows 8.1, but in the case it's turned OFF you can activated it on Control Panel.

Control Panel > Power Options > "Choose what the power bottons do" in the left panel and:

You can do this in Windows 8 too

With "Turn on fast startup" Windows uses the "Kernel Hibernation" to speed up boot times.

For more info:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/09/08/delivering-fast-boot-times-in-windows-8.aspx

Speed up your Win8.1 on boot

My PC is for personal use only and I don't need a password to login...
Write the password requires a few seconds and I want to spare those seconds...

WIN+R > netplwiz > Users tab > Uncheck "Users must enter a user name and password..."

Press "ENTER" to skip the LockScreen takes too much?

Download and run this to disable the LockScreen: http://ul.to/8hzj8dg2


Do you want to skip the Start Screen without other software?



Right click on your taskbar/properties/Navigation Tab and check "Go to the desktop instead of...":

Windows 8.1

New spot for Windows 8.1!
The Windows 8 free update will debut Oct. 18 with a lot of improvements and bufixes, and yes the Start button. (Only the button ;) )

Microsoft: comparative ads

Do you remember the old ads "Mac VS Pc"?

Microsoft is taking revenge with other new ads:

so...

Take a look here:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/compare#t1=microsoft-surface-rt

ImmersiveTaille v2, France says "We want a floating Start Screen"

With ImmersiveTaille (version 2) the new Start Screen of Windows 8 obtains new features:

•  you can put the Metro Start Screen (Modern Start Screen or what you call it) on your desktop
•  you can decide dimensions and position
•  you can have the taskbar in the fullscreen Start Screen

Free and useful:

ImmersiveTaille v2 | Free software downloads at SourceForge.net

Windows BLUE, what's on your wishlist?

What's on your wishlist for the next Windows update?

• better search (All, Apps, Settings, File)
• more personalization without mess with regedit (i.e.:filetype icons, start screen backgrounds, etc...)
• more out-of-the-box features
• better standard apps (and many apps don't have a interface in docked mode)
• better windows tiling (modernUI too), magnetic windows edges on desktop
• modernUI apps work everywhere (WP8, W8, W8RT)
• apps can run independently of Start Screen (i.e.: multi-monitor setup)
• rebuild of old dialogs (i.e.: mouse/screensaver settings dialogs are from 1995 or 1998 or 2001?)

Save and Restore desktop icon layout!

Playing old games with different resolutions sometimes messes up my desktop layout.
In my desktop I have MY icons disposition, such as games shortcuts on right, "temp" files in the bottom etc... and sometimes after a game session, when I return to the desktop, the icons are all mixed up or grouped to the left.

If you have this problem, download and install for your Windows version the tool Desktop Restore:

http://www.midiox.com/desktoprestore.htm

Save your layout with Save desktop command and restore it when something goes wrong!

This tool saves my arse!

GDIPP: change your font rendering in Windows

With this software you can change how Windows renders the fonts.

There are three ways to install this utility: service, registry and loader.

 I choose loader because it's the easy way for testing the difference drag'n'dropping the executable into the GDIPP shortcut.

Pay attention to installing this software, read what service, registry and loader will do in the installing process.

Download: gdipp - Customizable Windows text renderers - Google Project Hosting

Capturing screenshots was a problem...

I experienced some problem with Fraps in games like Grim Fandango: it's impossible to capture a screenshot.

So I downloaded this software, ShareX, the successor of Zscreen and put CTRL+PrintScreen to take screenshots.
With the only PrintScreen or Fn(eg: F11) nothing happened playing Grim Fandango, I suppose some "hotkey" problem, but now works like a charm.

ShareX saves and uploads images by default, so set your config.

http://code.google.com/p/sharex/

Windows: how to select different windows

If you have the same application with some instances, like Windows/File Explorer, and if you want to select one window there are many ways:

• put the mouse cursor on the taskbar icon and wait the thumbnail, then click the thumbnail
• CTRL + left click on the program icon (on the taskbar) to switch between windows

But there is another way 

• clicking the program icon to switch between windows

Like the CTRL + left click, but without pressing CTRL.

To do this (you must be admin or from the admin group, elevate Regedit with admin rights):

• open the Registry (WIN+R, write "regedit" without quotes and press Enter) 
• go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
• you have to create a new item inside Advanced
• Right click > new or Edit > New
• select DWORD (32-bit)
• write "LastActiveClick" as a value name
• write 1 as a value data
• OK
• the new value is inside Advanced, double-click to view (like the following picture)
• quit Regedit

[Nostalgia] Old classic games

http://www.classicdosgames.com/

http://www.classicdosgames.com/online.html

Some tools to customize Windows 8

Customize your Lock Screen:

http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/en-...8-3fb630bfba08


Desktop apps to customize your Start Screen:

http://vhanla.deviantart.com/

Windows 8 - What slows down your startup?

The new task manager is very useful (for beginners too) to check what do you have in the startup and what slows down your boot time.

In the task manager, in the Startup tab you can add some columns like status, startup impact, startup type (so you can check where the program is started), disk impact, ect...

To do this right-click a column label and choose the columns you want.

In this way you can check how the startup programs impact your system during the startup and then disable the useless ones.

Switcher

Ok, it's old but I discovered it yesterday... so...

It's a better ALT+TAB feature and it's customizable and useful!

I choose the "mouse in the corner" option to activate the switch.

Download it:
http://insentient.net/

Useful software for Windows 8: Start Screen Pinner

Now with this software you can pin what you want on your Start Screen!

So, in the Start Screen:

Try it:

http://winaero.com/download.php?view.36