2 ways to send anonymouse email

Do you want to send an email anonymously because, for example, you fear your views might not be appreciated by your boss? There are various web based anonymous email service providers available in the internet. From where you can send anonymous email. So am posting here some of the best sites which helps you to send anonymous email.

1. SendAnonymousEmail – Is a free service which allow you to send unlimitted anonymous email.

2. deadfake - a site that lets you send free fake emails to anyone you like. There’s no signup, no registration, no fuss. You can even send fake emails with rich text; fonts, colours, etc

Motorola DROID official coming November 6th

Motorola DROID official coming November 6th

Motorola and Verizon introduced the Droid Wednesday at a New York City press conference. The Droid phone is amazingly thin for a device with a slide-out keyboard. It is a half-inch thick, with a metal top and a brilliant 3.7-inch touch screen. In the hand, the Droid feels hefty, and it’s sliding keyboard mechanism is sturdy. Verizon just confirmed that the Moto Droid will arrive next week for $199 with a new, 2-year contract and $100 mail-in rebate. Customers will need a voice plan starting at $39 and a web and email plan for $29 per month.

Most of the smartphone’s features are now confirmed, including the 3.7 inch, 480 x 854 pixels capacitive touchscreen display, EV-DO Rev A connectivity, Wi-Fi, GPS, D1 video playback, stereo Bluetooth, 3.5mm headset jack, Flash 10 ready HTML browser, 5MP autofocus camera with dual-LED flash, 16GB of storage space, MicroSD card support, and 1400 mAh battery.

How to Upgrade Windows Vista to Windows 7

How to Upgrade Window Vista to Windows 7

Depending on your hardware and your current edition of Windows Vista, you can use the Upgrade option during Windows 7 installation to upgrade from Windows Vista to a corresponding or higher edition of Windows 7. Upgrading is the most convenient way to get Windows 7 on your computer, because it keeps your files, settings, and programs from Windows Vista in place.

There are 2 ways to Upgrade Windows Vista to Windows 7.

1. Upgrade Installation

2. Custom ( Advanced ) Installation.

So here we Cover the Both of them, but before you have to backup your Hardisk. You’ll need to move your files off of your PC before you install Windows 7. To make this easier, we recommend a free download called Windows Easy Transfer, which will require an external hard disk. They’re readily available at electronics and office supply stores, and they provide an easy way to add additional storage space to your computer.

32-bit or 64-bit: Which version of Windows 7 to install?

Both 32-bit and 64-bit installation discs are included in the Windows 7 package. 64-bit operating systems can handle large amounts of memory—typically 4 gigabytes (GB) of random access memory (RAM) or more—more efficiently than 32-bit operating systems. However, not all computers are 64-bit capable.

To find out which Windows 7 installation disc you can use, click the Start button, right-click Computer, and then click Properties.

* Next to System type you should see either “32-bit Operating System” or “64-bit Operating System.” If you see “32-bit Operating System” listed, then you’re running the 32-bit version of Windows Vista.

* If “64-bit Operating System” is listed next to System type, then you’re running the 64-bit version of Windows Vista and can run the 64-bit version of Windows 7.

Make sure that your programs and devices will work with Windows 7

Since your computer is running Windows Vista, it meets the system requirements to run Windows 7. You should still download and run the free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. It helps find potential compatibility issues with your computer’s hardware, devices, or programs that might affect installing Windows 7, and gives recommendations on what to do before you upgrade to improve your PC’s compatibility with Windows 7.

Download and install Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

Follow the steps below to download the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.

1. Go to the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor webpage.

2. Click Download the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.

3. Click Download, and then save the installation file to your PC.

4. Double-click the installation file saved to your PC.

5. If you agree to the license terms, click Install.

6. Click Close.

If you see a pre-selected check box, clicking Close will run Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.

Run Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

1. If Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor isn’t already running, double-click the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor shortcut on your PC’s desktop.

2. In the security warning dialog box, click Yes.

3. Click Start check. The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will scan your PC’s hardware, devices, and installed software. This might take a few minutes. When finished, it will provide you with a compatibility report that you can print or save for your reference.

4. Read the report carefully, and make note of any issues that the Upgrade Advisor finds and what the recommended steps are to fix these issues.

5. If you want to save the report and print or refer to it later, click Save Report, type a name in the File Name box, and then click Save.

6. Click Close.

You can scan your PC more than once. We recommend running the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor again after taking any of the recommended steps or making any changes to your PC’s hardware, devices, or installed software before upgrading to Windows 7. Be sure to save your updated report.

Now Here is the Main Step. As we mention Above you can Upgrade windows Vista with 2 steps Upgrade Installation and Custom ( Advanced ) Installation. So here is the descriptions:-

1. Upgrade Installation

When you upgrade to Windows 7, you keep your files, settings, and programs from Windows Vista.

1. Turn on your PC.

2. After Windows Vista has started, do one of the following:

* If you purchased and downloaded Windows 7 online, open the installation file. Purchasing and downloading Windows 7 online is the easiest way to install Windows 7 on a netbook.

* If you have a Windows 7 installation disc, insert the disc into your computer. Setup should start automatically. If it doesn’t, click the Start button, click Computer, double-click your DVD drive to open the Windows 7 installation disc, and then double-click setup.exe.

3. On the Install Windows page, click Install now.

4. On the Get important updates for installation page, we recommend getting the latest updates to help ensure a successful installation, and to help protect your computer against security threats. You computer will need to be connected to the Internet during Windows 7 installation to get these updates.

5. On the Please read the license terms page, if you accept the license terms, click I accept the license terms, and then click Next.

6. On the Which type of installation do you want? page, click Upgrade.

You might see a compatibility report.

7. Continue to follow the instructions to finish installing Windows 7.

2. Custom ( Advanced ) Installation.

When you choose the Custom option during installation, you install a new copy of Windows on your PC.

1. With your computer on and Windows Vista running, do one of the following:

* If you have a Windows 7 installation disc, insert the disc into your computer. Setup should start automatically. If it doesn’t, click the Start button, click Computer, open the Windows 7 installation disc on your DVD drive, and then double-click setup.exe.

* If you purchased and downloaded Windows 7 online, open the installation file.

2. On the Install Windows page, click Install now.

3. On the Get important updates for installation page, we recommend getting the latest updates to help ensure a successful installation, and to help protect your computer against security threats. Your computer will need to be connected to the Internet during Windows 7 installation to get these updates.

4. On the Please read the license terms page, if you accept the license terms, click I accept the license terms, and then click Next.

5. On the Which type of installation do you want? page, click Custom.

6. Choose the partition containing Windows Vista (this is often the computer’s C drive), and then click Next. (Do not select your external USB hard drive.)

7. In the Windows.old dialog box, click OK.

8. Continue to follow the instructions to finish installing Windows 7, including naming your computer and setting up an initial user account. You can use the same names that you used in Windows Vista, or choose new ones.

Price Details of Windows 7 in India

Microsoft announced the prices for the Windows 7 operating system, which will definitely cost the consumers less when compared to its Vista counterpart. The prices are apparently 40% lower than the US prices.

Here are the Price Details of Windows 7 in India

Windows 7 Home Basic – Rs. 5,899

Windows 7 Home Premium – Rs. 6,799

Windows 7 Professional – Rs. 11,199

Windows 7 Ultimate – Rs. 11,799

How to add and remove Windows Vista features

How to add and remove Windows Vista features

One of the most common problems reported lately by users of Vista is not knowing how to add or remove certain features of Windows Vista. These tips will help them to customize the Windows Vista features the way they want to. Even though the procedure is generally similar to Windows XP, in Windows Vista there is a key difference.

In Windows XP and earlier versions, to turn a feature off you had to uninstall it completely from your computer. In Windows Vista the features remain stored on your hard disk, so you can turn them back on if you want to. This can be a good thing as you don't have to insert the Windows Vista DVD each time your want to turn on a features. Also, this is not so great because you won't be able to save any disk space by removing the features you don't need. It seems that, in this case, Microsoft traded ease of use for additional hard disk space.

Turning on or off Windows Vista features can be done from Programs and Features. One of the ways to find it is to search for the word programs in the Start Menu search box.

In the Programs and Features window, click on Turn Windows features on or off. If UAC (User Account Control) is enabled you might need to make an additional confirmation.

Now you will see a list with all the available Windows Vista features. Some features are grouped together in folders, and some folders contain subfolders with additional features. To view the contents of a folder, double-click it or click on the "+" sign.

If a check box of a folder is partially checked or appears dark, then some of the items inside it are enabled and some are disabled. If a feature is checked then it is enabled already. The features that are not checked are disabled.

For this tutorial, we will choose first to disable one of the Windows Ultimate Extras. As you can see in this screenshot, both the Windows DreamScene Preview and the final version are listed as installed. We will disable the Preview version as it is not needed anymore.

Also, we would like to disable the Windows Vista Games. So we scroll up to the Games folder and deselect it.

You can enable or disable any of the listed Windows Vista features. After you decided upon what to add or remove from Windows Vista, click on OK. Windows Vista will perform the appropriate actions.

Wait until the progress bar disappears. Then, Windows Vista might ask you to restart the computer so that the required changes will be implemented in the system.

Add/Remove Programs - nowhere to be found in Vista?

Add/Remove Programs - nowhere to be found in Vista?
 
Don't worry - we had the same problem when we launched Windows Vista for the first time. Add/Remove Programs is not missing - it was just renamed for some reason to Programs and Features and it is very easy to find, like always.

First, go to Control Panel. If you don't you use the Classic View you will see a section called Programs and beneath it there is the Uninstall a program option. Click on it and you arrived to the right place

If you are using the Classic View, you will find Programs and Features in the list of items that start with the letter "P".

Another option would be to type "add remove" in the search box and Windows Vista will return the shortcut to Programs and Features.

Improve start-up and shutdown times

Improve start-up and shutdown times

Tired of twiddling your thumbs or taking a coffee break while XP boots up or shuts down? These tweaks and hacks will speed up both for you.

1. Speed boot-up with boot defragments

The simplest way to speed boot-up is to do a boot defragment so that all the boot files are next to one another on your hard disk. By default, XP performs a boot defragment, but there's a chance that it's been turned off. Here's how to make sure it's turned on.

1. Open the Registry Editor by typing regedit at a command prompt or the Run box.
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction.
3. Change the Enable string value to Y if it is not already set to Y.
4. Exit the Registry and reboot.

The next time you reboot, you'll do a boot defragment.

2.Tweak your BIOS for faster start-ups

Each time you turn on your PC, it performs a set of BIOS start-up procedures before XP loads. Speed up those start-up procedures, and you'll speed up boot times.You change the start-up procedures by changing the BIOS settings with your system's built-in setup utility. How you run this utility varies from PC to PC, but you typically get to it by pressing the Delete, F1 or F10 keys during start-up. A menu of choices then appears. Here are the settings to tweak for faster start-ups:

3.Quick Power On Self Test (POST): With this option, your system runs an abbreviated POST rather than the normal, lengthy one. Turn it on.

4.Boot Up Floppy Seek: When was the last time you used a floppy, much less booted from it? If you're like most of the world, the answer is never. Disable this option. When it's enabled, your system spends a few extra seconds looking for your floppy drive.

Boot Delay: Some PCs let you delay booting after you turn on your PC so that your hard drive gets a chance to start spinning before boot-up. It's unlikely you need this boot delay, so turn it off. If you run into problems, however, you can turn it back on.

5.How not to speed up booting

There's a tip about speeding up XP boot times that's been circulating on the Web for years -- follow it and you'll most likely slow down your PC, not speed it up. The tip recommends that you delete all the files in your C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch directory on a regular basis. But in fact, doing that will lead to a more sluggish PC.

The reason? Windows uses C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch make your applications launch more quickly.Windows XP analyzes the files you use during start-up and the applications you launch, and it creates an index to their locations. Using the index, XP launches files and applications faster.

By emptying the directory, you are most likely slowing down how quickly those applications launch. And in my tests, I've found that after emptying the directory, it takes my PC a few seconds longer to get to my desktop after boot-up.

6.Disconnect dead network connections

Windows XP has a very useful feature that lets you map a network drive to your local PC. So, for example, if there's a drive on another PC on your network or on a network server that you frequently browse to, you can make it look to XP as if it's a local disk, such as the F: drive. That way, you can quickly get to the network drive instead of having to navigate through a complex maze of paths.

That's the good news. Here's the bad news: If any of those network drives is no longer alive, it can slow down your system. Every time you start XP, it tries to connect to all the network drives you've mapped. If the remote drive doesn't respond, XP waits to start and will try to connect again until it gives up.

In addition, when you use some programs, they'll try to make the connection as well, further slowing your system. The result? When you try to open a file on your local PC, you may have to wait several seconds.

Disconnecting dead network drives is simple. Right-click My Computer and choose Disconnect Network Drive. You'll see a screen like one pictured nearby, which lists all your network drives. Select any drives you want to disconnect, then click OK. Things should now speed up.

7.Remove extraneous start-up programs

You've most likely got many programs that load into your system on start-up. These programs do worse things than just slowing down start-up -- they can bog down your PC by constantly taking up RAM and CPU power. Unfortunately, in XP, there's no single place to go to find all those start-up programs and decide which ones to keep and which to kill.

That's where Mike Lin's Startup Control Panel applet comes in. It shows you all the programs and services that load on start-up, then lets you kill any you don't want to keep.

The program is multi tabbed, with one tab for every place where a program or service may be launched on start-up. Click each tab and examine the listings. Right-click any program you don't want to run, and select Disable so that it no longer runs.

If you're not sure what a particular program does and whether you need it, do a Google search on the program name or file name for more information. The process is laborious, to be sure, but what you gain in start-up speed is well worth your efforts.

8.Don't clear the paging file on shutdown

If shutting down XP takes too long, you can tell XP not to clear your paging file when it shuts down. The paging file stores temporary files and data, but when your system shuts down, that information stays in the file.

Some people want the paging file cleared at shutdown because sensitive information such as unencrypted passwords sometimes ends up there. But if extreme security isn't a high priority, you can save yourself some time by not clearing it. (If you're on a corporate machine, check with IT before taking this step.)

9.To shut down XP without clearing your paging file:

1. Open the Registry Editor by typing regedit at a command prompt or the Run box.
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management.
3. Look for the value ClearPageFileAtShutdown, and change it to 0.
4. Exit the Registry and reboot.

From now on, your paging file won't be cleared, and shutdowns should be faster.

10.Make XP more secure

Windows XP's security tools are in serious need of upgrade. A prime example is the XP firewall. It has one very serious deficiency -- it doesn't block potentially dangerous outbound connections.

The solution: Get a free firewall that does that and more. Several are worth trying, but my favorite is Comodo Firewall Pro. It's the top free firewall rated by the independent Matousec testing site. In addition to offering inbound and outbound protection, it includes a Host Prevention System to stop malware from being installed in the first place.

XP doesn't include antivirus protection, so you'll of course need some kind of antivirus. Rather than using a bloated, big-name security suite stuffed with a firewall, backup software, identity protection and other modules, your better bet is to get an independent, lightweight antivirus program.

Two of the best are Avast Antivirus Home Edition and AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition. In addition to viruses, AVG protects against spyware, and Avast includes protection from spyware and rootkits -- but that extra protection won't weigh down your PC.

Both programs are free for home and non-commercial use, keep you safe, and take up little RAM and few system resources. What more do you need?

11.Modernize XP's look and feel

Face it, you may like XP, but it's looking very old and dated these days. It's in some very serious need of eye candy.

A great way to dress it up is with the ObjectDock from Stardock. It gives XP a Mac-like look with an animated dock that mimics the one in Mac OS X.

With it, you dock your favorite applications and folders at the bottom or side of the screen. It features a slick look, smooth animations, and much more visual appeal than XP.

The clunky old method of using Alt-Tab to switch between applications in XP could use some help. Yes, it will switch you -- but that's the extent of it.

You can power up Alt-Tab with TaskSwitchXP from NTWind Software. Use it, and whenever you press Alt-Tab, you'll be able to see previews of all your open windows. From here you can close and minimize applications and their groups as well.

Finally, give your XP desktop a useful sidebar like Vista's, with Google's Desktop Sidebar. It's packed with gadgets, such as a weather tracker, stock checker, and news reader, and there are many other free gadgets you can download for it as well. Yahoo Widgets similarly offers you a sidebar and plenty of free widgets.

Enable the "Copy To Folder" and "Move To Folder" options in your right click menu

Enable the "Copy To Folder" and "Move To Folder" options in your right click menu

Like most computer professionals, I always try to find tweaks that improve the speed of my system or, at least, some usability aspects. In Windows XP, one of my favorite tweaks is one that enables the "Copy To Folder" and "Move To Folder" options in the right click menu. After using Windows Vista for a few weeks I tried this "trick" and I was glad to see that it still working.

Enabling these two options requires some changes in the Windows Registry. Working with the Windows Registry is rather complicated so we tried to simplify things as much as possible. All you need to do is download the attached archive, extract it and follow the procedure described below:

First, Click here to download the archive file. After you extract it, you will see two files: enable_move_to.reg and enable_copy_to.reg.

We provided two separate files so that you can enable only one option, in case you don't need both. When you run a ".reg" file, an UAC prompt will ask your permission to Continue.

Then, the Registry Editor will ask your permission to continue.

Once you press the Yes button, the necessary settings will be added and the Copy & Move To option will appear in the right click menu.

Note: You need to have administrative rights in order to enable these two options.

How to retrieve your Windows Vista password

How to retrieve your Windows Vista password

One of our most popular articles is a guide on how to reset your Windows Vista password using the password reset disk. However, if you did not create a password reset disk and you have forgotten your password, you cannot login and use your computer. In these situations there are certain tools that can help you out, most of them being commercial solutions, such as Active Password Changer. Still, there exist also some free alternatives, one of them being Ophcrack. In this guide I will show how to get Ophcrack and how to use it to crack and retrieve your Windows Vista password when you don't have any password reset disk at hand.

First, go to the Ophcrack site and download the Live CD (No Installation needed). Please make sure you download the Windows Vista Live CD and not the one for Windows XP. The Live CD is a disc image saved as an '.iso' file which you need to burn onto a CD. Use a good CD/DVD burning solution to write the image file on a blank CD. If you don't have any, you can try CDBurnerXP. It is free and it works very well.

Once the disc is ready, you need to boot directly from the CD you just created. If you don't know how to do this, please read this guide.

Once you manage to boot from the Ophcrack Live CD, you will have three choices on how to launch the tool. The first two options will launch Ophcrack in a graphic mode. If you have problems with the first mode, then reboot and choose the second. Depending on the hardware configuration, on some computers both modes will work. On the computers i have tested it, sometimes the first mode did not function properly but the second one always worked just fine.

If you don't want any graphics, then choose the third option which will launch Ophcrack in text mode.

Once you have chosen a mode, Ophcrack will start loading and retrieving your passwords. This can take a few minutes, depending on your configuration and how strong the current passwords are. Please be patient and wait until the screens with text like the one below disappear and the graphical user interface is displayed.

Once the tool loads, it will show a screen like the one below . Please be patient as not all graphical elements will be shown at once. This is because Ophcrack will be busy cracking the passwords for all users registered on the PC.

When finished, Ophcrack will show you all the registered users from your Windows Vista and their corresponding passwords in the NT Pwd column

Write down the password for the user that interests you, reboot your PC and login to Windows Vista using the password you just recovered

The 14 Best Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

The 14 Best Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

The Windows key now performs a wide variety of functions. Here are a handful of the most useful ones:

1. Win+h - Move current window to full screen

2. Win+i - Restore current full screen window to normal size or minimize current window if not full screen

3. Win+Shift+arrow - Move current window to alternate screen

4. Win+D - Minimize all windows and show the desktop

5. Win+E - Launch Explorer with Computer as the focus

6. Win+F - Launch a search window

7. Win+G - Cycle through gadgets

8. Win+L - Lock the desktop

9. Win+M - Minimize the current window

10. Win+R - Open the Run window

11. Win+T - Cycle through task bar opening Aero Peek for each running item

12. Win+U - Open the Ease of Use center

13. Win+Space - Aero Peek the desktop

14. Ctrl+Win+Tab - Open persistent task selection window, roll mouse over each icon to preview item and minimize others

77 Windows 7 Tips

77 Windows 7 Tips

AT A GLANCE:

Make Windows 7 faster

Get more done with Windows 7

The best Windows 7 shortcuts

Securing Windows 7

Windows 7 may be Microsoft’s most anticipated product ever. It builds on Windows Vista’s positives, and eliminates many of that OS’s negatives. It adds new functionality, too—all in a package that is less resource-hungry than its predecessor.

And whether or not you're upgrading from Vista or skipping it altogether and moving up from Windows XP, you'll need to know how to make the most of it in your environment. Here are 77 tips and tricks to get you there.

1. Pick Your Edition. Most business users do not need the more expensive Ultimate Edition; stick with Professional unless you specifically need BitLocker.

2. Upgrading? Go 64-bit. As the second major Windows release to fully support 64-bit, the x64 architecture has definitely arrived on the desktop. Don't buy new 32-bit hardware unless it's a netbook.

3. Use Windows XP Mode. Yes, it's only an embedded Virtual PC with a full copy of WinXP—but it's an embedded Virtual PC with a full copy of Windows XP! This is the first profoundly intelligent use of desktop virtualization we've seen—and a great way to move to Windows 7 without giving up full Windows XP compatibility.

4. Use Windows PowerShell v2. More than just a shell, this is the administration tool you've always wanted: Parallel, distributed processing for administrative tasks! Manage 100 machines literally as easily as you manage one with the new Remoting feature. Windows PowerShell v2 ships for the first time in Windows 7, and within six months will be available for older versions of Windows.

5. Use AppLocker. We've been fans of Software Restriction Policies since Windows XP, and AppLocker finally makes application whitelisting possible. Use it to enhance or even replace your anti-virus software, ensuring that only the software you want to run will run.

6. Shift to and from Explorer and CommandPrompt. The classic Windows power toy Open Command Prompt Here is now an integral part of Windows 7 Explorer. Hold down the shift key then right-click a folder to add this option to the property menu. While you're in a command prompt, if you want to open an Explorer window with the focus of the window on the current directory, enter start.

7. Record Problems. The Problem Steps Recorder (PSR) is a great new feature that helps in troubleshooting a system (see Figure 1). At times, Remote Assistance may not be possible. However, if a person types psr in their Instant Search, it will launch the recorder. Now they can perform the actions needed to recreate the problem and each click will record the screen and the step. They can even add comments. Once complete, the PSR compiles the whole thing into an MHTML file and zips it up so that it can be e-mailed for analysis to the network admin (or family problem solver, depending on how it's being used).

Figure 1 The Problem Steps Recorder dramatically speeds up troubleshooting.

8. Make Training Videos. Use a tool like Camtasia to record short, two to three minute video tutorials to help your users find relocated features, operate the new Taskbar and so forth. Get them excited about Windows 7—and prepared for it.

9. Start Thinking About Windows Server 2008 R2. Some of Windows 7's more compelling features, like BranchCache, work in conjunction with the new server OS. The R2 upgrade path is pretty straightforward, so there's little reason not to take advantage of the synergies if you can afford upgrade licenses.

10. Prepare Those XP Machines. There's no in-place upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7, so start planning to migrate user data now, in advance of a Windows 7 upgrade deployment.

11. Consider Clean Installs. Even when upgrading Windows Vista machines, consider a clean install rather than an in-place upgrade. Yes, it's more hassle, but it'll produce a more trouble-free computer in the long run.

12. Consider Upgrade Assurance. Even if you've never bought it before, consider it for your new Windows 7 licenses. Access to the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), which includes App-V, MED-V and other cool technologies, is worth the premium.

13. Find New Tools. Within Control Panel is a single Troubleshooting link that leads you to all of your diagnostic tools on the system. There are additional tools, however, not installed by default. Selecting the "View all" link in the top left-hand corner will help you to see which troubleshooting packs are local and which ones are online. If you find a tool that you don't have, you can grab it from here.

14. Understand Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). Windows 7 plays an important role in Microsoft's VDI strategy, where virtualized Windows 7 machines are hosted on a central virtualization server using a special blanket "Enterprise Centralized Desktop" license. Read up and figure out if you can take advantage of this new strategy.

15. Prepare for DirectAccess. DirectAccess makes it easier for users to remotely access their office-based resources, without a VPN. DirectAccess also opens up remote computers more fully to Group Policy—but it requires Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2.

16. Employ Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM). If you quickly want to list or manage Windows packages, features or drivers, use the command-line utility DISM. The "image" in the name may fool you into thinking that this is solely a deployment tool. An online command-line switch lets you manage the features in the currently loaded OS. To get a list of the loaded Windows features, enter dism /online /get-features /format:table. To enable a feature, enter dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:.

17. Embrace Troubleshooting Packs. Designed to help users troubleshoot and solve problems on their own, you need to update your support procedures to acknowledge these Packs. For example, don't force users to repeat steps the Pack already walked them through, and consider developing your own Packs (in Windows PowerShell) to support in-house systems.

18. Check Reliability. The Reliability Monitor was introduced in Windows Vista as 'The Reliability and Performance Monitor." In Windows 7 it has been separated from Performance Monitor and moved to a new location under the Action Center. You open the Action Center in Control Panel and then look under the Maintenance options for the "View reliability history" link. You can also just type in Reliability Monitor from the Instant Search (see Figure 2).

Figure 2 The Reliability Monitor has been broken out separately from Performance Monitor.

19. Accept Diversity. Not every organization will be ready to move entirely to Windows 7 right away. That's fine—but that shouldn't mean the entire organization stays on Windows XP, either. The myths of the cost savings of having only one OS have been largely disproven or downplayed, so use Windows 7 where it makes sense to do so.

20. Get Snippy. The snipping tool has also been around in various incarnations but it's even easier to use in Windows 7. Launch the tool, then drag and drop any part of your screen. The tool will snip the selection. You can save it as a graphic file or annotate with basic drawing tools. Teach your end users how to use this tool so they can grab the snapshots of their problems and send them to the help desk. Or create your own library of visual notes.

21. Presentation Nirvana. Press Windows+P to access the new Presentation mode, and easily turn on your projector and laptop screen at the same time. No more messing with vendor-specific utilities and arcane keystrokes. (Windows+X accesses the Mobility Center, with additional presentation options.)

22. Cut the Clutter. Press Windows+Home to minimize all but the current window, removing background clutter and letting you focus on that report your boss has been bugging you about.

23. Be a Mouse-Click Administrator. Windows 7 makes it easy to gain admin rights with a keyboard shortcut. Click on Ctrl+Shift on a taskbar-locked icon, and voila! You've launched it with appropriate admin rights.

24. Faster Installations. If your computer is capable of booting from USB, try this: XCopy the Windows 7 installation DVD to a sufficiently large USB drive, boot from that drive, and install Windows from there. It's faster than a spinning platter.

25. Burn Discs with a Click. Or two; double-click an ISO file to burn it to your CD or DVD writer.

26. Restore Point Previews Many of us used to shut off System Restore because we were terrified to actually use it; under Windows 7, we can be much calmer. After selecting a Restore Point, Windows will now offer to show you which files and folders will be affected by restoring to that point.

27. Sync Time Zones. If you work with offices in different time zones and frequently find yourself missing meeting times because you are not in sync with their time zone, try the "Additional Clocks" feature that was first introduced in Vista. Within your Date and Time settings is a tab called Additional Clocks, where you can add two or more clocks to your taskbar time, and set them to provide different time zones from your current time zone.

28. Configure User Account Control (UAC). Even if you're a UAC hater, give it another try. Go to the Control Panel to configure its behavior to something slightly less obnoxious than what Windows Vista had, and see if you can't live with the extra protection it offers (see Figure 3).

Figure 3 User Account Control, the bane of administrators, has been revamped and improved.

29. RoboCopyCopyCopy. The always-useful Robocopy.exe can now run multi-threaded; run Robocopy /? to review its new parameters (like /MT for multithreading) and make your copies go faster.

30. Remote Desktop Console. Windows 7 Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) does not include a console-based remote desktop utility. And even if it did, the standard remote desktop console has some nagging limitations: It can't move connections around in the list; it can't sort by folders and so forth. If you manage lots of servers from your Windows 7 workstation, try downloading a copy of mRemote from mremote.org. This donation-requested utility allows you to mix together a variety of remote control applications, including Citrix Independent Computing Architecture (ICA), Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Virtual Network Computing (VNC), Secure Shell (SSH) and rlogin. All host names are displayed in a standard tree control that can be divided into folders, sorted alphabetically, and allow you to assign different logon accounts and secure passwords to each connection.

31. Multiple Monitors. Windows 7 makes working with multiple monitors intuitive and flexible. There are a variety of shortcuts and mouse motions that flick windows from monitor to monitor. To make the most of this, you need lots and lots of screen real estate. Try one of the new QWXGA monitors from Samsung (tinyurl.com/qwxgasamsung) or Dell (tinyurl.com/qwxgadell). These 23-inch monitors have a 2048x1152 resolution, making it possible to put two full-sized pages on the same monitor. Pair them together and you'll get enough space to have all your admin tools open along with Office, Visio, your intranet sites and a little note to your mom in Live Mail. Move your taskbar to the left or right side of the window instead of along the bottom to free up even more real estate.

32. Windows PowerShell Scripting. If you want to make the most of Windows PowerShell on Windows 7, you'll need a quick way to build and debug scripts. Windows 7 comes with an interactive editor that allows you to try out cmdlets and test functions on the fly.

33. Drag-and-Drop Notification Icons. The redesigned notification area displays only a minimum number of icons; all other notification icons are moved to a side window. Rather than using the Customize option to select icons for the main display, you can drag-and-drop icons from the side window to the notification area.

34. Add Unindexed Shared Folders to Library. You can add UNC paths such as \\servername\sharename to a Library, but the server must index the folder. If you want to add a UNC path to an unindexed server, you can create a symbolic link to the UNC path, then add the link or links to the library. Use the mklink command. For example, mklink HomeFolder \\ServerName\Homefolder.

35. Simplify Cloned Machine Setups. You can't run Sysinternals' newsid utility to change the identity of a cloned Windows 7 machine (either a virtual machine or imaged PC). Instead, create a template installation then run sysprep /oobe /generalize /reboot /shutdown /unattend:scriptfile. Clone or copy this virtual machine file. When it launches, it will get a new SID and you can fill in the name. The reference for building unattended script files is at tinyurl.com/winunattend.

36. Snap That Aero. The Windows key is great for all your shortcuts. Now you can use it to work with the new AeroSnap feature in Windows 7. Select a window, hit the Windows key and a left or right arrow to snap the window to that half of the screen, or use the up arrow to snap it to the top of the screen.

37. Shortcut the Taskbar. The Windows key is great for shortcuts. You can select the Windows key and a number to correspond to items on your taskbar. So, if IE (for example) is the third icon on your taskbar (not counting the Start button), you can hit the Windows key and the number three to launch or open IE.

38. Manage Passwords. Control Panel includes a new application called Credential Manager. This may appear to be a completely new tool that allows you to save your credentials (usernames and passwords) for Web sites you log into and other resources you connect to (such as other systems). Those credentials are saved in the Windows Vault, which can be backed up and restored. However, you might see this as similar to a tool we have in XP and Vista. From the Instant Search, type in control /userpasswords2 and you will be brought to the Advanced User Accounts Control Panel, where you can also manage passwords for your account (see Figure 4).

Figure 4 The Credential Manager provides a handy, secure place to store passwords.

39. Trigger Actions. Event Viewer is closely tied into Task Scheduler. You have the ability to take an event (select it in Event Viewer) and then from the Actions pane, select the option "Attach a Task" to have that event, when it appears, trigger an action. That action can be: launch a program; send an e-mail; or display a message. This feature may be very helpful in troubleshooting a problem.

40. Browse InPrivate. A new feature in IE8 is the ability to open the browser in an InPrivate Browsing session that allows you to perform banking and so forth from a public location without fear of leaving behind any residue. IE will not retain anything you do in an InPrivate Browsing session. You can perform this action if you are already within IE by selecting the Safety button and then InPrivate Browsing. This will open another IE window altogether. However, you can save a few steps by using the shortcut. Right-click the desktop IE icon, click InPrivate and the windows will open in an InPrivate session already.

41. Go Live. Many applications installed on past versions of Windows have been removed. Starting with Windows 7, these applications (and a few others not typically installed with Windows) have been moved into the Live Essentials downloadable applications, at download.live.com. These applications include Messenger, Mail, Writer, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Family Safety and a few others.

42. Remove Apps. Although some applications have been moved off of Windows to become an optional download, other apps, such as IE8, Media Player, Media Center and DVD Maker are still included. In times past, especially when it came to IE, the applications were tied into the OS. However, in Windows 7 you can easily remove them if desired. Head to the Program and Features applet in Control Panel and select the "Turn Windows features on or off" link in the top left-hand corner. Then you can select the checkbox of the features you want to lose or add for your system (see Figure 5).

Figure 5 Windows 7 unbinds many applications from the OS, making it easy to add and remove them.

43. Are You Windows 7 Experienced? System properties has a rating called the Windows Experience Index (WEI). This rating is a collection of five different ratings that are determined by the Windows System Assessment Tool (WinSAT). The highest rating score is 7.9 (compared to 5.9 in Vista), using the categories of Processor, RAM, Graphics, Gaming Graphics and Primary Hard Disk. The final rating is not an average of all the ratings, but the lowest of the subcomponent scores.

44. Analyze Processes. One of the coolest new features in the revamped Resource Monitor (resmon) is the ability to see the "wait chain traversal." An unresponsive process will be shown in red in the Resource Monitor; right-click the process and choose Analyze Process. This will show the threads in the process and see who holds the resources that are holding up the process itself. You can then kill that part of the process if you like.

45. Create Virtual Worlds. Virtualization capability has been added to the Disk Management tools. If you open Computer Management, go to the Disk Manager tool and then click the Action button at top, you will see the options Create VHD and/or Attach VHD. This allows you to create and mount a virtual hard drive directly from within the GUI. Note: With Windows 7 you even have the ability to boot a Windows 7 VHD (see Figure 6).

Figure 6 Windows 7 adds a great deal of virtualization support, including the ability to create and attach virtual hard drives from the GUI.

46. Encrypt USB Sticks. Use BitLocker To Go. Maybe you've managed to never misplace or lose a USB key, but for the rest of us mere mortals, it's a fact of life. Most of the time it's no big deal, but what if it contains sensitive data? BitLocker To Go enables you to encrypt data on removable storage devices with a password or a digital certificate stored on a smart card.

47. Lock with Group Policy. Take control through AppLocker application control. AppLocker intercepts kernel calls that try to create new processes or load libraries and ensures the code is allowed to execute. Practically, that means you can eliminate unknown and unwanted software by implementing AppLocker through Group Policy.

48. Be Our Guest. Guest mode proves a convenient method to give a guest or child access to your computer with limits on making system changes, installing software, or writing to the disk outside the user profile. After the user is done and logs off, data saved inside of the user profile is deleted. You cannot use Guest mode in an AD environment.

49. Restore from Backed up Restore Points. You can choose to include restore points in your backups and restore from them when using System Restore. This is convenient if you want to create a baseline of a working configuration and be able to restore to it in the future without overwriting other data on the hard disk.

50. Benefit from BranchCache. BranchCache helps you save on round trips for requested files in remote branch scenarios. If one person requests a file over the WAN, it's cached locally and either distributed across computers at the remote branch or stored on a central server at the remote branch.

51. Disable Search Suggestion Popups. As you type in the Search Box, Windows 7 makes suggestions based on past queries by pulling past queries from the Registry. You can disable this in the Local Group Policy by enabling User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Explorer | Turn Off Display Of Recent Search Entries In the Windows Explorer.

52. Pin Control Panel to Taskbar. If you use the Control Panel frequently, you may have noticed that you cannot simply right-click the Control Panel and select Pin to Taskbar. Instead, you must first Open Control Panel so its icon appears in the taskbar. From there, you can right-click the icon in the taskbar and select Pin this program to taskbar.

53. Leverage Search Connectors. You can now search the Web using the search functionality. Windows 7 includes Federated Search to increase the search scope beyond the local and network resources. Several search connectors are available, such as for YouTube and Twitter, or you can create custom ones to fit your needs.

54. Use Stickier Notes. Even though this feature has existed in previous versions of Windows in one form or another, it's much easier to use in Windows 7. You can stick a note on your desktop for quick reminders. It's a snap to change the font or note color. If you have a note selected, use Ctrl-N to create a new one.

55. Try out Improved WordPad. You probably haven't given much thought to WordPad lately, but the version shipping with Windows 7 has undergone a major renovation. Think of it as a lite version of Microsoft Word. WordPad sports a spiffy ribbon interface, making it a snap to create well-formatted documents. Plus, you are no longer relegated to saving them as .RTF files. WordPad now supports the Office Open XML document (.DOCX) format. This makes it even easier to open .DOCX files created in Word in WordPad.

56. Calculate. Another basic utility that received a major overhaul is the venerable calculator. In addition to standard and scientific views, there are now programmer and statistic modes. You will also love the conversion and calculation features. Want to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit but can never remember the formula? Use the conversion panel. You'll also enjoy the data calculation extension. Quickly find the difference between two dates or calculate a new date by adding or subtracting years, months or days.

57. Manage Services from Task Manager. The Windows 7 Task Manager now includes a tab to manage services. You can quickly see at a glance the status of all services on your machine. Click a column heading to sort. You can even start and stop services with a simple right-click. If you need full-blown service management, use the Services button to launch the Services management console. You may often have the Task Manager running in the system tray; now, having service management access means one less window to have open.

58. Get Under the Hood. Windows 7 offers more ways to peek under the hood without adding third-party solutions. A terrific example is the Resource Monitor. The performance tab in Windows Task Manager is a good start, but sometimes you need more information. Click the Resource Monitor button to get more detailed information and performance graphs for key subsystems like CPU and Disk. You can also find the Resource Monitor under Accessories | System Tools.

59. Check Vital Signs. Another new system tool you'll enjoy is the System Health report. In the Run dialog box, type perfmon /report, which generates a system health report. This report records details about your computer's performance, resource usage and more. The report also includes diagnostic information about things that aren't working as they should and suggested steps to resolve. The reports are saved and can be accessed with the Performance Monitor management console. You can also save as an HTML file or send via e-mail.

60. Get More Windows PowerShell. Windows PowerShell v2 promises to be a game-changer for many system administrators. Many will prefer to use the graphical Windows PowerShell console, also known as the Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE). You'll find this in the Windows PowerShell folder under Accessories. Add a keyboard shortcut of Ctrl+Alt+I to quickly launch it. Run any Windows PowerShell command in the lower panel and see the results in the middle. Create or edit scripts in the top pane. Open multiple Windows PowerShell sessions connected to remote computers. The ISE makes Windows PowerShell v2 easy to use and fun (see Figure 7).

Figure 7 Windows PowerShell has been much more tightly integrated with Windows 7, and adds the Integrated Scripting Environment.

61. Put It on Old Stuff. One perhaps-not-so-obvious Windows 7 tip is that you should attempt to install it everywhere. One user has a 6-year-old laptop that originally shipped with Windows XP. He could never get Windows Vista to install on it. But Windows 7 installed without complaint and runs extremely smooth. Granted, there are some Windows 7 features he can't take advantage of because the processor lacks certain features, but these are minor issues considering the laptop now has life again.

62. Improve Security. In Vista it was difficult to manage system protection via restore points. The System Protection tab in Windows 7 is a vast improvement. In one spot you can configure how much space to devote to restore points, delete and create restore points or even turn off system protection altogether. This is very useful on older systems where disk space may be at a premium.

63. Actually Use Help and Support. Much of Vista's clutter has been reduced in Windows 7. For instance, the Help and Support page has three links, a search window and a link back to Microsoft's Windows site. It's much less intimidating for end users, so make sure they know about it. Search is much improved as well, making for a better, faster experience.

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The 14 Best Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

The Windows key now performs a wide variety of functions. Here are a handful of the most useful ones:

64. Win+h - Move current window to full screen

65. Win+i - Restore current full screen window to normal size or minimize current window if not full screen

66. Win+Shift+arrow - Move current window to alternate screen

67. Win+D - Minimize all windows and show the desktop

68. Win+E - Launch Explorer with Computer as the focus

69. Win+F - Launch a search window

70. Win+G - Cycle through gadgets

71. Win+L - Lock the desktop

72. Win+M - Minimize the current window

73. Win+R - Open the Run window

74. Win+T - Cycle through task bar opening Aero Peek for each running item

75. Win+U - Open the Ease of Use center

76. Win+Space - Aero Peek the desktop

77. Ctrl+Win+Tab - Open persistent task selection window, roll mouse over each icon to preview item and minimize others

Create an online show with photos and videos

Create an online show with photos and videos

Use the free Capzles tool to create animated timeline-based shows. Find out how

Introduction

Services such as Flickr and Youtube have helped popularise the idea of sharing photos and videos online. Both are free and easy to use, yet neither offers much control over how the finished photos and video clips are presented.

That is where the Capzles website comes in. It provides a framework for pictures, videos and text that is timeline-based, animated and comes with a set of built-in themes and design tools to help anyone produce attractive and interesting multimedia shows.

These are stored by Capzles and can be shared, making the service a good choice for anyone who wants to record a structured ‘story’ using different media.

In this Workshop we will explore how to use the basic features of the Capzles website.

1. Capzles works entirely online, so there is no software to download and it’s easy to get started. Launch a web browser and click once in the address line, then type www.capzles.com and press the Return key. When the website loads, take a moment to have a look at some of the featured Capzles by scrolling through the list on the right and clicking on any interesting ones. Want to get started? Navigate back to this page and then click the Join Now button at the top right.

2. Next, create a screen name and password that’s easy to remember and then click the ‘Go To final Step’ button. Add a valid email address and type in the unique verification code to prove you are a person rather than an automated software robot up to no good, and then click the ‘I’m done’ button to continue. (There are other details here but these are all optional.) At the next screen, click the Create button at the top and then select New Capzle.

3. After a moment the main Capzle editing screen appears. The working window is in the middle and the commands are in the panel on the left. Start by clicking the Add Title & Description heading which will open a set of controls underneath. Type in a title and then use the colour and typeface controls to personalise it. Here we are choosing a serif typeface in a burnt orange colour – there will be plenty of time to edit this later if we change our minds.

4. Finished with the heading? Click the Add Title & Description heading to close that set of commands and then open the next one, Tags & Categories. Both are useful for helping others to find Capzle shows, so type in any words that describe the content, separating each word with a comma, as shown here. Next, have a look at the Categories listing and see if there are any there that can be ticked. Since this Capzle is about walking there are several categories that fit.

5. You can’t have a show without content, so close Tags and Categories by clicking on it and then open Add Content. Because this is a simple sequential show, we have selected the ‘Upload directly onto my timeline’ option which will drop every item we upload into its own separate slot. When the dialogue box opens click the ‘add files’ button and then use Windows commands to navigate to a bunch of photos, select them and then click the Open button. Finally, click ‘start upload’.

6. Capzles uploads all the photos in our folder and puts them in date order on a snazzy-looking timeline. From here it is possible to drag and drop pictures into a different order, or go back and add more content in the same way – a video clip for example. Alternatively, Capzles has a neat little blogging feature which will let us annotate our show and, hopefully, illuminate the pictures more than a simple caption ever could. Still in the Content section, click ‘Blog directly onto my timeline’.

7. When the blog entry window opens, add a title, description and some more tags (or the same ones as before – every little helps). Then, type in an entry for the blog, using any of the word processor-style commands in the button bar to add emphasis, change the font size or colour, formatting and so on, and it’s even possible to add hyperlinks or HTML if you know how. Click ‘done’ to continue.

8. Close the Add Content panel and then click Design Your Capzle. Make sure the ‘pick a theme’ tab is selected and then scroll through the list of themes to find a good one. Given the subject of this Capzle, we are going for the first one in the list which has a nice natural feel to it. Although it can’t be shown on the pages of a magazine, this theme is actually animated with insects buzzing about, flowers opening and so on. To select a theme, just left click on its thumbnail once.

9. Capzles can also include background music, for example an MP3 file recorded from an audio CD. Close the Design panel and click ‘Add Background Music’ and then click the Upload Music button. Navigate to wherever the music is stored on the PC and then select one or more tracks to upload. Then click the Open button. If there is more than one track, use the commands in the Add background Music panel to re-order the tracks if necessary by selecting them and clicking Move Up or Move Down.

10. Capzles can be set up so that anyone who visits the site can see them, restricted to certain named individuals or set as ‘private’ so that no-one can see them; this is useful for setting up private diaries or perhaps a visual family history that’s a work-in-progress. By default, Capzle makes all new shows visible to everyone so they can be browsed or searched for, either by name or using the tags we entered back in Step 4.

11. It’s possible to go back and edit any of the settings in the panels on the left at any time, but once the show is finished, click the ‘I’m Finished!’ button at the top right. This displays a preview of how the Capzle will look. Use the controls at the bottom to advance through the show one item at a time or fast forward or quick reverse using the double-arrow buttons. Control the thumbnail size with the magnifying glass button and the volume of the background music with the speaker button.

12. Any of the items in the show can be viewed full size by clicking on them. Here for example, we have clicked on a video clip which can now be seen full size, showing the countryside at dawn. Visitors can rate individual items using a simple 0-5 star system or they can add comments in the text box at the bottom of each item. Pictures can be marked as favourites and visited easily later on, or sent to friends as a link in an email.

13. Click either of the arrows above the image to move forward or back through the show at full size or click the ‘x’ at the top-right to return to the thumbnail view. Want a friend to see it? Click the Share button at the top and then select Send The Link To A Friend command from the menu. When the dialogue box opens, type in the email address and a message – the link is then added to the body of the mail so they can click it when the message arrives.

14. Public Capzles can be found by anyone who visits the site. Here we’ve gone back to the home page and then typed the word ‘river’ into the search box at the top. After a moment the site returns all the Capzles that include the word river in their title or tags. Scroll down the list, find a show and then slide the cursor along the coloured bar in the timeline. When the thumbnails appear above the line, select a point in the show and then click the ‘enter this Capzle here’ button to play back from that point.