Articles in Category: Windows
Will Windows XP Keep Working after Support Ends?
The end of support for Windows XP means that Microsoft will no longer be issuing security updates. But there are ways to continue using an older machine safely.
Can I Remove Unneeded Language Folders and Files?
Windows does support multiple languages. Unfortunately, many applications developed independently over time and seem to use different techniques for providing internationalization or localization support.
What Is wssetup.exe?
This file could be anything. I’ll show you how to track this file down and do a cleanup – just to be sure that it’s not malware.
What’s the Difference Between Typing and Copy/paste?
In most cases, it’s Windows, not the application, that handles whether or not something is pasted in from the clipboard or is typed in. The program receiving the data usually doesn’t know or care.
Should I wait for the next edition of Windows?
Windows 8.1 should respond to some of the issues that people expressed having with Windows 8, though not all of them. Your choice of how, when and what to upgrade may have more to do with hardware than with software versions.
Will it cause a problem if Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant warns me that a program is incompatible, but it works?
It’s hard to know what the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant is looking for when it gives an upgrade warning. It may be a serious problem, it may only be flagging incompatibility with other Windows 8 programs.
Managing Windows Update
Windows Update is a silent and key workhorse in keeping your machine safe and secure from the latest threats and bugs. It’s a good idea to check in on Windows Update once in a while to make sure things are as they should be, and operating according to your wishes.
What’s the “Appdata roaming” folder?
Appdata roaming doesn’t mean your computer has been roaming. It’s nothing more than a folder designation on your machine. Why data may be put there, however, is a bit more complex.
Why do new windows open underneath others?
Usually a new window will open on top of previous windows. There are several things that may cause a window to “pop under” the window you’re looking at.
How Much of the Swap File Actually Gets Used?
How much a swap file gets used depends on how much RAM your computer has, and what’s running on it at any given time. Knowing that will also help you decide where to place the file.
What’s the easiest way to restore my machine to original factory settings if I didn’t get discs?
If you don’t have installation or recovery media then you’ll need to take additional steps to prepare for the day you might need to reset to factory settings. Additional steps using software that I hope you already have.
Should I Use Windows File Compression?
Windows File Compression automatically compresses files so they take up less space. In the best of circumstances, it can free up a lot of space, but all too frequently it’s not as much as you might expect, and there is a cost.
How Do I Reinstall Downloaded Programs?
When it’s important that you save several things for the day disaster strikes and you need to reinstall downloaded programs. I’ll look at what you need to save to prepare for the worst.
Do You Recommend a Transfer Cable for Transferring Files from My Old Computer to My New One?
Transferring information from an old computer to a new one is a problem we all face every so often. I’ll touch on a couple of approaches, and then describe what I do, and recommend.
Do I need Windows Live Essentials?
Windows 7 often comes with several pre-installed components that were part of the Windows Live Essentials package. They’re not required to run Windows, and can be uninstalled or replaced with more recent components.
Changing Windows Explorer Settings
Windows Explorer is a ubiquitous and under-appreciated component of Windows 7. I’ll look at some settings I recommend changing if you’re a frequent user, and include a bonus tip that can sometimes speed up Windows Explorer’s start-up.
How Do I Change the Default Installation Drive?
In this scenario, the real issue is that your C: drive is full. What I recommend you do is clean it up.
Why is Norton preventing me from installing Classic Shell?
The problem is that some third-party download sites (not all) actually add software to your download. It could be possible that Norton is correctly preventing you from downloading viruses.
How Do I Access a Tile on a Hard Drive From Another Windows Installation with Restrictive Permissions?
Windows is not Unix. What you need to be is the administrator on the machine
that you have these disks installed on.
Should I upgrade to Windows 8?
Windows 8 has been released and I’m getting the question at a slowly increasing pace: should I get it? I’ll detail my current thinking on Windows 8 and whether or not its worth upgrading.
What’s a .DAT File?
DAT files are used by many different applications. To know what to do with a DAT file, you need to know which application created it.
Just What Are Windows 7’s “Libraries” and How Do They Work?
Libraries are a feature added to Windows 7 that allow multiple folders to viewed as if they are one. It’s not new, but it can be very confusing.
What is Windows Live?
Windows Live is the umbrella brand for several online services and desktop applications from Microsoft. I’ll examine the confusion surrounding the name.
Why Does Nothing Happen When I Insert a Disc?
Nothing happens when you insert a disc if autoplay is turned off. That’s good for security but bad for convenience. I’ll look at alternatives.
What Is Pagefile.sys and Can I Move It?
If you’ve added a hard drive to your system you can move pagefile.sys to free up space on your original drive and speed up your system.
How do I know what programs are safe to uninstall?
A look at the add/remove list in Windows Control Panel presents a long list of sometimes confusing entries. I’ll look at how to evaluate what’s there.
How Do I Reformat and Reinstall Windows? (XP & Vista)
Sometimes the best approach to resolving an issue, be it a virus or simply software rot, is reformat and reinstall. We’ll review the steps.
Why should I Turn Windows AutoPlay Off?
Autorun is an increasingly used attack vector for malware. Common techniques to turn it off are incomplete. I’ll show you how to turn it off, and recommend you do so.
Process Explorer – A Powerful Free Replacement for Task Manager
Process Explorer is Task Manager on steroids. A free utility that completely replaces Task Manager, there’s no reason not to have and use procexp.
Why Can’t I Rely on System Restore for Backups?
There’s much confusion about what System Restore actually is and is not. In a nutshell, it’s safest not to rely on it to restore your system.
SnagIt – Quick and Easy Screen Capture and Annotation
Windows includes screen capture by default, but if you use it often and rely on it alone, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Why Can’t I Activate Windows XP?
I tried to activate Windows XP Home and it didn’t work. Thus began a phone saga with Microsoft support, ending in failure. Until I fixed it myself.
Why Does the Space Used by Files on My Hard Drive Show Different Numbers Depending on How I Look?
Depending on how you look at your disk, the amount of space used can appear quite different. We’ll look at some of the possible reasons.
Why Is My Task Manager Disabled, and How Do I Fix It?
Task manager can be disabled manually, but more commonly it’s disabled by a virus. It’s easy to re-enable once you’re virus-free.
How Do I Fix this High CPU Usage Svchost Virus or Whatever It Is?
Many people are experiencing high CPU usage, often 100%, in svchost. Svchost is not a virus, but many people think it acts like one.
How Do I Reformat My Machine If I Don’t Have a Windows CD?
Reformatting a machine is a major step that erases everything. Unless you really know what you’re doing, you’re going to want that Windows Setup CD.
How Do I Keep CHKDSK from Running on every Start Up?
There are times when the disk checking utility needs to run before you boot into Windows. Sometimes it seems to get stuck and does so every time.
How Do I Find Out Who’s Using All My Memory?
When your system starts to slow down, programs using excessive memory are frequent culprits. It’s fairly easy to find out which programs they are.
Can I Copy and Rename a File in a Single Step?
Windows Explorer is a fine tool, but there are still a few things you can’t easily do with it. This calls for the Windows Command Prompt.
Can I delete these randomly named folders?
Folders with random and unreadable names will occasionally appear on your machine. They’re typically the side effect of an update that didn’t clean up.
How Do I Get a Windows Program to Always Open Maximized?
Some folks like to run programs maximized; taking up the entire screen. If a program doesn’t do that automatically, here are some steps that may help.
Safely Remove Hardware: Where Did the Icon Go? How Do I Safely Remove Hardware Without It?
The “Safely Remove Hardware” icon can occasionally disappear. It turns out there’s a simple workaround to safely remove hardware anyway.
Where is Windows Explorer?
Windows Explorer is everywhere – yet finding Windows Explorer on the Start Menu is actually fairly difficult. We look at where Windows Explorer is, and some of the many other ways you can get to it.
How Do I Copy Preinstalled Software To Another Machine?
Yet another reason I so strongly recommend making sure that you get installation CDs for all the software that comes pre-installed on any new machine. There are just so many scenarios where no having that can be a really big pain. Like this one.
How Can I Control The Size Of My Start Menu?
The Start Menu can grow over time to be exceptionally large. Armed with a little knowledge there are easy steps to control or organize its contents.
Why Can’t I Find Or Delete “bridge.inf”?
Apparently ‘bridge.inf’ is related to adware of some sort. Most of the anti-spyware programs should be able to handle it, but apparently not always. We can try to find it manually, which is a good example of searching for hidden files in general.
What Windows Services Can I Turn Off?
People are concerned about how much software is running on their machines, and when they look at the list of services, there’s a long list of things they don’t understand.
What does “This file does not have a program associated with it” mean?
File associations tell Windows what program should operate on what file based on it’s filename extension. Sometimes these get lost or confused.
What's this "Validation Scan" all about?
The whole validation and activation thing (WPA, or Windows Product Activation) is pretty confusing. Most folks were very concerned with it when QPA was first introduced, but we rarely hear much about it these days. In general it kinda, sorta works. We’re just not always sure why or how. The original question was actually several, … Read more
How do I get the entire Programs menu to always display?
Well, I think I get what you’re asking about. But even if I’m a little off, what I’m about to explain actually covers several things. In fact, most people don’t realize that there’s a plethora of customization options related to the Start menu.
