Vista

Windows Start-up & Shutdown Sounds from Windows 3.1 on up

It seems that people will collect almost anything. Vince Bognot has put together Windows Start-up and Shutdown Sounds from Windows 3.1 to Windows 7. I am not sure who cares but here is his collection:

Via the Windows Club

Scrap files scrapped

Windows is a complicated operating system and has many properties and features that most PC users are unaware of. One of the odder and lesser known features in Windows 98/XP was something called a scrap file. I wrote about scrap files some years ago in connection with their use by virus writers. I visit the [...]

Fixing Windows update problems

For one reason or the other, it sometimes happens that a file or a Registry entry gets corrupted in one of the never-ending Windows updates. In that case, it often becomes impossible to carry out updates without getting error messages. The problems are common enough that Microsoft has come up with a tool to fix [...]

Customize your icons

Many Windows users are unaware that they are not stuck with the default set of icons that comes with their setup. In fact, it is quite easy to edit or replace the existing icons. Some years ago I wrote an article on how to customize your icons. Why should all your folder icons be the [...]

Microsoft patches patched

Some of the Microsoft security patches from the October patch Tuesday were buggy. Microsoft issued some fixes yesterday. So you may need to check Microsoft Update. Details at InfoWorld.

How 32-bit software runs on 64-bit Windows

When I took a look at the many PC offerings being rolled out for the advent of Windows 7, I was struck by how many of them were 64-bit systems. It’s a little geeky but an explanation of how Windows Vista/7 64-bit systems manage 32-bit software may interest some. TechSupportAlert has an overview of how [...]

Truckload of Microsoft updates

Speaking of security updates, today is the monthly Microsoft patch Tuesday and it’s a big one, in fact, the biggest ever. It even includes Windows 7. Computerworld reports:
Today’s security updates from Microsoft were unprecedented, with 13 separate bulletins that quashed 34 vulnerabilities. Both were records for the company since it began delivering monthly updates six [...]

Tweaking guides for Windows XP and Vista

Windows is eminently tweakable and there are a number of applications and guides for configuring Windows XP and Vista. Some applications will carry out tweaks for you while others simply give instructions. In this latter category is a nice collection of useful tweaks from Tweakguides. A free PDF document is available, one for Windows XP [...]

Things to know about 64-bit systems

As I mentioned before at the beginning of the year, more and more PCs are being sold with 64-bit Windows. Eventually, 64-bit systems will be the norm but there are some things you should know about 64-bit systems before you get one. Some of the considerations are discussed at the NirBlog, where Nir Sofer lists [...]

Information at Microsoft

The Microsoft Web site contains vast amounts of information about Windows and other Microsoft products. It is not always easy to find things on the site but one place I find very valuable is the TechNet Library. It contains documentation for all sorts of Microsoft products. It is intended for IT professionals but PC users [...]

Vista features removed in Windows 7

Windows 7 has some things added and some things removed. The Windows Club has a list of some Vista features that are gone in Windows 7. Among these are Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Mail.