The PC Informant » Vista

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

Vic Laurie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:41:49 +0000

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

Vic Laurie — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:59:22 +0000

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 subject again to note that, beginning with Vista, Windows no longer supports scrap files.

What were scrap files supposed to do? They were intended as a kind of handy way to copy a small part of a document onto the desktop where it could be kept and then used in another file. Only a few applications, mostly Microsoft Office, supported this function, however, and very few PC users even knew about it.

To see how a scrap file works in Windows XP, open a Word document. Then highlight some text and use the mouse to drag the highlighted material onto the desktop. A new file will appear. Double-click the file and a Word document containing the text will open. Or drag the scrap file and drop it into an open Word document and the text will appear in the Word document. With a slightly different procedure, images can also be manipulated. In that case, however, you need to use a right-click drag and make a selection from the context menu.

Because of backward compatibility considerations, Microsoft doesn’t often drop a Windows feature. But scrap files were little known or used and had some security issues so this feature was omitted from Vista and 7.

Fixing Windows update problems

Vic Laurie — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:11:23 +0000

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 them. Go to this Microsoft link to get instructions and to download the fix.

Customize your icons

Vic Laurie — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:11:34 +0000

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 same bland vanilla symbol? Add color and design to your desktop. In fact, Windows comes with a selection of icons. You can also download libraries of icons or create your own.

My original article discusses how to change icons for Windows XP and where to get some extensive selections of new icons as well as free software for editing or even creating icons. Windows Vista/7 have similar procedures.

For folder icons, right-click a folder and choose “Properties”. Then click the “Customize” tab. The dialog box (shown below) will contain a button “Change Icon”. Click this and the procedure is then similar to what is outlined in the XP article.

Shortcut icons are also easily changed in Windows Vista/7 by a procedure very similar to that given for Windows XP. Right-click, open the properties dialog, and click the button “Change Icon”.

Here are some places where you can download icons:

Microsoft patches patched

Vic Laurie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:11:45 +0000

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

Vic Laurie — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:58:08 +0000

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 it works.

Truckload of Microsoft updates

Vic Laurie — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:39:18 +0000

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 years ago.

Tweaking guides for Windows XP and Vista

Vic Laurie — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:04:51 +0000

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 and one for Vista. The description reads:

The TweakGuides Tweaking Companion (TGTC) is the complete system optimization guide for Windows users. Designed for novice and advanced users alike, it is written in plain English to help you genuinely understand all aspects of Windows and your PC. The guide covers every major topic, from the correct installation of Windows and critical drivers and software, through to recommendations for every significant setting and feature, all the major performance and convenience tweaks and customizations, as well as detailed troubleshooting advice. There are also links to a range of reliable free applications for optimizing and maintaining your system, as well as to important resources for finding out even more about Windows and your PC.

Via TechSupportAlert

Things to know about 64-bit systems

Vic Laurie — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:32:08 +0000

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 8 things you should know before moving to x64 version of Windows.

Information at Microsoft

Vic Laurie — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:00:33 +0000

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 can find useful information as well. I use it frequently.

For information about Windows 7 specifically, the link is here.