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You can browse this site for information, tips & troubleshooting information about Microsoft Windows Operating Systems.
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Automatically Attach VHD Images
January 9, 2012 - 10:05 GMT
Windows 7 users can create virtual hard drive (VHD) images using the Disk Management tool. These images can then be mounted and used like any other partition in the operating system. A newly created image gets automatically attached in the current Windows session. The problem is that when Windows is restarted, the image is no longer attached, so after each reboot you'd have to manually attach the image before you can continue using it.
Reviewing Windows 8 Developer Preview
December 14, 2011 - 20:15 GMT
I'm reviewing the Windows 8 Developer Preview with focus on running Windows 8 in a PC environment. That means I'm not using touch and have little interest in the Metro apps that are included in this developer preview.
How to check your laptop battery health in Windows 7
November 16, 2011 - 17:25 GMT
Windows 7 includes a new command that shows you a lot of details on its power usage & settings and helps you troubleshoot power issues (like Windows 7 waking up unexpected when you've put it in Sleep mode). This command also shows you some detailed information about your laptop's battery, including its design capacity and the last full charge. With this data you can calculate how much (percentage-wise) your battery has deteriorated over time.
September 8, 2011 - 13:00 GMT
Unlike Windows XP and Vista, Windows 7 doesn't launch a screen saver if you leave the computer idle on the Windows logon (or Welcome) screen. There is a 'work around' to anable a screen saver at the login screen though.
Optimize Windows 7 for use with a Solid State Drive
June 8, 2011 - 12:10 GMT
If you can justify the price, a Solid State Drive (SSD) is a great upgrade that will improve your overall computer experience. There are a few things that will improve your SSD's performance and/or endurance that you can apply, and I'll show you some tips to reduce the amount of space needed for your Windows 7 installation. Since space cost is at a premium in SSD's, these tips could come in handy.
Google in privacy policy changes across its services
Google has changed its privacy policy, streamlining it across its multiple services including search, email, video and social networking sites. More than 60 different policies will be combined into one that will go into effect 1 March, the company said. Google said the new policy will give people more relevant search results and help advertisers ..
HP pays $425,000 to settle claims over hazardous laptop batteries
The company eventually recalled 32,000 batteries, which a watchdog agency said were at risk of overheating or catching fire. Hewlett-Packard will pay US$425,000 to settle a claim that it knowingly sold laptops with hazardous batteries that could overheat or catch fire, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Monday. HP had learned o..
Facebook to Google: 'Don't be evil'
Facebook, Twitter and MySpace have a message for Google: "Don't be evil." A group of developers from those companies banded together to call Google's bluff on claims about its controversial new Search Plus Your World tool. The recently launched tool prominently spotlights Google's fledgling Google+ social network in Google.com's search results -- ..
Once an emerging darling, the open source browser is now beset by a troubling handful of issues. Firefox is a web browser with some very strong roots. Its history dates back to when Netscape was battling for users against the almighty Internet Explorer. Back in those days, web sites actually had small banners on them stating which browser the sit..
Facebook vs Google+: What's the best social network?
With more than 800 million users, including 150 million in the U.S., Facebook is a must-have for connecting online. With a "mere" 90 million users so far, Google+ can't be a replacement for Facebook. But with great design and unique features, it makes a good addition. In fact, in a lot of ways Google+ is better.
A year of transition for Microsoft and Intel
Intel and Microsoft helped usher in the era of personal computers. Now the two companies are reinventing themselves in an industry where PCs are no longer the primary driver of innovation and growth. Both Microsoft and Intel are still money-making machines--they raked in $20.9 billion and $13.9 billion, respectively, in quarterly earnings announce..
Congress withdraws SOPA, PIPA anti-piracy measures
U.S. lawmakers stopped anti-piracy legislation in its tracks on Friday, delivering a stunning win for Internet companies that staged an unprecedented online protest this week to kill the previously fast-moving bills. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said he would postpone a critical vote that had been scheduled for Jan. 24 "in light of recent e..
Apple Mac-based security threats jumped in 2011
New Mac-based security threats jumped in 2011, but still remain far below that of Windows PCs, according to a posting by F-Secure Labs. A total of 58 unique variants were detected from April through December, according to the Labs' Threat Research team. Nearly half, 29, were Trojan-downloaders, which F-Secure defines as a type of Trojan horse prog..
ACS: Law solicitor Andrew Crossley suspended by SRA
Andrew Crossley, the controversial solicitor who sent thousands of letters to alleged illegal file-sharers, has been suspended from the profession for two years. The court heard how Mr Crossley used his law firm ACS: Law to demand money in recompense for alleged copyright infringements. The scheme unravelled when several cases went to court.
Why Google's new search might be illegal
There's nothing illegal about being so big that you dominate a market. But when Google unveiled a new feature last week called Search Plus Your World, some antitrust experts believe Google stepped over the line. Google's new feature risks abusing the company's dominant position in the search market to stifle competition from its rivals. That coul..
House to take up anti-piracy bill in February
The House of Representatives will resume work next month on a controversial bill aimed at stopping online piracy of movies, music and other content, a leading lawmaker said on Tuesday. The anti-piracy legislation has been a top priority for entertainment companies, publishers, pharmaceutical firms and others, who say it is critical to curbing onli..
Sprint now removing Carrier IQ software
Sprint disabled the controversial Carrier IQ key-logging software from its customers phones last month, and now is beginning the process of removing the software from the phones themselves. "As we are no longer using the tool, we have decided to remove Carrier IQ from all devices through a maintenance release process," said Sprint spokeswoman Step..
World IPv6 launch day set to aid net address switchover
Leading internet firms have set 6 June as the World IPv6 launch day. IPv6 is the new net address system that replaces the current protocol IPv4, which is about to run out of spaces to allocate. Web companies participating in the event have pledged to enable IPv6 on their main websites from that date. The Internet Society, which made the announce..
Amazon-owned Zappos warns users after cyber-attack
Cyber-attackers have struck Zappos, the Amazon-owned fashion e-retailer. The company has reset the passwords of 24 million customers and asked them to choose new ones. It said names, email addresses and other personal information may have been exposed, but not full credit card numbers. Zappos, which was founded in 1999 by Nick Swinmurn, started ..
Lawsuit: Symantec bullies users into buying anti-virus software
The anti-virus vendor Symantec has been formally accused of employing devious scareware tactics to trick customers into paying for software they don't need. On Tuesday (Jan. 10), James Gross filed a class action lawsuit in a California Federal court claiming that Symantec defrauds its customers by running fake anti-virus scans on their machines, C..
Why does auto-correct still stink?
"I find it extremely annoying," says Noam Chomsky, MIT professor and world-renowned linguist, about having his typed words automatically corrected. The most-often incorrectly corrected phrase? "When I use Orwell's term 'unpeople,'" he gripes, "it is changed to 'unpeopled.'" Most of us are probably using less erudite diction when we experience a pro..
Cyberworm Gobbles Up 45,000 Facebook User Logins
The infamous 'Ramnit' computer worm has taken on a new life as a piece of financial malware, and it's currently spreading through Facebook and scooping up thousands of users' login credentials. Researchers at the Israeli firm Seculert found a variant of Ramnit that has stolen more than 45,000 Facebook users' credentials, mostly United Kingdom and ..
New virus raids your bank account - but you won't notice
The best way to protect yourself from an online financial scam is to diligently check your bank accounts. At least, until now. Israeli-based Security firm Trusteer has found an elaborate new computer virus that not only helps fraudsters steal money from bank accounts -- it also covers its tracks. Think of a crime plot involving a spy who plans to..