Category: Windows

  • How To: Restore Built-In Zip File Integration in Windows XP

    Have you ever used a new computer and found, to your dismay, that a 3rd-party shareware program (such as WinZip) was currently set to handle compressed .zip files?  Windows XP already has built-in .zip file integration, so unless you’ve decided to replace it with a program such as 7-zip, it is usually best to let…

  • Microsoft Adds Netflix Integration to Windows Media Center

    Microsoft recently announced that Windows Media Center – the company’s all-in-one home theater media center – will now support the Netflix Instant Streaming library of over 12,000 movies and TV shows.  Windows Media Center software is included in both Vista Home and Ultimate editions by default and is also included in Windows XP Media Center…

  • How To: Find Out if Your PC is Windows 7 Ready

    With the final release of Windows 7 approaching, many people are wondering if their current PC will be able to run the new operating system.  As we mentioned in our previous coverage of the Windows 7 RC release, the system requirements for Microsoft’s forthcoming operating system are surprisingly light: 1GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or…

  • Want To Try Windows 7? Install it on a Virtual Machine

    With the public release of Windows 7 RC, many software developers and tech enthusiasts are flocking to the download site to get their hands on the highly anticipated successor to Windows Vista. Many individuals downloading the Windows 7 RC have extra systems that are dedicated for software development and application testing.  But what if you…

  • Windows 7 Release Candidate to Launch Late April/Early May

    Microsoft has announced that a release candidate version of Windows 7 (a version with potential to be the final product) will be released to developers via MSDN and TechNet networks on April 30th, and more publicly on May 5th. Windows 7, which was released as a semi-public beta in January, has initially been well received…

  • How To Check Your HDD’s S.M.A.R.T. Status

    As your hard drive begins to age, the chance for failure and resulting data loss increases.  Today’s hard drives feature a monitoring system called Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology or S.M.A.R.T. for short.  With S.M.A.R.T. and the appropriate software, it is possible to keep updated on the status of your hard drive and the important…

  • Cleanup Your Computer With CCleaner

    As a computer begins to age, many problems can arise such as slow startup, slow program execution and increased memory usage.  Many of these problems are caused by improper shutdowns, viruses, excess temporary files, and residual uninstall files. CCleaner is a free program, available at http://www.ccleaner.com, which will give your computer the thorough cleaning that…

  • Windows Won’t Boot? Try The Recovery Console

    It is all too easy for the Windows operating system to become damaged and render your computer unusable, stranding you from your critical applications and documents.  Events such as power outages, electrical surges, or even an improper shutdown can damage or corrupt important system files which may cause the operating system to fail when loading.…

  • Conficker Worm: How to Check If Your Computer Is Infected

    Today is April 1st, and with that comes the fear of your computer being infected with the Conficker worm.  Besides following Lifehacker’s tips to protect your PC from Conficker, you can follow a more advanced method of scanning your computer in this guide. UPDATE: There are new and easier methods to scan your computer for…

  • Windows Tip: How To Create a System Standby Shortcut

    This guide will show you how to create a System Standby shortcut for your Windows computer, which will allow you to manually activate Standby mode by simply double-clicking an icon. What is standby mode, you say? “Your machine recovers quickly as your data is stored in RAM. The slower part is waking up the peripherals.…