PC Decrapifier

PC Decrapifier requires no installation…just double-click the exe file to get things started.

The first screen introduces you to the program and gives you the opportunity to check for a new release. Click “Next” when ready…

The second screen has the EULA.

The third screen provides a warning to be careful regarding software that you may have purchased and installed yourself. You definitely do not want to accidentally remove the good stuff.

This screen asks which type of computer you are running. Choose the appropriate response…for our example we went ahead and checked “Yes”.

You will have the opportunity to create a “Restore Point” before going any further with the removal process. It is recommended that you do so before going to the next step.

You will be notified as soon as the “Restore Point” has been created…it may take a few moments depending on your individual setup. Now you are ready to check for “garbage software”. Click “Next”…

Our Windows 7 install came up clean but that is not the end of things yet. At this point you will have the opportunity to remove other software that is not in PC Decrapifier’s list yet or was added after you got your computer. Click “Next” to see what is found.

As you can see PC Decrapifier shows a list of the other software on your computer. Here you can see non-OEM installs of Google Toolbar and Musicmatch Jukebox have been selected. It is a good opportunity to remove unwanted software that is cluttering up your hard-drive. Select the particular items that you would like to have removed and click “Next”.

You will be provided with a final opportunity to cancel the removal if you are uncertain about any of your selections.

Then all that you have to do is enjoy watching that unwanted software being removed for you… You may be occasionally prompted to confirm removal of non-OEM software in uninstall windows…

All done…

In the final window you will have an opportunity to provide feedback to the software author if desired, otherwise click “Finish” to close PC Decrapifier.

What Does It Look For?

If you are curious about the list of items that PC Decrapifier looks for, there is a list (three pages) provided at the author’s website (link provided below). Here is a sample from the first page…

Conclusion

If you are looking for a good way to clean up your new (or old) computer, then PC Decrapifier can help make it as painless as possible.

Links

Download PC Decrapifier (version 2.1.0)

See the list of what PC Decrapifier removes

Advanced System Tools

There is a very handy collection of system utilities that are included in Windows 7 and Vista that can help you troubleshoot problems that may arise. For some reason Microsoft felt the need to bury them in the OS so they’re not immediately apparent to most users. Here we take a look at accessing the diagnostic tools and briefly cover some of what’s included. 

To get to the tools type Performance Info into the search box in the Start menu and hit Enter.

In the Performance Information and Tools windows click on Advanced Tools.

Alternately you could click through to Control Panel \ All Control Panel Items \ Performance Information and Tools \ Advanced Tools…see what I mean by buried?

What’s Included

It opens up a list of different tools you can use to monitor different aspects of the system performance. From here you can do several things like defrag the hard drive, check Event Viewer, and even re-rate the Experience Index score. 

Notice there is a column for Performance issues you can click on to get additional details on how to correct the problem. In this example it shows a driver interfering with Sleep mode and that changing visual settings will improve performance.

In additional details it tells us turning off the Aero feature will improve performance. I find it odd that MS would alert you to turn off Aero as it’s a hyped feature to the interface since XP. At least they’re honest in telling you Aero can slow performance, especially with under powered video cards.

Even Viewer is a great tool used by administrators that records event errors that happen “behind the scenes” so to speak. The information in these logs are meant for admins and advanced users to help determine why certain errors are occurring. Most users won’t need to worry about this section, but you may need to access it while receiving tech support.

Resource Monitor is like the Task Manager on steroids…it’s a great tool to monitor what apps and services are using up your system’s memory, processor, disk usage, and network activity. If you find a service or program that is frozen or taking up too many resources you can close it out.

A very handy tool that is not well known about is the ability to generate a system health report.

Wait while an analysis takes place and the information is collected…

The report takes about a minute to create and then you can go through a very detailed analysis of virtually every aspect of your system.

You can also export the report to HTML format so you can share or save the report for future comparisons and troubleshooting.

If you’re experiencing problems with your Windows 7 machine, using the included advanced system tools can help a lot, without the need for installing 3rd party utilities. 

Startup

Installation for “A Note” is quick and straightforward. Once you have finished the installation you will be presented with the following message window. You can choose to enable server synchronization for your notes if desired (click “Yes”)…for our example we chose to keep everything locally stored on our system (click “No”).

After you have made your choice concerning server synchronization you will see your first blank note. Notice the minimal toolbar available at the moment…

A Note in Action

Once you have sorted through the options and set the preferences to suit your needs, just use the “Right Click Menu” for the “System Tray Icon” to add new notes or manage your current ones.

Here you can see three notes on our desktop…the individual notes can be named and the toolbar expanded with extra commands.

Note: Images can not be added to these notes.

This is how they look when “Minimized”…ready when you need them but definitely out of your way at the same time.

This is the “Right Click Menu” for the notes.

This is the warning message that you will see whenever you delete a note. “A Note” has the wonderful ability to allow you to retrieve accidentally deleted notes (unless the feature has been deactivated in the options).

Options

The options for “A Note” have been broken down into “micro categories” to help you focus quickly on the exact category that you are wanting to modify. Set default titles, enable/disable deletion warnings, and activate/deactivate version checking in the “General Area”.

Go with a randomized or specified note color scheme with or without borders in the “Looks Area”.

Choose desired behavior for your notes in the “Behaviour Area”.

Select the exact area of your screen for new notes to appear and the desired width in the “New Note Area”.

Specify the font and size/style that you want to use in your notes in the “Font Area”.

Activate/deactivate the alarm settings and choose the alarm sound file for notes in the “Alarm Area”.

Set up your database and server settings (if desired) in the “Database and Server Areas”.

Set the level of transparency that you would like to use in the “Transparency Area”. Even though it says for Windows 2000 or XP only we were able to use the Transparency function without problems on our Vista system.

Set up basic hotkey commands in the “Hot Key Area”.

Specify the amount of deleted notes to be retained in the “Recycle Bin Area”. It is recommended to leave the default setting as is if you are worried about any accidental (or regretted) deletions.

Add or delete commands from the “Notes Toolbar” on your notes in the “Toolbar Area”. You can also set a specific order for the commands to appear in based on your particular needs.

Note: “Bottom to Top” = “Left to Right”

Set the default language in the “Language Area”.

Choose the particular Charset that you need in the “Charset Area”.

Conclusion

“A Note” may not be the most glamorous looking sticky notes program available, but it is certainly capable of getting the job done and getting it done right.

Links

Download A Note (version 4.2.1) – (SourceForge Homepage)

Download A Note (version 4.2.1) – (Alternate SourceForge Download Page)

Add Videos to Start Menu (Windows 7)

There are links to several things on the Start Menu by default, but the Videos folder is not one of them. To add it right-click on the Start button and select Properties, and under the Start Menu tab click on Customize.

Now scroll down to Videos and select Display as a link and click Ok.

Videos now appears on your Start Menu.

Add Internet Search to Start Menu

A few weeks ago we showed you how to  search websites from your desktop using search connectors in Windows 7. Another neat trick is adding Internet search to the Start menu (this uses Local Group Policy Editor which is only available in Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate versions of Windows 7).

Go to Start and type in gpedit.msc into the search box.

In Local Group Policy Editor go to User Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Start Menu and Taskbar.

Under Setting double click on Add Search Internet link to Start Menu.

Set it to Enabled and hit Apply and OK.

Now when you go to search from something from the Start Menu you will see the Search the Internet link.

Show More Recent Programs Without making the Start Menu huge

The program icons in the Start Menu are large by default and if you want to display more recent programs, it makes the menu much larger on the screen.

We can make the icons smaller and add more items by right-clicking on Start \ Properties and click the Customize button. Scroll down and uncheck the box next to Use large icons then click Ok. Under Start menu size increase the number of recent programs to display. 

The result is smaller icons with more being displayed in the menu without taking up extra screen real estate like in this example.

Even More Start Menu Tweaks

Here’s a list of more Start Menu tweaks that we’ve already covered,but are worth revisiting to help you take control of the menu. Most of these are for Windows 7 and Vista but a few are for XP too.

• Disable Highlighting New Programs in Windows 7, Vista, and XP
• Get the Classic Star Menu in Windows 7
• Enable Run Command on Windows 7 or Vista Start Menu
• Change the Number of Recent Items Shown on the Windows 7 and Vista Start Menu
• Change the Windows 7 or Vista Power Buttons to Shut Down/Sleep/Hibernate
• Stop Windows Update from Hijacking the Sleep/Shutdown Button
• Enable “Pin to Start Menu” for Folders in Windows Vista/XP
• Remove the Username from the Start Menu in XP

These should get you started for now, and we’ll undoubtedly have more in the future. How about you guys? Share some of your favorite Start Menu tweaks that help you manage Windows more effectively.

Windows Update

The Windows Update feature had come a long way since the days of XP and is much improved in Vista and Windows 7. To access Windows Updates type Windows Update into the search bar in the Start menu.

In the new Windows Update it’s easier to review, install, manage, and check updates. It also shows updates for MS Office products without having to check them separately.

It would be nice if it gave detailed info versus a generalized description to save time. But if you aren’t sure about an update or want to find out more information, click the link in the right column.

It brings you to the MS site where you can read up more on what you’re installing.

Some updates will require that you agree to a MS EULA.

Some updates will require a system reboot, but you’ll have the option to postpone the restart for a few hours or until you reboot manually.

It also allows changing the settings for how Windows installs updates from completely automatic to turning them off and settings in between. Important updates should be enabled by default on a pre-installed system but if you want to make sure you can select that option here.

It’s also easier to uninstall Windows Updates if one breaks another application or makes the system unstable. They’re listed in their own section and you can right click and select Uninstall.

To stop seeing unwanted updates, highlight them, right-click and select Hide updates. If you want to install them later you can always restore them.

Update Third Party Apps

Keeping Windows updated is very important, but it doesn’t end there. You also want to make sure your other applications are updated as well, and not just for the reasons of stability and new features. Security holes can pop up in common third party applications like Adobe, Flash, Java…etc. 

You can certainly go through each app individually and check for updates, but that can be tedious and you may not remember to update them all. To save time, use a utility like Secunia Personal Software Inspector which will check apps installed on your computer for updates. The really neat thing is that it also provides direct links to patches and updates for you to download and install. You can also set it to run in the background for continuous monitoring for updates.

Another popular and free solution is Belarc Advisor. It won’t actually update problems for you, but it gives a detailed report and points you to where updates can be found.

Hardware Driver Updates

Keeping your drivers up to date is important for system stability and performance. With newer hardware I have noticed Windows Update will sometimes include new driver versions, but not for everything. You can check out your computer manufacturers website to check for new updates for your hardware.

Some computer manufacturers include a utility to check for your system updates that you can run from time to time.

Or you can use a utility like DriverMax which will find updates for your drivers and will also backup and restore them.

Other Update Tips

If you have any Apple apps on your system such as iTunes, it includes its own software update utility. You might want to monitor these updates closely because they tend to add a bunch of unwanted apps during an update.

It should go without saying to update your Antivirus program, but it is surprising how often this can be overlooked.

By keeping Windows, drivers, and other software updated you will keep your system secure and running smooth.

Download Secunia PSI

Download Belarc Advisor

Download DriverMax

Click on any of the images below for a larger version of the image more suitable for using as a wallpaper. Since everybody’s desktop might be a different size, you may have to crop or adjust the images for best effect. Happy Halloween! 

Here we look at an example of the annoyance, notice the tacky highlight over programs that were recently installed.

Disable in Vista & Windows 7

To disable it in Vista and Windows 7 right-click on the Start Menu and select Properties.

The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties screen open and you want to click on Customize.

In the Customize Start Menu screen scroll down and uncheck Highlight newly installed programs, then click Ok.

That’s it! Now you’re free of the annoying highlighting of new programs in the Start menu.

Disable in XP

You can do this in XP as well basically the same way. Right-click on Start \ Properties then make sure Start menu is selected and click Customize.

Then click on the Advanced tab and uncheck Highlight newly installed programs, click Ok and close out of the remaining screens.

If you are new to computers you may not want to disable this feature because it can help you easily distinguish between old and new programs. If you find it annoying, disable it and enjoy a cleaner Start menu.

Note: XP Mode is a separate download that only works in Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions.

Can My Computer Run XP Mode?

If you have a new computer you might assume that it should be able to run XP Mode right? Not necessarily. Your system CPU will need to be able to support hardware virtualization. An Intel processor uses Intel Virtualization Technology and an AMD processor would be AMD-V with their Virtualization capability. One of the easiest tools I have found is SecurAble from the Gibson Research Company. It doesn’t require installation and quickly tells you if your CPU is capable of Hardware Virtualization.

If it’s not available or locked off, you might be able to go into the system BIOS and activate it. Look carefully in the BIOS because the setting is not always clearly labeled. If you still don’t see it, you might be able to update to the manufacturers latest version and get it to work. Make sure you know what you’re doing when updating your system BIOS and follow all the manufacturer’s steps, otherwise you can turn the PC into a giant paper weight.

If your system doesn’t support Hardware Virtualization, unfortunately you won’t be able to run XP Mode.

Install XP Mode for Windows 7

To get everything rolling you will need a couple of files (links below) and the first one to download and install is Windows XP Mode.

Secondly, download and install Windows Virtual PC. After installing this one a reboot will be required.

After you get back from the restart, go to the Start menu and click on Windows Virtual PC.

Enter in a password for the VM and click on Remember credentials if you don’t want to enter it every time it’s launched.

Agree to the EULA and choose if you want automatic updates or not.

Just wait a few minutes while it sets up.

Now you are ready to start using XP Mode.

Using XP Mode

If you’ve ever ran XP or another OS on a virtual machine before, running XP mode in Windows 7 should be familiar. XP operates like it would on a stand alone machine. You can navigate through the OS the same way as you normally would. There is no pointer capture like there is in other VM apps, just click on the screen to operate the XP operating system.

The version of Windows is XP Professional SP3.

You can easily send the Ctrl+Alt+Del command. To completely turn off the machine the first time you will need to shut it down from this screen.

You can use USB drives as well, just click USB on the toolbar and choose the drive you want XP Mode to recognize.

It will share drives that are connected to the Windows 7 machine to the XP VM.

While playing around in XP on your Windows 7 machine is cool, the main reason for XP Mode is to run applications that only work with XP on the new OS. You need to install the XP compatible program on the virtual machine first, just like you normally would. In this example I installed the old school MusicMatch Player version 7.5 on the XP VM.

To run the apps in XP Mode you need to close out of the VM first.

Then go to the Start menu and Windows Virtual PC \ XP Mode Applications and the app you want to run.

The virtual machine process starts up but you don’t see the whole OS, just the application you want to run. You can use it just like you would if it were installed on Window 7.

You can also go into the VM settings and change things like allocating more memory, hard drives, networking settings…etc.

Conclusion

This feature is mainly geared toward businesses who have proprietary apps that only work with XP, but a professional geek can definitely get some great use from this feature. I tested this on a Windows 7 32-bit machine with 3GB of RAM and everything ran very smoothly. I have read reports saying the performance is slower on notebooks and desktops with slower hardware but you’ll need to try it yourself to find that out. It will also work with Virtual Hard Drives created on the Windows 7 machine which is pretty cool for easily sharing files. If you’re a hard core geek and have hardware that will handle XP Mode this should get you started in finding cool ways to use it.  

Download XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC

Download SecurAble

The problem is most likely because ClearType is not enabled by default when you setup Windows in a virtual machine. For example, take a look at these two shots:

Without ClearType (notice the jaggy fonts)

With ClearType:

The second screenshot is a lot more readable, especially on an LCD screen.

Enable ClearType in XP

Head into the Display Properties via the desktop context menu, open up the Appearance tab and click the Effects button.

Then change the drop-down to ClearType instead of Standard.

The changes should happen immediately, and no more jaggy screen fonts in your virtual machine. I would also show you how to enable ClearType in Windows Vista, but I can’t think of any good reason why you would use Vista in a VM instead of XP.

About Sandboxie

Sandboxie creates a virtual environment called a “sandbox” that lets you run applications without affecting your actual computer system. You can install a new application in the sandbox environment to test it out, without having to worry about it making changes to the OS. It allows more security when browsing the web as well…when you open a browser in the sandbox environment, the cookies, site history, cached files, etc are deleted when you clear the sandbox content or shut it down.

Installation is straight forward and easy following the installation wizard. It runs on 32-bit versions of Windows, but unfortunately will not work on 64 bit versions due to mandatory code signing of drivers.

After installing you may get a software compatibility screen to improve compatibility with certain apps.

Now you’re ready to start using Sandboxie.

Using Sandboxie

The first time you use Sandboxie, it’s an opportunity to see what running a browser in Sandboxie is like by going through the getting started tutorial in sandboxed mode.

You can identify an application that is running in Sandboxie by the extra [#] indicators in the title bar.

You can also browse for the program or file you want to run in Sandboxie.

Here we will take a look at how Sandboxie works. In this example, I opened Firefox in Sandboxie and started to download Dropbox.

Notice the installation is happening in the sandboxed environment represented by the [#] indicators.

Anything you do with a sandboxed app will open everything in a sandboxed environment. For example, here I am running DropBox in the sandbox. When clicking on the Forgot Password link, it opens up Firefox (or whatever the default browser is) in sandboxed mode as well.

No changes will be made to your actual system so after a file is downloaded, a screen will pop up asking if you want to recover it to your system (files are saved in the Sandboxie Directory you install it to). After you get used to Sandboxie you can disable this screen from showing. 

To recover a file in Sandboxie control go to Sandbox \ DefaultBox \Quick Recovery.

Now you can choose files and folders you want to recover from the sandbox and here you can also add folders.

You can send apps to the sandbox from the context menu.

You can also run them directly in the sandbox which comes in very handy when you’re not sure what an application might do to your system.

Sandboxie is a free application for personal use, but after 30 days you will get a reminder screen wanting you to purchase a license.

There are good reasons to run apps in a sandboxed environment which we touched on earlier. You can use it to make your web browsing sessions safe and to test out programs and other apps before actually installing them on your system. It can also help in avoiding spyware bundled in a program by installing it to the sandbox first. It works on Windows XP, Vista, and ran successfully on Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit for this article, 64-Bit is not supported.

Download Sandboxie