Change Start Menu to Use Small Icons in Windows 7 or Vista
Windows Vista uses large icons by default in the start menu, and it hides the setting for small icons pretty well. No matter, we’ve located it. (Thankfully Windows 7 is a bit easier)
Copy Path of a File to the Clipboard in Windows 7 or Vista
How often have you opened an Open dialog and wished you could just quickly paste in the path of the file you are already looking at in Windows Explorer? Well… now you can, in Windows Vista.
Make User Account Control (UAC) Stop Blacking Out the Screen in Windows 7 or Vista
In Windows 7 or Vista, the screen goes dark when the User Account Control window comes up, which is extremely annoying. They call it the “Secure Desktop”, but I think it’s obnoxious.
Using Windows 7 or Vista Compatibility Mode
Windows Vista or Windows 7, will have problems running some older versions of applications, just because so much has changed under the hood from Windows XP days. Thankfully there is a compatibility mode that can be easily set…
Adding Indexing Locations in Windows Vista
Windows Vista has a new built-in searching engine that is completely integrated into the operating system, but not all directories are indexed by default. To add a new directory to be indexed, you just have to follow a couple…
Understanding Vista’s New Network Connection Icons
Windows Vista’s network connected icons that live in the system tray have a new feature: They let you know if you are connected to the internet, or just your local network. These new icons are especially useful when you are c…
Select Files using Check Boxes in Windows Vista
Windows Vista has a new feature in Windows Explorer that is very useful.. checkboxes! Instead of holding down the Ctrl key and clicking a bunch of different files to select them, you can just click the checkboxes… no more a…
Speed up Your Windows Vista Computer with ReadyBoost
Windows Vista includes a new feature called ReadyBoost that lets you plug in a flash memory stick or SD card to store commonly used files for quicker access than off the hard drive.
Disable Windows Sidebar in Vista
Let’s be honest: If you are reading this article, then you probably think the Windows Sidebar in Windows Vista is cheesy and useless. Thankfully it’s also easy to disable.
Stop an Application from Running at Startup in Windows Vista
Back in the old days, there were a lot of places an application could hook itself to run at startup. You had to check the registry in more than one place, as well as your start menu. With Windows Vista, there’s a built-in pan…
Add Home Directory Icon to the Desktop in Windows 7 or Vista
One of the new changes in Windows 7 and Vista is that each user has a “Home” directory that is actually accessible and meant to be used. In XP and 2k, you had a hidden home directory that you weren’t meant to muck around in….
Display your Google Calendar in Windows Calendar
Windows Vista includes a built-in calendar application that’s pretty slick, but as an addict to Google Calendar, I’d like to just view my Google calendar in a desktop client. This is where Vista’s “Subscribe” to calendar feat…
Change Internet Explorer in Windows Vista to Search Google by Default
Windows Vista includes Internet Explorer 7, and on a new install it defaults to Microsoft’s Live Search, which is just terrible. Here’s the easy steps to make Google the default search engine instead.
Enable Additional Clocks in Windows 7 or Vista
Windows 7 and Vista include an enhancement to the system clock that lets you display 2 additional clocks when you hover your mouse over the system clock.
How to Install IIS on Windows 7 or Vista
If you are a developer using ASP.NET, one of the first things you’ll want to install on Windows 7 or Vista is IIS (internet information server). Keep in mind that your version of Windows may not come with IIS. I’m using Windo…
Find Out If Your Computer Can Run Windows Vista
With the release of Windows Vista around the corner, I started wondering if my laptop will even run Vista. Thankfully Microsoft provides a utility to examine your system and let you know if you need to upgrade anything….
Disable Power Management on Windows 7 or Vista
If you are using a desktop computer, chances are that you don’t want the computer to go to sleep automatically. This is even more the case if you are running Windows 7 or Vista in a virtual machine for testing purposes….
Blocking Spam from International Senders in Windows Vista Mail
I don’t personally use the Windows Mail client that comes with Windows Vista, but while I was researching how to use it to access my Gmail locally, I discovered a nice option in the Junk Email Options pane….
