January 28, 2012

Ready or not, you're getting IE 8 or 9

-from WindowsSecrets.com-Susan BradleyBy Susan Bradley

Microsoft wants to strong-arm us into abandoning IE 6 and embracing its latest browsers.

Starting Jan. 17, Microsoft began pushing out IE 8 and IE 9 to all customers through Windows Update.

It began in Brazil and Australia. As noted in Microsoft's Dec. 15, 2011, Exploring IE blog, the company's plan is a slow rollout of IE Versions 8 and 9 to all Windows XP, Vista, and Win7 users who have automatic Windows Updates turned on.

IE 9 has been offered to users as an optional update (prechecking the update box), but this is the first time a new version of IE has been set to automatically install. If you previously said no to IE 9 on Vista or Windows 7 (or IE 8 on Windows XP), Microsoft will continue to respect your wishes — neither of those browsers will automatically download to your machine.


































Fixing what Microsoft did to your IE settings 

Although I like Internet Explorer 9's new features, I'm not thrilled with its default interface — a sort of Google Chrome clone. So the first thing I did after installing IE 9 was re-enable all the toolbars, menus, and favorites I used to see in the previous versions. I also chose the option to show tabs on a separate row.

If you, too, prefer the classic IE look, follow these steps: Right-click the upper edge of IE9. A hovering, popup menu should appear, as shown in Figure 1. Click those items you've used in the past and would like to see again. As you'll see in Figure 2, I checked Menu bar, Favorites bar, Command bar, Status bar, and Show tabs on separate row.
IE9 without options
Figure 1. IE 9 in its bare-bones, default look, sans menu bars. Right-click the title bar at the top of the window to bring up your display options.

IE 9 with options
Figure 2. IE 9 with the full set of menu bars checked.

I am fond of saying that if I wanted to run Google Chrome rather than IE, I would — and I do. But when I'm using Internet Explorer, I want it to look as I expect it to. (I tend to use Chrome at home and IE at work — and especially when using apps that demand IE's ActiveX support.

Don't forget the security updates for IE 
A more important reason to use the latest version of IE is malware protection. PCs are more secure when allinstalled browsers are up to date. And that includes regular patching. This past December's IE 9 update KB 2618444, in particular, includes both security and functionality enhancements.

Some IE 9 users have had trouble downloading PDFs from sites using https (SSL) security. Here's how to fix it. Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner of an IE window, select Internet Options, click the Advanced tab, and clear the Do not save encrypted pages to disk check box in the Security group. (See Figure 3.) Click OK to finish. You'll find more on this fix in MS Help and Support article 2549423.

IE9encrypted
Figure 3. Adjusting IE 9 when PDFs fail to download

Hotfixes for IE 9 and compatibility issues 
Under specific circumstances, you'll need hotfixes for IE 9. For example, if Windows Fax and Scan fails after installing IE 9, MS Help and Support article 2647169 provides a link to the fix. (Note that you cannot directly download a hotfix. You have to request one by e-mail.)

If you have critical accessibility add-ons to help you view PC screens, check their compatibility with IE 9. As noted in the SSB BART Group blog on IE 9's compatibility with assistive technology, various software vendors' tools need updating to work properly. You can also try toggling hardware-based graphics and text-rendering within IE 9 by using the Fix its in MS Help and Support article 25285233.

If, after all of that updating, you still can't stand IE 9, you can use the Fix it in article 2579295 to uninstall the browser.

But you really ought to give IE 9 a try — it brings the latest security updates to Windows 7.






IE 8 is just as important for Windows XP systems 
Moving to IE 8 on Windows XP is just as critical as upgrading to IE 9 on Vista and Windows 7. However, as you might expect, IE 8 has far fewer user enhancements than does IE 9.

Before installing IE 8 permanently, verify that your add-ins and tool bars are compatible. For example, the XFinity Toolbar was not originally compatible with IE 8. (It might have since been fixed.) MS Help and Support article 2321301 provides a Fix it that disables the toolbar.

There are still a few websites that do not play well with IE 8 (and IE 9). Before uninstalling these browsers, try Compatibility View first. The MS Help & How-to page, "Why are some webpages blank or incorrectly displayed in Internet Explorer 9?" details how to turn Compatibility View on and gives other troubleshooting tips.

Even though we're close to killing off IE 6 on Windows XP in most of the world, it's a vastly different scenario in China. As noted on Microsoft's IE 6 countdown site, 25 percent of China's users are still running XP with IE 6. I sincerely hope that any Windows Secrets reader still running IE 6 would be doing so for only crucial reasons — and is keeping that XP system off the Web as much as possible.

Ten years ago, the Internet was a different place. Websites were kinder and gentler. Now, many of them want to attack you. It's time to take stock of your Internet browsers and make sure they are as up to date as they can be.

Source: 
http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/ready-or-not-youre-getting-ie-8-or-9/

January 6, 2012

Dexpot Virtual Desktop Utility


Having experience with multiple desktops on Linux, this feature is missing in Windows. But it is available as an add-in using Dexpot Virtual Desktop. It is a free utility that works great. See a review below and where to get it.

Expand Your Desktop Workspace With Dexpot – Cool Virtual Desktop Software [Windows]


virtual desktop software

The other day, I was talking to one of my friends, who is an avid Linux user. He told me that one of the Linux features he simply can’t do without is “virtual desktops”. These are multiple workspaces that allow you to divide and conquer your workload into several discrete areas, so that you don’t get a jumble of unrelated icons cluttering your taskbar and distracting you from what you’re trying to do. Well, now I can tell my friend that such a thing does exist in the Windows world – maybe not as a native feature, but in the form of the powerful Dexpot application, which is free for personal use. In fact, the app bills itself as “the tool Windows lacks”.
Dexpot is an established player in the Windows virtual desktop space – if you’ve ever looked for a virtual desktop software solution for Windows, you may well have come across it. It is under active development, with the latest version released on June 29th this year.  There’s also a portable version which you can take along on a USB stick.

Out of The Box Functionality

When you install and run Dexpot, you will instantly see a few subtle changes to your system. The first thing you may notice is that the application’s taskbar icon provides instant access to four workspaces. It looks like this:

virtual desktop software

If you click on any of the alternate workspaces, all of your currently running tasks will instantly disappear off the taskbar. This can be a real “a-ha” moment when showing the app to someone – it’s an instant demonstration of how it can radically alter your working style and unclutter your desktop.
The next change you may notice off the bat is that Dexpot adds its own menu entry for the Window menu of every app running on your system:

virtual desktop software free

This is one way you can instantly get a feel of Dexpot’s power. The menu lets you do all sorts of operations with the window, not all related to other virtual desktops – you can set it as always on top, or minimize it to the tray, too. But obviously, using the menu on a day-to-day basis would not be the easiest way to enjoy Dexpot’s power, so now would be a great time to dive into the configuration interface and find some keyboard shortcuts!

Initial Configuration

virtual desktop software free

As can be expected for such a mature app, Dexpot’s configuration interface is chock-full of options, tweaks and settings. I won’t take you through the whole interface (half the fun is exploring!) but let’s look at some of the more common options.
I like how Dexpot does not automatically set itself to start with Windows – that’s very polite and un-intrusive. But if you’re serious about using the app, you would definitely want to check the box that says Start with Windows. Also, if you’re just getting started with this whole virtual desktop idea, four desktops (the default) may be too much. I changed mine to three – I have a dual-monitor system, so plenty of windows can fit onto a single desktop, and I think three should be enough for me. Speaking of dual monitors – a “desktop” includes both monitors. It’s your entire workspace, however large it is.
Now, let’s get back to those keyboard shortcuts I promised. You can find a boatload of these under Controls:

virtual desktop software free

As you can see, the default key for switching desktops is Alt+number (Alt+2 for desktop 2, and so on). And to send (move) a window to a different desktop, use Alt+Shift+number. You can also switch workspaces using the mouse, and Dexpot also offers a complex interface for configuring what happens when you interact with a window’s title bar:

virtual desktop software review

Bells & Whistles

The last thing I’d like to discuss is Dexpot’s optional plugins. Most of these are disabled by default, but they can add lots of functionality. For instance, the Dexcube plugin enables a Compiz-like rotating 3D cube effect for switching between desktops:
virtual desktop software

On a dual-monitor system, the cube only shows up on one monitor. But on my system (which is not a monster gaming rig) the cube transitions were impressively smooth and quick. There are lots of other plugins, as well.

Final Thoughts

As usual in reviewing such powerful apps, I have only skimmed the surface of what Dexpot can do. I haven’t even discussed customizing per-desktop wallpaper, desktop names, and lots of other things you can set and tweak.
It is not often that I get to describe an application as “humble”, but that’s the first word that comes to mind when I think of Dexpot. Installing it is like meeting a new person who doesn’t look like much at first, but then you start talking to them and discover how truly deep they are. Out of the box, Dexpot’s defaults are very sane – conservative, even. But as you dig into its myriad settings and options, you will discover it offers fantastic customization options. Simply put, this is a very powerful virtual desktop software solution. Highly recommended.

You can download it here: http://dexpot.de/index.php?lang=en

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/expand-desktop-workspace-dexpot-cool-virtual-desktop-software-windows/