January 22, 2015

Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users


PCWORLD- It’s official, folks: Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for existing Windows users—as long as you claim it quickly.

Kicking off the consumer-focused Windows 10 event in Redmond on Tuesday, Microsoft operating system chief Terry Myerson announced that current users of Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 for free for one year after the operating system launches. Once you’ve claimed the upgrade, Microsoft will keep you updated for the supported lifetime of the device.


“We think of Windows 10 as a service,” Myerson said.
Is there a catch? Here's the fine print from the Windows 10 page on Microsoft's site:
“It is our intent that most of these devices will qualify, but some hardware/software requirements apply and feature availability may vary by device. Devices must be connected to the internet and have Windows Update enabled. ISP fees may apply. Windows 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1 Update required. Some editions are excluded: Windows 7 Enterprise, Windows 8/8.1 Enterprise, and Windows RT/RT 8.1. Active Software Assurance customers in volume licensing have the benefit to upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise outside of this offer. We will be sharing more information and additional offer terms in coming months.”

The decision to make Windows 10 a free upgrade for existing users—at least for a limited time—makes sense. Windows 8 users have vocally expressed their displeasure with the operating system, prompting happy Windows 7 users to stay put on that OS. That hinders Microsoft's ability to execute its vision for a service-centric, cloud-connected future for Windows; making Windows 10 free could spur more users into embracing a modern Microsoft operating system.

And hey, it'd be weird to charge for Windows 10 after Windows 8 flopped so hard and Apple started giving away OS upgrades. Right?

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873214/windows-10-will-be-a-free-upgrade-for-windows-7-and-8-users.html

January 11, 2015

System Restore On Reboot – Deep Freeze Your Windows Installation With Free Tools

If you’ve ever wanted to maintain a system state to keep it secure and not allow any changes, then you might want to try deep freezing your Windows computer.
Unlike a factory reset, which wipes everything back to the manufacturer’s default, a deep freeze allows you to create a specific system state that you want your computer to restore back to. Windows 8 has built-in utilities to restore and refresh your system, but this is a bit different.
There are paid and free applications to help you accomplish this, so we’re going to look at both and see what’s available on the market.

What Is Deep Freeze?

Deep Freeze is an application that resets the system state every time you reboot your computer. This means that any change to the system, like installing a program or adjusting a setting, will be forgotten when the system starts up again.

deep freeze

Deep Freeze is developed by Faronics and is available on modern versions of Windows. It’s suitable for a single computer workstation or an entire server. While Deep Freeze is a very useful tool, the downside is that it’s commercial. There’s nothing inherently wrong with paying for software, but there are a number of free alternatives out there that might suit you better.
Download: Deep Freeze (30-day free trial) or purchase full edition (price on request).

Why Would I Need It?

Have you ever used a public computer? Those found in hotels or libraries will probably use some sort of system restoring software. This is because these systems are set up to run in a very specific way. Users may accidentally download malware, attempt to install a program or alter the visual style of the computer – to keep tabs on this across all systems and then fix any changes is far too time consuming.

cyber-security-myths-antivirus-is-good

Not only does it come in handy for businesses, but deep freezing a system can be beneficial to you as an individual, too. Have you ever set up a computer for a friend or relative only to return at a later date to find it riddled with junk? Or perhaps they’ve changed a setting somewhere and they don’t know how to get it back to normal?
Save yourself the hassle of fulfilling the tech support role and instead let their computer dismiss any changes when they reboot. Additionally, be sure to read our guide on how to make their computer harder to break.

What Are The Free Alternatives?

If this sounds like something you might benefit from then we’ve rounded up a list of free software that will deep freeze your system. Be sure to post a comment below if you’ve used any of these before or have your own suggestion to add.

Steadier State

Steadier State is a program developed specifically for Windows 7. The name comes from Windows SteadyState, a free deep freezing utility that Microsoft provided for XP and Vista, which was discontinued and is no longer compatible with new operating systems.

steadier state

A good thing about this program is that every time the system reboots, you can choose whether to roll back to the original state or keep the changes. It’s a simple little utility, but if you’re running Windows 7 off a few single machines, then it’ll do the job well.

Reboot Restore Rx

While Reboot Restore Rx does have a paid alternative (Drive Vaccine) that offers additional features, like scheduled restoring, remote managed and critical update automation, the free version does the job just fine for basic use.

reboot restore


The program supports Windows 2000 to Windows 8.1, both 32-bit and 64-bit, and is still being updated to this day. It’s a bit different to some other programs because it uses its own mini operating system that functions at the sector level of the hard drive, ensuring the master boot records’ integrity is kept.

ToolWiz Time Freeze

One of the great things about ToolWiz Time Freeze is its simplicity. All you need to do is tick a single box and the program will work its magic. You can also start the program while the system is running or alternatively enable it to automatically run on each boot.

time freeze

You can add a password protection to your time freeze to make it harder for someone to disable the protection. ToolWiz Time Freeze is available on everything from Windows XP and above. It even claims to work on Windows 10, which is still in beta!

‘Till Windows Freezes Over

Whether you just want to protect your own computer or a whole bank of them, deep freezing a system can come in very useful. No longer do you have to worry about anything troubling your system again – simply restart and the changes are gone!
You don’t even have to use these programs permanently. For example, there might be times where you let someone play around on your system and you could enable one of these utilities prior to the fact in order to maintain your preferred state.

There’s loads of uses for a deep freeze and luckily an arsenal of free programs to help you out!
Do you make use of any deep freeze software? If so, how does it come in useful for you? Do you have any other freeware to add to our list?

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/system-restore-reboot-deep-freeze-windows-installation-free-tools/

January 2, 2015

How to get Windows 10's best new features today

Windows 9? Fuhgeddaboutit. Microsoft skipped that digit and jumped straight to Windows 10 for the next-gen version of its operating system. Revealed at a preview event on September 30, Windows 10 aims to atone for the sins of Windows 8 by wooing PC power users with a mix of compromise and outright bribery. 
A reborn Start menu, windowed Metro apps, virtual desktop support, and enhanced Command Prompt tools are enticing lures indeed. Alas, Windows 10 itself isn't expected until the middle of 2015—a veritable eternity for folks slogging through Windows 8's Live Tiles. But fear not! You don't have to wait to get the best of Windows 10 today.
Microsoft will offer a Windows 10 Technical Preview in the months ahead of the operating system's launch, but if you don't like the idea of slapping pre-release OSes on your computer, some handy-dandy software can deliver some of Windows 10's highlight features to your Windows 8 PC today
Consider it a taste of things to come. Let's dig in!

 

The return of the Start Menu

A slew of Start menu replacements hit the web the second the Start Menu-less Windows 8 hit the streets, but when it comes time to put your cash on the line, the decision boils down to just two programs: Stardock’s Start8 and Classic Shell.

start8 taskbar Stardock
Stardock’s polished Start8 Start Menu matches the color of your taskbar. (Click to enlarge.)
Those reviews have all the nitty-gritty details, but you’ll probably want to start with Classic Shell since it’s donationware. Classic Shell includes options for both Windows XP- and Windows 7-style Start menus, along with numerous customization options. You can tinker with what’s listed in the Classic Shell Start Menu, or even change the look of its Start button to an icon of your choice. Cool stuff, indeed.
Start8, meanwhile, offers either a Windows 7 Start Menu or a Modern UI-tinged Windows 8 Start Menu that’s more in line with what Microsoft itself is cooking up. The $5 Start8 app is more polished and easier to use than the open-source Classic Shell, which is chock full of ugly buttons. Start8 still offers plenty of options and features, though, and you can’t go wrong with either program.
You might also consider Start Menu Reviver. We didn't like it quite as much as Start8 or Classic Shell, but its tile-infused interface mimics the look of Windows 10's Start menu much more closely than its more classicly themed counterparts.

 

Windowed desktop Metro apps


windows10 app commands Image: Microsoft
A Metro app running in a desktop window in Windows 10.
Sure, the Windows 8.1 spring update added plenty of mouse-friendly features, but it still doesn’t let you use Modern apps in desktop windows. If you want that capability today, you only have one place to turn: The utterly superb ModernMix software.
Again offered by Stardock—do you get the feeling that the folks at Stardock weren’t impressed by Windows 8?—ModernMix exists solely to let you run Windows Store apps in desktop Windows. It’s wonderful if you use Windows 8’s native apps, such as email, calendar, and Music, all of which stick to the Modern UI.

ModernMix in action. Seriously, buy it today.
ModernMix runs like a charm even with the updates recently introduced to Windows 8.1. It’s well worth the $5 admission price.

 

Virtual desktops


windows10 tech preview virtual desktop Image: Microsoft
Windows 10's virtual desktop feature in action.
Windows has long limited you to a single desktop interface. OS X and Linux operating systems, on the other hand, support virtual desktops—essentially multiple, configurable, virtual desktops you're able to switch between, so that you can have completely separate desktop interfaces for work and play or whatever.
But Windows 10 ditches that one desktop frame of mind, adding support for multiple desktops via a new "Task View" feature.

dexpot
One PC, many virtual desktops, courtesy of Dexpot.
Why wait? If you want to start using virtual desktops on Windows today, just download Dexpot. It's not only free for personal use, it's chock full of UI hints that remind you that new desktop experiences are just a click away. Dexpot is insanely customizable and so finely polished that it makes virtual desktops feel like a native part of Windows—which they will soon indeed be.

Note: Microsoft also offers a free mutli-desktop utility here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/cc817881.aspx

 

Bringing it all together

There you have it: For less than the cost of a large pizza, you can have Windows 10’s most-anticipated improvements right now. Give yourself time to get used to Dexpot and you'll wonder how you ever managed to work without virtual desktops. And once you’ve welcomed a Start Menu replacement and ModernMix into your workflow—especially paired with the Windows 8.1 spring Update’s tremendous tweaks—you might just be surprised how well those newfangled Modern apps translate to the familiar desktop experience.
Now if only there was a tool that added keyboard shortcuts to the Command Prompt...
Editor's note: This article was originally published on April 16, 2014 but was updated with virtual desktop information and tweaked language on September 12, 2014 when leaks of the Windows Technical Preview appeared. The article was updated again on September 30 2014 when Windows 10 was revealed.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2144540/dont-wait-for-windows-9-how-to-get-a-start-menu-windowed-metro-apps-today.html

Other links:
UxStyle memory patching: http://uxstyle.com
UltraUXThemePatcher: http://www.syssel.net/hoefs/software_uxtheme.php?lang=en
Windows 10 Theme for Windows 7: http://cu88.deviantart.com
Windows10 Theme for Windows 8.1: http://cu88.deviantart.com
Taskbar UserTile/Mosaic/Aura: http://angelwzr.deviantart.com
WinMetro: http://iobit.com/iobit-winmetro.php
Newgen: http://nsapps.net
RocketDock: http://rocketdock.com
expstart: http://coderforlife.com
Desktops: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/cc817881.aspx
Start Menu Reviver: http://www.reviversoft.com/start-menu-reviver/
Read more at http://www.windowsxlive.net/windows-10-ux-pack/#g1wO18TZ9V0BMQf3.99

January 1, 2015

How To Center Windows 7 Taskbar Items

Many of you are aware that Microsoft changed the taskbar in Windows 7 quite a bit in comparison to Vista and Windows XP. The taskbar is by no means a perfect solution, but it offers several improvements that make sense to the majority of users.
I for myself like the ability to pin programs, folders and files to the taskbar as it is a very comfortable option to open the items in the operating system.
The pinned and open items on the other hand are always located on the left side of the taskbar, on the right side of the start menu orb. Some users may want to change the location, especially if they have a widescreen monitor with lots of space on the taskbar.
Some users may prefer to center the taskbar items on the taskbar to improve their accessibility. A quick hack that does not take more than a minute can take care of it.

windows 7 taskbar center items

Windows 7 users have two options for this. They need another toolbar on the taskbar. They can use an existing toolbar, for instance Desktop, or create a blank folder on the system and select that folder for a new toolbar.
All they need to do to create a new toolbar is to right-click the Windows taskbar, select Toolbars and then New Toolbar. Browse to the location of the blank folder and select it. This adds the folder to the taskbar.

windows new toolbar

Now right-click the taskbar again, and click on Lock the taskbar to unlock it. This makes it possible to move taskbar items around. The new folder toolbar is added to the right of the taskbar. Move that new toolbar to the left in front of the taskbar items. This pushes the pinned items to the middle. It is possible to extend and move toolbars by dragging and dropping the dividers in front of each toolbar.


taskbar divider

To make it quick. Drag the new folder toolbar to the left side in front of the pinned items toolbar. Once that is done move the original toolbar to the middle to center it.
Once the position is fixed right-click the folder toolbar, and remove show text and show title from the context menu. This hides the new toolbar completely from the taskbar, and keeps the normal toolbar with the pinned items and open programs in the middle of the taskbar. Right-click the taskbar again, and lock it to finalize the change.
It is possible to undo the change by right-clicking the taskbar, selecting toolbars from the menu and then the new folder toolbar to remove it from the taskbar.

Source: http://www.ghacks.net/2010/10/20/how-to-center-windows-7-taskbar-items/