In Mozilla Firefox, if you press "Backspace" key it works like the Back button and goes back to the previous page you visited.

Although its a useful feature, some people find it quite annoying for following reasons:

• Sometimes people press Backspace key to remove typed characters from addressbar or from a text field but the field doesn't get activated and the browser goes back to the previous page in history.
• This action has been designed to put consistency in Firefox behavior and other Windows applications. In Linux, the "Backspace" key scrolls up in a page. So you might want to get the same behavior in Windows as well.

If you also find it irritating and want to disable or customize behavior of "Backspace" key in Mozilla Firefox, this tutorial will help you.

1. Open Firefox and type about:config in the addressbar and press Enter. It’ll confirm, click on I’ll be careful, I promise! button.

2. Now type backspace in the Filter box and look for following key:

browser.backspace_action

3. The entry "browser.backspace_action" would be set to 0. You can change its value to any of following based upon your requirements:

1 - To change its action to scroll up in a page. You can use "Shift+Backspace" to scroll down.
2 - To disable it.

4. That's it. If in future, you want to restore the action, simply change its value to 0 or right-click on the key and select "Reset".

There are 2 methods to uninstall SP1 Beta:

• Using Control Panel
• Using Command Prompt

Method 1: Using Control Panel

1. Open Control Panel and click on "Programs -> Uninstall a program" if you are using "Category" view.

If you are using "Icons" view, click on "Programs and Features" icon.

2. Now click on "View installed updates" link given in left sidebar.

3. Select the "Service Pack for Microsoft Windows (KB976932)" item in the given list and click on "Uninstall" button in the toolbar. You can also right-click on the update and select "Uninstall" option.

4. It'll ask for confirmation, click on "Yes" button.

That's it. It'll take some time and will uninstall SP1 Beta from your system.

Method 2: Using Command Prompt

1. Click on “Start button -> All Programs -> Accessories“. Right-click on “Command Prompt” and select “Run As Administrator“. If you are prompted to enter password, enter the password and continue. You can also open Command Prompt in Administrator mode by typing “cmd” in Startmenu Search box and press “Ctrl+Shift+Enter“.

2. Now provide following command and press Enter:

wusa.exe /uninstall /kb:976932

3. It'll ask for confirmation, click on "Yes" button.

That's it. It'll take some time and will uninstall SP1 Beta from your system.

If you use Microsoft's free and excellent anti-virus and anti-spyware product "Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE)", you might already know that it updates its virus definition files using Windows Automatic Update.

If you have disabled Windows Automatic Update, MSE will not update the virus definitions. Then what to do in this case?

Don't worry! In this topic, we'll tell you how to update MSE virus definitions using a built-in MSE command? You don't need Automatic Update enabled to use this command.

=> Simply provide following command in Command Prompt or Startmenu Search box or Run dialog box:

"%programfiles%\Microsoft Security Essentials\MpCmdRun.exe" SignatureUpdate

It'll open a Command Prompt window which will show you a message "Signature update started...". It might take a few minutes depending upon the size of virus definition files.

You can also create a shortcut for the command and place it on Desktop or Quick launch toolbar or pin it to Windows 7 Taskbar. You can even schedule a task for the above mentioned command using Windows Task Scheduler.

Did you know Windows 7 contains a hidden secret "Customer Experience Improvement Program" which collects information about your computer hardware and how you use Windows without interrupting you?

The program also periodically downloads a file to collect information about problems you might have with Windows.

In this way, the program helps Microsoft improve Windows.

You would get surprised when you'll know that this program even counts how many times you have clicked on start menu, how many programs you have pinned to Taskbar, etc.

Actually when you install Windows, it asks you to participate in Customer Experience Improvement Program.

If you allowed this program to collect information or don't know whether the program is collecting information or not, here is the way to know or disallow it to collect information:

1. Open Start menu and type Customer Experience Improvement Program in search box.

2. It'll show it in search results. Click on it to launch its Settings.

3. Now select "No, I don't want to participate in the program." option and click on "Save Changes" button.

4. That's it. It'll stop collecting your information.

PS: We recommend you to allow this program to collect information as it doesn't harm you in any way and also helps Microsoft to improve Windows.

DISCLAIMER: This information is intended for experienced users. It is not intended for basic users, hackers, or computer thieves. Please do not try any of following procedures if you are not familiar with computer hardware. We'll not be responsible for the use or misuse of this information, including personal injury, loss of data or hardware damage. So use it at your own risk.

BIOS passwords are used to add some extra security to computers. You can either set a password to prevent access to BIOS settings or to prevent PC from booting.

But sometimes this extra security might become a pain when you forget the BIOS password or someone changes your system BIOS password intentionally.

But there is no need to worry. There are many known ways to reset / remove / bypass the password:

• By removing the CMOS battery
• By using the motherboard jumper
• By using MS DOS command
• By using software
• By using Backdoor BIOS password

Now I'll try to explain each method one by one:

A. By Removing the CMOS Battery:

Almost all motherboards use a small coin sized CMOS battery to store all BIOS settings along with the password. To reset the password, unplug the PC, open the cabinet and remove the CMOS battery for approx. 15-30 minutes and then put it back. It'll reset all BIOS settings as well as the password and you'll need to re-enter all settings.

If it fails, then try to remove the battery for at least one hour.

B. By Using the Motherboard Jumper:

Almost all motherboards contain a jumper that can clear all CMOS settings along with the BIOS password. The location of this jumper varies depending upon the motherboard brand. You should read your motherboard manual to check its location. If you don't have the manual then look for the jumpers near the CMOS battery. Most of the manufacturer label the jumper as CLR, CLEAR, CLEAR CMOS, etc.

When you find the jumper, look carefully. There will be 3 pins and the jumper will be joining the center pin to either left or right pin. What you need to do, is remove the jumper and join the center pin to the opposite pin. e.g. if the jumper joins center pin to left pin, then remove it and join center pin to right pin. Now wait for a few seconds and then again remove the jumper and join the center pin to left pin.

Make sure to turn the PC off before opening the cabinet and resetting the jumper.

C. By Using MS DOS Command:

This method works only if you have access to the system when its turned on because this method requires MS DOS. Open Command Prompt from Programs menu and provide following commands one bye one:

debug
o 70 2E
o 71 FF
quit

NOTE: The first character in the above commands is "O" and not the number 0.

After providing the above commands, restart your system and it should reset the CMOS Settings along with the BIOS password.

If you are curious to know how it works? then let me explain the above commands:

In this method we are using the Debug tool of MS DOS. The "O" character present at first in these commands, outputs the values to IO ports. The number 70 and 71 are port numbers which are used to access CMOS memory. By providing FF value we are telling CMOS that there is an invalid checksum and it resets the CMOS settings as well as BIOS password.

D. By Using Software:

There are a few software which can also reset CMOS settings or BIOS password or both within a few clicks. But as stated above you should have access to a system which is turned on and should have access to MS DOS or MS Windows:

KillCMOS

!BIOS

CmosPwd

E. By Using Backdoor BIOS Password:

Some BIOS manufacturer put a backdoor password in BIOS which always works irrespective of what password you have set in BIOS. Its a master password which is used for testing and troubleshooting purposes.

AMI BIOS Passwords:

A.M.I.
AAAMMMIII
AMI?SW
AMI_SW
AMI
BIOS
CONDO
HEWITT RAND
LKWPETER
MI
Oder
PASSWORD

AWARD BIOS Passwords:

01322222
589589
589721
595595
598598
ALFAROME
ALLy
aLLy
aLLY
ALLY
aPAf
_award
award
AWARD_SW
AWARD?SW
AWARD SW
AWARD PW
AWKWARD
awkward
BIOSTAR
CONCAT
CONDO
Condo
d8on
djonet
HLT
J64
J256
J262
j332
j322
KDD
Lkwpeter
LKWPETER
PINT
pint
SER
SKY_FOX
SYXZ
syxz
shift + syxz
TTPTHA
ZAAADA
ZBAAACA
ZJAAADC

PHOENIX BIOS Passwords:

BIOS
CMOS
phoenix
PHOENIX

Misc Common Passwords:

ALFAROME
BIOSTAR
biostar
biosstar
CMOS
cmos
LKWPETER
lkwpeter
setup
SETUP
Syxz
Wodj

Other Manufacturer BIOS Passwords:

Biostar - Biostar
Compaq - Compaq
Dell - Dell
Enox - xo11nE
Epox - central
Freetech - Posterie
IWill - iwill
Jetway - spooml
Packard Bell - bell9
QDI - QDI
Siemens - SKY_FOX
TMC - BIGO
Toshiba - Toshiba
VOBIS & IBM - merlin

NOTE: All these passwords are case-sensitive and are changed from time to time by manufacturers.

Disclaimer: Following information should be used only if its your system and you have forgotten account password. Don't use this information to access a system which is not yours without permission.

Many times we face this problem when we or our friends forget Windows XP password and can't log into Windows. So here we are posting a few methods / utilities which can be used to recover Windows password:

1st Method:

The first thing which you check if you forget login password. When we install Windows, it automatically creates an account "Administrator" and sets its password to blank. So if you have forget your user account password then try this:

Start system and when you see Windows Welcome screen / Login screen, press ++ keys twice and it'll show Classic Login box. Now type "Administrator" (without quotes) in Username and leave Password field blank. Now press Enter and you should be able to log in Windows.

Now you can reset your account password from "Control Panel -> User Accounts".

Same thing can be done using Safe Mode. In Safe Mode Windows will show this in-built Administrator account in Login screen.

2nd Method:

Windows XP and further versions also provide another method to recover forgotten password by using "Reset Disk". If you created a Password Reset Disk in past, you can use that disk to reset the password. To know more about it, please visit following links:

How to create and use a password reset disk for a computer in a domain in Windows XP

How to Log On to Windows XP If You Forget Your Password or Your Password Expires

3rd Method:

If the above mentioned tricks don't work, then try following trick which is actually a loophole in Windows XP Setup and a big security hole:

A. Boot using Windows XP Setup CD and follow the instruction like Accepting EULA, etc.

B. When it asks to repair your existing Windows installation, accept it and press "R" to run the repair.

C. Setup will start repairing your Windows and will start copying files, etc.

D. After a few minutes setup will restart your system and when it restarts don't press any key when it shows "Press any key to continue..." otherwise Setup will start from the beginning. Don't press any key and setup will resume where it left.

E. Now it'll start doing other tasks and will show a small progressbar with a few details in left side.

F. Look carefully at the details and when it shows "Installing devices", press +F10 keys in your keyboard.

G. It'll open a Command Prompt window. Now type nusrmgr.cpl and press .

H. It'll open the same "User Accounts" window which you see in Control Panel.

I. Now you can remove or reset any account password without any problem.

4th Method:

There are many 3rd party utilities which claim to recover forgotten Windows password:

Windows Geeks Lost Forgotten Password Service:

Windows Geeks have a program that works instantly to remove any lost or forgotten password. With this program you can get back in very quickly:

Windows Geeks Lost Forgotten Password Service

Emergency Boot CD:

EBCD is a bootable CD, intended for system recovery in the case of software or hardware faults. It is able to create backup copies of normally working system and restore system to saved state. It contains the best system software ever created, properly compiled and configured for the maximum efficient use.

You may download image builder utility which creates image of bootable CD-ROM (.ISO file), plus basic set of system tools. When the image is ready, write it to CD-R or CD-RW, and then everytime you'll need convenient and powerful system tools they'll be just at hand.

It is easy to customize the disk for your needs. You can include to CD any program you like, or remake the structure of CD completely. All you need is to change a few lines in configuration XML files.

Download Link

Offline NT Password & Registry Editor:

This is a utility to reset the password of any user that has a valid (local) account on your NT system. You do not need to know the old password to set a new one. It works offline, that is, you have to shutdown your computer and boot off a floppydisk or CD. It'll detect and offer to unlock locked or disabled out user accounts. It is also an almost fully functional registry editor.

Download Link

Windows XP Login Recovery:

Login Recovery is a service to reveal user names and recover passwords for Windows NT, 2000, XP, 2003 and Vista. As long as you have physical access to the computer, your passwords can be recovered.

Download Link

Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD): [Thanks to Rakesh for recommending]

Ultimate Boot CD runs independently of any operating system. It will boot from any Intel-compatible machine, regardless of whether DOS/Windows/Linux/BeOS is installed on the machine. However, you do need an operating system and a ISO-capable CD writer software to create the Ultimate Boot CD from the downloaded ISO image file.

Download Link

5th Method:

If all fails, then simply reinstall Windows and create new accounts. To recover lost data, you can use Data recovery tools available on net but the chances will be very low to get data back.

That's all we can suggest. If you have any other method / tool, feel free to post here.

So you are using Windows Vista and feel that its slower than Windows XP? Then you have come to the right place.

Following tutorial will help you in tweaking your Windows Vista to the max and you'll feel a significant improvement in your system performance. So without wasting any time lets start:

1. Following is a registry file containing a few registry modifications, which are completely safe and can increase the performance of Windows Vista. Just download the attached ZIP file, extract it and then run the file:

Tweak Windows Vista

Restore Default Settings (Use this file if you want to restore default Windows settings)

2. Right-click on My Computer icon on Desktop and select Properties (or press key + key), click on Advanced system settings link in left side pane (You can also open it by typing sysdm.cpl in RUN or start menu search box and press Enter). Now click on Settings button in Performance section:

Now disable all unnecessary options in Visual Effects tab, you can remain following options enabled according to your requirements:

• Enable desktop composition (If you want to use Windows Aero theme)
• Enable transparent glass (If you want to use transparency in Windows)
• Show preview and filters in folder (If you use Details Pane in Explorer)
• Show thumbnails instead of icons (If you want to show thumbnails in Explorer)
• Show window contents while dragging (If you want windows to show content while moving them)
• Smooth edges of screen fonts (If you want to show smooth fonts)
• Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop (If you want to show shadows under desktop icon labels)
• Use visual styles on windows and buttons (If you want to use Windows Aero or Basic theme.)

3. Open Folder Options and click on View tab:

Now disable following options:

• Display file size information in folder tips.
• Display simple folder view in Navigation pane.
• Hide extensions for known file types.
• Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color.
• Show pop-up description for folder and desktop items.

Other options don't affect the system performance. You can enable/disable them according to your requirements.

4. Right-click on My Computer icon on Desktop and select Manage (You can also open it by typing services.msc in RUN or start menu search box and press Enter).

Now goto Services & Applications -> Services. Here you can set a few unnecessary services to Manual, which will not start with windows and will decrease the boot time and will increase system performance.

Please follow the following tutorial to know about which services can be safely set to MANUAL:

Windows Vista Services that can be Safely set to MANUAL

5. Type msconfig in RUN or Startmenu search box and press Enter. Now goto Startup tab and deselect the unnecessary entries, which you don't want to start automatically with Windows, e.g. you can disable VGA driver utility, Sound Card utility, etc to speed up the startup time and to increase system performance.

You can also disable these items using Windows Defender. Open Windows Defender and click on Tools and then click on "Software Explorer".

6. Open Sound in Control Panel (or type mmsys.cpl in RUN or Startmenu search box and press Enter), goto Sounds tab and select No Sounds in Sound Scheme section. Or you can remain some of your favorite sounds but set Exit Windows, Windows Logoff, Windows Logon and Start Navigation to (None).

7. After following all above mentioned points, you'll see a big improvement in your Windows Vista performance. If you want to tweak more, then you can use 3rd party tools which are listed here:

• WinBubble
• TweakVista
• DTweak
• Tuneup Utilities
• Vista Start++
• VistaTweaker
• XdN Tweaker
• TweakUAC
• Windows Sidebar Styler
• Stardock LogonStudio
• Windows Vista Boot Logo Generator Beta
• MagicTweak

8. At last I'll advise to defrag the HDD regularly, install only necessary software, use the latest drivers and keep your Windows updated.

This is the 3rd tutorial of our "Master Tutorial" series. We have already posted 2 other tutorials for Windows Xpand Windows Vista in past and now its turn of Windows 7.

Although Windows 7 is already very fast and reliable but this tutorial will help you in getting the max performance out of your system.

So without wasting any time, here we start our tutorial:

1. Registry Tweaks:

Following topic contains a few registry tweaks to optimize your system performance and add a few useful extras:

Collection of Registry Tweaks for Windows 7

You just need to download the ZIP file, extract it and run the file. It'll ask for confirmation, accept it. Restart your system to take affect.

2. Right-click on Computer icon on Desktop and select Properties (or press WIN + Pause/Break keys). Now click on Advanced system settings link in left side pane (You can open it directly by giving sysdm.cpl command in RUN or start menu search box). Now click on Settings button in Performance section:

It'll open another window. Disable all unnecessary options in Visual Effects tab, you can leave following options enabled according to your requirements:

• Enable Aero Peek (If you want to use Aero Peek feature)
• Enable desktop composition (If you want to use Windows Aero theme)
• Enable transparent glass (If you want to use transparency in Windows)
• Show thumbnails instead of icons (If you want to show thumbnails in Explorer)
• Show window contents while dragging (If you want windows to show contents while moving them)
• Smooth edges of screen fonts (If you want to show smooth fonts)
• Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop (If you want to show shadows under desktop icon labels)
• Use visual styles on windows and buttons (If you want to use Windows Aero or Basic theme)

3. Open Windows Explorer and go to "Organize -> Folder and Search Options" and click on "View" tab.

Now disable following options:

• Display file size information in folder tips
• Hide extensions for known file types
• Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color
• Show pop-up description for folder and desktop items

4. Right-click on Computer icon on Desktop and select Manage (You can also open it directly by giving services.msc command in RUN or start menu search box).

Now go to Services & Applications -> Services. Here you can set a few unnecessary services to Manual, so that these services don't start automatically with Windows and you can get a faster startup.

Visit following tutorial to know which services can be set to MANUAL to increase system performance:

Windows 7 Services that can be Safely set to MANUAL

5. Type msconfig in RUN or Startmenu search box and press Enter. Now go to Startup tab and disable unwanted startup entries. You can disable your graphics card's driver utility, Sound Card utility, etc to speed up the system startup and to increase system performance.

6. Open Sound applet in Control Panel

(or type mmsys.cpl in RUN or Startmenu search box and press Enter). Now go to Sounds tab and select No Sounds from Sound Scheme section. You can keep some of your favorite sounds enabled but make sure to set Exit Windows, Windows Log off, Windows Logon and Start Navigation to (None).

Also disable "Play Windows Startup sound" option to disable the sound clip which is played at login screen.

7. Also don't forget to:

• Defrag the hard disk regularly
• Install only necessary software
• Use the latest device drivers
• Keep your Windows up-to-date

After following all the above mentioned points, you'll definitely notice major improvements in your Windows 7 performance.

When we install

a Beta or RC build of Windows Vista, 7 or Server 2008, or when we install a Beta or RC version of a Service Pack e.g. SP1, SP2, etc, a watermark is shown on Desktop which looks similar to following screenshot:

"Evaluation Copy", "For testing purpose only", "Test Mode", "Safe Mode" or similar text is shown in the watermark on Desktop.

It looks ugly when you use dark wallpapers and becomes irritating sometimes. If you also don't like this watermark and want to get rid of it, here are 2 great tools to remove this watermark:

• Universal Watermark Remover
• Remove Watermark

Universal Watermark Remover

"Universal Watermark Remover" is an excellent small and portable utility created by "Orbit30" which can remove the ugly watermark from Windows Vista, 7 and Server 2008 Desktop. It works for both 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows.

Download Link (Rapidshare)

Download Link (Mediafire)

Just download it using the above link, run the EXE file and follow the instructions. You'll need to restart your system to take affect.

Remove Watermark

"Remove Watermark" is another awesome portable tool created by "deepxw" which can remove watermark from Windows Vista, 7 and Server 2008 Desktop. It works for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Even it works for all languages and service packs.

Download Link

Mirror

Download the ZIP file, extract it and run the correct EXE file for your Windows version. It'll ask for confirmation, press Y to confirm and patch the system file to remove watermark.

64-bit version users will also need to rebuild MUI cache. After patching file, run the tool again and press R to rebuild MUI cache.

Windows 7 Boot Updater ¶

A program that makes it easy to update the Windows 7 boot animation and text. Please tell me if you find any problems or design cool animations!

It is written in C++/CLI and requires Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 and the Microsoft WIM library.

Download ¶

By downloading this program you agree to the terms and conditions. Specifically this is for non-comercial use.

This is currently being tested! It is not finished and does not completely work. Use it at your own risk (or in a virtual machine). If you get stuck forever in Windows Recovery Environment see Recovering winload.exe

At a minimum you need to:

Windows 7 Boot Updater 32-bit (294.54 KB, updated 09/06/10)

Windows 7 Boot Updater 64-bit (300.54 KB, updated 09/06/10)

Original Windows 7 Boot Animation as BMPs (4.42 MB, updated 08/31/10)

Grayscale Windows 7 Boot Animation as BMPs (1.67 MB, updated 08/31/10)

A very new version is currently being made (that's why the file hasn't been updated in almost a month). You can download a preview of it:

Preview of Alpha 9 (1.56 MB, updated 09/30/10)

Note: It currently is only the GUI and will not modify files

If you wish to experiment by yourself the biggest annoyance is signing winload.exe. The following program does just that (it is a stripped down version of Win7BootUpdater.exe)

Winload.exe Signer 32-bit (248.04 KB, updated 09/30/10)

Winload.exe Signer 64-bit (254.04 KB, updated 09/30/10)

Details ¶

Current Version: Alpha 8

Features ¶

• Modifies the boot animation
• Modifies the boot text "Starting Windows" and "© Microsoft Corporation"
• Will compile the animation from 105 BMP, PNG, GIF, or TIFF images
• Does not require any other applications (like ImageX)
• Designed to be idiot-proof by having numerous checks
• Automatically backs up the modified winload.exe and bootres.dll
• Can be run as a GUI or command-line program
• Works for 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7
• Numerous other little things (e.g. forcing timestamps) to match the original

How to Use ¶

Prerequisites ¶

If you have Windows 7 then you are good to go! The WIM library is included with Windows 7. If you will be running this on Windows Vista or earlier you will need to follow some additional directions.

Certificate Installation ¶

To successfully use the modified bootres.dll and winload.exe you will need my certificate authority as a trusted root. The program automatically installs it on the local computer, however if you want to use it on another machine you will need to install it manually. You can download the CA and CRL below and then run the following commands:

To install the CA and CRL into a Windows installation WIM you can use my tool AddCertToRegHive like so:

Coder For Life Certificate Authority (872 bytes, updated 09/06/10)

Coder For Life Certificate Authority CRL (532 bytes, updated 09/06/10)

The Animation ¶

If you choose to change the animation you will have to make an animation! The animation can be one long BMP that is 200x21000px or a folder containing 105 BMPs, PNGs, GIFs, or TIFFs. All the files must be the same format and will be played in alphabetical order (so if you are numbering them, use three digits always, e.g. 000, 001, ..., 103, 104). Here are the details about the animation:

• 105 frames
• 15 frames / sec
• First 4 seconds play once then the last 3 seconds play in a loop
• Each frame is 200x200px

The GUI ¶

To use the GUI, simply double-click the program "Win7BootUpdater.exe". The program will request administrator priveledges. In the program you will be asked for a folder containing the animation, the text to use, and if testsigning should be enabled. You can also adjust the defaults for bootres.dll and winload.exe. If you don't want to do a particular modification (such as change the animation) then you can just uncheck that group.

The Command Line ¶

The command line is fairly easy to use as well. You should run an elevated command line. The command line syntax is:

For more detailed information about the command line, run Win7BootUpdater.exe from a command line. One note is that you may notice some weird behavior of the command line output. This is due to an unavoidable distinction that Windows makes between GUI and command-line programs. To elievate the issue you can run the following command line instead:

Recovering winload.exe ¶

If you get stuck forever in Windows Recovery Environment then you need to manually restore winload.exe. Here are the directions:

1. Insert the Windows 7 installation disk, or if you don't have it download and burn a recovery disk (see Download Windows 7 System Recovery Discs)
2. Boot the computer, make sure to boot from the CD
3. Select your language and operating system. You should now be at a screen like this
4. Select "Command Prompt" (the last option)
5. Enter the following commands:

   1. c:

   2. cd \Windows\System32

   3. del winload.exe

   4. ren "winload - Backup.exe" winload.exe

   5. exit

6. Click "Restart"




Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.

Problem Symptom:

Consider the following scenario:

* You use the Windows Backup utility to perform a backup on a computer that is running Windows 7. The backed up files are saved on a hard disk drive.
* You use the Windows Backup utility again to perform a backup for a group of files that are larger than the first group of backed up files.

In this scenario, the backup process requires significantly more time than the backup process for the first group of backed up files.

For example, the backup process requires 2 hours for 100 gigabytes (GB) of files and 16 hours for 400 GB of files.

Solution:

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing the problem described in this article.

Today in this tutorial, we'll tell you how to rename these items present in Navigation pane. By default, Windows only allows you to rename "Computer" item. You can right-click on it and select "Rename" and type whatever name you want to give.

But what about other items? You can rename them too using a simple registry trick which is mentioned in the coming steps.


We'll modify the same registry keys which we modified in the above mentioned tutorials to remove the items. We'll just edit a String value "LocalizedString" for each Navigation pane item and give it our desired name.

So without wasting any time, lets start the tutorial:

1. Type regedit in RUN or startmenu search box and press Enter. It'll open Registry Editor.

2. Now go to any of following keys according to your requirements:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Favorites - HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{323CA680-C24D-4099-B94D-446DD2D7249E}
Libraries - HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{031E4825-7B94-4dc3-B131-E946B44C8DD5}
Homegroup - HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{B4FB3F98-C1EA-428d-A78A-D1F5659CBA93}
Network - HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Now you'll need to change value of "LocalizedString" String value present in the right-side section. But Windows will not allow you to change its value as you won't have proper permissions.

You can use following simple steps to take permission:

* Right-click on the key mentioned in Step 2 and select "Permissions...".
* It'll open a dialog box, Click on "Advanced" button.
* It'll open another dialog box, Go to "Owner" tab.
* Select your Username from the list and click on "Apply" button and then OK.
* Again click on OK button in the first dialog box.
* Now again right-click on the same key and select "Permissions...".
* Select your Username in the list and check the "Allow" option for "Full Control".
* Click on Apply button and then OK.

4. Now double-click on "LocalizedString" String value given in right-side section and change its value to any desired name like "PC Favorites", "My Libraries", "Home Network", etc.

5. That's it. Now open My Computer and you'll see the new names for each item.

NOTE: If you want to restore the default names, you can use following default values of "LocalizedString" String value:
----------------------------------------------------------
Favorites - @%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21796
Libraries - @%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-50691
Homegroup - @%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-50688
Network - @%systemroot%\system32\NetworkExplorer.dll,-1
------------------------------------------------------------

Microsoft has released a hotfix to fix a weird hibernation issue found in Windows 7.

Problem Symptom:

Consider the following scenario:

* You have a computer that is running Windows 7.
* You configure the power button to be used for hibernation on the computer.
* You change the setting of the Password protection on wake up setting to the Require a password (recommended) option.
* The computer is put into hibernation.
* You press the power button to resume the computer from hibernation. You are prompted to enter your user account credentials.
* The computer is put into hibernation again while you try to log on to the computer.For example, the computer is put into hibernation because of low power or because the power button is pressed by mistake.
* You press the power button to resume the computer from hibernation again.

In this scenario, the computer screen dims after you log on to resume from hibernation.

Cause:

This issue occurs because two threads try to fade out the monitor at the same time.

Solution:

Download the required hotfix using following link:

We all know about Longhorn (codename for Windows Vista testing builds). Longhorn provided awesome UI elements in Vista testing builds but due to performance issues, Microsoft decided to ditch Longhorn code and we didn't get what we expected in Vista.

If you also love Longhorn look and can't forget the awesome Aurora Welcome Screen which was featured in Longhorn, here is an excellent news for you.

"alexandru-r-ghinea" @ DA has created a new Welcome Screen for Windows 7 users which brings Longhorn look-like Login screen to 7.
As you can see in above screenshot, it comes in 3 variations:


* Welcome Screen with Default Windows Logo at Top
* Welcome Screen with Embedded Windows Logo
* Welcome Screen without Windows Logo

The welcome screen is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit users of Windows 7.

You just need to replace "authui.dll" file present in "Windows\System32" folder with the downloaded one. You can follow following tutorial to replace the system file:
Download following zip file and extract it. You'll get a .REG file. Run the file and accept the confirmation:

Download Link

It'll add an extra option "Take ownership" in file/folder context menu
You can download the required files using following links:

Windows Intune simplifies how businesses manage and secure PCs using Windows cloud services and Windows 7—so your computers and users can operate at peak performance, from virtually anywhere.

Windows Intune is a comprehensive solution that includes PC management, malware protection, Windows upgrades, and more.

Use the Windows Intune cloud service beta to:

* Manage updates
* Protect PCs from malware
* Proactively monitor PCs
* Provide remote assistance
* Track hardware & software inventory
* Set security policies

The Windows Intune client software
is supported on both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of:

* Windows 7 Enterprise, Ultimate and Professional
* Windows Vista Enterprise, Ultimate, and Business
* Windows XP Professional Service Pack (SP) 2 or SP 3 (recommended)

As we all know recently Microsoft released SP1 Beta for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2:

Download Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta

You can either use Windows Updates to download and install SP1 Beta or can manually download the whole setup file and install it later.

But there was a big problem in downloading the whole setup file as Microsoft combined both 32-bit and 64-bit versions in one package so it was hard for people to download a 1.5 GB file.

Now the good news is, Microsoft has made available separate download packages for 32-bit and 64-bit versions of SP1 Beta so now you can download them separately according to your requirements.

Just head over to following link and download the new download files if you have not downloaded them yet:

Download Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 SP1 Public Beta

There are no changes in the content of packages, so don't waste your bandwidth if you have already downloaded it in past...

Windows Shortcut Exploit, also known as CPLINK, is a zero-day vulnerability in all versions of Windows that allows a Windows shortcut link, known as an .lnk file, to run a malicious DLL file. The dangerous shortcut links can also be embedded on a website or hidden within documents.

The exploit works when you open a device, network share or WebDav point carrying an infection—you don't need to click on anything for the exploit to work, even if you have AutoPlay and AutoRun disabled.

There was no patch from Microsoft to fix this exploit but now Microsoft has released an out-of-band security update to address this exploit.

According to Microsoft Security Bulletin, this security update resolves the vulnerability in Windows Shell. The vulnerability could allow remote code execution if the icon of a specially crafted shortcut is displayed. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the local user. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.

For users using automatic updates
, this update will automatically be applied once it is released. Users not using automatic updates should download, test and deploy this update as quickly as possible.

Recently we shared some free alternatives to Notepad:

The Best FREE Alternatives to Notepad

Today in this topic, we are going to share best FREE alternatives to Windows Paint. Paint is a good tool included in Windows for editing images but it lacks lots of image editing features.

You can also these freeware as alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

Paint.NET

Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for computers that run Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools.

Paint.NET also depends on Microsoft's .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, which is automatically installed if it isn't already on the system.

Download Link
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GIMP:

GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.

It has many capabilities. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format converter, etc.

Download Link
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PhotoFiltre

PhotoFiltre is a complete image retouching program. It allows you to do simple or advanced adjustments to an image and apply a vast range of filters on it. It is simple and intuitive to use, and has an easy learning curve. The toolbar, giving you access to the standard filters with just a few clicks, gives PhotoFiltre a robust look.

Download Link
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Helios Paint

HeliosPaint is a feature-rich, easy-to-use and powerful paint program for editing photos, drawings and icons. It runs on Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X, Linux and Unix.

Download Link
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Photo Pos Pro

Photo Pos Pro Photo Editor is a free photo editor offers users a wide variety of possibilities in the fields of Image Enhancing and Image Editing and in the field of Computer Graphics Design. Using the editor you can perform various tasks, from simple basic tasks to complex tasks; you can edit existing images, create new works based on existing images, create new works from scratch and more.

Thank to our reader "Shahnawaz" for mentioning it.

Download Link
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Photoscape

Photoscape is another fun and easy photo editing software that enables you to fix and enhance photos. Thanks to our readers "Chris" and "Prateek" for mentioning it.

Download Link

If you installed SP1 (Service Pack 1) in Windows 7 and try to move a file or folder in Windows Explorer, you get "Item Not Found" error message:

Windows Shortcut Exploit, also known as CPLINK, is a zero-day vulnerability in all versions of Windows
that allows a Windows shortcut link, known as an .lnk file, to run a malicious DLL file. The dangerous shortcut links can also be embedded on a website or hidden within documents.

The exploit works when you open a device, network share or WebDav point carrying an infection—you don't need to click on anything for the exploit to work, even if you have AutoPlay and AutoRun disabled.

Currently, there is no patch from Microsoft to fix this exploit; however, a free Windows Shortcut Exploit Protection Tool from Sophos will block this exploit from running on your computer.

The Windows Shortcut Exploit affects all Microsoft-supported versions of Windows—anything newer than Windows XP
SP3—as well as older versions.

Download Free Protection Tool

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