So, most of our tips here at Worldstart that refer to the control panel require some form of instruction to get to the end result, (i.e. Start>Control Panel, etc.)
What if I told you there was a way to get it all in one place? What if I told you there was an Easy Mode in Windows 7 that would allow you to change, alter and otherwise… Continue reading
If, like me, you’ve taken the plunge and upgraded to Windows 7, you’re probably wondering how some of these new features work. For instance, I had no idea what a “homegroup” was before I did a bit of digging. Here’s what I found.
A homegroup is a new function that allows you to share files between computers on the same home network. Whilst Windows users… Continue reading
Let me put it to you this way: You know you pressed the power button on your computer, you know Windows is starting up, but does that necessarily mean you need an annoying sing-song chime to indicate that your machine has booted?
No, it doesn’t. So let’s learn how to make Windows 7 silent upon Startup!
Press Start, and in the Search Box type… Continue reading
You know what I find frustrating? When I’m logged into Windows Vista or 7 as the administrator, but find that I still can’t run something because it says that I need “Administrative Privileges”.
What gives? Aren’t I the administrator already?
Well, some programs like the Command Prompt, Task Scheduler, and Regedit which haven’t been fully updated to work with Vista or 7, need elevated… Continue reading
Windows 7 in simple is making your PC simplified. It has better ways to find and manage files, help you speed through everyday tasks, and is designed for faster and more reliable performance. We shall explore through some of these features in this article.
HomeGroup:
You can share your music, pictures and documents from your home computers with HomeGroup that is available in Windows… Continue reading
I’m a stickler for functionality, and although bells and whistles are nice to look at, if they don’t do anything to increase the performance of my computer, I don’t want ‘em!
For example, Windows 7 has a neat shrinky/growy animation whenever you minimize or maximize a window, but does it really help anything?
Nope.
A long time ago, we introduced you to John’s Background Switcher right here in the Worldstart Computer Tips Newsletter. As you’ll remember, the program allowed you to set a group of photos to rotate as your desktop background so that you won’t get the same boring wallpaper every time you look at your desktop. Microsoft has now decided to implement the same idea in Windows 7!… Continue reading
It happens, we have our Windows installation disks, but the product key is nowhere to be found! Usually it’s located on a sticker stuck somewhere on our computer case, but what do you do in those other instances? Panic?
Nope, just look for a product key finder!
Your product key is actually located right within your Windows registry, and where… Continue reading
Do you find yourself accessing the Control Panel often throughout your day? Well, if you’re using Windows 7, then you’re in luck!
Click Start and then type in “Control Panel” in the search box…
…and drag the control panel icon down to your taskbar.
Alternately, go to Start, click Control Panel and then right-click the Control Panel icon in your Taksbar… Continue reading
Windows 7 Home Premium delivers the best in class entertainment. You can have a home network and share all your favorite photos, videos and music. It also enables you to watch, pause, rewind and record TV. Both 32-bit and 64-bit discs are available with Windows 7 Home Premium that adds more convenience. You can have more work, more play and more of everything in between.… Continue reading
Wayne from LA asks:
I’ve heard that people are advised to “format and reinstall Windows”. What does this mean? Is it a task to be performed habitually? When do I know if I have to do it?
Great question!
Do you use G-mail Chat? Well, if you do, you’ll probably want to take a look at the awesome emoticons you can pull off in the interface! Here’s a list and what each emoticon does.
They’re even animated! Go ahead, jump into G-mail Chat and experiment!
~Andrew… Continue reading
One of my favorite features so far in Windows 7 is the ability to take a look at what’s going on in the taskbar without actually having to click on or maximize anything. Want to know how? Great!
When you have programs present in the taksbar, just take your mouse pointer and hold it over the program you’d like to take a look at.… Continue reading
Internet Explorer and Firefox can do more than just surf the web! Use them to open all sorts of files.
Just drag and drop a file into your browser window and watch it open. It comes in handy, especially for looking at JPEG’s and GIF’s, but other files work, as well. It can also open text files, and… Continue reading
Are you missing your Show Desktop icon in your Quicklaunch bar? If so, you may need to use Notepad to create a new one! This works for all versions of Windows from 98, all the way up to Vista.
1. Open Notepad
– If you’re using Windows XP or below, copy and paste this text into Notepad:… Continue reading
Direct X 11:
Microsoft has built Windows 7 features into Windows Vista with the latest Service Pack (SP2), which also includes a graphics technology upgrade. With SP2, users can access the new DirectX 11 package that brings the graphical power of the OS on par with Windows 7. Microsoft offers the platform update through Windows Update, if you’re interested.
Game Graphics:
Video game… Continue reading
Okay, here’s a quick tip that may only apply to a few, but it’s one that anyone can try. If you’re ever in need of knowing the version number of a program (For example, 3.5.3 as seen below), then all you need to do is click Help>About(Program name).
Most programs have this information readily available and it comes in… Continue reading
Would you like to prevent your employees from copying sensitive data?
Using a simple Registry setting, you can add an extra layer of defense to your computer and prevent anyone from copying your sensitive information with a USB flash drive.
This Registry setting will make all your USB ports read only, just like a DVD. This setting works on Windows XP and Windows Vista. You must… Continue reading
Modern screen resolutions make it so all of our icons are a wee bit smaller than comfortable for us to look at. One of the main offenders is the Quicklaunch toolbar.
Icons all locked up on your desktop? Learn how to free them from their confines! Continue reading
Q:
Occasionally I waste a few minutes (or more) playing solitaire on my XP PC. I’ve tried the same game on my Vista machine, but dislike it. Is there anyway to include the XP version on my Vista machine?
A:
This is a great question! After a little bit of digging, I found that it is possible to put the XP version of… Continue reading
Would you like to play a game? No? Well, then let me show you how to delete the pre-installed games that come with Windows Vista and 7, then! I can’t think of any reason why one would want to get rid of stuff like Solitaire, Free Cell and Minesweeper, but then again I never play them, so there might be others out there that feel the
Did you know that Windows Vista synchronizes with the Internet to make sure your clock is set correctly? Did you also know that this only happens once a week? What happens if Windows can’t synchronize?
In that case, you take matters into your own hands! Here’s how to manually synchronize your Windows Vista clock!
1.) Click Start
A while back, Amanda wrote about a coolsite called HULU.com. HULU is a site that allows you to watch all of your favorite TV shows without having to hunt around for them or do anything illegal. Here’s how it works:
All major TV networks these days put their newest TV shows on the internet. After a show airs on TV, they… Continue reading
Note: Additional information may be in video that is not in written tip
Have you ever installed a program, and upon your next reboot you discover that there’s a new icon in your system tray? When was I given the choice as to whether or not I wanted another icon down there? It’s crowded already! I need my space!
The main… Continue reading
Maybe you’ve got a whole bunch of stuff you want to see on your Start menu, or perhaps it’s a matter of personal preference. Either way, today’s tip is going to show you how to shrink your Start Menu icons in Windows Vista and 7.
Let’s give it a try!
First, Right-Click on a blank area of your… Continue reading
Often times I find myself with more than my fair share of windows minimized in my taskbar. Sure, it’s disorganized, but it becomes even more frustrating when I need to look at two of them at once! Minimize, maximize, adjust the size, etc!
It gets really repetitive!
Some people have two monitors for this, streamlining the process
