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Category: activate windows 7

  • Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

    Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

    In Windows 7, we’ve uncovered several new sets of essential time-saving shortcuts that will make your mouse jealous with neglect.
    Alt + P

    In Windows Explorer, activate an additional file preview pane to the right side of the window with this new shortcut. This panel is great for previewing images in your photos directory.

    Windows + + (plus key)
    Windows + – (minus key)
    Pressing the Windows and plus or minus keys activates the Magnifier, which lets you zoom in on the entire desktop or open a rectangular magnifying lens to zoom in and out of parts of your screen. You can customize the Magnifier options to follow your mouse pointer or keyboard cursor. Keep in mind that so far, the Magnifier only works when Aero desktop is enabled.
    Windows + Up
    Windows + Down
     If a window is not maximized, pressing Windows + Up will fill it to your screen. Windows + Down will minimize that active window. Unfortunately, pressing Windows + up again while a window is minimized won’t return it to its former state.
    Windows + Shift + Up
    Similar to the shortcut above, hitting these three keys while a window is active will stretch it vertically to the maximum desktop height. The width of the window will however stay the same. Pressing Windows + Down will restore it to its previous size.
    Windows + Left
    Windows + Right
      One of the new features of Windows 7 is the ability to automatically make a window fill up half of your screen by dragging to the left or right. This pair of shortcuts performs the same function without your mouse. Once a window is fixed to one side of the screen, you can repeat the shortcut to flip it to the other side. This is useful if you’re extending a desktop across multiple monitors, which prevents you from executing this trick with a mouse.
    Windows + Home
    This shortcut performs a similar function to hovering over a window’s peek menu thumbnail in the Taskbar. The active window will stay on your desktop while every other open application is minimized. Pressing this shortcut again will restore all the other windows.
    Windows + E
     Automatically opens up a new Explorer window to show your Libraries folder.
    Windows + P
    Manage your multiple-monitor more efficiently with this handy shortcut. Windows + P opens up a small overlay that lets you configure a second display or projector. You can switch from a single monitor to dual-display in either mirror or extend desktop mode.
    Windows + Shift + Left
    Windows + Shift + Right
    If you are using two or more displays (and who isn’t, these days?), memorize this shortcut to easily move a window from one screen to the other. The window retains its size and relative position on the new screen, which his useful when working with multiple documents. Utilize that real estate!
    Windows + [Number]
    Programs (and new instances) pinned to your Taskbar can be launched by hitting Windows and the number corresponding to its placement on the Taskbar. Windows + 1, for example, launches the first application, while Windows + 4 will launch the fourth. We realize that this is actually one key-press more than just clicking the icon with your mouse, but it saves your hand the trouble of leaving the comfort of the keyboard.
    Windows + T
    Like Alt + Tab (still our all time favorite Windows specific shortcut), Windows + T cycles through your open programs via the Taskbar’s peek menu.
    Windows + Space

    This combo performs the same function as moving your mouse to the bottom right of the Taskbar. It makes every active window transparent so you can view your desktop. The windows only remain transparent as long as you’re holding down the Windows key.
    Ctrl + Shift + Click
    Hold down Ctrl and Shift while launching an application from the Taskbar or start menu to launch it with full administrative rights.
    Ctrl + Click
    Hold down Ctrl while repeatedly clicking a program icon in the Taskbar will toggle between the instances of that application, like multiple Firefox windows

  • Windows 7 Shell Commands

    How to See and Use a List of All Windows 7 Shell Commands
    Information
    This article will show you a list of Windows 7 Shell commands that can be used to open certain special folders directly from the Start menu or Run dialog window.
    Tip
    You can find the shell commands listed at this registry location:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\FolderDescriptions
    Note
    The Shell commands that are new in Windows 7 from Vista are bolded in red.
    Here’s How:
    1. Open the Start menu and type in the shell command in bold below for the folder that you want to open, then press Enter. (See screenshot below)
                OR
        2. Open the Run dialog window, and type in the shell command in bold below for the folder that you want to open, then press Enter. (See screenshot below)
    Shell Command
    Path of Folder it Opens
    shell:AddNewProgramsFolder
    Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Get Programs
    shell:Administrative Tools
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools
    shell:AppData
    hidden C:\Users\(User-Name)\AppData\Roaming
    shell:AppUpdatesFolder
    Installed Updates
    shell:Cache
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files
    shell:CD Burning
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Burn\Burn
    shell:ChangeRemoveProgramsFolder
    Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Programs and Features
    shell:Common Administrative Tools
    hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools
    shell:Common AppData
    hidden C:\ProgramData
    shell:Common Desktop
    C:\Users\Public\Desktop
    shell:Common Documents
    C:\Users\Public\Documents
    shell:CommonDownloads
    C:\Users\Public\Downloads
    shell:CommonMusic
    C:\Users\Public\Music
    shell:CommonPictures
    C:\Users\Public\Pictures
    shell:Common Programs
    hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
    shell:CommonRingtones
    hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Ringtones
    shell:Common Start Menu
    hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
    shell:Common Startup
    hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
    shell:Common Templates
    hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
    shell:CommonVideo
    C:\Users\Public\Videos
    shell:ConflictFolder
    Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Sync Center\Conflicts
    shell:ConnectionsFolder
    Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network Connections
    shell:Contacts
    C:\Users\User-Name\Contacts
    shell:ControlPanelFolder
    Control Panel\All Control Panel Items
    shell:Cookies
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies
    shell:Cookies\Low
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\Low
    shell:CredentialManager
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials
    shell:CryptoKeys
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Crypto
    shell:default Gadgets
    C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets
    shell:desktop
    C:\Users\User-Name\Desktop
    shell:device Metadata Store
    hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceMetadataStore
    shell:documentsLibrary
    Libraries\Documents
    shell:downloads
    C:\Users\User-Name\Downloads
    shell:dpapiKeys
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Protect
    shell:Favorites
    C:\Users\User-Name\Favorites
    shell:Fonts
    C:\Windows\Fonts
    shell:Gadgets
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets
    shell:Games
    Games
    shell:GameTasks
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\GameExplorer
    shell:History
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\History
    Shell:HomeGroupFolder
    Homegroup
    shell:ImplicitAppShortcuts
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\ImplicitAppShortcuts
    shell:InternetFolder
    32-bit Internet Explorer.
    shell:Links
    C:\Users\User-Name\Links
    shell:Libraries
    Libraries
    shell:Local AppData
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Local
    shell:LocalAppDataLow
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\LocalLow
    shell:MusicLibrary
    Libraries\Music
    shell:My Music
    C:\Users\User-Name\Music
    shell:My Pictures
    C:\Users\User-Name\Pictures
    shell:My Video
    C:\Users\User-Name\Videos
    shell:MyComputerFolder
    Computer
    shell:NetHood
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network Shortcuts
    shell:NetworkPlacesFolder
    Network
    shell:Personal
    C:\Users\User-Name\Documents
    shell:PicturesLibrary
    Libraries\Pictures
    shell:PrintersFolder
    All Control Panel Items\Printers
    shell:PrintHood
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Printer Shortcuts
    shell:Profile
    C:\Users\User-Name
    shell:ProgramFiles
    C:\Program Files
    shell:ProgramFilesCommon
    C:\Program Files\Common Files
    shell:ProgramFilesCommonX64
    C:\Program Files\Common Files
    shell:ProgramFilesCommonX86
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files
    shell:ProgramFilesX64
    C:\Program Files
    shell:ProgramFilesX86
    C:\Program Files (x86)
    shell:Programs
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
    shell:Public
    C:\Public
    shell:PublicGameTasks
    hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\GameExplorer
    shell:PublicSuggestedLocations
    C:\Users\Public\Library\PublicSuggestedLocations
    shell:Quick Launch
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
    shell:Recent
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
    shell:RecycleBinFolder
    Recycle Bin
    shell:ResourceDir
    C:\Windows\Resources
    shell:Ringtones
    hidden C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Ringtones
    shell:SampleMusic
    C:\Users\Public\Music\Sample Music
    shell:SamplePictures
    C:\Users\Public\Pictures\Sample Pictures
    shell:SampleVideos
    C:\Users\Public\Videos\Sample Videos
    shell:SavedGames
    C:\Users\User-Name\Saved Games
    shell:Searches
    C:\Users\User-Name\Searches
    shell:SearchHomeFolder
    search-ms:
    shell:SendTo
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
    shell:Start Menu
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu
    shell:Startup
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
    shell:SyncCenterFolder
    Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Sync Center
    shell:SyncResultsFolder
    Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Sync Center\Sync Results
    shell:SyncSetupFolder
    Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Sync Center\Sync Setup
    shell:System
    C:\Windows\System32
    shell:SystemCertificates
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\SystemCertificates
    shell:SystemX86
    C:\Windows\SysWOW64
    shell:Templates
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates
    shell:User Pinned
    hidden C:\Users\User-Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned
    shell:UsersFilesFolder
    C:\Users\User-Name
    shell:UsersLibrariesFolder
    Libraries
    shell:VideosLibrary
    Libraries\Videos
    shell:Windows
    C:\Windows

  • Device Manager – Finding Unknown Devices

    Finding Unrecognized Devices through Device Manager
    Information
    This guide will show you how to locate the unidentified hardware in your device manager by using Hardware Identification. The goal of this tutorial is to help identify an unidentified device.

    Note
    Prerequisite knowledge includes opening windows device manager, surfing the internet, data entry and basic windows navigation skills
    Warning
    Installing the wrong driver can crash your system, this technique revolves around the use of a 3rd party online hardware ID database.
    Some devices (such as legacy devices) may not have hardware ID’s. See the “But what if there’s no Hardware ID in the drop down box?” for tips on finding out what these devices are.
    Here’s how
    1. Open Device Manager and find the device. It most likely has a yellow exclamation mark on it like the one in this screenshot below.
    Tip
    You can open Device Manager quickly by typing devmgmt.msc into RUN or SEARCH and pressing ENTER.
    2. Now that you’ve found your device, right click on it and select properties.
    3. Click on the Details Tab.
    4. Drop the ‘Property’ box until you find ‘Hardware Id’s”.
    This picture shows a webcam, but unknown devices have hardware ID’s too
    5. You’ll find some number-letter combinations, here’s what they mean:
    HID = Hardware ID
    PID = Product ID
    VID = Vendor ID
    6. In my screen print I’ve looked up my Webcam again. My PID=0804, My VID = 046D.
    7. We need to reference these, so open your browser of choice and navigate to the www.pcidatabase.com website.
    8. There are other websites, but I think that the PCIdatabase.com team has put together a great site with a lot of information should you need to know more about devices and drivers.
    9. Type your PID where it says Device Search and press SEARCH (e.g. for my example I type in 0804 and click on the Search button to the right of the Device Search box).
    10. All Devices with that PID show. This is usually enough; but sometimes multiple devices will show.
    11. If you have multiple Devices, then you need your VID, so look back to your details column under Hardware ID’s and reference it against the Vendor ID column with your VID. Mine was 046D and you can see 0x46d in the Vendor column. That’s a match.
    12. You’ve now identified your device and can now search for the correct drivers for it.
    But what if there’s no Hardware ID in the drop down box?
    With older legacy devices, some virtual devices, non-plug and play devices, and some viruses there may not be a hardware ID, however there there are other things you can do to find your unrecognized device.
    Have a look at these entries in the drop down, there are others, but these are the most common that you will find when the Hardware ID is missing.
    DevNode status – This will tell us the current status of the device and differentiate between a driver existing and a driver loading. If the driver exists you can look at it’s *.inf file (the inf file name is in the Inf Name drop down)
    Device Instance path – Often contains Vendor and hardware information, if not than it may contain an ACPI linking it to a processor group.
    Class Long Name – It’s group name (e.g. Processors)
    Class Short Name – It’s short (actual) name (e.g. Processor)
    Class icon path – The path to a dll that houses this devices icons. Although this is likely to be windows generic, it’s worthwhile taking a look at the icons in the *.dll, the easiest way to do this is to change an icon on any shortcut or folder and navigate to that *.dll to browse the icons.
    siblings – Any related siblings
    parent – any related parents
    If you are trying to find a Legacy item, it will likely be at this registry address
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\. It should begin with the LEGACY_ (e.g. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_CPUZ132)
    The Windows Registry Editor can be opened by typing REGEDIT into RUN or SEARCH.
    Some other locations that you may find this information (with thanks to WindowsStar)are:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Enum\Root\
    Warning
    Edit the registry can crash your machine, use this as a research tool only, unless you know what you are doing

  • Display Color Calibration in Windows 7


    Information
    Calibrating your display helps to ensure that colors are represented accurately on your monitor. This will show you how to use Display Color Calibration to calibrate your display in Windows 7.

    Note
    Display Color Calibration improves your display color by enabling you to change different color settings. After you adjust the different color settings using Display Color Calibration, you will have a new calibration that contains your new color settings. The new calibration will be associated with your screen display and used by color-managed programs.
    The color settings that you can change, as well as how you change those color settings, depend on your monitor’s display and its capabilities. Not all monitors have the same color capabilities and settings, so you might not be able to change all the different color settings when using Display Color Calibration.
    Tip
    If you have a display calibration device that came with other software, consider using the color measurement device with the accompanying software instead of Display Color Calibration. Using the calibration device with the accompanying calibration software that often comes with it can help you get the best color on your display.
    In general, using a color measurement instrument to calibrate your display will result in a better calibration compared to the results of doing a visual calibration (which is done in Display Color Calibration).
    Warning
    Before starting Display Color Calibration, make sure that your display is set to its native screen resolution. This helps to improve the accuracy of the resulting calibration.
    Here’s How:
    1. Open the Start menu.
    A) In the search line, type dccw and press enter.  
    NOTE:
    This file is located at C:\Windows\System32\dccw.exe.
    B) Go to step 3.
    OR
    2. Open the Control Panel (All Items View).
    A) Click on the Color Management icon.
    B) Click on the advanced tab, and on the Calibrate display button.  
    3. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.
    4. Move the window to display on the display monitor that you want to calibrate, and then click on Next.  
    5. Set the display that you want to calibrate to its default basic color settings, and then click on Next.  
    6. Read the how to adjust gamma instructions, then click on Next when ready.  
    7. Adjust your gamma settings, then click on Next.  
    8. If you want to adjust the brightness and contrast settings for the display, then click on Next and continue on to step 9. If not, then click on the Skip brightness and contrast adjustment button, then go to step 13.  
    9. Read the how to adjust brightness instructions, then click on Next when ready.  
    10. Adjust your brightness settings, then click on Next.  
    11. Read the how to adjust the contrast instructions, then click on Next when ready.  
    12. Adjust your contrast settings, then click on Next.  
    13. Read the how to adjust color balance instructions, then click on Next when ready.  
    14. Adjust your color balance settings, then click on Next.  
    15. The display is now calibrated. You can compare this new Current calibration with the Previous calibration.
    16. If you wish to start ClearType Tuner to help make the text on your screen sharp and clear after you click on Finish below, then leave the box checked. Uncheck the box if you do not want to have ClearType Tuner open.
    17. Click on Finish to save and use this new Current calibration, or click on Cancel to cancel these changes and use the previous calibration.  

  • How to Audit (log) Access to Shared Folder’s in Windows 7

    Information
    Auditing access to your shared folders makes it possible to keep track of what’s happening; who visits your shared folders, when, doing what. It might not be needed on a “Me and my laptop” networks, although in my opinion it adds a bit to general security of your system and network. When needed, the information is there. Auditing logs are very small files, taking almost no space on hard disk. Auditing does not “eat” the resources of your computer, does not make it slower.
    Auditing options can be edited using Windows 7 built-in Group Policy Editor, included in Seven Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise editions. There are also several third party alternatives, for instance ShareAlarmPro. This tutorial is however about how to do it with gpedit.
    This article works for Windows 7,may or may not work for Windows Vista and  Windows XP.

    Here’s How:
    1. Open Group Policy Editor by typing gpedit.msc to Start menu’s search field or Run dialog window and hit Enter
    2. Go to Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies Audit Policy, double click to open Audit Object Access
    3. Check both options (Success and Failure) under Audit these objects, click OK
    4. Close Group Policy Editor
    5. Open the Properties of a shared folder you want to audit, choose Security tab, click Advanced
    6. Choose Audit tab, click Continue
    7. Click Add, click Locations to choose from which location you want to audit, write the computer name and name of a user or group you want to audit, for instance PC-3\Administrators or XPPro-upstairs\Kari. Click Check names to “spellcheck”, to check validity of your input
    8. Click OK to close Select User or Group dialog, click OK to close Advanced Security Settings, click OK to close Folder Properties
    That’s it. To read audit log, open Event Viewer by typing Event Viewer to Start menu’s search field or Run dialog window and hit Enter. Go to Windows Logs > Security
    This article works for Windows 7,may or may not work for Windows Vista and  Windows XP.

  • Tech Update: Windows 7 on Gaming Deck

      
                As expected, Just when you thought you’d see every possible way to implement Windows 7. Technology evolution “CES” and a company called OCOSMOS. 

     
                    Engadget is reporting that an unknown company who made a vaporware splash in last years Consumer Electronics Show is getting ready to preview a handheld gaming device that runs a version of Windows 7. That’s right we are not talking about Windows Phone 7 it Microsoft Windows 7.

            It’s not a surprise that we favour Windows 7 as an operating system, but we are very wary of Windows 7 on any tablet-like devices and especially a gaming handheld. we just don’t see the point of this, but we will have to wait and see before making any judgement on their device. For right now, check the picture and the scant details. What are your thoughts on using Windows 7 on a portable gaming device?

  • How to Activate Windows 7 Online


    Information
    Activation is the required process of ensuring that Windows 7 on your computer is genuine and used according to the Microsoft Software License Terms. This tutorial will show you how to activate Windows 7 online with your valid product key number. 
    To activate online, your computer will need an Internet connection.
    Note
    Genuine Windows is a recurring process that checks your product key to ensure it’s being used with the hardware it was paired with during activation. If the product key is found to be non-genuine, or not valid, it’s likely that the product key is either being used on another computer or is counterfeit. For more information about genuine Windows, go to the genuine Windows website for FAQ’s.
    You might have to activate Windows 7 again if:
    You uninstall Windows 7 on one computer and then install it on another. During installation, enter the product key that came with Windows. If automatic activation fails, follow the instructions that walk you through activating Windows by phone. You will have 30 days to activate Windows.
    You make a significant hardware change to your computer, such as upgrading the hard disk and memory at the same time. If a major hardware change requires activating Windows again, you will be notified and will have three days to activate Windows.
    You reformat your hard disk. Reformatting erases your activation status. In this case, you’ll have 30 days to activate Windows again.
    A virus or malware infects your computer and deletes your activation status.
    Warning
    You must activate Windows 7 within the 30 days grace period after installation before it expires. When Windows 7 is activated, you’ll be able to use every feature of Windows 7.
    If you chose to automatically activate Windows when I’m online when you set up your computer, automatic activation begins trying to activate your copy of Windows 7 three days after you log on for the first time. See METHOD ONE below.
    If you install Windows 7 on a second computer, you must buy an additional product key number to activate the second installation to continue using Windows 7 on both computers.
    EXAMPLE: Windows 7 Activated
    OPTION ONE
    Automatically Activate Windows 7
    NOTE:
    This is for when you are doing a clean install or Upgrade install of Windows 7.
    1. When you get to this step during installation below, type in your valid product key number and check the automatically activate Windows when I’m online box.
    NOTE: 
    Automatic activation will now begin trying to activate your copy of Windows 7 three days after you log on for the first time.
    OPTION TWO
    Manually Activate Windows 7
    1. Open the Control Panel (All Items view), and click on the System icon.
    A) Go to step 3.
    OR
    2. Open the Start Menu, and right click on the Computer button and click on Properties. (See screenshot below)
    3. Under the Windows activation section at the bottom, click on the 30 days to activate. Activate Windows now link. (See screenshot below)
    NOTE: If you did METHOD ONE above, then you will see 3 days to activate. Activate Windows now instead.
    4. Select the Activate Windows online now option. (See screenshot below)
    5. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.
    6. Type in your valid Windows 7 product key number, and click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)
    NOTE: You will not see this screen if you have entered your product key number during the clean installation or Upgrade installation of Windows 7, or if you did METHOD ONE above.
    7. If successful, click on the Close button. (See screenshot below)
    Note
    If the product key is found to be non-genuine, or not valid, it’s likely that the product key is either being used on another computer or is counterfeit. For more information about genuine Windows, go to the genuine Windows website.
    8. Windows 7 is now activated and genuine. (See screenshot below)
    NOTE: Genuine Windows is a recurring process that checks your product key is being used with the hardware it was paired with during activation.
    Tip
    If online activation fails, then try to activate by phone instead.