Category: network drive

How to Setup and Use ReadyBoost in Windows 7

Information

This article will show you how to setup and use ReadyBoost in Windows 7 with USB flash drives and flash memory cards to help speed up your computer.

Note

·         You can enable or disable ReadyBoost for a specific flash drive or other removable storage device (ex: memory card).

·         For ReadyBoost to effectively speed up your computer, the flash drive or memory card should have at least 1 GB of free available space.

·         Windows 7 shows you how much space it recommends that you allow it to reserve and use on the flash drive or memory card for optimal performance at the bottom of the properties window. (See screenshot below step 4B below)

·         If your flash drive or card doesn’t have enough available space for ReadyBoost, you’ll see a message telling you to free some space on it.

·         For best results, use a flash drive or flash memory card with at least double the amount of available space as the amount of memory (RAM) in your computer.

Warning

·         If your Windows 7 is installed on a solid-state drive (SSD), you may not see an option to speed up your computer with ReadyBoost when you plug in a USB flash drive or flash memory card. This is because SSD drives are faster and they’re very unlikely to benefit from using ReadyBoost.

·         In some situations, you might not be able to use all of the memory on your device to speed up your computer. For example, some flash memory devices contain both slow and fast flash memory, but ReadyBoost can only use fast flash memory to speed up your computer.

·         ReadyBoost cannot beat the performance gain by just adding more RAM in your computer instead.

Here’s How:

1. Plug a USB flash drive or flash memory card that you want to use ReadyBoost with into your computer.

2. If AutoPlay pops-up, click on Speed up my system. (See screenshot below)

A) Go to step 4.

OR

3. If AutoPlay does not pop-up, then open the Start Menu and click on Computer. In Computer, right click on the USB flash drive or flash memory card, and click on Properties. (See screenshot below)

4. To Turn On ReadyBoost –

A) To use all of the flash drive or memory card free space for ReadyBoost –

Select Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost. (See screenshot below)

B) To specify how much free space on the flash drive or memory to use for ReadyBoost –

Select Use this device. (See screenshot below)

Either slide the slider or enter the amount of free space you want to reserve to ReadyBoost.

NOTE:

See the note box at the top of the tutorial for details about how much free space to use.

5. To Turn Off ReadyBoost –

Select Do not use this device. (See screenshots above)

6. Click on OK.

7. You will see this for a brief moment while Windows 7 configures the ReadyBoost cache on your flash drive or memory card. (See screenshot below)

Tip

To Temporarily Remove the ReadyBoost Device

NOTE:

If you wanted to temporarily remove the USB flash drive or memory card that ReadyBoost is currently using, then this will show you how to safely remove it.

1. Open the Start Menu and click on Computer, then right click on the USB flash drive or flash memory card being used by ReadyBoost, and click on Eject. (See screenshots below)

A) Click on Continue. (See screenshot below)

B) Go to step 3.

OR

2. Click on the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the notification area on the right side of the taskbar, then click on the USB flash drive or flash memory card being used by ReadyBoost to eject it. (See screenshot below)

3. When you see this, it is now safe to remove the USB flash drive or flash memory card. (See screenshot below)

4. When ready, you can just plug the USB flash drive or flash memory card back in to have ReadyBoost automatically start using it again.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq_tRLXM5_E&fs=1&hl=en_US]

December 28, 2010
How to Change the Product Key Number in Windows 7

Information

This article will show you how to change the product key number in Windows 7 so that you can use another product key number to activate your Windows 7.

This can be helpful if you have entered the incorrect or no product key number during installation, or you just wanted to use a different product key .

This process may or may not work on Windows Xp.

Note

You can only use a product key for the same Windows 7 edition that you currently have installed. For example, you cannot change the product key in Windows 7 Home Premium with a Windows 7 Ultimate product key.

OPTION ONE

Change Product Key Number in System Properties

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 Change product key link. (See screenshot below)

4. Type in your new valid Windows 7 product key that you want to change it to, and click on the Next button. (See screenshot below)

5. If activation was successful, then 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.

6. Windows 7 is now activated and genuine with the new product key number. (See screenshot below)

OPTION TWO

Change Product Key Number in Command Prompt

1. Open a elevated command prompt.

2. In the elevated command prompt, type in the command below and press enter.

NOTE:

Substitute XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX in ths command below with your actual product key number instead.

slmgr.vbs -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

3. In the elevated command prompt, type in the command below to activate your Windows 7 with this new product key number and press enter.

slmgr.vbs -ato

4. Close the elevated command prompt.

This process may or may not work on Windows Xp.

December 24, 2010
How to Create a Task that will shut down the PC Automatically

INFORMATION

This article will show a very easy way to create a task in the Task Scheduler that will shut down the PC whenever you like.

This will work for Windows 7 and Windows Vista but not on Windows XP.

SOLUTION

1) In the Windows start menu search box type “Task Scheduler” (without the quotes) right click the entry and select “Run as Administrator” then enter your user credentials for the UAC prompt and click “Yes” to open the Task Scheduler.

2) In the Task Scheduler window that opens, in the “Actions” menu in the right pane click “Create Task”.

3) In the Create Task window under the General tab, set a name and description for the task then dot “Run whether user is logged on or not” then put a check/tick at “Run with highest privileges”, be sure to set the “Configure for:” for your flavor of Windows, then continue on to #4 below.

4) Now at the Actions tab at the lower left click “New”, in the “New Action” dialog box leave “Action” set at “Start a program” at “Program/script:” type shutdown.exe then at “Add arguments” type /s /f (take note of the space between the /s and /f) then click OK.

5) Now at the Triggers tab at the lower left click “New” in the “New Trigger” dialog box set the parameters that you want for the task, as everyone’s needs will be different, I just highlighted a few of the ones that need to be set to give some ideas.

6) After you have the Triggers set click “OK”, you will then be prompted to enter your user credentials one last time and then click “OK” to finish creating the task. That’s it the task has been created, at “File” click “Exit” to close the Task Scheduler.

NOTE

Be sure to have a look at the “Conditions” tab if you need to add any parameters that must be met before the task is able to run.

Should the PC be in use at the scheduled shutdown time you will get a dialog box stating that you are about to be logged off.

This will work for Windows 7 and Windows Vista but not on Windows XP.

December 24, 2010
How to Restore the Default Windows 7 Gadgets

Information

This article will show you how to restore the desktop gadgets that come pre-installed with Windows 7.

EXAMPLE:

Gadgets

Note:

Some gadgets are already uninstalled.

Here’s how:

1. Open the Control Panel (in Category View), then click on Appearance & Personalization. (See screen shot below)

2. Click the ‘Restore desktop gadgets installed with Windows’ button as highlighted in the second image. (See screen shot below)

3. This will bring up the Desktop Gadgets window with a message stating ‘All Windows and administrator installed gadgets have been restored’ (See screen shot below)

4. When finished, just close down the Desktop Gadgets and Control Panel windows.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swjg_5F0kGg&fs=1&hl=en_US]

December 23, 2010
How to Import Windows Calendar from Vista into Windows 7

Information

This article will show you how to import Windows Calendar from Vista into Windows 7, and to enable using Windows Calendar from the toolbar button in Windows Mail in Windows 7 if you also imported it.

There is no Windows Calendar feature included in Windows 7 by default.

Warning

If running 64bit Windows 7 it is essential to import Windows Calendar from a 64bit Vista installation into the normal 64bit program files. And the same for 32 to 32bit.

Step 1

·         In Vista open: Program Files –> Windows Calendar.

·         Copy the entire Windows Calendar folder.

·         Paste this folder into Program files in Windows 7.

·         Still in program files, open the pasted Windows Calendar folder –> Right click: WinCal –> Send to desktop as shortcut.

·         If desired create a Windows Calendar shortcut in Start menu programs as follows:

·         Choose View options to show hidden folders.

·         Open: Computer –> C: Drive –> Program Data –> Microsoft –> Windows –> Start Menu –> Programs.

·         Paste copy of WinCal shortcut into Start Menu Programs & re-name to: Windows Calendar.

Step 2

·         In Vista open: Control Panel –> Administrative Tools –> Task Scheduler.

·         In left window pane expand tree for: Task Scheduler Library –> Microsoft –> Windows.

·         Scroll down Windows tree to: WindowsCalendar –> Click to highlight –> In right window pane click: Export.

·         It opens a file named “Reminders – ‘Your User name’.XML”

·         Save this file to desk top or storage folder.

Step 3

·         Open saved “Reminders.XML” file with Notepad, but do not set Notepad as default opener.

·         Wherever your user name and computer name appear, it must be changed to exactly match your user name and computer name in Windows 7. To find Computer name, right click: Computer –> Properties.

·         See following pic to find where changes need to be made. Note: This image shows “Reminder file” opened in normal view, but it must be opened with Notepad to make changes. Click image to enlarge.

·         For example, “Paraclete/Bernard” becomes “Lizzi’s Computer/Lizzi”.

·         Once changes are made click: Save. Changes will be saved as XML file.

Step 4

·         In Windows 7 open: Control Panel –> Administrative Tools –> Task Scheduler.

·         In left window pane expand tree for: Task Scheduler Library –> Microsoft –> Windows.

·         Click: Windows to highlight –> Right click again & select: New Folder.

·         Name new folder exactly as follows: WindowsCalendar with no spaces.

·         Click: OK. The new WindowsCalendar folder is added to the Windows tree in the left pane.

Step 5

·         Click new folder: “WindowsCalendar” in the Windows tree to highlight –> Right click again to open menu.

·         Select: Import Task –> Browse to where you have saved the “Reminders – .XML” file.

·         Click: “Reminders – .XML” file to import it. If a message appears saying: “The format of the task is not valid” it means you have not changed the computer and user names correctly.

·         In bottom of new window that appears, open: Drop down menu –> Select: Windows 7 –> Click: OK.

Step 6

Open and run the regedit file WinCalEdit.zip attached here WinCalEdit.zip. This enables Windows Calendar to open in the desktop WinMail.exe interface.

December 23, 2010
How to Map a Network Drive in Windows 7

Information

This will show you how to map or unmap a shared folder on your computer or shared network folder from a computer on your network to create a shortcut of it as a drive with a drive letter in the Computer window for easier access.

Note:

You will need to be connected to your network to be able to map a shared network folder as a drive from it.

You will be able to map a shared folder on your computer as a drive whether you are connected to a network or not since it’s on your computer and does not require a network connection to access it.

EXAMPLE:

A Mapped Network Drive

NOTE:

For example, this is a shared network folder from a server on my network that was mapped as a drive on my computer.

OPTION ONE

Map a Network Drive

1. Open the Start Menu and click on the Computer button on the right dark side.

2. Click on the Map network drive toolbar button. (See screenshot below)

3. Select a drive letter that you want to be assigned to this mapped network drive. (see screenshot below)

4. Click on the Browse button. (See screenshot below)

5. Select a listed shared folder on your computer OR a shared network folder that you want to have mapped as a drive, then click on OK. (See screenshot below)

6. If you want to always have the map network drive available in the Computer window, then check the Reconnect at logon box. (See screenshot below)

NOTE:

If you do not check the Reconnect at logon box, then the mapped network drive in Computer will be disconnected (unmapped) automatically whenever you log off or restart the computer next.

7. If you want to log on to network for the shared network folder with a different user name and password than what you already have set for this network connection, then check the Connect using different credentials box. (see screenshot below step 9)

NOTE:

Normally you would leave this option unchecked unless you wanted to log on as a different user on the network than the default one you already have set up.

8. Click on Finish. (see screenshot below step 6)

9. If you checked the Connect using different credentials box in step 7, then you will now be prompted to enter the user name and password that you want to use instead to log on to the network with. If you want to be automatically logged on each time you open the mapped network drive, then check the Remember my credentials box. Click on OK after entering them. (see screenshot below)

NOTE:

If not, then skip this step and continue to step 10.

10. You will now have a mapped network drive of this shared folder or shared network folder in Computer. (See screenshot below)

OPTION TWO

Unmap a Network Drive

NOTE:

This will disconnect the mapped network drive to only remove it from the Computer window. It will not delete the shared folder or shared network folder.

1. Open the Start Menu and click on the Computer button on the right dark side.

2. Right click on the mapped network drive that you want to unmap, and click on Disconnect. (See screenshot below)

3. The mapped network drive is now unmapped, and will no longer show in the Computer window.

December 22, 2010