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Category: TechnicalSupport

  • Hide Drives – Windows 7 Tips



    If you’ve got drives in My Computer that you never access, such as a USB Flash drive that you are using solely for ReadyBoost, a floppy drive, or a network drive only used for a particular piece of software, then you might want to simply hide the drive from your computer.



    This tip will only hide the drive from being displayed, applications and the command prompt will still have access to it, and you can still manually browse to the folder if you type in the path.
    Now what’s that floppy drive doing there?

    Configure the Hidden Drives
    Open up regedit.exe by using the start menu search box, and then browse down to the following key.
        HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
    If the Explorer key does not exist, you can right-click on Policies, select New Key and name it Explorer.

    The NoDrives key most likely does not exist by default, so you’ll need to create it with right-click \ new 32-bit DWORD and name it NoDrives.
    This value is a 32 bit number, and the bits are arranged in reverse order with a value of 1 hiding that drive.
    Converting 100001 to decimal we end up with a decimal value of 33 or a hex value of 0×21, so if you double-click on the key in the registry editor, choose Decimal and then enter 33 into the value field.
    In order to see these changes, you’ll need to restart explorer.exe, which you can do easily from Task Manager or the longer way by just logging off and back on.

  • File Sharing – Windows Vista Tips


    INFORMATION:

    This article will show you how to share files in Windows Vista 


    1) At first, I would assume you already enabled File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks on your network adapter’s properties.


    2) Then, you also need to turn on the file sharing types that you need in Network and Sharing Center.
    Simple File Sharing – Turn on File sharing only.
    Password Protected File Sharing – Turn on File sharing and Password protected sharing.

    3) Now we are going to do advanced Vista file sharing! Locate the folder that you plan to share, right click that folder and click on Properties. In this case, I’m going to share folder Files.

    4) Folder properties window will appear, then click Advanced Sharing

    5) Advanced Sharing window will appear, tick Share this folder. You can also limit the number of simultaneous users to access this folder, rename this shared folder and add comments. Finally click Permissions.
    Note: Please note even you already did sharing on the folder before and it works, you would find out Share this folder is not ticked. It’s ok, don’t be confused, you only tick Share this folder if you need to use advanced file sharing features.

    6) Then, add the users that you want to share file with in Folder Permissions window. By default, the Everyone group has Read permissions. I also added user Nicola to have Read and Change permission. Click Apply at last.
    Note: Add Everyone or Guest if you enabled simple file sharing only.

    7) Back to Advanced Sharing window, click on the Caching button this time. Offline Settings window will appear, here is the place you can set whether the shared folders/files will be available offline. The default setting is Only the files and program that users specify will be available offline. Click OK at last.
    Note: Click on How do offline files work link to learn more about this offline feature.

    8) Back to the Advanced Sharing window, click Apply to make final change. As usual after the sharing, you will see 2 people appear at the bottom of your shared folder. You have completed doing advanced Vista file sharing.

    Note: If you check on Advanced Sharing window again, you can actually click Add to create new share condition with different name, description, allowed simultaneous users and permissions. After that, you will have different share profiles for you to select in different situations for this Vista file sharing.

    Note: Please right click that shared folder and click on Properties, then go to Sharing tab. Check the group or user names that are allowed to access this folder, and make sure the user/group that you allowed to access during sharing process is listed here as well, if not click Edit to add those missing user/group. Please note Everyone will allow everybody to access this folder.
    If the specific user/group you allowed during sharing process does not match the user/group listed here, the user will get prompt saying that you might not have permission to use this network resource when try to access this shared folder from other computer. Try and test some different settings, then you will know which one will work.

  • Enable Remote Desktop – Windows Vista Tips


    INFORMATION:

    This article will show you how to enable remote desktop on Windows Vista

    1) Go to Start, right click Computer and then click on Properties.

    2) The computer properties window will appear, then you click on Remote settings.
    Note: You can also open this window by going to Control Panel -> System.

    3) Go to Remote tab on the System properties window, then click on Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure) option. You can also click Select Users button to choose the users that can connect to this computer remotely. Finally, click Apply and OK button.

    Note: You can only choose that Allow connections only from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (more secure) option if the Remote Desktop client supports Network Level Authentication. If you want to check, just open the client and click on upper left corner icon to open the About window, you will then find out whether it’s supported.

    Note: By default the current user id that you used to enable this Remote Desktop will be allowed to connect remotely. In this case, Ivan already has access as my current logged on user id is Ivan. You can click Add… to add other users.

    Note: Also the Remote Desktop must be enabled as exception on Windows Firewall! If not the traffic will be dropped by this firewall.

    Note: Please also make sure Block all incoming connections check box is cleared! If it’s check, then no remote connection can be made from other computers. 


  • Monitor Shared Folders – Windows Vista Tips

    Quick Way to Monitor Shared Folders in Windows Vista

    1) Open command prompt (Start->All Programs->Accessories->Command Prompt), type fsmgmt.msc and press Enter button.

    2) The shared folders snap-in will appear. If you click Shares, it will list down all shared folders, folder path, number of client connections, etc.
    Note: You can also right click the folder to open or stop the folder sharing.

    3) If you click on Sessions, it lists down all users who are connected to this computer’s shared folders. From here, you will know some valuable connected user info, such as user ID, computer name, how many files are opened by user, since when the folder is accessed by user, idle time and whether the user logged on using Guest account.
    Note: You can also right click any user ID and click on Close Session option to disconnect this user.

    4) Proceed to click on Open Files, it will list down all files currently accessed by users and also the permission user owns on the opened files.
    Note: You can also right click any file and click on Close Open File option to close open file.


  • Disable IPv6 – Windows Vista Tips

    Simple Way to Disable IPv6 in Windows Vista

    1) Go to Start and right click on Network and then click Properties.


    2) Network and Sharing Center window will appear, after that click Manage network connections.

    3) Network Connections window will appears. Here you can right click on the network card that you wish to disable IPv6 and click Properties.

    4) In the Local Area Connection Properties window, untick Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and click OK.
    Note: This method disables IPv6 on your LAN interfaces and connections, but does not disable IPv6 on tunnel interfaces or the IPv6 loopback interface. You need to make change in Windows registry in order to disable the IPv6 on tunnel interface. You can stop here if don’t feel like working with Windows registry. If not, proceed with Step 5.

    5) Type regedit in command prompt in order to launch registry editor.

    6) Registry editor will appear, proceed to locate following registry item:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip6\Parameters\DisabledComponents
    Note: If the DisabledComponents item is unavailable, you must create it:
    a) In the Edit menu, go to New, and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value.

    b) Type DisabledComponents, and then press ENTER.

    7) Double-click DisabledComponents, set the value as 0xffffffff (hexadecimal value) (just type ffffffff) to disable IPv6 on LAN interfaces, connections, and tunnel interfaces except the IPv6 loopback interface, finally click OK.

    8) You must restart the computer for this registry value to take effect.

  • Delete Wireless Network Profile – Windows 7 Tips



    INFORMATION:



    This article will show you how to delete wireless network profiles on your Windows 7 computer




    1) Go to Start and click on Control Panel.
    2) Proceed to click View network status and tasks in Control Panel window.


    3) Network and Sharing Center window will appear, proceed to click Manage wireless networks on left panel.

    4) Manage Wireless Networks window will appear, and here you can see all available wireless network connection profiles. Select the profile you don’t use anymore, click on Remove to delete the selected profile. That’s it!
    Note: Some explanation on profile icons! 2 big computers icon means infrastructure or access point network (you will connect to the wireless network via access point or wireless router). That 3 connected mini computers icon means ad hoc wireless network (the computers will connect to each others directly and wirelessly).
    Note: You can click Add to add new wireless network profile.
    Note: Please also note that the network profile that located at higher position will have higher priority. As an example, home-network will be connected instead of nicole-network if both networks are in connecting range due to higher priority on home-network profile. You can click on Move up/Move down to change the priority.

    5) If you want to view and change the wireless network profile setting, just double click on the profile. The profile setting window will appear, and you can view/make change by checking on Connection and ` tabs.


  • Connect to Wireless Network – Windows 7 Tips



    INFORMATION:

    This article will show you how to connect your Windows & machine to wireless network


     
    Before we start, ensure that WLAN AutoConfig Service is started, so that we can use the Windows 7 build-in wireless network connection tool to connect to wireless network.


    1) Ok, let’s start, just notice the icon that looks like ladder on you right hand corner taskbar, it’s network icon. If it’s attached with a sun, usually means it detects wireless networks.
    2) Just click on that network icon, it will show all detected wireless networks with signal strength, the more green bars the stronger wireless signal. The details of detected wireless network (SSID, signal strength, security type, radio type) will be shown if you move over mouse cursor for 1 second on the selected network.
    Note: If the detected wireless network is hidden network (SSID broadcast is disabled), it will be shown as Other Network.
    Note: If there is orange bubble and exclamation mark on wireless network symbol, that is open or unsecured wireless network without any wireless encryption.
    Note: Feel free to press refresh button to re-detect wireless network.

    Note: Please note that the detected network list will be appeared too if you click on Connect to a network in Network and sharing Center.

    3) Click on the wireless network you wish to connect to, it will be expanded as shown below. Check Connect automatically option if you want this network to be connected automatically next time. Proceed to click Connect.

    4) If the wireless network is secured network with wireless encryption, the following window will appear, you need to key in wireless encryption key, after that click OK.
    Note: If the wireless network is unsecured network, your computer will be connected to wireless network immediately.
    Note: If the wireless network you try to connect is Other network (hidden network – SSID broadcast is disabled), you are requested to key in SSID info too before connecting to wireless network.

    5) Finally, you will see the following white wireless network icon once it’s connected to wireless network. You can now proceed to access Internet or other computers!

    Note:If you right click the connected wireless network and click Properties, you will be able to see the connection setting of this network and you can make further configuration.


  • Starting WLAN AutoConfig Service – Windows 7 Tips

    INFORMATION:


    WLAN AutoConfig service is built-in tool in Windows 7 that can be used to detect and connect to wireless network, of course you need to have wireless adapter installed on computer. This built-in wireless network connection tool is the same as what you use in Windows Vista, and is similar to wireless zero configuration tool in Windows XP.





    If you do not activate this service, you need to use the other wireless utility which is provided by wireless adapter manufacturer in order to connect to wireless network. Personally I prefer to use this built-in wireless network connection tool as I don’t have to learn about different wireless utilities for different wireless adapters.
    1) Go to Start and right click Computer. Select and click Manage.

    2. Computer Management window will appear. Under Services and Applications, click on Services.
    Note: This is the other way to get to this Services window: Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services
    3. Scroll down and select WLAN AutoConfig. Check whether it is started

    4. Double-click the service and its properties window will appear. If the startup type is not set to automatic, click on the dropdown arrow and change it to Automatic and click Start to start the service if it’s not started. Click OK at last.

    Note: If you don’t start this service, there is no Manage wireless networks option available for you to detect or manage wireless network in Network and Sharing Center window unless you use other wireless utility.
    Computer with this built-in wireless network connection service started:

    Computer without this built-in wireless network connection service started:


  • Checking Network or Wireless Adapter Driver Status in Windows 7

    INFORMATION:
    This article will show you how to check network or wireless Adapter Driver Status in Windows 7

    HERE’S HOW:

    1) Go to Start and click on Control Panel.


    2) Control Panel window will appear, click Hardware and Sound.


    Note: If you view Control Panel by Large Icons or Small Icons, you can just double click the Device Manager.

    3) Click on Device Manager in Hardware and Sound window.

    4) The Device Manager will appear, then locate and expand Network adapters and right click the network or wireless adapter you want to check, finally click on Properties.

    5) The network or wireless adapter properties window will appear, your driver works well if it shows This device is working properly under General tab. You can also manually configure network adapter’s driver parameters under Advanced tab.

    Note: If your device does not work well, click on Driver tab to check driver details, update driver, rollback driver, disable driver or uninstall driver.

  • Connect Two Computers Wirelessly in Windows 7



    INFORMATION:

    In order to connect two computers, now you need to configure ad hoc wireless setting on Windows 7 computer A, so that computer B can connect to it wirelessly, after that you can proceed to share file or printer.






    HERES HOW:

    On Windows 7 Computer A:

    1) Go to Start and click on Control Panel.
    2) Proceed to click View network status and tasks in Control Panel window.

    3) Network and Sharing Center window will appear, proceed to click on Set up a new connection or network.

    4) Set Up a Connection or Network window will appear, select Set up a wireless ad hoc (computer-to-computer) network option and click Next.

    5) You will see some explanation on this wireless ad hoc network. Please note that both computers must be within 30 feet of each other in order to connect successfully! Click Next.

    6) Here you need to fill up the details of this ad hoc network. Name your network, select security type and set security key if needed. Click Save this network option too, so that can manage it later. Click Next.
    Note: Although you can choose No authentication (open), WEP and WPA2-Personal as security type, but I advise you to use WPA2-Personal as this is the most secure security type.

    7) A window will be shown to tell you that the ad hoc wireless network is in the creation process. Finally this window will show you the created ad hoc wireless network with name and security key info, and this info is needed for other computers to connect to this ad hoc network.

    Note: You can always go back to Network and Sharing Center window, and click on manage wireless networks option to further manage this ad hoc wireless network.

    8) Let’s move to computer B, search for available ad hoc wireless network and connect to it.

    9) Once the connection is established, you are prompted to select network location type and/or homegroup on computer A. I will usually select Home network as network location type as the other connected computer is trusted computer. It’s ok if you do not want to create homegroup.
    At this point, you should be able to connect two computers and ping the other connected computer, finally proceed to share files if you like.