Tutorials

How to Enable or Disable the Vista Built-in CD and DVD Burning Features This will allow you to enable or disable the Vista Explorer built-in CD and DVD burning features for all users. This feature is enabled by default in Vista. If you have installed a third party CD and DVD burning program, then this may be handy disabled.Disabling this feature does not prevent users from using third party applications to create, burn to, or modify CDs and DVDs.EXAMPLE: Built-in CD and DVD Burning Features Enabled and Disabled NOTE: Left screenshots below are enabled, and right screenshots are disabled. Using a REG File Download 1. To Enable CD and DVD Burning Features A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below...

Turn On or Off IE8 and IE9 Display Accelerator Button on Selection This will show you how to have the Accelerator button to display or not display when text is selected or highlighted in IE8 and IE9. By default this is set to display. EXAMPLE: Display Accelerator button on selection ON NOTE: When turned on, you can click on the accelerator blue arrow button displayed when selecting text in Internet Explorer to see and select from any enabled accelerator add-on. EXAMPLE: Display Accelerator button on selection OFF NOTE: When turned off, you can still right click on the selected text in Internet Explorer to see and select from any enabled accelerator add-on. Here's How: 1. Open Internet Explorer. A) Click on the Tools Command Bar...

How to Rename the Vista Guest Account This will show you how to rename the default Guest account name to a name you like instead to be displayed in the log on screen and Start menu in Vista. You can have better security by not using the same default name as everyone else to log in with.When you change a name of a user account, the original name is still tied to that account even though the new name is displayed in the Start menu and at log on. So you will not be able to use both names to rename another account with without deleting the other account that already has the name. If you have ever turned on the Guest account before changing the name, then the C:\Users\Guest folder will be the default folder name and cannot be changed...

How to Rename the Vista Built-in Administrator Account This will show you how to rename the built-in Administrator account name to a name you like instead to be displayed in the log on screen and Start menu in Vista. You can have better security by not using the same default name as everyone else to log in with.The built-in Administrator account is not enabled by default in Vista. Instead you use a default normal administrator account that was created during installation. This normal administrator account is not the same as the built-in Administrator account.When you change a name of a user account, the original name is still tied to that account even though the new name is displayed in the Start menu and at log on. So you will not be...

How to Open Local Users and Groups in Vista This will show you how to open Local Users and Groups so you can secure and manage user accounts and groups that are stored locally on your Vista computer. By using Local Users and Groups, you can limit the ability of users and groups to perform certain actions by assigning rights and permissions to them. A right authorizes a user to perform certain actions on a computer, such as backing up files and folders or shutting down a computer. A permission is a rule that is associated with an object (usually a file, folder, or printer), and it regulates which users can have access to the object and in what manner. Here is a brief explanation of what the Users and Groups folders are for. For more...

How to Open the Local Security Policy Editor in Vista This will show you how to open the Local Security Policy Editor in Vista.The Local Security Policy settings are among the security settings contained in the Local Group Policy Editor GPO. You will need to be an administrator to open the Local Security Policy Editor. The Local Security Group Policy Editor will only be available in the Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterpise editions. You will not have the Local Security Policy Editor available in the Vista Home Basic and Home Premium editions. EXAMPLE: Local Security Policy Editor NOTE: The top screenshot is the separate Local Security Policy editor. The bottom screenshot is from within the Local Group Policy Editor. Local...

How to Replace the Vista Taskbar Buttons with Icons This will show you how to have taskbar buttons for open windows to display with icons instead.The taskbar button thumbnail previewswill still display if you have the Windows Aero color scheme selected.If the taskbar is moved vertically to either side of the display, then the icons will not work and only buttons are available instead. The icons will only only work with the taskbar at the top or bottom of the display instead.EXAMPLE: Taskbar with Buttons NOTE: This is the default taskbar. EXAMPLE: Taskbar with Icons Using a REG File Download 1. To Have Taskbar Icons A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below. Taskbar_with_Icons.reg...

How to Enable or Disable the Chimney Offload State in Vista This will show you how to enable or disable the TCP Chimney Offload State to offload TCP processing for a network connection from the CPU to the network adapter instead. This helps improve the processing of network data on your computer or server without the need for additional programs or any loss to manageability or security. Programs that are currently bound by network processing overhead will generally scale better when used with TCP Chimney Offload. For more information about this, see Information about the TCP Chimney Offload, Receive Side Scaling, and Network Direct Memory Access features in Windows Server 2008 and What is TCP Chimney Offload? - Windows Vista Help."The...

How to Turn Presentation Settings On or Off in Vista This will show you how to either turn on, change, or turn off presentation settings in Vista.Presentation settings are options on a laptop or desktop that you can apply when giving a presentation. When presentation settings are turned on, your laptop stays awake and system notifications are turned off. You can also turn off the screen saver, adjust the speaker volume, and change your desktop background image when presentation settings are turned on. Through Windows Mobility Center 1. Open Windows Mobility Center. 2. To Turn On Presentation Settings A) In the Presentation Settings tile, click on the Turn on button. (See screenshot below) NOTE: This will turn on the presentation...

How to Enable Windows Mobility Center on a Desktop Computer By default, the Windows Mobility Center feature is only enabled and available on laptops, notebooks, and tablet PCs. This will show you how to enable Windows Mobility Center to allow it to run on a Desktop computer.Windows Mobility Center displays the most commonly used laptop settings, such as display brightness, volume, battery status, wireless network status, external display, Sync Center, and Presentation settings in one location for quicker access in Windows 7.DO NOT DO THIS ON A LAPTOP, NOTEBOOK, OR TABLET PC. This is only for a desktop computer. EXAMPLE: Windows Mobility Center Disabled NOTE: This is what you will see if you tried to open Windows Mobility Center on a...

How to Open and Use Windows Mobility Center in Vista This will show you how to open Windows Mobility Center to display the most commonly used laptop settings, such as display brightness, volume, battery status, wireless network status, external display, Sync Center, and Presentation settings in one location for quicker access in Vista.If you wanted or needed to create a Windows Mobility Center shortcut, the exe file is located at C:\Windows\System32\mblctr.exe.By default, the Windows Mobility Center feature is only available on laptops, notebooks, and tablet PCs. It is not available on desktop computers unless enabled. EXAMPLE: Windows Mobility Center NOTE: Each available setting is displayed as a tile in Mobility Center. Different...

How to Restart Explorer in Vista The executable module in Vista that contains the Start Menu, Taskbar, desktop and file manager user interfaces. EXPLORER.EXE is a Windows process that runs automatically at startup and remains an active process. If you have a Explorer error, or you made a change to the system that requires a computer restart to apply, and you do not want to wait for the whole computer to restart to do it, then this gives you a quick restart without restarting the whole system. If you are using Windows Dreamscene or Stardock DeskScapes, then you will get a Dreamscene failure error and the desktop background will go blank when Explorer.exe is restarted. To fix this, simply select any normal wallpaper, then select a...

How to Allow or Block Unrated Websites with Internet Explorer Content Advisor Internet Explorer Content Advisor uses ratings that websites provide to identify potentially offensive content to allow or block them with. This will show you how to allow or block all users to view websites that have no rating with Content Advisor. By default, unrated websites are blocked by Content Advisor. Allowing unrated websites in Content Advisor might allow users to browse to and view objectionable content on the unrated website. You will need to do this while logged in to an administrator account. Here's How: 1. If not already, then enable Internet Explorer Content Advisor. 2. Open the Control Panel (Classic view), and click on the Internet...

How to Allow or Block Specific Websites in Internet Explorer Content Advisor This will show you how to create a list of specific websites in Internet Explorer Content Advisor to allow or block from being viewable by all users regardless of how they are rated.You will need to do this while logged in to an administrator account. Here's How: 1. If not already, then enable Internet Explorer Content Advisor. 2. Open the Control Panel (Classic view), and click on the Internet Options icon. A) Go to step 4. OR 3. In Internet Explorer, click on Tools and Internet Options. 4. Click on the Content tab and on the Settings button. (See screenshot below) 5. If prompted by UAC, then click on Continue. 6. Type in your Content Advisor...

How to Change the Mouse Hover Time before Pop-up Displays in Vista This will show you how to change the delay time, in milliseconds, that the mouse pointer has to stay hovered on a item before tooltip popups display in Vista. Using a REG File Download 1. To Have a Fast Mouse Hover Time NOTE: This changes the mouse hover delay time to 30 milliseconds. A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below. 30ms_Mouse_Hover_Time.zip https://www.vistax64.com/attachments/30ms_mouse_hover_time-zip.9428/ B) Go to step 3. 2. To Restore the Default Mouse Hover Time NOTE: This changes the mouse hover delay time back to 400 milliseconds. A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below...

How to Change the Internet Explorer Content Advisor Ratings Level Content Advisor uses ratings that websites provide to identify potentially offensive content. This will show you how to change the category rating levels to what level you want instead. By default, Internet Explorer is set for the strongest (or most inoffensive) level of ratings.You will need to do this while logged in to an administrator account. Here's How: 1. If not already, then enable Internet Explorer Content Advisor. 2. Open the Control Panel (Classic view), and click on the Internet Options icon. A) Go to step 4. OR 3. In Internet Explorer, click on Tools and Internet Options. 4. Click on the Content tab and on the Settings button. (See screenshot...

How to Reset or Change the Internet Explorer Content Advisor Password This will show you how to reset or change the Vista Internet Explorer Content Advisor supervisor password.You will need to do this while logged in to an administrator account. To Reset Content Advisor Password NOTE: This option is for when you do not know your current Internet Explorer Content Advisor supervisor password and need to reset it and enter a new password. If you know your supervisor password, then see OPTION TWO below instead. 1. Click on the Download button below to download the file below. Reset_Content_Advisor_Password.zip https://www.vistax64.com/attachments/reset_content_advisor_password-zip.11466/ A) Click on Save, and save the .zip file to the...

How to Reset Internet Explorer Content Advisor This will show you how to completely reset Internet Explorer Content Advisor back to it's default settings as if it was never enabled or had settings changed.You will need to do this while logged in to an administrator account. Using a REG File Download 1. Click on the Download button below to download the file below. Reset_Content_Advisor.zip https://www.vistax64.com/attachments/reset_content_advisor-zip.11463/ 2. Click on Save, and save the .zip file to the desktop. 3. Open the .zip file and extract the .reg file to the desktop. 4. Right click on the extracted .reg file and click on Merge. 5. Click on Run, Continue, Yes, and OK when prompted. 6. Close and reopen Internet...

How to Enable or Disable Vista Internet Explorer Content Advisor Content Advisor is a tool for controlling the types of content that your computer can access on the Internet. This will show you how to enable or disable Content Advisor for all users in Vista. Content Advisor is disabled by default in Vista.Depending on how you configure the settings for it, Content Advisor uses ratings that websites voluntarily provide to block or allow certain content. Because not all websites are rated, unrated websites are automatically blocked (but you can choose to allow them). Once you've adjusted the settings and turn Content Advisor on, it checks websites as you visit them.You will need to do this while logged in to an administrator account...

How to Update or Refresh the WEI Score in Vista This will show you how to update or refresh the Windows Experience Index (WEI) base score in Vista to help measure the capability of your computer.The Windows Experience Index measures the capability of your computer's hardware and software configuration and expresses this measurement as a number called a base score. A higher base score generally means that your computer will perform better and faster than a computer with a lower base score, especially when performing more advanced and resource-intensive tasks. Each hardware component receives an individual subscore. Your computer's base score is determined by the lowest subscore. For example, if the lowest subscore of an individual...