Tutorials

How to Set Up a Timed Hibernate This will show you how to set up your computer to hibernate after a set period of time. You will need Administrator privileges to do this. We'll be using PsTools by SysInternals to do this PsTools can be found here: PsTools Direct Download Link: http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/PsTools.zip Part 1: Copying Files 1. Download the above zip file (PsTools.zip) to you Desktop 2. Right Click on PsTools.zip and select Extract All... 3. When the window opens, change the location to C:\Windows\system32\ and uncheck the box Show extracted files when complete Your drive letter may be different, ie D:\Windows\system32\ 4. Once this has finished, we're all good to go! Part 2: Using PsShutdown...

How to Create and Setup a Signature in Windows Mail You can use the Signatures tab in the Windows Mail Options dialog box to create and modify custom signatures for your messages. Signatures can contain your name, e‑mail address, phone number, and any other information that you want to include at the bottom of your e‑mail messages.To backup everything in Windows Mail, see the How to Backup and Reset Windows Mail section here: How to Fix Most Problems with Vista's "Windows Mail" When your signature is a HTML file and the original message is in plain text vs an HTML message, you willl need to click on Tools and Send in Windows Mail. Next, uncheck the Reply to messages using the format they were sent box and click on OK. This will allow...

How to Change AutoPlay Settings in Vista AutoPlay is a feature that lets you choose which program to use to start different kinds of media, such as music CDs, or CDs or DVDs containing photos, etc. This will show you how to turn AutoPlay on or off, and how to reset or change the AutoPlay settings to how you want them. AutoPlay uses this Service with these default settings: Shell Hardware Detection (Started/Automatic) In Windows 7, Vista, and XP, two important changes were made to help improve security: NOTE: For more on this, see: AutoRun changes in Windows 7 - Security Research & Defense - Site Home - TechNet Blogs AutoPlay will no longer support the AutoRun functionality for non-optical removable media. In other words, AutoPlay...

How to Disable Auto Arrange in Vista Windows Explorer to have Free Sorting In Vista, auto arrange is enabled by default so that all file and folder names in Windows Explorer are sorted alphabetically no matter what folder view you used. This will show you how to disable or re-enable Auto Arrange in Vista to be able to sort your files and folders in any random order and position you like in Windows Explorer without it having to be sorted alphabetically by name. Vista will also remember these random folder sortings, and open as how they were when the window was last closed. When You Disable Auto Arrange: While using Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, Small Icons, and Extended Tiles folder views, you can arrange...

How to Uninstall a Device and Device Driver in Vista This will show you how to uninstall a device, a device driver, or both in Vista. You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps Through Programs and Features NOTE: This will only uninstall the device driver software and not the device itself from Device Manager. You would use this option if you wanted to install another device driver version afterwards for the device. 1. Open the Control Panel (Classic View). 2. Click on the the Programs and Features icon. 3. Look to see if the device driver is listed. (See screenshot below step 4) A) If it is, then right click on the listed device and click Uninstall, then Yes to confirm. NOTE: Sometimes, you will get a...

How to Enable or Disable Hibernation in Vista If you accidentally wiped out the Hibernation file Cleaner in Disk Cleanup and caused your hybrid sleep or hibernate mode to stop working, then you accidentally disabled the hiberfil.sys file. By default, the size of the hiberfil.sys file is 75% of the total amount of installed RAM (memory) when hibernate is enabled in Vista. For more information, see: Microsoft Help and Support: KB929658 and Microsoft Help and Support: KB928897 If you cleaned (disabled) this, all Hybrid and Hibernate settings will also be removed from the Advanced Power Options window. You will still be able to use normal Sleep mode though. To set your computer to either use or not use Hybrid or Hibernate sleep mode...

How to Open the Local Group Policy Editor in Vista This will show you how to open the Local Group Policy Editor in Vista.The Local Group Policy Editor is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that provides a single user interface through which all the Computer Configuration and User Configuration settings of Local Group Policy objects can be managed for your computer. Computer Configuration Administrators can use Computer Configuration to set policies that are applied to computer, regardless of who logs on to the computers. Computer Configuration typically contains sub-items for software settings, Windows settings, and administrative templates. User Configuration Administrators can use User Configuration to set policies that...

How to Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Version of Vista This will show you how to do a CLEAN install with a Express or Retail Upgrade version of Vista instead of having to install your previous OS (EX: XP) then Vista. This will prevent compatibility issues between the previous OS and Vista. A OEM Recovery installation DVD can only do a clean install. It is just a clone of the hard drive that will set your computer back like it was from day one. The installation process is basically the same though. A Express or Retail Vista can be installed on any one computer at a time for as many times as you like. A OEM Vista may only be able to be installed on the exact same computer as many times as you like. The product key number for the...

How to Add a Program to "Open With" in Vista and Windows 7 When you right click on a file and click Open With, a list of registered programs are displayed in the Open With window to choose from. This will show you how to register a program so that it will be added to the Open With list. EXAMPLE: Open With Context Menu EXAMPLE: Open With window Add to "Open With" Manually NOTE: This will not always register the program and add it to the Open With window for next time. 1. For Vista A) See METHOD ONE here: How to Associate a Individual File Extension Type with a Program in Vista 2. For Windows 7 A) See: How to Change the Default Program a File Type Opens with in Windows 7 Add to "Open With" Using a Program NOTE: The program...

How to Backup and Restore Pinned Start Menu Items in Vista This will show you how to backup and restore your pinned Start Menu items automatically with one click in Vista. This can be handy if you do not want to have to manually pin and restore your currently pinned Start Menu items say after a clean install of Vista. By default, your pinned Start Menu programs/shortcuts are saved in the registry location below. This is what this tutorial will be backing up and restoring for you using a BAT file. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartPage EXAMPLE: Pinned Programs on the Start Menu in Vista NOTE: You will notice that these pinned items are only at the of the Start Menu above the separator line...

How to Fix a Personal User Shell Folder Displayed as a Standard Yellow Folder Icon in Vista If you open your personal user folder in the Start menu or from C:\Users\(user name), and a user folder has a standard yellow folder icon instead of the special green folder icon, then this will show you how to restore the green folder icon for that particular user folder.This usually can occur when the desktop.ini file in the shell folder is missing or incorrect, or the user folder has no read only attribute set to it. EXAMPLE: Special Green Personal User Profile Folder Icons For the User Name Folder NOTE: This is the User Name folder that appears in the Desktop folder tree view in Windows Explorer or the Start Menu. 1. Right click on a empty...

How to Restore your Windows.old Folder into a New Installation When you install Windows on top of another Windows or do a upgrade install, the previously installed Windows files and settings will be backed up to the Windows.old folder. This tutorial will show you how to restore the files and folders from the windows.old folder to the currently installed Windows. This means that any documents, settings, and programs will be restored to their previous positions and settings. It will look similar to your previous installation, but not exactly the same! There will be some differences! YES, this works in Vista, as well as Windows Seven. The instructions are EXACTLY the same! Make sure you: Know how to boot from a CD/DVD. Know how to...

How to Restore the Complete Computer from a Complete Backup and Restore Image in Vista A Windows Complete PC Backup image contains copies of your programs, system settings, and files. It is a complete system backup that you can use to restore the contents of your computer if your hard disk or entire computer ever stops working. This will restore the hard drive size and content back to exactly as it was when the Complete PC Backup was made. For more information, see: Windows Help and How-to: Restore your computer from a system image backup BACKUP LOCATION: A) If you want to delete or copy the entire WindowsImageBackup folder to save it to another location to keep a copy of it, you will need to open each subfolder in the...

How to Turn the Recent Items List On or Off in Vista This is a list of recently opened files and programs displayed in the Start Menu and the Recently Changed shortcut in Favorite Links. Recent Items are not displayed in the Classic Start Menu.The Recent Items folder is located at: NOTE: You will need to have Show hidden files and folders checked in Folder Options. C:\Users\(User-Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items You can also open this location by typing shell:recent and in the white line (Start Search) area of the Start Menu and pressing Enter. If you would like to remove (disable) the Start menu Pin to area to leave only Recent Programs listed, then see: How to Enable or Disable Pin to Start Menu in Vista When...

How to Assign a Keyboard Shortcut to Open a Program and Shortcuts in Vista and Windows 7 This will show you how to assign a keyboard shortcut (hotkey) to use to open or run a shortcut of your choice in Vista and Windows 7. This can be used on a shortcut of a file, folder, drive, library (Windows 7 only), program's .exe file, etc...... Quick Launch shortcuts in Vista have their own keyboard shortcuts to use instead. In Windows 7, each program pinned to the taskbar can be opened by pressing the Windows key + 1 to 0 (1-10) keyboard shortcut instead. You would use a number for how the program icons are ordered on the taskbar from left to right (for top or bottom taskbar) or top to bottom (for left or right taskbar) desktop location. The...

How to Restore the Recycle Bin back to the Desktop in Vista This will show you how to restore the Recycle Bin back to the desktop if it was deleted by mistake or is missing.The Recycle Bin usually gets deleted by mistake when you right click on the Recycle Bin and click on Delete instead of Empty Recycle Bin. First, check to make sure that the Recycle Bin was not just moved off-screen by accident. Right click on a empty space on the desktop and click on View and click on Auto Arrange to check it. Second, check to make sure that the desktop icons are not set to hide. Right click on a empty space on the desktop and click on View and click on Show Desktop Icons to check it. If you have more than one monitor, check to make sure that...

How to Add or Remove Send To from Context Menu in Vista This will show you how to add or remove the Send To context menu, right click on a file or folder, item for all users on the computer. By default, Send To is added to the context menu. EXAMPLE: Send To added or removed from the Context menu Using a REG File Download 1. To Add Send To A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below. Add_Send_To_Menu.reg https://www.vistax64.com/attachments/add_send_to_menu-reg.3518/ B) Go to step 3. 2. To Remove Send To A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below. Remove_Send_To_Menu.reg https://www.vistax64.com/attachments/remove_send_to_menu-reg.3519//dl][/INDENT][/INDENT] 3. Click on Save, and...

How to Enable or Disable Regedit in Vista and Windows 7 This will allow you to enable or disable Registry Editor (aka: regedit) for all users in Windows 7 and Vista. By default, regedit.exe is enabled. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. Even if you disable access to registry editor, you can still use registry editor in silent mode by using the /s switch. For example, if you type regedit /s filename.reg at the command prompt, you can import the filename.reg registry file into the registry, even though the Prevent access to registry editing tools policy is enabled. In order to prevent this, make sure you select Yes for Disable regedit from running silently? (See step below).The...

How to Enable or Disable Task Manager in Vista and Windows 7 If you find that the Task Manager option is grayed out (disabled) when you right click on the taskbar, then you may want to enable it again. You may also want to disable the Task Manager to prevent other user accounts from using it. This will also add or remove Task Manager from the Windows Security screen when you press Ctrl+Alt+Delete. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. If you did not disable Task Manager, then it may have been done by some kind of malware or spyware. You should do a complete scan of your computer for a virus and other malware to be safe.The Task Manager exe file is located at...

How to Add or Remove "Run as Administrator" from Context Menu in Vista This will show you how to either remove or restore Run as administrator from the context menu of the default BAT, CMD, CPL, EXE, and MSC application files for all users in Vista. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial. EXAMPLE: "Run as administrator" in Context Menu of Application Files Here's How: 1. To Restore "Run as administrator" to the Context Menu NOTE: This is the default setting. A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below. Restore_Run_as_administrator.reg https://www.vistax64.com/attachments/restore_run-as-administrator-reg.24777/ B) Go to step 3. 2. To Remove "Run as...