How To Create Run Commands in Windows


There is no doubt that Microsoft Windows is the most widely used operating system in all parts of the world. Apart from being simple to use, it is quite rich in features as well, which makes our lives quite easy.
The Run command available on Windows operating system is one such power packed feature that lets you to open a document or an application instantly with the help of just 1 command. So, rather than clicking several icons or using multiple commands, you can use the Run command to open any program or document instantly. For that you will need to Create Run Commands for any software of your Choice which you use Frequently.
Create Run CommandsBut, do you know how to Create Run Commands of your Own? Well, it is really easy, which involves just few steps. Through this article, I will help you understand how to access your favorite applications by creating custom Run commands.
You Would also like to Read some Cool Facebook Tricks

Open Run Command:

Before I show you how to create your own Run commands, let’s take a quick look on how to open Run Command. First of all, you need to open the Run window by just pressing the Windows Key along with the R key, i.e. Windows + R. Now, you have to type the name of the program that you desire to open up or execute. Unfortunately, not all programs can be accessed through this method. So, let me show you how to create Run commands that do not come as inbuilt commands.

Steps to Create run commands of your own

Step 1. The first step is to select the software or application for which you want to make custom Run command. For example, let us consider Google Chrome as the example here. Remember, you can choose any application other than which is already there in the Run command.
Step 2. In the second step, right click on the desktop of your computer system and make a new shortcut.
Right click > New > Shortcut
Step 3. As you select the Shortcut option in the 2nd Step, it will open up a dialog box. And, the dialog box will ask you path of the application or software for which you want to create the Run command.
Step 4. Now, you need to browse through the files and choose the one that shows “chrome.exe”. Well, it is quite obvious that all the executable files can be found in the C drive (or wherever the Operating System has been installed), inside the folder “Program Files”. For example, “C:\Program Files\Google Chrome\chrome.exe”
Step 5. Once you are done with Step number 4, just click on “Next” button and simply provide a relative name to that shortcut. Remember, the same name will be used later in the Run command.
For example, “GC” for Google Chrome
Step 6. Now, click on the “Finish” button. Once it is done, an icon related to that application or software will show up on your computer’s screen. It means that the process of creating shortcut has been done successfully.
Step 7. In this step, just cut and paste that recently made shortcut icon into your computer’s root drive, in its Windows folder.
For example, C:\ Windows , Make sure you are the administrator of the computer or have its password.
Step 8. Now, you are done with the set up and can run the application through Run Command. Just go to Run and enter the keyword “GC”, and Google Chrome will begin executing.
So this was a Short but Usefull Tutorial to Create Run Commands for any software in windows,I Hope this Post will Easeup your Work, Stay Tuned and Subscribe to this Blog to Recieve Updates Everytime a New article is posted. Subscribe Box.

Format pendrive using cmd – How to guide


Formatting is a valuable and essential tool when dealing with any type of storage disk and can help to solve a lot of errors and headaches. But what do you do if your USB flash drive needs to be formatted but, every time you try through the property menus it comes up with an error, or won’t even recognise the drive properly at all. Don’t despair because here is something you can do.
Format pendrive using cmd  is a common process that may need to be undertaken quite frequently, but unless you have gone through this procedure before it can be a mine field. The last thing you want is to finish the process and end up with an unusable pendrive . Here is a quick step by step guide to Format pendrive using cmd

Steps to Format pendrive using cmd

This guide formats your flash drive as FAT32, to format as NTFS simply substitute the term in the command box. FAT32 is the recommended formatting style by this guide but many do prefer NTFS. Follow the Below steps to Format an unformatable Pendrive.
Step 1. Turn on computer as normal
Step 2. Once you are in your desktop insert Pendrive into USB port
Please note: if you know the letters associated with your disk locations or can use a utility such as disk part to list this information then skip steps 3 and 4
Step 3. Go into my computer (accessible from the start menu or desktop) and look down the navigation panel on the left hand side, this lists down to the popular and root menu folders and locations on your computer.
Step 4. Your Pendrive should be listed in one of these locations, it may be referred to by brand, as portable storage or something similar. Next to this label will be a letter,
for example “G: removable storage device ” if the device does not show up you may need to test the port to find the letter with another USB device. This letter needs to be written down or remembered in order to complete this process.
Step 5. Go to the windows start menu, click start or the Windows symbol depending on your edition of Windows, then click run.
Step 6. Type cmd into the run dialog box and click OK, this is to start the command prompt window from which you will be able to choose your format style and name your drive.
Step 7. Then the command prompt window is opened and you will need to type ” Format G: ” 
Format pendrive using cmd
if you want to Format it as FAT32  then type ” Format G: /FS: FAT32 ”
Step 8. The G in this instance refers to our example Pendrive location, instead you would enter the letter that you remembered or wrote down from the my computer side panel
After you have typed the above command press enter.
Step 9. Here, you will be asked to press enter again and then to give a name for your drive. Follow these prompts then click on enter again.
You have completed the process of Formating pendrive using cmd; go back into my computer to check that the formatting has been completed successfully.

Amazing Tricks to Speedup Pendrive Data transfer.


Pen drives or USB are quite popular in the digital world for instant transfer of data. UsingUSB flash drives, one can easily transfer large files from one PC to another, from PC to laptop, from laptop to TV, and vice versa. This latest technology has made our work easier than before. In current times, you can move Gigabytes of information into just a tiny pen drive within few seconds.
In recent years, a lot of changes has been made in storage devices. When you compare new pen drives with the older ones, you will notice a considerable high transfer rate in the latest ones. However, there are times when you can get irritated with slow transfer speed of pen drives while copying data in pen drives. Well, this article shall provide you with some tricks using which you can Speedup Pendrive Data Transfer Rate

Factors responsible for data transfer rate:

Before knowing the tricks, we shall have a look at some factors responsible for data transfer rate , and they are as follows.
1.Pen drive ageing: Well, this is common for any device that when it becomes old, the rates gets slower.

2.Type of files: The transfer rate of data also depends on the file type; you might have noticed that songs, videos and documents take very less time in transfer while application files need more time.
3.USB port version: The most popular version of USB is 2.0, and it will give you 35mbps speed. So, if you want fast speed then buy 2.0 version pen drives.

Few tricks to Speedup Pendrive Data Transfer Rate:

1.File system should be NTFS: If you want to Speedup Pendrive , then make sure you have NTFS as file system. You can do so by Right clicking on your pendrive and selecting Format,Select NTFS File system, Uncheck Quick Format And Click On Start.
2.Disk errors: To check disk errors go to the properties tab of your pen drive, then select ‘tools’ tab. You will find a ‘check now’ button, click it and then hit ‘start’ to fix the errors. The time taken for scan depends on the size of the pen drive.
Speedup Pendrive

3.Device policy: Under properties of your pen drive, select ‘hardware’ tab. Then select USB device from there that will lead you to a pop up window where you need to change settings. You can even have better performance of pen drive by clicking the option under ‘hardware’ tab.
4.Format: This is one of the effective options that many users have tried. When you have used your pen drive for quite a long time, you can speed it up by formatting the device.
Carefully test your pen drive with the factors given above to Speedup Pendrive. In addition to this, you should keep checking for these aspects regularly, say twice or thrice in a month.

Ghost keyboard Typing – Notepad TricksHey guys , Today I am going to share with you a Short but Cool Notepad Trick. People Use notepad to type and save some important or regular information, But very less people know that there is much more that we can do with Notepad.

What if i say that we can make Notepad to type automatically what ever we wish to…. Unreal ? Yes it is possible and you will be doing it by yourself in just a few moments.You can show it to your friends and surprise them. Basically it is a prank that you can do with anyone just for fun.
Another Interesting Post : Fixing Iphone Stuck on Apple’s logo
This Process is Also known as ” Ghost Keyboard Typing ” Because you dont even touch your keyboard and words starts displaying in your notepad automatically, When you show this to your friend or anyone else, they will be excited to learn this from you as well.
Notepad Trick

Notepad trick to Type Automatically

Step 1: Right click on your desktop and select create new text document or simply Open Notepad.
Step 2: Exactly Copy the code given below and Paste it in notepad document that you have just created.
set wshshell = wscript.CreateObject(“wScript.Shell”)
wshshell.run “Notepad”
wscript.sleep 400
wshshell.sendkeys “S”
wscript.sleep 100
wshshell.sendkeys “M”
wscript.sleep 120
wshshell.sendkeys “A”
wscript.sleep 200
wshshell.sendkeys “R”
wscript.sleep 100
wshshell.sendkeys “T”
wscript.sleep 140
wshshell.sendkeys “T”
wscript.sleep 100
wshshell.sendkeys “R”
wscript.sleep 50
wshshell.sendkeys “I”
wscript.sleep 120
wshshell.sendkeys “C”
wscript.sleep 170
wshshell.sendkeys “K”
wscript.sleep 100
wshshell.sendkeys “S”
wscript.sleep 50
wshshell.sendkeys “.”
wscript.sleep 120
wshshell.sendkeys “N”
wscript.sleep 160
wshshell.sendkeys “E”
wscript.sleep 200
wshshell.sendkeys “T”
wscript.sleep 100
Step 3: Save the above code in Notepad file As ” smarttricks.vbs ” (Without Quotes ) but make sure  While saving this file select Save as type  “All files” and extension must be .vbs
Step 4: Now double click on The saved File, You will see “SMARTTRICKS.NET ” will be typed  Automatically, This is one of the Most awesome Notepad Trick that You learned today. Moreover  you can edit the Words In the above given Code with any desired words you want Notepad to type for you. e.g. : MY FRIEND READING THIS IS FOOL..vb
IMPORTANT !!!
While Double Clicking on the saved file if you see an error box like ” line 1 ” and “Char 37” Then dont worry, Right click on smarttricks.vbs and click on edit,
Now delete all Double quotations ie : ”  and Type them all manually from your keyboard, save it and now you will have no errors.
Enjoyed this Notepad trick ? Share with your friends on Social media.!!

Hide DriveТоdау i will write a  tutоrіаl tо Hide Drives with CMD wіthout any thіrd раrtу расkаgе. Тhеrе аrеа sеvеrаl frее аnd duе sоftwаrе’s ассеssіblе tо hide local  drіvеs, hоwеvеr і аm nоt gоnnа mеntіоn to hіdе а local drіvе еmрlоуіng а расkаgе. In  thіs tutоrіаl і wіll shоw уоu an еаsіеst mеthоd tо hide nаtіvе drіvе with CMD. thіs mау sаvе уоur еасh саsh аnd tіmе.

Ноw tо Hide Drives with CMD ?

Step 1. Сlісk оn Start – Run , if you are Using Windows 8, Then Click on start and search for Run, or just hold down windows key and press  ” R “.
Step 2. Run bох will appear, kіndly type ” сmd ” аnd hіt Еntеr.
Step 3. Now you will see Command promt windows, Type ” Dіskраrt ” аnd hіt Еntеr.
Note : In Windows 8 i was asked to confirm if i want to allow this program to make changes to this computer. Just click on yes and another Window will open up shortly.
Step 4. Now you have to type  ” lіst vоlumе ” аnd Hit Enter to see the list of all drives details
Step 5. Now i have some personal data in my drive E which i dont want any other person to peep in, So i want to hide it, For that i will type ” Select volume E ”  and hit Enter.
Іf уоu wіsh tо hide  vоlumе D , Then you will type ” Select vоlumе D ” аnd hіt Еntеr. Now you can see something like below picture.
hide any drive
By now you have selected the Drive successfully which you want to hide. But the last part which is to Hide the Drive is still remaining.
 Step 6. To hide the drive you have to type “ Remove letter E ” and hit enter.
drive hidden.
Congrats you have successfully Hidden the drive.

How do i get the Drive Back ?

Alright Now the only question you want me to ask is ” Hey. How do i get my drive back  “
Let me tell you thats easy as well. Just follow the below simple steps.
Step 1. Scroll Back up and perform steps 1,2,3,4 and 5 again.
Step 2. ok Now you have Completed the 5 steps listed above. Just make sure you have completed till
” Select volume E ”
Step 3. Earlier in the article to Hide the drive we typed ” Remove letter E ” , Now to unhide it we will
Type ” Assign letter E ” and hit Enter. Thats it
Step 4. Check if you have successfully got the drive back. Now Just Restart your Computer if you wish to.
hide any drive with cmd

s with CMD – How to Guide

Create Windows 8 Bootable USB – How to Guide


by UDAY MANIYA

There are number of ways for installing an operating system to your computer. Most of the people do it by using bootable CD/DVD of windows. But we really don’t need to install windows very frequently and because of this , it is so difficult to put this bootable disc on safe place and remember where you have kept it when needed. Here are steps to make Windows 8 Bootable USB.
Also , number of times when you are installing window you see some error saying that some of the necessary installation file is missing from the disc and setup can not be continued. All this happens because of scratches present on disc surface since disc is too old to use.
Windows 8 Bootable USB
Apart from all these , Not all Computers have working CD or DVD Drives. This creates a big issue for those who want to install operating system via Disc method,So today here i bring a easy tutorial to Create Windows 8 Bootable USB .

How to Create Windows 8 Bootable USB

I here Assume that you already have ISO image of Windows 8 or 7 of which you want to Create Bootable Pendrive.
Step 1 :Download Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool and install it.
This tool is available for free from Microsoft Corporation as well so you can get it from there too. Despite its name, this tool works with Windows 8 ISOs as well. You can use this tool for any version of Windows.
Step 2:After downloading and installing the tool, Run it , now you need to Browse and give the path where the ISO  file is located in your computer.
Step 3:Now select whether you want to create a bootable DVD for windows or you want it to be a bootable pendrive. Here you need to select USB device because you want to make bootable pendrive.

Step 4: Browse and select the pendrive which you want to make bootable. Make sure that the pendrive has atleast 4 gb free . Now click on Begin Copying.
Step 5:Once you begin copying , the tool will start creating bootable Windows 8 USB installer flash drive using the Windows 8 ISO. Let this process complete , lastly when you see the message “Bootable USB Device created successfully”, you can restart your PC and boot from the USB drive.
So this was my Quick tutorial on how to Create Windows 8 Bootable USB, Hope this will help you.
by 
 
on August 28, 2014
 
in Computer Tricks
By Default Windows do not allow users to Copy text and Paste it in Command prompt Or Copy text from Command prompt and paste it elsewhere. But there is an option in CMD itself to enable Copy & Paste Text in Windows Command Prompt.
Today in this tutorial we will learn how to Enable Copying and Pasting Texts in Windows Command prompt. One of the main advantage of this will be that you can copy any command that you find on the internet or from any word/excel file and paste it directly in CMD and execute that command just like that.

How to Enable Copy Paste in CMD

Step 1: Open CMD, Just type CMD in search or Press Win + X key to select Command Prompt.
Step 2: Right Click on the Title of the CMD window and Select Properties just like its shown in the below Picture

How to Enable Copy Paste in CMD

By:UDAY MANIYA
Enable Copy paste in CMD
Step 3: You will see a Pop up Window coming up, Now on the Right hand side, Under Edit Options, Just Check Quick Edit Mode and click OK
Step 4: Everything is Done, Now just Copy any Text from Here or Anywhere else Using CTRL + C keys and just Right click using your mouse on CMD. You will see that the text is been pasted automatically in CMD. Please Understand that Using CTRL + C to Copy text is Important.
Likewise if you wish to Copy Text from CMD to paste elsewhere then Just Select the Text in CMD and Again just Right Click with the mouse. Your Text is Copied and ready to Paste it in any Document you want.
This Doesn’t Limit you to just Text you can even copy File or Folder path and paste it in CMD. Everything that you have to type manually can be copied from somewhere and pasted directly to CMD with this small Tweak
So this was just a small Tip I wanted to Share with my Readers so that you don’t have to Type any long Command in CMD which if typed incorrectly can cause errors. I hope this will help some Of you.

by uday maniya
1

Windows OS has an Inbuilt option Called MouseKeys, Not much people are aware of it but yes now you are.  You can Enable/disable and disable MouseKeys very Easily.

You can Enable it by Pressing  Alt + Shift + Numlock keys. As soon as you do it, you will be prompt with the below dialog box, Just Click Yes to it.

Make Sure your Numlock is Off while you Use keyboard as mouse.Done !!!
Now you will see MouseKeys icon on your taskbar, which means now you are all set.
Now talking about the Controllers,  Use 8,2,4 and 6 Keys from Numpad to move Up, Down, Left and Right Respectively.
Windows 7 Activator Download Free


Step 1 > Download this Software Click Here to https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2taENRHUWD1RnVqTjJsUmZNR0U&authuser=0

Step 2 > Install This and its Done..

Its working 100%...




If you install Windows 7 by performing a custom installation and don't format the partition during the installation process, files that were used in your previous version of Windows are stored in the Windows.old folder. The type of files in this folder depends on your computer. After you’ve used Windows 7 for a while—for example, one or two weeks—and you’re confident that your files and settings are back to where you want them to be, you can safely reclaim disk space by using Disk Cleanup to delete the Windows.old folder.
Warning
  • Before you use Disk Cleanup, make sure that all of your files and settings are in Windows 7 where you expect them to be. Deleting the Windows.old folder can’t be undone.
  1. Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button. In the search box, type Disk Cleanup, and then, in the list of results, click Disk Cleanup.
If you're prompted to choose a drive, click the drive you just installed Windows on, and then click OK.
  1. In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, on the Disk Cleanup tab, click Clean up system files.
If you're again prompted to choose a drive, click the drive you just installed Windows on, and then click OK.
  1. Select the Previous Windows installation(s) check box, and any other check boxes for the files you want to delete, and then click OK.
  2. In the message that appears, click Delete Files.

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We’re big fans of hacking the Windows Registry around here, and we’ve got one of the biggest collections of registry hacks you’ll find. Don’t believe us? Here’s a list of the top 50 registry hacks that we’ve covered.
It’s important to note that you should never hack the registry if you don’t know what you’re doing, because your computer will light on fire and some squirrels may be injured. Also, you should create a System Restore point before doing so. Otherwise, keep reading.

Prevent Windows Update from Forcibly Rebooting Your Computer

imageWe’ve all been at our computer when the Windows Update dialog pops up and tells us to reboot our computer. I’ve become convinced that this dialog has been designed to detect when we are most busy and only prompt us at that moment.
There’s a couple of ways that we can disable this behavior, however. You’ll still get the prompt, but it won’t force you to shut down. Here’s how to do it.

How to Clean Up Your Messy Windows Context Menu

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One of the most irritating things about Windows is the context menu clutter that you have to deal with once you install a bunch of applications. It seems like every application is fighting for a piece of your context menu, and it’s not like you even use half of them.
Today we’ll explain where these menu items are hiding in your registry, how to disable them the geeky way, and an easier cleanup method for non-geeks as well.

Stop Windows Update from Hijacking the Sleep/Shutdown Button

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As an avid user of the Sleep function on my laptop, I’ve been more than irritated with Windows 7 or Vista’s habit of changing the Sleep/Shutdown button into an “Install Updates and Shut Down” button whenever there are updates from Windows Update.
After the last time I accidentally clicked this stupid button when I just wanted to enter sleep mode, I decided to look for a solution.

Add “Take Ownership” to Explorer Right-Click Menu in Win 7 or Vista

imageTaking ownership of system files or folders in Windows 7 or Vista is not a simple task. Whether you use the GUI or the command line, it takes far too many steps.
Here’s a registry hack that adds an item to the menu that will let you take ownership of the files in a single step, so you can delete, move, or otherwise modify the file.

Disable Aero Shake in Windows 7

imageOne of the interesting new features in Windows 7 is the way you can grab a window by the title bar and “shake” it back and forth to minimize everything else. It’s a fun feature, but just in case you want to disable it we’ve got the solution for you.
All you’ll have to do is apply a simple registry hack, and that

Add “Open with Notepad” to the Context Menu for All Files

imageThe default method of opening unknown files forces you to go through a list of known applications and is generally a pain to deal with.
That’s why I like to have a context menu option for “Open with Notepad” so that I can quickly open up files without having to go through a lot of trouble.

Disable All Notification Balloons in Windows 7 or Vista

imageIf you find the popup notification balloons in the Windows system tray to be too annoying, you might be interested to know that you can completely disable them. This would be an extreme option, of course… typically you can just turn them off in any offending applications, but if you want to disable them across the board, this is the solution.

Change the Registered Owner in Windows

imageIf you’ve ever wondered how to change the name of the person that Windows is registered to, this is the quick tip for you. It’s not all that useful for most people, but it might come in handy if you got a computer from somebody else.
To show off the new changes, just type winver.exe into the start menu search box to see the About Windows box.

Kill Windows with the Blue Screen of Death in 3 Keystrokes

imageHave you ever wanted to show off your keyboard ninja skills by taking down Windows with just a couple of keystrokes? All you have to do is add one registry key, and then you can impress your friends… or use it to convince people to switch to Linux.
This isn’t a bug, it’s a “feature” in Windows that is designed to let users trigger a crash dump for testing purposes. Note: this one doesn’t work in Windows 7 anymore. Also, it clearly doesn’t make Windows better, but we included it because it’s lots of fun.

How to Add Any Application to the Windows Desktop Right-Click Menu

imageIf you want really quick access to launch a frequently used application without putting extra icons on your desktop, you can add that application to the context menu for the desktop with a simple registry hack. Here’s how to do it.
For today’s lesson we’ll show you how to add Notepad to the menu, but you could add any applications you want instead.

How to Add Google Documents to the Windows Explorer “New” Menu

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We’ve already shown you how to create shortcuts to create new Google Docs easily, but what if you want total Windows integration? Here’s how to add them to the Windows Explorer “New” menu for easier access.
This should work for all versions of Windows, and you can modify it to work with Google Apps for your Domain as well. Keep reading for the full instructions.

How to Add Registry Editor to Control Panel

image
It’s always struck me as odd that system tweakers use the registry editor all the time to fix annoyances in Windows, but nobody has created a tweak to add the registry editor to the control panel… until now.
I’ve created a registry hack to add the registry editor as another option in the Control Panel in any version of Windows.

Remove “Shortcut” Text From New Shortcuts in Windows 7 or Vista

image
A source of annoyance for many Windows users is the ” – Shortcut” text that is added to the name of newly created shortcuts, and every time you have to manually edit the shortcut and remove that text. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a registry hack for this?
Most long-time geeks will remember that there was a hack for Windows XP, and probably already know that the same hack works in Windows 7 or Vista as well.

Disable Win+X Shortcut Keys on Windows 7 or Vista

imageWindows 7 and Vista have all the same Windows+X shortcut keys as other versions of Windows, such as Win+E for explorer and Win+D for the desktop, but adds in all of the Win+<num> keys to launch the shortcuts in the Vista Quick Launch menu (or switch to apps in Windows 7), as well as Win+X for mobility center, etc.
But what if you want to disable all these extra keys?

Stupid Geek Tricks: Enable the Secret “How-To Geek” Mode in Windows 7image

We haven’t told anybody before, but Windows has a hidden “How-To Geek Mode” that you can enable which gives you access to every Control Panel tool on a single page—and we’ve documented the secret method for you here.
NOTE: Do not use this on Vista or XP: things will break.

Disable Windows Mobility Center in Windows 7 or Vista

Windows Mobility Center is a fairly useful tool for those of us using Windows 7 or Vista on a laptop computer, but might not be for everybody, especially since it takes over the Win+X keyboard shortcut.
If you would rather disable Windows Mobility Center, all it takes is a single registry tweak.

Hide Drives from Your Computer in Windows 7 or Vista

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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.

How to Put a Real Libraries Icon On Your Windows 7 Desktop

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We’re big fans of hidden registry hacks around here, so when our friend Justin showed how to put a real, working Libraries icon on the desktop, we figured it would make a perfect article for for a few extra geek points.
Yeah, you can always create a shortcut icon for anything on the desktop, but this one is the actual icon without the shortcut overlay. Plus it’s a geeky hidden trick—what’s not to like?

How to Restore Previous Versions of the Registry in Windows 7

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If you want to manually restore a specific section of the registry from a previous System Restore snapshot, or access some specific keys from an older version of the registry, you can do so by getting access to those files and then exporting sections from them. Here’s how to do it in Windows 7 or Vista.

Remove or Hide Unwanted Items From the Control Panel in Windows 7

imageHave you ever opened the Control Panel in Windows 7 and thought there is no reason to have some of the icons listed? Today we take a look at how to remove unwanted or unneeded items from Control Panel in Windows 7.
For some items you won’t be able to easily delete the CPL file if it’s a Windows system file or in use. You could use a program like Unlocker, but we can tweak the Registry to hide items in Control Panel.

Make the Taskbar Buttons Switch to the Last Active Window in Windows 7

imageThe new Windows 7 taskbar’s Aero Peek feature, with the live thumbnails of every window, is awesome… but sometimes you just want to be able to click the taskbar button and have the last open window show up instead. Here’s a quick hack to make it work better.

Make Aero Peek Display Instantly (or Disable it) in Windows 7

Aero Peek is Great
Aero Peek is one of the more useful new features in Windows 7… just move your mouse to the taskbar for half a second, and everything else hides so you can see the desktop or application window. But why does it take half a second?
There’s a simple little registry hack that will change the amount of time between hovering your mouse over the show desktop button in the lower right-hand corner, and the Aero Peek display showing up. The same thing should work for when you hover over an application window on the taskbar.

Why Doesn’t Disk Cleanup Delete Everything from the Temp Folder?

sshot-2010-12-02-1-01-25-06After you’ve used Disk Cleanup, you probably expect every temporary file to be completely deleted, but that’s not actually the case. Files are only deleted if they are older than 7 days old, but you can tweak that number to something else.

Remove “Troubleshoot Compatibility” from the Windows Context Menu

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Reader Jeevus wrote in asking how to remove the “Troubleshoot Compatibility” item from the Windows context menu whenever you right-click on an application—naturally, we were happy to explain how to do it, and share with the rest of you.
You’ll want to note that we’re not necessarily recommending that you remove this item, since it could be useful if you’re having compatibility issues with an application, but we’re fans of showing how to do something—also, we just like tinkering in the registry.

Show the Classic “All Programs” Menu in the Start Menu in Windows 7

imageThere are a lot of new users to Windows 7 who are not happy with the new Start Menu and wish they could revert to the Classic menu. Here is how to at least get back the Classic “All Programs” Menu.
While it’s not quite the same as the good old XP days, if you’re looking to get the All Programs Menu back, this Registry hack will do the trick without installing 3rd party software.

How To Add Recycle Bin to “My Computer” in Windows 7 or Vista

imageHave you ever wanted to add the Recycle Bin to your My Computer screen? Yeah, it’s probably not the most common request, but here’s how to do it anyway with a simple registry hack.
To make this tweak, we’ll be doing a quick registry hack, but there’s a downloadable version provided as well.

Remove Gadgets and Screen Resolution on Windows 7 Desktop Context Menu

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One of the first things you might notice in Windows 7 is the addition of the new Gadgets and Screen Resolution items to the context menu. The only problem is that you might not really want them there—so we’ll explain how to get rid of them.
No clue what we’re talking about? If you are using Windows 7 and you right-click on the desktop, you’ll see a bunch of new items at the bottom:

Stupid Geek Tricks: Enable More Fonts for the Windows Command Prompt

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Have you ever noticed that there are only two fonts to choose from in the Command prompt properties window? What you might not know is that you can use a simple registry hack to enable alternate fonts, including a very readable font that comes with Windows 7, Vista, or Office 2007.
But that’s not all… you can enable a number of fixed width fonts if you really want to. We’ll cover how this works, as well as one of my favorite “interesting” fonts for the command prompt.

Remove ATI Catalyst Control Center from the Desktop Right-Click Menu

imageHave you ever wondered how to remove the “Catalyst(TM) Control Center” item from the desktop context menu? Here’s the simple registry hack to remove it.

Remove NVIDIA Control Panel from Desktop Right-Click Menu

imageHave you ever wondered how to remove the “NVIDIA Control Panel” item from the desktop context menu? If so, you probably didn’t realize that it’s trivially easy to remove.

Make “Command Prompt Here” Always Display for Folders in Windows

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We’ve previously explained how you can open a command prompt by holding down the Shift key and right-clicking on a folder or the desktop… but how do you make that item show up without having to hold down the shift key?
There’s a simple registry hack you can do that will enable “Open Command Window Here” item without holding down the shift key:

Add Encrypt / Decrypt Options to Windows 7 / Vista Right-Click Menu

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If you use the built-in file encryption in Windows 7 or Vista, you might be interested in adding an option to the right-click menu to more easily encrypt and decrypt your files, rather than having to use the file properties dialog.
Adding this to the menu couldn’t be simpler – there’s only a single registry key to add.

Customize the Default Screensavers in Windows 7 and Vista

imageWindows 7 and Vista include a nice set of backgrounds, but unfortunately most of them aren’t configurable by default.  Thanks to a free app and some registry changes, however, you can make the default screensavers uniquely yours!
You can customize the Bubbles, Ribbons, and Mystify screensaver to enable hidden options with this registry hack.

Skip the Annoying “Use the Web service to find the correct program” Dialog

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If you’ve used Windows for any length of time, you’ve likely tried to open a file with an unknown extension. Instead of getting a list of programs to open the file with, you get an annoying dialog asking you to use a web service to find a program. So how do we change this?
You can use a registry hack to force Windows to skip this dialog altogether, and give you a list of applications to use to open the file instead, just as if you had selected the second option.

Disable Caps Lock Key in Windows 7 or Vista

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The caps lock key is one of those remnants of another age of computers, back when people used to shout at each other more often. Since it’s not entirely useful anymore we’ll learn how to disable it. If you aren’t interested in the explanation you can skip to the bottom for the registry files.
Windows doesn’t have a default setting to allow for disabling the key, so what we have to do is re-map the key to something non-existent so as to completely disable it.

Add Defragment to the Right-Click Menu for a Drive

imageWe’ve received lots of requests to add Defrag to the right-click menu for a drive, so we created a simple registry hack that can be easily added that does just that.
After manually applying or downloading the hack, you’ll have a new item on the right-click menu for your drives…

Add Control Panel to the Desktop Right-Click Menu in Vista

imageA couple of days ago I noticed a thread on our forum asking how to add Control Panel to the desktop context menu, so I decided to write up the solution for everybody, since it seems like a really useful hack.
There’s a manual registry hack that you can apply if you’d like, or you can download the reghack version and apply it easily.

Use Verbose Boot Messages to Troubleshoot Windows Startup Problems

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If you’ve ever had problems with your PC starting up or shutting down slowly, there’s lots of different troubleshooting techniques that you can use—today we’ll talk about how to enable verbose messages.
Enabling these verbose messages is not going to magically solve your problems, of course—the point is to use this to identify a problem, which you can then solve through other means, generally by uninstalling a problem application or upgrading a faulty driver.

How to Enable or Disable TortoiseSVN Menus Easily

imageIf you’re a programmer that uses TortoiseSVN to manage your Subversion source control project, you might wonder how to easily disable the menu items without completely uninstalling. Here’s a quick way to do it.
The general idea is that we’ll remove the Windows Explorer context menu items from the registry with one script, and then add the registry entries back with another script.

How to Add Control Panel to “My Computer” in Windows 7 or Vista

imageBack in the Windows XP days, you could easily add Control Panel to My Computer with a simple checkbox in the folder view settings. Windows 7 and Vista don’t make this quite as easy, but there’s still a way to get it back.
To make this tweak, we’ll be doing a quick registry hack, but there’s a downloadable version provided as well.

Increase the Speed of the Aero Taskbar Thumbnails in Windows 7

sshot-2010-06-22-[02-15-28]By default you may notice that there is a slight delay when hovering your mouse over a Taskbar Thumbnail. Here is a neat registry hack that will allow you to speed it up.
Once you apply the hack, you’ll notice when you hover your mouse over a thumbnail of an open app on the Taskbar the preview pops up instantly with no delay.

Remove Programs from the Open With Menu in Explorer

imageWould you like to clean up the Open with menu in Windows Explorer?  Here’s how you can remove program entries you don’t want in this menu on any version of Windows.
This simple trick can help you keep your Open with menu tidy, and only show the programs you want in the list. 

Add “Run as Administrator” to Any File Type in Windows 7 or Vista

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Have you ever tried to unzip a file to the Program Files directory in Windows 7 or Vista? You’ll get all sorts of permission denied errors, and generally be unsuccessful. So how do we open up the zipfile as an administrator? For that matter, how do you open any file as administrator?
There’s a simple registry tweak that will let us specify the action to run as administrator for a file type. Unfortunately you’ll have to make the tweak manually, but we’ll walk you through it.

Create a Context Menu Item to Copy a Text File To the Clipboard in Windows 7 / Vista / XP

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If you are the type of person that likes to keep a lot of information stored in text-format files on your drive, you’ve probably encountered a scenario where you want to copy that information to the clipboard… so you open the file in notepad, select all, then copy to the clipboard. What if you could do it with a simple context menu item instead?
Using a little registry hacking and the clip.exe utility built into Windows 7 and Vista, we can do just that, and we can even hide it behind the Shift + Right-Click menu so that it won’t waste space on the menu unless you hold down the shift key.

Disable the “Send To” Folder on the Windows Explorer Context Menu

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After writing the article about adding Notepad to the context menu I noticed all the comments from users that prefer to use a shortcut in the Send To menu, which got me thinking… I wonder if you can disable the Send To folder?
Of course you can easily disable it… naturally it’s a registry hack, so standard disclaimers apply.

Remove “Map Network Drive” Menu Item from Windows Vista or XP

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If you have never used the “Map Network Drive” dialog box, do you ever wonder how to get rid of it? Personally I only map drives from the command line so I never use it either… so I’m thankful there’s a registry hack that can remove the menu items.
If you are unfamiliar with what I’m talking about, just right-click on the Computer icon and you’ll see it.

Enable or Disable Task Manager

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Some time ago I received an email from a reader curious why their Task Manager option was grayed out on the taskbar right-click menu. After a bit of research his problem was solved, and now I’m sharing the solution with everybody.
There is a registry key that will disable Task Manager, although it’s not always clear how or why it was set to disable. In many cases the problem is related to spyware, so you should also scan your computer. Here’s how to enable or disable it.

How to Clean Up Your Messy Internet Explorer Context Menu

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Is your Internet Explorer context menu completely out of control? Is it so long that it actually runs off the screen? Here’s how to quickly take a few steps to get rid of all that ridiculous clutter without installing Google Chrome instead.
Sometimes you can remove the items just by using the Manage Add-ons screen, but other add-ons embed themselves a lot deeper, and you’ll need to use a registry hack to get rid of them. Here’s how to do that.

How to Restore the Real Internet Explorer Desktop Icon in Windows 7

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Remember how previous versions of Windows had an Internet Explorer icon on the desktop, and you could right-click it to quickly access the Internet Options screen? It’s completely gone in Windows 7, but a geeky hack can bring it back.
Microsoft removed this feature to comply with all those murky legal battles they’ve had, and their alternate suggestion is to create a standard shortcut to iexplore.exe on the Desktop, but it’s not the same thing. We’ve got a registry hack to bring it back.

Enable or Disable Displaying a Message During the Boot Process

imageIf you’ve ever had a corporate laptop, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen a message before you login that talks about the corporate policies and all of that stuff.
Here’s how to enable or disable that login message using a registry hack.