Playing games is always a great way to relax yourself and have fun. Now, you can increase the level of fun and further enjoy playing 100′s of new free games without the trouble of searching for them. Game Downloader for Windows is a small open source portable game download client that lets you download open source, indie or freeware games.

Game Downloader basically has a large server-side library of free games. You can use the Windows client program of Game Downloader to browse and download the games easily. It makes your life easy by letting you download games without even visiting the official website. Other than making your life easy, using Game Downloader you can discover new games. It divides the games into several categories. And each category lists many free and open source games. Further, the program displays a description of the game, displays a screenshot of the game, allows you to view YouTube videos related to the game you want to play, lets you visit the official home page of the game, lets you know the estimated download size before downloading, and obviously lets you download the game of your choice.

Game Downloader’s main user interface is divided into six parts. At the top, you will find the Category drop down menu. Available categories include Action, Adventure, Arcade, Board games, Card Games, Fighting, First Person Shooter, Music, Platform, Puzzle, Racing, Real-Time Strategy, RPG, Simulators, and Turn based strategy. Below the drop down menu, you will find the Games list and Version information, Further you will find the About information of the game and a Screenshot of the game. At the bottom of the user interface, you will find four buttons: YouTube button lets you search the game on YouTube, Game Website button takes you to the home page of the game, Get File Size button gets the download file size of a game and the Download Game button lets you download the selected game. If you want to change the download folder and change other settings, right-click on the program’s tray icon and access Settings.

Update: Game Downloader 2.5 is released with a revamped user interface. You can now search for your favorite games. The file size is displayed along and now you don’t have to click on a button to get it. Also the settings menu has been added to the main interface. Using the right-click context menu, from the tray icon of the program, you can now check for new version of the program.

To download a game using Game Downloader, you have to follow a simple procedure. At first, you have to select a Game Category using the Category drop down menu. Upon choosing a category, the Games section is populated by a list of games available in that category. Select a game from the list to see a small description about the game in the About section, a small screenshot, latest version number. The Yes/No flags are used to show whether the game is single player or multiplayer. If you want to download the game, simply click on the Download Game button to start the download.

Game Downloader will run on any computer system that boots into Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating system. It requires .NET Framework 3.5 to run. You can download the program from SourceForge.

P.S. We are resuming normal daily updates, My Technology Guide will now be back to normal.

Microsoft releases new themes for Windows 7 users occasionally. Up until now, Microsoft has already released 140+ themes in 9 different categories. The categories includes (in alphabetical order): Animals, Art, Automotive, Branded, Games, Holidays and Seasons, Movies, Nature, Places and Landscapes. Before downloading, you can preview themepacks for Windows 7 using Bing Visual Search. Windows 7 themes can only be used in Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate editions.

We are starting a new “Hive-Five Friday” series, where we will pick the best five of anything related to tech or everyday computing and write about it. For this week, we have selected the best 5 themepacks for Windows 7 which will keep your desktop lively.

Below you will find the themepacks, some overview of them, links including the preview of the theme pack, download, etc.

1. Angry Birds Windows 7 Themepack

They have no wings. Their eggs have been stolen by pigs. So, yeah, they’re pretty angry. Contemplate their mood at length with our free Angry Birds theme for Windows 7.

Angry Birds Theme for all fans of the most popular game available to almost all platforms!

Details | Preview | Download

2. Naruto Shippuden 5 Windows 7 Themepack

Naruto in prison? The manga and anime star finds himself incarcerated and at the mercy of the master criminal Mui in Naruto Shippūden 5: Blood Prison. This free theme for Windows 7 features a series of wallpapers from the movie. A must for the discerning Naruto superfan!

For all Naruto fans out there, official Naruto Shippuden 5 theme pack!

Details | Preview | Download

3. Transformers 3 Windows 7 Themepack

A mysterious event from the past erupting into the present. A war so big it threatens the entire Earth. This time, the Transformers alone won’t be able to save us. Celebrate the release of Michael Bay’s new Paramount Pictures release Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon in 3D—starring Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky—with this free theme for Windows 7.

Transformers 3 official theme pack for Windows users!

Details | Preview | Download

4. Echoes of the Past Windows 7 Themepack

Time-travel back to the Age of Steam with a treasure-trove of antique images bathed in a golden Victorian light. A free theme for Windows 7.

One of the best theme pack and one of our favorites too!

Details | Preview | Download

5. GTGraphics Windows 7 Themepack

Send your desktop to the furthest reaches of the universe with these fantastic photorealistic images of distant planets and outer space events by GTGraphics in this free Windows 7 theme.

For satisfying your Sci-Fi thirst!

Details | Preview | Download

That’s all for this weeks Hive-Five Friday! We hope you will enjoy these themepacks as much as we do. Share your favorite themepacks with us below and tell us how much you like these.

P.S. What do you want to see in the next Hive-Five Friday? Share with us below and let us know. We will love to write about it.

Microsoft released Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) in February 2011. Now, Microsoft has made available Windows 7 ISO images integrated with SP1.

Earlier, we have provided official DigitalRiver direct download links of Windows 7. But, you had to download and run Service Pack 1 separately (or through Windows Updates) to update your Windows 7. If you want to slipstream SP1 into Windows 7 installation DVD, so that when you reinstall Windows 7, you don’t need to again download SP1 separately, you can now stop searching. You can now download Official Windows 7 SP1 integrated ISO images directly from Digital River Servers, who are the official partners of Microsoft for distributing Windows 7.

Downloading the files from Digital River is absolutely legal and free as Microsoft uses them as an official download channel. However, without obtaining a legally obtained product key, you will be able to run Windows 7 installation for 30 days. After 30 days, Windows 7 needs to be activated, or the evaluation grace period be reset. If you already own a key, you can activate the ISO you will download from Digital River.

You can very easily be convert the downloaded ISO image into universal Windows 7 editions installation media. FYI, the x86 is the 32-bit edition and the x64 is the 64-bit edition. All the links below are English (USA) language.

Download Windows 7 Integrated SP1 ISO Images

Windows 7 Home Premium x86 SP1 ISO

X17-24208.iso (bootable)

Windows 7 Home Premium x64 SP1 ISO

X17-24209.iso (bootable)

Windows 7 Professional x86 SP1 ISO

X17-24280.iso (bootable)

Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1 ISO

X17-24281.iso (bootable)

Windows 7 Ultimate x86 SP1 ISO

X17-24394.iso (bootable)

Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1 ISO

X17-24395.iso (bootable)

After you have downloaded the ISO, you can burn it to DVD using any DVD writing software that supports writing disc images or double-click on the image if you are running Windows 7 already. [via]

My Technology Guide readers will love this giveaway as they have to do nothing to win this! Thanks to LotSoft, the developers of the application, we were able to get unlimited licenses for the BDlot DVD Clone Ultimate. The application is a DVD clone software which can also backup and rip DVD’s. We will talk about the giveaway at the end of this article, but first, lets see how good is BDlot DVD Clone Ultimate.

Now, coming to the user interface, when you start the application, you will notice big buttons to do a full DVD disc backup or a DVD title backup at the top. When you click on those buttons, the program automatically changes the options that are available for the task. After inserting a DVD, it fills up information about the DVD, including cover art, name, studio, director and performers automatically.

The program supports all known copy protections like CSS, CPRM, CPPM, RC, RCE, APS, UOPs, SONY ARccOS, Rip-Guard, Disney X-DRM protection etc. It comes with GPU acceleration which can greatly improve the decryption and copying speed. Most of the time you simply have to click on the big Run button and the program will take care of everything.

The unique Sector to Sector copying and GPU accelerating technologies helps speed up tasks such as DVD Cloning, Data backup, ISO burning etc. Though the program will work depends largely on the speed of the DVD drive, the processor, computer memory available and if the video card can be used for GPU acceleration or not.

Features of BDlot DVD Clone Ultimate :

1. Can create perfect DVD Backups of Raw Content.
2. Removes all known DVD copy protections, such as CSS, CPRM, CPPM, RC, RCE, APS, UOPs, SONY ARccOS, Rip-Guard, Disney X-DRM protection, etc.
3. Clone Entire DVD to Blank DVD: Lets you backup full content of DVD-5 or DVD-9 movies as a DVD folder or ISO image on your PC hard drive or USB drive.
4. Lets you backup the “Main Movie” in the DVD or only certain chapters from the DVD.
5. You can burn ISO file or DVD folder to a blank DVD or re-writable DVD.
6. Built-in virtual DVD drive allows you to load and unload any ISO image file for processing.
7. Compatible with Windows 7 (32 & 64 bit), Vista (32 & 64 bit) and Windows XP

BDlot DVD Clone Ultimate is very easy to use and requires very little user interventions. The options available for the tasks are easy to understand and the help file is very extensive. It covers all the functions of the program along with How-To’s.

Giveaway

We have an unlimited amount DVD Clone Ultimate licenses. To win this giveaway, you don’t have to do anything, you don’t need to subscribe us (even though we will like it if you do as you will receive our updates in your email!) or do any other stuffs.

Simply, download the program from the developer website, and enter the license code BU-TUUPTTZU-HBRSRO after installation to activate it. But do remember, you have to register using the license code on or before August 7.

Do you like the new Windows 8 Metro UI or the Windows 7 Phone Interface? If you like it and want to transform your Windows desktop to the new look, Omnimo UI. Using Omnimo UI you can now enjoy the tile based Windows 8 layout, Microsoft showed off at the D9 conference.

If you joined later, Windows 8 supports two types of applications; Classic desktop Windows apps and HTML5 web apps. Microsoft’s new start screen includes easy touch icons to allow users of touch based devices to easily navigate through the operating system. The user interface and new apps will work with or without a keyboard and mouse on a broad range of screen sizes and pixel densities, from small slates to laptops, desktops, all-in-ones, and even classroom-sized displays.

Omnimo v4, developed by fediaFedia, is a Rainmeter skin originally inspired by Windows Phone 7 inspired that brings the awesome Metro UI look to your Windows desktop. It will turn your desktop into a productive and attractive work area, delivering only the information you need. Rainmeter is a desktop customization platform. Through Rainmeter, you can enhance your Windows computer at home or work with skins: handy, compact applets which float freely on your desktop, much like Windows Sidebar gadgets, or dashboard widgets for the Mac.

How to install Omnimo 4?

• Before you can install Omnimo, you’ll first need to download and install the latest version of Rainmeter specific for your Windows platform. So, if you’re running 64-bit Windows, download Rainmeter 64-bit edition else download the 32-bit edition.
• After installing Rainmeter launch it once before proceeding to download and install the Omnimo 4.
• Now, download and extract the archive to find SETUP.rmskin file.
• Double-click on the SETUP.rmskin file to install Omnimo, you will be greeted by the Intro.

  

• After installation, select your settings and then the theme+resolution to apply the best layout. Don’t worry if your desktop resolution is not included, you can move things around to your liking anyway.

  

  

  

You can now play around the settings and customize Omnimo 4 to your heart’s consent. Do remember, if you press Windows + D to show desktop, Rainmeter along with all Omnimo widgets gets minimized.

Thanks to our reader Shook Are for the tip.

Two years back on June 14th, 2009, we posted our very first welcome message here. We officially started our journey as a technology website, with our commitment to bring the most benefits for our readers, subscribers, fans, followers, sponsors and everyone involved on July 1st, 2009.

Since, then almost two years have passed and we have enjoyed every single moment of being with you all. As we are getting ready to start another new term of My Technology Guide, we bring to you the most anticipated giveaway of all times in the history of My Technology Guide. And on this auspicious time, what more can we think of giving away except a genuine license of Windows 7 Ultimate to one of our most valued and loyal reader.

With WinSpark Networks collaboration, we bring to you all, Windows 7 Ultimate License and Be Genuine Giveaway. Through this giveaway, you can win yourself a genuine license of Windows 7 Ultimate edition.

Before we talk about the rules for entering this giveaway, let us give a brief description of WinSpark. The website is exclusively devoted to tech thoughts on various Microsoft technology products, software reviews, how to’s and troubleshooting tips. Do visit them, you will definitely like the website and its great content.

Overview of Windows 7 Ultimate

Windows 7 Ultimate is designed for people who want it all. It gives you everything Home Premium and Professional offers, plus added security features and the flexibility to work in multiple languages. Create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. You can even watch TV programs for free, whenever and wherever you want.

How to enter Windows 7 Ultimate Exclusive Giveaway?

The rules are simple. Gain as much points as you can by performing any of the steps below, fill up the giveaway form and comment here.

Required Step, will earn you 200 points:

Subscribe for our email updates and don’t forget to confirm the subscription (served via Google FeedBurner)

Gain Points and Maximize your chances of Winning by performing the following steps:

Plus One us on Google. (10 points)

If you are on Facebook, Like our official Facebook page. (10 points)

Share this giveaway with your Facebook buddies and gain extra 10 points.

If you are on Twitter, Follow us and Retweet the following snippet. (20 points)

Get yourself a free #Windows 7 Ultimate License and Be Genuine : http://goo.gl/uGMih via @manekari @mytechguide

Answer this simple question and get 100 points:

Which windows 7 feature you loved the most?

Additionally, you can share about this giveaway with your buddies using the Share buttons below to gain extra 10 points for each action.

Update (22 June, 2011): You can increase your points by sharing on a daily basis, with one condition that you can share to respective services only once in 24 hours time span. For example, you can tweet about the giveaway only once in 24 hours.

The more points that you accumulate, better are your chances for winning!

Did we mention that if you are not into social networking that much, you can still take part and try your luck by simply being our email subscriber? Simply fill up the entry form below and don’t forget to answer the question.

Update (11 July 2011): We have disabled the entry form. We are not accepting any new entries. We will now validate the entries and will count the points. If you have shared about this in different channels but you have not commented about the shares in the comment section below. You can do so now. The winner will be announced after a week or so. We need at least this much time for all the validation of the huge number of entries. Best of luck to all the participants.

General Giveaway Terms and Conditions

Updated

1. No purchase necessary.

2. This contest is open worldwide.
3. Kindly use your genuine email id (used to subscribe to our email subscription) and full name for participating in this giveaway.
4. All entries must be made using the form on the giveaway page.
5. No responsibility can be accepted for entries that are lost, or which are not received for any technical reason.

6. The closing date for the giveaway is 10^th July, 2011.
7. If you win, we will notify you by e-mail.
8. If we do not get a response to the email within two weeks, the prize will be offered to a runner-up.
9. 
The prize is not exchangeable for cash or any other prize.

10. If, for any reason, an advertised prize is not available, we reserve the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value.

11. Incorrectly completed entries will be disqualified. An entry which doesn’t follow the terms and conditions and our comments policy will be disqualified.
12. All federal, state, local, and other taxes on items won are the sole responsibility of the applicable winner.
13. Void where prohibited by law.
14. By entering, entrants certify that they meet all eligibility requirements.
15. By entering, winners also agree to all Terms and Conditions of MyTechGuide.org.
16. My Technology Guide holds the complete rights to change the Terms and Conditions without prior notice.
17. Our decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered.

Play Fair and Be Genuine! Good Luck!

Microsoft through Connect has released a beta version of Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper. It is basically a system recovery software disguised as a recovery CD or USB application that Windows users can use to remove malware from a system. It can start an infected PC and performing offline scan to help find and remove rootkits and other advanced malware.

The security application can effectively remove viruses, trojans, rootkits and other forms of malware. In addition, the security application can be used if you cannot install or start an antivirus solution on your PC, or if the installed solution can’t detect or remove malware on your PC.

System Sweeper is available as a free download for both Windows 32-bit or 64-bit version users. Users will need an active Internet connection and CD or DVD to burn all contents, or a USB stick with at least 250 MB of space.

Download and run the application, it will help you to create the bootable media required to run the software on your PC.

Select the media you want to use for creating the System Sweeper recovery bootable disk.

After the bootable media is ready, to use it, users need to boot from the CD/DVD disc or USB device. Ordinarily, the bootable media is created on a computer that is not infected.

After booting, the tool will load and will offer options to scan the PC and recover it. It will load the Windows Preinstall Environment to run the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper application for scanning and removing virus and malware from the infected system.

The security program requires Windows XP SP3 to Windows 7 32-bit or 64-bit editions to work properly. If you have a 32-bit operating system, which is infected, then you need to download and install the 32-bit version. If your system is a 64-bit operating system, that’s infected, you need to download the 64-bit version of the recovery software.

Interested users can download Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper from the official project website.

Note: The standalone tool is not a replacement for an antivirus solution providing real-time protection; it’s meant to be used in situations where you cannot start your PC due to a virus or other malware infection. For free real-time antivirus protection against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, download Microsoft Security Essentials or AVG or Avast.

Microsoft said on Wednesday that Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 will be generally available for download on February 22. Microsoft blogger, Brandon LeBlanc, in a statement on Wednesday has confirmed this through Windows Team Blog.

Microsoft has officially handed off the final release (RTM) of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) to its OEM partners. MSDN and TechNet customers will receive SP1 on February 16, followed by a general web release (RTW) on February 22. The confirmed final build number of SP1 is 7601.17514.101119-1850 the same build that was leaked last month to file sharing websites.

Today we officially handed off the final release (RTM) of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) to our OEM partners. On February 16th Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 will be available for MSDN and TechNet Subscribers as well as Volume License customers. On February 22nd, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 will become generally available for folks to download via the Microsoft Download Center and available on Windows Update.

Service Pack 1 will include RemoteFX, which provides rich 3-D graphical experience for remote users. The service pack will also include a series of incremental updates, previously released on Windows Update for both Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.

Two new features in Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX, will enable advanced desktop virtualization capabilities. These features build on the comprehensive virtualization functionality already included in the Windows Server operating system.

Dynamic Memory, takes Windows Server’s Hyper-V feature to a whole new level. Dynamic Memory lets you increase virtual machine density with the resources you already have–without sacrificing performance or scalability. This increased density does not come at the expense of security, as is the case with other offerings in the industry. Dynamic Memory preserves Windows 7 security without compromising density.

RemoteFX is an exciting technology that lets you virtualize the Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) on the server-side and deliver next-generation rich media and 3D user experiences for VDI. RemoteFX is also enabling new low-cost ultra-thin client devices to enter the market. Together, these technologies will drive down the end-point cost and reduce endpoint power consumption to as little as a few watts.

Microsoft is preparing to release Service Pack 1 of Windows 7. According to Tom Warren, WinRumors: Windows 7 Service Pack 1 release is imminent and Windows 7 Service Pack 1 download will be arriving very soon.

In his post, Tom Warren notes that a Patch Tuesday update (KB976902) that arrived this month, is a prerequisite necessary to successfully install and to remove any service packs to all versions of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. A speculation was already made about Microsoft releasing Windows 7 Service Pack 1 in January when it released a Service Pack blocker tool in November.

According to the knowledge base of the KB976902 Patch Tuesday update:

This software update will be a prerequisite to install service packs. Additionally, this update improves reliability when you install or remove Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 updates and service packs.

This is one of the proof that a big update is coming soon.The software giant typically releases Service Pack Blocker Tool Kits around two months before service packs are released. If Microsoft sticks to its earlier ways then Windows 7 SP1 should be released in January 2011. Microsoft, of course, only states that Windows 7 SP1 will arrive in the first half of 2011.

Warren also added that if Microsoft is planning to release SP1 in January then it will likely be January 18 or January 25 as Microsoft always releases Service Packs on a Tuesday.

[Additional Source]

NEWS is a free open source RSS ticker for Windows and Linux systems. It lets you stay up-to-date with the latest news from your favourite feeds directly on your desktop. With a single click, you get the latest headlines scrolling in a thin window on your desktop (similar to what can be seen on News TV channels).

News is light on resources and an extensive set of preferences lets you easily control the scrolling speed, update, fonts, bar size, transparency, colours, and a lot more options. The default feed is provided by BBC News but you can change it via ‘File > Open RSS feed’.

Simply tweak the settings of News to display it the way you want to on your desktop and you will love it.

After a few tweaks, below is what I got on my Ubuntu Desktop:

You can download News from the download links given below:

[ Download News RSS Ticker ] [ Mirror Download Link (only for Windows) ] [Source]

Microsoft is giving away a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate to the ten (10) “Best Windows Story” from IT Professionals. Stories can be related to how Windows 7 saved your company money, solving your application compatibility issues, deployment, management of your installations, and virtually anything else.

The more compelling your story, the better chance you have to win.

To enter in this contest, send an email to WinStory@microsoft.com. Emails must include your story as an attachment (in .doc or .docx format), must be written and submitted in English and your contact information including first/last name, business, and email address.

Story must be no more than 2 double spaced pages with normal margins. Story must be about how your business was helped by implementing Windows 7 or migrating to Windows 7 from Windows XP or Windows Vista.

You are eligible to enter this Contest if you meet the following requirements at time entry:

• You are an IT Professional 18 years of age or older whose business has previously deployed Windows 7;  and
  • If you are 18 of age or older, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Contest; and
• You are NOT a resident of any of the following countries: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.
  • PLEASE NOTE: U.S. export regulations prohibit the export of goods and services to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. Therefore residents of these countries / regions are not eligible to participate.
• You are NOT an employee of Microsoft Corporation or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and
• You are NOT involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Contest; and
• You are NOT an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Contest.

On or around February 28, 2011, a panel of judges will review all eligible entries received and select ten (10) winners of the Contest Prizes described below based upon judging criteria described below.

Judging Criteria

• 25% – Compelling story about the value Windows 7 provides to your organization
• 25% – Ability to overcome migration or deployment challenges
• 25% – Solutions used to overcome challenges
• 25% – Ability to clearly document your story

Ten (10) Grand Prize. A Not for Resale English version of Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) $299.99. The total Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of all prizes: $2999.90

This Contest starts at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) on December 15, 2010 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on January 31, 2011 (“Entry Period”).

Sounds interesting? Visit the actual contest page at TechNet for detailed rules and information about the contest!

[via TWC]

DNS request are usually cached by our operating system. It’s a good way to speed up the DNS lookups, but sometimes we may want to clear the cache or “flush DNS cache” so that it doesn’t hold the old values that are no longer valid.

Follow our guide below to “flush,” i.e., clear the DNS cache in Mac OS and Windows operating system.

How to flush DNS cache in Microsoft Windows operating system?

1. Windows 7 and Vista users, click on the Start button and in the search box, type cmd and open the command prompt.
   Windows XP and earlier Windows edition users, click on the Start button, click on Run to open the Run dialog box. Type cmd and press Enter to open the command prompt.
2. Now, in the command prompt, type the command: ipconfig /flushdns
3. Press Enter and Windows will clear it’s DNS cache.

How to flush DNS cache in Mac OS?

Mac (OS Tiger and below) users need to use the following command in the Terminal to clear the DNS cache:

lookupd -flushcache

However, in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, a new command has replaced lookupd -flushcache command. So, to clear DNS cache in Leopard, you just need to type the following command in your Terminal and hit enter:

dscacheutil -flushcache

In Windows, you can use the shell: command to quickly open any special folder directly from the Start Menu, Search menu or the Run dialog box.

Suppose, if you want to launch the Documents folder of your user profile, you’ve to type shell:Personal. In Windows 7, if you want to get access to Libraries, you’ve to type shell:Libraries.

There are many shell: commands available in Windows. These shell: commands are very useful if you want to quickly access or open special folders in Windows. If you want to have all the shell: commands list, for quick reference, we have compiled the list of ultimate complete shell: commands available for Windows 7, Vista and Windows XP.

You may be also interested in Beyond Windows 7 “GodMode” — 94 More Secret Windows Shortcuts Unveiled and 140+ Useful Windows Keyboard Shortcuts.

Complete Windows XP shell command list

shell:Common Programs
shell:Favorites
shell:My Video
shell:System
shell:CommonVideo
shell:LocalizedResourcesDir
shell:Cookies
shell:My Pictures
shell:Cache
shell:AppData
shell:My Music
shell:InternetFolder
shell:Profile
shell:Start Menu
shell:Common AppData
shell:ConnectionsFolder
shell:Administrative Tools
shell:PrintersFolder
shell:ProgramFiles
shell:Common Startup
shell:ControlPanelFolder
shell:SendTo
shell:ResourceDir
shell:ProgramFiles
shell:PrintHood
shell:CD Burning
shell:Common Start Menu
shell:Templates
shell:Programs
shell:Recent
shell:Desktop
shell:CommonPictures
shell:RecycleBinFolder
shell:Common Templates
shell:Startup
shell:Common Desktop
shell:NetHood
shell:Common Administrative Tools
shell:SystemX86
shell:History
shell:Common Documents
shell:Local AppData
shell:Windows
shell:Fonts
shell:Personal

Complete Windows Vista shell command list

shell:Common Programs
shell:GameTasks
shell:UserProfiles
shell:MyComputerFolder
shell:SyncSetupFolder
shell:DpapiKeys
shell:SamplePlaylists
shell:Favorites
shell:My Video
shell:SearchHomeFolder
shell:System
shell:CommonVideo
shell:SyncResultsFolder
shell:LocalizedResourcesDir
shell:Cookies
shell:Original Images
shell:CommonMusic
shell:My Pictures
shell:Cache
shell:Downloads
shell:CommonDownloads
shell:AppData
shell:SyncCenterFolder
shell:My Music
shell:ConflictFolder
shell:SavedGames
shell:InternetFolder
shell:Quick Launch
shell:SystemCertificates
shell:Contacts
shell:TreePropertiesFolder
shell:Profile
shell:Start Menu
shell:Common AppData
shell:PhotoAlbums
shell:ConnectionsFolder
shell:Administrative Tools
shell:PrintersFolder
shell:Default Gadgets
shell:ProgramFilesX86
shell:Searches
shell:Common Startup
shell:ControlPanelFolder
shell:SampleVideos
shell:SendTo
shell:ResourceDir
shell:ProgramFiles
shell:CredentialManager
shell:PrintHood
shell:MAPIFolder
shell:CD Burning
shell:AppUpdatesFolder
shell:Common Start Menu
shell:LocalAppDataLow
shell:Templates
shell:Gadgets
shell:Programs
shell:Recent
shell:SampleMusic
shell:Desktop
shell:CommonPictures
shell:RecycleBinFolder
shell:CryptoKeys
shell:Common Templates
shell:Startup
shell:Links
shell:OEM Links
shell:SamplePictures
shell:Common Desktop
shell:NetHood
shell:Games
shell:Common Administrative Tools
shell:NetworkPlacesFolder
shell:SystemX86
shell:History
shell:AddNewProgramsFolder
shell:Playlists
shell:ProgramFilesCommonX86
shell:PublicGameTasks
shell:ChangeRemoveProgramsFolder
shell:Public
shell:Common Documents
shell:CSCFolder
shell:Local AppData
shell:Windows
shell:UsersFilesFolder
shell:ProgramFilesCommon
shell:Fonts
shell:Personal

Complete Windows Vista shell command list

Note: All the shell commands available in Windows Vista works in Windows 7, so we are not repeating them here. We have listed below only the new shell commands that are available in addition to the shell commands available in Windows Vista here:

shell:Libraries
shell:MusicLibrary
shell:VideosLibrary
shell:OtherUsersFolder
shell:Device Metadata Store
shell:PublicSuggestedLocations
shell:SuggestedLocations
shell:RecordedTVLibrary
shell:UserProgramFiles
shell:DocumentsLibrary
shell:User Pinned
shell:UsersLibrariesFolder
shell:PicturesLibrary
shell:ImplicitAppShortcuts
shell:UserProgramFilesCommon
shell:Ringtones
shell:CommonRingtones

Note: We have not given any description beside each shell: command as you can easily make out what they are supposed to do by looking at its name. If you are still confused about any of the command, simply comment below, we will help you out. If we missed out any command that you know or if you’ve found any errors in the above, do comment below.

Windows 7 Library is one of the most notable feature included by Microsoft. Windows 7 Library is a collection of folders and files from different locations. You can group the files and folders based on different categories like music, pictures, videos etc. However, unlike a folder, a Library can display files stored in several folders at the same time. This is a subtle, but important, difference. Libraries don’t actually store items. They monitor folders that contain a user’s items, and offers a single access point of all the content.

Librarian is a simple freeware application that allows you to tweak and customize Windows 7 libraries. It offers more features than the default Windows 7 Library management. Using Librarian, you can manage your Windows 7 Library and add custom icons to them to recognize them quickly.

Librarian lets you easily create, edit or delete any Library. From the main interface, if you chose to edit any Library, Librarian provides you an option to change the icon, type, default location and folders available in it.

Main Features:

• Create a new library with any folder(s) inside
• Change library’s icon through standard Windows dialog
• Rename library
• Change content type of new or current library
• Change default save location option
• Change Show in Navigation Pane option
• Show library as XML

[ Download Librarian ]

Microsoft has released a brand new theme for Windows 7. Based on the new superhero movie Megamind, a 3D movie by DreamWorks Animation opening this fall, the theme features 9 images of your favorite heroes and villains of the movie.

A superhero movie with a mind of its own!

Windows 7 users can download and install Megamind Windows 7 theme from the Microsoft personalization gallery.

If your computer is running Windows 7, or Vista, or Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2008 R2 and it freezes or stops responding when you try to rename a folder, then applying this hotfix KB980382 released by Microsoft may come handy.

The problem occurs in the following scenario:

• There is a volume in an NTFS file system on your computer. There are lots of files that are in a folder on this volume. For example, assume that there are more than 5000 files in this folder.
• Many files in the folder were opened at least one time previously.
• You try to rename the folder name.

In this scenario, the computer stops responding for some time. Therefore, the computer responds to a mouse button click or to a screen update very slowly.

Note: If the Failover Clustering feature is installed on the computer, the cluster resources that are hosted on the computer fail over to the other nodes because of this issue.

The rename operation for a directory checks whether a file in the folder is opened by a user. During this operation, a volume control block (VCB) lock is obtained, and any other I/O requests to the volume are blocked. If the number of files in the directory is large, this process of checking whether a file is opened may take an unnecessarily long time. Therefore, the computer stops responding for this long time. However, the computer eventually recovers.

To apply this hotfix, you must be running one of the following operating systems:

• Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1)
• Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• Windows 7
• Windows Server 2008 R2

[ Download Hotfix KB980382 ]

My friend called me yesterday to help him in getting back Windows 7 in the boot menu. What he did was, repair his Windows XP installation and now after repair he cannot find Windows 7 in the boot menu. Now, he was having a dual-boot configuration with Windows XP and Windows 7. The problem that he was facing is very common and every user who is having a similar dual-boot configuration also faces this problem when they try to repair or reinstall an older Windows version.

If you install Windows 7 or Windows Vista as a second operating system on a computer system where Windows XP is already installed, the Windows boot menu incorporates the options from the older boot menu. But, let us suppose, if you install a fresh copy of Windows XP or on a system that is already running Windows 7, Windows will overwrite the MBR with the old one that doesn’t recognize the Windows 7 boot loader. Each time you install any version of Windows, it rewrites the MBR to call its own boot loader.

But there is solution available to repair the MBR damage. Follow the steps below and you will be able to get back the MBR settings that was lost. (This guide will work for Windows XP, Vista, 7.)

After booting into the older Windows (in this case Windows XP), insert your Windows 7 DVD. Now, open Command Prompt window (type cmd in the Run dialog box and press Enter) from within the older operating system. Run the following command from the Windows 7 DVD, substituting the letter of your DVD drive for x here:

x:\boot\ bootsect.exe /nt60 all

Now, after you restart your computer system, you should see the Windows 7 boot menu. But, wait a second, what happened to the entry to your earlier operating system? Well, don’t panic, to restore the menu entry for your earlier version of Windows, open an elevated Command Prompt window (right-click on cmd in Windows 7 or Vista, select Run as Administrator) and type this command:

bcdedit /create {ntldr} —d "Menu description goes here"

Substitute your own description for the placeholder text, being sure to include the quotation marks. The next time you start your computer, the menus should appear as you intended.

An even easier solution is to use boot-editing utilities like EasyBCD that supports Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2003 or 2008. EasyBCD can also be used to switch quickly from a Windows XP-style boot loader to its Windows 7 counterpart and back again.

What is Windows Product Activation or Windows Activation?

Microsoft to curb piracy introduced Windows product activation system since Windows XP. Activation is an anti-piracy technology designed to verify that Microsoft software products are genuine. Most of the Windows users are aware of Windows Product Activation as it is so common now. Users are now required to activate their copy of Windows with Microsoft either online or over the phone within the grace period or trial period to continue using the Windows operating system.

In this article you will find some simple commands or ways by which users can check Windows Activation status easily.

How To Check Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 Activation Status?

Even though Windows XP has less stringent Windows Product Activation algorithm when compared with Windows 7 or Vista but it does need product activation. Only exception is when users use OEM and VLK product key to register Windows XP. Computers that are pre-installed with Windows XP licensed using OEM license key (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and Windows XP Professional when installed using a VLK (Volume License Key), does not need users to activate Windows online or by phone as they are automatically activated.

To check the current status of Windows Product Activation, open the Run dialog box. (Press [Windows Key] + [R] to open the Run dialog box.) Now, type in the following command and press Enter:

oobe/msoobe /a

An “Activate Windows” window will open that will show the current Windows activation status. If Windows XP is already activated, the message “Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit.” will appear.

Info: You will find msoobe.exe under C:\Windows\System32\oobe\msoobe.exe

How can I tell if Windows 7 or Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 and later activated?

You can check the activation status of Windows 7 and Vista by two ways.

First method, click on the Start Button and in the Start search box or in the Run dialog box, type and execute the following command:

slui

Users can find slui.exe under C:\Windows\System32\slui.exe

Second Method, Open System by clicking the Start button, then right-clicking Computer, and then clicking on Properties. Now, under Windows activation, you can view your current activation status.

You have recently brought a new computer (or laptop or netbook) and have noticed that in About Windows, it displays Windows registered to the company from whom you have brought it or some other random name. Now, if you’ve ever wondered how to change the owner name that Windows says it’s registered to, then this handy quick tip is only for you. Using this tip you can easily change the registered name and registered organization name to your own name.

Even though this tip may not come handy for everyone but will surely come handy for those users who wants to personalize their computer more, and showing that Windows registered to them is very much important for them!

To change the registration information, click on the Start button and type regedit.exe in the start menu search box and open it. If you get UAC prompt, click on Yes. Windows XP users, open the Run dialog box (Press Windows Key + R) and type regedit.exe. In the Registry Editor find the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

Now find the RegisteredOwner and RegisteredOrganization keys in the right-hand-pane. Double-click on them to change their values to whatever values you want. After changing the information, exit the Registry Editor.

To see the new changes, just type winver.exe into the start menu search box (or in the Run dialog box) to see the About Windows box:

This tip works in all versions of Windows, including Windows 7 and Vista.

Microsoft released the final version of Windows Live Essentials 2011, now available free download. But if you try to download it from the website then you will get a web installer that when you run downloads and installs the program for you. If you want to have more control or wondering “How do I install Windows Live Essentials 2011 without an internet Connection?,” below you will find a list of links to the offline installers of all available languages.

Supported languages includes Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Czech, Danish, German, Greek, English, etc. Indian languages like Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu are also available for download. Simply download the localized version of Windows Live Essentials 2011 offline installer from the corresponding link below.

Thanks to Windows Live Help Center for the offline installer links.