RefreshPC: Reset Windows Registry And Services To Defaults

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Microsoft’s upcoming operating system Windows 8 is coming with a unique feature called “System Reset“. System Reset will let users restore Windows 8 to factory defaults. This feature will save a lot of time for system administrators and users alike, and will save you from having to reinstall Windows.

RefreshPC is a free program developed for Windows that offers similar system reset option to current Microsoft Windows operating systems. Though this freeware application will not restore the operating system like Windows 8′s “System Reset” feature, but it will restore only a few sections of the operating system. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Utilities, Vista, Windows, Windows 7

How To Delete a Windows Service in Windows 7, Vista or XP [Tutorials]

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Ever faced a situation where after uninstalling a software, you find that it has left behind its service or driver references in the registry, and when Windows tries to load them at every boot, it fails displaying an error? This mostly happens with the security programs (though other applications also causes trouble) that fails to remove its installed services or drivers. Even though we posted an ultimate list of antivirus removal tools, but it is not enough.

We need something which will solve the problem in general for almost every Windows applications that causes trouble. In this article, we will show “how to easily remove an orphaned or unwanted service or driver from your Windows system.”

Basically there are three methods to deal with the problem. You can either use Windows in-built sc.exe command, or use the Registry Editor, or using Microsoft Sysinternals Autoruns for Windows utility.

Warning: Use this tutorial with caution, once you delete a service from Windows system, it’s gone, and it will be very difficult to install it back. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tips and Tricks, Troubleshoot, Windows

Windows 8: Modern Reader, Aero Auto-Colorization, Get it on Windows 7

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Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott has discovered a new feature in Windows 8, Aero Auto-Colorization. Microsoft Windows 7 users must have seen the new Personalization interface, which allows users to customize their desktops as they wished to. In Windows 8, the software giant has gone a few steps further by letting users customize the Aero elements to the fullest. Rafael and Paul found out that Windows 8 has a new ability to automatically configure the color of Aero elements, like the Start Menu, Windows Explorer windows, and the taskbar based on the desktop wallpaper which is set.

What this means is that whenever the desktop wallpaper changes, the Aero elements change their color to match it. This is a great feature as users will now see different colors as soon as the desktop wallpaper changes thus removing the monotonic look of only one color for the Aero elements all the time. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Utilities, Vista, Windows, Windows 7, Windows 8

Windows 8 Available on Microsoft Connect [Invitation Only]

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A number of top blogs are reporting that Microsoft has begun to distribute early copies of Windows 8 to key OEM partners via Microsoft Connect. The software giant’s Connect is an external testing system, My Technology Guide has learned that the company is distributing build 7971.0.110324-1900.

According to one poster at the My Digital Life forums, the program is advertised as Windows 8 and Server vNext Pre-Release Program, on Microsoft’s Connect site and requires a special invite code.

OEM’s have received an invitation code to download Windows 8 via Connect. Following is the download URL but the invitation code has been removed for obvious reasons:

http://connect.microsoft.com/site1094/InvitationUse.aspx?ProgramID=5474&InvitationID=XXX-XXXX-XXXX

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Windows 8

Internet Explorer 9 to be delivered as Important Windows Update

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Microsoft is planning to push Internet Explorer 9 as an Important Windows Update to existing beta and RC users on March 21. The update will also be offered as Important to normal Windows users. Microsoft revealed that Internet Explorer 9 RTW has been downloaded 2.35 million times in the first 24 hours of availability. Internet Explorer 9 was released to the web on Monday March 14 and has clocked up 27 downloads per second, over 250 downloads every 10 seconds. Microsoft revealed earlier this month that users have downloaded 36 million copies of Internet Explorer 9 since its beta release in September.

It was already confirmed earlier by Microsoft’s head of Internet Explorer, Dean Hachamovitch, that Microsoft will upgrade RC users to the final build. “We will automatically update IE9 beta users to the IE9 RC. After the final release, we will automatically update IE9 RC users to the final build,” said Hachamovitch. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Browsers, Internet, Internet Explorer, News and Updates, Windows

Patch Tuesday: March 2011 Edition

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Microsoft’s February Patch Tuesday was very critical with 12 updates fixing 22 vulnerabilities, out of which three are 0-day vulnerabilities. The bulletins address issues in Windows, Internet Explorer, Office, Visual Studio and IIS. March in comparison with last month is fairly quiet month for Patch Tuesday patches. This month’s Patch Tuesday will have just three bulletins going out, two for Windows operating system and one for Groove 2007 users. These three bulletins are going to patch a total of four vulnerabilities.

Out of the two bulletins for Windows, one bulletin rated critical; the Groove bulletin and the other Windows bulletin rated as important. All three bulletins “may” need a restart after installation. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News and Updates, Security, Vista, Windows, Windows 7

February 2011 Patch Tuesday: Advance Security Notification [Microsoft]

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Microsoft for February’s Patch Tuesday has released an advanced notification about the upcoming security patches. Microsoft will be issuing 12 updates fixing 22 vulnerabilities, out of which three are 0-day vulnerabilities. These patches will update Windows operating system, Internet Explorer, and the Visio software.

Three bulletins, including the Internet Explorer patch, earn the most severe “Critical” rating. The remaining nine, including the Visio fix, earn a still significant “Important” score. All the patches excluding three of the fixes will need a reboot. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Microsoft Office, News and Updates, Security, Windows

How To Flush DNS Cache in Windows/Mac OS

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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. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Apple, Tips and Tricks, Troubleshoot, Vista, Windows, Windows 7