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’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.

RefreshPC will be handy for users, who love to experimenting with Windows Registry settings and system services. Another example would be users who have used Windows system optimizer and have caused more harm to the system than good. Malicious virus, spyware, trojan attack that changed critical system settings can also be restored back to default after cleaning it using your favorite antivirus.

After you have downloaded RefreshPC, you need to install the program and create a System Restore point (recommended). The program than detects your operating system and version, and displays the information. You will find only a single button that will let you restore the settings to their factory defaults when clicked on.

RefreshPC will do the following:

The freeware application is compatible with all 32-bit and 64-bit editions of the Windows operating system, from Windows XP to Windows 7.

Download RefreshPC for refreshing your Windows back to defaults.

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.

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.

Comodo Internet Security is a free, multi-layered computer security suite that keeps malware and hackers at bay while protecting your computer and private information. Comodo guarantees protection against viruses and malware by focusing on prevention not simply detection.

Comodo Internet Security Pro 2011 offers real-time protection against Viruses, Trojans, Adware, Spyware and other Malware threats. Other Antivirus products depend on signature updates alone but Auto Sandbox Technology means you’re protected from even unknown threats.

Features:

Firewall: Comodo’s Firewall consistently ranks among the highest in industry tests.

Defense+ Technology: Proactive protection to automatically isolate threats from suspicious files so they can’t cause harm actually preventing infections not just detecting them. Cloud based whitelisting of trusted publisher easily identifies a safe file and vendor.

Auto Sandbox Technology: To reduce interruption to the user, unknown files can only run in a secure virtual environment where they can’t damage Windows, its registry, or important user data.

Minimal Interruptions: Comodo Internet Security Pro 2011 relieves you of the responsibility of deciding whether to block or allow untrusted files – it makes the decisions for you. Game Mode suppresses operations that could interfere with a user’s gaming experience such as alerts, virus database updates or scheduled scans.

Spyware Scanning: Spyware Scanner detects and cleans malware infections in PC registry and disks.

Cloud based Antivirus: Cloud based antivirus scanning detects malicious file even if a user does not have up-to-date virus definitions.

Unlimited GeekBuddy Support: Expert support offering 24/7 live chat service to assist with everything from setup to virus removal and Windows issues at no additional charge.

Compatibility: Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP (32-bit and 64 bit versions available).

Normally, Comodo Internet Security Pro is priced at $49.99 for 1-year license. But now, Comodo is running a promotional giveaway program for all. Interested users can download a pre-activated full version of Comodo Internet Security Pro, valid for 1 year from the date of install, free of charge.

To grab 1-year FREE trial copy of the Comodo Internet Security Pro, simply click on the direct download link of the special setup installer:

cispro_1year_installer.exe (32/64 bit combined installer, 60 MB)

cispro_1year_installer_x86.exe (32-bit installer, 35 MB)

cispro_1year_installer_x64.exe (64-bit installer, 37 MB)

After downloading, install the security suite, you will find it to be valid for 365 days.

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.

The first thing that you’ll need to do is identify the name of the service. To do so, open Services through the Start Menu or Control Panel or press Windows + R key and type services.msc then press Enter. Find the service in the list that you want to delete. Now, double-click on the service name to open up the Properties dialog-box. Now, highlight the “Service name” value and press Ctrl + C to copy it to the clipboard. You’ll need this name to remove it. For more information, see the article: How to find the short names of services.

Remove unwanted services from Windows using sc.exe command

The sc.exe is a command-line tool in Windows 7/Vista/XP. It can be used to create, edit or delete Services. From the TechNet documentation, sc.exe:

Communicates with the Service Controller and installed services. SC.exe retrieves and sets control information about services. You can use SC.exe for testing and debugging service programs. Service properties stored in the registry can be set to control how service applications are started at boot time and run as background processes. SC.exe parameters can configure a specific service, retrieve the current status of a service, as well as stop and start a service. You can create batch files that call various SC.exe commands to automate the startup or shutdown sequence of services. SC.exe provides capabilities similar to Services in the Administrative Tools item in Control Panel.

Windows 7 and Vista users are needed to open up an elevated command-prompt, that is, right-click the command prompt and choose Run as Administrator. Windows XP users can open a simple command prompt but the account should have administrative rights.

The sc.exe command syntax used to delete a service is:

sc delete ServiceName

Where the text in emphasis/italics represents the short name of a service (which you have already copied as shown earlier in this article), and not its display name. For example, the short name for Automatic Updates service is wuauserv, but its display name is Automatic Updates.

Now if you press the F5 key to refresh Windows Services list, you’ll see that the service is gone for good.

The second method involves using the Registry Editor

If your edition of Windows XP or Windows Vista does not ship with sc.exe console tool, then you may have to edit the registry manually. Simply use the underlined steps:

1. Start Regedit.exe and navigate to the following branch:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
2. The Service and driver entries are present under the above registry key. Each sub-key represents a driver or a Service. You should be able to identify them easily by looking at the DisplayName and ImagePath values in the right-pane in the Registry Editor.
3. Once you spot the Service/driver entry, right-click on the key and choose Delete.

Warning: Before modifying or removing a Service, create a System Restore point and/or a complete Registry backup, just in case something happens.

The third method is easy compared to the earlier two and involves using Autoruns for Windows app

Autoruns is a must-have tool for Windows users which helps you manage Windows startup, services, drivers, Winsock providers, Internet Explorer add-ons, Shell extensions and much more.

1. Simply download Autoruns and run it. Windows 7 and Vista users are needed to run it as an administrator. To do so, simply right-click on the Autoruns.exe file and select Run as Administrator.
2. Click on Options, tick on Hide Microsoft Entries, so that you can filter out legitimate Microsoft Windows system Services and see only third-party entries. This make it easy for you to spot a third-party driver or Service.
3. Press F5 key to refresh the listing.
4. Now, click on the Services tab and you can easily remove unwanted drivers and Services from there.

Important: Before deleting any service think hard, search for it using any search engine like Google, Bing, etc to find out if that service is important or not, because it’s very difficult to get them back once they are gone. Deleting any important service needed by Windows may cause instability or may lead to loss of data. We will not be liable to you in any way for any kind of data loss that occurs due to mishandling of this information. Use with high caution!

Symantec has released version 5.0 of its Norton 360 suite. Symantec calls Norton 360 v5, “the industry’s fastest, most effective all-in-one security suite.” Norton 360 includes backup and tune-up features along with security, which makes it a complete-suite.

The user interface of Norton 360 is different from that of Norton Internet Security 2011 but it offers all the same protective technologies offered in NIS 2011. Norton 360 version 5 features: Insight, which uses anonymous software adoption patterns of Symantec users to automatically identify and block new malicious software; SONAR 3, which monitors running applications for suspicious behavior to identify new attacks, crimeware and other threats designed to evade traditional detection; and Norton Power Eraser and Norton Bootable Recovery Tool, which offer detection and repair technology that enables consumers to clean up previously infected computers.

One of the additions in Norton 360 v5 is the Norton Control Center. This part is already seen in Norton Internet Security 2011 and Norton AntiVirus 2011 which offers a direct view into Norton Safe Web, Norton Online Family, and the new Norton Cybercrime Index. The index uses statistical modeling based on information gathered from Symantec and other sources.

Another impressive feature is Norton Safe Web Social Media Scanner which lets you check your Facebook Wall and News Feed for bad links and other threats from within your Norton Control Center.

Norton 360 version 5.0 is available directly from Symantec and from major online and offline retailers. Its $79.99 price includes three licenses and 2GB of online storage. For $99.99 users can upgrade to the premium edition, which features 25GB of online storage (up from 10GB with version 4). All users with a current Norton 360 license are eligible for a free upgrade.

If are a new user and want to test Norton 360 v5 before buying, Symantec is providing free 3 months (90 days) trial license. To download Norton 360 v5 with 90 days free trial subscription, visit the promotion page here.

Click on the button, Try FREE 90 days and download the setup which is pre-activated with free 3 months subscription.
You can also download the setup by using the direct download link below:

Download Norton 360 v5: N360_5.0.0.125_MS_LOEM_MRF1441_5671.exe

If you want to try Norton Antivirus 2011 for 90 days instead of Norton 360 v5, you can get it from the same promo page above or use the direct download link below:
NAV_18.1.0.37_MS_LOEM_MRF1325A_5452.exe

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.

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.

Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more keys that, when pressed, can be used to do a task that would typically require a mouse or other pointing device. Keyboard shortcuts can make it easier to interact with your computer, saving you time and effort as you work with Windows and other programs.

Getting familiar with keyboard shortcuts not only helps you get work done faster, but also makes you more efficient and productive. If your daily job rely heavily on using Windows, here are some 140+ Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts (most of these shortcuts will also work in Windows XP and Vista too,) you might want to check out. If we missed any nifty shortcuts, we will appreciate a heads up about them in the comments below.

1. Shortcuts to manage windows

2. Shortcuts to get access to Windows Features

3. Windows 7 Taskbar shortcuts

4. Shortcuts for navigating Desktop

5. Windows Explorer shortcuts

6. Photo Viewer shortcuts

7. Shortcuts for use in dialog boxes

8. Shortcuts useful for Windows Admins

9. Windows Help shortcuts

10. Ease of Access and Magnifier shortcuts

Wondershare Time Shuttle is a very powerful and convenient, all-round system restore, drive data recovery and file recovery software. When you compare Time Shuttle with other backup and restore software, you will find that Wondershare Time Shuttle executes backup and restore faster. It is a multi-snapshot backup software and even allows you to repudiate what you have restored and go back. Wondershare Time Shuttle is also able to do individual file recovery without restoring the computer system data like other software does.

Time Shuttle also uses a different concept for system backup. Instead of copying data, it takes snapshots of the current hard disk partition and map’s indexing system. In simple layman term, a snapshot is a “picture” of the PC and is not conventional backup files and doesn’t contain hard disk data itself. Since, these snapshots don’t take up any space in the hard disk, you can create and restore from 1,000 different snapshots, enabling users to jump between the snapshots according to their needs.

All data on Wondershare Time Shuttle protected drives are well protected. Thus no matter what you have done on the drive after you delete a file on it, you can easily get it back, no need to worry whether its place have been overwritten. Even if you cover a file with another file with the same name, you can get the old version back. That’s why we can use Time Shuttle to recover files in any conditions. Before using it to restore system, we first need to create snapshots (backup) which serves as a restore point. The time required to take a snapshot is usually 5 seconds depending on your system. Then, when you need to “go back”, just select a snapshot and reboot your computer. In 20 seconds, the time shuttle will restore Windows to the time as the snapshot records.

Features:

• 5 Seconds to backup system and all data in the form of snapshot
• Up to 1000 snapshots can be created with NO disk space taken
• 20 Seconds to restore Windows from selected snapshot
• Remove virus, spyware, Trojan and other malware and fix sick system
• Get damaged, deleted, lost data back on protected drives in 20 seconds

The user manual provided by this software is also good. You can find a walk-through on how to use Time Shuttle in different situations here.

Note: If you are using the free licensed Wondershare Time Freeze, then you have to uninstall it first before installing Wondershare Time Shuttle to prevent possible system conflict.

If you are looking for a fast, easy to use all-round system restore, drive data recovery and file recovery software then give Wondershare Time Shuttle a try, you won’t be disappointed. You can download the trial version good for 30 days. What’s more? You can get Wondershare Time Shuttle for a flat 30% off on the retail price of $69.95 if you buy it now from Wondershare.

Wondershare Time Shuttle can be used in both 32-bit and 64-bit of Windows 7/XP/Vista, and Windows 2000/ NT 4.0/98/ME.

[ Download Wondershare Time Shuttle ]

Wondershare Time Freeze is an easy and effective system protection tool to keep your computer safe from viruses, spyware, Trojans and other malicious threats. It puts the actual system under protection and creates a virtual environment, on which you run applications and surf the internet. All traces and malicious threats will disappear after reboot. You can also save changes to the actual system.

Time Freeze uses a unique advanced virtualization technology and creates a virtual environment for the operating system. In this way Time Freeze protects the actual system from getting infected by viruses, malware, Trojans and other malicious threats. After testing, you need to simply reboot your computer to return the operating system to its original state.

Key Features of Wondershare Time Freeze

• Virtual system as the shadow of the actual system: prevent threats of any viruses, malware, spyware and Trojans.
• Simply reboot computer to return to the original state. Eliminates cost for system maintenance.
• Surf internet safely, and play around with computer with NO trace left.
• Prevent access to protected files and folders. Protect your privacy effectively
• Manage the program with a custom password setting and keep inexperienced users from making change to your settings and configures
• Compatible with Windows 7/XP/Vista/2000.

Generally Wondershare Time Freeze license is available for $39.00, but Wondershare is running a time limited promotion through which you can get genuine Time Share license absolutely free. All you need to do is click on the promotion page link below and register for a free genuine license.

http://www.disk-utilities.com/time-freeze/

Note: Offer valid for limited time only, so grab your free license asap.

WinUtilities Pro is an award-winning collection of tools to optimize and speed-up your system performance. this suite has utilities to clean registry, temporary files on your disks, erase your application and internet browser history, cache and cookies. it also supports to defragment your disk drives and improve computer performance and stability. built-in StartUp Cleaner allows you to control startup programs that load automatically with windows, find duplicate files, fix broken shortcuts and uninstall unneeded software. other features include secure file deletion, recycle bin shredding, system maintenance tasks scheduling and undelete deleted files.

The developers of WinUtilities Pro, YL Computing, Inc, is running a giveaway exclusively for Softpedia readers. This means that you can get a free full version, genuine license code of WinUtilities Pro v 9.41, which is valid for lifetime and which normally retails at $49.99.

Features:

• Disk Defrag - Defragment your disks and improve computer performance and stability
• File Undelete – Recovers deleted files on NTFS and FAT volumes.
• Disk Cleaner – Cleans disks from information that clogs your system and reduces performance of your computer.
• Registry Cleaner – Scans the Windows registry and finds incorrect or obsolete information in the Windows Registry.
• Startup Cleaner - Helps you to easily manage program execution at windows startup.
• History Cleaner – Erases all traces of activity on your computer, save spaces and protect your privacy.
• File Splitter - Splits any type of file into smaller pieces and rejoin them to the original file.
• File Shredder - Erases files and make sure that no data thief can get his hands on your sensitive data.
• EXE Protector - Protects any Windows executable file with a secure password.
• Memory Optimizer - Optimizes the Memory Management of Windows. No special configuration is needed, Memory Optimizer will auto configure itself.
• Duplicate Files Finder – Helps you to free disk space by finding and removing duplicate files from your system.
• Shortcuts Fixer - Provides you with an easy way to address the invalid shortcuts and reports back to you so that you can remove it from your system.
• Process Manager - Allows you to check your system’s performance and manage the running processes.
• Uninstall Manager - Manages the programs installed on your system and uninstall unneeded software.
• System Information – Shows you the detailed information for your computer hardware and software.
• Registry Backup & Restore - Back up and restore the Windows Registry.
• Registry Search - Searches the Windows Registry by a specific wildcard.
• BHO Remover - Manages the BHOs that are currently installed.
• Auto Shutdown - Schedules your computer for log off, stand by, hibernate, or shutdown at a specific time.
• Windows Tools - Provides you an easy way to launch the utilities build in Windows.
• System Control - Organizes and manage your Windows Settings
• Task Scheduler - Configures the cleaning tasks that take place automatically.

Supported Platform: Windows 7, Vista, 95, NT4, 98, Me, 2000, XP, 2003 Server

How to get WinUtilities Pro for FREE?

To grab the free license, visit the promotion page here.. You will find the free download link along with the following registration information:

regname: Softpedia User
regcode: C1H0L9-20CC-321B-36F7-4117-W6Y1L3

Just download the setup and install it. After you finish the setup, enter the registration information to activate the full version.