the How-To Geek

Get the Classic Start Menu in Windows 7

Asian Angel — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Like the new Start Menu in Windows 7, but wish that you could have the Classic Menu too? Now you can have both with CSMenu.

Note: CSMenu comes in exe install file and portable versions.

CSMenu – Before and After

Here is a quick look at the default Start Menu in our Windows 7 example. Time to get that Classic Menu!

Double click the CSMenu exe file to get things started. The install process for CSMenu is quick and straightforward.

After finishing the installation, you will see a message window that will say that CSMenu is going to index your Start Menu. While it is indexing, you will see the following window showing the progress of the indexing process.

Once it has finished indexing, you will need to log off and then log back into your User Account.

After logging back in, go into the Start Menu to locate the CSMenu folder. Right click on the “Show CSMenu” shortcut and select “Pin to Taskbar”. Once you do that, there is your new Classic Menu Start Button right next to the original one (you made need to move it to the left in your taskbar).

Notice that the CSMenu Start Menu button is slightly smaller than the original.

An expanded view of the new Classic Menu in our Windows 7 example.

Hiding the Original Windows 7 Start Button

If you decide that you only want to have your new Classic Menu Start Button display, you can hide the original with a nice little program called Start Killer.

Run the Start Killer exe file and let the program automatically start after the installation is finished. Just one start button to deal with now (nice!).

To make certain that Start Killer runs every time you start Windows, right click on the taskbar icon and select “Settings”. Make certain that “Load on system startup” is selected.

A quick check on startup programs using CCleaner shows the everything is set to have nothing but Classic Menu goodness each time you start Windows 7.

Have fun with your new Classic Start Menu!

Links

Download CSMenu (version 0.9)

Download Start Killer (version 3.0)

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Restore Accidentally Deleted Files with Recuva

Mysticgeek — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0000

It can be the worst feeling in the world when you accidentally delete a very important file you have been working on for days. Today we look at Recuva, a free tool that helps you restore accidentally deleted files.

Using Recuva

Recuva is developed by Piriform which is the same company that brings us two other trusted utilities CCleaner and Defraggler. This is a free app but you will want to uncheck installing the Yahoo Toolbar if you don’t want it.

When you first start up Recuva it brings up an easy to follow wizard which guides you through the recovery process. There is an option to disable this from starting up if you don’t care to use it.

Now choose the type of file your trying to recover. If you’re not sure click on Other to show all files, this is handy for obscure file types as well.

Select the location of where the file was located. You can choose removable media, certain directories, or search everywhere on the computer.

Wait while Recuva scans your system for deleted files.

When you get the results it will show the file(s) and the green or red dot next to them lets you know how likely they will be restored without any damage. Here we show advanced mode where you can preview the different files found.

There are some good options you can set to change the way it scans for deleted files. One feature is Deep Scan which does a more thorough search but takes more time depending on your system.

It will find deleted data even if it has been emptied from the Recycle Bin. It is not going to work every time especially on files that have been securely deleted, corrupted, or overwritten. A best practice is to use this as soon as you realize a file has been deleted.

Download Recuva

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Launch Windows Apps Faster With Executor

Mysticgeek — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0000

If you are a busy Windows user it can get annoying navigating through menus and endless directories to get to the apps and data you need. Executor is a free application launcher that allows you to quickly run programs and search for anything from one central location.

Using Executor

After installation use the Appearance Wizard to choose the skin or look of Executor and you can always change the look later on.

In the next configuration screen select how Executor will behave for indexing type, search type, and miscellaneous options.

This works very similar to other application launchers allowing you to easily find what you’re looking for. When you start typing in what you’re looking for you get a drop down list of different matches.

A cool feature to point out is the Keyword feature where it is easy to add keywords for programs. Simply drag a program’s launch icon into the box below, create a custom keyword, hotkey, and reset the icon.

You can browse the history of the clipboard which is very handy.

There are several skins included and more can be found in their forum.

There are many more features and customizations available and if you have any favorites let us know. This is a superb option for the Keyboard Ninja as there are a multitude of customizable hotkey combinations. If you’re looking for a customizable and feature rich application launcher, Executor is definitely worth a look.

Download Executor For Windows

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Make Sure your Computer Can Run Windows 7 with Upgrade Advisor

Mysticgeek — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0000

You’re excited for the Windows 7 release from Microsoft but question if you computer can run it. Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor beta is a free download from Microsoft that will analyze your current system and let you know what is and isn’t ready for the new OS.

We ran Upgrade Advisor on an older IBM Thinkpad currently running XP. You will need Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 installed, but if you don’t it allows you to easily install it first the restart Upgrade Advisor installation.

After everything is installed successfully Upgrade Advisor is ready to be launched.

In the first screen you get an overview of the advisor then click on the Start Check button.

It will take a few minutes while the check is completed. Time will depend on the type of system you’re checking.

When the check is complete you will get a report on what isn’t compatible and what needs to be changed.

You can also save the report as an HTML file so you can easily share it with other users.

The minimum system requirements for Windows 7 are a 1Ghz CPU, 1GB RAM, and a 16GB Hard Drive. Less important is you will also need a DX9 capable graphics card with 128MB of memory to be able to run the Aero interface. If you think your system might be on the fence, this is a handy tool to find out if your hardware will run Windows 7.

Download Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor beta

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Manage Your Files Easily with CubicExplorer

Asian Angel — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Frustrated with Windows Explorer’s lack of features or layout? Wanting to avoid installing numerous addons just to get what you need? Then CubicExplorer is just what you are looking for all wrapped into a single package.

Note: CubicExplorer SVN Snapshot (version 0.91.0.1168) shown in this article.

Installation

Installation of CubicExplorer is quick and straightforward with only four windows from start to finish. In the first window, you will notice that CubicExplorer uses a Mozilla Public License.

Easily select the home folder where you want to install CubicExplorer.

Note: To make future stable version updates easier, you may want to change the home folder name to “CubicExplorer”, leaving out the “_dev” part.

This is the default look and layout for CubicExplorer when started for the first time after installation.

Settings for CubicExplorer

The first thing that you will need to do if you plan to run multiple instances of CubicExplorer is to go to the “Tools Menu” and select “Options”. Once you have the Options Window open, deselect “Single Instance Only”. At this point you may also choose what type of session that CubicExplorer will open with each time.

The Tabs Section has options for tab content and tab switching actions.

In the Display Section, you can choose themes (also available through the “View Menu”) and change the settings for the Bookmarks Panel, Folders Panel & Fileview Options.

If you want to dig deeper and tweak individual settings, you can do so in the Advanced Section. Here you can tweak individual settings in the following areas: AddressBar, BookmarksPanel, FileSearch, FileView, FilterPanel, FolderPanel, MainForm, QuickView, Sessions, StackPanel, Tabs, and TextEditor. Changes are easily made with drop down menus (as shown in the screenshot below) or by changing the values in the field selected.

Customizing CubicExplorer’s Layout

Using the “View Menu”, you can easily choose the toolbars and panels that you want to use/display with a single click. It is so easy to make CubicExplorer fit your needs.

Here you can see the easy “drag and drop” feature for toolbar customization in action. Even the address bar can be easily moved to suit your style.

You may also add individual buttons to further customize the toolbar interface. Go to the “Tools Menu” and select “Customizer…”. Left click on the button that you want to add and holding down on the mouse button drag it to the position you want on your toolbar.

An example of what CubicExplorer can look like with just a little bit of customization and multiple tabs showing. Very nice!

Have fun with your new personally customized and easy to use file manager!

Note: When viewing the contents of any folder (whether sub-folders or individual files), the first item is always auto-selected (default setting). This can be tricky if you are moving/deleting an item or items, so be careful. In our example installation, the auto-select feature would not deactivate when accessed in the Advanced Section of the Options Window (appears to be a bug of some sort at the moment).

Links

CubicExplorer SVN Snapshot (version 0.91.0.1168) – Exe File and Portable Edition

CubicExplorer (version 0.90.0.1131) – Exe File and Portable Edition

CubicExplorer Homepage

View and Print Out Shortcuts for CubicExplorer

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Open Obscure File Types with OpenWith.org Desktop Tool

Mysticgeek — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0000

It can be really annoying having obscure types of files on our computer and not knowing what application to associate them with. The OpenWith.org Desktop Tool identifies the files and locates free programs to open them.

Installation is basic following the install wizard but they try to sneak a program called PC Mighty Max (registry cleaning program) onto your system. Make sure to uncheck the box next to the agreement unless you want to try it out.

After installed, Right-click on a file you’re not sure how to open and select OpenWith.org – How do I Open This from the context menu.

It will search for a suitable program and list them with a download link to download that application.

The download link usually points directly to the executable to download where you get the following screens.

If it is not able to find a suitable program from the OpenWith.org database you’re presented with options to search on the net.

Not every result produced a freeware application but there was at least a trial period or shareware solution, enough to get the document open. This is a cool lightweight program that you may not have to use a lot, but is certainly handy when you do.

Download the OpenWith.org Desktop Tool

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Be Careful Not To Install Junk Software with Digsby

Mysticgeek — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0000

If you are interested in trying out the newest version of Digsby, use caution during installation so you don’t end up with a bunch of extra junk software you don’t need. Today we will show you what to avoid and also where to download the clean version that doesn’t include the extra hassles.

Extra Bloat Install

When you first start installation you will notice a splash screen saying it is preparing for InstallIQ.

Then you are presented with the first agreement you will need to except to begin installing Digsby. You have to accept these terms and conditions for this install manager to work.

Now here is a series of screens showing the additional amount of software InstallIQ would like to put on your system. In this test we declined every one of these “special offers”. You will notice there are a total of 7 attempts.

Finally they would like to make My.Freeze.com your default home page. Make sure and uncheck that as well.

Something else that we found interesting about my.freeze.com is it doesn’t get a good rating from WOT (Web of Trust).

Here is a look at your new system if you unwittingly accepted to install all of the software. Everyone of these screens pops up after installation, they were just moved around so you can see all of them.

Get the Clean Version

When you first go to the Download page at the Digsby site you will notice a nice big Download Now button. Under the button in small print is the first clue that something shady might be going on where they say InstallIQ manages the installation. To get the clean install you will need to click on the smaller “Click Here” link.

Another thing to help you out is noticing the differences between the two installer icons.

InstallIQ Version
Clean Install

Conclusion

A lot of software companies try to throw in an offer for a toolbar or something to make some money on their free software but this is pretty ridiculous. They are upfront with the extra software they are trying to install so it isn’t necessarily deceptive, but surely questionable. It can be very annoying having to go through so much bloat to install their IM client. Also to note, we are not saying Digsby is a bad IM \ Social Client but this marketing attempt is not friendly and is not a positive way to introduce software to new users. We are interested in hearing your thoughts on this please leave a comment and let us know!

Download the Clean Version of Digsby

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View Webpage Source Code in Your Favorite Text Editor – Firefox

Asian Angel — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Thinking of how nice it would be if you could view a webpage’s source code in your favorite text editor while browsing with Firefox? Now you can with two simple about:config tweaks.

Open Up about:config in Your Browser Window

Type “about:config” (without the quote marks) into the address bar and hit “Enter”. Once you have the about:config page open in your browser window, it is time to fix those two about:config entries.

1. Type or copy & paste “view_source.editor.external” (without the quote marks) into the Filter Address Bar. Once the about:config entry is displayed, right click on the entry and select “Toggle” to change the value to “true”.

Note: You can also double click on the entry to do the same thing.

2. Type or copy & paste “view_source.editor.path” (without the quote marks) into the Filter Address Bar. Once the about:config entry is displayed, right click on the entry and select “Modify”.

Once you have clicked on “Modify”, you will see the following window appear asking you to “Enter string value”.

Enter the target path of your favorite code/text editor (without the quote marks). For our example, we have chosen “C:\Program Files\Editra\Editra.exe”. Click “OK” and restart your browser to complete the changes.

Note: For those who would like to use Notepad, enter the target path “C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe”.

Accessing Your Favorite Code/Text Editor

Once you have a webpage that you want to see the source code for, go to the View Menu and select “Page Source”.

Once you have clicked “Page Source”, your favorite code/text editor will open up displaying all that wonderful webpage code goodness!

That is all there is to it. Have fun using your favorite code/text editor with Firefox!

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Use VirtualBox to Test Linux on Your Windows PC

Asian Angel — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Curious about a new distribution of Linux but not wanting to do a full install or use a Live CD/DVD just to try it out? Now you can enjoy all that Linux goodness by running it “Live CD” style inside of VirtualBox.

This can be very useful to get a good look at a Linux distribution without a lot of hassle. It will also allow you to quickly and easily access your regular programs that you use on a daily basis without having to shut down/restart your computer (as opposed to using an iso file burned to a CD or DVD).

This has been set up into three sections with screenshots for each step in the process. It may look like a lot to do at first glance, but the process only takes a few minutes and then you can start having fun.

Note: The Linux distribution used in our example is Dream Linux 3.5 (Gnome Desktop) and the version of VirtualBox shown in this article is 3.0.0.49051 Beta 2 running on Vista SP2. All links are provided at the bottom of the article.

Getting Started

Now that you have the iso file for the Linux distribution you want to try downloaded, a good location to place it in is in the “.VirtualBox” folder. As you can see, the home folders for your HardDisks and Machines are located here. You may also choose to use a different “home folder” to store your iso files in.

Note: When you are setting up your Linux distro for testing, keep in mind that any system resources (i.e. RAM) that you allocate for your virtual operating system will be taken from your actual system’s resources while you are running it in VirtualBox.

Once you have the iso file all settled in, start VirtualBox up and click on the “New” button in the main window.

This is the first window you will see when you start the process of setting up a new Virtual Machine. Click “Next”.

As you can see, the default settings displayed are “Microsoft Windows” and “Windows XP”.

The first thing to do is select the type of “Operating System” that you want to set up. Since we are setting up a Linux distribution in our example, “Linux” has been selected. Notice the variety of choices available.

Once you have selected “Linux”, you will notice that there is a good selection to choose from for “Version”. Since Dream Linux is based on Debian, that has been chosen.

Note: You may also choose to list your particular Linux distribution version as “Other”.

Next you can be as creative as you want in naming your Virtual Machine. Choose what works best for you. Here we have chosen to name ours “Dream Linux”. Click “Next”.

In this window you will be asked to choose the amount of RAM you want to allocate for your Linux distribution. The default is 256 MB for Linux, but here it has been raised to 500 MB. You are free to leave it set as the default of 256 MB or adjust to suit your preferences. Click “Next”.

In this window, you will not need to make any changes to the default selections shown. Click “Next”.

Once you reach this window, you will start the process of setting up a new Virtual Hard Disk for your Linux system. Click “Next”.

Here you can see the two choices available for Hard Disk type. The default is “Dynamically expanding storage” and this is the one that you want to use. Click “Next”.

Here you may adjust the maximum size that you want to allow for your Virtual Hard Disk. The default is “8 GB” and has not been altered for our example. Click “Next”.

The final summary window for the Virtual Hard Disk that you have just created. Click “Finish”.

Followed by the final summary window for the Virtual Machine that you have created for your Linux system.

That has your new Virtual Machine and Virtual Hard Disk set up. Clicking on “Finish” will return you to the Main Window.

Adjusting the Settings

Now you can see Dream Linux listed in the O.S. selection portion of the Main Window. Notice that you can see the settings already displaying on the right side. But there are a few settings that still need to be adjusted.

Click on the name of your new Linux system in the left side of the Main Window to select it and then click on the “Settings” button at the top.

Now that you have the Settings Window open, it is time to make a few changes. Here you can see basic information about your Linux system.

Select the “System” category. Since it is unlikely that you will be using a Floppy Drive, go ahead and deselect it so that it is not included in the Boot Process.

Select the “Display” category. For our example, “Enable 3D Acceleration” has been selected. You may also adjust the amount of “Video Memory” allocated for your Linux system to use while running. The default is “12 MB” and has not been changed here.

Since you will be running the iso file as a “Live CD”, select the “CD/DVD-ROM” category. Select “Mount CD/DVD Drive”.

Once you have that selected, make certain to select “ISO Image File” and then click on the folder icon on the right side. This will allow you to browse for the Linux iso file you are wanting to use.

Clicking on the folder icon shown above will open the Virtual Media Manager Window. Here only the two previously set up/used iso files are showing in our example, so the new Linux iso file will need to be added to the list. Click on “Add” to open a browsing window.

Browse to the home folder that you are using to store your iso files in (in our example the .VirtualBox folder). Select the iso file that you want to use and click “Open”.

Now the new Linux iso file is in our list. Click on the iso file you need and click “Select”.

Now the proper iso file is displaying in our Settings Window.

Almost finished now! If you would like to use USB/Flash Drives, select the “USB” category and make certain that “Enable USB Controller” and “Enable USB 2.0 (EHCI) Controller” are selected.

Now that all of that is sorted, click “OK” to finish the process.

Note: Since this is a way to test a Linux distribution, “Network” and “Shared Folders” settings have not been altered/setup.

Start Your Systems

Looking at the Main Window you can see the effect of any changes you have made to the Settings for your new Linux system.

Now comes the fun part! Select your new Linux system on the left side and click “Start”.

Start up time for each Linux distribution will vary depending on which one you are using. Here you can see the start up process for our example.

And there it is! Now you can really start trying out your new Linux system by checking for updates, making changes, installing/uninstalling programs or whatever your heart desires.

After you have finished using your new Linux system for a bit, all that you have to do to shut it down is hit the “Right Ctrl” key on your keyboard (unless you have set a different key to use to escape the virtual window), and go to the Machine Menu to select “Close”.

Note: You can also create a Snapshot to save the changes and alterations you have made to your Linux system using this menu.

Once you have started the shut down process, there is no need to lose any of the changes you have made (since the last Snapshot or if you have not made any Snapshots yet). Be certain that “Save the machine state” is selected and click “OK”. The next time you start your Linux system up, it will return you to where you were when you shut everything down (i.e. Desktop, etc.).

Conclusion

You can have a lot of fun trying out different Linux distributions with this method and if you happen to not like a particular distribution, then it is easy to delete the profile for that system from your VirtualBox set up. Have fun!

Links

Download VirtualBox (version 3.0)

See the Operating Systems that run in VirtualBox

Download Dream Linux 3.5 (Gnome & XFCE versions)

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Enjoy On-Demand Dictionary & Thesaurus Power with WordWeb

Asian Angel — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Run across an unusual word or need a synonym for a word quickly? Usually that means opening a browser and doing the appropriate search. Now you can have all that word power goodness at your fingertips with WordWeb.

Installation

WordWeb is easy to install on your computer (or as a portable app on a flash drive). All screenshots for the install process are shown since you will need to make some choices based on your needs during the installation.

Notice the usage limitation shown in the EULA. Once the 30 day period has passed, you will be prompted to specify your status concerning “ the number of flights that you take in a 12 month period”. Just make certain to select that “you take fewer than three flights in a 12 month period” to continue using the free version.

Once the second screen displays, you will want to click on “Advanced options”.

Here is where you can set the install to create a portable version of WordWeb. Also, the choice that you make concerning installation to the system tray will affect how the software operates later (i.e. full-time operation or on-demand). For our example, “Do not install to system tray” was selected instead of the default.

Next you will have the option to choose the English Locale that best suits your needs.

In the final window you can see the effect of selecting “Do not install to system tray” in the Advanced Options window (have to use the Start Menu icon to start the program).

It also tells you exactly how to “install to the system tray” if you change your mind and would like to have WordWeb running full-time.

WordWeb in Action

Here you can see how WordWeb looks when open. For our example we have chosen the word “lovely” as a demonstration. Notice the multi-tab setup that gives you many options to choose from when researching a word or phrase.

A quick look at the menus in WordWeb…

The Bookmarks Menu.

The Copy Menu. Here you can see two functions that are available with the Pro version but not the free version.

The Options Menu.

And the Help Menu.

In the upper right corner you will notice two buttons. The first is “Hear pronunciation” and the second is “View in web browser”.

The Other Reference Tabs

If you would like to look at other sources of information about the word or phrase you are researching, you can do so using the tabbed interface.

Here you can see the Wikipedia Tab…

Or if you prefer, Wiktionary…

You may also access online searching for your word or phrase (options are good!).

Additional Language References

Since the Vista system used in our example has a good mixture of Chinese and English due to highly personalized settings, you can see that additional tabs are available In Chinese to help with researching words and phrases.

Note: On “English only” systems these additional tabs may not be available.

Wikipedia in Simplified Chinese…

And Wiktionary in Simplified Chinese.

Conclusion

WordWeb is an extremely useful program to have on your computer for you and your family. Whether you only need the occasional reference or prefer to use it on a daily basis, you can be certain that this is one software that you will be glad to have around.

Links

Download WordWeb (version 5.52)

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