Unleash7 - Everything PC... Made Simple!

Port Forwarding

2010-05-12T17:01:00.006-04:00

*This technique is for routers only!

The basis of port forwarding consists of opening TCP and UDP ports to reach the host within a private network. Basically, it allows remote computers to connect to another over LAN (Local Area Connection). Port Forwarding is commonly used to bypass certain network complications and interferences when playing online games. This significantly improves your online experience and is essential to block Windows Firewall from accessing the port. It can also be used for many programs needing an internet connection to connect to it. Here's how to open a port for almost any program you may desire:

1. Go to PortForward.com
2. Scroll down and select your Router Manufacturer and type (see back of your router for details)
3. You will now see a page full of programs, apps and even games
4. Select any one you want and follow the step by step instructions that they provide to you
*NOTE: If you do not know your Private IP Address, simply go to Start, Run, type CMD and in the black menu, type ipconfig. Your IP is located in the IPv4 Address area

To test out if your ports are open, download this program PFPortChecker
You will need to re-open your ports if your Private IP changes.

Cheers!

Windows 7 Services Guide

2010-05-09T09:54:00.009-04:00

Windows Services control the way your system functions and how it is managed. Many of these services take up a lot of memory and can easily reduce your system's performance. Luckily, there are quite a lot of services that can either be set to manual or can be disabled permanently. Here is a full list that we created with the help of many sites and of course, our knowledge:

*In order to access your service list, navigate to:

Start, Run and type Services.msc

Service Name	Description	Default	Tweaked
Application Experience	“Database that Microsoft maintains to automatically apply proper settings to get well known programs with issues to run without user intervention”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Application Identity	“Determines and verifies the identity of an application”	Manual	Manual
Application Information	“AIS allows users to run applications as an administrator. You should leave this service set to manual”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Application Layer Gateway Service	“Allows 3rd party Internet connection sharing applications to be used”	Manual	Manual
Application Management	“The Application Management service is for allowing Group Policy installation management”	Not Available	Disabled
Background Intelligent Transfer Service	“Download Manager that is needed for Windows Update”	Automatic (DS)	Manual
Base Filtering Engine	“Manages Windows Firewall filtering. Turning this service off will significantly reduce the security of the system”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
BitLocker Drive Encryption Service	“This service hosts the BitLocker Drive Encryption service which provides secure startup for the operating system, as well as full volume encryption for the OS”	Manual	Manual
Block Level Backup Engine Service	“Essential for Windows Backup and Restore function. Turn this off if you don’t use Windows Backup”	Manual	Manual
Bluetooth Support Service	“Provides management, discovery and association of Bluetooth devices”	Manual	Disabled
BranchCache	“This service caches network content from peers on the local subnet. It is pretty useless so disabling is recommended.”	Not Available	Disabled
CNG Key Isolation	“Stores keys for cryptographic information. This could be used by other applications in the future, and only runs when needed”	Manual (Started)	Manual
COM+ Event System	“Event model that passes information between processes”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
COM+ System Application	“Manages the configuration and tracking of Component Object Model (COM)+-based components”	Manual	Manual
Computer Browser	“Keeps list of computers on local network. Not needed if you don’t have other computers to connect to”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Credential Manager	“Provides secure storage and retrieval of credentials to uses, applications, and security service packages”	Manual	Manual
Cryptographic Services	“Needed for checking for signed drivers and manages Root Certificates”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
DCOM Server Process Launcher	“This service launches COM and DCOM servers in response to object activation requests. Almost all services depends on it”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Desktop Window Manager Session Manager	“Controls Windows Aero and how your desktop looks. Turning this off will improve system performance”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic or Disabled
DHCP Client	“Registers and updates IP addresses and DNS records for this computer. Needed for internet if you use DHCP. Can be Disabled if you have a static IP address”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Diagnostic Policy Service	“Collection of diagnostic tools that attempts to detect problems in memory, disk, and files”	Automatic (Started)	Disabled
Diagnostic Service Host	“Diagnostics for Windows”	Manual (Started)	Disabled
Diagnostic System Host	“Diagnostics for Windows”	Manual (Started)	Disabled
Disk Defragmenter	“Provides Disk Defragmentation Capabilities.”	Manual	Disabled
Distributed Link Tracking Client	“Keeps track of files' locations even if the file has been moved”	Automatic (Started)	Manual
Distributed Transaction Coordinator	“Coordinates transactions that span multiple resource managers, such as databases, message queues, and filesystems”	Manual (Started)	Manual
DNS Client	“The DNS Client service (dnscache) caches Domain Name System (DNS) names and registers the full computer name for this computer”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Encrypting File System (EFS)	“Provides the core file encryption technology used to store encrypted files on NTFS file system volumes”	Manual	Manual
Extensible Authentication Protocol	“The Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) service provides network authentication for 802.1x wired and wireless, Virtual Private Network (VPN), and Network Access Protection (NAP)”	Manual	Manual
Fax	“Enables you to send and receive faxes, utilizing fax resources available on this computer or on the network”	Manual	Disabled
Function Discovery Provider Host	“Process for Function Discover processes. This is used by Windows Media Center”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Function Discovery Resource Publication	“Publishes this computer and resources attached to this computer so they can be discovered over the network”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Group Policy Client	“Responsible for applying settings set through Group Policy”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Health Key and Certificate Management	“Provides X.509 certificate and key management services for the Network Access Protection Agent”	Manual	Manual
HomeGroup Listener	“Makes computer changes associated with configuration of the homegroup-joined computer”	Manual (Started)	Manual
HomeGroup Provider	“Performs networking tasks associated with configuration and maintenance of homegroups”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Human Interface Device Access	“Enables Hotkeys for Human Interface Devices”	Manual	Manual
IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules	“Leave it alone, but not really needed. Used for some VPN software”	Manual	Manual
Interactive Services Detection	“Enables user notification of user input for interactive services, which enables access to dialogs created by interactive services when they appear”	Manual	Manual
Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)	“Allows you to share your internet connection to other computers attached to yours”	Disabled	Disabled
IP Helper	“Provides tunnel connectivity using IPv6 transition technologies”	Automatic (Started)	Manual
IPsec Policy Agent	Internet Protocol security (IPsec) supports network-level peer authentication. Required if internet provider requires it” *Test network connectivity after disbaling	Manual	Disable
KtmRm for Distributed Transaction Coordinator	“Coordinates transactions between the Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MSDTC) and the Kernel Transaction Manager (KTM)”	Manual	Manual
Link-Layer Topology Discovery Mapper	“Creates a network map of connectivity information”	Manual	Manual
Media Center Extender Service	“Allows Media Center Extenders to locate and connect to this computer”	Not Available	Disabled
Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service	“Enables connection to iSCSI devices”	Manual	Disabled
Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider	“Manages software-based volume shadow copies taken by the Volume Shadow Copy service. Windows Backup uses this service”	Manual	Manual
Multimedia Class Scheduler	“Gives higher priority to multimedia applications. Windows audio requires it”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Net.Tcp Port Sharing Service	“Share your TCP ports, NOT RECOMMENDED!”	Disabled	Disabled
Netlogon	“Maintains a secure channel between this computer and the domain controller for authenticating users and services”	Manual	Disabled
Network Access Protection Agent	“Enables NAP, which is a way for administrators to control access to the network based on health indicator”	Manual	Disabled
Network Connections	“Manages objects in the Network and Dial-Up Connections folder, in which you can view both local area network and remote connections”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Network List Service	“Maintains list of network connections. With this disabled the tray icon won't be able to tell if you are connected but you can still connect just fine”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Network Location Awareness	“Collects and stores configuration information for the network and notifies programs when this information is modified”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Network Store Interface Service	“Stopping this client loses internet connections, period”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Offline Files	“The Offline Files service performs maintenance activities on the Offline Files cache, responds to user logon and logoff events”	Automatic	Disabled
Parental Controls	“Offers parental controls, if you need this for children”	Manual	Disabled
Peer Name Resolution Protocol	“Enables serverless peer name resolution over the Internet using the Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP)”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Peer Networking Grouping	“Enables P2P Grouping”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Peer Networking Identity Manager	“Provides identity services for the Peer Name Resolution Protocol and P2P Grouping services”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Performance Logs & Alerts	“Enables performance logging which is pretty useful but no one ever uses it”	Manual	Disable
Plug and Play	“Enables a computer to recognize and adapt to hardware changes with little or no user input. Never disable this service”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
PnP-X IP Bus Enumerator	“The PnP-X bus enumerator service manages the virtual network bus”	Manual	Manual
PNRP Machine Name Publication Service	“This service publishes a machine name using the Peer Name Resolution Protocol”	Manual	Manual
Portable Device Enumerator Service	“Manages removable storage devices to interface with WMP and image import. May be needed for MP3 players and Digital Cameras”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Power	“Manages power policy and power policy notification delivery”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Print Spooler	“Loads files to memory for later printing. Needed to print properly”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Problem Reports and Solutions Control Panel Support	“Allows you to send errors to Microsoft. Not needed if you hardly get any errors or don’t mind them”	Manual	Disabled
Program Compatibility Assistant Service	“Compatibility with old operating systems”	Manual	Manual
Protected Storage	“If you have multiple users accessing your computer, and you do not want them messing around with your files, then enable it”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Quality Windows Audio Video Experience	“Quality Windows Audio Video Experience (qWave) is a networking platform for Audio Video (AV) streaming applications on IP home networks”	Manual	Manual
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager	“Some internet providers may require it. If your internet fails to work after disabling this, then set it back to Manual”	Manual	Manual
Remote Access Connection Manager	“Manages dialup/VPN. If you do not have Dial-Up, disable this service”	Manual	Disable
Remote Desktop Configuration	“Responsible for all Remote Desktop Services and Remote Desktop related configuration and session maintenance activities that require SYSTEM context”	Manual	Manual
Remote Desktop Services	“Allows users to connect interactively to a remote computer. Remote Desktop and Remote Desktop Session Host Server depend on this service”	Manual	Manual
Remote Desktop Services UserMode Port Redirector	“Allows the redirection of Printers/Drives/Ports for RDP connections”	Not Available	Manual
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)	“…Just about everything uses this service, so…ya”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator	“Manages RPC names.”	Manual	Disabled
Remote Registry	“Enables remote users to modify registry settings on this computer. Useless”	Manual	Disabled
Routing and Remote Access	Offers routing services to businesses in local area and wide area network environments. Again, useless”	Disabled	Disabled
RPC Endpoint Mapper	“Resolves RPC interfaces identifiers to transport endpoints”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Secondary Logon	“Support for secondary logon. Needed for some applications that need to run under a secondary logon account”	Manual	Manual
Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol Service	“Provides support for the Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) to connect to remote computers using VPN”	Manual	Manual
Security Accounts Manager	“Allows for group policy to be applied”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Security Center	“The WSCSVC (Windows Security Center) service monitors and reports security health settings on the computer. *Pretty useless if you know how you can protect your computer from viruses and spyware”	Automatic (DS, Started)	Disable*
Server	“Supports file, print, and named-pipe sharing over the network for this computer”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Shell Hardware Detection	“Autoplay notifications”	Automatic (Started)	Disable
Smart Card	“Supports smart cards on your pc for authentication”	Manual	Disabled
Smart Card Removal Policy	“If you use a smartcard for computer access... then you need this”	Manual	Disabled
SNMP Trap	“Receives trap messages generated by local or remote Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agents and forwards the messages to SNMP management programs running on this computer”	Manual	Disabled
Software Protection	“Enforcement of DRM and possibly Windows Update. Required for Readyboost which is required for control panel access”	Automatic (Delayed Start, Started)	Automatic (Delayed Start)
SPP Notification Service	“Provides Software Licensing activation and notification”	Manual (Started)	Manual
SSDP Discovery	“Enables devices that use SSDP, which is for UPnP”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Storage Service	“Useless”	Not Available	Disabled
Superfetch	“Maintains and improves system performance over time. Great if you are running a desktop. Crap if you are running a server”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic or Disabled
System Event Notification Service	“Notifies COM+ events to other applications”	Automatic (Started)	Manual
Tablet PC Input Service	“Enables Tablet PC pen and ink functionality”	Manual	Disabled
Task Scheduler	“Allows you to schedule automated tasks, and some services use this to schedule tasks as well”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper	“Provides support for the NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) service and NetBIOS name resolution for clients on the network, therefore enabling users to share files, print, and log on to the network”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Telephony	“Mostly used for people with dialup. If your networking stops working, try setting this back to manual”	Manual	Disable
Themes	“Provides user experience theme management”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic or Disabled
Thread Ordering Server	“Provides ordered execution for a group of threads within a specific period of time”	Manual	Manual
TPM Base Services	“Trusted Platform Module key hosting”	Manual	Manual
UPnP Device Host	“Allows UPnP devices to be hosted on this computer”	Manual (Started)	Manual
User Profile Service	“This service is responsible for loading and unloading user profiles. Do not disable it”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Virtual Disk	“Management services for disks. You can leave it on manual to run only when you need it”	Manual	Manual
Volume Shadow Copy	“Service used for Windows Backup”	Manual (Started)	Manual
WebClient	“Enables Windows-based programs to create, access, and modify Internet-based files”	Manual	Manual
Windows Audio	“Manages audio for Windows-based programs”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Windows Audio Endpoint Builder	“Manages audio devices for the Windows Audio service”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Windows Backup	“Provides Windows Backup and Restore capabilities. If you do not use SystemRestore, then you can safely disable this service”	Manual	Disable
Windows Biometric Service	“The Windows biometric service gives client applications the ability to capture, compare, manipulate, and store biometric data”	Manual	Manual
Windows CardSpace	“Securely enables the creation, management, and disclosure of digital identities”	Manual	Manual
Windows Color System	“Gamma/Color mapping for Windows. Managed through the control panel. Handy if you have 2 screens of different models”	Manual	Manual
Windows Connect Now - Config Registrar	“This is used to configure Wireless LAN settings for an Access Point (AP) or a Wi-Fi Device”	Manual	Disabled
Windows Defender	“Windows spyware and virus protection all in one. Features monitoring of Registry and on access scans. If you already have an anti-virus/anti-spyware program, please disable this service”	Automatic (Delayed Start, Started)	Automatic (Delayed Start) Or Disabled
Windows Driver Foundation - User-mode Driver Framework	“Manages user-mode driver host processes”	Manual	Manual
Windows Error Reporting Service	“Allows errors to be reported when programs stop working or responding and allows existing solutions to be delivered”	Manual	Disabled
Windows Event Collector	“Basic event logging”	Manual	Manual
Windows Event Log	“This service manages events and event logs. It supports logging events, querying events, subscribing to events, archiving event logs, and managing event metadata”	Automatic (Started)	Manual
Windows Firewall	“Windows Firewall helps protect your computer by preventing unauthorized users from gaining access to your computer through the Internet or a network. If you have already disabled Firewall, then you can safely disable this service”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic or Disabled
Windows Font Cache Service	“Optimizes performance of applications by caching commonly used font data”	Manual	Manual
Windows Image Acquisition (WIA)	“Provides image acquisition services for scanners and cameras”	Manual	Manual
Windows Installer	“Adds, modifies, and removes applications provided as a Windows Installer (.msi) package”*	Manual	Manual
Windows Management Instrumentation	“Provides a common interface and object model to access management information about operating system, devices, applications and services”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
Windows Media Center Receiver Service	“TV/Radio support for Windows Media Player”	Not Available	Manual
Windows Media Center Scheduler Service	“TV show recording scheduling”	Not Available	Manual
Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service	“Shares Windows Media Player libraries to other networked players and media devices using Universal Plug and Play”	Manual (Started)	Disabled
Windows Modules Installer	“Enables installation, modification, and removal of Windows updates and optional components”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Windows Presentation Foundation Font Cache 3.0.0.0	“Optimizes performance of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) applications by caching commonly used font data”	Manual	Manual
Windows Remote Management (WS-Management)	“Remote management of computer”	Manual	Manual
Windows Search	“Windows Indexing Service disguised”	Automatic (Delayed Start, Started)	Disabled
Windows Time	“Synchronizes windows clock online… useless tool”	Manual	Disabled
Windows Update	“Enables the detection, download, and installation of updates for Windows and other programs”	Automatic (Delayed Start, Started)	Automatic (Delayed Start)
WinHTTP Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Service	“HTTP stack implementation”	Manual (Started)	Manual
Wired AutoConfig	“Enables viewing your wired network”	Manual	Manual
WLAN AutoConfig	“Lists wireless adapters and manages connections”	Manual	Manual
WMI Performance Adapter	“Provides performance library information from Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) providers to clients on the network”	Manual	Manual
Workstation	“Maintains internet connections”	Automatic (Started)	Automatic
World Wide Web Publishing Service	“Provides Web connectivity and administration through the Internet Information Services Manager”	Not Installed (Automatic, Started)	Automatic
WWAN AutoConfig	“It is strongly recommended that this service be kept running for best user experience of mobile broadband devices”	Manual	Manual

Enable "Take Ownership" in Windows 7

2010-05-05T21:11:00.012-04:00

When you are not allowed to access a certain file, the task ownership option is the best way to go as it disables the file's protection so you can easily use it. But, by default, this option is disabled. Here's how to enable it:

1. Click Start, Run and type Regedit
2. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas
3. On the right-hand side, you will tonic a string called Default, double-click it, and in Value Data, type in Take Ownership

*To access this option, you need to right-click a folder (not a file) and select Take Ownership

There you go!

TechWiz

Change Owner's Name

2010-05-03T19:57:00.011-04:00

If your computer is registered under the wrong name or may have been misspelled , you might want to follow these tips showing you how to change the owner of the PC's name using the registry. It is fairly easy to accomplish:

1. Click Start, Run, and type Regedit
2. Navigate to the following line:
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion"
3. Make sure to click on the CurrentVersion key and look at the right-hand side
4. Locate RegisteredOwner, Right-Click it and Modify to change the value data
5. Put in any name you desire

Hope this helps!

TechWiz

Windows 7 Trick: GodMode

2010-05-02T17:59:00.016-04:00

A hidden feature in Windows 7 is GodMode, which let's you access over 250 windows tasks with a click of a button. Now, this is really useful for beginners who don't really know a lot about system tasks and with this tip, you can have everything from partitioning your hard drive to changing your Windows theme all in one simple folder. Here's how to access GodMode:

1. Right-Click your desktop and select New Folder
2. Rename the folder to the following entry :
GodMode.{ed7ba470-8e54-465e-825c-99712043e01c}

*The folder icon will change to this icon and you can now access GodMode

There you go!

TechWiz

Disabling Windows Defender and Firewall

2010-05-01T16:43:00.005-04:00

A feature in Windows 7 is the implementation of Windows Defender, which can become a hassle if you already have a decent anti-virus to handle all your virus and spyware needs. This significantly slows down your computer by utilizes many of your system's resources to power on Windows Defender.

Windows Firewall, on the other hand, has never been much of use for me due to the the many anti-viruses out there that feature a firewall in their software. We recommend disabling these features to improve your system response time and your online gaming experience (Firewall interferes with the servers you use to connect to when you're playing online). This tweak is significant for gamers and normal PC users.

*If you want more info on anti-viruses and which one to choose, check this post-->CLICK ME

Disable Windows Firewall
1. Click Start, Control Panel
2. In System and Security, click on Windows Firewall
3. On the left-hand side, hit Turn Windows Firewall On or Off
4. For both Private and Public sub-menus, check Turn Off Windows Firewall

Disable the firewall service (not recommended for beginners):
1. Click Start, Run, type Services.msc
2. In the list, scroll down and look for Windows Firewall
3. Double-click it, hit Stop to stop the service and in startup type, hit Disabled

Disable Windows Defender
1. Open up Windows Defender by clicking Start and by typing Windows Defender in the Search Box
2. Once inside the program, hit Tools
3. Under Settings, click Options
4. Click on the Administrator tab and uncheck "Use This Program"

Disable the windows defender service (not recommended for beginners):
1. Click Start, Run and type Services.msc
2. In the list, find Windows Defender
3. Double-click it, hit Stop and in the startup type, hit Disabled

There you go, another tweak, a faster PC!

TechWiz

Disable Low Disk Space Notification

2010-04-30T20:12:00.003-04:00

Another registry tweak here showing you how to disable low disk space monitoring which notifies the user when their disk space is too low and can get pretty tiresome after seeing it pop-up many times. It also utilizes a lot of system's resources and, therefore, is not needed on your PC. Here's what to do:

1. Click Start, Run, then type Regedit
2. Navigate to the following line:

"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer"

3. On the right-hand side, look for the following entries:

NoLowDiskSpaceChecks = Set the value data to 1
NoResolveSearch = Set the value data to 1
NoInternetOpenWith = Set the value data to 1
NoResolveTrack = Set the value data to 1

4. Make sure to reboot your PC after applying the settings

Cheers!

GaMeR

Speed Up Menu Show Delay Time

2010-04-29T19:04:00.004-04:00

Windows delays their menus responsiveness when hovering your mouse over a file or folder. This tweak will show you exactly how to change the value data to get your menus running faster. By default, it takes around 400 milliseconds to show the menu.

1. Click Start, Run and type Regedit
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
3. On the right-hand side, locate and double-click on MenuShowDelayTime
4. Change the value data from 400 to anything around 1 to 10 (in milliseconds)
*Changing it to 0 is not recommended as it may become difficult to navigate through explorer
5. Close Regedit and Reboot

Hope this helps!

TechWiz

Faster Mouse Hover Time

2010-04-27T19:08:00.005-04:00

This is a quick tip showing you guys how to speed up your mouse's hover time by simply decreasing it using the registry. Mouse hover time is the amount of time it takes to display the window ,you are currently viewing, in the taskbar. Here's how to speed it up:

1. Click Start, Run and type Regedit
2. Navigate to the following entry: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse
3. Look for the value on the right-hand side called MouseHoverTime
4. Double-click it and change the value data from 400 (default) to about 10
5. Close Regedit and restart your computer for changes to take affect

Cheers!

TechWiz

Faster Shutdown Time in Windows

2010-04-26T17:11:00.010-04:00

*This tweak works for all operating systems

When Windows shuts down it activates a service called "wait to kill service timeout". This service is set by default to 12-20 seconds before your PC can actually be shut off. It waits mainly to make sure all of your programs are properly closed but it is not needed. Follow these steps to speed up your shutdown.

1. Click Start, Run and type Regedit
2. Once in regedit, navigate to the following line: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
3. Click on Control and look at the right-hand side
4. Double-click on "WaitToKillServiceTimeout" and set the value data to 1000 (1 second)
5. Close regedit and Reboot your computer

*With this tweak I saved about 6 seconds off my shutdown speed*

Cheers!

TechWiz

Get 20% More Internet Speed

2010-04-25T15:00:00.003-04:00

By default, Windows reserves 20% of your bandwidth for very few purposes to make some tools, like Windows Update, run a bit faster, but not by much. Here's how to set the bandwidth limit to 0%:
*This tweak might not work depending on your network adapter

1. Click Start, Run and type gpedit.msc
2. In the Computer Configuration tab, expand Administrative Templates and then expand Network
3. Click on QoS Packet Scheduler
4. On the right side, double-click on Limit Reservable Bandwidth
5. In the windows, make sure it is Enabled and then set the Bandwith Limit to 0%

NOTE: Disabling this feature or Not Configuring it, the system will still use 20% of reservable bandwidth

Hope it helps!

TechWiz

Manually Delete the Temp Folder

2010-04-25T14:45:00.005-04:00

Temp files are files that programs backup when a program crashes, or has to keep some info about it which drastically slows down your PC by overloading these entries into the folder. It is recommended to delete these entries manually rather than having a program delete them for you. Here's how to do so:

1. Click Start, Run
2. Type %temp%
3. Delete whatever folders that pop-up

*It is also recommended to do this at least once daily to sustain performance

There you go

TechWiz

Disable Windows 7 Gadgets to Free Up Memory

2010-04-23T17:40:00.005-04:00

Windows 7 uses customizable gadgets or widgets to make your PC experience even more impressive but it takes up quite a lot off the system's resources. If you do not use Windows gadgets and want to disable them to improve your PC's performance, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, Control Panel, Programs
2. Under Programs and Features, click on Turn Windows Features On or Off
3. In the list, uncheck Windows Gadget Platform

This will permanently disable the gadgets, but you have to restart your PC in order for the changes to affect.

Hope this helps!

TechWiz

Disable Windows Hibernation to Boost Performance

2010-04-22T17:40:00.006-04:00

Hibernation can be a pretty useful tool at times but can take up a lot of space. When Windows hibernates and is restarted, it reloads the content of memory and is restored to the state it was in when hibernation was used. Basically, it is a tool used mostly for people who don't like waiting a long time for their computer to boot, but it becomes unnecessary once you've read "How to Speed Up Windows Boot Time" from our site. Here's how to disable Windows Hibernation:

1. Click Start, Run and type CMD
2. In cmd, type this without the cotations: "powercfg -h off"
3. Exit CMD and restart your computer.

This saves a lot of energy and boosts your computer's performance.

Cheers!

TechWiz

How to Avoid Viruses and Sustain Performance

2010-04-20T17:58:00.007-04:00

For many years i have been following the same way to keep my computer clean and virus-free. I go through a simple schedule that I follow which is nothing that complicated. Here is the list that I go through every now and then to keep my computer running at full speed:

Scanning The Registry and Cleaning Out Unnecessary Files
*Recommend doing this 2-3 times daily
1. Download and Install Ccleaner by Piriform
2. Open the program and select Run Cleaner
3. Then go to the Registry Tab and hit Scan For Issues

Defragmenting
*Recommend doing this once every 2 weeks
Defragmentation reduces the amount of fragments in files and can increase your computer's performance significantly. Basically it physically places all of your files together so that they're easier to access. You can either use the defragment tool implemented in Windows or download a different one.

Windows Defragment
1. Click Start and then Computer
2. Right-Click your hard drive and select Properties
3. In Tools, select Defragment Now

Other Program...
I recommend Auslogics Disk Defrag as it is better and more efficient than the basic defragging tool. Easy and simple interface with lots of content makes this program a must download.

Scan for Viruses Regularly
*Recommend once every month or whenever you feel like it
Scanning for viruses is a very simple task but it isn't the case if you don't have the right anti-virus. From my experience with anti-viruses, whether it's AVG, Norton, BitDefender or Avast, the best and most lightweight one has to be ESET NOD 32 as it provides full protection while using only 1000K of memory. Although it's not free, it is highly recommended for everyone.

Best Free Anti-Virus?
There are many free anti-virus programs and can be sometimes confusing which one to pick. Avast Anti-Virus is probably the one I would check out as it uses low memory, provides a very simple interface and contains highly detailed virus scanning. It is almost invisible at times and has the ability to detect and remove thousands of viruses, malware and spyware on your computer.

Update Regularly
Like many people don't know, updating can significantly improve performance. To check for updates in Windows 7 and Vista, just follow these steps:

1. Click Start, Control Panel, System and Security
2. Under Windows Update, hit Check For Updates

Cheers!

TechWiz

Fiz Buzzing or Static Noises In Videos, Games and Music

2010-04-18T16:28:00.001-04:00

I recently discovered this while playing a PC game that demanded high quality sound. Turns out that my sound format (in Hz) was higher than it was supposed to. After changing it to a lower format, it helped and didn't notice a difference in the sound quality, other than the fact that they're was no more buzzing. Here's how to fix it:

Win7 and Vista Only

1. Click Start, Control Panel, Hardware and Sound
2. Click Sound and in the Playback tab, Right-Click your audio device and hit Properties
3. In the Advanced tab, select a lower sound quality in the Default Format section (Recommend 24-bit 48000 Hz or 44100 Hz)

There you go!

TechWiz

Unleash 7's Top 10 iPod Touch Games

2010-04-17T19:59:00.015-04:00

*You might wonder why were incorporating iPod Touch to our site. Well its because we all consider it as a gaming system capable of doing many things such as a PC ( Internet, Games, etc.) So if you think about it, iPods are kinda like a downgraded version of a PC.

iPod Touch and iPhone have become one of today's greatest portable gaming systems that deliver fun and intense games whether they were made by well-known companies or by regular people. There are so many games to choose from... Here are our top 10 iPod games so far:

10. SuperFall - $1.99

Superfall is a ragdoll simulator, where you complete obstacles to get money and buy other ragdolls. Nice physics game with a lot of content and is very addicting and fun to play when you're bored. Definitely worth checking out.

9. Chronicles Of Inotia 2: A Wanderer Of Luone - $2.99

This is the game to buy for any diablo lover or just RPG fans. It contains basic rpg elements such as completing quests, discovering new places and leveling up. Very addictive but kind of hard.

8. Gamebox - $0.99

Are you looking for a lot of fun games on one single app? This is the app you should buy!
Gamebox contains 28 games that are all unique in their own style. Games such as Jailbreaker and iSniper 3D will have you playing for hours on end.
All games are fun!

7. Zenonia - $2.99

One of the most popular games on the AppStore , Zenonia delivers a whole new RPG experience. Completing quests, fighting creatures, buying stuff and collecting loot has never been this fun. Although it's a very short game , 4-7 hours to defeat, it's still a very fun experience.

6. Space Miner: Space ore Bust - $4.99

Space Miner is a crossover between a side-scroller and an RPG as the game lets you shoot down asteroids, collect loot and customize your ship by adding armor or even weapons to it . It borrows a lot from the classic Asteroids game, released back in 1979, as many games do, and features different planets and sectors to discover in order to mine them. Overall a great and rewarding game!

5. Zenonia 2 - $4.99

The hit sequel to Gamevil's RPG classic, Zenonia 2 is no exception in being one of our favorite RPG titles on the Ipod. It brings back many elements from the previous game but with many tweaks such as new skills and abilities, a whole new system menu, 4 distinctive player classes, including Warrior, Paladin, Shooter and Magician, and a better story. A lot of replay value and content make this game a must buy.

4. Modern Combat: Sandstorm - $4.99

The most successful FPS game to date, Modern Sandstorm takes players in a epic battle at war using many weapons and tactics to take out your enemies. The developers have added multiplayer for a better experience and a longer playability. Although it's quite expensive, it is a must have for any FPS lover.

3. JellyCar - FREE

JellyCar is a basic "avoid the obstacles and beat the course" kind of game but with many twists. The controls of the game are pretty simple: keep your finger on the right side of the screen to go forward and the left part to go backward. You can also transform the car into a monster truck which helps a lot in the game. It contains many levels with different difficulty settings to fit everyone's needs and is the best game to play to pass the time.

2. Plants vs Zombies -$2.99

This game first appeared on the PC and has now been ported to the iPod. The object of the game is to defend your territory by planting plants and flowers in order to kill zombies. ( I know...weird, right?) It is extremely addictive as you progress though the game. By killing zombies you collect suns which help you spawn even more flowers. You can unlock many other plants and flowers each round and can help you take out the endless waves of zombies. It is a great and unique concept and is worth the download.

1. Zombieville USA - $1.99

The most popular iPod game to date and is no exception in being the best game we've played. The object of the game is to defeat a level while avoiding and killing an endless amount of zombies. They're are 7 different characters to choose from including some from other iPod games such as Ninja from OMG Ninjas and John Gore from Minigore. Cash is awarded everytime you kill a zombie and can be used to buy some of the most destructive weapons we've seen on the iPod, such as rocket launchers, lasers, rifles, shotguns and many more.

Written by the Unleash7 Team

The nVidia GTX 480 VS. ATi Radeon HD 5870

2010-04-17T19:52:00.000-04:00

nVidia has been a bit late for their release of their new GPU, the GTX 480. I will do a side-to-side comparison with it's rival, the HD 5870. I will start by giving their clock speeds, and their prices. Afterwords I will show you the benchmarks.

nVidia GTX 480 is priced at 500$ US right now.
]--- A 79 dollar difference
ATi HD 5870 is priced at 429$ US right now.

Clock Speeds with some other GPU's

Graphics Card	Radeon HD4890	GeForce GTX275	Radeon HD5850	GeForce GTX285	Radeon HD5870	GeForce GTX480	GeForce GTX295	Radeon HD5970
GPU Cores	640	240	1440	240	1600	480	480 (240 per GPU)	3200 (1600 per GPU)
Core Clock (MHz)	850	633	725	670	850	700	576	725
Shader Clock (MHz)	N/A	1404	N/A	1550	N/A	1401	1242	3200
Memory Clock (MHz)	975	1134	1000	1300	1200	924	999	1000
Memory Amount	1024 MB GDDR5	896 MB GDDR3	1024MB GDDR5	1024MB GDDR3	1024MB GDDR5	1024MB GDDR5	1792MB GDDR3	2048MB GDDR5
Memory Interface	256-bit	448-bit	256-bit	512-bit	256-bit	384-bit	896-bit (448-bit per GPU)	512-bit (256-bit per GPU)

Disable Hardware Acceleration (Improve Video Playback)

2010-04-16T23:21:00.000-04:00

Many PC users have problems with choppy video playback due to their graphic's card's performance. Here's a quick tip to improve video playback:

Win7 and Vista Only

1. Click on Start, Control Panel, Appearance and Personalization, Display
2. On the left side, click on Change Display Settings
3. Click on Advanced Settings
4. In the menu, click on the Troubleshoot Tab, and then Change Settings
5. Slide the hardware acceleration bar to None

*If "Change Settings" is grayed out, here's an alternate tip:

1. Go to Windows Media Player
2. Once inside, click on Organize from the top menu and then Options
3. Click on the Performance Tab and Uncheck "Turn On DirectX Video Acceleration"

Hope this helps!

TechWiz

Unleash7's Top 10 LAN Games of All Time

2010-04-16T16:54:00.000-04:00

Many LAN games have been released over the years and have become increasingly popular thanks to its wide-variety of gameplay styles and its awesome multiplayer. LAN gaming is all about fun, whether your into FPS's, RPG's or even RTS's. It's a fun way to connect with your friends and have a blast! Here are some of the most awesome titles within the last decade:

10. Splinter Cell Chaos Theory - 2 Player LAN (Campaign) - 2005

The Holy Grail of all stealth games, Splinter Cell Chaos Theory offers many gamers new and intuitive ways to pinpoint and take out your enemies with cutting-edge stealth mechanics and a wide range of weapons. The graphics have been tweaked with an option to select your own shader model.

9. Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising - 4 Player LAN (Campaign or Multiplayer) - 2009One of the hardest and most demanding games of all time and probably one of the best tactical shooters I've played in a long time, Operation Flashpoint delivers in every aspect. Amazing graphics and a compelling story. It is extremely fun with friends over LAN and can get quite difficult at times especially the third mission of the game. For every tactical shooter or FPS fan, you guys should definitely check this out!

8. Call of Duty World at War - 4 Player LAN (Campaign or Multiplayer) - 2008

Call of Duty World at War includes similar multiplayer elements and experiences to Call of Duty 4, but with many tweaks. For the first time in Call of Duty history, players get to experience campaign mode with their friends on LAN. They also have incorporated a Nazi Zombie mode which consists of battling through endless waves of zombies, becoming more and more difficult every round.

7. Titan Quest - 4 Player LAN (Campaign) - 2006

Another great diablo-esque kind of game featuring 4 players over LAN. Hours of fun and an overall great story. Borrowing many elements from Diablo, like clicking-to-move, battling creatures and collecting loot. It features many unusual yet cool-looking creatures to fight like horsemen or boars.

6. Left 4 Dead 2 - 4 Player LAN (Campaign or Multiplayer) - 2009

One of the most popular games in its class, Left 4 Dead 2 contains all the ingredients of fun: Zombies-CHECK badass weapons-CHECK Funny characters-CHECK
New revamped weapons and an endless amount of zombies make this game what it is: a mindless fun experience.

5. Borderlands - 4 Player LAN (Campaign) - 2009

What would happen if an FPS and an RPG gamer had a baby? They'd probably make Borderlands, bringing to you all of the great RPG elements like collecting loot, upgrading your weapons and completing quests and FPS elements like shooting down your enemies using a wide range of weapons to fit everyone's specialty. An epic campaign and three massive expansions will have you playing for days on end. Overall a great multiplayer experience. Oh ya by the way, it contains over 1000 different kinds of weapons!!!

4. Rainbow Six Vegas 2 - 4 Player LAN (4-Player Terrorist Hunt and 2-Player Campaign) - 2008
Vegas 2 offers many of the same fun aspects as the first game but with a little more weapons, an even more gripping story and an overall epic multiplayer experience. The graphics have been highly improved. The enemy AI are top notch. They maneuver according to what you're doing and know when to take the first strike. It'll have you playing for hours!

3. Left 4 Dead - 4 Player LAN (Campaign or Multiplayer) - 2008

What an awesome game this is; way better than the second. It contains less weapons than the second one but offers even more, such as a better multiplayer experience, better characters and epic campaigns. There's just so much variety in this game... This is a must buy for everyone!

2. Diablo II - 8 Player LAN (Campaign) - 2000

The king of all RPG games and the sequel to Blizzard's 1996 title, Diablo, Diablo 2 brings friends closer by offering many of the same rpg elements we have today. The game is known to be the father of the RPG genre, having brought to us the abilities to collect loot and hack n slash our way to epic boss fights. The enemies consists of zombies, skeletons and many other fantasy creatures. Diablo II was made specifically for online gaming. It is probably the best game ever created by many die-hard fans. We just can't wait for Diablo III!

1. Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter - 16 Player LAN - 2001 (Original) 2009 (HD Version)Serious Sam games have always delivered in online gaming. It features probably the most epic and gigantic enemies and bosses known to man and contains a huge amount of extraordinary weapons. It's a very unique game in its class and is widely known as the funnest game of all time. We sure as hell don't have a problem calling it that!

Hope you guys learn a thing or two!

Cheers!

Unleash7 Team

Completely Disable Internet Explorer in Windows 7

2010-04-13T20:53:00.000-04:00

Internet Explorer is probably the most known browser in the world, generally because it comes packaged with every Windows OS. These past 2 years have been very crucial to IE due to its poor interface ans slow speeds, having many users switch to more comprehensive browser such as Firefox or Google Chrome. One of the new features in Windows 7 is to disable Internet Explorer from your PC. Here's how to do so:

1. Open up Start, Control Panel, Programs
2. In Programs, under Programs and Features, click on Turn Windows Features On or Off
3. In the list, uncheck Internet Explorer

That's it!

Cheers!

TechWiz

Understanding ReadyBoost And How it Can Speed Up Your PC

2010-04-12T17:44:00.002-04:00

ReadyBoost is a feature implemented in Vista and in Windows 7 as well to simply speed up your PC. It uses your USB Drives, SD Cards and even flash memory as a disk cache which also helps saving up RAM space. This feature is strongly recommended for those who have 512Mb to 1Gb of RAM. You won't see a big difference in performance if you have more than 2Gb.

All you need to get started is a USB flash drive holding more than 512Mb of space (256Mb MINIMUM) and must have an access time of 1ms or less.

Here's how to set it up:

1. Plug your USB drive in the USB Slot on your pc
2. Go to Start, Computer, right-click your device and select Properties
3. Click on the ReadyBoost Tab
4. Check Dedicate This Device To ReadyBoost

*If you cannot see this tab, then your usb flash drive isn't supported

Hope this helps!

TechWiz

More Tips to Speed Up Windows Boot Time

2010-04-11T16:41:00.001-04:00

Disabling Autoexec.bat Parsing

By default, Windows parses autoexec.bat on startup. This is not necessary as it slows down your computer's boot time. Here's how to disable it and save a few seconds off your boot.

1. Navigate to Start, Run, then type Regedit
2. Then go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/Winlogon
3. Click on the Winlogon folder key and look to the right. You will see something called ParseAutoexec. Simply Right-Click it, select Modify and set the Value Data to 0

Disabling Windows Sounds

Yes, it might seem a bit weird, but it does work. Saved about 3 seconds off my boot time. If you don't care about windows sounds follow these steps:

1. Go to Start, Control Panel, Hardware And Sound, then Sound
2. Click on the Sounds tab
3. In Sound Scheme, select No Sounds

BOOM YOU'RE DONE!

Cheers!

TechWiz

"LAN Servers are Restricted To Local Clients" Error Fix

2010-04-10T17:54:00.001-04:00

Many people have been experiencing this particular error only with Valve games such as Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, Half life 2 (Including DeathMatch, Synergy, Gmod), Counter Strike Source when trying to connect to a server with Hamachi. There is a quick fix for it: the HOST needs to set up an Alias. Here's how to set it up:

1. Make sure that you and the host are running Hamachi Version 1.3.0 ( Hamachi 2 and above doesn't support setting up aliases)
2. The host is the ONLY ONE that needs to set this up

THE FOLLOWING IS ONLY FOR THE HOST
3.In the hamachi interface, right-click on the person's name in your server that you want to set the alias and select Advanced
4. Everything here should be set to Default except Peer VPN Address and Alias
5. In Peer VPN Address, type the person's IP (For example, 5.789.456.100)
6. In Peer VPN Alias, type the first 3 lines of your IP (HOST) and the last line of the person's IP (For example, if the host's IP is 5.123.123.123 and the person joining's IP is 5.789.456.100, you are supposed to type in 5.123.123.100 in peer vpn alias
7. Repeat for every person in your server.

Cheers!

TechWiz

Maximize Gaming Performance

2010-04-09T21:42:00.002-04:00

PC's have become one of the most diverse gaming systems in the world with fully customizable graphic settings to fit every computer according to their system specs. It can get very tiresome if you are unable to run a game at a higher texture level, because running games on low settings gets boring very easily. Here are a couple of ways to maximize your gaming experience...

Prioritize your Game
By setting your game's .exe to be prioritized higher than the applications that your running, it can drastically improve its performance. Here's how to do so:

1. When in the main menu of your game, press ALT+TAB on your keyboard
2. Once in your desktop, right-click your taskbar and select Task Manager
3. Go to Processes tab, right-click your game's process and Set Priority to High

Ending Processes Before Running Games
1. Right-Click your taskbar and select Properties
2. From there go to Processes tab (If "show processes from all users" is checked, UNCHECK IT)
3. Here you have all of your running tasks. What I recommend doing is researching every single process by either typing it in Google or asking us. If you don't want to research, that's fine I'll just show you the most vital process you need to close.
4. Run your game, once in the main menu hit ALT+TAB on your keyboard (This will bring you back to your desktop, but your game will still be running)
5. Right-Click taskbar and select Properties
6. Go to Processes and close explorer.exe (this will close your taskbar and hide all of your desktop files and folders, don't worry) To go back in game just hit ALT+TAB again
7. To restore explorer.exe, after finishing your game, hit CTRL+ALT+DELETE and select TASK MANAGER
8. In Applications tab select New Task and in the box type in Explorer

Enable Triple Buffering
PC games only render 2 buffers when playing. Here's a tip on how to force 3 buffers
*RECOMMEND ONLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE 256MB OR MORE OF VIDEO MEMORY

1. Download and install Rivatuner
2. Once installed, go to Start, All Programs
3. Click on Rivatuner v2.24 folder and then on D3DOverrider
4. Once opened, click on the + sign on the bottom to add the exe of the pc game you want rendered
5. Make sure to highlight the game by clicking on it and then on the right side, put Application detection level to High and Triple Buffering to On and Vsync to OFF

Cheers and Happy Gaming!

GaMeR