Ever wondered why there is a lock icon overlay appearing for some of your files and folders, as in the image below:
And for some folders:
Author Archive
Fix Error “There Was a Problem Starting PhotoViewer.Dll” When Editing Image Files in Windows 7
After upgrading your Windows Vista computer to Windows 7, when you right-click on a JPG/JPEG image and click Edit, the following error message may appear:
There was a problem starting C:\Program Files\Windows Photo Gallery\PhotoViewer.dll
The specified module could not be found.
Fix Special Folders Showing Up With Generic Yellow Icon in Windows 7
If a shell folder in your Windows 7 computer has lost its special icon and showing up as a generic (yellow) folder, you need to create/fix the Desktop.ini file for the shell folder. For Windows Vista, use the instructions in article Shell folders are displayed with the standard folder icon in Windows Vista. The default contents of the desktop.ini file for various shell folders in Windows 7 are provided below. For each shell folder (that’s missing the special icon) create a file named desktop.ini and add corresponding content. (more…)
Fix My Computer Manage Context Menu Error “This File Does Not Have a Program Associated” In Windows 7/Vista
When you right-click the Computer icon and click Manage, the following error message appears and Computer Management window doesn’t appear.
This file does not have a program associated with it for performing this action. Please install a program or, if one is already installed, create an association in the Default Programs control panel.
This happens if the IsShortcut registry value is deleted, in an attempt to hide the shortcut arrow overlay. This is one of the many side-effects caused by the removal of IsShortcut registry value. To resolve the problem, download and apply the .lnk file association fix from the following link:
File Association Fixes for Windows 7
File association fixes for Windows Vista
This restores the IsShortcut String value in the following registry key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile
Editor’s Note: For a proper way to remove the shortcut arrow in Windows Vista and Windows 7, see article How to remove or modify the Shortcut overlay in Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
How to Create a Password Reset Disk and Use It to Reset Forgotten Password in Windows 7
You can create a password reset disk in Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP, so that you can regain access to the system quickly in the event of a forgotten password, without having to use third-party boot environment CDs and tools. Microsoft suggests that you create a password reset disk after creating the user account and assigning the password. Here is a walkthrough on how to create a password reset disk in Windows 7. (more…)
Fix Windows 7 Start Menu Search Showing Only Category Headings
When you type a search word or phrase in the Windows 7 Start menu, the search results may turn up empty with only the category headings (such as “Control Panel”, “Files”, “Microsoft Outlook”) showing. Also, clicking any of the category heading from the search results may open a Windows Security dialog displaying the error "These files can’t be opened". (more…)
How to Rename “Screen Resolution” In the Desktop Context Menu in Windows 7
In Windows 7, three new commands are added to the Desktop right-click menu namely, Screen Resolution, Gadgets and Personalize. This article tells you how to rename the Screen Resolution entry. "But what’s the point of renaming the entry?" you may ask. (more…)
How Does the IE8 SmartScreen Filter Work – @Windows Team Blog
SmartScreen filter (an improved version of Phishing filter), added in Internet Explorer 8, is designed to help protect you from fraudulent websites trying to steal your personal information. The SmartScreen Filter offers the following enhancements1 over the Phishing filter:
- Improved user interface
- Faster performance
- New heuristics and enhanced telemetry
- Anti-malware support for blocking unsafe downloads
- Improved group policy support
The Windows Team Blog made a nice post to explain the strategies and methods adopted by the SmartScreen Filter technology to protect users from phishing and malware attacks. Read Getting a reputation: How SmartScreen looks at URLs at The Windows Blog. (more…)
How to Become a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP)?
When visiting Microsoft Answers, TechNet forums or other Windows support forums on the web, you may have seen some of the answerers using the title "MS-MVP", "MVP" or "Microsoft MVP" under their signature. Some people wonder what that means, and some people think that the answerer is a Microsoft employee (No. MVPs are not Microsoft employees.) (more…)
Taskbar Reset With Automatic Logon Enabled in Windows 7 [Obtaining the Hotfix]
Microsoft has made available a hotfix that’ll resolve a problem where the taskbar customizations are lost and reset to defaults when automatic logon is enabled in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. More details are available at FIX: The Taskbar is reset to the default settings when you use the "Automatically Log On" feature in Windows 7 and in Windows Server 2008 R2. (more…)
