If you had disabled thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer for performance, but want to have a means of enabling or disabling thumbnail previews in a jiffy, here is a solution for you. To enable or disable thumbnail previews in Windows Vista and Windows 7, you normally click on the Organize button in the folder view, choose Folder and Search Options, select the View tab and then select or deselect the Always show icons, never thumbnails. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Vista’
How to Enable or Disable Thumbnail Previews Quickly Using Right-Click Menu in Windows Vista and Windows 7
Right-Click Context Menu Turns Ugly Classic After Installing a Program in Windows 7 or Vista
Yet another context menu saga. After installing Notepad++ (a free Notepad alternative, version 5.5.1 as of this writing) in a Windows 7 computer, the context menu turned ugly with a classic look.
After removing "Edit with Notepad++" from the right-click menu, by deleting the following registry branch:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ * \ shellex \ ContextMenuHandlers \ Notepad++
It now renders correctly.
This is only a cosmetic issue, and has been already reported by an user in Notepad++ forums.
Adding Notepad++ as a Static Menu
After deleting the context menu handler from the registry, I added Notepad++ as a static menu in this key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \ * \ shell \ Notepad++
And added an icon to the context menu entry, as well.
Registry Fix
To automate the above, download npp-menu.zip. Unzip and run the attached REG file.
Additional Information
Earlier, it was noted that that a Norton Antivirus definition update caused this problem. You can read more about that in AskVG’s article Fix Old Classic Context Menu Problem, and to obtain the Hotfix from Symantec, visit Context menu options do not appear properly after you install updates for Norton 2009.
What if you experience this problem, but don’t have any of these applications?
If the problem occurred after installing or updating a particular product, notify the product support team so that they may fix the problem in next update. Until they fix the problem, you can remove or disable the corresponding context menu handler shell extension for the product, that is, only if you can’t really stand the ugly / classic look in context menu. Nirsoft’s ShellExView does this job neatly. If you need a detailed guide, check out Method 2 in article Right-click weirdness caused by context menu handlers.
“This Computer’s Video Card Can’t Play Themes” Message in WLPG Screensaver Settings Dialog
When you open the Windows Live Photo Gallery Screensaver settings dialog, theme controls may be missing and the message "This computer’s video card can’t play themes" is displayed. You might be knowing that the themes in Windows Photo Gallery slideshow as well as in Windows Live Photo Gallery screensaver won’t be enabled if the Graphics card score (Windows Experience Index) is less than 3.0. (more…)
How to Restore .BKF Files Using NTBackup in Windows 7 and Windows Vista
There are so many users who back up their data using the NTBackup Tool in Windows XP, then clean install/upgrade to Windows 7 or Windows Vista and later realize that Windows 7/Vista do not include the NTBackup Tool to restore the image. Also, Microsoft haven’t released the NT Backup Restore Utility for Windows 7 yet (should be out soon), as they released for Windows Vista. If you have critical data contained in a NTBackup image (.BKF) and want to restore it in Windows 7, then this article is for you. (more…)
RegASSASSIN Resets ACL Permissions and Deletes Stubborn Registry Keys Easily
When dealing with a Malware infested PC, you may have to prune several registry entries manually in case the cleanup tool you use does not remove all of them. In most cases, you would get an error ("Error Deleting Key") stating that you don’t have permissions to delete the specified branch. So, additional steps are required to reset the registry ACL Permissions first, before deleting the key. RegASSASSIN from MalwareBytes makes it very easy to reset the ACLs and delete the keys. Whew! You don’t have to perform half a dozen steps to reset the permissions for each key.
RegASSASSIN is a portable application which makes difficult to remove registry keys placed on your system by Malware a thing of the past. The program allows you to remove registry keys by resetting the keys permissions and then deleting it. Please use with caution as deleting critical registry keys may cause system errors.
Let’s assume that a Malware has added a Service to the registry and protected the key using ACL Permissions. Deleting the key using the Registry Editor causes the following error.
Caution: It’s prudent to backup the registry completely before modifying it. For more information, read articles Take a complete registry backup using ERUNT & How to backup the Windows Registry?
Deleting a Stubborn Registry Key
1. Copy the Registry key in question. This can be done by right-clicking on the key and choosing Copy Key Name.
2. Download RegASSASSIN from MalwareBytes Website.
3. Run RegASSASIN and paste the registry key that was copied in Step 1.
4. Select the following checkboxes:
- Reset registry key permissions
- Delete registry key and all subkeys
5. Click the Delete button. Click Yes when you see the following dialog:
6. Click Yes when you’re prompted for confirmation:
The registry key is deleted!
RegASSASSIN to Just Reset the Registry Key Permissions?
In case a software installation in your PC fails due to lack of permissions to write to a specified registry key, you can simply reset the corresponding registry key (without deleting the key) using RegASSASSIN. To just reset the ACLs and preserve the registry key, uncheck the Delete registry key and all subkeys checkbox in RegASSASIN.
Editor’s Note
- This tool does not substitute for anti-malware / anti-virus software. All this tool does is to reset the permissions for the specified registry key and delete it.
- This tool needs to be run as administrator (elevated) in Windows Vista & Windows 7. To do so, right-click on the RegASSASSIN executable, and choose Run as Administrator option in the context menu.
- Complex Malware removal is to be performed by trained personnel, as they’re capable of doing a surgical cleanup without affecting other components of the Operating System. The above article is for informational purposes only.
Fix for Event Log Service Startup Error 1079
When you start the Event Viewer, the following error message may be shown.
Event Log service is unavailable. Verify that the service is running.
Any attempts to start the Event Log service results in the following error:
Windows could not start the Windows Event Log service on Local Computer.
Error 1079: The account specified for this service is different from the account specified for other services running in the same process.
Error 1079: The account specified for this service is different from the account specified for other services running in the same process.
As the Windows Event Log service isn’t running, starting Task Scheduler results in the following error:
Windows could not start the Task Scheduler service on Local Computer.
Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start.
Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start.
This problem was reported by one of our readers via email, and it has been fixed. Service startup error 1079 occurs if the logon account for the service is incorrectly set. Usually this is resolved by fixing the service logon account (via the Log On tab in the Property sheet) via the Services MMC (services.msc)
This can’t be done in case of Windows Event Log, where the Log On tab controls remain grayed out by default.
So, we need to alter the ObjectName registry value in the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\eventlog
Start the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to the above branch:
Double-click ObjectName value and set its data as NT AUTHORITY\LocalService {for Windows Vista & Windows 7}
Double-click ObjectName value and set its data as LocalSystem {for Windows XP}
Restart Windows.
Registry Fix
To automate the above setting, download eventlog-svc-fix.zip and run the REG file which is applicable for your Operating System. The zip file includes the REG fixes for Windows XP and Windows 7/Vista. Restart Windows after applying the fix.
How to Enable Quick Edit Mode in the Command Prompt by Default
We saw how to use the mouse to copy Command Prompt text to the Windows Clipboard, by enabling the Quick Edit option in Command Prompt shortcut properties. What if you don’t use a desktop shortcut to open Command Prompt, and rather run cmd.exe directly? Here is a registry edit which enables Quick Edit option by default for Command Prompt. This works regardless of the methods you use to open the Command Prompt window.
This article was edited on Sep 24 2009 to include the method suggested by reader Mike (Thanks, Mike. I’ve clearly overlooked the GUI option.)
Enable Quick Edit by default in Command Prompt
Using the GUI
1. Open a Command Prompt window (cmd.exe)
2. Bring up the menu by clicking the top left corner (or press ALT + Spacebar)
3. Click Defaults
4. In the Options tab, place a checkmark near Quick Edit Mode
5. Click OK.
Using the Registry Editor
1. Launch Regedit.exe and navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Console
2. Double-click QuickEdit and set its value data to 1
3. Exit the Registry Editor.
This has been tested in Windows XP, Windows Vista & Windows 7, and may work in other Windows Operating Systems as well.
Registry Fix
To automate the above steps, download quickedit.zip and run the enclosed REG file.
Using the Mouse to Copy Command Prompt Text to Clipboard
A useful tip for mousers. Earlier we saw how to copy Command Prompt output to the Windows Clipboard. Did you know that you can accomplish the same using your pointing device (mouse)? Also, you can select a particular section (word or line) and copy it to the Clipboard. Here is how to do so.
1. Create a Command Prompt shortcut (cmd.exe) on the Desktop.
2. Right-click on the Command Prompt shortcut and choose Properties
3. In the Options tab, enable QuickEdit mode, and click OK.
4. Open a Command Prompt window (using the custom shortcut) and type a command.
5. To copy the output, select the text area using the mouse pointer and click the right-mouse button (or press ENTER.)
This tip applies to Windows Vista & Windows 7 as well.
Editor’s note: The above setting works only if you access the Command Prompt using the desktop shortcut that you created earlier. In one of the upcoming articles, we’ll instruct how to make the Quick Edit setting enabled by default, so that it works irrespective of the method you use to access the Command Prompt.
Vize GUI Enhancer for Windows Vista Replaces Non-Vista Icons
Many dialog boxes in Windows Vista include outdated (non-Vista) icons. This clearly is one of the UI aspects that Microsoft has overlooked. This is non-fatal and purely a cosmetic thing, but if you’re a perfectionist and want to replace Windows Vista icons in place of the outdated icons, then take a look at the freeware product named Vize.
Vize is a GUI enhancer for Windows Vista. It replaces most of the non-Vista icons, animations and bitmaps that Microsoft is still overlooking. Vize automates the process of replacing resources in system files, applying the real fit and finish to Windows Vista. If you are not satisfied with the results, you can completely and safely uninstall Vize.
Vize is compatible with any version, any language, and any architecture (both 32-bit x86 and x64) of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. [Vize Download URL]
Here are some dialog boxes for you to compare (before and after installing Vize).
And here are the new icons for .reg & .vbs file types.
For a similar utility for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, check out XPize. For Windows 7, Sevenize will be coming soon.
How to Remove “Always Use the Selected Program” Option From Open With Dialog
The Open With dialog in Windows allows you to open a file using different programs. Also, you can create or change the file type association by selecting the "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" checkbox in the Open With dialog. Sometimes, users wrongly associate file types and end up having to fix the associations manually. To prevent this, you can remove the "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" checkbox so that file type association using Open With dialog is not possible.
1. Launch Regedit.exe and navigate to the following branch:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer
Note: If the above branch does not exist, you need to create it manually.
2. Create a new DWORD value named NoFileAssociate
3. Double-click NoFileAssociate and set its data to 1
4. Exit the Registry Editor.
The above registry change effects the current user account only. To implement the change for all users (machine-wide), create the NoFileAssociate value in the following branch:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer
Additional Information
The above edit when used in Windows 2000/XP, results in a grayed out "Always use the selected program…" checkbox. Whereas in Windows Vista & Windows 7, the checkbox is removed completely.
