To select all files in a folder or the Desktop, you use the CTRL + A keyboard shortcut. If you’re an avid mouse user and need the select all functionality in the right-click menu in Windows, here is a registry tweak. This tweak adds the “Select All” option in the context menu for folder background and desktop. Read more
Ramesh
Enable and Disable Windows Firewall Quickly using Command-line
When testing network connectivity or when performing other troubleshooting tasks, you may need to turn off the Windows Firewall temporarily. To quickly disable or enable the Windows Firewall, you may use the Netsh.exe command-line in Windows 10 and Windows 8.Read more
Fix for Msinfo32.exe Error Can’t Collect Information
The System Information Tool (Msinfo32.exe) generates the error Can’t Collect Information if the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) service is not started.
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How to Run Programs as Administrator (Elevated) without UAC Prompt
Recently, I came across a brilliant tip on how to run programs elevated without getting the User Account Control (UAC) prompt. This can be done without turning off the UAC and hence it does not compromise system security.Read more
Launching a Scheduled Task manually using Schtasks.exe
Schtasks.exe console tool helps you create, delete, query, change, run, and end scheduled tasks on a local or remote computer. Running Schtasks.exe without arguments displays the list of each registered task, the Next Run Time, and the Status for each task.
For example, you may want to run the RegIdleBackup task manually using Schtasks.exe.
How to Enable Write Protection for USB Drives in Windows
By default, users can insert a USB disk in the system and read from, or write to it without limitation. There is a policy setting that helps system administrators to restrict the ability of users to write to USB storage devices.Read more
How to Change the Default Folder Icon in Windows
Customizing and hacking the user interface (“Shell”) in Windows is fun. If you want to change the default folder icon with your custom .ico file, this article tells you how. Instructions apply to all versions of Windows, including Windows 10. Change the Default Folder icon in Explorer Launch Regedit.exe and navigate to the following location: … Read more
Apply the default user logon picture to all users in Vista
If you’re wondering if it’s possible to set a default user account picture for all user accounts in the system, then this article is for you. There is a new Group Policy setting in Windows Vista using which you can apply a default user logon picture in the Welcome Screen for all user accounts.Read more
How to add the UK English Spell Check Option in Windows Live Mail
Windows Live Mail includes the English (UK) spell check dictionary built-in, but the option is not exposed for some unknown reason. To enable the English (United Kingdom) spell check dictionary, using one of the methods below. Method 1 tells you how to manually add the UK English Spell check option in Windows Live Mail, and Method 2 uses a VBScript that I wrote to automate the task.Read more
Reset the Registry and the File Permissions in Windows XP
You may need to reset the registry and file permissions if you experience Access is denied error when installing a Windows XP Service Pack or update. (Example: Service Pack 3 setup error. Access is denied.)
Hint: If you’re seeing the error Service Pack 3 setup error. Access is denied when installing Windows XP Service Pack 3, to verify if the error is caused by incorrect registry permissions, open the file C:\Windows\Svcpack.log using Notepad and look for the text Access is denied or DoRegistryUpdates failed.
Note: Access denied errors can also be caused by third-party applications, especially anti-virus or anti-spyware applications. So, make sure that you close all the anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities temporarily and then install the Service Pack. This helps in most cases. You should reset the registry and the file permissions only if necessary.Read more