PCTips Box

If you have used vista, you may have seen option to eject the cd drives on the right click menu on the cd drive.

This feature of automatically eject the cd drives is a part of windows vista but not provided with windows XP, but this option can be enabled in windows XP using a simple freeware software called Eject CD, Download it from here.

What is Eject CD?

Eject CD is a useful, free and easy to use software. It helps you easily eject and insert the cd/dvd-rom drivers just by using the keyboard shortcuts or your mouse. (more…)

This one is the best tweak for windows XP I ever found, and it works very well. With this tweak we will force windows to load kernel and drivers in memory.

Here is what you have to do :

1) Open the regedit tool (Start -> Run -> regedit.exe )

2) Use the navigation in the left and go to HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management (more…)

There is little doubt that 64-bit architectures are the future, as far as the parallel evolution of processors and operating systems goes. But when it comes down to Windows, the 32-bit version of the platform will survive not only with Windows Vista, but also with Windows 7. At this point in time, among the scarce details made available by Microsoft about the forthcoming iteration of Windows, to follow Vista, the only sure thing is that Windows 7 will come in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors.

According to estimates from the Redmond company, by mid 2008, the install base of the Windows operating system would surpass the 1 billion milestone worldwide. But the vast majority of those Windows copies will still be 32-bit, largely just Windows XP and Windows Vista. (more…)

It looks like the beta version of Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista will be released in the next few weeks to obliging volunteers and manufacturers. It’s not going to be on the same scale as the infamous Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, which included some major security upgrades and replaced large chunks of the operating system, but it is still fairly large, at a little over 45Mb, it covers quite a lot of ground and we are assured, will fix a few niggling problems.

What we know so far is that it will include support for a new file format called ExFAT, which is designed for use with flash memory devices. There will also be support for SD Advanced DMA, for faster file transfer and reduced CPU workload. (more…)

Now is the time and the time is now: let’s talk about Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). Much has been made of what will or will not be included in SP1 and when it will be released (some accurate, some otherwise). I’m here to set the story straight: we’re in the process of developing and deploying a Beta version of SP1. This post will describe for you what to expect from that effort and how you can be involved in the process.

First, a note on service packs. As you are aware, service packs are part of our traditional software lifecycle; they’re something we do for most major products as a commitment to continuous improvement. But, the servicing situation has changed with the advent of Windows Vista, as we no longer rely solely on service packs as the main vehicle used to deploy system fixes and improvements. (more…)

In early builds of Windows Vista, testers were shown a new 3D interface powered by the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) that was filled with animations of all sorts. This interface was very cool looking. However, because of delays, Microsoft had to cut the use of WPF in the UI and most of the “WOW” was removed.

Thankfully, there are some very talented developers out there that have made utilities to bring back the excitement of the cut features. The one I am covering in this article, is the animated user picture shown on the Start Menu.

Using a great utility called 3D User Picture, you can easily make your start menu look just like the video above. (more…)

Are you having hardware issues with Windows Vista? Almost all Windows Vista issues such as blue screen and random reboots are caused by third-party driver problems. Microsoft signs device drivers that they test and certify that the driver meet certain quality levels. Using Microsoft certified drivers greatly reduces your chances of having driver related issues. However, often applications will install drivers that were not certified by Microsoft and those can cause issues. To check the installed drivers on your computer you can use a cool utility called the Driver Verifier Manager. This is a hidden tool in Windows Vista that can help you identify potentially bad drivers. (more…)

Mounting a CD image is a basic feature of almost every operating system package except for Microsoft Windows. Microsoft has never shipped this feature in any version of Windows including Windows Vista. Mounting a CD image is very useful when you have downloaded a .ISO cd image and you do not want to waste the time or the media to burn a copy. Since Windows Vista does not have this functionality built-in, you will need to download a utility. One popular utility that will mount CD images is called elby CloneDrive. Best of all, CloneDrive is free and easy to use. Follow these steps to mount CD images in Windows Vista with CloneDrive: (more…)

You cannot password protect individual folders in XP. You restrict access by assigning
permissions to drives, folders and files.

To do this, you must be running NTFS as your file system on the drive in question. If your hard disk/partition is not NTFS you will need to convert it. To do this, open a Command Prompt window and enter the following command:

CONVERT X: /FS:NTFS

Where X: is the drive letter you wish to convert. You may also want to see http://www.aumha.org/a/ntfscvt.htm to ensure that you’re getting the optimal conversion.

After this step is completed and you’ve rebooted the computer, if necessary: (more…)

Concomitantly with the release of the security bulletins as a part of its monthly patch cycle, Microsoft also made available an update affecting the core of 64-bit Vista. More specifically, the feature is designed to stop third party code from altering the operating system’s kernel integrity. “An update is available for Kernel Patch Protection included with x64-based Windows operating systems. Kernel Patch Protection protects code and critical structures in the Windows kernel from modification by unknown code or data. This update adds additional checks to this protection for increased reliability, performance, and resiliency of Windows,” Microsoft revealed.

The Kernel Patch Protection technology is nothing new to the 64-bit editions of Windows Vista. Microsoft’s latest operating system is just the latest in a series of Windows platforms to feature PatchGuard, (more…)