Windows + P – Setting up projector displays

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Smart Location Based Printing

Using Windows XP inside of Windows 7

Help others understand your computer problems

1. Is Windows XP Good Enough? The Springboard Series Virtual Round Table covers a variety of common topics on switching off of Windows XP.
2. See if your skills are good enough to deploy Windows 7 with the Learning Portal.
3. Follow the Springboard Series Tour across many US cities to get helpful hints and deployment techniques.
4. If you’re in Atlanta, or wish to visit there, check out some of the Windows Deployment Sessions at TechEd May 16-19, 2011.
5. Become an Insider for the Springboard Series and receive monthly tips and tricks right in your inbox.
6. Looking for a specific application to switch over or deploy? Check out one of the many Springboard Zone applications, which include Internet Explorer, Office and many others.
7. Find a Springboard Technical Experts Program (STEP) member near you
8. Follow the Springboard Twitter Feed for updates, tips, and tricks.
9. Try Windows 7 on a 90-day trial to see if you’re ready for deployment.
10. Download the Windows XP Desktop Gadget to watch the day’s countdown until you no longer have support for Windows XP.

You can circumvent this manual process by ensuring that all future application installations in Windows XP are set to All Users when asked by the installer. This will ensure that the application shortcut is added to the All Users folder. If you have any comments or questions please use the comments form at the end of the article.

Note: XP Mode is only available in Windows 7 Professional and above.

Software used: Windows 7 Ultimate.

Add Program Shortcuts to All Users Folder in Windows XP

Follow the instructions below to learn how to add existing applications to Windows XP’s All Users folder in the Start Menu.

1. With the Windows XP Virtual Machine running, right-click on the Windows XP Start button.

2. Click Open All Users from the list.

3. When the All Users window appears you will be able to copy and paste or drag shortcut icons from the Windows XP Start Menu to the All Users window. The same applies to application shortcuts on the Desktop and in other locations. The key to this tip is making sure that the shortcuts are saved in the All Users Start Menu folder.

4. Close the Windows XP virtual machine.

Launch Windows XP Mode Applications in Windows 7

Once the applications in Windows XP have been added to the All Users folder Windows 7’s Start Menu should be updated to include those shortcuts. Follow the instructions below to launch applications in Windows XP mode.

1. In Windows 7 click on the Windows Orb to open the Start Menu.

2. Click All Programs to view the list of applications.

3. Scroll down the list and click on Windows Virtual PC.

4. You should see a folder in this directory named Windows XP Mode Applications, click on it.

5. A list of Windows XP Mode applications will appear. In this example I will run Internet Explorer 7 (Windows XP Mode).

A. Another easy way to locate Windows XP Mode applications is to enter “XP Mode” in the Windows search box and a list of XP Mode applications will appear. If you have any comments or questions please post them below.

To resolve this issue you have two options, you can upgrade your C:\ drive to a larger drive (which might not be feasible for some) or we can trick Picasa and Windows into thinking that the Picasa database is stored on the C drive when it’s really stored in another location. The second option requires the installation of a small application and following the steps below. I recommend you allot at least 10-15 minutes to complete all of the steps below and that you read through all of th instructions at least once before attempting to complete the steps below.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to comment below and I will be more than happy to help you. If you know of an easier way, please post it below.

Before we get started you will need to install the Link Shell Extension application.

Note: I used Picasa 3.6 and Windows 7 Ultimate for this tutorial.

Known Limitations

• Supported platforms are NT4/W2K/WXP/W2K3/W2K8/WXP64/Vista/Vista/Windows7 in 32bit or 64bit.
• Hardlinks can only be made on NTFS volumes, under the supported platforms.
• Hardlinks can only be made within one NTFS volumes, and can not span across NTFS volumes.
• Junctions can not be created on NTFS volumes with NT4.
• The Pick Link Source and Drop … choices are only visible, if it’s possible to create Hardlinks/Junctions/Symbolic Links. E.G.: If you select a file on a FAT drive and press the action button, you wont see the Pick Link Source in the action menu, because FAT file systems, don’t support Hardlinks/Junctions/Symbolic Links. This also happens, if you select source files on a network drive, or select a file as destination, etc.
• There is an OS limit of creating more than 1023 hardlinks per file. This is less known, but it is there.

IMPORTANT Please backup your computer before continuing with this how-to, I installed and used the features without a problem, however it doesn’t hurt to be careful. Use this guide to create a restore point in Windows 7. If you use another operating system, use the search form above to locate the appropriate guide.

Please choose one of the versions below.

32bit – Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003/2008/Vista/7

1. Runtime Dll’s Required for LSE to work - Download (from Microsoft)

2. LSE (Link Shell Extension) - Download (from application author)

64bit – Windows XP-64/Vista-64/7-64

1. Runtime Dll’s Required for LSE to work - Download (from Microsoft)

2. LSE (Link Shell Extension) - Download (from application author)

Once you have downloaded the 32bit or 64 bit files, install the Runtime Dll’s first, then install the LSE application.

Special thanks to LSE’s author – LSE Website.

Note: When LSE installs Explorer may be restarted to enable the context menu links.

1. Locate your Picasa2 folder by browsing to  C:\Local Disk\Users\[your user name]\AppData\Local\Google\

When you get to the Google folder you should see a folder named Picasa2. This is the folder containing all of your Picasa goodies.

2. Right-click on the Picasa2 folder.

3. Click on Copy from the menu.

4. Browse to the drive you wish to use for your Picasa database (I’m assuming that this would be a secondary hard drive or an external hard drive attached to your computer).

5. Right-click in the directory.

6. Click on Paste from the menu to paste the Picasa2 folder from your C:\ Drive to the new directory.

Note: Depending on the number of images you have, this could take anywhere from a couple of seconds to a couple of minutes (the database gets bigger as you have more and more pictures).

7. Right-click on the Picasa2 folder you just pasted.

8. Click on Pick Link Source.

Note: If Pick Link Source does not appear, you did not install LSE or the installation was not done correctly. Return to the beginning of the article and make sure you installed the Dll’s and the LSE application.

9. Open the Google folder from step 1.

10. Right-click on the Picasa2 folder (the original folder).

11. Click on Delete from the menu.

Note: Don’t worry we created a backup of the folder when we copied it to the other directory in steps 4-6.

12. Go up a level, in other words you should now be at – C:\Local Disk\Users\[your user name]\AppData\Local\ this is where the Google folder and others are located.

13. Right-click on the Google folder.

14. Click on Drop As.

15. Click on Junction.

Note: If you get a User Account Control prompt, click OK to proceed.

Verifying the Links

1. If everything went well, open the Google folder and you should find the 2. Picasa2 folder with a small shortcut link. If you open the Picasa2 folder you should see all of the files contained in the Picasa2 folder on your other drive.

I know, I know, Windows Explorer says you are in the C:\ drive when you open the Picasa2 folder, but in fact you are not, remember we are fooling Windows and Picasa into thinking that this shortcut is the real folder.

3. If you open the Properties window for the Picasa2 folder you will notice that the Target is the directory we copied the original files to.

Now for the ultimate test, open Picasa. If all the steps were followed then Picasa should open as if nothing ever happened.

Note: If you are using an external drive, make sure it is plugged in when Picasa opens, otherwise you will get an error that it cannot find the files.

What does this mean? All this means is that your computer will no longer receive security updates from Microsoft to protect you from the latest threats.

What can you do? If you’re running Windows Vista or Windows XP, you might want to take the next couple of minutes to determine if your version will no longer be supported. Before we begin, let’s determine which version is currently running on your computer. Follow the instructions below to quickly determine the Windows version you are running.

Windows Vista

The screenshot below should help you determine which operating system you are running on your computer.

Are you running Service Pack 1 or above? If so then you need not worry, just make sure Automatic updates are on and that you periodically run a virus scan.

If not, then you need to head on over to the Microsoft download website to obtain the latest service pack for Windows Vista, download and install the service pack…but before you do that, make sure your computer is backed up and your files are saved.

1. Click on the Orb to open the Start Menu.

2. Right-click on Computer.

3. Click on Properties from the menu.

4. When the System window opens, you will find the version of Vista installed along with the service pack version, if any.

If the words Service Pack are not listed you will need to download and install Service Pack 1 and 2 from Microsoft.com (direct link to download page). I recommend that you upgrade Vista to the latest Service Pack version, which will ensure continued support coverage from Microsoft.

Note: Service Pack 1 is a prerequisite for installing Service Pack 2. Please make sure that your system is running Service Pack 1 before you install Service Pack 2.

Windows XP

The screenshot below should help you determine which operating system you are running on your computer.

Are you running Service Pack 3? If you are, just make sure to keep your computer updated and run your virus scans periodically.

Don’t know which Service Pack you have installed? Follow the instructions below to determine which version you have installed.

1. Click on the Start to open the Start Menu.

2. Right-click on My Computer.

3. Click on Properties from the menu.

4. Make sure that the General tab is selected.

5. You will find your XP version along with the Service Pack version installed.

If the Service Pack installed is something other than Service Pack 3, use the following links to download Service Pack 3 from Microsoft (direct link to download page).

If you have more than one PC at home and you’re trying to figure out how you can share files with your computers, this how-to will walk you though the process of adding your Windows XP computer to a network so that you can enable file and printer sharing. This article came about as the result of a question posted on a Virtual PC article about file sharing that I wrote a couple of months back. Either way this article will be a resource to anyone who is trying to network their Windows XP computer.

If you have any comments or questions, please post them below.

1. Open the Start menu and click Control Panel

2. Click on Network and Internet Connections under Pick a category

3. Click on Network Setup Wizard

4. When the Network Setup Wizard opens, click Next

5. Ensure that you completed the steps above before proceeding, click Next to continue.

6. Select a connection method. Click Next to proceed.

• If your computer connects directly to the internet and the computer will act as a gateway for other computers on your network, choose the first option. This is usually the case with a USB modem that can only be connected to a PC.
• If your computer connects to the internet via a gateway (a router, another computer, etc) choose option 2.
• If none of scenarios describe your connection profile choose Other.

7. Enter the information highlighted above. Describe your computer (Computer description) and name the computer (Computer name). Click Next to proceed.

8. If you’re creating a network then you have an opportunity to get creative, if you’re trying to join a network, then you must enter the name (Workgroup name) of the network you are trying to join. Click Next when you are ready.

9. You have the option to turn on or off file and printer sharing…what’s the point of sharing if you’re turning off the sharing? Just make sure your network is secure before enabling file and printer sharing. Click Next to proceed.

10. Review your settings and click Next to proceed.

Network Setup Wizard in Progress…

11. Once the setup is completed you will be given the option to create a Network Setup Disk to be used on other computers. When done click on the last option Just finish the wizard…

12. Click Finish, you’re almost done.

13. When prompted click Yes to restart your computer. You need to restart for settings to take effect.

The Start Menu in Windows was overhauled for the release of Windows XP. Some users may not like the new Start Menu or would simply like to stick to the ‘classic’ Windows Start menu, Microsoft was kind enough to allow users to chose which Start Menu they prefer, the guide below will walk you through the steps necessary to change your Start Menu from the new Start Menu that debuted in XP to the Classic Start Menu. If you have any comments or questions please post them below.

Note: I used Windows XP SP3

1. Right-click on the task bar (the blue bar), click on Properties from the menu that appears.

Note: You can also click on the Start Button

2. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties window will open. Click on the Start Menu tab on top and select the Start Menu you would like to use below the image (Start Menu or Classic Start Menu). Once you’ve selected your preferred Start Menu style, click on OK.

Note: You can Click on the radio buttons to see a preview of the Start Menu, the screenshot above is of the new Start Menu.

3. To select the Classic Menu (prior to XP) click on the Classic Start Menu radio button and click OK.

New XP Start Menu

Classic Start Menu

This guide is for Windows XP users who would like ability to view the full path of a directory in both the Address Bar and the Title Bar of a given window. Windows XP defaults to displaying the folder name alone in the Title bar and the Address bar, if you’re like me and would always like to know the exact path of the directory you are currently browsing then this is the guide for you. If you have any comments or questions please post them below.

Note: I used Windows XP SP3 for this guide.

1. Open any directory in your computer (My Computer, My Music, My Pictures, etc).

Notice how the Title bar and the Address bar both display only the name of the directory you are currently in.

2. Click on Tools > Folder Options… <The Folder Options window will open>

3. Click on the View tab in the Folder Options window. Under Advanced Settings locate and add a checkmark to;

Display the full path in the address bar

*and*

Display the full path in the title bar

Click OK when you are done to close the window.

Note: If you would like you can disable the full path if you prefer by keeping it unchecked.

4. Once you apply the changes you will notice that the Title bar and the Address bar now contain the full path to the current directory.

One of the most annoying aspects of shooting RAW is MS Windows inability to display RAW images natively. I came across the media section in one of my favorite books that describes how RAW support can be added to Windows Explorer and Picture Viewer. The article below shows you how to find and install the codecs necessary to accomplish this.

I own a Nikon DSLR so I have written this article for Nikon owners, however if you are a Canon, Sony, Olympus, or Pentax owner scroll to the bottom of the page so that you can find the appropriate link to the codec specific to your manufacturer. If you have any comments or questions, please post them below.

Note: The Nikon Codec currently supports Windows Vista SP1 32bit and Windows XP. Some of these codecs will work for XP, make sure to read the codecs requirements before installing.

The Nikon codec will not work on Windows Vista 64 bit, trust me I tried it, I had to install in one of my Virtual 32 bit Vista installations for it to work.

NIKON Codec Download and Installation

Screenshot above is how RAW images are displayed in Windows Vista (before codec installation)

1. Go to the Nikon website (follow this link) and click on the I agree – Begin Download button to download the codec

2. Before proceeding make sure to restart your computer after installation.

3. After your computer reboots browse to the directory that contains the RAW images, when you open the window you should be able to view the RAW files as thumbnails, you can also double-click to open the RAW files in Vista’s Photo Viewer.

Codec Downloads for (almost) All Camera Manufacturers

To download codecs for the camera manufacturers follow the links below.

• Nikon NEF format – Website
• Canon CR2 format – Website
• Olympus ORF format – Website
• Pentax PEF format – Website
• Sony SRF format – Website

Article source Windows Vista Annoyances: Tips, Secrets, and Hacks

The command prompt is the non-graphical user interface that enables you to interact with your operating system. Nowadays the majority of the commands can be executed using the Graphical User Interface (GUI) which is what you’re accustomed to see when using Windows. However there are several programs and features that are only available through the command prompt and for this reason it is important to know how to get to it should you need to.

At the end of this guide I will list several of those programs that are available in the command prompt. If you have any comments or questions please post them below.

Microsoft Windows 98, 2000, and XP

1. Click Start > Run…

2. Type CMD in the Open prompt, click OK (proceed to Step #3)

Microsoft Windows Vista

1. Click on the Orb and type cmd in the search box, the cmd program should appear in the search results. Click on the icon to open the command prompt window.

Command Prompt Window

3.The Command Prompt window will open, type away…

Available Commands

ipconfig – Displays IP address and other network configuration information

hostname – Displays the MS networking computer name

getmac – Lists the MAC address for computer devices

and many more...