Showing posts with label windows 7. Show all posts
Showing posts with label windows 7. Show all posts
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
10 Useful Specifics of Windows 7
You may have applied many tweaks to customize your Windows 7, or resolve major issues in it. And by now, you may have been considering yourself an effectual player of this operating system. Here is a gen, which even you may not be aware of. Scroll down to gain some startling facts about Windows 7:
Problem Steps Recorder
Introduced for the first time in Windows 7, Problem Steps Recorder proved to be a very useful feature. It captures images of the steps performed by the user on his/her computer. These images are then saved with a caption describing the detail of what you have been doing in that specific step. As inferred from its name, it is useful in reporting a problem to anyone professional. To work with it,
- Press Window key on your keyboard, type ‘PSR’, and hit Enter key
- Click on the red button to start recording. You can pause and stop recording from same area
- Click Add Comment button to include text entered, as recording does not display the text you write
Applocker
Applocker is a security tool that limits the access of non-administrative users to open or install an application. Applocker is usually activated on systems, which are supposed not to open or incorporate applications other than predefined ones. See following steps to learn how it works.
- Press Windows key, type ‘gpedit.msc’, and hit Enter. Access following path through the left pane
- Computer Configuration/Windows Settings/Security Settings/Application Control Policies/Applocker
- Access Executable rules of Applocker and right click to Create New Rule
- Complete the wizard to allow an application for an open or limited access
Switch to a Projector
In the previous versions of Windows operating system, earlier than Windows 7, it was not easy to connect and adjust a projector. The reason was differentiated display properties of each computer. But with Windows 7, you can perform this task within seconds. See below for the procedure
- Press Windows key on your keyboard, type ‘displayswitch’, and hit Enter
- Alternatively, Press Windows key and P at the same time.
- Among the four display options, choose the last one naming Projector only.
Network Support
Windows Live Movie Maker is a very proficient component of Windows. In Windows 7, it has reemerged with various improvements. However, it is still unable to import and play media from the network. As luck would have it, here is a solution to eliminate this problem.
- Go to Registry Editor, and in the left panel, access the following given path
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Live\Movie Make
- In this key, create new DWORD Value naming AllowNetworkFiles and set its Value data to 1
Fault Tolerant Heap
Fault Tolerant Heap, usually referred as FTH is a technology that detects instable processes (crashing applications) and fixes them spontaneously to avoid inconvenience in future. If your PC is not sheltered with FTH, activate it now through Windows Registry, as described below.
- Go to Registry Editor, and in the left panel, access the following given path
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\FTH
- In this key, locate the entry named Enabled and make sure its Value data is set to 1
- List of FTH protected processes can be viewed in the State key within the FTH key
Customize Login Screen
You may not have imagined your login screen with a different appearance. Well FYI, it is possible to tweak your login screen and customize it, as you may like it. This is a hidden and rousing feature of Windows 7. For this purpose, you would have to edit your Windows Registry, in the following way.
- Go to Registry Editor, and access through HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to reach following key
- Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background
- Locate the value named OEMBackground, and set its Value data to 1.
- Find a desired image, and rename it as backgroundDefault.jpg
- Copy the image to %windir%\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds, and Restart the computer
Large Text
Modern machines have advanced display properties with capability to show higher resolution. Even though, it is recommended by modern operating systems to set your systems on high resolution, so that you could get undistorted view. However, in such a case, reading text might become difficult for certain users. To resolve this issue with a simple way out,
- Press Windows key on your keyboard, type ‘DPIScaling’, and hit Enter
- In the appearing window, select a size increase according to your longing, and click the Apply button
- Restart your computer to make the changes in effect
Expand Taskbar Preview
Windows 7 introduced an exciting feature of displaying the minimized programs in a miniature view, while scrolling cursor on them. You can tweak this facility for a higher value, and increase the size of its preview. This can be achieved through following simple steps.
- Go to Registry Editor, and in the left panel, access the following given path
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband
- Create a New DWORD Value, name it as MinThumbSizePx, and set its Value data to 350
- Reboot your system to view the changes
Play To
This feature is associated with Windows Media Player. By this term, it is denoted that you can now play a media on any other system in the network. It pushes the media file to the PCs on network, which allows such behavior. To make it in practice,
- Launch Windows Media Player, go to Stream, and click Turn on media streaming
- In the appearing dialog box, click again on Turn on media streaming button
- Go to stream, and click to check Allow remote control of my player, Allow remote control on this network, and Automatically allow devices to play my media
- Repeat the same steps on other computers on the network
- The right click the media file that you want to play on another system, access Play To menu and select the system from the list.
Run As
Usually, an administrator makes a number of user accounts with limited privileges, While, keeps the maximum authority with itself in administrators account. Suppose being an administrator, you need to operate a different user account, and want to carry out an activity not authorized in that account. Logging out and then back in or Switching user might be a lengthy deal. By the following means, you can do it easily.
- Right click the desired executable file by pressing the Shift key
- Choose the option Run as different user
- Input the admin username, password, and there you go
How to Deal with Print Spooler Error 1053
Print Spooler error 1053 is a printer error. A system facing such problem fails to execute print commands and shows this message as disclaimer. This type of error is usually anticipated to occur due to a virus infection or other malicious interference. But in actual, it has logical links with Microsoft Windows Updates. It is observed that the error is seen right after installing the updates.
Other known error messages, associated with the same error code are; “Windows could not start the printer spooler service on local computer”; and “The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely manner”.
Let us show you the entire mechanism behind this failure. While updating the print spooler service, it is accidently replaced with something else. To view its executable file, go to C:\Windows\System32. In this directory, locate the item, spoolsv.exe that signifies this service. If the concerned file is fewer than 100KB, there must be another file naming spoolsv.exe.org, which actually is the correct service file.
For an initial overhaul, first rename the file spoolsv.exe to spoolsv.bak, and then rename spoolsv.exe.org tospools.exe. Although, the issue is rectified in the newer Windows Updates, you can still conduct the error fix manually, in the following order.
- Point your cursor to the upper right corner of your desktop screen to view the Charms bar
- In the Charms bar, click on the Search icon to initiate a Search through Windows
- Windows 7 users can simply press Windows key to open Start menu containing Search box
- In the Search box, type ‘services.msc’ and hit Enter to open Services window
- In the right panel of Services, locate and select Print Spooler from the list
- Right click Print Spooler, and go to its Properties
- Go to the Log On tab, and uncheck the option Allow service to interact with desktop setting
- Now go to the General tab, and click the Start button
- Click OK to save your changes
- Exit Services window
- Restart your computer
After a reboot, try & give a print command to your printer. In all probability, the system will successfully print the pages you like without displaying 1053 code error again.
Disable Nagle-Algorithm to Increase your Internet Speed for Quick Response
Imagine an airline service, transporting each passenger in an individual plane, so that the commuters do not face any delays after arriving at the airport. Does the capacity and resources of any airline company allow that? The true answer is a ‘NO’. Plane would wait for its time to collect certain travelers, and fill in its volume before taking off.
Similar is the case with your computer systems. While sending packets of information on a network, your system realizes the capacity of each packet (plane), and the frequency of data protocol (passengers) to be conveyed. To reduce the overall network load, data is accumulated until the volume of each packet is occupied. This accumulation of data causes lag, in result of which, the user may have to wait for a while. This entire process is administered by a Windows component, called Nagle-Algorithm.
Nagle-Algorithm is enabled by default in Windows 7 and its successive versions. Above and beyond its convenience, Nagle-Algorithm may lead to a dissatisfied user. There are activities that may require a much quicker response, for example, online games. To address such a situation, this article entraps a tip to disable Nagle-Algorithm. It is to get a free flow of data protocol through the network, so as to elevate the speed of internet operations. Before moving further, you first need to identify the appropriate NIC Interface.
NIC Interface
A computer may have multiple internet connections. For each connection, Windows Registry creates a separate NIC Interface or NIC-ID. This ID is displayed in the form of cryptic combination of letters and numbers, enclosed in braces. To recognize the appropriate NIC-ID, need to acquire the IP address of your current or active internet connection.
- Type ‘CMD’ in the search box and hit Enter to open Command Prompt
- On the black screen, type ‘IPCONFIG’ and press Enter to view info on your active connection
- Locate and note down your IP address, displayed next to IPv4 Address, under Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection
- Exit Command Prompt
Disabling Nagle-Algorithm
Nagle-Algorithm can be disabled with a simple registry modification. Please be advised to remember the IP address, noted in the above steps. For a subsequent practice, see the following steps.
- Type ‘REGEDIT’ in the search box and hit Enter to open Windows Registry Editor
- In the left pane, expand through HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to reach the following key
- SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces
This key may contain several NICs, depending upon the number of internet connections you have used. To disable Nagle-Algorithm of the correct internet profile, you need to access the correct NIC-ID. For this purpose, click each interface key and find and match the IP address with the one noted in the previous section, in the right pane of Registry Editor. It is likely to exist within a string Value, named ‘IPAddress’ or ‘DhcpIPAddress’.
When found, stay in the same key, and in the left panel of registry editor
- Right click the empty place, and choose New to create two DWORD Values
- Rename these values as ‘TcpAckFrequency’ (sending out packets immediately)
- and ‘TCPNoDelay’ (Disabling Nagle-Algorithm)
- Double click both the entries to Modify
- Put 1 as their Value data to activate them, and click OK to save your changes
- Close Registry Editor, and Restart your Computer
Note
It is to inform that Nagle-Algorithm is an essential Windows tool, and needs to be reactivated for a proficient piece of work. A permanently disabled Nagle-Algorithm may have a visible influence on your regular bandwidth. Once you are done with your work, reverse this setting by changing the data of two newly created values to 0.
Windows 7 Fails to Boot – Fix Error Code 0×490
Error Code 0×490 indicates bad boot information, which does not let you access Windows 7. In this situation Boot manager is unable to find OS Loader and is stuck at the startup phase. By default or by command, it runs a repair process, which also subsequently fails.
Cause
An error occurred because the Windows 7 may not have been shut down properly, or rebooted automatically. On a Startup, it tried to repair the situation, but failed and was stuck on the repair screen. In the meanwhile, time timer went out and the process was never successfully completed.
Solution: Startup Repair
Boot manager failure obliges a startup repair through the installation or recovery disc. In this solution, your system is recovered by repairing and fixing the missed or corrupted system files. For this purpose, you would need an installation or recovery disc and make sure that BIOS is set to have CD/DVD drive listed first in the boot order. Comply with the further steps given below
- Insert Installation Disc or Recovery Disc to your CD/DVD Drive
- Restart and press any key when prompted to boot from the Installation/Recovery disc
- On the next step, select your Language preferences and click the Next button
- Click on the link stated as Repair your computer
- Select the operating system that you want to restore and then click Next button
- Next screen lists down certain System Recovery options. Among them, select Startup Repair
- This will scan your computer to attempt to find and fix any Startup problems, automatically
- To see the detailed summary of scan, click View diagnostic and repair details
- Click Finish button to restart your system
Solution: Master Boot Record
Master Boot Record or MBR is a boot sector, which contains necessary computer codes to start the boot process. A damaged MBR may be a reason for not being able to boot into Windows 7. By the following way, you can troubleshoot and repair MBR and enable a normal boot.
- Insert Installation/Recovery disc to your CD/DVD drive and boot from it
- Setup your Language preferences, click Repair your computer, and select the operating system
- Among the listed System Recovery options, select to launch Command Prompt
- In the black screen of command prompt, type BOOTREC.EXE /FIXMBR and hit Enter key
- You can also type BOOTREC.EXE /FIXBOOT to write a boot sector and start Windows normally
Precaution
Stop your computer to restart automatically, as this may raise certain problematic issues. Let you system display any error before restarting, if it is causing a reboot. Go to Control Panel and then click Advanced system setting. On its Advanced tab, click to access the Startup and Recovery Settings and Uncheck Automatically restart in System failure.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
