Finally there is a one-stop solution for tweaking Windows 8 Metro UI and other features on Windows 8 explorer. In fact it can be called as a ‘live’ replacement for the old Start menu and the taskbar. The following screenshot gives us an idea of how the Metro UI looks like.

For this all you have to do is to run the Metro UI Tweaker ( portable EXE file in Download link at the bottom) and select the applicable options.

How to Customize Metro UI

• Disable Metro Start menu to get back Windows 7 like Start Menu( screenshot below)

Windows 7 start menu in Windows 8

• Disable the Explorer Ribbons to get back normal Windows 7 like explorer (screenshot below)

• Add Log Off / Sleep / ShutDown / Lock / All application shortcuts to Metro UI (screenshot below)
• Add any file or application to the Metro Start Menu.

Hope the tutorial answers all questions about partially or completely customizing the Windows 8 Metro UI, Windows 8 explorer. Do drop in your comments.

Links: Download Windows 8 Metro UI Tweaker

-- This Post Customize Windows 8 Metro UI with Metro UI Tweaker is Published on Devils Workshop .

Shareware is not bad, for example, Gimp can’t replace Photoshop. But unless and until it’s worth it, you should keep avoiding shareware. Here are a few types of softwares you never really need to buy.

1#. Anti-Viruses

If you’re spending money on buying, renewing Anti-virus licenses, note that Microsoft itself provides an Anti-virus, completely free. MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials) is just more than enough, to run it, all you need is genuine Windows. Best of all, it’s light with very less memory foot print.

Finally, sometimes common sense is all you need to remove viruses from your Windows.

Link: Microsoft Security Essentials 

#2. Registry Cleaners

The web is full of these crappy registry cleaners advertisements which literally do nothing, they rarely effect the performance of Windows.

#3. Maintenance Softwares

If you’re thinking that softwares like Tune Up Utilities will increase your system’s speed, then you’re completely wrong. I myself have tried many maintenance softwares and I have never experienced a performance boost. All they do is, clean temporary files (which you can do with CCleaner), fix registry errors (not necessary), defragment drives (only needed for XP, it hardly has effect on Vista and 7).

As Windows is evolving, system maintenance is getting automated and you don’t need a special software for that, though, it’s good to have CCleaner.

Link: CCleaner

#4. Backup and Sync

Paying for File-backup services like Dropbox is not a bad deal, but take a look at other services, especially the space they give, before paying for any such service. If you’re using Dropbox and 2GB is not sufficient for you, then I would suggest you to check out Wuala (detailed review here) or Livemesh.

Link: Livemesh | Wuala

#5. Download Accelerators

Download accelerators like DAP (Download Accelerator Pro), IDM (Internet Download Manager) etc. offer premium version of their apps, if you end up buying such softwares, here are a few freeware apps which do the same thing, for free.

Down Them All

If you use Firefox, you must have already knew about this, it’s the best download manager built into a browser. Unfortunately, it’s not available for other browsers, nor as a standalone app.

Link: DownThemAll 

Microsoft Download Manager

Developed my Microsoft itself, has a clean UI and does what it suppose to do. Although, I would recommend Down Them All over Microsoft Download Manager.

Link: Microsoft Download Manager

These are just the top 5, CD/DVD burning softwares like Nero are also really not worth buying (when is the last time you used a CD burner?). In this web, a percentage of paid apps are just bloatware. They are stuffed with unnecessary features which increase the size of it and certainly the price of it will also be high.

-- This Post 5 Types of Software You Don’t Need To Buy is Published on Devils Workshop .

Here is a list of Windows 8 features, and these are confirmed ones, not rumors.

What’s new in Windows 8?

• Windows 8 (beta) aka Windows Next(beta) is confirmed to release in September (that’s just a few weeks away), although the stable version will be available in 2012.
• Windows 8 will support Tablets too, just like Android and iOS. So, the mobile OS wars won’t be boring anymore.

• Windows 8 will feature a customizable start screen showing tiles of most of used apps (as in the picture above), so you don’t need to keep those shortcuts on your desktop.
• Windows 8 will support web technologies like HTML5 and Javascript. These apps will run just like the normal ones. If you haven’t experienced HTML5 yet, check out Beat The Boot, it’s a game from Google, powered by HTML5.
• Windows Explorer will get a ribbon UI just like Paint, MS Office and other Microsoft products. It will also get a ‘up’ button beside the forward button.

• Windows 8 will come preloaded with Internet Explorer 10, even though most of them might not be interested in it.
• You can integrate Windows 8 with your Live ID, this means all Microsoft products like Hotmail, Live Mesh etc will be easier to manage. Although, this is optional.
• The ‘Time Machine’ feature which is present in the Mac OS is available as History Vault in Windows 8. With History Vault you can backup important files to another drive.

• Another feature ‘System Reset’ will let you to restore system settings to default ones (factory settings). This is useful especially when you find your system unstable and unable to find which software is the culprit.
• If you’ve a Pen drive of at least 16GB size, you can run Windows 8 from it! This feature named ‘Portable Workspace’ let’s you run Windows 8 from a USB (which contains the setup files).

• Compared to Win 7, Windows 8 will take less time to boot with ‘Hybrid Boot’. With Hybrid Boot, Windows 8 keeps certain files pre-loaded, thus, it takes less time to boot.
• Another improvement in the interface section is ‘Aero Auto-colorization’, with this you can predefine the color of the elements like Taskbar, Start menu, Windows Explorer etc.

• You don’t need to use file copiers like Teracopy etc on Windows 8 as the File copying process is optimized, check the full article.
• Windows 8 will support USB 3.0 which promises super fast file copying, as fast as 1 GB/ 5 seconds!

• Windows Appstore is now confirmed, this also means that installing and uninstalling apps will be as easy as pie!
• Built in PDF viewer, no more sluggish Adobe Reader. This is another feature Microsoft took from Mac OS.
• Native ISO and VHD files support, you will no more need 3rd party tools to create and manage ISO files.

 

Those are the confirmed Windows 8 features with leaked screenshots.

Will Windows 8 be another Vista? Do tell us what do you think.

Source: Building Windows 8

-- This Post 17 New Confirmed Features with Windows 8 is Published on Devils Workshop .

Unselect / Select Applications with msconfig

• Click on start (the windows icon), in the search column, type in ‘msconfig‘ and select the ‘msconfig’ program that appears. It’s a configuration option that microsoft had made to help users.

• It will open a new window. If you want to disable all the start up item, you can deselect the ‘Load startup Items‘, in the general -> Selective Startup -> Load startup items ( see the image). I don’t actually recommend it, because there will be several useful startup programs like security softwares and all. So, navigate to the tab ‘Start up‘

• Under the startup tab, you can see a list of all the programs that are designed to load at the Startup. You can individually stop these services by unselecting them.

Doing this can help you to stop those irritating startup programs like Gtalk, PC suites etc, which you might not use all the time and hence want it not to run by default every time you start the computer.

If you are using laptop then reducing this load on your computer will see a good increase in your computer’s speed along the battery lasting a lot longer.

Do drop in your comments.

-- This Post [Windows Tip] Select Which Applications You Want to Run During Startup! is Published on Devils Workshop .

Microsoft UK, has launched a website which will add to the confusion by giving its own recommendation

Microsoft introduces “The Collection”

• In case you are looking at purchasing a new computer than runs on Windows 7, then looking up Microsoft’s recommendation will be quite helpful.

• The categories that the PCs and laptops are arranged, are Everyday, Mobile Companion, Professional, Entertainment and finally Gaming.
• There were over 29 computers recommended by Microsoft for Windows 7 and most of them were the latest models. I could not find many older models on the website.
• Once you click on one of the recommendation, it pulls up complete specifications of the computer.
• It also has a line explaining why Windows recommends that particular model along with price.

In case you are looking to buy a new computer running Windows 7, a good idea would be to look up Microsoft’s “The Collection” for the latest models and why it is recommended by Microsoft Windows.

I do not think this will encourage more people to opt for Windows, but it is a valuable tool for people to look up for people who are already set on buying a computer with Windows 7. Do drop in your comments.

Link: Windows 7 The Collection

-- This Post [Windows 7] Get Help from Microsoft While Choosing New PC or Laptop is Published on Devils Workshop .

Well, after enjoying the power of Windows 7, I decided to go back to some of my favorite Linux flavors. I like testing out different flavors of Linux and my favorite is Ubuntu. I like it because it’s robust, the community is large enough to provide you with help and the software is easily available.

With the new release of Fedora 14, came many online debates about which one is better- Ubuntu or Fedora? So I decided to try out Fedora.

If you have never tried any Linux, I would recommend you to do so now! Here is a quick tutorial which will help you run or install a linux distro using a Flash/Pen Drive.

Things You Need

1. A good computer with a fast internet connection to download the disk image of the Linux you want to try. Distros are usually 600-700 Mb
2. A Pen Drive(1GB minimum)
3. A Brain! (just kidding, it’s as simple as 1-2-3)

NOTE: The USB key will be formatted, so don’t forget to backup the data in the USB you’re going to use.

Install Linux Live USB Creator

There are many ways to make a USB drive bootable, but the simplest way to do so is using a tool called Linux Live USB Creator which will not only make your Flash Drive bootable, but will also help you extract ISO image and make the Flash Drive ready for Linux Installation. Download Linux Live USB Creator from here and open the software

Follow the Steps below:

1. Choose your Flash Drive/ Pen Drive – If it’s not listed, make sure that your Pen/Flash Drive is connected to your computer and then click on the Refresh button on the side).
2. Choose a Source - If you’ve downloaded the ISO Image, then click on ISO/IMG/ZIP and browse to select your ISO Image(example- Fedora.ISO). If you have the CD of the Linux Distro then click on CD. If you want to download the distro, then click on Download and choose the Linux Distro you want to download and then choose between Manual and Automatic Download.
3. Persistence mode is used to store the application, log files, information on the USB so that you don’t have to install applications every time you insert the USB in a new computer. This mode can be used by few of the Linux Distros. If you want to install the Distro in your computer then there is no need to use persistence mode.
4. If you want to Hide the Linux files on the USB then check on the Hide Created Files on Key Option. Check the Format the key in FAT32 format option. If you want to try the Linux without rebooting your computer, check the third option, this will download some files from it’s server and will run the Linux distro in a Virtual Box.
5. Click on The lightning icon to start the installation process. Now, LiLi will extract the files from the ISO image and then your USB will be ready to use.
6. After this, shut down the computer and then start it with USB Key connected to the drive. As soon as the Splash Screen of your motherboard appears, press F2 ( Or the key used to access BIOS settings).
7. Now, go to BOOT Option and then Enable Boot From USB First or anything similar to this term. After enabling it, Save and Exit from the BIOS and now, you’re done! You will now see the booting screen of your Linux Distro and then run the install (if you want to install), and if you don’t want to install it, then start exploring it using the live mode. After you install, don’t forget to revert back the changes you did with the BIOS.

NOTE: Many Linux Flavors allow you to install the Linux side by side of Windows. If you want to use Ubuntu, then try Wubi. Wubi is a free application which lets you install Ubuntu side by side of Windows without the hassle of booting from a CD or USB Key.

Link: Linux Live USB Creator

-- This Post [How To] Create a Live USB of your Favorite Linux Distro is Published on Devils Workshop .

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. FTP is used extensively in Web Development and maintenance. Using FTP is simple and does not need any software (only the protocol has to be installed on your Operating system). You can even directly connect to your web server using the following pattern: ftp://yourwebsite.com/, however this might be a tedious thing using it directly on your Web browser. FTP clients are meant to make this work much easier and systematic.

The three popular FTP clients I know of, available on web are:

1. FileZilla – It’s a Free, fast and reliable cross-platform FTP client and even supports FTPS and SFTP protocols.

Courtesy: Official website

Few of its features are:

• Cross-platform support for Windows, Mac OS, Linux and more
• Supports IPv6 pattern
• Supports multiple languages
• Supports drag & drop for files
• Supports file editing remotely
• Supports remote file search

2. FireFTP – It’s a fast and secure FTP client for Mozilla Firefox and offers cross-platform support, in simple words, it works wherever Firefox works. Its even supports SSL/TLS/SFTP protocols which are considered excellent in terms of Web security.

Courtesy: Official website

Few of its features are:

• Offers Directory comparison support, even compares Sub-directories
• Support for more than 20 languages
• Supports Dragging & Dropping
• Offers file compression using MODE Z
• Supports Proxies
• Supports IPv6 protocol

3. SmartFTP – And here’s the last but not the least FTP client which lets you safely manage files on your web-server. It does offer FTP, FTPS, SFTP and SSH protocols which makes it pretty reliable in terms of security as well. There are limitations in the features based on the license you select.

Courtesy: Official website

Few of the common features are:

• Full File and Folder synchronization
• 20+ Languages supported
• Offers IPv6 support
• Compression supported with MODE Z
• Drag & Drop supported
• Establish Multiple Connections simultaneously
• Transfer verification using: XCRC, XMD5, XSHA
• Server to Server File Transfer support
• Supports Proxies and Firewall
• Caching of Remote Directories

I hope the above information is useful to you while working with your files on a remote server. You can also get detailed information on their specific websites and download the software directly. Do drop in your comments.

-- This Post 3 Popular FTP Clients for Windows is Published on Devils Workshop .

1. Drivers : You can install drivers from your motherboard CD or if you want latest drivers for your PC go to the official website of which the motherboard is and download the latest drivers and install them in your PC.
2. Winrar : The most commonly used tool is Winrar. After installation of fresh copy of Windows, it is a must have tool.
3. Anti Virus and Firewall : If you want a free antivirus product, I recommend using AVG 11 Free or Avast Home Edition. For a free firewall product, you can go with Commodo Firewall Pro.
4. Download Manager : There are many download managers out there but one of my favorites is Free Download Manager, alternatively you can also go for Flashget.
5. Tweaking Software : You must have a Windows tweaking application installed in your system. I use Tuneup Utilities 2009 and if you want a freeware I recommend you to use TweakNow PowerPack.
6. Internet Browser : No doubt, Firefox still takes the first place. Although it is a personal choice when it comes to browsers. I personally like Chrome.
7. Pdf Document Viewer : The most commonly used pdf viewer is Adobe Acrobat. If you want a light and easy to use reader than you can try Foxit.

Have I missed any application which you think should be included in the list? Please let me know through comments.

-- This Post 7 Essential Applications after Fresh Windows Installation is Published on Devils Workshop .

Recently Microsoft Kitchen blog has leaked few images and documents of Windows 8 which are watermarked as “Microsoft Confidential- released to Derek.Goode@hp.com”. The images also give a brief about the features of Windows 8.

Here are few features of Windows 8 according to leaked images:

• Face recognition technique
• Touch Display
• Includes Kinnet-like features
• Automatic shutdown as soon as you move away from your system
• Easily switch between users, as soon as new user comes in front of camera
• Supports USB 3 and Bluetooth 3
• Connect Windows account to Cloud

It seems Microsoft making itself ready for getting into competition with Apple, because the images are titled as “How Apple does it: A virtuous cycle”. But I guess, Microsoft has to cross long distance to get in competition with Apple OS.

Check out the following leaked images of Windows 8:

There is no official announcement from Microsoft that these slides are real nor there is any mention about release date of Windows 8, so until Microsoft don’t announce officially about Windows 8 features and images, enjoy the rumor.

Also read:

• 2 ways to remove start-up items to decrease Windows boot time!
• 3 Tools To Search Files and Folders in Windows OS

Images via: MsfKitchen

-- This Post Leaked Documents of Windows 8 is Published on Devils Workshop .

Visit ubuntu shipit and place an order for  latest version CD, shipping might take more then 1 or 2 months so if you have decent fast Internet Connection  you can either download the Ubuntu Desktop Edition Online .

For free order of CD you need to register on shipit.ubuntu and provide your Shipping details including your name,address contact no.after registration you need to verify you account By email notification, if you are existing user you can log in with your details and  place new order for Ubuntu 10.04 CD.

Features of Ubuntu Desktop Edition 10.04

• Free apps, safe and fast web browsing, a dedicated music store and much more. Ubuntu brings the very best technologies straight to your desktop.
• Browse the web fast and more safe with Mozilla Firefox.
• Create professional documents and presentation with Open office.
• Free software’s,Ubuntu software repository gives to access to download thousands of open source applications.
• Access to hundred of games.
• Play edit videos easily with Ubuntu 10.04.
• Store,view edit photos easily.
• Mobilize your digital life.
• Email messaging,social networking, chat made easy.

If you like reading this you might like reading about Linux Get Windows feel with a linux distro and Solution:Accessing Linux files ( partitions) from windows.

Link : Order Free CD | Download | Features

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