TomsTricks.Com » Vista How To?

How To: Create A Hidden User Account In Windows Vista

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:53:29 +0000

Microsoft’s Windows operating systems including Windows Vista and Windows XP allows multiple user accounts to be created on the computer, be it administrators or standard users. When there is more than one user accounts been defined and created on the computer, Windows operating system will display Welcome Screen, with all available user accounts listed so that user can click and login. The following simple registry tweak allows to create a hidden user account in Windows Vista. This read more

How To: Disable Windows Vista Memory Diagnostic Tool

admin — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:06:28 +0000

Some Notes About Windows Vista Memory Diagnostic Tool: Microsoft Windows Vista comes with a built in memory diagnostic tool. This utility program will diagnose your computer’s memory as to the cause of the problem and list the errors it finds. When the diagnostic tool is finished, Windows Vista boots regularly and the results are displayed in the lower-right-hand corner of your desktop.When testing your memory, if errors are found, the Windows Vista Memory Diagnostics Tool will attempt to read more

How To: Back Up Encryption Certificate And Key In Windows Vista

admin — Sat, 16 May 2009 02:56:54 +0000

When you first encrypt a file or folder using Encrypting File System (EFS) in Windows Vista, an encryption certificate will be created. The certificate is then tied to an encryption key and together they verify your identity and which files you are able to encrypt and decrypt. It is important to backup your encryption certificate and key in case your existing key or certificate are damaged or lost.Make sure you keep your backed up certificate and keys in a safe place – not on your computer! read more

How To: Use Encrypting File System (EFS) In Windows Vista

admin — Sat, 16 May 2009 02:37:50 +0000

Using Windows Vista Encrypting File System (EFS), you can easily protect your data in case your machine is compromised or stolen. If you’re running the Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate editions of Windows Vista, you can use the Encrypting File System to keep your most personal documents and data safe. Encrypting files and folders in Windows Vista is a pretty simple process. Just be sure you are logged in with the user you wish to use in the future to decrypt and interact with these read more

How To: Disable Remote Assistance In Windows Vista

admin — Sat, 02 May 2009 02:16:29 +0000

Windows Remote Assistance is a convenient way for someone you trust to connect to your computer and walk you through a solution. Windows Remote Assistance creates an encrypted connection between the two computers over the Internet or the network that both computers are connected to. After the user and helper are connected and the Remote Assistance session begins, both can view the user’s computer screen, communicate in real time about what they see, send files, and use the mouse and read more

How To: Customize Windows Vista Start Menu Instant Search(Add Wikipedia,Google,Yahoo Search)

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:01:26 +0000

Want to customize Windows Vista start menu Instant Search? If you are a Windows Vista user,you surely use the the built-in search option that you see in the Start Menu.By default, Windows Vista start menu Instant Search feature only searches for files and folders on your local computer.You can also click on Search the Internet link on the start menu search, but this option will use the default search engine provider that you have set in Internet Explorer.By a simple trick you can add search read more

How To: Disable ‘Use The Web Service To Find The Correct Program’ Prompt In Windows Vista

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:14:53 +0000

When a user attempts to open a file that does not have an application associated with the file type, normally you will see an additional window popping up that give you options of whether to use the web service to find the correct program or select a program from a list of installed programs. By a simple registry hack,you can force Windows Vista to skip this dialog altogether, and give you a list of applications to use to open the file instead. Go to Windows Vista Start menu, type regedit read more

How To: Disable Memory Dump Files And Save Disk Space In Windows Vista

admin — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:19:30 +0000

Windows Vista creates a memory dump file in the system root when system crashes.Many applications happen very often to get errors with memory dump.When an application crashes in Windows Vista, you can see drwtsn32.exe (Dr. Watson) process running in the Windows Task Manager. Dr. Watson(drwtsn32.exe) is dumping the memory information for programmer to debugging the error.It is a fact that 99.99% of Windows Vista users never send the memory dump files to Microsoft developers for debugging.When read more

How To: Add Hide File And Unhide File Options To Windows Vista File Context Menu

admin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:59:40 +0000

All of you know,how to hide and unhide your important documents and files in Windows Vista.The important documents and files are hide in Windows Vista for data security .This hide and unhide task becomes a lengthy in Windows Vista,because every time open file Properties and enable “Hidden” option from properties window.By a registry tweak,you can add “Hide File” and “Unhide File” options in every file context menu in Windows Vista: To enable “Hide File” and read more

How To: Disable All Notification Area Balloon Tips In Windows Vista

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:59:23 +0000

One of the most annoying features of Windows Vista is the constant,irritating, work-interrupting balloon messages in the notification area.These balloon tips can be off Automatic Update,security reminders,anti-virus updates,speech balloon announcements or other system updates.By any of the two simple methods you can easily disable the balloon notifications in Windows Vista. Method 1:Using Group Policy Editor Start up the Group Policy Editor in Windows Vista by press Windows+R, enter read more

How To: Add Delete Folder Contents Option To Windows 7/Vista Right Click Context Menu

admin — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 02:27:06 +0000

With a simple windows registry tweak you can add the option Delete Folder Contents to the right-click context menu which appears when you right-click a folder in Windows 7 or in Windows Vista.This would come handy at times when you want to delete all the files inside a folder and all it’s sub-folders without deleting the folders themselves. Method 1: Click on Windows 7/Vista Start button, type regedit in the start menu search box and hit enter. Navigate to the following registry read more

How To: Prevent Windows Vista Users From Changing The Display Settings

admin — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:36:17 +0000

In Windows Vista, users can easily change desktop wallpaper, screen saver, themes and other appearance settings by right-click on Desktop and select Personalize. By a simple registry tweak, you can prevent all users on the Windows Vista computer from changing the display settings like screen resolution, refresh rate and color depth as well as the dpi size. This Windows Vista Registry Tweak is very useful for network administrators who want to prevent users from changing the display settings read more

How To: Tweak Your Mouse Settings In Windows Vista For Better Productivity

admin — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 02:04:41 +0000

You may notice when using Windows Aero with WDDM drivers in Windows Vista that scrolling on web pages using your mouse wheel is slow, or jumpy. Every time you use the scroll wheel on your mouse you scroll 4 lines at a time in Windows Vista.This is adequate for most users but did you know that it is possible to tweak this setting to make your scroll wheel more or less sensitive?However, you can greatly increase your productivity with a few simple mouse tweaks in Windows Vista registry. Press read more

How To: Allow Blank Passwords For Windows Vista To Access Network Computers And Remote Desktop

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:57:42 +0000

Normally if you try to log on to a remote computer running Windows Vista using a blank password you receive an error message like “Your credentials did not work“.By default Windows Vista does not allow a blank password when connecting with remotely via remote desktop.But you can, configure Windows Vista to allow network users to log on to the computer with blank passwords Method 1: Through Windows Vista Group Policy Editor Go to Start -> Run and type gpedit.msc This will open read more

How To: Change Or Set 64-Bit WMP11 In Windows Vista x64 As Default Windows Media Player

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:00:14 +0000

In Windows Vista x64(Windows Vista 64-bit version), the 32-bit edition of Windows Media Player 11 (WMP 11) is set as the default Windows Media Player. This is done by Microsoft to avoid and reduce any compatibility issues or problems that may arise with Windows Media Player codecs or other DirectShow related plug-ins or add-ons that a majority of are still built for Windows Vista 32-bit operating system.When and if the 64-bit version of WMP 11(Windows Media Player 11) in Windows Vista 64-bit read more

How To: Disable / Restrict Use Of USB Storage Devices In Windows Vista

admin — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:05:11 +0000

This Windows Vista Tweak can be use in preventing anonymous users from copying data from the computer or preventing them in plugging usb storage devices such as flash disk and usb hard disk.However, disabling USB ports totally from system BIOS also shutdown the ability for system to use USB based keyboard, mouse, webcam, printer, scanner and etc, which has become a common connectivity norm in modern computer.There is a simple registry change that will keep the USB storage drivers from read more

How To: Keep My Passwords From Expiring In Windows Vista

admin — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:13:35 +0000

To increase security, Windows Vista may ask you to periodically change your password.Some users are reporting that Windows Vista is telling them that their password is expired or is about to expire, even though that have not set any password expiration policies.This annoying problem will keep re-occurring until you change your account profile in Windows Vista to prevent password expiration.If your Windows Vista computer is part of a network that has these types of rules set by a network read more

How To: Manage Your Passwords With Credential Manager in Windows 7 or in Vista

admin — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 01:25:34 +0000

Credential Manager is a new SSO solution that Microsoft offers in Windows Server 2003, Windows XP and also includes in new generation operating systems Windows Vista and in Windows 7.Single sign-on (SSO) is an approach that attempts to reduce the time users spend performing logon tasks and the number of passwords users must remember.Credential Manager is a central store for all of your usernames, passwords, and X.509 certificates. It’s based on a secure client-side credential-caching read more

How To: Disable and Turn Off IPv6 Feature in Windows Vista

admin — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 09:34:05 +0000

About IPv6 in Windows Vista You have probably heard that Windows Vista features a dual stack, which allows it to run IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously.In Windows Vista, IPv6 is fully implemented and supported, is also installed and enabled by default, with full Internet Protocol security (IPsec) support for IPv6 traffic and Teredo tunneling support for non-IPv6 aware devices.IPv6 is not common yet, as most software, routers, modems, and other network equipments does not support the emerging and read more

How To: Prevent Windows Vista from Asking For a Password When Resuming From Hibernation or Sleep

admin — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:41:40 +0000

Whenever a Windows Vista powered desktop or notebook compter wakes up from sleep, standby or hibernation state (which also happens when user closes laptop’s lid, unless specifically disable sleep on lid closing), the system is locked up on Windows Vista log on screen, and system requests and asks for user’s password in order to unlock the PC and shows the desktop again.Locking down the Windows Vista when system goes into sleep or standby or hibernate is a good security measure.It’s good read more