Understanding PC: Will Increasing PC Speed By Increasing FileSystem Cache Pay Off?

I recently helped a friend clear up his PC problem when he reported lags and glitchy performance with his Windows XP. A brief questioning of the situation revealed that he had done a filesystem cache tweak which leads to his PC performance degrading.

There is a common belief that by increasing the FileSystem Cache of Windows, users can experience a boost in PC performance, since Windows will tend to use the maximum available RAM to power applications, resulting in more responsive scenarios. In fact, I am going to show you how to do it here:

1. Click Start, type in “cmd” and you will see the command prompt icon.
2. Right Click the cmd icon and choose “Run as Administrator“
3. Now in the command prompt windows type in the following command.

fsutil behavior set memoryusage 2

4. Now restart windows 7.

If you want to review your actions, using the following query in cmd will show you the value.

fsutil behavior query memoryusage

There are many websites that claim that any users can perform this command to increase PC performance. Do not believe this, for some of them did not properly explain the logic behind FileSystem Cache or conduct a benchmarking...which is misleading, i must say. If unsuspecting users do this on a PC without the proper requirements, it will not have any effects and if worse, will result in an even worse performance than before!

By nature, increasing FileSystem Cache size means that your PC will attempt to maximize RAM usage, usually with a benchmark for example, it will prevent RAM usage from falling below single digit level and make applications run at the maximum possible performance. Your PC can also handle more concurrent operations, since the page pool limits are being raised. This tweak is popular with servers, since they are the ones that have to handle multiple file operations.

With the logic above in mind, we can conclude that:

1. Increasing FileSystem Cache size is best performed on a PC with large amount of RAM onboard, with a mimimum of 2GB on Windows XP & Windows 7 and an additional 0.5 GB on Windows Vista. Most importantly, a majority of these RAM must be free from application use, otherwise applying the tweak will result in negative effect.

2. The success of FileSystem Cache tweak is heavily influenced by memory amount, therefore 64-bit OS can take advantage of this tweak rather than 32-bit OS. The reason is that the maximum RAM that can be used by 32-bit OS is 3.5 GB, while 64-bit OS can use 4GB-8GB and beyond.

3. Since this tweak is originally for servers that operates at something like 8GB & beyond, i highly doubt that a normal PC system below 8GB RAM could actually see a difference by applying the tweak.


I know i will need someone's in-depth research and benchmark to support my conclusions, so i dig around and found this excellent analysis by Eric aka TweakHound.

In his research, you will notice that the conclusions i've made regarding the FileSystem Cache tweaks are proven. With benchmarking, research & consultation from expert, Eric concluded at the end of the test, that on normal PC, the tweak is USELESS.

My final advice to majority of users out there is, don't waste your time applying this tweak. As I stated before, this tweak works best with 64-bit OS that runs on high amounts of RAM and also the hardware befitting those of server computers, but trust me, even if your computer fit these requirements, the performance improvement is not enough to produce a positive impact.

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Customize Your Comodo Product's Skin!

Latest version of the products of Comodo, such as Comodo Time Machine and the 4th version of Comodo Internet Security and Comodo Firewall, introduced many improved features. To the average users, one of the visibly notable difference is the new user interface, which spots a red color and interactive interface. I like the new user interface of Comodo since i am a GUI fan as always, but although Comodo did offer a setting where we can change the skin, the unfortunate thing is that the official website for Comodo does not have a skin library. A simple search using Google also came up nothing of the sort.

The original skin for Comodo products, predominantly in red color.

I recently stumbled across a file shared by a user called quanzi1507 and thought i'd share it here. It is a 391 KB ZIP archive which contains three theme files for skinning Comodo products. They are simple-colored theme files which are in Blue, Green and Gray color, but its quite enough to ill-customize your Comodo products.

Click here to download the skin files

After you download the ZIP archive, simply extract the files to anyway on your PC, and copy all the contents to a folder called 'Themes' in your Comodo Program Files installation path. To activate the themes in Comodo's GUI, you'll need to exit and restart your Comodo products.

Incidentally, i also discovered that one of my PCs lacked a dedicated firewall. Maybe i should keep Comodo Firewall for a change? (LOLX)

Enjoy skinning!!!

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Three Ways to Delete Stalled Print Jobs That Refuses To Be Cancelled

One of the most common annoyances for home PC users is down to their printers refusing to cancel any print jobs immediately when ordered to. Well, it’s a no-brainer that printers of modern days are just as unreliable and unstable as back in the days when they are just going mainstream (it’s beyond wonder why are we still stuck with the same technology for more than a decade...). 

But then Windows also has to be blamed for this fiasco. You see, when users create a print job, the files to be printed will first be spooled before sending to the Windows Temp folder awaiting calls from the hardware printer. So if the Temp files are being used by Windows, it is virtually impossible for users to delete anything...well, unless if you restart your machine. Curse you, Windows!

Therefore, to overcome the limitations of both printers and Windows, there are three options for cancelling print jobs without waiting for ages. The first is by the creation of a Windows Batch File, while the second is through specifically-designed software capable of overcoming the limitations. The third option is well...manual cancellation, which is of course for geeks and nerds with too much brain cells and time at hand.

1.    Delete Print Jobs Immediately via Windows Batch File

A Windows Service called Print Spooler is important to the spooling of files before and as they get to be printed. Therefore, stopping and restarting the service will allow Windows to immediately delete the print jobs. Under such theory, the batch file’s scripts will have to contain this:

@net stop spooler
@del %windir%\system32\spool\printers\*.* /q /f
@net start spooler

Simply open Notepad, copy and paste this 3-line script into it, and save it in any file name you like; without forgetting to add the all-important .bat file extension at the end of the file name. For example, you can save it under the name of ‘RefreshPrintSpooler.bat’ (without quotation). 

However, do note that this batch file will delete ALL print jobs, including functioning print jobs, so this method is less feasible on a print server; you’ll delete all print jobs in queue by executing this batch file regardless of them being working or stalled!

2.    Delete Print Jobs with Stalled Printer Repair, a free software from FantasticFreeware

Adam Pash of Lifehacker post this freeware up in case any users wanted the least geeky way to solve this problem: Delete Print Jobs is a utility that does the same job as the batch file above – only that it will only find and delete print jobs that are confirm stalled.

 Stalled Printer Repaired works on Windows 2000, XP and Vista, but Windows 7 should be able to run it as well.

Download Stalled Printer Repair here.



3.    Manually cancel print jobs and restarting the Printer Spooler Services.

This is a manual process of fixing stalled print jobs and is essentially a non-scripted version of the first method shown previously. Because of different printers and different Windows version, the steps below are optimized to suit all Windows version and on all types of printers:

1.    Make sure all working print jobs are complete and that no new print jobs are being submitted.
2.    Open Windows Task Manager and on the Processes tab, locate spoolersv.exe and kill it.
3.    Open the C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\SPOOL\PRINTERS in My Computer.
4.    Delete all files located in this folder. Files in the Printers are named xxxx.spl, xxxx.shd where xxxx is a hexadecimal number. Files with .shd and .spl extensions are printer files.
5.    Open the ‘Run…’ console and type in ‘services.msc’
6.    Find a Windows Service called ‘Print Spooler’ and start the service. Your printer is now functioning properly again.

Regardless of which method you like to use, you can be assured that the stalled printer job handling is officially a thing of the past!

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Delete Hidden GIMP Thumbnails Easily Using A Custom Windows Batch File

 For GIMP users on Windows only:

Some users of GIMP might not realize this, but GIMP stored a history of the different images opened and edited by it in the form of thumbnails in one of its hidden folders. As mentioned, since it is a hidden folder, users will not be able to see and browse through it without toggling on the 'Show Hidden Files and Folders' in the Folder Options menu.

After you toggle the 'Show Hidden Files and Folders' option on, you will be able to locate GIMP's thumbnail folder at your Personal Folder area (where by default held other folders such as My Document, My Pictures, My Music etc).

Here's the full path of the folder where the thumbnails are located:

C:\Users\(Your Personal Folder's Name)\.thumbnails\normal

In my opinion, those thumbnails do me little good:

1) When accumulated in large numbers, they only suck up precious disk space. 

2) The incredibly small image size of the thumbnails means that it is obsolete, not even worthy of being backups in case users want to recover the image they've edited. 

3) I consider the thumbnails as a breach of privacy to a certain degree. Heck, why should anyone know what images had we been editing with GIMP?

Due to these three issues, i strongly suggest users of GIMP delete their GIMP thumbnail folder's contents. Manually deleting the contents will do, but here's an easier way to delete the contents without  turning on the 'Show Hidden Files and Folders': using a Windows Batch File!

Here's how to create a Windows Batch File that delete GIMP's thumbnail folder's contents:

1. On your desktop, right-click and create a new Text Document.

2. Notepad will launch. Now insert the following line into notepad:

     del C:\Users\Owner\.thumbnails\normal\*.* /Q

3. Go to 'Save As' and rename the text file to something like 'Delete GIMP Thumbnails' (without quotes). Immediately after the last word of your filename, type '.bat' as extension. The extension will convert the text file into a batch file. Click 'Save' to save the batch file. Place the batch file at any location you like.

 4. You have just created a Batch File that will delete all contents in the GIMP thumbnail folders' contents at a simple double-click!

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Customize Facebook Appearances With Firefox Through Stylish Or GreaseMonkey

For Mozilla Firefox users only:

Facebook keeps its user interface and layout pretty standardized, meaning that all users will be given the same GUI and layout, including the colors and background applied. Well, one of my criticism of Facebook is exactly this; although it offers an abundance of features which i appreciate very much, i could not understand why Facebook won't allow us to apply graphic customization to our own page when other social networking sites like MySpace and Friendster could.

Here's a tip for Mozilla Firefox users who are bored with the lack of graphical customization on Facebook: They can use either Stylish or GreaseMonkey, both user script manager specially for Firefox, to change their Facebook's graphical appearance. It won't result in a slower loading of Facebook's webpages nor would it affect any available features on Facebook!

  

For novice users, user script is one of the key elements in web design and one which determines what a web page is supposed to have/do/show. So quite simply, if we want to change Facebook's graphic appearance, all we have to do is to edit the script of the web page itself! Problem is, scripting is complicated and will easily bore most users out. Fortunately, there are those who have learned, and are willing, to create tonnes of user scripts that will change the appearance of Facebook online...and all we have to do is use Stylish or GreaseMonkey, as previously stated!

Let's get started: 

1. Visit the Firefox Addon Site and install the add-on 'Stylish' or the add-on 'GreaseMonkey'. You will be prompted to restart Firefox.

2. After Firefox restarted, visit the website UserStyles.org, where many user scripts writers have generously posted tonnes of user scripts which include scripts for Facebook.
 
3. Browse through the library of user scripts for Facebook and select an appearance you like. On your right hand side, you'll notice that there are two options; one is for Stylish, the other for GreaseMonkey. Choose the 'Install with Stylish' button if you installed the Stylish add-on; choose 'install as a user script' button if you installed the 'GreaseMonkey' add-on.

4. Visit Facebook and see the changes! Here's a sample of a customized Facebook Login Page using the Greasemonkey add-on:

5.  Scripts installed as Stylish is manageable from the Stylish Menu. On your Firefox toolbar, find Tools>Add-ons>Extensions>Stylish. 

Similarly, you can install as many scripts as possible and manage them from the GreaseMonkey addon's Options menu. On your Firefox toolbar, find Tools>Addons>Extensions>GreaseMonkey and select the 'Option' button. This is what you will get:

From here, you can manage your scripts easily: disable or enable scripts, add or delete scripts and many more!

The one thing that bugs this customization method though, is that it only allows users to enjoy the customized appearance on the PC where either one of the two add-ons are installed within Firefox. Another similar problem is that other users will not be able to enjoy your customized appearance elsewhere even if they do have the add-ons installed; all they see out of your Profile page is still the same old standardized background. Nevertheless, if used for personal enjoyment, the scripts really work on all Facebook sites, including users' Home page, Profile page and even Application page. A little tip for all: it even works on the Lite version of Facebook as shown below!

Thank you, Firefox, for the addon. You make Facebook more beautiful now!

NOTE: It took hard work and effort for those script authors to write user scripts and share it to us, so if you like the user script and would like to support them through money, do make a tiny donation at their respective user script pages!

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Change the Color of your Windows Vista/7 Navigation Button with Vista-7 Nav Button Colorizor

Users of Windows Vista and 7 will know this, that the navigation button available in Windows Explorer are predominantly or shall i say, all are in blue color. And believe it or not, some people may have a problem with blue. But then changing the color of the navigation button is no novice's task. Users will have to dig deep into the Windows settings and edit some system files. In other words, it is risky, troublesome and time-wasting. 

Thanks to a genius called vasanrulez lurking around at DeviantART, we now have a tool called Vista-7 Nav Button Colorizer freely available to us all. This little tool simplifies the effort of having to edit system files by providing a friendly GUI for users to adjust the color of their Windows' navigation button. It works on 32-bit version of Vista and 7 only, but then 64-bit support are soon to come.

There are some common drawbacks you can expect from a new tool such as this. Firstly, Vasanrulez has warned us that some antivirus may took the tool as a malware which obviously is just a false positive. Also, you can expect some bugs and stuffs, though fixes and additional features will be coming our way.


For now, it might not be an attractive tool to download yet, but i reckon when vasanrulez iron out most of the bugs aside from adding supports and features, Vista-7 Nav Button Colorizer will soon hit big time. Interested users may want to follow the development at vasanrulez's DeviartART site where he host the tool.

Visit Vista-7 Nav Button Colorizer at DeviantART.com.

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Customize GIMP by hacking the GIMP Splash Screen

This is a trick i discovered by myself out of interest since i'm a GIMP fan, but a simple search had revealed that this trick has in fact been taught by others. Anyway, today i'll tell you how to change or in a professional-looking term, hack, the GIMP splash screen.

For those not being friends with GIMP, i must first show you how its splash screen looks like:

Now after doing some hacking you can get it to look extremely small like this:

Or this, which is the optimum size:

Or even large-sized Splash Screen, so gigantic, it even exceeds my monitor screen!

So how do we customize the Splash Screen? It's easy. Just navigate to the 'images' folder located in C:\Program Files\GIMP-2.0\share\gimp\2.0\images and identify the splash image 'gimp-splash'. Delete the image (make a backup if you intend to re-use the default splash screen) and replace it with some other PNG-extension image which are renamed to 'gimp-splash' (this is important, because GIMP only recognize a splash screen by this name). If there is something wrong with your hack, GIMP will start without the splash screen.


To enhance the customization experience, it is best for you to use an image which is at the original splash screen's default image size, 275x400. If you are good in graphic editing and image creations with Photoshop, GIMP, Paint.NET or other image editing tools, you can even create a custom GIMP splash screen with the GIMP logo on it!


Note: Do not worry that this customization will damage GIMP. The startup splash screen is intended to create some sign of activities for users of GIMP, so that users will know what is loading in the background; GIMP will work fine regardless of whether the splash screen is there or not!

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Get Free O&O DriveLED 3 (Genuine) (Save 30$)

Chip.de is offering  full version of O&O DriveLED 3 in German language but the good thing is same license can be used on O&O DriveLED 3 (Eng). First of all few highlights of O&O DriveLED 3:

*Display of read/write access for logical volumes

*Display of current storage capacity on logical drives

*Automatic monitoring of all S.M.A.R.T. properties

*Display of current temperatures on all hard disk drives (when supported by manufacturer)

*Prognosis of remaining operational life for all hard disk drives

*Self tests run directly in Windows without the creation of a boot disk!

*Warning notification of possible operational errors on all hard disk drives

*Support of all Windows-compatible storage volumes

*Support of SCSI-disk drives

Grab It:

1: Open the following URL into your browser (URL copy n paste) and fill a short form. The form is in German language so follow snap P1 for guaidance. After filling form, submit it. On the next page you will see a message in German language telling you that you will get your free personal license soon. You will get it in 5 minutes.

http://www.oo-software.com/home/de/special/driveled/

2: Find email from O&O in your inbox or Spam folder. The subject of email will be Ihre Lizenz von O&O DriveLED 3. Find the part of email containing your registration infos. Follow snap P2 for guidance.

3: Download the O&O DriveLED from the following URL (URL copy n paste). The installer is in English.

http://dl.filekicker.com/send/file/227394-7I66/OODriveLED3Enu.exe

4: After installation, at first run, you will be asked to enter your license info. Read Step 2 again to locate your license. Register it and enjoy. Follow the following snap to find where to fill what during registration.

Chip.de promotion page can be found here (URL copy n paste):
http://www.chip.de/downloads/Vollversion-DriveLED_13013880.html

More info on O&O DriveLED 3 can be found here (URL copy n paste):
http://www.oo-software.com/home/en/products/oodriveled/index.html
Enjoy it.

Read more >>

Supercharge Your Facebook Experience With Boost & Facebook Lite!

I have an account on Facebook and needless to say, I often use Firefox to browse Facebook since it's virtually my top browser to use now. However, i hate some of the way Facebook is run and managed. There are some features that users are not being able to control and change, for example, eliminating those annoying flash ads which only slows down the page loading process. I also find Facebook a little lacking on the customization side which differentiates it so much from Friendster and Myspace that are more customizable. Most recently i also discovered that Facebook is getting more and more slower on my machine. I was sick of the way the flash games lags on me and was even more annoyed that the interface has become more and more cluttered as more features are added, on which i don't even use some of them...literally.

After some searching and testing, here are two pretty effective solutions to the above problems:



1. Boost


Boost is a free Firefox add-on developed by StudioBoost which allows users to customize their Facebook via Mozilla Firefox with 300+ skins, 30+ features, rollover pics, selectable options, one-click pokes, video downloader and many more. There are also other enhancements, for example, the option of refreshing the Home page of Facebook at selected intervals, options for downloading videos on Facebook, disable display banners and ads and even an auto image-magnifying option when you mouse-over an image.

Boost works with Firefox v3.5 and above and is completely freeware with no adware bundled. It is still currently in beta stage and so you can expect a few minor stability issues. As a user of Boost, i would strongly recommend that users disable some of the beta features of Boost if it is making your Firefox lag. Other than that, Boost works as advertised.

Download Boost add-on here (Require Mozilla Firefox v3.5 and above in order to run).

2. Facebook Lite

Facebook Lite is essentially the lighter version of Facebook. It offers the basic functionality while trimming out or getting some of the lesser-used features out of the way, making stuffs such as page loading and navigation easier and smoother. My experience with Facebook improved a lot better after i used and compared the lite version with the original version.

There are no limitations to accessing the lite version of Facebook. Simply access Facebook Lite now and feel the difference yourself!.

Facebook Lite works on all version of different browsers.

Read more >>

Get Free Paragon Partition Manager 9.5 Professional

Paragon Partition Manager is one of its kind which gives you complete control over your computer hard drive. It is a tool for re-structuring your hard disk for effective data storage. Improve your PC's performance on-demand without having to re-install your operating system and software applications. At the moment there is the latest version 10 is available so Paragon is giving away its previous version 9.5 free of cost.

This offer is valid till 18 October, 2009. Hurry up before it ends.

Features:

Advanced Partitioning Operations:
Enlarge NTFS partitions without rebooting Windows or interrupting your work, repartition hard disks without data loss, redistribute free space between partitions, merge two partitions to one etc.

Manage Vista/XP on one PC!:
Run several versions of Windows on your computer and switch between them easily upon startup. The Install New OS Wizard helps you to set up multiple operating systems on the same disk, e. g. Windows Vista and Windows XP.

Improved two level user interface:
A refined user interface with two experience levels (Easy/Advanced) will satisfy the needs of every customer.

Bulletproof protection against hardware malfunction:
Safe defragmentation of your hard disks even in the case of power outages, hardware malfunctions or system failures, easy backup creation and recovery media ensure the safety of your computer system.

Optimization and Defragmentation:
Tune your system for maximum performance! Defragmentation is the best method for achieving fast and smooth system performance. It accelerates system startup and when launching programs. Keep your system performing like when it was first installed!

Simple System Backups and Restoration:
Fast and easy backup creation to CDs, DVDs and even Blu-ray discs with the Simple Backup Wizard. Back up your system and data safely and easily before performing critical partitioning operations. With the help of the Recovery CD you can use Partition Manager to access your files even when your machine cannot boot. Restore your system and data from previously created backup archives when your system fails.

How to Grab:

1: Open the following URL into your browser and select which one you need; x86 or x64. Download your required.

http://www.paragon-software.com/free/giveaway.html#download

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Murgee Logon Controller: A Logon Bockground-Changer Compatible With Both Windows Vista & 7

Some users are interested in customizing their PC up and down, which includes the logon screen as well. For users not knowing this technical term, logon screen refers to the background image displayed where you logon to your computer during the final part of a Windows startup. The Logon background is displayed regardless of whether your computer is configured to auto logon or not.

I used to share two posts on two different logon screen changers, LogonStudio Vista and Tweaks.com Logon Changer.  While both are fully functional, both have their own limitations. For LogonStudio Vista, it is capable of running with both Vista and 7, but in order to make some of its functions work on 7, you’ll need to do adjustments on its compatibility. Tweaks.com Logon Changer works just perfectly on Windows 7 (with the additional benefit of not tampering with the digital signatures of Windows 7’s system files), but the problem is it is not designed to run on Vista. 

These issues with the two separate logon tools forced me to go out in search for another working and more flexible Logon Changer and mercifully, I came across a really nice one after a full month of search.

Murgee Logon Controller is another logon screen changer like LogonStudio Vista and Tweaks.com Logon Changer, but it works on both Vista and 7 without experiencing any compatibility issues. The software can be used to change Windows 7 or Vista Logon background by selecting default background images from your computer hard disk. The Logon Background can also be specified by browsing to an external image file (bmp, jpg etc.). As the Logon Background is shared by other users of the computer, the software download would require admin rights to run and change the background image of the login screen.

The software is easy to use, with a ribbon interface in place and only two tabs present due to its rather few functions. Users can customize the interface colour by clicking on the large Start button and browse through various picture folders specified. To verify that a logon screen has been changed, users are required to logoff to view the changes. The only problem is its slightly lagging reaction while browsing for folders with images, but that is no serious bug.

Murgee Logon Controller is now one of my favourite logon background changer because of its stability and flexibility between Vista and 7. It is highly recommended to everyone.

Download Murgee Logon Controller by clicking on this download link.

Read more >>

Get Free WinPerfect v6.20 (Save 20.93 EUR)

Sorry for bit delay in posting the article here.

Just 3 days ago, I shared info on how you can get VirtualDrive Home 11.8 + PC Shower 2009 + Nitro PDF 5 + ArtStudioPro Vol.2 free of cost. Unfortunately, VirtualDrive and Nitro PDF promos could not last long. The reason was simple. People needed it. They rushed to Grab these software. Results you know. There is nothing to worry about. In future you will get more. But at the moment there is one more UNTOLD gift for you. The latest release of WinPerfect CAN BE GRABBED FREE.

They say:

Windows system optimizer which checks and fixes any hard-disk and file system problems, cleans hard-disk and system registry, optimizes memory, defragments hard-disk, optimizes any installed software, tunes-up system specific settings, accelerates internet connection, improves cpu usage, maintains security, manages installed system services and uninstalls software no longer wanted.

System Requirements:
Works on Windows 2000/XP/Vista.

Grab It:
1: This is the same old procedure. You simply have to type your email address and press the big button. For better understanding look at snap. Open any of the following URL into your browser (copy n paste). After filling form, you will be directed to a new page where you will be told in German language that a confirmation email has been sent to you. Note: In the following snap, you may notice that the offered software is something else. Do not worry. The page layout is same for all offers.
http://registrieren.nobox.de/20090540.php
http://registrieren.nobox.de/20090403.php
http://registrieren.nobox.de/20090626.php
http://registrieren.nobox.de/20090404.php


2: Open your email and click on confirmation link to confirm your request. If for some reason, the link is not clickable, simply copy and paste it into your browser's address bar and open it. You will see a massage in German language telling you that your request is confirmed. Look at snap P4 to find the confirmation link into your email.

3: Now you will get one new email after confirming your request. In this email, you will get your requested license. Look at snap P3 for better understanding to find the requested license into your email. Note: In the following snap you will see some other software. Do not worry. The email layout is almost same. So, your license key will be where it is pointed "Here is your license".

4: Download WinPerfect from the following URL (copy n paste). Install it and the use the GRABBED license.
http://www.haysoft.com/site/winperfect/150

Enjoy.

Read more >>

Get Free VirtualDrive Home 11.8 + PC Shower 2009 + Nitro PDF 5 + ArtStudioPro Vol.2

Yesterday, I could not write any article. The reason is, I was working on some new explored web sites. I explored many active promotions. At the moment, I can not share all the promotions but you can easily figure it out how to grab UNTOLD promos, just comparing promos URLs. Instead of writing about each promo separately and killing time, I will write a small but compact article which you can easily understand. There may be some mistake. So, your may ask for correction.

Before requesting for license, you should read the full article. The reason is info about one software is not at one place. The article is divided into 3 parts: Grab it, Download and Installation. The reason is if I write separately for each software, better to write four different articles but I will not do it. This is a good thing.

These promos are from different German sites major one is Computerbild.de and many others.

Lets run to promos before these will be over.

Grab It:

1: Open the URL written under the respective software name and fill a short form as shown in snap . Remember! The form layout is same. This means different promos with different URLs are using same form layout. (URL copy n paste)

VirtualDrive Home 11 .8
http://registrieren.nobox.de/20090811.php

PC Shower 2009
http://registrieren.nobox.de/20090814.php

ArtStudioPro Vol.2
http://registrieren.nobox.de/20090831.php

Nitro PDF 5
32bit
http://registrieren.nobox.de/20090821.php
64bit
http://registrieren.nobox.de/20090822.php

2: At the next page, you will be told in German language that a verification email has been sent to your email. Now check your email and verify the link by clicking on it. The email will be sent to you from nobox.de - Der Downloadshop. Check snap P4 to find confirmation link. It will open a new page telling you that your license has been emailed you. Now check your email again and you will have a license key for your requested software. Find word SERIENNUMMER, your license will be on right side of this word. If you received two licenses, try both, at least one will work.


Download:

Below are the download links of respective software.

1: Open the URL of respective software into your browser and download it. (URL copy n paste)

VirtualDrive Home 11 .8
http://www.farstone.com/software/virtualdrive.htm
OR
http://www.farstone.us/download/virtualdrive/VirtualDrive-home11.8.exe
You can also download it from the following URL but it will be in German language.
http://www.computerbild.de/download/VirtualDrive-4259827.html

PC Shower 2009
The first link is tested and worked.
http://www.nobox.de/arafasoft-pc-shower.htm
http://www.arafasoft.com/PC-Shower.htm

ArtStudioPro Vol.2
http://www.virtualpainter5.com/tpasp2index.html
Update: David Colbert has provided two direct links to download ArtStudioPro. Here are:
http://artstudiopro.software.informer.com/download/
http://www.virtualpainter5.com/downloads/ArtStudioPro_Setup.exe

Nitro PDF 5
There is one problem that I could not find Nitro PDF 5 download link. The reason is Nitro PDF 6 is released. You may need to find Torrent or RS for Nitro PDF 5 or if you know any working download link for Nitro PDF 5, share it with us. Update: Lalavava shared the download links of Nitro PDF 5:
32bit:
http://www.nitropdf.com/professional/builds/nitro_pdf_professional5.exe
64bit:
http://www.nitropdf.com/professional/builds/nitro_pdf_professional5_64.exe

Installation:

VirtualDrive Home 11 .8
The only care is you will be asked your license/key during installation. So keep it ready when you are installing VirtualDrive Home 11.8.

PC Shower 2009
If you download from tested site, After installation, you will be asked to enter license which you received into your email. Look at P3 to find license into your email and P2 to enter license in appropriate place.



ArtStudioPro Vol.2
Use the license which you received into your email.

Nitro PDF 5
The license will not work in v6. So, license grabbed by this way is only acceptable in v5 and all updates related to Nitro PDF v5 (32bit-64bit).

Enjoy it.

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Skin Your Kaspersky With Different Interface!

Guys, you may be wondering why i had not been posting any new materials for almost half a week (Careful readers will notice that recent post are all originating from Techgeek and Thomas). Actually, I have been doing a bit of a cleanup and look-around regarding my desktop applications when i came across my Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 and its 'appearance' option. 

For those of you who never use Kaspersky as your antivirus or did not explore its options in detail, you might not realize that Kaspersky gives users the option of skinning the antivirus. Since i've never try out the option before ever since its introduction a few versions ago, i decided to waste my time by finding some information about it. Here's a summary of what i've found:

1. Skins are developed for a specific build of Kaspersky Lab version and are not compatible with other versions. For example, some skins are limited to Kaspersky 2009, while some are limited to Kaspersky 2010. In other words, different versions of Kaspersky antivirus use their own unique skins.

2. Kaspersky does not share responsibility if the skin cause any damages to your antivirus or PC, nor provide any technical support for it.

3. Kaspersky had actually set up a skin site for users to select skins for their own uses. The available skins are for version 7 (Kaspersky 2008) and 8 (Kaspersky 2009). No official skin site are found that are dedicated to skins for Kaspersky 2010 version.

4. Skins are free of charge.

5. Skins do not install by themselves. Users have to manually insert the skin files into the 'skin' folder in the Kaspersky installation path before they can apply the skin.

To download some skins from the official website, visit this official website and choose between version 7 & version 8.


Since i'm using the 2010 version of Kaspersky, i have to spend some time digging around, testing and identifying some working and nice-looking skin. My favorite skin is actually, the Windows 7 skin, originally posted online by Misaki2009.

Download Win 7 theme for Kaspersky 2010.

Of course, there are other equally attractive skin, just that they are a tad less interesting for me. Here are six skins for Kaspersky 2010 as well, all bundled into one package. Out of the six skins, my favorite one is the 'Space' skin.

Download unofficial 6 skins for Kaspersky 2010.

To install these skins, follow the instructions below:


1. This is important: open your Kaspersky Settings option and disable Self-Defense.
2. Unpack skins from your download.
3. Access your Kaspersky installation path ('C:/Program Files/Kaspersky Lab' by default), search for a   
    folder name 'Skin' and insert your skin folders into that path.
4. Find the 'Appearance' section of your Kaspersky Settings page and checkon 'Use Alternative Skin' box.
    Browse to the Skin folder of Kaspersky and select the skin that you want.
5. Once you're satisfied with a skin of your choice, turn on the Self-Defense again.

I know that the limit isn't up to here, though. If you had any other skins that i did not mention and is yet worth mentioning, do share it in this post's comment section so that we can all learn about it.


 

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Fix Internet Explorer 8 Broken/Slow Tab Loading Issues

Ever wonder why Internet Explorer seems to keep on losing browser market share these past couple of years? The reason is because Internet Explorer is just a slower, buggier and heavier-on-resources browser compared to other browsers like Firefox, Chrome and even Maxthon, a browser which uses the same browser engine as Internet Explorer yet still outperforms Internet Explorer literally.

One of my issues with Internet Explorer 8 is its browser tab. I do not like how slow Internet Explorer is at preparing me a new tab. I also had a few experiences where other users of Internet Explorer 8 seems to be unable to perform multiple tab browsing because their browser tab function is broken. Luckily, there is a simple fix to this common problem.

For most users who experience the above two problems I mentioned, most likely there is an issue with one of the browser-related Dynamic Link Library (DLL) named actxprxy.dll which must either have failed to install properly during browser upgrading, is missing or is damaged.
Here’s how to fix this problem:

1. Open up elevated command prompt (You must be logged in as privileged administrator in Vista and 7)

2. On the Command Prompt window, type in ‘regsvr32 actxprxy.dll’ (without quotes) and hit Enter.


3. Restart computer and you’re done!

Finally, for advanced technical users who would like to understand more of what’s going on, here’s an explanation:

1. The command ‘regsvr32’ refers to a built-in program of Windows where users can register or unregister any Dynamic Link Libraries and ActiveX Controls.

2. The DLL ‘actxprxy.dll’ refers to a Dynamic Link Library which hosts the Microsoft ActiveX Interface Controller. The ActiveX-related DLL simply works by marshaling ActiveX Libraries sequentially. Along with DLLs like urlmon.dll and mshtml.dll, it is one of the core components of Internet Explorer.

3. Simply put, the command line shown above means that to fix the problem, we are actually calling for Windows to register the broken, missing or improperly configured actxprxy.dll!

After running the fix on my Vista, Internet Explorer 8 has been more responsive tab-wise.

Keep on learning…;-)

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Use Tweaks.com LogonChanger to Customize your Windows 7 Background

For Windows 7 users only:

I once posted on the blog about how I once tried to use LogonStudio Vista on Windows 7, which requires me to set the compatibility mode to Windows Server 2003; a pretty weird way to use the logon screen changer normally.

Tweaks.com Logon Changer is the other alternative to LogonStudio Vista that really works on Windows 7. However, Logon Changer is in my opinion, better than using LogonStudio Vista. Firstly, Logon Changer is designed to be very lightweight, just as light as LogonStudio Vista in terms of usage but much more lighter in terms of installers. In fact, Tweaks.com’s Logon Changer is directly executable, meaning that users don’t have to do any installation to change their logon screen. Secondly, using LogonStudio Vista on Windows 7 is not good in a way that it actually requires the hacking of the system resources which breaks digital signatures on those hacked system files. While the breaking of digital signatures does not really render your PC useless, there is nevertheless, unknown risk involved.


Tweaks.com Logon Changer actually is using a feature that was originally designed for OEM computer manufactures like Dell and others to brand their computers. It is the compilation of the manual logon screen-changing process first devised by famous PC tweaker Rafael Rivera. Rafael Rivera’s manual way of modifying logon screen requires creating some registry keys, folders and files which is very complicated and risky for novice users. By compiling all those manual editing into a workable program, users don’t have to mess with sensitive file areas of Windows anymore; everyone can now safely customize their Windows 7 logon screen background.

There are some limitations to using Logon Changer though. Users must make sure that the background they select is smaller than 256KB in size, otherwise it will be rejected because of a size limitation set by Microsoft. Well, better than hacking the system files like LogonStudio Vista does, anyway…

I’ve been using Logon Changer for about five to six months without any issues on both the beta and RC version of a 32-bit Windows 7. I have to say that it is a wonderful little program designed to be lightweight & functional.

Download Tweaks.com Logon Changer now by clicking on this link.

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Get Free Ashampoo Photo Commander 6, WinOptimizer 4 and Burning Studio 9 (Adv) n 6

Now this is the time to grab some free software from Ashampoo. Previously, I have share about burning studio, AntiVirus and AntiSpyware from Ashampoo. Now I will share how you can Get Free Ashampoo Photo Commander 6, WinOptimizer 4 and Burning Studio 6 n 9 (Advance). These are being offered by Computerbild.de, a German site, but there is no need for any translator to find out the download link. Respective webpage of each software is given below. On each page, you will find a big blue button DOWNLOAD. Just click on it and you will be directed to new webpage. You download will start automatically. This tip is for all the four offers.

Ashampoo Photo Commander 6:
"Ashampoo Photo Commander" is an all-round solution for your digital photos. It has much to offer: photo calendars, greeting cards, collages, photo albums for the Internet, photo slideshows, burning function for CDs and DVDs, and numerous effects and extra functions. And thanks to the convenient thumbnail display ( "Thumbnails" view). Lets see new features:

* New interface: Ribbon style tabbed interface with Vista style buttons on XP
* Adjustable dialog box sizes: user settings are saved
* Quick-Fix Tools: All common operations with a couple of clicks
* Editable objects: New file format stores objects you add on editable layers
* Unlimited Undo/Redo: For all changes
* Browser EXIF mode: Shows all the photo’s EXIF/IPTC information directly under the picture
* Quick 5-star ratings: Just click to rate photos with 1-5 stars, supports sorting by rating
* Enhanced thumbnails: Better looking thumbnails stored with lossless compression
* Enhanced searching: In subfolders and by EXIF and IPTC data
* New screen capture technology: Capture free-style shapes, Vista Aero Glass effects and more, full multi-monitor support
* Improved Wizards: Wizards guide you through procedures with a clearer, even more intuitive layout
* Email to PDF: Mail multiple images in a single PDF file
* Batch optimization: Apply the new One-Click Optimization tool to all your selected photos in one quick and easy process
* Slide shows with audio: Add more than one audio track to your slide shows
* JPEG-XR support: The program supports the new Windows HD Photo format

Download:
http://www.computerbild.de/download/Ashampoo-Photo-Commander-6-Kostenlose-Vollversion-911864.html

Ashampoo WinOptimizer 4:
The system optimization program WinOptimizer 4 can remove unnecessary junk data, defragment the hard drive or optimize Windows, memory and Internet access.

* System Benchmark: The module tests the processor and measures the performance of the system memory. A nice feature is that the results from your own computer can be compared to those of other PCs.
* Visual Styler: It's important to many users that their Windows system has its own unique look. That's where the visual styler comes in. The module can switch out existing icons for new ones and make the individual windows look transparent.
* Hard Drive Defragmenter: This module also runs under Vista, reconnecting files which have been broken into fragments to restore them to their original form. This increases performance when working with Windows.

Download:
http://www.computerbild.de/download/Ashampoo-WinOptimizer-4-Free-Kostenlose-Vollversion-431127.html

Ashampoo Burning Studio 9 Advance:
This is my favorite CD DVD burning software along with CDBurnerXP. The Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009 Advanced burns "music and other data to CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs. Even you can create best covers, booklets, and labels with this free software to design and print. There is not a big difference between this one and the one at Ashampoo's own site.

* Burn and update data discs
Burn data to CD, DVD or Blu-ray discs and update previously burned discs by adding and removing files and folders.
* Back up your data to single or multiple discs
Back up your valuable data to one or more CD, DVD or Blu-ray discs. Single backups can span multiple discs. Restore your backups in a single easy operation.
* Rip and burn music
Rip music from CDs and burn music to audio CDs and MP3 or WMA discs on CD, DVD and Blu-ray in a variety of formats.
* Burn movies and photos to DVDs and data discs
You can create slideshow DVDs with photos and video clips and you can author and burn video DVDs, Video CDs (VCD), Super Video CDs (SVCD) and data video discs. Video files are automatically converted to the necessary formats.
* Movie editor with DVD authoring
Edit and assemble your movies, add transitions, titles, texts, images and background music and then burn them to DVDs.
* Create high-quality DVD slideshows
Turn your photos into impressive DVD slideshows with titles, transitions and background music.
* Copy CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs
Just insert a disc, select Copy and go to make a perfect copy.
* Create and burn disc images
You can both create and burn ISO, CUE/BIN and Ashampoo’s own special ASHDISC image formats.
* Erase rewriteable discs
Quick and easy erase functions for reusing rewriteable discs.
* Expert burn functions for full control
Burning experts can create modified copies of existing discs (read in data structure and make changes and additions) and burn discs of all kinds with full control of all main configuration options.
* Create covers and labels
The full-featured cover and label designer prints to labels or directly to printable discs. It comes with a selection of point-and-click themes for instant results and easy-to-use creative tools for designing your own layouts.

Download:
http://www.computerbild.de/download/Ashampoo-Burning-Studio-2009-Advanced-Kostenlose-Vollversion-430765.html


Ashampoo Burning Studio 6:
It is an old version which was available free to download and use at Ashampoo's own site for a long time but no more available. But Computerbild is offering it again. If you are still using some pretty old computer, it would be best choice.
Download:
http://www.computerbild.de/download/Ashampoo-Burning-Studio-6-Free-Kostenlose-Vollversion-2311969.html

Note:
If your download does not start automatically, click on word "hier" as shown in snap P. This tip is for all the four offers.

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Tabbed Documents in Office 2007 Word, Excel and PowerPoint with OfficeTab v1.22 b090913_21:50

You friends are very much familiar with new tabbed browsers. Browser with the tab facility makes Internet surfing very easy. You do not have to switch between many opened browsers windows. Your computer resources been also less consumed because of tabbed browser. There are many other benefits but m not gonna talk about tabbed browsers. I will talk about OfficeTab which can create tabbed windows in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

The current release of OfficeTab is 1.22 b090913_21. A small program of 1.3MB takes just 4.2MB of your hard disk after installation. It simply integrates into installed office applications and when you run any of three applications, you become able to do tabbed documenting. Lets have a look at OfficeTab v1.22:

1: Create tabbed documents
2: Place tab at upper, lower, left or right side of the document
3: Option to not to show tab bar when just one document is opened
4: Open a specific tab into new document window with right click menu
5: 11 different style for attractive appearance of tabbed windows
6: 3 style of tab layout: Fix size, Auto and Fit
7: Custom color for tab and its text for better identification among active and non-active tabs
8: Hide and show tab-bar with Win+q hot key
9: Ctrl+Tab to move between opened tabs like in Internet browsers
10: Right mouse click has features like Some additional features like all close, close the non-active documents, close active one, etc.
11: Ctrl+n to create new tab in the opened window
12: No support for drag n drop of an opened tab

My view is this is a good tool to be used with MS Office 2007. If you are easy with tabbed browsing, you will like it. There is no problem is testing it. Open the following page into your browser and look at snap P to find where you should click to download OfficeTab1.22.
http://hi.baidu.com/officecm/blog/item/19de9c6dcf6276f2431694b0.html
The word which you should click to download OfficeTab v1.22 has been highlighted with red boundary.

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