Blogger Tips and Tricks

Nokia today unveiled its latest Windows Phone 8 smartphone, the compact Lumia 620, at the LeWeb conference today in Paris. The Lumia 620 features a 3.8-inch screen, 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, NFC technology and 512 MB of RAM; moreover, the handset is Nokia’s cheapest Windows Phone 8 smartphone yet at $249.
As with Nokia’s other Windows Phone 8 smartphones, the Lumia 620 is available in a wide variety of mix-and-match colors. The handset has dual-colored shells in lime green, orange, magenta, yellow, cyan, white and black, giving the device a creative edge. And unlike its Lumia 920 sibling, the smaller Lumia 620 is softer and rounder for a more playful appearance.
According to Nokia, the Lumia 620 will be shipping to the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa in January, while launches in Canada and Europe will follow shortly thereafter. This smaller smartphone should help Nokia in its attempt to cater to the low- and mid-level range in emerging countries, where the Finnish handset maker has also been highly promoting its Windows Phone 7.5 devices.

Android, as an open source mobile operating system, is considered more prone to malware attacks than closed platforms such as iOS — the iPhone, in particular — or Windows Phone. Microsoft is looking to take advantage of that fact by relaunching a marketing campaign on Twitter, in which users are invited to share their worst Android malware horror stories, using the hashtag #DroidRage, for a chance to win a free Windows Phone.
Microsoft is expanding its reach this year by using its official Windows Phone account on Twitter, which has over 220,000 followers, to promote the marketing campaign. Last year, it ran the campaign using the Twitter account @BenThePCGuy, which only has around 18,000 followers at the time of writing, and generated thousands of tweets in response. This year, that number will presumably be much higher.
The social campaign will certainly involve its fair share of illegitimate entries, as people attempt to win a free Windows Phone by making up an imaginary malware nightmare. But, as The Next Web notes, Microsoft will be pleased just to get the Android malware conversation going, in an attempt to make its flagship Windows Phone 8 smartphones sound more appealing to consumers.

A new report on Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the matter, claims that Microsoft is planning on increasing the frequency of its upgrade cycle for Windows by updating the software about once per year. In the past, Microsoft has updated its Windows platform on a more spread out two or three year basis. For instance, Windows Vista was released in January 2007, Windows 7 followed in June 2009 and Windows 8 mos recently launched in late October.
Microsoft is hoping that by updating its Windows software more frequently, it will be able to better compete with Apple and Google in the ultra-competitive consumer electronics industry. Apple and Google have been largely at hand for a decline in notebook sales over the past few years, as smartphones and tablets like the iPhone, iPad and those running Android have eaten away at traditional PC market share.
“U.S. retail sales of PCs running Windows have declined 21 percent since the company released the latest version of the operating system, Windows 8, according to a report by NPD Group Inc… The report compared sales from Oct. 21 to Nov. 17 of this year to the same period of 2011. It was based on a sampling of retailers and excluded Microsoft’s own stores, where the company’s Surface tablet is sold.”
By releasing a new Windows version each year, Microsoft will be following a similar release pattern as OS X for Mac. Apple too appears to have switched to an annual upgrade cycle, having introduced OS X Lion in 2011 and OS X Mountain Lion just a year later; moreover, another new OS X version is expected to drop in 2013. Hopefully we’ll see some strong improvements to Windows 8 next year, which hasn’t exactly garnered the greatest consumer response.

If you bought a new Windows 8 laptop recently, there’s probably already third party support for DVD playback. However, if you upgraded to Windows 8 on your current laptop or desktop, there’s no way to play your collection of DVDs. That’s because Microsoft removed both the ability to play DVD in Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center from Windows 8.
The only way to get back official DVD playback support from Microsoft is to purchase the Windows Media Center Pack separately for $9.99. Maybe that’s how Microsoft is selling Windows 8 for cheap. Not everyone uses DVD anymore nor do their ultrabooks have a DVD drive.
But luckily you won’t have to pay the $9.99 until after January 31st next year if you need DVD support on your Windows machine. Microsoft has been offering the Windows Media Center Pack for free since they released Windows 8 last October. Head over to their promotion page and register with your email. It will take a couple days for Microsoft to send you a product key and instructions on how to add Windows Media Center Pack to your Windows 8 machine.

Note that this offer is only for the Windows 8 Pro edition.

Traditionally, you would have to install different operating systems to separate partitions on your hard drive if you boot multiple OS platforms. The disadvantage is that malwares and viruses can spread among different partitions.
Another disadvantage is that it takes a considerable amount of time to create, delete or merge partitions when you need to. Since the advent of Windows 7, Microsoft has offered a new way to easily install and boot Windows from a Virtual Hard Disk (.vhd) file. This feature is even better in Windows 8.
What is a VHD file you ask? It’s a file format that emulates a real physical hard drive. It’s a hard drive within a hard drive—inception! In fact, you can even create and mount virtual hard drives within Windows 7 or 8 running from a VHD. I have yet to try an OS within an OS that runs from a virtual hard drive, but it’s possible with virtualization software like Virtual Box.
One of the benefits of a VHD compared to a physical partition is that it is a portable format. You can easily back up or restore it. Another benefit is security protection. If your other operating systems on the same hard drive get infected with malware, your OS on a VHD file will be isolated from that infection.
There are some minor disadvantages with running an OS from a VHD. Performance decreases about 3 percent, and you will lose the Hibernation and Bitlocker features. Moreover, only Windows 8 Pro/Enterprise and Windows 7 Ultimate/Enterprise support VHD booting.
Let’s create a VHD file so that you can install Windows 8 to it. You can do this during the install process, but it’s easier to demonstrate it using the tools available on Windows 7; that is, assuming you are running Windows 7. Step-by-step instructions are just ahead. 
1. Click on the Start menu and type in Computer Management and run it.
2. Right-click on Disk Management and choose Create VHD.

3. The minimum recommended space for Windows 8 is 20 gigabytes, but you will need more than that to run Windows 8 efficiently. For tutorial purposes, I just use 20 GB.
Keep the Fixed size option selected, otherwise Windows will run into issues if its hard drive space changes. Save it to a location that you could easily recall later. I named and saved win8.vhd in the root of C: drive.
Have your Windows 8 install DVD ready or a Windows 8 USB flash drive if you made one from the Windows 8 ISO you downloaded from Microsoft’s website.
4. Now boot to your DVD or USB flash drive from the start up screen, using F12 key or whatever the default key your system uses.
Let the system do its thing and it’ll eventually reach the Windows 8 install screen. Follow the on-screen steps until you reach this screen where it asks you to choose Upgrade install or Custom install. Choose Custom install.

5. Next you’ll need to choose where to install your Windows 8. But wait, you won’t see the virtual hard drive on that list anywhere. It’s not enabled yet, so you will have to attach it first. Press SHIFT+F10 to open up a secret command box.

6. Now type in diskpart and press enter so we could select and attach the .vhd file.

7. Type in select vdisk file=c:win8.vhd and press enter. Make sure to type in the correct location of where you saved your vhd file.
8. After it successfully selected your vhd file, type in attach vdisk and press enter. Now close the box.

9. Click on the Refresh button and the list will be updated with the virtual drive.

10. Select your virtual hard drive and click Next. Now go feed your cat or check your text messages and come back in a bit and you should have Windows 8 installed. That’s it. You’ll notice that your system will boot into Windows 8 automatically, but you will have the option to choose which systems to log into.
If, after awhile, you decide that you don’t like Windows 8 anymore, all you have to do is boot back into Windows 7 and delete the win.vhd file. It’s that easy!
Do you have any other tips or tricks for installing Windows 8 on a virtual hard drive?

Uptake of Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system has reportedly been a tad sluggish; perhaps making it free will help things along?

As noted by Stephen Hall at windowswave.com, the Media Center upgrade promotion now running until January includes a security hole that allows for Windows users to upgrade to the full version of Windows 8 for free.

This loophole might allow software pirates to get their hands on Windows 8. According to Hall, Microsoft ditched the volume key approach with its latest operating system. People can no longer install multiple versions of Windows using the same install code. Instead, Windows 8 requires a different code for each Windows 8 install, much to the chagrin of pirates.

A Media Center upgrade, however, might help them out. In May, Microsoft said it would ditch DVD playback support for Windows Media Player in Windows 8. Those who wanted it, though, could purchase Windows Media Center to get DVD functionality, Microsoft said at the time. As part of a Windows 8 promotion, Microsoft is currently letting users receive that Windows 8 Media Center Pack product key for free via Microsoft.com.
Microsoft, however, is also offering a 180-day free trial of Windows 8 for enterprise users via its Key Management Service (KMS). When you request the Windows 8 Media Center product key, Microsoft will send it and install a non-trial version of Windows 8 - even if you're still using the trial version of Windows 8 and haven't paid for the upgrade.

"Due to the fact that the WMC upgrade process does no checks for the validity of the activation, any activated copy of windows (even ones which were activated via KMS) are upgraded to a valid version of Windows 8 via the WMC upgrade. Uh oh!" Hall wrote.

A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to comment.

Here is a trick using which you can lock any folder on windows without installing any software.
  Copy the code provided below exactly and paste it into notepad (Start > Run > Notepad). Save as protect.bat and exit notepad. Double click on protect.bat and you will see a new folder on your desktop called “Locker”. Copy all the files you need to be hidden there. Double click on protect.bat again, and it will ask you if you want to hide the folders, type in y and press Enter. To un hide, double click protect.bat, type in your password and press enter. That’s it!

Following is the code you’ll need to this stuff,

cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Locker
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Locker goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure u want to Lock the folder(Y/N)
set/p "cho:"
if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
if %cho%==y goto LOCK
if %cho%==n goto END
if %cho%==N goto END
echo Invalid choice.
goto CONFIRM
:LOCK
ren Locker "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
echo Folder locked
goto End
:UNLOCK
echo Enter password to Unlock folder
set/p "pass:"
if NOT %pass%== thisIsMyPassword goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Locker
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Locker
echo Locker created successfully
goto End
:End

In the above code, don’t forget to edit the line that have your password the above code.:-click for download
if NOT %pass%== thisIsMyPassword goto FAIL

2. Save the file as “locker.bat”. You are done. When you’ll double-click on the locker.bat file for first time, a folder “locker” will be automatically created. You can move all your confidential data in that folder.

Now to lock the folder just double-click on the file “locker”. You will get a confirmation message inCommand Prompt. Type “y” to confirm. Now the folder “Confidential” will be locked and hidden.

 

If you want to get access to the contents of the folder then again double-click on the batch file, you have created. Immediately you will be prompted to enter your password. After that you can get access to the folder “locker”.

 for that bat file :download

Folder Lock Tricks work for , Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7
not work in Windows 8

 An easy software solution to enable you to control your computer, dictate emails and letters, and have the computer read documents back to you. e-Speaking – Voice Recognition software using your voice to command and control your computer. Reduce or eliminate mouse clicks or keyboard input. Use it to enhance your computing experience by providing an additional input to the computer.


10 Reasons for Trying e-Speaking’s Software

1. Free Download of software
2. Over 100 commands built-in
3. Ability to add more commands
4. Runs in Windows2000 and Windows XP
5. Small file size
6. Utilizes latest technologies from Microsoft
7. Seamlesly integrate with Office
8. Voice commands of Mouse events
9. Based on SAPI and .NET technologies
10. Easy to Use

What is Speech Recognition & Voice Recognition?



These are exciting technologies that change the way you interact with your computer. Now you can speak to your computer and it can speak back. The speech that you and your computer exchange is scripted. In other words, you can’t just ask your computer how he/she is feeling? Rather, you can talk to your computer using a set of pre-defined commands and instructions (i.e., a script). Your computer will respond in the same way (also using a scripted language). For example, you can say: “File Open”, and the computer would respond: “Select the file”. Or you can say: “Edit Find” and the computer would ask: “Find What?”.

 It’s a phenomenon that happens to us all: we go about our normal lives, using our computers to download programs, create files, and surf the web, and before we know it our desktops get messy and cluttered. When this happens, many people simply choose to ignore the clutter, maximize their web browser, and pretend that their desktop cleaning needs are not pressing. Considering the desire to postpone that often accompanies a cleaning project of any nature, this reaction is certainly an understandable one.
But for those of us who are more compulsive about cleaning and enjoy maintaining a semblance of order, needing to tidy up our desktops is an unfortunate yet routine occurrence. We go through file by file, decide what to keep, what to throw out, and what to move, and slowly move through this process until everything is neat and in order. All the while, we wish to ourselves that there was an easier way – a method by which we could clean more easily and insure that the desktop doesn’t immediately return to a cluttered state.

If you’ve found yourself expressing similar sentiments, here are a few tips for removing and reducing clutter on your desktop:

Make A Junk Folder
Every computer has a “Trash” folder for any programs or items that you no longer need. A junk folder is only a natural extension of this concept – it would be the place to put anything that you rarely or never use but have no desire to throw out. This can be incredibly beneficial in the desktop cleaning process, as any items that have no clear destination but are worth keeping can simply be dragged over to “Junk.” It’s probably best, though, to label this folder “Desktop II” or something similarly generic.

Use Practical Widgets and Gadgets
While the desktop was once the main launching point for computer use in the days of dial-up internet, it has now taken a backseat in importance to the browser homepage. But what desktops still have going for them is widgets and gadgets – personalized applications that can be placed anywhere on the screen. If you have widgets that you actually use and refer to with some frequency, then you are more likely to notice your desktop and to habitually keep it clean, therefore saving you the trouble of a major cleaning project. On this note, practical widgets – such as temperature, news, and time displays – can further your goals of a clean desktop.

Switch Up the Background
Similarly, a user who regularly switches up the background is also more likely to pay regular attention to the desktop. A new, exciting, visually appealing, and bold background is one that you will keep coming back to, and in that sense it can make your desktop more like a home screen or a profile page.

Have A Plan
But when these tips fail and you are still faced with a messy desktop, it’s always good to go into the cleaning process with a concerted plan. Have an idea of what icons you want to move, where you want to move them, and how different files should be classified. Ultimately, by being decisive, a person should be able to organize even the messiest of desktops in short order.
While a messy desktop is far from a catastrophe, those of us who appreciate having cleanliness in our lives will understand the value of keeping even our virtual spaces free of clutter. Hopefully these tips will help you make that happen.