Windows Tools, Help & Guides

If you have downloaded the free books from Windows Guides (or any PDF) and it won’t open, you may see any of the following messages:

• Invalid Adobe PDF
• Error Locating Object Handler
• Adobe reader could not open the file ‘ABC.pdf’ because it is either not a supported file type or because the file has been corrupted (for example it has been sent as an email attachment and wasn’t correctly decoded
• An Internal Error Occurred
• Other obscure and unhelpful messages

This guide will take you through basic troubleshooting steps you can use to view PDF files that seem to work for every one else but you.
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FlashHacker, let you watch Full screen Flash videos on one monitor while working on the other one.  If you have a Dual Monitor System you might have experienced that even though you can show Flash Videos (on YouTube etc) in full screen, the slightest movement on your mouse, or a Pop-Up message from your Email etc. causes Flash to automatically turn off Full Screen View.

Now there is a solution…

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The improved Disk Burn function in Windows 7 allows you to burn files to a disk on the fly, and it doesn’t close the session until you eject the disk. Which is a great tool to use if you continuously want to save backups of your files and documents.

There might, however, be  some reasons to shut this feature off. Like, when my kids discovered the burn to disk feature, they tried to “make movies” by placing tons of YouTube links on the disk and burn them. Suddenly my stash of 50 DVD’s were gone. Filled with nothing useful what so ever.

Therefor, I needed a way to disable the Burn To Disk Function in my Windows 7. Now This may also work in Vista, tho I haven’t tested it.

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Windows DVD maker comes bundled with Windows 7 and makes great photo and video DVDs with minimal effort. If you’d like to create a photo and video DVD to capture and store memories to share with friends, this guide will show you how.

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Are you a regular user of the Event Viewer in Windows 7? Ever wonder why Microsoft haven’t programmed it to clear itself after a certain amount of entries or time?

As it stands right now, I have tens of thousands of entries in the Event Viewer which is unnecessary and bogs down the loading time. Maybe for a corporate administrator this is required but for average Joe, it isn’t.

What is the Event Viewer?

“Windows NT has featured event logs since its original release in 1993. Applications and operating system components can make use of this centralized log service to report events that have taken place, such as a failure to start a component or complete an action. The system defines three log sources:

• “System”
• “Application”
• “Security”

Microsoft intends the System and Application log sources for use by the Windows operating system and Windows applications respectively. Only the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (lsass.exe) can directly write to the Security log.”

With that out of the way, on with the guide to show you how to clear the Event Viewer.
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Hi Readers,

I really value your feedback; every day I receive feedback about this and other sites I run; this feedback helps me improve the site and improve your experience here.

Today I am asking you to take a moment to submit feedback to me about Windows Guides (mintywhite.com.) Please share any bugs, glitches, errors, annoyances, grammar mistakes, and problems in general.

How to make your feedback really helpful:

• Include the URL (address) of the page where the problem exists.
• Please detail anything you do to get the error.
• Please refrain from sharing feedback like “I wish the background was green and not blue” etc. While I do welcome this feedback, this will not help in this exercise.

I promise to read every email I get and, if you ask questions, I’ll get back to you.

Submit a Bug etc. to me

Previously I’ve written about the hopeless people who are calling the Tech Support Hotline (Read here). I’ve also given you a great tool to use, when dealing with these individuals and others in dire need of assistance (Read here).

This time, Let’s share stories about the Tech Support People who weren’t any help, or who never should have picked up the phone that day at all. I have a few stories here that made me laugh and I hope they can brighten you day as well.

What I’d really like thou, is for you to share your story, with me and the rest of our faithful readers.

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I love Windows 7, I think it’s a great operating system.  There are a few things however that I do not like.

This guide is going to show you how you can remove the Screen resolution, Gadgets & Personalize from the Desktop context menu.

I really can’t understand why MS have put these two here. Especially Screen resolution, once you’ve set your resolution, under most circumstances you’ll likely never click it again (to be honest, you probably didn’t use it in the first place), why put it pride of place in this context menu?  Surely other commands would be much more useful.  Restarting Explorer for perhaps?

I’m not a lover of gadgets either, I like a nice clean Desktop to work in.  This context menu item for me, has to go.

For anyone who is the same as me and can’t understand why these 2 entries are here and too, have no need for them and want to remove them, you’ve come to the right place!

This guide involves editing the registry, please see here before modifying it at all.

Usually all we would have to do is delete a key or two from the registry.

This guide is a little more involved however and requires permission changes to the registry.  Sounds scary I know but as long as you’ve had a look here, understand the risks and follow the guide to a tee, all will be fine and dandy! Read more…

Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with
4+ out of 5	(4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)

PROS: The program is simple and very easy to use. It has all the necessary functions you would expect and a few more. ImgBurn is not just for the Novice User, but also for the Experienced Tweaker. CONS: No direct MP3 to CDA conversion VERDICT: Get it while it’s free :) Some day they’ll discover they can make money on it. PRICE: Freeware VERSION REVIEWED: 2.5 Download Link in the Article

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Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with
4 out of 5	(3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)

PROS: Helps you watch videos of all types without having to install different codecs each time. the relatively small and efficient download. CONS: If not installed correctly, you can add lots of stuff that you will never use. In another program is lightweight, I don’t like installing programs are never use on my PC. VERDICT: If you try to play video with Windows Media Player or Windows Media Center and you either yet no sound, no video, or nothing at all, this codec pack will likely fix that problem. Thus, I recommend this program to all Windows Media Player or Windows Media Center users. PRICE: Free VERSION REVIEWED: 2.2.0 DOWNLOAD: Windows 7 Codecs Pack

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