Windows Tools, Help & Guides

If you would like to create a custom dashboard, like the one shown below, this guide will show you how.

Create Your Own Custom Dashboard in Firefox [How To]

Every month we take a look around some of the most interesting windows-related web sites. We collect the best free stuff and write tips to help you get more out of Windows. Below you’ll find wallpapers, icon packs, fonts, screensavers, and freeware we’ve found over the last 31 days. We’ve also put together our most popular windows guides.

Enjoy the overview of stuff you shouldn’t have missed in August 2009

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Here at mintywhite.com, we love Icon Packs. In this collection, I’ve picked my favorite RSS icon packs. Enjoy these packs and please feel free to suggest some more.

Full credit goes to the authors of the packs. Please take time when you visit their sites to check out other packs and goodies they have to offer.

Want More Icons?

Check out more icon collections on Mintywhite.com or learn how to use these on a dock in Windows.
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Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide v0.2.2 is now released and ready for download. Preview the book here.

Download Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide (v0.2.2) (Free Newsletter signup required.) Direct Link for newsletter subscribers

What’s New?

Here is a subset of what is new with the latest release:

Document Improvements

I’ve made the following improvements:

• Document inconsistencies fixed.
• Grammar check and update.
• Updated guide on improving external hard drive performance.
• Guides ready for translation.

Meet the Translators

Earlier this week, I asked for volunteers to help with translation. 28 35 people responded and are currently working on version 0.2.2 to translate it into 18 24 different languages. These translators will receive a byline in the credits section of both their translation and the English-language edition of the book. The translators are:

• Waldo A (Afrikaans)
• Nesrine R (Arabic)
• Omar Z (Arabic)
• Marce D (Czech)
• Mike F (Dutch)
• Mobidoy (French)
• Adrien (French)
• Uta R (German)
• Alon (Hebrew)
• Anindya S (Hindi)
• Sunil S (Hindi)
• Untung (Indonesian)
• FSoft (Italian)
• Shivam M (Kannada)
• Darko S (Macedonian)
• Xander (Norwegian)
• Armin I (Persian)
• Jolanta S (Polish)
• Angelo Moretto (Portuguese)
• Guilherme V (Portuguese)
• Gustavo B (Portuguese)
• Keith J (Portuguese)
• Radu M (Romanian)
• bojkohb (Slovenian)
• James K (Spanish)
• Dina V (Spanish)
• Juan C (Spanish)
• Jose P (Spanish)
• Felipe G (Spanish)
• Gerd von A (Spanish)
• Andreas R (Swedish)
• Elayathambi T (Tamil)
• KiT (Thai)
• cubes (Traditional Chinese)
• Triết Học Nguyễn (Vietnamese)

Thank you so much for all volunteering! It’s not too late to offer help in translating, email me for details.

Download Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide (v0.2.2) (Free Newsletter signup required.) Direct Link for newsletter subscribers

The response to Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide has been overwhelming over the last couple of days. I’ve managed to kill two mirror servers and get completely behind on my email as a result. Not that I’m complaining.

You may know that I ask you to sign up for the free Windows Guides newsletter to receive the link for the Pocket Guides. To help those who are having trouble finding the password and those who do not want to sign up (I know, crazy huh), I’m providing, for the next 24 hours, a direct download link (on someone else’s server this time) for Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide. The offer expires Sunday August 30, 2009 @ 5 P.M. EST. To get the book after this time, you’ll need to subscribe to the free Windows Guides newsletter.

Help Required

I’ve received hundreds of emails with feedback on the book. So much that I’ve been working on the book extensively since its last release. Version 0.2.2 will be ready tomorrow, at 5 P.M., for translation—more about that tomorrow. Before that time, I want to get the book up to scratch and ready. If you have feedback, tell me or leave a comment below.

Direct Download Link

Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide

I previously showed you how to block ads when browsing; however, InPrivate browsing in IE8 takes some time to learn which content needs blocking. Windows Forums moderator rsvr85 has written a guide, which shows you how to update InPrivate’s block list with AdBlock’s list, which will cut out ~80% of ads instantly.

AdBlocking in IE8

Windows Forums moderator rsvr85 has written a guide, which shows you how to create a virtual machine, in Windows 7, without additional software.

Before you create a virtual machine, you’ll need to check your processor can handle virtualization. Use SecurAble to check whether your processor is compatible.

How to Create a Virtual Machine

If you’re watching a video in full screen on the computer and you want to turn the system volume up, you need to minimize the video clip, click the audio item in the system tray and turn it up from there. This can be very tedious; thus I looked for a good solution to this problem and found Volumouse. Volumouse provides you with a quick and easy way to control the volume on your system—simply by rolling the wheel of your wheel mouse.

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Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide v0.2.1 is now released and ready for download. Preview the book here.

Download Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide (Free Newsletter signup required.) Direct Link for newsletter subscribers

What’s New?

Here is a subset of what is new with the latest release:

New Guides:

New guides on the following topic are now included in the book:

• Virtual XP Mode.
• Web Browsing Ad Blocking.
• Search Index.
• Remove Shortcut Overlay Icons.
• Version Comparison and Purchase Links.
• Easy Transfer.
• Anti-spyware Software.
• Firewall Software.
• Install Windows 7 as a Virtual Machine.
• Create a System Restore Point.
• Burn CD/DVD/Bluray Media.
• Burn ISO Images to Disc.
• Boot Comptuer from DVD.
• More…

Document Improvements

I’ve made the following improvements:

• All images and instructions compliant with Windows 7 RTM.
• Improved image captioning.
• Cross referenced guides.
• Appendices for common tasks.
• Better, more detailed version history.
• Acknowledgements and credits.
• Updated style conventions.
• New cover page.
• More detailed contents page.

Download Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide (Free Newsletter signup required.) Direct Link for newsletter subscribers

Windows Forums moderator rsvr85 has written a guide, which shows you how to upload directly to Windows SkyDrive from your desktop. To achieve this, you’ll need a Windows Live account.

Upload to Windows SkyDrive from Desktop