Windows Tools, Help & Guides

We all need different passwords now and then. Thinking up new and secure passwords can give anyone a headache. It’s hard enough to think of a 8 digit pass code, but what about a 160-bit, 256-bit or a 504-bit even ?

I did a piece on creating safer passwords (Read here), but if you need something more secure than that – then I have just the online tool you need.

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I assume you already know that Google is a powerful search engine. But did you know that you can do more than just find stuff ? As a Google Power User you can control what, where and how google works.

In this guide I will show you how you can put Google to better use, how to make it suit YOUR needs. Some of these tips I am sure you already know, and some might even surprise you. There are seemingly endless possibilities, and more get added all the time. In this article I cannot cover everything, but hopefully I can show you a few things you didn’t already know…

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This week, we have a collection of web design icon packs. You can use these icons for Windows customization, web sites, applications, mobile apps, posters, and more; however, just because the pack is free doesn’t mean there’s no attached license. Please be sure to check the license for each pack you download as each differs. The license should be available from the site you’re led to and often it’s in the download. If you know of any good icon packs to include in this genre, please let me know. Looking for a different genre? Desktop icon pack collections organized by genre.

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A friend called me and told me their laptop took “forever” to load. I asked them some basic questions to help determine the problem and put it down to too many applications loading at startup. Rather than instruct them to run msconfig, I thought I’d show them the Troubleshooting tools so they could run them again, themselves, in the future.

If you’re someone who assists others with their computer problems, this could be a great tool in your belt. Or if you’re having performance problems with Windows 7, you can use the Troubleshooting tools that come bundled with the operating system. These tools will scan your computer’s configuration for known settings that cause issues.

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Do you leave notes to yourself on your computer ? I do. At times my desktop is filled with “important” text files, containing some information of sorts that I need to remember. It can be anything from the grocery-list, a new movie I’d like to check out… etc. etc.

I love a tidy desktop, and a problem with these note-files, is that they tend to pile up, overcrowding my desktop. After A while they either get deleted, or moved into a dark, gloomy folder somewhere, to never be seen again.

I have come a cross a great solution – Now I can Samurize …

Windows Guides’ Rating	Compatible with	System
4 out of 5

Samurize is not actually designed to work on Vista or Windows 7,  I have tested it on my Windows 7 computer running it in “Windows XP compatibility mode”, without any problems what so ever. [update: It seems it’s only the installer that has compatibility issues. The program it self runs perfectly without any settings, once installed]

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What’s one of the most common ways to get unauthorized access to someone else’s computer – especially that of a friend or family member? By guessing the password!

Someone who knows you well may be able to figure out your password, especially if he can try different possibilities before hitting on the right one.

If you’re running Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate edition (or the equivalent edition of Vista), you can set your Windows account to temporary lock if someone enters the wrong password several times in a row.

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