Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Last week we asked you if you use a custom start orb. Thank you to all who participated; here’s what you said:

32% do use a custom start orb, 56% don’t, and 12% are not sure what a custom start orb is.

For the 12% who are not sure, the “Start Orb” is the Start button that, when clicked, brings up the start menu.

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In earlier versions of Windows, you’d need a third-party solution to help you monitor key subsystems (CPU, RAM etc.) of your computer. With Vista, came the Resource Monitor (Resmon) and with Windows 7 came improvements to the Resource Monitor.

In this guide, we talk more about Windows 7′s Resource Monitor. Previously, Angel Luis showed you how to determine if you need more RAM using Windows 7′s resource monitor. In this guide, we’ll show you what else you can monitor with Resource Monitor and help you interpret the data it gives.

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This is a guest article written by Bituser from bituser.com. Find out more about Bituser at the conclusion of this guide.

This is a simple guide that will show you how to create that awesome looking Windows Aero effect in Photoshop. If you are using another image editing program, then you may need to change some steps, but it is possible to create the following in most modern programs.

If you want to skip the tutorial and download the file for yourself, get it here:

Download Photoshop Aero Effect PSD

Otherwise, improve your Photoshop skills by following this tutorial:

Step 1

Start by creating a new document. Match the settings of your window to that of the screenshot.

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This year, the UK Post Office is giving away a pack of five Wallace & Gromit wallpapers. Here’s a preview of these wallpapers (download link below):

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We love desktop wallpaper on Windows Guides. Here’s a collection of 50 hand-picked high-resolution wallpapers from various sources online. Know a good place for wallpaper or have some to share? Let us know about it in the comments.

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In this guide, we show you a bunch of tips and tricks for Sticky Notes, which has received an update for Windows 7. Specifically, we’ll What versions?cover the following:

• What versions of Windows 7 have Sticky Notes?
• How do I open Sticky Notes?
• How do I create a new note?
• How do I change the color of notes?
• How do I resize notes?
• How do I delete a note?
• How do I change the fonts of a note?
• How can I backup my notes?
• How do I format text within my notes?
• How do I save my notes for later?

If you know of a trick that we missed, please let us know in the comments.

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