Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Some of the programs that we use in Windows, have a system menu containing an option – Always on top.  If selected, this feature sets a window to be always on top of other windows. This is very useful if you want to work across multiple windows but want to focus more of your attention on a particular window. You can set that window to be always on top and keep an eye on it. I personally use this feature to set my TV Tuner window to be always on top so that I can enjoy TV programs while doing work at the same time.

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Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5	(24 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5)

PROS: Tuneup Utilities 2012 is built upon years of tweaking and re-tweaking to get the most out Windows with all types of hardware. The Program Deactivator removes overhead from your system by temporarily disabling applications (and their associated processes and services) while you enjoy the benefit of more system resources–for your important tasks. Economy Mode saves battery while you’re on the go. CONS: An upgrade is required each year to get the latest features (like Economy Mode in 2012 and the Program Deactivator in 2011.) VERDICT: If TuneUp released a product for cars, mechanics would go out of business. TuneUp Utilities makes PC maintenance easy–very easy. I recommend this program for users who are not comfortable tweaking and maintaining their PC and would like an easy way to keep things in check and have a PC that runs without unnecessary interruption. PRICE: $29.95 (Upgrade) $34.95 (Full Version as of 11/13/2011) VERSION REVIEWED: TuneUp Utilities 2012 DOWNLOAD: TuneUp Utilities 2012 15-day Trial (aff)

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Every time you create a new workbook in Excel, you get a document containing three blank sheets. Do you ever use more than one ? Or, do you always use more than three ? In this Quick-Tip I’ll show you how to set Excel to create new workbooks containing the number of sheets you require, whether it’s one or ten.

Here’s How

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This is a neat little trick for those spy wannabes, or those of you who are paranoid wanting a secret user account on your system. Okay it may not be a totally secret account, as the user folder will be visible after login anyways… Jokes aside, if you have a public available computer, you may want to make sure users log on, using the proper account(s). This can be achieved with a little tweak of the registry. The hidden accounts are of course available for log in, when you know where to look. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, Thomas reviewed a program called InputDirector, which lets you use a single keyboard and mouse across multiple computers. For some time, I’ve been using Synergy, which does the same thing. In this review, I show you the features of Syngery and show you how to use it.

Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
4 out of 5	(4 votes, average: 4.25 out of 5)

PROS: Lightweight, does what it claims, can be very useful for Home Theater PC setups as well as multi-PC offices etc. CONS: Can be a little difficult to get working as you expect it to. Cannot link computers on different subnets or networks. VERDICT: If you find you don’t like InputDirector and want to give Synergy a try, I think you’ll find you really like it. PRICE: Free VERSION REVIEWED: 1.3.4 DOWNLOAD: Synergy

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Batch-Files are small yet powerful tools that you can create to easy your daily chores. Back in the day when Windows was glass covered holes for letting air and light into your house, Batch scripting was an essential and every day tasks. Today, most people don’t even know it exists.

This time we’ll explore how to create a multiple choice menu that can trigger files, website and functions.

Create a multiple choice menu in a batch-file

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