You may want to disable some keys on the keyboard; for example, if you are a gamer, you might have wanted to disable the Windows key because accidentally clicking on it might pause your game and invoke the Start menu.

Here is a simple way to disable any key on the keyboard of your computer running Windows.

The registry in Windows can be edited to “map” one key to another key or disable a key. Manual registry editing for this might be a bit tough. Fortunately, here is software which does this – SharpKeys.

How to disable the Windows key:

1. Download SharpKeys here, extract the zip file, and install and run it and it shows a screen as below:

Note: SharpKeys works with all currently-supported versions of Windows

2. Click on the “Add” button on the bottom select the “From Key” (the key with function you want to change – Left Windows key in our case). To select it, you can scroll down or type the key

3. Now select the “To Key” – the new function which you want to assign to the From Key. (Here we select “Turn Key Off” option)

4. Click OK. Click on Write to Registry and that’s it you are done (log off and on to put the changes into effect before your next computer restart.)

If you want to restore the key (From Key – whose function is changed) to its original function, just select the entry in the main screen and click on Delete. Then click Yes and then click on “Write to registry” and once again your keys work as before.

MSP is a writer whose work can be seen at The Netizens. To find out more about his work or to contact him, please visit TheNetizens.net.

If you want to change the function of a key, do read this article on how to Change–Modify–Reassign keys or buttons of keyboard in Windows.

Download SharpKeys

Download SharpKeys

We like using Sysinternals tools here at Windows Guides; these tools bring core Windows functions together and help you administer to your systems more easily.

In this guide, we’ll cover the basics:

1. What are the Sysinternals tools?
2. How to download and run these tools on your PC
3. Where can I learn more about these tools?

We’ll then take a look at two of my favorite tools: Bginfo and Process Explorer.

Here are some other tools that we’ve covered in the past on Windows Guides:

• AutoRuns – What is really going on inside your Windows?
• SDelete Deletes Your Files Permanently
• Microsoft Desktops Gives You Multiple Desktops to Work With

What are the Sysinternals tools?

Sysinternals utilities help you manage, troubleshoot, and diagnose Windows and applications. These tools are created by the Microsoft community and are kept up to date to work with the latest versions of Windows. I’ve used some of these tools for as long as I can remember using modern versions of Windows (Windows 2000 and beyond) and you might just find one or two useful–even if you don’t consider yourself a PC geek.

How to Download and Run these Tools on Your PC

You have a few choices when using the Sysinternals tools:

1. Download individual tools from the Sysinternals website
2. Run Sysinternals tools from the command line (requires internet connection)
3. Download the Sysinternals Suite (all troubleshooting tools in one)

Where can I Learn More about these Tools?

If you run a lot of scripts from the Command Prompt, I’d like to share a quick tip that saves me time every time I open it.

To open the command prompt in your scripts (or any) directory, locate the shortcut to the command prompt, right click it, and click Properties.

Change the Start in field to match your scripts directory i.e.:

“E:\Documents\My Dropbox\Scripts”

Now, when you open the command prompt (using the shortcut you modified) you’ll start in your new base directory:

Bonus Tip: Start in Multiple Directories

If you have multiple directories from which you’d like to start, you can simply create a number of command prompt shortcuts in your start menu.

Name each shortcut a different name i.e. “scripts“, “media“, “tasks” etc. and update the Start in field for each shortcut. Now you can press the Windows Key, type media, press Enter, and have a command prompt ready to roll in your media directory.

If you’re hanging on to Windows XP because you don’t want to buy a new computer, you’re used to the interface, or you just don’t see a need to upgrade, then this guide will help you extend the life of your Windows XP machine by making it more stable and by helping it run more efficiently. This guide will show you how to speed up Windows XP in 11 easy steps.

I highly recommend you create a system restore point before starting.

(Here’s a similar list for Windows Vista and for Windows 7.)

Note: Before making any changes, I strongly recommend you create a restore point, which will let you roll back any changes you make during this guide: create a restore point in XP. I also recommend you perform a full malware scan with a good anti-malware program like Microsoft Security Essentials:

1. Keep Windows up to Date

Windows updates are provided to increase performance, security, and stability. Before you move on to steps 2 and beyond, update your copy of Windows.

To update Windows:

1. Click Start > All Programs and click Microsoft Update:

2. When Internet Explorer finishes loading, click Express:

3. Follow the instructions to apply updates specific to your computer

2. Defragment Your Hard Drive

There are many opinions floating around about whether drive fragmentation slows down a computer. Here’s my view: if you’re trying to open a document and the file is split into fragments spread across your hard disk, it’s going to take longer to open it while it grabs all the pieces. An uninterrupted, sequential file will load quicker if it’s in one place on the drive. The only case where this is not necessarily true is on Solid State Drives (SSD.) If you have an SSD, skip this step.

To defragment your drive:

1. Open My Computer (Winkey + E), right click your C drive, and click Properties:

2. Click the Tools tab and click Defragment Now…

3. Select your C: Drive and click Defragment:

Take a break while your drive defragments. This step takes the longest but will set you up for quicker maintenance as you move on to step 3 and beyond.

3. Check Your Hard Disk for Errors

Over time, segments of your hard disk may become corrupted and you’ll need to reorganize your disk to fix them. Bad sectors slow down your computer and can even lead to data loss.

To check your hard disk for errors:

1. Open My Computer (Winkey + E), right click your C drive, and click Properties:

3. Check both Automatically fix file system errors and Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors and click Start:

Note: You may need to restart your PC to check the disk:

4. Remove Unused Windows Components

Windows components are core programs and tools that are bundled with Windows. Many of these components can be safely disabled if you find you’re not using them. A good example of this is disabling Games, Windows Media Center, and Windows Media Player.

To disable Windows components:

1. Press Winkey + R (or click Start > Run), type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter

2. When the Add or Remove Programs dialog loads, click Add/Remove Windows Components:

3. Check the components you want to disable and click Next:

Hint: Not sure which components you can remove? Ask us in the forums.

The components will now be disabled:

5. Uninstall Unused Programs

As well as taking up disk space, programs put “hooks” into your system that require resources. For example: programs may run services on your computer that will slow down start up and general computer use. If you’re not using a program and don’t plan to use it in the future, you should uninstall it.

To uninstall a program:

1. Press Winkey + R (or click Start > Run), type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter

2. Click the program you want to remove and click Remove

3. Follow the uninstall dialog for the program you wish to remove.

6a. Stop Network Folder/Printer Scanning

If you don’t use network folders or printers, you should disable them. This will remove the delay each time you open My Computer, which is caused by a scan for folders and printers on your network.

If you do use network drives, skip to step 6b.

To disable network folder/printer scanning:

1. Open My Computer (Winkey+E)

2. Click Tools > Folder Options…

3. Click the View tab, uncheck Automatically search for network folders and printers and click OK:

6b. Disconnect Unused Network Drives

If you use network drives but have a huge list of drives you connect to, you’ll find it takes a while to open My Computer. To decrease load time, consider disconnecting unused network drives (be sure to make note of connection information i.e. Server and share names before disconnecting.)

To disconnect network drives:

1. Open My Computer (Winkey + E)

2. Right click and unused network drive, and click Disconnect:

7. Update Your Drivers

Drivers are used to provide communication between your hardware (i.e. Printers); operating system (XP); and, often, other hardware (i.e card Readers.)

Outdated drivers can be a security threat, may be buggy, and are often incompatible with newer hardware and programs. To update your drivers:

1. Download Device Doctor (free)

2. Install in and, when it’s opened, click Begin Scan:

Wait while Device Doctor scans your current hardware and drivers:

3. Download updates for each piece of hardware listed:

4. When you click Download update, a website will load. Click Download Driver Installer:

5. Install the driver and, if necessary, restart your computer.

8. Adjust Display Settings for Performance

By today’s standards, XP looks dated but it still has some bells and whistles that can affect performance on older hardware. To optimize your display for better performance:

1. Click Start, right click My Computer, and click Properties:

2. Click the Advanced tab and click Settings:

3. On the Visual Effects tab, select Adjust for best performance, and click OK:

9. Remove Programs from Startup

In step 5, you removed programs you don’t need. While this was a good start, you may have programs on your PC that you use but don’t need to start every time.

To remove programs from startup:

1. Press Winkey + R (or click Start > Run), type msconfig, and press Enter

2. Click the Startup tab, uncheck programs that you don’t want to start with Windows, and click OK:

Hint: Not sure which programs you can remove from startup? Ask us in the forums.

10. Perform a Disk Cleanup

Temporary files, left over installation files, and files associated with unused programs, installations etc. can take up space on your drive. Cleaning them up will only really help if you’re low on disk space. Given these files are unused (or may not have a use for you), you can clean them up and get back disk space.

To clean up your disk:

1. Open My Computer (Winkey + E), right click your C drive, and click Properties

2. Click Disk Cleanup

3. Check the items you’d like to cleanup and click OK:

Hint: Not sure which items you can clean up? Ask us in the forums.

11. Defragment one More Time

Now you’ve removed programs, temporary files, and other data from your hard disk, you should defragment one more time to get everything in line. See step 1 for instructions.

Bonus: Keep Your Computer Cool

The hotter your computer gets, the harder your fans have to work to keep it cool and the slower your hardware performs. If using your laptop, ensure there is proper ventilation by putting your laptop on a hard surface (not buried in a pillow!) Also check your desktop has proper ventilation by doing the following:

• Removing bunches of wires from the back of the PC.
• If your desktop has holes in its case for ventilation, ensure these holes are unrestricted.
• If your desktop is in a cabinet, leave the door open or install an intake and outtake fan to keep the cabinet cool.
• Consider adding more fans to your desktop.
• Keep your hardware clean.

A Live CD is an actual Windows Installation that you carry with you on a USB Flash Drive or CD/DVD. The Windows Installation is portable, meaning that you can have your own windows running on any PC you encounter. The Live CDs are most commonly used to repair computers that have crashed or to rescue data from a hard drive before doing a fresh installation. The great thing about a Live CD is that it does not alter anything on the computer you use (almost like a sandbox). You boot the computer as if it is your own (from the CD/DVD or USB). You can pre-install all the software you like, making it available no matter where you are. Sort of a Laptop, but without the hardware.

In the Linux World it has been around for years ( and as Windows XP). But Windows 7, well it’s been a longer road. You have of course been able to download illegal Windows Live Copies on the net for a while – but now at last I am able to show you have to create your own legal copy (for your personal use), provided you own a Windows Setup Disk and license.

Enough chit chat, let’s get on with it…

The overview

In order to create a Live CD from Windows 7, we need to download a utility called WinBuilder (download link at the end of this article). We also need a whole bunch of scripts to program our Live CD. Luckily there are hundreds of ready scripts available for us to download, so you don’t have to be a geek to get it working.  I have a set of working scripts available to you, but first, let’s look for those custom ones. Go ahead and download the WinBuilder application.

NOTE!
Do NOT place Winbuilder on your Desktop or other “User Related” folders.

1. Upon first launch, WinBuilder will open the Download Script Page, which allows you to browse through lots of available projects. The first thing we do is updating the servers list and choose the “winPE 7″ project. This is a beginners project, with most common scripts you need to get started. More scripts and functions may be added later on.
   
2. Choose “Complete Set” from the dialogue, and click Download.
3. Once a project has been downloaded, close the Download page or reboot WinBuilder (you can always go back and download other scripts and add ons by clicking on the Download Button in the main window). Should you come across a script you would like to use, it can also be added manually by copying it into the WebBuilder Project folder.
4. If you are a curious geek, who like to tweak everything, go ahead and look through the downloaded scripts, tweak everything from windows theme, wallpaper, sounds etc.

Running the scripts

1. Once a project has been chosen and tweaked, you need your Windows Setup Disk, as the scripts will copy everything they need from it.
2. Click The Source Button, and choose the path for the Setup Disk.
   
3. Next, Expand the Finalize Folder in the script overview window and choose the apropriate settings (Create ISO, copy to USB-drive etc.).
4. Then, click the PLAY button and wait while WinBuilder does the rest.
   
   
   Once Winbuilder is done you will find a folder in the Script folder called ISO which contain the finished Windows Live CD.
   
   Then burn it to a DVD or a Flash Drive, and you should be good to go.

NOTE!
If you are tweaking the script files, you will sometimes get unforeseen errors. Should you experience this, post a question in the WinBuilder Forums.

Making it easy

If you want a Live CD that works “out of the box”, try the one below. Unpack the files into your WinBuilder Projects Folder and restart the application. Tweak whatever you feel like, then follow the instructions in the “Running the scripts“-section above.

Downloads

NOTE!
The Megashare link requires a password: mintywhite (all lowercase)

WinBuilder Project (link 1) Password: mintywhite WinBuilder Project (link 2)

Download WinBuilder

Useful Links

• Script Add ons
• Win7PE Projects

This is how you go about to do just that (not fall asleep, but schedule the computer to …)

1. Start the Windows Task Scheduler (Click The Start-button, and type “Task” or “Schedule” in the Search Field)
2. In the Action Menu, you find the option called: Create Basic Task. This will open the Task Wizard.
   
3. Give the Task a Name: "Sleep when I do", and click Next.
   
4. Choose when you want the task to run (Daily), Click Next
5. Now choose what time we want the computer to shut-down. In this example I chose 2 am. Click Next.
   
6. At this point Windows want to know what kind of task to run, choose “Start a Program” and click Next
7. In the Program Field, type: shutdown
8. In the Add argument field, type: -h t 60 f (or -s t 60 f )
   
   Translated this means, hibernate, give 60 seconds timeout to stop action, and force shutdown of any running application.
   (For other options see the list below)
9. Click Next
10. Click Finish

And that is it.

Shutdown Options

s = shutdown
h = hibernate
l = logoff (not shut-down)

t xxx – timeout (give the user a chance to abort)
f – Force shutdown  of running applications
p – Force action without timeout or prompt

How to modify scheduled task

If you want to modify or delete your scheduled shutdown task, open up the task scheduler and click on “task scheduler library” in the left sidebar. The task will be listed there as “Sleep When I do” (if that is really what you called it.

This guide will show you how to show file extensions in Windows XP and Windows Vista/7.

Show File Extensions in Windows XP

To show file extensions in Windows XP:

1. Go to My Computer (WINKEY+E.)

2. Click Tools > Folder Options.

3. Click the View tab, uncheck Hide extensions for known file types, and click OK.

Show File Extensions in Windows Vista/7

1. Go to Computer (WINKEY+E.)

2. Press the ALT key to show the action toolbar. Click Tools > Folder Options.

3. Click the View tab, uncheck Hide extensions for known file types, and click OK.

Here’s a quick tip to restore these folders when you restart or log off and on.

Restore Opened Folders (Windows XP)

To restore open folders in Windows XP

1. Open Computer (Winkey+E.)

2. Click Tools > Folder Options…

3. Click the View tab, check Restore previous folder windows at logon, and click OK.

Restore Opened Folders (Windows Vista/7)

To restore open folders in Windows Vista/7

1. Open Computer (Winkey+E.)

2. Press the ALT key and click Tools > Folder Options…

3. Click the View tab, check Restore previous folder windows at logon, and click OK.

Now when you restart your computer or log off and on, the folders you had open previously will be opened for you.

Tired of seeing your icons constantly re-arranged ?

Every time you swap between screen resolutions, or turn on (or off) your dual monitor, you will most probably experience that you have to re-arrange your desktop icons.

Many of the applications for dual monitor have a feature for saving and restoring the position (and layout) of your Desktop Icons. But if you don’t already have this functionality at hand, then this is for you.

How to Add the Save / Restore Icon Layout functionality to your Context Menu.

As the 64-bit system will not allow you to register a 32-bit DLL (which is what makes this work), depending on your system (32-bit or 64-bit) you have to choose between the following options. If you are in doubt try the 32-bit version, and if that fails try the other one.

32-bit System

1. Download this file: Desktop Icon
2. Unpack it to a temporary folder, and move the file named:  LAYOUT.DLL to the System32 folder (c:\windows\system32)
3. Then Double-Click LAYOUT.REG to add some entries to your registry file

If you wonder about the LAYOUT.DLL file, don’t worry. It’s a free DLL provided by Microsoft  in the Windows NT Resource Kit. Originally designed for the “good old” Windows NT Platform (Windows 2000 etc.), but works on all Windows systems.

64-bit system

1. Download this file: dips64-setup (or from here: http://amip.tools-for.net/files/dips64/)
2. Run the EXE file to install it.
3. SHIFT + RIGHT-CLICK on your desktop to see the entries in your Context menu. You might want to click a few time before you actually see it – but it works

• Click Start | Programs | Administrative Tools
• Click Services
• In the Services console, scroll down to “Fast User Switching” and double-click it.
• Set the startup type to: Disable
• If the service is running, click the Stop button
• Click OK.

There you go!