A file’s hash value is a signature for that file that uniquely identifies it. If a file’s contents change, its hash value will also change. You can use the hash value of a file to know whether it has been modified or altered. You can also cross-check the hashes of a suspicious file online to see if it’s a malicious file. Windows 7 does not have any native way to show or calculate a file’s hashes. But you can use the freeware HashTab tool to add a File Hashes tab in the file properties dialog.
If you’re currently evaluating Windows, you can keep an eye on the expiration date of the license to ensure functionality is not reduced when the trial period ends. Windows Forums member and Windows Guides writer, Stu, shares the following commands to check the license status of your copy of Windows:
- slmgr /dli Current license information
- slmgr /dlv Detailed information on the current license
- slmgr /xpr Expiration date
Check Windows 7 License Information (Windows 7 Tutorials)
Windows Forums member and owner of Real Security, geohac, has updated his comprehensive guide to help users remove malware from their PC. In the guide, geohac covers steps you should take to prepare for removal such as disabling proxy servers (to give you a better chance at getting online and getting to the sites you need for virus removal software.) The guide then goes on to show you how to boot into safe mode to fight a virus (something we recommend ourselves) and then shows you which tools you should use to remove a virus (downloading these tools on a non-infected PC is the safest bet and making sure, if you have to use a USB drive to transfer the files, that you don’t put the same, now potentially infected, thumb drive back in the clean PC.)
We’ve previously told you about Taskbar Thumbnails and how to use the Taskbar more efficiently. Personally I love the stack functionality in the Windows 7 Taskbar. Stacking all the thumbnails is a great way to keep the taskbar tidy and compact. The only thing that irritates me is that it doesn’t (by default) keep track of which of the windows I was working on last. If I’m working on several Excel Documents and I need to switch to another program for a few minutes, going back to the same Excel document will often lead me flipping through the entire stack.
There is a way to change this behavior, letting the Stack-feature save which window you worked in last. It requires a small Registry hack – and as always, create a backup before you do in case something should go horribly wrong. That being said, here’s how to fix it:
If you’ve used PCs for years or haven’t used some of the older versions of Windows, you might appreciate The Restart Page—a site that displays the restart sequence for many of the older operating systems including Windows 1.1, 2000, XP, NeXT, and Apple operating systems.