Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Due to a project at work I had to download the Windows 8 Developer Build the other day. Due to the fact that it’s a very early edition of the OS, running it as the main OS on a computer isn’t the best solution. But seeing as I didn’t want to run a VM I decided to set up a Dual Boot on my Dell Latitude. This Computer has Touch Screen and therefor the perfect computer to test the new Windows 8 Environment.

Windows 8 was installed on a separate partition and I expected it to show up in the OS Boot Menu. It didn’t. Instead the computer booted directly into Windows 8. No Boot menu.

The solution

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Never heard of Building Blocks? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In Fact I just recently learned about it myself. Building Blocks first appeared in Word 2007 and has been a well hidden gem ever since.

What are Building Blocks ?

Building Blocks are re-usable document elements  that you normally would have to copy from another document or re-create on a regular basis and put it in a drag-and-drop library. It can be used to save design elements like logos, headers, signatures, text you type often etc. etc.

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I have previously blogged here about CompanionLink, and I have been given some exciting news from them – they have confirmed with me that Windows 8 is now compatible.

It also syncs with Windows Live now as well, so it can connect to your Windows Phone.

CompanionLink are constantly adding new devices to sync with your contacts, for example the new Amazon Kindle Fire. They have also provided me with a promotional code, SYNCKINDLE, so that CompanionLink for Google is just $39.95.

Safe mode is a mode within Windows used for troubleshooting problems. In Safe Mode, Windows operates with limited functionality—only basic files and drivers are loaded to start Windows. Once in Safe Mode, you can more easily remove viruses, remove stubborn files, replace or modify Windows files etc.

There are a number of Windows Guides that ask you to start the computer in safe mode:

• Remove Viruses And Malware in Safe Mode [How To]
• 5 Easy Ways to Uninstall Toolbars In Internet Explorer 8
• Perform a System Restore in Windows Vista and 7 [How To]

In this guide, we’ll show you a couple of ways to get into Safe Mode in Windows XP, Vista, 7, and Windows 8.

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In this guest post, MSP shows us how to remap Windows keys without manually modifying the registry. Find out more about MSP at the end of this post. 

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:

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The Windows 8 tablet will be considered, to some, an inevitable breaking point for Windows. This tool could either sustain Windows’ success or, by contrast, push the company down considerably in the ranks. The new tablet with the new Windows 8 operating system represents Microsoft’s attempt to compete with the iPad and the new T-Mobile 7″ Samsung tab within the burgeoning market for more portable computing solutions.

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