Update 1/31/2012: As MegaUpload was taken down, I moved the font zip to mintywhite servers (and got by the 20 MB file limit.) Please only download if you want a ton of fonts. The file is quite large (79.3 MB) but hopefully it’s quite convenient (plus, all the applicable licenses and credit is included for the authors that worked so hard on these fonts.)

Many readers have asked me to compile all the fonts, from this website, into one megapack. Today, James, a reader of Windows Guides gave me the push I’ve needed and I put them all together.

Download the Megapack

Download Font Mega Pack

Extract the Megapack to Your Hard Drive

To extract this zip files either double click on it or, while you’re at it, start using a great zip tool like 7-Zip. Right click the file and click 7-Zip > Extract Here.

How to Install Fonts

If you are making a PowerPoint presentation, poster, graphic, or anything that requires typography, you may find some of these fonts useful. There many free fonts out there but it is often hard to find good ones as there is so much choice and so many fonts are not very high quality. In this collections, I’ve compiled the best free fonts out there and provided direct download links to them so you can start using them straight away. If you are unsure of how to install a font, learn here.

More Fonts

Check out more font collections on Mintywhite.com.

Preview Fonts

This is a small representation of the fonts available:

28 Days Later

Concielian

Enchanted Prairie Dog

Judas

Somes Style

Benny Blanco

Blind Melon

Crackdown

Degrassi

Eddie

Oil

Distorted and Scratchy

Docteur Atomic

Hollywood Hills

Hard Rock

Hotel Coral Essex

You Are Loved

Movie Fonts

Fontin Sans

Fertigo Pro

Brand Name Fonts

TV Shows

Video Game Fonts

Music Band Fonts

Bulldozer

Cheap Stealer

Manabu

Nofutur

Paperclip

Rugged Type

Rzrarti

Epoxy History

Jellyka Castles Queen

Karabine

Marcelle

Bleeding Cowboys

FFF Tusj

Green Pillow

alba

Base 02

Negotiate

Splinter 2

Core

Zerogene

Retro Rock Poster

My Turtle

Vandalism

WC Wunderbach Mix BTA

Detroit Ghetto

Octin Spraypaint

Chocolat Bleu

Download Font Mega Pack

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

The short answer

The short answer is (in the words of Aerosmith): Hotspot is like Ad-Hoc, but not quite. Okay Aerosmith never said it like that, but if you know which song I’m referring too, leave your answer in the comment. HotSpot and Ad-Hoc can both be used to share your internet connection, and in some respect they are two of the same. They differ in what they are intended for.

The slightly longer answer

First, let me try to define what an Ad-Hoc and a HotSpot is:

HotSpot

Generally speaking, a HotSpot is what you are using when accessing Internet when you’re at a Café or a Hotel. Usually you need a username and/or password to log on through a web-Portal to be able to connect to the Internet.  HotSpot requires a Wi-Fi connection and works like your Wi-Fi Network at home. The HotSpot will normally only allow you to use the Internet. Not interact with other computers or gadgets using the same HotSpot.

Ad-Hoc

The Ad-Hoc is a wireless network without the need of a big Server, or a Router. A Router is preferable the easiest way to go, but you are able to do without. Ad-Hoc rely on each computers Wi-Fi Card to set up and Connect to other computers through one of the other, which for the sake of argument, is the Server (or main Computer). If this Computer has a Wireless Internet (USB modem etc.) then the Ad-Hoc Network can share the Internet Connection as well.

If you have multiple computers in your household, and all are running Windows 7, you might be using an Ad-Hoc Network already, otherwise known as HomeGroup.  The Ad-Hoc gives you much of the same functionality you would come to expect from a wired network, like Printer- and Filesharing.

I did promise an answer to my choice of title

The answer is simple. The main purpose of the article in mind, was to let other computers share your internet Connection. Not dealing with all the hassle with security, sharing, permissions etc. Though arguably you do the same as setting up an Ad-Hoc Network, you are only giving away Internet Access. And, besides, Rich would have a handful of 404 errors to handle If I were to change it now.

Tethering

Tethering is a word that began surfacing around 2009 when SmartPhones started appearing. In short, Tethering is using your phone (or other device) as an Internet Modem through an USB-Cable, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Connection. Allowing your Laptop to connect to the Internet, no matter where you are. With 3G (and 4G) standards, this is almost as good as using a Wireless Internet, but will in the long run cost your more. But for that one desperate moment when you really need Internet – well, then that is a great solution.

Be aware that some Internet providers require you to sign up for an extra Tethering Service if you want to connect more than one device to their service.

The technique is by far new, and has been available before the world even knew what a SmartPhone is. But back then, it was called: “Using your Cellphone as modem” or something similar.

About Thomas

Computer geek from the age of 7, which amounts to 30 years of computer experience. From the early days (when every computer company had their own OS) of DOS, Windows 1.0 through Seven...

1. Open registry editor (regedit.exe)
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE | Software | Microsoft | Windows NT | CurrentVersion | Winlogon
3. Under Winlogon, look for a key named: SpecialAccounts If it’s not there create a New key (in the left pane) with that name.
4. If The SpecialAccounts Key is present, inside there will be another key named: UserList (if not create it). If the UserList Key is present you may find several usernames listed, if the username you want to hide is there, skip to step 6.
5. In the Right Pane, create a new DWORD value, and use the account name that you want to hide.
6. Double click the new DWORD entry and set the value to 0 (zero) To unhide an account later on, set the value to 1 (one)

The next time you log on, the account will be hidden. To access the hidden accounts, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE at the welcome screen to open the “Log on to Windows” dialog box.

About Thomas

Computer geek from the age of 7, which amounts to 30 years of computer experience. From the early days (when every computer company had their own OS) of DOS, Windows 1.0 through Seven...

(Get the theme above.) Want to change the UI of your Windows 7 Completely? Want to give it an overhaul and make it look absolutely awesome? Then you’re in luck, because today I’m going to show you how to apply custom themes in Windows 7.

Here’s How:

1. First you will need to download and install either the 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) patcher (auto installer) for your 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7:

Universal Theme Patcher for x64 (64-bit)

Universal Theme Patcher for x86 (32-bit)

2. When downloaded, unrar the file using winrar or 7-zip, and run the .exe

3. Select your user interface language:

4. Click OK

5. Click Yes when this box appears

6. Then you need to patch these 3 files (as you see i already have mine patched.) Click Patch for each file; after patching them all, restart your computer.

7. You need a custom theme; there are a lot around the net, but I suggest you to go here and look: Visual Styles 7 on deviantART

8. Navigate to C:\Windows\Resources\Themes

These are the files that have to be placed in the folder:

9. Then paste the folder and theme provided, then the theme should appear in your personalization menu

Note: The files are not named the same in all themes. It’s different from theme to theme. What you need to place in the resources folder is a .theme file and the folder with the same name (the folder is where the msstyles is in)
Also, in most themes there are only 2 files (a folder and a theme file), but in some cases there can be more. The process is the same though, you will just have more variants of the theme available via the personalization menu.

I hope you like my tutorial, and if you have any questions feel free to ask them below in the comments :)

About Bo Gjerlow

My name is Bo, and I'm a User Interface designer who has created various Windows 7 Visual Styles and other graphics. I am also a website owner, graphic enthusiast and a student. I have also written various tutorials for different sites. Some of you might know me under the username sergiogarcia9.

[disclaimer] This guide is written using Photoshop, but there are several other programs available with the same capabilities as described here (like Paint.net). This guide will not focus on how to create photos for use on the web where pictures need to be downsized and data removed.

To be able to resize a photo (making it larger or smaller) without removing data you need to know what a digital photo is and you will also need to know what DPI is and how it works.  So let’s start with that.

BitMap Image

All photos stored on your computer are what we can call  Bitmap images. The Bitmap is simply explained a grid (or a mesh) that we fill with pixels (or dots) of various colors. Up close you will only see colorful pixels but zoomed out you will perceive it as a photo. A little trick of the eye as it were. And this is where the DPI comes in.

DPI – Dots Per Inch

As you may know, an image has two dimensions (height and width) but there is also a third one; called DPI (Dots Per Inch). The DPI is what tells you how much information is stored in your photo. The more pixels (or dots) we are able to squeeze into our photo, the more information we store and the larger the file. We measure this in inches.

DPI, Simplified

Lets break this down a bit. Lets say you’re at a stadium where each row is a line in your photo. Each person is a pixel. The more people you can squeeze into each row, the more people will get to see the match. Hence, the more pixels you can squeeze into an inch, the more information is stored in the photograph, and the better it will look.

Take a look at the illustration above that demonstrates the difference between 300 DPI and 72 DPI.

Different DPI = Different usage

Your monitor uses a DPI of 72 or 96, which plainly speaking means, 72 (or 96) pixels spread out on an inch long line. A newspaper will traditionally use a DPI of about 150 DPI, and a magazine will normally have a setting of 300 DPI. High Resolution Photos can use from 600 DPI and up to the thousands. Meaning that what you are going to use the photo for will decide how large DPI you should use. Some Printers will only print a DPI up to 600 so anything above that will just be a waste of space.

Also know that the larger the DPI, the more hard drive space and memory the photo will consume.

Scaling using DPI

We may convert the image physical size (height and width) to DPI and vice versa. Any normal digital camera will use a DPI-setting of 72 (or 96), making the images large in size. My camera takes pictures that are about 3000×2000 pixels with a DPI of 72, which is equal to 105×70 cm. Which of course is way to large to print.

If I were to just strip off the excessive data I would be stuck with a pixellated, unsharp photo. Instead I want to keep all the information, while still be able to print High-Res photos on my Photo paper. This is where I open my photo in Photoshop (but by all means use Paint.net or similar).

• Scaling the photo down to 40 x 30 will give me a DPI of 177 DPI
• Scaling the photo down to 15×10 cm  gives me a DPI of 500 DPI

The great thing about this kind of scaling is that should I decide to print this image in a larger format later I’m still able. Because no data is removed only stacked together tighter, there is no loss in data or image quality. That being said, if you want to double the image size (from 40×30 cm to 80×60) the image will not be sharp to look at up close, but zoomed out it will be. Take a closer look at a large poster next time you walk by it, up close you will see the pixels, but from a far …

In Photoshop

In Photoshop you are able to resize an image and save it without the loss of data. If you are using another program try not to save the changes after scaling.

1. Open your photo
2. Choose Image Size from the Image Menu
3. To Resize an image using the DPI information, uncheck “Resample Image”
4. Reduce the print size by entering a new width or height (to suit your Photo paper).

In Paint.Net

If you decide to use paint.net, be advised that if you are not careful it will remove data that are lost to you if you save the image after printing it.

1. Open your image
2. Choose Resize from the Image-Menu.
   Make a note of the file size in the top right corner, and the print size at the bottom of the resize-window.
3. Change the resolution (DPI) from 72  to 350.
   
   Notice how the file size is unchanged, but the printsize has changed.

You may if you like change the printsize instead of the DPI, in paint.net this will set the DPI to a default of 180. My recommendation is to keep the DPI at  least 300 to keep the printed image sharp and crisp on a High-Res photo paper. Read more about resizing using paint.net here.

About Thomas

Computer geek from the age of 7, which amounts to 30 years of computer experience. From the early days (when every computer company had their own OS) of DOS, Windows 1.0 through Seven...

Remember the quick launch bar in Windows Vista? The one with the Flip-3D, Show desktop, and IE shortcuts? You can have it in Windows 7 too; in this guide, you’ll learn how to restore this toolbar.

More Windows 7 Guides

Updated 2011/05/15: Updated guide and screenshots after feedback in the comments. Thank you for providing feedback.

Note: If you’d like to get Windows 7 looking just like Windows Vista, scroll further down to “Make Windows 7′s Taskbar look like Vista’s“

Get the Quick Launch Toolbar

To enable the quick launch toolbar:

1. Right click the Taskbar and click Toolbars > New Toolbar…
2. Paste the following into the folder field and click Select Folder:
   

   %AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

   

3. Right click the Taskbar and uncheck Lock the taskbar
   
4. Optional: To remove the text next to the icons, right click the toolbar and uncheckShow Textand Show Title
   
5. Optional: To enable large icons, right click the toolbarand click View > Large Icons
6. Now move the quick launch bar to the left (where it was in previous versions of Windows) by clicking and dragging it to the left of you pinned shortcuts:
   (Click to enlarge)
7. Optional: Lock the task bars to get rid of the resize bars by right clicking the Taskbar and checking Lock the taskbar

You now have your Quick Launch toolbar back:

Add Shortcuts to the Quick Launch Toolbar

There are a few ways to add shortcuts to the Quick Launch toolbar. By far the easiest way is to find the shortcut on your desktop or start menu and drag it to the toolbar:

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

Yesterday, we explained IRC and how to get set up. Today, we’ll cover tips and basic commands for using IRC. In this guide, we’ll cover:

• How to join IRC networks
• How to join a IRC network channels
• IRC tips
• IRC basic commands

How to Join IRC Networks

An IRC Network hosts channels (more about that in a minute) on which you can chat and interact. A network is hosted by the server (what’s an IRC server?) and, generally, provides a chatting area for groups of interest or geographic location. There are many (tens of thousands or more) IRC networks, which can host anywhere from one to many thousand channels.

To join an IRC network, you need to know its address and port number. Once you’ve found a network, simply connect to it with your IRC client. For example:

1. I found a list of popular IRC networks here.
2. I took the top network (alphabetical), Aniverse, and clicked the Servers link.
3. I noted the address and port and added them in my IRC client, Pidgin (how to configure Pidgin for IRC):
4. Alternatively, you can join another sever by issuing the command (replacing irc.ircserver.net with the server address):/SERVER irc.ircserver.net
5. Once, I joined, I can start issuing commands (more on that coming up):

How to Join IRC Network Channels

A channel is often referred to as a chat room. While it really isn’t a chat room, this is something most of us are familiar with and, for the sake of finding a better word for it (forum? meeting place?), we’ll think if it as a virtual room in which we can chat and interact with others publicly.

Once you’ve joined a network, you’re ready to join a channel. To join a channel, type the following command:

/list

Some networks will have so many channels that this may take some time (some will boot you for flooding yourself, but I don’t recommend joining networks with such restrictions.)

You should see a list of channels like the one below:

Pick a channel and click Join to enter the channel as shown below:

IRC Tips

Okay, so we’re in a room. But, before we go crazy, let’s go over a few tips that will help you get the most out of your IRC experience:

These tips are made up by me and are in no particular order. Most, if not all, of them are common sense but it’s worth knowing them.

1. Read the rules. All good networks have well established rules and regulations. Learn them before you inadvertently break them and get banned.
2. Be polite. You are, for the most part, pretty anonymous. That doesn’t mean you get to be a jerk.
3. Keep it legal. IRC, contrary to some stigma, is not just for file-sharers or those who live on the dark side of the net. Keep it legal. Please.
4. Don’t flood, spam, pester, annoy… you get the picture.
5. Respect others’ time and privacy. Please don’t randomly message people for no real purpose (see rule #4.)
6. Use common sense and do not share personal information. Like every corner of the web, someone is sitting there trying to defraud you of what’s yours. Be smart and keep your personal information to yourself.

IRC Basic Commands

Now you’re clued up a little and you’ve joined a network, here are some basic commands you’ll need to use to successfully navigate IRC. Let’s start by reviewing the commands we’ve already learned:

Commands are preceded by a / “slash” (not a back slash, which is this \ and not a “forward slash”… it’s just a slash.) This way, you can chat to your friend ‘Nick’ without changing your username every time you address him.

/nick username

The /nick command is used to change your nick name. We learned about this command yesterday.

/msg recipient

The /msg command send a message to the specified recipient. For example:

/msg NickServ REGISTER your_password email@address.com

This command registers your nick name with a password and is tied to your email address. You can also message the NickServ (assuming your network has one) and identify yourself with your password if you don’t store your credentials.

/msg NickServ IDENTIFY your_password

/list

The /list command lists out all channels on a network.

/SERVER irc.ircserver.net

Join a specific server.

Other Commands

There are a few other commands of which you should be aware:

/help

If you’re stuck, issue the /help command–it will show you all available commands. You can suffix the /help command with an optional command name i.e. /help list to get help and parameters for a specific command.

/away I am away

Use the /away command and replace “I am away” with a custom away message so others can see you’re not available.

When you come back, issue the /away command without parameters to remove your away status.

/quit

To exit channels and the network to which you’re connected, issue the /quit command.

Go, Chat

From here on out, you’re on your own to explore and learn more about the world of IRC.

Know much about IRC? Just joined and have learned some useful tips for beginners? Share them in the comments below.

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

Many of the recommended tools made it into our top anti-malware programs list and we agree with the recommendations given. Once you’ve removed the malware, you should fix any issues present on your PC and then take steps to protect your PC from future attacks. A good start can be made by reading the PC Security Handbook.

What steps do you recommend when removing malware? How else can you protect your PC from infections?

Malware Removal Guide for Windows | Real Security via Windows Forums

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

To make the most of these updates, you should install them when available. We’ve looked at troubleshooting specific Windows Update errors in the past and showed you the System Update Readiness tool. If you’re still stuck with Windows Update errors, you can try resetting the Windows Update Agent (WUA) with a FixIt tool. You can also try installing updates manually, in Safe Mode, or by removing Malware that’s blocking updates first. 4sysops has put together a guide to help you troubleshoot issues with Windows Update and how to take the troubleshooting steps listed above before you take your PC in for a potentially expensive and inconvenient repair.

Windows Update errors – A troubleshooting guide | 4sysops

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

Mac|Life has put together a guide for Mac users that helps you install Windows on your Mac (either as a boot option or virtually) for those times that a Mac doesn’t have exactly what you need to get a task done. The guide details the two different ways in which you can put Windows on your Mac: through Boot Camp or with virtualization.

The guide shows you where to get the tools you need to get up and running, includes a Q&A about Windows for new users (if you’re new to Windows, check out or basics section), and gives you ideas on how to get the most out of Windows by setting up proper security, updates, and using the best available software.

How To Master Windows Virtualization On Your Mac | Mac|Life

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.