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

Previously, we showed you what Windows Virtual PC and XP Mode are, how to create any virtual machine with Windows Virtual PC, and how to create a virtual PC with Virtual Box.

I use virtual machines frequently (mostly to write guides for this site when I need to test a tweak in different versions of Windows) and sometimes just to learn how to use another operating system like Linux Mint or Free BSD for example.

Here at Windows Guides, we love your feedback and have a quick poll for you to share your feedback with us:
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Recently, I asked iTunes to organize my music directory (getting music from different sources other than just the iTunes store left it a little messy and I decided I’d let iTunes do its thing) and it did a great job; however, it left a bunch of empty directories. Although these empty directories didn’t pose any performance impact, they just looked… messy and I decided I’d delete them. I started doing this one by one and soon realized I had over 50 empty directories and sub directories. Being lazy, I decided to run a command to remove these directories. I’ve done this a lot in Linux so I figured it was easy; well, not quite, but it’s also not that hard. In this guide, I’ll show you what I did and hope you can find this useful in some way.

Remove Empty Directories Using the Command Line

Note: “Directory” and “folder” interchangeable terms in this context.

What I decided to do was list out all directories and parse them out to a batch file. To do this:

1. Open the command prompt (press Winkey+R, type cmd, and press Enter.)

2. Change the directory to the base directory containing the empty folders and sub-folders. In my case I switched to the Y: drive with the command:

y:

and then changed to my iTunes music directory with the command

cd Y:\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music

3. Run the following command:

dir /ad/b/s | sort /r >>out.bat

This command does the following:

dir - Runs the directory command

/ad – Selects files with the “directory” attribute i.e. all folders

/b – Base listing i.e. just folder names

/s – Include sub-folders

| – Pipe output from the dir /ad/b/s command to the following command (sort.)

sort - Sort the output

/r -  In reverse order. So, when we get to the next step we’ll be able to delete empty subfolders before we delete the parent folders (otherwise the parent folders wouldn’t be seen as empty.) When making this guide, I missed this parameter and couldn’t work out why it was only deleting some folders — before realizing there was a pattern to the results.

>>out.bat – Created an output of the command in out.bat in the same directory you’re working in (in this case, the iTunes music folder.)

4. Now open out.bat in a good text editor that can handle regular expressions (RegEx) i.e. Notepad++. We’re going to modify this output to turn it into a series of commands that with remove the directories (RD) one by one without deleting directories with files in them (default for the RD command.)

5. Press CTRL+R to open the Replace tool. Replace the first part of the directory path (i.e. Y:\Music\iTunes) with RD “[Directory path] RD in front of it. This basically adds RD (remove directory) to the front of every line:

i.e.

Find: Y:\Music\iTunes\iTunes

Replace: RD “Y:\Music\iTunes\iTunes

Note: Do this in either Normal or Extended search mode.

6. Now to add a double quote to the end of each line. You can either do this manually (which I am too lazy to do) or by using a regular expression (you could also do it in word using paragraph marks as your search criteria.)

You’ll want to find each line and replace it with the line and a double quote i.e.

Find: ^(.*)$

Replace: \1″

Click Replace All to update the whole file.

7. Now add the word PAUSE to the end of the batch file to show the output in case there are any errors:

8. The next two steps are optional but I advise you do them to ensure your directories are empty.

As Windows creates thumbnail files by default, directories with media files in them will likely have a thumbs.db file in each of them. First, you’ll need to show hidden files and then search the base directory for thumbs.db and delete them all (even in the folders that still contains files that you don’t want to delete.)

9. As iTunes also adds a bunch of .jpg files to each directory (that it didn’t clear up when rearranging them), you’ll need to delete these too. Search for *.jpg and delete them all (this will delete the files from directories you want to keep but iTunes will replace them if needed.)

10. Now the fun part: double click your saved batch file to run it. Click Run when prompted.

11. As we added the PAUSE at the end of the file, the command prompt will show us the output. Notice a lot of directories were not deleted as they are not empty. That’s a good thing.

12. Now go to the directory and check that the empty folders are deleted.

This may take some time the first time you do it, but I am sure it will save you a ton of time in the future.

Device Drivers – An Introduction

Computer operating systems, such as Windows, Linux and Mac, and hardware components, such as sound cards, memory cards, and video cards do not speak the same language. To communicate effectively, hardware devices and operating systems require an interface. This interface is provided by device drivers. These drivers enable the computer operating system and installed software to communicate with the hardware devices.

In this article, you will learn:

• Why it is necessary to use only the latest drivers
• Which is better – manual driver updation process or automatic driver updation process
• What is Driver Finder?

Read the detailed Driver Finder review to learn how to use the software to update your device drivers.

Need for most up-to-date drivers

Drivers play a critical role in the performance of your hardware devices and computer. In case your drivers are outdated, you may experience frequent performance-related issues and PC errors. Additionally, you may not be able to use your attached hardware devices properly. This is why it is necessary that you always use the latest device drivers.

Manual updation Vs Automatic updation

You can either update your drivers manually or use a reliable driver scanner tool. Let’s have a look at what each process involves, to understand which is the better method.

Manual Driver Updation Process

Driver manufacturers continuously release the latest versions of their software. If you have decided to update drivers manually, you will have to download the latest driver from the manufacturer’s website.

The process of updating drivers manually, however, is time-consuming. Moreover, at times, you may not be able to locate the latest driver on the manufacturer’s website or you may download an incorrect version. If the driver is not on the manufacturer website, you may even have to download it from another source.

The problem in this is that many dubious websites push malware disguised as genuine programs. So, instead of the latest driver that you were looking for, you may end up with a malware infection.

You just don’t need a genuine driver; you also need to make sure that you install the correct version. Incorrect drivers may create problems with the hardware. In more severe cases, it may even make your computer unbootable.

Automatic Driver Updation Process

Today, third-party driver update tools are available in the market. These tools are designed to automatically scan your hardware devices and download new drivers when required. This process has its advantages.

For starters, you save time and energy. As driver update software does all the work in background, your work is not obstructed. Additionally, the process is completely safe.  The following are a few tasks a driver update tool will do for you:

• Detect all hardware devices installed on your computer and replace any old device drivers with the latest ones in a matter of minutes.

• Identify and fix instances of corrupt or missing drivers by retrieving the latest drivers for the device.

Most driver-update tools have an interactive interface that makes them quite easy to use. Read our detailed Driver Finder review to learn more about how driver update tools can make it easy for you to maintain up-to-date drivers on your computer.

James Ricketts is a writer whose work can be seen at Instant-Registry-Fixes.org. To find out more about his work or to contact him, please visit Instant-Registry-Fixes.org.

Input Director vs Synergy

At first glance the two systems are equal, giving you much the same. OS support is the most apparent difference between the two. Synergy is a Multi-Platform-System which enables you to control Windows, MAC and Linux using the same Keyboard and mouse. InputDirector only support Windows (in its various versions – all the way back to Windows 2000)

Common Features

• Control Mouse and keyboard
• Copy and Paste text between the computers
• Move the mouse between computers as if they were a multiple monitor setup
• Automatic detection when available to the system
• Multi-Monitor Support
• Synchronise System LockDown and ShutDown
• Synchronise Screensavers

After trying both system,s I found that – though Synergy does support more OS’s (Mac, Linux etc) it is much harder getting it working. Every setting is text-based and moving between the monitors isn’t all that versatile. With Synergy I kept experiencing that the mouse would not return to the monitor from which it came. It was an easy fix, but an annoying one nevertheless. Setting up Synergy the way I wanted; took so much time that once it did work – I had given up on it all together. The thought of installing it on more computers  - was not appealing. So my program of choice became InputDirector. And this is why:

InputDirector (the windows solution)

Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
4 out of 5	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Moving the mouse between the screens will control which computer receives input from you. Ripples surround the cursor for a few seconds after transitioning to help the eye follow the cursor from one computer to another. The keyboard lights for NumLock, CapsLock etc. will show the settings for each system.To lock or shutdown all systems, right-click the System tray icon and choose from the context menu.

But that is not all

InputDirector has many features I like, and best of all is the total control it gives you. You can choose when and where it should run, when should the mouse move between monitors, assigning hotkeys and create macros. In short it is a feature packed small application that you will grow to love – and really wonder, how you ever managed without.

Features

• Easy to follow installation and usage guides – setup only takes a few minutes
• Tell Input Director how your monitors are positioned simply by dragging them to the correct spot on the monitor grid:
• Multi-monitor support
• Shared Clipboard – copy and paste between computers (including files!)
• Compatible with Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008 and Windows 7
• Transitioning control to another computer is a simple as moving your cursor off the screen on one computer for it to jump to the other
• Able to control a computer without needing to login to it first
• Supports Windows fast user switching
• Compatible with Vista User Account Control pop-ups
• Manage all your computers at once
• Simultaneously lock all computers
• Synchronise the screen savers across your computers
• Synchronise shutdown of your system (or individually configure whether a computer goes to standby, hibernate or shuts down)
• Encrypt network data between Input Director controlled computers using AES with a 128, 192 or 256bit key
• Lock down the Input Director configuration so that only Administrators may make changes
• Systems can limit which master systems can control them by host name or network subnet
• Ripples surround the cursor for a few seconds after transitioning to help the eye follow the cursor from one computer to another:
• Hotkeys can be setup to switch control to a specific computer or move to the next computer to the left or right
• Choose to use your mouse (speed, button order) preferences when directing another system
• Supports different keyboard layouts
• The keyboard LEDs (Caps Lock, Scroll Lock and Num Lock) show the status of the computer being controlled
• Mirror input – Broadcast mouse gestures and keyboard input to all computers simultaneously
• On startup slave systems will tell the master system that they are available
• Slave systems tell the master system when they’re about to be shutdown or rebooted and the master will automatically skip them when navigating between computer

Wish-list for InputDirector

So far InputDirector can only share the clipboard (Copy/Paste) between the computers – which of course is a great feature. However. As InputDirector is a “Windows Only” solution I would expect it to be able to share more things between the different computers. Allowing me to drag and drop documents (and possibly programs) between the different monitors would really do it for me. Oh well, maybe it will be available in a later version. According to the documentation you are supposed to be able to copy files between computers, but so far I have not been able to do so.

Download InputDirector

Download InputDirector

• Have a multi-PC meeting.
• Have access to your own PCs wherever you are.
• Help a friend with their PC.
• Have desktop access to your PCs on your home network.

What is Remote Access?

To have remote access is to have entry to a PC, resources, data etc. even though you are not physically present. There are many different types of remote access: that you are reading this website now means you have accessed the files on my web server remotely from your home PC. If you’re reading this in a library or at work, you are not doubt remotely accessing resources on the network in which your computer currently resides.

For the purposes of this guide, we refer to remote desktop access or, in other words, access to your Windows desktop outside the home/network.

Top 5 Remote Access Applications

LogMeIn

LogMeIn comes with a free option, LogMeIn free, that I’ve used for many years. All you need to do is sign up for an account at the site and download and install the LogMeIn software to the PC you’d like to access remotely. Then, from any computer around the world, you can access your PC via LogMeIn.com. LogMeIn works best with its client software/plugin installed on the PC from which you’re accessing your home PC, but it will work, at a basic level, without any installation, which is very useful if you are accessing your PC from a computer on which you do not have administrative access.

There are various paid versions of LogMeIn and even an iPhone app (which I use quite regularly) but the free version will give you pretty good access minus a few perks like file transfers etc.

Start using LogMeIn

Mikogo

I’ve only used Mikogo once but had a great experience with it. One of the big advantages of Mikogo is that you can have multiple people in a conference session so you can view and take control of multiple PCs at the same time. The only downside is that, like Team Viewer, someone needs to be at the other end to accept the meeting invitation.

Start a Mikogo Session

TightVNC

TightVNC is one of the more sophisticated (read: more difficult to use) remote access clients, but I use it all the time and highly recommend it. I mainly use TightVNC to access a Linux box, which I haven’t connected to a screen. TightVNC is a slightly less integrated version of Remote Desktop Connection (see below) but, if you don’t mind connecting to machines via local network IP addresses and tweaking a few settings here and there, TightVNC is for you and is free. When you install the product, you can either make your computer a server (if you want to access it remotely) and client (if you want to use the computer to access servers) or both. I recommend both as you will probably want bi-directional (there’s probably a better word for that) access to all the machines on your network.

Download TightVNC

Remote Desktop Connection (RDC)

Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) comes with all Windows XP, Vista, and 7 editions; however, if you want to access a PC using RDC, it will need to be running Windows XP Professional, Vista Business/Ultimate, or Windows 7 Business/Ultimate. As long as your “server” is running one of the previously mentioned Windows editions, you’ll be able to access it just fine. If not, I recommend using TightVNC.

Like TightVNC, RDC can be used to access machines outside your Subnet or network but this gets a little more tricky and, depending on the security in between, can require port forwarding, NAT setup, and static IPs. If you want to access your PC outside the network, I recommend LogMeIn as it’s far easier to configure.

TeamViewer

The final program is my de facto tool used when helping family members with their sick PCs. TeamViewer is designed for meetings but can be used to easily connect to someones PC if you’d like to help them.

TeamViewer works better than Remote Assistance does and with a few clicks, sends an email to the person you want to help giving them instructions and a program to download to allow access.

Which Program Should I Use?

Have you a web page on internet? Do you want to know exactly who is linking to your site? Read the following article by Jonathan Simon on the Official Google Webmaster Central Blog.

Webmaster Tools – Links to your site updated

Do you want to know how the Internet will look 10 years from now? Check this article by Srivathsan G.K on MadrassGeek.com.

Predict Internet in 2020 [Fantabulous Infographic]

Have you ever found an exploit on a program? Do you know what you can do? Read the article by Lee on Security FAQs and you will find useful information about this.

How Should I Report An Exploit Responsibly And Should I Get Paid For It?

Do you have a business? Do you want to know how your competitors are doing? Check the following post by Gabrielle Hisona on Lost in Technology and you will learn how to use Google Chrome for that.

6 Google Chrome Tools to Measure Competitor’s Site Performance

Do you know that Google is tracking every click in your searches? Have you ever copied a URL and find it’s not a normal link? Read the article by Ann Smarty on MakeUseOf and see how easy is to never see unwanted redirects again.

How To Get Rid Of Unwanted Redirects In Google Search Results

Do you think Linux is just for servers? Have you ever used this operating system to solve problems with Windows? Check this incredible post by The Geek on HowToGeek and learn every aspect you ever want to know about using Linux to fix Windows PC.

The 10 Cleverest Ways to Use Linux to Fix Your Windows PC

We all love to listen to music and play games on or computer; therefore, it is never a pleasant experience to come across errors related to audio files. In today’s world, entertainment is something we all want instantly and uninterrupted, and any delay in this can be frustrating.

The good news is that you can deal with most of these errors on your own, provided you understand what the reasons for the errors are, and how to go about solving them. In this article, we will discuss a few important audio file extensions, and how to deal with error messages related to them.

Some particular audio file extensions:

• .ram file extension – This file extension stands for RealMedia Metafile, and is related to the Real media player. Mostly, it is a file that contains sensitive information about the audio files being maintained by the player.
• .flac file extension – This extension is related to the FLAC family of codecs. Codecs are a way to put together and play audio files. If you do not have the right codecs for, say, .avi movie files, you will end up getting no sound when playing the movie.
• .ogg file extension – The OGG Vorbis is a popular audio format followed in open source software communities, most noticeably in the Linux operating system. It is said to be a better, less loss of compression method than the popular MP3 format which carries copyrighted codecs with it.

Thus we see that there are many types of audio files, and the list definitely doesn’t end here.  Depending on their utility and platform, there can be as many audio file extensions as programmers may want.

How to deal with errors related to audio file extensions

One needs to realize that these errors will never be solved permanently, no matter how much you do or spend. Therefore, we will now discuss some methods that will reduce the frequency of these errors.

• Clean the registry – Since the registry stores all the information and settings regarding all the audio players and formats in a Windows computer, a registry that is corrupt will give rise to many file extension errors. Therefore, we recommend that you invest in a good registry cleaner to scan and repair registry problems.
• Fix the file using a repair tool – Sometimes, no matter how much searching you do, you are just not able to get the head or tail of the problem. In these cases, it is advised that you keep a file extension repair tool handy, so that you can scan the files for possible errors and they can be automatically repaired.
• Platform check – It is quite possible, especially with files related to music and games, that you might end up downloading a game that works on PlayStation, or a file that opens on a Mac, but that is not compatible with the Windows operating system. So make sure that all the files that you download are compatible with your operating system.

No matter what type of audio file extension errors you are battling with, you can always correct them if you know the basics and have the right tools installed on your system.

James Ricketts is a writer whose work can be seen at Instant-Registry-Fixes.org. To find out more about his work or to contact him, please visit Instant-Registry-Fixes.org.

Here’s a quick overview of the team:

	Name (Username)	Joined Team	Location	Operating System	Profile
	RSVR85	September 2009			rsvr85
	Mike	November 2009			Mike
	Thomas	January 2010			Thomas
	Harry	February 2010			Harry
	Steven Downer (DarkNovaGamer)	March 2010			DarkNovaGamer
	Angel Luis	April 2010			Angel Luis
	Taylor Ling (ghost 301)	July 2010			ghost301
	Deck Hazen (Deck)	July 2010			Deck
	swooper	July 2010			swooper
	Spazz	August 2010			Spazz
	N J West (Nicholas)	October 2009			Nicholas
	ashmsa (Scragg)	January 2010			Scragg
	sergiogarcia9	May 2010			sergiogarcia9
	Rich Robinson (Rich)	February 2008			Rich

Now here’s few sentences about each writer:

RSVR85

Hobbies: Sports, Motorsports, Art & Design, Culinary art, Games Consoles, Gadgets and of course PC’s.

First time using a computer (and which one): I was young when I first mashed a keyboard.  It was my uncles.  All I can remember about it, was it was big and ran DOS.

What are the specs of your current computer? (Proprietary, some customisations)  Wireless HP Touchsmart, AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-56, 3GB RAM, GeForce7600 Go, 2TB HDD.

Mike

Hobbies: Playing sports (soccer, basketball, golf), gaming (PC Games, FIFA10, Starcraft and soon Starcraft 2, Modern Warfare, etc.), home improvement, building PCs, and staying up-to-date in tech news.

First time using a computer (and which one): Probably 1990, it was a Vendex Headstart III 286

What are the specs of your current computer? I’m running a custom-built desktop with a Gigabyte GA-G41M-ES2L microATX motherboard, a Pentium E6300 dual-core 2.8GHz processor, 4GB of G.Skill DDR2 800 RAM, 3 HDDs (1 1TB WD Caviar Black, 1 640GB WD Caviar Black, 1 180GB Seagate), an EVGA Nvidia GeForce 9800GT 512MB HD GPU, an AverMedia AverTVHD Duet TV Tuner card, and an LG DVD+R burner. I have a Microsoft wireless laser keyboard and mouse, a 19″ Acer 1680×1050 LCD monitor, and I run Windows 7 Professional on top of all of that.

What PC component would you be and why? The RAM. I prioritize my to-do list and make sure tasks are executed as quickly as possible while multitasking. I also have a short memory and there is usually not enough of me around :)

Predictions for Windows 8? I think Windows 8 will be highly cloud-based, storing most of the user information on the net somewhere to be accessed by any Windows 8 computer. I also think there will be an integrated app store much like mobile devices, and our computers will be more location-based than before.

Final words? I’m a huge Android geek. I love the platform and the hardware produced for it and am looking in to learning basic Android app coding. I write mainly on mobile integration/cloud apps, some software reviews, and tutorials on media center and OS tweaks.

Thomas

Hobbies: Besides Computers you mean :-p? Photography and Music.

First time using a computer (and which one): 1981, A Tandberg EC10.

What are the specs of your current computer? Homemade Computer, 4GB RAM, 64-bit OS (of course)

Dual (HD) monitor setup and 500 GB Harddrive.

What PC component would you be and why? The CPU, because that’s where the action is :-p

Predictions for Windows 8? I’m hoping it will not be another ME, or Vista.

I am thinking that Microsoft finally will incorporate many of the 3rd party plugins that really makes Windows a great OS. Like the ones we write about here at mintywhite.

Final words? I love getting feedback from our readers, so keep’em coming. Even if it’s just a click on the “I Like It” button.

Harry

Hobbies: Assisting people with all their IT ‘woes’, Xbox 360, Dogs.

First time using a computer (and which one): Was given a ‘no-name’ box, with 64MB RAM and Windows 98

What are the specs of your current computer? Mainly showing people around the operating system, hardware isn’t my strongest point.

What PC component would you be and why? I definitely wouldn’t be the RAM or hard drive – they must live very busy lives ;) Not sure what I would be, though!

Predictions for Windows 8? Good ol’ 32-bit will finally be abandoned, and 128-bit will take its place. I think (or hope) that it will also support 3D as standard. Otherwise, they can’t do much to beat Windows 7!

Steven Downer (DarkNovaGamer)

Hobbies: I like to work on computers. It can be hardware or software related.

First time using a computer (and which one):2003, HP Pavilion (Unknown)

What are the specs of your current computer? Hackintosh – OS X/Windows 7 Dual Boot, Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3L Motherboard, 4GB DDR2 1066MHz RAM, EVGA nVidia GTX 260 SuperClocked Graphics card, and so on.

What PC component would you be and why? Hmm.. that’s a tough one. I’d likely be a graphics card! Not exactly sure why but that’s what I’d like to be. Just feels natural.

Predictions for Windows 8? I’m expecting Microsoft to fully rework the GUI. I’d personally like to see some more eye-candy! Who doesn’t like candy!?

Final words? “I’ll be getting married to my Fiancée Elizabeth soon. No exact date yet.

Thats about all I can think of guys, but feel free to ask me any questions on the forums and I’ll be sure to respond at some point! :)”

Angel Luis

Hobbies: Computers, of course :) I like reading and running. I love travel and learn new things such as improving my english.

First time using a computer (and which one): 1986. Commodore 16.

What are the specs of your current computer? Intel Pentium Dual E2220 @ 2.4Ghz, 4 GB, Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit.

What PC component would you be and why? A CPU, I am capable of doing a lot of maths operations using my brain.

Predictions for Windows 8? For me I don’t want more features. A better user experience, using resources in a more efficient way is what I expect. Microsoft with Windows has an advantage over other operating systems and is the number of people using it. This, which can be seen as a pressure, is the best way to test everything.

Final words? I love computer problems. I hate formatting computers because is a lost opportunity to learn.

Taylor Ling (ghost 301)

Hobbies: I love gaming very much. I love car simulation game and RTS game. I also like to keep myself updated with latest news of IT world, gadgets etc. Beside that, I always love to test new software and share my experience to the others. Singing and badminton also are some of my hobbies.

First time using a computer (and which one): 1999? Custom build model with Windows 3.1.

What are the specs of your current computer? I don’t have a very powerful rig yet due to the limitation in financial status at the moment, but still it handles well in quite a number of games and my daily usage. My PC is having a AMD Athlon Dual Core 7750, 4GB RAM, nVidia GeForce GT240, and using Windows 7 Professional 64 bit.

What PC component would you be and why? High quality sound card? I love singing so I hope my voice output can be the best. :P

Predictions for Windows 8? Faster boot time. Less security issues. Even better user-friendly interface. Perhaps one version to rule them all instead of having Home basic, Home Premium, Professional etc. like in Windows 7. Better integration in Tablet. New logo? :P ”

Final words? Drop me a comment or two in my post, so I can learn more and polish my writing skill. Still in the very learning process so please forgive if there is any mistake done.

Deck Hazen (Deck)

Hobbies: The Internet (of course) also theoretical physics — quantum mechanics, cosmology, parallel universes – that sort of thing. I’m into DIY and I’ve got a great workshop in my garage – I’m hoping to find time to fire up my wood lathe and turn out a bowl or two. Also – Solar Energy — still just in the “learning” phase, but I have 2 solar panels on my roof that feed a bank of rechargeable “AA” batteries during the day, and then power my string of diode night-lights that run from the bedroom to the bathroom. And then there is Cryonics — I hope to be frozen in liquid nitrogen at some point toward the end of my life, and then revived when future technology (nanobots) can repair my old body and keep me young and healthy unit I decide to pull my own plug.

First time using a computer (and which one): 1976 – DEC PDP 11/70

What are the specs of your current computer? 2 machines – both Pentium dual core – the “Data” box has a 2 Tb RAID array, while the “Media” box just got an 8 Tb RAID upgrade featuring a 9-drive enclosure that I built myself out of sheet metal and pop-sicle sticks. 3-screen display – Media box goes to the 42″ high def wall mounted flat screen (upper) while the “Data” box goes to the dual flat screen 22″ monitors just underneath.

What PC component would you be and why? no idea — something powerful and fast I expect.

Predictions for Windows 8? Bill Gates will be even richer than he is now.

Final words? I love feedback on my stuff — good, bad, ugly — bring it!

swooper

Hobbies: I make spare time to:

• Game on – I’ll whoop you in any genre, but despise MMO
• Pull electronic things apart and see how they work
• Make old computers useful however i can, utilising Linux and a library of spare parts.
• I’m a painter, using acrylics and water colours.

First time using a computer (and which one): 1998 P2 633mhz desktop 64mb graphics FTW :3

What are the specs of your current computer?

• Win 7 64 bit Ultimate / Xp Pro/ Kubuntu
• Intel Core 2 Duo E8400, 4GB DDR2 RAM
• Asus Dark Knight Nvidia GeForce GTX+
• 30/250/500/640GB Drives

What PC component would you be and why? Heatsink, cause I’d always be chillun. XD

Predictions for Windows 8? 3 new wallpapers and a gadget. Seriously though? There is going to be a LOT of online movement, given that “”Cloud Computing”" is digital life two point oh. We even have HP pumping out printers 2.0 that print via the internet with their own e-mail address. Next they will have twitter too, to tell their iPad friends what they ‘juzt printed!!1′.

Really, I sense MS is just following the ideas of Google and Linux in trying to merge everything online with the desktop now included. Even mac seems to trail open source these days. Oh, but they have pretty icons.

Spazz

Hobbies:

• Computers.
• Movies – Sci-Fi.
• Food.
• Woodwork.

First time using a computer (and which one): 1987 – XT 8086

What are the specs of your current computer? Not too impressive, 2,3GHz dualcore, 2GB Ram, 160GB HDD, Windows 7.

What PC component would you be and why? HDD, I am a gatherer. Too sentimental to let go of stuff, I suppose.

Predictions for Windows 8? As Vista was a step-up from XP, and 7 less so from Vista, I think 8 will be at least as big or bigger than XP from 2000.

Final words? I new to this and hope I can contribute positively.

N J West(Nicholas)

Hobbies:

• Programming.
• Mathematics.
• Physics.
• Reading SciFi.
• Running Experiments.

First time using a computer (and which one): 1995 (PowerMac G2)

What are the specs of your current computer? I don’t so much have a main computer, but I do have a server (an ex-laptop with a broken screen which is currently down for major maintenance), an ‘Ultra-Portable’ laptop running Windows 7 and Ubuntu, 10.10 and an iMac G5 running Snow Leopard and Ubuntu 10.04 under VirtualBox.

What PC component would you be and why? Processor, because I am very good at processing information, which is why I am very fond of Maths.

Predictions for Windows 8? No startling or ground-breaking new technologies, just making the kernel and the OS smaller and more efficient, increasing operating speeds and maybe a few new core programs.

Final words? Not much, I shall refrain from advertising my site while it is down. I have had to take a break from writing while I have been doing my GCSEs, but I will be starting a review soon.

ashmsa (Scragg)

Hobbies: CB RADIOS, COMPUTERS, Horse Shoes.

First time using a computer (and which one): 1993 286

What are the specs of your current computer? CLONE Gamer

What PC component would you be and why? Memory because I need more in my head LOL

sergiogarcia9

Hobbies: Graphics, Software, Computers, Cars and Motorbikes. Also I like hanging out with my friends and family

First time using a computer (and which one): 1999, can’t remember what brand. I have only been really into PC’s the last 2-3 years.

What are the specs of your current computer? AMD Athlon II X4 Quad Core 2.6ghz, Foxconn motherboard, Nvidia gt220, 4gb Ram, Coolermaster HAF 922 case, 750gb + 500 gb HDD’s (7200rpm)

What PC component would you be and why? The CPU. Because the CPU is what brings it all together, its the main component of every system and an important component as well. Without it, no computer can run.

Predictions for Windows 8? Clean simple GUI, easy interface, and new options regarding customization. But to be honest, i do not think Windows 8 will be made much different than 7. But i’ll wait and find out!

Rich Robinson (Rich)

Hobbies: Road biking, skiing, football (soccer), running, hanging out with my family (and our two puppies), computers, home improvement, cars, tennis, and pretty much anything outdoors.

First time using a computer (and which one): 1990, Commodore 64. If that doesn’t count: 1992, Apple IIc.

What are the specs of your current computer? Quad Core @ 3.0 GHz, 1066 Mhz FSB, 8GB 1066 RAM,  5+ TB HDD, NVIDIA GTS250.

What PC component would you be and why? I’d be an ethernet card so I could learn something with all the inputs coming to the machine (yeah, I’d be nosey) without really thinking about the information I had to push around all day if I didn’t want to.

Predictions for Windows 8? User awareness (auto login, custom interface etc.), quicker startup (instant on), more touch-screen support, and a Windows app store.

Final words? Thanks for reading this and thanks for visiting Windows Guides. I really appreciate all the writers for how hard they work and I thank you for visiting this site.

Final Words

When asked who would win in a battle between a Hot Dog and a Cheeseburger, the team unanimously voted cheeseburger. Now you know what kind of team you’re dealing with :)

I hope you enjoyed reading about our team. I’m sure they’d appreciate a comment or two on their latest posts to let them know how they’re doing on what you’d like to see.

In this guide, I look at seven iTunes alternatives and compare them side by side to give you an option to use them as an alternative to iTunes.

Seven iTunes Alternatives

The seven programs I picked:

• Foobar 2000
• doubleTwist
• Froddle Pod
• Songbird
• YamiPod
• Winamp
• Media Monkey

Each of these programs performs different tasks with different objectives; however, I chose these for a couple of reasons: they can communicate with Apple hardware (read: sync) and can play music, as a media player, on my PC. To expand the perspective from my needs to a more general iTunes replacement, I’ve broken key requirements into four categories:

1. OS Compatibility
2. Media Formats
3. Device Sync
4. Key Features

The remainder of this guide will compare these programs, side by side, in these categories.

Compatibility

Even though this is a Windows site, I’ve listed compatibility with Windows XP, Vista, 7, Mac OS X, and Linux.

All seven programs work with Windows XP, Vista, and 7 (Froddle Pod’s homepage does not list Windows 7 compatibility but I got it to work.)

Songbird’s support for Linux is now dropped, leaving YamiPod as the only option for Linux without the use of WINE.

Key Features

I really don’t use iTunes for much more than playing music, syncing my phone, and purchases (which can be done via 3G/Wifi through the App Store and iTunes apps.) Here are some of the more commonly-used features of iTunes:

• Album art
• Media tagging
• CD ripping
• Podcasts
• Playlists

And here’s how the alternatives stack up with these features:

Media Monkey wins by a mile here as it packs all these features and many more (even more if you purchase Media Monkey Gold.)

Media Formats

iTunes plays most types of media and if it’s to be replaced, so should the replacement. Here’s a breakdown of media playback compatibility of the seven programs:

Songbird has the biggest base of audio playback support and is the clear choice if your library contains all file types. Froddle Pod states it “play[s] audio and video formats supported by the iPod (except Quicktime format)”, which I’ve taken to mean at least MP3 and AAC (dependant upon your iPod.)

Device Sync

The most prominent feature keeping me “tied” to iTunes is being able to sync my phone. To sync to your Apple device, you need specific hardware drivers, which come bundled with iTunes. If you don’t want iTunes on your PC (that’s the whole point of this guide right?), then you can do the following:

1. Download iTunes.
2. Rename your downloaded iTunes.exe to iTunes.zip.
3. Open up the zipped file and extract QuickTime.msi and AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi.
4. Install both programs.

Without having all the devices to hand to test for compatibility, I relied on information given by the publishers of the seven programs listed. Thus, this list is as accurate as the information on the product pages.

Foobar works with most devices (but not all firmware) and compatibility list is available here.

Songbird has officially dropped iPod support.

Final Thoughts

I can’t recommend one program over another as it all depends on the needs you have when looking for a replacement. I think I’ll still use iTunes (even after really enjoying these programs) as my wife also syncs her phone with our family PC and we have iTunes sharing our libraries throughout the house.

Although none of these programs proved victorious for me, I hope you find one you like. Which programs did I miss? Do you think you’ll stop using iTunes in favor of one of these programs?

Download

Here are the current download links for all seven programs.

• Foobar 2000
• doubleTwist
• Froddle Pod
• Songbird
• YamiPod
• Winamp
• Media Monkey