If you are using Windows XP, and you want to easily resize images from the right-click context menu, this guide is for you. Here’s how to do this in Vista.
Related Categories
Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide v0.2.2 is now released and ready for download. Preview the book here.
 | Download Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide (v0.2.2) |
What’s New?
Here is a subset of what is new with the latest release:
Document Improvements
I’ve made the following improvements:
- Document inconsistencies fixed.
- Grammar check and update.
- Updated guide on improving external hard drive performance.
- Guides ready for translation.
Meet the Translators
Earlier this week, I asked for volunteers to help with translation. 28 35 people responded and are currently working on version 0.2.2 to translate it into 18 24 different languages. These translators will receive a byline in the credits section of both their translation and the English-language edition of the book. The translators are:
- Waldo A (Afrikaans)
- Nesrine R (Arabic)
- Omar Z (Arabic)
- Marce D (Czech)
- Mike F (Dutch)
- Mobidoy (French)
- Adrien (French)
- Uta R (German)
- Alon (Hebrew)
- Anindya S (Hindi)
- Sunil S (Hindi)
- Untung (Indonesian)
- FSoft (Italian)
- Shivam M (Kannada)
- Darko S (Macedonian)
- Xander (Norwegian)
- Armin I (Persian)
- Jolanta S (Polish)
- Angelo Moretto (Portuguese)
- Guilherme V (Portuguese)
- Gustavo B (Portuguese)
- Keith J (Portuguese)
- Radu M (Romanian)
- bojkohb (Slovenian)
- James K (Spanish)
- Dina V (Spanish)
- Juan C (Spanish)
- Jose P (Spanish)
- Felipe G (Spanish)
- Gerd von A (Spanish)
- Andreas R (Swedish)
- Elayathambi T (Tamil)
- KiT (Thai)
- cubes (Traditional Chinese)
- Triết Học Nguyễn (Vietnamese)
Thank you so much for all volunteering! It’s not too late to offer help in translating, email me for details.
| Download Windows 7 – The Pocket Guide (v0.2.2) |
In this guest post, James Ricketts explores how to deal with EXE issues on your PC. Learn more about James at the conclusion of this post.
Solving computer problems on your own means less downtime, less hassle and no or low cost. However, it is important that you know what problems you can handle on your own and which issues are best left to professionals. For example, it is advised that most hardware-related problems are best left to computer experts. Similarly, it is advisable that you try and analyze most software-related issues yourself, as quite often, they can be easily resolved.
MSherwood is a Windows Forums moderator and runs a blog over at MyWindowsPC. In this interview, you’ll get to know him better and learn about some of the things he likes to do.
Who is MSherwood? What does he like to do outside the world of computers?
Well, computers only take up a small portion of my time. When I’m not on a computer, I’m at work in investment operations, plugging away at my information systems degree, or spending time on one of several hobbies, which include:
- Spending time with my wife
- Playing Golf
- Playing/watching baseball, or any other sport for that matter
- Taking care of living things, especially my freshwater aquarium and bonsai
What is your favorite quote and why?
“You can always become better”
-Tiger Woods
First of all, I love Tiger Woods. I love the way he plays the game, I love how competitive he is, and I love how he shows in this quote that even if you are the best in the world at something, you can become even better if you have the desire. I hope that someday I can be the Tiger Woods of something.
If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?
Wow. The ability to give myself any other superpower? Does that qualify? Seriously though, I would probably want to fly. I’ve always had a fascination with airplanes and flight, and it would be pretty cool to fly sans the plane part.
What encourages you to help people on Windows Forums?
The sheer frustration we can at sometimes face with computers. For those of us who grew to adulthood without the internet for the most part, when you face a problem and have limited resources and contacts it becomes very difficult to find a solution. Now that everyone can be connected we have the best minds on the job and usually find a solution within a much shorter timespan. When I grew up there was no help and it was all trial-and-error. I think that is where all the gurus come from.
Do you have any plans to start a website?
You betcha. I have very limited experience with HTML and Javascript but after I get my blog going steadily on MyWindowsPC I will probably convert that over to my own website. I want to focus on new software and developments from the Microsoft community mixed with reviews and tutorials on how to get the most out of Windows and Windows Mobile (my new baby), among other things. Right now there are so many forums that cover these areas but not one place where you can go to get the information on all of them. I want to bring all of that together. I may even branch out to security and other things depending on where my knowledge takes me the next couple of years. It will be a lot like Mintywhite but focusing on things outside of Windows as well.
Where do you see your website in five years?
Well, hopefully I’ll be doing a preview on Windows 9, Windows Mobile 8, Office 16, and creating a community of techies that help each other get the most out of all these things. If I’m only a fraction as popular as Mintywhite I’ll count myself lucky.
You’ve tested Windows 7 extensively, do you think this OS will replace XP in the near future?
Definitely yes, for a couple reasons:
- Microsoft wants it to. It’s cutting support, stopping patches, and really pushing enterprises towards 7. XP will die the death this time.
- In my opinion, it blows XP away. I’ve been using 7 exclusively since the Beta launch and the performance and eye candy just can’t be matched. And that was a beta. Everyone gripes, “Oh, but XP is so stable and works on older machines” and that’s true. But 7 is stable, and one day your old hardware won’t cut it anymore. And even Vista is stable, to a certain extent. I’ve used them all, and 7 is the best by far. It optimizes new and old hardware to its fullest extent and offers the easiest OS to use from Microsoft… ever. So although XP may still be stable like an old trusty pickup, I’d rather drive the Ferrari.
What is your number one Windows tip?
Never give up. If you don’t like the way something works, chances are it can be changed. If something isn’t working, chances are there’s a fairly easy solution. Computers are excellent tools and they’ll do whatever we want them to if we know how to order it around. So keep at it, ask for a little help, and in no time you will be enjoying your PC to a fuller extent than you ever have before.
Thanks MSherwood! Good luck with your new blog and everything you love to do. Thanks for your help!
If you’re making changes to your system and using programs such as CCleaner or Advanced SystemCare, you should always make a restore point before. There is the argument that by creating a restore point you take up almost all the space you are freeing up of these programs. This is true; however, cleaning your system can improve performance significantly and is good practice when using your PC.
Read the rest of this entry »
Here at mintywhite.com, we love Icon Packs. In this collection, I’ve picked 57 new packs and included 54 of my favorite packs already featured here on the site. Enjoy these packs and please feel free to suggest some more.
If you want more icons, head to the icon pack collections.
As with all packs listed on this site, please refer to the linked site to view copyright information or get in contact with the artist who created the icons. If you created one of these packs and want to change anything on here, please contact me.
iPhone style sidebar icon
80 Mini iPhone Application Style Icons in .PNG format (16×16)
Mod’em
1 PNG Icon (256×256 and 512×512)
Splashy Icons
464 Icons in PNG format (16×16)
MNM’s
“7 Icons in .ICO and .PNG Format (16×16, 32×32, 128×128, 256×256 & 512×512)”
Desktop Icons
5 Icons in .ICO and .PNG Format (256×256)
Letter icons
4 Icons in .ICO format (256×256)
Driver
18 Icons in .PNG format (512×512)
XIII
“21 Icons in .ICO and .PNG Format (16×16, 32×32, 128×128, 256×256 & 512×512)”
I like buttons 3a
26 PNG Icons (512×512)
Baggy Icon Set
“5 Icons in .ICO and .PNG Format (16×16, 32×32, 48×48, 128×128, 256×256 & 512×512)”
Round Theme Icons
106 iPhone Application style icons. PNG Format 59×60
Playground
9 Icons in PNG format (256×256)
OldSchool Icon Set
“6 Icons in .ICO and .PNG Format (16×16, 32×32, 128×128, 256×256 & 512×512)”
Container Icon Pack
“Container Icon Pack contains 40 high quality (256×256 pixels) icons; PNG and ICO formats. This package includes: Box Icons, Cargo Icons, Trash Icon and more…”
Fugue Icons
“1,600 icons in PNG format (16×16 )”
web 2.0 RSS icons
“28 icons (orange, green, blue, gray) in .ico, .icns, .tif, .png, .psd formats (32×32, 16×16)”
Vaga
60 semi-transparent .png icons (16 x 16)
Icons: Systematrix Full
“28 PNG icons (16×16, 32×32, 64×64, 128×128, 256×256)”
Developpers Icons
105 icons (32×32)
Monitor HP
“1 PNG Icon (128×128, 256×256 and 512×512)”
Cats4 HDD (Beta)
7 Icons in .ICO format (256×256)
Red Moleskine
“One Icon in (16×16, 32×32, 128×128 & 256×256)”
Enjoyment v.1
“4 Icons in .png, .ico, .icns, .tif, .gif, .bmp, and .psd formats (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32)”
Ive Drives
These hard drive icons are inspired by beautiful Apple hardware designed and crafted by Jony Ive and the Apple Industrial Design Group. Available in four styles of familiar Apple hardware:
Simply Safari Icon
“1 Icon in .ICO and .PNG formats (16×16, 32×32, 48×48, 128×128, 256×256 & 512×512)”
Nurture Social Icon Set
“Includes 10 icons featuring the logos of popular social bookmarking sites. The set was designed with a fresh, lively, green look in mind. The pack includes 512×512, 256×256, 128×128, and 64×64 icons in .png format.”
Zero
21 folder replacement icons beaming holographic images at the speed of light. Your desktop will never be the same. The collection includes resources for both Vista and Leopard. ((512×512 256×256 128×128 48×48 32×32 16×16))
Snow
“102 royalty free website & GUI icons in TIFF, ICNS, ICO, ICON & PNG formats that can be used for both personal and commercial purposes (32×32)”
Smashing Retro Icon Set
10 Icons in .PNG and .ICO format (128×128 & 512×512)
“Handycons – a free, hand drawn social media icon set “
“Hand drawn social media icon set that contains 12 icons. Package contains icons for del.icio.us, Digg, Mixx, DesignBump, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Developer Zone, DesignFloat, Technorati, Twitter and RSS feed & Email icon, of course. All icons are available in four sizes: 16×16, 24×24, 32×32 and 48×48 pixels.”
Book icons
30 Icons in .ICO format (256×256)
Valentine’s Day
2 Icons in PNG format (256×256)
“VLC, glassy icon”
1 Icons in PNG format (512×512 & 1024×1024)
Handycons 2 – another free hand drawn icon set
“Icon set containing 20 more hand drawn icons. This time it is not limited just to socail media related icons. Package contains Facebook, Blinklist, Feedburner, Flickr, FriendFeed, Furl, Gmail, Google, Heart icon, Last FM, Linked IN, Magnolia, Newsvine, PayPal, Skype, Sphinn, Twitter, Vimeo, Yahoo and You Tube icons. All icons come in four sizes: 16×16, 32×32, 64×64 and 12×128px.”
Hydropro Icon Pack
50 high quality (256×256 pixels) icons; PNG and ICO formats.
Vistaico Aero Pack
135 high quality (256×256 pixels) icons; PNG and ICO formats.
Computer Hardware
9 Icons in all sizes in PNG and ICO formats
Must Have Icon Set
59 Icons in all sizes in PNG and ICO formats
Social 2 Duo
The world’s first social networking icons with integrated dual core technology guaranteed to enhance the performance of your applications or blog. Package contains 10 Royalty Free icons that can be used for personal and commercial purposes (128×128 48×48 32×32 16×16)
IconTexto WebDev
“30 icons in formats PNG (128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16) and ICO (128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16).”
Mug icons
9 Icons in .ICO format (256×256)
Crysigns
25 high quality (256×256 pixels) icons; PNG and ICO formats.
Galactica
9 high quality (256×256 pixels) icons; PNG and ICO formats
Travel
10 high quality (256×256 pixels) icons; PNG and ICO formats
Pool Icons
6 Icons (128×128)
Closed Note icons
11 Icons in .ICO format (256×256)
Pioneer Camp
“6 Icons (128×128, 64×64, 48×48, 32×32)”
Aurora Folders
“16 icons in formats PNG (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16), ICO (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16) and ICNS (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16).”
Mountain Bike
“6 icons in formats PNG (512×512, 256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16) and ICO (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16). Based on mountain bike sport theme.”
Musto Icon Pack
105 high quality (256×256 pixels) icons; PNG and ICO formats.
Coffee cup icons
8 Icons in .ICO format (256×256)
My Fav Buttons
5 replacement icons to to customize your favorite folders.
Leopard iPhone Icons
18 replacement icons of Mac OS X Leopard Folders in iPhone Icons Style
IconTexto Brasil
“2 icons in formats PNG (512×512, 256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16), ICO (256×256, 128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16) and ICL (128×128, 48×48, 32×32, 16×16).”
Deli Pack 1.0 and 2.0
“Icons in .PNG formats (16×16, 32×32, 48×48, 63×63, 128×128 & 256×256)”
Animals
6 Icons in all sizes in PNG and ICO formats
Mailplane icons
4 Icons in .ICO format (256×256)
Older Icon Sets I Really Like
If you are a regular reader of Windows Guides, you may have seen these sets before, but I really like them, so here they are:
Open Phone Pack
iPhone Icon Pack
Animals
Dinosaurs
Vista Style
Air Icons
Radium Nue Pack
Poisson Pack
Aqua Value Pack
iVista icon pack
Black and Blue
More Black and Blue
SNOW.E 2 XP
Windows Icons V1
Q’s Vista Ready Icons
CEM Icon Pack
Misto Icon Pack
Affel Icon Pack
Old School Icons
Aeon Icon Pack
Pure Icon Pack
Flat Panel Icons
Green Icon Set
Simplistica
Niome Icon Pack
Radium Neue
Antares
Aire
The City
Vista Style
Airicons
Poisson
Autumn Breeze
Crystal B&W
Oxygen
Google and Facebook
iMac
Pixel Press
Aesthetica Icon Set
Coquette
Coquette Part 2
Classy Icon Set
Stickers Icon Set
Ruby Extended Icons
iTunes
TextEdit
Air Mail
Slick Drives
iFirefox
NES Icons Pack
Stacks Dock Icons
stock icons
DeskMundo Live Icons
Aquanox mini Icon Set
Well, that’s all for now. Subscribe to keep updated on new packs.
By default, Windows Vista has a 400 ms delay when opening menus; you can shorten this time to 200 ms without degrading performance. Learn how in this guide.
You may have heard or read about disabling Windows services to improve performance, but may be unsure of which services to disable. You can try an understand the technical jargon from some websites and manually disable them yourself; however, you may find you make a mistake and cause problems on your computer. In this guide, you’ll learn how to use Vista Services Optimizer, which safely disables unnecessary services on your computer.
Vista Services Optimizer
Vista Services Optimizer takes the guess work out of disabling services and does the hard work for you. The program has a fairly clean interface which guides you through the features of the program.
Vista Services Optimizer will ask you some questions and determine which services you need and then let you disable the ones you don’t need.
Download Vista Services Optimizer
I was playing with task manager, when I came across this simple trick, which lets you display any item from task manager as a ‘desktop widget’; learn how to make your task manager into a widget in this guide.
Like Windows Vista, Windows Seven comes with a performance rating tool, which rates your system and then gives you tips on improving it. In this guide, you’ll learn how to use Windows 7’s Performance Information Tools to rate your system.
More Windows Seven Guides
