Readers, I believe a brief update is on the cards; a  few things have changed lately. I’ll attempt to keep you updated with the major changes:

MyWindowsPC

• ReCaptcha is being used on members’ blogs to cut spam comments for them (thanks for the suggestion Christopher.)
• MyWindowsPC Help, the official MyWindowsPC help blog has been updated and given a new name.
• Members’ posts are now being featured on the front page.
• The site activity feed is now being parsed to the sidebar of Windows Guides.

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Read the rest of Changes to mintywhite.com (and my other sites)

Ajay Singh has written a guide to help you fix the Windows Vista sidebar if it does not display properly.

Further Reading

• XdN Tweaker Customizes Windows XP, Server 2003, Vista, and 7
• 41 Windows Vista Custom Desktop Theme Packs
• Install Custom Desktop Themes in Windows Vista/Server 2008 [How To]
• How To Series: Windows Desktop Theme Customization
• Changes to mintywhite.com (and my other sites)

Dishant has written a helpful post on using the sidebar with UAC disabled in Windows 7 on Windows Forums.

Thanks Dishant!

Further Reading

• Changes to mintywhite.com (and my other sites)
• Windows Vista Sidebar Does Not Display Properly
• Will Windows 7 be a Worthwhile Upgrade?
• Vista Battery Saver Saves Your Battery in Vista
• Vista Visual Master – The Complete Windows Vista Customization Package

An In-depth Look at Windows 7

A few days ago, I shared my initial thoughts on Windows 7. After spending more time with the operating system, I now share my findings and whether or not I feel Windows 7 will be a worthwhile upgrade.

I agree that Microsoft ran a little faster than they new how with Vista, which hurt them a lot. Windows 7 better be good, or people will either stick with XP until 2013, or switch to Linux, Mac, or the next big OS (will there be one soon?)

In this review, I’ll explore some of the new features Windows 7 brings and whether I like them or not. I’ll take a look at updated core applications, desktop and window management, home networking, and built-in troubleshooting. Then you decide… is Windows 7 a worthwhile upgrade?

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If you use Vista on a laptop, you may find your battery life isn’t great. I updated my computer from XP to Vista about over a year ago and I must say I noticed a significant (10%+) loss in battery life. Honestly, I don’t mind, but I’ve been testing Vista Battery Saver for a couple of weeks and now I want to share it with mintywhite.com readers.

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Vista Visual Master is a free application that will help you to customize your Windows Vista easily.  With a clean and simple interface it brings you an All-in-One set of powerful and neatly classified tools, settings, and tweaks.  Now You can change the look of the windows and buttons, change the system icons and hundreds of file icons, reconfigure the boot and logon screen, patch and apply your new themes, and you can customize Windows Vista according to your wishes.

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This gadget displays status information for the Windows Search indexer. It also allows you to pause and resume the indexer as well as quickly access the Indexing Options control panel.

If you have installed the Windows Search 4 update for Vista (currently a “preview” release) you can also enable “Index Now” functionality.

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Innovative, beautiful and free! These are the keywords that best describe Hydra. If you are overwhelmed with wealth of information the web offers these days, then you’ve found your solution. Hydra will make your browsing more comfortable and enjoyable than ever, and all this packaged into a visually attractive interface, thus making your browsing experience even better and more exciting experience!

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Read the rest of Hydra Web Browser – Because Looks are Important too

With Amnesty Generator, you can easily convert millions of web widgets, games and videos – designed to live on home pages, blogs or MySpace – into gadgets for your Sidebar. If you like widgets on the web, you’ll love them on your Sidebar. In this guide you will learn how to do get this software working on your PC.

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Read the rest of Amnesty Generator – Convert Gadgets for Your Sidebar (Vista/OS X)

Keeping a close eye on Microsoft is not exactly an easy task, moreover since the company has entered a new era of translucency over transparency. But at the same time there are a variety of sources orbiting Microsoft and providing enough crumbs from the Redmond feast. The problem in this context is the centralization of information. In this regard, the Microsoft EvNet Dev Team has made available a collection of no less than five gadgets designed to integrate seamlessly with the Windows Vista Sidebar and deliver content from the main videocontent websites focused on the Redmond company.

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Read the rest of Top 5 Free Vista SP1 Sidebar Gadgets to Keep a Close Eye on Microsoft