Windows Tools, Help & Guides

We talk a lot about Windows 32 and 64-bit around here. If you’ve purchased a PC from the shelf, there’s every chance you don’t know whether it’s running 32 or 64-bit Windows. Most computers sold today come with 64-bit Windows installed (needed to utilize >3GB RAM, which is now commonplace in standard PCs); here’s how you can check for yourself:

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Windows Forums member, Shane, lists four new features set to come with Windows 8:

1. Windows Explorer Ribbon UI
2. Webcam.exe
3. TaskUI
4. Modern PDF Reader

In his guide, he shows you how to enable these features in build 7850 of Windows 8. For example, to enable the PDF reader:

1. Run regedit and go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Paint\Capabilities
2. Make string value called “CLSID” – “{D3E34B21-9D75-101A-8C3D-00AA001A1652}.”
3. Start using the built in PDF reader to open your PDFs.

Windows 8 Fluent UI, Webcam + 2 more | Windows Forums

Want more news about Windows 8? Bookmark the Windows 8 News & Rumors [Rolling Updates] page.

Device drivers act as an interface (or communication channel) between your operating system and your hardware. To learn more about drivers, read computer drivers: the basics.

It’s important to keep your drivers updated to take advantage of code fixes, reliability improvements, and security; Intel have made it even easier to keep your drivers up to date with the Intel Driver Update Utility.

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Screenshots from the installation process of Windows 8 M3 have been leaked online and over at Chris123NT’s Corner, you can see shots of what looks to be the entire process.

If you’re considering downloading Windows 8, be sure to check out this list before you download a fake build:

Windows8 Fake Builds | My Digital Life Forums

The current fake builds on the list are (as of April 25th at 11:12AM ET):

• Windows 8 build 6 2 7922 0 winmain win8m2 110202-1840 2.25 GB
• Windows 8 build 6.2.7968.0.winmain_win8m3.110318-1830 4.79 GB
• 7971.0.110324-1900_x86fre_client_en-us_OEM_Ultimate-GRMCULFREO_EN_DVD 2.75 GB
• Windows 8 build.7973.0.110329.torrent.rar Windows 8 build.7973.0.110329.torrent.7z
• 7980.6.2.7980.0.110407-1832.rar 2.78 GB

Disclaimer: I won’t be downloading Windows 8 until it’s made available to me. If a friend picks up a copy at a conference and it’s not NDA (highly unlikely) or if Microsoft decide to send me an early Beta, I’ll install it.

In an unsurprising turn of events, the “Windows 8 App Store” leaked screenshots are of a program named Appmart and are not the “Windows Store” that’s coming with Windows 8. The Windows store is locked down, for now.

I don’t imagine the store being much different, interface-wise than this. It would be nice if applications were recommended to you based on anonymous (and opted-in) computer usage. Some will say it would be a major violation of privacy to monitor usage trends, but it would be a great way to find useful software to help you be more productive.

Alleged Windows 8 App Store screenshot is fake: third-party app “Appmarts”| i started something