Windows Tools, Help & Guides

In this guest post, MSP shows us how to remap Windows keys without manually modifying the registry. Find out more about MSP at the end of this post. 

You may want to disable some keys on the keyboard; for example, if you are a gamer, you might have wanted to disable the Windows key because accidentally clicking on it might pause your game and invoke the Start menu.

Here is a simple way to disable any key on the keyboard of your computer running Windows.

The registry in Windows can be edited to “map” one key to another key or disable a key. Manual registry editing for this might be a bit tough. Fortunately, here is software which does this – SharpKeys.

How to disable the Windows key:

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Many programs use sound to some degree, such as alerts, music or other effects. Sometimes you want to mute sounds coming from a specific program or the windows system (Then you should read this post). If you don’t want to mute the sound entirely, but would like to lower it or let one program play louder sounds than others, well this is how:

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TuneUp Shredder is one of the many utilites that comes with TuneUp Utilities 2012 (full review) and is automatically available* after you install TuneUp Utilities 2012 (trial) (aff)

Even after emptying the Recycle Bin, files can be retrieved from your hard disk until they are physically overwritten. If you want your files deleted, permanently, use TuneUp Shredder to completely remove traces of your files. Doing this is both useful and strongly recommended if:

• You sell your PC
• You sell your hard drive
• You are returning a drive for warranty repair, replacement, or refund
• You loan your PC to a friend and you’re not sure what you’ve deleted recently
• Your PC is borrowed (school loaner, corporate laptop etc.)

To shred a file:

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In the previous guide, you learned about the Sysinternals tools. In this guide, you’ll learn how to launch Sysinternals tools from the web. This can save valuable time and give you the tools you need when you need them i.e. you’re at a friends house and they’re asking for help with their PC.

Launching Sysinternals tools from the command line/Run dialog is easy. First, you’ll need the list of names of the Sysinternals tools, which can be found here: live.sysinternals.com

Once you have the name of the tool,  launch the Run dialog (Winkey+R) and type the following:

 \\live.sysinternals.com\tools\toolname.exe

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We like using Sysinternals tools here at Windows Guides; these tools bring core Windows functions together and help you administer to your systems more easily.

In this guide, we’ll cover the basics:

1. What are the Sysinternals tools?
2. How to download and run these tools on your PC
3. Where can I learn more about these tools?

Ever use the Windows Calculator and, because you’re too lazy to write numbers down or commit them to the calculators “memory”, end up with 5 instances of the program running—each with their own numbers that are easily forgotten? Or is that only me?

If you’d like a simple but powerful calculator to perform simple sums, PowerShell may be the tool you are looking for. In this guide, we provide tips for first-time PowerShell users, show you how to perform simple arithmetic using Windows PowerShell, and how to use command history for multi-step calculations and note taking.

Simple Arithmetic with Windows PowerShell

Tip: Open PowerShell by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard, typing power, and pressing the Enter key

PowerShell comes pre-installed on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. If you’re using XP, Vista, or Windows Server 2008/3, download PowerShell here.

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