Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Windows Guides’ Rating	Compatible with
4.5 out of 5

PROS: Easy to use and provides direct, high-speed download links. Searches for beta updates. Can be used as a standalone without need for installation. CONS: Sends information about what programs are installed on your computer to FileHippo to check for updates. Some may see this as a privacy concern. VERDICT: If you want to get the latest updates (and betas), this program will keep you on top of things. PRICE: Free VERSION REVIEWED: 1.037 DOWNLOAD: FileHippo Update Checker

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First off! You know you really ought to upgrade to Service Pack 3. Microsoft ended support for SP2 back in July, and stopped issuing patches for it.

Maybe you’ve had a bad experience with a service pack in the past. Maybe you just don’t like change. Whatever the reason, if you’re stubbornly clinging to SP2, but you need to apply a critical security update that requires SP3, there is a registry edit you can do that will make XP SP2 appear to be an SP3 machine.

Microsoft doesn’t support it, and you do it at your own risk, but here are the steps:

1. Read the rest of this entry »

We are now in an age where we can realistically expect to have access to every: photo we’ve ever taken, song we’ve ever purchased, document we’ve written, and anything else stored on our computer. Many of us have a computer at home (usually an older computer) that we refer to as our server. On or attached to this server is all the media we have to our name. In this guide, we explore top five remote access applications available to help you get to this, and other, information. These applications can be used to:

• 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.

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I must admit that I am a big fan of Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE). Since Microsoft has the most popular consumer operating system in the world, why don’t they take up the responsibility in releasing a security program for their users for free? Of course, I am aware that Microsoft has previously released a few – less noticeable security programs, like Windows Defender (pre-installed in Windows Vista/7 and will be disabled if the user installs MSE) and Windows Live OneCare (which was a paid subscription and discontinued), but most Windows users still prefer to use some free security software offered by third parties (and most of them are ad-supported), due to various reasons. Don’t be surprised that some of new PC users aren’t aware of the importance of a security product for Windows, and some don’t have security software installed (and they aren’t aware that they are exposed to the various threats during browsing), so it is pretty important (and I think it’s quite fundamental) for Microsoft to have a competitive in-house security program for all Windows users, for free of course, and the answer is Microsoft Security Essentials. Read the rest of this entry »

Microsoft have responded to a recent Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Release Candidate (or SP1 RC) leak by actually releasing it.

SP1 for Microsoft’s most popular Operating System brings plenty of bug fixes and enhancements.

Notable additions are Remote FX and incremental security updates and hot fixes.

Windows 7 SP1 RC can be downloaded via the Microsoft Website.  If you are already participating in the Beta go to Windows update and install the RC.
The x86 iteration of the SP is a heavy 514.7MB with x64 weighing in at a staggering 865.4MB.

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Because the internet is more than just Windows Guides, we have prepared a selection of the best technology posts of this week.

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.

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