Windows Tools, Help & Guides

We have previously reviewed Collage Maker Pro (Read it Here). John, the developer is very interested in knowing how to improve his product and he offered 5 licenses to those who could come up with the best suggestions for improvement.

About the competition John said: “I was glad to see there were people interested in the contest. The feedback was interesting and there were some ideas I hadn’t thought about before.”

So there you have it, by regularly visit us at mintywhite you’re not only getting the chance to win wonderful software, but also have a say in how they should work in the future.

Read on to see who won, and what they would expect to see in a future edition of Collage Maker Pro.

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Yesterday, I shared some steps I take to set up a Windows 7 machine the right way. Windows Guides reader, Gene, recently sent me this really useful guide on how to set up a computer and I’d like to share it with you.

Here’s an excerpt from the guide:

I have had many questions and times when I had to set up a new computer that someone had just bought either from a store or a website and it arrived on their doorstep. The following is the procedure that I use to make sure that the system is ready to put online and available for the internet to start trying to be used in a botnet or hit with all the virus’s that are out there looking for new systems that someone has not set up to stop them. I am not by anyway the expert as this is just the way I do it and there are probably other ways and systems to do it also but I don’t have access to them.

How to Set Up a New Computer (PDF 311 KB)

(Right click and Save as…)

Anyone who has not yet received a LAlarm license but commented on one of the statuses MUST e-mail lalarm@www.mintywhite.com by Friday at 11AM GMT, as there are still about 13 of you who haven’t come forward.

When you first set up a Windows 7 machine, there are a few key things you should do. Whether you just installed a clean version of Windows 7 or bought a brand-name PC from the store with Windows 7 preinstalled, this guide will help you configure your PC for optimal use. Please note: even if you don’t have a “fresh” installation of Windows 7, most of these steps will apply.

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The Windows 7 Enterprise is designed specifically for IT Professionals interested in experiencing the Windows 7 Enterprise on behalf of their organization, for both software and hardware testing purposes of the final version of the product. In addition, it provides the opportunity to become more familiar with the key improvements over previous versions of the Windows operating system.

This 90-day trial of Windows 7 Enterprise can be downloaded absolutely free until the end of the year (December 31, 2010). It will not require a product key; it is embedded with the download. Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions are available and five languages are supported: English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. After the 90-day Trial expires, if you wish to continue to use the Windows 7 Enterprise, you will be required to purchase and perform a clean installation of Windows 7, including drivers and applications; Windows 7 Enterprise is not available through retail channels.

Official Guidelines by Microsoft:

Protect your PC by backing up your data first.

Don’t test Windows 7 on your primary home or business PC.

You have 10 days to activate the product. If not activated within 10 days, the system will shut down once every hour until activated.

The 90-day Trial will shut down once every hour when you have reached the end of the 90-day evaluation period.

Minimum System Requirements:

1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

1 GB of RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)

16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)

DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

DVD-compatible drive

Internet access

Download here (bottom of the page)

Update: Winners announced.

I recently interviewed Joan Lambert about her recent book Windows 7 Step by Step. Joan has been so kind to give away three (3) signed copies of her book.

How Do I Win a Copy?

1. Register for/log in to Windows Forums.
2. Look for ways to contribute to the community and start posting questions, advice, introductions etc.
3. On 17 April, 2010 @ 9AM ET, the top three (3) posters over the last seven (7) days will win a copy each of Windows 7 Step by Step.

You have 7 days to be one of the three most frequent posters on Windows Forums and claim this book for yourself. Keep an eye on the top posters list on the front page:

Rules

I’m not a fan of rules, but in this competition, I must put forward a few:

1. Absolutely no spamming/pointless posts (I will be keeping an eye out for people whose posts add no value and will, fairly, remove cheaters from the competition.)
2. Forum Administrators and Moderators are not eligible for this competition.
3. Entries, from any where in the world, are welcome.
4. If you want to say “thanks” for a post, please use the Thanks button instead of posting.

Happy posting!

Go to Windows Forums