Every now and then I come across something I want to download and find it’s been separated into multiple archives. This is usually done because the file size is large and, to avoid failed downloads, it’s split up into multiple pieces before it’s uploaded. The archive may also be split because the site on which it’s hosted restricts the maximum file size.

Case in point: the mintywhite 1003 font megapack is split into 20MB pieces so users are less likely to experience a failed download and have to start from the beginning (as many people don’t use download managers.)

This guide will show you how to extract multi-part archives like the mintywhite font megapack.

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As all screens are not created equal, which is why Microsoft have bundled a display color calibration tool with Windows 7. This tool is easy to use and this guide serves as a checklist for using it.

You should use this tool if:

• You’ve not calibrated your screen yet.
• You’ve changed monitors (even if it was calibrated with another computer.)

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If you’d like to play your portable audio player through your Windows 7 PC speakers (without unplugging them from the back of the PC), you can use a standard 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable. This way you can play your songs through your PC. I realize this tip isn’t for everyone but it’s useful for me as getting to the back of my PC isn’t that easy.

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Localization:

For those of you tuned in from around the world – welcome. I’m a Kiwi (a person from New Zealand) and this article was written primarily to address NZ Windows Media Center users lack of access to the Electronic Program Guide from Sky Broadcasting.

Having said that, there are topics covered herein that could well be of use to others beyond the borders of New Zealand. Our primary tool in this article is “Big Screen EPG” that’s now being used by many people around the world to push the contents of an XMLTV file (the EPG information) into the Windows Media Center database. If this sort of thing is of interest to you, please read on.

Did you miss the previous posts in this series?

• Big Screen EPG Puts the “E” in Electronic Program Guide [Part 1 of 3]
• Big Screen EPG Puts the “E” in Electronic Program Guide [Part 2 of 3]

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Before I sign off for the holidays, I have one last gift for you all. I know, I know, I’m a generous guy. Some may say to a fault.

After perusing many of the excellent themes for Windows 7 Media Center, I found there weren’t many dark themes out there, those that were tended to be incomplete.

So I set to work on making my own theme, it’s by no means perfect but at least makes an attempt to be a ’complete’ theme.

Hit the link below to see some more screenshots and get a link to the download.

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You’ll recall from New and Improved EPG that Big Screen has just released a final (not a beta) version of their Big Screen EPG program that grabs program guides from the internet, prepares them, and loads their data into Windows Media Center’s Program Guide to use in conjunction with the WMC Live TV function. We ran through a basic setup of the program in part I, in part II we’ll cover the setup process in more detail, examining the options and perhaps arriving at a transparent process that will provide you with the best EPG for the New Zealand broadcast area.

Did you miss the previous post in this series?

• Big Screen EPG Puts the “E” in Electronic Program Guide [Part 1 of 3]

Read the rest of this entry »