Windows Tools, Help & Guides

No matter how much money you have invested in a new computer, sooner or later you will face performance problems.

These problems are usually related with the CPU or the memory. Computers are becoming so complex that you need all the help you can get to find the source of the problems.

The first thing I do when I notice that my computer is not acting as it should is run Task Manager. With this tool you can easily see the usage of Memory and CPU of every process on your computer. I always do the same: look for the processes that are using more CPU and see if there are enough physical memory available.

So, why not have a utility that do the same with just one click and that can be easily found in your Windows 7 Taskbar?

To do this we are going to use one component of Windows 7, PowerShell, that can be also used in other Windows versions.

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Got a “love-hate” relationship with your TV?  Love the shows, but hate the commercials? Viewing your favorite TV Series on DVD is an excellent way to watch TV.  Dropping those DVD’s down to your hard drive makes the experience close to perfect.

There are several ways to get  TV shows on to your PC – the most popular is probably downloading the shows from a bit.torrent site – another way is to buy the series on DVD and then make a backup copy (where this can be done legally of course) on your hard drive.

Many current TV series are available on iTunes, and even YouTube is getting into the act.  Here in New Zealand our national broadcasting networks (we have two!) started “On Demand” services a year ago and a clever user might find a way record the material fed by their streaming media.

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A couple of weeks ago, we asked you if you used Windows XP Mode and many of you responded by saying you didn’t know about it. In the past, we showed you how to Windows XP Mode but didn’t really explain the purpose of it. This guide serves as an update to the previous guide; in this guide, we’ll cover the following:

• What is Windows Virtual PC?
• What operating systems can I install with Windows Virtual PC?
• What is Windows XP Mode?
• Why do I need Windows XP Mode?
• What are the system requirements of Windows Virtual PC?
• Where can I download Windows Virtual PC and XP Mode?
• How do I install Windows Virtual PC and XP Mode?
• How do I use Windows XP Mode?
• What else should I know about Windows XP Mode?

If you get to the end of this guide and still have questions about Windows Virtual PC or XP Mode, please ask them in the Windows 7 forum.

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So you’re partial to using external hard drives as additional storage?  Do you have a drive that falls asleep every 10 minutes or so, causing explorer to go slow?  Well i feel
your pain, i do to.  I have a Maxtor Basics 500GB external hard drive that nods off more prolifically than a narcoleptic.

These disks are typically hard coded to do so too; so trying to keep the thing awake can be a pain.

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Back in September of 2009, rsvr85 showed us how to change your logon screen with Logon Screen Rotator and in March 2010, Thomas showed us how to change your logon screen without third-party software. In this guide, I offer a third alternative to use: Tweaks.com Logon Changer for Windows 7. Learn where to get it and how to use it in this guide.

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In our last post we looked at the TV Tuner part of Windows Media Center (WMC). Adding  a TV Tuner card turns your PC into a very respectable DVR (Digital Video Recorder) rather like a TiVo box. Individual shows and indeed, an entire series can be tagged for recording.

This short post will look at the “play-back” aspects of the shows you’ve selected to record.
Recorded programs are kept in a user-selected folder on disc and made available for viewing through the “Recorded TV” icon.

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