Windows Tools, Help & Guides

New to using the command prompt? Check out the Windows Command Prompt Beginner’s Guide

If you are looking to transfer lots of files, large files, a large amount of data, or a combination of the above, you should consider using Xcopy—a command line tool used to copy data.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at:

1. The basic syntax of Xcopy.
2. How to use parameters to refine Xcopy behavior.
3. How to output Xcopy results to a text file.

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Doing a quick search on our site reveals several articles and forum posts regarding the new PowerShell functionality that comes shipped with Windows 7. Windows PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language designed for system administration and automation. Built on the .NET Framework, Windows PowerShell enables IT professionals and developers to control and automate the administration of Windows and applications.

If you have begun using PowerShell and become so attached to it that you cannot imagine life without – working on a computer (such as Windows XP) that does not have PowerShell seems not worth it. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just install PowerShell on your Windows XP computer ??

The good news is – You can!

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I have written a guide for next week that explains running tasks as an administrator in Windows XP. Just like modern cars (some, not all) don’t fully turn off the traction control even when you press the switch, modern versions (including XP) don’t give you full administrative permissions (even with an Administrator account.) Thus, you’ll need to activate the “hidden” administrator account in Windows to have full control over your files and settings.

Please note: Only activate and use this account if you have a need to do so (i.e. tinkering with system files on a non-critical PC.)

Learn, in this guide, how to activate the hidden administrator account in Windows XP (Instructions for Windows Vista/7.)

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Windows Guides’ Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5

PROS: Years of tweaking experience have produced this product that applies tried and tested tweaks to your system. The Program Deactivator removes overhead from your system while keeping the application at hand if needed. CONS: The trial only lasts 15 days. I like to evaluate software for at least 30 days before committing to paying for it. VERDICT: If you want something that is more granular than CCleaner or similar products and you don’t mind forking out for great software, go for this. PRICE: $29.95 (Upgrade) $42.46 (Full Version with 15% off coupon) VERSION REVIEWED: TuneUp Utilities 2011 DOWNLOAD: TuneUp Utilities 2011 (15% off) (Aff) 15 day Trial

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There are several folders in your computer that can increase size without you having knowledge of it. It’s very common that programs use temporary files. Every browser also uses caches and cookies.

The Folders

Some of these applications don’t delete these files after they are used. In this post I am going to explain how to obtain information about the size of the following folders:

Temporary Folder

This folder which is usually located at “C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp” is used for almost every program to store its temporary files.

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In this guest post, James Ricketts explores the frequently asked questions pertaining to 3 common file extensions used on a Windows PC.

• Q#1 – I’ve received an .exe file type as an email attachment – how do I open it?
• Q#2 – How do I delete all the .tmp file types from my computer without risking the removal of one or more essential .tmp files?
• Q#3 – What causes file type errors? I’m receiving one when I try to open a .psf file type with Adobe Photoshop – what should I do?

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