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How to enable the F8 key to start Safe Mode in Windows 8
Windows 8 introduced a new boot loader that decreased the time that it takes Windows 8 to start. Unfortunately, in order to do this Microsoft needed to remove the ability to access the Advanced Boot Options screen when you press the F8 key when Windows starts. This meant that there was no easy and quick way to access Safe Mode anymore by simply pressing the F8 key while Windows starts. Instead in order to access Safe Mode, you would need to either start Windows 8 and then tell it to restart into safe mode or for Windows to fail to start, where you could then tell Windows reboot again into safe mode. Regardless of how you did, it became a 2-3 step process to access the Windows 8 Safe Mode rather than a 1-step process that we have become familiar with.
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How to see hidden files in Windows 8
Windows 8 hides certain files so that you are not able to view them while exploring the files and folders on your computer. Windows has two types of files that Windows will classify as hidden and hide from the user. The first type are actually hidden files, which are ones that are given the +H attribute or specified as Hidden in a file or folder's properties. The second type of file are System files, which are files that are required for the proper operation of Windows 8 as thus are hidden so that they are not changed or deleted by accident.
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How to detect vulnerable and out-dated programs using Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI)
One of the most important things a user can do to keep their computer secure is make sure they are using the latest security updates for Windows and their installed programs. Unfortunately, staying on top of these updates can be a time consuming and frustrating task when you have hundreds of programs installed on your computer. Thankfully, we have a utility called Secunia PSI, which is vital component for any Windows user's toolkit.
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How to Start Windows 10 in Safe Mode with Command Prompt
Windows Safe Mode with Command Prompt is a special startup mode that allows you to access Windows in a stripped down session where many drivers are not loaded, there is no networking, and the desktop is not loaded. From this mode, you can perform fixes, diagnostics, or any other task that you could normally do from a command prompt.
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Understanding, Identifying and Upgrading the RAM in your PC
This tutorial is intended to explain what RAM is and give some background on different memory technologies in order to help you identify the RAM in your PC. It will also discuss RAM speed and timing parameters to help you understand the specifications often quoted on vendors' websites. Its final aim is to assist you in upgrading your system by suggesting some tools and strategies to help you choose new RAM. It is written from the standpoint of a desktop PC owner but most of the concepts apply to laptops and notebooks as well. Like all PC components, RAM has gone through a number of evolutionary changes (and some revolutionary changes) and only the RAM designed for your computer will work in your computer. There are literally hundreds of different RAM products on the market today so it is important to know the correct type for your system. I am attempting to write this for the non-technical user but the further I get the more I descend into techno-babble so you may need to learn a few terms along the way. I'll assume familiarity with common terms like Megabytes and Gigabytes etc. Finally I should say I'm not a memory expert, some of the information here I came across in the process of writing this tutorial, but I hope you will get as much out of this exploration of RAM as I have.
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Simple and easy ways to keep your computer safe and secure on the Internet
Let's face it, the Internet is not a very safe place. There are hackers trying to access your computer, worms trying to infect you, malicious Trojans disguised as helpful programs, and spyware that reports your activities back to their makers. In many cases those who become infected unknowingly become a breeding ground for unwanted programs and criminal activity. It does not have to be this way. With proper education and smart computing the Internet can be a safe, useful, and fun place to visit without having to worry about what is lurking around the corner.
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How to Shrink and Extend NTFS Volumes in Windows
In the past when you needed to resize a partition in Windows you had to use a 3rd party utility such as Partition Magic, Disk Director, or open source utilities such as Gparted and Ranish Partition Manager. These 3rd party programs, though, are no longer needed when using Windows as it has partition, or volume, resizing functionality built directly into the Windows Disk Management utility.
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How to take a Screenshot on Microsoft Surface
Do you want to share screenshots of your new Microsoft Surface screens? To create them, you do not need to purchase any programs or download any applications. Instead you can use a built-in Microsoft Surface button combination to create the screenshot and save it directly into your Pictures folder. As the Touch Cover and the Type Cover do not have a Print Screen key, the Microsoft Surface instead uses a different combination.
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How to enable and disable the Windows Administrator account
The built-in Administrator account is disabled by default in Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista. It is disabled to enhance security as this is a common account targeted by hacking scripts and hackers when they try and access your computer without your permissions. In my opinion, you should leave the Administrator account disabled, but as there have been many requests for this information, I have decided to write this guide. This guide will provide three methods that will allow you to enable your Administrator account in Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista. It is important to note that in order to perform either of these methods you will need to be logged in with an account with Administrator privileges. Also, if you are enabling the Administrator account for the first time you will also need to assign it a strong password as it does not have a password by default.
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How to use the Windows 8 System Recovery Environment Command Prompt
When Windows is no longer able to start it is typically because of a problem in the Windows Registry, a driver conflict, or malware crashing the computer. Windows startup issues can be one of the most frustrating issues to deal with because you do not have easy access to the file and data we need to fix these problems. Thankfully, we can use the Windows 8 Recovery Environment Command Prompt to assist us in resolving these types of problems. This tool allows you to access your Windows Registry and file system when Windows is offline. This will allow you to fix numerous issues such as corrupt Registry data and malware infections.
