How to Get a Classic Start Menu in Windows 7

How to Get a Classic Start Menu in Windows 7: Do you miss the fly-out menus from the old classic Windows 98 Start menu? Those were the menus that expanded across the screen to show all the sub-folders and sub-sub-folders, etc. Not everybody liked them but there are still many PC users who wish they were back. In Windows XP and Vista, Microsoft gave an alternative option called the “Classic Start menu” that provided the old display. That option is gone in Windows 7 but there are some tricks to restore some of the old features.

Best Free Microsoft Downloads

 

When people set out to look for freeware, a lot of times they specifically look for free alternatives to Microsoft products – free office suites, free alternatives to built-in programs like Paint, Notepad, Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer... even free alternatives to Windows itself. However, Microsoft does provide a collection of free software that is definitely worth checking out.  This article is designed to provide an overview of the best free Microsoft programs, some of which are featured in other articles on this website.

Best Free Microsoft Downloads

Pin Files, Folders and Web Sites, To Windows 7 Taskbar – Free Windows 7 Taskbar Items Pinner | Bill Mullins' Weblog – Tech Thoughts

 

Pinning applications to the Windows 7 Taskbar is generally very easy. Unfortunately, Windows 7 Taskbar was not designed with the ability to pin files,  folders, or web pages – but, a small freeware tool, Windows 7 Taskbar Items Pinner, enables you to overcome this limitation.

Pin Files, Folders and Web Sites, To Windows 7 Taskbar – Free Windows 7 Taskbar Items Pinner | Bill Mullins' Weblog – Tech Thoughts

How to Customize the Windows 7 Start Menu Your Way

 

Judging from the number of questions and comments I’ve seen, many PC users would like to modify their Windows 7 Start menu. For example, the default settings leave off some entries that people were used to in Windows XP and they want them back. Although many are unaware of it, there is an easy way to add or subtract an assortment of entries to the Start menu. You can also make a variety of configuration changes. Here’s how:

How to Customize the Windows 7 Start Menu Your Way

How to Restore Open Windows Folders When You Log Off and On or Restart

Do you have favorite folders that you like to keep open when you are using Windows? Then you will know the annoyance of having open folders being closed when you have to log off or restart the computer. Fortunately, there is a way to tweak Windows so that open folders are restored when you log back on or restart. There is a setting for this in Folder Options and here is how it works.

Restore open folders in Windows XP

1. Open a folder or My Computer
2. Open the menu Tools
3. Select “Folder Options”
4. Click the tab “View”
5. Scroll down to the entry “Restore previous folder windows at logon” and check it
6. Click “OK”

Restore open folders in Windows Vista/7

There are a number of ways to get to Folder Options. Which one is better is a matter of personal preference. Here is one way:

1. Open a folder or Computer
2. Open the “Organize” drop-down menu
3. Select “Folder and Search Options”
4. Click the tab “View”
5. Scroll down to the entry “Restore previous folder windows at logon” and check it
6. Click “OK”

And there you have it. Now when you restart your computer or log off and on, the folders you had open previously will be restored.

Bonus tip: A quick way to open (My) Computer is this keyboard shortcut:
Windows key+E

How to Restore Open Windows Folders When You Log Off and On or Restart

Antimalware Application Reviews – Who Can You Trust? | Bill Mullins' Weblog – Tech Thoughts

Antimalware Application Reviews – Who Can You Trust? | Bill Mullins' Weblog – Tech Thoughts
A typical computer user, searching for an effective and reliable antimalware solution, more often than not, ends up in a “he says – she says” scenario. Friends, relatives, neighbors, tech journalists, bloggers ……., are all only too happy to climb on the “recommendation wagon”. Best of all, these “expert” referrers, can prove their choice is right by referencing published data that supports their contention.

All well and good it seems – provided the published data can be relied upon. The obvious question then is – can published data on the effectiveness of any antimalware solution be relied upon?

Free Speech Recognition Software - Dictation Pro

 

Having difficulty in typing your documents?  Speak and let Dictation Pro type for you.  Prepare your letters, reports, e-mails just by speaking into a microphone. A good-quality headset is required.  Dictation Pro is fast, easy and fun.  You'll wonder how you managed without it!

Free Speech Recognition Software - Dictation Pro

Boost Your WiFi Signal Using Only a Beer Can : Discovery Channel

 

I love a good hack, especially one that requires me to throw back a cold one before hand (or during). This simple wifi boost has actually been shown to increase signal strength by at least 2 to 4 bars. And, well, I will drink to that.

Boost Your WiFi Signal Using Only a Beer Can : Discovery Channel

Quick Tip: Speed up menus in Windows 7 | TechRepublic

 

For some users, Microsoft Windows 7 can never go fast enough. There is always a tweak or Registry edit that can squeeze more speed and performance out of the operating system. This Quick Tip shows you how to speed up the display of menu items in Windows 7 with a simple Registry edit.

Quick Tip: Speed up menus in Windows 7 | TechRepublic

Five ways to avoid being tracked on the Web | Security - CNET News

 

Web spies are getting stealthier and stealthier. Recently they've been caught peering into our browser histories to determine the sites we've visited, even in so-called privacy mode with cookies disabled, as Dan Goodin described earlier this month on The Register.

Many of the companies whose sites were discovered using the technique claimed to have had no idea and immediately decried the spying. Julia Angwin reported on many of these surprise responses on the Wall Street Journal's Technology site.

If the owners of the spying sites aren't even aware of the activity, what are unsuspecting visitors to do? Well, you could wait for the government to take action, as CNET's Declan McCullogh reports in the Privacy Inc. blog.

Or you could rely on the online advertising industry to police itself, despite the marketers' inability to determine which spying practices violate their own guidelines, which Julia Angwin describes on the WSJ's Digits blog.

Personally, I'd rather take matters into my own hands. Here are five ways to reduce the chances that your browsing habits are being recorded.

Five ways to avoid being tracked on the Web | Security - CNET News

Email Large Files From Your Desktop With Kicksend

 

Email attachments sizes are limited from the best services to the worst. While Gmail allows you to attach files of 25MB, you cannot send them to to any other account except to a Gmail one. With restrictions like these and the fact that file sizes are now only getting bigger, Kicksend offers you a viable solution. Kicksend is a web service that comes with an Adobe air based desktop application for Windows and Mac. The service can be used to send files of up to 150MB but the desktop application lets you send files of any size you want. You can add contacts or import them from Gmail. Files that you send as attachments are uploaded to the service, a link to the file is sent in the email for the recipient to download from. All files that you upload are deleted automatically after two weeks. The desktop application only allows you to send or download files, to add contacts you will have to use the web interface.

Email Large Files From Your Desktop With Kicksend

Convert audio formats, combine audio files, and extract audio tracks from videos with Freemake Audio Converter | freewaregenius.com

 

Now that your entire music collection, your audio books, and videos, (and even your family recordings from when you were eight) are on a hard drive, you might want to have a dependable, user-friendly tool to convert across different audio formats, as well as for performing various tasks such as merging audio files or extracting audio from video files.

Convert audio formats, combine audio files, and extract audio tracks from videos with Freemake Audio Converter | freewaregenius.com

Extremely Slow Bootup? Restore Points Might Be The Enemy! » TuneUp Blog about Windows

 

Microsoft recently caught my attention with the release of a performance-related hotfix. Blog readers should pay attention to KB2555428. It fixes an issue which can cause Windows 7 to boot extremely slowly. The culprit is System Restore with the slowdown occuring when many restore points have been created.

Extremely Slow Bootup? Restore Points Might Be The Enemy! » TuneUp Blog about Windows

Google's Search Engine Now Sniffs Out Malware | PCWorld

 

Google's search engine is now fighting against a strain of malware that secretly intercepts Web browser activity on Windows PCs.

Infected users will see a big yellow box at the top of search results, directing them to a Google Web page that explains how to remove the malware. That page urges users to download or update their antivirus software, and also provides manual instructions for removing the malware from Windows computers. (To see if you're infected, run any search on Google.com and look for the yellow box.)

Infected users will see this box at the top of their search results.

Google doesn't explain the threat in detail, saying only that the malware routes Internet traffic through intermediary servers called proxies, and that the search engine is able to detect when traffic is coming from those servers.

Google's Search Engine Now Sniffs Out Malware | PCWorld

Google's Search Engine Now Sniffs Out Malware | PCWorld

 

Google's search engine is now fighting against a strain of malware that secretly intercepts Web browser activity on Windows PCs.

Infected users will see a big yellow box at the top of search results, directing them to a Google Web page that explains how to remove the malware. That page urges users to download or update their antivirus software, and also provides manual instructions for removing the malware from Windows computers. (To see if you're infected, run any search on Google.com and look for the yellow box.)

Infected users will see this box at the top of their search results.

Google doesn't explain the threat in detail, saying only that the malware routes Internet traffic through intermediary servers called proxies, and that the search engine is able to detect when traffic is coming from those servers.

Google's Search Engine Now Sniffs Out Malware | PCWorld

Many Quick Fixes in Microsoft Fix it Solution Center - Security Watch

 

Microsoft has created a Fix it Solution Center with "automated solutions for your issues." They are organized by broad topics or tasks.

The topics are:

• Top Solutions
• Windows
• Internet Explorer
• Windows Media Player
• Entertainment
• Office
• Other

Many of the Fix its are broad checkups rather than specific tasks. For instance, Diagnose and fix Windows security problems automatically checks the status of many Windows security features (DEP, ASLR, Smartscreen, etc.) and offers to enable them if necessary. Diagnose and repair Windows File and Folder Problems automatically checks problems like inability to connect to drives and behavioral issues in Windows Explorer.

Many Quick Fixes in Microsoft Fix it Solution Center - Security Watch

Top 10 Ways to Speed Up Your Computer's Boot Time

 

If there's one thing everyone dreads, it's rebooting their computer. It may only take a minute or two, but it can seem like forever. Here are our top 10 tweaks that'll make your computer boot a little faster.

Top 10 Ways to Speed Up Your Computer's Boot Time

Start Menu XP

 

StartMenuXP will replace the standard list of programs with a dropdown menu in the Windows XP style. Apart from this, the program features numerous improvements that will help you find and launch programs much faster

Start Menu XP

Restore the "Search…" Item to the Folder Context Menu in Windows Vista SP1

One of the unwelcome changes that Microsoft introduced in Service Pack 1 was the removal of some of the easy ways to get to the Search screen: the start menu button and folder context menu item. Thankfully we can easily add the “Search…” item back to the context menu with a simple registry tweak.

How to Revive a Dead Laptop Battery | PCMech

 

Bring a seemingly-dead laptop battery back to life, to a usable condition, although not quite like-new. It could be almost as good as a replacement laptop battery and a lot cheaper than a universal external laptop battery.

How to Revive a Dead Laptop Battery | PCMech

Free AntiMalware Software – And More – For Senior Computer Users | Bill Mullins' Weblog – Tech Thoughts

Like the rest of us, Senior users are susceptible to cybercrime, and like the rest of us, need to protect their computers against the ever increasing exposure we all face to Trojans, Spyware, Viruses, Phishing Scams, and Identity Theft, while connected to the Internet.

Free AntiMalware Software – And More – For Senior Computer Users | Bill Mullins' Weblog – Tech Thoughts

Probably the Best Free Security List in the World

 

The products are almost exclusively free with some exceptions: products where there is no free alternative,  good products that offer a lifelong license, and exceptional products. In some cases the links point to executables. In such cases replace [dot] with . and the link will work.

Probably the Best Free Security List in the World

Top 29 Laptop Apps, Downloads, and Services | PCWorld

Top 29 Laptop Apps, Downloads, and Services | PCWorld: "To help you get the most out of your laptop and stay secure while on the go, we've selected 31 applications and services that are particularly laptop-friendly.

These tools are useful for protecting your laptop, enhancing connectivity, managing files and media, and/or customizing your Windows laptop. And most of them are free. Let's start with security downloads."

Should You Throw Away Your Old Cell Phone? | PCMech

 

Can you repurpose a phone that can’t make a call?

Yes, there are a few things you could still use your old phone for.

Emergency 9-1-1 only phone (United States)

Even with no number assigned to the phone, it still can place a call to 9-1-1 for emergency purposes.

Alarm Clock

If the phone has an clock alarm feature, it can be used as such without any number assigned.

Calendar Reminder Alarm

Most phones that have an alarm feature can also do calendar reminder alarms as well.

Should You Throw Away Your Old Cell Phone? | PCMech

Maximum PC | Tiny, Free and Kick-Ass: 20 More Awesome Apps Under 2 MB - Page 1

 

A month or two back, we posted our list of 30 amazing apps under 2MB. We thought it was a pretty fun concept, and apparently you guys agreed, because we got some great feedback, and some excellent suggestions. Our first list was far from complete, of course, so we decided to do some more investigating, and found 20 more great apps. They're all free, all easy to download, and all great at what they do. Read on, and hit the comments if we've still missed any of your favorites.

Maximum PC | Tiny, Free and Kick-Ass: 20 More Awesome Apps Under 2 MB - Page 1

Not Even Security Managers Immune to FakeAV Infection | PCWorld

Can you believe it? As I sat down this morning to write this column, I got hit by a drive-by download of FakeAV.

My computer is infected with pop-up warnings and file scans telling me I have security problems, and Internet Explorer has been hijacked to keep sending me to a website where I can "purchase the software." Pop-ups are coming from my taskbar, showing up in the middle of the screen, and rifling through my files with a fake scan. My computer is being held for ransom.

How did this happen? And what am I going to do about it? I mean really, as a security manager you'd think I would be immune to this kind of problem. My antivirus software is up to date and actively scanning, and my system is fully patched. That's more than most people are doing.

Not Even Security Managers Immune to FakeAV Infection | PCWorld

Restore the "Search…" Item to the Folder Context Menu in Windows Vista SP1 - How-To Geek

Restore the "Search…" Item to the Folder Context Menu in Windows Vista SP1 - How-To Geek

One of the unwelcome changes that Microsoft introduced in Service Pack 1 was the removal of some of the easy ways to get to the Search screen: the start menu button and folder context menu item. Thankfully we can easily add the “Search…” item back to the context menu with a simple registry tweak.

The nice thing about the folder context menu is that the search window will be already set to search only that folder.

VirusTotal delivers the collective wisdom of 32 viruskillers on-demand | freewaregenius.com

 

Virustotal is a web service that provides on-demand scanning of your local files for worms, trojans, and all kinds of malware detected by antivirus engines. It allows you to upload any local file up to 10 megs in size and will perform a scan across 30+ different virus scanning engines (which include all of the leading heavy-hitter virus killer engines on the market).

VirusTotal delivers the collective wisdom of 32 viruskillers on-demand | freewaregenius.com

How to Zip Files in Windows 7| PCWorld

 

Need to send someone a big batch of files? Don't attach one after another after another to your e-mail. Instead, compress the files into one smaller, easier-to-manage file. In other words, "Zip" them.

The Zip file format has long been used to compress and archive data. Suppose you have, say, 50 Word documents that have a combined size of 5MB. By zipping them, you end up with a single file that's much smaller--maybe 1MB or even 500K. Imagine stuffing all your clothes into a tiny, lightweight suitcase--that's what compression does. Even better, when you open the suitcase, everything comes out wrinkle-free.

If you're already using a utility like PKZip or WinZip to compress and decompress files, there's little point in changing. But did you know Windows has Zip capabilities built right in? Here's how to use them on the fly, using the aforementioned e-mail as an example:

1. Compose your e-mail message, then click Attach File (or whatever is your mail client's equivalent).

2. Using the file selector that appears, find the files you want to attach. (They all need to be in the same folder.)

3. Select all the files you want to zip. (To select multiple files at a time, hold down the Ctrl key while clicking each one in turn.)

4. Right-click any of the selected files, then choose Send to, Compressed (zipped) folder.

5. Windows will quickly compress the files and create a new, zipped file that's immediately ready to be renamed (if necessary--if not, just press Enter).

6. Attach your newly created Zip file to the e-mail.

That's all there is to it! Granted, that's pretty much the extent of Windows' Zip capabilities, but if that's all you need, why bother with third-party tools?

How to Compress Files in Windows | PCWorld

Free File Hosting Made Simple - MediaFire

Free File Hosting Made Simple - MediaFire: "Blazing fast file and media hosting

More than just a file hosting web site, MediaFire has the features you need to easily upload, download, manage, and share your documents, presentations, videos, images, and more."