Every time   Microsoft patches Windows,  the obsolete versions of earlier files and their settings  are normally stored in the WinSxS folder( C:\Windows\WinSxS) . This helps  if you  needed to roll back a patch, Windows  can pull it  out  from the  previous version  stored in the WinSxS folder. But it consumes huge amount of disk space. You can't just manually delete everything in that folder, because some files are needed   if  you want  to roll back a Windows Update .

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Microsoft has  recently released a tool  "Windows Update Cleanup"  for  Windows 7  that adds a new option in the Disk Cleanup tool.With this update (KB 2852386)  you can free up several gigabytes of hard drive space .Once you have it installed, run Disk Cleanup and click the "Clean up system files" button to find the new Windows Update Cleanup option.After you install this update, you can use the Windows Update Cleanup option to delete Windows updates that you no longer need.

Right-click on your C: drive -> Properties-> Disk Cleanup button .Here you can see a summary of what files Windows can clean up -- temporary files, Recycle bin and  log files. It is not bad , if you  are  able to retrieve  1GB to 3GB -- or more -- of C: drive on all of your Win7 SP1 machines .

Notes

            The Windows Update Cleanup option is available only when the Disk Cleanup wizard detects Windows updates that you do not need on the computer.

        To enable you to roll back to previous updates, updates are stored in the WinSxS store even after they are superseded by later updates. Therefore, after you run the Disk Cleanup wizard, you may be unable to roll back to a superseded update. If you want to roll back to a superseded update that the Disk Cleanup wizard deletes, you can manually install the update

        You needed to run Windows Genuine  Validation to install Windows Update Cleanup

Download the update package for x86-based versions of Windows 7

Download the update package for  x64-based versions of Windows 7

DVDFab Blu-ray Copy is the first full-featured Blu-ray copy software powerful enough to remove all Blu-ray copy protections.The application can rip, decrypt, copy and burn Blu-ray files  to almost any conceivable video format

Key-features

                          Clone/Burn/Decrypt/Copy any Blu-ray.

                          Copy Blu-ray to any blank Blu-ray/DVD/AVCHD disc.

                          4 copy modes available: Full Disc, Main Movie, Clone/Burn, Customize

                          Fully supports Blu-ray 3D.

Downlaod  DVDFab Blu-ray Copy from here  ,install the  program and launch the application and register with the following  email  id and password

email:pcgo@dvdfab.com Password:pcgouser

Programs that require lots of memory may not run smoothly , if your PC has a low memory. To avoid this make your pen drive/USB of large size as RAM, which will make your system faster.  It can be possible with any kind of Windows operating system, all you need is a pen drive of minimum 1GB memory ,better to prefer 4GB.To know how to do this, follow below steps.

1.Format your Pen Drive first

2.. Insert the Pen Drive with 1GB at least in the USB port,  Wait for the PC to detect the pen drive.

3. Right click on My Computer--> Properties.

4. Select  Advanced System Settings.

5. Select  Advanced—> Performance –>Settings

6. Under Performance Options Select Advanced –>Virtual memory Change

7. Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size for all drives Click on Custom Size.Select your Pen Drive .  Enter the same in the Initial and Max columns in the Custom Size .The size depends upon your free memory capacity of your pen drive. So you can change this limit according to your pen drive size.

8. Click on Set button, then click on OK.

9. Now restart your PC.Finally check the general start up time and also speed of your PC.This trick will surely improve the performance of your computer and increase operational speed in low cost.

Microsoft has released the first service pack for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. The new service pack is available to everyone. The simplest and easiest way to install SP1,is the  Windows Update,which  only installs the new updates  that were  previously not downloaded. Single installable update is  also available  for users without internet connection,  but  it  is much larger when compared to windows update service

Service pack 1 includes the following new features and improvements

• Higher-definition connections with Remote Desktop
• More Windows Live ID support
• An HDMI patch  for improved reliability
• An XML Paper Specification fix
• Printing using the XPS Viewer
• "Restore previous folders at logon” functionality in Windows Explorer after restarting
• Support for Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX)
• Enhanced support for additional identities in RRAS and IPsec
• Improved Support for Advanced Format (512e) Storage Devices

If you installed any of the pre-release versions of SP1, uninstall them before installing the final release version of SP1.

Windows Service Pack 1  |  Service Pack in ISO format

For more information please check

• Windows 7 SP 1-- Microsoft Download Center
• Information about Service Pack 1
• System Readiness Tool can help fix problems that might prevent Windows updates and service packs from installing.

Windows  includes a  utility that  scans your  Windows 7 system for corrupt, changed  or missing  system files. Normally  you run  this utility in booting  off the DVD into repair mode but running this from the command prompt is much easier.To run this utility , you will need to open a command prompt in administrator mode and follow the  steps.

1. Go to Start menu.
2. Select All Programs and then Accessories
3. Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run As Administrator.You can run the service in Command Prompt, by using the following syntax: SFC [/SCANNOW] [/VERIFYONLY] [/SCANFILE=] [/VERIFYFILE=] [/OFFWINDIR= /OFFBOOTDIR=]
4. Press Enter

This  will scan and attempt to repair any files that are changed or corrupted. You can run that command with sfc /scannow.

One of the   annoying “features” of Windows 7, is the  white flag that pops up to inform you that  how to solve a specific problem by Windows. Action Center alerts you when potential computer problems exist such as the virus protection being out of date, a backup needing to occur, or if your computer needs to be restarted etc.

For various reasons you may not  want to see  such  warning messages.You can configure your  Windows 7 to disable such  security flag notifications

• Right click on the Windows 7 Security flag icon.
• Click on “Open Action Center”.
• Now click on “Change Action Center settings” on the left side of the screen.

• Uncheck “User Account Control”, then click on OK

Tweak-7 is everything you need to customize and tweak Windows 7 to fit your needs. From start menu, to desktop tweaks, from taskbar customization to system tweaks.It gives you access to whatever you might need to keep your Windows 7 running smoothly, error free, and under your full control which includes  system restrictions, system cleanup,  and system tweaking.

Tweak-7 includes an internet connection analyzer, which automatically inspects your internet connection to speed it up by up to 25% - this incredible new feature is a must for every Windows 7 user used to browse the net at high speed!

Features

1. Activate hundreds of hidden Windows 7 settings to get the most out of your Windows 7
2. Clean your registry with the integrated Registry Cleaner and Registry Defragmentation
3. Activate system and software restrictions - you decide what should be accessible or not
4. Display detailed 3D system information
5. Create a 256 MB RAM drive for fastest access (32bit systems only!)
6. Customize whatever is customizable in Windows 7
7. Clean your hard drive and remove unnecessary files to get wasted hard drive space back - save hundreds of GB.
8. Optimize memory management and memory usage
9. Improve your internet connection by a few mouse clicks
10. Optimize your CPU with special CPU tweaks
11. Tweak your network with network speed-up settings
12. Manage system updates, remove update backups, remove old system restore points
13. Transfer your tweaks and settings to other machines running Windows 7 and Tweak

Download:  Tweak-7 1.0 Build 1040 | Shareware | 22MB

A Recovery Disk or a Recovery Partition will allow you to restore your computer to the original settings from the manufacturer, but  you will not be able to use it to repair your Windows  installation. For that, you will need an actual Windows CD/DVD that contains the Windows Recovery Environment; without the tools contained in the Windows Recovery Environment, you cannot repair your current installation.NeoSmart's recovery discs, however, can set things right.

NeoSmart Technologies is hosting a copy of the Windows 7 Recovery Disc for your convenience. It's a 143 MB download (165 MB for the 64-bit version), and in the standard ISO format, ready to burned directly to a CD or DVD. Don't wait until your PC crashes to download a copy! Download and burn your recovery disc today, so that when the time comes, you'll be ready.

The Windows 7 Recovery Disc can be used to access a system recovery menu, giving you options of using System Restore, Complete PC Backup, automated system repair, and a command-line prompt for manual advanced recovery.Remember  it only fixes (not replaces!) Windows.

Download :Windows 7 Recovery Disc 32-Bit (x86) Edition | Windows 7 Recovery Disc 64-Bit (x64) Edition |Windows Vista Recovery Disc

Instructions

1. Download the appropriate torrent file  with µTorrent or any other torrent downloading tool.
2. Burn the .iso file that µTorrent downloaded to a CD using these instructions.
3. When you want to use the recovery center, put the CD in your drive and boot from it. This is usually done by pressing F8 at startup, or changing the boot drive order in the BIOS.

WINDOWS 7 COMES with a free e-mail program called Windows Live Mail that can import mail from earlier Microsoft programs. If you ran an Upgrade install from Vista, install Windows Live Mail. Your old messages will appear in the ‘Storage folders’ section. If you ran a Custom (advanced) upgrade from XP or Vista, follow these directions:

1. Download and install Windows Live Mail
2. Set Windows to show hidden files: Launch Windows Explorer,and select Organize¨Folder and search options. Click the View tab.Choose Show hidden files, folders, and drives, and click OK.
3. Launch Live Mail, and run the ‘Add an E-mail Account’ wizard.
4. Press the <Alt> key to bring up the program’s menus; select File¨Import¨Messages.
5. Upgrading from Vista? Select Windows Mail in the Import wizard, and follow the prompts. Your mail is likely in the folder C:\Windows.old\Users\yourlog-on\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsMail\LocalFolders,where your log-on is your Windows username.
Upgrading from XP? Select Microsoft Outlook Express 6 in the Import wizard, and follow the prompts. Your mail is likely in the folder
C:\DocumentsandSettings\yourlog-on\LocalSettings\ApplicationData\Identities\a long number\Microsoft\Outlook Express, where your log-on is your Windows username, and a long number is just what it sounds like.
6. To keep hidden files hidden, repeat step 2; but this time, select Do not show hidden files, folders, and drives.You’ll find your old e-mail messages collected in the ‘Storage folders’ section, under Imported Folder\Local Folders.

Why many people avoiding the upgradation  to a new operating system because the thought of moving all their settings and files is too difficult or seems like too much work.Here is small tool  from  Microsoft  , which makes it easy for even inexperienced users to upgrade to a newer operating system with the Windows Easy Transfer tool.It   includes a new file explorer so you can easily choose exactly which files to copy to your new PC. Windows Easy Transfer provides a number of ways for you to connect two computers to transfer your data.

These include:

• Easy Transfer Cable This is a special USB cable that is designed to work with Windows Vista and Windows Easy Transfer. This is the easiest and fastest method and is recommended if you don't have a network. This solution is supported on Windows XP-based and Windows Vista-based computers.
• Home or small business network If you already have a wired or wireless network, this is a great way to transfer all of your data.
• Removable hard disk If you own a removable hard disk, Windows Easy Transfer can copy your data to that disk and then copy data from that disk to your new computer.
• CD and DVD Windows Easy Transfer can use a computer's CD or DVD burner to transfer user data.

The Windows Easy Transfer tool lets you move the following files and settings from one computer to another:

• User accounts
• Files and folders
• Program data files and settings
• E-mail messages, settings, and contacts
• Photos, music, and videos
• Windows settings
• Internet settings

The Windows Easy Transfer tool is not new to Windows 7 as Microsoft first introduced the tool in Windows Vista. If you used the previous version,you will notice some definite enhancements to the tool in Windows 7.

• User interface is much simpler .
• Program reinstallation assistance,You can exclude settings for specific user accounts from being transferred.
• Migration support for either Windows Vista or Windows 7 .
• Ability to re-map user accounts during migration.
• Provides enhanced selectivity, down to the file level.
• Ability to migrate and re-map non-system drive contents.
• Ability to choose specific files to apply to the new PC, rather than all or nothing.
• Data-only migration supported cross-language
• File errors are reported when encountered, but they do not interfere with the transfer.
• Provides a report at the end of the migration, which details everything that occurred during the transfer

A very handy feature of Windows 7 System Restore available with one click away.Just right click on any file or folder and you  can see “Restore previous versions” in context menu.

Windows 7's System Restore is different from earlier Windows versions.In Win 7 , it  will list all Previous versions of selected file or folder from various restore points. You can simply copy, restore or open to see files from Previous Restore point.So there is no need of full system restore. If you have accidentally deleted any specific file or folder you can  simply use “Restore previous versions” feature to copy or restore to its original state.

Eventhough Restore points can take up several gigabytes of hard drive space.If you are disabling System Restore  ,you can reclaim the space but  by doing so, you will not be able to restore your computer to a given point in time. An alternative you can  delete all the restore points except for the most recent one. To accomplish this in Windows 7:
1. Click Start, type Cleanmgr.exe and press Enter.

2. Select the appropriate drive letter from the list and click OK.
3. Click Clean up system files. Disk Cleanup restarts in elevated mode.
 

4. Select the appropriate drive letter from the list and click OK.
5. Click the More Options tab.
6. Under System Restore and Shadow Copies, click Clean up.

7. Click OK.

It you want to crate a system restore point in Vista/Windows 7 , you have  navigate to Start> right-click Computer> choose Properties> click System Protection> select Create, type a name, and click Create  a restore point.Other method is  to open the Control Panel, open the System Protection box and then open the System Restore utility (rstrui.exe) to create a restore point.Even though  you have a  SystemPropertiesProtection.exe shortcut , still you have to launch the applet and then take at least three more steps to create a  restore point.

Here is a small tool from windows club  named “Quick Restore Maker” , which   allows you to create  restore point in a single click .You can name your Restore Point to a custom name.

Download Quick Restore Maker | OS: Windows 7, Vista | 374KB

Have you ever wished for a magic wand that could fix annoying Windows problems? Like, say, a missing Recycle Bin icon, or an excess of pesky Runtime Error messages in Internet Explorer?

Here is a  magic wand called FixWin. The solutions to repair and fix 50 common Windows annoyances, issues & problems have been categorized under 5 tabs, viz : Windows Explorer, Internet & Connectivity, Windows Media, System Tools & Misc Additional Fixes. Each problem is presented with a brief but thorough description.This ingenious free tool requires just over 500KB of space, runs without installation, and quickly fixes 50 different Windows glitches—many of which would normally require a scary trip to the Registry. .

For example: “CD drive or DVD drive is missing or is not recognized by Windows or other programs.” . To correct a problem, just click the corresponding Fix button. It’s that simple. And before you get started, FixWin can scan your machine for corrupted system files—and fix them. It also lets you create a System Restore point before making any changes, a smart precaution. FixWin won’t solve all of your Windows issues; but if it can correct just one, it’s well worth the download.

It is suggested that you run the System File Checker Utility first. The button provided on the Welcome page, will ‘run sfc /scannow‘ and will check for and replace any corrupted Windows system files

Before you  making any changes to your system , you should create a System Restore Point.After that, you can apply at most one fix at a time and restart your computer.FixWin is freeware and can be freely used for any personal non-commercial purposes only.

Download : FixWin Utility v 1.1 | SysReq :Windows 7 & Vista, 32-bit and 64-bit

Want to make Windows 7 run faster, smarter, easier, better? Want to personalize Windows to look and act the way you want it to? Want to get more efficient and ditch all those Windows hassles? You don’t need a Ph.D in computer science or expensive upgrades. All you need is this book!

Speed Up & Customize Windows 7

Also Read:Complete Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

Unlike in XP and Vista, in Windows 7, you can change the background without having to use any external software. For that, you must activate a function in the registry and then integrate a photo of a suitable size.

Activating a  function: First,enter ‘regedit’ in the search field of the tart Menu and press Enter. Now confirm the  question regarding the user account administration with ‘Yes’ and navigate to the key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Background’

On the right side in the window,search for the value ‘OEMBackground’. If that is not available, create it using ‘Edit| New | DWORD-value’. Double-click on the new entry to edit, change its ‘value’ to ‘1’ and confirm with ‘OK’. Then close the registry.

Preparing the Photo: Windows uses the file ‘backgroundDefault.jpg’ as the background picture and scales it to the current screen resolution, as long as no other file is available in the suitable pixel format. The files for special formats must be in the form ‘background 1024x768.jpg’. Here, the file names should include both values of the screen size. The best option is to edit the different image versions using a graphics program. While doing so, take care that the maximum file size does not exceed 256 Kb. If required, reduce the image quality of the JPG-file.

Copying in the System Folder :Now copy the edited JPG-files in the actual folder meant for OEM-providers ‘%windir% n\system32\oobe\info\backgrounds’. Since this is not available in most systems, you need to create it. For that, and to copy the files, you need writing rights. Therefore, open Windows Explorer with administrator rights by entering ‘explorer’ in the input field of the Start Menu, right-click on the program entry and then open ‘Run as administrator’ from the context menu. In Explorer,navigate to the folder ‘%windir%\system32\oobe\info’. Right-click on it, open ‘Properties’ and switch to the‘Security’ tab. There, click on ‘Edit’ and mark ‘Administrators’ as the group or user names. Activate the Option ‘Allow’ in the line ‘Complete access’ and confirm with ‘Accept’ and ‘OK’. After another click on ‘Yes’ you can create the sub-folder ‘\backgrounds’ and copy the JPG-pictures there.

 
From the next login, Windows 7 will greet you a background picture of your own choice.

Here is a  free eBook on Complete Windows 7 Shortcuts from thewindowsclub .This eBook comprises of more than 200 keyboard shortcuts containing almost all the keyboard shortcuts that are available in Windows 7 and its default programs like Paint, WordPad, MS Office, Calculator, Help, Media Player, Media Center, Windows Journal, Internet Explorer, etc.

This eBook is  useful for all Windows 7 users.Download: The Complete Windows 7 Shortcuts eBook

UAC (User Account Control) is  One of the annoying features of Windows which is popping up and asking permission for about everything.It is to protect windows operating system by preventing unauthorized changes to your system and that require administrator permissions .   It is also  a security feature that will block malicious software from making key system changes without your permission. However UAC in Windows 7 is less annoying and more friendlier now.To change the UAC notification settings navigate to Start > Getting Started > Change UAC settings.

You can adjust the default level ( notify you when programs try to make changes to the computer)  to what your most comfortable with and to completely turn it off slide it down to Never notify.

Click OK to make the change effective.Reboot  your PC.

You can also disable UAC with Registry Editor

1.Startmenu->run .Type regedit & press enter key

2.Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

3.Locate the following REG_DWORD value:EnableLUA

4.Change the value of EnableLUA to 0. 

To  suppress the  UAC permission prompt dialog,

1.Navigate  to the  ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin  REG_DWORD value

2.Change value the default value of "5" to "0 " (optional).

3.Exit  the  Registry Editor and Restart the system

Snipping Tool is a utility  included in Windows 7 and  Windows Vista.It is a screen-capture tool that allows taking screenshots  of an open window, rectangular areas, a free-form area or the entire screen. With Snipping Tool you can capture text, graphics, and any associated annotations and then save them in your desired format  ie  in PNG, GIF, or JPEG    or an HTML page, or e-mailed.Snipping Tool is available only in the Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions of Windows .Microsoft has not defined a default keyboard shortcut for Snipping Tool both in Vista and Windows 7, s o it is  not easy to find out the tool quickly from  Start Menu.

You can create a keyboard shortcut for Snipping Tool  as follows
1.Start>Accessories
2.Select the properties  by right clicking the Snip Tool

3.Select the Shortcut key box, now  press any desired keyboard key as your shortcut to the program and apply it.If  your assign key is  “S” , then you need to press Ctrl + Alt + S to launch it.

Whenever you have to select multiple files, you need to keep the [Ctrl] key pressed while clicking on filenames. How many times has it happened to you that you let go of the
[Ctrl] key before selecting another file and your entire selection was lost? It’s irritating when sorting large number of files. Windows 7, however, comes to your rescue with checkboxes that allow you to select files without having to hold the [Ctrl] key.

• Once in a folder, Click on
• Organize > Folder and Search Options.
• Go to the View tab.
• Under Advanced settings, check the item labeled “Use check boxes to select items”
• Press Ok and you are done.

Many occasions you may  have  issues in your  PC  like unable to recognize the CD/ DVD drive,Recycle bin suddenly disappeared from  the desktop and Task Manager & Registry Editor disabled issues .FixWin is a freeware portable application for Windows 7 & Vista to repair and fix such Windows annoyances & issues.It is suitable for  32/64 bit versions of Vista & Win7.

The solutions to repair and fix 50 common Windows annoyances, issues & problems have been categorized under 5 tabs, viz : Windows Explorer, Internet & Connectivity, Windows Media, System Tools & Misc Additional Fixes.

source

  FixWin Utility v 1.1 | 173 KB | Freeware