Archive for the ‘Others’ category

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Restore Missing “Extract All” Option to ZIP Right-Click Menu

January 17th, 2017 by Admin

Windows has built-in native support for ZIP files. When you right-click on a .zip file in Windows Explorer, the “Extract All” option from context menu allows you to extract all contents of the zip file to a folder of your choice.

If the “Extract All” option is missing or overridden by third-party zip/unzip software, you can restore it with a registry hack in Windows 10 / 8 / 7 / Vista.

How to Restore Missing “Extract All” Option to ZIP Right-Click Menu?

This registry hack requires you to log into Windows as administrator. Follow these steps:

  1. Download this REG file (add_extract_all_context_menu.reg) and save it to a folder where you can find easily. Tips: the .reg file is actually a text file and you can view the content using NotePad.
  2. After the download is complete, double-click on the .REG file. Click Run if prompted by Security Warning.
  3. Registry Editor will confirm if you want to import the registry settings in your .reg file, click Yes.

    add-extract-all-context-menu

  4. Once it’s done, right-click on a .zip file and the “Extract All” option will show up in the Explorer’s right-click context menu.

If you want to remove the “Extract All” option from Explorer’s right-click menu, you can run this .reg file (remove_extract_all_context_menu.reg) instead. That’s all there is to it.

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista

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6 Quick Ways to Open Settings App in Windows 10

January 12th, 2017 by Admin

PC Settings is a touch-friendly app introduced since Windows 8, which is created to replace the classic Control Panel. The option to change Windows password is not available in Control Panel, and now you have to change it through PC Settings. In this tutorial we’ll show you 6 quickest ways to open Settings app in Windows 10.

windows-10-pc-settings

Method 1: Press WIN + I Hotkey to Open the Settings app

Just press the Windows + I shortcut keys together on your keyboard. This should be the fastest way to open the Settings app in Windows 10.

Method 2: Open the Settings app from Start Menu

Click the Start button. When the Start Menu appears, click the Settings icon (a little gear icon directly above the Power icon) near the menu’s bottom-left corner. The Settings app will launch immediately.

open-settings-via-start-menu

Method 3: Open the Settings app via Cortana Search

Click the Cortana Search box in the taskbar and type settings. Once the search results are loaded, click the Settings modern app.

open-settings-via-cortana

Method 4: Right-click Taskbar to Open the Settings app

Right-click on any empty space on Windows 10 taskbar, and then select Settings from the context menu.

open-settings-via-taskbar

Method 5: Open the Settings app in Windows 10 from Command Prompt

Open the Command Prompt (or PowerShell) in Windows 10. Type the following command at the Command Prompt.
start ms-settings:

open-settings-from-cmd

Once you press Enter, Windows 10 will instantly launch the Settings app.

Method 6: Open the Settings app in Windows 10 from Run

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command box. Type ms-settings: and press Enter. This will open the Settings app immediately.

open-settings-via-run

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10

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How to Change Active / Inactive Title Bar Color in Windows 10

January 10th, 2017 by Admin

Don’t like white title bar in Windows 10? By default, the title bar is white for both active window and inactive window. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to change the active / inactive title bar color in Windows 10.

Part 1: Change Active Title Bar Color in Windows 10

  1. Right-click on any empty space on the desktop, select Personalize from the context menu.

    personalize

  2. When the Settings window opens, click Colors on the left side.
  3. On the right side, pick an accent color and turn on the “Show color on title bar” setting.

    show-color-on-title-bar

When it’s done, Windows 10 will display your selected color for the title bar of any active window. But inactive title bar remains white as usual.

Part 2: Change Inactive Title Bar Color in Windows 10

Unfortunately there is no option to change the color of inactive title bar in the Settings app, and you have to change it using this registry hack:

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command box. Type regedit and hit Enter.

    regedit-via-run

  2. Once the Registry Editor opens, navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\DWM
  3. Right-click the DWM key on the left side, select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value from the context menu.

    registry-new-dword

  4. Name the new DWORD value as AccentColorInactive. Then double-click on AccentColorInactive on the right side. In the popup window, type the RGB value of the color of your choice under Value data box and click OK. You may need to google the RGB value of your preferred color.

    AccentColorInactive

  5. Close Registry Editor. You’ve successfully changed the title bar color for inactive window.

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10

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How to View or Restrict the Number of Connections in SQL Server

December 30th, 2016 by Admin

SQL Server allows a maximum of 32,767 user connections. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to find out the number of connections to a database in SQL Server, and restrict the number of connections to a SQL Server instance.

Part 1: View Total Number of Connections in SQL Server

Need to check the number of active connections for each database? This can be done easily using the following script. The script displays the databaseName, the number of connections and the login name:

SELECT DB_NAME(dbid) as DBName,
loginame,
COUNT(dbid) as NumberOfConnections
FROM sys.sysprocesses
WHERE dbid > 0
GROUP BY dbid, loginame

If you’re running SQL Server 2012, 2014 or 2016, run this script instead:

SELECT DB_NAME(database_id) as DBName,
login_name,
COUNT(session_id) as NumberOfConnections
FROM sys.dm_exec_sessions
GROUP BY database_id, login_name

Part 2: Restrict Concurrent Database Connections in SQL Server

To configure the maximum user connections, open SQL Server Management Studio and connect to your database, then follow these steps:

  1. In Object Explorer, right-click a server and click Properties.

    sql-server-properties

  2. Click the Connections node on the left page.
  3. Under Connections, in the Maximum number of concurrent connections box, type or select a value from 0 through 32767 to set the maximum number of users that are allowed to connect simultaneously to the instance of SQL Server.

    max-connections-in-sql-server

  4. Click OK. Restart SQL Server to apply your changes.

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Posted in Others, SQL Server, Tips & Tricks

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5 Ways to Open Run Command Box in Windows 10

December 30th, 2016 by Admin

The Run command box provides the quickest way to launch programs (for instance, Registry Editor, Group Policy Editor) or open folders and documents. In this tutorial we’ll show you 5 ways to open Run command box in Windows 10.

run-command-box

Method 1: Open Run Command Box by Pressing WIN + R

Just press the Windows key and the R key at the same time, it will open the Run command box immediately. This method is the fastest and it works with all versions of Windows.

Method 2: Open Run Command Box from Start Menu

Click the Start button (the Windows icon in the lower-left corner). Select All apps and expand Windows System, then click Run to open it.

open-run-from-start-menu

Method 3: Open Run Command Box Using Cortana Search

Type the word run inside Cortana’s search box in the taskbar, and then click Run from the search result.

open-run-via-cortana-search

Method 4: Open Run Command Box from Power User Menu

Press the Windows key + X keyboard shortcut (or right-click on the Start button). When the Power User menu appears, click Run.

open-run-from-winx-menu

Method 5: Open Run Command Box from Command Prompt

Open a Command Prompt in Windows 10. Copy and paste the following command and press Enter.
explorer.exe Shell:::{2559a1f3-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}

open-run-from-cmd

It will show the Run dialog box immediately.

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10

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Fix: “User must change password at next logon” option greyed out in Windows

December 29th, 2016 by Admin

When you try to change or reset the password of a user account, you might find the checkbox “User must change password at next logon” is greyed out, so you can’t choose this option.

user-must-change-password-next-logon

In this tutorial we’ll show you how to enable the “User must change password at next logon” option that is greyed out for Windows local or domain user account.

For Windows Local Accounts:

Open the Computer Management. Expand System Tools, then Local Users and Groups, then Users. Right-click on your local account and select Properties from the context menu.

local-account-properties

This will open the Properties dialog box. Uncheck the “Password never expires” box and you’ll then find the “User must change password at next logon” option is enabled. Click Apply and then OK.

windows-password-never-expires

For Active Directory User Accounts:

In Windows Server with Active Directory installed, open the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in (start->run->dsa.msc). Right-click on your domain user and select Properties.

domain-account-properties

Click the Account tab. Under the Account options section, uncheck the “Password never expires” checkbox and click OK.

domain-password-never-expires

Now you should be able to reset the password and force the domain user to change it at next login.

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Posted in Active Directory Password, Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows XP

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3 Ways to Change Network Location to Public or Private in Windows 10

December 27th, 2016 by Admin

The first time you connect to a network, you’ll be prompted to turn on sharing and connect to devices. Turn on this settings will set your network location to private. A private network makes your computer discoverable to other PCs. If you don’t want to share musics, pictures, videos or even printers with other PCs on the network, you should set the network type to public. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 ways to change network location to public or private in Windows 10.

network-location-type

Method 1: Change Windows 10 Network Location Using Group Policy

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type secpol.msc and press Enter.

    secpol

  2. When the Local Security Policy window opens, click Network List Manager Policies in the left pane. Double-click on the name of the current network connection in the right pane.

    network-list-policies

  3. Click the Network Location tab at the top. Under the Location type, you can choose either Private or Public.

    private-public-network-location

  4. Click Apply and then OK to save your change.

Method 2: Change Windows 10 Network Location Using Registry Editor

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter.
  2. In the left pane of Registry Editor, navigate to the key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Profiles
  3. Expand the Profiles key in the left pane. Click on each subkey and have a look if the ProfileName matches the name of your current network connection.

    network-profile-name

  4. If you have found the right subkey, double-click the Category in the right pane and edit the DWORD to the value you want. Public: 0, Private: 1, Domain: 2.

    network-profile-category

  5. Reboot your computer to apply the new network location.

Method 3: Change Windows 10 Network Location Using PowerShell

  1. Open PowerShell in Administrator mode.
  2. Type or paste the following command in the PowerShell and press Enter. It will list the name and properties of your active network connection. In my example, the network name is TLRouter.
    Get-NetConnectionProfile

    get-network-profile

  3. Type the following command and press Enter to change your network location to private. Replace TLRouter with your network name.
    Set-NetConnectionProfile -Name "TLRouter" -NetworkCategory Private

    change-network-location-via-powershell

    If you want to change the network location to public, type this command instead:
    Set-NetConnectionProfile -Name "TLRouter" -NetworkCategory Public

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5 Ways to Boot Windows 10 into Advanced Startup Options

December 26th, 2016 by Admin

Advanced Startup Options lets you boot Windows in troubleshooting mode. If you want to reset, refresh, restore your computer or get into Safe Mode, you have to access the Advanced Startup Options. In this tutorial we’ll show you 5 ways to boot Windows 10 into Advanced Startup Options.

If you Windows 10 doesn’t start, use method 4. If you can’t log on to your PC when you forgot Windows 10 password, method 3 will be the easiest way to access Advanced Startup Options.

Method 1: Boot into Advanced Startup Options Using Settings App

  1. Open the Settings app by clicking the Settings icon on the Start Menu, or pressing the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut.

  2. Click Update & security.

    update-security

  3. Click the Recovery tab on the left, and then click Restart now under Advanced startup.

    advanced-startup

  4. The computer will log you off and bring up the Choose an option screen.

Method 2: Boot into Advanced Startup Options Using Command Prompt

  1. Press the Windows key + X keyboard shortcut to bring up the Power User menu, and select the Command Prompt from the list.

    command-prompt-admin

  2. Type or paste the following command in the Command Prompt, and press Enter.
    shutdown.exe /r /o

    boot-into-advanced-startup-via-cmd

  3. You are about to be signed off. Windows 10 will reboot automatically and you can see the Advanced Startup Options.

Method 3: Boot into Advanced Startup Options from Windows Login Screen

  1. At Windows 10 sign-in screen, click on the Power button in the lower right hand corner to bring up the Power menu.

  2. Hold down the Shift key on the keyboard, and then click Restart from the Power menu. This will bring up the Choose an option screen.

Method 4: Boot into Advanced Startup Options Using Windows Install Disk

  1. Start your computer with Windows 10 installation media (or Windows RE). You can read this previous Windows 10 guide to create bootable USB drive for Windows 10 Setup.
  2. When you see the Windows Setup screen, click Next.

  3. Click Repair your computer. You can then see the Choose an option screen.

Method 5: Create Advanced Startup Options Shortcut

  1. Right-click an empty area on your desktop, and select New -> Shortcut.
  2. In the Create Shortcut wizard, copy and paste the following command into the location box and click Next.
    %windir%\system32\shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t 00

  3. Type Advanced Startup for the shortcut name, and click Finish.

  4. Right-click on the newly-created shortcut on your desktop and select Properties. In the Properties dialog, go to the Shortcut tab and click the Change Icon button.

  5. In the Change Icon window, copy and paste the following in the “Look for icons in this file” field, and press Enter. Highlight the icon and click OK.
    %windir%\System32\bootux.dll

  6. You’re almost done! Just double-click the desktop shortcut and you can boot Windows into Advanced Startup Options immediately.

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Windows 10 Fix: This app has been blocked for your protection

December 14th, 2016 by Admin

When you try to install a driver or application in Windows 10, you might get the following UAC error message:

This app has been blocked for your protection. An administrator has blocked you from running this app. For more information, contact the administrator.

app-blocked-for-protection

Even if you run the application with administrative rights, you’ll get the exact same error. This problem happens when your application was digitally signed with a revoked or untrusted certificate. In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 ways to fix the issue “This app has been blocked for your protection” in Windows 10.

Method 1: Install the Application from Elevated Command Prompt

To get around the error “This app has been blocked for your protection”, you can run the application from an elevated Command Prompt. Follow these steps:

  1. Open File Explorer and locate the application (.exe) in question. Right-click on it and select Properties.
  2. When the Properties dialog box opens, note down the full path that you need later. In my example, the path is C:\Users\pcunlocker\Downloads\uTorrent_3.2_build_27568.

    application-full-path

  3. Now open an elevated Command Prompt. This can be done by pressing the Windows key + X and then selecting “Command Prompt (Admin)“.

    winx

  4. At the Command Prompt, type the full path of the application that you want to install and press Enter.

    install-app-from-command-prompt

Method 2: Tweak Local Security Policy

To fix the error “This app has been blocked for your protection” permanently in Windows 10, you have to tweak the local security policy:

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

    gpedit

  2. In the left pane, navigate to:
    Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options

    local-security-options

    Look at the right pane and double-click the policy “User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode“.

  3. Change the security setting to Disabled and click OK.

    run-administrators-in-approval-mode

  4. Close Local Group Policy Editor and restart your computer. After logging in, you can install the application without encountering the error “This app has been blocked for your protection”.

Note: tweaking the policy above will also cause UAC to be turned off automatically. But just turning off UAC won’t fix the error “This app has been blocked for your protection”.

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Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10

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