Archive for the ‘Tips & Tricks’ category

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Reset Lost Root Password in Windows Subsystem for Linux

June 11th, 2018 by Admin

Forgot the root password after you’ve installed Ubuntu or Kali Linux subsystem on Windows 10? How can I reset it? Since the Fall Creators Update, you can run different Linux distribution directly on Windows 10 using a feature called “Windows Subsystem for Linux”. In this tutorial we’ll show you a simple way to reset lost root password for any Linux subsystem in Windows 10.

How to Reset Lost Root Password in Windows Subsystem for Linux

  1. To open the terminal for your Linux instance on Windows 10, just click the Cortana search box in the taskbar, and then type the name of your Linux distribution (e.g. “kali linux“, “ubuntu“) to launch it.

  2. Run the following command to find out the user ID of each Linux account.
    cat /etc/passwd

    As you can see from the screenshot above, the root account has a user ID of 0. The account I’m using is named “pcunlocker“, and its user ID is 1000 (or 0x3e8 in hexadecimal).

  3. Now close the terminal and open the Registry Editor. Navigate to the following key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lxss

    You may see one or multiple subkeys named with the GUID of each Linux distribution. Navigate through each GUID key below that, noting the corresponding DistributionName on the right.

  4. When you find the GUID key of the Linux instance you want to reset root password for, double-click on the DefaultUid DWORD on the right-hand side and change it to 0 (root’s user ID).

  5. Close Registry Editor and restart your Windows 10 machine.
  6. The next time you open the Linux app, it will launch the terminal as the root user. Type passwd and hit Enter, it will let you create a new root password.

    Use the “passwd user_name” command and you can reset forgotten password of any other Linux account.

  7. At this point you’ve successfully reset lost root password. Now open Registry Editor and go back to the previous registry key, change the value data of the DefaultUid back to the user ID of your default account.

    In my example, I set the DefaultUid value back to “1000” (or 0x3e8 in hexadecimal) as I want Windows 10 to open the Linux terminal as the “pcunlocker” user by default.

That’s it!

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How to Install Kali Linux as a Subsystem on Windows 10

June 11th, 2018 by Admin

Windows subsystem for Linux (WSL) is an optional Windows component that lets you install and run Linux environments natively on Windows 10, without dual-booting or using a virtual machine. In this tutorial we’ll walk you through the steps to install Kali Linux as a subsystem on Windows 10.

Step 1: Enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux

Before installing Kali Linux app, you have to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux feature. To do this, run PowerShell as an administrator and execute the following command:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux

When you’re prompted to restart the computer, press Y and Enter to reboot. The system will immediately begin to restart.

Step 2: Download and Install Kali Linux App

Kali Linux is officially released as an application on the Microsoft Store. Just open the Windows Store app and search for Kali Linux, and click Get to download and install it on your computer.

The download is approximately 160Mb in size and you should be able to get it installed in minutes.

Step 3: Create a User to Log into Kali Linux

To open the Kali Linux app you installed, just click the Cortana Search box in the taskbar and type “kali”. You can then click the Kali Linux shortcut to launch it.

This will open a console window. Wait for installation to complete then you will be prompted to create your Linux user account.

Now you can regularly upgrade the Kali Linux installation to the latest version by using the commands:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo apt-get clean

Congratulations, you’re all set up and running a Kali Linux subsystem directly on your Windows 10 machine!

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Remove Double Blue Arrows on Compressed Folders / Files in Windows 10

June 10th, 2018 by Admin

What are the double blue arrows that sometimes appear on my desktop icons and pictures and how can I get rid of them? When a folder or file is compressed with NTFS to save space, Windows 10 will add a double blue arrows overlay at the top right corner to show compression status of the folder/file. If you’re annoyed by this odd and inconsistent behavior, here are 2 simple ways to remove double blue arrows on compressed folders/files in Windows 10.

Method 1: Remove Double Blue Arrows for All Compressed Folders/Files

All you need to do is put a blank icon file somewhere on your PC, then make a small registry change to make Windows display this blank image instead of the blue double arrows icon.

  1. First of all, download blank_icon.zip and extract the blank.ico file to C:\Windows.
  2. Press the Windows key + R keyboard combination to open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter to open Registry Editor.

  3. Now Navigate to the following location:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

    Right-click on the Explorer subkey on the left pane, and select New -> Key.

  4. Name the new key “Shell Icons“, and then right-click it and select New -> String Value.

  5. Name the new string “179“, and then double-click it to set its value data to C:\Windows\blank.ico.

  6. Close Registry Editor. Log off or restart Windows 10 for the change to take effect.

Method 2: Remove Double Blue Arrows for Certain Folders/Files

If you just want to remove double blue arrows for a certain folder or file, just decompress it to turn off NTFS compression.

  1. Open File Explorer and browse to the folder or file with double blue arrows overlay, right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu.
  2. Under the General tab, click the Advanced button.

  3. Tick the checkbox for “Compress contents to save disk space“. Click OK.

  4. If you selected a folder, then you will be prompted to tick “Apply changes to this folder, subfolder and files” and click OK. It will take some time to decompress all its subfolders and files.

  5. At this point you should see the double blue arrows has disappeared from your folder/file icon. That’s it!

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4 Ways to Check If Your Windows 10 Is Activated

June 8th, 2018 by Admin

How to know if your Windows 10 is genuine and activated? When you buy a new laptop or upgrade your PC from Windows 7 to Windows 10, you may want to check if your copy has been activated. In this tutorial we’ll show you all possible ways to check if your copy of Windows 10 is genuine and activated.

Method 1: Check If Your Windows 10 Is Activated Using Settings App

Click on the Start button, and select Settings from the Start Menu that opens up.

Select the “Update and Security” option.

Choose the Activation tab in the left pane, and you can then see if Windows 10 is activated in the right pane.

Method 2: Check If Your Windows 10 Is Activated via System Information

Right-click on This PC icon on your desktop, and then select Properties.

When the System window is opened, scroll down to the Windows activation section and you can know whether if your Windows 10 is activated or not.

Method 3: Check If Your Windows 10 Is Activated Using Command Prompt

Click the Cortana’s search box in the taskbar and type cmd, then click the “Command Prompt” search result.

Once the Command Prompt window is opened, type slmgr /xpr and press Enter.

You will see a prompt saying which edition of Windows 10 you’re using, as well as the activation status.

Method 4: Check If Your Windows 10 Is Activated via Run Box

Press the Windows key + R together to open the Run command. Type slmgr.vbs /xpr and hit Enter.

You will see a prompt saying whether your copy of Windows 10 is activated or not.

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How to Set a Download Bandwidth Limit for Windows 10 Update

June 7th, 2018 by Admin

Windows 10 Update caused slow internet speed? Is it possible to allow Windows 10 to download its updates, but at a reduced bandwidth? With the release of Windows 10 April 2018 Update, Microsoft brought the feature for users to limit the Windows Update bandwidth. Here we’ll show you how to set a bandwidth limit for foreground (or background) downloads of Windows updates in Windows 10.

Method 1: Limit Windows Update Bandwidth from Settings App

  1. Open the Settings app and click Update & Security.

  2. On the right, click Advanced options at the bottom.

  3. On the next screen, click Delivery Optimization.

  4. On the Delivery Optimization page, click Advanced options at the bottom.

  5. Under the Download settings section on the right, check the “Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the foreground” option. Use the slider to set the limit for foreground bandwidth.

    Similarly, you can choose the “Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the background” option to control the bandwidth of Windows Update’s background downloads.

Method 2: Limit Windows Update Bandwidth Using Group Policy

  1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor and navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Delivery Optimization, then double-click the “Maximum Foreground Download Bandwidth (percentage)” policy on the right side.

    If you want to limit the bandwidth of Windows Update’s background downloads, double-click the similar policy “Maximum Background Download Bandwidth (percentage)” instead.

  2. Select the Enabled option, and then set how much percentage of bandwidth you want to allocate to Windows Update’s foreground downloads.

  3. Click OK and restart Windows 10. Note: After applying this group policy, you’ll be unable to change the bandwidth limit for Windows Update from the Settings app.

That’s it!

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6 Ways to Sign out of Windows 10 User Account

June 6th, 2018 by Admin

Has the log off function been taken away for Windows 10? Starting with Windows 8, the “Log off” option was renamed to “Sign out”. This tutorial will walk you through 6 ways to sign out of Windows 10 user account.

Method 1: Sign out of Windows 10 Using Start Menu

Click the Start button. When the Start Menu appears, click on the icon for your account name at the top-left corner and select Sign out from the pop-up menu.

Method 2: Sign out of Windows 10 Using Power User Menu

Right-click on the Start button or press the Windows key + X to open the Power User Menu. Just point your mouse at the “Shut down or sign out” submenu and then click Sign out.

Method 3: Sign out of Windows 10 Using ALT + F4

Minimize or close all open windows, and then press ALT + F4 keyboard combination. When the Shut Down Windows dialog pops up, select Sign out from the drop-down list and then click OK.

Method 4: Sign out of Windows 10 Using Ctrl + Alt + Del

Press the Ctrl + Alt + Del keys together on the keyboard to open the Windows security screen. From there you can get the option to sign out of Windows user account.

Method 5: Sign out of Windows 10 Using Command Line

Open the Command Prompt and run the “shutdown -L” command. This will close all your running apps, and then sign out of your account.

There’s another command Logoff which also serves the same purpose.

Method 6: Sign out of Other User Account Using Task Manager

If there are multiple user accounts logged in on your Windows 10 PC, you can sign out of other account using Task Manager. Follow these steps:

  1. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys simultaneously on your keyboard to open Task Manager.
  2. Once you’re in the more details view of Task Manager, select the Users tab and you can view which user accounts are logged in. Choose the user you want to sign out and click on the Sign out button at the bottom right corner.

Which method do you prefer to use to sign out of Windows 10? Let us know in the comments.

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How to Pin a Website to Windows 10 Taskbar

June 5th, 2018 by Admin

How can I pin a specific website to the taskbar using Microsoft Edge? If you need to access your favorite website every day, you can pin the URL shortcut to Windows 10 taskbar for quick access. When you click it, Windows will open your favorite website directly using Microsoft Edge, Chrome or Firefox.

Method 1: Pin a Website to Taskbar Using Microsoft Edge

Open your favorite website using Microsoft Edge, and then click the three-dot menu icon in the top right-hand corner.

Click the “Pin this page to the taskbar” option in the drop-down menu. The web site’s icon will be used as the shortcut icon shown on the taskbar. When you click it, Microsoft Edge browser will be launched, and it will open the target web site automatically.

Method 2: Pin a Website to Taskbar Using Chrome

Open your favorite website using Chrome, and then click the Settings button (3 vertical dots) in the top right of the browser. Go to More tools and click Add to desktop.

Enter a name for the website shortcut and click Add.

Now, it should put your website as a shortcut on the desktop. Right-click on the shortcut and then click “Pin to taskbar“.

Method 3: Pin a Website to Taskbar Using Firefox

Just make a copy of your Firefox shortcut on the desktop, and rename it to whatever you like. Then right-click on the new shortcut and select Properties.

Under the Shortcut tab, add the following text to the end of the path displayed in the Target field:
-url https://www.top-password.com/

Click OK. Afterwards, right-click on the desktop shortcut and select “Pin to taskbar“.

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How to Enable or Disable Dynamic Lock in Windows 10

June 4th, 2018 by Admin

Dynamic Lock greyed out? Since Windows 10 Creators Update you can set up Dynamic Lock to automatically lock down your PC when you’re away. Here we’ll show you 3 ways to enable or disable Dynamic Lock in Windows 10.

Method 1: Enable or Disable Dynamic Lock Using Settings App

  1. Press Win+I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings app, and then go to Accounts -> Sign-in options.
  2. Scroll down to the Dynamic lock section on the right, uncheck the “Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away” option to disable Dynamic Lock for your current user, or check it to turn it on.

  3. Close the Settings app.

Method 2: Enable or Disable Dynamic Lock Using Registry Editor

  1. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following path:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

  2. Double-click on the EnableGoodbye entry on the right, and set its value data as per your requirement. 0 = Disable, 1 = Enable

  3. Close Registry Editor and reboot your computer.

Method 3: Enable or Disable Dynamic Lock Using Group Policy

  1. Press Win+R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command, then type gpedit.msc and press Enter.

  2. In the Local Group Policy Editor window, browse to the following path on the left:

    Computer Configuration –> Administrative Template –> System –> Logon

    Then double-click the “Configure Dynamic Lock” policy on the right.

  3. Select the Disabled option to will disable the Dynamic Lock feature for all user accounts in Windows 10.

    If you want to enable that feature, then choose the Enabled option instead.

  4. Click Apply and then OK. Reboot to have the group policy take effect immediately.

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How to Set Up Dynamic Lock on Windows 10 PC

June 1st, 2018 by Admin

Forget to lock your PC when you walk away? There are the chances that your roommate or co-worker may snoop on your computer without your knowledge. Don’t worry! Starting with the Creators Update, Windows 10 adds a security feature called Dynamic Lock, which can automatically lock your PC after 30 seconds when your Bluetooth phone goes out of range. In this tutorial we’ll walk you through the steps to set up Dynamic Lock on Windows 10 PC.

How to Set Up Dynamic Lock on Windows 10 PC?

  1. Press the Windows key + I shortcut to open the Settings app, and then click on Accounts.

  2. Select the Sign-in options tab in the left panel. Scroll down to the Dynamic lock section, check the “Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away” option and then click the “Bluetooth & other devices” link.

    If you don’t see the “Bluetooth & other devices” link at all, you can alternatively go to Settings -> Devices -> Bluetooth & other devices.

  3. Click the Bluetooth switch to set it to On, and then click the “Add Bluetooth or other device” button.

  4. When you see the Add A Device dialog, select Bluetooth.

  5. Choose your Bluetooth phone from the list that appears.

  6. You’ll see a PIN for pairing your phone with Windows 10 PC. Click Connect on your PC and tap on Pair button on your phone.

  7. After the pairing process is complete, click Done.

Now, walk with your phone away from your computer, Windows 10 will lock itself automatically after 30 seconds. However, when you come back to your PC, the Dynamic Lock feature won’t automatically unlock Windows 10 and you have to sign in with password.

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How to Disable Automatic Drive Optimization / Defrag in Windows 10

May 31st, 2018 by Admin

How to disable automatic disk defragmentation in Windows 10? By default, Windows 10 will run the drive optimization (previously called disk defragmentation) task once a week. When Windows 10 runs the scheduled disk defragmenter in the background, the computer begins to lag behind and becomes slow.

If you don’t want to get disturbed by automatic drive optimization / defragmentation, here’s how to disable it in Windows 10. After disabling, you can also optimize drives on your PC manually.

How to Disable Automatic Drive Optimization / Defrag in Windows 10?

  1. Open File Explorer. Right-click on any drive connected to your PC and select Properties from the context menu.
  2. Select the Tools tab, and then click the Optimize button under the “Optimize and defragment drive” section.

  3. Click on the Change settings button.

  4. Uncheck the “Run on a schedule” box to disable automatic drive optimization completely.

    Or click on the Choose button to turn off automatic optimization for individual drives.

  5. Click OK and you’re done!

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