Archive for the ‘Tips & Tricks’ category

5 Ways to Launch Server Manager in Windows Server 2012

October 8th, 2016 by Admin

Server Manager is a management console (MMC) in Windows Server 2012 that allows you to add server roles / features, manage and deploy server remotely. In this tutorial we’ll show you 5 ways to launch Server Manager in Windows Server 2012.

server-manager

Method 1: Launch Server Manager from Command Line

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box, or open the Command Prompt. Type ServerManager and press Enter.

run-server-manager

This should be the most common and quickest way to open Server Manager in Windows Server 2012 / 2008.

Method 2: Launch Server Manager from Taskbar

By default, the Server Manager shortcut is pinned to the taskbar. Just click the Server Manager icon and you can run Server Manager immediately.

server-manager-in-taskbar

Method 3: Launch Server Manager from Start Screen

Click the Start button to open the Start Screen.

server-manager-in-start-screen

As you can see in the picture above, the Metro interface gives you access to Server Manager.

Method 4: Launch Server Manager Using PowerShell

Open PowerShell in Windows Server 2012. Type ServerManager and press Enter.

run-server-manager-via-powershell

Method 5: Create a Desktop Shortcut to Launch Server Manager

Right-click on any empty space on your desktop. Select New -> Shortcut from the context menu.

new-desktop-shortcut

Type ServerManager in the shortcut location box and click Next.

specify-shortcut-location

Give a name for the shortcut and click Finish.

type-name-for-shortcut

You should now see a new desktop shortcut on the desktop. Double-click it and you can launch Server Manager quickly.

server-manager-shortcut

That’s it!

Comments Off on 5 Ways to Launch Server Manager in Windows Server 2012 »

Posted in Tips & Tricks

Tags: launch server manager launch server manager from command line launch server manager windows 2012 open server manager from command prompt open server manager from powershell run server manager from command line

How to Enable USB Write Protection in Windows 10, 8 and 7

October 1st, 2016 by Admin

Worry about someone copying files off your PC via USB drive? The most common solution is to disable or restrict the usage of USB ports. In this tutorial we’ll show you another way to enable write protection of all USB drives that are connected to your Windows operating system.

How to Enable USB Write Protection in Windows 10, 8 and 7?

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter.
This will open the Registry Editor. Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
Right-click on the Control key in the left pane, select New -> Key. Name it as StorageDevicePolicies.
Select the StorageDevicePolicies key in the left pane, then right-click on any empty space in the right pane and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it WriteProtect.
Double-click on WriteProtect and then change the value data from 0 to 1.
The new setting takes effect immediately. Every user who tries to copy / move data to USB devices or format USB drive will get the error message “The disk is write-protected“. We can only open the file in the USB drive for reading, but it’s not allowed to modify and save the changes back to USB drive.

So this is how you can enable write protection to all connected USB drives. If you want to disable write protection at a later time, just open Registry Editor and set the WriteProtect value to 0.

Comments Off on How to Enable USB Write Protection in Windows 10, 8 and 7 »

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

Tags: enable write protect usb drive how to enable usb write protect

How to Reset Local Group Policy Settings to Default with / without Login

September 30th, 2016 by Admin

Is there a way to bypass group policy? Group policy settings are messed up? You might be restricted from modifying certain system settings or you’re denied to log on to Windows. In this tutorial we’ll show you a simple way to reset local group policy settings to default, even if you couldn’t log into Windows.

Where Group Policy Settings are Stored

A local Group Policy object exists on every Windows-based computer, including Windows Home edition. The Local Group Policy is divided into two broad categories – Computer Configuration and User Configuration. All system-wide policies are stored under Computer Configuration, while user-specific settings are stored under User Configuration.

The group policy settings are stored in a file named Registry.pol under your system drive.

Computer-wide settings (Computer Configuration) – %SystemRoot%\System32\ GroupPolicy\Machine\registry.pol
User-specific settings (User Configuration) – %SystemRoot%\System32\ GroupPolicy\User\registry.pol

group-policy-location

Now that we know where the group policy settings are stored, we can reset them to default easily. No need to reinstall Windows when your group policy is messed up.

Method 1: Reset Local Group Policy Settings to Default After Login

Open an elevated Command Prompt in Windows.
At the Command Prompt, type the following commands one by one, press Enter after each.
RD /S /Q "C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy" RD /S /Q "C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicyUsers"

This will delete all your group policy settings (Registry.pol) stored on your computer.
Now you’ve reset the group policy objects to default. Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Method 2: Reset Local Group Policy Settings to Default without Login

When you’re unable to boot or log into Windows any longer, or you have insufficient privileges to open up Command Prompt, just boot your PC from Windows installation disc and you can reset local group policy to default from outside Windows.

Boot your PC with Windows installation DVD. When you comes to the Windows Setup screen, press SHIFT + F10 keys to open the Command Prompt.
At the Command Prompt, use the dir command to find the drive where your Windows is installed.
Run the following commands one by one. Replace D:\ with the drive letter of your Windows partition.
RD /S /Q "D:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy" RD /S /Q "D:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicyUsers"
When it’s done, quit Windows Setup and take out the DVD, reboot your computer and the local group policies should have been reset to default. When you later make changes with the group policy, Windows will create a new Registry.pol file to store your settings.

Comments Off on How to Reset Local Group Policy Settings to Default with / without Login »

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

Tags: reset group policy to default windows 10 reset local group policy to default

7 Ways to Open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10

September 30th, 2016 by Admin

Windows includes a disk-cleanup utility that’s helpful for freeing your computer from temporary and unnecessary files. In this tutorial we’ll show you 7 ways to open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10.

disk-cleanup

Method 1: Open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 from Run

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type cleanmgr and press Enter. This should be the quickest way to open Disk Cleanup utility in Windows 10, 8 and 7.

cleanmgr-via-run

Method 2: Open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 Using Cortana Search

Just click the Cortana Search icon in the Windows 10 taskbar and type disk cleanup. Click the Disk Cleanup shortcut appeared at the top of the list.

Method 3: Open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 from Control Panel

Open Control Panel in Large icons view in Windows 10. Click Administrative Tools.

administrative-tools

From there you can then see the Disk Cleanup shortcut.

disk-cleanup-in-control-panel

Method 4: Open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 from Command Prompt

Open the Command Prompt in Windows 10. At the Command Prompt, type cleanmgr and press Enter to launch Disk Cleanup.

disk-cleanup-via-cmd

By default the cleanmgr command will clean your system drive only. If you want to run disk cleanup for your other partition, type:
cleanmgr.exe /d D:

Note: Replace D: with the drive you want to clean up.

Method 5: Open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 from Drive Properties

Open File Explorer in Windows 10. Right-click on the drive (or partition) that you want to regain hard drive space, select Properties from the drop-down menu.

When the Drive Properties dialog opens, click the General tab. From there you can click the Disk Cleanup button to free up space on your drive.

drive properties

Method 6: Open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 Using File Search

Open File Explorer and browse to the root directory of your Windows partition. Type cleanmgr in the search box at the top-right of the window.

Double-click on the cleanmgr.exe program from the search result.

Method 7: Open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 from PowerShell

Open the PowerShell in Windows 10. Type cleanmgr and press Enter.

cleanmgr-powershell

That’s it!

Comments Off on 7 Ways to Open Disk Cleanup in Windows 10 »

Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10

Tags: open disk cleanup windows 10 windows 10 disk cleanup

2 Ways to Enable Dark Theme (Mode) in Windows 10

September 29th, 2016 by Admin

Windows 10 default theme is very bright that hurts the eyes. If you spend much of time sitting in front of your computer, you can enable the built-in dark theme (known as “dark mode”) to reduce eye strain. In this tutorial we’ll show you 2 simple ways to enable dark theme (mode) in Windows 10.

windows-10-dark-mode

Method 1: Enable Windows 10 dark theme from the Settings app

Open the Settings app by clicking its shortcut from the Start Menu, or pressing Windows key + I shortcut on your keyboard.
Click on Personalization.
Select Colors tab on the left pane. Scroll down to the bottom and you’ll see the “Choose your app mode” section. By default, Windows 10 uses the light theme. To enable dark theme, click the Dark radio button and your apps will turn black right away.

Before the Anniversary Update arrives, the dark theme is a hidden feature in Windows 10, which could only be enabled with a registry hack.

Method 2: Enable Windows 10 dark theme using registry hack

Open the Registry Editor in Windows 10. Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize
If the Personalize key doesn’t exist, you need to add it manually.
In the right pane of Registry Editor, right-click any empty space to create a new DWORD (32-bit) value called AppsUseLightTheme with a value of 0. (0: enable dark theme, 1: enable the default light theme)
Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer. Now you’ve successfully enabled dark theme in Windows 10.

Comments Off on 2 Ways to Enable Dark Theme (Mode) in Windows 10 »

Posted in Tips & Tricks, Windows 10

Tags: enable dark mode in windows 10 enable dark theme in windows 10 windows 10 dark theme windows 10 dark theme registry

5 Ways to Remove the Administrator Password in Windows 10

September 27th, 2016 by Admin

Do you want to clear the administrator password and let Windows boot directly into the desktop? How to remove Windows 10 password if you’ve forgotten it? In this tutorial we’ll show you 5 ways to remove the administrator password in Windows 10.

Option 1: Remove Windows 10 Administrator Password from Control Panel

Open the Control Panel in Large icons view. Click on User Accounts.
Under the “Make changes to your user account” section, click Manage another account.
You’ll see all the accounts on your computer. Click the account you’d like to remove the password for.
Click the “Change the password” link.
Enter your original password and leave the new password boxes blank, click on Change password button. It will remove your administrator password immediately.

Option 2: Remove Windows 10 Administrator Password from Settings

Open the Settings app by clicking its shortcut from the Start Menu, or pressing Windows key + I shortcut on your keyboard.
Click on Accounts.
Select Sign-in options tab in the left pane, and then click the Change button under the “Password” section.
Next, enter your current password and click Next.
To remove your password, leave the password boxes blank and click Next.

Option 3: Remove Windows 10 Administrator Password from Command Prompt

Open up an elevated Command Prompt.
At the Command Prompt, type the below command and press Enter.
net user Administrator *
When you’re prompted to type new password, just press Enter twice and it will remove your Windows administrator password.

Option 4: Remove Windows 10 Administrator Password Using Local Users and Groups snap-in

Press Windows key + R to launch Run, type lusrmgr.msc and click OK.
When the Local Users and Groups snap-in opens, click Users from the left pane, then right-click the Administrator in the center pane. Select Set Password.
Now click Proceed in the following window.
Leave the New password and Confirm password boxes empty and click OK. This will remove your Windows user password instantly.

Option 5: Remove Windows 10 Administrator Password Using PCUnlocker

PCUnlocker is a handy Windows password removal tool that runs from a boot disk. It allows you to remove forgotten Administrator password for any Windows-based PC you can get physical access to.

Start by burning the PCUnlocker ISO file onto a CD (or USB flash drive) using the freeware ISO2Disc.
Boot your locked computer from the CD.
Once booted to the PCUnlocker program, select the Administrator account and click on “Reset Password” button.
This will remove your forgotten Windows administrator password quickly. Reboot your computer without CD, you can then log into your Windows 10 administrator account without a password.

Comments Off on 5 Ways to Remove the Administrator Password in Windows 10 »

Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10

Tags: clear windows 10 password remove windows 10 administrator password remove windows 10 password remove windows administrator password

How to Reset Installed Apps to Default in Windows 10

September 26th, 2016 by Admin

If an app crashes repeatedly, freezes or doesn’t work properly on your PC, Windows 10 allows you to reset the app to the default settings. Although you’ll lose your preferences and sign-in details from the app that causes problem, resetting it can be helpful in certain situation. In this tutorial we’ll show you to reset your installed or built-in apps to default in Windows 10.

How to Reset Installed Apps to Default in Windows 10?

Open the Settings app by clicking its shortcut from the Start Menu, or pressing Windows key + I shortcut on your keyboard.
Click on System.
On the left side of the window, click on Apps & features. You’ll see all the apps and programs you’ve installed on your computer. Find an app you want to reset, and click on it. Then click the “Advanced options” link under the app’s name.
Click the Reset button to reset an app’s settings.
You’ll have to click the Reset button to confirm you want to clear the app’s data and sign-in details. After a while you’ll be told that the app has been reset.

Comments Off on How to Reset Installed Apps to Default in Windows 10 »

Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10

Tags: reset default apps in windows 10 reset windows 10 apps windows 10 app reset

3 Ways to Remove / Disable Action Center in Windows 10

September 24th, 2016 by Admin

In Windows 10, Action Center can be accessed by clicking the square speech bubble icon located on the right-hand side of the taskbar. Action Center shows you your latest notifications, emails, updates and app messages all appear in a drawer that pulls out from the right hand side of the screen.

If you hate having to clear annoying notifications all the time, or you feel like the Action Center is useless, you can get rid of it. In this tutorial we’ll show you 3 ways to remove / disable Action Center from the taskbar in Windows 10.

Method 1: Disable Windows 10 Action Center Using the Settings app

Open the Settings app either by clicking its icon in the Start Menu or pressing Windows + I keyboard shortcut.
Click on Personalization.
Select Taskbar from the left-hand navigation, and then click the link titled “Turn system icons on or off“.
Toggle the switch against Action Center to the Off position. This will remove & disable the Action Center icon right away.

If you’re running an old build of Windows 10, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app.
Click on System.
Click the “Notifications & actions” category on the left. On the right, click the “Turn system icons on or off” link.
To remove Action Center icon from taskbar, toggle Action Center to Off.

Method 2: Disable Windows 10 Action Center Using Group Policy

Open the Local Group Policy Editor. Navigate to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar.
On the right-hand pane, find the “Remove Notifications and Action Center” policy and double-click it.
Select the Enabled radio button, and click OK to disable the Action Center.

Just restart your system to make the changes take effect.

Method 3: Disable Windows 10 Action Center Using Registry Editor

Open the Registry Editor. Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
Right-click any empty space on the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it DisableNotificationCenter. Next double-click on it and give it a value of 1.
Exit Registry Editor and restart your computer. The Action Center icon has completely disappeared from the taskbar. If you want to bring it back in future, follow the same instructions but set the DisableNotificationCenter value to 0.

Comments Off on 3 Ways to Remove / Disable Action Center in Windows 10 »

Posted in Others, Tips & Tricks, Windows 10

Tags: disable action center windows 10 remove action center windows 10 windows 10 action center windows 10 disable action center notifications

How to Remove Shortcut Arrow from Desktop Icons in Windows 10 / 8 /7

September 23rd, 2016 by Admin

By default, Windows places a small arrow in the bottom left corner of the desktop shortcut icon. The arrow can help you distinguish a shortcut from an application or file. If you are not happy to see the shortcut overlay icon, you can get rid of it completely. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to hide / remove shortcut arrow from desktop icons in Windows 10/8/7.

How to Remove Shortcut Arrow from Desktop Icons in Windows 10 / 8 /7?

Open the Registry Editor. When prompted Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your PC? Choose Yes.
In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons

If the Shell Icons key does not exist you’ll need to create it. To do so right-click the Explorer key in the left pane, then select New > Key and name it Shell Icons.
In the right pane of the Shell Icons key, right-click on any empty area, and select New > String Value. Name it 29.
Double-click the 29 entry to modify it. In the Value Data box, copy and paste the following:
%windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-50
Click OK and exit Registry Editor. Reboot your computer and you should no longer see the little arrow in your desktop shortcuts. That’s it!

Problem of Black Square:

Everything worked just fine but after a second shut down, all shortcut icons have a blank square superimposed over the lower left side.

To fix this issue, just open the Registry Editor and navigate to KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons. Double-click the 29 entry in the right pane, leave Value Data empty and click OK.

Reboot your computer and it should work now!

Comments Off on How to Remove Shortcut Arrow from Desktop Icons in Windows 10 / 8 /7 »

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

Tags: hide shortcut arrow windows 10 remove arrow from shortcut icon windows remove shortcut arrow windows 10 remove shortcut arrow windows 8

Add “Copy To” & “Move To” Shortcut to Windows Right-Click Menu

September 21st, 2016 by Admin

How do you copy or move a file to another location in Windows? Most of us use the Copy or Cut command from the Context Menu, and then paste the file in the destination location. To speed up the file copying / moving operations, you can add the “Copy To” or “Move To” shortcuts to Windows right-click context menu. This is a hidden feature available in Windows 11/10/8/7, which can be enabled using a registry hack.

How to Add “Copy To” & “Move To” Shortcut to Windows Right-Click Menu?

Open Registry Editor and navigate to the following key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers
Right-click on the ContextMenuHandlers key in the left pane, and then select New -> Key.

Rename the new subkey from “New Key #1” to {C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}. This will immediately add the “Copy To folder” shortcut to Explorer context menu.
If you want to add the “Move To folder” shortcut to Explorer context menu as well, repeat the same steps to create a new subkey named {C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}.
Now right-click on any folder or file on your computer, you’ll see two extra options (“Copy To folder” and “Move To folder“) have been added to the context menu.
After selecting either “Copy To folder” or “Move To folder” from Windows right-click menu, a browse window will open. From there you can select your destination folder, click either the Copy or Move button (depending on your chosen action) and you’re done!