Tag Archives: tips

How To View & Change Default Install Location Of Windows 8 Store Apps

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On Windows 8, x86 apps are installed in the same way as they were in the previous versions of Windows. During each setup, you can choose the directory where you want the application to be installed. However, Windows Store apps (Modern UI apps) are downloaded and installed automatically. Neither does the Store provide you with the option to choose where they go nor does it indicate the location where they are downloaded to by default. In this post, we will show you how to view the default install location of Windows Store apps and how to change it in Windows 8. Read More

Top 20 Windows 8 Tweaks, Hacks & Tips

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Ever since Microsoft released the consumer preview of Windows 8, many power users have found registry hacks and tweaks to change the way Windows 8 behaves in certain situations. While most veteran Windows application developers had already started developing Modern UI apps, Windows enthusiasts were excavating deep into Windows 8 Registry Hives and the Local Group Policy Editor this whole time to find native solutions to problems that novice users may face. If you’ve been following us since the release of the Windows 8 developer build, then you may know that we have covered an umpteen number of Windows 8 tips, registry hacks and Local Group Policy Editor tweaks to enhance the overall usage experience. In what follows, we bring you the best 20 Windows 8 tweaks, hacks and tips that you may find handy. Read More

Prevent Users From Changing Windows 8 Start Screen Background On Your PC [Tip]

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The Windows 8 Start Screen acts as a central hub for accessing all your apps, system components, control panel applets, Windows Store apps and more. Apart from providing quick access to apps that are arranged in a well-crafted tiled design, the Start Screen lets you customize the background according to your liking. You may know that Windows 8 comes packed with a slew of different Start Screen backgrounds, and you can switch between them from the PC Settings > Personalize window. It sounds cool, but what if your Windows 8 PC or tablet is shared among other folks and you frequently find the Start Screen background changed without your consent? If you don’t want anyone to manipulate the Start Screen background, you can disable the option entirely from the Local Group Policy Editor, provided you have administrative rights. In what follows, we will guide you through the process of restricting users from changing the Start Screen background. Read More

Prevent Windows 8 File Explorer From Deleting Image Thumbnail Cache

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Apart from the new Modern UI look and tablet-optimized features, Windows 8 also comes with new network, personalization, system administration and security related options. Like previous versions of Windows, it enforces strict file access and system component usage restrictions to prevent users from tweaking the default system management, administration and security parameters. Almost all the Special Folders, including user profile folders, system32, library folders etc, have been assigned special permissions by System, and this virtual user allows them to create and read file listings, manipulate extended file attributes, delete folders and sub-folders, and remove junk files from the folders. The Explorer is one such User Profile-related special folder, which can delete thumbnail database as soon as its size reaches a certain limit. If you’re among those who deal with massive photo collections and want to restrict File Explorer folder from deleting your thumbnail database files, here’s is how you can do it in Windows 8. Read More

Disable Uninstall Option For Windows 8 Modern UI Apps [Tip]

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Windows 8 comes packed with a slew of new feature additions and enhanced user interface, but a lot of things have also been excluded from the latest release. With the release of Windows 8 looming on the horizon, we at AddictiveTips are trying to give you a preview of everything it will offer to the users. As most of us already know, the Start Orb has been replaced by the Start Screen, and instead of Desktop, the Start Screen is the main workspace that hosts all the installed applications. Whenever you install an application, instead of a shortcut on the desktop, a tile is created on the Start Screen that allows you to quickly launch it. In Windows 8, you can uninstall an app in multiple ways. The first method involves using Control Panel > Add & Remove Programs applet, but the second one lets you uninstall an app directly from the Start Screen. In this post, we will explain how you how can prevent your PC account holders from uninstalling Windows 8 UI based apps (formerly known as metro apps). Read More

Enable Account Lockout Policy And Set Lockout Threshold & Duration In Windows 8 [Tip]

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In Windows, User Account holds a lot of personal information related to the owner of that account. If any unauthorized person finds a way of accessing someone else’s account, it can be devastating for the account holder. Most users password-protect their user accounts to secure their personal information. Although it is quite risky, as accounts hold a lot of sensitive information, including financial information, passwords to different email accounts, online services, and communication clients, adding multiple layers of security sometimes makes it annoying for the users themselves to access the required information. Nowadays, smartphones hold as much, if not more, personal information, as computers. They also have the lock screen feature, and anyone attempting to unlock their phone must enter the password or PIN code. Entering the wrong password for a specified number of attempts locks the phone for a defined time. This option is also available in Windows, but it's disabled by default. In this post, we will explain how you can enable the Account Lockout option, set the number of logon attempts before locking the system, and specify the Account Lockout duration using the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 8. Read More

Create & Name App Groups On Windows 8 Start Screen [Tip]

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Microsoft recently let out its Windows 8 RTM (Release to Manufacturing) build to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. Soon, people all over the globe will also be able to taste an all new flavor of the Windows OS, when it unleashes to retail shelves. Till then, you can check out our previous coverage of Windows 8 tips and apps, to get yourself acquainted beforehand. By now, most of you would already know that Microsoft has done away with the Start menu, replacing it with a brand spanking Start Screen, which presents all the installed apps in a tiled design. Well, your grandpa might miss that glowing Start orb and the easy-to-access Start menu – the new Start Screen is quite user-friendly, too, if you know how to make the most out of it. One of the features it provides is that it lets you create groups for the installed applications. For instance, you can group your favorite apps under one category or define a separate group for MS Office applications. In what follows, I will explain how you can organize your apps into different groups for ease of access and better ergonomics. Read More

10 Neat Tips & Tricks For OS X Mountain Lion

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Mountain Lion is still pretty fresh out of the oven - not pipping hot, but fairly fresh - and people are still getting to know what it can do, what's new and whether or not to make the upgrade. The battery drainage issue is one that's definitely put a question mark up for some who might have been on the point of upgrading, but as an OS, Mountain Lion has been downloaded over three million times in just the first four days of its launch. It's safe to say that quite a few people might be tinkering with it as you read this. Of course, once you go over the new features in Mountain Lion, you'll probably want to check around to see what's under the hood, not so obvious or learn what tweaks have been discovered so far to make your experience better. Since with new restrictions come new annoyances, here is a list of some common annoyances and their fixes. Read More

Turn Off Notifications For Individual Apps In Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

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Android 4.1 Jelly Bean’s hottest features are easily the new Google Now and the detailed notification drawer. For a summary of all the features that Jelly Bean has to offer, take a look at our overview of the new and improved features of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. These details, as welcomed as they are, and as excited as Android fans are about it, are not always best suited to everyday use if your phone shuffles through different hands - say, at the office or amongst friends. Being notified of an email is fine, but having the first few lines laid out in the notification menu, not so much - well, not for me, at least. Another prevalent issue with all versions preceding Jelly Bean was notifications popping up for apps that are irrelevant, or those that you just don’t need them at times. Unfortunately, Google offered no way to turn that off, except for removing the notification itself. With Jelly Bean, however, things have changed, and finally, you can stop these 'nuisances' from popping up without having to delete the app itself. Read More

How To Add Shutdown, Restart & Log Off Tiles To Windows 8 Start Screen

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Among many new things introduced in Windows 8, the Charms Bar is a UI element added to access different feature of the operating system, such as the Search option, Share, Start Screen, Devices, and Settings menu. While Microsoft has added some elements to the UI, they have also changed the functionality or the location of some others. The Start Orb, along with all the options included in it, is completely replaced by the Start Screen. Since the Start Screen is completely different concept from whatever was available in the previous versions of Windows, all the options available in the Start Orb are not included in the Start Screen. For instance, the shut down and other power options included in the Windows Start Orb are not available directly from the Start Screen, and you have to access the Charms Bar to access the shutdown options. You have to perform a lot more clicks for a simple operation, and a lot of people, included me, find that to be annoying. Today, we have a tool for Windows 8 called System Power Shortcuts that adds tiles on the Start Screen for Power settings, including Shutdown, Restart, Hibernate, Lock, Sign-off and Sleep.  It also allows you to perform delayed power operations at a user-selected time. Read More

How To Hide Your Facebook Email Address From Your Timeline

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A while back, Facebook launched its very own email service and encouraged users to claim their @facebook account. The feature wasn’t that popular because, in all honesty, yourname@facebook.com on your resume might make an employer think twice about hiring you. Considering the lengths companies go to prevent people from using social media sites at work, that email might have been trouble anyway. The good thing about it was that it was totally opt-in until yesterday, when Facebook decided it was going to give you your @facebook email whether you liked it or not. If your About page displays your email address to everyone, it will now have your @facebook address as your primary email contact. In case you were wondering when you allowed Facebook to change your contact info, you never did. Read on to see how you can hide it, and what implications the change will have. Read More

Stop Firefox 13 Speed Dial Thumbnails From Showing Secure Content [Tip]

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Firefox 13 was released earlier this month, and among the top six features, the new tab page was one. Not only was this new feature well received by Firefox users, it was also one of the major interface changes the browser has implemented since going on a rapid release cycle. Unfortunately, it’s hit a bug all too soon. The speed dial feature that so many users were glad to have incorporated by default in the browser takes snapshots of websites, regardless of whether they are viewed over an HTTP or HTTPS protocol. This puts secure HTTPS content captured on several websites in plain view. Why is this dangerous? Sites that mandate an HTTPS protocol are usually ones where sensitive information, like banking details, credit card numbers etc, are exchanged, and that isn’t information you want out in the open. The issue was first discovered by The Register, and Mozilla have acknowledged this breach. An update has been promised, but in the mean time, here is how you can disable the new tab page, which is the only way of staying safe. Read More

How To Skip Windows 8 Start Screen & Go Directly To Desktop On System Startup [Tip]

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With Windows 8, Microsoft has let go of the iconic Start Orb and replaced the Start Menu with Start Screen. Now, instead of clicking the start orb to access installed software, users have to use the Start Screen and search for the items stored in their computer. It would be safe to say that Windows has seen, effectively, a replacement of the Desktop with the Metro Start Screen, and now Desktop is also just another app. By default, there is no option to make Windows 8 go to the Desktop app when the computer starts. Previously, we have covered a couple of ways that allow you to skip the Start Screen and go directly to the Desktop; however, since both methods work using the Show Desktop shortcut in Windows, the Start Screen does come on for some time before going to the Desktop. Today, we have an application that does not let the Start Screen appear at all during startup, and the system goes directly to Desktop. In this post, we will explain how to use the tool in Windows 8. Read More

How To Jailbreak iOS 6 Beta & Install Cydia [Complete Guide]

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Apple announced iOS 6 during WWDC 2012, and the world went into a frenzy (as it always does with any Apple offering). The 6th major iteration of the OS brought with it a lot of bells and whistles, like revamped Maps, more knowledgeable Siri, shared Photo Streams and loads more (you may want to check out the entire list of new goodies). On the same evening, iOS 6 beta became available for developers, ensuring that apps – the life and blood of iOS platform – became optimized before the operating system became available publicly. However, many, like us, just couldn’t wait to get their hands on the newest iOS for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, and many devices, despite not belonging to developers, got the new OS up and running in a matter of days. However, doing so resulted in one thing that most jailbreakers don’t like at all – breaking the jailbreak! The good news is, iOS 6 is jailbreakable, publicly, and even Cydia can be installed through some unconventional methods. We’ll get to that just after the jump. Read More

How To View Metro Apps Installed On Your Other Windows 8 Devices [Tip]

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In Windows 8, the concept of applications, in terms how they are installed and handled has been changed a little from what it used to be in Windows 7.  Other than the normal way of installing third party applications, Windows 8 features a Store with a collection of Windows 8 specific apps, known as Metro Apps. The Windows 8 Store is quite similar to the Apple’s Mac App Store. Developers are coming up with new and useful apps every day. Installing them is just a matter of going to the Store and downloading any app that you need. Once the download is complete, it will be automatically installed on your system. However, when installing new apps is so easy, we are sure to download a lot of apps from the Windows 8 Store and it is not easy to remember which apps are already installed on the system. In this post, we will tell you how to check which, and how many, Metro Apps are installed on your device (PC or tablet) running Windows 8. Read on to find out. Read More

How To Disable Sync Settings For All Users In Windows 8 [Tip]

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Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 8 comes with the Microsoft account (previously known as Windows Live account) integration that lets users easily sync their PC settings with other Windows 8 devices. If you choose to sign in using a Microsoft Account, you can synchronize all your settings, including your internet history, shortcuts, application settings, passwords for different services and a lot more with any other PC or tablet running Windows 8. To sync your settings, all you need is to sign in to the secondary PC using your Microsoft Account and enable sync feature from within PC settings. The PC Settings Sync menu even allows you to choose specific elements that you want to sync. If you wish to disable these settings, you can either create a new local account, or disable syncing from your Microsoft account (which will effectively turn your current account into a local one). Either way, this will disable synchronization for your user account only. However, if you're a system administrator, you can use Local Group Policy Editor to disable Windows 8 sync feature for all user account holders as well. In this post, we will guide you through the process of disabling syncing of selected and all supported elements for all users. Read More

How To Disable Windows Explorer Animations For All Users In Windows 8 [Tip]

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Some days ago, we covered a tip on how to enable some hidden Windows Explorer UI animations in Windows 7 and Windows 8 using an application called AniExplorer. Even though, animations during different actions, such as maximizing and minimizing windows add the eye-candy factor to the interface, they also consume a lot of system resources. If you have an old computer, the system resources spent on animating windows  can be used for other useful functions, such as reducing system lag and making the general user experience smoother. If you want to turn off the Windows animations, you can do so from the Advanced System Settings dialog box in System Settings. However, it will only disable the animations for your own user and anyone working in a different User Account will still see all the animations. If there are multiple users for the computer, you can disable window animations for all of them using the Local Group Policy Editor. In this post, we will show you how to set system-wide settings to disable the window animations for all users in Windows 8 using the Local Group Policy Editor. Read More

Disable Lock Screen App Notifications For All Users In Windows 8 [Tip]

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Since Windows 8 is optimized for both PC's and tablets devices, there are some features that seem more PC oriented, while others feel to be more useful for tablet devices. Yesterday, we brought you a tutorial on how to prevent users from changing the Lock Screen image in Windows 8. Other than the clock, date, time and battery icons, the Lock Screen of Windows 8 also allows users to view app notifications for different apps, such as Messages, Calender, People etc. If you have a new message waiting, or a reminder in your calendar, the Lock Screen will show a notification on the Lock Screen reminding you to check out the new event. You are allowed to enable and disable application notifications from the Notifications tab in PC Settings. However, these settings are only User Account-specific, and if you disable notifications from your account, other PC users can still check app notifications from the Lock Screen when they log in to Windows 8. If you want to disable the Lock Screen notifications for all users, you can do that using the Windows 8 Local Group Policy Editor. In this post, we will show you how to disable the lock Screen notifications for all users on a Windows 8 device. Read More

How To Prevent Changing Of Lock Screen Image In Windows 8 [Tip]

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The Windows 8 Lock screen contains two basic elements: the lock screen image with dynamic icons for battery & network, application status message badges, and the login screen where you enter the password to log in to Windows. If you've been using Windows 8 beta versions, you may know that it allows users (administrators and standard users) to change the lock screen background image. If you're a system administrator, then you can prevent other PC users from changing the lock screen background image using Local Group Policy Editor. In what follows, we will guide you through the process of disabling lock screen image customization options. It will disable the Personalize >Lock Screen window (accessible from PC Settings) to restrict users from changing the default/currently applied lock screen background image. Read More

How To Completely Close (Kill) Metro Apps In Windows 8 [Tip]

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When Windows 8 Consumers Preview was released, reaction was somewhat mixed from users and tech pundits alike. Much has been changed from past Windows versions and the software giant wants to merge both tablets and desktop UI into one single package. Since its a hybrid OS, desktop users doesn't seem to look any happy. Along with revamped UI, unified desktop/tablet usage, and other enhancements, there are many features that have been either reworked, or removed for good. One of these features that is reworked, is application handling. Unlike previous versions of Windows, Windows 8 handles running applications in a different way. As you know that Windows 8 is optimized for both PCs and tablets, and features metro style applications, which run in the Metro UI environment. The metro applications behave similar to that of Android/iOS apps (well, that's the closest example i can think of). For instance, when you move to home screen (i.e. the Metro Start Screen) while using a metro app, the OS suspends the application to conserve CPU resources for other apps. Even though this reduces the load time of metro apps, suspended applications (apps running in the background) do consume memory resources, which can be serious problem if you don't have enough memory at your disposal. In this post, we will show you a few ways to properly quit Metro apps. Read More