Tag Archives: Windows 7

Get Windows 7 Gadgets On Windows 8 Desktop With Gadgetarian

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Although Windows Vista was a major flop, the desktop sidebar feature that Microsoft introduced in the OS was really fascinating. This sidebar allowed users to place several useful gadgets in it,  such as calendar, clock, CPU and network monitor, photo slideshow, search, RSS feeds etc. that provided them with quick access to information as well as many tasks. Windows 7 also came with desktop gadget support, and Microsoft took it one step further by removing the constraint added by the sidebar. With Windows 8 though, Microsoft decided to totally remove this feature, which is a serious turn off for those of us who liked having them on our desktop. If you want to bring desktop gadgets back to Windows 8, Gadgetarian might be a decent solution. It works in a slightly different manner than 8GadgetPack, but the purpose is the same. It provides you with 14 different desktop widgets, and you can even download more of them from the developer's website. Read More

Add Windows 8 Start Screen-Like Metro Tiles To Desktop Using XWidget

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XWidget is quite a popular application that lets you add some extraordinarily beautiful widgets to your desktop screen, similar to Windows Vista’s gadgets. You can customize the widgets in a lot of ways. Although it includes some preinstalled widgets out of the box, you can download and use a truckload of additional ones developed by XWidget’s user community. One such widget that I recently came across is Windows 8 ShorCut Small by Ubeto. It lets you add Windows 8 Start Screen-like tiles to the Desktop, and can especially compliment your setup if you have followed our guide to give a Modern UI makeover to your Desktop. Read More

How To Get The Windows 7 Look & Feel On Your Windows 8 PC

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Change has always been hard for most people to accept; they generally want things to keep running in a set pattern that they are used to, and any deviation from their regular practices can cause them a lot of panic. That is exactly what happened with Windows 8. With such a huge shift from the conventional Windows UI, Microsoft managed to displease a lot of people, including some critics as well as a significant user base. However, as people came out of the initial effects of the shock, a lot of them decided to stick with Windows 7 for now,  some decided to try and adapt to the new system, and the more tech-savvy lot with the knowledge of coding started writing programs to bring the old Windows 7 interface back in Windows 8. As a result, different tools surfaced, promising to bring back the Windows 7 UI to Windows 8 either by installing the missing features, or by disabling the new Windows 8-specific ones. If you are among those looking to transform your Windows 8 to Windows 7 in terms of the interface, here is a list of some of the best tools out there that can help you achieve that. Read More

Internet Explorer 10 Now Available For Windows 7; Here’s What’s New

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When Windows 8 was first revealed, the general feelings of most people towards the new Modern UI were that of apprehension. The new interface was the focal point for most people discussing Windows 8, but it had something else worth noting as well: Internet Explorer 10. At that time, the latest version of Microsoft’s browser was available for Windows 8 only, but Microsoft made it available for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 in form of a release preview in November and today, the stable version of IE 10 has finally been released for Windows 7 SP1 as well as Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. Internet Explorer has declined significantly in popularity, but this latest version comes with features that put it back in line against the likes of Chrome and Firefox. The release does not have all of the features are available in the Windows 8 variant of the browser (like Flip forward), but here are some of the salient new features of IE 10 that might make you want to give it another shot on Windows 7. Read More

Better Explorer Boasts Tabs, Ribbon UI, Drive Size Charts & Much More

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We have seen Microsoft make certain improvements in the Windows 8 version of Windows Explorer, now known as File Explorer. The options bar at the top has been replaced with a ribbon-based UI that groups similar options together under tabs. While the default Windows Explorer in Windows 7 provides you with seamless file browsing, navigation and search features, it lacks some advanced options, such as tabs, built-in multiple format archive management, folder/drive size charts, history view and advanced conditional selection, to name a few. Better Explorer is an application for Windows that gives you all the features of Windows 8 File Explorer in Windows 7, along with quite a few additional ones. Let's take a look at the features in detail after the jump. Read More

Reboot From One Windows Installation Directly Into A Secondary One

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Even after the final release of Windows 8, a lot of people, including myself, are still reluctant to upgrade to the latest operating system and leave Windows 7 behind. However, one should not form an opinion about anything without actually experiencing it first hand. In order to get a feel of Windows 8 (and because this line of work requires it), I installed Windows 8 as a secondary operating system on my computer. So, whenever it is required, I can now use Windows 8 without having to completely ditch my primary operating system. Since my work requires me to constantly switch between the two operating systems, I have to restart the computer a lot during the day. The biggest annoyance in this regard is that in order to boot into the required operating system, I am forced to sit and wait in front of the computer screen until the boot menu appears. Today, I came across a simple tool called Reboot-To that allows users to reboot directly into a specified operating system without having to wait for the Windows boot menu. You can select the operating system you want to reboot into while you're logged into one, and use the time the computer takes to restart to stretch your legs or get a cup of coffee. Read More

Give Windows The Macbook Touchpad Treatment With TwoFingerScroll

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You've just been shot back up to the top of an article because you touched the touchpad funny. In an attempt to scroll back down, you accidentally enlarge or shrink the text by 450%. After grumbling about it, you repair it and start again. You never noticed it before, but scrolling down makes huge jumps and leaps like taking steps on a ladder. Enter TwoFingerScroll. Read More

How To Enable Hidden Explorer UI Animations In Windows 7 & Windows 8 [Tip]

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Sometimes developers keep hidden features on their software, some, due to unfinished codes are left within or others, for reasons unknown. Windows 7 and Windows 8 are also no exception, and their integrated Explorer have some hidden animations that cannot be enabled via Control Panel or Registry Editor. Why Microsoft has chosen not to include them in Windows settings is still a mystery, but as curious as people are, things like these cannot stay hidden for a long time, as people are always up to find new things in the OS, no matter what's it related to. Earlier, there was a method for enabling the hidden animations in Windows Explorer that required you to replace the Explorer Frame file, namely ExplorerFrame.dll, with a customized library file, but most users find replacing system files quite a tedious process, as it includes changing the ownership of the files (and some just don't understand the technical jargon, anyway) Today, we have found a miniscule application called AniExplorer, which makes the job easier for you in enabling the hidden animations in Windows 7 and Windows 8 Explorer without having to manually remove or replace system files. Pertaining details after the jump. Read More

How To Switch To A New Desktop Background Using A Hotkey In Windows 7 & 8 [Tip]

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The themes in Windows 7 and Windows 8 usually contains a number of images in each theme. Other elements remain the same, but the image changes to a new one after a specified amount of time. This time interval can be changed by opening Personalization settings and selecting the Desktop Background option. The time interval can be set from 10 seconds to one day depending on the user’s preference. If you are fond of using a large collection of wallpapers, you can set a lower time interval. However, having a large collection means that sometimes, an image may appear on your background that might not be according to your mood at the time and you might want to change it. By default, the desktop context menu of Windows 7 and Windows 8 contains an option called Switch To next Desktop Background, which - as the name suggests - allows you to switch to the next desktop background available in the image list. In this post, we will show you how to switch to the next desktop background using a keyboard shortcut rather than accessing the right click context menu of Windows desktop. Read More

Get Windows 8 Metro Task Manager’s Compact View Mode In Windows 7

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Perhaps one of the most awaited event of 2012, is Windows 8 launch. All eyes are fixed on Microsoft's upcoming OS. Software giant didn't leave us waiting though by giving an early preview of what to expect from this revamped operating system. If you have been following our Windows 8 coverage closely, you must know that the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 has a lot of similarities to Windows 7, but there are also a lot of changes as well, especially in terms of features and GUI. Windows 8 is the first PC-based operating system featuring the Metro UI, with support for tablets in conjunction. After the Windows 8 Consumer Preview got released, most developers have since been coming up with various software that port Windows 8 features to Windows 7 (and Windows Vista, too). If you're already using Windows 8 Lock Screen, Charms bar, Start Screen and other Windows 8 UI elements in Windows 7, check out Metro Task Manager, as well. Similar to the aforementioned ones, it's an application that brings Windows 8 Metro style task manager to Windows 7. For those who aren't familiar with the new task manager, it has been vastly improved and is more robust, offers 2 view modes namely compact and extended view mode. You can read a detailed guide on Windows 8 Task Manager, its new features and options here. Read More

How To Add Separators In Windows 7 Explorer Jumplist [Tip]

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When Microsoft released Windows 7, it met with an instant acclaim, and many thought that this is how Windows Vista should have been done in the first place. Albeit, Windows Vista gave an interface overhaul, it was not easy on the system resources and Windows 7 tweaked all that. Not only Windows 7 tweaked all the voids left by Vista, but also introduced with itself many new features. Amongst all the useful features that Windows 7 brought to its users, Jumplist probably tops the list of most used ones. This feature made the OS a lot more ergonomically friendly by letting  you quickly access most frequently used functions and tasks of an application without cluttering your desktop with shortcuts. Jump lists provide right click menu options on Taskbar icons, which makes it easy to jump to recently accessed files or favorite files by pinning them. If you frequently use Jump list, then you might have noticed that some applications have separate sections in their jumplists. For instance, if you access the Jumplist of Google Chrome, you have Most Visited, Recently Closed and Tasks sections divided by separators. However, you don’t see any explicit option to insert these separators yourself while pinning files, folders or applications to Windows 7 superbar. As dividers or separators could have made the task easier, by easily identifying the pinned files, in this article, we will guide you through the process of adding custom separators in a Jump list. Read More

How To Transform Windows 7 & Windows 8 Into Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion

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Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion skin pack hits Windows 7 and Windows 8 Consumer Preview shortly after the preview version of the OS was released a few days back. Earlier, we had covered skin packs for Windows 7, and more recently, Windows 8 as well, but as Mac OS X Mountain Lion gets ready to take on the computing world by storm, user and fans will have to wait it out. However, if you’re using Windows 7 or Windows 8 and want a taste of Mountain Lion’s aesthetics, this skin pack will do it for you in no time. The skin pack will automatically install a few 3rd party apps as well in order to mimic the Mountain Lion UI and experience. Screenshots and brief guide on how to install it, after the break. Read More

7 Quick Fix: Fix 108 Common Windows 7 Errors & Apply Tweaks

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If you have been using your copy of Windows since a long time, it must have retained a lot of junk from all the installed and uninstalled applications, downloaded zips, etc. Sometimes, viruses get into our system which mess with some settings, for instance, many viruses block the Windows Task Manager as the first step when they infect our machines. What some people do in this situation is simply reinstall their Windows. However, you cannot go about reinstalling Windows every time you encounter a problem. What you can do is select the Windows Repair option, but that, too, can be a bit risky, as it might erase something important. We have found a portable tool for you called 7 Quick Fix, that lets you fix 108 common Windows 7 errors and problems and has a lot of tweaks. The list includes tweaks for Task Manager, Registry Editor. Command Prompt, Folder Options, Control Panel, Display Properties, Context Menu, Taskbar Properties etc. Keep reading to find out more about 7 Quick Fix. Read More

Easily Tweak And Customize Your Windows 7 System With Sunrise Seven

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Most users want their Windows to be customized to their own liking and comfort, and they start changing options here and there soon after installing the OS to their system. Customizing your Windows, starting from your desktop icons and background to the way your queries are handled and files are displayed in Windows Explorer, are part of the customization process. Sometimes, however, it happens that you change a setting which causes an issue and when you go back to revert it back to normal mode, you cannot seem to remember where exactly the option was located. That is where tweaking tools come in. They provide you with a unified interface to access and change multiple default and added settings for Windows that allow you to quickly tweak your system according to your requirement. Sunrise Seven is one such application that is designed for Windows 7 and provides you with a long list of tweaks to change and manage from within the interface. Keep reading to find out more about Sunrise Seven. Read More

How To Share Windows 7 System Folders Across The Network

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Unlike previous versions of Windows, including Windows XP and Windows Vista, Windows 7 allows you to easily share files and folders over network without having to follow tedious process of setting up IP address on network PCs. The inclusion of network groups, such as Homegroup, Work and Public type of networks make is easy to share files with others on same network. In Windows 7, you can easily share files and folders over Network from right-click context menu, but what if you want to share system-wide locations like Programs Files, AppData and other core system folders with others? Since Windows 7 applies strict security policy over system folders, users on network can’t gain access to such folders when shared from a Windows 7 PC. In this post, we will guide you through the process of sharing system files and folders on a network, so that you can easily access them from other PCs on the network. Read More

RT Se7en Lite: Create Customizable Windows 7 Installation Disk/USB

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It can be difficult for common users to understand the complex process of creating an unattended installation disk (that requires for no manual interference during operating system installation), add custom wallpapers, themes, screensavers and other components to a Windows 7 disc. RT Se7en Lite is an application that simplifies the process of adding such features and creating an unattended installation disc/USB for Windows 7. Read on past the break for details on this useful little tool. Read More

A Comprehensive Tool For Tweaking Windows 7 Logon Screen

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One of the most beautiful features of Windows is customization. You can customize and change the look of everything you want according to your own preferences, and even when the native settings don't offer you customization options for something, third-party tools fill in the gap. Apart from Wallpapers or Icons, one element that most folks love to customize is the Windows logon screen. No one would want to gaze the same boring Windows 7 logon screen everytime they turn their PC on. Here at AddictiveTips, we also love customizing our Logon screens and we have covered some very effective Windows 7 logon screen editors, including Pulse that periodically changes the logon screen background, and Windows 7 Branding Changer to change the Windows 7 branding logo. Another logon screen customization utility that we stumbled upon is Windows 7 Logon Screen Tweaker, a portable tool that allows you to change the User Picture, Logon Screen Background, Logon Button Set, Default Logon Sound, Logon Text Branding etc. In addition, the application lets you remove certain items from the logon screen, including Easy of Access button, Logon Text Branding, Shutdown Button and add Custom Logon Screen Message. The application also has a built-in Default button to revert back any changes. Let's take an inside look to see if it stand out from our previously covered apps. Read More

Windows 7 App Launcher: Run Programs In One Go From Taskbar

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Ever wanted to launch multiple applications for performing routine tasks in one go, without having to manually create a batch script to invoke applications’ execuatables? Although the batch script file (.BAT) can be used to run multiple commands and applications, it’s a bit tiresome to manually add new applications to batch file and edit the existing applications’ paths. What you probably need is an application like Windows 7 App Launcher to effortlessly create application profiles, so they can be launched with a single click. It’s an app launcher that lets you add applications, shortcuts, files et., without going through the hassle of creating and editing the script. Since it has a GUI-based configuration console, all you need is to bring it up for adding new applications, changing the profile icons and editing the list of applications, files and shortcuts Read More

How To Transfer Files, Settings & User Profiles From Windows 7 To Windows 8 [Guide]

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Migrating applications, personalized system and application settings, and other important data from old PC to new PC isn’t only time consuming, but also a wearisome task, as one needs to make a list of all the installed applications, Windows components, User Profile folders, System settings including Personalization, Color Management, Fonts, Accessibility, Keyboard and Mouse settings etc., and then manually transfer the settings and data to new PC. In the past, we’ve covered numerous applications such as Backup Utility, Backup Folder Sync and DataGrab, which let users effortlessly backup User Profile folders without having to manually transfer Documents, Pictures, Music, AppData, Roaming and other important folders. Applications like Special Folders Manager not only makes it easy to create copy of Users profile folders, but also help restoring them at their original locations with a click, but what if you want to migrate entire system including Settings, Applications and data saved in local drives from old PC to new PC? Read More

Lion UX Pack Transforms Windows 7 To Mac OS X Lion User Interface

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Those of you who have been regularly following AddictiveTips, would know that we have covered a number of elegant skin packs for our readers in the past, including the Android , Windows Phone 7 Mango, iOS, Windows 8 and the Ubuntu Skin Pack. Most of these skin packs were developed by Hamed, and required following a simple setup wizard for getting the job done, instead of going through any complex theme patching methods. Recently, we cam across a Mac OS X Lion skin pack that was even easier to install than the previously reviewed Lion Skin Pack. The Lion UX Pack has been designed to instantly transform your Windows 7 system into a Mac OS X Lion style desktop. Read More