Windows 8.1

There are a couple of reasons why you would want to stop some programs from loading with Windows. Maybe Windows is booting very slowly and you want speed up the boot by disabling unnecessary startup programs; or maybe a recently installed application is automatically starting with Windows and showing annoying …

The SkyDrive service has been deeply integrated into the newest version of Windows operating system. Windows 8.1 lets you use SkyDrive as your default location to save documents, provides offline access to SkyDrive files, and allows you automatically upload photos and videos from your camera roll folder to SkyDrive account. …

The context menu, the menu that appears when you right-click on a file/folder or anywhere on the desktop or Windows Explorer (File Explorer) is one of the most used features of Windows. The context menu is usually accessed by clicking the right button on a mouse or by clicking the …

On both Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, Microsoft has set modern or universal apps as default for most file types. The Music app or Groove Music (on Windows 10) is the default music or media player. While the Groove Music app in Windows 10 is pretty good and it has …

Restore Point, a feature first introduced with Windows ME is one of the unique and best features of the Windows operating system to quickly restore system files to a previous state without making changes to saved data. Windows automatically creates one restore point every week and also creates restore point …

First introduced with Windows 7, Libraries feature lets you easily organize files and folders scattered across your hard drive(s) or network. The beauty of this feature is that it lets you quickly create new libraries, edit existing ones, and add files and folders to libraries without the need of additional …

The Start button on the Windows 8.1 taskbar lets you quickly switch to the Start screen when you perform a left-click on it, and reveals the power user menu when you right-click on it. It’s no secret that most Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users use the Windows logo key …

There are a couple of ways to transfer files from one computer to another. Transferring files using USB drives is one of the common and most popular methods since it doesn’t require configuring computer settings. While one can always share files between two PCs without a USB drive, you need …

Now-a-days, many of us use advanced backup tools such as Redo Backup, Macrium Reflect, and Acronis True Image. Almost every good backup software out there lets you create rescue media so that you can quickly restore a previously created backup image without booting into Windows. While it’s always a good …

Details pane, the small pane that shows file details when selected, is one of the many useful features introduced first with Windows Vista, and is part of Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 versions as well. In Vista and Windows 7, details pane appears across the bottom of Windows …

Microsoft has dropped Aero glass transparency, start button and start menu features from Windows 8 operating system. Even though according Microsoft, the recently released Windows 8.1 update is largely based on consumer feedback, it has only restored the Start button and users who would like to get other features have …

A couple of days ago Microsoft had said that both MSDN and TechNet subscribers would have to wait until October 17 to download the RTM copy of Windows 8.1 operating system. It turns out that after harsh criticism from MSDN and TechNet subscribers, Microsoft has finally changed its decision for …

Upgrading from Windows 8.1 Preview to Windows 8.1 RTM isn’t as hard as you might think. In fact, it’s fairly simple. Windows 8.1 Preview users who have an ISO copy of Windows 8.1 RTM can easily upgrade to Windows 8.1 RTM without having to create a bootable media. In this …

With Windows 8, Microsoft introduced a new way of signing-into Windows. In addition to the local account, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 let you sign-in using a Microsoft account. That is, you can use your Outlook.com, Hotmail, MSN, or Live email ID to sign-in to Windows. The advantage of signing-in …

One of the annoying features of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 is that when you close a modern app (app installed from the Store), Windows takes you to the Start screen. That is, when you close an app in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, Start screen appears so that you …

Start button on the taskbar is one of the first things that you notice after upgrading Windows 8 to Windows 8.1. Unlike Windows 7, Vista or XP, the Start button on Windows 8.1 taskbar takes you to the Start screen, the Start menu replacement introduced with Windows 8 operating system. …

Microsoft has restored the Start button with Windows 8.1 update. While the Start button in Windows 8.1 takes you to the Start screen instead of Start menu and the new Start button isn’t what users were looking for, nevertheless it greatly enhances the look of the taskbar and desktop. A …

Even before the release of Windows 8.1 Preview to the public, Microsoft had announced that Windows 8.1 Preview users wouldn’t be able to migrate desktop programs and apps downloaded from the Store to Windows 8.1 RTM. Now that Windows 8.1 RTM is released, many users who have downloaded Windows 8.1 …

Automatic brightness or adaptive brightness is one of the features introduced with Windows 8 to automatically adjust the screen brightness in real time on computers that ship with ambient light sensor. In simple words, this feature automatically updates the display brightness as ambient light changes. Even though this is a …

SkyDrive has been deeply integrated into Windows 8.1. Users who have chosen to sign-into Windows 8.1 using Microsoft account can sync PC settings across all devices using SkyDrive. In Windows 8.1, you don’t even need to install a dedicated SkyDrive desktop client, as you can manage your SkyDrive right from …

In Windows XP, we could change the folder background colour without having to install third-party tools. In Vista and Windows 7, one could set a custom picture as folder background with the help of third-party tools such as Folder Background Changer. A quick search on the web reveals that there …

Microsoft has introduced a host of new features with Windows 8.1 update. There are well over 50 cool features in the latest version of Windows operating system. One of them is automatic app updates, a feature that will help users who have installed hundreds of apps from the Store. Unlike …

In Windows 8.1, Microsoft has made a couple of changes to the Start screen, the Start menu replacement introduced first with Windows 8. Microsoft has introduced a new Apps view in Windows 8.1 which displays all installed apps and desktop programs. But with default settings, when you press the Windows …

It’s a well known fact that Microsoft has removed tens of handy features from Windows 8 operating system. Start menu, Explorer toolbar (command bar), DVD playback, desktop gadgets, Aero glass transparency, Windows classic theme, and advanced appearance settings are some of the features missing from Windows 8 and Windows 8.1. …

After installing a fresh copy of Windows 10/8 or installing a new hard drive, you might want to change the drive letter of a partition or CD/DVD drive. For instance, if you have named a drive as Office Documents to save all your work related documents, then you might want …

Start screen, the Start menu replacement introduced with Windows 8, is one of the most talked about features of Windows 8 operating system. The Start screen has been enhanced in Windows 8.1 by adding support for new tile sizes and more customization options such as the ability to set desktop …

As we all know, Command Prompt in Windows OS is used to launch programs, change various Windows settings, and enable or disable some Windows features. An elevated Command Prompt or Command Prompt with administrator rights is necessary to execute certain commands in Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 …

There are a couple of reasons why you would want to create Windows 8.1 bootable USB flash drive on your Mac. Maybe you’ve decided to install Windows 8.1 on Mac without Boot Camp; or maybe your PC is unbootable and you want to prepare a bootable USB using the ISO …

Mac users have a couple of options when it comes to installing and running Windows 10 on Mac. One can install Windows on Mac with the help of the built-in Boot Camp Assistant software offered in macOS, use virtualization software like VirtualBox to install Windows inside Mac, or manually create …

PC users who have upgraded to Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 have been complaining about the lack of Start menu, Explorer toolbar, and Aero glass theme (visual style) ever since the release of Windows 8. Microsoft has restored only the Start button in Windows 8.1 update, and end users who …

Back in 2009, soon after the public release of Windows 7 RTM, Microsoft released Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool so that users who download Windows 7 ISO image file from Microsoft Store can easily create a bootable USB or bootable DVD using Windows ISO file. Even though Microsoft hasn’t updated …

This past Sunday, while transferring a couple of files from my friend’s PC to my USB flash drive, I got an error saying that The file Ubuntu.vdi is too large for the destination file system. My USB flash drive’s capacity is 16GB (actual capacity is 14.9 GB) and the size …

As with the case of Windows 8, its successor Windows 8.1 also lets you customize the background color of the logon screen, the screen that appears right after the lock screen and displays your user account name, picture, and shut down options. While one can always change the default color …

While one can easily pin a folder to the Start screen in Windows 8.1 by right-clicking on a folder and then selecting Pin to Start option, Windows 8.1 doesn’t let you pin folders to the taskbar with default settings. Only programs and application shortcuts can be pinned to the taskbar …

The Start screen in Windows 8.1 has been enhanced with a couple of new features. The Start screen in the newest version of Windows comes with new tile sizes, lets you set desktop wallpaper as Start screen background picture, allows you uninstall multiple apps at once, and more. Just like …

A couple of weeks ago, we introduced you to a new tool called ColorSync that lets you automatically set Start screen background color as window border and taskbar color in Windows 8.1. The good news is that the developer of this tool has updated the tool and it now can …

The recently released Windows 8.1 operating system not only ships with new features but also addresses some of the announces of Windows 8 operating system. The ability to skip the Start screen and boot directly to the desktop, the Start button, and better Start screen personalization options are some of …

SkyDrive has been deeply integrated into Windows 8.1 operating system. Windows 8.1 lets you access and browse SkyDrive files right from Windows Explorer, allows you automatically upload camera roll to your SkyDrive account, and also sync your desktop wallpaper and other settings across your Windows 8.1 machines. But in order …

Microsoft has released Windows 8.1 RTM to the public and is available as a free update to existing Windows 8 users. While Windows 7, Vista, and XP users have to purchase Windows 8.1 in order to upgrade to newest version of Windows, Windows 8 users are eligible for the free …

This past weekend, I assisted one of my friends in upgrading Windows 7 installation to the recently released Windows 8.1 version. The upgrade was smooth, even though the operation doesn’t keep installed programs and one needs to install all programs all over again after completing the upgrade. After upgrading to …

Windows XP, a version of the Windows operating system that is going strong thirteen years after its 2001 release, came with a handy feature to repair the corrupted Windows installation. If you ever installed or reinstalled Windows XP operating system, you probably remember the option titled Repair Windows installation that …

It’s been close to a month since Microsoft released Windows 8.1 RTM update to the public. Microsoft’s newest version of Windows operating system, which includes over 50 new exciting features, is an attempt to improve the previously released Windows 8 version and is available as a free upgrade to all …

We already know it’s possible to change the Windows 8.1 boot screen logo that appears just before the lock screen when you turn on the PC. The method, slightly complicated though, involves editing or replacing the original system files, and require you download a couple of tools to extract system …

In our previous post, we let you know about the release of 8oot Logo Changer, a free tool designed to help you change the original boot screen logo of Windows 8.1 with a custom picture. Even though replacing the default boot logo using this tool is relatively easier, first time …

Unlike Windows 7 and previous versions of Windows operating system, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 let you sync your personal settings and preferences across your Windows 8/8.1 PCs. In order to enable the feature and sync your settings, you need to sign in with a Microsoft account, though. The problem …

The Start screen, first introduced with Windows 8 has been enhanced with Windows 8.1 update. The Start menu replacement now supports more tile sizes, lets you uninstall multiple apps at once, and also allows you set desktop background picture as Start screen background image. By now, everyone who cares would …

Animated desktop background concept was probably first introduced with Windows Vista operating system. DreamScene, one of the extras released for the Ultimate edition of Vista, let users set a video file as desktop background. Even though Microsoft dropped this excellent feature from Windows 7, there are plenty of tools out …

Solid State Drives (SSDs) are not only faster than traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) but also last longer. While many new PCs that are available in the market today come with SSDs, most of the PCs that have been purchased in the past couple of years can also be upgraded …

The developer behind WinReducer 8 has recently updated the program and it now officially supports the recently released Windows 8.1. For those who aren’t familiar with WinReducer, it’s a free software designed to help you customize Windows 8.1 setup ISO by integrating drivers, software, updates, new themes, and tweaks. Users …

About two years ago, when Windows 8 Consumer Preview was released to the public, a Windows enthusiast had released a free tool called My WCP Charms Bar Customizer to fully customize the newly introduced Charms bar. The tool let users change the default search, share, devices, settings, and Windows logo …

The Start screen, Start menu replacement introduced with Windows 8, has been enhanced in many ways in the recently released Windows 8.1 update. In addition to new tile sizes, Bing search, personalization options, the Start screen in Windows 8.1 doesn’t get cluttered, as Windows 8.1 doesn’t automatically pin all installed …

Windows 8/8.1 isn’t just about Start screen, apps store, and lock screen. The super-fast boot process is one of the first things that you notice when you install or upgrade to Windows 8/8.1. Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 boot significantly faster when compared to Windows 7 and previous versions of …

Windows RT 8/8.1 is an ARM specific variant of Windows 8/8.1 designed especially for tablets and mobile devices that use ARM processors. Unlike Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1 is only available pre-installed on select tablets and PCs, and doesn’t support applications tailored for x86 and x64 systems. Even though Windows …

It’s a well-known fact that Microsoft has dropped the GUI version Windows Experience Index (WEI) from its latest Windows 8.1 operating system. Windows Experience Index, a feature first introduced with Windows Vista, evaluates and then rates your PC’s hardware. As some of you may know, even though the GUI version …

In our previous post, we let you know about the release of WinSetupFromUSB v.1.1, the free software that enables you prepare multi-boot USB drive with a few mouse clicks. Even though the interface is very simple and straight-forward, first time users may need a little help in preparing multi-boot USB …

It’s been about two and half months since Microsoft released the final (RTM) version of Windows 8.1 to the public. Windows 8.1 update is absolutely free for existing Windows 8 users but users who’re running Windows 7 and previous versions need to buy Windows 8.1. Users who are currently running …

The updated PC settings, the modern UI Control Panel designed especially for touch devices, in Windows 8.1 includes settings for lock screen, SkyDrive, sync, share, search, user accounts, network, recovery and device settings. With default settings, one can launch PC settings by clicking Settings on the Charms bar and then …

There could be a number of reasons why one would want to remotely access a PC or Mac from an iPhone. Maybe, you want to access a presentation file from office that you had prepared on your PC or Mac at home; or maybe you want to quickly view the …

The updated Start screen in Windows 8.1 can be customized in many ways with and without the help of third-party software. Even though Windows 8.1 doesn’t automatically add shortcuts of installed programs to the Start screen by default, you can pin your favourite programs and apps to the Start screen, …

A number of free and paid software have been released ever since the preview release of Windows 8.1 update. In this guide, we have compiled a list of 15 free tools that help you tweak and customize the default look and feel of Windows 8.1 operating system. In no particular …

To all PC users who are running Windows 8.1 Preview; the Preview version of Windows 8.1 expires today, January 15th 2014. The preview release of Windows 8.1 was released on June 26th, 2013 with over 50 new features, including Start button, new tile sizes, slide to shut down, and more. …

One of the best things about Windows operating system, unlike other computer operating systems, is that there are plenty of free tools out there to tweak, customize, and fine-tune the operating system. Earlier this week, we posted about the 15 free tools tweak and customize Windows 8.1 version. When it …

Ever since the first public preview release of Windows 8 back in 2011, we have been reviewing programs that help you customize look and feel of operating system and Start screen. We have already covered over 15 free tools to customize Windows 8/8.1 UI, including 6 tools to customize the …

Just like the Start menu in previous versions of Windows operating system, the Start screen in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 plays an important role. One has to switch to the Start screen (unless you have configured it to open within desktop) in order to launch apps, search for files …

Without a doubt, Start screen is one of the most talked about and criticized areas of Windows 8 operating system. Even though Microsoft tried to enhance the Start screen with more customization options and even an option to boot directly to the desktop by skipping the Start screen, majority of …

At BUILD 2014, Microsoft officially revealed Windows 8.1 Update features and has released the Update to MSDN and TechNet. That is, MSDN and TechNet subscribers can now officially download the first major update to Windows 8.1. Microsoft has also announced that it would bring back the Start menu to Windows …

At BUILD 2014, Microsoft officially unveiled Windows 8.1 Update and announced that the Update will be rolled out to Windows 8.1 users on April 8th. As you might know, Windows 8.1 Update has been made available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers and users with one of these subscriptions can download …

With Windows 8.1 Update 1, Microsoft is trying to address the mistakes that it had committed while developing Windows 8. Even though, Microsoft hasn’t re-introduced the Start menu with Windows 8.1 Update and will bring back the same with in a future update later this year, the newly released major …

Less than a week ago, Microsoft officially announced and released the widely leaked Windows 8.1 Update at its annual BUILD conference. The Windows 8.1 Update (also known as Windows 8.1 Update 1) is completely free and adds a couple of features to Windows 8.1. Windows 8.1 Update is Microsoft’s attempt …

In the first week of April, at its annual developer conference, BUILD, Microsoft officially announced the wildly leaked Windows 8.1 Update, a free update for Windows 8.1 to make it more keyboard and mouse friendly. During the event, the Windows 8.1 Update was made available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. …

The day has finally come! Millions of PC users who’re eagerly waiting to upgrade their Windows 8.1 systems to Windows 8.1 Update can now update to the newest version of Windows operating system via Windows Update. The first major update to Windows 8.1 can also be downloaded using these Windows …

As promised earlier last week, Microsoft has released the first major Update to Windows 8.1 and is now available via Windows Update. PC users who’re running Windows 8.1 should now be able to see and install this mandatory update for Windows 8.1. One can also download Windows 8.1 ISO file …

Windows 8.1, which was officially released back in October 2013, has received a major update in the form of Windows 8.1 Update. Windows 8.1 Update has just been released via Windows Update service and is a mandatory update to all PCs running Windows 8.1. Windows 8.1 Update makes using Windows …

Earlier this week, Microsoft officially released Windows 8.1 Update to public. In addition to performance enhancements, this update makes Windows Store apps much easier to use for mouse and keyboard users. Other than that, shut down and search button now appear on the Start screen. Those of you have installed …

Windows 8.1 Update has finally been released via Windows Update to all existing Windows 8.1 users and is a mandatory update. PC users who’re running Windows 8.1 can now get the major Update either via Windows Update or by manually downloading the same. As you likely know, this is a …