VTech Buzz - Technology, Gadget, Internet, Computer » Windows

[How To] Fix Windows 7 Boot Screen Changed to Vista Style

vtech — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:45:38 +0000

The new animated boot screen in Windows 7 is appealing as compared to green progress bar Windows Vista. However thing goes pretty erratic sometimes with regard to this boot screen. Sometimes it doesn't show animated items/balls come together to form Windows logo but instead it shows the old green progress bar (the old Vista styled boot screen). While I don't care much about this trivial thing, I believe, they are quite a lot of people that are upset with this issue.

It happens when a user tries to repair the boot loader or adds a new entry for Windows 7.

If you want to get rid of this problem, here is simple solution:

1. Click on Start button > All Programs > Accessories. Now right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run As Administrator". Alternatively you can also open Command Prompt by typing "cmd" in Start Menu Search box and press "Ctrl+Shift+Enter".

2. Type in the following code:

bcdedit /set {current} locale en-US

The above command is for English version of Windows, so if your Windows is using other languages, then change "en-US" accordingly.

3. You are almost done. Exit Command Prompt and restart your system. Now you should be able to see the new animated Windows 7 boot screen in action again.

[tags]windows 7 tips, how-to, tips, tricks, windows 7, windows 7 bootscreen, windows vista boot screen, tutorial, fix boot screen[/tags]

Download Windows 7 Theme for Vista

vtech — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:33:26 +0000

Windows 7 which was first demonstrated at Professional Developers Conference (PDC) 2008 last week, reveal some new visual revamps to its user interface like we can see at the start menu and the taskbar.

I like so much the subtle blue in Windows 7 wallpaper and if you have the same taste too, here is your chance for you to grab it and fit it into your Windows Vista. DJ Gx from DeviantArt has specially made a theme for Windows Vista that looks the same as the Windows 7 theme shown at PDC.

Download

[via]

[tags]Windows 7 Theme for vista, Windows Vista theme[/tags]

Windows 7 is Now Officially “Windows 7″

vtech — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:59:22 +0000

While Windows 7 hype is getting momentum, Microsoft recently confirmed the upcoming version of Windows that will be officially called as "Windows 7". Mike Nash, Corporate Vice President, Windows Product Management in a blog post at the Windows Vista Blog revealed that this is the first time ever a Windows release has been officially named after its codename.

…since we began development of the next version of the Windows client operating system we have been referring to it by a codename, “Windows 7.” But now is a good time to announce that we’ve decided to officially call the next version of Windows, “Windows 7…

There are going to be talking about the details of this release at the PDC and at WinHEC. Attendees of both shows will be given a pre-beta "developer only release" and the broad in-depth look at what Microsoft has been up to. This going to be an exciting moment for those who have the opportunity to try Windows 7 first hand. The attendees will probably have the chance to learn about Windows Clous OS too.

According to Mike, Microsoft selected ‘Windows 7? as its official name because of of its simplicity and the fact that it is the seventh release of Windows. For me the official name might create confusion to users who might be thinking they have missed Windows 1 through 6.

Here are some of the screenshots (confirmed) of Windows 7. Yeah, the interface is pretty much the same as Windows Vista but of course with several refinements and new added features. Enjoy the screenshot while waiting for the official release, hopefully in 2010.

[tags]Windows 7, Microsoft[/tags]

How to Disable Windows Sidebar in Windows Vista

vtech — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:46:48 +0000

I was quite impressed when I first saw the sidebar primarily due to the fact that it is a built in function in Vista with a lot of cool things that can be thrown into it though by default it only comes with a calendar, an analogue clock and pictures slide show. I gradually I realized I'm not the type of guy who love to decor his own desktop. Simplicity is all I care after all. If you find the sidebar is of no use, you can simply turn it off and remove it permanently.

1. First you need to right-click inside the sidebar area and click on "properties".

2. In the properties options, uncheck “Start Sidebar when Windows Starts” option. This will effectively disable the sidebar from loading when Windows starts afterwards.

3. Finally you need to right click on the sidebar and click on the "Close Sidebar" option.

You are done!

Yeah I know people can easily figure this out but for Vista newbies, they can easily be overwhelmed by a lot of new features in Vista. Anyway I hope you find this to be useful.

[tags]Windows Vista tips, turn off sidebar, disable sidebar[/tags]

Vista Services Optimizer: Tweak and Optimize Vista Services Safely

vtech — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:39:29 +0000

Though we have computers equipped with a high end processor and large memory inside that are capable of enduring heavy tasks, computer users are still concern on how to optimize their computer to the maximum. Smart computer users will always find the best way to make sure there is no unnecessary wastage of resources or any leakage that could render their computers less efficient. This is especially true when we are using Windows Vista which has lot of background services.

Vista Services Optimizer is a free utility specifically built to help users to tweak Vista services to get the best performances out of Vista. This freeware will effectively tweak Vista services by stopping and disabling unwanted services, thus resulting in reduced CPU usage and more space in the memory system.

Basically it has 3 major options:

1. Services test - Check how optimized your PC is based on your computer specifications.

2. Optimization - It can be done automatically or manually. Once the services test is conducted, the utility informs you which all components can be optimized.

Automatic mode - Less hassle in term of options. Select services being used on Vista and select start. Optimization is done based on your selection.

Manual mode - More options. It is equipped with Smart Rescue. Smart Rescue can restore all services and undo any changes made on Vista.

3. Services indexing - Listing down all services that can be safely turned off and hence better performance.

Vista Services Optimizer enables you to tweak Windows Vista services manually for advanced users who need more control over Windows services in an easy and safe way. Vista Services Optimizer can inspect your system performance and security status according to your current Windows services configurations and the way you use your computer, and give you report about the optimized and un optimized services.

Download Vista Services Optimizer

[tags]Windows Vista, Vista Services Optimizer, tweak Windows Vista, Tweak performance, freeware[/tags]