If you regularly use Windows Explorer, it is advantageous to be able to start any application from the Explorer Window. Most users are familiar with how to add folders to Windows Explorer, but when you try to drag an application to the list, an error message is displayed stating that the application cannot be added. [...]

Categories: Tutorials Basic, Windows

The Windows operating system displays the Open With dialog when a user clicks on a file that has an unregistered file extension. The Open With dialog in theory should display programs installed on the system that might be able to open the file on the computer. It also includes a browse option to pick a [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

Microsoft is currently pushing out new announcements like crazy on the Building Windows 8 blog. We for instance know that the company will improve file management features like copying in the new operating system. Today another major change was revealed in a very detailed post on the blog. Windows Explorer will receive a complete redesign [...]

Categories: Microsoft, Windows

Some applications that you install add entries to the context menu. This is usually true for programs that interact with files, like the 7-zip archiving software, a text editor like Notepad or software to play media. The usability issue here is the following: It is sometimes not possible to accept or decline the program’s integration [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

When you compare the Windows XP operating system to Vista or Windows 7, you will notice that Microsoft has changed, altered or removed features in the newer operating system. From a new start menu to a new Windows Explorer layout, new copy user interface or the new Internet Explorer 9 that looks and feels slightly [...]

Categories: Open Source, Software, Windows

Windows users have several file display modes at their disposal in Windows Explorer. This ranges from several list view modes to icon view modes. Several popular image formats are supported by Windows Explorer, which has the effect that they will show up as thumbnail images in Windows Explorer. Some users may prefer to disable the [...]

Categories: Tutorials Basic, Windows

When you copy or move files in Windows Explorer, you may sometimes experience an error message that a file cannot be copied or moved because it is still in use. Instead of remembering all the files that cannot be moved at the time, or at least providing a log with those information, Windows Explorer does [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

Most Windows users know that they can display thumbnails of a few popular image formats right in Windows Explorer. Supported are previews of popular image formats such as jpg or png. Sometimes though, even that support is not working properly. I see no thumbnail previews at all on my 64-bit copy of Windows 7 for [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

Mouse gestures are an alternative input method. They are probably best know from web browsers like Opera where they have been available for a very long time. Mouse gestures work by linking the gestures to commands that are executed on the system. Probably the biggest advantage over conventional input methods is the ability to run [...]

Categories: Software, Windows