When I was working in IT I sometimes dealt with support requests that involved the caps lock key. Users were complaining that they could not enter their password, or that they locked their account even though they were sure that they had entered the right password, or that their username was displayed in upper case [...]

Categories: Tutorials Basic

Windows accumulates context menu items any time you install several applications. Not all applications end up on the context menu but enough do so over time that the menu can become cluttered. You might find yourself wondering, “How did that get there?” You may not want it on the context menu, but it is there [...]

Categories: Tutorials Basic, Windows

The Windows operating system saves the information that you enter into the run box. Run box? The handy program starter that you can launch with the keyboard shortcut Windows-r. The log is limited to 26 entries, at which point the first entry that got saved into the list is removed from it, which is called [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

You have probably seen the following scenario in multiple thriller and spy movies; A spy connects an USB stick to a computer to copy data from the computer to the device. Movies do not necessarily reflect reality but there is some truth to this scenario after all. It is indeed possible to connect an USB [...]

Categories: Tutorials Basic, Windows

Most Windows users make use of the built-in Registry editor when they need to change settings in it. The Registry editor does have a few shortcomings that only become obvious on second glance. Users who just use it to change a single key that they know the path of won’t see those, administrators and tech [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

Hiding a hard drive or partition in Windows can be an effective way of preventing access to the drive’s contents. The method is not foolproof though, and users with enough time on their hand will eventually find a way to access the contents of the drive, for instance by booting from a Live CD. Still, [...]

Categories: Tutorials Basic, Windows

Did you know that the Windows Registry is loaded during the start of the Windows operating system? That its size has a direct impact on the startup time of the operating system? Optimizing the Windows Registry, which often is referred to as defragmenting it, is an option to reduce the size of the system file [...]

Categories: Software, Windows

Delays during software installations in Windows are something that many Windows users experience from time to time. One of the most common causes is the spawning of an installation window in the background, especially if it is waiting for user input. Installations won’t commence until the user interacts with that window, which is bad if [...]

Categories: Tutorials Basic, Windows

Safe Mode in Windows loads the operating system in a limited state, which can be helpful for troubleshooting and correcting PC issues. Many of the standard services and features of the Windows operating system are not available in safe mode, including the Windows Installer Service. It is not possible to uninstall software in Safe Mode [...]

Categories: Software, Windows