The Best Features Of Windows 10

Windows 10 Features

The Windows 10 OS is now available as a Technical Preview build for the users of the Windows Insider program. This build gives users a preview on how the OS would feel like once it is released to the public in April 2015. The users also get to take part in the development process of the OS by providing apt feedback and suggestions while using the Technical Preview build. New build releases are released as over the air updates every now and then. Windows 10 really looks promising, and some of the interesting features that you can expect are listed below.

Cortana

The popular personal assistant that was first introduced in Windows mobile is now coming to the Windows 10 OS. Cortana is similar to the Siri app of Apple, which provides a personalized experience while providing help working with the various features in the OS. Cortana primarily boasts of powerful search and reminder capabilities, which we have already seen in Windows mobiles. Microsoft says "you’ll see Cortana as never before" as the app will be used as the primary search app for all of the Windows platform users, both mobile and desktop. Moreover, unlike the mechanical tone of the Siri and Google Now apps, Cortana flaunts natural and conversational tones now.

Design and Interface

Much attention has been given on the interface part this time around. This extra caution can be attributed to the disastrous stride that Windows 8 series of operating systems took. The company has promised the return of the traditional Start menu, which kind of faded away or became molded into other things in the Windows 8 series. In the latest demonstrations, we could see new and modern style icons all around the OS. The Windows have flattened, and it really does feel like an all new OS, much more than an upgrade.

Project Spartan

Windows 10 Upgrade

Microsoft has been working hard to develop an all-new browser for some time. In addition, the news regarding the Project Spartan is out now. Project Spartan is expected to be the default web browser in Windows 10. However, it is not clear yet whether this will mark the death of the age-old Internet Explorer web browser. In Spartan, there are new features for touch and annotation purposes. Just circle your fingers around something and the text will be highlighted.

Critics and analysts are of the opinion that the upcoming OS is indeed going to be a hit. Once it is released, it is only up to the users to decide what the company's future would be. 

Word 2013 Boasts Exciting New Features

Microsoft Word Help

Word is an application included in Microsoft Office suite. It is used all across the globe for word processing needs. MS Word is compatible with most of the operating systems available today. It is stuffed with several options and features which you can use for improving the outcome.

The latest version of Word is the quite impressive because of the new features in it. Word 2013 is touch screen friendly and comes with several new features for document creation, editing, collaboration, reading, etc. Here are some of the new features of MS Word 2013.

New Looks

When you launch Word 2013 for the first time, the first thing you notice would be its new look. Yes, Word 2013 looks great with its touch

screen friendly user interface. When the application is launched, a startup screen will appear instead of the blank page you used to see in the older versions. Going to the left side of the screen, you would find a list of recently completed or edited files. The right side of the pane contains the templates that you can choose from. This includes flayer, blog post, etc.

Advanced Help Options

Word 2013 comes with advanced help options. There is a 24-hour active Microsoft Word help line, which you can contact at any time and get the issues fixed. Besides that, there is Microsoft Word support forum where you can raise your issues or doubts and get solutions from expert.

Design Tab

Word 2013 comes with a new design tab. Using this tab, you can choose themes, colors, fonts, etc., as you wish. Another good side of the design tab is that it has simplified word formatting.

Layout Options

Microsoft Word Support Desk

Lining up objects and images in Word 2013 is easier due to the integration of the new Alignment Guides. The illustrated guide takes you through the steps of aligning or including SmartArt illustration, chart, image, etc., in your document.

Word 2013 is the finest of all the MS Word versions available at the moment. It may take a while for one to get started with using Word 2013. However, it is worth the effort. Contact Microsoft Word support desk or visit Word support forums to find more details like how to use this version, how to troubleshoot Word issues etc. Get started with using Word 2013 today itself.

Google Search Tips !

You can make your search more efficient by learning some search basics !

Try these tips :
1. Use Of '+' sign : This ensures that the results returned to you will defiantly consist of the word following the '+' sign. For Eg :
Search: reviews of +iPhone and iPod
This will show results containing the word reviews or but the results will definatly consist of iPhone !

2. Use Of '-' sign :
Using '-' sign before any word will ensure that the particular word will not be included in the results !
3. Use Of '~' sign :
Using '~' before any word will return the results also containing the synonyms of the word !

4. Search a particular site :
To search a particular website you can use the following syntax in the google search :
Search: site:www.xyz.com abc
For Eg :
Search: site:http://pcremix.blogspot.com/ Google Search Tips

5. Define a word :
To get the definition of a word just use :
Search: define:abc
For Eg : Search: define:Computer
This will return you results which define 'Computer'.

6. Find Pages similar to a page :
To find a page similar i.e. consisting of same type of content, use the following syntax :
Search: related:http://www.xyz.com/

7. Search for exact phrase :
To search a set of words exactly together i.e.
For Eg :
Search: "contact us"
This will return the results containing both contact and together !

8. Using the wild card '*' :
The * sign can be used in places where the whole word is not known.
For Eg:
Search: friend*
This will return the results containing friend , friends , friendship.

9. Using the '?' sign :
This is used when the full spelling of the word is not known.
For Eg:
Search: fri??d
This will result that in the results in which any alphabet can take the place of '?' sign.

10. Use of boolean operators :
The boolean operators like AND,OR,NOT can be used in search box to connect the words !
The search engine understands them as what they mean but the must be in capital letters !
For Eg:
Search: swim OR float
This will return the results containing either swim or float !

Windows 10 will be Free for Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 Users

Update: After clarification from Microsoft, it is clear that Pirated Users won’t get the free upgrade.

The world is eagerly waiting for the complete official release of Windows 10. While at first, only licensed users were excited for it but, now even pirated users have something good to wait for. According to Terry Myerson, Microsoft’s Windows chief, the upgraded version of Windows can be used by all genuine and non-genuine users. This means if you are using pirated version of Windows 7 and Windows 8, you can still upgrade to Windows 10. This amazing announcement was made at the WInHEC conference in Shenzhen, China.

The announcement came as a surprise as earlier Microsoft said that PCs running on Windows 7/8.1 will get free upgrades to Windows 10 for the first year but only after the product is released. This decision has surely left many answered questions. One of the biggest question is that whether the pirated users will get the update like the licensed user or he will have to wait for a year. It is confirmed that this plan to allow free upgrades for pirated users applies to all over the world and is not just limited to China.

Although, it should be noted that Microsoft has a long history with software piracy. Windows XP was the first ever operating system which needed license key for verification. However, this concept was soon defeated by using corporate license key which was shared on the internet. Microsoft has tried its best to stop piracy but whenever the company comes up with a new way to stop it, pirates find another way to bypass it. The most shocking thing is that many new machines comes with a pirated software and the customer don’t have any slight idea that he is actually using an illegal copy.

The company has still not declared any exact date for the release of Windows 10 as even this time they announced that, Windows 10 will be launched in 190 countries and 111 languages around the world this summer. Now, this is interesting as in the Northern part of the world, summer ends on September 21. And, according to this new announcement, the company has only six months to deliver it as free upgrade to millions of users.

There is no doubt in the fact that this is a great news for all the users who enjoy the pirated version of Windows. However, the bigger question which remains unanswered is that, whether Windows is actually trying to stop piracy or promote piracy. Nothing can be said until and unless, the software gets released. Till then we can only say that it seems like Microsoft has finally accepted that it is unable to curb piracy. Now, may be it is some kind of plan or strategy by the company but for pirated users, there cannot be a better news than this.

3 Tricks to Make Your Windows 10 Copy Run Faster

Microsoft has not yet released Windows 10 officially, but a Technical Preview is already out and not much is expected to change in terms of functionality even in final version. So until Microsoft releases the final version, why not we exercise some speed-boosting tricks on this preview so we can make our Windows 10 copies run to their true potential from Day #1. In this article we’ll try some of those tricks.

Disable Useless Animations, Graphics and Shadows

Like most other versions of Windows, Microsoft has loaded plenty of eye-candy in this version too. Disabling some of it will definitely make Windows 10 copy run faster. Given below are the steps that you can follow to do so:

• In this window click on Advanced tab.

• Hit Win+R on your keyboard, type sysdm.cpl in that dialog box and hitEnter. This will launch the System Properties window before you.

• Under this tab there’ll be settings buttons for 3 different groups. Click on the first button under Performance group.

• Now uncheck all the checkboxes highlighted by the yellow color in the screenshot given below and hit OK button to save your changes.

Once you save these changes, actions associated with them will execute almost instantly without waiting for the completion of that eye-candy animation.

Disable Useless Services

Now let’s disable some useless services that run all the time sucking valuable system resources and thus make Windows run a bit slower than its true potential. There’re several services that’re not too important and can be disabled to boost system performance. For example:

Distributed Link Tracking Client

This service is for computers that’re part of a network, which is found mainly in organizations or colleges. If your computer isn’t part of any network, which is true for most PC users, then you can disable it to make your system run faster.

Print Spooler

This service is used if you’ve a printer. If you don’t have any printer, don’t give it a damn!

IP Helper and Offline Files

Just like first service in our list, if your computer isn’t part of any network then these service are of no use to you.

Remote Registry

This function allows any user to remotely modify your computer’s Windows Registry – only if that person has a user account with Administrator rights! Why would you give them to someone else? So why not disable this service permanently?

To disable any of these services follow the steps given below:

1. Hit Win+R on your keyboard, type compmgmt.msc  and hit Enter.
2. A Computer Management window will open up now. In the hierarchy given on left side of this window click on Service and Applications link to expand it, and then click on Services.
3. This will show you a list of all the services that’re running. Right-click on every service that you don’t want to be running and click on Stop.
4. Now if you want to disable that service permanently, right-click it once again, click on Properties and select “Disabled” from Startup type menu.

That’s it for useless Services!

Disable Useless Startup Programs

Finally, disable some useless startup programs that start with Windows. This will make your computer boot faster. Follow the steps outlined below:

Best Face Recognition Software to Unlock/ Login Windows 8

Protecting the Windows 8 with a password can become a tad bit boring at times.  Every time you log on to your PC or any other device with a Windows 8 OS, you need to type in your password in order to get access to the same. Monotonous, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be brilliant if some other kind of protection was available for your Windows 8 devices? What if I tell you that you can actually password protect your Windows 8 device with the help of face recognition? Pretty intriguing, right? Yes! It is now possible to lock your Windows 8 device with the help of face recognition with the help of a few software which are easily available online in both paid and free versions depending upon the kind of protection you want.

These software are easy to download and install. This article deals with three of the best face recognition software to unlock Windows 8.

1. KeyLemon

Of all the various kinds of face recognition software to unlock Windows 8 that we have tested, this is by far the best. Developed by the KeyLemon company which is based in Silicon Valley with its headquarters in Switzerland, the software is available for use in both paid as well as the free version. According to the level of protection you desire for your Windows 8 device, you can choose, download and install the software in a pretty simple way.

After installation, all you need to do is get a license and KeyLemon is ready to use. It comes packed with multiple features which allow you to capture your image in various lighting conditions and with the accessory of your choice for the purpose of recognition. It also allows you to capture and save the images of those who try to access your Windows 8 device without your permission. It also aids in locking your device, the moment you step away from it. The software is also available in multilingual packs.

2. Rohos Face Logon

While typing in our password, it may so happen that we don’t take heed of our surroundings and which results in the leakage of our password and unnecessary access to our device by unwanted individuals. But, you don’t have to worry anymore. With Rohos Face Logon you now can stop these trespassers. Once you have downloaded and licensed Rohos, all you need to do is customize it according to your preferences and your device is completely protected.

It allows in super fast and easy access to the computer with the aid of the web cam and also allows the use of the USB as a key which can be used to unlock your Windows 8 device. One of the best features of this software is the fact that it allows registration of multiple users. It also deletes any poor images and storing the best quality ones. Along with negating the face recognition failure, it also allows you to hide the face recognition screen.

3. BananaScreen

Last but not the least; BananaScreen is another face recognition software which is perfect for protecting your Windows 8 device. The most interesting fact about the software is the speed with which it allows the locking and unlocking of the device on which it is installed. Easy to download and install, BananaScreen is super efficient in preventing all the trespassers from coming close to your contents. All you need to do is download, install and plug in your webcam and register the faces which will be granted access to the computer and the software is ready to use.

Although only in its beta version, the software is quite promising and ever developing and we surely hope that once fully launched it will be a surprise to all of us. You can set your preferred configuration in order to customize the software so that it can lock and protect your device when required.

We hope that these software were interesting enough to bring a change to the regular password protected design that you usually use. The face recognition software to unlock Windows 8 are fun to use and at the same time provides ample protection to your device.

Error 1068 Windows 7 Fix

The Error 1068 in Windows 7 may appear while enabling the Windows Firewall protection, starting the Print Spooler service or while starting the Internet Connection Sharing wizard. The error description shall be "The dependency service or group failed to start".

I am going to share few tricks with you that have helped various users. You too perform these tricks in order to solve the said error:

1. Start Dependent Services for Windows Firewall
2. Start Dependent Services for the Print Spooler Service
3. Fix Registry and Clear Web Browser Cache
4. Start Dependent Services for Internet Connection Sharing

Start Dependent Services for Windows Firewall

In order to enable the Windows Firewall, two services namely Network Connections and Windows Management Instrument must be running. If the Error 1068 in Windows 7 is appearing while turning on the Firewall, then these two services might be stopped, and need to be re-started.

1. Click Start button on the Taskbar.
2. Type Services.msc in the Search box, and press ENTER.
3. Configure Network Connections service:
a. Right click the Network Connections service, and select Properties.
b. In the General tab, select the Startup type to Manual.
c. Click OK button.
d. Right click this service, and select Start option.
4. Configure Windows Management Instrument service:
a. Right click the Windows Management Instrument service, and select Properties.
b. In the General tab, select the Startup type to Automatic.
c. Click OK button.
d. Right click this service, and select Start option.
5. Close Services window.
6. Now, try enabling the Windows Firewall again. The error may not persist again.

Start Dependent Services for the Print Spooler Service

The Error 1068 in Windows 7 may occur while starting the Print Spooler Service. Spooling service facilitates transferring the data by placing it in a temporary working area where another program may access it for processing at a later point in time.

Using Command Prompt

1. Click Start | All Programs | Accessories.
2. Right click Command Prompt, and select Run as Administrator. Type the administrator password, if prompted.
3. Type the following command: CMD /K SC CONFIG SPOOLER DEPEND= RPCSS
4. Press ENTER.
5. Close Command Prompt.

Using Windows Registry Editor

1. Click Start button on the Taskbar.
2. Type RegEdit, and press ENTER.
3. Navigate the following registry path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrrentControlSet\Services\Spooler
4. Double click the string called DependOnService.
5. Replace its existing value with RPCSS, and press ENTER.
6. Close Registry Editor.

Now, try re-enabling the Print Spooler service. It should not display the error again.

Fix Registry and Clear Web Browser Cache

You need to use a registry/system cleaner to fix the problems in your registry. For cleaning the web browser cache, you require the same software.

Misleading information in the registry, especially in network or print spooling related paths, may result in Error 1068 in Windows 7. So, fix the system registry using a registry/system cleaner.

Start Dependent Services for Internet Connection Sharing

Starting the eight services listed below may help resolving the Error 1068 in Windows 7.

1. Click Start button on the Taskbar.
2. Type MsConfig, and press ENTER.
3. Click Services tab.
4. Ensure the following services are checked for running at the Windows startup:
a. Application Layer Gateway Service
b. Network Connections
c. Network Locations Awareness (NLA)
d. Plug and Play
e. Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
f. Remote Access Connection Manager
g. Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
h. Telephony
5. Mark the above services as checked.
6. Click Apply | OK.
7. Restart the computer for the changes to take effects.

How to use Keyword Search in firefox and chrome or How to search any bitcoin address hash through address bar

If you want to access search feature of any website just through your address bar using " Search by Keyword " feature Just follow the Following Steps.

Go to the webpage on the site where the search box is visible. Right Click on Search box and Select " Add a keyword for this search.. "

 

Fill in the bookmark creation dialog box with an appropriate bookmark name and keyword. Try to keep the keyword easy and short.

3rd: Now you can just go to address bar [ctrl+l or F6] type in your bookmark keyword followed by Space then  search string  

  Hit ENTER and you will get all the necessary required details.

How to Change Mouse Pointer Size and Color in Windows 10

With the release of Windows 10 coming near everyday, new features and tutorials to do new stuff on the young operating system from Microsoft are coming up. We have already covered many other Windows 10 and older tutorials that might help you in many ways and you can check them out here. In this post I will be walking you through a tutorial that will tell you how to change the mouse pointer size and color in Windows 10.

Without any further ado, let’s start.

The mouse pointer is the most used part of the Windows operating system. Since the start of the Windows setup to actual day to day usage. There are many pointers provided in the Windows OS already but you can also change the pointer size and color that many people don’t know how. We have written a tutorial that will help you do this in Windows 10.

Change Mouse Pointer Size and Color in Windows 10

Follow the steps one by one and don’t skip any step to properly change the pointer color and size.

• Launch the new Modern UI Settings app and look for an option named Ease of Access.
• Click Ease of Access and this should open a new window with different options.

• Now you will see a bunch of other options in this new screen and on the left hand side of the screen, look for an option named Mouse.
• Clicking this option will open the Mouse section of the settings and you should now be able to see two other options named Pointer size and Pointer Color.

• Now you can set your favorite pointer size as well as color from this screen.

Verdict

The mouse pointer as I mentioned above is probably the most used part of the OS and hence it is very necessary that you have the option to customize it as per your needs. This option is actually meant for people who are differently abled but sometimes these options also work very well for other people.

So this was a small tutorial in which we showed you how to change your Windows 10 mouse pointer.

10 Ways to Speed Up a Computer

Speedup Computer

Over time, your Windows computer slows down. When you install more programs--and some junk--you unwittingly add tasks to your Startup menu, causing your computer to become slower during the boot phase. The latest programs are resource intensive and will bog down your computer if you do not plan for hardware upgrades. And as you open and reopen files, your hard drive will become fragmented, leading to longer wait times while referencing files. Together, all of these add up to a great deal of frustration. Learn 10 ways to keep your computer running optimally.

Defrag Your Hard Drive

• To defragment your hard drive, first reboot your computer in Safe Mode. Do this by rebooting your computer and pressing "F8" several times during the boot. You will be given several boot options. Choose "Boot Windows in Safe Mode." Once your system has booted, click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. In the Disk Defragmenter dialogue box, click "Defragment."

Remove Malware

• Browsing the web can be a dangerous prospect these days. You can pick up malware at every turn, which slows down your Internet browsing experience. One piece of free software to rid yourself of malware is Spybot Search and Destroy.
  Go to the Spybot home page (see link in Resources). Download the latest version. Double click the EXE download and the program will install itself. When the program opens, you will be asked several questions and given a choice to immunize your system. Click "Next" through all options until Spybot opens to the main scanning page. Click "Look for Problems" and wait for the scan to complete. Once the scan is complete, you will be presented with a list of problems Spybot found. Click "Fix Problems." Once Spybot has completed fixing the problems, turn off your computer for 5 minutes, turn it back on and rerun Spybot to ensure your system is completely clean.

Install Memory

• As you install more resource intensive programs, you may need to install more memory. To find out how much memory you have, click Start > Control Panel. Double click on the System icon. Consult your user's manual to determine how much more memory you can install and also how to install it.
  For standard-sized PCs, this usually requires removing the case and installing the memory onto the system board. For laptops, there is a panel beneath the laptop that can be removed with a Phillips head screwdriver and installing the memory in the provided slots.

Remove Unused Programs

• In Windows XP, click Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs. You will be presented with a list of programs. Browse the list of programs and remove unnecessary ones by highlighting the program and clicking "Remove."
  In Windows Vista, click Start > Control Panel > Programs > Features. You will be presented with a list of programs. Browse the list and remove unnecessary ones by highlighting the program and clicking "Uninstall."

Remove Programs from the Startup Menu

• To remove unnecessary Startup programs, click Start > Run. In the Run text box, type "msconfig." You will be presented with a System Configuration Utility. Go to the Startup tab, and uncheck any programs you do not want to run at Startup. Restart the computer after making your changes.

Use an External Drive for Personal Documents

• Having your personal documents on the same drive as your programs can cause some disk thrashing or overuse of the main drive. Purchase an external hard drive and reorganize all your personal documents--items located in My Documents, for example--there. This has several advantages. External hard drives are easy to connect via a USB port and, should your system crash, your personal files will not be effected. While it is a bit cumbersome if you are a laptop user, it will also create a dividing line between your personal documents and programs.

Try a Different Web Browser

• If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer exclusively, you may experience some slow web browsing. This is because many spyware and malware programs attack Microsoft Internet Explorer specifically. Install Mozilla Firefox (mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/upgrade.html), Safari (apple.com/safari/download/) or Opera (opera.com).

Turn off Visual Effects and Fancy Graphics

• Right click on My Computer > Properties > Advanced System Settings (Advanced in Windows XP) > Performance > Settings. Choose the option "Adjust for Best Performance."

Update Your OS

Cleaning computer

• Allow Windows updates to occur automatically so that you know you are getting the most up-to-date operating system changes. In Windows Vista, click Start > Control Panel > Windows Update. Click "Check for Updates." This option ensures that Automatic Updates is turned on.
  For Windows XP, click Start and browse to Control Panel. Double click on Control Panel and browse to System. Double click on System and browse to the Automatic Updates tab. Make sure Automatic Updating is turned on.

Reinstall Operating System

• If nothing seems to work to speed up your computer system, try reinstalling your operating system. To reinstall your operating system, first relocate your personal files to an external hard drive--this is much easier if you have all of your personal documents on an eternal drive as there will be no need to relocate these documents. Locate any additional software licenses and EXE files you may need to install after reinstalling your operating system. Locate the operating system disks that came with your computer, and slide Disc 1 into the DVD drive. Restart your computer and follow the prompts until the operating system has been reinstalled.