How to remove/uninstall windows easy transfer? WET

How to remove/uninstall windows easy transfer?

So, to remove WET completely and restore 'normal' HD icons and browsing do this:
1. open my computer, select Tolls>Folder Options to open the Folder Options window
2. In the View tab select Show Hidden Files and Folders
3. Right Click each of the hard drive icons (in my case - XP drive & W7 drive) and select Explore
4. Find Windows easy transfer.exe, windowseasytrasfer folder, and autorun.inf and delete them from the root of both drives
5. reboot...

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How to Access open Control Panel in Windows 8

How to Access the Control Panel in Windows 8

With the old Windows Start menu, you could add the Control Panel as a menu or a drop-down list. With Windows 8, you can pin the Control Panel to the Start Screen and taskbar but first you need to know where it is.
One of the chief complaints about Windows 8 (or any new version of Microsoft’s operating system) is “where did such-and-such go?” With Windows 8, when MS removed the Start button and Start Menu, it threw a lot of people for a loop. Because the Start Menu was like an old familiar hang out; one of those places that no matter how it changed over the years, it was a fairly reliable place to find stuff whether it was your Documents folder, Devices, Printers, the ability to search your programs and files, and of course, the Control Panel.
There are about four ways (so far) to access the Control Panel in Windows 8 Preview Release.

Method 1: The Old Stand-By – Search for it …

Windows 8 introduces a “Charms” bar accessible from the top or bottom right “hot corner”. Simply drag the mouse pointer to either corner until the five Charms appear along the right edge of the screen. Drag the mouse pointer and click on Search (you can access the Search charm through the keyboard shortcut Windows logo + Q).

The search pane will pop out and from there you can type Control Panel and select it from the results to the left. Alternatively, you can simply begin typing from the Start Screen.

Method 2: The Ribbon aka Windows Explorer

In Windows 7, you can open Windows Explorer click on Computer and then Open Control Panel on the toolbar.

In Windows 8, you can also click on Open Control Panel but the toolbar has been replaced by the Ribbon as found in Office 2010.

Method 3: More Charms – Settings

Access the Charms bar once more. Drag the mouse pointer to and click on Settings. The Settings pane will pop out and you can then choose Control Panel.
Note: To this settings option is only available from the desktop Charms setting.

Method 4: The Easiest Way – Right-click the Start “Button”

Last and perhaps the easiest way, right-click on what was formerly known as the Start button in the bottom left corner (now a hot corner), which allows you to switch between the Desktop and Start Screen. Right clicking brings up a context menu with wide array of options. The Control Panel is the fifth from the bottom.

And there you have it, four sure ways to access the Control Panel in Windows 8 Preview Release. Of course, some of these could change before it is released to manufacturers. We’ll be sure to keep you apprised of any of these changes if or when they happen.
Do you have an another way of opening the Windows 8 Control Panel? What is your preferred method? Let us know in the comments.

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How To Transfer Contact to iphone 5 from 4s/4 iphone

How to Transfer Contacts to iPhone 5, iOS 6 from iPhone 4S/4/3G/3GS

 iPhone  

  Just purchased the new iPhone 5 and want to transfer your contacts from your old iPhone 4S/4/3G/3GS to iPhone 5? Backup Assistant isn’t available on the iPhone, so is there any way to transfer old iPhone’s contacts other than bringing the two iPhones to the Store?
It will be quite easy with the help of iMacsoft iPhone Contacts Transfer on Mac or ImToo iPhone Contacts Transfer on PC

• Part 1: Transfer Contacts to iPhone 5, iOS 6 from iPhone 4S/4/3G/3GS on a Mac computer (Mountain Lion included)
• Part 2: Transfer Contacts to iPhone 5, iOS 6 from iPhone 4S/4/3G/3GS on a Windows PC (Windows 8 included)

Introduction of iMacsoft iPhone Contacts Transfer

iMacsoft iPhone Contacts Transfer for Mac or ImToo iPhone Contacts Transfer for Windows helps to easily transfer all iPhone contacts or selected iPhone contacts from iPhone to computer as a .txt file and a .csv file as well as transfer iPhone contacts backup .csv to iPhone. Moreover, you can also transfer Music, Video, Podcast, TV Show, etc. from iPhone to PC, iPhone to iTunes or PC to iPhone efficiently and simply with this iPhone Contact to PC Transfer.

Part 1: How to transfer Contacts to iPhone 5 from iPhone 4S/iPhone 4/iPhone 3G/iPhone 3GS on a Mac computer?

Free download iMacsoft iPhone Contact Transfer for Mac. Install and launch the program.

Step 1: Connect your iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS or iPhone 3G to Mac

iMacsoft iPhone contacts Transfer will recognize the device automatically and displays the device information in the interface.

Step 2: Export your iPhone 4S/iPhone 4/iPhone 3GS/iPhone 3G contacts to computer as .csv

In the left directory tree, choose the “Contacts” which you want to backup contacts to local. All contacts will be shown in the right list immediately.
Check the wanted contacts in the right list, click “Export checked files to local” button in the main menu to backup contacts to Mac/PC computer

Step 3: Import .csv just exported in Step 3 to iPhone 5

1. Run the Address book application, add import .CSV files to it. Then you can view all the contact lists on the address books screen.


2. Run iTunes and connect iPhone 5 to Mac or PC. In iTunes, choose “Info” menu and select “sync address book contacts” option. Then press “Apply” button to sync all contacts you select to iPhone 5 in several seconds.

Part 2: How to transfer Contacts to iPhone 5 from iPhone 4S/iPhone 4/iPhone 3G/iPhone 3GS on a Windows PC?

Free download iPhone Contact Transfer for Windows. Install and launch the software.

Step 1: Connect your iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS or iPhone 3G to PC

ImToo iPhone contacts Transfer will recognize the device automatically and displays the device information in the interface.

Step 2: Export your iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS or iPhone 3G contacts to computer as .csv

In the left directory tree, choose the “Contacts” which you want to backup contacts to local. All contacts will be shown in the right list immediately.
Check the wanted contacts in the right list, click “Backup All Contacts” button at the bottom of the interface.

Step 3: Import .csv just exported in Step 3 to iPhone 5

Connect iPhone 5 to Mac or PC.
In the left directory tree, choose the target “Contacts” that you want to import contacts into.
Click “Import Contacts to Device” button at the bottom of the interface, choose “Import Contacts from .csv File”, and choose the source contacts file in the dialog box that appears, then start importing.

Now you’ve transfered contacts from old iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G to the new iPhone 5.

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How to Multi Boot Windows 7

Windows 7 takes over the primary partition as soon as you install it. So, how do you multi boot Windows 7? This article explains setting up a Windows 7 multi boot process so that you can use two or more operating systems.

Multi Boot Windows 7 – Why is it Complex?

The main thing to keep in mind while preparing to multi boot Windows 7 is that there is no boot.ini in Windows 7. Unlike XP and other Windows operating systems, you cannot manually edit boot.ini to inform your boot loader about other operating systems existing on the computer. You will need some command line entries to report the other operating systems that we discuss in this guide.

Preparing to Set Up Multi Boot in Windows 7

Normally, the rule of thumb is to install the latest operating system first. However, as soon as you load Windows 7, you cannot log into XP or other previous Windows versions. The best method for setting up a multi boot process in Windows 7 is to do a fresh installation of all operating systems. We will be discussing the same here. If you do not wish to reinstall all the operating systems again, you may try troubleshooting when XP won't boot after a Windows 7 install. In this article, we will discuss installing all operating systems by creating different partitions for each. If you wish, you may use an additional HDD containing enough space to handle as many operating systems as you wish to install. In the latter case, make sure you make it the primary HDD (fix the jumper using the settings as shown on the hard disk).

For now, we will consider a single hard disk with enough capacity to multi boot Windows 7 with Vista and XP. You may also use Linux, Desktop Ubuntu or anything else.
The first step is to back up all the important data from all partitions. If you need a good backup software, you can use Macrium's Reflect to back up data - faster than remote backups, burning to a CD/DVD, etc.
Remember that it is very important to have each operating system on a separate partition.
As we'll be installing Windows 7 first, we will use its disk management software to adjust the partitions. Another method is to re-partition the entire hard disk using Fdisk, a very old yet highly reliable DOS based tool that I use to date. Just remember that Windows 7 will take up 16-20GB space. So your first, active partition should be around 30GB (to reserve space for programs that you intend to install on the operating system). In case you are using Fdisk, you have to delete all of the logical partitions before you can delete the secondary partition. You can't delete the primary partition before deleting the secondary partition. You need only the primary partition from Fdisk. Remember to format it using the command Format else you wont be able to install anything. Once we install Windows 7 on the primary partition, we can use Windows 7 utilities to create other partitions to save time.
IMPORTANT: Before trying to create a multi boot environment in Windows 7, make sure your computer is compatible with the new OS. Download and run Windows 7 Compatibility Advisor for this purpose. If the compatibility report is in your favor, turn to the next page for the best multi boot method.

Setting up Multi Boot Windows 7 – How to Install Operating Systems

To set up a multi boot environment in Windows 7 so that your computer does not give you problems, we will install Windows 7, then Vista, and finally XP.
We'll do a clean install of each operating system to avoid possible hiccups in future. This means formatting each partition on which we will install the individual operating systems.
Assuming you did a backup of all the data to a secure place, proceed with the Windows 7 installation. You will have to install any programs that you wish to use. We can do this later once we successfully set up the other operating systems. Now that Windows 7 is ready to use, navigate to Disk Management under Control Panel. You will find it under Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Storage. As we need two more partitions, delete the logical drives and then entire secondary partition. The Windows 7 partition is primary.
You'll need 20GB for Windows Vista and a minimum of 2GB for Windows XP. I'll recommend you add at least 10 GB extra for each OS so you do not fall short of space while installing programs. This means 30GB for Windows 7, 30GB for Windows Vista, and about 15GB for Windows XP. Create the secondary partition and then the logical drives for each OS as per the calculations. You may use the remaining space for data. Format all new partitions using the Disk Manager so you can skip the "format screen" while installing Vista and XP.

To set up a multi boot environment in Windows 7 so that your computer does not give you problems, we will install Windows 7, then Vista, and finally XP.
We'll do a clean install of each operating system to avoid possible hiccups in future. This means formatting each partition on which we will install the individual operating systems.
Assuming you did a backup of all the data to a secure place, proceed with the Windows 7 installation. You will have to install any programs that you wish to use. We can do this later once we successfully set up the other operating systems. Now that Windows 7 is ready to use, navigate to Disk Management under Control Panel. You will find it under Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Storage. As we need two more partitions, delete the logical drives and then entire secondary partition. The Windows 7 partition is primary.
You'll need 20GB for Windows Vista and a minimum of 2GB for Windows XP. I'll recommend you add at least 10 GB extra for each OS so you do not fall short of space while installing programs. This means 30GB for Windows 7, 30GB for Windows Vista, and about 15GB for Windows XP. Create the secondary partition and then the logical drives for each OS as per the calculations. You may use the remaining space for data. Format all new partitions using the Disk Manager so you can skip the "format screen" while installing Vista and XP.

IMPORTANT: Label each partition with the OS name so that you do not mess up while installing.
Next, we'll move to Vista. To install Vista on a multi boot Windows 7 computer, insert the installation CD into CD Drive. Install Vista to the correct partition as marked when you were creating the logical partitions. After installation, reboot. You can see the boot loader showing you both operating systems. We now achieved a dual boot system for Windows 7 and Windows Vista! Smile - and move on to install Windows XP – the toughest part in setting up this multi boot environment.
Insert the Windows XP CD into the drive and start the installation process. You need not format as you have already done that while setting up logical drives. When prompted for drive letter, select the correct one else you'll loose all the work. Reboot after Windows XP installs. You cannot see XP in the boot loader! You need not worry. XP is on the machine (fully installed and ready to use) but the boot loader doesn't know it.
The problem is that XP installation changes the boot loader, sometimes making it corrupt. To fix this, use the Windows 7 installation DVD to boot. Select Repair and then select the operating system that is not appearing (in this case, it is Windows XP). Once you are at the command prompt type the following lines – one at a time – and hit Enter for each:
Bootrec.exe /FixMBR
Bootrec.exe /FixBoot
This will restore the boot loader. In case you want more information on bootrec.exe command, you can visit the Microsoft website.
Remove the Windows 7 DVD and reboot into Windows 7 again. Click Start, RUN (if RUN is not visible, press Windows key +R) and type cmd to get command prompt window. Now we'll add Windows XP to boot loader for setting-up multi boot Windows 7 with XP and Vista. To include Windows XP into boot loader, type the following and hit Enter for each line:
bcdedit –set {ntldr} device partition=C:
bcdedit –set {ntldr} path \ntldr
bcdedit –displayorder {ntldr} –addlast
bcdedit -set {ntldr} description "XP"
Close the command prompt. Reboot and see Windows boot loader. It should show all three OS. We are done with setting up multi boot Windows 7.
NOTE: Sometimes XP may not appear in Windows boot loader even with the above commands. Boot into Windows 7 normally and change the drive letter of Windows XP partition (to something like M, N, or X) using the Disk Management tool so that it appears few letters above the last drive letter in your computer.
Tip: After creating a multi boot Windows 7 computer, you may never want to go through the entire process again. After you install programs on each OS, create a disk image and a rescue disk using Reflect or any other disk imaging software. This may prove helpful if anything causes problems in the future.

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How To setup Two Monitors or Dual Monitors to Microsoft Windows

Dual monitor setup: Two monitors are better than one

You can never have enough screen space. Instead of buying a larger computer monitor, you can buy an inexpensive second monitor or make use of a spare one and connect it to your computer (if you're using Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP)—instantly doubling your desktop space.

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How to set up your second monitor

Connect the monitor cables

When you’re ready to connect the monitor cable to the connector on your computer, make sure the monitor is plugged in and turned on. Your computer should automatically detect the second monitor, although you may have to restart your computer first. If you’re using Windows XP, you’ll need to enable Dualview.
When your computer detects the monitor, it should also automatically detect and apply the display settings appropriate for the monitor.

Configure your displays

You may want to adjust display settings yourself, as described in the following articles.

• Windows 7
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP

The settings shown here are for Windows 7, but they are basically the same as those available for Windows Vista and Windows XP. If necessary, you can drag the monitor icons so that they are arranged in the same way as the monitors on your desk. Click Identify to verify which monitor is 1 and which monitor is 2. You’ll see the numbers appear on your monitors.
Under Multiple displays, you can also adjust what you see on the second monitor. You have the following choices:

• Extend your displays. This spreads your desktop over both monitors and lets you drag items between the two screens. This is how most people use two monitors, and it's the default setting for desktop computers. After your monitor is set up, you can use your mouse to grab the title bar (the top portion) of a window and drag it to your new display. If a window does not move when you drag it, double-click the title bar first, and then drag it.
  
• Duplicate your displays. This displays the same desktop on both monitors. For a laptop, this is the default setting. This is useful if you're giving a presentation with your laptop connected to a projector or large monitor.
  
• Show your desktop on only one monitor. This is most commonly used with a laptop if you want to keep your laptop screen blank after you connect to a large desktop monitor.
  

When you disconnect the additional monitor, the original display settings are restored to your primary display. In addition, all open files and program windows are moved to the primary display. The next time that you connect the same monitor, the Windows operating system automatically applies the display settings that you used the last time that you connected this monitor.
Troubleshooting: Normally, the process of setting up and using a second monitor is seamless and automatic. However, because it involves hardware and software from multiple sources, you may need to troubleshoot problems and make adjustments. For example, if your computer fails to detect the second monitor, first make sure it’s plugged in and turned on, and then, in the display settings, click Detect. Or your computer might not support multiple displays. Visit Microsoft Update, click Custom, and install any available hardware updates. You may also need to visit your computer manufacturer's website to install an updated display driver. Or you may need to install an additional display adapter. Read this troubleshooting article for Windows Vista which also includes tips that pertain to other versions of Windows.
You’ll find that having two monitors can forever change the way you work with your computer. Be creative and experiment with the sizing of application windows and what information you can keep in constant view while doing multiple tasks. If you’re looking for more ideas on what to do with all of the extra viewing space you will have, read the article, Work and play better with multiple monitors.

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Make the most of Windows 7′s Libraries

Getting started: learning library basics
If you’re just beginning to use libraries or you already work with them but want a quick refresher, Microsoft’s four-minute screen-capture video, “Organizing with Windows 7 Libraries: Overview,” covers the basics.

MS TechNet offers good intermediate-level information in its Library FAQ and its “Windows 7 Libraries: Walkthrough.”

If you prefer a more technical primer, try the MSDN article, “Introducing Libraries.”

For the purposes of this demonstration, I created three example folders that I can add to a new library. I put each folder in a different place so you can see how a library aggregates folder content. To help keep things clear, I gave the demo folders blindingly obvious names. One is called SomeFiles and is in my Documents folder. Another folder, SomeGraphics, is in my Pictures folder. A third, SomeDifferentFiles, is a folder on my Desktop.

To work along with me as you read this article, you also need to select three folders in different places. (Why three? Because it’s enough for you to see what the Libraries feature is all about, without going overboard.) It doesn’t matter what the folders contain or what they’re named or even where they are; you can select folders from any location to which you have access, including networked drives — that is, drives on other PCs.

For simplicity, my demo folders are small, but yours need not be. In fact, libraries are most useful when you’re dealing with large folders with tons of files.

After you mentally select your three folders, it’s time to create a library.

Creating your library, step by step
Figure 1 shows Windows 7′s four default libraries: Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos. There’s nothing particularly special about these default libraries. They’re just preconfigured examples you can use, delete, or change as you wish.


Figure 1. Windows 7 comes with four default libraries.

For this demo, we’ll create a new library from scratch. Right-click on the Libraries folder in the left pane, select New, then Library, as shown in Figure 2.


Figure 2. Right-click on the Library icon in the left pane to begin creating a new library.

A new, generic Library icon appears in the left pane, and a text box opens to allow you to give it a name. (See Figure 3.) I called mine WS Demo for obvious reasons, but feel free to use any name you like.


Figure 3. I named this new library WS Demo, but you can use any name you wish.

When you click the new icon to open your just-created library, it’s empty — save for a button inviting you to Include a folder. (See Figure 4.)


Figure 4. Begin populating your new library via its Include a folder button.

When you click the Include a folder button, a standard file-browsing dialog box opens. Use it to navigate to, and select, whichever folder you wish to include.

In my case, I navigated to my Documents and selected the SomeFiles folder. You can see the result in Figure 5; SomeFiles (with its contents) has been added to the library.

Remember that no files have been copied or moved. The SomeFiles folder is right where it was before, unchanged. The library is simply giving you an alternate view of that folder.


Figure 5. The new library with the first folder added

So far, the library includes just one location — the folder we’ve just added. This is indicated by the 1 location text, as shown in Figure 6.


Figure 6. A library keeps track of how many locations (folders) you’ve included in it. The location text (circled in yellow) is clickable, allowing you to add more locations.

To add a second location to the library, click the 1 location text. The Library Locations dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 7.

When you first open it, the dialog box shows the library’s current contents. In this demo, you see just the SomeFiles folder, so far.


Figure 7. The Library Locations dialog box lets you add or remove locations from any given library.

Click the Add button on the right side of the dialog box; a separate, standard dialog box opens to let you select additional folders for inclusion in the library.

I added the SomeGraphics folder (from my Pictures) and SomeDifferentFiles (from my Desktop), as shown in Figure 8.


Figure 8. The Library Locations dialog box shows three folders added, each from a different location.

Go ahead and add the folders you wish. When you’re done, click OK.

Your new library is now populated with folders and their files. The default view is shown in Figure 9.


Figure 9. A populated library; default view.

Frankly, the library’s default view isn’t very helpful. It’s useful mainly when you’re in the process of adding or removing folders from a library.

The real power of libraries becomes apparent only when you select different Arrange by: filters, accessible via a pull-down menu in the upper right of the right-hand Library pane (you’ll see this in a moment). These filters let you sort the aggregate contents of your library in a variety of useful ways.

The filters depend on the types of content that the library detects. Yours may be different — and that’s fine — but in the demo, I have the Name, Date, Type, Tag, and Folder arrangement filters available.

Figure 10 shows the application of the Arrange by: Name filter to the demo library. Even though you’re looking at files from three separate locations (and even though no files have been copied or moved), this view lets you work with all the files as if they were in one, local folder.


Figure 10. The Arrange by: Name filter makes all the files appear to be in a single folder.

Go on! Try the Arrange by: Name filter on your new library.

Try the other filters, too. Figure 11 shows the demo library contents arranged by Date; note how the library automatically groups files of similar age, regardless of location.


Figure 11. The Arrange by: Date filter sorts your library files chronologically, no matter where the files are actually located.

I won’t show the Type or Tags filters here, to save a little space in this graphics-heavy article. But arranging by Type can be useful when you’re trying to make sense of a very large collection of files and need to get a handle on what’s there.

Tags are extra, user-definable data. Some Tags are preconfigured, such as the star Ratings you can assign to music or photos. You can also create your own Tags for custom Arrange by: sorting. For more information on Tags, see the Microsoft article, “Add tags or other properties to a file.”

Powerful, custom searches via Win 7 Libraries
Alert readers might have noticed something interesting going on in the upper-right corner of the previous screen shots: the search box is already focused on the active library. (See Figure 12.)


Figure 12. Using the Search box (circled in yellow) within a library searches that library’s full contents, even if the files actually reside in a number of different folders — or even on different PCs.

Think about that for a moment: a search in a library automatically includes all the folders in that library. This means you can use a library to search across separate folders, drives, or even different PCs just as easily as if everything were local.

Libraries take some getting used to, but the more you use them, the more they grow on you. Give them a chance — especially if you have large hard drives, many files, or several networked systems. You’ll likely have Aha! moments of your own and find yourself a newly won-over convert to the subtle but considerable power of Windows 7 Libraries.

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Bump performance in Windows 7 by trimming startup programs

several methods that you can use to investigate startup programs and eliminate some of them to improve performance. The minimum memory (RAM) requirements for Microsoft Windows 7 are 1GB for the 32-bit versions and 2GB for the 64-bit versions. However, we all know that the operating system runs better with more RAM. If you’re currently running Windows 7 on a system with only 1GB or 2GB of RAM, you know that the system can be slow at times — especially when you are running extremely memory-intensive applications.
Of course the ultimate solution would be to add another GB of RAM to your system, but what if doing so is not feasible at this point in time? Are you stuck with a sluggish system? Fortunately, you are not, as you can bump up performance by trimming back startup programs that may not always be needed. By preventing unnecessary programs from automatically starting, you’ll have more memory to spare for the programs that you do want to run.
In this edition of the Windows Desktop Report, I’ll show you several methods that you can use to investigate those programs that run automatically at startup. I’ll also show you how you can eliminate or at least temporarily prevent them from automatically starting up.

WMIC

You can investigate startup programs using a specially configured WMIC (Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line) command. WMIC (pronounced “WeeMek”) is built in to the Windows operating system and allows you to tap into a wide variety of application systems, hardware components, and operating system subsystems. Using a WMIC command, you can easily create a very nice HTML-based report of those programs that automatically start up on your system. You can then print the report to have on hand as you investigate whether you can safely eliminate any of those programs.
To create the report, open a Command Prompt window and type the following command:

wmic startup get /format:hform > startupreport.htm

When you do, the report will be created in a matter of moments. To access the report, just type the following in the same Command Prompt.

startupreport.htm

You’ll then see a report, similar to the one shown in Figure A, displayed in your web browser.

Figure A

Using a specially configured WMIC command you can create a nicely formatted report on startup programs.

As you can see, the report is set up in a table and uses color to make it very easy to read.

Resource and Performance Monitor

You can also investigate startup programs using Resource and Performance Monitor. Click the Start button and type Performance in the Search box. When the results appear, select Performance Information and Tools. When the Performance Information and Tools window appears, select the Advanced Tools. When the Advanced Tools window appears, scroll to the bottom and select Generate a system health report.
When the Resource and Performance Monitor window opens, the utility will begin compiling its report, which will take about 2-3 minutes. Once the report is compiled, expand the Software Configuration section and scroll down to the Startup Programs section, as shown in Figure B.

Figure B

The Resource and Performance Monitor creates a much more concise report on the Startup Programs.

System Configuration

You can investigate and disable startup programs using System Configuration. Click the Start button and type System in the Search box. When the results appear, select System Configuration. When the System Configuration dialog box appears, select the Startup tab, as shown in Figure C. As you can see, the Startup tab provides a straightforward listing of the programs that automatically start up on your system.

Figure C

You can view and easily disable startup programs on the Startup tab of the System Configuration utility.

You can disable a startup program by clearing the adjacent text box. As you can see, the Startup tab makes it easy to keep track of those programs that you have disabled by recording the date and time they were disabled. When you click OK, you’ll be prompted to restart the system to activate your changes, as shown in Figure D.

Figure D

When you click OK, you’ll be prompted to restart the system to activate your changes.

Autoruns

If you really, really want to delve into a deep investigation of startup programs, there is no better application than Autoruns from Windows Sysinternals and Mark Russinovich. This tool, shown in Figure E, provides a very comprehensive look at all the places in the operating system from which a program can be configured to automatically run.

Figure E

Autoruns provides a very comprehensive investigation into startup programs.

You can learn more about Autoruns on the Windows Sysinternals site. The program also comes with a detailed Help file.

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Troubleshoot driver problems in Windows 7 with Driver Verifier Manager

how to use the built-in Driver Verifier Manager to troubleshoot driver problems in Microsoft Windows 7. In a recent blog post titled “Troubleshoot Windows 7 Drivers in More Detail with Driverquery,” I told you about Driverquery and how you can use it to gather detailed information about all the device drivers installed on your system. Well, in addition to DriverQuery there is another tool called Driver Verifier Manager that you can use as a troubleshooting aid when you suspect that your problems may be rooted in a faulty device driver.
For instance, if you occasionally encounter unpredictable errors, lockups, or BSODs, there’s a good chance that your system is suffering from the effects of a faulty third-party driver. The device drivers that come with Windows 7 have a Microsoft digital signature that indicates that the driver has met a certain level of testing and that it has not been altered. Any hardware that carries a Certified for Windows 7 logo will come with drivers that have a digital signature from Microsoft, which indicates that the product was tested for compatibility with Windows 7.
However, not all third-party hardware manufacturers are willing to take the time and effort to submit their products to Microsoft for certified testing, and as such they aren’t really interested in having a digital signature from Microsoft assigned to their drivers. And, unfortunately, uncertified drivers can be a source of problems.
In this edition of the Windows Desktop Report, I’ll show you how to use the built-in Driver Verifier Manager to troubleshoot driver problems in Windows 7.

An overview

Windows 7 comes with two versions of the Driver Verifier Manager — a command-line version and a GUI version. I’ll cover the GUI version in this article. (If you want to learn more about the command-line version, check out this article on Microsoft’s MSDN site. You can also download a whitepaper.)
Once enabled, the Driver Verifier Manager will go to work in the background and will essentially perform a series of extreme stress tests on the selected driver(s) in an attempt to cause the driver(s) to fail. Keep in mind that the tests that Driver Verifier Manager performs will occur as you use your system over time under normal circumstances. As such, it may take some time to identify a problem, if there is one at all. In other words, this utility will not yield immediate results.
If the driver does fail, it will cause a BSOD and a Stop Error message that will contain information that you can use to determine and eliminate the problematic driver. If, after a few days, the driver doesn’t fail and cause a BSOD, then the driver may not be the cause of the problem. Either way, you will have to disable the Driver Verifier Manager once you are done troubleshooting.
Remember, that once you enable it, the Driver Verifier Manager will remain active in the background until you disable it. I’ll show you how to disable Driver Verifier Manager in a moment.

Launching the Driver Verifier Manager

To launch the Driver Verifier Manager, click the Start button, type Verifier in the Start Search box, and press [Enter]. When you do, you may encounter a UAC and will need to respond accordingly. You’ll momentarily see a Command Prompt window, and then the Driver Verifier Manager will launch and display a wizard-based user interface, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

The Driver Verifier Manager runs from a wizard-based user interface.

As you can see, the Create Standard Settings option is selected by default, and in most cases this option is the best way to start. When you use this option, the Driver Verifier Manager selects a standard set of driver verification options.
If you later decide that you want to perform more specific tests, you can select the Create Custom Settings option. When you do, the Driver Verifier Manager will display all the available driver verification options and allow you to select the ones that you want to employ. This option is really designed for developers.
As I mentioned, you will have to disable the Driver Verifier Manager once you are done troubleshooting. To do so, you’ll use the Delete Existing Settings option.
As its name implies, selecting the Display Existing Settings option will show the driver verification options that have been activated and will list the drivers being tested.
Once you enable it, the Driver Verifier Manager remains active and performs its stress tests in the background. If you select the Display Information about the Currently-Verified Drivers option, the Driver Verifier Manager will display statistics on the utility’s current actions.

Using the Create Standard Settings option

Since the Create Standard Settings option is the most common way that you’ll use the Driver Verifier Manager, I’ll cover this option. When you click next, you’ll be prompted to select the drivers that you want to test, as shown in Figure B.

Figure B

The Driver Verifier Manager provides you with several options for choosing which driver you want to test.

Since unsigned drivers are the most likely culprit, the Automatically Select Unsigned Drivers option is selected by default. If you select this option and click Next, you’ll see only those drivers installed on your system that are not digitally signed by Microsoft. If there aren’t any unsigned drivers, an error message will appear.
If you suspect that signed drivers designed for a previous version of Windows may be installed on your system and causing problems, select the Automatically Select Drivers Built for Older Versions of Windows option. If you select this option and click Next, you’ll see a list of drivers that are digitally signed by Microsoft but are designed for previous version of Windows — most likely Windows XP. If there aren’t any signed drivers for older version, an error message will appear.
While not really a very sensible option when it comes to standard troubleshooting practice, you can select the Automatically Select All Drivers Installed on This Computer option. If you select this option, the Next button will change to Finish and you’ll be prompted to reboot your system. (As a general rule of thumb, it is better to troubleshoot a single or a small set of possible problem drivers as it will be easier to determine the cause.)
If you want to see all the drivers installed on the system and be able to pick and choose which ones to test, choose the Select Driver Names from a List option.
On my test system, I selected the default option, Automatically Select Unsigned Drivers, and clicked Next. I then saw a small list of the drivers installed on my system that were not digitally signed by Microsoft, as shown in Figure C. To initiate the testing, I clicked Finish and was prompted to restart my system.

Figure C

In the case of my test system, two drivers were unsigned.

It’s been several days, and I have yet to encounter a response from the Driver Verifier Manager. I suppose that it isn’t really surprising since I wasn’t encountering any unpredictable problems on this system. However, I am in the process of seeking more current drivers.

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