Category: Windows 7

How To: Remove Windows 7 Watermark

If you’re like me, living on the bleeding edge with Windows 7 RC, you might have noticed the watermark in the right-hand corner of your desktop. Such things annoy me a bit, so I went to work (Googled) how to remove it, and found a great solution.

To remove your watermark(s), download this nifty little watermark removal application, right-click the appropriate file for your system (32-bit or 64-bit) and run it as an administrator. Follow the on-screen instructions and you’re set!

This removes watermarks for all Windows versions and all languages by searching for some standard watermarking strings and modifying the user32.dll.mui file instead of replacing it with a pre-patched file like others do.

Ignore any weird question marks that might be displayed in the CMD window – it still works perfectly.

windows-7-beta-1-watermark-on-desktop

This is a watermark. Watermarks are baaad!

Office 2010 The Movie

Office 2010 The Movie Header

Microsoft attempts something different with their new marketing hype of the upcoming Office release 14, also known as Office 2010.

Launching www.office2010themovie.com, we’ re treated to some semi-witty movie trailer-esque videos. While showing us that Microsoft likes to be witty and creative with their marketing, they don’t really reveal much in detail about the new Office 2010 release (at the time of writing). So to make up for Microsoft’s shortcomings, I have included a video that shows some actual footage from the Office 2010  Technical Preview, courtesy of YouTube user lukychan.

You can actually sign up for the chance to try out the Office 2010 Technical Preview for yourself in July if you put yourself on Microsoft’s waitlist.

One important thing we do know is that it will be released in both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) versions. We also know that Microsoft is focusing on options for adapting the Office suite to suit the needs of different types of users. It will be interesting to see how that plays out in the final product.

Still, it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re still trying to recover from their dreadfully awkward Songsmith commercial. (Click “Read the rest…” below the Office 2010 videos following to see it. It’s not for the faint of heart, so consider yourself warned.)

Office 2010 The Movie Teaser Trailer:


Office 2010 Technical Preview:

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How To: Disable Thumbnail Preview In Windows 7

On my Media Center PC, after reinstalling some video codecs, my MKV* video files made Windows Explorer crash regularly when opening a folder with one of these files in it. To solve this problem, I had to disable automatic thumbnail generation in Vista or Windows 7. Disabling thumbnail preview in Windows Explorer can make Vista/Windows 7 perform notably faster in any case, as Explorer will no longer be generating thumbnails for every video and image file in every folder you open. This is especially useful when browsing back and forth between multiple folders. Follow these steps to disable the automatic thumbnail generation:

  1. Press and hold the Windows key on your keyboard, then press E to open Windows Explorer (alternatively click Start > Accessories > Windows Explorer).
  2. In the Windows Explorer window, click on the Organize button on the menu/shortcut bar.
  3. In the pull down menu, click on Folder and Search Options.
  4. The Folder Options dialog window will appear. Click on the View tab.
  5. Under the Files and Folders tree heading, check (tick) the box next to Always show icons, never thumbnails option.
  6. Click the OK button and you’re good to go!

* MKV is a common container format for video, audio and subtitles, often used to distribute standard and high definition video, audio and associated subtitles in one single file, with support for multiple audio and subtitle tracks, just like on a DVD.

Edit: Some codec packs by default turns off MKV thumbnails, but also makes it possible to easily control this and MANY other settings through an easy to use Windows application interface.

How To: Enable Automatic Logon in Windows 7

To be able to access administrative shares and shut it down remotely, I added another user to my media center computer (HTPC) matching my usual username and password. Upon next boot, I discovered that instead of being logged on automatically, I was now presented with a logon screen, where I had to choose between the default (passwordless) user and my newly created “remote control” account.

“There’s got to be a way to get the automatic logon back”, I thought. Of course there is! Following is the simple solution to configure automatic logon in Windows 7 or Vista. (Please bare with me, and pretend that the Norwegian screenshots are in English for now.)

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Overclocking Tools

Overclocking Tools

When getting into overclocking your rig – whether you just want more frames per second out of your old 6600 GT in Call of Duty 4, or to be able to brag about a score above 20k in 3DMark06 – you’ll need the right tools for the job.

Here’s an introduction to some of the most used overclocking and monitoring tools!

RivaTuner

Windows 98 / ME / 2000 / 2003 / XP / Vista / Windows 7
This application lets you overclock your NVIDIA graphics card. It was originally just a registry tweaking application for NVIDIAs old Riva TNT graphics card, but has since evolved into a much more useful tool. The most common use of RivaTuner is to set higher clock speeds on the core, shaders and memory of your graphics card(s), as well as letting you control fan thresholds and other settings. The registry tweaking is still an option however, shall you feel tempted.

ATITool

Windows XP / 2003 / 2000 (incl. 64-bit)
You guessed it – ATITool was made to overclock your ATI graphics card. However, today this application also works with NVIDIA graphics cards. If you have problems with RivaTuner, try this little bugger instead.

Prime95

Windows (incl. Windows 3.1) | Linux | FreeBSD | OS/2
This number crunching application lets you push your CPU to its limit of stability. The latest version supports multi-core processors using multiple threads. Tip: If you want to test only your CPU for stability, choose the “Small TTFs” torture test, and select “Round off checking” under the “Advanced” menu. This test uses the least amount of system memory, reducing the likelihood of your RAM being the culprit in case of failure, (but it will still be a factor).

External link: Guide to using Prime95 effectively.

SpeedFan

Windows 9x / NT / 2000 / 2003 / XP (incl. 64-bit) / Vista / Windows 7
This handy tool lets you monitor temperatures, voltages and fan speeds, and can even monitor hard disks with S.M.A.R.T. enabled. As a bonus feature it can adjust the FSB speed on some motherboards, but primarily I use SpeedFan to monitor the temperatures and voltages when overclocking. Tip: Disable SpeedStep (Intel) or Cool’n’Quiet (AMD) features in the BIOS to get accurate readings after OC’ing.

Core Temp

Windows 2000 / XP / 2003 / Vista / Windows 7
A simple, yet useful utility that lets you monitor the temperatures of your processor cores. A nice feature of Core Temp is that all CPU core temperatures can be displayed in your system tray at all times.

CPU-Z

Windows
One of the most widely used tools for overclockers. CPU-Z gathers information about your CPU, motherboard and memory timings (including SPD values).

GPU-Z

Windows 2000 / XP / Vista / Windows 7
As the name suggests, this tool is much like CPU-Z, only for graphics cards. GPU-Z gives you detailed information about your accelerator card, from make and model to clock speed and driver version. If you click the “Sensors” tab, you can handily monitor the GPU and PCB temperatures, fan speed (in per cent and RPM), and current core and memory clock speeds.