Filed under: How-Tos

Filed under: Windows, Microsoft, How-Tos, Windows x64

Stupid Windows 7 / Vista trick: who needs Hawkscope?

by Lee Mathews Jun 17th 2009

Hawkscope is an interesting app. It's got some good features (especially if you install the GMail or Twitter plugins), but I really don't like the fact that it kills Aero Glass on my Windows 7 machine. The same is likely true for Vista, but it's been so long since I tested the app that I can't quite recall.

At any rate, one of the key features of Hawkscope is that it allows you to "access all your partitions from the system tray." Wait a tic - haven't we been able to do that as far back as Windows 98 (possibly even 95, but again, memory fails me)?

Right click your taskbar, choose toolbars -> new toolbar and browse to My Computer. Press select folder, and you're done. Even your removable drives will show up when they're plugged in since the toolbar updates the same way the My Computer window does.

Now you've got the best of both worlds - fast access to your drives and Aero Glass!

Tags: stupid-tricks, windows-7

Filed under: Google, Freeware, Open Source, How-Tos, Beta, Browsers

How to block ads in Google Chrome with AdSweep

by Lee Mathews Apr 6th 2009

Whenever a post goes up about Google Chrome on Download Squad, Firefox users that would like to make the switch usually have two gripes. First, the lack of extensions. Second, the lack of one extension in particular: AdBlock Plus.

Chrome users don't have to put up with ads if they don't want to, though. If a proxy-based blocker isn't your thing, then why not install AdSweep - either as a Userscript or a Chrome extension. They're essentially the same thing right now, since extensions are basically Userscripts in a wrapper. Whichever way you want to install AdSweep, here's what to do.

Since it's available as a Userscript, users of other browsers can take advantage of AdSweep, too - just check on the homepage for instructions. Now, let's get it working in Chrome.

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, How-Tos, Windows x64

Windows 7 tip: (elevated) command prompt anywhere

by Lee Mathews Feb 9th 2009

The command prompt here power toy was a feature that a lot of users requested be built-in to Windows 7. Microsoft listened, and added it to a secondary context menu.

By holding shift and right-clicking a folder, you'll see additional commands not listed on the standard menu, such as open in new process, copy as path, and open command window here. Suppose you need a command window with elevated privileges. Then what?

In Windows Vista, it could be done through the start menu by typing cmd into the search box and holding shift+control and hitting enter. This works in Windows 7 as well.

Combine the two, and you've got a right-click elevated command window shortcut: shfit+control+right click on a folder and choose open command window. Check your title bar: if it starts with Administrator, you're set!

Some other sites have posted registry hacks to add a context menu entry for the admin option, but why bother? It's already there - just hidden!

Tags: context-menu, elevated, right-click, tips, windows-7

Filed under: Internet, Features, Windows, Open Source, How-Tos, Social Software

How to add Twitter and Facebook IM support to Pidgin for Windows

by Lee Mathews Jan 18th 2009

Pidgin is a great multi-protocol IM client. Out of the box it provides support for 15 different protocols, including most of the important ones: MSN, Yahoo, Gtalk, ICQ, and XMPP to name a few. Two glaring omissions include Facebook IM and Twitter - both of which are built-in to Digsby by default.

Thanks to the developers of two plugins, a couple quick downloads and some simple instructions can remedy the situation with minimal effort. To top it off, the finished product only uses about 20mb of memory - under half what Digsby consumed on my machine.

If you want to see the actual screens, skip to the gallery now.

Clarification: Ping.fm does not do this. Yes, it will update multiple statuses for you via IM, but it won't let you chat with Facebook friends or send you Twitter updates for people you follow.

Let's start with Twitter.

If you don't have a Gmail account, go sign up for one so you can add a gtalk buddy later on. You'll also need to go to Twitter and follow twitter@twitter.com.

Tags: im, messaging, pidgin, plugins, twitter

Filed under: Windows, Productivity, Microsoft, Freeware, How-Tos

How to log on to Windows XP automatically

by Jason Clarke Nov 18th 2008

While in in many cases it would be a security risk, having your Windows XP computer log in automatically can be useful. For example, I have my Windows XP instance running under a virtual machine on my Mac. The easiest way to do this would be to use the Administrator account and simply leave the password blank. However, this has two distinct disadvantages: you can't log onto a domain with a machine that is not using a password, and you cannot have a machine configured this way accept Remote Desktop connections.

I have no need to use Remote Desktop to access my virtual machine, but since my XP instance needs to access a Windows network, I do need a password set. In the past, the easiest way to configure your machine to automatically log on was to use TweakUI powertoy for XP, where there is a setting under Logon for configuring automatic logons.

But there's an even faster way do do this.

On the machine that you want to configure to auto-login, click Start, Run, then type "control userpasswords2" (without the quotation marks) and press enter. In the window that pops up, click on the user account that you would like to automatically log in, then uncheck the "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer" checkbox. You will now be asked for the password for this account. Set it, click OK and OK, and you're done.

Tags: auto-login, automatically-login, how-to, login, powertoys, tweak-ui, windows-xp, xp

Filed under: Developer, Google, How-Tos, Mobile, Android

Taking screenshots on an Android-based phone

by Christina Warren Oct 22nd 2008

Even before playing with the new Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, I knew that I would need to be able to take screenshots of the phone itself. Using a digital camera to capture screens externally just wasn't going to cut it. Because the Android platform is open (and now, open source), I really didn't expect this to be a problem. If anything, I thought there would be a way to take screenshots directly from the device like you can with the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Alas, I discovered this is not the case. After scouring Google trying to find answers, I asked Engadget's Editor-in-Chief Josh Topolsky what they used for the screenshots in their review, and he was nice enough to fill me in on the details.

Warning: right now, taking screenshots from an Android device requires installing the SDK. That doesn't make it as simple as pressing a button, but it's not the end of the world. If you've got a few minutes, and a quick connection with which to download the SDK, we'll show you how to take delicious Android screenshots of your own.

Tags: android, android sdk, AndroidSdk, eclipse, screenshots, t-mobile g1, T-mobileG1

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Productivity, Web services, Freeware, How-Tos, Unix, Browsers

Speed up browsing on low-speed connections with Toonel.net

by Jason Clarke Sep 29th 2008

If you frequently find yourself browsing on a low-bandwidth connection, you can potentially speed up your browsing experience by using the compressing proxy server at Toonel.net. The concept is simple: install their application on your computer (versions are available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Sun Solaris, and even Windows Mobile and Symbian), then set your proxy settings to point to your localhost IP address on port 8080 (127.0.0.1:8080). Once you do, all of your web traffic is routed through Toonel.net's server, which compresses it before it gets to you.

The compression used is lossless, which is required to ensure the pages show up as expected, though there are image-specific options that allow you to change the compression that is applied to JPEG and GIF images. This is likely only worthwhile on a very slow network, since it takes the server a bit of time to recompress images before your browser can download them, but could be handy on a struggling network.

I wouldn't recommend running Toonel.net full-time, or even at all if you're always on a broadband connection, but if you find yourself struggling with a lack of bandwidth, this is a great trick to have in your back pocket.

[via TechRadar]

Tags: browsing, compression, faster-browsing, GIF, JPEG, proxy, proxy-server

Filed under: Security, Utilities, Freeware, How-Tos

Save Your Friends and Family From Malware!

by Lee Mathews Sep 10th 2008

Silly me. I figured as antivirus and antimalware protection became more sophisticated that I'd see fewer infected machines for repair. Man, was I wrong. Even my friends and family - who are fairly computer savvy and careful - have wound up in trouble.

If you're at all competent with a computer, chances are you've had requests from people to fix these problems. I've heard different programs menioned (XP Antivirus, Antivirus 2009, etc.), but it usually goes like this: "Hey, I'm getting this messages from [program] that I'm infected, can you fix that?"

Sure you can.

Over the past couple of months, I've tried different combinations of apps and find these four to do the job nicely. Download them, keep them up-to-date, and you'll be a hero with unlucky friends and family that wind up with an infected computer.

Note: run the first two in safe mode, if possible!

1. Combofix. This one has seen some major upgrades recently, and I use it on every cleanup. Where the old version just gave you a blue screen and said "Hang out for about ten minutes," the current version provides feedback about what's going on. Before any changes are made, ComboFix backs up the registry.

It then hunts out malware it recognizes and removes it. You may need to reboot, but you'll be prompted if it's necessary. It's portable, so just keep it updated on your flash drive.

Based on the comments, BE CAREFUL. Combofix has never caused me any issues, but your experience may be different.

Tags: malware, smitfraud, spyware

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, E-mail, Productivity, Google, Freeware, How-Tos

How to organize your ideas in Gmail - Emailers Anonymous

by Jason Clarke Sep 4th 2008

A friend recently asked me how he could set his Gmail up so that he could email himself ideas, and have them be automatically filed away into a specific label instead of clogging up his inbox. Gmail has a function called Filters which is similar to rules in other email systems, and it is very powerful and well-suited to this task. If you would like to be able to email yourself information and have it automatically be stored away into a label and stay out of your inbox, follow these instructions.

So the first thing to keep in mind is that there are reasons where you might legitimately want to email yourself and have it show up in your inbox, for example you might Reply All to something and find that your email address was included as an addressee. You don't want a thread like that one getting automatically moved into a folder, or you might miss it.

So the solution is to use a custom email address, which is easy. Gmail supports an email standard that allows you to add a plus symbol after your username, and anything you like after that. So an email sent to username+ideas@gmail.com will go right into your Gmail account the same way one sent to username@gmail.com will.

But here's the cool thing: you can filter based on the actual incoming email address. Here's how:

Tags: auto-tagging, automatic-filtering, Emailers-Anonymous, Gmail, gmail-filters, gmail-labels, labels, tagging, tagging-email

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, E-mail, Productivity, Google, Freeware, How-Tos, iPhone

Using Gmail's Starred items to track expected replies - Emailers Anonymous

by Jason Clarke Aug 27th 2008

One of the hardest aspects of managing email is keeping track of sent messages where a reply is expected. Do you have this problem? I know I do. Some of the people I correspond with are completely reliable, and I know that if I send them something, I will get a reply within 24 hours and often sooner. But some of my other regular correspondents are not so reliable.

At all.

It's really frustrating.

Luckily, if you're a Gmail user, there is a very simply method for keeping track of messages where you are expecting a reply. You see it every day, and you might even be using it for something else.

What am I talking about?

The Starred attribute. With a single key or button press, Gmail allows you to add a star to a message which prominently appears whenever that message or thread is in view.

This process is incredibly simple, but effective. Now, I should first point out that starring an email is for all intents and purposes the same as labeling a message with any arbitrary label. But I think stars work better as an expected response reminder than a label would. So follow along with me and see if you don't come to the same conclusion.

Tags: emailers-anonymous, gmail, starred-items

Filed under: Windows, Microsoft, How-Tos

Hate IE? One Reason to Still Love Its Favorites - How To

by Lee Mathews Aug 25th 2008

I can't remember when was the last time I actually used Internet Explorer as the default browser on one of my Windows computers. After posting my how to on making a DIY launcher with Explorer, I realized that I wasn't using another feature that's been part of Windows for ages: the favorites menu.

Most of us look at the menu, see all the factory links (like Windows Update, Windows Media, etc) and forget something: you can add local programs, drives, and folders to your favorites as well.

Why bother? Well, instead of using an app like Folder Guide you may just want to use the features Windows has already given you to work with.

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Productivity, Microsoft, How-Tos

Forget Launchers, Just Do It With Windows! - How To

by Lee Mathews Aug 21st 2008

There are lots of nice launcher apps out there (Launchy, SpeedLaunch, Executor, etc.), but why bother with them when you can do the same thing with functions already built in to Windows? Explorer's running anyways, so you may as well get something out of it.

First, create a new folder that will contain your shortcuts. If you've got a data drive or partition, put it there so it'll stick around after a reformat. Next, right click my computer, and open system properties.

Click the advanced tab, then click the environment variables button. In the bottom box, find path and click the edit button. Now scroll all the way to the right, add a semicolon to the end, and input the path to your new folder.

Filed under: Mozilla, Browser Tips, How-Tos, Browsers

Tweak Firefox to Make the Most of Your Netbook's Screen

by Lee Mathews Aug 4th 2008

First Asus released the EEE (you know, that tiny little Linux laptop), now netbooks are flooding the marketplace as other makers trip over themselves to compete. I love my new MSI Wind, but let's face it: 1024x600 doesn't give you a surplus of screen real estate. Here's what I've done to maximize my viewable area in Firefox without sacrificing much needed functionality.

Step one is to reduce what you can using the options Firefox provides out-of-the-box.

First to go: the status bar. While I know there are reasons to leave it visible, it's not really necessary for the bulk of the web browsing most of us do, and those are valuable pixels we can save. Next, head over to the toolbar menu click on customize. Switching from the default large to small icons will provide another small gain.

Now let's get rid of the bookmarks toolbar.

If you're not using an online bookmarking service yet, owning a netbook is a good reason to start. By using Google bookmarks and installing the GMarks addon, you're able to sneak all your favorites into the top main navigation toolbar. After you've installed GMarks, go back to toolbar customization and drag the GMarks Toolbar star onto the bar wherever you prefer it.

Tags: eee, firefox, minimalism, msi wind, MsiWind, netbook, umpc

Filed under: Photo, Macintosh, How-Tos, iPhone

How-To: Take iPhone or iPod Touch screenshots!

by Jay Hathaway Jul 16th 2008

If you've been following the new iTunes app store, you might be wondering how all those screenshots got there. Some people seem to think you need to run an iPhone simulator or install an app to create them, but there's actually a built-in way to do it right on your phone or pod. We thought this would be a good time to go over it.

Step 1: Briefly hold down the power button on the top of your device. While it's down, press the ... uhh, well, the only other button these things have. The one on the front. And that's all! Your screen should flash momentarily, and your screenshot should be saved in a new folder under Photos.

Appropriately, it's called Saved Photos. When you want to get your photos from your iPhone/iPod to your Mac, without having to mess around with syncing in iTunes, you can just pop open Image Capture -- it comes standard with OS X -- and pick the ones you want.

Tags: camera, iPhone, iPod, photo, screenshot

Filed under: Internet, OS Updates, Utilities, Features, Windows, Office, Shareware, Freeware, Open Source, How-Tos

HELP! Windows cannot open this file

by Alan Silcott Jun 20th 2008

Can not open dialog

You've just downloaded that must have program only to realize that Windows has no idea what to do with it. After an hour of Google searching, forum posting, and being called n00b, you finally figure it out.

If only there was a guide that showed you how to get all those needed programs. We at Download Squad feel your pain and have put together a list of 10 free programs that will take care of those pesky "Windows cannot open this file" messages once and for all.

Note: See a blatant omission or oversight? Please add it to the comments. With your help, we hope to re-post a more complete list the future.

K-Lite codec pack

File Types: DivX, XviD, AVI, Mpeg 1-4, AC3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, FLV, OGG, VOB, and tons you've never heard of.

Description: Why there are 85,000,000 different audio and video types we have no idea. What we do know is trying to install codecs one at a time generally ends in a reformat.

Thankfully, the good people from K-Lite (Koors Lite?) have bundled all the software and codecs you need into one executable. Cheers!
Real Alternative and QuickTime Alternative

File Types: RM, RA, RAM, RPM, RMVB, RPX, SMI, SMIL, RT, RP, MOV, QT, 3GP

Description: Before the days of Youtube, the Real Player and QuickTime were kings of Internet multimedia. Sure you had to deal with popups, reminders, updates, and bloatware, but that 1" video was so worth it.

Fortunately, the Real and Quicktime Alternatives removed the real in Real Player and restored the quick to QuickTime. Enjoy your 1" video!

Tags: codecs, extension, freeware, shareware, tools, tweet-this, utilities, windows

Civiballs is a beautiful, soothing physics puzzle Time Waster

I have an absolute weakness for physics games, and while Civiballs isn't the strongest physics-based game, what it lacks in the physics department it makes up for a few times over in style and fun.

In Civiballs, you are presented with a few colored balls, and your goal is to get those balls into the same-colored urn on the level. The "civi" part of Civiballs is that there are 3 sets of levels to play, each representing a different civilization. While the civilization doesn't affect gameplay, the artwork for each level is beautifully themed to it's appropriate era.

To play the game, you are given only one tool - a sword with which to cut the chains that are holding the balls. The puzzle part of the game is in figuring out what order, and with what timing to cut each chain. Do it right, and all the right balls end up in the right urns, with no stray balls entering an urn (a no-no). Do it wrong, and you get to start over again.

Civiballs is not terribly deep on gameplay; the entire game can be completed in about 15 minutes. But if you enjoy this type of game, it will be a very enjoyable 15 minutes.

View more Time Wasters