How To Prevent Windows Users From Using Shutdown Option

Sometimes, due to some of your constantly running application you do not want to shut down your computer for many days. Now if you are sharing that computer with your friends then there are chances that even after telling them they might shutdown your computer accidentally. But we have a solution for this with the help of which you can disable the option of Shutdown, Hibernate, Restart and Sleep in Start Menu. These options will disappear if they have not logged into administrator account.

We are mentioning about any tool, rather we will tell you that how you can disable the option by yourself from your Windows OS only. Just follow the steps mentioned below and then you will be able to do the needful.

Step 1
Go to Start Menu and in the search text filed type ‘mmc’ as mentioned in the snapshot below.

Step 2
Now, you can see an application window, wherein you will have to go to File and click ‘Add/Remove Snap-in’ as mentioned and highlighted in the snapshot below.

Step 3
Another window will be opened and then you can see an option named ‘Group Policy Object’, add it to the right column for the selected Snap-in (necessary button have been highlighted).

Step 4
Now another window will appear and there you can rename the Group Policy Object. Click browse to allocate this policy to a certain type of profiles.

Step 5
Now another window will appear and there you will have to press User tab to select the type of users. You can choose ‘Non-Administrator; type and then click ‘OK’ on both the windows (the one in which you are currently working and the previous one of Local Computer).

Step 6
Now you will reach back to the Console Window, where on left side pan you are supposed to navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar, this has been highlighted in the snapshot also.

Step 7
Now under this folder choose an option named Remove and Prevent Access to Shutdown, Hibernate, Restart and Sleep.

Step 8
Now on the right side column, select the ‘More Options’ under ‘Remove and prevent access to’ and then click ‘Edit Option’ as highlighted below in the screenshot.

Step 9
Now another window will be opened, where you will just have to enable this feature and then click OK.

That’s now when any Non-admin user will open the start Mau then he or she will not found any option to shut down your computer.

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Koala 1.0: Windows USB

Koala 1.0: Windows USB

We’re pleased to announce the birth of a new tool powered by Freemodding.it, the name is Koala.
Koala is a new software with a clear aim: to make as easy as possible the installation of new Windows Operating Systems on machines without an optical drive, for instance a net-book or a net-top.
The net-book phenomenon has exploded in the last years, machines with low purchase price and performance levels more than adequate for daily tasks and more, and it have undoubtedly helped to spread such products on a worldwide  level.
With the philosophy of low cost and small size, all these systems are provided without an optical drive: this hinders a bit the novice user wishing to update his or her net-book with one of the latest version of Windows, usually distributed on DVDs. The same argument can be applied to any other compact machine, like a net-top or a server.

Koala helps you to solve the problem in a easy way, thanks to its simple and clean interface:  with just a small number of steps the program will make for you an auto-bootable USB  thumb drive that will allow you to install the Operating System on your machine, all without the typical annoyance of  half-functioning  tools or complicate commands in a command prompt: Koala will handle everything for you!

To use Koala, you only need to meet the following requirements:

• A Computer equipped with one of the following Windows Operating Systems: 2000 Professional or Server, XP, Vista, 7, Server 2003, Server 2008, Server 2008 R2
• .Net Framework 2.0 Runtime
• An installation DVD of one of the following Windows Operating Systems: Vista, 7, Server 2008 or Server 2008 R2 (if you are a Technet, MSDN or MSDN-AA subscriber and you have the ISO file, you’ll just need an ISO mounting software like SlySoft Virtual CloneDrive)
• A USB thumb drive with a total capacity equal or greater than 4GB

You’ll just need to follow these simple steps to get your USB thumb-drive installer:
Step 1: Run the program
Step 2: Insert the thumb-drive and the installation DVD, then scan to find source…

… and destination drives

Step 3: Start the procedure

Step 4: Wait for the software to complete the whole procedure. The thumb-drive creation process could take from 6 to 10 minutes on a good-speed thumb-drive like a Kingston DataTraveler  USB 2.0. The time will depend on some factors, like the Operating System version chosen as source and the USB thumb-drive performances.

Step 5: remove the USB thumb-drive from your PC

Doing these 5 easy steps, you will be able to install your copy of Windows using the USB thumb-drive you just made
You will, of course, have to pay attention about the boot devices order in the BIOS configuration menu of the machine on which you will perform the installation.
Finally, the tool is available in six languages (English, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Arabic and Russian)
License:
The software is provided  with a FREEWARE license. You are granted the permission to make as many copies of the software as you wish, and distribute them in any storage media or with any digital distribution method, provided that you keep the copyright information and ownership of the tool unchanged.
To use the software, you must agree to the following License (shown the first time you run the software):

END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR KOALA

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE CONTINUING WITH THIS PROGRAM INSTALL:

KOALA End-User License Agreement ("EULA") is a legal agreement between you (either an individual or a single entity) and the Author (Domenico Cuzzocrea) for the KOALA software product(s) identified above which may include associated software components, media, printed materials,and "online" or electronic documentation ("SOFTWARE PRODUCT"). By installing, copying, or otherwise using the SOFTWARE PRODUCT, you agree to be bound by the terms of this EULA. This license agreement represents the entire agreement concerning the program between you and the Author, (referred to as "licenser"), and it supersedes any prior proposal, representation, or understanding between the parties. If you do not agree to the terms of this EULA, do not install or use the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.
The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed, not sold.

  1. GRANT OF LICENSE.
  The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is licensed as follows:
    (a) Installation and Use.
      You have the right to install and use as many copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT on your computer as you wish, without any limitation of that kind.
      For using this software, you must be in possess of a validly licensed copy of the operating system for which the SOFTWARE PRODUCT was designed [e.g., Windows 95, Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows Vista, Windows 7].
  2. DESCRIPTION OF OTHER RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS.
    (a) Maintenance of Copyright Notices.
      You must not remove or alter any copyright notices on any and all copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.
    (b) Distribution.
      You can make and distribute copies of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT to third parties in any media or form (website, CD/DVD, usb thumb drive, ftp, etc), as long as you include a reference (in the form of text files, hyperlink, text message or any other form) that points to the www.freemodding.it website. Original versions available for download from www.feemodding.it website can be freely distributed with this condition.
    (c) Prohibition on Reverse Engineering, Decompilation, and Disassembly.
      You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the SOFTWARE PRODUCT in any manner.
    (d) Rental.
      You may not rent, lease, or sell the SOFTWARE PRODUCT.
    (e) Compliance with Applicable Laws.
      You must comply with all applicable laws regarding use of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT. This SOFTWARE PRODUCTS is a FREEWARE, so it is not required any monetary compensation for its use.
  3. COPYRIGHT
    All title, including but not limited to copyrights, in and to the SOFTWARE PRODUCT and any copies thereof are owned by the Author or its suppliers.
  4. NO WARRANTIES
    the Author expressly disclaims any warranty for the SOFTWARE PRODUCT. The SOFTWARE PRODUCT is provided 'As Is' without any express or implied warranty of any kind. The Author further expressly disclaims any warranty or representation to Authorized Users or to any third party.
  5. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
    In no event shall the Author (or its suppliers) be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, lost profits, business interruption, or lost information). In no event will the software maker be liable for loss of data for direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential (including lost profit), or other damages based in contract, tort or otherwise. the software maker shall have no liability with respect to the content of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT or any part thereof, including but not limited to errors or omissions contained therein.

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Awards:

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Mirrors:

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Replace Your Desktop With A Laptop

Replace Your Desktop With A Laptop

With the steady march of technology come lighter, more portable laptops with higher performance than ever before. Processors are advanced enough on almost any laptop to consider completely doing away with your desktop PC altogether.
For the gamers out there, laptops have always been too slow and too far behind the technological bandwagon to consider replacing your gaming computer with one. Now, however, laptops are being designed with the gamer in mind with faster processors, bigger screens, and high end graphics.
For the student going off to school, a small, lightweight laptop means that you can take your laptop to class with you to take notes as fast as you can type (which is often a lot faster than you can write), and be sure that they will always be legible. Additionally, laptops can have planner features to help you remember when that next assignment is due, and you will never lose your notes or keep them in a disorganized pile. Even if the rest of your life is a little hectic, keeping a laptop as your new PC can help your grades considerably.
If you decide that it is worth the investment to be able to bring your laptop to work and home with you, technology is allowing for easy set-up of your laptop with a docking station that makes time-consuming plugs a thing of the past.
There are so many benefits to consider to using a laptop as your new desktop computer. These include:
1) having your work with you at all times
2) creating far more desk and floor space now that your huge tower and monitor are gone
3) the ability to work from any location with a wireless network set up
With the only negative aspects being: if you feel the need to have the most modern technology available, you will find it difficult to upgrade many laptops, and laptops are more expensive than a desktop because of the size and convenience.
Laptops for the Businessperson:
• Dell Latitude D820
• Acer TravelMate 4650
• HP Compaq nx9420 (2.16GHz, 1GB RAM)
• Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch)
The Dell laptop is an excellent business portable, and is priced around fifteen hundred dollars. It is one of the highest rated laptops for replacement of a PC, and the reviews call it perfect for the modern businessperson.
The Acer TravelMate is a great value for the price. It has a good battery life and nice processing power with all the features a home-office user will need. The Acer costs around twelve hundred dollars, making it the least expensive laptop on this list.
The third laptop, the HP Compaq, offers corporate caliber security according to the reviews, and has a nicely sized seventeen-inch screen for ease of use for those of us who stare at computer screens all day. This model is a lot more expensive, though, running between two thousand and twenty-two hundred dollars.
Last on our list, the Apple PowerBook delivers the features and power that most users require, but at two thousand dollars is more expensive than comparable Windows laptop. Still, it is a good option for replacing your bulky desktop PC.
Laptops for the Gamer:
• Dell XPS M1710
• Toshiba Satellite P105-S921
• Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513
• HP Pavilion zd8000
Hard core gamers will appreciate the Dell XPS, which will play the newest games at the highest settings. Running at thirty-four hundred dollars, though, this laptop does not come cheap. With all the technology packed into this case, it will at least be a long time before you need an upgrade.
The Toshiba Satellite offers lots of features for an affordable price, but will not play the most intensive games at their highest performance levels. This is still a wonderful machine, and will cost about two thousand dollars.
The Toshiba Qosmio is designed to deliver the most high-quality multimedia experience available in a laptop. The Qosmio combines TV, DVR, stereo, DVD player, and high-performance PC in one big laptop. Replace your entire entertainment system (except maybe the speakers) for anywhere from fourteen hundred to twenty-four hundred. It seems like shopping around for this model might be well in your best interests.
The HP Pavilion's price is a relief at only twelve hundred dollars, is powerful and can play many of the newer games, if not quite the newest according to reviews.
Accessories to Consider
These laptops are all wonderful replacements for the bulky desktop computer sitting in your home office right now. There are just a few more things you need to make your laptop absolutely perfect for your office or game room.
When you go on the road all you need is your laptop and power cable, but when you bring your computer back home, you might feel more comfortable using an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor. The hook-ups for these can be painful if you have to do it frequently, but a docking port takes away the stress by mirroring all the ports, plugs, and slots on your laptop.
The first accessory that everyone should consider is a docking port. Especially wonderful for business users, these ports hook up to your printer, scanner, keyboard, monitor, mouse, network cables, power source, and any other gadgets you need them to. Instead of connecting a dozen or more wires and cables every time you move your laptop, push the laptop into the docking port and one little connection brings you back online with everything you need.
The rest of the accessories suggested here are just options, so we'll be brief. An external mouse, keyboard, and monitor might make you more comfortable at your desk, and a joystick or controller of another sort might be essential to the hardcore gamers.
No matter what you are considering your new laptop for, replacing your space-eating desktop PC is a move that you will never regret. Your new laptop will be portable, powerful, and just more fun because of all the things you can do with it. Save yourself some time and effort and consider replacing your PC with a laptop.

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How to Protect Your Child When Using the Internet

Are you the parent of a child or a teen who uses the internet?  If so, you likely already know that the internet can be a dangerous place for a child, especially if your child uses online chat rooms or social networking websites.  For that reason, there are a number of steps that you, as a parent, will want to take to protect your child when they use the internet.
The first step that you should take, to help keep your child safe online, is to know as much as you can about computers and the internet.  Did you know that there are ways for you to see which websites have been visited on a computer?  Did you know that some computers already have parental controls installed on them that just need to be set?  You can only benefit from these tools that can help to protect your child if you know that they do exist.
Speaking of parental controls, be sure to know what your computer has.  If you have an older model computer, you may benefit from purchasing additional software programs.  These programs can easily be found for sale online or in most media or office supply stores.  As for the programs that may already be on your computer, open up a new Internet Explorer window.  From the main headings at the top of the page, click on “Tools,” and then “Internet Options.”  A new window will appear; highlight the “Content,” tab and right away you will see an option that lets you block certain content from showing on a computer.
In keeping with parental controls, don’t give into a child who complains about them being used.  If you create a password to override these controls, which you may need if your whole family shares a computer, that password can also be used for your teenager.  Don’t give them the password though.  Use it to unblock certain sites that they ask and you first approve.
Another easy way that you can protect your child when they use the internet is to have the computer in a frequently traveled room.  You can also limit the use of certain websites, like social networking websites or internet chat rooms.  Make them only available when you are home or in the same room.  If your child has their own computer, like a laptop that they can take anywhere with them, be sure to check the internet history of their computer randomly every week or so.
Speaking of which, do not let your child have their own login information.  When you first turn on a computer, you often see a button that says someone’s name.  Many families use one standard account.  Your child can easily create their own.  If they do, do not let them have their own password.  This can make it difficult or impossible for you to examine their online activities.  Having you checkup on their online activities may not be something that your teen likes, but you likely purchased the computer and you, as the parent, have the right to check.
As it was previously stated, you will want to check the internet history of a child who has their own computer or if your child uses the family computer when you are not home.  If you have Internet Explorer, which most computers do, open a new internet window.  Towards the top of the page, you will see a menu bar with a number of pictured icons.  You can check the history of a computer by clicking on the icon with a clock and a small green arrow.  This should tell you which websites your teenager has been viewing online.
Finally, it is important that you talk with your teenager about the dangers of using the internet, namely social networking websites or internet chat rooms.  Teach them what to do if they are harassed online or approached by an internet predator.  Make sure they know not to erase the information, but rather to save it or show it to you right away, especially if you decide to contact your local police department.

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How To Improve Speed Of Windows File Copying

If you copy a lot of data in your computer between two location or from your computer to an external drive and you are tired of waiting due to the slow speed windows offers to transfer the files. Then I have a tool WinMend File Copy, that will help you to copy the files faster than Windows. This tool will help you to copy the files 300% faster than windows copy engine. This tool is very useful large batch file transfers. This tool copies files three times faster than the windows copy engine. At the end of the transfer it displays the list of files that failed to copy. The tool is available in four languages i.e. English, Farsi, Vietnamese, Russian and many more.

This is the main window that opens up when you open up the software, now before going to the technical side  let me me tell you some basic functionalities of this software the red arrow on the top right hand corner of the window points to a color palette. The colors  in this palette are green, red, yellow, blue and black. Simply by clicking on any of these colors the theme of the tool will change accordingly.  The green arrow at the bottom right corner of the window points to a button which says Language, English is selected by default. You can modify the the language by clicking on the button which says English and a whole list of languages window will pop out and you can select any language you want in this window.

Now coming to the technical side by default the first tab File Copy will be selected the above windows has a button that is pointed by a yellow arrow which is used to add files to be transferred. The button pointed out by blue arrow is used to add folders to be transferred. The button with the minus sign is used to delete a selected file or a folder. The button with a cross sign is used to clear the list of all the selected files and folders. Destination Path is the path where you want the files and folders to be copied. There is a slider which says Buffer Size which can be increased or decreased, it should be kept to maximum for optimum performance.

The Dropdown shown above has three options you can chose the option that suits your need. Now you can press copy to start the process.

 

This is the window that you will get after you press on Copy button. This window provides you the features to pause the transfer, Resume the transfer and Stop the transfer. It also shows you the progress bar of the process. After the copy is done it will show you a success message or else you will get the errors for the different files accordingly. One more tool is there that can also be used if are looking to transfer a large number of files MariusSoft Mass File Mover.

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Guide To Install Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Update With Offline Installer

Windows 7 is one of the most popular version of Windows we have seen and it happened to be one of the most stable, secure and well features Windows OS as well. Microsoft has recently released the official service pack for the Windows 7, called the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or SP1. In simple language, service pack is a set of Windows updates which is designed to update your computer’s OS with all the required safety, features and functionality updates.

Windows 7 Service pack 1 or SP1 contains all the Windows 7 updates released till date to keep your Windows PC up to date. Installing SP1 will help you prevent any security, functionality or compatibility related issues which you might be facing because of not having updated your Windows OS software.

In this post, We will share with your three methods to upgrade to Windows 7 SP1 – Via Windows Update, Online Installer and Offline Installer.

Installing Windows 7 SP1 Using Windows Update

To install Windows 7 SP1 via Windows Update, simply open Control Panel > Windows Update and click on the link “Important updates”

On this page, make sure that Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is selected and click ok.

Now click the Install updates button and it will take care of the rest of the procedure, it will download the required components of Windows 7 SP1 and will automatically install and re-start your Windows 7 PC. This is the easiest and fastest way of installing Windows SP1.

Installing Windows 7 SP1 via Online Update and Validation

If you don’t want to update via Windows Update or facing some error or problems in installing Windows 7 SP1 via Windows Update, then you can follow these simple steps:

1 Go to Microsoft Download Center for Windows 7 SP1. On this page you will see a validation section, click continue for validating your Windows 7. This is required to make sure that you have a Genuine Copy of Windows 7 eligible for updates.

This will download a tool called GenuineCheck.exe on your computer, you need to run this tool and fill in the validation code generated by this tool.

From this download page, you can download the following files :

• 7601.17514.101119-1850_Update_Sp_Wave1-GRMSP1.1_DVD.iso – This DVD image contains standalone update for all architectures
• windows6.1-KB976932-X86.exe – This application installs Sp1 to a 32-bit machine running Windows 7
• windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe – This application installs Sp1 to a 64-bit machine running Windows 7

Download and save the applicable file to disk and run the installer to install SP1. If you want to check whether your Windows 7 is 32 bit or 64 bit, just go to Control Panel > System and check the details of your Windows OS there as shown in below example:

Installing Windows 7 SP1 via Offline Installer

For PCs which might not be connected to Internet, e.g PCs inside a Lab only on local network or home PC without Internet connection, you can use either the files download in the above step, copy to a pen drive and use it to install it offline on such Windows 7  PCs. Alternatively, you can download Windows 7 SP1 from the Windows 7 SP1 direct download links to offline installers given below and copy them to a pen drive or disk and install on the offline PC.

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