Saturday, October 2, 2010

Friday, March 5, 2010

Expiration of the Windows 7 RC

On February 15th, people still running the Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) will receive a notification reminding them that starting March 1st, 2010, their PC will begin experiencing bi-hourly shutdowns. These shutdowns will continue through June 1st, 2010.

On June 1st, 2010, a non-genuine experience is triggered where your wallpaper is removed and “This copy of Windows is not genuine” will be displayed in the lower right corner above the taskbar. This means your PC will no longer be able to obtain optional updates or downloads that require genuine Windows validation.

To avoid any data loss, I suggest making plans to move to a released version of Windows 7 before the automatic shutdowns start. During these shutdowns, your work will not be saved.

Remember, pre-release versions of Windows are unsupported. For more information on the expiration of the Windows 7 RC, see this KB article.

To move to a released version of Windows 7, you’ll need to do a custom (clean) install to replace the installation of the Windows 7 RC. I suggest install, reinstall, uninstall Windows page on Windows.com which covers all kinds of installation scenarios.

Do you need more time to test your application and hardware compatibility in Windows 7? If so, the Windows 7 Enterprise 90-day Trial provides a great opportunity for IT Pros to finish critical testing with a full version of Windows 7 Enterprise.

If you’re an IT Pro ready to move to Windows 7, I suggest visiting the Springboard Series on TechNet which provides the latest tools, whitepapers, walkthroughs and tips and tricks to help you with your Windows 7 Deployment. On the Springboard Series on TechNet, you’ll find resources such as Deploying Windows 7 from A to Z and Installing Windows 7 on an Existing XP PC. You can visit the Window 7 TechNet Forum for more information as well!

-source : http://alturl.com/ny4c

Friday, February 12, 2010

Windows 7 Canada Wallpapers

(Sunset at Moraine Lake, Banff National Park-Coucher de soleil sur le lac Moraine, parc national Banff, Alberta)

(Lady Evelyn Falls-Chutes Lady Evelyn, Northwest Territories-Territoires du Nord-Ouest)

(Boats at Curme Islands, Desolation Sound Embarcations près des îles Curme, baie Desolation, British ColumbiaColombie-Britannique)




(windows7news.com)

Monday, February 8, 2010

Windows 7 Australia Wallpapers and backgrounds

(Nambung National Park, West Australia)


(Lasseter Highway, Northern Territory, Australia)


(Finke River near Glen Helen, West Macdonnell Range, Northern Territory, Australia)

Sunday, February 7, 2010

How to create a theme for windows 7

the format of Theme (.theme) files used in Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. A .theme file is a .ini text file that is divided into sections, which specify visual elements that appear on a Microsoft Windows desktop. Section names are wrapped in brackets ([]) in the .ini file.




Windows 7 supports new features including the Desktop Background Slide Show. Unrecognized sections of .theme files are ignored by previous versions of the operating system. A new file format, .themepack, has also been introduced with Windows 7 to help users share themes. Themes can be selected in the Personalization Control Panel only in Windows 7 Home Premium or higher, or only on Windows Server 2008 R2 when the Desktop component is installed.

 

Creating a Theme File

A .theme file enables you to change the appearance of certain desktop elements. You can create or modify a .theme file in two ways:
  • Modify personalization or display settings in Control Panel and save the settings as a .theme file. See your Windows Help for instructions.
  • Create a .theme file manually for a greater level of control over the details of your theme.
To make your theme available to other users, you must supply your .theme file, as well as the background picture, screen saver, and icons files. You can do this with a theme pack.

Description of a Theme File

Theme files have a number of required and optional sections. The following describe the sections of .theme files and provide examples of how to specify changes for the different elements.

[Theme] Section

Note  This section is optional. If you do not include this section in your .theme file, the system uses default settings.
The [Theme] section identifies the name of your custom theme and specifies your theme's brand logo and desktop icons.
The first part of the [Theme] section contains the following two elements:
ElementDescription
DisplayName=name
or
DisplayName=@module,-stringId
example: DisplayName=@themeui.dll,-2013
DisplayName is the theme name that will show up in the Personalization Control Panel. It can be a string or a reference to a localized name.
This field is optional. If it is missing, the theme filename is used as the theme name.
BrandImage=path to image
example: BrandImage=c:\Fabrikam\brand.png
Windows 7
BrandImage specifies the path to a branded graphic file that is incorporated in the theme preview in the Personalization Control Panel.
The icon graphic must be a PNG file. The graphic is scaled to 80x240 pixels, so it is recommended that you provide an image of that size. The Theme gallery respects the transparent regions of your brand icon.
This field is optional. If it is missing, no logo is displayed as the theme icon.
The rest of the [Theme] section specifies custom icons for desktop features like Computer, My Documents, Network, and Recycle Bin. If you do not specify custom desktop icons, the desktop displays the system default desktop icons.
The following are two examples of how a .theme file sets the Computer icon.
The following are values for the default desktop icons in Windows 7.

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[CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%ProgramFiles%\Fabrikam\Computer.ico


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; Computer
[CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%ProgramFiles%\Fabrikam\MyApp.exe,0


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; Computer
[CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-109

; Documents
[CLSID\{59031A47-3F72-44A7-89C5-5595FE6B30EE}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,-235

; Network
[CLSID\{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-25

; Recycle Bin
[CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon]
Full=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-54
Empty=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-55

[Control Panel\Colors] Section

Note  This section is optional. If you do not include this section in your .theme file, the system uses default settings. If your theme uses the Aero visual style, you should avoid overriding the default values in this section.
The color of elements, such as scrollbars, text, and buttons, are customizable. The .theme file specifies the RGB values to change for these elements. The values override the default values of the visual style and are used when your theme is based on Windows Classic, Windows 7 Basic, or High Contrast themes.
Following is an example of how colors are set.


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[Control Panel\Colors]
ActiveTitle=10 36 106
Background=166 202 240
Hilight=10 36 106
HilightText=255 255 255
TitleText=255 255 255
Window=255 255 255
WindowText=0 0 0
Scrollbar=212 208 200
InactiveTitle=128 128 128
Menu=212 208 200
WindowFrame=0 0 0
MenuText=0 0 0
ActiveBorder=212 208 200
InactiveBorder=212 208 200
AppWorkspace=128 128 128
ButtonFace=212 208 200
ButtonShadow=128 128 128
GrayText=128 128 128
ButtonText=0 0 0
InactiveTitleText=212 208 200
ButtonHilight=255 255 255
ButtonDkShadow=64 64 64
ButtonLight=212 208 200
InfoText=0 0 0
InfoWindow=255 255 225
GradientActiveTitle=166 202 240
GradientInactiveTitle=192 192 192

[Control Panel\Cursors] Section

Note  This section is optional. If you do not include this section in your .theme file, the system uses default cursors.
A theme can also change the appearance of cursors. To do so, you create .cur files to replace the default Windows cursors. The following example is from a .theme file that defines the cursors for a theme called Sports.


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[Control Panel\Cursors]
Arrow=%SystemRoot%\sports_arrow.cur
Help=%SystemRoot%\sports_help.cur
AppStarting=%SystemRoot%\sports_wait.ani
Wait=%SystemRoot%\sports_busy.ani
NWPen=%SystemRoot%\sports_pen.cur
No=%SystemRoot%\sports_no.cur
SizeNS=%SystemRoot%\sports_size_ns.cur
SizeWE=%SystemRoot%\sports_size_we.cur
Crosshair=%SystemRoot%\sports_cross.cur
IBeam=%SystemRoot%\sports_beam.cur
SizeNWSE=%SystemRoot%\sports_size_nwse.cur
SizeNESW=%SystemRoot%\sports_size_nesw.cur
SizeAll=%SystemRoot%\sports_move.cur
UpArrow=%SystemRoot%\sports_up.cur
DefaultValue=Windows default

[Control Panel\Desktop] Section

Note  This section is required. If you do not include this section in your .theme file, the system ignores your Theme and does not display the Theme in Control Panel.
You can create a custom desktop background and specify a path to the image file. The following example shows how to modify the desktop appearance.


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[Control Panel\Desktop]
Wallpaper=%WinDir%\web\wallpaper\Windows\img0.jpg
; The path to the wallpaper picture can point to a 
; .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .png, or .tif file.

TileWallpaper=0
; 0: The wallpaper picture should not be tiled 
; 1: The wallpaper picture should be tiled 

WallpaperStyle=2
; 0:  The image is centered if TileWallpaper=0 or tiled if TileWallpaper=1
; 2:  The image is stretched to fill the screen
; 6:  The image is resized to fit the screen while maintaining the aspect 
      ratio. (Windows 7 and later)
; 10: The image is resized and cropped to fill the screen while maintaining 
      the aspect ratio. (Windows 7 and later)

[Slideshow] Section

Windows 7 and later.
Note  This section is optional. If you do not include this section in your .theme file, the system uses the desktop background image specified in the [Control Panel\Desktop] section. If you include this section, you must specify slide show settings here.
Your theme's background can be a slide show either of images stored locally or of images served by an RSS feed. The [Slideshow] section of the file contains the following attributes:
AttributeDescription
Interval=number of millisecondsRequired. Interval is a number that determines how often the background changes. It is measured in milliseconds.
Shuffle=0 or 1Required. Shuffle identifies whether the background shuffles.
0 = Disabled
1 = Enabled
RSSFeed=URL to RSS feedRequired if ImagesRootPath is not specified. RSSFeed specifies an RSS feed to use as the background slide show. For the feed to work, you need to reference high-resolution images adhering to the "enclosures" standard used by the Windows RSS Platform. Because of this limitation, .theme files that include an RSS feed must be created manually.

Note  You cannot specify both an RSSFeed and ImagesRootPath.
ImagesRootPath=path to image folderRequired if RSSFeed is not specified. ImagesRootPath specifies a path to a set of images you want to use as the background slide show. Images in subfolders are not included in the slide show.
ImagesRootPath supports Environment Variable substitutions in the path.

Note  You cannot specify both an RSSFeed and ImagesRootPath.
ItemNPath=path(s) to specific image(s)For use with ImagesRootPath. ItemNPath specifies paths to specific images, so that you can limit the slide show to particular images instead of all images in a folder. If no paths are specified, all images in the ImagesRootPath path are used in the slide show, including images added after creating and installing the theme.
ItemNPath supports Environment Variable substitutions in the path. N is 0, 1, 2, and so on.
The following examples show how a .theme file specifies the slide show to include a set of images stored locally.


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[Slideshow]
Interval=1800000
Shuffle=1
ImagesRootPath=%SystemRoot%\Web\Wallpaper


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[Slideshow]
Interval=1800000
Shuffle=1
ImagesRootPath=%ProgramFiles%\fabrikam\wallpaper
Item0Path=%ProgramFiles%\fabrikam\wallpaper\ocean.jpg
Item1Path=%ProgramFiles%\fabrikam\wallpaper\mountain.jpg
Item2Path=%ProgramFiles%\fabrikam\wallpaper\river.jpg

The following example is a template for a .theme file that creates a desktop background slide show using images from an RSS feed. Follow these steps to customize the template:
  1. Copy the following example and paste it into a text editor.
  2. Replace {themename} with the name you want to appear in the Personalization Control Panel themes gallery.
  3. Replace {rssfeedurl} with the full path to a compatible RSS feed.
  4. Save the changes as a file with the ".theme" extension.


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[Theme]
DisplayName={themename}

[Slideshow]
Interval=1800000
Shuffle=1
RssFeed={rssfeedurl}

[Control Panel\Desktop]
TileWallpaper=0
WallpaperStyle=10
Pattern=

[Control Panel\Cursors]
AppStarting=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_working.ani
Arrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_arrow.cur
Crosshair=
Hand=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_link.cur
Help=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_helpsel.cur
IBeam=
No=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_unavail.cur
NWPen=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_pen.cur
SizeAll=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_move.cur
SizeNESW=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nesw.cur
SizeNS=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ns.cur
SizeNWSE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_nwse.cur
SizeWE=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_ew.cur
UpArrow=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_up.cur
Wait=%SystemRoot%\cursors\aero_busy.ani
DefaultValue=Windows Aero
Link=

[VisualStyles]
Path=%SystemRoot%\resources\themes\Aero\Aero.msstyles
ColorStyle=NormalColor
Size=NormalSize
ColorizationColor=0X6B74B8FC
Transparency=1

[MasterThemeSelector]
MTSM=DABJDKT

[Metrics] Section

Note  This section is optional. If you do not include this section in your .theme file, the system uses default visual style settings.
You can specify system metrics in a .theme file. System metrics are the dimensions of various display elements, such as the window border width, icon height, or scrollbar width. The NonclientMetrics and IconMetrics values are binary structures defined by NONCLIENTMETRICS and ICONMETRICS in winuser.h. Following is an example of how to change system metrics.


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[Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]

[Metrics]
IconMetrics=76 0 0 0 139 0 0 0 139 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 245
255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 84 97 104 111 109 97 0 119 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 216
31 7 0 28 52 1 1 216 31 7 0 176 36 1 1 
NonclientMetrics=84 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 16 0 0 0 18
0 0 0 18 0 0 0 245 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
188 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 97 104 111 109 97 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 0 0 0
15 0 0 0 245 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 188 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 97 104 111 109 97 0 0 80 37 11
0 0 0 0 0 140 221 6 0 227 115 247 119 2 40 11 0 7 0 0
0 18 0 0 0 18 0 0 0 245 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 144 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 97 104 111 109 97 0
0 0 0 0 0 60 222 6 0 50 71 252 119 120 1 7 0 76 73 252
119 8 6 7 0 245 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
144 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 97 104 111 109 97 0 119 0
0 7 0 120 1 7 0 120 1 7 0 40 37 11 0 120 1 7 0 120 1 7
0 245 255 255 255 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 144 1 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 84 97 104 111 109 97 0 0 92 1 0 0 136 4
0 0 40 37 1 1 0 0 7 0 184 221 6 0 46 75 232 119 

[Visual Styles] Section

Note  This section is required. If you do not include this section in your .theme file, the system ignores your Theme and does not display the Theme in Control Panel.
You can supply specific information concerning the size and color of desktop elements in .mstheme files. The color and size sections of .theme files can be replaced by .mstheme files which enable you to modify desktop elements in more detail. These files are specified in the visual styles section of a .theme file. Following is an example of a visual styles section.


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[VisualStyles]
Path=%ResourceDir%\Themes\Aero\Aero.msstyles
ColorStyle=NormalColor
Size=NormalSize

Adding a Path element to a .msstyles file is optional. If you supply a path, you should remove the metrics and color sections from the .theme file. When these sections are removed, the colors, fonts, and sizes for a theme come from the .msstyles file and match the .msstyles author's intent. Failing to remove the metric and color sections can cause Windows or applications to have drawing problems.
Windows Vista / Windows 7: When the path points to Aero.msstyles, you can specify the desired Glass Color, as shown in the following example.
Windows 7: When the path points to Aero.msstyles, you can also specify the desired Transparency value, as shown in the following example.


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[VisualStyles]
Path=%SystemRoot%\resources\Themes\Aero\Aero.msstyles
ColorStyle=NormalColor
Size=NormalSize
ColorizationColor=0X7298844C
Transparency=1

If the ColorizationColor and Transparency values exactly match a system color, the Personalization Control Panel displays the system name for the color. Otherwise, the color is labeled "Custom."
The following shows a VisualStyles section for the Windows 7 Basic theme.


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[VisualStyles]
Path=%ResourceDir%\Themes\Aero\Aero.msstyles
Composition=0
ColorStyle=NormalColor
Size=NormalSize
ColorizationColor=0x6B74B8FC
Transparency=1

The following shows a VisualStyles section for the Windows Classic theme.


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[VisualStyles]
Path=
ColorStyle=@themeui.dll,-854
Size=@themeui.dll,-2019
Transparency=0

The following shows a VisualStyles section for a High Contrast Black theme.


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[VisualStyles]
Path=
ColorStyle=@themeui.dll,-852
Size=@themeui.dll,-2019
Transparency=0

[Sounds] and [AppEvents] Sections (Sounds)

Note  This section is optional. If you do not include this section in your .theme file, the system uses default sound settings.
The user can select the Sounds icon in Control Panel to associate sounds with events that occur in applications. For example, a .wav file can play when an application is opened. A .theme file can specify .wav files to replace the default ones. The following example shows how to do this.


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[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemExclamation]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\chord.wav

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemExit]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\tada.wav

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemHand]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\chord.wav

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemQuestion]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\chord.wav

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemStart]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\The Microsoft Sound.wav

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\Explorer\EmptyRecycleBin]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\ding.wav

Windows 7 and later: A sound scheme name can be specified instead of listing each sound separately.


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[Sounds]
; "Quirky" sound scheme
SchemeName=@%SystemRoot%\System32\mmres.dll,-819

The SchemeName value specifies the sound scheme name or the localized sound scheme name, as shown in the example above.

[Boot] Section

Note  This section is optional. If you do not include this section in your .theme file, no screen saver is used.
In the .theme file, you can specify the screen saver for Windows to use. The following example shows this.


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[boot]
SCRNSAVE.EXE=%WinDir%\System32\bubbles.scr

[MasterThemeSelector] Section

Note  This section is required. If you do not include this section in your .theme file, the system ignores your Theme and does not display the Theme in Control Panel.
The master theme selector section of the .theme file should always be included as a tag that indicates the file is valid. You do not have a choice of values for this parameter. The following shows this.


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[MasterThemeSelector]
MTSM=DABJDKT

Example of a Theme File

The following example shows a complete .theme file.


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[Theme]
DisplayName=My Current Theme
BrandImage=c:\Fabrikam\brand.png

; Computer
[CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-109

; Documents
[CLSID\{59031A47-3F72-44A7-89C5-5595FE6B30EE}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,-235

; Network
[CLSID\{F02C1A0D-BE21-4350-88B0-7367FC96EF3C}\DefaultIcon]
DefaultValue=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-25

; Recycle Bin
[CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon]
Full=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-54
Empty=%SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-55

[Control Panel\Cursors]
Arrow=
Help=
AppStarting=
Wait=
NWPen=
No=
SizeNS=
SizeWE=
Crosshair=
IBeam=
SizeNWSE=
SizeNESW=
SizeAll=
UpArrow=
DefaultValue=Windows default

[Control Panel\Desktop]
Wallpaper=%ProgramFiles%\fabrikam\wallpaper\ocean.jpg
TileWallpaper=0
WallpaperStyle=2
Pattern=
ScreenSaveActive=0

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\.Default]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\ding.wav

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\AppGPFault]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\Maximize]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\MenuCommand]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\MenuPopup]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\Minimize]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\Open]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\RestoreDown]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\RestoreUp]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\RingIn]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\Ringout]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemAsterisk]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\chord.wav

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemDefault]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemExclamation]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\chord.wav

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemExit]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemHand]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\chord.wav

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemQuestion]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\chord.wav

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\SystemStart]
DefaultValue=

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\Explorer\EmptyRecycleBin]
DefaultValue=%WinDir%\media\ding.wav

[AppEvents\Schemes\Apps\.Default\Close]
DefaultValue=

[Slideshow]
Interval=1800000
Shuffle=1
ImagesRootPath=%ProgramFiles%\fabrikam\wallpaper
Item0Path=%ProgramFiles%\fabrikam\wallpaper\ocean.jpg
Item1Path=%ProgramFiles%\fabrikam\wallpaper\mountain.jpg
Item2Path=%ProgramFiles%\fabrikam\wallpaper\river.jpg

[boot]
SCRNSAVE.EXE=%WinDir%\System32\bubbles.scr

[MasterThemeSelector]
MTSM=DABJDKT
ThemeColorBPP=4

[VisualStyles]
Path=%SystemRoot%\resources\Themes\Aero\Aero.msstyles
ColorStyle=NormalColor
Size=NormalSize
ColorizationColor=0x856E3BA1
Transparency=1

Installing Theme Files

When Windows is initialized, the operating system enumerates the first-level subdirectories of %WinDir%\Resources\ to identify available themes.
A .theme file has file associations; therefore, theme installer applications can call ShellExecute on a .theme file to open the Display (Windows XP) or Personalization (Windows Vista or Windows 7) window in Control Panel to the specified theme.

Theme Packs

Windows 7 and later. A theme pack is a .cab file that contains not only the .theme file but also the files needed to implement the theme on another computer, such as sound files and images. Users can create theme packs through the Personalization Control Panel.
Supported file types include the following:
File typeExtension
Theme.theme
Image.jpg, .jpeg, .bmp, .dib, .tif, .png
Sound.wav
Mouse cursor.cur, .ani
Desktop icon.ico
Brand logo.png

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Customize Windows 7 and Windows Live Messenger – for free


Take a journey to the beach, escape to the mountains, explore the city or go on a safari – while never leaving your PC. Create your own avatar for your Windows 7-powered desktop – then share it with your friends on Windows Live Messenger. Choose your destination to personalize your PC experience (Click here )

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2010 Beta

Click here to download

Event id 4616

-Event may contain :(The system time was changed.)
this is considered normal acitivity

event id 4624

-Event may contain : (An account was successfully logged on.)
this is considered a normal activity

Friday, February 5, 2010

security event 4672

- Event contain :(Special privileges assigned to new logon).

this event is considered a normal activity for the computer

Windows 7 Ferrari Theme

(windows7news.com)

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Bad days in the office ^_^










Best games for Windows 7







IT has been nearly fifteen years since the war between the orcs and humans ended. An uneasy peace settled over the land while, for years, the drums of war were silent. Yet the kingdoms of men grew complacent in their victory - and slowly, the defeated orcish clans regrouped under the banner of a new visionary leader.

Now a darker shadow has fallen over the world, threatening to extinguish all life - all hope. The drums of war play upon the winds once again - rising urgently towards the inevitable hour when the skies will rain fire - and the world will tremble before the coming of the Burning Legion.







The second in BioWare’s planned trilogy of action-RPG games set in outer space almost 200 years into the future, Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360: 96, PC: 95) finally arrived in stores this week, a little over two years after the first Mass Effect 91 captured the imagination of gamers (and sold over 2 million copies in the process).

The story-driven game revolves around the actions of the player-controlled Commander Shepard, who is sent on a mission to track down the mysterious aliens known as the Collectors, who have been causing entire human colonies to disappear. Expected to contend for the title of game of the year (despite its January release date), Mass Effect 2 is so far living up to the hype, collecting stellar reviews on the level of last year’s critical darling, Modern Warfare 2 94.




On November 10, 2009, Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 will strike worldwide. The most-anticipated game of the year and the sequel to the best-selling first-person action game of all time, Modern Warfare 2 continues the gripping and heart-racing action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse.


Game Features:
Epic single-player campaign picks up immediately following the thrilling events from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The definitive multiplayer experience returns, with a host of new perks and enhancements. New cooperative SpecOps mode, the perfect combination of Modern Warfare's single-player intensity and the addictive replayability of its multiplayer.



Need for Speed™ SHIFT is an award-winning authentic racing game that combines the true driver’s experience with real-world physics, pixel-perfect car models, and a wide range of authentic race tracks. Need for Speed SHIFT takes players in a different direction to create a simulation experience that replicates the true feeling of driving high-end performance cars.

Players are thrust into the loud, visceral, intense, athletic experience of racing a car on the edge of control from the driver’s perspective through the combination of perception based G-forces, the hyper reality of the cockpit view, and the brutal experience of a first person crash dynamic. Need for Speed SHIFT features an accurate, accessible physics-based driving model that allows you to feel every impact, every change of track surface and every last bit of grip as you push yourself to the edge.

The all-new driver profile is the ultimate extension of the true driver’s experience. This system gives each player a unique persona based on a player’s driving skill and style - aggressive or precise. Driver profile impacts how a player unlocks cars, overall career progression and online matchmaking. In Need for Speed SHIFT, how you drive is who you are behind the wheel.

Need for Speed SHIFT is being developed by Slightly Mad Studios in collaboration with Black Box and senior vice president Patrick Soderlund at EA Games Europe. Slightly Mad Studios includes developers and designers that worked on the critically acclaimed games GT Legends and GTR 2.





Description:

Defy hostile alien abductors and fight your way off of the massive Mothership Zeta, orbiting Earth miles above the Capital Wasteland. Mothership Zeta takes Fallout 3 in an entirely new direction – outer space. Meet new characters and join with them in a desperate bid to escape the Aliens’ clutches. To do so, you’ll wield powerful new weapons, like the Alien Atomizer, Alien Disintegrator, and Drone Cannon, and deck yourself out in brand new outfits, like the Gemini-Era Spacesuit and even Samurai Armor.

Story:

A strange Alien signal is being broadcast throughout the Capital Wasteland, originating from a crashed UFO. Is it a distress call, or something far more sinister? That question is answered when you find yourself beamed aboard an enormous Alien spacecraft, with only one alternative – to fight your way to the bridge of the ship and secure your escape.

Key Features:

  • Find and exploit new and destructive alien technology, like the Alien Atomizer and Drone Cannon.
  • Explore the vast Mothership and learn the secrets of the Aliens’ master plan.
  • Thwart the Aliens’ attempt to stop your escape, and take over the Alien ship before it wreaks havoc on the unsuspecting Earth below.
  • Fight against the Alien Invaders, their robot drones, and turn their own horrible experiments against them.
  • Ally yourself with an unexpected array of characters, both from the Capital Wasteland and from Earth ’s past









An advanced FIFA Soccer 10 features core gameplay refinements based on responsiveness and intelligence, plus a completely overhauled Manager Mode that includes more than 50 major improvements. These enhancements and more deliver a new standard for authenticity, as FIFA Soccer 10 continues to set the benchmark in both innovations and gameplay as the most complete simulation of soccer.

On the pitch, critical gameplay fundamentals have been enhanced to ensure that FIFA Soccer 10 mirrors real-world soccer, providing more sophisticated ball control, and physical interaction. On attack, players now analyze space more effectively, curve their runs in an attempt to stay onside, create passing lanes naturally, and drive for more variety in attacking options. On defense, new concepts like position priority enable defenders to multitask so dangerous spaces left open by teammates out of position are covered. Plus, slide tackle targeting, press marking, and better urgency clearance logic provide new options that make defending a tactical skill in FIFA Soccer 10.

Three new innovations change the player control experience in FIFA Soccer 10. The first-ever true 360° dribbling system gives players finer control of the ball, enabling them to find spaces between defenders that previously were not possible. Using an all-new animation technology, skilled dribblers now have the ability to face the defender and use highly responsive lateral dribbling to skip past him. An innovative concept called Freedom in Physical Play enables players to perform wider dribble touches and new collision sharing creates a varied, less predictable, and extended fight for possession between the dribbler and a defender.

A deeper iteration of the ever-popular Manager Mode features more than 50 major improvements, including new match realism, ultra-realistic player transfers based on multiple decision points, and true-to-life player growth curves.

New game modes, and innovations to popular features like Be A Pro, will be revealed in the upcoming months.
Game Available On:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Xbox 360
Wii
PSP
PS3
PlayStation 2 PC Download
Nintendo DS FIFA Soccer 10 Official Site
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Developer: EA Canada
Genres: Sports
Brand: FIFA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Windows 7 Avatar Theme




(windows7news.com)

Sunday, January 31, 2010

classic start menu for windows 7

CSMenu is a little application which acts like the classic start menu. It's designed for Windows 7, which doesn't have a classic start menu.(download)

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Windows 7 Sales, 60 percent jump in quarterly profit

With a hyper-sale of Windows 7, Microsoft posted an overwhelming 60 percent jump in quarterly profit. The Redmond based-company announced their net profit for second quarter fiscal touched $6.7 billion ( 74 cents per share) for its fiscal second quarter. This is $ 2.5 billion more than last year. Moreover, the net profit also surpasses the expectations of analysts at Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S who expected it to be 59 cents per share. Microsoft's stock has run-up after the launch of Windows 7 operating system in October. All the rivals IBM corp., Google Inc and Apple Inc have overcome the average Wall Street estimates this quarter.


As Andy Miedler, analyst at Edward Jones, projects

"Make no mistake, these were very good results out of Microsoft. Expectations were heightened ever the last few weeks, given Q4 PC shipments and good numbers from Intel,"

However, there are some questions raised against the earnings numbers, as Microsoft is said to have included the effects of deferred revenue from pre-sales of Windows 7 to PC makers and retailers, and its free upgrade program. If the revenue was deducted the profit would have been 60 cents per share.

Apprehending the market volatility, Microsoft stopped making specific profit or revenue forecasts in January 2009.
As told by Chief Financial Officer Peter Klein to Reuters
We didn't see enterprise spending growth in our fiscal second quarter just ended,
Windows 7 was Microsoft's strongest-selling operating system till date, given the Visatster with Vista. Last quarter, PC sales grew by 15.2 percent.

MIcrosoft's revenue climbed 14 percent to $19.02 billion after including $1.71 billion of deferred revenue from the Windows 7 launch in October. Excluding that the revenue the sales would stand at $17.31 billion.

Most analyst speculate that the Microsoft corp. stock had its run. With PC sales going steady and a new applications coming up, the stocks can still outperform. All eyes are on the new Microsoft Office scheduled for a launch in June.

-source : http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/windows-7-sales-skyrockets-microsoft-profits/

Internet Explorer 8 crashes, hangs or restarts while opening or closing tabs

Windows Internet Explorer 8 crashes periodically when you attempt to open or close tabs. You may receive the error:

“Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close.”
“Internet Explorer has stopped responding”
Or it may just freeze or restart without providing an error message.

This is due to a set of incompatible add-ons/toolbars that you may have installed.
 They are as follows:

· “Network Optimizer” – Filename: NPIEAddon.dll or NPCommon.dll
· “Media Access Startup” – Filename: HPIEAddon.dll or HPCommon.dll
· “System Search Dispatcher” – Filename: SSD.dll
 
 
  • cause :
 
This is due to a set of incompatible add-ons/toolbars that you may have installed. They are as follows:

· “Network Optimizer” – Filename: NPIEAddon.dll or NPCommon.dll
· “Media Access Startup” – Filename: HPIEAddon.dll or HPCommon.dll
· “System Search Dispatcher” – Filename: SSD.dll
 
 
  • solution :
To resolve this incompatibility, use one of the following two options.


- Method 1:

To use the Reset Internet Explorer Settings feature from Control Panel, follow these steps:
1- Exit all programs, including Internet Explorer (if it is running).
2- If you use Windows XP, click Start, and then click Run. Type the following command in the Open box, and then press ENTER:
inetcpl.cpl If you use Windows Vista, click Start
Type the following command in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER:
inetcpl.cpl The Internet Options dialog box appears.

3- Click the Advanced tab.
4- Under Reset Internet Explorer settings, click Reset. Then click Reset again.
5- When Internet Explorer finishes resetting the settings, click Close in the Reset Internet Explorer Settings dialog box.
6- Start Internet Explorer again.


Please note that running RIES (Reset Internet Explorer Settings) will reset all user-defined settings including those set by installed extensions, toolbars and other add-ons to IE Defaults. This includes all Security, Privacy and Zone settings. Also this will clear browsing history, delete all temporary Internet Files, cookies, form data and especially all stored passwords.
However, RIES does not clear Favorites or Subscribed Feeds.


- Method 2:

Use the Manage Add-ons tool to disable the Add-ons that are causing this issue. To do this, follow these steps:

Open Internet Explorer 8.
1- Click Tools, and then click Manage Add-ons.
2- On the Show drop-down menu, select All add-ons to display all add-ons that are installed on the computer.
3- Look for each item in the list, select the add-on, and then click Disable in the Information window.
4- When you have disabled all the items in this list, click OK.
5- Exit and then restart Internet Explorer.

The common names of the add-ons are as follows:
"Network Optimizer”
"Media Access Startup"
"System Search Dispatcher”

Internet explore 8 freeze on Windows 7

I notice after browsing flash's webpage that IE 8 start to hang a little and take long time to open new tab , and after searching the net i found the solution :


1- uninstall flashplayer completely from control panel "Programs and Features" and make sure it doesn't appear in internet explorer add-ons.(adobe has uninstaller for their flash player , I recommend to use it instead of using control panel , click here to download the flash uninstaller)

2- Restart the laptop

3- Go to Adobe website and install the flash player again

that's it , it work for me and hope in work for all u buddies :)

Friday, January 29, 2010

Why the double click on a drive opens a new window?

Fix:

First Method:
1. Open Start >> Run and type regsvr32 /i shell32.dll
2. press ok
3. You will see a message DllRegisterServer and DllInstall in shell32.dll succeeded
4. that’s it

Second Method:
1. Open Start >> Run and type regedit
2. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Directory/Shell
3. Double click the default key type none and press ok.

4. now navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/Drive/Shell.
5. Double click the default key type none and press ok.

Third Method:
If you don’t want to play with the registry ,you can run the following command instead at
Run Prompt: ( Open Start >> Run )
“reg add hkcr\drive\shell /ve /d none /f” (without double quotes)


-source:http://www.troublefixers.com/drive-opens-in-new-window-on-double-click-in-windows-xp/

Friday, January 22, 2010

How to create a separate system partition for dual booting Windows XP or Windows 2000 with Windows 7


Review the current boot configuration (BCD) before changing the system partition.

  1. Use the bcdedit command with no arguments to view the current boot configuration.

     
The bcdedit output will be similar to the entries shown below. Verify the value of the drive letter assigned to the device for each boot entry corresponds to the Windows operating systems installed on the system. Look for the element partition=<letter>.
noteNote
A legacy Windows°XP or Windows°2000 Server boot entry is referred to in the description as Earlier Version of Windows.





Windows Boot Manager 
--------------------
identifier              {bootmgr}
device                  partition=C:
description             Windows Boot Manager

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {current}
device                  partition=D:
path                    \windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Windows 7

Windows Boot Loader
------------------------
identifier              {358e1d8e-3bcf-11de-a57b-9ab47e0f3928}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Microsoft Windows Vista


Use Disk Management console (diskmgmt.msc) to create a new primary disk partition from unused disk space for the new system partition.

  1. Use 200MB of free space on an existing partition and shrink the partition.

     
  2. Create the new primary partition, and format using NTFS.

     
  3. Assign the drive letter, S:.

     

Mark the new partition as Active.

  1. Right-click on partition S:, and Select Mark partition as Active.

     

Use bcdboot.exe to copy the Windows 7 boot files to the new system partition.

Execute the following command: Bcdboot D:\Windows /s S:. Bcdboot copies the required boot environment files for Windows 7 to the S: partition, and creates a new BCD store to boot Windows 7 from the D: partition. The new BCD store does not have a boot entry for Windows°XP or Windows°2000 Server after this step.

Copy the Windows°XP or Windows°2000 Server legacy boot files to the new system partition.

The legacy boot files are: NTDETECT.COM, NTLDR, and BOOT.INI. To copy these hidden files from the root directory of the legacy OS partition to the new system partition, execute the following commands:




xcopy /h C:\NTDETECT.COM S:
xcopy /h C:\ntldr S:
xcopy /h C:\Boot.ini S:


Reboot to Windows 7 to establish the new system partition.

  1. A reboot is required for the BIOS to recognize the new Active partition. When the system reboots, there will be no boot menu as the boot configuration only has a single entry and automatically starts Windows 7.

     

Update the boot configuration to include Windows°XP or Windows°2000 Server by importing the previous boot configuration data (BCD).

  1. The previous boot configuration reviewed in Step 1 has boot entries for both Windows°XP or Windows°2000 Server and Windows 7. Use the bcdedit command to import the previous BCD store located on C: to the new System partition, S: as follows: Bcdedit /import C:\Boot\BCD.

     
  2. Check the updated boot configuration using bcdedit, as in Step 1). The output will look similar to the following:

     




    Windows Boot Manager 
    --------------------
    identifier              {bootmgr}
    device                  partition=C:
    description             Windows Boot Manager
    
    Windows Boot Loader
    -------------------
    identifier              {default}
    device                  partition=D:
    path                    \windows\system32\winload.exe
    description             Windows 7
    
    Windows Legacy OS Loader
    ------------------------
    identifier              {ntldr}
    device                  partition=C:
    path                    \ntldr
    description             Earlier Version of Windows
    

  3. The legacy Windows boot entry is back and the Windows 7 entry is the same as earlier. However, after the import the device for the Windows Boot Manager entry refers to the old system partition C: and needs to be changed to refer to the new System partition.

     

Update the Windows Boot Manager device to the new System partition.

  1. Execute the following command: Bcdedit /set {bootmgr} device partition=S:.

     
  2. Verify the boot configuration again to verify the Windows Boot Manager device is the new System partition, and the Windows Boot Loader entry for each version of Windows refers to the correct volume. The bcdedit output will be similar to the following:

     




    Windows Boot Manager 
    --------------------
    identifier              {bootmgr}
    device                  partition=S:
    description             Windows Boot Manager
    
    Windows Boot Loader 
    -------------------
    identifier              {current}
    device                  partition=D:
    path                    \windows\system32\winload.exe
    description             Windows 7
    
    Windows Legacy OS Loader 
    ------------------------
    identifier              {ntldr}
    device                  partition=C:
    path                    \ntldr
    description             Earlier Version of Windows
    


Reboot the system and verify both Windows°XP or Windows°2000 Server and Windows 7 can boot using the new System partition.

  1. Confirm the Windows Boot Manager shows a boot menu that includes entries for both Windows°XP or Windows°2000 Server and Windows 7. If you want to change the entry in the boot menu for the earlier version of Windows, use bcdedit to set the description for the Legacy OS Loader entry. The Legacy OS Loader is referred to using the identifier {ntldr}, as in the following example:Bcdedit /set {ntldr} description “Windows XP”.

     
noteNote
Since the Windows°XP or Windows°2000 Server partition no longer contains critical boot files, it will no longer be included by default in a system image created from Windows 7. However, the Windows°XP or Windows°2000 Server partition can still be optionally included via the Create a system image task from the Backup and Restore Control Panel.

 -Source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee829686(WS.10).aspx#BKMK_Step1

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Windows 8 launch in 2012 !!

An Official Microsoft roadmap shows that Windows 8 is due to launch in 2012.

The roadmap was spotted by the website Microsoft Kitchen at last week's Professional Developers Conference in LA. Although Microsoft said next to nothing about Windows 8 in public, the roadmap was delivered to the company's partners.

The timescale is similar to the gap between Windows Vista (which officially launched in January 2007) and Windows 7 (which shipped in October), although the early success of Windows 7 suggests there's no need for Microsoft to rush out another client OS.

Microsoft has said very little about its plans for Windows 8 to date, although clues have started to emerge about the next-gen operating system. The LinkedIn profile of a Microsoft researcher revealed that the company is working on making the Windows 8 kernel 128-bit compatible, upping the ante from the 32- and 64-bit Windows 7. The researcher's profile said the company was working with processor partners such as Intel, AMD, HP and IBM on the transition.

On a recent visit to London, Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer also reaffirmed the company's commitment to heavyweight client OSes, dismissing rumours that future versions of Windows would become more modular.

That puts clear blue water between Microsoft and Google, which last week unveiled full details of its Chrome OS, a lightweight operating system primarily aimed at the netbook market.

-Source :http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/353491/windows-8-set-for-2012-release

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Windows 7 Freeze or stop responding

If your windows 7 freezing or stop responding occasionally , then try this :

1- update all drivers to latest updates
2- run applications using "Run as Administrator"

hopefully these basics steps will solve ur issue folks :)

Monday, January 18, 2010

Windows 7 Editions

 

 

 

 Picture of Windows 7 Home Premium box

Windows 7
Home Premium

 

Picture of Windows 7 Professional box

Windows 7
Professional

 

Picture of Windows 7 Ultimate box

Windows 7
Ultimate

 

Estimated Retail Pricing (ERP) for upgrade license.

Buy now $119.99 Buy now $199.99 Buy now $219.99
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