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Add Resource Monitors to your Windows Taskbar
Windows 10 includes a system built-in resource monitor you can pin to your desktop as a graphical or text display.
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Two Ways to Create a Chromeless Chrome Shortcut
Until recently, Chrome's create shortcut option in the ⋮ menu had an option to 'open as window'. With this option now MIA, here are two alternative ways to create a chromeless Chrome window.
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Extensive List of Windows Shell Folder Aliases
This list is too good to keep to myself. I’ve been using several of these for years, but there are so many more than I ever knew — many for directories that are incredibly difficult to reach by navigating the folder tree directly.
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Visual Network Activity Indicator
If you miss having a visual indication of network activity, here’s an app for you.
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The Bare Minimum Backup Strategy
Accidents happen, files get saved over or deleted, viruses intrude, and hard drives fail. So why do so many of us ignore backups? Today I’ll share a simple practice to ensure you are always protected from data loss.
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Reset a Forgotten Windows Password
If you forget your computer’s password, it can be difficult to recover from and might require special tools and skills. However, the built-in system administrator account can be a great avenue to reset a forgotten Windows password, especially for home users.
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Use Transparency Masking in Office or Paint
Did you know you can use tools and skills you already have to produce higher quality graphics for your presentations, without paying for or learning expensive image editing programs?
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Fix a Sluggish, Slow PC
Computers do not get slow with age, and modern PCs of any brand don’t usually require much maintenance. But there are some steps you can take if your computer’s performance isn’t what it once was. Here’s how to identify the source of slowness and bring your computer back to life.
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Turn off a built-in monitor from a shortcut
If you have a laptop or all-in-one computer, you might have times where you wish to leave the computer on but turn off the display. Although most computers with built-in monitors lack a monitor switch, you can still turn it off in a click. Here’s how.
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Create a Spotlight Effect in Office [Video]
Did you know you can use tools and skills you already have to produce higher quality graphics for your presentations, without paying for or learning expensive image editing programs?
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Windows 8 Tip: Search without leaving the desktop
Watch a Power User for a while, and you’ll soon notice that they rarely take their hands off the keyboard. Without lifting a wrist to touch a mouse, trackpad, or touch screen, these super users move seamlessly between tasks, switch programs, and navigate complex and large documents.
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Remove Recycle Bin from the Desktop
I do not suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder, but I do display some OCD tendencies. One of these is habitually emptying the Recycle Bin on my desktop — I just cannot stand to see those virtual papers in there (if only I took out the trash at home with as much fervor).
Custom OS Blueprint Wallpapers
Quite a few years ago now, I saw a really awesome wallpaper created by a Mac user. Designed in a blueprint pattern, it labeled all the standard interface elements on the screen, even the Mighty Blue Apple.
![Apply Folder Styles to All Subfolders [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/cmdrkeene.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/FolderTemplates.png?fit=629%2C479&ssl=1)
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Apply Folder Styles to All Subfolders [Video]
Have you ever wondered why different folders have different layouts in Windows, or how to apply your preferred layout to all folders? Windows actually allows you to push a folder view down to all subfolders using Folder Types (templates), but it’s not very discoverable.
![Enable Full File Search in Non-Indexed Folders [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/cmdrkeene.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Full-Search.png?fit=488%2C479&ssl=1)
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Enable Full File Search in Non-Indexed Folders [Video]
Enable deep searching inside files in all folders, even if the search system hasn’t indexed the location. Searches in these places might take longer because they haven’t been scanned ahead of time, but this will provide consistent search experience everywhere.
![Instantly Search Inside More File Types [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/cmdrkeene.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/FileTypes.png?fit=537%2C471&ssl=1)
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Instantly Search Inside More File Types [Video]
Need to find some code, script, or other text in non-standard files? Let Windows Search index and provide instant results for CSS, JavaScript or other file types by setting up content indexing for more file types in Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8.
![Automatically Login to Windows [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/cmdrkeene.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/AutoLogin.png?fit=385%2C331&ssl=1)
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Automatically Login to Windows [Video]
Have you ever wanted to bypass the Windows login screen? Believe it or not, auto-login has been available in Windows for decades, but the options to enable this feature are hidden with good reason: carelessly enabling automatic login can be risky
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Ask a Geek: Bloated Computers
If you’re looking for a new PC, you can ask any geek and they’ll tell you to build clean. Their reason is simple: the manufacturer’s cripple their own products before they ever send it to you. Even if you buy direct, original equipment manufacturers make money by pre-installing trials, games, bundles, even spyware on to their computers. Resellers from BestBuy to Walmart are even worse. Make no mistake: you’re being sold out before you even buy.
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Boost Windows Search in Two Steps
Many of even the most infrequent of Internet users has experienced instant searches by now, where search suggestions (or even full results) appear live while you type, before you even press Enter. It seems like magic, searching the entire world as fast as you can type. But did you know your Windows PC has the same power?