One of the latest changes that Microsoft has implemented into the Windows 7 operating system is the capability to make custom themes. Now, these custom themes do come not anywhere near the 3rd party themes that exist for Windows xp or Windows Vista as they restrict the elements that can be changed. Users should see the custom theme creation alternative in Windows 7 as a way to create fundamental themes for the operating system without the need to scrap system files or install third party software’s.
The custom Windows 7 themes allow the user to change the desktop background, including the option to create a slideshow of desktop images that are changed automatically, the color scheme, sounds and screen saver with the option to save this theme on the computer system. This means that other elements that are usually modified by the Theme including the windows Taskbar or the Start Menu are not affected by the custom theme creation.
To create a custom theme a user would right-click on the computer desktop of the Windows 7 operating system and pick the Personalize option from the context menu. This opens the main Personalization menu in the Windows Control Panel.
The Personalization menu lists all currently installed themes on the computer system. Important for the custom theme creation process are the four icons at the bottom of the screen: Desktop Background, Window Color, Sounds and Screen Saver.
1. Desktop Background
A click on Desktop Background will open a menu that can be used to pick an image to be used as the background image for the theme. This image can be one of the wallpaper images provided by Microsoft or another image from the computer system. It is possible to select multiple images, select a picture position which is important for pictures that are smaller than the screen resolution and to change pictures frequently.
2. Window Color
A click on Window Color leads to a configuration dialog know from previous Windows operating system. It basically allows the user to change the menu colors of the operating system.
3. Sounds
Sounds opens another well known configuration window. It offers configuration options to change the sounds of the computer system.
4. Screen Saver
The last option is to select a screen saver for the custom theme in Windows 7.
The custom theme can then be saved by clicking on the Save Theme link in the main Personalization menu.
A theme can be saved for sharing by right-clicking on a theme and selecting that option from the menu. This makes it possible to distribute the custom Windows 7 theme to other users of the operating system.
See Also
microsoft computer support
Windows Live One Care Help You
windows firewall security
Computer Support – MSCONFIG Command
Showing posts with label microsoft window support. Show all posts
Showing posts with label microsoft window support. Show all posts
How To Recover Windows Missing System Files
Sometimes mistakes happen. Whether the result of a false positive from antivirus software or a misunderstanding of a file's function, on occasion a valid system file can be inadvertently deleted or quarantined. Sometimes, the results can seem devastating - a looping blue screen each time you try to boot up the PC. Other times, a stop error with a cryptic message may be the result. Here's how to replace the missing files to get your system operational again.
Follow the steps
1. Start your computer with the Windows Setup floppy disks or with the Windows CD-ROM.
2. At the 'Welcome to Setup' screen, press F10 or press R. (Windows 2000 users will need to press F10 or R and then press C).
3. You should now see a list of installations and the prompt "Which Windows Installation would you like to log on to?"
4. Select the appropriate number for the Windows installation that you want to repair.
5. Type the administrator password and press Enter. If the administrator password does not exist, just press Enter.
6. From the recovery console, issue the following command:
expand D:\i386\filename_ C:\
where filename_ signifies the name of the file you want to extract, 'D' signifies the drive letter of the source you are extracting from and specifies the path of the folder to which you wish to extract the file.
7. After the file has been extracted, type exit to leave the recovery console, remove the Windows Setup floppy or Windows CD-ROM and restart the system normally.
See Also
windows technical support
Will Your Device Work with Windows 7
Fix Windows Registry To Speed Up Your Comuter
Stop auto start applications in windows startup
Follow the steps
1. Start your computer with the Windows Setup floppy disks or with the Windows CD-ROM.
2. At the 'Welcome to Setup' screen, press F10 or press R. (Windows 2000 users will need to press F10 or R and then press C).
3. You should now see a list of installations and the prompt "Which Windows Installation would you like to log on to?"
4. Select the appropriate number for the Windows installation that you want to repair.
5. Type the administrator password and press Enter. If the administrator password does not exist, just press Enter.
6. From the recovery console, issue the following command:
expand D:\i386\filename_ C:\
where filename_ signifies the name of the file you want to extract, 'D' signifies the drive letter of the source you are extracting from and
7. After the file has been extracted, type exit to leave the recovery console, remove the Windows Setup floppy or Windows CD-ROM and restart the system normally.
See Also
windows technical support
Will Your Device Work with Windows 7
Fix Windows Registry To Speed Up Your Comuter
Stop auto start applications in windows startup
Bug identified in Windows 7 by Microsoft
Microsoft has issued a hot fix for a security permissions bug that can affect the root folder under the Windows 7 release candidate released on May 8 2009. Microsoft also recommended that affected users should re install the Windows seven operating system.
Only the 32-bit versions of Windows 7 Release Candidate Ultimate (Build 7100) are affected, Microsoft said.
Microsoft's Knowledge Base article 970789 details the problem, described as an issue with the root folder of the system drive. That root folder contains incorrect access control lists.
"One effect of this problem is that standard users such as non-administrators cannot perform all operations to subfolders that are created directly under the root," the article states. "Therefore, applications that reference folders under the root may not install successfully or may not uninstall successfully. Additionally, operations or applications that reference these folders may fail.
"For example, if a folder is created under the root of the system drive from an elevated command prompt, this folder will not correctly inherit permissions from the root of the drive," the article adds. "Therefore, some specific operations, such as deleting the folder, will fail when they are performed from a non-elevated command prompt.
In turn, users will receive an "access is denied" error.
The fix is available via Windows Update, which will push a Cleanwin7rcroot.exe version 6.1.7100.15 tool to a user's PC.
But to "make sure that this update does not affect your user experience," Microsoft recommends reinstalling Windows 7 from a clean, formatted partition, then immediately running the Cleanwin7 tool, apparently because the newly created folder do not inherit the proper security descriptors. Even after the tool is run, Microsoft says, the permissions/descriptors will not be propagated to any subdirectories.
See Also
microsoft computer support
How to create Restart icon
Windows Live One Care Help You
windows firewall security
Only the 32-bit versions of Windows 7 Release Candidate Ultimate (Build 7100) are affected, Microsoft said.
Microsoft's Knowledge Base article 970789 details the problem, described as an issue with the root folder of the system drive. That root folder contains incorrect access control lists.
"One effect of this problem is that standard users such as non-administrators cannot perform all operations to subfolders that are created directly under the root," the article states. "Therefore, applications that reference folders under the root may not install successfully or may not uninstall successfully. Additionally, operations or applications that reference these folders may fail.
"For example, if a folder is created under the root of the system drive from an elevated command prompt, this folder will not correctly inherit permissions from the root of the drive," the article adds. "Therefore, some specific operations, such as deleting the folder, will fail when they are performed from a non-elevated command prompt.
In turn, users will receive an "access is denied" error.
The fix is available via Windows Update, which will push a Cleanwin7rcroot.exe version 6.1.7100.15 tool to a user's PC.
But to "make sure that this update does not affect your user experience," Microsoft recommends reinstalling Windows 7 from a clean, formatted partition, then immediately running the Cleanwin7 tool, apparently because the newly created folder do not inherit the proper security descriptors. Even after the tool is run, Microsoft says, the permissions/descriptors will not be propagated to any subdirectories.
See Also
microsoft computer support
How to create Restart icon
Windows Live One Care Help You
windows firewall security
AutoStart Entry Points in Windows Operating System
It's often possible to remove an infection (at least the active components) by removing their startup points. Following is a list of some of the more frequently used autostart entry points in Windows, including startup folders, registry keys, and ini files. Below is the list of places where you can find a malware infection.
WIN.INI file
The WIN.INI file was used in previous versions of Windows (3.x and 9x series) to load applications and configuration settings at the start of windows operating system. Though no longer used by default on newer operating systems such as Windows XP, values included in these files will still be acted upon. Thus, some malware authors will leverage the WIN.INI file to load viruses or other malicious software.
The pertinent sections to check in the WIN.INI file are the and lines located under the [Windows] heading.
System.ini File
The system.ini file was used in earlier versions of Windows to load device drivers and the explorer shell. The reliance on system.ini was phased out and is no longer relied upon by Windows XP and above. In the case of an upgrade from an older OS, such as 9x, to Windows XP or above, the settings contained in system.ini will be retained. Though a fresh installation of Windows XP or above will not include any data in the system.ini, subsequent inclusions will be acted upon by the OS. Hence malware authors still occasionally use the system.ini to cause viruses and other malicious software to load.
The pertinent line to check in the system.ini file is, located under the [boot] heading.
Startup Folder
The Windows Startup folder can include shortcuts, documents, executables, or other types of files and programs to be launched when Windows is started. The current logged on user can view startup folder inclusions through the Start menu:
Start | Programs | Startup
Items in the Startup folder can also be viewed by navigating to:
%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup (where %USERPROFILE%) signals the username of the logged on user)
The common startup folder, applicable to all users, correlates to:
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
System Registry Run Keys
Certain registry keys may contain values used to load applications (including malware) when Windows is started. The values to examine are located in subkeys Run, RunOnce, RunServices, and RunServicesOnce, located in either of the following registry keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
System Registry - Winlogon
Winlogon is responsible for supporting the DLL responsible for managing the interactive logon when Windows starts. Pre-Vista, that DLL provides a customizable user interface and authentication process. Malware that hooks into Winlogon can be particularly difficult to remove, as even booting into Safe Mode will not deactivate it. The string values that customize the Winlogon process are located in the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
For more information specific to Winlogon, see Winlogon and Gina - Microsoft and Winlogon - Wikipedia
ASEPS Specific to ME, 2000, XP
Users running Windows ME, 2000 or XP will also want to check the following registry keys for any unexpected values:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run
HKCU = HKEY_CURRENT_USER
HKLM = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Active Setup
The Active Setup registry key is an often overlooked load point. Programs register themselves using CLSIDs. For each CLSID listed under the Active Setip key, look for the value "StubPath". Any program specified by the StubPath value will be loaded when Windows is started. Pertinent key location is:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\
Upgrades from Windows 9x
Users who installed an upgrade version of ME, 2000, or XP over an installation of Windows 9x will also want to check the following registry locations:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
These keys will contain items from the and lines of the win.ini file used by Windows 9x.
ASEP Loading Sequence
The order in which Windows processes the autostart entry points is as follows:
1. RunServices / RunServicesOnce - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER RunServices/RunServicesOnce will be launched concurrently. In the event of a conflict, precedent is given to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. These ASEPS may continue loading during and after the login dialog.
2. Login Dialog (Winlogon)
3. RunOnce / Run for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE hive
4. Run key in HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive
5. Startup Folder
6. RunOnce in HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive
See Also
optimize windows xp
How to optimize your pc
Desktop Computer Shopping Tips
Things To Consider When Buying A Desktop
WIN.INI file
The WIN.INI file was used in previous versions of Windows (3.x and 9x series) to load applications and configuration settings at the start of windows operating system. Though no longer used by default on newer operating systems such as Windows XP, values included in these files will still be acted upon. Thus, some malware authors will leverage the WIN.INI file to load viruses or other malicious software.
The pertinent sections to check in the WIN.INI file are the
System.ini File
The system.ini file was used in earlier versions of Windows to load device drivers and the explorer shell. The reliance on system.ini was phased out and is no longer relied upon by Windows XP and above. In the case of an upgrade from an older OS, such as 9x, to Windows XP or above, the settings contained in system.ini will be retained. Though a fresh installation of Windows XP or above will not include any data in the system.ini, subsequent inclusions will be acted upon by the OS. Hence malware authors still occasionally use the system.ini to cause viruses and other malicious software to load.
The pertinent line to check in the system.ini file is
Startup Folder
The Windows Startup folder can include shortcuts, documents, executables, or other types of files and programs to be launched when Windows is started. The current logged on user can view startup folder inclusions through the Start menu:
Start | Programs | Startup
Items in the Startup folder can also be viewed by navigating to:
%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup (where %USERPROFILE%) signals the username of the logged on user)
The common startup folder, applicable to all users, correlates to:
%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
System Registry Run Keys
Certain registry keys may contain values used to load applications (including malware) when Windows is started. The values to examine are located in subkeys Run, RunOnce, RunServices, and RunServicesOnce, located in either of the following registry keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
System Registry - Winlogon
Winlogon is responsible for supporting the DLL responsible for managing the interactive logon when Windows starts. Pre-Vista, that DLL provides a customizable user interface and authentication process. Malware that hooks into Winlogon can be particularly difficult to remove, as even booting into Safe Mode will not deactivate it. The string values that customize the Winlogon process are located in the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
For more information specific to Winlogon, see Winlogon and Gina - Microsoft and Winlogon - Wikipedia
ASEPS Specific to ME, 2000, XP
Users running Windows ME, 2000 or XP will also want to check the following registry keys for any unexpected values:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run
HKCU = HKEY_CURRENT_USER
HKLM = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Active Setup
The Active Setup registry key is an often overlooked load point. Programs register themselves using CLSIDs. For each CLSID listed under the Active Setip key, look for the value "StubPath". Any program specified by the StubPath value will be loaded when Windows is started. Pertinent key location is:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\
Upgrades from Windows 9x
Users who installed an upgrade version of ME, 2000, or XP over an installation of Windows 9x will also want to check the following registry locations:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
These keys will contain items from the
ASEP Loading Sequence
The order in which Windows processes the autostart entry points is as follows:
1. RunServices / RunServicesOnce - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER RunServices/RunServicesOnce will be launched concurrently. In the event of a conflict, precedent is given to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. These ASEPS may continue loading during and after the login dialog.
2. Login Dialog (Winlogon)
3. RunOnce / Run for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE hive
4. Run key in HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive
5. Startup Folder
6. RunOnce in HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive
See Also
optimize windows xp
How to optimize your pc
Desktop Computer Shopping Tips
Things To Consider When Buying A Desktop
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