Sergey Tkachenko, Author at Winaero

How to avoid two reboots with Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 dual boot

If you have installed Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 in a dual boot configuration and have set Windows 8.1 as the default OS to boot into, you probably noticed that the new bootloader of Windows 8 performs an additional reboot every time you select Windows 7 in the boot menu.

This is a really annoying behavior and just a waste of your time. In this article, I will share two simple tricks to get rid of the additional reboot required and boot to the desired OS directly. This article is also applicable to Windows 8 RTM.

Nature HD#23 theme for Windows 8

How to create a shortcut to open Privacy options in Windows 8.1

For any PC user, privacy can be a concern. Privacy options in the PC Settings application allow you to specify which data will be shared with Modern apps and sites you visit using Internet Explorer. Here you can prevent apps from accessing you personal data, advertising ID, turn off the Smart Screen filter and some other settings.

Let's create a shortcut to open these useful settings with one click

StartIsBack giveaway results and winners

Well, friends, our first giveaway on Winaero has come to its conclusion. As promised, we have picked four random winners from people who participated. Here is the list of winners:

Diwali theme for Windows 8

How to set different icons for the open and closed folder in Explorer

With Windows Vista, there was a little change in Explorer which has remained the same in Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 or Windows 8: it shows the same icon for open and closed folders.

In earlier releases of Windows before Vista, when a folder was expanded in the navigation pane of Explorer, it used to show a different icon. This change makes it more difficult to see which folder you are viewing by just looking at the icons. This change also affects the tree view in Registry Editor and in the Windows 7 Start Menu All Programs view.

If you preferred having distinct icons for open and closed folder states in Explorer, then there's good news for you - it can be done. I will show you how to set the folder icon for a closed folder in Explorer of Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 and Vista. The method is the same for all these operating systems.

How to create a shortcut to open Display settings in Windows 8.1

Display settings in Windows 8.1 is a part of the PC Settings application which allows you to change the display resolution, screen orientation and even the size of the text and icons.
These settings waere created to help Tablet users tune up their display easily with a touch friendly interface.
You can create a special shortcut to open Display settings in Windows 8.1 directly with one click.

Create a shortcut to open the HomeGroup settings in Windows 8.1

One of hidden options in Windows 8.1 is ability to create shortcuts to open most of Modern settings with a single click. Today, we will see how to create a shortcut to open the HomeGroup settings in Windows 8.1.

The HomeGroup feature is a simplified solution from Microsoft to provide the file sharing ability between all computers in your home network. With HomeGroup, you will be able to share photos, music and videos files, various office documents and even printers. Also, you can allow other family members to change files that you have shared.

Fix: Skydrive shows synchronization required for properly synced folder

The SkyDrive web service these days is an important part of the Windows 8.1 experience. It has deep integration with the OS and has become a part of the File Explorer and Modern apps.

Sometimes, usually right after installation, Windows 8.1 shows you the "synchronization in progress" overlay icon for one or several of your Skydrive folders.

When you look inside the folder, you will be surprised though that all the contents are already synced!

How to create a shortcut to open the Network settings in Windows 8.1

Along with classic Control Panel options, Windows 8.1 shipped with Modern Network settings. They allow you to change various parameters of your network connections. These new Network settings is where you can set your connection as metered, enable or disable sharing, reset data usage counters and copy networks details.
Let's see how to create a shortcut to open these useful settings directly with one click.