Gadgets are a very useful feature of Windows. If you use Gadgets in Windows 7 and in Windows 8/8.1 using this installer, you may be minimizing your open apps by clicking the Show Desktop button or Win+D/Win+M hotkeys to see the gadgets. There is actually a keyboard shortcut in Windows to bring Gadgets to the top of other windows.
Get Windows 8.1-like Lock screen Slideshow feature for Windows 8, Windows 7 and XP
Windows 8 introduced a lock screen, separate from the logon screen and Windows 8.1 further improved it by adding a slideshow feature to the Lockscreen. If you are running Windows 7 however, you can still get a similar experience by downloading a simple app.
Daily Bing #39 theme for Windows 8
Review: Able2Extract PDF Converter 8
People who frequently send and share electronic files with others praise the day the Portable Document Format was invented. Thanks to this compact, universal format, many important documents such as legal contracts, annual company budget projections and academic essays are delivered in their proper formatting to any computing device and operating system.
The benefits of PDF are obvious. However, there are some disadvantages to using this format. Sometimes it is necessary to edit PDF files. For example, create new tabs in the budget projection spreadsheet, add new articles in the contract, correct some glaring error or outdated info in a PDF presentation, etc. PDF itself doesn’t make this possible.
There are tools, such as Able2Extract PDF Converter, that translate PDFs into editable formats and enable document modification. PDF converters can be lightweight, featuring only one conversion option, or powerful and comprehensive, like the tool we’ll take a look at today.
Firefox plans to show ads: what are Firefox alternatives?
Besides the new Australis UI coming soon to Firefox, Mozilla now plans to show ads on the new tab page of Firefox as a revenue source required to support the browser. These changes are very frustrating for those users who are used to having a customizable and ad-free web browser. Although Mozilla will most likely make those ads unobtrusive, many Firefox users may want to stop using the vanilla Mozilla Firefox build. Let's see where you can migrate and try to analyze what the alternatives are to Firefox.
Tweak the taskbar in Windows 8, 8.1 and Windows 7 with hidden secret registry settings
As you might be aware, Windows 7 introduced a redesigned taskbar which abandoned much loved classic features but introduced some really nice improvements like large icons, jump lists, draggable buttons etc. The taskbar does not have many configurable settings exposed in the GUI to tweak its behavior but there are some hidden secret registry settings which you can fine-tune.
See detailed properties and tags/metadata info about media files using MediaTab
Windows isn't very smart when it comes to handling various media file formats. It has an extensible property system for viewing their properties and embedded metadata but it leaves end users high and dry by shipping with support for very few media formats and their properties. A third party free app called MediaTab solves this problem for good by exposing all possible details about media files in their Properties.
Easier way to set, copy and manage NTFS permissions (ACLs) on files and folders in Windows
Managing Windows NTFS permissions (also know as Access Control Lists) has always been difficult for users because of the complex UI dialogs and concepts involved. Copying permissions is even harder because when you normally copy files from Explorer, permissions are not retained. You have to use command line tools like icacls to manage permissions. In this article, we will look at a free third party app called NTFS Permissions Tools that makes setting permissions extremely easy.
How to switch users fast in Windows 8.1 and Windows 8
Although the concept of multiple users sharing one device or one PC is getting rarer by the day, there are still cases when you have to share PCs and switch users fast. In earlier versions of Windows before Windows 8, we had a Switch Users command in the Shutdown menu inside the Start Menu to quickly switch users. But in Windows 8, the Start menu got removed and so the Switch Users command disappeared. Let us see how we can switch users faster in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1.
Access Firefox extension/addon options from a menu
We always say that the best feature of Firefox is the unrivaled customization the browser offers. Even if you don't like the UI and default look of Firefox, addons, themes and personas can change it. Accessing extension options in Firefox is cumbersome today. Firefox opens a separate addons page in a new tab to manage them. It takes several clicks to access extension options and then you have to close the Add-ons page every time. This is where an extension called 'Extension Options Menu' helps.
