Windows only: See your device drivers and their versions at a glance and back up your “just works” drivers list with DriverView, a free application for Windows systems. The all-in-one-window view is itself a helpful upgrade from looking through devices individually in the Device Manager, but the real value here is in the list generation. Create an HTML-formatted backup list for your future troubleshooting needs or export to text to show friends or forum members just what’s gone wrong. DriverView is a free download and works with Windows Vista, XP and 2000.
Apple Keyboard Windows Key Mapping
If you run Windows on your Mac with Boot Camp with an Apple keyboard, you start to miss certain keys: like Print Screen, Del, the Windows key, and Insert. For a while I was just living without them, but turns out there are key combinations that map to all the Windows keys in Boot Camp, like:
Forward Delete in Windows – Fn+Delete
Print Screen in Windows – F14
Backspace in Windows – Delete
Insert in Windows – HelpThe rest of the list is over at the Apple site. Good bookmark for that Boot Camp’ed Windows install.Boot Camp Beta: Apple keyboards and keyboard mapping in Windows XP
This is for those who have to use Bootcamp with Windows. Thought this was interesting!!
A Clone of Autopatcher!
Since Microsoft shut down Autopatcher, there hasnt been an easy way for technicians to install Microsoft Windows patches on a clients computer. Sure, they can go to the Windows Update site but sometimes an internet connection isnt always available, or it may just be painfully slow.
Enter “Offline Update”, a freeware tool that downloads all of the existing patches for the operating system you specify (choice of Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003) and creates an ISO file, for which you can later burn to a CD or DVD. Best of all, one you load the created disk into a computer, It will autorun the application. All you have to do is press Start and it will begin the patching process.How to use:
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- Download Offline Update from the download link below and extract is somewhere
- Run the file in the root folder called “DownloadStarterGUI.exe”
- Choose what operating system and language you want patches for. You also have two options what type of disks you want. One disk per operating system or one disk for all operating systems. I recommend the cross platform version. Once you have chosen one, press Start
- The system will now start downloading the appropriate patches via a DOS like interface. It will close when it finishes.
- Once it finishes, navigate to the folder where you extracted Offline Update to and goto the folder titled “iso”. In here you will find the ISO that Offline Update created. Burn this to a CD or DVD using your favorite burning application.
- In one of the most common burning applications “Nero Express”. You will need to choose the option “Disk Image or Saved Project”, use the “Files of Type:” drop down and choose “Image Files” and navigate to where the Offline Update image file was created. Then click open and start burning.
- To run it, just put the disk in the drive and it should autorun. If it doesnt, Open the disk in “My Computer” and run the file “UpdateStarterGUI.exe”.
Note: If you want the stand alone updates for some reason. The application stores them in the folder “client” in the location where you extracted it in a folder with the name of the operating system you wanted patches for. For example, if you downloaded the Windows XP patches, they will be in a folder named “wxp”.
[ad#ad2-left]Downloads:
Download from Official Site
This program seems to be like the AutoPatcher clone and looks very much like a clone of Autopatcher. It just came to my attention today, but I will look into it to see how it does!! Go check it out!!
Move Window Buttons to the Left with Leftsider
Windows Vista only: Make your Vista windows feel a bit more Mac-like with Leftsider, a small application that moves the close, minimize, and resize icons to the upper left corners of windows. Leftsider runs from an icon in the taskbar that lets you switch the left-alignment on and off, and since the program doesn’t touch your registry or system files, it’s up to you whether to put Leftsider in your “Startup” folder or delete it entirely. For those dual-system users who find their mouse muscles occasionally confused, Leftsider is a no-hassle fix. Leftsider is a free download for Windows Vista (32 and 64-bit) only.
Synchronize Folders with SyncToy 2.0
Windows only: Synchronize the contents of two folders, either across your home network or on the same PC with a free utility from Microsoft, SyncToy. The 2.0 beta’s been released and gotten smarter since the first time we pointed out SyncToy, adding smart drive letter detection (for when your USB drive gets assigned a different drive letter when you plug it in) and a more robust mechanism to include or exclude files from the synchronize action. Great for sync’ing files from your desktop to a USB drive or between two different computers on your home network, Adam uses it to sync his iTunes library between PC’s. The SyncToy 2.0 beta is a free download for Windows only.
