What is Google Chrome OS?

Google Chrome OS UI Concept Video

Google Chrome OS Release Date: Q4 2010

We have known for some time that Google was to release Chrome OS sometime this year, we have new information that it will be in Q4 2010 – so from September to December. This is the most accurate release date we have so far, and will join a list of operating systems to battle the dominance of Windows.
Saying that, Microsoft has been losing ground in its market share and the future release of Google Chrome OS could become one large headache for Windows. Google were once underestimated in the mobile OS market – but look how dominant they are now.


It had been thought that Chrome OS would have a Q3 launch but NetworkWorlds, Dan Nystedt, reports that Google’s vice president of product management, Sundar Pichai has a different view on this release date. Also announced at Computex 2010 was that the Chrome Web Store would open to coincide with the launch of the new OS.
This new service will allow Chrome OS users to visit the store and download web apps to be used on the operating system . 2011 will be an even better year for Google, as they will have an OS for both the smartphone and laptop and PC market.

Read more about Google Chrome

Related News and Information

http://the-it-articles.blogspot.com/2010/10/google-chrome-web-store-plans-details.html

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Windows 7 Installation Guide / Tutorial

Windows 7 Installation Guide / Tutorial

The Windows 7 is finally here. It's released for beta testers a few days ago and I am here with a small step by step picture guided tour through the installation process. I downloaded the x86 version of the M3 build ( build No: 6801) from Microsoft Connect site, which is 2.72 GB ISO. The x64 version is around 3.2 GB in size.

The installation process was just like vista setup and to my surprise completed in just around 20 minutes in my low end Virtual hardware. This surely indicates the performance improvements Microsoft has put on this windows vista replacement.

Poll : Windows 7

For More Detail Log on to 

http://www.techtalkz.com/windows-7/514412-windows-7-installation-guide-tutorial.html



   

Windows Vista Deployment Step-by-Step Guide

Windows Vista Deployment Step-by-Step Guide

 This document provides instructions for implementing a basic image-based deployment of Microsoft® Windows Vista® operating system. We recommend that you first use the steps provided in this guide in a test lab environment as a means to become familiar with new and updated deployment features and technologies available in Windows Vista.
Step-by-step guides are not necessarily meant to be used to deploy Windows Vista operating system features without accompanying documentation (as listed in the Additional Resources section) and should be used with discretion as stand-alone documents.

Windows Vista Deployment Overview

This document is designed for IT professionals and deployment specialists who are responsible for deploying Windows® operating systems in an organization.

Deployment scenario

You will use the steps in this scenario and the procedures in the examples to implement a basic image-based deployment of Windows Vista on hardware without an operating system installed. For more information about the tools and technologies referenced in this section, see Tools and Technologies later in this document.
The process for the deployment scenario includes:

• Building a lab environment.
• Creating an answer file by using Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM).
• Building a master installation by using the product DVD and your answer file.
• Creating an image of the master installation by using the Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) and ImageX technologies.
• Deploying the image from a network share onto a destination computer using Windows PE and ImageX technologies.

At the end of this example, you should have a working lab environment that includes a technician computer, a valid answer file, a CD that you can use to start Windows PE, and your first custom Windows image.
In addition, you will gain a basic understanding of the Windows AIK toolset. With this knowledge, you can modify your answer file to include additional customizations. You can also automate parts of the process by scripting some of the manual steps in this example.

In this document

Topics covered in this document include:
Tools and Technologies
Requirements and Prerequisites
Step 1: Building a Lab Environment
Step 2: Building an Answer File
Step 3: Building a Master Installation
Step 4: Creating an Image
Step 5: Deploying an Image
Additional Resources

For More Detail Log On to 


http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc721929(WS.10).aspx

Install Windows XP

Install Windows XP

Most new computers come with Windows XP installed, so many people never have to install it. However, you may need to install Windows XP if:

•	You replaced your hard disk drive with a new hard disk drive that does not have Windows XP installed.
•	You are reinstalling Windows XP on a computer because you want to clean off your hard drive and remove any unwanted programs, such as spyware.
•	You purchased a computer without an operating system.

Fortunately, you do not need to be a computer expert to install Windows XP. Installing Windows XP is a straightforward process that takes between one to two hours. Of that time, you need to be present for only about 30 minutes.

•	Pre-installation checklist
•	Install Windows XP For More Detail Log on to  http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/winxp/install.mspx

Delete Windows Service Using DOS

Use command prompt and delete a service using following command:

sc delete < SERVICE name>

To Create

sc create

Note:
If you have space in the file path you need to use quotation marks ("). For example:
sc create "MySQL" binpath= "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.1\bin\mysqld.exe"

How to Schedule Programs to Run Automatically

t's often very handy to be able to schedule tasks to run unattended. The classic example is backup. I backup my key data each night at 2.00 a.m. and thankfully I don't have to be there to make it happen. Instead it takes place automatically using the task scheduler built into the backup program.
However, not all programs have an inbuilt task scheduler. In these cases it's still possible to run the program using a scheduling program. In this article we will look at two: Task Scheduler  that comes free with all Windows versions from Windows 98 onwards and a rather more sophisticated freeware product called System Scheduler.


Windows Task Scheduler
Windows inbuilt scheduler is perfect for scheduling programs that don't require any keyboard inputs to run.

Let's explore the use of Windows Task Scheduler by setting up an automated daily task to clean all the junk files off your hard drive. I'll use Windows XP in this example but the technique I'll describe works for Vista and Windows 7 as well though the interface for Windows Task Scheduler is a little different in each case.

The program we will use to do the cleaning is the excellent free utility CCleaner. If you don't have a copy, go grab it now from here: http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/
After downloading, install the program on your PC. During the installation make sure you un-check the option to install the Yahoo Toolbar, unless, that is, you really want it. After installing CCleaner start the program and check the default cleaning options to make sure these are what you want. For example, if you want to retain your browser history and auto-complete make sure those boxes are unchecked. Once you are happy with the options, shut down CCleaner.
Now start up the Windows Scheduler by clicking Start / Control Panel / Scheduled Tasks / Add Scheduled Task.  Click on Add a Task and this will start the Scheduled Task Wizard. Click and this will bring up a list of programs. Select CCleaner then . 



Then select Daily and . Then whatever time you want the program to automatically run and . After that, enter your username and passwords followed by . Don't click just yet.
Now we need to use a little trick. If you stop at this point CCleaner will run automatically at the prescribed time but won't actually do any cleaning. It will be just sitting there waiting for you to press some buttons.
To get around this you need to tell CCleaner to run without any user intervention. Thankfully the folks at CCleaner have provided a special command line option to do this.
To add the command line option, check the "Open advanced properties" box in the Task Scheduler Wizard and then . In the "Run" box you should have something that looks like this:
"C:\Program Files\CCleaner\ccleaner.exe"
Now click at the end of this line just after the .exe, leave a space and then type in /AUTO so the complete line now looks like this:
"C:\Program Files\CCleaner\ccleaner.exe" /AUTO
The /AUTO tells CCleaner to run automatically once started and exit automatically when finished which is exactly what you want.

Well that's it! You've now created a scheduled job that will clean your hard drive of unwanted files every night.
If you want to create other scheduled jobs such as backup or defragging your hard drive you can do so in the same way.
Unfortunately, not all programs have command line options like CCleaner that allow automatic running without user input. For these programs to run automatically you need a program that can automate the entry of keystrokes. 


System Scheduler
For more complex task scheduling my top choice is System Scheduler. It does a similar job to Windows Scheduler but additionally it allows you to enter any key-presses required  by a program in order to run.  You can do this by entering into System Scheduler a line containing the keystrokes you want to execute when the program runs.
Lets look at a practical example using DiskKeeper Lite. When you run this program you need to click a few buttons in order to start a defrag job. Usually you would use your mouse to do this clicking but you can also use keystrokes to achieve the same thing ike this:

• Close the nag screen. This can be done from the keyboard in DiskKeeper by pressing Alt F4
• Select the menu item "Actions."  This can be done from the keyboard by pressing Alt A
   
• Select from the Actions menu the item "Defragment." This can be done from the keyboard by pressing the "D" key

In System Scheduler you would do this by entering the string "%{F4}%{A}D" into the "Sendkeys" field within the System Scheduler job setup panel.  Note that in System Scheduler plain keystrokes such  as "D" are entered as you would normally type them but special keystrokes such as Alt  F4 have to be entered using a code like %{F4}. Full details of these special key codes can be found in the System Scheduler help file.

The developer offers a free and a Pro version of System Scheduler. The latter has some useful additional features such as the ability to reboot and run as a service but the free will do for most folks. Furthermore, the free version covers both home and business use. 

Reference URL

An Unusual Way to Reduce Windows Boot Time

My first tip: Clearing the Recent Documents folder to reduce Windows boot time

There are lots of different ways you can reduce Windows boot time but this technique is less well known and on certain PCs can be surprisingly effective.
Windows keeps a list of all the recent documents that you have opened or used and over time the list can grow quite large. Since Windows checks the list at startup, a very large list can increase boot time. Also, you may not always want to have an easily available record of all the documents you have been opening for others to read.
The recent documents folder is handled differently in different versions of Windows but in each case the easiest way to access this folder is from the Start Menu. Here’s the procedure for Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7:

Windows XP
As you probably know, Windows XP has a section of the Start menu called “My Recent Documents”, which displays the last 15 documents that have been opened. However, the number of documents that Windows XP actually keeps track of is usually much larger. The list that is kept is comprised of shortcuts that are stored in the folder \Documents and Settings\{User}\Recent\. (Confusingly, the folder Recent appears as My Recent Documents in Windows Explorer.)
1. Click the Start button
2. Click Run
3. Type “recent” into the box (without the quotes) and click the OK button
4. When the folder opens, you can delete as many items as you wish.

Windows Vista
In Vista, the relevant section of the Start Menu is called Recent Items and the Run line is no longer displayed by default. The folder containing the Recent Items shortcuts is at \Users\{user}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\ Recent\. It can be accessed from the Start Menu in this way:
1. Click the Start button
2. Enter “shell:recent” into the Start Search box (without quotes and with no spaces)
3. In the listing that appears, click shell:recent
4. In the folder that opens, delete as many items as you wish.

Windows 7
In Windows 7, the recently used items have effectively been moved to Jumplists. There is still a folder with all the shortcuts and it is accessed in the same way as for Vista except that the Start Search box is now labeled “Search programs and files.”
1. Click the Start button
2. Enter “shell:recent” into the Search programs and files box (without quotes and with no spaces)
3. In the listing that appears, click shell:recent
4. In the folder that opens, delete as many items as you wish

Other cleaning options
The popular freeware program CCleaner will also completely clear out the Recent folder or allow you to exclude items from deletion.

Reference URL

How to Get to Safe Mode in Windows XP/Vista/7

There are times when it is better to run Windows in what is known as “Safe Mode,” which is a diagnostic setup. Its purpose is to help troubleshoot computer problems by operating with a bare minimum of drivers and Windows components.


Open Safe Mode with the F8 key
All Windows versions can be booted into Safe Mode by this method. Note that it is somewhat tricky to time this procedure and it may take several attempts.
1. Turn on or restart your computer.
2. Hold down the F8 key before the Windows logo appears. If the computer makes a complaining noise, tap the F8 key repeatedly instead of holding it down.
3. If a Windows logo or “Windows starting” appears, wait until Windows loads. Then restart the computer and try pressing  F8 again.
4. Once you are successful, a menu will appear with a number of boot options. Use an arrow key to navigate to “Safe Mode” and press the Enter key.
Trying to get to Safe Mode by using the F8 key can be frustrating and there is another way that uses the System Configuration Utility (msconfig).

System Configuration Utility in Windows XP
1. Open the Start menu and click “Run.”
2. In the Run box, enter “msconfig” (without quotes).
3. Click “OK.”
4. Select the tab “BOOT.INI.”
5. Put a check by the entry /SAFEBOOT. Also click the radio button MINIMAL.
6. Click “Apply” and “OK.”
7. Restart the computer. The system should open in Safe Mode.
When finished using Safe Mode, open msconfig again and remove the check by /SAFEBOOT. Otherwise, you will continue to open in Safe Mode whenever you boot.

System Configuration Utility in Windows 7/Vista
1. Open the Start menu.
2. Enter “msconfig” (without quotes) in the box labeled Start search (Vista) or Search programs and files (Windows 7).
3. Click the entry “msconfig” or “msconfig.exe” shown in the programs list.
4. Select the “Boot” tab.
5. In the “Boot options” section, check “Safe boot.” Also, make sure the radio button “Minimal” is selected.
6. Click “OK’
7. Restart the computer
When you are finished with Safe Mode, go back to msconfig and remove the check by “Safe boot” that was applied in step 5 above.

Reference URL