How to get a Better Windows File Manager

There are plenty of alternate file managers available, both commercial and free. A selection of the best free ones is discussed in this Gizmo review and one of the favorites is Multi Commander.

Fix: WiFi gets disconnected after Sleep in Windows 8 / 10

The way to fix the issue of WiFi getting disconnected after you resume from Sleep mode. If you’re connected to a WiFi network and you move your system into sleep mode, after waking up, the system loose the WiFi network connectivity.



WiFi gets disconnected or does not automatically reconnect
Using Device Manager

1. Press Windows Key + R and type devmgmt.msc in the Run dialog box to open Device Manager.

2. In the Device Manager window, expand Network Adapters and look for your WiFi driver, do a right click over it, selectProperties.




3. In the property sheet, switch to Power Management tab and uncheck the option Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Click OK.

The dependency service or group failed to start - Windows 7

Symptom: No internet access with an unknown connection status and the Network and Sharing displaying the following message:

*** The dependency service or group failed to start ***

Other symptoms may include:
- A red "X" on the network connection icon
- Connection status staes limited access (cannor connect to the internet)

Solution;
1. Go to the "Start Menu" and search for the "Command Prompt"
2. Right-Click on Command Prompt and Run as administrator
3. Type the following commands (pressing after each line)

Type:   net localgroup Administrators /add networkservice
            net localgroup Administrators /add localservice

4. Restart

USB DRIVE NOT ACESSIBLE, ACCESS DENIED - WINDOWS XP

Problem: I was able to access my usb drive in safe mode but not in normal start up.

Solution: Just open msconfig.exe. Click on the services tab. Click the box...Hide all Microsoft services. click on disable all. OK out and restart. check the drive accessafter you restart. If it works, you can enable one or a few services at a time to figure out which one is causing the problem.

How to Use Windows 7 Without Activation

Most of you might be aware of the fact that it is possible to use Windows 7 and Vista for 120 days without activation. This is actually possible using the slmgr -rearm command which will extend the grace period from 30 days to 120 days.

However, in this post I will show you a small trick using which it is possible to use Windows 7 without activation for approximately an year! Here is a way to do that.

Step-1: Go to “Start Menu -> All Programs -> Accessories“.

Right click on the “Command Prompt” and select “Run as Administrator“. If you are not the administrator, then you are prompted to enter the password, or else you can proceed to step-2.

Step-2: Now type the following command and hit Enter:


slmgr -rearm

Step-3: You will be prompted to restart the computer. Once restarted, the trial period will once again be reset to 30 days. You can use the above command for up to 3 times by which you can extend the trial period to 120 days without activation.

Step-4: Now comes the actual trick by which you can extend the trial period for another 240 days. To do this, open the Registry Editor (type regedit in “Run” and hit Enter) and navigate to the following location:


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform

Step-5: In the right-side pane, change value of SkipRearm to 1.

Step-6: Now, you should be able to use the slmgr -rearm command for another 8 times so that you can skip the activation process for another 240 days. So you will get 120 + 240 = 360 days of free Windows 7 usage.


120 days using “slmgr -rearm” command before registry edit

+

240 days using “slmgr -rearm” command after registry edit

= 360 Days

*** INFO FROM INTERNET ***

How to make your favorite animated GIFs into custom stickers on WeChat

WeChat can do many things, but one of my favorite aspects of China’s most popular messaging app is its support for GIF animations as stickers. Lots of chat apps have stickers these days, and Line even added a feature where users can create and sell their own, but these are mostly relegated to cutesy, G-rated material.

WeChat lets any user create and share custom stickers from the wild and wacky GIF memes we’ve all come to know and love on the internet. I’ve amassed a library of animated GIFs ranging from the weird to the trippy to the vulgar. Showing off your collection is often a conversation piece among the young expat crowd here in Beijing, where the western GIF meme trend has been imported onto to China’s local chat medium.

WeChat allows upward of 100 or so custom stickers to be stored. Most of these spread virally through friend groups, but if you really want to stand out from the crowd, you’ll have to make your own. Here’s how to take your favorite GIFs from the web and make them into custom stickers on WeChat.



1. Find a GIF

Short and sweet is the rule here. WeChat has pretty limited size requirements, which we’ll get into later, so you probably want the full animation to last no more than three seconds. Remember to pick something that will look good when it’s the size of your fingernail. I went with this one from Game of Thrones.

2. Resize it

Most GIFs are too big for WeChat by default. A Google search returns a ton of web-based GIF resizers that you can use for free. I recommend this one http://ezgif.com/resize , as some other ones I tried got messed up during step four. Finding the right pixel-to-file size ratio can be tricky, but you’ll want to stay below 250KB. WeChat will allow for a bit more, but you’ll start getting weird white artifacts at the bottom. If it’s a short GIF like this and you have some leeway, between 150 and 200 pixels tall is ideal.

3. Get it on your phone

If you’ve done steps one and two on a desktop like I have, you’ll need to get the image onto your phone. Pretty self-explanatory – just make sure it ends up in a folder that can be accessed via your phone’s default image gallery app.

4. Add it to WeChat

In WeChat’s “Discover” tab, head to the Sticker Shop. From there, click on the settings cog, and near the bottom you’ll see the “Custom” option.

This reveals all the custom stickers you’ve added so far. Click on the plus (+) sign at the end and navigate to your desired GIF. Confirm, then restart WeChat. Voila! You’ve now got a custom animated GIF sticker.

This actually works with any appropriately-sized image file. If you simply want to save someone else’s GIF that they’ve sent in a chat, just long-press it and hit “Save emoticon.”

*** INFO FROM INTERNET ***

How to Check Windows XP Product Activation Status

To check, view or verify the Windows XP current activation status, open Run command from Start Menu, and run the following command:

oobe/msoobe /a

A “Activate Windows” dialog window will open to let user know the activation status. If the Windows XP has been activated, the message is “Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit.”





Else, you will be asked to let’s activate Windows now, which means that the copy of Windows XP installation is not yet activated.

*** INFO FROM INTERNET ***