How To - Find GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) of installed programs!

Well, this is for something my friend needed @ work.

Fire up either the local command prompt (start –> cmd) or the PowerShell prompt (for O.S. > Windows 7) – start –> Windows PowerShell

and then on the CLI, just this -

wmic product list

This generates a list of all programs on your computer with their “Globally Unique Identifiers” listed as well.

Will take some time, so be patient!

The PowerShell though, will give a better formatted output than the plain cmd one.

For even more, refer -

wmic product get

and better still save it somewhere like -

wmic product get > C:\ProgramGUIDList.txt

Simple!

 

Technorati Tags: GUID,windows,powershell,howto

Need your (official) windows laptop/desktop to stay awake? Try Caffeine!

 

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If your company’s group policy has necessitated “system in-activity auto lock”, and you need to do otherwise, caffeine will keep it awake.

The application is having a very small footprint, and works by simulating a key-press once every 59 seconds. So, your diligent machine thinks that you're still working at the keyboard. Hence, no locking the screen!

Just download and add the executable to the (Windows 7 –> Start Menu –> All Programs –> StartUp). You are done!

Get it now (caffeine.zip (14k)), and thank me later!

Technorati Tags: laptop,Caffeine,policy,system,auto,Windows,Start,Menu,Programs,StartUp

Windows 7… The new Windows XP!

Admit it, you have never found Windows more easier, fun, configurable, fun, faster, fun, customizable and fun to use, than MS-Windows 7 (oh, and did I mention fun?)

So yes,  Windows 7 is officially the new Windows XP for the i-Generation processor.
(And oh please don’t sue me Apple, I meant i-3, i-5 etc. !!)

Here is a Mashable write-up, which says it best, 'Windows 7 Overtakes Windows XP As the Most Popular Desktop OS'

Have fun while you use it. And going along you will find many articles here on my blog, for helping you out on your journey!

Above picture totally not related, I HATED YOU VISTA (DAMN’ YOU!)

Thanks Bill, your team finally made something which hits the sweet spot (best of luck with the 8 though! Meh!)

Technorati Tags: Windows,7,Mashable,Popular,Desktop,Microsoft

The Windows Portable Apps Arsenal !

If you have been a Windows user as have been all these years, you surely must have realized the absence of power tools in Windows which are so freely accessible in a Linux BOX.

Although Windows 7 is a breath of fresh air, the power features still leave a lot to be desired.

Enter the excellent utilities like Sysinternals and Nirsoft.

The SYSINTERNALS Suite

The Sysinternals Suite is a collection of excellent tools (which are quite mature and well known in IT circles).

These were initially created in 1996 by Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell and contain a host of advanced system utilities. These guys even had a site dedicated to these tools and their usage, which now are a part of the Microsoft’s technical network.

The entire suite can be downloaded in full here as a zipped version, or you can refer to this catalogued index for searching what you want.

As an introduction to this suite, I am linking here to one of the most popular utilities of this suite, the Process Explorer.

The NIRSOFT Utilities

Coming to the Nirsoft arsenal, this site (http://www.nirsoft.net/) is dedicated to individual utilities for specific troubleshooting and feature handling for making day-today windows maintenance easier and transparent.

It is a single man operation run by Nir Sofer, and goes way back to 2001 when it was first conceived.

I can personally vouch for some of the utilities offered by this smart guy; they actually help in solving out small *pain in the ass* type issues, which plague generations of Windows box setups!

Now both these are OK to use occasionally for your own system housekeeping.

But what if you are the IT guy or one-stop-tech-help-guide for your circle of family and friends?

UTILITY LAUNCHER!

This would be a software-Swiss-knife combining the utilities of these two above packages in one convenient place of access!

I can refer using either the Windows System Control Center OR the NirLauncher.

Windows System Control Center

WSCC is a free, portable program that allows you to install, update, execute and organize the utilities from various system utility suites. WSCC can install and update the supported utilities automatically. Alternatively, WSCC can use the http protocol to download and run the programs. WSCC is portable, installation is not required. Extract the content of the downloaded zip archive to any directory on your computer.\

WSCC supports the following utility suites:

• Windows Sysinternals Suite (including support for Sysinternals Live service)
• NirSoft Utilities

Having used both, I can say that the although WSCC is better at getting updates and presents a cleaner, easy to navigate interface, NirLauncher is also a very interesting option, as you can couple up some other great utilities (like those offered by Piriform, creators of CCleaner).

Try these out, and maybe you can just convert that old 1 GB USB to the most weapon in your troubleshooting arsenal!

I have these on my pen-drive and regularly update them! These are an excellent add-on along with the USB bootable system repair ISO, which I would be covering later on in coming days.

Best of luck getting the best out of these!

Technorati Tags: Windows,Portable,Apps,Sysinternals,Nirsoft,WSCC,Piriform,CCleaner,NirLauncher

HowTo - Lock system while playing video (aka. make Windows toddler proof!)

 

Necessity is, quite rightly, the mother of all inventions (and… discoveries!).

Before my son came along, I never felt the need to even search or test for this kind of software!

But now, searching for something which could protect my Laptop and let him carry on watching Shaun the sheep, led me on to KeyFreeze.

This is a great application which..

“blocks your keyboard and mouse without "locking" the screen. So your kids can safely watch a cartoon or have a videochat with their grandparents and bang the keyboard all they want.”

And not only children, this can be used for pesky pets too (who love toeing on your keyboard) !

Moreover, like all good things, this is Free!

(Note: Needs .net framework to run!)

Checkout KeyFreeze at http://keyfreeze.com/

(If you need something with more options, like blocking selective keys etc.. consider Toddler Keys and Kid-Key-Lock, although I haven't tested them though!)

Technorati Tags: HowTo,Lock,system,Windows,Laptop,Shaun,sheep,KeyFreeze,cartoon,grandparents,Toddler

Firefox 10 FTW!

 

The Firefox 10 (beta) is here!

These are the updates…

Excerpt from PCMAG….”The update pertains to the desktop formats—Windows, Mac, and Linux—and the mobile edition, for Android. For those who never upgraded to Firefox 4, version 3.6 will also be updated to version 3.6.9, which only adds security and stability fixes (though 3.6.9 is expected to be retired this April).”

And it is a silent update (like chrome).

But if you don’t wanna wait, hit it below!

– PC DOWNLOAD

– MAC DOWNLOAD

The update will happen today (31st Jan 2011) so it could be that it is available later during the day. Stay tuned!

Technorati Tags: New release,Firefox,Windows,Linux,edition,Android,April,10.0,beta

TIP: Lost your iPhone/iPad and need serial/IMEI to file report?

Although I am NOT an apple fan-boy, and tend to stay away from apple gadgets, this tip may come in handy to all you iPhone / iPad / iPod users.

Here, I will help you retrieve the IMEI of a lost iPhone device. I used this technique recently to help one of my friends get the information for reporting in a lost iPhone.

Although I haven’t tested this for the iPad / iPod, it should (in all probability) be useful in getting the serial number for the same.

The need for the method arises if you lost a 2nd hand iDevice or you have misplaced your bill / original packing and need the phone IMEI to block your stolen iPhone (or report the loss to the local law enforcement / police and / or the network operator).

The only caveat here is that you should have used iTunes in the recent past (which as an iDevice owner, you must have!).

Follow the steps below –

Top Windows Annoyances: Drag Drop fail!!

 

Well, if you have been a dedicated windows X (substitute X with XP/2003/7/8 and so on…) user like I have been all this while (by choice or circumstance) you must have faced this issue once in a while.

You are working on something suddenly the Windows shell stops responding to your drag ‘n’ drop actions. Just.Like.That. Awesome isn't it?

Chances are, you may have been hit by some malware or something similarly obnoxious. This is a long and emotionally troubling scenario.

But before you jump your horses, the next possible thing which could correct this could be a system reboot and I am sure it’ll work after that. Yes it will.

But what if it happens to you again?

The logical next step (short of an anti-malware scan) would be closing all the open applications and all MS stable stuff. Any luck? No I suppose not! So WTF is this anyways?

If you are stuck in the XP era, try this -
regsvr32 ole32.dll
regsvr32 /i shell32.dll

But if you have been already graduated to Windows 7 32/64 bitthis won’t help.

But then, here is the beauty solution! Just follow these steps -

Press and release (hit) the escape key.

There, you just did it, and now it works!

Just what the hell happened? But it works now.

So now you know how to fix it: Press ‘ESC’!

Incase this ESC trick is now up-to your standard or does nothing, try pressing the ALT / CTRL AND Windows Key buttons several times You can also have a stuck keyboard syndrome! this should solve it though.

I would be covering this small tit-bit in Experts Exchange soon, Stay tuned for the same!

I couldn’t help adding this from the yester-years product promotion exercise!

Ha! So much for 2012! Not much change, it still breaks often!

Imagine THAT MICRO$OFT!!

The Windows Maintenance HowTo – All the Windows Myths–debunked!

If you are one of those people who worry about your slow systems and for the life of you cannot make out the the reasons why, this guide is for you.
Although a bit old, but still correct and to the point, this Lifehacker article will tell you all about the Windows Maintenance Tips: The Good, Bad, and Useless.
Also, watch this blog about the different ways you can actually fight that ‘Windows getting slow with time’ syndrome.
I will be posting something about regular system maintenance too. So watch this space!

A pretty thorough take on Windows maintenence.

This is for the people who know what they want from their system, and want to know how to get it.

Hosted at Lifehacker, where the best advice is up for sharing, feel confident and just go ahead and try this!

What maintenance do I need to do on my windows-pc?

Thank me in the comments!