Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com Download Squad http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[How to log on to Windows XP automatically]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/11/18/how-to-log-on-to-windows-xp-automatically/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/11/18/how-to-log-on-to-windows-xp-automatically/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/11/18/how-to-log-on-to-windows-xp-automatically/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Auto Login Windows XPWhile in in many cases it would be a security risk, having your Windows XP computer log in automatically can be useful. For example, I have my Windows XP instance running under a virtual machine on my Mac. The easiest way to do this would be to use the Administrator account and simply leave the password blank. However, this has two distinct disadvantages: you can't log onto a domain with a machine that is not using a password, and you cannot have a machine configured this way accept Remote Desktop connections.

I have no need to use Remote Desktop to access my virtual machine, but since my XP instance needs to access a Windows network, I do need a password set. In the past, the easiest way to configure your machine to automatically log on was to use TweakUI powertoy for XP, where there is a setting under Logon for configuring automatic logons.

But there's an even faster way do do this.

On the machine that you want to configure to auto-login, click Start, Run, then type "control userpasswords2" (without the quotation marks) and press enter. In the window that pops up, click on the user account that you would like to automatically log in, then uncheck the "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer" checkbox. You will now be asked for the password for this account. Set it, click OK and OK, and you're done.

How to log on to Windows XP automatically originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto-loginautomatically-loginhow-tologinpowertoystweak-uiwindows-xpxpTue, 18 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Taking screenshots on an Android-based phone]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/22/taking-screenshots-on-an-android-based-phone/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/22/taking-screenshots-on-an-android-based-phone/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/22/taking-screenshots-on-an-android-based-phone/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Even before playing with the new Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, I knew that I would need to be able to take screenshots of the phone itself. Using a digital camera to capture screens externally just wasn't going to cut it. Because the Android platform is open (and now, open source), I really didn't expect this to be a problem. If anything, I thought there would be a way to take screenshots directly from the device like you can with the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Alas, I discovered this is not the case. After scouring Google trying to find answers, I asked Engadget's Editor-in-Chief Josh Topolsky what they used for the screenshots in their review, and he was nice enough to fill me in on the details.

Warning: right now, taking screenshots from an Android device requires installing the SDK. That doesn't make it as simple as pressing a button, but it's not the end of the world. If you've got a few minutes, and a quick connection with which to download the SDK, we'll show you how to take delicious Android screenshots of your own.



Continue reading Taking screenshots on an Android-based phone

Taking screenshots on an Android-based phone originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidandroid sdkAndroidSdkeclipsescreenshotst-mobile g1T-mobileG1Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Speed up browsing on low-speed connections with Toonel.net]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/29/speed-up-browsing-on-low-speed-connections-with-toonel-net/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/29/speed-up-browsing-on-low-speed-connections-with-toonel-net/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/29/speed-up-browsing-on-low-speed-connections-with-toonel-net/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

Toonel.netIf you frequently find yourself browsing on a low-bandwidth connection, you can potentially speed up your browsing experience by using the compressing proxy server at Toonel.net. The concept is simple: install their application on your computer (versions are available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Sun Solaris, and even Windows Mobile and Symbian), then set your proxy settings to point to your localhost IP address on port 8080 (127.0.0.1:8080). Once you do, all of your web traffic is routed through Toonel.net's server, which compresses it before it gets to you.

The compression used is lossless, which is required to ensure the pages show up as expected, though there are image-specific options that allow you to change the compression that is applied to JPEG and GIF images. This is likely only worthwhile on a very slow network, since it takes the server a bit of time to recompress images before your browser can download them, but could be handy on a struggling network.

I wouldn't recommend running Toonel.net full-time, or even at all if you're always on a broadband connection, but if you find yourself struggling with a lack of bandwidth, this is a great trick to have in your back pocket.

[via TechRadar]

Speed up browsing on low-speed connections with Toonel.net originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browsingcompressionfaster-browsingGIFJPEGproxyproxy-serverMon, 29 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Save Your Friends and Family From Malware!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/10/save-your-friends-and-family-from-malware/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/10/save-your-friends-and-family-from-malware/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/10/save-your-friends-and-family-from-malware/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Warning
Silly me. I figured as antivirus and antimalware protection became more sophisticated that I'd see fewer infected machines for repair. Man, was I wrong. Even my friends and family - who are fairly computer savvy and careful - have wound up in trouble.

If you're at all competent with a computer, chances are you've had requests from people to fix these problems. I've heard different programs menioned (XP Antivirus, Antivirus 2009, etc.), but it usually goes like this: "Hey, I'm getting this messages from [program] that I'm infected, can you fix that?"

Sure you can.

Over the past couple of months, I've tried different combinations of apps and find these four to do the job nicely. Download them, keep them up-to-date, and you'll be a hero with unlucky friends and family that wind up with an infected computer.

Note: run the first two in safe mode, if possible!

1. Combofix. This one has seen some major upgrades recently, and I use it on every cleanup. Where the old version just gave you a blue screen and said "Hang out for about ten minutes," the current version provides feedback about what's going on. Before any changes are made, ComboFix backs up the registry.

It then hunts out malware it recognizes and removes it. You may need to reboot, but you'll be prompted if it's necessary. It's portable, so just keep it updated on your flash drive.

Based on the comments, BE CAREFUL. Combofix has never caused me any issues, but your experience may be different.

Continue reading Save Your Friends and Family From Malware!

Save Your Friends and Family From Malware! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>malwaresmitfraudspywareWed, 10 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How to organize your ideas in Gmail - Emailers Anonymous]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/04/how-to-organize-your-ideas-in-gmail-emailers-anonymous/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/04/how-to-organize-your-ideas-in-gmail-emailers-anonymous/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/04/how-to-organize-your-ideas-in-gmail-emailers-anonymous/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Gmail Inbox remixedA friend recently asked me how he could set his Gmail up so that he could email himself ideas, and have them be automatically filed away into a specific label instead of clogging up his inbox. Gmail has a function called Filters which is similar to rules in other email systems, and it is very powerful and well-suited to this task. If you would like to be able to email yourself information and have it automatically be stored away into a label and stay out of your inbox, follow these instructions.

So the first thing to keep in mind is that there are reasons where you might legitimately want to email yourself and have it show up in your inbox, for example you might Reply All to something and find that your email address was included as an addressee. You don't want a thread like that one getting automatically moved into a folder, or you might miss it.

So the solution is to use a custom email address, which is easy. Gmail supports an email standard that allows you to add a plus symbol after your username, and anything you like after that. So an email sent to username+ideas@gmail.com will go right into your Gmail account the same way one sent to username@gmail.com will.

But here's the cool thing: you can filter based on the actual incoming email address. Here's how:

Continue reading How to organize your ideas in Gmail - Emailers Anonymous

How to organize your ideas in Gmail - Emailers Anonymous originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto-taggingautomatic-filteringEmailers-AnonymousGmailgmail-filtersgmail-labelslabelstaggingtagging-emailThu, 04 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Using Gmail's Starred items to track expected replies - Emailers Anonymous]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/27/using-gmail-s-starred-items-to-track-expected-replies-emailers/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/27/using-gmail-s-starred-items-to-track-expected-replies-emailers/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/27/using-gmail-s-starred-items-to-track-expected-replies-emailers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Gmail Starred ItemsOne of the hardest aspects of managing email is keeping track of sent messages where a reply is expected. Do you have this problem? I know I do. Some of the people I correspond with are completely reliable, and I know that if I send them something, I will get a reply within 24 hours and often sooner. But some of my other regular correspondents are not so reliable.

At all.

It's really frustrating.

Luckily, if you're a Gmail user, there is a very simply method for keeping track of messages where you are expecting a reply. You see it every day, and you might even be using it for something else.

What am I talking about?

The Starred attribute. With a single key or button press, Gmail allows you to add a star to a message which prominently appears whenever that message or thread is in view.

This process is incredibly simple, but effective. Now, I should first point out that starring an email is for all intents and purposes the same as labeling a message with any arbitrary label. But I think stars work better as an expected response reminder than a label would. So follow along with me and see if you don't come to the same conclusion.

Continue reading Using Gmail's Starred items to track expected replies - Emailers Anonymous

Using Gmail's Starred items to track expected replies - Emailers Anonymous originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>emailers-anonymousgmailstarred-itemsWed, 27 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hate IE? One Reason to Still Love Its Favorites - How To]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/25/hate-ie-one-reason-to-still-love-its-favorites-how-to/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/25/hate-ie-one-reason-to-still-love-its-favorites-how-to/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/25/hate-ie-one-reason-to-still-love-its-favorites-how-to/#commentsFiled under: , ,


I can't remember when was the last time I actually used Internet Explorer as the default browser on one of my Windows computers. After posting my how to on making a DIY launcher with Explorer, I realized that I wasn't using another feature that's been part of Windows for ages: the favorites menu.

Most of us look at the menu, see all the factory links (like Windows Update, Windows Media, etc) and forget something: you can add local programs, drives, and folders to your favorites as well.

Why bother? Well, instead of using an app like Folder Guide you may just want to use the features Windows has already given you to work with.

Continue reading Hate IE? One Reason to Still Love Its Favorites - How To

Hate IE? One Reason to Still Love Its Favorites - How To originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Forget Launchers, Just Do It With Windows! - How To]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/21/forget-launchers-just-do-it-with-windows-how-to/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/21/forget-launchers-just-do-it-with-windows-how-to/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/21/forget-launchers-just-do-it-with-windows-how-to/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

There are lots of nice launcher apps out there (Launchy, SpeedLaunch, Executor, etc.), but why bother with them when you can do the same thing with functions already built in to Windows? Explorer's running anyways, so you may as well get something out of it.

First, create a new folder that will contain your shortcuts. If you've got a data drive or partition, put it there so it'll stick around after a reformat. Next, right click my computer, and open system properties.

Click the advanced tab, then click the environment variables button. In the bottom box, find path and click the edit button. Now scroll all the way to the right, add a semicolon to the end, and input the path to your new folder.

Continue reading Forget Launchers, Just Do It With Windows! - How To

Forget Launchers, Just Do It With Windows! - How To originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tweak Firefox to Make the Most of Your Netbook's Screen]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/04/tweak-firefox-to-make-the-most-of-your-netbooks-screen/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/04/tweak-firefox-to-make-the-most-of-your-netbooks-screen/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/04/tweak-firefox-to-make-the-most-of-your-netbooks-screen/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

First Asus released the EEE (you know, that tiny little Linux laptop), now netbooks are flooding the marketplace as other makers trip over themselves to compete. I love my new MSI Wind, but let's face it: 1024x600 doesn't give you a surplus of screen real estate. Here's what I've done to maximize my viewable area in Firefox without sacrificing much needed functionality.

Step one is to reduce what you can using the options Firefox provides out-of-the-box.

First to go: the status bar. While I know there are reasons to leave it visible, it's not really necessary for the bulk of the web browsing most of us do, and those are valuable pixels we can save. Next, head over to the toolbar menu click on customize. Switching from the default large to small icons will provide another small gain.

Now let's get rid of the bookmarks toolbar.

If you're not using an online bookmarking service yet, owning a netbook is a good reason to start. By using Google bookmarks and installing the GMarks addon, you're able to sneak all your favorites into the top main navigation toolbar. After you've installed GMarks, go back to toolbar customization and drag the GMarks Toolbar star onto the bar wherever you prefer it.

Continue reading Tweak Firefox to Make the Most of Your Netbook's Screen

Tweak Firefox to Make the Most of Your Netbook's Screen originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eeefirefoxminimalismmsi windMsiWindnetbookumpcMon, 04 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How-To: Take iPhone or iPod Touch screenshots!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/16/how-to-take-iphone-or-ipod-touch-screenshots/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/16/how-to-take-iphone-or-ipod-touch-screenshots/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/16/how-to-take-iphone-or-ipod-touch-screenshots/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you've been following the new iTunes app store, you might be wondering how all those screenshots got there. Some people seem to think you need to run an iPhone simulator or install an app to create them, but there's actually a built-in way to do it right on your phone or pod. We thought this would be a good time to go over it.

Step 1: Briefly hold down the power button on the top of your device. While it's down, press the ... uhh, well, the only other button these things have. The one on the front. And that's all! Your screen should flash momentarily, and your screenshot should be saved in a new folder under Photos.

Appropriately, it's called Saved Photos. When you want to get your photos from your iPhone/iPod to your Mac, without having to mess around with syncing in iTunes, you can just pop open Image Capture -- it comes standard with OS X -- and pick the ones you want.

How-To: Take iPhone or iPod Touch screenshots! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cameraiPhoneiPodphotoscreenshotWed, 16 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[HELP! Windows cannot open this file]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/20/help-windows-cannot-open-this-file/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/20/help-windows-cannot-open-this-file/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/20/help-windows-cannot-open-this-file/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Can not open dialog

You've just downloaded that must have program only to realize that Windows has no idea what to do with it. After an hour of Google searching, forum posting, and being called n00b, you finally figure it out.

If only there was a guide that showed you how to get all those needed programs. We at Download Squad feel your pain and have put together a list of 10 free programs that will take care of those pesky "Windows cannot open this file" messages once and for all.

Note: See a blatant omission or oversight? Please add it to the comments. With your help, we hope to re-post a more complete list the future.

  1. K-Lite codec pack

    File Types: DivX, XviD, AVI, Mpeg 1-4, AC3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, FLV, OGG, VOB, and tons you've never heard of.

    Description: Why there are 85,000,000 different audio and video types we have no idea. What we do know is trying to install codecs one at a time generally ends in a reformat.

    Thankfully, the good people from K-Lite (Koors Lite?) have bundled all the software and codecs you need into one executable. Cheers!


  2. Real Alternative and QuickTime Alternative

    File Types: RM, RA, RAM, RPM, RMVB, RPX, SMI, SMIL, RT, RP, MOV, QT, 3GP

    Description: Before the days of Youtube, the Real Player and QuickTime were kings of Internet multimedia. Sure you had to deal with popups, reminders, updates, and bloatware, but that 1" video was so worth it.

    Fortunately, the Real and Quicktime Alternatives removed the real in Real Player and restored the quick to QuickTime. Enjoy your 1" video!

Continue reading HELP! Windows cannot open this file

HELP! Windows cannot open this file originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codecsextensionfreewaresharewaretoolstweet-thisutilitieswindowsFri, 20 Jun 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flipping the Linux switch: Linux web tools, Pt. 2 - Using LAMP for testing]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/13/flipping-the-linux-switch-linux-web-tools-pt-2-using-lamp-f/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/13/flipping-the-linux-switch-linux-web-tools-pt-2-using-lamp-f/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/13/flipping-the-linux-switch-linux-web-tools-pt-2-using-lamp-f/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

small apache2 install graphicThere was a toss up this week about whether it would be better to dig right in to the Linux HTML editors, or to wax poetic about setting up LAMP so that those choosing to go the content management system (CMS) route could test any changes they made with such editors on their local machines.

We ultimately decided to tackle setting up a LAMP testing ground. This will certainly not be necessary for every single person out there who just wants to put up a web site. If your site is not using PHP-driven content that interacts with or requires a database backend, and you just plan on designing static web pages, there is absolutely no need to do any of this.

If you are perfectly content to upload your site and integrate any supporting elements (once again, things like databases) live and on the web and make changes there, where it is possible that everyone can see your style sheet testing or things may be temporarily broken, you don't need to do this either.

Some people, though, really like to get things on their CMS tweaked to near perfection before releasing their content on the world. Other people need to know exactly what a dynamic site is going to look and act like before it goes live. The combination of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP (LAMP) makes this possible.

Continue reading Flipping the Linux switch: Linux web tools, Pt. 2 - Using LAMP for testing

Flipping the Linux switch: Linux web tools, Pt. 2 - Using LAMP for testing originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>apachecontent management systemContentManagementSystemLAMPlinuxlinux-switchlocalhostmysqlphpservertestFri, 13 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Vista: open command prompt window from right-click menu]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/04/vista-open-command-prompt-window-from-right-click-menu/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/04/vista-open-command-prompt-window-from-right-click-menu/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/04/vista-open-command-prompt-window-from-right-click-menu/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

command pompt window right-click + shift

If you ever need to open a command prompt window from a Vista right-click menu (example: you sit down to use your computer and a message suddenly pops up -- "open a command prompt window from a right-click menu your computer will blow up"), how would you go about doing it?

The process is simple: hold down the shift key, then right click on a folder icon, in a folder, or the desktop. An "Open Command Window Here" option will appear in the menu as a result of the shift key's ability to, well, shift stuff. Finally, when the command window opens, take a look at the current path: it's whatever you clicked on.

Vista: open command prompt window from right-click menu originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>commandhow toHowTopromptright-clickshifttipvistawindowWed, 04 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flipping the Linux switch: Cairo-Dock is pain free eye candy]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/07/flipping-the-linux-switch-cairo-dock-is-pain-free-eye-candy/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/07/flipping-the-linux-switch-cairo-dock-is-pain-free-eye-candy/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/07/flipping-the-linux-switch-cairo-dock-is-pain-free-eye-candy/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Cairo panel, really freakin' smallIt's a weird phenomenon. Nearly every computer platform steals another one's look. Vista gets accused of trying to look too much like OS X. Linux desktops get accused of trying to look like Vista (except when they're accused of ripping off OS X).

Well, okay, we guess really what that proves is that there's at least something distinctive and cutting edge about OS X's look. Love it or hate it, everyone seems to think everyone else is ultimately copying it.

There's no denying, the first time we saw OS X, our hearts beat a little faster when we saw the dock.

Until now, though, the dock concept was really sort of a nuisance to get working effectively in Linux. There is the Avant Window Navigator, and though it does the trick quite nicely, many newbies (or extremely busy people) said the tweaking factor left them wanting something a little less involved.

We've been using Cairo-Dock of late, and we really like it. The beauty of it extends far beyond the physical appearance. There are source packages, and there are Debian binary packages. Installing isn't that difficult. We even installed it, quickly and with great success, on a 64 bit system (and yes, we'll show you how.)

Continue reading Flipping the Linux switch: Cairo-Dock is pain free eye candy

Flipping the Linux switch: Cairo-Dock is pain free eye candy originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 07 May 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Cairo-dockconfigurationdebDebianlauncherslinuxlinux-switchmenupanelUbuntuWed, 07 May 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Automatically delete empty subdirectories with one-line batch file]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/05/automatically-delete-empty-subdirectories-with-one-line-batch-fi/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/05/automatically-delete-empty-subdirectories-with-one-line-batch-fi/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/05/automatically-delete-empty-subdirectories-with-one-line-batch-fi/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

rdempty.bat batch fileDeleting empty subdirectories seems like something Windows ought to do automatically, but for some reason that function just isn't included as part of the OS. Luckily, you don't need to download a utility to do it; instead, you can create a single line batch file that will do exactly what you're looking for:

for /f "usebackq" %%d in ("dir /ad/b/s | sort /R") do rd "%%d"

Raymond Chen, the venerable Microsoft coder, explains how this works. Basically, it uses a trick to enumerate the directories in reverse order. Since you can't delete a directory that contains data (including other directories) the only way to automate deleting directories is to start at the very bottom of the tree and work your way up.

Automatically delete empty subdirectories with one-line batch file originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batchbatch-filedirectoryempty-directoriesraymond-chenremove-directoriesthe-old-new-thingMon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Speed up the feel of Windows with the double-click speed setting]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/28/speed-up-the-feel-of-windows-with-the-double-click-speed-setting/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/28/speed-up-the-feel-of-windows-with-the-double-click-speed-setting/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/28/speed-up-the-feel-of-windows-with-the-double-click-speed-setting/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

double-click speed settingSpeed is all about perception, so any tip that makes a computer feel faster is gold as far as we're concerned. Today's tip is a doozy from Raymond Chen, the venerable Microsoft developer and blogger.

According to Chen, a number of user interface timers in Windows key off of the double-click speed registry setting.

The default double-click speed in Windows is 500ms , or exactly 1/2 of a second. Try dropping that down to 250ms -- about three-quarters of the way towards Fast -- and watch the rest of Windows feel just a bit snappier, since a number of other Windows user interface timings use that setting as a reference. Cool!

Speed up the feel of Windows with the double-click speed setting originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>double-clickdouble-click-settingmicrosoftraymond-chenspeed-up-windowswindowswindows-speedMon, 28 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows Tip: Simulate "No to All" in file copy dialog]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/11/windows-tip-simulate-no-to-all-in-file-copy-dialog/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/11/windows-tip-simulate-no-to-all-in-file-copy-dialog/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/11/windows-tip-simulate-no-to-all-in-file-copy-dialog/#commentsFiled under: ,

confirm file replace
When you try to copy a group of files from one folder to another, Windows will bring up a handy little window if it notices files in the target directory with the same name as files from the source directory. You can manually choose which files to overwrite or leave be one by one. Or you can click "Yes to All" to effectively overwrite every file with a duplicate name in the target directory.

But what if you want to click "No to All?" There's no button for you, but that doesn't mean Windows won't let you skip all the duplicate files. All you have to do is hold down the Shift key and click No. Now Windows will skip all files with duplicate names and copy the rest of your files to the new directory, thus saving you a lot of time, heartache, and repetitive finger motions.

[via Online Tech Tips and Tech Xpress]

Windows Tip: Simulate "No to All" in file copy dialog originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>confirm-file-replacecopyno-to-allyes-to-allFri, 11 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flipping the Linux switch: Disturbingly easy installs, now with sound and action]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/21/flipping-the-linux-switch-disturbingly-easy-installs-now-with/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/21/flipping-the-linux-switch-disturbingly-easy-installs-now-with/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/21/flipping-the-linux-switch-disturbingly-easy-installs-now-with/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

w32codecs ftw!Last week, we walked through installing Ubuntu Linux.
It's not a particularly hard process, and Ubuntu is great because it clearly illustrates the basic steps every Linux distribution goes through when it installs on a hard drive. Even if you don't use Ubuntu or a derivative, just looking at the installer screenies gives a nice story arc to a generic Linux install.

New users often find the first time they log in to their shiny new Linux desktop that not only are many things they need installed and ready, but a few things they really want aren't. They'll have a browser, but the Flash plug-in won't be activated. They'll have a media player, but it won't play .mp3 or .wma files. It won't play DVDs. What's up with that?

The main reason this happens is due to licensing, copyright and distribution issues. It will vary from distribution to distribution a little bit (Puppy Linux usually includes Flash with its browser, and Xandros usually peppers in a few media codecs), but for the most part, the free (as in speech) aspect of the software is kept separate from the proprietary. Legality is the major player, but there are quite a few open source folks out there who like to keep their machine free of the proprietary stuff on principle.

That's totally fine, we say. To each his own. But we have this movie we want to watch right here, right now.

Continue reading Flipping the Linux switch: Disturbingly easy installs, now with sound and action

Flipping the Linux switch: Disturbingly easy installs, now with sound and action originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>libdvdcss2linuxlinux-switchmediamultimediapackagesubuntuw32codecsFri, 21 Mar 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Enable support for 6th Gen iPods in Ubuntu]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/18/enable-support-for-7th-gen-ipods-in-ubuntu/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/18/enable-support-for-7th-gen-ipods-in-ubuntu/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/18/enable-support-for-7th-gen-ipods-in-ubuntu/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

iPodWhen Apple released the latest generation of iPods, the company also caused a great deal of pain for Linux users. While Linux developers had an easy time getting every other iPod in the past to work with Linux distributions like Ubuntu and SUSE, the latest iPods are different. In their infinite wisdom, Apple redesigned the iPod music database in such a way that it is encrypted with a hash key. Not only does this make it difficult to develop third party software that can access that database, but if you try to sync your 6th gen iPod with Ubuntu 7.10, it will destroy the database, making your music unplayable on the iPod (but still accessible in disk mode).

Of course, the Linux community being what it was, it took just a few days before a highly technical solution started making the rounds. But how does Joe Six-pack use this to sync his shiny new iPod? Download Squad delivers. Read on for step by step instructions!

Continue reading Enable support for 6th Gen iPods in Ubuntu

Enable support for 6th Gen iPods in Ubuntu originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appleipodituneslibgpodlinuxtweet-thisTue, 18 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Flipping the Linux switch: Installations are disturbingly easy]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/16/flipping-the-linux-switch-installations-are-disturbingly-easy/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/16/flipping-the-linux-switch-installations-are-disturbingly-easy/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/16/flipping-the-linux-switch-installations-are-disturbingly-easy/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

All right, the headline is a little bit of a lie. Some Linux installs are hairier, take longer, and just aren't as soothing as the one we're about to show you. They do all work approximately the same way, however, and that's just fine for us as a point of illustration.

So there we are, looking at the "Download" page of an Ubuntu derived distribution. We decide that we'll download the x86 version of the distro (we'll assume we don't have a 64 bit or PPC system or don't want a 64 bit OS). So we click on the file that ends in .iso, and it starts downloading.

Now what?

Continue reading Flipping the Linux switch: Installations are disturbingly easy

Flipping the Linux switch: Installations are disturbingly easy originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>how toHowToinstallkubuntulinuxlinux-switchlivecdtweet-thisubuntuwalkthroughSun, 16 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EST