Tag: WINDOWS XP

If you used Windows XP for a long time (who didn't?), one of the biggest changes when moving to Windows 7 or Vista was the massively-altered Explorer. While the new Explorer introduces some useful new features, it also removed just as many -- which is where Classic Shell comes in! We've covered Classic Shell before, but here's the crib note: Classic Shell restores almost every Windows ...

If you've ever wanted to see, in 10 short minutes, the evolution of simple, glorious MS-DOS Shell and Windows 1, to the lofty, shiny, 3D peaks of Windows 7, with every version (except Windows Me) in between, now's your chance. With the title 'Chain of Fools,' the video (embedded after the break) chronicles one man's attempt to upgrade Windows from one version to the next, from Windows 1 to ...

MakeUseOf has just published yet another excellent guide, this time on the topic of keeping your Windows installation lean, mean and fighting fit. It's available as a free download (PDF), or online (Scribd). The guide is impressively comprehensive -- it covers everything from partitioning your hard drive to installing more RAM -- but some Download Squad readers will probably find it a bit too ...

We've all been there: you need to reinstall Windows or Office, but you can't find the blasted product key! Perhaps you've mislaid the disc's paper wallet, or more commonly the sticker on the bottom of your laptop has been rubbed off. The only solution, other than grabbing a pirate version, is to use a tool like Enchanted Keyfinder. Enchanted Keyfinder, which is free, open-source, and only ...

Homegroups make sharing files and folders easy on Windows 7, but Windows XP and Vista users have to do things a little differently. Fortunately, there are dead-simple ways to share files on both XP and Vista, too. Microsoft offers a very detailed step-by-step guide for those of you looking for an exhaustive walkthrough, but here's the short version for Windows XP users: click Start > ...

Ah, Windows Dancer, how fondly I remember thee. How you would bump, jive and gyrate across my screen! Mr Clippy was mere nothingness when compared to you. And Aquarium! A three-dimensional fish tank... on my screen! I still remember the first time I showed my mother. She actually reached out to touch the fish; I had to slap her hand to remind her that it was only an illusion. With Windows ...

According to a shocking report, 48% of IT administrators intend to continue running Windows XP after Microsoft officially retires it in 2014. The "IT [sector] just really, really likes the XP operating system," says Diane Hagglund, a senior analyst at Dimensional Research, reporting on the findings of a survey of 950 IT professionals. "They say it's just that good, and don't want to mess with it." ...

Back in June, Microsoft announced that OEMs would need to begin the final move away from Windows XP. The drop-dead date from Redmond was October 22, 2010 -- which is now fast approaching. It should come as no surprise, then, that Dell issued a statement yesterday saying that XP Home and Pro will no longer be offered as a factory preinstall option by the end of this month. The Dell post offers ...

Valve's Steam Hardware Survey for May 2010 is in! And it's interesting. The site itself seems to be broken -- check out the '0%' May 2010 figures at the bottom -- but fortunately someone on the Steam forums took some screenshots. Here are the Windows numbers -- and the Mac numbers. The first thing that jumps out is the average amount of RAM: a lot of Windows Steam users are still stuck with ...

A growing contingent of new laptop users are experiencing extremely poor battery performance, and complaining about it loudly online. The thing is, the problem doesn't seem limited to be any one laptop manufacturer, or even any one battery manufacturer. It's starting to look like the only common denominator for the users experiencing problems is Windows 7. While it's still too early to say with ...

Update: Party Booth has changed its name to Spark Booth. Have you ever wished that you could have a photo booth running at your wedding reception, engagement party, or kegger? If so, you might want to check out Party Booth. Party Booth is a desktop application that runs in full-screen kiosk mode that allows party guests to walk up to the computer, simply press the spacebar, and pose for ...

digg_url = 'http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2009/12/26/chinese-copy-cat-pirates-launch-ubuntu-that-looks-just-like-windows-xp/'; From the Chinese pirate masters of the non-sea-faring variety comes ... Ylmf OS! Not happy with pirating Windows XP itself, these creative Chinese have gone one step further and hacked Ubuntu to look exactly like Windows XP. Why have they moved to Ubuntu? Because ...

Even though it's getting a little long in the tooth, plenty of PC users are still perfectly happy with Windows XP. Of course, that doesn't mean running Windows XP is always a trouble-free experience. It's got its fair share of issues. Thankfully, though, there are loads of great programs out there which make fixing little annoyances as simple as point-and-click. Programs like XP Quick Fix ...

Microsoft has announced the a Release Candidate of their Windows XP Mode package for Windows 7. We've mentioned Windows XP mode here once or twice before, but now it's a little closer to being ready for public consumption. Built using Microsoft's Virtual PC product, Windows XP Mode actually runs a copy of Windows XP inside your Windows 7 installation. You can install older programs on the ...

PCIncubator aims to help you find the right parts at the right prices to build your dream PC. We've all built a PC at some point. It's fun, isn't it? Pick our your case, the mother board, memory, GI Joe Stickers. What? The pain in the neck part of the process is finding the right parts that you need and not paying too much for them...or buying really crappy parts as a default because you don't ...