How To Remove the Start Button in Windows 8.1 and Get Extra Taskbar Space?

In this post, we will be sharing a small free tool created by a hb860 @ WinAero called StartIsGone. This tiny free tool has the function to remove the start button from your Windows 8.1 taskbar.

Personally, I love this tool because I found that the start button in Windows 8.1 was not that functional at all. Why? The answer is because it doesn't act like the start button we once see on older version of Windows. So, if you have the same problem like me, I recommend you to download and use this tool. Besides removing the start button from your taskbar, the benefit of using this tool is you can get extra taskbar space.

The developer said that this app is native (no .NET required) lightweight zero-privileges portable program, and the interface of the app is only an icon and a context menu which you can access from your taskbar system tray, very simple isn't it? ^^

HOW TO USE:

- First of all download the app using the link provided at the end of this article.

- Extract the ZIP file using WinRAR or other extracting programs, and double click on the .exe file to run the app.

- After running the app, you will now see that your start button has disappear, and you will see the app's icon showing on your system tray.

- To start StartIsGone and remove the start button when Windows 8.1 starts, click on the Run at StartUp option that the app provided.


Download the app from the following link

Download Link (ZIP File 905 Bytes)

Get Full Access to Recycle Bin Directly From Taskbar in Windows Vista/7/8

As we can all see, from the first version of Windows which is Microsoft Windows 1.0, Microsoft provided an app that has the same function like a trash bin in real life, called the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin has the function to store your deleted files after deleting them. You can access the Recycle Bin from your desktop, or by opening up Windows Explorer. If you want to empty the bin, you can do it by doing a right click on the bin’s icon and hitting the Empty Recycle Bin option.

But, do you ever realize how much seconds did you waste, or how much minutes did you waste just to exit or minimize your active windows just to click a single Empty the Recycle Bin button on your desktop, or opening that bin from the desktop? Well, maybe this is not a problem if you’re only working with one active window, but some users that are working with many active windows founded that the “exiting to the desktop just to access the bin” thing is really wasting their time, and they really need something that is more simple, so they can empty the bin without having to minimize the things that they are working on.

So in this post, we are going to share a simple freeware created by laushung @ deviantArt called TrayBin, that has the function to get full access to the Recycle Bin like opening the bin, emptying the bin, and see the bin's status directly from your taskbar!

To get full access to Recycle Bin from your taskbar, follow the instructions below:

1. Download the tool from the download link (link available on the end of this article)

2. Extract the ZIP file, and double-click on the TrayBin.exe icon to run TrayBin

3. A trash can-shaped icon will now show on your taskbar.

4. To empty your Recycle Bin, you can double click the app's icon on the taskbar, or you can do right click on the app's icon then hit the Empty Recycle Bin option.

5. To open up the Recycle Bin, you can do a right click on the app's icon, and click the Open Recycle Bin option.

TIPS:

- You can drag n drop a file to the TrayBin icon that is showing on your taskbar if you wanted to delete the file to the Recycle Bin.

- TrayBin is packed with different various icon themes that you can change from the app's settings window.

- You can start TrayBin with Windows from the Settings window, simply do a right click on the app's icon, then hit on Settings | General and check on the Automatically start TrayBin when Windows starts option.

Download Official Windows 8.1 RTM Wallpapers

On October 17th 2013, Microsoft released their very new operating system which is Windows 8.1! This date has been an exciting date for users that are using older versions of Windows that wanted to switch to Windows 8.1.

Personally, what I love from Windows 8.1 the first time I've used it are the wallpapers that Microsoft provided. So, today I'm going to share to all of you readers of Indonesian Technology Geek the wallpapers that Microsoft provided for Windows 8.1, that you can download from here for free ^^

If you are still using older versions of Windows, but you wanted to feel a little bit of a Windows 8.1 sensation on your desktop, we recommend you to download these wallpapers from the link below:

Download Link (ZIP File 5.2 MB)

A very big thank you to misaki2009 @ deviantArt for the wallpaper pack ^^

Disable SkyDrive Icon in Windows 8.1 Using SkyToggle

Today we are going to share a simple tool created  by SuprVillain @ deviantArt called SkyToggle. This small tool has the function to disable the SkyDrive icon that is showing on the left side of your Windows Explorer (Navigation pane).

This simple handy tool is recommended for Windows 8.1 users that are annoyed of the SkyDrive icon showing on the left navigation pane in Windows Explorer.

To use this tool, all you have to do is click on the Disable SkyDrive for Windows 8.1, and the SkyDrive icon will disappear. To restore to default settings, run the tool again and click on the  Enable SkyDrive for Windows 8.1 option.

You can download this tool for free from the following link:

Download Link (21.33 KB)

Disable Charms Bar in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 Using WinAero Charms Bar Killer

Today we are going to share another free and simple tool created for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, called WinAero Charms Bar Killer. This simple tool is created by hb860 @ WinAero and it has the ability to disable the Charms Bar in Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 ^^

The developer said that Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 has new features that can be disabled such as, the feature to disable top left corner, top right corner and skip Start screen to boot directly to Desktop. However, you can't disable the right bottom corner, and it always show you the charms bar.

So, if you want to get rid of the charm bar in Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, this handy tool is best for you!

Once you have download and run this tool on your PC, the tool will be showing as a tray icon in your taskbar. This tool has the following features that you can use:

- Run at Startup

- Disable the Charms Bar

- Disable the Top Left Corner

- Hide the app's tray icon

*The Hide Tray Icon option will hide the app's tray icon from your taskbar. In order to show the tray icon again, you must run the app from the folder that you've used to run the app.

Please note that if you want to revert to default settings, all you need to do is exit the application and restart the explorer shell.

You can download the app from the following link:

Download Link (534 bytes)

Internet Explorer 11 Is Now Available For Windows 7

On Windows 8.1, Microsoft has provided the new version of Internet Explorer, which is Internet Explorer 11. If you are not using Windows 8.1, but want to use this version of Internet Explorer in your computer, here is a good news for you ^^.

Microsoft has released Internet Explorer 11 to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems. It comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions.

Internet Explorer 11 came up to public with new features, which are (Source: AskVG.com):

- Improved performance

- Faster page load time

- Supports more HTML5 and CSS languages 

- WebGL Support

- Completely revised F12 developer tools

Here are the system requirements for installing Internet Explorer 11 on a non Windows 8.1 PC

- Supported Operating Systems: Windows 7 Service Pack 1, Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1

- Processor: 1 GHz 32-Bit or 64-Bit processor

- Required Hard Drive Space: 70 MB

- Required Screen Display: the minimum display in order to run IE 11 is 800 x 600.

Internet Explorer 11 is available in 95 different languages. You can download Internet Explorer 11 for free using the link given below:

Download Internet Explorer 11 for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Download the Internet Explorer 11 Standalone Offline Installer (32-Bit)

Download the Internet Explorer 11 Standalone Offline Installer (64-Bit)

Windows 8.1 RTM Released to Public! Upgrade Now!

On October 17 2013, Microsoft released Windows 8.1 RTM to public, and the upgrade is absolutely free for Windows 8 users that wanted to upgrade! But if you are still using older versions of Windows, you still need to pay in order to upgrade to Windows 8.1.








Windows 8.1 is actually an updated version of Windows 8, which has been improved with bug fixes and new features such as more customization options for the start screen, options to disable hot corners, Charms bar, direct boot into start screen, and much more! So if you are still using Windows 8, we recommend you to start updating to Windows 8.1.

Before proceeding to the download, you must look at the system requirements in order to install Windows 8.1 (Source: AskVG.com)

• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2
• RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)
• HDD: 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
• Graphics Card: DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
• Taking advantage of touch input requires a screen that supports multi-touch
• To run Metro style Apps, you need a screen resolution of 1024x768 or greater
• To snap apps, you need a screen resolution of at least 1366x768
• To use secure boot feature the firmware should support UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B and should have the Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in the UEFI signature database

If you are a using an older version of Windows, and wanted to try Windows 8.1 RTM for 90 days without purchasing it, you can download a free 90-day trial version from the link below:

Download Windows 8.1 RTM 90-Day Trial Version (32-Bit)

Download Windows 8.1 RTM 90-Day Trial Version (64-Bit)

As for the pricing of the full version, Windows 8.1 is available for $119.99, and Windows 8.1 Pro is available for $199.99. You can buy Windows 8.1 from your local Microsoft Store, or you can also buy it online from Microsoft's Online Store.

If you are a user of Windows 8 and wanted to upgrade to Windows 8.1, you can do that by downloading the upgrade from the Store app in your start screen for free.

Customize Windows 8.1 Start Orb Using Windows 8.1 Start Button Changer

Images taken from: door2windows.com

As we all know, Windows 8.1 has just released itself to the web and all Windows 8 users can now update from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 for free. The new operating system comes with new awesome features, and one of them are the return of the old start button!

So, today we are going to share a very awesome simple tool developed by Kishan-Bagaria @ door2windows.com, that has the ability to change the start button image on Windows 8.1, called Windows 8.1 Start Button Changer.

This powerful tool is very easy to use, and it also has a simple UI that everyone can understand. So, if you want to use this tool, follow the instructions below:

Preparation

1. Create the start button using Photoshop or small tools such as Windows 7 Start Button Creator.

2. Save your start orb image by hitting Export Orb, if you are using Windows 7 Start Button Creator.

Changing the Windows 8.1 Start Button

1. First of all, download the tool from the link provided below:

Download Windows 8.1 Start Button Changer (500 KB)

2. After downloading the app, run the app by double clicking the app.

3. You will now see the app's beautiful interface.

 

4. Hit the "Change" button to browse your image to use it as your Start Orb.

5. Browse your image to use as your custom start orb. You can find free start orb images on the internet ^^

6. After selecting your start orb image, Windows Explorer will automatically restart. Be patience :)

7. Now you will see that your start orb has changed, thanks to this awesome tool!

TIPS: You can restore your start orb image back to Windows 8.1's default start orb by hitting the Restore button.

How To Show "Sleep" and "Hibernate" Option in Windows 8 Shutdown Menu

On previous versions of Windows, we can see that on every shutdown menu we can see the Sleep and Hibernate option. But as we can see in Windows 8, this option is not showing on the shutdown menu.

If you are a laptop user, it is impossible that if Windows is not showing these two options on the shutdown menu.

So if you are facing with a problem like this, you can follow this tutorial to show the Sleep and Hibernate option on the shutdown menu.

1. Click on your laptop’s battery icon, and click on More Power Options.

2. On the new window showing, click on the Choose What Closing the Lid Does option

3. After that, click on the Change Settings that are currently available option.

4. Move your mouse cursor to the bottom side, and check on the Sleep and Hibernate option.

5. Click on the Save Changes button.

6. Open up the shutdown menu from the charm bar Settings menu, and you will see the Sleep and Hibernate option showing.

Hope this simple trick helps you!

What's New In Windows 8 Consumer Preview?

After posting about the release of Windows 8 Consumer Preview and how to download them directly for free, today we get a chance to post about the new features that Microsoft created to the Consumer Preview of Windows 8.

Changes that are made to the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 are awesome. We can say it's awesome because we can see that Microsoft changed the way we personalize our PC, the user interface of Windows 8, and a lot more!

The following are the changes that are made to Windows 8 Consumer Preview by Microsoft

New Bootscreen and Wallpaper

Windows 8 Consumer Preview now shows the metro styled Betta Fish on the bootscreen and the wallpaper.

New Windows 8 Start Screen

The design of the Windows 8 start screen has been changed and can be modified by changing the background with the available background in the PC Settings app, and you can also change its color using the available colors in the PC Settings app.

New System Charms

Windows 8 Consumer Preview now has shown the new Windows logo and modified some icons to the system charms. You can now access the system charm by hitting the Windows + C hotkey.

New Metro Styled Control Panel (PC Settings App)

The metro styled Control Panel name in the start screen has now been changed to the PC Settings App. Microsoft made it more simple starting from its name and the UI.

In the PC Settings App, we can tweak the start screen background and colors, the user tile, and the lock screen. We can do that as long that we have activated Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

New Taskbar and Taskbar System Icons

Windows 8 Consumer Preview has a new taskbar. We can call this taskbar new because we can see that Microsoft has removed the start button and has added a new way to access the start screen by just hovering your mouse to the left bottom side of your taskbar.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview also shows new system icons, such as the battery and the network icon (when network is disabled).

New Way to Close Metro Style Apps

In Windows 8 Developer Preview, we can see that we could not close Metro Style Apps. But now, Windows 8 Consumer Preview provides new feature that we can use to close Metro Style Apps.

You can close Metro Style Apps by hovering your mouse cursor to the left bottom side of your taskbar, and doing a second action by moving your cursor up to the Metro Style App thumbnail, and doing a right click on it and click Close.

New Aero Lite Theme Style

The Aero Lite theme in Windows 8 Consumer Preview has been modified with new control buttons (Minimize, Maximize, Close buttons), and has been added with new Metro buttons for the navigation.

I think that is all that I can post for now. I will update this topic if I can see what's new in Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

Download Windows 8 Consumer Preview NOW!

Ah.. After a few months seeing and testing the Windows 8 Developer Preview that was made for developers, now it's time to try the new pre-release version of Windows 8, which is Windows 8 Consumer Preview.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview is the pre-release version of Windows 8, that was submitted to public by Microsoft for developers and consumers around the world. In this version of Windows 8, Microsoft said that they have done 100.000 code changes to the project, that are suggested from the blog reader's feedback.

You can download and try Windows 8 Consumer from the link given below. Windows 8 Consumer Preview is available on 5 different languages, which are English, Chinese (Simplified), German, French, and Japanese.

Windows 8 Consumer Preview is an evaluation copy of Windows, and it will expire on January 15 2013 at 3:59 PM, so you can use it for aprox. 1 year.

Download Windows 8 Consumer Preview using the link given below:

English Version

64-Bit (x64) Download Link (3.3 GB)

32-Bit (x86) Download Link (2.5 GB)

Chinese (Simplified) Version

64-Bit (x64) Download Link (3.3 GB)

32-Bit (x86) Download Link (2.5 GB)

French Version

64-Bit (x64) Download Link (3.3 GB)

32-Bit (x86) Download Link (2.5 GB)

German Version

64-Bit (x64) Download Link (3.3 GB)

32-Bit (x86) Download Link (2.5 GB)

Japanese Version

64-Bit (x86) Download Link (3.3 GB)

32-Bit (x86) Download Link (2.5 GB)


Please note that if you are prompted to enter a product key during the installation of Windows 8 Consumer Preview, please enter one from the following product keys:

DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J
NF32V-Q9P3W-7DR7Y-JGWRW-JFCK8

Metro Bar: Get Windows 8 Build 8220 Start Feature in Windows 7

As we know on latest rumors about the upcoming version of Windows 8, which is Windows 8 Consumer Preview (Build 8220), the start button in Windows 8 will no longer be visible. So to access the start screen, you can do it by hovering your mouse to the left bottom side of your taskbar and you will see a tooltip that will let you access the start screen.

To get this cool feature in Windows 7, you can download this free app called Metro Bar created by our deviantArt friend dejco.

HOW TO USE

To use this awesome app, please follow the steps below.

1. Download the app from the following link

Download Link (20.2 KB)

2. Extract the archive using WinRAR or 7-Zip (You can find it in the software section) into a desired folder.

3. Change the start orb using Windows 7 Start Orb Changer with the downloaded orb in the download package.

4. After changing the orb, double click the EXE file

5. Now you will see the start orb on your taskbar will be hidden.

6. To access the start menu, you can hover your mouse to the left bottom side of your taskbar.

7. As you can see, a tooltip will show just like the one in Windows 8!

TIPS

To exit from the app, you can do a right click on the program's notify icon, and then click Exit

How to Use Windows 8 Developer Preview for One More Year?

Windows 8 Developer Preview (Build 8102) is the pre-release version of the upcoming Windows 8 operating system. Since Microsoft released it to the web, Microsoft set the expire date to March 11 2012, so people can only use it for a couple months.

But in the other side, we can see that developers and consumers still want to stick with Windows 8 Developer Preview for a long time. If you are categorized in that type of user, don't worry because Microsoft has released an update that will extend the expiry date of Windows 8 Developer Preview from March 11 2012 to January 16 2013!

But before talking about how to get the update, let's take a quick look of what will happen if Windows 8 Developer Preview expires.

You'll receive following message on the Activate Windows screen in Control Panel:

The license for this pre-released version of Windows has expired. You'll need to enter a new product key to activate Windows. Until you activate, Windows will restart every 1 hour, so you should back up your data.

Install the latest version of Windows.

 
You will receive the following message in the Windows Activation screen:

This pre-release version of Windows has expired. Your computer will restart every 2 hours and you might lose any unsaved data.

You will receive this message in the Personalize pane in Control Panel

You need to Activate Windows before you can personalize your PC.

So, if you want to use Windows 8 Developer Preview for one more year, you can download and install the new update KB2671501 from Windows Update.

How To Enable Aero Glass Feature in Aero Lite Theme in Windows 8 Developer Preview?

Today we are going to share a simple trick for Windows 8 Developer Preview founded by our deviantArt friend jaycee13, that will let you enable the "Aero Glass" feature in the Windows 8 Aero Lite theme.

Aero Glass feature in Windows 8 Aero Lite theme

As we all know in the past, the Aero Lite theme is the basic theme for Windows 8 and it is possible to use the "Aero Glass" feature on it.

To enable the Aero Lite's "Aero Glass" feature, please follow the steps below.

1. First of all, set your current visual style to the Aero Lite visual style, by doing a right click on the desktop, then click Personalize | Windows Basic.

2. After that, hit the Windows + R combination hotkey, and the RUN dialog will show up.

3. Then, type WindowsAnytimeUpgradeResults.exe in the text box, and press ENTER.


4. Finally, a window will pop-up, and there you have it! The Aero Glass will be activated on the Aero lite theme!

Windows 8 Will Let You Use A Mobile Broadband Without Having To Install Its Driver

Today we are going to share a new feature that will come on Windows 8, that has been discussed by the Windows Team in Microsoft @ Building Windows 8 Blog.

The new feature that they have included for the next modern operating system is a feature that will let you access the internet using a mobile broadband (MB) without having to install its 3rd party driver to connect.

Easy Broadband Setup

As we all know if we want to connect to the internet using an MB, we need to have the broadband for the internet connection. After that, we also need the MB's driver in order for us to connect to the internet. Some people said that some MB drivers that they got  from the provider are not compatible with new Windows versions and after knowing that problem, they couldn't connect to the internet because there is no driver installed.

Luckily in the upcoming Windows 8, the Windows Team said that Windows 8 will automatically detect and guide you to the setup of the MB in order for you to connect to the internet. Once you have connected the MB on your USB port, Windows 8 will detect, fetch the information of the MB's provider, and connect you to the internet.

How it Works?

All Information and images are taken form the Building Windows 8 Blog


If you have a carrier-unlocked mobile broadband device that supports carrier switching (this includes most mobile broadband users outside the US), Windows 8 has native support that allows you to select and connect to any supported carrier from within the Windows UI.

Selecting from available carriers

If you already activate the MB's data plan in the first place, Windows 8 will detect your mobile carrier and will automatically connect you to the internet and you are good to go.

You can connect to the internet by clicking on the "Connect" button on the carrier name.

Connecting to the internet using the MB

But if you did not activate a data plan in the first place, simply click the "Connect" button and Windows 8 will automatically direct you to the MBs app or website, where you can use to choose a desired data plan from the provider (for example a time-based, limit-based, or subscription-based plan).

AT&T’s new mobile broadband app walks you through purchasing a data plan

After you have purchased a data plan from the provider, Windows 8 will automatically connect your PC to the internet, and you can also see the details on how much data are used for accessing the internet.

You can view the operator's mobile broadband app by clicking the "View My Account" link on the app's tile in the start screen. Here, you can see how much data you’ve used, pay your bill, manage your account, and get customer support.

You can find out more by downloading the video from the Windows Team using the link below.

Download Low Quality MP4

Download High Quality MP4

Smart Folders: Free Utility to Create Folders Easily Just By Drag N Drop

If you have used Apple iOS or Google Android OS, you can see that the method of creating folders is more quicker rather than the method that Microsoft brings for Windows operating systems. The method that Apple and Google brought is an easy way to create folders by just doing a drag and drop from one file to another.

For example if you want to create a folder, just collect all the files that you need for the folder, and drag one file to other files that you want to put inside the upcoming folder.

But on the other hand, Microsoft does not include a feature like this to the Windows operating system. The quickest way of creating folders that Microsoft brought is by hitting the CTRL + Shift + N hotkey. But that feature was not quite known by some Windows users.

So, if you are interested with the feature that was brought by Google and Apple for their operating systems, you might want to try the freeware that we are sharing today.

Today we are sharing a freeware that can do the same thing that Apple iOS and Google Android does for their folders. This freeware is called Smart Folders, and it is created by our deviantArt friend Kishan-Bagaria.




















This useful application supports all Windows editions, including Windows 8 as well.


HOW TO USE

To use this app, all you need to do is just hit the Install button.

After hitting the Install button, close the application's window and you can now create folders by dragging files from one file to another.

You can download the software using the following link:

Download Link (398 KB)

Get the Leaked Upcoming Windows 8 Music Player in Windows XP, Vista, and 7

On our last post, we have shared an article about an upcoming Metro styled music player from Microsoft for Windows 8 Beta.

Music Beta: Upcoming Metro Styled Music Player for Windows 8

Today we are going to share a skin created by our friend PeterRollar, that will let you get the upcoming Metro styled music player in older versions of Windows which are, Windows XP, Vista, and 7.

Windows 8 Music Player Beta is a skin for the CD Art Display tool. The skin that we are sharing will let you feel the Metro sensation while playing your favorite songs.

Here is the preview for the skin that we are sharing today:

HOW TO USE

1. First of all, download the CD Art Display tool from the following link:

Download CD Art Display Tool

2.  Once you have download and install the CD Art Display tool, download the Metro skin from the following link:

Download Windows 8 Music Player Skin for CAD (1.0 MB)

3. Once you have downloaded the skin, double click on the *.cskin file to install the skin.

4. Open up the CD Art Display tool, and you are ready to enjoy your favorite songs in Metro UI!

TIPS

- If you want to hide the current song's lyrics, just click on them and they will be hidden.

- If you want to hide lyrics in all songs permanently, just delete or rename the Lyrics folder in the app directory.

Music Beta: Upcoming Metro Styled Media Player for Windows 8

Today we are going to share another article about Windows 8 upcoming features. The feature that we are going to share today is a feature that is perfect for Metro UI and music lovers.

The upcoming feature that we are going to share today is an upcoming app from the Microsoft App Store in Windows 8 called Music Beta.

Music Beta is an app that will let you play your favorite songs with a Metro styled User Interface (Metro UI). This immersive music player comes with a nice and clean Metro UI, which you can see from the following screenshots taken from WinUnleaked.tk:

If this application is really coming to Windows 8, it will be integrated to the start screen as well because it will show its own tile for quick access.

Here is the preview of the tile that will show:

Thanks to WinUnleaked and PeterRollar for this information

Get Windows 8 Login Screen in Windows 7

Windows 8 Developer Preview comes with new features such as the start screen, login screen, lock screen, and more. If you don't understand what's new in Windows 8 Developer Preview yet, we recommend you to read this article.

Today we are going to share another creation from our deviantArt friend PeterRollar that will let you enjoy the Metro Styled Windows 8 login screen in your Windows 7.

Here is the preview of the Windows 8 login screen for Windows 7:

HOW TO INSTALL AND USE LOGIN SCREEN:

To install and use this Windows 8 Metro styled login screen in Windows 7, please follow these steps.

1. First of all, download the login screen using the following link

Download Login Screen

2. Extract the downloaded files using WinRAR or 7-Zip, and after the extraction you will see system files such as

- authui.dll

- basebrd.dll

3. Now take ownership of the authui.dll file that is located inside the C:\Windows\System32 directory

4. After taking ownership of it, rename the file to authui_backup.dll

5. Now go to the C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd directory, and find the basebrd.dll

6. Take ownersip of the file, and rename it to basebrd_backup.dll

7. Now copy the downloaded authui.dll file to C:\Windows\System32

8. After that, copy the basebrd.dll file to C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd

9. If you are done, lock your PC and enjoy the new login screen!

NOTE

*This login screen can only work on Windows 7 32 Bit and 64 Bit with SP1 installed!

**If you do not know how to Take Ownership files, we recommend for you to read Vishal's article about taking ownership in Windows.

How To Add Take Ownership Option in Windows (AskVG.com)

How Activate Windows 8 Tablet PC Sidebar Panel On PCs Without Touch Screen Feature

Do you know the sidebar panel on the right side that is shown in Windows 8 Developer Preview on tablet PCs? If you know it, you also need to know that this feature can also be activated on PCs without the touch screen feature.

To activate the sidebar panel, all you need to do is press the Windows + Shift + C hotkey combination, and the sidebar will show.

Thanks to Jaycee13 for this info

BExplorer (Better Explorer): Get a Look Like Windows 8 Explorer With Ribbon UI in Windows 7

The ribbon interface in Windows 8 is very useful and easy to use. Not just from the functions, but the GUI of the Windows 8 explorer is very nice!

For Windows 7 users that still have a hard time with the default explorer from Microsoft that is in Windows 7, why not try this freeware called BExplorer?

BExplorer is a free explorer tool that will show you the Windows 8 explorer with Ribbon UI in Windows 7. The status of this software is still Alpha, so it could not be set to default at the moment.

This program also comes with Tab Support. So, you don't have to run too many windows for your hard time tasks.

The following are the highlighted features from this software:

- Ribbon UI

- Tab Support

- Additional Toolbars

- Extended Search

- Glassy View

You can download this software from the following link:

Download Link (16 MB)

Get Windows 8 Start Screen in Windows XP, Vista, and 7 Using "Another Windows 8 Start Screen"

In a few months, we have shared lots and lots of Windows 8 start screen apps for older version of Windows such as Pulmon, Omnimo 4, Newgen, and Mosaic.

Today, we are going to share another Windows 8 start screen app called Another Windows 8 Start Screen  that can really make you claim that you are using Windows 8!

Another Windows 8 Start Screen is a free and excellent start screen created by our deviantArt friend, PeterRollar. This start screen shows the actual Windows 8 Developer Preview start screen in your desktop, and you only need a tool called AveDesk in order to run it.

The following image is the preview of the start screen:

HOW TO USE

1. First of all you need to download a desktop tool similar to Rainmeter called AveDesk. You can download it using the following link:

Download AveDesk

2. After that, download the start screen from the following link:

Download Another Windows 8 Start Screen (23 MB)

3. Now install AveDesk and run the proggy one times to get rid of the intro.

4. Now copy the AveDesk.exe file to the main folder of this start screen.

5. Execute the AveDesk.exe file, and you will now see the start screen showing.

6. If not, the Control Panel of Avedesk will appear and you have to load the theme manually.

Tips

- Wallpapers with and without scrollbar included.

- The right side menu bar is not included because it is not finished.

- To get the left bottom start menu, you can download this ViStart app created by the same developer:

Download Win8 Start Menu from dA

Customize Windows 8 Start Screen Colors Using Metro UI Colors Changer

Many people that are using Windows 8 Developer Preview are complaining about the new green start screen. Most of them wanted the start screen colored in another color besides green and some of them also complained that they could not change the color of the start screen.

So, is there a hack or a freeware for Windows 8 that we can use to change the start screen colors in Windows 8? Well, there are programmers in this world that wanted to feel the same thing so the answer is YES.

Luckily our deviantArt friend, Kishan-Bagaria has created an excellent tool called Metro UI Colors Changer that will let you change the colors in Windows 8 start screen like:

- Start screen and login screen background color.

- Start screen tiles color.

- Start screen tiles font.

- Charms sidebar.

- Charms sidebar items.

HOW TO USE

- Run the app as Administrator, and select the preferences of Windows 8 start screen that you wanted to change its color.

- If you are done selecting the colors, click the Change All option.

- To restore default colors, click on the Restore All option.


Download the freeware using the following link.

Download Link (35 KB)

[UPDATE] Pulmon: Another Tool That You Can Use To Get Windows 8 Start Tiles

A new version version of Pulmon which is Pulmon 1.5  has been released with new features! Please re-download.

Today, we are going to share another freeware that will let you show Windows 8 tiles on your desktop created by our reader and also our deviantArt friend, Paras Sidhu. This freeware is called Pulmon.

Pulmon, is another Windows 8 look-like start screen for older versions of Windows that does not need any requirement at all such as Rainmeter, Avedesk, etc. to run it.

This software is free, and if you want to see the preview you can see it from the following image:

Now in this version, Pulmon shows the following features that are new!

- Metro UI settings.

- BUILD unstable widget.

- Various gradients choice.

- Added Repair and Clean options.

- And much more!



To download the latest version of Pulmon, you can download it using the following link.


Download File (3.2 MB)

Make sure you have installed Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0, otherwise this program and its features will not execute!

[UPDATE] Get the New Windows 8 Start Menu With Clock Using Win 8 Start Widget

This software has been updated with the latest version (1.1), with bugs fixed and new features added.

Windows 8 Start Menu is an app created and offered by IT Geek 2011. The app that we are sharing today will let you get the new Windows 8 sidebar widget in your Windows 7 desktop.

Today we are going to share the latest update for that program. The update has been added with new features and has been stable because the bugs are fixed.

The following is the preview of the update.

FEATURES

- New Design : Now the start menu looks like the real start menu in Windows 8.

- New Start Button : Added an orb from Windows 8 to the taskbar for easier and faster access.

- New fonts : Now the program is using the Segoe WP font. We recommend you to install it first before running the app.

- Fixed some bugs : Now the start widget is working fine. It will no more show in the middle of the screen.



If you wish to download the update, you can download it using this link.

Download Link

[UPDATE] Download Windows 8 Aero Lite Theme for Windows 7

This theme has been updated to version Beta 3. Please re-download if you are facing bugs.

Windows 8 has featured a new Windows Basic Theme replacement in the OS called Aero Lite theme. The theme is still based on aero but it is more lighter than the aero glass theme.

Today we are going to share a great theme created by IT Geek 2011 for Windows 7 users that wanted to enjoy this feature on their desktop just for more Windows 8 sensation.

This theme will show you the exact aero lite UI that is shown in Windows 8 on Windows 7. The following image is the preview of the theme.

If you wish to download the theme from us, you can download it using the following link:

Download Link (965 KB)

How To Completely Uninstall Windows 8

NOTE
This method of uninstalling Windows 8 only works for users that are doing a dual boot on their computer.

Are you satisfied with Windows 8? Do you want to uninstall Windows 8 and stay with your other Windows version that is installed on another partition? Well, if you want it you can read this article!

When Windows 8 Developer Preview was out, many people were asking us about how to uninstall it completely without leaving anything behind such as the Windows Developer Preview option in the boot menu.

So, if you want to know how to do it you can follow the steps below!

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First of all, you need to download the EasyBCD tool from here.

2. Make sure you have install this tool on your previous version of Windows, not on Windows 8.

3. Install and run the tool.

4. On the new window of the tool, click the Edit Boot Menu.

5. Now to remove Windows 8 from the boot menu, do a check mark on the Windows Developer Preview, and click Save Settings.

6. Now the last thing that you need to do to remove Windows 8 Developer Preview, is to uninstall the hard drive partition that you used to run Windows 8.

7. To uninstall your hard drive, open up My Computer, and do a right click on the partition and hit Fomrat.

8. On the new format window, click Start.

9. On the message window, click Yes.

10. Now Windows will format your hard drive. Now you need to wait because the process will be running in seconds, depending on how many files that are inside the selected hard drive partition.

11. When it is done, reboot your computer and you can see Windows 8 is successfully removed!

Newgen : Yet Another Utility That You Can Use to Get Windows 8 Metro Style Start Screen in Windows Vista and 7

Newgen is one of the most best Windows 8 start screen for Windows Vista and 7 that is created by Raymon Flores on deviantArt, with his team Neeraj and Max. This great start screen application supports WPF, HTML5, and HTML widgets.

This application also comes with Windows 8 start screen look-like tiles, side panel with buttons, and it also provides a clean Settings page designed in Metro UI.

To add more tiles, click in right-side of screen to show side panel. Now right-click on side panel and select "Pin application" to add a tile for your desired program or select "Pin website" to add a tile for your favorite website.

Features:

 - Get Windows 8 look-like start screen on your desktop.

- Supports WPF, HTML5, and HTML widgets.

- Switch to your opened apps, in just few clicks.

- Launch your favorite apps and websites in one click.

The following is the preview of this cool Newgen start screen:

If you want a copy of this cool start screen, you can download it using the following link.

Download Link (4.2 MB)