Improve Sync Performance In iTunes For Windows

On my PC the longest part of the sync process in iTunes with my iPhone or iPad is the device backup. Taking up to an hour at times I can live without a backup. Especially since I jailbreak my devices which makes ever restoring a backup after an OS upgrade a bad idea.

There are two methods to disable the device backup feature. First, I'm going to show you the manual tweak.

Manual Method
Apple made it very difficult to disable the automatic device backup feature manually by burying the setting deep in a configuration file. In order to make the change you will need a good XML text editor. I suggest using the free Notepad++ that you can download here.

First, make sure iTunes is closed and create a backup of the iTunes Preferences file located in C:\Users\Your Username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\ called iTunesPrefs.xml.

Open up C:\Users\Your Username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iTunesPrefs.xml in your text editor and go to the <key>User Preferences</key> section.

Then copy and paste the code below just after the <dict> node of the User Preferences section as shown below.

<key>DeviceBackupsDisabled</key>
<data>
dHJ1ZQ==
</data>

Save the file and start iTunes. The device backup should now be skipped when syncing.

Automated Method

If you want a fully automated approach there is a free app called iPhone Backup Switch that you can download from here.

Just run the utility and when iTunes is closed click the Disable iPhone Backup in iTunes button.

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Fix Broken And Slow Tab Issues In Internet Explorer 8

Some users that upgraded to Internet Explorer 8 experience issues with tabs not working properly or taking a very long time to load.  It seems for most users the issue can be attributed to a problem with actxprxy.dll not installing properly during the upgrade.  If you have a similar problem with IE8, fixing the issue is as simple as a running one command.

Just open up an administrative level command prompt and type in regsvr32 actxprxy.dll and hit Enter. Reboot your computer and your tab issue should be resolved.

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Where Did All My Free Space Go?

It happens to everyone eventually. Your hard drive is suddenly full and you are left wondering where did all my free space go? Now you must begin the task of deleting old files and folders to reclaim space but where do you start? In the past I would suggest manually checking the sizes of all of your folders so you know where to begin the hunt but now there is a great utility called WinDirStat that does the work for you.  After inspecting a drive you are shown exactly how much data is in each folder, what file types are taking up the most space and even a visual representation of the files on your disk.

Now you know exactly where to target your cleanup effort.


WinDirStat Web site.
Free Download.

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Virtualization On Windows

Operating System virtualization on the client side has many benefits including better security and more flexibility.  Depending on the resources available on your computer you can setup an entire virtual lab running numerous operating systems for testing.  Additionally, virtualization allows you to test software and perform other activities in a sandbox environment that will not affect your primary operating system.  You can infect your VM (virtual machine) but the rest of your computer will be safe.

There big players in the client virtualzation arena are VMWare Workstation, Microsoft Virtual PC and Sun VirtualBox. All have good products but only the Microsoft and Sun products are 100% free (and just a good as VMware IMO).

I have personally used both Virutal PC and VirtualBox for many years and recommend both for your virtual environment. Virtual PC always has great support for Windows operating system while VirtualBox does Windows well and is compatible with more Linux and Unix distributions.

Depending on what operating system you run on your physical computer will determine what client virtualization software you can run.

For Windows 7 Users:

Windows Virtual PC 32-Bit
Windows Virtual PC 64-Bit
VirtualBox

For Windows Vista Users:

Virtual PC 2007
VirtualBox

For XP Users:

Virtual PC 2007
VirtualBox

Using client virtualization software is very simple.  It is just like using a physical computer but your virtual monitor is just another window on your desktop.

You can boot up from a CD/DVD in your physical optical drive or use .ISO file and install the operating system in your virtual machine. Once you have your OS installed make sure you install the VM tools/additions/integration components on the virtualized machine for best performance.

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Spell Check Add-on For Internet Explorer 9

Internet Explorer 9 is big improvement over Internet Explorer 8 but it is still the only modern browser that does not include spell check as a native feature. With this release Microsoft focused more on the browser engine adding HTML 5 support and hardware acceleration. Web standards and performance are very important but the lack of a basic feature such as spell check can prevent users from making Internet Explorer 9 their default browser.

Thankfully, there are a number of free spell check add-ons available for Internet Explorer 9 that will help you modernize your browser:

    - The first option has been the unofficial Internet Explorer spell check add-on for years known as IE Spell. This free add-on allows you to check the spelling of any text box by right clicking and selecting Check Spelling.

    Click here to download IE Spell.

    - My new favorite spell check add-on for Internet Explorer 9 is called Speckie. This free add-on adds the familiar red squiggly line under misspelled words similar to other browsers or Microsoft Word.

    Click here to download Speckie.

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Search The Office 2010 Ribbon With Search Commands

While the ribbon interface in Office 2010 is a refined version included in Office 2007 it is completely new for many users that upgraded from Office 2003 directly to 2010. For new users the most popular problem is finding where settings and features are located in the redesigned ribbon menu.

Microsoft Office Labs has released the perfect add-on utility for any new Office 2010 user.  Instead of manually searching through the ribbon for what you need, simply type it in.

After installing the add-on just click on the Search Commands tab and key in what you are looking for.  Relevant buttons will appear allowing you to directly select what you need.

Click Here to download Search Commands for Office 2010.

Office Labs Search Commands home page.

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Search The Office 2007 Ribbon With Search Commands

The new interface in Office 2007 has a great new look but finding your favorite feature can be a little difficult at first. Microsoft Office Labs offers a helpful utility called Search Commands that brings search to the ribbon. Can’t find a specific feature? Just search for it!

Just download and install the Search Commands utility and you will have a new search tab in Word, Excel and Powerpoint.


Download Search Commands from Microsoft Office Labs


Visit Search Command homepage

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Remove Personal Information From Office Documents

Microsoft Office and other Windows Applications store all sorts of personal information when you save a file. Your name, computer name, company, date and time last edited are all examples of data included in a simple Word document file.

If you are concerned about your privacy there is an easy way to strip this information from a file.

    1. Right click on the file and select Properties

    2. Click on the Details Tab

    3. Click Remove Properties and Personal Information on the bottom of the window

    4. Select Remove the following properties from this file option and check all the items you want to remove. I suggest using the Select All button.

    5. Hit OK and you are finished. All personal information is now removed.

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How To Install Telnet With Only One Command

Starting with Windows Vista, Microsoft no longer includes the telnet command installed by default.  It is still available but must be installed or enabled by the user.  The normal way to enabled additional features is through the “Turn Windows features on or off” window found in Control Panel.  This accomplishes the task but can be annoying when you are working in Command Prompt and need to use the telnet command right away.

Instead of going to Control Panel, there is a better way.  At an administrative level command prompt, simply run:

dism /online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:TelnetClient

Telnet will be available immediately after the dism command has completed running.

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How To Burn CD And DVD Images (ISO Files) From The Command Line

Windows 7 and 8 includes a free image burning utility called the Windows Disc Image Burner that allows you to quickly write CD and DVD images. The utility has a graphical interface but can be run from the command prompt by passing the proper parameters.

To start burning a CD or DVD ISO file immediately from command prompt, simply type in:

isoburn /q drive:\file.iso

For example:

isoburn /q d:\en_windows_7_ultimate_x64_dvd_X15-65922.iso

Alternatively, you can pass only the ISO file location and click the Burn button within the utility.

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Enable iOS AirPrint Support On Windows

In the latest version of iOS Apple included a new feature called AirPrint. Designed to bring native printing support to the iOS platform it can be found on version 4.2 or later devices such as the iPhone, iPod and iPad. At launch only a handful of HP wireless printers can be used but with the help of this article it is possible to AirPrint to any printer connected to a Windows computer, including Windows servers.

First, enable network printer sharing for the printer attached to your computer. In Windows 7, click on the Start button and select Devices and Printers. Locate your printer, right click on the icon and select  Printer properties.

Click on the Sharing tab, check the Share this printer box and then click OK.

If this machine does not have iTunes installed you will need to install the Bonjour Print Service. You can download the file from Apple directly.

After Bonjour is installed, make sure UDP port 5353 is open if you have a firewall.

Now it is time to install the AirPrint components.  There are a few installers available, but I recommend downloading the Elpamsoft AirPrint Installer. Airprint Installer Mirror.
After the file has been downloaded and extracted, run AirPrint Installer.exe with administrative rights (right click on the file and select Run as administrator). Click the Install AirPrint Service button.

Finally, make sure the Service Startup selection is set to Auto and click the Start button.

The setup is now complete. Test AirPrint by using Safari and the Bookmark button or in Mail with the Reply button. You will find a Print option in the pop-up menu. Select your Printer and touch Print. You may be asked to authenticate, use your windows account on the host computer.

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Clean And Optimize Your New Computer

When you buy a new computer it is often loaded with extra software that you just don’t need.  OEMs are paid by software companies to bundle trial versions in hopes that you will buy the full product. The preloaded junk is a waste of disk space, memory and can even hurt the performance of your new computer so it is a good idea to remove it all.

While it is possible to manually remove each extra piece of software on your computer there is a great free tool called PC Decrapifier that will automate the process.

To get started download the latest copy of PC Decrapifier.

After the software is downloaded on your computer just run the executable. There is no installer for this software.

Click Next on the Welcome, license and Warning screens.  Select if you are running the utility on a new computer and then click Next.



You will have the option to create a Restore Point that will allow you to revert your changes using Windows System Restore.



All of the programs that load automatically on startup will be displayed. Check the programs you want to remove and click Next.



Before any items are removed you will have to confirm the changes.



Next you will be shown all of the applications installed on your computer. Check the items you want to have uninstalled and click Next.



Once again you will have to confirm the changes before they are made.



Now PC Decrapifier will work through the list of applications and uninstall each software. Depending on the software you may see additional confirmation screens that you will need to click through to uninstall. Once completed your computer will be a lot cleaner and performing much better!

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