More Windows How-To

• 10 October 2011

• How-Tos: Make your computer read out documents

  If you have poor eyesight and need to have documents and web pages read out to you, our Helproom Expert can help.

• 07 October 2011

• How-Tos: How to install Vista on a friend's PC

  There's a right way and a wrong way to install Windows on a friend's PC or laptop, as our Helproom Expert explains.

• 06 October 2011

• How-Tos: How to solve memory compatibility or timing issues

  If every time you boot your PC you see the dreaded Blue Screen of Death, you need our Helproom Expert's advice.

• 03 October 2011

• How-Tos: How to program software

  We introduce you to the secrets of computer programming and show you how to create PC programs from scratch

• How-Tos: How to fix a BSoD that happens before you can boot into Safe Mode

  After altering Msconfig settings on his Windows PC, a reader began experiencing the Blue Screen of Death. Trouble is, how do you change such settings, when the BSoD happens before the option to boot into Safe Mode.

• 26 September 2011

• How-Tos: 9 Easy and Powerful Windows 7 Registry Tweaks

  What is the Windows Registry? Think of it as the "brains" of your Windows installation. Specifically, it's a giant warehouse, a single, easy-to-access, hierarchical database that stores each of your system's settings (and a ton of additional information). Without it, your Windows computer is little more than a paperweight. Mess it up, and you have a big problem on your hands. However, if you understand what you're doing with the Registry, you can tweak pretty much any Windows parameter you wish.

• 19 September 2011

• How-Tos: How to stop your PC's Windows clock losing time

  Does your PC keep perfect time? If not, our Helproom Expert's advice is for you.

• How-Tos: Help! I can't view PDFs on web pages

  A reader wrote to tell us she was having trouble viewing PDFs from web pages. Our Helproom Expert explained how to solve this issue that affects Windows 7 64bit.

• 08 September 2011

• How-Tos: How to configure Windows Explorer in Windows 7

  A reader wrote to tell us he doesn't like Windows Explorer in Windows 7, and asking if he could use it in a Windows XP mode. Our Helproom expert told him how to configure Windows Explorer so it works just the way you want.

• How-Tos: Upgrading from XP to Windows 7

  A reader wrote to us asking how to install Windows 7 on an additional partition of his Windows XP PC, access all data from both operating systems, and then delete XP without losing anything. Unfortunately, as our Helproom Expert explains, it's not that simple.

• 07 September 2011

• How-Tos: Help! Windows Vista won't update

  A reader found they couldn't update their Windows Vista PC to SP2. Our Helproom Expert diagnosed the problem, and offered a solution.

• 06 September 2011

• How-Tos: How to find and replace a missing video codec

  A reader wrote to us complaining that she couldn't get video files to play in Windows Media Player. Our Helproom expert diagnosed a missing codec, and set about solving the problem.

• 10 August 2011

• How-Tos: How to use Windows Character Map tool

  Windows’ Character Map utility is helpful for finding and copying various special characters

• 04 August 2011

• How-Tos: Help! Your PC problems solved, August 2011

  This month our Helproom editor helps readers with upgrading a speeding up a Vista PC, making MP3s play properly, PC peripherals that won't behave, and how to find out if your Windows install is dodgy.

• How-Tos: How to speed up Windows Vista boot times

  Our Helproom editor explains how to speed up a PC running Windows Vista.

• How-Tos: How to check that your Windows licence is legal

  A reader wrote in to say that her Microsoft Windows 7 licence key is being blocked, but she's convinced it is legitimate. Our Helproom editor explained how to check that it is a legal install, and how to get Microsoft to unblock it.

• How-Tos: How to print emails from Outlook Express

  One thing to try if Outlook Express won't print emails, is re-registering the DLL file, as our Helproom editor explains.

• How-Tos: Help! Neither iTunes nor Windows Media Player will play my audio CDs

  I recently burned a couple of audio CDs, but I can't get them to play. iTunes doesn't co-operate since I installed Windows 7 64bit, and Windows Media Player reports the error: 'Server execution failed'. I bought the CDs legally, but wanted to play the audio on a PC or smartphone.

• 03 August 2011

• How-Tos: Tweak Your Favorite Tools

  There's a lot to love about Gmail, but its built-in task manager is pretty weak. In fact, it's little more than a glorified checklist.

• How-Tos: How to print out a directory listing with file properties in Windows

  We often get asked how to print out Windows directory listings, with details of file properties. Here's how.

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Downloads

• Your Tube for Windows 8 v1.0.0.6

  Browse through the world's largest video collection in Windows 8

• TIFF to PDF 1.0

  Easily convert multi-page TIFF images to PDF

• 7GIF 1.0.6.0

  A compact but capable viewer for animated GIFs

• Hornil StylePix 1.12.3.2

  A small but powerful image editor

• BetterDesktopTool 1.6

  Bring Expose and Spaces style features to Windows