Windows 7: Disable USB Storage
In a number of environments, especially MPAA or DoD environments (in the US we rank nuclear bombs right up there with pilfered copies of unreleased movies, especially ones that cost a lot of $ to make), users should not be able to mount any local removable storage. While Group Policy is typically the best way [...]
In: Windows Server, Windows XP · Tagged with: disable USB, Windows 7
Making Windows 7 Icons Transparent
I have to take a lot of screen shots. Therefore, most of my computers tend to have a white background (they used to be the xman the machine was named after but alas, I’m older and now they computers are all named after Backyardigans;). Sometimes it’s hard to see your icons in Windows 7 on [...]
In: Windows XP · Tagged with: registry, transparent icons, Windows 7
Programatically Clipboarding in Windows
My last article showed how to interface with the clipboard in Mac OS X. Windows 7 comes with the same feature, but instead of pbcopy it’s simply clip. Since you don’t ls, we’ll pipe the output of dir into the clipboard: dir | clip Enjoy & no more complaining that I like one platform more [...]
In: Windows XP · Tagged with: clip, clipboard, Mac OS X, pasteboard, pbcopy, pipe, Shell, windows, Windows 7
Vista & Windows 7 Optimizer
There are a variety of simplistic tasks that can be performed to optimize a Windowz box. Disabling unneeded services and protocols is a great start, but there are tons of other little things here and there. Vista Services Optimizer (works on Windows 7 & Vista) is a nice little tool for those who don’t have [...]
In: Windows XP · Tagged with: optimize, tuneup, Vista Services Optimizer, Windows 7
Windows 7 HomeGroup
HomeGroup is a new home security feature of WIndows 7. HomeGroup resemble how you protect your home (an analogy I use in the Mac OS X Security book as well): Keep the outside doors locked and keep the interior doors unlocked (unless you’re on the crapper). HomeGroup can be initiated by any Windows 7 version [...]
In: Windows XP · Tagged with: 802.1x, homegroup, network, Sharing, Windows 7, Wireless
Windows Server 2008 R2
Can you say virtualization? How about “better together”? Do you care about Hyper-V or Windows 7 integration right now? If the answer to either question is yes (and in my experience that’s not always actually the case) then you will want to check out R2. One of the biggest new features in R2 is one [...]
In: VMware, Windows Server · Tagged with: iis 7.5, new features, new settings, rad, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008
Making Windows 7 Look Like Mac OS X
Not sure if it is kosher to actually distribute a theme pack for Windows 7 that makes it look like Mac OS X. Â But in lieu of doing so I can explain how it is done. Â Basically, take your images from the icons of Mac OS X and copy them into files, copy them to [...]
In: Mac OS X, Windows XP · Tagged with: Mac OS X, theme, Windows 7
Windows 7 in October
If Mac OS X 10.6, Snow Leopard will be shipping in September then the earlier the better. The arrival of Windows 7 will come on October 22nd. Likely less than a month after Snow Leopard, Windows 7 is what many companies have been waiting for to get migration projects lit up. While there are a [...]
In: Mac OS X, Windows XP · Tagged with: 10.6, october, Snow Leopard, Vista, Windows 7, windows upgrade option
Windows 7 Themed XP
Seven Remix XP is a theme for Windows XP that will make it look eerily like Windows 7. So if you’re not yet ready to jump into running full on beta software but you want to get used to the look and feel of Windows 7 you can download Seven Remix XP at this site.
In: Windows XP · Tagged with: Windows 7, Windows XP
Windows 7 Alpha
Windows 7 is slated for a 2010 release, although we could see it as late as 2009. Â Much like the reports coming out on Snow Leopard, Windows 7 is slated not to come with a variety of new features but rather on buttoning up the existing features and in some cases Microsoft will be reducing [...]
In: Windows Server, Windows XP · Tagged with: Microsoft Windows, Windows 7
