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Windows tutorials

Windows 7: Show only specific file extensions

contributed by Lê Hoàng on October 28, 2011 under Microsoft Windows 7

In Windows 7, there is only an option to hide or unhide file extensions. In this tutorial, I will show you how to always show the file extension of your choice regardless of the configured setting in the system. This can be really helpful when you want to quickly spot a file type in a place that all files have the same icon.

Windows 7: Disable Sleep mode

contributed by Lê Hoàng on under Microsoft Windows 7

By default, Windows 7 puts your computer to sleep mode after a period of inactive time. Although it is a very useful feature, there may be times that you need to keep your computer awake to do tasks like downloading big files. This tutorial will show you how to disable the sleep mode.

Windows 7: Show or hide the Language bar

contributed by Lê Hoàng on October 27, 2011 under Microsoft Windows 7

The Language Bar provides a quick way to switch between language inputs or keyboard layouts in Windows 7. Usually, it will appear automatically when you add text services. However, if this is not the case, you can manually show it after following this tutorial. This also includes ways to hide the Language Bar if you do not use it often.

Office 2010: Change the default format when saving files

contributed by Lê Hoàng on October 26, 2011 under Microsoft Office

By default, when you open the Save as dialog in Office programs like Word, Powerpoint or Excel, the file type in the Save as type section will be the type for Office 2010. Although you can manually change the file type to others by choosing them from the drop-down menu, it may be a good idea to set the type that you use frequently as default to save time.

Skype: Remove the Skype icon from the Taskbar in Windows 7

contributed by Lê Hoàng on October 25, 2011 under Internet, Microsoft Windows 7

By default, when you close the Skype window in Windows 7, its icon will still appear in your Taskbar. If you find this unnecessary, you can follow this tutorial to remove it, and keep your Taskbar clean.

Windows Live Mail 2011: Add a second language to the Spell checking feature

contributed by Lê Hoàng on under Windows

Many of us know a second language, and usually have to write emails in this language. While you can always check for mistakes yourself, it may be a good idea to add a second spelling feature pack to your current email program to make sure there is no errors before sending the mail. Here is how to add the pack in Windows Live Mail 2011.

Microsoft Security Essentials: Limit CPU usage

contributed by Lê Hoàng on October 22, 2011 under Microsoft Windows 7

Usually, when your computer does heavy tasks with Microsoft Security Essentials scanning for viruses in the background, it may face performance issues. This is because, be default, MSE uses up to 50% of your CPU usage. If you need more resources for heavier tasks, you can change the CPU usage of MSE to a smaller number. Here is how.

Windows 7: Hide Control Panel items

contributed by Lê Hoàng on October 21, 2011 under Microsoft Windows 7

The Windows 7 control panel contains many items that allow you to tweak most of the system’s settings. However, most of the users may not use all of these items. To use the control panel effectively, it is a good idea to hide the items that you do not use to reduce clutter.

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