All Questions
163
votes
15answers
48k views
How do I get rid of malicious spyware, malware, viruses or rootkits from my PC?
What should I do if my Windows computer seems to be infected with a virus or malware?
What are the symptoms of an infection?
What should I do after noticing an infection?
What can I do to get rid of ...
57
votes
1answer
5k views
Windows 7 and Vista Activation FAQ: How do language, version, 64-bit or 32-bit, and source affect ability to install and transfer Windows licenses?
We get a lot of questions on Super User about Windows activation and licensing. This question is an attempt to answer the most common questions in one place with a canonical answer.
When ...
75
votes
4answers
48k views
What are PATH and other environment variables, and how can I set or use them?
Questions about
setting environment variables
the PATH
are very common here, and in most cases the answers are very similar to each other. In the future it would be nice to have a good Q/A for ...
117
votes
19answers
19k views
How can I visualize the file system usage on Windows?
How can I visualize which folders and files are taking up all of the space on my hard drive?
I'm getting some conflicting reports on the size of hard drive contents. Namely what is and isn't there ...
103
votes
19answers
16k views
32-bit vs. 64-bit systems
What are the differences between 32-bit and 64-bit systems?
If you have used both of them, what kind of sharp differences have you experienced?
Would it be a problem to use 32-bit programs on ...
33
votes
6answers
11k views
Why does Windows only show about 3.5 GB of my more than 4 GB of RAM?
I recently upgraded my computer's RAM to 4 GB. My 32-bit Windows installation shows only 3574 MB of the memory. How can I make Windows use the full amount of RAM?
40
votes
3answers
22k views
Where do I download Windows 7 (legally from Microsoft)?
I just bought a serial for Windows 7 on-line from the Microsoft store (the most painful shopping experience EVER!). I selected that I wanted to download my version of Windows 7 after purchase. After ...
32
votes
7answers
4k views
How do I reset the Windows administrator password?
I have forgotten the administrator password of my Windows XP installation and locked out. Is there a way to reset it? I do have physical access to the PC.
53
votes
10answers
3k views
Securely erasing all data from a hard drive
I am about to sell my old desktop PC and I am cautious about some of my sensitive information being available to the purchaser, even after reformatting the hard-drive, using data recovery software.
...
91
votes
18answers
153k views
What utility can move my Windows boot partition over to another hard drive? [closed]
Can anyone recommend a cheap/free utility that can do this without very much effort?
My preference is that it would be really easy.
Boot into Windows
Pick drive to move
Pick target drive
It copies ...
71
votes
23answers
80k views
Is there a text editor for very big files?
I have a very big text file (10 GB). Both Notepad and Notepad++ tell me that the file is too big for them to open. What editor can handle such a large file? It's a log file.
47
votes
3answers
43k views
How can I reinstall Windows 7 if I lost my installation DVD? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Where do I download Windows 7 (legally from Microsoft)?
I have lost my Windows 7 installation DVD, but I do have the license key. How can I get a Windows 7 DVD? Can I ...
16
votes
11answers
23k views
Monitor all and any internet traffic from my home PC - what should I use?
I would like to monitor all and any internet traffic from my home PC to see what programs installed on my home machine are accessing the internet.
I thought I could use Fiddler for this but I noticed ...
65
votes
8answers
227k views
What can I do if I forgot my Windows password?
I got a brand new Windows 7 machine, installed the operating system, created one account and forgot its password. What can I do?
There is no external CD, the operating system is loaded from somewhere ...
76
votes
13answers
101k views
How can I download an entire website?
How can I download all pages from a website?
Any platform is fine.
35
votes
5answers
45k views
Install Windows 7 from USB flash drive
I have an ISO of the Windows 7 installation DVD, but I can't burn it to CD or DVD. I have an empty flash drive with plenty of space; is there anyway I can put the ISO on it and install from it as if ...
40
votes
24answers
5k views
Software to backup data and files on a Windows computer [closed]
I have data and files on my system, running Windows, and want to make sure that I don't lose all the data or information when it gets toasted, either by a power surge or corrupted medium.
I've heard ...
19
votes
2answers
11k views
Installing Windows XP from USB pen drive
I want to install Windows XP on my desktop computer (only XP) but my CD drive is not working.
I've only found installation tutorials on how to install it on the pen drive rather than from the pen ...
16
votes
0answers
6k views
How do I troubleshoot a Windows 7 freeze or slowness? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What are the first steps for diagnosing a slow machine?
I have a new pc with windows 7 which freezes randomly. I hit every single key on the keyboard and it works again. ...
92
votes
9answers
28k views
Is it better to use a laptop on battery or on AC power?
When I'm at home, is it better to use the laptop plugged into AC power, or with just the battery, for the overall battery life?
102
votes
10answers
42k views
Why does the /winsxs folder grow so large, and can it be made smaller?
A Vista virtual machine I use only has a 10 GB virtual hard disk -- and I'm worried about it running out of space over time.
I used TreeSize to check for the culprits..
And the primary culprit is ...
45
votes
4answers
7k views
Can I use my laptop as a second monitor for my desk computer?
Is it possible to make my laptop's screen be a second monitor for my desk computer?
30
votes
16answers
17k views
How do I troubleshoot a Windows 7 freeze or slowness?
A machine is described as being "really slow" or "freezing". How can I troubleshoot/resolve this issue? What should be the first steps to take?
69
votes
4answers
15k views
Is it possible to use the IE10 App without making Internet Explorer the default browser?
Windows 8 comes with two versions of Internet Explorer: the normal desktop version, which looks just like IE9, and the Modern UI version, which is a full-screen tablet-style app. By default, links ...
131
votes
6answers
49k views
Should laptops remain plugged in when their battery is 100% charged?
When your laptop's battery is 100% charged, should you leave it plugged in so any battery power doesn't get used, or will that cause overcharging, overheating, etc.? Should the laptop be unplugged ...
105
votes
8answers
65k views
How do I turn off Modern UI and get the old Start Menu back in Windows 8?
I just bought a new Windows 8 laptop, but I want to get rid of the new "Modern UI" Start Screen, and get the old Start Menu back. How do I do this?
68
votes
11answers
103k views
How do I place a bootable ISO on a USB drive?
What's the best way of placing a bootable ISO on a USB drive? ISOs such as a live Linux preview disk, Windows installation ISO, etc.
36
votes
9answers
33k views
Moving users folder on Windows Vista/Seven to another partition
When I format the computer and reinstall Windows, my first step is move the "my documents" folder to another partition. In Windows XP it wasn't enough because the desktop folder and another user ...
23
votes
8answers
6k views
Booting Linux off USB pendrives
Booting a Linux system off USB Pendrives is one of my favorite things.
On a laptop we have the following advantages,
The Harddisk can be shutdown and that reduces power consumption (hdparm)
The ...
9
votes
9answers
5k views
Recover data loss from accidental quick format [closed]
I've accidentally performed a quick format on the mobile hard disk thinking that the data is useless. Now my mum says that she needs them back.
What are the tools that I could use to recover the ...
34
votes
4answers
3k views
What is a Codec (e.g. DivX?), and how does it differ from a File Format (e.g. MPG)?
I'm so confused... what is the difference between an audio/video codec (which apparently is a shorthand for "encoder/decoder", kind of like how "modem" is really "modulator/demodulator") and an ...
20
votes
10answers
3k views
How can I keep folders synchronized between several machines over my home network?
Like many people I take quite a few photos, and also like quite a few people I don't back up as frequently as I should.
What I'd like to be able to do is automatically synchronize my "to be backed ...
28
votes
6answers
8k views
How do I delete a 'locked' file?
On Windows XP, When I try and delete a specific file it says :
Cannot delete blah.blah: Make sure the
disk is not full or write-protected
and that the file is not currently in
use.
How can ...
6
votes
7answers
19k views
How can I monitor internet usage in my network?
I need to know which computer is consuming my bandwidth. Is there a tool to do this?
22
votes
7answers
20k views
Using cd Command in Windows Command Line, Can't Navigate to D:\
This may be a stupid question, and I think I have looked elsewhere to find the answer... Might be a path issue, but when I open the command line and type from the C:\>:
cd D:\
I cannot get to ...
70
votes
14answers
26k views
How do I set up SSH so I don't have to type my password?
How do I set up SSH so I don't have to type my password when connecting to a host?
44
votes
9answers
51k views
How can I add an item to the 'new' context menu?
When I right click anywhere I get an option to add a new file file a specified extension. I would like to add some custom files into this menu, so I can right click and create a new PHP file for ...
21
votes
10answers
88k views
How can I make my IP address appear to be from another country?
How do I make it appear that my IP address is coming from one country while I'm located in another?
I live in Germany and some websites (like Hulu or Youtube) don't work because my IP isn't in the ...
24
votes
19answers
29k views
How can I mass rename files from the command line or using a 3rd party tool?
I've got a bunch of files named with a the pattern 99 - DescriptiveName.txt and I'd like to remove the number from the front so I just have DescriptiveName.txt.
How can I do this? Can I do it from ...
12
votes
6answers
887 views
Software to report internet traffic for home user [closed]
I need a freeware to monitor my internet activity, especially upload and download amounts over time. For instance, I like to see a graph or table that shows the downloaded and uploaded amounts per ...
8
votes
2answers
5k views
Assign a shortcut to running a script in OS X
Does OS X provide an easy way to bind key combinations to commands which are typically run on the command line?
For example, is there some way to assign ⌘L as a global shortcut for ...
24
votes
9answers
19k views
How can I tell what RAM will fit my computer?
If I want to add more RAM to my computer, how can I buy something compatible? What kinds are there? How do I determine which kind my computer will accept and how much I can add?
13
votes
4answers
33k views
How can I enable onboard graphics AND dedicated card simultaneously?
My PC (Compaq Presario) has an onboard Intel 3100 which is pretty lame wbut would be useful for testing on, or a 3rd monitor. I've then got a nVidia PCIx card installed. I can't seem to find a way to ...
11
votes
9answers
1k views
What is a good and free image editor? (Alternative to Photoshop) [closed]
What is a free, downloadable, good image editor which is light enough to run on a netbook? Please include supported operating systems and key features.
99
votes
3answers
24k views
Difference between .bashrc and .bash_profile
What's the difference between .bashrc and .bash_profile and which one should I use?
49
votes
1answer
30k views
What is port forwarding and what is it used for?
There are a lot of questions on 'port forwarding' but there doesn't seem to be one that clearly states what it is and what it's used for. So:
What is Port Forwarding?
What is it used for, and why ...
23
votes
15answers
2k views
YouTube and Google video downloaders? [closed]
I was looking for some good applications for downloading from YouTube and Google Videos. Can you recommend some good freeware software?
21
votes
3answers
13k views
Will it be possible to upgrade from Windows 8 Release Preview to the RTM version?
Will it be possible to upgrade from Windows 8 Release Preview to the RTM version?
I've seen this related question Upgrade/Update Windows 8 customer preview to normal version, but I'm interested to ...
94
votes
25answers
8k views
How can I make a Windows PC bullet-proof for home users? [closed]
I realize that virus-proof on a Windows PC is far fetched, but in the interest of keeping time spent as the "family-tech-support" to a minimum, I am looking for ideas to lock a computer down to the ...
42
votes
15answers
7k views
Which duplicate files and folders finders exist for Windows? [closed]
I need a free duplicate file finder/remover app, with ability to find duplicate files/folders by name and/or by size and to remove one of duplicates.
