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- Tutorial: 10 Windows 7 Registry hacks and tweaks
- Tutorial: 10 cool Microsoft Word tips and tricks
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| Tutorial: 10 Windows 7 Registry hacks and tweaks Posted: 06 Nov 2010 05:00 AM PDT  Windows 7 needs far less of the sleeves-up shuffling about that its predecessors demanded for smooth operation. It works, and it works well. But that doesn't mean you can't use the Registry to add nifty features or change the settings to your liking. Here are ten things you can do with the Windows 7 Registry. Just type regedit in the usual search box and hit [Enter], then follow our tips. 1. Personalise IE8 Bought your PC from an overzealous manufacturer that's gratuitously branded Internet Explorer with its own name? Just want to add your own custom touch in place of the default 'Windows Internet Explorer'? It's easy. In the registry editor, navigate to 'HKEY_CURRENT_ USER\Software\Microsoft\ Internet Explorer\Main' and create a new string value. Name it 'Window Title', with the space. Then just double-click it and enter your desired window title in the field. 2. Stop Snap Aero Snap is arguably a very useful feature – we say arguably because, as we're sure you've noticed, it often decides to kick in and glue your windows to screen edges when you don't want it to. If you're not finding the Snap feature useful, then you might as well turn it off . First, navigate to 'HKEY_CURRENT_ USER\Control Panel\Desktop'. There are a number of settings you could customise here, but the one that you're looking for in this case is called 'WindowArrangementActive'. The value should be 1 – change it to 0 to make this feature inactive. Alternatively, just make sure you never venture too close to the edge. 3. Change stacking behaviour This particular tweak is perhaps of questionable usefulness, but we thought you'd like the option to try it anyway. If you don't like the thumbnail display when clicking on taskbar buttons, then you can change the action and force Windows to open the last opened window of the stack instead. To do this, open 'HKEY_ CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Explorer\Advanced' and create a new DWORD value. Rename it LastActiveClick and set its value to 1 to switch this mode on. Should you change your mind, you can always go back and delete the key or set it to 0 to revert back later on. 4. Quicker taskbar previews Are you bored of waiting the couple of seconds it takes for the graphical previews to pop up when you hover over icons on the taskbar? Or would you rather they took longer to appear?
The choice is yours. Go to 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced' and create a DWORD named 'ExtendedUIHoverTime'. Now double-click to open it, click the 'Decimal' radio button, and then change its value to the number of milliseconds you'd like the process to take. The default is 400ms. 5. Change other delays Stay in the same key (Explorer\Advanced) and you can tweak a couple of other timings. Add a 32-bit DWORD into the mix named 'DesktopLivePreviewHoverTime'. Switch this to decimal in the same manner as before, then change the value data field to alter the number of milliseconds it takes for the Aero Peek function (minimise all windows) to kick in when you hover over the icon on the right of the taskbar. Alternatively, do the same with a DWORD called 'ThumbnailLivePreview HoverTime' to alter how long it takes for the windows that are associated with taskbar thumbnails to come to the front. 6. Speed up menus Make menu items automatically drop down a lot faster with this tweak. Go to 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Control Panel\Desktop', right-click 'MenuShowDelay' and click 'Modify'. Now change the current string value to something like 100 – hey presto, near-instant menu appearance. 7. Stop space checking Free up a tiny shred of system resources. Go to 'HKEY_ CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Policies\Explorer', create a new DWORD called 'NoLowDisk SpaceChecks' and set its value to 1 to switch off disk space checking. 8. Move the kernel If the Windows Kernel is in memory, it will run slightly faster than it would if it were on your hard drive. Hunt out 'DisablePagingExecutive' within 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management'. Change its value to 1. 9. Change the name Bought a second-hand machine? Then you might want to alter the name of the registered owner. Go to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\ CurrentVersion\', double-click on the 'RegisteredOwner' key and then change it. 10. Boost speed There's one tweak that will make every hover action much faster, from tooltips to the Start menu. Navigate to 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Control Panel\Mouse' and tweak the 'MouseHoverTime' value. A word of warning, though: never choose 0 – it's completely unworkable. 
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| Tutorial: 10 cool Microsoft Word tips and tricks Posted: 06 Nov 2010 03:00 AM PDT  Despite the many alternatives that are out there, Microsoft Word remains one of the most popular word processors available. However, most of us barely scratch the surface of its abilities. With this selection of Microsoft Word tips, you can really step up your game, no matter which version you use, and you'll be able to work more efficiently than ever before. 1. Configure paste options Word tries to be helpful when copied text is pasted into a document by automatically retaining the source formatting, while providing the option to change the text to match the formatting of the current document.
To avoid having to choose formatting options every time text is pasted, click the 'Office' button, followed by 'Word Options', then move to the 'Advanced' section. Under the 'Cut, copy and paste' heading, use the first four dropdown menus to choose a default setting for format pasting. While configuring these options, untick the box labelled 'Show Paste Options Buttons' to prevent the formatting options pop-up from being displayed in the future. 2. Change full-justification formatting When full justification is applied to a paragraph, Word ensures that text is vertically aligned on the left and right of the page by adjusting the spacing between words. While this usually isn't a problem, there are occasions when it can lead to a lot of visible white space. By opting to use the justification style that's utilised in WordPerfect, the spacing between individual letters on each line is adjusted to allow for better-looking text when it spans from margin to margin. To activate this option, click the 'Office' button, followed by 'Word Options', and then click the 'Advanced' link on the left. Scroll to the bottom of the advanced options and expand the 'Layout Options' entry. Now you just need to tick the box labelled 'Do Full Justification The Way WordPerfect 6.x For Windows Does', then click 'OK'. 3. Use a hanging indent One of the less frequently used means of formatting paragraphs is the hanging indent. This is where the first line is not indented, but all of the rest are.
Select the paragraph you'd like to format in this way, move to the Home tab and double-click the arrow icon in the lower right-hand corner of the 'Paragraph' pane. On the Indents and Spacing tab, use the 'Special' dropdown menu in the middle of the dialog to select the 'Hanging' option and then indicate the indentation level. To apply the indent, click 'OK'. 4. Show and hide the ribbon For many people, the ribbon interface used in Office 2007 is a great step forward, while others find it somewhat overwhelming. If you fall into the latter category, you'll be happy to know that the ribbon can be temporarily hidden to provide you with a larger working area and clear away the clutter. It's also worth noting that the ribbon can quite easily be hidden by accident, so if this has happened, these tips can be used to show and hide it as required. The first option is to click the down arrow icon at the end of the Quick Access Toolbar and tick or untick the 'Minimize the Ribbon' option. This menu can also be accessed by right-clicking anywhere on the ribbon. The third option is to double-click one of the tabs at the top of the ribbon to toggle the ribbon on and off. Finally, you can always use the keyboard shortcut – simply press [Ctrl]+[F1]. 5. Number pages It's easy to configure a header and footer for your Word document so the page number is displayed on every page. In many instances, though, a document will have a title page for which a number is not required.
Set up page numbering as required and then in Word 2007 and 2010, move to the Page Layout tab before clicking the button in the lower right-hand corner. Switch to the Layout tab and tick the box labelled 'Different first page', before clicking OK. 6. Back up the Quick Access Toolbar If you've spent a great deal of time customising the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT), it's all too easy to forget about it if you ever need to reinstall Windows. Thankfully, you can create a backup of the toolbar, which means it can be brought back without any hassle, or copied to other machines that you work with. In Windows XP, use Explorer to navigate to 'C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application Data\ Microsoft\Office', while in Windows Vista or 7, you should head to 'C:\Users\[username]\ AppData\Local\Microsoft\ Office'. Here you'll find a file called 'Word.qat' – this can be duplicated for backup purposes, or copied to another computer. 7. Remove formatting If text has been formatted and you change your mind about how it should appear, click the word in question, or select a section of text, and press [Ctrl]+[Space] simultaneously. If the formatting has been applied with a style, press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[N] and it will then revert to the default style. 8. Adjust font spacing in headings Text space can be adjusted to help ensure that a heading fits on a single line, rather than wrapping onto a second, or expanded to reduce the amount of white space in a line. Select a line of text, right click and select Font from the context menu. Letter widths can be adjusted by selecting a new size from the Scale dropdown menu, but it's also possible to adjust spacing. Use the up and down arrows in the Spacing section to expand or compress it. 9. Compare documents There are various reasons why you might want to compare two documents and Word provides the option to open two files side by side for this very purpose. However, if you're using a monitor in portrait mode, side-by-side document comparison is less useful than having one document displayed above the other.
Thankfully, this arrangement option is available. In Word 2003 and older, open the two documents you want to compare, click the 'Window' menu and select 'Compare Side by Side'. Now click the 'Window' menu again and select the 'Arrange All' option. In Word 2007 and 2010, open the documents that you want to compare and move to the View tab of the ribbon. Click the 'View Side by Side' button, and then click 'Arrange All'. Press 'Synchronous Scrolling' and you can scroll then through both of your documents at the same time. 10. Paste text with the Spike While the clipboard provides a useful way to copy and move text around a Word document, there's a little-known feature called the Spike that provides an alternative. Text that's added to the Spike is cut from the document and there's no limit to the number of entries that can be added.
When the content of the Spike is pasted into a document, it's done so in the order that it was spiked. This provides a very handy way of reorganising paragraphs or lists, without the need for endless cutting and pasting. To add text to the Spike, select it and press [Ctrl]+[F3] simultaneously – this can be repeated as many times as required. To paste the contents of the Spike back into a document, you just need to press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[F3]. This will clear the Spike, ready to start collecting more data, but it's also possible to paste the Spike while retaining its contents for future use. Position the cursor where the pasted text should appear, type the word spike and then press [F3]. 
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| Posted: 06 Nov 2010 02:34 AM PDT  Now that we've had to time to play with GarageBand, we've come up with some tips to help you get the most out the audio application. It looks like Apple is having some trouble keeping it's documents from leaking to the press. Skype drops a new beta on us and LaCie brings the power of USB 3.0 to the Mac. How-Tos 14 Great Tips and Tricks for Utilizing Google Voice What if there is more to Google Voice than its advertised features? We've got 14 awesome tips and tricks to get Google Voice working like a boss, and more than just another free phone-over-the-internet service. Read on for tips on how to do things like send free text messages, block calls, and set up different voice messages for different people. iPhone and iPad Tips of the Week for the Text Messaging Power User Text messaging power users, your day just got better! We've got a ton of exciting tutorials on how to get the most out of that simple messaging app on your iPhone. Today's tips teach you how to see more of your messaging history, follow along with the message's current character count and insert a subject line. We'll also show you the proper way to enter phone numbers in a message recipient list. How to Make Clickable Links in a PDF This is a strange phenomenon with Microsoft Word that we never noticed until you pointed it out. It appears that the hyperlinks inside your PDF file are clickable if you open your PDF in Adobe Reader, but not in Apple's Preview. But since most Mac users use Preview to read their PDF files, you can never be assured that your recipients will be able to click on your links. Take a second look at Mail, the free email client that Apple includes with every Mac? Mail is a capable application, but Apple likes to keep its software simple, so it lacks the advanced features of Outlook 2011 or even Entourage 2008. But with a few tips and some extra pieces of inexpensive software up your sleeve, you can beef up Apple Mail to be just as powerful as Microsoft's email programs. 10 Cool Tips and Tricks for GarageBand 11 The new GarageBand features are impressive. You can fix your guitarist's inability to keep a beat. You can extend that final note of your song. You can even keep track of your progress as you learn the guitar or keyboards. But before you get the guitar, keyboards or mics out, it's actually helpful if you know how to use some of the big ticket items without fumbling around for hours. How-To Turn Your Old Mac Into a Media Machine With Plex Now that the new Apple TV is out, you're probably debating whether to buy it or not. After all, it's only $99--even if you just use it to stream music from your various iTunes libraries, it might be worth it, right? Well, hold your horses! Before you plunk down your well-earned $99 plus tax, just hear us out--we've got a far more powerful and free solution to your dilemma. How to Solve All Your MobileMe Sync Problems If your computer or device is giving you the MobileMe blues, fear not: MacLife.com is here to help! For all of its simplicity, Apple's syncing service has plenty of hidden ways to get your data working the way it should again, from the simple to the more extreme. How To Disable Java in your Mac Web Browser With the announcement of a potentially harmful virus floating about the internet this week, many Mac users have been weary of watching online videos via links to external sites, especially those on social networking websites like Facebook. However, this virus can be all but stopped by simply turning off Java code execution in your web browser of choice, according to SecureMac. That's why we would like to show you how easy it can be to protect yourself from Java-based viruses originating from your web browser through applets. Features Analyzing the Ergonomics: Trackpads Versus Mice Is Apple's Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad better at keeping wrist pain at bay? The Five New Features of Skype 5.0 The new beta version of Skype 5.0 for the Mac includes five new features that will surely give the application a heck of a face lift. Not only is there a new user interface, but Skype will now include group video calling, Mac Address Book integration, a new Contacts display, and a whole new call control bar. This week Flo Skypes the staff and Robbie has a mountain of set top boxes on his plate. Plus we're giving away an iPad case and we have a fun iMovie 11 how-to. Reviews October's Highest Rated Reviews If you're looking for the best of the best, check out the highest rated products on MacLife.com for the month October. News Google and its merry band of features has slowly but surely been making its way onto iOS be it in the company's actual app or other integrated features. One that was announced today is the company's Google Instant search can now be accessed on iOS. Apple Attempts To Patent Interactive Gaming on Smartphones It appears our favorite "patent happy" company may be at it again. The latest has Apple having filed a patent application in April 2009, for "interactive gaming with co-located, networked direction and location aware devices." Could this be the cause of the mysterious data center in North Carolina? LaCie Brings USB 3.0 Goodness to the Mac Many Mac users have been wondering when USB 3.0 will be adopted by Apple, and it now appears that 3rd party manufacturers are taking matters into their own hands. Today, LaCie announced that they will be bringing some USB 3.0 goodies to the Mac in the form of several hard drives and an express card that will allow those drives to connect to your Mac. Variant of Boonana Virus Found on the Mac For the second time in just over a week, a second virus has been found on the Mac. Trojan.osx.boonana.b is a variant of the malware that was discovered last week called Boonana. SecureMac, which discovered this new variant, believes the malware to be a variant of the Koobface virus that was discovered infecting Windows machines back in 2008. MacBook Air Bugs Getting You Down? Apple Says Deal With It After being reported both here and many other places online, it appears that Apple is well aware of the bugs currently plaguing new owners of 2010 MacBook Air models. A software fix appears to be on the way -- in the meantime, you'll just have to put up with it. iPhone 3G User Files Class Action Lawsuit Over iOS 4 Upgrade iPhone 3G users are mad as hell, and they're not going to take it anymore! Incensed over what they claim are "unsavory, dishonest and deceptive business practices" on Apple's part by crippling their devices with the iOS 4 update. Apple's Policy on LCD Screen Dead Pixels Gets Outed If you have any Apple device with a screen, you've probably feared what might happen should the unit develop a dead pixel or three. As it turns out, Cupertino has a policy in place which has just been made public, used to decide if the unit should be repaired or replaced. We told you about the Skyfire app that could convert Flash video into HTML 5. According to the developer's blog, the app has become so popular that it has "sold out" in the App Store, and they are temporarily not accepting new purchases. 
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