I took some pictures late last week and got some time to post them today.  Let us know what you think about the swag we made out with!  Oh, and the bag will be given away to a beloved staff member here on What the Tech for all their volunteered time…got any suggestions for who deserves it the most?

Windows 7 Swag Bag includes:

• Windows 7 Signature Edition
• Windows 7 Puzzle Pack
• Windows 7 playing Cards
• “I’m a PC” T-Shirt
• Windows 7 Tote Bag
• Windows 7 Guide Booklet
• Windows 7 Poster

Pictures:

Removing programs like Security Tool can be a bit of a process and challenge but it can be done.  Security Tool likes to control the scanners you run to try and remove it by altering the core files of the programs itself so it cannot find the rogue spyware program.

To remove Security Tool, we’ll have to try a couple of steps that will terminate the process of Security Tool and then another that will go in and remove the actual program.

To start, we must close the process of the program so it does not try to interfere with the cleaning.  Download RKill and double click on the file.  Allow it to run its course and stop any programs…do NOT reboot after the process is complete or make any other changes that will allow the program to start up again.

Next, download Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware

• Download the program from the link above and double click the file “mbam-setup.exe”
• Make sure a checkmark is NOT placed next to Update Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware, then click Finish.

Do not reboot your computer even if the program prompts you too.  The Security Tool program will interfere with the installation core programs and you may receive an error that it is unable to execute file.

If so, download the executable files from here and put it in the C:\program files\Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware\ folder on your computer.  Make sure you save it directly from your browser to that folder and do not rename the file even though it looks like a bunch of gibberish.

Once complete, double click that recently downloaded file, open the program, click on the update tab and try to update the program.  Run a full scan and let it find the infected files for Security Tool and any of its friends.

Remove any of the infected files that MBAM finds and reboot your computer.  You’re all clean!  Enjoy!

I expected a new media interface or maybe a couple extra features with the multi-touch system but boy was I wrong and in for a pleasant surprise…

Windows 7 boasts one of the most powerful and awesome new entertainment systems on the market today.  Check out some of these cool features that the new OS includes:

1) New Touch Interface

We all heard about the new multi-touch support for Windows 7 but its not until you see a Microsoft Executive slide his hand across an image of the ocean floor and watch the water move with simultaneous sound (or some scenario comparable to this) until you truly see how cool it is to be able have that ability.  Not only will you be able to “touch” your hardware supported PC’s but now you can do it to your TV’s!  The image above is actually a new TV monitor from HP that includes multi-touch support…check out where that touch feature is more useful then beach scenery…

2) TV Guide Interface with Touch Support

Not only will you be able to use it to browse through your personal video selection, Windows 7 now has partnerships with broadcast companies like CBS to include your favorite shows at your fingertips (ha what a great play on words with the multi-touch section)!  Not only will you have your regular sitcoms but who forgot about the Xbox feature that supports Netflix!

Netflix is no longer limited to the Xbox for instant download!  Use your PC to watch, stream, pause and play NetFlix movies with the touch interface to slide and browse your favorite comedys or chick flicks!  Stop play when leaving the house?  Not a problem, resume it from any location on any PC that has the supporting feature right from where you left off.

3) “Readers are Leaders”

Microsoft now caters to those readers who might not always like to spend their time reading internet tech articles at What the Tech, with the inclusion of the Kindle.  Use the PC to save money on buying the hand held kindle hardware and grab your favorite pieces of literature instantly.

4) Peripheral Fun

Ever plug in a camera and have to search for drivers, load on software or have to forfeit 20 minutes of your day just to download 2 pictures?  You can kiss those days goodbye!  Microsoft’s new peripheral support not only will display specific information about your device, but will also include those handy most used links right next to it to download pictures and make your peripherals fun again!

Not impressed yet?  This next one actually got an applause out of me…while I was still holding the camera:

5) The “Holy Crap” Effect

All of those TV’s you see below, ranging from different sizes to connections, which have on different programs from Live TV to Recorded TV to Movies are all being powered by 1 Windows 7 Machine with only 52% CPU usage. The computer is just an average regular computer with no special parts or expensive hardware.  Impressed yet?

You can now connect all the devices in your home to integrate together such as the TV’s in the kitchen and theater, the receiver in the den, the speakers out on the patio just from your Windows 7 machine!  Anyone who likes having the ability to control the house without the use of expensive electrician work or those fancy remotes now has the means to a solution with Windows 7.

Thoughts?

Ballmer was quick to jump out last Thursday about how Windows 7 was designed and what types of machines will be optimal for the software.  He covered the wide versatility of the new OS and the different types of technology we can expect to see coupled with.

“There’s nothing that get’s me more excited than releasing a new piece of software that’s going to change the world…and I get to sell it.”  You could see the enthusiasm in the Microsoft CEO as he proclaimed his new found love in the vast features of Windows 7.

He was quick to jump to where Windows 7 has grown to, including netbooks, ultrathin laptops and even the gaming industry.  Windows 7 offers a wide variety of flavors to cator to all the needs of technology out there currently.  Netbooks, which are very limited in their hardware as they are made more for portability, only require the basic functions of the OS.  For that, Windows 7 has a Basic flavor to deliver only the crucial components and vital foundational parts rather then bog down the CPU and hog the system resources; its truly becoming lighter and less of a resource hog!

So what makes Windows 7 better then the old release of Vista or XP?  It makes your experience personal, it simplifies your everyday tasks and makes new things possible.  Each desktop, icon, picture, touch gesture, music selection, widgets, taskbars, etc. can be personalized for each individual user.  I would figure this most useful in a family where Dad and Mom might prefer a more professional look and feel to their browsing with a widget to show how their portfolio is preforming, but the kids are still able to set their wallpapers to Hannah Montana or the Jonas Brothers and keep the games they play most only a click away from the task bar!

Windows simplifies tasks; it was made to be easier to use.  Things such as opening explorer windows, or navigating for files or trying to check the weather are only 1 click away!  They truly kept simplicity in mind and did not cloud the everyday “stuff” behind the new powerful and new parts of the software.  Windows 7 is also the first to boast multi-touch capabilities, have a larger variety of home entertainment features (such as DVR service or Netflix) and it has new regular user experience features such as snap to side or my personal favorite, “the wiggle,” which allows you to grab a window, shake or “wiggle” the screen and it will minimize all other screens except for the one you hold.

Windows is truly allowing for a “life without walls.”  I think what separates Windows with Apple and Mac OS X software is the ability for Windows to have a much larger communication ability with other peripherals, gadgets and electronics.  Apple is limited to the iPhone or even Apple TV and their OS X software but Windows can communicate with all types of computers, laptops, cell phones, smart phones, blackberries, televisions, home theater systems, DVRs and TiVos…get the picture?

Especially after the Macbook Experience here on WhatTheTech, I still love my Mac, but I’m beginning to see that outside the computer, Windows is rapidly becoming the tech titan of industry it once was.  I personally can’t wait to re-wire the house electronics to be running from a Windows machine…not a Mac.

Microsoft also did a fabulous job of including the “history” to Windows 7.  They touched on what the motives are behind this new OS, how many engineers, testers and beta users they included and what feedback they took from the testers and how they changed their original product to conform to what the people wanted.  For those of you who’ve never seen a piece of software change shape before (…and boy do they change…) it will be an interesting experience to understand how rigorous and large of a processes the finalizing of a product takes!

Microsoft held the event this year at Skylight Studios and opened the doors at 10:00AM.  The Attendee and Registration line were already built up around 9:30 with many MVP’s, Media Head’s and Company Directors chatting it up about the excitement to see what Microsoft information will be released in just a couple hours!

The inside of the studio was beautiful with a wide variety of lighting to keep a lot of “Windows” colors over the artwork and walls.

Different press and media members were walking around for interviews with Microsoft Employees as well as other MVP’s and attendees for pre-launch information about what they expect Windows 7 to become and how much of an impact it will make on the computing world.

Once we got into the main room, it was clear to see that Microsoft was ready to make a big impact and wanted to impress their members.  They came out with massive projector screens as well as sharp LCD monitors and TV’s to wow the audience.

With a surprise guest of Kylie (the lovable 4 year old who told the world that “she was a PC”) introduced Steve Ballmer who went right into the facts and numbers on what it took to create Windows 7.  Steve made sure he rewarded Kylie of her performance with a small pink netbook!

The shocking facts were that over 3,000 Engineers, 50,000 partners and 8 million customers (who provided the beta testing) were part in making the Windows 7 OS successful.  The shocking number of the 8 million testers can be placed against an astonishing fact that there are only 10 million OS X USERS world wide…so 80% of that number just TESTED the beta version of Windows 7.

Ballmer was quick to touch upon the response and feedback Microsoft received from its testers.  Each engineer would take the emotional and technical feedback they got for improving the software and posted it on a global wall where all employees could try and tackle the suggestions that were made.

I think Microsoft did a great job out of the gates with the presentation.  Not only was I impressed at their techy feel at the event, I thought they did an even better job at first making sure they introduced this software as a “software of the people.”  Its always crucial to make the customers know they have been listened too, especially coming off a lower approval from Windows Vista.

For those of you who bought Windows 7 already, let us know what you think.  I’d love to hear your initial thoughts on the new OS.  Next week, I’ll touch more upon the features they described, what’s new and the new technology that is being designed and released for Windows 7!

I was lucky enough to attend the launch event in NYC with keynote speaker Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, and catch all the newest technology that is expected to be revamped, revolutionized and created with the new Windows 7.

Steve Ballmer was the primary speaker at the event, but his trusted co-workers were the ones who were showing off all the cool little tricks users can expect to take advantage of with the new stream line OS.  Surprisingly, Microsoft also took the opportunity to look ahead into the future with its multi-touch capabilities and gave a preview of all the new and exciting things Windows will now bring to the table…I have to say, I was pleasantly impressed!

It was an exhausting day with waking up early to get to the event and stand in line, as well as covering it live standing to take pictures while gathering the most information possible for you readers but I can assure you that these next days to come will have exciting pictures you can exclusively see ONLY on What the Tech with some new information which was only released through the members at the launch!

^As you can tell, Steve is clearly addressing the audience of What the Tech throughout the launch!

The security threat behind a false positive is not the actual detection of something that is “not a threat” but the consequences of following through with the proposed fixes to these problems.  Most of these false positives will recommend removal through free software (which will lead you to download more infections) or software that charges small to large fees to get control back of your computer.

If you’ve ever seen a false positive or think you might have one, read further about the dangers of false security reports and how to deal with them.

The dangers of false security reports is the window it opens up for other infections.  It can allow other programs to download and install onto your computer, such as a key logger, which will log the keystrokes you type on your machine and send them back to a 3rd party to be used at the disposal of the creator.  Have you ever done some online shopping?  File your taxes on the computer or send some sensitive data for work on your last login?  Be prepared to be at a significant identity theft risk if you give into these security threats.

Be careful when a separate website tries to convince you that your computer is infected…it is separate and cannot see your main hard drive so how can it tell you that your PC is infected?

I highly recommend daily scanning from free alternatives such as AVG AntiVirus or Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.  If you are questioning whether any result that pops up from surfing on a website or something that comes up on your computer screen…seek help before you take action.

If you still need convincing, try this article on for size.  Let us know what you think.

Problems right when you start up your computer just when you get it is generally not a good sign for that machine! I would be cautious and advise you to make sure the other parts of the computer are not lemons because it sounds like the OS on your hard drive had a bad install or there are some other errors with the machine.

If you’re determined to get this machine working right away to decide later if you should send it back to the manufacturer we can try a couple commands that might get your start menu to reappear!

First, the most simple and common fix is to restart the Explorer command. Try the CTRL + ALT + DELETE command and open up a new task manager. In the file menu, select run task and type in “explorer.exe”. It might take a second, but that should re-open your start menu if something is disabling it from loading during boot.

If that does not work, reboot your computer into safe mode (repeatedly tapping F8 during startup and selecting Safe Mode from the menu). The start menu should appear in safe mode but the screen will look blown up to a much smaller resolution. Open Start > Run and type in “scanreg /restore” with a space in between the “reg” and the “/”. Let it carry out its operations, reboot and hopefully this time you will have a new start menu.

For those of you out there who do receive products that you have to troubleshoot right as you open them out of the box, I highly suggest you send it back. It’s a dangerous sign when you have troubles with electronics, especially within the first 3 months of its lifespan!

It’s great to stay proactive and determine if the newest software will run on your machine, especially without having lag or any other problems while running.  I do recommend the upgrade tremendously as users will be pleasantly surprised with the changes and new interface.  Let’s explore your options to determine if your computer is ready for the upgrade.

Microsoft offers a tool to use when wondering if your computer can handle the new Windows 7.  They have released their upgrade advisor which will tell us what parts you have running on your system, what graphics components, how much hard drive space, if you are running 32 or 64 bit software currently, and most importantly, if your computer will handle Windows 7 without any bumps or glitches!

To start the process, navigate to their Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor link and download the Advisor Beta and install it to your desktop.  It will verify you are running a legitimate copy of Windows.

Once it is ready to start the tests, I suggest you close out of all other programs and plan to let your computer run on its on for a good 10-30 minutes; it could take shorter or longer then this period.

Upon completion, the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will let you know how complete your system is for the new operating system.  If you have some areas that are weaker then other, it will suggest some ways to improve your hardware, but if the entire system is lacking… it will let you know it is time for a new PC.

If you have any questions about the upgrade or if you should buy a new PC in general, come back and let us know…we’ll be glad to help!

There are still tons of old games that are still better then the new garbage that comes out today.  While I still think the progression of games for the computer has come a long way from Pong to Far Cry or Counter Strike is still a positive change, I do not think I am ready to right off on some of the older games I grew up with.  I bet there are still a ton of you guys out there who are still die hard old gamers…Starcraft anyone?

With the advancement of operating systems and Windows 7 just around the corner, there are many games that will come off the shelf and be forced into retirement because they are starting to spoil and rot, but it does not mean they won’t run on our newer systems.  Here’s a way to continue to use some of your older games on a newer system.

In your specific situation, we’ll look at how to run a game for Windows 95 on Windows XP:

1.  Find the Executable (.exe) file of the program you are trying to run.

2.  Right click on the file and choose “properties.“

3.  Click the tab that says “compatibility.“

4. Check “Run this program in compatibility mode for”

^The default OS should be Windows 95- perfect for your situation

5.  Click Apply, and double click the .exe file.

There might be some problems that prevent the compatibility mode from working on older games, but for the most part you should be smooth sailing…

Enjoy!

People always forget about setting up their e-mail clients when they migrate over to a new computer and lose the preferences and folder setup instantly.

To move over from Outlook Express to Windows Live, we’ll export your old settings and import them to your new program fairly quickly!

The first step is to open Outlook Express and navigate in the menu bar to Tools and then Options. Next, look for the Maintenance tab and click the Store Folder button on the bottom left hand corner. If you have a lot of emails, this will take some time for the new window to open up.

Once the window opens up, copy the link location path of where your emails are stored. Navigate in an open Windows Explorer to the link and move your emails to another location and open up Windows Live.

In Windows Live, in the menu bar, navigate to File and then Import>>Messages. It will prompt you to select your version of Outlook. Choose to Import mail from an OE6 store director and then click OK.

Verify that path is where you moved your emails too, hit Next, and then select to import all folders.

Sit back, relax and let Windows Mail do the rest. In a matter of time all your mail should be in the Imported Folder!

It’s unbelievable how incomplete some uninstalls are that come with programs today.  While they remove most of the main program, they never ask about the side stuff they install that comes with it.  Many companies now claim they do not uninstall those automatically because they do not want to remove a side program that might be used for another program, but I’ve seen prompts that warn you before an uninstall for you to decide whether you want to keep them or not.

For your lingering files, we’ll use a tool from Microsoft to get rid of as much as we can.  It should stop from any file installation reoccurring anymore.

Navigate here and download the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility.  The WICU has the ability  to get rid of install files (not the program itself) but it will atleast delete the install files that use Windows Installers so you will not have to keep seeing the annoying pop-ups or failed install attempts.

The disclaimer: “Warning The Windows Installer CleanUp Utility is provided “as is” to help resolve installation problems for programs that use Microsoft Windows Installer.”

Install the program and select the program you wish to remove.in your case it will be “Total Access Core Application” and let the program do its magic.  Reboot and enjoy a computer without annoying pop-up’s!

Windows 7 is very similar to Windows Vista; you’ve heard correctly.  A lot of the features and look feel like you are still in Vista until you notice the taskbar or the new Aero features.etc.  However, you have also heard correctly where there are some standard differences between the two operating systems when it comes to the desktop.  There have been some removed standard features in Windows 7 but never fear, there are great replacement options instead!

Windows 7 no longer offers the Classic Start Menu.  To be honest, I never felt that classic menu was helpful in moving our tech era forward.  It was too Windows 98/XP for me and I actually liked the omission of this feature.

Windows Sidebar has vanished.  Rather having all the widgets in an outlined box, you are free to move your widgets anywhere on your desktop or keep them in a straight line on the right side of the screen.  Once again, I commend this addition because it was always ugly to see a faded outline on the screen or not be able to move your widgets to some other part of the desktop depending on your configuration (not all desktops look the same!).

Windows Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Calendar, and Mail have been removed as standard features in Windows 7.  If you still would like to use these programs, navigate to Windows Download Live and select any of the products download link.  It will contain all the installation files for any of these programs rather then asking you to download each individual file separately.

Windows 7 does have a unique desktop experience not similar to its predecessor Vista.  While the desktop backgrounds might be the same, the taskbar, sidebar, and standard programs are no longer installed to clutter up your machine.  I really like the changes made as I feel they clean up the desktop more and for most users who do not choose to run any of the Windows Programs, it gives them a chance to have a clean slate to install another default program without the hassle of removing the old Windows version.

If you are having an issue with updating your computer, it can really hinder your security as your machine is not able to download and patch vital security updates released by Microsoft.  This is usually caused by the Windows Genuine Advantage validation process not being able to validate a copy of Microsoft Windows XP.

Lets look at a couple ways we can try to correct this error or look into some steps to make sure the copy of Windows you have on your machine has the correct key and is legitimate.

Visit this page in Internet Explorer.  *If it is not Internet Explorer, it will make you reopen it in a valid browser.

Start the diagnostics on the page.  You may be prompted to either “run or save” the file; choose run.

The Diagnostic tool will help list some reasons why you are not able to validate Windows or some error messages that will be helpful to a Microsoft Representative in determining the validity of your license.

The product license will be displayed to you to verify it is the one that matches the install disk.  These are the operating system disks that came with your machine and you can find the serial key number on either the back of the disk envelope or on a sticker posted on your machine (usually it’s shiny).

If the key is different from the one on your machine, change the key using the Windows Product Key Update Tool.

If you are still having issues, contact Microsoft’s Resolution Team and they will help you change your license to a valid key or determine if your key is not legitimate.

The error messages that bother me most are similar to the one you posted.  I hate having an error message pop up that has tons of letters and numbers to look up rather then displaying what the issue really means or relates to.  If you break apart your error message, it could be related to the removal of an external media device, but parts of it also are looking for a hard drive or saying that your hard drive is corrupt!  Before you start to panic, the error will not require a new hard drive, just a simple registry fix.

To fix the message, click on Start > Run.

Type in as regedit and click on ok
You will get a popup window as Registry.
Click on + sign at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
Click on + sign at SYSTEM.
Click on + sign at CurrentControlSet.
Click on + sign at Control.
Click on Windows there.
Can you see ErrorMode key on the right side panel?
0X00000000(0)
Double click on ErrorMode and change the value data 2 and click on ok

After making these changes, reboot your computer and you should be error free!  I’m still more into the research on how to prevent these types of errors, but my educated guess would have to be on removing media without properly ejecting the source such as USB keys or external hardware.