TRPC Has been updated to include support for Windows 8!

The Restore Point Creator (T.R.P.C.) is a handy utility that I made to quickly create restore points. To use the application simply open it, type the name of the restore point that you would like to use, and select Create. To make it more user friendly for those that would like to use it frequently with as little user interaction as possible, it can also auto create restore points. Placing a check mark in “Auto create restore points on launch” will automatically create a restore point when the application is opened. To auto close the application you can check “Auto close after 5 seconds”.

Also included is a command line version that can be used to quickly script restore point creations.

Example of usage:

TRPC.exe “Manual Restore Point”
TRPC.exe ManualRestorePoint

Compatible with:  Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8
Version: 1.1
Requires: .Net 2.0
License: Freeware

Download T.R.P.C.> The Restore Point Creator

One of the biggest changes to Windows 8 is the way that Reboot & Shutdown now function. Most people are still in the habit from Windows XP days of manually going into the Start menu and clicking “Shutdown”. This would save system settings, close all open applications, and then actually turn off the machine. This process has gone through minor changes with Windows Vista,  and Windows 7 but now with Windows 8 we have a major shift in what exactly Shutdown does.

In Windows 8, shutdown is essentially a hibernate feature and as such does not actually save and then reinitialize with any settings changes you may have made. The Restart option in Windows 8 assumes that you have made changes to the OS and want to restart the machine to utilize those new settings.

UPDATE::

To disable the hybrid shutdown feature in Windows 8:

1. Open the Control Panel
2. Select ‘Hardware and Sound‘
3. Select ‘Power Options‘
4. From the left hand menu select ‘Require a password on wakeup‘
5. Select ‘Change settings that are currently unavailable‘
6. Under ‘Shutdown settings’ at the bottom of the page, de-select ‘Turn on fast startup‘

I have to admit that I really love Microsoft and Windows 8. There are certain aspects of the operating system that I just love. There is also a (major) part of the operating system that I strongly dislike, the Start Menu/Screen. Like the “Libraries” feature of Windows, it tries too hard to be the main interface. Wherever I turn it just keeps popping back up again and again. It is because of this that I have decided that I am going to find a way to disable it while still keeping other aspects of the operating system in place.

Lets begin by first of all disclosing a little bit I have learned about this new start menu.

• The name of the new start menu is “Immersive Shell”
• It is not directly a part of Explorer.exe
• If it is not run when the user profile loads, you see a black desktop and empty taskbar (Until someone finds a way around this)
• The file location of the .dll is: C:\\Windows\\System32\\windows.immersiveshell.serviceprovider.dll
• The resource files that Immersive Shell uses are located in: %UserProfile%\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Explorer\\
• Registry location for Immersive Shell settings:  HKCU\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\ImmersiveShell\\
• Location of programs listed within the Start Menu that have been downloaded from the Store:  %UserProfile%\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Application Shortcuts\\

How to terminate the Start Menu

1. Download Process Explorer from Sysinternals
2. Extract it and then run it as an Administrator
3. Locate the “Explorer.exe” that is running as the operating system shell (not a file browser version that is open), and double click on it. This will open the Explorer.exe process properties box.
4. Select the “Threads” tab
5. Sort the listed threads by “Start Address”
6. Select the thread “windows.immersiveshell.serviceprovider.dll!DllCanUnloadNow+0×2570“
7. Select the “Kill” button
8. Click OK and exit out of Process Explorer
9. The Start and Charms buttons no longer function on the keyboard, or when you move the mouse to either of their “hot-zones”

An obvious issue with this method of killing the Immersive Menu is that it is not “automatic”. It must be performed each time the computer or the shell is restarted. There is a method to prevent the start menu from ever starting and that is to rename the file  windows.immersiveshell.serviceprovider.dll to  windows.immersiveshell.serviceprovider.dll.old. The main issue with doing this is that Explorer fails to fully load the desktop. You are left with a black screen and an almost non-functional taskbar.

One of the questions that I have received from people that have not yet used the new Start Menu (and even some that have) is “Why would you want to disable it?”. Honestly it comes down to a couple of small “features” of it. Number one is the “Charms” menu on the right side of the screen. It frequently gets in the way during scrolling with the mouse within various applications. I use the side of the screen as a stop point and seemingly randomly it opens the charms menu. This then requires me to wait for it to close to begin scrolling. It is an annoyance but a major one when it comes to productivity.

I hope that someone finds an effective way of disabling and/or removing the Immersive Start Menu prior to the Windows 8 launch. And even more importantly, I hope that Microsoft listens to the dissatisfaction of users with this menu and gives us the option to disable it.

MakeItBoot is a OS Attack exclusive application that is designed to make USB flash drives bootable. This is most commonly needed when using a bootable operating system such as Windows PE on a flash drive. This helps to solve the common problem of “How To Make a Flash Drive Bootable”.

To make a flash drive bootable:

1. Insert flash drive into the USB port
2. Open MakeItBoot (requires administrative permissions)
3. Select the USB drive from the first drop down list
4. Enter in a name for the drive into the text box to help identify it within Windows
5. Press Start

DOWNLOAD> MakeItBoot

• No more “Start Menu” at least as we use today. It is all about the tiles here (And I am not seeing a way to pin program to the tile menu)
• No native .net 1.1, .net 2.0, or .net 3.0, support. It can be installed when first used (via Windows Update)
• Microsoft is bringing back the Resource Monitor with some more usability improvements (it changed in Windows 7, Windows Vista had it better and they are going back to that style)
• Task Manager has had a serious overhaul and now shows startup items that are causing startup delays (much like IE9 does with add-ons)
• Task Manager now allows for applications to be started with Admin rights
• From the installation disk you can now perform Repair Installations of Windows without booting into Windows. You can also repair Windows 7 from here (it will prompt for a Windows 7 disk).
• Alt Key – No longer functions to bring up the old File Toolbar Menu at the top in Explorer.
• Clicking and dragging from the left side of the screen to the right will pull up other currently running applications.
• Right Clicking on application tiles will let you uninstall the program
• Bring the mouse to the bottom left brings up the Start Button (which brings you to the tiles page)
• Pushing the Start button on the keyboard will cycle through currently opened program and the start tiles
• Right Clicking within open applications brings up a menu at the bottom of the screen for application options.
• The OS version (according to Explorer) is 6.2 (Windows 7 is 6.1, and Vista is 6.0)
• Enable/Disable 16-Bit Application Support in the full control panel menu (in the breadcrumb bar select the arrow next to control panel, then all items)

Overall so far I am seeing a lot of changes to Windows 8. This is most definitely not a Vista to 7 type upgrade with just a prettier taskbar. It is like the shift from Windows 2000 to Windows XP where much of the underlying operating system is the same but everything looks and works very differently.

In browsing the registry I am also seeing a major shift in the way that applications are starting up within Windows 8. Some startup categories have been eliminated altogether and other keys are completely rearranged.  Also interesting is that some capitalization mistakes have been fixed within the registry (yes some of us notice these things).

One of the most welcome changes that I am personally enjoying is the changes that have been made to Task Manager. It is now much easier to manage startup items and even more importantly, see which startup items are causing a problem. Just check out these screenshots and you can see the differences right away…

UPDATES:: 

Turn on the old startup menu and disable the ribbons..

Open Regedit.exe, navigate to the following key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer
Then change value of RPEnabled from “1″ to “0″

From the comments:
JairJy: To pin a program to the Metro Menu, press Ctrl+Q and then click on the Apps section. A lot of programs should appear, right click on one and select “Pin”.

How-To pin any folder to the taskbar in Windows 7:

1. Right click on the desktop and then select “New” then “Shortcut”
2. In the dialog box that opens, enter the following command “C:\\Windows\\explorer.exe” then enter a space and the location of the folder that you want to open. An example of this would be “C:\\Windows\\explorer.exe D:\\Pictures” which would open the pictures directory on drive D:\\. After clicking Next, enter in the name of the shortcut that you are creating. This can be anything you would like.
3. The newly created shortcut will be on the desktop, right click on it and select “Pin To Taskbar”. The folder will now show up on the Taskbar and you can delete the shortcut that you created on your desktop.

This method can be modified to pin virtually any folder to the taskbar with its own button. If you would like to use different icons you can also change the icon of the shortcut before pinning it.

11/11/2011
Released new version that enables System Restore automatically if it is disabled.

Updated:: Due to a request, I have also made a command line version of this application so that it can be used in combination with batch files.

The Restore Point Creator (T.R.P.C.) is a handy utility that I made to quickly create restore points. To use the application simply open it, type the name of the restore point that you would like to use, and select Create. To make it more user friendly for those that would like to use it frequently with as little user interaction as possible, it can also auto create restore points. Placing a check mark in “Auto create restore points on launch” will automatically create a restore point when the application is opened. To auto close the application you can check “Auto close after 5 seconds”.

Compatible with:  Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
Requires: .Net 2.0
License: Freeware

I typically do not publicly release applications that I make, but I was unable to find another one that makes the process this simple. Please let me know what you think!

Download T.R.P.C.> The Restore Point Creator

Pokki is a new application store that brings the applications to you that otherwise remain on the Internet. Made with HTML5, CSS, and Java Script, the applications are lite weight and at least at this point in time, easy on resources.

Windows has been in need of a application marketplace for many many years. The current methodology of finding applications is too cumbersome and quite lacking in control. While Pokki is limited right now in what it provides, they clearly have something here. After having been using it for a few hours I can confidently say that it will have some traction in the marketplace. I for one, will continue to use it.

Windows 8 promises even more HTML 5 integration and this could really be a gold mine for Pokki.

Check It Out> Pokki

Today the Internet is abuzz about a new video released that shows some of the things they are working on for Windows 8. It showcases a pretty revolutionary interface (at least for Windows) that parallels Windows Phone 7. While I tend to be pretty critical when I see new operating system designs, I really like this one.

Here are my five things I revert too whenever I look at either Operating Systems or applications:

1. Less than 3 “clicks” to perform most operations
2. Easy navigation for those unfamiliar with it
3. Backwards and forwards compatibility
4. Hardware compatibility
5. Understandable and limited versions

When looking at Windows 8 I see it nailing every one of those points. The “new” interface is smooth, fast, universal, and more importantly, can be disabled. It is clearly designed for tablets and touch screen computers but at the same time Microsoft is cautious and understanding that like Netbooks, might just be a phase. At the same time a user is not locked into the tile interface. They can simply revert to the standard Windows 7 Superbar interface. Personally I see this as critical to the success of Windows 8. There are just some things that work and when they do, there is no reason to “Fix it”. The Superbar is one of those things.

A number of sites today are criticizing Windows 8 because Microsoft is not abandoning the old interface and saying that it is going to cause confusion with the multiple interfaces. These are the same sites that would criticize them for adding another “Tablet” version of Windows with only the tile interface. Microsoft has built its business off of compatibility and the ability to customize its software. This will give purchasers of Windows 8 the added benefit of using the OS on any device they choose and customize it according to the way they want to use it.

Strangely, Microsoft is almost channeling the old-school Linux way of thought, “use it the way you want and customize it the way you want”.

Windows 7 Search is not easy to use and the complete lack of documentation on it only serves to make it even more of a pain to use. The learning curve for it is particularly high due to the extremely limited user interface that it provides. Without at least some knowledge of where to start it is of little help to most people. These are some of the commands that I have found that work. If you have additional commands please add them in the comments below.

To use these commands begin by typing in the command below and when you have the syntax correct the color of the command will change to a light blue. Once the first part turns blue there will be a pop-down that will then let you click to select a secondary option if available. Once the secondary command has been selected it will look like this kind:=document. If you are searching for the contents of a document it will look like this contents:”how to use windows 7 search”. You must manually include quotation marks if the phrase or item you are searching for includes spaces.

Available Commands

datemodified:
size:
contents:
folder:
type:
ext: (jpg, doc, avi, etc.)
datetaken:
tags:
name:
author:
kind:
from:
before: (date)
after: (date)
lastsavedby: (username)
comments:
datelastprinted:

Type of files

kind:
kind:=Document

Calendar
Communication
Contact
Document
Email
Feed
Folder
Game
Instant Message
Journal
Link
Music
Movie
Note
Picture
Program
Recorded TV
Saved Search
Task
Video
Web History

Music specific search keywords
bitrate:
artist:
album:
genre:
lyrics:
track:
year:

Picture specific search keywords
cameramake:
cameramodel:
dimensions:
orientation:
width:
height:
flashmode:
taken: