Hot Operating Systems How-Tos


How To: Create an Admin User Account Using CMD Prompt (Windows)
This is a quick tutorial on how to create a new administrator account on a Windows computer. Step 1: Open CMD Prompt...

How To: Drag and drop in Ubuntu Linux
Drag and drop doesn't work automatically in the Ubuntu Linux distribution. You'll need to make some settings changes to enable it. For a step-by-step look at the process to enabling drag and drop file management in Ubuntu, watch this Ubuntu tutorial.

How To: Check If Someone Has Been Using Your Mac or Windows Computer
Think your roommate's been using your computer while you're not around, but don't have any proof? Worried your little brother or significant other is snooping through your stuff? Here's how to check on both Windows and Mac OS X so you can catch and confront anyone who's logging onto your computer without your permission.

How To: Check If Windows XP Is Activated
Some people might check their activation status of Windows XP by simply right-clicking on the My Computer icon on their desktop, then clicking on Properties. It opens up a new window with General tab showing some basic information about your PC, like system info, registered to, and computer hardware. However, it does not actually tell us complete information about the system, like whether or not your current copy of Windows XP is activated or not. To check the complete details about your Wind...

How To: Password protect any folder on your desktop in Windows
In this tutorial, we learn how to password protect any folder on your desktop in Windows. First, right click on your desktop, then go to "new", then "compressed zipped folder" and name it whatever you want. Next, put what you want inside of the folder. After you've done this, open the folder then go to "file" and then "add a password". Pick a password that you will remember and type it into the text box, after you do this, click on "ok". Now your folder will be password protected and you will...

How To: Create an Encrypted Zip Archive in Mac OS X and Windows
Archive files are great for portability and saving space, but a lot of people don't know they can also be encrypted. There are a lot of archiver programs out there, but most of them can open a file that's been encrypted using other software, as long as you're using a recent version.

How To: Take a screen-shot with your keyboard
Internet4Dummies shows how to take a screen-shot of your desktop screen using your keyboard and a photo-editing software like Microsoft-Paint, in this walk-through video first you have to navigate or arrange your screen as desired to be captured in the snapshot. Then using the print screen key the whole desktop screen can be captured. This image can be edited by any photo editing software for ease of use Microsoft Paint is used in this example. For this just open Paint and paste the screen-sh...

How To: Install Windows XP from a DOS bootable flash drive
If you do not have a CD-Rom drive on your new computer, or it is broken, you can still install Windows XP.

How To: Lock Folder Without Any Software with Password
You can easily lock any folder on your Windows computer with a simple Notepad hack. By creating a batch file, you can hide a folder and require a password be entered before it becomes visible and accessible. This is a great tool for locking sensitive information, like pictures, financial statements, and a lot more.

How To: Create a hackintosh by installing Apple's Mac OS X on an Intel or AMD PC
Interested in installing Mac OS X on your Intel or AMD desktop or laptop PC? It's easy! So easy, in fact, that this home-computing how-to can present a complete overview of the process in under ten minutes. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started creating your own hackintosh PC, take a look.

How To: Reformat your hard drive to install Windows XP
In this Computers & Programming video tutorial you will learn how to reformat your hard drive to install Windows XP. You will need a copy of window XP. Insert the CD in to your CD drive. Restart your computer and the command prompt will show. Press any key to boot from the windows XP set up CD. The set up screen will be displayed. Click enter and agree to all the terms. Then select the driver on which you want to put the XP and click enter. Then select the NTFS file system and not the ‘quic...

How To: Speed up a Mac OS X 10.5 computer by disabling dock reflections
In this clip, you'll learn how to turn off dock reflections on an Apple computer running the Leopard operating system. With a little know-how, it's easy. So easy, in fact, that this video guide can offer a complete overview of the process in a matter of a few minutes. For more information, including a complete demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look.

How To: Share Local Drives and Folders using Oracle VM VirtualBox with a Guest Windows OS
There are several virtual machine managers present in the market. However, the main functionality of all VMs are the same. Most people like to get free VM managers, so that they can install as many operating systems as they like over the host operating systems. One of these free VM managers is Oracle's VM VirtualBox, which can be downloaded from Oracle's website for all popular operating systems, such as Linux, Windows and Mac.

How To: Rotate the Display on Linux, Mac, & Windows Computers
If you've got a desktop computer, I can almost guarantee that you've got a widescreen monitor set up in landscape mode. It's how just about everyone uses their monitor these days, including myself. Except that it's not always the best way of working.

How to Find the C: drive on my Mac
In this tutorial, we learn how to find the C drive on a Mac computer. Unfortunately, Mac does not label their drives with letters like other computer systems do. You can name your drives anything you'd like, including "backup", "my network", "my folder", or anything else you want. To find these, just open up the Mac finder and the devices on the computer will show up with their icons. This can make things easier if you are having trouble moving things around. Making them your own names makes ...

How To: Use the Memory in the Windows Calculator
For the purpose of simplicity, we shall consider the Windows version to be used as Windows XP. How to start the calculator in Windows XP?

How To: Remove Empty Folders, Duplicate Files, Broken Shortcuts, and Old Bookmarks from Your Computer
Like a computer, your brain can store and process large amounts of information. It can remember names, solve math problems, and save tips that you might need at a later time.

How To: Erase your hard drive from the Mac OS X terminal
Macheads101 shows us a simple command to erase your entire hard drive in a MAC OS x terminal. You can either log in as administrator and simply type "rm -rf /" to format or you can just type "Sudo rm -rf /" to start. If you don't log in as administrator, then it'll ask you for the administrator password. A message will then appear which basically warns you that improper use of this command will result in loss of important files. Next type in "sudo mount -uw /" to edit the file command system....

How To: Disable a service or device driver preventing a Windows PC from booting up
Need help figuring out how to get rid of a bad service or device driver that's stopping your Microsoft Windows PC from starting up? It's easy! So easy, in fact, that this home-computing how-to from the folks at Britec can present a complete overview of the process in just over five minutes. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look.

How To: Update graphic drivers with Windows Device Manager
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to upgrade their graphic driver. This task is very fast, easy and simple to do. Begin by clicking on the Start menu. Then right-click on My Computer and select Properties. Now click on the Hardware tab and click on Device Manager under Manager. In the Device Manager window, select your graphic driver under Display adapters. Right-click on the driver and select Update Driver. Now follow through the instructions in the window and check for any updates. ...

How To: Find the "hidden" mic boost on Realtek HD sound cards
Need to adjust your microphone's input volume using the Realtek Sound Manager but aren't sure how? The 20db mic boost gain appears to be in a buried spot in the Realtek HD sound cards software, but it's there! In this video tutorial you'll see how to get to it.

How To: Install 200+ screensavers on Ubuntu Linux
New to Ubuntu Linux? This computer operating system could be a bit tricky for beginners, but fret not, help is here. Check out this video tutorial on how to install 200+ screensavers on Ubuntu Linux.

How To: Enable or disable hibernation on a PC with Windows XP
The moment when your Windows XP PC begins hibernating is one of the most frustrating in many PC users lives, causing hands to be thrown up in frustration and preparations for a hard reset to begin. Do you wish that you computer didn't even have the option of hibernating? This video will show you how to turn off hibernation in Windows XP, allowing you to use your computer's entire battery without risking a sudden faux-shutdown.

How To: Turn off your system firewall without admin privileges
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to turn off the system firewall without admin privileges. Begin by clicking on the Start menu and open he Run program. Type in "system.msc" and click OK. Scroll down the Services list and look for Windows Firewall. Double-click on it and under the General tab, click on Stop. Then click Apply and OK. This video will benefit those viewers who use a Windows computer and would like to turn off the firewall, even if they are not running the administrator a...

How To: Remotely Monitor Your Kid’S iPhone/iPad
Maybe your kids are using iPhone/iPad too much, as a parent, you want to know what they are having to deal with to help guide them through of that. Here is the tutorial on how you can parental control your kids on iPhone/iPad. You are able to monitor as well as take control of their devices. Kids’ activities on iPhone/iPad like SMS, chats, web browsing will be recorded and you can check them remotely with e-mail without getting access to the devices. OK, here comes the steps: Step 1:

How To: Delete a user account in Microsoft Windows Vista
In this video, Nub shows us how to delete a user account. First, you will click "start" then "control panel". Then click on "user accounts" and then "manage another account". You must be logged in as the administrator to do this. A new window will pop up once you click on this and you will see all the user accounts on your computer. Click on the user you want to delete and a menu will show up. Click the button that says "delete this account". A message will appear asking if you want to save t...

How To: Recover a Windows installation with the Trinity Rescue Kit Live CD
Looking for instructions on how to rescue a Windows installation using a Trinity Rescue Kit Live CD? It's simple! So simple, in fact, that this home-computing how-to from the folks at Britec can present a complete overview of the process in just over nine minutes. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, watch this video guide.

How To: Install Ubuntu in a RAID 0 array
RAID, or Redundant Array of Independent Disks, lets you divide and replicate data among multiple hard disk drives for information storage security. This video tutorial demonstrates how to install Ubuntu in a RAID 0 array. Before starting, you'll need at least 2 hard drives and an Ubuntu alternate installation CD. RAID 0, or striped disks, let's you install an operating system, such as Ubuntu, on a partition, while using others for data storage, as illustrated in this instructional segment.

How To: Install Google Chrome OS on a Flash drive
The Google Chrome OS has been making a lot of waves for its convenience. In this video, the convenience is further highlighted, as we are shown how to install the Google Chrome OS on a Flash drive. Now you can take the entire OS with you wherever you'd like to go.

How To: Remove a Password from Log in Screen in Linux Mint
In this video tutorial, I'll show you how to remove the password from the log in screen on Linux Mint 17.2

How To: Delete temporary files in Ubuntu, Linux Mint or Debian
This video tutorial in Computers & Programming category will show you how to delete temporary files in Ubuntu, Linux Mint or Debian. For this you will need the program called bleachbit. You could get it from Bleachbit Sourceforge/ or from Synaptic package manager. For synaptic manager, click on ‘package manager’ in the ‘start’ menu and log into the program by typing your password. Then search for ‘bleachbit’, download and install it. Go to ‘terminal’, type in ‘su’ and enter, then type in your...

How To: Create HD from low quality vids in Avidemux on Ubuntu
New to Ubuntu Linux? This computer operating system could be a bit tricky for beginners, but fret not, help is here. Check out this video tutorial on how to create fake HD from low quality vids in Avidemux on Ubuntu.

How To: Create a new Windows partition with GParted software
In this tutorial, we learn how to create a new Windows partition with GParted software. First, insert your boot CD into your computer, then turn your computer off and it will automatically boot. Next, hit enter to select the first option, then wait for the scan to complete. When done, select your type of keyboard, then hit enter. After this, select your language and then continue to wait for the boot to continue. Once loaded, you will see the main partition. To split this, select it and click...

How To: Delete unwanted files to free up disk space on Windows XP or Vista PCs
Disk space is a valuable commodity on your PC, and if you're running low, it's time to sell some of that unneeded property! This video shows you the steps to freeing up space on the hard drive of your Windows XP or Vista computer. There are many areas in Windows from which you can delete temporary files and hence, decrease your overall disk usage.

How To: Set up dual monitors
In your computer you can setup up two monitors on the same screen. This is the dual monitor setup which will give you more space to work with. So if your desktop is cluttered with icons and other program shortcuts, then you can use dual monitors. To setup a dual monitor system, the first thing you will need is two monitors. Now right click no your desktop and select properties from the menu. In the properties window go to the settings tab. If you see two monitor screen pictures over there the...

How To: Copy files to a USB memory stick in Ubuntu Linux
The Ubuntu Linux distribution will automatically recognize most brands of USB memory sticks. In most cases, you will not need to install any additional drivers. This video clip will show you how to copy files from and to a USB memory stick using Ubuntu. Remember to right-click on your USB memory stick and select "Eject" when you are finished copying to ensure that you do not lose any data.

How To: Bind (Join) Two or More Files into Single Executable File
`Today I am going to tell you how to bind i.e. join two or more files and make single executable file.

How To: Get a Windows 98 theme on Windows 7
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to get a Windows 98 theme on Microsoft Windows 7. The Windows 98 themes need to be downloaded from the link in the video description. The Windows 98 themes are: Baseball, Jungle, Mystery and Travel. When opened, the background changes to the theme. The cursor and the icons on the desktop also changes to the theme. There are sound effects when the user maximizes and minimizes a window. This video will benefit those viewers who use a Windows 7 computer ...

How To: Install mp3splt on Ubuntu Linux
New to Ubuntu Linux? This computer operating system could be a bit tricky for beginners, but fret not, help is here. Check out this video tutorial on how to install mp3splt on Ubuntu Linux.

How To: Use a second display when making a Keynote presentation on a Mac
In this clip, you'll learn about a number of ways in which you can employ a secondary monitor when making a Keynote presentation on an Apple computer running Mac OS X. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started putting your own second monitor to use when making Keynote presentations, watch this home-computing how-to.