XdN Tweaker has been around for some time and we have used it to tweak Windows XP, Vista and now it supports Windows 7. XdN Tweaker provides you with a number of tweaks to get the system working the way you want it to. It provides options to tweak UAC, file and folders views and settings, some user interface tweaks and much more.

You just need to download and install XdN Tweaker or if you prefer you can download the portable version and run it as it is without having to install. This is what you would see when you fire it up:

One of the XdN features that I loved with Vista was the ability to modify UAC prompts, this of course is not a problem with Windows 7 as there is a UAC control is built into Windows 7, so you can simply launch it and adjust the settings according to you needs.

Then there are tweaks for the right click menu. We have shown you various tools in the past that you can use to customize your right click context menu. If you are looking for something quick and simple you will find some pretty handy tweaks XdN Tweaker has to offer. You can quickly disable the Send To menu, add copy to and move to to right click menu.

Another great feature that XdN provides is the ability to remove program associations for a particular file extension. Let’s say you installed iTunes and set it to handle mp3 files but don’t want to launch it everytime you play one, change the association here. Although Windows has provided ways to do this from quite some time now but none of them are as intuitive and straightforward as using XdN Tweaker to get the job done.

There are some Windows 7 specific tweaks like changing the delay for aero peek and to disable the windows arrangement features new and unique to Windows 7 (although I must admit I like them).

There are other nifty options like adding a “Take Ownership” entry to right click menu for files and folders to manipulate files you dont have permission to perform operations on, make folder views persist, tweak the IE interface, enable disable hibernation with a single click, change Windows performance settings, getting info and so on.

No doubt all this can be achieved via registry editing but XdN Tweaker makes the task easier. Do you know some other tools for similar purposes? Do you like to use programs like these or do you prefer getting down and dirty with the registry?

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

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Today, we will be looking at some of the top Vista tricks to increase productivity and unlock Vista’s potential. Here they are (in no particular order):

Access Vista’s Super User Mode

Vista is riddled with an extremely large amount of “security” measures that may, or may not, be helpful. Running Vista as an Administrator may help, but did you know there is an even higher Administrator? Well, there is! All you need to do to unlock it is the following:

Step One: Go to “Start” and type cmd.

Step Two: When the command prompt loads, type the following:

Net user Administrator /active:yes

Step Three: When you switch user, you should now be able to see an Administrator account.

(Note: If you would like to hide the Administrator account, you can, again, go to “Start” and type cmd, then type: Net user administrator /active:no)

Save Battery Life on Laptops

Vista is quite a resource hog. If you have a laptop, this could present a problem. To maximize battery life and still run Vista on a viable amount of memory, simply do the following:

Step One: Hit the Windows Key and X at the same time.

Step Two: When “Windows Mobility Center” loads, you should be able to adjust settings, such as Display Brightness, Power Consumption, etc.

Remove Personal Information from Files

Nearly every single file on your computer contains some type of personal information – either information about the user, information on setting e.g. time, date, etc. In any case, it may be good to remove some of this information before making it available to the public, such as uploading a video or image online.

To do this, all you need to do is:

Step One: Select one or multiple file(s)

Step Two: Right-Click and select “Properties”

Step Three: Click “Details” and then click “Remove Properties and Personal Information.”

You can now have Vista create copies of the selected file(s) before changing/removing any of the information.

Tweaking Windows Power Button

Unlike Windows XP, the Vista power off button simply puts your computer to sleep when you were actually intending to turn it off. Fortunately, this can be easily changed with a simple tweak.

Step One: Click “Start,” then click “Control Panel.”

Step Two: Select “Hardware and Sound,” then click “Power Options.”

Step Three: Click “Change Plan Settings” under your current power plan.

Step Four: Click “Change Advanced Settings,” and then navigate to:

Power Buttons and Lid / Start Menu Power Button

Step Five: Select “Shut Down”

Disable UAC Notification Messages

One of the most ridiculous features of Vista are the continuous “confirmation” messages. Messages that pop up nearly every time you attempt to run any unknown application. Almost all of which are completely unnecessary, and waste time. Here is how you can disable these annoying uac notifications, quickly and easily:

Step One: Go to “Start” and click “Control Panel.”

Step Two: Click “User Accounts and Family Safety,” then click “Turn User Account Control On and Off.”

Step Three: Un-Select the box labeled User User Account Control (UAC) to help protect my computer.

Step Four: Click “OK,” and you’re done!

Alternatively, you can check out Norton’s UAC Tool (previously covered by MakeUseOf author Karl Gechlik) that can hlp you deal with those warning in a more manageable way.

Hope this helps some of you get that much closer to a nearly perfectly tweaked computer.

Stay tuned for more WinHack!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

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So if you don’t want to risk shooting yourself in the foot (or somewhere a little more private) then you should check out Norton’s UAC Tool for free here.

If you are not familiar with Vista’s User Access Control ‘feature’ check out Wikipedia’s definition:

User Account Control (UAC) is a technology and security infrastructure introduced with Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system. It aims to improve the security of Microsoft Windows by limiting application software to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase in privilege level. In this way, only applications that the user trusts receive higher privileges, and malware should be kept from receiving the privileges necessary to compromise the operating system. In other words, a user account may have administrator privileges assigned to it, but applications that the user runs do not also have those privileges unless they are approved beforehand or the user explicitly authorizes it to have higher privileges.

By disabling the UAC you also disable certain features that Norton makes use of. So Norton came out with a tool that makes you a little less likely to disable the UAC ‘feature’. Choose your location and start your download.

Next choose your version. x86 for 32 bit and the 64 for 64 bit. If you are unsure just grab the x86 file as seen below:

Next you will want to let it install and then enable it to replace the normal UAC pop-ups like seen below:

That’s all there is to it! Pretty simple huh? Check out what Norton has to say about their new Beta product:

The User Account Control tool has been designed to replace the Vista UAC, to simultaneously make your system more secure while significantly improving user-friendliness.

By default, any application launched by an administrator is running with a filtered, standard user access token. When the administrator attempts to perform a task, the UAC prompts the user to approve the action. This can lead to poor user experiences because the prompts can be slow to display, and appear frequently and without warning. What’s more, because the UAC may give a false sense of security since other processes can still access the desktop, it actually raises security concerns.

The net effect is that many users find the UAC security clearance and prompting process annoying, especially those who are a computer’s only user and have all the latest Norton Internet Security software installed and updated.

The User Account Control tool will collect user input as well as information on applications causing prompts. The data will be processed to improve the comprehensiveness and robustness of the white list, which will be updatable while running the tool online.

So in short by disabling the UAC you also disable certain features that Norton makes use of. So Norton came out with a tool that makes the UAC easier for you and computing safer for everyone. Wait a minute and it’s free….

Why is it free you might ask?

That is exactly what I was wondering so I decided to dive in a little deeper and check it out. It turns out Norton is willing to hook you up and remember your clicks, making that UAC prompt show up less in exchange for data.

They will collect information on how often and what causes your UAC to pop up. This time Norton sure showed Microsoft how it’s done! You can see from the pictures above and below HUGE improvements over the initial UAC interface.

(Above: New UAC From Norton Labs)

(Above: Old Microsoft UAC Interface.)

The best feature Straight from Norton’s Website:

Q: So… what does this replacement offer me?

A: Currently, the Norton Labs’ UAC replacement offers a “Do not ask me again” option on each prompt making it very easy for the user to squelch individual prompts without fully disabling UAC. Further, the Norton Labs’ UAC replacement displays the prompts in a slightly different way from how Microsoft chose to do it. We feel that our prompts provide a much clearer view of the ratings for the prompting application.

Wow this all looks almost too good to be true! So I went in and perused their privacy policy and everything seems to be on the up and up. This is a lot better than disabling UAC and safer than any of the registry hacks around. Way to go Norton!

How do you deal with the UAC? Are you disabling it, living with it or finding another way around it all together? Let us know in the comments!

Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!

New on MakeUseOf ? Get cheat sheets and cool PDF guides @ www.makeuseof.com/makeuseof-downloads/

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