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Windows 10 - Collection of Hacks, Tweaks, Improvements
IainB:
Cross-posted:
@Curt:
Win 10 can easily be made look like an improved Win 7: ...
-Curt (December 19, 2018, 04:43 PM)
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Thanks! :Thmbsup:
I have just now updated the Windows 10 - Collection of Hacks, Tweaks, Improvements with a "How to make Win10 look like...[another Win OS version]" link for these points you listed, under the GUI and Controls heading.
-IainB (December 21, 2018, 01:17 AM)
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mahesh2k:
Is there any app or small tool something like PowerToy (which Microsoft used to release in past) for Windows 10?
IainB:
@mahesh2k:
Is there any app or small tool something like PowerToy (which Microsoft used to release in past) for Windows 10?
-mahesh2k (December 22, 2018, 02:50 AM)
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Interesting question, but it is probably irrelevant to ask nowadays, or only of academic interest anyway.
There were several MS PowerToy apps., each doing a specific thing. They were rather useful and were issued post-launch for Windows XP and eventually became obsolete, or ceased to be relevant any more, or ceased to work under subsequent upgrades to the Windows OS.
Newer/more recent Windows OS versions generally seemed to get their own peculiar (discriminatory) additional features bundled with different system versions and their updates. For example, Win10-64 Pro might have some features that were deliberately disabled or not made available in Win10-64 Home, or whatever (which always seemed to me to be a moronic and insulting form of marketing and tantamount to telling the user "By the way, we have deliberately crippled the OS you have just bought. Too bad you're inferior, sucker. Have a nice day."). :o
For information, I have copied to the spoiler below the text from the Tweak UI for XP.txt readme file, which I think I had updated with the relevant filenames/links (I have all the files in my archives anyway):
SpoilerMicrosoft PowerToys for Windows XP
PowerToys are additional programs that developers work on after the product has been released to manufacturing, but before the next project has begun. These toys add fun and functionality to the Windows experience!
We've taken great care to ensure that PowerToys operate as they should. These programs run on Windows XP client only. They provide additional value to some of the great features in XP. However, the PowerToys were not subjected to the same rigorous testing we provide for the operating system and are therefore not supported. Microsoft Technical Support is unable to answer questions about PowerToys.
The PowerToys are installed into the directory you specify during setup. Typically this is the system32 directory (%windir%\system32).
Some of the PowerToys reside in the taskbar. Before resizing these PowerToys you will first need to check and make sure that the taskbar isn't locked. Right click the taskbar and ensure there is no check mark by 'Lock the Taskbar' menu item.
To uninstall the PowerToys, open Control Panel and then launch Add/Remove Programs. Find the entry for the PowerToy that you wish to remove and choose Change/Remove. You can remove one or more of the Powertoys in this way.
Toys released for Windows XP Client:
1. Open Command Window Here: (File: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/CmdHerePowertoySetup.exe).
This PowerToy adds an "Open Command Window Here" context menu option on file system folders. This gives users a quick way to open a command window (cmd.exe) pointing at the selected folder. After installation, right click on the folder you would like to have a quick launch command window for and select "Open Command Window Here."
2. Tweak UI: (File: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe).
Provides access to system settings that are not exposed in the Windows XP default user interface. There are many settings and options that you can only set from Tweak UI. You can setup your mouse to your liking by setting click speed, hover sensitivity, etc. You can also customize many Explorer settings, taskbar settings, My Computer settings, and a wide variety of other settings.
3. Power Calculator: (File: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/PowerCalcPowertoySetup.exe).
This calculator has the support to graph and evaluate functions as well as performing many different types of conversions.
4. Task Switcher: (File: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/TaskswitchPowertoySetup.exe).
This PowerToy enhances the existing Alt + Tab application switching mechanism of Windows XP. It provides a thumbnail preview of windows in the task list and is compliant with the new Windows XP visual style. You use this just as you do the existing Alt + Tab mechanism. Press and hold the Alt key and then press the Tab key to cycle through the running applications. When the desired application is highlighted release the Alt key. You can move backwards through the task list by pressing and holding the Shift and Alt key and then pressing the Tab key.
5. Image Resizer: (File: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/ImageResizerPowertoySetup.exe).
This PowerToy enables you to resize one or many image files. When resizing you can choose from one of four standard sizes or choose a size that you specify. You can also choose to resize the original image or create a new one. Right click any image(s) and select 'Resize Pictures' in the context menu.
6. CD Slide Show Generator: (File: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/SlideshowPowertoySetup.exe).
Enables you to view images burned to a cd as a slide show. Add only images to a CD-RW drive using Windows XP Explorer and then write these files to a CD-R or CD-RW disc. A new task is presented in the wizard for generating the autorun for the slideshow. Now when you take this disc to another computer that isn't running Windows XP you can still view your images as a slide show.
7. Virtual Desktop Manager: (File: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/DeskmanPowertoySetup.exe).
Manage up to 4 desktops from the Windows taskbar. You can choose a different background for each desktop and run different applications on different desktops. Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, and then click "Desktop Manager."
8. Taskbar Magnifier: (File: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/MagnifierPowertoySetup.exe).
Allows you to magnify part of the screen from the taskbar. This is very similar to Magnifier that can be found under the Accessories menu on the Start Menu except that this PowerToy remains in the taskbar and has a smaller viewing area. Right click on the taskbar, click toolbars, and then click "Taskbar Magnifier."
9. HTML Slide Show Wizard: (File: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/HtmlgenPowertoySetup.exe).
This wizard helps you create a slide show of your digital pictures. When you're done, you can put your slide show on the Web so that your family and friends can view it. Follow the steps of the wizard to select and arrange your pictures, choose from a few simple options, and then save a Web-ready HTML slide show to a folder.
10. Webcam Timershot: (File: http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/TimershotPowertoySetup.exe.)
This PowerToy allows you to take pictures from one of the webcams connected to your computer at specified time intervals. When a picture is taken it is saved to a location and with a name that you specify. A simple save option allows you to save all the pictures or only the last picture taken. You can save the pictures to a network share, an ftp share, or an http webdav share.
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Curt:
within my preferences, I have nothing bad to say about Blackbird. +There is a recover settings command prompt as well.-Curt (August 18, 2018, 06:54 AM)
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Blackbird was just updated to 1.0.5: https://www.getblackbird.net/download/
- but installing it resulted in the blue screen of death:
WARNING: Stopcode: CRITICAL_PROCESS_DIED-my Windows 10
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!!!!!!!!!!
Now I cannot enter Windows on my PC, so I cannot "recover settings".
Maybe you should not install 1.0.5
--------
In the end I had to reset my PC, and I then crossed my fingers and installed version 1.0.5 again. This time it's good.
Curt:
Blackbird
Last update: Jun. 26, 2022 | Version: 1.0.85.1
https://www.getblackbird.net/download/
#Last edit: Jun. 26, 2022 Blackbird Changelog
> v1.0.85.1 - Latest
- Added a shitload of new hosts to blacklist
- Performance optimizations made to host blocker and startup scanner.
- Blackbird is no longer limited to a maximum of 9 switches at runtime.
- Disabled browser notifications, tips, site suggestions and geolocation (Edge/Chrome).
- Disabled MS Troubleshooter and patched associated MSDT URL vulnerability (CVE-2022-30190).
- Disabled ads and search suggestions in Explorer.
- Disabled Shared Experience.
- Disabled Activity Feed.
- Disabled scheduled tasks: Device User, Logon, Cellular, CDSSync, USO tasks
- Disabled Intel Telemetry service.
- Fixed DeliveryOptimization regkey set to wrong value.
- Fixed host blocker not obtaining correct network metric values when multiple physical NICs are present.
- Fixed /i switch not properly restoring notifications/"Action center" on Windows 10.-Blackbird Changelog
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