Priyam Vaidya's Blog

We’ve previously covered various ways to share files between nearby computers, but sharing between Windows and Linux can be a little more complex. This article will show you how to map shares across both operating systems for seamless file sharing. There are basically two parts to this guide: Creating the shared folder on Windows and configuring Linux to access it, and creating the shared folder on Linux and configuring Windows to access it. Depending on your situation, you’ll want to follow the appropriate set of instructions. If, for some reason, you want to set up shared folders on both systems, you can do that, too. This guide will cover Windows 8.1 and Ubuntu, but we’ve made it adaptable to virtually any version of Windows or Linux. Creating the Share on Windows To set up a shared folder on Windows for Linux to access, start by making sure your network settings are configured to allow the connection from the other computer by opening the Network and Sharing Cen...

Hard drives use S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) to gauge their own reliability and determine if they’re failing.  You can view your hard drive’s S.M.A.R.T. data and see if it has started to develop problems. Unfortunately, Windows doesn’t have an easy-to-use built-in tool that shows your hard disk’s S.M.A.R.T. data.  We will need a third-party tool to view this information, though there is a way to check your S.M.A.R.T. status from the command prompt. Use CrystalDiskInfo CrystalDiskInfo is an easy-to-use, open-source program that can quickly display the S.M.A.R.T. status reported by your hard drive in Windows.  You can download it for free – however, be sure to uncheck the browser widget when installing it. Once it is installed, all you have to do is launch the CrystalDiskInfo application to view the S.M.A.R.T. status information for your hard drives.  If everything is working properly, you should see the sta...

You can Integrate windows updates like security updates, hotfixes Integrate drivers Integrate language packs and Integrate 3rd party applications (Only silent installers). COMPONENTS REMOVAL: You can remove all unwanted components from windows like default drivers, services, language packs, windows applications and other features. TWEAKS: Disable or adjust system services, Enable or disable registry tweaks, Change power configuration, Set control panel view and other component tweaks. UNATTENDED INSTALLATION: Create unattended installation (Integrate product key, change UI language, Time zone, Skip automatic activation, Currency, Add OEM information's, Change network type, change Update type, Enable or disable upgrade option, Enable or disable Windows live, Skip EULA agreement, skip OOBE user creation, Enable or disable firewall, Change Display screen resolution, Disable Windows defender, etc.) CUSTOMIZATION: Customize windows by Change and ...

With the help of the WinAIO Maker Professional tool you can make a master copy of your Windows 7 disk that contains all the available editions.  Youu are probably tired of carrying around multiple editions of Microsoft Windows 7 when servicing PCs for your clients or users. Instead, make a master copy of your Windows 7 disk that contains all the editions you need. It's simple, really. All it takes is a quick tool download, a disk rip, a setup modification, and a save to a DVD or thumb drive. Every Windows 7 install disk includes all the editions of the operating system, the editions not pertinent to the purchased copy are merely hidden from view. For that reason, one disk from any edition (Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate) will suffice for this procedure. However, if you want to combine x86 and x64 versions of Windows 7 together as well, you must have disks for both x86 and x64 versions of Windows 7 handy. WinAIO Maker P...

Want to play videos from your computer on your Android, without the hassle of copying them to your device’s internal storage? Share a folder over the network with Windows. You can copy files back and forth over Wi-Fi, too. Android doesn’t include built-in functionality for connecting to Windows shared folders or HomeGroups, but it’s pretty easy to set up. Sharing Folders on Windows 7 To share a folder and make it accessible from Android, you’ll need to share it with “Everyone.” To do this, navigate to the folder you want to share, click the Share with menu, and select Specific people. Enter “Everyone” in the box and click the Add button. By default, Everyone will only have Read permissions – if you also want to copy files from your Android to the shared folder, you can change the permission level to Read/Write. Click the Share button after configuring your permissions. Next, go to the Network and Sharing Center. Click Start, type “Network and Sharing” and pres...

If you’ve ever asked for help with your Windows computer that won’t boot anymore, you’ve probably been told to “Backup all your data and then reinstall”… but if you can’t boot, how can you get to your data? That’s the question we’ll be answering today. One of the easiest methods to access your data is to simply boot off an Ubuntu Live CD… and it’s completely free (except for the cost of a blank cd). Burn an Ubuntu Live CD If you have another computer, you can download and burn the Ubuntu Live CD using a very simple application called ImgBurn . Otherwise, you can bug one of your friends to help you burn a copy. Just open up ImgBurn, and click the icon to “Write image file to disc” Then click on the icon next to “Source”, pick the downloaded ISO file, stick a recordable CD into the drive, and click burn.   Now that you have the boot cd (which you should keep in a safe place, as it’s very useful), just stick it in the drive of the computer and boot fr...