Nov 12 2009

Windows 7 Superfetch

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 2:19 pm

I’m about 2/3 of the way done with writing the Windows 7 tweak guide. I’ve come across an issue that I need some help with. It applies to SSD’s. During my research I found these 2 statements:

In Windows 7, SuperFetch is automatically enabled for disks that have a low Windows Experience Disk Score and disabled for disks that have a high score.
Performance Testing Guide for Windows

and

If the system disk is an SSD, and the SSD performs adequately on random reads and doesn’t have glaring performance issues with random writes or flushes, then Superfetch, boot prefetching, application launch prefetching, ReadyBoost and ReadDrive will all be disabled.Engineering Windows 7 – Support and Q&A for Solid-State Drives

One problem with the above 2 statements. I have an SSD disk (specifically the Intel X25-M Generation 2). My Windows Experience score for Primary hard disk is 7.7 (out a possible 7.9). This was a clean install to this disk, not a clone or image. According to the above statements Windows 7 should have disabled Superfetch. Windows 7 did not disable the service nor adjust the registry settings. It is visable via Task Manager (SysMain) and is actively using system resources.
I’m interested if anyone has had Windows 7 disable this as they claim.
I would also like to know what qualifies as a high “Windows Experience Disk Score” according to Microsoft. (not really expecting an answer on this)

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Oct 15 2009

Installing Windows 7

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 12:59 pm

I’ve completed my guide on Installing Windows 7 . I hope you find it useful.

I have also begun work on the Windows 7 page. I could really use some good links for this page if you have any.

Some you have asked if I’m working on a Windows 7 Tweak Guide. Of course I am. It will be a bit different than previous tweak guides.The first reason for that is that Windows 7 needs far less performance tuning than Vista and XP (but there are some tweaks here and there). The second reason is that there are a ton of new features in Windows 7. While I will show you how to turn some of these off, I hope to explain why these features may just help you get things done faster and to tweak the features to your needs. Writing, researching, testing, and double-checking all this does take a considerable amount of time though. I do not know if it will be ready by the launch date or not (Oct. 22nd) but I’m trying.

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Jun 04 2009

Tweak Guides Updated

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 3:44 pm

I’ve spent the last few weeks updating the following guides in preparation for Windows 7 guides. There has been a lot of cleanup, clarifications, and several additions. As the name intimates the XP guide will not be revised again. The Vista guide may follow the same fate. I’ve never been shy about the fact that I did not like Vista. Those who are using Windows 7 know that it will probably leave Vista as just a bad memory. Once 7 comes out I will not have any Vista computers left (only 1 left now). At any rate, I hope you enjoy these guides and that they may be of some help to you.

TweakHound’s Super XP Tweaking Guide – SP3 Final
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The Right Way To Install Windows XP
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Tweaking Windows Vista
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Installing Windows Vista
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Mar 09 2009

Customizing Vista, FINAL

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 5:54 pm

As promised, the aforementioned Customizing Vista article is done.
Customize The Way Vista Looks
I would love to hear comments and feedback. What do you use to Customize Vista? Got a screenshot you want to share (links only please)?
*Updated March 09, 2009 for final version.

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Mar 04 2009

Customizing Vista, Just Having A Little Fun!

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 4:27 pm

I’ve been bored and playing around with customizing the look of Vista. I’ll have an article up on what I did in the next few days.
In the mean time, here’s a screenshot for you:
Full Size (1680×1050), Medium Size (1000×625)
Just Having Fun!

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Nov 01 2008

Puran Defrag Contest Winners

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 8:50 am

Congrats to the winners! If you won and haven’t gotten the email please contact me.
Continue reading “Puran Defrag Contest Winners”

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Oct 27 2008

Puran Defrag 5.1 Giveaway!

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 1:10 pm

Puran Software has generously offered 5 licenses for Puran Defrag 5.1! So I’m going to have a contest to give them away.
This is how the contest is going to work:
1 – Leave a reply in this post.
2 – The reply must contain the following:
-Your favorite freeware app and your favorite Computer related website (name only, no links/url’s, and not this site)
3 – You must use a valid email address so that I can contact you if you win.

***edit:
***READ THE ABOVE AGAIN***

2 – The reply must contain the following:
-Your favorite freeware app and your favorite Computer related website (name only, no links/url’s, and not this site)

“favorite app” AND “favorite Computer related website”. I don’t understand what is so hard about that???

The contest will end Friday October 31st, 2008 at midnight EST (GMT -4). Winners will be notified Saturday November 1st, 2008. Winners will be drawn randomly. That is, I will use a random number generator to pick 5 numbers from the entries (based on the # next to the reply).
( my Puran Defrag mini-review)

CONTEST HAS ENDED

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Oct 20 2008

A Look At Acronis True Image 2009

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 2:30 pm

My short review of True Image 2009:
A Look At Acronis True Image 2009

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Sep 28 2008

Puran Defrag – Fast, Efficient, Low-Cost Defragger

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 3:25 pm

Puran Defrag is a relatively new program. It’s origins only date back to August of 2007. I get lots of requests to review software and after a little research about the product and/or company I usually turn it down unless there is something there that piques my interest. In this case it was the positive comments by Donn Edwards, author of The Great Defrag Shootout.
Continue reading “Puran Defrag – Fast, Efficient, Low-Cost Defragger”

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Sep 09 2008

Upgraded to WordPress 2.6.2

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 5:05 pm

There was a serious security issue in the previous version. Please let me know if you see any problems.

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Sep 06 2008

Firefox 3: Getting rid of the drop-downs

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 6:39 pm

Just a quick How-To. I can’t stand the drop down menu in the Firefox address bar. Here are the 2 keys to change the behavior.

Type: about:config in the address bar and navigate down to:

- To go back to the old style of drop down that only showed where you had already been:
browser.urlbar.matchOnlyTyped change false to true by double-clicking on it.

- To change the number of items in the drop down: browser.urlbar.maxRichResults change to a number you want. 0=none (This looks like you’ve disabled the drop down but you really haven’t. I haven’t found an easy way to actually disable it.


Double-Bonus time:

I use Google as my home page and I hate the new “suggestions” in the search box. Want to get rid of it? Change your home page / bookmark / search page to this url:
http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0

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Aug 28 2008

Metallica & AC/DC New Albums…

Category: Computer NewsEric (a.k.a. TweakHound) @ 2:53 pm

Some of you may have noticed the banners I made for the side bar. Yep, I’m stoked about these upcoming albums (I pre-ordered both from the bands websites).
I’ve been listening to 2 of the new Metallica songs. I got them from Mission Metallica but you can get them from iTunes too.
You can listen to AC/DC’s “Rock ‘N’ Roll Train” just by heading to AC/DC.com (it’s embedded flash).

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