Remove Recycle bin in Windows 7

Recycle bin from Windows 7 Desktop can easily be removed. Methods to remove Recycle Bin from Windows 7 Desktop:

1. Remove from Control Panel

Navigate to following address: Control Panel > All control Panel Items > Personalization
On left side pane Click on Change Desktop Icons
This would popup Desktop Icon Settings
Uncheck Recycle Bin
Press Ok to Remove Recycle Bin with immediate effect.

2. Using GPEdit (Group Policy Editor)

This setting removes the Recycle Bin icon from the desktop, from Windows Explorer, from programs that use the Windows Explorer windows, and from the standard Open dialog box.
Open Run Dialogue Box (Win + R) and type gpedit.msc
Navigate to Local Computer policy > User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop in left hand side pane.
Select Remove Recycle Bin policy icon from Desktop setting from right side pane.
Open it and enable it to Remove Recycle Bin.
Press OK

Note: To make changes to this setting effective, you must log off and then log back on.

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Windows 7 Tool: Problem Steps Recorder

One of the most troublesome issues of troubleshooting is to find out exactly how it happened and for what. Obviously, some processes are non-recoverable.

For them you cannot repeat the process and risk hardware just because a troubleshooter wasn‟t able to understand where it had error. Here is a wonderful tool for Windows 7.

 A feature new to Windows 7, called Problem Steps Recorder looks to be the missing tool for documenting where it all goes wrong.


The tool is just an advanced version of the screen capture software but with other in- depth functionalities.

 It is kind of an automated Print Screen plus background documenting all the mouse clicks, key strokes and gathering some technical reading material, which are stored and saved as the results.

You get them stored in a zipped MHTML report page which can be sent off directly to the help desk.
How to Use Problem Steps Recorder

1.  Go to Start Menu -> Run.
2.  Type and select psr.exe and ENTER.

MHT document would contain all the screenshots recorded at particular events.

Apart from Screenshots additional details which describe each and every event including the programs and UI are stored in the MHT file which can be later on used to troubleshoot the problem.

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Prevent Windows 7 from Automatically Rebooting after Installing Windows Updates

Windows updates force the OS to shut down after they install. This can be troublesome many a times when you don‟t want to restart your PC because of some work which is ongoing. So here is how to get rid of Reboot of Windows after Windows update Installation. To prevent Rebooting a registry tweak must be done.

Here are the steps:

1. Click Start Orb

2.Go to Run & type regedit.

3. In regedit, navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Polices\Microsoft\Windows

4. In the left pane, right click on Windows, and click on New Key, then type WindowsUpdate

5. In the left pane, right click on WindowsUpdate, and click on New Key, then type AU

6. In the right pane of AU, right click anywhere and select New DWORD 32-bit Value, then type in NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers.

7. Right click NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers & click Modify, then type its value as 1 and press enter.

8. Close regedit.

9. Restart the computer.
Now Windows won‟t restart once you install updates.

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On Screen Keyboard

Another post for the day, I have accumulated all of them since last weekend. Pushing them all at now. Working online and using your Internet Banking Facility, Key logging Software‟s can take out your password the moment you type them and further misuse them.

 You can simply take advantage of On screen Keyboard utility provided by Microsoft to type without using keyboard. It will bring a keyboard on your desktop and you can use your mouse pointer to click to type any key. 

How to get it? 

1. Use Win+R key to get Run dialog box 

2. Write "OSK" and press enter 

 3. Your Onscreen Keyboard is at your service.

Alternatively you can find the same in "StartMenu->All Programs->Accessories->Ease of Access->On screen Keyboard".

This is how an On Screen Keyboard looks in Windows 7.

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New Autoplay Autorun options in Windows 7

Whenever an external device is plugged in Windows it showed an Autorun options for choosing what happens when you insert it.

It can be configured at Control Panel > Autoplay

In order to help prevent malware from spreading using the Autorun mechanism, the Windows 7 engineering team made two important changes to the product:

1. AutoPlay will no longer support the Autorun functionality for non-optical removable media. In other words, AutoPlay will still work for CD/DVDs but it will no longer work for USB drives.
Before the change (left) after the change (right)

2. A dialog change was done to clarify that the program being executed is running from external media.
Before the change (left) after the change (right)
Some smart USB flash drives can pose as a CD/DVD drive instead of standard ones. In this specific scenario, the operating system will treat the USB drive as if it is a CD/DVD because the type of the device is determined at the hardware level.

Network Access Protection: Secure your Network

Network Access Protection (NAP) is a platform that network administrators can use to help protect the security of a network. When you connect to a corporate network that uses NAP, your computer is checked to make sure that it has the required software and settings, and that the software and settings are up to date.

If anything is missing or outdated, your computer can be automatically updated. Your network access might be limited during that time, but usually this process happens quickly, after which full network access is restored. So it checks if the computer you are connecting over network is really safe to connect or not.

 If any violation to NAP protocols is there such as presence of Virus, Trojans etc. over the network computer you are connecting NAP won‟t allow you to connect. Enabling NAP enhances your security over network and you will be much safer.

You can see if it is Activated here: Control Panel >System Security>Action Center>NAP Status On/Off.

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Lock the Screen Shortcut

To Lock Screen in Windows 7 you have to press the Windows Key + L to lock it, now. The screen would be locked and password protected in case you have one.

In case you don‟t like shortkeys or you keep forgetting them, there‟s another option for screen lock.
Simply create a new shortcut to C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe user32.dll, LockWorkStation and place it whenever you want.
It will work same as Win + L combination, it use Mouse Click event instead of Keyboard Button press in Win + L Key combination.

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