How to Unlock a Word Document under Windows

Some authors (for example, of forms to be filled out) “lock” their documents under Windows. This is annoying, as it prevents you from fixing errors or adding anything to the document.
If you web-search on “unlock word document” or “unlocking word document” you get a bunch of pages with advice that doesn’t work under Windows, or pointers to paid software. Here is a method that works, and is free:
1. Open your document in Word, then save it in “.xml” format.
2. Open the .xml doc in wordpad, notepad, emacs, or your favorite text editor.
3. Search for the string w:enforcement=”1″.
4. Replace the “1” with a “0” to disable enforcement (this step unlocks the document).
5. Save the .xml document from your text editor.
6. Open the .xml document in Word.
7. Choose “Save as…” and save it as a .doc or .docx file.
Your original Word document can now be edited normally. Enjoy!

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A List of Run Commands for Windows 7

Windows logo key + R
Administrative Tools
Administrative Tools = control admintools
Authorization Manager = azman.msc
Component Services = dcomcnfg
Certificate Manager = certmgr.msc
Direct X Troubleshooter = dxdiag
Display Languages = lpksetup
ODBC Data Source Administrator = odbcad32
File Signature Verification Tool = sigverif
Group Policy Editor = gpedit.msc
Add Hardware Wizard = hdwwiz.cpl
iSCSI Initiator = iscsicpl
Iexpress Wizard = iexpress
Local Security Settings = secpol.msc
Microsoft Support Diagnostic Tool = msdt
Microsoft Management Console = mmc
Print management = printmanagement.msc
Printer User Interface = printui
Problems Steps Recorder = psr
People Near Me = p2phost
Registry Editor = regedit or regedt32
Resoure Monitor = resmon
System Configuration Utility = msconfig
Resultant Set of Policy = rsop.msc
SQL Server Client Configuration = cliconfg
Task Manager = taskmgr
Trusted Platform Module = tpm.msc
TPM Security Hardware = TpmInit
Windows Remote Assistance = msra
Windows Share Folder Creation Wizard = shrpubw
Windows Standalong Update Manager = wusa
Windows System Security Tool = syskey
Windows Script Host Settings = wscript
Windows Version = winver
Windows Firewall with Advanced Security = wf.msc
Windows Memory Diagnostic = MdSched
Windows Malicious Removal Tool = mrt
Computer Management
Computer Management = compmgmt.msc or CompMgmtLauncher
Task Scheduler = control schedtasks
Event Viewer = eventvwr.msc
Shared Folders/MMC = fsmgmt.msc
Local Users and Groups = lusrmgr.msc
Performance Monitor = perfmon.msc
Device Manager = devmgmt.msc
Disk Management = diskmgmt.msc
Services = services.msc
Windows Management Infrastructure = wmimgmt.msc
Conrtol Panel
Control Panel = control
Action Center= wscui.cpl
Autoplay = control.exe /name Microsoft.autoplay
Backup and Restore = sdclt
Create a System Repair disc = recdisc
BDE Administrator = bdeadmin.cpl
Color Management = colorcpl
Credential Manager = control.exe /name Microsoft.CredentialManager
Credential Manager Stored User Names and Passwords = credwiz
Date and Time Properties = timedate.cpl
Default Programs = control.exe /name Microsoft.DefaultPrograms
Set Program Access and Computer Defaults = control appwiz.cpl,,3 or ComputerDefaults
Devices and Printers = control printers
Devices and Printers Add a Device = DevicePairingWizard
Display = dpiscaling
Screen Resolution = desk.cpl
Display Color Calibration = dccw
Cleartype Text Tuner = cttune
Folders Options = control folders
Fonts = control fonts
Getting Started = GettingStarted
HomeGroup = control.exe /name Microsoft.HomeGroup
Indexing Options = control.exe /name Microsoft.IndexingOptions
Internet Properties = inetcpl.cpl
Keyboard = control keyboard
Location and Other Sensors = control.exe /name Microsoft.LocationandOtherSensors
Location Notifications = LocationNotifications
Mouse = control mouse or main.cpl
Network and Sharing Center = control.exe /name Microsoft.NetworkandSharingCenter
Network Connections = control netconnections or ncpa.cpl
Notification Area Icons = control.exe /name Microsoft.NotificationAreaIcons
Parental Controls = control.exe /name Microsoft.ParentalControls
Performance Information = control.exe /name Microsoft.PerformanceInformationandTools
Personalization = control desktop
Windows Color and Appearance = control color
Phone and Modem Options = telephon.cpl
Power Configuration = powercfg.cpl
Programs and Features = appwiz.cpl or control appwiz.cpl
Optional Features Manager = optionalfeatures or control appwiz.cpl,,2
Recovery = control.exe /name Microsoft.Recovery
Regional and Language = intl.cpl
RemoteApp = control.exe /name Microsoft.RemoteAppandDesktopConnections
Sound = mmsys.cpl
Volume Mixer = sndvol
System Properties = sysdm.cpl or Windows logo key + Pause/Break
SP ComputerName Tab = SystemPropertiesComputerName
SP Hardware Tab = SystemPropertiesHardware
SP Advanced Tab = SystemPropertiesAdvanced
SP Performance = SystemPropertiesPerformance
SP Data Execution Prevention = SystemPropertiesDataExecutionPrevention
SP Protection Tab = SystemPropertiesProtection
SP Remote Tab = SystemPropertiesRemote
Windows Activation = slui
Windows Activation Phone Numbers = slui 4
Taskbar and Start Menu = control.exe /name Microsoft.TaskbarandStartMenu
Troubleshooting = control.exe /name Microsoft.Troubleshooting
User Accounts = control.exe /name Microsoft.UserAccounts
User Account Control Settings = UserAccountControlSettings
User Accounts Windows 2000/domain version = netplwiz or control userpasswords2
Encryption File System = rekeywiz
Windows Anytime Upgrade = WindowsAnytimeUpgradeui
Windows Anytime Upgrade Results = WindowsAnytimeUpgradeResults
Windows CardSpace = control.exe /name Microsoft.cardspace
Windows Firewall = firewall.cpl
WindowsSideshow = control.exe /name Microsoft.WindowsSideshow
Windows Update App Manager = wuapp
Accessories
Calculator = calc
Command Prompt = cmd
Connect to a Network Projector = NetProj
Presentation Settings = PresentationSettings
Connect to a Projector = displayswitch or Windows logo key + P
Notepad = notepad
Microsoft Paint = mspaint.exe
Remote Desktop Connection = mstsc
Run = Windows logo key + R
Snipping Tool = snippingtool
Sound Recorder = soundrecorder
Sticky Note = StikyNot
Sync Center = mobsync
Windows Mobility Center (Only on Laptops) = mblctr or Windows logo key + X
Windows Explorer = explorer or Windows logo key + E
Wordpad = write
Ease of Access Center = utilman or Windows logo key + U
Magnifier = magnify
Narrator = Narrator
On Screen Keyboard = osk
Private Character Editor = eudcedit
Character Map = charmap
Ditilizer Calibration Tool = tabcal
Disk Cleanup Utility = cleanmgr
Defragment User Interface = dfrgui
Internet Explorer = iexplore
Rating System = ticrf
Internet Explorer (No Add-ons) = iexplore -extoff
Internet Explorer (No Home) = iexplore about:blank
Phone Dialer = dialer
Printer Migration = PrintBrmUi
System Information = msinfo32
System Restore = rstrui
Windows Easy Transfer = migwiz
Windows Media Player = wmplayer
Windows Media Player DVD Player = dvdplay
Windows Fax and Scan Cover Page Editor = fxscover
Windows Fax and Scan = wfs
Windows Image Acquisition = wiaacmgr
Windows PowerShell ISE = powershell_ise
Windows PowerShell = powershell
XPS Viewer = xpsrchvw
Open Documents folder = documents
Open Pictures folder = pictures
Open Music folder = music
Open Videos folder = videos
Open Downloads folder = downloads
Open Favorites folder = favorites
Open Recent folder = recent
Logs out of Windows = logoff
Locks User Account = Windows logo Key + L

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Best advice for Extreme Conditions

We have talked about why You Shouldn’t Leave Your Computer On Stand-by and we mentioned if you live in extreme conditions you shouldn’t use your computer at all, but sometimes you just can’t do that.
When you live in areas that are extremely cold, hot or humid there are other things to consider. Computers don’t respond well to cold, hot or humid and damage can result. Keeping today’s systems cool is a challenge under normal conditions, but when temperatures are high cooling is even more important.
If your temperatures are too low we have different problems. Lubricating grease and oils in fans, CD/DVDs and other moving parts get thicker when cold and my not lubricate as needed and in some instances even prevent movement altogether causing failure sooner rather than later.
Damp or humid areas can cause condensation on critical components like Hard Drive disks, causing head collision or short circuit electrical boards. A little moisture can be a really bad thing.
Going from hot to cold and back can be bad at both ends and in the transition. Heating and cooling cause components to expand and contract which leads to circuit fractures and sometimes even rubbing of close tolerance parts.
The best thing to do if you must work in extreme conditions is leave your computer running at all times. This helps to maintain a constant temperature inside and prevents moisture from forming those damaging dew drops. If you decide to move your computer from a cold place to a warmer place, say from your garage to your home, there is a greater chance of condensation forming once in the warm house. In these cases make sure you leave plenty of time for your equipment to gradually warm and dry out before powering it on.

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You should not leave your computer on standby

Booting your computer each time you want to use it can be inconvenient, but keeping it in sleep mode may not be the best alternative.
The sleep mode on your computer is designed to keep the machine on while drawing a small amount of power. While the dollar cost may be minimal, the true cost of let it sleep may actually be higher.
You shouldn’t leave your computer on standby if you’re going to be away for more than an hour. Doing so can result in more harm that good. Your memory is still fully functioning, and without cooling fans running it can lead to overheating and damage. It’s always better to fully power down and let your machine rest.
Under normal conditions, turning your computer on and off won’t cause damage. These days, laptops and desktops are designed to withstand 40,000 power-ups and shutdowns before failure. That’s the equivalent to turning your computer on and off 15 to 22 times per day for up to 7 years. Of course, If you have extreme conditions, very cold, very hot or very damp, it’s best to not use your computer at all.
So, when it comes to your computer, be mindful of letting it sleep for too long and power down instead. Otherwise, the low-cost convenience of having it on standby may result in a higher cost in repairs down the road.

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Change registered user name in Windows.

If you’ve ever wondered how to change the name of the person that Windows is registered to, this is the quick tip for you. It’s not all that useful, but it might come in handy if you got a computer from somebody else.
Open up regedit.exe through the start menu search box, and then locate the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\urrentVersion
Now you can find the RegisteredOwner and RegisteredOrganization keys in the right-hand pane. Change them to whatever values you want.
To show off the new changes, just type winver.exe into the start menu search box to see the About Windows box:
Kinda useless, but one of those things I have to write about if I want to cover everything 🙂
This should work in all versions of Windows, including Windows 7.

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Free Software

https://hampedia.org/wiki/Free_Software_Recommendations

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Change the System/Boot Drive Letter

Your boot drive is no longer ‘C’, so you need to reset it.
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs.
Make a full system backup of the computer and system state.
Log on as an Administrator.
Start Regedt32.exe.
Go to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices
Click MountedDevices.
On the Security menu, click Permissions.
Verify that Administrators have full control. Change this back when you are finished with these steps.
Quit Regedt32.exe, and then start Regedit.exe.
Locate the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices
Find the drive letter you want to change to (new). Look for “\DosDevices\C:”.
Right-click \DosDevices\C:, and then click Rename.
Note You must use Regedit instead of Regedt32 to rename this registry key.
Rename it to an unused drive letter “\DosDevices\Z:”.
This frees up drive letter C.
Find the drive letter you want changed. Look for “\DosDevices\D:”.
Right-click \DosDevices\D:, and then click Rename.
Rename it to the appropriate (new) drive letter “\DosDevices\C:”.
Click the value for \DosDevices\Z:, click Rename, and then name it back to “\DosDevices\D:”.
Quit Regedit, and then start Regedt32.
Change the permissions back to the previous setting for Administrators (this should probably be Read Only).
Restart the computer.

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The Most Useful Websites and Web Apps

1 screenr.com – record movies of your desktop and send them straight to YouTube.
2 ctrlq.org/screenshots – for capturing screenshots of web pages on mobile and desktops.
3 goo.gl – shorten long URLs and convert URLs into QR codes.
4 unfurlr.come – find the original URL that’s hiding behind a short URL.
5 qClock – find the local time of a city using a Google Map.
6 copypastecharacter.com – copy special characters that aren’t on your keyboard.
7 postpost.com – a better search engine for twitter.
8 lovelycharts.com – create flowcharts, network diagrams, sitemaps, etc.
9 iconfinder.com – the best place to find icons of all sizes.
10 office.com – download templates, clipart and images for your Office documents.
11 followupthen.com – the easiest way to setup email reminders.
12 jotti.org – scan any suspicious file or email attachment for viruses.
13 wolframalpha.com – gets answers directly without searching – see more wolfram tips.
14 printwhatyoulike.com – print web pages without the clutter.
15 joliprint.com – reformats news articles and blog content as a newspaper.
16 ctrql.org/rss – a search engine for RSS feeds.
17 e.ggtimer.com – a simple online timer for your daily needs.
18 coralcdn.org – if a site is down due to heavy traffic, try accessing it through coral CDN.
19 random.org – pick random numbers, flip coins, and more.
20 pdfescape.com – lets you can quickly edit PDFs in the browser itself.
21 viewer.zoho.com – Preview PDFs and Presentations directly in the browser.
22 tubemogul.com – simultaneously upload videos to YouTube and other video sites.
23 ctrlq.org/dictation – online voice recognition in the browser itself.
24 scr.im – share you email address online without worrying about spam.
25 spypig.com – now get read receipts for your email.
26 sizeasy.com – visualize and compare the size of any product.
27 myfonts.com/WhatTheFont – quickly determine the font name from an image.
28 google.com/webfonts – a good collection of open source fonts.
29 regex.info – find data hidden in your photographs – see more EXIF tools.
30 livestream.com – broadcast events live over the web, including your desktop screen.
31 iwantmyname.com – helps you search domains across all TLDs.
32 homestyler.com – design from scratch or re-model your home in 3d.
33 join.me – share you screen with anyone over the web.
34 onlineocr.net – recognize text from scanned PDFs – see other OCR tools.
35 flightstats.com – Track flight status at airports worldwide.
36 wetransfer.com – for sharing really big files online.
37 hundredzeros.com – the site lets you download free Kindle books.
38 polishmywriting.com – check your writing for spelling or grammatical errors.
39 marker.to – easily highlight the important parts of a web page for sharing.
40 typewith.me – work on the same document with multiple people.
41 whichdateworks.com – planning an event? find a date that works for all.
42 everytimezone.com – a less confusing view of the world time zones.
43 gtmetrix.com – the perfect tool for measuring your site performance online.
44 noteflight.com – print music sheets, write your own music online (review).
45 imo.im – chat with your buddies on Skype, Facebook, Google Talk, etc. from one place.
46 translate.google.com – translate web pages, PDFs and Office documents.
47 kleki.com – create paintings and sketches with a wide variety of brushes.
48 similarsites.com – discover new sites that are similar to what you like already.
49 wordle.net – quick summarize long pieces of text with tag clouds.
50 bubbl.us – create mind-maps, brainstorm ideas in the browser.
51 kuler.adobe.com – get color ideas, also extract colors from photographs.
52 liveshare.com – share your photos in an album instantly.
53 lmgtfy.com – when your friends are too lazy to use Google on their own.
54 midomi.com – when you need to find the name of a song.
55 bing.com/images – automatically find perfectly-sized wallpapers for mobiles.
56 faxzero.com – send an online fax for free – see more fax services.
57 feedmyinbox.com – get RSS feeds as an email newsletter.
58 ge.tt – quickly send a file to someone, they can even preview it before downloading.
59 pipebytes.com – transfer files of any size without uploading to a third-party server.
60 tinychat.com – setup a private chat room in micro-seconds.
61 privnote.com – create text notes that will self-destruct after being read.
62 boxoh.com – track the status of any shipment on Google Maps – alternative.
63 chipin.com – when you need to raise funds online for an event or a cause.
64 downforeveryoneorjustme.com – find if your favorite website is offline or not?
65 ewhois.com – find the other websites of a person with reverse Analytics lookup.
66 whoishostingthis.com – find the web host of any website.
67 google.com/history – found something on Google but can’t remember it now?
68 aviary.com/myna – an online audio editor that lets record, and remix audio clips online.
69 disposablewebpage.com – create a temporary web page that self-destruct.
70 urbandictionary.com – find definitions of slangs and informal words.
71 seatguru.com – consult this site before choosing a seat for your next flight.
72 sxc.hu – download stock images absolutely free.
73 zoom.it – view very high-resolution images in your browser without scrolling.
74 scribblemaps.com – create custom Google Maps easily.
75 alertful.com – quickly setup email reminders for important events.
76 picmonkey.com – Picnik is offline but PicMonkey is an even better image editor.
77 formspring.me – you can ask or answer personal questions here.
78 sumopaint.com – an excellent layer-based online image editor.
79 snopes.com – find if that email offer you received is real or just another scam.
80 typingweb.com – master touch-typing with these practice sessions.
81 mailvu.com – send video emails to anyone using your web cam.
82 timerime.com – create timelines with audio, video and images.
83 stupeflix.com – make a movie out of your images, audio and video clips.
84 safeweb.norton.com – check the trust level of any website.
85 teuxdeux.com – a beautiful to-do app that looks like your paper dairy.
86 deadurl.com – you’ll need this when your bookmarked web pages are deleted.
87 minutes.io – quickly capture effective notes during meetings.
88 youtube.com/leanback – Watch YouTube channels in TV mode.
89 youtube.com/disco – quickly create a video playlist of your favorite artist.
90 talltweets.com – Send tweets longer than 140 characters.
91 pancake.io – create a free and simple website using your Dropbox account.
92 builtwith.com – find the technology stack of any website.
93 woorank.com – research a website from the SEO perspective.
94 mixlr.com – broadcast live audio over the web.
95 radbox.me – bookmark online videos and watch them later (review).
96 tagmydoc.com – add QR codes to your documents and presentations (review).
97 notes.io – the easiest way to write short text notes in the browser.
98 ctrlq.org/html-mail – send rich-text mails to anyone, anonymously.
99 fiverr.com – hire people to do little things for $5.
100 otixo.com – easily manage your online files on Dropbox, Google Docs, etc.
101 ifttt.com – create a connection between all your online accounts.

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How to get a program off of an old MS-DOS system and onto a new Windows 7 system.

How to get a program off of an old MS-DOS system and onto a new Windows 7 system.
Setup:
Last week I went to see a client that told me they wanted to upgrade their office computer. “It’s getting old and slow.” After a short discussion it was decided that it is best just to build a new one rather than put money into such an old system. I’m told,” 25 years of company info is on it and we can’t lose anything.” Which prompts the “Do you back up?” and I’m assured a back up is done at the end of every day. Although I did later learn it is backed up to the local hard drive, because they don’t know how to backup other than click the button marked “Back up”. The old system is working so I can back up the old system files and restore them to the new one, then leave the old system intact, there is little risk of lost files. I’m told the system runs Windows XP. I offer that the new system would be quite capable of running Windows 7 and question would they like to step up to a current Windows 7 version. After another short discussion it is decided that since they don’t know what the software they use daily is called and it may or may not run under Windows 7. It does however run under Windows XP so they want to stay with XP at least for now. Discussions included looking for newer software to do the job they need that will run under Windows 7 or even Windows 8 as an eventual inevitability. We part with the understanding that I will build them a new system and then come by at the end of the week and take the old system to install software and move data from the old to the new.
I arrive on Friday at the end of the day to pick up the old system and ask details of the office staff hoping to learn more about the software. I think the staff actually knows less than I do. I verified that a backup was run today and asked if it was really just backed up to the local drive and was told it must be because they didn’t have any of those “Flash thingies”. “We used to use that floppy” pointing to an old iOmega 100mb ZipDrive but we don’t have any disks anymore. I take the old system back to the shop with intensions of running a backup myself first thing.
Problem:
Turns out the old PC is a Pentium 75 running DOS 5.0 and Win 3.1! No Windows XP, No network, No USB, No CD-RW, No modem. The hard drive is 4gb partitioned with Seagate Disc Wizard to three 1.4gb partitions, C: D: and E:. It does have an iOmega 100mb ZipDrive with no disks. I boot up the system and DOS 5.0 boots with old but familiar prompts. Hi-Mem loads, Mouse driver loads, CD-Rom drivers load, Sound Blaster driver loads. Then Windows 3.1 starts, then a Windows 3.1 type program manager loads with options like “Service Manager” and “Backup”. It also includes a button for “Back to Windows’ and “Exit to DOS”. No options for configuration so I “Exit to DOS” and go looking for the “Service Manager” location. I find a copy on “C:\servm” and a copy on “c:\servm\servm” a copy on “D:\servm” a copy on “d:\servm\backup\servm” and a copy on “e:\servm”. Turns out the copy on E: has recently dated files so I could copy that directory to a ZipDrive but it is over 120mb and no copy of PKZIP and oh yeah, no Zip disks. And when I get it there I don’t know if it will run under Windows XP. Once upon a time I had software and cables to copy PC to PC via LPT ports or COM ports using MS-DOS but that is long gone.
Solution:
I could pull the drive and attach it to another system and copy what I need but disturbing dirty connections on drives puts more risk into the mix than I would like and since there is a good inch of crude at the bottom of the case so it nearly covers the first PCI slot I opt to go looking for an old Zip disk. In storage among the old 5 1/4 inch floppy drives and old single speed CD-Rom drives I find my stash of 3 ZipDrives and one Zip disk. Now that I have a 100mb zip disk to hold a 120mb worth of data I set off to find a version of PKZIP that will run under MS-DOS. While going through old software stashes I find and old Gem “XTGOLD”. Wow! I remember using that a lot to manage files and to ZIP and UNZIP with ease and it’s on a floppy. Too bad the floppy drive on the old system doesn’t work but I have another less old system that has a working floppy and a CD-RW running XP. I copy “XTGOLD” from that floppy to a less old system that has a burner and then to a CD-R and into the old system. “XTGOLD” runs just fine from the CD-R. I ZIP the program directory down to 24mb and copy it to the Zip disk. Now I have a backup. So I shut down the old system and put it away.
I installed one of my ZipDrives into my less old system. Now that we are working with Windows XP the program “directory” is now a “Folder”. I copy the Program folder from the Zip disk to the hard drive. I check the program batch files for any weird declarations and since there are none I go ahead and run the file. I still have a copy on the original system, on a Zip disk, and on my less old system, plenty of backup in case of failure. Wonder of wonders, the program works.
Wrap up:
Now that I know the program runs under Windows XP without any special incantations or incense burning it was a simple matter of copying the program folder on the XP system onto a flash drive and then copying it to the new system hard drive. I made a shortcut on the desktop with a proper label and set up a script to copy the program folder to a flash drive with a single click. I return with the new and old systems and set up dual monitors on the new system. One monitor is setup at a low resolution to run the DOS program at a readable size because it runs in a 640 by 480 DOS Window. The other monitor is set up to run at a much higher resolution to accommodate new software and Internet Applications.
Everyone is happy.

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Protected: 10+ Windows 7 services you may not need

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