How to Access Windows 8’s Power Search Tools

How to Access Windows 8’s Power Search Tools



There’s a lot more to Windows 8 Search than you think. Here’s how to get
the most out of it.



The basic Windows 8 search is straightforward: press Windows key+Q, highlight what
you want to search (Apps, Settings, Files, and so on) and Windows 8 does your bidding.
Simple, but not particularly powerful.
There’s a lot more to Search than meets the eye, though. You can use it to search for
financial information, sports, information, maps, and even through your email—
without having to go through the relevant app. So if you’re in the middle of using Word
or Internet Explorer, say, and you want to search through your email or through maps,
you can do it.
As always when doing a search, press Windows key+Q. Then highlight the app through
which you want to search, for example, Maps or Mail. When you do that, the app itself
launches on the left side of the screen, and your search box stays on the right side
(Figure 1). Now type your search term.


Figure 1.
Searching through Maps

What happens next varies according to the app you’re searching. When you do a
search this way, you’ll see results delivered however the app normally delivers results.
So the results for Mail, for example, differ from the results for Maps.

Note: You can only search this way through Windows 8-style apps (formerly called
Metro apps). To search through Desktop apps, you’ll have to search the oldfashioned
way, from inside the app itself.

You also need to understand the various types of search parameters you can use for
the various Windows 8 apps. Most are self-explanatory—type in your search term,
what else? But for others, some guidance is in order. Here’s what you need to know.


Mail

Type a search term, and you search through subject, sender, email address, and body.
If you’d like, though, you can launch a specialized search, for example, searching for
specific senders, for specific subject lines, and so on. So to search for all the email
messages that have the word “tennis” in the subject line, you’d type this:

Subject: Tennis

You can also search using From: and To: And you can search by date, like this:

Date: 7/20/2012

Note: If you live outside the U.S. and use localization in Windows 8, this technique
may not work, because some countries use different date and number notations
than the U.S. Test your own country’s date and number notations to see if they
work.


Finance

You can do normal searches here, and also search using a company’s stock ticker
symbol, such as MSFT for Microsoft and AAPL for Apple.


Maps

This search uses Bing Maps. Obviously, you can search for locations here. But you can
do more than that—you can also find stores, services, and other information as well.
So if you want to find restaurants in Cambridge, MA, simply type that into the search
box, and that’s what you’ll find (Figure 2).


Figure 2.
Finding restaurants using the Maps search

There’s plenty of other information you can find this way. Try searching for a certain
type of store, a park in an area, and so on.


Music

Search by artist, album, and song. You can search your own music collection as well
as the new Microsoft Marketplace.

More Search Hacks

Windows 8 also gives you some control over overall search behavior, including which
apps show up in search and whether Windows saves your searches so you can run
them again (Figure 3).

To control this and more, press Windows key+I to get to Settings, then select
Change PC Settings→Search. (On a touch screen, slide in from the right side of the screen and
select Settings, then select Change PC Settings→Search.)

The bottom part of the screen shows you all the apps you can search in. Turn off any you don’t want to show
up in Search, and turn on any that you want to show up but aren’t showing up. (Keep
in mind this setting controls only Windows 8-native apps, not Desktop apps.)

If you’d like Windows to show the apps you search most commonly at the top of the
screen when you do a search, turn on “Show the apps I search most often at the top.”
If you turn that off, they’ll display in alphabetical order. This screen also lets you delete
your search history, and you can tell Windows whether it should save your searches,
so when you type the first few letters, your previous searches pop up so you can select
them. That way, you’ll save keystrokes. On the other hand, it also lets other people
who use the device know what you’re searching for, so if that concerns you, turn off
the setting.



Figure 3.
Controlling the way Windows 8 searches

Hack Your Way Through Windows 8 Start Screen

Hack Your Way Through Windows 8 Start Screen




The Windows 8 Start screen is eminently hackable. Here’s how to bend
it to your will.

The Start screen is the most important location in all of Windows 8. Even if you mainly
use Desktop apps like Office, you’ll still spend plenty of time there. It’s command central,
and also the place you’re automatically sent to when you log into Windows. (Unless
you use Hack “Bring Back the Windows Start Menu to Windows 8”, which lets you head
directly to the Desktop instead.)

Here’s a handful of hacks that will help you get the Start screen working exactly the
way you want it to.



Add and Remove Tiles

The apps you see when you log into the Start screen are probably not the apps you
want to see there. No worries: It’s a breeze to add and remove tiles from the Start
screen.


First a little background about which apps show up on the Start screen. Not every app
appears there; there are plenty of others buried on your computer that don’t show up.
Exactly why some apps show up and others don’t is a bit of a mystery, but in general,
the apps there are the ones you use frequently, or that Microsoft thinks you’ll use
frequently, or, more likely, wants you to use frequently.

Say there’s an app whose tile you want to remove from the Start screen. Simply rightclick
an app and select “Unpin from Start” from the menu that appears at the bottom
of the screen. You can select multiple apps this way and remove them in one fell swoop.

Tip: You can also use a keyboard to select an app to remove (Figure 1). Get to
it by using the arrow keys, and when you’re there, press the space bar. If you’re
using a tablet, drag down on the tile to select it.


Figure 1.
Selecting an app to remove from the Start screen

Adding tiles takes a little more work, but it’s still quite easy. If you know the name of
the app you want to add, when you’re on the Start screen, type its name. You’re sent
to the search screen, with the app on the left part of the screen. Right-click it, and from
the menu that appears at the bottom of the screen, select “Pin To Start.”

Tip: If you search for a Desktop app and right-click it, you can also pin it to the
Taskbar from the menu that appears. If it’s already pinned to the Taskbar, you can
unpin it.


If you’re not sure which app you want to pin and want to see what’s available, you can
see a list of every app you have (Figure 2). Press Windows key+Z, select the “All
apps” button, and you’ll see every app on your PC. Then select it and add it as outlined
in this hack.


Figure 2.
The whole shebang: seeing all the apps on your computer

Tip: To add a Desktop app to the Start screen, see “How to Force Desktop Apps to Show up on the Start Screen in Windows 8”.



Customize Tiles

When you right-click an app to pin it to the Start screen, you’ll notice you have many
more choices than just pinning it. The choices you get vary according to the app you
select. Here’s the list and what each does:

• Pin to Start. You already know all about this one.
• Unpin from Start. If the tile’s pinned to the Start screen, you can unpin it.
• Pin to Taskbar. You know this one from the tip earlier in this hack.
• Unpin from Taskbar. Simple and straightforward: it does what it says.
• Uninstall. Uninstalls the app.
• Larger/Smaller. Tiles in the Start screen are either large or small; this selection
makes a small tile larger, or a large tile smaller.
• Turn live tile on/off. Live tiles grab information from the Internet and display
that information right on the tile. For example, the Mail app displays the number
of email messages in your inbox, and also displays the sender and basic information
from each. If you don’t want that tile to be live like that, turn it off. If you
come across a live tile that isn’t on, you can turn it on from here.
• Clear selection. If you choose more than one tile, the Clear selection option appears,
and most other options go away. Selecting this clears every app you’ve
selected, not just the last one.


Create and Customize Tile Groups

The apps on your Start screen are roughly organized into groups—ten grouped into
their own large rectangle, for example. There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason
to these groups. Why is Maps grouped with Store and Mail, for example?

You can easily customize the existing groups and create groups of your own. And you
can also more logically organize which apps go into which groups as well.

Creating a new group is easy. Drag a tile away from an existing group. When you drag
it far enough away from the group, and it’s also far enough away from other groups,
a vertical bar appears (Figure 3). When you see the bar, you can drop the tile, and
a new group is formed. Now just drag other tiles into the group, or add them using the
techniques described in this hack, and you’re done.

That’s just the start, though. You can do more with the group as well, like giving it a
name (Figure 4). Hover your mouse over the bottom right corner of the Start screen
and click the – icon. All of your groups and tiles will minimize to small thumbnails.
Right-click a group and a Name Group icon appears at the bottom of the screen. Click
the icon, type the group’s name, and you’re done. You can also move the group to a
different location on the Start screen. Just drag it where you want it to be and drop it.


Change Your Theme

Your Windows 8 theme is really nothing more than a combination of two colors—
a background color and a foreground color. You can change it when you want, although
Microsoft plays design police, letting you choose only from certain pre-built
combinations.

To change the theme colors, press Windows key+I, then select Change PC Settings at
the bottom of the Settings pane. From the right section of the screen, select Start
Screen and select the color combination you want. As you choose the color combination,
you see it reflected in the preview screen above it.

Figure 3.
Creating a new group

Figure 4.
Naming a new group

You can also choose the kind
of background patterns you want from the choices just above the color strip and below
the preview (Figure 5).


Figure 5.
Changing the Start screen’s colors

Note: Changing the theme affects only the Start screen, not the Desktop.


Controlling Live Tile Behavior

Windows 8 gives you some control over how Live tiles behave. To do it, display the
Charms bar by pressing Windows key+C, and then clicking Settings→Tiles. If you’d
like to clear all information currently displayed on your tiles, click Clear (Figure 6).
The old information vanishes, and only new information will show up.


Figure 6.
Among other things, you can wipe your Live tiles clean and start fresh

If your service provider charges you for bandwidth or has a bandwidth limit, you can
save on bandwidth by limiting the amount of data Live tiles use. Go to the “Data used
for tile updates” section, and from the drop-down menu, choose how much data you
want to allow for updating your tiles with new information. You can choose from 50
MB, 100 MB, 200 MB, 300 MB, 400 MB, and unlimited. Those numbers refer to the
amount of data use in a given month. Once you reach the limit for Live tiles you’ve set
for that month—100 MB, for example—the tiles will tell you that there’s new information,
but won’t display it.


Tip: On the top of the Tiles Settings screen you’ll notice an odd option: “Show
administrative tools.” Normally it’s turned off. If you turn it on, a whole host of
Windows 8 administrative tools show up as tiles on the Windows 8 Start screen—
Disk Cleanup, Device Manager, and many others. And if install you the Remote
Server Administration Tools to use Windows 8 as a management workstation for
your networking environment, this folder gets filled with even more tools.




See Also
• “Hack the Windows 8 All Apps Screen”

How to Run Windows 8 Native Apps Side by Side

How to Run Windows 8 Native Apps Side by Side



Windows 8 native apps run only full-screen, all by their lonesome, right?
Not if you use this hack.
Windows 8 native apps are designed to take up your computer’s full screen all by
themselves—they’re what Microsoft calls immersive applications. Unlike Desktop
apps, you can’t resize them so you can see multiple apps on your screen.

Well, not quite. There is a way to run Windows 8 native apps side by side on your screen,
as you’ll see in this hack, using a feature that Microsoft calls Snap.

First, make sure you’re running two or more Windows 8 native apps. What you do next
depends on whether you’re using a tablet (or other touchscreen device), or a PC or
laptop. If you’re using a PC or laptop, move your mouse cursor to the top-left corner
of the screen, then move it down, and you’ll see all of your currently running apps
(Figure 1). Drag and drop an app’s thumbnail onto the screen (Figure 2).


Tip: When you drag and drop the thumbnail, don’t drag it too far to the right. If you
do, the app you just dragged will take up the full screen by itself.

When you do that, the second app runs in a sidebar along the lefthand side of the
screen. You can interact with one app at a time by clicking it (Figure 3).



Figure 1.
The first step in running two Windows 8 native apps side by side: showing all your currently running
apps

Figure 2.
Drag and drop the app you want to run side by side with the currently running app

Figure 3.
Two Windows 8 native apps running side by side

If you look closely, you’ll see that there’s a border on the right side of the app running
in the sidebar, with three dots on it. Use that to resize the app in the sidebar by making
it take up more or less of the screen—drag it to the right or the left.


If you’re using a tablet or other touchscreen device, to display your current running
apps, swipe slowly from the left and then pull back your finger. That gesture displays
the apps. Now drag and drop the app you want to run side by side with the currently
running app. Control the size by dragging the border of the app running in the sidebar,
just as you would with a mouse.


Note: Running apps side by side makes use of Windows 8’s semantic zoom capabilities.
Instead of zooming out to levels where you can no longer distinguish individual
characters, Windows 8 uses semantic zoom to display the data as clearly
as possible.

Add Folders and Other Objects to the Start Screen in Windows 8

Add Folders and Other Objects to the Start Screen in Windows 8



Want to access a folder, file, or other object directly from the Start screen
without using the Desktop or run File Explorer? Here’s how to do it.



One of the nice things about older versions of Windows is the way you could access
just about anything straight from the Desktop, like folders that you either put there
directly or created shortcuts to. At first glance, it doesn’t appear that it’s possible to
do the same thing with the Start screen.

In fact, though, it’s not that tough to do. You simply open File Explorer, right-click the
folder or file you want to put on the Start screen, and select “Pin to Start” (Figure 1).


Figure 1.
The first step in adding a folder to the Start screen

When you do that, a new tile appears on the Start screen. Click to open it. That’s all it
takes. You may want to put the Libraries and Documents folders there, as well as any
other folders you frequently access.
Don’t stop with local folders, though. You can also put network locations on the Start
screen. To do it, open File Explorer, and in the Network Location area, right-click any
location and select “Pin to Start.” In fact, you can even pin entire remote computers
to the Start screen. In File Explorer, look in the Homegroup and Network folders on
the left part of the screen, right-click the PC you’d like to access from the Start screen,
and select “Pin to Start.”

You can even pin various Windows resources and accessories as well. Go to

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Accessories

and you know the drill. Right-click any accessory and select “Pin to Start.”


Note: You can’t pin Desktop-based applications to the Start screen, aside from
various Windows accessories and services, using this technique. To pin Desktop
applications to the Start menu, see “Force Desktop Apps to Show up on the
Start Screen”.



Hacking the Hack

You can even pin websites to the Start screen. To do it, run the Windows 8 native
version of Internet Explorer, and when you’re on a website you want pinned, click the
Pin icon to the right of the address bar at the bottom of the screen. If you want, rename
the website in the screen that pops up, or leave it as is. Either way, click “Pin to Start”
from the screen that appears, and it will be done.



See Also
• “How to Create Quick Launch Application Folder on the Start Screen and Desktop in Windows 8”
• “How to Put a Tile to Computer on the Start Screen in Windows 8”
• “How to Force Desktop Apps to Show up on the Start Screen in Windows 8”

Hack the Windows 8 All Apps Screen

Hack the Windows 8 All Apps Screen



Didn’t know that Window 8 had an Apps screen? You’re not alone. Here’s
how to get to it, and how to hack it




Switching to Windows 8 from an earlier version of Windows can be a disconcerting
experience, notably because it’s so difficult to figure out which Desktop apps you’ve
got installed. It’s easy to find your Windows 8 native apps, because they’re front and
center on the Start screen. But that’s not the case for Desktop apps, since they mostly
don’t show up on the Start screen. In earlier versions of Windows, you could always
click the Start button and browse through them that way. But in Windows 8, the Start
button has been sent into the Great Beyond. What to do?


Figure 1.
The first step in adding a Desktop app to the Start screen

Although it’s not immediately apparent, there is a way to browse through all your
Desktop apps, using the “All apps” option that shows all of your Desktop apps (in
addition to all of your Windows 8 native apps).

On the Start screen, either right-click an empty space, or else press Windows key+Z.
That opens the App Bar. There’s only one thing you can do here: click the “All apps”
button at the lower right (Figure 2). (On a touch screen, slide in from the bottom of
the touchscreen to open the App Bar.)



Figure 2.
Click here to see all of the apps installed in Windows 8

When you do that, you’ll come to the “All apps” screen. It does exactly what it says: it
shows you all the apps on your system. On the left, you’ll find all the Windows 8 native
apps, and to the right, the Desktop apps (Figure 3). Click any one to run it.



Figure 3.
The “All apps” screen

Notice that the Desktop apps on the righthand side are organized into groups—
Windows Accessories, Windows Ease of Access, Windows System, and so on. If you’ve
installed software, you’ll notice that those apps may be in their own groups as well.

How does this mysterious organization happen? Very simply, as it turns out. It mimics
the structure of two folders on your device. Any subfolders in those folders show up
as groups on this screen—for example, the Windows Accessories group. Also, all the
shortcuts in those folders show up as apps inside the group on this screen.

To change the organization of Desktop groups and apps on the “All apps” screen, you
only need to change the shortcut and folder structure in those two folders.


The two folders are:

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

UserName is your Windows 8 account name.

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs 

has all the apps that all users of the system will see, and

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

has those that show up for an individual user.



Tip: You don’t have to spend time in File Explorer navigating to these two folders.
There’s a quicker way to get to each. Press Windows key+R to get to the run box,
type Shell:common programs, and press Enter. That sends you to

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs.

If you instead type Shell:programs
and press Enter, you’ll go to

C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs.

Go into those folders, and add any folders that you want to show up as groups on the
“All apps” screen. In those folders, add shortcuts to any apps you want to show up as
part of those groups. Delete any folders and shortcuts that you don’t want to appear.




See Also
• “Hack Your Way Through the Start Screen”

How to Force Desktop Apps to Show up on the Start Screen in Windows 8

How to Force Desktop Apps to Show up on the Start Screen in Windows 8



Sometimes when you install a Desktop app it doesn’t show up on the
Start screen. Here’s a way to make sure it appears.

When you install a Desktop app, its tile is supposed to show up on the Start screen,
so you can run the app even from the Start screen by clicking it. I say “supposed to,”
because I’ve noticed that’s not always the case. In fact, on one of my Windows 8 machines,
when I installed Microsoft Office 2010, none of those apps showed up on the
Start screen.


Tip: When you install a new Desktop App, its tile typically shows up all the way on
the right of the Start screen, so you’ll have to do some scrolling to find it.

There’s a simple way to make the tiles appear, though. When you’re on the Start
screen, type the name of the app (Figure 1).


Figure 1.
The first step in adding a Desktop app to the Start screen

The app will appear on the left side of the screen. Right-click it or, on a touchscreen,
slide it down a quarter of an inch. A checkmark appears next to it (Figure 2). At the
bottom of the screen, you’ll find a series of actions you can take. Click “Pin to Start,”
and the app’s tile will be pinned to the Start screen.


Figure 2.
The first step in adding a Desktop app to the Start screen

You can now run the app from the Start screen by clicking its tile. To unpin it, rightclick
the tile and select “Unpin from Start.” (On a touchscreen, you can slide the tile
down a quarter of an inch until the checkmark appears, and then select “Unpin from
Start” from the App Bar.)






See Also
• “How to Create Quick Launch Application Folder on the Start Screen and Desktop in Windows 8”
• “How to Put a Tile to Computer on the Start Screen in Windows 8”
• “Add Folders and Other Objects to the Start Screen”

Free Studio 6.1

Free Studio 6.1



Free Studio contains 8 sections (YouTube, MP3&Audio, CD-DVD-BD, DVD&Video, Photo&Images, Mobiles, Apple Devices, 3D) to bundle all free multimedia applications developed by DVDVideoSoft.


Thus all the programs are included in the new interface for easy access to any of them.

With this free software you can convert video and audio files between different formats and to iPod, PSP, iPhone, BlackBerry and all popular mobile phones and devices; burn and rip DVDs and audio CDs; upload and download YouTube videos and music to your computer, iPod, PSP, iPhone and BlackBerry; perform basic editing of audio and video files as well as record videos and make snapshots.

Free Studio contains no spyware. It's clearly free and absolutely safe to run.

Free Studio contains 45 freeware programs:

- Free YouTube Download, Free YouTube to MP3 Converter, Free YouTube to iPod and PSP Converter, Free YouTube to iPhone Converter, Free YouTube to DVD Converter, Free YouTube Uploader and Free Uploader for Facebook.

- Free Video to Android Converter, Free Video to Apple TV Converter, Free Video to BlackBerry Converter, Free Video to HTC Phones Converter, Free Video to iPad Converter, Free Video to iPod Converter, Free Video to iPhone Converter, Free Video to LG Phones Converter, Free Video to Motorola Phones Converter, Free Video to Nintendo Converter, Free Video to Nokia Phones Converter, Free Video to Samsung Phones Converter, Free Video to Sony Phones Converter, Free Video to Sony Playstation Converter, Free Video to Sony PSP Converter, Free Video to Xbox Converter.

- Free DVD Video Converter, Free Video to DVD Converter, Free Video to Flash Converter, Free 3GP Video converter, Free Video to MP3 Converter, Free Video to JPG Converter, Free Audio Converter, Free Audio to Flash Converter, Free WebM Video converter, Free MP4 Video Converter.

- Free DVD Video Burner, Free Disc Burner, Free Audio CD Burner, Free Audio CD to MP3 Converter.

- Free Screen Video Recorder, Free Image Convert and Resize, Free Video Dub, Free Audio Dub, Free Video Flip and Rotate.

- Free 3D Photo Maker, Free 3D Video Maker.



Important Notes:

- Free Studio installer is bundled with "DVDVideoSoft Toolbar". However, you may continue the installation process without installing it. Therefore, we suggest you to read carefully what's involved in each step and don't simply keep clicking the Next button.
- From time to time YouTube changes their video files hosting routine. So the YouTube download programs stop working. The developers work hard and usually fix such problems within a day or so.

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FastStone Image Viewer 4.8

FastStone Image Viewer 4.8



FastStone Image Viewer is an image browser, converter and editor that supports all major graphic formats including BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, GIF, PNG, PCX, TIFF, WMF, ICO, TGA and camera raw files.




It has a nice array of features that include image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping, retouching and color adjustments.

Its innovative but intuitive full-screen mode provides quick access to EXIF information, thumbnail browser and major functionalities via hidden toolbars that pop up when your mouse touches the four edges of the screen.

Other features include a high quality magnifier and a musical slideshow with 150+ transitional effects, as well as lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image annotation, scanner support, histogram and much more.

It supports all major graphic formats (BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, animated GIF, PNG, PCX, PSD, EPS, TIFF, WMF, ICO and TGA) and popular digital camera RAW formats (CRW, CR2, NEF, PEF, RAF, MRW, ORF, SRF, ARW, SR2, RW2 and DNG).


Changes in FastStone Image Viewer 4.8:

- Added a Minimize button (hidden at the top-right corner of the screen) to full screen mode. Now you can minimize the application to taskbar without exiting the full screen mode
- Added two Mouse Click options to use left/right clicks for previous/next images
- Improved the Draw Board. Now it is possible to draw curved lines
- Improved the Print dialog
- Other improvements and bug fixes

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DOWNLOAD PORTABLE

Sync iOS 2.06

Sync iOS 2.06



Want to transfer movies, music and ringtones to iPhone/iPod/iPad, but they are not in supported format?


Now, Sync iOS Manager includes handy audio & video converter which allows you to convert your favorite music or ringtones to MP3, M4A, M4R, CAF, convert video to MP4, M4V, MOV for enjoying on iPhone/iPod/iPad conveniently.

Converting and transferring files could be wonderfully accomplished with one tool!

No unwanted plugin or app needed. Besides, this iPod/iPhone/iPad Converter also features the functions as Ringtone Maker, you can make your own free ringtones for iPhone from your favorite music without ever buying from iTunes Store!

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DVDFab HD Decrypter 9.0.3.2

DVDFab HD Decrypter 9.0.3.2



DVDFab HD Decrypter is a simple version of DVDFab DVD Copy and DVDFab Blu-Ray Copy. It can remove all the DVD protections and part of Blu-ray protections, and copy DVD/Blu-ray to hard drive.





It is one of the always free portions of DVDFab application. With its various settings and options to edit, you will definitely get a fantastic output. In addition, the copying speed is very fast and the quality is wonderful.

DVDFab HD Decrypter enables you to either copy the full disc or just copy the main movie.

You are free to edit with its so many settings and finally get a special and perfect copy, and you will be happy with its quick speed and fabulous effect.
It supports both NTSC and PAL DVD/Blu-ray, and allows you to preview title with an internal video player.

Features of DVDFab HD Decrypter 9:

* Copy any DVD to hard drive
- HD Decrypter can decrypt any DVD movies by removing all known DVD protections such as CSS, CPRM, CPPM, RC, RCE, APS, UOPs, ARccOS, RipGuard, FluxDVD, CORE X2, etc., and can copy any DVD to your hard drive.
* Copy Blu-ray to hard drive
- HD Decrypter removes part of AACS, BD+, RC, UOPS and BD-Live Blu-ray protections to copy the unprotected Blu-ray to hard drive.
* Copy either full disc or main movie
- Two copy modes available: Full Disc and Main Movie. So you can freely copy either the whole content of the disc or just the longest movie title.
* Multiple settings
- There are multi-settings for you to edit your DVD/Blu-ray copies. For example, you can specify your preferred output audio track and subtitle; you can change DVD playback order, remove annoying PGCs; you can also set the title playback order.
* Provide you utmost convenience
- There are multiple languages for you to choose from for the application; The UI could be customized freely to suit your using habit; you can preview title with a built-in video player; and the copy progress can be viewed in detail.
* Easy to operate
- The interface of HD Decrypter is very intuitive, so you can finish the whole operation well step by step under its guide without any obstacles, even if you are a novice.

Changes in DVDFab HD Decrypter 9.0.1.2:

- Fix: A installation problem that cannot create quick launch to taskbar for windows 7 and windows 8.
- Fix: Allow data disc to be opened, user can clone and burn it.
* DVD Copy:
- Fix: A problem that PathPlayer will be disabled in certain cases, such as "Pixar Short Films Collection".
* Blu-ray Copy:
- Fix: A wrong main playlist selection problem for "The Expendables 2".

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VDownloader 3.9.1421

VDownloader 3.9.1421

VDownloader allows you to download videos from Youtube, Google Video, Metacafe, MySpace, DailyMotion and many other similar sites, saving them in AVI or MPG format. It is also a powerful video converter.

Supported websites :

- Youtube (in HD if available) - Google Video - DailyMotion - MySpace - Veoh - GoFish - Netlog - Blip TV - MyVideo.de - Porkolt - Metacafe - Break - 123 Video - Bolt - Vreel (Beta) - Clevver - Tudou - VSocial - Lulu TV - Guba - HideBehind - Dale al Play - Yahoo! Video - Tu.tv Hispavista - Vimeo

• And also the following adult video sites:
- PornoTube - Yuvutu - YouPorn - Shufuni - XVideoHost - Pornkolt - PacoPorn - Pornhub



Features of VDownloader 3.9:

- Save your videos as AVI, MKV, MP4, MPG, 3GP, VCD, SVCD, DVD, FLV or MP3 (audio only) and export your videos to your iPod/iPhone, PSP, Nokia or any other mobile device.
- Conserve disk space by adjusting the resolution and/or framerate of the output video on-the-fly.
- Search through videos from multiple video hosting websites with just one click. The integrated search engine will aggregate and sort the results for you.
- Use the integrated browser to find your favorite videos even faster. There’s no need to waste any precious tabs when you’re using VDownloader.
- Schedule video downloads at a specified time and/or when your PC is idle in order to conserve bandwidth and CPU power when you need them the most.
- Use the built-in proxy to access videos even if access is blocked in your country.
- Copy/paste a list of URL’s to download and convert several videos at once.
- Share your favorite videos or parts of them by posting them to your any major social network.


Supported websites :

- Youtube (in HD if available)
- Google Video
- DailyMotion
- MySpace
- Veoh
- GoFish
- Netlog
- Blip TV
- MyVideo.de
- Porkolt
- Metacafe
- Break
- 123 Video
- Bolt
- Vreel (Beta)
- Clevver
- Tudou
- VSocial
- Lulu TV
- Guba
- HideBehind
- Dale al Play
- Yahoo! Video
- Tu.tv Hispavista
- Vimeo

• And also the following adult video sites:
- PornoTube
- Yuvutu
- YouPorn
- Shufuni
- XVideoHost
- Pornkolt
- PacoPorn
- Pornhub


Changes in VDownloader 3.0 :

- Completely revised History feature : record any video you watch in any browser automatically
- RSS downloader : do you watch any shows on YouTube? Now you can download them automatically when your PC is idle!
- RTMP stream support : now you can download videos from Hulu and MTV among others
- YouTube integration : download private videos and PG-rated content
- Facebook integration : share your downloaded videos with your friends
- Advanced search : find and download videos from certain users or playlists
- Volume adjustment : is your video too loud or too quiet? Just change its native volume!
- DVD burner : no need for third-party software, just burn your video DVD from within VDownloader!


Important Note :

- VDownloader installer is bundled with "Ask Toolbar" and OpenCandy. However, you may continue the installation process without installing them.

DOWNLOAD

How to Use Hyper-V to Install and Run Other Operating Systems Inside Windows 8

How to Use Hyper-V to Install and Run Other Operating Systems Inside Windows 8



Have the need to run other versions of Windows—or even Linux—inside
Windows 8? Here’s how to do it.



Figure 1.
The VirtualBox manager

Some people need to run multiple versions of Windows, including Windows Vista and
Windows 7, either for testing purposes, for development, or just because they’re enthusiasts.
That used to mean buying and maintaining multiple computers.

If you’ve got Window 8 Pro or Windows 8 Enterprise, though, there’s a much better
way—Hyper-V. This software lets you run virtual machines in Windows 8, each running
their own operating system. Hyper-V works in much the same way as other virtualized
environments (see “Installing and Running Windows 8 on a Mac”). For each instance
of an operating system you want to test, you create a virtual machine into which you
install the operating system, using either a physical disc or an .iso file.

Note: If you don’t have Windows 8 Pro or Windows 8 Enterprise, there’s still a way
to run other operating systems inside Windows 8. Get the free VirtualBox software.
For details about using it, see the VirtualBox section of Installing and Running Windows 8 on a Mac.

Hyper-V has some specific hardware requirements, so before getting started, get
familiar with them:

Hyper-V only works on 64-bit versions of Windows 8
So if you’ve got a 32-bit version, you’re out of luck.

You need at least 4 GB of RAM
Also, keep in mind that more is better. When you run a VM, it uses system RAM,
and Windows 8 is using system RAM as well. If you have more RAM, you can run
more VMs simultaneously.

Your hardware must be 64-bit and support Second Level Address
Translation (SLAT)
If you’ve got a relatively new machine, it probably supports this. But machines
with older dual-core processors probably won’t cut it.

You won’t be able to connect to hardware attached to your PC
So you won’t, for example, be able to make use of a USB flash drive or other USB
device.

If you’re not sure whether Hyper-V will work on your system, don’t fret, because when
you try to install and use Hyper-V, it will tell you if it won’t work.


By default, Hyper-V isn’t enabled on Windows 8, so you’ve got to turn it on. Go to the
Control Panel and select Programs→“Turn Windows features on or off.” You’ll see a
screen like the one shown in Figure 2. Scroll to the Hyper-V section and turn on the
checkbox next to it. Expand the category and make sure that all of the boxes underneath
it are turned on as well. Then click OK.


Note: If the box next to Hyper-V is grayed out, that means that your Windows 8 PC
can’t run it.

Windows will spend a little while finding the files. You’ll be prompted to reboot Windows
8 in order to complete the installation. After you reboot, click the Hyper-V Manager
tile that’s been added to the Start screen.

To create a new virtual machine, click the name of your Windows 8 device on the left
side of the screen. Then, in the Actions panel on the right, select New→Virtual Machine,
as shown in Figure 3.



Figure 2.
Enabling Hyper-V

Figure 3.
Starting to create a Virtual Machine

A wizard launches. Click Next. You’re asked to give your new VM a name (Figure 4).
Be as clear and descriptive as possible, because you might create multiple VMs and
want to easily distinguish among them. At a minimum, it’s a good idea to include the
version of the operating system, such as Windows 7.



Figure 4.
Naming your Virtual Machine

You’re also asked whether to use the default location for storing the VM’s file, which
is

C:\Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\Hyper-V

Generally, using the default is a
good idea. However, if you’ve got a relatively small hard disk, you should consider
storing the files on a different physical hard disk than your main one, because each
VM uses a substantial amount of hard disk space, generally more than 25 GB.

Click Next after making your choice. On the next screen, you’re asked how much
startup memory to use, and whether to use dynamic memory for the virtual machine.
Consider the requirements of the operating system you’re going to install, and use
that amount. If you’ve got a lot of memory on your computer, turn on the box next to
“Use Dynamic Memory for this virtual machine.” Doing so allows Hyper-V to grow and
shrink the amount of memory the VM uses. It’s an especially useful option if you’re
going to run more than one VM at a time. Click Next.

Now you’ll come to a screen that lets you configure networking for the VM. At first it
appears there’s no way to do this, because in the Connection drop-down box, there’s
only one choice: Not Connected. You’ll need to create a virtual switch in order to connect
to a network and the Internet. Back on the Hyper-V Manager main screen, click
Virtual Switch Manager at right. On the next screen, select External, and then click
Create Virtual Switch. On the screen that appears, give it a name if you want
(Figure 5). If you’ve got more than one network adapter, select it from the dropdown
list. Click OK when you’re done.


Figure 5.
Creating a virtual switch to enable networking

Once you’ve done that, go back to the wizard, select the new network connection from
the drop-down list, and then click Next. On the screen that appears, you’ll create a
virtual hard disk in which to run your operating system. Again, check the operating
system you’re installing to find out installation requirements. Generally, if you’re going
to install Windows 7, you’ll do fine with the default size of 127 GB. Click Next.

Note: You’ll need to have a registered version of Windows to run it on Hyper-V. It
can’t have the same registration code as the version you run on your PC, unless
you have the rights to run it on multiple devices.

On the next screen, you tell the wizard where to find the installation media for the
operating system, such as a disc or .iso file. Make your selection, and you’re ready to
run your new VM. You’ll go through the normal operating system installation process
the first time you run it, but after then, you won’t need to run the installation process
each time.

To run a VM, launch the Hyper-V Manager and run it from there.


Hacking the Hack

If you want to give Linux a whirl, install it as a VM in Hyper-V Manager. Head to
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop and download the file you find there. It will be
an .iso file. Go through the installation procedure I outlined in this hack, and use
that .iso file as the Linux installation medium.




See Also
• Installing and Running Windows 8 on a Mac

Installing and Running Windows 8 on a Mac

Installing and Running Windows 8 on a Mac



Got a Mac and want to Run Windows 8 on it? Here’s how.

More and more, people have not just PCs, but Macs as well. Some people like Macs
so much, in fact, that they like to run Windows on their Mac. That way, they get the
best of both worlds—Mac OS X and Windows on the same machine.

There are several ways you can do this. One is to use the Apple program called Boot
Camp. This lets you run a dual-boot system; that is, you can boot into either Mac OS
X or Windows 8. Apple has ample documentation for Boot Camp, so if you’re
interested in it, follow Apple’s instructions—they’re generally well done and
straightforward.

Note: As I write this, Boot Camp doesn’t formally support Windows 8. But, by the
time you read this, it most likely will.


Also, Boot Camp requires you to boot into either Mac OS X or Windows. When you
want to switch between the operating systems, you’ll have to reboot.

Note: You need a registered version of Windows 8 to run it on Mac OS X. It can’t
have the same registration code as the version you run on your PC, unless you
have the right to run it on multiple devices. You can also use a trial version of
Windows 8.

There’s another type of solution, that lets you run Windows 8 inside Mac OS X. In this
case, you run your Mac as you would normally, and Windows 8 runs inside a Mac
window. To do that, you use software to create a virtual machine (VM), and then run
that virtual Windows 8 machine. Three popular programs let you do this: Parallels
Desktop, VMWare Fusion, and VirtualBox. In this hack, I’ll show how to use all three.



Installing and Running Windows 8 Using Parallels Desktop

Get a copy of Parallels. It costs $79.99. You’ll also need a copy of Windows 8, either
on DVD or other media or as an .iso file. Before you install Windows 8, you must install
Parallels Desktop, which is the same simple process as installing any Mac program.

Now you’re ready to install Windows 8. But since you’re installing Windows 8 as a
virtual machine, you have to install it from within Parallels Desktop. Run Parallels and
select File→New. A screen like the one shown in Figure 1 appears.


Figure 1.
Getting started to create a virtual machine for Windows 8 on a Mac using Parallels



On this screen, you have the choice of migrating Windows from an existing PC (which
makes sense if you already have a Windows 8 PC) or installing Windows from either
a DVD or an .iso file. Down toward the bottom of the screen, there’s also an option for
downloading Windows 8 for free. Keep in mind that this will be a trial version of Windows
8, not a fully paid one, so you can only use it for 90 days. It will likely be the
Enterprise edition of Windows 8. You’ll download it as an .iso file.

When you migrate, you’ll choose the method you want to use for the migration: over
a network, from an external storage device, or using a USB cable you can buy from
Parallels in the company’s “Switch to Mac” kit. From there, follow the wizard’s
instructions.

If you’re instead installing a fresh copy of Windows 8, select the “Install Windows or
another OS from DVD or image file,” and click that option. On the next screen
(Figure 2), choose whether you’re going to install from a DVD or .iso file (Parallels
calls it an image file). If you’re installing from an .iso file, browse to the location of the
file and choose it. Then click Continue.


Figure 2.
Choosing where to install from




On the next screen (Figure 3), you’ll need to enter your Windows 8 product key. If
you’re using a trial version of Windows 8, turn off the “This version requires a product
key” checkbox. Also, if you’re using the trial version, also turn off the “Express installation”
option. (If you don’t uncheck that box, your trial version may not install.)

If you keep “Express installation” checked and click Continue, your installation will be
straightforward. Just follow the prompts and you’re good to go. If you uncheck the
box, the process will require a few more steps, so read on for the details.

Whether you use the express installation or not, on the next screen you come to
(Figure 4), you’ll be asked to choose between two different ways that Windows 8
can run:

Like a Mac
If you choose this option, you won’t see the familiar Windows 8 interface, including
the Start screen, Desktop, and so on. Instead, you’ll only use applications that
you install onto Windows, such as Office. Each of these applications will run in
their own windows on Mac OS X, like a Mac OS X app. Unless you’re only installing
Windows 8 to run specific Windows programs, this isn’t a good choice.


Figure 3.
Putting in the product key

Like a PC
Choose this alternative, and Windows 8 runs like normal in its own Mac window,
with the Start screen, Desktop, and so on. This setup is the best choice for most
people.

Make a choice and click Continue (the rest of this section assumes that you’ve chosen
Like a PC). On the next screen, you’ll see details of the virtual Windows 8 machine
you’re creating, including its name location, and similar options. Make any changes,
or leave them as is, then click Continue.

At this point, Windows 8 starts installing on your Mac in the same way that it installs
on a PC. You’ll see the same prompts, choose the same options, and so on. You can
see it in action in Figure 5. When you come to a screen asking whether to install as
an Upgrade or Custom, select Custom. Then select the Mac’s hard disk as the place
to install Windows and continue. After the usual restarts, Windows 8 will be installed
on your Mac as a virtual machine. You’ll be able to run it every time you start Parallels
(Figure 6).

Figure 4.
Choosing how your Windows 8 programs will run

Figure 5.
Just like a PC: from here on in, the installation looks like a normal installation on a PC

Tip: It’s a good idea to use the same Microsoft ID on Windows 8 on your Mac as
you normally use on your PC. That way, all your settings, apps, and other information
will automatically sync.


Figure 6.
Here it is—Windows 8 running on Parallels

Installing and Running Windows 8 Using VMWare Fusion

You can instead run Windows 8 on a Mac using VMWare Fusion; $49.99. The setup is
much the same as with Parallels, so I won’t go into quite as much detail here: the
concepts are very much the same.

As with Parallels, you can either install Windows 8 from a DVD or .iso file, or you can
migrate Windows 8 from an existing PC. To migrate, both the Mac and PC must be on
the same network. Select File→Migrate Your PC, and then follow the prompts.

To install using a DVD or .iso file, select File→New, put your DVD in the drive and click
Continue. If you’re using an .iso file, click “Continue without disc.” Select your installation
media (in the case of the .iso file, you’ll navigate to its location) and click Continue,
as you can see in Figure 7.



Figure 7.
Starting the installation of Windows 8 using VMWare Fusion

On the next series of screens, choose the operating system, account name, password,
and Windows product key, if you have one. If you’re installing a trial version of Windows
8, turn off the “Use Easy Install” option. You’ll be sent to a screen describing the virtual
machine you’re setting up, including the memory you’ll devote to it, maximum size of
disk space it will use, and so on (Figure 8). Your best bet is to accept them and click
Finish. On the next screen, give your machine a name or accept the one VMware Fusion
gives you, click Save, and sit back while installation starts (Figure 9).

As with Parallels, select Custom when asked for the type of Windows 8 installation
you want to perform and select the Mac’s hard drive.



Figure 8.
Getting towards the end of getting VMWare Fusion ready to install Windows 8

Figure 9.
VMWare Fusion installing Windows 8

After the usual Windows setup routine, you’ll be running a copy of Windows 8 on your
Mac, as you can see in Figure 10.



Figure 10.
Windows 8 running on VMWare Fusion

Running Windows 8 Using VirtualBox

Your final choice for running Windows 8 in a virtual machine is to use the free Virtual-
Box software. The concepts for installing Windows 8 on it are identical to those for
Parallels Desktop and VMWare Fusion, so this section is going to move pretty quickly.
Refer back to the earlier sections if you need to.

One thing to keep in mind is that with VirtualBox, you can’t migrate Windows 8 from
a PC to your Mac, so if that’s your plan, you’ll have to use either Parallels Desktop or
VMWare Fusion.

Install VirtualBox on your Mac and start it up. Grab a Windows 8 DVD disc, or an .iso
file ready for installing Windows 8. In VirtualBox, click New. On the next screen, name
your virtual machine, and choose Microsoft Windows 8 as the operating system. Click
Continue.

On the next screen you’re asked how much RAM to devote to Windows 8 (Figure 11).
The default is 2 GB, but some people have reported being able to use only 1 GB. I
suggest going with the default.



Figure 11.
Choosing how much RAM to devote to Windows 8 in VirtualBox

Next, you’re asked to create a virtual hard drive. You’ve got several other options here.
Go with the default size of 25GB and click Create. For the type of hard drive to create,
you’ve got half a dozen choices. For example, one of them is to create an HDD (Parallels
Hard Disk), in which case you’ll also be able to use it with Parallels Desktop if the sun
and stars align. But your best bet here is to go with the default, VDI (VirtualBox Disk
Image).

After that, you’re asked whether the hard drive should be of a fixed size or one that
dynamically changes according to how much space it requires. The default is to
choose a dynamically allocated drive, and I’ve found that to be a good choice. If you
prefer, you can instead choose “Fixed size.” That partition will take longer to create
than a dynamically allocated one; however, it might lead to faster performance.

After all that, you come to a screen summarizing the name of the virtual drive and the
size you’ve told it to be. You can make final changes here. Otherwise, click Create and
the hard drive is created (Figure 12).



Figure 12.
Creating the virtual hard drive in VirtualBox where you’ll install Windows 8

At that point, you’ve created a virtual hard drive and machine where you’ll install Windows
8. You’ll be sent to a screen, shown in Figure 13, that summarizes all of the
settings you’ve chosen for when you install Windows 8. The screen lists all of your
virtual machines. Click Windows 8. If you’re adventurous, you can try fiddling around
with these settings, such as for how much video memory to use, and so on. But keep
in mind that they’ve been pre-chosen to work well with Windows 8, so my suggestion
is to stay with the defaults.

Now you’re ready to install Windows 8. Select the Windows 8 machine you’ve just
created and click Start. On the next screen, select either the disc where you have the
Windows 8 installation DVD, or else the .iso file you’re going to use. Then click Start.
From here on, it’s just like a normal Windows 8 installation.


Figure 13.
The VirtualBox manager

See Also
• “How to Use Hyper-V to Install and Run Other Operating Systems Inside Windows 8”