Miguel Leiva-Gomez, Author at Make Tech Easier

Test Windows 8 On Your iPad With Splashtop’s App!

Conventionally, if you want to test Windows 8 applications, you will have to buy a tablet that runs the operating system. This extra expense is just something that might bother you, especially if you don’t plan to use the tablet heavily. To test a simple app and get it out there on the market, or […]

The 6 Biggest “Oops!” Moments in Microsoft’s History

We’ve grown to appreciate the success of Microsoft’s Windows 7, but no one – not even Microsoft fanboys – can say that the company has actually done its homework before releasing every product. Some would say that Microsoft has made too many mistakes to continue as a prominent company, but there are those with a […]

Windows Q&As: Disable Metro Desktop, Hacked Email Account, Backup Outlook Emails And More… (Week 10)

Hello again, fellow Windows users! We’re in for another week with “Ask a Windows Expert,” where you ask the questions, and our resident Windows expert gives you fully tested and researched answers. To submit a question to our experts, click the “Ask Our Experts Now!” button on the sidebar at any page of MakeTechEasier, or […]

Little-Known Facts About Microsoft That Will Blow Your Mind

In the midst of all the recent heavy criticism Microsoft has received since around the year 2000, some people fail to realize that the company has made some heavy contributions that many believe actually come from other sources. In this piece, we will discuss things that Microsoft has done that hasn’t been brought up in many years, or recent things no one noticed about its accomplishments.

Everything You Need to Know About Windows Drivers [MTE Explains]

When it comes to drivers, a lot of people don’t know what to expect when installing them. Many don’t understand the difference between drivers and user-level software, and even more people don’t understand what it implies. Drivers play a fundamental role in every operating system, regardless of whether you use Windows, Linux, or Macintosh. In […]

4 Ways to Keep Your Windows PC Secure Without Paying for Third-Party Applications

Everyone’s freaked out, especially when big organizations start getting hacked in larger numbers every day. Companies are currently trying to profit from the fear people have by selling them security solutions that many of them don’t need. I’ve been anti-virus-free since 2002 and haven’t since had one single problem with a computer. However, there are […]

Microsoft Develops One-Millisecond Response Touch Screen and Demonstrates It

Of all the things that Microsoft introduced, the tablet computer was one of the most ignored, the phenomenon to be revived only when Apple releases its iPad. Granted, Microsoft’s tablets were very robust and didn’t offer as much portability as the iPad, and the battery life was as terrible as a laptop’s. We’ve gone past […]

5 Awesome Ways to Use Shortcuts With NirCmd [Windows]

We had a discussion recently about how to set a shortcut to turn off your monitor, and I just had a look at NirCmd and noticed that you can do many other cool things using shortcuts in combination with this application that would blow your mind! So, MTE is proud to present a thrilling sequel […]

How to Create a Shortcut to Turn Off Your Monitor in Windows

For most of you, creating a shortcut to turn off your monitor is counter-productive because the monitor sits right in front of you. But if you have a mega 30-inch monitor that sits a safe distance from you, it might be rather annoying to have to actually walk up to the monitor and turn it […]

New Shortcut Keys Found in Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Being the monkey that I am, I toyed around with Windows 8 Consumer Preview again and just started pressing a bunch of random key combinations that previously did nothing much in Windows 7 and other versions of the operating system. To my surprise, there are actually certain new shortcut key combinations you can use to […]

Review of Windows 8 Consumer Preview

You’ve already gotten a nice sneak-peek at Windows 8’s features from us, but nothing gives you the scoop on Windows 8 better than a review of its consumer preview! I have good news for you: We got our hands on Windows 8’s Consumer Preview and we’ll walk you through everything from the installation to the […]

Windows 8 to Remove Zune Support

There’s been a lot of hype regarding Microsoft’s new Metro interface in Windows 8, but many people might be disappointed as the applications they know and love in previous versions of Windows might just go *poof* in Windows 8. While most Windows software that worked in previous versions will work in Windows 8, Microsoft has […]

Using Kirjaudu to Change Windows 7’s Logon Screen

There’s a ton of talk out there about changing your logon screen manually, but many people – particularly those who are more tech-illiterate – would like a program that can magically do this with the click of a mouse. If you’re one of the latter group of people, someone from Finland appears to have been […]

How Windows 8 Phone Compares to Android OS

Windows Phone users have been anticipating the release of Windows 8 for their mobile systems, but don’t really know what to expect. Is Windows 8 going to be the same old Windows Phone operating system we’ve seen since its inception? Or, are we going to see something completely different, as far as carrier and desktop […]

4 Things We Expect From Microsoft in 2012

Many people could say that Microsoft had a bit of a difficult year in 2011, but its profits were particularly high regardless, especially with its sales figures for entertainment devices like the XBox. The entertainment side of the business grew by a whopping 45 percent in the last year, but other departments in the company […]

Windows 8 Might Remove The Start Button

It probably might not be far from reality to imagine the day that you’d have to say goodbye to the Start button that’s been with us since Windows 95. In fact, you might want to meditate a bit on whether you really want to use Microsoft’s Windows 8, because the company has decided to remove […]

Microsoft Includes Ribbons in Windows 8’s Explorer App

If you’ve been hoping for a large overhaul of the Windows GUI by the time Microsoft releases Windows 8, you might have been disappointed by the fact that the company has decided to keep things similar rather than delve into any major changes. However, Microsoft does plan to incorporate the same ribbons you’ve been seeing […]

Five Top-Secret Windows 7 Features

With Microsoft’s new interface adjustments in the Windows franchise, the company put a lot of features into Windows 7 that it might have forgotten to mention. After having a really close look at the infrastructure of the operating system, I’ve noticed a couple of things that might startle you a bit about the operating system, […]

Adding Spell Check to Windows Applications Using TinySpell

It turns out that a large amount of people don’t even know how to spell the word “philosophy“. Perhaps you recognize you’re one of those people and think you could use a spell checker in every Windows application you use. Even if you are a strong speller, you can’t discount the fact that you might […]

Things About Windows 7’s Calculator You Probably Didn’t Know

I love Windows 7’s calculator. In fact, there’s even a calculator button on my keyboard for quick access. Still, it wasn’t until today that I just discovered that there are more functions in this nifty little program than were present in previous versions of Windows. If you explore the program a little, you’ll easily discover […]

Windows 8 Might Block Linux From Loading

Back in October 2011, the Free Software Foundation speculated on the possibility that Microsoft might be trying to block out other operating systems from loading within a computer, using a new concept known as the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). Microsoft showed it off a couple of months back, booting up Windows 8 in eight […]

10 Juicy Applications For Windows 7

2011 is gone, and this means it’s time to turn that old bucket of bolts near your desk into a new, pleasant computer. But how do you do this without installing new hardware and spending a ton of money? That’s easy! Install some new, juicy applications that give your computer a change of pace. I […]

The Truth About Windows 8 Tablets: Should You Really Get One?

With the iPad and Android OS-based tablets on the loose, it was only logical to think that Microsoft would want a piece of the pie. Google is going to release its own tablet soon, which might hold its own against Apple’s iPad, but no one’s really paying attention to what Microsoft is doing as far […]

Why a 64-Bit Version of Windows 7 Might Be a Better Choice

For those of you that installed a 32-bit version of Windows, you have my condolences. Otherwise, you really made the right choice based on a number of reasons. I think it’s important in this day and age to run any operating system on the highest possible bit width offered, but there’s a few reasons particular […]

How to Change Your Windows 7 Start Button

Today, I’m going to show you how to do something that you might not thought possible on Windows 7. You’re going to learn, right now, how to get rid of your boring Start menu button and implement another one. While I usually don’t like to direct users to third-party software, you are going to need […]

How to Check and Fix Your Problematic Hard Drive [Windows 7]

There are many things that your computer depends on to function normally. For the computer to function at all, you need the big five: power supply, motherboard, RAM, hard drive, and CPU. Of the five, the hard drive contains the most important stuff required for you to use the computer – the operating system. When […]

How to Put “Open With Notepad” in Every Context Menu in Windows 7

How would you like to have the ability to open everything with Notepad using just two clicks? Normally, you have to right-click, go to “Open With,” and choose Notepad from a list of applications, if you’re lucky. Other times, you have to manually add Notepad to the menu. Why not just skip all that and […]

4 Things Computer-illiterate Users Should Know When Running Windows

Microsoft Windows is a very easy operating system to use, and the latest versions certainly have taken security seriously. However there are still many people who don’t know enough about their computers to use them properly. Words like “CPU,” “hard drive,” and “RAM” are commonplace for tech-savvy people, but the average person isn’t as familiar […]

Myths About Windows 7

Even before Microsoft released its flagship version of Windows, there was a lot of talk about Windows 7’s shortcomings. Some people don’t know whether their decision to upgrade from Vista was well-made, but even more people who currently own Vista refuse to upgrade to Windows 7 because of all the myths going around about it. […]

Windows 8: Policing Your Apps Under One Banner

I don’t know if you’ve heard about Microsoft’s plan on a kill switch, but this is the news: Microsoft will be able to kill apps bought from the Windows 8 app store. Even if you did, you should listen up about the new kill switch Microsoft is offering for Windows 8 and a couple of […]

Windows 8 Now “Charms” Your User Experience

Since many of you haven’t tried Windows 8 yet, you’re probably wondering eagerly what you should expect. The new Windows user interface will include something known as “charms,” which appear when you hover the mouse over the “Start” menu. Once you get used to them, they might come in handy when you’re trying to get […]

8 Useful Shortcut Keys Using The “Windows” Button [Windows 7]

If you’re a rather busy person like me, every single second you waste throws pennies down the drain. Those pennies gather up over a year, so making yourself more efficient at what you do on your computer should be at the top of your list. If you lose 2 cents for every second you lose […]

Windows 8 Promises USB 3.0 Support

While your computer might run fine with a Windows 7 installation and USB 3.0 slots, you currently cannot exploit the full potential of USB 3.0’s speed without installing compatible drivers from a website or disc. Microsoft promises that Windows 8 will support USB 3.0 natively, meaning that you’ll be able to enjoy the qualities of […]

Saving Power on Windows

Tough times call for tough decisions, and you’ve probably been looking for ways to cut down on electric consumption around the house. Have you ever looked at your desktop PC? With the right configuration, you can cut down the power usage of your computer by as much as 60%. Considering that the average computer can […]

4 Reasons Why Windows UAC Is Useless

If you use Windows Vista or 7, you know how annoying it is to have to approve everything every application does on your computer. This feature, known as User Account Control (UAC), gives you all those dialogs that spring up whenever you open something. Microsoft created UAC with the intention of making computing safer for […]

XAMPP: Easily Install A Web Server In Your Windows

Whether you’re someone running a corporate server, a hobbyist who wants to make a simple web presence, or a freelancer trying to make a website to market yourself, you shouldn’t overlook the advantages Apache Friends’ XAMPP package has to offer. This application has everything you need to get your site started without a messy installation […]

4 Tips to Strengthen Your Windows Network

You’ve probably heard of how hackers easily infiltrate Windows networks of unsuspecting people. If you stick your head out of the water frequently and interact with other people on the Internet, you might also run the risk of being attacked at some point in time or another. By following a couple of tips, you can […]

4 Tips to Make Windows 7 Boot Faster

If you’re a hobbyist that runs a home server, or even a regular computer user that wants to get things done quickly, you will know how important it is to start Windows quickly. There’s nothing worse than having to restart a server and have your visitors tolerate 3 minutes of downtime. Add another 5 minutes […]

Miguel Leiva-Gomez

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