How to create an AHK Script

For the newbies to AHK (that is Auto Hot Key), this is how you save or create an AHK script. If you don’t know what AHK is, it is a tool to make create scripts and customize your PC to make it run at your will. It is mainly used for automating certain actions you do on a very regular basis. See my short post on it.

1. Open a notepad.
2. Type or copy your AHK code/script.
3. While saving use -  
   1. Use file name as any file name followed by extension ahk.
      E.g.: fileabc.ahk
   2. Save type as: All files
4. Click Save.

You can use AHK files by double clicking on it to make them run. It is easier to make certain AHK scripts auto-run at startup, so that you don’t need to open them everytime you reboot your system. Learn here on how to make files auto-run at startup.

Installing Superuser on Kindle Fire using KFU

The usual disclaimer stuff first. This post is about what I did to root my Kindle Fire (KF) and the problems I faced and how I solved them. I’m not responsible for any damage that happens to your Kindle Fire or any other device either by following the below steps or by downloading anything suggested here.

This is a part of the post on rooting Kindle fire. If you are not able to get the Superuser installed on your Kindle Fire using the Kindle Fire Utility, then you can do the following.

1. Download the superuser.apk from this source.
2. Place it on your desktop or any other convenient folder.
3. Connect your Kindle Fire to your laptop.
4. Make sure ADB Status is online. If not, then follow this post to make ADB status go online.
5. Run run.bat from KFU.
6. Select option 5 for Install Latest FireFireFire and complete installation.
7. Select option 6 for Extras.
8. Select 1 to Install Google Apps / Go Launcher Ex and complete installation.
9. Close KFU.
10. Open Command prompt on your laptop by typing cmd in Start.
11. Type cd <space> and drag and drop the location for the folder for \Kindle Fire Utility\tools. It should look something like this. The path may change depending on the location of your folder.
    
12. This will automatically copy the location of the tools folder on your command prompt.
13. Press Enter.
14. Type adb install <space> and drag and drop the location for the superuser.apk you downloaded.
15. This will automatically copy the location of the superuser.apk on your command prompt.
16. Press Enter.
17. Wait for a few moments.
18. After you get Success, you can exit the command prompt.
19. Now open your Kindle Fire and check if Superuser is installed.
20. Your carousel should look like this. You can also check in Apps in KF.
    
21. Congratulations! You now have Superuser on your Kindle Fire.

Hope it helps you. Continue to read my post on how to root Kindle Fire.

Rooting Kindle Fire using KFU: ADB Status is Offline

The usual disclaimer stuff first. This post is about what I did to root my Kindle Fire (KF) and the problems I faced and how I solved them. I’m not responsible for any damage that happens to your Kindle Fire or any other device either by following the below steps or by downloading anything suggested here. 

So this post is more of a follow up of the other post of mine which says how I rooted my Kindle Fire. So you are using Kindle Fire Utility to root your KF and after your run the Run.bat your screen looks like this.

ADB Status is Offline.

Possible Causes:

1. Kindle Fire is not connected properly.
   => Check your connections, and run run.bat again.
2. Drivers are not installed properly.
   => Run install_drivers.bat again and run run.bat again.

Okay you did both and it still says DB Status is offline. Okay at this point you need to do a few more steps, but don’t worry its really very easy.

1. Connect your KF.
2. Open Device Manager in your laptop.
   
3. Look for Android Phone >> Android Composite ADB Interface.
4. Right Click.
5. Click Uninstall.
6. Complete the Uninstall.
7. Disconnect your KF from the laptop.
8. Wait for a minute or so, and connect your KF again.
9. Now when you open your Device Manager on your laptop again, your will see Android Phone >> Android Composite ADB Interface.
10. There might be a small yellow caution sign on the ABD Interface, this is good.
11. Right Click on this again and click Update Driver Software.
    
12. Select Browse my Computer for driver software.
13. Select the location for the Kindle Fire Utility\drivers\kindle folder.
14. Complete updating the driver.
15. Run run.bat again.
16. Your screen will look like this.
    
17. Your ADB Status will be Online.
18. Now your can continue to root your Kindle Fire. See my other post on how to continue.

Hope this works for you. If not, let me know and we can probably figure out why its not working.

Find Duplicate Cells in Excel

I use Excel very often, and I just need pointers to get my work done faster. So here's one for you as well.

Imagine you have a list, or actually several lists, of similar data, and want to identify all the duplicate cells. Less then 10 items, is really easy, but what if you have 50 or 500? You might say good luck with that. But here's a really simple easy way.

Assume this is your set of lists.  

Select all the cells. 

Now go to Conditional Formatting >> Highlight Cells Rules >> Duplicate Values. 

Now in the small dialog, select the option "Duplicate" and choose what color you want. You will see in the background that the duplicate values are highlighted. 

Now you have the list of Duplicate cells, to continue what ever you wanted to do with them. 

Do write if you need more such tips and tricks in Excel. 

K9 Web Protection for blocking and filtering websites

At one point of time I wanted a software that would block certain websites, and I wanted a cross-browser solution, and most importantly a free one which would be effective and easy to use.
After a lot of research online, I found this wonderful tool which made me very happy.

It's called K9 Web Protection and is really very effective. I don't want to re-stress about the features, you can check them out yourself at its website. I'm going to tell you what they don't.

What I love the most about it, is that's it is cross-browser. Means it works in IE, Chrome, Mozilla and every other browser, and the settings are all the same. In other words it applies to your whole computer.

Once you download, just spend some time in the customization, like blocking which websites you want to avoid. It tool is really useful for parent control, and block out all those adult sites of your kids' eyes. It also has a password protection. And you can override the settings for some time if you like, and you can do this by even categories.

It's also available for Mac, and IPad and IPhone. It has won several awards for this awesome features. I personally have been using it for more than 2 years, and has not failed even once. And that's why I am so happy about it that I want to write and spread the word.

It also has a monitor and log feature, in case you want to get reports.

For parents looking for a free parent control tool for blocking websites, this is your answer. There is no way your kids can get past thru it without your password. Try it once. You will install it in every single computer you have.

Just an FYI - I don't work for them or get paid by them. I really really like this tool, and the way it works, that's why this post. 

Giveaway of the Day - Download free licensed software everyday

Who doesn't like getting things for free? Especially if it is software which you had to pay for otherwise. If you are one of those folks, then this website is perfect for you.

Click on Giveaway of the Day.

OK, let me make it clear. I am not associated to this website in any way; this is a pure I-like-this-site post. They give away a variety of licensed software, one everyday. You can download them and use it. They do have a catch sometimes, like it is licensed only for a year, or no free support, things like that. But most of the software they give away is pretty much a complete version (for which I had to pay if I wanted to purchase it), so I really don't want to complain.

There is no harm in checking out something that's given away for free...!

Desk Essentials - To-Do list and Calendar Desktop Gadgets

Necessity is the mother of inventions, in my case a discovery. Let me not go into the details of what made me look for something like this but, let me just tell you about one of the apps I recently discovered and started to use on a daily basis.

I am a do-to list person. My favorite for that is Rainlendar (and I can’t believe I don’t have a post on it yet; so I’ll be writing one on it pretty soon, but back to this post…) and I could not have it installed on my laptop. I had to look for a similar app so I could maintain my to-do list. Enter Desktop Gadgets.

I found these two gadgets which are extremely helpful, and eye pleasing, and haven’t found a bug so far (I’ve been using it only for about 2 weeks now, but still point to note).

Desk Essentials

This has a to-do list, a note list and a calculator all in one sidebar.

You can print out your to-do or note list.

Config options.

Complex calculator

Tasks can have due date, priority, project, Title and description.

Pro users can sync with web.

Desk Essentials Calendar

1, 2 or 3 month calendar at a glance.

Add appointment and reminders.

Config options.

Includes reporting and printouts.

Pro users can sync with web.

I haven’t tried out all the features yet, especially the web sync, organizing in projects, reporting etc. So I really cannot comment on them. But they look pretty impressive and most certainly working.  

I don’t want to repeat the same features that are on their website. Click on the above links and it will describe all the features on them. There are also download links to on their web page. The apps themselves are in .gadget format, so that means you will need to use them with your desktop gadgets in Vista or Win 7. For laptops with restrictions on installing .exe or .msi files, this can be a good work around.

I did arrange them one above the other on my desktop, and gave them a same color scheme, and it looks just like one single app. 

I’m not voting this is the best, of course there are equal and better apps out there, but this one sure serves my purpose for now. 

Below are a few screenshots in case you are still wondering what I’m talking about.

Things I do after a factory reset on my HTC HD2

I sometimes need to reset my HD2. Why? Because I'm usually installing a million apps and doing so many changes on my phone that sometimes, I just need to start back from square one again.

So I made this list for myself, to make my job easier to finish all the setup in a breeze. If anyone has an HTC HD2, or starting on a new one, this list might be helpful. It is not a very well written or detailed post, will write again in detail if there are requests.

Login to accounts
Google Mail - using the add email account
Facebook
Twitter

Setting up Active Sync to Gmail
Enter the Gmail email address and password, when it asks.
Server = m.google.com
Domain = google
Select = Google contacts, Calendar for syncing (I choose to sync only contacts and calendar using Active Sync and use the Gmail account for reading emails). 


Setting up Windows
Windows Live
Windows My Phone
Use hotmail account

Other tasks
Personalise home screen tabs
Remove quick links
Add the below quick links
- Camera
- Camcorder
- Album
- Tasks
- Onenote
- Facebook
- Youtube
- Slacker Radio

Other setup
Weather settings - cities
Favorite contacts

Windows Market Place
(all purchased apps will be present already)
No Calls
Droppedboxx
Contact changer
Skyfire
Metric imperial

Apps to install
BSBtweaks
cookie home tab
cht editor
.net framework
srs wow
startmenu grid 5
touch z bluetooth
g alarm + female voice
evernote

Small minor tweaks
BSB Tweak - change settings
CHT editor - change settings

This note was written a very long time back, and not the very updated list of apps I have on my HD2 (WinMo 6.5). I might do another post on the apps I use on my HD2.

Security Tools

I know there are probably at least a few hundred of security tools out there, some free and some licensed. This post is about a few tools that I trust and have installed them and used them. I’m not (or may in the future) going to do a complete review of all the tools listed here, but I’m surely going to write a line or two about each of them.

 

Anti-Malware Bytes – Searches for malware and similar stuff.

Spybot - search and destroy – Searches for spyware. Really works well, might annoy sometimes when it asks you to confirm for registry entry changes during new software installation. But I think that is configurable, haven’t figured it out it.

Microsoft Security Essentials – Works as a complete antivirus software. Never has a problem with this and best of all, its free.

K9 web protection – I use this for blocking some websites, like parental control. It is not browser specific, so users cannot try to access the blocked site from a different browser. Its free, and highly customizable.

AVG 2011 Free Antivirus – Free antivirus, works along with the Microsoft Security Essentials.

 

I have multiple antivirus/security software because I do not want to pay for the security, but I want not to be attacked by some virus either. I also have CCleaner and Revo Uninstaller to uninstall applications and clean up the system.

 

CNET Download Links

Anti-Malware Bytes

Spybot - Search and Destroy 

Microsoft Security Essentials 

K9 Web Protection 

AVG 2011 Free Version

Autohotkey: Automate mouse clicks and key strokes

Autohotkey is one amazing program that is a must have. It automates key strokes and mouse clicks. And is entirely customizable.

Although it will take some time to get used to writing scripts, there are many scripts available for most commonly done tasks. I don't want to go into reviewing how good this is. I just want to say, I can do most mouse or keyboard actions.

It sits in the system tray and can be made to run all the time, which I do. Doesn't take up much memory. Easy to edit scripts once you get the hang of it. 

Here is the Home page for Autohotkey.

You can also Download Autohotkey from CNet.

I'll be writing more posts about various scripts I use and like. This isn't a big post, but I will probably be writing a lot about the AHK scripts in future.

Outlook: Group Conversations in Outlook like Gmail

If you've been using Gmail, then you probably will know what I'm talking about. I just love this feature in Gmail where all your conversations are grouped together and the newest conversation in the group comes up on the top of the list.

Well as far as I know, that is not available in Outlook right now (correct me if I'm wrong). But there's a setting which can take us a little closer to what we see in Gmail.

In your Outlook inbox, right-click anywhere on the column header (e.g. Subject) and select the option "Customize Current View...".

Now do the following  -
Step 1. In the Group By category, select the option "Conversation".
Step 2. Done.

Yes, it's that simple. Well the catch is, it isn't the same grouping that we're used to in Gmail. But Hey, it's a little more like Gmail now.

Hope this Helps.

CCleaner: Get installed software list

CCleaner is one of the most popular registry cleaning software used. Any person who does a lot of installing, would probably also have CCleaner installed. But this post is not about how to use it for cleaning our registry or uninstalling. In one of my previous posts, I had mentioned how to get a list of the installed software. You can do the same using CCleaner. It’s very simple to do it.

1. Run CCleaner.
2. Go to Tools.
3. Select Uninstall.
4. Click on the Save to text file button.
5. Save the destination location of the text file.
6. Done.

There are yet many other ways to get the installed software list, we’ll explore them in the coming days.

Download CCleaner.

ShellExView: Clean up Windows Context Menu

One of my previous article on how to keep your Firefox Context Menu clean inspired me to write on how to keep the context menu clean through out your PC. There are many different tools out there, some freeware and some licensed, but here is one which I found.

It’s called ShellExView. It is a Shell Extension Manager and can be used to customize the context menu across windows.

This is a freeware and stand alone executable, so it does not need installation.

It is very easy to use. Just click on the item you want to enable/disable and click on the red or the green button respectively.

If you are new and only want to customize the context menu, then do this - Sort by type “Context Menu”, then select the item and click the red button.

If you are a more experienced windows user or like tweaking more then you have all the shell extensions at you disposal. Just be careful with what you do.

Here are some of the things you can do with ShellExView  -

• Shell Folder: Provides special system folders like "Printers", "Fonts", "Recycle Bin", and more...
• Context Menu: Provides the ability to add new items to the context menu of particular file type.
• Drag & Drop Handler: Provides the ability to add new items to the context menu that appears when you drag a file with right mouse button.
• Icon Handler: Provides the ability to dynamically assign icons to file objects.
• Copy Hook Handler: This type of shell extension is called when a file is moved, copies, renamed or deleted.
• Drop Handler: Provides the ability to control the "Drop" behavior of files.
• Data Handler: Provides the ability to copy files/objects to the clipboard.
• Property Sheet: Property Sheet dialog boxes.
• Search Handler: Provides the ability to create a system search engine (Like the standard "Search For Files or Folders" module)
• Column Handler: Provides the ability to add new columns to the details view of Explorer window.
• Thumbnail: Provides the ability to display images in "Thumbnail" view.
• Browser Helper Object: Provides the ability to customize and control the Internet Explorer browser.
• IE Toolbar: Provides the ability to add new toolbars into Internet Explorer (like Yahoo! Toolbar)
• Explorer Bar: Provides the ability to add Explorer bars to Internet Explorer.
• URL Search Hook: Browser extension stored under Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\URLSearchHooks.
• System: All other types of shell extensions that ShellExView utility cannot recognize are categorized as "System" type.

Download ShellExView.

Paint.NET: Free Photoshop Alternative

I love using Photoshop, but what I hate about it is its long learning curve (if you want to learn everything it does, as in my case) and the fact that it eats up most of the memory on my computer. And not to mention it's expensive.

So what if you want some software to do all (well, most) it does and does it for free. Ta-da. Paint.NET. For a little history, check out for Paint.Net on Wikipedia.

It is one cool image editing software, can compare with Adobe Photoshop.

Main Stuff:

• Edit in layers (like photoshop). 
• Has Adjustments like brightness, contrast, hue, saturation etc.
• Has Effects like Artistic, Blur, Distort, Noise etc. 
• History. 
• Tools.
• Plugins. 
• Windows only <-- sorry Mac users.
  

I don't want to go on to explain all the bits of Paint.NET. So here are a few screen shots to give you an idea.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm falling in love with this software, as I use it more and more by each passing day.  Maybe you should try it, especially if you always wanted to do some magic using Photoshop, but were confused or scared because you were clueless (I was, the first time I launched Photoshop). Hope this helps. 

Ninite - Multiple App Installer

If you have just got a new PC or reformatted your old one, I know the trouble of installing all those software you had previously. Especially those must have tools like different media players, compressors, audio players, browsers, messengers, and also system tools and antivirus software. It is one hell of a job, browsing to their sites, downloading them one at a time, and then finally installing them one after another. Phew!

Well, all of this can be eliminated by a simple magic wand called Ninite.

It is a one-stop installer, simple, easy to use and perfect. Just select all the applications you want to install and click get Installer. You will get a file and you have to run that file. All the software you selected will be installed.

You can choose from over 60 different applications. Now, that's a huge number and if you will need at least 30 of them, your job of downloading and installing is reduced by such a huge factor, probably you are saving an hour or two.

Good to know - No malware or adware. No need to even sign up or register to Ninite. Works on XP, Vista and Win 7. Ninite by default says no to browser toolbars and other junk. So you can stay cool.

Just download on Installer, sit back and relax. Maybe go get a cup of coffee or watch an episode of your favorite cartoon.

Hope this helps.

CamStudio: Record Desktop Videos

I found out about this tool long ago, when I had to create some video tutorials for a few new applications at my work. This one is far far better than many paid tools which serve the same purpose.
It's called CamStudio and it can be downloaded from here for free.You've to download both the application and the lossless codec. It's one of the best rated tools for video recording.

This is one amazing easy to use tool, and must try if you are planning to record any screen/desktop activities.

Some of the things it does:

• configure the settings for recording
• record as avi or flash
• add voice - record from microphone or speakers
  
• add annotations
• lets to select part of screen or full screen for recording 

It's not a heavy tool, does not take a lot of space. Simple, easy to use and does its job. Hope this helps.

Revo Uninstaller - Uninstall everything even registry items

If you have Windows, you would definitely do a lot on installing and uninstalling. And sometimes there are software out there which don't uninstall correctly or mess up the process and leave bits files, folders and registry. And then finally before you know your whole OS is corrupted and you have to reformat the whole drive. I know, sounds torturing but it is the truth.

Don't you wish all the install registry items were also deleted during uninstall. And also those folders and files created during installation. Here in one great uninstaller I'd like to mention. It is Revo Uninstaller and it can be downloaded from here for free. Of course if you like it you can buy the Pro version. But I use the freeware and found it good enough.

Here is how it works:

• Instead of using the built in uninstaller of the application or the Windows "Add or Remove Program" use Revo Uninstaller. 
• Select the program you want to uninstall and click Uninstall button. 
• The uninstall process will start. 
• After uninstalled, you are shown the folders and registry items created by the program and you are given an option to retain or delete them. Just be careful when you select the registry items.
  
• That's it. 

I've used it a couple of times. Found no problems. And I love it. Hope this helps.

PDFtoWord - Convert PDF to Word Doc online

In my posts on PrimoPDF and CutePDF, we could convert any document to a PDF by adding a virtual printer. Now what if you had a PDF and wanted to convert it to a Word Document. Yes, there are many many software you can find to do that, but they might not be free.

Here is an online free service PDFtoWord which converts any PDF to a word document. I have used it myself on many occasions any the conversion is pretty accurate, not much difference in for formatting or the images. It is the best free converter I have found till date.

You have to just upload the PDF. And the Word doc will be emailed within a few minutes.

CutePDF - Add a PDF printer

In my previous post on Primo PDF I talked about this tool and how to print any document as a pdf. While Primo PDF has many options, I usually use CutePDF. This is a simple tool, no fancy stuff. Just select Print or Ctrl+P, choose the location and you are done.

No other features, just plain print and save.

Cutepdf is free, no watermarks or limits. It can be downloaded from here.

Gadwin Printscreen: Discover more options in Printscreen

In my previous post on Tips for using Printscreen I said how you can crop images easily. But there are many tools which can give more options while taking screen shots. Among those I found this to be the most useful to me. It's Gadwin Printscreen. It can be downloaded from here and it is free.

Few things it does:

• Autosaves screenshots to pre-set folder. 
• Takes screenshots of whole screen or certain area of screen. 
• Auto save in many formats - jpg, bmp etc. 
• Can preview captured image. 
• Can rename automatically. 
• Can resize images.
• Can convert image to grayscale while saving.
• Can email, print images captured.

This is a very useful tool. It removes all the pain of cropping and saving after taking a screen shot. it can also take screen shots of context menus and tool tips. A great tool for people who need to take screenshots on a daily basis in their jobs or just any person who uses print screen often.