Defrag: Disable Show Desktop, Hide User Accounts, Accurate Energy Usage (Channel 9)

Microsoft tech troubleshooter extraordinaire Gov Maharaj and I help walk you through troubleshooting solutions to your tech support problems. If you have a problem you want to send us, you can use the Problem Step Recorder in Windows 7 (see this for details on how) and send us the zip file to DefragShow@microsoft.com. We will also be checking comments for problems, but the email address will let us contact you if needed.

[00:28] -  Update on EyeFinity adaptors.
[01:38] -  Update on Windows+M.
[02:25] -  Problems with using SD reader for ReadyBoost. [link]
[06:25] -  Is there a way to disable the Show Desktop 'button' in bottom right corner?
[09:00] -  Charles Torre's sister's router problem.
[10:18] -  Best way to migrate to a new, bigger HDD.
[12:59] -  Files in folder act like music media, how to change globally.
[14:00] -  Making standard user able to run an app elevated. [link]
[20:22] -  Hiding a user account from welcome screen. [link]
[22:05] -  Is there an app that will show energy usage on your PC? [link, link]
[25:01] -  Sync tools not working for 3TB drives.
[26:19] -  How to recover an app that is 'stuck' behind the task bar. (Update: Aero dock works as well with Windows+arrow keys.)
[29:44] -  The Gadget Show Battlefield 3 simulator. [link] [Update: The show aired last night and can be seen here.]

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TrickyDickie Tux

Oct 25, 2011 at 12:42 PM

Great show again!
I have some questions, if you'd be so kind..
1) A few shows ago you talked about Microsoft calling at home, and it got me thinking: Here in the UK lately, we keep getting phone calls from companies stating that they have found malware on your PC and offering to clean it up (for a rather large fee). Probably bullshit, I know, but are there any circumstances that someone else could get into your PC if you have the default firewall settings and
up-to-date malware / virus protection (Security Essentials on the other 6 PCs I get guilt-tripped into looking after (ie. the other family members' PCs), and FSecure on my own box, and automatic updates is set to auto-install on all of them). I ask because I am the one in the family who "knows about computers" and someone close got one of these calls recently (and told them to...well, declined the offer...). Obviously, a drive-by download, or being tricked into installing something is the obvious answer (and all too bloody likely with the family...), but Windows keeps itself very well patched, right? That wasn't a dig by the way - I know how serious Microsoft are about security!.
2) What are those big monitors you have behind you there (make / model) Would you consider donating one...? (...lol...)
3) Do you know of any good guides for setting up a HomeGroup between a Windows 7 host and a VMWare guest (running Windows 7)? I've Goo...that-thing-starting-with-G-gled and found stuff but never got it working. By the way, why doesn't Virtual PC like 64-bit guests?
Thanks for any answers you can give, and keep up the great show.
p.s - I hope you find some sponsers soon.
Stick a PayPal 'Donate' button on the page...
windev Andrew Richards

Oct 25, 2011 at 5:08 PM

You still have Win-M confused with Win-D. Win-D toggles desktop display regardless of whether the window has minimize support or not. Win-M just does minimize on 'minimize' supported windows; some dialogs may remain.
Note, if you hit Win-M a 2nd time, it records that zero windows were minimized, and then causes Windows-Shift-M to restore nothing... So you have to be careful not to use Win-M multiple times.
Another thing to note, if Win-D hides a full screen app (e.g. Media Player), it restores it as windowed. Win-M hides it and Win-Shift-M restores it as full screen (what you would expect).
So, in my books, Win-M is better than Win-D.
Andrew Richards.
MagicAndre1981 xperf addicted

Oct 25, 2011 at 5:14 PM

as already posted some shows earlier, the 4GB ReadyBoost limit was for Vista, Windows 7 can use more:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/readyboost

@TrickyDickie

use VirtualBox or VMWare Player or wait until Windows 8 to get Hyper-V in the client (Ultimate or Enterprise Edition). The base core of VirtualPC (developed by Connectix) is so old, at this time there was no 64Bit Windows available. And developing/updating two products (VPC and Hyper-V) makes no real sense.
Tony

Oct 26, 2011 at 4:20 AM

Please provide an mp3 version of this show. Thank you!
alscott

Oct 26, 2011 at 9:58 AM

I quess for the letter 'A' should be pronounced 'Aed', and 'B' should be pronunced 'B'ed', etc
That just crazy!
LarryLarsen "Lightbulb"

Oct 26, 2011 at 10:00 AM

@reply to comment: Usually we have MP3's and this is in the process of being baked back in.
LarryLarsen "Lightbulb"

Oct 26, 2011 at 10:14 AM

@MagicAndrew1981: Gov already has his correction written!
@WinDev: It certainly doesn't work as planned. We'll talk about it when we shoot the show tomorrow morning.
@TrickyDickie: 1) Thanks for the heads up. 2) We use Samsung monitors in the studio. I believe the center one is a 55" 7000 Series LCD, the two side ones belong to Clint Rutkas from Coding for Fun. I believe those are 46" 8000 Series, but I can check next time I'm over. You might notice half way through the show the one behind Gov went out. We have some really long runs of HDMI and one started acting up about 15 minutes in so we just cut it.
Update: The two side monitors in the studio are Samsung Model code: UN55C6800UFXZA, the center monitor is a Samsung PN58B550T2FXZA.
windev Andrew Richards

Oct 26, 2011 at 10:59 AM

The other way to get the window back is to just use Aero-Dock. Press Win-Left or Win-Right and the DWM will make sure the window is on a screen.
dentaku

Oct 26, 2011 at 7:06 PM

@LarryLarsen The entire video of the Battlefield simulator is here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg8Bh5iI2WY
With some help from MSR they could probably get it working even better and use the Kinect for more than just something that tracks if you're standing or crouching. This would also mean that they would need to rely on the gyro in the iPhone that was mounted to the gun.
Mr Crash

Oct 27, 2011 at 8:28 AM

@LarryLarsen: Question to Gov: What about ReadyBoost and RAM disk ? Does it work ? Should it be used ?
I figure ram is faster then even the fastest flash drive
Charles Welcome Change

Oct 27, 2011 at 2:58 PM

Thanks for the router help. Problem solved!
C
windev Andrew Richards

Oct 31, 2011 at 5:04 PM

RE: Is there a way to disable the Show Desktop 'button' in bottom right corner?
I played with this yesterday on my HTPC - you can right click it and unselect 'Peek at desktop', or unselect it in the Taskbar properties dialog... Via either way, it changes the behavior so you have to click the button to show the desktop (instead of hover)
Great way to make it so a mouse flick doesn't invoke peek.
RodAtWork

Nov 04, 2011 at 7:44 AM

I was just watching this on my bus ride into work today. Gov mentioned something called Reghacker to someone's question about elevating permissions on an executable, but I can't find that out there. Where is it?
Moumen MSP

Dec 13, 2011 at 10:41 AM

I have an addition to the answer on the "How to recover an app that is 'stuck' behind the task bar" question. Once you get your window moving using your arrow-keys, you can reach your mouse and move it around