Tag Archives: windows

Get the Most out of your Shortcuts

Computers have evolved so much in the past several decades, and it still continues to improve to this day. You have the world at your fingertips. With the ability to search the internet for any and all questions, converse with anyone in the world, acquire all forms of jobs, the possibilities are endless with this wonderful piece of technology. And when you own one, you want to get the most out of it. Here are just a few Windows shortcuts that make life just a little bit easier:

If you are surfing the web and by a mere fluke, your mouse exits out of a tab you were needing. It can be frustrating, indeed, but CTRL + SHIFT + T will bring back the tab you accidentally closed. All is well again.

Extensions on your browsers are one of the best forms of utilization. Use 1Password to save all of the passwords in one place. You’ll even have to have a password for this Chrome extension. AdBlockPro is also a great one to avoid pesky ads. Check out more available entrepreneur-related extensions here:
https://www.fundera.com/blog/chrome-extensions

Snip And Sketch is a keyboard shortcut, allowing you to highlight what you want to save in the Print Screenshot Mode. START MENU ICON + SHIFT + S will start it. Then open the Paint application, right click, and paste. Voilà!

And speaking of “voilà”, you too can find the proper letters for foreign words (shown above). Look up the Character Map in the START MENU for foreign letters or symbols. It will also give you the keystroke: ALT+Numberpad on the bottom right corner of its window for quicker access. For example, the à is “ALT+0228“.

Open the Task Manager by clicking CTRL + ALT + DELETE. There, it can provide you with information on your memory, performance, open applications, etc.

Would you like to view information about your computer? To get right to it, go your System Settings by using the START MENU + PAUSE-BREAK shortcut.

Done with work for the day? Quickly lock your computer down with START MENU + L. This will automatically revert back to the “sign-in” screen.


If you have any questions about getting the most out of your computer or if your computer is having problems, give us a call at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you by our staff at the Thornton Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Thornton, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Recovering Deleted Items on PCs

If you accidentally empty the Recycle Bin on your computer, only to realize that there was something in there you actually needed, we can help. If you are using Windows Backup, there are steps you can take to recover the deleted item(s).

  1. Click on the Start button
  2. Select Computer
  3. Go to the folder that previously contained the file or folder
  4. Right-click it and select Restore previous versions.

If the folder was located on the top level of a drive, (ex. C:\) right-click on the drive, scroll down and then click on Restore previous versions.

Using File History as Back Up

Windows explains that you can,”use File History to back up to an external drive or network location.”

  1. Click Start​ button 
  2. Go to Settings  
  3. Then Update & Security 
  4.  Backup 
  5. Add a drive 
  6. Choose an external drive or network location for backups

And if you had created a backup on Windows 7, you’ll still be able to recover lost, damaged or deleted files on Windows 10, and Backup will show the “Go to Backup and Restore (Windows 7)” link you can click on to give you further instruction.

A safe place you can back up your files on Windows is OneDrive. You can get 5 MB for free, and 50 MB for $1.99 right now. However, in the coming months, you’ll be able to double that 50 and get 100 MB for $1.99. And Windows introduced Personal Vault feature, which includes additional protection your more important files and information on your personal account. Definitely recommended.


For help with restoring files on your PC, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Denver Computer Repair Service. If you need computer repair in Denver, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Internet Explorer Support Ending in 2021

Microsoft announced last week that Internet Explorer and its online service support will be ending on August 17th, 2021. This also comes with support ending for Legacy Edge on March 9th, 2021.

This will give enough time for businesses to transition to a new browser, such as the new version of Edge.

Apparently, ending support for Internet Explorer has been in the work over the years. The Verge, a tech news outlet, says, “The company first unveiled its new Edge browser back in 2015, codenamed at the time Project Spartan. It was the beginning of the end for the Internet Explorer brand. Microsoft has since labeled Internet Explorer a “compatibility solution” rather than a browser and encouraged businesses to stop using the aging browser.”

Legacy Edge

After the support date arrives, no security updates will be available for either Internet Explorer or Legacy Edge.

For any computer inquiries, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Arvada Computer Repair Service, if you need better SEO or computer repair in Arvada, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

COVID-19 Tracker Apps Available

Many people in the US are still concerned about the pandemic, especially since starting next month, nonessential businesses will begin to open back up. Federal and local governments are working to ensure transparency with the Coronavirus, along with large tech corporations.

Google and Apple are currently in the works for a Bluetooth-based app to trace COVID-19 exposures. And there are apps included in the iOS App Store for worldwide coronavirus exposure data. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, or EFF, they are, “undertaking an unprecedented team effort to build a system for Androids and iPhones to interoperate in the name of technology-assisted COVID-19 contact tracing.”

Bing also brings a COVID-19 tracker to the Microsoft App Store. This app shares news about the coronavirus along with dependable information from your local Department of Health. It includes an overview of cases in multiple regions and shares Testing Centers in your local counties.

For help troubleshooting PC issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Mesa Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Mesa, AZ please call the local office at (480) 240-2950.

Microsoft Released Their New Edge Browser

What’s another browser, right?

Windows 10 normally comes with Edge. However, this new re-vamped, chromium-based Edge browser comes with a plethora of features and will replace the old Edge if downloaded now. In a few months, the new Windows 10 update will automatically replace it.

This particular browser includes enhanced security features, such as the Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. This will protect your browsing from any malicious schemes. It also features Tracking Prevention and InPrivate mode that give you options that you prefer. It comes in three choices: basic, balanced and strict.

There are also upcoming features that will integrate with Office 365.

To install it, head over to the Microsoft website and click Download for Windows 10. You can also download it if you still have Windows 7, 8, or 8.1.

The new Edge Browser is officially available on multiple versions, like macOS and Windows, along with mobile availability for iOS and Android.

For help with Windows 10 issues, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Mesa Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Mesa, AZ please call the local office at (480) 240-2950.

Office 365 Improvements Coming in August

Within the last few years, negative feedback from clients and admins in regards to Office activation management have been concerning to Microsoft. So in the month of August, they will be implementing changes to Office 365. These changes will improve and simplify the licensing technology for clients with subscriptions.

Shubham Gupta from Microsoft writes, ” In August, we’ll start slowly rolling out these changes to commercial customers on Monthly Channel. The roll-out will continue to Semi-Annual Channel (Targeted) in September, and Semi-Annual Channel in January 2020.”

Changes will include:

  • Signing out automatically
  • No deactivation cues
  • Managing device activation
  • No Activation/Deactivation Error

There will still be a 5-device sign-in limit. And you’ll continue to sign in to Office 365. You will not have to do anything to allow these changes to happen in your Office 365 account. These improvements will happen when they’re available.

For inquiries about Microsoft, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Denver Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Denver, CO please call or text the local office at (720) 441-6460.

Windows 10 May Update Pushed on April 2018 Update

If you have an older update on your computer, be prepared for this.

Windows has previously announced the beginning of the Windows 10 May 2019 Update for users with devices that have not installed the latest update and are nearing end of service. As of July 16, the updating process has begun with the Home and Pro editions to ensure ample time for everything to run as expected.

Though many users aren’t happy about this forced update, Windows assures that they will, “closely monitor update feedback to allow [them] to prioritize those devices likely to have a good update experience and quickly put safeguards on other devices while [they] address known issues.” This is to ensure customers that Support will continue. Be sure to remember that you can delay the update for a short time. Those with Home and Pro editions will be able to choose a time that works for them and pause the update for up to 35 days.

For help with Windows 10 updates, call us at 1-800-620-5285.  Karls Technology is a nationwide computer service company with offices in many major cities. This blog post was brought to you from our staff at the Frisco Computer Repair Service, if you need computer repair in Frisco, TX please call or text the local office at (469) 299-9005.

Scheduling Windows 2000’s Disk Defragmenter

Contrary to what you might have heard, NTFS partitions in Windows 2000 (Win2K) and Windows NT do fragment over time. The system doesn’t write files in contiguous areas on the hard disk. The larger the volume size, the more fragmented your hard disk is likely to become. As a result, it takes longer for the OS to access files and folders because it must perform extra disk reads to collect all the pieces. Even creating new files takes longer because the OS must locate free space scattered across the volume.

What Is Defragmentation?

Disk defragmentation is the process of reassembling files and folders in one location on a volume. The process, which works only on local volumes, consolidates files and folders in one contiguous place. Defragmentation results in improved disk access because it consolidates most—but not all—of the volume’s free space. The time it takes to defragment a volume depends on several factors, including the size of the volume, the amount of fragmentation, the number of files and folders, and the available system resources. In Win2K, you can defragment all three types of supported file systems: FAT, FAT 32, and NTFS.

The Win2K Disk Defragmenter

Win2K includes a limited version of Executive Software’s Disk Defragmenter. After logging on as an administrator, you can access the tool from Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter (you can’t execute the tool, dfrgntfs.exe, from the command prompt). The Disk Defragmenter console, which consists of two main areas: The upper area shows all the local volumes available on the disk, and the lower area shows how fragmented the highlighted volume is. The color legend at the bottom of the screen displays the fragmented, contiguous, and system files in red, blue, and green, respectively. The free space appears in white. The green areas, which appear only on NTFS volumes, represent the NTFS system files that you can’t move.

Defragmentation Analysis Reports

The analysis report gives you several pieces of useful information, including volume size, cluster size, and the amount of free and used space. You can also see information on volume, file, pagefile, directory (aka folder), and Master File Table (MFT) fragmentation. I find the average file size, listed under file fragmentation, particularly useful because it helps me determine an optimum cluster size for my volume. If the average file size is small, I’ll keep the cluster size small so I don’t waste disk space.

A good indication of fragmentation is the average fragments per file, listed under the report’s file fragmentation section. The optimum number is 1.00. If your fragments per file are 1.10, then about 10 percent of your files exist in two pieces. A value of 1.20 means 20 percent, and so on. If the fragments per file is 2.0, your files average two fragments each; 3.0 means three fragments each, and so on. The analysis report also shows you which files didn’t defragment. You can print or save the analysis reports in a text file.

The Defragmentation Process

It’s a good idea to analyze the volume before you start the defragmentation process. Doing so will not only let’s you determine whether you need defragmentation, but also lets you compare before and after pictures so that you can see the improvement. As I mentioned earlier, Disk Defragmenter doesn’t consolidate all the free space on a volume; it moves these areas of free space into one location. You can’t completely consolidate free space for several reasons: The pagefile is fragmented; NTFS reserves a portion of free space on NTFS partitions for the MFT; and partitions that contain many folders contribute to free space fragmentation. If the analysis report indicates that you need to defragment your volume, you can proceed with the defragmentation process. Screen 1 shows the analysis and the result of defragmentation in the graphical window on the bottom half of the console.

Defragmentation Tips

You can’t defragment certain system files, including the pagefile and the MFT, because they’re in use during normal Windows operations. One way to defragment a pagefile is to temporarily move it to a different volume. For example, to defragment the existing pagefile on your D: drive:

  1. Run the Disk Defragmenter tool to defrag the D: drive.
  2. Create a new pagefile on a different drive (e.g., the C: drive) and delete the one on the D: drive by setting its size to zero. Reboot your computer.
  3. Recreate the pagefile on the D: drive and delete the one on the C: drive by setting its size to zero.
  4. Reboot your computer one more time.

The system will create the new pagefile on the D: drive in a contiguous space, assuming you have enough contiguous disk space on the drive.

You should analyze your volume after deleting a large number of files or folders. For example, if you delete the I386 folder that contains Win2K source files or other large files such as video files, you should run Disk Defragmenter. You can only run one instance at a time. You should defragment file servers more often than desktop workstations because file servers frequently become fragmented.

Scheduling Disk Defragmenter

You should schedule file-server defragmentation during off-peak hours to minimize the effects on server performance. Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn’t provide an easy way to schedule disk defragmentation in Win2K. Because you can’t execute dfrgntfs.exe from a command prompt, you can’t use a batch file or task scheduler to schedule the process. However, Listing 1, which you can download from Article Info box at the top of this page, contains a Visual Basic (VB) script that runs the tool at scheduled intervals. You can modify the script, which I’ve named dfrgntfs.vbs, to fit your needs. It starts the defragmentation process and closes the window when it’s finished. Use the Scheduled Tasks tool, located in System Tools, to schedule this script. I’ve scheduled the script to run every Friday at 8:00 P.M. Make sure you select the Advanced tab to configure several additional options.


This is an archive of Zubair Alexander’s Scheduling Windows 2000’s Disk Defragmenter (windowsitpro.com) which disappeared from the internet in 2012. We wanted to preserve Zubair Alexander’s knowledge about Windows 2000 software and are permanently hosting a selection of important pages from WindowsITpro.