How to manually Register a DLL File in Windows

A DLL (aka Dynamic Link Library) is a file that may be used by various Windows applications to call various built-in functions to perform various actions.

You may sometimes get in a situation where a required DLL has not been registered automatically into the Windows registry by a dependent application and you may have to register the DLL manually. You can do this from the 'Run...' dialogue of the Start Menu (or alternatively from a command prompt); type regsvr32 followed by the DLL name or the fullpath to the DLL file followed by the file name,

for example regsvr32 C:\Program Files\MyApp\MyApp.dll

Be sure to leave a space between the regsvr32 command and the path+filename.

From Start Menu:

From Command Prompt:

You should get a confirmation dialogue box telling you the DLL was registred succesfully, for example "DllRegisterServer MyApp.dll succeeded"

Remove Programs from the 'Open With' Menu in Explorer

Clean up the 'Open With' menu in Windows Explorer...remove program entries you no longer want, or that you've accidentally added to this menu; Here's how >>.

Turn Navigation Pane On or Off (Expand to Current Folder option) in Windows 7

When you navigate to a folder via Windows Explorer in Windows 7, "Automatically expand to current folder" is Turned Off by default. I find it rather annoying to always have to 'manually' expand the Navigation Pane on the left, each time I navigate to, or open a new folder in the right hand pane.

Fear not...fix is the way...just right-click on an empty space in the Navigation Pane on the left, and click on "Expand to current folder", this is off by default and clicking on it will turn it on, so when you reload the context menu it will now have a tick next to it, indicating the option is now on:

Check out more on this story here >> : How to Turn Navigation Pane On or Off (Expand to Current Folder) in Windows 7

Taking ownership of Windows files

Registry 'hack' for taking ownership of Windows files. A simpler work-around for the usually cumbersome series of steps you normally otherwise have to take to achieve the same results: Copy and paste the following script into notepad and save the file with a .reg extension. (for example, TakeOwnership.reg) You will then be able to double-click on the file and have the registry auto-updated with the necessary settings.

You'll most likely get a prompt asking "Adding information can unintentionally change or delete values...blah blah blah...etc, ...Are you sure you want to continue". Just click 'Yes' if you're sure you want the 'Take Ownership' feature installed.

This is the menu option (highlighted in yellow) that this registry update will add to your right-click context menu in Windows Explorer:

Copy Code below:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"

Windows 7 tips and secrets

85 Windows 7 tips, tricks and secrets

courtesy of techradar

You do not have permission to access [drive]. Contact your network administrator to request access

For example: "You do not have permission to access \\my-pc\k. Contact your network administrator to request access"

When this error results from trying to access a PC's shared drive (not just a sub-directory but the entire shared drive) from another client PC on a (wireless) network, it could be that in addition to setting sharing permissions on the drive share, you have to remember to also set security access permissions for the drive itself :

• Right-click on the drive, 
• Click properties,
• On the 'Security' tab (NOT 'Sharing' tab), click Edit,
• On Security dialogue, click Add,
• Type Everyone (click Check Names) and click OK,
• Apply the necessary permissions (like Full Control, Read, Modify, etc),
• Click OK (2x)

View Background Image in Opera/Chrome/IE with a javascript bookmarklet

Create a new book mark (preferably on your bookmarks bar or) wherever you choose within easy access, and then select and paste in all of this code as the URL/address:

javascript:var backup=document.body.onclick;void(document.body.onclick=function(event){var bodyStyle=window.getComputedStyle(document.body,null).getPropertyValue('background-image');var bgStyle=window.getComputedStyle(event.target,null).getPropertyValue('background-image');if(bgStyle!='none')window.open(bgStyle.replace(/url\("?/,'').replace(/"?\)$/,''));else if(bodyStyle!='none')window.open(bodyStyle.replace(/url\("?/,'').replace(/"?\)$/,''));document.body.onclick=backup;backup=undefined;});

To view any web page's background image, first click on the bookmark then click on the background image you wish to view.

It should work, amazingly well, if the page does have a background image!

Got it set up in IE9, Chrome18, Opera11, no probs

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These steps are not necessary in Mozilla's Firefox browser, which already has an in-built "View Background Image" option on its right-click context menu.

But this just saves the hassle of having to copy a URL from Chrome/Opera/IE into Firefox just to view a background image.

Tip of the hat to MyOpera for the tip.