Hibernate option is a good time saving utility in windows. If Hibernate is enabled you can always access “Standby” or “Hibernate” by pressing the “Shift” key in shutdown menu.

It looks great if you have “Hibernate” button in the “Shutdown Menu”.

Follow these steps to add “Hibernate” button to “Shutdown Menu”.

As this process includes Registry Editing it should be done with care.

1) Launch Registry Editor by typing “regedit.exe” in “Run” dialog box.

2) Navigate to
“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System”.

3) Create a new sub-key “Shutdown”
“Right click”-> “Edit”-> “New”-> “Key”.

4) Create another entry named “ShowHibernateButton”
“Edit”-> “New”-> “DWORD value” and double click on it.

5) Change the value “1” and click “OK”.

6) Close the Registry editor.

Done…!!! Restart the computer to see the changes.

Microsoft’s new born Bing has already won the hearts many people. The development of Bing was on a high speed and this can really give a tough competition to Google. The results fetched by Bing and Google search are not same they differ. If you want to search the same keyword in both the search engines you have to do it by using two windows or two tabs which is a complicated process.

Here are three ways to search for a keyword in both the search engines at a same time.

Method 1:
1) Click here to open “www.bing-vs-google.com”.
2) Now type the desired keyword in the search box and hit “Enter”.
3) You can find the results displayed side by side on the same page.

Method 2:
There is a Firefox add-on which helps for this purpose. Click here to integrate this add-on to Firefox. If you don’t have Firefox you can download it by clicking here.

Method 3:
When you visit “www.bing-vs-google.com” you can find a option “add to browser search” as shown below.
Click it and “Bing & Google search” will be added to Firefox Search box automatically.

It is always recommended by all software vendors to update their product frequently. There are many reasons for this, updates help the product to gain stability and fixes the bugs found so far. A computer may contain many installed programs and it very difficult for a normal user to check for an update of every program and install the updates and the required patches. There are many reasons why we may turn off the automatic update option available with the program.

For this purpose there are many programs to perform the updating process. TechFlag has selected few top performing programs to help a common user to keep their installed programs up to date.

UpdateStar

UpdateStar is known for its user friendly interface, a ribbon style interface which we find in Microsoft Office 2007. It can provide you with direct download links for the available updates. At present UpdateStar has a data base of 80,000 programs. The main disadvantage of of UpdateStar is it can not do a through system registry scan for finding installed programs.

From the developer’s desk of UpdateStar:
“UpdateStar lets you stay up to date and secure with the personal software installations on your PC. The Free Edition provides basic protection against outdated major versions of your software with limited features.”

Click here to download UpdateStar. (Freeware)

Update Checker

Update Checker can detect the updates for more than 200 programs hosted at FileHippo.com. It can check the updates for many freeware applications like Winamp, Adobe Reader, IrfanView, CCleaner. Update Checker gives you the direct download links.

From the developer’s desk of Update Checker: (FileHippo.com)
”The Update Checker will scan your computer for installed software, check the versions and then send this information to FileHippo.com to see if there are any newer releases. These are then neatly displayed in your browser for you to download.”

Click here to download Update Checker. (Freeware)

Software-UpToDate

Software-UpToDate has many reasons which are worth to try it. It takes the information directly from the Windows Installer of an Application and check’s its version. Software-UpToDate makes use of an online database to compare the version of the programs installed. The negative comment of Software-UpToDate is it can not give the direct link to download the program updates but it can detect the manufacturer of the software.

From the developer’s desk of Software-UpToDate:
“This software scans your computer for installed software. This list is compared to a list on a server. After this it shows you more recent versions of your software if there are versions available. New versions are reported thru the client and compared between all software-uptodate users. The version numbers are automatically detected.”

Click here to download Software-UpToDate. (Freeware)

SUMo

SUMo can be considered as the top most in this list of applications. There are many reasons for this:
1) SUMo can detect almost all the software installed on your computer.
2) SUMo has an online database of about 90,000 most used programs.
3) SUMo can check the program version with this online database and finds the available updates.

From developer’s desk of SUMo:             
“SUMo, which stands for Software Update Monitor. Thanks to SUMo you’ll be able to  keep your PC up-to-date by using the most recent version of your favorite software! Unlike build-in auto update features, SUMo tells you if updates are available before you need to use your software.”

Click here to download SUMo. (Freeware)

Personal Software Inspector

This product is from the famous software manufacturer- “Secunia”. The basic function of “Personal Software Inspector” is to find updates for all the programs installed on your computer. The developer claims that it has a user friendly interface. The database count reaches 4000 for “Personal Software Inspector”.

Click here to download Personal Software Inspector. (Freeware)

Top 10 Antivirus 2009

Norton Anti-Virus 2009:

Norton is one of the oldest developers in Anti-Virus software. It is one of the leaders in security software; the protection offered by Norton Anti-Virus is very much appreciated. This software is easy to use and has many security features to protect your PC from malicious programs. Some of its protection includes instant messaging scanning, script blocking and POP3 and SMTP email protection. The main disadvantage is it does not provide protection from P2P or file sharing transfers (uTorrent).

AVG Antivirus:

AVG Antivirus is one of the most downloaded files on the Internet. AVG has both free and paid versions; the latest version has new features with a clean interface and a powerful VIRUS scanner. AVG Antispyware and AVG Antirootkit were both integrated with the virus scanner in the latest version. The latest version now can make use of multiple cores which is more common in latest computers. AVG is known for its memory friendly nature and even the new version is also in this way.

McAfee:

McAfee is the leader in developing powerful Anti-Virus software. The VIRUS definitions in McAfee are very much updated and offer best protection. The disadvantage is McAfee is not free you need to buy it. The latest version is equipped with a ScriptStopper which helps in stopping viruses to spread from one computer to another via email, and WormStopper. Still McAfee does not offer instant message protection, P2P/file sharing protection or registry startup protection.

F-Secure Anti-Virus:

This is a fast developing Anti-Virus; it offers great protection with out eating away the memory. It can scan your PC for latest VIRUS and has a built-in anti spyware scanner. This program can scan outgoing and incoming email, it can shield your registry against probable hijackers and controls program startups automatically. F-Secure can provide you with latest virus alerts and updates of what is going around the virus world.

Panda Antivirus:

Panda Antivirus is an expert in dealing some type of virusess, it is ideal for personal computers. Panda Antivirus is equipped with a powerful engine to block hijackers, keyloggers, intruders, and hackers. This comes with a VIRUS scanner and a Spyware protection. With Panda you can block, delete, clean, and quarantine infected files. Top of all it is a memory friendly application and does not slow your pc down during virus scans.

NOD32:

NOD32 by ESET is a perfect solution for network computers; it provides real-time protection against Worms, Trojans, Spyware, Malware, phishing and hackers. The control center is the main advantage of NOD32; with this control center you can have access to a lot of features.

Kaspersky:

At present Kaspersky is the leader in Anti-Virus, it is an expert in removing potential risks and malicious programs attempting to corrupt files and data on a computer. Its engine is designed to fight against many types of, Keyloggers, Malware and protect your computer. Kaspersky is equipped with Real-time email scanning which lacks in many Anti-Virus programs.

ZoneAlarm Anti-virus 2009:

Unlike other Anti-Virus products ZoneAlarm Anti-virus is not certified by any of the three major independent testing labs like Virus Bulletic, Checkmark and ICSA. But still ZoneAlarm Anti-virus is one of the best Anti-viruses which can function better than the leading Anti-Virus programs. In the latest version the VIRUS engine is equipped with latest definitions which deliver the best virus protection with significantly enhanced detection and removal capabilities. A simple configuration wizard with a simple interface leads you through setup, making it easy for everyday users to secure their systems. It requires minimum PC resources and occupies very low bandwidth for update process. ZoneAlarm comes with a in-built firewall protection with multiple layers of security.

AntiVir Personal:

This is a Freeware which has won many awards including “CNET Editors Choice Award”. It is a reliable antivirus for home users; it can rapidly scan your computer for malicious programs such as viruses, Trojans, backdoor programs, hoaxes, worms, dialers etc. It monitors every action executed by the user or the operating system and reacts promptly when a malicious program is detected. The VIRUS database consists of more 150,000 Virus definitions, so it can detect and remove more than 150,000 viruses. Latest version consists of AntiSpyware protection against spyware and adware. It is friendly on memory and occupies less bandwidth while updating.

Click here to download AntiVir Personal for free

BitDefender:

BitDefender is a Freeware; it is one of the world’s most effective antivirus engines. BitDefender uses the same ICSA Labs certified scanning engine which allows you to enjoy basic virus protection for free. BitDefender is an exceptional product with a user friendly interface that scans all existing files on your computer as well as all incoming and outgoing emails, IM transfers and all other network traffic.

Twitter is growing day by day and we can’t expect its boom to go down because twitter has new fragrance to lock all the people who use it. The simple question “What are you doing?” has many answers to say, so this has made many twitter addicts. If you fall in the list of twitter addicts we have some cool plug-ins for Firefox which help you to gain the best twitter experience.

Twitbin

This tiny plug-in has been released very recently and gained many positive complements with in a short span. With Twitbin you send or receive messages from Twitter, it’s a sidebar which occupies space where most of the users like to keep their bookmarks. It doesn’t look much ugly, it’s pretty to look at.

From the developer’s desk of Twitbin:
“Twitbin is a firefox extension that allows you to keep up with all of your Twitter conversations right from your browser sidebar. Send messages, receive messages, share links, and more from Twitbin, the best twitter addon for firefox out there.”

Click here to add Twitbin to Firefox.

Tweetbar

Tweetbar is friendly with Firefox and Safari. Tweetbar is just like Twitbin, a sidebar with which you can send and receive messages from Twitter. It opens with a keyboard shortcut: “Ctrl + Shift + T”.

Click here to add Tweetbar to Firefox.

TwitterNotifier

By just listening to the name you can guess that this will notify you with updates from your Twitter friends. TwitterNotifier activated with a small icon in the right bottom corner of Firefox. You can even use TwitterNotifier to send Tweets and when your friends post new tweets a small balloon box appears in the right-bottom corner in a browser window. If you click on it your friend’s Twitter page will open in a new tab.

Note: TwitterNotifier is now TwitterFox

Click here to add TwitterFox to Firefox.

TwittyTunes

This plug-in helps others to know exactly which song are you listening at a given time. You can also let everyone know which website you’re currently browsing and videos that you are watching. This is something like sharing personal information, so be careful while using it.

Click here to add TwittyTunes to Firefox.

Firefox search bar plug-in

This is a name less Plug-in, all we can say is it works similar to Ludicrous. If you click the link it will be automatically added to your search bar and you can now send Tweets.

Click here for this name less Plug-in

Twitterbar

This is another alternative to Ludicrous. It is exactly the same thing with one important difference, i.e you post tweets from your address bar not the search bar. Simply type in the address bar and then click on the small grey icon on the right which will tell you how many characters you have left as well as let you post the tweet.

Click here to add Twitterbar to Firefox.

Power Twitter

This plug-in targeted towards power users of twitter. Instead of adding functionality to Firefox this adds features to your actual Twitter page. With this you can integrate Flickr and YouTube. It shows you the actual addresses of tinyurls, maps links to web page titles. Additionally, it maps user information from 30 boxes, so you can get the latest updates and additional info for those Twitter friends who use 30 boxes.

Click here to add Power Twitter to Firefox.

As a security feature for Windows 7, Microsoft by default has set in such a way that we have to enter password in order to log in to windows 7. This is to protect our PC from Unauthorized access. If you feel that you don’t require this feature, this becomes very irritating. So TechFlag has a solution for this, just follow the simple steps below to turn off Windows 7 password protection.

1) Launch the “Run” dialog box.
You can do this by using the key combination- “WIN Key” + “R”

2) Type “control userpasswords2” in the RUN dialog box and press “Enter”

3) You can find the option as- “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer“, uncheck this option and press “OK”.
Now a prompt opens up asking for the current password you use to log in to
Windows 7.

Enter the password and confirm.

Done…!!! Restart to check the changes.

You don’t need any extra drivers or any software to do this. Just follow the simple steps below:

How to Convert your Headphones in to Mic

1. Connect your head phone to the pink jacket of the sound card.

2. Now open any sound recorder software and start recording.

3. Now take the head phone near to your mouth and speak loudly.

4. You will notice the sound recorder recording some noise.

To be frank this will not work perfectly because headphone can not be a perfect Mic. You will notice very low sound and loss of clarity. But still you can use this if you have no Mic.

Click here to add “Font Finder” to Mozilla Firefox.

Screen Shots:

Note: foxmarks have changed to Xmarks.

With foxmarks add-on for Mozilla Firefox you can  synchronize the bookmarks which you have saved on foxmarks servers. With this you can recover your bookmarks if they are lost or even access your favorite bookmarks from any where in the world.

Previously foxmarks was only for Firefox, but now you can use foxmarks for “Internet Explorer” and “Safari” also. Even the name was changed to Xmarks which indicates that you can use this plug-in for other browsers.

New features added in Xmarks:
(As claimed by the developer)

1) Smarter Search
Xmarks will highlight the 3 top sites in your Google results based on how many people have bookmarked them. Simply move your mouse over the site info icon to learn more about that site.

2) Site Info built into your browser
Click on the Xmarks info icon in your location bar to see detailed information about the site you are on, and discover other great sites just like it.

3) Sync and Backup
Install Xmarks on each computer you use, and it seamlessly integrates with your web browser and keeps your bookmarks safely backed up and in sync.

Xmarks will sync across browsers too. At present Xmarks supports Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.

Click her to download Xmarks for Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox.

When ever a computer expert is asked about a super fast browser, the answer is  Mozilla Firefox. Firefox gives an ultimate browsing experience with it’s add-ons and plug-ins. In these modern days many of the internet users has a high speed connection, but by default Mozilla Firefox is configured to work on slow connections (dial-up connections).

You can change some of the default settings in Firefox and prepare your Firefox that suits your high speed connection. Dial-up users can continue to use the default settings because they may not find any difference by updating the settings. Here are some of the tweaks to speed up Firefox.

1. Enter “about:config” in the address bar and press “Enter”. Click “I’ll be careful, I promise!” to continue.

2. You can note the “Filter box” at the top.

3. Type “network.http” in the Filter box.

4. You will see an option called “network.http.pipelining” double click on it to make it “true”.

5. Repeat the same for “network.http.proxy.pipelining”.

With this you can enable your Firefox’s feature to do multiple requests to a server at a time. So if you have a high speed connection you will be saving time.

6. Search for the option “network.http.pipelining.maxrequests” and set its value to 30.
Double click on the option to change it’s value and click “Ok”.

With this you can make your Firefox to 30 requests to a server at a time.

7. Right click in a blank space and select “New-> Integer”.

You will get a dialog box as shown below.

Enter “nglayout.initialpaint.delay” and click “Ok”.
Now it will prompt for a value give the value as “0” (ZERO) and click “Ok”.

“0” (ZERO) indicates the amount of time Firefox waits before processing any information it received.

8. Create more values as explained in the above step 7. The values are as follows.

“network.dns.disableIPv6” Boolean value “false”.

“content.notify.backoffcount” Integer value “5”.

“plugin.expose_full_path” Boolean value “true”.

“ui.submenuDelay” Integer value “0” (ZERO).