How to Change the Music in Computer Games

Nintendo introduced video game music with early game systems, and in no time people recognized the Mario tune. Since Nintendo laid those first tracks, people have criticized video game music. If you play games on your computer, you can change the music to something that fits your personal tastes.

Instructions

Recognize that sounds and music for PC game music are carried in sound files. Many computer games use MIDI or wav files.

Make certain you have access to hidden files by checking the "Tools" menu in "My Computer." You'll find a "View" tab under "Folder Options." Scroll down the list until you get to "Hidden Files and Folders." Make sure you have a check mark next to it.

Locate the sound files for a particular game through Windows Explorer or your search function. Look for the sound files first in the specific game folder. If you can't locate any, try the Systems and Windows folders.

Listen to the sound files to find the one used in the game. Note the name and location, and then change its file name. For example, rename musicnotes.wav to musicnotes2.wav.

Record or save music that you want in the same sound file format as the music in the game, whether it's a wav or MIDI file.

Save your new music again using the original game sound file name and location.

Adjust your new game soundtrack with some mixing techniques. Check if your burning software allows you to adjust the volume, fade out or use other mixing tricks.


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How to Delete a Saved Game in Windows Solitaire

Solitaire is a popular version of the single-player card game, Klondike, included for free with Microsoft Windows. The game itself takes only a few minutes to learn. Windows allows you to save a game in progress, letting you pick up the same game at a later time. If you no longer want the game hogging space on your computer, you can delete it in just a few simple steps. These methods work for both Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Instructions


Windows Vista


Click the Start button on the taskbar.


Select "All Programs" and scroll to the Games folder.


Open the Games folder and click Games Explorer to open it.


Find Solitaire on the game list in the Games Explorer. Select it, and then click the arrow beside the Play on the Games Explorer toolbar. Select "Saved Games."


Click the saved game file that you want to delete and press the Delete key, or right-click it and choose "Delete."


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3 Best Windows 7 Upgrade Methods

Upgrading any windows system can be a non-event with just a little planning. Of course many people will have older computers that may not be a good candidate for upgrading. How do you know if your current computer has the necessary requirements? If it's got Vista of any flavor it should do all right. Most computers that came with Vista installed should meet the basic requirements for Windows 7.

If you have an older Windows XP computer, it may not have the power. Regardless of what Microsoft says you probably want at least a duo processor and 4 gigs of fast RAM (DDR series). It also helps a lot to have dedicated video RAM or, better yet, a video card with it's own RAM of at least 256 Megs. Windows 7 is much better about being a resource hog but it still needs some power to perform at it's best.

If you now have a computer with Vista and don't have any problems, I don't think there is much in Windows 7 that is worth the $100 plus upgrade. Ease of use is no big deal, and the performance over a Vista machine may not be that great unless you have current issues. Vista got some bad press over performance issues and rightfully so but from what I've seen, not all Vista computers exhibited this problem. I've upgraded well over 100 Vista computers for clients and many did not exhibit any faster operation with the exception of shutdowns.

OK, so you decided that you just have to upgrade for all the whiz-bang new features. Here's the three best ways to keep your data and your sanity. You can also run a program from Microsoft called the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor that will warn you of any incompatibilities on software and hardware on your current system. You can find it by doing a search in Google; it's available at many websites.

Option one is if you have an older Windows XP computer you have two basic upgrade options. You can't do an upgrade in place, too many issues and Microsoft decided against it. So now you have to do a clean install. Microsoft warns you that this may take a few hours! Yep, that's not a good thing. But most I've done have been much shorter.

Before you start you should back up all data files (user created), music files, photos, videos, or any other files you want to keep. You should also round up all your software install CDs for any software like MS Office that you plan on installing in your new Windows 7 OS. Don't forget to back up your Favorites (IE browser bookmarks), your Outlook data (outlook.pst - it has both your contacts and emails), password files, or any other important information.

Option two is keep that old Windows XP machine as a back up computer and buy a new computer with Windows 7 already installed. If your Windows XP machine is older that 3-4 years, it probably won't run Windows 7 with out upgrading your RAM, maybe adding a video card, and even a bigger hard drive. By the time you do that, you might as well purchased a new computer since many are on sale for less that $400. Mean failure on any computer is 4-5 years, so why spend $200 plus the Windows 7 upgrade cost on a machine that is going to fail within a couple of years?

Option 2a. OK, money is tight and you want to upgrade your Windows XP computer regardless. If you want to have a good fall back position and have enough hard drive space, you can install Windows 7 to a new partition and create a duo boot scenario. If you have a critical application that may not run in Windows 7, this is the only way to insure you can still use it. It's not a bad idea to do this anyway so that you can try Windows 7 and make sure it works for you. This is the best choice when going from Windows XP to Windows 7 on the same computer.

Option three involves upgrading a Vista computer. In this scenario you do have an option to upgrade in place, that essentially installs Windows 7 over your Vista install and no reinstall of software is usually necessary. But you will be bringing all the junk files and maybe any problems you had with Vista. You might also want to still run the Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to check for any possible problems. If at all possible I would do the same kind of backup mentioned in the Windows XP upgrade and do a clean install. You will have a much faster computer and a clean install with less possible problems.

The number one question I always am asked is Windows 7 worth the time and money to upgrade? It's never a black and white answer. It depends on if your current computer is giving you problems and what your budget can handle. Many people just use there computers for email, surfing the web, and maybe to play some music and videos. If that's you, then I'm not sure you'll ever use the new features or get that much benefit from the upgrade. You can probably wait until you need to replace your current computer. If you are a computer junkie and love new features, then go for it. There are some improvements that a power user can benefit from and for really serious power crunching applications you can load up on RAM and hardware to increase performance.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3502930

Handling Issues with Windows 7 Professional Upgrade

If you thought the Windows 7 Professional Upgrade will keep you at a distance away from system errors or PC slow speed, it is worth noting here that no operating system is fool-proof and can develop problems but things are easier to sort out with a Windows 7 Professional upgrade. You can also use online computer help to cater to the same effectively. However there are ways you can handle the same without opting for remote tech support.

Before we read about common problems faced by Windows 7 operating system (OS) users, let us first read why Windows 7 is considered to be an upgraded version to the ever-successful Windows XP. Windows 7 was developed to address the loopholes of XP and is a result of timeless research. Whether you talk about the functionalities, resolution, software compatibility, or the features, Windows 7 outscores XP. Even PC tech support or online computer help experts suggest users tired of XP or Vista to upgrade to Windows 7.

Let us now move our focus to handling problems in Windows 7 Professional upgrade. It may appear new to you but most OS problems are created and allowed by PC users. Most of us have the habit of installing every single program or application that comes for free or priced low, even though we expect to use it rarely. This means added burden on the PC drives and more time taken to load the computer besides proximity with malicious software that can endanger security, health, and functioning of the computer. If you contact a remote tech support or online computer help specialist, the first thing he will do is remove the extra applications installed.

It is highly recommended that you delete or uninstall unwanted programs and applications to remove any drain on the system resources. It is important for you to note that a PC loaded with Windows 7 has to meet some minimum system requirements and some of the problems faced by you may be a result of a lack of them. You should regularly defragment your PC hard drives for improving performance; it is also recommended to regularly update system, drivers, and antivirus software and these compatible updates must be attained from a reliable source.

You should be making use of Windows Defender, which is a powerful tool for detecting and preventing threats besides being helpful in inhibiting annoying pop-up notices and unauthorized home network intrusions.

If the abovementioned tips and precautions do not serve the cause, it is highly recommended that you seek professional PC tech support from a reliable computer support provider. If you are looking for these services on the Internet, you can opt for customized online computer help or remote technical support. You can even find answers to PC driver problems by opting for these services. If you are facing a problem in finding information about PC support service providers, all you need is to visit Google and enter words such as online PC repair, computer troubleshooting service, or online PC support and you will be redirected to sites of providers specializing in high-end PC support services. You can then select a provider based on your requirements and budget. However, it is always recommended that you opt for quality over cost.

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Windows 7 Upgrade Vs Fresh Install

Being the technical geek that I am, I've given Windows 7 the proverbial shakedown cruise to see what I was going to be up against at work when we start getting the new PC's.

I'll admit, I was not expecting much: my enthusiasm being shot down in flames by the Vista rollout had me very skeptical about Microsoft's direction and vision when it came to operating systems.

I performed both a clean install and an upgrade installation from Vista to see how the experience was in each case.

I'm not going to go into all the differences, enhancements, and tweaks you will find in the OS; there are plenty of sites on the web where you get that info. Instead, I am going to focus on the installation experience, and first "out of the box" experience.

THE CLEAN INSTALLATION

The clean installation of Windows 7 was undoubtedly the simplest install I've ever had with a Microsoft product, and it is clear that they have been watching Apple closely as far as how they streamline every aspect of their products. A fresh install of Windows 7 is just as easy and quick as a fresh install of OS X on a Mac, and was finished well within a half an hour.

Excellent!

THE UPGRADE INSTALLATION

The upgrade installation took much longer: about 3.5 hours.

I have had bad upgrade experiences in the past, and prefer a fresh install of an OS so it doesn't carry through the quirks of the prior OS. With that in mind, I these are the steps I followed to upgrade my Vista machine to Windows 7.

Ran the Windows Upgrade Advisor to see if there were any problems or conflicts.

As my upgrade PC was only about a year old, the only problem reported was that McAfee AntiVirus 8.5i was incompatible with Windows 7. That was not really a surprise to me --I had already been looking at different AntiVirus solutions-- so I uninstalled it.

Performed a general cleanup with CCleaner.

If you don't have this handy freeware utility on your computer, get it now! CCleaner (allegedly for "Crap Cleaner") is a small tool that does three things: deletes unused temporary files, cleans out all invalid registry entries, and allows you to manage the programs that startup in the background when Windows boots.

Running this type of cleanup prior to an upgrade is a good idea, as the new OS transfers all your settings and files from the old OS.

Needless crap will only make any upgrade more difficult.

At best it will make the upgrade take longer.

At worst, the installation might fail.

After I cleaned the files and registry, I looked through the programs that start up with Windows and found a few that I don't really need to have running (iTunes services, etc) and disabled them.

Re-booted and made sure everything was still working well.

Just a precaution to make sure I didn't turn off something I needed!

Run the Vista Disk Defragmenter

This step is likely not necessary, in all honesty. I've always done this in the past prior to doing an upgrade, so it's a habit for me.

However, I ~believe~ that Windows 7 handles upgrades differently: instead of just writing over the old OS with new system files, it actually copies the files, folders, and settings to a protected area, does a FRESH installation, and then ~imports~ your data back into the new OS.

(If I am wrong on this detail, please let me know!)

Re-boot, then ran the Windows 7 upgrade.

After answering a couple questions at the very beginning, Windows goes to work. Obviously, the more stuff on your computer, the longer this process will take. I've heard reports of anything from 1 hour to 8 hours for an upgrade.

If your computer isn't a fresh squeaky-clean install of Vista with nothing else one it, plan on setting the computer aside for a few hours.

THE WINDOWS 7 OUT-OF-THE-BOX EXPERIENCE

I am wholly impressed! If you are already used to Vista's interface, then there really is not much new visually in Windows 7. However, it feels like they've taken Vista, streamlined and stripped all the bloat and fat off of it, and what you have is a leaner, faster, and more intuitive interface.

There were a couple items that surprised me... The much touted "Windows Mail" that was part of Vista is gone. If you used Windows Mail, the upgrade will save all your mail and contacts and allow you to import it into Outlook.

Windows Movie Maker... gone.

Windows Photo Gallery... gone.

If you were running Windows Ultimate Extra and using Dreamscapes for an animated desktop... Kiss it goodbye.

Some of these apps were heavily advertised not even 2 years ago, as Microsoft was trying to complete with Apple's approach of including everything the average user needs right out of the box. Windows has long had a particular reputation: buying the PC was the easy part, and spending the next few days purchasing and installing all the stuff you need to ~use~ the PC was the hard part.

So why Microsoft has decided to backpedal on that marketing decision is an interesting question. However, at the end of the day if I am going to spend my hard-earned cash on an OS, I'd rather have a slim and sleek OS that needs some apps install (that ~I~ get to choose) than a bloated one that contains apps I probably don't need.

Fortunately, most of these excluded apps are available via Windows Live Essentials and can be installed after the upgrade.

Both the fresh install and the upgrade performed equally well. There were no quirks, sluggishness, or broken applications on the upgrade installation.

All in all... Thumbs up, Microsoft! This is an OS done right. The PC is ~finally~ nearly as fun and easy to use as a Mac!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3398218

Should You Stay on Windows 7 Sp1 or Upgrade to Windows 8

Some analysts have indicated that the introduction of Windows 8 only revealed a simple modification on the user interface comparing to Windows 7 Sp1 and Microsoft would have to offer more incentives if it aims to encourage users to upgrade their Windows OS. Even as a number of users are utilizing the PC for a good amount of their work, they do not see any reason for upgrading their Windows 7 Sp1 into the recently introduced Windows 8.

Microsoft seems to utilize the Windows 8 to introduce touch screen technology into their products. Although the company has indicated that the latest OS can be utilized in existing systems, some analysts have indicated that it would take more than just a facelift in order to encourage users to upgrade their Windows 7 Sp1 into Windows 8.

A good number of individual and commercial users may think twice in upgrading their current Windows 7 Sp1 unless Microsoft will reveal more features that will be useful for them. Since Windows 7 Sp1 is more functional than utilizing touch-based technology, users may need more than just an enhanced user interface in order for them to be convinced in upgrading their Windows 7 OS to Windows 8. Simple tasks such as copying and pasting is more efficient using the current system compared to the latest touch screen technology, which appears to be what Windows 8 is offering.

Windows 8

Last year, Microsoft officials indicated that more than 70 percent of commercial PCs are still utilizing Windows XP instead of Windows 7. This comes as a surprise for some analysts since Windows 7 Sp1 offers better stability and security compared to the previous version of the OS. With this in mind, it would not be easy to convince these commercial users to upgrade their systems to utilize the recently-introduced Windows 8 OS, which according to analysts is nothing more than just a modification in the user interface.

A good number of users are satisfied with their current OS, be it Windows XP or Windows 7, so it may take more than just what Microsoft has revealed to convince users to upgrade to the latest version of their operating system, Windows 8.

News Source: http://www.planetinsane.com/should-you-stay-on-windows-7-sp1-or-upgrade-to-windows-8/2617861/

XP Support - Where Can I Get Windows Support ?

Microsoft is one of the largest companies in the world that develops, manufactures and licenses very many products that are related to computing. It has been in this field for more than 35 years. One of the most common products of this company is windows XP.

This is a type of computer that is widely used at home, in institutions or business. Just like any other product or device, problems may occur while using it thus there is need to repair it so as to continue enjoying best services from it and to ensure that the product is repaired, correct tools must be used. XP support is a center that was established by this giant company to help its clients in solving problems related to Microsoft windows.

Due to advancement in technology, each company is striving to reach a large of number of people at the shortest time possible. Being an international renowned company, Microsoft has been able to achieve this due to establishment of online offices that aid in giving customers the necessary information that they deserve. Through the use of XP support, customers with problems related to Microsoft windows computers have been helped solve their problems. Anything to do with Microsoft software, programs, viruses, computers and so on are dealt with by this support center.

It is has been made even easier to contact this center in that there are you can ask on how to go about any problem online. You can be able to send an email, make online submission or call using a phone directly to this center. The emails and submissions are responded to immediately in less than 24 hours and when using their toll free numbers, you get instant respond.

It is good to often contact XP support center in order to know of any new developments in the windows computers. This is because new ideas are being created and implemented to cater for the needs of the current society that has become more innovative.

Source: http://goo.gl/PXqjQ