Get tired of seeing messages saying something like “Closing Network Connections” or “Saving your Settings”? Well here is a way to potentially speed this process up, this has worked for me and many people I have had try.

~Cheers!

1.	Go to the Sounds & Audio Devices Control Panel Open your control panel and select the Sounds & Audio Devices application. In there, navigate to the Sounds tab.
2.	Exit Windows sound Find the item that says Exit Windows. If you set the sound here to play nothing (<none>), your system will shut down significantly faster.

Go to the Sounds & Audio Devices Control Panel

Open your control panel and select the Sounds & Audio Devices application. In there, navigate to the Sounds tab.

Exit Windows sound

Find the item that says Exit Windows. If you set the sound here to play nothing (<none>), your system will shut down significantly faster.

September 26, 2013 Everon TechTips

Cool trick on changing local user or admin passwords on remote computers

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Hello everyone, here is a cool trick if you ever need change local user, or admin passwords on a remote network.

You can change all the “Administrator” or other common local user accounts passwords on all the PCs in your network with a simple line of code.

You need to have admin rights over those PCs. Test it with a single test PC before doing it in a grant scale to avoid unwanted results.

1.	Obtain PSToolsYou can get PSTools from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896649
2.	Open the Command ConsoleTo open the Command Console 1. Click on Start 2. Click on “Run” 3. Type “CMD” in the “Run” box. 4. Change the prompt to the PSTools folder by typing the full folder path. Example: C:\Blabla\PSTools
3.	For a single computerInside the Command Console type:pspasswd.exe \\Remote_computer_name -u user_name -p new_password Obviously you would replaced Remote_computer_name with the name of your remote PC, user_name with the actual username, and new_password with the actual new password for that user.
4.	For a multiple computers:1. Create a text file named PCs.txt or whatever you want .txt with the names of the PCs to change a given local user’s password. One computer name per line, no spaces or extra lines.2. Save the text file in the PSTools folder for convenience or you’ll have to type the full file path in the command. 3. Inside the Command Console type: pspasswd.exe @pcs.txt -u user_name -p new_password

August 26, 2013 Everon TechTips

How to connect to a wireless network using Windows 8

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Windows 8 constantly searches for a working Internet connection. If it finds one that you’ve used previously, you’re set: Windows passes the news along to Internet Explorer, and you’re ready to visit the web.

When you’re traveling, however, the wireless networks around you will often be new, so you’ll have to authorize these new connections. Whenever you want to connect with a new network, you need to tell Windows that you want to connect, please.

To connect to a nearby wireless network for the first time, either one in your own home or in a public place, follow these steps:

Summon the Charms bar and click or tap the Settings icon.Any of these three tricks summons the Charms bar and its Settings screen:
- Mouse: Point at the screen’s top- or bottom-right edge; when the Charms bar appears, click the Settings icon.
- Keyboard: Press Windows+I to head straight for the Charms bar’s Settings screen.
- Touchscreen: Slide your finger inward from the screen’s right edge; when the Charms bar appears, tap the Settings icon.
Click or tap the wireless network icon.Among the Settings screen’s six bottom icons, the one in the top left represents wireless networks. The icon changes shape, depending on your surroundings:
- Available: When the icon says Available, like the one in the margin, you’re within range of a wireless network. Start salivating and move to the next step.
- Unavailable: When the icon says Unavailable, like the one in the margin, you’re out of range. Time to head for a different seat in the coffee shop or perhaps a different coffee shop altogether. Then return to Step 1.
Click or tap the Available icon if it’s present.Windows lists all the wireless networks within range of your PC. Don’t be surprised to see several networks listed; if you’re at home, your neighbors probably see your network listed, too.
Choose to connect to the desired network by clicking its name and clicking the Connect button.If you select the adjacent Connect Automatically check box before clicking the Connect button, Windows automatically connects to that network the next time you’re within range, sparing you from connecting manually each time.If you’re connecting to an unsecured network — a network that doesn’t require a password — you’ve finished. Windows warns you about connecting to an unsecured network, but a click or tap of the Connect button lets you connect, anyway. (Don’t do any shopping or banking on an unsecured connection.)
Enter a password if needed.If you try to connect to a security-enabled wireless connection, Windows asks you to enter a network security key — technospeak for password. If you’re at home, here’s where you type in the same password you entered into your router when setting up your wireless network.If you’re connecting to somebody else’s password-protected wireless network, ask the network’s owner for the password. If you’re in a hotel, pull out your credit card. You probably need to buy some connection time from the people behind the front desk.
Choose whether you want to share your files with other people on the network.If you’re connecting on your own home or office network, choose “Yes, turn on sharing and connect to devices.” That lets you share files with others and use handy devices, like printers.If you’re connecting in a public area, by contrast, choose “No, don’t turn on sharing or connect to devices.” That keeps out snoops.

August 2, 2013 Everon TechTips 1

Excel and the Magic Black Box

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Excel and the Magic Black Box

A lesser used feature of Excel is Pattern and List completion. This feature allows you to automatically complete predefined lists or reconizable patterens in the spreadsheet. Let break this down with a few examples…

Lists

A list is a predefined series of related words or numbers. Since these lists can contain anything they must be defined before they can be used. I will be using Office 2010 examples, but this functionallity is available in all versions.

To view the currently defined lists click on <File> -> Options

Then select Advanced and scroll down to Edit Custom Lists…

As you can see from this popup, the days of the week and the months of the year are predefined for you. Now, close all the popups windows and get back to Excel. Open a new blank spreadsheet and lets play with this.

Type in Sun in cell B2. Navigate back to B2 and you will notice a small Block Box in the lower right hand corner of the cell. Just Left-Click on this box, the cursor should turn to a plus (+) sign, and drag down. Stop dragging when it shows Sat. Now select cell C2 and type in January; navigate back to C2; Left-Click on the little Block Box and drag down until it shows December. Your spreadsheet should look like this now (the red arrow shows the little Block Box).

List completion can be very useful – for example you can enter the names of everyone in your team and by typing in one name you can autofill the rest.

Custom Lists

So, how do you create custom lists? Let’s get back into the Custom Lists… <File> -> Options -> Eidt Custom Lists…. Click on Add and enter some data, I entered my favorite reindeer. Now go back to the spreadsheet, enter Donner and complete the list. As you can see, you do not need to start with the fisrt name in the list.

Pattern Completion

Another feature of the Magic Block Box is pattern completion. Clear out your worksheet (a singl e page on a spreadsheet) and enter 7 in cell B2 and 14 in B3. Select both cells and now when you drag down the Block Box it will multiply by 7. If you drag down the Block Box and hold down the <Shift> key it will repeat what is select and not try to autocomplete. This will also work with Custom Lists, so you can fill a series of cells with Sunday instead of having it put in the days of the week.

Grab the Block Box Normal Drag Shift Drag

Fill Down or Across

The Magic Block Box will also fill in equations while automatically adjusting the column and row references. Here is a sample worksheet that I created in about a minute using the Magic Black Box. In cell I2 I entered the equation =sum(B2:H2) and in J2 I entered =average(B2:H2). Next just select the cells I2 and J2, grab the Black Box and drag down to row 9. BINGO! All the equation are adjusted to consider the row they are on, so I3 sums row 3 and J3 averages row 3…. When filling formulas down, you can just <Double-Click> the Black Box and it will fill in every row that has a value in column to the right (in this example column H).

April 23, 2013 Everon TechTips

Show Quick Access Toolbar Below the Ribbon [Office 2010]

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Office 2010 has improved the Quick Access Toolbar, allowing for easy customization. A user can bring as many options, shortcuts and features right to the front for easy access. One handy option is the ability to move the quick bar below the ribbon.

Let me show you how to do this process in Excel 2010. To begin go to file menu and click on Options.

Now in Excel Options dialog, from left sidebar, select Quick Access
Toolbar, and from main window, enable Show Quick Access Toolbar below the
Ribbon option

It will bring Quick Access toolbar right over the Excel Spreadsheet.

This process can be repeated and used for any of the Microsoft Office 2010 suites.