Last year I wrote an article about how to install Windows 7 from a USB flash drive. This can come in handy when you want to reload a netbook that has no built in CD / DVD Drive

My friend Matt showed me an easier way to do this. If you have your install disk in ISO format, you can use a free tool from Microsoft. It formats, prepares, and copies the install files to your USB drive – It works for Windows 7 and 2008 install disks.

You can download it from here:

Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool

It will run on XP, 2003, Vista, Windows 7 and 2008. Simply download and install.

Pick your install ISO file:

Set the destination to USB Device

Find the USB drive you want to write it to:

And bam…it builds a bootable Windows 7 install disk (Works for 2008 too)

Much easier than a bunch of commands at the prompt. Four simple steps and you have a bootable install disk.

Dell today, is introducing the Vostro 3000 series of Windows PCs targeting specifically at the Small Business customer.

The new thin, lightweight and durable laptop computers feature powerful processors, high-end graphics and built-in security, and are designed for small businesses; helping them stretch their budget and protect their data, and come with dedicated small business services and support to keep a small businesses moving.

Vostro 3000 series consists of a 17” model (Vostro 3700), a 15” model (Vostro 3500), a 14” model (Vostro 3400), and a 13” model (Vostro 3300). And they come packing quite a “punch”.

The Vostro 3000 series will come with the latest Intel Core processors, including, the optional the quad-core Intel Core i7 processor available on the Vostro 3700. The Vostro 3300 is one of the thinnest commercial 13” laptops with an integrated optical drive. And the Vostro 3400 can offer up to a full day of productivity while “out-and-about” with up to 8 hours (based on lab testing and could vary by configuration) of battery life with an optional 9-cell battery. The Vostro 3700, 3500, and 3400 can come with an optional high-definition WLED screen and the 3700 offers up to 1GB NVIDIA GeForce discrete graphics.

All of the Vostro 3000 series PCs ship with built-in microphones and webcams as well, a full range of wireless options including 802.11g/n, Bluetooth, and mobile broadband. Oh and Dell is also offering an optional fingerprint reader too!

For more information on the new Vostro 3000 Series Windows PCs, see this blog post on Direct2Dell by Alex Gruzen, Senior Vice President for Dell Consumer and SMB. More photos of the Vostro 3000 Series can be seen here on Dell’s Flickr page.

The Vostro 3000 Series of Windows PCs look to be a powerful family of business-class PCs perfect for the small business user.

Last Friday I posted about the first of a series of hot deals that will happen at the end of every week this month. Last week it was a hot deal for Batman: Arkham Asylum. This week it’s Street Fighter IV. Starting today and running through to Monday March 8th 5:00pm Redmond time, Street Fighter IV will be available through Games on Demand at 50% off. That’s $19.99 (or 1600 Microsoft Points). Keep checking this page for hot deals for game titles available through Games on Demand. Remember, to take advantage of Games on Demand, you will need the Games for Windows – LIVE client installed. You can download it here.

Windows 7, and Vista have a cool feature. Press shift while right clicking on any folder, and some new menu options are shown:

One of them allows you to open a command prompt that is rooted right in that folder. This is a convenient option, since you don’t have to launch a command line, and then work your way back to that folder.

Unfortunately it does not exist in 2000, 2003, or XP – But I found an easy way to add it.

Create a new file on your desktop and call it “Command.reg”. Right click on it and edit it with notepad.

Add the following lines:

REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd]
@="Open Command Line Here"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\cmd\command]
@="cmd /k \"cd %L\""


Save it, and then double click on it to add it to the registry. When it asks you to confirm.

Just say yes.

And now, when you right click on a folder in XP/2000/2003 (No shift needed) you get the same option:

Back in November, we officially announced a new Windows product called Windows MultiPoint Server 2010. Today we are launching Windows MultiPoint Server around the world. Windows MultiPoint Server is available for purchase through OEMs and Microsoft Academic Volume Licensing (VL) customers on March 1, for schools and educational institutions (mainly for use in classrooms, labs and libraries).

Windows MultiPoint Server, based off Windows Server 2008 R2, is designed to enable multiple people (students) to share access to a single host PC through a “station” simultaneously. A station is a device that connects to a host PC running Windows MultiPoint Server via USB and connects to a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Windows MultiPoint Server shares out an “instance” of Windows to a specific station via Remote Desktop Services (formerly known as Terminal Services) technology built in to Windows Server 2008 R2. If you have 1 host PC with Windows MultiPoint Server, you can support up to 10 people connecting to it and using it at the same time (hardware permitting of course). Each person independently controls familiar Windows experience.

Non-technical professionals, such as teachers, will find the setup relatively easy with a “console” application designed to manage all of the stations connected to that PC, instead of relying on IT support.

As you have probably heard me mention before, our goal is to provide choice and flexibility with our products to meet the specific demands for different customer needs. In the case of Windows MultiPoint Server, we heard from around the world that teachers want to provide more students with access to computers and spend more time teaching. Also, many education institutions don’t have the funds to support offering up-to-date technology that can serve as a companion to the learning experience. We created Windows MultiPoint Server to address the needs of teachers and students in an affordable way to education institutions.

Windows MultiPoint Server is the lead product in a series of Shared Resource Computing technologies being released by Microsoft under the MultiPoint brand. We believe that specific scenarios such as school labs, classrooms and libraries can greatly benefit from Shared Resource Computing. Other MultiPoint technologies include the MultiPoint Mouse SDK and Mouse Mischief.

Now let me talk about a little more about the Windows experience for people using Windows MultiPoint Server. Windows MultiPoint Server is specifically designed to offer the features and functionality of Windows that are needed in a shared resource computing scenario. For instance, compared with Windows 7, not all of the features will be enabled through Windows MultiPoint Server. For example, users will not experience Aero (Glass), Windows Flip, Task Bar Previews, and will be unable to use Windows Media Center. Also, Windows MultiPoint Server is not designed for mobility, and it has other limitations. Again, Windows MultiPoint Server is specifically designed to bring more modern computing access to education institutions with constrained budgets.

For more information on today’s launch of Windows MultiPoint Server 2010, including what OEMs are making products available for Windows MultiPoint Server, see this press release on the Microsoft News Center.

It’s exciting to see us offering a product with familiar Windows experience that will enable schools to affordably use modern technology in education.

From time to time I will have a folder that I need to clean out. Usually with a large number of files. The problem is that I want to select only specific files or folders:

This is easy to do by holding down the CTRL key, but I always find that halfway through my selection process I fat finger it and then I have to start over again.

I found a new feature in Windows 7 that allows you to select in a totally different way. Using checkboxes. You can simply check the files or folders you want to select by checking them off – no CTRL key needed.

To turn it on, open any folder in explorer, and hold down ALT, then T to get the menu to show up. Go to tools then options. Go to the view tab and find the option that says:

“Use check boxes to select items”

When you want to select an item, you can hover over it and a checkbox will show up. Simply check the ones you want to select:

Now there is no need to worry about pressing the wrong button and losing your entire selection.