Category: Windows

Disable screen saver, enabled with group policy (Windows 7)

Published on in Windows, Windows Server by Elvis

Of course, at the beginning, you must exclude the computer from the region where the policy is applied. If the policy is still active at the computer, you cannot change any setting applied with GP.
After GP is disabled, you must change few values in the registry:

  • 1. The registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem
    • ScreenSaverActive for Enable (1) or Disable (0) screen saver
    • ScreenSaverIsSecure for Enable (1) or Disable (0) password protected screen saver
    • ScreenSaveTimeOut for number of seconds that the screen saver will be going on
  • 2. The registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop – I suggest to view and set up the same values also here (keys are very similar), but this is not a group policy setting; it is a normal windows setting.

Remark 1: I found in some cases also an another registry key to be modified: HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePolicesMicrosoftWindowsControl PanelDesktop. Please look also at this point..

Windows 7 and RAW (NEF) Formats

Published on in Windows by Elvis

If you are using a DSLR camera and you like to make photos only in RAW or NEF format, you have problems to preview photos and view thumbs of them. There are a lot programs to solve that problem, among them is also the Microsoft Camera Codec Pack. It exists for the 32 and the 64 bit version of Windows 7 and it will resolve your problem. You can download this software form here..

Windows 7 Home versions and password expiration

Published on in Windows by Elvis

As you know in Windows 7 Professional versions is easy to manage password expiration and other user settings through Local users and Groups console. But this console is unavailable on Windows 7 Home versions, so you must do that using other ways. One of that is through the command prompt (you must run it as Administrator). There is a command net accounts and with switch maxpwage you can define time to change the password.
If you want to set the password never expires, you must type net account /maxpwage:unlimited.
Of course you can use this command for many other user settings. You can find detailed information here..