0 CodeWeavers and Wine is bringing DirectX 11 to Linux

More Windows PC games will “just run” on Linux, and it’ll be easier for developers to package those games with compatibility code and officially support them on Linux. Now, CodeWeavers expects CrossOver to support DirectX 11 by the end of the year, with Wine gaining compatibility shortly afterwards.

Microsoft’s DirectX graphics technology is only officially supported on Windows, Xbox, and other Microsoft platforms. The Wine project helps bridge this gap and already supports DirectX 9 very nicely.

Wine already supports DirectX 9 very well, but many new games no longer support DirectX 9 and rely on newer versions of Microsoft’s graphics technology. Wine is an open-source compatibility layer that allows Windows applications to run on top of Linux, Mac OS X, and other non-Windows operating systems.

CodeWeavers offers a paid product, known as CrossOver, which is built on top of the open-source Wine code. It pays developers to add features, and those improvements inevitably end up back in the open-source Wine project. CrossOver also provides a convenient interface and more of a guarantee that certain applications will be officially supported and not break.

While the DirectX 11 support will make it into CodeWeavers’ product before it makes it to the open-source Wine project, the code will be open-source and submitted for inclusion into the Wine project. In other words, CodeWeavers helps fund and support the development of Wine. 

The new underlying CrossOver technology will also allow developers to port DirectX 11 games to Linux more easily. Linux gamers tend to dislike this type of port and prefer a native game that doesn’t use any Windows compatibility layer, but hey, it’s still better than nothing.

In the past, John Carmack of id Software and now Oculus has even argued that “emulation of some sort is a proper technical direction for gaming on Linux.” The better that DirectX compatibility gets, the easier it will be to port Windows-first games to Linux. And, even if certain games aren’t officially supported, it’ll become easier to just run them without any modification. Big game engines are increasingly supporting Linux, but general Windows compatibility is still helpful.


 You may also like to read :

• Crytek’s CryEngine Now Supports Linux

Detail: CodeWeavers and Wine is bringing DirectX 11 to Linux

0 PickMeApp Silent Install Your Porgrams to Another PC

PickMeApp is a portable software tool transferring about a million personalized programs from one PC to another. PickMeApp's  ‘Add and Remove Programs' like interface guides you through the transfer of selected programs without the need to locate CDs or repeat any lengthy installations. When complete, all your programs and customizations will be transferred intact to the new PC.  No changes are made to the original installations, and the transfer can be easily reversed.

PickMeApp Beta is the only free program transfer tool upgrading Windows XP to Window 7!

And PickMeApp is much more than an easy copy and paste of installed programs:

Backup
By managing programs and their settings PickMeApp becomes a part of the integrated Backup and Recovery strategy for your entire PC.

Software
PickMeApp is a must-have tool for end-user software refurbishment, diagnose and programs updates of Windows PC.

Repair
Find out how PickMeApp  converts any removable storage to a Swiss knife for a streamlined management of Windows environments.

Watch the Demo Video How you can Transfer  Your Ms Office on XP to another PC with Window 7.

PickMeApp becomes your ultimate Application Manager. Now, together with programs & settings transfer, PickMeApp helps you to discover, download and install any existing Windows applications with just a few clicks.

The PickMeApp distribution includes the PickMeApp Collection  of  120 popular one-click installable programs.
All included programs are the latest releases linked directly to their original publisher sites.

- Those applications can be installed at once by PickMeApp .
- All installation work is done in the background.
- Applications are downloaded from each publisher's official site.
- The applications will be installed in their default locations.
- They will not bother you with any choices or options.
- They will be installed without extra junks like toolbars or etc.
- They will skip any reboot requests from installers. So please restart PC manually at the end.

NOTE: Do Not Download the Light version  it silent  install toolbars with ads

Detail: PickMeApp Silent Install Your Porgrams to Another PC

0 Open Hardware Monitor

The Open Hardware Monitor is a free open source software that monitors temperature sensors, fan speeds, voltages, load and clock speeds of a computer.

The Open Hardware Monitor supports most hardware monitoring chips found on todays mainboards. The CPU temperature can be monitored by reading the core temperature sensors of Intel and AMD processors. The sensors of ATI and Nvidia video cards as well as SMART hard drive temperature can be displayed. The monitored values can be displayed in the main window, in a customizable desktop gadget, or in the system tray. The free Open Hardware Monitor software runs on 32-bit and 64-bit Microsoft Windows XP / Vista / 7 and any x86 based Linux operating systems without installation.

Latest Release Version 0.7.1 Beta

• Added support for the Nuvoton NCT6791D super I/O chip.
• Added support for Intel Core i7 4xxx CPUs.
• Added support for Intel Core i7-59xx and Xeon E5-2600/1600 v3 CPUs.
• Added support for Intel Core M-5xxx CPUs.
• Added support for Intel Atom N2xxx, D2xxx, C2xxx, E3xxx and Z3xxx CPUs.
• Added support for up to 64 logical processors.
• Added a data logging implementation with configurable logging interval.
• Changed the Intel core temperature reading to evaluate the “reading valid” bit for package level sensors as well.
• Fixed an issue with restoring default control of GPU fans.
• Changed the settings save code to use a more robust two file based approach.

Detail: Open Hardware Monitor

0 DriverPack Solution 16 with New Look

DriverPack Solution is a reliable application designed to simplify the driver installation and updating process to a couple of clicks. All the drivers your system needs in order to work properly are detected automatically and deployed in a much shorter time frame than a manual operation.

Such a piece of software is essential especially when the situation requires that you reinstall the Windows OS. Following this process, the first step is to identify the drivers your computer needs and to install each and one of them in order to prevent system errors. Since performing this process manually takes forever and doesn’t always result in the expected outcome, a third-party application that can automate the driver installation process is more than welcome in this scenario.

One of the utilities that fits this description is DriverPack Solution. It stands out by sporting in-depth driver diagnostics and backup features that reduces efforts and maximizes efficiency. Unlike similar software that usually is brought in the form of an installer.

The first advantage of this approach is that instead of searching the Internet for drivers, the program uses the collection it bundles in order to equip your computer with the latest updates.

The interface of the program sports a professional, yet user-friendly appearance, with all the options in plain view. You can start the diagnostics process right away, which takes surprisingly little time, after which an overview is displayed.

The scan report shows missing drivers, as well as updates for existing installations. You can solve all these at once by pressing the ‘Update All’ button; additionally, a summary of all the installed or updated drivers is also available.

The real treat comes with the Backup function, which allows users to save a copy of existent drivers or of the database included in the DVD disc (copies only drivers specific for your configuration – not the whole collection). This way, when the situation requires that you update or fix drivers, you can use these backups to simplify the process.

All in all, the program can save the day in a lot of scenarios. Whether you reinstalled Windows or you’ve experienced a system crash due to driver issues, you’ve got a reliable companion in DriverPack Solution.

DriverPack Solution is suitable for all models of computers and laptops.
Asus, Acer, Sony, Samsung, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba, Fujitsu-Siemens, DELL, eMachines, MSI...

DriverPack Solution contains the drivers for all devices.
Motherboard, Sound Card, Video Card, Network Card, Wi-Fi, Chipset, Controller, Bluetooth, Modem, Web-camera, Card Reader, CPU, Input Device, Monitor, Printer, Scanner, USB, Other...

Drivers for: Ati (Radeon), Nvidia (GeForce), Realtek, Intel, Amd, Atheros, Via.

Here are some key features of "DriverPack Solution":

Automated driver installation:
· The program installs all required drivers to any computer in just about 5 minutes.

Saves Time and money:
· No more wasting time on looking for drivers; all required drivers will be installed with only a few clicks.

Any driver for any computer:
· All drivers in your pocket!Simplifies downloading new drivers from the Internet.

Drivers update capability:
· Updates previously installed drivers to their latest versions.

Drivers around the world:
- Once downloaded and no longer waste time and Money absolutely FREE!!

Supports all versions of Windows.
Suitable for all devices and laptops!
Windows 10/ 8.1/ 8/ 7/ Vista/ XP
Supports 32-bit and 64-bit versions

Full size 10,2 Gb
Contain drivers  910 000
Last update 1.06.2015

Detail: DriverPack Solution 16 with New Look

0 ProduKey_2015.05.26

ProduKey is a small utility that displays the ProductID and the CD-Key of Microsoft Office (Microsoft Office 2003, Microsoft Office 2007), Windows (Including Windows 7 and Windows Vista), Exchange Server, and SQL Server installed on your computer. You can view this information for your current running operating system, or for another operating system/computer - by using command-line options. This utility can be useful if you lost the product key of your Windows/Office, and you want to reinstall it on your computer.

Credits to http://www.nirsoft.net for developing this tool and licening it for free non-commercial distribution.
File Size:57.04KB

Detail: ProduKey_2015.05.26

0 Microsoft has finally decided to bring OpenSSH client and server to Windows

The PowerShell team at Microsoft has announced that the company is going to support and contribute to OpenSSH community in an effort to deliver better SSH support in the PowerShell and Windows SSH software solutions.

Until now Unix and Linux system administrators have to download a third-party SSH client software like Putty on their Windows machines to securely manage their machines and servers remotely through Secure Shell protocol or Shell Session (better known as SSH).

For those who are unaware, SSH is basically designed to offer the best security when accessing another computer remotely. It not only encrypts the remote session, but also provides better authentication facilities, with features like secure file transferring and network port forwarding.

You don't need to deal with any third-party SSH client now, as Microsoft is working on supporting OpenSSH.

This is not first time Microsoft has planned to adopt SSH for its Windows platform, the company had tried to allow the secure shell protocol to be used within Windows twice but was unable to implement it.  Because this is the 3rd time the PowerShell team has attempted to support SSH.  The first attempts were during PowerShell V1 and V2 and were rejected. 

However, developers who are eager to use this new functionality in PowerShell still have to wait for some time, as the project is still in the early planning phase. So far, there isn’t any definite release date.

The PowerShell team will update more information:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/looking_forward_microsoft__support_for_secure_shell_ssh1/archive/2015/06/02/managing-looking-forward-microsoft-support-for-secure-shell-ssh.aspx

Additional Information

For more information on SSH please go to http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4251.txt

For information on OpenSSH go to: http://www.openssh.com/index.html

Detail: Microsoft has finally decided to bring OpenSSH client and server to Windows

0 Winaero Tweaker

Winaero Tweaker
The all-in-one app this software is provided free of charge by Winaero.com. It will include almost all apps released by Winaero along with new tweaks and options.
Windows Tweaker supports Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

Created by a Russian blogger, Sergey Tkachenko Started Publishing from August 2012 and developing Windows Tweak since July 2010.

I use this to change Windows Start Sound  with WAV File, You can change other Windows Sound on Personalize or in Control Panel . Example like Windows Log on , Log off  and Exit Windows is the Shutdown .

There is a lot of tweaks you can do with this tool like Enable TCP/IP which is  not Enabled by Default on Windows.

Detail: Winaero Tweaker

0 The Dude – MikroTik Automatic Network Discovery & Layout Tool

The Dude network monitor is a new application by MikroTik which can dramatically improve the way you manage your network environment. It will automatically scan all devices within specified subnets, draw and layout a map of your networks, monitor services of your devices and alert you in case some service has problems.

Some of it's features:

• The Dude is free of charge!
• Auto network discovery and layout
• Discovers any type or brand of device
• Device, Link monitoring, and notifications
• Includes SVG icons for devices, and supports custom icons and backgrounds
• Easy installation and usage
• Allows you to draw your own maps and add custom devices
• Supports SNMP, ICMP, DNS and TCP monitoring for devices that support it
• Individual Link usage monitoring and graphs
• Direct access to remote control tools for device management
• Supports remote Dude server and local client
• Runs in Linux Wine environment, MacOS Darwine, and Windows
• Best price/value ratio compared to other products (free of charge)

 For info visit www.mikrotik.com/thedude

Detail: The Dude – MikroTik Automatic Network Discovery & Layout Tool

0 Better Explorer Improves File Management on Windows

Windows Explorer interface has been dubbed in Windows 8.

For one thing, the Ribbon provides easier access to less-used functions, such as toggling the display of hidden files. Windows 8's File Explorer also restores the much-loved Up button that Windows Vista and Windows 7 both lack, giving you an easy, one-click way to go up a directory.

The new File Explorer even allows you to mount ISO disc-image files by double-clicking them, an awesome feature that eliminates the need for third-party ISO-mounting software.

If you want to spiff up Windows 7's Windows Explorer with a Ribbon and an Up button, your best option is Better Explorer. This utility actually packs in more functionality than Windows 8's File Explorer does, thanks to its ability to display multiple open folders in tabs at the top of the window. This makes wrangling files a breeze compared to Windows' usual multiwindow madness.

Running on Windows 7 (or the latest consumer preview of Windows 8), Beta 1 of Better Explorer seems to have resolved some of the buggy behavior users reported with earlier versions: I experienced none of the crashes I read about in user reviews.

Better Explorer's ability to access multiple folders in tabs, eliminating the need to launch new Explorer windows when you want to see more than one file or folder at a time. Simply click New Tab (or Clone Tab to duplicate the current selection) on the far right of the Home ribbon.

The ribbon, as usual, is particularly effective at exposing features hidden in traditional menus--but Better Explorer in some instances goes beyond the file management tools in Windows 7's Explorer by providing easy access to other Windows features. The Drive Tools ribbon, accessible when you click on a drive under Computer, has buttons for formatting, cleaning, and/or optimizing the drive--features found in the System Tools subfolder of Accessories. The Image Tools include buttons for rotating and flipping images, converting image files to one of five popular file formats, and setting an image as desktop wallpaper.

Visit: http://better-explorer.com/

Detail: Better Explorer Improves File Management on Windows

0 Troubleshoot all sorts of problems with any PC with Ubuntu live drive

A Ubuntu live drive can be used as a digital Swiss army knife to troubleshoot all sorts of problems with any PC, whether you need to recover files from a failing computer, diagnose hardware problems, perform a deep virus scan from outside Windows, or even reset a forgotten Windows password.

We’ll be getting our hands dirty with some Linux terminal commands here, but don’t worry—the Linux terminal won’t bite. You can even copy-paste most of these commands directly into the terminal.

Create-Ubuntu-live-bootable-usb-drive

To get started, you’ll need a Linux live USB drive, CD, or DVD. You can use any Linux distribution for this, but we’re focusing on Ubuntu to simplify things.
http://www.gadget-technolog.blogspot.com/2015/04/create-ubuntu-live-bootable-usb-drive.html 
Check Slax Linux :http://www.gadget-technolog.blogspot.com/2015/05/slax-linux-your-pocket-operating-system.html

Recover files from a failing drive

We’ve all been there. Your PC may not boot, Windows may be showing errors and blue-screening, or—even worse—you may hear that dreaded mechanical hard drive clicking.

Even if you can’t boot Windows, there’s a good chance you can read the drive from within Linux and recover some files before the hard drive dies completely. Or, if the Windows system is corrupted and the drive itself is fine, you can recover all of the files from outside Windows.

Recovering Windows-stored files with Ubuntu is as easy as opening a folder.

There’s no Linux terminal involved here. Just click the folder icon on Ubuntu’s launcher to open the file manager. You’ll see your Windows drive under Devices in the sidebar; click it and you’ll see your Windows file system. If you have multiple partitions or hard drives, you’ll see multiple devices here.

Connect an external drive or USB stick to your computer and it will appear under Devices, too. Copy and paste the files you want to back up from the Windows system to your external drive, just as you would on Windows. You could even fire up a web browser and upload the files directly to Dropbox or another cloud storage service, or open the Brasero Disc Burner application included with Ubuntu to burn them to disc.

Reset your Windows password

Ubuntu can also edit your Windows user account passwords, which is great if you’veforgotten your Windows password. We tested this on a modern Windows 8.1 Update system and it worked perfectly. We’ll be modifying the Administrator account here—after you unlock it and clear its password, you can log into Windows as Administrator and reset your other passwords.

Open a terminal by clicking the Ubuntu logo in the top-left corner of the launcher, typingTerminal, and pressing Enter. Run the following commands to install the password-changing utility you’ll need. (If you’ve already run the first two commands, you don’t need to run them again—just run the third one here.)

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu $(lsb_release -sc) universe"

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install chntpw

Be sure to open the file manager from the launcher and click your Windows drive under Devices to view its contents if you haven’t yet. This will “mount” the drive and make it available in the terminal.

Finding the Windows directory using the Terminal. 

Next, start typing the following command into the terminal, but do not press Enter:

cd /media/

Now, press the Tab key twice. You’ll see an alphanumeric label that corresponds to your hard drive. Type the first few characters and press Tab again to automatically fill the label in. Now type /Windows/System32/config so you end up with a command that looks like the following, and then finally press Enter:

cd /media/9A72A08872A06AA9/Windows/System32/config

Run the following command and press Enter to start modifying the Administrator account. SAM is the name of the Windows system file containing the hashed user account passwords.

sudo chntpw SAM

If your Administrator account is locked—and it is by default—type 4 at the prompt and press Enter to unlock it. Type y at the confirmation prompt and press Enter to confirm.

Unlocking the Windows admin account.

You’ll have to run the sudo chntpw SAM command again to get back into the program. Type 1 and press Enter at the prompt to clear the Administrator’s password and make it blank. Type y at the prompt and press Enter to confirm again. Important: Do not use the change password option here, as it could cause problems.

You can now log into Windows with the username Administrator and a blank password. From there, you can open the Control Panel and reset other user account passwords. (Worried about other people doing this to your Windows system? Set a BIOS passwordto ensure they can’t boot to removable media and mess around with it.)

Scan for malware

Rootkits are a nasty type of malware that burrow deep into Windows and start at boot-up, pulling strings in the background so they’re invisible to antivirus programs and hidden even from the Windows Task Manager. Even if you have bog-standard malware, it’s often easier to remove malware from outside Windows. Antivirus companies often makededicated antivirus boot discs you can use to scan your system from outside Windows, but you can do this all from within Ubuntu.

We’ll use ClamAV here because it’s open source and easily installable on Ubuntu. It isn’t the only option, though; you may also want to look at commercial antiviruses like AVG Free for Linux or BitDefender for Unices.

To install ClamAV, open the terminal and copy-paste or type each of the following commands into the terminal in order, pressing Enter after each. (Again, if you’ve already run the first two commands performing another task, you don’t need to run them again—just start at the third.)

sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu $(lsb_release -sc) universe"

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install clamtk

Type y and press Enter to confirm the installation.

Next, run the following command to update your virus definitions:

sudo freshclam

Be sure to have ClamAV scan all files and directories.

You can now run the clamtk command in the terminal or open ClamTk from your list of installed applications. Be sure to click the Preferences button and enable the “Scan all files and directories in a directory” option after you do.

Selecting a recursive scan while ClamTk is open.

To actually scan your Windows drive for malware, click the Scan option on the menu at the top of ClamAV's screen and select Recursive Scan. Select your Windows drive in the sidebar and clickOK. ClamTk should scan every file on your Windows drive with the ClamAV antivirus engine.

Give your hard drive a check-up

Ubuntu can also check for hardware-related issues.

The SMART hard drive status system allows a failing hard drive to warn you before it goes down in flames. To check a drive’s SMART status from Ubuntu, click the Ubuntu logo icon at the top-left corner of your screen, search for "Disk Utility" and press Enter. Select your Windows drive and look next to SMART Status to see the drive’s health status. You can click the SMART Data button to see more details and perform self-tests.

Checking your disk drive's health is SMART. Get it? Hey, stop groaning.

SMART isn’t perfect. A drive may be failing and reporting that everything is fine even as it grinds to a halt. Another drive may report a serious problem and continue working fine for months. But, if you see a serious warning, you should get your files off the drive and replace it as soon as possible.

Test your RAM

Ubuntu comes with the popular memtest86+ memory-testing utility built-in. This utility will write data to your computer’s RAM, read it back, and check if it’s correct. If your RAM has a problem, memtest86+ will notice when the RAM returns different data. In normal computer use, these problems can lead to application crashes, file corruption, and even the dreaded blue screen of death.

This utility must be chosen at boot, so you’ll have to restart your computer if you’re already at the Ubuntu desktop. When Ubuntu starts booting, repeatedly press Escapeand you’ll see the normally hidden boot menu. Select the Test Memory option here to launch memtest86+.

You want the "Test Memory" option.

Give memtest86+ some time alone with your computer after it begins. After a single successful batch of tests, known as a pass, you’ll see the message “Pass complete, no errors, press Esc to exit.” You can exit memtest86+ after the message appears or allow it to perform multiple passes. If you see an error, you likely need to replace one or more of the RAM sticks in your PC.

 source

Detail: Troubleshoot all sorts of problems with any PC with Ubuntu live drive