Windows 8: upgrade from 32-bit to 64-bit system

By Martin Brinkmann on October 27, 2012 - Tags:Backup, Windows 8, Windows tips

You need to be very careful when you want to upgrade from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows 8. Microsoft, for whatever reason, decided to make things complicated. If you run the Upgrade Advisor to buy a copy of Windows 8 online, you will always get the version of Windows 8 that is corresponding to the currently installed version of the operating system. So, if you are running the Upgrade Assistant on a 32-bit version you will end up with a 32-bit Windows 8 version, while running it on a 64-bit version of Windows will result in a 64-bit version of Windows 8.

That's not a problem if you do not want to switch from 32-bit to 64-bit during the upgrade, but if you do, you will notice that you can't do that at all. If you are unlucky, you will notice once the system is up and running after the installation.

Can I upgrade a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows 8?

Yes, but you can't do this using Upgrade Assistant. If your PC has a 64-bit capable processor (CPU) but is currently running a 32-bit version of Windows, you can install a 64-bit version of Windows 8, but you'll need to buy Windows 8 as a DVD.

In short: you can't use the Upgrade Assistant to upgrade from a 32-bit version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows 8.

It won't work if you run the installation directly using the Upgrade Assistant, and it won't work if you select to burn the operating system to DVD or copy it on an USB Flash Drive instead.

If you have the option, you can run the Upgrade Assistant on a 64-bit version of Windows and burn the contents to DVD or copy it on a flash drive. If you do not have the option available to you, you need to buy a 64-bit retail upgrade copy of Windows 8 instead or select the backup media add-on option during the purchase which also includes two discs. The retail copy includes two discs, one for 32-bit and one for 64-bit.

I'm not sure why Microsoft is making it that difficult for customers who try to upgrade from 32-bit to 64-bit during the upgrade. It certainly would not be a problem for the company to add an advanced configuration to the Upgrade Assistant that can be used to pick the version of Windows you want to upgrade to.

Microsoft notes that you can't keep any files, settings or software programs when you upgrade from 32-bit to 64-bit.

X-Ray 2.0 VirusTotal frontend with a batch of extra features

By Martin Brinkmann on October 28, 2012 - Tags:antivirus, Portable software, Windows software

If you are in the business of downloading and testing lots of different applications, you better make sure that the programs that you run on your PC are clean and not infected with some nasty malware. If you have the resources, you could build a PC only for testing and nothing else, but if you are on your own, you probably have to find a different solution that is not as expensive or time consuming. Sandboxing comes to mind as one of the most effective options. Still, you need to scan the program if you write about it as it may provide you with information that you need to communicate to your readers who may not all run sandboxing software or up to date antivirus software that protects their data from malware.

The main service that I use to test a file for traces of malware is VirusTotal which scans the file using more than 40 different antivirus engines from respected companies such as Avast, AVG, Symantec, Dr. Web or Microsoft.

The service is great for single-file verifications, but not so great if you have a number of files that you want to check. That's were programs like the official VirusTotal Uploader or Raymond's X-Raycome into play.

X-Ray 2.0 has just been released by Raymond. The program is a frontend for VirusTotal that offers additional features on top of the functionality that VirusTotal provides. It has three core features:

• Get a files most recent VirusTotal report if available. This submits the file hash only to VirusTotal to see if it is in the database. If it is, it will retrieve the latest scan report and display it in the X-Ray interface.
• Send files to VirusTotal. This submits all files that you have selected to VirusTotal for a scan.
• Send suspicious files to antivirus companies for analysis. You can use the program to submit a suspicious file, for instance one where VirusTotal returned malware hits, to antivirus companies as a sample. Software authors can use the program to quickly submit their files to companies that detected false positives for instance.

The new version features several improvements, most prominently full support for VirusTotal's API 2.0, support for automatic captach recognition services, proxy support, and a right-click send to option to use the program from within Windows Explorer.

The software could use some form of automation. When you drag and drop multiple files into the interface or use the add suspicious files button to do so, you will notice that the files won't get submitted automatically. You need to click on the get report or send to buttons for each file individually to get reports. It would be handy if you could click a button only once, or configure the program to use a default action automatically when files are added, to improve the usability.

It also appears that you need to click on the get report button after you have submitted a file that is unknown to VirusTotal to get the report. The analysis is not automatically displayed in the program window.

X-Ray 2.0 regardless of that is a well designed program that aids you in the verification of files using VirusTotal's online scanning service. Software authors in addition can use it to submit their programs for testing to various antivirus companies. The application is compatible with all recent 32-bit and 64-bit editions of the Microsoft Windows operating system.

The program displays a number of options on start which may be confusing at first. There is for instance a right click editor and a simple right click editor, and it is not really clear what the difference is between the two tools. Here is a quick rundown of all tools and the functionality they make available: Right Click Tweaker - This tool enables you to add new commands to the Windows Explorer context menu. From opening an administrative command prompt over printing a file list, taking ownership or copying the selected contents to the clipboard. My Computer Manager - Enables you to add files or folders to the My Computer context menu. Right Click Shortcuts Creator - You can use this tool to add file or folder shortcuts to the right-click context menu in Windows Explorer. All shortcuts are placed into the root folder automatically. Right Click Cascading Menu Creator - Does the same as the Right Click Shortcuts Creator, only that you place the file or folder shortcuts into subfolders which may improve visibility if you plan to add several shortcuts to the menu. Right Click Editor - Displays all existing file types and their associated actions. You can add, remove or edit actions here Right Click Editor IE - You can edit Internet Explorer's context menu here. Send To Manager - Add or remove devices, folders or services in the Send To folder. New Menu Editor - Add or remove files that you can create when you select the New option in Windows Explorer. Simple Right Click Editor - Displays context menu commands and their actions. You can use it to remove actions from the menu. Right Click Enhancer offers an incredible set of features for Windows users who want to manage Windows Explorer context menu entries. From removing entries that are not used to optimize the context menu to adding shortcuts to often used programs or commands, it is all there and not difficult to use. Enjoyed the article?

Manage Context Menu items with Right Click Enhancer

By Martin Brinkmann on October 29, 2012 - Tags:Windows Explorer, Windows software

If you install lots of software on your system you may have noticed that the Windows Explorer right-click context menu has grown considerable in size ever since you started to install software on your computer. Many applications add their own items to the context menu which help you run specific features faster. You can for instance send a selected file directly to your virus scanner for testing, or load selected media files with your favorite media player.

It quickly becomes a problem once items are added that you do not use at all. The result is a cluttered context menu that is displaying too many items and slowing you down as a consequence.

Right Click Enhancer is a free portable software program for the Windows operating system that makes available a set of tools to tame the context menu. The program not only lets you remove items with ease, it also enables you to add useful items or program shortcuts to the context menu.

Right Click Enhancer

The program displays a number of options on start which may be confusing at first. There is for instance a right click editor and a simple right click editor, and it is not really clear what the difference is between the two tools. Here is a quick rundown of all tools and the functionality they make available:

• Right Click Tweaker - This tool enables you to add new commands to the Windows Explorer context menu. From opening an administrative command prompt over printing a file list, taking ownership or copying the selected contents to the clipboard.
• My Computer Manager - Enables you to add files or folders to the My Computer context menu.
• Right Click Shortcuts Creator - You can use this tool to add file or folder shortcuts to the right-click context menu in Windows Explorer. All shortcuts are placed into the root folder automatically.
• Right Click Cascading Menu Creator -  Does the same as the Right Click Shortcuts Creator, only that you place the file or folder shortcuts into subfolders which may improve visibility if you plan to add several shortcuts to the menu.
• Right Click Editor - Displays all existing file types and their associated actions. You can add, remove or edit actions here
• Right Click Editor IE - You can edit Internet Explorer's context menu here.
• Send To Manager -  Add or remove devices, folders or services in the Send To folder.
• New Menu Editor - Add or remove files that you can create when you select the New option in Windows Explorer.
• Simple Right Click Editor - Displays context menu commands and their actions. You can use it to remove actions from the menu.

Right Click Enhancer offers an incredible set of features for Windows users who want to manage Windows Explorer context menu entries. From removing entries that are not used to optimize the context menu to adding shortcuts to often used programs or commands, it is all there and not difficult to use.

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