Some Notes on the Machines

In Vista or Windows 7, there is a built-in command, “MKLINK”. Here’s a good reference, suggested by Matt Quick:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-symlinks-in-windows-vista/

For a long while they were called “junctions”. In Server 2000, Server 2003, or XP, you’ll need this:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896768

The syntax is a bit different for each. And Windows does not support these “junctions” to directories on remote shares. But this can help a lot, for instance, when moving something like a profile folder from local drive to local drive. They are set up at the NTFS filesystem level, just like Unix/Linux.

A great example of usage, is moving a profile folder. It works like this:

1. Create a new user, local if it’s not a DC.
2. Reboot the server/PC, to unlock profile files and folders.
3. Log in as the new user.
4. Create a new folder for the profile to be moved.
5. Robocopy the old profile folder’s contents to the new. Make sure you get everything hidden!
6. Rename the old folder as backup, and create a junction from the new folder to the old folder’s container.
7. Log in as the new user and test.

From the amazing Matt Quick:

http://www.shadowexplorer.com/

This tool:

http://www.pcstarters.net/performance-maintainer/

is an aggregator which appears to be very helpful so far.

Favicons now come in many flavors. Here’s one web tool which handles it all.

https://realfavicongenerator.net/

Here are two well-reputed. MediCat:

https://gbatemp.net/threads/medicat-dvd-a-multiboot-linux-dvd.361577/

and Gandalf’s:

http://windowsmatters.com/2015/11/05/updated-gandalfs-windows-10-x86-pe/

I just tried several, including my old friend Inkscape. Gradient editing is broken partly or completely, and/or far arcane and undocumented, in everything I tried, except one new one:

http://designer.io

Gravit Designer. Install it as a program on major platforms, or use it online, or both. Amazingly good.

Best I’ve found so far:

http://nssm.cc/download

A good free-of-charge PDF reader, also free of unpleasant add-ons, works when Adobe’s breaks:

https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/free-pdf-reader.html

Here is a very good tool for writing an ISO to USB flash drive in bootable mode, in Windows:

http://rufus.akeo.ie/

Some great info and tools at the page below, and scroll down to the bottom for the jackpot:

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/campaigns/hpsupportassistant/pc-diags.html

It may ask for a CSO Number and an Agent ID. Use “1234” (no quotes) for both.