Years ago, a Microsoft
Most Valuable Professional (MVP), named
Doug Knox, maintained a
terrific web site that provided a wide array of tweaks and fixes for Windows XP. The downloadable apps and scripts were much easier for novices to employ than complicated step-by-step guides involving editing the Registry or other daunting procedures.
Mr. Knox's site is still around, along with other popular portals dedicated to fixing or enhancing Windows XP, such as
Kelly's Korner for Windows XP, the masterwork of
Kelly Theriot, another Microsoft MVP.
These sites are great, but what about those of us who have moved to Windows Vista or Windows 7? Sure, you can visit Microsoft's
Fix It Solution Center or
Microsoft Product Support, but these venues lack the one-off appeal of a site run by enthusiasts, somewhat like bringing your car to the dealer for body work, as opposed to
Chip Foose.
Well, there's good news. I recently stumbled on site called
The Windows Club. According to its
About section, it's the creation of
Anand Khanse, an end-user Windows enthusiast and -- you guessed it! -- Microsoft MVP. Although less than a year ago, the site is already host to a tremendous assortment of
tips,
downloads,
news and
Windows help forums. It even has its own
software releases.
FixWin Utility v1.1 is designed to quickly solve the most common problems in Windows Vista and Windows 7. The tool covers about 50 different problems, and each fix is as easy as clicking a button.
The utility was created by
Ramesh Kumar, and yes, he is also a Microsoft MVP. The tool only works with Windows Vista (32-bit or 64-bit) or Windows 7 (32-bit or 64-bit) and automatically detects which version of Windows you're running so it can display the appropriate fixes and tweaks. Each is accompanied by a clear explanation of what it does and/or what annoyance or enhancement it addresses.
The
Welcome screen wisely encourages you to run the native
System File Checker utility, in case any critical system files need to be repaired, and also strongly urges you to create a System Restore Point before making any changes. The fixes and tweaks are categorized by
Windows Explorer,
Internet & Connectivity,
Windows Media,
System Tools and
Additional Fixes.
The utility is free for personal use but is supplied "as-is," which means there is no warranty and no tech support if using the software causes problems.
Nevertheless, FixWin is a great resource. If you're an "old hand" at Windows, you'll immediately recognize many of the tweaks, only instead of having to "hack the Registry" or find settings in the local computer policy, you simply press a button that says "Fix."
The Windows Club has other interesting resources, including the
Ultimate Windows Tweaker,
FixIE,
GodMode Creator,
Start Button Changer,
Right-Click Extender,
Context Menu Editor and others. Like I said, it's a cool site. If you're running Windows Vista or Windows 7, you should definitely take a few minutes to check it out.
