How-Tos

How to Download Without Installing Malware

Paul Lilly — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:57:43 +0000

A how to download PSA

When the **** did it become so damn difficult to download a program from the Internet? If you've recently tried to grab a screensaver or software utility from the web, you know exactly what we're talking about. Somewhere along the way, the simple act of downloading a program has become anything but easy, even for Internet veterans who aren't easily duped. Many download sites are now designed to test the wits of savvy users and prey on the impatient with link landmines that will blow up your browser with toolbars and other unwanted add-ons. Even worse, you could end up with a malware infection. Should you give up?...

Hell no! Downloading might not be as simple as it once was, but it's far from an impossible mission, convoluted download portals be damned. We'll show you how to wade through the sea of shady links and track down the program you're looking, but it doesn't end there. You also have to be careful when installing an application, as installers sometimes carry adware, especially ones for free programs.

Free download links are often plastered with malicious links and adware

To Click or Not to Click the Big Green Download Button?

When we posted our "20 Awesome Screensavers" article with download links to each screensaver, some readers thought we screwed the pooch and served up malware infected URLs. Rest assured we verified that every screensaver we posted was clean, but actually downloading each one can be an exercise in frustration. Let's walk through the process of downloading "The Matrix" screensaver.

The link we provided jettisons readers to where the screensaver is hosted on CNET's website. Here's what you should see when you navigate there:

CNET's download.com is a popular website so you might not think twice about clicking the Download Now button, but take a closer look.

The fine print indirectly admits to installing adware.

If you hover your mouse over the button, you'll discover CNET is using an ad-supported wrapper. Not all downloads on CNET's website use the ad-supported stub installer, but the ones that do are indentified as such (so long as you're paying attention), both on the green Download button ("CNET Installer Enabled") and via the above pop-up box.

Downloading and installing looks so simple and easy but it's often anything but.

If you choose to proceed, you'll be presented with several attempts like the one shown above to install third-party software in addition to The Matrix screensaver. Simply click the Decline button to skip these offers one-by-one rather than mashing the oh-so-inviting Accept button. If you learned anything at all from mythology, it's that you should avoid being tempted by Sirens, and download sites serve up plenty of them.

Do you really want to install random third party apps?

Some screens are a little trickier than others and offer only two options:

Full Installation (Recommended)
Custom Installation (Advanced User)

When you encounter one of these screens, check the Custom Installation radio button and then deselect any checkboxes asking if you want to install toolbars or other cruft.

The legitimate download button is often the hardest one to find.

If this seems like an unnecessarily long path to the end, that's because it is. Instead of jumping through CNET's third-party hoops, an easier way to grab The Matrix (and similar downloads) is to click on the direct download situated just below the download button. Easy cheesy, right?

This particular link has SEVEN download buttons. Which one is the legitimate one?

Lest anyone think we're picking on CNET, it's actually not that bad compared to plenty of other download sites that make things much harder than they need to be. It's certainly not uncommon to see adware/malware masquerading as legitimate download links. Some are worse than others. In the screenshot above, there are no less than seven links with the words "download" or "driver," but only one of them actually links to the file we're looking for. How can you tell? Once again, hover your mouse over each button/link and see where it points to. If it's a DoubleClick ad or anything similar, then move on to the next one. In this case, the second download button with a right-facing arrow directs us to a URL with the words "ARCHOS-101-XS-Tablet-Firmware-412-Download" contained within. That's the one we're looking for.

Scan for Malware

Virustotal.com is a great tool for sussing out malware

Once you've finally found and downloaded the file you're looking for, be sure to scan it for malware, especially if you grabbed it from a site you've never heard of. Use any on-demand scanners you have installed (such as a daily AV program and/or Malewarebytes), and also upload the file to VirusTotal, a free cloud-based service that analyzes suspicious files and URLs for dirty code.

Using Virustotal is extremely easy, especially with a browser extension

If you're a Firefox user, we highly recommend installing VTzilla, an official VirusTotal browser extension. The extension adds a toolbar to Firefox, which you can disable if you prefer, as well as a right-click context menu entry to scan hyperlinks with VirusTotal before visiting the site in question.

For further virus protection measures, check out our in-depth virus protection guide. Do you know of any safe downloading tips? Have a downloading horror story to tell? Share them with us and other Maximum PC readers by posting in the comments section below!

Virus Protection Guide

Paul Lilly — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:07:34 +0000

Best free antivirus programs and virus propection tips

So you got caught with your pants down on the Internet (figuratively, folks) and contracted a virus. That sucks. Or maybe you were wearing protection but still fell victim to some nasty bit of code that managed to slip by your antivirus software undetected. That sucks even more. Either way, it's nothing to feel ashamed about. The web is a dangerous place and even the most tech savvy users sometimes slip up. You can even get a virus through no fault of your own simply by visiting a reputable website that, unbeknownst to you, has been compromised by a hacker with malicious intent. The web is a war zone, and even if you're not a target, you can still end up a casualty.

That's not to say you can't stack the odds decidedly in your favor, because you can. And you should. To help you do that, we've put together a comprehensive guide on how to protect your PC from malware. We cover everything from smart (and not so smart) computing habits, the best free antivirus programs, and what tools work best for removing an infection when all else fails. Don your hazmat suits and let's get started!

If your PC looks like this, you're doing something wrong.

Virus 101

If you're reading this, it's safe to assume you already know what a computer virus is, and certainly the majority of Maximum PC readers are well informed. So, we won't spend a ton of text dissecting the different kinds of viruses, but we do want to quickly cover the basics. Strictly speaking, a virus is a program that can replicate itself and is designed to spread from one computer to another, doing things the end-user doesn't want and/or doesn't know about.

A broader term is malware, short for malicious software, and there are many different forms, including viruses, Trojan horses, keyloggers, worms, adware, and spyware, to name a few. These days, malware is most often spread through web browsers. According to Kaspersky, there were nearly 1.6 billion browser-based attacks in 2012, up from 946 million a year prior.

A common misconception is that only Windows users need to concern themselves with malware, but that isn't true. Malware writers have traditionally focused their efforts on Windows, but have started targeting other platforms as they become more popular, including mobile. Even Mac users have to be on the lookout.

"In early 2012, the Flashfake botnet was discovered, consisting of 700,000 computers all running under Mac OS X," Kaspersky states in its most recent security bulletin.

The bottom line is, if you use the Internet, you're a target.

Safe Computing is a Start

Your best line of defense is still you, the end-user. The less risks you take, the lower your chance of becoming just another statistic, and it all starts with developing smart computing habits. Here are five easy ways you can remove yourself from the line of fire:

Never open unexpected email attachments, even if you know the recipient. If a PC belonging to someone else is infected, it could be auto-generating malicious emails with dirty attachments or booby-trapped URLs.
It's easy to spoof URLs within emails. Instead of clicking on email links, type the URL directly into your browser, especially if you receive a notice that appears to come from your banking institution or PayPal. This exponentially decreases your risk of falling for a phishing scam. You know what they say about a fool and his money...
Stay diligent with updating and patching your software. These updates often patch security holes that malware writers can otherwise exploit. If a program has the option of automatically checking for updates, enable it. We also recommend running Secunia's Personal Software Inspector (PSI) on occasion, which is a free security tool that scans for and identifies vulnerabilities in many third-party programs.
Avoid visiting shadier sides of the web. We're in no way trying to play the part of moral police, but sites that serve up illegal downloads or triple-X rated content are popular places to set digital landmines.
Use Alt-F4 to close suspicious pop-up ads instead of clicking on the X button. Why? Sometimes the X button is really a part of the ad, and clicking it could redirect you to a malicious website.

A Word About Passwords

As much as you might love your significant other, using his or her name as your password is a really dumb idea. It's far too easy to guess, just like "123456," "iloveyou," "letmein," and others found on SplashData's list of worst passwords.

A good password will be at least eight characters long and will use a mix of letters, numbers, symbols, and capitalization. For example, "Ey3LMpC!" which stands for "I love Maximum PC" is relatively easy to remember and much more secure than a word or phrase that can be broken with a brute force dictionary attack.

You also should be using multiple passwords for different websites so that if one account is compromised, your others are still safe. The downside to this approach is that it can be difficult to remember multiple passwords, especially strong ones. An alternative to remembering them all is to use a password manager like LastPass or KeePass, both of which are free. RoboForm is another option, and though it isn't free, it also fills in forms and allows you to access RoboForm Logins and Identities on all your devices, including mobile. The same is true of 1Password, though it doesn't fill in forms.

Second Line of Defense: Antivirus Software

Whenever the topic of security software comes up, inevitably someone chimes in that it's completely unnecessary so long as you surf the web safely. They'll then provide anecdotal evidence based on their own personal experience, and while it's true you can get by without AV protection, it's a constant roll of the dice. And for what? To save a few CPU cycles? It's simply not worth the risk, and certainly not the cost when there are free options out there. Let's focus on those first.

-Avast Free Edition (Free, www.avast.com/en-us/index)

Every year we run a roundup of security software and you can read the latest one in the April issue of Maximum PC magazine. In it we tested three free antivirus programs -- Avast, Microsoft Security Essentials, and AVG -- and out of those three, we found Avast to be the best free antivirus software.

We like Avast because it scans for viruses and spyware, and has a built-in remote support tool that allows you to dish out (or receive) assistance to other trusted Avast users, which is extremely handy if you're the IT guy for family and friends. It also offers tons of fine grain control.

One of our few complaints is that Avast doesn't guard against Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) by default. To change that, click on Security > File System Shield > Settings > Sensitivity and check the box underneath "PUP and suspicious files."

We also recommend doing a full system scan at least once a month. If you keep your PC on 24/7, it's not a bad idea to schedule nightly scans when you're asleep. This ensures that any potential threats are caught before they have much chance to do any harm, provided they get past Avast's real-time scan engine to begin with.

-Second Opinions

No virus scanner is capable of catching and neutralizing every single threat; it's simply not possible due to the sheer number of new malware that is created on a daily basis. For this reason, it's in your best interest to solicit a second and/or third opinion on occasion using a dedicated spyware scanner. How often depends on how risky your online behavior. If all you're doing is surfing Maximum PC, sports sites, and updating your Facebook feed, quarterly scans should be sufficient.

One of the best programs out there is Malwarebytes. It's free (there's also a paid version) and it does an excellent job of detecting deeply embedded threats that other scanners miss. Malwarebytes is also great at cleaning up remnants left behind after you've eradicated a virus, such as lingering registry entries.

Another popular program is SuperAntiSpyware, which is also available in free and paid flavors. Scanning with both Malwarebyes and SuperAntiSpyware on occasion is a potent one-two combo to supplement your daily AV program.

-Internet Security Suites

If you're willing to pay for security software, an Internet security suite offers more robust protection than what's available in any single free program. One of the best available is Norton Internet Security. Put your pitchforks away, if you haven't taken Norton for a test drive in several years, then you have no idea what you're missing. It's not the same bloated program that it was prior to 2009. That's when Symantec re-wrote the software from the ground up with an emphasis on performance. These days it offers top-notch protection with little impact on system performance

Click the next page to see what you should do when your computer has already been infected!

Stick Your Head in the Cloud

A substitute for installing security software is to tap into the cloud. There are several cloud scanners at your disposal, but only a select few will go the extra mile and actually disinfect your machine if it finds something wrong, while others try to upsell you. Panda Security's Panda Active Scan detects and removes, though it only works with Internet Explorer. There's also an option to install a small front-end, but even if you go that route, it's still a cloud-based scanner that won't suck up your system resources.

Another handy bookmark is VirusTotal, a free, on-demand online scanner with a twist. Let's say you downloaded a file or email attachment, but are suspicious of its contents. Before you open it up, just upload it to VirusTotal and it will be put under the microscope of dozens of scan engines. It's the ultimate second opinion for single files and URLs, albeit the maximum file size is 32MB.

Hide Behind a Virtual Machine

Have kids that share your PC? You're a brave soul. Kids have a tendency to click on pop-up requests willy-nilly, but there are steps you can take to mitigate any potential headaches. Here they are:

Teach them smart computing habits. It's never too early to learn, and since their brains are like little sponges, they may surprise you with how much they retain.
Set up a different user account. It won't save your PC from nasty infections, but hey, do you really want to login and find that your Windows theme has been changed over to Spongebob or Dora the Explorer? We didn't think so.
Install Sandboxie, a free application that runs selected programs in an isolated environment. You can configure Sandboxie to run any time a browser is opened, so when your kids inevitably download something they shouldn't have, the changes aren't permanent. This is also a wonderful tool for installing on PCs belonging to friends and family. It works with any browser, too.

If you're particularly reckless on the web, a full-blown virtual machine is the next best thing to a dedicated web box. A virtual machine isn't completely fool proof, but it's close to it. Microsoft's Virtual PC works relatively well, especially if you're mostly interested in surfing the web, and so is VMWare's Player. Another thing VMs are good for is installing suspicious programs and beta software. If something turns out to be malicious, the damage is contained away from your OS.

I'm Already Infected, Now What!?

Despite your best efforts, sometimes the bad guys win. If that happens, or if a family member drops off a badly infected PC, follow these steps to clean it up.

-Scan, Scan, and Scan Again

First, try installing a free antivirus program. If it works, great, proceed to scan the system, and then follow that up with Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware sweeps. This three-pronged approach should rid the system of most, if not all malware, unless it's a particularly nasty infection. If it doesn't, don't worry, we're not ready to throw in the towel.

Before we proceed, are you even able to install security programs? Some malware detects when security software is being installed and stops it dead in its tracks. If that's happening to you, try to disable the offending program. Hit CTRL+ALT+DEL to start the Task Manager and look for any suspicious entries in the Processes tab. Anything that's gibberish -- for example, "mgbelwisfl" -- is probably up to no good. Highlight the entry and press End Process. Are you now able to install AV scanners?

If not, you'll need to boot into Safe Mode, which only loads the bare minimum drivers required to run Windows. To do that, hit the F8 key during boot (press it repeatedly during during bootup if you have trouble with the timing). When prompted, select Safe Mode with Networking. Now try installing/running your security software.

-HiJackThis

If your system's still displaying malware symptoms (slowed performance, random pop-ups, etc), you may need to dig deeper. HiJackThis is a free utility that generates an in-depth report of registry and file settings, but be warned it doesn't discern between good and harmful settings. If you don't know what the settings are, solicit outside help by posting a HiJackThis log to a computer forum like one here at Maximum PC. Alternately, you can post the contents of the log on HiJackThis.de Security and/or I Am Not a Geek for quick and basic parsing, though you should still seek outside help before nuking an entry you're unfamiliar with.

Running HiJackThis is simple. Just click the "Scan" button and wait for it to finish scanning your system (it only takes a few seconds). When it's finished, click on "Save Log" to save the contents to a Notepad file, which you can then copy/paste into any of the sites mentioned above.

Assuming you recognize an obvious malicious entry, check the appropriate box(es) and click "Fix checked."

-Comodo Cleaning Essentials

At this point, we're starting to run out of options, but all is not yet lost. Comodo Cleaning Essentials (CCE) is a tool that any geek should be toting around in his/her tool chest. It doesn't require any installation, meaning you can run it direct from a USB key, which is perfect for making house calls.

CCE digs deep for a variety of infections, including rootkits, making it an indispensable tool. It even scans the Master Boot Record (MBR), so to say it's thorough is an understatement.

Inside the CCE directory, you'll also find an entry called KillSwitch.exe. It's a much better version of the built-in Task Manager because it provides a bunch of additional information, and will even tell you if a program that's running is safe or known to be malicious. If you can't get into the Task Manager to kill an offending program, try using KillSwitch. If you want, you can even have it replace the Task Manager by enabling the setting in the Options menu.

-TDSSKiller

Persistent infections that manage to evade your best efforts to eradicate could be indicative of a rootkit. A rootkit is particularly stealthy, though not entirely invisible. Download and run Kaskperky's TDSSKiller if you think you might have a rootkit. Like CCE, this utility doesn't require installation and can be carried on a USB stick.

-ComboFix

When you're at your wit's end and ready to reinstall Windows, that's when you should try ComboFix, a powerful cleanup tool that can either save the day or leave your PC unable to operate correctly. Before downloading and running ComboFix, backup any data as if you're reinstalling Windows, because in the end, you might have to anyway. Before you proceed, you should also read through the extensive usage guide on Bleeping Computer.

If you've gotten this far and your system is still infected, throw in the towel and start with a fresh Windows installation. Sure, you could keep plugging away in hopes of cleaning up your system, but by the time you're done, you could be rocking a fresh Windows install with no trace of malware.

Know of any tips we missed or have software recommendations of your own? Let us and other readers know by posting them in the comments section below!

Build the Ultimate AMD Gaming PC

Josh Norem — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:30:49 +0000

We build a machine that’s red and black to hopefully beat our benchmarks black and blue

Variety is the spice of the Lab, so this month we decided to eschew our traditional builds and go with one you don’t see every day—an all-AMD gaming PC, built with (most of) the best parts we could get our hands on. We’re sure some of you will question the purpose of this build, so our pre-emptive answer is we built it because we could, and we were curious to see how a balls-out AMD build would benchmark, as we haven’t seen over-the-top AMD rig since The Matrix: Revolutions let us down. Plus, everyone is always ragging on us for ignoring AMD, so here you go AMD enthusiasts—an entire PC built just for you.

The AMD Gaming PC

We ended up pairing AMD's relatively new “Vishera” Piledriver CPU, the 4GHz FX-8350 (or “Octomom,” as we like to call it) with a totally jacked HD 7970 from Asus and a small army of AMD-ish components, which we figured would make for an interesting build. Finally, we’ve heard your feedback about how you don’t need to see another picture of RAM being inserted into its slot, so this month we’re going to talk about our component selection and the building process instead of showing you how we actually built it.

It’s Time to Choose

The impetus for this system was the release of the relatively new “Vishera” CPU from AMD along with an updated version of the Asus Crosshair V Formula Z motherboard running the 990FX chipset. We had just received both of these parts, so we knew what we had to do—take a lunch break to consider our options. While tossing back root beers we formulated the basis of the system—an AMD processor and motherboard were a given, but what else? We had yet to sample the overclocked HD 7970 DirectCU II TOP from Asus, so we added that to the equation. We then remembered AMD-branded RAM had just been announced, so we added that to the ticket as we ordered another round of brewskies. To finish the system, we settled on the Thermaltake V3 AMD edition chassis, some red-band Corsair AF120 case fans, and a red Corsair Force GS SSD, as well, to tie the room together.

INGREDIENTS

	PART	URL	Price
Case	Thermaltake V3 AMD Edition	www.thermaltakeusa.com	$50
PSU	Corsair TX750M 750W	www.corsair.com	$115
Mobo	Asus Crosshair V Formula Z	www.asus.com	$230
CPU	AMD 4GHz FX-8350	www.amd.com	$220
Cooler	Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus	www.coolermaster.com	$20
GPU	Asus Radeon HD 7970 DirectCU II TOP	www.asus.com	$450
RAM	8GB AMD Performance Edition DDR3/1600	www.amd.com	$50
Hard Drive	WD RE 4TB	www.wd.com	$460
SSD	Corsair Force GS SSD 240GB	www.corsair.com	$220
Fans	Corsair AF120 Quiet Edition (x2)	www.corsair.com	$28
OS	Windows 7 Professional 64-bit	www.microsoft.com	$140
Total			$1,983

Click the next page to see our CPU, motherboard, and video card specs

1. The CPU and Motherboard

AMD’s new CPU is the first proc we’ve ever seen that comes clocked from the factory at 4GHz, and it’s a surprisingly affordable eight-core processor, too. Though 4GHz is the highest stock-clock speed we’ve ever seen, don’t get too excited. The FX-8350 is not even in the same universe as something like a hexa-core Intel Core i7-3960X, despite having two additional cores and a clock-speed advantage.

The motherboard is the latest version of the Asus Crosshair V and has every feature imaginable, including an actual digital kitchen sink. It’s running the AMD 990FX chipset and dishes up a total of eight SATA 6Gb/s ports and two eSATA 6Gb/s ports as well as a new SupremeFX III audio chip and three PCI Express x16 slots for three-way SLI or CrossFire. Plus, the paint job is totally righteous.

Asus’s Crosshair V Formula Z is the perfect home for a flagship CPU like the FX-8350.

2. OUR TOP PICK

Of course we went with a Radeon HD 7970 for this build—you would do the same thing if you were in our statically shielded shoes. But instead of just going with a Nilla Wafer card, we rang up Asus and requested its overclocked bitch-maker, the HD 7970 DirectCU II TOP. In English, this means the card is a 7970 but it has the company’s ludicrously huge DirectCU II triple-slot cooler, and TOP means its core clock speed is nudged up to 1GHz from its stock speed of 925MHz. This card requires two 8-pin connectors and can power up to six displays at once, and did we mention it’s effing massive?

This overclocked, triple-slot pixel-pusher runs neck-and-neck with the GTX 680 and is totally silent.

3. WE MAKE OUR CASE

We can already hear the smack-talk about taking a $50 case and stuffing two-grand worth of gear into it. Point taken—and yes, we chose it for its color scheme. But since our build wasn’t too ambitious, the case actually worked out OK, though we did experience a few issues. The first sign of trouble was a warning in the manual not to use a video card that exceeds 10.4 inches. We stared at our 11-inch GPU, gritted our teeth, and wedged it into the PCIe slot with... no problem at all. It worked perfectly. The second issue was the rear-facing 3.5-inch hard drive bays, which we haven’t seen in a while and did not miss. Installing drives once the mobo and GPU are inside is a PITA, plain and simple. The biggest issue we had was a lack of holes to route our PSU cables, so please cut us some slack on that (we know you won’t).

Thermaltake’s V3 AMD is specifi cally designed for AMD processors and RAM. OK, we made that up.

Click the next page to check out the PC's SSD, PSU, and RAM

4. STORAGE DUTIES

Our SSD selection will probably be another controversial choice, but we picked it for two reasons. First, it’s red. Second, it’s fast. The second part is crucial, because if the drive was red and slow, it would not be in this rig, period. But since it’s fast, and red, in it went. Though we never officially reviewed this drive, it’s the flagship of Corsair’s previous Force lineup, and features fast MLC Toggle NAND and a SandForce SF-2281 controller, so it’s got some hardware cred. In testing, it hummed right along at 464MB/412MB read and write speeds. Since no man can survive on an SSD alone, we paired it with WD’s cavernous 4TB RE enterprise drive, which spins at 7,200rpm and is big enough to hold our multimedia stash, barely. Since the Thermaltake case only has 4 3.5-inch drive bays, we figured we had better go big on this one.

A SandForce SSD from Corsair and 4TB of rotating storage should serve our file-hoarding needs nicely.

5. MORE POWER

Our PSU choice was made interesting by the fact that the original no-name model we chose failed during testing. The system would boot fine and run normally until we really stressed it out, at which point we found ourselves staring at a matrix of orange squares on our LCD. We tried updating the mobo’s BIOS, updating our video drivers, and even swapping the power cables, but nothing worked. Finally, we grabbed the Corsair TX750M and plugged it into the 24-pin and 8-pin connectors, leaving the original PSU attached to the GPU, and everything worked just fine. Eventually, we yanked the original PSU out and went with Corsair. This just reinforces an ageold lesson: Don’t get cheap when it comes to your rig’s power supply. It’s not worth the headache.

An inadequate power supply put a halt to our benchmarking. Thankfully, Corsair stepped in and saved the day.

6. RED RAM

AMD has begun selling branded memory, so we figured we’d plop some sticks into the machine to see if anything bad would happen. The RAM is made by Patriot and VisionTek but is validated by AMD for use with its CPUs and chipsets, so take that for what it’s worth. The company is offering branded sticks in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB modules in four flavors: Value, Entertainment, Performance, and Radeon. We used 8GB of Performance RAM, which was clocked at 1,600MHz at 1.5V out of the box. Even though AMD warns users against overclocking, it also indicates on its website that it can be safely run at 1.65V in order to achieve more aggressive timings.

We tried some AMD Performance Edition RAM and are happy to report it was rock solid and stable.

Click the next page to see our overall conclusion and benchmark numbers

1. The V3 case only comes with one 12cm exhaust fan, but we replaced it with two Corsair AF120 Quiet case fans because they look snazzy and are whisper-quiet.

2. We originally wanted a Phanteks cooler in red, but a time crunch forced us to go with our favorite cooler of the past year, the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus. It’s still the best bang for-the-buck cooler in the land and is amazingly quiet.

3. Thermaltake says this case isn’t made for extra-long GPUs and extra-tall CPU coolers, but both of ours fit with zero clearance problems.

4. The Thermaltake V3 AMD edition lacks holes for cable routing, so we ended up with a traffic jam in the lower quadrant of the chassis.

THE NUMBERS AREN’T PRETTY

As you look at the benchmark chart below, you should hear the sad trombone sound from The Price is Right playing in your head because this system got smoked by our zero-point rig, which has a hexa-core Sandy Bridge-E and GeForce GTX 690 video card. Its best result was in the x264 HD 5.0 encoding test, where our AMD rig lost by 30 percent to Core i7-3930K, its least punishing defeat, which was likely the result of the AMD part’s higher clock speed. In every other test the extra cores and clocks that AMD brings to the table didn't make a difference against Intel’s more efficient microarchitecture, even if it’s an older generation. We witnessed a beatdown in all the CPU-based tests, including Adobe Premiere Pro 6, where the Vishera system took almost 1.5 hours to complete a test that took our SNB-E machine just 33 minutes. We saw the same disparity in every other test, but it’s not a surprise since Vishera was not designed to go head-to-head with a $1,000 Intel Core i7 CPU. Sadly, our HD 7970 also got smacked around in both 3DMark and Batman, where it was picked on by the zero-point’s GTX 690 GPU. You can interpret this two ways: the first is, hey, it’s no so bad, considering that the ZP’s CPU and GPU cost twice as much as the AMD’s parts. The other way is, damn, those Sandy Bridge-E CPUs are fast.

Benchmarks

	ZERO POINT
Premiere Pro CS6 (sec)	2,000	5,160 (-61%)
Stitch.Efx 2.0 (sec)	831	1,489 (-44%)
ProShow Producer 5.0 (sec)	1,446	2,902 (-50%)
x264 HD 5.0 (fps)	21.1	14.8 (-30%)
Batmans Arkam City (fps)	76	51 (-33%)
3 DMark 11	5,847	3,122 (-47%)

Our current desktop test bed consists of a hexa-core 3.2GHz Core i7-3930K @ 3.8GHz, 8GB of Corsair DDR3/1600, on an Asus Sabertooth X79 motherboard. We are running a GeForce GTX 690, an OCZ Vertex 3 SSD, and 64-bit Windows 7 Professional.

Build Your Own Home Server

Nathan Edwards — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 01:20:45 +0000

Using FreeNAS to build a DIY home server

We haven’t checked in with FreeNAS, the FreeBSD-based DIY NAS OS, in quite some time. The OS has been completely overhauled, plugin support has been added, and it now works with even more hardware.

Since the last time we built a FreeNAS box, back in January 2010, the OS has been through some changes. It switched developers, nearly switched platforms, removed media streaming, added it back in via plugins, added better ZFS management, and more. FreeNAS promises near-endless customization and hardware support, enabling nearly anyone to build a highly moddable NAS from off-the-shelf parts. I’ve been promising an updated FreeNAS build for quite a while, and now’s the time to deliver. I assembled a cream-of-the-crop batch of hardware, got the latest version of FreeNAS, and got cracking.

Choosing the Hardware

The beauty of FreeNAS is that it’ll work with just about any old hardware you have lying around—you don’t need to build a special box for it. This “build” is more about exploring the new version of FreeNAS than it is about the hardware itself. I took the opportunity to build a pretty powerful system, but you don’t have to take my hardware choices as your minimum recommended specs or anything like that. I just wanted to see what would happen if I gave it beefy hardware to play with.

I chose a Fractal Array R2 chassis, which has six drive bays and an integrated PSU. I had a Mini-ITX FM1 board and an AMD A8 APU lying around and decided to use those, because a more capable CPU in your NAS means better transcoding and streaming. You could just as easily use any Mini-ITX board with a PCIe slot, maybe one with an integrated Atom or Brazos chip, if you want to save some money.

Four Western Digital Caviar Red NAS drives at 3TB each give me a theoretical 12TB of capacity if I were just going to make a RAID 0, which I’m not. Because I’ll be using a filesystem called ZFS, which does all its volume management in software, I want a good host-bus adapter that doesn’t insist on imposing its own hardware RAID over it—just something to pass the commands from the OS to the drives. I picked LSI’s SAS-9207-8i, which can control up to eight 6Gb/s drives and runs on a x8 PCIe 3.0 bus. Because I want to use the case’s SATA power connectors, I also bought a HighPoint Mini-SAS-to-SATA breakout cable rather than use the included connectors, which run on Molex power.

Because ZFS loves RAM and wants as much as you can throw at it (the specs recommend at least 1GB per TB of storage), I used two 8GB DDR3 DIMMs from G.Skill.

FreeNAS won’t mount any storage on the boot drive, and only takes up about 2GB total (with another 2GB swap), so there’s no point wasting a hard drive on it. It’s perfectly happy booting from a flash drive. I just used an 8GB drive left over from a CES press kit.

Set it Up

Since this is a very straightforward build but a complicated software install, I’ll skip the step-by-step build entirely, and start with the software configuration. It’s a bit of a doozy. Thankfully, I have the excellent instructions on Freenas.org and the FreeNas Quick Start Guide to help. Here’s how to set up FreeNAS; create volumes; set up users, groups, and sharing; and install a few streaming plugins.

1. Install the OS

To create the bootable OS image (from a Windows machine), you’ll need the aforementioned USB drive, the programs 7-Zip and Win32 Disk Imager, and the img.xz file for your install. We’re using FreeNAS 8.2.0 Release 1. Download the FreeNAS-8.2.0-RELEASE-p1-x64.img.xz file from SourceForge. Extract the img.xz file using 7-Zip to turn it into an .img file, then burn that file onto your USB key with Win32 Disk Imager. This might take a few minutes. Once it’s ready, plug the USB key into one of the FreeNAS box’s rear USB ports and turn on the machine. You’ll need a keyboard and a monitor for this, but only for a few minutes. Make sure the FreeNAS box is connected to your network via Ethernet. Make sure the system is set to boot from USB. The system will spend a few minutes doing a self-test and then dump you at a screen called Console Setup. At this point, under a list of 11 options, you should see the phrase “You may try the following URLs to access the web user interface,” followed by an IP address. Go to another computer on your network and enter that address into the web browser; you should be able to get right into the web console, which will make this whole process a lot easier (image A).

INGREDIENTS

	PART	URL	Price
Case/PSU	Fractal Array R2 w/300W SFX PSU	www.fractal-design.com	$200
Mobo	Asus F1A75-I Deluxe	www.asus.com	$175
CPU	AMD A8-3850 2.9GHz APU	www.amd.com	$100
Cooler	Stock AMD	www.amd.com	$0
RAM	G.Skill RipjawsX	www.gskill.com	$105
Boot Drive	8GB Flash Drive	various	$8
Hard Drives	3TB WD Red NAS drive (x4)	www.wdc.com	$880
Drive Controller	LSI SAS 9207-8i	www.lsi.com	$305
SAS-to-SATA cable	HighPoint Int-MS-1M4S	www.highpoint-tech.com	$10
OS	FreeNAS 8.2 Release	www.freenas.org	$0
Total			$1,783

You’ll notice a blinking Alert light on the upper right. Click it and you’ll see that you need to change the admin password. Hit the Account button to the left of the Alert button, then select Change Password. Changing the admin username from “admin” can help with security too. You should also set up an email address for the root account, so FreeNAS can email you with admin alerts. Go to Account, then Users, then View Users, and click Change Email on the root account. You should also set up console logging by going to System > Settings > Advanced and selecting Show Console messages in footer.

2. Set Up Storage

Now for the fun part: volume management. Thousands of words can be and have been written about the relative merits of the various traditional RAID levels, as well as ZFS-specific types like RAIDZ1 and RAIDZ2. Any choice will be a trade-off between performance, capacity, and robustness. I’m going with RAID-Z2, which will allow me to tolerate up to two disk failures without data loss.

Go to Storage > Volumes > Volume Manager. Create a volume name (I used “mpcstore”), then hold Ctrl and select the drives to use—I used all four drives. For filesystem type, select ZFS, then RAIDZ2. Select Add Volume. My four 3TB drives created a volume of 6TB; I’m sacrificing space for redundancy.

Inside the volume, I’ll create individual ZFS datasets so I can set granular permissions on each of them. Because I’m the first user, I’ll create a dataset within mpcstore for myself. In the left navigation pane I’ll go to Storage > Volumes >
/mnt/mpcstore and select Create ZFS Dataset. I’ll call it “nedstore” and give it an unlimited quota (image B).

3. Add Users and Groups

FreeNAS can be configured to inherit users from an Active Directory or LDAP, but I’m assuming that this device will be used in an unmanaged home network, so we’ll assign users with the same names as the Windows login names they use, per FreeNAS’s instructions.

I’ve created a user named Nathan (for myself), and selected “Create a new primary group for the user,” which will let me fine-tune permissions. I set my home directory to the dataset I created earlier, i.e., /mnt/mpcstore/nedstore.

4. Configure Permissions

Go back into Volumes and find the dataset you created earlier—in my case, that’s nedstore. Click Change Permissions and select the user you just created. Here you can control which users and groups have read/write access to the dataset (image C). Repeat the dataset, user, and permission steps for any users you create.

5. Set Up a Media Share

I’m going to set up a media dataset so I can share my music and movies with the rest of the Windows computers in my network. Follow the procedure above for setting up a new dataset (I called it Media), then browse in the navigation pane to Sharing > Windows (CIFS) > Add Windows (CIFS) Share. Create a new share and point it to the dataset you’ve just created (image D).

You can either restrict it to specific users or groups, or enable an anonymous Guest Mode. If you have Apple computers on your network, you should also turn on AFP; if you have Linux, enable NFS. You can also enable SSH, rsync (for replication), iSCSI, and more, all from the Services panel.

6. Map the Drive

Now you can map the Windows share you’ve just created. Go to My Computer, right-click, and select Add Network Location. Plug in the IP (the same one in your web console) and share name, as shown in the image (image E). Give it a fancy name. Note that you’ll have to configure permissions so that users have write access if you want to be able to add files and folders via Explorer.

7. Set Up the Plugins Jail

Earlier versions of FreeNAS contained robust streaming options, such as iTunes, uPnP, and BitTorrent clients. FreeNAS version 8.2 restored that functionality via the use of plugins. The word “plugin,” however, dramatically overstates the ease of using these. To install and set up these plugins, first go to your storage volume and create two ZFS datasets, one of at least 2GB called Jail and another called Software (image F). The plugin system basically creates a virtualized FreeBSD system inside your FreeNAS system, and by this point if you’re tearing your hair out, you’re not alone.

Next, go back to SourceForge and find the plugins_Jail.pbi file for the release you’re running. In our case, that’s at http://sourceforge.net/projects/freenas/files/FreeNAS-8.2.0/RELEASE/x64/plugins/. Download the PBI file to your computer. Now click the little wrench icon next to Plugins in the Services menu. That’ll put you through a three-part setup screen. The first one will give you a temporary place to store the PBI you’re about to upload. I just used the root of my mpcstore. The second lets you set up the paths to your jail and software datasets. Point the plugins jail path to the jail dataset and the archive path to the software dataset (image G). The third step is to upload the plugins jail PBI file from your desktop.

You’ll also need to create a separate pingable IP address for the software jail, distinct from your FreeNAS IP address (image H).

8. Install Plugins

Now you should be able to slide the Plugins slider to On and click the Plugins menu at the top. Go back to SourceForge and download the PBI files for the plugins you want to install. Right now the ones available are Transmission (a BitTorrent client), MiniDLNA (a, yes, DLNA client), and Firefly, a no-longer-maintained iTunes-library service. Once you’ve downloaded them, hit the Install Plugin button and browse to the PBI file and upload it. You’ll see it appear in the Plugins list, with service status set to Off. Create a mount point within the jail pointing to a folder outside the jail (image I). I directed it to the same dataset I’m using for my Windows share, so I can drag-and-drop media that can then be broadcast over MiniDLNA and Firefly. Easy, right?

Now go to the left-side navigation tree and go to Services > Plugins, and select the plugin you just installed. I’ll use MiniDLNA as an example. Give it a friendly name and a media directory. Note that your media directory should use a relative path within your software jail, so it’s best to just type it in manually. I used /media again (image J). Save your changes and turn the plugin on. Make sure the IP address you picked for your software jail is working and you should see the DLNA server show up in your list of UPnP devices (I used VLC to check).

Paddling in the Shallow End

So now you know how to set up users, groups, datasets, and sharing, and you’ve got your plugins ready to go. We’ve only scratched the surface of what FreeNAS has to offer. Fortunately, there’s a robust community that loves documentation and has its own forum with discussions and FAQs for every part of the FreeNAS experience, from hardware to software to plugins to fine-tuning, and more (bit.ly/OosjiB).

One note: Be sure to back up your NAS data to an external drive. Even with two-disk loss tolerance, you never know when disaster will strike. You can use FreeNAS’s built‑in rsync to make sure you have all your data synched to an external drive.

As for the specific hardware I used, it’s probably overkill for most home users. It did enable large-file read and write speeds of over 90MB/s, which is quite nice.

FreeNAS’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness: It’s incredibly complex and granular, with myriad configuration options, plugins, services, and so forth. The average home user may be better off buying an off-the-shelf NAS from Qnap or Synology, which are easier to configure and often include mobile access apps. But if you have the patience and the inclination, there’s nothing like building your own.

NOTE: This article was taken from the Novembe issue of the magazine.

Android Guide (Version 4.2)

Paul Escallier — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:30:11 +0000

What's new in Jelly Bean 4.2, best Android apps, and Android battery saving tips

With the recent release of Android version 4.2 (codename: Jelly Bean)and a handful of new Nexus devices (See: Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10), we figured it was time we updated our Android Guide. This time around, we’ve got some useful tips for getting the most out of the newly added features in the latest Jelly Bean update, a few general tricks for all of the Android users out there, and a list of great apps that are worth checking out.

What’s New in Android 4.2

As suggested by the fact that it keeps the Jelly Bean title, Android 4.2 isn’t a major overhaul like we saw going from Froyo to Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich. Rather than making any significant changes to the Android core, 4.2 brings several new features.

Multiple User Accounts for Tablets – Similar to a PC, Android 4.2 tablets allow you to create individualized user accounts. User accounts are managed in Settings>Users. Switching between users is done via the lock screen, and each user gets an individual lock screen which they can configure with a password or pattern for extra security.

Gesture Typing – The default keyboard in Android 4.2 now features Gesture Typing, which is essentially the same thing as Swype. It is enabled by default, but can easily go unnoticed until you accidentally slide your finger across the keys. Surprisingly, it even works with two fingers at the same time, though it can take some practice to get the coordination down.

Photo Sphere – Even though it’s fairly gimmicky, the Photo Sphere camera mode is an interesting new feature. Getting a good Photo Sphere result can be a bit tricky, though. The feature works best for scenes where all objects are far away, to help avoid the parallax effect. Keeping the device in a single location while rotating it, rather than using a panning motion, can also help negate the undesirable effect.

Activating Developer Options – Unlike previous versions of Android, 4.2 has hidden the Developer Options, opting for a rather obscure method of unlocking them. To regain access to your Developer Options, go to Settings>About Phone and scroll to the bottom of the menu. Start tapping on the “Build number” entry. After several taps, the Developer Options menu will return in the Settings.

Lock Screen Widgets – With Android 4.2, you can now add widgets to your lock screen. Sliding from the left or right edges of the display will take you to tiles that can be customized with widgets. Currently, only a small handful of pre-loaded lock screen widgets exist, but it shouldn’t be long before developers start bundling them with their apps.

Added Security – Malware is becoming more of an issue for mobile devices, and Android is one of the more heavily targeted platforms. Google actively scans its apps in the Play Store for malicious content; however, when installing apps from outside sources, you're still at risk – that is, until Android 4.2. Under Settings>Security, there is now a "Verify Apps" option which is enabled by default. This will allow any side loaded apps to be scanned prior to their installation. Other new layers of security include a Premium SMS filter that will prompt you with a confirmation dialog any time an SMS is sent to a known premium number.

Click the next page for general Android tips and tricks.

General Android Tips and Tricks

Since Android 4.2 is only available on a small number of Nexus devices so far, we didn’t think this guide would be too terribly useful if we only stuck to 4.2 specific features. We also have some tips that should apply to just about any current Android device.

Swapping Keyboards – Not everyone is content with the default keyboard that comes with their Android. Fortunately, there are plenty of great alternatives in the Google Play Store (check out our recommended keyboard apps below). Once a keyboard app is installed, you can typically configure it under Settings>Language & Input, and on some versions of Android, this is where you’ll find the options to enable it as well. If you can’t enable new keyboard from the Language & Input menu, you’ll need to long press on any text box and chose the Select Input Method option from the resulting pop-up menu.

Android Beam – NFC enabled devices running Ice Cream Sandwich or later have the ability to use Android Beam to share data. The options for enabling Android beam are in Settings>More. To use it, simply open up the content you wish to share, and then touch the backs of the devices together. You’ll be prompted with an option that says “Touch to Beam.” What happens from here will vary depending on content. Generally, the transfer is handled automatically via Bluetooth, so you’ll need to stay within range until the beam is complete.

Android Screenshot – It used to be that taking a screenshot required rooting your phone and installing special apps. Now, most Android devices come with this feature built in. The method for triggering a screenshot will vary from model to model, but the default for vanilla Android devices is to hold the Volume Down and Power buttons at the same time.

Managing Data Usage – Overages can get expensive, but starting with Ice Cream Sandwich, Android has a built-in feature to help manage your data consumption. Under Settings>Data Usage you can monitor your data use, set a warning threshold, and even configure a maximum limit to help prevent overages. It’ll also tell you which apps are the biggest data gobblers.

Personalizing Voice Recognition – Ever since its inclusion in Android 2.2, Google’s Voice Recognition has been improving considerably with every update. As of Ice Cream Sandwich, the built-in voice recognition is actually a viable alternative to typing, but if you’ve got a mouth like a sailor, you might find it doesn’t understand you very well. Under Settings>Language & Input you’ll find options for “Google Voice Typing” and/or “Voice Search” which will let you not only allow offensive words, but also improve accuracy by giving Google permission to collect some information on your speech patterns.

Respond to Calls with a Text – When you get a phone call, you can’t always answer, but as of Gingerbread, you can provide the caller with some instant feedback. Rather than sliding left or right to answer or ignore the call, you can slide upwards to launch a menu with a few canned responses and the option to compose your own message.

Click the next page for tips on improving Android battery life

Improving Android Battery Life

Performance is always a desirable feature in any computing device, but a smartphone that can’t last a full day on a single charge loses a lot of its appeal. Android manufacturers in particular, are guilty of pushing the performance limit at the cost of battery life. Under ideal conditions, most Android phones are designed make it a full day even with relatively heavy usage, but that doesn’t always relate to the real world. We have a few battery saving tips that will hopefully give you the freedom to leave your charger at home.

The usual tricks include things like turning off background data and ditching Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. Rather than reduce your phone’s usefulness, we’ll be focusing on the tricks that leave functionality largely unimpaired.

Training the Battery – Lithium-Ion cells may not have a charge memory in the same sense as old NiCd batteries, but they do have charging circuitry that is used to keep track of maximum capacities. The simple act of training a new battery can make a considerable difference. To do this, allow the device to run down the battery to the point that it starts warning you to connect the charger (around 5%-10%). Then, allow it to charge, undisturbed, until full. This can be repeated once more for good measure, and it’s a good idea to run through the cycle every month or two.

Don’t Use Automated Task Killers – When Android was still in its infancy, automated task killers helped deal with the battery drain of multitasking. Since Gingerbread, though, Android’s resource management has been significantly improved, to the point that automated task killers cause a negative impact on battery life. This is because the task killers are repeatedly killing apps that are just immediately starting back up again. Manual task killers are still fine for taking care of rogue apps and clearing up system recourses when you need to eke out a bit more performance, but steer clear of the automated ones.

Using Dark Backgrounds (for OLED displays) – A lot of Android devices have OLED (or AMOLED) displays. Compared to the more traditional LCD displays, OLEDs use about twice as much power when displaying a white screen; however, when showing a black screen, the power draw is practically zero. Using dark themes and backgrounds can cut down on the screen’s power consumption considerably. LCD display power use is relatively constant regardless of what the screen is showing (primarily dependent on the brightness of the backlight).

Increase the Screen Timeout – While it may be a bit counterintuitive, increasing the time it takes before your screen turns itself off can actually help your battery life. Most people are pretty good at manually turning off their phone’s screen before sliding it into their pocket, so having a short delay will only cause the screen to turn off while you’re still in the middle of something. If you find yourself constantly turning your screen back on, consider upping the screen timeout a bit (found in Settings>Display).

Turn off Android 4G – Yeah, we said we wouldn’t sacrifice functionality for battery life, but 4G data can be a real killer. Under most circumstances, such as basic web browsing, checking e-mail, and even streaming music, 4G speeds are just overkill. Instead, grab a 4G toggle widget from Google Play and throw it on your home screen so that it’s easy to turn on 4G when you need it, for things like gaming and video streaming.

Keep an Eye on Your Battery Stats – Ever since Gingerbread, Android has had an amazingly useful battery stats menu. You can find it under Settings>Battery. It gives you a graph of your battery’s charge throughout the day plus a list of apps sorted by their power drain. If you’re ever experiencing unusually poor battery life, this is the place to look to find the culprit.

Using Automated Apps to Manage Your Settings – There are plenty of features you can disable to help save battery life, but the majority of them are features you’ll probably want at some point throughout the day. Using an automation app, these settings can be enabled only as you need them, and then disabled when you’re done. Tasker is definitely one of the best apps for this (more information on it is available in the Application section below).

Uninstall Unused Apps – Not all apps will continue to run in the background, but as you accumulate more and more apps, it’s likely that you’re picking up a few background processes along the way. Even if you don’t use the apps anymore, their background activity can negatively impact battery life.

Windows 8 Tips Guide

David Murphy — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 23:30:14 +0000

12 Windows 8 Starter Tips and Tweaks

Alright, Windows 8 fans. You’ve taken our advice and speed-ran your way through a clean installation (or upgrade!) of Microsoft’s latest OS. You’ve created or attached an existing Windows Live account to your installation, you’ve taken care of the few prompts Microsoft’s asked you to fill out or click through, and you’ve even given a cursory glance to the company’s brief “How to use Windows 8” video during the installation process.

You’re staring at the Start Screen.

Now what do you do?

Before you get confused, scared, or start clicking mindlessly through your desktop in an effort to figure out how to shut down your PC, stay cool for a moment. We have a swath of little tips that will help you ease into Microsoft's new operating system from Windows 7. With our helpful Windows 8 Tips Guide, you’ll be a Windows 8 master faster than you can say, “SmartGlass.”

Let’s begin.

Manage Your Windows 8 Start Screen

See all those tiles? Some – mostly those representing Microsoft’s core apps or apps you’ve downloaded from the Microsoft Store – can get bigger or smaller. Right click on them to see the Start Screen’s “context menu,” a disappearing bar at the bottom of the Start Screen, and you might have the option to enlarge or shrink certain tiles. This is the same way you’ll launch programs with administrator rights and boot them off the Start Screen as a whole: Look for the “unpin” option.

Uninstall Windows 8 Apps

Same deal. You’ll find a link to uninstall an app when you right-click on any of its tiles that have been placed on your Smart Screen by the app’s installation utility. While Windows 8 will take you to the Desktop-based Programs and Features utility (otherwise found off of the Control Panel), it won’t actually jump you to the exact place on the “to be uninstalled” list where you’d find the app – that would have been a wonderful little touch.

Group Windows 8 Start Screen Icons

It goes without saying, but dumping icons into their own groups — organized by column — is as easy as dragging and dropping. But you can also drag and drop these clusters of columns around as a whole, in case you want to move your “games” chunk before your “apps” chunk or whatnot. Move your mouse to the lower right-hand corner within the Start Screen and click on the icon that looks like a hyphen with a box around it. The Start Screen will zoom out, and you can now move your columns around.

If you want to your columns them a fun name, just right-click on a column and select the “Name Group” option.

Pretty up the Windows 8 Start Screen

The first time you boot into the Start Screen after you log in, Windows 8 fills your colored background with your icons with a pretty left-to-right kind of a “fill” animation. We like that. We like it so much, that we want to see it all the time – Windows just makes your Start Screen boringly “appear” when you open and close it after this first login animation.

Open up the registry (type “regedit” on the Windows 8 Start Screen) and navigate over to this key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell\Grid. Right-click on the right-most window pane, hover over “New,” and select the “DWORD” option. Right-click on your new DWORD and rename it to “Launcher_SessionLoginAnimation_OnShow,” and then double-click on it and set its Value data to 1. Voila: Pretty Windows 8 icon animation forevermore! To revert this modification, just delete the DWORD you created.

Condense Your Rows

Before you leave the registry key we just mentioned, there’s one more tweak you can make to lock down the number of icon rows that appear on the Start Screen. Add another DWORD, just like before, and name this one: “Layout_MaximumRowCount.” Double-click on the DWORD and input the number of rows – to a maximum of five – that you want to limit your Start Screen to.

And don’t freak out when you first see that your change had absolutely no effect on your Start Screen. You have to log out and log in before your Start Screen changes.

Charming Shortcuts

If there’s one thing we hate about having to use Windows 8 with a mouse and a keyboard, it’s the fact that we have to drag our mouse all over the place – and wait for that slight delay – to access elements like Windows 8’s Charms Bar. Keyboard shortcuts, here we come.

Tap the following commands to pull up the various sub-menus of the Charms Bar: Your Windows Key and H displays the “Share” sidebar; Windows Key and K displays Devices; Windows Key and I displays Settings — a super-quick way to shut down your PC.

Also, here’s a bonus one – If you right-click on the lower-left-hand icon within Windows 8’s Desktop Mode, the one that would otherwise be where a start button would be, you can access a useful menu of Power User shortcuts: Control Panel, Task Manager, your System configuration screen, and more! If you’re feeling lazy, pressing the Windows Key and X simultaneously will pull up the same menu.

Bring the Start Button back to Windows 8

If you want to bypass the Windows 8 Start Screen, remove your ability to accidentally pull up its sidebars, and restore your Windows Start Button to a place of prominence in the corner of Windows 8’s Desktop Mode, there’s one free app that can perform all this magic: Classic Shell. Give it an install, and you’ll find a wealth of easy-to-manage options for removing some of Windows 8’s more controversial user interface elements.

Ditch the Windows 8 Lock Screen

While we’re at it, let’s get rid of that annoying Lock Screen – a pointless addition to the Windows 8 operating system for those that lack the capability to swipe a finger up their screens and make it go away. Open up Windows 8’s Group Policy Editor (type “gpedit.msc” on your Start Screen) and navigate to the following location: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization. You’ll want to then double-click on the policy called, “Do not display the lock screen.” Change the option to “Enabled,” and then click OK. Goodbye, annoying-but-pretty extra step between you and logging into your operating system.

Take Easy Screenshots with Windows 8

Tech writers everywhere rejoice at this little trick. In previous versions of Windows, taking a screenshot was a multi-step affair: You had to Print Screen the entire desktop, open up your favorite photo manipulation program (or Paint), paste your giant screen capture, crop down to whatever you even wanted to take shot of to begin with, and save your image as a file.

Bleck.

In Windows 8, you merely need to hit the Windows Key and Print Screen on your keyboard. The operating system will automatically take a shot of your full screen and dump an image file into a “Screenshots” folder within the Pictures folder of your account’s User folder. Say that three times fast.

Redo Your New

For whatever reason – and maybe this is just an issue I’m having – but Windows 8 doesn’t populate your right-click context menu’s “New” submenu very well. I’ve installed the Office 2013 preview, but still can’t right-click on a folder and create a new Word or Excel document from scratch.

I’ve also found a way to fix that, and to fix it for any file type that you want to add to your default right-click context menu.

Hit up your registry (again, type “regedit.exe” in your Start Screen), and navigate on over to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. Find the folder of the file type you want to add as an option to the “New” submenu previously described. Right click on that folder/file type and hover over “New,” then select “Key.” Right-click on the key and rename it to the phrase, “ShellNew.” Within this “ShellNew” folder, right-click on the right-most pane of the Registry Editor, hover over “New,” and select “String Value.” Rename this String Value “NullFile.” That’s it!

Now, you’ll find this file type as one of the available options under your right-click context menu > New sub-menu.

Automatically Log Into Windows 8

We’re big fans of security at Maximum PC. But if you’re the only one who will ever have physical access to your computer – or you really trust your cat – there’s no need for Windows 8 to mandate that you always type in a password or PIN to log on.

You can instruct the operating system to bypass the password step of your login process by first typing in “netplwiz” on your Start Screen. In the “User Accounts” screen that pops up (once you’ve clicked on the “netplwiz” icon, uncheck the box for, “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.”

Stop Opening My Files

Let’s face it: For a desktop or laptop user, Windows 8’s default applications for multimedia are absolutely horrible. Photos is crap. Video is crap. Music is crap. And it’s annoying that, in some instances, these are the apps that load when you double-click a file within File Explorer.

Let’s change that.

Type “default programs” into your Windows 8 Start Screen and click on the subsequent icon that appears in the search results. Click on the “Set your default programs” option. Now, pick an application on the left that you want to use to open your file types – like Windows Media Player, for example. Or, if you’re fancy, perhaps you have an app like Media Player Classic already installed and waiting.

Once you’ve picked your app, you can either select the “Choose defaults for this program” option to piecemeal together the different file types that the app should pull up. Or you can also do what we do: the nuclear option. Click on the “Set this program as Default” choice, and said app will now open up all the files it can possibly open up. Everything. The whole kit and caboodle, as it were.

So that's our Windows 8 tweak guide. Did we miss any helpful tips? Let us know in the comments section below!

Windows 8 Home Server Guide

Tim Ferrill — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 19:03:16 +0000

How to build a Home Server with Windows 8

Saying that Windows 8 is a major shift in strategy for Microsoft is pretty obvious at this point. Between the Metro interface, complete dismissal of the start menu, focus on touch screen devices, and myriad other changes; this is not the Windows of the Bill Gates era. One change which hasn’t received much discussion is the idea of Windows 8 being Microsoft’s next iteration for not only Windows 7, but for Windows Home Server.

If you haven’t heard, Windows Home Server has been discontinued by Microsoft. For those not familiar with the Windows Home Server product line to begin with, it was designed to be the central hub of your home network; providing easy access to large amounts of easily expandable storage, simple backups, media functionality, and synchronization of usernames and passwords throughout your home network. The good news is that Windows 8 provides much of the same functionality previously found only in Windows Home Server.

Our in-depth guide here will show you everything you'll need to build a Windows 8 home server.

Configuring Storage

Windows 8 offers some new tools which make it easy to create large amounts of redundant storage that may seem familiar if you’ve used Windows Home Server in the past. The storage spaces feature lets you group multiple physical hard drives together into a single storage pool and even provides options for redundancy. Storage spaces are probably a good idea even if you only have a single drive at the moment due to the ability to dynamically expand the size of your volume by adding more drives, much like the drive extender feature familiar to Windows Home Server users.

Power users can quickly access a number of tools using this hidden menu.

To begin configuring storage spaces, you need to access the Control Panel, which can be a little tricky in Windows 8. The two easiest ways we’ve found to get there are:

1. Go to the Start Screen, type “Control Panel”, then click on the Control Panel shortcut.

2. Move your mouse cursor to the bottom left of the screen to bring up the Start Screen shortcut, right click on the shortcut, and choose the Control Panel option. (There are some other goodies here as well, so keep this trick in mind for later use.)

Once you’ve navigated to the Control Panel you can find Storage Spaces under the System and Security category. The first step in getting storage spaces up and running is to create a storage pool and add physical drives to the pool. One thing to know is that storage pools use the full capacity of your hard drive, so if you have existing data it needs to be copied off before you add the drive into a storage pool.

Storage spaces let you create RAID-like storage on the cheap.

Within the Storage Spaces applet in the Control Panel you should see a link that says Create a new pool and storage space. Click this link and confirm the user account control pop-up to begin adding drives to your storage pool. The next screen will ask you to choose the drives to use in your storage pool. Select the drive or drives you want to use and click the Create pool button at the bottom of the window. Notice you can use any combination of internal and external drives to create your storage pool (we’re using two 2TB Backup Plus Desk drives from Seagate connected over USB 3.0).

Once the storage pool is created we move on to creating a storage space. There are several options when creating a storage space, some of which require some additional explanation. The name and drive letter are probably obvious to Maximum PC readers, these configure how the storage space is displayed in File Explorer. You would think the pool size would be another obvious option, but storage spaces can be configured to be larger than the amount of physical storage you have available. To be clear this is not usable space, but it does allow you to create a large storage space and expand through new physical drives as needed.

Configuring a storage space is extremely simple.

Resiliency is probably the most confusing of the storage space options. A storage space can be built to protect against drive failure by storing a duplicate copy of your data on more than one drive in a mirroring configuration. The caveats to using resiliency are that you must have multiple drives in your storage pool and the maximum storage capacity is reduced because some of the drive space is being used for resiliency. A storage space can even be configured to store an additional copy of your data in a three-way mirror. Sadly you cannot add or change the resiliency configuration of a storage space simply by adding another drive at a later date. What you can do later is add additional drives, configure a new storage space with resiliency, and then move your files to the new storage space. Also keep in mind that you can have multiple storage spaces in a single storage pool. This means you could have a resilient storage space mirroring your important documents, and a second storage pool with no resiliency used for music or videos which you could recover through another method.

Sharing your Files

Microsoft introduced the HomeGroup feature in Windows 7, and it’s returned in Windows 8. The feature allows you to set up a relationship between the Windows PCs on your network and eases the process of sharing files and devices between computers. There are two parts to sharing files using HomeGroup on your network.

HomeGroup creates a random password during the initial configuration.

First we need to create the HomeGroup and add computers. HomeGroup settings can be found in the Control Panel under the Network and Internet category. If there is already a HomeGroup on your network, you will be invited to join the existing HomeGroup, otherwise you will be prompted to create a new HomeGroup. There’s really not much to actually creating the HomeGroup itself. The system will generate a password which you must use to join other computers to the group. This password can be changed later to something you can remember.

Sharing files using a HomeGroup is most easily done by using Libraries. The HomeGroup Control Panel allows you to choose which libraries get shared with other users in the HomeGroup. If you want to simply share a single file it can be done by adding it to a shared library.

For our scenario, we’re looking to share entire folders within our new storage space. By creating Music, Video, and Pictures folders we can easily organize our media files. Additionally we can add these folders to the existing libraries by simply right clicking and choosing Include in library to start sharing them to the HomeGroup.

Sometimes we don’t want to do things exactly like Microsoft designed, so using the existing libraries isn’t always going to be a workable solution. Fortunately you can add libraries and then share them with the HomeGroup or simply share an individual folder without using the libraries. To test this, let’s create a Backup folder in our storage space. Once the folder is created, right click on the folder, choose Share with, and choose HomeGroup (view and edit).

Libraries shared to the HomeGroup integrate directly into Windows Explorer.

Now that we’ve created our HomeGroup and shared all of our files open up File Explorer (this is another option in that power user menu we showed you earlier). In the left panel of File Explorer you should now see a HomeGroup section with your username underneath. Expanding your username should show the computers you have access to, and should provide a list of shared folders on that computer.

Another feature of a HomeGroup is the ability to stream media over the network using DLNA. This can be configured using the Media streaming options in the Network and Sharing Center Control Panel. The Media streaming options will allow you to allow or disallow individual media devices on your network from accessing certain types of files.

Protecting your Data

One thing we can’t recommend highly enough is backing up your data. Few things are worse than losing years of pictures or documents because of a failed hard drive or accidental deletion. There are two aspects of data protection we want to take a look at, using your Windows 8 server as backup storage and backing up the storage volume itself.

Windows Backup isn’t gone from Windows 8, it’s just hiding.

Using your Windows 8 server as backup storage is as simple as using the Backup folder we created earlier as your storage volume. This can be done with most backup tools, including Windows Backup and File History (which we’ll talk about in a minute). Interestingly, Windows Backup is a deprecated feature in Windows 8, which means two things. First, it’s hard to find. Second, it’s a feature that may disappear completely in future versions of Windows.

To use the traditional Windows Backup features in Windows 8 you need to go to File History in the System and Security category. Once there you will see an option for Windows 7 File Recovery in the bottom left corner of the window. Another option is to switch to the Control Panel’s icon view and find the Windows 7 File Recovery option there. Once you are in Windows Backup/Windows 7 File Recovery you can create a system image, back up your libraries, or choose individual folders to back up. These steps can be used to back up other computers to your central storage or to back up your centralized files and folders to another location.

File History is a feature we wish we had before deleting that massive Word document.

Another option to back up critical files in Windows 8 is by using the File History feature. File History is primarily used for backing files up from other computers to your centralized storage, but it offers some increased flexibility over traditional backups. File History can be configured by simply choosing the backup location and turning the feature on. In addition to having a backup copy of your files you also have the ability to open a previous version of a file. This is particularly handy if you’ve accidentally deleted something contained in a file, such as paragraphs from a document or a slide from a presentation.

Conclusion

Windows 8 is certainly a shift from previous versions of Windows, but it’s not all about the new interface and the start screen. If you know where to look there are some sweet new features that open up new possibilities in how we use our computers on a daily basis.

How to Install Windows 8 from a USB Key

David Murphy — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 23:01:47 +0000

Forget the CD and install Windows 8 with your flash drive

A guide? To install Windows? Slapping a new operating system on your desktop or laptop PC should be old hat by now, right? This is Windows 8, after all: Odds are pretty good that you, an astute and well-travelled Maximum PC reader, have been around the ol’ Windows installation block a few times before.

And unlike previous versions of the operating system, Windows 8 doesn’t even need that much babysitting. Once you’ve set the installer application running, it’s off to the races: You can sit back, enjoy a nice beverage or a fun sitcom, and let Microsoft’s fantastically efficient OS installation routine do all the work. By the time your Windows 8 OS needs your input, you’re practically finished – but a few short steps, if not minutes, away from the tiled joy that is Windows 8 proper.

So, er, what does that leave us to talk about?

Plenty. Ditch your discs; we’re going to show you how to install Windows 8 from a USB key.

Installing Windows 8 from a USB key

If you shun DVDs, love speedier installations, have a digital download of Windows 8, or just plain don’t have an optical drive – or are too lazy to hook one up – then it’s going to be a USB-based installation for you. And that’s just fine; it’s a great, quick way to get an operating system onto your hard drive and extremely useful if you, say, keep your Windows installation disc tucked away as an .iso on your network drive instead of thrown in one of your desk drawers.

The easiest way to accomplish this process is to already have your hands on a copy of Windows 8’s downloadable .iso file – acquirable by purchasing it from Microsoft itself. If you have a flash drive of the appropriate size (at least four gigabytes or greater, depending on whatever file Microsoft lets you grab), you’re golden. Insert your flash drive into a USB slot on your system, and then go grab Microsoft’s Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool – don’t let the name dissuade you.

Install the app and run it. It’ll ask you to select an .iso file to be “burnt” onto your USB key. Go ahead and select your Windows 8 .iso file – the fact that it’s not the right operating system as the tool’s name has absolutely no bearing on what you’re doing.

Yes, we know, it says "Windows 7" download tool, but you can just ignore that part.

On the next screen, you’ll be asked whether you’d like to create a “Windows 7 backup” – again, ignore the name – on a USB device or DVD. Pick the obvious answer, select your USB key from the drop-down menu.

Select your USB device

When you're ready to let 'er rip, click on "Begin copying!" If the tool needs to format your USB key first, it'll let you know.

Couldn’t be easier, right?

Sometimes, however, the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool mucks up – it might tell you that the .iso file you’re looking to “burn” isn’t actually a recognizable .iso file. You know it is; the Windows tool disagrees. Problem.

While some have been able to get around this issue by changing the actual filesystem of the .iso file itself – to UDF, for example – you’re going to need a tool like PowerISO to do so. And that’s not freeware. The last thing you should have to do is pay for the right to get a working, bootable Windows 8 installation on your flash drive.

Our solution? Do what the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool is doing… by yourself.

Manually Installing Windows 8 from a USB key

Start by using a freeware app like Virtual CloneDrive to mount your downloaded Windows 8 installation .iso to a virtual drive within your current Windows OS. You can also use the technique we’re about to describe to create a USB-based Windows 8 installation flash drive from a Windows 8 DVD – just pop it in your actual optical drive.

Insert your USB key. Fire up a Command Prompt as an Administrator. Within the Command Prompt, load Windows’ built-in Disk Partition utility by typing in “diskpart” and hitting Enter.

Within the Disk Partition utility, you’ll want to start out by typing in “list disk” and hitting Enter. From there, note the drive number that corresponds to your flash drive – you’ll be able to tell, as the capacity of the listed drive should match the capacity of your USB key. It’s that easy.

Next, type in “select disk #,” where the pound sign is the drive number of your USB key that you just took note of. Hit Enter; DiskPart will select the aforementioned drive. Now, type in “clean” and hit Enter to remove any existing partitions that might already be on your flash drive. Once the cleaning process is done, type in “create partition primary” and hit Enter to do just that. Type in “select partition 1” and hit Enter to select your new partition, type in “active” and hit Enter, and then then type in “format FS=NTFS quick” to quickly reformat your partition with the NTFS filesystem. Type “assign” and hit Enter, and you’ll have finished making your USB key bootable!

Now, it’s time to copy your Windows 8 installation files from their drive – virtual or real – to your USB key. Close diskpart by typing in “exit” and hitting Enter. From the Command Prompt, type this in (minus the quotes and the final period): “xcopy x:\*.* y:\ /e /f /h.” In our example, however, the “x:\” designation should actually represent the drive letter of your mounted Windows 8 installation .iso file or physical DVD. The “y:\” should be the actual drive letter of your USB key. Once you’ve made those subtle alterations, hit Enter and let ‘er rip — all of the Windows 8 files will start transferring over to your USB key.

Installing Windows 8 — Upgrade or Clean?

Once you’re ready to install Windows 8 from your USB key, you’ll want to restart your computer and either boot into your motherboard’s BIOS or hit the associated hotkey that allows you to access the “Boot Menu” during POST. Regardless of which way you go about it, you’ll want to make sure that your system is set to first boot off of your USB key instead of your existing hard drive. To note: If you’re ever thinking of installing Windows 8 from its DVD, you’ll also go about this process to select your optical drive as the primary boot device.

Be on the lookout if your motherboard requires you to actually hit a key – any key on your keyboard – to confirm that you want to boot to your USB drive. From there, the actual Windows 8 installation process should look a lot like that which you’re already used to, if you’ve previously had to install Windows 7 or Windows Vista.

And now’s as good a time as any to talk about upgrading versus starting from scratch, since you’re likely to be presented with both of these options at the very beginning of the Windows 8 installation process.

Simply put, upgrading will allow you to keep a large chunk of your existing Windows 7 settings, files, and applications — or for Windows XP or Windows Vista users, just your files. If you’re coming from Windows 7, you can even select whether you want the entire process previously described, or if you’d rather Windows 8 just keep your personal files intact during the upgrade (essentially, anything in your Windows 7 user folder).

The Windows 8 installation process will alert you to any compatibility issues between existing programs or drivers you might have installed within your current operating system and Windows 8 – like additional USB 3.0 drivers, for example, since Microsoft’s already baked these into Windows 8 proper. Once the Windows 8 installation finishes, you’ll be treated to a Start Screen that should be full of the programs you were used to seeing on (for example) good ol’ Windows 7. The drivers? Migrated. Most of your settings? Still set.

Still, resist the urge to do it.

By that, we mean – a clean install of an operating system is always the best way to go for a very specific reason. Right now, your computer is likely full of crap. Applications you once installed and left behind, an old driver version or two that you’ve forgotten about, and just general OS bloat that can hit a variety of points around your operating system (from your start menu to your registry). Consider the installation of a new operating system to be kind of like the equivalent of spring cleaning in the real world. It gives you, and your poor PC, a chance to start anew.

Just think of the space you’ll have saved on your hard drive! The speeds you’ll achieve with a clutter-free operating system! You might lose a little sanity with your driver installations and application reinstallations — which, really, isn’t all that bad of a process if you make use of a little tool called Ninite — but you’ll be able to experience Microsoft’s brand-new OS completely unblemished. At least, unblemished until you start filling it up with all kinds of apps.

Goodbye, pretty Start Screen. We hardly knew thee.

David Murphy has played around with Windows 8 more than he’s played with his cat, Colbert, over the last month or so. Poor guy.

How to Build a Small Gaming PC

Nathan Edwards — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 19:30:24 +0000

This small gaming PC isn't as wee as our Wee Ass-Kicking Machine, but it kicks more ass

Way back in December 2010, we built an awesome Mini-ITX gaming PC dubbed the Wee Ass-Kicking Machine. It featured a Core i7-870 CPU, a GeForce GTX 460 GPU, 4GB of DDR3, a 1TB hard drive, and a 120GB SSD—all crammed into a Silverstone SG07 chassis not much larger than a shoebox. The total cost? Around $1,600 (at the time).

It’s, uh, been a while since then, though, and I thought it was high time we built another Mini-ITX gaming PC. This one’s not quite as small, but it’s got a lot more oomph. We’re using the BitFenix Prodigy, which has room for a full-size ATX PSU, scads of hard drives, and even a 240mm radiator (if you swing that way), while still being small enough to be lugged around by its convenient carrying handles.

Let’s See What Fits

Just because this is a Mini-ITX build doesn’t mean we’re messing around with integrated graphics. Pah. Pshaw. And other expressions of contempt. Nope, when we build a gaming rig, we use a real discrete graphics card. This time we’re going with an MSI GTX 670 Power Edition, which is factory overclocked but still sips power like the rest of the Kepler lineup. We’ll use our sweet-spot Ivy Bridge CPU, the 3.4GHz Core i5-3570K, on a Zotac Z77 WiFi Mini-ITX board. The board has one full-size x16 PCIe 3.0 slot, two DIMM slots, USB 3.0, and 6Gb/s SATA. We’ll fill those DIMM slots with two 4GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3/1600 DIMMs, and use a 240GB Corsair Force GS SSD and a 3TB HGST Deskstar for mass storage.

The most important part of the build is the case. The BitFenix Prodigy is large for a Mini-ITX chassis, but that just means there’s room for more stuff. It can accommodate a full-size PSU (although 140mm is really the maximum depth), up to six hard drives and six SSDs, a long videocard, and, thanks to its big main compartment, a full-size air cooler or even a liquid cooler.

Because most of our favorite air coolers would interfere with the PCIe slot, and we didn’t want to give up the lone 5.25-inch bay just so we could install a 240mm radiator, we opted for an all-in-one liquid‑cooling loop: Thermaltake’s Water 2.0 Performer. This will give us plenty of headroom for overclocking the 3570K to a steady 4.4GHz.

Ingredients

Building It

The Prodigy is roomy for a Mini-ITX case, but that still means it’s a bit of a complicated build. Here’s what I had to do.

1. Prep the Case

Remove the four thumbscrews holding the side panels in place and remove the panels. Pop the four clips holding the front panel in place, and remove that too. Grip the top hard drive cage by its top and bottom clips and slide it out of the case. Turn the case on its side and remove the six screws holding the lower cage to the chassis and remove that cage (image A).

Image A

2. Add the SSD

Attach the SSD to one of the case’s six mounting points—either at the bottom of the case, the inside of the left side panel, or the side of the PSU compartment (image B). It doesn’t really matter which of the many SSD mount points you use. You could just mount the SSD into one of the hard drive trays, but it’d be nice to leave those free for additional hard drives later on. Replace the hard drive cage. Stand the case upright.

Image B

3. Opening the Case

Flip over the front panel and remove the two screws holding the optical drive bezel in place (image C). On the front of the chassis, pry off the metal bezel in front of the optical drive tray. Replace the front panel and slide the optical drive into the bay, stopping when it’s flush. Secure with the same M3 screws you used for the SSD.

Image C

4. Add the PSU

Unscrew the four thumbscrews securing the PSU backplate. You’ll want as short a PSU as you can get for this: anything longer than 140mm and you’ll have a hard time routing the cables. As tempting as it is to go modular, a nonmodular PSU will be easier to deal with here. Attach the backplate to the PSU and install into the chassis, but don’t put all four thumbscrews back in, as you may want to be able to slide the PSU out later for ease of wiring (image D).

Image D

5. CPU and Cooling

Remove the CPU socket protector and install the CPU. Lower the gate arm to secure it (image E). Add the RAM. Although the Prodigy has room for the large skyscraper-style air coolers we like in our builds, those coolers don’t play nice with our solitary PCIe slot, so we’re going with a water cooler.

Thermaltake’s Water 2.0 Performer (catchy!) is an Asetek-built dual-fan 120mm all-in-one cooler that should keep our CPU nice and chilly. But first we have to install the backplate. Find the Intel backplate and assemble it for Socket 1155 per Thermaltake’s instructions. Attach it to the rear of the motherboard. Assemble the retaining clips and screws in the socket ring.

Take the motherboard I/O shield, pop off the tabs covering the Wi-Fi antenna ports, and install it into the case back. Unscrew the case’s 12cm exhaust fan and set it aside. Install the motherboard into the case using four screws (image F).

Image E

Image F

6. Add the Cooler

Take the all-in-one cooler and one of the 12cm fans, as well as four of the mounting screws and four washers. Run the screws through the washers, through the mounting holes at the back of the case, through the fan (making sure it’s oriented to exhaust out of the case), and into the mounting holes on the radiator. Attach the pump unit to the CPU with the socket ring. Turn to tighten, alternating in an X pattern.

Take the other fan, positioned to blow air through the radiator out of the case just like the first, and install it on the side of the radiator. Plug the fans into the included Y cable and into the CPU_FAN header, and plug the pump unit into the SYS_FAN header near the SATA ports (image G).

Image G

7. Route the Power

Now is a good time to route some power‑supply cables. Bring the 8-pin and 24-pin ATX power cables and one PCIe cable around the front of the PSU to the right side of the case. Route a SATA power cable along the left side to the hard drive bays, connect one port to the hard drive, then terminate it at the SSD, leaving the middle port for a future second drive (image H). Route the other SATA power cable along the bottom of the case, up the front panel, and into the routing hole just above the optical drive. Pop the top fan filter off and route the cable above the optical drive and plug it in (image I). Route SATA data cables from the blue 6Gb/s SATA ports to the SSD and HDD, and route one from a red 3Gb/s port to the optical drive.

Image H

Image I

8. More Routing

Disconnect the HD_Audio cable from the side panel and connect the motherboard end to the mobo, as the port will be impossible to access once the GPU is in place. Run the 24-pin motherboard power cable through the front of the PSU casing and into the port on the motherboard. Run the 8-pin through the cutout toward the rear of the casing (image J) and plug it in. At this point you can reattach the top hard drive cage if you want; I’ve left it out to improve airflow.

Image J

9. Attach Front-Panel Connectors

Plug the USB 3.0 header into its place below the radiator (image K). Connect the front 12cm fan to a 3-pin-to-Molex adapter and connect that to one of the Molex adapters. Re‑attach the other end of the HD_audio cable to the left side cover (image L) and put the cover back on the side, pulling the front-panel headers through toward the GPU slot and plugging them in.

Image K

Image L

10. Install the GPU

Unscrew the expansion‑slot cover plate and the expansion‑ slot covers, and remove them. Install the GPU, making sure the 8-pin ATX power cable can still reach its plug. Replace the cover plate and secure both it and the GPU with the three thumbscrews (image M). Run the PCIe power cable through the same hole as the ATX power cable and plug both 6-pin plugs into the GPU. Secure the PSU plate to the chassis with its four thumbscrews, double-check your wiring, and close the case back up. Screw the Wi-Fi antennae into their posts on the I/O ports.

Image M

Firing it up

The first thing I did with the mini machine was boot into the BIOS and do a simple multiplier overclock on the CPU. I left the stock voltages and bclock the same but cranked up the turbo multipliers on all the cores to 44 for a single core, 43 for two cores, and 42 for more. This gave me a nice, stable conservative overclock of up to 4.4GHz for single-threaded tasks. The MSI GTX 670 is factory‑overclocked, so I resisted further overclocking in an attempt to keep the noise from its fans down.

Against our zero-point, the mini-rig loses in every benchmark save ProShow Producer, where its high clock speeds are more important than the zero-point’s 12 threads. But our zero-point has a hexa-core CPU , a dual GPU, and costs a lot more money—and it’s not nearly as portable. For the price, we get a hell of a lot of rig in a small footprint, and we even get carrying handles. Besides, the fast CPU and GPU on this baby mean that it’s still blisteringly good.

The downside of Mini-ITX is that you only get one PCIe slot and two RAM slots, so you’ve got to be judicious with your build. The good news is that this machine still has room for all the essentials and no wasted space, while still being upgradeable. We’d gladly build into the Prodigy again, and we’re pleased we can build a kick-ass (and luggable) rig in such a small package.

How to Install DayZ

Justin Kerr — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 17:03:35 +0000

DayZ is widely considered one of the best PC mods of all time. Who wouldn't want to be dropped off into a gigantic post-apocalyptic zombie world where death is permanent? Over one million players are having a blast just trying to survive in the game.

While DayZ is amazingly tense and fun, the Arma 2 mod can also be a headache to install. Which version of Arma 2 should you get? Retail? Steam? What patches should you download? Maximum PC's DayZ installation guide will answer all of the questions and address some of the more common issues plaguing the mod.

Buy A Copy of Arma II: Combined Operations

If you own the base version of Arma II, you’ll need to purchase a copy of Operation Arrowhead. If you’re starting from scratch however, we recommend picking up Arma II: Combined Operations. This includes both the base game, and the expansion which are required for the DayZ mod to work.

While it’s possible to buy Combined Operations directly from the developer’s website, we can’t really recommend this approach considering it currently costs a little more, and is significantly less convenient. If on the other hand you already bought a boxed copy of Arma II, buying Operation Arrowhead from Bohemia will save you $10.

Update: It was pointed out to us by a reader that Arma II Free & Operation Arrowhead can be combined into a working platform for DayZ. While this is technically true, the mod creators note specifically that they “do not recommend it”. Going this route puts you at risk of running into issues with patches both now, and in the future.

Run Arma 2, and Arma 2: Combined Operations Before Modding

This is by far the most commonly skipped step, and is responsible for a myriad of problems, most of which occur while launching. If you didn’t take this advice and are having issues, check the troubleshooting section below for tips. Launching Arma II and Arma II Combined Operations for the first time updates your system’s registry, and also helps rule out problems with your base Arma II install. You would be surprised how many people we saw on DayZ forums trying to troubleshoot the mod, when in fact the problem was with the Arma II installation.

**IMPORTANT NOTE FOR STEAM USERS**

If you purchased the Steam version of Arma II: Combined Operations, many users have reported issues with “Bad CD Key” when launching the game. In order to resolve the issue, simply close Steam, right click the icon on your start menu or desktop, and select Run As Administrator.

Install DayZ The Easy Way: Use the DayZ Commander

Installing DayZ used to involve several downloads, manually locating and copying over the mod files, and even adding command lines to the Arma II launcher. For users without a basic understanding of file systems, this is usually where the adventure ends. Luckily, DayZ Commander has taken most of the guess work and frustration out of the process.

This 2.4 MB download is not only a top notch server browser, but it also allows you to automate the DayZ installation process as well. Playing DayZ involves not only having the most recent version of the mod files, but also keeping the base Arma II game up to date. This app not only checks to make sure you are current on both fronts, but even allows you to install older versions should you decide you don’t like changes made in the most recent update. It’s also quite handy to have the ability to easily downgrade for troubleshooting purposes. Running previous versions will severely limit your server choices, but if you hate a new feature, chances are you’ll probably find at least a few likeminded folks to roam with who also aren’t fans of the change.

Here is the step-by-step process:

1.) Download the most recent version of DayZ Commander, double click to install, then launch when ready.

2.) Set your filters so only compatible servers show on the list. We recommend ticking off the boxes for: hide unresponsive, hide empty, hide full, DayZ only, hide locked, hide unofficial, hide wrong Arma2 version, and hide wrong DayZ version. Doing so will make sure that after we finish installing DayZ, you can double click any server shown on the right when you’re ready to play without issue.

3.) Click Install/Update located along the top tool bar.

4.) The slide in menu will let you know if Arma II is up to date, and if the most current version of DayZ is installed. The drop down menu will allow you to pick from previous versions of both, but keep in mind the server needs to be running the same version of both Arma II and DayZ for you to be able to join properly. We recommend using only the most current version of both if you want the greatest number of server options. At press time more than 70% of the servers were running the most current version.

Here is what the installation should look like after clicking Install.

Once the files are download it will decompress automatically.

Here is what you should see when all is said a done. The version numbers may change over time, but the green Reinstall button is an indication that DayZ commander has properly verified both requirements are up to date.

5.) The final step is to close and open DayZ Commander, and allow the server browser to refresh. You may want to initially start out on an empty server just to learn the ropes, but the categories along the top will allow you to sort by settings, time of day, number of players, and ping. From here, just double click your ideal server and prepare yourself for the zombie apocalypse.

Click page 2 to learn how to install DayZ the manual way.

Install DayZ the Hard Way: Use Nothing But Your Bare Hands

You really should use the DayZ Commander because it makes the process so drop-dead simple, but incase you can't get it working for whatever reason or just like doing it the old-fashioned way, here is a quick step-by-step rundown of how to install the mod manually.

Steam Version of Arma II: Combined Operations

1.) Install the latest Arma II beta patch. Going forward you’ll need to manually keep an eye out for new versions or expect to run into issues finding servers.

2.) Download the DayZ Mod files, and decompress the .zip file into your C:\Program Files (x86)\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\@DayZ\Addons . If you aren’t using the default directory for Steam you will need to modify the path accordingly.

3.) Open your Steam games list, Right Click Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead, and select Properties.

4.) Under the General tab, click Set Launch Options, and paste the following string into the box without the quotes. “-mod=@dayz”

5.) Open File Explorer and navigate to “C:\Program Files (x86)\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\”. Find the file named _runA2CO.cmd, Right Click and select Open With then Notepad. Depending on your version of Windows, you might also see an Edit option when you Right Click the file. This works just as well.

6.) Click Edit along the top, followed by Find. Search for “:run” , and add “;@dayz” to the part of the line where you see “mod=%_ARMA2PATH%;EXPANSION;ca”. Remember to ignore the quotation marks above. Close and save the file.

7.) Double click runA2CO_beta.cmd to run DayZ. You’ll only need to use this approach the first time. From now on you can launch via Steam by double clicking on Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead. Make sure you see the DayZ icon in the upper right.

8.) Click Multiplayer, and find a server that matches your version number. The filter options are much weaker than those found in DayZ Commander, so you might need to hunt around a bit to find a compatible host.

Non Steam Versions of Arma II: Combined Operations

1.) Download the latest beta patch and double click to install.

2.) Download the DayZ Mod files, and decompress the .zip file into your C:\Program Files (x86)\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\@DayZ\Addons . If you aren’t using the default directory for Arma II you will need to modify the path accordingly.

3.) Open File Explorer and navigate C:\Program Files (x86)\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2 Operation Arrowhead. \”. Find the file named _runA2CO_beta.cmd , Right Click and select Open With then Notepad. Depending on your version of Windows, you might also see an Edit option when you Right Click the file. This works just as well.

4.) Click Edit along the top, followed by Find. Search for “:run” , and add “;@dayz” to the part of the line where you see “mod=%_ARMA2PATH%;EXPANSION;ca”. Remember to ignore the quotation marks above. Close and save the file.

5.) Right Click runA2CO_beta.cmd , and select Create Shortcut. Move and rename your new shortcut to whatever works best for you, and go ahead and launch the game.

Click the next page for the troubleshooting section

Troubleshooting

Having non-Zombie related problems? Given that this free mod is still highly experimental, its possible you could run into countless issues even if you follow our step-by-step guide faithfully. Here is an assortment of common fixes to cover off the dozens of errors we’ve read about online.

Steam Version

- Under the games tab Right Click the Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead entry, then select Properties. Navigate using the top tabs to “Verify Integrity of Game Cache” and let steam check the integrity of the game files. In general this is a great way to fix problems with just about any game you own on steam, so keep this tip handy if you run into problems with other titles.

- Find the Steam icon on your system tray and select Exit. Next find the launch icon on your Start Menu, Right Click, then select Run as Administrator. This fix has been known solve the pesky CD Key error that seems to be plaguing countless frustrated DayZ players, along with a myriad of other pop-up warnings.

- Make sure you are launching Arma 2: Combined Operations, and not Arma II: Operation Arrowhead.

Both Steam & Retail Versions

“'You cannot play/edit this mission, it is dependent on downloadable content that has been deleted.dayz_code, dayz_weapons, dayz_equip”.

99% of the time it’s because you missed one of the steps we listed above. Go give it another try, I’ll hold off the zombies until you get here.

“Waiting for Server Response” or “Waiting for Character To Create”.

Most of the time this means the servers are overloaded, however from time to time the BattlEye anti-cheat engine is the source of your woes. Download the latest version and reinstall. Keep in mind it also takes much longer to join servers with larger populations, so move to a smaller server if this continues to be an issue. Server administrators also need to regularly restart servers in order to help combat this issue, so it could be completely out of your control.

Looking For More Information on DayZ?

The DayZ Wiki is simply excellent, and will provide you with the answers to just about any question you might come up with on your journey. We included suggestions for the most common problems here, but it’s almost impossible to anticipate everything. Feel free to post issues you’ve seen in the comments below, or check out these great forums.

DayZMod (Official)

FPSGeneral

The forums are also a great place to make new friends, a commodity that is in short supply thanks to the Zombie apocalypse.

Google Chrome: Optimization Guide

Paul Lilly — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 20:10:18 +0000

Get the most out of Google Chrome

Let’s face it, the light-and-fast Google Chrome browser is the only way to surf the web—no question. But whether you’re new to the browser or an old veteran, we’ve got some tricks to improve your mileage. Our Google Chrome Optimization Guide will show you which Google Chrome extensions to download and ways to tweak settings you didn't even know were there.

Take a Shortcut

Before we dive in to Chrome's many hidden gems, let's start with some basics (run before you walk, as they say). Just like in Windows, shortcuts can save you a ton of time in Chrome, as well as having to constantly reach for the mouse to perform menial tasks such as opening new tabs. Memorize these handy shortcuts and you'll be well on your way to mastering Chrome:

Ctrl+N: Opens a new window.
Ctrl+T: Opens a new tab.
Ctrl+Shift+N: Opens a new window in incognito mode so you can, uh, shop birthday gifts on the sly. Yeah, that's what this is used for, right?
Ctrl+Shift+T: Resurrects the last tab you just sent to the graveyard. You can reopen the last 10 tabs you closed.
Alt+F or Alt+E: Opens the Chrome menu.
Ctrl+Shift+B: Toggles the bookmarks bar on and off.
Ctrl+H: Opens the History page.
Ctrl+J: Opens the Downloads page.
Shift+Esc: Opens Chrome's Task Manager, so you can see which tabs are using the most resources, potentially slowing down performance.

These are just some of the many, many Window keyboard, Google Chrome feature, address bar, webpage, and text shortcuts available in Chrome. If you spend a few minutes each day learning a couple of new shortcuts, it won't be long until you've committed them all to memory.

Now, onto the fun stuff...

Enable Chrome's Gold Icon

Vinyl decals won't make your Honda Civic go any faster than it's already capable of going, and by that same token, replacing Chrome's icon with the hidden Gold version doesn't offer anything other than an aesthetic change. Be that as it may, it's super easy to add a little bling:

Right-click Google Chrome's shortcut and select Properties
Select the Shortcut tab and click Chance Icon...
Choose the Gold icon and press OK, then Apply the change

After you swap the icon, sit back and languish in the jealousy of your co-workers!

Get Freaky with Favicons!

One reason to use Chrome is because it offers a clean and clutter-free interface, a fact that's not lost on competing browser makers who've attempted to emulate the look and feel of Chrome. Even still, there's room for improvement. One way to simplify Chrome's interface even further is to only use Favicons in the bookmarks bar.

First, make sure the bookmarks bar is enabled. If it isn't, press Ctrl+Shift+B to toggle it on, or press the Menu button denoted by three lines in the upper right-hand corner (previously the Wrench icon), expand the Bookmarks option, and select Show bookmarks bar.

Now that you can see the Bookmarks bar, go through your bookmarks and delete the text of existing ones, and do the same when adding a new bookmark. What you'll be left with is a bunch of Favicons, which not only looks cleaner, but it saves space too. Pretty neat, isn't it?

Home Sweet Homepages

Why settle for a single homepage when you can own two, three, or even a dozen? Or more! We're creatures of habit, and if you're like us, you have a selection of websites you visit every time you fire up your browser. In Chrome, it's easy to configure multiple homepages. Just go to Menu > Settings and select the 'Open a specific page or set of pages' radio button. Click the Set pages hyperlink and start typing in your go-to websites.

Fool Your Friends with Fake Edits

It's not nice to prank your friends and family, but it can be hilarious, not to mention incredibly easy in Google Chrome. Let's say you want to convince your co-worker that AMD just purchased Intel for a mere $35 million (as if!). Load up a reliable website for tech news, like MaximumPC.com, right-click an article's headline, and select Inspect Element. This will bring up a developer console in the lower portion of the browser where you can edit the webpage locally. Change the headline, and if you want to go all out, do the same for the thumbnail image and even the article text. Close out the developer console and all that's left is a fake news story on a legitimate website!

Of course, there are practical uses for the developer console that don't include pranking your buddies. It's a neat way to inspect various web code and analyze HTML parse errors to ensure a clean website.

Command Chrome Like a Boss

Google Chrome is a constant work in progress, and often times the developers will disable certain functions that might not be ready for prime time for one reason or another. If you want to see what they are, and even enable them, type Chrome://flags in the address bar (Omnibar) and hit Enter. Bear in mind that they've all been disabled for a reason, and enabling one could break your browser.

Another one of our favorite commands is Chrome://memory, which shows not only how much memory Chrome is consuming, but also other browsers running on your system.

There are lots of other commands to play around with. Type Chrome://about to see a list of them.

Continue on to page 2 for Google Chrome extension recommendations and more.

Experiment on Canary and Leave Chrome Alone

If you're not feeling adventurous enough to tweak your stable Chrome build but still want to experiment, what you need is Canary. What's Canary, you ask? It's the nightly build of Chrome intended for developers, so you may run into buggy behavior on occasion, but the neat thing is Canary can run alongside Chrome at the same time. Changes you make to the Canary browser have no effect on Chrome, and vice versa.

Split the Browser Window

The advent of tabbed browsing changed everything, but sometimes you may want to see two webpages side-by-side. You can do that by dragging and splitting a tab from the main browser window so that it runs in a separate window, but you can also split Chrome into a dual-view mode with a bit of JavaScript magic.

Chrome Split View

Click the above hyperlink and type in the two webpages you want to view side-by-side in a single, neat window. It's an easy way to compare prices between two online vendors, search results from two different engines, or keep track of different sports, among other uses.

Create a Separate Account for Little Billy

It wasn't all that long ago when creating separate profiles for multiple Chrome users was slightly complicated and involved mucking around Windows folders, copying contents, and performing other tasks. These days it's as simple as going into Settings and clicking the Add new user button under the Users section.

Creating a separate Chrome account is a handy way to keep little Billy's browser settings separate from yours, and also allows you both to sync your Google account on the same PC. What it doesn't do is secure your data from prying eyes, so view this more of a convenience than a security setting.

To switch between multiple users, click the icon in the upper left-hand corner and select the appropriate profile. Alternately, you can press Ctrl+Shift+M to switch between accounts.

Extensions, Extensions, Extensions

Still the best way to customize Chrome to your liking is with Extensions, and long gone are the days when this was a reason to cling to Firefox. Chrome's extensions have grown in number and functionality, and there are plenty of good ones out there. Some of our favorites include:

Awesome New Tab Page: Do you know who's awesome? You are, and that's why you need Awesome New Tab Page. In a word, it's 'awesome'. Yes, it looks a little like Metro, or whatever Microsoft is calling the funky UI in Windows 8 these days, but instead of dominating your desktop, it simply spices up Chrome with a highly customizable interface that displays a series of widgets and links.
Buffer: Are you addicted to Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader, Reddiit, or Hacker News? Then for the love of all that is holy, do your followers a favor and install Buffer, which will spread your flood of tweets and messages out over time. It's an easy way to stay social, and also the courteous thing to do.
Too Many Tabs: There's no shame in being a tab-aholic, nor is there in admitting you need help. That's exactly what Too Many Tabs does -- it helps you sort through your bazillion open tabs and find the one you're looking for.
Print Friendly & PDF: If you print out a lot of webpages, this is a must-have extension. It allows you to strip out unnecessary items, like ads and other content and wasted space that takes up paper or ink.
Pacman: In the old days of computing, you slacked off by playing Minesweeper or Solitaire. Maybe you remember playing SkiFree. There are better time wasters out there, and one of them is Pacman. which is available to play right in your Chrome browser with those familiar sounds that used to cost a quarter to hear.

Have a groovy Chrome tip, hack, or extension that you think should have been included? Don't be a miser; share it with the world by posting the details in the comments section below!

Build It: Modern Commodore 64

Gordon Mah Ung — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 18:33:59 +0000

How to build a modern-day PC into a replica of the Commodore 64

The Mission

Many people wax poetic about the polite ’50s, the radical ’60s, or the wild ’70s, but for nerds, the 1980s was the best decade. A full-on war raged in the new category of “personal computer,” no one operating system ruled the world, and, man, you could walk into a Toys “R” Us and buy the world’s all-time bestselling PC: the Commodore 64.

Whether you want to relive the golden age of PCs or you weren’t alive for it, Commodore USA (no relation to Jack Tramiel’s original Commodore International) offers its Commodore 64x to recreate that 1980s experience.

The main difference between the original C64 and this replica is the latter’s ability to take standard PC industry components. Is the Commodore 64x case/keyboard a perfect recreation of the original? No, but it’s damn close. I’m not judging this by my faded memories of the C64 I owned in 1982, either. See how closely the inset shot of the original resembles the new C64x?

What’s Inside the New C64?

I had envisioned using a Core i7-2600K with a notebook GeForce graphics card in the C64x, but I quickly realized that heat would be a serious issue in this thermally constrained PC, which has one puny 4cm fan handling all its airflow. I also considered a mobile Core i7, but the cost and scarcity of parts made me ditch that approach. In the end, I decided that an AMD E-350 Fusion APU would be the most cost-effective and reliable route.

The best candidate for the job? Zotac’s Fusion ION‑ITX T Series. The board features AMD’s E-350 Fusion chip, built-in Wi-Fi, and, best of all, a 90-watt external power brick. Because the C64x doesn’t have much room, running an internal power supply is out of the question. Pico-ITX PSUs are an option for standard boards, but that would require cutting a hole into the chassis to route the wiring. The Fusion ION‑ITX T Series takes care of that in one swoop. Thermals also shouldn’t be an issue with its integrated heat pipe and heatsink. My previous experience has taught me that the E-350 runs super cool for an 18-watt part.

For storage, I opted for Seagate’s Momentus XT hybrid drive. It gives the C64x some SSD-like performance but is cheap enough that I can afford to give the machine 750GB of storage space. A Silverstone slot-fed DVD burner rounds out the package, but we did have to add an NZXT internal USB expansion module and an old-style Molex Y power splitter.

For tools, a standard Philips-head screwdriver and a small jewelers Philips-head screwdriver are required for the build. I also had to round up a set of system screws, as well as a set of screws that are typically used to mount an internal 5.25-inch optical drive.

INGREDIENTS

	PART	URL	Price
Case	C64x	www.commodoreusa.net	$345
PSU/Mobo/CPU/Cooler/GPU	Zotac Fusion ION‑ITX T Series	www.zotac.com	$199
RAM	Corsair 8GB DDR3/1333 SODIMMs	www.corsair.com	$44
ODD	Silverstone SST-S0-D02	www.silverstonetek.com	$69
HDD	Seagate Momentus XT 750GB	www.seagate.com	$155
Miscellaneous	NZXT IU01 USB Expansion module	www.nzxt.com	$20
	One Molex Y-power splitters	www.newegg.com	$1
	Zalman Fan Mate 2	www.zalman.com	$7
Total Cost			$840

1. OPEN THE CASE

You’ll need to unscrew six screws along the perimeter of the C64x first (image A). Then carefully remove the keyboard and place it aside. Now, find a cassette tape player and put in your favorite mix tape of Olivia Newton-John, Survivor, Joan Jett, the J. Geils Band, and the Human League. Yes, all the top artists of 1982.

2. REMOVE THE DRIVE TRAY

Unscrew the four screws under the C64x. Note: You will probably have to loosely hold the four nuts inside the case to get them loose. Once the screws are out, remove the tray and mount the 2.5-inch drive (image B). The drive tray is countersunk to fit countersunk screws. Since Commodore USA doesn’t include these parts (when they say bare-bones, they mean it), we used four fine screws of the type that comes with a 5.25-inch optical drive to hold the drive in place. This will cause the tray to ride a little higher than it should, but don’t worry: The loosey-goosey build quality of the drive opening means the tray should still fit it. Mount the drive tray back in place and screw it into the case using the four screws and nuts.

3. INSTALL THE OPTICAL DRIVE

We couldn’t find a 170KB 5.25-inch floppy drive, so we settled for this Silverstone slot-fed DVD burner. It comes with four tiny screws. Place the drive in the cage and screw it in place with the jeweler’s screwdriver (image C). Now plug in the HDD power and SATA cable as well as the ODD power and data cable.

4. INSTALL THE ALL-IN-ONE MOTHERBOARD

Install the I/O shield by sliding it into the slots at the rear of the C64x. Now gently slide the Zotac motherboard into place, making sure the two Wi-Fi antennas feed out the holes in the I/O shield (image D). Take four screws from your spare parts box (because why would Commodore USA bother to include them in the box?) and gently screw the board in place (image E). The board doesn’t have metal standoffs, so you’ll be boring the screws into plastic. Do not over-torque the screws or you will strip out the mounts.

5. INSTALL THE RAM

Install the pair of SODIMMs by placing them into the slots while carefully making sure the notches in the DIMMs line up with the notches in the slots. Apply pressure with your thumbs on the corners until the arms snap into place (image F).

6. EXPANSION NEEDED

Since the keyboard is internal, it hooks directly into a USB 2.0 header. Unfortunately, the system’s internal media card reader also requires a USB 2.0 header, but the Zotac board we selected has only one internal USB 2.0 header and a USB 3.0 header. To get around this, we used an NZXT 1U01 USB expansion module. The 1U01 needs power, so take the Molex Y-cable splitter and plug it into the Molex output on the motherboard (image G). Now take the Molex-to-SATA power connector that came with the motherboard and plug it into one end of the Y-cable splitter. Plug the other end into the 1U01’s power pass-through and then plug into the optical drive’s Molex cable.

7. HOOK UP THE KEYBOARD

The USB cable isn’t labeled, but the wires indicate what functions they do. The red wire is power and the black is ground. Look at the USB pin-out chart we’ve provided (image H) and match the keyboard connector that has the red wire with one of the +5V pins and then plug it in (image I). If you’re still skittish, you can grab one of those USB header adapters that ship with MSI and Asus boards. Plug the power switch and power LED into the board’s front-panel connectors (image J).

8. BACK TO THE FUTURE

You’re ready to turn on the Commodore 64x. If you’re wondering where the power button is, it’s the red LED dome on the right-hand side.

1)This little fan can get whiny, so use a $7 Zalman Fan Mate 2 to lower its RPMs.

2)The Zotac Fusion ION‑ITX T Series wraps the GPU, CPU, PSU, MOBO, and heatsink into one nice little attractive package.

3)The slot-fed optical drive can be substituted for a standard tray drive or skipped completely, but it wouldn’t be quite as classy. Now if we could only fit a 5.25-inch floppy in there.

An Elegant Weapon for a More Civilized Age

The original Commodore 64 packed a 1MHz MOS 6510 processor, which probably has one hundredth of the power of the CPU in your printer. Next to that, the AMD’s E-350 “Brazos” would appear as magic from the gods. In our world, though, the E350 is pretty far off the power band as you can see from our tests. The E-350’s main weakness is its x86 performance.

The Fusion APU is faster than a dual-core Atom 330, but beefier parts such as Intel’s Core i5-2430M—even with the i5’s low clocks—will leave it in the dust. Where the E-350 in the C64x does well is in 3D performance—its integrated graphics solution has enough power to run older games such as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare at lower resolutions.

The real beauty of the E-350 is its low temps. At 18 watts for CPU and GPU combined, it really stays cool. In our experience, it’s far cooler than Intel’s own low-voltage 35-watt dual-core Sandy Bridge chips. The E-350 isn’t about blistering performance, but neither is the C64x. It’s about the cool factor of having a retro exterior with modern computer brains.

Benchmarks

Model	Commodore 64x	Giada i50	Giada Ion-100	Zbox Plus Nano XS
CPU	1.6GHz AMD E-350	1.2GHz Intel Core i5-430UM	1.3GHz Intel Atom 330 w/ Nvidia Ion	1.6GHz AMD E-450
Photoshop CS3 (sec)	445	272	552	423
MainConcept (sec)	8,280	4,736	8,858	4,560
3DMark 2003	5,685	1,189	3,371	6,954
Quake III (fps)	204	87	118	161
Quake 4 (fps)	38	9	29	40

Best scores are bolded.

So that's our new, modern Commodore 64 build. What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments.

How To: Enable Steam Big Picture Mode Beta

Jimmy Thang — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 23:30:39 +0000

Valve has released Steam Big Picture Mode, which provides PC gamers with a new, elegant TV-tailored experience of Steam. The problem is Big Picture Mode is currently only in open beta testing, and finding out how to opt into the beta can be tricky. Detailed below are steps to help you get Steam's new Big Picture Mode running smoothly on your big-screen TV.

Opt Into Steam's Big Picture Mode

The first thing you'll want to do upon booting up Steam is to click on the "Steam" dropdown menu at the upper left and then select "Settings."

A menu will pop up. From here, under the "Beta Participation" section, click the "CHANGE…" button.

Another pop-up menu will appear and then in the Beta participation drop-down menu, select "Steam Beta Update." Steam will then ask you to restart the program. Do so. Steam will then take a couple of seconds to update.

Once Steam reloads, you'll notice a new "Big Picture" icon at the upper right-hand corner. Click it.

After a brief intro animation, you'll be in Steam's Big Picture Mode.

You'll find that Steam Big Picture mode comfortably allows you to navigate its interface from the confines of your relatively distant couch or bed with the assistance of your favorite game controller. While you can certainly use a keyboard and mouse, we can tell Valve spent a lot of time tailoring the experience for USB-powered Xbox 360 controllers.

Now that you've gotten into the Steam Big Screen beta, you might be wondering how you get this new interface onto your HDTV.

Set Your HDTV to Your Primary Screen

If your HDTV is connected to your PC via HDMI, doing this is really easy. On Windows 7, simply right-mouse click anywhere on an empty portion of desktop then click "Screen resolution." From here, select your TV and click on the "Make this my main display" checkbox. Select "OK." Now your nice, big screen TV will be your primary monitor (you can always switch back when you're done using Steam's Big Picture Mode).

Switch to Your TV's Audio

Before you boot up Steam, you'll similarly want to enable your TV to play your PC's audio. To do this in Windows 7, right-mouse click on the speaker icon on the lower-right hand corner of your desktop > select "Playback devices" > choose your TV's speakers > press the "Set Default" button > Press "OK."

Voila! Now your TV is configured to take full advantage of Steam's new Big Picture Mode.

How To: Back Up Your Cloud Computing Storage with GoodSync

Alex Castle — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 08:36:11 +0000

Cloud Computing

With so many cloud computing storage services available to you, you don’t ever truly need to pay for online storage. When your 2GB DropBox runs out, you can always get 5 free gigs from Amazon. When that runs out, why not open up a SkyDrive account for an additional 7GB? The only problem with cloud computing is that your files get spread out over different services, which can make it harder to find things, and can also increase your exposure to risk of losing access to files. If you use 3 online cloud services, there’s three times the chance that some of your files will be inaccessible at any given time, due to service outage. In this article, we’ll show you how to mitigate both of these problems, by using GoodSync to keep an up-to-date local backup of all the files on multiple cloud computing storage services.

Step One: Install GoodSync

You can find the GoodSync software available for free at http://www.goodsync.com/download. The free version does have some limitations—notably on the quantity of files that can be backed up—but it can be used indefinitely and is at least a good way to judge whether the full versions is worth the $30.

Download the file and run the installer. There’s nothing much to configure during the installation; just see it through to the end, and you’ll be asked to name your first job.

GoodSync organizes all of your syncing tasks into jobs—each job consists of a two locations, which can be on your hard drive, USB or network storage, or even on the cloud.

Step Two: Pick your backup locations

One of the major advantages of GoodSync over a simpler sync application like SyncToy is the ability to connect directly to several of the most popular cloud storage services. If you use the cloud storage services from Google, Amazon or Microsoft, you can set up a job that backs them up without duplicating any files on your computer. To do so, just click on the Browse button next to the left location field, and in the menu that pops up, select the service you want to connect to. Enter your login credentials and click Go to connect to the service and see a list of folders to sync.

GoodSync can’t connect directly to DropBox, but it’s still easy to back those files up using the software, as long as you have the DropBox client installed on your PC. Simply click the Browse button, and select My Computer to browse to the location of your My Dropbox folder.

Next, click the browse button next to the right-side location field. This time, in the popup window select the location you want your backup files to be stored. You can click my My Computer and choose a local location, or select Windows Shares or FTP to select a network location.

Step Three: Schedule your backup

Once you’ve specified both the left- and right-hand locations, you just have to tell GoodSync how to transfer files between them. To do this, click the small icon in the upper center of the GoodSync window with a picture of two green arrows. In the window that opens click on the Sync Direction and to backup from the cloud account to your local location, not vice-versa.

Finally, click on the Auto tab in the backup options window to select how often GoodSync will automatically backup. Unless you need to know that your files are instantly backed up, we recommend conserving system resources by scheduling a backup every two hours or so.

If you’ve been following along, you’ve probably noticed that we’ve only scratched the surface of what you can do with GoodSync. With what you’ve done so far as a jumping off point, you can create a customized backup or sync routine that’s perfect for your system. Get experimenting!

Install Windows 8 Today

David Murphy — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:57:54 +0000

Happy Windows 8 Consumer Preview day! Or, rather, happy day-after-Windows-8…. you get the idea. As an astute Maximum PC reader, you’re no doubt itching to get your hands on a not-quite-final build of Windows 8 to tinker around with.

But here’s the problem: You like using your current operating system. In fact, you probably have a great number of files, applications, and games all intertwined with your current operating system. And the absolute last thing you want to do – aside from learning how to use the Metro UI (we kid, we kid) – is back up everything within your operating system, wipe your drive, and introduce a fresh-faced Windows 8 into your life as your primary OS. Just think of all the application reinstallations you’ll have to go through! (Ninite is your friend, but we digress)

Luckily, you have two awesome options when it comes to testing out Windows 8 without mucking up your primary Windows installation, settings, files, or any of that. You can split your current hard drive storage setup to create an extra, blank partition – Windows 8 goes there. Or, if you just want to monkey around in a self-contained environment within your current operating system, you can install Windows 8 onto a virtual PC.

Which do you pick? It’s entirely up to you. A dedicated installation on a new partition gives Windows 8 the full attention of your system’s mighty resources. The downside? You’ll have to suffer through the boot menu every time you load your PC; You won’t be able to access your true “primary” operating system from Windows 8; Any changes (or issues) you create are permanent, as you don’t really get a chance to “roll back” that which you’ve done.

Virtualization, on the other hand, costs you system resources and overall speed – it can be a real hog – but it allows you to marry Windows 8 to your existing operating system. Transferring files is easy; Jumping between the two operating systems is easier; You can test out apps in Windows 8 and still be able to use them in your existing OS if things go sour; And, most importantly, you can quickly revert back to prior versions of the OS and easily delete your virtual Windows 8 once you’re done toying around.

That’s a super-quick overview of some of the pros and cons of dual-booting versus virtualization. Here’s how you do both:

Dual-Booting

Grab the Windows 8 Consumer Preview setup file and give ‘er a run. While your version of the operating system downloads (32-bit or 64-bit, depending on what the setup program picks for your PC), go check your available hard drive space in Windows explorer. You’ll need to have at least 16 free gigabytes for a 32-bit installation of Windows 8 or 20 free gigabytes for a 64-bit installation.

Once finished, Windows will prompt you to install Windows 8 by giving you three options to pick from: “Install Now,” “Install on another partition,” and “Install later.” Pick option number two (partition), and the subsequent screen will ask you how you want to go about creating the installation media you’ll need to use.

While we always recommend that you let Windows 8 create an installation vehicle out of a USB key when possible (it’s just so speedy), your success in getting this approach to actually install Windows 8 entirely depends on just how well your motherboard supports USB-based installations. In other words, it might not work for you: We’ve previously run into problems when plugging our flash drives into USB 3.0 slots to perform the installation, so avoid that if you find yourself hitting your head against the wall when trying to install Windows 8 using a USB drive.

The Windows Consumer Preview setup program will automatically format your key and slap the necessary files on it. As this process chugs along, fire up your control panel (Windows 7 users) and click on the Administrative Tools icon. From there, double-click on “Computer Management,” and then select the “Disk Management” option on the left-hand sidebar. Roll up your shirtsleeves: It’s time to partition your hard drive.

Everyone’s hard drive setup can vary, so we’ll just walk you through the basics of splitting a single drive partition into two. Right-click on the graphical storage “chunk” that’s home to your primary NTFS volume (C:) and select “Shrink Volume.” Input just how much you want to shave off your primary operating system’s partition – remember, 1,024 megabytes equals one gigabyte -- and hit the “Shrink” button.

What do you get? A new chunk of black, unallocated space to the right of your once-larger primary partition. Right-click on this empty space and select “New Simple Volume.” The prompts are fairly self-explanatory after this point – just make sure to give your new partition a recognizable name and format it as an NTFS partition. Voila. You’re ready to install Windows 8.

Once the Windows Consumer Preview setup program has finished with your USB key, restart your computer. As it reboots, watch your boot sequence for any prompts related to “booting” or “boot order” – in our case, we only have to hit the F12 key to access a “select where you want to boot from” menu. But since your motherboard is surely different, this option might be mapped to another key. Or, worse, you might have to go into your BIOS settings and change the order of how your system boots off of its various devices. Again, this setting is found in different places on different motherboards, so you’re on your own for this small – but critical – step.

Select the correct option – USB HDD, in our case – reboot your computer, and the official Windows 8 installation program should automatically fire up. Click on the “Install Now” button, enter you product key (that you received way back when creating your USB Windows 8 installer), accept Microsoft’s license terms, and select the option for a “Custom” installation. Pick the partition you previously created (hence the importance of giving it a good and noteworthy name), click on “Next,” and go make yourself a pleasant beverage while you wait for the installer to work its magic.

From there, it’s all downhill: Windows 8 will reboot your system a few times before the installation finishes, and it’ll then ask you a series of questions to help you personalize your operating system prior to the first official run – including asking you to log into your official Microsoft account, if you so choose. One last tip, however: When you go to reboot your system to actually load Windows 8 for the first time, take out your USB key during your motherboard’s boot sequence. If not, and if you set your system to always boot off any available USB devices before your hard drive, you’ll find yourself continually looping back to the Windows 8 installation program. That’s just silly.

On the next page: How to virtualize Windows 8!

Virtualizing

Who needs partitions when you can just run your new operating system within your operating system? Once you’ve downloaded the Windows 8 Consumer Preview installation files and the setup program is asking you where you’d like to slap ‘em – on a USB key or as an ISO file to burn to a DVD – you’re going to want to pick the ISO option this time. Save the ISO file somewhere on your computer, but don’t go reaching for the DVDs just yet – no need.

Head on over to the official website of the (free) virtualization software Oracle VM Virtualbox (hereafter called simply “Virtualbox”) and download the setup file. Why are we not using Windows Virtual PC, you Windows 7 users might ask? Simple: It doesn’t support 64-bit installations of operating systems. Virtualbox does, and is every bit as free as Microsoft’s app.

Once you’ve installed Virtualbox, click on the big ol’ “New” button in the app’s upper-left-hand corner. Enter a good name for your virtual machine on the next prompt and make sure that both Microsoft Windows and Windows 8 are selected within the corresponding “OS Type” drop-downs (it goes without saying).

From here, there aren’t a lot of options that you really need to edit – you can pass through most using the default options that VirtualBox has already selected on your behalf, save for those we mention below.

Click Next until you’re given a slider that asks you to adjust how much memory you want to assign to you virtual operating system. Windows 8 require a minimum of one gigabyte to run; If you can spare it, up your virtual machine to at least two gigabytes (2,048 megabytes).

Now, where are you going to physically store your operating system’s files? On a virtual hard drive, of course! The option to “Create new hard disk” is selected by default once you reach VirtualBox’s Virtual Hard Disk screen. That’s great. Click Next until you reach the screen where you’re asked to set your hard drive’s size. Remember: 16 gigabytes minimum for a 32-bit installation, 20 gigabytes minimum for a 64-bit installation. Adjust your size as you see fit, then click Next (selecting all the default prompts from that point forward) until you’re taken back to the main Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager screen. Almost there!

Highlight your new Virtual Machine and click on the big “Settings” icon above. While you can fiddle with a number of advanced settings to boost the performance of your to-be-Windows 8 installation – like adding support for more of you CPU’s cores within the “System” menu – the most critical piece of the puzzle that you need to set into place is your Windows 8 installation CD. Or, in this case, the ISO you previously made that your Virtual Machine will need to mount to install the OS.

Click on the “Storage” option on the left-hand menu on the Settings window. Under “IDE Controller,” you should see a big fat “Empty” next to an icon of a DVD. Click on "Empty." Then, click on the icon of a CD that appears next to the “CD/DVD Drive” drop-down menu on the right portion of the Settings window. Go find your ISO file. Click “OK” to mount the disc and exit out of the Settings window.

Ready? Click on the big green “Start” arrow after you’ve clicked on your Windows 8 virtual machine. Run through the Windows 8 installation process (it’s easy, since you’re just custom-installing the operating system to a single virtual hard drive), run through the Windows 8 personalization process, and enjoy your new OS within an OS.

On the next page: Dual-Boot / Virtualization Installation Checklists!

Wrap-up

Sounds simple? Installing the Windows 8 Consumer Preview is a piece of cake. But if you just want a quick checklist for both dual-booting and virtualizing the operating system, well, we aim to please:

Dual-Boot

Run the Windows 8 Consumer Preview Setup Program. Download the OS and use a USB key for the installation.
Fire up your Computer Management window (under Administrative Tools in you Control Panel).
Shrink your primary partition by at least 16 or 20 gigabytes (more, if you can afford it).
Create a new, simple NTFS volume on your new block of unallocated space. Give it a good name.
Reboot your system and jam the appropriate key during the boot sequence to access your motherboard’s boot selection list (or BIOS settings, if you have to adjust the boot order manually).
Boot onto your USB key. Punch in your Windows key, select a custom installation to your new partition, and let ‘er rip.
Run through Windows 8’s litany of personalization options. Try to figure out the new Metro UI.

Virtualization

Run the Windows 8 Consumer Preview Setup Program. Make an ISO out of the installation files and save it somewhere on your desktop.
Download and install VirtualBox.
Create a new Virtual Machine. Make sure you’ve selected Windows 8 as the OS type.
Give yourself enough RAM (at least 1 GB) and Virtual Hard Drive space (16 or 20 gigabytes)
Mount your Windows 8 ISO within you Virtual Machine’s Settings window
Launch your Virtual Machine; Install Windows; Try to figure out the new Metro UI.

For more from David, former Maximum PC editor and Windows enthusiast, follow him on Facebook or Twitter (@thedavidmurphy).