Windows 8 BluePoison, Enable Disabled Features

Microsoft released the Windows 8 developer preview exactly a month ago as part of the Build Conference. The release was made available publicly – it in fact is still available for download – and users had ample time to test some of the new features of the operating system. It did not take that long to figure out that some features were disabled in the preview and others not implemented yet. Tools like Metro UI Tweaker were created shortly after the release to enable some of the disabled functionality of the operating system.

Windows 8 Blue Poison 2 provides access to four different features: Download Windows 8 and Office 15, unlock hidden operating system features, install different start screen themes and activation related features.

The program needs to be started with elevated rights to enable all of its functionality. The Windows 8 download section will always lists the latest 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 8 downloads as well as the latest Office 15 download. I cannot say for sure where those are downloaded. The Office 15 download is password protected which indicates that it is not downloaded directly from an official Microsoft server. Caution is advised.

The second tab, unlock hidden features can be used to activate Windows 8 features that are not enabled by default. Those are to enable the applications folder and the classic start menu in the latest version of Windows 8 Blue Poison.

It is here possible to enable features individually or all at once. Previous versions of the program offered to unlock different features which since then had to be removed because of developer preview updates by Microsoft.

The themes section offers to change the current green theme to a different color. a total of ten new themes with different color schemes are available to replace the default Windows 8 theme. All it takes to make the modification is a click on the new theme and a restart of the system.

Interested Windows users can download the latest version of Windows 8 BluePoison from the official program website. The download options are compatible with previous Microsoft operating systems as well (tested on Windows 7).

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© Martin Brinkmann for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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Tools to Tweak Windows 7 and Make it Like Windows 8

Windows 8 will be released soon, perhaps not soon enough. No big news there except that if you are a Windows fan, you probably want Windows 8 now. Windows 7 is fantastic and you may not want to let go. What do you do? It is time to tweak your Windows 7 operating system to give it features similar to Windows 8. This sounds fun, does it not? Windows 8 is tile-based and for those who like tiles, this is a beautiful thing. This article details some tools to give the tile format to Windows 7. Set a restore point and get ready to start tweaking.

Aero Tile

To add the glassy aeroful tiles to your PC desktop, the portable utility Aero Tile delivers this distinctive glamour. It offers you several options and choices for My Computer, My Documents, Control Panel, Fonts and other such Windows dimensions. Aero Tile is simple to use. There is no need for extensive technical knowledge or added code.

Download Aero Tile from the following link and get started. It will arrive in a .zip file. Extract the application from the zipped file and launch. The options window opens immediately. Check the boxes next to the tiles you want to display. You have to arrange the tiles by dragging them and placing them in the appropriate area of the desktop.

Omnimo 4

This is an application based on Rainmeter. It is a multi-function desktop center. It is interactive and versatile once you get a feel for it. The tiles are easily customized and any information is accessible from an aesthetically pleasing layout. You will need to install Rainmeter 2.0 or higher, as Omnimo 4 requires Rainmeter. Download here. Now you can install and start using Omnimo 4.

It will open from a .zip file. The installation is simple. When complete, Omnimo starts right up and you can begin configuration.

Zetro

Another Windows 8 metro UI theme for Windows 7 is Zetro. It yields the stylish tiles of 8 to Windows 7. You will have to go through several steps to prepare the proper format to work in Windows 7 and produce tiles that are active and functional. The instructions can be found in the Readme file located in the extracted .zip folder for Zetro. The interesting thing about this tweak is that it is a theme pack that enables you to alternate between tiles and Aeros easily. This versatility is well worth the setup procedure and will produce a genuine Windows 8 format for the Windows 7 desktop. Download Zetro from this link.

The screenshot above shows the Zetro theme files after being transferred to the Windows Themes file, as described in the instructional Readme file. After this is done, choose the theme you want. Try all of them to see which suites you. You can switch back to Aeros by returning to the Windows Themes folder (C:/Windows/Resources/Themes) and selecting Aeros. This will set things back to Windows 7 appearance.

Each of these different tweaks offers a different appearance and functionality. Experiment with it and see which works best for you. After all, you can always uninstall it if you don’t like it.

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© Melanie Gross for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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Post tags: rainmeter, windows 7, windows 8, windows 8 theme, windows aero