Windows Super Tips: Windows 8

Solving Windows 8 blank screen after Booting and Logging on

This article will not be long. It is just my answer to the questions of some of my friends who reported that their screen went blank (black) after logging on Windows 8.<br />
When you log on Windows 8, the next screen that you will see should be the start screen. However, there are users who said that their screen went blank after inputting their password. I have been googling for a while to find the answer for those questions and many of the answers that I found said that the blank screen was due to graphic driver issue.<br />
While hardware driver may be a potential cause, from my experience, there is another cause for that blank screen. And that cause is an antivirus program that I install earlier (I use Avast). If you encounter this problem, my suggestion is that you press Ctrl+Alt+Del so that you can access the task manager and kill the antivirus service that is currently running by using task manager. This solution may not work to everyone since not all antivirus program can be killed by using task manager. After killing the program, use task manager to run explorer.exe (File>Run New Task>explorer.exe)<br />
Another solution that you can use is resetting your Windows 8 and reinstalling all programs that you consider important. To detect which program causes the problem, you may need to restart your computer whenever you finish installing a program. If your computer screen goes blank after installing a particular program, you should know that that program must be the culprit.<br />
If you can affirm that Avast causes the problem, you have to prevent Avast's behavior shield from monitoring explorer.exe and systemsettings.exe. Refer to the following steps to do that.<br />
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<ol>
<li>Open Avast user interface</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImGecdSgccuNmFMgFkPIdI0yBjkJvIjvEfFXV3vY0eVdVMlEYOmTkaD31f5B8PI2vm5BEk4ygVZ2jjsGof831FRtl9sZWDeapAn1Pohsc1xEGk-kAEJEqqAs4DGte7oeNJBr-biMzKeY/s1600/avast1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImGecdSgccuNmFMgFkPIdI0yBjkJvIjvEfFXV3vY0eVdVMlEYOmTkaD31f5B8PI2vm5BEk4ygVZ2jjsGof831FRtl9sZWDeapAn1Pohsc1xEGk-kAEJEqqAs4DGte7oeNJBr-biMzKeY/s320/avast1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li>Click the Security tab</li>
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 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuMyQYiVYfuo32v_70kncfEfJ12hfLeiM8zH-mWRc3oZJlCEsgmoAVlf1JCk5GsjDdClA1PA9Oza8zjmjMFIndfuUGIR6N_wFfgHQh7Dp3f38wKdHGsS9r6W1QYr1-8Q3PdwvAxSUtKw/s1600/avast2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIuMyQYiVYfuo32v_70kncfEfJ12hfLeiM8zH-mWRc3oZJlCEsgmoAVlf1JCk5GsjDdClA1PA9Oza8zjmjMFIndfuUGIR6N_wFfgHQh7Dp3f38wKdHGsS9r6W1QYr1-8Q3PdwvAxSUtKw/s320/avast2.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li>Expand the Antivirus section</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJ5TeodKndDsUkOUO2HeuCjsWF5BzTZ57u3B69ej6-efBo2yvy-NB93Z6-ZeOgPSovQhrB9W0gF_rx0Xv7RUkdItSQSkU9fO-6s8q-gHV6PdytcRe37W_eEV_t_Lpogfh1-qykYM0NhQ/s1600/avast3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJ5TeodKndDsUkOUO2HeuCjsWF5BzTZ57u3B69ej6-efBo2yvy-NB93Z6-ZeOgPSovQhrB9W0gF_rx0Xv7RUkdItSQSkU9fO-6s8q-gHV6PdytcRe37W_eEV_t_Lpogfh1-qykYM0NhQ/s320/avast3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li>Click Behavior Shield</li>
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 <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSL76nMKiK4mgRtd16KdROx7PoOmAcibufP2fMIYoPK_9I_49PQjTw1zZvVcmnalM3oKP4mJYwRZMRp88kTpRJk-SHPPHmO4Y8YFbozI1rttKa3_JZpAVCrZpFZat0ip4p5DdfE_hunwA/s1600/avast4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSL76nMKiK4mgRtd16KdROx7PoOmAcibufP2fMIYoPK_9I_49PQjTw1zZvVcmnalM3oKP4mJYwRZMRp88kTpRJk-SHPPHmO4Y8YFbozI1rttKa3_JZpAVCrZpFZat0ip4p5DdfE_hunwA/s320/avast4.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<li>Click Settings</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHAmrzjUJes6Aa0IeMBldAMSKPRrVcLjkDjIIALkK3wnVzlG7D0_5IDwaBFcRnWb3wHx2vsomWbCwBLMHUxI7YI3a44oO_A09NtpZgtqAb6EDEu3ROEyLDbdcq8Ss2C6ZIYIGHq3j0oM/s1600/avast5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHAmrzjUJes6Aa0IeMBldAMSKPRrVcLjkDjIIALkK3wnVzlG7D0_5IDwaBFcRnWb3wHx2vsomWbCwBLMHUxI7YI3a44oO_A09NtpZgtqAb6EDEu3ROEyLDbdcq8Ss2C6ZIYIGHq3j0oM/s320/avast5.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<li>Click Trusted Processes and include the following exe files</li>
C:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPanel\SystemSettings.exe<br />
C:\Windows\explorer.exe
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUcvVFCVxv8dvBysIL7SOfAxZKK8WSZ29EAYVXTWfnv2U_5W-ezL_MSbD0dqVB4C3WSWGhpXs3K2AM3BkKYl5Vv-bXt6qK5mzg00Q6m-yee03GNsgHbHlYQow9PKbeUj7O3hjxllpSnQ/s1600/avast6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcUcvVFCVxv8dvBysIL7SOfAxZKK8WSZ29EAYVXTWfnv2U_5W-ezL_MSbD0dqVB4C3WSWGhpXs3K2AM3BkKYl5Vv-bXt6qK5mzg00Q6m-yee03GNsgHbHlYQow9PKbeUj7O3hjxllpSnQ/s320/avast6.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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</ol>

Solving Windows 8 blank screen after Booting and Logging on

This article will not be long. It is just my answer to the questions of some of my friends who reported that their screen went blank (black)...

Changing Windows 7 and Windows 8 Desktop Wallpaper Slideshow Based on the Time of the Day

Previously, I have explained about how to <a href="http://windowssupertips.blogspot.com/2013/06/changing-windows-xp-desktop-wallpaper.html">change Windows XP desktop wallpaper slideshow based on the time of the day</a>. Now I will try to do the same procedure on Windows 7 and Windows 8. The procedure that we have applied to Windoes XP will not work on Windows 7 and Windows 8 because there is problem with the code that modifies the Regedit keys. There is actually an effective workaround to deal with this problem; however, when I use it to change the Windows 7's theme, the personalization window always appears. Although there is a batch file that can be used to hide that window automatically, I think that automatic showing and hiding of the personalization window is not cool at all. To overcome this problem, I have to use a third-party application called Winaero Theme Switcher. This small application can change Windows 7's theme and that of Windows 8 silently (i.e. without displaying Personalization window). By using this application and a small vbs file, I can finally apply the same procedure that I have applied to Windows XP to Windows 7 and Windows 8. If you are curious about it, you can perform the following steps.<br />
<ol>
<li>Download Winaero Theme Switcher. You can get it from <a href="http://adf.ly/RC700">here</a>. This application is small and free.</li>
<li>Create 5 themes by using personalization window and save those themes respectively as Morning, Noon, Afternoon, Evening and Night. It doesn't matter how many wallpapers that you will use for each theme. Use as many wallpapers as you want. Just make sure that those pictures match the theme that contains them. This procedure is relatively easy to do. You should be able to figure it out with no trouble.</li>
<li>Now prepare your vbs file. Open Notepad and copy-paste the following code on it.</li>
<div>
<pre style="background-color: white; border-left-color: rgb(0, 140, 141); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 5px; font-family: Consolas, Menlo, Monaco, 'Lucida Console', 'Liberation Mono', 'DejaVu Sans Mono', 'Bitstream Vera Sans Mono', 'Courier New', monospace, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; max-height: 600px; overflow: auto; padding: 5px 5px 5px 10px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto;"><code style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Consolas, Menlo, Monaco, Lucida Console, Liberation Mono, DejaVu Sans Mono, Bitstream Vera Sans Mono, Courier New, monospace, serif;">Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Dim exeName
CurrentHour = Hour(Now)
If CurrentHour >= 5 And CurrentHour <= 8 Then
        WshShell.Run "ThemeSwitcher.exe" & " " & "Morning"
    ElseIf CurrentHour >= 9 And CurrentHour <= 13 Then
        WshShell.Run "ThemeSwitcher.exe" & " " & "Daytime"
    ElseIf CurrentHour >= 14 And CurrentHour <= 16 Then
        WshShell.Run "ThemeSwitcher.exe" & " " & "Afternoon"
    ElseIf CurrentHour >= 17 And CurrentHour <= 20 Then
        WshShell.Run "ThemeSwitcher.exe" & " " & "Evening"
    ElseIf CurrentHour >= 21 And CurrentHour <= 23 Then
        WshShell.Run "ThemeSwitcher.exe" & " " & "Night"
    ElseIf CurrentHour >= 0 And CurrentHour <= 4 Then
        WshShell.Run "ThemeSwitcher.exe" & " " & "Night"
End If</span></code></pre>
</div>
<li>Save the file as a .vbs file (File>Save As...><i>change the</i> "Save as type" <i>option to</i> "All files (*.*)"> <i>use</i> "wallpaperchange.vbs" <i>(without quotation marks) as the file name</i>><i>click</i> Save <i>button</i>).</li>
<li>Put the .vbs file in the folder where ThemeSwitcher.exe (Winaero Theme Switcher application) is located.</li>
<li>Use Task Scheduler to schedule the activation of this visual basic code. Right click on Task Scheduler Library, right click and choose Create New Task.... To modify the Task Scheduler's settings, refer to the following screenshots:</li>
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Changing Windows 7 and Windows 8 Desktop Wallpaper Slideshow Based on the Time of the Day

Previously, I have explained about how to change Windows XP desktop wallpaper slideshow based on the time of the day . Now I will try to do...