Windows XP only: DefaultBrowser is a simple utility that allows you to set a portable browser as your system default and easily reverse the process when necessary.
Windows: Just because you’re still rocking Windows XP, or you’ve recently picked up a netbook that zips along nicely with XP installed on it, doesn’t mean you need to miss out on the polished graphics of newer Windows versions.
Windows 7 only allows you to upgrade directly from Vista, so if you are looking to switch from XP you are out of luck. Thankfully the built-in Easy Transfer tool makes the upgrade process much easier.
Windows only: customisation utility Border Skin adds the Aero Glass effects from Windows 7 or Vista to your PC running XP.
The Tweaking with Vishal web site writes up a quick but useful registry hack that adds an “Open File Location” item to the context menu, just like Windows 7 or Vista has already.
Windows only: Updating your Windows install over a slow connection, or as part of multiple installations, can be a time-consuming pain. PatchMateXP bundles all current updates onto an easy to use deployment disk.
We’ve already shown you how to upgrade to the Windows 7 release candidate and walked you through what’s new when you get there; now let’s take a look at what you need to enable Windows 7 XP Mode.
Windows only: If you’re curious whether your processor will support XP Mode in Windows 7 or not, SecurAble is a simple freeware application you can use to find out.
A Microsoft director has pinned down the details for the “XP Mode” to be included with higher-level Windows 7 editions. Those running Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate, with at least 2GB of RAM and an Intel or AMD processor that supports hardware-level virtualisation (often labelled as AMD-V, or VT on Intel chips), and already owning a licensed copy of Windows XP Service Pack 3 will have access to the “XP Mode” download for free. And while the virtual XP machine will run seamlessly and in the background, it will require its own antivirus and protection software. [CNET via Gizmodo]
