Category: Windows

How To: Install PHP on IIS in Windows 8 Easily

install php on IIS

Install PHP on IIS in Windows 8

There are many people, who come to me asking, is there any simple way of installing PHP on my PC with Windows and IIS. The answer is, Yes.

Thanks to Microsoft for providing a great tool named Web Platform Installer. This tool is capable of setting up your machine for different tested and tried configuration. It can install many applications & packages. I always used this tool prepare the servers and development environment. However it has only one lack of feature, “Offline Installations”. I am still happy as most of the time when I am configuring the environments, the Internet is available and this tool can quickly download the latest one over the Internet. I have prepared a short video for the same.

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How To: Create USB Installation Stick for Windows 7 64bit and 32bit

Create USB Installation Stick

Create USB Installation Stick for Windows 7 64bit and 32bit

There are chances that you are playing a role of IT engineer, who has to install many windows OS every day and you are tired of with the traditional way of installation the OS from DVD. Well in that case you can use a USB stick to install the OS from.

You just need an empty USB stick and the source iso image for the windows operating system. to create a USB installation stick you need to download windows usb / dvd download tool from Microsoft and follow the below guide.

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How To: Dual Boot Windows 7 along with Windows 8 from VHD

dual boot Windows 7 and windows 8

Dual Boot Windows 7 along with Windows 8 from VHD

Sometime back when windows 8 was introduced and made available to public, I was at Windows 7 on my laptop and wanted eagerly to install the same. but unfortunately I was having a complete environment setup over there which was hard to wash and rebuild on that eager to see the new operating system on my machine. So, I decided to have my PC dual boot. But there is never the less hurdles in front of a doer. The other problem was to have a spare partition and make it available for installing the windows 8. Finally, the problem was solved by an angle named VHD (Virtual Hard Disk).

I assume there many people who still think that a VHD file requires a virtualization software on you machine to execute from, but no you can have that file hosted with your physical machine and make it act like a Hard Disk Drive encapsulating all of its data from the rest of the drive containing this file. Once you have a VHD file, you can use that as a volume to install the windows also and the same I did here. To help people understand and see visually i have prepared a video on the same.

I want this guide to be helpful to all of you so that in case you are also stuck up with the same kind of situation, can use the guide to seamlessly dual boot the OS without disturbing the existing environment and do your testing before moving ahead.

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Windows 7 (Seven) Shortcuts

Here are few very nice and useful shortcuts available in Microsoft’s latest operating system Windows 7 (Seven):

Win + Home Minimize all the windows except the current window.
Win + SpaceBar Key Visible windows becomes transparent so you can see the desktop.
Win + Up Arrow Maximize the current window.
Win + Shift + Up Arrow Vertically Maximize the current window.
Win + Down Arrow Restore / Minimize the current window.
Win + Left Arrow Fit window in the left half of the screen.
Win + Right Arrow Fit window in the right half of the screen.
Win + Number (1-9) Open the in the order arranged in the taskbar.
Win + Ctrl + Number (1-9) Toggle the opened windows in same order as they are on taskbar
Win + Alt + Number (1-9) Open Jump List of the apps in the same order as they are on taskbar.
Win + T Focus the taskbar buttons to navigate in.
Win + B Focus the System Tray butoms to navigate in.
Ctrl + Shift + N Create New Folder in explorer or desktop.
Alt + Up Arrow Move up a directory level.
Alt + P Open/Close preview pan in explorer.
Win + P Select the display mode if multiple displays are attached.
Win + Num Pad (+/-) Magnifier Zoom In/Out.
Win + G Navigate in Desktop Gedgets
Win + L Lock Computer (old shortcut)
Win + Tab Windows 3D.

Visual Studio 2005 SP1: didn’t pass the digital signature policy error

To solve this follow the work around:

Work Arround 1:

  1. Start Menu, click Run, type > control admintools and then click OK.
  2. Double-click Local Security Policy.
  3. Click Software Restriction Policies.
    Note: If no software restrictions are listed, right-click Software Restriction Policies, and then click Create New Policy.
  4. Under Object Type, double-click Enforcement.
  5. Click All users except Local Administrators, and then click OK.
  6. Restart the computer.

Install SP1 with no errors.

Work Arround 2:

There is a fix from Microsoft to resolve the issue. Please visit the following knowledge base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925336 or Download the Update for Windows Server 2003 (KB925336).

Note: Revert the settings after the installation is over.