select disk 3
… where of course you replace number 3 with the number that corresponds to the relevant disc. Finally, run:
clean
Your system will wipe the disk without any hidden partitions or tables confusing your computer. Then you can click on the Start menu, search for Disk Management and right-click on the disk to initialize and format it. Note that it only deletes the partition tables, it does not delete all your data securely – some of them may still be accessible with file recovery tools. To safely delete all tracks (such as if you are going to recycle the disk or want to sell the computer), right-click on the disk in Windows Explorer, select Format and check the box next to Quick Format. Or use a third-party tool like DBAN, which has a number of other secure livestock options.
Get a list of every program installed on your computer
If you get a new laptop or clean Windows again, you will probably forget about the tools you use every day and take for granted. Before wiping your disk, you can make a list of each program installed on your computer with one command.
Unlike the others on this list, however, this command must be executed from PowerShell, a newer, more powerful tool built into Windows. Open the Start menu, search for PowerShell and open a new window. Then execute the following command – it’s long, but it’s only one copy-and-paste command, which will grab the contents of three different registry keys and export them to a text file on your desktop:
Get-ItemProperty HKLM: Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Uninstall *, HKLM: Software Wow6432Node Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Uninstall *, HKCU: Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Uninstall * | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher, Size, InstallDate | Format table – AutoSize> C: Users Whitson Desktop ProgramsList.txt
Replace Whitson with the name of your user directory at the end of the command to get the file to your desktop. Note, however, that it will not include Windows Store programs, which you can list by running:
Get-AppxPackage> C: Users Whitson Desktop StoreProgramsList.txt
Once again, replace Whitson with the name of your user directory. There’s a lot of clutter in the list, but you can manually grab the few programs you want to remember and paste them into your original list, if that’s easier.
Look Star Wars (No, seriously)
OK, this is not exactly a ‘useful’ trick, but it’s definitely neat. If you enable Telnet in Windows (search for “enable or disable Windows features” in the Start menu, then check the Telnet box), you can do this:
telnet handdoek.blinkenlights.nl
To switch to an ASCII version of Star Wars in your command window. It has been around for years, and it still impresses me.
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