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windows 8

Next Xbox To Be Revealed in May

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We have been patiently waiting to hear details about Microsoft’s answer to the Playstation 4 and it looks like we will finally  get some details in May. The next-gen Xbox was supposed to be seen by the masses in April but instead it will be May 21st according to The Verge.

We actually know very little about the next-gen Xbox, codenamed Durango, but we do have an idea what’s in store for Xbox fans. It is likely that the software in the new Xbox will be very similar to Windows 8 and it’s possible that the console will require an “Always On” connection to the internet. That last bit has some gamers a bit on edge and even has them considering other consoles if Microsoft actually employs this strategy.

As always we will keep you in the loop when more details emerge about the next Xbox.

How To Play a DVD in Windows 8

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If you haven’t already noticed, you can’t play a DVD by default in Windows 8. Yep, sounds weird but it’s true. Fortunately, there’s a great application out there that gets the job done and then some.

VLC Media Player is the simple solution to this problem. If you haven’t used this great application yet then your missing out. It plays all kinds of formats, almost all of them, and best of all, it’s completely free! You can customize your player with skins, work with filtering effects, and it even has streaming support. This is a very robust little application and it’s worth downloading.

VLC Media Player is available for Windows, OS X, and Linux and you can get it at the official site, VideoLAN.org.

VLCSS

How To Set Up Hyper V in Windows 8

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Windows 8 Pro is filled with features that are somewhat hidden and Hyper-V, a virtualization technology, is no exception. This article will show you how to to get up and running with Hyper-V. It’s important to note that Hyper-V is currently only available on Windows 8 Pro and Enterprise editions on the x64 platform (64 bit).

So what does Hyper-V do?

Well, to essentially gloss over it, Hyper-V allows you to create a a virtual machine (PC). You can customize it any way you would like by assigning how much memory, hard-drive space and other hardware features you would like this PC within a PC to have.Once you customize your virtual hardware, you can install whatever operating system on it you prefer; even Windows 95 or earlier if you are so inclined.

This technology has been around for a while and continues to get better. It’s pretty powerful stuff especially when used in large scale corporations, it can save a lot of time, money, and headaches. For the home user it’s pretty much up to you what you want to do with it. Maybe you just want to mess around with it or maybe you have some old games that won’t run on newer versions of Windows, either way you should check it out.

Finding and Installing Hyper-V

Hyper-V is not installed by default in Windows 8 and if you’re not sure where to look, you may never find it. Fortunately, it’s not that hard to set-up.

  • Head to the Desktop in Windows 8.
  • Bring up the “Charms Bar” on the Right-Hand side of the screen.
  • Click “Settings”.
  • Click “Control Panel”.
  • Now Click “Programs”.
  • Click “Turn Windows features on or off”. Here you will find a list of the many features that Windows 8 offers, one of which is Hyper-V.
  • Place a check next to Hyper-V, Hyper-V Management Tools, and Hyper-V Platform then click “OK”.

Windows will now set-up Hyper-V for use. If you can’t seem to locate the application, you can find it quickly by typing Hyper-V into Windows 8 search and then you can make a shortcut.

* Alternatively, you can open up “Run” and type in “appwiz.cpl”, then follow the last two steps from above.

HyperV ScreenShot
Hyper-V Manager

How To Fix Your Windows 8 Master Boot Record (MBR)

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If you’ve been playing around with Linux or some other type of OS installation on your PC and you want to go back to Windows, but you get a MBR (Master Boot Record) error, then don’t worry there’s hope. This error can also happen for other reasons like a virus but the fix is usually the same.

The problem is just as the error message states, you have a problem with your MBR. The MBR contains important information about partitions and files that are needed to boot up your PC. Without an intact MBR, your PC will fail to boot properly and therefore it’s important that you get it back in working shape.

Here’s a step-by-step process on how to fix your MBR:

  •  Find your Windows 8 DVD and insert it into your computer.
  • Make sure your computer is set to boot from the DVD drive first ( You may need to enter the BIOS for this, See your PC’s documentation).
  • Boot your computer from the Windows 8 disc.
  • The first screen that will popup after the DVD boots your machine is the Language selection screen, click “Next”.
  • On the “Install Now” screen go to the lower left hand section of the window and click “Repair Your Computer”.
  • Now Click “Troubleshoot”
  • Click “Advanced Options”
  • Click “Command Prompt”
  • You will now see a black command window, type  BOOTREC /FIXMBR and then press enter.
  • After you press enter you should see the message “The operation completed successfully.”. Now you can type  EXIT and press enter. Now you can select “Turn off your PC”.

Once you turn your PC back on you should see that your issue has been resolved!

If You Plan on Upgrading to Windows 8, You Should Do it Soon

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f you’re planning on making the upgrade to Windows 8 or if you have been on-the-fence about it, you should consider making your move soon. Windows 8 Pro (upgrade) is currently priced at $40 and that’s not going to last forever. After January 31st Windows 8 Pro will set you back $200, pretty big price jump huh? I thought the $40 upgrade was a brilliant idea and hoped it would last much longer. Windows users are already having a tough time in making the decision to upgrade, but with such a low price in place, it makes that decision a little easier.

So if you want to jump in and go with Windows 8, you should probably just go with the Pro version for $40. You can upgrade by heading to Microsoft’s upgrade site.