Write-Host "Press any key to continue ..."

$x = $host.UI.RawUI.ReadKey("NoEcho,IncludeKeyDown")

However, the above solution has two things wrong with it:

• It doesn’t work from within Windows PowerShell ISE
• Unlike cmd.exe’s “Pause” command, pressing keys like Ctrl and Alt causes the script to continue

To fix these two issues, I decided to write my own “Pause” function:

Function Pause ($Message = "Press any key to continue . . . ") {
	If ($psISE) {
		# The "ReadKey" functionality is not supported in Windows PowerShell ISE.

		$Shell = New-Object -ComObject "WScript.Shell"
		$Button = $Shell.Popup("Click OK to continue.", 0, "Script Paused", 0)

		Return
	}

	Write-Host -NoNewline $Message

	$Ignore =
		16,  # Shift (left or right)
		17,  # Ctrl (left or right)
		18,  # Alt (left or right)
		20,  # Caps lock
		91,  # Windows key (left)
		92,  # Windows key (right)
		93,  # Menu key
		144, # Num lock
		145, # Scroll lock
		166, # Back
		167, # Forward
		168, # Refresh
		169, # Stop
		170, # Search
		171, # Favorites
		172, # Start/Home
		173, # Mute
		174, # Volume Down
		175, # Volume Up
		176, # Next Track
		177, # Previous Track
		178, # Stop Media
		179, # Play
		180, # Mail
		181, # Select Media
		182, # Application 1
		183  # Application 2

	While ($KeyInfo.VirtualKeyCode -Eq $Null -Or $Ignore -Contains $KeyInfo.VirtualKeyCode) {
		$KeyInfo = $Host.UI.RawUI.ReadKey("NoEcho, IncludeKeyDown")
	}

	Write-Host
}

Here’s the minified version:

Function Pause($M="Press any key to continue . . . "){If($psISE){$S=New-Object -ComObject "WScript.Shell";$B=$S.Popup("Click OK to continue.",0,"Script Paused",0);Return};Write-Host -NoNewline $M;$I=16,17,18,20,91,92,93,144,145,166,167,168,169,170,171,172,173,174,175,176,177,178,179,180,181,182,183;While($K.VirtualKeyCode -Eq $Null -Or $I -Contains $K.VirtualKeyCode){$K=$Host.UI.RawUI.ReadKey("NoEcho,IncludeKeyDown")};Write-Host}

1. The batch file installs PowerShell 2.0 only if it is not already installed
2. If service pack 3 for Windows is not installed, the batch file exits
3. If .NET Framework 2.0 (at least service pack 1) is not installed, the batch file automatically installs the x86 version of .NET Framework 2.0 service pack 1

Here are the two files used by the batch file:

1. Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 1 (x86)
2. Update for Windows XP (KB968930): includes Windows PowerShell 2.0 and Windows Remote Management (WinRM) 2.0

Here is the code for the batch file:

@ECHO OFF

REM Make sure this batch file is being run with Windows XP
VER | FINDSTR /L "5.1." > NUL
IF %ERRORLEVEL% NEQ 0 ECHO It appears that you're not using Windows XP, so this batch file will exit now.&GOTO EOF

REM See if PowerShell is installed
FOR /F "tokens=3" %%A IN ('REG QUERY "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1" /v Install ^| FIND "Install"') DO SET PowerShellInstalled=%%A
CLS

IF NOT "%PowerShellInstalled%"=="0x1" ECHO PowerShell doesn't appear to be installed.&GOTO CheckPrerequisites

REM PowerShell is installed, so now see which version it is
FOR /F "tokens=3" %%A IN ('REG QUERY "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\PowerShellEngine" /v PowerShellVersion ^| FIND "PowerShellVersion"') DO SET PowerShellVersion=%%A
CLS

IF "%PowerShellVersion%"=="" (
 ECHO PowerShell appears to be installed, but the version number was unable to be
 ECHO determined.
 GOTO CheckPrerequisites
)

ECHO PowerShell %PowerShellVersion% appears to be installed.
IF %PowerShellVersion%==2.0 GOTO EOF

:CheckPrerequisites
ECHO.
ECHO Version 2 will now be installed.
ECHO.

REM Make sure service pack 3 for Windows is installed
REG QUERY "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v CSDVersion | FIND "Service Pack 3" > NUL
IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 GOTO CheckNETFramework2SP
CLS

ECHO It appears that you're using Windows XP, but without service pack 3. Please
ECHO install service pack 3 and then run this batch file again.
ECHO.
GOTO EOF

:CheckNETFramework2SP
REM Service pack 3 for Windows is installed, so now make sure .NET Framework 2.0 (at least SP1) is installed
FOR /F "tokens=3" %%A IN ('REG QUERY "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v2.0.50727" /v SP ^| FIND "SP"') DO SET NETFramework2SP=%%A
CLS

IF NOT "%NETFramework2SP%"=="" IF NOT "%NETFramework2SP%"=="0x0" GOTO InstallPowerShell2

ECHO Installing .NET Framework 2.0 SP1...
START "" /WAIT NetFx20SP1_x86.exe /q /norestart
ECHO.

:InstallPowerShell2
ECHO Installing PowerShell 2.0...
START "" /WAIT WindowsXP-KB968930-x86-ENG.exe /quiet /passive /norestart

:EOF

1. From within PowerShell
2. From a shortcut
3. From the “Run” dialogue box

It turns out that, as of PowerShell 2.0, there is another way, which is to simply right-click the PowerShell script and choose “Run with PowerShell”. But what if you have several PowerShell scripts that you want to run in succession and not simultaneously? I ran into this problem, so I came up with a solution that involves a simple batch file. With this batch file, all you have to do to run one or more PowerShell scripts is drag it onto the batch file’s icon and let go. Here is the code for the batch file:

@ECHO OFF
CLS
IF NOT EXIST "%windir%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" GOTO NoPowerShell

IF NOT "%~1"=="" GOTO Start

ECHO Drag a PowerShell script (or multiple PowerShell scripts) onto this batch
ECHO file's icon and let go to run it.
ECHO.
PAUSE
GOTO EOF

:Start
REM Make sure the "%~1" parameter is a valid path
IF "%~1"=="" GOTO EOF
IF NOT EXIST "%~1" GOTO ShiftParameters

ECHO This batch file will now launch the following file using PowerShell:
ECHO.
ECHO %~1
ECHO.
ECHO *** BEGIN ***
"%windir%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" ^&\"%~1\"

REM If an error occurs, pause the batch file so that the user can review the error message
IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 1 PAUSE

ECHO *** END ***
ECHO.

:ShiftParameters
SHIFT
GOTO Start

:NoPowerShell
ECHO PowerShell wasn't found at the following location:
ECHO.
ECHO "%windir%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe"
ECHO.
ECHO Please install PowerShell and try again.
ECHO.
PAUSE

:EOF

• New tweets must show up automatically
• The font size must be able to be set high enough to see from across the room, preferably for only the first three tweets (as opposed to all of the tweets)

I scoured the Internet for a Twitter client that met these two requirements and was quite surprised to find that all of the major Twitter clients (TweetDeck, Seesmic, twhirl, etc.) lacked the ability to set the font size to a very high setting. I could just use the official Twitter website and use my browser’s zoom control to increase the font size, but the thing about the official Twitter website is that it doesn’t show new tweets automatically; it only notifies you of new tweets.

Seeing that I couldn’t find a Twitter client or webpage that met my requirements, I decided to create my own webpage. Since the time I made that decision, I’ve created a PHP/JavaScript version and a JavaScript only version. I call it “Read Only Twitter” because it’s meant strictly for viewing a Twitter timeline; not for tweeting.

I highly doubt I’m the only person in the world in need of a Twitter client or webpage that meets the two requirements listed above. That being the case, I decided to release my project to the world.

You can view a live demo (using the public Twitter timeline) and download the script here.

What if you want to track where your money is going? Or what if you’re trying to plan ahead and want to know how much your electric bill was for a certain month last year so that you’ll have a rough idea of how much it’ll be for that same month this year?

You can see why managing your finances on your computer is a good idea. There are so many reasons to do it, and with a free application like Money Manager Ex (comparable to Quicken or Microsoft Money), there’s no reason not to.

Here is a tutorial video I made on how to use Money Manager Ex:

@ECHO OFF
SET OSVersion=Unknown

VER | FINDSTR /L "5.0" > NUL
IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 SET OSVersion=2000

VER | FINDSTR /L "5.1." > NUL
IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 SET OSVersion=XP

VER | FINDSTR /L "5.2." > NUL
IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 SET OSVersion=2003

VER | FINDSTR /L "6.0." > NUL
IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 SET OSVersion=Vista

VER | FINDSTR /L "6.1." > NUL
IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 SET OSVersion=7

IF %OSVersion%==Unknown (
 ECHO Unable to determine your version of Windows.
) ELSE (
 ECHO You appear to be using Windows %OSVersion%
)

ECHO.
PAUSE

Say Hello to the Home Page Button

Internet Explorer has a home page button in the toolbar, located here:

Internet Explorer home page button

Notice in the picture above that the home page button has two parts to it—the part with the house icon and the part with the arrow. If you click the part with the house icon, Internet Explorer will open your home page(s). If you click the part with the arrow, you can manage your home pages. On my computer, this is what I see when I click the arrow:

Internet Explorer home page button (clicked)

I only have one home page (Google), but you can have several home pages if you want to. Each home page will be opened in their own tab. More information on tabs will be provided later in this tutorial.

How to Replace Your Home Page or Add a New One

1. Go to the website of your choice
2. Click the arrow directly to the right of the house icon (shown above)
3. Click “Add or Change Home Page…”
4. You will be asked if you want the website you’re at to be your only home page or if you want it to be added to your home page tabs. The choice is yours.

How Does Having Multiple Home Pages Work?

If you have multiple home pages and you open Internet Explorer, each home page will be opened in its own tab in Internet Explorer. Tabs are shown at the top of the Internet Explorer window, like this:

Internet Explorer tabs

This is a very useful feature because if you always go to a few particular websites every time you open Internet Explorer, this saves you the trouble of having to go to each website one at a time. You can easily switch between the websites by clicking the tabs at the top of the Internet Explorer window.

1. Internet Explorer is insecure and unsafe.
2. Internet Explorer is much slower than other web browsers, as shown by the graphs on this page.
3. With Internet Explorer, things often don’t look the way they should.

Although the first two points in the above list are important, this article focuses on the third point. Here is a link to a page on my personal website showing ten examples of things that look wrong in Internet Explorer, but look right in Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Google Chrome:

Ten Things That Look Wrong in Internet Explorer

Please note that there are far, far more problems than just ten. The point of the page is to make it easy for the average person to see the problems. For a much more technical and exhaustive list of problems in Internet Explorer, see this page.

Why is Internet Explorer so different from other web browsers?

For whatever reason, Microsoft (the maker of Internet Explorer) decided to program Internet Explorer in such a way that it breaks many important rules of the web set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

What is Microsoft doing to fix Internet Explorer?

As of March 2009, Microsoft is still developing the next version of Internet Explorer (version 8), which aims to be more compliant with the rules of the web. They have a public preview available to download, but it’s still far from perfect. Even when it’s finished, I’m sure it will still have many flaws.

What should I do?

You could cross your fingers and hope that Internet Explorer version 8 ends up being a good web browser, but I highly doubt that will happen. I recommend immediately switching to Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari, or Google Chrome. That way you can surf the web much more securely, much more quickly, and with the confidence that you’re seeing the websites the way that they were intended to be seen.

Be aware that there are some websites that require Internet Explorer. If you happen to run into one of those websites, go ahead and use Internet Explorer for that website, but don’t use it for anything else.

1. The higher the screen resolution, the smaller things appear. Think of high resolutions as “zooming out” and low resolutions as “zooming in”. The follow two pictures illustrate several common screen resolutions and how they appear in relation to each other:

   Common Screen Resolutions for Full Screen Monitors:

   

   Common Screen Resolutions for Wide Screen Monitors:

   

   As you can see, the high screen resolutions can show a lot more on the screen than the low screen resolutions.

2. Many programs and websites are designed for screen resolutions of at least 1024 x 768. If your screen resolution is lower than 1024 x 768, some programs will be much more difficult to manage because you’ll have to scroll horizontally in order to see all of the menus. Some programs simply won’t show all of the menus if your screen resolution is too low, effectively making it so you can’t use all of the program’s features! Websites are like this as well. So even though 640 x 480 may seem like a good screen resolution for people with poor vision (because it looks like the monitor is zoomed in), it can also be bad in that it can make certain programs and websites difficult or impossible to use. It really just depends on what programs and websites the person uses. My recommendation for people with poor vision is to get at least a 22″ wide screen monitor and set the resolution to 1440 x 900. This way, programs and websites will look the way they should, but things will be big enough for people to not have to squint to see.

Want to know what your screen resolution is? Check out WhatIsMyScreenResolution.com.

Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002

strComputer = "."
Set objRegistry = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")

strKeyPath = "SYSTEM\Setup"
strValueName = "OEMDuplicatorString"
objRegistry.GetMultiStringValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath,strValueName,arrValues

If IsNull(arrValues) Then
	Wscript.Echo "This computer has no Sysprep identification string."
Else
	Wscript.Echo "This computer's Sysprep identification string is:" & VbCr & VbCr & arrValues(0)
End If

Simply save that code as “Display Sysprep Identification String.vbs”! For an extremely detailed guide on how to use Sysprep, I recommend this one.