GPGDragon V3.23A Hot Update!!!(2013-5-22)

dd MTK Android 6583 6589 CPU Support
Read Flash\Read Info\Format\Write Flash Add
MTK 6255 USB IMEI Write Add
MTK 625A USB IMEI Write Add
Fix MTK EMMC Flash Format Bugs
**others MTK USB IMEI Write Will Add Soon as Soon

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Dragon Ver2.23A Test with SHIJILFONOTL And Shared the News!!!
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Gpg v3.23a Download Here 

MT6583 READ FLASH

MT6583 FORMAT

MT6583 READ INFO

MT625A IMEI REBUILD

Nokia 101 sim ways tested solution

Nokia 100 all problems

Nokia 100 Insert Sim Final Solution 100% Tested

 

 

Nokia 100 hung in Nokia Logo & Insert Sim Solved


Model

• Nokia 100 RH-130

Phone Status

• hung in nokia Logo

First

• Flash in ( hti ) hung on Nokia Logo Solved But the phone turn into insert Sim i don't know why? .
• Check Selftest and it show ( SIM_INSERTED no signal )

Selftest




Jumper Screenshoot

After make jumper & result!

Result!

Nokia 101-100-1280-1616-1800, not charging after few seconds

Friends today i got a nokia 101 with not charging after few seconds i see tis fault in nokia first time never seen before. and done by this method as shown in picture.

Nokia 100 insert sim card solution Br Dipankor-ctg

Nokia 100 LCD LIGHT SOLUTION

Posted by ..::HANIF::.. at 12:37:00 pm

Micromax A115 Original Flash file and Flash Tool

Flash instruction 1: Open Smart Phone Flash Tool 2: click Scatter-Loading button，choose MT6573_Android_scatter.txt file 3.wait file to be added into Flash Tool 4.choose Option->USB Model，click USB Model, Choose Option->DA DownLoad All->Speed->High Speed, click High Speed 7. click Firmware download and begin to download 8. Software start downloading Download's  1: Flash Tool Download 2: A115 Original Flash file Download 3: Driver & Flash instruction

Micromax Flasher and flashfiles

Hi,
we are working to build an as more complete section for the Micromax brand and the twin companies like Qmobile and Nexian but to reach this target is essential your contribution in creating a good database of solution and files.
This thread meant to be a collection of flashing software and flashfiles and is open to any user who wants add here the links he thinks may be helpfull to the other users.
Thanks in advance for your collaboration and

Flasing hints:

A101 : Plug in data cable-3 while pressing the volume + key in the phone

A110 : Plug in data cable-3, For IMEI , tool version is 6.1204 maui meta only

A115 : MTK tools, B type USB cable,X11i flashing cable can be used for Flashing, No download shortcut key,Direct plug cable for Flashing & IMEI.

A116 : Data cable-3 for Flashing & IMEI,MTK tools,No download shortcut key,direct plug cable for SW or IMEI.

A25 : B Type Micro USB (SPAMOB3592) , no shortcut key, insert cable directly for software download.

A35/A27 : Run driver file 'DPInst.exe', Normal USB data cable-3 for flashing, Select Pac file,press play/start on tool, press Volume down key on phone(with battery>50%),Connect the cable,installation of drivers takes place automatically. Then software auto start,

A45 : Flashing Cable-7 , SPAMOB1951

A50 : Data Cable-3,Volume down key

A52 Flashing cable X11i cable.

A54 : Software update with Memory card, copy zip software file in card(4GB), insert in phone,Press & Vol Up key+Power ON, apply update from SD card, update start. - IMEI tool is same like A57.

A56 : THROUGH MMC ,PRESS UP ARROE KEY+VOL UP KEY

A57,A87: Copy and paste SW folder in memory card, extract or wo extract, Volume UP key + Power ON to start download.

A62/A26 : Use cable SPAMOB5762(short external wires) for Flashing,first insert cable then battery and B-type Normal Micro USB(SPAMOB3592) cable for IMEI.For IMEI : Open IMEI tool, Switch On phone and connect withn B type USB cable(SPAMOB3592), press 'Mode Sel' and 'Normal Mode', write 15 digit IMEI and press 'Write' on tool, will shows green success, means done.

A65 : Flashing With Data cable-3,Press Side Volume Down key before insert cable.

A65 : imei with SPAMOB5761

A72 : Use MTK super phone Flash tool 3.1244 for flashing, B type normal USB(SPAMOB3592), SN writer for IMEI.

A73 : Both keys home and back, before insert cable,

A78 : Volume UP key, before insert cable.

A80 Flashing : X11i cable, direct software, without pressing any key

A84 Flashing : Copy SW in blank memory card, insert in phone, switch on with pressing Volume UP + Down keys together, SW starts automatically.

A84: Copy and paste SW folder in memory card,extracted SW files, VolumeUP+Down+ Power ON key to start download.

A88 : Data cable-3 for Flashing & IMEI,MTK tools,No download shortcut key,direct plug cable for SW or IMEI.

A89: B type USB cable (SPAMOB3592), No shortcut key for download.

A90S,A90 : X11i cable

C190 : Data Cable-2

For IMEI : Open IMEI tool, connect phone with USB & switch ON, check 'DIAG'COM PORT in device manager,Select COM in tool,Write IMEI on tool, press write,IMEI will successfully written.

GC200 Flashing : cable is common with GC257 SPAMOB3554(cdma) - SPAMOB3555(Gsm)

GC222/GC333 : Use Data cable-3 for flashing, press '1' no. key before insert cable for flashing.MTK Flash tool 5.1236

P350 :Press Vol+ and on/off switch inset the data cable hold the Vol+ & through On/off switch give the puls

P360 : Funbook talk series,Flashing With B type & Data cable-3 both,Select img file in tool,press start,Continues press & hold - 'Home' key on tab and connect cable,drivers automatic install,then press Yes-Yes and
software will start,Battery should be >50% always.Note : Ignore 'Device not found' error in tool,never press OK.

P550 : B type cable for Flashing, Open tool, select key & image file, press start on tool, press & hold Vol UP key & insert cable, then toggle Power ON key 4-5 times, Software update will automatically start. - After finish software, press all 3 side keys together and switch ON, it will reset the tab. - Now normal switch on the tab.

P560 : Flashing thru SD card, Take 4 GB formatted SD card,Format internal storage of Tab too, now copy and paste zip file. Press & hold Power+Volume down key,once tab starts vibrate,release Power key only and hold volume down same, Recovery mode will open on screen. 3rd option,Update from SD card,select file and start update.After success,restart tab.For IMEI : Use A57,A87,A56 same 'Repair 3G tool' with normal data cable.

P600 : Update with normal USB data cable-3, update procedure PDF & IMEI writing doc is available on FTP. - After update software, Press RESET button for 5 Second, then switch ON the tab,will take 3-4 minuts to boot first time. - Later on, normal use it.

Q23 : Select .hqs file in place of scatter in multiport MTK flash tool, Press LSK(left soft key) before connect to Data cable-3 for flashing.

Q34 :X11i Flashing cable ,Call key need to press

Q36 : Use Data cable-2 for Flashing & IMEI, Press & hold 'Space' key before insert cable for flashing or IMEI.

Q55 Version 13 is available on FTP with name New BT090910

Q76 : MTK flash tool, With Data cable-3 or B type cable, Center key is download key before connect cable for flashing.

Q85: Data Cable-3,RSK need to press.

X099 : Data cable-3 for flashing, MTK Flash tool 5.1136 or latest, Press '2nd calling key' before insert cable for download.

X101,X103 : Flashing with Data cable-2(LSK), IMEI with IMEI CABLE-SPAMOB5760, write IMEI in tool, press write, insert cable in phone w/o battery, then at last insert battery in phone.Sample passed

X102/X274/X490 : Flashing Cable -4 : SPAMOB0587

X1i reloaded : Data cable-3,press calling/green key before download.

X1i Xtra : X11i cable for Flashing, IMEI with X290 IMEI cable.

X210+ : Flashing with Data cable-2, shortcut key for COM PORT making is Calling(green) key.

X210+ Flashing : Calling key + Normal USB cable

X223 Flashing : X11i cable, Green key for downloading

X231 no key need to press, with x11i cable.

X234 :X11i Flashing cable, * (Star)key need to press

X234+ : Use X11i cable for Flashing, Press '1' key before insert cable for flashing or IMEI write.

X234C : 'Music' key need to press before connect to DATA CABLE-3 or X11i Flashing cable for Flashing.

X246 : cable is common with X11i and X550.( Need to press 0 to start, hold and press * key while sw update)

X256,X257 : X11i flashing cable, press calling key

X259 : X11i Flashing cable ,Green/calling key need to press.

X268 : Flash with X11i cable, # key need to press before connecting cable.

X269: Select cfg file in place of scatter,X11i flashing cable with Key press LSK

X271: Press Green/calling key before insert download cable.

X274 : Flashing cable-4,SPAMOB0587,same of Q5fb

X275 : LSK Key, X11i Flashing cable

X275 : normal USB, data cable-3,LSK need to press

X276 Flashing : Data cable 3 with 1 key press.

X277 : Flashing cable of X11i, LSK need to press for flashing.

X278 : Data Cable-3, Press '1' key before connect cable for Downloading to make USB COM PORT.

X279SW(Joint Black+white),A73IMEI(no joint),X455IMEI(NO JOINT),X292SW(Black+white),X324(SW Bl+Wh joint): MSTAR cable(SPAMOB5762)

X283 press 0 no. key before connect X11i flashing cable for maui meta or flashtool.(select USB in comport)

X288 : Flashing cable-6, SPAMOB1192

X291 : cable is common with X11i and X550.( Need to press * to start, hold and press * key while sw update)

X292 : X11i cable, no need to press any key while connect with tool

X293 : Falshing with Data cable--3, No need to press any key for flashing,MTK Flshtool 5.1220.

X293: Falshing with Data cable--3 or X11i flashing cable, No need to press any key for flashing,MTK Flshtool 5.1120,Select cfg file in place of scat file.

X294 Flashing : With X11i cable, LSK key need to press while flashing.

X312 Flashing : X11i flashing cable , 0 key need to press

X322 : (MT6250 chipset) Data cable-3 for flashing, Press Square key below LSK(left soft key) before insert cable for flashing, Maui meta tool for IMEI writing.

X325,X295,X286 : .cfg file in place of scatter file,LSK download key,with X11i cable & data cable-3 both.

X327 : Data cable-3 or B type cable for flashing, MTK Flash tool 5.1136 or latest, Press '2nd calling key' before insert cable for download.

X331 : X11i Flashing cable, Press Calling key for downloading.

X331i(6250A) : Select .cfg file not Scat.LSK KEY need to press before insert Data cable-3.

X335 : Data cable-3, with Calling key

X340 : Normal USB data cable-3 or B type cable.No shortcut download key, Press download and insert cable.

X350 : SPAMOB5762,For SW (Bl+white),

X368 press 1 or green key before connect to flash tool or maui meta,Flashing Cable-X265

X396 : MTK Flash tool, No need to press any download key, with Data cable-3 or B type cable.

X44 Flashing :X11i Flashing cable ,RSK need to press(data cable-3 with 0 key)

X445 Flashing : X11i Flashing cable with center key pressing.

X446,X456 :With data cable-3 select .cfg file not scat file

X45 Flashing : X11i Flashing cable,no key need to press

X450 : SPAMOB6114-Flashing cable-X450, otherwise disconnect Vcc line from SPAMOB1800 cable and use as alternative flashing cable.

X455(White+Black)SW joint),X1iXtra,: Cable name-Flashing cable-X455 Spreadtrum (SPAMOB5761)sample passed

X456 : No need to press any key for flashing, with Data cable-3 And X11i Flashing cable(B type cable)

X50 : Data cable-3, LSK Key

X640 : SW with volume Upkey and normal USB

X660 volume down key press before insert data cable-3 for sw( Flahing cable-5: SPAMOB1800 can also be used)

X78 : Data cable -3, green key pressing for software update.

Models dedicated firmware threads links :

Micromax A110 Firmware, Flash and files : Here
Micromax Q1 Firmware, Flash and files : Here
Micromax Q2 Firmware, Flash and files : Here
Micromax Q7 Firmware, Flash and files : Here
Micromax Q50 Firmware, Flash and files : Here
Micromax x205 Firmware, Flash and files : Here
Micromax x290 Firmware, Flash and files : Here
Micromax x291 Firmware, Flash and files : Here
Micromax x333 Firmware, Flash and files : Here

MICROMAX X446 FLASHING AND IMEI REPAIRING

MICROMAX X446 FLASHING AND IMEI REPAIRING

clich here to download firmware,flas and imei tool,procedure

 

 

Find and Remove Duplicate Files!

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Google today announced the Google Nexus 4 Smartphone, the Google Nexus 10 Tablet and the 32 GB version of the Google Nexus 7 tablet.

The Google Nexus 4, the newest smartphone in the Nexus line-up from Google, was announced today for availability starting next month in select markets. 

“LG is proud and excited to play this role in helping build the latest Nexus smart-phone,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Com-munications Company. “Users will be delighted by the perfectly balanced combination of form and function with the latest generation of Android.”

The specs of the Google Nexus 4 include a 4.7-inch True HD IPS Plus display (1,280 x 768), an 8 megapixel rear camera, Gorilla Glass 2, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM and the latest rendition of Google Now. Turn-by-turn navigation via Google Maps is included, as are 3D Maps, Street View and Indoor Maps. The Nexus 4 will be sold unlocked, supporting some 200 carriers that play by the GSM / HSPA+ rules. It’ll be made available in both 8GB and 16GB versions starting November 13 in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Australia, with pricing set for $299 (8GB) / $349 (16GB).

 

“This is the first time we collaborated with LG to build a Nexus device,” said Andy Ru-bin, Senior Vice President of Mobile and Digital Content at Google. “They brought an extraordinary amount of talent to the project, and the result is a feature-packed device that feels great in your hand, and blazingly fast under the hood.”

 

Press Release

Also, Google released the 32GB version of the Nexus 7 tablet, signalling an end to the 8GB version. The 16GB  Google Nexus 7 has now taken center stage in Google’s Play Store, with $199 netting you a slate that’s currently boasting a “now shipping” status. Those willing to fork out $249 can get a 32GB model (also listed as “In Stock”), while $299 provides access to a GSM-enabled 32GB model that’ll hop onto cellular networks — unfortunately, that one’s listed as “coming soon.”

And last but not least, out comes the iPad rival from Google’s stable, the Google Nexus 10. The new tablet, built in collaboration with Samsung, has one big bragging point — the highest resolution display of any tablet on the market — a 2560 x 1600, 300ppi, 10-inch touchscreen. Google promises about 9 hours of continuous video playback and about 500 hours of standby time. Despite being a Nexus device, the new tablet picks up on the design language of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Galaxy Note 10.1. It features a pair of front-facing stereo speakers on either side of the display (when it’s held in a landscape orientation) plus an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.9-megapixel front camera for video chats. Under the hood, there’s a dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM and built-in NFC. It also gets a built-in micro-HDMI port.

Like the Nexus 4, the Google Nexus 10 will ship with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. One new 4.2 feature Nexus 10 users may enjoy is the ability to have multiple user profiles on a single device. The Nexus 10 will ship on Nov. 13 at a price of $400 for 16GB of storage and $500 for 32GB.

Android 4.2 officially out

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean is now official, following Google's announcement of the Nexus 4 and Nexus 10. There are a lot of new things to cover, so let's not waste any time.

Multiple user accounts

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for tablets adds multiple user-support to the OS. This way everyone in the household can have an account, which once logged in, welcomes them to their own homescreen, background, widgets and apps. Even the games keep the individual high scores and levels.

Settings center in the notifications drawer

The expandable notifications were a welcomed addition in Android 4.1, but now in Android 4.2, you can also take various actions like toggling Wi-Fi, adjusting screen brightness, go to Airplane mode, and more.
To do so, just tap on the icon on the top right once you have the notification drawer on. It took Google a while to copy the time-saving feature that TouchWiz, SenseUI and many other manufacturer Android skins implemented a while ago. Still, it's good to have it backed in right into the OS.

Photo Sphere

With Android 4.0, Google introduced the Panorama capturing mode, and now with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean users will get a cool feature dubbed Photo Sphere. It's a panorama mode on steroids and allows you to capture photos in multiple directions (up, down, left, right).

After they've been captured and saved as JPEG files you can view them and navigate around the whole image. You can share the image on Google+ or, if you feel like it, contribute the Photo Sphere to Google Maps.
The feature itself was inspired by Street View, as the Product Management Director for Android Hugo Barra points out. He adds that the photos pack embedded XML metadata in them allowing you to easily share them on Google+ and put them in Google+ photo albums, where your friends can view them as well.
Google Now is updated
Google has added a lot of new cards to its Google Now service. It now can feed data directly from Gmail, which will provide new cards, such as package shipments info.
Google Now also got cards for events, restaurant reservations, hotels, and flights. Some of them, like hotels and flights will be location specific. There are also new cards like movie screenings, concerts, stocks, public alerts and developing stories & breaking news.
Naturally, most of them won't be available world-wide at launch, but make sure that Google will work hard to bring them to more and more places in the future.

Gesture Typing

Forget about Swype, Android's very own Gesture typing is the new cool kid on the block. It works in a manner very similar to Swype -- you just Swipe your finger over the letters you want to type, lifting after each word is complete.

Naturally, the Gesture Typing feature benefits from the already existing Android word prediction, so you can just click on the words the keyboard suggests. This comes in addition to the offline voice typing service that Google offers, which makes for an all-round great messaging experience.

Wireless TV integration

Better late than never, finally in this version of Android Google has allows you to wirelessly share the screen of your phone or display with a big screen TV set.

All you need to do is connect a wireless display adapter to an HDMI-enabled TV and then it'll start mirroring whats on your screen using DLNA. The new feature uses the Miracast protocol for streaming.
It's another feature most customs launchers had, but is only now making its way to the platform itself.

Widgets on the lock screen

Widgets are a major part in Android and now you can assign a widget on the lockscreen as well. Think of the Music player widget on the lockscreen, but now you can assign another one there, so it's always just a click away.

Daydream

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean isn't just business and no play. Google has integrated a little feature called Daydream, which is simply a sort of a screensaver. Once turned on, you can set it up to show photo albums, latest news from Google Currents and more when the device is either docked or idle.

Various improvements

Android 4.2 Jelly Bean has a lot going for it, including some minor additions. You can now use pinch-to-zoom in Gmail for enhancing reading, triple-tap to magnify the entire homescreen and the pan and zoom with two fingers, as well as added speech output and gesture mode navigation for the visually impaired users.
Expect Android 4.2 Jelly Bean to start its roll-out once the new Nexus family of devices goes on sale on November 13.
Source

Huawei announces Honor 2 with a quad-core CPU and 2GB RAM

Huawei has announced the Android-based Honor 2, which comes with some major hardware improvements over its predecessor.

The Honor 2 has a 4.5-inch, 1280 x 720 resolution display with a pixel density of 326ppi. Inside, there is Huawei's K3V2 1.4GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. The Honor 2 also has 8GB internal memory with a microSD card slot. On the back is an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video recording.
The Huawei Honor 2 will be releasing in China later this week for 1,888 yuan ($302).
Source

Windows 7 to Windows 8

 

Windows 7 to Windows 8: The system's biggest improvements

 

The most talked-about issue in the lead-up to Microsoft's launch of Windows 8 is the new Start screen, featuring the Modern UI. But Windows 8 has much more to offer than just a revamped interface.
The operating system includes fundamental enhancements, such as better multiple-monitor setups, an overhauled Windows Explorer, cloud-based account syncing, and new ways to personalize your desktop.
Here are 15 improvements to Windows that you'll want to check out in Microsoft's latest OS, including some new tools in the Modern UI.
Some of these improvements have no corresponding feature in Windows 7. If they do, we'll show you what they look like in Windows 7 and (for comparison) provide a screenshot showing how they are enhanced in Windows 8. Let’s dive in.

Account sync

Where to get started: Charms bar > Settings > Change PC settings > Sync your settings
Windows 8 can sync your user account settings across multiple PCs, saving you the trouble of having to customize your Windows environment manually on different computers.

Windows 8: If you have a Microsoft account, you can sync your settings between multiple PCs.

You can sync your desktop themes and backgrounds, lock screen, account pictures, passwords, HomeGroup settings, Modern UI app settings, browser history, favorites, and more.
Settings syncing requires having a Microsoft account connected to each Windows 8 PC.

Sharing

Where to get started: Charms bar > Share
Social networking comes built into Windows 8's Modern UI, with the ability to share items between Modern UI apps.

Windows 8: Sure, you can mail cool website URLs to your contact. But you can also easily share via social media with the People app. 

You can use this functionality to share items such as links and photos with specific people via Mail, or you can post items to social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter via the People app.
Sharing has to be built in to third-party apps by the apps' developers, so sharing may not work with all Modern UI apps.

Better multiple-monitor setups

Where to get started: Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Display
In Windows 8, Microsoft adds several improvements to multiple-monitor setups. The traditional desktop interface now features separate taskbars and backgrounds for each display.

Windows 8: You can configure each display in a multiple-monitor setup individually.

Inside-edge detection also lets you access the Charms bar and the Running Apps bar from any display. In comparison, Windows 7 can either mirror your displays or treat multiple monitors as one big display area.

New dialog box for file copying

Where to get started: Traditional desktop
The new version of Windows Explorer in Windows 8 brings all of your current file copy jobs into a single window, instead of managing multiple windows as Windows 7 does.

Windows 7: File copying and the OS's familiar progress bar.

In Windows 8, you can also pause or stop copy jobs (Windows 7 allows you to stop them but not to pause them), easily manage file-name collisions, and get more details about the copy job, such as the speed of data transfer and a more accurate estimate of time remaining.

Windows 8: The new OS has more detail than you ever imagined for file copying.

Windows 8: Or you can opt for a simpler view, but still track multiple file copying tasks in one dialog box, rather than in many.

Refresh and reset

Where to get started: Charms bar > Settings > Change PC settings > General
Many people make it a habit to create a personalized system image and reinstall Windows every 6 to 12 months to improve their hardware's performance. Microsoft aims to make that chore a little easier with the new refresh and reset features.

Windows 7: The older OS offers less flexibility for restoring backup images.

The new refresh lets you reinstall Windows without losing your personal data, Modern UI apps, and settings. The new reset removes all of your personal data and reinstalls Windows.

WIndows 8: The new OS's refresh and reset features even let you specify how you want the system image to be created.

Picture passwords

Where to get started: Charms bar > Settings > Change PC settings > Users
For people who are tired of using alphanumeric passwords, Windows 8 supports picture passwords.

Windows 8: Use an image and gestures to create a Windows password not easily replicated by hackers.

This feature requires you to choose a photo from your image library and then create three gestures on the photo using any combination of circles, straight lines, and taps (or clicks, on mouse-and-keyboard PCs).

Storage Spaces

Where to get started: Control Panel > System and Security > Storage Spaces
Borrowed from the first version of Windows Home Server and then improved, Storage Spaces lets you manage internal and external storage drives as if they were one massive drive called a storage pool.

Windows 8: Storage Spaces lets you easily add new drives and incorporate them into redundant pools.

Behind the scenes, Storage Spaces also duplicates your data across multiple drives in the pool to create redundancy in case of single-drive failure.

Automatically change window color

Where to get started: Right-click from Desktop > Personalize > Window Color
Windows 8 has a new feature that automatically adjusts the window color in the traditional desktop to match your background image.

Windows 7: The window border colors are fixed.

If you have an image of the sky, the windows and the taskbar will turn blue. If you have an image heavy in brown tones, the windows and taskbar will go brown.

Windows 8: If your desktop background image shows a golden sunset, you'll get a golden window border.

Windows 8: Use a green background, and the windows border changes to green, like a chameleon.

Faster startup times

Where to get started: Power button
Windows 8 includes a new hybrid system that Microsoft says will dramatically improve boot times compared to Windows 7. The new hybrid boot combines processes used in cold boots and hibernation mode, including kernel-session storage and the employment of multiple cores in parallel during boot.

New chkdsk

Where to get started: Computer > right-click Local Disk (C:) > Properties > Tools > Error Checking
A close cousin to the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is the Black Screen of Come On Already! (BSOCOA!), also known as chkdsk (check disk). Chkdsk is a utility that tries to fix file-system corruptions.

Windows 7: Oops, can’t do this on the boot drive!

Windows 7: Instead, you have to reboot and then watch chkdsk run. Slowly.

In Windows 8, the GUI version of chkdsk can scan an active drive, something the Windows 7 GUI version can't do. To fix problems, you still have to reboot in Windows 8, but the process is much faster.

Windows 8: You can run chkdsk on the boot drive, but Windows 8 won't perform repairs until you reboot.

File History

Where to get started: Control Panel > System and Security > File History
Microsoft has upgraded the Windows Backup and Restore features of Windows 7 with a new, easier-to-use Windows 8 tool called File History.

Windows 7: The backup tool’s user interface is cumbersome, and the process requires extensive user knowledge.

File History (not enabled by default) backs up everything in your Libraries, Desktop, Favorites, and Contacts folders and lets you restore previous revisions of a file.

It can save data to an external hard drive as well as cache items in your local drive on occasions when you're not connected to your backup drive.

Windows 8: Backup is now called File History and is easy to automate.

Settings app in the Modern UI

Where to get started: Charms bar > Settings > Change PC settings
Mucking around in the Control Panel can sometimes be a pain, but in Windows 8 you can access some basic tasks via the new Settings app in the Modern UI. You can use the Settings app to adjust your system date and time, reinstall Windows, manage your HomeGroup, or access Windows Update.
You'll still need to use the Control Panel for most security tasks, power options, and power-user features (such as BitLocker encryption).

Search in Windows 8

Where to get started: Charms Bar > Search
The search tool in Windows 7 is fairly powerful, letting you search for apps, as well as search inside files and folders.

Windows 7: Search isn’t visual, and users can easily overlook key results.

The new search function in the Windows 8 Modern UI adds to this by letting you search the content inside touch-centric apps. This is a handy feature when you're looking for something inside the Windows Store or for a news topic via the News app.
Third-party apps must add search functionality, so search may not work in all of your apps.

WIndows 8: Search works globally—or you can search inside search-aware apps.

Personalization

Where to get started: Windows 8 Start screen
For most users, personalization in Windows 7 means pinning apps to the taskbar, changing the desktop wallpaper, and selecting a user-account photo.
In Windows 8, personalization extends to showing you data you've arranged to highlight right from the Start screen's live tiles, including new email, social networking updates, and sports news about your favorite teams.

Windows 8: You can reorganize tiles, add tiles, group tiles, or remove tiles that you don’t need. You can make tiles live, or not, as you wish.

Secure boot

Where to get started: Charms bar > Change PC settings > General > Advanced startup
A new secure-boot process, enabled by default on all new Windows 8 PCs, will prevent unauthorized operating systems and malware from loading on your machine. The system uses cryptographic signatures to verify that the operating system is authorized to load and that it hasn't been tampered with.

Windows 8: Secure boot attempts to prevent malware from loading.

Although some critics welcome the new security enhancement, this feature is controversial. Many digital-rights advocates worry that secure boot will give users less control over their PCs and even less security, arguing that the secure boot process will inevitably be hacked.

So much more

Microsoft has made many more improvements to Windows 8, including improved hardware acceleration for graphics, better printer discovery, and a new enterprise virtualization feature called Windows to Go.
Windows 8 offers something for everyone from nothing-fancy users who just want to handle email, surf the Web, and watch videos, to advanced users with needs such as managing multiple external hard drives and reinstalling Windows.