Http-ping is a free Windows-based command line utility to perform network connectivity checks via HTTP. The application can be downloaded from:
https://www.coretechnologies.com/products/http-ping/
No installation is required. The example below includes the date and time stamp, uses an interval of 5 seconds, and also writes the output to a text file.
http-ping –d –i 5 –f test.txt google.com
Windows 10 Creator Edition includes an option to only allow applications to only be installed from the app store. Under Settings –> Apps –> Apps and Features, Use the drop-down dialog box to set the parameter for installing applications.
If the parameter is set to only use the app store and a “normal” application is attempted to be executed, a dialog box will appear.
This includes portable applications or any .EXE program.
If the parameter is set to warn, a new button is available when the dialog box appears.
Windows 10 Creator Edition includes a new “Night Light” feature, which is designed to allow reduce eyestrain. The option can be enabled via Settings –> System –> Display. A link to additional settings is available as well.
The feature can also be found via the Action Center.
Within Windows 10 Creator edition, a new feature is available to automatically purge files to free up disk space. Access Settings and then the System section. Click on Storage within the left hand column. To the right, an option to enable Storage Sense should be present.
To view the parameters of the feature, click on the “Change how we free up space” link.
To configure Windows 10 to not automatically update hardware drivers, use the following Registry hack. Note that driver updates may be bundled with security updates or feature updates, so this modification may not be 100% effective.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"ExcludeWUDriversInQualityUpdate"=dword:00000001
Certain versions of Windows 10 may allow the parameter to be set via the Local Group Policy. Use the command “gpedit.msc” to launch the Local Group Policy Editor and navigate to the following path:
Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Windows Update
Find the entry “Do not include drivers with Windows Updates” and enable the policy.
To disable ads within Windows 10 Creator edition, verify the parameters at the following areas.
Lock Screen
Start
Windows Explorer
Share
Notifications
The WPAD protocol is designed to allow organizations to provide proxy settings to all devices that connect to the network. The organization can place a WPAD configuration file in a standard place, and when WPAD is enabled, your computer or other device checks to see if there’s WPAD proxy information provided by the network. Your device then automatically uses whatever settings the proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file provides, sending all traffic on the current network through the proxy server.
Within Windows 7, access Control Panel –> Internet Options -> Connections tab –> LAN settings button –> clear the “Automatically detect settings” check box.
Within Windows 10, access Settings -> Network & Internet –> Proxy –> disable the “Automatically detect settings” option.
To disable advertising dialog boxes from appearing within Windows Explorer with Windows 10, launch Explorer and access View –> Options -> Change folder and search options. Under the View tab, disable the feature “Show sync provider notifications.”
Below are some alternatives for iTunes on the Windows platform.
Posh is a web server via PowerShell. Installation is not required; simply load the module within PowerShell.
