Thursday, May 10, 2012

How to Download Windows Phone 7 XAP App Files to PC Without Zune

Microsoft's Windows marketplace or Zune Player doesn't allow you to download XAP files (Windows Phone apps/games file extension) directly to your PC. It makes previously downloaded Windows Phone XAP files useless as you have to re-download them in case if you've lost your precious data (syncing might help but we're considering the case where you've forgotten to sync your device with Zune). It is very troublesome for many users as Windows phone marketplace is not active in all the countries. For example Indian users have no other option but to wait for Microsoft to enable the marketplace.
In such cases it is extremely important to get WP7 apps/games directly to our PC without any interference of Zune. There is already a trick available to make Windows phone marketplace working even if it is not available in your country (hint: change the country in settings). However, we are not here to discuss on this topic. There is a nifty application available called XGENO which lets you search and download free Windows Phone XAP files directly to your PC. It is an extremely useful utility and comes to rescue of many users where marketplace is still not available.
One of the major advantage of using XGENO is that you don't even need to have Zune player or sign-in into your Windows Live ID to download apps from marketplace. This application itself is pretty simple. Its metro UI will give you a similar experience like native marketplace application on your device. Better side is that, this application is available for free to download.
How to Use XGENO
Download XGENO from the link give at the bottom of this article. Extract the zip content and run the program directly (you need not to install this program...windows 7 users should run this application as an "Administrator"). Once you've downloaded this application you need to go to "Setting" option to set the download path. Your downloaded files will be saved to this location on your PC. You need to set the path every time you launch this application. There is also a provision for Proxy server setting to download the app/game anonymously. In case if you want to download WP7 apps behind proxy, then you should enter your proxy server address in this field. Later you can use XAP installer to install or transfer the file to your Windows Phone 7. There are already few applications available in the XDA developer forum which can do the similar let you install XAP file(s).
XGENO comes in handy when you're bit skeptic about trying the application directly on your Windows Phone. You can use developer tool to run it on emulator and later you can send it to actual device. One of the down-side of using XGENO is that the application or XAP file is not saved by the application name in marketplace but rather by application ID. It is quite difficult to recognize the application by merely looking at the application ID, so you should the XAP file every time you download them. XGENO lets you download only one WP7 app at a time. At times you may feel that the app is hanging, but it is normal.
Do let us know if you're having trouble in downloading XAP files from marketplace directly.
Download XGENO
Ricky Shah is a professional blogger who loves to write on Windows Phone 7 Tutorials [http://wp7talk.com] blog. Follow us for more information
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ric

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Free Software Download For Windows - Do's and Don'ts

If you are looking for a website to download free software for Windows, you must be overwhelmed with the choices available out there on Internet. Those who are new to this field may find the task of choosing the right website and the right program a little scary at first because they will not have any idea what to expect, especially if both the website and the program they are downloading are new to them. Add to this the risk imposed by online threats like viruses, spyware, adware, and Trojans. Your computer may get infected with such malicious programs if you download an unknown software program from an unscrupulous website. Therefore, it is very important to follow certain dos and don'ts while downloading free programs from Internet. Following is a brief rundown about it.
Read The Instructions Thoroughly
Websites that offer freeware programs also provide detailed instructions for installation, daily updated new icons, screenshots and descriptions. The first thing that you have to do is to read those instructions and descriptions thoroughly. If you do not do this, you may experience some unpleasant surprises. For example, some freeware programs may require you to have licensed software already installed on your computer. So, if you do not have that licensed program in your PC, the shareware will not work at all. You will only end up wasting your time and precious space on the hard disk. You can avoid getting into such situations by reading the instructions thoroughly in advance.
Compatibility
Compatibility is another important factor to consider while downloading software. Read the system requirements before downloading any program. Is the program compatible with the version of the operating system installed on your PC? In most cases, you will be offered an option to choose the right version of download, such as whether you want to use the software on Linux or Windows platform. If your PC does not meet the required standards, the program may not work at all, which will again be a waste of time and a reason for frustration.
Backup Your System
In the latest versions of the operating system, there is a system restore feature. So, you may not need to create a manual backup every time you download a new program. If the software does not work properly or something goes wrong, you can undo the installation by using that feature. However, do not forget to create a restore point before you click on the install button.
Choose A Trusted Source
Problems mainly occur when the programs are downloaded from unrealizable sources. Therefore, the most crucial thing is to choose a trusted website that only offers hand picked quality software.
One of such websites is file horse. However, sometimes the problem might occur if there is something already wrong on your system. It is advisable to scan the program thoroughly using a latest anti-virus program before opening it for the first time. File horse scans all the programs that are available on their website for downloading, however you must take added precautions. File Horse does not even require any special downloading software. All programs can be downloaded from File Horse directly in a safe environment without risking the health of your PC.
File Horse is a highly trusted source on the Internet for those who are looking for a safe online place to download free software programs for Windows. Visit http://www.filehorse.com and have fun testing out some exciting software applications without risking your computer's safety.