Windows 8.1 - Use Same Background on Start and Desktop

I have some favorite pictures as the background of my desktop. Most of us do.
So - while I really like the who Modern UI experience for Windows 8, I was a bit sorry to see that the background choices there were limited.

Not any more - Windows 8.1 allows you to use the same background on Start.
Try this:

1. In desktop mode, right click the taskbar, and select Properties.
2. Click the Navigation tab.
3. Check "Show My Desktop Background on Start".

That's it - you're all set.

How to Convert OpenSSH Keys to PUTTY

I've just re-installed my development machine and realized I need to import my keys for using with git on Windows.
There's a known issue with OpenSSH being quite slow on Windows, so I opted for using putty instead.

The issue - my keys were generated for OpenSSH, so I needed to somehow convert all my keys to putty ones.
Turns out - it's fairly easy:

1. Launch puttygen.exe (If you're using Git Extenstions, you can find it in \Program Files\GitExtensions\PuTTY or \Program Files (x86)\GitExtensions\PuTTY)
2. Press Load and locate your OpenSSH private key file (the first one is usually named "id_rsa".
3. Then simply click Save and choose the same name with a ppk entension. In this example - id_rsa.ppk.
4. Repeat for all other keys - if you have them.

That's about it. Git for Windows (msysgit) will now work with putty - and will do it much faster.

Windows Search Doesn't Show Partial Results (Windows 7 / Windows 8)

I've stopped using the Start Menu a long time ago. It just seemed too tedious.

I figured it was much easier to simply press the Windows key, and start typing the name of the app I wanted to launch.

But, somehow - with no apparent reason - the search function because too strict. It no longer found, for example, Blender, until I wrote the full name. Just a few days earlier, Windows found it when I was starting to type ble.

Problem: Windows search doesn't show partial results for app names.

Solution:

1. Open "Control Panel"
2. Click "Folder Options" - You can search for it in the control panel search box.
3. Click "Search" tab.
4. Check the first checkbox - "Find Partial Matches".

Viola.
Now you'll even be able to find the German phone book - "telefonbuch" without hurting your fingers.