Is your computer unable to recognize the CD or DVD drive? Has the recycle bin suddenly disappeared from your desktop? Are you unable to start programs like the Registry editor or the task manager when you yourself are the owner of the computer but unfortunately not the administrator?

These are some common issues faced by Windows users and luckily, the solutions to most of these tiny but annoying programs are hidden inside the Windows registry and can be found with a simple “google search”.

Fix Windows’ Problems without opening the Registry Editor

However, if you don’t like to fiddle directly with the registry and need something more simple, check out Fixwin.

This is a free utility for Windows that, as the name suggests, can repair a few dozen Windows annoyances and problems with a single click. It works on both 32-bit and 64-bit version of Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Fixwin weighs less than a MB and it requires no installation so you can carry it on a USB drive. The program archive is available in RAR format so you may have to use either 7-zip or Winzip to extract the utility.

So the next time you get a “tech-support” call from a friend because he’s unable to change the homepage of his Internet Explorer browser, you exactly know where to point him to. Thanks Abhishek.