Android TV Box

2019-01-20 Just get Nvidia Shield

MECOOL BB2 PRO $68

It runs Kodi fine. LED it BRIGHT. Built in home page is ugly but Nova Launcher solves that.
The box had some kind of fit one day and video flashed on and off and acted totally weird. I booted several times and it finally recovered. Don't know what that was all about. These boxes are all basically the same except the Shield runs Android TV which is a different launcher and not actually replaceable like the other boxes. Shield can run other apps that sort of act as a launcher but the basic Home launcher never goes away. I can live with it because of the Shield's superior power and stability. Either is fine but Shield is definitely superior.

Things to install:
(Use apkpure website if necessary for apks)
Aptoide (the other play store) (Android TV's Google Play Store is not the complete Play Store)
***Install***
APKPure (the app)
Floating Apps (I do not find this very useful yet)

Nova Launcher (if yours is ugly)

ES File Explorer (also acts as basic internet browser and remote file share)

  turn off Recycle Bin

  settings turn off notify app permissions

  turn off logger floating widget
File Commander (Might be easier but I would install both.) 

Droid Buddy http://kodicustombuilds.com/ (No Adult version toward bottom)
  Use this for several installs
    TerrariumTV
    MX Player
    VLC (Terrarium can use this and it is great)
    Kodi

    SPMC
    Mobdro
    Team Viewer Quick Support (easy file share)
    Amazon Underground (to set up Prime)

Maybe these from Droid Buddy but Kodi and Terrarium TV is all you need.
Showbox
Cinemabox
Megabox HD
Movie HD
Newest Movies HD
Cine Box
Solid Streamz
UKTV Now
HD Cinema

Use Playstore, Aptoid or apkpure website:
Task Killer (Task Manager) Really not needed and somewhat quirky.

Speed Test

VPlayer
http://firetvguru.net/ (Has forks as apks of Kodi but I didn't like them)
Youtube for GoogleTV (Several versions of Youtube. I don't like the newest on these boxes.)
I like the Youtube version on the Shield
Soft Key https://apkpure.com/soft-key/com.vramsngrai.floattoucher (somewhat handy)
If your box does not have ethernet buy this UGREEN USB RJ45 Ethernet Adapter with USB 3.0 Hub and Gigabit Ethernet.

Password Windows 10

Try these programs:
I have had lazesoft work and not work
http://www.lazesoft.com/download.html

or

This sets up a new admin user
Boot your Windows 10 installation (a live linux will also work)
Once the setup begins, hit Shift+F10.
move c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe c:\windows\system32\utilman.exe
Use the command “wpeutil reboot” to restart the machine.
At the login screen, click the Utility Manager
net user /add
net localgroup administrators /add
Delete the utilman.exe and remove the .bak from the original.
This adds an admin user to reset the original user's password. Delete the user when done.

https://www.howtogeek.com/222262/how-to-reset-your-forgotten-password-in-windows-10/

Benchmark Software

http://www.userbenchmark.com/ (best overall info)
Heaven 4.0 Benchmark - http://bit.ly/2lQ4InY
CPU-Z - http://bit.ly/2dEH4ay
CineBench R15 - http://bit.ly/2mP2AvE
Handbrake - http://bit.ly/2nihGb6
7-Zip - http://bit.ly/2mWlHVe
CrystalDiskMark - http://bit.ly/2mf6db7

Windows 7 Install

** Why do I care about user folders? I have always kept user folders separated from the operating system. MS warns not to do this but I have never had a problem. I don't "upgrade" the OS. I do a clean install. Recently, on two different PCs, I have had "save" commands slow to find the save location. This is irritating enough to make me rethink my user folder structure.

*** If you are moving user folders . . . Remember to make a user name folder and don't just dump the folders under "Users". Moving the filled folders into a user name when they are full of files is painfully slow.

 **** (In other words it is D:\Users\George\My Documents . . . not . . . D:\Users\My Documents). Microsoft advises to not move the User folders. This may be a better way to handle the issue. Leave the user folders in place but add a shortcut in that folder to a mirror folder on another partition or drive. Manually move files periodically and keep the original folder empty. We no longer worry about the number of writes to an SSD. We are concerned about the size in most cases. This would also allow for a relatively small backup image and/or OS reinstall with minimal data rescue.

***** If you have found yourself in the dilemma requiring copying or moving huge numbers of files, forget using MS copy. Give FastCopy a try. Or use RichCopy.

Check out the Windows SP2 Post.
https://bighugethingcomputing.blogspot.com/2017/06/window-7-sp2.html

If you are reinstalling Windows, back up the drivers with Double Driver. Symenu has it but easy to get it elsewhere. Double Driver is no longer supported but still works. Driver Backup may be a better choice.

Windows 7 Download is here. Check hash with SVF Ninja available in Symenu.
(Windows 10 use this)
Burn the image to DVD with Image Burn
or
Make USB Stick with Rufus (Win10 does this on its own.)
Install Windows
Buy key from here
https://www.kinguin.net/category/13816/windows-7-professional-oem-key-sp1/
or
Authorize with DAZ 2.2 (Be careful where you get it.) (For Win10 use Toolkit)
Windows 10 runs fine without authorization. A few personalization settings are disabled but some of these can be adjusted with third party programs.
Turn off Windows Update (just until you get updated offline)
WSUS Offline Update (much faster)
http://download.wsusoffline.net/ (Update and run) (Include Security Essentials and NetFramework).
If you have a small drive, omit NetFramework)
Turn Windows Update back on (Run to finalize updates) (Set as notify only)
Download Snappy Driver to update drivers. (This thing is a life saver.)
Do system tweaks as normal.

If SSD Boot drive make these directories (copy/paste the names). A quick way to get the folder names is to open a cmd prompt, nav to the user / name directory and type dir > print.txt. A text file with the names will be in the directory.

*** If you are moving user folders . . . Remember to make a user name folder and don't just dump the folders under "Users". Moving the filled folders into a user name when they are full of files is painfully slow. * * *
Then move each from C: to D:.by right click "move"
It is easier to copy the folder structure first with no files.
You can use Tree Copy
or
Use Command Prompt with quotes I think? (xcopy /t /e "C:\Users\Your Name" "D:\Users")
You will be asked if files or directories - directory is the right answer.
Here is a partial list but I move them all.
D:\Users\Your Name
Desktop
Documents
Downloads
Music
Pictures
Videos

The file structure will look something like this:

Install Tweak SSD and run it. Don't worry about trim because Windows should handle it.
Here is an interesting article about not obsessing over SSD tweaking. I have always moved user folders off the OS drive. It makes reinstall or image restore easy and SSD drives are still cheaper if smaller.

Download Aomei Backupper and image C drive.

I always add:
Launchy
Everything Search
Rainmeter
Rocket Dock
SyMenu with the following:
7-Zip_(x64)_sps
CCleaner_Portable_sps
ClipX_sps
Core_Temp_(x64)_sps
CPU-Z_sps
CrystalDiskInfo_Portable_sps
CrystalDiskMark_Portable_sps
DoubleKiller_sps
FastCopy_(x64)_sps
FileZilla_sps
Homedale_sps
HWinFO64_sps
HWMonitor_sps
ImgBurn_sps
MobaLiveCD_sps
Network_Stuff_sps
NexusFont_sps
RegSeeker_sps
Revo_Uninstaller_sps
Rufus_sps
SpaceSniffer_sps
Speccy_sps
TeamViewer_sps (I have Anydesk installed for personal machines.)
Tixati_sps
UltraSearch_(x64)_sps
Universal_Extractor_2_sps (This one is a pain. I use version 1.)
Universal_Extractor_sps
Unlocker_sps
Win32_Disk_Imager_sps
WinCDEmu_sps
WinDirStat_sps
WizTree_sps
And several Nirsoft and Sysinternals programs