When my 6 year old laptop began to slow down I decided that I was going to fix the problem. I didn’t have any extra cash for a new laptop and I really didn’t see a reason to add another monthly payment to the collection. As I researched topics like “speed up computer” and “computer slow” I quickly found several themes and one of them was cleaning the Windows Registry. I didn’t know what that was, but it sounded like an important piece of the puzzle, so I set out to learn more.
Archive for October, 2009
Your Registry is Probably in Need of a Cleaning
Friday, October 16th, 2009The Weakest Link Leaves You Surfing Slowly
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
You’ve had high-speed internet access at home for years. It’s never been as fast as your connection at work, but you just got a new computer and/or router, so it should be faster, right? Not necessarily. The article “Unshackle Your WiFi,” posted this morning on Switched.com by Jon Chase indicates otherwise.
“If your home Wi-Fi network sometimes seems to drag at a snails pace, check if all the PCs on your network have the same speed wireless cards (Wi-Fi or 802.11 comes in three main speeds: in order of slower to faster, b, g and n). It turns out that Wi-Fi routers run only as fast as the slowest device on the network. So even if you have a new “n” router, a new desktop PC with a speedy 802.11n wireless card, and an old laptop with an 802.11b card, the router will only transfer data at the “b” speeds when both are connected at the same time. So if any of your machines are stuck with old 802.11b cards, the only option is to upgrade them with new internal or USB wireless cards, or to make sure to turn off your slower devices when you feel the need for speed.”
This was news to me. Fortunately, I don’t fall into this category. I have a new laptop (capable of connecting to 802.11n) but I am still rockin’ the old 802.11g router. I have thought about purchasing a new router, but now I am hesitant to make any adjustments to my home network setup. I would have to “upgrade” my other computers to new wireless cards and/or external USB connections in order to get the most out of my new connection speed.
What else connects to your home network. Don’t forget about game systems, phones that use wi-fi, iPods, etc. Anything with wi-fi capabilities could be the “weakest link” that is slowing your connection speeds. For now, it seems as if the safest bet for new PC and/or router owners is to disconnect all other devices when looking for that ultra-fast connection.
Have you defragged your computer lately?
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009This is a repost of an article that we originally ran back on September 5th. We just wanted to remind you that it is probably time for you to defrag your computer again and let you know that we have updated the link on our Tools page to the latest version of Auslogics Disk Defrag (2.1.2.50).
You got that new PC home and it worked so fast. Programs opened in the blink of an eye. Web pages loaded the instant you clicked on a link. Everything was just…. perfect. Then, several weeks or months went by and you started to notice a different behavior from your computer. It certainly wasn’t getting any faster. What happened?
There are a number of factors that could cause your PC’s ailing performance. When working on any PC, I tackle several key areas, including Disk Defragmentation. Performing this task, usually referred to as a “defrag”, is one of the quickest and easiest ways to get a performance boost from your old PC. But why?
Freedom from Microsoft Office is…. FREE
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009Stop just about anyone and ask them what software they would use to write a paper. Chances are very strong that they will say “Word” or “Office.” The name has become as synonymous with computer word processing as Kleenex has to the tissue. Now ask 100 people the same question and you might get a handful that say something else, like Open Office or Word Perfect. You have at least heard of Word Perfect, but what is Open Office?
What to do With that Recently Replaced PC
Monday, October 12th, 2009
If you have read any of our articles before, you know we have just beat the “PCs are like cars” analogy to death. It works for so many of the topics that we cover, but this is NOT one of them. Eventually, we all cave in and decide that it is time for a new computer. Since most computer retailers don’t offer a trade in for that old PC, you find yourself staring at that old PC and wondering what to do with it. Before you decide to toss it out on the curb, you should realize that the old clunker might still serve some purpose in your daily life.
Twitter is Not Exactly What You Think
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Twitter. That name seems to come up every day now. It’s part of the zeitgeist, whether you like it or not. At first, you had to be a bit of a tech nerd to know what it was or why you would use it. Then, it began to creep into discussions and articles. Lately, it is the buzzword that every TV show and web site is fighting to slip in somewhere. I am truly amazed at how often it comes up. Yet, the vast majority of people I know still don’t tweet (a message sent via Twitter) or even have a Twitter account.
I hear all kinds of answers to the “are you on Twitter” question. “I don’t care what other people are doing.” “I don’t have time for that.” “Twitter and Facebook are blocked on my work computer.” These are some of my favorites. These comments tell me a few things, but most importantly I see that there is a lack of understanding when it comes to what Twitter is and why anyone would use it.
No Security Program is 100% Effective
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
In my research for yesterday’s article Surf Safely with Web of Trust for FREE I stumbled across a great article on “layered security.” This was a term that I had never heard and had never really put any thought into. In fact, it has opened up a new world for me that I am exploring as I write this article. You see, the hard truth is that no single security program is 100% effective against spyware, malware, adware, trojans, keyloggers, etc. There are thousands of threats waiting to attack your PC and the best protection you have is teaming up several security programs.
Surf Safely with Web of Trust for FREE
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Yesterday, we warned you about the nearly 10,000 passwords that were stolen and posted online by cybercriminals. Further information indicates that these passwords were stolen via a fake Hotmail website, identical to the real thing. This phishing scam tricked users into entering their email address and password. Twenty-four hours later a similar list of thousands of Google Gmail, AOL, Yahoo Mail, Comcast and Earthlink accounts were revealed as well.
Scams like these are becoming more and more common. As PC and internet users we have just a few choices. We can avoid using the internet completely (not likely) or arm ourselves with the right tools to prevent malware attacks, spyware trickery, phishing scams, etc. In the case of the Hotmail passwords, a simple anti-virus or spyware program would NOT have prevented the crime. No software was installed and these programs would not have sent up any flares to warn us of the potential danger. That’s why we need a program like My Web of Trust (WOT).
Keep Your PC Healthy with Do-It-Yourself Basic Maintenance
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009We’ve all been there before. At work, at home, at school… Just when you need it the most, that “darn computer” slows down to a crawl. At work or school, you call the IT department and complain or just laugh because you know they aren’t going to do anything this time either. At home, you deal with tolerate the issues as long as you can, waiting for the day you can get a new computer. You might go so far as to buy more RAM or even call the local PC repair shop, but that rarely happens either. We have all been conditioned to buy a new computer every few years, but why?
The truth is, computers can last for many years. Like cars, the life of your computer is directly linked to the care and upkeep you put into it. Sure, some of the components might break down a little sooner than expected, but some basic maintenance can keep everything running smoothly and lessen the chance of major issues. Many of these maintenance items are simple and can be done by you for FREE. Let’s take a look:
Searching the Future with Google Alerts
Monday, October 5th, 2009Researching the past has always been available to me. I could step into a library or even read a magazine article to find out more about what has already happened. Over the last 15 years, thanks to the growth of the internet, researching the present has even become a common, everyday practice. Now, thanks to Google Alerts, you can even search the future. That’s right, the future.
At one time or another, we have all needed to look up information for a school, business or personal project. Past and present information was great, but maybe you wanted more. Did you ever think to yourself “I’ll come back later and research this topic again. Some new information is going to surface.” You had great intentions, but you either forgot or it just took forever to get back to the research. A great example of this would be investigating your family tree. Thanks to tools like ancestry.com, you have a great way to research the past, but what happens when someone posts new information in a month or two. Maybe another of your long, lost relatives is doing the same elsewhere and has just the information you were looking for. Wouldn’t you want to know about that?
