How to: Optomize Your Computer to Peak Condition

So your computer isn't as fast as it used to be. Simply opening up Firefox (If you have Internet Explorer, Get Firefox) takes a few minutes let alone typing your five page business report. Your computer has become bogged down over the years, but instead of buying a new one or remodeling yours, you want to optimize yours so it's as good as new. You've been searching the web for the best ways to do so with no avail. You have finally found the right article. Here you will find simple, quick, and don't forget, free, ways to optimize your PC! Read More...

1. Disk Defragmenter - Surprisingly you will find Defrag on my list because it is an easy way to optimize your hard drive, and in Vista, you can schedule it to run right from its menu. To run it click:
   
   • Start
   • All Programs
   • Accessories
   • System Tools
   • Disk Defragmenter
2. CCleaner - (aka Crap Cleaner) CCleaner is a great tool for clearing space in your system and optimizing. It is a three-in-one tool: Temporary File Cleanup, Registry Fixing, and Performance. Once when I run Cleaner, I cleaned up 2 GB of Temporary Files!!!! It's has customizable options including a scheduling option. You can download CCleaner from thier website.
3. Remove Unused programs with Add and Remove Programs - It is quite simple, but I have found lots of old (Not compatible with Vista) or unused programs that I can uninstall. You won't believe how much space you can save by simply uninstalling programs.
4. WinDirStat - This program maps all your hard disks and displays them as a color coded map to show you what files take up the most space. It is a great way to find the bigger files on your computer. It can be downloaded from WinDirStat's website.
5. TweakRAM - If you're willing to invest a little money, you can get a great program that can optimize your computer anytime you need extra ram. It can improve you overall performance when running processor consuming programs. You can see more at Elcor Software's Website.

Tip: Disable the Delete Option for the Recycle Binin Windows Vista

If you right click on the recycle bin in Windows Vista you will notice the normal right click menu with all the options. Wait, there's a delete option. How can that be! You can delete the recycle bin!! Well, actually in Vista you can. Microsoft decided instead of hiding it you could simply delete it. I never understood why Microsoft added this feature, but it would get pretty annoying if someone on your computer deleted your Recycling Bin. There is a way to un-delete it, but how about permanently un-deleting the Recycle bin. Read More...

1. All you have to do is download this file: DisableRecycleBinDelete.zip (File From HowtoGeek.com)
2. Click Open when prompted
3. Double Click "DisableRecycleBinDeletion.reg"
4. Click Allow
5. Reboot Your Computer
6. To Enable Deletion: Complete Steps 1-2, Double Click "EnableRecycleBinDeletion.reg", Click Allow, and Reboot Your Computer

Tip: Snap Mouse to the Default Button

Do you know how much time we spend moving our cursors to the save buttons. A lot! Wouldn't it be nice if there was a way to jump you cursor right to the default button. Yes it would, and for those who are wishing that, your wish has been granted. Read More...

1. Click Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. Under Hardware and Sound Click Mouse
4. Click the Pointer Options Tab
5. Check the "Automatically Move Pointer to the Default Button in a Dialog Box" Check box
6. To Undo this Option Complete Steps 1-4 and then un-check the Snap to Check box

How-To: Disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows Vista

Some people absolutely hate Windows Vista, and some love it, but they all agree on one thing: Vista's new security feature UAC (User Account Control) is very annoying. For almost anything (Ok; Maybe I'm stretching it a little) you do, Vista asks: Would You Like to Be Less Productive? Cancel or Allow. Sometimes when you are installing lots of programs or performing lots of administrative tasks you want a way to rid of the annoying prompts. While there is a way to do this, let me make one suggestion: Do not disable UAC for extended periods of time. If you leave it off your computer will be very vulnerable to attackers. Read More...

There are two ways to disable the UAC. The first uses command prompt and the second, control panel.

Method #1: Command Prompt

1. Click Start
2. Type "cmd" (Without Quotes)
3. Right Click the Run Result and then click Run as Administrator
4. Type the following in command prompt:
   C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /k %windir%\System32\reg.exe ADD HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v EnableLUA /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
5. To enable complete steps 1-3 and then type C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /k %windir%\System32\reg.exe ADD HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v EnableLUA /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
   

Method #2: Control Panel

1. Click Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. In the Search box at the top right type: "UAC" (Without Quotes)
4. Click "Turn User Account Control (UAC) on or off"
5. Click Allow
6. Un-check the "Use User Account Control (UAC) to Help Protect My Computer"
7. Click Ok
8. Restart You Computer
9. To Enable Complete Steps 1-5, Check the Check box, Click OK and then restart your computer

Tutorial: Web Programming Part 1

Web programming is what makes up all of the pages you see on your browser, and is a major part of computing (aside from writing actual programs). One of the most basic forms of web programming is HTML. We are not going to talk about PHP, Perl, ASP, or even JavaScript in this article, just plain HTML. We will discuss basic topics such as text fonts, formats, headers, titles, the structure of HTML, and tables. After reading this short little tutorial, you should be equipped with basic knowledge that is the basis of the beginning of a web design career. I have included links to more specific and exact websites for learning other languages such as PHP or JavaScript. Read More...

HTML Basics
Let's begin with some basics. You are probably wondering what HTML stands for. HTML is an acronym for HyperText Markup Language and it is one of the many languages web browser "understand". HTML is a system of < (open braces) and > (closing braces). For example, take a look at the following pseudo code:

<Library name="Los Angeles County Library" city="Los Angeles" state="California">
<Section type="Fiction">
<Shelf number="113.2" Row="4">
<Book Title="Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows" Author="J.K. Rowling" ...>
<Description>
...
</Description>
</Book>
</Shelf>
</Section>
</Library>


By looking at the example above you can tell me the Book, the author, call number, Library, etc. HTML is similar to this because it is system of commands enclosed in brackets (<Library>), occasionally with attributes (type="Fiction"), and closing brackets (</Library>). This is the basis of HTML. The browser interprets the HTML the same way you looked at the example code.

HTML Editor
Most people would answer with an astounding Dreamweaver!! Whoa, easy there. You are just starting to learn HTML. Unless if you have a lot of money to spend, I wouldn't go breaking the bank just yet. You might decide web programming is not for you after reading this article (That's ok, as long as you didn't invest the vacation fund toward buy Dreamweaver). There are many great free or shareware programs out there that will do a beginner well. Believe it or not, notepad is one of them. I know it's been a long time since you have used it, so here is a refresher course on how to find it. First get out the Swiffer duster, because we're going to be stirring up some dust. Click Start>All Programs>Accessories>Notepad. You should see a very downgraded version (and by downgraded I mean having no resemblance to) Microsoft Word. Get familiar with it because it is going to be your best (coding) friend for the rest of the article (Unless if you find a suitable freeware/shareware program). I would suggest using notepad, though, because it doesn't have any of those fancy features that writes all the code for you or finishes your statements. The only way you are going to become good at this is if you learn it without any help then get one of those programs. This way you can learn the fancy program, but if there is something wrong, you can go back to good 'ol typing everything in manually.

I know I have probably gone way to fast for all you beginners, so let's take a break and return soon with the continuation to this article Web Programming Part II (Return of the HTML Tags!). (I would take this time to go get a cup of coffee with extra caffeine and a comfy chair to sit in because in the next tutorial, we're going to be typing like mad!! Get Ready)

« Last1234Next »

The Best Protection

It is one of the most important things you can have on your computer. It is virus/spyware/adware protection software. Most people don't appreciate the importance of this type of protection. If you are connected to the internet you attack rate is even higher and so is your risk. Hackers can gain access to anything on your computer using exploits. They can even delete all you data and possibly destroy sensitive information. Read More...

A lot of people over-look the importance of having protection for your computer. Some people though, will spend loads of money on protection. If you can afford to, it would probably be best to get a subscription to a paid protection service. Most people will go for the major brands such as Norton or McAffee, but they made a mistake. It has been proven their are better services then some of the major brands. Some of these are Kaspersky which most experts say is the best. Check out their site Kaspersky Labs. They have been proven to be the highest in virus detection percentages. For slightly more you can get great protection with NOD32. Check out their site Eset.

If you prefer not to break the bank, you can try free protection. If I asked which free virus protection you would suggest most people would probably say AVG Free or Avast. Both of these have a detection rate of less then ninety percent. For AVG 82.82%, and for Avast 87.46%. There is a better free protection out there. It is called Avira and it it has a detection rate of 94.26% (Averages 9.12% Higher than AVG and Avast!). You can get it from their website Avira.com.

In the case of spyware protection, there are many options for free protection. You can try Zone Alarm Firewall, Spy-bot Search and Destroy and Ad Aware.

A Free Programming Language: Basic

Have you ever wanted to write a program, but were discouraged by the complexity of most programming languages? It just seemed too complex to learn and not worth it. Well that's all about to change. There is a simple, easy to learn, and not to mention free programming language for beginners. It is called Just Basic and it simplifies programming for you so you can write professional code without having to know all that confusing structure and syntax. Read More...

Just Basic
Just Basic is the free alternative to confusing code and programming languages that nobody has even heard of. With it's simplicity you'll be programming in hours, not days. All of Just Basic's commands are in plain English. Most other programming languages use keywords and commands that have no resemblance to what they do. This is not the case with Basic. Here is an example code in Basic. See if you can guess what it does:

print "Hello Bloggers!"

You guessed it! This program display Hello Bloggers! on the computer's screen. It is commands like this that make Basic so simple to understand. Another big advantage in Basic is there are two variable types: one holds numbers and the other strings ("Example String"). Neither of these has to be declared so you don't have the confusion of declaring and remembering the types of the variables.

Just Basic provides a beginning programming environment for people wanting to write their own programs. And best of all, Just Basic is free!! It can be downloaded from the Just Basic Website. Simply click on the Download tab and select the version you want (Currently 1.10 as of June 2008). Just Basic even has great documentation to get you started with programming in Basic and many online support websites.

Liberty Basic
For more advanced Basic programmers, you might want to invest in Liberty Basic. All of the commands in Liberty are the same as in Just Basic so you can easily transfer to Liberty. Liberty Basic provides more advanced options for more advanced programmers such as DLL support and communications support. Here is an example program that renames the window, something that can't be don't in Just Basic:

CallDll #user32, "SetWindowTextA",_ h as ulong,_ 'Give the function the handle of window "New Window Name " as ptr,_ 'Set the Window's Name as New Window Name result as void 'There is nothing for the function to tell us

See how easy that was!! With Liberty Basic you can expand you programming and create fully-fledged program just like the experts. Liberty Basic also come with great documentation for all the added commands and a lot of support websites and forums. I happen to be a proud Liberty Basic owner, and I have to say: I love it! While Liberty Basic is for the more advanced programmers, if you start with Just Basic, you will be a pro in no time. I highly suggest both languages as an easy way to start programming off right!! You can download a trial of Liberty Basic from the Liberty Basic Website. Below is a list of great Basic information and support websites:

Related Links - Just Basic

• Just Basic Website
• Just Basic Official Support Forums
• Just Basic Wikispaces

Related Links - Liberty Basic

• Liberty Basic Website
• Liberty Basic Official Support Forums
• Liberty Basic Programmer's Encyclopedia
• Yahoo Support Forums
• Alyce's Restaurant
• The Liberty Belle
• Liberty Basic Software Downloads
• Janet Terra's Liberty Basic Website

Torrents: Legal or Illegal?

I'm sure you've probably heard the term torrent. You may have even used them. But, what really are torrents and how do they work? How can you download all those files at blazing fast speeds? Why aren't they illegal? What are the advantages to using torrents vs. file storage websites. What programs do I need to use torrents? Most people use torrents for sharing music, photos, and documents, but some abuse them. All these questions about torrents and more will be answered in this article. Read More...

Torrents are files that you open in you torrent program (uTorrent, BitTorrent, etc.) that connect you to a network of file-sharing users. The torrent file is simply a way of accessing the network and enables you to share the files. To open a torrent you will need a torrent program, such as uTorrent or BitTorrent. With these programs you connect to a P2P (Peer-to-Peer) file sharing communications port. Torrents can be used to distribute anything. From photos, to sideshows, to open source programs, to even pirated programs. You do not download a torrent's files from a website, you download them from other people who have the file. This is called seeding. Seeding is when a user has the complete torrent downloaded and is sharing it with others by means of the P2P network. These users are called seeders. There is another group of users called leechers. These are the people who are downloading the files from the seeders. The more seeders and the less leechers a torrent has, the quicker download speeds. Bits and pieces of the files are shared between users until all the users have the files. P2P networks have advanced algorithms that determine your download speed. Depending on how many files you share, you will get faster speeds. This is just a general principle though because most algorithms are more advanced then that.

Torrent files are generally considered to be safe, thought I would air on the side of caution with some. The acutual torrent file will probably be safe. It is the files you download that might not be. Since the torrent's creator can add any files he/she wants, he/she could simply add a virus or spyware to the torrent. This is why it is best to use a torrent program that scans the files for viruses. It's also advisable to run your own virus scan on the files before running any of them, just in case there actually is a virus on one of the files. If you don't have virus protection, you can try AVG Free. Viruses usually are attached to pirated software torrents since usually software runs by means of an executable file. It is best if you only download torrents from trusted sources so you don't have to worry about viruses.

This next question is probably the reason why you read this article. Are torrents legal? The answer to this question is both yes and no. Some torrents contain files that are legal, but some contain some that aren't. You can download a photo show with torrents legally, but if you try to download that new Justin Timbelake album, that is illegal. It all depends on one thing: copyright. If a file is copyrighted, then files can not be legally distributed through a P2P network (or any other for that matter) without the author's writing consent. You will find most of the torrents on sites like The Pirate Bay and torrents.to are illegal copyrighted material. There are still, though, some downloads that are legal (These ones that contain not copyrighted material). If you aren't sure if something is copyrighted you can always check the author's website for copyright information.

I personally would suggest using torrents for legal methods. Every day there are stories about people who got caught with thousands of dollars of software that they didn't buy. Trust me, they paid (I've seen fines up to 500,000 dollars). It's just not worth it to obtain the software illegally. You can and probably will get caught eventually. On the other hand, if you use torrents legally that is fine and I encourage this type of use. Torrents are totally illegal in many Countries (including Canada). If we abuse the use of torrents, they may become completely illegal in the US too. If you not sure if what your downloading is legal, it's best if you just don't. Instead of looking for torrents of pirated software such as Photoshop (Adobe is very strict about torrents; They have fined people 10,000 dollars for distributing/downloading their software illegally), why not use GIMP. It is a free open source Photoshop look-a-like. You can also try Open Office instead of Microsoft Office. I've heard tons of people say it is way better than Ms Office, and who can beat the price, free!

Windows Vista vs. Windows XP

Which is better, Windows XP or Vista? Should I buy Vista or stay with XP? There are going to be a verity of answers to this question. A lot of people hate Vista, but some love it. Vista has some great features that provide a huge advantage over XP, but some, are just plain annoying. XP also has some definite advantages over Vista and disadvantages, too. Therefore, you should probably make a decision based on these factors: Read More...

1. Specs - Vista requires a lot of RAM and it is quite a processor hog. If your computer isn't brand new or close to it, I wouldn't get Vista (Unless you're willing to purchase a new PC). If you don't meet Vista's requirements, you can try upgrading you system's components. It would probably be easier to buy a new computer, but it's cheaper to upgrade you PC. I would suggest the latter option only for computer experts. You will get more for your dollar if you just buy a new PC.
2. Look - Are you tired of that annoying XP blue? If so, I would suggest getting Vista, because VHP (Vista Home Premium) has a completely customizable interface. The windows have a transparent look and the design is very sleek looking. Windows Vista also has customizable themes that you can create or download from one of the many Windows Vista themes websites. On a side note, Vista includes a new fast search box to every explorer window and your start bar, so you can find almost anything just from clicking the Vista orb (Start Button).
3. Security - XP is not the best in the security department. It also has a lot of back doors (More commonly known as ways of getting into your computer besides logging in). I'm not saying Vista doesn't have them, but there are fewer than in XP. One partial downside to Vista security is the UAC (User Account Control). It always bugs you when a program needs to perform an administrate action (Such as installing a program or connecting to the internet). If you disable it, Vista's security is no better than XP, but enabling it means having to hit the allow button a lot. One good thing UAC does do is if a virus tries to run it will ask you: Virus.exe needs your permission to continue. Cancel or Allow? (Well, sort-of). The upside is there are freeware programs that can tweak the UAC so that if you use a program that has the warning frequently, it can un-block it for you. Security is a biggie. It is usually why people get Vista or go back to XP (So choose wisely).
4. Overall - Vista has many new cool features that add a nice touch (Such as Areo; be warned Areo doesn't come on Vista Basic), and XP is still the same old OS since its creation. I am a proud Vista user (VHP to be exact) for quite some time now and I like it. Eventually, you will have to switch to Vista when Microsoft stops supporting XP (Or have your computer flooded with viruses). For right now though, I would see if I could find a trial of Vista (Make sure to VHP or above; Vista Basic is a waste of your money). Try it out, and see what you think. It is ultimately you decision. Vista or XP?
5. Suggestions - One thing to remember, if you are a home user get VHP. Vista Basic is a serious downgrade and not worth the money. Invest the extra dollars in VHP if you want to get Vista. I would suggest getting a trial of Vista from Microsoft and trying it out for a few days. If you like it, you can buy it, if not, the switch back to XP is easy!!