Tips for a well-behaved PC

Save energy
Leaving your PC on wastes both energy and cash: running it overnight could cost you more than £100 a year. It’s time to stop sinning and make some savings.

Step 1: Click Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Power Options. If your system uses the High Performance power plan then you can save a little energy by selecting Balanced.

Step 2: Selecting Very low power delivers a real energy cut, but mainly by limiting the work your CPU can do, so it’s best used on laptops or PCs that aren’t running anything too intensive.

Step 3: Click Change plan settings for your plan. Windows Vista normally turns the display off after 20 minutes of inactivity; cut this to 10, perhaps set the PC to sleep after 20 minutes or so.

Save power – disable Windows Aero at will

Run REGEDIT and go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\Shell. Right-click the Shell part, select New > Key and call it
Aero On.

Right-click the Aero On key you’ve created, and create a new key called command. Double-click this (in the right-hand side of the screen) and give it the value Rundll32 dwmApi #102.

Right-click the Shell key again, select New > Key, and call this Aero Off. Create a command key below it, as you’ve just done, and give it the value Rundll32 dwmApi #104.

Now, right-click an empty part of the desktop to see your options, and select Aero On when you want fancy effects like Flip 3D, and Aero Off when you’re after raw speed.

Blissful browsing
The next time you find yourself revisiting a frequently updated site like Digital Spy, Digg or BBC News, stop and select Tools > Feed Discovery. If the site provides an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed then you’ll see one or more links listed here. Choose one and click the Subscribe option.

Now launch the Windows Sidebar, if it’s not already running, click the plus sign and double-click on the Feed Headlines gadget. This will pop up and display all the latest headlines from the site, and they’ll be updated as new stories appear.

Boost your productivity
Learn a few angelic Windows keyboard shortcuts

Hold Shift when inserting a CD

Prevent the CD from autoplaying

F4 in Windows Explorer

Display the address bar location list

F5

Refresh the screen

Ctrl and Z

Undo an action

Ctrl and Y

Redo an action, in case you’ve used undo incorrectly

Shift and Delete

Delete the selected file(s) without moving to the Recycle bin (be careful!)

Shift and F10

Display the shortcut menu for the selected item

Alt and Tab

Switch to the previously active window

Alt and F4

Close the active window

Windows key and D

Show the desktop

Windows key and E

Open Windows Explorer

Windows key and F

Open a Search window

Windows key and G

Cycle through Sidebar gadgets

Windows key and R

Open a Run window

Windows key and T

Cycle through and preview all the applications on the taskbar

Windows key and 1

Launch the first program on your Quick Launch toolbar

Windows key and 2

Launch the second program on your Quick Launch toolbar

Windows key and Tab

Use Flip 3D to cycle through all currently open applications

Windows key and Spacebar

Select the Windows Sidebar

Ctrl and Mousewheel

Changes the view of your current folder

Left Alt and left Shift and Print Screen

Toggles the highcontrast display

Divine file management
Having to open Windows Explorer just to move a file gets annoying. But there is a quicker way.

How would you like to copy or move a file directly from its right-click menu? Then try this:

Launch REGEDIT, go HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex in REGEDIT, and click ContextMenuHandlers. Select Edit > New Key, call it Copy To, doubleclick it and enter the value {C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}.

Create another key called Move To, with the default value {C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}.

Right-click a file now, choose either option, and a pop-up window will appear where you can immediately choose the destination folder. Easy!

Celestial software updates
Make sure you keep your PC up-to-date.

step 1: EXTRA UPDATES
Click Start > All Programs > Windows Update, and make sure it’s set up to update your system automatically. Then click Get updates for more products.

step 2: READ THE DETAILS
Your PC will now check if there are optional updates and fixes available for Windows. Click View Available Updates and double-click any update to find out more about it.

step 3: UPGRADE EVERYTHING
Check the boxes, and click Install. Then install the free UpdateStar (www.updatestar.com), to scan the rest of your programs and let you know when updates are available.

Tags:command, energy, high performance, laptops, Maintenance, performance power, program, real energy, regedit, ROOT, shell key, software update, system, update, UpdateStar, Windows, windows aero, windows key, windows update, windows vista

How to Create Symbolic Links

What Is a Symbolic Link?

A Symbolic Link acts (and looks) like a shortcut but provides a transparent link to the target file at the file system level instead of within explorer.

Symbolic Links are used most for backward compatibility. It can be used to trick software into thinking its accessing files at a location where the files have been moved.

Create a Relative or Absolute Symbolic Link

Relative Symbolic Links: A relative symbolic link is a symbolic link that identifies the location of its target by its location.

For Example: I created a folder called test in the root of C:\. I also created a text file called file2.txt in the folder called test. I’m going to create a relative symbolic link in the folder test I created called file1.txt to the text file file2.txt.

1. Open the command prompt with admin privileges by clicking Start, All Programs, Accessories, right-click Command Prompt and then select Run as administrator.

2. After navigating to the test folder I created I type mklink file1.txt file2.txt in the command prompt and then press enter.

Now if you open file1.txt file2.txt actually opens. To prove this, open file2.txt, type something in it and then open the file1.txt symbolic link.

Note: If the relative symbolic link is moved the link will not work anymore.

Absolute Symbolic Links

An absolute symbolic link is a symbolic link that identifies the location of its target by a full path.

Using the example above you’d type mklink file1.txt C:\test\file2.txt.

Note: If you move the absolute link to a different location it will still work.
Create a Symbolic Link to a Shared Folder

To create a symbolic link to a shared folder you’d type mklink file1.txt \\file-server\test\file2.txt or mklink file1.txt Z:\test\file2.txt for a mapped folder.

Tags:absolute link, admin, administrator, command, command prompt, compatibility, Explorer, how to, Links, Shared, Software, Symbolic, symbolic link, transparent link

Bootup Faster from Windows Vista

Is your windows Vista getting slower and slower now that you have been using it for almost a year and have installed many programs and used up more space since you first installed the OS? If so here are a few tips to tweak your PC to get that boot up performance back making it quicker.

First thing you should do is always get rid of your temporary files and any unused programs. Once you have done that then run the defrag tool to reorganize your hard drive. Defragmenting your files puts them back into one contiguous space on your drive optimizing your boot time.

To get Vista’s defrag tool to give you some information about your hard disk, and to controlWindows Vista Memory which hard disk or partition it defragments, you will need to use the command line defragmentation utility. It will still not give you any feedback while defragmenting, just as the GUI version of the defragmenter will not, but at least you can get information on the fragmentation level of your hard disk, control whether to defragment even if the file fragments are larger than 64 MB, and control which partition or hard disk to defragment.

To use the command line defrag tool in Windows Vista, you have to run the Command Prompt as an administrator. In Vista, this is not automatic even if you are logged in as the administrator. Click the Windows button (previously the Start button in earlier versions of Windows), the All Programs menu item and the Accessories menu item. Right click the “Command Prompt” button and select “Run as administrator”. A command prompt window will appear. Everything you run in this Window will be run with administrator rights.

To view a file fragmentation analysis of (say) your C: drive, type:

defrag c: -a -v

The “-a” parameter tells the defragger to perform a fragmentation analysis. The “-v” option tells it to be verbose in its report. If you want a report on drive D: or some other drive, substitute that drive letter in place of c:.

To defragment a particular drive, say C:, type:

1. defrag c: -v -r

The “-r” option tells the defragmentation utility to treat files that are fragmented with 64 MB fragments or larger as though they are not fragmented. This partial defragmentation is the default for “defrag”, and it’s the only way the GUI defragmenter in Vista works.

You can also force the defragmenter to defragment everything. That is, even if the file fragments are larger than 64MB, the Vista defragmenter will still attempt to put the file into contiguous sectors. To do this, run the defragger with the following options:

2. defrag c: -v -w

As you have probably have guessed, “-w” tells the Vista defrag tool to do a full defragmentation. All file fragments will be consolidated where possible.

You will still not get any feedback as to the progress of the defragmentation with the command line tool, just as you did not with the GUI version. However, at the beginning and the end of the defragmentation, “defrag” with the “-v” option will give a report, much like the old Windows XP GUI defragmentation utility. Again, though, it will not report fragmented files with 64 MB fragments (or larger) as being fragmented.

Please NOTE: With the command line method there is no progress bar so you just have to sit and wait for it to finish.

If defragging doesn’t really help your boot performance then you should at least see improvement in your application load times when the operating system is finally booted up.

Also there is one quick edit to the registry that can make Vista shut down quicker than you can say “shut down.” Those not comfortable with delving in to the registry had better not proceed because making a mistake here could (and usually does) mess up your system bad.

At the Start Menu, type “regedit” without the quotes in the search box and hit Enter. Find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control and go to the Control folder, right click the entry “WaitToKillServiceTimeout” and set the value to something lower, 1000 is usually good (the numbers represent milliseconds). The default value is a (too) generous 20000. However, the cost with this is that it won’t give running programs much time to save data so losing work using the tweak is a definite possibility.

Tags:boot time, bootup, command, defrag, defrag tool, defragment, defragmentation, hard disk, memory, Performance, temporary files, Windows, windows vista

Run Check Disk from System Recovery Options

This guide shows you how to run the check disk (chkdsk) command from the System Recovery Options included on the Windows Vista DVD.

So your computer won’t boot up and you need to run check disk (chkdsk) on it to try and repair errors on the hard drive. This guide shows you how to run check disk by booting from the Windows Vista DVD and running check disk from the System Recovery Options command prompt.

Run Check Disk from a System Recovery Command Prompt

1. Place a Windows Vista DVD in the DVD drive and restart or turn on your computer.

2. When asked if you want to boot from the CD/DVD press any key on your keyboard to say yes. You might have to press F10 or a similar key to boot from a CD/DVD. See your computer manufacturer’s manual for help with that.

3. Once your computer has booted from the DVD, choose your language options and then click Next.

4. Click Repair your computer.

5. Select the operating system you want to run the check disk command on and then click Next.

6. Click Command Prompt in the System Recovery Options window.

7. Now you have a command prompt open where you can run check disk from.

See my guide on how to use check disk for information on how to use check disk.

Tags:boot, Check Disk, chkdsk, command, command prompt, Computer, dvd, dvd-drive, Format, guide, Hard drive, Prompt, Recovery, Windows, windows vista, Windows Vista

Auto kill tasks on shutdown

By default, Windows XP will prompt the user for input if there are one or more applications which have crashed or are not responding and it receives a shut down command. This halts the shutdown process entirely until the user approves the stopping of the non-responsive app.

By altering the registry slightly, Windows XP can be set to close crashed applications automatically. While this does not technically speed up the shut down process, it does streamline it, and ensure that the user will not give the shutdown command then get up and leave, only to find the PC still powered on because Windows never received input on what to do with a hung application.

To allow Windows XP to close non-responsive applications automatically upon shutdown:

Open REGEDIT and navigate to ‘HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop’

Highlight the value ‘AutoEndTasks.’

Change the value to ‘1′

XP will now be able to close hung applications without user input during the shutdown process.

Well, that’s it for PCstats latest 99 Tips! We hope you enjoyed using this tips list as much as we enjoyed making it!

Tags:automatically, command, control panel, registry, shut down, shutdown, tips, Windows, windows xp

Top 10 Causes your computer slows

1. System Start-up packed with too many applications (Start-up overload)

Over time, as you add more and more programs to your computer, many of these applications automatically add themselves to your Windows Start-up folder. Additionally, these applications can add themselves quietly to a hidden area of your Windows Start-up system (accessed via the MSCONFIG run command). In extreme cases your PC will appear completely frozen.

Limiting the number of applications loading themselves at start-up can speed boot times considerably and increase overall system performance.

2. Spyware

Malicious programs that stealthily embed themselves into your Windows Registry and core file system are the number two most common cause of a slow PC or poor PC performance.

These applications are usually installed without your knowledge or consent during the installation of a “free” application you’re trying out, or pushed out automatically in the background when you visit websites that engage in this practice without the user’s knowledge.

These spyware programs must be removed as soon as possible to return your PC to top running speed, and before they damage your file system.

In some cases they can be removed by manually editing the Windows core file system and registry or by using an automatic spyware remover like XoftspySE, our favorite pick for spyware removal and cleaning.

3. Corrupted/Bloated Windows Registry

The Windows Registry is the master control center for your operating system and applications it runs. Corruption or overload registry issues can cause all sorts of pc performance problems, including poor application startup times, slow Windows start-up, extremely slow shut down, inability to resume from computer sleep and more.

Cleaning, compacting, and optimizing your Windows registry can go a long way to dramatically speeding up your computer’s performance, start-up and shutdown speed.

4. Badly Fragmented Hard Drive

The sixth most common reason for a slow PC is hard drive and file system fragmentation. Over time, your computer’s files can be scattered into bits and pieces located all over your hard drive. This is called fragmentation. Windows has a built in tool to help you with hard drive defragmentation:

* Open My Computer,
* Right-click once on your C: Drive and go down to “Properties”
* Select the “Tools” tab and choose the “Defragment Now” option and follow the step by step instructions.

5. Poor Security Software that is stealing system resources

Unfortunately, a large number of security software programs and suites out there demand a huge portion of your system resources and memory. This can lead to sluggish performance from the rest of your PC while your security software is constantly scanning and monitoring your computer for threats.

While threat detection is essential, some security vendors go overboard with their approach and drag your PC down with them.

To see how much memory and system resources your security software is using, press and hold CTRL+ALT+DELETE and choose the task manager.

Once the task manager is open look at the “processes” section to see how much of your system resources are being used by your security apps.

6. Remnants of uninstalled programs

Uninstalling an application either via the control panel or the application’s start menu folder has been known to leave behind remnants of the uninstalled program. These remnants can slow down your computer while Windows tries to figure out what to do with them. Additionally, residue of old program stays behind in your system registry, clogging up your PC’s core.

7. Pagefile

The Windows page file is a temporary area of memory that your computer uses to move files around while it processes functions. Basically, it’s a buffer that your computer uses for wiggle room. If your Pagefile is too small, your operating system won’t have enough room to move and you could end up with poor performance and error messages.

To increase the size of your Pagefile:

* Right-click on “My Computer” and go down to “Properties”
* Click the “Advanced” tab
* Click “Settings” under the “Performance” section
* Click the “Advanced” button
* Click “Change” under “Virtual Memory”

8. Hard Drive getting full and too many internet temp and windows temp files

If your hard drive has less than 10% free space, you will experience a dramatic slowdown in the performance of your PC. To improve this, free up some space by removing old documents you no longer use or programs that are no longer needed.

9. Virus

Closely related to Spyware, viruses can wreak havoc on your system’s performance and severely limit your PC’s ability to do what you ask it to.

Typically, viruses get onto your computer via infected email or instant messages, although they can also be installed via applications or files that you download from file-sharing networks and other non-trusted web sites.

10. Hardware Problems

The fourth most common cause of a slow or freezing computer is gradually dying internal hardware components. These can often show up in the form of slow boot and shut down, as well as poor program launches riddled with errors.

There are very few hardware diagnostic utilities out there, so we recommend careful removal of any newly installed pc components to see if they are causing a problem or incompatibility. Other than that, taking your PC to a certified, trusted hardware repair shop is usually a good idea.