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Stop Internet Explorer add-ons message
Internet Explorer 9 keeps on displaying a pop-up message at the bottom of the window saying "Speed up browsing by disabling add-ons." Here's how to disable it.
Get a better registry editor
Is the registry editor that is bundled with Windows good enough? There are alternatives if you don't like regedit or you need more features. Here are three...
Add Explorer Copy To and Move To menus
Right click a file on the desktop or in an Explorer window and the context menu pops up with items like Cut, Copy, Delete, Rename and so so on. Add Copy to and Move to commands to this right click menu.
Modify or remove shortcut arrows
The shortcut arrow is big and it's ugly. Wouldn't it be better if you could make it smaller, or perhaps you would like to completely remove it. It is easy with a registry tweak.
Run disk and RAM tests
How fast is the disk drive? Is the RAM up to scratch? Use Winsat to measure the performance and you can see the results in the figures. It's a geek tool, but useful.
Securely erase the disk
If you want to throw out your old computer, sell it or give it away, you must securely delete all your files and personal information. There are several ways of doing this...
Use the Start menu search box
In XP the only way to find programs and features was to look on the Start menu and browse all the programs, then open the Control Panel and go through all the items there too. It was hard to find things. Windows 7 provides a search box on the Start menu.
Rescue a dead PC
Suppose you turn on your computer and instead of starting normally it fails with an error message on the screen? You do have a backup don't you? Create a system image to rescue a dead PC
Top 10 Windows 7/Vista gadgets
Microsoft has closed down the gadget gallery on its website and some may have been lost forever. This article has updated links so you can download these useful tools.
Compare Windows XP, Vista and 7 security
There are several simple tests that show just how bad those old versions of Windows are from a security perspective. XP is really bad - take a look.
Discover new tools and functions from
There are so many hard-to-find features, hidden functions, obscure dialogs and options in Windows that most people simply don't know half of what's available. Discover them now...
The many ways to switch programs
How do you switch from one program or Explorer window to another? There are many ways in fact and you will certainly know more than one, but do you know them all? There may be ways you don't know about and it might save time and effort.
Customize your animated desktop wallpaper
Windows 7 can automatically change the wallpaper at set time intervals. One image fades into another using a simple transition effect. The speed of this transition is in the registry and you can easily customise it. Show me...
Display Explorer windows faster
Does it sometimes takes several seconds for Explorer windows to display their contents? You just need to change some simple settings and everything is back to normal. Speed up Explorer
Exploring Windows Explorer windows
Windows Explorer used to have a tree view of the folders in the left pane showing the subfolders branching out to the right and this was useful for navigating the disk. Windows 7 does things differently, but you can still get this tree view.
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Remove malware with Windows Defender Offline
Viruses, Trojans, spyware and other types of malware can be stubborn and hard to remove once they get on a PC and infect it. Get Windows Defender Offline boot CD.
PerfectDisk optimises the disk drive
Recently updated Raxco PerfectDisk 12.5 is, well, perfect for keeping your disk running at peak performance. Let's take a look at this utility.
CPU speed tests using Winsat
Winsat.exe is a utility in the C:\Windows\System32 folder that can be used to measure the performance of different components in the PC and to measure how fast they are.
Create a system repair disc
If you cannot start Windows, you need to repair the faults that are preventing it from running. A boot CD or DVD can do this and you can make one in Windows.
Turn Windows 7 features on or off
If you don't need a Windows component, why bother loading it every time you start up? It is a pointless exercise. Fortunately, you can remove it.
Free Bing themes
Have you used Bing to search the internet? Would you like to use those background images on your desktop? Bing provides a collection of Windows themes that contain some of the best images.
Windows Live Movie Maker special effects
Windows Live Movie Maker enables you to apply special effects to video clips, but it is applied to the whole clip and you can't select the start and end points. However, there is a way
Delete temporary files
It is unlikely that you would ever get so many temporary files that they become a problem, but it makes sense to keep the system clean of clutter. Hopefully, this will prevent problems from arising and you'll get some free space back.
9 free backup tools to keep your files safe
We have photos, videos, email, contacts, work and personal documents, home and company accounts, and many more files on our PCs. What if the disk developed a fault and you lost all your files? How would you cope? Continue reading...
Extra details in Programs and Features
You may not have realised it, but a lot more information is available about each item in Programs and Features and by default most of it is hidden. Here's how to make it visible.
Uninstall software with Comodo Programs Manager
Some uninstallers do an excellent job, but others leave files on the disk and information in the registry. The solution is Comodo Programs Manager. It's free and it's well worth considering.
Which programs are using all the internet bandwidth?
How much internet bandwidth is actually being used, and which programs are using it? Internet usage is not unlimited, despite what ISPs may claim, so keep an eye on it. Let's see how to do this.
Manage internet bandwidth
With the right network tools it is possible to get a list of the programs that are accessing the internet, to see how much bandwidth they are using, and to apply limits to the data transmitted. Continue reading...
16 free defragmenters to boost performance
Windows Disk Defragmenter is OK, but it's not perfect and some alternatives do a better job. Let's take a look at some free disk defragmenters that can boost performance.
Windows Live Movie Maker special effects
Windows Live Movie Maker enables you to apply special effects to video clips, but it is applied to the whole clip and you can't select the start and end points. However, there is a way to apply the effect to just the frames of the video clip you want.
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