Ten Things You Should Not Do To Your Computer
by Wolfdave
Most computers run perfectly normally for most of the time. But like any other machine, things can and do go wrong. We add more programs, load hundreds of photographs, start a Word document then decide we will finish it later. We go on a deleting spree, download files from the internet. And plug in any amount of USB devices and internal hardware. Without appropriate software to instruct it, all computer hardware is dumb and useless. This software not only has to tell the hardware what it should be doing, it also has to make friends and be accepted by Windows. It is a miracle that anything works at all.
1. Never turn off your computer by simply flicking the power switch. Always use the proper shut down procedure via the Start button. Doing so can lead to problems later on. Windows need to stop any open programs, store all your saved work and return system files to their correct folders. I know it can sometimes take a while for Windows to close down, but please be patient or it could eventually damage or corrupt system files. If however, it simply refuses to power down or your system has frozen up, then you have no option but to turn it of at the mains. Then fix whatever problem has caused it to freeze.
2. Do not run in Safe Mode all the time. Some people do but it is not the normal operating mode for Windows. Maybe they should have called it ‘Diagnostic Mode’ or ‘Fix Mode’ or something similar, as the name ‘Safe Mode’ suggests it is ok to work in this mode. It isn’t, only use Safe Mode to fix problems.
3. Do not delete any files you didn’t create yourself. Many people go on a deleting spree once in a while. It is ok and good practice to clean up old document files, photographs that have been safely stored on CD, Music files that you have grown tired of; even saved game files can be deleted. This is good, it frees up hard drive space. But never randomly delete any system files just because you don’t know what they are or you think you never use them. This can and often does cause big problems. Lots of files are ‘Shared Files’, they can be used by several programs.
4. Never use pirated software, or any software of unknown origin. These are often the source of viruses.
5. Never reformat your hard drive. Doing so will completely wipe all data from your hard drive. The only time this would be necessary, is if some major disaster or virus destroyed your hard drive. In this case your data would be lost anyway and you would need to reinstall Windows.
6. Do not let other people use your computer. Computers are private, they have personal information, confidential e-mails and pictures you wouldn’t want any body else to see. And they will always mess with your settings because they think they know best. Tell them to buy a Laptop if they are so desperate to use a computer.
7. Do not install any new software, no matter whom or where it came from, without first scanning it with your security suite. If you download software, always choose the ‘save’ option as opposed to ‘Run’. Then you can scan the files before they are let loose on your computer. The same applies, possibly even more so, to e-mail attachments. To scan any new software, simply right click on the file or folder and choose; Scan with Norton, or AVG or whatever security program you have.
8. Never install any new software without first creating a System Restore Point. So one you have scanned the new software, as above, next you should set a Restore Point, so that if the new software causes conflicts or other problems, you can return your computer to a time before your new software upset Windows.
9. Do not forget to scan your computer, at least once a week with your Security program. If possible, always go for a ‘Full System Scan’. And check for updates daily if this is not set to do so automatically.
10. Never rest your ashtray on the open tray of the CD player. I know this sounds crazy, but I do know of people actually doing this. In fact it is not a good idea to smoke near your computer anyway. The smoke gets drawn into the machine’s inner workings by the cooling fans and can cause components to fail.
If your computer is slow or you are having problems, there are utilities which can check the health of your system. For more information on one of these, click HERE
Tuesday 29 December 2009
Ten Things You Should Do To Your Computer
Ten Things You Should Do To Your Computer
by Wolfdave
Most computers run perfectly normally for most of the time. But like any other machine, things can and do go wrong. We add more programs, load hundreds of photographs, start a Word document then decide we will finish it later. We go on a deleting spree, download files from the internet. And plug in any amount of USB devices and internal hardware. Without appropriate software to instruct it, all computer hardware is dumb and useless. This software not only has to tell the hardware what it should be doing, it also has to make friends and be accepted by Windows. It is a miracle that anything works at all.
Things you could and should do.
1. Always back up. It is recommended you back up your entire hard drive regularly. You should at the very least make a back up of all your photographs. Copy them all to a CD and make at least two copies for safety. For important day to day files, a Memory Stick is probably the quickest and easiest back up. For really important files and photographs, remember that memory Sticks do have a limited life and should not be used for long-term storage. Once pictures are safely stored on an external media, you can consider deleting some from your computer, to free up hard drive space.
2. Use System Restore and set a restore point once a week. And always set one before installing any new software or hardware. This applies to any downloaded software as well. Remember, Windows does not like changes so if things go wrong, you can use System Restore and go back to a time when things were working properly.
3. Always shut Windows down properly. Do not be tempted to just flick off the power; this will only lead to future problems. Shut down by using the Start and Turn off computer button. This will let your computer shuffle all files neatly into their proper locations; save all your data and close any open programs. I know this can sometimes take awhile, but please be patient. If you, like many other computer users, leave your PC on all the time, it is still a good idea, once a week, to re-start your machine. This will enable Windows to tidy up and put files back where they should be, for faster operations. In the unfortunate event that your computer will not turn off or has frozen for some reason, then the only option is to flick the power switch. However, you should wait at least 30 seconds before turning the power back on. Do not simply flick the switch off and straight back on, you can cause serious damage to your Motherboard by doing so.
4. Use your Security Program to scan for viruses and spyware, at least once a week. Preferably a Full System Scan. Also make sure your security suite is up to date.
5. Clear internet clutter. Temporary internet files can build up over time. Delete these by going to Internet Options via Control Panel.
6. Uninstall any programs you no longer need. Use the add/remove Wizard located in Control Panel. Do not be tempted to simply delete them. Only uninstall programs that you have installed. If any programs were pre-installed on your computer when you got it, even if you have never used them, do not uninstall these.
7. Always purchase and use genuine software. Pirated software, as well as being illegal, is often the source of computer viruses.
8. Do not let other people use your computer. Computers are private, they have personal information, confidential e-mails and pictures you wouldn’t want any body else to see. And they will always mess with your settings because they think they know best. Tell them to buy a Laptop if they are so desperate to use a computer.
9. Clean your screen now and again. Use a soft clean cloth or a lightly dampened cloth, do not use any cleaners. And don’t forget to clean your keyboard. This is best done when your computer is off, otherwise you can end up pressing the hibernate or sleep button. Use a small soft paint brush to clean between the keys. Alternatively, you can buy special cans of compressed air to blow out dust and particles, or use a small USB vacuum cleaner.
10. Unplug any USB devices that you are not using. If they are plugged in, they use up system resources even if not in use.
If your computer is slow in general, or you are having problems, there are utilities which can check the health of your system. For more information on one of these, click HERE
by Wolfdave
Most computers run perfectly normally for most of the time. But like any other machine, things can and do go wrong. We add more programs, load hundreds of photographs, start a Word document then decide we will finish it later. We go on a deleting spree, download files from the internet. And plug in any amount of USB devices and internal hardware. Without appropriate software to instruct it, all computer hardware is dumb and useless. This software not only has to tell the hardware what it should be doing, it also has to make friends and be accepted by Windows. It is a miracle that anything works at all.
Things you could and should do.
1. Always back up. It is recommended you back up your entire hard drive regularly. You should at the very least make a back up of all your photographs. Copy them all to a CD and make at least two copies for safety. For important day to day files, a Memory Stick is probably the quickest and easiest back up. For really important files and photographs, remember that memory Sticks do have a limited life and should not be used for long-term storage. Once pictures are safely stored on an external media, you can consider deleting some from your computer, to free up hard drive space.
2. Use System Restore and set a restore point once a week. And always set one before installing any new software or hardware. This applies to any downloaded software as well. Remember, Windows does not like changes so if things go wrong, you can use System Restore and go back to a time when things were working properly.
3. Always shut Windows down properly. Do not be tempted to just flick off the power; this will only lead to future problems. Shut down by using the Start and Turn off computer button. This will let your computer shuffle all files neatly into their proper locations; save all your data and close any open programs. I know this can sometimes take awhile, but please be patient. If you, like many other computer users, leave your PC on all the time, it is still a good idea, once a week, to re-start your machine. This will enable Windows to tidy up and put files back where they should be, for faster operations. In the unfortunate event that your computer will not turn off or has frozen for some reason, then the only option is to flick the power switch. However, you should wait at least 30 seconds before turning the power back on. Do not simply flick the switch off and straight back on, you can cause serious damage to your Motherboard by doing so.
4. Use your Security Program to scan for viruses and spyware, at least once a week. Preferably a Full System Scan. Also make sure your security suite is up to date.
5. Clear internet clutter. Temporary internet files can build up over time. Delete these by going to Internet Options via Control Panel.
6. Uninstall any programs you no longer need. Use the add/remove Wizard located in Control Panel. Do not be tempted to simply delete them. Only uninstall programs that you have installed. If any programs were pre-installed on your computer when you got it, even if you have never used them, do not uninstall these.
7. Always purchase and use genuine software. Pirated software, as well as being illegal, is often the source of computer viruses.
8. Do not let other people use your computer. Computers are private, they have personal information, confidential e-mails and pictures you wouldn’t want any body else to see. And they will always mess with your settings because they think they know best. Tell them to buy a Laptop if they are so desperate to use a computer.
9. Clean your screen now and again. Use a soft clean cloth or a lightly dampened cloth, do not use any cleaners. And don’t forget to clean your keyboard. This is best done when your computer is off, otherwise you can end up pressing the hibernate or sleep button. Use a small soft paint brush to clean between the keys. Alternatively, you can buy special cans of compressed air to blow out dust and particles, or use a small USB vacuum cleaner.
10. Unplug any USB devices that you are not using. If they are plugged in, they use up system resources even if not in use.
If your computer is slow in general, or you are having problems, there are utilities which can check the health of your system. For more information on one of these, click HERE
Monday 28 December 2009
How Windows XP Can Improve a Slow Computer
How Windows XP Can Improve a Slow Computer
by Wolfdave
Let’s face it; Windows XP is a great operating system. But, at times, it can be a very slow and annoying beast. It’s not necessarily the operating system itself all the time, but the wide range of different software programs installed on your PC. Windows is quite accommodating, it will allow other software onto its domain, but it doesn’t really like changes. It would much prefer to have the whole hard drive all to itself. If your computer had no other software installed and it didn’t even have an internet connection, you would find it was as fast as anything. It would start up in seconds; you could play FreeCell and draw lovely pictures in Paint, write a letter using WordPad and then Shut down, again in seconds.
You may know of people who have a computer but never go on the internet. They perhaps only use it for household budgets and word processing and such like. They never seam to have any problems with their PC, and you think they are odd. What these people have is Windows, and nothing else. In reality however, most of us do go on the internet, and so we need security software, internet connection software, Flash player, so we can watch You Tube Videos, and all manner of other stuff. That’s fine; Windows will welcome, or at least put up with, most types of software on its Manor.
We have got to have security software; the risks of not having any are well understood. But you need more than just Anti-Virus these days. It is essential to also install Anti-Spy ware and a Firewall. Most vendors now offer all three in one security suite. The problem with security suites though, is that once Windows has allowed them on, they muscle Windows aside and virtually dominate the entire operating system. Using any or all available resources to protect your computer. Unfortunately, we cannot live without security software, so we just have to put up with their dominance. Installing more memory is always a good idea to counter heavy usage by security software.
When most people buy a new Digital Camera they also install the software for their camera onto their PC’s. This software can be great for editing your photographs with special effects and all manner of other tasks. But, what if you are not bothered about all that stuff. You may just want to load your pictures onto your computer and view them as they are. Windows XP has a brilliant Scanner and Camera Wizard that will recognize most popular digital cameras. Has soon has you connect your camera to your PC, the Wizard will guide you through the steps to load your pictures. It will even offer to delete the pictures from your camera once the pictures have been loaded. This Wizard also has some limited editing available, including Auto Correct. It is worth trying, you can always install your camera’s software later if it’s not to your liking.
The same goes for your Mobile Phone, or Cell Phone. If all you do is swap pictures and data between it and your computer, just plug it in to a USB port. If it doesn’t immediately show as connected, click Start, My Computer. Look at the Drives; it should be quite obvious which one is your phone. Right click on the one for your phone and choose. Open. You will now be able to open any files on your phone and copy or swap stuff around, as you would with a Memory Stick for instance. Obviously, if you use your Cell Phone to connect to the internet, then you will have to install the software suite.
Windows has many of its own programs and Wizards for all manner of daily tasks. How many music and media programs do we need, when Windows Media Player is already installed? Have a good look at what Windows can already do for you, before spending good money on other software that may not perform any better.
If your computer is slow in general, there are utilities which can check the health of your system. For more information on how this works, click HERE
by Wolfdave
Let’s face it; Windows XP is a great operating system. But, at times, it can be a very slow and annoying beast. It’s not necessarily the operating system itself all the time, but the wide range of different software programs installed on your PC. Windows is quite accommodating, it will allow other software onto its domain, but it doesn’t really like changes. It would much prefer to have the whole hard drive all to itself. If your computer had no other software installed and it didn’t even have an internet connection, you would find it was as fast as anything. It would start up in seconds; you could play FreeCell and draw lovely pictures in Paint, write a letter using WordPad and then Shut down, again in seconds.
You may know of people who have a computer but never go on the internet. They perhaps only use it for household budgets and word processing and such like. They never seam to have any problems with their PC, and you think they are odd. What these people have is Windows, and nothing else. In reality however, most of us do go on the internet, and so we need security software, internet connection software, Flash player, so we can watch You Tube Videos, and all manner of other stuff. That’s fine; Windows will welcome, or at least put up with, most types of software on its Manor.
We have got to have security software; the risks of not having any are well understood. But you need more than just Anti-Virus these days. It is essential to also install Anti-Spy ware and a Firewall. Most vendors now offer all three in one security suite. The problem with security suites though, is that once Windows has allowed them on, they muscle Windows aside and virtually dominate the entire operating system. Using any or all available resources to protect your computer. Unfortunately, we cannot live without security software, so we just have to put up with their dominance. Installing more memory is always a good idea to counter heavy usage by security software.
When most people buy a new Digital Camera they also install the software for their camera onto their PC’s. This software can be great for editing your photographs with special effects and all manner of other tasks. But, what if you are not bothered about all that stuff. You may just want to load your pictures onto your computer and view them as they are. Windows XP has a brilliant Scanner and Camera Wizard that will recognize most popular digital cameras. Has soon has you connect your camera to your PC, the Wizard will guide you through the steps to load your pictures. It will even offer to delete the pictures from your camera once the pictures have been loaded. This Wizard also has some limited editing available, including Auto Correct. It is worth trying, you can always install your camera’s software later if it’s not to your liking.
The same goes for your Mobile Phone, or Cell Phone. If all you do is swap pictures and data between it and your computer, just plug it in to a USB port. If it doesn’t immediately show as connected, click Start, My Computer. Look at the Drives; it should be quite obvious which one is your phone. Right click on the one for your phone and choose. Open. You will now be able to open any files on your phone and copy or swap stuff around, as you would with a Memory Stick for instance. Obviously, if you use your Cell Phone to connect to the internet, then you will have to install the software suite.
Windows has many of its own programs and Wizards for all manner of daily tasks. How many music and media programs do we need, when Windows Media Player is already installed? Have a good look at what Windows can already do for you, before spending good money on other software that may not perform any better.
If your computer is slow in general, there are utilities which can check the health of your system. For more information on how this works, click HERE
Sunday 27 December 2009
Simple Steps To Improve a Slow Computer. Part 2
Simple Steps to Improve a Slow Computer. Part 2
by Wolfdave
Dealing with Pictures, Music and Files.
Many slow computers which I regularly get in for repair are not slow at all. They are just so full of clutter. I have heard of some PC repair shops charging a fortune to fix slow computers. They install more memory and a faster CPU and sometimes they even persuade the owner that they need a new hard drive. How much would all that cost! When all that is really needed is a little basic maintenance, and some good house keeping. More memory is always a good idea to improve your computers performance. But first, you should try to ‘take a load off’ your computer with these few simple steps.
Following on from dealing with your desktop in part 1. I would recommend you give some care and attention to all those pictures stored on your PC. I get a lot of computers in with literally hundreds of pictures scattered all over the place. It used to be that all pictures were stored in the My Pictures folder, but nowadays, you quite often find pictures also stored in the My Documents folder, eBay pics folder, and My Music folder and on Memory Sticks and CD’s. What concerns me most about all these treasured memories, is the fact that a great many people only have these pictures stored on their computers they have no other copies. If a disaster happened, like a hard drive failure or, heaven forbid, a fire or flood in their house, those memories would be lost forever.
Lots of pictures use system resources, particularly if those pictures are ‘Open’ and not in folders. So your computer will allocate resources to any pictures not in folders. It assumes, if a picture or file is not in a folder, you will be going to access that file or picture and makes some memory available, just in case. On the other hand, if all your pictures and files are neatly stored inside a folder, then your computer will ignore the folder and not allocate any memory to it, until you click to open it. Ok so the amount of memory for each picture is quite small, but add those small chunks up over a couple of hundred pictures and you may begin to realize how much resources can be easily wasted.
So the first step is to move any open pictures into folders. Preferably in your My Pictures, but even a folder in My Documents if you need to have some there is better than not being in any folder. Open My Pictures, right click anywhere blank in the window, then choose New, and then Folder. Give the folder a name and press Enter. Move any relevant open pictures into this folder, and then repeat this process for all your other pictures. Use this same procedure for any or all of your documents and music flies. Music files can also use up a lot of system resources, plain text documents much less so.
Once all your pictures are neatly stored in their relevant folders it makes the back-up process a lot easier. I would highly recommend backing up your pictures to an external media. Then if a disaster where to happen, then at least all those special moments and memories that you have captured would not be lost. All you do is click once on the folder of your choice, then look in the left hand column for Copy to CD. Make at least two copies for safety, keep one in your own home and give the second to a close friend or relative for safe keeping. You can use Memory Sticks as an alternative, but do remember; Memory Sticks have a limited life and should not be used as a long term storage solution. There are now many on-line vendors offering to store your pictures for you and they make the process very simple to use. For me, I much prefer to have hard CD copies of my pictures close to hand and under my control.
Having safely stored your pictures in folders and made several CD copies, you can now consider taking a load of your computer by deleting all saved pictures, music and personal files. This will save valuable system resources and also free up hard drive space.
If your computer is slow in general, there are utilities which can check the health of your system. For more information on one of these, click HERE
by Wolfdave
Dealing with Pictures, Music and Files.
Many slow computers which I regularly get in for repair are not slow at all. They are just so full of clutter. I have heard of some PC repair shops charging a fortune to fix slow computers. They install more memory and a faster CPU and sometimes they even persuade the owner that they need a new hard drive. How much would all that cost! When all that is really needed is a little basic maintenance, and some good house keeping. More memory is always a good idea to improve your computers performance. But first, you should try to ‘take a load off’ your computer with these few simple steps.
Following on from dealing with your desktop in part 1. I would recommend you give some care and attention to all those pictures stored on your PC. I get a lot of computers in with literally hundreds of pictures scattered all over the place. It used to be that all pictures were stored in the My Pictures folder, but nowadays, you quite often find pictures also stored in the My Documents folder, eBay pics folder, and My Music folder and on Memory Sticks and CD’s. What concerns me most about all these treasured memories, is the fact that a great many people only have these pictures stored on their computers they have no other copies. If a disaster happened, like a hard drive failure or, heaven forbid, a fire or flood in their house, those memories would be lost forever.
Lots of pictures use system resources, particularly if those pictures are ‘Open’ and not in folders. So your computer will allocate resources to any pictures not in folders. It assumes, if a picture or file is not in a folder, you will be going to access that file or picture and makes some memory available, just in case. On the other hand, if all your pictures and files are neatly stored inside a folder, then your computer will ignore the folder and not allocate any memory to it, until you click to open it. Ok so the amount of memory for each picture is quite small, but add those small chunks up over a couple of hundred pictures and you may begin to realize how much resources can be easily wasted.
So the first step is to move any open pictures into folders. Preferably in your My Pictures, but even a folder in My Documents if you need to have some there is better than not being in any folder. Open My Pictures, right click anywhere blank in the window, then choose New, and then Folder. Give the folder a name and press Enter. Move any relevant open pictures into this folder, and then repeat this process for all your other pictures. Use this same procedure for any or all of your documents and music flies. Music files can also use up a lot of system resources, plain text documents much less so.
Once all your pictures are neatly stored in their relevant folders it makes the back-up process a lot easier. I would highly recommend backing up your pictures to an external media. Then if a disaster where to happen, then at least all those special moments and memories that you have captured would not be lost. All you do is click once on the folder of your choice, then look in the left hand column for Copy to CD. Make at least two copies for safety, keep one in your own home and give the second to a close friend or relative for safe keeping. You can use Memory Sticks as an alternative, but do remember; Memory Sticks have a limited life and should not be used as a long term storage solution. There are now many on-line vendors offering to store your pictures for you and they make the process very simple to use. For me, I much prefer to have hard CD copies of my pictures close to hand and under my control.
Having safely stored your pictures in folders and made several CD copies, you can now consider taking a load of your computer by deleting all saved pictures, music and personal files. This will save valuable system resources and also free up hard drive space.
If your computer is slow in general, there are utilities which can check the health of your system. For more information on one of these, click HERE
Simple Steps To Improve a Slow Computer. Part 1
Simple Steps to Improve a Slow Computer. Part 1
by Wolfdave
Dealing with your Desktop.
Many slow computers which I regularly get in for repair are not slow at all. They are just so full of clutter. I have heard of some PC repair shops charging a fortune to fix slow computers. They install more memory and a faster CPU and sometimes they even persuade the owner that they need a new hard drive. How much would all that cost! When all that is really needed is a little basic maintenance, and some good house keeping. More memory is always a good idea to improve your computers performance. But first, you should try to ‘take a load off’ your computer with these few simple steps.
At the end of the day, it is your computer. I am not going to preach to you, I will offer my advice then it is up to you whether or not you follow it. We all remember our Mum’s nagging us to “Tidy your room!” don’t we guys. Can you imagine when computers start speaking back to us? I know some PC’s have voice recognition now, but I’m talking about intelligent computers as in Star Trek. They are not to far away. Then we will have another nagging female voice telling us “Will you tidy up your desktop!” I sincerely hope we still have control over the off button. By the way, are any of you Star Trek Voyager fans, do you miss the show? I was really disappointed at the rather abrupt ending. I’m sure it could have run for many more years. Anyway, back to your PC.
The first thing I tend to see when a computer is brought in is the desktop full of short-cut icons. There are usually so many, that the very nice background picture of a sunset in Antigua is completely obscured. Every one of these icons is using valuable system resources, just by being there. And the background picture also takes up a sizeable chunk. There is no need to have a short cut to every one of your programs on your desktop. Rather than scanning your desktop for the right one to open a program, it can be just as quick to hit the Start button and choose the program from the menu. The six programs you use most often, will be displayed on the left, right after you hit the Start button. If it is not there, just rest your pointer on ‘All Programs’ for a moment, and choose from the main menu. The whole process takes only 2 seconds. To remove a shortcut from your desktop, simply right click on it and choose delete.
If you really do prefer to have your shortcuts on your desktop, then consider putting them into a folder. Your computer considers any items in a folder to be closed, and therefore does not assign any resources to those items until they are opened. To create a folder on your desktop for your shortcut icons, right click any where on your desktop. A short menu will appear. Rest your pointer on ‘New’ for a moment and then choose ‘Folder’. Give this new folder a name, such as, My Shortcuts, or something similar. Once this is done, you can move all your shortcuts into this new folder. The easiest way to do this is to Drag and Drop. Left click on an icon then with your finger still pressed down, drag the icon across your desktop until it is over your new folder, and then let go. The icon will now be in your new Shortcut folder. Repeat this with all of your shortcut icons. The only three I personally leave still visible on my desktop are the: Recycle Bin, My Broadband Connection Icon and Internet Explorer.
Most of us have a personal picture, or wallpaper, on our desktops. However, these do consume a sizeable amount of system resources. So if your computer is low on resources, consider disabling your active desktop to see if things improve. If you simply can’t live without your favourite picture and your shortcut icons on your desktop, then the only other option is to install more memory.
Part two deals with your Files, Music and Pictures.
If your computer is slow in general, there are utilities which can check the health of your system. For more information on one of these, click HERE
by Wolfdave
Dealing with your Desktop.
Many slow computers which I regularly get in for repair are not slow at all. They are just so full of clutter. I have heard of some PC repair shops charging a fortune to fix slow computers. They install more memory and a faster CPU and sometimes they even persuade the owner that they need a new hard drive. How much would all that cost! When all that is really needed is a little basic maintenance, and some good house keeping. More memory is always a good idea to improve your computers performance. But first, you should try to ‘take a load off’ your computer with these few simple steps.
At the end of the day, it is your computer. I am not going to preach to you, I will offer my advice then it is up to you whether or not you follow it. We all remember our Mum’s nagging us to “Tidy your room!” don’t we guys. Can you imagine when computers start speaking back to us? I know some PC’s have voice recognition now, but I’m talking about intelligent computers as in Star Trek. They are not to far away. Then we will have another nagging female voice telling us “Will you tidy up your desktop!” I sincerely hope we still have control over the off button. By the way, are any of you Star Trek Voyager fans, do you miss the show? I was really disappointed at the rather abrupt ending. I’m sure it could have run for many more years. Anyway, back to your PC.
The first thing I tend to see when a computer is brought in is the desktop full of short-cut icons. There are usually so many, that the very nice background picture of a sunset in Antigua is completely obscured. Every one of these icons is using valuable system resources, just by being there. And the background picture also takes up a sizeable chunk. There is no need to have a short cut to every one of your programs on your desktop. Rather than scanning your desktop for the right one to open a program, it can be just as quick to hit the Start button and choose the program from the menu. The six programs you use most often, will be displayed on the left, right after you hit the Start button. If it is not there, just rest your pointer on ‘All Programs’ for a moment, and choose from the main menu. The whole process takes only 2 seconds. To remove a shortcut from your desktop, simply right click on it and choose delete.
If you really do prefer to have your shortcuts on your desktop, then consider putting them into a folder. Your computer considers any items in a folder to be closed, and therefore does not assign any resources to those items until they are opened. To create a folder on your desktop for your shortcut icons, right click any where on your desktop. A short menu will appear. Rest your pointer on ‘New’ for a moment and then choose ‘Folder’. Give this new folder a name, such as, My Shortcuts, or something similar. Once this is done, you can move all your shortcuts into this new folder. The easiest way to do this is to Drag and Drop. Left click on an icon then with your finger still pressed down, drag the icon across your desktop until it is over your new folder, and then let go. The icon will now be in your new Shortcut folder. Repeat this with all of your shortcut icons. The only three I personally leave still visible on my desktop are the: Recycle Bin, My Broadband Connection Icon and Internet Explorer.
Most of us have a personal picture, or wallpaper, on our desktops. However, these do consume a sizeable amount of system resources. So if your computer is low on resources, consider disabling your active desktop to see if things improve. If you simply can’t live without your favourite picture and your shortcut icons on your desktop, then the only other option is to install more memory.
Part two deals with your Files, Music and Pictures.
If your computer is slow in general, there are utilities which can check the health of your system. For more information on one of these, click HERE
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)