After downloading software and running the setup program you might be able to delete the setup file.
If it was a ZIP file, you’re probably safe to just delete it. If it was an EXE file, make sure it’s only a setup program and not the actual program itself (in most cases, it’s only a setup program or has the word “Setup” somewhere in… Continue reading
Curious to see just how much hard drive space you have left on your computer?
In either Windows XP or Vista, click Start>Computer (My Computer for XP users). Right-click on the drive that you’d like to check and select “properties”. A window will pop up with a pie-chart that details how much space you have left to work with.
Alternatively… Continue reading
Cloud Computing is a term you may have heard before, but do you know what it means? Moreover, do you know what it means for you specifically? No, it’s not some sort of steam-powered supercomputer, although it would be pretty cool if it was!
Imagine a future where just about everything you use on your computer (music, pictures files, etc.) could be accessed from anywhere… Continue reading
How do I set my file type associations in Windows Vista? It was so easy in XP!
This is a great question with a nice, easy answer! A lot of people lament the alternate routes they need to take to accomplish something that was once so easy in Windows XP. The biggest one I get has to do with file type associations. So, without any… Continue reading
Windows XP users are familiar with Disk Cleanup. The handy utility does well to clean out your temporary files and free up some disk space, but have you ever noticed that sometimes it takes a ridiculous amount of time to finish?
Disk Cleanup tends to hang up on the screen where it says:
“Disk Cleanup is calculating how much space you will be able to free on
The Previous Versions feature is actually nothing new from Microsoft; it existed on servers with the name Shadow Copies, which was an application that periodically backed-up and versioned folders and files on disks. However, with Vista and Windows 7, it is very easy for users to gain the benefit from this “versioning” of files. This means that if a file is deleted or updated, you can
Q: I recently upgraded the RAM in my Vista machine and I lost some drive space. What gives?
A:If you’ve upgraded your Windows Vista computer’s memory (RAM) after you installed the memory, you may be wondering why you suddenly lost some drive space. In Windows XP, when you added more memory to your computer, you had to manually go and increase the size of your paging file… Continue reading
Autorun is a feature that’s been included with Windows since 1995, and what it does is looks for a file on an inserted CD called Autorun.inf. If it finds it, then it executes any program associated with it. This is fine for trusted software, but it can also execute malicious programs like viruses and spyware, too. The safe computer user disables Autorun altogether.
Steve’s Warning: Messing around in… Continue reading
End it all is a free program that allows the user to stop a program dead in its tracks without resorting to the task manager. Continue reading
Last week, I started telling you about a program called Windows SteadyState. If you missed part one, feel free to check it out here. Last weeks article talked about the Global Computer Setting of SteadyState. Today, I am going to talk about some of the user settings for this awesome program!
First, what you will need to do is launch Steadystate
WobZip
I was browsing the Internet the other day and I noticed a couple of my favorite blogs were talking about a program called WobZip. I checked it out and was very impressed with it, so I thought I’d share it with you as well!
I sometimes download files in the .7z and .ISO formats. What are those, you ask? Well, they’re .zip files, of course! (If you’re not quite… Continue reading
Protecting Your File Encryption Key
Did you know that Windows Vista includes a file encryption technology that’s very similar to the one in Windows XP? Well, it does and Vista even makes it easier to make a backup of your file encryption key. In XP, your encrypted files would be lost if you changed your password, but in Vista, an encryption key is used to sign your encrypted files, which… Continue reading
Have you ever needed to delete or overwrite a system file in Windows Vista? If so, I’m sure you quickly realized you can’t do it, even as the Administrator. Why, you ask? Well, it’s basically because Vista’s system files are owned by the TrustedInstaller service by default and the Windows File Protection program keeps them from being overwritten.
Thankfully, there’s a way around it! You need to take ownership of… Continue reading
Are there folders you open up habitually every time you start up your computer? If so, did you know that you can set up your computer to open those folders automatically each time you boot up? Windows 7 and Vista users need only apply for this one!
Here’s what you need to do to make it happen:
1.) First, open Windows Explorer or browse
Windows Live SkyDrive
I’m always moving my files from one computer to another using my flash drive, but sometimes it’s just not practical to use it. One of my computers only has a USB port in the back, which makes it hard to access and even more, sometimes my drive gets so full, I can’t fit anything else on it. Well, that’s when Windows Live SkyDrive comes in handy. Let’s… Continue reading
Everyone knows that right-clicking on a file or a folder usually brings up a menu with basic choices, like “Open” or “Copy”. For those that crave a little more out of their right-clicks, however, might I suggest holding the Shift key when you right click? Continue reading
Shared Files and Folders
You may not have thought of this, but it’s a good idea to periodically check your shared folders, their permission settings and their contents to make sure you don’t unintentionally share something that’s private or sensitive.
If you share a lot of files and folders with other network computers and devices and you suddenly want to check on which files and folders you have made accessible… Continue reading
You occasionally have the need to delete a bunch of files and folders off your computer, right? You know, just to free up some space.
Well, every time you delete a file, Windows asks you this: “Are you sure you want to move this file to the Recycle Bin?” That’s typically a good thing, because it prevents you from deleting files by mistake, but if you’re trying… Continue reading
For the longest time, I’ve been looking for a free program that would allow me to safely encrypt certain files on my computer. I have tried many different freeware options, but none were as secure or as easy to use as the program I’m going to show you today. It’s called AxCrypt and it’s bursting with magnificent features. Let’s check it out, shall we?!
1.) If you want to begin… Continue reading
Q:
I was looking through my Add/Remove Programs list the other day and I noticed most of the items were updates. There were Windows Updates and others I’ve run for other programs in the past. Is it safe to remove them or do I need to hang on to them? Please explain!
A:
What a great question! I’m almost positive you’re not the only one who has wondered… Continue reading
Defraggler is a free defrag program you can download that allows you to defrag just the files you want. That’s right, you no longer have to process your whole hard drive if you don’t want to. Check it out here! Continue reading
Did you know that metadata within your files can tell a lot about you? For example, your digital camera records data about when a picture was taken and what camera was used. Your documents and spreadsheets contain details about who created them and your music files are tagged with artist and album information. And the list can go on and on. So, with all of that
If you’re one who likes to organize your computer files, I have the perfect tip for you today! I will show you a very easy way to arrange your files and folders in Windows XP. By following the steps below, you can change the way your individual files and folders are sorted by using the Arrange Icons option under your My Documents folder. With that, you can sort your files… Continue reading
Changing the Details
Have you ever needed specific information for one of your files or folders? Or, have you ever needed to change the details that are displayed in a folder? If you answered yes to either of those questions, this tip is for you! Today, I’m going to show you how to change the list views for your files and folders in Windows XP. Let’s go!
You can display… Continue reading
Document Lock Ups
Have you ever been almost completely done with an MS Office project when it suddenly froze up on you? Perhaps it disappeared or you just couldn’t do anything with it. That experience is a real downer, but there are some reasons why it might be happening. When a document keeps locking up, that’s usually a sign that something is corrupt within your document or that another program… Continue reading
New Release: Foxit Reader 2.3
Are you one of the many who use Foxit Reader? You know, the great little program that handles all of your PDF needs! If so, I have great news for you. On April 25, 2008 (just this past Friday), the people over at Foxit released a brand new version of the popular PDF file viewer. That’s right, Foxit Reader 2.3 was released and… Continue reading
You’ve heard of PDF files, right? You may have even tried PrimoPDF, which converts your MS Word documents into PDFs. Well, there’s now an easier way to convert your files into any format you’d like. Let’s take a look!
What I have for you today is a nifty little plug-in called the Universal Document Converter (you can download it right here). So, what’s it do? Well, it… Continue reading
