Daylight Saving Time
Are you still manually changing the time on your computer clock each time daylight saving time rolls around? If you are, there’s no more need to do that (unless you want to, of course).
In order to catch the next time change, double click on the clock (located in the bottom right hand corner of your desktop) and select the Time Zone tab. Under the map that… Continue reading
Q:
Is there a limit on the amount of power my USB ports can handle? How can I check to see if mine are being used appropriately?
A:
The general amount of power that most USB ports can handle is 500mA (milliamps). It is a good idea to check the status of your ports every once in awhile to make sure that you’re not over exceeding the power… Continue reading
Q:
How can I get rid of that XP logo that comes up when I start my computer?
A:
Some may like the “pretty” XP logo that shows up, but some may not. So, if you would like to make your boot up just a little bit faster and not have to see that logo every time you boot up your computer, you can use this quick little… Continue reading
Try It Before You Buy It – Linux
If you’re one of our readers who is interested in Linux, we have another great article for you today about trying Linux out before you actually buy it. Read on!
Switching operating systems isn’t a trivial matter. Doing so generally involves the arduous tasks of backing up all of your important data and, in the case of Linux, repartitioning your hard disk… Continue reading
Q:
Is there any way I can change the size of my cache?
A:
Yes, there is. If you have a good amount of available space on your hard drive and you surf the Internet all the time, you may want to consider increasing the size of your cache. By making your cache bigger, you will be able to access recently visited Web sites quicker.
If… Continue reading
Accessibility Options
Did you know that you can configure your Windows options to meet your needs for vision, hearing and mobility? If you need to permanently make your text bigger for your vision or if you need to hear things better, just a few clicks through the Accessibility Wizard will get the job done.
For XP, go to Start, Control Panel, Accessibility Options. Click on “Configure Windows to work for… Continue reading
Q:
Which services can I disable in Windows?
A:
First, you will want to have a restore point already created, so I will wait here while you do that, in case you haven’t already done so.
Done? Okay, great, let’s get going on disabling some of the services on your computer so you can save some disk space and allow… Continue reading
Hibernation – The Positive Effects
Some of you may know about hibernation techniques in Windows, but let’s take a look at the positive effects of using hibernation in your computer’s life. You might know that each hard drive has an optimal life of some thousands of hours and each time we restart our computers, the hard drive gets exhausted. The hard drive dies down a bit each time, because although… Continue reading
Hibernation – The Positive Effects
Some of you may know about hibernation techniques in Windows, but let’s take a look at the positive effects of using hibernation in your computer’s life. You might know that each hard drive has an optimal life of some thousands of hours and each time we restart our computers, the hard drive gets exhausted. The hard drive dies down a bit each time, because although… Continue reading
You Might Be Low On Resources: The ZoneAlarm Firewall Factor
The topic I am going to talk about relates to all of us, because we simply just want our computers to run applications and software as fast as possible, right? As you might know, ZoneAlarm is a powerful security software package that is recommended to everyone to protect his/her computer from threats like viruses. ZoneAlarm protects our PCs from people… Continue reading
Q:
Can you please tell me how to create a new account for my computer under XP? I want to make a separate account just for my children to use.
A:
User Accounts are very important for the operation of Windows XP. They allow certain users to access authorized files and prohibit others from using the important files. They are important, even if you don’t share a computer… Continue reading
Is your computer password protected? Have you ever wanted to lockdown your desktop with a password that only you or your family members know, just in case? Well, here’s a short guide to help you do so.
In Windows XP, go to Start, Control Panel and click on User Accounts. Next, you’re going to click on Change an Account, because you’re modifying the account you have already created. Choose the… Continue reading
Keep It Regular
You’ve probably heard over and over again the things you should do or actions you should take to keep your computer safe and secure. That’s all great, but aren’t all of those things a little hard to remember on a day to day or a month to month basis? Wouldn’t it be nice to just have a list to print out to remind you when those things… Continue reading
Pre-installation cleanup
Yesterday (Catch up). Read yesterday’s Tip of the Day to learn how to check if your system can handle that new program or download you want to install. Just use the scrolldown box to view the newsletter for 11/1/2005.
http://www.worldstart.com/php/newsletters.php?cthtml
Before installing software, it’s a good idea to do an extra round of the usual maintenance tasks. Think of it like vacuuming the… Continue reading
Weekly Download: Windows Startup List
Everybody wants their system to operate responsively, boot quickly, and run applications immediately with no errors. Pruning your Startup List can be one of the greatest ways to help your system run without the burden of unnecessary programs.
Startup items are the programs that run when the PC first starts, using up system resources (usually unnecessarily). A couple of examples would be QuickTime… Continue reading
Q:
Every time I start up my computer, it says Check Disk and takes forever. How do I stop it?
A:
This seems to be going around. I’ve had several letters with this repetitive checking problem in the last two weeks. Sometimes this is the result of a previous improper shutdown, sometimes this is the result of an error on your disk. To find out if your disk is… Continue reading
Everyone loves getting a new PC. Why not? It’s exciting and fun. However, there are a few things you might want to do before you plug it in and start surfing the web. These good practices include backing up data, taking care of online and physical security, and a few other ideas to help make the migration to your new system as seamless as possible.
According to Swedish security company… Continue reading
What has your PC been doing automatically?
Sometimes, it’s just easier to schedule tasks to happen when you’re not using your computer, especially routine PC maintenance jobs. Don’t remember what you’ve instructed your PC to do on its own? Want to see if those tasks are actually being performed or if your PC was turned off at the scheduled time? XP users, just look at the Scheduled Task log!… Continue reading
Weekly Security Tip: Setting an Administrator Password
The Administrator account is actually the default account on a new install of Windows XP. It has no restrictions on changing any facet of your system, giving this user full control. Sometimes a computer will come with a guest or a general account created for the initial user. This is typical if you buy your PC from one of the larger companies. Otherwise… Continue reading
Checking up on kids’ web use and clearing your web history
Want to know what sites the kids (or your spouse) have been visiting on the internet? Besides the #1 rule of internet parenting (No child should use the web without at least periodic living human supervision), you can check the sites in History. In Internet Explorer, the icon looks like a clock with an arrow going counter-clockwise.
The… Continue reading
Feel like giving your computer some elbow room to get work done a little faster? Don’t want to remove any programs or files to do it?
Similar to the Scan Disk tool, Disk Cleanup is Windows XP’s tool to speed up your computer by removing temporary files that might be cluttering up your disk space. Unlike Scan Disk, Disk Cleanup doesn’t require rebooting your computer, and it gives you more… Continue reading
Do you ever see “Low Disk Space” error messages? They mean that your computer has used most of the open space on your disk and may not be working efficiently. This problem can cause programs to run slowly, even if you haven’t seen the “Low Disk Error” message yet. ~Chris Fisher… Continue reading
If you have installed Windows XP, then you know that half the battle is keeping the system up-to-date with service packs and patches. This can actually take longer than the install. In fact, if you use a dial-up connection, it can take longer than a holiday weekend. This can be a real “time sucker”.
If people call you to fix their PC, you may find yourself installing Windows from time… Continue reading
Q:
I am the only user name on my computer. How can I skip the user login step?
A:
For security reasons, it can be a good idea to leave this be. However, if saving time is important to you, try the following:
In Windows XP Go to “Start” and choose “Run”.
In Windows Vista click “Start” and type in the Search Bar
If you have a web accelerator on your computer you may need to turn it off before downloading updates for Norton Antivirus and other programs.
Set your programs for manual updating and find out how to temporarily disable the accelerator.
This advice comes from a reader named Syd “who learns everything the hard way”.
~ David
David Samuel Thomas… Continue reading
I tried typing “sfc.exe” in the Run window of XP and all I got was a one second DOS window flash. So, I figured that SFC wasn’t necessary. Then, to my surprise, I found out how to use SFC in XP. I’m gonna pass this info along to you today.
When you run System File Checker it looks to see if any protected files have been overwritten. If so, it… Continue reading
Q:
When I make a change to a program or in Control Panel, should I hit “Apply” before “OK” or is just “OK” fine?
A:
Hitting OK will apply the changes that you want made, so you don’t need to hit “Apply” first.
Where Apply comes in handy is when you are making a change to your desktop… Continue reading
