Free Windows Antivirus - Powerful Software to Safeguard Your PC

Choosing the best antivirus program to safeguard your computer from the threat of an online virus attacks is essential if you want your PC and files to remain safe. When downloading a free windows antivirus program you should be sure to check all of the available features. Though numerous antivirus options are available online and can be downloaded for free, choosing the best software that perfectly suits your PC is important to protect your computer from online threats and viruses.

The most harmful spywares and virus threats such as Trojans, worms and other malware programs were created to destroy the efficiency of your PC and to steal your personal information without your consent. To safeguard yourself from such a loss, upgrade your PC with the best free antivirus program available by looking for some of the features mentioned below:

Frequent Updates: Free computer virus removal software needs to stay updated in order to remove the most recent threats. To fight the newest viruses on regular basis, frequent updates are crucial and are required for any good antivirus program to be effective and protect your system. Even though there is no 100% assurance with any software, a frequently updated anti virus program does the best possible.

System Requirements: To find the best antivirus software for your particular needs, it is crucial to make sure it functions perfectly with your operating system. Be sure to review the antivirus requirement of your computer and double check that it will work properly with your operating system.

Ease of Use: Even if the antivirus program matches with your system's requirements, in some cases those products can be difficult to execute and use. It is important to try a demo version before downloading the final program and finishing the purchase. Is the software easy to use? Check the control panel of the software and if you are having any issues look for an alternative option.

Scan Reports: All free antivirus download software should generate a report showing the number and types of threats discovered after each scan. Make sure it provides complete information on any threats and the actions that were taken before you download it.

Everyone may have different requirements for their anti -virus software, so be sure to examine the features to make sure it provides all options you need to protect your system from anti virus. Search online and review a few anti virus programs to make sure that your PC security will be taken care of.

What is the Best Free Antivirus Software?

We often get asked the question: "What is the best free antivirus software?"

The best free antivirus software is actually a combination of several different free software programs. If you combine the right programs, you will have a good level of protection for your computer. The free software will protect you from virus, malware, spyware, hackers, phishing, scams, fraud web sites, and a lot more. All of the freebies on our list will give you real time protection against threats both known and unknown.

In order to give your computer a high level of protection, you need the following: (1) antivirus (2) antispyware (3) firewall (4) secure web browser (5) anti-hack tool (6) fraud, scam, and phishing filter (7) a good sandbox to isolate your browser and other programs while they are running.

Here are the freebies:

1. Antivirus: Choose one - Avira or Avast.

2. Antispyware: Choose one - Malwarebytes or Spyware Doctor.

3. Firewall: Zone Alarm.

4. Secure web browser: Explorer 8 and/or Firefox.

5.Anti-hack tool: SnoopFree Privacy Shield

6. Fraud and phishing filter: We recommend that you use both WOT (Web of Trust) and Site Advisor.

7. Sand Box: This is for for added safety, virus protection, etc. We recommend Sandboxie.

We do want to add this one thought:

Although the free software is very good, the maximum level of real time protection comes with the paid, professional versions. That is the way the software companies design the stuff. The good news? Most of the paid versions are really not that expensive.

You can use a combination of both free and paid versions for the highest levels of protection. You only need to upgrade one of the programs to get an excellent level of protection. For example, if you use the freebies here, then upgrade your Avast, Malwarebytes or Spyware Doctor to the full version, you will have a really high level of protection for your computer.

If you install and operate your Windows computer with the free software that we have shown you, your computer will well protected from online threats. For more ways to protect your privacy and your computer, visit the Spyware Blockers website.

Kinds of Computer Support Services

Kinds of Computer Support Services

Computer support services have proved to be a boon for both home PC users as well as small businesses. As a regular PC user, you better know how a small computer error can badly impact the smooth functioning of computer. Technical support services put you in control of your business computing environment by offering professional-quality PC repair services.

Whether you are at your home, office or on the road, computer technical support can also be of greatest help as it not only includes the support for desktop PCs but also for laptops. Be it an error with a PC application, operating system, peripheral, or other computer error related issue, technical support providers can immediately offer you the required help. Moreover they run their services for 24x7.

Following are the services for which people often contact online technical support providers:

PC set up and installation: Now, the PC users can get their PCs installed and personalize user settings for their precious computers, operating systems, software, internet, email and peripherals.

Complete PC diagnosis and health check up: you can contact any good the PC repair provider for complete diagnosis and check up of your PC. They offer comprehensive solution, including repair, updates and optimization for your computer, software and/or peripherals.

Computer Tune Up: Clean-up unwanted files, install significant patches and upgrades, back-up data and configure browser. Does not all this sound too good to have all under a single roof?

Virus or Spyware Removal: Remove harmful and nasty computer viruses from your PC and help it stay productive & protected against malicious attacks. You can call any technical support services to audit security settings, configure anti-virus and anti-spyware, scan computer or eliminate viruses.

Data Back Up Services: Data back up services are gaining in popularity with computer users especially small businesses and home offices. These services help users protect their significant and valuable data. You can take back-up of your documents, photo's, video's, etc.

Some people are afraid of losing their data to computer technical support companies. Contrary to this, confidentiality of client's data is of prime concern for these support providers. Therefore, you need not have any such doubts regarding the services and avail them today.

Computer Viruses? What really is it?

Most of the time, programs that arrive by modem or a trade are perfectly safe to use. Most computer users have heard about computer viruses. But each virus is different.

Where do these viruses come from? They certainly don't float around in the air like some human viruses.

Commercial and shareware programs have been created with the sole purpose of detecting and fixing suspect programs that might be viruses infected. A computer virus is the result of a destructive program that someone has written and placed inside a computer program, which unsuspecting people then place in their computer system. Instead, like any other computer program, a human must create them.

When this program enters your computer through your input device, it hides in your computer's memory and starts to duplicate itself like a disease. These detection programs should be ran when any disk is put into your disk drive or every time your computer is first started up each day to scan the computer's hard drive. Some people create these programs out of meanness to get even. Some display strange messages on your computer screen; others make small changes in your computer programs. Why do you thing people create these very destructive programs? How does your computer get a virus? Almost exactly the way humans do. When you save your data, you also save the virus..
Some viruses can erase all the information from the place where it's stored on the computer's hard disk.

Why do people create them? It's hard to say. Slowly but surely, the virus crowds out your data and causes major system problems.One might think of a computer virus as a tiny computer program designed to perform mischief. While others create them just as a challenge. In this way, it can slowly infect all your programs before you know that it exists.

If the virus is on your disk or hard drive, it will return to the computer when you use the program again. However, you do stand a chance of getting a program that has been tampered with. Here a computer program virus is hiding inside the normal program. Others get contaminated computer programs through the use of modems, which allow computers to communicate over telephone lines (ie. The computer gets exposed to one.

The virus can't affect the computer's ROM (Read Only Memory), but it can affect RAM (Random Access Memory) and your computer disks. Many computer programs that are traded were copied illegally. If you switch from one program to another without shutting down the machine, the virus will attach itself to the new program.

Many people get contaminated computer programs by trading programs with other people. Well, its not quiet that easy. Today millions of dollars are being spent to rid and protect computer systems from these virus programs. When your shut off your computer a virus that has been picked up will be lost, just like any other memory that is held in RAM

Maintaining Your PC Health

Your PC is probably one of the most important gadgets in your home and life without it could look pretty bleak. Without the right maintenance though, your computer could very well stop functioning. So, if you notice a slow response or constant crashing, take them as warning signals and give your PC a health check immediately.

The best way to prevent your computer from getting damaged or sluggish is to take precautions well in advance. Regular maintenance is a must for a healthy PC. Doing so on a routine basis will help keep your computer in top shape.

Start by getting rid of the dust. Most computer owners are guilty of not taking out enough time to do so. Excessive dust and dirt in your computer could lead to overheating and thus, it is very important for you to keep the system as clean as possible. You should ideally clean it with lint free wipes at least once a year. Also, remember to use an antistatic wrist band to protect your computer interiors while cleaning inside the CPU case.

Get a power surge protector for your PC as well. Most computers are poorly protected against power surges that could very well damage the entire system. So, invest in a good quality surge protector to safeguard your PC from sudden power outages or lightening strikes. Preferably, the power surge unit should come with a warning indicator for added effectiveness.

Turn off the monitor when you're not using your computer. This is a common enough tip and should be followed diligently. This step is particularly important for computers with LCD screens as these monitor types are more likely to burn out or acquire bad pixels after long periods of use without rest.

Windows XP users should use an error checking utility to check the health of their hard disks at regular intervals. This will help determine the condition of your hard disk, whether good or bad. If the check comes up with 100 or more errors, it could mean that your drive is full of bad sectors. The best way to deal with this issue it back up all your important files and then try and get the drive repaired.

An anti virus program is an absolute must for any computer. Yet, many home computers are often found without one. This particular software is non negotiable for any PC model. After all, it's the only way to successfully protect your PC from viruses as well as other threats to your privacy and computer health. Consider getting an accredited anti virus program such as those created by Norton or Mcafee for best results.

These simple maintenance measures will help you keep your computer in good shape with great functionality. And by simply taking care of your computer the right way, you will be able to ensure for yourself a hassle free experience with the PC.

How To Speed Up Your Computer?

A slow and lethargic computer can be a source of irritation. It is truly quite annoying to wait for your computer to open a single word document. But, you do not have to deal with your computer's slow pace, when you can actually speed up your computer in few simple steps.

The first and the foremost thing that you need to do to speed up your computer is to clear unnecessary start up programs. There are several applications in your start up cycle that are just not required. If you wish to increase the speed of your computer, it is important that your remove all the unnecessary programs from the boot cycle.

Defragmenting your hard drive can also be of great help in speeding up your computer. The more fragmented your hard drive is, the longer it will take to load. Defragmenting your hard drive helps you store files in a much more organized manner. It creates a specific location for the downloaded files and helps you stay more organized. This in turn boosts the speed of your computer. In case you need several divisions in your hard drive, defragmenting it once in a while will help.

As you browse through the various drives of your computer, you will realize that there are a lot of files that you just may not need anymore. Removing this unnecessary data from your computer will help boost the speed. In case, you are not sure whether you are going to need the given data or not, you can create a backup. You can store the files in a pen drive or burn them in a CD. This serves two purposes. It helps you create a backup of your data so in case there is some problem with your computer, you have something to fall back upon. Besides, lesser data means a faster and well organized computer.

Though there are several factors that could be responsible for a slow computer speed, it is viruses that are the most common. Viruses and malware can affect your computer immensely and slow down your computer. It is for this reason that you should run an anti virus from time to time. This will help clear any kind of virus from the system and help increase speed.

Removing temporary files from your computer will also help. When you are surfing the web, there are several temporary files that get downloaded to your computer automatically. It is important that you clear these temporary files on a periodic basis. Some times these temporary files may hide them so you may consider using a freeware program.

Don't keep on juggling with a slow computer. Try these simple tips and you will be able to achieve the speed you want.

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Personal Computers

The most worse aspect of computer crashes is that the computer system rarely shows any warning signs. And that is why it is impossible to know when your hard drive may crash so it is wise to have computer backup every day. However, there are certain signs that can tell you that your hard drive is at risk.

In case your computer is slow in the booting process or it is taking more time to turn on, you can get a hint that something is wrong. You should not avoid this sign by attributing the slow speed to a newly installed anti-virus software. The reasons are that your hard drive is suffering from bad sectors.

Another sign of the crashing risk is that your computer will start to whir along with making extra noises. You will definitely see a change in the sound while you are operating your computer. This noise indicates that the disks within the hard drive are having trouble to rotate. One thing should be kept in mind. All the components of your computer system are extremely close to each other. Therefore, even specks of dust can damage these parts.

One more sign is that your computer experiences a read or write error. This is an indication of the fact that some disk has failed to respond to the commands.

There are a few steps by which you can protect your computer along with your precious business. The best way is to be prepared for the data recovery after the crash. The professionals reveal that there is no fool-proof way to protect your hard disk from crashing. You can get online storage services for the purpose of data recovery process. So, do sign up for it.

You should also ask your computer to scan for any errors or bad blocks. This is not an automated process so you have to do it yourself. You have to follow a few steps. Go to my computer and select manage. On the left side, you will see Event Viewer, click the plus sign that is left to it. Then click System, scroll down and search for red “X” entries. These red marked entries are an indication of an existing problem. Double click this and you will get the entire detail of the error.

If your entire business is working with the help of the hard drive of your computer system, make sure you have a back up. Hard drive crashing is a problem that will enter your system without knocking! It can happen any time unexpectedly. As there is no way out to prevent it completely, it is wise to prepare ways to recover the data!

How To Install Windows XP From Scratch?

Nearly every computer uses Windows these days. If you own a PC, it is a must for you to be aware of the process of installing Windows on a computer. Since Windows XP is the most popular version of the Windows operating system this article provides you details about how to install Windows XP on the computer from scratch. You may also refer to the process as performing a clean install of Windows XP on the computer.

Before you start, it is must that you have the Windows XP boot and installation media and your Windows XP product key at hand. Keep in mind that when you perform a clean install of Windows, all the data on the disk drive is wiped because of repartitioning and reformatting that takes place. All your programs are also to be installed on the computer again. Performing a clean install might seem intimidating at first but if you are able to get the hang on things, you would be able to do it easily and as and when needed.

It is a must that before you start performing a clean install of Windows XP, you backup all the important information to an external storage device. This may be a CD ROM/DVD ROM, external or portable hard drive or a USB based pen drive. In some cases, network backups are also possible.

To begin the installation, you have to boot your computer from the Windows XP CD. In order to do this, you have to set the computer to boot from the CD ROM. Generally, this is possible if the CD drive and motherboard BIOS are compatible with El Torito CD-ROM Boot specification. Don't worry, unless you have a really old computer, this would not be an issue. You will be prompted to "Press any key to boot from CD". Just press the 'Enter' button on your keyboard. You will be presented the 'Welcome to Setup' screen which would again require you to press 'Enter' to continue.

You will be presented with the Windows XP End User License Agreement. Read it and press F8 if you agree. If you don't agree, press Esc and the computer will restart without installing. After you have agreed to the EULA, you will be asked to format the hard disk and choose the partition to install Windows and its file system. Choose C: and format it as NTFS or FAT 32. NTFS is recommended on most drives though FAT 32 is better if you have an old hard drive.

From here onwards, it is just a matter of reading what message is displayed on the screen and clicking the appropriate button. Once Windows is installed, your computer will ask to activate Windows. Do it and also update Windows to install all the latest security and stability patches.

A Look At Computer Accessories

In the present day scenario, most of us are addicted to our computers for some or the other reason. While some of us are glued to the computer for web surfing, there are others who love their comp for playing games. Whatever be the reasons, computers do make for a regular aide. If you want to further enrich the experience of using your computer, then installing a few computer accessories could be a great idea.

A web camera is one of the best accessories that you can have for your computer. Install a web cam and you could start a video chat with a friend in any corner of the world. You could even use it for work related purpose by opting for video conferencing.

Headphones are another must have computer accessory. Whether you want to listen to your favorite music or watch online videos, you will need them for sure. If you want to up the looks quotient of your computer then using fancy mouse mats can be a great idea. You can easily find mouse mats in a wide range of shapes.

Opt for these computer accessories and you are sure to enjoy spending time on your computer even more.

 

How To Keep Your Wireless Network Safe?

A wireless network has both- its good as well as bad. While it proves to be of great use when you constantly need to share files, it also opens up your personal computer to potential attacks from hackers. But, you can cut down these risks significantly provided you take a few steps to keep your wireless network safe.

Sometimes applying simple common sense can work wonders. A simple and basic thing like shutting your computer off can go at length in protecting your wireless network. There are so many people who keep their computer running 24X7. This is irrespective of whether they are using it or not. When you switch off your computer, the chances of a potential attack are reduced considerably. Even switching off your modem can be of considerable help in protecting your wireless network.

Yet another thing that you can do to keep your wireless network safe is limit sharing. Typically, the other computers on your network will have access to the entire hard drive of your computer. However, this is something that must be avoided if you wish to keep the wireless network safe. Instead, allow access to only a limited number of files and directories. You can even consider disabling file and print sharing altogether.

How about adding a personal firewall to your computer? This is one of the most effective things that you can do to keep your computer safe. The firewall will add an all together new level of protection to your computer. So, the hacker will have to try even harder to get through your system. And, in case you have installed an effective and strong firewall, getting through your system could even be impossible.

Most people make the common mistake of leaving the safety of their wireless network to WPA i.e. Wireless Protected Access. But, is your device i.e. laptop, PC or even phone configured to meet the requirements? If not, then the entire network by default switches to a WEP encryption that is less secure. Also, it is important to ensure that you are using an enhanced version of wireless encryption.

Turning off the broadcast SSID feature also ensures safety of your wireless network. The broadcast SSID feature automatically searches for wireless connections that are available and logs you on them. This could expose you to potential threats. However, there is a downside too. Disabling this function would mean that you would have to enter your network and credentials each time you want to access it. But, nevertheless this is still better than having your system hacked.

Follow the above mentioned tips and you will not have to worry about the safety of your system.

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Anti-Spyware- What Is It And Why Do You Need It?

The Internet is not a safe place any more. Among the newly emerging threats, spyware is easily considered a user's worst nightmare. It is designed to steal crucial information from your PC. Anti-spyware is meant to detect and remove spyware from your computer and make sure that it does not enter your computer again. You can find both- free and paid anti-spyware tools.

Going by the definition of spyware, it is marked to be any tool which installs on your computer without your explicit knowledge and steals information from your computer and sends it back to someone else. In most cases, spyware also displays unwanted advertisements on your computer but its main job is to steal information.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive spyware definition. As the computer technologies advance, the nature of spyware also keeps on changing. New types of spyware tools emerge and older ones are morphed to look as legitimate applications. The most common practices by which spyware installs itself on your computer is either piggybacking a legit application or installing itself as a drive by download.

The first case is where spyware attaches itself to any clean application you download and install. Since the spyware poses as a part of the application, most people do not think of it as spyware but as an essential part of the software they are installing. This means that technically the spyware comes in the computer with user's permission but this permission is obtained in the wrong way.

The second case is that of a drive by download. This is a bit more technical way. In this case, the person who wants to install spyware on user's computers creates a specially crafted web page that can take advantage of the browser's vulnerabilities. In this case, no download and install on user's part is required. Instead, the entire thing takes place on its own.

Antispyware comes with two special features which allow you to remain safe from these malicious software. These features are a resident scanner and an automatic update feature. The latter is a special system by which the anti-spyware vendor updates the spyware signature database of anti-spyware. The software uses these signatures to check if any spyware is present on the computer.

The former feature works on the principal of Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR). Using this principle, the anti-spyware tool remains active in the background and keeps an eye on all the activity that is going on. In case the anti-spyware finds anything suspicious, it would report the activity to you and ask you what you want to do. If you are careful about the data on your computer having an anti-spyware is a must for you.

What If Your Computer Doesn't Turn On?

How many times has it happened that you have tried to turn on your computer to no avail? Perhaps quite a few times! Your computer not turning on can be quite a dreadful situation. But, there is nothing for you to panic as here is a complete troubleshooting guide in case your computer does not turn on.

When faced with a computer that doesn't switch on, most people think that their precious data is gone forever. However, this is not true. In most cases, it could be a temporary fault that can be easily resolved. And, even if the problem is more serious such as a disk crash, a backup of your data can be taken. When your computer doesn't turn on, your data is not lost. It is just that the data is inaccessible for some time.

Though there can be several reasons for your computer not turning on, it is usually the failure of some hardware that accounts for the most common reason. However, it is not necessary that the failed hardware is your hard drive. So, there is absolutely no reason for you to panic.

In some cases when the computer is not turning on, there could be chances that the machine is not showing any signs of power. Try checking the power supply in such a situation. A loose wire could also be the reason. So, try unplugging and plugging wires again as this will help eliminate a loose connection, if any.

There may be some cases where in the computer does turn on for a few minutes and then turns off automatically without completing the booting process. The fans may turn on and the computer may show power too but this does not last for more than a few minutes. In such a situation, you ought to check the power supply voltage of the computer. Resetting every thing inside the computer could also help troubleshoot the problem.

If your computer turns on, shows all sign of power but there is nothing to display, chances are that the problem could be with your monitor. Check the monitor in case you find a fault. Clearing the BIOS memory on your motherboard will also prove to be of significant aid. This helps set the memory to their default active levels.

Another situation could be when your computer does turn on but it stops booting during the POST. In such a case, you may notice a BIOS error on the monitor. If yes, then you may consider troubleshooting the cause of the same. Clearing the CMOs also helps.

Lastly, if none of the above mentioned things help, then you may have to switch to the services of a professional. But odds of the same are very low.

Various Types Of Laptop Spare Parts

Laptop is not a stand alone device. Being a full fledged computer in a clamshell form factor, it comes with all the usual requirements that you would need in any desktop computer. Laptop spare parts can be easily divided into three parts. There are components which are absolutely necessary for your computer to function, then there are laptop peripherals which have significant importance but nonetheless your laptop would work in their absence. Consumables are the third category.

The first type are the components which are absolutely necessary for your laptop to run. These laptop spare parts include the processor, RAM, hard drive and graphics card. Of these four, RAM and hard drive are really easy to find and change. The laptop companies provide special panels on most of the laptop computers which can be opened and these parts can be changed from there.

Processor and graphics card are a bit more complicated. Some high end gaming laptops which come with advanced graphics cards allow you to replace the card easily. They come with a panel. In case of laptops not having such a panel or where the processor of the laptop needs to be replaced, the entire machine has to be disassembled. Naturally, you must look for exactly the same brand and model when it comes to replacement of graphics cards or processors.

Next up are the laptop spare parts which are classified as peripherals. These devices are there in the laptop for you to use them. In case you do not have these laptop spare parts, it is not that your computer would stop working altogether. At the most, you may suffer serious functionality setbacks. The most common of these peripherals are laptop battery, modem and network interface card. Laptop battery is very important if you want to be mobile as it provides power on the go.

Modem is required to access internet through a phone line. There are a number of areas where you would not be able to get high speed internet connections. In such areas, you have to rely on the modem and the phone line. Without a modem, you might not be able to access the internet. Then come the network interface cards. These are special peripherals which allow your laptop to connect to an Ethernet based local area network. These laptop spare parts are rather cheap and easy to find.

Finally, there are those laptop spare parts which are not really necessary but are nonetheless better to have. The biggest example of such laptop spare parts is the optical drive. Most of the activities which are done using these drives can be done over the network, ranging from procuring movies or music and installation of software. These laptop spare parts generally contribute to the overall weight only and you can still use the laptop without them quite easily.

The Problem of Laptop Overheating

Overheating of laptops has become a grave matter of concern these days. This dangerous tendency of laptops to get overheated is the result of densely packed transistors with video chips as well as CPU chips that together produce heat. Most of the manufacturers fail to anticipate the effect of overheating on the laptop's performance. Therefore, they pack parts closely to save money and space. What further adds on to the problem is inefficient cooling system in these machines.

Now the blame totally cannot be compounded on manufacturer as in several cases, overheating also occurs when a user leaves heavy programs switched on, on the laptop for quite a long time. It may also get overheated due to bad ventilation in a room. Overheated laptops lead to other problems as well as malfunctions and if such problem is carried over a long period of time, it can lead to damage of computer hardware permanently.

Shutting down of laptop due to overheating
Many times, laptop simply shuts down in case of overheating. One must pay attention to this symptom and understand that the hardware requires time to cool down. In case, you switch on the laptop right after it shuts down, the laptop will shut off again due to overheating. Then, you will have to leave it shut for over two hours. During this time, the laptop will cool down and then you can continue with your work.

Some other signs that suggest that the laptop is getting overheated are operation error, excessive and loud fan operation, blue screen death and memory errors.

Solutions to overcome overheating of laptop
Although gaming laptops have been designed to fight the heating problems really well. the following solutions can prevent your laptop from getting overheated:

* Avoid use of laptop in sun as it can potentially damage the hardware, thereby crashing the laptop.
* Keep your laptop clean. Clean the debris as well as dust on daily basis. If you don't do so, dust will enter into the machine and enhance the heating problems.
* Remove the power plug from time to time. In case, you keep on plugging the power plug, overheating will surely happen.
* Now, if you don't have to use laptop for say half an hour, don't leave it on hibernation mode, and switch it off instead.
* As metallic surfaces have a tendency to get heated in no time, avoid their use and it is better to place laptop on wood or a soft piece of cloth.

It is better to buy a cooling pad as it has an external fan that keeps the temperature of the laptop normal. However, the above mentioned methods would work with all sorts of laptop models.

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Soon, PCs and smartphones to become more power efficient

Computer scientists have conducted the first systematic power profiles of microprocessors, which could help cut the power consumption of both small cell phones and giant data centres.?

Their results may point the way to how companies like Google, Apple, Intel and Microsoft can make software and hardware that will lower the energy costs of very small and very large devices.

?The less power cell phones draw, the longer the battery will last,? said Kathryn McKinley, professor of computer science at The University of Texas at Austin.

?For companies like Google and Microsoft, which run these enormous data centers, there is a big incentive to find ways to be more power efficient. More and more of the money they?re spending isn?t going toward buying the hardware, but toward the power the datacenters draw.

McKinley said without detailed power profiles of how microprocessors function with different software and different chip architectures, companies are limited in terms of how well they can optimize for energy usage.

The study she conducted with Stephen M. Blackburn of The Australian National University and their graduate students is the first to systematically measure and analyze application power, performance, and energy on a wide variety of hardware.

We did some measurements that no one else had done before, asserted McKinley.

We showed that different software, and different classes of software, have really different power usage.

McKinley insisted that such an analysis has become necessary as both the culture and the technologies of computing have shifted over the past decade.

Tags: PCs, smartphones, power efficient PC, science news

Satellite phone encryption 'cracked'

Researchers in Germany claim to have for the first time cracked two encryption systems of satellite phones, a breakthrough in call deciphering which may threaten the security of such devices worldwide.

A team at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany says that the cracked encryption algorithms, known as GMR-1 and GMR-2, are actually standards used across satellite phone operators globally.

"We were able to completely reverse engineer the encryption algorithms employed," 'The Daily Telegraph' quoted Benedikt Driessen and Ralf Hund of the university as saying.

According to Driessen, the equipment and software needed to intercept and decrypt satellite phone calls from hundreds of thousands of users would cost as little as US dollars 2000.

The demonstration system takes up to half-an-hour to decipher a call, but a more powerful computer would allow eavesdropping in real time, he said.

By publishing details of how to break the encryption, the researchers hope to prompt ETSI, the organisation that sets the standards, to create stronger algorithms.

Tags: Satellite phone encryption, Satellite phone encryption cracked, science news

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Software Downloads

Software Downloads

MakeUseOf

MakeUseOf maintains its own top 100 best software lists for Windows and Linux. Check them out. [View]

CNET Downloads

Biggest software download resource over the web. Users may browse software by popularity and/or category. Includes both free and commercial software. [View]

SourceForge

Biggest online repository of open source software. Nearly 300,000 free open source programs. [View]

FileHippo

Another popular software download portal. Unlike Download.com it is included with simpler user interface. [View]

Tips to Disable Internet Explorer

There's no doubt that Internet Explorer has been a major target of attack for spyware merchants and other ill-intentioned goons. That's why many folks have turned to alternate browsers for their web surfing.

When you are using another browser and do not use Internet Explorer anymore, there is a case for being made that you must remove it from your system. It is, after all, a possible security threat so, if you do not need it, why not eliminate it?

Except, getting rid of IE is not that easy. Actually, with later versions of Windows there's no satisfactory way of removing it completely without risking crippling Windows itself.

That hasn't stopped folks from trying to remove IE, however, and you can find several techniques documented on various web sites. Instead of removing IE I like the simple and safer approach of disabling it. Sure, it may not provide a similar degree of security as complete removal but that's a small price to pay for compared to the price of potentially de-stabilizing Windows.

There are several disabling techniques but I suggest the strategy below as it's simple, easy to reverse and doesn't interfere with the operation with the Windows Update service. Furthermore it should work with any modern version of IE.

Step 1. From IE select Tools/Internet Options/Connections/LAN Settings.

Step 2. Put a tick within the check box next to "Use a Proxy Server for your LAN ...”

Step 3. Type in "0.0.0.0" within the address box and "80" in the Port box. Don't type in the quote marks of course, just what's inside them.

Step 4. Click OK.

What you've done is set up a dummy proxy server 0.0.0.0 that goes nowhere. With these setting IE cannot make an HTML connection to the web and vice versa. You've simply and effectively disabled IE.

There is no magic in the 0.0.0.0 address, any dead proxy address would work simply as well. I've used that particular address to keep things simple.

If you ever need to re-enable Internet Explorer start it up and select Tools/Internet Options/Connections/LAN Settings from the toolbar and un-check the box "Use a Proxy Server for your LAN ...”

Best Free Antivirus Software

To safeguard own computer from viruses, Trojan, worm and similar threats, you need to use a superior-quality anti-virus software. Not using anti-virus software leaves you open to viruses, which can lead to more malware invading your system. Just remember to install just one anti-virus software, doing otherwise will cause severe system instability.Here comes commonly asked question: Which anti-virus should I use?Many of us pay a lot of money to buy anti-virus software, but this is exactly so unnecessary, because there are several good free anti-virus software that offer the same kind of protection as the boxed software you should purchase on the store.That can assist you out, I made a decision to provide you the list of top 9 free anti-virus. Let’s begin with it.

1)Avast
Note: Free, and you’ll need to register for a product key.

2)AVG

3)Antivir

4)ClamWin

5)PC Tools

6)Rising Antivirus

7)Spyware Terminator

8)Moon Secure Antivirus

9)Spyware Doctor + Antivirus 2010

If you're confident any free anti-virus software that I didn’t mention, please write a comment, and I will add it.

How To Protect Your Computer Files

Here's tutorial that explains how to make use of Truecrypt software to safeguard your computer files.

Truecrypt is freeware open source software that permits you to encrypt your files , such way that they can not be utilized by anybody else, without using your password. We’ll create virtual disk , and all files stored within the virtual disk are going to be protected with password. The exact same way you can protect the files in your USB disk .

STEP 1
Download TrueCrypt from this http://www.truecrypt.org/downloads and install it in your computer.
STEP 2

Launch TrueCrypt and click on Create Volume

STEP 3
I created encrypted file container , virtual encrypted disk , but if you like you are able to encrypt non-system drive as USB disk or encrypt entire system drive.

STEP 4

There are two option Standard and Hidden TrueCrypt volume . I chose standard.

The aim of hidden volume is that instead one password you could have two , so that when you’re ever forced to hand over password you can provide them the password that open fake files , not your real files.

STEP 5

Click Select File to choose a filename for that container and to pick the placement where you would like the container for being created. If you select an existing file, Truecrypt will not encrypt it , the file is going to be deleted and replaced with the newly created Truecrypt container.

You’ll be able to encrypt existing files afterward by moving them to the TrueCrypt container that you’re about to make now.

STEP 6

Here you can select encryption and hash algoritam you require . I leave it to default

STEP 7

 Select size of the virtual encryption disk.

STEP 8

You've choice to use key file instead password. I used password

STEP 9

Move your mouse to create random encryption key and click on on format.

STEP 10

Go to main windows with the Truecrypt and select TrueCrypt file that you created in steps above , click Mount. Type your password and virtual encryption disk is going to be created.

How To Send Large Files

Though many email providers supports large files to send in email attachment, it may not be enough for you. Just in case if you need to send larger files, there are several free online tools and web software that may help you a lot. But most of them permit you to upload the file in their server when uploaded, it's going to send you a download link that will expire after certain hours.

Today I'm going to introduce you with Belugafile which allows you to transfer large file securely without need to sit up for download link. Let me guide you with clear image illustrations.

You’ll have to setup little bit and only once to make this happen easily.

First check out www.belugafile.com, make sure you have latest version Flash player installed inside your browser.

Click on Install Adobe Air.

It will ask permission to download some files, it’s secure click Yes button to download.

It will initiate the download; you are able to see the progress in the progress bar.

When the download is complete, it'll automatically initiate Application install window.

Click Install button leaving everything as default.

Again in next window, select the installation location ( you can leave it as default ) and click on Continue.

Agree the terms and conditions.

This can finally begin the installation progresss.

Now after the installation is complete, get back home page of belugafile.

You are able to see Launch BelugaFile icon instead of Install adobe air.

Also in desktop you may note the BelugaFile icon.

Note that both of the computers require to set up this to enable file sharing feature.

Click on Launch BelugaFile icon in your desktop. You’ll see your Host ID. Let your friend to open BelugaFile from his desktop. Send him your Host ID and ask him to paste it in Their Host ID. And click on on connect button.

Send your Host ID and Paste Their Host ID

Now since both of you've exchanged one another’s host ID, you’ll be connected to every other. You can now start sharing files. Click Add files button to share a file.

To include files

Files being uploaded

Once you’ve successfully uploaded your file, their screen will appear much like this.

Let them click Save button to download the file.

In this way you can share files between any BelugaFile users just by exchanging BelugaHost ID.

Windows password recovery tool – This is the best - Read Our Review

Are you using a Windows PC or a Laptop? Then add this Windows password recovery tool to your set of software utilities. You may not need it today. But it may not be available when you have trouble with your Windows password. So it’s better to download and keep it for the future.

What is this Tool?
This tool is called "Password Resetter". It is a software tool used to reset a Windows user password in case it is forgotten or unknown. This saves the time consuming and costly process of reformatting the hard drive and losing all your valuable data. Computer repair shops are using this tool to recover and reset loss passwords of their clients.

How long you can use it?
Password Resetter can be used as many times as you need to. Once downloaded you get lifetime license and lifetime upgrades. Their technical support is also here to help you for free with any questions you might have 24/7. The beauty is they release upgrades free of charge when Micrsoft release new Windows versions.

Will this reset any type of password?
Yes, it will reset the Windows Administrator password as well as any other user passwords you want to reset.

Which Windows versions are supported?
Currently it supports Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows NT, Windows Vista and Windows 7

Does this compatible with Mac OS?
Not at this stage and they haven't mentioned anything about a version for Mac.

Do I need high level of Computer knowledge in order to use Password Resetter?
No. Password Resetter is fully user friendly with Graphical User Interface and everyone can use it without any problems. In the download package you can also find step by step picture tutorial which will help you with any problems you have.

How do I know this will work on my PC?
It has designed to work any type of PC or Laptop as long as it is running on Windows operating system. The software comes with 60 day money back guarantee. You can get a full refund if it doesn't work.

Mobile Internet Access Tips

Are you using mobile Internet? Then these mobile Internet access tips will enhance your Internet browsing experience.

Having online connectivity pretty much wherever you go is becoming an essential part of life for many of us. And, while there are endless devices that’ll allow you to do it, picking the right one can improve functionality no end.

Alongside the many and varied dongle deals and free laptop deals that are out there in the mobile marketplace, it’s also easy to add extra features to your online experience too. For example, one of the handiest things available right now is the MiFi, which is a small device not dissimilar to a USB mobile broadband dongle.

With one of these on-board, it’s possible to share your mobile broadband connection with a handful of other authorised users too. Of course, this is really handy if you have a family who want to get online round the house or share a place with friends who will benefit from your connection.

Watch out though as the data allowances are divvied up as a result, so check that you have a package that’ll be able to cope with this – that’s especially so if you have anyone who loves downloading lots of digital content.

The great thing about many new smartphones is that they too can be pretty handy for sharing a mobile broadband connection. If you have a recent model, such as the HTC Desire for example, then this has a setting that allows you to use the phone as a mobile hotspot. It’s quick and easy to set up and means that you can use a laptop or netbook for internet connectivity via your phone.

However, with any device that can connect using mobile broadband it’s always worth remembering that there are limitations due to a variety of factors. Coverage, network traffic and all the rest of it can sometimes mean that mobile broadband isn’t quite the handy thing that it’s meant to be. So, any device that you’re considering will be all the better just as long as it has Wi-Fi functionality also.

After all, the availability of wireless broadband signals is widespread nowadays and many of them are freely accessible too. Fast foods outlets, restaurants, bars and shops often allow you to browse the web and catch up with emails, which is not only convenient, but shouldn’t cost you a penny either. Some places, such as airports and train stations, do occasionally charge though.

Whatever means you use to connect, there’s no doubt that mobile Internet access isn’t just handy and fun, it’s becoming nigh on essential.

What is SaS (software as a service)

It is time for all home Computer users to learn what is sas and how it can impact you. SaS (software as a service) is a relatively new form of software distribution which will likely change the way you think about buying software for your home and family. If you’ve heard the term SaS before you might have dismissed it as something only relevant to big businesses and not important for home users, but this is changing. It’s no longer just a system for the likes of accounting firms looking for accounting software, now the software industry seems to be moving towards SaS as the standard way of buying products for everyone including the home user.

To understand what changes we are likely to see, we first need to understand what SaS is. At the moment if you want the latest photo editing software to beatify those holiday snaps before they go up on Face Book or you need a word processor to do some typing you typically go to your local computer store, pay for it all in one go install it and then it’s yours to use forever. SaS is more comparable to renting software, rather than paying a large amount for your software up front you pay a small subscription fee and can only use the software whilst you have the subscription. It is not uncommon for the software to not even be installed on your machine bun run from a super computer somewhere else which you connect to via the internet.

There are a number of advantages for the software developers; firstly they are likely make more money, even though you only pay a relatively small subscription fee if you use the software for a long time you are potentially spending more money than if you just made a one off payment.It also is much harder to pirate SaS programs so the software developers will lose a lot less money in this way.Software developers also keep a lot more control over their software and the way in which it’s used.

Affordability

Well although we’ve already said that you could potentially give software developers a lot more of your pennies in the SaS system the idea of paying a little bit at a time will be really appealing to some people as big price tags on the latest software are often prohibitive. The flexibility of SaS can also bring down costs for a lot of people. If you find you don’t get on with a certain piece of software you can just cancel your subscription and will have wasted a lot less money than if you’d bought an expensive software package you did not like. You can also choose to only pay for software when you need it. Whilst businesses will most likely have to keep renewing their subscriptions home users tend to use software a lot more ad hoc, so as a home user you might for example only want a photo editor when you get back from your vacation to improve holiday snaps, if this is the case you only need pay for a short subscription to these software packages which will likely come to significantly less than buying them.

Stay up to date

If you are someone who always likes to have the latest versions of software then SaS could defiantly save you a lot of money as with SaS your software is always the latest version and because the software company want to keep your subscription they have more motivation to keep the software as cutting edge as possible, so although if you keep your subscription for several years you may found it has cost you more than just buying software would have the chances are in five years time the software will have updated so much that you’ve effectively owned two or three versions of the software, which then will not seem like such bad value for money.

Better customer support

To make sure they keep your custom software companies will be keen to make sure that the software runs smoothly for you and that you are getting all you can out of it. This means that software will come with a more continues support system and in depth support system which should help make things straight forward. No more frantically searching the internet to solve problems, you should be able to get one on one over the phone support from an expert, and if the software really doesn’t work for you can cancel and try and find one that does.

Spend less money on your computer

To get the best performance out of software at the moment you often need to have a very expensive top of the range computer which is out of the price range of a lot of house holds, however you might find that your system requirements become less important as the industry moves to SaS. This is because often you will find that the software isn’t hosted on your computer but on a remote super computer belonging to the software company. You can then connect to it via a high speed internet connection, all the processing and tasks requiring a lot of computer power will be done remotely on the software companies computer meaning your computer needs to be able to do a lot less.

Well as we’ve said depending on how you use your software it could potentially cost more money, but also not having the software on your computer means you can be at the mercy of your internet connection and the reliability of someone else’s computer. Internet connections are obviously getting ever more reliable but we still don’t all have them everywhere. If software is never discouned just constantly updated those of you who have always relied on buying slightly outdated software at bargain prices might also find themselves out of luck.

Software as a service software would appear to be the future of software, and if you have antivirus subscription software or play subscription online games you may already be adjusting to SaS for other users however it might be a bit of a hard change but one it seems likely we will all have to just get used to.

Apple Computer reviews

Below Apple Computer reviews are from Apple PC users all over the world. They are independent reviews and preventiveguru.com is not responsible and cannot verify or endorse them.

Do you want to share your experience with others by contributing to Apple Computer reviews? It will be very helpful if you can share your experience with others if you are using a Apple PC.

Click here to submit your review.

Lewis Weingarth from Missouri, USA

The ethernet port failed on my Mac Mini. I called for warranty service. Apple told me they don't allow desktop machines to be shipped, they will ONLY honor the warranty if I carry it to an Apple store.

The nearest Apple store would require 600 miles of driving to drop it off and pick it up later. The best Apple could do was offer to CHARGE me $150 for an extended service plan which includes home service. They very politely refused to provide decent service.

I strongly recommend that you DO NOT BUY AN APPLE unless you live in a big city with an Apple store. Otherwise, you cannot get service.

Back to Computer reviews and Laptop reviews from Apple Computer Reviews

View the original article here

Easily Export your Nokia Contacts to another Phone

The address book of your Nokia phone is stored in the online Ovi Contacts – just like Android phones use Google Contacts – but with one big limitation.

Ovi, until now, offered no export feature so there was no easy way to download your phone’s address book from the web to the computer unless you had a Nokia device at hand. The Ovi Suite, Nokia’s desktop synchronization software, didn’t have an export option for Contacts either so your phone contacts were sort-of locked in Nokia’s cloud.

Shubha earlier wrote:

I was using a Nokia E-72 and the data was backed up on Ovi.com, so it’s online and not on my laptop. I am now using an iPhone and would like to sync my contacts but how shall I do that? The original Nokia phone was unfortunately stolen.

Well there’s an easy solution now.

Nokia is discontinuing the Ovi Contacts website (the service will stay but you won’t be able to access your address book from the web browser) and this could be a blessing in disguise for people like Shubha who have moved from Nokia to other platforms.

Nokia has set up a microsite - exportcontacts.ovi.com – where you can download your entire Ovi address book in the popular CSV format with a click. You don’t need the Nokia device or the Ovi desktop suite to export your contacts. The CSV file can can then be imported into Google Contacts and it will intelligently merge the duplicate contacts.

You got to do this soon as, according to an email from Nokia, the web access to Ovi Contacts will be disable after January 24, 2012.

Related: Transfer Contacts from One Phone to Another

View the original article here

Computer virus protection - How to prevent PC virus attacks?

Computer virus protection becomes a very easy task if you follow few simple steps described in this page. These steps are very easy but very effective.

It's important to keep viruses in perspective. They are but one threat to your data and programs. They need not be regarded as mysterious and they are quite easy to understand. Here are guidelines to keep in mind when considering viruses:

1. You can only get a virus by executing an infected program or booting from an infected diskette. Any diskette can be infected by a boot sector virus, even non-bootable diskettes, CD's, and DVD's. So do not unknown programs.

2. You cannot get a virus simply by being on the internet or using an online service. You will only become infected if you download an infected file and execute that file. This is a very critical step for Computer virus protection. Do not download unknown programs from the Internet. Always download from trust worthy websites.

3. Make sure you have backups for all your files. Backups are essential not only to safely recover from virus infections, but also to recover from the other threats to your data (such as a hard disk failure).

4. Be sure to check all new software for viruses before installing or using them. Even shrink-wrapped software from a major publisher may contain a virus.

5. Obtain software from reputable sources. Downloading a service pack for Windows XP from Microsoft's web site is a very different proposition than downloading a freeware disk utility from a company you've never heard of. Regardless of where you get your software, ALWAYS scan it for viruses BEFORE you execute the program or installer.

6. Scan and then some more. No downloaded executable files should ever be run without a very high degree of confidence that they are virus free. Make a habit of scanning all new possible virus-containing files that are put on your PC over the network. Do not run any programs that are placed into shared areas without scanning them first.

7. Beware of Automatic Downloads. Be careful when using programs that download and run update patches and programs automatically. While in most cases these will not be a problem, having downloaded software run automatically without virus checking exposes you to potential problems in my opinion.

8. You must take the responsibility for Computer virus protection in an office environment as well. Control your network connections. Control access to your computer. Consider controlling access to those who have a need. Fully 80% of damage caused to information systems is caused by action taken (accidental/deliberate) by an employee or friend, rather than, from outside sources.

9. Incorrect use of social networking websites also can cause virus attacks, especially when you are downloading stuff. You must always use proper security and privacy settings provided by the social media websites to protect your computer and your online reputation. This reputation.com review is a good example of how people can lose their online reputation and how much will it cost to repair your reputation.

The smartest and easiest thing to do for Computer virus protection is to buy one of the major antivirus programs - Norton Anti-Virus, Trend Micro, or McAffee Anti-Virus.

The primary benefit of the commercial packages is the frequency and ease of updating the virus definition files that these programs use to detect viruses. With new viruses popping up all the time, unless your protection software is kept updated (daily and automatically), you become ever more vulnerable to infection.

Antivirus software providers like the three mentioned above respond with updates within hours of new viruses and similar threats hitting the internet. If you are using the automatic update features built into these tools, your computer will be about as safe as is possible. Combine that with some knowledge and common sense like what is in this document, and you will go a long way to having a virus free computer existence.

Computer Tips – Useful Computer Maintenance tips

This page contains different levels of Computer tips. Some are very basic and some are very advance Computer maintenance tips. However, anyone with basic computer skills will be able to follow these computer tips.

Some Computer maintenance tasks are depending on your operating system and its version (XP, 2003, Windows 7 etc). However, most of the computer maintenance tips on this page are common and valid for many operating systems.

Computer troubleshooting tips from Visitors

This page is all about Computer troubleshooting tips from visitors like you. Many of the Computer troubleshooting ideas you'll find on this site have been sent to us by people around the world. These people are an inspiration to this site, helping make this site an inspiration to others.

Have you resolved a Computer problem recently? We'd love for you to send us your PC troubleshooting tips to resolve that problem. We'll create your very own Computer troubleshooting tips page on our site! (Other visitors will be able to find useful PC troubleshooting tips from YOUR STORY and comment on YOUR ideas!)

How to Avoid Spreading Computer Viruses?

There are some simple steps you must take to avoid becoming a victim of computer viruses and also avoid spreading Computer viruses to others. Here are some things that you can and should do.

If you are login to your Computer using a user name with high privileges (such as Administrator or power user) then Computer viruses can easily install their infected programs automatically. The best you can do is to create a Windows user account with lesser rights and use this new user account for your day to day work. Here is how to do it in Windows 7.

Log-in to your Computer with an Administrator (or equal) user account.

Click START button and then Control Panel

Click the “Add or remove user accounts” link under “User Accounts and Family Safety” section.

Then click “create a new account” link.

Enter your logon ID in the “New account name” field.

Make sure to select “Standard user” radio button (option).

Click the “Create account” button.

Never open an E-mail with an attachment you were not expecting.

The latest batch of virus programs are often spread by E-mail. Even if your anti-virus program does not warn you about the attached file and even if the eMail appears to come from someone you know, do not open it if you were not expecting it, and if you were expecting it, only open it AFTER scanning it with your up-to-date virus software.

Scan ALL incoming email attachments (regardless of who sent it).

Be sure to run each attachment you plan to open through the anti-virus check (you can configure your anti-virus program to do this). You must do this even if you recognize and trust the sender; malicious code, like Trojan horses, can slip into your system by appearing to be from a friendly source.

Turn off the 'automatic preview' in your email program.

Automatically previewing an email message has the exact same effect as opening and reading an email. My of the newest internet worms, trojans, and viruses simply need to have an email message read in order for them to be activated. Turning off the preview feature allows you to scan any email BEFORE you actually read it.

Don't share removeable storage devices such as USB flash drives.

Even a well-meaning friend may unknowingly pass along a virus, Trojan horse, or worm. Label your storage device clearly so you know they're yours and don't loan them out. If a friend passes you a flash drive, suggest an alternative method of file sharing.

Scan external storage devices before using them.

This is always important, but especially if you are using the disk to carry information between one computer and another. You could easily pick up a virus from an insecure network and introduce it into your system. Running a virus scan before launching any of the programs on the disk will prevent infection.

Keep your web browser set to its highest security level.

Its a pain to get the warning messages on every other web page you visit, but its the best way to protect yourself - especially if you use Microsoft Internet Explorer and Outlook.

Don't download programs from the Internet

Unreliable sources such as Internet newsgroups, social networks or Web sites that you haven't heard of may be willing providers of viruses for your computer. Avoid downloading files you can't be sure are safe. This includes freeware, screensavers, games, music and any other executable program - any files with an ".exe", ".pif",".htm", ".html", ".js" or ".com" extension, such as "coolgame.exe." Check to see if the site has anti-virus software running on their side. If you do have to download from the Internet, be sure to scan each program before running it. Save all downloads to one folder, then run virus checks on everything in the folder before using it. Regardless of where you download from, ALWAYS scan downloaded software. Back to Antivirus Help from How to Avoid Spreading Computer Viruses

Learn Computer Basics. First step of computer preventive maintenance

This computer basics page is the foundation for anyone who wants to explore the Computer world. This is a vast area to explore. But I am trying my best to cover as much as possible topics on computer basics for average computer users.

Do you want to receive useful Computer maintenance tips, latest virus and spyware threats and prevention methods, useful new software tools etc. periodically?

We can deliver tonnes of useful computer tips to your inbox with our newsletter. We eat, drink and breath Computers everyday and know what’s happening. Our newsletter is the media to communicate all hot news and tips to you.

Fill the form below to subscribe. Please note that you can unsubscribe anytime.

Learning computer basics is important to fully understand any specific area such as computer maintenance.

Definition of the Computer

An electronic device that stores, retrieves, and processes data, and can be programmed with instructions. A computer is composed of hardware and software, and can exist in a variety of sizes and configurations.

Hardware

There are several components that work together to run your computer. Hardware are the devices/parts which you can touch and see such as your monitor, Keyboard, mouse etc.

Software

Software are programs which has set of instructions that get hardware working for you. Ex: Windows, MS Word, MS Excel

Below sub pages contains more coverage on computer basics.

Personal computer history

Computer input devices

Computer output devices

Computer hardware components. Identify PC Computer parts.

Basic Computer Software Terminology

How Internet and Search Engines are working.

What is Broadband - high speed Internet connections.

What are Bits and Bytes.

What is an Operating System (OS) and application software.

How to stop paying money for Computer bug fixes?

Do you know over 80% of common Computer problems can be fixed in less than 30 minutes by a person who has an average Computer repair knowledge? But still PC users are paying hundreds and sometimes thousands of Dollars to Computer technicians for fixing minor bugs.

There is a hidden cost too. You are unable to work when your Computer is not working. You may be losing hundreds of Dollars on each hour thanks to your broken Computer.

So what is the solution?

My buddy and guru Monte Russel has been a computer repair guy for 20 years. He's been a long-time friend of mine and I have learned many advance Computer repair tips from him. Monte has blended all his knowledge, experience, secret tips and written an eBook on how to repair your computer by yourself.

You can read my review of his eBook at the below page.

http://www.preventiveguru.com/diy-computer-repair-guide.html

Wait… there is a special offer for my newsletter subscribers (you). Monte has set-up a special page for my subscribers to download the eBook for a very special price. Details are on the review page.

So visit http://www.preventiveguru.com/diy-computer-repair-guide.html and read the details.

The Best Windows Data Recovery Tool Reviewed

What will happen if your hard disk crashed? You need the best Windows data recovery tool to recover your data or use the last data backup and restore it. This is a review of a windows data recovery tool we tested recently.

We daily store large amount of data on our systems which can be any use like audio, movies, videos, documents etc. However there are times when we accidentally delete our valuable data from the Windows systems by unintentionally formatting or pressing on Shift + Delete button. Once you do this activity, the data is deleted from the hard drive of the system and is not available in the Recycle Bin as well. One very effective data recovery tool to overcome this problem is Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery - Pro Edition'.

Downloading and installing of 'Stellar Windows Data Recovery' software is quite easy and we completed this step very quickly during our testing. Once installed, you can easily start up the software and begin. The software is set out in the usual 'wizard' style, which allows you to go through the process step by step. The system is divided in to five sections:

Data RecoveryEmail RecoveryResume RecoveryAdvanced OptionsRecovery ServicesIt can recover data from inaccessible hard drives.It can recover deleted & formatted partitions.It can recover deleted & formatted files & folders.It can recover deleted & formatted data from external & internal hard drives.It can recover deleted photos.It can also recover lost audio & video files.It can recover deleted emails from Microsoft Outlook.It can recover data from formatted drive.It can recover data from the hard disk which have bad sectors.It can recover deleted database.It provides disk cloning feature.You can easily update software by “Update Option” in the application.Provide demo version to check preview of recovered data.I am using Windows 7 and it works well on it.

You will receive a separate boot CD with the Stellardata recovery system. It will help you to boot the system in case if you are unable to start your Computer.

You can download a trial version (demo) for free and test it. The trial version will display your recovered data. But you won’t be able to recover fully until you get the full version. Download the data recovery tool trial version from here.

At the time of writing this review (August 2011) Stellar Phoenix Partition Recovery Software - Pro Edition is priced at 99 USD.

Technical Support is outstanding and solves all queries related to stellar products & services. The support is available 24/7.

The data recovery tool comes with lifetime license. There is no monthly or yearly fee to pay.

You can purchase Stellar windows data recovery software from the Stellar website. Users must click on the buy now link and navigate to the page which has multiple editions as per user requirements such as pro, technician & administrator edition.

You also can purchase software from the trial (demo) version. Demo version has a buy now button from where you can directly purchase the software.

It works, simple enough for anyone to use, powerful enough to recover data from corrupted, formatted and partitioned hard disks. The software works seamlessly with Windows Systems and recovers operations work smoothly and efficiently.

We have used many data recovery products. This is by far the best Windows data recovery tool we have found so far. The product is highly recommended!!!

Learn computer cleanup, computer repair and how to use repair tools

In this section you are going to learn

How to do Computer cleanup

Essential routine home computer repair and maintenance tasks

Good PC tools and how to use them.

Do you want to receive useful Computer maintenance tips, latest virus and spyware threats and prevention methods, useful new software tools etc. periodically? We can deliver tonnes of useful computer tips to your inbox with our newsletter. We eat, drink and breath Computers everyday and know what?s happening. Our newsletter is the media to communicate all hot news and tips to you.

Fill the form below to subscribe. Please note that you can unsubscribe anytime.

Regular computer cleanup is vital to prevent errors and to keep your PC in top form. One of the main reasons for many computer problems is low quality software downloaded from the Internet. These programs can damage the Windows registry and cause lot of errors. Therefore ALWAYS use a reputed website to download programs.

I strongly recommend you to read this page in conjunction with Computer Troubleshooting page.

Are  you are looking for a software tool that can do all the computer maintenance and repair tasks?  Then we highly recommend this computer maintenance tool.

Computer cleanup and repair can be divided into two.

1.Standard (basic) PC maintenance, clean up and repair.
2.Advance Computer maintenance

Lets start with the basics?.

The first task is hard disk maintenance. Click here to learn more on hard disk clean up and repair.

If you have Windows 98 or better installed on your PC, you have the option of performing semi-automated operating system (OS) updates directly from the Microsoft website. Microsoft updates all operating systems regularly to fix bugs as well as to apply patches to prevent from viruses. Initially, this process may take several hours, but if you frequently use Internet Explorer to make online purchases or use Microsoft Office programs to complete work and/or download e-mail, then this process is a must. Follow the steps below to get you started:

1. First, make sure you are connected to the Internet.

2. Click START and move your mouse pointer to the top of the START MENU and click on WINDOWS UPDATE. This will take you to the Microsoft Windows Update Homepage. In the upper left corner of the screen, you should see PRODUCT UPDATES: click on it.

3. During your initial setup, you will be prompted to download a small file from the Microsoft server; this step will enable the Microsoft server to determine what, if any, updates your PC requires. Click yes to download the file. Please note: The prompt has a check box that says "Always trust products from Microsoft." Please be aware of this and make a decision as to whether or not you want this option checked. Checking this option makes it easier for Microsoft to load software on your PC without your knowledge and could compromise your privacy. By leaving this unchecked, you should be prompted for any download from Microsoft.

4. Once Microsoft has determined what updates are missing from your PC, the updates will be listed and you may select the desired files or programs for download and installation.

5. One program in particular that should be downloaded is the Windows Update Notification program. This program will check the Microsoft server on a regular basis, when you are on-line, for new updates.

6. Critical Updates usually include security patches or other OS updates to maximize your PC's performance; these updates should be done every time they appear.

7. Most update programs or files may be downloaded and installed with other files; this decreases the number of times you will have to reboot your PC to ensure that you have all of your desired updates; HOWEVER, some files can only be downloaded by themselves. For example, service pack releases or other updates for, or related to, Internet Explorer are stand-alone downloads. This process will take awhile, as with every download and automated installation will require a reboot of your PC.

There are advanced computer cleanup and maintenance tasks, which you may have to do sometimes as a routine maintenance task or to fix errors. Special computer repair tools are available for these tasks. Some of these tools are available in Windows, but you may have to use 3rd party tools in some cases.

MSCONFIG is a Windows utility, which can be used for advance computer cleanup and maintenance tasks and fix Windows startup problems. I have built a separate page for this. Click here to learn how to use MSCONFIG for computer maintenance and troubleshoot startup programs

Windows registry is a database that store details about programs installed in your PC. There is a big noise about maintaining the Windows registry to speed-up the Computer. Is it really necessary to maintain the registry? How to do it? Visit Computer Registry Maintenance page to learn the truth about Windows registry maintenance.

You may come across a situation that you cannot fix a computer problem at home and need to take your PC to the reliable local computer repair company. Below are reliable computer maintenance and repair companies in major cities (US and other countries)

How Computer Viruses Spread?

Computer viruses can spread in various ways. Every Computer user MUST understand this and take extreme precautions to protect and stop spreading them. This article will help you to understand how Computer viruses spread and how to avoid it.

Computer Viruses are little bits of software that normally have a negative impact on our computers when they are activated. Usually viruses are attached onto other software programs (games, disk utilities, office documents/Macros, screen-savers), and are activated when these normally harmless programs are started. A virus is inactive until the infected program is run or an infected boot record on a DVD, USB flash drive or CD is read. When the virus is activated it loads into your computer's memory where it can perform its nasty job or spread itself to other programs on your system or computers in your network.

USB storage device used in an infected system (or CD-Roms/DVDs burned on an infected system) can then carry the virus to another machine. Programs downloaded from Internet, or file-sharing programs can also spread a virus. Email is the number 1 way to spread viruses, Trojan horses and especially internet worms.

It should be made clear, that Internet and file-sharing programs do not create viruses or infected files in any way. It is certain anti-social people who create viruses, and then use these services to spread the infected files to other users on the system.

This is very similar to cars and highways in that Ford, Toyota or the highway makers do not cause traffic accidents, it is the people who got drunk and then drove who causes a 14 car pileup. Of course if there weren’t cars or highways there wouldn’t be an accident… then again, the person would still be getting smashed and driving his horse-carriage into the store window.

For a virus or similar program to have any great impact it needs to be able to spread from one machine to another. They are specifically designed to get access to parts of your computer system that allow for communication with other machines. Below is a discussion of some of the most common methods.

Every disk (hard disk, CD, DVD) contains a section called a boot sector whether it is a bootable disk or not. When a computer is turned on, it looks for boot information (start-up instructions). If the it finds a disk with boot information, it reads that information and uses it to properly start the computer. If for some reason that boot information is infected with a virus, the virus is activated and possibly transferred to the computer's hard drive (if the infection was on a CD for example).

Once the boot code on the hard drive is infected the virus will be loaded into your computer’s memory every time you start your computer. From memory the boot virus can travel to any and every disk that is put into your computer. This is how the infection spreads.

Most boot viruses could be on a system for a long time without causing problems, simply existing there to spread themselves. Often such viruses are designed to activate their bad behaviour on a specific date (Halloween for example). There are some nasty boot viruses that will destroy the boot information or force a complete format of the hard drive immediately after they get into a computer.

When an infected application is run on your Computer the virus activates and is loaded into memory. While the virus is in memory any new program file that you run can become infected. This means that there will be increasingly more applications on your system that are infected. Multiple infections are very common and will certainly cause system problems.

Program files may function without any problems for some time but eventually they will have problems or multiple infections brings the entire computer system down. The data the program produces may be a first sign of infection such as saving files without proper names, or with incorrect/incomplete data being saved.

Viruses of this type are often designed to seek out programs that are used to share information between users/computers such as email applications, screen savers, office document Macros, and self-extracting compressed files.

Many of the most dangerous viruses are primarily spread through e-mail attachments - files that can be sent along with an e-mail message. In such cases, the user of an infected computer unknowingly attaches an infected file to an email message, and then sends the email to a friend or colleague. When the email is received, the virus is launched when the file attachment is opened, thus infecting a new computer. Email messages with animations, automated greeting cards, jokes, photographs, spreadsheet and document files, all have been documented to contain virus files.

More and more frequently these days mass mailing email worms/viruses are being released. These attacks AUTOMATICALLY scan your computer’s files and address book for any email address it can find and then uses your email application to AUTOMATICALLY send infected messages to any email address found in any file on your computer (not just email message files).

USB flash drives are a very common way viruses being spread from machine to machine. Anyone with an infected machine, using a flash drive to copy and save files, can also copy and transfer the virus. Any use of that same removable storage device , by any user, at any time in the future, will most likely contaminate, or re-contaminate the any computer it is used with.

With CD’s, all the above holds true with the exception that an infected CD can never be cleaned. To get rid of an infected CD, you need to put it in the trash and never use it again.

Peer-to-Peer network, Local Area Networks (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), Wireless Networks, and the Internet, are all computer networks. They all have the same basic purpose; to share software, and information resources between two or more computers. As with anything else that is shared between computers, networks let users share files, and wherever files are shared, viruses can be shared and spread.

Most network virus/worm/Trojan activity is like what we described earlier, although more and more examples of automatic mass mailing attacks, system resource attacks are being found. Recently many attacks are designed to specifically target major corporate interests (Microsoft, eBay, FaceBook, Amazon, major Banks etc.) in an attempt to disrupt their online services. Very generally these are called DOS (denial of service) attacks. The way they most commonly work is by secretly infecting thousands of local user computers (like the one you are using right now), and then at a specific time, launching a combined attack from all the infected machines against the primary target.

As you can see, your computer can be hijacked without your knowledge and then used in a major attack against an unsuspecting company. However with up-to-date virus/firewall protection, your computer will be immune to such hijacking.

Other sources of viruses have been found to be the result of software downloads available over the Internet. Software patches, drivers, demonstration software, from reputable companies, generally carries little risk. However, the Internet is also filled with "unofficial" software, pirated programs, and low-budget software from questionable sources that may be intentionally or unintentionally infected with viruses. Files downloaded directly from the Internet (either through file-sharing programs or direct download from websites), are among the fastest growing sources of computer virus infections.

Email, with its nearly universal availability and ease of use; chat rooms and messenger systems, not only make communication simple and quick, also make the transmission and re-transmission of infection simple and alarmingly fast. Creators of newer viruses, and internet worms specifically target these systems because they are widely used, and are often built right into the operating system and used with default settings making them much easier to attack and exploit.

As a point of reference, Internet Explorer, and Outlook/Outlook express email clients are two of the applications most targeted by internet viruses and worms. Why? Because they are installed on more computers around the world than any other software, and they are installed 99% of the time with default settings (which means virus programmers have an easy blueprint to follow).

If you use an email system or instant message system that is installed automatically with your computer’s operating system you need to install and use current antivirus software. You also need to learn how to turn off certain default settings that can leave your system open to very easy attack. Visit How to keep your computer from spreading viruses page to learn simple steps to stop spreading Computer viruses.

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How to Auto-Forward Gmail Messages in Bulk [Video]

Gmail offers an easy mail forwarding option that lets you auto-forward incoming messages to another email address. You define a rule (or filter) and any incoming mail that matches the filter is automatically forwarded to another address.

There are however some limitations in Gmail’s auto-forwarding feature:

1. You cannot auto-forward old emails. For instance, if you have a bunch of old emails that you would like to send to your EverNote or Instapaper account for archiving, you’ll have to manually forward them one-by-one as auto-forward only works for new incoming emails.

2. You cannot auto-forward to a non-verified email address. When you set up auto-forward in Gmail, it sends a verification message to the other email address before you can forward messages to that account.

If you would like to auto-forward Gmail messages (including the older emails) to another email address in bulk, or if you would like to forward them to another address without confirming, Google Docs can help you overcome those limitations very easily.

The trick is simple. You set up a trigger in Google Docs that watches some of the labels in your Gmail Inbox and as soon as it finds a message, it auto-forwards it to a designated email address. You just have to set it once and it then runs in the background without requiring any manual input.

Create a copy of this Google Sheet in your Google Docs account and fill the columns A and B. You should put valid Gmail Label Names in column A and the corresponding auto-forward email address in column B.

Go to Tools –> Script Editor –> Triggers –> Current Script’s Trigger and Add a new Trigger. Set the Event as Time-Driven and choose either Minutes or Hours for the duration. If you want near-instant mail forwarding, set the timer to Every Minute.

Since you are running this Google Docs sheet for the first time, you’ll have to authorize it to access your Gmail account. Just follow the authorization prompts to grant Google Docs access to your Gmail.

That’s it. You can close your Google Docs sheet and it will magically forward your Gmail messages that are in particular labels. Once the message has been forwarded, the label will be removed automatically.

To quickly summarize, you set up one or more “watch” labels in Gmail and any emails that you add to these labels are automatically forward to the corresponding email addresses as you have specified in the Google Docs sheet.

This Google Docs based auto-forwarding method will work for both plain text emails as well as HTML mails that have attachments but there’s one limitation – the size of individual email messages that you are auto-forwarding should not exceed 20 KB. This is a requirement of the Google Apps Script service.

Also, mails forwarded through Google Docs will still count towards your Gmail’s daily sending limit which is around 500 messages per day.

How to Completely Remove Chat from your Gmail

If you are like me who uses Gmail for emails but not for chatting, there’s a simple setting that will help you completely remove (and not just hide) the chat box from your Gmail mailbox.

Go to your Gmail Settings page, switch to the Chat tab, choose “Chat Off” and click the “Save Changes” button. Alternatively, you may use this link to directly access your Gmail Chat settings page. You can re-enable chat in your Gmail by using the “Chat On” option.

This setting to disable chat may have been available in regular Gmail accounts for some time (am not too sure) but it was only recently added to Gmail for Google Apps accounts.

How to Open Files that have Unknown Extensions

Extensions, or the characters that precede the last period in a file name, help you determine the type of a file (is it an image, a video or something else) and you immediately know which software program is required to preview that file.

However, you may sometimes come across files that either have unknown extensions or don’t have any extension at all. How do you then determine the associated application that is required to open a file when you don’t recognize the file type itself?

The first thing you are likely to do is “google” for the file extension but there is an easier open as well. Go to Wolfram Alpha and just search for the file extension with the dot (or period) - see example.

Wolfram won’t just reveal the technical details of that file extension – like the developer and MIME type - but also generates a list of software programs that you may use to open that file on your computer – see sample results.

If a file doesn’t have an extension, you can still identify the format of that file from its signature. All known file types have a standard and unique signature (screenshot) and this data is stored in the file itself. There are programs that can read this signature* and determine the file format even if the extension is missing from the file name.

The most popular program in the category of file identifiers is TrIDNet. First download and unzip the TrIDNet utility and the associated XML definition files in the same directory. Then open the TrIDNet.exe file, press the “Rescan Defs” button to load the file signatures (you only need to do this once) and then drag-drop any unknown files that you wish to analyze.

It will show the different file types that match with the file’s signature and you can then use Wolfram Alpha again to learn about the different programs that can be used to open that particular file type. Do remember to rename the files after identification (press F2, prefix a dot with the extension).

[*] You can also determine the file signature of any known file format using Wolfram itself – use the query “ file signature” as in this example.