Best Freeware Programs - Windows XP

Name: The Best things in life are free!
Category: Free Programs
Operating System: XP
Difficulty: You could get your grandma to do this for you!

What is freeware...?
Programs that are developed for people to use for free. Freeware is usually spyware are virus free, but it is becoming more popular to pack spyware together with freeware programs.

So what is this all about...?
I came across this great site that lists some of the best free programs for Windows and I thought I would share it with everyone. Most are for Windows XP, but many of these programs will work on other versions.

The list includes:
Audio Programs
CD DVD programs - including free video conversion programs
File Utilities
Games
Graphics editors
Internet Utilities
Free Office Software
Scientific Programs
Video Programs
and more....

This collection of freeware is really top quality and many of these programs are a close match for their often expensive commercial programs. It is well worth trying the free programs before you pay for something expensive - you might be surprised!

Where do I get it...?
The best freeware program list can be found at the following website:
XP Freeware

Speed Up Vista - Video Tutorial

Name: Performance Baby!
Category: Speed up Windows Vista
Operating System: These instructions are for Vista
Difficulty: You could get your grandma to do this for you!

What is this about...?
This great Vista video tutorial will help you speed up Vista by using the Performance tool in Windows Vista. This tool is also in Windows XP and is a great way of speeding up performance on these two operating systems. This is really great for people with low RAM, but will not make a really huge difference.

This video will show you which graphical "features" to turn off to help your computer performance. The best part about this tool is that you can turn off as many of as few as you like, but the more you turn off the better performance you will get. When I first used this tool on Windows XP I found that I could turn everything except one option off (use visual styles on Windows and buttons) and I didn't even notice a difference in graphics!

What should I expect if I turn these "features" off...?
If you have over 2GB of RAM there is a good chance you wont even notice a difference, but on slower computers you should notice a slightly faster startup time and will get a slightly better response time out of Windows!

Should I be careful of anything...?
This is the best part you can safely turn all of these options off and Windows will still run without any problems. Play around with the options until you find the settings you are happy with!

How do I do this...?
Simple...watch the video!

Disable Autorun

Name: Autorun... my computer is lucky to be crawling!
Category: Removing useless "features"
Operating System: These instructions are for XP other Operating Systems instructions click here
Difficulty: Moderate computer knowledge and nerves of steel

What is autorun...?
Autorun was another fantastic idea from Microsoft. This was the actual conversation about it at Microsoft headquarters*
MS employee 1: Lets make peoples lives easier by making Cd's run automatically when they insert the disk. MS employee 2: Great Idea

Well even though it was a great idea there are two fatal problems with this "feature"
a) spyware and viruses on a CD just might use this "feature" to autorun without your knowledge or permission
b) it's really really annoying

*this may be completely made up

How do I stop/get rid of it...?
There are 3 different ways of doing this:

1. Hold the shift key when you put a CD in your drive

2. This will remove autorun in most cases (and it also allows you to choose)

• Open My Computer.
• Right-click the desired CD-ROM and select Properties from the menu.
• Select the AutoPlay tab.
• Select each item from the pulldown list and for the Action to perform, select "Take no action" to disable autorun, or pick the appropriate action to take if enabling autorun.
• Select OK.

3. To be rid of it completely you need to edit the registry. This should not be done if you don't have some decent computer knowledge, but if you follow these steps carefully it does work.

a) In Windows Click Start, then Click Run

b) Type regedit -- Click OK

c) Click (one after the other) > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services > Cdrom>

d) Double click "Autorun" the value is set to 1 by default, change it to zero.

e) Click OK ---> Now restart, that's it!

Is that it...?
Yes autorun should now be disabled and you should be safe again from another great "feature."

If you found this tech tip useful consider subscribing to this blog for more (completely free)

Classic start menu for Vista - Vista Video Tip

Name: I hate Vista's new start menu?
Category: Aesthetic changes
Operating System: Windows Vista
Difficulty: Anyone who can watch TV can do this

What is this all about...?
I have many people emailing me with the following complaint - I hate Vista's start menu and I want the old menu back! Well luckily Microsoft thought that a few people would have the same complaint and they have included a way to revert to the old start menu. So this is what this weeks Vista Video Tutorial is about. Follow the video and you can't go wrong!

Windows Vista Video Tutorial - Remove the sidebar

Name: Sidekick, sidebar what is the difference?
Category: Removing stuff and Speed up Windows Vista
Operating System: Windows Vista
Difficulty: Anyone who can watch TV can do this

What is all this about...?
Windows Vista is supposed to be the greatest thing ever right ("The wow starts now" and all that or maybe VISTA stands for Viruses, Intruders, Spyware, Trojans and Adware... who knows?) Whatever we think about this new offering from Microsoft most of us are going to have to use it as some point in the future and this tip will help you remove one of its annoying little "features" that many people hate.

Have you installed Windows Vista only to be greeted by that whopping big sidebar you wouldn't use if it came with a coffee maker and want to get rid of it? Then this video tutorial will take the pain away for all those who can't stand this little "improvement." It will remove the sidebar and stop it from loading every time Windows starts. Warning - Removing the sidebar might even speed up your computer.

How do I do it...?
Watch the video and copy what the magic mouse does on the screen and what the man tells you - easy..? You bet!

Special thanks to pc wiz kid for making these great vids!

Windows Vista Video Tutorial - Vista "features" slowing you down

Name: I'm feeling a little bloated right now
Category: Speed up your computer / Windows
Operating System: Windows Vista
Difficulty: Anyone who can watch TV can do this

What is this all about...?
Basically Windows is what some refer to as a bloated operating system as it contains many programs, services and other "features" most regular users will never use. The problem with this is that these "features" use system resources like RAM (memory) and Hard Disk Space. This video tutorial will help you remove some of the programs that you most likely didn't even know were using your computers resources.

How do I do it...?
Well this time I am going to let the video do all the talking/showing. It is easy to follow and if you are running vista I recommend taking the 1 minute to watch it. Remember that you can reinstall these "features" at any time, but you should still take care to remove only what you need.



Stay tuned for more Vista Tips and more Video Tips and tutorials. The plan is to have about one video tutorial a week and a few of my "normal" tips (yeah you still have to read them - sorry!). If you like what you see you can subscribe for free to my feed.

Safari browser on a Windows Computer!

Name: I'm taking you on safari!
Category: Internet
Operating System: Windows (yes windows) XP and Vista
Difficulty: My grandma could surf the web with this!



Safari what are you talking about...?
The lines between Microsoft and Apple are getting closer and closer. Earlier this year we found out that Windows can run on the new generation of Apple Macs. Well today I am telling you that I am writing this post on Apples famous Safari browser (the thing you surf the web with) on my Windows computer!
Now some of you might be asking me, so what or why would I want to do that. Well I am here to answer those questions.

So What...?
Well I personally think it is a good thing for an Apple computer to run Microsoft programs and vice versa. Competition brings out better products for the end users (me and you) and if this trend continues we just might start seeing some more cross over programs for free. They might even possibly be better than what we currently have.


Why would I want to run an apple browser on Windows...?
Well there are some very good reasons that you might want to consider. The most important being that Safari is lightning quick (well I have found it to be) and Apple claim it to be 2x faster than Internet Explorer and 1.6x faster than Firefox. However that is not the only bonus, Apple point to 12 features of why you would want to use Safari over the other offerings:

1. Blazing Performance
2. Elegant User Interface
3. Easy Bookmarks
4. Pop-up Blocking
5. Inline Find
6. Tabbed Browsing
7. SnapBack
8. Forms AutoFill
9. Built-in RSS
10. Resizable Text Fields
11. Private Browsing
12. Security
My thoughts on Safari
I am impressed with the loading times, but I doubt most people will notice much of a difference. Pages display correctly and look very sleek and the general graphical presentation is very good. Overall you would expect some level of quality from Apples #1 browser and now it is available on Windows computers I think that it becomes a serious player in the browser market. If you are shopping for a new browser or want to try something new then don't look to far past Safari.

How do I get it...?
Easy really you can download it from the apple website (I will provide a link)
Download Safari

If you do try it you can tell me what you think by leaving a comment (I am opening comments to all users). Remember that if you like what you find on my blog you can always subscribe for free.

The Top Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows

Name: Shortcuts aren't always bad
Category: Saving you time (hopefully)
Operating System: MOST
Difficulty: My grandma has the skills to do this and therefore so do you!

Have you ever been clicking away with your mouse (copy and paste, copy and paste, file and open) and thought to yourself there has to be a better way. Well I am posting today to tell you there is a better and (slightly) quicker way to do things on you computer.

What is a keyboard shortcut...?
Well like when you drive in a car and take a shortcut it saves you time (unless you are my wife), keyboard shortcuts save time for common tasks that people usually do with their mouse. Some shortcuts are built into your keyboard like:

• Home key
• End Key
• Page down key etc.

However most of the following keyboard shortcuts are done by holding one of the following keys and then hitting a button:

• CRTL key
• ALT Key
• Shift Key

So for example a keyboard shortcut might read CRTL - C (copy). So this would mean that you would highlight the text as usual and instead of right clicking and selecting copy from the menu you would hold down the CTRL key and press C and the text would be copied (is this making sense yet?)

The most popular keyboard shortcuts in Windows (these may also work on other operating systems and many programs that run in Windows):
Remember to hold down the first key if there is another key after it (CRTL + V means hold control key and press v)

• CTRL+C (Copy)
  
• CTRL+X (Cut)
  
• CTRL+V (Paste)
  
• CTRL+Z (Undo)
  
• DELETE (Delete)
  
• SHIFT+DELETE (Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin)
  
• CTRL while dragging an item (Copy the selected item)
  
• CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item (Create a shortcut to the selected item)
  
• F2 key (Rename the selected item)
  
• CTRL+RIGHT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word)
  
• CTRL+LEFT ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word)
  
• CTRL+DOWN ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph)
  
• CTRL+UP ARROW (Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph)
  
• CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Highlight a block of text)
  
• SHIFT with any of the arrow keys (Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text in a document)
  
• CTRL+A (Select all)
  
• F3 key (Search for a file or a folder)
  
• ALT+ENTER (View the properties for the selected item)
  
• ALT+F4 (Close the active item, or quit the active program)
  
• ALT+ENTER (Display the properties of the selected object)
  
• ALT+SPACEBAR (Open the shortcut menu for the active window)
  
• CTRL+F4 (Close the active document in programs that enable you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)
  
• ALT+TAB (Switch between the open items)
  
• ALT+ESC (Cycle through items in the order that they had been opened)
  
• F6 key (Cycle through the screen elements in a window or on the desktop)
  
• F4 key (Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
  
• SHIFT+F10 (Display the shortcut menu for the selected item)
  
• ALT+SPACEBAR (Display the System menu for the active window)
  
• CTRL+ESC (Display the Start menu)
  
• ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name (Display the corresponding menu)
  
• Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu (Perform the corresponding command)
  
• F10 key (Activate the menu bar in the active program)
  
• RIGHT ARROW (Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu)
  
• LEFT ARROW (Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu)
  
• F5 key (Update the active window)
  
• BACKSPACE (View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer)
  
• ESC (Cancel current task)
  
• SHIFT when you insert a CD/DVD into the drive (Prevent it from automatically playing)

Windows only shortcuts:
These are Windows only shortcuts. To use these hold down the Windows logo on your keyboard and then press the desired key (it will look something like this)

• Windows Logo (Display or hide the Start menu)
  
• Windows Logo+BREAK (Display the System Properties dialog box)
  
• Windows Logo+D (Display the desktop)
  
• Windows Logo+M (Minimize all of the windows)
  
• Windows Logo+SHIFT+M (Restore the minimized windows)
  
• Windows Logo+E (Open My Computer)
  
• Windows Logo+F (Search for a file or a folder)
  
• CTRL+Windows Logo+F (Search for computers)
  
• Windows Logo+F1 (Display Windows Help)
  
• Windows Logo+ L (Lock the keyboard)
  
• Windows Logo+R (Open the Run dialog box)
  
• Windows Logo+U (Open Utility Manager)

Is that is...?
There are literally hundreds more, but I will be posting some more (firefox and Internet explorer) later if you would like to keep updated on my tips you might consider subscribing to this blog.

Protect your computer - spyware blaster review

Name: Spyware Blaster
Category: Secutity / Spyware / Best Free Software
Operating System: Windows 95-XP (cannot confirm vista)
Difficulty: My grandma could do it with her eyes closed

So what is it...?
Most normal spyware software scans your computer and then removes the spyware after it has already infested your system. Spyware Blaster is a program the blocks spyware before it gets on your computer. There are two things about this program that make it even better:

1. It does not run in the background so it takes up no memory!
2. Its completely free for the following:

• Individuals (for personal and educational use)
• Public libraries
• Registered charities
• Elementary or secondary schools
• Degree-granting undergraduate and post-graduate community colleges, colleges, and universities

Alright how do I get it and what do I do with it then...?
It is avaliable for free at the authors website and I have provided a link to it here
Download SpywareBlaster
Simply install it and then start the program. Firstly you must update the database with new definition files (a lot like your anti virus program).

Step 1 -Click on download latest protection updates under the quick tasks section.
Step 2 Then click check for updates
Step 3 Finally enable all protection and you are protected.

STEP 1 ------------------>STEP 2 ----------------->STEP 3
(click to enlarge)

Is that it...?
Yes basically that is all you have to do to be protected. Make sure you check for updates about once a week or so. It is easy to use and should be on everyone's list of free protection software.

Welcome to the tech tips blog

Hi my name is Tom and I am a computer nerd at heart - I am currently studying to enter the IT industry and thought I would write a blog with some of my tech tips. Here you will find posts on the following topics:

Tips to get the most out of windows (XP and Vista)
What's new in Technology
Spyware, anti virus and other security issues
The best free software
The hottest Internet tools

and much more...

Check back for more soon.

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