Computer Help Blog » Windows Vista

3 tips to make Windows 7 faster

Admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 06:59:58 +0000

Windows 7, the latest OS from Microsoft, is definitely better than Windows Vista. It is faster and offers better performance, but you can make it even more faster by tweaking it. Here are 3 useful ways to improve the speed and performance of Windows 7:

1) Disable unnecessary visual effects
To disable unnecessary visual effects, right click on “Computer” in windows start menu and choose “Properties”. Click on “Advanced System Settings” at the left pane. Under the “Advanced” tab, click on “Settings” under “Performance” category. Select the “Custom:” option. Look through the list and uncheck the effects that you have no used for it.

2) Disable Windows Aero theme
Windows Aero offers better performance in Win 7 when compared to Vista. However, it still takes up a large amount of resources. You can disable it to obtain better performance. To do so, right click on the desktop and select “Personalize”. Chose one of the standard themes from the right hand side. “Windows 7 Basic” is a good choice.

3) Remove unwanted items from startup menu
Windows automatically adds unwanted items to the startup menu which slows it down. By removing unwanted items from the startup menu, you can make Windows 7 faster. Here is how, you proceed: Press Windows key + R and type “msconfig” in the run dialogue box. Go to the Startup tab. Uncheck the applications that you have no use for.

Recovering accidentally deleted files in Windows 7

Admin — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:36:21 +0000

If you accidentally deleted some files or folders from your hard disk, and if they were sent to the Recycle Bin, you can get them back, provided that you don’t empty the Recycle Bin first. You have three ways to do that:

- To put all items bck where they were, click Restore all items in the toolbar.
- To put a single item back where it was, right-click its icon and choose Restore.
- Optionally, you can select multiple icons, right-click any selected icon, and choose Restore to put all those selected items back where they were.

Each file and folder you restore will be returned to its original location.

If you empty the Recycle Bin, you will need a data recovery software such as Recuva to recover deleted files.

Note: If you securely delete or “shred” files using a specialized software, it is simply impossible to recover the files.

What to do is Win XP Won’t Completely Shutdown

Admin — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:59:44 +0000

If Win XP Won’t Completely Shutdown, here is a way out:

* Go to Control Panel, then go to Power Options.
* Click on the APM tab, then check the “Enable Advanced Power Management support.”
* Shut down your PC.

It should now successfully complete the Shut Down process.

Free Antivirus Software for Windows Vista

Admin — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:21:00 +0000

You don’t always have to pay for antivirus software. There are several free antivirus software programs that provide high quality protection from viruses and malware.

Here is a list of antivirus software that work with Windows Vista:

–> Avast! Free antivirus
Avast! 4 Home Edition is an efficient antivirus intended for home use. The protection provided by Avast! is almost at par with most paid virus scanners. It is also very light on the system resources and comes with regular signature updates. Once useful feature offered by Avast! is that allows the user to schedule boot-time scanning which is very effective in removing many viruses. The latest version supports Windows Vista/Xp and 2000. You can download it from www.Avast.com.

–> BitDefender Free Edition
BitDefender Free Edition is another good free antivirus scanner. It comes with several features like an on-demand scanner, scheduler and regular updates. It supports Windows Vista, Xp and 2000 .It can be downloaded from www.bitdefender.com. BitDefender allow offers a paid version which has more features that the free version.

–> AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
AVG is available as both free and paid versions. The free version lacks some features that the paid version has (for example: spyware scanning). However, it still provides very good protection from viruses. If you are looking for a free antivirus that needs low system requirements, AVG Anti-virus Free Edition is for you. It can be downloaded from www.AVG.com. It supports Windows Vista/Xp and 2000.

–> PC Tools AntiVirus Free Edition
PC Tools AntiVirus Free Edition provides real-time protection from virus programs, spyware, and trojans. It also comes with regular automatic updates and email scanning. It supports Windows Vista, Xp and 2000 and can be downloaded from www.pctools.com.

–> Clamwin
Clamwin is a free open source antivirus scanner that is based on the ClamAV antivirus engine. It is absolutely free to use and comes with no strings attached. It is very light on system resources and features regular signature updates. On the minus side, it doesn’t offer realtime protection. This feature may be available in the future versions. It can be downloaded from www.clamwin.com.

–> Avira AntiVir Personal Edition
Avira Antivir Personal Edition is one of the best rated free antivirus software. It is very efficient in removing many types of viruses and malware programs. At the same time, it is also very fast and light on system resources. Updates are available on a daily basis. The latest version supports Windows Vista, Xp and 2000. It can be downloaded from www.avira.com.