Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Everyone who knows me, knows I’m a bit more than normally interested in Computers. So of course whom do they contact when they have problems with theirs ? Lucky guess. But figuring the problem over the phone isn’t always as easy, and some of my friends being “Twelve O’Clock Flashers” – explaining them what to do isn’t all that easy either.

The best way, sometimes, is using Remote Desktop. But this usually involves getting the already troubled users to download and install a small client of some sort and guide them through that.  And, well… Let’s just say I sometimes hate being the one they call. However…

I’ve come a cross a great tool for the job, which allows me to help without all that hassle – and best of all – it’s free !!

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The most annoying part of using a PC, is surely booting it up in the morning for the days use.

After seeing this software reviewed by Lifehacker a while back, I realised I could start my PC in the morning in around 30 seconds as opposed to, in some cases, 10 minutes.

Now, I know the PC is not technically off whilst Boot Snooze is in use.  It’s in hibernation mode or Standby which puts the PC in a very low power state.  It barely even draws whilst it’s in Hibernation.

So the idea here, is to use Boot Snooze last thing in the day to reboot your PC. Once it’s been rebooted, Boot Snooze will automatically start a countdown timer (previously specified) to put your PC into a low power state.  During the countdown, we’ll set Windows to automatically start programs that we always find ourselves using.  I find the first 3 programs I always start are; Outlook, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player, so we’ll use those in this example.  Once they have opened, Boot Snooze will put your PC into the low power state.

When you start your PC out of standby or hibernation in the morning, it will take around 30 seconds to get to the desktop where your programs are already opened ready and waiting.  Much better than waiting a matter of minutes and then having to open the programs up one by one.

So, here’s a walk through guide on how to start your PC the smart way.

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Windows Guides’ Rating	Compatible with
4 out of 5

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Windows Guides’ Rating	Compatible with
5 out of 5

PROS: Scheduled backups that can be customized to fit your needs. Clean interface and easy to use. Background operation so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Explorer shell extention to get straight to your data from My Computer. CONS: Depending upon your needs, 2GB may not be enough and you’ll need to go to a paid plan. VERDICT: If you don’t currently back your data up online, download MozyHome now. This program has saved me from major data loss and gives you the peace of mind you need when storing your files. PRICE: Free (Up to 2GB backed up.) 2GB+ $4.95/month ($54.45/year.) VERSION REVIEWED: 1.16.4.0 DOWNLOAD: MozyHome Free

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If you find yourself repeatedly typing phrases or snippets of code, you’ll find Texter very useful. Texter is designed to take the repetition out of computer use. I use it when I write guides for this site; I always write the guides in plain HTML first and then move them to my CMS. I’ll often write lines of HTML code over and over again, so this tool is a real time saver.
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If you would like to assist a friend remotely or present from your machine and have others look in, TeamViewer is for you. Learn, in this guide, what team viewer is and where to download it.

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