Windows Tools, Help & Guides

In this guest post, James Ricketts discusses how to troubleshoot computer problems related to internet issues. Find out more about James at the end of this post.

Today, we rely on the Internet to carry out various functions and it is no fun when your web browser, such as Internet Explorer, develops an error and fails to load. In this article, we will discuss how to resolve common errors associated with Internet Explorer as well as the following topics:

• How to remove additional toolbars from Internet Explorer, such as the yahoo toolbar.
• How to resolve system error 5
• Essential PC maintenance activities that every Windows user should perform to prevent common Windows errors and issues from occurring.

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This is a common problem and I am sure many of you have had this problem before. Your antivirus detects a virus, then it removes the virus but your system doesn’t act the way you expected. In this post you will learn how to fix a computer after a virus infection.

We have spoken before about removing Windows virus:

Test to See if Your Antivirus Software Works (Safe)

Remove Viruses And Malware in Safe Mode [How To]

Thomas has written a post about a program that restores several windows features:

Re-Enable 2.0 – Restore Windows functionality after virus and Trojan attack [Freeware]

In this post  we are going to use another approach with SuperAntiSpyware portable to do this:

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Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5	(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)

PROS: Easy installation, in-browser, free, open-source, cross-platform, detailed history reports, built-in RSS feed, transfer calculator, plug-ins. CONS: None VERDICT:  BitMeter OS from Codebox Software is an exceptional way to keep tabs on your bandwidth consumption. Its built in tools which allow you to query the data it collects, send alerts if you reach a certain amount of data, calculate a transfer and build an hourly or daily RSS report (and more) coupled with a sophisticated web interface are a god-send to anyone who requires to keep an eye on their bandwidth. PRICE: Free VERSION REVIEWED: v0.7.2

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Last week I talked about the different shut-down options in Windows. One of our readers (Alexandra) wanted to know how to tell Windows to shut-down or hibernate at a certain time. The easiest way to do this is to set windows to automatically shut-down or hibernate after a specific period of idleness using the Power Option Settings. There might be several reasons why you would opt out the Power Option solution, but one reason might be that you do not want the computer to shut-down at all during the day. If that be the case, you can schedule Windows to shut-down at a specific time, say at 3 am after you have fallen asleep over the keyboard.

This is how you go about to do just that (not fall asleep, but schedule the computer to …)

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Last week, we shared some commands you can run (from the Run box/Start menu) that can save you time and get you to the tools you need quickly. If you missed it, here it is: Use Start Menu/Run Dialog Commands to Access Windows Programs and Tools.

This week, we’ll point you to some of our previously-written guides that include keyboard shortcuts that you can use in Windows and in a couple of popular programs. If we’re missing any shortcuts or programs with shortcuts, let us know in the comments.

• General Windows Shortcut Keys

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There are many ways to shut down and restart your computer, but – which does what, and which should you use when ?

The answer depends mostly on you. Are you into saving energy or boot-up time? How often do you leave your computer and for how long ?

There are three main shut-down options available in Windows: Shut-Down, Sleep and Hibernate (names may vary depending on the Windows version). In Vista and Windows 7, there is also a fourth option; Hybrid Sleep.

Let’s explore the topic.

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