Note: This guide is written for Windows 7 but most tips apply for Windows Vista

Save Battery Power

Here are some ways to save your battery’s power. You don’t need to apply all these tips but every little helps.

1. Turn Down Screen Brightness

To turn down screen brightness, click the battery icon in the system tray and click Adjust screen brightness.

Slide the brightness slider to the left until you can comfortably see the screen and it’s dimmest setting.

2. Cut Down on Background Applications

Many background applications don’t need to run and only increase CPU cycles and, in turn, the demand on your battery. Here’s a couple of things you can do to cut down on background applications:

2a. Disable Windows Sidebar Gadgets

If you don’t use the sidebar, you probably have it disabled already (right click the Windows Sidebar icon in the system tray and click Exit.)

If you use the Windows Sidebar, do you really need all your gadgets running when you’re on battery power? To disable Windows Sidebar gadgets:

Click the Start button and click Control Panel. Type gadget in the top-right search box, and click View list of running gadgets.

Next to the running gadgets, click remove.

2b. Diable Startup applications

To disable uneccessary startup applications, follow this guide.

3. Disable Your Wireless Internet & Bluetooth

If you’re not using the internet or Bluetooth, consider disabling the hardware to save battery power. To disable your wireless, bluetooth, or both cards, either:

A. Locate the switch on the side of your laptop (many now have this) and turn your wirelesss cards off.

or

B. Click the network icon in the system tray and click Open Network and Sharing Center.

In the left-hand menu, click Change adapter settings.

Right click your wireless connection and click Disable.

Repeat for your Bluetooth device.

4. Disable Screensavers

Screensavers use CPU when your PC is idle. To disable your screensaver:

Right click the Desktop and click Personalize.

Click Screen Saver.

In the drop down list, select (None) and click OK.

5. Change Power Options

You what your computer does to save power when idle. To do so, click the battery icon in the system tray and click More power options.

Select Power saver and click Change plan settings.

Lower the time it takes for your computer to dim the display, turn off the display, and sleep when on battery.

Click Change advanced power settings to fine tune your power-saving preferences.

6. Adjust Visual Effects

Visual effects also use CPU and memory and this drains your battery. To lower the effects and save battery power:

Click the Start button, click Control Panel, and type visual in the top-right search box. Click Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.

Select Adjust for best performance and click OK.

7. Turn off Windows Aero

Windows Aero enables the glass effect you see on your Windows. This (surprise surprise) also uses CPU and memory and should be disabled to save battery. To disable Windows Aero:

Right click the desktop and click Personalization. Click Window Color.

Uncheck Enable transparency and click OK.

8. Disable the Search Index

The search index indexes your files for quick searching. This is a convenience but comes at a great cost to battery life when it’s running. To save power, consider disabling the search index. To disable the search index:

Click the Start button, click Control Panel, and type index in the top-right search box. Click Change how Windows searches.

Click Modify.

Remove all locations by unchecking them and click OK.

9. Keep Your PC Cool

The hotter your PC gets, the harder your fans have to work to keep it cool. To minimize the power drawn by your fans, keep your PC cool. If using it on your lap or on a pillow, ensure there is proper ventilation. Never use your PC on a blanket or soft surface where airflow is restricted. This will also keep your hardware working longer as hardware is less likely to overheat and fail.

10. Only Use Your Screen When You Need it

This tip links back to tip number 5. When in the power options, click Choose what closing the lid does. I always set the lid closing to do nothing and the power button to put the laptop to sleep. This way, when I’m taking a break, I can put my laptop lid down (which turns off the display and saves power) without my laptop going to sleep. I’m also lucky because my laptop has a Display button that, when pressed, turns off my display. I found this button very useful when I sat in class and didn’t need to use my laptop but didn’t want to close and open the lid repeatedly.

11. Disable Automatic Program Updates

Many programs like iTunes, Java etc. come with their own auto updating software. These programs frequently communicate with update servers and, collectively, can take a toll on battery life. It’s important to keep software up to date; however, you should consider disabling update checkers for software installed on your PC. Good software lets you disable this behavior when you install it; some software may require a little bit of digging to disable automatic update checking.

Here’s how to stop Java checking for updates:

Click the Start button and click Control Panel. When the Control Panel loads, type java in the search box, and click Java:

On the Update tab, uncheck Check for Updates Automatically:

Click Never Check:

Note: I’ve noticed the scheduled task for Java update checking is often left behind.

To remove the task:

Click the Start button, type task, and click on Task Scheduler

When the task Scheduler loads, click Task Scheduler Library in the left pane

In the right pane, look for the Java Update task, right click it, and click Disable:

12. Remove Peripherals and Media

CDs spinning in drives, external hard disk drives, memory cards in slots, and even a plugged in USB thumb drives all drain power at varying levels. Remove all external drives, cards, and CDs to save battery power and the life of your machine.

13. Add more RAM

I just added 1GB of RAM to a netbook and I noticed the battery life is quite a lot better. This is because when you run out of memory, application data is written to the hard disk (virtual memory), which requires the movement of mechanical parts and not just electrons alone. By adding RAM to a computer that is always swapping/thrashing, you’ll save a noticeable about of battery life.

14. Use Hibernate not Sleep/Standby

If you want good battery life that spans multiple sessions, consider hibernating your PC instead of putting it to sleep/on stand by mode. Hibernation mode stores all volatile memory on disk and requires less power than leaving volatile memory in RAM for quick access when you turn your PC on. You can easily use a whole battery in two weeks or less of sleep mode, so you could be losing around 10% of battery life each day your laptop is sleeping instead of hibernating (if you’re not using hybrid sleep mode.) For more details on sleep vs hibernate, visit this guide.

To hibernate your PC, click the Start button, click the arrow next to Shut Down, and click Hibernate:

If you do not see the option to hibernate, press the Windows Key + R (or click Start > Run), type the following, and press Enter:

powercfg -h on

If the option is still not available, a reboot is required to show the Hibernate option on the start menu.

Bonus Tip

To get a power efficiency report:

1. Click Start, type CMD, right click cmd.exe and click Run as Administrator.
2. On the command line, type powercfg -energy to view a power efficiency report.

Where to Run Commands

Note: see below for an even quicker method for Windows Vista/7/8.

To run the commands, listed below, in Windows XP (can also be used in Windows Vista/7/8):

1. Click the Start button and click Run (or press Winkey+R):

2. Type the command in the Run dialog and click OK (or press Enter.)

To run the commands, listed below, in Windows Vista/7/8, you can also use the Start Menu search function:

Press the Start button (or press the Winkey), type the command, and press Enter.

If the command fails, use steps 1 & 2 above.

Environment Variables

Environment variables can be used to open common folders in Windows. You can even append strings to the end of an environment variable to go directly to a folder i.e. %UserProfile%\Music

Commands to Run

Most of the commands, listed below, will work; however, some commands such as QuickTime.cpl (requires Quick Time) or gpedit.msc (requires Business, Professional, or Ultimate Windows versions) may not run depending on installed components, Windows versions, Windows editions etc.

Command	Launches	XP	Vista/7/8
access.cpl	Accessibility Controls
hdwwiz.cpl	Add Hardware Wizard
hdwwiz.cpl	Device Manager
appwiz.cpl	Add/ Remove Programs
control admintools	Administrative Tools
wuaucpl.cpl	Automatic Updates
fsquirt	Bluetooth Transfer wizard
calc	Calculator
certmgr.msc	Certificate Manager
charmap	Character Map
chkdsk	Check Disk Utility
clipbrd	Clipboard Viewer
cmd	Command Prompt
dcomcnfg	Component Services
compmgmt.msc	Computer Management
control panel	Control Panel
timedate.cpl	Date and Time Properties
ddeshare	DDE Share
devmgmt.msc	Device Manager
directx.cpl	Direct X Control Panel
dxdiag	Direct X Troubleshooter
cleanmgr	Disk Cleanup Utility
dfrg.msc	Disk Defragment
diskmgmt.msc	Disk Management
diskpart	Disk Partition Manager
control desktop	Display Properties / Personalization
desk.cpl	Screen Resolution
control color	Window Color and Appearance
dn /vtsn32	Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility
verifier	Driver Verifier Utility
eventvwr.msc	Event Viewer
sigverif	File Signature Verification Tool
findfast.cpl	Findfast
control folders	Folders Properties
fonts OR control fonts	Fonts Folder
freecell	Free Cell Card Game
joy.cpl	Game Controllers
gpedit.msc	Group Policy Editor (Select editions)
mshearts	Hearts Card Game
iexpress	Iexpress wizard
ciadv.msc	Indexing Service
inetcpl.cpl	Internet Properties
Iexplore	Internet Explorer
javaws	Java Control Panel (lf lnstalled)
toy.cpl	Joystick Properties
main.cpl keyboard OR control keyboard	Keyboard Properties
secpol.msc	Local Security Settings (Select versions)
lusrmgr.msc	Local Users and Groups (Select versions)
logoff	Logs You Out Of Windows
winchat	Microsoft Chat
winmine	Minesweeper Game
main.cpl OR control mouse	Mouse Properties
netsetup.cpl	Network Setup Wizard
notepad	Notepad
nvtuicpl.cpl	Nview Desktop Manager(If installed)
packager	Object Packager
odbccp32.cpl	ODBC Data Source Administrator
osk	On Screen Keyboard
ac3filter.cpl	OpensAC3 Filter(If installed)
password.cpl	Password Properties
perfmon	Performance Monitor
telephon.cpl	Phone and Modem Options
powercfg.cpl	Power Management
control printers	Printers and Faxes
printers	Printers Folder
eudcedit	Private Character Editor
QuickTime.cpl	Quicktime Preferences (lf installed)
intl.cpl	Regional Settings
regedit	Registry Editor
regedit32	Registry Editor
mstsc	Remote Desktop
ntmsmgr.msc	Removable Storage
ntmsoprq.msc	Removable Storage Operator Requests
rsop.msc	Resultant Set of Policy (Select versions)
sticpl.cpl	Scanners and Cameras
control schedtasks	Scheduled Tasks
wscui.cpl	Security Center
services.msc	Services
fsmgmt.msc	Shared Folders
shutdown	Shuts Down Windows
mmsys.cpl	Sounds and Audio
spider	Spider Solitare Card Game
cliconfg	SQL Client Configuration
sysedit	System Configuration Editor
msconfig	System Configuration Utility
sfc /scannow	System File Checker(Scan Immediately)
sfc /scanonce	System FC (Scan Once At Next Boot)
sfc /scanboot	System FC (Scan On Every Boot)
sfc /revert	System FC (Return to Default Setting)
sfc /purgecache	System FC (Purge File Cache)
sfc /cachesize=x	System FC (Set Cache Size to size x)
sysdm.cpl	System Properties
Taskmgr	Task Manager
nusrmgr.cpl	User Account Management
utilman	Utility Manager
explorer	Windows Explorer
firewall.cpl	Windows Firewall
magnify	Windows Magnifier
wmimgmt.msc	Windows Management lnfrastructure (WMI)
syskey	Windows System Security Tool
wupdmgr	Windows Update Launches
winver	Windows Version
tourstart	Windows XP Tour Wizard
Write	Wordpad

Which commands did I miss? Let us know in the comments.

[I'd like] an explanation on i3, i5, i7 Operating Systems, and how they compare with Core 2 and Quad Core CPUs.

Update: Manuel commented asking the following:

It seems core2 duo CPUs have not been included and where they belong.  Are core 2 duo CPUs comparable with i3s or even i5s?  thanks.

Scroll down or click here for the answer.

If you’re in the market to buy a PC and you’re looking for the best value for money, you’ve likely asked yourself: “what’s the difference between Dual and Quad Core and what about i3, i5, and i7?”

This guide offers a basic explanation of these five types of processors and will help you determine the best for your needs.

This guide will answer the following questions:

• What is a processor?
• What is a core?
• What is a multi-core processor?
• Why do I need multiple cores?
• How many cores do i3, i5, and i7′s have?
• How Do Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad Compare with Core i3, i5, and i7?
• What Does the “i” Stand for in i3, i5, and i7?
• Do I need a Dual/Quad core or an i3/i5/i7?

What is a Processor?

The Processor or Central Processing Unit (CPU) component of your PC that carries out instructions given to it by your Operating System (Windows.) Think of the processor as a brain that receives instructions and messages (i.e. “HOT HOT HOT Burning!!!”) and sends out instructions to other hardware (i.e. “Arm: lift hand” or “mouth: open; vocal chords: scream”.)

What is a Core?

A standard processor has one core (single-core.) Single core processors only process one instruction at a time (although they do use pipelines internally, which allow several instructions to be processed together; however, they are still run one at a time.)

What is a Multi-Core Processor?

A multi-core processor is composed of two or more independent cores, each capable of processing individual instructions. A dual-core processor contains two cores, a quad-core processor contains four cores, and a hexa-core processor contains six cores.

Why do I Need Multiple Cores?

Multiple cores can be used to run two programs side by side and when an intensive program is running (AV Scan, Video conversion, CD ripping etc.) you can utilize another core to run your browser to check your email etc.

Multiple cores really shine when you’re using a program that can utilize more than one core (called Parallelization) to improve the program’s efficiency. Programs such as graphic software, games etc. can run multiple instructions at the same time and deliver faster, smoother results.

So if you use CPU-intensive software, multiple cores will likely provide a better experience when using your PC. If you use your PC to check emails and watch the occasional video, you really don’t need a multi-core processor.

How many cores do i3, i5, and i7′s have?

• A Dual-core processor has two cores.
• A Quad-core processor has four cores.
• An i3 processor has 2 cores.
• An i5 processor has 2 or 4 cores (depending on the model you have.)
• An i7 processor has 2, 4 or 6 cores (depending on the model you have.)

How Do Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad Compare with Core i3, i5, and i7?

Added 2012/01/21:

If you’re looking for a good value PC and have decided on a Core 2 Duo, Core i3, or Core i5 (all best in value for casual computer use), please read on:

Core 2 Duo processors run two threads; i3′s and i5′s run four threads. Core 2 Duo processors are socket 775 (45/65nm); Core i3 and i5 processors are socket 1156 (nm) but only work with DDR3 RAM (Some Core 2 Duo’s work with both DDR2 and DDR3.)

For desktops, I’d stay clear of core 2 duos; for laptops, it all depends on your usage. As laptops aren’t as easy to upgrade, buying dated technology might burn you in the future when you find your Core 2 Duo PC’s motherboard only supports 4GB RAM–for example.

i5′s come with “turbo boost”; however, i3′s overclock very well if that’s your thing. That’s where I’d put my money if you’re considering Core 2 Duo, i3, and i5: the i3 provides the best value for most casual PC users.

While I focused on i3, i5, and Core 2 Duo to answer a reader’s question, the principles apply when comparing i5, i7, and Core 2 Quad. I’d go for the i5 unless you are willing to pay a premium for a little more performance.

What Does the “i” Stand for in i3, i5, and i7?

Added 2012/03/03:

I searched around the web and found speculation that the “i” stands for “Intel”; however, there’s no substantiation to that claim. After coming up with no explanation, I sent an email to Intel tech support. Here’s what they had to say (emphasis added):

Hello Rich,

Thank you for contact Intel(R) Technical Support.

We have received your request. Please be informed that the letter ‘i’ on the model number of the Processor does not stand for any particular detail, technology or feature presented on the product.

This is just a marketing brand name decision. For any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us back.

Thank you for your understading (sic).

Sincerely,

Alvaro A.
Intel Customer Support

The i# processors are just branded that way with no special meaning.

Do I need a Dual/Quad core or an i3/i5/i7?

The reason you’re reading this guide is to find out which type of processor you need. I want to give a simple answer and, if you have more to add, please let us know in the comments. As with all computer hardware, the type of processor you need depends on your needs, for how long you want your computer to stay current, and your budget.

Here’s a very simple breakdown of what you should look to buy depending on your computing needs. All suggestions assume you are buying a pre-built PC (so you don’t have to worry about motherboard and RAM specs and so you don’t have to worry about upgrade compatibility.)

If you:

• Browse the internet, check email, and play the occasional flash game (like Farmville): Get a single core netbook or desktop (and don’t spend more than $300 USD — Updated 12/01/21.)
• Do your word processing, spreadsheets etc. on your PC, listen to music often, and watch movies, get a dual core or i3.
• Play the occasional game and are happy with lower resolution and lower quality graphics (my suggestion assumes the graphics processor on the pre-built PC will be well-matched for the processor suggestions), watch HD movies etc., get a dual core or i5.
• If you do graphic publishing, music creation, programming (and compilation), watch HD movies, and like to play visually appealing games, get a Quad core, i5, or i7.
• If you like to have the very best hardware and play the most graphically intense games, get an i7 Extreme.

I realise my suggestions are somewhat generic but should point you in the right direction. If you have a specific question, ask in the forums or leave a comment below.

So… What Computer Should I Purchase?

Added 2012/03/02:

Recently, a number of you have commented asking what computer to buy. As I’m not familiar with all brands, models, and current pricing, I ask that you post your question in Windows Forums where our group of helpful PC geeks will assist in making the choice that’s best for you. Not sure how to use a forum? Start here: How to get great help from Windows Forums.

It’s important to keep your drivers updated to take advantage of code fixes, reliability improvements, and security; Intel have made it even easier to keep your drivers up to date with the Intel Driver Update Utility.

Intel Driver Update Utility

To use the Intel Driver Update Utility, go here.

Intel does not collect personal information when running this check. From the site:

• No personal information is collected.
  • Intel is committed to protecting your privacy. For more information about Intel’s Privacy Notice, please visit www.intel.com/privacy.
• Only your system’s hardware and system software are evaluated.
  • For example: chipset, graphics driver version, networking, operating system version.
• Available for Windows 7*, Windows Vista*, Windows XP*, and Windows 2000*. If you are using a different operating system, please visit Download Center to look for available software.
• Compatible with Internet Explorer*, Firefox*, Google Chrome*, and Safari* browsers.
• Installing a secure ActiveX*/Java* browser component is required.

Click Check your system for the latest updates:

Once you click the Check your system button, you’ll need to confirm the Java applet can run by clicking Run.

Any updates will be listed and you can download them directly from Intel.

I recommend uninstalling the tool after you’ve updated drivers although it should do no harm if it remains installed:

Please note: Some devices will be found but not recognized such as non-Intel graphics and sound cards. You can update drivers for these devices (as well as your Intel devices) using a program like Device Doctor.

Download Intel Driver Update Utility

Run Intel Driver Update Utility

Want to check for updates to and update all your drivers? Download Device Doctor:

Download Device Doctor

Download Device Doctor

Background: the Warning Signs

Summers can get pretty hot here in Auckland. The average temperature for this time of year is 24 degrees Celsius (that’s 75 degrees Fahrenheit to North Americans) with 99% humidity so it’s no simple matter to keep a computer cool.

Your computers resources are not infinite and each time a new program is called, a portion of the total resource is used and as we chew through the systems resource we eventually reach a point where the resources are no longer sufficient for the proper functioning of the system.

At that point many things can happen starting with “nothing” happening to a full on “Blue Screen of Death” forced re-boot.

In most cases no error message is produced, or the message that is produced has nothing to do with the actual problem that may be discovered later. What we notice is that the system starts acting “weird”. Commands don’t get executed, we lose icons, a simple file copy takes 3 times as long as it should … and at some point we make the decision to shut everything down and start again fresh with a reboot.

Some time ago (more than a year) I found that I had to re-boot my systems far more often on hot days than on cool days.

Eventually it dawned on me that at least some these faults might be the result of overheating.

I asked my wife if we could turn her sewing room into an air-conditioned computer room with hardware racks and a raised floor – but she said “No”. Women – go figure.

My fallback plan “B” called for the installation of more internal fans into my boxes, and while this seemed to alleviate the faults, it also made the room a lot noisier.

In an effort to reduce the office noise levels I had a cabinet built to house the four computers I had at the time. I included several ventilation holes that I hoped would be sufficient.

The result was a large desk-shaped oven. The multiple 6-inch vent holes weren’t nearly enough to extract the trapped heat so it just got hotter and hotter. I had to take off the cabinet doors and even the PC covers and direct a large office fan directly into the cavity to bring the operating temperature down to a safe level. In the end, for a time, the office was hotter and noisier than ever. (more about this in our next article)

I mention my heat problems because for a long time I attributed all of my “un attributable” faults to it. In particular, the one that bugged me the most was the loss of my RAID array.

The first time I noticed it was a bit of a shock given that the drive holds all my data and my “backups” discipline is a bit loose, but after some investigation and a few reboots it became clear that the array hadn’t disappeared, it had only failed to mount.

I’ve configured this PC with 2 partitions – the boot drive (“C:\”) is a separate physical HDD so the system boots up fine, it just has no second partition which is a virtual drive made up of 4 physical drive and combined by RAID to a single “D:\” drive.

No error message was produced and in fact, the report from the HighPoint RAID management system told me that the array was “Normal” apart from the number 2 disk running a bit hot.

In order to recover the folders I had to power down the box and reboot at least once, and sometimes more, to get the virtual “D:\” drive back on line.

I sent off a note to the HighPoint group via their support web page and got an email back saying their support guy was on vacation and gave me an alternate address to contact. No reply came back from the alternate email.

I used the support page to request an update on the status of my fault report and shortly thereafter I got an email saying that my trouble ticket had been updated. I logged back in to the support site only to find that the “update” was my own query asking them for an update.

Around this time I’d been posting my problem off to my various forums and one kind reader wrote me to point out that if I really wanted to back up a 1.5Tb RAID array, I’d need a 1.5Tb backup disk to do it. He was right of course, but it was a depressing kind of right – there is a good measure of fault tolerance built into the RAID software, but it is fault “tolerance” not fault “proof”. If you lose a second disk before you can replace the first fail, you will lose the array.

The lack of progress on this issue and a growing frustration with the supplier drove me to consider an article on “the failure of raid technology and its suppliers”. Fortunately a lucky-un-lucky break intervened.

“We had to destroy the village in order to save it”

Have you ever had an intermittent fault on a system that you couldn’t pinpoint, but you knew it was in a particular subsystem, so you just whacked the subsystem with a hammer to get the whole thing replaced?

Fortunately for me, fate held the hammer this time.

As disk failures go, the “head crash” (see Wikipedia) has to be one of the most dramatic. It’s a catastrophic hardware fault that occurs when a read-write head (works like the needle on a turntable) comes into contact with the surface of the disks platter which is spinning around at 7200 Rpm.

On February 1st, a noise that sounded very much like a high-speed dentist drill came screaming from my PC. Checking the RAID Management page I could see the number 2 drive had indeed failed. (I’ve put a sound file on my web site if you want to hear it Barracuda Head Crash.wav)

Securing a replacement drive (a Western Digital) I had a go at getting it integrated into my system but the first attempt failed miserably (“no available drive found”). After figuring out that the drive had to be formatted first it only took only a minute to install, and then another 8 hours to mirror the drive back in the array restoring my system to peak performance.

Since February 1, and with additional system cooling modifications, both servers have run well although I still can’t close the cabinet doors. My confidence in RAID technology is solidified, and I’m very happy to re-recommend a RAID 5 solution for any situation that requires a large logical drive for optimum disk utilization and data protection with a lower cost of ownership profile than simply doubling the number of disks.

One down, One to go

Bolstered by the success with the disk failure I pushed ahead for a solution to the disappearing drive problem and sent another email off to HighPoint. I got a note back directing me to their Chinese web site to download the latest drivers, BIOS, and web management tools. It sounded like a fob to get me off their backs, but those basic steps – even if they never seem to work, must be undertaken in order to move on to the next step.

On March 1, I found the driver, bios, and application files on their web site and they were, indeed, different from the ones I’d obtained earlier from their US web site (why didn’t they just update the US files themselves?)

I installed the 4 new files and I guess it must have worked — 4 or 5 reboots since the install and not a missing drive in sight!

I won’t claim a final victory however. As with the currently accepted scientific theory: it’s only true until it’s not.

A while back we looked at how could disable IE9’s GPU rendering abilities.

As other browsers in the market are yet to fully catch up to Microsoft in this arena, GPU rendering or acceleration will likely not be enabled by default.

If you use Google Chrome and it’s at version 8 or above (Wrench > About Google Chrome) and your hardware can support it, GPU acceleration and rendering can be enabled.

This Quick Tip is going to show you how.

Step 1.

Open Google Chrome, in the address bar (Ctrl+L) type about:flags and hit Enter

Step 2.

Please take note of this warning;

These experimental features may change, break, or disappear at any time. We make absolutely no guarantees about what may happen if you turn one of these experiments on, and your browser may even spontaneously combust. Jokes aside, your browser may delete all your data, or your security and privacy could be compromised in unexpected ways. Please proceed with caution.

If you’re happy with this, scroll down the page and find GPU Accelerated Compositing and GPU Accelerated Canvas 2D.

Click Enable under each one and restart Chrome to see the changes. Maybe even head over to beautyoftheweb.com and compare the 2 browsers.

How do you think Chrome stacks up to IE9 in this department?  Let us know in the comments.

I recently learned that you can re-arrange the category arrangement, making it appear just as YOU think it should. It does involve editing the registry, but I’m sure that won’t scare you … much.

This tweak is generally for PRO and ULTIMATE users, but you may still be able to tweak some of the Control Panel Applets on lower versions.

Open RegEdit

1. In your registry editor, navigate to the following key:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE|SOFTWARE|Microsoft|Windows|CurrentVersion|Control Panel|Extended Properties|{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74}2
2. In the right pane, find the item that you want to re-categorize. Double click it to bring up its properties box.
   NOTE! Depending on your Windows version of choice, the number of items available in the list may vary – a lot.
3. Change the DWORD value to the number that corresponds to the category where you want to place it (See the list below)

Numbers for each category

• Other Control Panel Options – 0
• Appearance and Themes – 1
• Printers and other Hardware – 2
• Network and Internet Connections – 3
• Sounds, Speed and Audio Devices – 4
• Performance and Maintenance – 5
• Date, Time, Language and Regional Options – 6
• Accessibility Options – 7
• Add or Remove Programs – 8
• User Accounts – 9

Some Vendors only offer the Windows 7 Starter Edition, which in my point of view is a sham to make you pay even more money for your computer. Steer away from these offers I say – unless of course you enjoy NOT being able to change your wallpaper – ever again.

Upgrade on Demand

Buying the computer online (from Dell or HP etc.), you can order it with Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate – but not without the additional cost; you’ll have to pay for that upgrade (Dell charge from $130-$150 Depending on version). Buying from a store, your upgrade choice is the Anytime Upgrade program ($89.95 for Pro or $139.95 for Ultimate).

Is Ultimate, a “must have” ?

Before you shell out the extra money, you might want to first consider why you want or need the higher cost edition. Is it just that one feature you “need” – then, there might be a less expensive way to get its equivalent while still running Windows 7 Home Premium. Let’s take a look at some of the important features that are missing in Home Premium and how you can add similar functionality without upgrading the OS.

Remote Desktop Service

Home Premium has the Remote Desktop Client, letting you connect your HOME computer to another systems desktop, but you are unable to use the Remote Desktop Protocol.

If you are in dire need of a Remote Desktop, there are several free options to choose from – without paying the extra $80-$150.

• Join.me (The free Remote Desktop App from LogMeIn.com – Our Review)
• LogMeIn.com – full version Remote Desktop Application which has a Free account and several paid account options. http://www.logmein.com
• TightVNC is a free program and versions 2.0 and above run on Windows 7.
  http://www.tightvnc.com/intro.php
• RealVNC offers a free version, but it’s not compatible with Windows 7.
  The personal edition does and it costs $30 – still far less than the upgrade to Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate.
  http://www.realvnc.com/

Network Backup

Network backup is another desirable feature of the high-end editions that you sacrifice with Windows 7 Home Premium. However, there are a number of options here: you can use software such as GFI Backup Home Edition, which is free and easy to use or you can use something like Microsoft’s SyncToy, which will synchronize files and folders between a local and network drive, effectively giving you a network backup of your data.

Windows XP Mode

If you would like to use the XP Mode Feature, you will have to have the Pro or Ultimate version – Or Do you Now?
What is XP Mode Really ? The XP mode is nothing more than Microsoft’s Windows Virtual PC plus a licensed copy of Windows XP in a virtual machine to run on it.

Same thing can be done using third-party applications like Virtual PC 2007, Windows Virtual PC, VMware or Sun’s VirtualBox. However, you’ll still need to buy a license for XP to run it in the VM. If you already have a licensed copy of XP, you’re good to go. Otherwise, you’ll probably come out better by upgrading to Windows 7 Pro so you can download XP Mode free. The nice thing about the “real” XP Mode is the way it integrates with your Windows 7 desktop.

Encrypt individual files to protect sensitive data (EFS)

Another feature that you get with Pro and Ultimate but not with Home Premium is the Encrypting File System (EFS). This feature allows you to encrypt individual files to protect sensitive data stored on your hard drive. There are of course several options you can choose from, which are free or have different payment options, still less expensive than Upgrading to Pro or Ultimate.

• TrueCrypt, Lots of features, tho a bit less user-friendly than EFS
• BitLocker (Our Tutorial), Encrypts entire disks
• Secret Disk, Creates encrypted folder
• AxCrypt, Open Source File Encryption

Discussion: Thoughts on Encryption

To Domain or Not Domain

Ok, so the final argument for going all the way (investing in Pro or Ultimate), is to join a Domain. But do you really need that option ? Unless you want all the flexibility in the world wanting to log in to any of your Numerous PC’s and laptops and receive and send e-mails from any computer, then the ability to join a Domain isn’t all that necessary.

But I want to get access to it all

Your computer doesn’t have to be a member of the domain for you to log into a domain account. Meaning that if you only need to access shared folders, files and printers then Home Premium will work just fine. However, should you need the computer to be managed by domain Group Policy and Active Directory Security, then you need to upgrade the OS.

What do YOU think?

Tell us about your experiences. Are there any features of Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate that you just can’t live without, or have you been able to make do with Windows 7 Home Premium Edition? What workarounds (if any), have you used to “upgrade” your Home Premium Edition?

Device Drivers – An Introduction

Computer operating systems, such as Windows, Linux and Mac, and hardware components, such as sound cards, memory cards, and video cards do not speak the same language. To communicate effectively, hardware devices and operating systems require an interface. This interface is provided by device drivers. These drivers enable the computer operating system and installed software to communicate with the hardware devices.

In this article, you will learn:

• Why it is necessary to use only the latest drivers
• Which is better – manual driver updation process or automatic driver updation process
• What is Driver Finder?

Read the detailed Driver Finder review to learn how to use the software to update your device drivers.

Need for most up-to-date drivers

Drivers play a critical role in the performance of your hardware devices and computer. In case your drivers are outdated, you may experience frequent performance-related issues and PC errors. Additionally, you may not be able to use your attached hardware devices properly. This is why it is necessary that you always use the latest device drivers.

Manual updation Vs Automatic updation

You can either update your drivers manually or use a reliable driver scanner tool. Let’s have a look at what each process involves, to understand which is the better method.

Manual Driver Updation Process

Driver manufacturers continuously release the latest versions of their software. If you have decided to update drivers manually, you will have to download the latest driver from the manufacturer’s website.

The process of updating drivers manually, however, is time-consuming. Moreover, at times, you may not be able to locate the latest driver on the manufacturer’s website or you may download an incorrect version. If the driver is not on the manufacturer website, you may even have to download it from another source.

The problem in this is that many dubious websites push malware disguised as genuine programs. So, instead of the latest driver that you were looking for, you may end up with a malware infection.

You just don’t need a genuine driver; you also need to make sure that you install the correct version. Incorrect drivers may create problems with the hardware. In more severe cases, it may even make your computer unbootable.

Automatic Driver Updation Process

Today, third-party driver update tools are available in the market. These tools are designed to automatically scan your hardware devices and download new drivers when required. This process has its advantages.

For starters, you save time and energy. As driver update software does all the work in background, your work is not obstructed. Additionally, the process is completely safe.  The following are a few tasks a driver update tool will do for you:

• Detect all hardware devices installed on your computer and replace any old device drivers with the latest ones in a matter of minutes.

• Identify and fix instances of corrupt or missing drivers by retrieving the latest drivers for the device.

Most driver-update tools have an interactive interface that makes them quite easy to use. Read our detailed Driver Finder review to learn more about how driver update tools can make it easy for you to maintain up-to-date drivers on your computer.

James Ricketts is a writer whose work can be seen at Instant-Registry-Fixes.org. To find out more about his work or to contact him, please visit Instant-Registry-Fixes.org.

The System Health Report is a great feature of Windows 7 that will help you find potential problems with your PC and point you in the right direction to a resolution. This report records details about your computer’s performance, resource usage, and more and includes diagnostic information about things that aren’t working with resolution suggestions.

Specifically, the report includes:

• Diagnostic Results (Warnings, Performance)
• Software Configuration (OS Checks, Security Center Information, System Services, Startup Programs)
• Hardware Configuration (Disk Checks, Systems, Desktop Rating, BIOS, Devices)
• CPU (Process, Service, Services, System)
• Network (TCP, Interface, IP, UDP)
• Disk (Hot files, Disk breakdown, Physical disk, NTFS Performance)
• Memory (Processes, Counters)

In this guide, we’ll cover the following:

1. How to run a system health check.
2. View the output of a system health check.
3. Research Issues.
4. Fix Issues.
5. Get help with reported issues.

Run a System Health Check

To run a system health check:

1. Press Winkey+R (Start > Run…)
2. Type perfmon /report and press Enter.

The report will now gather necessary information:

After one minute, the report will be available:

View the Output of a System Health Check

The output from a system health check can look a little overwhelming but it can be broken down into smaller chunks to see potential problems.

For the basics system checks part of the report, we see there are failures on:

• Security Center Tests
• System Service Tests
• Hardware Device and Driver Tests

The resources look good. If they don’t you can keep an eye on them by reading last weeks guide on resource monitor:

Now we’ve identified the issues, lets take a deeper look through the report.

Research Issues

As mentioned above, there are problems with the following areas:

• Security Center Tests
• System Service Tests
• Hardware Device and Driver Tests

Let’s see what’s up with the security center tests and hardware and device driver tests.

Failure with Security Center Tests

I had the following failure with the security center test:

The information tells me that Security Center has not recorded an anti-virus product:

I did some research online (as I have Microsoft Security Essentials installed) and found that I’m not the only one with this issue (a thorough read of the thread is quite entertaining as someone repeatedly tries to help but doesn’t understand the issue at hand.)

So, for the Security Center Issues, we’re in the clear (although, in the writing of this guide, we managed to stumble upon a glitch in MSE/System Health Checker.)

Fix Issues

Another issue was with Hardware Device and Driver Tests. This time we may have a real problem on our hand:

We see that a network device is disabled (which is on purpose, but let’s see how to fix this issue any way.)

To fix the issue with a disabled network adapter:

1. Click the Network icon in the notification area, and click Open Network and Sharing Center.

   

2. Click Change adapter settings.

   

3. Right click the disabled adapter and click Enable.

Get Help with Reported Problems

There are two good ways to get help with reported problems that you aren’t able to find an answer to with research:

1. Email the report to a friend.
2. Get help on Windows Forums.

If you choose to get help with reported issues, you should save the report to send to a friend via email or attach to a post in Windows Forums.

Save a Report

To save your report:

1. Click File > Save As…

   
   

2. Give the report a name.

   

3. Open the report with Internet Explorer (or your favorite browser) to make sure it works before sending:

Get Help with Issues on Windows Forums

Looking to get help from our friendly members of Windows Forums, check this guide for tips on how to get help: How to Get Great Help with Windows from Windows Forums.