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.

The lack of security may lay in an outdated browser version, but also in the plugins, add ons and what not installed. The over eager use of plugins (as done in MSIE and Firefox) is why I personally dread most browsers. Mostly because these plugins tend to clutter my “browsing space” but also due to the lack of security.

How do you know how safe your browser experience really is ?

The short answer is: BrowserCheck By Qualys

BrowserCheck by Qualys is a free tool that allow you to test your browser and plugins for known security issues, vulnerabilities  and outdated software.  But that’s not all. BrowserCheck also help you solve your discovered problems by offering links to the new and updated software you need to fix your Browser issues.

Clicking on each topic in the results page, will show you which driver, plugin and version BrowserCheck found on your system and what action they recommend you take.

All links is directed to the vendors / developers sites so you don’t risk downloading from an unknown or unsecure site. In other words, the BrowserCheck is not scamming you to use a certain software or paid subscription.

On my first run I found that not only was my browser outdated (by a couple of days), but so were my Flash-, Pdf-, Quicktime and Java plugin. I was able to download and solve these issues within 5 minutes, and now I’m browsing even more secure than before. Now it’s your turn…

https://browsercheck.qualys.com/

You can read more about it and download it here. [Via Windows Forums]

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.

Iexplore.exe Application Error

Iexplore.exe is the executable file of the popular web browser Internet Explorer. You may encounter the following error when you try to start Internet Explorer 6.0 on a Windows XP computer:

“Iexplore.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.”

Typically, the error occurs when the following conditions hold true:

• Browser Helper Objects (BHO), such as Morpheus, Morpheus Shopping Club, WURLD Shopping Community, or BuyersPort are installed.
• You are logged in to your computer with a limited user account.

The error occurs when the installed BHOs try to make changes to specific system files and registry entries but cannot do so because of limited access. You may perform either of the following tasks to fix the error:

• Log on to your computer as an administrator.
• Remove the BHOs from your computer.

Uninstall Yahoo Toolbar

To achieve this, perform the following steps:

1. Close any open Internet Explorer Window.
2. Click Start and then click Control Panel to open its corresponding window.
3. Next, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
4. Now, locate and select Yahoo Toolbar.
5. Click the Uninstall button.
6. Restart Internet Explorer.

System Error 5

This error occurs if there is a problem with permissions to access another Windows computer. For instance, you may receive the error while trying to access a Windows Vista computer on your network from a Windows XP computer using the Net View command. One of the common causes of this error is Time Synchronization issues. Assuming this is the cause the error, you can resolve the error by performing the following steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and press Enter.
2. At command prompt type NET TIME /QUERYSNTP and press Enter to execute the command.
3. In case an error is reported, type NET TIME /DOMAIN /SET /YES and press Enter.
4. Also, ensure that Time Zones are set correctly.

Essential PC maintenance activities

By regularly performing the following PC maintenance activities you can not only prevent various Window errors, but also resolve various PC performance related issues.

Run malware scans – Install a robust antimalware software, update it regularly, and perform regular malware scans on your entire computer to ensure your Windows PC remains safe from malicious programs.

Update Windows files – Keep the built-in Automatic Update feature enabled to ensure new Windows updates are automatically installed on your computer.

Update third-party drivers – Use a reliable driver update tool or manually update your third-party drivers regularly.

Clean the Windows registry – Clean your Windows registry regularly using a top-rated registry cleaner tool to ensure your registry remains healthy and error-free.

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.

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:

Download the program

The advantages of using a portable program are many. For example we can keep that program on a USB drive. To download SuperAntiSpyware portable go to the following link:

SuperAntiSpyware Portable

and select download as you can see in the image:

Execute the program

Once you have download the program, you will see a “.com” file on your system. The name changes with every download so a virus cannot remove the program. Imagine what can happen if a resident virus detects you have inserted a USB with a file it knows is an antivirus. It can easily delete the file; due to this, the utility changes its name every time.

Double click the .com file and you will see a program like this:

Update the AntiSpyware utility

First of all you need to update the program so it will look if there is something new available. We all know how fast new malware appears so never forget this step.

Apply the  Fixes

Superantispyware hides this utility, full of repairs, into the preferences section so we have to go there:

Go to the repairs tab:

Here are some of the repairs you can select:

Enable start menu run, enable system tray, enable task manager, enable windows control panel, enable windows explorer folder options, home page reset, internet zone security reset, local page reset, remove desktop screen saver, remove explorer policy restrictions, remove internet explorer policy restrictions, and many more.

As you can see SuperAntiSpyware has some useful hidden features that will help you get your computer up and running as normal again.

SUPERAntiSpyware

A few weeks ago Mike Duncan, Director of Business Development at SUPERAntiSpyware.com asked me to take a peek at their software. Being the Geek that never sleeps and challenge accepted off we go on passage into the world of SUPERAntiSpyware.

The results of the testing are beyond the scope of where this post leads but let’s say this, SUPERAntiSpyware has replaced the previous Anti-Malware software installed on this geeks PC’s and no computer leaves this shop without a free version installed.

The masses of features that come with the Free Version launch SUPERAntiSpyware right to top of the class adding the features you get from the website itself make the grade an A+.

Never saying SUPERAntiSpyware is the greatest and  should absolutely never be your only layer of protection. Multiple layers of security software should exist and SUPERAntiSpyware is designed to exemplify and accolade other security applications.

Ed note: You can install this right along side your current anti-malware program (i.e. Microsoft Security Essentials) but avoid running scans with both programs at the same time as there will be conflicts.

With SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition you receive:

• Quick, complete and custom Scanning of your hard drives, removable drives, memory and registry.
• Top notch detection and removal of any Adware, Malware, Trojans, Worms, Spyware, Hi-Jack Protection, Key-Loggers.
• Trust items and exclude folder where you can place trusted or excluded folder and files to help speed up scans.

BootSafe that simplifies the process of booting into safe mode and Repairs allow you to fix and or repair items that may have been damaged by the gremlins attacking your system.

Rick’s Tip: The repair option can be used to fix the listed problems on PC’s that are not or previously infected. These applications such as Task Manager just for one reason or another no longer work. Quick fixed for me a few times this week alone.

SUPERAntiSpyware Online Scan detects and removes spyware/malware infections. The scanner doesn’t install anything on your Start Menu or Program Files and does not need to be uninstalled.

The SUPERAntiSpyware Portable Scan is free for personal use. The scanner contains the latest definitions so you don’t need Internet access on the infected system to scan. If your running SUPERAntiSpyware Portable from Portable Apps you can still update.

Threat Research Center is a list of new threats discovered and removed today that were not detected by other anti-malware/spyware programs.

If you don’t like downloading anything from the Internet a CD can be purchased. An extra fully registered copy of SUPERAntiSpyware Professional as well as an Upgrade to a lifetime subscription of SUPERAntiSpyware can be found through the order page.

Volume and site licensing for SUPERAntiSpyware to Corporate/Enterprise as well as special quotes to educational and non-profit organizations can be found at the Volume/Site Licensing Information page.

If you ever need to manually update your definitions exit SUPERAntiSpyware, and then click the link at the bottom of the Database Definition Information page. Save the file to your desktop or where ever you can find it then click it to run the installer. Once the installation is complete, exit and restart SUPERAntiSpyware for the new definitions to be active.

Often spyware will attack the very software you are using to protect your computer. With SUPERAntiSpyware you can download two .exe files, RUNSAS.EXE and SASSAFERUN.COM disguised variably to sham the spyware and launch SUPERAntiSpyware.

Rick’s Tip: Change the name to “iexplore.exe” without the quotes. Most malware wants access to the internet so will allow Internet explorer to run. If a failure to execute dialog box appears, move the box out of the way and try again.

Obviously everything loaded into SUPERAntiSpyware can’t be mentioned here so a complete with screen-shot  documentation and help are available.

Download SUPERAntiSpyware

• What is an Easter Egg?
• What an Easter Egg is Not
• Easter Egg Examples

What is an Easter Egg?

Easter eggs, in software, are deliberately added and not not just “glitches” (see more about that below.) Often these Easter eggs are added by programmers for a joke, to get some attention, or to add some flair to the software you’re using.

A classic example of an Easter egg is a hidden menu on DVD or an animation in a piece of software that can only be seen by pressing certain keys.

What an Easter Egg is Not

There are some common misconceptions with the term “Easter Egg.” An Easter egg is not:

• A bug in a program.
• An imposed restriction.
• A hack in a program made by the end user.

For example, it has been claimed that not being able to create a folder, in Windows, with one of the following names is an Easter egg:

PRN, AUX, CLOCK$, NUL, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6, COM7, COM8, COM9, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4, LPT5, LPT6, LPT7, LPT8, and LPT9

This is not an example of an Easter egg. This is a restriction, that dates back to DOS, to protect certain file names being used that are reserved by the operating system:

Although the first error message (seemingly, still, not updated with Windows 7) makes you think you’ve found an Easter egg (or glitch) in Windows, the second error message states otherwise.

Another commonly confused Easter egg is the ability to generate random text in Microsoft Word. Try this:

1. Open Microsoft Word

2. Type =rand(20,9)

This will create twenty paragraphs with nine sentences each (taken from the Microsoft Help files):

Still, not an Easter egg.

Enough of that though, you’re here to learn about some real Easter eggs…

Easter Egg Examples

Here are some examples of the best Easter eggs I’ve found/heard about in software over the years. Please share others, you know about, in the comments.

Picasa: Teddy Bears

In Google Picasa, press CTRL+SHIFT+Y. Watch the teddy bears rain down on your screen.

Firefox: The Book of Mozilla

If you’re a Firefox user, open any version and type about:mozilla in the address bar. You’ll get a quote from “The Book of Mozilla”:

Firefox: about:robots

Open Firefox and type about:robots in the address bar:

vim: :Ni! and :help!

In vim, if you type

:Ni!

in normal mode, vim shows the error message

Do you demand a shrubbery?

If you type

:help!

vim, reassuringly, says

Don’t Panic!

Source

Excel 97: Flight Simulator

Want to see the credits of Excel 97 in a flight sim-like fashion? Didn’t think so, but you’re welcome to try anyway. If you’re using Office 97 or have access:

1. Open Excel 97 (this doesn’t work in later versions.)
2. On a blank worksheet, press F5.
3. Type X97:L97 and press Enter.
4. Press the Tab key once.
   
5. Hold down Ctrl + Shift and left-click the Chart Wizard toolbar icon.

Click here for a screenshot if you don’t have Excel 97. Otherwise, try it for yourself as a fun surprise.

uTorrent: Tetris

In uTorrent, click Help > About uTorrent. When the About dialog appears, press T on the keyboard to play Tetris.

Are These Easter Eggs?

Here are a few I’ve found, over the years, that I’m on the fence about. What do you think?

Extra Files in C:\Windows on Windows XP

If you’re using Windows XP or have access to a copy of it, go to C:\Windows and look for a file named clock.avi. I’ve not seen any use for this file. I’m not entirely sure it’s an Easter egg, but I bet you didn’t know it was there!

Similarly, there is a file named “quotes”. Open My Computer and go to: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\etc, open the file named quotes in notepad then look at the quotes put there by the Microsoft developers.

Win Solitaire Every time

Open Solitaire Press Alt + Shift + 2 while playing and see the cards drop.

53% of respondents stated they play video games online. Here’s a breakdown of which platforms you use:

From your responses, 63% of you play PC video games (not including flash games.) This number is much higher (proportionally) than I expected.

What’s Next?

I’ve thought about reviewing games, writing how to guides, providing game secrets etc.; however, there are a few things that hold me back:

1. Testing software can sometimes take 8-10 hours (all told.) Honestly reviewing a game could take 60-80 hours.
2. I’m not that into games so I don’t think I’d personally be a good critic.
3. Buying games to review could get very expensive.
4. The internet is packed with game reviews, walkthroughs, how-to’s etc.

I’m definitely not closed to the idea of featuring games (or guides to help you get the most out of your PC for playing games.) What do you think? Would you like to see more game-related guides on Windows Guides? Let us know in the comments.

Windows Guides’ Rating	User Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

PROS: The free version gives you access to your PC with no restrictions that would make it difficult to use your PC remotely. CONS: The only con is the pro features are not free but I have no objections to their pricing structure. VERDICT: If you want to work on your PCs remotely, this tool will do everything you need. You don’t need to set any complicated firewall rules, set up any kind of DNS to access your PC, or worry about anything complicated. LogMeIn just works. PRICE: Free (For LogMeIn Free) VERSION REVIEWED: Host version 4.1.0.1578 DOWNLOAD: LogMeIn

LogMeIn Features

LogMeIn lets you:

• Access your personal computers
• Access your personal computers from your mobile device
• Network your devices together
• Support your friends’ and family’s PCs

Once you’ve signed up for a free account, you’ll need to install LogMeIn on each PC that you want to access remotely. Then, when you log in, you’ll see a list of your computers (online and offline):

Clicking Remote Control will give you access to your PC (from any internet connected PC in the world):

You can even access your desktop from your mobile device; here’s a couple of screenshots from my iPhone:

I’ve been using LogMeIn for the last three years and I can’t recommend it enough. I just hope they always keep a free option available.

Start Using LogMeIn

LogMeIn

It’s a good week for Microsoft fanboys!  Microsoft have today made Internet Explorer 9 Release Candidate available for download.

We’ve covered some of the great features IE9 has to offer in the past, we’ve also taken a look at tweaking the browser to better suit your needs.

A few enhancements here are there are notable in the newest public release though nothing too drastic from what we already know.

Note that IE9 RC is now feature complete.  Whilst we may see the odd minor UI tweak here and there and undoubtedly tonnes of bug fixes before it goes gold, know that this is it folks!  And I think Microsoft have done it!

Hit the link for the direct download links.

Windows 7 x86

Windows 7 x64

Windows Vista x86

Windows Vista x64

(No XP support)