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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Its been a long wait for some of us but it’s officially here, finally!

Microsoft have released Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 bringing notable new features such as Dynamic Memory, Remote FX and improved HDMI audio device performance. Security updates and hotfixes have also been rolled up into the SP.

Before you dive in to downloading and installing, please check out all the documentation to ensure your install goes smoothly.

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To make things easier (for the common user) Microsoft decided to Categorize the Control Panel view. I never could get used to the new categories view, thinking that some of the panel applets were in the wrong category. Instead, I always immediately switch back to the “Classic” Control Panel view.

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

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Recently, I asked iTunes to organize my music directory (getting music from different sources other than just the iTunes store left it a little messy and I decided I’d let iTunes do its thing) and it did a great job; however, it left a bunch of empty directories. Although these empty directories didn’t pose any performance impact, they just looked… messy and I decided I’d delete them. I started doing this one by one and soon realized I had over 50 empty directories and sub directories. Being lazy, I decided to run a command to remove these directories. I’ve done this a lot in Linux so I figured it was easy; well, not quite, but it’s also not that hard. In this guide, I’ll show you what I did and hope you can find this useful in some way.

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In this guest post, James Ricketts explores the basics of computer drivers. Find out more about James at the end of this post.

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?

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Windows Guides’ Rating	Compatible with	System
5 out of 5

PROS: Years of tweaking experience have produced this product that applies tried and tested tweaks to your system. The Program Deactivator removes overhead from your system while keeping the application at hand if needed. CONS: The trial only lasts 15 days. I like to evaluate software for at least 30 days before committing to paying for it. VERDICT: If you want something that is more granular than CCleaner or similar products and you don’t mind forking out for great software, go for this. PRICE: $29.95 (Upgrade) $42.46 (Full Version with 15% off coupon) VERSION REVIEWED: TuneUp Utilities 2011 DOWNLOAD: TuneUp Utilities 2011 (15% off) (Aff) 15 day Trial

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