Speeding up your PC

Are you a victim of slow-PC syndrome? Do you wish your computer boots up Windows in seconds instead of minutes? Well fear not, you’re not alone! Many people have this issue and it can be remedied by several simple and proactive steps. In this Tech Tip, we examine 10 simple ways to quickly speed up your computer regardless if it’s a laptop or desktop.

1.) Turn off unnecessary programs during start-up.

Click START – RUN – and type “msconfig” – click STARTUP tab - uncheck the programs that are not needed upon startup such as ADOBE ACROBAT, GOOGLE UPDATE, QUICKTIME – You can see the program name, its file extension and location by the Manufacturer, Command and Location, respectively.

WARNING – IF YOU’RE UNSURE ABOUT A CERTAIN PROGRAM,DO NOT UNCHECK IT AS IT CAN HAVE UNPLEASANT CONSEQUENCES. ONLY UNCHECK THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU RECOGNIZE AND DO NOT NEED TO HAVE RUNNING AT START-UP (i.e. WINAMP AGENT)

2.) Use a free cleaning utility to clean out your system.

Free programs like C Cleaner delete old junk files, cached pages, temporary files and other unimportant data from your computer, thus freeing up your hard drive. If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution,Tune Up Utilities is an excellent program that can tackle all things cleaning-related so you don’t have to use multiple programs to clean your computer. C Cleaner also has a Windows Registry cleaning feature that can help clean out your registry for increased performance.

3.) Upgrade your computers hard drive to a new/bigger/faster one!

Hard drives are getting faster, cheaper and bigger so pick up a new one! Whether your current one is old, sputtering on its last spindle rotation, or almost at full capacity, you can purchase a 500GB, 750GB or 1 Terabyte drive that has much more buffer cache, faster spindle speeds and can even consume less power! (eco-green models) Even if your current drive is working fine, a second hard drive is handy as a large dumping ground for files or can serve as a place to store back-up images of your current hard drive. If you don’t feel like cracking open your case, you can opt for an external hard drive and dump your archive files there to free up space. The reason is because as a hard drive gets full, its performance decreases because it has to work harder to access files.

4.) More Computer Memory (RAM) Scotty!

Now is the time to buy RAM/Memory if your computer was built within the last 5 years. The prices of DDR2 and DDR3 RAM have gone down significantly so it would be in your best interest to pick up at least 1-2 GB on top of what you have now. More RAM means that the computer can do a better of job of booting up programs, delegating tasks and increase overall system performance. Check with your respective PC manufacturer to determine how much RAM you computer can accommodate.

5.) Utilize Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Anti-Malware programs

It’s not rocket science that if your computer is infected with a Trojan, botnet or other type of malicious infection, it can slow down your computer considerably. (And possibly compromise your IT security) Pick up a good anti-virus program like MS Security Essentials or AVG Antivirus if you fancy free versions. If you don’t want to have your system hijacked by a Trojan, pick up Malwarebytes’ Antimalware which can find and quickly eliminate programs such as “Avira AV” which auto-install and trick the unsuspecting victim that he/she is infected. (Then it will try to collect payment from “product activation” but it’s really just a hijacking program) Bottom line, your computer will run faster and much more efficient without these kinds of infections.

6.) Update Drivers

This obviously sounds like a chore but keep in mind that with the super fast pace of technology, having the most up-to-date software is important for a computer’s stability, compatibility and performance. For example, if you play PC games or do heavy graphics editing, your gaming/editing performance might suffer if you’re using outdated drivers from the video card manufacturer. (Or OEM PC maker)

7.) Take advantage of READYBOOST!

If you’re running Windows Vista or 7, utilizing ReadyBoost is one of the simplest speed tweaks you can perform! Just pick up a 2-4 GB USB flash drive, plug it into your computer and wait for it to be recognized. Afterwards, right click on the flash drive letter under My Computer and click the READYBOOST tab. Check USE THIS DEVICE and click OK and voilá! You’re done!

8.) Turn off User Account Control (UAC) and Aero

For Windows Vista and 7 users, turning off UAC not only eliminates the annoying pop-ups but also speeds up the computer.

Just go into Control Panel – Security Center – USER ACCOUNTS – TURN USER ACCOUNT CONTROL OFF.

For those of you who don’t care about the graphical fancy pants that is Windows Aero, you can turn it off and thus save Windows from performing unnecessary gratuitous graphics when you’re simply navigating.

For Vista - right-click on the desktop – PERSONALIZE – click WINDOW AND APPEARANCE – OPEN CLASSIC APPEARANCE PROPERTIES FOR MORE COLOR OPTIONS – COLOR SCHEME – WINDOWS VISTA BASIC.

For Windows 7 – right-click on desktop – PERSONALIZE – Select Windows 7 Basic theme – OK.

9.) Remove unnecessary programs in Windows

If you buy a computer from an OEM such as Dell or HP, it’s most-likely filled with “bloatware”, the programs that are usually trial but are installed with the OEM’s copy of Windows. While these programs are harmless, they get annoying because they slow your computer down considerably. You can either manually uninstall each program from CONTROL PANEL – ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS, or you can download and install PC Decrapifier. This program searches your computer, targets the programs that are considered bloatware such as “Auto Backup – Free Trial!”, “McAfee 90-day Trial”, and “eMusic” and un-installs them to not only free up hard drive space, but also increase performance.

10.) Defrag the right way!

Defragmenting your hard drive the proper way can speed up your PC in addition to organizing your files. Some programs like Puran Defrag not only defrags your hard drive(s), it also defrags your boot files so your Windows start-ups are quicker. In addition, there are comprehensive programs like Raxco Perfect Disk that optimize the placement of data for maximum performance depending on the settings you choose.

While there are many ways to speed up your computer, the goal for these 10 speed tips are simplicity and ease of use. Yes, you can tinker with your Windows Registry files but if you make a mistake, you can crash Windows just like that! The most important thing to keep in mind is remembering to perform the above cleaning tasks every now and then. (At least once a month) Just like proactively keeping your car in good running condition (ahem, Skyline GT-R!) with timely maintenance, running these applications from time to time keeps your computer running in peak performance. Regardless of whether you have a dual-core, triple-core or quad-core CPU computer, you did pay for your computer’s performance so it makes sense to able to utilize all of it.

Twitter Tips and Tools

Social networking and micro-blogging site Twitter just celebrated its fifth year on March 21. It began as a small project at a podcasting company in San Francisco called Odeo. Thanks to the creative genius of Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams and Biz Stone, the world is closer and more “real-time” than ever before. There is no clearer evidence of this than the role Twitter (and Facebook) played in the recent uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.

It took Twitter 3 years, 2 months and 1 day to reach the first 1 billionth tweet. Now there are a billion tweets a WEEK. While the actual number of Twitter users is a moving target, it is no doubt in excess of 200 million. Over the last month, there has been an average of 460,000 new Twitter accounts per day.

People have different reasons for joining Twitter. Whether you want to generate more traffic to your business or you want to increase your social relationships, you can tweet to achieve your goals. In this Tech Tip, we’ll explore some helpful tips and tools you can use whether you’re a beginner or an experienced tweeter.

We’ll assume that you know how to set up a Twitter account and have a basic knowledge of the platform. You’re limited to 14 characters for your user name so choose something that will identify you. Also, be creative with a custom background for your Twitter page. You can change that on the Design tab and use themeleon to really pimp out your page. Make the most of the personal information on your account. On your Profile, fill in your location, web site URL (if you have one), plus a nice picture or avatar. Most important will be your BIO where you describe yourself in 160 characters or less. If you’re looking to find new customers or people with similar interests, use keywords in your bio that will attract that kind of following.

Twitter Tips

Your tweet will stand out more if it's shorter, especially if it's sandwiched between other tweets that push the character limit. If you can't say it in 140 characters, reevaluate whether you should be posting it on Twitter. Best practice is to tweet an average of 1-3 times per day maximum. Share good stuff—keep it topical, informative and useful.

When you read tweets you may notice some contain a hash tag (#) followed by a word. A hash tag is simply a way for people to search for tweets that have a common topic. In a way, it allow you to create communities of people interested in the same topic by making it easier for them to find and share info related to it. Just remember that when tweeting the hash tag will come out of your 140 character tweet limit.

If you’re wondering who to follow other than friends, co-workers and family, follow the followers of those you respect. There’s a high probability that the majority of those users are real people with similar interests. Your follow back rate could triple using this tactic.

Be diligent when replying to tweets directed to you. If you just hit “reply” remember that tweet will be seen by ALL those following you and they may choose to unfollow you. That can diminish your presence on Twitter. If you’d like to keep it more private then type a “d” before the user name to send a direct message, such as d computergeeks.

Don’t auto-reply to everyone who follows you with the AutoDM (direct message). That’s sure to bring you a slew of unfollows. Try to keep an even balance between “following” and “followers”. Let’s say you have 200 followers and are following 1,988 people; that could raise a red flag and Twitter might put a hold on your account until you bring the two into more of an alignment. Of course, if you’re Charlie Sheen with over 3 million followers, that rule is out the window. But for those of us who aren’t #winning, best to keep an eye on your follow status.

On March 15, 2011, Twitter enabled users to turn on HTTPS, improving the security of your account to better protect your information if you’re using Twitter over an unsecured Internet connection, like a public WiFi network. The plan is to make this the default setting in the future, but for now go toyour settings and check the box next to “Always use HTTPS,” which is at the bottom of the page.

Twitter Tools

If you’re looking for an easier way to grow your followers, you can try a software called TweetAdder. It offers a great feature where you can simply enter a user’s name and it will extract their followers and add them to the “follow list” that you can use in the software. While there is a charge for TweetAdder, it can be cost-effective in the amount of time it will save you. The web site offers a detailed demo, so give it a try.

Hootsuite and TweetDeck are by far the most popular third party Twitter clients available today. They have many similarities - ability to schedule posts, post to other channels such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare all at once. They both have their own URL shorteners.

Known by its cute owl mascot, Hootsuite is a web-based tool that can handle multiple Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Page, LinkedIn, MySpace and Foursquare social profiles. Unlike TweetDeck, Hootsuite offers a robust statistical analysis of your accounts which may or may not be what you need. The free version allows for up to 5 social media profiles but you can upgrade to unlimited for as little as $6 a month.

TweetDeck is a free desktop tool that uses Adobe Air and for that reason can be a little wonky at times. But it also has many great features. You can attach photos and videos to your tweet, schedule your tweets in advance. TweetDeck will display columns of each of your accounts, your mentions, direct messages, lists, a hash tag you want to monitor, trending topics and more.

You can’t go wrong with either one, they’re free so try them both and see what works best for you.

If you want to tie in your blog posts with your tweets and other social networks, there’s a handy tool call Twitterfeed. Again, free so check it out if that fills a need.

Share some of your interesting pictures on Twitter so that others can get to know you better. This is easy to do with a free tool called Twitpic. You can upload a picture or video, compose your tweet and then post your message. You can also email your picture and tweet via Twitpic. It’s compatible with mobile devices which make it easier to share pictures from your phone.

Here are some other tools you might find helpful:

1. Twitterfall allows you to narrow down tweets by city and/or keyword.
2. Twellow: like the Twitter Yellow Pages- a search directory of people by area of expertise, profession or other attribute listed in their personal profiles.
3. TweetBeep sends you alerts based on keywords; stay on top of breaking news.
4. TweetGrid helps you monitor multiple topics at once.

BONUS TIP

Since tweets are limited to 140 characters, URLs are usually shortened. Are you just a tad wary of clicking on those bit.ly,is.gd or TinyURL!™ from people you don’t know or necessarily trust? Well, there’s a way to find out exactly where they’re sending you before you click that little link. Go tohttp://www.untiny.me, put in the short link, extract the actual URL and decide if you want to go ahead and click through.

This only scratches the surface of the many Twitter tools out there with more launching all the time. But some other highly recommended ones include SocialOomph, Posterous® andSeesmic. Since all the tools mentioned in this Tech Tip are either free or have a free trial, take them for a test drive and see what you like best.

Have you tried these or any other tools and tips? Let us know in the comments.

Use Twitter to make new friends or promote your business and have some social networking fun.

Data Security FAQ

Some frequently asked questions about how to safeguard your computer data on a personal and business level. It assumes that you DO NOT have gigabytes of music and movies that require extensive security measures to protect.

1.) How should I begin to secure important data on my desktop computer or laptop?

First, it makes sense to designate 1 or 2 specific folders on your computer as the main folder for confidential file back-ups for several reasons. If you have to do a quick back-up, all you do is copy that folder to an external drive for an instant back-up.

Second, It provides a centralized location for all important data. Instead of having to hunt down the menu, sub-menu, sub-sub-menu of where you normally download company financial spreadsheets, you can set your browser and programs (such as Quickbooks, etc.) to save/download all important files to this folder.

Third, let’s say you only save ALL important files on a flash drive/external hard drive. If your notebook gets lost/stolen, the thieves only have the programs and not the actual confidential files which are on the cheap flash drive.

2.) Great, now how do I actually back-up my designated BACK UP folder(s)?

Here’s where it gets tricky. You have several back-up options such as:

A.) Cloud – Services such as Carbonite and Mozy offer low-priced back-up solutions. You basically upload all your confidential files to their cloud servers and are able to access them anywhere in the world where there is Internet access. The main issue is that, from a business security perspective, you have no idea where your data is stored.If, for example, it’s stored in a server farm in China which gets hacked, then you’re in trouble.

B.) External Hard Drives – These nifty devices come in portable 2.5” and larger 3.5” flavors and offer more than generous dumping grounds for all things important. Once you plug it in, your OS recognizes it and pops you up with a folder showing it as a (giant) external drive with a letter (i.e. G:) Some even feature OTB (One Touch Backup) so you press one button and it backs up either your entire system or certain portions of it. Some external hard drives offer plug-in encryption that prevents unauthorized access. The issue with this solution is that you have to lug it around, which means it has a chance of getting lost/stolen and the formality of performing a back-up might become time-consuming to some.

C.) Flash Drive – These little drives are more nimble, have zero moving parts and are highly portable. Unfortunately, this is also its Achilles’ Heel as its relatively small size makes it prone to becoming misplaced or stolen. Also it does not have the capacity of a larger external drive. The good news is that some flash drives have built-in encryption which can be useful if it lands in the wrong hands.

D.) Home/Office Network Attached Storage Drive – Also called NAS, this is an excellent solution for comprehensive back-up protection as these hard drives function as dumping grounds for an entire home or office network. It provides a centralized location for files, folders and documents which any connected computer can access and come in large drive sizes. However, security precautions should be utilized if the NAS has built-in measures as an unsecured NAS may be prone to prying eyes. For example, a NAS without security protocols activated while connected to a home Wi-Fi network is prone to being breached. Because of this, it’s crucial to configure the NAS security as well as the router/network security for optimal protection.

E.) Backing up to CD/DVD/Blu-Ray – Optical media back-up is actually a very cost-effective solution because CDs and DVDs are very cheap nowadays. Furthermore, if you’re looking to close the books for a certain month on your business, burning to a CD-R or DVD+R sets the data in stone so it can’t be manipulated on the disc. The problem is that if you have lots of data to back-up, the formality of using several CD-R or DVD-R discs to save might also become time consuming. In addition, you would have to make sure said back-up discs are placed in a safe place where the chance of it getting stolen is minimized.

3.) Which back-up method should I pick?

While the above solutions offer many ways to back up your confidential data, the best way to minimize a data breach/loss is to follow a combination of multiple back-up solutions and proactive behavior. For example, it would be a good idea to store important sensitive data on your flash drive and encrypting it with TRUE Crypt while also saving duplicate file copies on your home NAS drive via secure VPN connection. If your flash drive is lost/stolen, True Crypt prevents the drive from being used without proper credentials and you can still access the very same duplicate files on your NAS server.

Regarding proactive behavior, you should be mindful of back-ups so you don’t lose something you wish you saved 2 weeks ago.

There are also programs out there that can help secure data such as:

• Folder Lock – Locks and can hide any folder you wish from prying eyes.
• True Crypt– secures drives with extensive hardware encryption.
• Acronis Drive Cleaner – Completely erases all drive data with several methods (DoD, Gutmann method, etc.) – works great if you’re planning to get ride of old computer hardware.

Remember, it’s all about being proactive and being mindful of what back-up security solutions to use for your personal or business needs!