Cleaners Compared: CCleaner vs. Slimcleaner vs. IObit Advanced SystemCare
Although Windows is a very capable operating system, it is infamous for its deteriorating performance over time. With the help of some clever system cleaners, however, you can drastically increase the life expectancy of your system before you have to resort to a re-installation. I compared three programs based on their interface, features, scan times, and results. An ideal cleaner should have a simple, easy to use interface with effective features, quick scan times and accurate and helpful results.
Cover Your Tracks With These 3 Unmissable Data Removal Tools
Personal privacy is the hot topic these days, at least in the news. It should also be the hot topic in your computing life, as well! What you do online and on your computer says an awful lot about you and, in the hands of the wrong people, can prove disastrous. Oh, fine, at least we have a password on our computers. But let's say we are doing something where privacy really does matter. Imagine we had a benevolent reason to cover our tracks. On to some tools that will help us do just that!
10 Common PC Maintenance Errors That You Can Avoid
PCs still require maintenance, as much as we wish they were magic boxes that did all the work for us. Unfortunately, many people make mistakes when it comes to maintaining their PC. These mistakes could result in hardware damage, security breaches, data loss, and general system instability. We generally cover lists of things you should do, but knowing what not to do can be even more important. Here we cover some of the most common mistakes so you can avoid them and keep your PC running like new.
CleanMyDrive Cleans Up After Your Mac So You Don't Have To
Macs leave all sorts of files on your drives that could potentially annoy Windows and Linux users. Some of these files – like the contents of the Trash – can take up a lot of space. Others – like DS_Store and Spotlight's various markers – are just plain annoying. Whether it's deleted files or the random crap like "DS_Store" OS X loves to leave behind, CleanMyDrive automates the removal of junk. Put simply: it's a free, automated way to remove crap files.
3 Ways To Breathe New Life Into An Old Hard Drive
It's in the human nature to collect stuff and in the digital age we mostly collect data. For a long time, the storage capacities of hard drives seemed to increase too slow to match user demands. We have now reached a turning point. With the aid of generous free Cloud storage and streaming services, it seems like local data storage needs are peaking and will eventually level off.
Be Prepared: These Are the Vital Files You Should Backup
If you aren't already backing up your important files, you should be. Whether it be by manual copying files over to multiple hard drives or using a system like Apple's Time Capsule, it's very necessary to keep your files in more than one place. Why? Simply put, hard drives break. Sometimes they break for no reason, too. It's always best to be prepared. You may be wondering what exactly you should back up. Fortunately, that's what this entire article is about!
How To Do Your Research Before You Download Free Software
Before downloading a free program, you should be sure it's trustworthy. Determining whether a download is safe is a basic skill, but one everyone needs -- particularly on Windows. Use these tips to ensure you download only trustworthy and safe free software, not bad software that will infect your computer with adware, spyware, or maybe even something worse.
Get a Head Start On Your USB Toolkit With Windows System Control Center
I often joke about being the only IT guy with a 36-inch pipe wrench in his toolbox. Funny, but also probably true. But I do carry one IT tool in my kit that is just as powerful and hefty as that pipe wrench - the Windows System Control Center on my Tools USB flash drive. The WSCC is an interface that gives you access to the SysInternals and NirSoft suite of tools. It's like having a 3 foot pipe wrench in your back pocket! Only considerably more comfortable.
How Undervolting Decreases Heat & Increases Battery Life
Would you believe that many computers and smartphones can run cooler and consume less power? A trick exists, called undervolting, which can increase your CPU's efficiency with few drawbacks. If performed right, devices generally produce less heat while exhibiting improved battery performance. The process can require a great deal of patience and confidence as the potential for disaster exists.
SpeedFan Tells All: A Free Windows App To Monitor Every Aspect Of Your System Temperature
Just as shorting a computer out will ruin it, making it run in temperatures it was never meant to take will cause it to malfunction. SpeedFan is a free utility for Windows designed to help you keep a close eye on just how hot your computer is getting, down to the individual component level.
Is the Microsoft Fix It Service Really Any Good? [MakeUseOf Tests]
Have computer problems? Microsoft's Fix It service attempts to fix them for you. If you've browsed Microsoft's help pages, you've probably seen a variety of "Fix It" programs you can run to quickly fix a problem without walking through a complicated troubleshooting process. We've covered the Fix It Center in the past, but now we're really going to put Microsoft's Fix It service to the test.
OUTDATEfighter: Keep Your Computer Updated And Bloatware-Free With This Fantastic Tool [Windows]
Do you ever feel like keeping all your software updated is too much of a hassle? OUTDATEfighter, created by FIGHTERtools, is a new program that allows you to scan for software and Windows updates, without leaving the program's window. That means no need to open a browser and manually download each program, like some other programs do.
Busted - How To Deal With a Broken Screen On Your Laptop
Over the past couple of years I have traveled a lot and took my work with me wherever I went. I worked from the most ridiculous and beautiful places all over North America and Europe. My office was wherever I set up my computer. And for a while my desktop felt like home. And then I broke my laptop screen. Disaster! What do you do when you depend on your laptop; to look up information, submit work, and meet deadlines?
Did You Know Windows 8 Has a Built-In Time Machine Backup?
We sometimes forget with all the focus on Windows 8's new "Modern" interface, but Windows 8 has a variety of great desktop improvements. One of them is File History, a built-in backup feature that functions similarly to Apple's much-loved Time Machine. Enable File History and Windows will automatically back up your files to an external or network drive. You'll be able to restore previous versions from these backups.
How To Resolve Windows 8 Boot Issues
Windows 8 uses a new "hybrid boot" feature to improve boot times. When you shut down, your computer doesn't actually shut down normally - it performs a sort of limited "hibernate" that stores a state with drivers, services, and other software loaded into memory. When your computer boots, it doesn't need to reinitialize all your hardware, load drivers, and load services - it simply loads the state from your hard drive and continues the boot-up process.
You Just Spilled Water Or Coffee On Your Laptop - Here's What You Should Do
Okay, let's take a deep breath and deal with the emergency first. Any emergency requires us to take a moment or two and assess the situation. That way we aren't just reacting, we are acting with intent. Usually, that works out better in the long run. Time is precious in emergencies, but so is rational thinking and that's what you came here for, isn't it? So take another calming breath and answer the following questions.
WizTree Can Help You Find What Is Hogging Your Disk Space [Windows]
Some users prefer visuals and need charts and graphs, or others need as much numerical data as possible, and then some of us just want the information on our screen as fast as we can get it. This post applies to those of you who prefer the latter! Let's take a look at one of the fastest disk space analysis tools out there. That software is WizTree.
Clean & Optimize Your Computer for Better Performance With WinOptimizer
Over the last few years, I've tried quite a few applications that promise to clean up and optimize your computer. The thing is, there are a lot of different degrees of "clean" if you really think about it. You've got junk in the registry, junk in the hard drive like log files, old install files and Internet history, or even just poorly considered settings for Windows utilities. There are different programs out there that will supposedly clean up your PC, like BleachBit or CCleaner.