0 Backup and Restore Hardware Drivers the Easy Way with Double Driver

One of the more tedious aspects of reinstalling an operating system is finding all of the drivers for your hardware again. Many times you may not have the CD for a new hardware device, and even if you did the drivers on the disk are likely out of date.

Instead of going through all that hassle, you can simply use a great utility called Double Driver to help restoring drivers the easy way.

Using Double Driver

After installation go ahead and launch Double Driver and click on the Scan button to begin detecting the drivers.

Once the scan is complete you can choose specific drivers to save or select them all. 

To back up the drivers just press the Backup button.  Choose a directory to back them up and click OK.

You will get a progress screen while the drivers are being backed up.

Successful driver backup!

 

All of the drivers are placed into their respective folders automatically for easy management.

Another handy feature is printing out the divers list or saving them as a text file.  This comes in very handy if working on multiple PC’s at a time.

Note that we’ve written previously about another way to copy Windows drivers from one computer to another, but Double Driver is probably a better solution.

Detail: Backup and Restore Hardware Drivers the Easy Way with Double Driver

0 How to Disable Startup Programs in Windows

The more software you install on your computer, the longer it may seem to take to start up Windows. Many programs add themselves to the list of programs started when you boot your computer, and that list can get long.

Editor’s Note: Obviously our more geeky readers already know how to do this, but this article is meant for everybody else. Feel free to share it with your non-techie friends!

If you are using Windows 8, scroll down.

Disabling Startup Programs in Windows 7, Vista, or XP

For some programs, it’s smart to have them start with Windows, such as anti-virus and firewall software. However, for most programs, starting them at boot-up just wastes resources and extends startup time. There is a tool installed with Windows, called MSConfig, that allows you to quickly and easily see what’s running at startup and disable the programs you prefer to run on our own after startup as needed. This tool is available and can be used to disable startup programs in Windows 7, Vista, and XP.

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NOTE: MSConfig can be used to configure several things other than just startup programs, so be careful what you do with it. If you’re not sure about using it, just follow the steps in this article and you should be fine.

To run MSConfig, open the Start menu and type “msconfig.exe” (without the quotes) in the Search box. As you type, results display. When you see “msconfig.exe,” click on it or press Enter, if it is highlighted.

NOTE: If you are using Windows XP, open the Run dialog box from the Start menu, type “msconfig.exe” in the Open edit box, and click OK.

Click the Startup tab on the System Configuration main window. A list of all the startup programs displays with a check box next to each one. To prevent a program from starting up with Windows, select the check box next to the desired program so there is NO check mark in the box. Click OK once you have made your choices.

A dialog box displays telling you that you may need to restart your computer for the changes to take affect. Click Restart to restart your computer immediately. If are not ready to restart your computer, click Exit without restart.

Disabling Startup Programs in Windows 8 or 8.1 or 10

Windows 8 and 8.1 make it really simple to disable startup applications. All you have to do is open up Task Manager by right-clicking on the Taskbar, or using the CTRL + SHIFT + ESC shortcut key, clicking “More Details,” switching to the Startup tab, and then using the Disable button.

It’s really that simple. If you aren’t seeing these options, make sure to click “More Details,” which is in the same place as the “Fewer details” that you see on this screenshot.

Disabling Startup Programs in CCleaner

The free PC-cleaning utility CCleaner also has a tool that allows you to disable startup programs. In CCleaner, click the Tools button on the left side of the dialog box and click Startup to see the list of startup programs. The Enabled column indicates whether each program is set to start with Windows. To disable a program that is enabled, select the program in the list and click Disable. You can also enable programs that have been disabled.

NOTE: CCleaner does not seem to prompt you to restart your computer, so be sure to do so yourself.

There is a Professional version of CCleaner that costs $24.95 and comes with priority technical support. However, there is a free version available as an installable version and a portable version.

Note that some applications need to be configured to stop launching themselves when the computer boots, or they will just add themselves to the list of startup programs again. In this case, there is usually a setting in a program’s options to prevent it from starting with Windows.

Detail: How to Disable Startup Programs in Windows

0 5 Simple Tips to Speed Up Windows XP

Everybody wants their computers to be as fast as new or even a little bit faster. That’s why a lot of users still prefer Windows XP - it’s a fairly light operating system and is particularly good for netbooks and older computers. Even though it’s pretty fast as it is, there are many ways to speed up XP even more - from upgrading your hardware (adding RAM is the easiest solution) to applying various registry tweaks. But if you are looking for a fast and easy solution, here are 5 simple tips which really help if you want to know how to speed up your computerrunning Windows XP.

1. Cleanup and defrag

Yes, I know, the good old cleanup and defrag. But seriously, you can’t expect your computer to be fast if it’s cluttered with junk and has file fragments scattered all over the hard drive.

Windows XP has built-in disk cleaner and disk defragmenter. To access the Disk Cleanup tool, go to Start –> (All) Programs –> Accessories –> System Tools –> Disk Cleanup. And if you want to use the Disk Defragmenter, go to Start –> (All) Programs –> Accessories –> System Tools –> Disk Defragmenter.

However, a lot of people prefer using third-party defrag utilities, like Auslogics Disk Defrag or Piriform Defraggler, because the built-in XP one is pretty slow and doesn’t do a very thorough job.

2. Uninstall programs you never use

A lot of people love trying out new software. So, they download programs, install them, run them a couple of times, and… sometimes never use them again! Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Having too many programs can make your computer really slow, not to mention the amount of hard drive space they take up.

To see currently installed programs, go to Start –> Settings –> Control Panel –>double-click Add/Remove Programs. Review the list and uninstall programs you never use.

3. Optimize XP appearance settings

If speed is your top priority, it’s recommended to adjust XP appearance settings for best performance. Visual effects that we are so used to waste system resources. And if you think that it’s only the graphics card that has to deal with them, you’re wrong – CPU and RAM are affected as well.

Luckily it’s very easy to optimize XP for best performance by turning off unneeded visual effects:

• Go to Start –> Settings –> Control Panel;
• In the Control Panel clickSystem and go to theAdvanced tab;
• In the Performance Options window select Adjust for best performance;
• Click OK and close the window.

This will turn off all visual effects, which is especially good for less powerful PCs and netbooks. But if you want Windows XP to look sleeker, leave the following boxes checked:

• Show shadows under menus;
• Show shadows under mouse pointer;
• Show translucent selection rectangle;
• Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop;
• Use visual styles on windows and buttons.

4. Speed up Windows Explorer

If you feel that Windows Explorer takes too long to start, there is a way to speed it up. Windows automatically looks for network files, shared folders, and devices every time you open Explorer. Disabling this option will speed up access to Windows Explorer. To do it:

• Open Windows Explorer;
• Click on the Toolsmenu;
• Then click on Folder Options;
• Click on the Viewtab;
• Find Automatically search for network folders and printers check box and uncheck it;
• Click Apply, then click OK;
• Reboot your computer.

5. Disable indexing

Indexing can be useful, but it can also make your computer slow and loud, as it takes up RAM and makes the hard drive thrash. The indexing service is used to update the lists of all files on your computer to speed up file search. Disabling indexing will make your search a bit slower, but overall it will speed up computerrunning XP. Here’s how:

• Go to Start –> Settings –> Control Panel;
• Double-click Add/Remove Programs;
• Click Add/Remove Windows Components;
• Uncheck Indexing Services;
• Click Next and then click Finish.

To gain an even better speed improvement, you should consider using third-party programs, like Auslogics BoostSpeed. The program allows you to easily tweak hundreds of hidden Windows setting, as well as perform crucial system maintenance tasks to speed up your computer.

Detail: 5 Simple Tips to Speed Up Windows XP

0 How to Speed Up Windows 7

Windows 7 is the fastest and the most responsive Microsoft OS so far, but that doesn’t mean it’s immune to slow-downs that start occurring after a couple of months of intense use. So no matter which modification of Windows 7 you run, it will get cluttered and start slowing down. Fortunately there are safe ways tospeed up computer running Windows 7 without having to download any software or applying dangerous registry hacks. We are going to cover these ways in this article.

1. Use ReadyBoost

ReadyBoost is a feature that was first introduced in Windows Vista and made its way into Windows 7. Basically, it lets you use a USB flash drive as secondary memory cache, which helps your computer to run faster. Keep in mind that it’s no substitute for RAM, though.

To use ReadyBoost, simply inset a USB flash drive and if it meets certain requirements, Windows 7 will ask you if you want to use it for ReadyBoost and recommend the size to reserve.

If you insert the flash drive and nothing happens, it could mean that AutoPlay is disabled. In this case do the following:

• Go to Computer, right-click on the removable storage device and selectProperties.
• If the drive is compatible, you will see ReadyBoost there. Click on it.
• Select Use this device and set the amount of space to be used for ReadyBoost system file.
• Click OK.

2. Get rid of unused programs and Windows features

When you get a new PC or laptop, it often comes with lots of pre-installed try-and-buy programs. Most people never use these programs, so it’s best to uninstall them. Also if you like trying out new software and download different applications regularly, it’s a good idea to review your installed software list and get rid of everything you don’t need. That way you’ll be able to free up some system resources and speed up Windows 7 startup time. To do that just go to Control Panel –> Programs –> Uninstall a program and get rid of everything you don’t use.

Same goes for unused Windows features – go to Control Panel –> Programs –> Turn Windows features on or off and uncheck the features you don’t need.

This is another tip on how to speed up your computer running any Windows version.

3. Review your startup list

Having too many startup items is the most common cause of computer slow-downs. Some programs act as if you can’t live without them and make themselves load every time your computer starts. That way every time your computer loads all these programs load as well, even if you don’t use them that frequently. As a consequence, your Windows becomes much slower. The answer is to disable the option for such programs to start automatically. This can be done either via the program menu, or with the help of the System Configuration utility (msconfig).

Just type msconfig in the Start menu search box, hit Enter, and then launch the program from the search results. Then go to the Startup tab and disable the entries you don’t need.

Just like the previous tip, this will work on all Windows versions.

4. Adjust visual effects for best performance

The “eye candy” Windows 7 is not the fastest Windows 7. So if you are keen on performance, you should consider choosing the more minimalistic look to gain speed. Go to Control Panel, search for Performance, and then select Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows from the System category in the results. A new window will open. There you can either select the Adjust for best performance option, or make a custom selection of the visual effects you like.

5. Disable sounds

Windows sounds can be really annoying and they also take up valuable system resources. Fortunately, you can always disable them. Don’t worry, it’s only the Windows sounds that will be disabled – not all sounds.

Go to Control Panel –> Hardware and Sound –> Change system sounds. There you will see the Sound Scheme drop-down menu. SelectNo Sounds and also don’t forget to uncheckPlay Windows Startup sound. Click OK and you’re done.

6. Adjust indexing options

Indexing helps Windows to speed up search, but it can affect performance and make you hard drive thrash. That’s why it’s a good idea to make Windows index only the locations you search pretty frequently. To do it, go to Control Panel, search for Indexing and then select Indexing options. Click Modify. A new window will open. Click on Show all locations if the button is enabled. Then simply clear the checkboxes for locations where you rarely search and click OK.

7. Disable gadgets

Windows 7 takes the idea of gadgets and sidebar a step further than its predecessor, Vista. It uses customisable gadgets that can be placed anywhere on the desktop. But that doesn’t make them less resource-hungry – they still take up a portion of system resources to load and update. Turning off all gadgets is one more way to speed up Windows 7.

You can just close all of the gadgets so that none are displayed, or you can go a step further and switch off the entire Windows 7 gadgets platform via Control Panel –> Programs –> Turn Windows features on or off.

In this article we’ve covered the essentials of how to speed up Windows 7. Remember that Windows 7 requires regular maintenance to keep it running fast and smooth – just like any other version of Windows. We recommend using a system utility, like Auslogics BoostSpeed. If you are asking "Will this speed up my computer"? Yes, with the help of this program you will be able to clean up your system from junk files, defragment disks, repair registry errors and automatically tune over 280 hidden Windows settings to maximize your computer's speed.

Detail: How to Speed Up Windows 7

0 What Is the Best Computer to Buy in 2015?

What is the best computer to buy? So you’re thinking of getting yourself a new computer. Have you already decided which model you are going to get? If yes, then the only question for you is to find the retailer who is offering the best price. But what if you don’t know what is the best computer to buy? Well, there are several factors that you might want to consider before choosing your ideal laptop. Let’s have a look at what you should keep in mind when buying a new computer.

When discussing what is the best computer to buy, a lot of people simply recommend the model or the brand they like. However, this approach is not perfect, as different people like different brands. To tell you the truth, all popular laptop brands are good. Of course, they all have advantages and disadvantages, but it’s impossible to say that one brand is terrible and the other is great (if there were terrible brands, they simply wouldn’t sell at all). The reality is that you need to select the laptop with the specs that are best suited for your needs.

The first thing you should consider when thinking what is the best computer to buy is its processor. There are two manufacturers to choose for – Intel and AMD. Both are good, but AMD tends to be better for gaming and business, whereas Intel is more suited for general processing. If you want a really fast computer, then look for a laptop with Intel Core i7 or at least Intel Core i5. As for AMD, consider it too because some of AMD chipsets tend to outperform Intel.

The second important factor you should consider when buying a computer is the amount of RAM it has. The more RAM there is, the better the performance of the computer. When thinking what is the best computer to buy, don’t settle for a laptop that has less than 4GB of RAM. And check that the amount of RAM can be upgraded to at least 8GB.

So what is the best computer to buy for those who like working with videos and playing games? The answer is that you need a computer with a good graphics card. Basically, you have two brands of video cards to choose from – NVIDIA andATI. Some laptop brands use NVIDIA and some prefer ATI. Before you buy a new computer, it’s best to research various graphics cards and decide which brand or model you want. As a rule, make sure that your new computer’s video card has at least 1GB of dedicated memory. That will ensure smooth performance.

And now you should decide whether you want a fast laptop or a super fast laptop. Because if you want a super fast computer, you should get a laptop with an SSD. SSDs are a lot faster than conventional hard drives because they are purely electronic devices and don’t have any mechanical parts. This means that file access on SSDs is blazing fast compared to HDDs. So, if you want a really fast laptop and thinking what is the best computer to buy, you should get one with an SSD.

These tips will help you decide what is the best computer to buy. Just remember to check for best prices before you buy and read user reviews to make sure a particular model doesn’t have any manufacturing faults.

Detail: What Is the Best Computer to Buy in 2015?

0 How to Find and Delete Duplicate Files

Most computer users create and download files every day. We all like downloading songs, trying out new software, uploading and editing photos, and watching movies.

After some time you might notice that your hard drive is almost full and there’s nearly no free space left – it got absolutely packed with all the files you’ve downloaded and created! So, what to do? Well, some people would go and buy a larger hard disk, or perhaps a second one, or transfer some files to a flash drive or an external hard drive – there are dozens of different options. However, they all cost money. So a lot of people just start deleting files and end up deleting something important. Not good. But there is a better way to increase hard drive space – all you need to do is find and delete duplicate files.

You will be amazed how many duplicate files are cluttering your hard disk space. All those songs that have been downloaded twice, holiday photos uploaded multiple times, documents copied and pasted so that you have them in two folders at once - sounds familiar, doesn’t it? All you have to do is delete duplicate files and you’ll have lots of free disk space again.

Apart from using up hard drive space, duplicate files can slow down your computer. Deleting them will help you speed up computer performance, defragmentation, Windows search, and anti-virus scans.

But how to find them? Well, you can always spend hours trying to identify duplicate files when looking through folders on your computer. Or you could use Windows search to find files with the same file name. Sounds like a tedious job, doesn’t it?

Fortunately there are many free programs that will help you find and delete duplicate files. There both general duplicate files removers and software that focuses on specific file types, for example iTunes duplicates, MP3s, or pictures.

When choosing a duplicate file remover, make sure it has a preview option and can match files by content using byte-by-byte comparison. That way you will never delete an important file that looks like a duplicate, even if there are two files sharing the same file name.

Here are some free programs you might want to consider:

• Auslogics Duplicate File Finder – a lightweight application with all the necessary features, like matching files by content and multiple drive support
• Duplicate File Finder – can detect and delete empty files
• Fast Duplicate File Finder – allows you to preview images and songs
• Easy Duplicate File Finder – supports multiple drives

I hope this tip on how to speed up your computer by deleting duplicate files will make your experience better.

Detail: How to Find and Delete Duplicate Files

0 Virtual Memory Too Low - Here's How to Fix It

Windows is full of annoying little errors and "Out of virtual memory" is one of them. Usually your PC starts freezing first. Then an error appears and tells you that your virtual memory is too low. In this article we are going to explain what causes this error and how to fix it once and for all.

What is virtual memory?

Virtual memory, also known as page file or swap file, is a file on your hard disk that Windows uses in addition to physical memory (RAM) whenever the need arises. For example, when you are running an application or a process your RAM can’t handle, virtual memory is there to help. Usually the page file is 1.5 times the amount of physical memory, i.e. a system with 512 MB of RAM will have 768 MB page file.

Why does the "low on virtual memory" error occur?

There are two things that usually cause this error:

• You don’t have enough RAM;
• An application on your computer is buggy and is causing a memory leak.

How to fix it?

Getting rid of this error is not too difficult, especially if it happens because your computer doesn’t have enough RAM. If that’s the case, all you need to do is add more physical memory to speed up computer performance. If you can’t do it immediately, you can increase the size of the page file. Here’s how to do it:

• Right-click on My Computer and go toProperties.
• Click on the Advanced tab (or Advanced system settings link if you are using Windows 7 or Vista) and then click on theSettings button in the Performance section.
• A new window will open. Go to theAdvanced tab.
• Find the Virtual memory section and click on the Change button.
• Select the System managed size option or manually change the size of the page file.
• Click OK.

However, if the error is caused by a buggy application, you’ll first need to identify the culprit. To do that, open the Task Manager (press Ctrl+Alt+Del on your keyboard) and go to the Processes tab. Then click on View –> Select Columns. Check theVirtual Memory Size checkbox and click OK. Now the Task Manager will be showing how much virtual memory each application is using. If you click on the VM Size column name twice, the processes will be sorted based on how much virtual memory they are using, from largest to smallest. You will instantly see which process in the most hungry one.

Then you’ll need to find the application that’s running the process – some, like firefox.exe, are pretty obvious.

If you are not that familiar with processes, download a program called Process Explorer. It doesn’t require installation – all you need to do is run the .exe file. Basically, this program is a much more thorough Task Manager alternative. Once it’s open, click on View –> Select Columns. Then go to the Process Memory tab and check the Virtual Size checkbox. Click OK. Like in Windows Task Manager, you can sort the results. Every process will have the information about the application running it. If you need even more information, hover your mouse over the process in question.

Now that you know which program is causing low virtual memory, you can try to fix it. First of all try updating the software – usually updates fix bugs like that. If that doesn’t work, try uninstalling and reinstalling the application. If that doesn’t work either, contact the software support team and search the Internet for that particular software problem.

Is the question how to make my computer faster still bothering you? Read our other tips and tricks on how to increase computer speed.

Detail: Virtual Memory Too Low - Here's How to Fix It

0 Clean My PC

There's something wrong with my computer. How to make my computer faster?" is a question a computer technician hears all the time. So you have a look and discover a perfectly good computer that needs nothing but a bit of cleanup from malware and junk, defrag, a scan with a registry cleaner, and some minor tune-up.

When you say to the customer that his or her computer needs a good cleanup and ask how often the PC is cleaned, the customer looks totally bewildered and says indignantly: "It can’t be that dirty! I clean my computer with a duster every time I clean my house!" Right. So you start explaining that you meant a different type of cleaning where malware, junk files, and redundant registry entries are deleted. The customer listens attentively and then comes the next question: "But why should I clean my PC???"

So, here goes – some FAQs for novice computer users and everyone who wants to improve the productivity of their Windows computers.

Why should I clean my PC?

A lot of people will tell you that cleanup is one of the most important parts of computer maintenance. And for a good reason. Daily computer activity, such as opening documents, browsing the Web, chatting on Skype, and even booting your Windows creates temporary files. These files are needed for smooth computer operation. But there is a problem – temporary files are often kept for a lot longer than necessary and can remain on your hard drive for months. As a result gigabytes of space are wasted and your computer becomes slow, because Windows needs longer to find the files you need amongst all that clutter. That’s why you should clean your PC on a regular basis to speed up computerperformance.

How often should I clean my PC?

That depends on how actively you use your computer. If you only use it for basic stuff 2-3 times a week, then cleaning your computer once a month is enough. But if you are an active user, spend a lot of time online, and like to try out new software, you should clean your PC once or even twice a week.

What is registry cleanup?

Registry cleanup is a process where you remove redundant and empty entries from the Windows registry – the core database of Windows. Cleaning your registry makes your computer more organised and speeds things up. The easiest way to clean your registry is to use a reliable registry cleaner.

Why is it important to clean my registry?

The registry is the main database within Windows. It stores the settings for pretty much everything – operating system software, all your hardware, your applications, and all user settings. Programs on your computer access the registry thousands of times per second. As time goes by and you install and uninstall software, the registry accumulates obsolete entries that are no longer needed, like bits and pieces left behind by uninstalled software. These redundant entries slow down registry access and can even lead to various Windows errors. That’s why you should clean your registry to ensure top computer performance. The best way to do it is to use a good registry cleaner.

How often should I clean my registry?

As a rule, you should clean your registry every time you uninstall software or hardware devices. In addition to that, it’s good to scan your registry for errors on a weekly basis and fix them as they occur.

What are the best tools to clean my PC?

There are many tools you can use to clean your computer from junk files – even the built-in Windows Disk Cleanup utility would work. Also there are lots of decent registry cleaners available for download. You can choose to download separate tools for every aspect of computer cleanup, but it’s always better to use a software suite that has all the necessary utilities to keep your computer clean, fast, and optimized.

It’s your choice which software to use. Just follow the golden rule of choosing software – always download from reputable sites and always check user reviews before installing or buying an application.

Now you know how to speed up computer by cleaning Windows.

Detail: Clean My PC

0 How to Keep Your Registry Clean

Keeping your registry clean is a very important part of computer maintenance, because it ensures that your computer stays fast and stable.

What is the registry and why is it there?

The registry is a database that stores all Windows options and settings. It contains all the data for all hardware, operating system software, all other applications, and all user settings (user profiles, installed software, the type of documents the users create, etc). All that makes the registry the most vital, but also the most vulnerable part of a Windows computer.

Programs access the registry thousands of times per second and new entries are created whenever you install new software or hardware. All this makes the registry a very complicated database. That’s why it’s so important to keep the registry clean and well looked after.

How do registry errors affect computer performance?

When you uninstall a program, its registry entries get deleted as well. That’s the case with most applications. However, some programs leave a lot of rubbish behind. That clutters the registry with obsolete entries that point to non-existent software. Such invalid entries accumulate over time. As a result, Windows needs a lot more time to access the registry and your computer takes longer to respond. Not to mention viruses that love to attack the registry and modify it to make your computer vulnerable and unstable.

That’s why it’s so important to keep the Windows registry junk-free and fix errors.

How to clean the registry?

These days keeping your registry clean is a lot easier than in the past when you had to open the Registry Editor (Click on Start - Run - type regedit and hitEnter) and find invalid and corrupted entries. That required extensive computer knowledge and was very dangerous, because one entry deleted by mistake could make your computer unbootable.

Of course, it’s still possible to use Regedit, but it’s a lot safer and easier to use one of the free registry cleaners available on the market. Before you download a registry cleaner make sure that:

• it is developed by a trusted company;
• it backs up the registry before deleting any entries;
• the registry cleaner is not promising to fix every possible error on your computer. A lot of errors need specific fixes that are not related to the registry.

Good examples of reliable free registry cleaners are Auslogics Registry Cleaner and CCleaner. Both come from reputable developers, are very easy to use, and offer you to backup the registry, so that you can undo any changes if there are any problems.

Detail: How to Keep Your Registry Clean

0 Free Fix For Slow Computer

What is the best free fix for slow computer performance? A slow computer is something that a lot of people have to face on a daily basis. Slow Windows boot, unresponsive programs, slow browser that freezes up every once in a while – sounds familiar, doesn’t it? And when you want to fix a slow computer, it usually means that you have to either upgrade your hardware or even hire a technician. That costs money. But there is a way to make your PC faster without having to spend a cent. Here is the best free fix for slow computer performance.

When your computer becomes slow all of a sudden, the first thing to do is check it for viruses, malware and spyware. Malicious programs tamper with computer settings, steal your bandwidth to transmit data and make your computer slow. So, if your computer has become suspiciously slow overnight, the free fix for slow computer is to download free anti-malware and anti-spyware software and remove infections from your PC. When all viruses are gone, you will notice an immediate speed gain.

If the anti-malware scan comes clean but your computer is still slow, this could mean that your PC is badly fragmented. File fragmentation is something that can drastically decrease computer performance because it affects the slowest part of your PC – your hard drive. File fragmentation makes the hard drive’s read arm work more than necessary, which takes more time. So if your files are fragmented, opening documents, videos, songs and launching programs will be really slow.

Another Free Fix For Slow Computers

The free fix for slow computer suffering from fragmentation is simple – just run Disk Defragmenter, a built-in Windows utility. You can find this tool if you click on Start and then go to Programs – Accessories – System Tools. Defragmentation is something that should be done on a regular basis because fragmentation accumulates with computer use. That’s why it’s recommended to defragment your computer at least once a month.

If your computer takes a long time to start up, it could be that you have too many programs launching on Windows boot. The more programs are configured to run on system startup, the longer Windows needs to load them all. To make your PC load faster, you should apply a simple free fix for slow computer startup –configure unnecessary programs to not start on Windows boot. This can be done by clicking on Start and typing msconfig in the Search Bar. Then all you need to do is go to the Startup tab and uncheck the programs you don’t want to start automatically. Then reboot your computer and enjoy the speed.

Following the steps described in this article will help you keep your computer in good shape. When performed regularly, PC maintenance can make your PC run a lot faster and keep it stable. Remember, there is a free fix for slow computer performance – you just need to know which tools to use and which maintenance tasks to run.

Detail: Free Fix For Slow Computer

0 What Is the Best Registry Cleaner 2015?

When your computer becomes slow and cleanup and defrag doesn’t solve all your problems, a good thing to try is registry cleanup. Deleting obsolete entries from your PC’s registry will make your software and operating system respond better and your computer run faster. But what is the best registry cleaner to choose? Let’s find out.

First you should understand what the Windows registry is and how it works. The Windows registry is a massive database that stores every single setting for your computer – it’s responsible for your hardware, your operating system, your software, and all your user settings. Because of this the registry is accessed virtually all the time. The registry is also constantly updated with new data. For example, the registry is updated when you change your wallpaper, install a new program, save a document, or get rid of unwanted software. Because of the registry’s nature, it’s very important to keep it free of clutter. Obsolete entries and invalid references make the registry bloated, can make your computer really slow and result in various Windows errors. That’s why you need to find the right software and decide what is the best registry cleaner for you.

There are plenty of registry cleaners to choose from – just go to Download.com and choose from hundreds of registry cleanup programs.

But how to choose the best PC registry cleaner?

Well, that’s for you to decide. But a good registry cleaner has to meet certain requirements. In fact, some features and functions are an absolute must – otherwise the registry cleaner can do more harm than good. It can even kill your PC. So, here is what you need to look for when choosing a registry cleaner.

The first thing you should check is that the registry cleaner has positive user reviews. A good registry cleaner should have plenty of genuine positive reviews on various download websites. There are way too many bogus registry cleaners out there that can seriously damage your PC and even infect it with malware. That’s why you should be really careful.

Another thing you should consider is backup options. A good registry cleaner should offer to back up your registry before performing any sort of cleanup or fixing. Ideally, you should get an option to create a system restore point and create an individual backup of the registry. You should back up the registry because registry tuneup is a tricky business and sometimes things go wrong. That’s when you will need to apply a backup and revert the changes. Backup options are often an indicator of what is the best registry cleaner.

And last but not least, a good registry cleaner will never try to find too many errors. That’s because reliable registry cleaners only cleanup entries in safe categories and leave advanced PC settings alone. This makes the cleanup results predictable and improves PC performance. The answer to our question is the registry cleaner that finds hundreds rather than thousands errors.

Now you know what you should look for when deciding what is the best computer registry cleaner. Remember to maintain your PC registry on a regular basis and enjoy a faster computer.

Detail: What Is the Best Registry Cleaner 2015?

0 "Disk Defragmenter Could Not Start" Error - 10 Possible Solutions

Most of the time, Windows error messages are less than helpful! They give you little information or clue as to what the problem is, and even less idea how to fix it. If you've encountered the defrag error message "Disk defragmenter could not start", here is a list of possible solutions to your problem.

1. Your drive has errors

Run either the inbuilt disk error checking facility through the Command Prompt, or use a third-party disk check utility. To use the inbuilt facility, locate your Command Prompt (Either click Start -> Run and type cmd.exe, or go to Start -> Accessories -> System Tools -> right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator). Type chkdsk /r, and type Y when asked if you want the disk checker to run the next time the computer is started. Reboot your computer and try to defrag again.

2. A recent change to your computer has caused the error

To find out if this is the case, roll back your system to the state it was before the change. To do this, run System Restore - log on to Windows as Administrator and go to: Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore. Select the most recent restore point in the System Restore list and click Next.

If you still cannot defrag after all is done, try returning the system to an earlier time. Of course, if you can determine which program is causing the problem, you will still need to decide how to take action to fix the defrag error if you want to keep the program installed.

3. Check the page file

Go to Control Panel -> System -> Advanced tab and click Settings underPerformance. Click the Advanced tab again, and look for the Change button underVirtual Memory. If No paging file is selected, try de-selecting it and seeing if that fixes your defrag error.

4. Try defragging in Safe Mode

Restart your computer and press F8 repeatedly after the boot screen to start Windows in Safe Mode. If your disk defragmenter can run in Safe Mode, this provides additional information to help diagnose what the problem is with a normal Windows start.

5. Check that you have enough free space to defragment

You will usually get a separate defrag error if you don’t have enough free space to defragment. However, computers can act up at times. Make sure you have at least 15% of the space on your hard disk free by going to Computer or My Computer, right clicking the icon for your hard disk and going to Properties. Check that the percentage of free space indicated is at least 15% - preferably 20%. Just in case.

6. Check for malware on your computer

Malware is a malicious thing. It can cause problems seemingly unrelated to its activities. If you cannot defrag your hard disk, do a full malware scan using a recommended anti-virus and anti-spyware program like Trend Micro, Kaspersky,Auslogics Antivirus or Malwarebytes. Google the name of any program you find, because there is a huge number of fake anti-spyware programs that actually put spyware on your computer.

7. Disconnect additional hardware

If you have an external hard drive connected, disconnect it before trying to defragment your main hard drive.

8. Download your hard drive manufacturer's diagnostic software

You will need to identify the make and model of your hard drive and visit the manufacturer's website or contact their customer support to download their diagnostic tools. This may be able to fix errors that Windows own Check Disk utility cannot locate or fix, which may be the cause of defrag errors.

9. Get your Windows Updates

It is possible that a Windows update may fix your "disk defragmenter could not start" error. Go to the Windows Update site to verify that you have all necessary updates.

10. Defragmenter snap-in files have been de-registered

If you have recently installed and then uninstalled a third party defragmenter program, your built in defragmenter may not have been restored properly. Open theCommand Prompt as described in point 1 and type cd \windows\system32. At the next prompt, type regsvr32 dfrgsnap.dll and regsvr32 dfrgui.dll to re-register those snap-in components.

Of course, if you are pressed for time and don’t want to run through a host of diagnostic activities - you just want to do your defrag! - you can quickly download a third party disk defrag application to do the job for you.

Detail: "Disk Defragmenter Could Not Start" Error - 10 Possible Solutions