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The Backup and Restore Center which is packaged with Windows Vista is an excellent tool, which allows you to backup and restore critical files or image of your OS.
How to launch the utility “Back up and Restore Center”.
- Press the Start buttom
- Type Backup
- Select Backup and Restore Center
How to Back Up files
Click Backup Files and follow the prompt or directions that pops up on the screen. Select the directories and the specific files you want to backup. Then look for a prefered place to store the backed up files. Ideally it is best to put it on an external hard drive or a DVD.
How to Restore Files
Simply launch the Backup and Restore Center application and select Restore Files. Insert the DVD or external hard drive and look for the back up file and simply follow the prompt which will appear on the screen.
Back Up the Registry
Sometimes when you tweak your PC, you unknowingly change registry values. This sometimes causes failure of functionalities within your operating system. So we need to back up the registry as well.
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Getting used to a new operating system is, but there are tips and tricks so you can learn it, making transition a lot easier. We use the Menu Bar all the time. This is the bar across the top of most program windows that includes items like; File, Edit, View, Tools, Insert, Help, etc. In Windows Vista, the menu bar is not visible in most windows. I find this very frustrating because I am always changing some settings using those menus.
If you are using Vista and you need to make a change or two, and taht is or was available in the menu bar, you can make the menu bar temporarily visible in Vista just by pressing the “Alt” key on your keyboard.
Try it now, following these steps:
- Open a window by clicking on the “Start” orb and click on “Documents” in the right hand side of the menu
- Your “Documents” window will open. Notice there is no menu bar visible.
- Press the “Alt” key on your keyboard just once. The Menu bar will appear near the top of the window. It will stay there.
- Press the “Alt” key again to hide the Menu bar.
So there you have it. One more mystery of the Unknown… SOLVED!
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The first thing you will want to do is to run your Windows update. Download and install all updates. If you disabled the automatic option for some basis it is a good idea to leave it enabled, this way you stay on top of all your updates routinely. Next you will want to do general maintenance on your computer. Begin by running the cleanup program on your hard drive.
After that make sure you do not have a virus or spyware running in the background. Some spyware infections can use take over a lot of your computer’s memory, leaving little for operating the programs you want to use. You can turn off Vistas eye candy and other options that you really don’t need. You can always turn them back on later on if they do not resolve your problem. While they look pleasant they exploit a lot of memory and other resources. Go to my computer, right-click and select properties. Go to the advanced tab and under preforming settings you can select adjust for best performance.
The most common reason for program crashes is because of registry errors. Like most people you have probably tried to install older programs on Vista there were not compatible and then uninstalled them. The problem is that most uninstall programs do not do a complete job. They leave behind registry keys and entries. Over time your registry becomes full or corrupted. Improper shutdowns, viruses, spyware, and corrupt software will also harm your registry resulting in program crashes.
Let’s tweak Firefox first…
On the Firefox Address bar: type about:config
this is very easy takes about 5 minutes
Search for these values :
“network.http.pipelining” — set the value to true
“network.http.proxy.pipelining” – set the value to true
“network.http.pipelining.maxrequests” – set the value to 8
“plugin.expose_full_path” – set the value to true
“nglayout.initialpaint.delay” — set the value to 0
“network.http.max-connections” — set the value to 48
“network.http.max-connections-per-server” — set the value to 16
“network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy” — set the value to 16
“network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server” — set the value to 8
“browser.cache.memory.capacity” — set the value to 65536
Restart Firefox, and its done.
Next stop : Speeding up Internet Explorer 7
I rarely use IE7… but oh well since were talking about speeding both browser I’ll just have to make an exception… for the sake of tweaking and optimizing galore…
Prepare to fire up your Registry Editor.
Click Start -> run type ‘regedit’ or Windows key + R then type ‘regedit’
Speed up IE7 page loading especially on multiple tabs and look for this key
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings]
“MaxConnectionsPerServer”= Changed it to dword:00000010
“MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server”=Changed it to dword:0000010
Exit ‘regedit’… no need to restart just Log off then login again… now prepare to enjoy fast browser with little effort on your part. hehehe!!!!and without using third party softwares…
Thanks to the QuickStop Project : Speed up Firefox and Internet Explorer for the helpful post
Looking through the Windows Start menu could give you a headache if you have dozens of applications installed on your computer and you go from one arrow to the next looking for that elusive program. Vista Start Menu makes it easier to find what you need. Users have been impressed with the interface, which is better than the regular Windows menu. Program shortcuts don’t move around. There is keyboard support and zoom, resizing and tabs, power buttons and scrolling. Plus, new programs are highlighted so you find where they are. The Pro version has additional menu customization and one-click launch, which reminds you of the days when Windows was actually simple.
June 16th, 2008 in
Software |
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You can get almost anything free online these days, including these impressive 3D software that give an added dimension to your screen or artwork.
DAZ Studio 2.2.2.15 from DAZ 3D is more stable than its previous releases. It features Lip-Sync to integrate sound files from Mimic. It also provides the new Smoothing Angle and the added your favorite tools to the morph panel.
Blender Foundation’s open-source Blender 2.46 gives you all the tools you need to become a 3D animator. Like DAZ Studio above, this is a bug-fixing release, with added features such as cloth and fur simulation, shading, glossy reflection and refraction, soft shadows, improved rendering features, amongst others.
Screens from download.com
June 13th, 2008 in
Software |
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If you want to create images but Photoshop does not appeal to you and you find traditional art materials are too expensive and messy, your prayers have been answered. ArtRage 2.5 from New Zealand-based Ambient Design is a elegant little package that gives you the tools for painting on your computer. With realistic-looking painting tools, you can create and print as you please. The free Starter Edition has eight painting tools including oil, pencil, and felt pen. You can also trace existing images with ease. The Full version has four additional paint tools, layers, metallic paint, and many other additional features for $25. It also has stencils and rulers to help you with lines and curves. The interface has been improved and support for Photoshop PSD has been added, as well as for importing and exporting capabilities for other image formats. See what millions of users have been raving about now.
June 9th, 2008 in
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Can one software bundle answer all your security needs? From the looks of the new PC Tools Internet Security, it can. The entire tried-and-tested PC Tools anti-spyware, anti-virus, anti-spam and firewall protection has been bundled to find and eleminate Trojans, worms, keyloggers and protexts agains phishing, tracking threats, identity theft, and other malicious attacks online. It includes the celebrated Spyware Doctor, which has won awards from respected publications in the industry. PC Tools Internet Security updates automatically to keep you abreast of the latest threats. It is user-friendly for novices and experts alike, and has free support.
June 6th, 2008 in
Security |
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http://www.accessmanager.co.uk
Award-winning Access Manager is the software that makes keeping all your passwords safe in one place a breeze. Your email, website and logon passwords, bank numbers, PIN numbers, and other codes will be secured using a master password and strong dual encryption technology. You can store as many passwords as you like, drag and drop or copy them, or automatically generate them. Link to files, folders or websites, import codes, share or keep them private. Access Manager makes searching for passwords and categorizing them simple and convenient. It comes as a free download, with a Professional edition for $24.95.
June 2nd, 2008 in
Software |
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ajuaonline.com is home to three useful freeware apps by a Systems Automation Engineering student.
VistaTweaker 0.5 beta from is a tweaking utility designed to make Vista run the way you want. It features different tweaks organized into tabs: System, UI, IE, software, performance, network. The simple interface also provides explanations for the settings.
Launch 1.0 runs any executable file, including *.MSU and *.MSP. It comes with U3 and MSI installers. It is quick, compact, and accepts drag & drop.
ServiceTweaker 1.0 Beta, released just recently, is a management application for Windows services that gives full control over services. It helps free up resources and speeds up loading times at startup.
