General Tips

Be a Choosy Downloader
A reader who asked to remain anonymous requests that I remind readers not to download and install every program they read about in PC World. We recommend only programs that we find useful, of course, but that doesn't mean they're useful to everyone. You may not need a tool for the chore it's designed to do, or you may already have a program that handles it. Remember that every program you download and install clutters your hard drive, and every program that runs in the background slows Windows and increases the likelihood of conflicts.

When You Can't Delete a File
How do I delete a file when Windows insists that it's "being used by another person or program"?
This is easy to do in Windows 98: Select Start, Shut Down, Restart in MS-DOS mode, and then use the del filename command to delete the file from the DOS prompt. To do this, you'll have to know the path to the file on your hard drive. And remember that a file called "Photo of Mary.jpg" in Windows is probably something like photoo~1.jpg in DOS.

You have to boot from your startup floppy disk to accomplish the same thing in Windows Me. If you don't have a startup disk, select Start, Settings, Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs, Startup Disk, and then follow the prompts (be sure to have a blank, formatted floppy disk ready beforehand). If you reboot your computer with the startup disk in the drive, you'll get to a DOS prompt from which you can delete the file.

Unfortunately, you can't exit to DOS in Windows 2000 and XP, so try deleting the file in Safe Mode: Select Start, Turn Off Computer, Restart. During the reboot--and just before Windows loads--press F8 (it may take you a few attempts to get the timing right). Select Safe Mode, and then try to delete the file.

Should I Shut Down My PC?
Some people argue that leaving a computer on is bad for it. Others take exactly the opposite view, saying it's bad to turn it off. I find neither argument convincing.
One fact is absolutely certain: Turning off your PC saves electricity--and money.
But then again, so does hibernation, which is faster. When you set a computer to hibernate, Windows copies everything in RAM to the hard drive and then shuts down the hardware. When you turn the PC back on, Windows restores your system to the state it was in when you started hibernation. From the hardware's point of view, the computer has been off, but to Windows, you never left.
But there are good reasons why you may want to turn your computer off instead, especially if you're using Windows 98 or Me. With these versions of Windows, the longer you go between reboots, the more unstable the environment becomes. If you only hibernate, Windows never actually closes down and restarts, and therefore it becomes more prone to crashes. This isn't a problem with Windows 2000 and XP, however.

Windows Toolbox
Broaden Your Web View With IE New Window Maximizer
Tired of double-clicking a Web shortcut or opening a new Internet Explorer window only to have it appear less than maximized? The folks at JiiSoft were, too, so they created IE New Window Maximizer. With this handy program running in your desktop tray, every IE window will open maximized or (if you prefer) in full-screen mode, which hides the title bar and other browser elements. The application also lets you designate a hot-key that hides or closes all open IE windows. It's free! It's easy! What more could you want? Browse to JiiSoft to download your copy.

The Need for Speed - Tweaks, tips, and tricks for adding some pep to that struggling PC.

The more you use a PC, the more it tends to slow down. Over time, Windows-based PCs often succumb to a glut of startup programs, Windows services, and hidden files and templates. Even if you don't know it, there are so many things running in the background at startup that don't need to be running.

Fortunately, a little house cleaning can go a long way in restoring pep to that tired PC. Whether it's sweeping out the Windows Startup folder, optimizing network settings, or using software to clean out the Windows Registry, there is a lot you can do to revive a struggling system. Some tips are easy to follow, such as simply restarting your system. Others are full-on computer tweaks, such as forcing your CPU to run faster than it does, that should be undertaken with care.

Simple Tips
Performance doesn't suit? Reboot! Windows can run uninterrupted for months at a time--but that doesn't mean it should. Depending on the applications and devices you use, Windows over time can grow progressively slower and less stable. Periodically restarting the system lets Windows get a fresh start, often freeing memory and other resources that ill-behaved software and hardware refuse to let go of.

Defrag that drive. Disks are bigger and faster than ever. The problem is, they are also more of a bottleneck to system performance than ever, since spinning disks are so much slower than lightning-fast processors and memory. Keep things running smoothly by reordering and streamlining the files on the disk using Windows' Defragment utility. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defragmenter and click the Analyze button in the program window. Windows will produce a report on your disk, giving you an idea of how fragmented your files are. Once that's done, you can choose to kick off a full defrag session. Just be warned: It can take a while!

Another tip: Drives filled to capacity are much more prone to fragmentation than those with plenty of free space. Before defragging a drive, make sure you create free space for Windows to work with so it can fully optimize the layout of your files. Delete junk you don't use any more, or move it to some removable media--which leads us to our next tip.

Take out the garbage. Windows saves everything. Temporary files, browser cache, old program installation files--you name it, Windows is probably stashing it on your hard drive. Clear out the detritus with Windows XP's Disk Cleanup. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup to start the program scanning your drive and looking for files it can delete or compress.

In the Disk Cleanup dialog box, check the items you want Windows to delete. You can also click the More Options tab to bring further efficiencies out of your PC--for instance, nuking all but the most recent restore point data, which is used to recover Windows from serious crashes. Run Disk Cleanup every month or so to prevent unused or unnecessary files from taking over your disk. If you want to keep a tight rein on Windows' temp files going forward--and improve your personal privacy, to boot--download IE Privacy Keeper, a free little utility that makes short work of dusting clutter from your disk.

Speed up those searches. Tweak the Windows search facility. Click Start, Search, For Files or Folders. In the Search Results folder interface pane, click Change Preferences, then click the With Indexing Service link. Click the Yes radio button and click OK. Windows will now index files on the disk during idle moments, resulting in much faster searches.

Speed up menus. If the Windows Start menu and other application menus take a moment to appear on screen, you can speed things up by disabling shadows. Right-click an open area of the Windows desktop, click the Appearance tab, then click the Effects button. Uncheck the Show shadows under menus check box. You can also uncheck the 'Use the following transition effect for menus and tooltips' checkbox. This disables the fade effect that can sometimes add overhead to menu displays. Click OK and click OK again to adopt the new settings.

Stop using Internet Explorer. Microsoft's Web browser is a hog. Switching to the Mozilla Firefox or Opera browser can yield swifter program launches, faster page loads, and an all-around smoother ride. In my personal experience, Firefox has proven the fleetest browser, but Opera consumes the least system memory--useful for older systems with 128MB or 256MB of RAM.

Tune Internet connections. Are you getting the most out of your broadband connection? Go over to SpeedGuide.net and find out. Run the TCP/IP Analyzer routine in your browser to check the health of your connection. You can find it under the Broadband, Broadband Tools menu on the left side of the page.

If you want, you can download the free SG TCP/IP Optimizer utility (also under Broadband Tools), which tests for the most effective MaxMTU value (maximum transmission unit--basically a data packet size) for squeezing more data through your broadband link. Tell Optimizer what type of connection you're using, run through the diagnostics, then let the utility fine-tune your settings.

Slim down startup services. Every time you boot up, Windows XP launches dozens of cryptically named programs and services, many of which you don't need. You can use Windows XP's Services facility to get things under control. Click Start, Run, then type services.msc to launch the Services facility. Click the Extended tab at the bottom and look for service entries marked Automatic in the Startup Type column. Click on a service entry to read a description of it to the left. Double-click any offending items, then select Manual from the Startup Type drop-down list box. Now this service will only be loaded when you tell it to. Finally, click the Stop button to unload the service from Windows.

Internet Tips

Think Before You Click to Avoid Viruses and Scams

Curiosity killed the cat, and sometimes it ropes us into launching viruses, gobbling spam, installing browser-disabling add-ons, or even forking over credit card numbers and passwords. You're probably smarter than that, but I'll bet you have a credulous friend or relative who needs a wake-up call. Here's what they--and you--can do to avoid the latest "social engineering" tricks.
Don't click e-mail attachments: Most viruses and worms arrive on your PC in the form of e-mail attachments. A few of them exploit security flaws in Windows or in your browser to launch automatically, but if you keep your programs updated, your chances of being infected via this route are slim to none.

Instead of exploiting software flaws, some of the worst recent viruses rely on recipients' tossing out common sense and launching a lethal e-mail attachment. Common executable--and therefore dangerous--file-name extensions include .bat, .com, .exe, .pif, .scr, and .vbs. To elude the dangerous-attachment filters built into most e-mail programs, virus authors may enclose their nasty code in a .zip or .rar archive file. The file may even be password-protected to foil antivirus programs that scan inside archives. And naturally, the author includes an image of the password in the message body for the convenience of the gullible (see FIGURE 1).


FIGURE 1: Don't open that archive, even if the person who created the virus it contains, provides the password.

Don't believe the return address: Though an e-mail message may claim it's from your bank, your ISP, or even your boss, that doesn't mean it is. Spammers and virus mailers generally spoof the From address field in their messages with a legitimate address that they've stolen. You may even have received spam from yourself as a result of this clever technique.

Of course, not all e-mail is bad. But if a message from a coworker or friend insists that you launch a file attachment, first confirm with the sender what the file is (make a call or send an e-mail asking whether the purported sender in fact e-mailed the file attachment, and whether it is indeed intended for you). If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of the message and its attachment, delete them.

Don't believe the message: To persuade you to launch a virus-laden mail attachment or provide your personal information, virus authors must earn your trust. They try to accomplish this by composing convincing-looking messages that appear to be sent from Microsoft, your ISP, or some other entity you do business with. The message may even contain links to a counterfeit version of the company's Web site, complete with genuine-looking graphics and corporate logos.

Often the message laments that the company is experiencing technical problems, and that it needs you to click an executable attachment. You don't need to rely on your intuition to determine whether this message is truthful. If the message hasn't been verified by a company representative via phone or in person, it almost certainly contains a virus. Microsoft doesn't e-mail updates to its customers, and neither should your ISP.

Don't believe the link, either: A link in an e-mail message that claims to point to a Citibank Web site may not really go there (see FIGURE 2).

FIGURE 2: Beware of hidden URLs masquerading as links to legit Websites.

Devious phishing scams use the wonders of HTML to snooker you into uploading your Social Security number, PIN, credit card number, password, or other sensitive data to a scammer's Web site. A carefully crafted e-mail message purporting to be from your bank, PayPal, or some other institution (and often also containing links to the real company's Web site) warns that you must update your records there. The biggest tip-off should be this: Banks and ISPs don't lose your information and then send e-mail requests for you to reenter it online. Another tip-off is that the link text and the real underlying URL don't match. Always examine log-in Web pages and their URLs closely. The site shown in FIGURE 2 sends unsuspecting Citibank customers to a non-Citibank site (which no longer exists, fortunately). If you do get hooked by creeps on a phishing expedition, notify your bank, ISP, or other institution immediately.

Don't download the browser code: You're browsing the Web via Microsoft's Internet Explorer when suddenly an official-looking dialog box pops up, asking if you want to download a browser plug-in. Why not? You do the same thing all the time when using Microsoft's Windows Update Web site. This one even has a digital certificate (see FIGURE 3).

FIGURE 3: Avoid unwanted plug-ins by skipping any ActiveX controls that you're unsure about.

But if you want to avoid a flurry of pop-ups, undesirable toolbars, a home-page hijacking, or worse, don't do it. Certificates won't protect you from adware and other online annoyances borne by these ActiveX controls. If you're really unlucky, you could end up with the dreaded CoolWebSearch infestation.

Avoid dangerous ActiveX controls. Here's the executive summary: Choose Tools, Internet Options, click the Security tab, select the Internet zone, and confirm that the 'Security level' slider is set to Medium or higher. At this setting, IE will ask you whether you want to accept ActiveX downloads, but it won't run them automatically. You should consider the controls as potentially hazardous as executable file attachments. Or switch to a Web browser such as Mozilla or Opera that doesn't support ActiveX controls. When you want to visit Windows Update, you can still launch IE manually.
Is Spammy Anti-Spyware Safe?

Among the deluge of spam messages pitching term life insurance, Viagra, and college degrees, you may have noticed another category--advertisements for free anti-spyware software. Could an anti-spyware program hawked via spam be any good? Why pay for a product when there are several out there to download for free. On our website you will find Spybot Search & Destroy and Lavasoft's equally free Ad-aware 6. We highly recommend these products.

Reduce Long Downloads

File sharing has a bad name these days, but it needn't. Downloading large files--such as Linux distributions or live recordings of bands who give their blessing to tapers--can be legit. Unfortunately, Web and FTP sites get swamped quickly, making big downloads a strain for everyone. While you download the file, you simultaneously upload it to others. It’s based on the policy of “Share and share alike”.