PCTips Box

Just because Windows Vista is such a resource hog, the operating system features the Windows Experience Index, a rating system designed to measure the capability of the computer’s hardware configuration in order to assess the overall performance of the machine through a numeric base score. The algorithm for determining a base score ranging from 1.0 to 5.9 is directly connected with the processor, physical memory (RAM), graphics, gaming graphics and the primary hard disk. However, there are a few contexts in which the Windows Experience Index, the mechanism at the basis of the system rating will present and erroneous score for the hardware configuration.

This is a problem observed following the commercial release of the operating system back in January 2007. (more…)

UltraVNC is one of many options for remotely controlling one computer from another across the Internet. Generically, VNC is a cross-platform protocol. For example, you could control a Windows box from Linux. UltraVNC is an implementation of VNC for the PC. The latest version, currently in beta, adds Vista support.

VNC unhelpfully stands for “Virtual Network Computing.” It is a protocol standard for handling remote control. It started life as a Bell Laboratories project, and has become the core of a whole family of open source and commercial products. (more…)

A fresh installation of Windows with all its updates and tweaks run’s fantastic for most people. Then, we start throwing gunk into the system, including antivirus programs, firewalls, etc. and all the garbage we collect from the slumasphere: the dreggs of the public internet.

It is possible to run a faster, cleaner PC. It’s also possible to keep it that way, even if you’re not a computer genius. Just a few commercial tools and a little planning will make it an easy process - and your PC much more useful for much longer. (more…)

Next month a California-based startup plans to release an application that will allow Windows, Mac, and Linux users run Linux binaries without any modifications. Lina is a Linux virtual machine that allows users to run applications with the native look of their host operating system. It also lets you install applications with a mouse-click, no need to compile software from source code. (more…)

USB pen drives have become a source of some concern for a lot of system administrators. There’s almost nothing to stop someone with one of these devices from using it to copy or steal data from PCs in offices, commercial premises, schools and colleges. In fact the problem was addressed in Windows XP Service Pack 2, which includes a new Registry key that stops data being copied to USB memory devices by classifying them as Read-Only media; this tip shows you how to use it.

Safety Warning! This tip is for advanced users as it involves editing the Registry. It’s not difficult but tinkering willy-nilly with it can cause problems. Even if you know what you are doing you should still set a new System Restore Point or backup the Registry. (more…)