PCTips Box

If you want to reduce the number of unnecessary files on your hard disk to free up disk space and help your computer run faster, use Disk Cleanup. It removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and removes a variety of system files and other items that you no longer need.

1. Open Disk Cleanup by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking System Tools, and then clicking Disk Cleanup.

2. In the Disk Cleanup Options dialog box, choose whether you want to clean up your own files only or all of the files on the computer. Administrator permission required If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. (more…)

For power users Command Prompt is where you go to get work done quickly and efficiently. If you spend a lot of time using Command Prompt, why not customize the appearance and operation to your preferences? There are actually a few Command Prompt customizations that will make it more useful and good looking.

Just follow these steps to customize your Command Prompt:

1. Click on the Start Button and key in Command Prompt and hit Enter. (more…)

In early builds of Windows Vista, testers were shown a new 3D interface powered by the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) that was filled with animations of all sorts. This interface was very cool looking. However, because of delays, Microsoft had to cut the use of WPF in the UI and most of the “WOW” was removed.

Thankfully, there are some very talented developers out there that have made utilities to bring back the excitement of the cut features. The one I am covering in this article, is the animated user picture shown on the Start Menu.

Using a great utility called 3D User Picture, you can easily make your start menu look just like the video above. (more…)

Windows Vista works in the background to automatically index all the files in the Start Menu, user profile folders and files setup for offline access by default. If you have many files in these locations and the files change often, the indexing service may slow down your system’s performance. Unlike Windows XP, Vista now allows you to easily tweak the indexing service following the steps below. It is recommended that you disable indexing for the other locations other than the Start Menu for maximum performance. Bear in mind that while this tweak speeds up your overall system performance, it will also slow you down when searching for files in those locations. (more…)

Is your drop down address bar full of old addresses that you will never use again? Mine isn’t, because I have fixed that problem by getting rid of them. Want to know how? Then keep reading.

Warning: This tip involves entering the registry. If at any point you get confused or are not completely sure what I mean, STOP , and re-read the steps to make sure you are doing this exactly right. If followed correctly these procedures are completely safe. I would also not recommend messing around in the registry unless you know what you are doing. (more…)

Are you a user of Windows Vista Enterprise or Business edition and would like to know the status of activation of a specific computer? Want to make sure that the computer connected properly to the Key Management Server (KMS) or used your Multiple Activation Key (MAK) properly? Or are you a home user and just want to make sure your computer is fully activated?

Included in Windows Vista is very useful utility that will help you check the status of activation of your computer: (more…)

Microsoft Update was first released a few years ago for Windows XP and Server 2003 as a great way to update all of your Microsoft software installed on your PC. Not only would it update Windows, but it would also update Microsoft Office. Are you a Microsoft Outlook user? If so, Microsoft Update would even download updated junk mail signatures when they are released.

In Windows Vista the new Windows Update application is no longer web-based. Microsoft has built-in the old Microsoft Update functionality into the new interface but you need to turn it on before you can use it. Follow these steps to turn on updates for other Microsoft applications: (more…)

Windows Vista includes a new hard drive encryption feature called BitLocker Drive Encryption. BitLocker can be a very useful security feature for businesses and home users that have sensitive and confidential information stored on their computer. Unfortunately, BitLocker Drive Encryption by default requires a Trusted Platform Module (TPM Chip) version 1.2 or later installed in your computer. A lot of the computers and laptops on the market do not come with TPM chips installed since they are typically only found in premium model business computers. If you have Windows Vista Business, Ultimate or Enterprise but do not have a TPM chip, you can still use BitLocker Drive Encryption. (more…)

Your organization may utilize network projectors for meetings and conferences. To use these projectors, your computer must be connected to the local network and you will need to allow communication to pass through the Windows Firewall.

1. Click the Start button.

2. Select All Programs.

3. Click Accessories and select Connect to a Network Projector.

4. When prompted by the Windows Firewall, allow permission to connect to a Network Projector by clicking Yes.

5. Next, specify how you will connect to the projector. The choices are Search for a projector and Enter the projector address. (more…)

In my last article I showed you how you can protect your computer against anonymous user account attacks by turning on account logon auditing so you could see when someone attempts to remotely logon to your account. Now I am going to help your increase your level of protection with the Account Lockout Policy.

Creating an Account Lockout Policy will protect your account by limiting the number of time a remote application or attacker can try to guess your password. This works by automatically locking out your account after a designated number of incorrect passwords were entered. Your account will remain locked out for a designated period of time before it is automatically unlocked and it can be logged into again. This provides a valuable addition to your account security because it can render brute force password attacks useless. If you have your lockout threshold set to 4 bad attempts and the lockout duration to 15 minutes, an attacker can try to guess your password a maximum of 16 times per hour. (more…)