You don't have to be a geek to be clever
You want to spend more time working or playing on your PC and less time fixing it when things go wrong. Alfred Siew and Aaron Tan list 50 things you can easily do to make sure your PC runs faster. For example, reduce eye candy, never set to hibernation mode, clean up your hard disk, remove unwanted start-up programs, use keyboard shortcuts, unload fonts that you don't need... These are just some of the tips that will make you more productive on your PC.
Use less power
1 Convert file system: If you are using the FAT32 file system, convert to NT file system or NTFS. Among other things, NTFS is more stable and has a better transaction history - handy for recovering lost files in disk failures.
Go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt and enter: convert c:/fs:ntfs
2 Disable file indexing: This updates the names of your files so you can search faster.
Reduce eye candy. If you don't have lots of memory, return to the simpler Windows 98/2000 style of display.
Unless you search for files often, it is unnecessary and takes up lots of memory.
To disable it, go to Control Panel > Add/Remove Windows Components and uncheck Indexing Services.
3 Re-set priorities: Get your computer to allocate more resources to the programs that you want to run more quickly.
Go to Task Manager by right-clicking on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
In the Processes tab, right click on the program you want to speed up, and set the priority to High.
4 Reduce eye candy: If you don't have lots of memory, return to the simpler Windows 98/2000 style of display.
Go to Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance.
Go to System, select the Advanced tab > Performance, and choose Best Performance. You'll be presented with the Classic view.
5 Stop hibernation: Never set your PC to the hibernation mode - it takes up too much disk space. Disable it by going to Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options > Hibernate.
Uncheck Enable hibernation.
6 Improve memory performance: Keep your data in memory, rather than in paging files, for faster access.
To do this, run 'regedit' from the Start menu, and look for the following entry:
Double click on DisablePagingExecutive and set a decimal value of 1.
Also double-click on LargeSystemCache and change the decimal value to 1. The OS kernel now runs in memory for better performance.
7 Auto-delete temp folder: Temporary files take up space, and can lead to more fragmentation that impedes disk performance. Run gpedit.msc from the Start menu.
Then choose computer configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Terminal Services > Temporary Folder.
Right-click on Do Not Delete Temp Folder Upon Exit, choose Properties and disable.
8 Clean up your hard disk: For a leaner machine, run Disk Cleanup under Programs > Accessories > System Tools.
The program mops up redundant files that may be clogging the system.
Delete the whole word. Hold control and backspace together to delete a whole word instead of a single letter.
9 Turn off automatic updating: Free up memory and CPU power manually.
To turn off auto updates, go to Control Panel > Performance and maintenance > System.
Choose Turn Off Automatic Updating.
10 Remove recent file list: Go to Control Panel > Taskbar and Start Menu Properties, click on the Start Menu tab, then the Customise button.
Click on the Advanced tab and uncheck the List My Most Recently Opened Documents box.
Get around faster
11 Set a fast menu: By default, there's always a slight delay between different levels of the Start menu.
Set this to zero by typing 'regedit' (Start > Run).
Go to . Right click on MenuShowDelay on the right.
Select Modify, then change the value to 0.
Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
12 Access applications faster: If you have trouble finding your commonly accessed apps, especially if you have a long start menu, here is a quick way to get around.
Create a new folder, and name it 'Apps' or 'Games'. Then add the shortcuts to your apps in this folder.
Right-click on your taskbar, select New toolbar and point to the new folder.
The apps are now quickly accessible from the taskbar.
13 Remove unwanted start-up programs: Click on Start > Run.
Type 'msconfig' and press enter. This launches the System Configuration Utility.
Click on the 'Startup' tab and uncheck start-up programs you don't need.
14 Shut down string: If your keyboard does not come with a Power button, you can replicate the one-touch shut down function by performing the following steps.
Right-click on the desktop and create a new shortcut.
Type 'shutdown -s -t 0' in the new window that pops up.
Next, right-click on the new shortcut and select properties. Enter the combo keys to activate a shut down. For example, Ctrl, Alt, End would be a good combination, but the choice is up to you.
15 Remove entries in Add/Remove programs: Click on Start > Run, then type 'regedit'.
Navigate to .
Remove the list of programs that you do not want.
Unload fonts. Extra fonts that you don't need are loaded during start up. This could slow down the start-up time.
16 Delete restore points: Windows has several restore points which you can use to 'roll back' your PC to a previous state, such as before you installed a problematic program, for instance.
If you need space on your hard disk, you can delete the older restore points by going to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup > More options.
17 Use keyboard shortcuts: Most people know that Ctrl + V is used to paste content. Holding down Shift + Insert does the same job.
18 Say no to all: Hold down Shift key if you want to say 'Yes or No to All' whenever you perform file operations.
19 Unload fonts: Extra fonts that you don't need are loaded during start up. This could slow down the start-up time.
In Control Panel, select Fonts and copy those that you never use into another folder.
If needed, you can restore them later.
20 Delete the whole word: Hold control and backspace together to delete a whole word instead of a single letter.
21 Recycle smarter: If you empty your recycle bin every time you delete files, you can skip a step by holding Shift and Delete while selecting the files or folders to delete.
Get a smoother mouse. If you use a PS/2 mouse, go to Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager, and look for your mouse. Choose the Advanced tab, and set the sample rate to 200.
22 Disable error reporting: To get rid of this irritating window whenever an app crashes, go to Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > System.
Then choose Advanced and select Disable Error Reporting.
23 Open the right programs: Open a JPG file in Photoshop rather than in Picture Viewer.
Right-click on the file and choose Open With > Choose Program.
Pick the program if it's on the list; otherwise, browse for the program file.
24 Send to me: How often have you tried opening a text file that is not 'recognised' by Windows? You can use the 'Send to' function to open a file with a specific program, like Notepad.
Go to , assuming 'Alf' is the user (you need to tell the PC to show the hidden folder).
Right-click and select New Shortcut. Follow the instructions to create a shortcut for Notepad.
The next time you right-click on a file, you'll be able to 'send' it to Notepad for viewing.
25 Get yourself a smoother mouse: If you use a PS/2 mouse, go to Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager, and look for your mouse. Choose the Advanced tab, and set the sample rate to 200.
26 Quick lock: Instead of hitting Ctrl, Alt, Del to lock your PC, simply press Winkey (Windows logo) and L.
27 Pack up your mail: In Outlook Express, go to Tools > Options > Maintenance > Store Folder. This allows you to specify where to save your e-mail files, instead of using the default Microsoft location. Makes for easier back-up.
28 Print clearly: Windows XP has a useful Photo Printing Wizard, which lets you arrange several photos for printing. For example, you can choose to print four in a page, or a whole page of sticker-sized images. Just select the images in a folder and right click to choose Print.
29 Get rid of the search dog: If you are not big on cartoons, turn off the animated character that appears whenever you search for files.
In the Search window, click on Change Preferences and select 'without an animated screen character'.
Surf better
30 Load webpages faster: Just type in the name of the website like 'singnet' into your Internet Explorer (IE) address bar, then press Ctrl + Enter.
These shortcut keys add in the http:// and .com automatically.
31 Disable IE homepage: Unless you want your homepage to show up each time you open a new browser window, the fastest way to launch IE is not to have a homepage at all.
Open IE, go to Tools, followed by Internet options. Under the homepage section, choose 'Use blank'.
32 Increase your browsing speed: Speed up your web surfing by clearing your DNS (domain name server) cache - run this command: ipconfig/flush dns
33 Change font sizes on the fly: You need a scroll mouse for this. Hold down Ctrl while scrolling up and down in Internet Explorer to adjust font sizes.
34 Change MSN Search to Google: Run regedit, and look for
Right-click on CustomiseSearch, then select Modify. Enter the URL of your favourite search engine like www.google.com
Repeat the steps for SearchAssistant.
Vary your screensaver. The next time your computer goes into idle mode, your own pictures - rather than a staid Windows image - will come on as a screensaver.
35 Clear history directory: Don't make it easy for people to see where you went online.
Delete the cyber trail by removing the most obvious signs, starting with the IE History page, accessible at Tools > Internet Options > Clear History.
36 Zip up: Secure your Zip files by adding a password to them.
Open the file, then go to File > Add a Password. Just don't forget the secret code!
37 Disable pop-ups: Tired of those endless advertisements?
The latest Microsoft update - Service Pack 2 - comes with a pop-up blocker. Go to WindowsUpdate. com to download and install the software.
38 FTP console: Don't want to download a bloated file transfer protocol or FTP program? Use Windows' built-in FTP program.
Click on Start > Run, then type "ftp". To access an FTP server, type "open ftp.netscape.com", for example.
You may have to enter a user name and password.
Type "ls" to list a directory, "send" to upload a file and "get" to download.
39 Customise the toolbar: In IE, right-click on the toolbar (the one with the icons) and select Customise.
This lets you place your own buttons for things like Folders or Full Screen access.
Office 2003 tricks
40 Check the changes you have made: That's what you can do with Microsoft Office 2003.
Every time you edit a report, for example, these changes can be highlighted easily.
Go to Tools > Track Changes and just type away.
The changes are reflected by a different coloured text in Word, for example.
41 Merge documents: With Office 2003, you can merge two versions of a report into one with just a few clicks.
Open one of the documents in Word, then choose Tools > Compare and Merge Documents.
Select the second document to be merged and you have one seamlessly merged report.
42 Personalise your letters: How do you send 100 letters to all your contacts and address them specifically in each letter?
Use the Mail Merge function in Word 2003.
Open a copy of your letter, then go to Tools > Letters and Mailings > Mail Merge.
This opens up a wizard which lets you insert personalised addresses in each letter.
43 Pack it to go: If your audience is so impressed with your PowerPoint presentation that they want a copy, you can now make one instantly.
In PowerPoint 2003, go to File > Package for CD and Copy to CD (you have to pop in an empty disc in your CD-RW drive).
44 Compile photo album: How do you quickly create a digital photo album without buying new software?
Use PowerPoint 2003, if you have it on your PC.
Go to File > New, then select Photo Album from the list of new presentations. Select the photos to include and you are done.
45 Junk the mail: Microsoft Outlook 2003 can automatically put suspected spam messages into a junk mail folder. If you trust this spam filter, you can also tell Outlook to delete the messages automatically. Go to Tools > Options > Junk E-mail.
For the fun of it
Tired of those endless advertisements? The latest Microsoft update - Service Pack 2 - comes with a pop-up blocker. Go to WindowsUp date.com to download and install the software.
46 Take a screenshot: To take a snapshot of the entire Windows desktop on your computer, simply press the Print Scrn button on your keyboard (next to the Scroll Lock key).
If you only want to capture the active window, press Alt+Print Scrn. The image is stored on the clipboard.
Go to Paint, select New, and paste the image onto the canvas.
47 Vary your screensaver: Go to Control Panel > Display, then click on the Screen Saver tab.
Select My Pictures Slideshow in the drop-down menu.
The next time your computer goes into idle mode, your own pictures -rather than a staid Windows image - will come on as a screensaver.
48 Play your MP3 music files with just one click: Go to Control Panel > Taskbar and Start Menu Properties, click on the Start Menu, then the Customise button.
Click on the Advanced tab.
Under the Start menu items options, choose to display My Music as a menu item.
49 Thumbnails, please: View all your photos in the form of a film strip.
Go to My Pictures, then click on View > Filmstrip.
Or, if you like thumbnails, select View > Thumbnails instead.
50 Find buddies on the Net: Find your friend's computer by browsing through all the different networks in your office or home.
Just go to Start > My Network Places and click on View workgroup computers to see every connected computer.
Some of the tips used in this article were sourced from: www.tweakxp.com
