Why you must not use free software for you registry

A windows registry is like a catalog for our computer. Every bit of hardware and software that is present in the computer is referenced to the registry.

In order to understand the registry a bit better, and thus our reasons as to why you must not use free software for your registry, let us take the example of a proper windows registry.Let's say you are opening Ms-Word.

The moment you click on the Ms Word icon on your screen, the reference in the registry to Ms Word will get activated. The details of the Ms-Word programs, such as where it is located, whom it is registered to, the last time it was accessed etc. are all accessed along with the program through the registry.


The registry contains references to all such information. Every time a program is installed, a huge number of such entries are inserted into the software and as the number of such entries inside the registry keeps increasing, it adversely affects the speed of the computer. To offset this, we need to use registry cleaners that help clean the registry and boost the system.There are many different registry cleaners available in the market. It is thus confusing for the average computer user to decide which cleaner to use.

There are many reasons why you must not use free software for your registry. A registry as we now knows contains information that is vital to the system. A registry also contains references to a lot of OS tasks and controls panel options. If any part of the registry is damaged then it might cause irrevocable damage to the operating system. Many systems are known to crash and hang after its registry is damaged.

The software available for free on the internet is not trustworthy. All your highly important data might just get ruined if at all the software malfunctions. Since the software is free, there is no guarantee accompanying it too. This is just one of the reasons why you must not use free software for your registry.

The other reason why use of free software for our registry is not advisable is because apart from the lack of guarantee accompanying any free software, our registry is also very vulnerable to any problems. Any problems in the registry, in turn can easily cripple the entire system, so much so that the whole operating system might also have to be re installed.Hence the use of free software for registry is strongly discouraged.for a free scan and more information http://www.pctool-registrycleaner.com/Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Summer_Smith

How to Rebuild and Reinstall Windows

If you are planning to rebuild a ’slow’ computer by reinstalling Windows (XP or Vista) from scratch, here’s a pre-installation checklist + some time saving tips. You existing data on the Windows PC will not be affected even if you do a clean install instead of repair or upgrade.

Fix Problems by Reinstalling Windows

As An IT, part of my job involves reviewing software which is so interesting but frequent installation (followed by un-installation) of software programs also tend to slow down the computer.

To deal with this problem, I did a clean installation of Windows last weekend and re-installed all the important software programs from scratch. As expected, the boot-up time has reduced and the computer’s performance has improved significantly. Luckily, this task is not as complex as it may sound but here are a few things you should remember before taking the plunge:

Pre-Installation Checklist

1. Get Magical Jelly to retrieve a list of product keys that were used to install Windows and Microsoft Office on your computer. Print this information. (Also see: Determining Windows version)
2. Get Belarc Advisor to create a detailed report of all software programs, hotfixes and hardware devices available in your system. Print this report as well.
3. Uninstall all software programs that had to be activated at the time of installation (e.g. Adobe Creative Suite, Dragon Naturally Speaking or Microsoft Office). It’s important that you do a proper un-installation of these programs through Add/Remove Programs because simply deleting the folder from Program Files directory will not free up the license on the manufacturer’s activation server.
4. Install Driver Max to create a backup of all device drivers currently installed on your system. This will come handy after reinstallation incase you are not able to locate the driver installers on the vendor’s website.
5. Create a backup folder on c: (say c:\old_files) and add the following files to this folder (a). Your Outlook pst file that has all the mails, contacts, tasks and other Outlook items. (b). If you have purchased any custom fonts, copy the relevant ttf files from the c:\windows\fonts folder. c. All documents, Live Writer drafts, pictures, music and videos from your My Document folder. (c). Backup your custom dictionaries from Firefox, Microsoft Word, Live Writer, etc. (d). Export all browser bookmarks and copy them to the backup folder. (e). Open your Firefox add-ons window, take a screenshot and paste that image in the backup folder. This is a good way to remember your favorite Firefox extensions. (f). Export your podcast subscriptions in iTunes as as OPML (XML) file. (g). Product keys (serial numbers) of all licensed software.
6. 6If you have a partitioned hard drive (say C: and D:), just copy* the backup folder created in step 5 to the D: drive. If you don’t have a partitioned hard disk or if the size of partition is small, install Live Mesh, add c:\old_files folder to your Live Mesh account and wait until all the files are uploaded on to the web. Mesh offers 5 GB of space and it may therefore be a good idea to burn all the heavy files (like videos, music, etc) onto a DVD instead of transferring them online.
   *You can copy large folders across drives through Windows Explorer or the xcopy utility.

Re-Install Windows from Scratch

Now is the time to do a clean installation of Windows. This is probably the easiest part. You can either boot your computer from the original Windows installation CD** or, while you are running Windows, pop-in the installation CD and run the setup.exe program just like you would install any other Windows app. Always choose “Fresh Installation” instead of “Repair”.

**If you installation media doesn’t include the latest service packs, try creating one yourself. Windows XP with SP3 is available as a downloadable ISO while you can slipstream SP1 into Vista fairly easily.

Post-Installation Tips

It can take around 30 minutes (or more) for the whole installation to finish. Now jump to the Windows Update website and let your browser download all the hotfixes, security updates, driver updates, etc. If your computer is unable to connect to the Internet, chances are that your computer doesn’t have the proper network drivers. No problem as you can easily get the drivers from the dump that you created using DriverMax utility.

If your display is acting funny or there’s no audio, just install the right drivers from the vendor’s website (preferred approach) or use your backup media. Once all the patches are installed, Windows Vista users can free up few gigabytes of disk space by making SP1 permanent. Windows XP users may skip this step.

Now turn on the Firewall and install all the other software programs and associated updates in any order. The next important step is to clone your disk image via DriveImage XML (free software), Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost. Windows Vista Ultimate also comes with a “Backup & Restore Center” that you may use to create a complete backup image of your entire computer to another drive, external disk or a DVD.

These disk images will come very handy after few months when your Windows PC get slow again. You won’t have to repeat the rebuilding exercise as the PC can be easily restored to the original state through these disk images.

Don’t experiment on your main PC

If you are tech enthusiast who loves to try new software / browser add-ons, I would strongly recommend that you don’t install these software on your main system - instead get Virtual PC (it’s free), create a Windows XP / Windows Vista virtual machine and use that environment as your new playground.

Another recommendation - do get a cane of compressed air to remove all the dirt from components inside the computer case. Sometimes software may not be the reason behind your slow and slugging PC - the culprit could be the dust sticking on the CPU heat sink.

Computer

A computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a list of instructions.

The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century (1940–1945), although the computer concept and various machines similar to computers existed earlier.

Early electronic computers were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PC).[1] Modern computers are based on tiny integrated circuits and are millions to billions of times more capable while occupying a fraction of the space.[2] Today, simple computers may be made small enough to fit into a wristwatch and be powered from a watch battery. Personal computers, in various forms, are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as "a computer"; however, the most common form of computer in use today is the embedded computer. Embedded computers are small, simple devices that are used to control other devices — for example, they may be found in machines ranging from fighter aircraft to industrial robots, digital cameras, and children's toys.

The ability to store and execute lists of instructions called programs makes computers extremely versatile and distinguishes them from calculators. The Church–Turing thesis is a mathematical statement of this versatility: any computer with a certain minimum capability is, in principle, capable of performing the same tasks that any other computer can perform.

Therefore, computers with capability and complexity ranging from that of a personal digital assistant to a supercomputer are all able to perform the same computational tasks given enough time and storage capacity.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Computer

A programmable machine. The two principal characteristics of a computer are:

• It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner.
• It can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a program).
  

Modern computers are electronic and digital. The actual machinery -- wires, transistors, and circuits -- is called hardware; the instructions and data are called software.

All general-purpose computers require the following hardware components:

• memory : Enables a computer to store, at least temporarily, data and programs.
  
• mass storage device : Allows a computer to permanently retain large amounts of data. Common mass storage devices include disk drives and tape drives.
  
• input device : Usually a keyboard and mouse, the input device is the conduit through which data and instructions enter a computer.
  
• output device : A display screen, printer, or other device that lets you see what the computer has accomplished.
  
• central processing unit (CPU): The heart of the computer, this is the component that actually executes instructions.
  

In addition to these components, many others make it possible for the basic components to work together efficiently. For example, every computer requires a bus that transmits data from one part of the computer to another.

Computers can be generally classified by size and power as follows, though there is considerable overlap:

• personal computer : A small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. In addition to the microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data, a monitor for displaying information, and a storage device for saving data.
  
• workstation : A powerful, single-user computer. A workstation is like a personal computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor.
  
• minicomputer : A multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to hundreds of users simultaneously.
  
• mainframe : A powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously.
  
• supercomputer : An extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of instructions per second

Tip dan Trik Windows sehari-hari

Pengguna Windows yang berbahagia, saya ada sedikit tip dan trik untuk menggunakan fungsi-fungsi windows yang mungkin kebanyakan dari kita yang belum mengetahuinya, tip dan triknya sebagai berikut.

Bila Anda tidak memiliki CD bootable, Microsoft menyediakan tool gratis untuk membuat disket booting klik disini

Windows XP secara otomatis akan me-highlight setiap program baru yang ter-install. Cara menghilangkannya, klik kanan StartProperties. Masuk ke tab Start Menu Customize, kemudian klik tab Advanced dan hilangkan tanda centang pada opsi Highlight newly installed program.

Untuk tampilan film atau game terbaik pada komputer, pastikan bahwa DirextX terbaru sudah terinstalasi dengan baik. Lihat versi terbarunya klik disini

Sebenarnya hanya dibutuhkan waktu tidak lebih dari 2 menit saja untuk masuk ke Windows sejak komputer dihidupkan. Namun, kadang terasa sangat lama. Untuk mempercepat loading Windows, ada beberapa hal yang bisa dilakukan. Misalnya, mengurangi icon di desktop serta tidak menggunakan wallpaper yang memakan banyak memory. Ganti wallpaper dengan background berwarna, serta gunakan Desktop Cleanup Wizard yang ada bisa ditemui dengan klik kanan pada desktop untuk membersihkanicon. Jangan lupa juga, jalankan defrag secara berkala.

Jika Anda sering menambah atau mengurangi program di komputer, bersihkan registry secara rutin. Gunakan software bantu seperti Registry Mechanic dari situs www.winguides.com. Sayangnya, versi trial program ini hanya bisa digunakan memperbaiki sebanyak 6 sections saja.Langkah lain yang perlu dilakukan adalah me-remove program yang di-load secara otomatis saat memulai Windows. Tentu saja, hanya program-program yang tidak dibutuhkan. Caranya, dengan menghapus semua isi folder startup dan membuka msconfig melalui StartRun.

Gunakan fitur File and Transfer Setting Wizard untuk memindahkan file dan setting ke komputer baru. Caranya, klik StartAllProgramsAccessoriesSystem Tools, kemudian jalankan File and Transfer Setting Wizard.

Jika Anda kehilangan serial number Windows XP, gunakan freeware Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder bisa di klik disini.

Untuk men-share sebuah folder di komputer Anda ke jaringan, klik kanan folder tersebut dan pilih Properties. Klik tab Sharing dan enable option Share this folder on the network. Beri nama dan klik OK.

Jika Anda menerima pesan dari Internet melalui Messenger, segera matikan. Caranya, masuk ke Contol PanelAdministrative ToolsServices, dan klik ganda Messenger kemudian Stop. Untuk mencegah supaya tidak terulang, atur supaya Messenger menjadi Disabled di bagian Startup.

Lindungi privasi dengan mencegah aplikasi Windows Media Player mengirim data mengenai komputer dan kebiasaan Anda menggunakan komputer melalui Internet ke alamat-alamat tertentu. Caranya mudah, Pada Windows Media Player, pilih menu ToolsOption. Buka tab Player dan disable option Aloww internet sites to uniquely your player.
Untuk men-disable fitur autorun, klik kanan pada icon drive CD, pilih Properties dan masuk dalam tab AutoPlay. Kemudian disable autoplay untuk setiap jenis file yang tertera pada daftar.

Untuk meletakkan icon volume control di taskbar, masuk dalam Control PanelSound and Audio dan klik tab Volume. Enable Place volume control in the Taskbar dan klik OK.

Atur tombol Power di keyboard melalui Control PanelPower Option di tab Advanced. Tentukan pengaturan tombol Power ini dengan memilih option yang tersedia.

Atur supaya Windows menampilkan ekstensi setiap file. Caranya, di Windows Explorer, pilih menu ToolFolder Option dan tab View. Hilangkan tanda centang di option Hide file extentions for known file types.

Ubah gambar pada welcome screen dengan cara masuk ke User Account di Control Panel. Buka account Anda dan klik Change my picture. Tentukan gambar pilihan Anda dengan mengklik Browse untuk gambar di harddisk atau memilih di antara gambar yang sudah tersedia.

Jika lebih menyukai tampilan Start Menu versi lama, Anda bisa mengubahnya dengan mengklik kanan tombol Start, pilih Properties. Pilih Classic Start Menu dan klik Customize untuk mengatur isinya.

Untuk menyempurnakan tampilan klasik pada Start Menu, klik kanan desktop dan pilih Properties. Buka tab Themes, dan pilih Windows Classic dari Theme list.
Tambahkan image pada sebuah folder, sehingga image tersebut yang akan tampak saat Windows Explorer dalam tampilan thumbnails. Caranya, klik kanan folder yang hendak diolah, pilih Properties. Klik tab Customize dan klik Choose Picture. Pilih sebuah gambar dan klik OpenOK.

Sesuaikan kapasitas Recycle Bin dengan mengklik kanan icon Recycle Bin dan memilihProperties. Isi kapasitas yang Anda inginkan dan klik OK.
Pada saat View di-set Details di Windows Explorer, klik kanan header salah satu kolom untukmengatur kolom apa saja yang ditampilkan. Klik More bila perlu mengatur setting lainnya.

Untuk menambahkan program yang paling sering Anda gunakan dalam Quick Launch, drag icon program tersebut dalam Quick Launch.

Jadikan tampilan Windows Explorer seperti tampilan pada window My Computer. Caranya, klik kanan icon Window Explorer dan pilih Properties. Pada Target area, setelah %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe tambahkan /n, /e,/select, C:\ dan klik OK.
Untuk menambahkan sebuah shortcut program di baris paling atas Start Menu, klik kanan icon-nya di Start Menu kemudian klik Pin to Start Menu.

Untuk mengosongkan daftar dokumen dalam folder My Recent Document di Start Menu, klik kanan Start, pilih Properties. Klik Customize dan buka tab Advanced kemudian klik tombol Clear list. Supaya tidak ada lagi yang muncul di My Recent Documents, disable option List my most recently opened documents.
Tambahkan account Guest supaya orang lain bisa menggunakan komputer Anda. Caranya, buka User Accounts di Control Panel, klik GuestTurn On the Guest Account.

Ganti Welcome screen dengan login dialog untuk menambah tingkat keamanan. Caranya, masuk dalam User Accounts di Control Panel, pilih option Change the way user log on or off serta disable Welcome screen.
Gunakan folder Shared Documents untuk menyimpan filefile yang bisa dibuka orang lain dalam jaringan.

Pada Windows XP Pro Edition, password bisa kadaluarsa jika lama tidak digunakan login. Untuk menghindarinya, atur supaya Windows tidak melakukan hal tersebut. Caranya, klik StartRun, ketikkan userpasswords2 dan Enter. Buka tab Advanced dan pilih advanced user management, klik tombol Advanced dan pilih Local Users and Groups. Klik kanan nama user dan pilih Properties. Buka tab General dan enable option Password never expires.

Beri nama setiap partisi atau drive yang ada dengan nama yang berbeda. Hal ini penting untuk mempermudah pencarian file.

Sebuah compressed folder bisa dilindungi dengan password. Caranya, buka menu FileAdd a Password. Isikan password Anda dan isi sekali lagi untuk konfirmasi.
Sebuah compressed folder tetap bisa ditambah isinya dengan cara drag and drop file yang hendak dikompres ke dalamnya.

Saat menjalankan Disk Cleanup, pilih option Compress old files untuk mengompresi file-file yang sudah tidak dibutuhkan, sehingga kapasitas harddisk bisa dihemat.
Enkrip atau acak file bisa dilakukan di Windows XP Pro Edition dengan mengklik kanan My Computer, pilih Properties. Buka tab General dan klik Advanced. Aktifkan option Encrypt contents to secure data.

Cara termudah mengubah nama file atau folder adalah dengan memilihnya, kemudian menekan tombol F2.

Supaya Anda bisa berpindah antar folder dengan cepat, terutama pada folder-folder yang sering dibuka, buatlah shortcut untuk setiap folder yang sering diakses.
Reset file association dengan cara menahakan tombol Shift saat mengklik kanan sebuah file. Pilih Open With… Pilih program yang hendak Anda gunakan untuk membuka file tersebut dan enable option Open use the selected program to open this kind of file. Kemudian klik OK.

Sesuaikan kapasitas penyimpanan file musik dengan cara membuka Windows Media Player dan memilih menu ToolsOptions. Buka tab Copy Music dan sesuaikan ukuran kapasitas dengan menggeser slider.

Jika Anda menyimpan semua dokumen dalam folder My Documents, maka semua file tersebut lebih mudah di-back-up serta tidak terpengaruh system restore.

Jika sebuah file hasil copy dari CD tidak dapat diakses, maka hilangkan atribut Read only. Caranya, klik kanan file tersebut dan pilih Properties. Hilangkan tanda centang pada option Read only.

Aturlah tampilan setiap folder dengan mengklik kanan folder tersebut pada My Computer. Pilih Properties dan klik Customize. Pilih template yang tersedia atau pilih gambar sesuai dengan keinginan Anda. Klik OK untuk menyimpan hasil setting.

Anda bisa me-rename beberapa file sekaligus yang memiliki karakter sama dalam folder yang sama juga. Misalnya kumpulan foto atau image. Caranya, pilih semua file yang hendak di-rename, klik kanan file pertama dan klik Rename. Beri nama,misalnya Koleksi.JPG, maka semua file yang lain akan berubah namanya menjadi Koleksi (1).JPG, Koleksi (2).JPG, dan seterusnya.

Anda bisa mencetak beberapa foto bersamaan, sekaligus mengatur layout serta option lainnya dengan cara mudah. Pertama, buka file-file foto dalam folder My Pictures, kemudian pilih menu File Print. Akan muncul Photo Printing Wizard. Atur printer yang hendak digunakan dan layout yang akan dipakai. Beberapa printer memungkinkan mencetak beberapa foto dalam satu kertas.

Daripada harus mengatur setting printer setiap kali menggunakannya, buatlah copy printer Anda. Atur masing-masing dengan option berbedasesuai yang Anda butuhkan.

Anda bisa menggunakan karakter yang tidak ada di keyboard, namun bisa digunakan dalam Windows dengan fitur Character Map. Untuk membukanya, Anda bisa menemukan di StartAll ProgramsAccessoriesSystem ToolssCharacter Map. Atau ketik “charmap” tanpa tanda petik di StartRun.

Untuk meng-capture sebuah adegan di file movie menjadi sebuah image, putarlah film tersebut dan tekan tombol Stop saat adegan yang diinginkan. Klik Take Picture, simpan di folder Anda dan beri nama.

Anda bisa mengatur pointer mouse sesuai keinginan dengan membukatab Pointer dalam menu Mouse di Control Panel. Klik Browse untuk mencaripointer yang sesuai keinginan Anda.

Untuk menampilkan daftar dokumen yang terakhir diakses di StartMenu pada Windows XP Home Edition, klik kanan pada tombol Start dan pilihProperties. Klik Customize, buka tab Advanced dan enable option List mymost recently opened documents.

Jika Anda ingin agar tampilan Windows Explorer terbuka penuh hinggamenutupi taskbar, tekan tombol F11.

Anda bisa membuat shortcut key atau penekanan tombol tertentu untukmengakses sebuah program. Caranya, klik kanan icon program tersebut danpilih Properties. Buka tab Shortcut dan tentukan tombol mana yang Anda gunakan untuk mengakses program tersebut. Secara otomatis Windows akanmenambahkan tombol Ctrl+Alt+ pilihan Anda sebagai shortcut key.

Urutkan secara alfabet, semua program yang ada di Start Menu untukmemudahkan pengaksesan. Caranya, klik StartAll Programs, klik kanansalah satu program yang ada dan pilih Sort by Name.

Munculkan penampakan icon indikator koneksi broadband atau dial-uppada system tray untuk mempermudah kontrol. Caranya, buka My NetworkPlaces, pilih View Networks Connections, klik kanan koneksi yang Andagunakan dan pilih Properties. Ubah option Show icon in notofication areawhen connected menjadi enable.

Anda bisa mengedit Start Menu sesuai dengan kebutuhan. Baik menambah, mengurangi, atau bahkan mengubah namanya. Caranya, klik kanan Start dan pilih Open atau Open All Users. Atur setiap shortcut yang tersedia sesuai kebutuhan.

Semoga bermanfaat..