Biggest
tips guide ever! (Part 7)
Windows;
Hardware
BBC
iPlayer lets you set Parental Controls for post-watershed progammes
Act your age
DVDs have age ratings on the box; as do
computer and console games. Prevent your children ignoring them by implementing
Parental Controls in Windows. You'll find it in the User Account settings.
Remote access tools rule
If you can't fix your PC, someone else
surely can. Use the Remote Assistance tools in Windows to get context-based help
or allow a technical support staffer to peer at what's happening and apply a few
tweaks.
Manage exclusions to Windows Firewall
Windows 7's firewall constantly asks you
to allow or deny an application's access to your network. To unblock or block a
program, you'll have to manually change some settings in the Windows Firewall
control panel. Click on your Start button, type Allowed Applications into the search
field, and press Enter. In the resulting window, all the programs installed on the
system that were flagged by Windows Firewall will be listed, If there is an application
communicating through the Firewall that you now want to block, click the Change
Settings button at the top of the screen, then scroll through the list of programs
until you find the offending software, and disable it from accessing the internet
over Home/Work or Public networks. Conversely, If you'd like to allow a program
that was previously blocked, find it on the list, and select the appropriate boxes
next to the entry.
Revive a non-functioning PC
We can't perform miracles, but we can suggest
some common fixes. A non-starting PC may have power supply issues, but a poorly
seated processor, RAM module or graphics card could also be at fault.
Crashing soon after startup
Uninstall anything you recently
downloaded, then check your startup apps and background processes to see if
something is going wrong. View the processes in the Task Manager by pressing Ctrl,
Shift, Esc and clicking the Processes tab. Use ProcessLibrary.com as a reference
to identify the obscure ones.
For startup items, enter msconfig in the
Start menu Search bar, then launch the application and click on the Startup tab
to see what's going on. If something you recently installed shows up in there, it
might be the culprit.
Unexplained PC crashes
If your crashes aren't easy to reproduce,
get your security software to scan for viruses and malware. If you've recently
installed a new security suite and have started seeing problems, try uninstalling
it and then use a different one. Security applications typically get deeper Into
the guts of your system than other apps, meaning they're more prone to incompatibilities.
Windows won't load
This is best addressed by booting into
Safe mode - you'll probably be offered this option if Windows fails to start. Uninstall
whatever you installed most recently, update any drivers such as the Bios software,
then head to the System Restore menu and select a recent date. Restart the PC.
Hard-drive errors
A falling hard drive won't be fixed using
the Safe mode and System Restore tools, but going through the process may help
alert you to It. Get your recovery disc, boot up from It, and save whatever
data you haven't backed up. Run your disk diagnostic app or Check Disk, which is
built into Windows. Right-click your hard-drive icon, select Properties, Tools,
then select Check now... under the Error Checking tab. There's no cure for bad sectors
- you'll have to replace the drive.
Imminent motherboard failure
The motherboard issues a series of bleeps
to alert you to its plight. Back up the drive and save what you can before
calling on tech help or looking for a replacement component.
Software
Avoid
using site such as eBay to buy software
Change the operating system
We've already noted how Linux can bring
security benefits. Using Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric Ocelot' (the latest
consumer version of Ubuntu) rather than Windows will also let you get more
oomph from an elderly laptop. Another Linux choice: Puppy Linux (puppyMnux.org)
is lightweight and secure, as well as free, and can be run off a USB drive if
you prefer.
A new Windows for old
Windows is getting less bloated and laggy,
Hooray! You could dump Vista or XP for Windows 7 Home Premium and enjoy a slicker
Windows experience. Alternatively, you could try out the unfinished Developer Preview
version of Windows 8.
You can download it from the PC
Advisor website at tinvuri.com/3zqh77t (32bit) or tinyurl.com/bwhhaL4 (64bit). The
worry-free way to test drive Windows 8 - or if you simply don't have a spare PC
on which to run it - is to use virtualization software. We like VirtualBox (tinyurl.com/cvs9qx6).
Enjoy easier Windows upgrades
You need to back up everything on your
PC before doing so, but once you've completed the preparation, there's still lots
of hard graft ahead. You'll need to reinstall your applications and transfer
your programs files, email and browser bookmarks. Microsoft helps ease this
task by offering its Windows Easy Transfer utility, which is available as a free
download (tinvuri.com/v2o5wkr). it scans the software, saves everything to an external
hard drive and assembles all the items you'll need when you load up your new
version of Windows. It also transfers your files to the correct locations on your
new PC.
Wireless keyboard keeps playing up
It's not uncommon for wireless peripherals
such as keyboards and mice to present problems. They need to maintain a connection
with their RF receiver base station - the small module that plugs into the PC via
USB - in order to communicate to Windows what you're typing. Unfortunately, other
electronic items in the vicinity often interfere, if you work with your mobile phone
by your side, it's likely to be the culprit.
Is my software kosher?
When you install Windows for the first
time, you'll be prompted to activate it You can run the operating system for the
first 28 days without needing to do so but, after that, Microsoft will start reminding
you that "this copy of Windows is not genuine", hoping you will activate
(or register) your copy. The license key will be written on the embellished sticker
on the disc's paper jacket, or on the box. If you don't have a license key, you'll
need to buy one or face sudden shutdowns and screen blackouts.
I think I've bought pirate software
Software piracy is rife. Buying software
through an auction site such as eBay is ill-advised; you transfer money into a stranger's
PayPal account, they cash it and provide a string of numbers to unlock the software
you downloaded. Expect a nasty malware infection as well as there's a high likelihood
that the software is 'cracked' and therefore unusable (or not legally). Our advice
is don't bother, if you can't afford to buy expensive software, there are many free
alternatives for almost every computing and creative task imaginable.
