Please post any tips you know of, for other readers to refer to.

It could be literally anythingto do with IT/Computers/Programming/Word/Software etc., anything at all that you think others may benefit from.

if you have broadband, and you don't have a firewall, you are fcked.

thats my tip for the day.

i'll be back tomorrow.

Well.. .let me see. Probably one of the biggest issues that many people run into nowadays is spyware. Spyware screws up your computer. It dumps a bunch of crap files onto your hard disk and robs your computer of resources. Many "free" supposed spyware killers do nothing but dump more spyware onto your machine.

You don't need a spyware package to solve the issue. You can solve this problem by simply deleting the directories for the spyware that has installed onto your computer. When you look at your program list in "add/remove programs". You should be able to note the software packages that you know are not supposed to be on your computer. You can try uninstalling them there. The uninstall will most likely fail. But you can go to the "c:\program files" directory and find those software installs, then delete them. If you can't, just reboot your computer into "safe mode". That will give you sufficient access to delete any spyware directory.

At least once a month, do a defrag of your computer.

Keep your anti virus up to date.

Quick Properties

A quick way to view the properties of a file or folder is to hold down the Alt key and then double-click the left mouse button.

This method is much quicker than right clicking the mouse and then selecting the Properties option from the drop down list.

Quick Windows Shutdown

Tired of going through the START menu and dialog boxes when you want to shut down Windows? Here's a tip for adding a shortcut to your desktop which will do the same thing, but without all the hassle.

1. Right-click the desktop and select New-Shortcut.
2. Type c:\windows\rundll32.exe user.exe,exitwindows in the 'Command line' field, and click Next. Leave a space between rundll32.exe and user.exe.
3. Type Windows Shutdown as the shortcut's name, and click Finish.
4. The shortcut will now appear on the desktop. If you would like it in the Start menu then drag the icon onto the Start menu and wait for the menu to open. Now place the shortcut where you want it.

Bypass The Recycle Bin

If there is a file you are absolutely sure you want to delete you can bypass the Recycle Bin.

Just hold down the Shift key while clicking Delete, and the file will be deleted without being sent to the Recycle Bin. Just remember, now you have no way to retrieve the file, easily, that is, if you delete it this way.

Microsoft Word: Save and Close Everything at Once

If you use Microsoft Word, here's a great time-saving tip. When you're done for the day, don't bother closing and saving all your files individually--that's for sissies.

Instead, just press the Shift key as you open the File menu. You've just changed the Save command to say Save All, and the Close command to say Close All.

By the way, you won't find this secret in the manual--because Word doesn't come with one.

Introduction

The more you use your PC, the more it will collect odd files that you no longer need, taking up unnecessary disk space. It is therefore a good idea to regularly clean out your system, getting rid of the files you no longer need to make space for new ones.

You can also run maintenance programs which can 'defrag', or clean up, your files and arrange them in a way which makes it easier for your PC to find certain ones. By doing this, you can improve the speed at which Windows finds your files and runs your programs.

Before You Start

Although emptying redundant files and defragmenting your harddrive is common practice among most PC users, there is always the possibility that something may go wrong. It is therefore recommended that you make backups of important files such as those in your My Documents folder before following these steps.

You should always be careful when deleting files you no longer think you need, and if you aren't sure it is probably best to leave them alone.

Your version of Windows may contain a System Restore feature, in which case you can create a Restore Point to return to if you have any problems. Consult your Windows Help (click on the Start menu then Help and Support) for more information about this feature.

When running Disk Cleanup and Defragmenter, you should avoid having any other programs running at the same time.

The Recycle Bin

When you delete a file, don't forget that usually this just means it has been moved to the Recycle Bin. If you do not regularly empty your Bin, the files inside may take up valuable disk space.

Double click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop to see which files are currently stored in there. If there are any files in the Bin that you want to restore back to the original place you deleted them from, right-click on the files and select Restore. If you are happy you no longer require any of the files in the Recycle Bin, you can remove them from your computer by right-clicking the Recycle Bin icon and selecting Empty recycle bin.

You should empty your Recycle Bin regularly, say once a week.

Disk Cleanup

When working with programs, Windows stores information in temporary folders, but does not always clean them out afterwards, leaving behind unnecessary files. The Disk Cleanup system tool allows you to clean out Windows components and programs you no longer need, and remove these temporary files.

From the Start menu, click on Programs> Accessories> SystemTools> Disk Cleanup. On newer versions of Windows, Disk Cleanup may now take a few minutes to compress files older than 50 days. The main Disk Cleanup window shows two tabs - Disk Cleanup and More Options.

In the Disk Cleanup tab window, put a tick in the following boxes if you wish to clean out these unnecessary files:
- Downloaded program files

- Temporary internet files

- Recycle bin

- Temporary files
Click on the More Options tab and you can choose to get rid of unwanted Windows components, remove installed programs you no longer use, and remove all but the most recent System restore point.

When you have selected everything you want to clean up, click on OK then Yes to confirm you want to begin the Disk Cleanup process.

You should try to delete temporary files regularly, say once a week.

Defragmenting Your Hard Disk

Defragmenting your hard disk helps Windows arrange files in a way that makes it easier and faster for it to find your programs.

From the Start menu, click on Programs> Accessories> SystemTools> Disk Defragmenter.

It is recommended that you read the Defragmenter Help manual before beginning the defragmentation process. Click on Help from the menu at the top of the Disk Defragmenter window.

Please note that it is possible for 'defragging' your disk to take several hours if it is particularly fragmented, during which time you should not run any other programs.

Some important points from the Help manual to remember:
- Analyze volumes regularly and defragment them only when Disk Defragmenter recommends it. A good guideline is to analyze volumes at least once a week. If you seldom need to defragment volumes, analyze volumes monthly instead of weekly.

- If a volume has less than 15% free space, Disk Defragmenter will only partially defragment it. To increase the free space on a volume, delete unneeded files or move them to another disk.
To start the defragmentation process, click the volume that you want to defragment, and then click Defragment.

good thread athaba

all i can add is that basic pc knowledge is essential. i've learned so much from the it village here and elswhere

People forget to always do this..

Getan external hard drive... and use it toback-up your work, media, music whatever.. becuase once the hard drive packs up, be prepared to pay 5x the amount of the hard drive cost to get it recovered... a company charged £600 just to get my work back which was only about 60gig..

Wanttomove lots of files/folders at once?

Open the folder containing the folders/files you wish to move, (for example 'My Documents'). Holding down the Ctrl. (Control) key, select eachfile/folder in turn.Keep themhighlighted. Then from the 'Edit' menu,click on'Move To Folder'.A box will appear containing a list of folders. Click on the folder, where you wantyour file/folder to go, (could be in a sub-menu), then click 'Move'.

Watch as folders disappear together!





*NOTE: Take your time selecting the files/foldersto be moved. As a precaution I suggest three at a time; hold down the Ctrl. key, highlight three folders/files, then relax. Select three more, relax and so on.This is because the Ctrl. key is also used to Copy files/folders. If you are not careful you could end up with more folder/files then you orginally started with!



**You candeletea lot of files this way too, by going toFile/Delete insteadof Edit/Move to Folder.