Company looks to new 22 nm architecture to hold off AMD and ARM Holdings

Intel Corp. (INTC) has dropped a few hints to its upcoming 22 nm Haswell architecture, currently under development by the company's secret Oregon team. In a post on the Intel Software Network blog titled "Haswell New Instruction Descriptions Now Available!", the company reveals that it plans to launch the new CPU in 2013.

Haswell will utilize the same power-saving tri-gate 3D transistor technology that will first drop with Ivy Bridge in early 2012. Major changes architecturally reportedly include a totally redesigned cache, fused multiply add (FMA3) instruction support, and an on-chip vector coprocessor.

The vector process, which will work with the on-die GPU, was a major focus of the post. The company is preparing a series of commands called Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX), which will speed up vector math. It writes:

Intel AVX addresses the continued need for vector floating-point performance in mainstream scientific and engineering numerical applications, visual processing, recognition, data-mining/synthesis, gaming, physics, cryptography and other areas of applications. Intel AVX is designed to facilitate efficient implementation by wide spectrum of software architectures of varying degrees of thread parallelism, and data vector lengths.

According to CNET, Intel's marketing chief Tom Kilroy indicates that Intel hopes for the new chip's integrated graphics to rival today's discrete graphics.

Intel has a ways to go to meet that objective -- its on-die GPU in Sandy Bridge marked a significant improvement over past designs (which were housed in a separate package, traditionally), however it also fell far short of the GPU found in Advance Micro Devices (AMD) Llano Fusion APUs.

Intel has enjoyed a love/hate relationship with graphics makers AMD and NVIDIA Corp. (NVDA). While it's been forced to allow their GPUs to live on its motherboards and alongside its CPUs, the company has also fantasized of usurping the graphics veterans. Those plans culminated in the company's Larrabee project, which aimed to offer discrete Intel graphics cards.

Now that a commercial release of Larrabee has been cancelled, Intel has seized upon on-die integrated graphics as its latest answer to try to push NVIDIA and AMD out of the market. Intel is promoting heavily the concept of ultrabooks -- slender notebooks like the Apple, Inc.'s (AAPL) MacBook Air or ASUTEK Computer Inc.'s (TPE:2357) UX21, which feature low voltage CPUs and -- often -- no discrete GPU.

Mr. Kilroy reportedly wants ultrabook manufacturers using Haswell to shoot for target and MSRP of $599 USD, which would put them roughly in line with this year's Llano notebooks from AMD and partners. It's about $100 USD less than current Sandy Bridge notebooks run.

Intel faces pressure from a surging ARM Holdings plc's (ARMH) who is looking to unveil notebook processors sometime next year.

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According to the post over at Donanimhaber.com, AMD plans to EOL all of its 45nm Phenom II X6 CPUs by the end of the year and to focus on its upcoming FX series lineup based on the Bulldozer architecture.

According to the slide, AMD's Phenom II X6 1100T, 1090T, 1075T, and 1065T will hang on 'till the end of the year, while Phenom II X6 1055T and 1045T models will be EOLed by the half of Q3 2011. This move will pave the way for the upcoming Bulldozer FX Series lineup as well as AMD's Lynx Fusion mid-range lineup based on Llano architecture.

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Concluding our look at this social learning project with a sampling of student reflections, and curriculum tie-ins.

Last week I published part 1 of this article, introducing this fun and well executed project, developed by teacher Richard Cossette for his 9th grade advanced ELA students. This week we follow up with a look at some student reflections on the project and ways in which the project’s learning objectives tied in to Saskatchewan’s education curriculum.
Note that the fictional Facebook profile each student created for the historical figure they chose to use can be opened by clicking on the underlined name in the section subheadings below.
Student Reflections (with links to profiles)

‘Annie’ [Winston Churchill] says:
“At the beginning of this project, I was under the impression that our goal was to learn about different types of government from around the world and about the great world leaders who led these governments.  However, when the Summit heated up, it became clear to me that although these tasks were important, the greater knowledge that we gathered from Facebook were the events that we created in our ‘imaginary’ society.  As we formed alliances, explored each other’s profiles, expressed our ways of ending poverty and voted, we seemed to be creating our very own utopian society[…]

Winston [Churchill] and I both believe in honesty and fairness to all, which was helpful when deciding how resources should be divided, how the BP oil spill should be resolved and how to eliminate poverty.  It was evident during the Forums that most people would give anything to help out their people and, to my delight, most were also willing to compromise to get what they needed.  I think the real world could use a heavy dose of these kinds of resolutions.

When it came to vote on World Leader and Best Group, Catherine de Medici and the Autocrats had the most followers.  Thanks to the democratic voting system we used and some secret planning, the Autocrats were overthrown in a coalition by the other three parties (The Demo-Reps, Socialists, and Prophetics) who had allied with each other.  Even though we’re all just searching for the greater good, it is sometimes hard to agree with either government.  Is it fair to gang up on one leader?  Or to be granted leadership based on your bloodline?  Opinions vary based on where you sit in each argument, nevertheless I think that when these parties combined, more people were having their voices heard in government.  Since Winston was elected leader, I favour democracy and I do not think that monarchy is a fair way to gain leadership or a valid way to gain the confidence of your people.

Every nation has its issues, but when everyone is all grouped together, we stumble upon many revolutionary ideas.  The Facebook Summit was a fun and out of the ordinary project that encouraged us to do exactly that.  Who could have thought that Winston Churchill and his arch nemesis Adolf Hitler would be reunited over the internet, maturely discussing things like the BP oil spill?  Now that the project is over, I still find myself wondering if this could happen in the real world.”

‘Graham’ [Jesus] says:
“As Jesus, my experience in Facebook Summit 2010 was eye-opening.  I chose to be Jesus because I thought I could have something to say about the history of the Roman Empire, colonialism, and minority rights[…]Because I thought that most people actually believe the things that Jesus espoused (love thy neighbour, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, etc…), I expected my beliefs to be more accepted, but now I see why Jesus was crucified.  He actually challenged people, questioned them on the difference between what they were saying and what they were doing, and never compromised his beliefs[…]

As Jesus, I didn’t just spout platitudes about what I believed; I acted on them.  I was forced to avoid many alliances.  People were doing things and agreeing to things that I would not do as Jesus.  Originally, I tried to join with people who shared Jesus’ values – Martin Luther King, Buddha, Mandela, etc – but soon realized that their espoused values did not really matter to them.  What mattered to them was winning.  The approach that most people had to the summit was Machiavellian.  For Machiavelli’s prince, image is everything.  Machiavelli argues that a prince can easily manipulate his subjects because “the masses are always captivated by appearances, and by the outcome of the thing, and in the world there are only the masses”.  In their desire for power, my classmates happily disregarded all personal beliefs – their leader’s and their own – simply spewing the most inoffensive, politically correct lies that they thought would attract votes.”

‘Dew’ [Sun Tzu] says:
“I believe that Facebook is designed perfectly for a project such as the one we did on world leaders, and there are several reasons why.  For starters, one does not have to go looking for people and look at them each individually to find if they are interesting or not.  The frequent status and activity updates remind you who is there, and how involved they are.  If you see that Sun Tzu liked literature, you suddenly know that much more about him, without even having to go and research it.  If one is interested in learning more about Sun Tzu, his info is only a profile click away.  Perhaps you decide you want to join up with Sun Tzu and want to contact him about it.  You could begin a Facebook chat for instant replies, or send a private message if he is not currently online.  The Facebook world is all about connecting and sharing information about yourself with others, and what better site to base this project off of.

Over the course of the project, I discovered many things.  One thing was that when you bring people from all over the world, all from different times, there is going to be a lot of disagreement.  I have reason to believe that Winston Churchill was born and raised quite differently than Queen Nefertiti, and therefore would have differing values and opinions.  A wise leader would not see this as something to fight over, but rather a chance to gain knowledge and become a stronger leader.”

Curriculum connections
Cossette does an excellent job of tying this intriguing assignment to specific learning goals. Following are just a few of the many specific Saskatchewan Curriculum objectives for ELA Grade 9 met via this project.

“Comprehend and Respond (CR)”

• CR9.2 : Select and use appropriate strategies to construct meaning before, during, and after reading, viewing, listening.
• CR9.3: Use pragmatic, textual, syntactic, graphophonic, and other cues to construct and to confirm meaning.
• CR9.4: View and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of multimedia texts (this is becoming increasingly true as the student’s see the value of recommending links)

“Compose and Create (CC)”

• CC9.1: Create various visual, multimedia, oral and written texts that explore identity, social responsibility, and efficacy.
• CC9.2: Writing for a variety of purposes (largely to inform, persuade, and entertain)
• CC9.3: Select and use appropriate strategies to construct meaning before, during, and after speaking, writing, and other representing activities.

Here we have a few of the Curriculum objectives for Social Studies:

Interdependence & Interactions (IN):

• IN9.2: Compare the factors that shape worldviews in a society, including time and place, culture, language, religion, gender identity, socio-economic situation, and education.
• IN9.4: Determine the influence of worldview on the choices, decisions, and interactions in a society.

Dynamic Relationships (DR):

• DR9.1: Examine the challenges involved in obtaining information about societies of the past.
• DR9.4: Determine the influence of societies of the past on contemporary life in Canada.

Power & Authority (PA):

• PA9.1: Examine the concepts of power and authority in the governance of the societies studied.
• PA9.2: Analyze the impact of empire-building and territorial expansion on indigenous populations and other groups in the societies studied.

My thanks again to Richard Cossette for sharing this wonderful project with us, and thanks to the students who did the work and allowed us share it here!

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Quick, while nobody’s looking, slip those goggles on that make you look as if you’ve slipped through time to warn yourself about reading this post. “DON’T READ IT!” your future self says, but curiosity grasped your eyelids and pulls them clear over your freshly shaved hairline.
You just can’t start a new decade without throwing a huge, sopping wet wad of presumption at the next one. It would be easy to make predictions about tech in 2010, but after popping out the orifice of one decade, there’s just nothing like rollin’ up your sleeves and heading toward the end of the next one. That’s what we aim to do and we’ve got 10 predictions to make you wonder how it is all going to end.

Who would have thought…
that back in 2000, you would have made it to 2010 and, in doing so, are now able to buy a 32 GB thumb drive for under $100 to store all your cat pictures and design files on? Or, that you would meet online with a customer in Switzerland for a 5 hour design review? A lot has happened and it’s usually nothing like what we thought it would be or necessarily want it to be. Nevertheless, there are some cool advancements that happen along the way. These are a few of my guesses of what a few of them may be over the next ten years.

1. SolidWorks will release a CATIA translator/converter
   Can ya feel the love? It would be hard to believe now wouldn’t it? However, I think it’s very likely we’ll see something this year – 2010, to get native CATIA files into SolidWorks. I somehow have the feeling that it’s not going to be like what we’re thinking with a typical add-in or translator app. Perhaps something that makes format not matter so much at all. Something that kills the backward compatible/import issue with one big smack.
2. 3D Design apps on Windows, Mac, Linux or Mobile
   We’ll start to see this manifest itself in simple flash-based applications. We’re already there with AIR and other development Adobe is doing with mobile platforms. To really go beyond the limitations each system has and the peculiar affinities that users have for their platform, ideally, any company would want their product on any platform. Then, it doesn’t matter what mobile carrier, or operating system, you’re using.
3. More apps via (your head in) the cloud
   Let’s face it, the idea of computing solely over a T1 line is ridiculous. I started writing this in an email, offline because the network was down… a socket, a server, the ISP, the host… it doesn’t matter. Redundancy needs to be built in… and it will. However, while we’re thinking of all these cloud host companies building server farms everywhere, it could actually be a biologically-linked satellite-style redundancy. Data stored in you, backed-up and accessed wherever. crazy talk?
4. Thumb-drive and web upgrades
   Gone will be the days of receiving a pile of DVD’s in the mail. If you’re sent anything at all, it will be a thumb-drive that automatically detects and upgrades your design software and PDM vault servers. That can already happen and is for the most part, we’ll just start to see more of it. What’s going to be really interesting in this area are the speeds of data transfer and upgrades. You’ll see it already with game console and mobile app updates.
5. Devices for 3D Product Specs/Design guidelines
   More manufacturers will go along with the using thumbdrives and the web to distribute product data. A lot of this will be available via ebook or mobile equivalents. It will be more than just instruction manuals. You’re car or appliance could have a touchscreen and data port where mobile or USB devices attach to show system analysis and diagnosis for issues or show step-by-step scenarios for different users.
6. Print replacement parts
   So, after you’ve plugged in a device to get data on your purchase, you’ll be able to see parts available for a 3D print. If you’ve ever needed a replacement part for a heater or dishwasher that exploded over the weekend, you’ll know how useful this would be. What interesting here are the positions for designers and engineers that will develop and support these types of systems and the products produced by them.
7. People will realize 3D is more than in the movies
   First, I’m tired of all the post skeptical about 3D for movies. Avatar is about to become the #2 top-grossing movie of all time. I had to get my ticket three days in advanced a week after it had been out. It wasn’t even that good, but the experience was spectacular. But wait, that’s just movies. In the next decade more people will start to see that 1) people design stuff in 3D 2) scan stuff in 3D 3) print stuff in 3D and that there are 1) places to share 3D models and 2) places to sell 3D printed models.
8. A big merger between a 3D Design and a Rendering company
   Autodesk has their share of rendering products in their family of products. My guess here is Dassault and Luxology. They’ve had a strong partnership, development continues to grow within the PhotoView 360 product and the link between SolidWorks and Luxology is becoming stronger. I personally like Luxology, and Bunkspeed, for that matter on their own. They offer more independent from a mother-ship.
9. A major partnership between a 3D Design and a game console company
   This would be even bigger, because it hasn’t happened yet. My guess here is Autodesk and Sony or Microsoft and Dassault, with the former being more promising. This would allow 3D content to supplement gaming or provide ways for people to start visually augmenting rooms in their house. Sony and Autodesk stand out to me given both of their involvement in the entertainment industry, collaboration on past games and the amount of Sony devices that could potentially serve 3D content.
10. We will design airplanes via Facebook
    Well, some say they will not design planes on Facebook, and granted, that seems ridiculous right now, but there’s obviously an affect that sites like Facebook are having on how we will design. Just take a look at SolidWorks/Dassault’s vision of the future UI – people and profiles right within your design environment. There are even ways to embed 3D viewers into collaboration apps like Google Wave. Hopefully the interfaces will be slicker, but it’s still likely to happen

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By now you have probably heard the term “Cloud Computing” or “The Cloud”. Heck, even Microsoft talks about it in their latest television ad campaign.
But what is The Cloud really? In its simplest terms, The Cloud is simply other people’s computers that you access over the Internet. These computers can be owned by Google, Microsoft or your uncle.
In fact, I bet you have been using The Cloud to check your email for years. Whether its AOL, Hotmail, GMail or Yahoo, you’ve been using cloud technology before it was fashionable to call it The Cloud.
So why this sudden interest in something we’ve been using for so long?
Well, functions that you would have done primarily on your desktop or laptop computers in the past are moving to The Cloud. For instance, have you ever used Google Docs to edit, review or create a document or spreadsheet? That’s The Cloud.
There are many other functions that once were the sole domain of the desktop computer that can now be done in The Cloud. To name a few: Photo Editing (Picnik.com), Microsoft Visio style diagramming software (Gliffy.com), Sales CRM software (SalesForce.com), and many many more.
All of this is what is commonly referred to as Cloud Computing or The Cloud. Basically, take your data and software and let someone else host it, save it, update it and back it up for you.
And it doesn’t stop there. Companies are beginning to make available whole desktop computers in the cloud – through a browser – so that you can use any device to access your Windows desktop computer.
But why is this happening? Well think about how you access the web. You do it from home, your office, your mobile phone and your tablet. Cloud computing solves the issue of where your data lives. If it’s stored in The Cloud then you can access it using any of these devices without having to worry about whether or not you backed up your data and brought it to the coffee shop with you.
So tell me. How do you use The Cloud? Do you trust the cloud vendors with your data? Let me know.

» Read More...

By now you have probably heard the term “Cloud Computing” or “The Cloud”. Heck, even Microsoft talks about it in their latest television ad campaign.
But what is The Cloud really? In its simplest terms, The Cloud is simply other people’s computers that you access over the Internet. These computers can be owned by Google, Microsoft or your uncle.
In fact, I bet you have been using The Cloud to check your email for years. Whether its AOL, Hotmail, GMail or Yahoo, you’ve been using cloud technology before it was fashionable to call it The Cloud.
So why this sudden interest in something we’ve been using for so long?
Well, functions that you would have done primarily on your desktop or laptop computers in the past are moving to The Cloud. For instance, have you ever used Google Docs to edit, review or create a document or spreadsheet? That’s The Cloud.
There are many other functions that once were the sole domain of the desktop computer that can now be done in The Cloud. To name a few: Photo Editing (Picnik.com), Microsoft Visio style diagramming software (Gliffy.com), Sales CRM software (SalesForce.com), and many many more.
All of this is what is commonly referred to as Cloud Computing or The Cloud. Basically, take your data and software and let someone else host it, save it, update it and back it up for you.
And it doesn’t stop there. Companies are beginning to make available whole desktop computers in the cloud – through a browser – so that you can use any device to access your Windows desktop computer.
But why is this happening? Well think about how you access the web. You do it from home, your office, your mobile phone and your tablet. Cloud computing solves the issue of where your data lives. If it’s stored in The Cloud then you can access it using any of these devices without having to worry about whether or not you backed up your data and brought it to the coffee shop with you.
So tell me. How do you use The Cloud? Do you trust the cloud vendors with your data? Let me know.

» Read More...

When you first got your new computer home and it was running like clockwork, I bet the thought of a huge computer maintenance checklist never entered your thoughts? The thrill of the new machine over powers you, but unfortunately after a few weeks of pleasurable use it becomes slower due to the buildup of data. This is why everyone needs to follow a computer maintenance checklist that will hopefully cover all the maintenance jobs that you need to keep your computer running smoothly. After all, we all just want the same thing, a computer that is reliable and runs smoothly.

This computer maintenance checklist below is for maintaining the internal workings of the computer. There is also the external maintenance which involves cleaning dust from the inside of your computer, maintaining your computer components, and a whole lot more. For more information you will have to see the computer maintenance list of articles that I have written just for you.

Firstly I would like to show you my Computer maintenance video. It shows you how I do all these tasks listed below. The video is long and boring but entirely necessary.

Set a system restore point to start your computer maintenance checklist:

When you first get your computer, I highly recommend to set a system restore point. Even before you start this computer maintenance checklist you should set a restore point. This will ensure that your computer will always be one click away from solving a problem. How and why you should use system restore in Windows XP

Remove unwanted and junk files

Windows helps you get through your computer maintenance checklist by providing system tools that help you clean your computer and keep it running smoothly. There are two main ways to delete files safely with the help of Windows.

Disk Cleanup:

This will remove such files as temporary files, the recycle bin, compressed old files, offline WebPages, and downloaded program files.

To get there you can go to my computer>right click on the drive you want to clean>choose properties>then choose disk cleanup. For a more detailed explanation see more about disk cleanup.

Delete browsing history:

You will be amazed at how many files you collect when you browse the internet. Temporary internet files, cookies, history, form data, and passwords. Am I joking? No this is serious. To keep your computer running smoothly you must regularly delete all of this junk. If you are a person that likes the computer filling in your passwords you should probably leave the cookies and the passwords.This is an important part of the computer maintenance checklist as these files are hidden from you and you may not be aware that you are even creating them.

To get there open Internet Explorerand Go to the tools menu at the top>choose Internet Options>On the General tab>next to the heading browsing history>click on the delete button. This will take you to a menu like the screen shot below. You can choose to delete all at the bottom or you can delete them individually. If you need more information see how to Delete your visited website history. If you want to get a more thorough clean of your browsing history and really make sure every trace is gone you can try a program like Winclear. The trial version will show you how many junk files you have but you have to purchase the product to delete them. You will notice the difference after you have used a program like this. It really does make a difference and is an important part to your computer maintenance checklist.

1. Go to the Start Menu and choose My Computer
2. Right click on the drive you want to check. I always check C: drive as it is my main drive.
3. Choose Properties from the drop down menu.
4. Click on the Tools tab
5. Here you can press check now to scan your hard disc for errors.
6. A box will appear with some choices. Choose to let Windows fix errors automatically.
7. Then press start.
8. When it is finished scanning a report will appear.

Keep your programs under control

Remove any programs that you do not use or have a trial period that has expired:

There is nothing worse than having a nagging message come up saying that your trial period is over. You are wasting your computer time and energy. There are two options here, delete the program or buy the full version. If you do not know how to remove programs see how to Safely Remove or delete programs from your computer.Keep up to date with Windows updates: Let Windows updates do its thing because it usually keeps your computer up to date with security breaches and bug fixes.

Register your programs:

Either register your programs or tick the box that says never show this window again. If you leave this unfinished it will be another process that is running in the background, slowing your computer down.

Don’t install too many programs:

You only need one program to perform a certain task. You should not be having three different photo editing programs or 2 different video editing programs for example. The less your computer has on it the better it will run. If you keep your computer free on unnecessary software you will definitely not need to follow this computer maintenance checklist as often.

Secure Your Computer

Anti virus software:

Always have a good antivirus software installed. The free ones do work occasionally, however you are better off paying for an antivirus that has backup support and regular updates. Here are some choices for Virus Removal Software.

Illegal software:

If you don’t have the real deal software you are putting your computer at risk. People have tampered and altered this software to make it work illegally and who knows what they have added to it. This software can also very easily do weird things to your computer.

Limit Downloading:

Downloading from unknown sources is dangerous because it is highly likely that you will end up with a virus. If you are downloading a program it is best to make sure it comes from a reputable software manufacturer. Do your research and you will save your computer some stress.

Bad websites:

Websites that offer things that are too good to be true or have XXXX content usually can give you a virus or a tracking cookie the instant you visit this site. the best way is to stay away from these sites.

Suspicious emails:

If you are not sure who has sent an email and it has an attachment, do not open it, delete it. If it really is important the person will resend it to you. I received one to my personal email saying ‘here are your credit card records you requested…etc etc’ I was really temped to open it but I knew it wasn’t from my bank. I just wanted to see if they really had my credit card number, but I deleted it.. They wanted me to open it.

Clean out your email

This may be over done, however, if you delete an email in Outlook express, it then goes to the deleted folder. Then you have to deleted it from there. Some programs then take that email to the recycle bin, where it has to be deleted again. I know it sounds crazy, but it does happen. Email archive backup is not just for business. Everyone should backup their important emails and not store unnecessary junk. You can ignore this step in the computer maintenance checklist, however like everything else, if you do it will eventually build up.

Have an external drive for instant backup

It doesn’t just have to be an external hard drive, it could also be a USB flash drive, a re-writeable DVD disc, a spare hard drive installed in your computer, or even another computer altogether. If you instantly backup you files to another device you will have less maintenance to do on your computer. You will not be clogging your computer up with files and data and if your computer crashes your files will be safe. Here’s What to Backup and some other ideas on where to Backup your files and data.

Keep your computer organized

You are probably wondering why this is on a computer maintenance checklist, however it can be very important. Being organized helps you keep track of files and folders. This way you will know if you need a particular file on your computer or not? You can backup or delete un-wanted files and just store the ones you really need. Keeping your computer neat and tidy helps you with the backup process. This way you know where everything is and can copy it easily. Here’s how to Organize your Computer. And also Watch this video tutorial on how to cut, copy, and paste.

Guard your computer from viruses

If you are not sure what a virus is please visit What is a virus and how do I know if I have one? or Top 10 Tips to protect yourself against computer viruses

Check and clean your registry from errors

You will probably have to buy a program for this. They automatically fix registry problems and prevent your computer from crashing or freezing due to hidden errors. One of the top programs that is Vista certified is

Errorsmart or RegistrySmart There is also the free program called CCleaner which you will find on our downloads page. I now use PC Speed Doctor for doing all the computer maintenance and cleaning my registry. All I have to do is press the button.

Check your hard disk for bad sectors and errors

This is probably the most important job on the maintenance checklist because Scandisk checks your hard drive for errors. If there is a problem with your hard drive then your in trouble. It is the main component in your computer and stores all of your precious data and files. It is always best to perform this check before using the disk defragmenter as the disk defragmenter will not work when there are file errors or hard disk errors. See more on How to check your hard drive disk for bad sectors and errors.

Here’s how to maintain your hard drive and check for bad sectors and errors:

These instruction also work for Windows Seven and Windows Vista. See the screen shot below.

Defragment your computer

The Windows Disk defragmenter organizes files and data into areas that helps the computer run smoothly. It moves the frequently used files to an easy access area and the least used files, the opposite. It also gathers fragmented files and groups them back together. You should defrag your computer every 10-15 days.

• Go to the start menu and choose all programs
• Then choose accessories, then system tools
• Choose disk defragmenter from the menu
• Following this computer maintenance checklist can seem daunting, however there are programs that can do most of the work for you.
• You can also set these tasks to run automatically in the Windows task scheduler.

How to Defragment your computer: Part of the computer maintenance checklist.

Also see more on how to defrag your computer hard drive.

Clean inside your computer case to follow the computer maintenance checklist

You are probably thinking ‘why would I want to do that?’. Where could this possibly fit into a computer maintenance checklist? Well you want to clean inside your computer to remove dust and dirt from the components inside the computer. This is an important part to the computer maintenance checklist. Power supplies often blow up from being clogged with dust and processors usually overheat and die. It is a very common cause of hardware failure, and therefore prevention is better than cure. Check out these pages for more assistance: How to open your computer case safely, How to clean inside your computer case, and How to remove dust from your power supply

Notes about my computer maintenance checklist:

Make sure you do not forget to watch this computer maintenance video tutorial and when your done going through this computer maintenance checklist, then you will realize why I use PC Speed Doctor. After a few years of performing computer maintenance yourself, it can get a bit time-consuming and bore you to death.

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When your computer gets infected with a virus it can be a devastating experience and this is exactly why you need to protect your computer from viruses. A virus can consume your precious computer files and even damage your computer hardware. Is this worth ignoring? I don’t think so! Anything you can do when protecting your computer from viruses has to be a good thing and is well worth spending your time on. We all know prevention is better than a cure so I am going to share my top 10 tips on how to protect your computer from viruses.

10 tips to protect your computer from viruses

There are many ways to protect your computer from nasty viruses invading. Protecting your computer is an number one concern for every computer user on earth. I do not know anyone that wants to have their computer crash due to a virus invasion. Here are 10 ways to protect your computer and keep your files and data safe.

1. Learn about viruses

The first thing that I recommend is to research and become knowledgeable about viruses. How can you protect your computer from viruses if you don’t even know what they are. Here are some previous tutorials I have written about viruses. See What is a Virus and how do I know if I have one? and What is the difference between a virus, spyware, Malware, and adware? How can you protect your computer from viruses if you don’t know what it is?

2. Arm yourself with the best Anti-virus software to suit your needs.

Not everyone can get away with using free Anti-virus software because it depends what you do on your computer. It depends on factors such as if you download files or not, if you open email attachments, and if you surf suspicious websites. See my reviews for the best Virus Removal Software. Lets face it, if you do not have protection against viruses installed on your computer, you will without a doubt, get a virus within the first hour of surfing the internet. It is that easy. For years I would remove a virus from my dads computer at least once a year, until finally I realized that he needed a paid Anti-virus program. He wasn’t good with computers and if a windows popped up and said he needed to take a scan, he would just do it. He would just presume it was the program I had installed to protect his computer. Now I have Avast on his computer and there has not been one problem since. I bought the Internet security version so it has full protection. It never asks him to do anything and just works in the background.

3. Regular Updates

Having a great Anti-virus program installed on your computer to protect your computer from viruses is great, however if you do not regularly update the virus definitions, then the program is useless. New viruses are produced daily and this is why we constantly have to update the viruses definitions and stay ahead of the bad guys. Avast Internet Security simply updates by itself and just tells me when it is done.

4. Downloading

When surfing the internet avoid websites that contain illegal software downloads, sexual references, free screensavers, cracks or serials, etc. I am sure you get the picture. If you go near these sites you are immediately asking for trouble. Some other websites that you should stay away from include foreign websites where you cannot understand the language on them. This is because you cannot tell what is on the website.

5. Windows Updates

Always update Windows when protecting your computer. These updates contain security updates that will help in your fight against viruses. If you do not perform regular Windows updates you are leaving your computer in a vulnerable state. You can simple check to see if your computer needs updates by going to he start menu and typing in “windows update”. See the screen shot below. You can also view recent Windows update history so you can be in control of the whole situation.

6. Opening Emails

Be careful when opening emails. There are obvious emails that you know you shouldn’t open, however what about the ones you get from people you know? What if your friend has a virus and it is spreading itself through emails? An email cannot be important enough to risk getting a virus. Delete the email and send a fresh email to your friend asking them if they actually did send you the email. It is better to be safe than sorry.

You can also create a whitelist so only certain emails get through. You will still have to be careful though, as you do not know what security the sender has installed on their computer. It’s like driving on the road, you need to watch how others are driving to stay safe.

7. Change your settings to protect your computer from viruses

If you are really serious about protecting your computer you can change your email settings and receive text emails only. You can also disable the ability to open email attachments. Virus travel in HTML enabled emails and file attachments. They cannot travel in text email messages. I know this sounds very boring, however, I would rather be boring and protect my computer from viruses.

8. Peer to Peer file sharing – ways to protect your computer

Do not use peer to peer (p2p) file sharing programs. These include programs such as Limewire, Bearshare, Gnutella, Morpheus, Torrents, etc. These program let you download files from other computer users connected to their program network. You have no way of knowing what you are actually downloading until it is on your computer. Even if you share files from a cd from a friend, it may have a virus. Protecting your computer from viruses is the most important priority for you and you do not want to risk your computer safety just because you trust your friend.

9. Do not download files from websites

Again, there is no way of knowing what you are downloading. The file can appear to be named like the file you want, however it could be anything. Most of the time, this is how a virus is unleashed, it usually seems like a harmless, familiar object. If you are looking for a driver for a certain brand of computer then make sure you are getting the download from the genuine website. Many websites on the Internet offer free driver downloads, however, many of them contain viruses. Everything is not what it seems, so be very careful.

10. Have Firewall Protection

Make sure you have a firewall enabled on your computer. Windows comes with an inbuilt firewall or you can use a third party firewall program like Zone Alarm. Either way, make sure the firewall is on…To check the Windows Firewall go to the security settings in your control panel.

If you are careful and are serious about learning how to protect your computer from viruses, it is possible to stay safe. My top 10 tips will help you keep your computer running smoothly, and virus free.

Notes on tips to protect your computer from viruses:

• These 10 ways to protect your computer from viruses are extremely important tips to follow. If you have had a virus in the past you would know how devastating it is when you lose all of your files and your computer crashes.
• People often try to install more than one anti-virus program to protect their computers from viruses. This is not how to protect your computer from viruses as installing more than one program always causes a problem. You can only install one virus removal program at any one time.

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I stumbled across this dilemma when I needed to download a free file from the Microsoft website and was presented with two choices for my download. I could download the file in 32 bit version or 64 bit version, depending on which one suited my operating system.

But the question remained, what operating system do I have? You really need to know if you have Windows XP home, windows XP Professional, Windows Vista Home, Premium, Ultimate, or Business? the list goes on. Maybe you have Windows Seven. Also the average user has no idea what the difference is between a 32 bit operating system and a 64 bit so I will show you how to find out which one is running on your computer.

What is a processor?

The processor is a main component of a computer that is attached to the mother board. It is technically called the Central processing Unit or CPU for short. It is the brain of the computer because it processes all of the information and data. The bigger your processor, the faster your computer performs your tasks. If you have a 64 bit processor it would probably be reasonably fast as this is a new technology.

What is an Operating system?

An operating system is the software you install on your computer that allows you to operate the computer. Windows is an operating system. If you want to find out what operating system you have then this is very simple. You need to know what operating system you have on your computer so you can download the right drivers and software that is compatible.

What Operating system do I have?

If you are wondering if you have Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows Seven, it’s very easy to find out. If you are wondering if your computer is a 32bit or 64bit then read on further down the page. People often ask me “what operating system do I have?” I would have though this way a basic thing to know, however many do not know the answer. The average computer user does not look at all versions of Windows as much as I do so how can I expect them to know.

1. Go to your start menu. This will apply for all Windows Versions.

2. Click on control panel in the menu.

3. Double click on the system icon. If you cannot see all the pretty icons press on the link to view the control panel in classic view.

4. You will see all the details in front of you. See the screen shot below. Click on the picture to see a larger size. Here you can see what operating system you have.

The above screen shot shows Windows vista and the below shot is Windows XP. It looks different but the information result is the same. They both tell you what operating you have.

The information I can see here is:

• What operating system I have and what version and service pack.
• How much computer memory I have.
• What processor I have.
• What speed the processor is.
• If I have a 32bit or 64bit processor. (Sometimes it is not shown on an old computer)

What Operating system do I have and is it 32bit or 64 bit?

A 64 bit operating system is an operating system such as Windows XP or Windows Vista, that has been purposely developed for a computer with a 64 bit processor. You cannot use 64 bit software on a computer with a 32 bit processor but you can use 32 bit software with a 64 bit processor.

What operating system do I have and is 32 bit or 64 bit?

Windows XP

1. Go to the start menu.
2. Choose all programs.
3. Then choose accessories, then system tools.
4. Now choose system information.
5. See the screen shot below.

If it says x86 then you have a 32 bit operating system. If the processor area mentioned ia64 or AMD64 then this means you have a 64 bit processor. If it said Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition Version then this means it is a 64 bit operating system. However as you can see from above, it says Microsoft Windows XP Professional and the processor starts with X86 so therefore this is a 32 bit processor with a 32 bit operating system.

The screen shot above shows a 64 bit operating system which means I also have a 64 bit processor to allow this.

Windows Vista

In Windows Vista you can find out the same way. Start menu>Programs>Accessories>System tools>System information. You can also type the word system into the search bar in the start menu.

Bargain: If you find that you do have a 64 bit processor check out this Windows Seven operating system for under $100!
Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit

What operating system do I have? Another way to see if you have a 32 bit or a 64 bit operating system

1. Go to control panel by going to the start menu in the bottom left corner.

2. Click on the system icon.

3. The information will be there.

4. See in the screen shot below I have a 32-bit Operating system.

On my laptop I have a 64 bit Operating system installed because the laptop has a 64-bit processor.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a 64 bit system?

• You will need to install 64-bit drivers for all your add ons like your printer, usb stick, digital camera, and more. This is why people have had problems with having a 64 bit system. However as time goes on the technology gets better and more refined… Soon drivers will be available for most devices.
• If you have a 64 bit processor and a 64 bit operating system you will have to have 64-bit software applications like office programs, picture editors, and so on..
• There is not much compatible software available at the moment, however this is changing.
• A Vista 64 bit operating system does not support any 32 bit software.
• An AMD 64 bit processor supports both 32 bit and 64 bit operating systems.
• Vista 64 bit operating system has major improvements on security features and kicks the 32 bit butt. New features that prevent and almost make system attacks impossible.
• Vista Home Basic 64 bit supports up to 8 GB of RAM, Vista Home Premium 64 bit supports up to 16 GB and Vista Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate 64 bit supports up to 128 GB, whereas 32 bit Vista supports 4 GB or RAM.
• A 64-bit processor is made with more advanced processes, have more features, and of course has faster speeds.

Notes: 32 bit and 64 bit operating system

• You can upgrade from XP 64-bit to Vista 64-bit, but not from Vista 32-bit to Vista 64-bit.
• If you are running a 64 bit operating system then we must presume you have a 64 bit processor as well.
• You can also type winmsd.exe into the run box for the system information box to come up.
• You can also press The WIN KEY and pause break to open system properties. Sometimes the information is there.
• Now that you know if you have a 32bit or 64 bit system, find out more information about your computer.

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If you are asking “What is a virus” then it is very important that you read through this article. There are some obvious symptoms that your computer will develop when it gets infected with a virus and to recognize these, you need to know what a virus is. But the first thing I have to mention is that if you had a decent antivirus program installed on your computer you would not have a problem. The virus programs now days are fantastic in crushing any chances of a viruses infecting your computer. There are many ways to protect your computer from viruses, however, knowing what a virus is should be your number one priority.

What is a virus?

What is a virus is a very important question! A virus is a small program that gets into your computer undetected in order to cause havoc. This small software program has either been developed because the author enjoys causing disasters for other people or sometimes for monetary gains. Sometimes a virus is packaged in a file that is called a trojan virus. It is disguised as something else, and once it has gained access to your computer it then releases its intent. Also see What’s the difference between a virus, spyware, Malware, and adware?

Here are some more technical definitions relating to what is a virus from other websites:

Wikipedia – what is a virus?

Microsoft – what is a computer virus?

What is a virus and how does it get onto my computer?

The people that develop these viruses are constantly finding new ways to infiltrate your computer. When one door shuts, another one opens for them. However the most common ways to get a virus on your computer is through the internet. You might download a file that contains a virus, or maybe you might open an email that has one attached to it. Sometimes even visiting a bad website can infect your computer. The worst one of all, however, is when people download illegal cracked software. This software has usually been taken apart and repackaged with a few extras attached. Maybe you download music or videos from the internet. How do you know you are actually downloading the file you intended to. The file may be named to deceive you, and once you open it you will release the virus.

Another common way to get a virus is to see software appear on your screen that is posing as an antivirus program. The minute you press the cross button to close the program or even the scan button, because it is telling you to scan for viruses, you are immediately infected by this virus. If you see a program come up on your screen that you know you did not install, the best way to shut it down is to open up task manager and end the process.

How do I know if I have a virus or not?

If your computer has been infected with a virus you will quickly see odd signs that it exists. Weird things start happening that you cannot explain. Files might move around, odd error messages may appear, programs might start to fail. For example if your virus scanner program stops working then it could have been disabled by a virus. With all this action taking place in the background your computer will also start to run slow and seem like it is busy all the time.

When browsing the internet you might find that you will not able to visits the pages that you choose. You will be redirected to different websites. You computer might also be sending emails to everyone in your contact list without you knowing.

What can a virus do to my computer hardware components?

People think that a virus simply attacks the file systems of your computer, however this is not true. Some viruses are designed to damaged computer hardware components until they are ruined completely.

Many people will argue that a virus only infects software, however all hardware is controlled by various types of software. Infact the entire computer is controlled by BIOS which is software. BIOS controls the temperature of the motherboard. What if a viruses only purpose was to change the temperature control on your motherboard. The motherboard would overheat and fry itself.

In the old days viruses used to be developed to set the read speed of a floppy disk drive to speeds beyond its capability. The Floppy disk drive would overheat and fry from being overworked. Now days Windows Vista has a service called Superfetch that searches your hard drive, finds out what you use the most, and makes it available for you.. If you made a virus to control Superfetch, we could have a serious problem. Most Vista users already have Superfetch disabled on their computer. A virus could enable it, tell it all files are important, keep it searching non stop, and fry your hard drive that way. Now I can here someone saying “yeah right, not with all the security we have around today”. Well you should never underestimate these guys who develop viruses. They can work around anything.

What should I do if I get a virus?

If you suspect that your computer has a virus, scan your computer asap with an antivirus program. If you do not have one or yours is not working, download another one, or get a free scan using the free online virus scanners.

Here is a list of free online virus scanners.

Symantec Security Check, McAfee FreeScan, Panda ActiveScan, Trend Micro, Kaspersky lab, bitdefender, and there are so many more. There is no guarantee that these free scanners will cure your computer but they might just confirm the fact that you actually have a virus.

If you find viruses but cannot remove them you will need to take your computer to a professional before you lose everything. Another option is to format your computer which means you loose all the files on it and re-install a fresh copy of the operating system. You can backup your files first, but please be aware that they might be infected with a virus also.

If you have scanned your computer, found viruses, and successfully deleted them, then now is the time to buy a decent program that will stop this from happening again. See my review of the best Virus Removal Software.

Do not continue to use the computer without taking action because the longer you leave it the further the virus can spread.

What is a virus? What file types commonly contain viruses?

Lets face it, downloading is a dangerous business, especially when you have important files stored on your computer. Any file you download can contain a virus. My rule for downloading is to ask myself “Do I know and trust this website I am about to download from?”

Here are a few examples of common files that could contain viruses:

EXE FILE: If you download a program or anything that requires an install file then it will be an .exe file. When you press on it to install to your computer you could be releasing a virus.

ZIP FILE: People download zip files from the internet that contain any other file type and you will not see it’s contents until you open it. A zip file might have an exe file in it.

SCR FILE: Free screensavers for your computer. They always have something bad in them. Sometimes adware or viruses.

DOC FILE: A Microsoft word document can contain macros and small scripts that are viruses.

If you haven’t got antivirus software installed on your computer you can try Avast. It also takes care of spyware, malware, etc and it is fantastic! Take advantage of avast! try before you buy policy. avast! offer most of their products on a trial basis for 60 days. Click here

Notes on what is a virus:

• There is a lot of confusion about actually “what is a virus” because there are so many different types of viruses out there.
• Most, if not all websites on the Internet agree that a virus is a small piece of software that invade your computer.

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Learning how to format windows xp used to be a task that was reserved for professional IT guys only. Even though I know how to format a computer, it took me a few goes to be comfortable with the process.

However now days most computer users will try to repair their computer themselves and even go to the extent of learning how to format windows xp and then doing it themselves. There is nothing wrong with this, as this is how I started out 25 years ago (maybe more now). If I did not take the risk and learn how to format windows xp, I would not be where I am today. (If you have Windows vista or Windows seven see Formatting a hard drive.)

The word Format can mean quite a few things in the world of computers. You could format text in a word document, have a different file format, or in this case, format a computer hard drive. Sometimes you need to format a windows computer to ultra clean your computer. It makes it faster, new looking and gets rid of errors and viruses. To learn more please see why you should format your computer and what does it mean?

Windows XP disc is bootable and really does everything for you. (Well nearly) This means that when you insert a Windows XP disc into your computer, it should start automatically. Learning how to format windows xp does not take long.

Stop! Backup before you learn how to format windows xp!

Before you do learn how to format windows xp and start this process you should backup your files and data. Some things to backup include: photos, my documents, favorites folder, emails, all contacts, passwords and more….

Go and check out my backup list. There is absolutely no excuse for not backing up your data and files now days. You can buy a 2 TB external hard drive to save your files on for well under $100. If you have around $50 to spend then check out this 500 GB External Hard Drive. This is a huge amount of space to store your files on.

How to format a windows xp computer – Find the system disc

Next is to make sure you have a system disk that came with your computer for display drivers, LAN drivers, USB, audio etc. If you do not have this there is a program called Driver Robot which find your drivers for you after you have formatted windows…It is a lifesaver. Its a must have program and saves you a load of work. Even after it is has found your drivers it will also keep them up to date later on.

If you do not want to spend money you will have to find your computers drivers on the internet and download them manually. Here is where to find drivers. Drivers are one of the most important tiny bits of software that will make your computer run like its meant to.

Ok, enough lecturing, lets move on to how to format windows xp.

Warning: Formatting a hard drive will wipe everything off your computer. When you format Windows XP all of your files will be gone and it will be like a new computer. All your e-mail contacts, all your saved webpages, all your documents that you may, will be gone! if this is your first time to format a computer I suggest you get a friend that has done this before to help you. This is not rocket science, but pressing the wrong button can turn into a disaster. I do not mean to scare you off, but when you format a computer, it must be done right.

How to format windows xp using a Windows XP disc

Okay guys let’s learn how to format windows xp. But calm down and take your time. To learn how to format a computer is a matter of being patient! This is the best advice I can give you.

1. First you must put your Windows XP CD in the drive.
2. Then restart your computer.
3. When it says press any key to boot from cd, Press any key on the keyboard. I use the space bar, easy to get to. (If you can do this Go to step 6)
4. If it doesn’t ask you to press any key to boot from cd then restart your computer again.
5. Go into the BIOS settings of your PC, usually by pressing the F1, F2, F10, or maybe the delete key. If you are not sure watch the screen at startup and it will say “To enter setup press…….”. You have to be quick and press it. If you miss it restart again. Once you are in the bios you have to change the boot options. You have to make your cd rom the first boot option. Save and exit. If you do not understand how to get into your BIOS please see how to get into your BIOS and change settings.
6. When the CD starts up A blue screen will appear and you are on your way..

1. Press Enter to setup Windows XP now. See screen shot above. Do not rush through this process as pressing the wrong key here can take you down the wrong road. You should take your time when its your first time learning how to format a computer using windows xp.
2. If there is a copy of Windows XP on your computer and you wish to overwrite it you will have to press the escape button when prompted. (screen shot below) Do not install Windows XP in another directory unless you know what you are doing. Just overwrite the previous version as you should have backed up your files anyway. In this example I am showing you how to format a computer that has already had Windows installed on it.

1. You should now make the partition that had windows on it blue and press D to delete the partition. It will ask if you are sure. Press L to confirm. More details on deleting partitions.
2. Then Press C to create another partition and Windows will estimate a size for you. If you wanted to partition your hard drive into two equal parts you would have to do some math’s and then type the appropriate number in. Otherwise just going with what Windows puts there will be the minimum partition size. If you make a mistake when estimating the size of a partition you can simply go back now and delete the partition and start again. Do not move forward if you have made a mistake.
3. Press Enter to confirm size.
4. Then it will ask you which partition you want to install Windows on. The default is C: drive. Select this by making it blue and press enter.
5. If there are no partitions it will create one for you.
6. Then it will ask you to format quick, normal, in fat32 or NTFS. Fat32 suits older computers so I choose a quick format with NTFS. Quick or Slow is fine. If you had errors it is better to use a slow format which can also be known as a low level format. When you format a computer please note that a low level format can take a long time, depending on what size hard drive you have.
   
7. From now on you just Follow the prompts and let it go..the process of formatting your computer is on its way. Some setup files will be taken from the Windows CD onto your computer to complete this process.
8. The computer will restart and it will try to boot from cd again…Do not press anything on the keyboard.. Just let it go through the stages of setup. You only press the ANY KEY at the start to get it to boot to the Windows XP cd.
9. Make sure you have your serial number ready to enter in. This can be found on your coa sticker which is a sticker usually put on the side of your computer.
10. Do not remove the Windows XP CD until the computer has started up with a new desktop and icons.

Now the next process begins.. Installing your device drivers for your computer. See What are Device Drivers and why do I need them for my computer?

BIOS How to get there and change settings

Notes on how to format windows xp

• Follow the instructions carefully to learn how to format a computer. Once you have done this a few times, you will see how easy it is. the problem is that many people think it is easy and that it is OK to make mistakes when formatting a computer. It is not Ok to make a mistake when you format Windows Xp. This is a critical time and errors can cause a disaster.
• Learning how to format a computer using Windows Xp will also help you when formatting a hard drive with Windows Vista and Windows Seven. To format a computer is pretty much the same process, it is just some set out with a different design.
• The only way to learn how to format windows xp is to try it yourself but take your time. Do not format a new computer if it is under guarantee as you will void your warranty.
• Be very careful not to make mistakes as restarting this process over and over can corrupt your computer. If you do make a mistake, try pressing the escape button as it can sometimes take you back to the previous screen.
• If you cannot proceed through the format process, maybe you did not delete the old partition?
• If there is more than one partition on your hard drive you can just format the one that has the previous version of Windows on it. That way the data on the other partition will be safe.
• After errors and viruses have been found on your computer, you should format a computer on on low level format , and not a quick format.
• You can also go to the Microsoft website for more information on how to format windows xp. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348 You can get all the information from this site, however it can be very confusing for most people, including me!!!

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By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer, help increase your PC speed, and help keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Service Pack 3 to help make your computer faster, maintain your computer efficiently, and help safeguard your privacy when you're online.

Note: Some of the tools mentioned in this article require you to be logged on as an administrator. If you aren't logged on as an administrator, you can only change settings that apply to your user account.

1. Remove spyware, and help protect your computer from viruses

Spyware collects personal information without letting you know and without asking for permission. From the websites you visit to user names and passwords, spyware can put you and your confidential information at risk. In addition to privacy concerns, spyware can hamper your computer's performance. To combat spyware, you might want to consider using the PC safety scan from Windows Live OneCare. This scan is a free service that helps check for and remove viruses.

Download Microsoft Security Essentials for free to help guard your system in the future from viruses, spyware, adware, and other malicious software (also known as malware). Microsoft Security Essentials acts as a spyware removal tool and includes automatic updates to help keep your system protected from emerging threats.

The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is another utility that checks computers running Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 for infections by specific, prevalent malicious software, including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom, and helps remove any infection found.

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2. Free up disk space

The Disk Cleanup tool helps you to free up space on your hard disk to improve the performance of your computer. The tool identifies files that you can safely delete and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.

Use Disk Cleanup to:

• Remove temporary Internet files.

• Delete downloaded program files, such as Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets.

• Empty the Recycle Bin.

• Remove Windows temporary files, such as error reports.

• Delete optional Windows components that you don't use.

• Delete installed programs that you no longer use.

• Remove unused restore points and shadow copies from System Restore.

Tip: Typically, temporary Internet files take the most amount of space because the browser caches each page you visit for faster access later.

To use Disk Cleanup:

Windows 7 users

Windows Vista users

Windows XP users

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3. Speed up access to data

Disk fragmentation slows the overall performance of your system. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk as a file is opened (to piece it back together). The response time can be significantly longer.

Disk Defragmenter (sometimes shortened to Defrag by users) is a Windows utility that consolidates fragmented files and folders on your computer's hard disk so that each occupies a single space on the disk. With your files stored neatly end to end, without fragmentation, reading and writing to the disk speeds up.

When to run Disk Defragmenter
In addition to running Disk Defragmenter at regular intervals (weekly is optimal), there are other times you should run it, too, such as when:

• You add a large number of files.

• Your free disk space totals 15 percent or less.

• You install new programs or a new version of the Windows operating system.

To use Disk Defragmenter:

Windows 7 users

Windows Vista users

Windows XP users

Running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter on a regular basis is a proven way to help keep your computer running quickly and efficiently. If you'd like to learn how to schedule these tools and others to run automatically, please read Speed up your PC: Automate your computer maintenance schedule.

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4. Detect and repair disk errors

In addition to running Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter to optimize the performance of your computer, you can check the integrity of the files stored on your hard disk by running the Error Checking utility.

As you use your hard drive, it can develop bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing (such as file saving) difficult or even impossible. The Error Checking utility scans the hard drive for bad sectors and scans for file system errors to see whether certain files or folders are misplaced.

If you use your computer daily, you should run this utility once a week to help prevent data loss.

Run the Error Checking utility:

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5. Learn about ReadyBoost

If you're using Windows 7 or Windows Vista, you can use ReadyBoost to speed up your system. A new concept in adding memory to a system, it allows you to use non-volatile flash memory—like a USB flash drive or a memory card—to improve performance without having to add additional memory.

• Learn more about ReadyBoost in Windows 7.

• Learn more about ReadyBoost in Windows Vista.

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6. Upgrade to Windows 7

If you try all the previous remedies and your computer still isn't as fast as you would like it to be, you may want to consider updating to Windows 7.

• Find out if your computer can run Windows 7 using the Upgrade Advisor.

• Compare Window 7 editions.

• Read a third-party review of Windows 7 by David Pogue of The New York Times.

If the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor determines that your computer can't run Windows 7 and you still have the need for speed, it might be time for a new computer. There are some great deals on new computers right now:

• Shop for new desktop computers.

• Shop for new laptop computers.

• Shop for netbooks.

» Read More...

I was searching around for the youtube downloader, i found this interesting post which i wanted to share with you guys. Everyone these days is downloading, watching, and sharing videos from video-sharing sites like YouTube, Google Video, MetaCafe, DailyMotion, Veoh, Break, and a ton of other similar sites. Whether you want to watch the video on your iPod while working out, insert it into a PowerPoint presentation to add some spice, or simply download a video before it’s removed, it’s quite essential to know how to download, convert, and play these videos.

Free Web services for downloading videos from video-sharing sites

ClipNabber allows you to download videos from YouTube, Metacafe, etc by simply copying and pasting the URL. You’ll then get a link whereby you can download the file to your computer, iPod, iPhone, or any other media player. You’ll need to have an FLV player for the YouTube videos. Quick and very easy to use!

Zamzar is a free online file conversion web application that can not only convert videos off the Internet to AVI, MPEG, 3GP, MP4, MOV, etc, but also converts between audio, image, and document formats. Paste the URL into Step 1 and then convert the file to your favorite format.

VideoDownloader is a FireFox extension, but also allows you to paste in any URL from many sites such as Blip.TV, iFilm, and even social networking sites like MySpace. You can also download a free FLV player from their site to play the videos.

Vixy.net is another site that not only downloads online videos, but will also convert them AVI, MOV, MP4, 3GP, or MP3 (if you want to extract the audio from the file). Using this site, you don’t have to worry about downloading a FLV player as you can convert it to Windows format. (Same as Zamzar)

KeepVid also supports just about any video sharing site out there and the only difference about this site is that it also has a Top Videos section, so you can quickly download the most watched videos around the web.

Media Converter is similar to ZamZar and vixy.net, but requires you to create an account and log in. Also, it seems like it only supports downloading and converting videos from YouTube. You can also download their video download program, but it only supports 5 sites.

Hey! Watch is an online video encoding web service that encodes video into different formats including HD very quickly. The graphical interface is very nice and there are lots of features and options, such as the ability to transfer any video from the web directly to an FTP server or to online storage.

YoutubeX, as the name suggests, allows you to download videos from YouTube. Obviously, it only supports YouTube, but it has a couple of other features, such as the ability to play your video on the site and find popular videos quickly.

VideoRonk searches across multiple video-sharing sites such as Google Video, YouTube, MetaCafe and DailyMotion to find the most popular videos on each of them. You can either watch them on VideoRonk or download them to your computer in FLV format.

According to their web site, they support more than 98 video sites including MySpace, CollegeHumor, iFilm>, etc. You’ll have to rename the files you download from YouTube with the .FLV extension at the end.

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