Test Drive Windows 8

Computer Care: Taking Windows 8 for a test drive By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com UPDATED: September 8, 2012 1:00 a.m. It’s that time again; time to roll down your windows and roll up your sleeves. There’s a new operating system in town and it’s waiting for you to give it a test drive. Windows 8 is here and Microsoft is letting you take it for a spin for a few months. It will be for sale in late October, but you will have until the end of the year to try it for free. Before we kick the tires, pop the hood and discuss its merits, I first offer you two ways to install it to your computer without giving up the installation that you are currently using. Windows 8 Release Preview is available for download here. You will need to burn the file to a disc and then install it in either of two ways. You can set up a dual configuration so you have a choice of which version of Windows to boot into or you can create what is known as a virtual environment. I chose the latter and it was relatively easy. Whichever method you choose, you will need the key provided, so make a copy of that number. I found dozens of sites that walk you through setting up a dual boot configuration. Just Google “dual boot Windows 8” and choose one that is easy for you to understand. With a virtual environment, you will create Windows within Windows and it will be temporary. When you shut it down, you will return to business as usual with your existing version of Windows. For my test drive, I used Virtual Player. Go here where the process is explained thoroughly. Scroll to the bottom of that page for a link to the download and follow the instructions there. If you choose all the default options when offered any during the installation, the process should go very smoothly. There are no decisions to make other than the initial choice of 32- or 64-bit. I spent a half hour installing Virtual Player and another full hour getting Win 8 up and running. After running it through its paces and exploring the new features, I rebooted my system and it was gone. It could easily be called up again in a new virtual environment, should the desire to explore be ongoing. Win 8 doesn’t require a super processor with multiple cores or more RAM than most of us have on our computers today. It should install fine on any system that is no older than about five years. Speaking of new features, this new incarnation of an old operating system has many changes. To begin, its boot time has been drastically slashed and for the time in decades, there is no start button. It has been replaced with what Microsoft calls its Metro Screen. This new start feature incorporates various interactive tiles that will allow you to navigate your system more efficiently, so they claim. It looks like it will take some getting used to and may have a higher learning curve. These tiles allow quick views of incoming email, notify you of audio files being played and offer access to newly installed apps as well as websites you’ve visited. It seems there is the possibility of crowding there, although hopefully there is a way to tame the process. Personally, I liked the old start button. To gain access to anything you can also simply type the app or file in a search box. Like the way the Control Panel now operates, it will yield a list of anything similar to what you are looking for. A ribbon like the one we use in Office will now be incorporated into Windows Explorer, making it easier to complete repetitive tasks. Since this version of Windows is aimed at touch screen/tablet users, there are many features for that crowd. It can however, be used by anyone with a mouse and keyboard. It has a choice of virtual keyboards and offers handwriting recognition for those who use a scribe to compute. Microsoft’s Sky Drive is incorporated in Win 8. It is a virtual storage option. Rather than connect an external storage drive to your computer, you can upload your files to a secure place in Microsoft’s cloud for storage. A store not unlike what your smartphone has, will also be in the new Windows. It will be easier to get apps for your computer, but the offerings will be from the gang in Redmond only. A free antivirus is included in Win 8, but it will be as effective as any free utility. Its scope will be limited. You will be able to click on photos instead of typing a password — why, I’m not sure. I’m also not sure I will like Windows 8 and the confines of this column don’t allow for me to elaborate. I subscribe to the old saying that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. I like Win 7 just fine and I don’t have a touch screen anyway. But it was a nice drive checking it out. Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Malware and your computer

Computer Care: Don’t let malware steal your PC

	By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com

POSTED: August 25, 2012 1:00 a.m.

	Back in the day, a simple scan of your computer’s hard drive was enough to thwart off most infections. Unfortunately, that’s not the case anymore. Malware has evolved. It’s not just random pop-ups as it used to be. There are now intimidating names such as rootkits, zero-day threats, keyloggers, redirects, drive-by downloads and phishing attacks. Good old adware and spyware are still around, too, though, not to worry. Malware has gotten smarter. Those drive-by downloads are becoming ever-popular. Old-school advice to be careful what you click on doesn’t hold as true as it used to. You don’t always have to download or even click on something now to get infected. Often, by the time you open a web page or an email, you could be infected. Malware has become more elusive. In HTML email messages or on certain web pages, tiny pixel-sized code can hide in frames within frames making it often impossible to detect. It’s not only us that can’t see it. Many security apps have trouble seeing it as well. Drive-by downloads exploit your browser’s vulnerabilities and computer’s low security settings to find their way onto your system. Keeping your applications, browser, security software and operating system updated is the best defense. Most computer users don’t, and those who prey on your system hope just that. By definition, malware is bad software. It is programs, applications, utilities, anything that runs on your system without your knowledge or permission. It’s all bad stuff and often difficult to remove. In the past few months, I have removed very few bona fide viruses from clients’ computers. It’s been various forms of malware that has been keeping me busy. I have encountered fake antivirus infections, intimidating FBI warnings, false registry error notices and bogus programs that claim to speed up your system. Most will only remove money from your wallet, nothing else. Having the proper utilities installed is also important. But allow me a moment here. I recently encountered a client with massive infections on her system who claimed to have protection. She did. The trouble was it never set to scan. Once you get a security app, be sure it is configured properly. Set it to scan at a time when the computer is on, but when you are not using it. Be advised that if you have an antivirus app, your system will be protected against just viruses. Most of those programs don’t look for malware. Better protection is an all-encompassing Internet security suite that will look for just about everything. You may have to shell out a few bucks, as most free versions either look for viruses only or don’t have real-time protection. Some also lack a scheduler. If you must stick to the freebies, supplement your protection with addition utilities. Malwarebytes or WinPatrol are two good utilities (there are others), but they have their limitations. The paid version scans in real time. That means each website or file that is encountered is scrutinized as it appears. The after-the-fact method of scanning manually is often too late. You are looking for infections after they have damaged your system. The better alternative is to be proactive and catch them before they settle in. My security app inquires whether or not I’d like to visit a website it deems unsafe. I usually follow its lead. When asked if I’d like to continue on to suspect-site.com, I just say no. If you get an all-inclusive program, find one that incorporates varying methods of detection of malware. Some use whitelists or blacklists, while other use heuristics. This method is often better at finding new or unknown types of infections that may have similar signatures of known programs with malicious code. There is a yet a different type of protection in programs such as Deep Freeze and Returnil. Systems that have these installed remain free of infection, but there are drawbacks. Each time the computer is rebooted, it goes back to its default settings, rendering it impossible to be infected — and difficult to save anything. There are back doors built in, but as I mentioned, they could be tricky to use. Another alternative is to use a program that utilizes a sandbox. This method isolates anything that may be hazardous to your system to a certain area of your hard drive. Like a sandbox on a playground, it is contained. If you want to experiment with a new, unknown application, your system remains secure with it safe in the sandbox. Sandboxie is offered in both free and paid versions with the former just about as good as the latter. You’ll get a nag screen after a month with free version (ignore it) and the paid version offers multiple sandboxes to secure more than one open app. BufferZone is another similar app and along with Sandboxie, could be found at download.com. Read the editor’s, as well as users’ reviews of apps you may be interested in there. Whatever method of protection you choose be certain to use it properly. Install it, configure it, use it and keep it updated. Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Time to replace your PC?

	Computer Care: When is it time to replace your PC?

	By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com

	POSTED: August 11, 2012 1:00 a.m.

	Here we are in the middle of the annual tax-free shopping weekend. You’re back from vacation, ready to go back to work or school and wonder if it’s time to upgrade your computer. My laptop initiated its self-destruct sequence this summer when I needed it the most. While creating a slide show for the camp I was working for out of town, the motherboard suddenly died on me. There are many things I can repair, but a motherboard on a five year-old laptop was simply not cost-effective. So I now have a new Sony Vaio that I have wanted for years. The inconvenience of finishing that slideshow on an old XP machine was less than efficient or enjoyable. I should have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. It was an oncoming train and it hit me hard. But you’ve got to ask yourself how much you want to invest in repairs, while also considering the age of the computer. Often the repair is absolutely worth the expenditure, sometimes not. Should you need additional RAM (system memory) or a new hard drive, I say go for it. If you have an infection such as a virus or malware, why toss a perfectly good machine if it can be fixed? Even upgrading your operating system is a viable option to consider. If the computer is not too old but you are running Vista (or XP), purchase a Windows 7 CD. Even if that computer eventually dies, you can still install the OS on your next or another computer. If your motherboard goes out on an older machine as it did for me, it’s time to go shopping. Always check to see if you are still covered under a warranty before making a decision. Even if you are not and your computer is only two years old, it may be worth replacing the motherboard (or display or hard drive) before you head to the electronics store. That said, should you find yourself wherever you get your home electronics, there are many deals to be had this weekend. Even if you miss the tax-free break currently being offered, Labor Day is just around the corner and sales will abound then as well. I always start shopping on the Internet, even if I end up in a brick-and-mortar establishment for the purchase. Do your research. There are websites like nextag.com, bizrate, pricegrabber, logicbuy or finderscheapers that do comparative shopping for you, finding you the best deals out there. First, you need to decide what type of computer you need if it is time to replace what you have. I used a desktop only, for many years. Then I became a laptop guy. I still like to use my desktop with its dual-monitor array when I do a lot of photo editing. Desktops are generally less expensive than laptops because of the size. (The smaller the technology, the more it costs). But with that in mind, desktops come with only the box, no monitor as in the old days. You’ll get a mouse and keyboard, but that’s it. Your old XP printer may not work with your new system, so that is something else to consider. There are simply few device drivers to match XP and Win 7 technologies. I found many laptops, notebooks, ultrabooks — call them what you will — that start at $300. Keep in mind these are the 10-12 inch displays with low-end processors, little memory and small hard drives.  For another hundred bucks or more, you can find a nice mobile system. As always, technology has gotten slicker as the prices continue to drop. My first laptop cost about $1,500. I paid a fraction of that for my Vaio last week for technology that rivals that of the Mars Rover. Many consumers have gone the way of mobile computing. As much as I use my Android, it will be a long time until I forfeit my laptop for mobile-only computing. I prefer a tangible keyboard and a screen larger than my glide pad. So that brings us to the tablet category. If they only made a 10-inch tablet with wireless Internet and Bluetooth that was also a phone, I’d get in line, but they don’t. What they do have are Acer, Samsung, Asus, Sony and Motorola tablets that start around $300. If you don’t mind typing on a virtual keyboard and have a way to carry it around (I don’t have an attaché or a man-purse) then this option may be for you. Talk about portable. These devices weigh next to nothing and are tiny. For example, I found a Motorola Xoom refurb (yet another option to consider) for $239 online at logicbuy.com with free shipping. Seek and ye shall find. So if you only need to eradicate a malware infection or replace your hard drive, spend your money on that. If your computer is older than your shoes, now is the time to replace that relic. Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Speed up your computer's boot time

	Computer Care: Cleaning your startup will speed up your boot time By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com POSTED: June 23, 2012 1:00 a.m.
	After Windows loads on your computer, the reason you can’t immediately start clicking on icons or go online is that other applications are still being loaded in the background. If one of those apps is your anti-virus or something else that you use or need on a regular basis like Skype, then it’s best to leave it alone. Unfortunately though, most of what loads are schedulers, updaters or random programs, things that don’t need to be constantly running with Windows. Those rogue background applications, toolbars and widgets that find their way to your startup folder suck the life out of your system. By the time seven or eight unwanted items are loaded, little RAM is left where it is needed. Many (but not all) of these programs are referenced by icons next to the clock in your toolbar. Windows will allow you to terminate what loads after it boots, but there are also third-party utilities for this purpose. Many as usual, are free. Alternatively, there are also commercial versions of dedicated startup managers for Windows. Many all-in-one utilities or suites have a tool to handle startup programs. Let’s start with Windows. In each version, if you click the Start button and type “msconfig” in the Search or Run box, it will open a System Configuration utility. Click on the startup tab and view the list within. Uncheck the items you want to terminate and click “Apply,” then “OK.” You’ll then get pop-up asking you to restart Windows. You can right-click on an icon in the list by the clock to terminate and delete it, but unless removed from the startup list, it will return at the next boot. The only items on the list that you really need are your antivirus and malware utilities. If you use a password manager, it, too, is a keeper. Otherwise, all else is superfluous and may be terminated. Keep in mind that you are not deleting any of these programs from the computer; you’re only stopping them from loading automatically at boot time. Anything that you remove from the list can always alternatively be run from your desktop or Start Menu. If you do want to delete an item for good (they have a way of coming back), download and install the tiny “msconfig cleanup” tool. Only use it when you are sure you know what you are stopping from loading, as it will delete the item from the list, not allowing you to recheck it later on. With “msconfig,” you can always go back and recheck a box should you change your mind. Once you use the “msconfig cleanup” tool, it’s gone. Some other good free utilities to consider are Ccleaner, Autoruns, Starter, Startup Control Panel and Startup Inspector. Another good program is Soluto. It was in beta (testing phase) for over a year, but now has the bugs worked out and is free for up to five PCs. It takes a while to load, but uses little resources once it does. Soluto will explain what each program you have does (if it has heard of it), how much time it takes for each program to load and will give you the option to keep it, delay its loading or to delete it from the startup list. Some utility suites that incorporate a startup manager are Win Patrol, System Mechanic, Advanced System Care, 360 Amigo System SpeedUp and Glary Utilities. All have commercial versions, but many of the free options have functional startup managers as well. Worth repeating is my warning that just because something says it is a free download doesn’t necessarily mean it is a free program. All downloads are free; all programs are not. To avoid the need for any of the aforementioned utilities, all you have to do is carefully monitor each installation on your computer. In most cases, it’s the user that provides permission for these “startups” to be installed in the first place. Scrutinize each check box prior to clicking “Next” and “OK” during program installations. One of those checkmarks may give permission to install a secondary program alongside the app that you are knowingly installing. This is where those widgets, toolbars and screensavers come from that mysteriously appear on your computer. If you let more than one or two slip by, you will need a startup tuner to eliminate them after the fact. Your computer will run faster whether those startup items are quashed at installation, if you run the Windows utility or use a dedicated startup tuner to manage them afterward. By supervising the programs that run in the background after Windows boots up, your computer will be able to run more efficiently. It will have access to the entire amount of system RAM available to it only when what needs to run, actually does. Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Free apps for your computer

POSTED: June 9, 2012 1:00 a.m. Computer Care: Free apps are fine, but some are worth paying for

	Computer Care: Free apps are fine, but some are worth paying for By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com POSTED: June 9, 2012 1:00 a.m. The easiest way to get a program on your computer is to download it by clicking on a link. Unfortunately, that’s also the easiest way to get your computer infected. Instead of having the program come to you, you should go to the program. If you know what you want, search for and download it. To stumble across random links or respond to blind email solicitations could prove to be detrimental. I’m all in favor of free software; I have plenty. But sometimes you need to buy a program. You’ve got a lot invested in your computer and it should be properly protected. Would you use free oil for your car, hoping that it would work? How about an unknown additive for your engine claiming to increase your gas mileage? By using unproven random software for your computer, you take a similar risk. Sometimes you just have to buy an app. Free anti-virus programs abound on the Internet and many do a decent job. But they only look for viruses. I still remove more malware than viruses from clients’ computers. You can get around massive infections by increasing your protection. Go out and buy an Internet Security Suite that checks your system for all kinds of ailments. Get additional utilities to complement those applications. You still need to remove junk files, tune the registry, adjust system settings and tweak your Internet connection. There are many good utilities to be had. The free ones are adequate, but only tell you of what you may have on your system. You need to pay to get the full version to make the necessary adjustments. Many of them are teasers, just trying to intimidate you. You may see a pop-up warning you of impending doom or that you have 47 errors in your registry. (They tell everyone the same number.) A program that you didn’t install or run can’t tell you anything about your computer. I’ve said it before, but Windows does not advise you of infections. It’s not part of its job. That’s what the utilities are for, so don’t be fooled by a pop-up that looks like it’s from Microsoft. Chances are, it is not. The free version of Advanced System Care is on my system. It does a decent job, but I think the full app would do a better job considering the extra tools it offers. Probably better still is Iolo’s System Mechanic. It has been around for a long time and has increased its versatility since I first tried it over a decade ago. This Swiss Army Knife of utilities has my back with a plethora of tool and utilities. It watches over the registry, hard drive, memory and Internet connection and more. Unlike many utilities that delete things and change settings without your input, Iolo explains what it is about to alter and let’s you opt out, should you desire to do so. As cautious a user as I am, System Mechanic has discovered programs that clandestinely found their way into my startup folder and warned me of them. Yeah, it was worth the price. The icing on the cake is that Iolo allows you to install it on as many home computers as you need to. I have not yet purchased the full version of Malwarebytes, but I think that one’s next. As good a job as the free version does, I look forward to experiencing the increased protection of the paid app. Uninstallers are something else we all should have. The Windows tool is weak and slow and it fails to cleanse the registry of remnants after eliminating a program. Revo is a good free choice. Advanced or Your Uninstaller are both good options if you want to buy one. Something else Windows lacks is a good device driver updater. Manufacturers are constantly updating their hardware with new drivers and they are free. Often though, the apps to get them are not. Again, sometimes you just have to buy a utility. SlimDriver Free and DriverMax are cost-free, although you do need to register the latter product to use it. Often with free versions, there are nag screens begging you to buy the product and the speeds at which they update your system are agonizingly slow. Find one that allows you to archive all of the drivers on your computer into a self-installing utility; you never know when you’ll need to use it. Remember, all downloads are free. If you do install programs from the Internet, there are the usual caveats. First, make sure the link you’re about to click on is legitimate. Then, watch the installer. Free apps are sponsored by other apps. They try to sneak in additional utilities, toolbars, screen savers and widgets. They may also attempt to alter your browser’s search engine or start page. Clicking “Next” and “OK” without scrutinizing what boxes are checked will get you into trouble. It’s also always prudent to create a system restore point prior to making any changes and to reboot the computer for those changes to take effect. Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Solid state hard drives

Computer Care: Taking solid states out for a test drive

	By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com POSTED: May 26, 2012 1:00 a.m. Choosing a new hard drive used to be as simple as deciding between a 350-gigabyte and a terabyte model. Size still matters, but now there are different types of drives that involve more than just drive capacity. Enter solid state drives, or SSDs, to mainstream computing. The old conventional style of hard disk drive is large, has moving parts, uses lots of power, generates heat and wears out relatively fast. It can be loud and it can take a while to access files or even boot files of your operating system. SSDs on the other hand are smaller, quieter, draw less power and access data much faster than conventional drives. Until recently, they were priced higher than consumers wanted to pay. But don’t be so quick to go order an SSD as a replacement or even to be part of your next computer. There are, as usual, caveats to consider. There is a downside to the new components. Actually they are not so new; it’s just that they have finally become affordable. They have been around for decades but have always been priced out of reach for most of us. As technology evolved, they have gotten better in that they have higher capacities, are more reliable and are priced more reasonably. By today’s standards they are not large yet. Also the SSD may not fit in or be recognized in many computers. Although most desktops and some laptops will accommodate two hard drives, Windows may not see the SSD. Windows 7 was designed to work with them, but you will run into difficulties with other versions of that operating system. The differences between the two types of drives are drastic. Their only similarity is that that both store data. HDDs have a series of platters coated with magnetic material that rotate at a high rate of speed. The data is accessed with an actuator, not too unlike the old phonograph record arm, that reads the data. It travels back and forth looking for and writing data. It is a slow process. Hard Disk Drives have a life span of generally three to five years. I’ve had one quit after a few months and have one approaching 10 years that still functions fine. SSDs on the other hand have no moving parts and could last longer. They aren’t too unlike the USB flash drives we use today. Their life span is not determined in years, but in read/write cycles. Although finite (100,000 cycles), they could probably outlive many devices they would reside in. The biggest advantage to SSDs is the speed at which they access data. Magnetic access (hard drives, old floppy disks) is slow, as is optical access (CD, DVD or Blu-Ray). With solid state, it is done electrically without having to look for data mechanically. The access time for a (flash-based) SSD has been measured as low as 35 to 100 microseconds. A conventional disk reads at from 5,000 to 10,000 microseconds, approximately 100 times slower. Some devices have the best of both worlds by incorporating hybrid drives or dual drives. In a computing environment, this makes sense. The hybrid drive is a conventional drive with a flash chip incorporated in it. That section of the drive would not be accessible by the user. The dual drive has two physical drives, one of each type. The solid state part of the drive holds the boot information allowing the operating system (Windows) to boot up very quickly. In most cases, it could also store the applications, allowing programs to start quickly, too. The hard disk component would store the data they create and all else. Since most SSDs are not yet all that large, this option makes sense right now. Capacities are only 20 to 60 GB on most SSDs, providing room for only an operating system, some apps and little else. The music, videos, photos and the rest of the files of a larger size would be stored where they are today – on the hard disk component of the drive. Recent online prices yielded more affordable solid state drives than in the past, but they still fail to approach the capacities of the hard disk drives we are accustomed to using. In some instances, either could be found for about $1 per gigabyte. An 100-gigabyte SSD for $100 sounds enticing, but it’s just not large enough yet to store what we are now used to storing. If they came about 10 years ago, they would have flown off the store shelves. But now, I think not. On sale, you could find a conventional terabyte hard drive for $100. I’m going to hold tight for a while. Perhaps my next laptop will have room for a second drive; my current one does not. Until then, I will wait the 90 seconds for Windows to load and continue to store my photos on an external drive and in the Cloud. Technology is evolving. Going digital with hard drives is like moving from LP records to CDs or MP3s or from VHS to DVDs. Change is inevitable, especially when it comes to technology. Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.

Speed up your PC

POSTED: May 12, 2012 1:00 a.m.

	Computer Care: Some inside tips to speed up your PC By Arthur Glazerglazer.tech@gmail.com Posted: May 12, 2012 1 a..m
	In the past I’ve written about ways to keep your computer running smoothly, advised you of keyboard shortcuts and shared some little known utilities with you. The truth be known, most technicians won’t kiss and tell and have clandestinely withheld their best tricks from you. After all, this is what we do; we’re not supposed to give away trade secrets. It would be like a magician showing how he saws his lovely companion in half. So without giving away the tech’s secret handshake, I’ll disclose a bit of magic. Before doing any of these adjustments though, it’s always a good idea to create a System Restore Point first. Keep in mind these tweaks are for the more experienced user. Did you ever want to block a nuisance website from showing on your browser? This tweak will work with Firefox, Chrome and Safari. You will want to navigate to the “etc” folder by following this path: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc from “Computer/My Computer.” Open the “hosts” file in etc and choose Notepad or, depending on which version of Windows you have, the option to use a program already installed. Then choose Notepad. After the line with 127.0.0.1, hit Enter and type 127.0.0.1 followed by the name of the site you want to block. If the site is called blockthissite.com, then type 127.0.0.1, followed by the site’s name, then a space and #. Hit Enter to go down a line. It should read: 127.0.0.1 blockthissite.com #. Save it from the File menu and close the dialog box. Next click Start, and then from Run (XP) or your Search/Command box (Vista and 7) type cmd to get a command prompt box. Then type ipconfig /flushdns and hit Enter. Close that dialog box and your browser and then try to get to your site. If you did everything correctly, you will be denied access. If you use Chrome, it’s already quick. If you use Internet Explorer, well, give the others a shot. If your browser is Firefox, there are ways to make it faster. In the address bar, type about:config in and hit Enter. Scroll to network.http.pipelining and set it to true by right-clicking and choosing modify. Do the same for proxy.pipelining. For pipelining.maxrequests, change its value to 30 and close the browser. The next fix is not for the faint of heart. We will change a registry value. There is no undo in the windows Registry, so tread cautiously there. Go to Start, Run or the Search/Command Box and type regedit. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Double-tap on “desktop” and look on the right side for “WaitToKillAppTimeout.” If it has a value of 5,000, right-click on it and choose modify. Change it to 1,000 and hit OK. Do the same there for “HungAppTimeout.” Change its value to 1,000 as well and close the box. That will shave a few seconds off of an unresponsive program when you try to close it. Should your printer queue jam, clear it by opening the command prompt box again (cmd) and type: net stop spooler. Wait for a verification response, then type net start spooler and try to print your document again. If you want to simply unplug your USB flash drive and bypass the “Safely Remove Hardware” process, right-click on the removable USB drive in the Computer/My Computer group and choose “Eject.” Wait for the icon to change and then pull your device from the computer. Some basic, yet necessary tips follow: • Allow your computer to fully load after it boots up prior to clicking on any icons. Doing so will further delay any response. • Don’t clutter the desktop with icons. Everything Windows has to draw uses system resources. Consolidate all Word files for example, to a Word folder. Get rid of icons you don’t use. • Try to keep your wallpaper image under 100k if it is your own photo. A megapixel image will waste resources. • Regularly empty the Recycle Bin, as well as the Temporary Internet folder. • Defragment your hard drive every couple of months to keep it fast. • Create a System Restore Point when everything is running well. You may need to access it one day. • If there is a website you access regularly, drag the URL icon from the browser to the desktop, creating a shortcut. Without a doubt, the single most cost-effective enhancement you could do for your computer is to pull a rabbit from your hat by adding more RAM, system memory, to it. If you do anything more than Web-browse and check your email, you will need it. Even if you don’t work with audio files or photo or video edit, you will still appreciate the bump in speed an extra pair of gigabyte sticks will yield. It is inexpensive and relatively easy to install. The result is not smoke and mirrors. Arthur Glazer is a freelance writer and computer technician in Gainesville. His column appears biweekly on the Business page and on gainesvilletimes.com.