How To Speed up Your Computer Easily

Ever felt helpless when an anti-spyware program slows down your computer killing the program you’re currently using?

There have been times when an unneeded application pops up when you’re doing something very important on another one. You get annoyed, turn the program off.. but the work you did on the other app is gone, or the app is not responding.

Here’s a tip that’ll tell Windows to give more importance and resources to your favourite program.

• Press CTRL + ALT + DELETE to fire up the Windows Task Manager
• Click on the tab Processes
• Locate the application process, right click and select Real time, high, normal, above normal, below normal or low.
• Windows will now allot system resources like RAM, etc. to the ones that you set to top priority

For example, if you use an anti-virus that sits in the system tray eating up resources, you could change its priority to low and save things for the apps you want.

As the dialog warns, this tweak can result in system instability at times. Do it at your own risk. Did that prove useful?

3 Windows Vista Themes for Windows XP

The best thing about Vista than anything else is probably the eye candy that it offers. Not all people can afford Vista though, so most of you are content with Windows XP.

Still, you can quench your thirst a bit with some Vista style themes for Windows XP. Just by downloading Visual styles and installing them, you can give a really stunning look to your XP operating system.

But note that none of these Visual styles can actually get to touch the real amount of elegance that Vista offers.

Before I take you to the list of some great Vista styles for Windows XP, here’s a quick guide on how you can install them:

• Download UX Theme MultiPatcher from here
• Run the setup file
• Grab anyone of the following styles and download them on to your PC
• Double click on the .msstyle file and apply the style.
• Voila! Your XP has a new look

The first two themes don’t require other third party software, but you need to install WindowBlinds to use the third theme.

Razor Vista

(Download)

VistaVG

(Download)

AeroGlass

(Download)

Note that these visual styles can reduce performance, so go for them only if your computer has a good amount of resources.

Do you know of any such Windows Vista themes for XP? Share them with others in the comments.

5 Best Programs to Remove Junk Files

1. CCleaner - Download

CCleaner is one amazing tool to remove junk files from your system. It scans your hard drive for potential junk files that include IE cache, unused application files, shortcuts, etc. Registry cleaning and Start up program managers are inbuilt. An additional feature is the ability to uninstalled loaded programs from your computer from within CCleaner itself. All-in-all, CCleaner is one best tool to get rid of the junk, and optimize your PC for performance.

2. Revo Uninstaller - Download

It should’ve been named something else. It’s more than an uninstaller, it comes packed with lots of tools to remove the junk out of your system. Revo Uninstaller got all that you need - an uninstaller, files remover, autorun manager, startup manager, file shredder. You name it. It’s a Swiss Army Knife that keeps your computer devoid of junk.

3. nCleaner - Download

nCleaner is new on the block, but it’s good. It has more powerful options than CCleaner. You can say that nCleaner is targeted at more advanced users rather than novices. nCleaner has a file shredder. Plugins can be added to enhance the functionality of nCleaner. System Tweaks can be performed using the inbuilt tweaker, which has more options than you can imagine.

4. Advanced Windows Care Personal - Download

This is more of a PC Suite, and has loads of tools to optimize and remove the junk from your computer. Spyware scanner is one of it’s best features, and has a one-click mechanism to protect and secure your computer. Though a paid upgrade is available, the free tool is definitely worth the features it provides. But, I found it running slow on my computer. Mind you, it’s hungry on resources.

5. XP Safeguard - Download

XP Safeguard is another simple, but efficient tool that’s targeted at novices. With it’s appealing interface, XP Safeguard can remove junk files, and alter other settings on your computer that cause inconvenience.

Share your favourite tools and your experiences with them in the comments.

How to Get The Most Out Of Your Screen Space

1. Reduce Desktop Clutter

Too many icons on your desktop? Reduce it to the minimum possible, or replace them all with something like Launchy.

Got too many files? Put them in folders. Name the folders appropriately.
Remove Widget Sidebars, you don’t really use them most of the time.

This will give you a clean and uncluttered desktop, and also save you some time - keeping you productive all day.

2. Auto Hide

Consider setting elements on your screen to ‘auto hide’ if you don’t really use them often.

Something that people don’t really realise - you can auto hide your Window taskbar - just alter the properties.

One app we use quite a lot is Firefox - you can auto hide the menubar (thanks to Harsh!), auto hide the bookmarks bar or even hide all that you don’t want to see if you’re in Fullscreen mode. You get a large room for viewing websites, thanks to these clever work-arounds.

3. Virtual Desktops

Virtual Desktops are pretty handy and come to great use especially if you work with multiple applications all the time. Virtual Desktops get the clutter down on your desktop and help in organizing windows better - you can have your most used windows in Desktop 1, the lesser used in the next one and so on.

Microsoft officially gives you a PowerToy that you can download and install to add the ‘Virtual Desktop’ functionality to Windows XP.

Furthermore, if you want advanced features and additional bells, get a copy of this XP/Vista Virtual Desktop Manager that provides you with thumbnail previews of virtual desktops in Vista.

4. Focusing

You get irritated suddenly seeing the amount of apps running all over your desktop - all cluttered, and distractive. You’re determined to concentrate on one thing, but you’re just frenzied up.

How about highlighting the working area and leaving the rest in dark so that you’re free of all the distractions that keep you unproductive?

Yes, there’s a way to do that. Zorro is an app that can get this done for you - it darkens all areas except the rectangular area you select on the screen - keeping you out of all the unwanted and the unnecessary. You can now focus on what you really want to do.

If you use your computer for a lot of writing work, you could try something called WriteRoom which is a text editor with a cool concept. When you start it, nothing is shown except the text area. So no distractions, just creativity flowing!

5. More Apps

Some apps that don’t fit in the above sections -

WinRoll - Rolls an entire window to just display the title bar. Useful if you have lots of windows open, and want to see one behind the active window.

Tray It! - Too many buttons crowding the Windows Taskbar. Try this app to minimize applications to system tray.