Windows Vista Search Indexing is constantly checking the files on your system to make their information available for quick searching.

This is helpful, but can severely slow system performance as the average user doesn’t use the search function frequently.

To shut down constant indexing:

1. Click the Start button
2. Select Computer
3. Right-click on the C: Drive icon
4. Select Properties
5. Select the General Tab
6. Uncheck Index this drive for faster searching
7. On the next dialog box, select Apply Changes to Drive C:,
subfolders and files
8. Click OK

That it, maybe a bit more speed on your Vista machine.

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Computer Security is essential in today world, and this is a great resource that I have put together to help keep you safer online. These nine steps will help you increase your computer’s security. From discovering viruses to learning how to avoid them, this article is a must read!

1) Windows password -  This is the easiest way to make sure you know who is using your pc. Choose a lengthy password that contains capital and lower case letters. Including a number or two will greatly increase your security. Having a Windows password means that the only people that can log onto a Windows session are people that you have granted access to.

2) Password manager - You should never write your passwords down. Using the same password all the time will also make it very easy for hackers to reach your personal information. So if you can’t write it down and you’re not supposed to use the same one – how are you supposed to keep track of all of your passwords? The easiest way to do this is to use a password manager. There are many great ones available online.

3) Spyware Remover -  Next to spam, spyware is the internet’s biggest annoyance. By definition, spyware is “any software that covertly gathers user information through the user’s Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.” The amount of spyware that exists on your pc is dependent on the amount of internet surfing you do. A good rule of thumb here is to scan for spyware once per week or whenever poor system performance surfaces.

4) Antivirus - This should go without saying, but if your computer is connected to the internet you need antivirus software. With weekly scans and program updates you should be protected from most threats.

5) Firewall – A firewall will keep unwanted visitors out of your computer. First turn on Windows Firewall under Security Settings.  Then make sure you are using a router on your computer system.  Even if you only have one computer in your home, you should always use a router.

6) File sharing - Basically, file sharing programs are the single biggest security risk you will come across. This is because the only facts you have about the files you are downloading are the file name and the file size. It is quite simple to change a filename to dupe someone into downloading a virus or other malware like keystroke recorders. Our advice – stay away from file sharing at all costs. If you need to use it, make sure you have updated antivirus software installed and running.

7) Email protection - Most of the antivirus applications available offer email scanning. If yours does not, you will want to get one that does. Email scanning will make sure all of your incoming and outgoing emails are safe for both you and the recipient. Email viruses spread very quickly by using your address book to propagate. Never read email from people you don’t know and always make sure your email scanner is active.

Network security - Another way that viruses spread is through computer networks. We have a few quick tips to keep your network safe. Always scan any files that come in from other computers. Even if it’s a file you have brought from home. Never allow a file to be placed on your network until it has been scanned. The main server should be the only computer with file sharing enabled. By not allowing computer users to transmit files, you can quickly neutralize a threat.

9) Maintenance – Performing weekly virus and spyware scans will go a long way to keeping your computer safe. Defragmenting weekly will also greatly improve performance. If you put in the effort, you will be rewarded with a safe and smooth running pc. Not to mention less headaches!

By following these nine guide lines, you will greatly improve the performance of your computer. You will also generate peace of mind as you gain a new sense of security.

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Apart from adding more memory or processing power to your personal computer, there are several steps you can take to speed up your sluggish computer.

Clear your browsers history.  This is done differently in different browsers, but you will usually find it under Tools in your browsers menu.  Clearing this not only will make your computer safer, it will make it faster.

Do a disk cleanup.  To do this in Windows, click on Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup. This may be a long process so you need to possibly set this up during a time when you have got other things going on. For instance, set it up, and then go watch your favorite TV show, or go mow the lawn, or go workout.

Do a disk defragment.  You will see that option in the Disk Clean Up window.  This does not have to be done often, but depending on your computer use, once a month is usually fine.
Once that is done, it’s time to run a malware/spyware scan. Most people do not realize how easy it is to become infected with malware or spyware, so running continual scans is strongly recommended. This should be done at least on a weekly basis.

Now it’s time for the Virus scan.  Most people have virus software but if you don’t I highly suggest you get one as quickly as possible. This scan could take anywhere from twenty minutes to a couple of hours dependent on how many files you have on your hard drive so once again, set it, and then go do something else.

Now restart your computer and you will be surprised at how much faster it now runs. By doing these actions above, you will keep your computer performing like it probably did when you first got it, and you may help avoid costly repair bills.

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Why is my computer running slow? Why does it take forever to start up or open programs or browse web pages? These are questions we hear constantly from users.

Thankfully help is at hand. Below are some simple yet effective computer maintenance tasks that can help improve the performance of your computer.

And ALL the tools are FREE.

• Is your PC clean inside? Dust can build up on the fans etc resulting in bad airflow which in turn can cause the PC to overheat. An overheating PC can cause all sorts of problems such random reboots, screen freezes etc. Use a can of canned air to remove the dust. For temperature monitoring there are a number of good freeware programs that can identify the temperature of your fans, processor, hard drives etc.

Check out: Core Temp or Speed Fan or Everest

• Your computer’s power supply unit (PSU) powers all the components in your PC. The more components you add the more power it needs. Should your PSU be failing or lacking in power then computer performance can be degraded causing all sorts of strange problems. An easy way to check if your PSU is not supplying enough power is by downloading SpeedFan.

Once downloaded and installed, open up SpeedFan and look at the voltages on the bottom left of the Readings tab. Look at the +3.3v, +5v and +12v inputs at the bottom left. Your voltages should be within + or - 5% of these. If they are not then test the system with a new / known to work PSU.

• Having more than one real anti-virus scanner and or malware / spyware program may seem like a good idea and provide you with extra layers of security. However having more than one real time scanner can actually degrade performance as each scanner in turn checks files. We advise that one real time anti-virus and one real time malware / adware / spyware scanner be installed on any system.

• Clean out your temp files. As time goes by your computer builds up temporary files from installing programs, browsing the internet etc. These can really slow down your PC and make anti-virus / malware scans take a lot longer. You can do this manually by closing all programs and type %temp% then Enter in to the Run box. A list of files / folders will appear. To select them all press Ctrl+A then press the Delete key.

Remember to empty the Recycle Bin. Or use a program such as TFC

• Uninstall any old, demo or not required / used programs. Use either the uninstaller that comes with the program or Add / Remove from the Control Panel. DO NOT just delete the program shortcut or the folder in \Program Files.

• Reduce the number of programs that autorun on startup. Do you really need PowerDVD to run on startup? DO NOT use msconfig to permanently disable start up items as this is meant for troubleshooting purposes only. Use StartUp Lite or Autoruns instead.

• Does your computer have enough memory? More is definately always better and please don’t confuse RAM memory with hard disk space. Right click My Computer and select Properties to find out how much RAM you have. As a basic rule we recommend atleast 512 MB for XP and 1 GB for Vista. You can check the correct memory upgrade for your computer using Crucial scan my system tool or CPUID

• Is your hard drive nearly full. Go to My Computer and right click your C: drive and select properties. A dialogue box with a pie chart will appear showing you both used and free space among other hard drive tools.

• Defrag your hard disk using these with freeware programs such as:

DIRMS & Buzzsaw or MyDefrag

• Check your hard drive’s health using diagnostic tools supplied by the manufacturer. Seagate / Maxtor. Western Digital. Fujitsu. Hitachi. Samsung.

• Check your hard disk for errors. For XP go here. For Vista go here.

• Check your swap file size. This should be atleast the size of the amount of RAM installed in your PC but not more than 4GB and you must have the available space on your hard drive. 98 / XP guide.

• Check your System Files for errors using sfc / scannow. For an XP guide go here. For Vista go here.

• Stop all unnecessary services being careful to retain the required ones. XP guide here. Vista guide here.

• Scan for viruses / malware using AVG.. The Best Free Antivirus Online.

• Update all your drivers

• Keep up to date with Windows Update by turning ON Automatic Updates.

XP guide. Vista guide.

• Once done, create a new System Restore point and get rid of ALL old, possibly infected ones. XP guide here. Vista guide here. Following these steps will help you maintain a healthy system.

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