Free tips...

I am bored... way too bored that I actually WANT to post at this lame blog... Anyhoo, lets begin. Todays' post will be about....

*drumrolls*

Tips for smoother computer experience on Windows Environment.

Haha, lame... Okay, for years i have been maintaining and servicing my family, relatives, my family's freinds, my friends as well as some of my college PCs so that they can enjoy faster and smoother computing experience. Not that its anything advanced, its just that I enjoy seeing the significant difference in the performance before and after the maintainance. So folks, here are some of the things that you can actually do yourself that many professionals might charge you for.

*To any of my family that might be reading this post, don't worry, you are already covered :) .

*Disclaimer: I do not claim to possese deep understanding in all computer related material, all mistakes in this writing is not detect-able by the writer as he thinks highly of himself and always think he is right, however if you found any technical mistake, just post a comment. The writer SHOULD(depends on the mood XD ) be able to accept critism and if you are lucky he might even thank you for it.

1. Registry cleaning.
   Registry is a very crucial component in windows OS so making any changes to it by yourself without any knowledge about what you are dealing with is HIGHLY not recommended. However, this component easily get fragmented and cluttered as you install programs and updates. You see, as you install and uninstall softwares and drivers, create, move and delete files, some registry entries becomes obsolete hence becoming a useless entry that 'flood' your registry. This makes your computer's performance to be significantly slower over time. Luckily for us, lots of tools are provided out there to clean these for us. My top recomendation are:
   
   Free: CCleaner
   Info: Although it is widely known for cleaning junk files, which is also a recommended tip to do at least once every week, CCleaner also provide an excellent registry cleaner. Open CCleaner, click "Registry", "Scan for Issues", select all found issues and click "Fix selected Issues". You're done. First time you did this, you might experience a significant increase in performance so dont be shocked.. Haha, thats an exaguration but honestly though, if you are doing it for the first time, i can assure you that there will be an obvious difference.
   
   Paid: Registry Cleaner
   Info: One of the best and most thorough registry cleaner i have ever came across. I don't know how much it cost, but honestly I just use CCleaner as it is almost the same thing, except with better backing up function, better user interface and scans can be scheduled! Well, i don't need all these so..
   
   
   
2. Defragmenting
   This is one of the easiest thing to do, yet at times it provide significant boost in performance, espicially in cases of people with older mechanical harddisk. Basically fragmentation refers to the scenario where you write files on a disk and it was written physically continously. Then, some of the files were removed hence leaving gaps in between the stream of files. When a new file is written, the computer/HD Controller detect the gap and write as much as the new file as possible to fit the gap, writing the rest of it at the end of the stream. I can't explain it any clearer, google it and you shall be rewarded with many clearer and more graphic explanation on this. This is a well known problem ever since the DOS era, but there are limited things that Microsoft can do as any changes to the file-system might effect lots of its users for they also have to provide backward compatibilty with their older OSes. Damn, I am getting out of topic now haha.. BTW I think Linux and MAC are NOT affected by this as their file system tackle file writing differently..
   
   Free: Microsoft Disk Defragmenter.
   Info: This very useful utility is provided by MS in all of their OS with GUI. It can be found by opening "My Computer", right-click on your disk, click "Properties", "Tools" and click "Defragment now". For most users, this tool alone is probably enough for this purpose.
   
   Paid: Puran Defrag
   Info: This is by far the best defragmenter tool i have ever used! I've tried PerfectDisk, UltraDisk, Diskeeper and the list go on and on, but this is the best IMO. Unlike MS tool, it can defrag all your files before logging in to your desktop. It defrags your registry, pagefile and everything on your disk that some other tools can't move as they are in use after you're logged in. They provide a 30-day trial, so hurry up and try them :)
   
   
3. Antivirus
   I think everybody knows the about viruses nowadays, although they seems to be inable to differentiate viruses from worms and errors caused by themselves.. I agree that viruses are generally bad but don't go making assumption everytime your computer is acting weird. I have even faced someone who thinks that his notebook shutting down during intense gaming is due to a virus... Make a research on your problem first before coming to any conclusion, in this case its obviously due to overheating... For this category, i'll only recommend a paid program for reasons that will be told soon :)
   
   Paid: ESET Antivirus
   Info: Again, i have tried lots and lots of different types of AV. Most of them proved to be very resource hungry, i.e. they make your crawl slower than a baby haha. However, this one doesn't! And it does so while providing among the best detection rate for viruses! HA! Its a win-win situation.. They also provide a 30-day trial so check them out! For independent comparision of AV go to :
   
   http://www.av-comparatives.org
   
   
4. Use internet browsers other than Internet Explorer
   I have lots of complaints from people about their "internet" hanging on them while browsing. My poor people, its not your internet, its your browser! While IE is a good enough browser for those ocassional surfers, most will experience that dreadly "hanging" experience. So for those hardcore surfers, i recommend you, the one and only:
   
   
   Google Chrome
   Info: Although a rather new contender in the browser "industry", it is gaining acceptance from both average users as well as the tech-enthusiast. The reasons for this are its minimalistic interface, best security among all contenders (due to its Sandbox-ing tech, google that up folks :P ), good performance in flash, no occasional memory leak(case:Firefox), small installation file and the list goes on and on... Some folks(mainly conspiracy theorists) despise the idea of using Google products as they see this as an attempt by Google to monopolise the internet world (Weird.. I know, but i actually have read such comments). For those folks, i create another category:
   
   Honorable mentions: Firefox 3.5 Beta, Opera 10 Beta
   No, no Safari.. Cause they simple sucks in Windows environment.. Stick to MAC, Apple! :)
   
   
5. Anti-Spyware
   God, im getting tired... Google spyware up if you dont know what it is and do yourself a favor. For this, I'll just recommend one shareware:
   
   
   MalwareBytes
   Info: The best and mostly free anti-spyware IMO! Enough said.. Though I can't provide any statistics for that but through personal experience, they provide the best detection for spyware.. Its like they are ESET in the anti-spyware world.. Now thats a huge compliment :).. Their update server is quite fast and the update frequency is almost daily. Last year I would have recommended "Spyware Doctor" but they lost that due to them being too resource hungry.. Yes, i use that word a lot.. Ironically i have 4GB of RAM :D
   

   
   
6. Turn off system restore
   

   While some people might find this feature useful (duh.. if nobody does why would they bother to write it in the first place), it serves no function for most users. For those who don't even know what this is, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING?!, Haha, just google it up. Honestly, i turned it off in my PC. Not only does my PC becomes slightly more responsive, I also gained lots of free space on my HDD.. Fyi, System restore usually allocate like around 10% of the HDD capacity for it, by turning it off, you get to use all that again..
   
   *Actually i plan on including "Turn off automatic updates" but then I know not all users know how to get crucial updates as a standalone (can be downloaded and installed alone) from MS site, so its out for now...
   
   
7. PDF Reader
   Yes yes, lots of you might say "We have Adobe Reader for that!".. But I, for one, do not like the sloooow loading speed, huggeeeeeee program size and a pretty bad performance in copying graphics. For those reasons, you should make your life easier by downloading a better and smaller (its 3MB vs. 300+MB of Adobes') alternative called:
   
   
   Foxit Reader
   Info: Too good to be true? Too bad it is! Haha. It provides all the features that Adobe alternative provide and its a lot faster too! Goodness all around. Plus they also have plugins... Feels like I'm dreaming...
   
   
8. Themes
   If you feel like your computer feels slow even during dragging a window, then maybe your graphic adapter sucks too much :). To remedy this, you can try changing your themes to Windows Classic.. Again, google this up please.. I can't bother to write all the steps for XP and Vista..
   
   
9. Update drivers
   Checks updates for your hardware in their manufacturer's site monthly for driver updates. Unfortunately, although it can provide more stability and brings new features to the table, most of the computer users do not know the components of the PC that they are using. Sad.. I know, but thats a fact. However, for those who does know, you should check for updates in:
   
   Chipset drivers: Check in either VIA, AMD or Intel's site
   
   Graphics: Check in Nvidia, AMD, Intel and SIS's sites. If your graphic adapter is of Intel and its X3100 (or GMA965) or later, you MUST, MUST, MUST try their latest driver.. It provide a hugeeee performance boost with no loss in battery power.
   
   Sound: Realtek, if you have other manufacturers' chip, you don't have to bother as they rarely provide any post-purchase support.
   
   Wireless Adapter: Intel, Atheros and Broadcom..
   
   
10. Vista user only:Disable Superfetch
    Vista users might (and should) realize that their HDD light is constantly blinking even during idling. Its most probably caused by a feature (Win7 and Vista exclusive) called Superfetch.. Basically it loads all frequently used files, programs, kernals and stuff from the HDD to the RAM so that when the user want to access them, they are readily available hence can be accessed faster. Although it's a nice idea, but in Vista, IMO it wasnt implemented right.. It simply caches all the frequently used files regardless of its relevancy. More disadvantage will follows, i highly suggest googling this issue up for you to decide whether this feature will benefits you or not.
    
    
    
    *Optional, only practical for notebook users*
    
    
11. A lot, and i really mean a lot, of notebook users complains of their notebook getting hot. While its normal, it also shortens the machine's life and its battery operational life. If you are one of the adventurous type, I highlyX100 recommend you to....
    
    
    UNDERVOLT
    
    I really2 don't want to explain anything about this, so just read:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=235824

Benefits?
Lower CPU temp hence lower overall temp of computer, in my experience the difference can be as high as 20C(on load of-course)..
Increase in battery life, albeit only by few minutes..
No Performance decrease..

My (Past n Boring) Life

Reading blogger J's entry below made me think about my own life.. So here you go, an uninteresting view of my life for the past few years..

During my lower secondary years, i was this rather boring and above average student that always pass his tests and exams and stays in the top 5 in my school but i was never the top. The top student is my best friend during that period.

After the results of the end of lower secondary regional exam was published, our school received a shocking news; our top performing student drowned at a beach. The whole school was shocked. I was personally informed by his mother and shocked was an understatement. I literally blanked out for minutes and then memories of the time we spent together flashed in my mind. At that time i felt guilty for not spending more time with him. All the promises that i have made when he was alive.. We planned to go the the same university and to build our own computers. I promised to give him some games before the exam started but i kept forgetting them.. In short, i just felt really guilty...

When the school re-opens, many events were organised in remembrance of him. I participated faithfully in each and every one of them which is really2 unlike me.

Fast forward, i was in a new class with all these new people. During the first 3 days, i kept my jokes to minimum and just smiles to others. After like a week, i realised that its useless to continue feeling all these guilt as i have tried my very best to be a good friend to him. The only thing i can do is to continue his struggle; to proof that even our school (which happenned to be among the worst in the country and was even once THE worst) can produce quality students that can compete with even the best schools. If before, he was almost our only hope, now i will try to somehow go to his level and proof that most of the country (and some teachers) that they were wrong.

Then i started analysing the education system and how i can benefit from it. I counted how many days i can be absent without failing the 85% mark so that i can take as much rest from school as possible (as honestly the government obviously do not provide enough), I realized that we are lucky that the current education system works in such a way that they allows us to easily pass and score in the public exams. Syllabus was given and by studying this together with all the past year papers thoroughly, you can pretty much guarantee yourself an A.

Forward2, O-level exam has arrived. I passed with flying colours. This is the moment when i realized my full potential. Throughout my whole life, i have always viewed myself as this rather average student with limited capability of scoring high in exams. My result shows the the other extreme end.

Then comes all the scholarship matters. There were like 3 main choices for us and i was eligible for all of them. I applied for them all and was interviewed. I screwed the interviews as it was rather sudden; never in my life have i ever even dream of getting abroad to study. All these times my plan was to study locally and work in the government with any job that they assigned me to as i don't think that ill have the chance to choose one. Now new possibilities and options emerged. Honestly i do not like options. Studies have shown that us humans do not make the right choice 85%(or something, do NOT quote me on this :) but then who are you gonna quote me as? haha ) of the time meaning that we do not choose the correct option that will maximize our potential in the future.

And fate has it, i did not get the scholarship. Although being in the top 10% in the O-level exam as i later found out in one particular event, i did not get the scholarship. That is why, ladies and gentlemen, never underestimate the power of communication and interview skills. The 2 other top students in my school were awarded the scholarships, and i was honestly and sincerely happy for them as they thoroughly deserved them (although at times i might sound and act like i dont) but I REALLY AM! :D

At college, without realising it, all my newly found friends were actually scholarship-material (lol) and ALL of them got the scholarship. It was awkward..... Before all these, all we talk about is about the scholarship but after the results came out, we basically don't have any substance to talk about haha.. Well time passed and all of them flew to UK leaving me alone. I literally have to start fresh, finding all these new people that are compatible with me. Well i found new friends, actually lots of them :). Its right then that i realized that once your expand your scope, friends can be found easily. Most of the people in my college have this attitude of being carefree in everything, including their studies. Naturally being around them, i somehow adapted to them and started being carefree in my studies. I am NOT blaming anyone but myself for this! My grade started falling drastically, although for some people its actually is pretty good, it was BAD.

Then later that year, i lost one of my sisters for kidney failure. She left one child which is my niece. It took me a few months to actually digest this news and adapt to the changes in my life. I have to say this though, i hate death, but it's part of life and all of us will die when our time comes. It is during such periods that religion provides me a sense of closure and hope. I hope and pray that she will be placed with those who is blessed by God.

College life continues, i found great friends that motivates me to work even harder and i was lucky that i met them before the AS exam. If it were not for them I would have been continuing my newly-hatched attitude of being relaxed towards exam and for sure flunked them. I started doing all the past-years and analyzed the syllabuses. AS Exam has just passed and i think(and hope) that i will get good result, God-willing.

In summary, i am thankful that i have met all these people in my life and for all the events that have occurred in my life for without them i wouldn't be who i am today.

That's it, wow such a long post! Hahahhaha, although i know nobody is gonna read this, I'll just post it anyway huhuhu...

the things I think about...

I had no idea to how many people I had said this. The thing about not wanting marriage. Yet I am always in a bad mood on Valentine's Day, make funny faces at little kids on the Tube and worry myself in the middle of the night about my mom's future naggings. Wondering what it feels like to carry a child. Wondering if after-life really exist.

Just before I turn 18, I got my life planned out. I got the scholarship now; I will have to work hard to achieve my dream. Geologist. I thought about possible universities. I suddenly pop in on Mr Brown and asked about Cambridge. I have the perfect subject combination. I decide I'm not going to be the boring, paranoid girl that is the negative side of me anymore. Stop making mistakes and move on.

Yet I giggled about a certain guy to my father over the phone (who want to know nothing about him), read non-academic books fanatically and once, stay in bed the whole day with the LCD screen of my laptop practically glued to my eyes. When I think about these things that I had done that is pulling me away from achieving my dream, I feel suicidal. It's never a good timing - suicidal thoughts in the middle of the night.

He asked me what I am thinking about when I say I'm thinking - really, what am I supposed to say? That I absolutely hate myself and consider taking an overdose of sleeping pills so I will die in my sleep? That I do like him, but hell, I never consider a future with him, he'll never receive the red card that is the wedding invitation from me? I once read somewhere the more successful a person is, the lonelier he will feel. I've broke my friendship with the girl who was supposed to be my best friend, who throw my trust for her away, and expect me to understand.

My answer to this is, quite frankly, blunt - NO. No to forgiving her, no to still being friends with her, no I don't want to have anything to do with her any longer. She can have my 'School Days' if she want, besides that anime is supposed to teach teenagers nowadays a lesson. He who is the one that creates this mistrust between us, no I don't want to be your friend. Moan all you want. The past is the past, thank you very much, and your status 'the ex' doesn't really give you any authority to demand being friends with me. I am harsh because this is the real me. Take it or leave it.