June 2006

Welcome VP residents.  Here are some tweaks you should know. After you’ve been using your computer for a while, you should clean out a few things. Why? Because Windows keeps track of everything you do.  It’s a Pack Rat.  These files don’t go away unless you make them, and after a while your browser starts to slow down. It’s kind of like going up hill with a sack of rocks on your back.  My sister still holds the record. She had over 6800 cookies on her computer, & the Temp Cache folder was ready to explode.  And she was wondering why it was so slow!

Here is an easy one just to give you an idea of what’s to come.  Were you aware that Windows by default is using 10% of your hard drive for the Recycle Bin? Gotta wonder what brain power at Microsoft thought that one up! Just Right click on the Recycle Bin and Left click on Properties and this is what you’ll see.

Just put your mouse on the Slider and move it left until it reads 1% & click OK. You have just freed up 9% of your entire hard drive. Can you feel the Power?

Right click on the Blue Internet Explorer “E” Icon on the desktop. and select properties or internet properties, whichever one you see.  Make sure the General tab is selected.

Picture below is what you should be looking at.  Here is where you can change your Start Page and do a clean out. Set the Days to keep in History at 1 day. Why keep them longer? 

1) Click on the Clear History button and choose Yes.

2) Then click on Delete Cookies and choose OK.

3) Then click on Delete Files and put a check in “Delete all offline content” and click OK.

4) Next click on the Settings button and reset the amount of disk space to use to 70 MB.

5) Now click on Advanced tab and slide down until you see the “Security” Section & Check “Empty Temporary Files Folder when browser is closed”.

Now click on the second tab - Security.  Click on ( 1 ) Internet and make sure that the “Default Level” Button near the bottom right is “Not Highlighted” -  that means you cannot click on it. If it is Highlighted, click on it. The Default values are good ones - use them. Do the same for ( 2, 3, & 4 ). Also, there should not be any sites listed in Trusted Sites. I don’t Trust any of them. Click OK & you’re done.

These tweaks are very basic, but they are quite effective in keeping your computer safe and running fast, and you’re telling Windows who’s in control. Now that wasn’t hard was it? Can you feel the Power yet?

A Software that I feel is a “Must Buy”.

TuneUp Utilities 2006. It is free and fully functional for 30 days. Unlike Norton Utilities it does not take over control of your computer.  It is non intrusive, very fast & effective. After installation, there will be 2 icons on your desktop. The main one is Gold with many features you can use to really tweak your computer safely.  The other is a 1-Click Maintenance button icon - this one you should use often. The Price is $39.95 and worth every penny. Check it out at http://www.tune-up.com.

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