Fake virus alerts are a common yet dangerous weapon often used by cybercriminals. These alerts masquerade themselves as legitimate security warnings, tricking users into actions that end up compromising their own digital […]
Over the last ten+ years I have seen Linux configuration tools come and go. In the early days there was the tried-and-true, all-powerful linuxconf that many thought would remain the one and […]
Rich Copy is a free file transfer software for Microsoft Windows created by Microsoft employee Ken Tamaru as an alternative to RoboCopy. Transferring files from one location to another can be a […]
Driver Sweeper is a free program for Microsoft Windows computer systems that enables you to remove device drivers completely. It is sometimes not possible to remove all device drivers and Registry settings […]
Those of you who are thinking of giving Linux a try, but are worried that you won't know how to do simple tasks such as controlling network devices, can let out a […]
While I'm overall pretty happy with the purchase of the OCZ Core Series II SATA Solid State Drive some disadvantages do come to light every now and then. This happens in situations […]
I have mentioned, many times, various Live CDs to use for giving Linux a try or installing Linux. I have had some feedback asking to explain just what a Live CD is. […]
If you are the tech savvy user in your family and community you usually get lots of calls from desperate users who need computer help. The help that is needed can vary […]
Kiwi Application Monitor is a program for Microsoft Windows devices to monitor select processes, access statistics, and use a rules-based system to control monitored processes. While Windows users and administrators may use […]
I confess that I’m not particularly adept when it comes to working with hardware. I can work with nuts and bolts and have even built my own switchboards but I’m always looking […]
Many users never update their computer drivers after the initial setup. They are either unaware of the possibilities or do not see a reason to update the drivers. Many face the problem […]
This is a rant. This is only a rant. If this were a real review you would be notified by your local emergency broadcast station...Now that I have your attention, I want […]
Practically any modern computer with an optical disc drive is capable of playing DVD movies. But what about Blu-Ray movies? The playback of high definition video formats require more processing power and […]
Ubuntu Privacy Remix is a live CD that is based on Ubuntu 8.04 currently. The sole purpose of this Ubuntu spin off is to create a secure working environment for private data. […]
You're new to Linux. You have managed to figure your way around the desktop and you have become accustomed to the application installation process. Now it's time to go about day to […]
Driver Backup 2 is a portable open source software that can be used to backup and restore the drivers of a Windows computer system. The backup software scans the computer system after […]
Being noise sensitive can have a huge impact on a daily work routine. Having to use a noisy computer can be a distraction and it might even cause sickness in the long […]
StaxRip is an Open Source video encoding software that can turn videos into mpeg-4 format using codecs like x264, XviD and DivX. It can for instance be used to turn a video […]
Ubuntu is now the most prominent Linux distribution perhaps due to its philosophy of creating 'â€Linux for humans†and targeting the consumer first and foremost. With a regular 6 monthly release Ubuntu […]
New computers come with all kinds of software pre-installed. The applications range from AOL Internet software to trial versions of Norton Antivirus and browser toolbars and have one thing in common: They […]
Do you know how much computer memory (RAM) your PC's motherboard supports, and which types it supports? There are ways to look the information up, for example by taking a look at […]
If you got a new hard disk or new computer you might want to copy the contents of the old hard drive to the new one to continue working with all of […]
300 Words into replying to some comments made by Rarst on my post yesterday about Microsoft I decided I may as well publish it like so as a new post… that’s what […]
Double Driver is a software for Windows that can scan the system for installed drivers. All drivers that are found can be backed up the application and restored at a later point. […]
Many Firefox users know that typing about:config in the Firefox location bar will open a Firefox configuration file that provides access to user preferences that cannot in the browser's interface otherwise. Did […]
Even if you take accumulated PC junk out of the equation, the most important factor in in how well your computer runs is the hardware specifications. Windows Vista provides some kind of […]
Update: Evidence Collector has been discontinued. It is no longer maintained but the most recent release can still be downloaded from the developer website linked below. Have you ever asked yourself what […]
Windows is creating a minidump whenever it's crashing. This minidump contains data that was stored in part of the memory. The interesting aspect of this procedure is that it's relatively easy to […]
Many companies are producing tools that scan the computer for security vulnerabilities. Some provide their functionality on a website while others are applications that have to be installed on the computer. F-Secure […]
Have you ever asked yourself if it is possible to add another horizontal or vertical barrier to the screen in Windows? With another I mean that the taskbar is already something that […]
Do you know which audio and video codecs are installed on your operating system ? Did you know that you can easily find that out by using Windows tools ? I think it is nice to know that you can find about all installed codecs without having to use third party applications. I will recommend a third party program at the end which can be used to received additional information.
I have to say this is the most ingenious app I have ever seen. Download Nada to feel better, while it does nothing for you too! Nada promises to be light on […]
It's becoming dark and cold outside sooner these days which is in my opinion the best time for some serious PC winter cleaning. I'm doing those cleaning once every three months to make sure my computer runs stable and without ballast that drags performance down. This article will only look at the software and operating system and not on the hardware which could be optimized as well by looking for firmware and bios upgrades.
If you are looking for a highly configurable system monitor you should take a closer look at Glint. The software displays system activity of many - and I really mean many - different values. The default program window alone displays 26 different values like CPU Processor Time, Disk Read and Write Bytes and Memory Bytes available.
Hard Drives can be terribly noise makers in computers. This is especially true when you are one of those users who buys silent pc hardware and uses fan regulators to lower the noise of system fans. When the noise of those fans is lowered other noises can probably be heard that you did not recognize before.
Optimizing a computer to improve performance while keeping everything stable is something that I really like to do. The first thing that I do when I get a new computer is to get rid of useless softwares and take a look at system settings to find ways to improve them.
The MAC address is an identifier for most network adapters. Although several Internet websites and manufacturers claim that it is not possible to change the MAC address. SMAC leaves the hardware MAC address alone but offers a software based way to change it which remains changed even after rebooting the computer.
This article is going to show everyone, even the inexperienced, how to create a data safe that can store as much personal information and files as you want using the open source program True Crypt. True Crypt makes it very easy to encrypt almost every piece of hardware including partitions, hard drives, usb keys and other storage devices. Once everything is setup you would mount the True Crypt container using the password that you have selected while creating the encrypted container. This is actually the only password that you have to remember, everything else can be kept in the encrypted container for safety reasons.
Since I started blogging two years ago I came upon thousands of essential, ultimate and top freeware lists but only few really had a lasting impact on the internet community. Most are forgotten the next day and everyone heads on to the next list in line. It does not make sense to simply write another essential list, it does however make sense when I'm concentrating this list on freeware and Open source that I have reviewed here at ghacks. I reviewed more than 360 freeware and Open Source products which could be seen as a preselection.
Windows Vista offers a way to quickly perform a system check which results in a so called System Health Report. It takes about 60 seconds to gather the information and display them in a list. You find the option to generate a system health report in your control panel. Click on System and Maintenance, then Performance Information and Tools. Select advanced tools from the menu and click on generate a system health report to start the program.
20 minutes to increase the security of a computer, wow that must be a good guide. The guys at itsecurity have written a security guide that indeed covers the basics of PC security. I do know from first hand experience that many users do not follow simple PC security guidelines, e.g. they probably have a anti-virus solution but never update it.
