Tools and Tips

Tips and Tools for your computer

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Optimizing Your PC:

Help:

Loose those pop-ups pop-unders and spyware, LavaSoft or AnalogX
Ars Technica - In depth technical advice.
PC Mechanic - How to build your own PC.
Western Digital's Hard Drive analysis tools.
PC Guide - An extensive reference for PC users.
Webopedia - Online Computer Dictionary for Internet Terms and Technical Support.
Keyboard Commands
A mostly complete glossary of internet terminology.

Software Resources:

Download.com - Great source for Shareware and Freeware.
ZDNet - Technology news, advice and downloads.
Shareware.com - The name says it all.
Windows 2000 Service Packs
Free Firewall Software:
- Zonealarm: http://www.zonelabs.com

MONITOR YOUR MACHINE

Use the following technique to monitor your CPU use:

Open Task Manager.
Click the Performance tab (All the tabs will work, but the Performance tab works best).
Double-click in the blank space to the right of Performance. This gets rid of the headings and menus and leaves a window that displays CPU use.
Resize this window to your liking.

You now have a window that you can keep on screen out of the way and still monitor your machine. Of course, this applies to the other tabs as well. You might want to use them to monitor the applications or processes that are running. Double-clicking the top of the window you've created will redisplay the menus. This appears to work on Window XP, Windows 2000 and Windows NT.

REPAIRING A CORRUPT OUTLOOK PERSONAL FOLDER

If your Personal Folder (containing .pst files) becomes corrupt, you can fix it with the Inbox Repair Tool. This tool comes with Windows 95, Outlook(r) 98, Outlook 2000 and Outlook 2002. The utility's file name is Scanpst.exe, and it can be run from the command prompt. Be sure to make a backup copy of your .pst file - the Inbox Repair Tool may delete some or all messages while fixing your folder.

(Not so) Stupid Notepad Tricks:

Type .LOG as the first line of a text file and Notepad inserts your system's current time and date every time you open that file. To work, the line must begin with a period and must be spelled with all capital letters.

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