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Spring-Cleaning Your PC: 5 Things You Need to Do

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Spring-clean your pc

Spring is nearly over and I’m sure you’ve done a thorough spring-clean of your house. But what about your computer? If it’s running slow and not responding quite the way it used to, now is the time to give your PC a good spring-clean.

Why you need to spring-clean your computer

Computers are a bit like cars – both needs  to be maintained if you want them running fast and stable. As time goes by, your PC accumulates all sorts of junk files, registry errors and its drives become fragmented. All this slows your computer down and make using it a nightmare. A thorough cleanup and defrag will solve the problem. Here is what you need to do:

1. Delete temporary files

The first thing you need to do is delete temporary files. These are files that are created by your operating system, your browser and third-party software for temporary use. That’s fine, but the problem is that these files are usually left behind for a lot longer than they are needed. As a result, they consume a lot of disk space and make your computer slow. Deleting temporary files with PC cleanup software like FileCleaner Pro or CCleaner will fix the problem. Both of these programs are free and very good.

2. Uninstall unused software

The next thing you should do is go to Control Panel – Uninstall a Program and go through the list of your installed software. Chances are that there are quite a few programs that you never use. These programs do nothing but clutter your PC and waste disk space. Uninstalling them will make your PC faster.

3. Delete duplicate files

Duplicate files are copies of your files. In most cases, they are not needed. Deleting them will free up space on your hard drive and make your documents, pictures and music library more organized. You can always try to delete duplicate files manually, but that is not fool-proof and takes a lot of time. That’s why the best way is to you a program like Easy Duplicate Finder to get rid of all useless duplicates.

4. Clean the registry

Now that you got rid of temporary files and other clutter, it’s time to fix the registry. Doing that will speed up Windows because all obsolete settings and conflicting keys will be deleted from Windows’ core database – the registry. Cleaning the registry can’t really be done manually, so you need good registry repair software like RegAce or the registry cleaner in CCleaner.

5. Defragment your hard drive

And last but not least, you need to defrag your hard drive to make your computer run like new. The hard drive is the slowest part of a computer and fragmentation slows it down a great deal. That’s because your hard drive has to do a lot of movements to open a fragmented file. Defragmentation assembles the scattered pieces of a file together, which makes your computer faster. Windows has a pretty good defragmenter that can be found under Programs – Accessories – System Tools. Run it and you’ll see how much better your PC will perform.

As you can see, spring-cleaning your computer is not all that hard. Do it every once in a while and your PC will be in top shape for a long time.


3 Best Ways to Find Duplicate Photos

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Find duplicate photos

There are many ways to make your computer work faster, better, and make it more organized. One of them is deleting duplicate photos. This will help you free up a lot of disk space, organize your photo collection and even speed up hard drive access. Here are 3 best ways to find duplicate photos.

1. Make sure your photos are synchronized

Prevention is always better than having to deal with the problem. Preventing duplicate photos is easier then looking for them when you have hundreds of copies on your computer, camera SD card and other media. Syncing your photos in a proper way will help you avoid creating duplicates. The best way to sync your photos is to use special synchronization software or at least keep your photo collection as organized as possible. Delete low quality photos from your memory card straight away and don’t copy them to your computer. This will allow you to only transfer the photos that you really want to keep.

2.  Use a duplicate finder

The easiest way to find duplicate photos and delete them is to use a duplicate finder – a special piece of software that scans your computer for duplicates. The software compares your files and photos based on a number of criteria, such as name, date, and size. If any matches are found, they are displayed in the scan report. You can then review the report and delete the files you don’t need.

Some good duplicate file finders allow you to filter duplicates based on file type, which allows you to easily sort through your photos. And there is often a preview feature that lets you view your photos and make sure that they really are duplicates.

3. Use a professional duplicate photo finder

Sometimes the problem is that your photos are not identical copies. This problem is unique to photos because we tend to take several shots of the same subject, configure exposure and other settings differently, and resize our photos for posting them on Facebook. Deleting duplicate photos like that is very difficult, as you basically have to compare your photos manually and decide which to delete. An ordinary duplicate finder won’t be able to help because it will see duplicate photos as different files. The solution is to use a special program that is specifically made to compare photos and detect duplicates.

Duplicate Photo Finder is a program that has been developed in such a way, that it can compare your photos just like you would. It will detect poor quality images, resized photos, lens flares on photos and so on, and it will offer you to keep only the best images from the series. This will make finding duplicate photos a breeze and let you keep your collection organized and your computer fast.

CLR20r3 Error Fix: Programs Stopped Working

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clr20r3 error

The CLR20r3 error is one of the most annoying Windows errors. We’ve already written a CLR20r3 error fix tutorial where we covered three different ways to fix this error. In this post we are going to offer some more solutions that will help you repair the programs stopped working error that is caused by CLR20r3 EventType error.

Fix EventType CLR20r3 Error when Installing a Program

One of the most common CLR20r3 errors is the EventType error that occurs when you are trying to install a program. A typical error message the user gets looks like this:

[Program name] installer encountered a problem and needs to close. EventType: CLR20r3

This error usually means that your Microsoft .NET Framework installation is either damaged or corrupted.

Solution:

  1. Uninstall your current installation of Microsoft .NET Framework
  2. Clean the registry using a good quality registry cleaner to remove any invalid .Net Framework entries in the Windows registry
  3. Download and install the most recent version of Microsoft .NET Framework
  4. Restart your computer

Fix CLR20r3 Error when Programs Stop Working

Another common situation when the CLR20r3 error occurs is when you try to run a program, but it stops working and displays a CLR20r3 error message. While the exact fix for this type of CLR20r3 error depends on the program that produces it, try doing the following to solve the problem:

  1. Uninstall the program that is causing the error to occur
  2. Restart your computer
  3. Search for any remaining files the application may have left behind, including empty folders and invalid registry keys
  4. Delete them and restart your computer again
  5. Reinstall the program and see if this gets rid of the CLR20r3 error

Install Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Backward Compatibility Components

If you are using a server-client configuration, then the problem may lie with the client’s machine. Installing Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Backward Compatibility Components on client’s computer usually solves the problem. You can download them here.

Check Your System Language Settings

Sometimes you can receive the CLR20r3 error when an application is causing a conflict with your system language settings. For example, when you are trying to run a program that uses non-Unicode fonts on a system that uses Unicode fonts. When this is the case, changing your system’s settings for programs that don’t support Unicode. You can do this by going to the Control Panel, selecting Regional Settings and going to the Advanced tab. Change the language to English and click OK. Reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.

How to Fix “Stop error code 0x0000001E (KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED)” Error

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Blue-Screen-KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED

The KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED error is an annoying Windows 8 BSOD that occurs for a number of reasons. Usually it starts happening after an upgrade from Windows 7, but even simple things, like trying to take a screenshot, can trigger KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED, stop error code 0x0000001E. In this article, we’ll help you troubleshoot this error and fix it.

Run a bug check for 0x0000001E

The first thing you should do when you get the KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED error with the error code 0x0000001E is to run a bug check. This is a known bug that Microsoft is aware of that is caused by drivers and sometimes software.

If you have an OEM copy of Windows 8 that was preinstalled on your new computer, then your warranty should cover it and you should contact your PC’s manufacturer. And if you purchased your copy of Windows 8 separately, you can call Microsoft for assistance.

If you’d rather troubleshoot the problem yourself, here’s what to do:

1. Use Windows Update to download and update all your device drivers. You can also open the Device Manager, click on View and select Show Hidden Devices to check if there are any yellow exclamation marks. If there are, then these drivers are the cause of the KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED error.

2. Run Chkdsk to eliminate hard drive errors. To do that, run cmd.exe using the Run box, make sure you right-click on it and select Run as Administrator, type chkdsk /F /R and press Enter.

3. Run System File Checker to verify Windows files. To do that, open the Command Line (cmd.exe) as Administrator and type sfc /scannow. Then press Enter and let the scan run.

You should also check exception codes in the error message, as they can point you in the right direction. For example, if a driver is mentioned in the exception code, you should disable that  driver and see if the error goes away or not. Some common exception codes are:

  • 0×80000002: STATUS_DATATYPE_MISALIGNMENTAn unaligned data reference was encountered.
  • 0×80000003: STATUS_BREAKPOINTA breakpoint or ASSERT was encountered when no kernel debugger was attached to the system.
  • 0xC0000005: STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATIONA memory access violation occurred. (Parameter 4 of the bug check is the address that the driver attempted to access.)

Run registry repair

Another thing you should do to fix the KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED Blue Screen of Death is to repair your Windows registry. Because the registry is the central database of Windows OS, any errors within it can cause your computer to crash.

To repair the registry and fix KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED, do the following:

  1. Download our recommended Windows repair tool and install it on your computer
  2. Open the program and run a scan
  3. Examine the scan results and run the fix

Doing this should fix the KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED error.

How To Fix The 80004005 Error

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The 80004005 error occurs when you try to use ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) or ODBC to connect to a Microsoft Access database. The error you may receive will look something like this:

“The Microsoft Jet Database Engine cannot open the file ‘(unknown)’”

What Causes The 80004005 Error

There are several causes of the 80004005 error, some of which include:

  • The account that Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) is using (which is usually IUSR) does not have the correct Windows NT permissions for a file-based database or for the folder that contains the file.
  • The file and the data source name are marked as Exclusive.
  • Another process or user has the Access database open.
  • This error may also occur when you access a local Microsoft Access database that is linked to a table where the table is in an Access database on a network server.

How To Fix The 80004005 Error

Step 1: Check The Permissions On The File

Check the permissions on the file and the folder. Make sure that you have the ability to create and/or destroy any temporary files. Temporary files are usually created in the same folder as the database, but the file may also be created in other folders such as the WINNT folder. For additional information about how to identify which folder does not have the correct permissions and how to configure temporary files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

253604  Microsoft Access 97 database connectivity fails in Active Server Pages
Step 2: Verify The File And Data Source

It is important to verify the file and data source because the file has to be in proper working order and must be protected from damage or corrupt.

Step 3 - Close Any Visual InterDev Projects

It is recommended that you close down any other Visual InterDev projects that contain a data connection to the database.

Step 4 - Clean Out The Registry

One of the big causes of 80004005 errors is through the “registry” database of your computer. This is a large database which stores vital information & settings for your PC, and is used continually to help Windows to read the files, settings & options that it needs to run. Although the registry is one of the most important parts of every Windows system, it’s continually causing a large number of problems thanks to the way it will often become corrupted and unreadable. This is the cause behind many 80004005 errors, and needs to be resolved by using a reliable registry cleaner.

This step is best completed by downloading RegAce System Suite, and letting it clean out any of the problems that your system may have inside.

How to Fix the “Out of Memory” Exception System Error the Easy Way

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out of memory exception

The “out of memory” exception error often occurs on Windows systems. No matter which Windows version you are using, this error may appear out of nowhere. In this article we are going to guide you through the steps that will help you fix the “out of memory” exception Windows error.

What Is the “Out of Memory” Error and How Does It Occur?

This error is especially annoying because it always occurs when you still have large amounts of physical memory available. For example, you may have as much as 2GB of RAM still available, but you will keep getting the “out of memory” error message.

The most likely cause of this error is reaching stress levels when using many large objects. The error is related to Microsoft .NET framework.

“Out of Memory” Exception System Error Fix

Microsoft has confirmed that “out of memory” exception error occurs because of a bug in Microsoft .NET Framework. The company issued a fix for it that is available with .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1. This means that to fix the error, you need to download .NET Framework 1.1 Service Pack 1 to your computer. Here is how:

  1. Go to the Service Pack 1 download page and download SP1. The size of the download is 10MB
  2. Save the installer on your Desktop
  3. When the file is fully downloaded, run it and follow the instructions

This should fix the “out of memory” exception error once and for all.

Unfortunately, sometimes simply installing .NET Framework SP1 doesn’t help. Here are the most common reasons why:

  • the SP1 installation file got corrupted
  • your current .NET Framework installation is faulty

If that’s the case, here is what you need to do.

Step 1: Reinstall .NET Framework

Reinstalling .NET Framework will fix all sorts of errors that are related to it, including the “out of memory” error. To reinstall .NET Framework, do the following:

  1. Click on Start and go to the Control Panel
  2. Under Programs, click on the Uninstall a Program link
  3. Find .NET Framework, click on it to select it and click on the Uninstall button
  4. Restart your computer

Step 2: Remove Corrupted Entries

Now you need to remove all corrupted entries that got left over from your system:

  1. Download our recommended Windows repair tool
  2. Install it and run a complete system cleanup

This will make sure that all corrupted entries are completely removed from your computer.

Step 3: Reinstall .NET Framework

  1. Download .NET Framework and save it on your PC
  2. Run the installer and follow its instructions
  3. The “out of memory” error will be gone with the new installation

Personal Security Removal – How To Remove Personal Security

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Personal Security is an updated version of Cyber Security, the notorious rogue antivirus tool that infects your PC automatically. This new rogue software tool installs itself on your computer, and proceeds to “pretend” to scan your system for viruses. It will then bring back a lot of fake results, and persuade you to buy the program, making the hackers who produced the tool an unhonest profit.

Personal Security - Rogue Antivirus

How To Remove Security Central

Step 1 – Download & Install Malaware Bytes

Malware Bytes is a free spyware & malware removal tool which you can download here.  You need to install it on your PC and then let it scan your system. If you don’t have access to the Internet (because Security Central blocked it) then you should download this tool on another PC and then transfer the installation file via CD or USB pen.

Using this tool is very simple. You need to select the type of scan you want to perform and then press “Scan” to get the tool to do the task. This will send Malware Bytes through your system and it will identify all the infected files, removing them for you. This automated tool is the best way to remove the infection because it gets 95% of it.

Step 2 – Clean Out The Registry

Although Malware Bytes is very effective at removing the actual infection from your PC, it does not finish the job properly… and ends up leaving a series of settings on your PC. These are kept in the ‘registry’ database and can actually allow the infection back onto your PC. In order to fully protect yourself, it is recommended that you download a registry cleaner and then use it to remove any of the infected ‘Security Central’ registry keys that can still cause problems. This tool is automated and is very easy to use.

What This Removal Process Does:

Kills Processes

  • psecurity.exe

You should open up the “Task Manager” by clicking CTRL + ALT + DEL and then click on the “Processes” tab. This will then display a list of running processes, where you should then be able to find the listed files above. Click on each one and then click on the “End Process” button to stop the program from running. You can see an example of how that works below:

Stop The Internet Security 2010 Processes

STEP 2 – Removes Directories

  • C:\Program Files\PSecurity
  • C:\Program Files\Common Files\PSecurityUninstall
  • C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\PSecurity

These directories store the files that make Internet Security work. This means that you just need to go into “My Computer”, find the above directories, select them with your mouse and press SHIFT + DELETE. This will permanently remove them from your PC, preventing the program from loading up ever again.

STEP 3 – Unregisters DLLs

  • win32extension.dll

You can see how to Unregistry DLLs here

STEP 4 – Clean The Registry (Highly Recommended)

In order to prevent Personal Security coming back on your PC, you need to remove all the registry entries it has entered. This important, because many people leave these intact and end up having the problem come back again. Registry entries store the settings and options for the program, and by using a registry cleaner, you can remove them all and get your computer fit and healthy again. This is highly recommended.

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Virtual Memory too Low: How to Fix Virtual Memory

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virtual memory too low

There are lots of Windows errors that can make using your computer next to impossible and “Virtual memory too low” is one of them. This error is the most common cause of computer freezing and crashing. In this post we are going to show you how to fix low virtual memory.

What Is Virtual Memory?

Virtual memory is a file on your hard drive Windows creates to help your physical memory (RAM) deal with large amounts of data. Virtual memory is also called the swap file or page file. By default your virtual memory is set to 1.5 times the size of your RAM.

Why Is My Virtual Memory too Low and How to Fix It?

The “virtual memory too low” error usually occurs because:

a) your computer doesn’t have enough physical memory (RAM)

b) you are running a piece of software that is causing a memory leak

Often you can fix the low on virtual memory error by simply increasing its size in System Properties. Here is how:

  1. Right click on Computer and go to properties
  2. Click on Advanced system settings and then click on Settings under Performance
  3. In the new window that opens, click on the Advanced tab
  4. There you will see Virtual memory. Click on the Change button and select System managed size. This will automatically set the ideal size of your virtual memory.
  5. Click OK and you’re done!

If selecting a system managed size doesn’t fix the “virtual memory too low” error, you should check your PC for memory leaks. Only too often a poorly designed piece of software will suck out your virtual and physical memory. You can check if you have an application that’s using up your virtual memory in the Task Manager. Just open the Task Manager (press Ctrl+Alt+Esc on your keyboard) and click on the Processes tab. Then click on View – Select Columns. Make sure the Virtual Memory Size checkbox is selected and click OK. Now the Task Manager will show how much virtual memory each piece of software is using. If you see a program using up too much of your virtual memory, check it for updates because memory leaks are often fix with hotfixes. If updating doesn’t help, it’s best to uninstall the program altogether to avoid further problems.

If your computer is still slow, read our other tutorials how to fix it and check out our recommended software!

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How to Delete Locked Files in Windows

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delete locked files

We’ve all been there – you’re trying to delete a file in Windows, but for some reason your operating system tells you that the file can’t be deleted because it’s still in use. So you go and check that everything is closed, yet you still can’t delete that file. Luckily, there are things you can do to unlock a locked file and delete it really quickly. Here is how.

Close all running programs

The first thing you should do is check whether you really closed the program that was using the file. Some programs get minimized to the system tray when you click on the Close button instead of actually closing. Check your system tray and see if the program is still running. If it is, close the program and try deleting the file again.

End the Application in the Task Manager

If clicking on the Close button didn’t close the program, press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager on your computer. There you will see which applications are running. Select the program you want to close and choose the option to close it. You may see a message “Not responding” next to the program name, which means that the program got frozen and you need to force-close it to delete the file you want to delete.

Reboot your computer

If closing all running programs and closing the application via the Task Manager didn’t work, try rebooting your PC. Rebooting can solve many issues and it will for sure help you close any programs that were running and for some reason failed to close. Rebooting will also clear your PC’s memory, which will help your computer to run faster and fix other minor issues.

Use Third Party Tools

If nothing else helps, you’ll need to use a third party tool to unlock and delete the file. First of all, you’ll need to clean the registry because an error in the registry may be preventing the program from closing properly. Use our recommended tool to fix registry errors and then try deleting the file again. And if that doesn’t work, use a free tool called Unlocker.

 

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Why You Should Never Defrag an SSD

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how to choose the best registry errors

Windows users are so used to performing regular maintenance to their PCs like cleaning up and defragging, that they never stop to think that defragmentation is not always a good idea. If you use a traditional hard drive, then it can be beneficial to run disk defrag. But if you have an SSD, defragging it is not only useless, but it can actually damage your drive.

Why Does Defragmentation Damage SSDs

SSDs are not at all like traditional hard drives because they don’t have any moving parts. In fact, you’d be better off comparing an SSD to a huge flash drive because it works using the same principles. Just like a flash drive, an SSD supports a limited number of writing cycles. In other words, eventually an SSD will not be able to take in any new files.

Now let’s look at defragmentation. When you defrag a drive, bits and pieces of files that are scattered around the drive are placed together. And yes, you guessed it right – when bits of data are moved, they are written to the drive. Consider that each unnecessary write to an SSD equals unnecessary damage, and you’ll never want to defrag and SSD again.

Why Defragging an SSD is Pointless

Actually, you don’t have to defrag an SSD ever because it’s absolutely pointless. Despite what some software developers say, defragging or “optimizing” an SSD won’t make your computer faster. You know why? Because an SSD does not have any moving parts and it doesn’t need extra time to read a scattered file. Have it scattered or have it in one place – the speed will be the same.

How Do I Improve SSD Performance?

Well, your SSD is pretty fast as it is. But if you want to make it work even better, remember to not install any junk software on your SSD (only install the stuff you really need). Also don’t forget to regularly clean up junk files using software like FileCleaner. That will help you free up additional space.

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How To Fix Windows Error 2

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Windows Error 2 is an error that occurs when you are attempting to install a language pack on your system. There are two circumstances when you can receive this error: the error could appear after you cancel a language pack update or if the update goes wrong. Here is a tutorial that will help you fix Windows 2 error quickly and easily.

What Causes Windows Error 2

An error like this would normally be caused by the following  conditions:

  • Registry keys have been damaged or corrupt
  • Windows settings have been damaged
  • Windows Update is not working properly

How To Fix The Windows Error 2

If you received the error after canceling an update, then it is recommended that you try to install the language pack again and do not cancel the installation.

But if you received the error and did not cancel the update, then it is recommended that you restart your computer and try to install the language pack again.

Step 1 - Install The Language Pack Again

  • Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Update.
  • In the left pane, click Check for updates, and then wait while Windows looks for the latest updates for your computer.
  • Click View available updates.
  • Select the language pack that you want to install, and then click Install. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
After installing a language pack, we recommend that you install any additional updates that Windows found for your computer.
Step 2 - Clean Out The Registry

One of the main causes of Windows 2 error is a corrupted registry database. The registry stores vital information and settings your computer can’t run without, and is used continually. When Windows opens files, settings and options, it accesses the registry all the time. Although the registry is one of the most important parts of every Windows system, it’s known to continually cause a large number of problems because of the way it’s built. Registry corruption and obsolete keys can cause Windows 2 errors. Luckily, in most cases you can fix them by using a reliable registry cleaner.

This step is best completed by downloading RegAce System Suite, and letting it clean out any of the problems that your system may have inside.

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How to Automatically Run Programs as Administrator

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run as administrator

Have you ever been annoyed by inability to run programs as administrator automatically? While this is not a PC error that needs fixing, there are situations where you might prefer to run programs automatically as an administrator of your computer and not have to right-click on them and select “Run as administrator…”. In this post we’re going to show you how to do that.

Create a Scheduled Task

The easiest way to configure programs to run with the highest privileges (e.g. as administrator) is to create a scheduled task. This will also let you avoid annoying UAC prompts. When you create a scheduled task, you can tell Windows which user account you want to use and which privileges that account should have. Simply select “As administrator” and you won’t have to re-run the task and click through UAC prompts. Don’t forget to specify that you want to run the task on user logon.

Create a Shortcut

Another way to run programs as administrator automatically is to create a shortcut and select the “run as administrator” option for the shortcut. This is a simple and effective solution, although you will still have to respond to UAC prompts.

Now you know how to configure programs to automatically run with administrative privileges.

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How to Quickly Speed Up Windows 8 or Windows 10

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Windows 10

We’re all so used to Windows slowing down over time, that we accept that even Windows 8 and 10 will become slow over time. But your PC doesn’t have to be slow. There are many reasons why it can lose its speed, but luckily these quick tips will help you speed up Windows most of the time.

Disable startup apps

The first step towards a faster Windows 8 or 10 PC is detecting unneeded apps that launch on system startup and disabling them. That will free up a lot of system resources and make your computer faster. Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 have a built-in program to manage startup items. You can find it in the Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).

Find Resource-Heavy Apps

Another thing you should do while you have the Task Manager open is find resource-hungry apps. Even if you need these apps, most of the time you can find a less resource-hungry alternative. When you go to the Task Manager, you will be able to check each app’s CPU, RAM and disk usage.

Disable Unneeded Animations

We all love cool-looking things, but in Windows great looks come at a cost, especially on less powerful computers. Disabling animations will make your computer faster. Here’s how you can do that:

  1. Press the Windows key + X to open System settings
  2. Go to Advanced System Settings, then click on the Settings button under Performance
  3. Under Visual Effects choose Adjust for Best Performance. If you hate the look you get, select Custom and keep the visual effects you like most.

Delete Duplicate Files

Another great way to speed up Windows 8 and 10 is to free up disk space. The safest option is to find and delete duplicate files. That way you’ll be able to free up gigabytes of space without deleting any files you may need or uninstalling any software.

These simple tips will help you speed up Windows 8 and Windows 10 PCs in a matter of minutes.

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3 Great Ways to Free Up Disk Space

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virtual memory too low

Even though hard drives are getting larger and larger, disk space on your PC is still limited. And if you have an SSD, then you’re still facing the problem of running out of disk space. Luckily, there are ways to free up disk space quickly and easily. Here are three great ways to free up disk space without deleting any files you need.

1. Run Disk Cleanup

Windows has a built-in tool for cleaning up unnecessary junk files from your SSD or HDD – Disk Cleanup. This tool will help you delete temporary files, old system restore points, and so on. To launch Disk Cleanup, open Computer, right-click on the drive you want to clean and select Properties. On the General tab, you’ll see a button saying Disk Cleanup. Click on that and the Disk Cleanup tool will open. Now select what you want to clean and click on Clean Up System Files (requires you to be the administrator of the PC). Now go to More Options and select to clean up old System Restore points and shadow copies. Then proceed to clean up the rest.

If you find the Disk Cleanup tool limited and want to delete more junk, such as browser cache, unneeded add-ons and so on, try FileCleaner.

2. Analyze Disk Space Usage

When you’re done getting rid of junk files, a good thing to do is to analyze disk space usage. This will help you see which files occupy the most space. Most of the time it’s applications and videos, but there can be surprises. There are several tools that will help you analyze disk space usage. WinDirStat is a good free option.

3. Delete Duplicate Files

Every computer has duplicate files. The problem is that they are not very easy to find without the help of a duplicate file finder. With a good duplicate finder, you can recover gigabytes of wasted space in just a couple of minutes. Easy Duplicate Finder is a great program that will help you find and delete all sorts of duplicate in three easy steps.

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What Is Thumbs.db and How to Fix Thumbs.db Errors

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thumbs.db

Most people have no idea about all the hidden files Windows creates. While a lot of them are needed by your system, quite a few are junk files that you can delete to make your computer faster. Thumbs.db are such files.

What Are Thumbs.db Files?

Thumbs.db files are thumbnail database files (you can tell that by their name) and Windows uses them to save any thumbnail images that appear in a Windows Explorer, so that it can cache the images and speed things up and load the thumbnail images instead of generating them every time you open a folder.

Most of the time the thumbs.db files are tiny and don’t cause any problems, so there’s no reason for you to delete them or preventing Windows from creating them. However, there are times when thumbs.db can cause errors and Windows performance issues. For example, if your thumbs.db files are hidden by default and you decide to upload whole folders to your website, the hidden files will get uploaded along with the files you need and will start causing errors. In addition to that, broken thumbs.db files can make your computer slow and result in error report pop-ups.

How to Fix Thumbs.db Errors?

Fixing common thumbs.db errors is easy provided you have the right software. Simply follow these steps:

  1. Download and install Easy PC Optimizer
  2. Open the program and run a scan using the PC Optimizer module
  3. Wait for Easy PC Optimizer to finish the scan
  4. Review the scan results and fix all detected errors with one click

If you feel that you don’t need your system to create any thumbs.db files, you can disable them altogether. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Group Policy Editor by pressing the Windows key + Run, typing in “gpedit.msc” and hitting Enter
  2. Go to User Configuration – Administrative Templates – Windows Components – File Explorer (Windows Explorer on Windows 7)
  3. Now double-click “Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files” and set this option to Enabled
  4. Save the changes

The post What Is Thumbs.db and How to Fix Thumbs.db Errors appeared first on Personal Computer Fixes.


Windows Update Is Stuck Error Fix

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stop windows update

Most of the time Windows Update works as it should. It automatically installs updates in the background and asks you for an occasional reboot. However, sometimes it gets stuck, fails to install an important update and thus prevents the OS from installing other updates. In this article we’re going to show you how to fix it.

How to Fix a Stuck Windows Update Automatically

The first thing you should do is reboot your computer to see if Windows Update gets back to normal. Sometimes a reboot is all a stuck app or service needs. However, if that doesn’t work, you’ll need to perform some advanced cleanup.

The easiest way to fix a non-responding Windows Update is to delete all temporary files that are preventing Windows Update from running as it should. You can do it with the help of Easy PC Optimizer, an advanced Windows optimization, repair and clean-up tool. Simply follow these steps:

  1. Download and install Easy PC Optimizer
  2. Go to the Optimizer menu item, run a scan and let the software repair everything it finds
  3. Move on to System Cleaner and do the same
  4. Reboot your PC

Windows Update should get back to normal.

How to Fix a Stuck Windows Update Manually

If rebooting your computer doesn’t help, you should try deleting Windows Update cache. Here’s how:

  1. Right-click the Start menu, choose “Command Prompt (Admin)” and then click Yes to confirm that you want to run the Command Prompt as administrator
  2. Now we need to stop the Windows update service. To do that, type net stop wuauserv and hit Enter
  3. Now open File Explorer and go to C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution
  4. Delete everything from that folder, so that Windows Update can recreate it the right way next time you run it
  5. Now go back to the Command Prompt window, type net start wuauserv and hit Enter
  6. Close the Command Prompt windows and restart Windows. Things should go back to normal and Windows Update won’t be stuck anymore.

 

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How to Run Check Disk on Windows 10 to Fix Hard Drive Problems

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Windows 10

When you start noticing that your hard drive is behaving in a weird way, the first thing you should do is run the Check Disk utility. Most likely, Check Disk (Chkdsk) will be able to help you by fixing hard drive errors. Here’s a short tutorial that will help you run Chkdsk on Windows 10.

When to Run Chkdsk

Ideally, you should run Check Disk once in every couple of months as part of your regular Windows maintenance. You should also run it whenever you suspect that there are hard drive errors. For example, when your Windows doesn’t shut down as it should or when programs start crashing too often. An abnormally slow computer is another reason to run Chkdsk because bad sectors can make your PC painfully slow even when everything else is in order.

How to Run Check Disk on Windows 10

Running Chkdsk on Windows 10 is really easy. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Open File Explorer, right-click on the drive you want to check and click on Properties
  2. In the new window that opens, click on the Tools tab
  3. There you’ll see a section called Error Checking. Click on the Check button
  4. Windows may inform you that the drive doesn’t need scanning, but you can still scan it (and you should)

Remember to run Chkdsk when you are experiencing crashes and you’ll be able to prolong your hard drive’s life by quite a bit.

The post How to Run Check Disk on Windows 10 to Fix Hard Drive Problems appeared first on Personal Computer Fixes.

Slow Internet Connection? Here Are Fool-Proof Ways to Speed It Up!

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fix edge crashes

Internet service providers and cell phone companies keep bragging on about how they’re doing a great job taking Internet connection speeds to the next level. But you don’t notice any improvement! In fact, your Internet connection keeps feeling slower – pages take ages to load, downloads get stuck, and watching Full HD videos is next to impossible (and I’m not even talking about 4K). If that’s the case, read on because we have some fabulous tips that will help you make your slow Internet connection fast again in no time.

Call Your ISP

Right, this sounds obvious but if you feel that your Internet connection is slower than what you’re paying for, give your ISP or cell phone provider a call. Chances are that something’s not right and you really are getting a poor service. If you’ve been the company’s customer for long enough, ask them for a free upgrade. Most ISPs will gladly do that to keep you with them.

Check Your Router

Another thing that could be making your Internet connection slower than a snail is your router. You never know, there might be some settings that don’t work with your ISP very well. Start with simply restarting your router – that alone can do wonders. Then make sure you’re close enough to it because being out of its range will result in a poor connection. When all that is done, take some time to check the router’s manual and support site. You may find some great settings there. And a Google search on the subject wouldn’t hurt either. Just remember to search for your particular make and model.

Check for Unauthorized Access

Are you sure that you’re not sharing your Internet connection with the whole neighborhood? If you have your doubts, then it’s best to check your router settings. If your hardware is compatible, you really should have WPA encryption and always use a password to connect to the network. And don’t forget to check connected users. If you see any unauthorized persons using your connection, block them by blacklisting their devices’ MAC addresses.

Clean Up PC Junk

And last but not least, you should check your overall computer performance because that affects browsing speed too. If your computer and browser are bursting with temporary files, it’s only natural that things will slow down. So, use a trusted PC or Mac cleaner to delete junk files, optimize settings, and fix internal errors. Then, your computer will work a lot faster and so will your Internet connection.

The post Slow Internet Connection? Here Are Fool-Proof Ways to Speed It Up! appeared first on Personal Computer Fixes.

How to Fix Error Code 0x8007007b on Windows 10

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fix error code Error Code 0x8007007b

Are you trying to activate your new copy of Windows 10 only to get an error popup with code 0x8007007b? This is so annoying! Luckily, it’s not too difficult to fix error code 0x8007007b. Read on to find out how you can do it.

Why Did I get Error Code 0x8007007b?

When you encounter this error on your Windows 10 PC, you’ll see a popup with the message that “the file name, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect”. The error code will be displayed in the popup and you won’t be able to activate your copy of Windows.

The most common reasons for getting error code 0x8007007b are the following:

  • Your computer can’t connect to the Key Management Service (KMS) host to activate your OS
  • A system file on your computer is missing or is corrupted

Typically, this error affects Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise versions.

How to Fix Error Code 0x8007007b

The fix for this common Windows 10 activation error depends on what exactly caused it. Let’s have a look at some common scenarios.

Scenario 1: Computer Can’t Connect to KMS host

Fix: Use Multiple Activation Key Instead

If you’re having trouble activating your copy of Windows because your computer can’t connect to KMS host for some reason, you can fix error code 0x8007007b by activating your OS using Multiple Activation Key (MAK). Here is how:

  1. Press the Windows key + X, click Command Prompt, then click Admin
  2. Enter your password if required
  3. Type slmgr -ipk followed by the MAK product key. The MAK product key contains 25 characters and looks like this: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
  4. Hit Enter

If KMS was responsible for the error, it will be fixed.

Scenario 2: A System File Is Missing or Corrupted

Fix: Use a Windows Repair Tool

If the method described above didn’t fix the error, then one of the vital system files is either missing or corrupted. You can fix it by doing the following:

  • Run a Windows repair tool to fix errors automatically
  • Repair your Windows installation (you’ll need your DVD or bootable flash drive for that)

The easiest thing to do is to download and install a Windows repair tool to automatically find corrupted files and fix them. This works in most cases. However, if a vital file is missing, then repairing your Windows installation is the only cure.

We hope that this article helped you fix error code 0x8007007b on your Windows 10 PC and you now have a fully activated OS.

 

The post How to Fix Error Code 0x8007007b on Windows 10 appeared first on Personal Computer Fixes.

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