So, the time has come when I must take a “time out” and move the files which are consuming the most space off of my hard drive. It’s spring cleaning time. But exactly which files are those? The rather lame Windows file manager (“Windows Explorer”) won’t tell me.
TreeSize Pro to the rescue! TreeSize is a utility program which quickly builds graphs showing you which of your file folders (and their contents) are consuming the largest percentage of your hard drive space. Then it works interactively with you to help with your cleanup chores.
TreeSize Pro
The best maintenance toolkit – JV16 Power Tools
JV16
Everyone should have a copy of JV16 Power Tools to keep Windows fast and healthy. JV16 may be considered a geeks tool, but anyone can learn to use it. It’s quite friendly – if a bit verbose (kind of like me). You use it for many things, but most often to clean and repair the critical “Windows Registry”.
The Registry is a big quadruple database in which Windows stores everything it knows about itself and about all your hardware and software. Windows refers to its Registry whenever it has to interact with these things – which is practically all the time. Incorrect or missing Registry entries are a very common problem. So, once per month at least, and also every time a program crashes or anything really weird happens, you do a registry clean with JV16 Power Tools. Cleaning up or repairing the Windows Registry won’t fix every problem – but it will fix (or help to fix) many – since the Registry is one part of many computer problems.
Two other especially handy tools of the many in JV-16 Power Tools can undelete files you’ve accidentally deleted (if you do so rapidly) and a disk “scrubber”, that will wipe all traces of files, folders, or your whole drive – like if you want to give your old computer away, but not your files.
—-
By the way – a warning about getting technical support and your registry:
Some sloppy support personnel (who you might be getting telephone support from) will “talk you through” editing your registry – without having you make a registry backup first! Never so this!
A single typo in the registry can totally stop your computing experience. If you run into one of these flakes, insist that they help you make a backup of your registry (to your desktop, for example) before doing any edits! It only takes a few seconds. To make a backup copy:
1. Enter the registry editor: Star > Run > “regedit” > [Enter key]
2. File > Export {select where to save – usually the desktop} > enter a file name {something like “RegBak040209a” to indicate the date and that this is the first version, in case you save another version later} > [Save]
3. It may take a few seconds – not to worry.
—-
JV16 can also recover accidentally deleted programs (if you get to them soon enough), stop unneeded programs from loading every time you start Windows (a major cause of slow Windows operation) and do many other chores.
My only warning about JV16 is the same as for anything else about your computer. If you understand what you are about to do, then it’s probably safe to do it. But if you are just stumbling around in the dark, better get some light on the subject first (like with a quick Google search) or you may hurt yourself. JV16 is a powerful tool, so use it wisely. It has lots of text to explain things – you had best read that.
The best Security tools
AVG Internet Security 8.5 (Home and home office version)
AVG security system
Everybody needs to protect their personal computer from nasty malware (worms, trojans, viruses). But it’s also vital to have a good firewall to keep out hackers…
(we interrupt this thought to complain bitterly about the media taking this praise-phrase “hacker” – which used to mean an outstanding, geeky, hands-on [usually in the field of electronics] individual, who builds and invents things by “hacking” [literally disassembling and eviscerating] surplus equipment. The worst this “hacker” term used to connote was a “Gyro Gearlose”, slightly out-there, eccentric. Now our press has commandeered the phrase “hacker” to describe a criminal computer system/software break-in artist of ill intent. By the way, the correct term for one of those low-lifes is “cracker”. Being a hacker of the former kind – I object! There, I feel much better now).
…So, this AVG product has good firewall and anti-virus tools. It also has anti-spyware, email security and safe Internet surfing tools and more. Of course this big need for security is a drag on us all. You have to pay for these programs (which are usually yearly “subscriptions”, so you get to pay over and over), you have to schedule a daily (or nightly) scan of your hard drives, you have to automatically download the latest lists of all the bad guys every few hours and you have to accept some slowing of your computing and email delivery while your security programs scan everything.
In short, it’s all a royal pain in the fundament. One of those things that makes you wonder if personal computers are really “labor saving devices”.
A curse on all creators and users of malware!
But, such is modern life. So, to get on with it, there are several good security programs. Myself and most of my consulting clients use AVG. But Kaspersky is also good. And I hear that NOD and Avast are also. The important thing is that you do have a good software security tool, that you keep it updated and that you scan all your stuff regularly.
And for a secure computing experience, be sure you keep Windows itself updated…
Next installment… “Windows Update” and how to protect yourself from Microsoft’s occasional “Slipstreaming”…
Please feel free to comment below…
‘Til next time…
_jim coe
Tags: anti-virus, cleaning up your drive, firewall, first aid - registry repair, security, utility program
