Do you keep having intermittent performance issues or are worried about having such?  

I’ve been seeing lots of comments and posts on computer helps sites where users have spent hours, days, weeks and often times lost important data, while costing themselves enormous amounts of money all because they weren’t keeping their Windows Operating Systems’s  (OS’s)”up-to-date”, aren’t maintaining backups, and have forgotten all about general system maintenance.  I’m not sure why this is occurring so much but it appears that many users are fearful of losing data or messing up their current configurations.  Even though we might be computer professionals or maybe not?, everyone needs a reminder ever so often about the basic activities which keeps our systems moving.

So, lets go through how to maintain your Windows OS’s by downloading the latest high-priority updates using Windows Update tool, general maintenance / cleaning up of your system,  plus one of many ways to keep your data backed-up;  so that you don’t need to worry about data loss or configuration issues when downloading updates.  This will help keep you out of trouble – It has saved me many times!

Lets go over how you turn on and use Automatic Updates:

1.  Turn on Automatic Updates:

Click Start, click Run, then you will type sysdm.cpl, and then press ENTER.

Click the Automatic Updates tab.  Then click to select one of the following options:  

1.   Automatic (recommended) – Automatically download    recommended updates for my computer and install them option.  

2.  Download updates for me, but let me choose when to install them option.

3.  Notify me but don’t automatically download or install them option.

2.          Obtain Updates from the Microsoft Web Site:

If you don’t choose the option to “Turn on Automatic Updates and install them when they become available” then you should plan on visiting the Microsoft Web Site often and check for updates. Visit the Microsoft Windows OS update Web Site at: http://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

3.          Do you have any Microsoft Office software installed?  You know, you should keep those applications updated as well.  Here are some examples of the Microsoft Windows Office Applications you should keep updated:  Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint.  In addition, don’t forget to keep your Internet Explorer (IE) current.

http://office.microsoft.com/search/redir.aspx?AssetID=ES790020331033&Origin=HH101730061033&CTT=5

4.    While we are at it, lets also remember to keep your antivirus and spyware programs up to date.  Since there are so many of them, I’m not able to list the install, update and maintenance instructions for each of them.  If you do not have any antivirus and spyware programs installed, it is HIGHLY recommended that you do such.

5.      Just like doing regular maintenance on your car is invaluable, so it performing maintenance on your computer.

When files are created, deleted, or modified it’s almost a certainty they will become fragmented. Fragmented means that the files on the drive / disc having been divided; or the unity has been destroyed.  This means that a single file no longer stored in one place, in it entirety, on the disk.  Or, what is called contiguous in technical terms.  If the parts of the files are not located together, then they must be scattered and that is exactly the term used to described noncontiguous or fragmented data on a drive. As you can guess, the more fragmented files there are on a drive, the more performance and reliability suffers as the drive heads have to search for all the to be connected or joined pieces in different locations across the drive. What the disk defragmenter tool does for the drive is to reorganize the drive so noncontiguous files are put into contiguous files and then actually optimized for performance. 

A)  How do I get to the Windows XP Disk Defragmenter? 

There are 3 common ways to get to the disk defragmenter tool:

1)     Click Start, Click All Programs, Click Accessories, Click System Tools, Click Disk Defragmenter

2)    Click Start, Click Run, Type dfrg.msc, Click OK

3)    Click Start, Click Administrative Tools, Click Computer Management, Click Storage, Click Disk Defragmenter

B)  How do I get to the Disk Cleanup tool?

There are 2 common ways to get to the disk defragmenter tool:

1)     Click Start, Click All Programs, Click Accessories, Click System Tools, Click Disk Cleanup

2)    Click Start, Click Run, Type cleanmgr, Click OK

About:Blank is one of the most frustrating Browser Hijackers to stay around as long as it has and continue to do damage to systems. If you are hit you will totally be frustrated until you realize you have to do something.  What you see that tells you your system has been hijacked by the About:Blank Hijacker is that each time you open a new browser window, you receive a blank window with “About:Blank” on the address bar.  What causes this is that this Hijacker has corrupted Lucky users, after repeatedly entering URLs can occasionally obtain access to web sites but most often, all users see is a blank white, empty page. Trying and retrying to get a working page is typical for most techies and geeks and so this Browser Hijacker can linger before you do something about it. The intermittent good browsers that behaves normally is good enough to let us not worry about it for a while, until it responds poorly again – which, in this case will be shortly, usually in one or two window openings.

This Hijacker has been around for 5 or 6 years and infects computers by displaying a false directory webpage whenever the browser is opened and shows About: Blank in the title and address window.  One of the most frustrating things about this Hijacker is that is will not let you change your browser’s default homepage and if you do figure out a way to change it, it will change it back.  This Hijacker may also add new websites to your IE favorites, install an adware toolbar to your settings, and of course, hit you with tons and tons of pop-up ads, over-riding all of your settings.

Here is the real killer to all of this; the developers of this Hijacker earn incomes from the advertisements that are displayed on all of the infected machines. Each time you click the links on the directory or search result pages, you are earning money for the Hijacker developers. 

Then, we also have to wonder if the fixes to these aren’t also part of the whole Hijacking mess.  And, here is why: there are ways posted on the web to try to help you fix this but guess what, you cannot totally remove this problem without going out and purchasing a tool.  You can use free tools to scan and identify the infected and damaged files but in order to completely fix the problem and have a clean machine you end up forking out some bucks. I have had this particular Hijacker hit one of my machines that was protected with Norton, Avg, Avast, and a couple more.  Ended up having to add another to my protection suite.

Avg and Avast have proved to be good tools for me.  Both are free.  Both work well.  I have just added XoftSpySE and so far so good. It was the only app that cleaned up and removed the files that were infected.  The others only identified and quarantined.  Not sure why. PC Tools, SpyWare Doctor, Regcure are just a few that you may want to try.   But, don’t purchase before you run a scan and see how many infected files that tool locates. 

Here is the download link for the XoftSpySE tool:

http://www.paretologic.com/download/xoftspyse/revenuewire/?uid=pnh24

Now, there are always those sophisticated users that want to try to clean their systems without the help of a tool.  If you are one of those, you can use the REGISTRY EDITOR to attempt and I do mean attempt to remove about: blank.  First step, backup all of your files. 

If you do not have a backup program, then you can use the Windows Backup Tool:

Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup to start the wizard.  Choose which files you want to backup and where.  I would recommend making a copy that you can store “off-site” away from your machine just in case of emergency. 

Before we go over the steps to try to manually remove the About:Blank components, let me preface with a general word of advice:  manual removal of malware, adware, spyware, or viruses can damage important components of your computer. As a result of an improper removal, the computer may not function properly or it may not function at all. Consider the acquisition of an effective and safe anti-spyware program for the safety and security of your computer.

Moving on, the following steps outline the process that you can follow to attempt a removal of About:Blank from your computer:

Click Start, Click Run, Type ‘regedit’

Click ok to open the registry editor

Remove the following registry values:

06abaa2d-34ab-4902-a326-409bd9b9a7a5

b664647f-efd5-4837-a810-a807139107e5

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\microsoft\windows\ currentversion\runnetworkservice

ce6a1268-9cc9-4ba3-8657-fe1132906cc4

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\microsoft\windows\ currentversion\runnetworkservice

In addition, the following About:Blank processes also need to be removed:

phafxfa.exe

svhost.exe

smbdins.exe

sethcd.exe

tsmsetup.exe

You will also need to delete or remove any and all of the following directories and their files if they are present on your computer:

phafxfa.exe

svhost.exe

smbdins.exe

sethcd.exe

tsmsetup.exe

wdm.dll

achpjba.dll

cbme.dll

se.dll

iesp1.dll

The following DLL files will need to be unregistered:

wdm.dll

achpjba.dll

cbme.dll

se.dll

iesp1.dll

The above lists are representative of the directories, files, and folders that may be found on your computer if About:Blank has been installed. Variations can exist due to the fact that these programs are constantly making new versions in to outwit savvy computer users. About:Blank has also been known as About Blank Hijack, About Blank Trojan, About Blank Homepage Hijacker, About:Blank Search Hijacker, CWS.Aboutblank, About Blank Spyware, and About Blank Virus.

Very often About:Blank is actually seen on the Add/Remove Programs.  So, you should check and make sure that it has been completely removed from your computer. Open the Add/Remove Programs in the control panel to see if About:Blank is listed.  If it is there, you most likely have not removed it all and will need to continue your manual search for other infected files.  Or, realize that you need to use a Scan Tool from a 3^rd party vendor to locate the infected files.

Hi Tweaks,

I have seem some computers that you can watch TV on and want to know how I can make my PC do that too. I have an HP Pavillion and would like for it to be like a TiVo. We don’t watch much television at my house but there are some programs that I want to be able to watch and seeing them on the computer would be easier for me because I spend so much time in my office.

Can you set your computer up to act like a TiVo (DV-R) and if so what programs do I need?

It is certainly possible to make your computer have the same functionality as a TiVo. It will, however, take more than just a software package to get it up and running from a standard video feed.
First off, you will need to purchase and install a TV tuner card. I currently own the ATi TV Wonder 550 and it has been absolutely fantastic. If you have an HD signal, then you may consider picking up the ATi TV Wonder 650 as it has an HD tuner in it.

The purchase of that card will probably include a software package with it, I believe Cyberlink’s PowerCinema is included with some bundles, but I could be mistaken.

Regardless, I would highly suggest Microsoft’s Windows Media Center. Media Center’s performance has been fantastic for me, their program guide is free which cannot be said for everyone’s software, and it has a ton of features. The Vongo video service integrates right into it, so downloading movies over the internet (legally!) is a snap. It works especially well if you purchase the Microsoft’s A90 remote control.

Media Center is one of the few reasons that I actually like Windows Vista.

If you’re running a version of XP other than MCE, or a version of Vista other than Ultimate or Home Premium then you may want to try out the bundled software that comes with the card, assuming anything is included. I am very fond of this program, but I don’t know that it’s worth upgrading your entire operating system over.

One thing to keep in mind though is that media functionality tends to be pretty CPU and memory intensive. You didn’t mention what model of Pavillion your Hewlett Packard happens to be, nor did you include your system’s specs.

If you don’t have a fairly new system with a good CPU and decent amount of RAM (for something like this you’re going to want at least a gig, preferably two) then the performance isn’t going to be all that good. You’ll still be able to use a program that will pipe in a live video feed, but not one that encodes in real time and lets you watch the feed as it’s encoded in the TiVo fashion you’re looking for.

So, weigh your options before you start making a bunch of purchases. Nothing is more frustrating than buying a product and having it perform sub-par.
If you can give up the TiVo notion then you could always purchase a dirt-cheap KWorld turner and just use the software package that comes with that. It’s an extremely cheap way to go, but if you don’t expect too much out of it then it’s not a bad deal. I used one that I grabbed for $25 before I built my new system and while the Quick TV software didn’t have any fancy features it did at least get me the video feed efficiently.

Good luck deciding. Be sure to let us know if you have any further questions.

If you’ve not tried a dual monitor setup before, then I highly suggest that you do. It makes work (or anything else for that matter) so much easier and more efficient. Instead of “window juggling” as I like to call it, you can simply have multiple things open on each screen and move back and forth between them. You can bet that I’m never putting myself into a position to where I have only one display again.

Here goes:
Right Click The Desktop and then left click Personalize following which click on the Display Settings icon.

You should then see the display settings dialog, obviously, and it’ll look a little something like this:

My monitor layout is different from the one shown, so a little adjustment is necessary. If yours differs from what it shows as well (My main screen is actually on the right) then simply drag one of the screens to its appropriate location in relation to your primary display.

Once done, and while the new monitor is still highlighted, check the Extend the desktop onto this monitor box, set the resolution to what it should be (for most 17″ or 19″ flat panels it’ll be 1280×1024) and then click Apply.

The desktop should extend onto the monitor at this point, and a dialog that says Do you want to keep these display settings? Reverting back to previous display settings in 15 seconds will pop up. Click Yes, assuming that everything looks correct, and you’re done! Your desktop background should duplicate on the new screen and you’ll now be able to drag programs over to it.

One thing to keep in mind is that games will only occupy the display you have set as the primary. So, for instance, you’re playing Fallout 3 whenever it comes out then it’d only take up Screen #1.

Not much to it, eh? If you decide to go the multi-display route as well, I would suggest getting two monitors that are the same size. Currently I have a Samsung 940bw as well as the new Hyundai L90D+. My Samsung is a 16:10 aspect ratio widescreen with a resolution of 1440×900. The Hyundai is a 19″ normal aspect ratio with a resolution of 1280×1024. Because the resolutions differ as well as the height differences dragging items from one display to the other looks a bit odd. The color settings don’t exactly match either as the Hyundai is a bit “warmer” which adds to the disparity. This isn’t a big deal, really, but I’m fairly OCD and just having two things on my desk that so completely don’t match is irritating.

Oh well, it’s nothing more than a stop-gap until I can get me a pair of 21.6″ Samsung 216BW displays.

All of that said, I actually like Windows Vista. It seems as if I am the only person on the planet that does, but it’s true.

The reasons, you might ask? Media Center and the Aero interface. That’s it. Seriously.

I’ll start with the Windows Media Center. This is far and away the best feature of Windows Vista. I’ve had a TV tuner in my computer for some time, and because I run dual monitors always found it convenient to have some apps open on my secondary screen as well as a TV window. This was all well and good, but I was stuck watching live TV and all of the commercials, etc that go along with it. I’ve never been a huge TV addict, but there are programs I make a point to watch regularly. (I don’t care how nerdy it is, the new Battlestar Galactica is the best show of all time)

With Media Center I can just make my computer perform exactly like a TiVo and have it record all of my favorite programs for me. It automatically downloads the program guide from the internet (a free service, mind you, unlike many other TiVo-like software packages include) and then records the series that I’ve already selected. Because of Vista’s new way of rendering the desktop using the video card everything runs very smoothly; even if I am doing other processor-intensive tasks.

Comparable products to Media Center are SnapStream’s Beyond TV, Cyberlink’s PowerCinema, and Intervideo’s WinDVR. All of these were OK with PowerCinema being my favorite of the bunch. Windows Media Center trumps them all. It’s performance has been better, it eats up less CPU, and there’s less lag time between a live video feed and the DVR-style portion that you’re actually watching. (The live TV is actually encoded to a video file, and you’re really watching that video file at the same time it’s being created, this is why you’re able to rewind and such) WMC was good in Windows Media Center Edition, but it’s even better in Windows Vista. Sadly, in typical Microsoft style, Windows Media Center is available only in Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate.

Now for the Aero interface: It’s slick, looks nice, and with my latest nVidia 8800 GTS video drivers it runs as smooth as silk. The first revision nVidia Vista drivers produced some artifacts every so often, especially when the security prompts would pop up, but all of those issues have long since been fixed.

So, over all, I like Vista. That said, I’m not fooled for a second into thinking this is anything more than Windows XP with a facelift and cranked up hyper-sensitive security. The continual “Are you sure you want to do this, dumbass?” prompts get old in a hurry. Now I’m sure I’ll be grateful when the time comes that I actually want to prevent a program from doing something. That has yet to happen.

If you’re considering making the “upgrade” to Windows Vista  then I would highly suggest that you make sure you know exactly what you’re getting. Vista isn’t some holy-grail of an OS like MS’s PR people would have you believe. It has some solid features that I’d miss if I had to switch back to XP, but I am completely convinced that I’d live. If your computer hardware is in any way lacking, then I definitely recommend that you hold off on the OS change until you build/buy a new computer. I like Vista because it runs fine on my system. On a lesser one it would be a nightmare.

Until next time: Good night, and good luck.

The 5384 build of Windows Vista was fantastic. The Aero interface was simply stunning with it’s etched glass effects, and the Window+Tab way of switching between programs was exemplery. I also liked the live preview that the task bar would give you of a program if you hovered the mouse over the program tab. I first assumed that it was just a quick snapshot taken of the application and then displayed, but later I saw it showing the animations on a webpage after I had brought the preview up.

The new way of handling users documents and such should be great, however, I believe that that may be the cause of some of the issues I was having with certian other programs. Many of the apps that I use regularly would not save their settings. The program itself would run fine, but any modifications that I had made to tune it to my tastes would inevitibly be forgotten the next time the application was opened.

I also was unable to get my Phillips chipset TV tuner card to work with anything. Windows Media Center couldn’t find the device, InterVideo WinDVR would actually display things fine, but when you’d attempt to activate the program (the “activation” would come up as soon as it was started, unlike in XP where you had a month after the install to activate it) it would crash, so that was unusable. Since my TV tuner card is effectively my only television, I didn’t watch any for the couple weeks this was installed.

OpenGL programs also ran horribly. I realize that the apps that use it in a windowed environment would suffer because of Vista’s increased reliance on Direct3D especially now that the desktop is rendered as opposed to just bitmapped. But even full screen programs didn’t work well. I use the HyperSpace screensaver from Really Slick Screensavers and it’s framerate under Vista was abysmal. Keep in mind this is with the very latest Vista drivers for my nVidia GeForce 6800.

There was also the boot time issue. I am used to, and require, my computer to boot and run quickly. Any delays at all with pretty much anything drive me absolutely batty. The poor boot time could be attributed to bad drivers that didn’t completely function well. (Vista did flag my RealTec ALC850 sound card as an issue) but even after the machine was up and running some things just didn’t perform well. My hard drive was also hammered almost continuously. I’m willing to accept that while things are loading that the HD needs to be used, but I have over a gig of RAM, so there shouldn’t be an issue loading everything into memory. My pagefile usage was only ~470 meg when done booting. This is large, yes, but less than half of my available RAM.

So, while Vista will be great, the programmers for Microsoft have their work cut out for them.

If you’re thinking about trying Vista. Then here’s a link to the tool that will tell you if you meet the minimum system requirements.