Posts Tagged ‘computer down’
October 3rd, 2009 | 
Author: These colorful, and rather amusing, terms all describe the annoying pre-loaded software that major computer vendors add to the computers you buy from them. I talked with a salesperson at Best Buy recently and asked him if I could purchase a new PC in the store that didn’t come pre-loaded with this software. The answer was no. He told me that the amount of bloat varies from vendor to vendor but all brands contain it.
The sales person also admitted that these programs significantly slow the computer down. They cause pop-up screens and longer boot times, as some of this junk loads on startup and constantly runs in the background, taking up memory and hard drive space and slowing your new PCs performance by 5 to 10 percent. Some of these programs connect to the Internet, without your knowledge, to check for updates.
You can pay Best Buy $40.00 to remove this junk. It’s what they call optimization. You can also take your PC to a local computer repair shop to get it removed. Most of the local shops also charge about $40.00.
I looked at the desktop on one of the computers in Best Buy while I was there. I saw icons for:
Google Desk Top
Amazon.com
Net Zero
Microsoft Office 60-day trial
Norton 360
Picasa 2
Wild Tangent Games
Quick Books
eBay
Skype
Music Man Jukebox
Of course, that’s just what I could see on the desktop. There are also varying amounts of bloatware on the startup menu, in the add/remove programs, and in the program files.
Some people try to get rid of the problem by wiping the hard drive and installing a fresh version of Windows. However, that’s not going to help because these machines receive a restore disc that contains a copy of the hard drive’s setup as it came from the factory–with all the junkware installed.
Others don’t even come with the disc, but rather have an area on the hard drive set aside to restore files. Again, this returns the PC to its original configuration, complete with junkware. This means that even if you do pay to have it removed, or you spend the hour or so necessary to manually remove it yourself, it will all come back if you ever have to reinstall your operating system at any time in the future.
Money is the reason for all of this bloatware. Computer manufacturers are paid to load your new PC with junk. These big corporations do whatever they have to do to keep prices down and turning your desktop and hard drive into a giant commercial is one way to do so. They know that most consumers won’t complain or even realize that their new computer has been compromised.
Of course, if you ask these vendors why they put all this extra junk on new PCs, they’ll tell you, if they will agree to talk about it at all, that they are providing a service to the consumer by giving them access to trial versions of these programs. That’s sure one way to spin it. If they are really interested in doing consumers a favor, why don’t they add full versions of free programs like openoffice.org, instead of a trial version of Microsoft Office 2007?
If you aren’t in a hurry for a new PC, you can have one of the same vendors that sell computers to Best Buy custom build one for you online. I spoke to someone in customer service at Dell who said if I bought directly from them, that I could request that all the bundled trialware be removed. She said that the only trialware that was mandatory was a 30-day antivirus. Customer service at Sony said that if I ordered online from them, and ordered a laptop that was 14” or smaller, I could request something they call “Fresh Start”, which means that it won’t contain any bloat. She said that “Fresh Start” wasn’t available on 15, 16, or 18-inch laptops. Finally, I spoke to customer service at Hewlett Packard and was told that if you order online from them most of the trialware can be removed, but she couldn’t guarantee that all of it would.
My personal favorite way to avoid all the junk is to either build your computer yourself or buy a custom-built PC. If you prefer a brand name, you could also consider a system targeted for business. The vendors don’t load nearly as much junk onto these systems. The downside is they cost more. For example, I just optimized a Lenovo and the only trialware that came pre-installed on the hard drive was McAfee antivirus and Microsoft Office 2007.
One thing is for sure, if you buy a PC that contains bloatware, you are going to have to put up with pop-up screens, longer boot times, slower system performance, and maybe even some of these programs connecting to the internet to check for updates, if you don’t either remove it yourself or have it removed.
As more and more consumers start to realize that this junk is taking up space and slowing down system performance, maybe they will complain in sufficient numbers to cause change.
Could this trend spread to other areas? Maybe, the next time I buy a TV, the manufacturer will have pre-installed software that makes pop-up commercials appear on my screen when I turn it on or randomly while I’m watching a show. Maybe they will install a scroll bar that constantly runs at the top or bottom of the screen. Will this be how sponsors keep consumers from fast forwarding past the commercials with a DVR?
Glenn Caton is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and Microsoft Technology Specialist. He owns Computer Fixx, a computer repair and computer service business located in Wilmington, NC.
Article Source: Junkware, Bloatware, Shovelware
If there’s anything no computer user wants, it is a computer clogged with adware and spyware. These malicious marauders of your computer cache can originate anywhere on the net. They can enter your PC through an email, or a file you should not have downloaded, or when you land on a malicious website. But no matter where they come from, adware and spyware waste no time beginning to slow down your computer. Even worse, they may email your personal financial information for criminal use, or they may open the door for even more malicious software to cause your computer havoc. You simply have to keep a good remedy on hand to remove both kinds of malicious software, and this removal methods needs to protect you 24/7/365.
There are three key ways that an effective adware or spyware removal program will operate on your PC. They may scan everything you view on the net. This kind of software needs to use minimal memory and it needs to be on at all times. If you have to manually scan your hard drive every time you download something from the net?and nobody can?eventually you will let something slip through. The programs that protect your computer have to work 24/7.
Second, effective adware and spyware removal programs have to be capable of digging deep into your files. If adware or spyware already infects your PC, they could lurk almost anywhere. You may have trouble finding them, but they do not have trouble slowing your computer down. A good removal program scans every single file on your PC accurately. It makes use of the latest definitions, updated once a week, and it doesn’t let anything slip past it. An incomplete scan, or an out-of-date definition simply won’t do you any good.
The third and final way you can recognize useful adware and spyware removal software is filtering. These programs use filters and definitions to recognize harmful sites before you click on them. They will tell you to halt before you visit these malicious websites or, worse, open malicious files. Integrated into your browser, these software removal options tell you whenever you have stumbled onto a site other users have blacklisted. By identifying potentially harmful sites and files, effective and protective software keeps malicious files from ever infecting your PC.
Good anti-adware and anti-spyware programs do many things for you that help protect your computer against harm. These programs will set up a defensive perimeter around your files to make sure nothing ever sneaks in to cause your computer problems. Guarding your files, warning you about suspicious sites, and updating themselves, these programs help keep your computer healthy and keep it virus and spyware free.
Graham McKenzie is the content Syndication Manager at SpywareRemovalDoc.com the leading Spyware Removal Software provider.
Article Source: What Is the Best Perform Adware and Spyware Removal?
You might already be fully aware of a little contraption that allows you to make free calls and receive free calls right from your computer, called the magikJack. If you do not already know about the magikJack you might want to continue reading this article. Together, we will see just how great of a product the magicJack really is.
Let’s start off by explaining exactly what the magikJack is for those that do not completely understand it. The magikJack is a device that you are able to plug into your computer and make calls with your regular telephone. Basically, you only pay for service on a yearly basis and you can make all the local and long distance calls you want for that one yearly price.
So far, the magikJack seems to be a great device and should be in every home. Until you begin to search a little deeper and really look into the product. There are a few things that just seem strange to the average consumer. For example, since the magicJack device actually works directly from the computer it must slow the computer down at least a little. However, nothing like this is stated on the website.
The sound quality is supposed to be above that of devices that offer a similar Voip service, yet many customers have complained that the conversations fade out on occasion with the magikJack. This could simply be a problem with the computer and not the actual device. However, if you decide you want to contact customer service you need to do it only online. You can not call customer support to speak with someone to help you troubleshoot your magicJack. This throws up a red flag for many potential clients.
On a good note, the magikJack actually does what it claims to do. The magicJack allows you to make phone calls from your computer without any additional charges. You pay about $40 for the first year of service and the magicJack device, each additional year costs about $20. So, all in all it is a reasonable offer. However, you can not use the phone that is connected to the magikJack unless the computer is on and connected to the internet. In order for you to be able to make a phone call using the magikJack the computer can not be in suspend, sleep or hibernation mode. It has to be active. This is another problem for many consumers because they do not want to have their computer on at all times, nor are they able to keep the computer awake, so to speak.
As with any purchase that is made, the results of the purchase will always vary even a little bit. The same holds true with the magikJack. As long as your expectations for the magikJack are within reason, you will likely enjoy the service that it provides its subscribers. With the easy installation even the novice computer person can install the magicJack and enjoy unlimited local and long distance calls from their computer.
MajikJack review at the Check out more info at our blog at Majikjack blog.
George Johnson is afreelenace writer for ReachTape3
Article Source: The MagikJack What it Does and How it Does It
Free up disk space
By freeing disk space, you can improve the performance of your computer. The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk. The utility identifies files that you can safely delete, and then enables you to choose whether you want to delete some or all of the identified files.
Defragment Your Hard Drive
Over time, the data on your hard drive gets scattered. Defragment your hard drive puts your data back into sequential order, making it easier for Windows to access it. As a result, the performance of your computer will improve
Scan Your Hard Disk
Has your computer ever crashed, making it impossible to shut it down properly? Have you ever experienced a power outage? These problems and others can cause damage to your system files. Windows provides a utility called scandisk that will automatically detect and fix much of the damage, improving your system’s performance in the process.
Scan for Viruses
Viruses can wreak havoc on your computer. Detecting and cleaning viruses is an excellent way to improve your system’s performance. There are many antivirus programs to choose from, but the About Guide to Antivirus Software provides a list of the Top 7 Antivirus Programs for Windows.
Check for Spyware and Adware
Spyware is software that allows companies to monitor what websites you visit or even access your computer. Adware is software that displays advertisements. Both use system resources and slow your computer down. Detecting and removing the programs will improve system performance.
Uninstall Unneeded Programs
Removing programs that you no longer use can free up space on your computer and speed up your system’s performance. However, you need to uninstall the programs properly to see much improvement; deleting them is not enough.
Adjust Visual Effects for Better Performance
Windows XP provides a number of interesting visual effects like animated windows and fading menus. These effects, however, can slow down your computer. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to customize the visual effects to match your preferences and performance needs.
Stop Programs from starting on Windows boot
One way you can speed up your computer is to prevent programs from launching themselves at start-up. Not only do the unwanted programs delay the start of Windows, they also continue to slow down your computer since they use system resources.
Disable The Unwanted Services
Disable Services you do not use or need. Open control panel, open Administrative Tools, and select Services. Disabling the wrong Services may lead to serious problems that you may not notice right away. Please consult a reference such as overclockersclub.com for information on specific Windows XP Services.
Some Tips
If this is your first defrag, do it after the disk clean up twice, then a disk defrag, and then another disk clean up.
Do all the above steps quite often to keep the speed of your PC going.
Although time-intensive, a re-partition and re-format of the hard disk drive, along with a clean installation of Windows XP will improve performance. Performing this task will remove all of your existing data, so a back-up or file copy is recommended first. Only save the files you created, as you will need to reinstall each application on the new installation of Windows. If you did not change the default location when saving documents, it may be safe to copy only the user folder and all files and folders within it (ie: “C:\Documents and Settings\(your user name)”). Typically, most users will need to be sure to copy these files:
Documents created using applications such as Microsoft Word or similar office suite programs
Bookmarks/Favorites from your Internet browser
Fonts installed that are not included by default with Windows (note that some fonts are installed by applications).
E-mail in-box and folders if you use an e-mail client that does not use an Internet browser
Any schedule data for programs such as Outlook
Financial records for programs such as Quicken
Optimize the registry either manually or with a third-party application. Many of these registry tweaking programs are available on the Internet, including commercial applications that are released as free trials. If you are not familiar with the registry, do not edit it manually — the registry is vital to Windows’ operation.
Article Source: Ten Tips To Speed Up Your Computer
This is a common computer scenario: you spend the money and get a great new computer. You are dazzled by how fast it performs its many useful tasks. But over time you begin to see a slowing down of the pc performance. This is frustrating, but there is something you can do about it, and that is to perform pc registry repair using registry cleaning software.
There are simply times when you cannot take it anymore and just need your computer to speed up. PC registry cleaner is the easy to way to help make this happen.
Cleanup registry software is used to improve your pc performance. Your computer has two important parts that are interrelated, and if they are out of sync it can slow your computer down. They are the control panel and the Windows registry. The control panel is the brains of your computer. Here you will find the icons for all of your software and hardware that you have installed, for example. The control panel stores the information it needs to launch all of those wonderful programs in an area called the Windows registry.
The Windows registry is where the control panel goes for the information it needs to perform the tasks your ask of it. Under normal conditions, it quickly sorts through the information on the registry, finds what it needs to launch the software or whatever you need, and uses the information to perform the task quickly.
The pc performance starts to become compromised when there is data stored on the registry that the computer cannot access. This can happen if you uninstall software or hardware often, and do not do a thorough job of it. Little bits of data can remain, and if they are not fixed or removed, they get in the way of the computer each time it has to go to the registry to access information, which is every time you ask it to do something. This is what slows the computer down.
What is needed at this point is pc registry repair. Software is available for free download that will do just that, but one does need to be careful in selecting cleanup registry software, because some can do more harm than good.
PC registry fix reviews are available, and they can point you toward pc performance software that is easy to use and will not damage your computer. This software can go in and remove those data fragments that get in the way of the computer, and this will increase your computer speed and pc performance.
PC Performance is a common concern. In this article Jonathon Blocker writes about
pc performance. Jonathon Blocker offers free advice on how to improve PC performance. Download his free eBook, the Definitive Guide to Registry Cleaners & PC Optimization. http://www.pcfixreview.com/registry-cleaners-ebook/
Article Source: Improve Your PC Performance With A PC Registry Fix
PC registry repair sounds complicated, but it is actually fairly simple if you find a good pc registry fix. This is typically pc registry repair software that can fix or remove data fragments that tend to slow your computer down. You will need to understand how data fragments can build up, and the kind of software that can take care of the problem and improve pc performance.
The Windows registry is the place where the control panel stores all of the information it needs to perform the tasks that you require of it. This storage area has a tremendous amount of information packed into a tiny area. When your computer is running normally, when you decide to launch some software or fire up a piece of hardware, your computer goes to the control panel, which then goes to its storage area, the Windows registry, to find all of the information it needs to launch the software or hardware. Normally, when the information is correctly organized, the computer can very quickly find what it needs and begin work.
PC performance can lag when unnecessary bits of data get in the computer’s way as it tries to find the data it does require to perform the job you want it to do. This data is the result of incomplete software or hardware removal, when small data fragments, which the computer will not be able to access in the future, are left behind in the Windows registry.
When this occurs, over time all of those broken or unneeded data bits build up in the Windows registry, hindering your computer in trying to speed up. PC repair software is available that can cleanup registry issues quickly, especially if performed as routine maintenance on your computer.
You will want a pc registry fix that allows you to choose which bits of data are actually removed from the registry. Some cleanup registry software will actually remove data before you have the opportunity to stop it, so this can be a problem. You want a pc registry repair solution that gives you a full report of the issues going on in the registry before it starts to work on them. In this way, you can ensure that no valuable information inadvertently gets deleted in the process.
If this sounds too hard to figure out on your own, you might want to peruse pc registry fix software reviews online. Here you will read about the specifics of each cleanup registry software, and an expert’s opinion about how they worked. Your pc performance can be improved with the proper cleanup registry software, if you select one that does what you need.
PC Performance is a common concern. In this article Jonathon Blocker writes about cleanup registry software. Jonathon Blocker offers free advice on how to improve PC performance. Download his free eBook, the Definitive Guide to Registry Cleaners & PC Optimization.
http://www.pcfixreview.com/registry-cleaners-ebook/
Article Source: Cleanup Registry Software Gets Rid Of Data That Slows Down Your Computer