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.

One of the most common iTunes errors is an error when your iTunes can’t sync anything and you get a message that apps installed on the iPhone couldn’t be determined. This problem can also occur on iPod Touch devices.

The iTunes cannot sync error is common for both Mac and Windows users when they are trying to sync your iPhone either using a cord or wirelessly. Sometimes the error occurs when you try to sync for the first time, but sometimes it can start happening out of the blue even after several successful syncs. Here are some tips that should help you fix the iPhone sync error.

1. Restart your iPhone

The first thing you should do is restart your iPhone. Sometimes the sync error is a simple glitch that goes away when the device is restarted. To restart the iPhone, do the following:

1. Turn your iPhone off by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake button until a red slider appears
2. Slide your finger across the slider and iPhone will turn off after a few moments
3. Turn the iPhone on by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake button until the Apple logo appears

Reboot your computer for good measure.

2. Update iTunes

Outdated iTunes can be the cause of this problem. Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes and try to sync again. If it still doesn’t work, try updating all your apps as well and make sure you do it in iTunes. Sometimes you’ll need to download all your purchased apps again, which takes time and is very annoying. But at least it often fixes the error.

3. Scan for hardware changes (Windows only)

If you are on a Windows PC, try the following to fix the iTunes cannot sync error:

1. Click on the Start button and open Control Panel
2. Now go to Hardware and Sound and open the Device Manager
3. Click on the name of your PC, click on Action and select Scan for hardware changes
4. Restart iTunes and everything should be back to normal

4. Disable automatic sync for new apps

Another thing that can help you fix the problem is disabling automatic syncing for new apps. To do that, go to the Apps tab in iTunes, uncheck Automatically sync new apps and apply the changes. This will start a manual sync. When it’s done, everything should be back to normal and you can re-enable automatic syncing.

Hopefully following these tips will help you fix the iPhone sync error and you will be able to sync and back up again.

Malware, viruses, online fraud, scams – the list goes on and on. All this thing threaten you online and put your computer at risk. Moreover, they put your whole life at risk, as thing like identity theft are not  laughing matter. You can reformat your computer to get rid of viruses, but reformatting your whole life will prove a lot more difficult. That’s why the best way to fight computer infections and online threats is prevention. “Shields Up! Complete Guide to Windows Security and Mac Privacy” is the book that teaches you how to stay away from the most common and latest computer security threats.

“Shields Up!” is not your typical computer security book. Most security books are written for a corporate environment, whereas “Shields Up!” concentrates on teaching a home user everything he or she needs to know about protecting their PC or Mac. It’s written in an easy to read style and explains everything in plain English. This helps users to understand how viruses and other threats work and teaches them how to protect themselves. The book covers common viruses and malware infections, explains how each type of infection works, provides instructions how to remove the most common viruses, and shows readers how they can protect their online accounts and stay away from scams and online fraud. This is especially important in the world where a hacked Facebook account is as common as a typo in a student’s essay.

Another great thing about “Shields Up!” is that it covers both Windows and Mac security. True, Mac systems are a lot more secure, but they too require protection. And even a Mac can’t save Internet users from spam and various scams. That’s why the book emphasizes things like file encryption and password management on Mac computers.

“Shields Up!” has been published in 2012, which means that all information presented in the book is current and all the fixes are not outdated. This is especially important in the world of computer security, as various threats evolve very quickly.

To summarize, “Shields Up! Complete Guide to Windows Security and Mac Privacy” is an excellent book that will help Windows and Mac users stay safe.

The book is available as a paperback and as a PDF. You can purchase the paperback here and the PDF is available for free to everyone who purchases RegAce, an advanced system cleaner and optimizer.

Does your Windows Media Player crash and freeze up when you open it? Windows Media Player is the most popular media player out there for one simple reason – it’s included with every edition of Microsoft Windows operating system. The fact that this media player is so popular doesn’t meant that it’s the best. On the contrary, WMP is heavy on system resources, can slow down your computer, and can even put your privacy at risk. But the worst bit is that Windows Media Player often encounters errors that make it unusable. So, here are some tips that will help you fix Windows Media Player errors.

If you find that the player slows down your computer and it takes ages to go from one song to another, the problem might lie with various enhancements. Chances are that your hardware isn’t sufficient to support all of them and allow all of them to work seamlessly. There are two possible solutions for this problem – you should update your audio card driver or simply disable all Windows Media Player enhancements.

Updating your audio card driver is pretty simple. All you need to do is check your PC or laptop manual to find out which audio card you are using and then go to the card manufacturer’s website. There you’ll need to find the right driver (be very careful and double check model name and other information), download it and update it using the Wizard in the Device Manager. Drivers are updated by right-clicking on them in the Device Manager (found through the Control Panel) and following the instructions.

If updating drivers manually sounds complicated, you can always use a driver updater, such as Driver Agent.

How to disable Windows Media Player Enhancements

If updating your audio card driver didn’t help much, then you should disable various Windows Media Player enhancements. Here is how it’s done:

1. Click on the Start button and go to ControlPanel
2. Open Sound and go to the Playback tab
3. Now double-click on Speakers/Headphones and click on the Enhancements tab
4. Select the option to Disable all enhancements
5. Click OK and you’re done

In addition to disabling enhancements, you can also disable visualization to speed things up. To do that, simply open Windows Media Player, right click on an empty space within the player window, go to Visualizations and select No visualizations. Your player should be more responsive and run faster now.

Repair Windows Media Player Errors

Sometimes when you update Windows Media Player, errors can start occurring and the new version would install in a proper manner. This usually happens because old registry settings prevent the new ones from working correctly. Luckily, this issue is easy to fix. All you need to do is repair registry errors with a trusted registry cleaner of your choice. Make sure the registry cleaner comes from a reputable developer and has all the necessary backup options.

These simple tips will help you fix Windows Media Player errors and speed up your computer at the same time.

What are duplicate files?

If you store files on your hard drive, duplicate files are inevitable. They accumulate with you none the wiser. This of uploading your photos to your computer – sometimes you upload your photos twice and use different folders, sometimes you edit or resize your photos. And sometimes you simply shoot the same scene twice to make sure the photo turns out well. So why store all these duplicate photos? Same goes for duplicate songs. There is no need to store the same mp3 in different bit rate – just leave the one recorded in the highest quality.  That’s why you need to manage duplicate files.

How to manage duplicate files

Managing duplicate files can be hard if you try to do it manually. You will need to go through your folders and even go through your files one by one and delete duplicates as you find them. Needless to say, this will take several hours. But that’s not the worst bit. Trying to remove duplicate files manually is dangerous because you can accidentally remove a file you need because you get distracted in the process. That’s why you would be better off using special software.

There are a few programs that allow you to manage duplicate files. They all claim to do the same thing, but their effectiveness and functionality is very different. That’s why you need to choose carefully.

What are the features of a good duplicate finder?

Ideally, a good duplicate finder should have the following features:

• Compare files using checksum
• Compare files by name, size and date
• Compare files by content (byte-by-byte)
• Support mp3 tag data
• Be able to detect duplicate photos
• Have a duplicate email finder
• Be intuitive and easy to use

Easy Duplicate Finder is the program that has all these features. It also allows you to manage duplicate files for free, which makes it a very attractive choice.