Wednesday, August 14, 2013

How to Find and Delete CPU Hoggers







How to use Windows Task Manager Effectively  
I installed a volunteer program that actually uses my bandwidth whenever my PC is idle. After some months and being informed my small netbook bandwidth wasn't helping, I decided to uninstall it. But whenever I run my defragmenter, the program's name was still flashing and for some reason, I found it hard to locate the program file to delete it. But thanks to the problem I finally learned how to use Task Manager to the full.
Here is how to find and delete stubborn CPU hoggers:  

1. Open Task Manager: ctrl+shift+esc
2. Click on 'Processes'
3. If you don't find the file you need, click 'Show processes from all users'
4. When your target file name appears, right-click on it then click 'Open file location'
5. When your file appears, you can delete it by clicking on 'Organize' (top left corner) then choosing delete. Or you can use your deleting or uninstalling app too.

Finally, my CPU isn't running 100% all the time! I have no idea how my netbook withstood that.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Overwrite your Deleted Data for Safety



Did you know that all your deleted files could still be hacked unless you overwrite them?
This tutorial will show you how to securely wipe or overwrite free disk space on any partition or disk using the inbuilt cipher command in Windows



Steps:

1. Open (an elevated) command prompt or press Windows icon + R

2. Type the command below, and press Enter

The syntax required is: Code:

cipher /w:[drive]:\[folder]

where [drive] = drive letter, [folder] = folder name


If you want to wipe ALL free disk space on a particular drive, use this simpler syntax:

Code:

cipher /w:F:\

link:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/276046-cipher-command-overwrite-deleted-data-
windows.html

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Another Adventure in False Positive


I think this PC problem was solved with a prayer. Read first before you say 'corny'.
I was normally surfing online when I noticed my battery monitor -- I was running on it, not with electric power. I tried to fix that then my PC suddenly shut down. When I tried turning it on, it would shut down again at Windows load. This happened about 10 times before Windows gave me the option of checking Startup. I allowed that and after the check, Windows said my 'registry is corrupt'. I thought how could that be when I stopped tweaking my registry a long time ago knowing it's a no-no. Windows allowed me to restart, did that, and the PC shut down again.


I tried turning it on again and again but it was no use. I gave up and assumed that my registry is indeed corrupted. I rested then tried blowing dust inside the PC away to make sure overheating is not the cause. I was taking a bath when it occurred to me that since the problem started with power malfunction, maybe the problem is my outlet socket.


My power adapter is connected to an octopus outlet. I took away the multiple outlet and inserted my adapter directly. My Pc turned on and worked again. That simple. It was just another 'false positive' from Windows -- again.   


My analysis: either my socket malfunctioned or a hacker used the socket. Hackers could do that -- especially when you’re on power smartmeter.     



The Importance of Dusting Inside of PC
You're working on an important manuscript you haven't saved. Then suddenly your computer screen blanks out. There is no possibility of recovering any file you haven't saved when that happens.  


I was lucky when it happened to me. I just tried to restart five times then my netbook went normal again. I researched how and why it occurred and the answer I found was so simple it surprised me: Dust stopped the fan inside netbook and overheating crashed or blanked it out.


So if ever this happens to you, don't panic and call your techie at once. Try first the tutorial below which is the most probable answer.


Additional tips:
You can use the SpeedFan app which monitors voltages, fan speeds, and temperatures in computers
Put dust-trapping cloth mats around your computer


Sunday, May 5, 2013

Make Your Netbook Run Smoothly


How to increase system performance of Netbooks
All these tips are applicable to laptops and desktops too

~Avoid brightness of screen
That is not only eye-straining but also damaging to screen

~Update OS Service Packs regularly
~Update all programs and apps regularly
Same reason for both: if not done, entry of malwares would be easier

~Customize all start-up programs, as minimum as possible
The more start-ups, the slower your system (same with the next 3)

~Show minimum folders on desktop
~Delete temporary files stored in .tmp folder of system
~Clear browser cache and cookies
~Empty your recycle-bin regularly
At least when trash files reaches 50MB

~Run system cleaner on regular basis
~Defragment your system at least once a week
~Scan system for Virus or Malware regularly
~Do not store data in OS(Operating System) drive
We can never be sure if a virus is hiding inside a file

~Do not run external drives without scan
To be sure that those drives are not infected

~Drain your battery after eliminating virus or malware
One way of making sure a virus is dead


Computer Safety and Infection Prevention
Malwarebytes (MBAM) Portable

The importance of having a portable AV
This app might have saved my PC from virus twice. In both cases, MBAM caught a deadly virus that eluded both Microsoft Security Essentials and SuperAntispyware. The last time, it caught a nasty Trojan that prevented me from connecting to the Net and gave me trouble for more than 48 hours straight. And the probable reason why MBAM was successful is that it isn’t installed (local) in my PC. It’s in your portable flashdrive which makes it hidden to viruses. You’re taking a great risk if you don’t have MBAM Portable.

Problems a Trojan Virus Bring
1. Will interfere with everything you do with your PC and slow it down
2. Will prevent you from connecting on-line
3. Will even interfere with your online games while you are playing


Monday, March 18, 2013

What Hackers Do With Your Stolen Password


How they steal passwords then hijack accounts
The first thing hackers do is get your email address -- which is very easy if you are on social networks. Then they send you spam mail (when you sign in to any of your accounts, observe from time to time the dots that hide the characters of your password. If you notice that the first dots have erasure marks, someone has already started trying to hack your password for sure). If they succeed in cracking one of your weak passwords, they hijack your account by changing the password, own the account or site, and use it for scams. Then they can transfer money (if available) and make purchases.

Losing a hacked account -- especially an email account -- is heart-breaking enough. Losing your hard-earned bank cash will break your heart more.


Using Your eMail Safely
The Best Backup and Trick eMail Services

These are very useful services and each has a different function. As for photographers, there are rush times you need to send your works to clients before the photos are copyrighted. At those instances, using Safe-mail or Privnote would be wise.



Safe-Mail
As its name implies, Safe-mail is a highly secure communication system because your messages
are automatically encrypted. Security has been designed into the system -- not as an add-on.
Safe-mail has two services:

Private Mail
You can get the free account before opting to a premium one.  

Business Mail
No need saying that business mails should be secure so this is really where Safe-mail must be used. Safe-mail will provide you with multiple email addresses under your own domain.  
Try Safe-Mail here:
http://www.safe-mail.net/


Azigo
I call it the 'pleasure mail box' because it's where you transfer non-hectic, non-business messages.

There are messages that need to be read at once and others which need not be. If all those messages are boxed together, you will have to sort them out and waste time. Azigo solves that problem. Azigo will give you a domain (you@azigo.com) where you can transfer all your 'pleasure' mails from all email providers. No more wasting time sorting clogged business mail boxes. It’s a fast, visual way to see more of what you like.https://azigo.com


PrivNote
The 'James Bond' email. The one to use if you want to send sensitive messages the safest way. How 'safest'? The message you send self-destructs after being read! (So I suggest the recipient to copy details of the note with pen and paper. Making a digital copy of the message defeats the purpose of Privnote!)  

How it works:
After writing your note, Privnote will provide you with a link. Then you copy and paste that link into an email (or instant message) that you send to the person who you want to read the note. When that person clicks the link for the first time, they will see the note in their browser and the note will automatically self-destruct after being read. No one (even that very same person) can read the note again. The link won't work anymore.
https://privnote.com



Saturday, February 23, 2013

Recovering Missing Files Isn't Hard Anymore



With so many excellent back-up and recovery apps, losing and recovering your deleted or missing files isn't scary anymore. You also have the safer option of copying your important disk and files into an external disk or USB flash. But there is still one dangerous way of losing an important file: when you forget to save your manuscript after typing it -- nothing deleted that file -- the file vanished because it was NOT SAVED. And as of now, I haven't seen someone or an app solve that recovery problem. Or maybe this app could do that:  

A Great Free File Recovery App: UndeleteMyFiles 
UndeleteMyFiles is a quick and easy way to find and recover deleted media and digital devices.It employs a simplified two-step process that enables you recover any files that used to reside on your system.

Features:
File Rescue Wizard - a quick and easy way to find and recover deleted files.
Media Recover - Recover media files in a couple of easy steps.
Deleted File Search - Specialized filters that allow you to find specific deleted information.
Files Wiper - Allows you to delete any files permanently without any chances of recovery.
Mail Rescue - Mail Recovery Wizard. 



Another great app option is iDrive.com







Saturday, January 19, 2013

2 Great Tools for Multiple Posting

Image representing dlvr.it as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase

If you have multiple sites and want to post and/or share a your single article to all, you can do that with these 2 excellent tools:

Dlvr.it (deliverit)
Deliverit is an app where you can transfer your article link, or more importantly, a blog or message to multiple sites or networks. These are 'destinations' which you have to link to manually. You can even schedule when you want your message to be published.
http://dlvr.it/   

Shareaholic
Shareaholic is a browser extension unlike Deliverit. Shareaholic is limited to just sharing a page whether it's yours or not - you can't share a personal message. But Shareaholic's advantage is it has much more sharing destinations than Deliverit.

Since this piece is not a personal blog or message, I will use Shareaholic to post it to multiple sites.
https://shareaholic.com/


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Wednesday, January 2, 2013