Disk Defragmentation

One of the easiset ways to speed the performace of your computer, without upgrading your hardware, is to defragment (defrag) your hard drive.

When you create or copy a file to your hard drive, many times the file is created in more than one piece (fragments). Defrag tools combine these files in one continuous file, so every time you open & close the file, the process is quicker. Multipy this by the thousands of files on your hard drive & you'll see why this will improve the performance of your computer.

And while there are a lot of good, paid for, commercial software packages, here's two that are free.

Auslogics Disk Defrag. It's a great, simple to use, fast hard drive deframentation tool. It's perfect for the unTech person. Easy to install & easy to use. Auslogics Disk Defrag can be downloaded at Auslogics Disk Defrag Download.

Another great free defrag tool comes from the good folks at IObit, called Smart Defrag. Also easy to install & use. Although it doesn't run quite as fast (to defrag your whole hard drive) as Auslogic Disk Defrag, it seems to do a more thorough job. IObit Smart Defrag can be downloaded at IObit Smart Defrag.

I highly recommend both these disk defrag tools. I have both installed on my hard drive now & run both a regular basis (once a week or so). Once you get familiar with how defrag tools work you'll find yourself wanting to defrag on a regular basis to keep your computer running at peak efficiency.

And most important. You need not worry about these programs crashing your computer. I have yet to experience any computer meltdowns while using Auslogics Disk Defrag or IObit Smart Defrag.

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AntiVirus Software

If you're operating in a Microsoft Windows world, you know what a pain viruses & malware can be. Let's face it, Microsoft builds crappy, unsecure software. And trust me, I know. I've been working with their stuff for 20 years as an Information Technology professional. But unless you're an Apple or Linux user, you are just trying to make Windows work for you. Today we'll cover a really good, FREE, antivirus solution.

Terms you'll need to know. Thick client and thin client. Whenever you hear the term "thick/heavy" or "thin/light" in regards to software, client, etc you're usually talking about how much actual software is installed on your computer. Thin/Light software installs less on your PC, thick/heavy more. Simple enough. The other term is cloud computing. Cloud computing is a general term for software solutions that utilize an Internet connection for part or all of their functionality.

Panda Cloud Antivirus is, as the name implies, a cloud based antivirus solution. You download a thin client (minimal amount of software on your hard drive) from the Internet. Once the software is installed, the software uses an Internet database of known viruses & malware to help protect your computer. No updates to download. It's pretty much hassle free. I've been using it for a month or so and I have to say, I really like it. I intentionally went to some websites I know distribute malware, to let them infect my computer. In 3 separate tests, Panda Cloud Antivirus caught the infections.

This is a great solution for the non techie. The one drawback is that Panda Cloud Antivirus does not have a feature to automatically scan on a schedule, say every Sunday at 7:00pm. Other than that, a very nice antivirus solution.

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