There are times when we type things on our computer and save them on our computers yet we don’t wish people to read whatever it is we have written and saved. For those who don’t know how to protect what they have written from people who might have access to their computers other than themselves, using a password protected system to keep your documents from being accessed by other people is one thing that should be learned.

Create a Password For Your PC

One of the easiest ways for you to protect your documents from other people who might use your computer from time to time would be to create a password for your User profile. Your User profile can be locked so that only you can access it and other people can use the PC from another profile that can be for common use. To password protect your User profile:

1. You should first click on start then on settings and finally on Control Panel.
2. From control Panel, access the User Accounts and click on your User account.
3. Follow the steps for creating a password for your user account and apply it.

Create a Password for Your Word Documents

After you create a certain document you want to keep away the eyes of people you don’t want to read it, you can always password protect it after you write it. This kind of a move password protects individual documents that you feel should be hidden from everyone else without having to create a separate user profile on your computer. Here are the steps you can use to do this:

1. You first choose options from the tools menu.
2. You then click on the security tab on the pop-up and you type in the password that  is needed to open the document in the box provided for.
3. You will then click on OK after typing in your password and you will need to re-verify this password after you click OK.
4. You can then safely save the document and be secure that no one can read it without the password. You can only open this particular document after you provide the password.

Protecting your documents with the use of either a user profile password or a specific document password will help ensure that whatever you wish to keep to yourself will remain safely away from people you don’t want seeing your documents and what they contain.

Although a microprocessor is not the most important factor for running the latest Games; it does play some part. Finding the right microprocessor for your PC can be a perplexing experience considering the numerous brands with wide array of features available in the market. This article is an attempt to guide you on processors for playing some of the latest high resolution games.

Simply buying an expensive processor won’t do the trick. The processor’s performance is also affected by the type of motherboard you have. Also, the type of games you are going to play is going to depend a lot on the motherboard’s features. Coming to the brands of processors available, Intel and AMD are currently the leaders in the microprocessor market. Intel is well known for manufacturing the popular Celeron and Pentium series and AMD for its Athlon and Sempron processors.

Budget Gaming Processors

If you are not going to play games that require high processor performance and if you are on a tight budget, then you can go for budget processors like Intel Celeron or AMD Athlon. Although these processors lack a bit in power, they can nevertheless do the job. If you want to play games with a budget processor, then you can try buying the Intel Pentium E5200 or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+. These processors are remarkably low in price but are still able to run some demanding games. But you can’t expect them to run these games at the best detail. However considering the low price, they do their jobs fairly well indeed.

High Performance Processors

If you are buying the processor specifically for high performance 3D games, then you may have to spend some extra money. Some of the options you have include the Intel Core 2 Quad and the AMD Phenom X4 processors. Although these processors compete neck and neck, it is advisable to go for Intel as it offers enhanced performance. But if you want to save some bucks here, you can try AMD as well. For example, the AMD Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition is a fast gaming processor available at a fraction of the cost of a high performance Intel Core 2 Quad processor. Although the AMD Phenom is somewhat slower compared to its Intel counterpart, it is lightning fast nonetheless.

CPU Cooling

An important thing to consider especially if you are a gamer is the cooling for the processor. This is even more vital if you are going to over-clock your CPU. Although the processors usually come with a fan mounted on top of it, you can still upgrade this fan to one that offers superior cooling.

To conclude, there is always a processor for everyone’s budget. With today’s high competition amongst AMD and Intel to release super fast processors, the prices are getting lower and lower. But a lot depends on your personal preference. So take your time to research, and you will soon discover a processor that is just right for you.

Computer maintenance is one way to keep your laptop or PC working like new five years from now. Many people don’t think about maintenance until something catastrophic happens, but you have the good fortune to be thinking about it now. One part of the maintenance process is keeping your computer running at tiptop speed.

There are many reasons that computers begin to run slow: viruses, not enough memory, too many applications (goes along with insufficient memory) or a lot of files. Whatever the reason, something needs to be done so you don’t have to work at a snail’s pace.

Behind the scenes on your computer, many things are going on. If you get on the Internet, your computer may be allowing “cookie” files to be stored to remember where you’ve been. We download any and everything from music to videos to eBooks from the Internet. There are temporary files created for some of your downloaded items that can accumulate over time.

Sometimes, the hard drive just needs to be cleaned up a bit. With the defrag process, the computer finds ways to free up space on your hard drive. This cleaning process ensures optimal performance from your computer when something else is not the problem. Defragmenting your computer is a good first step when performance is not at its best.

If you are having a hard time navigating the various files on your computer, the proper name of the process used to correct this is “Disk Defragmenter.” You can use your program search bar on the Start Menu to find it easily. The defragmenter takes fragmented files and consolidates them or gets rid of them completely depending on what they are and if they’re needed.

This is not something that you need to do every day. Remember, you are maintaining here. Performing the operation once a week is good for those who use their computer every day and create a lot of documents and files. The best thing about Windows is that these maintenance operations can be set up on a schedule so that they work behind the scenes like Santa at Christmas. Schedule maintenance operations at odd times like early in the morning or in the middle of the night, when you are not at work on your computer in order to keep them from slowing down your PC while you’re trying to work.

In a nutshell, disk defragmentation is important for everyone. Scheduling the operation leaves your brain free to think about other things. If the defragmentation process does its job, your computer will continue working well for you without any hitches or glitches.

Since computers have been used for a lot of purposes, no doubt that they are most of the time the targets of threats and danger.  Access to information is being sought.  Likewise, the existence of hackers for years gives more reason to owners to be very concerned about PC security.

Achieving ultimate PC security normally come with considerable costs to the owner.  However, there are some free PC security softwares available in the market which prove to be equally helpful and useful.  These are commonly firewalls and internet security products that are free if they going to be for personal use.

Some of the free personal firewalls available are ZoneAlarm, Comodo Personal Firewall, and Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall.  ZoneAlarm is a product of Zone Labs which has been popularly known as the producer of reliable products which are widely used. 
On the other hand, Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall normally provides free download of full functions which last for a maximum of 30 days.  After which, the features will go back to the free version.  PC owners may opt to maintain the full functions after 30 days but this will come already with a fee which is usually around $20.

However, there are some things that you should remember when installing another firewall.  Make sure that the built-in firewall within Windows XP is deactivated already before installing another one.  It is not good to use two firewalls at the same time.  After installation of the new one, test it to see if your PC is really secured.

There are still many other free PC security softwares available nowadays.  One is called Ad Blocker which works to filter out web bugs, cookies, and urls.  Anti-Rootkit, on the other hand, shuns off concealed applications and processes.

Moreover, to remove spyware on your PC, you may avail of Microsoft Anti-Spyware.  Another variation is called SpywareBlaster which prevents the loading of spyware onto your computer.

Some internet browsers may also pose some risks to PC security.  According to some, the use of Internet Explorer brings in some viruses to the PC.  Firefox may be a good alternative.

Furthermore, for email clients, Thunderbird is also considered as a better option over Outlook Express.  A lot of users express satisfaction with such email client.

You can indeed choose from a wide variety of available free PC security softwares.  To help you find out the most suitable for you, lay down all your usual PC activities.  From there, you can see what exposes you to risk most and counter with the best alternative.

Anytime your hard drive crashes or you lose your data, you’ll need to turn to data recovery to properly restore your information.  Data recovery is something most computer users are familiar with, as a majority of us have had to turn to data recovery at some point in time.  Even though hard drives are becoming better and better, they are still mechanical and will always encounter problems.

The first thing to do, before any problems happen, is to always back up your data.  If you create backups of your information, you’ll be well prepared in the event of a disaster.  This way, even if your hard drive cannot be repaired and the data is lost forever, you’ll have the back ups to continue going as normal.  If you didn’t make back ups, you’ll find the situation very traumatic when you discover that your data cannot be recovered.

Most hard drives will last for years before they start to encounter any type of malfunction or hardware problems.  You can help prevent data loss by turning off your computer when it isn’t in use, or shutting it down when you hear the hard drive making an odd noise.  If the hard drive starts to malfunction, letting it continue to run will only do more damage.  If you shut it off immediately and take it to a specialist, you’ll have a much better chance of getting it repaired.

With natural disasters, hackers, viruses, or other problems, you won’t have the time to react.  Before you know it, your hard drive will be damaged and your data will be gone.  Although this can be very frustrating, data recovery can normally bring your information back.  All you need to do is take the hard drive to a local specialist, then let them work their magic and show you the power of data recovery.

There are software programs out there that claim to recover lost data, although you should avoid them at all costs.  Most of time, these software programs will do your hard drive more bad than good.  Even though software may cost a lot less than professional data recovery services, the professional services will guarantee their work.  If you turn to software and it only makes things worse – your more or less out of luck, as the software doesn’t guarantee anything.

Anytime your hard drive fails and you seem to have lost your data, you should turn to professional data recovery services immediately.  They may cost you a lot of money, although they do the job right the first time.  When it comes to your data, you really don’t want to take any chances – especially if you had important documents and files stored on your hard drive.

If you can see the importance of organizing your materials on your desk, then you might have also realized how significant it is to get the files on your computer arranged in order. That is the very function of the folder feature of our computers. Since there usually comes a point when we our hard disk gets full of files which results in difficulty finding our files in it.

Filing protocol

You must learn to organize your documents so that they won’t be scattered everywhere. Now that you are aware of the necessity, the next thing that you need to know is how you can create folders in your computer. To get started, all you need to do is to follow these simple steps.

1. Be acquainted on how the filing system in your computer works. Different computers have different directory trees and systems which you must first learn so that you won’t lose your files in the future.

2. Determine which folder you want to keep your files. If you are using the Windows operating system, it has a My Documents folder where you can choose from various directories to store your files.

However, you should be reminded that this directory might encounter some complications from time to time, particularly, when a virus gets attached to any document in it and eventually the document gets sent to everyone in your address book. The reason why this one is advised by me is because most Windows systems save files in this directory by default.

3. Make sub folders within your document storage area. As soon as you have decided where to store your files you may start creating subfolders to further keep your document organized. Nevertheless, the Windows system has some sub folders already which you can also use but if you prefer to create your own folders then that would be fine.

4. Sub folders should be titled by the subject or by its content. Need I say more?

This kind of system allows your files to be accessed easily especially when they are categorized properly. With that goal in your head, you shouldn’t dare save your files on your desktop for purposes of finding them more easily because it has the tendency to hamper your computer’s memory.

Though you may see it immediately, it is still preferable to have it organized in a folder so that there won’t be any hassle in case you want to transfer the files.

Are you tired of shelling out money again and again for software applications? I bet many people are, since software can be expensive. So, never doubt the idea that the Internet has it all, because it does. The Internet even has free software programs you can download.

However, the real problem is looking for them. Here are some tips to get the free software you need.

Think open-source

Many computer experts and techie communities are developing open source programs for the benefit of all without spending a single dime on them. Open-source programs were made as a response to the sky-rocketing prices of most software programs.

Some examples of these open-source programs are Mozilla Firefox for internet browsing, Open Office for office applications, Foxit for pdf file reading, and Pidgin for instant messaging. These are just some open-source software programs, but you’ll be surprised at what you can find when you search for them (on Google, for example; or from your techie friends).

Dig in software download search engines

A simple search on your trusty search engine for the keywords free software download will yield a lot of download search engines or websites dedicated to these free software programs. Most of them are download search engines which direct you to the specific software you need from that website itself. It also has categories on what purpose you need the program for, which greatly helps narrowing down the search.

Most of the licensed software programs are available in trial versions on most of these download search engines. Although there are still a lot of available software programs which have the full version.

Utilizing torrents

If everything else fails and you need something you can’t find using the tips listed above, torrents is the last resort, because torrents are the most diverse and powerful file sharing built. If you have your own connection at home with a good broadband connection, this is absolutely for you.

Torrents are used for file-sharing using torrent programs to download the file being shared. Basically anything and EVERYTHING can be found in torrents. Where can you find these torrents? Searching for torrents in your search engine will direct you to the most popular torrent search engines, which will help you find the software programs you’re looking for.

The verdict?

Looking for free software programs using the Internet is no sweat at all. With the right keywords and the right knowledge on where to get them, you’ll be getting that software you need without paying a dime.

We’ve all heard of computer viruses. Even people who are neophytes to computers have heard tales of computer viruses spreading like wildfire through a network and wreaking havoc.

Unfortunately those tales, while mildly exxagerated, are fairly accurate portrayals of how potentially damaging viruses can be.

Aside from regular computer viruses, however, another irritating and potentially destructive type of computer program that can infect your pc through the internet is spyware, and its little cousin, adware.

Adware by itself is generally harmless, albeit irritating. It is a program that basically inserts itself into your system and spams you with tons of unasked for and unsolicited advertising.

Spyware is a much more threatening program. Some types of spyware seem like simple adware on the surface, but aside from flooding you with ads, spyware, as its name suggests, also allows its controller to monitor and access information you have on your computer. Other types of spyware also change your pc’s system configuration, leaving you open to further intrusions.

There are several methods available that can help you avoid the hazards of getting invaded by spyware. Among the most effective of these are:

Adjust your computer’s security settings – the procedure for adjusting your security settings differs depending on your operating system. By and large, it can be found by looking for the option for controlling system settings or internet options. Look for the heading that refers to system security, and adjust it according to your personal tastes. For home users, setting security levels to Medium is recommended, as High security settings will actually block out some sites you may want to access.

Firewalls – these are security programs that automatically block unidentified programs that try to remotely access your terminal. You can set the parameters of the firewall so that only certain types of programs get filtered, or even limit your accessability so that only specified sources can send you data. The only disadvantage to a firewall is that sometimes it will tend to block information you try to recieve from even harmless sources if they are not specified on your firewall settings.

Anti Spyware Programs – online programs can be downloaded that are actually geared towards spyware security. When looking for such a program, find one that not only detects and intercepts spyware attempts on your system, but one that also has options to actively scan your system periodically for existing spyware that may have already gotten in. Find a provider for your anti spyware program that keeps itself updated with the latest spyware technology so that you can download patches for the program that can deal with the latest types of spyware that hackers are using.

Violence, sex, nudity, and explicit language, pornography, online gambling, online predators, viruses, spyware, and adware; these are some of the threats that your kids can encounter while using the internet.

And since you can’t monitor them all the time, you need to find ways to protect your kids from these threats. Here are some of those ways:

1.    Teach them to stay secure. Talk to them about personal security while using the internet. Tell them to refuse giving any personal information to people they meet online. Avoid filling out membership and survey forms that would entail them to state their personal information.

2.    Place your computer in a place where you can monitor your kids’ use of the internet and not in their bedroom.

3.    Set up house rules to limit your kids’ internet access.

4.    Keep your kids’ computer account “limited. This will keep you in control over the significant access to the computer.

5.    Discourage them from making personal profiles using online networking websites that can be viewed by anyone. Sites like MySpace create venues for online predators to access different personal information for their predatory purposes. If your kids already have profiles posted on the web, make sure that you know what pictures and personal information they post. Also, view their personal blogs.

6.    If your kids are young enough to use the regular web browser, download web-browsers that are made for kids. They filter bad websites and limit your kids’ access to pre-approved webpages.

7.    Tell them to avoid peer-to-peer file-sharing softwares. This is because viruses, spyware, and adware can freely enter your computer through these softwares.

8.    Use internet filtering software to block bad websites from your computer.

9.    Use internet monitoring software to secretly track the activity of your kids from websites visited, chat rooms entered, downloads, conversation, and IMs.

10.    Attend to your kids immediately if they report any uncomfortable online exchanges they have encountered.

11.    Share a common email address so that you can monitor their messages.

12.    If they use instant messaging, make sure that you know who are on their list.

13.    If they enter chat rooms, tell them to stay in the public room so that the chat room administrator can monitor your conversation. Tell them to ignore private messages.

14.    Tell them not to meet personally with strangers they only met online.

15.    And, teach them to approach you whenever they have any doubts on the emails and messages they receive, window popups that appears, and forms they were asked to fill-out.

Most of us who use computers maximally get frustrated when our computers have slowed down. Naturally, we look for someone to help us so we can increase the speed of our computers.

This can sometimes be a further waste of time as we try to look for someone when actually, we can do the jobs ourselves. Here’s how:

1. Get rid of those unnecessary wallpapers. Simply go for the basic built-in designs to improve the speed a great deal. If you can’t help it, don’t stretch the wallpaper because dragging can slow down the functions. Also, remove animations that aren’t needed by your programs.

2. If you have drivers installed on your computer, make sure you do frequent updates because updating can improve the speed of your programs.

3. Sometimes we can’t help but open several programs at the same time because we need to do multi-tasking. If we have to do this, we need to minimize those programs we aren’t currently using.

4. Remove the message that says you are starting Windows 95/98 because this can slow down booting. To remove this, just go to c:\ and look for the file Msdos.sys. Then remove the Read-only option. Open this in Notepad then go to options and change by adding BootDelay=0.

5. To restart Windows, simply hold down the Shift key to restart Windows instead of restarting the whole system which can take longer.

6. You may also try working on a lower resolution so that you can move faster with your PC.

7. Regularly defragment your computer so that files can be consolidated into single files. This will surely speed up the functions of your computer.

8. For faster ejection of CDs, simply right-click on the CD drive letter in My Computer and choose Eject. Icons will be removed as well which could somehow slow down the process.

9. Get rid of fonts that you don’t usually use. Just go to fonts under c:\windows and remove those fonts that you no longer need.

10. Get rid of unnecessary files by constantly emptying your Recycle Bin and removing temporary Internet files. These take up space and of course, needs to be read by your CPU every time you boot. Even your email inbox should be regularly cleaned up to enhance the speed of your usage.

Now that you know it isn’t hard to speed up your very own computer, simply follow the said steps and you are on your way to having a reliable and faster computer.