Hard drive low on Space

Is your hard drive running out of space but you do not want to invest in a new hard drive and replacing it? Well, you have another option. We all have our documents, pictures, music, and other important files saved on our computers. All of these take up precious space on the hard drive. You can purchase an external drive with 500GB of space for under a $100. You can attach this drive to your computer and move all of your files to this drive. This will free up space on your C: drive so that your computer will run smoothly. If you are moving massive amounts of files, make sure you defragment your C: drive once everything has been moved to the external drive. You can do this by clicking on Start>>All Programs>>Accessories>>System Tools>>Disk Defragmenter. Select your C: drive, and click Analyze. Then, click Deframent if it recommends that you defragment your drive.

Your PC needs a little TLC just like your other Appliances

Okay, so you have noticed that your PC is running slower than usual. Well, just like all the other appliances in your home, your PC needs a little TLC to keep it running smooth. Here are somethings that you should routinely do to keep your PC in tip top shape.
1. Clean out your hard drive - Just like your closet, you need to get rid of all those unwanted files. You can do this by clicking Start>>All Programs>>Accessories>>System Tools>>Disk Cleanup. If you can't find this, do a help on Disk Cleanup. You can also browse your C: drive and get rid of unwanted files. You need to be careful when deleting files to ensure that you are not deleted system files.
2. Get rid of useless programs - You should uninstall all those free softwares or programs that you thought you need but never use. Get rid of those games that you never seem to have time to play. You can do this by clicking Start>>Control Panel. In XP double-click Add or Remove Programs. Select the programs you don't need and click Uninstall. If you can't find this, do a help on Uninstall.
3. Defragment your drive - Once you have gotten rid of all unwanted files and programs, defragment your drive to optimize your drive. You can do this by clicking Start>>All Programs>>Accessories>>System Tools>> Disk Defragmenter. Select your C: drive and clic Analyze. If it comes back and tells you that your disk should be defragmented, click on Defragment.
4. Clear out your Internet Explorer - Make sure that you delete temporary internet files and cookies, specially if you like to surf the Internet. You can do this by starting Internet Explorer, then click on Tools Menu>>Internet Options. Once the window has opened, on the General tab, look for Browsing history and then click on the Delete button. Select what you want to clear and click on the delete button. You need to wait until it has finished with the delete and then click on the OK button to close the window.

Share Pictures with Family and Friends

Are you one of those people that takes tons of pictures and then gets stuck with having to give people CDs and prints? Well, you don't have to that any more. You can sign up with www.shutterfly.com. It is free. You can then upload your pictures and then share them with your family and friends. They can view the pictures without having to sign up for an account. They can also order prints.

Sending Large files/Sending sensitive data

Do you need to send large files or pictures via email? Do you need to send sensitive information? You can use WinZip software. It is free and easy to install and use. You can go to the website www.winzip.com. Look for the free download link and follow the steps on the screen. After you have installed it, you can simply right mouse click on a file and select winzip to create the winzip file. Then, you can go to your email and attach the winzip file as an attachment to your email. Remember, you can have multiple files in a single winzip file. As part of the software, you can also password protect your winzip file that contains sensitive information. Don't forget to send the password to the person you are sending the file to.

Protect your Computer

Are you looking for a good anti-virus software to protect your computer that is easy to use? You should consider Kaspersky. I have this on my computer. It is easy to install, easy to configure, and easy to use. It incorporates with Outlook where it will scan your incoming emails and send it to your junk mail folder. I installed it on all the PCs and Windows and Exchange servers for a client and it resolved all their issues. You can try it for free before purchasing. Check them out at http://www.kaspersky.com/.

How to be on Facebook safely

You always wanted to be on Facebook to find old friends or stay in touch with family? Well, you can. You will need an email account to create a Facebook account. Do not use your work email. You can create a free yahoo or hotmail or gmail and use it. Once you have created your Facebook account at www.facebook.com, go to the privacy settings under your profile and limit what people can see about you. If you set to only share your information to your friends, then only those you have accepted as your friend will be able to see your information. If someone sends you a request to be their friend, check them out and make sure it is someone you know or want to share your information with. You can always ignore their request to be friends. When you upload your pictures, make sure you flag them as only to be seen by your friends. Only put limited information about yourself. Always remember, that once your information is on the Web/Internet, it is there forever.

Easy Wedding Invitations

Are you getting married and looking to save money on the expenses? Here's an easy way to save money on your invitations. You can buy kits from your local craft store like Michaels or Target. The kits usually include the invitation, RSVP cards, and all the envelopes you need. All manufacturers have templates in MS Word that you can get from their websites. Once you have the template, put in the verbiage you want and print on your home printer. You can even print your address on the envelopes. MS Word already has a built in template for envelopes under the Tools/letters and mailings menu. I just did 300 invitations with RSVPs and envelopes for just $200... You can even get matching program papers as well.

Quick and Easy Online Invitation (e-invite)

Do you want to quickly get your friends together? Do you wonder how some of your friends are organized? Here is how. Gather your friends emails and go to the website www.pingg.com. It is easy to setup an e-invite. They have tons of free graphics for any type of party you are having. It will automatically send reminders and keep track of who has accepted and who can't make it. You can also have paper invites sent to your friends that don't do email for a small fee. It is also green...

Organize/Clean up your e-mail

Have you ever been frustrated by trying to find an email in your inbox? Do you want to organize your emails but don't like Outlook? Most email services (yahoo and gmail), you can create personal folders once you have logged into your email account. Once you have created a folder, you can move emails into that folder. This way your emails are organized but readily available online. Does going through your emails overwhelm you? Here's a tip. Sort your emails alphabetically, then pick a letter each week to go through. If you do one letter a week, you will be done in 26 weeks...

Simple Way to protect your Identity

Do you pay your bills online? Do you shop online? When you click on "remember me" and the website remembers your login information, that information is stored on your computer. If someone steals your computer or hacks into your computer, they will use these files to gain information. One easy way to protect yourself is to delete these files from your computer. However before you do this, make sure you have all your login information written and saved. Open Internet Explorer, then click on Tools menu, then select Internet options from the menu. A window will open with several tabs. On the general tab, under the browsing history section, click on the delete button. Another screen will open. Check cookies and click on the delete button. If you have not done this before, it may take some time.

Speed up Your Web Browsing

Have you noticed your computer slowing down while browsing your favorite websites? There is a quick way to speed up your computer. Open your Internet Explorer, then click on Tools menu, then select Internet options from the menu. A window will open with several tabs. On the general tab, under the browsing history section, click on the delete button. Another screen will open. Check Internet temporary files and history and click on the delete button. If you have not done this before, it may take some time. In Firefox, click tools menu, then select Clear private data. Select Cache and other data to delete. Click clear Private data now.

How To Get Rid of Junk Mail

Have you ever tried to stop getting calls from telemarketers? Is your mail box full of junk mail? Short of moving or changing your phone number, it is hard to get away from the calls and the mail. However, there are somethings you can do. You should check out the website wwww.dmachoice.org. They give a good overview of how telemarketers work. They do provide some services but if you don't want to do that, you can register on www.donotcall.gov. My grandparents used to get 2 bags a day of junk mail. Now, they only get couple of mails a day. You should consider registering your cellphone numbers as well