PC Memoirs

This guest post was contributed by Tibor Schiemann, President and Managing Partner, TuneUp blog.

Have you ever had trouble finding that file or email that you just know is on your PC? If your search has come up empty one too many times, there is likely something wrong with this Windows Vista and Windows 7 feature. Here are three common reasons why Windows Search might be plaguing you—and three easy ways to fix these issues.

1. First, the file or email you’re looking for might not have been indexed yet. Windows Search creates an index on your hard disk to enable extremely quick search results—it’s much faster to read a list of folders than to search through an entire hard disk. Typically, the most important files, like those stored under the “Documents”, “Pictures” and “Music” libraries as well as Start Menu entries and Internet Explorer history, are added to the index. If you use Windows Live Mail or Microsoft Outlook, Windows Search will add all of your emails and contacts to the index, as well. Unfortunately, folders outside of these popular places are left out of the index.

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If you read my previous post on free antivirus software, you may remember that my top 3 programs were AVG, Avira Antivir and Avast. Avira was the top performer in independent tests and reviews and I was quite happy with it when I used it (for some reason, I switched to Avast recently). Now we have new challengers, such as Microsoft Security Essentials – but Avira beats even Microsoft, according to this test result.

Few days ago, I came across another promising free antivirus program: it’s called ZenOK Free Antivirus, and it’s designed to stop viruses before they make their way into your computer. The program offers virus, spyware and malware protection. A big plus for this program – next to its great detection rate – is the fact that it only uses 0.1% of your computer’s resources. That means your computer won’t slow down when you use real time and full system scans. If you wish to perform a quick scan instead, you can use the ultra-light file scan.

ZenOK protects against viruses, spyware, trojans, worms, bots, root-kits and phishing Web sites. It also blocks attacks from the Web that exploit your software’s vulnerabilities. In addition, it offers boot up protection and hourly updates, so your ZenOK virus definitions are never out of date.

As mentioned above, the system doesn’t use many resources, but if you ever feel the need to turn it off, just select “snooze” and it will be deactivated.

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Just in time for the weekend, I found a nice addition to my Fun with your PC category: some more IT jokes. As you may have noticed, there is plenty of serious business on this blog, so here is something fun for a change. We all need a laugh sometimes! If you missed my earlier IT jokes, you can read them here. Enjoy!

1. In the Park

Two IT guys were walking across the park when one said, “Where did you get such a great bike?” The second IT guy replied, “Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, ‘Take what you want.’ The second IT guy nodded approvingly, “Good choice.The clothes probably wouldn’t have fit”.

2. Wife or Mistress?

An architect, an artist and an IT guy were discussing whether it was better to have a wife or a mistress.The architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation for an enduring relationship. The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because of the passion and mystery he found there. The IT guy said, “I like both.” The artist said “BOTH?” The IT guy replied “Yeah. If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other woman, and you can go to the office and get some work done.”

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More than 100 new viruses are released and spread via the Internet every single day, making your antivirus software the most important program you have installed on your computer. Life in the antivirus software world is a constant game of ‘catching up’ because so many new viruses are released. For best protection, it is absolutely crucial that you update your software as often as possible.

Before we get into the best antivirus software downloads, let’s take a minute to talk about how antivirus software works. Most people don’t really understand how the software works, leaving them more vulnerable to catching a virus.

Real Time Antivirus Protection:

Most software uses what’s called ‘signature scanning’ to detect viruses or malware on your computer. Antivirus software has a database of known viruses, so every time you open or access a file, the software will scan the database. The best antivirus software has anywhere from 20,000 to 60,000 known viruses stored in their database, which is why your computer sometimes runs a little slower after you install the software.

On Demand Antivirus Protection:

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One of my earliest posts back in 2009 was about the Pando software, which makes it possible to send big files to someone through email. Pando was limited to sending files up to 1GB only, but it was still a handy tool to have. Now, almost 2 years later, we are using and sharing much bigger files, and we may wish to send a file like that to a friend on the other side of the world – quickly.

With a helpful tip from a colleague at work, I just discovered a new service that can help. It is called WeTransfer, and it lets you send files up to 2GB, for FREE! The whole transfer procedure is so quick and easy: there’s no need to install any software and you can send a file with just a few mouse clicks. Also a plus: you don’t need to disclose many details. You only have to enter the destination email address and your own, and attach the file. You can add an optional message if you wish.

No registration is necessary and the files stay on the WeTransfer server for two weeks, so the recipient has enough time to download the file at a convenient time.

For more information or to test the FREE service, please visit the WeTransfer Website.