PC Memoirs

All of us have or will at some point come across this problem: how to restore or recover files that we accidentally deleted from the PC? Sometimes it’s not even an accidental loss. Maybe we deleted something on purpose and realized later that we want the file back, but it’s too late. Or is it?

There are ways to find files that have been lost or deleted and you don’t have to be an IT expert to do this. Of course it helps if you have advanced computer knowledge. You can try some easy ways to recover files before you move on to more advanced options (which involve installing and running third party software).

Warning: if your hard drive is making noises and you are unable to load Windows from that hard drive, don’t try the following solutions. Instead, take it out and connect the drive to another PC and try to access your files from there. It’s most likely damaged and only professional (and expensive) help will solve your problem.

Let’s try the easy options first: When you first delete documents/files, they usually go directly into the recycle bin and stay there until you empty it. If you open the recycle bin first, you may find your files. If they are there simply right click on each file and select Restore. They will go back to their original location.

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Every PC should have a good Registry cleaning program. It’s just as important for the Windows system as antivirus or antispyware programs. If you don’t use registry repair software, you are running the risk of experiencing error messages, Windows crashes and slow PC performance. A healthy registry is important to keep the system running without problems and as efficiently as possible.

Besides using this software, there is not much an average PC user can do to prevent damage to the registry, as it can get damaged for many different reasons. It usually has to do with references left behind after removal of programs, incorrect uninstallations of programs, missing/corrupt drivers or virus/spyware intrusions. The result is often an increased size of the registry which slows the system down as Windows needs more time to load and search data.

Therefore, you should install and use registry repair software. Here is my selection of top 10 registry cleaning programs:

1. Ccleaner
2. Registry Mechanic
3. Eusing Registry Cleaner
4. Abexo
5. RegCure
6. Registry Patrol
7. Registry Booster
8. CleanMyPC
9. Amust Registry Cleaner
10. Registry Fix

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With the increasing popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter and millions of people taking part in the new Internet phenomenon every day, it’s probably a good idea to learn about the dangers involved and things you can do to protect yourself from them. I’m sure many of you have heard about the negative sides of social networking, one of which is exposing your identity online. By joining the network, potentially thousands or millions of people can access, view and steal your (private) information. Some dangers include: virus and spyware attacks, hacking, stealing information, cyber-stalking and assuming false identities with intent to gain something from you.

I have found some interesting tips that may help you protect yourself and your family from harm:

1. Be careful with links you click – they could lead you to fraudulent web sites or sites which contain illegal material or malicious software.

2. Be sure that the message you receive is really from the person it says it’s from – maybe someone else sent you a message, pretending to be one of your contacts with the intent to gain access to your PC, online accounts or to find out where you live.

3. Don’t allow social networking services to scan your email address book – you don’t want to give away any of the email addresses of your contacts.

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If you are a laptop owner and you use your laptop outside of your home, you probably expect it to work as long as possible on one battery charge. I know that battery life was one of the main criteria when I was looking to buy my first laptop few years ago. You don’t want to drag your AC adapter everywhere and sometimes you won’t find a power point to plug it in. I’ve been lucky, because my LG laptop has a decent battery and it holds its charge for over one hour even after 3 years of use.

Some people are not that lucky and their laptop batteries empty their juice in a very short time, and the laptop doesn’t even have to be very old. The worst case I saw is in one of my friend’s HP laptops, which is only a year old. The battery held its charge for 1 minute! Yes, just ONE minute! Needless to say, he had to replace it as this malfunction is not covered by warranty.

If you want to make sure your battery is used as efficiently and as long as possible on one charge, please take a look at some of these tips:

1. Turn off devices and programs that you don’t use all the time, for example your wireless card, bluetooth connection and remove all icons from the taskbar that you don’t use regularly.

2. Stay out of extreme temperatures. Do not use your laptop when it’s very hot or cold.

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Have you ever seen Windows error messages that display 3, 4 or 5 digit error codes, such as error #1056, or error #690 and so on? Do you know what they mean?

Usually the error message comes with a “More Information” link, which leads you to a Help page explaining why the error occurred. Once you find out what the code represents, you can also find out what you can do to get rid of it. But this link doesn’t always offer the solution to the problem.

Sometimes the error has to do with network connections or with an application that you tried to run or with a service that isn’t enabled. The reasons can be many, but what you need is a solution to such a problem.

Did you know that there are Web sites that list all Windows Error Codes, where you can see common errors and the corresponding solutions? I found several which might be helpful:

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