Free Software: Tips and Reviews

Computer Repair

2011-09-05T09:07:00.001-04:00

My name is Shane and I work at the Fas Mart in South Coeburn. I have been repairing computers for a while, but mostly friends and family. If you need any computer repairs I am willing to do the work for a low cost. You can contact me or leave a message at my store. Thank you.

DriveImageXML

2010-04-10T19:36:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the late posting, for those of you who follow my site. My wife and I have been going through a lot recently. I have switched jobs again, we just a had baby boy March 23, and my little girl is getting rotten as ever. Everything went well though. Now onto the update. I recently discovered a program that can back up your windows installation. It is really great. It is called DriveImageXML. It is really great to use after doing a complete reinstall, with all of your drivers and games. Then you back it up with DriveImage. The next reinstall after you back up your windows installation will be with DriveImageXML. Within fifteen minutes, you are back to all your games and drivers installed. It is nice to be able to reinstall Windows without reinstalling countless number of programs, drivers, games, etc. It usually takes me a couple of days, due to work and the kids, to do a reinstall without DriveImage. It does only work while windows is active, (unless you build a windows live cd with BartPE). Later I will give instructions on how to do this, but for now I will give a link to someone who already has them listed. You can access the steps by going to http://tipsfor.us/ghost-windows-xp-for-free/. The windows live (BartPE) disc will allow to restore the image even if you can't boot into windows. So if you get a bsod (Blue Screen of Death), just use the BartPE disc and restore from it. You will either need an extra partition, hard drive, or maybe compress it enough to fit on a disk for the DriveImage. But if you put it on a disk, you need 2 cd drives (1 CD drive and one DVD drive). I just put my backup on another partition. As always, if you have any questions or advice, feel free to suggest or ask. Have a great day everyone.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-24T15:41:00.000-05:00

I just want to wish everyone a wonderful time for the next couple of days. Be careful out there and have a ball (or whatever present you get). Merry Christmas everyone. :)

Free Security Pack for Windows

2009-12-05T20:31:00.002-05:00

I have finally uploaded my free security pack to MegaUpload.com. This contains free security software I use personally. The software in the pack can be found on this site. This is just to make it easier for everyone that wants a clean, secure PC. You can now download this pack from http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0Q3N1OGW. Just unrar, install all the software, and enjoy the free security pack. If you have any questions or issues, just let me know. Also, please let me know if this pack was helpful. Thank you and Happy Holidays.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T10:52:00.002-05:00

Firing up the grill? Cooking in the oven? Eating out? However you are spending your Thanksgiving, I hope you enjoy it with Friends, Family, co-workers, etc. So put a smile on your face, make a few gobbles, and stuff yourself more than the turkey. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Unlocker

2009-11-06T21:23:00.003-05:00

This is a really neat program. Have you ever tried to delete a file or folder and get this message?

Cannot delete file: Access is denied
There has been a sharing violation.
The source or destination file may be in use.
The file is in use by another program or user.
Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.

Well this free program will unlock the file and allow you to delete, stop or modify it. I used it for the file atapi.sys, which is needed to install Service Pack 3. It can also be useful for removing harmful files from your PC. You can download and read more on this program from http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

Windows Firewall

2009-11-06T00:02:00.003-05:00

I have listed a firewall previously, but did not mention the Windows Firewall. The Windows Firewall can usually perform just as well. A firewall keeps intruders from accessing your systems files, private information, etc. To enable/disable Windows Firewall, click on Start>Control Panel>Windows Firewall. If you do not have a firewall installed, then I would recommend having this one on.

PC Tech

2009-11-02T16:17:00.002-05:00

This is a PC store located in Wise, VA. Local PC Stores can be very helpful with hardware or software issues. This one is unique. The owner is extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and honest. Those qualities, for me, make a really great business. He has quality products with affordable prices. So if you are in the area (and need PC hardware, software, or just seeking advice), stop by PC Tech or visit http://pctechwise.com/.

System Configuration Utility

2009-10-27T17:37:00.003-04:00

This utility allows you to change how your PC boots, what services and programs start up with a reboot, and the option for system restore is located here as well. I use this quite often when I believe a service or program is running that is unnecessary or harmful to the PC. You can also use this utility to boot into safe mode. Just remember, when you boot into safe mode with this method, to remove the check from safe boot before you restart. To access this utility, you click Start>Run and type in msconfig.

System Restore

2009-10-26T22:55:00.007-04:00

This can be a useful feature. Using this feature returns your Windows installation to an earlier point. If you are having issues and do not wish to backup your documents, e-mail, or history, then this option may fix the issue or issues. If it does not work and you wish to go back, then you can reverse the system restore. I only recommend this if you do not wish to reinstall windows and if it is a major issue that can't be fixed with the free programs I have in Free PC Protection Software. You can usually find system restore by clicking Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore. Now just follow the steps and your PC will be restored to the date you selected. You can also set system restore points before you install something new.

DVD Flick

2009-10-22T10:20:00.004-04:00

This is a great program for converting almost any video file to DVD format. Best of all, it is free. I have used this program and haven't had any issues. Although, this program may be a little tricky for new user's. You can read a short guide for this program at http://www.dvdflick.net/guide/index_en.html. If you want to download this program, then visit http://www.dvdflick.net/download.php.

Free Programs

2009-10-14T18:20:00.005-04:00

Do you have a free program that you want me to test and review? Leave me a comment with the link to download it and I will test it. Good software will be listed with my list. If it is bad, then I will start a (Bad PC Software) list. Also, leave your e-mail with the download link and I will notify you of my experience.

Wise Registry Cleaner

2009-10-14T18:00:00.005-04:00

This is a really great program for keeping your registry clean. A trashed registry can cause even the best PC's to run slow. Remember to backup your registry before using. They have a free and pro version. The free version works great. You can download this program from http://www.wisecleaner.com/download.html

EPSXE Plugins Tutorial

2009-10-14T16:59:00.003-04:00

First, after you have downloaded and extracted the emulator from my EPSXE post, you will need to download the plugins pack from http://aldostools.mysite4now.com/psemu/plugins.zip. Once you download the pack, extract it into your EPSXE plugins folder. I know I said I wasn't going to list a place for the bios, but here it is http://www.fantasyanime.com/emuhelp/psxBios.zip. DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS UNLESS YOU OWN A PLAYSTATION. Now extract that and put the files into your EPSXE bios folder. Now, open EPSXE and click on Config>Wizard Guide. Here you will select the bios (usually schp1001). Click next and select a Graphics Driver (I usually use one of the Pete's as they have great graphic quality and compatibility). Next select a Sound Plugin (sometimes you may have to use trial and error when you play some games, start with ePSXe SPU). Next step is to select a Cdrom plugin (Xeven's is great). Now you will need to setup your controller's (works with usb gamepads or keyboard). That is it. Some games may need different plugins or different configurations in the plugins to run. Just click File>Run CDROM for game disc or File>Run ISO for image. If there is anything else I need to add or you have any questions, feel free to post it in the comments.

Game Booster

2009-10-11T16:35:00.005-04:00

This free program seems to be really great. I have only used it a couple of times, but it seems to do really well. It stops useless processes from running so you can run your game's with the full potential of your PC. I am not sure if it works with LAN games or online games, so if anyone tests this, let me know. You can download this program from http://www.iobit.com/gamebooster.html

PCSX2

2009-10-08T09:51:00.003-04:00

This is a PS2 Emulator still in development. It can, however, play quite a few commercial games. I am not going to go into much detail on this. If you would like to read more on it you can go to http://pcsx2.net

Finding/ Installing Drivers

2009-10-05T19:40:00.002-04:00

This can be a very easy or difficult task. Usually, hardware you buy comes with the software needed (which is great). However, if you scratch the disc, then you have to download the drivers. If you have the model name/number, this is still usually a simple task. It is usually a good idea to keep a list of your hardware's model name/number. Without the model name/number or the disc, this can be very tricky. Opening up the PC and taking a look at the hardware can usually give you a model name/number (this method can be used to find drivers for almost any hardware). Of course, shut the computer down first and make sure to BE CAREFUL as STATIC ELECTRICITY CAN DAMAGE YOUR HARDWARE. Chipset driver's, as I mentioned before, can usually be found with the help of CPU-Z. Also, Device Manager can show you driver's that have issues or driver's that are not installed. You can access the Device Manager by pressing and holding (Window's key)+(Pause Break), and then selecting Device Manager (in XP you have to select Hardware tab, then Device Manager).

Windows Task Manager (Processes)

2009-10-04T23:57:00.004-04:00

Windows Task Manager is a great way to find out what processes are running. Although it does not always show unwanted, malicious processes, there are quite a few it does show. You can show the Windows Task Manager by pressing and holding (in this order) Ctrl + Alt + Del. Whenever I reinstall Windows, I write down the processes running in the Task Manager. I also note processes that are added after installing programs. That way, if you start having issues, you can check the Task Manager and find out if any unwanted processes are running. If there are any unwanted processes running, you can (1. Go to my Q&A section and list the unwanted process or processes) or (2. Google it and find a solution yourself). When you check for unwanted processes, make sure that everything is closed out, and don't forget to add the processes of newly installed programs to your list (unless you have them memorized or can recognize all your processes).

DownloadHelper

2009-10-03T22:33:00.003-04:00

This add-on for Firefox is free and completely legal. It allows you to download many different types of streaming video's that you normally are unable to download. Youtube is a good example. You just click on the video you want to download, then click the downloadhelper tool on your toolbar, select the file and download it. I have used it for many different video's. This add-on is available at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3006

Q&A

2009-10-01T04:43:00.003-04:00

I have decided to start a Q&A (Question and Answer) post. Any questions that you have about your PC (whether it be hardware or software related) feel free to ask here. I will respond as soon as I can. I am usually on here daily, so a response should not be any longer than a day.

Epsxe

2009-10-01T04:39:00.004-04:00

This is a Playstation one emulator. It works really great with almost all major games. The configuration can be a bit tricky. Also getting a bios for it is tricky too. I can give you a link to the emulator, but the games and bios you will have to find on your own. Which if you own the games, then you can just play them through your DVD drive. You can download the emulator from http://epsxe.com/

Hulu

2009-10-01T04:29:00.003-04:00

This is a great site to watch T.V. for free online. They have a wide variety of shows, movies, and clips to choose from. You can even setup a free account and queue your shows, movies to continue playing in a certain order. You should definitely give this site a try. The link is http://www.hulu.com

Link Exchange

2009-09-30T11:41:00.003-04:00

If you wish to support this site, then I offer a free link exchange. Your link will be posted on the main page in exchange for my link ( http://pcinfo-interests.blogspot.com/ ) on yours. Just post your link in the comments and I will list your link underneath Recommended sites. Thanks in advance for your support. Also, please make a note if your site contains Adult Content.

Instant Messengers and the Risks

2009-09-22T22:10:00.006-04:00

Instant Messengers (also called IM's) are very dangerous. There are over 50 million IM users worldwide, so the threats and risks are very high. I don't use any downloadable IM's. I do use the ones that are built into your email on yahoo and gmail. One thing to keep the risk down, if you do use IM's, is to only allow messages from the user's you know by making yourself private. I would suggest not even using them unless it is either 1. Required by job, school, etc. 2. The only way to communicate with friends, relatives, etc. If you don't want to use IM's to chat, you could sign up for gmail and give the audio/video chat a try. It is free.

Free KGB Key Logger

2009-09-19T01:17:00.003-04:00

For those of you who don't know what a key logger is, here is a simple explanation. It is a program created to be hidden in the background, and while someone is on your PC, logs the keystrokes made during their session. I am not listing this software for illegal purposes. It's purpose is to keep your PC under your control, keep unwanted software from being downloaded, keep unwanted sites from being browsed, and to find out if your kids are accessing inappropriate sites. If you would like to give this program a try you can download it from http://download.cnet.com/Free-KGB-Key-Logger/3000-2162_4-10357898.html.