Microsoft Office 2010

Info:

On April 15, 2010 Office 2010 was released to manufacturing. The suite became available for retail and online purchase on June 15, 2010.Office 2010 is the first version to require product activation for volume license editions.
Office 2010 marks the debut of free online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, which work in the web browsers Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari, but not Opera. Office Starter 2010, a new edition of Office, replaced the low-end home productivity software, Microsoft Works.
Microsoft's update to its mobile productivity suite, Office Mobile 2010, will also be released for Windows Phones running Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Phone 7. In Office 2010, every application features the ribbon, including Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, InfoPath, SharePoint Workspace (previously known as Groove), and the new Office Web Apps.


System Requirement:

For consumers running 32-bit operating systems, the 32-bit version of Office 2010 is compatible with Windows 7, Vista with SP1, XP with SP3, Server 2008, and Server 2003 R2 with MSXML 6.0. For those running 64-bit operating systems, the 32-bit version of Office 2010 is compatible with Windows 7, Vista SP1, Server 2008 R2, Server 2008, and Server 2003 R2 with MSXML 6.0. The 64-bit version of Office 2010 will not work on Server 2003 R2 with MSXML 6.0.

Screenshots:

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Shut Down Your PC by SMS

Create a text  file and write in it c:/windows/system32/shutdown -s -f -t -00
And save it as Shutdown.bat
This is my favourite secret mobile phone tricks out of the list. When you have everything set up, you’ll be able to send a text message with a chosen keyword such as “˜shutdown’ to your PC. This then activates the shutdown procedure. Here’s how it works.
First, you create an easy text file with a one line command (this is specified in the video) and save it to your hard drive. Then, you set up a Kwiry account and sync it with your Email account which you have set up in Outlook Express.

A rule must then be created in Outlook Express which will detect any incoming emails with that keyword and then execute the shutdown command in the text file when it does.
By sending a text with the keyword to your Kwiry account, an identical email is sent to your own email account, thus you can shut down your PC via SMS when you’re out and about.
It’s best to choose an obscure word so a normal email doesn’t accidentally shut down your PC.
You could also use this for cueing up a video game or a program which takes a long time to load before you actually get home to your PC by choosing another application besides from the shutdown file when creating a rule.
Just a quick word of warning before I sign off: many of the claimed cell phone hacks on the internet are completely fake. When researching this article (and through some SPAM a few years back) I came across lots of bogus guides which either waste your time or potentially mess up your phone. So watch out!

Create a file c:/windows/system32/shutdown -s -f -t -00

How To Increase our PC / Hard Disk Working Speed ?

Hii friends today i m posting some thing realy useful for PC users this is the trick to increase your hardisk speed means.

It Will do this things faster
* Quick Coping
*Play Or Run any File Quickly
*PC will Start in No time.
Etc
This trick is very easy and dont have anty risky work
This tip is only recommended if you have 256MB RAM or higher.



Follow these steps:
* Open Run Command –> Start –>RUN
* Type  SYSEDIT.EXE
   This will open system editor window
* Expand the system.ini file window.
* Scroll down almost to the end of the file till you find a line called [386enh].
* Press Enter to make one blank line, and in that line type
   Irq14=4096

Note: This line IS CASE SENSITIVE!
* Click on the File menu, then choose Save.
* Close SYSEDIT and reboot your computer

Done.  Speed improvement will be noticed after the computer reboots.
Extra Points: The most speed improvement is visible with IDE drives; however there are reports that this tweak also does good for SCSI disks. In any case, it won’t harm your system, so don’t worry to try it and post any comments here.

Delete or Remove Recycle bin Icon from Desktop

              If you are the kind of person who always likes neatness specially desktop, then here is a small trick for you that will simply remove the Recycle bin icon from desktop.

 

Follow the steps below:

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Registry Key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\

CurrentVersion\Explorer\BitBucket

Modify/Create the Value Data Type(s) and Value Name(s) as detailed below.

Data Type: DWORD // Value Name: NukeOnDelete

Setting for Value Data: [0 = Use Recycle Bin / 1 = Permanently Delete]
Exit Registry and Reboot

  Another Method
start->run->gpedit.msc-> user configuration ->desktop->remove recycle bin from desktop->double click->change it not configured to enable->apply and ok.

now come to start->run->gpupdate.exe and press enter.

your recycle bin icon is gone from desktop nad you will need to revert your settings for get that back.

after reverting setting make sure to run gpupdate.exe command. 

Increase your RAM and so system speed

1). Start any application, say Word. Open some large documents.

2). Press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC to open Windows Task Manager and click Processes tab and sort the list in descending order on Mem Usage. You will notice that WINWORD.EXE will be somewhere at the top, using multiple MBs of memory.

 

3). Now switch to Word and simply minimize it. (Don't use the Minimize All Windows option of the task bar).

 

4). Now go back to the Windows Task Manager and see where WINWORD.EXE is listed. Most probably you will not find it at the top. You will typically have to scroll to the bottom of the list to find Word. Now check out the amount of RAM it is using. Surprised? The memory utilization has reduced by a huge amount.

 

5). Minimize each application that you are currently not working on by clicking on the Minimize button & you can increase the amount of available RAM by a substantial margin. Depending upon the number and type of applications you use together, the difference can be as much as 50 percent of extra RAM.

                In any multitasking system, minimizing an application means that it won't be utilized by the user right now. Therefore, the OS automatically makes the application use virtual memory & keeps bare minimum amounts of the code in physical RAM.

Automatically Load Programs and Documents When You Start Your PC

On any given day, reader Stephen works with several different files in several different programs. His hassle is having to restart these programs and reload these documents every time he boots his PC:

I would like to be able to shut my PC down and then start up the next day with the same programs and files open on my desktop--just like if I had a REAL desk with all the hard-copy documents neatly laid out ready for me to jump right into work the next day.

Makes sense to me. For example, I typically run Word, Chrome, and Outlook every day, so why I am loading them manually like a sucker?
Although you can't quite "snapshot" your desktop, Stephen, Windows actually makes it pretty easy to auto-load both programs and documents. But keep in mind there's a reason most people don't take advantage of it: the more stuff you load during startup, the longer it takes your machine to, well, start up. Indeed, many users go out of their way to reduce the number of programs that run during the boot process, precisely so that Windows starts faster.
But if you prize convenience over speed (personally, I like using Windows' lengthy boot to, say, straighten my desk or go refill my coffee cup), here's how to make programs and/or documents start when Windows does.
(By the way, readers, obviously you can use Windows' hibernate option to restore your workspace exactly as you left it, but Stephen reported that this was causing problems on his system.)
1. Click Start, All Programs.
2. Find the Startup folder. Right-click it, then choose Open.
3. Find the icon for the program or document you want to run at startup. Right-click it, then choose Create shortcut. (Note: If it's a document for, say, Word, you don't need a shortcut for Word as well. Any given document will automatically run the program it's associated with.)
4. Drag that shortcut into the Startup folder.
5. Close the Startup folder.
Presto! The next time you reboot, your Startup shortcuts will load automatically. If you want to make changes, just open the Startup folder again and delete any shortcuts. (Remember, they're shortucts, not the actual documents/programs--so there's no harm in deleting them.)

How to Disable Windows Startup Programs

You can speed up your PC's boot time by cutting out startup items in Windows.

When you start your computer, Windows isn't the only program that loads. For instance, you may have noticed icons in the notification area (also known as the system tray) in the far-right portion of the taskbar. These icons often represent programs that start when the system starts. You also may have seen certain programs, such as software for syncing your phone or MP3 player, launching themselves along with Windows. Additionally, some applications begin running silently in the background every time you boot the PC.
All of these automatically opening programs consume system memory, and can drag down performance. Fortunately, managing startup programs isn't difficult; by taking a few steps, you can find out what is running on your computer and disable the items you don't need.

Method 1: Configure a Program Directly

If you've noticed a program starting automatically, and you want the behavior to stop, sometimes the easiest solution is to explore the program's settings directly.
1. Open the program.
2. Find the settings panel. Typically it will be available under a menu labeled Settings, Preferences, Options, or Tools.
3. Find the option to disable the program from running at startup. The language for this type of option varies, but it should be easy to find if it exists.
When you restart the computer, the program will no longer launch. You'll still be able to start it manually, so don't be deterred if the application asks you if you are sure you want to disable its automatic startup.

Method 2: Use the System Configuration Utility (MSConfig)

You can use msconfig.exe to change Windows' startup items.The System Configuration Utility--also called MSConfig--is a useful tool for understanding and controlling startup programs. Microsoft intends MSConfig to act primarily as a troubleshooting tool, but its simple and powerful interface makes it a good option for startup management as well.
1. Open the Start menu and type msconfig into the Search box.
2. Click the msconfig search result. The utility will open in a new window.
3. Click the Startup tab. You'll see a list of programs that start when your computer starts.
4. To stop a program from automatically launching when you boot the PC, uncheck the box next to its entry.
5. When you are finished deselecting startup items, click OK. If you made any changes, you'll be prompted to restart the computer. You don't have to restart it immediately, but the changes won't take effect until you do.
When you restart the computer, MSConfig will alert you to the changes. In the window that pops up, check the box next to Don't show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows starts, and click OK to prevent future alerts. You can always return to MSConfig to reverse the changes or make additional tweaks.

Warning

Use caution when disabling items in MSConfig. Many entries have names that aren't self-explanatory. Research each entry before unchecking its box; use the Web to search for the name of the entry, and to get an idea of its function. Without doing your homework, you could end up disabling an important application such as your antivirus program.

Other Methods

In Windows or in third-party applications, you can find more ways to manage startup programs. For instance, Microsoft currently recommends a utility called Autoruns, which is more advanced than MSConfig. The two methods above should suit your needs, but feel free to explore other options if you are curious.

How to Make Your Windows PC Boot Faster

Looking to slash your Windows PC's boot time to the bone? We'll show you how we made one system boot 30 percent faster--without any hardware upgrades

Back in the old days of 2010, I used to walk into my home office in the morning, hit the power button on my production system, and then head back upstairs to have breakfast. By the time I returned to the office, my system had fully booted up and was ready to go.
Then I upgraded to a solid-state drive RAID array--and now my system boots in about 30 seconds. However, not everyone is willing to spend $700 on PC's storage, so I decided to find out how much I could speed up a PC's boot time without spending a dime. After several hours of tweaking and testing, I managed to reduce the boot time of a PC from 69 seconds to 47 seconds. Here's how I did it.

The Test System

Rather than artificially creating a slow-booting system by installing a bunch of glop from the Web, I decided to use an existing system--one that I use almost daily. It's not my speedy, SSD-equipped production system, but my system for performance-testing add-in graphics cards. Since that system also serves as a backup content editing system, I've installed Adobe Master Collection 5.0 on it, along with all of the extraneous stuff Adobe likes to add to a system. Microsoft Office is another major software component.
Among its hardware components are a Core i7 965X quad-core CPU, 6GB of RAM, and a 7200-rpm Seagate 7200.11 1TB hard drive.
This setup allowed me to test real-world improvements in boot times on a system that reflected real-world usage. Over the years, I have installed numerous graphics cards on it, which also means numerous driver installs and uninstalls. Games and applications have come and gone, too. What you won't see from optimizing a gradually cluttered real-world system are insanely big improvements, as you might with some of the artificial tests that are floating around.

The PC Boot Process

Illustration by The Heads of StateWhen you fire up your PC, the processor performs some initial startup steps and then looks for a specific memory address in the boot loader ROM. Next, the processor starts to run code that it finds at this location, which is the system boot loader. The boot ROM enumerates all of the hardware in the system and performs a number of diagnostic tests. Then it looks for a specific location on the first storage device--probably your hard drive, assuming that the system isn't set up to boot from a network--and runs code found in that location. That's the start of the operating system load process.
For Windows, the code that your processor loads is the Windows Boot Manager. The boot manager then begins the process of loading Windows. At some point during this process, the core of the Windows operating system--the kernel--loads into memory along with some key drivers and the hardware abstraction layer. The HAL functions as the interface between the operating system and the underlying hardware. After this, the Windows Executive, a collection of essential services such as the virtual memory manager and the I/O manager, fires up and loads the Windows Registry.
The Registry contains information about what services, drivers, and applications load during boot. The Registry is actually a database that stores configuration settings, options, and key locations for both high-level applications and low-level OS services. Over time, as users install and uninstall apps, the size of the Registry can balloon, thereby increasing load times. Boot times are also affected by the loading of key services and startup applications.
This summary is by no means a detailed description of the PC boot process. Consult a detailed tutorial on the Windows boot process--such as this one--if you want to dive deeper.
In view of the PC boot process, we can explore several areas to reduce boot times:

• The System BIOS or Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)
• The Windows Boot Manager
• System Services
• Application Services (helpers)
• Startup Programs
• Windows Registry

Let's consider each of these Windows functions individually.

Disabling Extraneous Services

Before proceeding further, I needed to measure my system's pretweak boot time. One way to do this is to create a text file containing the text "Stop the Stopwatch." Drop this into the Windows startup applications folder in C:\Users\your username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup. This allows you to time the boot process with a stopwatch and know when to stop the watch. The boot process isn't completely finished at this point, but the system will be in a usable state.
Measured by this method, my system took 69 seconds to boot--far too long. It was time to nuke some services.
First, I looked at the startup services that opened when my system booted. You can check the list for your PC by running msconfig, a built-in Windows utility. Click the Start menu, type Run, press Enter, and then type msconfig in the Run box. Click the Services tab. In the accompanying screenshot you can see that, for simplicity's sake, I ticked the checkbox next to 'Hide all Microsoft services'; nevertheless, I did plan all along to disable a few Windows services.
List of services that open at startup on a typical working system, as identified by msconfig.
In addition to disabling all of the services shown in the above list, I disabled six Microsoft Windows services from starting on boot:

• Windows Media Center receiver
• Windows Media Center Scheduler service
• Microsoft Office Groove Audit Service
• Microsoft Office Diagnostic Service
• Smart Card Removal Policy
• Smart Card

Since I don't use Windows Media Center on this system, disabling the first item on the list was an easy decision. And these changes only scratch the surface. Another item that you might disable on startup is Remote Login (if you never use it). The right choices depend on your needs.
After disabling the extraneous application services and a handful of Microsoft services, I found that the system now took 68 seconds to boot--not much of an improvement. The next step was to disable a few startup applications.
Next: Disabling Startup Applications

Disabling Startup Applications

Msconfig's Startup tab lists applications that start on bootup. Here is the list on my test system.
Most of these startup applets and helpers aren't necessary.
Most of the listed startup applets are at least occasionally useful, but none are essential from the get-go. I can manually check for Adobe updates, let QuickTime and Acrobat start a tiny bit slower when I need them, and so on. So l just unchecked all of the applets on the Startup list.
System boot time: 57 seconds.
Now we're talking. Disabling startup applications and a few services trimmed 11 seconds off a 69-second boot time--an improvement of nearly 16 percent.

System BIOS Tweaks

The Asus P6T6 Deluxe motherboard on my test system has two ethernet connectors, but I need only one of them. The motherboard is also set up to check the optical drive to see whether it contains a bootable CD or DVD--and only after that, to try to boot off the hard drive. And finally, since I don't use my external and secondary SATA controller, I don't need a BIOS check for the Marvell discrete SATA controller. Armed with this knowledge, I entered my PC's BIOS during startup, and performed three quick operations: disabling the second ethernet port, setting up the system to boot from the hard drive first, and disabling the discrete SATA controller.
Boot time: 52 seconds
So on my system, disabling a few unused BIOS items netted a savings of 5 seconds at bootup. Not bad.

Cleaning the Registry

Does cleaning the Registry of unused or orphan database entries lead to faster boot times? A number of articles suggest that it does, but many of them base that conclusion on rather extreme testing--loading up a system with a lot of junk, and then using a Registry cleaner to remove the new additions. The PCWorld Labs has tested PC cleanup utilities in the past, and found that they slightly improve boot time (and minimally improve overall system performance, but that's another story). But how effective are they on system whose encrustation of junk occurred naturally?
I used Piriform's Ccleaner 3.12, a popular Registry and system cleaner to autoscan my system and identify items that it thought were useless.
Ccleaner scans and cleans out the system; but does doing so improve boot times?
I handled the cleanup in two steps--first having Ccleaner remove extraneous files, cookies, index files, log files, and other clutter, and then accepting Ccleaner's recommendations regarding unneeded Registry entries and cleaning those out. The first sweep with Ccleaner improved my test system's boot time by 1 second (to 51 seconds,) and the second sweep yielded another 1-second advance (to 50 seconds).
So Ccleaner's cleanup work was good for 2 seconds at bootup-- a modest upgrade. Still, cleaning extraneous garbage from your Registry and your system can have other positive effects, such as reducing the Registry's memory footprint and regaining disk space. Both of those can improve system responsiveness.
I now had one more corrective measure to try: setting the boot timeout delay.

Changing Boot Timeout

You might expect changing the boot timeout not to have much impact, since all it does is specify how long Windows may display an automatic menu, such as the Startup Repair menu. But it turns out that changing the boot timeout does affect boot performance.
Change the boot timeout from 30 to 10 seconds
The default boot timeout setting on my test PC was 30 seconds; but 10 seconds should give users sufficient time to respond to any menus that Windows may present.
The boot time after I made this change: 47 seconds.
This was a repeatable test. It's unclear to me why this alteration has such a relatively large impact, but 3 seconds is 3 seconds.

Final Thoughts

You can dig deeper into each step of the process I've outlined here to reduce boot times further. But with a modest amount of effort, the boot time on my fairly typical system dropped from 69 seconds to 47 seconds, a reduction of more than 30 percent.
Another option, of course, is to throw money at the problem, depending on the system you're starting with. In my speedy production system, the SSD RAID array boots the PC in less than 30 seconds--without the aid of any of the tweaks I've discussed here. Alternatively, if you have a Sandy Bridge PC running Intel's Z68 chipset, you can add a more modest (64GB or less) SSD drive and enable SSD caching of the drive. That can significantly improve boot times and reduce the load time that commonly used applications require.
But even ordinary systems can see substantial decreases in boot time. The key is to optimize each step of the boot process, one at a time. You don't need to do them all in one sitting, either. And be sure to recheck your system's boot time every couple of months, because installing new applications may make it get longer again.

How to Clean Your Windows Registry and Speed Up Your PC

A cluttered Registry can slow Windows to a crawl, but cleaning it up effectively isn't easy. Steve Bass reviews some of the leading Registry cleaners, and offers tips to help you get your Registry down to size and improve your PC's performance.

Let's start with a little quiz. I say "Big, bloated, and full of errors." What do you say? Right, "Windows Registry." One more: "Messing with it is risky." If you guessed the Registry again, you pass. While fooling around with your Windows Registry does involve some risk, cleaning it out can have an impact on your PC's overall performance.
The Windows Registry is an essential system file that houses a massive collection of details about your computer--where programs are stored, which helper programs (known as DLLs) are shared among your various applications, listings of all your Start-menu shortcuts, and pointers to the programs that fire up when you click on an icon. And that's just the beginning.
Practically everything you do in Windows is recorded somewhere in the Registry. For instance, the URL for this article probably has an entry now. The paths to the last dozen or so images or documents you opened are there, too, as are the details of the programs you most recently installed or uninstalled.
As seen in this scan, the Windows Registry can quickly fill up with unwanted, obsolete, or just plain incorrect entries that can cause your system to slow down.Here's the problem: If you pry open the Registry, you'll probably find it about as cluttered as a teenager's bedroom. That's because Windows doesn't efficiently clean up after itself as it goes about its daily business. It constantly creates new entries, but seldom--if ever--removes them after they're no longer needed.
Compounding that problem are applications that are too inept to uninstall all of the Registry entries they create; far too often, program upgrades and installers leave unneeded pointers in the Registry. So the Registry becomes bloated with unnecessary entries, slowing down your system.

Registry Cleaners: Boon or Boondoggle?

The big question is whether a Registry cleaner will speed up your PC, making it boot more quickly and run faster. The answer? I can say, emphatically and unequivocally, uh, maybe. That's right, a big, fat perhaps--because everything depends on the condition of your Registry.
To find out which Registry cleaner catches the most errors, is the safest and easiest to use, and (just as important) creates the fewest hassles, I tested five of the most popular Registry cleaners and defraggers. Many came recommended by PC World readers. I examined two free products (Advanced Windows Care and RegSeeker) and three commercial ones (jv16 PowerTools, Registry First Aid, and RegSupreme). After all that testing, my Registry is squeaky clean--the absolute envy of my PC World colleagues. Jump to page 3 for my verdict on each application.
I tried each tool on my messy production PC using Windows XP SP3, on a pristine Fujitsu Lifebook T-Series laptop running Vista, and on an old ThinkPad laptop. I ran the Registry scan and repair module of each application, rebooted the system, and watched for problems--and I also tried to determine whether the system seemed friskier. After each test, I restored each system to its original state of disarray with Acronis TrueImage.

Registry Dos (and Don'ts)

Messing with the Registry--and doing so incorrectly--can destroy Windows, send your PC to computer heaven, and cause you great distress. I'm not kidding. Here are my ten tips to keep your system here on Earth--and to keep yourself anxiety-free.
Use Windows' built-in backup utility, or grab one from PC World's Downloads library and use it, before messing with your Registry.1. The utmost protection from Registry hassles, or any computing disaster, is to have a current backup. I really mean it. As in, you ought to do one now while you're thinking about it. For a thorough tutorial, read "How to Prevent a Data Disaster" or "Fifteen Backup Programs to Safeguard Your Data." And if you don't have one, grab a backup tool from our Downloads library.
2. In most other programs that walk you through with wizards, it's no big deal if you don't pay attention and you merely keep clicking the Next button. That isn't the case with Registry cleaners. I strongly encourage you to stay alert and read whatever the cleaning tool has to say.
3. Before you open the Registry cleaner, use ERUNT (The Emergency Recovery Utility NT) to back up the Registry. Sure, I know, it's redundant, since the Registry cleaner will back up any changes it makes. But I like an extra level of security. You will, too, if something goes awry.
4. When you begin scanning, make sure not to have any applications running; if possible, it's also smart to unload any tools running in your system tray. That's because open apps are constantly making Registry changes, and you want the Registry cleaner to do its work with no interference.
In the left column of this screen, Registry First Aid lists which changes it considers safe. Stick with those for the time being.5. After the scan, the program will let you remove--or in some cases, repair--the Registry errors. If you're given the option, set the Registry cleaner to remove errors only at the safest and least-intrusive level. (You can scan with more-aggressive settings later on.) Even at that, you might see 1000 or even 2000 "safe" entries that need cleaning. For instance, Registry First Aid found 2161 problems on my production system, of which about 1900 it deemed safe to alter.
Whatever you do, never choose an autoclean option, such as the one in RegSeeker. Ever. They are not to be trusted.
6. Choosing which of the errors to remove or repair can give you a migraine. When I inspect a list of potential entries to remove, I scan for things that look familiar. For example, in my lists I saw almost 100 Registry entries left over from a package of Dell drivers I had uninstalled months ago, and one Registry cleaner spotted invalid paths to dozens of entries for MP3 files that I had moved to a new location. Both of those catches were accurate, and gave me the sense that the program's removal suggestions were on target.
After a couple of days, if your PC doesn't do anything weird, try another scan, this time allowing the Registry cleaner to work more aggressively.
You must, however, examine entries marked with 'Caution', 'Extreme Caution', or some other indicator of risk very carefully. I'm still not kidding. Unless you're an advanced user and can clearly identify the scope of the entry, leave it alone. The reason is that, even if the cleaner offers an option to restore a deleted Registry entry, restoring might not be possible if the DLL entry you just deleted is essential for your system to boot.
7. Once you give the tool the go-ahead and it starts removing Registry entries, walk away from your PC. Play with the dog, have some coffee, or watch TV. This is for safety purposes: If you're fiddling with the PC--moving the mouse, deleting desktop shortcuts, whatever--you're making changes to the Registry while a Registry cleaner is working. Not a good idea.
8. If you discover a problem (for instance, maybe Excel no longer launches), don't panic. And don't do anything aside from using the Registry cleaner's restore feature, which ensures that only the changes the program just made are reversed. That will probably fix the problem. If not, the next step is to restore the Registry with ERUNT, the tool I mentioned in step 3. As a last resort, restore your PC with a backup program--which you certainly have, right?
9. You needn't perform a Registry scan more than once a month or so, especially if you don't often make changes to your PC. Scanning more frequently won't hurt anything, but you're unlikely to see a significant performance boost.
10. Are you a techno-fanatic who needs the Registry to be squeaky clean, with absolutely no stray entries and trimmed of all fat? There's no harm in using multiple freebie Registry cleaners--provided you use them one at a time. You might also want to select a Registry cleaner (such as jv16 PowerTools or Registry First Aid) that includes a defragger, or choose a free defragger such as Auslogics Registry Defrag.

Registry Cleaners: How They Fared

If you're like me and you constantly add and remove programs, move files around, and fiddle with I-don't-know-if-this-will-work freeware, I'm confident a Registry scrubbing will help you, if only a little bit. It did for me, though the change wasn't earth-shattering. I used a stopwatch with my desktop system, and after a cleaning I saw 10 seconds shaved off its boot time. I also noticed that Microsoft Word and an image editor loaded a little faster.
On the other hand, I didn't see a smidgen of improvement on my laptop. That's because on that machine I use the same five programs, rarely install new applications, and mostly check e-mail and browse the Internet. So scanning the Registry showed fewer than 50 problems, and cleaning didn't make any difference.
None of the cleaners managed to fix a gnarly problem I was having with spoolsv.exe. (Spoolsv.exe occasionally holds up other programs from loading on my PC.)
Your mileage, undoubtedly, will vary, and you won't know how effective a Registry cleaner is until you give it a whirl. But if nothing else, these programs will at least give you the feeling that you're taking care of your computer.
In each of the following reviews, you'll read my curmudgeonly impressions of how the Registry cleaners performed. I focused on their ease of use, the number of errors they found, and whether they introduced any hazards, such as no automatic backups.
Some of the tools I tested wanted a permanent spot in my system tray; it's not necessary, though, and when a program tried doing it, I found the option to disable the setting. And except for Registry First Aid, none of the products would repair faulty entries, but instead just deleted entries that were no longer valid.
Registry First Aid
Registry First Aid is eager to help you fix and compact your Registry--and it does a terrific job, too. Of all the programs I tried, this one inspired the most confidence, both from a safety perspective and in the way it handled Registry problems. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, and the program includes a Registry defragger, a Registry searching tool, and a built-in automatic backup module. Registry First Aid supports all versions of Windows.
Priced at $28, Registry First Aid is one of the most effective (and least destructive) cleaners we tested.The only drawback is that the program costs $28; the trial version lets you see everything the program does, and is fully diagnostic, but fixes only 14 entries at a time. I'm hoping that won't dissuade you from trying Registry First Aid.
Registry First Aid found 2161 faulty entries in a 20-minute scan, a high number that may be explained by the program's relatively liberal definition of what constitutes a faulty entry. I was comfortable with the way it listed problems, either by category (such as invalid file or DLL, invalid path, or unused software entries) or by safety level. All of the entry issues that were safe to fix were automatically checkmarked, and I liked having to check the ones labeled 'Caution' or 'Extreme Caution' manually.
Most problems that Registry First Aid found were marked 'Delete the entry', but some had other choices. I could cut the invalid substring or, in some cases, repair the entry. Unfortunately, the program's Help function wasn't too helpful, so I opted to use the default.
While the program was scanning, I was able to examine each listing, check or uncheck it, or open the specific entry in the Registry.
A great feature, and one worth the price of admission: With one click, most of the problem entries popped open my browser and conducted a Google search on that Registry key. Very cool, and ideal for determining whether a risky entry should be removed.
One quibble: I wasn't happy that the tool attempted to find a home in my system tray, unnecessarily adding clutter just to check for new versions. I disabled it in the settings.
RegSupreme
RegSupreme, only $13, is definitely a basic, no-frills tool. It includes a Registry cleaner as well as a Registry compactor, and is essentially a scaled-down version of its bigger sibling, jv16 PowerTools (see below).
RegSupreme is a no-frills Registry cleaner priced at $13.In RegSupreme you get only two levels of error detection--safe and aggressive--as opposed to four in jv16 PowerTools. And the program has almost no extras; the only one of value offers a way to search for specific keywords in the Registry (say, "RealPlayer"). On the other hand, the inexpensive RegSupreme has a built-in backup tool and gets the job done. So if you like jv16 PowerTools but you don't need the extra functions--and you want to save some money--RegSupreme could be perfect for you. Like jv16 PowerTools, RegSupreme supports every version of Windows and comes with a full-featured, 30-day trial.
RegSeeker
RegSeeker is free, and alongside a Registry cleaner it has a handful of other Registry-focused utilities. The tools include a keyword finder; a utility to examine installed application Registry entries, assorted histories (for instance, Internet Explorer and Start-menu items), and Startup entries; and a tool to tweak about 24 XP settings.
See the Auto Clean button on RegSeeker's menu? You'd best avoid it.This Registry cleaner is confusing because its interface sports a strangely labeled 'OK!' button that doesn't really give you a sense of what the program will do next. On the same screen, the app presents a dangerous option: Auto Clean, which I encourage you to avoid. The screen provides little help or guidance, though RegSeeker warns that to back up the Registry, you must make sure to check the 'Backup before deletion' option, another oddly labeled feature. The program has no automatic restore function, either; you'll need to find the saved .reg file yourself and click on it to restore your Registry.
On my production PC, RegSeeker picked up 1108 problems. Unfortunately, the program offered no assistance in determining which of the errors needed deleting; it also didn't provide categories, such as invalid path or shared DLL, in order to help me decide whether items were safe to delete. RegSeeker isn't for novices. It supports Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.
Advanced WindowsCare Personal
Advanced WindowsCare is a freebie and comes with other tools besides a Registry cleaner. For instance, it claims to deter and remove spyware, optimize your PC, manage your Startup items, and remove junk files. I focused only on the tool's Registry skills, and didn't try any of those other components.
Advanced WindowsCare Personal's main menu (pictured) is easy to navigate, but its results list is more challenging to decipher.Though Advanced WindowsCare found 323 Registry issues, about the same number as jv16 PowerTools picked up, its presentation of the scanning results was pitiful. Unlike other tools that supplied detailed information about each problem, a choice of fixes, or a way to open the Registry to see the actual entry, Advanced WindowsCare just showed me a list. The program uses a minimalist approach: Each item sports a cautionary orange or red symbol (with no legend), the Registry key location and value, and an error description (obsolete software key or missing MUI reference, for instance). And rather than providing a built-in backup module, Advanced WindowsCare simply offered a menu item that brought me to Windows System Restore.
One more issue: You'll need to pay attention when you install Advanced WindowsCare's free scanner--unless you clear the check boxes, the fool thing will automatically add the Yahoo Toolbar to your system and make Yahoo your Web browser's home page. Not good.
The program supports Windows 2000, XP, and Vista, but I'd recommend it only to advanced users.
jv16 PowerTools
For $30, you can pick up a copy of jv16 PowerTools (a more-complete sibling to the streamlined RegSupreme). In addition to a Registry cleaner and compactor, it has other tools that will tell you all you ever wanted to know about the Registry--but you probably wouldn't use most of them. Among the tools are utilities to manage the Registry, find and replace entries, monitor Registry changes, take a snapshot, and get Registry stats. The collection contains other modules, too, including file finders and cleaners, duplicate finders, and an assortment of system management tools, such as a startup manager and a history cleaner. jv16 PowerTools supports every version of Windows and comes with a full-featured, 30-day trial.
At $30, jv16 PowerTools is the most robust Registry cleaner we tested, but it isn't a good choice for novice users.In its aggressive mode, the Registry cleaner in jv16 PowerTools found 392 Registry problems; in its normal mode, it detected 298 problems. The program gave me two ways to fix the problems. The first option was to back up the Registry and let jv16 make all the changes it wanted to--a choice I wasn't happy with and wouldn't use. On the other hand, when I chose the 'Custom fix' alternative, the program forced me to look at each problem one at a time. Other apps, such as Registry First Aid, list all the items and let you select specific entries by checking the boxes beside them, which is much easier. I also wished that the program showed the severity of each problem so that I'd know which ones were important, but it didn't.
jv16 PowerTools' Registry Cleaner component includes a slider bar for you to decide how aggressively you want the tool to scan--safe, normal, aggressive, or very aggressive. After the scan, a report shows a graph with the number of errors, from high to low. The feature is interesting but not terribly valuable, since it doesn't offer any details about how it's identifying the problems.
A nice touch, however, is that the opening series of screens provides helpful tips to use the program--I recommend you read them thoroughly.
One final note: Keeping your system free of unwanted applications with a good uninstaller utility will help eliminate the need for a dedicated Registry cleaner. For a program that's proficient at removing applications, read "Revo: The King of Uninstallers"; you can download Revo from our library.

Restore Your System When You Can't Launch System Restore

System Restore won't run on Linda Burgess' PC. I offer some advice.
System Restore automatically backs up the state of Windows and your installed programs (but not your data). When Windows misbehaves, System Restore allows you to return the operating system to a previous condition. So when System Restore misbehaves, you may be tempted to pick up your laptop and smash it into the wall.
That's not recommended.
Let's start with the basics: To launch System Restore in Windows 7 or Vista, click Start, type system restore, and press ENTER. In XP, select Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore.

Now, onto Linda's problem:
Malware often blocks System Restore, so its failure to run could be a sign of infection. Before you do anything else, see Remove Hard-to-Kill Malware and follow the recommendations there.
If that doesn't solve the problem, try running System Restore in Safe Mode: Boot your PC and press F8 just before Windows starts loading. Getting the timing right can be tricky; you mayneed to press and release it over and over until you get the desired result.

That result is a simple, text-based menu. Use the keyboard arrow keys to select Safe Mode. Then launch System Restore as described above.
If that doesn't work, Windows 7 users have another option: the Windows 7 System Repair Disc.
To create it, in Windows 7, select Start, type system repair disc, press ENTER and follow the prompts. You'll need a blank CD-R and an optical drive that can burn one.
Once the disc is burned, leave it in the drive and reboot your PC. Keep an eye on the screen. When you're prompted to "Press any key;" do so.
Follow the prompts until you get to the "Choose a recovery tool" page. Then select System Restore.

6 Registry Hacks to Make Your PC Faster

Speed up boot times and make Windows a bit more responsive with these Registry tweaks.

 

The Windows Registry is a database that holds your operating system's configurations and settings. This includes everything from how long your mouse must hover over a taskbar icon before the preview pops up (in Windows Vista and Windows 7) to performance settings.
Windows 7 (and Vista) have more eye-candy features built into the operating system, but a number of Registry hacks and tweaks can speed up--or, at least, appear to speed up--the performance of your computer. Before we start mucking around with your PC's guts, however, we're going to make sure that you have a reliable backup of your Registry in case something goes sour.
Though editing the Windows Registry is not nearly as scary as it sounds, making an incorrect change can cripple your system. To ensure that this doesn't happen, it's important to take the precaution of backing up part, or all, of the Registry before you proceed.

Back Up the Entire Registry

To back up your Registry, you can use the free Registry-specific backup tool ERUNT (Emergency Recovery Utility NT). ERUNT is simple to use, more reliable than System Restore, and works with Windows XP, Vista, and 7 (even 64-bit versions). ERUNT also saves each restore point independently of the other points, unlike System Restore (in System Restore, all restore points are dependent on other points).
Download ERUNT here.

Back Up Part of the Registry

If you're changing just one part of the Windows Registry, and you know which part that is, you don't have to back up the entire Registry. Instead, you can back up the part you plan on changing using the Registry's export feature.
First, go to Start, Run, type regedit, and press Yes. This will open the Registry Editor.
Next, find the part of the Registry you're going to change. Right-click on the Registry key you plan on changing, and click "Export." The Registry Editor will prompt you to save a .reg file to your hard drive.
To undo Registry changes, just find your .reg file and double-click it. The .reg file will reset your Registry values to their existing values (but will not remove values that you've added).

Hack Your Registry

Using the built-in Registry Editor.Now that you've backed up your Registry--perhaps more than once--it's time to start hacking away. To get to the Windows Registry, go to Start > Run (in Windows Vista/7 you will have to type run into the Start menu search bar and press Enter). Type regedit, click Yes, and the Registry Editor will open.

Hack 1: Speed Up Aero Peek

A quick tweak to speed up Aero Peek. (Click for larger image.) Windows 7's Aero Peek lets you see the desktop when you move your mouse cursor over to the "show desktop" button at the end of the taskbar. The standard delay time for the Aero Peek preview is 500 milliseconds, or half a second. Here's how to speed it up:
1. Open the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer > Advanced.
2. Right-click on the right pane and click New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the new DWORD "DesktopLivePreviewHoverTime."
3. Double-click on DesktopLivePreviewHoverTime to open it. Under "Base," click Decimal and then enter the delay time (in milliseconds) in the "Value data" field. Click OK, and your Aero Peek time will be set. You can set the value to higher (a longer delay time) if you're activating it too often by accident, or to lower (a shorter delay time) if half a second is just too long.
4. Log off and log back on for the change to take effect.

Hack 2: Speed Up Taskbar Previews

You can speed up (or slow down) taskbar previews here. (Click for larger image.)When you roll over taskbar icons in Windows Vista and in Windows 7, little previews appear. The standard delay time for these previews is 400 milliseconds, or just under half a second. If this is too slow (or too fast) for you, you can adjust the delay time with an easy Registry hack.
1. Open the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer > Advanced.
2. Right-click on the right pane and click New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the new DWORD "ExtendedUIHoverTime."
3. Double-click on ExtendedUIHoverTime to open it. Under "Base," click Decimal and then enter in the delay time (in milliseconds) in the "Value data" field. Click OK to set the time (default is 400 milliseconds).
4. Log off and then log back in for the change to take effect.

Hack 3: Speed Up Menus

Ditch the menu display delay. (Click for larger image.)If you'd like to speed up the menus in Windows Vista or Windows 7, try this easy Registry tweak:
1. Open the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Control Panel > Desktop.
2. Find MenuShowDelay and double-click to open. Adjust the value in milliseconds (the default is 400 milliseconds, or just under half a second).
3. Log off and then log back on for the change to take effect.

Hack 4: Prevent Reboots

Tired of losing work to Windows Update reboots? Fix that here. (Click for larger image.)If you have a habit of leaving your computer on all the time (as do I), you'll occasionally run into the problem of automatic system reboots. These usually happen after Windows downloads some sort of important update, and will usually be preceded by a notification (that gives you about 10 to 15 minutes warning, unless you click it away). If you're not around to see said notification, and you have a lot of windows or important documents open on your computer, these reboots can be a hassle.
So here's how to keep your computer from automatically rebooting with an easy Registry hack. This hack works for Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.
1. Open the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Windows.
2. Right-click in the right pane and select New > Key. This will create a new folder. Name the new folder "WindowsUpdate."
3. Open WindowsUpdate and right-click in the right pane (there will be a value already in the pane called "Default"). Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name this DWORD "NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers."
4. Open NoAutoRebootWithLoggedOnUsers and change the Value data to 1. Do not change the Base button to "Decimal"; instead, keep it at "Hexadecimal." Click OK.
5. Exit the Registry Editor and log off and log back in for the settings to take effect. Your system will now never force a reboot without your explicit permission.

Hack 5: Disable Notification Balloons

Your notification area is constantly flashing with balloon pop-ups. Cut them out here. (Click for larger image.)If you hate pop-up notification balloons on your Windows Vista or Windows 7 taskbar, you can disable them using a simple Registry hack:
1. Open the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer > Advanced.
2. Right-click on the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name your new DWORD "EnableBalloonTips."
3. Double-click on EnableBalloonTips and set the Value data to 0. It doesn't matter if you have Decimal or Hexadecimal clicked under "Base," because 0 is 0 in both decimal and hexadecimal.
4. Log off and log back on for the change to take effect. You'll no longer see any annoying notification balloons from the taskbar.

Hack 6: Boot XP Faster

Is Windows XP booting too slowly? Here's how to speed up your boot-time with a quick Registry tweak.
1. Open the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > ContentIndex.
2. In the right pane will be a value called "StartupDelay." Double-click on StartupDelay to open it. Change the "Base" from Hexadecimal to Decimal, and enter 40,000 (the default setting is 480,000).
3. Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer. Your computer should boot up considerably faster--while this worked for me on my Windows XP laptop, values lower than 40,000 didn't produce a noticeable difference.