Speeding Up Your PC For Free by Jon Arking
My mother-in-law is not very good with technology. She understands that computers run the government and that the Internet is great for purchasing figurines on eBay, but that's about it. Like all tech-proficient son-in-laws before me, I am often my in-law’s foil for computer questions and repair. ... The program was simple to follow and the free trial edition was more than enough to smooth out the registry wrinkles. ... Since my mother-in-law’s computer was almost 10 years old, countless program installations left the registry bloated, and resource-consuming.

Spyware and Adware Double the Trouble as Compared To Viruses by Dennis Evans
Spyware is a broad category of malicious software designed to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the informed consent of that machine's owner or legitimate user. Spyware differs from viruses and worms in that it does not usually self-replicate. ... And then those true spyware files that do infect some computer also alter your registry and not all anti spyware software will clean your registry of those illegal lines. ... On line free spyware scanning is almost useless.

Increase Your System Performance with a few Basic Windows XP Tweaks by Kristopher Mainieri
Windows XP is currently the most popular operating system for personal computers and comes in two broad categories--XP Home and XP Pro. XP home is designed for home users who do not need the more heavyweight corporate applications such as a web server but still require a scalable and reliable... The single most important thing you can do to ensure to WinXP performance is to make sure that your computer is free from viruses, trojans, spyware, and other pieces of software that could serve to slow down or otherwise compromise the functioning of your WinXP computer.

Kick-Ass Performance For Your PC? It's Easy by John Deprice
Is your PC is slow and wimpy? Then you need some PC steroids - software applications that will cleanse the registry, optimize RAM and make that puppy fly. Here is what you should start with. Ace Utilities Ace Utilities is a set of system-maintenance and optimization utilities for enhancing... Tools include Unneeded File Remover, for regaining valuable disk space; Registry Cleaner, for preventing application crashes; Startup Organizer, for preventing spy applications from running behind your back; History Eraser, for ensuring your privacy; Duplicate File Finder, for finding and removing...

5 Steps to a Happy PC by Aaron Davis
I can’t begin to count the number of times that I have gone to my mother-in-law’s house only to find myself cleaning up their PC. Every few months it’s the same old thing. The pc is loaded with spyware and is running unbearably slow. Finally I decided to take it home and solve the problem for good. ... I downloaded Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition (free) and installed it. ... After performing these 5 simple steps it was like a new computer. ... I ran Ad Aware and Registry Mechanic making all recommended changes.

Make Windows XP Run Faster! by Bob Rankin
A friend told me: "My computer startup seems to be taking a long time. And when the hard disk finally stops churning, everything just seems slower than when it was new. Can you suggest any maintenance tips to reduce the startup time and make Windows run faster?" I have this theory that sludge... Clean Your Registry The REGCLEAN utility from Microsoft cleans your system registry of unnecessary entries that are created when you install or remove programs on your computer. ... Is there something like engine cleaner we can pour into our personal computer to restore that "like new" performance?

Finding the Right Performance Optimizer by Kevin-James Vella
So, you've decided to fine-tune your PC by using a performance optimizer, but there are hundreds of products available on the market and to find a solution that fits your need can be daunting. In this article, I will explain what performance optimizers are and how they work while suggesting what... Registry files are also a source of slow-downs and crashes - you will have a faster PC by compacting your registry. ... Performance optimizers automatically dig into your hardware and free up valuable resources, remove system hogs that slow your computer down or cause it to crash.

Free Spyware Removal Tools by Alison Cole
There are many pseudo spyware removers out there, which intend to infiltrate your system under the pretence of an effective spyware removal tool. Many such spyware removal tools lured users and trapped them inside their own computers. Systems slowed down, crashed or were filled with spam. ... Trend Micro Anti Spyware is a free online tool that checks and treats any spyware infections on your computer. ... To use this tool, the computer will need an installation of Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher.

Virus and Spyware Tools for Microsoft Windows by Greg Ashbaugh
I was recently cleaning a system that was infested with viruses and spyware/malware, so I thought I'd write about the programs and methods I use when cleaning a system. First and foremost, the easiest way to clean your system is to backup all your data and simply format and install a fresh copy... It's amazing how much room this program will free on your system. ... It can be found here: http://free.grisoft.com/ . ... Then boot into safe mode (by pressing F8 while booting your computer). ... However, it lets you remove malicious registry entries, and other unwanted files.

Home Computer Repair - The Do Nots by Travis Klein
Hello, and welcome to Computer Repair at Home! If you think home computer repair is hard or next to impossible then please read this article. Ok, so you are almost certainly here reading this because you have, or believe you have a computer predicament, or maybe your home computer is just not... Until then, on with the free home computer repair counsel and instruction… Home Computer Repair - how did I learn? ... Some programs are, Registry Repair, Registry Cleaner, Reg Mechanic, and Reg Cure. ... Be taught what you can here for free, so that you will not require any home computer repair...