PC Advice

Hi,
Thought it would be a good idea to drop a couple of tips for those who are using XP, to give you an idea of what I do to keep my PC running at its Optimum Performance, and a quick summary of the programs I use.
I have also added  links to FREE apps I use for PC, and will review new free products occasionally.

Maintenance
This is a touchy subject for some. Cleaning tools have been available for awhile, and I get the same old question from alot of people...which one is the best? For those of you that think you must have the latest and greatest, sorry to say, its not always the way. I have tried (as will be the case for many) alot of different programs and utilities to clean my PC, among them;

System Mechanic
Tuneup Utilities
Window Washer
Okoker Optimize Expert
Advanced Registry Doctor
RegVac
XP Tools AIO
to name a few.

I would love to say use this one or that one, but as a quick guide, refer to the list above, and find out a bit of information about them. I use a Free Cleaner.

CCleaner (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download) does pretty much what I would expect from a paid product, let-alone a free download! Built-in registry cleaner seems to work great, it loads fast, scans fast, and is lean on resources.

Although they all do basically the same job, its really up to the individual to decide whether the program works for them or not. One thing to be mindful of, is that not all computers are the same.
The problems you are having on your computer might never happen to mine, and could be due to some of the following;

The programs installed on your PC
Some programs you install, like to change the PC's configuration, which may result in an unstable PC, or Hang-time,(freezing up,blue screen). Other programs might be too resource-hungry, as the specifications of your computer do not meet the requirements needed to run the program.
In other words, your PC cant handle it!

So what do I do if I have installed a program that does this?
Well...If you can, uninstall the program. If it is hanging or slowing down your system, follow these steps;

Reboot (Safe Mode)
After the initial boot-screen, keep tapping F8, until a Menu appears. Choose 'Safe mode', then enter.On start-up, click 'Yes". You should have writing in all 4 corners of your screen.

This is Safe-Mode, and it is used to make changes to your PC when it is not going right.
Safe mode loads only the necessary drivers windows needs to boot-up. While in safe-mode, use the uninstaller to remove the offending program,(or the last program you use), reboot, and see if the problem exists. If unsure, make sure to refer to a trained technician or similar.

Unfortunately, there are times when you have to take responsibility for your own actions, and if you keep using a program you like, because it;s easy, or because you are used to it, but still keep having the same problems, I would suggest looking for an alternative program that does the same thing. 
Believe me, there are always other programs, it's just a matter of doing a bit of research into it.

Also helpful are forums, where people leave comments and answers on a huge range of topics (Software included). From here, you can isolate the problem(s), and either use the forums to correct it, or maybe take their advice on a similar product, and try something else.

Free Programs
Alot of audio and video playback problems I have had in the past, I normally resolve alot of these by installing the latest K-lite Codec Pack (http://www.free-codecs.com/k_lite_codec_pack_download.htm.
 
I found a little Antivirus by the way of Panda Cloud Antivirus (http://www.cloudantivirus.com/en/), which I am currently trialling. Its free, and the user interface is appealing and basic. Its does not seem to be bogging down my system, updates dont take forever and slow my connection to a crawl.

Im not sure about the option to let the software maufacturer take management of the settings though. I un-ticked that box on install. Easy to setup, and easy on resources. Try it and leave an opinion.
So far, I like it, but I'll get back to you on that.

Your computer slowing down? Taking too long to log on or connect to the net? I Bet your full of crap! Not actually you full of crap, but your system.
Ive been using CCleaner (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download) for around 2 years, and I'm happy with it. Small download, quick to setup and install, this program again, rivals the paid versions. Also has a Registry Cleaner built-in.

Check it out here  http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download