You can remove all of that cruft yourself, but that can take time. And you might not get everything. Or, you can clean up your computer in one sweep with a powerful and flexible, but easy to use, tool called Bleach Bit.

Available for Linux and Windows, Bleach Bit scours your computer — your home directory and your system folders — to find and remove any bits that get left behind. It can not only clean unneeded system files but also the files that come from about 90 applications including Web browsers, chat clients, PDF readers, databases, and more.

Getting started

The first step is, obviously, to install Bleach Bit. If you’re using Linux, check your distro’s package manager. I installed Bleach Bit in Ubuntu 10.10 using Synaptic. If Bleach Bit isn’t there, go to the download page and find the package for your distro.

If you’re using Windows, you can download installers too. But since I don’t do Windows, this post will look at using Bleach Bit under Linux.

As I mentioned, I installed Bleach Bit in Ubuntu 10.10. To run it, go to System > Administration. You’ll see two items in the menu: Bleach Bit and Bleach Bit as Administrator. One cleans your home directory, and the other cleans out system directories. Let’s take a look at both.

Cleaning your home directory

Of the two options, selecting Bleach Bit from the Administration menu is the safer of the two. You’ll only be able to get rid of cruft in your /home directory. And you’ll be amazed at what collects there!

The left side of the Bleach Bit window contains a list of cleaners (the types of applications and files that Bleach Bit works with). Click a check box beside a cleaner to activate it. When you do that, a little more information about what the cleaner does appears in the right side of the application’s window.

After you’ve chosen the cleaners that you want to use, click the Preview button on the toolbar. This will create a list of files that Bleach Bit will delete. It will also tell you how much disk space will be freed up.

As you can see, I haven’t done a cleanup in a while …

When you’re ready, click the Delete button on the toolbar. Depending on the number of cleaners you’ve selected, and the number of files there are, it can take Bleach Bit anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes to do its work.

Go admin or stay at home

Running Bleach Bit as Administrator is a slightly different ball game. In Linux, you need to run it as root. And when you do, the application scans everything outside of your /home folder. Like what? Like the /usr directory and its subdirectories, the /tmp folder, and more.

Other than that, running Bleach Bit as Administrator works in the same way as running it in your /home directory. A few click, a preview, and you’re ready to clean up!

One cleaner that you should approach with caution, though, is Free disk space. This cleaner will overwrite any free disk space to hide hidden files. That’s not a bad thing in of itself, but the process is slow. It can take upwards of an hour to do the job. During that time, your system will bog down noticeably.

Final thoughts

Bleach Bit is a powerful and useful tool. It gives you a fast and easy way to get rid of everything you don’t need on your computer, while at the same time freeing up disk space and improving performance.

Photo credit: solrac_gi_2nd

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Disk Drill is free for now, but pricing points for the full release have not been set yet. Cleverfiles software wishes to have it released in February 2011. If your interested and free is more in your budget, hurry up and get the beta builds!

Setup is easy

Open the app, hit protect, pick your drive and don’t worry about Disk Drill until you need it. To get the most out of Disk Drill, enable the “Recovery Vault” on the drive you wish to save. Disk Drill becomes your friend when a file goes missing and time machine is not in place to save the day.

Restoration

Open the app and choose Recover, pick your drive and hit undelete from recovery vault. If that doesn’t find your file, Deep Scan is an option. The deep scan can take an hour or more but depending on how important that file is to you it may not matter as to it iss your only choice.

Testing

With Disk Drill closed, I copied a folder full of pictures I had to the desktop. I then proceeded to delete the folder with 250 MB or so worth of pictures and continued on with my night. The next day I opened up Disk Drill and did the recovery vault and did a quick scan that took less than 5 minutes. It recovered every single one of the pictures perfectly.

Results will vary due to hard drive use. For example, if you deleted a file and copied 30 gigs worth of something before the recovery attempt, the results may not be as good.

Resources

Disk Drill is light on computer resources. You may think an index of your hard drive would take a large database, but according to Cleverfiles Software:

Generally, for every 2-3 low-level data writing tacts, Disk Drill does 1 modification of its protection database. It means that, your hard disk speed changes within 1-3% when Disk Drill is doing internal Recovery Vault routines. Nothing to worry about at all. This caused no visible slowdowns of your system on our regular tests.
Additionally, speaking of disk space required by Recovery Vault, it’s only 6 KB of written data for every single entity Recovery Vault monitors (files, folders). In a regular scenario Recovery Vault will monitor 5000-7000 of files. With 10000 files protected, Recovery Vault’s database will be just ~60MB in size.

Basically if you have a new intel mac computer, and you will have to for this software, you will be fine. if you have a large high speed hard drive you will not notice a thing except for the scans are more fast vs other software.

Alternative

Apple’s own Time Machine may be an alternative, but that requires an entire external hard drive and none of the external drive’s space can be used to store personal data; it is all devoted to the computer backup. Time Machine also only runs the backup every hour on a USB drive which may not catch that file you just lost.

Summing it up

Disk Drill is still in beta so take that with a grain of salt. From the testing I have done the software has shown no effect on my system performance or speed. I have not “needed” to use it yet, but with some tests it works well for its intended purpose if you catch the fact the file is missing in the first place. If you wait too long, your chances for recovery go down with every file written.

Note
This product is still in beta testing. While it is in beta still it is currently free. Future pricing is unavailable at this time.

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ProcessQuickLink is a free utility for Windows that adds information about your processes directly to the Windows Task Manager.  After installing ProcessQuickLink, open the Task Manger by pressing CTRL + SHIFT + ESC (this keystroke combination will take you directly to the Processes tab).  You will now see a green icon next to each entry which you can click to view detailed information about that process.

Clicking the process information button will take you directly to the ProcessLibrary.com process database.  This website includes general data about the process and can even tell you if the process is harmful and should be removed.

Note: ProcessLibrary.com advertises services to scan your computer to improve its performance.  If you think your computer may be infected, I highly recommend running a scan using free software like Microsoft Security Essentials in lieu of their scanning software.

ProcessQuickLink is a great way to get insight on the applications that are running behind-the-scenes on your PC and is a free download for all versions of Windows.

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If you want to create, delete, format, or resize hard drive partitions, Easeus Partition Master lets you do this quickly and for free.

Before you begin: As with any software that modifies your hard drive, partitioning can cause data loss if something goes wrong. Be sure to backup any important data before following this guide.

Step 1: Download and install Easeus Partition Master.

Step 2: Open the program.  You will see a horizontal image corresponding to your hard drive’s current partitioning, as well as a detailed list of the current partitions.  From here, you can select any partition and use the buttons at the top of the screen

Resizing Partitions: If you have multiple partitions and want to make one larger, you must first reduce the size of one by clicking the Resize/Move button and select a smaller size.  To enlarge the other partition, select it and select Resize/Move again and increase it to fill the extra space you created by shrinking the other.  The graphical sliders can also be used to adjust the partition’s size.

Be sure to note that the partitions are listed in MB, so if you want to calculate how many gigabytes you will have, divide it by 1024.

Deleting a Partition: If you have multiple partitions and want to remove one, just select it then click the Delete button.  Remember that deleting a partition removes all data stored in it, so be careful with this one.

Creating a Partition: To create a partition, select any unpartitioned space and click the Create button.  If you don’t have any unpartitioned space, you will first have to resize or delete an existing partition.

Formatting a Partition: Easeus Partition Master only lets you format partitions as NTFS or FAT32, so if your intention is to create a Linux partition (with the ext file system), you’ll want to use free software like GParted which can be used as a LiveCD  and also comes included with the Ubuntu LiveCD.

Step 3: Once you’ve configured your partitions, you must click the Apply partition to actually make the changes.  You will have to restart your computer, and while it is restarting you may see several screens regarding the partitions being modified.  Once it restarts, you should have your partitions configured to your liking!

Easeus Partition Master is free for personal use and supports Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP 32-bit, and Windows Vista 32-bit.  If you’re looking for 64-bit support, it’s offered in the Professional and Server editions of the software.  I have tested Easeus Partition Master in Windows 7 and have experienced no problems.

Have a different method of managing your computer’s partitions?  Share it with us in the comments.

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Note: Remote Desktop access is only available in the Professional, Business, or Ultimate versions of Windows. Home editions cannot be accessed with Remote Desktop, but do include the Remote Desktop client so you can access other computers.

Enabling Remote Desktop Windows XP

1. Click Start then Right-click My Computer.
2. Left-click properties.
3. Click the Remote Tab.
4. In the Remote Desktop section, check the box Allow users to connect remotely to this computer.
5. Click OK.

Enabling Remote Desktop in Windows Vista/7

1. Click Start and then Right-click My Computer.
2. Select Remote Settings on the left.
3. Click the radio button Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop.
4. Click OK.

Once Remote Desktop has been enabled, you will need to locate your IP address which uniquely identifies your computer.  If your computer is behind a router, you must configure your port forwarding to provide access on Port 3389.  If you are not familiar with port forwarding, more information can be found here.

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The specific error is:

A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.
…
Technical information:

*** STOP: 0x0000007E (0xFFFFFFFFC0000005, 0xFFFFF800020393AA, 0xFFFFFA60021EE7D8, 0xFFFFFA60021EE1b0)

So far, we have found two methods to fix this problem.  Try the first method (using Safe Mode), and if that doesn’t work try the second method (using System Restore).

Method 1 (Safe Mode)

Step 1: Restart your computer and continuously tap the F8 key while it is restarting.  You will eventually see the ‘Advanced Boot Options’ screen, where you need to select the Safe Mode option.

Step 2: Click the Start Menu and type Programs and Features in the search box.  Press enter when the Programs and Features option is selected.

Step 3: Select View installed updates in the top left of the window.

Step 4: Locate Update for Microsoft Windows (KB973879) in the list of updates.  You can sort by name for easier searching by clicking the Name column.  Click Uninstall at the top of the list.

Step 5: Click Restart Now.  Your computer should now function properly.  If not, try Method 2 below.

Method 2 (System Restore)

Step 1: Restart your computer and continuously tap the F8 key while it is restarting.  You will eventually see the ‘Advanced Boot Options’ screen, where you need to select the Repair Your Computer option.

Step 2: Select your keyboard layout, which will typically be ‘US’.

Step 3: Enter your username and password.  If you have no password, just click OK.

Step 4: Click System Restore in the System Recovery Options menu.  This may take a few minutes to launch so be patient.

Step 5: When the System Restore window opens, click Next.  Select the most recent system backup and click Next.

Step 6: Make sure your main drive is selected (most likely C:) and click Next.  Click Finish in the next screen.  Click Yes to the warning dialog.

Step 7: When the restore has finished, you shoud receive a successful completion message.  Click the Restart button.

Step 8: When your computer  has restarted, click the Start Menu and type Programs and Features in the search box.  Press enter when the Programs and Features option is selected.

Step 9: Select View installed updates in the top left of the window.

Step 10: Locate Update for Microsoft Windows (KB973879) in the list of updates.  You can sort by name for easier searching by clicking the Name column.  Click Uninstall at the top of the list.

Step 11: Click Restart Now.  Your computer should now function properly.

Have you experienced this problem?  Tell us about it (including the model of computer you have) in the comments.

The post Fix: Windows Vista 64-bit Gets Blue Screen After Windows Updates first appeared on Techerator.

BitLocker is essentially a software encryption program that encrypts a drive in such a way that if credentials are not verified, it renders the drive completely useless to thieves.  In Windows 7 and Server 2008, BitLocker extends support to removable drives by storing a copy of itself locally on the encrypted drive and and installing itself as needed on any additional computer.

How to Use BitLocker

To enable BitLocker, open My Computer, right click the drive you would like to encrypt, and select “Turn on BitLocker”.

In the next screen, you will be asked if you want to use a password or a smart card to unlock the drive.  Since the average user doesn’t have a smart card, we’ll be sticking with a password for this guide.

After clicking the Next button, you’ll be asked how you want to store your recovery key.  It is a good idea to store this somewhere safe; you’ll need it if you ever lock yourself out of the drive.  This key can be printed or stored in a file.

To actually start the encryption process, you need to click “Start Encrypting” in the next window.  Encryption speed will vary on the size, speed, and connection of the drive you are securing.

Once the encryption process is finished, you’ll see an “Encryption is complete” message.  You can then check out your drive by going to My Computer – you’ll now see that the drive icon is different, indicating it is now secured with BitLocker.

If you ever need to change the password on your drive you can simply right click the drive and select “Manage BitLocker”.  You will then be presented with a screen giving you several options including the ability to change or remove the password.

For more information about BitLocker, check out Microsoft’s BitLocker Feature Guide.

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CCleaner is a free program, available at http://www.ccleaner.com, which will give your computer the thorough cleaning that it deserves.

CCleaner is able to clean Cookies, Temporary Internet Files, History and Search results from all popular web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari.  CCleaner also removes temporary files from Windows and other third-party applications.

Download and Install CCleaner

1. Download CCleaner from http://www.ccleaner.com.
2. Install CCleaner.
3. Select Install Options as shown below



4. Continue through the installation process.
5. Run CCleaner.

Now that you have CCleaner installed and running, it is time to select what you would like to clean.  As there are many options, it is important to select the correct ones so that you do not lose important information.

Cleaner

Once CCleaner is running, the Cleaner button should be selected on the left side of the window.  Once selected, you will see a list of check boxes of the many different cleaning options available to you.  Although all of the options are able to clean your computer, the most important options fall under the System and Advanced categories.

There is also the Applications tab near the top of the window.  Under this tab, you will find that CCleaner has the ability to remove any temporary files associated with the listed applications.  Many of these programs have the ability to remove the files, but CCleaner groups all of these features together.

Once you have selected the Windows features and Applications that you wish to clean, you can click the ‘Analyze’ button on the bottom of the window to preview the number of items that will be removed.  Once the analysis has finished, complete by clicking ‘Run Cleaner’ in the bottom-right corner.  Note: You can skip the analysis step and click ‘Run Cleaner’ first.

The time it takes to analyze and remove the files will depend on the speed of your computer and the number of files CCleaner must scan.

Registry

Many computer problems can also be caused by obsolete or improperly removed registry entries.  A cluttered registry can be caused from the following action:

• Improperly uninstall software.
• Frequently installing or uninstalling software.
• Viruses/Spyware
• Driver problems.

CCleaner has a very powerful Windows Registry cleaner.  This registry cleaner can be used to scan your computer’s registry for problems such as:

Advanced features to remove unused and old entries, including File Extensions, ActiveX Controls, ClassIDs, ProgIDs, Uninstallers, Shared DLLs, Fonts, Help Files, Application Paths, Icons, Invalid Shortcuts and more…

From CCleaner.com

The Registry cleaner will often resolve many problems associated with the Windows Registry by scanning the Registry and removing any unnecessary entries.  CCleaner gives you the option to backup the removed entries, so that you may restore them if you have any problems.

Final Steps

Once you have ran both of the above cleaners, it is important that you restart your computer.  Once the computer has restarted, it may be necessary to run CCleaner another time to removed any residual entries.

What has your experience been with CCleaner?  What is the most number of Registry items CCleaner has removed from a system?  How many MB or GB of files were removed?  Share your experiences in the comments below.

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This guide will show you how to use the Recovery Console feature provided on the Windows installation CD to repair your system files and get your computer working again.

Potential Symptoms

The computer turns on, but:

• Windows begins to load and then immediately restarts.
• An “Improper Shutdown” message is displayed with the option to boot into Safe Mode, but the computer restarts when this is selected.
• The “Blue Screen of Death” (as shown in this article’s picture) is displayed when starting the computer.

Prerequisites

1. You must acquire the Windows installation disk for the version of Windows you are currently using.  This may be different than the “recovery disk” that your computer manufacturer may have provided with the computer, so it is possible that the steps below may not apply to your CD.  Contact your manufacturer if you are unsure.

• Warning: The system recovery disks provided by the manufacturer may restore your computer to its original factory state!  This would result in the loss of your data, so please be careful.
• Note: If you have Windows XP SP2 or SP3, you cannot use a Windows XP SP1 CD to run the recovery console.

1. You need to know the Windows administrator password for your computer (if you have no password, this will be blank).

Procedure

1. Insert the Windows installation CD and reboot your computer.  As the computer restarts, look for the message “Press any key to boot from CD” message do so immediately.
2. After loading, you will see a blue screen with some options.  Press the R key to enter the recovery console.
3. Select the Windows installation you wish to log onto (you may only have one).
4. You will be prompted to enter the administrator password for the computer. If you do not have a password, just press enter.
5. You will now see a MS-DOS console screen where you can enter the following commands to repair your system:

• Type fixboot and press enter.
  • This will re-write the Windows boot record. This can resolve problems if your computer cannot locate the operating system.
• Type chkdsk /R C: and press enter.
  • This initiate a disk checking function and repairs damage it encounters.
  • If this test completes successfully, reboot the computer to see if the problem has been resolved.
• Optional: If the above two commands didn’t work, you can try typing ‘fixmbr’ in the recovery console and pressing enter.
  This can potentially cause damage to the system’s partition table, so use this only if all other options fail and you only have a single partition on the disk.

If you follow these steps and the problem still persists, you may have to check for  malfunctioning hardware or reinstall your operating system.  Have any extra suggestions to help with Windows system problems?  Share them in the comments!

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