Video Link on your Windows 7 Start Menu

When you click your Start button in Windows 7, you're typically greeted with the usual “Pictures” and “Music” links, which when clicked upon take you to their respective folders. Well, question: what if I watch a lot of videos? Where's the link for that Mr. Smarty Pants?

Oh, it's right here...

To add a link for videos on your Start menu simply right-click on your Start button and select “Properties”. Under the Start menu tab click the “Customize” button and scroll all the way to the bottom. Under videos, click the radio button next to “Display as link” and press OK.



Now when you click the Start button there's an option for Videos, too! How neat!



~Andrew

Customized and made into your own! Rate or add to this tip here!

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Wow, you guys killed this one! It's true that "PDF" stands for Portable Document Format. Great job, everyone!

Here are the numbers:

What does "PDF" stand for?
Answer 1: Photoshop Document Format :		4.33%
Answer 2: Personal Document Format :		8.99%
Answer 3: Portable Document Format :		67.09%
Answer 4: Printable Data File :		18.46%
Answer 5: Pre-Draft Format :		1.12%

This week's question is up over at Worldstart. Tell us:

"What was IBM's original name?"

Thnk you've got all the answers? Well, prove it! Click here and test yourself against Worldstart trivia!

Get Ready For The Deal Of The Century!!

Get An Incrediblely Awesome Webcam For Just $15.97!!

PLUS - Order TODAY (03-09-2010) And Get A Free Bonus Earbud Mic!

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I know you've heard about 'em and seen 'em, but have you ever experienced using one? I'm talking of course about webcams. Now, I know you've probably seend them in the stores for upwards of $40 or $50 - but honestly, why would you pay that much for a webcam?

So - why would you want a webcam? The question is more like - why DON'T you want a webcam? Trust me, once you experience chatting with friends and family using this bad boy - you'll never go back to using your landline for long distance - ever again!!

Well, I've got the PERFECT way for you to experience a webcam for an ultra-low price!! These awesome little webcams are just what you need to get started!!  Just plug it in, pop the disc in and run the software and you're ready to rock n' roll! It easily mounts to just about any monitor too - laptops and desktop computers alike!! Either way you'll be ready in just minutes!

I almost forgot to mention the resolution of this bad boy - 640x480 - so you'll look great on the other end while web chatting!

We love to use these with the free Yahoo Instant Messenger! Just install the software, select the webcam option, and have your friend on the other end do the same! Just like that, you can see and talk (or text chat) with each other! Is that cool or what? PLUS - since this is all done over the internet, you pay nothing for long distance! Zero - nada - zippo! Once you try this for yourself, you'll wonder how the phone companies stay in business -this is the next step for sure! And did I mention it's like free long distance too? Just wanted to make sure :-)

If you're not using a webcam, you're only enjoying half the online experience you could be having! You've gotta give this a try, and for the price we have today, you just can't go wrong!! Plus - you're getting the perfect companion - an earbud microphone set that you can use while chatting!!! Awesome thing is - it's yours absolutely FREE today only (03-09-2010)!!! Talk about an incredible deal!!!

Why are this the perfect companion for your webcam?? You'll be able to talk & type - hands free!! Not to mention the sound quality...it's second to none!!! You'll be able to clearly hear any conversation or sounds from your computer way better than your computer speakers!! Heck, these babys - alone - retail for $14.99 - and you're getting them today (03-09-2010) ABSOLUTELY FREE!!

So, what is your cost? Just $15.97 and US shipping is FREE! How's that for a deal? Go on, take a look at this one, you'll be glad you did!

PS - The price WILL increase to $19.97 tomorrow AND the bonus will be history! Get this while you can! Best deal we've ever had on a webcam!

STOP Right There! We're Here To Save You Hundreds!!

Don't Blow $400.00+ On Microsoft Office!!

Office Suite 2010 Is The Hands-Down Better Choice!

It's Crazy! MS Office 2003 Can't Open Office 2007 Documents!!

Why Put Up With That???THIS is 100% Compatible ANY Version Of MS Office!

It's Time To End The MS Office Frustration Once & For All!!

BONUS!! Includes State Of The Art Publishing Program ($20 Value)

Wow!! Now this deal is almost too good to be true...I about fell over when I found out the price break we're getting on the latest and greatest version of Office Suite...2010!! That's right it's brand spakin' new AND believe me...you get a whole lotta features for what seems to be just pennies (when you compare to Microsoft's prices)!!

Now - we've all used a version of Microsoft Office at some point in our lives, but what if I told you there is a way better, waaaay less expensive alternative? Office Suite 2010 is that alternative - hands down. Office Suite even comes COMPLETE with a publishing program - Print Workshop 2010!! Heck, that's a $20.00 value by itself!! Plus, if you decided to upgrade to MS Office 2007 when it came out...maybe you didn't realize it, but older versions of MS Office WILL NOT open up MS Office 2007 documents. The incredible thing about Office Suite 2010 is that it opens ALL versions of MS Office files - including MS Office 2007 files!! You can even convert ALL of your files into pdf's in just one mouse click!!

So, you might be thinking...I still like my MS Office. Let me guess, you don't want to pay the big bucks though - am I right? What if I told you could have all the benefits of MS Office...for the price that it would cost for you to eat lunch? Office Suite makes this possible! When you're using Office Suite 2010, you'll forget that you're not using MS Office...the set-up is nearly identical!!

What all does this suite include you ask? Just about everything that you can imagine!! You get an absolutely powerful wordprocesor, a beefed-up spreadsheet program, incredibly impressive presentation software, and super-easy and awesome drawing program, and heck - they even threw in a supercharged database program!! Oh - AND I almost forgot that you even get a complete publishing program too!! Seriously - I don't think they could have thought of another program to add to this DVD!!

I'm actually using the word processor to write this review...and all I can say is WOW!! It's absolutely incredible!! It's like Word, but better!! While just playing around with it I realized how powerful this program really is. It's awesome to use for letters, faxes, resumes, papers...but you can even use it to write a complete book ( it can easily create and index for you)! You can even add diagrams and spreadsheets too!! You can save your documents in any file format too (.doc, .docx, .pdf). Oh...I almost forgot to mention how easy it is to create labels and mailings with this word processor too!!

The spreadsheet creator is absolutely mind blowing!! It makes creating spreadsheets painless and effortless!! It feels just like Excel - yet easily lets you create tables, forms, queries and reports in just a snap!! Don't forget - this is 100% compatible with Excel...you can save your files as both .xls and .xlsx!!

You're gonna absolutely love to put together slideshow presentations with the presentation software - it makes is easy to 3D clipart, special effects , and animation to any presentation!! You'll be able to easily save any presentation in a "PowerPoint" format too! Even more awesome is that you can create a FLASH version of your presentations. Flash files are animated files that are easily transported between two computers!! Talk about cool!!

The drawing program that comes with this is second to none!! You'll be able to quickly create a complex sketch or get more in-depth and create a complex plan. Either way...this program makes your ideas easily become a creation!! You can even easily import all types of graphics of nearly any format too (.bmp, .gif, .jpeg, .png, .tiff, .wmf).

Also, this database program just blows Access outta the water!! You'll be able to easily create and manipulate your database tables effortlessly and seamlessly with this database program. Not that familiar with creating a database? No worries...just simply choose a Wizard to use, that fits your need, and you'll be creating a database in no time!!

Oh - But It Get's SOOOO Much Better!!

Included in Office Suite 2010 is Print Workshop 2010 - a complete publishing software!! That's right, you'll be able to easily create your own letterhead, photo cards, invitations, calendars, photo scrapbook pages, calendars, web pages, greeting cards and MORE!!! This program is perfect for beginners and designing pros and makes it so easy to create millions of creative, unique and professional projects!! With 8,400 templates to choose from - creating a professional and personal project has never been easier!

So...what's your cost? Just $12.97 and US shipping is FREE!! Seriously - this is just pennies compared to what you'd spend on MS Office...plus it's a waaay better alternative!!

http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=5528

PS - You'll want to be sure and grab yours before they're all gone!! As soon as we opened these up in the store - they started flyin' off the shelves!!!

Q:
What is script debugging? I have been told to select "no" when a screen pops up at work. Is there a risk to it, or is it just a waste of time?

A:
Before I learned how to shut off this "feature", I too would be surfing along when suddenly an error message would pop up on a website asking me if I want to debug script errors. Even if I did know how to fix the script error, all I could do is email the webmaster and hope that the next time I went they would have it fixed.

The Microsoft Script Debugger lets you test scripts developed using an ActiveX script engine, plus you can debug scripts developed with VBScript and JScript, as well as ActiveX components and Java applets. It lets you view and modify program source code, variables, and values, or control the flow and pace of how the script works.

Huh? What does that mean to you? Well, unless you are a programmer with nothing to do but fix script errors on someone else's web page, then you probably want to shut this off. It's really easy to do...

Open Internet Explorer and click Tools / Internet Options then click the "Advanced" tab. Under "Browsing", place a check next to "Disable script debugging".



Click OK .

Now you can visit pages with poorly written scripts and your browser will load them to the best of its ability without asking you to fix the problem. You probably won't even notice an error anyway. Here's to smooth surfing!

~David

Tell us what you think! Rate or add to this tip here!



Can You Please Repeat That?

Here's a great keyboard shortcut for repetitive tasks!

I tested it and found that it works great in MS Word and Excel. I also tried it in PowerPoint with very limited success and had no luck in MS Outlook or Outlook Express.

At any rate, in Word and Excel, this one can be a huge time saver.

The trick is all in one key: the F4 key.

The F4 key is set to repeat the last action.

Literally, if you simply hit the F4 key, the program will repeat the last action you completed. That's it. Really. it's that simple!

Ideas for MS Excel:

Let's say, for example, you've just inserted a row or column in Excel using the Insert menu. If you then hit F4, you'll get a second row or column inserted, without all the menu work.

Or, with that same example (inserting a row or column), you could move to another part of the worksheet, hit F4 and have a new row or column inserted in the new location.

Repeatedly hitting the F4 key will continue to repeat the last action, allowing you to insert multiple rows or columns quickly and efficiently.

I found I could get this little trick to work with almost any action I used: bolding, underlining, cell format type, justification, etc.

Ideas for MS Word:

In Word, I found this one to work extremely well. I was able to get the F4 key to repeat text formatting, line spacing, text color changes, indenting, font changes and more.

I even found that I could get the repetition of a "just typed" phrase or sentence in Word. It's much quicker than the old copy and paste routine I often find myself using when I have repetitive statements to make. (Actually, I could use it a lot when writing this newsletter. I often find myself creating lists of shortcuts that are so similar, I just copy and paste and then just change the relevant information to make my next point. This will really speed up the process).

Bonus Idea:

I also tried this one with the drawing tools and found that it was an excellent way to repeat things, without needing the buttons and menus constantly. I found that the F4 key would duplicate a newly drawn shape, repeat a fill color change in a newly selected shape, change line size and color and so on. Whatever you need, it can do!

The key thing to remember is that it repeats the last action you did. So, if you last drew a circle, it will immediately draw a duplicate circle. If you just changed the format of a cell to be percentages, it will change the format of the next cell(s) you select to percentages. Get the idea?

Yeah, I knew you would!

Give this one a try. It's a really great trick with tremendous potential!

~April

That was a great tip! That was a great tip! Rate or add to it here!

Wow!!

What's the address bar for in Windows Explorer?
The address bar in Windows Explorer doesn't really seem to have any use beyond showing you where you are in your computer, but if you look closer there are a few minor tricks you can do with it. If you'd like to know more, then check out this featured tip at Worldstart today!

Ian's Shoelace Site
Do you like to tie your shoelaces in different ways? Don't know how, eh? Well, then you need to check out today's featured Cool Site! Don't be normal! Get some sweet shoelace ideas over at Worldstart now!

Here's the link you need: http://www.worldstart.com/ Enjoy!



RIOT

Radical Image Optimization Tool (RIOT) is a free program that lets you compress images in your computer losing little to no quality. Here is how you can download and use this free program.

Step 1- Download the software

The first thing you have to do is download the software. To download the software, go to the following website: http://luci.criosweb.ro/riot/
Next, click on the download link, and download the software to your computer. The download process should take the no more than a minute, because the file size is only about 1 MB.

Step 2- Set up the RIOT



Once the download process is completed, extract or unzip the downloaded file. This can be done with winrar or 7zip. Next, click on the setup file and start the installation process.

Step 3- Start compressing images

Once the installation process is complete, you are now ready to start compressing your images. To compress your images, open the program and drag an image file into the window. Compressing images in this program is very easy and effective.

After you drag an image, RIOT will then display two screens: a screen of the original image on the left, and a screen of the compressed image on the right. RIOT will then give the option to compress the image. It is recommended to select a quality of 75 percent, because you will barely notice any change picture quality.



Do you how the file size nearly decreased by half when the quality is decreased to 75 percent? The file size decreases a lot of decrease the quality further.
The picture that was shown has a resolution of 3072 by 2038 pixels--which is a lot. Notice how you not could barely make a difference in quality between the optimized and initial image. This program was tested further by decreasing the quality by 30 percent. The file size decreased to only 200 kilobytes, and the picture still looked crystal clear.

This is a great tool, it is strongly recommended to download it.

~Jean-Baptiste Juderson

More awesome that you know what to do with! Rate or add to this tip here!



How to take great rock climbing photos

If you’re keen on rock climbing, then you know that some amazing photographic opportunities can arise when you’re out amongst nature. What’s more, you can challenge yourself to things that your friends might not believe you can do. It is the perfect chance to take your photography beyond simple snapping, to creating dramatic, high impact images that tell a story of your adventures. It will be necessary to consider what will be the right camera and equipment to take with you, but it is more important to have fun with your photography. Push yourself to try different things. Get creative with your compositions, experiment with your zoom lens and try shooting on the manual exposure setting. To get you started, here is a list of recommended equipment to take, as well as four common rock-climbing shots that you might have seen done before and how you can achieve these shots yourself.

What Equipment to Take
Let’s face it, when you’re half way up a cliff and the sun magically comes out from behind to dramatically light the rock face, you’re not in any position to pull out a big heavy camera and a tripod! You will need a camera that is light and easy to carry, as well as easy to operate within seconds of reaching for it. To make the most of your locations, it is also ideal to have a lens with a large zoom range and manual exposure options.

Here is a list of camera equipment you should take:

- A compact digital camera with wide lens and powerful zoom capabilities, or a lightweight SLR with zoom lens. Preferably between 24mm and 200mm.

- A convenient and padded carry case.

- Plenty of memory – Take a few memory cards or buy one that will store all of your shots. Prepare to take many!

- Spare batteries

- A microfiber cloth to keep your lens clear of dust or moisture, as well as scratch-free.

Some common rock climbing photos that just work.
Here are four different photos for you to try while you’re out rock climbing. Of course, your own photos will depend on your location, weather and even your rock climbing experience level, but these tips for composition and use of your camera can be used in nearly any situation anywhere and will take your photos beyond the ordinary.

1. The Silhouette
This is one of those classic ‘extreme sports’ style shots, and it is where having manual exposure settings may come in handy.
Look for the chance when someone is climbing a cliff face with a bright background and not much light on them in the foreground – creating a silhouette. The important rule here is to expose for the background. Automatic settings may try to achieve a correct exposure on the darker foreground and as a result, the background will be overexposed and ruin the effect. Reduce your exposure so that the background light looks correct.



2. Wide Angle Looking Down


If you’re up very high, you might get a bit scared to look down, but you can miss some great photo opportunities if you don’t. If you’ve made it to the top of a cliff face, and one of your friends is still making their way up, take the opportunity to photograph them. Try using a wide-angle lens and have the person close to the camera. Make sure you can also see the ground far below for a very dramatic shot. Try shooting while their hand is stretched out towards you grasping for the ledge!

3. The Looming Background


This shot can only be captured well if you have a big zoom capability on your lens. The idea is to shoot someone climbing the face of a rock from around the same level as they are with an impressive background vista behind them. Try to stand at least 10 meters away. Using a long zoom, or focal length, will actually give the effect of compressing the background and foreground together, making any mountains, buildings or clouds behind the rock-climber look bigger and closer. At the same time, if you are also using a small aperture, the background will drop out of focus, isolating the climber and creating dramatic emphasis on them

4. Be Creative and Try Something Different


Don’t forget to notice the little things when you’re rock climbing. If you want to go beyond simply taking snaps and start telling a story of your adventure, try taking photos of your dirty boots, the cuts on your hands, some of the wildlife or maybe some interesting shadows on the rocks. Or how about this for a shot – if you’re at the top of a cliff and waiting for someone else to reach you, get ready with your camera to take a photo of their hand the second it appears on the ledge, ready to haul themselves up. A simple image like this can be all that is needed to tell the whole story of the pain, exhaustion and relief of climbing a cliff face.

~Zahid Javali

That rocks! Oh, bad joke! Rate or add to this tip here!

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Old Car and Truck Pictures

I love old cars and trucks, so I’m pleased as punch to be bringing you a site that is devoted to them! To get to the images you need to scroll down the page until you see “And now the old car and truck pictures”, beneath that you will find a gallery of old cars and trucks.

You can click the image or the link below it to enter into the gallery of your choosing. Once you’ve clicked into one of the galleries you will find a lot of information on that particular car or truck, as well as, more images of that car or truck! There are even a few motorcycles tucked in among the cars and trucks!

I really love the Divco Truck, and the Crosley. Be sure to check out the Odds and Sods section too – you’ll see some really interesting cars and trucks in there like the Ricottis Alfa Torpedo!

This was a fun site to check out; I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/

~Amanda

Those are some pretty cool cars, indeed! Rate or add to this Cool Site here!

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com



**Sale Extended One More Day!**

WOW!!! Just $7.97!!!

Awesome 23-in-1 Card Reader!

A Must Have For Every Digital Media Buff!

This is one card reader that you need to have (especially when it is only $7.97!!!)! Steve recently tested it, and decided that everyone here at WorldStart needed one to have easy access to all of our files stored on SD, MMC, Ultra MMC, T-Flash, RS MMC and Mini SD cards. And I must agree, this card reader is sooo cool!

With its transparent black compact design, this card reader is perfect for everyone on the go! Better yet, with this card you have easy access to the most popular forms of digital media! This card reader reads 23 different types of memory cards including SD, MMC, mini SD, MMC mobil and sooo many more. Check out the product page for the complete list!!

Who doesn't want to experience blistering fast data transfer rates? And with the USB 2.0 interface, this card works super fast! Better yet, it is even backwards compatible with USB 1.1, making this card reader extremely attractive to all digital media users!

Another great feature is the Plug and Play capabilities! With this feature there is no need to have external power. All you have to do is pop in you memory card, and then plug the card reader into any USB port and you are all set to start working!

Because of its cool reading and writing capabilities, this card reader works just like a flash drive! It can easily be taken with you wherever you go! And, when you have a card plugged in, this card reader automatically detects it! How cool is that! WOW!

Now, the cost in unbeatable! Look around your local retail store, and you won't find a card reader under $10.00, let alone $7.97 and Free Shipping inside the US! Get to the site now and order yours before they are gone!!

http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=4572

PS: This deal is only good for today! The price will increase to $14.97 tomorrow! Order now!

March Wallpaper

Here's this month's free calendar wallpaper! As always, it's 100% free, so head on over and grab one!

	Nature As A Graffiti Artist (Photo contest winner) Swirls of frost decorating our 1993 Saturn Stationwagon.  The patterns were incredible.
	Swan Chick
	Badwater Sunrise

It's all free, so enjoy!

All can be found here:

http://www.worldstart.com/wallpaper/index.php

Enjoy!    

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ISSN: 1529-336X
Copyright 2009, WorldStart. All unauthorized reproduction strictly prohibited.

You are welcome to reproduce this newsletter (i.e. print it, store it) for your own personal use. You are also welcome to forward it, in its entirety, to friends and family.

If you would like to reproduce this publication, or any part of it, in any other publication, be it web based or otherwise, you must contact us for permission. Any unauthorized re-distribution will be considered a copyright infringement and grounds for a lawsuit.

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Customize Your Windows 7 Shut Down Button

Tell me, how often do you actually “shut down” your computer? More often than not, do you put it to sleep? Lock it? What if someone else consistently uses the computer after you? Wouldn't it be nice to just log off?

That's a lot of questions with one relatively easy answer!

Just right-click your Start button and select “Properties”. Under the Start Menu Tab you'll see a selection that says “Power button action:” and a drop-down box next to it. Simply drop that box down and select the action you most commonly use with your computer and hit OK.



Now whenever you click the Start button you'll see the action you chose instead of the usual “Shut Down option!.



If you don't like it, just follow the same steps and re-select “Shut Down”

Super Easy!

~Andrew

What a neat trick! Remember to rate or add to this tip here!

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Time to Vote!
Ladies and Gentlemen it's time to vote for your favorite Big Skies and Stunning Clouds photo for February's Photo Contest!! When you log in to vote, you'll be sent to a page with all of the contest submissions for you to browse. Just pick your top five, hit "submit", and on the next page you can put them in order (one being your favorite and five being your least favorite of the five you chose). Super easy!

The New Contest is here!
This month's topic: Vivid Colors. Take a stunning picture of anything that has bright, awe-inspiring colors. Brightly colored plants and flowers, sun shining through glass and prisms, you name it; anything with a Vivid Colors theme might score you a $50 Worldstart gift certificate (just don't over-do the saturation in your photo editing programs)! Get to it!

"It's An Adrenalin Shot To The Heart Of Windows!"

Don't Pay $50 Retail - Get This For Just $10.97 Today!! 

This is SOOOOO exciting! How would you like to make that computer of yours REALLY fly? Windows XP, Vista - heck even Windows 7 Is gonna SMOKE after you install this baby!!

Hey -  We're talking up 300% faster here - talk about crankin! Oh, and how 'bout making it super secure? Hey, no one wants to get hacked! What about faster start ups - like a blazin' 8X faster! WOW!!! Plus, what if you could get rid of a TON of excess junk and free up megs - or even GIGS - of hard drive space? Hey, while you're at it, how about some amazing customizations too?

Well, I have some incredible news! It's all here (and soooo much more) in the latest and greatest version of System Mechanic!! You just GOTTA try this! If you only get ONE program this year, make sure it's this baby! Wow - talk about giving new life to a sluggish computer! This thing is gonna make your computer absolutely FLY! Heck, your computer might be BETTER THAN NEW once System Mechanic is done with it!!

Oh, and you'll absolutely, positively LOVE the fact that this is SUPER-EASY to use! You don't have to have a degree in computer science (or anything for that matter) to use it! EVERYTHING this does can be done in a fully automatic mode! Of course, this lets you take full control if you like - so no matter what your skill level - novice or advanced, this thing just ROCKS!!

But before I get started on how incredibly awesome this program is and how much it can do - I had somethin' I just HAD to share with you!! Check out the picture above...I was just in Best Buy the other day and look at how much these bad boys retail for!! $50!! Yikes! I can't believe how much everyone else is paying for this program! Is that insane or what?!?!

So, we tested this on a friend's computer (cuz I've been running System Mechanic on mine forever) and WOW - what an amazing difference! The real surprise is that this guy is really good with computers - we were both shocked at what this found - and how easy it was to fix! Here's how it went:

First we install the software and launch the program - it immediately upgrades to the most current version - nice! Next we check out the Dashboard and find all kinds of trouble:

Oh, but not to worry - you just click the Repair button and BAM! - it's fixed right now! Oh, and you're not tied down to the repairs either - you can skip 'em or select JUST the items you want to fix! How cool is that? Truth be told, we looked over every suggestion and in EVERY case the problems it found and recommend to fix were right on the money! So, we've decided when System Mechanic finds a problem, just press the button and let it do the repair!

With just a single push of the "Repair All" button, we quickly fixed 26 security problems, 2020 registry problems, got rid of 5 excess startup programs, optimized the internet connection and recovered a whoppin' 606MB of hard drive space - that's nearly a whole CD's worth of wasted space put back to use! All by pressing a SINGLE button!! WOW - now THAT'S impressive!!

I can report that after running this program my friend reports that his computer is WAAAYYYY better now! He thought it was tweaked out, but this took it to the next level! Not only is it LOTS faster - both online and regular use, but it's more stable too! In fact, System Mechanic got rid of a random error message that kept popping up that we, frankly, had no clue what the cause was!

Yeah - this is a KILLER program!!

OK, this can enhance and upgrade your computer's performance in literally hundreds of ways, so let's break it down.

Let's Talk Speed, The Blistering Mind-Blowin' Kind!

If you want a FAST computer - and want it NOW - this is your new best friend!!

First off, you'll really LOVE how this dives in and digs deep for all kind of excess startup programs - talk about a super speed-up!! Excess startup programs are the #1 way to slow down your computer - and this trims the fat like a hard-core drill sergeant for your PC!!

Plus - if YOU want to take control, you can! It will show you EXACTLY what programs start up every time you boot, what they do, and if you really need 'em - or just go automatic - either way, you're gonna see a HUGE difference in speed!

(Screen shot shows the options screen, but YOU can do it in a completely automatic mode with the push of a button!)

Have you ever been using your computer and had it keep getting slower and slower? 

Well, you were probably just about out of memory! See, sometimes programs don't "release" the memory they use back to the system once they are done with it, or the memory becomes "fragmented" and slow. What to do? Normally you'd have to reboot - but with this baby you can run the amazing Memory Mechanic utility and in about 8 seconds you recover all the wasted memory - and see an INSTANT boost in speed!

Need even more quick speed? Try the EnergyBooster! This ingenious little utility shuts down any and all unnecessary programs that are running in the background - it's like a super-charged caffeine boost for your computer!

Internet going a little slow? Charge it up with the NetBooster! This will examine your internet connection and optimize it for the best possible speed! You can see amazing speed gains of 100%, 200%, even 300%!! Talk about going down the information superhighway in a Ferrari!!! WOW!

PLUS this has ALL kinds of tools to optimize your registry and hard drive for the best possible performance and speed! Like an adrenalin shot for your PC!

Bottom Line - RUN this bad boy on your computer and you WILL see an increase in speed - probably a dramatic one!!! If you want your computer to be like it was back when it was new (or maybe even better) then THIS is the software that'll get you there!!

Let's Talk Repairs

No one like to talk about it, but sometimes bad things happen to good PCs, ya know?

Well, pretty much any kind of system failure you can come up with, THIS can fix automatically!

The really cool thing about this program is you can run an absolutely outstanding All-In-One Repair Tool that will automatically fix, well, everything that's wrong with your PC - or you can choose to use individual tools!

For example, want to check, tune-up and / or repair the registry? Easy - just run the Registry Tuner - in a matter of minutes (or even seconds) your registry will be optimized for the best speed and performance!

Worried their might be something going on with your hard drive? Run the Drive Medic utility! This scans your hard drive and fixes any problems it discovers - all automatically! All YOU need to know is how to click a button! Amazing!

Have an unbootable PC? This can make a bootable CD to and fix it! Heck, the System Mechanic CD is bootable and can be used to start a PC that refuses to boot! Hey, it happens to everyone eventually, but the difference is YOU'LL be able to recover!

And that's just a FRACTION of what this can do - and fix!!

Bottom Line - Next time your PC needs help, THIS will save it!

Let's Talk Cleanin' Up The Clutter

Hey, we all get extra junk on our PCs, but WOW - that stuff can turn into Gigs and Gigs of junk in a hurry! Temp files, old files, duplicate files, unused files - you name it, it's probably cluttering up your PC right now!

Well, if you want that space back, it's a quick press of a button away! Just run the PC Cleanup utility! In a matter of MINUTES you'll recover megs - even GIGs - of hard drive space! Super easy too - just run the program, go with the defaults (or customize), sit back and watch it work! 

Bottom Line - Why let hard drive space go to waste? This recovers GOBS of it in no time!

Let's Talk Privacy & Protection

OK, we all know it's dangerous out there. Hackers are always looking for ways to get into your computer, and even a firewall may not save you if you have an open venerability. So, once again, System Mechanic to the rescue!

First off, it has a ONE BUTTON option for finding and fixing security holes! Yeah - One little button! Just press and it will find - and fix - any problems with your security! I've never, ever, seen an easier way! Just look at it go!

Oh, and just wait till you see the jaw-droppin' System Guard utility! It does cool things like alerting you when a program tries to add itself to your startup, kills off dangerous programs trying to run in the background, even protects your browser from unauthorized software trying to add itself (ever wonder how that new toolbar just "appeared" one day?) A must have!!

Plus, it protects all your private data too! It has this absolutely amazing utility called Privacy Cleaner that completely erases all your browsing, web, and search history. It can also eliminate unwanted cookies, chat transcripts and more! One button easy, of course!!

Finally, if you have sensitive files on your computer (and who doesn't nowadays?), you can securely delete them with the bullet-proof Incinerator! This amazing program permanently deletes files so that no one - not even a bunch of scientists in white lab coats - can recover 'em!

Bottom Line - If you want to keep your computer - and your info - safe and secure, this is the best software for the job!

Let's Talk Customization

Finally, what utility program would be complete without some ways to do some really amazing - dare I say even jaw-dropping - customizations? Oh, and System Mechanic knocked it out of the park this time!

Once you install it, RUN to the Customize Advanced Windows Settings area and get ready to get FLOORED! 

We're talking over 100 "secret" Windows customizations here!Most of these are next to impossible for the average person to find, let alone configure, but this utility makes it easy! It even explains what every option will do in easy to understand language!

For example, want your start menu to react faster or slower? You can do it! Want your programs menu to scroll instead of expand? Yup, can do! Want arrows on your shortcuts? Or not? Can do! Want that annoying .net / passport reminder balloon to never EVER show up again in your system tray? Yup, it's easy to do! Want to hide / show items in the Control Panel? Adjust it all! Want to configure your log-in access when windows starts - it's easy! Want to customize the right-click menu? Can do!

And frankly, that's only about 7% of what this can do! WOW!

Bottom Line - I seriously don't think there's anything this can't optimize or customize on a windows computer!

Let's Talk Awards!

OK, it can be said that since I'm selling it, I could be a bit biased. So, hey, don't take my word for it. Here's just a small sampling of the awards this thing has won, along with some testimonials from real users!

Oh, and did I mention over 22 MILLION people use this? But hey, they didn't get the deal you're about to!

Let's Talk Deal Of The Decade!

Whew, sorry for going on for so long, but WOW - this thing just ROCKS!! 

Now, here's the deal - this is version 8.5 and it automatically upgrades to the current version (version 9) after you install it! So, we're talking a $50 program!!

Your price? How about just $10.97 with FREE US Shipping? Seriously, this has got to be the best deal in the history of the PC! Don't miss out - for $10.97, you just can't go wrong!

http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=5390

PS - Warning - there's a LIMITED quantity on this one and when it sells out, we-can't-get-anymore - ever. RUN to the site before this deal passes you by! It's time to rev up, crank up, and super-charge that old computer of yours!

I promise - this is the absolute BEST $10.97 you'll EVER spend on your computer!!

Q:
Should I leave my computer on all the time, or turn it off?

A:
This debate comes up often. Sparks continue to fly on both sides of the issue (especially if you don't have a surge protector!)

I guess I'll give you the thoughts from both camps and let you decide.

Leave it on:
The electronic components within the computer tend to last longer if they aren't constantly cooling off and warming back up. Additionally, you don't get any kind of initial "spike" in power when your machine is first turned on. Finally, it's much more convenient to just plop down in front of your computer and start working than to sit through a lengthy boot-up.

Turn it off:
Your hard drive may last longer, especially if your computer doesn't put the drive on "standby" after a certain amount of idle time. The constant spinning of your hard drive motor can wear out the internal bearings. I personally don't think this a big deal. Newer hard drives will probably be in good service longer than the computer they live in.

Another "turn it off" argument is that you'll save on your electric bill. Depending on your machine, it uses the same power as one or more 100 watt light bulbs.

Finally, you're going to pull more dust into your computer if it's running all the time. More dust = more heat. More heat = short lived computers, unless you clean it out regularly.

Those are the main reasons both ways. My opinion? I let it run during the day when I'm using it and shut it off at night.

I don't think it's good for the computer to have someone poking at the power switch constantly. If you're going to use it in the morning and then again in the afternoon, leave it run till you're finished for the day.

I used to leave mine run 24/7, but a few things have changed my mind.

For one, all modern processors need a cooling fan and heatsink to keep it from burning itself into a silicon cinder. These fans are not totally reliable.

If I'm using the computer and am getting signs that I have a CPU that's overheating (your computer will act *really* strange, some will play a little tune through the internal speaker), I can shut things down and get it fixed. If it happens in the middle of the night, I'll have a roasted CPU in the morning.

So, my advice is to run it when you need it, and when you're done for the day, shut it down.

~Steve

So, is the debate settled? Rate or add to this tip here!



Clearing Text Styling in PowerPoint 2007

We all know that when it comes to PowerPoint presentations we tend to use a lot of styling aspects such as text color, shadows, glow, etc… basically all the things that appear in the WordArt Styles section of the Drawing Tools, Format tab that appears on the Ribbon when we're working in text boxes.



You may not have noticed it but any time that you work with text in a presentation it's treated like WordArt, which is why you have so many choices for customizing the look of your text.

But… what if you've made a lot of changes and you just want to clear them all away to start over?

Do you use the undo button over and over and over again?

Or, maybe you've actually gone through the hassle of creating a new text box and retyping the text?

Either way, those choices can quite a waste of time.

So let's try a single clean wipe of the formatting.

To do that we need to first select the specific text or text box to be stripped of the formatting.

Now we need to be back at the Drawing Tools, Format tab.



Click the bottom down-arrow on the preset style palette then choose Clear WordArt from the bottom.

POOF!

The extra formatting is wiped clean and you can work on finding the "right look" for your presentation.

~April

Free and clear! Of formatting, that is! Rate or add to this tip here!

WOW! 

Get Data Off Old Hard Drives The Easy Way!

Backups Made Cheap, Quick, And EASY!

Use Internal Hard Drives OUTSIDE The Computer!

Ingenious Device Pays For Itself - FAST!

Disable NTFS Last Access
Want a quick way to get a little speed out of your computer? Try disabling NTFS last access!Today's featured tip is all about it!

Snow Days
For us notherners the snow is far from over! So instead of letting Mother Nature have all the fun, why not make some of your own snowflakes at today's Cool Site?

Here's the link you need: http://www.worldstart.com/ Enjoy!



Add Extra Toolbars to your Windows Taskbar

I personally like to keep my desktop clean with minimal icons on it and just change the wallpaper from time to time. After all, what is the point of having pretty wallpapers on your desktop if you are going to have ugly icons all over it? So in order to do this, while at the same time retaining high productivity, I classify all the frequently used shortcut icons into groups and have them as a pop-up menu (an additional toolbar) I can access from the windows taskbar. I find that my productivity with the computer remains the same, but my desktop is much neater and cleaner when the icons have been moved to pop-up menus (additional toolbars).

These additional toolbars are similar to the quick-launch toolbar which comes as a default toolbar in Windows.

Adding a toolbar to the windows taskbar is very simple and can be achieved as follows



1.) Add all the shortcuts you want together into a folder.

2.) If you want shortcuts to be grouped together into sub-sets, then add a sub-folder with shortcuts within it

3.) Right click on the taskbar and choose Toolbars>New Toolbar.

4.) Navigate to the folder required and then click on “Select Folder”.

5.) The toolbar should appear on the taskbar and will function similar to the Quick Launch Toolbar.

6.) In order to remove/disable a particular toolbar, right-click on the taskbar, choose Toolbars and then remove the tick mark against that particular toolbar.

Note: I normally group all the shortcuts into various sub-folders and put all the sub-folders together under a root-folder which I place within My Documents. I then create a toolbar which points to the root-folder. I tend to keep the quick launch toolbar on the left next to the Start button, and add additional toolbars on the right next to the System tray. I use the space in-between for tabs of open windows/currently running applications.
I find this method highly efficient as I can use the available space effectively and I also know exactly where all my shortcut files are and can modify them if required with the change reflecting in the toolbar immediately.

Example of a Toolbar



The screenshot above indicates a toolbar named “Unused Links” which was created in the above fashion. It contains all the links I don't want cluttering my desktop and makes them readily available. The classification into groups facilitates easy retrieval in case I need anything in future. As described earlier, I have it on the right extreme of the windows taskbar, adjacent to the system tray.

~Deepak kannan

That was cool! Don't forget to rate or add to this tip here!



Friday Funnies!



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No Performance Tax

Do you listen to the radio? Do you enjoy discovering new artists as you listen? Do you use the radio to promote your favorite charity or school? Well then this pertains to you.

This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart, and I’m happy to share it with you. They want to add a performance tax to every song played on the radio station! For a lot of radio stations that would mean that they would have to close or stop playing music all together. To learn more about how this would affect you, where the money is going, and why this generally sucks all around if it is passed check out the Radio at Risk section.

Join me in the fight against the performance tax! To learn how check out the Take Action section. It will show you all the different ways that you can speak out, and stand up against the performance tax.

I encourage you to check out the other sections of the site where you can learn about who is speaking out against, what they have to say, and keep up to date on the news surrounding this issue.

http://www.noperformancetax.org/

~Amanda

Radio free! Rate or add to this Cool Site here!

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share]]>

	Customize Your Windows 7 Shut Down Button Tell me, how often do you actually “shut down” your computer? More often than not, do you put it to sleep? Lock it? What if someone else consistently uses the computer after you? Wouldn't it be nice to just log off? That's a lot of questions with one relatively easy answer! Just right-click your Start button and select “Properties”. Under the Start Menu Tab you'll see a selection that says “Power button action:” and a drop-down box next to it. Simply drop that box down and select the action you most commonly use with your computer and hit OK. Now whenever you click the Start button you'll see the action you chose instead of the usual “Shut Down option!. If you don't like it, just follow the same steps and re-select “Shut Down” Super Easy! ~Andrew What a neat trick! Remember to rate or add to this tip here! --- Time to Vote! Ladies and Gentlemen it's time to vote for your favorite Big Skies and Stunning Clouds photo for February's Photo Contest!! When you log in to vote, you'll be sent to a page with all of the contest submissions for you to browse. Just pick your top five, hit "submit", and on the next page you can put them in order (one being your favorite and five being your least favorite of the five you chose). Super easy! The New Contest is here! This month's topic: Vivid Colors. Take a stunning picture of anything that has bright, awe-inspiring colors. Brightly colored plants and flowers, sun shining through glass and prisms, you name it; anything with a Vivid Colors theme might score you a $50 Worldstart gift certificate (just don't over-do the saturation in your photo editing programs)! Get to it! Limited Quantity Alert! We had over 2,000 of these babies at the begining of this week and we've almost sold the entire lot!! There's no telling how much longer we're gonna have 'em in stock - they could last through tomorrow, but chances are we could even sell out TODAY!! If you haven't gotten yours yet, you won't want to wait till tomorrow - because it could be too late!! Quit Putting Up With That Slow As Molasses PC!! Completely Overhaul Your PC In Just Minutes!! Go From Slow & Sluggish To Lightning Fast "WOW!!" "It's A Super-Charged Caffeine Boost For Your PC!" Incredible New Software Is Really Gonna Amp Up Your Speed!! We're Talkin' Up To 300% FASTER!!!!! Now That's Wicked Fast!! "It's An Adrenalin Shot To The Heart Of Windows!" Accelerate Load Times, Program Performance, & Internet Speed! PLUS.... Customize, Repair, Secure, And Clean Out Too! Don't Pay $50 Retail - Get This For Just $10.97 Today!!  This is SOOOOO exciting! How would you like to make that computer of yours REALLY fly? Windows XP, Vista - heck even Windows 7 Is gonna SMOKE after you install this baby!! Hey -  We're talking up 300% faster here - talk about crankin! Oh, and how 'bout making it super secure? Hey, no one wants to get hacked! What about faster start ups - like a blazin' 8X faster! WOW!!! Plus, what if you could get rid of a TON of excess junk and free up megs - or even GIGS - of hard drive space? Hey, while you're at it, how about some amazing customizations too? Well, I have some incredible news! It's all here (and soooo much more) in the latest and greatest version of System Mechanic!! You just GOTTA try this! If you only get ONE program this year, make sure it's this baby! Wow - talk about giving new life to a sluggish computer! This thing is gonna make your computer absolutely FLY! Heck, your computer might be BETTER THAN NEW once System Mechanic is done with it!! Oh, and you'll absolutely, positively LOVE the fact that this is SUPER-EASY to use! You don't have to have a degree in computer science (or anything for that matter) to use it! EVERYTHING this does can be done in a fully automatic mode! Of course, this lets you take full control if you like - so no matter what your skill level - novice or advanced, this thing just ROCKS!! But before I get started on how incredibly awesome this program is and how much it can do - I had somethin' I just HAD to share with you!! Check out the picture above...I was just in Best Buy the other day and look at how much these bad boys retail for!! $50!! Yikes! I can't believe how much everyone else is paying for this program! Is that insane or what?!?! So, we tested this on a friend's computer (cuz I've been running System Mechanic on mine forever) and WOW - what an amazing difference! The real surprise is that this guy is really good with computers - we were both shocked at what this found - and how easy it was to fix! Here's how it went: First we install the software and launch the program - it immediately upgrades to the most current version - nice! Next we check out the Dashboard and find all kinds of trouble: Oh, but not to worry - you just click the Repair button and BAM! - it's fixed right now! Oh, and you're not tied down to the repairs either - you can skip 'em or select JUST the items you want to fix! How cool is that? Truth be told, we looked over every suggestion and in EVERY case the problems it found and recommend to fix were right on the money! So, we've decided when System Mechanic finds a problem, just press the button and let it do the repair! With just a single push of the "Repair All" button, we quickly fixed 26 security problems, 2020 registry problems, got rid of 5 excess startup programs, optimized the internet connection and recovered a whoppin' 606MB of hard drive space - that's nearly a whole CD's worth of wasted space put back to use! All by pressing a SINGLE button!! WOW - now THAT'S impressive!! I can report that after running this program my friend reports that his computer is WAAAYYYY better now! He thought it was tweaked out, but this took it to the next level! Not only is it LOTS faster - both online and regular use, but it's more stable too! In fact, System Mechanic got rid of a random error message that kept popping up that we, frankly, had no clue what the cause was! Yeah - this is a KILLER program!! OK, this can enhance and upgrade your computer's performance in literally hundreds of ways, so let's break it down. Let's Talk Speed, The Blistering Mind-Blowin' Kind! If you want a FAST computer - and want it NOW - this is your new best friend!! First off, you'll really LOVE how this dives in and digs deep for all kind of excess startup programs - talk about a super speed-up!! Excess startup programs are the #1 way to slow down your computer - and this trims the fat like a hard-core drill sergeant for your PC!! Plus - if YOU want to take control, you can! It will show you EXACTLY what programs start up every time you boot, what they do, and if you really need 'em - or just go automatic - either way, you're gonna see a HUGE difference in speed! (Screen shot shows the options screen, but YOU can do it in a completely automatic mode with the push of a button!) Have you ever been using your computer and had it keep getting slower and slower?  Well, you were probably just about out of memory! See, sometimes programs don't "release" the memory they use back to the system once they are done with it, or the memory becomes "fragmented" and slow. What to do? Normally you'd have to reboot - but with this baby you can run the amazing Memory Mechanic utility and in about 8 seconds you recover all the wasted memory - and see an INSTANT boost in speed! Need even more quick speed? Try the EnergyBooster! This ingenious little utility shuts down any and all unnecessary programs that are running in the background - it's like a super-charged caffeine boost for your computer! Internet going a little slow? Charge it up with the NetBooster! This will examine your internet connection and optimize it for the best possible speed! You can see amazing speed gains of 100%, 200%, even 300%!! Talk about going down the information superhighway in a Ferrari!!! WOW! PLUS this has ALL kinds of tools to optimize your registry and hard drive for the best possible performance and speed! Like an adrenalin shot for your PC! Bottom Line - RUN this bad boy on your computer and you WILL see an increase in speed - probably a dramatic one!!! If you want your computer to be like it was back when it was new (or maybe even better) then THIS is the software that'll get you there!! Let's Talk Repairs No one like to talk about it, but sometimes bad things happen to good PCs, ya know? Have a weird error message?  Strange lockups?  Unbootable computer?  Random crashes?  Well, pretty much any kind of system failure you can come up with, THIS can fix automatically! The really cool thing about this program is you can run an absolutely outstanding All-In-One Repair Tool that will automatically fix, well, everything that's wrong with your PC - or you can choose to use individual tools! For example, want to check, tune-up and / or repair the registry? Easy - just run the Registry Tuner - in a matter of minutes (or even seconds) your registry will be optimized for the best speed and performance! Worried their might be something going on with your hard drive? Run the Drive Medic utility! This scans your hard drive and fixes any problems it discovers - all automatically! All YOU need to know is how to click a button! Amazing! Have an unbootable PC? This can make a bootable CD to and fix it! Heck, the System Mechanic CD is bootable and can be used to start a PC that refuses to boot! Hey, it happens to everyone eventually, but the difference is YOU'LL be able to recover! And that's just a FRACTION of what this can do - and fix!! Bottom Line - Next time your PC needs help, THIS will save it! Let's Talk Cleanin' Up The Clutter Hey, we all get extra junk on our PCs, but WOW - that stuff can turn into Gigs and Gigs of junk in a hurry! Temp files, old files, duplicate files, unused files - you name it, it's probably cluttering up your PC right now! Well, if you want that space back, it's a quick press of a button away! Just run the PC Cleanup utility! In a matter of MINUTES you'll recover megs - even GIGs - of hard drive space! Super easy too - just run the program, go with the defaults (or customize), sit back and watch it work!  Bottom Line - Why let hard drive space go to waste? This recovers GOBS of it in no time! Let's Talk Privacy & Protection OK, we all know it's dangerous out there. Hackers are always looking for ways to get into your computer, and even a firewall may not save you if you have an open venerability. So, once again, System Mechanic to the rescue! First off, it has a ONE BUTTON option for finding and fixing security holes! Yeah - One little button! Just press and it will find - and fix - any problems with your security! I've never, ever, seen an easier way! Just look at it go! Oh, and just wait till you see the jaw-droppin' System Guard utility! It does cool things like alerting you when a program tries to add itself to your startup, kills off dangerous programs trying to run in the background, even protects your browser from unauthorized software trying to add itself (ever wonder how that new toolbar just "appeared" one day?) A must have!! Plus, it protects all your private data too! It has this absolutely amazing utility called Privacy Cleaner that completely erases all your browsing, web, and search history. It can also eliminate unwanted cookies, chat transcripts and more! One button easy, of course!! Finally, if you have sensitive files on your computer (and who doesn't nowadays?), you can securely delete them with the bullet-proof Incinerator! This amazing program permanently deletes files so that no one - not even a bunch of scientists in white lab coats - can recover 'em! Bottom Line - If you want to keep your computer - and your info - safe and secure, this is the best software for the job! Let's Talk Customization Finally, what utility program would be complete without some ways to do some really amazing - dare I say even jaw-dropping - customizations? Oh, and System Mechanic knocked it out of the park this time! Once you install it, RUN to the Customize Advanced Windows Settings area and get ready to get FLOORED!  We're talking over 100 "secret" Windows customizations here!Most of these are next to impossible for the average person to find, let alone configure, but this utility makes it easy! It even explains what every option will do in easy to understand language! For example, want your start menu to react faster or slower? You can do it! Want your programs menu to scroll instead of expand? Yup, can do! Want arrows on your shortcuts? Or not? Can do! Want that annoying .net / passport reminder balloon to never EVER show up again in your system tray? Yup, it's easy to do! Want to hide / show items in the Control Panel? Adjust it all! Want to configure your log-in access when windows starts - it's easy! Want to customize the right-click menu? Can do! And frankly, that's only about 7% of what this can do! WOW! Bottom Line - I seriously don't think there's anything this can't optimize or customize on a windows computer! Let's Talk Awards! OK, it can be said that since I'm selling it, I could be a bit biased. So, hey, don't take my word for it. Here's just a small sampling of the awards this thing has won, along with some testimonials from real users! Talk About Award Winning! My laptop was in a mess! It was slow to the point of stagnation at times but a colleague recommended your software and the result was near-magical! Speeds have improved dramatically and it has given me a great feeling of confidence. Michael H. After I ran System Mechanic the first time, I thought I had a new machine! John N I love your product. It's not only a great product, but it’s fun to use. Sometimes I play with the different categories and I just enjoy myself....Norton & McAfee could learn a thing or two or three or four from you...lol....Have a great new year. Ray H System Mechanic saved me from having to purchase a whole new computer. Well worth the investment! Arthur H. System Mechanic is a great addition to my computer. I feel much more in control of what's going on inside it. The Internet optimizer worked great, a 1MB would take 22 seconds to download, now it takes just 7 seconds!! That is a 300% increase in internet speed. I was able to get at and get rid of a lot of unnecessary garbage that was choking up my computer. This product rates 5 out of 5 in my books! John T. Without a doubt, [System Mechanic is] the complete difference between a well working machine and being the typical frustrated computer user…From novice to expert, this product rocks and I would recommend it to anyone who uses a computer for whatever reason. Chris H. This product is much better than Norton Utilities and SystemWorks which I had been using since 1995. Keep up the good work!! Vern H In my twenty years of personal computing, System Mechanic is one of the best -- if not THE best -- software I have ever installed on a PC. I recommend it without hesitation to all my friends and presentation audiences. Keep up the great work. Bob S. Oh, and did I mention over 22 MILLION people use this? But hey, they didn't get the deal you're about to! Let's Talk Deal Of The Decade! Whew, sorry for going on for so long, but WOW - this thing just ROCKS!!  Now, here's the deal - this is version 8.5 and it automatically upgrades to the current version (version 9) after you install it! So, we're talking a $50 program!! Your price? How about just $10.97 with FREE US Shipping? Seriously, this has got to be the best deal in the history of the PC! Don't miss out - for $10.97, you just can't go wrong! http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=5390 PS - Warning - there's a LIMITED quantity on this one and when it sells out, we-can't-get-anymore - ever. RUN to the site before this deal passes you by! It's time to rev up, crank up, and super-charge that old computer of yours! I promise - this is the absolute BEST $10.97 you'll EVER spend on your computer!! Q: Should I leave my computer on all the time, or turn it off? A: This debate comes up often. Sparks continue to fly on both sides of the issue (especially if you don't have a surge protector!) I guess I'll give you the thoughts from both camps and let you decide. Leave it on: The electronic components within the computer tend to last longer if they aren't constantly cooling off and warming back up. Additionally, you don't get any kind of initial "spike" in power when your machine is first turned on. Finally, it's much more convenient to just plop down in front of your computer and start working than to sit through a lengthy boot-up. Turn it off: Your hard drive may last longer, especially if your computer doesn't put the drive on "standby" after a certain amount of idle time. The constant spinning of your hard drive motor can wear out the internal bearings. I personally don't think this a big deal. Newer hard drives will probably be in good service longer than the computer they live in. Another "turn it off" argument is that you'll save on your electric bill. Depending on your machine, it uses the same power as one or more 100 watt light bulbs. Finally, you're going to pull more dust into your computer if it's running all the time. More dust = more heat. More heat = short lived computers, unless you clean it out regularly. Those are the main reasons both ways. My opinion? I let it run during the day when I'm using it and shut it off at night. I don't think it's good for the computer to have someone poking at the power switch constantly. If you're going to use it in the morning and then again in the afternoon, leave it run till you're finished for the day. I used to leave mine run 24/7, but a few things have changed my mind. For one, all modern processors need a cooling fan and heatsink to keep it from burning itself into a silicon cinder. These fans are not totally reliable. If I'm using the computer and am getting signs that I have a CPU that's overheating (your computer will act *really* strange, some will play a little tune through the internal speaker), I can shut things down and get it fixed. If it happens in the middle of the night, I'll have a roasted CPU in the morning. So, my advice is to run it when you need it, and when you're done for the day, shut it down. ~Steve So, is the debate settled? Rate or add to this tip here! Clearing Text Styling in PowerPoint 2007 We all know that when it comes to PowerPoint presentations we tend to use a lot of styling aspects such as text color, shadows, glow, etc… basically all the things that appear in the WordArt Styles section of the Drawing Tools, Format tab that appears on the Ribbon when we're working in text boxes. You may not have noticed it but any time that you work with text in a presentation it's treated like WordArt, which is why you have so many choices for customizing the look of your text. But… what if you've made a lot of changes and you just want to clear them all away to start over? Do you use the undo button over and over and over again? Or, maybe you've actually gone through the hassle of creating a new text box and retyping the text? Either way, those choices can quite a waste of time. So let's try a single clean wipe of the formatting. To do that we need to first select the specific text or text box to be stripped of the formatting. Now we need to be back at the Drawing Tools, Format tab. Click the bottom down-arrow on the preset style palette then choose Clear WordArt from the bottom. POOF! The extra formatting is wiped clean and you can work on finding the "right look" for your presentation. ~April Free and clear! Of formatting, that is! Rate or add to this tip here! WOW!  Get Data Off Old Hard Drives The Easy Way! Backups Made Cheap, Quick, And EASY! Use Internal Hard Drives OUTSIDE The Computer! Ingenious Device Pays For Itself - FAST! OK, THIS is really sweet! When I first discovered these, all I could think was, "WOW! EVERYONE needs something like this - what an INCREDIBLE idea!" What the heck is it? Glad you asked! We have this amazing little USB Cable Adapter and it has gotta be one of the most brilliant ideas I've ever come across! What's it do? Basically, this amazing device lets you use an internal hard drive as an external hard drive! Here's how it works: You take an internal hard drive - IDE or SATA (that's pretty much everything from the last 10+ years) and plug it into this device. Then plug the USB cable into your computer - that's it! The hard drive you hooked up will show up as a removable drive under My Computer! How cool is that? Just think of the uses for this! Let's say you have an old computer laying around and you REALLY want to get the info off the old hard drive and onto your new computer. With this, just pop out the old hard drive, hook it to this little gadget, and plug the USB cable into your new computer. You just got your data back! Oh, and if you're like me and have been computing for awhile, you probably have an old hard drive or two lying around. If so, just hook it up to this and have instant USB access to your files! Now THAT'S smart! My favorite use for this? Using it as a cheap backup device! OK, think about this - how much does an external hard drive cost? They're freakin' expensive! In a LOT of cases they can easily run over $100 - even $200 isn't unusual! Sad part is, if you're like most people, you're just using them as a backup device or extra storage. Know why you're paying so much? That pretty case! Why not just use an internal hard drive with one of these adapters? Think about it - hook up any internal IDE or SATA drive to this device and you instantly have a place for backups or extra storage! When you're done, just stick the drive in your desk drawer! Hey, that's my backup plan most of the time! Internal drives are easier to store, cheaper to buy (think WAY cheaper) and just as reliable! Heck, I'll bet you have an old computer lying around right now with a drive you could scavenge and use for backups! All you need is this Hard Drive Adapter and you're good to go! Your cost? Just $19.97 and US Shipping is FREE! It's an incredible deal - especially when you figure in all the money it's going to save you on those fancy external drives! Pays for itself almost instantly! Check it out: http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=3564 PS - Stop getting ripped off for hard drive storage! Grab one of these and use ANY IDE or SATA drive for extra space, backup, and storage! Disable NTFS Last Access Want a quick way to get a little speed out of your computer? Try disabling NTFS last access!Today's featured tip is all about it! Snow Days For us notherners the snow is far from over! So instead of letting Mother Nature have all the fun, why not make some of your own snowflakes at today's Cool Site? Here's the link you need: http://www.worldstart.com/ Enjoy! Add Extra Toolbars to your Windows Taskbar I personally like to keep my desktop clean with minimal icons on it and just change the wallpaper from time to time. After all, what is the point of having pretty wallpapers on your desktop if you are going to have ugly icons all over it? So in order to do this, while at the same time retaining high productivity, I classify all the frequently used shortcut icons into groups and have them as a pop-up menu (an additional toolbar) I can access from the windows taskbar. I find that my productivity with the computer remains the same, but my desktop is much neater and cleaner when the icons have been moved to pop-up menus (additional toolbars). These additional toolbars are similar to the quick-launch toolbar which comes as a default toolbar in Windows. Adding a toolbar to the windows taskbar is very simple and can be achieved as follows 1.) Add all the shortcuts you want together into a folder. 2.) If you want shortcuts to be grouped together into sub-sets, then add a sub-folder with shortcuts within it 3.) Right click on the taskbar and choose Toolbars>New Toolbar. 4.) Navigate to the folder required and then click on “Select Folder”. 5.) The toolbar should appear on the taskbar and will function similar to the Quick Launch Toolbar. 6.) In order to remove/disable a particular toolbar, right-click on the taskbar, choose Toolbars and then remove the tick mark against that particular toolbar. Note: I normally group all the shortcuts into various sub-folders and put all the sub-folders together under a root-folder which I place within My Documents. I then create a toolbar which points to the root-folder. I tend to keep the quick launch toolbar on the left next to the Start button, and add additional toolbars on the right next to the System tray. I use the space in-between for tabs of open windows/currently running applications. I find this method highly efficient as I can use the available space effectively and I also know exactly where all my shortcut files are and can modify them if required with the change reflecting in the toolbar immediately. Example of a Toolbar The screenshot above indicates a toolbar named “Unused Links” which was created in the above fashion. It contains all the links I don't want cluttering my desktop and makes them readily available. The classification into groups facilitates easy retrieval in case I need anything in future. As described earlier, I have it on the right extreme of the windows taskbar, adjacent to the system tray. ~Deepak kannan That was cool! Don't forget to rate or add to this tip here! Friday Funnies! For stories, jokes, quotes and cartoons every day, sign up for our Just for Grins newsletter. No Performance Tax Do you listen to the radio? Do you enjoy discovering new artists as you listen? Do you use the radio to promote your favorite charity or school? Well then this pertains to you. This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart, and I’m happy to share it with you. They want to add a performance tax to every song played on the radio station! For a lot of radio stations that would mean that they would have to close or stop playing music all together. To learn more about how this would affect you, where the money is going, and why this generally sucks all around if it is passed check out the Radio at Risk section. Join me in the fight against the performance tax! To learn how check out the Take Action section. It will show you all the different ways that you can speak out, and stand up against the performance tax. I encourage you to check out the other sections of the site where you can learn about who is speaking out against, what they have to say, and keep up to date on the news surrounding this issue. http://www.noperformancetax.org/ ~Amanda Radio free! Rate or add to this Cool Site here! Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share? Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com Buy One, Get One FREE!!! The ONE Screwdriver Set EVERYONE Should Have! Since Today Is Buy One Get One Free...You'll Get TWO!! It's Prescription Strength CRAZY To Miss Out On This! Great For Computers, Battery Covers, Eyeglasses, Electronics - ANYTHING With A Small Screw (and that's everything nowadays)! Crazy Low Price Too! WOW! Know what's crazy? The insane number of times I need a small precision screwdriver! Used to be I'd need one a few time a year - at the most. Now it seems like just about everything has these super-tiny little screws! Just look at battery covers! Heck, just about every battery cover in the world now requires you to own a itsy-bitsy tiny little screwdriver set in order to get into it! Ever run into that? Heck, how could you not? Nothing more frustrating than not having the right screwdriver for the job! Well, we just uncovered a deal that everyone is gonna love! We have these amazing 12-in-1 Precision Screwdriver Sets that are just what the mechanic ordered! First off, take a look at this guy - it's all one self-contained unit! All the bits are stored right in the handle, so it makes it super-easy to get the bit you need - no matter the size of the screw (or the head), THIS one little kit is going to have you covered! 4 double-ended bits give you a total of 8 different sizes at your disposal! Plus, check out the screwdriver itself! You're able to store all of the bits inside the screwdriver handle!!! This cures the problem that everyone has with an a screwdriver that has interchangeable bits - you're always losing them!! No excuses anymore - easily and conveniently store all of the bits inside the handle. Grab one to keep in your toolbox, one for the kitchen "odds and ends" drawer, one for your desk, and heck, I'd even put one in the car or your purse - they're great for tightening up eye glasses! You never know when you're gonna need one, and truth is, it's an amazing hassle when you DON'T have the right screwdriver for the job! Nothing more frustrating than driving around from store to store hunting for a screwdriver because you need to change batteries in something! That's crazy! Your cost for this life-saver of a screwdriver? Just $6.97 and US shipping is FREE! For that kind of money, it just isn't worth NOT having a couple laying around!! PLUS - remember - today everything in the newsletter is BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE!! - So you're getting 2 for just $6.97! WOW!! http://store.worldstart.com/product.php?productid=5361 Warning - Price goes to $12.97 on Monday (03-08-2010) for just one! March Wallpaper Here's this month's free calendar wallpaper! As always, it's 100% free, so head on over and grab one! Nature As A Graffiti Artist (Photo contest winner) Swirls of frost decorating our 1993 Saturn Stationwagon.  The patterns were incredible. Swan Chick Badwater Sunrise It's all free, so enjoy! All can be found here: http://www.worldstart.com/wallpaper/index.php Enjoy!
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]]> http://www.worldstart.com/newsletters.php/computer_tips/03-05-2010/feed http://www.worldstart.com/newsletters.php/computer_tips/03-04-2010 http://www.worldstart.com/newsletters.php/computer_tips/03-04-2010#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:31:15 +0000 WorldStart Computer Tips Newsletter http://www.worldstart.com/newsletters.php/computer_tips/03-04-2010

International Themes in Windows 7

No, I'm not going to make you crepes, or anything, but I will show you how to reveal some different wallpapers and themes that are hidden within Windows 7.

As it turns out, during the installation process of Windows 7 it asks you some questions about time zone and currency format to identify what part of the world you live in. As such, the selection of wallpapers will reflect your location, and since most of us live in the US that means pictures of rolling fields and lighthouses. But what about the other English-speaking countries like Australia, Great Britain, etc? Aren't they included, too?

They are, and here's how you get them!

Just copy and paste this line into your Search Box (located under the Start menu)

C:\Windows\Globalization\MCT

Press Enter and an Explorer window with a list of folders should pop up; each a different country.



Choose one and double-click on it to open. From here open the “Theme” folder and double-click the file inside. This will create a shortcut in the Personalization section under your Control Panel. Repeat these steps with each country until you have an international selection!



~Andrew

Worldwide, baby! Rate or add to this tip here!