Plus performance-enhancing tweaks for Vista and XP
Windows 7 is a brilliant OS and offers us loads of long-overdue improvement and upgrades. However, like any OS it can benefit from a few tweaks. We've rounded up 25 essential tips to make your PC run faster.
Make it safer
Still looking for a good reason to trade Windows XP in for Windows 7? One word: security. The new OS is inherently better at fighting infections, blocking hackers and thwarting phishing attempts.
And with the extra tools described here, you can lock it down like a digital Fort Knox.
Install Microsoft Security Essentials
Works in: XP, Vista, 7
Windows 7 comes equipped with some solid security tools, including a robust firewall and the spyware-blocking Windows Defender.
On top of that, you need a good antivirus program, one that works quietly in the background and won't bog down your system.
Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection against viruses and other kinds of malware, and its performance impact is negligible.
Sounds like a fine alternative to paying an annual fee for virus protection.
Install web of trust
Works in: XP, Vista, 7
The seemingly innocent act of clicking a link - even one that's at the top of a Google search-results page - can result in 'drive-by downloads' infecting your PC. Scary, right? But how do you know whether a link is safe to click?
Try Web of Trust, a browser add-on that will warn you of unsafe sites.
Specifically, the plug-in adds colour-coded icons to each link that your search engine produces: green for safe, yellow for risky and red for dangerous.
You can also right-click any link, such as one that appears in an online forum, and choose View WOT scorecard to perform a manual safety check.
WOT is free, and available for both Firefox and Internet Explorer. Although its rating icons add a little clutter to some web pages, we recommend it very highly for anyone concerned about security.
NEXT PAGE: More tips to make Windows safer
Comments
GT said: rplatt where did you download the 32-bit version from
r_platt@sky.com said: i downloaded 32bit version can i change it to 64 bit version
Mike J said: Left out a big one turn off unneeded Windows servicesIve 45 disabledIn particular nix Windows Indexing Service in NT2000XP
bodkin said: Or you can watch live freeview tv from tvcatchupcom for free Go to their forums and they have a plug in for media centre
bodkin said: switch off the scheduled disk defragmentas it is enabled to run this process by default