Reich Consulting
7Apr/100

Uninstalling Programs on Windows 7

This demonstration video shows you how to uninstall applications on Windows 7.  For this video I intentionally sabotaged my computer with a bunch of applications which I don't recommend anyone actually download, just to show viewers the various tricks that some programs play to prevent you from removing them.

This is the third video in a series developed for my Home PC Maintenance course. Enjoy!

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16Apr/090

Beware of the Thrasher

Anyone who has worked in the tech support field can tell you: all computers are not created equal.  Even the most popular PC manufacturers happily sell hopelessly under-powered computers to cost-conscious consumers who incorrectly assume that a new computer is a fast computer. Today I'd like to focus on what I call a Thrasher: a computer so poorly configured that it can't perform the simplest of tasks.

How to Identify a Thrasher

It's not hard to identify a Thrasher simply by observing a computer's behavior:

  1. Can you solve world hunger in the time it takes to progress from the login screen to the point where you can actually interact with your desktop?
  2. Does switching between programs seem to take forever?
  3. Does it take minutes, rather than mere milliseconds, for your mouse clicks to register and make anything happen?
  4. Do windows disappear slowly, or a single line of pixels at a time rather all at once as they should?
  5. Do you get Out or Memory or Low Virtual Memory errors?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then chances are you've got a Thrasher. I've coined these types of machines Thrashers after thrashing, a unique problem that arises when a computer is low on memory. Thrashing occurs when your computer has severely limited physical memory and has to rely on virtual memory (a special segment of hard drive space that works like physical memory) to run multiple programs.

Put simply, when your computer has to depend on virtual memory, it often works itself into a state in which it spends all of it's time and resources shuffling data between physical RAM and virtual memory and has nothing left to actually perform the tasks you want it to perform.

Here's a fun little exercise to try when you encounter such a computer.  When the machine seems to be thrashing, press CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up Task Manager. There's a good chance that it will take several minutes for Task Manager to appear, but after it does click the Performance tab and look at your memory utilization.  Is your computer reporting that it is consistently using more RAM that is physically installed?  This means that it is depending on Virtual Memory 100% of the time, which means you've got a Thrasher.

How to Deal With a Thrasher

If you just want the Low Virtual Memory errors to go away, you could simply increase the amount of virtual memory made available to the operating system.  But this masks a symptom and really doesn't fix the underlying problem. To truly fix thrashing the amount of physical memory available for programs to utilize must be increased.  Here are a few different methods for increasing your virtual memory:

  1. Install more memory. This is by far the easiest and most effective way to increase available physical memory. Besides: memory is cheap these days, so why not find out exactly how much physical RAM your computer can handle and max it out?
  2. Uninstall unused software. Many programs have components that load when windows starts and always consume a chunk of physical memory.  Eliminate programs that you no longer have any use for.
  3. Disable Startup Programs. Using a utility like MSCONFIG or Windows Defender, disable or completely remove unneccessary startup programs. This is often useful if you want to keep a particular program installed, but don't want it to load when Windows starts.
  4. Run anti-virus. It's not very likely that a virus is consuming all of your physical memory, but it's good to eliminate the possibility.  If your computer is so slow that you can't even open anti-virus, consider rebooting into Safe Mode to run a virus scan.
  5. Run anti-spyware. Spyware can consume a lot of RAM, so it's always wise to eliminate that possibility.
  6. Update your operating system and other software. Your software may have memory leaks that updates could potentially fix.
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5Nov/081

My Top Ten Favorite Free Windows Programs

I'm broke and software is expensive. What more motivation does a person need to seek out free alternatives? Back before I began my professional career in Information Technology I used to pirate all of the software that I thought I needed; but these days I insist that my clients use legal copies of software, and so it's only fair that I do the same. And the longer I play by this rule, the more I realize I never really needed all of the expensive software I once thought was indispensable.

There is plenty of free software out there that provides a quality alternative to the expensive products many of us can't live without.  I've put together a list of my top ten favorite free desktop applications that I use every day.  All of them are available on Windows XP and Windows Vista. Though I have provided a direct link to each of these programs, I need to give credit to osalt.com, a website which lists popular paid software and their free, open source alternatives.

My Top Ten Favorite Free Windows Programs

1. InfraRecorder

(Alternative to Nero Burning ROM) InfraRecorder doesn't come with all the bells and whistles of Nero, but it makes simple burning tasks simple.  It can create data and auto CD's, data and video DVD's, and supports the creation and burning of ISO disc images. If you're a user like me who bought Nero and never burnt anything more complicated than the projects that Nero Express offers, InfraRecorder will more than fit your needs.

2. Crimson Editor

Not so much an alternative to a paid program as it is a free and handy utility for anyone who has to work with text files.  It's quick, and supports source highlighting for a variety of programming languages. I recommend it for anyone who finds themselves opening Notepad or Wordpad on a regular basis, but especially for students who are just learning how to program.

3. Password Safe

If you're like me, you have a lot of passwords to a lot of different websites; and if you're like me, you're also too paranoid to leave them saved in your web browser.  I use a program called Password Safe, which saves the website address, username, and password of all my accounts, all in a securely encrypted database that I can carry with me on a thumb drive.

4. Mozilla Firefox

No list of free software would be complete without the Firefox Web Browser.  Firefox is faster than Internet Explorer, and historically has been more secure.  If you're tired of your computer filling with spyware and toolbars, start browsing with Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.

5. FileZilla

(Alternative to CuteFTP, WS_FTP) FileZilla is the best thing since sliced bread for anyone forced to deal with FTP uploads and downloads.  I use this application constantly at work, where we are required by law to upload reports to the state government, and Window's default FTP interface is too clunky to reliably get the job done.

6. PDFCreator

(Alternative to Adobe Acrobat) If you need to create PDF's but don't need all the features of Adobe Acrobat, PDFCreator is a godsend. This program creates a virtual printer on your computer that allows you to create a PDF document from any program in Windows.  When I bill my clients I often email them an invoice in PDF format, and this program is what I use to create them.

7. OpenOffice

(Alternative to Microsoft Office) Open Office is the best alternative to Microsoft Office you'll find.  Though I use Microsoft Office at my regular job (it's an unavoidable part of our workflow), I use OpenOffice to create and manage my personal and business documents.  Personally MS Office is an application I'd be happy to pay for but if you want to save your cash, choose OpenOffice.

8. LogMeIn

(Alternative to Remote Desktop, VNC) Not a free application per se, but a free service you can use to access your computers from any computer on the Internet.  I use this to remotely resolve problems for my clients. It has some limitations, so you may eventually consider their paid service.

9. Microsoft Office Accounting 2008

(Alternative to Microsoft Office Accounting Professional, Quickbooks) Microsoft gets a lot of flack for being the "evil empire" of the software world, but they've come a long way and have given a lot back to their customers in terms of free software.  They have made an Express version of Account 2008 available for free.  It has taken me from a loose system of excel spreadsheets to a more organized billing system at zero expense to myself.  I highly recommend it to anyone in business for themselves who doesn't already have an investment made in Quickbooks technology.

10. Quicken Online

(Alternative to Quicken, Microsoft Money) Yet another free online service that frees me up from installing more software on my PC.  Quicken Online allows me to view and summarize all my bank accounts and automatically downloads a list of my transactions.  It shows me an easy-to-understand overview of where my money is going, helps me develop a budget, and tells where I need to cut back to meet that budget.

    Show me yours, and I'll show you mine!

    Now that I've listed a few of my favorites, leave suggestions on other free programs and services in the comments section!

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