How to remove watermark of windows 8.1 all versions

Hello guys, this is a simple way to remove the watermark of windows 8.1 from your screen.

You just have to download the file which is given in the link below.

Follow these steps:
1. C:\Windows\Branding\Basebrd\en-US\basebrd.dll.mui

2. C:\Windows\System32\en-US\shell32.dll.mui(And replace/overwrite both files by my modified DLL files,after you replace files)
Open CMD prompt window or PowerShell as Administor and type mcbuilder wait few second... and reboot...




>>>CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD<<<

How To Speed Up Torrents with Low Seeders

Here’s a ridiculously easy tip to squeeze out as many users as you can on a dead or dying torrent. It’s particularly handy when a torrent stops near the end, and/or the seed count is listed as zero. Having said that, I’ve also noticed that it helps to increase download speeds from healthy torrents, as well.

NOTE: Do not attempt this trick with private torrents - it’ll only get you banned from the tracker. Use this tip with torrents you find at isohunt, thepiratebay, etc.
How it works:

Simple. Just copy/paste this list of public trackers into your torrent’s tracker list.


Code:
http://tracker2.istole.it:60500/announce

http://inferno.demonoid.com:3407/announce

http://vip.tracker.thepiratebay.org/announce

http://track.sextorrent.to:2710/announce

http://tracker.deluxebits.to:3552/announce

http://denis.stalker.h3q.com:6969/announce

http://tracker.thepiratebay.org/announce

http://tracker.torrentbox.com:2710/announce

http://tracker.hexagon.cc:2710/announce

http://tracker.torrent.to:2710/announce

http://axxo.sladinki007.net:6500/announce

http://220.162.244.175:53880/announce

http://tpb.tracker.prq.to/announce

http://open.tracker.thepiratebay.org/announce

http://eztv.sladinki007.net:60500/announce

http://tv.tracker.prq.to/announce

http://218.145.160.136:8080/announce

http://tracker.prq.to/announce

http://tracker.torrenty.org:6969/announce

http://tpb.tracker.thepiratebay.org/announce

http://t.ppnow.net:2710/announce

http://www.torrentvideos.com:6969/announce

http://tracker.bitebbs.com:6969/announce

http://www.torrent-downloads.to:2710/announce

http://eztv.sladinki007.eu:60500/announce

http://www.ipmart-forum.com:2710/announce

http://tracker.ydy.com:83/announce

http://bt1.the9.com:6969/announce

http://tracker.sladinki007.net:6500/announce

http://tracker.ydy.com:102/announce

http://tracker.paradise-tracker.com:12000/announce

http://moviesb4time.biz/announce.php

http://tracker.deadfrog.us:42426/announce

http://mpggalaxy.mine.nu:6969/announce

http://www.sumotracker.org/announce

http://www.h33t.com:3310/announce

http://t1.pow7.com/announce

http://tracker.publicbt.com:80/announce

http://tracker.publicbt.org:80/announce

http://pow7.com:80/announce

http://tracker.token.ro:80/announce

http://viv.tv.tracker.prq.to/announce

http://publicbt.ath.cx/announce

http://tracker.prq.to:80/announce

http://tracker.ilibr.org/announce

http://tracker.harryy.us:80/announce

http://tracker.prq.to:6969/announce

http://tracker.ilibr.org:6969/announce

http://tracker.ilibr.org:80/announce

http://10.rarbg.com:80/announce

http://tracker.publicbt.com:80/announce

http://www.h33t.com:3310/announce

http://denis.stalker.h3q.com:80/announce


Applying the trackers to uTorrent:

In particular, this is a ‘µTorrent-compatible’ list, so that’s where I’ll show the example.

Open µTorrent, and right-click on the suspiciously-slow torrent. Select "Properties…".

 In the first window box, the "General" tab should be open, and there should already be a list of existing trackers (or perhaps just one). ‘Copy’ the list from above, and ‘paste’ them into the window.

While you’re at it, make sure that “Enable DHT” and “Peer Exchange” have checks in them, too. Now, if there are ANY public users on that torrent, you’ll be sure to find them.

How to increase utorrent download speed

uTorrent was very slow for me until recently I applied a few tweaks. Here's what I did.
Note: Some of the settings mentioned below are optimized for 256k connection. If you want to calculate the optimal settings for your connection, check at the end of this tutorial. But I suggest you to read the entire tutorial for guidance on other settings.
First go to Options>Preferences>Network
1. Under `Port used for incomming connections', enter any port number. It is best to use a port number above 10000. I use 45682.
2. Randomize port each time utorrent starts: UNCHECKED. I leave this unchecked because I have a router. If you do not have a router or a firewall, and want extra security,check this option.
3. Enable UPnP port mapping (Windows Xp or later only): UNCHECKED. I leave this unchecked because I have experienced it slowing down speeds. It is not needed if you manually port forward.
4. Add utorrent to Windows Firewall exceptions (Windows XP SP2 or later only): UNCHECKED (do this only if you have windows firewall disabled)
5. Global Maximum upload rate (kb/s): [0: unlimited]: 22 (for 256k connection)
6. Protocol Encryption: ENABLED. I would recommend everyone to enable this. This can help increase speeds with many ISPs.
7. Allow incoming Legacy Connections: CHECKED

Options>Preferences>Torrents
1. Global Maximum Number of Connections: 130 (for 256k connection)This number should not be set too low or the number of connections made to your torrents will be limited. Setting it too high may cause too much bandwidth to be used and can cause slowdowns.
2. Maximum Number of connected peers per torrent: 70 (for 256k connection)If you see that the peers connected to a specific torrent are exactly this number, or very close, increase this number to improve speeds.
3. Number of upload slots per torrent: 3 (for 256k connection)This depends on how much you want to upload to other users. Do not set too low or it may affect download speeds.
4. Use additional upload slots if upload speed <90%: CHECKED
5. Maximum number of active torrents: 2 (for 256k connection)
6. Maximum number of active downloads: 1 (for 256k connection)
7. Enable DHT Network: CHECKEDThis is recommended to be checked to improve speeds. More people will be available for sharing if this is checked.
8. Enable DHT for new torrents: CHECKED
9. Enable Peer Exchange: CHECKED
10. Enable scrapping: CHECKED
11. Pre-allocate all files: CHECKED
12. Append .!ut to incomplete files: UNCHECKED

Options>Preferences>Advanced
net.max_halfopen: 50
If you use Windows XP SP2, patch tcpip.sys with LvlLord's Event ID 4226 Patcher to get better performance.
DO NOT CHANGE THIS OPTION unless you have Windows XP SP2 and have patched tcpip.sys.
You can also patch tcpip.sys with xp-Antispy
If you have a firewall
* Open up the options/preferences/settings for the firewall - usually your firewall will have an icon to click in the taskbar
* Look for the keywords "allow list" or "programs"
* Add the application you want to give access to the internet
* Make sure to save your settings when you are done
If you have a router
1. Go to start>run>type cmd, press enter>type ipconfig, press enter
2. Remember both your ip address and your default gateway
3. Type in your default gateway into your default browser, a password prompt may come up. The default username and password are admin for my router
4. Under `Applications' fill out one line for each p2p client you use
5. You need to use your ip address, the correct port range and set either tcp or udp
6. You can find and change the ports in the actual p2p client's settings, just make sure they are the same in the router
7. Most p2p apps need both tcp and udp checked, if you are not sure check your p2p client's FAQ
8. Save your settings
Check PortForward.com to forward ports for uTorrent.
Some of the settings I mentioned above are relative to my bandwidth.
How to calculate optimal settings for your connection
In order to apply the following tips you need to know your maximum upload and download speeds. You can test your bandwidth over here.
Maximum upload speed
If you use your Maximum upload speed, there won't be not enough space left for the files you are downloading. So you have to cap your upload speed.
This is how I calculate my optimal upload speed...
upload speed * 80%
Maximum download speed
Setting your maximum download speed to unlimited will hurt your connection. So use this to calculate your optimal setting.
download speed * 90%
Maximum connected peers per torrent
upload speed * 1.3
Maximum upload slots
1 + (upload speed / 6)
Disable Windows Firewall
Windows Firewall hates P2P and so disable it and get yourself a decent firewall like Zone Alarm.
And last optimize your Internet connection with TCP Optimizer.
Know any other tricks to increase uTorrent's download speed? Please share them here.

EU & Japan Team Up for 100Gbps Fiber Optic Internet

Unhappy with your current Internet broadband speed? Well, fingers crossed for this new project to succeed: the European Union and Japan have joined forces to build 100Gbps fiber optic Internet, about 5,000 times faster than the average broadband speed in Europe – 19.7Mbps.
The project is called STRAUSS and is just one of a total of six research projects that the EU and Japan have partnered for.
More details about the six projects were recently unveiled by the European Commission. The partnership is aimed at finding ways to increase the efficiency of data transfer networks, given the massive online data explosion. The trend is expected to continue over the next ten years.

According to a press release from the European Commission, up to 1.7 million bytes of data are generated worldwide every minute. Moreover, the volume of data traffic has already doubled since last year and is believed to grow 12 fold by 2018, but current networks are not able to keep up with this growth rate.
Besides the 100Gbps fiber optic Internet project, the EU and Japan will also tackle issues such as network storage, cyber security, energy efficiency and high density data traffic, both for terrestrial and wireless networks. The six projects will receive 18 million euros in funding over the next years.
Let’s take a closer look at the six projects:
- STRAUSS, geared at obtaining 100Gbps fiber optic Internet would do so by combining optical transceivers, packet switching technology and new controlling software. It would then have to be tested on a large scale, so don’t expect to personally benefit from such data transfer speeds any time soon.
- MiWEBA, aimed at boosting ultra-high speed and mobile connections by enhanced use of radio frequencies.
- NECOMA, designed to enhance cyber security, especially in sensitive areas (for instance medical records) by developing new metrics.
- GreenICN, aimed at ensuring efficient use of information networks energy, designed to improve network reliability, especially in post-disaster situations.
- ClouT, integrating Cloud Computing and Internet of Things, so as to enable smart city operations such as traffic flow, emergencies, energy use.
- FELIX, designed to set up EU-Japan research and testing platforms.
The EU-Japan partnership is the latest effort to develop more efficient terrestrial and wireless data transfer networks. A team of German scientists recently achieved a record 40Gbps wireless data transmission rate, while American network equipment giant just unveiled new core router technology designed to double the Internet speed.

Keyboard shortcuts for Windows

 

Windows system key combinations

• F1: Help
• CTRL+ESC: Open Start menu
• ALT+TAB: Switch between open programs
• ALT+F4: Quit program
• SHIFT+DELETE: Delete item permanently
• Windows Logo+L: Lock the computer (without using CTRL+ALT+DELETE)

Windows program key combinations

• CTRL+C: Copy
• CTRL+X: Cut
• CTRL+V: Paste
• CTRL+Z: Undo
• CTRL+B: Bold
• CTRL+U: Underline
• CTRL+I: Italic

Mouse click/keyboard modifier combinations for shell objects

• SHIFT+right click: Displays a shortcut menu containing alternative commands
• SHIFT+double click: Runs the alternate default command (the second item on the menu)
• ALT+double click: Displays properties
• SHIFT+DELETE: Deletes an item immediately without placing it in the Recycle Bin

General keyboard-only commands

• F1: Starts Windows Help
• F10: Activates menu bar options
• SHIFT+F10 Opens a shortcut menu for the selected item (this is the same as right-clicking an object
• CTRL+ESC: Opens the Start menu (use the ARROW keys to select an item)
• CTRL+ESC or ESC: Selects the Start button (press TAB to select the taskbar, or press SHIFT+F10 for a context menu)
• CTRL+SHIFT+ESC: Opens Windows Task Manager
• ALT+DOWN ARROW: Opens a drop-down list box
• ALT+TAB: Switch to another running program (hold down the ALT key and then press the TAB key to view the task-switching window)
• SHIFT: Press and hold down the SHIFT key while you insert a CD-ROM to bypass the automatic-run feature
• ALT+SPACE: Displays the main window's System menu (from the System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the window)
• ALT+- (ALT+hyphen): Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menu (from the MDI child window's System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the child window)
• CTRL+TAB: Switch to the next child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program
• ALT+underlined letter in menu: Opens the menu
• ALT+F4: Closes the current window
• CTRL+F4: Closes the current Multiple Document Interface (MDI) window
• ALT+F6: Switch between multiple windows in the same program (for example, when the Notepad Find dialog box is displayed, ALT+F6 switches between the Find dialog box and the main Notepad window)

Shell objects and general folder/Windows Explorer shortcuts

For a selected object:

• F2: Rename object
• F3: Find all files
• CTRL+X: Cut
• CTRL+C: Copy
• CTRL+V: Paste
• SHIFT+DELETE: Delete selection immediately, without moving the item to the Recycle Bin
• ALT+ENTER: Open the properties for the selected object

To copy a file

Press and hold down the CTRL key while you drag the file to another folder.

To create a shortcut

Press and hold down CTRL+SHIFT while you drag a file to the desktop or a folder.

General folder/shortcut control

• F4: Selects the Go To A Different Folder box and moves down the entries in the box (if the toolbar is active in Windows Explorer)
• F5: Refreshes the current window.
• F6: Moves among panes in Windows Explorer
• CTRL+G: Opens the Go To Folder tool (in Windows 95 Windows Explorer only)
• CTRL+Z: Undo the last command
• CTRL+A: Select all the items in the current window
• BACKSPACE: Switch to the parent folder
• SHIFT+click+Close button: For folders, close the current folder plus all parent folders

Windows Explorer tree control

• Numeric Keypad *: Expands everything under the current selection
• Numeric Keypad +: Expands the current selection
• Numeric Keypad -: Collapses the current selection.
• RIGHT ARROW: Expands the current selection if it is not expanded, otherwise goes to the first child
• LEFT ARROW: Collapses the current selection if it is expanded, otherwise goes to the parent

Properties control

• CTRL+TAB/CTRL+SHIFT+TAB: Move through the property tabs

Accessibility shortcuts

• Press SHIFT five times: Toggles StickyKeys on and off
• Press down and hold the right SHIFT key for eight seconds: Toggles FilterKeys on and off
• Press down and hold the NUM LOCK key for five seconds: Toggles ToggleKeys on and off
• Left ALT+left SHIFT+NUM LOCK: Toggles MouseKeys on and off
• Left ALT+left SHIFT+PRINT SCREEN: Toggles high contrast on and off

Microsoft Natural Keyboard keys

• Windows Logo: Start menu
• Windows Logo+R: Run dialog box
• Windows Logo+M: Minimize all
• SHIFT+Windows Logo+M: Undo minimize all
• Windows Logo+F1: Help
• Windows Logo+E: Windows Explorer
• Windows Logo+F: Find files or folders
• Windows Logo+D: Minimizes all open windows and displays the desktop
• CTRL+Windows Logo+F: Find computer
• CTRL+Windows Logo+TAB: Moves focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the system tray (use RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW to move focus to items on the Quick Launch toolbar and the system tray)
• Windows Logo+TAB: Cycle through taskbar buttons
• Windows Logo+Break: System Properties dialog box
• Application key: Displays a shortcut menu for the selected item

Microsoft Natural Keyboard with IntelliType software installed

• Windows Logo+L: Log off Windows
• Windows Logo+P: Starts Print Manager
• Windows Logo+C: Opens Control Panel
• Windows Logo+V: Starts Clipboard
• Windows Logo+K: Opens Keyboard Properties dialog box
• Windows Logo+I: Opens Mouse Properties dialog box
• Windows Logo+A: Starts Accessibility Options (if installed)
• Windows Logo+SPACEBAR: Displays the list of Microsoft IntelliType shortcut keys
• Windows Logo+S: Toggles CAPS LOCK on and off

Dialog box keyboard commands

• TAB: Move to the next control in the dialog box
• SHIFT+TAB: Move to the previous control in the dialog box
• SPACEBAR: If the current control is a button, this clicks the button. If the current control is a check box, this toggles the check box. If the current control is an option, this selects the option.
• ENTER: Equivalent to clicking the selected button (the button with the outline)
• ESC: Equivalent to clicking the Cancel button
• ALT+underlined letter in dialog box item: Move to the corresponding item

APPLIES TO

• Windows Server 2008 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise
• Windows Server 2008 Standard
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86)
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition for Itanium-based Systems
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard x64 Edition
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition (32-bit x86)
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
• Microsoft Windows 95
• Windows Vista Business
• Windows Vista Enterprise
• Windows Vista Home Basic
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Windows Vista Starter
• Windows Vista Ultimate
• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional
• Microsoft Windows XP Starter Edition
• Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
• Windows 7 Enterprise
• Windows 7 Home Basic
• Windows 7 Home Premium
• Windows 7 Professional
• Windows 7 Starter
• Windows 7 Ultimate

How to type or make symbols using keyboard

Symbols are very essential in order to do the proper interaction in internet.Using symbols will reduce the time consumption also looks professional.For example in some cases bloggers need the © symbol while blogging but there is no direct key in keyboard to do that.So we need to know some code to type it.These codes also works in Facebook status and comment box.

Keyboard shortcuts.Pic By: sanjzay

Alt + 0169	©	copyright symbol
Alt + 0174	®	Registered Trademark
Alt + 0176	°	Degree symbol
Alt + 0215	×	multiplication
Alt + 1	☺	smiley face
Alt + 2	☻	black smiley face
Alt + 0162	¢	cent sign
Alt + 11	♂	male sign
Alt + 12	♀	female sign
Alt + 18	↕	up-down
Alt + 29	↔	left-right
Alt + 0153	™	Trademark sign
Alt + 27	←	left arrow
Alt + 0191	¿	upside down question mark
Alt +  26	→	right arrow
Alt + 24	↑	up arrow
Alt + 25	↓	down arrow
Alt +  0182	¶	paragraph
Alt + 061	=	Equal sign
Alt + 0161	¡	upside exclamation
Alt + 15	☼	sun
Alt + 0177	±	plus or minus sign

These are the symbols codes which are popularly used.You can easily find much more symbols by holding Alt and pressing any number of your choice.

How to check your actual Internet speed

This is quick tip on how to check your Internet speed.Internet speed varies with time,region,network and many other factors.You may charging for 12 Mbps by your service provider and getting only two or three Mbps Internet.Most of the time Modems or Broadband connections do not show you correct Internet speed.Because they know,if you come to know about the real speed you may change the service.!

While surfing i found some of the internet speed checking tools which are returning almost correct result.These tools calculate your internet speed by downloading and uploading some files.Speedtest is the on which i use regularly and it shows both download and upload speed.With this you can also compare your speed with the Global average speed by Graph and if you wish you can create an account and save all your history about your internet speed.
TestMy.net also a good tool.It downloads some random 1  Mb of date and uploads some random data and returns your internet speed with details like how faster your connection than others and other stats.You can do separate download and upload speed checks.
Testmyspeed, BandwidthPlace are also similar tools.These speed changes every second.So you can check in different times and make sure about your average internet speed.Normally all connection are faster in Morning time.You can use that time to do work which requires more data like watching YouTube videos,Updating Softwares etc…

How to Download and Install Windows 8.1 Preview

For Windows 8 fans, life is about to get a lot less painful. Microsoft has released the first major update to its latest operating system, titled simply Windows 8.1. Surely, you want to be able to boot straight to the desktop, enjoy more settings options, and get a much improved keyboard and search experience. You can also change your wallpaper so that the desktop and Live Tile screens match and enjoy a redesigned app store that’s much easier to navigate.
Although it won’t be officially released until the fall, here’s a step-by-step guide for downloading and installing the Windows 8.1 Preview now.
1. Go to the Windows 8.1 Preview Page.

Click the “Get it now” link to install an update that will allow you to access Windows 8.1 Preview from the Windows Store. [Note: Be sure to read the Windows 8.1 Preview FAQ to make sure your Windows 8 device meets the minimum requirements needed to install the preview.]

2. Restart Your Windows 8 Device

After restarting, this update to the Windows Store will automatically install through Windows Update. Upon reboot, you will be greeted by a message to install Windows 8.1 Preview. Then, you will be able to access Windows 8.1 Preview from the Windows Store.
3. Click on “Go to the Store”

After clicking the Go to the Store button, you will be taken to the Windows Store page for Windows 8.1 Preview. It’s here that you will find links and additional information about Windows 8.1 Preview, including the FAQ.

4. Click the Download Button

After clicking the Download button, Windows 8.1 will begin to install. But before that, it will run a series of compatibility checks to make sure your device can run the Preview. If no issues are found, your device will likely reboot a few times during the installation process.
5. Sign In With a Microsoft Account
After the installation, you will need to sign in with a Microsoft account to use the enhanced cloud capabilities of Windows 8.1 Preview.
* If you have any issues with the installation, be sure to check out the official Windows 8.1 Preview forums for a solution.
** Want Windows 8.1 Preview in a different language? The Windows 8.1 Preview ISO files are available to download in 13 languages on the Windows 8.1 Preview website.

How to Install Android in VirtualBox

How to Install Android in VirtualBox

Want to run Android on your PC? The Android-x86 Project has ported Android to the x86 platform from ARM. Android-x86 can be installed on netbooks with supported hardware, but you can also install Android in VirtualBox.
Android can be run as just another virtual machine, like you would run a Windows or Linux virtual machine. This allows you to play with the Android interface and install apps in a full Android environment on your PC.

What You’ll Need

Before you can get started, you’ll need both VirtualBox and an Android-x86 ISO to install inside VirtualBox.

• Install VirtualBox: Download and install VirtualBox if you don’t already have it installed.
• Download an Android-x86 ISO: You can find the latest Android-x86 ISO files at Google Code. Download the latest one — currently Android 4.2.

Creating an Android Virtual Machine

You can now open VirtualBox and create a new virtual machine by clicking the New button. Go through the wizard and configure your virtual machine with the following settings:

• Operating System: Linux – Linux 2.6
• Memory Size: 512 MB
• Hard Drive Size: 3 GB or More

Next, power on your new virtual machine and point VirtualBox at the Android-x86 ISO file you downloaded. The installer will boot up inside your virtual machine.
Select the Installation option and press Enter to continue.

We’ll need to create a partition for the Android system. Select the Create/Modify partitions option and press Enter.

Select the New option with your arrow keys and press Enter to create a new partition in the free space.

Choose the Primary option and press Enter, then press Enter again to have the partition take up the entire size of the virtual disk you created.

Highlight the Bootable option and press Enter to make the partition bootable, then select the Write option and press Enter to write your changes to the virtual disk. You’ll have to type yes and press Enter to confirm writing the changes.

Activate the Quit option and you’ll go back to the Choose Partition screen.
This time, you’ll see the partition you created at the top of the screen. Select the partition and press Enter to install Android to it.

Select the ext3 file system, and then select Yes to format the partition.

Choose Yes to install the GRUB bootloader, and then select Yes to install the /system directory as read-write.

Once you’re done, you can remove the ISO file and reboot your virtual machine.

Android should boot up like any other operating system would in your virtual machine. As with an Android smartphone or tablet, you’ll have to go through the setup process and optionally provide Google account details. Skip the Wi-Fi setup screen — Android will use your virtual machine’s standard Internet connection.

If your mouse cursor doesn’t work, click the Machine menu and select the Disable Mouse Integration option. Click inside the virtual machine and you’ll see the mouse cursor. Press the host key displayed at the bottom-right corner of the virtual machine window (default key: Right Ctrl) to release the mouse cursor from the virtual machine.

You’ll boot into a live Android environment, complete with Google apps like Gmail, Maps, and the Play Store for installing other apps.
Android is primarily designed for touch input, but it can also be used with a mouse and keyboard — this means that your computer’s mouse and keyboard can function as serviceable input devices. Just don’t try doing anything you need multi-touch for.

---

This isn’t the fastest way to run Android apps on your PC — BlueStacks is faster if all you want to do is play Temple Run 2 or another Android game on your Windows PC. However, Android-x86 provides access to a complete Android system in a virtual machine. It’s a great way to get more familiar with a standard Android system or just experiment with it like you would experiment with a virtual machine running any other operating systems.
Go full-screen with an Android virtual machine and you’ll get an idea of what it would be like to use Android on a laptop. If the rumors we’re hearing are correct, we’ll be seeing Android laptops coming out this year — ASUS Transformer devices already function just like Android laptops when in docked mode.

PC Cleaning Apps are a Scam: Here’s Why (and How to Speed Up Your PC)

PC cleaning apps are digital snake oil. The web is full of ads for applications that want to “clean your PC” and “make it feel like new.” Don’t pull out your credit card — these apps are terrible and you don’t need them.
If you do want to “clean your PC,” you can do it for free. Windows includes built-in PC cleaning tools that can do almost all of what the average PC cleaning app will do for you.

Let’s Investigate a PC Cleaning App

So what do these apps do, anyway? To investigate, we ran MyCleanPC — don’t try this at home; we installed this bad software so you don’t have to. MyCleanPC is one of the most prominent PC cleaning apps — it even advertises itself with television commercials.
First, let’s look at its Frequently Asked Questions to see what it promises:

“The full, paid version of the MyCleanPC software will attempt to remove issues found with your PC’s registry and hard drive, including removal of junk files, unneeded registry entries, Internet browsing traces, and fragmented portions of your hard drive.”

We’re already on thin ice here — Windows can remove junk files, clear Internet browsing traces, and defragment your hard drive without installing additional software.
MyCleanPC offers a “free diagnosis,” which is little more than an attempt to scare people into thinking their computers have thousands of “issues” that can be fixed for an easy $39.99 payment.
After running a scan, you’ll see an alarming count of the number of problems on your computer. It found 26267 issues on our computer. That’s an extremely alarming number — but what exactly is an issue?

• Every browser cookie and history entry counts as a single issue.
• Every temporary file counts as a single issue, no matter how tiny it is.
• Invalid registry entries are considered issues, although they shouldn’t actually slow down your computer.
• Our registry can be compacted a bit, but this shouldn’t make a noticeable different in performance
• Every fragmented file counts as a single issue. MyCleanPC is measuring fragmentation based on the number of fragmented files, leading to a scary-looking 21.33% data fragmentation statistic. For comparison, the Windows Disk Defragmenter tells us we have 2% fragmentation.

Now that they’ve scared you, this is the part where you would take out your credit card and give them $39.99 to clean your PC.

Don’t Believe the Hype

Temporary files are not slowing down your computer, and neither are browser history entries or cookies. Registry entries are generally not a problem — there’s a reason Microsoft once created a registry cleaner of their own before discontinuing it and advising people not to use registry cleaners.
Yes, your computer can be slow because its file system is fragmented. You can fix this by running the Disk Defragmenter tool included with Windows — the Disk Defragmenter runs automatically on a schedule, anyway. Most people shouldn’t have to worry about defragmenting their hard drives anymore.

How to Actually Clean Your PC

Let’s say you want to clean your PC just like a PC cleaner would. Here’s what you can do:

• Run the Disk Cleanup tool included with Windows. It’s focused on freeing up space on your hard drive, but it will also delete old temporary files and other useless things. Just tap the Windows key, type Disk Cleanup, and press Enter to launch it. You can even schedule a Disk Cleanup to clean your computer automatically.
• Clear your browser history or — even better — set your browser to automatically clear its history when you close it if you don’t want to store a history.
• Run the Disk Defragmenter included with Windows. This isn’t necessary if you use a solid-state drive.
• Don’t bother with a registry cleaner. If you must, use the free CCleaner, which has the best-tested registry cleaner out there. It will also delete temporary files for other programs — CCleaner alone does much more than these PC cleaning apps do.

A test performed in 2011 by Windows Secrets found that the Disk Cleanup tool included with Windows was just as good as paid PC cleaning apps. Note that this is true even though PC cleaning apps fix “registry errors” while the Disk Cleanup app doesn’t, which shows just how unnecessary registry cleaners are.
So yes, it’s been tested — PC cleaning apps are worthless.

Speeding Up Your Computer

The best tools for speeding up your computer are things that a PC cleanup app won’t do for you:

• Uninstall software you no longer use, especially programs that run at startup and browser plug-ins.
• Disable unnecessary startup apps to improve Windows’ boot time.

If you regularly see errors on your computer:

• Run an antimalware program like Microsoft Security Essentials to scan your computer for malware producing error messages.
• Google error messages you see regularly to find fixes for them.

Don’t forget the nuclear option:

• Reinstall Windows to start over from a clean slate. If you’re using Windows 8, use the Refresh Your PC feature.
• Check for hardware problems if you continue to experience blue screens or other PC problems after reinstalling Windows.

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At worst, PC cleaning apps are digital snake oil. At best, they do a few marginally useful things that you can do with tools included with Windows. Don’t believe the hype — skip the PC cleaning apps.