Replies

A very useful post.

I’d also recommend the addition of CCleaner. Also, there’s this utility I downloaded from NirSoft, named WinUpdatesList that lists the KB numbers of all updates and is much more powerful than the native Windows utility. Also, USBDeview, ShellExView and WhatInStartup (all from NirSoft), are must-haves IMHO.

There are some books available, like the Windows for Dummies series, but they do not include the level of fine detail you seem to require, here. I suggest looking for web articles or YouTube videos. They tend to be a lot more comprehensive as, for instance, they do not have space restrictions. Also, these types of General Windows books usually have to cover multiple topics, thereby leaving less room for a comprehensive setup tutorial. Perhaps, such a book exists, I’m not too sure, but until someone here suggests such a book, I think you’re better off sticking to online tutorials.

I use the paid version of Macrium, kzkz. I save all my images on an external WD 1TB hard drive. I create images monthly, just 1 day before Microsoft’s Patch Tuesday. That way, if MS’s latest updates hose up my PC, I always have a fresh, problem-free image to go back to.

Hi,

Found some really good articles here:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0%2c2817%2c2337551%2c00.asp
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2108245/the-right-way-to-set-up-a-new-pc.html
http://www.computershopper.com/feature/13-essential-steps-set-up-your-new-pc

Is this what you’re looking for?

Hi.

Take a look at THIS article, and if you decide that you like this method of importing pics, install Windows Photo Gallery (if the installer asks to choose, just deselect the rest of the programs if you don’t want them). This is the same method I follow on my Win8 and Win7 PCs.
I couldn’t find an easier solution than this, in my case.

Limited write cycles?

It means that an SSD is quite similar to a pen drive or memory card. You can only write stuff to an SSD and delete them, a limited number of times, after which, the SSD will wear out (similar to a flash drive or memory card). Therefore, you must be careful to ensure that you don’t wear out the SSD too soon, by writing unnecessary data to it.

I personally use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Premium on 3 of my desktops, and on the laptop, I use Avast Free. I use even the mobile version of Avast on my tablet and smartphone. Both of these AV packages have proven to be life-savers over and over again. In all the years I’ve used Avast, the only issue I’ve had with it, is its attempts to shift me over to the Premium version. Other than that, I find both these programs to be very effective and reliable.

I also run Ccleaner and WinPatrol from time to time, just to keep my PCs cleaner. Along with all these, as many users on this Lounge will insist, I maintain periodic images of my PCs, using Macrium Reflect. You never know when you might need to start over with your PC.

I think it’d be wise if you advise your friend to run a malware scan with MalwareBytes AntiMalware, just to make sure that no more offending pieces of the program remain.

Glad we could help.

1. Are you certain Flash is up to date?

2. Have you tried resetting IE back to its defaults?

3. Try running IE without add-ons. Click the Start Orb and type Internet Explorer (No Add-ons) and press Enter, to launch an add-on free IE.

Perhaps, you could take a look at THIS MS article, and reset the HOSTS.txt file back to its defaults.

Also, make sure you have the latest version of Flash, and if this problem occurred recently, you might want to try a System Restore, back to a point where the videos played properly. And if the update to IE11 is causing these problems, try rolling back to IE10.

See if this MS article is of any help.

You might want to try updating the drivers for your NIC.

Check out THIS article.