Dave Brink, an amateur Internet explorer (unintentional pun!), was frustrated and bewildered by the increasing slowness of his PC, which had taken to regularly freezing and crashing as well. “I never knew about terms like malware and spyware, which can wreak such havoc on the speed of one’s PC, and I never knew the concept of PC optimizing,” says the 34-year-old banker from Boise, Idaho.

And that is no surprise really, because plenty of people do not realize that a slow PC is more than a minor irritant. It is, in fact, the first sign that your PC may be about to crash and thus lose valuable information that you have stored in it. 28-year-old Steve Galanakis of Toledo, Ohio, who maintains a blog for the benefit of amateur PC users, says he is constantly amazed at the number of PC users who neglect the basics of PC optimization. “Most of them have no clue about optimizing PC performance, and are really surprised when I tell them how simple it is,” says Steve.

Indeed. Optimizing your PC is really a matter of following a few basic tips, which also act as a preventive measure in protecting your PC against further, more serious, damage.

One of the first tips to optimize your PC is to clean Windows Registry, every day if possible. Because Windows Registry is essentially the vast internal database in which all your programs and applications, including Windows, store data, it collects a huge amount of fluff and superfluous files that significantly slow down your PC. The problem is that Microsoft do not include a Windows Registry clean-up tool in any Windows version, so many users are not even aware that they must clean Windows Registry regularly. You can clean Registry manually using a Windows program called Regedit, but this is not recommended unless you are an expert. For basic-level users, using specialized software to clean Windows Registry is more advisable. Such software is easily available on the Internet, but make sure you download from a trusted source.

As Steve says, “Too many users forget that deleting a file does not make it disappear from the PC.” Translation: not enough users empty their Recycle Bins on a regular basis, which eats up hard drive space and negatively impacts PC performance.

Run a check on your program files and count the number of unused programs that have piled up. Installing new programs can be fun, but these uselessly clog your hard drive, particularly when you no longer use them. Since most programs come with an uninstall option, removing them is easy. However, if they cannot be automatically uninstalled, you can still manually remove a program by selecting Control Panel from the Start menu, and double-clicking Add/Remove Programs, which gives you the Change/Remove option for every program.

Yet another basic and easy-to-perform task that plenty of users ignore is that of cleaning the hard drive, easily done using the built-in Windows Disk Clean Up tool, by deleting temporary Internet files and setup log files. All you need to do is double-click My Computer, right click on your ‘C’ drive, select Properties and choose Disk Cleanup.

Finally, de-fragment your hard disk regularly, because when you store programs on the hard disk, Windows saves fragments of these programs in the first available empty space. This slows down your PC because it has to look for the fragments and piece the files together. This is where Windows Disk Defragmenter comes in, as it gathers program fragments and restores them to the right order.

One main problem that you face with deciphering common Windows error codes is that they aren’t always printed in a uniform way. Some will be just a simple number, like 10 or 32 or 4002. But then some will be printed in the form 0×0000ABCD. Which look like gibberish, but is really a number.

The problem here is that there is a mismatch between how people calculate and how machines calculate. Human beings normally calculate using a number system that is known as the decimal system. It has ten digits, from 0 to 9, and all numbers can be represented by these. Indeed, you don’t even need that many digits; only two are enough to represent any number you can think of, however large. In fact, computers think in this way, using only 0 and 1. This number system is known as the binary system.

But the binary system is inefficient when you’re programming or exchanging some information with a computer. Because it has so few digits, the binary system takes a lot of space to represent numbers. For example, the number 179, which needs only three digits to write in the decimal system, needs eight digits in binary: 10110011.

So programmers use the hexadecimal system, which is closely related to the binary system, thus allowing for quick translation between the two systems. You can think of hexadecimal as a compressed form of binary. In addition to the ten digits of decimal, it has six extra digits, A through F, which are equal to 10 through 15 in the decimal system. And this is the system in which common Windows error codes are sometimes expressed.

So now you know why common windows error codes sometimes look funny. The 0x in front of these codes just indicates that it is a hexadecimal number, ‘hex’ for short.

Now what?

Now you get to know what those errors mean. You can either download this nifty little program called Error Messages for Windows (EMW for short) which catalogs all the common Windows error codes from here, or you can go to this very informative Windows Error Lookup page, which arranges all Windows error codes in convenient little bunches.

For example, if you’re saving a large file to your hard disk, the operation may abort with the Windows error code 0×00000070. So you can either translate this into decimal to find that it equals 112 in our familiar system, and then paste it into the EMW window. Or you can go to that URL and look up the hex number there directly. In either case, you shall find that Windows is trying to tell you that the disk became full before the file could be fully committed. So you know what to do now.

Some people seem to have an insatiable appetite for all sorts of esoteric knowledge. They’ll tell you the capitals of all African countries without pausing for breath. They’ll give you the maiden names of all US First Ladies, in proper chronological order. They’ll even recite the first fifty digits of the value of Pi without batting an eyelid. But even these people are stumped when you ask them the meanings of Windows error codes.

“Error code 39″, your computer tells you and then keeps looking at you smugly. So you know the error code, now go figure out what it means.

It seems the Windows team at Microsoft Inc. tried very hard to cover up for all the bugs they left in the system, and buried the truth about them in a secret language known only to insiders.

Indeed, what should you do knowing exactly how your Windows is broken? It isn’t as if you can do anything about it. At least, not in most cases, unless it’s something as simple as memory shortage, which you can (hopefully) fix by adding more RAM to the system.

Still, if you’re one of those insatiable types, getting to know these things can give you a warm, fuzzy feeling along the insides of your stomach.

It wasn’t an easy task until recently. You certainly weren’t going to buy a pricey reference book just to satisfy your unholy curiosity, or to take it down from the shelf and thumb through it every time you get an Windows error code, which is quite often if your Windows experience is anything like mine.

But now there’s Error Messages for Windows. No, this isn’t a new, improved version of Windows error codes. It’s just a tool for deciphering the error codes. To be frank, it’s little more than a pre-compiled list of Windows error codes, with a nice graphical window slapped onto its face. There are these two boxes, big and little. You enter the error code number in the little one, and the big box immediately shows you its meaning.

You enter 28. “The printer is out of paper”, says Error Messages for Windows, EMW for short. And to think that you needed a program to tell you that! It certainly would have been easier to look at the printer, eh?

You enter 38. “You have reached the end of the life”, EMW tells you. Uh-oh. What did you do to deserve that? Look again, it’s ‘file’ not ‘life’. You can start breathing again now.

And so on and so forth. The perfect little program to allow you to sit down with your loved one and spend countless instructive evenings, learning your Windows error codes. To add to the fun, the query window has the picture of a funny-looking wizard, complete with wand and moon-and-stars gown. On top of it all, it’s a free program, so check it out.

You always ensure extra protection and security when it comes to your home as this issue also concerns safety of your family and belongings. Your computer which is a storehouse for your vital personal information also demands similar concern and care from you. Protecting your PC is entirely your responsibility to ensure a faster and better performance and preventing misuses and manipulation of information.

An Anti-virus program profiles the unknown areas, files, folder for any new information. Your antivirus program will scan your file/folder contents for a virus signature that matches a specific profile that your kit knows about. If a virus is detected then this program will either repair it and archive the virus for future reference or destroy the infected file depending on the level of corruption.

You should schedule the program to run once or twice every day at a particular time when you are not using your computer. This ensures elimination of new virus if any at the earliest stage i.e. within 12-24 hours. Running an antivirus program requires your computer to synchronize with many programs simultaneously and thus it becomes a little slow for the time its being run.

Anti-virus programs are updated with virus signatures that include a new virus. When you run the program it checks for this new virus signature along with the older viruses that it knows about. It is very unlikely for the viruses to fade away completely even after they are eliminated. They leave behind traces and fragments that could continue to corrupt some of the files for infinite time and often messes up the computer’s registry.

To compare the utility and adequacy of antivirus kits all you need to know is whether is passes the following tests like the Demand Test that confirms checking file on demand, when sending an attachment as a part of KRSEV test; The Update Test which corroborates the automatic update of virus signatures preferably everyday; The Respond Test confirms how an infected file is treated by your chosen antivirus program or whether the infected file is completely cleaned and safe to open; and finally the Heuristic Test which is a little advanced than identifying the virus with virus signatures, explains how are these defined by your antivirus program. It’s important to go with a well-known and respected anti-virus program. AVG from Grisoft is free for personal use, and detects viruses as well as the more expensive products.

Malware attack your PC in a different way. These also steal your personal information and generally creep into your machine to use it as an advertising platform and eats up your disk space by downloading and installing new programs specific to their requirements. These also change your browser and personal homepages.

Ad-aware SE 1.06, Personal Edition, scans your hard drives, RAM, registry and external storage devices for malware. It ensures complete privacy while you are surfing the web. It scans for Code Sequence Identification to identify and include definitions of new unknown variants. Multiple user accounts are easily scanned at high speed through an Extended Scanning Mode. This protects the machine against Browser Hijackers effectively.

Spybot Search & Destroy is a multi installation scanner that effectively scans your PC registry. CWShredder is another device that effectively protects your PC from Browser Hijackers. It finds and destroys traces of different browser hijackers popularly included the wide range of CoolWebSearch. The Cassandra variant of this device now includes a desktop hijack. ToolBarCop is another device that removes unwanted Tooldbands, icons in the toolbars. Webroot Spy Sweeper protects your identity and revives your system performance by blocking spyware and cleaning it comprehensively.

We’ve included a few links here, but more information on all these devices and comparisons can be obtained from reputed PC magazine online. Choose the best product that customizes your requirement specifically.

DLL is the abbreviation used to describe Microsoft’s version of the shared library concept within Windows OS. DLL stands for Dynamic Link Library and Windows as well as other applications store various functions and data required for their proper operation using DLL files. Some DLL files are specifically used only by the application that installs them, while other DLLs are shared between various applications because they are bundled with the Windows OS. That ensures that DLL files occupy less disk space during their implementation.

However, not everything about DLL files is hunky dory. That is because missing DLL files and DLL file conflicts often cause unexpected Windows Registry errors, which can cause programs to operate improperly and even cause the Windows OS to stop working. In most cases, Windows DLL problems crop up when DLL files have been either erased or modified.

This applies particularly to shared DLL files, which are being used by more than one application. When you delete or uninstall one of these applications, it may so happen that a shared DLL file pertaining to that application gets deleted. Immediately, the other applications using that DLL file are impaired and cannot function properly.

Then there may be conflict of DLL files as well. This occurs when a shared DLL file is updated by one program and hence becomes incompatible with the other applications that are using it. Once again, this means that you will get Windows Registry errors, which in turn will destabilize your system. The best way to handle Windows DLL problems is thus to repair Windows Registry and clean the registry file. You can download any free Registry cleaner from the Internet. Though they are not really free software, their trial versions are usually enough for the requirements of a basic user.

Note: we recommend RegCure (direct download link) as the premiere Registry & DLL Repair tool.

Not only will a Registry repair tool help you handle Windows DLL problems, but also mend other Registry errors and generally clean up Windows Registry, which is the essential to the proper functioning of your PC. Any decent Registry repair tool should remove outdated Registry entries, de-fragment the Registry by doing away with blank spaces and fragments, take care of malware, and delete traces left by software that have not been properly uninstalled.

Eric Hollies, a 37-year-old music teacher in Knoxville, Tennessee, enjoys composing digital music on his customized workstation but has suffered intensely from Windows DLL problems that he initially had no clue about. “I would regularly download software that I used in my work, and then uninstall it, but I never realized that the process was not as simple as it seemed.” Until, that is, the DLL error messages began to pop up regularly. “I panicked initially and spent a packet on getting the errors fixed, until I learnt about Windows Registry repair and how that would help me with my DLL problems.”

Therefore, it is never too late to learn how to handle your Windows DLL problems. Instead of rushing to the nearest repairman, why not try a free Registry repair tool download first?

In computer lingo, libraries are those storage slots that have helper codes and data. These codes and data are used for other independent programs. Libraries are designed in such a manner that sharing and modifications could be done in a modular fashion. A DLL or dynamic-link library is a module that includes data and functions that are used by other modules or applications.

The modular application facilitates frequent updating as and when required and also reapplying it over and again. When more than one application is using the same functions or shares the same DLL code, the DLL helps to reduce the memory overhead.
A DLL usually exports data, which is by and large used exclusively by its own functions. However, other modules can also read and write the address. An exported function in a DLL can be used by other modules as well as by the DLL defined function. Whereas, internal functions are called only by the DLL that defines the same function.

Common DLL problems

An extension DLL has often more related problems than a Regular DLL. An object defined the extension DLL is often unrecognized and cannot be serialized. A warning message often appears stating ‘class not defined’. Resources stored in the Extension DLL cannot be loaded properly. The cause to this is mostly because this extension DLL is not wired/linked to the object chain of regular DLL.

You can use the AppWizard Extension DLL code to create a CDynLinkLibrary object in the extension DLL. Any CDynLinkLibrary is wired into a default chain. You need to call this function once from each regular DLL that uses an extension DLL. When an extension DLL is loaded DllMain is loaded first and it executes even before any application starts.

Another common problem is the sharing inconsistency when you install a new FrontPage component DLL. Web Servers that are based on Windows environment sometimes are unable to overwrite the DLL i.e. modify it according to the specific requirement while loading/installing FrontPage components that have DLL implementation linked with the server. This particularly happens because the DLL file is locked and used by the Web Server itself.

A solution to this problem is setting a specific Windows Registry value. This value commands the loading and unloading of extension libraries with each command request. This process is used to avoid frequent termination and restarting of the servers each rime the files are shared. To avoid caching of extension libraries the value is set to zero and to help the server revert to normal function the value is reset to one. Each time the value is set/reset the server needs to be stopped and restarted.

Most Web Servers do not allow free extension libraries for their optimal functioning levels. This is particularly formulated to skip reading libraries from disk every time a page is loaded. However, the process of developing FrontPage component libraries requires stopping and restarting for testing the newly loaded Web Server every time a new version is installed.

To free the library you need to stop all services like www, ftp etc. The Internet Service Manager located on your Start menu will help you to accomplish this task. Whereas, on PWS you need to go to the Control Panel that helps to solve this issue. You need to stop the http service by pushing the stop button to refrain the server from using the DLL file and freeing the library.

Microsoft Internet Explorer remains to be a popular browser in tough competition with Firefox and Opera. The gravest problem that is associated with browsing and surfing is the contamination of PC registry and other files with Malware. However there are other problems that the users encounter while using the Internet Explorer. Addressing these issues properly helps the user to minimize the occurrence of such problems.

Internet Explorer 5 when launched was reported to have severe DLL problems like kernel32.dll and wininet.dll crashes. New improved version of Internet Explorer 7 seemed to have taken care of such issues.

The most common problems still existing are like: WebPages that cannot be displayed, source not working and pictures not displayed. The Internet Explorer most of the times behaves weird because of its cache. It is always better to empty the cache regularly to obtain a better result while browsing. If the cache is full it eats up a lot of memory unnecessarily and it’s simply too large so other operations cannot be performed.

You should delete all offline contents to browse freely whenever you feel that you are done with the previous search options. Go to Tools, then Internet options and click delete to remove all offline content and press OK. You should set the cache size 50-100 MB if you are regularly downloading large files.

Sometimes, the index.dat file which is a hidden file in the cache folder is entirely corrupted. In such cases your problem persists. It is best to delete the entire cache folder under such a situation. However this file is a system file and windows will not allow any alteration to this file while you are in Windows OS. You need to reboot and perform this action from MS-DOS prompt. However, such operations are advised only for advanced users.

You can use deltree tempor~1 and deltree cookies to remove all the temporary internet files using the smartdry command. This command will speed up the disk operation in your DOS prompt. In Windows XP your IE path will be C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\…You can log in using an Administrator account and delete the folders you want to from within Windows Explorer. Only thing to remember here is that you cannot delete your own IE cache folder so you need to log in with a different administrator account.

Editing HOST file which is a hidden file and used by Internet related programs may also solve page display problems. This can be edited using Notepad easily. But first you need to check the ’show hidden files and folders’ options in your control panel to make these visible. In Windows XP the path to locate host files will be C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\Etc

Sometimes you even face problem while sending emails. Messages pop up notifying some errors that you are unaware of. In such cases you need to reset your email client. Re-registering the email program might be an option to solve the non appearance of drop down menu problem in your emails.

Internet Explorer might also refuse to open properly when the software Layered Service Provider (LSP) is removed incorrectly or accidentally from your PC. Here you need to run LSPfix for all versions of Windows or Winsockxpfix for Windows XP.

Apart from the above issues there are very few problems that a user might face with the new improved IE 7 now. The only problem that remains to be solved is the attack of malware which is unforeseen and often impossible to trace as the source still remains a mystery.

I bet you know what we’re talking about here. You probably encounter one or two Windows error codes every day and dismiss them carelessly, as an unavoidable though annoying problem. You think if you had the gumption to follow them through and decipher their strange language, you might avoid future problems of a similar type.

Whenever the guys over at Redmond have one bug too many to fix, they stop calling it a bug and start calling it a feature. No matter how inconvenienced you may be because of it, they’ll stick to their story - no sir, it’s not a bug. It’s a feature of our software. That’s the way our software is. In other words, you take it or you leave it. And they can afford to develop this sort of attitude because they pretty damned well know you can’t really leave it - they have a near-monopoly on the desktop. They do what they please, and you merely put up with it.

So in a certain sense it’s a pleasant surprise to see a Windows error code. I mean, an error code itself can’t be pleasant, but the very evidence that Microsoft had the guts to admit at least some faults in their system seems like a nice change!

And then you’re only left with the task of figuring out what the error code means. “Code 16″, your computer says and stares at you defiantly. “There”, it seems to say, “I told you what was wrong, so stop complaining. I hope you’re happy now.”

Happy I certainly would be if I knew what 16 stood for. It looks like the Windows makers decided to deliberately punish the curious user for daring to question the infallibility of their software: “You asked what sort of error? Very well, it is error 16, now go figure out what that means. Incidentally, we have the only existing copy of the book that explains the meaning of Windows error codes, and we won’t give it to you. Muahahaha.”

Nice folks, eh?

And they lied. They don’t have the only copy. There are other sources. Let me give you a demonstration.

“Error Code 1″ officially means “Incorrect Function”. Mighty helpful, isn’t it? I mean, you never would have guessed.

Error Code 10: “The environment is incorrect”. If someone’s been smoking pot in here, you’d better open a couple of windows.

Error Code 18: “There are no more files”. Oh no, you ran out of them again. The next time you’re at the supermarket, remind yourself to double the amount.

And so forth. It seems like the book of Windows error codes was no more than another layer designed to prevent you from learning the real reason behind the frequent tantrums your computer throws. Is there another book that gives the meanings of the meanings of these error codes?

No one knows, not even Bill Gates.

A Firewall is just an extra protection or defense mechanism to shield your PC from unwanted trespassing and hacking efforts. Browser Hijackers search for vulnerable PC on the net by sending out pings. If your PC responds to these signals then they will creep into your PC and start corrupting your data and leaking your personal and private information.

Any PC that is operated using high-speed connection (think cable & DSL) is vulnerable to such threats from hackers. If you are using a dial up connection the risk is low, because your IP address changes every time you are connected. So it becomes quite difficult for them to track you.

Windows XP SP2 has a decent firewall that is automatically turned on as soon as you start your PC. This is better than nothing, but we recommend that you go one step further and use Zone Alarm. Zone Alarm is free for personal use. The main reason we recommend it over the built-in Windows firewall is that it provides bi-directional protection (a fancy way of saying that it monitors the data coming in and going out of your computer).

Hackers are actually responsible for breaking down your PCs immune system by introducing worms, viruses, spyware and adware. Unlike viruses, spyware and adware are not transmitted into your PC through mails. These malware duplicate your performance and send it out to others, manipulate your private information and alters your web browser and PC settings.

So to ensure complete inaccessibility you need to install a firewall to protect your PC from these net-prowlers. For home PCs a software firewall is suitable to serve the purpose whereas for business enterprises a hardware firewall is a must.

A software firewall on your PC actually scrutinizes your PC activity. It is always runs in the background and your PC security center will send you alerts if it is by any chance turned off accidentally. It occupies a considerable space in your system resource and requires at least 256 MB RAM to function properly. It blocks unwanted activities and gives access to those which it feels safe only after asking you. If you take a certain decision regarding a site or a link it will remember the same for any future reference.

A hardware firewall requires a Cable/DSL router. You just need to set it properly and it allows you to share a single net connection over multiple PCs. It is always better to install a hardware firewall through the help of experienced technician if you are not a complete computer savvy.

A Firewall actually acts like a security guard to your computer. It scans the network traffic and permits only those which could be safe to route to your PC. It labels every bit of information that is coming to your PC from an external source. In most cases, when the information gets a green signal after initial scanning the firewall document the source and the destination. This is just like maintaining a visitor’s log in an office.

A deny-all firewall strategy will say a ‘strict no-no’ to all information and eventually disconnects your internet connection. This is not advisable. When you are installing a firewall, take a close look at the review features.

Check for The Program Test to confirm about the program that wants to make connection to the net. This avoids indiscriminate connection of internet to all programs. Check for the Location test. Location gives the address and the port number. An effective firewall allows limited programs to connect to specific the internet locations and not anywhere else in your PC.

The Allowed test will confirm you about the connection to the servers, whether allowed or denied. The Temporary test will corroborate whether the connection is temporary or permanent. It is best to allow temporary connections only for ensuring complete safety to your home PC.

Plenty of basic level users probably do not know this, but whether you repair Windows Registry regularly has immense bearing on whether your PC will run smoothly or be subject to various glitches such as repeated crashes, frequent slowdowns and freezes, and constant error messages. As 51-year-old car dealer Gavin Herbert of Bloomington, Indiana, says, “Since I was not an expert user, I was puzzled by the way my PC seemed to be slowing down with each passing day. It was my nephew who told me about Windows Registry repair. Until then, I hadn’t even known that such a thing existed.”

That, in a nutshell, sums up the attitude of most users to Windows Registry, which is, in fact, the most vital part of your PC. Why? Well, Windows Registry is the huge internal database on which all the programs that you use, including Windows itself, store enormous volumes of data pertaining to the smooth operation of these programs. So if Windows Registry becomes corrupt in any way, and fills up with links to programs that no longer exist, you can imagine that it will not function efficiently.

Therefore, performing Windows Registry repair is essential. Not only does it classify and manage files associated with existing programs, but it also deletes unwanted files and file paths to release hard disk space. And most importantly, when you repair Windows Registry, you remove bits and pieces of software or hardware that have been uninstalled all right, but left traces all over the Registry. So when your Registry is repaired, your files open faster, your PC takes less time to start up, you get virtually no error messages, and system freezes are things of the past.

The easiest way to repair Windows Registry is to use free registry cleaner downloads that are widely available on the Internet. No matter what anti-virus and anti-spyware software you have installed, the best software may not be a match for mushrooming errors in the Registry. However, what anti-spyware software can do is to scan and detect Windows Registry errors, and you can then rectify these using a Windows Registry repair tool.

Even without being prompted, you should repair Windows Registry at least once every six months. And if you frequently install or uninstall software or hardware, we would recommend a Registry repair once every four months. Yes, the process could take up to 45 minutes, but it is time well spent. Plenty of users like Gavin do not realize that what they see as a system error (say a blue screen or a tremendously slow PC) may actually be attributable to a corrupt Windows Registry. Therefore, act now and download the Windows Registry repair software of your choice – just make sure the source is trustworthy. We recommend you read a few user reviews on independent forums before you make your decision.