How to spring clean your hard drive

While you are doing some spring cleaning around the home, it may be a good idea to do some spring cleaning on your hard drive, as well. Friendly Computers found some tips for getting rid of old files on your hard drive and ensuring that they are gone. Read more below…

Whether getting rid of an old computer or just making a clean start for your favorite hard drive--do hard drives even get to be honored as "favorites?"--it's important to wipe it clean. With one's and zero's and data recovery, though, it's harder than you might think to make sure that your personal data is gone forever. This collection of drive bombs showcases four free programs for internal and external drive data deletion, as well as files and folders on the fly.

For shredding individual files or folders, or entire drives, Eraser reminds me of an ugly, but effective hit man. Also known as Heidi Eraser, after its publisher, the program's interface is plain and unadorned, but also easy enough to figure out and because of its simplicity will work with operating systems as old as Windows 95.

Mouse-over tooltips help identify tasks that the generic icons take you to, and a native Windows Explorer context menu addition makes one-shot shredding easy despite the lack of a simple deletion button in the main interface. Otherwise, when deleting files both large and small, you'll need to first add the file or folder to the spreadsheet display. Drives can be added to the shred list in the same way. Users can schedule shreddings, too--handy for routinely wiping free disk space. Four secure government-sanctioned deletion algorithms keep those deletions dead, including algorithms from the U.S. Department of Defense, the default Gutmann method, Pseudorandom Data, and DBAN for hard drives.

That brings us to DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke), which wipes internal hard drives only. It comes in two flavors of data-destroying pain: one to be installed on CD or DVD, and one for floppies or USB thumbdrives. Once you have the program installed on the proper removable media, you need to make sure that your computer will boot from that drive. If it needs adjustment, this can be done from your BIOS. The Autonuke option will delete all detectable hard drives, including the C: drive. The interactive mode lets you choose which hard drive or partitions you'd like to obliterate. Once you've chosen what you'd like to destroy, F10 will start the process.

DBAN's not for the timid. Since it runs separate from the operating system, the user interface is basic and similar to what your BIOS looks like.

File Shredder's also seen some good notices. Covered in a drastically more modern interface than Eraser, File Shredder looks like a file deletion-specific version of Windows Explorer. It supports shredding files both individually and as a group, aided by simple commands such as Add File and Add Folder. Once you've chosen your targets, you can choose from five shredding algorithms, ranging from simple one pass to the Department of Defense 5220-22.M to the Gutmann algorithm. The Disk Wiper mode can clean free space on a hard drive.

Despite its modernity, File Shredder lacks a scheduler and offers no hooks into the recycle bin, which means that files that are already there must be dealt with by hand before they can be shredded. Unlike Eraser, it doesn't do full drives, either.

CCleaner also contains a hidden shredding component. Go to Options, then Settings, and choose Secure File Deletion at the bottom of the window. From there, you can adjust the number of overwrites the program will make on deleted files, from the standard one pass up through the Gutmann 35 passes. Also included are the three-pass Department of Defense standards and the National Security Agency 7-pass standard. CCleaner is probably the most user-friendly of the options in this collection, but it's really only for shredding files that get detected by the program. For more selective shredding, the other options are recommended.

I'm including Zilla Data Nuker more as a warning than an actual recommendation. You should only use Zilla Data Nuker if it's version 2 or earlier. Version 3 installs the Relevant Knowledge spyware and doesn't give you the choice of opting out. However, older versions don't, and so they can stay on the table even though they don't include this horrible business practice.

As a program, Zilla Data Nuker works well, with multiple algorithms and a good-looking interface. Included are a scheduler and the capability to shred via context menu and to shred an entire drive. If it wasn't for the lack of the Gutmann algorithm and the business practices that the publisher now endorses, I'd recommend Zilla more strongly. As it is, give it a pass unless you have no other option.

With all of these programs, I found that file or drive size was a more restrictive determinant on shredding speed than anything else. These are definitely programs for users with patience: if you're truly concerned with sweeping away your data footprints, you probably shouldn't be too worried about how long it takes to wipe out any trace that you were there.

Source: http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10228456-12.html

Master the Software Updating Process to Keep Your PC Safe and Stable

Friendly Computers found some useful advice for making sure your software and operating system are running smoothly. Read more below…

Beyond having security software installed on your PC, the best way to keep malware off your computer is to maintain a fully patched Windows system. This includes patching desktop applications that may not come from Microsoft. Sometimes, however, default update settings can leave your PC hobbled by bad drivers, software glitches, or unwelcome new features such as Windows Genuine Advantage. Here's a look at several key applications (including Windows) and their updates processes, including some details about what you should know and expect from each vendor.

Update Windows

Microsoft issues security updates for Windows, Office, and Internet Explorer every second Tuesday of each month, commonly known as Patch Tuesday. Occasionally, the company issues emergency out-of-cycle patches as well. The best way to receive these is to set your Windows system (XP, Vista, or 7) to download and install them automatically upon release. But Microsoft includes two other options that may be of interest to you.

First, check the current status of your Automatic Update in Windows:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

2. Depending on which Control Panel view (Classic or Category) you use, do one of the following:

• In Classic, click Automatic Updates or System, and then click the Automatic Updates tab.
• In Category, click Performance and Maintenance, click System, and then click the Automatic Updates tab.

Microsoft advises you to permit Windows to automatically download and install recommended updates, but you do have other choices.

Tweak Automatic Updates

In some cases, you may not want a Windows Update to occur automatically. Occasionally, for example, changes to IE or TCP have broken third-party firewall connections to the Internet. If you prefer to wait a day or so to make sure that no such surprises lurk in the latest patch cycle, select the second Automatic Update option to download updates but install them later. If you adopt this approach, a yellow shield icon bearing an exclamation point will appear in the task tray whenever your system downloads a new update; the shield icon will remain there until you take appropriate action.

The updates will sit on your computer until you click the yellow shield icon or until the next time your reboot your computer. At that point you should see a dialog box that asks you to choose between an Express install and a Custom install. Express installs the updates exactly as Microsoft provides them. Custom enables you to pick and choose (suitable when avoiding a service pack, for example).

A third choice is to have Windows notify you whenever new patches are available, but not have the operating system download or install those updates. In this case, you'll see a listing for each available patch, togther with its title and its Knowledge Base article number (where you can find additional information). You can uncheck any update you don't want to download and install; Microsoft will suggest all such bypassed patches again the next time it has a new update ready or the next time you check for updates yourself (see below).

The fourth option is simply to turn off Automatic Updates. Doing so puts the burden of obtaining crucial security updates entirely on the person running the computer; consequently, this option is suitable only for the most disciplined of PC users.

Check for Updates Yourself

Microsoft maintains two different sites where you can find the latest patches. Windows Update provides the latest security updates for the Microsoft operating system as well as updates for additional Microsoft products such as Office and Internet Explorer. Windows Update actually resolves to update.microsoft.com. The update site was moved a few years ago after criminal hackers targeted the Windows Update URL. Regardless of how you arrive there, the update site when viewed in IE should take inventory of your system (via an ActiveX component) and then display the recommended updates and invite you to choose between Express and Custom installation.

There are some caveats. If you use Firefox, the Microsoft update site won't work. Instead, you'll need to use a Mozilla add on that conveniently opens a session of Internet Explorer at the Windows Update page.

If you don't want to open IE, or if you use some other browser, go to the second site, Microsoft Download Center, click Download Category in the top toolbar, and select Windows Security and Updates from the pull-down menu. Here, you'll find many updates that are not specific to your machine--but if you know what you're looking for, you can find it in the list.

Avoid Trouble

If you learn that a new service pack is available for Vista, but you're worried that your current apps might not work with the service pack, you have some options. Start by changing the Windows Automatic Updates to specify downloading without installing, or to specify notifying without downloading or installing. When prompted for an installation method, choose Custom, uncheck the service pack or patch that you wish to delay or avoid, and then install the rest of the pack. You may be prompted from time to time to download and install the remaining update, but you can decline to do so.

If an update that you have installed proves to be the source of subsequent problems, you can take steps to reverse the damage. If you have Windows System Restore turned on (Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools), you can return to a point before the patch was installed, when your system still worked perfectly (note, however, that doing so may also undo any other recent software installations you may have performed).

Another, perhaps easier choice, is to uninstall the patch. Go to Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs. Check the box at the top, if it isn't already marked; the resulting list of installed apps will include Microsoft updates. As you scroll down the list, you'll see a large block of Windows Updates, identified by update number and date. Uninstalling the update with the highest number (or the most recent date) should do the trick. Once the update is gone, Windows will try to reinstall the missing patch the next time it has a chance to--especially if you have Automatic Updates turned on. To prevent this from happening, change your Automatic Update profile (see above) either to notify you of the latest updates, or to download but not install them.

Even if you arrange to delay installing all patches, not every update will go swimmingly. For example, Service Pack 1 for .Net Framework 1.1 does not install correctly for some people no matter what steps they take to prepare the way for it. The resolution, according to Microsoft, is to remove a particular Registry key, after which the service pack shouldinstall correctly; unfortunately, uncovering that information can sometimes be vexingly difficult. Start by typing the exact error message into Google or another search engine; the results page should include at least one Knowledge Base (KB) article located on the Microsoft Technet or Support Web site.

In other instances you may simply want a newer version of Internet Explorer. To get one, visit Microsoft Update, Windows Download Center, or Microsoft's Internet Explorer site.

Update Third-Party Applications

Your operating system isn't the only software you need to keep patched. In the old days, users commonly had to find third-party security updates on their own. In more-recent years, however, as criminal hackers have begun targeting common desktop applications, vendors of multimedia apps in particular have gotten better at pushing out their own security patches. Here's a look at the update process for some common types of desktop software.

Firefox: Mozilla silently and automatically downloads its browser security updates in the background; Firefox then installs the update the next time you launch the browser. You can check for updates whenever you want by clicking Help, followed by Check for Updates. Full-version updates (say, an upgrade from Firefox 2 to Firefox 3), however, still require a clean installation from Mozilla.

iTunes and QuickTime: Whenever you launch an Apple application within Windows, Apple does a quick check and then notifies you of the latest release for iTunes or QuickTime (if you aren't already running it). You can also request a update by clicking Help, and then Check for Updates. Occasionally, Apple will push out a notification of a new security update for iTunes and/or QuickTime. When it does, a dialog box will pop up to explain what the update includes. Unfortunately, Apple has been known to bundle other offerings--such as Safari and Bonjour for Windows--with these updates, regardless of whether you already have these apps installed. If you don't want these extra programs, simply uncheck their boxes before installing the update.

Flash and Adobe Reader: Adobe, like Apple, pushes out security updates as they are completed and issued. Alternatively you can request a update check by clicking Help, and then Check for Updates. In general, you can expect legitimate requests from Adobe to install new updates to appear shortly after you boot into Windows; you should take the opportunity then to install them.

Java: Sun recently ran afoul of security researchers who discovered that insecure older versions of Java remained on the Windows machine the researchers installed newer, more secure versions of Java. With JRE6 Update 10, Sun now removes older versions of Java, but it doesn't remove any pre-Update 10 versions; you'll have to uninstall these yourself. (Note: Not all PC users have Java installed on their desktop; don't feel bad if your system is Java-less.)

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/163929/master_the_software_updating_process_to_keep_your_pc_safe_and_stable.html

Work Around 'Generic Volume Cannot Be Stopped' Errors

When you try to remove a USB drive, you may sometimes get an error message stating that the “Generic Volume cannot be stopped”. Friendly Computers found some tips for avoiding this issue. Read more below…

I assume you mean you receive that error when you attempt to use Windows' Safely Remove Hardware option, which is indeed the right step to take before unplugging any USB drive.

So, why won't Windows let you remove your drive? Snarky answer: Because it's not a very smart operating system. Useful answer: Because some file, program, or system operation is accessing the drive--and removing it could cause problems.

For starters, close any Explorer windows that might be open. Even if they're not showing the drive's contents, they may be "looking" at the drive.

Likewise, close any programs that might be accessing files or folders on the drive. For example, if you have a Word document that resides on the drive and that file is open in Word, close it--along with Word itself.

Where this gets tricky is with programs that might be accessing your drive without your knowledge. For example, maybe your anti-virus utility is scanning or monitoring the drive. That would make "safe removal" nearly impossible.

If indeed you have any software that monitors your system, check its settings to see if you can exclude external drives. Granted, such drives can be the source of malware infections, so there's a bit of a Catch-22 here.

Because this problem can indeed be difficult to pinpoint, you have a couple final options. First, you can do what you sometimes do already: Wait until you've shut down your PC and then pull the drive. Second, you can throw caution to the wind, check the drive light(s) to make sure there's no activity, and then yank it.

Chances are good your drive and data will come through just fine. If you run into a problem, there's always drive-recovery software like BadCopy Pro (for flash drives) and R-Studio (for hard drives).

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/163759/work_around_generic_volume_cannot_be_stopped_errors.html

Shut Down an XP System That Won't Shut Down Itself

On some computers, pressing the power button on the tower will not shut down all the way. Rather, it displays the “It is now safe to turn off your computer” screen. Friendly Computers found a few bits of advice to turn your power button into a true power button. Read more below…

For starters, the next time you boot your system, hop into the BIOS settings and look for something called (or related to) Advanced Power Management. It needs to be enabled.

That step alone may solve your problem. If not, try this:

1. Click Start, Control Panel, Power Options. (If you don't see Power Options, click Switch to Classic View.)

2. Click the APM tab. (Don't have one? See below.)

3. Select Enable Advanced Power Management Support, then click OK.

Now try to turn off your PC. If that didn't do the trick, you need to verify that your PC is ACPI-compliant (meaning it supports Advanced Configuration and Power Interface standards), and/or look for wayward device drivers that might be messing with the shutdown sequence.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/163437/shut_down_an_xp_system_that_wont_shut_down_itself.html

Use Stacking to Organize Files in Vista

Friendly Computers found out about a “hidden” feature in Windows Vista that allows you to easily organize your files. Read more below…

I've done my fair share of Vista-bashing over the years, but the reality is the OS has a lot of hidden talents that go unheralded. One of them is stacking, a handy way to organize the files contained in any given folder. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's one of Vista's best-kept secrets.

Suppose you have a folder packed with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. Wouldn't it be nice if you could divide them into "stacks," with one stack for each file type? Alternately, if you have a folder that contains a large quantity of files, it might be helpful to organize them into alphabetical stacks: A-H, I-P, and Q-Z.

Before you get started with stacking, keep in mind that Vista makes no changes to the physical location of your files. Rather, stacks are really just virtual folders, and they're temporary to boot. Thus, you can feel free to fiddle and experiment without worrying that you'll mess anything up.

1. Open a folder containing some documents, photos, MP3s, or whatever.

2. Right-click any open area within that folder and mouse over Stack By.

3. Choose the kind of stack you want: Name, date modified, file type, size, etc. Note that the available options will differ depending on the kinds of files in the folder.

Presto: Vista creates your stacks, which appear under the banner of "search results." That's what I mean when I say they're temporary: Stacks are really just a filtered, folder-specific form of searching.

If you want to save a stack for future use, click the Save Search button up on the toolbar.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/163551/use_stacking_to_organize_files_in_vista.html