Quick fixes for Windows-Part 5

“I always go for the latest Windows security patches, but sometimes I neglect other programs which stand as a security risk when they are not up-to-date.”

Fast Fix: Now to test the security of the apps, you need to use software called Secunia Software Inspector which is available freely. The process is simple. This software doesn’t need any kind of installation. Once you have it on your pc, click start and follow the instructions. Here the scan requires Sun Java JRE 1.5.0_12 version which works with Windows 2000 SP4 and later editions.

What does this normally do? Well, it identifies all the apps that are outdated. If you want for more details, then click the plus sign next to each entry. Many applications on the disk leave older versions when installing updates. This is mainly to ensure backward-compatibility. Remember to backup the system before you start deleting older versions of concerned apps.

“Experts always have an opinion about defragmentation saying it helps the system improve its performance. But the problem here is, finding time to defrag the disks is getting more difficult.”

Fast Fix: Well, defragmention can be a good way to go if you find that your system performance is deteriorating. Make windows do the disk-defragmenting. Please refer back to part 3-Quick Fix 3. Here you should make a change. When editing the command line in Advanced Properties, change to cmd.exe /c defrag c: -f -v > “c:\doc\report.txt” (the path to your report file may be different).

When coming to Vista, do the same, but change the text in the ‘Add arguments (optional)’ box to /c defrag -c -f -v -w > “c:\doc\report.txt” (the path may differ).

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December 10, 2007 | Filed Under Software, Tips n Tricks