improving performance Archives - CompuClever

A Quick Start Guide for Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc

Andy Thompson — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 21:05:46 +0000

Thanks for choosing Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc, featuring Microsoft ReadyBoost technology. Before you start, please save all your documents and exit all running applications. Follow the steps below to install your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc and optimize your PC.

Step 1. Insert the Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc to a USB slot of your choice.

Step 2. If AutoPlay/AutoRun is enabled, you can click the Speed up my system using Windows ReadyBoost option.

Alternatively, you can open Windows | File Explorer (or use keyboard shortcut: Windows Key + E), right-click the newly discovered removable drive and select Properties from the menu. Select the ReadyBoost tab from the Properties dialog box that appears.

If Windows states that “This device cannot be used for ReadyBoost – The device does not have the required performance characteristics for use in speeding up your system“, follow the instructions of Reformatting Your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc below. And then come back to this step.

If Windows states that “ReadyBoost is not enabled because this computer is fast enough that ReadyBoost is unlikely to provide additional benefit“, this probably means that Windows is installed on an SSD and no performance gain is possible. Please contact our support team (support@paretologic.com) for further options of how to speed up your PC.

Step 3. If ReadyBoost options appear, you can use the device for speeding up Windows Vista, 7, 8/8.1 or 10.

In Windows Vista, enable the Use this device option and move the Space to reserve for system speed slider all the way to the right.

In Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10, select the Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost option.

Click OK and your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc device is ready!

Reformatting Your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc

Occasionally, your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc requires initial reformatting prior being used. Follow the steps below to format your drive.

Step 1. Open Windows | File Explorer (or use keyboard shortcut: Windows Key + E), right-click the newly discovered removable drive and select Format.

Step 2. In File system dropdown menu, choose NTFS. In Allocation unit size, choose Default allocation size. And check Quick Format under Format options. Click Start.

You will be notified once your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc has been formatted and ready for being used. Simply follow the steps in the previous section to finish setting up your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc.

Need Support or Help?

Email us at support@compuclever.com for more information and get help with using your Digital Care ReadyBoost Disc device.

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FAQ – Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc

Andy Thompson — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 17:19:50 +0000

Q: What is ReadyBoost and how does it help my PC speed?

A: ReadyBoost is a Microsoft Windows technology that allows you to use ReadyBoost compatible USB flash drive, such as Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc, as an additional memory. Doing so, ReadyBoost improves your system’s performance by providing quicker access to data compared to accessing the information from the hard drive. To learn more about the ReadyBoost technology, please read this blog post.

Q: What’s the System Requirement for Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc?

A: Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc supports Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, and Windows 10

Q: Do all USB flash drives support the ReadyBoost technology?

A: No. A USB flash drive must meet the minimum random ready and write speeds requirements to support the ReadyBoost feature. In order for ReadyBoost to work, it requires a USB storage device to have at least: 64MB, USB 2.0, read at 3.5 MB/s, and write at 2.5 MB/s. Our Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc well exceeds this requirements.

Q: Aren’t Hard Disks faster than flash? My HDD has 80MB/sec throughput.
A: Hard drives are great for large sequential I/O. For those situations, ReadyBoost gets out of the way. We concentrate on improving the performance of small, random I/Os, like paging to and from disk.

Q: What’s the recommended capacity for a USB flash drive for ReadyBoost?

A: We recommend a 1:1 ratio of flash to system memory at the low end and as high as 3:1 flash to system memory. So if your existing PC has a 4 GB of RAM, then you should choose a 4 GB USB flash drive for ReadyBoost, or consider an 8 GB or 12 GB USB flash drive if possible.

Q: I encounter the message: “This device cannot be used for ReadyBoost – The device does not have the required performance characteristics for use in speeding up your system”. What should I do?

A: Your Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc is fully compatible for Microsoft ReadyBoost technology. When you encounter this message, you simply need to format your USB flash drive.

To do so, open Windows | File Explorer (or use keyboard shortcut: Windows Key + E), right-click the newly discovered removable drive and select Format…

In File system dropdown menu, choose NTFS. In Allocation unit size, choose Default allocation size. And check Quick Format under Format options. Click Start.

Once the formatting is completed, your Digital Care ReadyBoost USB Disc is ready to be used.

Q: What does it mean if Windows states that “ReadyBoost is not enabled because this computer is fast enough that ReadyBoost is unlikely to provide additional benefit“?

A: This probably means that your Windows operating systems is installed on an SSD and no performance gain is possible. This is only true in theory because each PC is different. If you feel that your PC is sluggish and requires optimization, please contact our support team (support@CompuClever.com) for further options of how to speed up your PC.

Q: What happens when you remove the drive?
A: When a surprise remove event occurs and we can’t find the drive, Windows fall back to disk. Again, all pages on the device are backed by a page on disk. No exceptions. This isn’t a separate page file store, but rather a cache to speed up access to frequently used data. So no data loss will occur.

Q: Won’t ReadyBoost wear out the drive?
A: Nope. ReadyBoost technology is designed to take care of the lifecycle issues with flash drives and are smart about how and when it performs writes to the device. Relevant third party tests show that you will get at least 10+ years out of flash devices by using the ReadyBoost technology.

Q: How secure is ReadyBoost?

A: ReadyBoost is secure. ReadyBoost by default uses Advanced Encryption Standard 128 (AES-128) encryption, which should be sufficient as the chances of exposing sensitive data are very slim.

Q: What alternatives are there to ReadyBoost?

A: Two alternatives that will significantly improve performance over ReadyBoost are:

Using a Solid State Drive (SSD) for your Operating System drive.
Adding additional memory (RAM) to your computer.

Nevertheless, neither alternatives are cheap or easy to perform, as compared to using the ReadyBoost option.

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Speed up Your PC with ReadyBoost

Andy Thompson — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 06:03:56 +0000

All PC users have likely experienced the frustration related to slow performance. There’s something just not right about having to wait for your PC to switch from one application to another. We want to multi-task and we want a PC system that does not suffer any delays. And, we ask, why not? It’s an extension of what we are capable of. So what are the choices in dealing with slow performing systems? We can keep our original PC just as it is with very few applications (not taking full advantage of its capabilities and not much fun). We can live with frustration and wait for the PC to respond when it is slow. We can look at the costs associated with adding more RAM or increasing other hardware. Instead of these options, we suggest a fast, easy, free alternative offered by Microsoft called ReadyBoost.

In our previous article we provided information about USB technology including USB flash drives. With that information in hand you are ready to speed up your PC with ReadyBoost. Let’s start with an overview of the technology.

Who Will Benefit?

Using this technology is best for users with 8 GB of RAM or lower, using a traditional spinning platter hard drive (HDD), and an operating system of Windows Vista or higher.

How to determine how much RAM you have:
Do one of the following:

Open up your Computer window (Windows / File Explorer), locate: Computer (or “This PC”), right-click and select Properties.
Open up the Control Panel and select: System and Security and in the “System” section select View amount of RAM and processor speed.

In the window that appears you can now view the specific operating system, the amount of physical memory (RAM), and other system information.

ReadyBoost will have little performance improvement or will be irrelevant if:

You already have a lot of RAM (> 16 GB) on your system
You are using a SSD drive.

The Technology:

From the many articles we have passed on to you in the past, you likely have a good idea that CompuClever programs such as PC TuneUp Maestro and PC Clean Maestro can regain performance that has been lost due to: defragmentation; clutter of junk files and unwanted applications (leading to the reduction of available space). These tools can also assist you when faced with a bogged down Internet connectivity as well as using functions related to improving browser speed and startup speed.

Now we can shine some light on a technology that can take your PC as it is, and can extend its performance abilities. Keep in mind we still recommend that you enhance your performance through regular clean up and maintenance.

The basics of the technology involve being able to cache data to a device. In this case, the device is a USB flash drive. You can also use CompactFlash and SD cards. How it works is that data is temporarily stored on the flash drive so that it can be retrieved faster than using the internal hard drive and available memory (RAM or “Random Access Memory”). Flash memory, such as a USB drive or SSD (Solid State Drive), benefit from faster seek times than standard magnetic hard disk drives. The only limitation is that USB flash drives will wear out in time. By some estimates^[1] this won’t be for approximately 10 years.

Here’s How To:

You can begin by using a USB flash card that has at least 1 gigabyte (GB) of available space. For best results, use a flash drive or flash memory card with at least double the amount of available space as the amount of memory (RAM) in your computer.^[2]

Flash memory card specifications:

You can use a maximum of 32 GB of available space on any single removable storage device.
The USB flash drive must support USB 2.0 or higher and your computer must have at least one free USB 2.0 port to plug in the drive. Note: ReadyBoost works best if you plug the flash drive into a USB port directly rather than an external USB hub shared with other USB devices.
Most memory cards work with ReadyBoost. Different kinds of flash memory cards include CompactFlash and Secure Digital (SD). Note: Some SD memory cards don’t work well with ReadyBoost due to issues with the SD card interface. ReadyBoost displays a warning message in these cases.

To enable or disable ReadyBoost:

Plug a USB flash drive or flash memory card into an available port.
The Autoplay dialog box appears. Under the General options, you can click Speed up my system.
The Properties dialog box opens. Note: You can also access this dialog any time by opening the Computer window (Windows / File Explorer), right-clicking the drive, and selecting Properties.Next, click the tab: ReadyBoost.You can then do one of the following (as seen in the image here):
- To turn ReadyBoost off, click: Do not use this device.
- To use the maximum available space, click: Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost. Windows will leave any files already stored on the device, but it’ll use the rest of the space to enhance system performance.
- To use less than the maximum available space on the device, click Use this device, and then move the slider to choose the amount of available space on the device you want to use.
Click OK.

Windows displays the recommended space to use for optimal performance. If there isn’t enough space for ReadyBoost, a message is displayed telling you to free some space on the device.

The Benefits:

Our CompuClever team members have used ReadyBoost on a few systems that were so slow we faced having to replace them. We noted significant gains in performance of these computers. For systems that have only 2 or 4 GBs of RAM, the performance gains are significant.

We researched test results for ReadyBoost and found a very good site. Here is a list of improvements as well as situations where there are no performance gains.

When enabling ReadyBoost on a system with low amounts of RAM, you can experience:

Opening media files like photos, music or video is slightly faster (approximately by 2%).
The loading of web pages and the use of Office applications is slightly faster (approximately by 2%).
Your system’s boot timings are improved (up to 7%).
Your most used applications start faster (by 10 to 15%).

This same site states:

You will not notice any difference with ReadyBoost enabled when you play games or you run applications that are CPU or GPU intensive. Also the improvements get smaller when you add more RAM. On a system with more than 4GB of RAM you will not notice anything getting better. Also, adding an SSD drive to your computer means that there is no point in using ReadyBoost. We’ve done some very quick tests after adding an SSD and we quickly noticed that ReadyBoost becomes irrelevant.

Ejecting Flash Drives:

It is good practice to eject flash drives that are in use. This means closing windows and applications using the device and then using the Safely Remove Hardware icon. In doing so, you eliminate the risk of losing data or experiencing data corruption – especially when files are being transferred.

To properly eject a drive:
Use the Safely Remove Hardware icon and eject your device before pulling it out of the USB port.
You can also locate the drive in the Computer window (Windows / File Explorer) right-click it, and select Eject. Windows will tell you when it’s safe to remove the device thereby eliminating any chances of data corruption.

The exception:

In our research we found that:

Microsoft does not require ReadyBoost devices to be ejected before being removed. The ReadyBoost files are simply a cache for the real files being written to disk and removing the drive without ejecting does not harm the system.^[3]

In fact, you can leave your ReadyBoost enabled drive inserted in the port and shutdown your system. In this way, when you start up your PC you can also enhance startup time performance.

Summary:

There are few disadvantages to this free technology. You need to dedicate a USB port for your drive (using a USB hub is possible but not preferred). Also, your flash drive will eventually need to be replaced… but before that happens you’ll likely have purchased a new system entirely. Cost is not really a factor though. Flash memory drives are fairly inexpensive and certainly not as much as installing new hardware or buying a new system altogether.

Given all this, we strongly feel that ReadyBoost can extend the life of older PCs that are lacking the necessary RAM and are not able to keep up in a fast computing world. We hope you enjoy the benefits as we have.

We will continue to provide story lines like this that benefit all of us and we will describe them in a manner that is within reach of everyday computer users. If you have some ideas of topics you would like us to cover, email us at: newsletter@compuclever.com

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ReadyBoost
[2] http://windows.microsoft.com
[3] http://www.howtogeek.com/

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Refresh Your PC with Device Driver Update

Andy Thompson — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 19:21:02 +0000

As stated in my recently updated book – “5 Tips for a Fast PC”, I am often the “go-to” guy for solving computer problems amongst my families and friends. One of our primary intentions in writing the book was to inform ordinary PC users how to master the basics of computer optimization and maintenance. I have to admit that I purposely left one specific trick out of the book – updating Windows device drivers – for a reason. This is because updating device drivers can be tricky if you don’t have the proper software tool. Although, we want to emphasize here that keeping your PC’s device drivers updated will enhance your PC’s stability and performance.

Today, I am going to explain what device drivers are, why you should update your PC’s device drivers, and how to do it safely and effectively.

What device drivers are

Your Windows PC is made of the following “building blocks”: the hardware, the Operating System (also known as Windows OS), and application software. But have you ever wondered how your OS and application software interact with hardware?

This is where a device driver comes into play. A device driver, commonly known as a driver, is a computer program that controls or drives a particular set of hardware. It serves as an interface between the OS and the hardware device. For instance, your mouse is controlled by a mouse device driver and your keyboard is controlled by a keyboard driver. And this pretty much applies to any hardware that’s in, or attached to, your PC. This includes the monitor, hard drive, CPU, web camera, printer, scanner, speaker, and more.

When should you update drivers

As we have pointed out, drivers are an essential component of the Windows OS as they ensure your PC runs smoothly. Similarly to the Windows OS and software programs, drivers can become outdated or even obsolete. There are three primary reasons that can cause your drivers to become outdated or even damaged.

Windows update: when you perform a major Windows update, like upgrading to Windows 10, some of your existing (“legacy”) hardware devices may not be properly detected by the new OS.
Hardware update: when you add new hardware, such as a mouse, keyboard, web cam, or printer, your Windows OS may not necessarily carry the latest driver for that specific piece of hardware.
Malware attack or invalid operations: when your PC has been attacked by malware or a third-party software that performs invalid operations, it can damage device drivers and cause issues beyond what is strictly security-related.

If your PC experiences one of the following symptoms commonly related to drivers, you definitely need to consider checking the status of your device drivers:

Your PC or software freezes or crashes frequently or even occasionally, but obviously enough to cause you concern.
Your hardware simply stops working or malfunctions. For instance, your speakers produce no sound or your printer doesn’t work.
Your PC or laptop generates unusual noise or heat, which can indicate issues originating with how hardware is being used.
You encounter general PC performance issues that can’t be addressed with the steps suggested in the “5 Tips for a Fast PC”.

Based on my experience, a majority of the mysterious PC performance or stability issues can be explained and addressed by performing a device driver check.

How to update device drivers

There are two ways to update devices drivers: manually and automatically.

You can manually update device drivers by accessing the Control Panel, opening the Device Manager, right-mouse click a specific hardware, and select Update Driver Software. You then have the option of letting Windows find the most updated driver for you, or installing the latest driver software that you download from the hardware manufacture’s website.

Although the manual process works in theory, it depends on two important factors. Number one, you know which hardware requires a driver update, and secondly, you trust Microsoft has the latest and best driver for you to download. Nevertheless, we found the second condition to be particularly unreliable for those who already perform Windows update on a regular basis. If Microsoft has the right device drivers for a piece of hardware you suspect is causing issues, then it stands to reason you would have automatically received a Windows update already.

Using device update software

Some advanced users are able to manually update drivers by searching the Internet for the correct version of drivers. However, we suggest using reliable driver update software to perform this task safely and effectively. The advantages of using a professional driver update program are:

It’s automated: a driver update application scans all hardware on your PC and identifies associated drivers that are updated or damaged.
It’s efficient: an effective and accredited driver application would take advantage of cloud-based resources and thereby have access to a comprehensive collection of device drivers for almost any hardware devices, for any PC brand.
It’s safe: a reputable device driver software would be digitally signed and approved by Microsoft to operate on your PC and thus be free from any security concern or threat.

Our test and recommendation

Building an effective driver update software program and maintaining a comprehensive driver database requires very specific knowledge and experience. We here at CompuClever evaluated three top driver software programs available on the market based on the criteria of coverage, effectiveness, and ease-of-use. These are the top three:

Of these three, our final recommendation is Driver Finder for the following three reasons:

Driver Finder offers a massive coverage of 400,000+ hardware devices from over 5,000 different companies.
Diver Finder is digitally signed by Norton and is Microsoft Windows logo certified.
Driver Finder supports Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10, making it easy for any PC users.

Click here to learn more about Driver Finder, we recommend you download a free scan to conduct a quick and complete assessment of your PC’s device drivers.

We hope you have better understanding about device drivers and how to update them. Let us know if you have any questions about how to keep your PC clean, optimized, and updated.

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Why You Should Always Backup Locally—Even if You Use Cloud Storage

Charles Edward — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 22:01:54 +0000

Thanks to smartphones, video cameras and other gadgets we all create a massive amount of files. Often our computer hard drives are too small to store all of this information. Luckily, there are free remote backup services such as Dropbox and Google Drive that can automatically upload our files remotely.

The biggest problem with saving remotely on cloud services such as Google Drive and Dropbox is you could be hacked. Even Apple’s iCloud service, with some of the toughest security in the world, has been hacked.

So, it’s always a good idea to backup locally first before relying on remote backup. USB or “thumb” drives are handy devices that in many ways can be the perfect solution for local backups.

Reliable and cheap, USB drives can store anything from 1GB (the size of a feature-length HD movie) to 1TB (1000 feature-length movies) of data. Unlike a powered HDD backup drive, USB drives are also portable and easier to keep safe.

How Many Files Can Be Stored on a USB Drive?

If you’re backing up images from your camera and want to know how many will fit on a USB thumb drive all you really need is to know is the size of the image, which is measured in megapixels. Use the table below to find the size of the megapixels along the left, and then the size of storage in the USB key across the top:

So, a 64GB USB key can store over 8,000 high-resolution images—this should be more than enough enough to back up all of the photos you take on a vacation if, say, you have limited access to Internet to make an online backup.

For videos, documents and other files, file sizes range dramatically. To figure out your storage needs you’ll have to look at the sizes of your files or folders in Windows Explorer.

Remember, the larger the file, the longer it will take to transfer from your computer. So it may be worth it to consider USB 3.0, which is the latest and fastest USB standard.

Compared to USB 2.0, USB 3.0 is about 10 times faster and USB 3.1 is about 20 times faster. Along with being faster, USB 3.0 also has the ability to provide power if the device does not have a power connection of its own.

Speed Up An Older Computer With a USB Drive

Besides performing backups and safeguarding your data, USB drives can speed up your computer. This technique is super effective for older computers that typically have smaller amounts of RAM—2GB, for example. RAM is the “secret ingredient” to making your computer run fast, and if you don’t have a lot of RAM, using a computer can be a frustrating experience.

A USB drive can help with that. Using a technology called ReadyBoost, you can plug a USB into your computer and get a performance upgrade. Read more about it here.

Try Out a USB 3.0 Kingston DataTraveler—On Sale Now!

If you’re interested in trying out USB 3.0 for yourself, the Kingston Digital DataTraveler USB 3.0 flash memory drives are on sale right now on our newly launched hardware site CompuCleverGear.com.

Since the Kingston USB flash memory drives uses USB 3.0 technology it's a great way to not only speed up your backup process but also to future-proof your saved files.

The post Why You Should Always Backup Locally—Even if You Use Cloud Storage appeared first on CompuClever.

Windows 10 – How Many Stars Out of 10?

Andy Thompson — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 00:57:19 +0000

We’re certain many PC users have been giving some thought to the tempting offer of upgrading to the new Windows 10 operating system while it is still free. The question is: what are you getting with the latest – and possibly last – Windows operating system? In our previous article on Windows 10 we covered an overview / introduction to the new system. Here we are going to be as systematic as possible in assisting you to decide on whether it is right for you. We want you to decide how good it is for you based on your present system. And, we will be doing this using a Tech Support point of view.

Free for Now

So, for some PC users the Windows 10 upgrade is free at this time. Microsoft is making…

…Windows 10 available as a free upgrade for compatible devices that are running genuine Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1 Update.

The free upgrade is a full version of Windows (not a trial or introductory version) and is available until July 29, 2016. Once you upgrade, you’ll have Windows 10 for free on that device. ^[1]

If your computer is set to automatically download and install updates, there is likely a 3 GB file already stored on your computer to start the upgrade process.

Who Will Likely Benefit Most?

There are some easy answers here. We’ll outline these as best we can.

– Windows Vista or XP users: You will need to upgrade to Win 7 or 8.1 so you may as well be deciding on paying for the Windows 10 OS. You will need to keep in mind the necessary system requirements for Windows 10. The older the system, the less likely you will appreciate moving to Windows 10. If your system came with XP or Vista, and you upgraded to Windows 7 or 8, the same caution applies, you may find the final result less than satisfying.

Windows 10 System Requirements Includes:
Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC
RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit
For the complete list:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/windows-10-specifications#sysreqs

– Windows 7 (SP1) or 8.1 users: You may have been waiting for others to take on the first installs of the new OS and the associated pains that come with using a brand new version of Windows. The good news is the worst issues are patched by now. The bad news is you will need to catch up on all the latest changes and how to get around using the newest OS.

Windows 10 blends the Start menu from Windows 7 with the new Tile screen approach used in Windows 8. The operating system will detect if the system has a touch screen and if it does, it provides more access in the tile area than it does for non-touch systems. So no matter which version of Windows you are currently using, you ARE going to see changes and need to adapt. We will be covering some subjects in this area in future articles, but be ready to spend a little time acclimating to the new commands and tools.

Note: If you have Windows 7 or 8.1 and want to stop the Windows 10 update there is a free program you can install to stop the “Get Windows 10” program that Microsoft installs to computers in order to upgrade to Windows 10. You can get the file at the following site: http://ultimateoutsider.com/downloads/

First Things First – Issues

Perhaps one of the first considerations we need to address is to consider how well the computer is performing. If you are encountering error messages or poor performance you should address the issues first. Trying to update a system when the current operating system is not working properly is an invitation for larger issues. If this is the case, we recommend that before you upgrade to Windows 10, consider using PC TuneUp Maestro to send an error report and description of the problem to us here at CompuClever Tech Support.

To create an Error report, do the following:

From the Main Menu page, click the About button.
In the Product Support section of the About page, click the Get Product Support button and select Submit PC Error Report.
Read the information in the window that is displayed and click: I Agree and Continue.

Note: After error information is collected, a PC Error Analysis dialog appears including the total errors discovered and the type of errors. You can read the Error report. Click the Read Error Report button and a text dialog appears with all the details of the report.

Provide the necessary information and send the report as described. This includes filling out the required fields and then clicking the Send to Support button.

Pros and Cons of Windows 10

If you are now at the point that your system can support the new upgrade, and you have no performance issues to deal with, you may need some more oversight on the overall pros and cons of the new OS. Here are some of the notable pros and cons we have picked out for you.

Pros

The install itself is much simpler than previous versions and uses less technical jargon.
One of our technicians noticed that running Windows 10 on their home system (which previously had Windows 7), brought about better performance with comparable functions.
Internet Explorer, which was often the cause of security concerns for Windows, has been replaced with Microsoft Edge.
Windows 10 re-introduces the Start Menu so it is more familiar for long term users of Windows than the previous Windows 8 OS. If you are familiar with Windows 8 do not be afraid, the Start Menu also includes the Tiled system of Windows 8 and supports touch screens.

Cons

Security in Windows 10 is improved but not air tight, and some of the new functions for connectivity (like Wireless connections), are raising concerns in some corners. It is still advisable to use a third party program to secure your computer. We recommend that you get CompuClever Antivirus PLUS – the AV solution that is vigilant, silent, and hassle free.
The new version of Windows appears to be incorporating advertising and charges. For example, to stop the ads in Solitaire you need to pay $10 to Microsoft. Some are easily resolved by simply finding another free program to replace them, but some charges may be harder to avoid. This could be the last Windows operating system of its kind as Windows is moving towards a full “service” platform so the licensing for the program may end up being an annual charge.
Older applications may not work with the newer version of Windows. If there is a program you absolutely must have, it is best to check with the maker of the program to see if it works with Windows 10 before upgrading. There are stipulations but you can revert to your previous operating system – see the Note in the Conclusion section. Also, check to see if your devices (printers, input devices like graphics tablets, etc.), are supported by Windows 10.
Windows 10 does not come with a viewer to play DVD files. If this is a concern we would suggest looking at Ultra File Opener as it will handle many of these formats.
The new web browser, Microsoft Edge, does not automatically import your Favorites from Internet Explorer. You would need to do the following:
1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click on the “Hub”.
3. Click “Import Favorites”.

Conclusions:

So how does Windows 10 rate? As we have stated, this largely depends on you – your needs and your current PC system. If you do have an older system and are happy with it we would advise the old adage: “if it ain’t broke…” stay with what you have until you decide you need to replace the hardware. If your system has the available hardware to support the new upgrade, and you do not have any PC issues, and the pros outweigh the cons, you may want to give it a try yourself. Keep in mind that you can restore to your previous operating system under certain conditions.

Restore to Previous OS: You can restore to your previous operating system but you need to be aware beforehand that there may be challenges in doing so. Microsoft lists the following methods:

-If it’s been less than a month since you’ve upgraded to Windows 10, you’ll be able to go back to your previous version of Windows from Settings > Update & security > Recovery.
-If your PC manufacturer provided the option, you might be able to restore your device to factory settings.
-If options to go back and restore factory settings aren’t available, you can use installation media and a product key to install a previous version of Windows.

If you have some ideas of topics you would like us to cover or have other feedback to offer, email us at: newsletter@compuclever.com

[1] http://windows.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows-10/upgrade-to-windows-10-faq

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Vigilance and Silence

Andy Thompson — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 17:40:27 +0000

In a previous article discussing whether we really need to compromise PC performance in exchange for security, we presented the CompuClever Photon technology – an innovative feature that adapts security protection to the uniqueness of your PC. Photon makes CompuClever Antivirus light and fast, imposing almost no overhead to system resources. But how should an antivirus react to a true threat when it detects an intrusion? We are often presented with popups and reminders, like the one shown below, that most of us, even including those who work in the IT industry, don’t know how to respond to, which may result in taking the wrong action.

CompuClever Antivirus PLUS works differently and better than this. It is essentially a silent security solution that only communicates useful information in language you can understand, keeping you informed and, keeping you in the driver seat. This is achieved through the combination of two features: Autopilot and Profiles.

Introducing Autopilot and Profiles

What makes CompuClever Antivirus’ user-centric approach possible is the Autopilot and Profiles features, which work hand-in-hand to deliver silent security 24/7.

Autopilot

Autopilot makes the best security decisions for users, without user interaction, while eliminating notifications and popups. When Autopilot is switched on and CompuClever Antivirus detects any type of threats, it will automatically block it. Users do NOT need to define their protection levels or what actions to take whenever a threat is detected. It is automatically enabled and can be simply disabled.

The “secret sauce” of Autopilot is another cool technology: CompuClever Profiles – an intelligent technology that determines what you are doing with your PC and makes the right decisions for PC security! Additionally, with Profiles, CompuClever Antivirus not only works silently but also optimizes your PC for its best performance.

Profiles

The Profiles technology is designed to automatically detect when users work, play, or watch movies, and it prevents other apps from slowing down the system. Beside the standard profile, there are three profiles that fit most of our day-to-day PC usage patterns: “Work”, “Game”, or “Movie”. CompuClever Antivirus PLUS will identify whenever the user is engaged in one of these activities and will maximize PC performance by directing more of the system resources to those particular applications. In addition, Profiles offers users an uninterrupted experience by postponing resource-consuming operations such as scheduled scans, automatic product updates, system maintenance tasks, Windows updates, and other third-party operations. It also suspends unnecessary background programs, eliminates pop-ups, and adjusts visual effects according to activities users are currently engaged in. Here are some behavioral description of each profile:

Work: postpone scheduled scans, initiate automatic product and signature updates every two hours, activate the anti-spam module, deactivate Search Advisor, and block product notifications.
Game: postpone scheduled scans, initiate automatic product and signature updates every twelve hours, deactivate Search Advisor, and block product notifications.
Movie: perform the same operations as the Game profile, but start product and signature updates every eight hours.

You can manually set your PC to one of these profiles or let Autopilot take over the control and make the best decision for you. Either way, CompuClever Antivirus PLUS ensures you are completely protected while you enjoy the best of what your PC is designed to deliver.

Real-Time Optimization

CompuClever Antivirus PLUS Real-Time Optimization is a plugin that improves your system performance silently in the background, making sure that you are not interrupted while you are in a Profile mode. Depending on the CPU load, the plugin monitors all processes, focuses on those that take up a higher load, and adjusts them to your needs.

The system is optimized by increasing the Profile’s application performance, postponing system updates and Windows automatic updates, suspending unnecessary background programs, and eliminating popups in order to provide the best movie or game experience.

Security Report

Although CompuClever Antivirus is considered completely silent, it still reports to you once a week by delivering an easy-to-understand Security Report.

The Security Report presents the security status for the past week including scans, disinfections, an events timeline, and feature recommendations. These tips are important in managing the overall protection and users can easily see actions to be taken on their PC. The overall security score is calculated based on the critical protection used previously and other conditions that might represent a security risk. The Security Report uses an issue tracking system to detect and inform users about issues that may have impacted the security of the system and the data on it.

Conclusion

To learn more about the features and benefits covered in this article:

Be still and know you are in control of your PC security with the help of CompuClever Antivirus PLUS!

The post Vigilance and Silence appeared first on CompuClever.

Protection vs. Speed

Andy Thompson — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 07:33:00 +0000

Does antivirus software slow down PCs? The answer is a definite Yes; but, a conditional one depending on which security software you’ve chosen to run on your PC. According to an extensive endurance test, performed by AV-Test.org, the evidence of PC performance impacted by antivirus software was more than convincing. An antivirus solution that does a mediocre job on reducing its impact on PC performance slows down your PC by taking too much resource like CPU, hard disc, and RAM. As a result, you were forced to make a compromise for speed in exchange for security.

But, is it really necessary to choose between protection and speed? A well designed antivirus program should impose minimum or no impact to PC performance while still delivering the best protection against malware and online threats. This is how CompuClever Antivirus was designed and made. Let’s dive into some details.

CompuClever Photon technology

The core technology is called “Photon” and it makes CompuClever Antivirus the lightest antivirus ever. It is an innovative antivirus technology that takes the weight of the system and accelerates scanning speed by gradually adapting to each user’s PC.

How it works

Built with the same type of artificial intelligence technology used by the robotic industry, Photon goes through the following cycle to adapt to your PC:

Click to see a larger diagram: How Photon works

Fingerprinting: performed early in the installation a unique “fingerprint” was built for your system.
Pre-training: a scanning pattern based on the fingerprint is then formed by querying the reputation of each application and system process from Cloud intelligence, maintaining a precise list of everything loaded in the system based on reputation.
Active monitoring: whenever your system “fingerprint” changes, Photon immediately checks the reputation list and alerts the antivirus engine to take prompt and appropriate action.
Continued training: when new “intel” is added to the Cloud intelligence, the reputation list will be instantly updated as it pertains to the relevancy of your system’s unique “fingerprint”.
Adaptive scanning: Photon directs the antivirus engine to pay more attention to suspicious applications rather than trusted ones.

The result

Photon technology enables CompuClever Antivirus to reduce its footprint by minimizing the requirement of computing resource like CPU power, hard drive access, and memory usage. The result is obvious:

The antivirus is quiet and non-intrusive.
It brings low or no impact on system performance.
Your PC enjoys faster boot time.
Your applications runs smoothly.

Better yet, there is nothing you need to do or configure in order to enjoy the benefit of Photon – it’s built-in and pre-configured and self-adapting. Just relax and enjoy, knowing that you are both well protected and your PC is still as fast as it was before installing the program.

Recommendation

If your PC is sluggish, we recommend the following actions:

Follow this step-by-step optimization guide to tune and optimize your PC
Consider replacing your existing antivirus solution with CompuClever Antivirus PLUS

Remember, an effective security protection doesn’t have to come at the price of degraded PC performance.

The post Protection vs. Speed appeared first on CompuClever.

Restore Browser Speed

Andy Thompson — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 05:50:04 +0000

In our latest series of articles we have examined Internet slowdown. We’ve introduced very good information about the various causes of slow connectivity and the PC conditions we face. Maybe you know firsthand or secondhand what it is like to be overtaken by something on your PC that cripples the overall functionality. In extreme cases it means a trip to a PC repair shop and having the computer wiped and re-installed. It’s very similar to the effects of a computer virus with only one exception – you may have installed it yourself rather than being attacked. This condition is happening frequently among beginner PC users and it is this group of PC users that are being targeted. We’re going to help you restore the previous condition of your web browser and provide some recommendations on how to prevent similar occurrences.

Add-ons

Picking up software add-ons means modifications get made to your web browser such as extra toolbars and popup windows. Many of these items simply want to stake their territory maybe for the purpose of directing you to certain websites so you can make some purchase.

More: To get a better idea of what these items look like and what they do, see our article called: Foistware – Messing Up Your PC Experience. The word “foist” means to force something that is not wanted on someone.

Bog Down

It is the web browser specifically that gets bogged down in these situations as it contains too many unnecessary add-ons. You will find that it isn’t as responsive as it should be as it gets pulled in different directions. Being sabotaged takes a toll. Plug-ins, BHOs, add-ons, additional toolbars, if unnecessary, all compete with networking and computing resources. The result is that your ability to browse slows down and is… hijacked.

Installation

An important reminder from our last article – these items land on our PC without our knowledge but are a result of unsafe browsing practices including opening email attachments or passing files from one PC to your own via chat rooms, peer-to-peer file sharing, or instant messaging. It may be hard to believe, but many unwanted items wind up on our PC because you installed them unknowingly. Some are from legitimate software vendors that bundle their installation with other software. You need to examine the install steps and clear any check boxes that include extra programs.

Typically when installing software you will see some screens that have checkboxes with items like:

[✓] Make Ask.com my default search.
[✓] Add Yahoo! Toolbar to your browser.
[✓] Yes, I want Bing toolbar for Internet Explorer.
[✓] Also install, free McAfee security scan.

You need to know that you CAN clear these check boxes. In this way, ONLY the software you intended to have in the first place will still be installed.

Action Items:

We are going to point you to our last article – Bogged Down – for steps on how to uninstall unwanted items. The first step is removal of the items. Next, we are going to cover how to restore your browser to its previous condition.

To restore the browser

In the PC Clean Maestro window, select the Browsers button in the left pane as can be seen in the image below.
Select the browser tab (for example: “IE” or “Firefox”).
Click the restore button located at the top right.

Good Practices:

Let’s cover just a few examples of good PC practice to keep your PC from suffering the ill effects of add-ons and foistware.

Be Vigilant

When installing anything to your computer – examine what it is that you are getting. This includes emails from trusted sources (their email may have been hijacked), and it includes reading all the information for each step of a software install.
Check online to see if the attachment, software, or the web site (URL) is legitimate or a known source of PC problems.
Bonus Tip: refer to ShouldIRemoveIt.com to check the validity of a software.
If you are having something installed that you do not want – STOP the install.
If you are being attacked, save any and all data that you can and power down your PC. If you do not have control of your PC you can press and hold the keys Ctrl – Alt – Delete.

Don’t

Don’t trust a download purely based on what you have heard or know of it – it could be faked and it can include add-ons.
Don’t install additional browser toolbars unless you are certain it is for your daily PC use. Too many toolbars can bog down your web browser and you may find you don’t use all the functionality.

Anti-virus Programs

We recommend using an anti-virus program that allows you to be in control. This includes not being bothered or nagged by popup messages and complications. It should run in the background and protect you. To that end, there are programs that are free and offer basic coverage.

In Summary

We know of PC users that get into trouble with their computer repeatedly. It usually means having to take it to a PC repair technician and having the computer wiped and re-installed. We hope that this article will serve you in taking action when you run into trouble and will help you in preventing it from happening at all.

The post Restore Browser Speed appeared first on CompuClever.

Bogged Down

Andy Thompson — Tue, 12 May 2015 23:02:54 +0000

With our previous article we looked at slowdowns with respect to Internet traffic. The cause could be due to Internet conditions outside our control or due to poor PC performance. We looked at ways you could be causing congestion such as too many devices connected to your Internet service or that your overall PC performance is below its potential. Now we can continue with this theme by examining something that can be hidden but very much a part of our Internet connectivity congestion. A major factor in Internet slow down that can result in your PC being bogged down is: software running in the background which can also bring about web browser overload. Your PC is a great at multitasking. Despite this, there are instances when it can suffer the consequences of being bogged down.

The Hidden Factor

A very common PC experience is having too many applications requiring online access at the same time and applications that are picked up unknowingly that we can be considered unwanted. This first category competes with resources and the second can be malicious or can run in the background without your knowledge. Many software programs require taking up a portion of your Internet bandwidth to achieve their functionality. In these instances the application will not even appear on your screen but will create “processes” – we can think of them as tasks – which include taking up Internet bandwidth.

Right from the time of installation these apps are designed to open and run in the background each time you start your PC. Some of these apps can alter how you surf the web as is the case with malicious programs that are capable of hijacking your system so as to redirect you to particular sites. They generate web traffic which can be profitable when selling software. Redirecting you can also bring you to a page where other unethical vendors place ads and links to their own dubious websites.

Bog Down

There are several causes with respect to slow down that can potentially affect a number of your PC resources. Applications running in the background compete with other programs you open and need such as your web browser or email application. When too many applications run at the same time they compete for:

computer resources such as: CPU, Memory, Hard Disc resources, etc. and
networking resources which take a slice of the Internet pie available to you. One very real result is your web browser isn’t as speedy as it could be as it fights for its share of the resources whether that’s bandwidth or PC resources.

Some applications require background network processing which adds to Internet congestion. Email applications require bandwidth to check for new emails sent to you on an ongoing basis. Any program that performs upgrade checks requires bandwidth, as in the case of online music players, online games, and anti-virus (AV) apps. As for AV programs – many can bring about slower PC and Internet network performance as they need to monitor the Internet and update their database sometimes on an hourly basis.

Installation

How do these items wind up on our PC in the first place? Some get there without our knowledge but are a result of unsafe browsing practices including opening email attachments or passing files from one PC to your own via chat rooms, peer-to-peer file sharing, or instant messaging. As for other apps, it seems hard to believe, but many get there because you installed them unknowingly. Some are from legitimate software vendors that include other software when you install. Here’s a well known example: Adobe Flash Point.

Adobe Flash update sneaks in McAfee installation

With the image above you can see how there is an additional offer to install McAfee to your PC. This little check box is on by default and if you don’t look closely and click the “Install now” button without clearing the checkbox… you will be downloading two programs at once.

Action Items:

Although there are some among us who are “delete shy” and do not want to go there, we need to take action by bringing to light what software we have on our PC. These hidden applications can be brought to your attention and you can then make a choice to remove them or to stop them from starting up when you turn your computer.

Examination and Uninstall

We will be using the free functionality available with PC Clean Maestro to look for a complete list of applications and to remove unwanted programs. It’s quite likely that you have noticed a recent change in your PC functioning. If so, we will start by examining the recently installed programs. After that you can examine each and all of your applications and determine if you can safely remove unwanted ones:

Open PC Clean Maestro and select the Uninstaller button in the left pane.
Begin by searching for questionable programs in the Recently Installed tab as can be seen in the image below. If you installed something within the last 10 days it will appear here. If you do not see any items you can use the other tabs or enter a word in the Search box. In this case the word “Search” would bring up Search Protect or other questionable programs.
Select the program and determine if it is unwanted. Examine the information in the right panel.
Tip: If you are not sure about a program and whether to remove it… check the resource site: http://www.shouldiremoveit.com From here you will can enter in a program by name and get the goods on it. You can also see that programs like “Search Protect” and many others with “Search” in their names are listed as the top most active programs to remove.
For unwanted items, click the Uninstall button.

Once you have completed this list you can choose from other program tabs – All Programs, Large Programs, or Rarely Used – and continue with your process of examination and removal.

Apps at Startup

Another symptom of your PC being bogged is that it is slow to start compared to when it was fairly new. We have spoken on this issue before and it’s worth a re-visit. At installation applications are designed to be easy to access by offering a shortcut in your desktop, quick launch taskbar, and in your Startup menu. Having these programs run each time you start your PC can bring about slower performance both in terms of startup and with Internet network speeds when requiring bandwidth.

For this action item we are going to be using free functionality available in PC TuneUp Maestro. The steps include: opening the Startup Manager; reviewing the items in the list; and then choosing to Enable or Disable.

Open Startup Management: Begin by opening PCTuneUp Maestro and go to the “Optimize PC” page as seen in the screen below:

Next, click the StartUp Management link.
Review: There is a list that is provided with all the applications that are launched during the startup process. The items that appear in the list will look like this screenshot:Tip: You can review any items in the list to make an informed decision about how to best manage each. This is especially advisable with ones you are not familiar with.

To review a startup application in the list, click the blue link associated with the item.
From the Startup list, you can check the status of any item in the Select column. If it is marked as “Disable” then it does not launch when you start the computer – no need to worry. If something in the list is marked as “Enable” you can click the drop down arrow next to it and select: Disable. The item remains in the list and no longer starts when you boot your computer.

If you see something on this list that is completely unfamiliar and you do NOT plan on using, it is a good idea to uninstall it altogether. You can use the Uninstaller tool as described above to remove all its components.

Good Practices:

Our intent is not to take away any PC functionality. We instead empower you to examine what is on your PC that you either do not know or rarely use at all. By disabling programs to run at startup, you still can access them whenever you want – you now have the control rather than the applications running wild.

While we agree that programs need to perform updates especially when fixing some issue related to security or functionality, we feel that it should be up to you to determine when this happens. Good programs include options where you can choose when the upgrade occurs such as before you shut down.

Strongly Recommend: Follow safe online practices – use caution when opening email attachments and other files that can install unwanted items to your PC.

In Summary:

We have presented information here that can better equip you with the necessary skills to improve your Internet connectivity and the symptoms of PC bog down. We plan to continue this with our next article by examining the browser and items that can be installed there which not only clutter up your web browser toolbar, but can direct your online activities and slow down your Internet and regular PC activities.

The post Bogged Down appeared first on CompuClever.