A Happy, Efficient, and Secure PC
Written on by Kay
If you’re not happy with the way Windows is behaving, there’s probably a way to get it to behave the way you’d like. There are a multitude of tweaks, adjustments, calibration techniques, programs, you name it, to get Windows to bend to your will, which makes for a more enjoyable computing experience. The only snag is that it’s not always immediately obvious how to go about it. Plus, you may not even know that a specific tweak or utility can make your life a whole lot easier until you discover it.
Automatic Download Organizer
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Firefox and Internet Explorer let you designate a download folder, conveniently saving downloaded files into said folder. The only problem that arises is that if you download a lot of different files (images, videos, applications, PDFs, torrents, etc.) then your download folder can quickly descend into unmanageable chaos, making it next to impossible to pick out a downloaded file at a glance.
If you are a Firefox user, the Automatic Save Folder extension (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4781) organizes downloaded files, saving them into separate folders based on their file extension. Automatically save your apps into one folder, photos in another, and videos in yet another. No more single download folder clutter. The Automatic Save Folder plug-in also lets you designate a download folder that’s contingent on the website that you’re downloading from, a very cool (not to mention handy) feature.
If you don’t use Firefox, or want the file download segregation functionality of the above Firefox extension for your entire Windows PC, then give Belvedere (http://lifehacker.com/341950/) a spin. When you use either the Automatic Save Folder Firefox extension or the Belvedere utility to automatically organize your downloaded files, you’ll wonder how you ever did without them.
Wipe Your Old Hard Drive
Thinking of giving your old PC away? Great. Think that simply deleting your old files and emptying the recycle bin is enough to protect your privacy? Think again. If you’re planning on giving up your old PC or even giving away your old hard drive, make sure that you keep your privacy safe by wiping your hard drive clean. Remember, Windows may keep track of a lot of of your personal information (website passwords, bank statement files, browser history, et al.) and simply deleting all your personal files won’t completely get rid of them. It’s still possible to retrieve such data should a savvy person get a hold of your PC or hard drive, making identity theft a nasty reality to wake up to.
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Boot and Nuke (http://www.dban.org/) is a utility that will overwrite all your data, making it impossible to retrieve any data once the wipe process has finished. Boot and Nuke utilizes several trusted wipe methods, giving you peace of mind once you part with your old PC or hard drive.
Protect Your Children Online
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It’s virtually impossible to monitor your children all the time when they’re on the Internet. The web is inundated with all sorts of unseemly content that you’ll want to keep your kids away from. A good way to ensure that your child’s web surfing experience is a healthy one is to use KidRex (http://www.kidrex.org/), a content website that employs Google SafeSearch and its own database that’s filled with flagged content deemed inappropriate. When your child is searching for something on KidRex, you can rest assured that unseemly queries will be filtered out.
Couple this with KidZui (http://www.kidzui.com/), a fun and safe web browser that comes stock with all sorts of safeguards for a more enriching, healthful web surfing experience for your children.
