Windows Tools, Help & Guides

Recently, we encouraged you to set (or change) a password for your Windows account. If you lose your password, you face the reality of losing access to your files and settings. In this guide, we show you how to create a password reset disk for your PC so, in a bind, you have an easy backdoor into your PC.

Note: you can also crack the password; however, a little preparation will save you the hassle of doing this.

Before you begin this guide, you’ll need the following:

• A USB drive (does not have to be empty)
• A current password set for your account (how to)

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While it may be relatively easy to crack a Windows account password, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use one. If your PC is mobile, you have even more reason to use this basic level of protection. This guide will show you how to set a Windows password or change your current password.
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If you use online banking, you may have noticed when you get your password wrong that the error in response is pretty generic i.e. “Wrong user name or password.” These error messages are pretty unhelpful; however, this is by design. If someone tries to compromise your account, do you really want them knowing they got the user name right and now just need to tackle the password? Probably not. The harder we make it to get in to our accounts, the less chance we have of opportunists getting to places we don’t want them to be. With that said, this guide will show you how to disable user name display on the Windows logon screen, for additional security.

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TuneUp Shredder is one of the many utilites that comes with TuneUp Utilities 2012 (full review) and is automatically available* after you install TuneUp Utilities 2012 (trial) (aff)

Even after emptying the Recycle Bin, files can be retrieved from your hard disk until they are physically overwritten. If you want your files deleted, permanently, use TuneUp Shredder to completely remove traces of your files. Doing this is both useful and strongly recommended if:

• You sell your PC
• You sell your hard drive
• You are returning a drive for warranty repair, replacement, or refund
• You loan your PC to a friend and you’re not sure what you’ve deleted recently
• Your PC is borrowed (school loaner, corporate laptop etc.)

To shred a file:

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If you’ve ever asked a PC help question in a forum, it’s likely someone suggested you check for corrupted or out of version protected system files. To do this:

1. Open a Command Prompt (Click Start, type cmd, and click cmd.exe.)
2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter

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Ever watch a commercial and think “I would NEVER buy that product” or “what kind of people watch this show? Why would I want to use/buy xyz?”

To focus online ads, many advertising companies track your activity as you browse from website to website (where their ads are displayed) and will build a profile of you to present more useful ads according to your interests and assumed demographics. These companies don’t collect personal information like your name and address; thus, you may find this information gathering helpful as you find yourself being offered more customized advertisements.

Or, you may see it as a violation of your privacy.

Simply disabling cookies will not alter the fact that your public IP address is available to these companies and, if you’re the only person/family using that address, you’ll still be profiled. If you’d like to opt out of these types of ads, you can do so very easily.

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