One of the really nice improvements Windows Vista makes is the addition of the Search Bar to the Start Menu. This allows you to easily locate any program installed on your system by simply typing a few letters. A tool which enhances this functionality which you might find useful is Start++. There is a nice page here which gives a description of what Start++ does...

If you use Crap Cleaner (CCleaner) to help keep your Windows installation tidy, a useful trick to know is it offers the ability to run automatically via a scheduled task. To do this, you simply need to take advantage of the built in command line parameters (the /AUTO switch is what you want). For example, to have CCleaner run using your saved preferences, just...

For those who remember installing Internet Explorer either an an upgrade or fresh install, the process was specifically tailored to replace your default browser settings when electing to use the "Express" installation method. This is no longer the case. This comes shortly after it was announced that Windows 7 upgrade for UK users would not come with...

Pretty much every current browser out there has the ability to save your user name and password information on different sites and then fill them in when you visit later. While this function is incredibly useful and convenient, it is important to remember it is not a substitution for a password manager. Since this information is stored in your browser, it lives...

One of the more useful functions of any email client is the ability to search your sent and received items to quickly find information on any correspondence. While just about every email client implements this feature, the speed of your searches can vary drastically. One email client which focuses on search speed and depth is Postbox. Postbox works behind the...

The most-used browser on the internet is still Internet Explorer. It surprises me how many people do not know how to make basic customizations to this browser. This video will show you how to do it. You may learn a few things you didn’t know about the browser before. See video...

How are pre-order sales of Windows 7 doing in the UK? Very well. However there are two major differences compared to the US version. First, it is required to have a clean install. For most people this means the drive must be wiped in order to use it to get rid of the old Windows (Vista or XP). Second, there is no Internet Explorer in the UK version. This is...

Steam is freely available distribution software that allows you to try or buy games. I’ve been a user of Steam for several years and it has proven itself to be a stable platform. A lot of us remember games that were really good but unfortunately will not install properly (much less play) on modern versions of Windows. One solution to this is to have the...

If you make use of Outlook’s contact management functionality, over time you may accumulate duplicate entries as you sync with your mobile device, contacts move companies, additional data is imported or [insert reason here]. If this is the case and you are looking for a tool to help remove the duplicates then check out Contacts Scrubber for...

AIM is the primary instant messenger I use. Out of all the IM services I’ve used over the years, it is the most reliable. In addition, it runs flawlessly on any operating system. Whether you’re on Windows, Mac or Linux, you can run AIM. The latest client offering on the Windows platform is AIM 7 Beta 2. Short review: It’s awesome. If you use...