If you, like many others, look down at your computer case only to see a maze of confusing wires running every which way, there is an affordable, neat way to reorganize them. Instead of more difficult options such as wire loom or zip ties, you can use Velcro ties. Many electronics stores carry computer Velcro [...]

I’m sure many of you already know that Windows comes packaged with a few time-wasting games such as Solitaire. But, for those of you that didn’t know, here’s how you can access Solitaire and many other games included with Windows. 1. Click on Start 2. Click on Programs 3. Navigate to the Games folder 4. [...]

If you have a cluttered taskbar, one of which the volume control, remove it. Personally I find it rather useless to be taking up space as you can just as easily adjust the volume on your speakers. The option to show it is located here: Control Panel > Sound and Audio Devices > Place volume [...]

Web developers who utilize Firefox will most definitely want to check out the Web Developer Toolbar. This free plugin adds a toolbar along the top of Firefox to do dozens of useful things such as: -Table highlighting -Removal of style data -Quick links to W3C’s validator -Cookie overrides -Dozens more functions too long to list [...]

A really fun thing to you can do is a Google search on your name. You will probably be quite amazed at the results which are returned. For example, I have found pages from school 10 posted years ago. Even more entertaining is when you see results for other people which share your name. In [...]

Windows laptop users frustrated with their touchpad may want to take advantage of the Click Lock feature. Click Lock allows you click and hold the mouse button for a second or two (depending on the settings you chose) to have the target Icon “locked” to your pointer. This feature makes it significantly easier to drag [...]

A convenient feature of Windows when you want to search for files is the Search context option when right clicking on a folder. By invoking a search through this option the scope of the search is limited to the selected folder and any sub-folders. When you have a general idea where your target file is [...]

A handy shortcut in Firefox is the ability to bookmark tabs via a right click. Instead of going to the Bookmarks menu or using the Ctrl + D key combination, try right clicking on a tab and selecting either “Bookmark This Tab” or “Bookmark All Tabs”. The latter is useful because it allows you easily [...]

A really convenient feature of both Linux and Mac is the ability to move a file while it is in use. A perfect example of this is a downloaded MP3 or office document. You can open the file to preview it and then move, rename, or delete the file while it is still open. Unfortunately, [...]

Are you sick of being plagued by “Send an error report…” messages? If yes, then this tip is just for you. 1. Right click on My Computer 2. Click on Properties 3. Click on the Advanced tab 4. Click on the Error Reporting (bottom of window) 5. Click on the radio button Disable Error Reporting [...]

If you need to combine many files into one convenient file to send as an email attachment, or for back up purposes, the easiest way to do this is to create a zip file. A zip file is basically a compressed folder that contains multiple files. 1. Select the files / folders you wish to [...]

Integrated social networking and instant messaging systems are extremely popular in today’s world. Many businesses have implemented instant messaging systems, allowing their employees to communicate without having to pick up the phone or leave their workspace. Over the years, various short-hand terms have developed to facilitate online communication. Here are just a few of the [...]

You don’t always have to have the full iTunes window open whenever you want to pause, play, go forward or back through your playlist or library in Windows 2000/XP. Like with Windows Media Player, you can put iTunes’ controls in the taskbar. Go to “Edit” > “Preferences” > “Advanced” tab, then make sure that “Minimize [...]

In order to make your case circulate air properly, you must remove obstructions from the flow of air. With systems that use bulky IDE cables and power cables, it is essential to make the cables so they do not interfere with the airflow. There are two steps to maximizing your airflow around cables: 1. Minimize [...]

Chances are, you aren’t the only one who has had that error. If you Google the error message, you may find helpful hints at what is causing your problems, and often, a complete answer to your problem. For problems that you can’t find the resolution to, there are always our PCMech Tech forums at your [...]