Posts filed under 'Vista'
“How do I download a torrent?” This is a question that gets asked quite frequently- Torrents are the new form of P2P downloading these days. It is the new Napster, and just like Napster- you need to be careful with what you download. A lot of the files that are available through torrents are copyrighted, such as music, movies, and applications, so you are responsible for what you choose to download. Let’s get started shall we..
Step 1:
Download the Torrent client-
The best for Windows is: uTorrent
The best for Mac is: Transmission
The best for Ubuntu is: Transmission (search for it under Applications > Add/Remove)
Step 2:
Once installed, we look for a torrent-
Go http://www.thepiratebay.com (you have probably heard of these guys)
-We are going to search for “Ubuntu”, and specify the search by check-marking “Applications” below the search bar.
-You will be presented with the results of your search. Here is the important part- you need to know how to pick the torrents. These files are not hosted on 1 central server. They are spread out across a whole network of torrent users.
We need to pay close attention to “SE” (seeders), and “LE” (leechers). SE is the number of people hosting the file, LE is the number of people downloading the file.
- Click “SE” to sort by the highest number of seeders.
A good ratio of seeders, and leechers is one that has far more SE’s than LE’s. In my example, I found a copy of Ubuntu 9.04 with 98 SE’s, and 9 LE’s. We like this ratio- this means that the download will be pretty fast.
Step 3:
So we decided to go with the torrent mentioned above. Click the file name, and you will be taken to download page.
Click “Download This Torrent” > save the torrent file to your desktop.
Step 4:
Fire up the torrent client you downloaded during step 1.
Go to File > Open > and browse for the torrent file on your desktop (in uTorrent it will be called ‘Add Torrent’ and not ‘Open’)
This will start your download- once it is at 100%, go to the directory you downloaded the file to (you can find this under the program’s preferences menu), and move the file wherever you want.
Done!
May 28th, 2009
Being the computer go-to-guy amongst my friends, I have noticed a big outbreak of fake anti-virus software. This Fraud-ware tries to fool you into thinking you have thousands of infections, when you may only have 1 (being the bogus software itself).
It may ask you for a payment of $10-$50 to register and remove the threats- DO NOT DO THIS! You run the risk of identity theft, or a plain and simple rip-off.
These programs get into your computer without your knowledge or consent- it may be through pop-ups, bad files on P2P networks like Limewire, and many other ways.
If you do not get this taken care of, it can become worst. You will see more and more of these bogus products when you start your computer.
Signs to look for:
• Bogus anti-virus/spyware programs often generate more “alerts” than the software made by reputable companies.
• You may be bombarded with pop-ups, even when you’re not online.
• High-pressure sales copy will try to convince you to buy RIGHT NOW!
• If you’ve been infected, your computer may dramatically slow down.
• Other signs of infection include: new desktop icons; new wallpaper, or having your default homepage redirected to another site.
(Mac users: if you run Windows using Boot Camp, Parallels or VMWare, these tips apply to you. However, at the time of this writing, Mac OSX does not have these problems.)
These are some of programs you need to look out for:
- VirusRemover 2008
- XP Anti Virus 2009
- Anti Virus XP 2009
- Windows Anti Virus 2009
- PRO Antispyware 2009 (below)
(an example of bogus anti-virus software)
How to remove:
The following guide must be used at your own risk. Even though I am going step by step, you need to have working knowledge of malware removal. Every computer situation is different, so use at your own risk.
Step 1:
Download Malware Bytes
Step 2:
After installation, open Malware Bytes, and click the “Update” tab.
Step 3
Go to the “Scanner” tab, choose “”Perform Quick Scan”, and click the “Scan” button below.
Step 4:
If you are a victim the bogus anti-malware, you will get a count next to “Objects Infected” in red. Click the “Show Results” button below to view the infections.
Step 5:
After you look through the findings, check mark the infections you want removed, and click the “Remove Selected” button.
Removals may require a restart, so do so if asked to. I have had great luck removing these infections using Malware Bytes, if it does not help, try running it while Windows is in “Safe Mode”.
You can get into safe mode by pressing F8 right when your computer is booting up- good luck!
May 27th, 2009
This is a basic essential every Windows user should know and use.
Following these steps will allow you to disable unused software from
the Windows startup queue.
Some software enables itself to auto start every time you boot up your
computer- this causes unnecessary lag, and down time. To turn startup
items On or Off:
1. Click Start > Run
2. In Run, type in “msconfig” and click “OK”
3. Click the “Startup” tab
4. Uncheck the applications you want to disable from startup, and check mark the ones that you would like to enable.
*Bonus:Stop Startup Services (proceed with caution- you must have working knowledge of MS services)
1. Click the “Services” tab
2. Click “Hide All Microsoft Services” (this will hide the services that may be important, so you won’t screw them up by mistake).
3. Again, uncheck the services you would like to disable.
4. Finally, click “Apply”, and then “OK” – Restart, and notice the difference in startup speed!
May 26th, 2009
One of the most famous and convenient features of OS X is its dock. It’s an animated panel on the desktop where you can place all your commonly used shortcuts, giving you access to them by a click of a mouse.
I’m a Mac owner myself, and to me this is essential- luckily there is a piece of free software for Windows called RocketDock, which gives you this same functionality for free. It is actually better than the OS X dock in many ways. It allows you to customize the theme of the dock, and more.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6UVb15it6A&feature=player_embedded]
Direct Download link: Click here
May 21st, 2009
Pages:
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Newer Posts
What is RSS?