6 brand new, but unmissable tips, for any Windows Vista user

Many tips will only appeal to a minority of people – not everyone wants to change the colour of their windows and dialog boxes, or move files around their hard drive to improve performance. But these six tips are universal in their application – every single PC user should check them out, and your experience will be more rewarding and safer as a result.

1. Back up your PC

We’ve banged on about backing up your data time and time again, but what if you have nowhere convenient to back it up to? Enter, stage left, an online storage facility called Diino. Sign up at diino.co.uk for 2GB free storage space (more is available for a monthly fee should you need it), activate your account and finally download and install the free software.

Once done, double-click the Dino Backup icon and click New Backup. Just drag and drop the folders you want to back up, or select from common locations by clicking Add. You can schedule your backup to start automatically, and if you run out of storage space, purchase more.

If you don’t have any back-up devices, store your files online with Diino

2. Update your Security

You still need to install additional security software with Windows Vista

Windows Vista includes a built-in firewall and anti-spyware software, but there is still a need for additional security software on your computer. An integrated security suite such as Norton Internet Security or Windows Live OneCare is the best way to go, but if you can’t afford it, check out free alternatives.

As a bare minimum you need to obtain an anti-virus program such as Avast! or AVG Free Edition. But you can get a beefier firewall too – try Comodo Personal Firewall or ZoneAlarm. Finally, augment Windows Defender with additional anti-spyware scanners, including Ad-Aware Personal or SUPERAntiSpyware.

3. Log on automatically

If you’re the only user of your PC, and you’re happy it’s in a secure location, you can bypass the logon screen when you start Windows Vista. Click Start and type netplwiz into the Search box, then press [Enter]. A hidden User Accounts Control Panel will appear. Untick “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” and click Apply. When prompted, enter your username and password (twice). Click OK twice and you won’t be prompted to log in again.

If your PC is in a safe location and you’re the sole user, bypass the login screen with this tweak

4. Set up power management

If you’re in the habit of leaving your PC unattended for long periods, take the time to set up a power scheme that enables you to walk away from your PC without wasting huge amounts of electricity. Open Power Options from the System and Maintenance section of the Control Panel. You can simply change the time taken before the display is switched off and the computer goes to sleep, or click “Change advanced power settings” to tweak individual peripherals and hardware for greater savings at the expense of performance.

Experiment with the power options to save money and help the planet

5. Block foreign spam

Tick the boxes to filter all mail from those countries into your spam folder

If you use Windows Mail to send and receive email, you’ll be glad to know that you can block email from specific countries– perfect if you never receive any legitimate email from that country. Select Tools > Junk E-mail Options and switch to the International tab. Click Blocked Top-Level Domain List and tick the boxes of any countries you don’t expect to receive legitimate mail from; use the Blocked Encoding List to block spam that uses a different character set to your own.

6. Single window view in Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer supports tabbed browsing, so you can keep your desktop neat and tidy by using multiple tabs instead of windows. Some additional tweaking is required to force popup windows and links that open a new window appear in tabs instead. If you select Tools > Internet Options and click Settings under Tabs on the General tab, make sure “Always open pop-ups in a new tab” is selected before clicking OK twice. Now all your browsing can be done within a single window.

Select this option to ensure your browsing is restricted to a single window

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