PC Advisor How-To

How to dual boot Windows 8

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Rosemary Hattersley — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:40:00 GMT

By running Windows 8 alongside your existing OS, you can check out its new features without committing to it. Here's how to dual-boot Windows 8.

Stack overflow error when sending webmail

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Paul Monckton — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT

One reader found that every time they sent an email via a webmail client, they received the error message: ‘Stack overflow at line:158', although the email went through. Our Helproo, Error explained the issue, and how to fix it.

How to type unusual characters on a qwerty keyboard

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Paul Monckton — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:35:00 GMT

If you are trying to inding type such as the | symbol, é, ©, and € using a qwerty keyboard, our Helproom Editor's simple guide should help.

PC logs me out after only a few minutes

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Paul Monckton — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:42:00 GMT

If your PC or laptop is regularly locked after only a few minutes of inactivity, it's likely that you need to change the Screen Saver settings. Our Helproom Editor explains how.

Sync services gone crazy!

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Christopher Breen — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:39:00 GMT

Reader Dale Creekmur has been ferreting around in Activity Monitor and finds an entry that concerns him. He writes:

How to Build an Energy-Efficient and Quiet Gaming PC

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Loyd Case — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:48:00 GMT

Are you a gamer with a big electricity bill every month? Are you looking to build a great gaming PC that doesn't sound like a jet engine every time you start playing Diablo III? This build guide is for you.

Copy events, delete Mail messages

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Kirk McElhearn — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:05:00 GMT

Couple of quick ones today:

How to test broadband speed

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (David Court — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:45:00 GMT

Want to know exactly what download speed you are getting from your ISP? Then read this quick guide and you'll learn how to test your broadband speed whenever you want.

37 Tech Shortcuts From the Experts

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:52:00 GMT

Make Your Gmail Work for You

How to secure Windows 8

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Sandra Vogel — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:51:00 GMT

We often use our computers to store sensitive personal information, so it’s vital you keep it secure from prying eyes. Here's how to secure Windows 8.

Create faded and monochrome photos in Photoshop Elements

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Nik Rawlinson — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:19:00 GMT

Digital photos don't fade, so if you want to inject some character and fun into your snapshots, try out this easy technique in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. We also show you how to turn colour photos into punchy black and white shots.

How to install Windows 8

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Rosemary Hattersley — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:41:00 GMT

You can install Microsoft's latest operating system on any Windows 7 PC. Here's how to install Windows 8.

Convert video for free using Freemake

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Jim Martin — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:55:00 GMT

Video is rarely in the format you need, but there's a great free application - Freemake Video Converter - which does a great job and is easy to use.

How to Convert an Old PC into a Modern Server

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (David Murphy — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:04:00 GMT

Your old desktop PC gave you years of reliable service, but eventually it couldn't keep up with modern tasks and applications; so you went out and bought something newer and faster. Now you need to decide what to do with the old clunker.

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: Top 5 Clingiest Online Services

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (David Daw — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:57:00 GMT

Increasingly, online services act like roach motels: They make it easy to check in, but nearly impossible to check out. By hiding their opt-out pages deep within their settings menus, by using deliberately confusing graphic design, and by presenting emotional appeals that declare how much the site will "miss you," these services make the simple process of deactivating your account a complicated trial.

Fine-Tune Google Searches, Send Texts With Google Voice

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Rick Broida — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:52:00 GMT

A couple weeks back I told you about getting started with Google Chrome and Google Voice--and that went over pretty well. So this week, more Google tips.

How to upgrade to Windows 8

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (PC Advisor staff — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:41:00 GMT

You can still get Windows 8 even if you don't want to splash out on a new PC or a new laptop. Here's how…

Create an RSS feed of a YouTube search

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Paul Monckton — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:37:00 GMT

There used to be an RSS button on YouTube that allowed users to create RSS feeds of YouTube searches with a single click. Even though that is no longer the case, creating an RSS feed of a YouTube search is straightforward. Our Helproom Expert explains how.

Sync Gmail contacts with Thunderbird automatically

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Paul Monckton — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:51:00 GMT

Need to know how to sync Gmail contacts with the Thunderbird email client? Let our Helproom Expert explain.

How to Partition Your Hard Drive to Optimize Performance

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Marco Chiappetta — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:26:00 GMT

Solid-state drives are all the rage lately, thanks to their high transfer speeds and ultrafast access times, but most people still use cheap, spacious mechanical hard drives. Unfortunately, mechanical hard drives also constitute one of the most significant performance bottlenecks in modern computer systems. Even when paired with the fastest processors and lots of memory, a slow hard drive will drag down the a system's overall performance and responsiveness, which is why upgrading to an SSD usually yields such significant performance gains.

How to choose a strong secure password

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Mike Bedford — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:35:00 GMT

Do you use the same password for every online account? It's easy to become lazy and do just that, but using these simple techniques, you'll be able to remember strong passwords for different websites.

Manage your passwords with KeePass

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Mike Bedford — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:18:00 GMT

Everyone has to remember scores of usernames and passwords these days. We show you how a simple free utility - KeePass - can store and manage them safely for you.

Resources for Building Your Facebook Storefront

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Angela West — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:29:00 GMT

As giant retailers such as Gamestop, JC Penney, and Nordstrom opened--and quickly shuttered--Facebook storefronts over the past six months, many analysts declared Facebook's e-commerce effort to be a failure. People come to Facebook to catch up with family and friends, they reasoned, not to shop for goods and services.

How to Control Your Facebook Privacy Settings

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (David Daw — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:28:00 GMT

Facebook's privacy settings are confusing by design, often hiding similar settings in totally different menus and defaulting to unnerving levels of public sharing. Ensuring that you share the right information with the right people can be difficult, and Facebook even has a few specialized settings that will override your other privacy settings if you aren't careful. Luckily you can take control of your privacy on Facebook fairly quickly once you know what you're looking for.

Speed Up Searches--And Reduce Typing--With Drag and Drop Search

pcadvisor@idg.co.uk (Erez Zukerman — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:21:00 GMT

Drag and Drop Search is a free Chrome extension that offers an elegant solution to a common problem: Searching on the website that will give you the answers you need. Google is a great engine, but there is no reason to go through it for everything. If you're after quick facts and figures, you might be better off searching Wikipedia directly; if it's videos you're after, then a direct YouTube search might let you find them faster. If you'd like to get a sense for a place, searching for it on Flickr will show you what it's like. With Drag and Drop Search installed, you only need to select a term, then drag and drop it on the name of the search engine you'd like to use.