Muscling Out PC Irritants
For many computer users, Windows, the operating system that imposed Microsoft as the leader in this field, is a great tool, that allows them to use their computers in a convenient and efficient way. But you will find the same people complaining about the annoying tricks that Windows does on them, no matter what version they run on their computers. Have you ever had to deal with out of the sky security alerts, USB drives announcing around the clock that they have been disabled or close to stupid instant messages interrupting your regular work? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then read further.
Here is how you should deal with these PC irritants.
Irritant: Writing Failure on Disconnecting USB Drives
This problem occurs when you disconnect a USB drive without notifying Windows first. There’s a chance that Windows will still be writing data to your USB drive if you just suddenly disconnect it, which may result in scads of corrupted files, a gamble most users don’t want to take. To ensure that Windows has completed all write operations to your USB drive, always use the “Safely Remove Hardware” utility located in your system tray; this tool will notify you with a message balloon when you can remove your USB drive. For the computer aficionado that craves more control over their numerous USB devices, throw Google a query, as there are plenty of free programs on the web that can manage your USB device collection for you.
Irritant: Die Hard Security Alerts
Because you like to have your computer protected against evil threats, you have installed on it the latest versions of antiviruses. And still, Windows is trying to remind you that you are not good enough at this. Of course, this is not the case, but the dumb security alerts you get from Windows do not cease so easily. The reason for this happening is that Windows knows when you play with the antivirus settings and interprets it as a breach in security. Get rid of this irritant, by entering the Virus Protection Panel and choosing the option that allows you to monitor, through the antivirus, you own computer, instead of Windows.
Irritant: Printer Messages Stating the Obvious
If you send files to a network printer, you may have been annoyed at the “item printed” balloon message that pops up every time. To disable this lame option, navigate to the Control Panel and go to Printers and Faxes; next, click File, Sever Properties, and choose the Advanced Tab; at the bottom of the box, uncheck the “Notify me when remote documents are printed” check box.
Irritant: Whimsical E-mail Clients
Some of the most annoying things have the easiest solutions. If you are used to switching between browsers when you use the Internet, it is very likely that you have encountered this following problem. At home, or at your workplace, you receive many e-mails, some containing URL’s. But what do you know! When you try to open them with Thunderbird or Outlook, they no longer work. And this repeats so many times that you get a headache. The reasons why this thing happens is because you have installed another browser than Internet Explorer and then you decided to switch back. Your Internet Explorer will no longer recognize the URL’s, but it is no biggie. The solution is simple. Just search for Internet Options in Control Panel and, from Programs, choose “Internet Explorer as the default browser”. Problem solved!
Filed under: Computers & Technology