How To Protect Your Computer On The Internet

When you are connected to the internet, there are threats of different types like viruses, spywares, trogens, worms, and other bugs that are of plenty and are spread fast through the world wide web. No computer is safe from these hazards without adequate protection and shielding. You have to make sure that you are safe from these hazards when connected to the internet and while doing surfing. The good thing is that you can protect yourself from these threats by setting up your computer by proper protection by the use of computer programs and screening software.

This protective setup needs to be done as early as you begin with you new system and connect with the internet.

The protective setup includes:

1) Antivirus: An Antivirus is an important software program that can effectively maintain the security of a system. Antivirus programs provide both system security as well as internet security. These programs can scan the system for viruses, trogens, worms etc with a worldwide database of potential threats and notify of the security vulnerabilities that the system may have and quarantine or delete any threats from the system. As more and more virus programs are released into the world from different sources, the need for a virus database is essential in identifying these threats. All antivirus programs need to be updated with the latest database from its provider to be effective in detecting these culprits. Examples of good Antivirus software are AntiVir Personal, Avast, AVG Free Edition etc.

2) Firewall: The second program that is essential in providing system security is the firewall. A firewall is essential for shielding security threats that connects to the computer through the internet. There are various open ports for connecting the computer with the internet for all effective communications. Most of the computer viruses and other bugs get into the system utilizing some of these open ports in the system, which helps them to infect the system. Many hacking programs also utilize these ports to obtain connection in a vulnerable machine. So it is very important that only the secure ports that are essential are kept intact and all the other ports that are insecure are to be closed thus providing necessary security to the system. Firewalls also provide system security by detecting the internal processes that are carried out and allow only those processes that are security bounded. Examples of good firewall software are Comodo Internet Security, Outpost Firewall, ZoneAlarm Free etc.

3) Anti malware/spyware: The 3rd utility that helps in protection of the system is the anti malware/spyware program. There are many malware and spyware programs that are used for advertisement purposes and also 3rd party programs that are used for spying user behavior, personal choices etc. Many malware programs get automatically installed as part of the free versions of software programs and other offers. These malware programs run behind the programs and collect user statistics and other user relevant details. It is necessary to eliminate these programs because of the suspicious activities and also that it takes important processing power from the system CPU making the system run so slow. A good anti malware and anti spyware program therefore helps to eliminate these programs from the system and also save the speed and efficiency of the system. A precaution is also needed to be taken not to install any shareware programs or other trial offers. Examples of good anti malware/spyware are AdAware, Spybot Search & Destroy etc.

4) Rootkit detection utility: Rootkits utilize the security vulnerabilities when using the browser, filling forms etc. to get information. They record the keystrokes and manage to extract data that is being entered into forms etc. Many of these information can be confidential and therefore highly risky when rootkits are in the system. However there are very effective rootkit eliminating programs available that contain these threats and eliminate them. Examples include Rootkit Revealer, ThreatFire etc.


5) Privacy cleaning tool: There are times we have to browse a lot of webpages and as a result we come across a lot of cookies and other internet cache files that are being saved into the disc which are possible security risks. Cookies are information that are collected by the web browser to provide with user statistics and can collect personal browsing history etc. Internet cache files are web page files that are stored by the browser so that there is less time taken to revisit the pages when the user returns back. There may be legitimate files as well as not potentially harmful files. So by regular browser cache cleaning is necessary after each browsing so that these files will not be as harmful. Privacy cleaning tools include CCleaner, Advanced System Care etc.

Installing and updating these programs can provide 98% security from viruses and other security threats. But it is also of utmost importance in preventing any security risks by not installing those programs that can harbor security risks to a system. Wish you take these measures and keep be secure from the threats to the system from the outside and most of all from the internet.

Hope you like these tips...

Tips To Survive a Computer Crash

Have you ever been through a computer crash? Computers can crash land at times if you are having a bad luck in the middle of a busy day without giving any warning signals. A computer crash can be caused by an operating system crash, application crash, a virus infection, as well as a hardware related one like hard drive crash etc.

A crash (or system crash) in computing is a condition where a program (either an application or part of the operating system) stops performing its expected function and also stops responding to other parts of the system. Often the offending program may simply appear to freeze. If this program is a critical part of the operating system kernel the entire computer may crash.

One cause of crash is a race condition in communication between processes. One process may send a signal to a second process and then stop execution until it receives a response. If the second process is busy the signal will be forced to wait until the process can get to it. However, if the second process was busy sending a signal to the first process then both processes would wait forever for the other to respond to signals and never see the other’s signal (this event is known as a deadlock). If the processes are uninterruptible they will hang and have to be shut down. If at least one of the processes is a critical kernel process the whole system may crash and have to be restarted.

An operating system crash commonly occurs when a hardware exception occurs that cannot be handled. Operating system crashes can also occur when internal sanity-checking logic within the operating system detects that the operating system has lost its internal self-consistency.

An application typically crashes when it performs an operation which is not allowed by the operating system. The operating system then triggers an exception or signal in the application.

A head crash, occurs when the read/write heads inside a hard disk physically come into contact with and crash into the platter, the magnetic data storage surface of a hard disk. A head crash is catastrophic to the drive operation, roughly analogous to the severity of a computer crash to computer software.

Whatever the cause, this is a situation where the computer might not come back to its original state and need to do something to correct it. I have been though some computer crashes a couple of times myself, and it has been quite tedious, time consuming, and sometimes very expensive too. What are the precautions that are required in case of a computer crash ?

1) The first and foremost rule in minimizing the effects of a computer crash is to backup your important files, backing up in another storage device either internal or external storage device at a given interval.
2) When you are running a program such as a MS word or any other editing program, start adjusting the settings to save automatically every 2 minutes or so.
3) Always plug your computer, monitor, and other peripheral devices to an UPS device which protect the system from external power surges and power failures.
4) Take precautions to place your computer in a suitable optimum environment that is temperature controlled and a stable surface that is devoid of any vibrations etc.
5) Take precaution by disconnecting your computer internet connection and power cords when you are off for a long leave etc. to prevent damage by lightning attacks.


Backup Criteria:
1) How critical is your data?
2) Do you process high volumes of information?
3) How often do you have to layoff with work?

The more information you process, the more often you need to back up. For high volume or critical files you need to backup daily.

Different types of back up options:
1) Internal Hard Drive: Backup in a separate internal hard drive. You can keep an extra drive as a backup drive for backing up data in case the primary master drive fails.
2) External Hard Drive: Maintain an external hard drive which may provide back up as and when it is needed or at regular intervals by connecting to it.
3) CD and DVD drives: Permanent drives such as CD or DVD drives can be used for regular back ups of essential data for a later use.
4) External USB device: External USB drives are useful when you need data any time and anywhere as it is an easily transportable device and it also gives better storage space too.
5) Online Storage Spaces: There are various online storage services which provide back of important work that may be restored back later, which may depend on the speed of the internet connection etc. Different services give different storage space for individuals and companies for free and also by a fee.

If you do nothing, you are guaranteed to have a disaster sooner or later. Backup frequently in a timely manner is the key to prevent loss of data at a crucial time as a computer crash, which one cannot predict.
Hope you enjoy reading...

Important DOS Commands

DOS or Disc Operating System is the OS developed for disc drives and it is needed to operate all input/output since all operations are performed through the disc drives. MS-DOS, the acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, is an operating system with a command-line interface used on personal computers. As with other operating systems such as OS/2, it translates keyboard input by the user into operations that computer can perform, it also oversees operations such as disk input and output, video support, keyboard control, and many other internal functions related to program execution and file maintenance. The MS-DOS mode is a shell in which the MS-DOS environment is emulated in 32-bit systems, such as Windows. MS-DOS-based programs can run with Windows and might create a program information file (PIF) which appears as a shortcut on your desktop.

Instructions (MS-DOS commands) are given in the command terminal or command prompt window of the PC to do the required tasks. To end your MS-DOS session, type exit in the command prompt window at the blinking cursor. To open a command prompt: Click Start,  go to Programs, to Accessories, and then click Command Prompt. The Command Prompt window will show the cursor as: C:\Documents and Settings\User name

Type the command at the Prompt with a flashing underline (_) symbol which is the cursor, confirming that the DOS is loaded into the RAM. Please take caution when executing some of these dos commands like for deleting, formatting etc. because the action will be permanent.


DOS Commands:

1) To change the drive: Type the drive name eg. "c:", "e:" etc. and press enter.
2) To see the contents in the directory: Type "dir" and press enter.
3) To change the directory: Type "cd" or "chdir" (path) (directory name) and press enter.
4) To display the current directory: Type "cd" and press enter.
5) To clear the screen: Type "cls" and press enter.
6) To create a file: Type "copy con" (file name eg: file1.txt) and press enter.
7) To save the file: Ctrl + z or F6.
8) To open a file and display contents of a text file: Type "type" (filename) and press enter.
9) To copy file or files: Type "copy" or "xcopy" (old file name) (new file name) and press enter.
9) To copy from file1 to file2: Type "copy" (source drive) (file name) (target drive) (file name) and press enter.
10) To rename a file: Type "ren" (old file name) (new file name) and press enter.
11) To delete a file or files: Type "del" or "erase" (file name) and press enter.
12) To edit files: Type "edit" (file name) and press enter.
13) To find text in file or files: Type "find" (search text) (file name) and press enter.
14) To sort files: Type "sort" (file name) and press enter.
15) To display or change file access permissions: Type "attrib" (file name) and press enter.
16) To replace file and files: Type "replace" (file name) and press enter.

17) To print file content: Type "print" (file name) and press enter.
18) To recover accidentally deleted files: Type "undelete" (file name) and press enter.

19) To create a new directory: Type "md" or "mkdir" (directory name) and press enter.
20) To rename a directory: Type "move" (old directory name) (new directory name) and press enter.
21) To remove or delete a directory from parent directory: Type "rm" (directory name) and press enter.

22) To check disc, directories, or files for bad sectors or tracks: Type "chkdsk" (directory name) and press enter.
23) To copy entire disc contents from one disc to another: Type "diskcopy" (source drive)(target drive) and press enter.
24) To delete directory and sub directories: Type "deltree" (directory name) and press enter. 
25) To get summary help: Type "doshelp" or "command /?" and press enter.
26) To exit command terminal: Type "exit" and press enter.

27) To display time: Type "time" and press enter.
28) To display date: Type "date" and press enter.
29) To backup hard drive: Type "msbackup" (from drive name)(to drive name).
30) To create a boot disc with DOS system files and command interpreter: Type "sys" (drive name).
31) To display volume and serial number: Type "vol" (drive name) and press enter.
32) To format a drive: Type "format" (drive name) and press enter.
33) To optimize space by compressing: Type "dblspace" (drive name) and press enter.
34) To optimize space by defragmenting: Type "defrag" (drive name) and press enter.
35) To restore disc erased by format: "unformat" (drive name) and press enter.
36) To display the amount of used and free memory: "mem"  and press enter.
37) To display one screen at a time: Type "more" and press enter.
38) To display the version number: Type "ver" and press enter.
39) To start shell: Type "dosshell" and press enter.
40) To exit shell: Press Alt+F4.
41) To monitor system to prevent virus attack: Type "vsafe" and press enter.
42) To scan for and clean existing viruses: Type "msav" and press enter.

Common Windows Shortcuts

Windows works based on the graphical user interface, where most of the work involves using the mouse to accurately position your cursor to where you are focusing on. This can be strenuous when you are involved in a long project or big assignments as much of it involves repetitive tasks. Do you know that there are shortcuts for doing the same tasks easily using the keyboard?

Windows short cut keys come as a handy alternative to using the mouse and it helps in doing the jobs easily. There are repetitive tasks such as creating new file, file selection, saving file, copy/pasting file, deleting file, navigation through the documents and a lot more. Use shortcut keys as an alternative to the mouse when working in Windows. You can open, close, and navigate the Start menu, desktop, menus, dialog boxes, and Web pages using keyboard shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts may also make it easier for you to interact with your computer. Windows short cut keys are almost the same in all Windows versions from versions Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, to Windows 7.

Here are the windows keyboard shortcuts that may help you in easing your repetitive job which are of great boon to the novice as well as experts.

General Keyboard Shortcuts:
Press the keyboard keys on the left of (> sign) to do the required tasks given on the right.

1) CTRL+C > Copy.
2) CTRL+X > Cut.
3) CTRL+V > Paste.
4) CTRL+Z > Undo.
5) DELETE > Delete.
6) SHIFT+DELETE > Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin.
7) CTRL while dragging an item > Copy selected item.
8) CTRL+SHIFT while dragging an item > Create shortcut to selected item.
9) F2 > Rename selected item.
10) CTRL+RIGHT ARROW > Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.
11) CTRL+LEFT ARROW > Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
12) CTRL+DOWN ARROW > Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph.
13) CTRL+UP ARROW > Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
14) CTRL+SHIFT with any of the arrow keys > Highlight a block of text.
15) SHIFT with any of the arrow keys > Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document.
16) CTRL+A > Select all.
17) F3 > Search for a file or folder.
18) ALT+ENTER > View properties for the selected item.
19) ALT+F4 > Close the active item, or quit the active program.
20) ALT+Enter > Displays the properties of the selected object.
21) ALT+SPACEBAR > Opens the shortcut menu for the active window.
22) CTRL+F4 > Close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously.
23) ALT+TAB > Switch between open items.
24) ALT+ESC > Cycle through items in the order they were opened.
25) F6 > Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
26) F4 > Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
27) SHIFT+F10 > Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
28) ALT+SPACEBAR > Display the System menu for the active window.
29) CTRL+ESC > Display the Start menu.
30) ALT+Underlined letter in a menu name > Display the corresponding menu.
31) Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu > Carry out the corresponding command.
31) F10 > Activate the menu bar in the active program.
32) RIGHT ARROW > Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.
33) LEFT ARROW > Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.
34) F5 > Refresh the active window.
35) BACKSPACE > View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
36) ESC > Cancel the current task.
37) SHIFT > when you insert a CD into the CD-ROM drive Prevent the CD from automatically playing.

Dialog Box Keyboard Shortcuts:
Press the keyboard keys on the left of (> sign) to do the required tasks given on the right.

1) CTRL+TAB > Move forward through tabs.
2) CTRL+SHIFT+TAB > Move backward through tabs.
3) TAB > Move forward through options.
4) SHIFT+TAB > Move backward through options.
5) ALT+Underlined letter > Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option.
6) ENTER > Carry out the command for the active option or button.
7) SPACEBAR > Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box.
8) Arrow keys > Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.
9) F1 > Display Help.
10) F4 > Display the items in the active list.
11) BACKSPACE > Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box.

Natural Keyboard Shortcuts:
Press the keyboard keys on the left of (> sign) to do the required tasks given on the right.

1) WINDOWS KEY > Display or hide the Start menu.
2) WINDOWS KEY +BREAK > Display the System Properties dialog box.
3) WINDOWS KEY +D > Show the desktop.
4) WINDOWS KEY +M > Minimize all windows.
5) WINDOWS KEY +Shift+M > Restores minimized windows.
6) WINDOWS KEY +E > Open My Computer.
7) WINDOWS KEY +F > Search for a file or folder.
8) WINDOWS KEY + CTRL+ F > Search for computers.
9) WINDOWS KEY +F1 > Display Windows Help.
10) WINDOWS KEY + L > Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain.
11) WINDOWS KEY +R > Open the Run dialog box.
12) CONTEXT KEY > Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
13) WINDOWS KEY +U > Open Utility Manager.

Windows Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts:
Press the keyboard keys on the left of (> sign) to do the required tasks given on the right.

1) END > Display the bottom of the active window.
2) HOME > Display the top of the active window.
3) NUM LOCK+ASTERISK on numeric keypad (*) > Display all subfolders under the selected folder.
4) NUM LOCK+PLUS SIGN on numeric keypad (+) > Display the contents of the selected folder.
5) NUM LOCK+MINUS SIGN on numeric keypad (-) > Collapse the selected folder.
6) LEFT ARROW > Collapse current selection if it's expanded, or select parent folder.
7) RIGHT ARROW > Display current selection if it's collapsed, or select first subfolder.

Tips to Tweakup The Windows System

There are times when the windows system takes a great deal of time to run to the maximum potential and we become frustrated with that. The hopes of getting the our job done becomes so time consuming and often misses the time limits. The system is not giving a good performance even though the processor speed is better. It is essential that we put our systems in full potential to meet the system requirements. These are some tips on how to improve the system performance to increase the efficiency of the Windows Operating System.

I) How to Improve Startup Times and Speed:
When Windows starts up, it loads a number of programs that were already installed in your computer which causes a huge performance decrease. Some of these programs can be seen in your System Tray (seen next to the clock). These are tiny programs that are taking your computers memory and processing power. Many of them you may not need during startup and the list continues to increase as we install more and more programs. The disadvantage is that the computer runs very slow as these programs consume more processing power and memory and delays windows startup. You can improve your computer's startup times by decreasing the number of programs that startup. This will be done be disabling certain programs from running as windows starts up. Do these simple steps to improve the startup time.

How to do:
In Windows XP:
1. Click on Start -> choose Run
2. In the dialog box that appears type "msconfig" and click OK. (This will bring up System Configuration Utility.)
3. In the System Configuration Utility, click the tab called Startup.
4. Now you can uncheck any programs that you do not want running at Windows XP startup.
5. Once you are done unchecking programs, Click Ok. You will be prompted to restart your computer at this point.

In Windows Vista:
1. Open up msconfig (use Vista Start Menu's Instant Search feature: just press the Windows key and type 'System' and the hit return).
2. Click the Startup tab.
3. Now you can uncheck any programs that you do not want running at Windows Vista startup and hit OK. Do restart if necessary.

After you reboot, you see a window that says the configuration utility was edited which means there was a change made to the msconfig. Check not to show that in the future by the check box at the bottom. Now notice the difference in speed when you startup your computer.

2) Disk Cleanup:
Performing a disk cleanup regularly is a good idea. Whenever you surf the internet, open attachments, delete files, and work with programs and files, your computer saves a record of your activity. Many of these files are harmless and individually are very small. But if you spend a lot of time on your computer, they will take up enough space to slow your computer down a bit. Disk Cleanup is a Windows utility that helps keep unused and unwanted files from taking up extra storage space on your computer.

How to do:
To perform a disc cleanup, click on the Start button on the bottom left of your computer screen, then Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disc Cleanup. A small dialog box will pop up allowing you to select the files to delete (most files are OK to delete, but if you are unsure, it is best not to select the file). Then click OK, and the unused files will be removed. Depending on how much you use your computer, you can perform a disk cleanup every few weeks to keep your computer running smoothly.

Alternatively you can also empty the Temp Directory and remove the Temporary Internet files
a) Emptying the Temp Directory:
After a while during working, the temp directory fills up with hundreds of temp files that gets collected when Windows starts up and when programs launch. This slows down the speed of the system and the programs running. If you don’t have any programs opened or nothing is minimized in the status bar, then you shouldn’t have any temp files in your temp directory. If you do have them, then delete them.

How to do:
To delete Temp files, make sure no programs are open:
a. In Windows 95, 98 or Me, go to C:Windows..Temp and delete everything inside the Temp folder.
b. In Windows 2000 or XP, first make sure that you can see hidden folders. Then double click My Computer, click on the Tools and then on Folder Options. Click on the View tab. Scroll down and click on Show Hidden Files and Folders. Click Ok. Now you can go to the C:Documents and Settings..Administrator or User..Local Settings..Temp folder. Delete everything inside the Temp folder.

b) Remove the Temporary Internet Files regularly:
When you browse the internet a lot of temporary internet files gets stored in the internet folder along with the cookies.

How to do:
To remove Temporary Internet Files, go to your Control Panel and double-click the Internet Options icon. Choose the button Delete Cookies and Delete Files. This will clear all of your Temporary Internet Files.

3) Checking hard disks for any problems:
While you install and uninstall programs, some file system damage might occur. It is possible to repair and fix file system errors by scanning the system.

How to do:
a. For Windows 95, 98, or Me, double-click My Computer. Right-click the C-drive and click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose to check the computer for problems. If you choose to do a thorough scan, this will do the hardware check for physical disk damage or sector damage. Choose to fix any errors it finds.
b. For Windows 2000 and XP, double-click My Computer. Right-click the C-drive and click Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose Check Now, to check the computer for problems. You will then have two check boxes. The first option is for the file check, automatically fix file system errors. The second option is for the hardware check, scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors. Check either one, or both and click start, and reboot. This may take some time, but let it run.

4) Tweak up your System:
You can do a few of the performance tweaks if you have Windows XP. Everything is turned on by default in Windows XP. It is streamlined for appearance rather than for performance. You can turn off a few of the unnecessary features and Windows will still work just fine, and maybe a little faster.

How to do:
For this, right-click on My Computer and click on Properties. Click on the Advanced tab. Under the Performance section, click on the Settings button. On the Visual Effects tab, you will see a list of check boxes. By default, these are all on. You really don’t need any of them for Windows to run. Go through the check boxes one by one, and determine which ones you can and can’t live without.

5) Turn off Active Desktop:
Active Desktop turns your desktop into a web page, and allows you to have things like a real-time calendar, and up-to-the-minute weather or stocks. These are nice, but it really slows down your computer. Even if you do not use Active Desktop for anything, just having it active can cause a performance decrease. So turn it off.

How to do:
In Windows XP, right-click on the desktop and in the pop-up menu, choose Properties. On the Desktop tab, choose Customize Desktop. Then on the Web tab make sure that there are no websites chosen here. If there are not any, then Active Desktop is not on, then Cancel and go back to the desktop.

6) Install and run a good AntiVirus program:
Computer viruses spread fast throughout the world by installed programs and files, inserting removable disc drives, and via the internet that can take over your system, slows the system and also crash it. To keep viruses out of your system, use a good AntiVirus program. There are good AntiVirus programs available online. One of my favorites is Avast. It is not only a really good AntiVirus program, but it is also free! You need to register for a yearly subscription.

How to do:
Install Antivirus Software: If you don’t have any AntiVirus software on your computer, get Avast AntiVirus now by downloading from www.filehippo.com.

7) Get rid of Adware and Spyware:
Most of the computers have Adware and Spyware in them while installing programs, downloading unauthorized softwares or files, or visiting unfamilier websites. How frustrating it can be - when strange things are happening, your homepage is changing, inappropriate popups, unfamiliar icons... etc. If your computer has been taking you to websites that you don’t want to go to, or if you get pop-ups when you aren’t even on the Internet, or if your computer has been running extremely slowly lately for no reason, you probably have Spyware. A lot of the computer users have them and don’t even know that they have it or know how to get rid of it.

How to do:
Install AntiSpyware programs: AdAware SE and SpyBot are the most used. These two programs are highly recommended by computer authorities and work very well together. They compliment each other and catch Spyware that the other misses, but together, do a very good job. Download them from www.filehippo.com.

8) Defragment the hard drives:
Another way to improve the performance of your computer is to defragment your hard drive. Basically, defragmenting is putting files back where they belong. With the files in the proper order, your computer will run more efficiently. It's simple to do but it could take a while and it is best not to use your computer while defragmenting.
Periodically defragmenting your computer will keep it running smoothly! To efficiently defragment a hard drive there must be 25% of free space. You can still do defragmentation with only 15% free space, but it takes quite a bit longer. If you can, delete any unnecessary files before defragmenting your drives.

How to do:
To defragment your hard drives (in any Windows operating system), double-click on My Computer. Right-click on the c-drive and click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose the button, Defragment Now...

9) Uninstalling Old & Unused Programs
Uninstall old and unused programs will help speed up your computer. It is better be careful while uninstalling because while uninstalling, you get a message for confirmation on deleting files with association. In that case it is best to keep those files that are used by some other programs and not delete them as those programs may no longer work without the associated files.

How to do:
To uninstall unused programs from your computer, first click on the Start button on the bottom left, then Programs, go to the name of the program and select Uninstall. If there is no uninstall option, then click go to the Start button, then Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs and uninstal the program that you wish.
Again, if you are unsure whether or not to remove a program, it is better to leave it.

If you follow these instructions, you should find your computer working faster right away.