Welcome to Geeks in Phoenix, your go-to resource for all things Windows Vista! As a leading computer repair company in Phoenix, Arizona, we understand the ins and outs of Windows Vista. We are excited to share our top Geek Tips to help you optimize, troubleshoot, and maximize your Windows Vista experience. Whether you're a seasoned user or new to the operating system, our expert tips and tricks will empower you to unleash the full potential of Windows Vista.
The following is a complete list of our Windows Vista Geek Tips
Got a video or music library and want to see how large it is? Maybe you downloaded a really big file and cannot remember where it is? If so, Space Sniffer may just be what you need.
Sometimes it is fun to go back and play the DOS video games I grew up with. But it can be tough since Windows doesn't utilize DOS anymore. But you can still run your old DOS games ...
The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is a program that is used to create, save, and open collections of administrative tools, called Consoles. Consoles contain items such as snap-ins ...
Have you ever wanted to insert a letter or symbol into a Windows document that was not shown on your keyboard? Maybe a copyright, trademark or tolerance symbol? You can do just that ...
Do you have a company logo or a simple graphic that you would like to use often in a Windows program, like Microsoft Word or Excel? Maybe your line of work has special characters that you ...
When it comes to communication, e-mail is by far the fastest and easiest way to exchange thoughts and ideas. But it can also be one of the fastest ways to spread viruses / malware too. But you can protect yourself and your ...
Let's face it, some of the software we use on a daily basis has become subject to security vulnerabilities and exploits. Software manufacturers do their best to develop and test fixes / patches ...
When it comes to repairing Windows based computers, there seems to be a couple of problems that I get allot of requests for help with. One of them is when a computer cannot get updates ...
When it comes to computer repair, the most common problem I find is browser corruption. Malicious web sites with infected flash ads are the most common way a browser can get corrupted.
Internet browsers are prone to getting compromised. It can happen by opening an infected e-mail to viewing a malicious ad on a web page. But knowing how to get your browser back ...
In repairing computers for a living, the one thing I find myself doing constantly is cleaning up and resetting web browsers. Removing adware, malware and viruses can really screw up ...
Keeping your computer secure has always been tough. It seems like every week there is another exploit making the rounds. Nobody can predict what kind of attack hackers will use next. But you can protect your computer from the ...
External storage devices like flash drives or hard drives are so convenient for carrying data between computers. Just plug and play, as they say. But did you know it's not the same for when you unplug your drives? Here's how to safely ...
Doing computer repair, I see allot of different issues. But there is one problem I am seeing over and over again, start up corruption. This most commonly occurs when the computer is not turned off properly. And it appears that laptops are ...
It seems like every day a new software exploit or vulnerability is found. Software vendors' work hard at keeping their software secure, but it can take time to test and deploy patches. So what can you do to protect your ...
Most computers (laptop & desktop) nowadays come with a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) as standard equipment with a Solid State Drive (SSD) as an option. Each drive type has its pros and cons: HDD's are cheaper and have more storage, ...
It seems whenever I tell someone that I repair computers for a living, I almost always get asked the question "What do you recommend for anti-virus software?". I tell them that I use a layered approach to security, not relying on just one ...
There may come a time when your Windows based computer starts to run improperly. Installing and uninstalling software, viruses and malware are just a few things that can corrupt the integrity of system files. When it comes to ...
At some point in time, you may need to run a program or command from a Command Prompt with Administrative privileges. Some of the best features inside of Windows Vista and Windows 7 are only accessible through an ...
Are you looking for a program to manage your e-mail? Or maybe one to write a blog
with? Want to remotely connect computers and sync files between them? How about
creating a photo gallery or movie? You can do all of these and ...
A client recently asked me if I knew of any alternative to
Microsoft Office. As a firm believer in open source software,
I told him about OpenOffice.org 3 from Oracle.
It is a complete office software suite with a word
processor, ...
I am always looking at different ways to improve the performance of
Windows. One of the ways is to use ReadyBoost
that is built into Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
ReadyBoost can speed up your computer by caching files
...
In a previous article, I discussed Microsoft Security
Essentials (MSE). I like the easy of use, the
integration with Windows Update and the small footprint it has,
especially on my netbook. Recently, Microsoft has released ...
Network shell (Netsh) is a tool an administrator can
use to configure and monitor network devices on Windows based
computers at a command prompt. A common use of Netsh, is to
reset the TCP/IP stack back to default ...
If your computer lacks the Random Access Memory (RAM)
needed to run a program or operation, Windows uses
Virtual Memory to compensate. Virtual memory combines your
computer’s RAM with temporary space on your hard ...
In this article, I share my five favorite tips for maintaining your Windows Vista computer.
In this article, I am going to spotlight Microsoft Security Essentials
(MSE). This is not Microsoft's first venture into the ant-virus market, but it
is probably the best. Having used the some of the more well know anti-virus
software ...
Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts (based on Windows 7)
One of applications you can integrate into Windows Explorer is Image Resizer.
With a right click on a picture, you can quickly resize a photo without ...
I am into digital photography and like to organize and work with digital RAW image files in Windows Explorer (much as you can with JPEG images). But Windows does not have support for this format built-in. Well, I am glad to say I have found
...
In a recent article, I showed how to list everything contained in the Control
Panel in Windows 7 in one folder. I had read couple of
articles concerning the Windows 7 'GodMode' and I thought I
would take look into. I then decided to check and see if this also worked with
Windows Vista, and sure enough ...
Windows has two features to help you use the computer without using a mouse or
keyboard: Speech Recognition (which allows you to use voice commands to work
with Windows) and On-Screen Keyboard (which allows you to enter text by ...
You can reduce the amount of information on your screen so that it's easier to
read, and you can set up your keyboard to make typing easier ...
Windows provides settings for using visual cues to replace sounds in many
programs. You can adjust these settings on the Use text or visual
alternatives to sounds page ...
You can use your keyboard to control the mouse and make it easier to type certain
key combinations ...
You can change the mouse pointer and turn on other features that can help make it
easier to use your mouse on the Make the mouse easier to use
page ...
If you sometimes have trouble seeing items on your screen, you can adjust the
settings to make text and images on the screen appear larger, improve the ...
Windows Vista has many features that allow you to use
your computer without a display. For example, you can have screen text
read aloud by using ...
You can use your voice to work with windows and programs. Usually, you can just
say the command that you want to perform. For example, to minimize all ...
Magnifier enlarges part of the screen. This is especially useful
for viewing objects that are difficult to see. It's also helpful for people who
generally have ...
Windows comes with a basic screen reader called Narrator that
reads text on the screen aloud and describes some events (such as an error
message ...
Instead of relying on the physical keyboard to type and enter data, you can use
On-Screen Keyboard. On-Screen Keyboard
displays a visual keyboard with ...
To make sure you don't lose the files that you create, modify, and store on your
computer, you should back them up regularly. You can manually back up your ...
You can help solve some computer problems and improve the performance of your
computer by making sure that your hard disk has no errors.
Fragmentation makes your hard disk do extra work that can slow down your
computer. Disk Defragmenter rearranges fragmented data so your hard disk can...
You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps. If you are not
logged on as an administrator, you can only change settings that apply to ...
One of the components of the Internet connection on your computer is a built-in
set of instructions called TCP/IP. TCP/IP can sometimes become
corrupted. If your connection ...
These free applications can add fun and functionality to the
Windows Vista experience.