System Tuneup Guide

Mozilla Corp. will be giving away some of its own security tools for use by the open-source community. The first tool will be what is called a “fuzzer” which will find and eliminate JavaScript bugs in their Firefox browser.

Window Snyder, Mozilla’s security chief said: “We’re announcing that we’ll be sharing our tools with the community, and releasing the JavaScript fuzzer then,” Other tools will follow, including ‘fuzzers’ that will be able to stress-test the HTTP and FTP protocols. Those two tools, however, are not ready to offer to outsiders, largely because Mozilla wants to wrap up talks with other browser vendors before they are shared.

Fuzzing is a technique used but researchers looking for vulnerabilities, and by developers trying to locate flaws in their code before they go public. A ‘Fuzzer’ automates this process and is the nickname for software that ‘hammers’ on software application inputs. The Fuzzer for firefox has found dozens of software vulnerabilities in the popular FireFox browser.

Many of the tools that will be released are special-purpose, but all of them can prove useful to other developers.”We want to make the work we’re already doing available to other people and to other products” in the hope that the tools might help developers outside Mozilla spot problems in their code, she said. Snyder sees a direct benefit to Mozilla, too. The more people who bang on the tool, tweak it and modify it, the better the tools should become, she said.

Firefox continues to steal a growing share of internet browsers from Microsoft (I’m one). Their robust and safe browser, and their open-source approach to development is a huge advantage over Microsoft’s own I.E.

You can download newest version of FireFox’s Free browser at www.firefox.com

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One of the easiest ways to ensure your PC & it’s data remains safe is to purchase a good UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). UPS They are getting less expensive and can really save you a lot of headaches due to lost data or damaged hardware due to power outages & surges.

I have relied on my UPS at least a dozen times in the past year or so for emergency power to save and shutdown my PC due to power outages…and am glad I purchased one a while back!

The nicer ones can connect to your PC through a serial or USB connection, and allow for advanced monitoring and will automatically shutdown your PC for you in the event of a power failure. Of course these are the pricier models as well. A decent UPS we found and liked was the APC BE750BB 750 VA 450 Watts 10 Outlets at Newegg for $90. It does a decent job of monitoring your PC and comes with software that will shutdown your PC for you automatically in the event power fails.

UPS systems can also provide line conditioning for your system (protection against power spikes and surges), and some manufacturers even offer what is known as an ‘equipment protection’ policy that usually covers replacement costs for your equipment (from $5,000-$100,000 or more) if your PC and hardware are ever damaged while plugged into their UPS supplies. Note: Spending more money on a UPS will get you more coverage usually.

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Everyone I know wants their PC to run faster without having to fork over $1,000’s for a new system. Here are 5 tips you can implement for very little cash that will make a big difference on how fast your PC runs.

Each computer is different, so you will want to see which of these tips, which are mainly directed towards the Windows XP operating system, work best on your PC. Most of these principles apply to older versions of windows too.

Tip #1 – Upgrade your computer memory. You will probably see the biggest and fastest improvement in your PC speeds and performance by simply upgrading the amount of RAM in your computer. Make sure you get the right type of memory for your machine (your manual will tell you which kind to get). One of the best deals on RAM I’ve found recently is from NewEgg http://www.NewEgg.com. With prices for CORSAIR 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory at $34.99 as of this writing…you can afford to generously fill up your available memory slots and get blazing performance from your PC!

Tip #2 – Uninstall programs you don’t use often. The more software you have installed on your PC, the bigger your windows Registry gets, and the more computing resources are consumed. Just because you have a 1 Terabyte hard drive doesn’t mean you need to fill it up with every software program you can find! Delete all but the necessary programs and watch your speeds and performance increase. Make sure to use the Add/Remove programs utility in the windows control panel, and never just delete program folders directly.

Tip #3 – Clean, repair, defrag and compress your Windows Registry. Sound like a daunting task? It is if you attempt it manually. Your windows registry is the ‘brain center’ of your operating system, and store data critical to the proper function of each software program installed on your PC. Over time, as you add and remove programs, the windows registry becomes bloated and full of old bits and fragments of files that never removed themselves completely from your PC. Old drivers can even be found, still running and consuming system resources, thus slowing down your PC. The fastest way to optimize your windows registry for speed and performance is to run the Free RegCure PC Optimizer Scan. It received top honors when we tested it against four other programs in our head-to-head review.

Tip #4 – Remove Spyware from your PC. Nothing brings a fast computer to a slow crawl faster than annoying Spyware that installs itself on your PC without your permission. Not only is Spyware a pain in the @$$ to try and remove manually, but it can be used to steal your personal data, and even your identity! Spyware has many different names: Malware, Adware, Popups, Windows Genuine Advantage (sorry, couldn’t resist). In fact, there exist over 250,000 types of spyware as I write this! If you spend any amount of time online (especially if you visit file sharing sites or download software) then you need to install a Spyware remover immediately, preferably one that monitors your PC in Real-Time. Our recommendation, again based on recent tests, is the Paretologic Anti-Spyware program. They offer a Free download and update their spyware databases Daily!

Tip #5 – Defragment your hard disk. After removing all the unnecessary programs from your PC, the next step is to defragment yhour hard disk for maximum disk performance. As your computer writes data to your hard drive, it spreads it all over the place. After a while your computer slows down as it keeps jumping around looking for data previously written to the hard drive. Fragmented files that were split up when they were written can be organized for faster access through the disk defragmenter function.  We recommend running the defragmenter at least once per month.

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