Articles about Know Your PC

Berlin developer O&O Software GmbH has released O&O AutoBackup 2.0.18, a brand new version of its file backup and sync tool for Windows. Also available as a 64-bit build, version 2.0.18 adds a number of new features and options to its roster, while promising optimized support for Windows 8.

O&O AutoBackup allows users to quickly, easily and automatically backup and synchronize selected files and folders with external backup devices, and is designed to integrate with Windows Explorer.

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If you’re an old hand at Linux then downloading a specific distribution won’t be a problem. You’ll probably have your preferred distro bookmarked already, if not a quick search will turn up the necessary links and you’ll be downloading the appropriate files in a few seconds.

If you’re a total Linux newbie, though, it’s a very different story, and just figuring out which variations might best suit your needs may seem like a major challenge. But fortunately help is at hand in the shape of a small Windows tool called Get Linux.

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Managing the software on your PC can sometimes feel like a full-time job, as you have to find the best applications, download and install each one, then do your best to keep them up-to-date.

If you have better things to do with your time, though, you could just install Milouz Market, which can manage a lot of this almost entirely automatically.

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It’s important to keep your wireless network secure, and turning your encryption levels to the max is usually a very good place to start.

This doesn’t in itself guarantee safety, though, so you may want to also equip your system with SoftPerfect Wifi Guard, which will monitor your network and alert you to devices which it doesn’t recognize.

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COMODO has released COMODO Rescue Disk 2.0, a bootable environment which includes a copy of Cleaning Essentials for Linux to help remove even the most deeply embedded malware.

Changes from the previous 1.x betas are fairly basic, and for instance include some bug fixes and the inclusion of the very latest COMODO Antivirus Engine for Linux (1.2.3). Otherwise the package remains a capable rescue disc which is worth considering for your emergency toolkit.

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After a gap of nearly three months, Waterfox 18.0.1 has been released, bringing the Firefox variant for 64-bit versions of Windows bang up to date. Its return is welcome news considering Mozilla recently dropped its own 64-bit Windows build from the Nightly codebase, and allows

The delay in releasing Waterfox -- also available as a portable build -- has been attributed to major bugs in the Intel C++ compiler, which is used by developer Alex K to produce Waterfox from the Firefox source code.

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Bitter experience has taught us to be highly skeptical of free backup tools, particularly when they come from commercial companies: they’ll usually include one or more annoying restrictions in an effort to get you to upgrade to something else.

Would our concerns really apply to AOMEI Data Backuper, though? We installed the program to take a closer look.

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If you’ve upgraded to Windows 8 and discovered you’re not a fan of the new Start screen then the chances are you’ve already installed one of the many free tools which can give your system a more Windows 7-like appearance. If not, though, IObit has just released StartMenu8 1.0, a simple program which may be able to help.

Just install StartMenu8 1.0 and by default the program will launch along with Windows, skipping the Start Screen and jumping directly to the desktop. StartMenu8 1.0 will disable the Windows 8 “hot corners”, too.

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Twelfth in a series. It's slow week for new application releases for Windows 8. The number of new apps in the US Windows Store is 635, down from 961 the week before. While I would not - yet - say that this is a sign of things slowing down, it is definitely something that I'll pay attention on in the coming weeks.

The total number of apps in the US store this week is 25,384 of which 20,373 are free to install and 5,011 paid; that is a ratio of 4:1 in favor of free apps.

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Pokki -- the alternative Start menu and app framework -- has undergone a minor redesign in its latest update, with a new look, more customization options and a host of important bug fixes.

Increased font sizes, panel spacing and sidebar width in this release are all about improving readability, for instance, while the new light color theme helps Pokki blend in seamlessly with your desktop. (Although if you preferred the dark theme, that’s still available: click Settings and choose Dark to bring it back.)

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Stardock Corporation has released the first major update for its Windows 8 Start button and menu replacement. Start8 1.1 adds full drag-and-drop support, plus allows users to pin folders to the Start menu that can be viewed as a Jump List.

Version 1.1 also adds rename support, an option to access the Quick Access menu via the Start button and a Custom places location along with numerous other tweaks and improvements.

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I suspect Microsoft may keep track of the number of people who use a Start button/menu replacement app in Windows 8, but it is not in the company's interest to say so -- both because a large number would reflect badly on the decision to remove the feature and because the company did a lot of, ah, "research" to determine the feature was not necessary. Oh, and the whole privacy thing as well.

Pokki, which is perhaps the market leader in this new genre of Start-menu-adding apps released a bit of information today: "1.5 million Pokki downloads on the new OS itself and users opening the Pokki Menu an average of 10 times a day".

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I really should heed my own advice. Yesterday I warned you that all preview versions of Windows 8 would expire. You had two choices -- upgrade to gold code or deal with a computer that reboots every two hours. Hopefully you went with the former, but I chose the latter with a desktop PC that I rarely use. I had the nerve to say to myself that "I will get it tomorrow".

Well, I did get around to it today. I had purchased the license -- two months ago in fact, but I just did not get around to doing anything with it. Well, guess what? Microsoft punished he who procrastinates.

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There’s no doubt that USB keys are compact, portable and a very convenient way to transfer files and documents. Unfortunately, they’re almost as good as transferring malware, and allowing snoopers to steal information, which is why you might want to control them with a copy of Phrozen Safe USB.

After a simple installation and a reboot, launching the program will add an icon to your system tray. By default this will leave USB devices working just as they did, but right-click the icon and you can choose a couple of alternative settings: “USB Mode Read Only” (drives show up in Explorer, but you can’t write to them), and “USB Mode Disabled” (USB storage devices no longer appear in Explorer at all).

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IObit has released Advanced SystemCare Free 6.1 (build 6.1.9.215), a major update of its all-in-one Windows maintenance and optimization tool. The build, also available with more features as Advanced SystemCare Ultimate, debuts a brand new Action Center module.

The new release also extends its cleaning capabilities to the latest builds of various tools, plus promises improved monitoring, performance and an "easier and simpler use" user interface.

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