Chris Pirillo » files

Keep Your Computer in Tip-Top Shape

Chris — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:34:12 +0000

Keep Your Computer in Tip-Top Shape is a post from Chris Pirillo

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The folks at PC PitStop have been a tremendous help to our community during the time we’ve been doing live streaming. We contribute videos to their newsletters as often as possible, and they contribute to all of you via excellent and exclusive deals on their software!

Optimize 3.0 is a program that I would recommend even if these folks weren’t a part of our team. It’s honestly that good. Optimize 3.0 is a powerful tool that does a lot to boost the speed, stability and security of your computer.

You can schedule Optimize remotely to run on any computer in the World that you have access to. Use it to kill unneeded processes that eat up memory and CPU cycles, which in turn speeds up your boot times! Optimize automatically gets rid of junk files for you, to reduce excessive hard drive clutter.

PC Pitstop has now introduced a new (and still free!) product that is going to blow away previous offerings they’ve had. PC Matic is a single piece of software that combines FIVE of their other programs into one nice scanning bundle!

PC Matic includes Optimize 3.0, Disk MD, Driver Alert, Exterminate and OverDrive!! By running a simple scan using PC Matic, you’ll receive easy-to-understand reports about your computer, including:

High and Low Threat Security
Fragmentation Analysis
Drivers
Junk Files
System Specs
Internet Tweaks
World Rank
Registry Tests

One other awesome feature to point out is that all of the scan and clean results are stored on the PC PitStop servers. They can be viewed from any computer, not just the computer on which the functions were performed. The results can also be sent to you via email, in order to easily manage all of your computers from one place.

The bottom line is that we couldn’t continue doing what we do without the help of our partners, such as PC PitStop. We appreciate each and every one of you, and the support you give to our community as a whole.

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The Best Free Way to Share Files, Photos, Music Online

Chris — Thu, 14 May 2009 04:58:34 +0000

The Best Free Way to Share Files, Photos, Music Online is a post from Chris Pirillo

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You probably have hundreds – if not thousands – of photos on your computer. You likely also have tons of other files sitting there, as well. How do you share those files with others? Let’s kick it up a notch, and say you have a calendar, tasks and contacts to keep in sync. How do you keep all this data in sync with each other? The answer is software – which is sadly usually expensive.

I have an all-in-one workspace solution for you! Tonido is an open personal web application platform that runs on your desktop which safeguards your privacy and online freedom. It allows you to run your own personal web applications on your desktop and form your own private Tonido network. Applications and data are always local.

I may not pronounce the name right, but I will tell you this is completely awesome. It’s easy to set up, and it’s cross-platform. It’s also open source! This isn’t interesting to you if you’re off in your own little world and never interact with anyone else. But the moment you need to share a document or picture with someone else… BAM! Tonido saves the day.

I’m a little excited, yes. I’ve been waiting for something like this to appear. It’s one thing to share a file… but it’s a step beyond when you can share contacts, calendars and more as well! Normally, something like this would be hard to use and expensive. But this – is – NOT!

Try it. Love it. Live it!

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How to Transfer Music, Video, Photos from an iPod / iPhone

Chris — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 22:55:51 +0000

How to Transfer Music, Video, Photos from an iPod / iPhone is a post from Chris Pirillo

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You may have an iPod, or may get one in the future. When you buy a new one, getting your data off the old one is a bit of a challenge. You could cry yourself to sleep at night, or use an easy solution to get the data off the old one!

Using Pod to PC, it’s easy to pull the data off of your old iPod or iPhone. It is freeware that lets you transfer music, videos and playlists from an iPod or iPhone back to your computer and into iTunes. Additionally, you can recover your music in iTunes after your computer crashes by transferring the music on your iPod or iPhone back to your computer!

Of course, for you Mac users, there is Pod to Mac!! It’s exactly the same concept, by the same people. It’s just made to work on OS X instead of Windows. How beautiful is that?!

This service is completely and 100% free! It’s not the most beautiful utility I’ve ever seen, but it gets the job done very well. That is what matters, right? Bookmark this site – I guarantee you’re going to wonder how you ever managed without it.

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How to Open Files with Unknown File Extensions

Chris — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:34:34 +0000

How to Open Files with Unknown File Extensions is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Files – those freaking files – are all over your computer and your Internet. Sometimes, people even send you files. What if you have a file you know you need access to, but you don’t know how to open it? What do you do? You can go to a search engine and type in something like “how to open xyz file extension”. Why take up so much time? Why not just head over to OpenWith?

OpenWith provides detailed information about most file extension and links to free programs that can open and create each type of file. There are plenty of great programs out there that will cost you hundreds of dollars to do what you need. What you probably don’t know is that there is usually free software that it just as good.

For almost any file on your computer, the OpenWith Desktop Tool will tell you what type of file it is, and show you free programs that will open the file. It will even download them for you! You simply right click on a file and select “How do I open this?” and the OpenWith Desktop Tool will look up the file!

Many of the things you could download on your own not only costs money, but could also be riddled with Spyware and other nasties. All you need is a simple and fast way to open and view your files. OpenWith’s Desktop Tool is the perfect answer! It’s easy, it’s free, and it’s fast!

How did you ever manage to get along without it?

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How Do You Find Files From Across the Network?

Chris — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:21:42 +0000

How Do You Find Files From Across the Network? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I tried telling Wicket that everything would be fine, and that I had all the information at hand. He just wouldn’t listen to me. So, I showed him SearchLight. It allows me to access files from all across my network, including ones on my iPhone.

Search your Apple computer from all machines in your office, at home and even your iPhone. Expand Spotlight to work online: Searchlight’s, AJAX powered User Interface is designed to make the whole process of finding documents on your computer as simple as possible, no matter where you are on the network. Searchlight brings the power of Spotlight to your entire network, including Windows and Linux users, through a very simple web interface. A recent web browser is all you need. Use SearchLight to search for files with your iPhone. The iPhone interface was built from the ground up to give users the iPhone experience they expect and lets you access your mail archive and office files on the go.

I can search for everything, everywhere. Or, I can set up specific folders that I want to look in. I can even list only .pdf’s or choose to show thumbnails instead of just titles. Wicket just doesn’t care about the files, he cares about the Optimus Maximus keyboard.

I can browse all the files in my network in a Web interface. Even if I’m on the other side of the World, I can access my home network and get ahold of any files I may need on the go. How many times have you had to run across the house, or even drive across town to get a file? Seriously, how much time and even money can you save by using SearchLight? It’s well worth spending the money, just to save yourself the frustration.

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Mac Freeware to Help you Deal with Windows Files

Chris — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 06:05:14 +0000

Mac Freeware to Help you Deal with Windows Files is a post from Chris Pirillo

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My hard drives, much like yours, are full of files collected over the years. I’ve used every operating system you can think of. Sometimes, I create files that are only available for one operating system or another. This, of course, creates headaches at times. How do I deal with this? OS X is my primary operating system now, and there are thankfully several free programs available for a Mac that make accessing and using my Windows files much easier.

First up on the list: if you’ve ever had to view a .prn file (printer file), you can use something called GhostPCLX.

Secondly, we have OLEExporter. You remember Object Linking and Embedding, right? The OLEExporter will allow you to extract those embedded objects out of documents, spreadsheets or .pdf files.

What about those CHM files? You know, the Windows Help File in the CHM format? Enter chmox. Chmox allows you to open and read those pesky Windows Help Files on your Mac with ease.

This next one, I found on accident recently. I was in need of reading an MHT file. If you’re using Internet Explorer and you wish to save that entire page out into one small file, it will create an MHT file. The only thing I have found that is easy and free to use is called unmht. It’s a simple plugin for Firefox.

Last, but not least, is UIF formats. UIF stands for Universal Image Format, and it is a compression image file format for backing up CDs and DVDs. UIF2ISO 4 Mac will allow you to be able to use these files right on your Mac. Just drop the file into UIF2ISO for Mac and it will convert it into a standard ISO format. You can then use the ISO on your Mac to burn to a CD or DVD.

What other applications or tools do you know of that is free and can be used to deal with this mess of files we have, no matter what operating system it may be on?

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How and Where do you Save Files?

Chris — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:36:09 +0000

How and Where do you Save Files? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Where do you save your files? Do you have any particular folder on your computer? Or… are you one of those people who forgets to save their work? The bottom line is, I want to know how and where you save files. I have a top five here from Nick, to give you some tips on where and how to save your files.

Tip 1 Always finish a file you save with 001 at the end of the file name. Then, when you make any changes, save the next version as
002, and so on. This way, you create a revisioning system in case anything ever happens and you need to revert.
Tip 2 Always save your file in the right folder, especially if you’re working on a specific project. Save all work related to this in one particular folder, and even use SubFolders. You can also use a desktop search tool, such as Copernic Desktop Search.
Tip 3 No matter what you’re doing, save often. For faster saving, use CTRL + S to save your files.
Tip 4 Back up important files. Copy them onto an external hard drive, flash drive, or an external website.
Tip 5 Always save to the correct file type. For example, with a simple Photoshop file, save it as a .jpg or .png. Keep in mind what you’ll be using the file for in the future when you choose your file extension.

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How to Erase Files Securely

Chris — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 04:40:39 +0000

How to Erase Files Securely is a post from Chris Pirillo

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A community member wrote in to ask how to completely zero out data on his Mac before upgrading to Leopard. Fortunately, this feature is built right into OS X. There’s no need to install anything to completely get rid of files and folders.

We’ve talked before about deleting files from your computer. When you delete them, they aren’t really gone. They are moved to a different folder (recycler or recycle bin). It may be treated differently by the Operating System than a normal folder, but it is indeed right there still. In order to really delete these files on Windows, you’ll need to use something like the free Eraser program. It uses Gutmann’s Algorithm’s to completely remove all traces of a file from your computer, and overwrite the space that was occupied by the file.

In your Mac, you can use the Finder menu, and select “Secure Empty Trash”. When you use this command, it deletes all traces of files from your hard drive, preventing them from being recovered by anyone. It is good to note that you can NOT recover files once you’ve used this feature, so be SURE you want them to be gone permanently before using.

If you have only used Empty Trash (not Secure Empty Trash) to delete files before, free disk space will still be on your hard drive. To erase all free disk space, and thereby remove all traces of files that you deleted previously using the Empty Trash feature, you should use the Macintosh Disk Utility feature (located in the Applications folder) to remove this space as follows:

Open the Applications folder
Click the Utilities folder
Double-click Disk Utility
From the left-hand column, click the disk, volume, or image from which you want to erase free space
Click the Erase tab
Click the Erase Free Space button
Click the radio button in front of the 7-Pass Erase of Deleted Files option
Click the Erase Free Space button

If you see a system message that says you are running out of disk space, you can ignore it. When the utility is complete, your hard drive will have the same amount of free disk space available as before you ran the utility.

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What is a ZIP File?

Chris — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:00:51 +0000

What is a ZIP File? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I’m sure you’ve received a ZIP file in an email, or downloaded them from the Internet at some point. What exactly is a ZIP file, and what are they for? More importantly… why should you use them?

A Zip file is one that can hold many different files inside of it. You can take several documents, pictures, or any type of files and put them all into one Zip file. Not only will the Zip hold them all, it will also compress them. This makes it much easier to send and receive multiple files at once.

So how do you make a Zip file? Well, there are a couple of ways. You can use software such as WinZip or WinRar. Or… you can make compressed (zipped) folders yourself. Let me show you how:

Let’s say you want to zip together several pictures. Go to your pictures, and select the ones you want to zip by holding down the CTRLbutton while single clicking each picture.
Now, with all the pictures selected, right click on one of them. When the menu pops up, slide the mouse up to “Send To” and then click on Compressed (zipped) folder.
The folder is automatically created for you, in the same location as the files/pictures you selected.

Yes, it’s REALLY that easy. You can now attach this zipped folder to an email to send off the new pictures of your family member or pet to Grandma!

But wait. How do you UNzip a folder when you receive one? Again, you can use one of the tools I mentioned earlier. Or, you can unzip it yourself!

Right click on the folder, and choose Extract All.
The Extraction Wizard will now open. Click “Next”
Choose the location to unzip to, and click “Next” again.
As soon as it is done, it will tell you it’s finished, and ask you whether you want it to automatically open your files in a separate window. If you don’t, UNcheck the box next to “Show Extracted Files”
Click “Finish” … and you’re all finished!

So there you have it. Now you know what a ZIP file is, what they are used for, and how to Zip and Unzip yourself!

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System File Checker and Utilities

Chris — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:43:40 +0000

System File Checker and Utilities is a post from Chris Pirillo

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http://live.pirillo.com/ – It’s awesome when you guys send me your computer tips and tricks. One I just received recently talks about using your Windows System File Checker to make sure all of your critical system files are intact.

System File Checker is built into Windows to scan your critical system files for errors. If it finds a problem, it will attempt to replace the problematic files from the DLL Cache. If the file is not in the DLL Cache or the DLL Cache is corrupted, the user will be prompted to insert the Windows installation media or provide the network installation path.

You can access this tool by going to Start>Run on your computer, and then type in sfc /scannow.

Another application the email brought up is Advance Window Care. This is purportedly a free program that helps keep your Windows computer “clean”.

I don’t really advocate using programs like this. They usually tend to do more harm than good. I know a case where a woman had to reformat her work computer, losing a TON of critical files, after using a registry cleaning program. The person who told her to use it gave her incomplete instructions, and the system was damaged beyond repair. This happens more often than you realize. Average users think they should just click a button on a powerful program like this, and let it do the work for them. Unfortunately, disater can and does happen.

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How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from GoDaddy includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter code CP2 at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order.

Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code CHRIS7, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy.com.

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.