Maximizing the speed of Photoshop Elements

Many digiscrappers that use ACDSee Photo Manager for organizing have mentioned about PSE sometimes bogging down & that they would like to adjust the settings. So I thought I would highlight this article that has some tips for overcoming performance problems.

The full article is here – Revving Up Photoshop Elements 3 (& applies to other versions too) & covers the following:

Tip 1 – Reset Elements settings

Tip 2 – Disable the Photo Downloader

Tip 3 – Reclaim your System Resources – the biggest cause of slowness

Tip 4 – Take Back your CD-ROM Drive & Remote Drives

Tip 5 – Keep the Editor up to Speed – clear the thumbnail caches (causes slowness in all versions of Elements & PS)

Tip 6 – Keep Your Catalog’s File Size Under Control – do it once a month

Tip 7 – Disable the Organizer – if you’re using ACDSee or another program for organizing your files, this portion isn’t necessary

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Yet ANOTHER way to speed up your computer! – Part 6 of the Extending the Life of your Computer Series

This is a simple, yet often overlooked part of taking care of your computer’s maintenance. It’s kind of like the question – how long do you go before changing the oil on your car? It just needs to be done regularly to keep your computer running at maximum performance (and it seems everyone wants that as fast as possible). My sister says that if you go too long without defragging, things get flaky & if you fill up your hard drive entirely, it won’t defrag. (A note about her description of the file folders — how does she know how my office is & that I pile folders on the floor?!!!). So extend the life of your computer & defrag it today, then get on a schedule of routinely doing it – the payoff is worth it. You won’t be buying a new one as soon!
Defrag? You hear about it but do you do it?

What is Defrag or defragment?

Defrag is your hard drive cleaning up. Imagine your files on your hard drive as a filing cabinet in an office. When you first move into your office (new computer) everything is nicely arranged. You work for a while and you are so busy, that you don’t return your files to the filing cabinet. Now the files are in piles, on the floor, and scattered around. You’re productivity slows down because it takes time to find things and it takes longer to find a place to work. Same goes for your computer. Over time, the files get stored where it’s convenient. Eventually everything is all over and your computer slows down in trying to find files or step on any files. Defrag, takes all thoses files and stores them neatly back into the file cabinet. Clean office — clean computer, you work faster because your computer is finding your information faster!

How often should I defrag?

Monthly is a good guide. Don’t remember when you did it last or just wondering if it needs defrag? When you start defrag, click on Analyze. If it says you don’t need to defrag, exit it. If it says you should, then defrag.

How do I defrag?

I am assuming you are running XP. (If you are running Win 98 or ME systems, you should download a defrag program. I have yet to hear the exact method on how to defrag Vista.)

1. First let’s do a little cleanup to make this even better.
   1. Clean up & delete any useless/junk mail and empty your trash bin in your mail program
   2. Delete all unnecessary or junk files
   3. Run Disk Cleanup
      1. How: Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.
      2. Disk Cleanup can do all this for you:

      3. •	Remove temporary Internet files.
         •	Remove downloaded program files. For example, ActiveX controls and Java applets that are downloaded from the Internet.
         •	Empty the Recycle Bin.
         •	Remove Windows temporary files.
         •	Remove optional Windows components that you are not using.
         •	Remove installed programs that you no longer use.

         Click on any boxes that you would like it to do: I would recommend Temporary Internet Files & Recycle Bin

      4. Note: Emptying the recycle bin is up to you. I usually take a quick run through the recycle bin (Windows Explorer & click on Recycle bin and look through the files listed) and make sure there is nothing that I really wanted. Once the recycle bin is emptied any files that you deleted that you might have wanted to retrieve are gone for good.
   4. If you use Firefox, empty your cache. In Firefox, go to Tools | Options | Advanced Tab and click on Clear Now in the cache section.
   5. Exit all applications
   6. Unplug your network connection, turn off your virus checker and firewall. (Steps 7 & 8 will make the defrag run faster and better.)
2. Go to Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Disk Defragmenter
3. Click on Analyze. If it tells you: “You should defragment this volume” then continue on.
4. Click on Defragment and go take a break from your computer. It takes a while depending on your the size of your hard drive. (I would expect on an average computer at least 30 minutes, most likely an hour, and it could go for 2 hours.) This is a great thing to start and go to bed.
5. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for any EHD’s you have connected too!

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Recover RAM by taking control of your Start Menu – Part 5 of Extending your Computer’s Life Series

Today we are going to help you recover some RAM without spending money!!! It will be like a super charge for your computer’s performance. When I used to do this – I used the msconfig route that my sister, Heidi, mentions – but I always hated messing in the Start Up menu. She has found a new tool that makes it easier. (I just used it & it was straightforward & easy. I turned off 4 things).
BUT a word of CAUTION!!
One golden rule – if you do not wish to render your system unbootable and useless is that if you do not know what it is, leave it as it is. This means don’t mess with the following (an autorun programme, a service, a driver) & if you’re unsure, let it run. The rule of thumb that I’ve always heard is leave things alone like: System, Microsoft (except the messenger), printer, etc

Getting rid of unnecessary processes that always run on your computer:

Did you know that having a lot of unnecessary things running on your computer slows down your computer & affects performance? For memory intensive software, like photo editing software, this can play a big factor in how well the software runs.

How do I know what to get rid of?
Well, this is probably the toughest question to answer. If you use something daily then you can probably want it to start automatically. If you don’t use it daily (or every time you use the computer) then there is no need to have it start automatically.

Where do I look for things that automatically start?
In the past this has been very difficult to do and it has required an experienced user. Users had to check startup folders, tasks running in system tray, system configuration tool (msconfig) and the registry. Microsoft released a new systems tool that does this all for you. It can be found here: AutoRuns for Windows v8.61 (scroll to the bottom)

How to use AutoRuns?

• To use, download the zipped file, unzip it and start autoruns.exe.
• This will bring up a list of everything running on your system. For seeing what is starting, you want the logon tab.
• Now there will be plenty of stuff here you will not recognize. Some things are necessary and some aren’t. How can you tell? They provided a nice description so that will give you a clue.
  • Don’t stop things running that are for your hardware, virus checkers, system.
  • Things to look for: windows messenger, real player, AOL stuff, etc. Obviously if you use one of these on a daily basis then you may not want to stop it.
  • When removing it from startup, you are NOT deleting the program, you are just stopping it from starting every time you turn on the computer. For example, if I want to use real player, I will start it by myself or click on a music file and it will start.
  • Don’t know what some things are? Click on the item, right click and choose “Search Online” (keyboard shortcut: Ctrl – M) This will bring up your browser and automatically search on that item. Click on some of the first few hints and it will describe what the item is and usually if its necessary.
• Once you have decided to stop something from starting, click on the box next to it and it will not start the next time your computer starts.
• If you determine you don’t like not having it run, restart autoruns and click the box to have it run again.
• Reboot & your computer should be refreshed!
• It’s that easy.

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Spyware needs to be Controlled – Part 4 of Extending your Computer’s Life Series

Yes, it’s your computer talking again (not your conscience!). One of the of the most common things is for computers to ‘gum’ up after awhile & browsing on the internet slows to a crawl… and people think that they need to buy a new one – when they really just need to get the spyware removed from their system. This can easily be avoided with regular maintenance. There is a lot of shareware available that can be valuable if used regularly will keep your computer happily free of the nasty spyware & adware. And this is one of the things I find gratifying to do (because when I get to hit the button to delete those nasty bugs – it just feels good!). A friend of mine had never cleaned out her spyware in the year she had had her computer. We ran Adaware & it found 400! items to remove! So do your computer a favor today & seek out & destroy that spyware! Leave a comment & let us know how many you found?!!

Spyware or adware

• What is adware?

Adware is software that displays advertising information with or without consent. Not all Adware is bad if you want to see advertisements.

• What is spyware?

It is software that collects personal information about users without their consent.

• What kind of information does spyware collect?

A variety of things – It can watch what you type, which webs you browse, or scan your hard disk documents.

• What can spyware do with this information?

It can record your passwords and lead to identity theft. It can also watch where you browse and send your information to advertisers.

• How do I get spyware/adware?

Some spyware is built into software that you download. Either free or shareware software. Another way involves tricking users into downloading something. Ever see one of those pop-up boxes “Your computer may be infected, please download this…” That was spyware trying to get on your system. If you hit any of the buttons, it may download the spyware. (This type of activity has been greatly reduced by new versions of browsers but if does happen click on the close button (the x in the upper right hand corner.) Another method for the spyware to get on your system is through a virus/worm on your system. The last way is via cookies. Cookies are little files that keep track of things for sites you visit. They are so convenient because they help you login into sites, keep track of contents of carts, etc. but they can be used as spyware too.

• Okay, this doesn’t sound like very nice software does it? How do I avoid it or get rid of it?

• Safe browsing: If you see pop-ups that look funny or suspicious. Always click on the close in the upper right hand corner, never on any of the buttons in it. If your browser can turn off pop-up’s, do so. Then if you encounter a website, that you need pop-ups to use the website (and your browser tells you this) and you trust the site, then allow pop-ups for that site. In your browser:

• In Internet Explorer: Go to Tools | Options, On the Privacy tab, set your Internet Zone to as high as you can that still allows you to do what you want. (If you block all cookies, you won’t have things saved in your cart, always have to login into sites manually, etc.) I would suggest one of the medium settings. (You can turn off pop-ups on this tab too.)

• In Firefox, they state this: “Firefox will not allow a Web site to download, install, or run programs on your computer without your explicit agreement. Period. You will be notified whenever downloading or installing software, and Firefox will always tell you what’s happening so that you can stay in control of your computer.”

• Updates:

• Keep up-to-date on your updates to your operating system and browser. They usually release updates if security flaws are found. (covered earlier in this series)

• Safe Downloading:

• When downloading software, make sure it is a trusted site. If you are unsure, download the software and install it and then immediately run your sypware/adware removal tools to verify that it is safe.

• Installing Anti-Spyware

• • • Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE Persona is a well known free product. It doesn’t allow you to schedule scans automatically and it doesn’t watch your system in real time (watch and catch instantly.) If you pay for Ad-Aware SE Plus, you get those features.
  • • Spybot Search & Destroy is another well known free product.
  • • Microsoft Windows Defender
  • • Spy Sweeper
  • • Spyware Doctor
  • • Pest Patrol
  • • Symantec & Mcafee which are major anti-virus firms also have anti-spyware features built into exiting anti-virus products.

For any of the above, follow the download, install and how to run directions. Many people also recommend installing at least 2 spyware’s because only 1 may not find them all.

No single anti-spyware application will remove everything.

• Watch out for Fake Anti-Spyware Programs

Lastly, watch out because there are now fake anti-spyware programs. Please do not download any of these anti-spyware programs because they are spyware: List of fake anti-spyware programs

• More Information

If you want an AntiSpyware In Depth This site goes into a lot of detail about spyware and what you can do to avoid it.

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Windows Updates – Part 3 of Extending your Computer’s Life Series

Windows is your Operating System & it’s very important to keep it up to date!

Why? Microsoft periodically releases updates that help protect against the latest viruses & other security threats. There are two ways that you can get them:

1) Turn on Automatic Updates (preferred – and have your computer update automatically or manually when you’re prompted)

2) Search for updates – the problem with this is we get busy & forget to do this regularly.

Here’s how to Turn on Automatic Updates
(we suggest that you take a few minutes to check & make sure that yours are turned on):

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Depending on which Control Panel view you use, Classic or Category, do one of the following:
   • Click System, and then click the Automatic Updates tab.
   • Click Performance and Maintenance, click System, and then click the Automatic Updates tab.
3. Click the option that you want. Make sure Automatic Updates is not turned off.

Here is more indepth information on Windows Automatic Updates.

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Anti-virus Software – Part 2 of Extending your Computer’s Life Series

Thanks to Heidi for writing this! I remember the day she emailed me & said – you better check your computer, it’s doing random mailing… ugh! But you know what was funny (well not really), we had gotten the virus from my daughter’s school. And most computers come with a trial period & I think people are too complacent about letting the antivirus software expire – not realizing how important it is. So here is some good information. ~ Connie

Virus Checker:

Why do we need a Virus Checker?
Unfortunately there are some not very nice people out there that spread bad software. They write the software in such a way that it spreads. A virus can range from anything from benign to extremely damaging & capable of wiping out your system. An anti-virus checker runs all the time watching for any virus it knows about.

What does a Virus Checker do if it encounters something?
The anti-virus checker that runs all the time will probably warn the user and block the file from being saved or used. Periodically, a virus checker should run a full system scan on your drive and verify that it is virus free. If it does find a virus, it will attempt to repair the file and remove the virus; if it can’t do that, it will quarantine that file. A quarantine doesn’t allow another software program access to it. Lastly, it can just delete the file.

If the anti-virus checker is running all the time, do I have to do a full-scan on my pc? It takes hours. The answer is – Yes.

Two reasons:
a) The virus may be hidden in such a fasion that the anti-virus checker that is running doesn’t detect it. The full-scan virus check is more thorough.
b) The virus may be new and anti-virus checker doesn’t recognize it. When you run the full scan virus checker later, it will probably get the latest virus definitions (with the new virus definition in it) and then do a full scan and find the virus.

What virus checker should I use?
It’s a matter of preference. This is a huge list of anti-virus software that is available.
List of Virus Software’s
Norton and McAfee are big anti-virus software in the United States.

My subscription to my anti-virus software has expired, am I still protected?
Not really. You are protected from the old viruses but not from new viruses. To be the safest you need to always have the latest virus definition/dictionary. Virus definitions or sometimes called virus dictionaries. It is just a list of known viruses. An anti-virus program may not protect you against the very latest viruses. It may only be as good as your last update.

I have heard of viruses but what is trojan?
A trojan software is a program that opens a back door to your computer and lets the malicious user in through that back door to get what they want (your data, install software, use your computer for illegal things.) Most anti-virus software will be watching for trojans too. A worm is another type of malicious software and anti-virus software should protect from these too.

What should I do to be the most protected from viruses?
Verify that you have some kind of anti-Virus checker installed AND running.
Verify that it is up-to-date and has the latest virus definition/dictionary. (Some anti-virus software automatically does this and some ask before doing it.) There should be a status or last time it received an update somewhere in your anti-virus software.

Full System Scan:
First, check to see if there is a schedule. All software is different but start your anti-virus software and look for ’schedule’. If you can’t find it, it may not have this capability.
If there is schedule, make sure that it has run when it was suppose to. Sometimes pc’s are off and then the anti-virus checker doesn’t run. If not, run a full scan when you won’t be using your computer for a while.
If there is no schedule, then run a full scan and make a note to do this once a week.

Your anti-virus checker should protect you. But you should be cautious too in what you do.
* Don’t download software that you don’t trust.
* If there is an attachment from a person or place you don’t recognize it, don’t open it.
* Make sure the browser and email software that you use is up-to-date. This is how many viruses are spread and the companies release updates to their software when a potential security flaw is found.

I want to switch anit-virus software, how can I?
Make sure you do a full uninstall of the old one and reinstall the new one. If not, you may have conflicts or other strange errors that will be difficult to resolve.

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Computer Cleaning Tips – part 1 of Extending your Computer’s Life series

Here is the first way to keep your computer in tip top shape. A good thorough cleaning can improve the performance of your computer. How often should you do it? That depends on the environment & how often you use your computer. At my house, it’s not often enough – but these tips are good guidelines for when you are ready to do it. (And for those of you on a schedule – every few months is perfect).

- turn off the computer before cleaning

- never spray liquids on any computer parts – spray it on a cloth & then rub down the component

- use a vacuum to clean the outside of the computer – but never on the inside because the vacuum creates static electricity that can cause damage to your computer components

- avoid using solvents; try to use water or highly diluted solvents if necessary

- when cleaning be careful not to adjust knobs or controls; and make sure no plugs get disconnected

- when cleaning fans – especially small fans in laptops -place something in the fan blades to keep it from spinning as the force from canned air may cause damage

- avoid eating or drinking around the computer
What will you need?

- a cloth is better than paper towels

- water or rubbing alcohol; other solvents may be bad for the plastic in your computer

- cotton swabs are good for cleaning in those hard to reach areas in the keyboard, mouse, etc

Cleaning the case -
- use a lint free cloth dampened with water; for stains add a little household detergent to the cloth

- vacuum around all holes & vents – a steady airflow is important for proper cooling

Disc drive cleaning – a dirty disc drive can cause read errors

- purchase a CD-ROM cleaner & follow the directions – you will use a special disc from the package

CD / DVD cleaning – if they’re dirty, they can have read errors or not read at all

- use a clean cotton cloth and wipe against the tracks, starting from the middle of the disc & towards the outside of the CD. Never wipe with the tracks, this may make more scratches on the disc. (Only use water to clean CD’s)

Keyboard cleaning

- compressed air is better than turning the keyboard over & shaking it. The ‘canned’ air comes with a long nozzle. Aim the air between the keys & blow away the dust. A vacuum can be used if there are no loose keys.

- if a liquid is spilled on the keyboard – turn the computer off & turn the keyboard upside down over an area that you don’t mind getting wet. Use a cloth to clean it off as best you can. Leave it upside down to dry.

Laptop LCD screen -

- avoid spraying directly on the screen or using paper towels (they can scratch it)

- use a soft cotton cloth; if a dry cloth doesn’t clean the screen, rubbing alcohol can be used

- Special monitor wipes can be bought at stores.

Monitor cleaning -

- if the monitor is made of glass – a regular household cleaner can be used – but again don’t spray directly on the glass

Mouse cleaning -

- if you’re using a mouse with a roller ball – turn it over & see which way the mouse cover should be rotated. Put two fingers on the mouse cover & rotate it. Turn it over & catch the tracking ball in your hand. Use a cotton swab or your finger to clean each of the 3 rollers inside of the mouse. Usually there is a small line in the middle of the roller. Remove as much dirt as possible.

Clean the tracking ball with a cloth. Place it in the mouse & replace the cover by twisting it back into place. Cleaning the mouse pad is also helpful

Flatbead Scanner cleaning -

- Spray window cleaner on a paper towel or cotton cloth & wipe until the glass is clean.

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Computer maintenance

Now quit looking the other way… because, yes! I am talking to you. (Your computer would appreciate you so much if you would consider some regular computer maintenance.) I know, I know, it’s hard… but you will be thankful when your computer isn’t all gummed up inside. I think that people are tempted to buy a new computer….. when they could just do some routine things & greatly extend the life of their computer & save on their pocketbooks (more to spend on digiscrapping kits? maybe!).
I challenge you to consider doing these things on a regular basis:

1 – physically clean your keyboard, monitor, mouse, computer vents? (yes! chase those dust bunnies! I took one to my computer dr’s house – wasn’t that generous on my part?)

2 – Virus checker – do you have current virus protection? run a scan & set up a schedule

3 – Windows Updates – either turn them on so they update automatically or do them manually

4 – Spyware – this can really clog your computer – what is it & how to make it go away

5 – Startup menu – minimize how much is running in the background.

6 – Defrag – how to get ready for it & how to do it & why is it necessary?

Is there anything you want to add to the list? Add it in the comments & we’ll cover it. These topics will keep us busy for awhile!

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