Maximum PC repair RSS Feed

Freeware Files: Turn your PC to Self-Cleaning Mode, and More!

David Murphy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:14:13 -0500

Once a week, I feel like I'm either finding or running a large batch of programs in an effort to keep my computer as crap-free as possible. It's a never-ending battle. I defrag, I delete, I shuffle, I organize, I optimize, I scan... and still, what I end up downloading and installing over the next six days almost always leads me back to the good ol' "Sunday Purge," as I've come to call it.

And you? I venture that your habits are pretty similar to mine, as you're a Maximum PC reader with a thirst--nay, need--for speed. But we both don't have to waste a ton of time poring over our hard drives and giving them digital equivalent of a good flossing. There are tools, wonderful tools, that will automate this process--and automate it for free!

You're probably aware of quite a few of these applications, in fact. That's why I've cast my net over a wide swath of sites to find two little tidbits that you probably haven't heard of before. Check out the two awesome cleaning programs for yourself below, not to mention their three other freeware friends!

Belvedere

Created by our friends over at Lifehacker, this custom file-sweeping application is a great set-it-and-forget-it technique for de-cluttering your system's many leftover files. Here's how it works. Once you've launched the program, you assign folders for it to watch. You then brainstorm up some rules that you want to append to the files in said folders, guidelines that can encompass as wide a degree as, "If the extension is... then move it to" to "If the file is older than x days... delete it." The possibilities are quite vast. After that, you do nothing. Yep. Nothing. The program will watch over said folders and perform said maintenance actions without a need for any more input. True to its name, Belvedere is like having a butler for your digital mess.

Download it here!

USBDriveFresher

This one is, in a word, awesome. I realize that can be an overused phrase here at Maximum PC, so hear me out. Now that you've read about the customizable rules that you can apply to folder cleaning as a result of Belvedere, imagine having a similar functionality occur--automatically--to any USB-based device you attach to your system. That's USBDriveFresher. Although it's strictly designed for file deletion, this miniscule application runs in your system's background and automatically cleans unwanted files off any USB device. If you frequently switch between Apple and PC platforms, and can't stand the miscellaneous files that OSX dumps on your drive, this little utility is your key to a cleaner, er, key.

Download it here!

ManicTime

We're all busy. Now, suppose you're concerned about the amount of time you spend surfing the Internet versus conducting actual, paying work. Or, for that matter, perhaps your kind of work is the one where your boss wants to see an itemized list of what exactly you've been doing--for client billing, of course. Either way, ManiacTime is an excellent application for graphing out exactly what programs you use during any given day. Not only does the program record when your computer is idle or in use, but it allows you to assign labels to your exact patterns of use. Need to make an annotation for the 3 hours you spend surfing Slashdot? Try "research." Want to show your boss that you sweated bullets in PowerPoint to make that big presentation? Just look for your "working hard" label. Just finished an epic WoW raid? Try... uh. Try "brainstorming new customer engagement opportunities."

Download it here!

Process Hacker

Need more information for the various applications running in the background of your system? Tired of seeing the same-ol', same-ol' list of minor details in the default Windows Task Manager? You need Process Hacker. This open-source application gives you the same control over programs and services as Windows Task Manager. However, you not only get a wealth of information related to each running element, but Process Hacker also enables you to find hidden processes as well. While that might not sound very interesting for an average computer user who will never need this kind of direct access to an operating system's underbelly, it's a lifesaving technique to seek out and fix nasty rootkits or other untimely PC infections.

Download it here!

Immunet Protect

Using the power of a super-base of computers to detect, analyze, and report suspect virus activity is nothing new. And Immunet Protect is one more log in the antivirus fire, as this freeware application uses the power of cloud computing to provide PC protection. The interesting thing about the application is that it fully embraces the notion of cloud technology to deliver real-time, continual updates. You won't ever have to download a new batch of virus identifiers again--since you're in the cloud and seemingly connected to everyone else using Immunet Protect, you'll be ready to fight a new virus as soon as people worldwide automatically report it. It's too soon to tell how this program will fare against its free (and commercial) competition, but it's hard to say no to additional protection at a minimal cost.

Download it here!

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Wal-Mart Teams with Dell to Take on Geek Squad

Paul Lilly — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:08:36 -0500

Say what you will about Best Buy's Geek Squad and Circuit City's Firedog computer repair centers, but no matter what amount of ridicule each one might receive in tech circles, those without access to a next-of-kin techspert find themselves using the oft overpriced (and sometimes overzealous) services offered by each. Now Wal-Mart wants a piece of the fix-my-PC pie too.

According to the mega-chain, Dell is testing a repair and installation service for electronics in up to 15 of its stores in the Dallas area. The "Solution Stations" will not only offer PC repair, but HDTV and home theater installation, wireless support, and other electronic services.

"For Wal-Mart, the program provides an opportunity for us to understand more about what our customers need and expect in home installation and technology services, within a specific market," the company said in a statement on its website. Wal-Mart also indicated that the program is a small pilot and that there are currently no plans to expand outside of Dallas beyond the 15 select stores.

And what about pricing? According to the Dallas Morning News, memory installation will run $29 in-store, or $99 if making a house-call. To install a wall-mounted TV, connect cables, and integrate three video components, it is charging $289.

So it's official; you can now get everything and the kitchen sink at Wal-Mart, and that includes PC repair. But would you want to?

Image Credit: Wal-Mart

Blue Raven Now Offering Prix Fixe iPod Repairs

Michael Brown — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:52:09 -0600

Last April, I accepted Blue Raven’s pitch to try their $30 DIY iPod Battery Replacement Kit. My iPod’s battery was fine, but I was interested to see just how easy it would be to replace its battery. What could go wrong?

Plenty, as it turned out. Using the company’s cheap tools, I not only chewed up the plastic half of my iPod’s case, but I also permanently damaged my iPod’s screen (a large black bloom now obscures the battery meter—ironic, considering I was ostensibly replacing a worn-out battery).

Lucky for me, Blue Raven on Friday pitched me on the new service they’re announcing today: Buy their $130 iPod Service and Repair Kit, put your broken iPod inside, and ship it off to Blue Raven. They’ll fix whatever’s wrong with it and ship it back to you within three business days. They pay two-day shipping costs in both directions and will drop in a new battery for good measure.

If all your iPod needs is a new battery, you can buy a iPod Replacement Battery kit for $60, including shipping costs. After my experience with their do-it-yourself kit, I would gladly have paid $30 for someone else to install the battery.

The answer to the big question, “Is it worth it?” depends on one major factor: If your iPod is incapacitated, how much would it cost to replace it? If I’d screwed up a Nano or a Shuffle, I might as well chuck it in the trash and buy a new player. Buying a new iPod Classic, on the other hand, would cost nearly twice as much as repairing my old one—but then I’d be gaining 50GB of capacity. I’ll be sending my borked iPod in for repair soon and will file a report the day it comes back.

Conspriracy buffs, of course, will see an insidious connection between the two service offerings: All those people who broke their iPods using Blue Raven’s DIY battery replacement kit will now run out and buy the company’s mail-in repair kit to fix the damage.

How I Destroyed an iPod in Order to Save it

Michael Brown — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:17:34 -0500

It’s not uncommon for older rechargeable batteries to lose their capacity for holding a charge. If you’re experiencing this problem with an older iPod, you might be tempted to purchase a battery-replacement kit instead of chucking the player altogether. Tread with care if you do.

Blue Raven Technology recently pitched their iPod Battery Replacement Kit to me, so I decided to try it out on our Lab iPod (a fifth-gen 30GB with video). The $30 kit consists of a replacement lithium-polymer batter, a jeweler’s screwdriver, and a plastic pry tool. The package shows three simple steps: Use the provided tools to open the case, remove and replace the battery, close the case and enjoy your music.
Following the asterisk at the second step takes you to the disclosure that more detailed instructions are enclosed, and that “opening your iPod may void the manufacturer’s warranty if less than one year old. If you are not comfortable replacing the battery yourself, please consult a technician or electronics repair facility.”

Blue Raven’s $30 kit consists of a lithium-polymer battery and two cheap tools. You provide the iPod.

The instructions inside are a little more detailed, with 10 steps accompanied by photographs. They have you insert the screwdriver between the plastic front and the metal back of the iPod. If you can’t get the tool into the gap, you’re supposed to squeeze the player at both ends in an effort to “cause a slight buckling.” I didn’t find this technique very helpful, but I did finally manage to get the tool inserted with only a few flecks of plastic falling off.

Once I’d opened a gap in the case, I inserted the green plastic pry tool and proceeded to run it around the seam holding the front and back together. The plastic tool’s edge deteriorated rapidly during this process, making it less and less effective as a wedge that would separate the two pieces.

Look closely at the top right corner and you can see how Blue Raven’s tools (or—ahem—the person wielding them) chewed up the iPod’s case.

As I worked the tool around the top corner of the iPod, a small black bloom appeared in the same corner of the LCD. “Uh-oh,” I said to no one in particular, “that doesn’t look good.” But I was committed now that I had the case open; sealing it back up wasn’t going to make that bloom disappear.

Once I had the case open, it was interesting to see the insignificant amount of shock absorption surrounding the Toshiba disk drive inside. There are strips of neoprene clinging to the sides, small chunks of the same material on the bottom, and a donut of foam on the face; that’s it. I also noticed that my iPod was wired just a little differently from the one shown in Blue Raven’s instructions, but it wasn’t enough of a difference to be confusing.

Here’s what the inside of a fifth-gen iPod looks like. The blue material provides shock absorption for the hard drive.

Using the green plastic tool, I pried the factory battery off its bed of glue and gingerly plucked its ribbon cable from the player’s power socket. I then pressed the replacement battery into the remaining glue. Aside from prying the case open, I had the most difficulty shoving the new battery’s power cable into the socket. The thin ribbon bends easily, and I was concerned about breaking the delicate wires inside. But I eventually managed to squeeze it in.

Closing the iPod up was a simple matter of arranging the hard drive back into place and squeezing the front and back together again. I panicked a bit when the iPod didn’t immediately fire up, but then I realized that I would need to charge the new battery first. Duh.

Now that the new battery is in place, it’s time to reseal the iPod.

The black bloom I noticed when the iPod was turned off was still there two hours later, and even more LCD damage appeared when I finally turned the iPod on. The player works, and the damage doesn’t limit its usefulness for playing music, but it’s been rendered useless for viewing photos and watching videos (unless I use an external monitor).

If your iPod is out of warranty and its battery will no longer keep a charge, Apple will replace it for a $59 fee. Or you can pay half that much and take your chances with Blue Raven’s kit and your own skills. I’m not laying odds on the chances you’ll damage your own iPod trying to replace its battery, but I know I won’t try my hand at it again.

Ironically enough, the damage to the LCD makes it nearly impossible to monitor the player’s battery level.