In Windows, each file has an extension in its filename which is used to identify which program will open the file, and which icon should be attached to that file. These can be changed fairly easily from within “folder options”, but the interface is not all that user friendly.

Types is a worthwhile replacement to the inbuilt Windows file type utility. It works on both Windows XP and Vista. It also offers a large display window so that you can easily find the extension you want tinker with.

To use Types, right click on the extension you want to edit and select properties. From the window that opens, you are able to change which program will open up the file, the extensions icon, and a few class options, but you shouldn’t need to worry about those.

This program does a small job well, and it is an improvement on the inbuilt Windows options.

Types is available for free from SourceForge.

When a computer starts up and boots into Windows, there are a bundle of other programs that load up with it. Some of them are needed, but others are unnecessary and do little more than slow down a computer.

When I am told that a computer is running slow, the first thing I do is look in the locations that call these programs to load, and I cull the programs that are not necessary. There are numerous locations (registry, startup folders and win.ini) where these programs are called from, so the process can take quite a while.

Startup Manager is a free utility that shows you each of these locations in a single, easy to use interface. Just check out the screenshot of it. This is certainly a no nonsense program.

Startup Manager shows you what is going to be loaded at startup. All you need to do is untick the items that you no longer want to be part of your daily life.

The startup programs should probably be checked every 6 or so months to keep your computer running lean. The list can expand very quickly, often without the users knowledge. Using this utility can save a lot of time. It is one of those useful programs to keep on a USB disk, so that you can load it up quickly in the case a friend is in need.

Get your copy of Startup Manager for free from StartupManager.org.

Most spy-ware, trojans, viruses or spam ridden software will place entries into your registry, without your knowledge. Once the entry has been made, the program can run once the computer is restarted. If software is discovered after this, it is too late because the damage has already been done. A timely and difficult clean up job is required to restore your computer to full working order… if you are lucky.

Reg-runner is a program that runs in the task tray, that will help you protect your computer from these nasties, by popping up a small alert when a change is made to the registry, or when a program or process has started or ended. The majority of these alerts will be for programs you intended to install or run, but eventually the time will come when you are alerted to a program that is not wanted. 

Reg-runner has a number of tabs, showing the programs that are loaded at startup, running processes and registry changes. Each of these entries can be looked at more deeply. Right clicking on any of the startup items or processes will bring up a context menu. From this menu, Reg-runner can shoot you off to Google or Processlibrary.com for more information. Using these resources, you can find out if any program is malicious, or more simply, what any of your programs or processes do.

This program is small, weighing in just under 400k. For those who don’t like to use virus scanners or anti spy-ware programs because they slow down your computer, this would be a very sensible addition to the task tray.

Reg-runner is available for free from SourceForge. There is a standard version, and a black edition for those who like to live on the dark-side.

Last week we looked at NTFS Undelete, which is a great free program to undelete deleted files. As I tested it, I was able to recover many deleted files, some of which had been deleted for years. It raised a security concern for me that these files were so easily recovered, so I had a look for some programs that would help to make deleted files stay deleted.

Normally it does not matter if files are recoverable. It is handy in many cases. If a file is accidentally deleted, it is nice to know that all is not lost. Some sensitive files, you may want out of your life forever.

I came across a small but powerful utility called Eraser that would fulfill my needs. After running it, my deleted files were no longer recoverable. It can be used in two main ways.

First off is the Recycle Bin add-in. When you right click on the Recycle Bin, you normally get the option to empty it. Eraser adds a number of extra options for you. You can securely delete the files in the recycle bin using any of the extra options. Most of them will run several passes over the file. Others will replace the file with random data, which in both cases will ensure the file is gone forever. This does take longer than a normal bin empty, but it is not an uncomfortable wait.

Secondly, Internet history, cookies and uninstalled programs all bypass the recycle bin. That is why Eraser offers another component to look after you. Eraser can be setup to do a number of tasks on a schedule. You can delete files, folders… or my favourite, erase all free space. This ensures that any deleted files will remain deleted.

Lastly, many people sell their computers without correctly wiping the disk beforehand. This makes all of their data available to the purchaser, whether the files have been deleted or not. Using Boot and Nuke which incorporates Eraser, you are able to make a floppy disk or CD that will erase a computer completely before it is sold.

Eraser runs on most versions of Windows. Get your copy of Eraser for free from their website.

When your hard drive dies, you would normally need to go through the process of reinstalling your operating system and programs. If you are lucky, and have prepared yourself for a disaster, you might even be able to restore your data. One thing that you are not able to restore are all of the customisations you have done to your system.

Any way you look at it, it is going to take you the best part of a day to have your system up and running again, and weeks before you get everything back just how you like it.

The system restore options in Windows are great for restoring a malfunctioning system back to a fully working state, but they do not work when your hard drive calls it a day.

Plan ahead for such a disaster by saving an “image” of your computer. An image is a compressed file that contains the entire contents of a hard drive. Windows, programs, hardware drivers, settings and data are all backed up in the image. If your hard drive dies, or gets cluttered with rubbish, you are able to restore your system, and restore so that it is exactly the same as it was when you saved the image.

Clonezilla is a program that will do just that. You can save your entire computers contents into a single file. You can then burn the file to a DVD for safe keeping. You will want to read the documentation so that you can find out how to store a copy of Clonezilla on your DVD, and how to make the DVD bootable. This way you will have everything on hand to restore your computer, on the one disk.

Restoration of the image is likely to take less than one hour. Probably closer to 10 minutes. This is a big improvement to a whole days work. There is nothing else that needs to be done, except to restore your incremental document backups. You can save an incredible amount of time if you want to restore the image to numerous computers.

If you are happy with the way your system is running, it is a good time to make your image. In the case that you need to restore it, you don’t wasn’t to restore an image created while your system was not running at its optimum. You will be very thankful that you made the backup in the long term… or possibly even the short! Hard drives are one of the least reliable components of any computer system.

There are a number of programs that will do this same task. Many companies use the commercial package from Norton called Ghost. It basically does the same thing, it just looks a little nicer and costs money.

Clonezilla is available for free from SourceForge.