Muscling Out PC Irritants

Having a software and using it wisely may seem like two different matters, when it comes to Windows. What we try to say here is that no matter how reliable and easy to handle Windows was designed to be, it is still a cause of some serious nuisances that border on stupidity. Not one time, Windows users had to deal with annoying and redundant security alerts, weird messages communicating what the users just did or conflicts with pluggable devices that the users should be free to plug and unplug whenever they want. In this article, we will show you how to keep Windows at bay, along with all the irritation it can cause.

Here is how you should deal with these PC irritants.

Pluggable Devices Do Not Befriend Windows

This problem occurs when you disconnect a USB drive without notifying Windows first. There's a chance that Windows will still be writing data to your USB drive if you just suddenly disconnect it, which may result in scads of corrupted files, a gamble most users don't want to take. To ensure that Windows has completed all write operations to your USB drive, always use the "Safely Remove Hardware" utility located in your system tray; this tool will notify you with a message balloon when you can remove your USB drive. For the computer aficionado that craves more control over their numerous USB devices, throw Google a query, as there are plenty of free programs on the web that can manage your USB device collection for you.

Irritant: Die Hard Security Alerts

Because you like to have your computer protected against evil threats, you have installed on it the latest versions of antiviruses. And still, Windows is trying to remind you that you are not good enough at this. Of course, this is not the case, but the dumb security alerts you get from Windows do not cease so easily. The reason for this happening is that Windows knows when you play with the antivirus settings and interprets it as a breach in security. Get rid of this irritant, by entering the Virus Protection Panel and choosing the option that allows you to monitor, through the antivirus, you own computer, instead of Windows.

Irritant: Redundant Printer Messages

If you send files to a network printer, you may have been annoyed at the "item printed" balloon message that pops up every time. To disable this lame option, navigate to the Control Panel and go to Printers and Faxes; next, click File, Sever Properties, and choose the Advanced Tab; at the bottom of the box, uncheck the "Notify me when remote documents are printed" check box.

Irritant: Email Client Refuses to Open URLs

You'll most likely experience this when default settings are not reset when you uninstall a web browser. For example, say you install Firefox, but you decide you'd like to go back to surfing the web with Internet Explorer instead. URLs that you receive in an email client, like Thunderbird or Outlook, may no longer open when you uninstall Firefox, as you need to give the default rights back to Internet Explorer to make the URLs open correctly in IE. Navigate to the Control Panel and select Internet Options; next, choose Programs, and select "Internet Explorer as the default browser". A simple fix for a very annoying problem.

About the Author

Kay Brenner is a Computer performance consultant who specializes in restoring your slow PC, saving you from the hassles of struggling with a sick computer. To reclaim your dream machine you first bought, download a free PC Check Up