1)      Upgrade your Operating System – Microsoft regularly releases incremental software updates for security, fixes and feature enhancements, and Service Packs, a single installable collection of the incremental updates.  Keep “Automatic Updates” enabled will make sure that these are automatically downloaded and applied.

Windows XP users can find this by clicking Start -> Control Panel -> Automatic Updates, or you can manually update only critical updates by browsing to:

http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

Windows Vista & 7 users can do the same by clicking Start  -> Windows Update

2)      Reduce memory usage – The more applications you have running in the background the more likely you are to overload your computer’s resources and to potentially cause a crash.  Close programs if they’re not in use, uninstall applications that you don’t need, and prevent programs from automatically launching upon Startup.

Every icon in your tray area (lower right-hand corner of your Taskbar) represents a program that was launched on startup and is using memory.  Some of these are important, e.g. Antivirus or security programs, but most are not needed.  You can usually prevent programs from launching upon startup by going through the settings of each individual program, or you can use the Startup Manger found in ChicaPC-fix to select them from a single list.

3)      Update your device drivers – Drivers can be described as software that allow your computer to communicate with its various devices, including the devices that power your display, sound, or external devices such as your printer or external hard drive.  Device manufacturers also frequently update their drivers for fixes and enhancements.  You can find the latest drivers by visiting your PC or device manufacturers website.

4)      Keep your Registry clean – The Windows Registry is a database that keeps track of various settings and options for Windows and 3rd party programs.  Installing unnecessary programs, improper removal, or failed uninstallations can all contribute to a bloated Registry.  A registry optimization tool, such as ChicPC-fix, can keep your registry optimized by removing invalid and redundant entries.

Smart, responsible women everywhere want nothing more than to have successful relationships, raise well-adjusted children, enjoy thriving careers, and take pride in their personal achievements. But, dear Chicas, identity theft can turn even the happiest of lives upside down in an instant, and the threat is very real: according to Federal Trade Commission data, more than 275,000 identity theft complaints were logged between January and December 2009.*

Identity theft can occur in a number of ways from the tried and true methods—stealing one’s mail or rummaging through garbage bins—to more sophisticated means, such as “skimming” credit card numbers and gathering information through Internet phishing scams.

Follow these tips to prevent becoming a victim of identity theft:

• Shred documents that leave you vulnerable: credit card offers, old bank statements, unused checks, and any other documents that contain sensitive information.
• Check your credit report from the three primary credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax) at least once every year. Visit www.freecreditreport.com.
• Never give up personal information to unsolicited or unknown callers.
• Prevent unauthorized access to your accounts by guarding personal passwords and PIN
  numbers. Memorize your passwords and make them challenging enough so that they
  cannot easily be guessed (avoid using birthdays, middle names, your children’s names,
  etc.) It is best to create a password that makes combined use of letters, numbers, and
  symbols.
• Go green! Have bank and credit card statements delivered to your email inbox instead of
  via snail mail. Review statements each month and report suspicious account activity to
  your lender, bank, or credit card company immediately.
• Protect your computer from hackers. The digital age has ushered in a new kind of identity
  thief: the online predator. To protect your email and computer from phishing, spyware,
  and other harmful malware that pose a threat to your identity, ChicaLogic recommends
  the award-winning spam filter technology from SPAMfighter. Sign up for a free 30-day
  trial of SPAMfighter PRO and enjoy the following benefits:
  Protection against phishing, identity theft, and other email fraud
  Free automatic updates
  Protection of all email accounts on your PC
  Unique language and image filtering tools
  Unlimited blacklist/whitelist entries
  Premium support
  …and much more!

Visit www.SPAMfighter.com for more information.

To learn more about protecting your identity, visit the Federal Trade Commission’sIdentify Theft Site.

*Source: Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book for January-December 2009, Federal Trade
Commission, February 2010.

You see, like me, my husband is not a tech person. But when he has to troubleshoot a PC problem, he doesn’t Google. He doesn’t read the computer manual. He doesn’t even break out his ten-year-old copy of PCs for Dummies. Instead, he does what most men in his position do: He screams and curses at his PC and then immediately yells for his wife (that would be me), who—thanks to her patience and hours spent solving her own PC problems—can usually resolve the issue with a few keyboard strokes and mouse clicks. And thank goodness, too. Because every time my husband has a computer problem, he threatens to drive straight to Best Buy and purchase a new one. If it weren’t for me, we’d have three computers in every room of the house, including the bathrooms and garage. But, dear Chicas, my hard-won knowledge has not come without its price, which became particularly evident on the day my husband interrupted my shower and asked me to “hurry it along” so that I could fix his computer. Mind you, this was at ten o’clock. At night. On a Monday. Are you catching my drift?

Now, as I said before, I’m no techie. But to my husband, I’m practically Bill Gates. And that has given me immeasurable power. And since I’ve so bravely blazed the trail for you, dear Chicas, I want you to know that you too can have the same power at your fingertips. You don’t need to be a techie. You just need ChicaLogic.com.

ChicaLogic.com is steadily building a database of useful resources and information, so you won’t have to look for that needle in the Internet haystack. We’re continually posting new articles, and we’re in the process of creating some really great software solutions designed with a woman’s workflow in mind, so make sure to check back often. And if you have suggestions, please contact us—we’d love to hear them.

Now, in the meantime, here’s what to do the next time your significant other threatens to throw the PC off the balcony. First, send him out for Ben & Jerry’s (Chunky Monkey, please). Then take two minutes to download ChicaPC-fix to his computer. The download is free and ChicaPC-fix will check for errors, corrupt files, and more, and then fix 25 of them for FREE! Now, if you prefer a dozen roses instead of ice cream, go ahead and purchase the full version of ChicaPC-fix. It’s less expensive than a new computer, and you’ll get peace of mind knowing that your significant other’s computer will be running at its optimal level, which means fewer outbursts from your mate and less time spent by you troubleshooting PCs.

What would the modern woman do without the sage wisdom of pop-cultural icon Carrie Bradshaw? While struggling to finish an article and meet her deadline, Carrie’s laptop suddenly crashes. Throughout the ordeal—and much to her frustration and bewilderment—everyone, from her boyfriend to the IT guy, wants to know one thing: “Did you back up?” Not only has Carrie not backed up her hard drive, she doesn’t even know what “backing up” means. One funeral, two fights with the boyfriend, and a new laptop later, Carrie comes to the stark realization that when computer crashes and life hit us hard, we need to pick ourselves up by the Manolo Blahnik sandal straps and move on with life.

Ah, yes, dear Chicas, so true. We don’t dispute the importance of taking life in stride. And we really don’t dispute the importance of backing up your computer’s hard drive. But to be honest, we’d prefer it if our computers didn’t crash in the first place. And we’d much rather spend our cash on a new pair of shoes or handbag than on a new computer anyway. And you probably would, too.

Thankfully, with ChicaPC-fix, you can limit—or eliminate—computer crashes and other malfunctions on your PC or laptop, and still have plenty of money left over to buy those Jimmy Choo shoes. ChicaPC-fix examines your computer for errors, harmful files, and more and then removes and/or repairs the errors it finds for immediate results. In fact, ChicaPC-fix will not only have your PC running like new in minutes, it will extend the life of your computer overall, saving you time and money in the long run.

Download ChicaPC-fix now and get 25 errors removed from your computer for FREE!

We at ChicaLogic love cookies. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin—we all have our favorites. But we often talk ourselves out of having one for a number of reasons: We want to eat better, we don’t want to gain weight, we don’t need the sugar, blah, blah, blah. Well, as far as we’re concerned, cookies have gotten a bad rap for far too long, and we want to set the record straight once and for all. Because the truth is that a cookie every now and then isn’t so bad—in fact, it can be really good! And so can computer “cookies.”

In computer speak, a “cookie”—which has often been associated with all things bad in the land of the Internet—is simply a file that is stored on your computer every time you visit a website. Cookies contain information that allows a website to identify your computer each time you visit that site. Examples of information include a username, password, site preferences, shopping cart info, and other types of information designed to streamline your interactions with these sites.

Whenever you register with a website or create an account—such as with Amazon.com, for example—that website’s server “gives” you a cookie. (Well, it actually gives the cookie to your computer!) The next time you visit that site, your computer will then “serve” the cookie to the site; the site, in turn, uses the cookie to verify your computer’s identity and retrieve your information. This process eliminates the need for you to re-enter new information—or re-register—every time you visit a site.

Some cookies also help sites identify your personal preferences so that they can customize content specifically to you—the user. For example, Amazon.com might use cookies to store your searches so that the next time you log in, Amazon can “suggest” new titles and products that you might enjoy. But this is also where the cookie often gets its bad reputation. Because in order to perform this function, it must track your online activities so that it can identify your personal preferences and online habits. This is why it’s important to be wary of questionable sites and to only sign up and/or register for sites that will truly be useful to you.

Most reputable sites that use “tracking” cookies will tell you upfront that they do so. But you can also choose to disable cookies and/or change your cookie preferences on your computer. This process differs from Web browser to Web browser, but look for your browser “options” or “preferences” tab to adjust your cookie and other Internet security settings.

Lastly, it’s a good practice to delete your browser history, including cookies, about once a month. This will help your computer run faster and keep cookie intrusions to a minimum.

And that, dear Chicas, is how the cookies crumble.

Busy women are all too familiar with the challenges involved in balancing career, family and personal life—especially when it comes to protecting your tweens and teens from the dangers of the Internet, as well as their own misguided social choices.

We at ChicaLogic want to help lighten that load as much as possible by helping you decode the instant messaging (IM) and text lingo that could potentially spell trouble for your child.

Below are the “Top 50 Internet Acronyms Parents Need to Know, courtesy of NetLingo.com. Warning: Some of these are sexually explicit.

Top 50 Internet Acronyms Parents Need to Know:

8 – Oral sex
1337 – Elite -or- leet -or- L337
143 – I love you
182 – I hate you
1174 – Nude club
420 – Marijuana
459 – I love you
ADR – Address
AEAP – As Early As Possible
ALAP – As Late As Possible
ASL – Age/Sex/Location
CD9 – Code 9 – it means parents are around
C-P – Sleepy
F2F – Face-to-Face
GNOC – Get Naked On Cam
GYPO – Get Your Pants Off
HAK – Hugs And Kisses
ILU – I Love You
IWSN – I Want Sex Now
J/O – Jerking Off
KOTL – Kiss On The Lips
KFY -or- K4Y – Kiss For You
KPC – Keeping Parents Clueless
LMIRL – Let’s Meet In Real Life
MOOS –Member Of The Opposite Sex
MOSS – Member(s) Of The Same Sex
M or F – Male or Female
MOS – Mom Over Shoulder
MPFB – My Personal F*** Buddy
NALOPKT – Not A Lot Of People Know That
NIFOC – Nude In Front Of The Computer
NMU – Not Much, You?
P911 – Parent Alert
PAL – Parents Are Listening
PAW – Parents Are Watching
PIR – Parent In Room
POS – Parent Over Shoulder -or- Piece Of Sh**
pron – porn
Q2C – Quick To Cum
RU/18 – Are You Over 18?
RUMORF – Are You Male OR Female?
RUH – Are You Horny?
S2R – Send To Receive
SorG – Straight or Gay
TDTM – Talk Dirty To Me
WTF – What The F***
WUF – Where You From
WYCM – Will You Call Me?
WYRN – What’s Your Real Name?
zerg – To gang up on someone

Defragmenting your computer’s hard drive is the equivalent of keeping your dresser drawers organized. (Can you tell that we love using clothes and closet references?) If you love clothes as much as we do, you probably like to know where each of your favorite items is at all times. This is why you have dresser drawers dedicated to similar items of clothing: socks and undies in one drawer, tank tops and t-shirts in another drawer, sweatshirts and sweatpants in another drawer, and so on.

Imagine how hectic it would be trying to put an outfit together if you didn’t have specific drawers dedicated to like items and instead simply threw clothes in random drawers just to get them out of the way? It would probably take you twice the time to get ready in the morning (oh, the horror).

Your computer’s hard drive works in the same way. Generally, similar items are grouped, or written, together on the hard drive, making it easier for your computer to locate the information it needs to run a program or perform a task. But over time files can become fragmented or separated—thrown into random dresser drawers. When this happens, it takes your computer longer to scan the hard drive to locate those blocks of information it needs to perform a task, which decreases the computer’s speed and performance.

That’s where defragmentation comes in. When you defragment the hard drive, your computer regroups those similar items together again, which allows your computer to locate what it needs faster, subsequently speeding up response time.

How do I defragment my hard drive?

If your computer is making a lot of noise or running extra slowly, it could mean that it’s time to defragment the hard drive (or simply “defrag” in industry lingo). To defrag your hard drive:

Go to the Start Menu

• Click on “My Computer” or “Computer”
• Highlight the C: Drive, but do not double-click on it
• With the C: drive highlighted, right click the mouse
• Click on “Properties”
• Click on the “Tools” tab
• Under Defragmentation, click “Defragment Now”

Depending on how long it’s been since your hard drive was last defragmented, the process could take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. You will not be able to use your computer during this time, so you might want to defrag right before bedtime. By the time you wake up, your computer’s hard drive will be neat and tidy!

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Here at ChicaLogic, we are all about speed and efficiency. We know that your life is busy (because our lives are busy) and we know that you hate it when your computer slows you down (we do too!).

If your PC is acting sluggish, we’ve got some great troubleshooting tips from Windows Support—and one fantastic tip from ChicaLogic—that will help get your PC back on the fast track.

[Note: Depending on which Windows operating system you are running, there may be very slight variations in performing the tasks listed below. If you run into trouble, click on your computer’s Start Menu; then click on “Help and Support.” In the search field, enter a key phrase for the desired task (e.g., “delete programs”). You will receive instructions for how to complete the task for your operating system.]

1. Delete programs you don’t use: When you buy a new computer, it usually comes installed with several extra manufacturer programs that you didn’t order and may never use. These are generally trial versions that are installed with the hope that users will upgrade to the full version once the trial expires. But if you never upgrade, that program sits on your computer taking up precious space. To uninstall an unwanted program:

• Click on the Start Menu
• Go to the “Control Panel”
• Click on “Programs”
• Click on “Programs and Features”
• Click on “Uninstall a Program”
• Select the program you wish to uninstall
• Click “Uninstall”

2. Limit the number of programs that run at startup: Depending on how your computer was configured by the manufacturer, you could have a number of unnecessary programs that load when you start your computer, which can double startup times. To disable programs at startup:

• Click on the Start Menu
• Go to “All Programs”
• Click on “Windows Defender”
• Click on “Tools”
• Click on “Software Explorer”
• Select “Startup Programs” from the Category dropdown menu
• Select the program you want to disable at startup
• Click “Disable”
• Repeat for each program you want to disable at startup

3. Defragment your hard drive: To learn about hard drive defragmentation, read“What is Hard Drive Defragmentation and Why is it Important?”

4. Clean up your hard disk: The Disk Cleanup tool helps free up disk space by emptying the Recycle Bin and removing temporary files and other files you no longer need. To clean the hard disk:

• Go to the Start Menu
• Click on “My Computer” or “Computer”
• Highlight the C: Drive, but do not double-click on it
• With the C: drive highlighted, right click the mouse
• Click on “Properties”
• Click on the “General” tab
• Click on “Disk Cleanup”
• Disk Cleanup will then calculate the amount of space it is able to free up by examining which files can be deleted
• Select the files you wish to delete (these are generally temporary files)
• Click “OK”
• Click “Delete Files”

5. Run fewer programs simultaneously: Have you been working on your computer for hours and hours? Does it seem like your computer is running at a snail’s pace? Take a look at how many programs you have open at the same time. If you have several documents, Web browsers, and other Windows open, try closing out the items you aren’t using for faster response times.

6. Run a Virus/Spyware/Malware Scan: Open your computer’s virus program and run a scan. You should make sure that your anti-virus program is set up to run scans automatically at least once a week. Also, make sure to download all of the latest virus updates (which are free to subscribers).

To learn more about computer viruses, read “What are Viruses, Worms, and Trojans?”To protect your computer from viruses, worms and Trojans, ChicaLogic recommends the state-of-the-art virus protection offered by SPAMfighter. Sign up for a free 30-day trial of VIRUSfighter PRO and enjoy the following benefits:

• Protection against viruses and other malicious software
• Virus removal tool
• Optimized system scanning
• Regular updates for ongoing threat protection
• High rate of virus detection
• Extended language support
• Free phone and email support
• and much more!

Visit www.SPAMfighter.com/VIRUSfighter/ for more information.

7.Download ChicaPC-fix! To increase your computer’s speed and optimize its performance, read all about the cost-effective benefits of ChicaPC-fix.