Norm

Norm is a a Canadian IT professional with 12 years of experience under his belt as a Technology Architect, Microsoft Certified Application Developer and as an Analyst. He has written numerous articles for multiple technology blogs, in addition to his own blog http://www.geekeleet.com.

Recent Posts

Recover Long Lost Files with Recuva

recuva_logo It seems like everything that Piriform produces becomes a handy tool to keep in your PC toolbox.  Recuva is no exception.  This handy application offers Windows users the ability to restore important files that have been deleted from the system.  Much in line with CCleaner and Defraggler, Recuva is a free utility that provides unquestionable value.

Recuva allows you to selectively search for specific files such as pictures, music, videos, and documents or you can search for any deleted files if you are looking for something outside of a specific niche.  This handy walkthrough will show you just how easy it is!

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Download High Definition Video With YouTube Downloader

youtube-logoYouTube Downloader HD is a great little Windows-only application for anyone who likes to download videos that they have seen on YouTube.  I can think of a handful of times that I needed an offline copy of a YouTube video when my Internet connection was not available, or YouTube was blocked by corporate policies.

This handy addition to your software toolbox offers the ability to download YouTube videos in multiple file formats which include .flv, .avi and .mp4.

One of the nice features of this downloader is that it gives you the option to download in High Definition formats if they are available on the site.  In this short tutorial, I’ll show you how to download a YouTube video with this easy to use software application.

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Speed Up Your External USB Drives in Windows Vista

Speed limitIf you’re like me, you’ve probably expanded the storage on your computer by adding an external hard drive or two.  I’m not talking about one of those USB thumb drives.  I’m referring to the USB connected 80GB+ drives that often require a separate power source.

In my system I store backups and archived data to the external drive, mostly items that I don’t plan to access frequently.  That being said, there is no reason why it couldn’t be a little quicker when I am using it.  Windows Vista has a little known tweak that will speed up your external USB hard drives and I’m going to show you how to do it.

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How To Backup Internet Explorer Settings with BackRex

BackRex Internet Explorer BackupThe browser today means a lot more than it did ten years ago, heck it means a lot more than it did even two years ago.  In today’s world the browser represents not only a way to view the musings of the Internet, but it’s also the thin face to many server-based applications.  The browser is becoming more and more of a dependency every day.

I guess that’s why this little application called BackRex Internet Explorer Backup intrigued me so much.  Over the years I have been through many OS rebuilds and changes, each time having to make adjustments to my browser settings to get them just the way I like them.  That includes the manual backup and restore of cookies, favorites, connections settings, and add-ons.  BackRex’s Internet Explorer Backup simplifies that task by automating the process from start to finish.   Here’s a little walkthrough of it’s basic features.

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How To Properly Maintain Hard Drives with Defraggler

Pinform DefragglerIf you read our earlier article about tuning up your PC with CCleaner, then you already know about the high calibre of software that is developed by Piriform.  I’m definitely a big fan of the CCleaner product.  I’m sure you can guess that it was a no brainer that when Piriform released their next masterpiece, I just had to try it out!

Enter Defraggler, a powerful and easy-to-use defragmentation tool for your Windows managed hard drives.  This defrag tool really sets itself apart from it’s competitors by being a quality product with the perfect price tag – free.  This tutorial will give you a nice overview of the Defraggler tool, as well as provide you with the necessary knowledge to use it effectively on your home computer.

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TreeSize Free Makes Disk Space Analysis a Breeze

Have you ever wondered where your disk space is being consumed?  I have.  There have been plenty of times where I thought that I should have more free disk space than I actually had.  I used to spend countless hours reviewing the properties of folder after folder, each time hoping to find a clue as to where my free space had gone.  Well… not anymore.

I found a great little application that does the great big job of creating visuals of your hard drive consumption.  It’s called TreeSize Free, and it was developed by JAM Software.  In this short tutorial, I’ll walk you through some of the basic functions.

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How To Resize Your Partitions with EASEUS Partition Manager

EaseUs Partition ManagerIf you’ve ever had to resize a partition, or make new partitions, then I completely understand what you most likely went through.  Good partition management software for Windows is hard to come by, well the free partition managers anyways.  Almost everyone has heard of Partition Magic, but there is a hefty price tag that comes with it.

As it turns out, there is a great application out there just for the Windows home user.  It’s called EASEUS Partition Manager, and you should download it today!

In this short tutorial, I’m going to increase the size of the C: drive on my Windows Vista PC.

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Backup Your Windows Data the Simple Way – with Cobian Backup

backup-diskCobian Backup is a real treat for anyone looking for an easy-to-use backup solution for their Windows desktop.  The latest release, Cobian Backup 9 (Amanita), provides support for Windows NT, 2000, 2003, XP and Vista.  This multi-threaded application can be used to schedule and backup your files and folders from your local system to a local or network connected storage location of your choosing.  Bi-directional FTP support is also available.

You can run Cobian Backup as either an application or a Windows service.  In this tutorial we will examine installing the program as a service, which will be fitting for most common installations.

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How To Tune Up Your PC (and cover your tracks!) with CCleaner

CCleaner is an easy-to-use system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool that was designed with the masses in mind. The simplistic layout of this application allows even the novice user to perform a tune-up on their Windows-based computer quickly and easily. The results speak for themselves – a faster running system with some additional and valuable free hard disk space. CCleaner will also remove the tracks left behind by your browsing habits, securing you against prying eyes.

ccleaner-screenshot-main

In this tutorial I’ll walk you through the basics of performing a PC tune-up.

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