FF. Screen Shots & BMP Bloat: Pictures may be worth a thousand words -- they can also be a million bytes. Squeeze
them down to a bare minimum. Small hard drives, slow CPUs and email recipients will save time and space. You may have all the tools at
hand or they are all available [for FREE]. Get a free image converter IrfanView, and
[optional] program launcher Multilaunch. Full screen shots on Laptops are usually made with the Fn+PrtSrc keys; active window screen shots are made with Fn+Alt+PrtSrc keys. If you have an old [& somewhat beat
up laptop, sometimes these screen shots don't work well because the keys are well worn. If you don't see a little hard drive activity from
the hard drive light indicator when making the screen shot, try making the shot again. Double check that the shot "took" before opening
Paint, by opening Clipboard {direct short cuts to Paint & Clipboard on the Desktop &/or the Start Menu saves digging through
layers of "Programs" on the Start Menu}]. To minimize the byte size of screen shots:| 1- Before making an active window [rather than a full] sceen shot, move the active window to the top left corner of the screen. | | 2- After making screen shot, open Paint, set Width & Height [from Image/Attributes] to a small space [e.g. 32 x 32], select Edit/Paste and "Yes" to bitmap enlarged query. If bitmap does not contain extra areas that you need, select Edit/CopyTo in order to save the bitmap with name/location of choice, exit Paint without saving "Untitled" & skip to Item #4 below. If there are
areas of the screen shot that you do not need, continue to Item #3.
| | 3- By using the Select Tool, draw a box around only the desired area of the screen shot. Select Edit/CopyTo in order to save the bitmap with name/location of choice. Exit Paint without saving "Untitled". | | 4- Highlight the saved bitmap, right click while holding the Shift Key, select OpenWith, browse to graphic program that will convert bmps to gifs [e.g. IrfanView]. Do not check "Always Open" with unless you want bmps to always open with a program other than Paint. [If you use Multilaunch, the bmp converter {such as IrfanView} can be put directly into the right click context menu, and the Shift, OpenWith, select program routine is not necessary.] Once the bitmap is opened in the converter program, save it as a "gif" file, close the converter, and delete the bmp file. | |
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| GG. A Pile of Disks: Laptoppers often use portable drives &/or the floppy drive for back-ups, security and just plain necessity because of a small hard drive. Eventually a pile of disks is the result. Searching through that pile for a particular file/program can be a real chore with lots of wear and tear on the drive itself. Disk labels can't always hold all the files contained in the disk. There is a free program Directory Print which has the option of printing to either file
[install a "Generic/Text" Printer on your system from Control Panel] or your printer, the entire contents [folders & files] of your portable [& hard] disks. To use Directory Print you need to install [Free] Visual Basic Library #6 first. Best of all, Directory Print will output in spreadsheet :)) format as well as text. |
| HH. Upgrade Old or Buy New?: Key internal upgrades to Laptops include the Hard-Drive, CPU, Display & RAM.
Generally a Display upgrade, if even possible, is too expensive relative to the machine's FMV [fair market value]. RAM upgrades are the
most cost effective with material performance improvement. CPU upgrades can be worthwhile, if the system is not too old and if a substantial
upgrade is available. Many CPU upgrades will only take an old machine up to about 100-133Mhz which is still on the low
side. But if you're not a "gamer" or into fancy multimedia, this level is adequate to run standard applications. Portable Upgrade Center carries a wide variety of hard-to-find upgrades for many old portable models. But if your system is "old" on all or most of the key upgrade categories, a new machine may be a wiser choice; more RAM & CPU speed may be a poor choice if you're still stuck with a tiny screen and low resolution. And if you do buy new, don't automatically sell your oldie for a few bucks; it can be networked to your new system. |
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II. MAIL MUDDLES : Email from a non-AOL account to an AOL account
or vice versa especially when attachments are involved often causes
problems to the recipient [it's even been known to cause "flame" wars on
newsgroups]. Here are a few rules that are useful for overcoming these problems: |
A. Non-AOL account to an AOL account:
1. Send only in plain text format.
2. Zip up
all files that are to be sent as an attachment
into one "zip" file; attach only the "zip" file. If you don't have a "zip" program, go here for
Easy Zip; it's Free.
3. When including a link [URL] in the body of an email, write it in
an "AOL live link" format [which is the same way a link is written on a webpage].
For instance, if you want to send the URL for
Yahoo which is http://www.yahoo.com, there are two methods to write it:
1st Method:
<a href="http://www.yahoo.com">Yahoo</a>
will appear
as Yahoo in the AOL
recipient's mail.
2nd Method:
<a href="http://www.yahoo.com">http://www.yahoo.com</a>
will appear
as http://www/yahoo.com in the AOL
recipient's mail.
NOTE: When sending mail to both non-AOL &
AOL recipients, send the link in the regular style [e.g. http://www.yahoo.com]
and in the "AOL live link" style.
B. AOL account to a non-AOL account:
1. Follow the same routine as #A1 & #A2 above for composing email &
sending attachments.
2. When sending a link
in your email write it in plain text format,
such as http://www.yahoo.com. It will appear as http://www.yahoo.com
in the recipient's email.
NOTE:
When sending mail to both non-AOL &
AOL recipients, send the link in the regular style [e.g. http://www.yahoo.com]
and in the "AOL live link" style as oulined in #A3
above [or, if Yahoo is in your AOL "Favorites" list, drag it into the body of the email.]
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JJ. HARD COPY PROTECTION : The number of passwords to hardware, software,
email, Internet Access, forums, etc.
can grow to an unmanageable amount. Though password saver programs & managers
can ease the load, the ultimate backup
is on a piece of paper. Use a blank page on your machine's manual or keep
a list of all user IDs with passwords
in the manual. If you rely on online banking, credit card statements &/or
investing, print out detailed reports on
a regular basis. Catastrophic losses can occur; Windows can be replaced fairly
easily but personal data can't be.
The IRS doesn't buy the "dog ate my homework" excuse.
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KK. WINSOCK BACKUP : If your system has gone through several O/S
upgrades [where newer versions of Windows are installed
over old ones], you may have a folder in C:\Windows named "ws2bakup"; it holds
several files [mostly "vxd" & "386"] plus a
batch [bat] file which installs the other files in the ws2bakup folder. If you have
Winsock problems [i.e. cannot connect to
the Internet], "ws2bakup.bat" [run from DOS] is meant to restore a saved version of
Winsock. However several of the files in
the "ws2bakup" folder may be quite old [1995 & 1997 dates] & incompatible
with your present configuration. Before you
run ws2bakup.bat, make a list of all the files in the ws2bakup folder, extract
those files from your current O/S disk onto a
floppy disk. [If you
can't find the files on the O/S disk find the comparable file on your system
[usually C:\windows\system & copy them to the
same floppy disk]. Also make sure you have a current Registry backup. If you
then run "ws2bakup.bat" & severe problems
result [e.g. a BSOD message about VFAT or VIP errors that ends with the words
"SYSTEM HALTED"], reboot into DOS, safe-mode
or with a Start-up disk to the point where you can get to a DOS prompt.
Insert your floppy disk, copy
the files therein to C:\Windows\System as follows:
copy a:\*.* c:\windows\system If subsequent problems
persist, restore a backed up copy from the Registry made prior to the
execution of ws2bakup.bat from DOS mode at the C:>Windows
prompt as follows:
scanreg /restoreSee Knowledge Base
article:
"Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site" to determine O/S
compatibile Winsock version & settings.
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LL. LAPTOP FANS : Old notebooks didn't have fans; that was just
'sissy' stuff for fussy desktops, but newer notebooks with
faster CPUs, big hard drives & high resolution displays have fans. The
manual typically warns against blocking the fan vents,
which can put a crimp into how one may like to use their portable such as on
one's lap, couch or bed. There are "pads" you can
buy, but a TV tray [removed from its stand] can do the job or any "board" that
fits. Don't waste the TV tray stand; if you usually
"park" your laptop on the couch, put the stand behind the couch, place a
narrow board [about 5"-6" wide by 18"-22" long] on it, pile
the power strip with various adapters & other peripherals on the board,
toss all the excess [often tangled] cable behind the couch.
Your new noteook will be happy & your favourite parking spot will look a
lot neater.
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MM. INF FILE BLOAT : The ".inf" files in the C:\windows\inf folder
are used by Windows to install hardware & some software. On older laptops, the
number of "inf" files [+ older "pnf" & back-up "inf" files in the
"infback" sub folder] can grow quite large. If hard drive space is at
a premium on your machine, the Inf folder can be pared down drastically.
[I saved a much needed 20MB on an old Win3.1 laptop now running Win98SE.]
If you have an "infback" subfolder in the INF folder, zip up all the
files therein into one zip file, delete the files that were zipped, send the new zip
to a portable drive in a "mirrored" location. [A "mirror" is
a folder structure on the portable disk that exactly replicates
the folder structure on your hard drive. To work swiftly between a hard
drive folder & its "mirror" on a portable drive, change just the drive letter
on the Address Bar.] Therefore the new
home of the zip file will be D:\windows\inf\infback where "D"
is the letter of your portable drive. Since "Inf" files often compress
to a fraction of their original size, the zips can be saved
to floppy disks easily. As an example, 8.375MB's of 423 inf files
compressed to one 1.28MB zip file. After polishing off the infback
files, move on to the INF folder. Select all the "pnf" files if any, zip
them up, delete the "pnf" files, send the new zip to a mirrored location
on a portable drive.
Now select all the "inf" files & zip them up also performing the
same operation just done on the "pnf" files. As there may be several
hundred "inf" files you may want to make two or more separate "zip"
files such as selecting all the "mdm*.inf" files for a separate zip file.
When finished with the "Zip & Ship" operation, defrag your
hard drive because there's lots of empty space among the clusters.
As a reminder to yourself, you can create a txt file in the
"inf" & "infback" folders noting where the inf/pnf files went &
the date they moved out.
Note: If you need to install/uninstall hardware and certain software,
locate the relevant inf
file in the zip file & decompress it into the C:\Windows\Inf folder.
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NN. DOWN BUT NOT OUT : Big time disasters such as trashed hard drives,
an unrecoverable operating system, or a bad virus infection can take time &
often money to recover from. However, Internet connectivity & even email
functionality can be had by using the FREE QNX
OS/Browser that fits on a floppy disk. If your new machine has to go in for repairs, an older machine with
the necessary hardware can do the job. Minimum requirements are: [1] 386 or better Processor, [2]
Color VGA or better Video, [3] 8M or more Memory, [4] Plug-and-Play, PCMCIA, or COM1, 2, 3, or 4
connected Modem & [5] Serial, bus, or PS/2 Mouse. No hard drive or Windows is required. To use the QNX program,
your IP's access [phone] number & IP DNS address are needed to get online.
To obtain the DNS address, which is in the form of
xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, contact your IP's support if unknown. Often, the DNS number can be found by typing "winipcfg" in
the Start/Run box when online [click on the "More Info" box & look under "DNS Servers"]. Certain IP's
do not work with QNX such as AOL, but there are some FREE IP's whose DNS numbers will work with QNX. To use
an email account with QNX, use a free POP server, not web based mail such as Hotmail. You must have a pre-established
POP account because QNX does not take Cookies. If you don't have a POP email account, go to a site such as
ZD NET , access a current news article where there is the "Email to a Friend"
function, and fill in the comments section the message you want to send to either yourself or to a friend. If you
have access only to a "borrowed" system, such as when traveling, bring along a QNX floppy to get on the net; no
tracks of your presence are left on the system and no hard-drive installation is required. QNX
is loaded into & run from RAM; there is no viral exposure to your system but the floppy version cannot download
files or hold "favourites". To increase the funtionality of QNX, if you know how to write simple HTML pages, upload
a "start page" file when in Windows that contains links to frequently visited places, help sites [such as
Microsoft-Search ] and Search Engines. Your "start-page"
will remain in memory after it is accessed on a per session basis.
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OO. YES YOU CAN : Microsoft's Knowledge Base article #Q199/0/74 Cannot Store Outlook Express Messages on Removable Media
contends that "the Outlook Express message folder must be located on a local hard disk, not on removable media". This is NOT
true. Though the location of the message folders when installing Outlook Express is the hard drive
[C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities\{GUID #}\Microsoft\Outlook Express], after Outlook Express
is installed the location of the message folders can be changed to removable media. There is a bit of risk in doing so, but
for systems with little hard drive free space, the risk can well be worth the space savings of several megabytes. When moving
the message folders to removable media, always change the path in the Registry to agree with the new location by doing
a search [from Edit/Find on Regedit's Menu Bar] for the "Store Root" [no quotes] string which is under an Identities sub-key
in HKEY_CURRENT_USER. If you open Outlook Express without having the removable media mounted that contains the message folders,
a new empty set of folders will be created in the default location. Close Outlook Express without performing any mail/news
functions. Delete the newly created set of folders in the default location, search the Registry to repath the "Store Root"
string to the portable disk location, mount the proper removable media, and re-open Outlook Express.
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PP. NO WAY OUT? : When trouble comes, the phrase "reinstall the O/S" or "run Windows setup" for an old laptop with
a small hard drive that has an external CD-ROM from where the last O/S was installed is equivalent to "reformat"
if the only O/S available at [emergency] boot-up is MS-DOS. MS-DOS does not support "card-services" that give access to a PC-Card CD-ROM.
Even if CD-ROM support were available, with a compressed drive, installation of the O/S may not be possible because of inadequate free space on
the Host drive. But there are ways to avoid a forced reformatting when Windows has become unusable:
1 - If you have a backup of your
system [or at least the Windows folder] on a portable disk and can get access to another system, install the portable drive on the other system. Extract key system files [especially 'VXDs & '386s'] to floppy disks. From MS-DOS, copy the extracted files on the floppy disk[s] onto the "disabled" laptop's hard drive.
2 - If you have access to another system, extract to floppy disks from the installation CD, "key" system files and copy those files to the laptop's hard drive.
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| QQ. SCANNER SOFTWARE : If your system is squeezed for space, the application software [e.g. graphic & OCR apps which
can require 50+MB of space] that comes with the scanner can often run from portable drives, but the scanner drivers & supporting files may have to be run from a Twain or Twain_32 sub-folder in Windows. However, if you rarely scan documents, zipping the contents of the
Twain folder[s] can save 10+ MBs of hard drive space. Then when ready to scan, unzip the files. |
RR. MULTIPLE ISPs : With the availability of FREE Internet access in many areas, users may have multiple providers each
of which puts a shortcut on the desktop or an item in Dial-up-Networking. For fast access to all providers & to reduce desktop clutter,
make a folder "ISPs" on the hard drive, create shortcuts for all
access providers from their "*.exe" files and/or the Dial-Up-Networking folder. Paste the shortcuts into the new "ISP" folder.
Either use "C:\ISPs" [no quotes] as the Start page of your browser or
make a shortcut of the ISPs folder & paste it to the location of choice:
1 - on the Desktop
2 - in the Start Menu
3 - in the Quick Launch Bar
The Ad Banners that
several of the free providers place on the screen can interfere with system functionality & must be moved in order to complete some functions. Some relief can be had by running the browser in a Restore [ 2] mode rather than in Maximized [ 1] mode. In Restore mode, drag the edge
of the browser window to the edge of Ad Banner. |
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SS. STACKED LAPTOPS : If you have 2 networked laptops & are the sole user, arrange them for convenient use
in the same location by stacking one behind the other. Put the client machine behind the host on a raised platform
above the host's screen; a step stool about 9" to 10" high will give a good view of the client's screen & access to its
keyboard. Using an external [3 button type] mouse with the client can minimize the need to use the client's keyboard and make
simultaneous web browsing easier. If using a free Internet provider, note that when browsing the Internet,
the Ad Banner does NOT appear on the client's screen. |
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TT. AOL Access :
Internet users who have AOL as their primary access provider [not BYOA users] & have
another ISP[s], can use the other ISP to access AOL in the same manner BYOA [Bring Your Own Access] users do: |
| 1. Use the Setup Button on
the AOL Sign In screen to create a new location. 2. Select "create a location for use with
new access phone numbers or an ISP". 3. Then select "Add a Custom Connection (for example, TCP/IP)". This will create another
location named "ISP/LAN Connection". 4. To access AOL when connected to another ISP, open AOL & select the "ISP/LAN Connection".
5. If not already connected to another ISP, open AOL & select the "ISP/LAN Connection". This will bring up the Dial-Up-Connection
box where you can select the ISP of choice if you have more than one. However, some ISPs do not have Dial-Up connectoids & will
not show up in the Dial-Up box. To use this type of ISP, connect through the Shortcut to the "exe" file, then connect to AOL
with the "ISP/LAN Connection". 6. If you have "mixed" ISPs, that is some Dial-Ups & some "Exe" type, see
Tip #RR- Multiple ISPs for an easy way to access all ISPs at once. |
Note #1: Changing from a "Regular"
AOL subscriber to a "BYOA" subscriber can save more than 1/2 the current monthly charge. Before you make the change, make sure that
your new main ISP has good connect speeds, robust connections, infrequent busy signals,
and minimal network problems. Some of the low cost & free providers have been known to disappear or suffer from serious
network/overload
problems.
Note #2: If you [as Host with an installed AOL program] are networked, where the client[s] is
already connected to an ISP or may want to connect,
use the "ISP/LAN Connection" to access AOL. Both the Host & the Client[s] can access AOL email through
AOL Net Mail & the Host can access all AOL
content/screen-names directly if desired. |
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UU. No Limits : Most individual users of the Internet do not have dedicated access; they are sharing access
lines with other users. When too many users compete for the same lines, busy signals & slowdowns result. Providers
will often try to increase available capacity, but they will also seek to enforce a "reasonableness of use" policy
which can over-ride what a customer thinks is "unlimited" access. Commonly this policy may set about 250 hours per month
or about 8 hours per day as the high end of usage; when the customer regularly exceeds this threshhold, a warning or
termination may be sent by the provider especially if the provider's service has been inundated with customer complaints
about access problems. The "limited-unlimited" provisions of service usage are not generally well known, but they can
usually be found in the small print or in various provider policy statements. If you are a heavy user, this problem
can be avoided quite easily without loss of service by switching usage among different services. With the widespread
availability of free services, having three [or more] service providers can give you virtually unlimited online hours,
serve as a back-up if one or more providers are overloaded, & keep your name off the "Abuser-User" list.
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VV. Search & Destroy : Uninstalling applications can be done in several ways: |
| 1. From the Control Panel's
Install/Uninstall Tab. 2. From the Control Panel's Windows Setup Tab. 3. If the program does not appear in either
of those locations look for an uninstaller in the program's folder or as a shortcut in the Start Menu. 4. If no uninstaller
is found, the last resort is to delete the entire program's folder with all its contents either through a deltree command
in MS-DOS mode or through Windows Explorer by highlighting the folder & selecting File/Delete.
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After an uninstall [& reboot], look for program remnants such as left over shortcuts, empty folders, &
uninstallers to delete manually. Although the "Find" function may locate some items, a visual search through
Windows Explorer including Temp folders may turn up more leftovers; look for not only the program by its name but also by the
name of the program's maker. If planning to reinstall the same application because a prior install was flawed, save data
type files whose information you want to transfer into the new install such as email, spreadsheets, & financial
data. Running a Registry Cleaner program can aid in removing Registry entry leftovers, but always save the
"cleanup" file. When installing/reinstalling new software, watch for files that are installed in the
Windows/System folder. Some software overwrites original Windows system files, especially "dlls" with a version that
cripples existing programs. If, after installing new software, problems occur with other programs, replace the
overwritten system file[s] with the prior version. Using the "System File Checker"/"Version Conflict Manager" [Win98] or the "Find"
function [Name & Location/Date Tabs] can aid in locating changed system files. There are some *uninstalled* programs that
may leave behind files &/or Registry entries that actively interfere with some system functions or a successful reinstall; AOL, Outlook Express, Internet Connection Sharing, Dial-Up Networking, & Winsock are possible culprits. Aggressive removal/replacement of Files/Registry
entries/Network components pertaining to these programs may be the only solution short of an OS reinstall/reformat to solve the problem. Have current System & Registry backups and a Windows Start-up disk; backup files/Registry entries before deleting. |
WW. PCMCIA Card Settings: Windows, by default, will complain with a warning if a PCMCIA card is removed
without stopping it first; to remove a card select it from
Control Panel/PCMCIA/Socket Status Tab; then select the "Stop" button. If two cards are socketed, on some systems, it is
difficult to remove one card without disturbing the other; you may want to stop both cards.
1 - Remove Warning Options:
a - The removal warning
can be disabled by deselecting [unchecking] the option: "Display warning if card is removed before it is stopped".
If you commonly run with Systray disabled as I prefer in order to save space, resources & redundant power mode notification
[laptops have power mode indicator lights, taskbar notification of same is not needed], disabling the warning
re-enables Systray; to disable Systray again, go to Start/Run, type "msconfig" [no quotes], select Start-up Tab,
uncheck SysTray & reboot.
b - Or, disable the warning in the Registry which will not re-enable Systray; this saves
running msconfig & rebooting. To disable the warning via the Registry, go to:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\SysTray.
Select [double click] the DWORD "PCMCIAFlags", change the Value data from "0" [no quotes] to "1" [no quotes].
The "0" value is for Warning On; the "1" value is for Warning Off.
2 - Another option which can be disabled from
the Socket Status Tab is "Show control on taskbar", but it will only disable if SysTray is enabled; if SysTray
is disabled, deselecting the item then selecting the Apply or OK buttons will not cause the option to be disabled
even though the item is apparently active [i.e. not greyed out]. Deselecting "Show control on taskbar" will clear
the check mark,
but after selecting OK to close PCMCIA Properties then re-opening it, shows the check mark
has returned.
a - To successfully deselect "Show control on taskbar", first re-enable SysTray via "msconfig", reboot,
then deselect the item from Control Panel/PCMCIA, run "msconfig" again to disable SysTray & reboot again.
b - Or do it the easy way from
the Registry; go to:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\SysTray.
Select the DWORD "Services", Base "Decimal"; change the Value Data "15" [no quotes] to "13" [no quotes]. The Registry
method will not require running msconfig or rebooting.
3 -
PCMCIA sound effects [activated when a card is inserted or removed] can be disabled from Contol Panel/PCMCIA/Global Settings Tab by
deselecting "PC card Sound Effects" or
from the Registry via the key: HKLM\System\CurrentContolSet\Services\Class\PCMCIA.
From that key, open the Binary Value "Options"; change the value "0000 05 00 00 00" [no quotes] to
the value "0000 1D 00 00 00" [no quotes].
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| Back-up the Registry [or at least the Keys
that are being edited] before making changes or risk unfortunate consequences. |
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XX. AOL Clients: Running an ICS [Internet Connection Sharing] Network with a WIN98SE or WIN2000 Host enables client systems
Internet access. Clients [especially those with limited free space and resources] who wish to access AOL on a network using Microsoft's Dial-up-Adapter can install an old version of AOL [specifically AOL3.0; see AOL & Win200 for tips on where to obtain this version & how to configure it]. This version requires about 6.5MB of
space, can be run from a portable drive if necessary, and requires no entries in Control Panel's Network. If the Host has an established connection, clients can access AOL by signing on to AOL via TCP. If the Host is not connected, the client can request a standard dialup connection then sign on to AOL via TCP, or open AOL directly and sign on through a TCP [rather than an AOL.net] setup. Clients who are
pressed for free space are advised to empty the user Cache folders in the AOL directory as well as any other browser cache folders often.
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YY. New Kid on the Block: As programs and operating systems grow larger, back-ups [& restores when needed] become an ordeal.
The 100MB or 250MB zip disk [or now defunct Shark Disk] are inadequate to handle the job. A read/write CD-ROM is one possibility,
but there is now a laptop friendly solution which is easily portable, uses removable disks and runs faster than most portable drives, but your system must have a USB port.
It's an ORB drive; each disk holds 2.2GBs of data which is fine for making back-ups, storing data
& running apps of all sorts. The ORB works both on Win98 & Win2k. A few cautions about using this drive:
1- Before installing, go to the manufacturer's website [ Castlewood ] as the
manual & the software may well be outdated.
2- Do not leave a dismounted disk hanging out of the drive; put it in its sealed case.
3- The ORB may nab a drive letter
already occupied. Before you try to change drive letter assignments or go on a Registry repathing rampage, if you are going to also install a USB Hub [to accommodate additional USB devices], the ORB drive letter may right itself.
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ZZ. Hitting the Wall: If you install a non-Windows OS within Windows [such as QNX RTP ], running Defrag
may result in a continuous loop when it encounters the large non-Windows files. Even running Defrag from Safe Mode doesn't succeed; at
some point Defrag "reverses" and then tries again & again without ever finishing. To avoid this problem, cut/paste the large files
to another media [such as an Orb disk]. Run Defrag to conclusion & return the large files to their original location.
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aa. Cool It!: If your laptop fan seems to run too often, is a noisy bother &/or temporarily freezes your machine when it kicks in, then it may be time to add another fan -- externally. Internal laptop fans can still leave your machine "feeling" hot especially near the bottom of the screen & around the indicator lights. A small AC [120 volt] fan that is used in a desktop's case [commonly found at an
electronics store] sitting behind your laptop will provide additional cooling & runs fairly silent. Splice on an appliance-type cord [that
has a male end] with wire connectors & add an inline cord switch for ease of use.
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