AVG PC TuneUp 2014 User Manual Document revision 2014.09 (28.7.2015) C opyright AVG Technologies C Z, s.r.o. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Contents ........................................................................................................................ 4 1. Welcome to AVG PC TuneUp! .......................................................................................................... 4 1.1 System Requirements 4 1.2 Help and .......................................................................................................... Support ........................................................................................
.......................................................................................................... 70 10.2 Checking the Hard Disk for Errors .......................................................................................................... 72 10.3 Restoring Deleted Files .......................................................................................................... 74 10.4 Managing Running Processes ..................................................................................
1. Welcome to AVG PC TuneUp! Congratulations on choosing AVG PC TuneUp! You have just acquired a comprehensive collection of over 30 different tools to optimize your PC. Use this software to revitalize PCs, notebooks or netbooks with a minimum effort. With AVG PC TuneUp, you can restore the full performance capabilities of your operating system, games and programs.
2. The Start Center The new AVG PC TuneUp Start Center is the central access point for all functions and optimization options. The PC mode In the PC mode area, you can decide which mode should be turned on for your Windows operating system. For more information, see PC Modes. The Flight mode This area is only active on laptops, otherwise it is grayed out. A simple switch allows to turn off all wireless network activity on your laptop. For more information, see Flight Mode.
In the menu bar, you have access to the central settings dialog of AVG PC TuneUp and to information about the program and individual modules. For more information, see Menu Bar. The five categories The main area in the AVG PC TuneUp Start Center comprises five categories, giving you fast access to the key features of AVG PC TuneUp sorted by topic. The five categories in the Start Center represent the key task areas of AVG PC TuneUp. The first category shows the status of the four central optimization areas.
3. PC Modes In the PC mode area, you can decide which mode should be turned on for your Windows operating system. Economy Mode Using AVG Economy Mode, you can reduce the energy consumption of your computer by turning off the screen, hardware components or unnecessary functions. For more information, see Economy Mode. Standard Mode Standard Mode represents the normal operating state of Windows. For more information, see Standard Mode.
Economy Mode. How Can I Tell How Much Energy Has Been Saved in Economy Mode? The Economy Mode Configuration Wizard uses a traffic light system to show you how much energy you are actually saving with your settings. If the bar to the right of the total saving is green, your energy savings are high. A yellow bar represents moderate energy savings and a red bar represents low energy savings.
Please note that if the Economy Mode is already switched on, you don't have to run the Wizard again. You can alter Economy Mode settings directly in central configuration dialog of your AVG (the Economy Mode item). Simply check (or uncheck ) the appropriate boxes and click Apply. Now prepare your own Economy Mode by selecting which hardware components, services and features may be temporarily turned off in order to save energy when Economy Mode is turned on.
Wireless adapter energy-saving settings (only in Windows Vista and 7): This option determines the extent of energy saving for the wireless adapter when the Economy Mode is on. Connection to external devices Synchronization with mobile devices: This setting will prevent synchronization of addresses, emails, music files, etc. with your cell phone or portable media player and the related program will not start automatically when the device is connected while Economy Mode is on.
Tip: This is a popular way of increasing the performance of netbook s on a sustained basis. Visual effects Visual special effects for windows: This setting turns off transparency effects and shadows of windows, the preview window in the taskbar and three-dimensional navigation between windows when Economy Mode is on. Classic window style: This setting uses the classic Windows design for the appearance of windows, menus and buttons when Economy Mode is on.
therefore turned off so that all of the PC's processing power is available to the required programs. In addition to those programs that you are currently using (green), many others are also running in the background that are really not that important for your work (blue). If such background processes suddenly start to require a great deal of processing power, they are assigned a lower priority so that your other programs can continue to run smoothly.
the Optimize category and clicking the Configure Turbo Mode link (in the Reduce system load area). Please note that if the Turbo Mode is already switched on, you don't have to run the Wizard again. You can alter Turbo Mode settings directly in central configuration dialog of your AVG (the Turbo Mode item). Simply check (or uncheck ) the appropriate boxes and click Apply.
Switch to classic window design: This setting uses the classic Windows design for the appearance of windows, menus and buttons when Turbo Mode is on. Also, in Windows XP the colorful Windows interface is disabled, whereas in newer Windows transparency effects and thumbnails of windows in the taskbar are disabled. Step 4: Configure computer resources for optimum performance Your computer's resources are in demand.
Turn off network communication services: When Turbo Mode is on, this setting turns off network communication services that are rarely used, e.g. fax or peer-to-peer services. Step 7: How long should Turbo Mode stay switched on? The Turbo Mode can either be switched off automatically when the computer is shut down, or stay on until you switch it off manually. If you leave Turbo Mode on constantly, this can also speed up the startup process.
4. Flight Mode This feature is only active on laptops, otherwise the whole section is grayed out. The Flight Mode switch allows you to partly turn off wireless network activity on your laptop. This includes: Wifi – technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data or connect to the internet wirelessly using radio waves. Bluetooth – wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances using shortwavelength radio transmissions.
5. Optimization Potential The Optimization Potential is your personal indicator of optimization progress. You can find it on the AVG PC TuneUp Start Center next to the PC mode area. What is the Optimization Potential? The Optimization Potential uses a graph and associated notifications to show you how extensively you are already using the options of AVG PC TuneUp to increase performance and maintain the system and where there is still potential to optimize your system further.
Automatic Maintenance must be activated with all the necessary maintenance tasks enabled, or AVG 1-Click Maintenance is carried out within 14 days of use with all the necessary maintenance tasks, or AVG Registry Cleaner and AVG Shortcut Cleaner are run within 14 days and Temporary files are deleted within 14 days of use. To delete Temporary files, open the Clean Up category in the Start Center. Here, open the Clean Up Windows and Programs dialog (in the Gain disk space and delete usage data area).
6. Menu Bar In the menu bar, you have access to the central settings dialog of AVG PC TuneUp and to information about the program and individual modules. The "Settings" Menu Clicking on Settings takes you to the central configuration dialog of AVG PC TuneUp. Here you can adapt the program to your requirements, apply maintenance settings and configure AVG Live Optimization, AVG Turbo Mode, the update check and many other modules of AVG PC TuneUp.
7. Dashboard The Dashboard category displays the current status for the three most important function areas provided to you by AVG PC TuneUp. In the event of warnings or recommendations, you can use the appropriate button to immediately address the problem behind the warning or view the recommendations. In the fourth area, you can see whether the AVG Rescue Center protection is enabled, so that you can undo any changes at any time.
the speed of your Internet, uninstalling programs that haven't been used for a while or upgrading your hardware. However, in order to get the most out of performance recommendations that are personalized to your requirements, you must first answer some questions regarding your usage profile. To do trigger this dialog, click the Scan Now button (or, if you're not running the PC performance test for the first time, use the gear wheel button next to the Scan Now button).
7.1.1. 1-Click Maintenance 1-Click Maintenance is particularly suited to those users who would rather set the time for maintenance themselves and wish to monitor its progress. The link for starting 1-Click Maintenance can be found in the status field of the Maintenance category in the Start Center. After maintenance has been performed by 1Click Maintenance, further details on any problems found are also displayed.
choose whether - if it was determined that defragmentation was necessary - a thorough or a quick defragmentation should take place, or whether this should depend on the result of the analysis. Solid-state drives (SSD) are detected by AVG PC TuneUp. They are not analyzed or defragmented, as it is not possible to optimize solid-state drives through defragmentation and they could be damaged by defragmentation. 7.1.2.
7.2. Increasing Performance In this chapter, you will find out why it is important to do so and how you can use Increase performance to increase the performance of your system, by turning off unnecessary tasks and services. You can improve your system performance by turning off tasks and services that run in the background and that you rarely, if ever, need for your day-to-day work. For tablet PC compatibility (i.e.
In the Internet settings and Visual effects tabs you can perform all the optimization recommendations found by clicking Optimize all. Alternatively, you can click on a recommendation in the left column. In the right-hand area of the window, a detailed description will appear and you can apply the recommendation by clicking on the button on the bottom right. In the Hardware and software tab you must answer a few simple questions on each recommendation in order to receive suitable options to continue.
Your computer is checked for programs that have not been used for a long time. These are then displayed with the recommendation that they are removed so that they do not slow down your computer unnecessarily. Based on your user behavior, you specify here after how many days a program that has not been used is considered to be potentially unnecessary and displayed with the recommendation that it is removed.
System Recovery The AVG Rescue Center even lets you undo changes made not by AVG PC TuneUp but by other applications. AVG Rescue Center offers integration with the Windows system recovery function for this. Windows regularly creates restore points. Should your system stop behaving as it should, you can revert at any time to one of the restore points. The previous system status is then restored and any changes made after this point are lost.
In the right-hand column, AVG Rescue Center shows you a list of all stored backups and also the time at which each entry was changed. Create Backup Use this button to create a system restore point. Give this point a name by which to remember this system status at a later time. Since a system restore point saves the status of your configuration and system files, you are advised to create a system restore point before mak ing any significant changes to the system (such as installing a program).
8. Optimize Your computer does not always work quite how you would like it to. Often it seems to take an eternity to call up individual programs or to save files and you start to doubt the performance capabilities of your computer. But in many cases this has nothing to do with the hardware. The problem is caused by the programs that are started, without you being aware of them, or remnants of programs that were not completely removed from your computer during an uninstallation process.
system entries and data to ensure a quicker startup of programs and files. For more information, see Optimizing registry and performance. 8.1. Reducing System Load Disabling Programs The AVG Program Deactivator module shows you to what extent the installed programs are loading the system at various times (system startup, operation, shutdown). Thanks to the new AVG Programs-onDemand Technology, you can now disable any performance-sapping programs easily and no longer need to uninstall them immediately.
computing power, it will be assigned a lower priority so that the programs you are currently using will run more smoothly. This also enables speedy workflows even at high capacity. Configuring Economy Mode The AVG Economy Mode from AVG PC TuneUp is an intelligent module for saving energy, which can also increase the performance of your computer at the same time. AVG Economy Mode provides immediate energy saving whenever you need it.
All installed programs In the All installed programs area, you can see an overview list of all the programs installed on your system together with their load status. In the Name column, the programs are sorted according to their load: high, medium or low. Programs that do not place any load on the system have the status "none" and are not listed by name. The value for the load is always the highest value for startup, operation or shutdown.
Current status In the Current status column to the right, there is further information about the current status of a program. Permanently enabled The program is fully functional and is causing a system load even when you are not using it. Disabled until program startup The program is fully disabled and will not cause any load on the system until you start it again manually. It will be disabled again afterwards.
Required by system The services of the program that run continuously in the background have been turned off. Impactless The program cannot be disabled because it does not have a negative impact on the system load. Status description To the right of the Current status column, the Status description column contains further information about the current status of the program in question.
How to Configure Program Deactivator In the upper right corner of the Start Center you can find the menu bar. By clicking on Settings you open the central setting dialogue of AVG PC TuneUp which offers you a list of the most important settings of AVG PC TuneUp along with their respective options, sorted by modules. Click on Program Deactivator on the left in order to open the settings for AVG Program Deactivator.
speeds up system startup and the speed of your computer. How to Configure Your System Startup Launch the AVG StartUp Manager module by going to the Optimize category in the Start Center and selecting Disable startup programs in the Reduce system load area. Alternatively, you can start the module by going to All functions in the Start Center and selecting the Disable startup programs entry under Installed programs.
list. 1. On the toolbar select the Add button. Alternatively you can right-click to open the context menu and select the Add program entry. 2. From the list, select the program that is to start automatically each time the system is started. If this does not happen, click Browse and select the program you want from the list that opens. Removing a startup program from the list If you are sure that you do not want a program to be started automatically, you can remove it from the list.
If you select a startup program in the list, the database will supply a description of the program to make the decision easier for you. In the case of very unusual programs, AVG StartUp Manager might not recognize a program. If so, you can obtain information on this program by searching online via a link. In addition, you can also help ensure that a description of this program appears here in future, by providing AVG with information on this program via the Report program link.
AVG Uninstall Manager shows you a list of all installed programs. In the menu bar, click Organize to sort the table by column or select a filter under View to display only selected programs. This will help you quickly identify what programs you no longer use or which take up the most space. If you select an entry from the list, additional information about the program is display in the Details area to the right.
Configure Live Optimization entry under AVG PC TuneUp. Or click on Settings in the Start Center menu bar and select the Live Optimization area. Here you can select the two optimization methods. Since both of these are intelligent optimizations in real time, they do not always take effect immediately. Rather you specify here that from now on the load under which the computer operates is to be monitored so that both optimizations can apply if the need arises.
How do I know when Live Optimization was enabled? The great thing about Live Optimization is that it works intelligently in the background. Whenever one of these two optimization methods is improving the performance of your PC in the background, this is also indicated by the icon in the notification area of the taskbar. 8.2.
For more information, see Defragmenting the Hard Disk . 8.2.1. Cleaning the Registry In this chapter, you will find out how you can use the AVG Registry Cleaner module to clean the registry and why it is important to do so. The registry is the heart of a Windows system. It is where Windows continuously stores entries (values and keys). In addition, each newly installed program and every newly connected hardware item is entered in the registry where it records keys and values.
the cleanup (see Additional Functions in AVG Registry Cleaner Main Menu). Fix Problems Immediately Select Fix problems immediately and click Next to fix all detected problems immediately. Your registry is now free from all unnecessary ballast and your system is more stable. If after the cleanup has finished, the Check again button appears, find out more information here: Check Again Sometimes, the Check again button appears and the wizard recommends that you check your system again.
File Types Entries in this area of the registry link one or more file extensions (e.g. .txt or .doc) with various information (such as the program that should be used to open them). Such entries can become invalid through the uninstallation of programs, for example. Database Drivers During installation, some programs store entries on database drivers and data sources in the registry.
connections and stores an entry for each one in the registry. These entries can become incorrect or invalid if, for example, one of these programs is uninstalled. It should be clear therefore that deleted files can leave behind a lot of "ghosts" in the registry. AVG Registry Cleaner finds all of these orphaned entries and can delete them in a targeted fashion. We therefore recommend that you perform the full scan.
Functions for Advanced Users If you are sure that you want to exclude individual areas from cleanup, or want to look at the entries in the registry or even edit them, you will find the following functions useful: Ignore Problems You can remove individual problems from the list so that they are not found by the analysis. For this, perform the following steps: 1. Select a problem from the list of corresponding areas. 2. In the Edit menu, select Ignore problem.
This causes the registry to get bigger and bigger. However, the bigger the registry, the longer the system needs to find certain information requested at any given moment by a program - Windows then becomes slower. When a program is uninstalled or when the registry is cleaned up, these keys and values are usually deleted, but despite this the registry does not get any smaller. Why is this? The space previously taken up by a deleted key continues to exist in the registry - even if it is no longer used.
8.2.3. Optimizing System Startup and Shutdown In this chapter, you will find out how to optimize the startup and shutdown of your computer in next to no time. Here you receive recommendations for disabling unnecessary startup programs. These recommendations help to optimize system startup and shutdown. For example, common startup services that are not needed immediately after system startup are simply scheduled to start up at a later time.
For example, if you never use a printer, you can turn off all background programs that are related to print control. Simply specify this here. If you never need to access a company network or domain, you can turn off all related background programs and services. Simply select the applicable answer from the list.
A simple way to speed up your system is therefore to defragment the hard disk. As the conventional defragmentation often takes a long time, AVG Drive Defrag offers you two different modes. You either decide for yourself how defragmentation should take place, or allow AVG Drive Defrag to make the decision for you.
We recommend this option for you. Once analysis is complete, you decide for each hard disk whether you would like to run a fast or thorough defragmentation. You can also decide here to go without defragmentation. Automatically as recommended AVG Drive Defrag makes the decision for you and defragments each hard disk as soon as the analysis is complete using the mode suited to the degree of fragmentation.
If your hard disks still use the FAT file system, you can carry out a very simple conversion. Although conversion is considered very secure, you should mak e a back up of your saved data before attempting this. Click the Windows Start icon to open All Programs, go to Accessories and click Command Prompt. If you enter CONVERT.EXE C:/FS:NTFS in the command line, conversion will start. Replace C: with another drive letter to convert a different partition.
9. Clean Up In the same way as your home can get cluttered, your computer can also get clogged up with unnecessary ballast, which uses up valuable disk space. We recommend that you carry out some spring cleaning from time to time and delete unnecessary files from your system. All modifications to your system will be monitored by AVG Rescue Center and can be undone if necessary.
and subsequently remove them, thus freeing valuable disk space. For more information, see Finding and Removing Duplicate Files. Finding and Deleting Large Amounts of Data Use the AVG Disk Space Explorer module to find large files and folders on your system. You can then archive this data or delete it fully if you are sure you will not need it again in the future. This is a way of freeing up valuable disk space in one go. For more information, see Finding and Deleting Large Amounts of Data.
it. You can also click the Show item(s) button to view the full list of files or backups recommended for removal. 2. Click Cleanup. Cleanup may take several minutes. While the cleanup is taking place, very occasionally it can appear that AVG PC TuneUp is not responding. This is for technical reasons and is no cause for concern. As soon as the cleanup is complete, operations will continue normally, and a message indicating that the cleanup was successful will be displayed. You can close this dialog. 9.1.2.
Program history lists Many programs create history lists, which may log which files you were last working on, for example. These are stored in the registry as references. By deleting or moving the files, these entries become invalid. 9.2. Cleaning up browser As you surf the Internet, your browser saves various kinds of data on your computer.
Form data Data entered in web forms, such as address details, is saved in the browser. Saved passwords Passwords for certain websites can be saved. These passwords should only be deleted by experienced users. Index.dat files Internet Explorer's URL caches are saved in what are known as index.dat files. Please note that these files should only be cleaned up by experienced users. Internet history The addresses of all the websites you have visited are saved in the Internet history.
OpenOffice©, Windows Media Player and Nero©. These lists contain references to the files most recently accessed in the programs. These entries will also be checked here. If some point to files that no longer exist or which have been moved, you can delete them. This means that your system is free from unnecessary ballast; it also means that you no longer have to waste time trying to call up broken links. 9.3.1.
otherwise use. You can of course reactivate it at any time. Windows Messenger Windows Messenger is a program that lets you exchange instant messages with friends. If you do not use Windows Messenger, you can easily remove it from your computer here. Index for Windows Desktop Search Desktop Search is a Windows function that allows you to find files and folders quickly. It creates a search index with entries for each file and folder.
be shown in the scanning results dialog. Also, a folder won't be mark ed as duplicate if the duplicate files it contains are set to be ignored. As your next step, choose the files or folders that you want to remove. It's very easy – just check the boxes next to their names in the right part of the dialog. Please note, that if you select all copies of the same file or folder, a warning message appears, asking you to confirm that you really want to remove them all.
9.6.1. How to Run an Analysis Launch the AVG Disk Space Explorer module by going to the Clean Up category in the Start Center and selecting Find and delete large amounts of data from the Analyze storage usage and delete data area. Alternatively, you can start the module by going to All functions in the Start Center and selecting the Find and delete large amounts of data entry under Hard Disk.
The default view Overview is an ideal first step when cleaning up your drives. The most important information from all of the other views is combined to give you a general overview. You can always find information about the selected element in the folder tree at the top of the window, in the upper area with a colorful background. The size and percentage of space used is displayed for each drive.
most disk space. The top edge of the window displays buttons for Images, Documents, Compressed files, Music files, Video files and Other. Click on one of these buttons or on the respective entry in the overview to display all files of the respective file type. Advanced: Which file extensions are included? Each file type category includes files with many different file extensions. Images, for example, includes the file extensions .bmp, .jpg, .gif, .tif and .png.
The Deletion method section lets you decide which method AVG Disk Space Explorer should use as the default when deleting files and folders. The standard deletion method Move to Recycle Bin is particularly recommended for beginners, as accidentally deleted files can be restored. However, please note that the Windows Recycle Bin can only hold a limited amount of data.
(see How to Defragment Your Hard Disk ). When you delete a file, it generally ends up in the Recycle Bin. In Windows, this Recycle Bin is simply a folder that collects files for deletion. Retrieving a file from the Recycle Bin is child's play and therefore many users regularly empty the Recycle Bin or delete their files without sending them to the Recycle Bin, in order to feel that the file has been securely deleted.
is deleted, all the files it contains will also be deleted. When you select a folder for deletion, the program detects whether this contains subfolders and you have the opportunity to exclude these from the search. 2. Click Select. A tree structure opens in your folder. Select here a folder to be deleted and click OK. Alternatively, enter into the text field the full path of the folder to be deleted.
A procedure developed by the United States Department of Defense (Regulation DoD 5220.22-M) will be used. Prior to deletion, the files are overwritten with special data patterns multiple times, destroying the original contents so effectively that even expensive examinations of the magnetic structure of the disk in a special laboratory would not allow the data to be recovered.
10. Fix Problems Unfortunately, things sometimes don't go quite as you expected when you are working with a computer. With Fix problems, AVG PC TuneUp offers you various functions for discovering and rectifying any problems that occur. In addition, the program helps you to recover accidentally deleted files. Under Frequently corrected problems, you will find the troubleshooting functions that you use most often, which can be opened by clicking on them.
For more information, see Check ing the Hard Disk for Errors. Restoring Deleted Files The AVG Undelete module allows you to restore files that have already been deleted from the Recycle Bin. You can search for deleted files using various criteria. A particularly exciting feature here is that files can also be restored on external storage media (e.g. a USB flash drive). For more information, see Restoring Deleted Files.
Click Finish to close the module. 10.2. Checking the Hard Disk for Errors In this chapter, you will find out how you can analyze your drives using the AVG Disk Doctor module and why it is important to do so. When working with your computer, files are constantly being read and written – regardless of whether you are editing a text document, looking at pictures or simply starting an application. Windows places all files in special file systems to allow quick access to all necessary information at any time.
In some cases it is necessary to restart your computer in order to successfully complete the analysis or repair process. This can happen, for example, when active programs or Windows itself are using the selected drive and thus prevent AVG Disk Doctor from having exclusive access. If a system restart is necessary, AVG Disk Doctor will show you a corresponding message.
Checking file data (NTFS only) All sectors of the disk that currently contain files are checked. This will ensure that no read errors take place when working with files, If sectors are found that require multiple read attempts to successfully read the data, the file data contained will be moved to a sector that is free of errors. The sector is then marked as defective. This prevents future problems.
Search tip: Use the wildcards * and ? When you enter search terms you can use wildcards. These function in exactly the same way as in many standard search engines. The use of wildcards when searching is useful if you cannot remember the precise name of the file or only wish to search for a certain file extension. * and ? can be used as wildcards, whereby * represents multiple characters and ? stands for an individual character.
If the condition of a file is likely to be good, the place the file originally took up on the hard disk will not yet have been replaced with another file. It is therefore highly probable that the file can be successfully restored. Poor condition If the condition of a file is likely to be poor, this means that the place that it once took up on the hard disk, will have been partly overwritten by other files. However, there is still a chance that at least some of the file can be restored.
10.4.1. How to Manage Running Processes Launch the AVG Process Manager module by going to the Fix problems category in the Start Center and selecting Display and close running processes from the Manage processes and show system information area. Alternatively, you can start the module by going to All functions in the Start Center and selecting the Display and close running processes entry under Windows. AVG Process Manager provides a great deal of information on the current status of your system.
displayed. General menu bar functions Menu "File" In the File menu, you can use the New application entry to call up the well-known Windows Run dialog to start a new application or open a file. Click Exit Windows to shut down or restart the computer so that new settings can take effect. A function of particular interest is Replace Task Manager, which works by replacing Windows Task Manager on your system with AVG Process Manager.
This quickly shows you what processor is installed, the system RAM, the graphic card performance, the mouse in use, and any available information regarding the disk drives. Windows Here you can find out what version of Windows and of Internet Explorer you are using and when you last booted your computer. Display All important information, including the supported display modes and the abilities of your monitor and graphics card, can be found here.
11. Personalize Using the Personalize category, you can specifically configure how your Windows should look and function, thereby personalizing your computer. Under Frequently used settings, you will find the elements and areas of Windows that you often personalize and you can open these with a simple click. All modifications to your system will be monitored by AVG Rescue Center and can be undone if necessary.
11.1. Personalizing Options and Behaviors Start the AVG System Control module by going to the Personalize category in the Start Center and clicking on the Personalize options and behaviors entry in the Modify Windows settings area. Alternatively, you can start the module by going to All functions in the Start Center and selecting the Modify Windows settings entry under Windows.
Wizards Here you will find the Copy Settings wizard. It copies your settings to other user accounts and to the Windows logon screen: Wizards 11.1.1. Display Animations and Effects Effects Here you can change settings that relate to the display and operation of the Windows user interface. Under Settings, there are numerous options that you can enable or disable using the checkboxes. To learn more about an option, simply select it with your mouse. Several lines of explanatory text open under Description.
adjustment of ClearType smoothing to your screen. File Types Menu Operations Under Drives and folders, you can configure their context menus. The Show "Open Command Prompt Here" entry opens the command prompt at the desired location. You can execute DOS commands via the command prompt. Under Files and folders you can specify what commands are to be shown in the context menus of files and folders. Here, the four commands Send To, Move To Folder, Copy To Folder and Encrypt/ Decrypt can be displayed.
Under Window, you specify (in Windows XP) whether the tree view of directories in a folder window is always to be visible, whether the folder window last opened on logon is to be restored, whether compressed ZIP files are to be displayed as folders, and whether a details bar is to be displayed. (in Windows 7) whether the menu bar in a folder window should always be visible, whether compressed ZIP files should be displayed as folders and whether a details bar should be shown.
Advanced Here you can set what elements are to be displayed on the Desktop and under Computer (or My Computer in Windows XP). You can easily hide entire drives and specify how the address bar in Explorer, Internet Explorer and the Run dialog should behave. 11.1.2. Usage Input Options Mouse Functions Under Swap mouse buttons you can swap the left and right mouse button. You would then click with the right-hand button and open the context menu with the left-hand button.
(e.g. in a word processing program). Tip: Look in the small preview to the right of your current settings and the changes made. Use the slide control to specify the frequency of flashing. If desired, you can also set the cursor width to your liking and enter a value in pixels. Modern keyboards are made with a special Windows key with the Windows logo printed on it. This key is used to open the Windows Start menu and it can also be used in combination with other keys to initiate special functions, e.g.
Windows Vista: Under Power off button you can set what action is to be carried out when you click on the Power off button. By default, the computer is put into Power save mode. If you would prefer to shut down your computer quickly (or you are missing this function entirely in Windows Vista), you are advised to select Shut down computer. This saves you from having to open the submenu and selecting Shut down there. The third option is to put your PC into hibernate mode.
Under Flashing speed you specify how rapidly the button on the taskbar should flash. You have two options to choose from: The first one lets a window button in the taskbar flash until it is clicked again. The second option restricts flashing to a certain number specified by you. The default setting is 7. Under General, you can specify how long Windows should wait after your last key press before windows from other programs are allowed to appear again.
your full bandwidth for surfing. Passwords (Windows XP only) Saving your passwords means that you don't have to enter your password every time you dial into the Internet, access protected shares, etc. However, hackers may be able to access and misuse these passwords. You can therefore disable the automatic saving of passwords here.
Navigation In the Website behavior section, you can specify how Internet Explorer should react when links are called up. For example, you could specify that pop-ups or links opened in other programs are always opened in a new tab in the current window. In the Start pages section, specify which websites should automatically open when Internet Explorer is launched. Several sites can be selected for this. Use the Up and Down buttons to change the order of the pages.
Under Open submenus you can specify how long before a submenu automatically opens when you hover over it with the cursor. Windows This is where you can specify how popup windows and links should be displayed in Mozilla Firefox and how much influence websites can have on the display of the popup window. In the Opening links section, you can specify whether, after clicking on a link, the contents should be displayed in the current window or in a new window.
Operation This is where you can make changes regarding the usage of Opera. Under Autocomplete for web addresses you can specify that addresses will be automatically completed in the address bar, i.e. Internet addresses appear automatically in the address bar after you have entered the first few letters of the address. If, for example, you enter just one word only, then toplevel domain suffixes like ".net" and ".com" are added to the end and the prefix "www." to the beginning. completes.
You can change the font here which is displayed in the application title bar. You can also decide whether the application should show a splash screen when starting up. Here you can also configure the security function that blocks executable email attachments. If you do not wish to have such attachments blocked, you can disable this function. But please note that such attachments may also contain malware such as viruses that are run when you click them.
Under Delete history lists you can click Delete now to clear the list of recently opened files in the Start menu. Under Clear Internet Explorer cache enable the Clear Internet Explorer cache when closing option if the web browser should clear its cache as soon as it closes. You should only select this option when maximum security is important to you and you do not wish others to be able to find out which sites you visited on the Internet by viewing the cache.
Here you can choose between the Welcome screen and the logon prompt. The default setting in Windows XP is the Welcome screen. This shows a list of all available user names, which can be selected with a mouse click. Alternatively, you can select the option Use the old logon dialog. This brings up the secure logon prompt, where you are required to enter your logon details manually. You can also specify here additional settings concerning the behavior and appearance of the logon screen.
Save the date of the last access to a file and Save short (DOS) file names. We recommend that you leave both options enabled, as disabling them may have negative side effects on the efficiency of hard disk defragmentation and on compatibility with older software. Memory space Windows automatically sounds the alarm if there is only a small amount of disk space remaining on a drive. If this warning disturbs you, you can disable the Display warning about low disk space option.
programs. Startup and Maintenance System startup Here you can make general settings about how Windows should proceed when starting up the system. Under Boot defragmentation, you can enable the Enable boot defragmentation option to specify that files required for booting should be arranged on the hard disk so that they can be found particularly quickly.
the system log. Under Error reporting, you can specify whether Windows should send an error report to Microsoft following a crash. This will communicate not only information about the error but also information about your system. System General Under Windows registration, you can change the name and company of the user who registered the current Windows version. Here you can also see the serial number and product ID of your Windows license.
You can configure the appearance and behavior of the command prompt here. Under Completion, you can specify which key combinations are to be used to complete file and folder names. Under Advanced settings, you can click on the Advanced button to open a window where you can specify the visual appearance and start folder of the command prompt. Security User Account Control (Windows Vista and Windows 7 only) The User Account Control feature ensures that no unauthorized changes are made to the computer.
11.1.5. Wizards In this category you will find the Copy settings wizard. It copies your settings to other user accounts and to the Windows logon screen. Copy settings You can use AVG System Control to make a number of settings by which to change the appearance and the behavior of the system to suit your requirements. However, these settings are only normally valid for your current user account. Use the Copy Settings wizard to copy your settings to other user accounts and to the Windows logon screen.
8. File System 9. Appearance of Icons 10. Repair 11. Visual Style 11.2.1. How to Change the Appearance of Windows Start the AVG Styler module by going to the Personalize category in the Start Center and clicking on the Personalize the appearance of Windows entry in the Change Windows appearance area. Alternatively, you can start the module by going to All functions in the Start Center and selecting the Change Windows appearance entry under Windows.
This is automatically opened with AVG Styler and added to the list. Adding Boot Screens from a File In the top left, click Add under Boot screens. Select Load boot screen from a file. An Explorer window opens and you can select any given file on your computer. The following formats are supported: Type File extensions Description .TBS The individual format of AVG Styler. Stardock Bootskin .BOOTSKIN The format of many boot screens on websites such as www.wincustomize.com Images .BMP; .PNG; .GIF; .
does not interfere with the overall picture. Save the new boot screen to the AVG Styler list under a name of your choosing. You can also enter the name of an author. The newly added boot screen now appears in the list. Restoring the default If you no longer like your new boot screen, you can restore the default Windows screen at any time. Click on the Restore Defaults button. The default boot screen is then automatically selected from the list and a preview opens. Click Apply to apply it.
On the navigation bar, click in the left-hand window area on Startup logo. AVG Styler lists all available startup logos. You can now add additional predesigned startup logos or create your own startup logo. You can add new startup logos to the list before you accept it finally. To do so you have the following options: Downloading Previously Created Startup Logos In the top left, under Startup logos, click Add. Select the entry Download Startup Logos from AVG Online.
Click on the Use default. The default startup logo is then automatically selected from the list and a preview opens. Click Apply to apply it. To preview the startup logo you want, select it in the list. You can even animate the preview by clicking on the Play button. Click Apply. AVG Styler uses the new startup logo. 11.2.5. Logon Screen Please note that this function is not available in Windows 8, as this operating system uses no logon screen.
Select the entry Load logon screen from a file. An Explorer window opens and you can select a file on your computer. However, only files in AVG Styler format (with the .TLS extension) are supported. In addition, all available logon screens can be directly installed with the file Logonui.exe or in Stardock LogonStudio format (LOGONXP). Select a new logon screen and give it a name under which it should appear in the AVG Styler list. You can also enter the name of an author.
Most welcome screens are in English, but not all. For this reason, your system may greet you in a different language the next time you start your computer after installing a new screen. Then, instead of "Click your user name to log on," the screen might read "Klick en Sie auf Ihren Benutzernamen, um sich anzumelden," for example. In this case, you may be asked if you want to use the texts in the selected logon screen, or if you want to use the texts from the default logon screen in your system language.
You can discard any changes not yet accepted for an element by selecting them in the list and clicking on Discard unsaved changes made to this element. Any changes already made to an element can be undone by selecting the element and clicking Reset element to Windows default. Please note that this link is only displayed if the element does not currently correspond to the Windows default. If you should want to undo changes made to multiple items, you can click Reset category or Reset all categories.
Optimize package size: Use the options in this step to ensure that your package is not too large, so that it can be sent via email without problems. Creating icon package: The icons are now collected and optimized if necessary, after which they are saved together in an icon package. Finishing the wizard: The icon package has now been successfully created and will be added to the list of icon packages when you click Finish.
Undoing Individual Changes To undo a change, select an item in the list and click Reset element to Windows default. Undoing Multiple changes If you want to undo several changes at once, you may find the Restore backup from a previous session link useful. It starts AVG Rescue Center and enables you to undo the changes carried out with AVG Styler on a certain date. 11.2.9. Appearance of Icons Here you can change the appearance of icons on the desktop.
11.2.11. Visual Style Please note that this function is not available in Windows 8. Here you can change what is known as the visual style. This defines the appearance of windows and Windows buttons. Here's how it works: Start the AVG Styler module by going to the Personalize category in the Start Center and clicking on the Personalize the appearance of Windows entry in the Change Windows appearance area. In AVG Styler in the left-hand window area under Interface, click Visual Style.
Compressed archives .RAR, .ZIP Archives are searched for all file types in this list, and decompressed automatically if such files are found. Self-extracting archives .EXE These files are searched for compressed archives in RAR or ZIP format, which are treated according to the description of the Compressed Archive file type. Select a new visual style and give it a name under which it will appear in the AVG Styler list. You can also enter the name of an author.
12. All Functions On the far right of the Start Center, you will see the All functions menu. Opening this menu gives you a list of all functions that AVG PC TuneUp offers - clearly sorted according to application area. Clicking on the wrench icon next to an entry opens the settings for that entry, which you can adapt to your personal requirements. You will find most of these functions in this view and in one of the five categories.
Shows all the programs installed on your PC with detailed information about them, and allows you to select programs to uninstall. See also How to Uninstall Programs. Hard Disk Defragment Rearranges blocks of data on your hard disk, providing more disk space and quicker loading times for documents and programs. See also How to Defragment Your Hard Disk. Check for errors Checks the surface of your hard disk and your file system structure for errors and fixes them to prevent data loss.
can be safely removed from the hard disk without any negative impact on your system. See also How to Clean Up Windows and Programs. Clean up browser Cleans up the cache, cookies and Internet history of your browser, reliably removing traces of your surfing activities. See also How to Clean Your Browser. Remove broken shortcuts Searches your system for shortcuts and references that are no longer valid and deletes them. This prevents error messages when these references are called up.
Puts all tuning services and features at your disposal, without restriction. See also Standard Mode. Turn on Turbo Mode Allows you to temporarily turn off unnecessary background programs or maintenance processes to give your computer a performance boost. See also Turbo Mode. Start 1-Click Maintenance Checks your system for optimization options and then allows you to implement these optimizations directly. See also 1-Click Maintenance.
See also Optimizing the System. Windows Fix common problems Shows you a list of common Windows problems and allows you to easily remedy your problems. See also How to Fix Common Problems. Modify Windows settings Allows you to modify visual effects, browser options, the desktop, the user logon and much more to your personal requirements. See also Personalizing Options and Behaviors. Modify Windows appearance Allows you to change the Windows user interface to your personal wishes and requirements.
Allows you to customize AVG PC TuneUp to suit your needs, apply maintenance settings, and configure Live Optimization, Turbo Mode and the updates check for AVG PC TuneUp. Configure Live Optimization Allows you to activate two optimization measures for increasing the response rate and system startup speed. See also Configuring Live Optimization. 12.1. Editing the Registry In this chapter, you will find out how you can edit the registry using the AVG Registry Editor module.
AVG Registry Editor offers you comprehensive search options here. Showing a bookmark and setting a bookmark Select Set bookmark from the context menu of a folder in the tree structure so that you can find individual folders more quickly in the future. Additional functions In the menu bar, you will find numerous additional functions for editing your registry. For example you can export or print individual areas or indeed the entire registry. You can also edit the registry using the entries in the toolbar.
You receive a list of the available updates with a short description of the new or modified functions. Click Next to install the updates. If No Updates Exist If there are no updates, your AVG PC TuneUp is already up to date and you can close the wizard by clicking Finish. 12.3. Displaying the AVG Optimization Report In this chapter, you will find out how you can use the AVG Optimization Report to keep a constant overview of the extent to which you have optimized your computer to date with AVG PC TuneUp.
13. Rating Function for Programs You can turn on the useful Rating function for programs in the AVG Program Deactivator, AVG StartUp Manager and AVG Uninstall Manager modules. It shows you how useful other users of AVG PC TuneUp found the programs that you have installed. You can use the rating function to help you decide which programs you really need in your day-to-day work. In this chapter, you can find out why it is helpful and how you can turn on the Rating function for programs.
2. Click on the number of stars that you wish to award the program. So, if you wish to give three stars, click on the third star. 3. Your rating is automatically saved and transferred to the AVG PC TuneUp server. If you wish to change your rating, you can proceed in exactly the same way as for the initial rating.
14. The AVG PC TuneUp Gadget Another function of AVG PC TuneUp is the gadget. This is not supported by Windows XP and is therefore only available to you with Windows Vista and Windows 7. The practical gadget can be displayed on the desktop. It keeps you constantly informed of the status of your computer. You no longer need to start AVG PC TuneUp to find out whether optimization potential has been identified in the Dashboard category. AVG PC TuneUp can also be launched from here.
In Windows 7, proceed as follows: 1. Right-click on a free space on the desktop and select Gadget from the context menu. 2. Select AVG PC TuneUp Gadget and enable it with a double-click.
15. AVG PC TuneUp in Taskbar Notification Area The notification area is the area on the right-hand side of the Windows taskbar. This displays, for example, the time, status icons or program shortcuts. AVG PC TuneUp has a notification area icon that shows you the current status of your system and provides an entry point to AVG PC TuneUp. When you double-click on the notification area icon, AVG PC TuneUp starts up.
settings in the context menu that appears. This takes you to the configuration dialog, where you can configure your settings. In addition to the icon, you can choose to have messages displayed in the form of balloons. If the icon is not displayed on your computer, call up this dialog by going to the Settings menu in the AVG PC TuneUp Start Center and selecting the Notification area icon entry.