There is a widely held view in the world of Windows Computer Users that the best way to keep a Windows computer clean and running well is to periodically reinstall Microsoft Windows on that computer.

Well, it is true that doing this will indeed keep the computer running well, but only by accepting the substantial downside of complete reinstalls; you have to spend the time to reinstall the OS, then reinstall all your packages, then reconfigure your settings, then reinstall all your data. And, if you are not careful about backups or if you happen to make a mistake along the way, you will lose data. Particularly in the case of a machine that is used to support a business, this risk is simply unacceptable.

The fact is that it is almost never necessary to reinstall Microsoft Windows. Here at Just So Software, we have a laptop which sees heavy use that runs Windows XP Professional, and that laptop is on its third hard drive - and we have NEVER reinstalled Windows XP on it in the more than six years we have had it, even when recovering from a failing hard drive.

While recovering a complete environment from a failing hard drive is not something most people are capable of doing, everyone IS capable of doing the routine maintenance necessary to keep Microsoft Windows running well.

This maintenance consists of periodically running chkdsk, periodically defragmenting the hard drive, keeping up with security updates, and periodically cleaning out hard drive detritus (using the cleanup tool that Windows provides). Beyond that, keep your firewall in place and working, do not use Internet Explorer or Outlook Express, periodically scan for spyware and periodically scan for viruses (I do not even use an active virus checker anymore; I just periodically scan using Trend Micro's Housecall and nothing ever turns up due to my other protocols).

Beyond that - and this is VERY important - keep an eye on what processes are running and what is scheduled to start when the system does. Many software packages you might install (shareware OR commercial) will start things you do not want and do not need, and will make them run at startup. This is an important cause of Windows system slowdown as the system ages. For example, both Quicktime and Realplayer shovel the startup junk at you when you install them. Keep an eye on what is set to start up, and take out the trash.

In this series of articles, I will take you through the details of actually performing this maintenance. By doing these things routinely, you will protect your system against the "bit rot" and slowdowns that plague Windows computers and cause many people to reinstall Windows.

Jim Locker holds advanced degrees in physics, has designed and developed computer systems and software for over 30 years, and was a landlord for 20 years running up to a couple of hundred properties. He presently works as an independent computer systems consultant and works for Just So Software, Inc. which produces one of the industry's premier property management software packages.

What does your perfect business look and sound like? Are you one of those that is looking to make money at home for doing nothing? Or, do you plan to work hard to earn this income in such a way as so that it can actually replace the income you are currently making? While some individuals look at the opportunities and worry if in fact it is possible to not get ripped off, others take the time to actually learn what makes them work. These are the individuals that will succeed in their online business endeavors.

You Can Make Money Online

You just need to know how. Step one in the process is learning about some of the options out there that are available. We are not talking about scams and games but legitimate businesses that you can make a great deal of money with. Once you learn what is available, you'll need to analyze which project fits with your specific being. What makes you tick, in other words? Finally, you'll need to get yourself motivated and get your products out there.

What's Out There?

There are many various types of businesses that you can secure. Many of them include selling products, software, ebooks, or the like. In some cases, you will want to produce and sell your own product while in others you'll want to use another's product to make a profit from. One this is for sure, you'll probably need to set up a website to sell it.

In most cases, individuals will set up a website for the product that they are trying to sell and then promote that site. To do this, there are a number of means that will work for them. They can use ads from the search engine Google for example. Some like to fill their website with great content so that the search engines stop there when someone does a search for their product. You can create good articles about the products you are selling and submit them to article directories which will allow others to use them. This allows people to come to your site for their product needs. Still, there are many ways in which you can promote your product through a website.

Now, before you worry that you are not Internet savvy enough to actually make a website, there is just nothing to worry about. There are simple to use software programs that will basically do the work for you. These are not overly expensive and can easily help you to create a website within a matter of minutes.

What Works For You

The best advice that you can get is to take the time to look for opportunities that appeal to you. Ask which ones actually sound good to you and determine if you could get behind selling that product or working that business. If you can put your heart into it (not necessarily a lot of money!) then you can make it work.

After you have taken the time to find out which opportunities are available, look at them side to side and stay focused. You do not want to overwhelm yourself by trying to do too many things all at once. Instead, you need to determine which one you want to start with. You can always go back for more later! Then, you'll want to build on your business through knowledge. This is very powerful to have. You can learn a lot about why a business works right online without paying a dime for it. You may want to purchase a product that will teach you, but even this is not necessarily going to make your business.

You have to make your business work. You have to invest your time in doing so. You may also need to invest a little money to earn money. But, the rewards from working your own business can be amazing. Thousands of people get started every day at a new online venture. Most of them fail not because the business will not work, but because they do not know what to do, don't put their best foot forward and they simply do not step into it with the best attitude. The best attitude is that of keenness and enthusiasm to "have a go" and put some realistic time and effort into making money. For those that are ready and willing to change their life, there is a business out there with their name on it.

Keith Lee is a motivational speaker, a life coach and a fitness instructor for the past 10 yeras. He study and did research on the Internet Marketing Industry for years. Go to his webiste http://www.MyInternetMarketingSuccess.com for some superb tips.

There you are, flipping through the radio stations yet again, looking for SOMETHING, ANYTHING, worth listening to. Maybe youll find a song here or there that you like, or a talk show on a subject you are interested in. Then its time to flip the stations again. What I need, you think to yourself, is my own personal radio station.

Enter the world of podcasting! Podcasting is just like having your own radio station, programmed with your favorite items and ready for you to listen anywhere, anytime. With podcasting, you can listen to:

[o] WHAT you want

[o] WHEN you want

[o] WHERE you want

No more searching and hoping to find a radio station that plays your favorite music. No more missing a talk show broadcast because you are sitting in class or in a meeting at the wrong time. With podcasting, you get just the content you want, from the sources you want, when you want. And there are no ads or commercials! What Tivo has done for your TV viewing, podcasting can do for your radio listening, and there is no FCC regulations either!

So what exactly is podcasting? A podcast is an audio file stored on the Internet that you can download to your computer or MP3 player and listen to whenever you want. It might be music, or it could be a talk show, a lecture, a recorded tele-seminar, a sermon, a football game, etc. Podcasting gives you the ultimate in choice and convenience.

o Podcasting is all about CHOICE

Podcasting offers you unlimited choices in listening. Even though podcasting is a relatively new technology, there are already thousands of podcasts to which you can subscribe. No radio station in your city that plays the indy music you love? Check out East Detroit Radio.

Want to improve the koi pond in your backyard? Subscribe to Koi Club of the Air.

Parenting questions? Try the Front Porch Parenting podcast.

You can find a podcast on literally any subject you are interested in! In fact, www.podcastalley.com currently lists 2,380 podcasts in 15 different categories, while www.ipodder.org lists 4,493.

Another advantage of podcasting is that, because podcasts can appeal to niche audiences, they can cover their topics in much greater depth and be far more informative than regular radio broadcasts, which must appeal to a wide audience. Also, with a podcast, you can back up and listen to a segment again if you missed something the first time. If you come to a segment that is boring, you can fast-forward. You can listen as many times as you want to all or part of the podcast. And you can stop listening all together for a few minutes, hours, or even days if something else comes up.

o Podcasting is all about CONVENIENCE

MP3 files have been available for download from the internet for years. But what makes podcasting different and truly useful is that you can subscribe to programs you are interested in. This means you dont have to check your favorite podcast web sites every day for new episodes and manually download them.

Instead, free podcasting software automatically downloads new episodes to your computer as soon as they are available. This makes it easy and convenient for you to stay up-to-date with your favorite podcasts.

Once your podcasts are downloaded to your computer, you can synch them to your MP3 player, burn them to a CD for playback on your CD player, or simply listen to them through your computers speakers. This gives you the ultimate convenience of listening to your programs at your leisure. You can listen to the podcasts whenever you want as you are driving, walking, exercising, knitting, etc. With a podcast, you can be mobile, live your life, and listen to your content ANYWHERE.

o Podcasting is FREE & EASY

Not only are podcasts themselves generally free, but so is the podcasting software you need! Both podcasts and podcasting software are easy to find on the internet and are easy to use.

Podcasting is waiting for you!

If you havent been exposed to podcasts yet, you soon will be! Podcasts are literally everywhere now, and more podcasts are being created every day.

Jeff Mills is a former Youth Pastor of 9 years, who is now a full time internet information entrepreneur, author, speaker, sales coach, and also an avid traveler. Jeff has passionately pursued learning everything he can about podcasts and has just released his breakthrough E-book that every Podcast Enthusiast should own. Visit http://www.podcastsecretsrevealed.com immediately. You can find Jeffs podcast feed at: http://feeds.feedburner.com/jeffmillspodcast