If your screen is so cluttered with Word documents and program shortcuts, you don't need to move piles of stuff to the Recycling Bin. Just change the amount of space between icons. Right-click on the desktop, select Properties, then click on the Appearance tab, and click the Advanced button. In the "Item" drop-down, scroll down to Icon Spacing (horizontal) and Icon Spacing (Vertical); changing the value in the "Size" field will move icons closer together (while increasing the number will move them farther apart). When done, click OK. to make your existing icons follow these rules, right-click on the desktop, select "Arrange Icons By" and then click Align to Grid, then go back to the same menu and click "Auto Arrange."

Whether you have trouble with your hands or you just prefer using the mouse, typing with Windows' onscreen keyboard can be a great convenience. Navigate to Start > All Programs > Accessories > Accessibility, and click "On-Screen Keyboard." Click OK to clear the dialogue box and then start "typing"—you can even change the settings to "press" keys just by hovering your mouse over the letter you want (enable this feature by selecting "typing Mode" from the Settings menu).

Back It Up

You must back up your data, period. If you have the means, we highly recommend an external USB. If you already have an extra drive in your system - but just need some good backup software—try the free version of Syncback from 2BrightSpark.

Lock It Down

It's always a good idea to lock your PC if strangers are nearby and you step away for a few minutes. Just press Windows key+L to lock your PC. Alternatively, you can set your screensaver (via the Screensaver tab in Display Settings under Control Panel) to require a password if it's deactivated by checking the box in "Settings" that says "On resume, password protect."

Change your pre-defined, default SSID—leaving it as "Linksys," for example, tells the world that you haven't yet configured your router, which invites attackers.

Disable It

You can disable the confirmation that pops up annoyingly whenever you delete something by right-clicking the Recycle Bin and selecting Properties. Uncheck the delete confirmation box, click Apply and then OK, and you're done. Also, you can bypass the Recycle Bin entirely by holding down the Shift key while deleting files.

Connect It

If walls and distance are causing wireless signal degradation, try moving the router to higher ground (the signal radiates downward). Also try a signal extender (or repeater), which boosts the signal more. Finally, high-gain antennas will work, but they only focus the signal in one direction.

The majority of today's networks operate in the crowded 2.4Ghz frequency range, shared by microwaves, cordless phones, and other home networks. Avoid possible interference with this traffic, simply upgrade to a new router capable of broadcasting at 5Ghz, which has 23 wide-open channels as opposed to 2.4Ghz's three non-over-lapping channels.

If you've lost or forgotten your router's login credentials, you can get around this predicament by resetting the router to its factory settings. Do this by holding down the button on the back of it for 30 seconds. Next, look in the manual for the default user name and password, and then change them on your router's browser-based configuration page.

If Internet explorer runs too slowly, or if it freezes up on you a lot, try disabling some of its preinstalled add-ons. Click tools > Manage Add-ons > enable or Disable Add-ons to see which add-ons are enabled. Select an add-on you don't want preinstalled, then click the Disable radio button under Settings to deactivate it.