This info is for Windows XP

1. Defrag Your Computer

After using your computer for a while, installing, downloading, and deleting data. Many files become scattered onto different locations on your hard drive. Defragging your computer reorganizes your hard drive by putting pieces of related data back together, and will speed up your computer.

How to :

1. Open My Computer
2. Right-click the your hard drive (local disk volume) that you want to defrag, and then click Properties
3. On the Tools tab, click Defragment Now
4. Click Defragment

2. Uninstall Unused Software

The more storage you have on you computer the better. So remove any programs you don’t use that may be taking up computer resources.

How to :

1. Go to Control Panel
2. Click on the "Add or Remove Programs" Icon
3. Select what you want to remove and select Uninstall

3. Disk Clean Up

Clear up space by deleting unwanted files such as internet temp files, the trash can, and compressed old files.

How to:

1. Open the Start Menu >> All Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> Disk Clean Up
2. Check the box of everything that you want to delete
3. Hit OK!

4. Stop Programs From Starting Up

Your computer may have a slow start up because alot of programs starting at once. You may not need alot of the programs start up if your not using them daily, such as the itunes updater, nero check, realone message center, and so on.

How to :

1. Got to the start menu and select RUN
2. Enter msconfig
3. Go to the Start Up Tab in the new when that pops up
4. Deselect all the applications you would like to not auto start when you start your computer.
5. Hit Apply

5. Turn off Windows visual effects

Window uses alot of resources to make your desktop look nice. You can turn off some of the features to help your computer run better.

How to:

1. Right click my computer, and select properties
2. Select the advanced tab
3. Where you see Performance, hit settings
4. Now pick adjust for best performance, which will deselect everything. I usually deselect everything except the very last box. I keep use visual styles on windows and buttons.
5. Hit Apply

Extra Tips: Add RAM (Random Access Memory)

The more ram you have, the more memory you will have to to run multiple programs at once.
Ram is pretty cheap nowadays. I like to buy mines from Frys Electronics . They have reasonable prices.

Also Viruses may slow down your computer. So if you don’t have a anti virus software, get one. I use Ad-aware SE , its free

Let me know if these help you.

Was this hard to follow?? Do you need to see a video?

1. PSD TUTS - This is my favorite out of all the sites below. The tutorials are unbelievable, and should provide you with tons of inspiration.

2. Abduzeedo - This is a design blog with great tutorials, and tons of links to great work they find on the net.

3. Loon Design - Great tutorials in both illustrator and Photoshop.

4. Photoshop Star - Tutorial blog ran by a 17 year old.

5. The Photoshop Road Map - This site is like a best of site. I picks the best tutorials and links to them.

6. Photoshop Tutor - Nice tutorials.

7. Pixel Mana - Good tutorials and free resources.

8. Computer Arts - Computer Arts has a great graphic design magazine that is made in the UK. You can find them at Barnes & Noble in the US, but the cost $15 each. But the site lets you download some PDF’s of the tutorials you can find in there magazine.

9. Web Design Wall - Great site for design inspiration, design trends and tutorials.

10. Veerle - This is a popular design blog with tons of tips.

One More!! This one is web design tutorials

Net Tuts – From the makers of PSDTUTS.com. Great tips for web design. One of my favorites, and it just launched not to long ago.

Click here to go to GoDaddy.com get a domain name

Video on how to make it

Here is the link to the image: CLICK HERE!

This is just one example of a banner, you can do this in a million different ways. Watch the video, and submit your finished banner to the photo section of the site. There you can show your skills and promote yourself.

P.S.
Sorry if I sound a little tired, I did this at 6 in the morning.

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Download the following files:
Badaboom BB Font, Digital Strip Font, and Comic Balloons