Have you ever wished for a magic wand that could make annoying Windows problems disappear? Like, say, a missing Recycle Bin icon, or those pesky Runtime Error messages in Internet Explorer?

FixWin is that magic wand. This ingenious free utility requires just over 500K of space, runs without installation, and quickly fixes 50 different Windows glitches--many of which would normally require a trip to the Registry.

More often than not these days, I find myself clicking Google's Show options link when looking at a page of search results.

As you probably know, doing so reveals a handy sidebar with filters like Recent results and Timeline.

For everyday image-tweaking chores--cropping, resizing, and the like--I use IrfanView, one of my all-time favorite freeware apps.

But when I need drawing tools and other advanced capabilities, nothing beats Paint.NET. Don't let the Web-oriented name fool you: this is a powerful image-editing program, one stuffed with Photoshop-quality features like layers, special effects, and plug-ins. Best of all, it's absolutely free.

Some days I feel like technology is conspiring against me. In the past couple weeks I've been through the wringer with my media-center PC, my iPhone, and my Nintendo Wii.

Oh, and then there was Skype, which worked fine for a week straight and then suddenly started locking up my system. Aaaarrrgghhh!

So I'm trying to troubleshoot this ongoing, maddening problem with my iPhone, which refuses to sync properly with my recently-upgraded-to-Windows-7 PC. (Truth be told, I though the compatibility-mode feature I mentioned a few days ago had done the trick, but, alas, no.)

I've read here and there that there's a known issue with Windows 7, Gigabyte motherboards, certain Intel chipsets, and iTunes. Maybe that's the cuplrit? Just one problem: I have no idea what kind of motherboard or chipset are inside my PC.

Windows 7 has the same core code as Windows Vista, right? So application compatibility should be a non-issue, right?

Wrong.

I just bought a new (well, refurbished) Sony media-center PC, and while it's working fine for the most part, there's one annoying glitch: The Blu-ray drive's Eject button doesn't work.

Consequently, discs stay trapped in the drive unless I minimize Windows Media Center, open Computer, right-click the drive icon, and choose Eject. Talk about a hassle!

Tis the season to go shopping, what with Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner. Here's an easy way to put $10 back in your pocket.

Specifically, new subscribers to Microsoft's Bing Cashback program can get an extra 10 bucks back when you make a purchase of at least $25. (Note: This offer expires today, so if you're interested, get clicking.)

Adding a second monitor to your workstation can greatly improve your productivity. Take it from me: There's nothing like having your Web browser running on one screen and, say, your word processor on another.

Most desktops (and even laptops) support the addition of a second screen, and the monitors themselves are pretty affordable these days.

In my early computing days (I'm talking Commodore Amiga here), I grew accustomed to file managers that used a side-by-side approach: Your complete file system was represented in two adjoining windows. That made it very easy to move or copy files and folders.

Consequently, I've never liked Windows Explorer, which uses a single file-tree structure. To me that complicates something as simple as moving a file from one folder to another. It's not intuitive.

One of my favorite Windows 7 amenities is thumbnail previews, which appear when you mouse over any running program in the taskbar.

In fact, each thumbnail has a little red X in the upper-right corner, meaning you can close that program without first having to maximize it.

As a longtime fan of Windows Media Center, I was excited to see what new features the Windows 7 version would bring to the table.

For example, the TV channel guide now includes an Internet TV section where you can stream clips and full episodes of popular CBS shows. It's a nifty addition--but I don't want it cluttering up my guide. (Call me old-fashioned.)