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If you're an experienced user who knows exactly what you're after (cheap software for students) then this article is not for you.
If on the other hand you are a parent or family member and your computer skills don't extend far beyond web surfing and emailing then keep reading.
Explaining the role of an operating system is not like trying to explain the offside rule in football. It's not that complicated! Think of it as the brain that tells the body (your pc parts) what to do. If your Windows OS is running smoothly then you'll encounter fewer problems and have a much more enjoyable pc experience.
Problem is, over time your hdd (the hard drive where all your programs and data are stored) becomes fragmented, your OS develops errors and things start to go wrong. The more you write and delete files to a drive, the quicker the drive will deteriorate.
Quick Tip: Always use a second hard drive if anyone using your computer edits video or audio
Keep your OS and audio/video large files on different drives. The best solution for that is to use a portable external drive so the user can take their project(s) with them to school / college / their friend’s house, etc. This second drive is often referred to as a “scratch disk”.
So let's say you decide to buy Microsoft Vista Ultimate (at the price we sell it at you'd be crazy not to) for your new laptop or pc and you also have a second hard drive for large files that are re-written frequently.
To keep your OS running smoothly you’ll need a Registry Cleaner.
Run this program once a week and just as detergent or washing powder will remove dirt from your clothes, a registry cleaner will remove all of that week’s errors that have built up – everything from that trial software you uninstalled, those party photos that you edited to the automatic updates that left orphan files wandering around your hard disk. You’d be amazed at the number of things that can cause errors, even deleting a desktop shortcut!
It’s only by having a quality operating system and keeping it error-free that you will fully reap the benefits on offer. Vista, for example, is a fantastic OS if you give it a weekly tune-up, especially now that the freely available to download MS Vista Service Pack 1 (if your pc gets auto-updates you’ll get this without having to do anything) addresses the initial snags and bumps in the road that any new OS has to deal with.
Once a month (or if you’re a gamer every time you install a new game bigger than 5GB) you should run Vista’s Disk Defragmenter program. To find it go to:
Start Menu > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter
For best results your pc should not be in use while this program is running. Also remember to turn off your screensaver and any hibernate / power-off functions that you have on (you’ll find these in Start Menu > Control Panel). The process can take many hours depending on the size and number of drives you have so running the program last thing at night before you go to bed is usually a good idea. By morning it will be defragged and ready for use as normal. Vitally, make a back-up of your data BEFORE you defrag. No point taking any chances.
Firewalls, anti-virus software and spyware detectors are all very important too but fundamentally, if your OS isn’t in good health – your pc will become sluggish, less responsive over time, until finally all that writing and re-writing to an error-full disk leads to hard drive failure. Keep your OS clean!
The Truth About Upgrading Your OS
Upgrading your OS is a good idea because you will gain a whole new range of features and functionality and have a new OS to enjoy.
XP Home users can get huge benefits if they upgrade to XP Professional while Windows Vista Home Premium users have the choice of either Microsoft Vista Business (ideal for setting up home networks where there’s more than one computer in the home) or the OS king that is Windows Vista Ultimate.
Investing now in a genuine copy of XP Pro or Microsoft Vista is the smart thing to do because you can not only save up to £200 via our educational discount license but you will also have access to free security and program updates for your OS and all Microsoft software installed on your machine such as Office 2007.
Illegal OS copies can now be detected and switched off remotely so aside from the fact that it’s well, - illegal! - it’s also not worth all the hassle. Illegal OS copies won’t have the latest security updates and patches either so your personal and financial information will be more vulnerable to hackers, phishing, scanners, and other net nasties. That’s not scare-mongering, that’s a fact.
When our favourite news presenter, Channel 4’s Jon Snow, can be the subject of credit card theft, it’s time to take your online security seriously.
Give Your School A Rebate
Finally, the Microsoft software you buy will generate a rebate for the school, college or university that you have registered with us – so it’s a win-win for everyone!
Thanks for reading and happy bargain hunting. | 
