Although Mac promotes itself as easier to use than Windows, the newest versions of Windows have come a long way in usability. To help the computer-illerate with Windows, the MakeTechEasier.com site has published a great article titled 4 Things Computer-illiterate Users Should Know When Running Windows. The first item is not to believe any ads that promise to speed up your computer. The rest of the list is just as important. Be sure to read the entire article.

Although not a complete cloud solution for Microsoft Office users, Google Cloud Connect is a step in the right direction. What it does do is backup all your local Microsoft Office files (as soon as your press “Save” ) to Google Docs (or “the cloud” as we affectionately call it.) This provides off-site backup and the ability to view your documents from any browser anywhere. What it does not do is sync in the other direction, meaning you can not edit your Office files in Google Docs, and expect to see those changes reflected on your local PC. Still, it’s a pretty useful tool. Sign up now (only for Windows users) to be part of the beta testing.

Random computer crashes are a frustrating and difficult problem to solve. According to Leo Notenboom of Ask-Leo.com, the most common cause of “truly random crashes is an overheating computer.” Hardware failures or malware could also be the culprit. Learn more at Why Does My Computer Crash at Random Times?”.

Lifehacker recently announced their annual list of best Windows downloads. And this year, they packaged them all into a single download package with an auto-installer that will install exactly the programs you want, while you raid the refrigerator. The utilities include a few of my must-haves, such as Pidgin (a universal instant messaging tool), Dropbox (free cloud storage) and Mozy (free cloud backup service). To read about each tool, or to download the Lifehacker Pack 2010 for Windows 7, click here: http://lifehacker.com/5548767/lifehacker-pack-2010-our-list-of-essential-windows-downloads.

Since not all Windows applications notify you when a free update is available, there are third-party applications that will scan all your software, and let you know when updates are available. LifeHacker polled readers to come up with a list of the five most recommended software update tools. Learn more at Five Best Software Update Tools.

Tired of buying Microsoft Office for each computer you use? OpenOffice is an open-source (i.e. free) software suite for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. It stores all your data in file formats that are compatible with Microsoft Office, and works on many computer platforms including Windows, Mac and Unix. The newest release, OpenOffice 3.1 is now available for download.

Wondering where all your hard drive space has gone? OverDisk is a free Windows utility that displays a radial map that will graphically show you what’s eating your space. The author calls the current version beta, but the testers at Lifehacker said the version worked great.

The Creative Commons Add-In for Office is a free utility that licenses your Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents in just a few clicks. The drop-down menu sits on a tab (on the Ribbon menu for Office 2007) and uses a wizard to guide you through choosing the appropriate license. Unfortunately, it’s Windows only, no Mac. The free download is available from Microsoft for Office 2007 and Office 2003/XP.

An official release date for Windows 7 has not been announced, but several guides to Vista’s successor are now available from Gizmodo, Arstechnica and Microsoft.

When visitors to my home office see the two large monitors on my desktop, and see the mouse travel seamlessly from one to the other, they are usually amazed to learn that support for multiple monitors is built into Windows. All you need is multiple outputs from your video card, or multiple video cards. To learn more, read Ask Leo’s How Do I Set up a System with More than One Screen?.