It's All About Talking Technology

Windows Mail Shortcuts

2009-07-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

It appears as though a healthy portion of Worldstart readers out there are using Windows Mail as their primary E-mail client. This is great, but I realized that I haven't offered up a single tip on WM since I've been writing here!

Please accept my most sincere apologies in the form of some helpful keyboard shortcuts! ;)

Main window

CTRL+O or ENTER - Open selected message
CTRL+ENTER or CTRL+Q - Mark as read
TAB - Move between message list, Folders list, and Preview pane
CTRL+W - Go to a newsgroup
Left arrow or + - Expand newsgroup conversation
Right arrow or – - Collapse newsgroup conversation
CTRL+SHIFT+A - Mark all newsgroup messages read
CTRL+SHIFT+M - Download newsgroup messages for offline reading
CTRL+I - Go to Inbox
CTRL+Y - Go to a folder
F5 - Refresh newsgroup messages and headers

Main window and View Message window:

CTRL+M - Send and receive
CTRL+N - Open or post new message
CTRL+SHIFT+B - Open contacts
DELTE or CTRL+D - Delete message
CTRL+R - Reply to message author
CTRL+SHIFT+R or CTRL+G - (newsgroups only) Reply to all
CTRL+F - Forward message
CTRL+SHIFT+F - Find message
CTRL+P - Print message
CTRL+> - Go to next message
CTRL+< - Go to previous message
ALT+ENTER - View selected message’s properties
CTRL+U - Go to next unread message
CTRL+SHIFT+U - Go to next unread newsgroup conversation

Message window
ESC - Close message
F3 or CTRL+SHIFT+F - Find text
F7 - Check spelling (when sending)
CTRL+SHIFT+S - Insert signature (when sending)
CTRL+ENTER or ALT+S - Send message or post to newsgroup
CTRL+TAB - Switch among Edit, Source, and Preview tabs in Source Edit view

Happy shortcutting!

GMAIL BETA IS FINALLY OVER

2009-07-09T23:03:00.001-07:00

Today is an exciting day in the world of Google.

As I'm sure many of you already know, Google is not just a search engine. For more than 5 years now, Google has offered web based services for email, documents, calendars and chatting. These services, called Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar and Google Talk, have been used by millions of people around the world, but there has always been one thing that is strange about them. For Five years now, they have been in Beta!
Just in case you need a reminder, here is the definition of Beta:

"Beta is a nickname for software which has passed the alpha testing stage of development and has been released to users for software testing before its official release. It is the prototype of the software that is released to the public."

Obviously, this does not quite match Google's definition of beta. Over the years, many people (including me) have wondered if Google would ever take their products out of the beta stage. Well, today is the day. Just yesterday, Google announced that they would be officially be taking Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar and Google talk out of beta! This is great news, seeing that it probably should have been done nearly four years ago.
PS: For those of you that use Gmail and still like that "beta" feel, google made it so you can still have the beta logo at the top of your screen. Just go to the "labs" link and turn on the "back to beta" feature.

24 Killer Portable Apps For Your USB Flash Drive

2009-07-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

My flash drive works pretty hard, so I've spent a lot of time gathering a reliable, powerful set of portable tools that allow me to work hard and play hard, even if I can't do it on my own PC. Here are two dozen apps that I always have at the ready.

Encryption

Truecrypt - Why is TrueCrypt first on the list? Simple. A multi-gig, easy-to-lose, unencrypted drive with your data on it is a terrible security risk. Truecrypt helps me keep all my private stuff locked down. Read the "traveller mode" documentation for help setting it up.

Web and Internet

Operator - I'm not an Opera fanboy by any stretch, but if I've got to surf on a public computer, I'm using Operator. It's got Tor anonymous browsing built in to keep you safe. You can read more about it in my previous post. If I'm on a trusted computer, I'll go for Portable Firefox.

Pidgin - I don't usually need to IM from a client's site, but just in case I need to stay in touch I bring Pidgin with me. For portable multi-network chat, it's the best option out there. Add the encryption plugin to keep it secure.

Filezilla - Half the time I need Notepad++, it's because I'm editing files on my FTP server from the road. Filezilla portable keeps all my sites accesible from wherever I am.

Peer-to-Peer

μTorrent - Yet another recurring frustration is not being able to find a torrent client on a PC when I need it. I run μTorrent on all my PCs anyways, so it's got a home on my flash drive as well.

Frostwire - What's worse than getting a song stuck in your head and not being able to hear it? Take Frostwire with you and make sure that doesn't happen.

Maintenance and Support

CCleaner - A lot of the computers I work on look like they've never had a single file deleted from them. CCleaner makes short work of dumping gigs of trash files from them, and it tidies up the registry, too.

Revo Uninstaller - Phase two in the purging of filth from client machines is ridding them of unwanted apps. Revo is way better than add/remove programs, and the "hunter mode" uproots stubborn apps.

Nirsoft Apps - I have to group these, because they'd eat up half my list otherwise. Dialupass, Mailpassview, Currports, Netresview, and several other of their apps are must-haves for any technician.

Treesize Free - To find where all of someone's drive space is going in a hurry, fire up Treesize. It makes drive cleanup a snap.

Teamviewer - Zero config remote control that's portable? Yes, I'll have that. Teamviewer kicks so much ass that it was an easy sell to my boss, who makes Mr. Crabs look like a big spender.

Multimedia

CDBurner XP - Customer's don't always have good - or any - burning software installed. CD Burner XP solves that problem. I switched from InfraRecorder, but it's a good option as well.

Screamer - I tried screamer out a while ago for a post on DLS, and it's earned a spot on my drive. For quick access to tons of internet radio streams, you can't beat it.

Faststone Capture - Whether I need a screencap for a blog post or to prove something to someone, Faststone is my app of choice. The included editing features are great, and mean that I don't need a photo editor for quick jobs. The link is to the last free version (at Portable Freeware Collection), as Faststone is now trialware.

VDownloader - You never know when you're going to stumble across a YouTube video that you just have to save. VDownloader will save in a number of video formats, or the audio only as MP3.

Irfanview - For image viewing and basic edits (crop, rotate, resize, etc.) , it's Irfanview all the way. The homepage is here, but the portable version is over at Smithtech.

VLC - Videolan wins as my portable media player because it supports so many formats and doesn't require outside codecs. Can 100 million downloaders really be wrong? Ok, sure they can. But I still love VLC.

Document Handlers

Notepad++ - It never hurts to have a good text editor at your disposal, and portable Notepad++ is an excellent option. Tons of great features, like macro recording, syntax highlighting, tabbed interface, and much, much more.

Abiword - Some may opt for OpenOffice, but I choose Abiword because I've got Zoho and Google Docs accounts for out-of-office chores that require heavy lifting. Abiword is small, fast, compatible, and has all the features I need for quick document production. The portable version is here.

Foxit PDF Reader - I hate trying to open a manual on a customer's PC only to learn they don't have an Acrobat viewer installed. Foxit is my reader of choice, so I take it with me.

File Management

Total Commander - Not only is Total Commander a rockin' dual-pane, tabbed Explorer replacement, but it also handles all kinds of archive files. That eliminates the need for two more apps just to handle syncs and file extraction. Until someone resurrects Google browser sync or Mozilla Weave handles all my Firefox settings and customizations I'll just let TC do it for me. Yes, it also has an FTP client and text editor, but FileZilla and Notepad++ are better.

Portable Launcher

PStart - It's nice to have quick access to the tools on your flash drive, and PStart gives you that by adding an icon/menu in the system tray. It's searchable, and there's even a tab to store quick notes for yourself.

There's my list. Would my flash drive cut the mustard for you, or did I miss your favorite app?
Tags:

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/02/24-killer-portable-apps-for-your-usb-flash-drive/

Parallels Workstation 2.2 review

2009-07-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

Parallels is a way by which Mac users can use their Windows Programs or in oe=ther hand we can say that this is the only way of compatibility between Mac and Windows. This legacy is apparent in Workstation 2.2, with its stylish button bar and focus on improving the graphical interface of the client OS.

Parallels Workstation isn't a particularly fast implementation though, both in normal operations and when installing operating systems. It was notably slow in an X.264 benchmark, and at installing Windows 2000 and Ubuntu 9.04. What's more, even after the lengthy install the app quickly crashed, and it wouldn't install Ubuntu 8.02. Windows 2000 worked well, however, and boasted the fastest boot and resume times of any of the platforms.

There are a few peculiarities with the interface – for instance, that you can only see one virtual machine at once. It's also a little cluttered as well, and the dropdown menus haven't been fully thought out. You do get USB support, though, which makes up for a few misgivings.

How to Upload Photos to Facebook

2009-07-06T02:53:00.000-07:00

To upload the photo on Facebook please follow the instructions as given below:--

Step 1
Go to www.facebook.com and log on with your Facebook user name and password. Then select the "Photos" link from the left navigation bar.

Step 2
Click the "My Photos" link at the top of the page and then select "Create a Photo Album" under the "My Photos" header on the next page.

Step 3
Add the required album information such as the album name and privacy settings and click "Create Album."

Step 4
Navigate the site. You will be taken to a window where you'll be able to look through the photos on your computer (at left) and select the photos you'd like to upload by clicking on a check box next to the picture and choosing "Upload."

Step 5
Surf on over to the "Try the Simple Uploader" link at the bottom of the upload window. This will take you to a page that allows you to choose your photos one by one rather than all at once. Make sure to agree to the Terms of Use before selecting the "Upload Photos" link.

Windows 7 Definition

2009-07-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

Definition

Previously identified as “Blackcomb” and “Vienna,” Windows 7 is reported to be the next version of the Windows OS. It will succeed Windows Vista, will be available in both client and server versions, and may be released sometime between late 2009 and early 2010.

Business Applications

Windows 7 client and server, will offer enhanced remote management for the enterprise, and offer a better experience for laptop users. This will be a positive purchase-point for businesses when the software ships. Since it is being built with the compatibility of the Windows operating systems, millions of applications will be available for the system, there by reducing most conversion costs for the enterprise.

Controversies

Microsoft has reported that the new OS will contain performance improvements over the current Windows Vista. This may be a tipping point for some businesses to move to the new OS. Vista has had its problems with adoption by the mainstream and businesses. The much-awaited new version of the Windows OS really needs to live up to the hype to succeed.

Technical Details

Windows 7 will be available in 32- and 64-bit versions. The dreaded UAC that came with Windows Vista has been enhanced to allow the user to control how often they are notified of changes to the system. There are also some personalization changes that allow each user to define their desktop, as well as enhancements to the wireless networking controls. As far as technical changes, it should be very similar to Vista, but with some aesthetic changes to clear up the issues that have plagued Vista.

Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 2 review

2009-07-02T22:10:00.001-07:00

Is Service Pack 2 enough to stop everyone abandoning Vista for Windows 7?

After seeing this box, Vista SP2 will boost your OS with new options
On first launch, SP2 complained that we had to remove Swedish language support before it could continue. There were no further hassles though, and 33 minutes and two reboots later, the service pack was installed.
Small visual changes include a permanent Bluetooth applet in the Control Panel, a new Indexing option or two (if you didn't have Search 4) and Blu-ray disc format options. Otherwise, SP2 Vista looks much like SP1.
Our performance tests showed that boot and shutdown times weren't significantly affected. Browsing over time felt a little snappier, though. The best results appeared with a couple of external USB drives, which copied large files around 10 per cent faster. Curiously, another drive's performance didn't change – so your mileage may vary.
SP2 isn't exciting, then, but it improved our PC's performance just a little – and if you're currently experiencing any Vista-related problems then there's a possibility it'll do the same for you.

Source _ http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/microsoft-windows-vista-service-pack-2-604618/review

How Strong Is Your WiFi Wireless Signal?

2009-06-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

The question arises here that how strong is your WiFi Wireless Signal.

Then how it possible to measure and know about the speed and strong signal.

The performance of a WiFi wireless network connection depends in part on signal strength. Between a computer and access point, the wireless signal strength in each direction determines the total amount of network bandwidth available along that connection.
Answer: To determine the signal strength of your WiFi connection at any given point in time, you can use one or more of the following methods: -

• Operating system utility - Microsoft Windows (and other network operating systems) contain a built in utility to monitor wireless network connection status. In the Network Connections section of Control Panel, opening the Status window of the Wireless Network Connection icon reveals a Signal Strength meter. This meter shows up to five green bars representing the current strength on a quality scale from "Very Low" (1 bar) to "Excellent" (5 bars).

• Wireless adapter utility - Some manufacturers of wireless network hardware and/or notebook computers (e.g., Linksys, IBM) provide software applications along with the hardware that also monitor wireless signal strength. These applications often report signal strength and quality based on a percentage from 0-100%.

For example, a connection with an Excellent / 5 bars rating in Windows XP may show in IBM ThinkVantage Access Connections as Excellent with a percentage rating anywhere between 80-100%. These percentages are based on actual radio signal levels maintained by the wireless network adapter, in decibels (dB).

• WiFi locator devices - Resembling a keychain, a WiFi locator device is designed to detect signal strength of nearby wireless access points. Most WiFi locators use a set of between four and six LEDs to indicate signal strength in units of "bars" similar to the Microsoft Windows utility. Unlike the above methods, WiFi locator devices do not measure the strength of your actual connection, they only predict the strength of a connection.

Note that different tools in the above categories will sometimes report slightly different results. For example, one wireles adapter utility may show a signal strength of "82%" and another "80%" for the same connection, or one WiFi locator may show three bars out of five while another shows four bars out of five. These variations are generally caused by small differences in how the utilities collect samples and the timing they use to average them together to report an overall rating.

Source:- http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wirelessfaqs/f/signal_strength.htm

Upgrading to Windows 7

2009-06-29T04:28:00.000-07:00

Windows 7 Upgrade Options

In anticipation of the official release of Windows 7 slated for the end of 2009 or beginning of 2010, discussion is already taking place about the upgrade options that will be available with Microsoft's latest desktop operating system.
So far, it looks as if the official upgrade path to Windows 7 will be from Vista . Moving from Vista SP1 to Windows 7 is expected to be a smooth upgrade option with few hiccups; hardware that supports Vista is sufficient to support Windows 7 and driver support should be even better with Windows 7 than in Vista.
But what about the fate of those users who did not make the jump from Windows XP to Vista. Many XP users, wary over reports of software issues, hardware incompatibilities, and performance problems, have decided not to install Vista. Others who are perfectly happy with their XP systems just didn't see any benefit to switching. I count myself in the latter group.

Will XP Diehards Be Left Out In The Cold?

The easiest answer is not really. Microsoft will offer an upgrade option for those users who remained on XP. Except, the upgrade option isn't really a true "upgrade"; Microsoft will allow XP users to install a full copy of Windows 7 at a discounted price. That means a fresh install over XP. Unfortunately, that means reformatting the disk, installing Windows 7, and re-install all your software, and re-loading all your personal files (documents, spreadsheets, music, photos, etc.) from a backup.
That's a pain for sure, but I expect that some noise about this will be heard in Redmond, and perhaps they will provide a true upgrade path from XP to Windows 7. But don't hold your breath. You could always upgrade from XP to Vista to W7, without needing to format and reload all your stuff. But honestly, my opinion is that a lot of crud builds up over time in any Windows system, and upgrades only add to the mess. A fresh install of Windows 7 on a shiny clean hard drive will probably be a lot less trouble in the long run.
XP users who have systems that meet the minimum system requirements needed for Windows 7 should be in the clear to install Windows 7 on their existing systems. Minimum hardware requirements for Windows 7 are; 1 GHz processor, 1 GB memory, at least 16 GB free hard drive space and a video card that can support DX9 graphics with 128 MB memory (for the Aero interface).
If you are running XP on a system with less memory but with at least a 1GHz processor and that computer can be upgraded to at least 1 GB of RAM, you can opt to upgrade the memory. Memory is relatively inexpensive now.
If however, you are running XP on an older processor, or on a computer with less than 1 GB memory and that computer cannot be upgraded, than your best and most economical bet would be to wait until the new desktops and laptops come out pre-installed with Windows 7. Given the rapid pace of computer technology, and the corresponding price drops over time, my feeling is that a personal computer more than 4 or 5 years old is basically obsolete.

Upgrading from Vista to Windows 7

What about Vista users? Microsoft is saying that new Vista-based systems purchased after July 1, 2009 will be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7. The caveats: this is only valid for computers that are purchased with Vista preinstalled and does not apply to systems running Vista Basic.
Like Vista, Windows 7 will be released in different versions. The versioning process is a bit simpler than was the case with Vista. In the United States, there will be three main versions of Windows 7 available; Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. Home Premium is anticipated to be the edition most commonly sold, while Professional and Ultimate will be targeted for business users. The versions targeted for businesses have some advanced networking and encryption features but other than that, Home Premium will allow the full experience of Windows 7.
Microsoft expects that 80% of all users will be using the Home Premium or Professional version, but there will also be a Windows 7 Starter Edition, targeted at the low-end netbook (mini laptop) computers.

How Much Will Windows 7 Cost?

So how much will a copy of Windows 7 set you back? Microsoft has not made any official pricing available as of yet. Most analysts assume that pricing will be about the same as Vista, which is $199 for Basic, $259 for Home Premium, and $299 for the Business version.
But some people are speculating about a significantly lower price point for the Windows 7 Starter Edition, which is supposed to run lean and mean on netbooks. The idea is that if Microsoft priced this Starter Edition at under $50, they could pretty much wipe out the demand for Linux-based netbooks. We'll see, all of this is just guesswork for now.
If you're interested in obtaining Windows 7, now is a good time to do an analysis of your current system, see if it meets minimum requirements, do any possible upgrades, and try the beta. (See Windows 7 is Coming for more on that.) Or you can wait it out and do some shopping around when computer vendors start offering their products with Windows 7 pre-installed.

Source:- http://askbobrankin.com/upgrading_to_windows_7.html

Windows 7 Half Price Offer

2009-06-29T04:18:00.001-07:00

Windows 7 at 50% Discount

If you have any version of Windows XP or Vista, and you think you'll be moving up to Windows 7 when it becomes available on October 22nd, then you should consider this limited time offer from Microsoft.

Here's the deal: Pre-order your copy of Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for $49, or the Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for $99. That's about half off the estimated retail prices of $99 and $199, respectively. You'll place your order through one of the participating retailers listed, and they'll provide instructions on how to get your copy of Windows 7 when it's released in October.
Just keep in mind that Vista users can do an in-place upgrade to Windows 7, while "upgrading" from XP to Win7 will require a clean install. That means reformatting the drive, installing Win7, and then transferring or re-installing any data or software from the old system.

Which Windows 7 Should You Buy?

So what's the difference between Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional? Here's the scoop:

Windows 7 Features Home Premium Professional
Improved desktop
navigation
YES YES
Enhanced Windows Search feature YES YES
Internet Explorer 8 YES YES
New Media Center - Watch and record TV on your PC YES YES
Easy networking and printer sharing with HomeGroup YES YES
Windows XP Mode NO YES
Domain Join feature
NO YES
Automatic backup NO YES

Bottom line, most home users will not need the Professional version. See my article on Windows 7 XP Mode to find out if you have any older XP programs that might require XP Mode. The Domain Join feature is something that only users in a business setting will need, and you can get free automatic backup solutions elsewhere.

Source:- http://askbobrankin.com/windows_7_half_price_offer.html

Going Viral - Internet Classics

2009-06-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

Internet Classics
• Go ahead... press The Really Big Button That Doesn't Do Anything. Useless since 1994, the RBBTDDA is one of the first websites to go viral, meaning that it quickly became well-known by word of mouth.
• Samorost is an adventure game or interactive art? When first discovered this game, it was cleverly concealed in a deodorant website.
• Evil Conspiracy Unmasked! All Your Base Are Belong To Us reveals photographic proof of a conspiracy so large and so complicated that well... you know. Zero Wing, a poorly translated Japanese video game for the old Sega Genesis console, served as the inspiration for this phenomenon.
• Pick the Music, the Jiggy and the Booty -- and watch Paul dance! Dancing Paul will keep small minds occupied for minutes on end.
• Singing, dancing, and a floating hat -- it's Hatt Baby! It's annoying, badly animated, and incomprehensible. But you will be drawn against your will to watch until the very end.
• It's just Good Science... the Traffic Cone Preservation Society seeks to ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy these orange pointy-headed critters.
• If you scratched that itch a little too hard, then 75 years of Band-Aid may be just the cure. A featured site on the Unusual Museums of the Internet tour, along with Becky's Banana Sticker Bonanza.
• Is it a word, a number, or something else entirely? Shfifty Five is one thing for sure -- proof positive that anyone with rudimentary art skills, a microphone and the Macromedia Flash authoring software can become famous overnight.
• Yet Another Flash Abomination: The Kitty Kat Dance takes Bad Art to new heights. But for some strange reason, it's fun to watch.
• If you've ever had a bad experience with online shopping, you'll find REEMCO: The Way E-Commerce Should Be absolutely hilarious. Be sure to go through the entire checkout process...

Source:- http://askbobrankin.com/going_viral_internet_classics.html

What is Broadband?

2009-06-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

Should I Switch to High-Speed Internet?

When we talk about broadband mean that high speed of internet. There are two basic types of internet access: dialup and high-speed.
1. Dialup (connecting a regular phone line to your computer) has been around for many years. Unless you have specifically requested a high-speed connection from a cable, telephone or satellite provider, you have dialup.
Dialup connections are fine for casual email usage and visiting the occasional website. But since the speed of a dialup connection tops out at about 6000 characters per second, it's frustrating when someone emails you a large photo or you try to view a website rich with graphics or video content. It's common for a photo to be 1 megabyte (one million characters) or larger, so that means you'll be waiting about three minutes for it to download. Videos can be hundreds of megabytes, which makes them all but impossible to view with dialup.

Should you switch from dialup to high-speed internet? The answer is YES, if you feel you are spending way too much time waiting for photos, websites or other Web content to load. You may also be concerned about tying up your phone line for hours, or getting flack from friends who always get a busy signal.

A high-speed connection can be 20 to 100 times faster than dialup, depending on the option you choose. And a high-speed connection won't tie up your phone line -- you can surf the Web while you make and receive phone calls. High-speed costs more though... expect to pay between $25 and $45 per month. If you're paying AOL $20 a month for dialup, the switch to high-speed may be a no-brainer.

And just to stir the pot a little more, there's an intermediate option offered by some service providers like Earthlink and NetZero. This so-called "high-speed dialup" or "accelerated dialup" CAN make your dialup connection go 4-5 times faster, but only for certain types of data. It will help with some web pages, but it will NOT speed up web-based music or video, nor will it help with emailed photos or secure sites. I'd go for this ONLY if the cost of high-speed access is outside your budget, or high-speed is not available in your area.
What is Broadband?

Where we talk about the high speed internet broadband is just another term for a high-speed internet connection. It's a little geeky in its origins, and refers to the size of the wire connecting you to the internet. You may hear people talk about their connection as a "pipe" or say things like "online video requires a fat pipe." Just remember this: Broad=Fat=Fast and Band=Pipe=Connection. Broadband is ANYTHING faster than dialup.

Always remember that the Boroadband and high speed internet is 20 to 100 percent higher than Dialup connection. The difference in speed comes from the fact that there are three basic types of high-speed access: DSL, Cable and Satellite.

• DSL service is offered in many residential areas by the local phone company, usually costs around $25/month, and typically has a maximum speed of 768 kilobits/second, or roughly 100,000 characters per second. Your phone company may advertise that DSL is "up to 50 times faster than dialup" but that's only true if you have a REALLY bad dialup connection. (Some DSL packages only offer 384 kilobits/second, so buyer beware.) In practice, DSL will be 10-20 times faster than dialup, and because it replaces your old analog phone line, you can make or receive calls while you're online. Contact your phone company (or visit their website) to see if DSL is offered in your area.

• Cable Internet service is offered by most Cable TV providers, costs about $45/month and typically has a maximum speed of 6500 kilobits/second, which is almost one Megabyte (a million characters) per second. Some cable providers limit you to 1500 or 3000 kilobits/second, so be sure to ask. A cable internet connection is ideal if you're into online music, video, or software downloads. Check with your cable provider to what packages they offer (speed vs. price) and choose the one that fits your budget.

• Satellite Internet service should be considered only if DSL and cable are not available in your area. Top download speeds on a satellite connection are slightly less than DSL, and upload speeds are about 10X slower. (Upload speed is important if you email photos, or upload files to maintain a website.) Satellite is typically priced higher than DSL or Cable, usually requires a long-term contract, and is more likely to be flaky when the weather is bad.

There is fierce competition between the phone, cable and satellite companies, and there's even some crossover in their offerings. For example, some phone companies are offering television service, and cable companies are offering telephone service. So look for package deals that combine your phone, TV and Internet access on one bill to save money.

Got the Need for Speed?
I know I said there are only three types of high-speed access, but I think it's worthwhile to mention that Fiber Optic connections are being rolled out in some areas, offering speeds of 10-30 Megabits per second at prices that are comparable to (or less than) cable internet service. I recently got Verizon's FIOS service for $25/month, and it's blazing fast! And unlike cable access (where your whole neighborhood shares available bandwidth) with fiber you have a direct line to the Net.
If want to go REALLY fast, or you have a business where the Internet pipe must be shared by many employees, you can opt for a T-1, DS-3, or OC-3 connection. These options are MUCH more expensive than residential DSL or Cable service.

Source:- http://askbobrankin.com/what_is_broadband.html

Terabyte Hard Drives

2009-06-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

Should You Buy a Terabyte Hard Drive?

Hard drive storage is cheap and plentiful these days. Your typical desktop PC usually comes with at least 300 GB of hard drive space. Of course, hard drives that have a terabyte (1000 GB) or more of space are available as well, and prices seem to be falling every week. The average street price for a 1.0 TB drive is under $100.
Let's take a step back, and look at what a terabyte of hard drive space is. Hard drive space used to be measured in megabytes: roughly 1000 megabytes equals 1 gigabyte, 1000 gigabytes equals a terabyte. Large-capacity, multi-terabyte drives are becoming so cheap and popular that many technology pundits are dubbing current times as the "Tera Era". (See What is a Terabyte? to get an idea of how large a terabyte is.)
But do you really need that much disk space? It depends on what you want to stash on your hard drive. I've got a 2-year-old XP system with a 500GB drive and plenty of bells and whistles. Since I'm your typical geeky power user type, I download a lot of software. I've got an iTunes library with a couple hundred songs, and I store thousands of photo and image files. But when I checked my stats, I was surprised to see that I'm only using about 50GB of space!
Terabyte drives have increased in popularity because online entertainment and the Youtube generation means massive amounts of multimedia files such as music, video and images. With that said, your typical computer user would still be hard pressed to fill up an entire terabyte of hard drive space. But the past few decades have taught me that as computing power and storage capacity
increase, operating systems, software and new technologies will spring up to consume them. As HD (high-definition) video becomes more common, and the convergence of television and computers continues, we may be filling up those terabytes with ease. Another excellent use for a terabyte hard drive is backup storage for all the computers on your home network.
Are there any another benefits of downsides to having large capacity storage? Used to be, larger drives had performance issues, in particular drives that used the older IDE/ATA interface standard. IDE/ATA in general refers to the type of connector, or interface the hard drive uses to attach to the motherboards. IDE drives took longer to write to the disk and are not hot swappable, meaning in case of drive failure, you couldn't simple swap one drive out for another working one without downtime and some configuration. IDE became more inefficient as the demand for storage space increased.
The latest iteration in hard drive interface is SATA, or serial ATA
. The SATA interface gives better performance, and SATA drives are hot swappable, so drives can be replaced without a computer restart. Because of this new architecture and overall advances in hard drive technology, terabyte drives can be an efficient way to deal with large amounts of data.

Are Terabyte Drives Reliable?
While the consensus is that these new drive offerings have low failure rates, they're still relatively new. We don't have millions of consumers routinely juggling 1000+ gigabytes, so hopefully these monster drives will perform equally well when they're approaching 80 or 90 capacity. Hard drive manufacturers say "don't worry about it" but some may question if it's better to go with one single, massive hard drive, or is it better to have two smaller disks, for example two 500 GB drives?
I've heard some people caution that if you put your data on a terabyte drive (as opposed to having two or more smaller disks) then you have a single point of failure, and a larger disk would logically be more likely to develop a hardware problem
. But I'm sure that people had the same qualms about moving from megabytes to gigabytes, and the reliability of computer hardware is always improving.
For users who want to beef up PC performance, or want to setup fault tolerance (ensuring data is protected in case of a system failure) having two smaller disks may be the better option. RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a configuration option involving two or more disks to achieve better performance and data redundancy. For example, you could set up two of three 500 GB drives in a RAID array, and it will appear as a single large drive to the operating system. This can be done fairly easily through a disk management
utility that comes with operating systems, and you can even configure it to enable a real-time backup of your data. (For more info on RAID, see my article What is RAID?)
Operating system support for terabyte drives seems to be solid. Latter day operating systems like XP, Vista, Linux and Mac OS X can handle a 1 TB drive with ease. The NTFS file system used by Windows-based computers can support drives up to 16 exabytes, which is 16 million terabytes. Tthere have been however, some issues reported with some flavors of Ubuntu and Vista 64-bit having problems with some of the 1.5 TB drives out there.
Another consideration when it comes to terabyte drives is the performance of disk utility programs, like Defrag. There have been countless horror stories of the length of time it can take for Windows to defrag
such a large drive. This should still not be a deterrent to investing in a large-capacity drive; there are an abundance of third-party applications like Diskeeper, which can defrag a large drive in the background of a running operating system, with no intervention by the end-user. Even formatting, using the Windows Option for "Quick Format" can take no more than a few minutes when it comes to large capacity drives.
In other words, the negatives associated with terabyte hard drives are outweighed by the benefits of large, relatively cheap storage. The demand for high capacity storage is there, and it isn't stopping with just terabyte drives. It is anticipated that within the next ten years, cheap hard drives with a petabyte of space will be available. A petabyte is 1000 terabytes of space. To put that in perspective, the Library of Congress estimates that all of its collective data would fit on twenty terabytes of space!
Do you have a terabyte hard drive? Post a comment, tell us what you're doing with all that storage, and whether you've had any problems dealing with a terabyte of disk space.

Source. http://askbobrankin.com/terabyte_hard_drives.html

how IP Address Conflict

2009-06-17T03:41:00.000-07:00

This problem persist due to when two computers on a same LAN or the Internet have been assigned the same range and same class of IP address. IP Address conflicts between two computers normally render either one or both of them unusable for network operations.

Why and How IP Address Conflicts
Two computers can acquire conflicting IP addresses in any of several ways given below:-
1. A System Administrator assigns two computers on the LAN the same static IP ddress.
2. A system administrator assigns a computer a static IP address within the local network's DHCP range (dynamic IP range), and the same address is automatically assigned by the LAN DHCP server.
3. A malfunction in the network's DHCP server allows the same dynamic address to automatically be assigned to multiple computers.
4. Internet Service Provider (ISP) accidentally assigns two customers the same IP address (either statically or dynamically).
5. A mobile computer is put into standby / hibernate mode and then awakened later.

Recognizing IP Address Conflicts
On most Microsoft Windows computers, if you attempt to set a fixed (static) IP address that is already active on the local network, you will receive the following pop-up error message:
The static IP address that was just configured is already in use on the network. Please reconfigure a different IP address.
On newer Microsoft Windows computers having dynamic IP conflicts, you should receive a balloon error message in the Taskbar as soon as the operating system detects the issue:
There is an IP address conflict with another system on the network.
Sometimes, especially on older Windows computers, a message similar to the following may instead appear in a pop-up window:
The system has detected a conflict for IP address...
On Mac or Linux computers, a similar message will normally appear on screen.

Resolving IP Address Conflicts
Try the following remedies for IP conflicts:
1. For networks where IP addresses are fixed (statically assigned), ensure each local host is configured with a unique IP address.
2. If your computer has a dynamically assigned address, releasing and renewing its IP address can workaround IP address conflicts. See also - How to Release / Renew IP Addresses on Windows
3. If your home router is believed to have a faulty DHCP server causing IP conflicts on the home network, upgrading the router firmware may resolve this problem.

Source: - http://compnetworking.about.com/od/workingwithipaddresses/f/ip_conflict.htm

World’s first cheapest computer NiViO

2009-06-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

According to news that Nivio technology has announced, the world’s first virtual Windows Desktop. It has announce today in New Delhi, and the prince of this tiny set-top box device is US$100 and Indian price is @4999.

This is Nivio Windows desktop is just like a traditional PC, and it is powered by Microsoft Windows, which works just like a normal Microsoft Windows Desktop Computer, but the main purpose of this tiny device is to run on the internet instead of local computer.

It only stores online data files for e.g. photos are saved with Flicker while, emails are stored on Hotmail.

According to company, that all files are automatically backed-up daily and kept safe and private just like an online vault. There’s no need to worry about viruses either, as all virus security is managed by Nivio.

The company claims that this device is well programmed for future proof because all performance updates happen online so, nothing ever goes out of date.
Through the system, the users can access programs they’re familiar with like iTunes, Skype, MSN Messenger or Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint.

On asking regarding Installation procedure, the company said, new programs can be added in seconds without installation, and users only pay for what they use on a monthly basis.

NivioCompanion costs from just Rs 4999 (approx US$100) for a standalone device. In addition, it is also available with a 15” LCD screen, keyboard and mouse for Rs7999 (approx US$160).

To access the device, Users simply go to the Nivio website (www.nivio.com) and log in. Once connected, the nivioCompanion offers a full Windows XP experience complete with a full version of Microsoft Office and 10GB of storage.

Nivio has partnered with Bharti Airtel Limited, India’s largest telecommunications company, to offer consumers low cost, high powered computing.
During the initial phase, the company will roll out its device in New Delhi and the NCR region followed by a national roll-out.

Source: http://www.topnews.in/nivio-launches-world-s-first-cheapest-computer-priced-rs-4999-2172353

Free HijackThis – A Powerful Anti-Malware Tool

2009-06-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

Introduction
The main purposes and functions of this tool is that it examines certain key areas of the Registry and Hard Disk Drive and then lists their contents. Legitimate Programmers and Hijackers use these Areas of System Registry. So, never try to remove them or never remove everything. If you do this may be missing items needed to run legitimate programs and add-ins. This Page will help you work with the Experts to clean up your system.

HijackThis is a tool use free for security system, and is also available free on the net. The computer and internet users’ need to keep their machines free of spyware/Trojans/viruses/hijackers

HijackThis is a free Antivirus utility for System and internet by Trend Micro which scans the computer to find out the settings that may have been changed by HOMEPAGE hijackers, spyware, and also unwanted programs or may be other malware etc.
This program is not design as to target any specific programs, but instead it analyses the Registry and file settings, and then this powerful tool targets the methods which is used by cyber-crooks. Whenever you complete your scanning then after that HijackThis creates a report, or log file, with the results of the scan and scan process.

The latest 2.0.2 version of this tool is used as a Configuration window including, a process manager and hosts file editor which the user to remove dangerous infections, and an ADS Spy tool which scans alternate data streams, which is targeted by the browser hijackers can etc.

System requirements for this Tool and utilities
• Microsoft™ Windows™ Vista
• Microsoft™ Windows™ XP
• Microsoft™ Windows™ 2000
• Microsoft™ Windows™ Me
• Microsoft™ Windows™ 98

Software requirements:
1. Internet Explorer.
2. FireFox

Follow the tips below to protect yourself against these and other threats.
1. Don’t open emails that come from untrusted sources or whom you do not know.
2. Never try to run files that you receive via email without confirmation.
3. Don’t click on the links in your emails. You can browse them in separate page of explorer address bar. If they come from an untrusted zone or source, simply ignore them.
4. Install updated Antivirus on your computer a keep your system protected.

Tuning your Windows Vista with Top 7 Tips

2009-05-27T00:34:00.000-07:00

In my last post i have wrote all reason not to install windows vista but what next if you have already had it there in your front screen. Windows Vista is one of the operating system which eats up a lot of CPU speed and therefore requires a careful detailing of the measures needed time to time to get the best out of your computer performance. Here are some of the tips to fasten up your Windows Vista for what you always desired for

The below 7 steps will guide you that

Turn off unnecessary Windows features.

By default, Vista comes with tons of features that are enabled based on assumptions which may or may not apply to you. Hence you get a system that is running lots of background processes, most of which you do not need at all. One of the great ways to speed up Windows Vista is to disable them. To see the list of Windows features and turn them on or off, go to Control Panel, change to "Classic View", click on "Program Features" and then select "Turn Windows Features On and Off". Some examples of features you may want to disable are:
- Remote Differential Compression
- Windows Meeting Space
- Tablet PC optional components
- And so on.

Graphical features.
One of the better ways to speed up Windows Vista is to turn off fanciful graphical features if you are not too much into aesthetics. One example is the Aero feature. Open your start menu, go to run, and type in 'systempropertiesperformance'. At the Visual Effects tab, uncheck 'Animate windows when minimizing and maximizing'. This will do the job. There are many graphical features that you can take out from here. This can give you more immediate results as compared to other ways to speed up Windows Vista.

Turn off Windows Indexing.
The Windows Indexing service was initially designed to be one of the ways to speed up Windows Vista by shortening the search time for files. However, as the volume of hard disk increases exponentially, the service has proven to be a resource intensive program causing massive slowdowns when Windows start to index the millions of files in the system. Select Start then choose Computer, right click on your C Drive and select properties. Under the General Tab, uncheck "Index this drive for faster searching". On the next dialog box, choose "Include subfolders and files". Do the same for the other Drives.

Remove Spyware and Trojans and protect your system against future attacks.
Out of the many ways to speed up Windows Vista, this has to be one of the most crucial things you need to do. This is because not only your system performance is at stake, the security and confidentiality of your data is too. Use free tools such as Avast for anti-virus protection, Spybot for spyware removal and protection as well as Zonealarm for firewall protection. There are other good tools around but make sure they are not spywares themselves!

Remove unnecessary start up programs.
When Vista boots up, many programs run at the start up either in the background or as pop up Windows. Many of these you do not need. You need to take control and eliminate these memory suckers that are lurking in the background. Open your start menu, go to run, and type in 'msconfig', choose the Startup tab and uncheck any items that you do not want to auto-load and click OK.

Defrag your hard disk.
This may not be new to you but if you are thinking of using the Windows Defragmentation Tool in Vista, you can forget about it. Instead, use a free 3rd party tool known as Defraggler (Google it for the download link). It is still quite effective in comparison to other ways to speed up Windows Vista.
Clean your registry.

One of the often neglected portions of Windows is the registry itself. Many do not realized that one of the best ways to speed up Windows Vista is to make sure the registry is clear of invalid entries that causes Windows to perform unnecessary tasks. Cleaning the registry has other advantages too. In certain cases you can remove Windows errors that pop up during boot up.

Over View: Windows XP Service Pack 3

2009-05-26T03:32:00.000-07:00

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes all previously released updates for the operating system, in addition to a small number of new functionalities that will not significantly change customers’ experience with the operating system.

Microsoft works to continually improve the performance, security, and stability of the Windows operating system. As part of this effort, Microsoft develops updates, fixes, and other improvements that address issues reported by the company’s customers and partners. To make it easier for customers to get these updates and Security enhancements, Microsoft Updates Performance periodically combines them into a Updates single package, and makes that package available for all Windows customers. These packages are Stability Updates called service packs. Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes previously released Windows XP updates, including security updates and hotfixes. It also includes select out-of-band releases, and a small number of new enhancements, which do not significantly change customers’ experience with the operating system.

Service Pack
Windows XP SP3 provides a new baseline for customers still deploying Windows XP. For customers with existing Windows XP installations, Windows XP SP3 fills gaps in the updates they might have missed—for example, by declining individual updates when using Automatic Updates, and updates not available through Windows Update. Developing service packs for operating systems like Windows XP, which is nearing its end-of-sales period, is a standard practice, and Microsoft does this for the convenience of its customers and partners. Users no longer need to install three to four years worth of updates when installing Windows XP, and partners have a new, updated baseline on which to test their applications and hardware. This white paper describes what is new in Windows XP SP3 and provides an overview of how customers can deploy the service pack.

What Is In Service Pack 3
Windows XP SP3 includes all previously released Windows XP updates, including security updates and hotfixes, and select out-of-band releases. Windows XP SP2 was released in August 2004. Since then, Microsoft has released hundreds of updates. Windows XP SP3 includes all of these updates. Microsoft is not adding significant Windows Vista functionality to Windows XP through SP3. However, SP3 does include Network Access Protection (NAP) to help organizations that use Windows XP to take advantage of new features in the Windows Server® 2008 operating system. Further, Windows XP SP3 does not include Windows Internet Explorer 7. For more information about Internet Explorer 7, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/default.mspx.

Deploying Windows XP SP3
Windows XP SP3 will be available through Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center. The service pack will also be available to Volume License customers, TechNet subscribers, and MSDN® subscribers. Through Windows Update, the download size varies, but it is typically 70 megabytes (MB), depending on the computer’s configuration. Through the Download Center, the download size is approximately 580 MB. Fundamentally, deploying Windows XP SP3 works the same as deploying SP1 and SP2 for Windows XP: SP3 is cumulative, so users can install SP3 on top of Windows XP SP1 or SP2. Windows XP SP3 supports the same languages as Windows XP did in its initial release. You can run the SP3 update package on any SKU of Windows XP SP1 or SP2. For example, you can run the SP3 update package on a computer running the Windows XP Media Center Edition with SP1. Tools and guidance for system administrators have not fundamentally changed from Windows XP SP2. For comprehensive information, visit the Deploy Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Service Pack 2 Deployment Information sites on Microsoft TechNet. You can deploy SP3 using Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007, or third-party solutions. The process has not fundamentally changed.

Windows XP SP3 is for x86 editions of Windows XP only. The x64 editions of Windows XP were serviced by Windows Server 2003 SP2. For additional information, go to Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2.

Summary
Windows XP SP3 combines all previously released performance, security, and stability updates. It also provides a limited number of new and enhanced functionalities, although it does not significantly change the Windows XP experience or bring most Windows Vista functionality to Windows XP. The goals of Windows XP SP3 are to: Provide a new baseline for customers still deploying Windows XP, to help them avoid the inconvenience of applying individual updates. Fill gaps in the updates users might have missed by declining individual updates when using Automatic Updates, and to deliver updates not made available through Windows Update.

For more information about Windows XP SP3, go to Windows XP Service Packs.

How to Choose an Online Business Card Printer

2009-05-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

You should think of business cards as little marketing tools, just as effective as brochures or postcards. Business cards are effective when you personally hand them out to colleagues and customers, but you also reap benefits from hanging business cards on bulletin boards, sending them in direct mail envelopes and including them with customers’ orders. You don’t even have to be around for your business card to sell for you!

When you need business cards, you have plenty of options: printing them yourself, going to a local printer or finding an online printer. Of these, an online business card printer is your best bet because you’ll get the same quality as you would from a local printer, but for a lower price. You’ll probably also have a lot more options than your local printer can provide, and I know the quality will be better than printing business cards on your little desktop printer. Here’s a good way to evaluate and choose the best online printer for your professional and high-quality business cards.

1. Decide what kind of business card you need. Do you want one that’s printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based ink? Do you need a business card that isn’t the traditional size of 3.5 x 2 inches? Some printers don’t print business cards in square or circle paper stock, so if you want an unusual shaped card, you’ll need to find a printer that can print how you want.

2. Scan online printers’ Web sites for business card examples. You want to be able to get a good feel for the quality of the printers’ ability. Many online printers also have sample packs that you can request by snail mailed to you that include actual business cards, brochures and other materials that they’ve printed. This is a great way to compare quality between printers.

3. Look for testimonials on the Web sites. Customer testimonials are the best way to tell if the company produces good work. Vague testimonials that just say “This company is great” and don’t have a full name and location with them could be fake. Look for specific testimonials that include something about meeting deadlines and quality of work and/or quality of materials.

4. Evaluate prices. Many online printers have automatic order forms that will tell you how much your order will be. PrintPlace.com and GreenerPrinter.com both have automatic order forms. This is a great way to tell what you can afford – if you can’t afford the thickest paper stock, choose the next thickest option to see how your price changes.

5. Write down the printers at the top of your list that offer the products you want at the prices you want.

6. If you have any questions, call the customer service phone number listed on the Web site. If there is no customer service number, don’t use that printer!

The best online business card printer for you will depend on your level of comfort with the prices and the ordering process. If you don’t feel comfortable about any step in the process, don’t use that printer.

How to Survive a Operating System Crash

2009-05-20T03:47:00.000-07:00

The user interface between applications and hardware is known as Operating System. Also known as OS or O/S, it is responsible for the coordination and management of functions that computer performs. Just like going to symphony for music performance and watching them all sit quiet without sheet music or a conductor. The same way no computer can perform its functions without the operating system.

When you hear of sudden operating system crash, you have your heart in your mouth. Sudden blue screen, reboots, sudden hang-up applications, message display 'no operating system found', are some of the symptoms of an operating system crash. It's terrible and awful to imagine the loss of months and years of data stored in your computer. Also the cost and the time involved to repair the computer are irresistible. You can survive an operating system crash only if you keep yourself updated and prepared to resist them. You have no other choice than to prepare yourself so that your work does not suffer anytime.

Insist on keeping a back up of everything task you perform on the computer. All the important documents including the software unlock codes should be secure well in the back up data. This is because in case, if you have to reinstall the operating system, 'My Documents' folder is completely lost. So, make sure you have a back up of all the important data in it.

All the .exe, zip and software install files should be saved on a disk. Either have a back up of this data or save it on the CD. You should also keep system restore options handy. Saving the work every 10 minutes as you work can also be helpful as during the time of rebooting under system crash, you will have had not lost the work completed till then.

Update your anti-virus software from time to time or either set this program to automatically update itself regularly. This way your computer protects itself from sudden system crash which could be caused due to the virus propagating over the internet.

Do not run too many applications at a time. Close all the programs that you are not using in order to reduce the overload.

Adjust the setting of your computer so that no one else can access or change registry or other system settings.

Try keeping your computer clean and dust free. Keep it cool be letting the air pass through & keep it at a place where there is no moisture.

These are some of the tips how you can better survive an operating system crash. Try these steps now and protect your system from further injuries and your pocket from further shocks.
If you want to learn more how to repair a PC follow the link below.

Tips to Repair Your Computer Registry Without the Risk of Spyware & Malware

2009-05-19T03:25:00.000-07:00

The Windows registry is a database repository for information about a computer's configuration. The registry keeps growing when you use Windows. As it does so, it attracts obsolete and unnecessary information, and gradually becomes cluttered and fragmented. With the growing of the registry, it can degrade the performance of the whole system and cause many weird software problems.

Minor registry problems can be corrected manually by performing system restoration; however, bigger problems may require editing of the registry. But this can be long process and risky one especially for those not very well-versed in this type of task.

An attempt to clean the registry yourself could result to damaging your computer and even take several hours. The easiest way to repair your registry is by using a reliable registry cleaner. The most effective way of repairing your computer registry starts with getting the right registry cleaner software.

There's a lot of registry software out in the market. You shall not be having problem how to fix your registry anymore. Most registry cleaners have the same basic features. These basic features are often the ability to scan your registry for errors, and then automatically repair them. They should all back "back-up" features which automatically back up your registry settings before any changes are made, just in case something goes wrong. The question shall be how to pick the best registry cleaner without the risk of spywares & malwares.

To make a wise buying decision, you should search for independent registry cleaner review sites that have already done the hard work for you by researching and reviewing various registry cleaners.

Registry Cleaner shall scans your Windows registry for invalid or obsolete information and provide a list of the errors found. It shall fix the invalid entries that make your system more stable and run faster. A good registry cleaner will even make a backup of the repaired entries for maximum safety. In choosing the best registry cleaner, you should also consider its ease of use.

Another great factor to consider is the security of the registry cleaner for spywares and malwares. When buying in the internet, make sure that the site offers scan download. Download the program and test it before you buy. Don't easily fall with their ad saying tested spyware free.

Although some are really tested for spywares and malwares, it is still best to look for proof before you buy. Taking some necessary precautions will ensure that you'll be getting the best out of your money.

Troubleshoot the Central Processing Unit - CPU

2009-05-18T03:02:00.000-07:00

CPU- Central Processing Unit, the brain of the computer, is indeed the most important part of the computer. In simple language, it is known as a 'Processor'. Just as it could not have been possible for us to write this article without our brain, the same way computer cannot understand what we are trying to write without its brain. CPU receives instructions from the user, breaks up these instructions into understandable parts, sends these instructions to the programs which are titled to do them and finally executes these instructions. Being the brain of the computer, with loads of functions and tasks to accomplish, CPU can face any minor or major problem anytime.

All the problems that a computer might face would only be because of the CPU as the functioning of the whole computer depends on it. Lets see some of these problems and ways to troubleshoot them. Although formatting the hard disk of the processor solves all the computer related problems. But then you are at the risk of back up of all the necessary information in your computer. And it requires a lot of hard work as well. So you prefer not to format the computer, but to troubleshoot it.

One of the major problems of a CPU can be of hang-up applications. This sometimes happens when you open multiple applications at one go. For troubleshooting hanged up applications in windows XP and 2000, right click on the windows taskbar, context menu, and task manager. In the application window, click on processes tab, list box column head 'Image Name' in order to sort applications by name. Select the applications one-by-one to end process by right clicking. It may take several minutes for computer to restore its programming. Now close the task manager & start the application again.

Another problem may be related o memory. When you add a stick of RAM to your CPU, the computer comes down with sudden crashes. Sudden shut down, failure of boot routines and other critical errors might be some of the symptoms. To solve this issue, remove the DIMM and set the computer back to earlier configurations. However, there are some more solutions when more memory capacity is needed.

Dying hard drive along with parade of error messages & system crashes can be another CPU related problem. This happens due to insufficient air flow inside the system case due to which computer becomes overheated. When CPU operates, the chip in it generates heat which attracts dirt and dust. First remove all the dust and dirt with compressed air and other means. To escape the problem of overheating, make sure that nothing is hindering the air flow of the computer. Try turning the computer off and let it cool. If the CPU chip is damaged during the course of sudden crashes, the system will not boot up.

CPU failure is mainly because of its overheating which does not let computer boot up or reboot itself. Computers will also hang up when the CPU chip becomes hot while running for longer periods.

Access Your Computer Remotely

2009-05-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

Afraid you'll be bored on the Big Island this summer? Nervous about seven mind-numbing days on Nantucket? Thanks to virtual network computing, you can access your home machine from anywhere.

Step 1. PC users: If you are running WinXP Home, install a free VNC server like TightVNC. Macs have one built in. WinXP Pro has a remote access solution built into it. Simply right-click on "My Computer", select "Properties" and click on the "Remote" tab. Check the box to enable remote access.

Step 2. Sign up for a domain name service like DynDNS, which lets you assign an easy-to-remember name (adrienne.is-a-geek .net, for example) to your home connection's ever-changing IP address. For in-depth instructions, see our article Set Up Dynamic DNS.

Step 3. Configure port forwarding on your home router to allow remote access. Check your router's user manual for directions, or visit your router's page on portforward.com for specific instructions. Don't have a router? Try a web-based app like LogMeIn.

Step 4. Install a VNC viewer on the remote machine. For Macs, try JollysFastVNC. For PCs, TightVNC's viewer component is good. Now simply enter your home computer's domain name and you're in!

Step 5. Remember: VNC isn't secure. If you're worried about eavesdroppers, ask someone even geekier than us to help you set up an encrypted SSH tunnel. Doug Bowman has an informative article about setting up SSHTM on a Mac.

You'll likely still need to follow steps 2 and 3 (the port for Remote Desktop on WinXP is 3389).

Instead of step 4, either search Microsoft.com for "Remote Desktop Client Download" (no quotes), or if you're on a WinXP computer, go to Start, Run, type in mstsc and hit enter. Now you've got the client piece necessary to make the connection.

Linuxy solution:

Or, if you have a shell account on an internet accessible server somewhere (your web server perhaps), you can make a script to keep your home computer logged in via ssh. Log into the server, run 'w' to see logged in users, note your home computers IP address, now ssh to your home computer and transfer files or whatever. Alternatively, install VNC as above if you really need to chew bandwidth and see the pretty pictures.

For all these solutions, you should run VNC/Remote Desktop/ssh on a non-standard port and pick solid passwords - there are bots that try common usernames and passwords on public IP addresses.

Upgrading the sound card can really enhance your computer

2009-05-14T04:59:00.000-07:00

Today, every new computer comes with an integrated sound card. Sound cards have become one of the main characters of a computer as nobody would prefer a computer without it. Whether for entertainment or for business, everyone needs sound system in their computer. As world moves, new technologies get introduced, every single thing get enhanced day-by-day. And so does the sound cards. In this race of being technologically advanced, no one would like to stay behind. And with improving technologies in sound cards, you are certain to opt for them. As this would not only make you technologically advanced but would also get you the best sound quality.

Upgrading the sound card can really enhance your computer. It will greatly improve the sound quality of anything that you listen on your computer. But you should know which type of sound card you already have before you upgrade it. It is important to know whether your sound card is integrated on the motherboard or inserted into an adaptor slot in the system unit. To do this, click on start, control panel, sounds, speech, auto devices and hardware tab. All this information can be found in the owner's manual as well. You will get to know that the sound card is integrated on the motherboard if you see the phrase 'Integrated Digital Audio' written on a device.

Now, you have to disable the current sound card if it is integrated on the motherboard and remove all the software programs related to it. To do this, boot up the computer & press the key (probably F1, check owner's manual for the right key) to access your BIOS (Basic Input Output System) which lets the computer check itself for operations. In BIOS, search and click on 'Onboard' or 'Integrated' devices and turn them off or disable them. Next is to remove all the software programs related to existing sound card. To perform this, click on start, control panel, system icon, system properties window and the hardware tab. Further, click on device manager, plus sign next to sound, video and game controllers. Right click on entry for the sound card. In the drop-down menu, click on 'uninstall'.

Now, turn the computer off, disconnect all the wires attached, and remove the static charge using a wrist strap. Next, open the case, find the sound card, remove the retaining screw, disconnect the wires from CD Rom and DVD drive, pull the old card out and push the new card in its place. Reconnect all the wires which you just disconnected and the retaining screw. Start the computer and follow the instructions to install the new upgraded sound driver. Now, enjoy the best sound quality from the upgraded sound card.

Speed Up Your Freezing Computer

2009-05-13T02:52:00.000-07:00

Defrag your hard driver

Over the time and with regular use, files and folders on your computer memory break down or become fragmented. This can cause your system to run more slowly and to experience processing problems. By defrag your memory it will allow files to be accessed more efficiently as it puts your data back into contiguous fashion. I recommend you to close any applications before defrag a hard driver, just to be safe.

Unwanted installed programs

Sometimes, newly installed software and applications could be the reason behind PC slowing down. Over the time a lot of your memory space could just be filled by unwanted programs, such as trials that have run out that you just left them on your PC. Over the time these programs add up and you probably didn't notice that this is slowing down your computer! Not only it will improve performance but you will also have more space for data you need. Also check out your start up menu for unwanted programs, and leave the ones you need more often.

Memory Upgrading

If your PC is slow and what ever you do it just still the same, instead of buying a new one why not think about upgrading. So what is the easiest component you can upgrade and at the same time gets significant improvement? Well you will be surprised what some extra RAM will do for your computers performance.

Registry need to be cleaned

Windows Registry is a huge bank of information about everything that's going on in your computer. What ever you do on your computer the registry gets updated. We can say that the Registry is a bit like the nerve center of your PC. registry gets messed up when you uninstall a program, move a folder or do any one of a number of pretty ordinary tasks that we do every day. Registry doesn't do a very good job at take care of itself. And bits get left behind. So what can you do about it? All you need to do is downloading a bit of software, click on the 'Scan' button and clean your computer.

Your PC got infected

Don't forget to do a virus and spyware scan as this does not just protect you data and private information but may also help to speed up your PC.

Most Common Reasons of a Slow PC

2009-05-12T02:49:00.000-07:00

In today's world, everyone wants to get things done in a quicker and more efficient manner than before. Time is always of the essence and unreasonable deadlines are common occurrence for a lot of people. With that, everyone would always want their tools and equipment to be reliable and work at the highest level possible, especially when it comes to computers. It can be said that these complicated machines are the most important and most powerful tool at your disposal. A computer can do thousands of calculations for you, you can create wonderful presentations as well as document anything with a computer. Today almost any profession relies on this machine. So when it comes to a slow pc, people often get frustrated right off the bat.

A computer can slow down for a variety of reasons. One is that your computer can be overheating which means you need to purchase better ventilation for your hard drive. It could also mean that there is something wrong with your hardware such as crossed wires which can produce extreme amounts of heat.

Another common reason for a computer to become slower is due to lack or Random Access Memory or RAM. To fix this problem, you can simply upgrade your RAM to higher specifications. Other common problems that can slow down your computer involve automatically running programs and too much programs in your computer tray, which is the bar at the lower right hand corner of the screen. To remove some of these programs you can use windows customize or if you're using another operating system, try to check the settings and stop automatic running programs that your computer doesn't need.

Lastly, a very common occurrence of computers slowing down is because of the computer's registry being full or unorganized. A registry is where your operating system saves information about certain details of your computer, hardware settings and other important files that keep your machine running. Overtime this can become a complete mess. At the same time, contracting spywares and malicious programs can also mess up your registry. In order to Speed up your computer, you can use software programs known as registry cleaners. These things are programmed to clean up your registry and remove any and all malicious software that is in your database or registry.

These issues are but some of the most common ones to affect your computer's speed. There are also other events that can reduce its performance which is why you should always be ready and take care of your computer.

Build a Gaming PC

2009-05-11T22:21:00.000-07:00

Pricey prebuilt behemoths rule the PC gaming world, but with ever-falling component costs (and color-coded cables), why not build your own fraginator? If your desktop shipped this century, chances are the case, drives, and peripherals are still up to snuff. You can get everything else at wholesale prices from online retailers like Mwave, Newegg, or ZipZoomfly. Here's what you need to create a Crysis-capable powerhouse for less than a grand.

Gigabyte GA-EP35C-DS3R motherboard ($155)
With support for the latest memory and processors, it's as future-proof as they come. Ground yourself before attaching components.

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 CPU ($230)
Nobody does parallel processors better than Intel (for now). After you socket the CPU and affix the heat sink, don't forget to plug in the fan.

Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX DDR2 memory sticks ($92)
Special heat sinks keep these sticks from flash-frying.

EVGA e-GeForce 8800GT 512MB ($240)
Per dollar, one of the fastest videocards ever made. Accept no substitutes.

Ultra X2 550W PSU ($85)
This power supply's modular cables let you feed only what you need (like that smokin' graphics card).

Basic Facts to Know About Windows 7

2009-05-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

Windows 7 RC1 will be available at least through June 30, 2009, with no limits on the number of downloads or product keys available. So, there's no reason to rush -- and definitely no reason to panic if you can't access the download right away.

The Release Candidate will stop working on June 1, 2010, but starting on March 1, 2010, your PC will begin shutting down every two hours. This is an gentle reminder that it's time to buy a real copy of Windows 7, which will be available as a retail product long before then.

Windows Vista SP1 users, you can install Windows 7 RC1 and still preserve your applications and data.

Windows 7 Beta or Windows XP users, you will need to do a clean install of Windows 7 RC 1. You can only officially upgrade to Windows 7 RC1 from Vista SP1, though there is a trick to performing an unofficial upgrade.

We recommend doing a clean install of Windows 7 RC1 on your test machine in all cases.

Always backup your previous installation, whether you're upgrading or wiping your drive and starting over. If anything goes wrong, you'll be able to restore your machine.

Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions will be available.

The 32-bit version is 2.36GB in size.

The 64-bit version is 3.05GB in size.

Windows 7 RC1 will reflect the same code that will be found in Windows 7 Ultimate Edition, the desktop environment with the most bells and whistles.

Overall, Windows 7 is a radically improved and "cleaned up" version of what has come before. If you had problems with Vista's bugginess, lack of hardware support or its ungainly look and feel, you might be interested in giving Windows 7 a try.

For a rundown of the new features we first saw in January's beta release, check out the Webmonkey article "The 7 Coolest New Features in Windows 7."

Not a whole lot has changed since the beta — Windows 7 RC1 is primarily about bug fixes, speed boosts and other refinements. However, there are a few new features in Windows 7 RC1, most notably:

Virtual "XP Mode" which will allow you to seamlessly run Windows XP applications in a virtual environment, right alongside your newer Windows 7 applications. Although XP Mode is available with the release candidate, it will be a separate download. It will also be a separate download for Windows 7 Ultimate and Professional users when the final versions ship.

Remote Media Streaming. Windows 7 RC1 also offers an easier way to stream music and movies from your home to remote locations. While Windows has long allowed you to share movies and music between PCs on your home network, Windows 7 now lets you stream the same files to your laptop, even if it's no longer on your home network. While it's possible to do that without Windows 7, Price says the new configuration tools for Remote Media Streaming make the process dead simple to set up.

Mac users: Windows 7 RC1 reportedly solves the glitches that many people encountered trying to install Windows 7 Beta 1 through Boot Camp. If you were among the many who had trouble with the beta release, it might be worth trying again with RC1.

Get Your Copy of Windows 7 RC1

2009-05-07T22:39:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has made the release candidate of Windows 7, the next version of its desktop operating system, available as a free download. The download has been active since the earliest hours of Tuesday, May 5.

This marks the second time Microsoft has made a copy of Windows 7 available as a free preview. In January, the company offered up Windows 7 Beta 1 to testers, and the crushing server load brought on by thousands of users eager to get their hands on the beta release earlier this year resulted in a chaotic and messy release.

Microsoft is better prepared this time around, but even if the downloads go smoothly, there are a few things you need to know before making the leap.

The Hardware Requirements

A Windows Live ID, free from Microsoft at Live.com
A broadband internet connection
A DVD burner and a blank DVD (If you're upgrading from Vista, you can skip burning a DVD)
A dedicated computer that meets these hardware requirements:
- 1GHz or faster 32-bit or 64-bit processor
- 1 GB of RAM for the 32-bit version, or 2 GB of RAM for the 64-bit version
- 16 GB of available disk space (32-bit), 20 GB (64-bit)
- DirectX 9 graphics support with Windows Display Driver Model 1.0 or higher
Patience! Demand will be huge, so downloading may take a while.

All The Reasons To Not Install Vista

2009-05-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent to launch Windows Vista, which Microsoft claims is a revolutionary new Operating System which significantly "improves the customer experience." Over 20 million copies of Vista have been sold to date. Let's see exactly how installing Vista improves the experience... or not.

Software and content piracy is responsible for the theft of billions of dollars per year of rights to the creators. It is an enormous global problem and any efforts to stem this criminal tide should be applauded. However, as you will see, Microsoft's implementation of Digital Rights Management (DRM) technologies to prevent piracy verge on the lunatic, and have created a situation whereby Vista is simply not a viable Operating System.

Direct Disabling of Functionality

Vista has a built-in disabling of functionality that it will exercise whenever it chooses with absolutely no input from you, nor any way to override it. There are various popular audio and video format systems such as Sony's S/PDIF that Vista will consider "pirated" (even if you just spent $30+ on the 100% legitimate CD or DVD) and will simply refuse to play. Also, any content fed from component high-end video (DVI-D, 15-pin D-Sub, S-Video, etc.) will be rejected by Vista. Even if your video card is certified from the manufacturer to handle HDMI digital video with HDCP content protection, all you'll get is black.

Indirect Disabling of Functionality

PC voice communications have become very popular with millions of people using VoIP technologies to save on their long-distance telephone bills. These systems use an automatic echo cancellation (AEC) to keep the PC's speakers from creating a screeching feedback tone in the microphone. When Vista determines that you are using AEC, it will mistake that for pirated content, degrade the signal and disable the outputs. So your PC call will cycle between high quality to fuzzy noise to outright disconnected.

Decreased Playback Quality

Yes, it's hard to believe, but Vista by deliberate design will significantly degrade the quality of your audio and video, again without your input or capability to restore the quality. Therefore, after spending $500 on a high-end video card and feeding the DVI signal into your new $1500 HD LCD display, you'll be rewarded with an image somewhat similar to a 1960s TV with a rabbit ear antenna at the edge of the broadcast signal range.

Elimination of Open-source Hardware Support

In order to keep pirates from breaking the content protection scheme, Vista identifies each hardware device with a secret code. This code will only ever be known to a handful of top component manufacturers. The vast majority of current suppliers of computer hardware are not on the list, thus are shut out from ever producing Vista-compatible cards, etc. This seems to be Microsoft's rather skewed interpretation of Free Enterprise. By some definitions it could be called an Anti-Competitive Cartel.

Elimination of Unified Drivers

In the bad old MS-DOS days, every single component had its own individual unique driver which created revelry for geeks but nightmares for everyone else. In the past decade the industry has moved to unified drivers so that upgrades don't require reinstallation of drivers and a significant number of, say, modems or network cards, will work with one coherent driver. Vista's identification of individual components has swept all that aside. We're now back in 1982 when each and every component has to have a unique driver.

Problems with Drivers

It is now a full half-year after Vista's consumer introduction and there are still a staggering number of components such as high end video cards that have no drivers for it. AMD/ATI and nVidia will sell you a card with a big sticker on it that states "Certified For Windows Vista" even though they don't work with that OS, and in the case of ATI's popular X1950 videocard, that driver crashed Vista on installation.

Denial-of-Service via Driver/Device Revocation

According to Microsoft: “Vista will revoke any driver that is found to be leaking premium content, if the same driver is used for all the manufacturer's chip designs, then a revocation would cause all that company's products to need a new driver.” In other words, you're happily working away on your PC and Windows Vista automatically updates in the background for its Tuesday Security Patches. One of these patches could then recognize the onboard audio on your motherboard as being manufactured by XYZ company, and since XYZ has just been found to produce a completely different component that "leaks premium content" (even though that component is not in your system and likely wouldn't even fit your motherboard,) your particular component will be automatically shut down and likely your whole system along with it. Welcome to BSOD-land... the Blue Screen Of Death.

Decreased System Reliability

Vista will sense any unusual surges or troughs in the electrical supply throughout the system and interpret it as a hacking attack. It will then automatically reset the subsystem and in some cases shut it down completely. However, jitters in the electrical supply are also caused by lightning, uneven electrical supply, a faulty PC power supply, or even dropping your laptop onto a carpeted surface. This "feature" has been present in previous Windows as well. In September 1997 Windows NT disabled the entire Aegis missile cruiser USS Yorktown, leaving it dead in the water simply because it misinterpreted a jolt as an attack. Vista takes this even further, disabling some systems permanently and forever blocking access to any content that you may have on your hard drive.

Increased Hardware Costs

If Microsoft finally approves a particular computer component as being Vista-Certified, but some hacker finds a way to compormise that component, Microsoft states "company shall promptly redesign the affected product, if such redesign is not possible or practical, cease manufacturing and selling such product". This means that every time that some 13 year-old computer whiz figures out some way to make even the most insignificant part of a computer component do something that Microsoft does not want, the entire product line must be scrapped. The enormous cost of re-engineering these components will be directly borne by the consumer.

Increased Cost due to Requirement to License Unnecessary Third-party IP

Vista requires computer component manufacturers to license particular technologies, even though similar or even better technologies are available as open-source. An example is HDMI for which Intel collects royalties. HDMI must be used with Vista instead of the higher-quality and completely free-to-license DVI.

Unnecessary Resource Consumption

Every 30 milliseconds Vista polls all the components in your computer with a huge 128-key encrypted code to determine that they have not been compromised by pirated content. The amount of CPU power that utilizes would run your entire PC a few years ago. Therefore even though you are forced to buy the latest and fastest type of CPU to run Vista, a significant slice of that computing ability is shaved off the top for Vista's 33-times-a-second paranoid polling. This resource overuse extends into devices as well. Graphics cards have to dedicate one or more rendering pipelines that were designed for delivering high quality video just to code and decode the constant 128-key poll. Vista users have found that between 10% and 50% of their total computing system power is used up by the Operating System alone, even without running a single application.

My personal computer is on Windows XP SP2 and it's going to stay that way until Vista either resolves these critical issues or a viable Linux OS release that can run the software I require hits the streets. What you do with your computer is up to you.

Power Management: Another total pain. Back in the Jurassic Age those amazingly fast 2400 baud modems were set up to turn on your PC when the phone rang. Yeah. Really. These days it's about the last thing you want. Make sure it's off.

OK, so now you've played around with all these settings and when you go to reboot the PC you get to the BIOS screen, then nothing, then the BIOS screen, then nothing, and you're really starting to panic. Before you set out a contract for my life from Cousin Vinnie and his Violin Case, go back into the BIOS Settings and find the Default Settings. That will return the PC to its minimal operating bootup configuration. So now you bootup again and you get to the BIOS screen, then nothing, then the BIOS screen, then nothing, and you're picking up the phone and hitting Cousin Vinnie's speeddial number. Before you commit a felony and I get to eat lead, clear your BIOS settings. This is not exactly as simple as going back to Default Settings as it requires you get your hands into the PC.

Of course use static protection to keep from frying the delicate electronics and open the side of the case. Check your motherboard's user manual to find the location of the Clear CMOS Memory Jumper. It will most likely be a little tiny plug that sits atop a couple of prongs which you can delicately use tweezers to pull off. When the jumper jumps off the motherboard, the CMOS no longer gets electricity from the battery and will clear itself out. The next time you reboot, the BIOS will reset the CMOS to factory default values. Leave the jumper off for at least 15 and better yet 30 seconds, then replace. In the rare instance that your motherboard doesn't have a jumper or you can't find it, you can always pull out the battery for a bit. Has the same effect. Now that you have everything back together, plug in the PC, fire it up and you should boot into your Operating System with no problem at all.

All About System32 Eror and its Fix

2009-04-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

System32 errors are the result of corrupt or damaged core system files (such as Config.nt, autoexec.nt, system32 svchost, ntoskrnl.exe, system32.dll, spoolsv.exe and command.com), installed and uninstalled files and settings, and downloaded file components needed to run new software.

What Causes System32 Config Errors?

Your Windows System32 folder (C:\WINDOWS\System32) contains essential operating system files that Windows needs to run smoothly.

These files include drivers to run your hardware components, Windows shell extensions, and system restore points among many other critical components.

Without regular computer maintenance, your System32 directory can become corrupted very easily causing the Error Loading Windows System32 error message.

But it's ok, it's nothing unusual... Over 90% of users get this problem at some point - it is a common registry problem.

System32 Config Errors Symptoms?

If your PC...

==> Constantly crashes
==> Freezes often
==> Has programs that worked OK before but no longer work - or even open
==> Is "unable to load" .dll files
==> Is slow...

Fixing "System32 Corrupt or Missing" Error

Insert your Windows XP Recovery disk and reboot your PC. If you don't have a recovery disk skip this paragraph. Select the Recovery Console and type the following into the console.
This will recover your windows system but you need to be extremely careful that you are typing correct commands or everything gets even worse.

md tmp

copy C:windowssystem32configsystem C:windowstmpsystem.bak

delete C:windowssystem32configsystem

copy C:windowsrepairsystem C:windowssystem32configsystem

Fix RUNDLL32 Error For Windows XP/Vista

Top 10 ways to Make Your Computer Run Smoother

2009-04-20T01:59:00.000-07:00

So, you've been enjoying your new computer the last few months, and as time has passed by it has been getting slower and slower. It's finally to the point that it's almost unusable, and is driving you nuts when you do use it for recreation or to do work. So what do you do? Pick it up, throw it away, and buy a new one? Nope. The correct answer is to call tech support or search the Internet and see if you can find out what is wrong with your computer and fix it. Sometimes you will need to buy a new computer, especially if your current one is like ten years old. But if you've only had it a few months to a few years, then most likely you just need to do some basic cleanup and updating of the software you have on your computer. Before you start to panic or rush out to buy a new computer, you should try the tips I have here for you to see if they will get your computer up and running like new again.

1. Update Software

I know some of you reading this might already know that it makes sense to upgrade your software such as virus and spyware protection software, but what a lot of people probably don't realize is that updating all your other software programs will also help to improve the speed of your computer. Sure your software might do exactly what it's supposed to perfectly, but the reality is that your software is full of glitches and bugs that can be fixed by downloading patches. By downloading these patches it won't only improve the efficiency of your computer and software, but it will also improve its security. Updating your software is different for each program.

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Sometimes you have to do it manually from inside the program itself, and other times it's automatic. For programs like virus and spyware protection software, you should set it to automatically update. If you have other programs that auto update themselves set them to do so also. This will keep you from having to worry about updating your software yourself. For the rest of your software that doesn't automatically update itself, checking for updates at least once a month for them should be sufficient. It may seem bothersome to update your software especially if you have to do it manually, but you will be glad you did in the end and your computer will thank you for it.

2. Update Your Operating System

Along with updating your software you also need to update your operating system regularly. Your operating system is just another software program and like those other programs, it is also full of bugs and glitches that need to be fixed with updates. Windows has the option of letting you set it to update itself automatically or to update it manually when you feel like it. To adjust this option in Windows XP, go to Start>Control Panel, and click on Automatic Updates in the Control Panel window. In Window Vista go to Start>Control Panel, and click on Windows Updates. In the Windows Updates window click on Change Settings in the left pane. Regardless of which version of Windows you are using you will have the same options to choose from which are:

1. Automatically Download and Install Updates

2. Automatically Download updates, but let me choose when to install them.

3. Notify me but don't automatically download or install them.

4. Turn off Automatic Updates.

The recommend setting is of course to automatically download and install updates, but you can choose whichever settings you want then click apply to save the changes you make. Regardless of how you decide to handle updating your operating system, making sure that you do it regularly will definitely help your computer to run smoother and improve its security.

3. Defragment Your Computer

As you use your computer and add and remove files and software, overtime some of your files become fragmented and spread out over the hard disk. As time goes along this will get worse and worse and eventually your computer will slow way down. This is because the computer has to search the hard drive longer whenever you attempt to use your files. In order to fix this problem it's as simple as running the Disk Defragmenter Utility that comes with Windows. To run Disk Defragmenter go to Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter. Once the program opens up, to start the defragmenting process just click the button that says Defragment and let it go on its own. Because defragmenting your hard drive uses all your system resources, its best to do this only when you don't need to use your computer. I recommend you start it defragmenting at night right before you go to bed because depending on how fragmented your hard drive is, it could take several hours for the process to complete. Once the defragmenting process is done, your files will be put back together properly, and you should notice a significant increase in the speed of your computer, especially if it's been awhile since you last time you did it.

4. Delete Junk Files

Has it ever seemed like your free space on your hard drive is getting smaller or it takes longer to search for a file you can't find even though you haven't added any new files or software on your computer? This is due to fragments of files that get left behind from daily tasks you perform on your computer. Whenever you download files from the Internet or delete files to the recycling bin, bits and pieces of files are left behind that you can't see and most likely don't know about. These are the "junk" files that are created automatically by programs for temporary use but aren't deleted after the programs are done using them. These files include cookies, temporary Internet files, log files, error log files, temporary miscellaneous files, and System Restore points created every so often by Windows. This might sound like it would be lots of work to remove all of these useless files, but fear not there is a built in program called Disk Cleanup that will delete all these files for you.

To run this program go to Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools> Disk Cleanup. Once the program is open you will be shown a window with a couple tabs and a few options to choose from. The first tab that you see lets you choose which junk files you would like to remove. Below this window it shows you how much free space you will gain from deleting these files. Even if it's only a few kilobytes, still run the program. I have found out from using it that even if it says it will free up a few kilobytes, it usually frees up 1-5GB of space. Once you are done selecting which files you want to remove, click the Ok button at the bottom of the window. Once the process is done it will automatically close. Along with deleting these junk files, if you haven't had any problems for awhile with your computer you can free up additional space by clicking the More Options tab in the Disk Cleanup window and clicking the Clean up button in the section titled System Restore. This will delete all but the most recent restore point. Once you're done deleting all your files close the program if it doesn't close by itself and your done.

5. Delete Unused Files

Along with deleting the junk files off your computer, you can also get increased performance from your hard drive by deleting files that you do know about but don't use. This includes software and all personal files you create or download such as movies, music, and pictures. Sure you might be playing only one or two PC games right now it might look cool to have 50 games installed at once, but if you're not playing them, remove them. Sure your hundreds of pictures look cool going across the screen for the My Pictures screensaver, but do you really need them all on your computer? If the answer is no then it would probably be better if you saved them all to CDs or DVDs and deleted them from your computer too.

6. Scan for Malware

Not only should you update your virus and other malware protection software regularly, but you should also actually use it. Because new forms of malware are released every day once in awhile viruses or spyware will get into your computer that your software can't detect. Because of this reason, it would be wise to run a virus and spyware scan on your computer at least once a week. Doing this will ensure that you are virus and spyware free, even if your program didn't automatically detect it on its own and again will increase computer speed.

7. Scan for Registry Errors

So you've scanned for viruses, removed junk files, defragmented your hard drive and are still having speed issues or you computer is still crashing when running programs. If none of these things did the trick, then the problem could be and probably at least partially is the fault of registry errors. The registry is like the central control and brain of all data on your computer in Windows. Almost every file you create and every program you add or remove creates entries in your system registry. Also just about any time you remove files or software, it creates registry errors. Unlike the previous tips, you will have to find a program that is designed for fixing registry errors rather than using features built into Windows. Most of them are self explanatory as to how to use them, but the one I recommend is Glary Utilities. It is the one I use personally and it finds several registry errors every time I run it. Once you pick a program you like, install and use it quite often as registry errors add up quickly. Fixing these errors will definitely make your system performance increase and be more stable.

8. Turn Off Startup Programs

Taking forever to startup seems to be a common problem for a lot of people I know. The reason your computer takes forever to start Windows and show your desktop is because of the number of programs it has been told to start on startup. A lot of these programs are unnecessary to have running at startup such as instant messaging software. The good thing is that you can turn these programs off if you choose to. To turn these programs off, go to Start and type System Configuration in the Run box and press enter. Once the System Configuration program has opened, click the startup tab. Here are all the programs listed that will startup when you first log into Windows. IF you see programs that you recognize such as Yahoo IM or AIM, uncheck them and click on Apply. Except for programs that Windows needs to run and virus and malware scanning software, pretty much all other programs can be safely deselected. Once you have made the changes you want to, close the application and restart your computer for the settings to take effect. Next time your operating system starts up you should definitely notice an increase in boot time if you deselected several of the programs. If not, then turn off some more programs or you can try my next tip.

9. Add More Ram

Sometimes, even when there is nothing wrong with your computer it will still seem to be running slow. This could be because the programs you are using on it require more memory than you currently have available in order to run smoothly. The solution, add more RAM to your computer. Adding more RAM will allow you to run more programs at the same time, and give your existing programs more memory to run in. This is especially useful for people who play a lot of games or do a lot of video and photo editing. These types of programs tend to use a lot of RAM. The downside to having to possibly add more RAM to your computer is that it costs money and requires a little tech knowledge of computers. When buying more RAM for your computer you first have to find out exactly which type it uses. Then you or someone you know has to take the side of your computer off and look for the existing RAM. Most computers have multiple slots for RAM and the chip is just a long rectangle. Installing the RAM is as simple as just placing it lightly in the slot and then pushing it into place. Once it's secure, put the side back on your computer, turn it back on and it's good to go. It's as simple as that.

10. Format Your Computer

So, you've tried all my previous tips and your computer is still running sluggishly. The last thing you can try that pretty much always fixes your problems when all else fails is to format your hard drive. Formatting your hard drive will completely wipe all files on it. This means that any errors you might have been having do to file errors, operating system errors or viruses and other malware, are now completely gone. There are few options you have for how to format your hard drive. One option is to use the recovery discs that come with most all retail computers. This method will automatically format and then reinstall your operating system and all trial software that came on your computer the first day you bought it. Another option is to boot your computer from a disc using your Windows operating system disc and running the format hard drive option from there. A third option, which is the one I usually use, is to use a Live-CD version of Linux and use a drive formatting program on it to format my hard drive, then reinstall your operating system from its install disc.

Regardless of which method you choose, the result are the same, a computer that you've had for awhile that is now like it was the first day you bought it. Before you do this though, make absolutely sure you have backed up all of your personal files to an external hard drive or to discs as these will now be gone if you didn't . The only downside I can think of to formatting your hard drive in order to make your computer fast again, is that its time consuming. Once you format it, you now have to re install all the software you use and download all your updates and patches again. This does however beat the alternative of buying a brand new computer. Despite being time consuming though, once you have your computer back to its working state again, it will definitely be running at full speed again.

So there you have it, 10 quick and easy tips that will get your computer running fast again without costing you much if any money.

How to uninstall Office 2007

2009-04-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

This article describes how to uninstall the existing 2007 Microsoft Office system if you cannot uninstall it by using the Add or Remove Programs feature (or Programs and Features in Windows Vista) in Control Panel.

If Add or Remove Programs does not uninstall the 2007 Microsoft Office system, use this alternative method to uninstall

Step 1: Remove any remaining Windows Installer packages of the 2007 Microsoft Office system:

1. Click Start, click Run, type installer, and then click OK.
2. On the View menu, click Details. Important To use the View menu in Windows Vista, you must press the ALT key first to display the menu bar, and then click the View menu.
3. On the View menu, click Choose Details.
4. Click to select the Subject check box, type 340 in the Width of selected column (in pixels) box, and then click OK. Note It may take several minutes for the subjects to appear next to each .msi file.
5. For Windows XP , on the View menu, point to Arrange icons by, and then click Subject. For Windows Vista, on the View menu, point to Sort By, and then click Subject. In Windows Vista, a User Account Control dialog box may be displayed with the following warning: An unidentified program wants access to your computer Click Allow when you see this warning message.
6. For each .msi file where the subject is "Microsoft Office Product_Name 2007," right-click the .msi file, and then click Uninstall. NoteProduct_Name is a placeholder for the name of the 2007 Microsoft Office product.

Step 2: Stop the Office Source Engine service:

1. For Windows XP , click Start, click Run, type services.msc in the Open box, and then click OK. For Windows Vista, click Start,click Start Search, type services.msc, and then press ENTER.

2. In the Services window, determine whether the Office Source Engine service is running. If this service is running, right-click Office Source Engine, and then click Stop.

3. Close the Services window.

Step 3: Remove any remaining 2007 Microsoft Office installation folders

1. For Windows XP , click Start, click Run, type %CommonProgramFiles%\Microsoft Shared in the Open box, and then click OK. For Windows Vista, click Start, click Start Search, type %CommonProgramFiles%\Microsoft Shared, and then press ENTER.
2. If the following folders are present, delete them:
* Office12
* Source Engine
3. For Windows XP , click Start, click Run, type %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office, and then click OK. For Windows Vista, click Start, click Start Search, type %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Office, and then press ENTER.
4. On the root folder of each hard disk drive, locate and then open the MSOCache folder. If you cannot see the MSOCache folder, follow these steps:
* Open Windows Explorer, and then on the Tools menu click Folder Options.
* Click the View tab.
* In the Advanced settings pane under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders.
* Click to clear the Hide protected operating system files check box, and then click OK.
5. Open the drive_letter:\MSOCache\All Users folder, and then delete every folder that has the following text in the folder name: 0FF1CE)- Note This text contains a zero and a one for the letters "O" and "I."

Step 4: Remove any remaining 2007 Microsoft Office installation files

1. For Windows XP , click Start, click Run, type %appdata%\microsoft\templates, and then click OK. For Windows Vista, click Start,click Start Search, type %appdata%\microsoft\templates, and then press ENTER.
2. Delete the following files:
* Normal.dotm
* Normalemail.dotm
3. For Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type %appdata%\microsoft\document building blocks\Language_ID, and then click OK. For Windows Vista, click Start, click Start Search, type %appdata%\microsoft\document building blocks\Language ID, and then press ENTER. Notes
* If you cannot open this folder because the folder does not exist, go to step 6.
* Language_ID is a placeholder for the four-digit number that represents the language of the 2007 Microsoft Office system. For example, if you use the English version of the 2007 Microsoft Office system, the Language_ID value is 1033. If the Language_ID is not known, type %appdata%\microsoft\document building blocks, and then open the subfolder in that location.
4. Delete the Building blocks.dotx file.
5. For Windows XP , click Start, click Run, type %temp%, and then click OK. For Windows Vista, click Start,click Start Search, type %temp%, and then press ENTER.
6. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
7. On the File menu, click Delete.
8. For Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, click Start, click Run, type %AllUsersprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Data, and then click OK. For Windows Vista, click Start, click Start Search, type %AllUsersprofile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Data, and then press ENTER.
9. Delete only the Opa12.dat file.

Step 5: Remove the registry subkeys of the 2007 Microsoft Office system

1. Locate and then delete the registry subkeys of the 2007 Microsoft Office system if they are present. To do this, follow these steps: a. For Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK. For Winndows Vista, click Start,click Start Search, type regedit, and then click OK. b. Click the following subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0 c. On the File menu, click Export, type DeletedKey01, and then click Save. d. On the Edit menu, click Delete, and then click Yes to confirm the deletion. e. For each registry subkey in the following list, repeat steps 1a through 1d. Change the name of the exported key by one for each subkey. For example, type DeletedKey02 for the second key, type DeletedKey03 for the third key, and so on. NoteIn the following registry keys, the asterisk character (*) represents one or more characters in the subkey name. 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows:
* HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\12.0
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Delivery\SourceEngine\Downloads\*0FF1CE}-*
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*0FF1CE*
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UpgradeCodes\*F01FEC
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products\*F01FEC
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ose
* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Features\*F01FEC
* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products\*F01FEC
* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\UpgradeCodes\*F01FEC
* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Win32Assemblies\*Office12* 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows:
* HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\12.0
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office\Delivery\SourceEngine\Downloads\*0FF1CE}-*
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*0FF1CE*
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UpgradeCodes\*F01FEC
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products\*F01FEC
* HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ose
* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Features\*F01FEC
* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products\*F01FEC
* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\UpgradeCodes\*F01FEC
* HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Win32Assemblies\*Office12*
2. Locate the following registry subkey: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall Note On a computer that is running a 64-bit version of Windows, locate the following registry subkey instead: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
3. On the File menu, click Export, type UninstallKey01, and then click Save.
4. Under the Uninstall subkey that you located in step 1, click each subkey, and then determine whether the subkey has the following value assigned to it:
* Name: UninstallString
* Data: file_name path\Office Setup Controller\Setup.exe path Note In this example, file_name is a placeholder for the name of an installation program, and path is a placeholder for the file path.
5. If the subkey contains the name and the data that are described in step 4, click Delete on the Edit menu. Otherwise, go to step 4.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you locate and then delete every subkey that matches the name and the data that are described in step 4.
7. Close Registry Editor.

Step 6: Restart the computer
Restart the computer. If the uninstall was successful, you are finished and can now reinstall the 2007 Microsoft Office system if you want.

source/curtsy: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928218

2009-04-09T06:21:00.000-07:00

Fix your computer problems yourself

2009-04-01T02:49:00.000-07:00

Whenever a computer problem happens, a lot of people get to the phone to call an expert at the very start, but this can be a mistake. There are some frequent computer problems that you can fix yourself, without needing a technician or computer expert. These problems array from no Internet connection to a sluggish computer And poor performance.

Most of the time you can fix these issues yourself with just a few steps and a little bit of time.

If you cannot get link to the Internet, and you by now have the connection set up correctly, attempt to reboot your computer. Unplug the computer modem and the cable modem, or other Internet connection device, as well as the router. Turn the computer modem back on, and see if it tries to connect.

If it does, plug the cable modem and router back in. If this does not help and you have a newer Windows operating system, such as XP, you can run a diagnostic test from the Internet error window when you try to connect, and the wizard will walk you through this test.

If these steps do not correct the problem, contact your Internet Service Provider. Common Causes And Repairs For Computer Problems If you have a virus or other malicious software program on your computer, it can cause computer problems or even crash and permanently damage your system.

Anti virus software can take care of this problem and offer you security around the clock. Some of these programs are free, and they are essential to keeping your computer in good repair. Spyware is another threat that can cause you to have computer problems, including a very slow computer and theft of your sensitive information, as well as tracking your browsing habits.

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These software programs are installed without your consent, in secret, and they can cause poor performance by your computer because of the number of programs they run. Installing a good anti spyware program, and running a scan of your computer every day, will keep spyware off your system and take care of this problem. This step will also keep your computer running efficiently.

Device drivers that won't work well, or at all, can usually be fixed by updating these drivers with the newest updates available. Sometimes a driver can become corrupted or even disappear, and updating to or re-installing the newest driver can prevent these problems with device drivers.

Without the correct drivers, your devices will not work, so keep all of the drivers updated for the best device performance. This will avoid computer problems. Use a Windows registry cleaner for a computer which is sluggish and does not perform well. The registry can become littered with file fragments from programs which have been removed from the computer, because these pieces stay.

These fragments will slow down your computer by keeping junk in the registry, and a registry cleaner will solve this problem very simply and quickly. Editing the registry manually is not only time consuming but also dangerous, and a registry cleaner knows exactly which files should be removed and which files are essential to the operating system. A registry cleaner will eliminate almost all computer problems.

Make Your Choice

2009-03-31T05:22:00.000-07:00

Why do People Create Computer Viruses?

2009-03-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

As a computer technician, my clients frequently ask me “Why do people create computer viruses?”, especially after I have been called out to remove a virus from their computer. This is what I tell them.

There are hundreds of thousands of viruses out there (if not millions) and they often designed for different objectives. Most of them fall under the following categories:

* To take control of a computer and use it for specific tasks
* To generate money
* To steal sensitive information (credit card numbers, passwords, data etc.)
* To prove a point, to prove it can be done, to prove ones skill or for revenge
* To cripple a computer or network

To Take Control of a Computer and Use It for Specific Tasks

This is the most common type of virus, which is better classified as a trojan. These types of viruses are usually downloaded unknowingly by the computer user thinking that the file is something else, such as a file sent from a instant messenger friend or email attachment.

Once the host computer has been infected (known as a zombie computer), the trojan joins a private chat channel and awaits orders from its “Zombie Master”. This Zombie Master who is often the virus creator, will gather thousands of infected machines called a botnet and use them to mount attacks on web servers. The Zombie Master can command each of these infected computers will send a tiny bit of information to a web server - because there are potentially thousands of computers doing this at once, it often overloads the server.

The Zombie Master may want to do this to another website because it is a rival website, a figurehead website (such as whitehouse.gov) or it may be part of an extortion plan. “Send me $5000 or your Toy selling website will be offline over the Christmas holidays”.

The Zombie Master can also use these infected computers to send spam while the zombie master remains anonymous and the blame goes to the infected computers.
i Robot: This movie was definitely about a DDOS

To Generate Money
These types of infections often masquerade as free spyware or virus removal tools (known as rogueware). Once ran, these fake applications will “scan” your computer and say it found has someviruses (even if there arent any) and in order to remove them, you must pay for the full version of the application. A good example of such a infection is called Myzor.fk which we have written about in the past.

Steal sensitive information
These types of viruses can sniff the traffic going in or out of a computer for interesting information such as passwords or credit card numbers and send it back to the virus creator. These types of viruses often use keylogging as a method of stealing information where it maintains a record of everything that is typed into the computer such as emails, passwords, home banking data, instant messenger chats etc..
The above mentioned methods also allows an attacker to gather an incredible amount of data about a person which can be used for identity theft purposes.

To Prove a Point, To Prove it Can Be Done, To Prove Ones Skill or For Revenge Purposes
A perfect example of this type of virus was the famous MS.Blaster virus (aka Lovesan) which infected hundreds of thousands of computers back in August 2003.

This virus would cause the system to restart after 60 seconds and had two hidden messages written in its code:
One was “I just want to say LOVE YOU SAN!!” which is why the virus is sometimes called Lovesan, and the other message was “billy gates why do you make this possible ? Stop making money and fix your software!!”
It is believed that purpose of this virus was to prove how easily exploitable a Windows system is.

To Cripple a Computer or Network
Few viruses now days are intended to disable a computer because it stops viruses ability to spread to other computers. Computer crippling viruses still exist, but nowhere near as common as the viruses mentioned above. The worst type of computer crippling viruses were back in the days of the 486 computers where the virus would overwrite the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the computer which would often prevent the computer from starting up at all.

Unlike computer crippling viruses, network crippling viruses are all too common now days. Most viruses that are designed to launch a Denial of Service attack will cause a significant load on a computer network, often bringing it down completely.

Turn to the Greener Side of Computers

2009-03-19T04:06:00.000-07:00

Many people are acquainted with how to use a computer except only few are aware of the great need for disposing off the used parts of a computer, in a safe manners. Many IT organizations have failed to assume adequate liability for the ultimate end of used PC. The first step to be taken towards greening the computer hardware should be initiated by the manufacturers and retailers end. Manufacturing and selling companies should take a closer look at the policy of the IT organisation, towards the PC and computer hardware takes back, before even buying. They should also keep account of the Electronic Take back Coalition, and maintain a list of recyclers that have pledged to adhere to certain corporate liability standards, including incinerate e-waste.

Even the people who own computers at home should be not reckless regarding the disposition of their used computer hardware. They too should be conscious about utilizing waste in the right manner. The initial step is not to throw away any used or outdated computer hardware in the dumpster. Instead recycle it. Be it your hard drive, monitor, keyboard, mouse, or printer, one can dispose it by recycling it in the right manner. Today, there are many recycling centres like City of Lubbock Solid Waste Department in Texas. Here they inspect all the disposed parts of a computer to check whether any hardware is working or not. Special care is taken to assure hard drives are completely erased prior to refurbishing activities. They have their own group of engineers who refurbish these computer particles and offers them to the state agencies counties, cities or school districts at no charge.

Some other ways to make your computer hardware green are discussed below -

Green Search – Instead of using the Google search engine, use Blackle.com. This is an eco friendly site that works on black resolution, thus saving less energy that is consumed by the white resolution. Further there is option for switching to black wallpapers and screen savers that consume lesser power than white or colored backgrounds.
Use LCD Screen – Replacing your CRT monitors with LCD screen will help you save up to 70% of electricity and the lifespan of the LCD is also twice more than the CRT.
Optimise Your PC's Power Setting With iYogi Toolbar – One can optimize energy consumption of a PC by switching it to the power saving mode. For this one can take the help of Yogi Green PC tool bar that can be installed on all Windows-based systems.
Switch to Vista Green – Power consumption in Windows Vista is less than in Windows XP. Switching off to that mode will help one saving a lot of energy.
Last but not the least, always remember to shut down the monitor when not in use. Always remember to unplug all the input as well as storage devices to save power.

Its time for everyone to realize the environment hampering that is caused by throwing the e particles into waste bins. The impact of that negligence on the environment worldwide can be huge. It is estimated that around 1.8 billion pounds of PCs are retired worldwide each year, but only about half —865 million pounds—are processed by recyclers, as per the report issued International Data Corp. Although some of the remaining 900 million pounds of computer hardware is rebuilt or reused, much of it is just plain discarded into landfills or incinerated. Incorporate the above few points, the next time you are thinking of discarding these unused or old parts of your computer.

Why and How About Upgrading Your PC

2009-03-10T23:32:00.000-07:00

Upgrading your PC is a great way to save some of your cash; swapping out old hardware for newer, faster components is often cheaper than buying a new PC, and if armed with some technical knowledge, can match the results, speed and pep, of a newer computer. It's wise to come up with a game plan before you start randomly upgrading parts, though.

Your battle plan must start with a little inspection of your current computer configuration. As you well know, some components are easier to upgrade than others, and some, not necessarily the most expensive ones, may lead to the dreamed increase in performance. For instance, purchasing and installing a new CPU is more of a hassle than buying some extra RAM. Also, the newly bought RAM will make your computer run faster and you will not regret your choice.

We suggest that the purchase list for your upgrade starts with the RAM (random access memory). With a little investment, you can considerably improve the performances on your computer, but first, you need to make a little research on your computer to see how much RAM you can install on it and what type you should buy to avoid any conflict between the new component and the motherboard.

Here are a few things to ponder before obtaining more memory: If a memory module's access time is low, it'll support a CPU with a high bus rate, and if your CPU has a high bus frequency, it'll behoove you to buy high quality memory.

Do you tax your PC with cycle hungry tasks like playing 3D games or editing digital videos? Or perhaps your PC came stock with an onboard graphics card and you've a spare slot just waiting for a faster graphics adapter to give your rig a little more pep. This type of upgrade can be costly, so be sure you know what type of performance boost you need.

If you use your machine just for surfing the web, writing e-mails and Word documents, then take the graphics card off the list. Remember, we are talking hard cold cash here, and it will be too expensive to purchase a $600 graphics card just to play Solitaire. There are also other aspects, if your graphics card is too old and it is need of dire replacement. See what kind of slot your motherboard has for the graphics card - PCI, PCI Express or AGP and plan your purchases accordingly.

Continuing the research on your necessities, take a look at your hard drive. If you like to stock up a lot of music, photos or movies, you will be in dire need of a bigger hard drive. Making copies on DVD's or USB drives is a solution, but having a sturdy 200 GB hard drive is a more elegant and easier to handle solution.

What is so convenient about new hard drives is that they are usually sold together with a piece of software meant to take all the information from your old data storage device, along with the already installed Windows and simply transfer it to the new one. With an improved hard drive, all the performances of your computer will live a new life.

Many PC gamers and aficionados upgrade their motherboards to stay on the cutting edge of computer technology. But if you've a plan for a new mobo, make sure you don't have a proprietary PC-think Dell, HP, IBM, et al.-as in some instances you'll need to purchase a new case just to get it to squeeze in, and you'll often spend several times as much for the newer main board than you did for the older one.

Even it is seems like a hassle, an upgrade to your PC will do justice to your needs and your wallet, as well. You will end up paying less than you would if you decided in favor of a new machine, but only if you plan thoroughly ahead.

For any short of software and hardware upgrade and computer support solution you can approach iYogi Technical Support which is one of the online computer support service provider across USA,UK,AUS,CANADA and is emerging strongly in its business domain.

About iYogi

iYogi is the first direct-to-consumer and small business technical support service from India. Providing an annual unlimited subscription to technical support, iYogi now boasts of more than 50,000 customers. The company employs 600 professionals servicing customers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and fast expanding to 12 new geographies across the globe. iYogi’s resolution rate of 87 percent and customer satisfaction rate of 93 percent are amongst the highest published benchmarks in the industry. For further information, please visit- www.iyogi.co.uk

iYogi delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is the first, global, technical support brand based out of India with more than 50,000 customers. The company offers consumers an Unlimited, Annual Subscription Service per desktop that includes support for a wide range of technologies, including PC hardware, Microsoft products support, Windows Operating Systems, Software Applications, MP3 players, Networking Devices, Digital Camera, Printers and Scanners etc.

Do you have self-defense for your windows

2009-03-02T05:41:00.000-08:00

To defend Windows, you need to install software that protects against several kinds of threats. This section describes the threats and the software that defends against each.

Some programs provide protection against multiple threats. But no single program protects you from all kinds of threats!

Compare any protective software you already have installed to what I describe here. To cover any gaps, this section recommends free software you can download and install. It provides download links for these free programs.

Firewall – Firewalls are programs that prevent data from coming into or leaving from your computer without your permission. Unsolicited data coming into your computer could be an attempt to compromise it; unauthorized data leaving your computer may be an attempt to secretly steal your data or spy on your activities.

Every Windows computer should run a firewall at all times when it is connected to the Internet.
I recommend downloading and installing a free firewall, such as ZoneAlarm, Comodo Firewall, Sygate Personal Firewall, or Jetico Personal Firewall. ZoneAlarm is especially easy to set up, since it is selfconfiguring.

Find other free firewalls along with a quick comparative review here.
Windows ME, 98, and 95 did not come with a firewall. XP and Vista do. However, the XP and Vista firewalls have shortcomings.

The XP firewalls (there are actually two versions) do not stop unauthorized outgoing data. This is unacceptable because if malware somehow got installed on your computer, it could send data out without you realizing it.

Vista’s built-in firewall can stop unauthorized outbound data. But it does not do so by default.

I recommend installing a free firewall whether or not you have a Microsoft firewall. (It doesn’t hurt to run two firewalls.) Since the procedures for configuring Microsoft’s firewalls vary according to your Windows version and service pack level, see the Appendix for how to configure them.

Anti-Virus – Viruses are programs that are installed on your computer without your knowledge or permission. The damage they do ranges from acting as a nuisance and wasting your computer’s resources, all the way up to destroying your data or Windows itself.

Anti-virus programs help identify and eliminate viruses that get into your computer. Free anti-virus programs include AVG Anti-Virus, avast! Anti-Virus Home Edition, and PC Tools Anti-Virus Free Edition.

If you don't already have an anti-virus scanner, download and install one of these, then run it regularly to scan your disk for any viruses. You can schedule the program to run automatically either through its own built-in scheduling facility or through the Windows Scheduler. Good anti-virus programs like these automatically scan data as it downloads into your computer. This includes emails you receive and any files you download.

Anti-Malware -- In addition to viruses, there are many other kinds of programs that try to secretly install themselves on your computer. Generically, they're called malware. They include:

Spyware It spies on your behavior and sends this data to a remote computer
Adware It targets you for advertisements
Trojans These scam their way into your computer
Rootkits These take over administrator rights and can do anything to your PC
Dialers These secretly use your communication facilities
Keyloggers These record your keystrokes (including passwords) and send this data to a remote computer
Botware This turns your computer into a bot or zombie, ready to silently carryout instructions sent from a remote server

Since no one program identifies and removes all kinds of malware, you need a couple in addition to your anti-virus scanner.

Anti-Rootkit -- Rootkits are a particularly vicious form of malware. They take over the master or Administrator user rights on your PC and therefore are very effective at hiding themselves.
Many of the anti-malware programs above provide some protection against rootkits. But sometimes a specialized detection program is useful. Rootkit detectors often require technical expertise but I can recommend two as easy-to-use, AVG Anti-Rootkit Free and Sophos Anti-Rootkit. Both require Windows XP or 2000 or newer.

Intrusion Prevention – Intrusion detection programs alert you if some outside program tries to secretly enter Windows by replacing a program on your computer. For example, an outside program might try to replace part of Windows or alter a program such as Internet Explorer.
Free intrusion detection programs include WinPatrol, SpywareGuard, ThreatFire Free Edition, and ProcessGuard Free. Install one of them and it will run constantly in the background on your computer, detecting and preventing intrusions.

How to Performs System Restore in Windows XP

2009-02-24T02:55:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought about restoring your system to overcome any of the late mishappenings you might encounter today or tommorow.. No guesses i know most of you will accept that you have never thought about it or have tried to explore it.

In this post we will try to learn how to make a system checkpoint, useful for any future need. Also, learn how to restore your system using these checkpoints. You just never know when a bad software/hardware installation or virus will permanently cripple your operating system.

Before we begin, let's make sure System Restore is turned on in order to make any future use of it. Go to Start>Settings>Control Panel. Click on the "System" icon. Click on the "System Restore" tab. Make sure that the option to "Turn off system restore on all drives" is unchecked. You can also enable/disable system monitoring on individual drives from this screen.

--== CREATING CHECKPOINT ==--

Creating a checkpoint allows your system to restore all settings to any particular date you created it. Go to Start>Programs>Accessories>system tools>System Restore. From this screen, choose the option "Create a restore point." Next, give your restore point a meaningful description for future use. Click "Create". Enjoy!

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--== RESTORING SYSTEM ==--

If Windows ever gets a severe problem, you can always go back to this checkpoint when stability was at its best. Launch the System Restore utility as described above. Click on "Restore my computer to an earlier time." Click Next. You will be given the choice to choose any checkpoint manually created by you, or created by Windows itself. When ready, click Next, and eventually Windows will load the checkpoint of your choice.

Sometimes restoring your system can be nearly impossible, depending on the severity of your issue. You may not be able to even launch such a task from your normal Windows session. In case this ever occurs, restart your computer, and hit the F8 key early in the booting process. You will be shown a special troubleshooting menu. Among them, there is "Safe Mode", which launches a Windows session with minimal settings and services. This will greatly increase your chances of launching the System Restore tool successfully.

Tips: Before having to use it because of any particular issue, think backwards. Ask yourself: What did I possibly install recently that crippled my system like this? If you believe you have the answer to your problem, try uninstalling any recent program, or restoring any software/hardware changes you made to your system.

If your system is restored, any application or major changes you had made to your computer will be lost between the time of your checkpoint, and the time of the actual restore.

Disable The Services of Windows XP/Vista

2009-02-23T01:08:00.000-08:00

On a Windows XP/Vista home pc there are quite a few services that really aren't needed for the average home user. Preventing these services from starting automatically can save you valueable processor and ram resources.

If you don't feel comfortable about disabling windows services you can set them to start manually.

If you take a look below, you'll see the list of services that can be set to manual or disabled:

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* Alerter - Disabled
* COM+ Event System - Disabled
* COM+ System Application - Disabled
* Computer Browser - Manual or Disabled
* Distributed Link Tracking Client - Disabled
* Distributed Transaction Coordinator - Disabled
* Error Reporting Service - Disabled
* Help and Support - Disabled
* Indexing Service - Disabled
* IPSEC Services - Disabled
* Messenger - Disabled
* NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing - Disabled
* Network DDE - Disabled
* Network DDE DSDM - Disabled
* NT LM Security Support Provider - Disabled
* Performance Logs and Alerts - Disabled
* Portable Media Serial Number - Disabled
* QoS RSVP - Disabled
* Remote Desktop Help Session Manager - Disabled
* Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator - Disabled
* Remote Registry Service - Disabled
* Routing and Remote Access - Disabled
* Secondary Logon - Disabled
* Security Accounts Manager - Disabled
* Smart Card - Disabled
* Smart Card Helper - Disabled
* SSDP Discovery Service - Disabled
* System Event Notification - Disabled
* Task Scheduler - Disabled
* TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Service - Disabled
* Telnet - Disabled
* Uninterruptible Power Supply - Disabled
* Universal Plug and Play Device Host - Disabled
* Volume Shadow Copy - Disabled
* WebClient - Disabled
* Windows Time - Disabled
* WMI Performance Adapter - Disabled

This vs That Series: Firefox vs Opera vs Safari

2009-02-20T03:54:00.000-08:00

With the browser ware out there time for me to weigh in?
Not sure. But I’m going to weigh in anyway.

My primary browser is Firefox, both on my laptop and on my desktop at work. I havent used Safari regularly in well over a year. Why do I feel the need to compare Firefox, the browser I always use, against Opera, which I rarely use? Because the reason I even rarely use Opera is because it’s faster on my Mac than Firefox, it has more built-in functionality, it is perhaps more customizable out of the box, and because it is still a less buggy Mac app in terms of GUI behavior, skin compatibility and customizations.

To qualify that last statement, I won’t say that Opera crashes less than Firefox. Neither crash often, and when Firefox crashes, it’s usually consistent - like when I reload certain forums and simultaneously load gmail, Firefox always crashes. Opera crashes more in my experience, however, and more randomly. That being said, the Session Saver extension in Firefox (which also is sometimes buggy) and the same feature in Opera render infrequent crashes relatively harmless.

With that said, let’s get started…

1. Themes. Honestly, this is pretty cool. The biggest initial reason, I’ll admit, in becoming attracted to both Firefox and Opera, was because I had the flexibility to make my browser look unique (to me). Safari doesnt offer this feature.

Between the two, there is no question that Opera wins. It has a built-in theme viewer and updates the browser immediately upon changing themes. Firefox, on the other hand, requires a restart when changing themes. And because the themes for Firefox are found in many different places, the previews of each theme are inconsistent. Furthermore, Opera offers color schemes for its themes, making them even more unique. Very cool. Also, Firefox themes dont always work well on Macs. Scrollbars get funky, and I’ve seen some themes fuck up the live bookmarks, too.

Winner: Opera

2. Tab Navigation. I’m not going to get into the semantics of tabs vs windows vs pages or who started which when and how. What matters to me is how the tabbed browsing in each browser works. The way I work, most often, is by having one window open with multiple tabs. I also use Desktop Manager, so sometimes I need another window. It’s easy enough in all applications to open a new window when necessary. The biggest difference comes into play when loading new web pages into new/existing tabs within my current window. Safari got me used to this idea, so perhaps my judgment is based on the intuition I learned in Safari. But Firefox, to me, is much more intuitive than Opera in loading new tabs. If I want to open a web page in a new tab (same window), I just hold down the command key when I click on the link. Same thing in Safari. In both cases, the new tab opens in background, which means that I’m staying in the current tab but loading another tab that, when I want to read it, I simply click on its tab. For me, this is perfect because the only time I open a web page in a new tab is when I want to stay in whatever web page I’m already in. There may be several articles on one home page that I want to read. So I open new tabs as I read through the web page.

In Opera, the same keystroke opens a new tab, but brings me to it. I dont like that. To open a new tab in background, I hold down shift-command when clicking. Not a big deal.

The biggest problem with Opera’s tabs is that they are unpredictable. There are too many custom settings in preferences for me to figure out how to make it behave the way I want it to behave. For instance, clicking on a link from my Spurl sidebar loads a new tab. But then if I click on another link from my Spurl sidebar, it loads the new web page into the same tab that held the first one. It’s as if Opera created a Spurl tab that it reuses (unless I command-click). That’s not right and it’s annoying. Plus, it doesnt always happen that way. Again, it’s unpredictable.

Worse, when one tab is loading, if the page is large, I often dont want to wait, so I click to another tab and look at that one while the other one is loading. Then, when new items load in that one tab, Opera switches me there automatically. That is simply bad design.

The other problem with Opera provides a segue into my next point. Windows that appear in Firefox as popup-type windows, such as image windows, are created in a new tab in Opera. This renders what should be a small, popup window with no toolbar, footer, etc., as its own tab, making it look funny and sometimes hard to find. I’m sure there is a setting to avoid this, but the same setting will alter other features of tabbed browsing in Opera that I prefer.

Winner: Firefox/Safari

3. Popup Blocking. Fuck popups. Fuck em all. First of all, Safari doesnt have a popup blocker, so they’re out. Firefox has a popup blocker that works very well. I have set my preferences to block all popups, and when I get to a site that has a blocked popup, Firefox notifies me in my status bar with a little exclamation mark. If I want to see the popup, I click on the exclamation mark.

Opera also has a popup blocker, but it’s customizable more easily - the toggle is located in the menu bar, so it’s easy to change my popup preferences. But what doesnt work is that, again, pages meant to be popups, which are loaded as such in Firefox even with my popup settings turned to off, in Opera load in new tabs. This is excruciatingly annoying. Also, when Opera does come to a site where there are blocked popups, I get a little yellow window that rises up from my bookmarks toolbar to tell me about my popups. To me, that’s a popup. Dumb.

Winner: Firefox.

4. Adblocking. Fuck ads that make my eyes bleed. I dont mind reading ads when there presence doesnt overwhelm the content that I’m at a web page for in the first place. In fact, I use gmail extensively and dont mind the ads there. But blinking, bright, huge and garish ads bother me. I’m never going to click on one.

Firefox has a great Adblock extension called Adblock that sits in my status bar. When I come to a page with ads, I can click on the little status bar button and up pops a window with a list of every image and iframe on the page. I can then select one and block it, and I can also, after selecting one, add a “*” wildcard character to avoid seeing ads from those servers wherever they will ever appear ever. I can also control-click on an ad and do the same thing.

Safari - nothing, except with a plugin, which I cant use because both my computers are work computers and I cant install anything on top of my applications folder. Wa. Loser.

Opera doesnt believe in Adblocking. This is because Opera is a browser that you have to pay for. True, a “free” version is available, but it has ads in the toolbar that you cant get rid of. So their philosophy is that they shouldnt be blocking ads. Admirable, to be sure, but still annoying. Again, I’m not going to click on any garish ads purely out of principle, so nobody is losing any income by my blocking ads. But Opera is losing a fan.

Winner: Firefox.

5. RSS. This may be the most subjective category I can talk about. I’m still using 10.3, so the new Tiger SafariRSS is unavailable to me. Firefox kicks ass in RSS handling. Opera is terrible. Let me explain.

RSS information is information that is updated somewhere remote and reflected somewhere local. Most often, I believe, this is about news stories, or articles. Your local RSS handler sees something new and that appears for you locally. Bloglines is a great RSS tool. It captures feeds for web pages and puts them into a personal page for each user. What the user sees is not the original page, but merely the content, sometimes truncated. It’s a great way for browsing news stories.

The other way that RSS works is to handle lists of update. For example, if you subscribe to Apple.com’s software downloads RSS feed, you will get a list of each piece of software that was added at any time.

Opera handles the first type of RSS feeds OK. Not bad. What it does is load them into its mail viewer (counterintuitive). Most disappointing here is that the format is poor. It’s very basic. Bloglines is actually better in terms of appearance and pretty much anything else. I never use the mail RSS feeds in Opera, I just use Bloglines.

In fact, thats what I use in Firefox as well, for feeds such as news or blog feeds. The difference is that Firefox has (as an add-on from Bloglines), a small notifier that sits in your status bar to alert you, subtly, when new feeds arrive. Normally the notifier is a small blue B. When there are new feeds to read, a smaller red dot appears beside the B. In Opera, there is no Bloglines notifier, and the alert for new feeds in its mail RSS reader appear as that little yellow scroll-up thing. Bah.

In addition to how it handles news feeds, Firefox handles list feeds so sweetly. It creates live bookmarks. This means that if you come to a page that has an RSS feed that, for instance is Apple’s list of new software downloads, Firefox can create a live bookmark. If you put that on your toolbar, you are one click away from seeing, in bookmark form, a constantly updated list of new software downloads. This is especially useful for delic.io.us bookmarks feeds and even news headlines that you just want to browse really quickly.

Opera has no live bookmark feature. For me, this is the biggest strike against it.

Winner: Firefox.

6. Live Bookmark Integration. This is similar to what I just wrote. I use delicious bookmarks. They are a great way to keep my bookmarks on a server so I have access to them between computers, and sharing bookmarks keeps me up to speed on new stuff, like cool writing sites, new software, new Firefox extensions, or just what other people are reading. There are several extensions in Firefox that integrate delicious into the application. I use Foxylicious to keep a live update of all my bookmarks in my toolbar, and I also have feeds for several tags, such as “writing” and “osx”. For all my bookmarks, there is a folder on my toolbar called “delicious”. Clicking on it brings down a series of folders, via which there are all my bookmarks. And it’s updated all the time, so adding a bookmark to delicious puts it in my folder.

Opera doesnt integrate delicious at all. It does, however, integrate Spurl. Fortunately, Spurl can work with delicious. So I signed up and set my settings so that Spurling a page also puts it into my delicious account. All right, then. All is good. No. All is not good. The only integration between Spurl and Opera is a sidebar (also available in Firefox) that lists my bookmarks. I can look at them by tag or in order of when they were Spurled or in order of how many times I’ve clicked on them. Unfortunately, unlike live bookmarks, which are literally less than one second away, loading the tags sort into my Spurl sidebar takes sometimes up to 15-20 seconds. No way.

Without real integration, there is NO way in Opera to actually use my Spurl or delicious bookmarks as bookmarks. I can get to them, but they dont behave the way that bookmarks are supposed to behave. Opera renders social bookmarking completely useless.

Winner: Firefox.

7. Customization. Firefox uses extensions. It’s pointless to argue that Firefox is at a disadvantage because so many of its features arent out of the box and need to be added. Extensions are easy to add. The real problem with them is that they sometimes fuck up your application, causing a reinstall or, worse, dumping your profile and then reinstalling. However, many of them have been around for a long time and dont cause problems, and if you add them one at a time, you can usually easily isolate conflicts and uninstall a bad extension before any real damage is done. Trust me, you dont want to add 10 extensions at once.

Many Firefox extensions match what Opera already has. This one or that one - it’s relatively meaningless unless one or another extension or Opera preference means a lot to you. So let’s just talk about ease of use. Opera is pretty easy to customize many things. It does have a problem is that there are so many options available in a number of different preference windows that it becomes hard to figure things out on your own about how to set the app up the way you want it. Opera’s preference pane is not Mac-native and it’s a little tough figuring things out. The toolbars are nearly fully customizable. You can move them around - top, bottom, left, right, you can add a ton of buttons to any toolbar. Once you get the hang of it, you can pretty much do anything you want with Opera’s toolbars (except kill the fucking ads), and that is a very very cool thing.

Firefox is not as flexible with moving things around, even with extensions. Also, the themes in Firefox are less likely to include theme-specific buttons for buttons associated with many extensions. So there is a natural conflict of good things - themes, good; extensions, good; but sometimes mixing the two will make your theme look bad. Since all the buttons come with Opera, all their themes contain theme-appropriate versions of all the buttons.

Firefox is, however, because of extra extensions, a little “cooler” in terms of customizing. I can have my clock, weather, iTunes controller, gmail notifier, and other things, sitting in my status bar. On the other hand, Opera offers easy to use bookmarklets which can do things like quickly toggle the visibility on a toolbar. Firefox edges Opera in this area, but overall, Opera wins. The features you turn on dont conflict with one another, and it’s a big deal to be able to set general appearance so widely, even if it is missing some cool addons.

Safari - eh, no. Very basic button set, not a ton of toolbar options.

Winner: Opera.

8. The Sidebar. Opera has a sidebar and it totally kicks ass. You can get to your bookmarks, history, mail, feeds (if you use them), notes, and some other things that you can add, all in a sidebar, which can go left or right in your browser window.

Firefox also has a sidebar, but its functionality, particularly when you want to add extensions to it to make it as good as Opera’s, is lacking, buggy and inconsistent. There are a few sidebar extensions. I’ve found the best luck with EZ Sidebar, but it still sometimes acts funny. But it’s pretty good and pretty close to Opera’s.

Safari doesnt have a sidebar.

Winner: Opera.

9. Speed.

Winner: Opera.

10. Gmail. This is a problem, sometimes, in Opera. Opera fans will demand that it’s gmail’s fault, but who cares? It works on Firefox. I’m no testament to justice - I’m not going to use something if it doesnt work with something else, regardless of whose fault it is.

Winner: Firefox/Safari.

11. Page loading. Opera often fails to load images on pages, small images like forum icons and stuff, as if it’s running out of memory or something. I’ve rarely had issues with Firefox’s rendering of pages unless they are outdated Java-heavy, and in these cases Safari picks up the slack. I posted on this blog recently about Safari not even handling Apple’s own website correctly, so nothing is perfect, it seems. But Safari is the most reliable, but it’s not enough to make me switch except for individual pages in rare cases. Firefox also has an extension that allows you to quickly open a web page in IE.

Winner: Safari

12. Auto-Fill. I’ll focus on user/passwords here, because this is about me and that’s what I use. I dont use auto fill for forms. I cant speak to Safari on this, so screw em.

Opera uses the wand. This is bitchin, although sometimes it’s screwy. When you come to a log-in screen, if you’ve already saved your info, you just hit the wand button and it fills in your information. You can even save more than one set of user/password info, and then the wand lets you choose. What isnt good is that if you’re not on the same page every time, it won’t load the info for you. This happens to me on Yahoo, where I have multiple usernames and there are a million different pages to log into your Yahoo email.

Firefox uses password manager. This can sometimes be buggy, and there are times when I visit the same page over and over again with no problems and then suddenly my saved info is gone and I have to remember it again, which is a problem when you’ve been relying on password manager to enter it for you. The advantage over Opera is that you can choose to remember the password for the entire site and not just the page.

Winner: Opera.

13. Advanced Customization. Safari - none. Firefox uses about.config to change deep settings to increase speed, alter sidebar behavior, toolbar size and spacing, etc. Opera uses an .ini file, which seems much more risky and definitely more frightening to me. The problem is that many things that can be changed in Firefox with extensions or simple preferences need to be done in Opera in the .ini file, so there are in essence MORE advanced customization options in Opera. This sounds good, but it’s not. The more I have to alter settings by actually going into pref files, the worse it is. Firefox even has an extension to put many about:config settings into the preferences dialog box. Kickass.

Winner: Firefox.

Overall experience. Firefox is the browser I use. Safari is the browser I keep around in case I need it. Opera is the browser I really wished I liked better. The lack of live bookmarks kills Opera, and the cost doesnt help. Opera would have to win, hands down, all categories important to me in order to get me to buy it. And because of screen real estate, I’d never use the free Opera on my laptop. Opera is snappier and has a cleaner, less buggy interface than Firefox. That’s perhaps why I keep going back to it to try it. But that never lasts for more than a few days, because then I miss having my delicious bookmarks readily available. The other killer is Adblock. There are .ini settings and $$ plugins to block ads in Opera, but none of those compare to the free, easy and effective Firefox solution. After browsing in Firefox, going to the same page in Opera, with all those fucking ads, it makes me want to never use the internet again. It’s not the Adblock that’s immoral, it’s the ads that are intrusive. Opera needs to do something about that, particularly if I’m going to pay for it.

I’ll keep trying both. I always check Opera for updates and sometimes use it, but it doesnt fit my browsing habits. And it’s frustrating because the Opera community is much more standoff-ish than Firefox’s. If a user has a problem, the Firefox forums will help and show the solution. With Opera, the forums direct you to workarounds, not solutions, and question your needs. I dont want a browser that I have to adjust to, I want one that adjusts to me. Firefox does that. If it ever gets as clean, snappy and bug-free as Opera, I’ll never try Opera again. It’s those shortcomings that even make me think about Opera in the first place.

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This vs That Series: Broadband vs Dial Up
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This vs That Series: Broadband vs. Dial-Up

2009-02-20T03:43:00.000-08:00

It has become an age old debate: Broadband versus dial-up. If you are still living in the Stone Age and using a dial-up connection, it is definitely time for an upgrade. Dial-up connections and services are becoming obsolete and it is just a matter of time before providers switch to a strictly broadband service.

Back in the early 90s, the Internet, as we know it, was born. The only available connection back then was a dial up modem. It was slow and cumbersome, but we could search millions of sites and meet many different people. Of course, you could be in the middle of talking with someone and someone else in your household may need to use the phone. Well, since you are connected to the internet via the only phone line in the house, they can't use the phone or they would knock you off. Downloading something over ten megabytes takes a nightmareishly long time and anything larger than that and you'll be old and wrinkled before it's done.

Fast forward about ten years to the year 2000. This is about the time broadband became a significant force in the online world. It started becoming very affordable, some companies offering it for LESS than the cost of dial up. You may be think, "Broadband isn't available in my area though". Broadband accessibility is spreading rapidly. Of course, you can opt to go with satellite, but a big drawback to that is, if it rains really hard, or anything else that can get in between you and the satellite, it can cause your service to, in some cases, be slower than dial up.

Most phone companies offer some form of DSL. Most cable companies will offer some kind of package plan that includes a cable internet connection. Most of the time, cable is the best choice to go with. It is faster, more reliable and it doesn't matter how far away from the main office you are as to what speed you will have. DSL, on the other hand, is a good alternative if you simply cannot get cable. Most of the time, DSL will tend to be a bit slower than cable. Its speed will be determined by how close the phone company's office is to your house. Both DSL and cable are good choices. Downloading big files is no longer a nightmare and you can actually start thinking about files larger than ten megabytes!

There are, of course, drawbacks, even to broadband. That drawback comes in the form of it being an 'always on' connection. You will want some kind of antivirus and firewall protection. There are many free ones out there. Windows XP comes with a built in firewall. It's okay if you don't have anything better. If at all possible get a better one. Antivirus is also needed as you will run into at least one virus during your time with broadband. Between a good antivirus and a good firewall, though, you shouldn't have anything extremely harmful affect your computer. You may have some adware and spyware but that's easily removed, as well.

Why wait to upgrade?

One of the primary reasons dial-up users wait to upgrade is because they do not want to spend more money on a high-speed Internet connection. However, most dial-up users do not realize that broadband offers them a faster, more stable connection than dial-up. In the past, using dial-up meant you could not use your phone at the same time, but with broadband, you can have a separate landline phone or utilize VOIP to talk while you surf.

While dial-up can be useful for some, with the changing facets of what folks do online, playing games and using the Internet can be improved upon by upgrading to broadband. If you are looking to get involved in game playing online, downloading or uploading, utilizing a broadband connection is necessary in today's day and age. Without a stable, broadband connection, you will find downloads will take much longer and the latency at which you interact with fellow gamers will drive not only you insane but those you are playing with as well.

If you are still waiting to upgrade, check with your local broadband provider to see what specials, offers and education they can give you. In most cases, they can give you case-by-case comparisons of dial-up and their services in your area. This will help you determine how much better broadband will be in your home or office. If the facts do not ready you for the upgrade, perhaps changing how you view your Internet connection will. The sooner you realize dial-up is going the way of the dinosaur, the easier it will be to make the jump to broadband.

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This vs That Series: Norton vs mcafee

This vs That Series: Norton vs. McAfee

2009-02-20T02:54:00.000-08:00

One of the age old debates when it comes to anti-virus software comes down to whether Norton or McAfee offers better protection. When it comes down to it, both programs will protect your system from the majority of viruses and threats out there. Are they foolproof? No, not at all, each system has their own quirks and ways of working that take any user time to get used to this.

Norton SystemWorks is a complete security suite that offers a variety of protection on many levels. Its anti-virus program runs in the background while other parts of the set-up help protect your computer from different types of threats. You can run checks to make sure your hard drive is running properly, as well as cleaning up your Internet preferences and registry files.

McAfee offers anti-virus protection along with other security features. Over the last two years, McAfee has increased its overall protection including its firewall support. It also runs in the background to ensure overall protection and make sure your system is protected from the latest threats on the world wide web.

If you use Norton or McAfee, then decide to switch, it is important to note that they do not always work well together. When you uninstall a program, there are files left over hidden in the registry that may interfere with the new installation. If this is the case, you will want to take the time to comb through the registry to makes sure all files and entries related to the old program before installing the new one again. This will generally fix any problems with installation you may have going from one to another.

The important thing to remember about anti-virus protection is that it takes some time to get used to. In order to utilize the program to the best of its ability, you want to tinker with the preferences to get it to work with your system the best way it can. Some programs can be resource intensive, and you can change settings to counteract that. Taking the time to get to know your anti-virus program, no matter which one you use, is key to keeping your system safe, secure and working into the future.

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This vs That Series: Firefox vs Opera vs Safari
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How to Delete Undeletable Folders and Files

2009-02-20T02:50:00.000-08:00

One of the most annoying things for a computer user is when you are trying to delete files and find you cannot delete them for one reason or another. Either the file or folder is in use, or it is being used by another person on the network or program and sometimes you just cannot delete it for no real reason at all. There are some ways around this in Windows and by taking the time to learn how to do it, you can delete those pesky files and folders with little trouble at all.

Your first step when trying to delete a stubborn file should be to track down what is using it. You can do this by opening up Windows Task Manager and going through the list to see what should not normally be open. You must do this with caution, because if you end the wrong task, you can cause a cataclysmic system failure that could do more harm than good. If you find the write program or task, you can end it then delete the file without problem. This is usually the case when it comes to movies, pictures, Word documents and other files that might be lagging thanks to an opened program that did not close properly or is otherwise being slow to completely shut down.

If that does not work, it is possible that there is a reason why you cannot delete the particular file or folder. Since that track above works nine out of ten times, you may want to research the file and folder to see what uses it in regards to your system. Once you discover its use, you may find you can or cannot delete it, but you will know for sure one way or another if it is safe to eliminate it from your system.

As always, you want to be careful of what folders and files you are deleting. In most cases, there is a reason why they are not meant to be deleted. So, delete files at your own risk and take the time to figure out why they are locked down before you go through with it.

Benefits of Windows Vista versus XP

2009-02-20T02:42:00.000-08:00

Depends really on what you define as 'better'. XP has been well patched, and runs stabily on most currently operational hardware. Vista requires more modern hardware, and (as with XP) the more the merrier. Don't be frugal on RAM or processor power, though the 64-bit and 32-bit arguments will go on for several years still.

System requirements and licensing aside, Vista is the next generation Microsoft platform for desktops, and it has a few 'neat' gadgets, but nothing overwhelmingly worth the price of the upgrade.If your computer sits under the desk and does it's thing day in and day out, stick with XP.

For laptops however, it's an entirely different story. A laptop designed to work with Vista, (signed drivers, etc) will gain from one critical feature in Vista, the ability to seamlessly switch from network to network (though this feature is available only in the Ultimate version) with few if any hitches.However, if you have one or two networks you work off of (home and work for instance) honestl? It's a bit of a pricy upgrade for seamless network switching, I'd say stick with XP. If you are a true mobile user (airports, hotels, home, and twelve work locations) you might want to consider Vista.

Similar to the Windows 2000 -> Windows XP migration, the XP -> Vista migration will come in stages. The early adopters are there now finding issues and reporting back their problems to Microsoft. Patches are released and really unless you are quite saavy with technology and want that bleeding edge, wait for Service Pack 1 which should correct the majority of the common day-to-day issues. After SP1, there will be another rash of people who upgrade, and around SP2 most of the corporate world will begin their eventual migration as well.

As with the advent of Windows 95/NT 3.51, Windows 98/NT 4.0, Windows 2000 and Windows XP Windows Vista will recieve a lot "Vista is a piece of crap" posts from people running on hardware at the lower end of the spectrum without signed or approved drivers (and typically running drivers for the previous operating system), or "Vista won't run my mission critical software" which is a frigtheningly old DOS-based version of a database program that makes Access look good. If it's that mission critical, upgrade it or stay on your current platform.

Hardware has been and always will be the goat when it comes to operating system upgrades. Out of the box, Vista supports a smaller range of hardware than even XP did at product launch, but it's funny how quick people forget how much 'better' our lives were when we used Windows 2000, NT 4.0, Windows 98... Yeah, those were the days. Before 150,000 variants on malware and spyware, before every script kiddy had point and click viruses spreading in the wild, and denial of service attacks were little more than a mouse click away. Which is what caused the most hated feature of Vista to come into play, the secutiry system that warns you something is being installed. For the complete novice, this feature alone could be worth the price. I can't tell you how many times I've fixed computers just chock full of adware/malware crap "I didn't know it was installing something..." is the mantra of these users.

In a couple years XP will be relelgated to the same place as Windows 98, and 2000. The mainstream people will look at you funny and tell you that the driver for the new card they want is Vista only, or the game requires Windows Vista. It's called progress, and it's inevitable. For those who think it's the year of the Penguin? Linux will reach desktops the day that games are written on Linux and ported to Windows and not one day sooner. Why? Because games drive the technology of computers

How To Format The Partion With Windows Installer

2009-02-20T02:26:00.000-08:00

Here's where I got stuck and searched for an answer for 3 days before finding out how to do it.

When using the windows installer, you should be given the option to format the file system before windows is being installed. This is not always the case..

Appearantly there are different versions of the Windows Installer Software. Some gives you the option while others just goes ahead and install Windows without asking you if you want to format the partion first.

So the option to format the partion to either FAT32 or NTFS file system, depends on which type of Windows CD you have.

If you already have the option to format the file system before installing Windows, then the fix is easy. Simply choose to format the partion to either: FAT32 or NTFS.

The screen should look like the one below.. You will have a fifth choice which says something like: "Leave the partion as it is" DO NOT CHOOSE THIS OPTION!

You have to format the partion to either FAT32 or NTFS. If you choose FAT32, you will be able to both read and write to the partion. If you choose NTFS, you will only be able to read the partion.

This is the screen you should be seeing after choosing which partion you want to install Windows XP on.

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How to Solve the Boot Camp Disk Error

How to Solve the Boot Camp Disk Error

2009-02-20T02:23:00.000-08:00

Here is the Solution to the Boot Camp "Disk Error Press Any Key To Restart"

Boot Camp is a program that will help you to install Microsoft Windows on your Mac with just a few clicks. However, it took me three days to figure out how to do it.

On this page you will find the solution to the "Disk Error, Press Any Key To Restart" problem a lot of boot camp users seem to encounter. I battled with this for 3 days until I finally found the solution.

Background:

The "Disk Error, Press Any Key To Restart" message appears after you have installed windows XP and wait for your Mac to boot into Windows for the first time.

The Problem:

The reason this message appears is that Windows doesn't recognize the file system on the partion where you installed Windows XP.

Boot Camp pre-formats the partion when you first decide how big partion you want. You know the screen where you can choose 32GB or use the slide to determine how big partion you want.

Then when you are running the windows installer (who takes forever to load), the installer determin the partion Boot Camp made as FAT32. Here's the problem. You have to format the Boot Camp partion using the Windows Installer. If you don't do this, Windows will be installed on a file system it doesn't recognize and the "Disk Error Press Any Key To Restart" will appear when the installer is finished and try to boot into Windows.

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How To Format The Partion Using The Windows Installer

How to Reteive Admin Password for Window XP

2009-02-12T00:58:00.000-08:00

Think of a situation that you are a network administrator in a small business environment where there's no domain controller or Active Directory in place -- and one of your users (or managing director!) comes running to you one morning asking you to ‘do something immediately' as he has forgotten his Windows XP administrator password and can't log on anymore!

So, friend here is a chance to click Your reputation - what would you do? There are always two side of a situation either you take it or let it go similarly one option for you is to simply refuse the request saying this is a no-way-out situation which can be solved only through re-installing Windows. But you are provided with an option of giving a positive answer through this guide.

Forgetting Windows XP administrator password can be a big nag especially if there's some important data held up in the system which is required on short notice. While there are no definitive guides on how to retrieve or re-set Windows XP administrator password, there are techniques and third party tools available that claim to put you back in control of your system. But before attempting a solution like this, make sure all other arenas are exhausted - perhaps there's another admin user, or try re-starting the system in Safe Mode and login without a password, i.e. the default admin of Windows XP. In the end, if all other measures fail, here's what you can count on: a Linux based free bootable CD that lets you recover from the loss of Windows XP admin password.

Download the bootable disk's image, an ISO file from here. Burn the image on a new CD and set the computer BIOS to boot with CD drive as first boot device. This is more than just a password resetting utility. Since it's a bootable disk, you land outside the installed OS and get complete offline working environment which is not dependent on Windows, and then NTFS and FAT32 file systems can be read as well.

Second, it offers to either change the password to a new one or removing it - for all the users, not just admin ones. Third, it allows unblocking of existing blocked accounts - so if there's a blocked admin already present, one can simply enable it. And lastly, it has got an ‘almost fully functional registry editor' too.

After booting from the CD, the instructions are provided on-screen and are self explanatory. Initially, the hard disk device drivers are to be loaded, once this is done, path of Windows installation folder has to be provided. This is how the programme gets the list of current users. A list of users along with their hex IDs is shown. Select the one that need to be changed, and select password resetting option. Use asterisk to specify a blank password. Press ‘yes' at confirmation prompt. Exit from the operations menu and select the option to write changes to the disk. Once this is done, remove the CD and re-boot the system and don't forget to change the password when back in Windows. Note that num-pad of keyboard might not work in some cases with this Linux CD.

Now The Question is How it Worked ?

The utility works by accessing the part of registry that is not accessible in normal operation environment - and that's why it is presented as bootable CD. The registry it reads resides at system32\config under Windows directory that contains SAM - Security Account Manager data. This data is susceptible to LM hash weakness, and the tool attempts at altering the registry responsible for managing user authentication.

Doing something that's not standard has its pitfalls nevertheless. The developers warn that at times, there might be some errors like in case when the system was not shutdown properly. In this case, user must re-boot the system and let the disk-check activity complete its work before attempting password re-set.

Secondly, the methodology of updating the registry may not work if user has provided a custom password because its exact jumbled-up form has to be put in exact place, that's why it is recommended to set the new password as blank password instead of re-setting it to a new one.

Another thing to keep in mind is the availability of encrypted files and folders - these won't be retrieved after applying this fix. This happens because in an encrypted file system, the actual password is used as part of encryption algorithm and that is now not accessible to the OS. The utility can be used for standalone PCs only, not for Active Directory passwords, and all the laptops are not supported either.

Countering this mechanism : If for some reason, you believe this mechanism can be a security threat, simply remove the CD/USB from the list of bootable devices and password-protect the BIOS.

How to Speed up Your Windows XP PC

2009-02-12T00:26:00.000-08:00

It is always desired that your pc respond to click like any thing in the world and some time you ever spend alot of your hard earned money for that and but still some where down the line you get messed up. Now, you have a latest in the market when it is about hardware still....

Have you guessed that ever it might be your operating system who is giving you a run for your pc performance here are few simple tips on how to safely tweek your operating system (WinXP) to get the best your pc.

Enjoy!! the performance.

Lets make it with some windows settings

Visual Effects
This is especially helpful on older machines (low RAM and bad videocards) and the difference isn't noticeable for most people.

1. Right-click on My Computer
2. Choose Properties
3. Click Advanced-> Performance Settings-> Visual Effects tab
4. Select Adjust for best performance (clears all)

5. Add back the following options: Show translucent selection rectangle, Show windows contents while dragging, Smooth edges on screen fonts, Use common tasks in folders, Use drop shadows for icons labels on desktop, and Use visual styles on Windows and buttons.

6. Click apply.

Virtual Memory
Still in the Performance Options window, go to the Advanced tab and click Change. There are constant arguments about what the best values are here, and every situation is different.
Heavy Photoshop or video editors should probably let Windows manage things. For standard web surfing, online chatting and email (most casual users) you should safely be able to set the Initial and Maximum size at 1.5 or 2 times the amount of RAM you have, provided the machine has 512MB Ram or more. If your computer has more than one hard drive (not just multiple partitions) you can get a speed boost by putting the paging file on the second one instead of the system drive. Adjust as you wish, then click Set, OK, OK, OK when done. You'll likely have to reboot for changes to take effect.

System Restore
Also under System Properties, we have the System restore tab. This is another controversial option. If you choose to turn off System Restore, your system will speed up and you will reclaim disk space. However, you obviously lose the ability to 'go back' and undo harmful changes made to your PC. Again, this mostly depends on what type of user you are. I have never once had to use this feature, being savvy enough to troubleshoot problems or uninstall programs. If you're not sure, then just leave it on. If you're a semi-geeky power user or just struggling with a sluggish 400MHz Pentium II... you'll want it off.

Automatic Updates
Don't get me wrong, I keep my XP updated and encourage customers to do likewise. But what I don't like is Windows Update sucking up resources by running/downloading in the background while I try to encode video. I don't like the inane pop-ups telling me my computer will reboot in five minutes unless I click this button- only to have it pop up again ten minutes later. It kills productivity and drives users batty. So I turn the Automatic Updates off. Don't Panic; you can still manually check/start Windows updates whenever you want from the Start menu shortcut. I recommend weekly or biweekly.

Security Center
Microsoft has decided that no one can live without a Firewall, anti-virus, and Automatic Updates. XP therefore harasses you about it, and most users don't know how to make the pop-ups go away. Here's how. In Control Panel, open Security Center. Click 'Change the way Security Center alerts me,' and uncheck all three options. Click OK. The annoying little shield in your taskbar is now gone! Decide for yourself if Windows Firewall is essential or not.

Remove Windows Components
Certain things are installed standard with XP which you will never, ever use. In Control Panel, open Add/Remove programs and select Add/Remove Windows Components. I feel MSN Explorer is a standard useless item, as is Windows Messenger. If you actually use these or other items, by all means leave them... but most of us have discovered better, newer alternatives than what originally shipped with XP.

Now some clean-up & maintenance tricks

Remove Unneeded Programs.
If you never use a program or game anymore, why is it still on your system? Remove anything you don't need, especially anything with the word "search helper" or "toolbar" in it. Some things may not be listed in Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs, so check the Start menu for old applications' Uninstall shortcut.

Check system Startup.
Lots of program creators love to gobble your Startup resources, which adds up and turns your booting and system tray into a big slow mess. To solve this, open MSconfig (Start-> Run-> msconfig-> OK) and uncheck anything you don't need to run at startup. If you don't know what something is, just Google it so you can make an informed choice before disabling it.

Disk cleanup.
Over time, your hard drive gathers temporary files, setup files, and other miscellaneous garbage. This eats up disk space and slows down your PC. To solve this, simply click Start-> Programs-> Accessories-> System Tools-> Disk Cleanup. Select what files you want deleted, but I do not recommend the 'Compress old files' option if you care about speed. Then click OK, OK.

Defrag, defrag, defrag.
For the love of all that is computerized, defragment your hard drive! After months or years of use, your system drive has scattered bits of data everywhere, and the hard drive grinds like mad jumping all over to gather the pieces. Just start it before going to bed (Start-> All Programs-> Accessories-> System Tools-> Disk Defragmenter) and by morning your computer will thank you. Once a month would be the minimum I'd recommend; if you can, once a week would be better. That way next time it will only take 20 minutes, not 2 hours, to complete.

How to Clean Your Hard Drive

2009-02-12T00:09:00.000-08:00

So you computer is running slow we got messed up with your click time and again and all this because your hard drive is a mess. No, it's not something that you can see by just looking at your computer, but you can tell that it's the case if your computer is acting up or refusing to act well at all. If you engage in lots of downloading and other online activity ... or simply if you've had your computer for a long period of time and it's gotten regular use ... you probably need to clean up your hard drive.

If you're working with Windows, you should find that cleaning up your hard drive is actually really easy to do. That's because Windows has a bunch of neat little functions that let you clean up that computer just by clicking a few yes and no choices. Here are some of the places you can go on your Windows computer to get that hard drive cleaned up and that computer up and running well again:

Uninstall all of the things that you don't use.

If you can remember back to when you first got your computer, you probably recall that there were a whole bunch of icons on your desktop for things that you have never even touched. Maybe you deleted those icon shortcuts, but if you've left programs on your computer that you're never going to use, you're taking up space that you don't need to be taking up. Uninstall those programs! It's easy:

1. Go to "Start".
2. Select "control panel".
3. Select "add or remove programs".
4. Select each of the programs that you never use and choose to uninstall them.
5. Go to "add or remove windows components".
6. Perform the same selection and uninstall there.

Delete files that you don't need.

This doesn't just refer to files that you have put on your computer that you don't want anymore; it also means deleting all of those files that got stored there without you even realizing it. The most common of these are the temporary files.

1. Go to "Start"
2. Select "RUN", type in "%temp%" and then hit "ok".

Your temporary files will show up and you can highlight them all and delete them.
You can also delete any files from your computer that have the follow extensions:

* .dmp - Dump file. When Windows (or an application) experiences a crash, a memory dump is performed. If you don't use these files (for trouble shooting), delete them, you can save quite a bit of space!

* .bak - Backup file; when a new (data) file is created, some programs will rename the old version with a .bak extension. Be careful when removing these files.

* .cnt - Help-related file; ever notice those tables of contents when you launch certain Help files? If you don't need a table to help you navigate through a Help file, delete these. They will not come back.

* .fts - Help-related file; when you perform a search with a Help file, this is created to make all future searches be performed quicker. E.G., not worth having around unless you use Help files on a daily basis. They are re-created if you do a search in a Help file, so these should be regularly scanned for and deleted.

* .gid - Help-related file; when you run a Help file, it creates a GID to make future accesses to that particular help file a tad quicker. They're a complete waste of space. You'll have to delete these on a regular basis, as they are recreated with every Help file execution.

* .old - Old file; see .bak.

* .~mp - Temporary file; see .tmp.

* .$ - Old file; see .bak (usually, not always)

* .000 - Old file; see .bak

Make use of the "disk clean up" tool.

Windows will help do general clean up your computer without you having to do more than click some buttons. Here's how:

* 1. Go to "start".
* 2. Go to "all programs".
* 3. Select "accessories".
* 4. Choose "system tools".
* 5. Select "disk cleanup".

The computer will now do its thing. You can also use the same area of the computer to defragment your computer (What You Should Know About Disk Defragment). Just follow steps one through four from the above instructions and then choose "disk defragmenter" instead of "disk cleanup" and follow the instructions there.

These are the basic things that you can easily do on a regular basis to clean up your Windows hard drive. There's software out there to do more detailed clean up but it's probably not necessary if you keep on top of using the tools that are provided to you with your computer. Like with your physical space, if you keep it clean, it's easier to use. So get to it!

What is Window Media Center Future

2009-02-12T00:00:00.001-08:00

If you've purchased a Windows Vista based PC over the last year or so, you probably have a cool application that you might not even be aware of (or somewhat aware of). It's called Windows Media Center and starting with Windows Vista, it became much more widely distributed to home consumers. Windows Media Center turns your PC into a fully functional DVR capable, multimedia libray and playback machine. More importantly, Windows Media Center turns your PC into a viable Home Theater PC. Windows Media Center (or MCE for short - this is carryover from when Media Center was known as Media Center Edition under Windows XP) is available on any system running Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate.

A little history

Before Windows Vista was available, Windows Media Center was actually a separate OS SKU from Microsoft. You saw a Windows XP Media Center Edition, a Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 and finally a Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. Back in the early days, you had to either purchase a computer with MCE installed OR you had to be a system builder - someone who put together computers - to get a hold of MCE. Once you had MCE, you needed to make sure you had the right hardware to make everything work. However, with Windows Vista, Media Center is now available to a much wider audience and thus much more compatible with all sorts of hardware out there.

Cool.. so .. what?
So really - what does this all mean? Why do I even care about Windows Media Center?

First off - do you watch TV? Do you have a DVR? Do you listen to digital music? Do you view photographs on your PC? Do you ever wish you could have it all under one roof and in front of your television set? Is your answer a yes for most of those questions?

If so - Windows Media Center is your answer (although it's one of many answers of course). With Windows Media Center, you have arguable THE BEST user interface and application for such a purpose. Windows Media Center is the platform for a rocking Home Theater PC.

what? A Home Theater PC?

Now before I go on, let me explain briefly what a Home Theater PC is to those of you unfamiliar with the term. Home Theater PC (or HTPC for short) is a term used for any computer (Windows, Macs, or Linux based) used in a home theater environment (sounds simple enough right?) - whether that environment is in your den, your living room, or your bathroom. With a PC connected to your television set, you can now enjoy digital content, which used to be stuck to your monitor and PC, right there on your big-screen television set. With an HTPC in place, you can enjoy everything from watching and recording television, to viewing downloaded videos, to listening to digital music, to viewing digital still shots from your camera right from the comfort of your couch, bed or whatever suits your fancy.

A fully realized home theater PC is actually made up of many pieces of course. You'll need the right hardware which includes a speedy processor, lots of disk space, and a TV tuner. On top of all of this, you'll need a solid application that manages everything together. That's where Windows Media Center comes into play. MCE delivers a cohesive library for all of your digital media content and provides a kickin user interface on top of that.

Wait.. Microsoft and a kickin user interface? WTH?

Yes.. that's a big strange to hear or read. Microsoft and a kickin user interface but it's true folks. Windows Media Center has arugably THE BEST user interface for home theater PCs. The folks on the Media Center team set out from the get go to deliver what is known as a "10 foot user interface." This means having an interface usable from a distance of at least 10 feet away - typically something you'd find in the living room.That's why the user interface is big and clean. The letters are sharp, the graphics are snazzy, and the interface is.. EASY TO USE.

You know Microsoft's doing something right when many other Media Center like applications out there are creating a very similar user interface.

OK, a cool user interface but what else?

So you know MCE has an awesome user interface, but what else does it do? Well here's a laundry list of features delivered by Windows Media Center (some of which requires additional hardware):

* Watch, pause, and record Live TV
* Listen to digital music
* View digital photos
* Create slideshows from digital photos and have digital music play in the background
* Watch videos (as long as you have the necessary decoders to watch the video)
* Electronic Programming Guide for TV shows
* Movie Guides
* Online content from third party providers - everything from music videos to news to sport scores to streaming video
* Listen to the Radio (assuming you have an FM tuner)

OK.. so the application is there, what else do I need?

As I mentioned before, Windows Media Center is just a piece of the puzzle - although it's a BIG piece. If you have a modern PC, chances are, you have nearly everything you need already to create a kickass home theater PC.

About the only thing that most casual computer users really need to get in addition to what they already have is a TV tuner. This only becomes a necessity IF you want Windows Media Center to also act as a DVR system. If you already have a DVR system from your cable company or from TiVo, then you probably don't need to have one for your PC. Yet.. if you want to watch TV on your PC, or better yet - record TV and watch it when you want on your PC or on your TV screen, then go out and get yourself a TV tuner.

What's great about TV and Windows Media Center is the built in electronic program guide (EPG) that comes with MCE. You get a comprehensive list of all the shows available from your cable provider and then you have options to watch live TV, setup recordings for TV shows, or watch pre-recorded shows at the same time live TV shows are being recorded. Everything you can do in a typical standalone DVR box, you can also do within Windows Media Center.

Now if you want a kick ass setup in your living room, you'll want to see what technologies you can bring into your PC. Some things to consider include:

* DVI or HDMI capable video card. HDMI would be better since most modern HDTV sets have an HDMI connection. If you have DVI, you could get yourself a DVI to HDMI cable however, you'll need to either 1) figure out a way to merge the audio signal to your HDMI cable OR 2) deliver audio video optical/analog digital
* If you want Blu-ray playback, make sure you get a video card with HDCP support - most modern video cards will offer that
* Storage upgrade. If you're like me, then you'll record nearly every TV show under the sun - at least all the reality TV shows. All those shows need a LOT of disk space .. plus we haven't talked about how much music or pictures you might have. So do yourself a favor and upgrade to a 500GB HDD or a 1TB drive.

I'll talk later about Extender for Windows Media Center which in many ways removes the necessity to get an HDMI/DVI video card - but it also restricts some playback options.

There will be some of you who upgraded to Windows Vista on an older PC system. That's perfectly fine too but I do want to warn you that Vista and Windows Media Center are resource hogs. In particular, Windows Aero is a resource hog. MCE itself loves multi-core goodness so if you're still operating on a single core processor system, do yourself a favor and think about getting a PC upgrade. My latest Windows Media Center box is actually a refurb'd HP Slimline Pavilion system that I purchased for a mere $399 at Buy.com - and guess what? it's rock solid!

To summarize, a good Windows Media Center system will have:

* At least dual core processor
* 2GB RAM
* 300+ GB of HD (if you record television shows in high definition, get at least 500GB if not more)
* HD Audio (integrated will probably do)
* DVI or HDMI capable video (integrated is fine - just make sure you can play back HD content)
* HDCP if you want Blu-ray playback
* TV tuner if you want DVR functionality. More than one TV tuner if you want to record multiple shows at once.

OK.. so I have the hardware and software, now what?

You have the hardware and you obviously have the software, where do you go from here? You've got two major choices with Windows Media Center.

1. Directly connect the PC to your receiver or HDTV set via DVI/HDMI/Component cables

2. Keep your PC hidden away and connect to the system using Extender for Windows Media Center devices (also known as Windows Media Center Extenders)

Option 1 is the most straightforward approach but arguably the one that can annoy you the most. Why you might ask? Unless you're competent with putting together a home audio system, you might get lost in the details of connecting and configuring everything. Ironically, connecting the pieces will be easier than configuring the PC afterwards.

On the connection front, you'll need to hook up audio and video from your PC to either your home theater system or directly to your PC. The ideal scenario is to connect everything via HDMI. If you have a DVI connector on your PC, get yourself a DVI to HDMI cable at your local computer or electronics store. Most computers and video cards do not come with HDMI connectors although that's slowly changing. For those of you without an HDMI connector, you'll also need to route audio from your HD audio out to your TV or receiver. Ideally connect via the S/PDIF connector if you have one. Otherwise if your PC decodes signals into 5.1 channels, then you can connect the channels directly to your receiver or TV set. Another way is to combine the video and audio output from your PC to a single HDMI cable but you'll usually need to purchase an external component to make this happen (Gefen has a DVI + SPDIF audio to HDMI box here)

Now once you're connections are made, the next step is probably the most annoying. You'll need to configure Windows to look just right on your television screen. You'd think that a 1366 x 768 monitor should be set to 1366 x 768 on the Windows desktop. It's true to a certain degree but you'll still need to deal with overscan issues and that's where you'll want to play around with various graphics utilities. NVIDIA and ATI now come with built in utilities to try and remedy this situation.. but if you're not happy with the results, you can also take a look at PowerStrip - an excellent video card/graphics settings utility.

Wow.. sounds like a royal pain doesn't it? Well it is.. but once everything is working, well.. it works.

Option 2: Yes.. there is another option out there. It involves something called Windows Media Extenders (or more recently coined "Extenders for Windows Media Center). What's an extender? It essentially is a device that connects to your PC via a network connection and displays the same Windows Media Center interface to whatever display it's connected to. Thus, you can house your PC in say.. your den or office or wherver and then connect a Windows Media Center Extender device to your living room television set. The Extender device would connect to your PC via a wired or wireless network and you'll have nearly the same effect. Your Windows Media interface will be right there on your television set.

A single Windows Vista PC can have up to five Media Center Extenders connec to it. This also means you can house a heavy duty PC in some hidden room and then stream content to all of your other rooms whether it's the living room or bedroom or den or kitchen. The same content will be available for streaming in different rooms thanks to the art of networking and remote desktops.

So.. if I can have multiple extenders throughout the home, why would I want to connect a PC to a TV set to begin with?

Flexibility. An HTPC gives you the most flexibility when it comes to playing back content. A Media Center Extender device will typically only support the major audio and video formats.. and they typically are very Microsoft centric. Thus if you have a lot of MPEG4 or older DivX encoded videos, you probably will not be able to play them via Extenders (unless your extender supports DivX which some do). It's important to note that the most popular extender is in fact the Xbox 360 console simply because the Extender is built into the game box. However, Xbox 360 Extenders can only play back WMV, DVR-MS, and MPEG2 encoded videos. It CAN play back MPEG-4 content - but only through Windows Media Connect and not acting as an extender.

Will this really all matter to you. it depends on your multimedia collection. If you're like me, then you pretty much have standard file formats lying around. My entire music collection is in MP3. All my videos are encoded in MPEG2 or DVR-MS which is also MPEG2 with additional meta information. All of my photos are in JPEG. Thus, a Vista machine hidden in my office room and multiple Media Center Extenders work just fine for me.

Oh wait.. there's a little software setup too

I did forget one small thing of course. Once your hardware is ready you'll need to do a little software setup. Windows Media Center is basically a wrapper on top of Windows Media Player and it's library functionality. In fact, if you have Windows Media Player already managing your multimedia content, then you're all set for Windows Media Center. However, if you're not using Windows Media Player to manage your videos, music, and photos, then you'll need to do so.

The simplest way is to let Media Center or Media Player monitor the folders you want it to do so. Once you have that setup, the application will search out content and attempt to organize it for you - or at the very least identify the content and put a label on it somehow (at least for music files).

My word of advice - just go ahead and get organized. You'll be happy you did.

Wow.. that seems like a lot!

Yes.. it can be and ultimately it probably is. However, you can start small. Here's one way to begin dabbling with it all:

1. Do you have a Windows Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate PC at home? If yes, continue to question 2.

2. Do you have an Xbox 360 console connected to your TV set? if so, go to question 3.

3. Are both your PC and Xbox 360 connected to the same network? If so, read the following:

You're already set up to make use of Windows Media Center and Extenders. Simply get your multimedia content managed by Windows Media Center or Windows Media Player; start up your Xbox 360 and have it connect to your PC (which will require some work on the PC too - it's oh so easy though), and then start enjoying your digital content on your large screen TV set.

Final thoughts : TBD

So that's it for now. Stay tuned as I'll be adding more to this later on in the week (I need to go back to work now!) In the meantime, you can read about

What DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 RAM is all about

2009-02-11T23:40:00.000-08:00

What does this different DDR is for and what difference them

It is always a conflicting thing to judege for you about your memory requirement when we go to configure our new system. They've researched and picked out a perfectly matching CPU, motherboard and videocard combination that will meet all their needs. However, when it comes to RAM many users become totally befuddled. They generally know how much RAM they need (1GB is the effective operating minimum these days, 2GB if running Vista or using hungry apps like Photoshop), but they don't have a clue as to what DDR1, DDR2 or DDR3 means.

It turns out that selecting the proper DDR variant is a very important factor that determines how your overall system will perform, thus every enthusiast/prosumer/gamer should be well-advised to learn the basics.

Double Data Rate DIMM is known as DDR-DIMM, DDR DIMM, or most popularly just plain DDR. Double Data Rate interfaces provide two data transfers per differential clock. The data becomes registered when the CK goes high [the + side], and /CK goes low [the - side]. DDR1 utilizes the JEDEC standard for Double Data Rate [DDR I] SDRAM. Like all DDR RAM it is available as registered or unbuffered. Registered DIMMs are generally known as FB-DIMMs and have their address and control lines buffered in order to reduce signal loading. FB-DIMMs are considerably more expensive than unbuffered DIMMs and are generally reserved for server use. There are very few enthusiast/prosumer/gamers utilizing FB-DIMMs in their rigs. Unbuffered DIMMs don't feature address lines and control line buffering, so they cost quite a bit less. However, they may be system-loading limited and are thus generally restricted in the number that can be fitted onto one system. You'll find that most unbuffered DIMMs these days can only be installed on one motherboard to a maximum of 4 x 1GB. Buffered or registered DIMMs don't have these limitations and server boards can accomodate 8 x 1GB, 16 x 1GB or more. An interesting and largely unknown aspect of unbuffered DDR DIMMs is that they are able to operate one clock cycle faster then FB-DIMMs.

DDR2 memory is the second generation in DDR memory. DDR2 begins with a speed level of 400MHz as the lowest available while the 400MHz speed is actually the highest speed for DDR1. Therefore, DDR2 picks up where DDR1 leaves off. It's a bit strange but due to different latencies a 400MHz DDR1 will outperform a 400MHz DDR2, but the advantage returns to DDR2 as soon as the speed reaches the next step 532MHz, which DDR1 cannot reach.

It follows that DDR3 is the third generation in DDR memory. DDR3 begins with a speed level of 800Mbps as the lowest available, and once again as in the DDR1/DDR2 comparison, DDR3's 800Mbps lowest speed is also used as the highest speed for DDR2. (No, geekizoid engineers rarely make it easy on the layman.)

Adding to customer confusion is that RAM is often referred to as a DDR-number or a PC-number. (The Revenge of the Geekizoids continues.) Here is the Transfer Rate Chart for the various DDRs:

DDR1 Transfer Rate

DDR SDRAM: Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR200, DDR266, DDR333 are standard)

PC1600 (DDR-200 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 100MHz, Data Rate: 200MHz, Throughput 1600MB/s

PC2100 (DDR-266 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 133MHz, Data Rate: 266MHz, Throughput 2100MB/s

PC2400 (DDR-300 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 150MHz, Data Rate: 300MHz, Throughput 2400MB/s

PC2700 (DDR-333 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 166MHz, Data Rate: 333MHz, Throughput 2600MB/s

PC3000 (DDR-366 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 183MHz, Data Rate: 366MHz, Throughput 2900MB/s

PC3200 (DDR-400 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 200MHz, Data Rate: 400MHz, Throughput 3200MB/s

DDR2 Transfer Rate

DDR2 SDRAM: Double Data Rate SDRAM II (Quad Edge Clock Rate, 1.8v signaling), Second Generation

PC2-3200 (DDR2-400 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 100MHz, Data Rate: 400MHz, Throughput 3200MB/s

PC2-4300 (DDR2-533 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 133MHz, Data Rate: 532MHz, Throughput 4300MB/s

PC2-5300 (DDR2-667 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 167MHz, Data Rate: 667MHz, Throughput 5300MB/s

PC2-5400 (DDR2-675 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 167MHz, Data Rate: 667MHz, Throughput 5400MB/s

PC2-6400 (DDR2-800 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 200MHz, Data Rate: 800MHz, Throughput 6400MB/s

DDR3 Transfer Rate

DDR3 SDRAM: Double Data Rate SDRAM III (Quad Edge Clock Rate, 1.5v signaling), Third Generation

PC3-6400 (DDR3-800 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 100MHz, Data Rate: 800MHz, Throughput 6.40GB/s

PC3-8500 (DDR3-1066 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 133MHz, Data Rate: 1066MHz, Throughput 8.53GB/s

PC3-10600 (DDR3-1333 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 166MHz, Data Rate: 1333MHz, Throughput 10.67GB/s

PC3-12800 (DDR3-1600 SDRAM); Clock Speed: 200MHz, Data Rate: 1600MHz, Throughput 12.80GB/s

Now which CPU/chipset matches which RAM? It would take an encyclopaedia to list all the CPUs and all the chipsets and their "best-fit" DDRs. Before finalizing your system configuration you should research your CPU manufacturer's RAM recommendations and fit that exact type of DDR to it. You would be just as foolish in using a PC3-12800 DDR3-1600 with an AMD Sempron 2800+ as you would be to burden down your Intel QX6800 with a PC1600 DDR-200. Every CPU/chipset combo has its proper DDR fit, and you should find out exactly what they are and stick to them. Fitting a slower than recommended DDR to your system will bottleneck critical RAM functions and could slow your otherwise very speedy system to a tortoise crawl.

There are many other factors involved in choosing the right RAM for your rig. Latencies are critical, but the details are too extensive to include here and will form the basis of a future blog. There are also a mind-boggling array of RAM brand names and pricepoints. Generally, you get what you pay for and as long as you are comparing various brands at the same retailer, the price will be a fairly good indicator of quality. Some of the leading manufacturers include:

Centon | Corsair | Crucial | Kingston | OCZ | Patriot

A couple of more points to remember. First, RAM heat spreaders may or may not be worth the extra cost. I can see that they would be useful only in the tiniest minority of high-load, prolonged-heavy-use situations. Don't ever touch your RAM (or other PC internal components) without being thoroughly grounded with a good static strap. Static can zap your circuitry before you know it.

If you follow these guidelines and thoroughly research the proper DDR for your system, you'll be rewarded with years of speedy and trouble-free computing. A bit of prior study is a small price to pay!

Choosing your process: Single, Dual or Quad Core

2009-02-11T23:20:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of personal computing there were various manufacturers of Central Processing Units (CPUs) which are the processors, or the brains, of your computer. Pretty well everything that is processed in your computer, with the major exception of the video processing, is done inside the CPU. That makes the CPU a very critical part of your system. Generally speaking, the faster your CPU can process the data, the faster your system responds and the less time you spend twiddling your thumbs and watching the hourglass.

These manufacturers started trying to top each other by making faster and faster CPUs. Most of them failed and went to join Cyrix in Silicon Heaven. Only Intel and AMD survived the shakeout, the former a $125 billion giant and the latter a $7 billion scrapper which held Intel at bay for several years with better, cheaper CPUs before developing a puzzling case of incompetentitis gravis in early 2006 and stumbing/delaying/screwing up all their new product launches.

Both Intel and AMD spent about a decade getting their silicon to go faster and faster until they both hit a brick wall around 2004. Current technology really wouldn't let the CPUs go above 4 GHz (a measure of processor speed in the cycles that they can process information). Any attempts to break the 4 GHz barrier resulted in steel smelter heat generation and nuclear powerplant electrical requirements.

Since Moore's Law states that computing has to double in speed every 18 months, engineering limitations be damned, there was no choice but to increase the number of cores in the CPU. This is analogous to taking a 4 cylinder engine out of your Chevy Vega and plunking in a 454 V-8 Big Block. Twice the number of "cylinders" should produce twice the "speed."

It didn't really work out that way, however. Taking a 3 GHz core and fitting it next to another 3 GHz core didn't process like a 6 GHz core at all. That's because the second core needs specific software to process at the same time. Processing data is like a single cash register queue. One bit has to follow the other. If you try to process one bit on this side and the next bit on the other side, the computer will get confused and process nothing at all, just like the cash register operator trying to serve two customers at once.

It turned out that less than 1% of all popular software applications could handle the second core. The ones that could, like Adobe Photoshop, would absolutely fly! On a 3 GHz per side dual core, Photoshop performs like it was accessing a 6 GHz single core or even better than that! However, most other software, games, etc. just didn't even recognize the second core and kept plugging along at normal speed.

Fortunately, both Windows XP and Vista can slough off some of their own Operating System functions so that users will notice a serious increase in speed when they go to dual-core, even when running applications that are not "multi-threaded" like Photoshop. One core will be dedicated to only running the application and the other core will run all the background functions.

Therefore the bottom line for most computer users is do not buy another single core. You'll see faster response time and generally have a happier computing experience.

Then what does a quad core do? A quad core is double a dual core. It can process four streams at once. This represents an astounding jump in processing speed for those rare "multi-threaded" applications, but for the majority of regular users, they would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the performance of a dual core vs. a quad core on their desktop, individual core speeds being equal.

So is the quad core CPU being sold just for bragging rights? Not exactly. Even if you are not a current "multi-threaded" application user today, you very likely will be in the future. Programmers are rewriting their applications to take advantage of the multiple cores and you will be left behind if you are still stuck on single core CPUs. Buying a quad core today is a great insurance policy for the future and will ensure that you are pretty well future-proofed against computer obsolescence for a couple of years at least.

AMD and Intel have been engaged in a cutthroat price war so the price of a quad core has fallen sharply, and thus has become very affordable to all.

My best advice to anyone configuring a new system today that they intend to keep for a while is to go with these specifications as an absolute minimum:

Quad-core of minimum 2.66 GHz per core.

2 GB RAM, and make sure you have two more empty RAM slots on your motherboard for future expansion.

500 GB Hard Drive (the prices have come way down).

Don't get suckered into buying a DX10 video card quite yet, unless you're an ardent gamer. These new, expensive and very power-hungry cards offer absolutely no advantage to anyone who doesn't process video at the level of 3D pros, HDTV editors and rabid gameplayers. The video card is an easy upgrade later anyway.

The essence of my advice to all the people considering upgrading from their old single cores is to take the jump directly to quad core. You'll be thankful for it in the future.

Windows XP SP3 Updates Can Hang Your PC

2009-02-11T23:13:00.000-08:00

The Microsoft Windows XP Updates which were distributed on Tuesday, July 8, 2008, to all users with their Automatic Update option turned "on" seem to have a rather serious and disconcerting flaw.

That day's updates are installed automatically over the internet through the Windows Update system and then you are asked to reboot your system. That much is normal, as any Windows user is certainly accustomed to that drill by now. However, when your PC is supposed to get back to the desktop, some users are staring at a black screen!

When it happened to my desktop system running XP SP3, I wondered if it was just some strange, individual flaw with my graphics subsystem or maybe something had gone wacky through the bootup process. So I didn't think much of it, and waited and waited and waited and... several minutes later I finally got tired of staring at a black screen and hit the Reset button. Guess what? Still nothing. The PC was not rebooting and the screen was still black. The computer had gone through its BIOS routine but nothing had shown on the screen since.

I had to reach around and physically unplug the PC power supply and then plug it back in to complete a successful boot to the desktop. I'd rarely had problems with the Windows Update system so I wanted to confirm what was going on. I pulled out a laptop which is also running XP SP3, turned it on, booted to the desktop, then watched as the update installed itself on the system. I then rebooted and... guess what? Black screen! Again!

This time I had to turn the laptop off by the power button and reboot, again normally to the desktop.

It was early in the morning so I could hardly start waking up everyone I knew who runs XP SP3, but I did manage to contact three people. Two of them had the same problem! One of them had their PC on the blank screen for over an hour and hadn't thought of pulling out the AC plug, thus believed that their system had fried!

This is not exactly a scientific survey, but it is an indication that something might be very wrong in that series of Windows Updates. The updates MS08-037 through MS08-040 are listed as "important" thus Microsoft recommended that they be installed as soon as possible.

MS08-037 is designed to resolve two problems in the Windows Domain Name System (DNS) which if unpatched could theoretically allow a remote hacker to redirect traffic to their own servers which is instead intended to go to a DNS you've specified. MS08-038 is a fix for a flaw in Windows Explorer which presents the possibility that a hacker to could take control of your system if you opened and saved a "specially crafted saved-search file".

The other two patches are more directed towards enterprise computing than most home users will be concerned with. MS08-039 fixes a problem in Outlook Web Access (OWA) for Microsoft Exchange Server, that currently could let a hacker gain access to the session data of your OWA client. The last one is MS08-040 which fixes the most recent four vulnerabilities in the implementation of Microsoft's SQL language.

Out of all of them, I would most likely suspect MS08-038 which is a Windows Explorer patch. However, it certainly does beg the question about the multi-zillion dollar software company's testing of their Windows Updates. If in an albeit unscientific survey 4 out of 5 users are experiencing a serious problem that hangs the system in the middle of bootup and requires the power to be physically disconnected to the PC before it functions correctly, wouldn't Microsoft's much vaunted squadrons of programmers have discovered that before they foisted it on the unsuspecting public?

Home

2009-02-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

How To Series

Hot to Format The Partition With WIndows Installer

How To Solve the Boot Camp Disk Error

How To Retreive Admin Password for Windows XP

How To Delete Undeleted Folders and Files

How To Speed up Your Windows XP PC

How To Clean Your Hard Drive

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