Computer Tips for Beginner

9 Easy Ways to Boost Wireless Router Signal

2009-08-06T16:15:00.002+07:00

Need some tips to boost your wireless router signal? Working wireless gives extra mobility and freedom to work from anywhere. Many of us might be using wireless routers to stay connected to the internet on our laptop or PC which is great but sometimes the signal strength is inadequate, which results in slow connectivity or no connectivity.

This may occur due to wide range of problems ranging from your router, other objects or even other wireless equipments. These problems can be easily over come and you can rebuild the signal strength of your wireless router and work without any interruption.

Boost Wireless Router Signal

Herein are some handy tips that enable you to boost up the signal strength of your wireless router.

1) Position of wireless router – Placing your wireless router in a room may result in signal loss or weak signal. It is always advisable to place the wireless router at the center of your home, such that you will have the same signal strength all over your place. Placing router near to metal objects like file cabinets or near dense brick walls can also add to signal loss or weak signal. So care must be taken not to place the wireless router near to any bulky objects such that the signal path is obstructed.

2) Interference by other wireless equipments – We use many other wireless equipments other than the wireless router like cordless phones, garage door openers, etc, which also operates using radio signals. Most of the wireless equipments emits radio signals in the same frequency, hence signal interference can take place. Placing the wireless router near to these equipments can also lead to signal scrambling and signal strength loss. Place the router away from these appliances and you can also change the frequency of the wireless router such that its signals will not be interfered with others.

3) Change Wireless router relay frequency - In US and Canada most of the routers relay signals using channel 6 2.4 G Hz by default and most other equipments like cordless phones may also use the same frequency. So try changing the channel such that the signal frequency will change and help reduce the signal interference and may improve the signal strength. You need not have to change any settings in your computer as it will detect the signal automatically.

4) Update Router firmware – The Router manufacturers will constantly update the firmware fixing problems which help in improving the performance and signal strength. To do this just visit your Router manufacturers web site and download or update to the latest firmware. It is always better to keep your operating system up to date such that any improvements or updates made to the network adapter drivers will be updated automatically. This can improve the performance of your system as well as improve the network adapter performance.

5) Buy Router and network adapter of same brand- Signal strength and the wireless performance can improve a lot when you use the Router and the network adapter of same make. Many manufacturers include signal boost techniques in there equipments such that you can have high performance. Router and adapter from different vendors may work fine but they cause problems some times and may not perform to the full capacity.

6) Use high gain antenna - Antenna supplied with the router will be an Omni directional antenna which will emit signals in all directions. So when you have placed the router in your living room then half of the signal is transmitted outside your house which is of no use. This can result in signal loss and poor performance. The solution is replacing it with High gain antenna which will emit signal in only one direction. You can install the antenna in such a way that all the signals will be transmitted inside your house. This is only possible if your router has a removable antenna. Check it before you install.

7) Placing a repeater - Router can transmit signals only to certain distances, mostly up to several meters. As you move away from the signal source (that is router), signal becomes weak and performance will be decrease. To overcome this problem you can place a repeater to boost the signal strength such that you can roam for more distance.

8) Replace your network adapter - The signal problem may not be always related to the router itself. Remember it is a two way transmission, so check the wireless network adapter of your PC or Laptop. Try replacing the network adapter and check if the problem is resolved. You can also use wireless USB network adapters for better performance and reliability.

9) Boost the signal with reflector - Reflector will reflect back the signal in the direction that we need, just like a mirror reflecting the light. Wireless signal from the router can be reflected the same way using a Tinfoil reflector which acts like a mirror. This can be easily made in your house using daily household items and in few minutes – all that you need is tinfoil, cardboard, sticky taps.

Cut cardboard in rectangle shape about 15 x 10 cm in size and wrap tinfoil around it.
Cut another piece of cardboard (or paper) in a circular shape. Now bend the circular paper slightly and place it like shown in the figure.
Now pass the tip of the antenna along the focal point of the parabola, reflector. This not only helps to reflect the signal but also acts just like a dish to receive signals and focus them on to the antenna.

via - QuickOnlineTips

Download Mac OS X 10.5.8 Leopard

2009-08-06T14:49:00.003+07:00

Apple has announced the roll out of v10.5.8 Update for their existing OS X Leopard users. This new Mac OS X v10.5.8 Update is recommended for all Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard users and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac.

click on the image to enlarge.

Changes in Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8 includes:

Upgrades Safari to version 4.0.2.
Improves the accuracy of full history search in Safari 4.
Resolves an issue in which certain resolutions might not appear in the Display pane in System Preferences.
Dragging an Aperture image into Automator now invokes an Aperture action instead of incorrectly invoking an iPhoto action.
Resolves an issue that could prevent importing of large photo and movie files from digital cameras.
Improves overall Bluetooth reliability with external devices, USB webcams and printers.
Addresses an issue that could cause extended startup times.
Improves iCal reliability with MobileMe Sync and CalDav.
Addresses data reliability issues with iDisk and MobileMe.
Improves overall reliability with AFP.
Improves overall reliability with Managed Client.
Improves compatibility and reliability for joining AirPort networks.
Improves Sync Service reliability.
Includes additional RAW image support for several third-party cameras.
Improves compatibility with some external USB hard drives.
Includes latest security fixes.

The new Mac OS X v10.5.8 update can be downloaded and installed from Software Update in OS X or optionally from the standalone installer through the download link given below.

Download Mac OS X 10.5.8 Update

via; redmondpie.com

Top 14 Open Source Applications for Windows

2009-08-03T12:06:00.003+07:00

Open Source Foundation and people involved with it have developed some of the most used applications on the web and on Windows platform without expecting anything in return. Here are the top 10 open source applications on Windows which we use daily without probably even realizing that they are open source.

Photo by flod

1. Mozilla Firefox: Mozilla Firefox is considered to be the most popular open source application and browser today. According to a statistics by W3School, Firefox is used by 47.1% of internet users while Internet Explorer 28%. Firefox holds a Guinness World Record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours. From 18:16 UTC on June 17, 2008 to 18:16 UTC on June 18, 2008 - 8,002,530 people downloaded Firefox 3.

2. Mozilla Thunderbird: Yet another Open Source application from Mozilla. Thunderbird is a desktop email client with loads of features and strong spam filtering.

3. Open Office: Open Office is an Open Source alternative for Microsoft Office. It comes with great features including support for DOC and XLS files. The Open Office Suite pack has applications for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It saves all your data and files in International Open Standard Format and also comes with the ability to read and write files from other standard office software packages.

4. GIMP: GIMP or GNU Image Manipulation Program can easily replace professional graphics application Adobe Photoshop. GIMP is the best ever open source graphics designing application with loads of features. Also it has the ability to open and edit Photoshop PSD files.

5. Pidgin: Pidgin is an Open Source instant messenger. It supports other IMs as well. You can chat with users of almost all leading IMs like MSN, Yahoo Messenger, AIM, GTalk, ICQ etc. Previously it was known as GAIM.

6. VLC Media Player: It's a cross platform Open Source media player and server. It supports a huge range of audio and video formats like MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, DivX, MP3, OGG, AAC, DVDs, Audio CDs, VCD and many more. VLC has support for streaming media protocol as well.

7. ClamWIN: ClamWin is an Open Source GPL virus scanner for Windows. It has following features …

High detection rates for viruses and spyware;
Scheduler for Scanning.
Auto downloader for regular Virus Definition Update.
It's a standalone virus scanner application and you can integrate with Microsoft Windows Explorer just by right clicking it.
Available with Outlook Add-on to scan emails and attachments.

8. 7-Zip: 7-ZIP is Open Source compression utility with support for all popular compression formats. The 7Z format compression has the best compression ratio compared to popular applications like WinZip, WinRAR.

9. Media Coder: It's an Open Source batch media transcoder for almost all popular media formats. It can covert both audio and video formats with batch processing support. Media Coder comes with multi-threading design and is optimized for multicore CPUs.

10. FileZilla: FileZilla is another great Open Source application for Windows. It's a multi-platform full featured GUI Based FTP, FTPS and SFTP client. FileZilla is considered as the best available FTP client for windows.

11. Drupal: Highly flexible content management framework powering celebrity sites like MTV and Yahoo developer. Drupal bridges the divide between a content management system like Joomla and a PHP based web framework like say Symfony. My site MWolk is also running drupal as well as the WordPress themes directory.

12. µTorrent: almost all BitTorrent clients like uTorrent, Azureus etc are open source so the list will be incomplete without inclusion of one from torrent family.

13. Eclipse: One of the most powerful and versatile IDE for developers of any language. With its numerous plugins, it can be extended to do much more, not to mention it has a great community.

14. Python - I will finish the list of top open source applications by mentioning Python, the programming language. It has come a long way in the past 8 years and is now preferred web development language too along with frameworks like Django.

So this pretty much covers the list of popular and best open source application which we are using on daily basis, if you know of few more, please tell them in comments.

Guest author Abhimanyu is the owner of MWolk Media and manages MWolk and its various sections. He is a full time blogger and blogs at MWolk Blog and India Blog too. You can also write a guest article and share your tips on QOT.

via-QuickOnlineTip

10 Best Firefox Extensions to Manage Tabs

2009-08-03T12:06:00.002+07:00

Even though Firefox was not the first browser that supported tabs, no other browser can even come close to Firefox when we talk about the tab management. There are innumerable extensions for your Firefox tabs, but extensions below can really help you save your time managing tabs. Here are my picks…

Fox Tab - Browse in 3D
If you are a fan of Apple's Cover Flow then you'll love this extension. With 5 layouts, you can flip between tabs and manage your tabs in 3D. It'll definitely add 5 stars to your tab experience in Firefox.

Colorful Tabs - Mix Colors
As the name suggests this extension will color your tab titles in different colors. This may help you distinguish between the tabs and group them as you want. This should not be confused with new IE 8's color coded tabs, but still it can be very useful extension.

Firefox Showcase - Search and manage your tabs
This is a must-install Firefox extension that I'd suggest. This Firefox extension will show you opened tabs and windows as a thumbnail preview in a single window. Not just that, you can also search for tabs and group their thumbnails as you like.

Tab Renamizer - Rename your tabs
Tabs in Firefox always have title as page's title. You may have opened up some websites that you wouldn't like everyone to see if it has some obscure title. Just use Tab Renamizer extension and rename the title of the tab to some other website's title like Google, Yahoo etc.

New Tab Homepage - Choose your home
Are you Google-holic? New Tab homepage can be very useful extension if you have to Google around your queries every now and then. You can set the preferences so that whenever you open a new tab a default website (Google etc) will open.

Duplicate Tab - Clone your tabs
Ok now consider this. You are chatting on Gmail on one Tab and on other you want to check your mail. Duplicate tab will clone your tab so that you don't have to open a tab again for checking mail. It'll retain the history of the tab too.

Basics - Add new tab Button like IE
Not everyone knows the easy shortcut CTRL + T to open a new Tab. You can always customize your toolbar and add new tab button there but you'll really find it very easy to open a tab with Basics extension.

Tab Popup - See tabs thumbnail preview
If you've ever used Opera then you must be knowing about thumbnail previewing of Tabs when you hover your mouse pointer on the tab title. Tab popup does the same thing. It's a very useful extension if one of your tabs is loading and you want to see if it's done or not.

Close and Forget - Delete tab history
As the name suggest, Close and Forget extension deletes the history of your Tab once you close it. Let say you are checking your mail and want to logout and erase all your history as soon as you close the tab, then you should really install this useful extension.

Too Many Tabs - Extra rows
This is an excellent extension. With Too many Tabs you can not only rearrange and group your tabs by dragging and dropping but also you can set apart idle and inactive tabs in a separate row and free your memory. You can also color or pin your tabs for future use.

via - QuickOnlineTips

BigBoss Releases SBSettings 3.0.2 for iPhone

2009-07-24T16:30:00.000+07:00

BigBoss has released an update to his SBSettings application which lets you toggle preferences directly from the Springboard.

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The processes button “Free Memory” apparently has never done anything for anyone at all! I had one user report this and no one else. I found this today while installing SBSettings on a friend’s iPhone and noticing that there was no free memory after hitting the button. So none of you have ever seen how awesome this is! It is fixed now. Turns out I packaged the 3.0.1 toggle pack up poorly and the file was copied to the wrong folder.

v3.0.2 of the app changes the way the window opens slightly. It now requires at least 50 pixels of swiping before the window opens. This is to help prevent accidental opens. You can swipe left to right or right to left, it doesn’t matter. You cannot swipe down. (Let’s see if this one generates me any mail).

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SBSettings can be downloaded from the BigBoss Cydia repository.

Credit - http://www.iclarified.com/entry/comments.php?enid=4628

Completely Uninstall iTunes (Windows)

2009-07-24T14:30:00.000+07:00

These are instructions on how to do a clean and complete uninstall of iTunes for Windows using Revo Uninstaller.

Before you begin download Revo Uninstaller from here onto your desktop. It is also highly suggested that you make a backup of your system as this procedure will remove registry entries. You can do this by selecting Back up your computer from Start:Control Panel:System and Maintenance.

Read more

via - iClarified.com

Download Free Norton AntiVirus, Internet Security 2010 Beta

2009-07-24T13:53:00.000+07:00

Security leader Symantec now lets you download free Norton 2010 Beta products – Norton Internet Security 2010 and Norton AntiVirus 2010.

Remember these are “beta” pre-release versions of Norton products, made available for free download to beta software testers for public testing before the final version is released. This enables valuable feedback, bug reports and helps to develop a better quality software.

Norton Protection System is now powered with Norton Safe Web antispam engine and SONAR 2 technology that stops new and unknown threats. Norton Performance System protects your computer performance and Identity Safe is now portable. Norton Security 2010 software are now ready to protect Windows 7 running computers from all types of threats.

Download Norton Internet Security 2010 – comprehensive protection against all types of online threats.
Download Norton AntiVirus 2010 - superior protection against viruses, trojans and worms for your computer.

Via - quickonlinetips.com

5 Best WordPress Plugins to Shorten URLs

2009-07-24T13:46:00.001+07:00

Looking for Wordpress Plugins to shorten urls? Many people would like to share the URLs of web pages or an article which they find interesting with their friends. But most of the URL’s are very long and these days micro-blogging is the hot trend which allows users to post messages only up to 140 characters. Due to this, many of the URL’s will be chopped off at the end making it useless to share them. So, to solve this problem URL shortening is a feasible solution.

There are plugins available for WordPress that allow you to shorten the lengthy URLs and enable you to count the number of clicks for each shorten URL. WordPress plugins are very easy to install and use. You can include a short URL for every post in your WordPress blog so that users can easily share posts with others right from your blog.

Wordpress Url Shortening Plugins

Here-in are the five handy WordPress plugins for shortening URL’s.

1. Short URL Plug-in – This WordPress plug-in allows you to shorten the long URL’s easily and it even enables you to keep track of the short URL’s so that you can know how many times each short URL has been clicked. This feature is really useful to track downloads and other links in your blog. If you wish to reset the counter you can click on the ‘clear all’ button to zero the counter. It includes pagination of links, easier setup of htaccess (permalinks) and allows administrators to pass variables to their redirects.

2. YOURLS WordPress plug-in – This is a URL shorting service that lets you to shorten the long URL’s on your post and tweet them to the Twitter site automatically. You can configure the settings according to your needs such that you can set it to tweet when you have added a new post or page on your blog. It will send a Tweet with the title of the post and a shortened URL which will redirect to your post. It is very simple to install and works automatically after the initial configuration of the plug-in. It is also compatible with other URL shorting services like the Tinyurl.com, bit.ly is.gd, tr.im etc.

3. WP-Chunk – This WordPress plug-in will shorten the URL’s that are present in the comments field. Most of the visitors would like to add or share some other information related to the post in the comments. In that case, they just add the URL of the page that contains the related information. This WordPress plug-in will help shorten the URL’s present in the comments field so that you do not have problem when editing the comments or your blog will look just tidy with all the short URLs.

4. Pretty Link – This is another handy WordPress plug-in that allows you to shorten any web page URL’s. It will help you to track the hit count of the shortened URL’s, where each hit came from, the browser used, OS and the host. One cool feature of this plug-in is that: you can use your own domain name to shorten the URL’s.

5. Shorter Links – This WordPress plug-in will generate shorter URL of the posts on your blog so that users can easily post the link on any of the web services like Twitter, friendfeed, share it etc., When you save the post to WordPress, the shorter link that is generated can be edited into more meaningful characters. You can further configure the plug-in using the provided settings.

via : quickonlinetips.com

Skype Announces 'A Headset for Everyone'

2009-07-23T13:38:00.000+07:00

Skype has announced the availability of a super-wideband audio headset 'for everyone, everywhere'.

Over the last few months, Skype engineers have been working with Freetalk to create the FREETALK Everyman Headset, a plug-and-play super-wideband audio headset which gives you great quality Skype calls.

The Everyman headset has an attractive, sturdy plastic design. It's very adjustable -- the headband adjusts to the size of your head and the flexible boom mic easily adjusts to the right place in front of your mouth. The mic folds up out of the way when you don't need it, and the earpieces fold inward when you aren't wearing the headset, taking up less space for travel and storage.

The Everyman is available in the Skype Shop for £18.51 in the UK, €19,88 in continental Europe and $22.88 in the US.

Read More

via - iClarfied

New Flying Apps Display for Apple Stores

2009-07-23T13:15:00.000+07:00

Apple has created a new flying apps window display which can be found at the Palo Alto Apple Store.

First posted by Jason Kincaid from TechCrunch, the video below shows a "giant wall of apps flying by, accompanied by a massive iPhone that briefly displays a handful of featured apps for a few seconds apiece."

Take a look below...

Read More

First Solar Powered Bluetooth Speakers

2009-07-23T12:33:00.000+07:00

Devotec Industries has launched the world's first solar powered wireless Bluetooth stereo speakers.

The compact, portable 'Solar Sound' is the first portable stereo speaker to combine integrated Bluetooth technology with solar powered battery support - making them the must have travel accessory this summer. Whether by the pool or sitting out in the sun with friends, the Bluetooth connectivity allows listeners to send their music wirelessly to the speaker via their phone or MP3 player and enjoy the ease of remotely sending 'commands' between the connected device and speaker, and vice versa.

Superior sound quality is also on offer thanks to the unit's 2 x 2W speakers. Listeners can now enjoy significantly higher volume and quality stereo sound, which has historically been lacking from direct mobile or MP3 playback.

The Solar Sound is compatible with the majority of phone models, including Nokias, Blackberries and the iPhone (with use of the iPhone 3.0 software update). Plus, thanks to the included retractable headphone Solar Sound cable, any MP3 player can be connected ensuring maximum flexibility.

The environmentally inspired speakers feature an integrated 150mA solar panel - indicated via the illuminated yellow logo when charging. This supports the built in Lithium-Ion 1500mAh battery, giving eight hours continuous play at medium volume or four hours at maximum volume.

Read more

Windows 7 RTM (Release to Manufacturing) Announced

2009-07-23T12:28:00.000+07:00

Today at Microsoft Global Exchange Conference (MGX), Microsoft has officially announced that Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are complete and are now ready for Release to Manufacturing (RTM) to the OEM’s & other Partners.

OEM’s and Microsoft Partners will get the final bits in just under two days, which means that the debate over whether or not Windows 7 Build 7600.16385.090713-1255 is indeed the RTM build will be confirmed by this coming Friday. Connect, MSDN and TechNet subscribers will get it on 6th August, General availability on October 22nd.

Both x86 and x64 Builds of Windows 7 RTM Build 7600.16385.090713-1255 can be downloaded from here.

Congratulation to Windows 7 development team which was lead by Steven Sinofsky – President, Windows Division for completing one of the finest Windows releases ever.

Steven Sinofsky & Steve Ballmer holding gold RTM disc at MGX.

UPDATE 1: It is now confirmed that Windows 7 Build 7600.16385.090713-1255 is indeed the final RTM. Download it from here.

via - redmondpie

Download Windows Live Messenger 2009 Gift Pack

2009-07-23T11:03:00.000+07:00

On the eve of Windows Live Messenger’s (formerly MSN Messenger) 10th anniversary, Windows Live Team has released a free messenger gift pack to celebrate the 10th birthday of the world’s largest IM network. The free gift pack includes new:

Display pictures
Emotions
Winks
backgrounds and more..

[Screenshots]

Download Windows Live Messenger 2009 Gift Pack for Free

via - redmondpie

Sexiest looking iPhone App Interfaces

2009-07-23T10:50:00.000+07:00

We all know how good iPhone apps can look! Infact they are the best looking mobile apps out there – and pretty good at what they offer.

Today we’ll take a glimpse at 10 of the most sexiest iPhone apps (in no particular order) that are not only gorgeous but also the ‘Worth it’ kind:

1. Bento

Bento is an simple database management application for iPhone users from FileMaker Inc. It is basically a portable version of Bento for Mac. It helps in getting fast access to information (libraries and collections) when you are away from your computer.

It comes with 25 built-in templates for business (example issue tracking, time billing, expenses) and personal use(example diet logs, recipes, vehicle maintenance, home inventory). Otherwise, you can also create your customized templates for which a blank template is provided.

Push Fix for Unlocked iPhone 3.0

2009-07-23T10:22:00.000+07:00

Just found this via Sizlopedia that there is now an app Push Fix available on Cydia to fix Push Notification Systemi on jailbroken and unlocked iPhone’s running firmware 3.0. I earlier wrote a complete guide on how to fix Push Notification System for hacktivated iPhone’s but it required longer and tedious steps (for some) to fix the issue. You can now fix Push Notification System by following three simple steps:

Step 1: Start “Cydia” on your iPhone. Touch on “Manage” tab on the bottom and then on “Sources” as seen in the screenshot below:

Step 2: Touch on “Edit” and then on “Add”. You will be prompted to enter a url source as seen in the screenshot below. Type “http://cydia.iphoneil.net” and touch on “Add Source”.

Cydia will now automatically update your sources by following a series of automated steps.

Step 3: After installation is completed. Search for “Push Fix” in Cydia and install this application. This app will automatically fix Push Notification System on your unlocked and jailbroken iPhone.

Note: Fixing Push Notification System with Push Fix app wont solve the issues that you may be having in receiving Push Notifications on your hacktivated iPhone 3.0. You don’t need to follow the steps above if you have already followed the Guide for Fixing Push Notification System on your iPhone as the Push Fix app doesn’t do anything new or different.

Please take a look at our complete step-by-step guide on how to unlock and jailbreak (if you haven’t already):

Questions are welcome!

via - redmondpie

Improve your iPhone Signals with Signal Booster

2009-07-23T10:00:00.000+07:00

Sick of dropped calls on your iPhone?

Wilson Electronics, an electronics manufacturer, has recently released an iPhone signal enhancer called iBooster.

It improves the signal reception which enables a reduction in dropped calls and better audio. The iBooster can be used in cars, buildings and other areas where network coverage is weak. Due to its simple setup it can be easily moved from one place to another.

It has Wilson bi-directional SmartTechnology signal amplifier and battery charger. There is specific slip in’ cradle for the iPhone which features a pass through connector for external accessory access. The cradle is great for hands free operation either with a user’s headset or Bluetooth device. You can use the iBooster without taking off the case of your iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G or iPhone.

Key Features:

Amplifier increases the data rates where signal is weak.
Receives weak signals.
Built in battery charger.
More battery life.
Pass-through iPhone connector for accessory access while iPhone is in the cradle.
Easier hands free operation through the cradle.
Installs fast.
Package includes everything required.
Pretty design.

Find In Page - Safari Bookmark for Searching Webpages

2009-07-23T09:59:00.000+07:00

Find In Page (FindInPage for 2.x firmware), a Safari bookmark that allows you to search a web page, has been updated to work specifically with the 3.0 firmware. This mod does not add an icon to your SpringBoard but instead adds a bookmark in Safari. To use the Find In Page bookmark, go to a web page in Safari, then select the icon on the lower menu bar that looks like a book. This will bring up a list of your bookmarks. Just tap on the Find In Page bookmark.

Once you select the Find In Page bookmark, you will get a pop-up where you can type in the word (or words) you would like to search the page for. It will then give you a pop-up displaying how many matches it found on the page. The matches will be highlighted in yellow on the page.

If you would like to remove the bookmark, you will need to remove it in Safari like you would any other bookmark (go into your bookmarks, select Edit and then delete the bookmark). Uninstalling the Find In Page application via Cydia will not delete the bookmark out of Safari…you have to do that via Safari.

Overall, this is a handy little bookmark that works well. One thing I did notice, like in the previous version, once you have searched for the a word in a page it will keep that word highlighted even if you go back out and search for a new word. Not a huge deal, just something to note. You can get Find In Page via the BigBoss source.

Note: If you would like to have this app on the 2.x firmware, be sure you install the FindInPage app instead of the Find In Page app.

Available In: Cydia

Price: Free

ScreenShots

credit - http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AppleiPhoneSchool/~3/EODnhp3KBM4/

Rackspace Cloud 1.0 for iPhone

2009-07-23T09:56:00.000+07:00

For those of you who may not have notices, our sponsor has changed it’s name from Mosso to The Rackspace Cloud. Really, Mosso was always a company running via Rackspace. You can read more about the name change here.

Now, for the iPhone related news. The Rackspace Cloud has recently announced they are releasing API’s. This gives developers the tools and info to create apps that interact with the cloud. Someone has already started developing an iPhone app. Not a lot of details were given, but a lot of screenshots were. Check out the screenshots below. The developers states in the comments on his blog that, “The plan is to submit it this week. It’s currently in the hands of a few people at Rackspace to test and verify functionality.”

Coming Soon: App Store
Price: ??

via - AppleiPhoneSchool

RedLaser - Scan Barcodes and Get Realtime Prices

2009-07-23T09:55:00.000+07:00

RedLaser is an application that scans the barcode of a product and then searches for that product and it’s prices.

When you open the app, you can begin by scanning an item. To do so just select the lighting icon on the lower menu bar which will open a screen where you can scan the barcode. You will need to line up the edges of the bar code within the arrows… the bar code needs to be upright. Once the edges are lined up, the arrows will turn green. Hold it still a split second longer (after the arrows are green) and it will automatically scan the barcode. It can be a little tricky at first but, after a few tries you will have it down. You can also manually take a picture of the bar code using the Camera button.

After the barcode has been scanned, you will instantly get a description of the product, a picture of the product (if available), a list of websites in which you can buy the product (including each website’s price of the product) and the ability to search Amazon for the product. If the barcode was not found, you will get a message saying, “No matching products found.”

From the main menu, you can email the entire list of products you have scanned, get help, delete products from the list of scanned items or manually enter a barcode number.

I starting testing this app by scanning some food items and I quickly got addicted. I ended up going all around scanning anything that had a bar code! I was impressed with how easily, quickly and accurately it scanned barcodes. Out of all the items I scanned, were only two in which the app did not find. I did have to rescan a few items before it found them but, overall, it worked great. One thing I would definitely like to see change is that the webpages would open inside of the application instead of opening in Safari. You can get RedLaser via the BigBoss source.

Note: This app is currently a beta.

You can found on Cydia and free

ScreenShots

Steampunk - WinterBoard Theme

2009-07-23T09:50:00.000+07:00

Steampunk is a WinterBoard theme that contains 217 icons, a dock, badges, sliders, lock screen battery, lock screen background, wallpaper…etc. Due to the design of the dock, the theme looks the best with only three rows of icons or four rows of icons without the icon label’s turned off. Also, this is an Italian theme so, many of the icons need to be renamed (see list below for details). Other than that, it does contain some pretty cool icons. You can get Steampunk via the iSpazio source.

Note: The LiveClock mod works in conjunction with this theme.

To rename the icons, ssh into the Library/Themes/Steampunk by parbus/Icons folder and change the following file names:

Messaggi to Messages
Calendario to Calendar
Immagini to Photos
Mappe to Maps
Notities to Notes
Calcolatrice to Calculator
Impostazioni to Settings
Borsa to Stocks

How to Install

1. Your device must be jailbroken. (how?)
2. Make sure you have WinterBoard installed via Cydia.
2. Make sure you have the iSpazio source installed in Cydia.
3. Search for Steampunk in Cydia, run the install.
4. Open WinterBoard and activate the Steampunk Theme.

via - AppleiPhoneSchool

Acevedo Collection v1 - Wallpaper Pack

2009-07-23T09:48:00.000+07:00

Acevedo Collection v1 is made up of random wallpapers…honestly, I’m not really sure why a few of them are in there but, they are. I only really like one of the wallpapers but, below are all the screenshots so you can check them out for yourself. Remember, when you install this wallpaper pack, the wallpapers are added to your stock Settings application under Wallpapers. You can get Acevedo Collection v1 via the MacCiti source.

Note: If you would like to manually delete some of the wallpapers once you install the pack, you can ssh into the Library/Wallpapers folder on your iPhone or iPod Touch and delete them from there.

Available In: Cydia

Price: Free

ScreenShots

qTweeter Update - Upload Videos to Twitter and Facebook on First Gen iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS

2009-07-23T09:46:00.000+07:00

qTweeter, a Twitter application, has been updated to version 2.0. The update adds a new feature - video. The really cool part is that you can send a video tweet not only from an iPhone 3GS but also an iPhone 3G and a first gen iPhone (on the 3.0 firmware)! Very cool.

If you are on a first gen iPhone or an iPhone 3G, you will need to install Cycorder via Cydia. qTweeter uses Cycorder to record the video you will tweet (and then uses TwitVid to post the video to Twitter and Facebook… you do not have to have TwitVid installed on your iPhone for it to work). The video is posted just like any other TwitVid video in both Twitter and Facebook. I also like that qTweeter allows you to upload a previously taken video.

It worked great for me on an iPhone 3G running 3.0 however, Doug had to uninstall it from his iPhone 3GS because it put it into continuous Safe Mode.

I personally have always thought this was a cool Twitter application. For a full review of the app please see previous posts about qTweeter. You can get qTweeter via the Ste Packaging source.

More...

Pubblog.com Releases MailSteward 8.2.4

2009-07-23T09:38:00.000+07:00

Pubblog.com has announced the release of MailSteward, MailSteward Lite, and MailSteward Pro, version 8.2.4. With this release there are new free versions of MailSteward. The free versions have all of the same functionality as the licensed versions, but have an upper limit of 15,000 emails per database.

MailSteward is the ultimate email archiving solution for the Mac. MailSteward archives email in a relational database for easy access and safe backup of all your email. Whether you manage a business, are an independent professional, or just a person with a lot of email, for legal reasons, business reasons, and personal reasons, it is essential to be able to safely archive and easily search your email.

* Safely archive your large volume of vital email information
* Easily access your email database with fast, sophisticated searching
* Protect your essential email data from data format obsolescence
* Get rid of duplicate emails

Read more

BigBoss to Release iPhone Wallpaper App

2009-07-23T09:29:00.000+07:00

BigBoss has announced that he will soon release a wallpaper application for the iPhone, entitled BossPaper.

The application will let you control what wallpaper shows up on your SpringBoard without the heavy performance impact that is experienced with Winterboard.

Features:
- You control which images are displayed. You can use camera roll, installed themes, or a combination of! With Winterboard, you could only install a theme and use what came with it. Now you can use images from many themes or other sources such as BossPaper packs.
- You can use your own images from the camera!
- BossPaper stops rotating images as soon as an app launches. This prevents battery and CPU drain.
- BossPaper stops rotating images as soon as the iPhone is locked. This prevents battery drain.
- BossPaper uses very little memory and CPU! It does not inject into apps only SpringBoard so you should not notice any application lag running it.
- BossPaper can use one of many transitions such as fade, water drop, page curl - you configure which one(s) you want. Configure how long the transitions last.
- BossPaper lets you control when to rotate images. You can rotate it on a timer you configure or you can rotate when an app closes, or both!
- BossPaper lets you hide icon labels so those that do not want to install Winterboard can use it without.
- BossPaper lets you dim the wallpaper.

The application will be released in Beta within the next few days. You will find it on the BigBoss Cydia repository.

Read More

via - iClarified

Download Expression Studio 3

2009-07-23T09:20:00.000+07:00

Today, Microsoft has finally shipped the final version of Expression Studio 3 and it can now be downloaded from Microsoft Download Center. Expression Studio 3 was announced alongside Silverlight 3 at a recently held launch event in San Francisco.

Microsoft Expression Studio opens up a new world of creative possibility. Its professional design tools give you the freedom to make your vision real—whether you’re designing for standards-based Web sites, rich desktop experiences, or Silverlight.

Expression Studio is a suite of tools which enables professional designers and developers to build rich applications for both web and Windows. The suite includes the following products/tools:

Expression Web 3 (with SuperPreview)
Expression Blend 3 + SketchFlow
Expression Design 3
Expression Encoder 3

Overview Expression Studio 3:

Check out this video below to see what’s new in Expression Studio 3?

Expression Studio 3 Overview Video

Download Expression Studio 3 (60 Days Trial)

iTypeFastR - Additional Keyboard - Now 3.0 Compatible

2009-07-23T02:10:00.000+07:00

I remember iTypeFastR, an additional keyboard, from the 2.x days (though, I don’t remember it being a paid app back then) and it seems the app has been updated to version 1.2.1 which now supports the 3.0 firmware. Once installed, you have a 21 day trial in which to test out the keyboard after that, the app must be registered for $3.99 USD.

To activate iTypeFastR, open the keyboard and select the Globe icon in the lower left corner. This will bring you to the iTypeFastR keyboard. To get back to your stock keyboard, go into the number section of the iTypeFastR keyboard and then select the Globe icon.

Personally, I just cant do it! The keyboard is just too weird but, maybe it is just the thing you are looking for. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Description of iTypeFastR:
“iTypeFastR is an app for iPhone, that adds a special keyboard. The keyboard allows you to type faster and with less typos, because on average the keys are much larger. This keyboard makes better use of the available room on the screen. Often used letters are used more then less used ones. On average, you therefor hit bigger buttons”

1.2.1 Change Log:
Functional:
- Compatibility with iPhone firmware 3.x (OS 3). This is the most important part, and was quite complicated to get fixed
- We got rid of two emoticons on the numeric screen. Many of you requested to increase the size of the spacebar and decrease that of the emoticons, so we did.

Design:
- We did many improvements on the landscape screen. It is much much better now
- We got rid of the ‘peel back animation’ between the keyboard to give it a more clean look - We introduced a small ‘emboss’ on all the keys to make it look slightly better

Coordinates:
- N : 3 pixels less at the bottom (coordinates file only)
because the ‘N’ was sometimes outputted when ‘space’ was meant

ScreenShots

via - AppleiPhoneSchool

Download WordPress App for Blackberry Mobile Phones

2009-07-23T00:33:00.000+07:00

Now you can manage your WordPress blog from your Blackberry Mobile Phone easily. Get the Blackberry App for WordPress, its free and open source and will surely bring joy to Blackberry bloggers out there.

The Blackberry app will work with all new BlackBerry devices such as the 8700, Pearl, Curve, Bold, and Storm, with BlackBerry OS 4.2.1 or newer. The Wordpress app will work on WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress version 2.5.1 or newer. For self-hosted WordPress sites, ensure you have XML-RPC enabled on dashboard under Settings -> Writing.

Wordpress Blackberry App

Point your BlackBerry browser to http://blackberry.wordpress.org/install to install the Blackberry app for WordPress. Remember its a beta software, so is bound to have bugs, which means dont use it to manage your primary blog to avoid surprises. The app will frequently prompt when new versions are available, which you can easily upgrade. Support is available at the WordPress for Blackberry Forums.

How to Password Protect Directory Using .htaccess

2009-07-22T21:32:00.000+07:00

Do you want to password protect a directory on your website? .htaccess is a powerful file which can easily password protect your files and folders in your web directories. I share this new skill I learnt while implementing it on our site.

Lets suppose you want to protect the folder 'secretfolder' located on this path on your server: home/user/domain/secretfolder

Password Protect Directory with htaccess

Step 1 – Create .htpasswd file with your desired username and password in any text editor (like Notepad) and save without the .txt extension. It is a good idea to encrypt the password for extra security. Here is a good htpasswd encryption tool to do just that – simply enter the username and password and it will generate the code for you, which you can copy and paste. For a user 'abc' and password 'abc', I got this (but it generates a new one everytime) -

abc:9476nIHW7Esgw

Step 2 – Create .htaccess file with the code below. It can be created using any text editor (like Notepad) and saved without the .txt extension. Remember to double check the location of the htpasswd file, or it will not work. You can change 'Login Details' to whatever you want displayed on the pop up alert.

AuthUserFile /home/user/domain/secretfolder/.htpasswd AuthType Basic AuthName "Login Details" Require valid-user

Step 3 – Upload both these files in the same folder which you want to protect (in this case 'secretfolder'). Now whenever anyone accesses that directory or any files in it, they will be asked for login details. You web directory is now secure.

NOTE – You might not be able to see these files on your server since they are hidden files. I use Filezilla FTP client and often use the "force showing hidden files" option to view these files. Also remember that these files can be created easily in Notepad but save without .txt extension (Save a type - choose "All Files", then you can save without any extension). If the Login window keeps popping up, most probably your login details are wrong.

OPTION - Here are some simple scripts to protect webpages, but they are only the first line of security. However, they are easier to implement as they can be simply inserted in the webpage HTML code.

WARNING: .htaccess is a very powerful file to mess with and if wrongly configured can make your site inaccessible. If you are not sure of what you are playing with, seek professional tech support from your hosting provider. Edit your .htaccess at your OWN RISK, we bear no responsibility for the same and cannot provide support.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on iPhone for FREE

2009-07-22T16:52:00.000+07:00

Harry Potter finally makes its way on the iPhone and iPod Touch! Warner Bros has released an iPhone and iPod Touch version of the popular movie and book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, much to the delight of the fans of the recently released movie of the same name. The app allows you to view official film content including official Movie Trailers, Wallpapers, Movie Synopsis, Sound Track Information, Character Information, and more.

WinterBoard Settings Utility for iPhone

2009-07-22T16:45:00.000+07:00

A new utility called WinterBoard Settings allows you to access WinterBoard through the iPhone system settings menu, according to an iSpazio report.

The utility created by David Ashman places a new item in your iPhone settings menu from which you can access Winterboard. It also adds a Springboard only switch which allows you to apply WinterBoard themes to the SpringBoard only, potentially improving the memory usage and performance of other applications.

You can install the utility by adding this repository to your Cydia Installer: http://david.ashman.com/apt

Read More

Via - .iclarified.com

Windows 7 RTM Availability

2009-07-22T14:30:00.000+07:00

Brandon LeBlanc – the writer behind The Windows Team Blog has just posted more details on the availability of Windows 7 RTM bits:

Microsoft Connect, MSDN and TechNet subscribers will be able to get their hands on Windows 7 RTM on 6th August.
Microsoft Partner Program Gold/Certified Members will get it on August 16th.
Microsoft Action Pack Subscribers on 23rd August.
For Business Customers with access to Volume License Service Center (VLSC) will get their hands on the final bits on 7th August.
Retail Customers on 22nd October.

Microsoft is yet to publicly announce the final RTM Build of Windows 7. The fact that they didn’t call the latest leaked Windows 7 Build 7600.16385.090713-1255 as fake or not the final RTM makes me wonder whether Build 7600.16385.090713-1255 is indeed the final Build which Microsoft has already signed-off? Windows 7 Build 7600.16384 was previously quickly brushed off as not RTM when it was leaked on 12th July.

via - redmondpie

Windows 7 Theme for iPhone

2009-07-22T14:22:00.000+07:00

If you are a fan of Windows 7 and would like to have its look and feel on your iPhone then you might want to try this Windows 7 theme which works on jailbroken iPhone. If you don’t know how to jailbreak your iPhone then you should first read the following step by step guides depending on which device you want to jailbreak:

Changes in iPhone 3.1 Beta 2 Firmware

2009-07-22T12:20:00.000+07:00

Just got this email from Apple enlightening me about the new iPhone OS 3.1 Beta 2 firmware and SDK bits which are now available for download through the iPhone Dev Center:

iPhone SDK 3.1 beta 2 and iPhone OS 3.1 beta 2 are now available on the iPhone Dev Center. These versions are for development and testing only and should be installed on devices dedicated to iPhone OS 3.1 beta software development. Please read the iPhone OS beta Pre-Install Advisory and the iPhone SDK 3.1 beta 2 release notes before downloading and installing.

Not much has changed since the last Beta which was released on 1st July 2009. Some minor changes in iPhone 3.1 includes:

According to Ars Technica developers can now work with an iPhone wirelessly (WIFI) instead of having to connect it to their development computer via USB.
TUAW is reporting that the tether hack no longer works.
According to WhenwillApple, Non-destructive video button names changed to Trim Original and Save as New Clip, this should help clear up the confusion caused by the original names Save and Save a Copy.

Those of you who have jailbroken and unlocked their iPhone with OS 3.0 should avoid to upgrade to 3.1 unless new tools are made available by Dev-Team (this warning does not apply to iPhone 2G). This version is meant for development and testing purposes only and should be installed on devices dedicated to iPhone OS 3.1 software development.

Via - redmondpie.com

iPhone | Customize Your iPhone Using WinterBoard

2009-07-22T12:12:00.001+07:00

These are instructions on how to customize your iPhone using WinterBoard.

WinterBoard is an extension for the iPhone that allows users to customize the graphics and sounds on their device. Recently, it was brought to our attention that iClarified doesn't have an WinterBoard tutorial. We apologize for the oversight and will release a few tutorials to help users with WinterBoard.

We will begin with the basic installation and usage tutorial.

Read More

Via - iclarified.com

Windows 7 Media Center and Windows Home Server PP3

2009-07-21T14:27:00.000+07:00

Windows Home Server Power Pack 3 Beta was released last week and it brought much needed and improved Media Center integration with Windows Home Server. Power Pack 2 added the functionality of making it easier to access content stored on a Home Server from a Media Center PC, Power Pack 3 takes it a step further!

Once you have installed and configured the new Media Center Connector which ships with Power Pack 3, Windows Media Center will prompt you to install Media Center Connector:

After installation is completed, restart Media Center and you should now have a new “Home Server” tab on the Home screen of Media Center which includes the following two sub menus:

a. TV Archive

In addition to recording tv directly to the Home Server, you can now also move recordings from an existing Media Center PC to your Home Server with a click of a button. You can either move individual TV shows, a series of shows, or all the TV recordings to be automatically moved from Media Center PC to the Home Server. Moreover, you can also convert the recordings to play them back on a compatible portable device such as a Zune or a Windows Mobile phone (No support for iPhone or iPod Touch).

Katra’s Weather HD for iPhone

2009-07-20T22:35:00.000+07:00

Katra’s Weather HD is a great Winterboard theme for your iPhone Lockscreen. It will display a high quality photo of the current weather conditions on your Lockscreen.

To customize it with your town, you need to access through SSH and to edit the “configureMe.js” file in this directory: “/Library/Themes/Katra’s Weather HD.theme/Private”

You can find more details from the iSpazio Repository.

Read More

via - iclarified.com

Create a Glossy-looking Glass button in WPF

2009-07-19T17:22:00.000+07:00

Tired of the usual look of your buttons in WPF? Do you want a glossy-looking button with glass shine and glow effect as soon as you move the mouse cursor over the button?

Its just six easy steps away …

Follow the tutorial below and give a fresh look to your apps.

Tools used :

Visual Studio 2008
Expression Blend

1. Create a new WPF Application

2. Create a Canvas

Add the rectangle from the toolbar on the left:

Drag the corners of the rectangle to the appropriate dimensions that is the size you want for the button.
Click on the rectangle.
Select the 'Properties' tab on the right.
Select 'Fill' ->'No Brush'.

Select 'Stroke'->'No Brush'
In the Appearance section, change the RadiusX and RadiusY properties to 4 (to make the corners rounded).
Make the stroke thickness 0 (stroke is boundary).

Right click on the rectangle you have created.
Copy it.
Paste it twice.

Your LayoutRoot should look similar to this:

Select the rectangle as shown:

Right click it.
Select 'Group Into'->'Canvas'

3. Create the Basecoat

Rename the canvas as 'button' in the properties tab.

In the layout section section select the 'Hand' in the options for 'Cursor'

Click on the first rectangle from the top in the LayoutRoot:

Select 'Fill' –> 'Solid Color Brush'
Select the color black in the editor.

Rename the rectangle in the properties tab as 'basecoat':

4. Create the Glow

Select the second rectangle from the LayoutRoot as before
Name it 'glow' in the properties tab
Select 'Fill'-> 'Gradient Brush'->'Radial Gradient'

Click on 'Brush Transform' in the toolbox on the left :

The brush transform will be used to adjust the positioning of the gradient.

Drag the bottom of the rectangle a little to enlarge the gradient vertically:

Move your cursor around at middle of the rectangle until you see the four headed cursor.
Drag the highlight down a little:

Select 'Fill'->'Gradient Brush'->'Linear Gradient'
Click the first gradient stop and select the color you want for the glowing effect.

Select the second gradient stop.
Reduce the A value to 0 to achieve transparency.

Make the opacity 0% for now in the Appearance section:

5. Create the Glass Effect

Select the third rectangle.
Name it 'glass'.
Select 'Fill'->'Gradient Brush'->'Linear Gradient'

Select the 'Brush Transform'
Select the back of the arrow and rotate it to alter the gradient accordingly:

Move your cursor around at the top middle part of the rectangle until you see the cursor as a hand:

Drag the cursor in to the rectangle (as if pushing something into a box from the top) until you see something like this :

Select the first gradient stop.
Set A to 0

Click twice on the gradient bar at around 60% to get two gradient stops.
Get one gradient stop a few percentages lower than the other.

You can see the glassy effect in your window:

Alter the Opacity to 80%.

6. Code a little

Save your project in Blend and close it.
Open your project with Visual Studio.

Double click 'Canvas' in the xaml code of the window:

Don't get confused with the pink color. I just changed the background color for testing.

Select the 'Event' option in the properties window.
Double click on the column to the right of Mouse Enter.
Double click on the column to the right of Mouse Leave.

The double clicking caused the xaml code of the window and the method headers to be automatically generated for the events.

Enter the following code to make the glow appear only when the mouse is over the button:

        private void button_MouseEnter(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)

            glow.Opacity = 100;

        private void button_MouseLeave(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)

            glow.Opacity = 0;

And you are done

Your queries are always welcome!

via - redmondpie.com

Windows XP performance tweaking guide: Registry and Software tweaks

2008-08-01T22:52:00.000+07:00

By Apostol Lucian

1. Stop ‘last access update’

Whenever you access a folder on a NTFS drive, Windows XP updates that folder and all subfolders with a time stamp with the date of last access. Sometimes, this can slower windows performance.

To change this, open REGEDIT ( Start -> Run -> ‘regedit’ ) and navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

Create a new DWORD value ( right click -> new -> DDWORD Value ) called ‘NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate’ and set the value to ‘1’

2. Disable unnecessary naming convention

For each file created, windows xp use one additional name for MSDOS compatibility: 8 character name followed by a “.”, then 3 characters for the extension.
If you don’t intend to use DOS only software, this is waste of memory.

To change this, open REGEDIT
Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem

Change the value of the NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation key to ‘1’

3. Prevent windows to move operating data on virtual memory

By default, windows xp do periodically checks to move its essential driver and kernel files to the virtual memory ( page file ). This obviously slower performances.
This should be done only if the system is low on physical Memory.

Open REGEDIT.
Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management.
Select the DisablePagingExecutive value to ‘1’

4. Disable Performance counters

Windows XP has a performance monitor utility, to track several areas of your PC, including CPU and hard drive. Whenever you do something on your PC, these performance counters tracks everything. These processes from the background makes main processes to run slower.

To change this, you need to download Extensible Performance Counter List utility

First download and install the utility, then run the Exctrlst.exe utility, found in ‘c:\program files\resource kit\’

Select each line in the ‘Extensible performance counters’ window and clear the ‘performance counters enabled’ button below. You must do this separately for each counter.

5. Remove page file from system drive

The operating system can use virtual memory when there is more data that can be stored on physical memory. The Virtual memory is on hard drive, this means is slower than standard memory. What we can do to improve performance is to remove the page file from the drive where operating system is installed on, and put it on other drive.

To do this, right click on “my computer” and select “Properties”, Select the ‘advanced’ tab.
Under ‘performance’ choose the ’settings’ button.
Select the ‘advanced’ tab again and under ‘virtual memory’ select ‘change.’

You will get a list with all drives, with page file allocated on each.

6. Create a permanent Page file.

Follow the instructions from the previous tip and select the same value for minimum and maximum size. This prevents operating system to resize page file.

7. Optimize your page file size

By default, windows xp select the page file to 150% of physical memory, but if you have more than 512 physical memory, it’s hard to believe that your operating system will need that amount of virtual memory. Change your page file to the same value as your physical memory is ( RAM ), but, if you have less than 512, leave it at 150%.
You can do this using the steps at previous tip.

8. Defrag page file with PageDefrag utility

We all know that defragmentint hard drive is a good idea, but windows xp defragmentation utility can’t defragment files that are already in use, for example page file ( virtual memory ). For this you can use a freeware tool called Page Defrag
This tool is simply to use, just select all files you want to defragment and press Start.

9. Set priority for important programs

If you are using more applications at the same time, but you focus on a single application, you can change the priority for that application to boost its performances. By default, all applications are set to normal priority level. To change this, press CTR+ALT+Del to open Task Manager and select the application you want to rise the priority. On the right-click menu select Go To Process. Press right click on the process and select Set Priority. You will have many proority levels.
The higher you set priority above normal, the more CPU time the program will steal from other applications when you are multitasking.

10. Check your hard drives with scandisk

Defragmenting hard drive can improve performances, but it can’t touch bad sectors or lost clusters.

Because of this, it is a good idea to run XP’s built in error checking utility on your drives once in a while. This utility will scan your disks for errors and optionally attempt to correct them.

Open ‘my computer.’

Right click the hard disk you wish to check and select ‘properties.’

Choose the ‘tools’ tab and under ‘error checking’ select the ‘check now…’ button.

Check both options. You will need to restart the computer to do the full disk check.

Your disk will be fully checked for errors upon reboot, but be aware that this can take quite a while.

11. Make Windows to unload DLL files after closing a program

“DLL” stand for Dynamic Link Library. DLLs are files that containt data and functions needed by windows. Every piece of windows will require some libraries, and will link to them. For faster access, windows cache the libraries into memory, but after the program that uses them is closed, the memory is not cleared. The following registry tweak will make windows to remove DLL’s from memory if they are not used.

To do this run REGEDIT.

Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer.

Create a new key named ‘AlwaysUnloadDLL’ and set the default value to equal ‘1’.

12. Thaw your desktop

Probably you have experienced at least once “Desktop Freezing”. You tell windows to do something and everything will move very slow. When this is happening, means that windows need a refresh. Press CTR+ALT+DEL to open task manager. Select “Processes” tab, and find “explorer.exe”, select it and press end process. Without closing task manager, select “New Task” from “File” menu, and there type “explorer.exe”. The desktop will load again, without closing any application.

13. Speed up mouse movement

Windows applies an acceleration to the mouse by default. This means when you move the mouse, the pointer will start slowly and accelerates with continual movement. In games you will probably need better speed.

To remove mouse acceleration: open up REGEDIT and navigate to
‘hkey_current_user\control panel\mouse’

Change the value of ’smoothmouseXcurve’ to the following:

00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
00,a0,00,00,00,00,00,00
00,40,01,00,00,00,00,00
00,80,02,00,00,00,00,00
00,00,05,00,00,00,00,00

Then change the value of ‘SmoothMouseYCurve’ to the following:

00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
66,a6,02,00,00,00,00,00
cd,4c,05,00,00,00,00,00
a0,99,0a,00,00,00,00,00
38,33,15,00,00,00,00,00

14. Disable the themes service

If you are not a fan of the appearance of Windows XP, there is an easy way to turn it off and go back to the more sober and traditional Windows style. Simply disable the ‘themes’ service to restore a classic windows desktop appearance.

To do this, right click on ‘my computer’ and select ‘manage.’

In the computer management windows, expand ’services and applications’ and select ’services.’

In the right hand window, highlight the ‘themes’ service. Right click it and select ‘properties.’

In the ’startup type’ dropdown box, select ‘disabled.’

15. Remove the desktop picture

If you need to have a picture on the desktop, don’t do this, but if you choose performance against appearance, you can remove desktop picture which slows windows start-up.

Right click on an open area of the desktop and select ‘properties.’

Select the ‘desktop’ tab and in the ‘background’ window, highlight ‘none.’ Press ‘ok.’

Think we’re just pulling your leg? Nope, every computer in the PCstats labs that gets tested goes through this same step before we run a single benchmark.

16. Change to the NTFS file system

If you are using Windows XP, is a good idea to change the filesystem for your partitions to NTFS. It will improve security and data security, but also it can improve speed of your system.

If you are using two operating systems, and one of them is Windows 9x/Me or other OS which can’t read NTFS, don’t change it, else, you don’t have any reason to keep your partition to FAT32.

Right click on ‘my computer’ and select ‘manage’

From the computer management window, expand storage and select ‘disk management.’

Using the ‘file system’ column of the upper pane of this window, you can easily check what file system each of your logical drives is using. Make a note of this information.

Now open a command prompt window by going to ’start\run’ and typing ‘cmd’

To convert a disk to NTFS, type ‘convert (drive letter): /fs:ntfs’

So for example, if you were going to convert your C: drive, you would type ‘Convert c: /fs:ntfs’ at the prompt.

17. Perform a manual Application and Boot file Defrag

Windows XP has a feature to defragment application and operating system boot time by moving important files to the edges of hard drive for faster disk access.

Depending on your system, this can give a slight performance boost to data access from the affected drive.

Open command prompt (’start/run’ and type ‘cmd’).

Type ‘defrag (drive letter): -b’

The process may take a few minutes to complete.

18. Disable the hibernation feature

Windows XP’s hibernation option allows a computer to copy its current memory contents to the hard drive before shutdown, allowing the system to resume operations exactly where it left off when it was powered down. To do this, it reserves space on the hard drive equal to the amount of physical memory present. If you do not plan to use the hibernation feature, you should ensure that it is disabled, or you are wasting disk space.

To disable hibernation:

Go to ’start/control panel/performance and maintenance/power options.’

Go to the ‘hibernate’ tab and uncheck the ‘enable hibernation’ check box.

19. Disable automatic sensing on network cards

This tweak may help your performance by reducing occasional ’slowdown’ periods of heavy CPU access for no apparent reason. By default, Windows XP automatically assesses the speed of your network card(s) and sets them accordingly. Apparently this process occurs at regular intervals, which can cause your system to slow occasionally. To remedy this, you can manually set the ‘media type’ of your network card to the correct value.

Right click on ‘my computer’ and select the ‘hardware’ tab.

Open ‘device manager.’

Find and highlight your network card(s). Right click it and Hit ‘properties.’

Go to the ‘advanced’ tab and highlight ‘media type.’ In the ‘value’ drop down box, select the correct speed for your network card. Press ‘ok.’

20. Use the prefetch switch to load applications faster

Windows XP’s media player has a little extra command included in its shortcut, the ‘/prefetch:1? switch. This helps the application load slightly faster. You can try out this possible performance boost on other programs by editing the shortcuts to the program in question.

To see an example, right click on windows media player shortcut and select Properties.

It should look like this: “C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe” /prefetch:1

Right click the shortcut and hit ‘properties.’

In the ‘target’ box, put ‘/prefetch:1’ at the end of the line.

Press ‘ok.’

Note that this may cause loading errors in some programs. If it does not work, simply remove the /prefetch:1 entry from the shortcut.

21. Set DMA mode for all drives.

When Windows XP is installed, hard disks and CD drives may occasionally be set to the PIO mode for transferring data, which is slower than the default DMA (Direct Memory Access) mode used by all modern drives. A quick check of your drive settings can find and correct this error, allowing your drives to perform at their maximum.

To check and correct your hard drive and CD drive transfer settings right click ‘my computer’ and select properties, then the ‘hardware tab’ then the ‘device manager’ button.

Expand ‘IDE ATA\ATAPI controllers’ highlight ‘primary IDE channel’ and hit the ‘properties’ button.

Go to the ‘advanced settings’ tab, and ensure that the transfer mode is set to ‘DMA if available.’

Repeat the above steps for the secondary IDE channel.

22. Do a Windows repair install

If you have serious problems with XP performance, or you get errors, some system files can be damaged.

A repair installation re-writes all essential Windows XP system files and re-detects all hardware without affecting the registry, current desktop settings or user data stored on the hard drive. This is the only way short of a full installation that can recover from errors caused by installing a different motherboard in an XP system, for example.

To perform a repair installation:

Boot the system from your XP CD.

Choose the ‘press enter to set up Windows XP now’ option.

Press F8 to skip through the EULA (though if you haven’t read it before, you should now. See our legal article for details as to why.

Now press R to begin a repair installation.

Your system will go through the entire XP install process, but will not attempt to replace any of your existing data. It will simply reinstall the vital system files, fixing any that are corrupted or missing.

23. Stop hard disks spinning down

By default, windows xp spins down the hard drive after 20 minutes of inactivity to save power. This case cause serious delays if you want to use computer after this amount of time.

To disable hard disks spinning go to ’start/control panel/performance and maintenance/power options.’

Set the ‘turn off hard disks’ drop down box to ‘never.’ Click ‘ok.’

24. Reduce recycling bin reserved space

By default, Windows XP reserves 10 percent of each hard drive to store deleted files in the recycling bin. This is a bit excessive. Actually it’s a lot excessive, unless you habitually delete files a gigabyte in size or more. Fortunately, there is an easy way to reduce the amount of hard disk space that is reserved for the recycling bins on each drive.

Right click on the recycling bin and select ‘properties.’

Choose the ‘global’ tab.

The slider shows the percentage of each drive that is reserved by the recycling bin. Reduce this to a more appropriate amount, like 2-3% or more depending on the size of your drives. The larger the drives, the smaller the number you should use. If you wish to configure each drive independently, check the ‘configure drives independently’ button and adjust the slider to the desired amount in each of your hard disk’s tabs. The advantage to doing things this way instead of using the ‘global’ setting is that you can see the actual amount of space on each drive that is being reserved.

Note that files larger than the recycling bin’s capacity on a given drive are deleted for good. Windows XP will warn you when this condition occurs.

25. Enable write caching on hard disks

Enabling hard drive write caching will make transferring of data between hard drives and memory more efficient. If you have a hot-swappable drive rack, or if you expect your PC to be shut down incorrectly, don’t enable it.

To enable write caching right click on my computer and select ‘properties.’

Select the hardware tab, then ‘device manager.’ From the device manager window, expand ‘disk drives’ and highlight your hard disk. Select ‘properties’ then the ‘policies’ tab.

Check the ‘enable write caching on the disk’ box.

Repeat the above steps for all hard drives in your system.

26. Defragment your hard disk(s)

Probably you heard this many times, and if you don’t like to do things that you only hear, i will explain what is happening when you defragment your drives.

When an operating system writes data onto a hard drive, it will generally attempt to place the data on the drive as sequentially as possible, in order to facilitate faster retrieval of the information. Over the operational life of the drive, various factors can cause data to become scattered, or fragmented, over the surface of the drive.

This does not mean it cannot be read, since the file system retains a table which links each cluster (the smallest unit of storage available on a hard drive) of data with the other clusters on the disk that contain data for a particular file.

Fragmentation does slow down drive access considerably though, since the drive has to constantly seek for a new disk location to piece a file it is reading together from the fragmented clusters, rather than just being able to grab it off the disk in one continuous stream of data. Factors that can cause fragmentation include incomplete uninstalls of software, system crashes while the disk is in use, improper shutdown of the operating system, etc.

Defragmentation is the process of reassembling the data on the disk into coherent and sequential order, making disk access easier and faster. If your drive has gone a long while without being defragmented, you may find that this process restores a lot of zip to your Windows install. All recent versions of Windows include a built-in defragmentation utility.

To access this utility in Windows XP, go to ’start\programs\accessories\system tools\disk defragmenter.’

To begin with, you need to analyze your hard disk(s) to see if defragmentation is needed. Select a drive and hit the ‘analyze’ button. This could take a little while depending on the amount of data on the drive.

Once the analysis is finished, you will have a graphical representation of your disk’s level of fragmentation. See the pic below for an example of a highly fragmented drive (red indicates fragmented files).

Windows will also inform you if it recommends defragmenting the drive. You must have 15% of the drive free in order to fully defragment it. Anything less will result in only a partial re-ordering of the files. You may need to delete a few things to obtain this free space.

To defragment the drive, select it and hit the ‘defragment’ button. Note that depending on the size of the drive and the level of fragmentation, this can take a long time. It’s a good thing to leave overnight, since you should not run anything else while doing the defrag.

27. Turn off the indexing service

Windows XP have a feature to index all the files and directories on your PC. This tool helps when you search for a file on your computer, but if you don’t use search a lot you can disable it to improve performance.

To turn off file indexing go to Control Panel\Add/Remove Programs\Windows Components. and uncheck ‘Indexing Service.’

Article Source: Main Articles

Software guide and tweaks - Find IP address

Increasing Notebook Battery Power

2008-07-31T22:51:00.000+07:00

Author: Roberto Sedycias

Depending upon the model, a notebook battery usually lasts from 1 to 8 hours. However, with efficient battery usage, an hour or two of battery power can significantly be increased. You can save battery power by using the built-in battery saving modes and by following good notebook battery-saving practices.

Built-in battery-saving modes are Stand By and Hibernate. In the Stand By mode, open applications are stored in the RAM, the hard disks power down, the monitor switches off, but the processor goes on running. When you again perform some activity of the mouse or the keyboard, then the hard disk powers up, the monitor switches on, and the data from the RAM is activated, restoring your notebook exactly the way you left it.

The Hibernation mode is used when the notebook is left unattended for a long time. The open applications are stored on the hard disk, which subsequently powers down, the monitor turns off, and the processor turns off going in for hibernation. On soft rebooting like a restart or wake up on LAN, the processor turns on, the laptop wakes up, and the same exact settings are restored. Both these modes should be used to conserve battery power. You can preset your preferences in the settings of your notebook, so that in case you doze off, or leave the device for a coffee or a snack, the notebook automatically goes into any one of these power saving modes.

Following battery-saving practices can also save notebook battery power. You should always adjust the monitor controls to suit the room lighting conditions. Dimming the contrast and brightness saves battery power besides providing relief to your eyes. Auto-save and auto-update features of applications start in the background without your knowledge and these should be disabled. External devices consume a lot of battery power, hence the usage of external mice, monitors, keyboards, optical drives, videocam, digital cameras, or any other device connected to the PC Card slot, VGA/ FireWire/ USB port should be avoided.

Increase the RAM memory, if an extra slot is available, as this puts fewer burdens on the hard disk, which consumes a lot of battery power. Avoid multimedia games while you are running your notebook on battery power. Similarly, avoid music or movies. Copy the CD/DVD on the hard disk and play it from there, instead of the optical drive. Disable WiFi and Bluetooth. Built-in wireless cards should also be disabled. Decrease or set to mute the notebook speaker volume. Turn off all preprogrammed scheduled tasks. All unused open applications should be closed. The general guideline is that when your notebook is on battery power, you should perform only such operations, which are the need of the hour. Rest of the applications can be performed, when your notebook is connected to the mains.

Keeping good care of the battery also prolongs its life. To maximize performance of nickel-metal hydride batteries, they have to be completely drained off before they are recharged. However, lithium-ion batteries do not need cycling/ conditioning, and they do not suffer from memory effects. Hence, they need not be fully drained off before recharging. When the notebook is not in use for an extended period, the battery pack should be removed to avoid battery leakage. Before removing the battery pack, you should charge it fully and then remove it, as all kinds of batteries should always be stored in a fully charged state. Do not store your battery pack along with metal parts, as this will short-circuit your battery.

Utilizing the built-in battery saving options and other means, you can significantly add one to three hours more in the total capacity of your notebook battery. Sometimes, in critical situations, like an important meeting, this extra hour of notebook battery power can help you clinch your desired deal.

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/increasing-notebook-battery-power-227151.html

About the Author:

This article can also be accessed in portuguese language from the Article section of page www.polomercantil.com.br/notebook.php
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.PoloMercantil.com.br

Cleaning Your Desktop

2008-07-30T22:50:00.000+07:00

By Kay Brenner

Ah, the desktop. It's just as important to keep your desktop clean on your Windows PC as it is to keep your real desktop clutter free, so that you may work at optimal performance. It will help your computer speed up as well. Having to render all those icons on the desktop all the time can really slow things down.

Did you know you can actually remove all the icons from your desktop? If you create a new folder in the middle of the desktop then you move all your icons to the left or right side of the desktop, then you can select everything and drag it all off of the desktop by dragging the new folder to the left or right along with all the other items selected. This is the crude way to remove everything, because technically it's still all on your desktop but it's just not visible.

Another way to get rid of most of the main icons is to put them all in one folder on the desktop. Just name it “Desktop Stuff”. Then you magically have a clean desktop and all the stuff that's normally on your desktop is in one folder right there. It will speed up your computer slightly, but you do have to double click one extra time, it seems like a good trade off though.

If you simply must keep many of the things on your desktop, there are several tools to help you organize all the essential items that you can't live without on the desktop. First, you can access all the options by right clicking on the desktop. If you go to the View menu you can choose between different sizes of icons. If you put them on Large that might help you realize how cluttered or clean your desktop is. From the View menu you can also align your icons to a grid, or have Windows “auto arrange” your icons. If you like that make circles with and stuff with your icons then you will probably want to stay away from aligning them to a grid.

If you do have them set to auto arrange. You can then sort them by their name, size of the files, or other options like that. Really, the best way to go is to just make one folder and throw all of that junk that's been piling up on your desktop straight to the desktop master folder. Just imagine your real desktop having one folder where you could have all your family photos and memorabilia right there in one folder instead of all taking up space and collecting dust!

Just by following these simple steps, you can improve the performance on your PC, especially when loading demanding applications such as games or word processor for example. If you have a large number of files you could create different directories such as ‘pictures,’ ‘music’ or ‘video’ for example. I even suggest a scrapbook folder for files you are not sure about how to classify.

About the Author: Kay Brenner is a Clean PC consultant who specializes in restoring your slow PC, saving you time and money wrestling with a sick computer. To reclaim your dream machine you first bought and download a free PC Health Check, visit http://www.pcdocpro.com

Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=195617&ca=Computers+and+Technology

Speed up computer by Cleaning Registry

2008-07-29T21:49:00.000+07:00

Windows Registry

Registry is the most sensitive and critical element of the Microsoft operating system. It is a file that is maintained by the system to store information about the hardware and software configurations, computer settings and network settings of a computer. Windows uses registry information to perform every operation.

When you install new software (even if you install a ActiveX component from the Internet) or make any changes to the configuration (add new hardware or modify appearance of your desktop) the changes are recorded in the registry. Over time Windows registry becomes saturated with redundant files and broken links that cause errors and even system crashes. When you delete a file or uninstall a program, the registry keeps a reference of that deleted file and does not remove it and an invalid data or error stays in the registry. As the registry gets filled with these invalid data and errors, your computer system will become sluggish and can cause severe system complications resulting in system crash, hang and malfunction.

Registry structure is such that when you remove unused and incorrect data, holes are created in the registry tree. Having holes or empty spaces in the registry tree slows down your computers performance and might create operational errors.

Cleaning Registry

Cleaning garbage from your registry makes it better since it removes unused and incorrect data that causes registry pollution, computer errors and a slowdown in performance. Cleaning programs can help you wipe out private information from your computer, conceal the web sites you have been visiting, or just clean up no-longer-necessary files from your disk. Cleaning registry regularly will keep the registry trim and up to date. Running a cleaning registry and registry repair software on a regular basis will boost your system performance, remove hidden errors and bugs and prevent system crashes. Registry clean software is an effective way of keeping your PC registry free from unwanted and outdated entries, spyware and adware. Make sure your system has a clean registry and your windows operating system operates under a clean registry, as it is the most important component on your pc.

Tips To Avoiding A Computer Virus

2008-07-28T22:48:00.001+07:00

Tips To Avoiding A Computer Virus

By Scott Miller

Although numerous in their design, computer viruses can basically be broken down into two categories. These include a virus that can either be destructive or simply annoying. In order to combat both, software developers have created anti-virus software that is designed to detect and remove certain types of computer viruses, along with worms, spyware, adware and identity theft.

With modern technology having turned toward computers and the internet, computer viruses are more problematic than ever. While anti-virus software is important, the best approach to fighting against a computer virus is knowing how to avoid one. Here are a few tips:

Never download an e-mail file from anyone that you do not know. Whether it be a document, photo or other program, simply close the e-mail without downloading it’s contents.

When visiting websites, carefully select reputable companies when downloading files. This may include e-books, freeware, software, photos and other programs. If you are not familiar with the company or the website, there is no way to know what you will be accessing and how damaging it may be to your computer system.

If you choose to download either an e-mail or internet file, use your anti-virus software to check the file prior to opening it on your computer.

Always keep your anti-virus software updated with the latest information and upgrades from the manufacturer. When it is time to replace your software because it is outdated, don’t wait. New computer viruses are created often and no system is truly safe without some type of updated detection software.

As mentioned earlier, a computer virus can be either damaging to your computer system or may be nothing more than an annoyance. An example of a destructive virus would be one that destroys your hard drive files, prevents your computer from continuing to operate or may cause you to have to re-install the computer’s configuration using the Restore CD that accompanied your purchase. An annoying virus may cause your computer to operate slower than usual or may prevent certain files from working properly.

In some cases, software manufacturers create programs that have ‘bugs’ within the program. This is often called a virus, but should not be considered in the same manner as a typical computer virus. The reason is because a software manufacturer does not create these ‘bugs’ to intentionally hinder their customers and will generally work to replace the faulty program. In addition, a software glitch will not prevent your entire computer from operating or delete all of your files from the hard drive.

Common sense, along with an anti-virus program, will go a long way in both detecting and avoiding a computer virus. Without these important elements, your entire computer system and the information on it are at risk of infection.

About the Author: The author is a regular contributor to Adware Cop where more information about adware and viruses is available.

Source: www.isnare.com

What Is The Difference Between A Worm, Virus And Trojan Horse?

2008-07-27T22:42:00.001+07:00

By Anne-Marie Ronsen

Tips and recommendations for protecting your PC...

Most of us don't make a real difference between worm, virus and Trojan Horse or refer to a worm or Trojan Horse as a virus.

All of us know all are malicious programs that can cause very serious damage to PC. Exist differences among the three, and knowing those differences can help you to better protect your computer from their often damaging effects.

A computer virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Some viruses cause only mildly annoying effects while others can damage your hardware, software or files. Almost all viruses are attached to an executable file, which means the virus may exist on your computer but it cannot infect your computer unless you run or open the malicious program. A virus cannot be spread without a human action, (such as running an infected program) to keep it going. People continue the spread of a computer virus, mostly unknowingly, by sharing infecting files or sending e-mails with viruses as attachments in the e-mail.

A worm is a program or algorithm that replicates itself. A worm has the capability to travel without any help from a person from PC to PC and have ability to replicate itself on your system, so rather than your computer sending out a single worm, it could send out hundreds or thousands of copies of itself, creating a huge devastating effect.

A Trojan Horse is a destructive program that "working" as a benign application ( (like changing your desktop, adding silly active desktop icons) or can cause serious damage by deleting files and destroying information on your system. Trojans are also known to create a back door on your computer that gives malicious users access to your system, possibly allowing confidential or personal information to be compromised. Trojans do not reproduce by infecting other files nor do they self-replicate.

Added into the mix, we also have what is called a blended threat. Blended threats combine the characteristics of viruses, worms, Trojan Horses, and malicious code with server and Internet vulnerabilities. By using multiple methods and techniques, blended threats can rapidly spread and cause widespread damage. Characteristics of blended threats include: causes harm, propagates by multiple methods, attacks from multiple points, and exploits vulnerabilities. This combination of method and techniques means blended threats can spread quickly and cause widespread damage. Characteristics of blended threats include: causes harm, propagates by multiple methods, attacks from multiple points and exploits vulnerabilities. They are considered to be the worst risk to security since the inception of viruses, as most blended threats require no human intervention to propagate.

Therefore is very important to protect your PC with a good anti-virus software installed on your system with the latest fixes for new viruses, worms, and Trojan horses.

Additionally, you want to make sure your anti-virus program has the ability to scan e-mail and files as they are downloaded from the Internet. This will help prevent malicious programs from even reaching your computer. You should also install a a system that prevents unauthorized use and access to your computer (firewall as well). A good software firewall will protect your computer from outside attempts to control or gain access your computer, and usually provides additional protection against the most common Trojan programs or e-mail worms.

About the Author: Anne-Marie Ronsen is the author of many wealth and self development. Download FREE e-books and software from http://www.e-bestsellers.com, http://www.PLRbestsellers.com or http://www.UniversalPublishingltd.com … You will learn about the best tips and recommendations to improve your health, weight and wealth.

Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=185987&ca=Computers+and+Technology

Windows Vista tips for users

2008-06-26T09:34:00.001+07:00

Windows Vista has been on the market for more than 18 months now and we are seeing the adoption rate by our clients increase.

While XP can still be purchased on business-class computers through system builders like Dell and HP, retail stores such as Best Buy and Office Depot no longer offer systems with the beloved and stable Windows XP operating system.

For those of you who have already made the move to Vista, and those of you who are considering it, either by choice or by force, I have listed below seven tips that Microsoft has released to its certified partners, relating to security and protection, as well as searching and organizing on Vista.

All of your computer's security needs are now bundled in one easy-to-find, easy-to-monitor location. The Windows security center helps make your PC more secure by alerting you when your security software is out of date or when your security settings should be strengthened.

One of the key tools in the security center is Windows Defender. It works with Internet Explorer 7 to help protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software, often defined as malware.

BitLocker drive encryption protects the information stored on your computer from hackers or thieves who might obtain access to your machine. It is a full disk encryption feature included with Microsoft's Windows Vista, designed to protect data by providing encryption for entire volumes.

The new backup and restore functionality in Windows Vista makes it easier to keep your data and computer safe from user error, hardware failure, and any other issue that could result in data loss. The Windows backup and restore center gives you one place to manage all backup and restore features.

Looking for specific applications, Web sites and e-mails is faster than ever with the streamlined Windows Vista start menu. To find a specific application or file, click the Windows key on the keyboard (or open the Start menu) and enter the file name in the Instant Search field. As you type, Windows Vista dynamically searches filenames, metadata, and the full text of all files and displays the choices by file type.

Every explorer window in Windows Vista contains an integrated instant search field in which you can enter a word, part of a word, or a phrase. Try filtering by type using the search pane and selecting "documents." Next, choose to see your files in another way, via the new stack view. Select the author column header control drop-down menu, and choose the option to "stack by author." Explore all the documents by a particular author by double-clicking on an author's stack. Now, save that search as a new search folder. Choose the option "save search" found on the top command bar and name and save your search folder. In the future, to re-run it, simply select the "searches" folder link on the left side navigation pane, and double click on your search folder.

Windows aero offers you a premium user experience. The glass windows create an open, energizing environment, and enable you to better focus on your content, rather than on the surrounding interface.

David Spire is the business technology adviser with US Computer Group in Bradenton. He can be reached at 721-6423. david.spire@uscomputer group.com

Computer tips for parents of teens

2008-06-07T12:29:00.002+07:00

Reinforce the public nature of the Internet and let your adolescent know you will supervise online activity. Adolescents are more likely follow the rules when you let them know you will be watching out for them.

. Limit the amount of time spent online

. Use filtering software

. Monitor increased independence.

Even though adolescents may appear as though they can "handle" certain situations, they actually require and unconsciously seek adult guidance and supervision

Explain where it is appropriate for your adolescent to have privacy: confiding in close friends face-to-face, writing in a paper journal, in his/her bedroom, etc. Reinforce that there is no privacy on the Internet

. Know their passwords, screen names, and the friends they are communicating with online

. Monitor the use of webcams and mobile phones, as well as the posting and exchanging pictures/video online

. Explain that once a picture is sent online they lose control of what is done with it (it may never be completely removed from the Internet)

. Teach them that it is illegal for people to manufacture, possess or distribute naked or sexually explicit pictures of children under 18 years of age. Explain that they need to tell a trusted adult if they are presented with this situation

. Teach them that it is illegal for adults to offer them gifts or money in exchange for sexual activity

. Discuss dignity and self-respect and how it can be preserved or destroyed by messages sent online and offline

. Discuss the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships

. Explain that they should never meet in person someone they first meet online without a parent or guardian

. Discuss online and offline high-risk behavior and create "what if" scenarios together to help your adolescent recognize dangerous situations and practice responses

. Encourage open communication and be aware of your adolescent's sensitivity to social judgment. S/he may be hesitant to share personal experiences

. Monitor and verify any job offers made, and accompany the youth to interviews

Source: Canadian Centre for Child Protection

Cisco And CompTIA Practice Questions: Etherchannels, The OSI Model

2008-06-06T02:29:00.001+07:00

Here are some questions on static routing, the OSI model, IP version 6, and other topics to help prepare you for CCNA, CCENT, and CCNP certification exam success! Network+ candidates, I didn’t leave you out!

CCNA Certification:

What character or combination of characters indicates a statically configured default route?

Answer: An "S*" next to a route indicates that it is a default static route. If there were no asterisk, the route type indicated would be a static route – but not a default static route.

CCENT Certification / Network+ Certification Question:

Which one of the following networking terms is not associated with the same OSI layer as the others?

A. router

B. packet

C. TCP

D. IP

Answer: C. TCP runs at the Transport layer of the OSI model. The other three terms are associated with the Network layer. The Network layer is sometimes referred to as the “routing layer”.

CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:

If an IPv6 address begins with "FF", what kind of address is it?

A. broadcast

B. unicast

C. anycast

D. multicast

Answer: D. Any IPv6 address beginning with "FF" is a multicast. IPv6 does not use broadcasts.

CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:

You've configured an Etherchannel and note that the trunk has gone down. You check the interfaces on one switch and note that two are "err-disabled". The corresponding ports on the other switch are not. What should you do?

A. Nothing - that's the normal and desired behavior.

B. Shut and reopen the err-disabled interfaces.

C. Shut and reopen the non-err-disabled interfaces.

D. Use the err-abled command on the err-disabled interfaces.

Answer: B. After finishing the config, shut and reopen the err-disabled interfaces. If the configuration is correct, that will do the trick. This is common when you configure all of the ports on one switch and then start configuring the other switch, rather than going back and forth between the appropriate ports on the switches.

See you soon with more CCNA, Network+, CCNP, and CCENT questions!

Cisco CCNA, CCENT, CCNP, And CompTIA Questions: HSRP, OSPF Cost, Route Summarization

2008-06-01T08:00:00.000+07:00

Let's test your knowledge of important CCNA, CCENT, CCNP, and Network+ exam topics!

CCNA Certification:

The term used for an OSPF path metric is ____________ .

Extra credit: What formula does OSPF use to calculate that metric?

Answer: OSPF's metric is referred to as cost, and the calculation is 100,000,000 / interface speed in bps.

Cisco CCENT / CompTIA Network+ Question:

Which of the following do TCP and UDP headers have in common?

A. sequence number

B. source port

C. source IP address

D. window

E. destination port

F. destination IP address

G. ACK bit

H. reset bit

Answer: B, E. In addition to the source port and destination port numbers, the UDP and TCP headers also have a checksum field in common.

CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:

In ISIS, what is the most efficient point of a network at which to perform route summarization?

A. An L1 router.

B. An L2 router.

C. An L1/L2 router.

D. A DIS router.

Answer: C. L1/L2 routers are area boundary routers in ISIS, and this is the most efficient point at which to configure route summarization

CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:

Short answer: An HSRP router is the primary router and it has a priority of 100. Another router comes online in the same group and it has a priority of 107. Does the new router become the primary? If so, why? If not, what additional configuration is needed to make it the primary?

Answer. By default, the new router with the higher priority will not become the primary router. To allow a router with a higher priority to take over the role of HSRP primary from an existing and normally functioning primary, the preempt option must be configured on the router with the higher priority.

Let's use a two-router HSRP deployment as an example. R2 is the standby, R3 is the primary ("active"), and both have an HSRP priority of 100. Raising R2's priority to 150 does not automatically make it the primary, as shown below.

R2(config)#interface ethernet0

R2(config-if)#standby 5 priority 150

R2#show standby

Ethernet0 - Group 5

Local state is Standby, priority 150

Hellotime 4 sec, holdtime 12 sec Next hello sent in 0.896

Virtual IP address is 172.12.23.10 configured

Active router is 172.12.23.3, priority 100 expires in 8.072

Standby router is local 1 state changes, last state change 00:14:24

R2 now has a higher priority, but R3 is still the active router. R2 will not take over as the HSRP primary until R3 goes down - OR the preempt option is configured on R2.

R2(config-if)#standby 5 priority 150 preempt

1d11h: %STANDBY-6-STATECHANGE: Ethernet0 Group 5 state Standby -> Active

R2#show standby

Ethernet0 - Group 5

Local state is Active, priority 150, may preempt

Hellotime 4 sec, holdtime 12 sec Next hello sent in 1.844

Virtual IP address is 172.12.23.10 configured

Active router is local

Standby router is 172.12.23.3 expires in 10.204

Virtual mac address is 0000.0c07.ac05 2 state changes, last state change 00:00:13

That's enough for today! Look for more free Cisco and CompTIA certification exam questions on this website soon! A+ certification and Microsoft Vista certification practice questions are on the way as well!
by: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

Cisco CCNA, CCENT, And CCNP Home Lab Study: The DTE/DCE Cable

2008-05-31T08:22:00.001+07:00

More Cisco CCNA, CCENT, and CCNP candidates than ever before are putting together their own home labs for their certification exam study, and that's a great trend - there's nothing like learning on the real thing!

Part of putting a home lab together is getting the right cables and understanding their usage. In this new Cisco home lab series, we'll take a look at the different cable types and how each fits into your home lab. The first cable type we'll look at is the multi-purpose DTE/DCE cable.

When I say "multi-purpose", I mean that while the cable will always perform the same task, it can be used in several different points in your home lab network. If you're going to have a frame relay switch - and you should get one if at all possible, since having your own frame relay cloud is a tremendous boost to your home lab studies and your exam score - you're going to need a DTE/DCE cable.

You can also use a DTE/DCE cable to directly connect two Cisco router serial interfaces and configure HDLC (the default) or PPP encapsulation over that point-to-point link.

Most of today's DTE/DCE cables have "DTE" clearly stamped on one end of the cable - actually, "DTE" is probably embedded into the connector itself. Naturally, the other end will have "DCE" clearly indicated. It's the DCE end that will connect to your frame relay switch. If you're going to use a direct connection to run PPP or HDLC, it almost doesn't matter which end of the cable is connected to a given router.

Keyword: "almost". You must use the clockrate command on the DCE end of the connection in order to bring the line protocol up.

If you're not sure which end of your DTE/DCE cable is connected to a given serial interface, just use the show controller serial command to get that information. Most of the output of that command isn't comprehensible, but what we need is right on top:

R3#show controller serial 1
HD unit 1, idb = 0x11B4DC, driver structure at 0x121868
buffer size 1524 HD unit 1, V.35 DCE cable

Naturally, if it's the DTE end, you'll see "DTE" there. And if you don't have anything connected to that interface, you'll see "no cable".

Whether you have your own frame relay switch or not, you'll want to pick up some DTE/DCE cables for direct connections between your Cisco home lab router's serial interfaces. Just don't forget to put the clockrate command on the DCE end of the cable! And if you're not familiar with a frame relay switch, check this same website soon for a tutorial that will show you how to set one up.

Just about any Cisco router can serve as a home lab frame relay switch, and once you've got it configured, you're in good shape - but it can be a little maddening to get it up and running in the first place. I'll show you how to avoid that aggravation in the next installment of this Cisco home lab tutorial series!

by: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

CCNA, CCENT, Network+, And Security+ Practice Questions: TCP, UDP, Smurf Attacks, And More!

2008-05-30T00:16:00.001+07:00

Let’s test your knowledge of UDP, TCP, smurf attacks, EIGRP, and more with these questions designed to help you prepare for success on your CCENT, CCNA, CCNP, Network+, and Security+ certification exams!

CCENT Certification / Network+ Certification:

Which of the following protocols runs on both UDP and TCP?

A. DHCP

B. SNMP

C. DNS

D. ARP

E. Inverse ARP

Answer: C. DNS runs on port 53, both on TCP and UDP.

Security+ Certification:

Briefly define the term "smurf attack". (Not too briefly, though!)

Answer: Basically, a smurf attack involves sends ICMP Echo packets (pings) with the intended victim's IP address specified as the source of the Echo packets. This transmission takes the form of a directed broadcast, which means that quite a few hosts can receive it - and then respond with ICMP Echo Replies, which will all be sent to the intended victim.

CCNA Exam:

R1 and R3 are directly connected at their respective Serial1 interfaces via a DTE/DCE cable. What command will tell you whether the interface is connected to the DTE or DCE end of the cable?

Answer: Run show controller serial 1 on either router - the DTE / DCE information is near the top of the output.

CCNP Certification / BSCI Exam:

DUAL has discovered four possible paths to a remote network, with the following metrics: PathA, 1500. PathB, 1500. PathC, 2600. PathD, 3100. What command will allow EIGRP to use the first three paths without using the fourth?

Answer: variance 2 would do the job. Any path with a metric of 3000 or lower will be utilized; setting it to 3 would bring PathD into the equation.

CCNP Certification / BCMSN Exam:

What is the main purpose of IEEE 802.3ac?

Answer: The IEEE 802.3ac standard allows the maximum frame length to be extended to 1522 bytes, which means the dot1q 4-byte header doesn't cause problems in transmission.

CCNP Certification / ONT Exam:

Which queueing strategy gives priority to interactive, low-bandwidth communications by default?

Answer: Weighted Fair Queueing (WFQ) gives priority to interactive, low-bandwidth conversations, and then splits the remaining bandwidth fairly among the remaining conversations.

Look for a new set of Cisco and CompTIA certification exam questions soon!

by: Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933

Cashing in by Blogging

2008-05-29T00:07:00.003+07:00

Believe it or not, but it’s actually possible to make money from blogging. One teenager has, in fact, earned $5,000 a month just from making posts on his blog! Of course, not every blogger is this lucky. It does take some skill, and some luck to make money from blogging. What it also takes is some knowledge of how exactly to generate income just by posting blogs. In this newsletter, we will go over three specific methods of making money on your blog: Adsense, Pay Per Lead, and Affiliate Links.

So how exactly do I make money on my blog?

You do it by working with another company that wants to use your blog as a form of advertising. It sounds like selling out, right? Not exactly. The advertising can be as in your face or subtle as you want. And it can still make you money, provided you have enough visitors to your blog.

What is Adsense?

Adsense is a program offered by Google. The program, if installed, will display ads provided by Google.

How do I get Adsense?

You’ll need to go to Google.com, first. At the bottom of the screen is a link for “Advertising Programs”. Click on that. Then click on the link for “Adsense”. Scroll down on the page that comes up and click “Click Here To Apply!” You then fill out the form with information about yourself. After 12-48 hours, Google will notify you via email whether or not your site has been accepted. When you’ve been accepted, set up your ads by doing either of the following:

1. If your blog is hosted on Blogger.com, you can set up your AdSense ads by going to your profile, selecting settings>template>add an element. Then select AdSense and login with your account info. Next, you’ll configure your ads and save the template. That’s it.

2. If you are self-hosting your blog, you’ll have to set up AdSense in more of a manual way. You’ll create your ads(which can be as small or as tall as you want) and then copy the HTML/Javascript code Google gives you. Then you’ll paste it into your blog(on the left, right, or top of the screen).

For the first few days, the ads displayed by Google will be Public Service Announcements. After the ads have been up a few days, though, the ads will switch to ads that are relevant to your blog.

How does Adsense work?

Every time a visitor clicks an Adsense ad, you get a little bit of money(usually around 30-60 cents). The amount you get for each ad clicked depends on the number of unique visitors you receive on your blog. The more visitors, the more money that can be earned.

Google will then send a check or pay you through Paypal once you’ve made at least $100 from the ads.

It is important to remember that Google will penalize you if you click your own ads, or if you ask visitors specifically to click ads. So don’t do that!

Pay Per Click

Pay Per Click is basically just like AdSense, except you don’t just work with Google—you work with multiple companies. BidVertiser is one such company you can sign up with to do Pay Per Click advertising.

How do I get Pay Per Click

You sign up with a site like Bidvertiser and then follow their instructions to set up the Pay Per Click ads on your site.

How does Pay Per Click work?

It works by paying you money each time someone clicks an ad that you display. You won’t get paid for multiple clicks from the same user in the same visitor, nor will you get paid for someone simply visiting your site. You only get paid for legitimate clicks.

Affiliate Links

Affiliate links are basically links which people pay you for. Companies will actually pay owners of popular blogs to post links on their blog. You can do as much Affiliate linking as you want.

How do I get Affiliate Links?

You can get Affiliate links by searching for “Affiliate Link Programs” on the internet. Once you find an Affiliate link program that looks good to you, sign up for it. Then you can follow their instructions for putting the link(s) on your blog.

How do Affiliate Links work?

Like the other two methods mentioned above, Affiliate links work by paying you money each time they are clicked. You get paid for each click per unique visitor.

So that’s it. There’s three legitimate ways to make money from blogging. It is important to keep in mind that the amount of money you are able to make depends on how many visitors your blog draws. If you draw a lot, you’ll make a lot. If not, the money you earn will be modest. But it’s still extra money, so why not do it?

Making money using Adsense, Pay Per Click or Affiliate Link programs is easy and effective. Start monetizing your blog today!

How to Clean Disc Drives

2008-05-25T20:20:00.000+07:00

When your CD or DVD (disc) drive starts giving you problems, your first thought may be to replace it or take it to the repair shop, but a good cleaning may be all it needs.

Below are three methods to clean the disc drive. The easiest method is the least effective. The hardest method is the most effective. Since the hardest method takes some time to do, I recommend that you start with the easiest method. If it solves your problems, congratulations. If not, try the next method.

The Cleaner Disc method - this, the easiest method, uses a special cleaner disc which can be purchased in computer stores. The disc usually comes with a little bottle of cleaner solution. Apply a few drops of the solution to the disc and insert it in the disc drawer (be sure to read and follow the instructions that come with the cleaner disc). The drive will turn the disc and clean the lens. Unfortunately, this only works adequately about half the time.

The Cleaning Stick method - this is what I do in desperation when the cleaner disc does not work and I don't want to disassemble the drive. Since all that is needed (at least in my mind this is true) is a little more pressure applied to the lens, I start out in search of a thin, flexible stick of some type which is at least six inches long. It should not have sharp or rough edges that would scratch the lens. Next, get a soft, thin cloth and put water or rubbing alcohol in the middle of it. Place one end of the stick under the wet part of the cloth and slide it into the opened disc drawer. The goal is to rub the wet cloth on the lens to clean it. Do not apply so much pressure that you will scratch and ruin the lens. Also try blowing into the disc drive to remove any dirt that may have accommulated in it. If you do not succeed at this, proceed to the next method.

The Disassembly method - this method should work but it requires you to disassemble the drive. So if you are not comfortable with taking the drive apart, please take it to a computer repair shop and let them do it.

Take the cover off your computer, unplug the cords from the back of the disc drive, remove any screws holding it in, and slide it out (you may need to remove the face plate on the end of the drawer to get the drive out). Remove the screws in the drive housing and take the cover off. The bottom side of the drive is a circuit board, so if that is what you see when you take the cover off, figure out how to access the other side. On the correct side, you should see a lens that runs on a track (there is no harm in moving the lens along the track but do not touch the lens itself). Use a wet, soft cloth to clean the lens.

Sometimes a disc drive malfunctions because there is too much dust or debris in it, so be sure to clean out the inside with either compressed air, a soft cloth, or a cotton swab. Reassemble the disc drive, put it back in the computer case, and cross your fingers. Hopefully, it will work when you turn on the computer.

If these methods work, you just saved yourself some money. If not, you needed a better disc drive anyway.

How to Clean the Registry

2008-05-24T20:18:00.000+07:00

In the beginning Windows' registry consisted of two files totalling around 5mb in size. Today it consists of at least 12 files with the Software file itself being 30mb or bigger in size. As the size of the registry has exploded, so has the trash and clutter in it. It may seem like a daunting task, but cleaning the registry properly can fix system problems, speed your computer up, and make it run more efficiently.

I have spent many years developing and refining thousands of procedures to do just that. I could share these methods of hunting down the trash with you and let you find them and delete them by hand, but if you were to sit down at your computer right now and work nonstop, you would still be busy with them a week from now when the next issue of Ray's Computer Tips arrives. By then your registry would have new clutter and you would have to start all over again.

To make registry cleaning easier on everyone, I wrote a program called RegVac Registry Cleaner (http://regvac.com/regvac.htm) to perform those procedures. It has been so successful that several companies have asked me to model their registry cleaners after RegVac and even more have copied processes that first debutted in RegVac.

The first place RegVac cleans is the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT section (the Classes Vac in RegVac does this). This section contains settings for the classes of Windows. Think of a huge box full of snakes and you will get an idea of how complicated and interwoven it is. It is so complicated that many registry cleaners bypass it or simply perform surface scans of it. RegVac uses over a hundred processes to follow each tentacle of each class deep into this area and make sure that they abide by the rules.

Next RegVac validates the entries in 22 lists with 7 different methods (the FilesList Vac does this). This is a minor part of RegVac but the bulk of most other registry cleaners even though they usually do not clean all 22 lists.

Another part of RegVac, the Software Vac, which is unique to RegVac, finds old software sections in the registry and provides a way to remove that software's entire branch. Other registry cleaners only remove a few entries in this area often leaving huge portions of the registry that do nothing but take up space and get in the way.

Even more trash can be discovered in hundreds of stashes used to store data you will never use. Most registry cleaners do not even touch these. The Stash Vac lists these stashes and lets you go through and select which ones to empty out. Please use caution when using the Stash Vac because some of the items listed there may be important. For example, one folder in the Stash Vac lists places where data for international keyboards are stored. You probably will never use the data for Bulgarian keyboards, so you can remove it, but if you live in the US you may experience problems after removing the United States 101 keyboard. The items that you can safely remove are usually obvious.

Last but not least, when cleaning the registry, you should look for broken links to files on the computer (this is what the Bad Link Vac does). If a file is referenced in the registry but it does not exist on your hard drive, that is a good indicator that something is wrong. Many programmers start out writing a registry cleaner thinking all it has to do is check for these broken links and remove them. In fact, that is all many registry cleaners do.

Even though that is all they do, they often don't do it correctly. If you check the results of such scans, you will find out that many of the broken links are really good links. I spent several months refining this part of RegVac so that as far as I know it is 100% accurate. Despite this, please realize that some software enter broken links in the registry and require them to be there in order for them to run. RegVac skips the ones it knows about, but you still need to be careful with this part of RegVac.

RegVac has six more tools that clean even more areas: the Add/Remove Editor, the System Config Utility, the OpenWith Editor, the AutoComplete Editor, the Junk Keys Editor, and Registry Backup, Pack, and Restore.

Many of you already use RegVac but if you don't, you can downloaded a free 30 day trial of RegVac at http://regvac.com/regvacz.exe. For more information about RegVac Registry Cleaner go to http://regvac.com/regvac.htm. If you like RegVac, you can purchase it for only $29.95. All future updates are free.

Keep the Windows registry clean and running smoothly with RegVac Registry Cleaner.

How to Clean a Printer

2008-05-23T20:13:00.000+07:00

Does your printer have frequent paper jams? Does it put ink where ink shouldn't be? Is the outside of your printer dirty or covered with smudges? If so, it is time to clean your printer.

First, there are some general rules that apply to cleaning just about any electrical device. It is best to turn off the printer before cleaning it. Do not spray water or cleaner on or in the printer. Instead wet the rag with it and clean the printer with the rag.

Different types of printers require different cleaning methods. So if you can get your hands on cleaning instructions for your make and model of printer, do so and follow them. Unfortunately, many manufacturers only make that kind of information available to their licensed technicians. In that case, you are stuck with these instructions, so read on.

Open up your printer and take a look.

If you have an ink jet printer and there is an ink mess inside, clean it up with wet paper towels.

If you have a printer that uses toner either vacuum or blow it out. Some toner, especially color toner, can be harmful to you, so only use a vacuum with a micro-toner filter or blow and run. Figure out where the drum is (it is shiny and larger in diameter than the rollers) and do not touch or scratch it. If you do, the scratches will turn up as marks on every paper that you print and will require that you replace the drum (not a cheap option) to fix it.

Examine the path that the paper takes through the printer. Clean all of the rollers (but on a toner printer, not the drum or rollers near the drum and watch out for the rollers after the drum because they may be hot). It may take some disassembly and/or contorting of your arm to get to some of the rollers. Access is not always easy. The most important rollers to clean are the ones which pick up the paper from the paper bin and transfer it into the printer. If these rollers are dirty or bad, they will cause consistent paper jams.

The rollers are made of either hard plastic or rubber. All of the rollers can be cleaned with water or rubbing alcohol. If the rubber rollers have deposits that you can't get off, you can use harsher cleaners but be careful because those cleaners can damage the plastic rollers and parts.

To clean a roller, wipe across the roller with a wet rag, rotate the roller, and wipe again. Do this until you have worked your way all the way around the roller. Look at the rag. If it has been blackened by the roller, move to a clean part of the rag and clean the roller again.

Once everything is clean on the inside, close it up and clean the outside. Wipe off the case and each of the buttons or knobs. If there are staples or paper clips sitting on it or wedged in the cracks, remove them and throw them away.

Other areas of the printer can be cleaned but to do so, you will have to either get training and special tools or leave it to a trained professional.

by: Ray Geide

How to clean your Mother Board

2008-05-22T05:05:00.000+07:00

By: Ray Geide

If you have not done the inspection mentioned in the previous article - How to Clean your Case, now is the time to do so. Look at the blades of the fan in the back of the computer. Also look at any vents. Is there clusters of dust there? Is there grime caked on to it? If so, the inside needs to be cleaned. If the fan blades are clean but it has been several years since you have cleaned the motherboard or if the computer is around cigarette smoke, it probably should be cleaned anyway. Dust and particles in the air (like cigarette smoke) can build up on the circuitry of the motherboard and cause it to heat up and/or corrode.

The first thing that you need to do is unplug your computer. Then open up the case to get access to the motherboard. Cases open differently. If you don't know how to open your case, look on the back of your computer along the edge for some screws. These screws may hold on side panels or an upside down U shaped panel that covers the sides and top. Removing the screws will allow you to take off the cover. Other cases have the screws on the front of the computer. To get access to these screws, you must first remove the front panel by pressing a hidden latch. The cover is there to give easy access to the inside of your computer, so if you look hard enough, you should be able to figure out how to remove it.

Remember that if you touch anything on the motherboard, you should be grounded by either touching the metal frame of the computer with your other hand or by wearing a special grounding device.

The goal of cleaning the motherboard is to remove all dust and debris from the motherboard and all components inside of the case. This can be done using one of three methods.

The preferred method is to use a can of compressed air to blow it out. Always hold the can in an up-right position to prevent the propellent chemicals which can damage or corrode components from coming out. Dust and dirt should be blown away from the motherboard and out of the case.

Another way to remove dust is to use a vacuum. The common advice is to only use a battery operated vacuum because an AC powered vacuum causes static and static can ruin the motherboard. I have used an AC powered vacuum (before I knew that it was not recommended) to clean my motherboard many times and it has never caused any problems, but I may have just been lucky. When using the vacuum, keep the nozzle a couple of inches away from the motherboard or any other components so that it does not come in contact with them and so that any small parts are not sucked into the vacuum.

If you do not have a can of compressed air or a vacuum, you can use a dry cloth and brush to clean the motherboard. Be careful not to dislodge or break anything using this method.

While cleaning the motherboard, be careful not to unplug any cables or connections or to dislodge any loose components, such as, jumpers.

Methodically clean the whole inside of the case going over all of the motherboard from one end to the other and all other components. Don't forget to clean the fans and heat sinks. Do not open up the power supply box or stick anything in it beyond the fan. If you do, you could get a shocking surprise and ruin your computer.

If your computer does not work when you put it back together, something was obviously dislodged during the cleaning. Open the case back up and push all connections and cards into their slots. Look for anything that may have become disconnected.

Cleaning the motherboard is probably the most dangerous form of cleaning but it is necessary to prevent an early death of your computer.

How To clean your Case

2008-05-21T05:10:00.000+07:00

There is nothing wrong with leaving spills, dirt, and stains on your computer case. After all isn't that what the case is for, to protect the electronic components inside from spills and dirt? This is true, but there are still parts of the case that need to be cleaned and checked if you want your computer to live a long and prosperous life.

Unless you like looking at dirt everytime you look at your computer, you should go ahead and clean those spills, stains, and dust off of the case. You can do this with just about any cloth and cleaner. Do not use highly abrasive cleaners that might ruin or mar the surface and do not use solvents on plastic. A wet sponge will even work. Just make sure that the cleaner or any liquid does not seep into the inside through cracks and vents. If there is any possibility that you are going to get that messy, turn off and unplug the computer first and wait to turn it back on until any liquid has had a chance to fully dry.

After you have wiped off the outside, it is time for a little inspection. Look at the blades of the fan in the back of the computer. Also look at any vents. Is there dust there? Is there a lot of dust and grime caked on to it? If so, that is an indicator that the inside also needs to be cleaned (I will tell you how to do that in next week's article - How to Clean your Motherboard).

Some clean environments never have to have the inside cleaned. Some need it cleaned monthly. When I lived in Russia, even though I didn't notice it, the air was not clean. The fan on the computer would cake up with dirt and grime after about a month of use. And so I would have to clean the fan, vents, and inside monthly. If I had let it go for several months without cleaning, the fan would have stopped working and the computer would have overheated. Where I now live in the US, the air is clean and I have gone years without having to clean it. Again, the indicator of this is the blades of the fan and the vents. If they are dirty, they need to be cleaned.

You can do some of the cleaning from the outside. First, turn off the computer. Then get out the vacuum sweeper and using the hose, vacuum out the vents and the fan(s). If you have compressed air (you can purchase compressed air from your computer store), you may want to blow air in through the vents (or intake fan if you have one) to loosen the dust and suck it out using the vacuum. If there is still dust or dirt in the vents or on the blades of the fan, you can use a Q-tip to clean them.

If you do not have a vaccum, you can use compressed air alone. Always use short bursts to avoid moisture buildup. Start with the computer off and blow into every hole and vent. Then turn the computer on and blow everything except for the exhaust fan once again.

With the case clean, your computer will look nicer and with the fan and vents cleaned out it will breathe easier and run cooler.

How to Clean your Keyboard-Part 2

2008-05-20T20:00:00.000+07:00

When it comes to cleaning your keyboard there are many methods that can be used, some harder and more effective than others.

The easiest method is the Shake Method. It is so easy that you can do it right now. Pick up your keyboard, turn it over being careful not to press any keys, and shake it. See all of that stuff fall out? It is dirtier than you thought, isn't it? You can use one of the following methods to clean it further.

The Blow Method - You can buy cans of pressurized air at the computer department or computer store which are made especially for cleaning your computer. They usually have either a hose and nozzle or a tube extending from the nozzle. Hold the keyboard up vertically (that means that end of the keyboard is up and the other end is down), aim towards the keys and press the button. Keep blowing until all of the debris is blown out. Be sure to get around and in between all of the keys. This can be done with the computer on, but it is better if it is off so that you do not have to worry about pressing the keys and coming up with a page of aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa's.

The Vacuum Method - This is just like the Blow Method except that a vacuum is used instead of a can of pressurized air. It is quite simple. Just turn the vacuum on, pull out the hose, and run the nozzle over the keys. Before doing this make sure your keyboard does not have any loose pop off keys that could be sucked into the vacuum.

The Cotton Ball Method - This can be done in addition to the above methods and in lieu of the following methods. Take a cotton ball or cloth and wet it with rubbing alcohol. It should not be so wet that the alcohol runs down into the cracks of the keyboard. Wipe the tops and sides of the keys.

The Dishwasher Method - I hesitate to tell about this method because there is the possibility that it could fry your keyboard. When I had less experience with computers, I dunked my keyboard in a sink full of water to clean it. It did work afterwards, so I don't doubt those who say this method will not mess up your keyboard, but if it does, don't complain to me. I warned you. If your keyboard is not the standard membrane type of keyboard or if it is on a laptop, do not even think of trying this.

This is how you do it. Unplug the keyboard and place it face down in an empty dishwasher. Do not disassemble the keyboard and do not put it in a dishwasher that has dirty dishes in it. Some say to add soap, some say not to. Run the dishwasher through a regular cycle. Take the keyboard out, shake the water out, and stand it on end until it is completely dry (this may take several days). If it does not work after doing this, it may not be dry. Let it stand another week and try it again. If it still does not work, I warned you.

The Disassembly Method - This is the most thorough method, but it should not be done on laptop keyboards or non-standard non-membrane keyboards.

Turn off the computer and unplug the keyboard. Turn the keyboard upside down. You may want to get two books or short boards to place the keyboard on. Position them so that they hold up the keyboard on the edges when it is turned over. This should leave the keys dangling and not touching the books or the floor. This is especially needed when the keyboard's back is off; otherwise the keys will be lifted out of their position by the floor (or whatever surface it is laying on).

Get a screwdriver and remove all of the screws from the back of the keyboard. Lay the keyboard down on the books and carefully remove the back.

Take everything apart and clean thoroughly. It is better to take the keys out one at a time and clean them so that you do not put them back in the wrong place. Wipe each one down with a wet cloth and then with a dry cloth. Any keys that may be hard to put back in, can be cleaned in place without removing them. Wipe around the keys as they sit in place and blow any debris out with your lungs (using compressed air or a vacuum may upset the keys). If you are really brave, you can remove all of the keys at once and give the frame a good wipe down too.

Do a once over and make sure that you have cleaned everything. Then reassemble it all.

Don't forget the keyboard's cable. Wrap a wet cloth around it and wipe it down. It may have an accumulation of grime that needs to be scrubbed off. Also if any of the letters on the keys have rubbed off, you can use a fine point permanent marker to draw the letter back on the key.

Use these cleaning methods and your keyboard will last a long time and be something you can be proud of.

How to Clean your Mouse

2008-05-20T18:09:00.000+07:00

If your mouse is working sluggishly or not at all, don't go out and buy another cheap mouse. The cause is probably just a dirty mouse. A quick cleaning could fix the problem.

First, you need to identify which kind of mouse you have. If you turn your mouse over and part of a ball is showing, you have a ball mouse. If you see a lens, you have an optical or laser mouse. Each type of mouse requires a different type of cleaning.

The optical or laser mouse does not need to be cleaned near as often as the ball mouse, but it and the surface it runs on can still get dirty. If you do not clean the surface that the mouse moves on, it will soon turn black. So about once a month or so, wipe the surface off with a wet rag. The lens probably never will get dirty, but if it does, take a soft cloth, cotton swab, or q-tip wetted with window cleaner or alcohol and clean the lens.

The ball mouse may need cleaning quite often, so you should get well acquainted with the following cleaning procedure. The dirtier the ball mouse gets, the harder it is to get it to move the cursor on the screen smoothly. If you have to move the mouse across the mouse pad several times to get the cursor to move halfway across the screen, it needs to be cleaned.

The mouse does not need to be disconnected to clean it, but you should close all of the programs that are running, so that you don't accidentally click on something and mess it up. If you do decide to disconnect the mouse, be sure to turn off the computer first. The mouse cord should never be unplugged from the computer while it is running. Doing so could ruin your motherboard.

Turn the ball mouse over and find the cover that holds the ball in. Look for arrows on the cover to show which way it needs to be turned. Place two fingers on the cover and push in the direction of the arrows. Once the cover has been turned about an inch, cover it with your hand and turn the mouse back over to the upright position. The ball and cover should fall into your hand. If it doesn't, shake the mouse gently.

Wipe the ball off with a wet rag.

Now look in the ball well and find the three rollers. Start by cutting across the buildup on the rollers with your fingernail (a knife or steel dental pick may also be used gently), then turn the roller and remove the buildup as you go along. If you do this correctly, you will end up with one curled strip of buildup for each roller. Make sure to remove the buildup from the well. If it falls inside somewhere, blow and gently shake it until it comes out.

Take a wet rag and clean each of the rollers by wiping across it, then turning it and wiping again. Continue until the entire roller is cleaned. Put the ball back in the ball well and lock the cover back in place.

If the mouse still has problems once it is assembled, try cleaning it again. If that doesn't work, you may need to buy a new mouse.

It is a good idea to regularly clean the surface that the mouse is on because the cleaner the surface, the less dirt will get inside the mouse and the less often you will have to clean it.

If your mouse is shared by many people (especially if one of them is sick), you may want to disinfect the top of the mouse between users.

Follow these instructions and your mouse will be up and darting again in no time.

By : Ray Geide

How to Clean your Keyboard- Part 1

2008-05-20T17:52:00.002+07:00

I know most of you will not heed this advice, but KEYBOARDS CAN MAKE YOU SICK (how's that for tactfulness?). Germs live on your hands and fingers. When you type, many of them jump on to the keyboard. When someone else types on your keyboard, those germs transfer to their fingers. Or when you later type on the same keyboard, those germs reconquer your fingers. Regularly disinfecting the keyboard can prevent this.

To disinfect the keyboard, turn off the computer. Then spray disinfectant on a cloth. Be sure to use disinfectant and not just any type of cleaner because not all cleaners disinfect. Also do not spray the disinfectent directly on the keys. Spray it on the cloth. Wipe down the top and sides of the keys. Give the keys a few minutes to dry off before turning the computer back on.

Now that you know how to do it, you should make it a regular practice to disinfect the keyboard. It's one step towards a healthier you.

So you have your keyboard disinfected and life is great. Then your child spills koolaide all over it. What do you do? There are certain steps that you should take when something, like pop, beer, wine, coffee, milk, or kool-aide, is spilled on the keyboard.

The first thing to do is immediately unplug the keyboard from the back of the computer and turn the keyboard over so that its keys are down. This will allow the liquid to drain out. You will probably want to put a cloth under the keyboard or at least make sure that the surface you have put it on is washable.

Then use the mouse to shut down Windows and turn off the computer (this is important because later you will have to plug the keyboard back into the computer and you should never plug any device into a computer while it is on).

While the keyboard is upside down use a cloth to dry as much of the liquid off as you can. If you have a can of compressed air or a vacuum, while the keyboard is upside down blow or vacuum it out. Then let the keyboard set upside down for at least a night so that it can adequately dry out.

If the liquid that spilled on it was sticky, you may want to follow the extensive cleaning procedure explained in the next article, How to Clean your Keyboard - Part 2.

Liquid spilled on a laptop keyboard can easily reach the hard drive, so turn it over immediately and leave it in that position until it dries.

Keyboards are quite resilient and so it should work when you turn it on again. But if not, another attribute of keyboards is that they are cheap and so it won't cost too much to buy another one.

With these pointers in mind and a quick reaction, you just may save your keyboard from total destruction the next time it gets coated with coffee.

SEO and Keyword Research

2008-05-20T13:28:00.000+07:00

SEO or Search Engine Optimization of a website must always start with a proper keyword research. Keyword here refers to the words or phrases that a web searcher types into Google or any other search engine box. What has to be researched here? Well keyword research is defined as the act of determining those keywords/phrases by which people search for a topic of interest on the Internet. SEO professionals have to thus develop the art of choosing the apt keyword that will be used by the potential customer and then optimize the website/ webpage for such a search. When a particular keyword is used to search our website must be ranked high on the SERP (search engine results page).

Keyword research is a technique that one can master by experience. There are many free and paid keyword research tools available online that can be used. Here are some important points during keyword research that must be kept in mind:

- Get familiar with the target audience
- Select keywords that have high search volume
- Familiarize with the specific industry terms
- General terms are more competitive
- Low volume but very specific keyword can get quality traffic
- Reach a balance with regards to volume and quality
- Better to focus on the specific long tail keyword (those with more than three words)

There are many types of keyword research tools like keyword suggestion tools, keyword valuation tool, keyword density analysis tool, keyword editing tools, keyword modifiers etc. These tools can help one to choose the right keyword and then to decide on which to target and finalize depending on the competition.

7 Joomla SEO Tip

2008-05-19T22:47:00.000+07:00

So Joomla week ends on the Hobo blog, and we’ve created a beginners guide to Joomla SEO.

If you’re creating a Joomla site, apart from creating useful content, intelligent website structure and getting links to your site with your primary keywords in them, consider these 7 on-page / on-site seo tips for Joomla;

Hope you found these tips useful…

Multi Functional Printers

2008-05-19T19:30:00.002+07:00

Printers have evolved as a very important part of today’s infrastructure of any company. Traditionally people have to invest separately for different products required in an office (essential ones also). There have to be a printer, a fax machine, a scanner….but now as the technology is converging, so are the products. We have today a Multi functional Printer that does all the tasks like faxing, copying, scanning and printing for us.

A multi functional printer is a combinational product comprising of a printer, scanner, copier, and sometimes also a fax machine. It is a very useful product as avoids the maintenance of numerous machines. Printers are typically classified in two categories based on the technology (widely used today) - Inkjet printers and Laser printers.

This article will help you to figure out the companies in multi functional printers that are leading marketers in India:

HP OfficeJet 5610 – this is an inkjet multi functional color printer that provides 4800x1200 dpi. It uses A4 size paper and provides an optical resolution of 1200x1200 dpi for scanning. Its printing quality is good and is available for Rs.85, 00 but uses an expensive cartridge.
Canon Pixma MP180 - this multi functional printer comes with a bubble jet printing technology that allows color printing with a maximum resolution of 4800x1200 dpi and an optical scanning resolution of 1200x2400 dpi. It also comes with the features like Card Direct and Camera Direct for printing straight from a memory card. It is available in market for Rs.7, 995.
Canon Pixma MP 600 - this inkjet multifunctional color printer provides a high quality print with a resolution of 9600x2400 dpi. It supports flash memory and can copy up to 30pages/min. It is available for Rs.6, 995.
HP LaserJet M2727nfs – this multi functional laser technology based printer uses laser-monochrome printing technology with an optical resolution of 1200x1200 dpi and is a digital copier type. It better suits to small offices and houses. It costs $700 which is considered a bit expensive for this type of printer.
HP Officejet 9120 multifunction printer – this multi functional printer inkjet color printer with color resolution of 4800x1200 dpi has an Ethernet print server and prints 22pages/min. The market price for this product starts from $470.
Samsung SCX 4200 – this multi functional laser printer provides an optical resolution of 600x2400 dpi scanning resolution. It provides a good print quality and good print speed. Its price range starts from $55 to $200.
Samsung SCX 4100 – this multi functional printer is laser monochrome and provides a resolution of 600x600 dpi. It has some other features like auto-fit, poster printing and clone copying. Its market price is Rs.8, 900.
Ricoh Aficio 2228C – this multi functional color printer can satisfy medium workgroups with 28pages/min and is pretty fast. It provides good printing quality at a good speed. It is pretty costly.

4 SEO Tips for Improving Your Search Engine Optimization Strategy

2008-05-18T17:15:00.004+07:00

Having an ongoing search engine optimization strategy is essential for any successful SEO campaign. And there is a big difference between SEO strategy and SEO techniques. I define SEO techniques as the actions that one takes to optimize a certain segment of a Web site. So in other words, having keyword focused title tags, changing 302 redirects to 301 redirects, optimizing content, are all techniques that can be used to optimize a Web site for search engines. How you put together the master plan of utilizing those techniques on an ongoing basis is your SEO strategy. It may seem at first like an exercise in semantics but its important to understand the difference. A person can employ a number of different SEO techniques that can help a Web site attain higher rankings, but if there is no overall game plan as to how these techniques are going to be used in conjunction with one another over a period of time, then there is no strategy. If I were to use a football (American football) analogy, doing SEO would be playing the game of football. Calling plays in a huddle and then running the plays is playing football with a strategy. Not having a huddle and just telling everyone to go get open, is playing without a strategy. You can win either way, but usually your odds improve greatly with a strategy. Football and SEO are the same in that way. So today I would like to give you 4 SEO tips (techniques) to improve your overall search engine optimization strategy.

SEO Strategy Tip #1: Add Internal Links Based on Your Analytics and Long Tail Keywords

Too often in SEO we focus on the big words that we want and we forget the low hanging fruit that can taste the sweetest. By studying your analytics and getting your keyword referrals, you can usually find a number of long keyword phrases that are relevant to your business. Because these phrases are long, they are not that popular with searchers and therefore the competition to target these phrases is much less. So for example, if you sell dog food, you might find that you start getting hits for "discount dog food in san diego" because your business happens to be located there. So you go to Google and find that you are currently ranked #6 for the phrase and it gave you two visitors last month. Now because you are smart, you have set up your analytics to measure conversions (sales) based on keyword referrals. If you are not smart and haven't done this yet, stop reading this post immediately and go fix that because it is a major problem with your business. Seriously.

(Back to the analogy) So looking at your conversion data you find that both clicks resulting from "discount dog food in san diego" converted into sales. So obviously it behooves you to rank #1 for that term. And the good news is that because that term is not that competitive, you can probably improve your rankings by adding a little bit of internal link text! Usually a few links for non competitive terms really makes a big difference in your ranking. So the first thing to do is to go to the page that is ranked for that phrase and make sure that the phrase appears at least once in the body of the main content. If it doesn't, figure out a way to add it without detracting from the readability and professionalism of your content. Now, go to Google and use this command to search:

site:www.yourdomain.com "discount dog food in san diego" (or whatever your keyword is)

This search command will show you all the instances of the phrase that already exist on your site. Change those occurrences of the phrase to link text pointing back to the page that already ranks for the term. If you don't have any results from the Google search, it's time to evaluate what other pages on the site you could add the phrase to manually and then link it. This is a very effective technique if you do it CONSISTENTLY. So part of your overall strategy should be to have time every month when you do this.

PS. This also helps with site usability :)

SEO Strategy Tip #2: Produce Content Based on Keyword Research on an Ongoing Basis

The biggest problem I see with most SEO initiative is the lack of resources dedicated to producing content on a consistent basis. And more so, producing content that is keyword focused. Whether its Web site content, articles or blog entries, your Web site should be producing content that is relevant to your readers on an ongoing basis. And there is no better gauge of what is relevant to your readers than the keywords that they are using to get to your site. Additionally, internal site search analytics are essential to understanding what your audience is looking for, and perhaps having difficulty finding. Give your users what they want and you will be successful. Your SEO strategy must include producing content on a consistent basis that is driven by keyword research. If not, your falling behind your competition even as we speak (um, read..lol).

SEO Strategy Tip #3: Blog

The advantages of blogging from a branding, authority building, content producing and networking perspective are too numerous to mention in this short article. From an SEO point of view, one of the biggest advantages to blogging is the number of links that you can generate in a fairly short amount of time. And I don't mean blog comment links (from do follow blogs) or profile links (make sure you customize your LinkedIn Anchor text to your Web site) although there is some merit in utilizing both of those in your overall link development strategy. But the primary advantage really in terms of linking is that bloggers link much more frequently than traditional Web masters. If for no other reason than they generally produce more content. But also the blogosphere has a little different culture than the World Wide Web in general and most bloggers are prone to linking within their content and their blog rolls when the content they are linking to justifies it.

Additionally, by promoting your blog in social media sites like Digg or Mixx, you can connect with like minded bloggers who are likely to link to your content (if it's good enough). Having a blog allows you to participate on the Internet in a completely different way than having a Web site. And if you do it right (make a great resource), you will find that it becomes one of your best link development tools. And it can also become one of your most important content creation tools as well.

SEO Strategy Tip #4: Make the Most of Your Existing Links

Many times companies come to us and they already have thousands and thousands of links. Rather than go out and look for more, sometimes the best use of time is to optimize the ones they already have. One of the things I typically do is gather all the back links I can find for a Web site and then evaluate what opportunities might exist to augment the most important ones with keyword focused ALT text. Many times these are links that the company already controls because they own sister sites or have related divisions under a different business name. Sometimes because of the size of some of these companies, the Webmaster for one division or international section of a company won't be in communication with another. And that's a gap that we bridge. Sometimes it's as easy as seeing which trade shows a company sponsors and asking those shows to add appropriate ALT text to an image link. Sometimes it's sending an email to a Web master thanking them for the link and asking them to add a keyword or two to the existing anchor text if possible. The point is, there are usually a number of creative ways to take better advantage of links you already have. Part of your SEO strategy should be to evaluate those opportunities on a consistent basis and then take action.

I hope these 4 SEO strategy tips help you to not only improve your overall search engine optimization campaign, but inspire you to start thinking about your overall strategy and stick to it consistently. In SEO, slow and steady doesn't always win the race, but it's usually in the top 3 ;)

New computer user Want to make your own Web Site?

2008-05-18T00:00:00.002+07:00

Today Internet is the pivotal point for online marketing. It has the potential to create magical effects on the sales of your product and can create wonders for your business.

People have become aware of the Internet’s potential but still do not know about its real powers. They still think Internet as a place where the product can be posted and magic will happen for sure. But this is not the right mind set. To get benefits, you will have to push something from your side. The first you can help is to make an effective site that can help the consumers to attract them to your web site and can hold them for a while. Following is the list of steps that can help you to make a good looking and effective site:

Ø Band Width and Web Space Requirements: To start with building your Web Site, you must exactly have the calculation of the band width and the Web Space that you require. Have a rough estimation of the monthly traffic rates and then decide how much web space you require?

Ø Domain Name Registration: The next thing that you have to do is to get a domain name registered for your web site. You have to propose a unique name and get it registered by paying an annual fee to a registrar to have the right to use that name. Getting name registered is just one step out of so many steps to make an effective site.

Ø Select a web Host and get yourself Signed Up for their account: A Web Host is a company that has many computers linked up with Internet. It can facilitate you to reach maximum potential users and can help you to get recognition. So the next thing is to get registered with any Web Host.

Ø Design the layout: After getting the bits of raw materials that are required to start with building a web site, the next important thing is to design a web layout for your web pages and home page. Web layout is the pictorial description of the elements that your web site will have and will look like? So just come out with a design that is simple and yet effective.

Ø Simplicity is Best: If you are in IT or Computers then also try to make your Web Site simpler which makes it easier for the common users to navigate it through with ease. Do not make it that tech and jazzy but yes you can add a bit of both the elements.

Ø Load Time: You can add graphics to your sites according to your wish but just take care of load time. If your site takes a lot of time to get load then you are going to be the victim of Click of Deaths that is your site can not hold the visitors.

Ø Reduce the Click number: Make the surfing element of your site simpler. Make the process of locating anything on your site easier by reducing the number of clicks required.

Ø Submit your Site: After doing so much efforts do you really want that no one is recognizing you. Make sure that you have registered your site with good sites and some search engines that can help people to move to your site based on some keywords.

These all steps will help you lot in creating a good site with a respectable number of monthly traffic rates. With time you can add further to make your site more good and user friendly.

Keeping your notebook secured

2008-05-16T14:50:00.000+07:00

Laptops stealing and theft cases are rising as the sales quotient for these mobile devices.

As the mobility is the current trend and keyword of the industry scenario, the laptops are fast becoming the need of professionals to remain in touch with the work even if they are far from their desks. As per the ground rule it is always advisable that you take the utmost care while handling laptops. Besides these there are many other options that help you to take care of your laptops. Below listed are some of the tips that you can use to secure your laptops:

Use Anti Theft Software: Theft is the biggest danger for any laptop. People are spotting them as easy spots for stealing. To reduce the chances for laptop stealing it is advisable that you use anti theft software. If once stolen, this software can be used to locate the laptop if it is used to surf the net. The IP address can be traced via this software. For instance, the one recommended software is LoJack for Laptops. For one year the charges for this software are around 50 bucks but this can give you a piece of mind.

Use Passwords and Encryption: You can never know when something wrong happens. It is always advisable that you keep strong passwords to secure your laptops and data inside. The information is the lifeline of any company. Besides this you can also use certain encryption methods to secure the data inside. There are many encryption methods integrated with the operating systems. Some lets you to encrypt files and folders and some even allows you to encrypt the whole drive.

Recovery Tags: The recovery services boast of 75% recovery of stolen laptops. The percent can go higher if the items are tagged. These services offer goodies on the returned laptops. The various companies that offer recovery services are Armor Tag, StuffBak, YouGetItBack.com and many others.

Use UltraViolet Markings: If a stolen laptop is recovered then to claim it as your property it is always recommended that you make use of invisible ultra violet markings. It is also a good practice if you keep a track of your laptop’s serial number.

Try Remote Data Deletion: If you are in a habit of keeping sensitive information on your laptop then you should have a remotely controlled self-destruct solution in place. It allows you to delete the information remotely if by hard luck your laptop is stolen.

Lalit Yadav, ITVoir Network

How to Protect Your Computer?

2008-05-15T23:11:00.000+07:00

Author: Brainbox
Learn what you need to know to keep your computer safe online and how to avoid a costely repair bill buy taking action today.
At some point you are going to need your computer repaired. Hardware and software issues will always happen at some point. I’m sure you already new this but almost half of all computer repairs are actually the end users fault. That’s right it’s your fault. Close to half if not more of all computer repair jobs have to do with removing spyware or viruses from computers. If the person had protection in the first place they would not have to pay a few hundred bucks to get it repaired.

I already have Anti-Virus so I’m good

This is 100% false. In fact many people out there think that just because they have anti-virus software installed they are protected. End users need at least three things to be protected while on-line. If you are missing just one of them your system is at risk. Those three must haves are a good firewall a good anti-virus client and a lastly spyware protection. If you don’t have all three then at some point and time you will be infected with something.

The sad truth is most people out there want to save a buck. They go out and download a free anti-virus client and call it quits. I’m not knocking free software but there is not one free anti-virus client that can match the protection of most paid software. Yes they do work but for many you do not get live protection, it’s only after you are infected that the software kicks in and removes the threat. By that time it may be too late. Another misconception is not having to re-purchase your software. Every year you have to pay to re-new your client software. If not then you are leaving yourself open to all the latest threats.

For the most part people do have an anti-virus client installed and by default in XP and Vista you have a firewall. While the Vista firewall is decent the XP one is really lacking and you should not really on it. The one thing most people skip out on is spyware protection. Spyware is more prevalent on the net nowadays then viruses are. The reason is simple. Spyware is where these crocks can make a ton more money. Rather then just crashing your system, why not have a thousand pop-ups and push fake anti-virus software onto people? That’s why spyware has taken over as the leading threat online.

What can I do about It.?

This one is simple. Go out and pay the 3o bucks for an anti-spyware program. If you need virus protection and a firewall then add anther 20 bucks onto that and you’re good to go. It’s a very wise investment and the next time your co-worker complains about being infected you will be glad you did.

Tranfering programs from XP to Vista

2008-05-15T22:02:00.004+07:00

Author: Brainbox

Learn a bit more about transfering over programs from XP to Vista or from your old computer to your new computer.

If you are looking at just transferring files from XP to Vista or from your old computer to your new computer you have many different options. One of which is the free easy data transfer tool built into Windows XP and Vista. This easy data transfer tool is not hard to use and does transfer over files and user settings. You can always just manually do the data transfer as well but if you go that route you will not be able to transfer over the user settings from your old system to the new. The overall cost to use the easy data transfer wizard depends on what method you use to transfer over the files. If your using a network then you have no additional costs. If you use a CD or an external media device then you have the cost of the CD’s or the USB hard drive.

But How do I transfer over programs to my new Computer

The Windows easy transfer wizard will not transfer over programs. If you want to transfer over your old data you will need to purchase software to do this. This type of software is not all too expensive. Most people can purchase this for a round 59 bucks. You may also want to get an easy transfer cable as well if you do not have a network or USB hard drive to back the data onto. With the easy data transfer cable you can just sync the two computers together using the data transfer software and in a few clicks the transfer will start. The time it takes will vary widely on how much data you have. It may take 20 minutes or even 3 hours if you have a ton of music and pictures. To sum it up here there is no free way to transfer programs from one computer to another.

There are some important things to consider when transferring over programs. For instance if you have XP and are moving to Vista then you will want to make sure the programs you are moving will work with Vista. Most printers need to updated software to work with Vista. Office programs will work just fine and most anti-irus program will as well. You should always check first. If you do not check you can always just uninstall the program if it does not work.

Tips to buy a scanner

2008-05-14T16:57:00.000+07:00

With the ever-increasing craze for photos and pictures, the scanner is emerging as an important utility for the computers.

The computer users are developing a fancy for the scanners. The uploading of photos to image galleries, sharing them with the family members have brought a change in the mindset of people. People are looking for scanners and are following the same way as in the selection of other sophisticated technologies. This feature will help you to know the must of scanners to make a quality purchase. Before buying a scanner the points to consider are:

While you are making a scanner purchase, the most important aspect to look at is the Bit depth. To read every image or pixel of an image the scanner stores some bit in its memory. This bit storage is called as the Bit Depth. The higher will be the bit depth, the more will be the clarity of images scanned. It is advisable that you look for the scanners having 24 or more bit depth.

The second aspect to take care is the speed. The speed mainly depends on the scanning resolution. Higher is the scanning resolution, the longer you will have to wait. The parallel ports scanners are typically slow but the USB scanners that connect to your PC via USB port are costlier. SCSI card scanners are the fastest and most expensive also.

While you are looking for the scanners that are faster and cost effective also you must take acre of which US port your computer is using to. The scanners in the market make use of USB 2.0 and if you are using these on old computers, you really need to update your PC.

The next aspect to take care of is the Optical Resolution. Resolution is the dots per inch. The higher will be the resolution; more will be the clear scanned image. The resolution of 300 dpi is advisable for the common users but for the graphic users 600dpi is highly recommended. To scan the slides or transparencies you will need an optical resolution of 1200dpi.

While making a scanner purchase, you are also making a purchase of software. Always look at your requirements and check whether you are having the right set of software bundled with your scanner. For instance to edit the scanned document you will need an Optical Character Recognition Software (OCR). If required update your software to match your requirements.

These tips can surely help you to make a profitable and intelligent purchase.

Renu singh

Trouble Shooting Home Network

2008-05-14T15:48:00.000+07:00

For Small Office/ Home Offices (SOHO) troubleshooting network is sometimes a cumbersome job. It is really an unmanageable job if you are not an expertise in this and can take away many precious hours of your day as you will keep waiting for the network representative to come.

Home Network can face many problems like – Computers are not able to see each other on the network, you are not able to share the printer or the files on the network, you are not able to see the shared folder and many other problems you can face with your home network. Till the time your technical representative appears, you can try hands on with the following tips to troubleshoot your network:

· If the computers are not able to see each other on the network then first thing to do is to check the workgroup of all the computers. Are they all in the same workgroup? If not change the workgroup of all computers to same.

· Check whether the names of each computer are written correctly. There should be no spacing in between the names and each specification should be kept in mind.

· The computers are not able to detect each other on the network: Are you facing the problem that the computers on the network are able to access the Internet but are not able to detect each other? If yes, then one thing for sure that your hardware is no problem. Now start the real efforts. Click Start-.>Help and Support->Fixing a Problem->Networking Problems-> Troubleshooting->Troubleshoot Problems finding on computer network.

· If the above followed process does not help you, then try with your firewall check. Sometimes firewall settings are such that they do not allow the local network. So first disconnect your Internet and then your firewall. Check whether the computers are able to see each other or not. If the problem still persists then Firewall is not at fault then check with the settings and make them such that they allow the local network to see each other.

· Are you facing a problem to share the printer or file on the network? Then follow this tip: Check the workgroup name, domain name, TCP/IP settings, IP and Subnet Mask Configurations. After that make a check if sharing is done properly and File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft is configured on each computer on the network properly.

· For enabling the shared folder, right click the folder and enable the sharing option. You can also make the adjustments for the permission levels like writing or just reading permissions. If you are working on Vista, after right clicking the folder type everyone, click Add and Click Share.

How To Choose Registry Repair Software

2008-05-14T11:40:00.002+07:00

May 12, 2008 - There are many types of registry repair software packages to choose from, but the sad truth is that the vast majority are worthless. How do you sift through the trash to find the gold? How can you find the software that will really help you to clean your registry? Here are a few tips to help you select the right registry repair software for your computer optimization.

1. Easy to use: it is very important to have software that is easy to use. This is because most of us are not technically minded and you do not want to get all snarled up in technical problems, which take up a lot of time to get resolved. User friendly registry repair software with good customer support will help you to manage your software easily.

2. Good analytical properties: You should have registry repair software that will scan and analyze problems carefully. They should also classify the errors; Unknown, Not-Safe-To-Delete, and Safe-to-Delete. Sometimes viruses and spyware attach themselves to files that are critical to your computer and when you delete these bad files they will steal your important files too. You should never just delete infected files before you know this important information.

3. Restore and back up: This feature is very important. This will help you to restore files that may have been carried away by the virus or spyware. This is also a helpful feature in case you have deleted a file by mistake. This feature is essential to keep your computer running smoothly.

4. Defragmentation: most computers have this feature but it is nice to have it on your registry repair software. Defragmenting your computer is very useful after you have scanned and removed bad files. Empty registry keys can be left on your computer after these tasks which are just taking up space. Fragmented registry files that have been damaged by the virus or spyware tactics also need attention. Defragmentation will merge these files and free up your hard drive space. Defragmentation will let you find data easier and speed up your computer.

5. Free demo: It is important to try to test drive your software before you use it. Many companies will allow you to have a 30 day trial period. Take advantage of this and familiarize yourself with all the features that come with your software. Be aware of what the registry repair software is offering before you put up your hard earned money.

With these 5 tips you will be better informed and will not be investing in software that is worthless to your actual needs. Be careful by doing your research well before you buy any software. Some of the software is over priced and under performs, whereas other registry repair software is outstanding. So do not jump into a purchase blind simply because the manufacturer’s marketing team has a good sales pitch. Purchase wisely and you will have a piece of software that is really useful to you and will save you a lot of time and money, cleaning your registry.

By: Ronald Hudkins

Are you planning to buy a PC ?

2008-05-14T11:31:00.002+07:00

Computer is the driving force when people are talking of technology. To make a good purchase, there are many must to have utilities in your PC.

While you are set to purchase a computer, there are certain set of guidelines that you should surely integrates with your choice to make an intelligent purchase. Purchasing a computer is in itself a very costly commitment, so it is always recommended that you get the best deal. The article below will list you the figures that are essential for the computer to make it an adequate machine for usage.

The very handy tip while making a computer purchase is to look for the Speed. No one likes the machine that creeps with snail’s speed. The magic behind the good speed is the Processor. So it is advised that you look for the processor that ensures good computing power. You should look for the processors above 2.8Ghz or higher. The speed is needed for various reasons like faster computing, great gaming experience, and for downloads or files transfers.

Besides the processor, the second program that makes your computer a faster processing machine is the RAM or memory. Higher is the RAM, faster will be your machine. The inadequate RAM takes toll on your computer’s efficiency and processing speed. The latest operating system like Vista recommends 1GB but performs appreciably with the availability of higher like 2GB. So it is advised that you have RAM availability more than what is recommended as minimum requirement.

People are habitual of storing information on their PC. They forget that more is the information, lesser will be the speed offered if Hard Disk is not appreciable large enough to store every bit of what you want. You should always come with a proper figure for hard drive requirement keeping in mind the operating system that you are willing to install and also what will be your outlook fro storing programs on the machine. If you are downloading and making a dump of everything on your machine, then nothing can help you. It is always recommended that you should have Hard Drive as what is instructed as per the minimum or average requirement.

The connectivity is the heart of any computer processing. When deciding for the computer, it is advised that you equip your computer with the network card as per your requirement. Decide with the network card that will support you Internet connection.

As for other factors you should also look for options in display, video card or sound card. Always decide the features with the type of functions that you will be using your computer for. If there are some other specific needs make it a point to check the must to have list for those.

Deepa B Sayal, ITVoir Network

Windows XP Control Panel

2008-05-11T20:56:00.002+07:00

Windows XP Control Panel, Shortcuts and Control.exe As the name suggests, Control Panel is where many important system settings can be changed or adjusted. Since so many vital functions can be found there, it is worth looking at some aspects of how it works. We will also consider some ways of quickly accessing this very important system area. Going over the entire panoply of functions is too much for a single article but shortcuts for a few frequently used functions are given. The standard way to open Control Panel is through Start-Control Panel. There are two methods of displaying the contents. One is called the "Category View" and displays tasks by generalized categories as shown in the figure below.

Choosing a category leads to another box with a further choice of tasks or icons for specific control panel applets. The figure below shows the choice when "Performance and Maintenance" is clicked .

A second way of displaying Control Panel is called the "Classical View" and displays icons for individual applets. A partial view is shown below. Some of these applets may have several tabs that open different functions.

Control Panel Applets

Some of the components of the Control Panel are special system folders but many are determined by a group of files with the extension CPL. Most of these files are in the folder WindowsSystem32; some that are part of application software may be elsewhere. To find which CPL files are on your system, go to Windows Search and search for all files with name *.cpl. The table below lists some of the common CPL files. CPL files can be used to directly access various features of Control Panel by opening them with either Rundll32.exe or Control.exe. By this means, scripts or shortcuts can be written for immediate access to particular functions. Commands using these files can also be entered into the Start-Run line. Note that some CPL files are multi-functional and require additional parameters to invoke the various functions. Parameters use the "@" sign and a zero-based integer. Tabs are denoted by additional indexes (not necessarily zero-based integers). More details are given in the section on shortcuts below.

**Table I. Some Control Panel Applet Files**
File	Function	Tabs (number in parentheses is index n discussed below)
access.cpl	Accessibility controls	Keyboard(1), Sound(2), Display(3), Mouse(4), General(5)
appwiz.cpl	Add/Remove Programs
desk.cpl	Display properties	Themes(5), Desktop(0), Screen Saver(1), Appearance (2), Settings(3)
hdwwiz.cpl	Add hardware
inetcpl.cpl	Configure Internet Explorer and Internet properties	General(0), Security(1), Privacy(2), Content(3), Connections(4), Programs(5), Advanced(6)
intl.cpl	Regional settings	Regional Options(1), Languages(2), Advanced(3)
joy.cpl	Game controllers
main.cpl	Mouse properties and settings	Buttons(0), Pointers(1), Pointer Options(2), Wheel(3), Hardware(4)
main.cpl,@1	Keyboard properties	Speed(0), Hardware (1)
mmsys.cpl	Sounds and Audio	Volume(0), Sounds(1), Audio(2), Voice(3), Hardware(4)
ncpa.cpl	Network properties
nusrmgr.cpl	User accounts
powercfg.cpl	Power configuration	Power Schemes, Advanced, Hibernate, UPS (Tabs not indexed)
sysdm.cpl	System properties	General(0), Computer Name(1), Hardware(2), Advanced(3), System Restore(4), Automatic Updates(5), Remote (6)
telephon.cpl	Phone and modem options	Dialing Rules(0), Modems(1), Advanced(2)
timedate.cpl	Date and time properties	Date & Time(0), Time Zone(1), Internet Time (no index)

To copy a file or folder

2007-09-19T01:28:00.002+07:00

1.	Open My Documents If the file or folder you want to copy is not located in My Documents or its subfolders, use Search to find it. To open Search, click Start, and then click Search.
2.	Click the file or folder you want to copy.
3.	Under File and Folder Tasks, click Copy this file or Copy this folder.
4.	In Copy Items, select the drive or folder you want to copy to, and then click Copy.

Note

•	To open My Documents, click Start, and then click My Documents.
•	You can copy more than one file or folder at a time.
•	To select consecutive files or folders, click the first item, press and hold down SHIFT, and then click the last item. To select nonconsecutive files or folders, press and hold down CTRL, and then click each item.

To rename a series of files

2007-09-19T01:27:00.002+07:00

1.	Open My Documents If the series of files you want to rename is not located in My Documents or its subfolders, use Search to find it. To open Search, click Start, and then click Search.
2.	Select the files you want to rename.
3.	On the File menu, click Rename.
4.	Type the new name, and then press ENTER. All of the files in the series will be named in sequence using the new name you type. For example, if you type Birthday, the other files in the series will be named Birthday (1), Birthday (2), and so on.

Note

•	To open My Documents, click Start, and then click My Documents.
•	To select consecutive files or folders, click the first item, press and hold down SHIFT, and then click the last item. To select nonconsecutive files or folders, press and hold down CTRL, and then click each item.
•	To specify the starting number for the series, type the starting number in parenthesis after the new file name. The files in the series will be numbered in sequence starting with the number you type. For example, if you type Birthday (10), the other files will be named Birthday (11), Birthday (12), and so on.

To move a file or folder

2007-09-19T01:18:00.002+07:00

1.	Open My Documents If the file or folder you want to move is not located in My Documents or its subfolders, use Search to find it. To open Search, click Start, and then click Search.
2.	Click the file or folder you want to move.
3.	Under File and Folder Tasks, click Move this file or Move this folder.
4.	In Move Items, click the new location for the file or folder, and then click Move.

Note

•	To open My Documents, click Start, and then click My Documents.
•	To select a consecutive group of files, click the first file, press and hold down SHIFT, and then click the last file. To select files or folders in nonconsecutive order, press and hold down CTRL, and then click the items you want.
•	You can also move a file or folder by dragging it to the desired location. For more information, click Related Topics.

To save a file

2007-09-19T01:17:00.001+07:00

1.	On the File menu of the program you are working in, click Save.
2.	If you haven't saved your file before, type a name for the file in File name.

Note

•	To save a copy of a file under a different name or in a different location, on the File menu, click Save As. Click the Save in arrow to find the drive or folder where you want to save the file, and then type the new name in the File name box.

To open a file or folder

2007-09-19T01:14:00.000+07:00

Open My Documents

If the file or folder you want to open is not located in My Documents or its subfolders, use Search to find it. To open Search, click Start, and then click Search.

Double-click the file or folder you want to open.

Note

•	To open My Documents, click Start, and then click My Documents.
•	If the file you want to open is not associated with a particular program, you can select one. To do so, right-click the file, click Open With, and then select the name of the program.
•	You can use the View menu to change the way files are displayed. You can also use the View tab in the Folder Options dialog box to change file and folder settings. To open the Folder Options dialog box, on the Tools menu, click Folder Options.

To create a new folder

2007-09-19T01:13:00.001+07:00

Open My Documents

Under File and Folder Tasks, click Make a new folder.

A new folder is displayed with the default name, New Folder, selected.

Type a name for the new folder, and then press ENTER.

Note

•	To open My Documents, click Start, and then click My Documents.
•	You can also create a new folder by right-clicking a blank area in a folder window or on the desktop, pointing to New, and then clicking Folder.

Windows Xp Registry Clean Up Utility

2007-09-16T03:44:00.001+07:00

The registry is the place where your computer stores the configuration information about your computer and your installed programs so that your operating system can use them. Maintaining the registry is an important step in keeping your computer healthy.

Registry Mechanic is not only the most popular registry cleaner on the market (with 100000+ downloads per week) but also one of the easiest to use! With Registry Mechanic you can safely clean and repair Windows registry problems with a few simple mouse clicks! Problems with the Windows registry are a common cause of Windows crashes and error messages. R Before we get into the details of registry cleaners, let's cover just a little information concerning how your computer runs and why it slows down over time. Don't worry ... this will only include the basics! If you're running any version of Windows on your computer, then you have a Windows registry. This Windows Registry is where all the information about your computer is stored. The registry includes installation data about the software you run and all of your computer's preferences, settings, and registry keys. Pretty much everything about your computer is filed away in the Windows registry. Scan at free download on registry cleaners. This information includes data pertaining to all the programs hardware and user permissions on the system Why a registry cleaner important? Registry cleaners are important because it protects your PC from other processes that are not considered viruses, but can be harmful to your PC. Is your computer slowing down without your knowledge? Are you having errors that are not distinguished by your anti-virus program? Your PC might be affected by applications that are running without your knowledge. Registry cleaners are a must! This means that the system begins looking for information from the beginning of the registry and goes through each entry individually. Free scan at registry cleaner f r windows xp home download. This gradually clutters and fragments the registry over time. Take Your Pick There are many registry cleaners on the Internet. What is the Windows Registry? Well as the name suggests, it is a critical registry of programs and settings that are stored on your computer. You can find the registry by running regedit from a command prompt (Start -> Run -> type regedit -> OK). Now be careful! Do not make any changes. Just back out slowly.Indeed changes made manually in the registry by people not knowing exactly what they are doing are the source of many a computer error. Even experts fear to tread into the registry and that is why specialist software exists to repair registry errors.

Download Free Pc Fix ...

2007-09-16T03:36:00.000+07:00

Download Free Pc Fix Registry Cleaner

The registry is the place where your computer stores the configuration information about your computer and your installed programs so that your operating system can use them. Maintaining the registry is an important step in keeping your computer healthy.

If your computer is running slow and even shutting down out of the blue you should check out websites out there which feature a free scanner that can track down evil program lurking on your hard drive and protect you from possible future malicious attacks on your system. The registry cleaner scans the registry for information that does not need to be on the system but is there nevertheless.

This slows the system down every time the registry is scanned for information that is needed to run the system. The scan always starts from the beginning of the registry and continues until the data is found. The scan will include going through all the entries including the bad entries that serve no purpose to the system.

There are tens of thousands of such entries. Going through each one slows the system greatly. Registry cleaner software removes these entries and then compacts the registry by filling in the spaces left by removing the useless data. This is how a registry cleaner speeds up a system. Scan at registry windows xp service pack. Once the problem is identified the software technology easily cleans the registry

Take Your Pick There are many registry cleaners on the Internet. You could download a trial or a free version of one of the windows registry cleaner software and run it on your system to see how efficient it will make your computer. The installation and operating of registry cleaner software such as a pc registry cleaner or the windows XP registry cleaner is very simple and takes just a few minutes to install.

The registry cleaner software scans your system registry for all redundant entries including broken links and removes them from the registry. Some registry cleaner utilities also search for malicious ActiveX components and clean them from the system registry leaving the registry more compressed and easy to read by the operating system. This in turn makes the registry more efficient and speeds up the entire system making it more comfortable for the user.

So if you have noticed that your computer is becoming more and more sluggish it may be the registry is getting filled with useless entries and needs to be cleaned with a registry cleaner. Go ahead and get yourself one from the Internet and try it out for yourself. You will not be disappointed. This permits the user to select the programs that start up automatically when the system boots. Free scan at vba replace default error message cell protected. This information includes data pertaining to all the programs hardware and user permissions on the system.

Here is when the Window registry cleaner steps in to do a thorough job of ridding the system of all the redundant data stored therein. Backup Copies With Backup

The steps to fix registry on computer is not as easy as 1-2-3. But it is not as complicated as fixing cars either. To fix registry on computer is to simply change the registry information back to its default setting or to repair any errors incurred therein.

Whether it is complicated or relatively easy to fix registry on computer, the fact remains the same: you have to do backups.
Backups are extremely important so that you can still retrieve your date in case you have failed to fix registry on computer. Also, it enables you to always restore the default settings of the registry of your computer in case you were not able to fix it.

See http://www.registry-cleaners-reviewed.info/registry-cleaners/registry-cleaner-download-mechanic-windows-installation.php. One way to fix registry on computer is to have a backup for your Registry Checker

How Internet has affected...

2007-09-16T03:06:00.000+07:00

How Internet has affected the Work from Home Businesses

The internet has revolutionized every thing. The way the people work is also not unaffected from the use of World Wide Web. It takes care of every thing right from entertainment to earning money. Due to popularity of internet the concept of work from home has gained more impetus. It is always a good idea to work from home. Especially for women, who likes to perform their daily domestic tasks and also like to make money? There are different areas in which work from home can be started. But merely deciding to start work from home does not solve all the problems. There are certain issues that need to be addressed before you go ahead and start the work from home.

The internet has revolutionized every thing. The way the people work is also not unaffected from the use of World Wide Web. It takes care of every thing right from entertainment to earning money. Due to popularity of internet the concept of work from home has gained more impetus. It is always a good idea to work from home. Especially for women, who likes to perform their daily domestic tasks and also like to make money? There are different areas in which work from home can be started. But merely deciding to start work from home does not solve all the problems. There are certain issues that need to be addressed before you go ahead and start the work from home. For any person who wishes of starting work from home should first have the basic knowledge of the route through which he can get paid and bring the money to his or her bank account. Work from home can be started with the use of internet; this means that whole world is now your client. So you need to have a method by which you can transfer the funds in different currencies to your bank account. There are websites that will do this for you. Also they secure you from fraud as you need not give the parties your bank account number etc. Once your work from home channel is clear you need to think on the area in which you can work. There are different fields in which the work from home can be started. You can start with the search engine optimization area. This is a very potent area since the numbers of websites that are popping up are enormous. Since every website needs to make it to the top in the search engines, this job is in high demand. Other area of interest for people willing to work from home is the marketing area. Online marketing has become the trend of the time. It gives more success and clients as compared to conventional marketing. There is a lot of scope in this field too. All you need to know is the methods and tools that are used for online marketing and get started. Companies require persons that are willing to devote time and efforts to promote their products through different forums and emails. You can be a part of the team and get started. Yet another area to start work from home is the Ecommerce. You can sell your own products on the internet. If you are smart enough you can also start online trading. With whole world at your door step you can trade products at a cheap rate from one part of the world and make them available at the other. Though this area needs some skills and initial investment, it can make a lot of money. For people who have some soft skills can get their work from home started with the help of websites that offer freelancing jobs. You can make use of your technical skills like website design, programming etc and make a lot of money.

Customized Jump Drives

2007-09-16T02:45:00.000+07:00

Customized Jump Drives are the ideal way to store, transfer and keep the data handy. No software installation or drivers are required to use Custom Jump drives. For more information on customized jump drives, visit us at customjumpdrives.com.

Jump drives or USB drives have become very popular these days because they can be easily customized. Customizing jump drives means imprinting your company’s logo, Web addresses, your company’s slogan, or even a punch line. It’s an effective tool in getting your message across. Jump drives are also known as flash drives, keychain drives, disk on keys, or P-drives.

Being the typical plug-and-play portable storage devices, jump drivessimply use flash memory. Small in size, they easily fit on a key-chain, and are more prone to get lost. This can be risky enough because you lose any replicated data along with the drive, which can pass on to wrong hands.

Customized jumpdrives are about the size of a pack of gum and are used for various purposes such as storage of documents, pictures, work files, and even databases. They are easy to use. All you have to do is plug the device into a USB port. After plugging, the operating system recognizes the device as a removable storage disc and gives it a drive letter. Using this drive letter, you can access the customized jump drive just like you would access a floppy or CD.

With its increasing popularity, the availability of these jump drives in various size and style is also increasing. Now, you can find customized jumpdrives in various storage sizes ranging from 512K to 4 Gigabytes. This means you can stop using unreliable floppies and CDs. The disadvantage about these tiny, high capacities, portable jump drives lies in their small size. These smaller sized equipments are easier to lose. This may mean loss of confidential data. However, data loss can be prevented by using data replication software such as the Replicator. By downloading this free data replication software, you can protect your valuable data and information.

The data replication through Replicator happens in real time. Even backups are encrypted. So if you lose your customized jump drive, another person will not be able to replicate the data in any way. Before you buy one of these portable drives, download the Replicator software. If you wish to get your own customized jump drive, Lexar is the highest quality brand on the market.

Custom JumpDrives will customize your Lexar jump drive by imprinting your company name, logo, or Web address. Customized Lexar jump drives make the best corporate gift for your clients and customers. Giving customized jump drives is an effective marketing tool for merchandising, promotions, and corporate orientations. It also works as an employee appreciation gift. For more information on customized jump drives.

How to Really Install a Modem

2007-08-18T00:27:00.001+07:00

Most motherboards now come with sound, video, and even networking built-in. But a modem is not usually built-in to a motherboard. This is because modem technology has been changing very rapidly. It is preferable to have the modem on an expansion card.

Most modem manuals assume that Plug and Play will automatically install the modem correctly, but this is rarely the case. Use the four steps described below to properly install a modem.

Step 1. Download the latest driver from the manufacturer's Web site.

Most modems come with an Installation CD. The problem with this is that the CD contains drivers for eight different operating systems and it usually tries to install the wrong one. Even if it does install the correct driver, its usually not the latest version. Also, the CD usually comes with several non-essential programs (AOL etc.) that the modem company earns commission on when you install them.

I admit, its difficult to download a driver before you install the modem. You may be replacing an old modem, or you may have another computer, or a friend with a computer with access to the Web.

Preferably, do this before you purchase the new modem. That way you can see what kind of driver and technical support is available for the modem before you shell out the cash.

Step 2. If you are replacing a modem, remove the old modem. First physically open the case and remove the old modem. Then start the computer and remove the modem in Control Panel. If the system is Windows 2000 you will have to login as Administrator. Open the Modems utility, select the name of the modem on the General tab. Then click on the Remove button.

Step 3. Install the new modem.

First physically install the new modem. If the system is Windows 2000 you will have to login as Administrator. Plug and Play may install the new modem for you, that means it found an old driver on your system and used that to install the modem. Or it may start the "Add New Hardware Wizard". Click on the Cancel button.

The "Add New Hardware Wizard" is rarely able to find the proper driver for a modem, and when the Wizard appears as the computer starts, it blocks your access to Explorer, so you can't use Explorer to locate a driver. Just click on the Cancel button to close the Wizard.

After Windows starts you can open the "Add New Hardware Wizard". The Wizard will attempt to detect any new hardware. Then it will give you the option to “select the hardware from a list." Choose the option to select from a list, then click the Next button. In the list select "modem" and click on the Next button. Then it will give you the option to let windows "try to detect your modem" or "select the modem from a list."

PnP will not be able to detect your modem if it's a model developed after your Windows installation disc was mastered. Nor will it appear on the list. Just select the closest match from the list, then update the driver

afterwards.

If Plug and Play installs old drivers, open the Control Panel "System" utility. Click on the Device Manager tab and in the device type list, open the branch for "Modem". Select the name of the modem and click on the "properties" button. The modems "Properties" dialog box will open. Select the "Driver" tab and click on the "Update Driver..." button. The "Update Driver Wizard" appears. Use the Wizard to install the new modem driver.

Don't be surprised if the "Update Driver Wizard" updates the driver by removing the modem and adding it again (with the new driver).

The modem "driver" will most likely not be a single file. It might be a group of files with extensions like .vxd, .exe, .ini, .dll, etc. The list of files is contained in a text file with the extension .inf. So when you install the "driver" you are actually reading the files and other configuration from the .inf file.

Step 4. Don't forget to reconfigure your dial-up connection with the new modem. If you are a system
administrator, don't forget to see that everyone else's dial-up connection gets updated as well.

Using the four steps described above, you can work around Plug and Play to properly install a modem with the latest drivers.

Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included.

System Restore: The Big Undo

2007-08-18T00:25:00.001+07:00

System Restore is the ultimate band-aid fix for buggy Microsoft Windows. If you make a hardware or software change to your Windows Me or Windows XP system, and then it doesn't work right, System Restore acts like a giant "undo".

For System Restore to work, you need a "restore point" to go back to. A restore point saves a copy of the registry, drivers, and crucial operating system files. The files are saved as compressed .cab files in a folder named _RESTORE/ARCHIVE.

System Restore monitors all partitions on your computer (Windows XP lets you select which drives to monitor) and automatically creates restore points. The actual number of restore points saved depends on how much disk space has been allocated for System Restore. System Restore will not run if your system has less than 200 MB of free space.

= Types of Restore Points

- System Check Points: Scheduled restore points created by Windows. System Restore automatically creates a restore point every 10 hours (if your computer is on). Your computer must be idle for a few minutes before a restore point can be created.

- Manual Restore Points: Just before you make a hardware or software change to your system, you can maually create a restore point.

- Installation Restore Points: Restore points created by an installation program. Not all installation programs create a restore point.

= Make sure System Restore is enabled

1. Select Start | Settings | Control Panel and open System Utility.

2. On the Performance tab, click on the [File System] button. The "File System Properties" dialog box appears.

3. In the File System Properties" dialog box select the "Troubleshooting" tab.

4. On the "Troubleshooting" tab, make sure the "Disable System Restore" checkbox is not checked.

= To Create a Restore Point

1. Select Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore. The "Wecome to System Restore" window will appear.

2. In the "Welcome to System Restore" window, set the "Create Restore Point" radio button. Then click in the [Next] button. The "Create Restore Point" window will appear.

2. In the "Create Restore Point" window, enter a name for your restore point. For example, "Before Modem Upgrade". Then click on the [Next] button.

3. After a period of disk activity, the "Confirm New Restore Point" window will appear displaying the date and name of your restore point. Click on the [OK] button.

= Restoring Your System

You made a hardware or software change to your system, and now it doesn't work right. If Windows won't start, press the F8 key while your computer is starting. The "Startup Menu" should appear. In the Startup Menu select "Safe Mode". In safe mode, or if Windows does start, select

Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore

The "Welcome to System Restore" window will appear. Click on the [Next] button. On the "Choose a Restore Point" page, click on a restore point to highlight it. If there are no restore points listed, click on the [back arrow] button on the calendar until you find the most recent restore point. Then click on the [Next] button. System Restore restores your system to the state it was in at the restore point you selected
and then restarts your computer.

= Note: System Restore does not undo any changes that you made to files you created with your applications. If a restore doesn't work, you can undo it, and select a different restore point.

When Microsoft created this big band-aid fix called System Restore, they admitted that Windows is an unstable operating system. Now we should be able to get compensated for all the productivity we lost because of Windows crashing.

Learn How To Install A Sound Card Fast

2007-08-18T00:22:00.001+07:00

Sound Card installation is indeed simple and rather straight forward,that is,when you know how to do it. Opening the system unit can be a scary task for some of us,especially if we have not performed this task before.

The key is to be calm,take your time,and make it fun. Look forward to looking inside the computer and see just how many components you can readily identify. PC Repair's cdrom one and the PC Test cdrom are filled with photos and video clips of these components. Remember to touch a doorknob or any grounded metal object to remove static electricity from your body.To install your new sound card,let's perform the following.

OPEN THE SYSTEM UNIT

Remove the system unit cover and locate an empty expansion bay.Note that the rear cover of the slot may have to be removed on most computers.Before touching anything,ground yourself to remove any buildup of elecrtical static charge from yourself. Touching the computer case or a boorknob will do the job.

With the cover removed from the system unit,lay the computer on its side.You may have to remove other connections or devices to have clear access to the empty card bay.

Take notes of any devices or connections that you make so that you can refer to them during installation of the new card.

New sound cards must be installed in the PCI slot. After removing the small rear cover,remove the new card from its protective wrap.This wrap is intended to keep the card away from electrical static charge.

INSTALLING THE SOUND CARD

Grasp the card and align it with the PCI slot. Slowly but firmly press the new card completely in the PCI slot.Check to be sure no part of the yellow

contacts can be seen when the card is pushed in. Secure the sound card to the system unit by using the screw that you removed when removing the rear cover.Use this screw to secure the card to the case. If you have on sound installed on the motherboard and you want to install another card,most systems will disable the motherboard integrated sound.If not, consult your computer manual to find the correct jumpers to disable the motherboard sound.

Now the cdrom audio cable must be connected. Insert one end of the audio cable for the cdrom or dvd drive into the CD-IN socket of the sound card. The other end is inserted into the audio-out socket of the cdrom or dvd drive.

Check and double check all connections before you replace the system unit cover.If all connections are good,replace the cover and reboot the system after all peripherals are reconnected.

REPLACE THE SYSTEM UNIT COVER

The computer should automatically detect the new card and attempt to install the device drivers needed to communicate with the card.Windows should prompt you to install the software needed to allow the card to communicate to the computer. The new card should have come with a cdrom with device drivers and other software for the card.Simply inserted the cdrom in the cdrom drive and select the cdrom installation when prompted.

Test the new sound card by re-booting the computer. You should hear the Windows startup sound if the card is operational.In some cases,the new card will be operational without rebooting your computer.

Installing or upgrading your sound card
is that easy.

Introduction to Dedicated Servers

2007-08-18T00:19:00.001+07:00

A dedicated server is a single computer on a web-hosting network that is leased or rented, and dedicated to just one customer. A service provider monitors the computer’s hardware, network connectivity, and routing equipment, while the customer generally controls and maintains the server software. Dedicated servers are most often used by those who’ve outgrown typical hosting accounts and now require massive amounts of data space and bandwidth, those with mission critical web sites, web hosting companies, or those who have special needs. Dedicated servers are housed in data centers, where service providers can monitor them close-up and have hands-on access to them.

The primary advantage of using a dedicated server over a typical shared hosting account is the sheer amount of resources and control available to you, the customer. In many cases, the client is at liberty to install whatever software they desire, giving them greater flexibility and administrative options. Dedicated server clients do not share resources, as those with shared hosting plans do; but rather, are at liberty to use all the resources available to them.

Managed Servers vs. Unmanaged Servers

There are two types of dedicated servers available today: Managed Dedicated Servers and Unmanaged Dedicated Servers.

An Unmanaged Dedicated Server leaves nearly all the management duties of running a server in the purchaser’s control. The customer in this case, updates software on their own, applies necessary patches, performs kernel compiles and operating system restores, installs software, and monitors security. With this type of dedicated server, the consumer is solely responsible for day-to-day operations and maintenance. The service provider, in turn, monitors the network, repairs hardware problems, and troubleshoots connectivity issues. Additionally, some service providers offer partial management of services, such as network monitoring, software upgrades and other services, but leave the general upkeep of the server in the hands of the client. An unmanaged dedicated server is best for someone with server management experience.

A Managed Dedicated Server is generally more proactively monitored and maintained on the part of the service provider. When renting or leasing a managed server, the service provider or host carries out the responsibility of software updates and patches, putting security measures in place, performing hardware replacements, and also monitoring the network and its connection for trouble. In other words, when utilizing a managed dedicated server, the host provider will perform both hardware and software operations. A managed dedication server solution works well for the customer with limited server management experience or limited time in being able to perform the duties necessary to keep a server running and online.

Technical Aspects In Choosing A Server

When choosing a dedicated server, there are several things to consider: Operating System, Hardware options, Space and bandwidth.

The Operating System of a server is similar to that on your own personal computer; once installed, the operating system enables one to perform tasks more simply. There are a bevy of server operating systems available today including Linux-based and Windows-based software. The operating system you choose should be directly relational to what operations your server will be performing, which types of software you’ll need to install and also, what you’re more comfortable with.

Hardware Options are also something to consider when choosing a dedicated server. You’ll need to pick a
processor that’s up to the task, the amount of memory you wish installed, firewall options, and the size of the hard drive.

A certain amount of bandwidth is generally included when renting or leasing a dedicated server. Once you ascertained how much bandwidth you will require, you can adjust that limit with your service provider. The space you’ll be given is generally directly relational to the size of your hard drive. Some hosts also give clients the choice of uplink port speed (usually 10Mbps/100Mbps).

Protect Your PC from Viruses, Worms & Trojans

2007-08-18T00:15:00.001+07:00

Each of the items in the checklist below is part of a broad and easy to implement security policy.

If you create a similar program, you can protect yourself and your PC from the numerous threats to your security and privacy.

1. Install all windows security patches for your operating system from the Microsoft Update site - it's free! All that's required to keep your operating system up to date is an Internet connection.

2. Install and configure a firewall - either a hardware or software based firewall is a must! If you are using a router, it probably has firewall capabilities included. Software firewalls are available at minimal cost; one of the best is free!

3. Install and configure antivirus software - the cost is minimal, there are even free versions available - the protection is priceless! Update it daily - scan your drives weekly - it can all be automated with most programs.

4. Create a backup - even the best plan can be circumvented - be prepared for the worst with a complete backup of your hard drive! If you already have a CD burner and software installed in your machine, you probably have

the tools to create a complete system backup - for only the cost of a few CD-R's!

Obviously, the costs to properly protect yourself from the worst threats to your security are almost nil. If you need help with any step above, simply use a Google search to find help - it's freely available.

Follow these four simple steps and you will have implemented comprehensive and complete protection for your PC. If you are unable to initiate your own plan, hire an expert to do the job. You won't be sorry!

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Mike Burstein has been helping the SOHO and Small Business community grow & prosper for over 20 years by solving start up problems, creating best practices, automating their offices, getting free publicity and dramatically increasing traffic and sales. http://www.sohowiz.com/

Caring for a Laptop

2007-08-17T23:38:00.001+07:00

Handle the laptop with care. Try not to bump it or drop it.
The laptop can become damaged if you expose it to extreme temperatures. Never leave your laptop in the car for any extended period – the interior of a car can become extremely hot or cold.
Do not leave the laptop unattended in the car or a public place. Laptops are prime targets for theft! If you MUST leave the laptop in the car – leave it in the trunk where it is not clearly visible.
If the laptop has been left in the cold, let the laptop warm up to room temperature before turning it on.
If you need to clean the display, do so with a soft dry lint free cloth. Do not use any harsh detergents, Windex, alcohol or ammonia. Only use cleaning agents designed for laptop/lcd screens.
Move the laptop as little as possible while in actual use.
Do not pick up or carry the laptop by the display screen.
Never check the laptop in as luggage when traveling by airplane. Always take it with you as carry on luggage.
Do not eat or drink over the laptop – accidents can and DO happen.
If using a dialup modem – always unplug the modem from the wall when a storm is approaching. Lightening can travel through phone lines and render your laptop useless.

If you take a bit of care, you should never have to worry about returning the laptop in anything but pristine condition.

The Top 10 of Basic Computer Maintenance

2007-08-17T23:31:00.001+07:00

1. Backup, backup backup! Backing up your data just means saving your files to a separate location (like a cd, floppy or zip disk) so in event of disaster you can easily copy your files back onto your computer. How often really depends on you. Just ask yourself, "If I only back up once every 3 months, would anything I saved on my hard drive since the last time I saved it on a backup be allright if I could NEVER get it back?"

2. Invest in an UPS (uninterruptible power source). A UPS is a wonderful device that works as a surge protector and a battery backup all in one! Not only does it keep your computer safe from electrical spikes that can be traveling through the lines, it also gives you time to save your work, and properly power down your computer in event of a power failure. You don't lose your work, and your computer gets to be shut down properly.

3. Never turn the computer off with the power switch. The one exception to this rule is when your computer locks up and your hard drive is not running (the hard drive light is not blinking). In this situation, you can turn the power off without harmful effects to the hard drive. As cutting the power can also result in lost data or Windows files, you should only do this when you have to.

Doing this can help prevent permanent hard drive damage caused by the hard drive heads contacting the surface of the drive disc. This can prevent a host of Windows problems.

Whenever possible, recover from crashes by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time and going into your Task Manager. You can often find programs that are not responding in here, and chose to close them from this utility. Press Clt + Alt + Delete again to reboot your computer from this screen.

4. Scan disk and defrag once a month. These utilities help to keep your hard drive in optimal shape and error free.

5. Do not unplug peripheral devices while the power is turned on. Unplugging devices such as your mouse, keyboard, printer etc with the power on can short out the connector socket or even the motherboard itself.

The only time you would unplug something while the power is on, is if the device is hot swappable/pluggable. If you are unsure if something is hot swappable or not, power down first to play it safe.

6. Remove programs from your startup. Often when you install a program, it will ask you whether it should load up as soon as Windows loads (or just decide to do so on its own). The more programs you have trying to start up at the same time, the slower your computer will start. Also, all those programs running in the background while you try to work will slow your computer's response time.

In windows 98, ME, and XP, you can do this by going to your Start -> Run -> in the command box type in 'msconfig' and a small window will appear. Go to the tab marked "Startup" and you can chose what items to remove from there.

In Windows 2000, you can do this by going to your Control Panel -> Administrative Services -> Services.

7. Run virus checks and adware/spyware scans regularly (at least once a week). There are so many types and variations of viruses, spyware and adware floating around that at times it may seem daunting to even have internet access on your computer. However, regular scans with your virus scanner, and adware scanners, can ensure your computer remains healthy.

8. Keep disks handy. If the worst thing happens, and you need to format your system for one reason or another, then it is a good idea to have all your driver disks, operating system disks, backup disks and so forth in a readily available place. Running around in a panic at the 11th hour because you cannot remember where the drivers are for your network card, is not a good place to be.

9. Keep your software updated. Software developers are always writing and releasing patches that update the software you have already bought from them. A lot of these patches fix problems you may be experiencing yourself with a particular program.

Other patches plug security leaks. Still other patches update reference files for your virus/spy/adware scanners to make sure you are scanning for as many variants as possible. So make sure you regularly update/patch your operating system, virus scanners, and various other applications!

10. Develop a schedule of maintenance practices. All this advice is meaningless if you keep forgetting to do it, or only remember after something has gone wrong. Write yourself up a maintenance schedule, with a list of what tasks should be performed daily, weekly, and monthly.

If you develop a routine and stick to it, then you should avoid the larger problems by always being on top of the smaller ones!

Keeping Old Computers Alive

2007-08-17T23:30:00.000+07:00

There are many reasons to replace your computers before they could reasonably be called old. Big corporations may replace their computers every three years or less. I usually recommend that nonprofits replace their computers every four years. One reason to do this is so computers are replaced before they fail, so that down-time can be scheduled instead of being caused by unexpected failure. Productivity increases with newer computers, as people spend less time waiting for programs to open and respond to commands.

Newer computers have newer technology, which means improved security, stability, and new features. Or maybe there is a new software package you want to use -- and your old computer doesn't meet the system requirements.

But there are good reasons to keep old computers around. Maybe you just don't have the money to buy a new one. Or you may be in a part of the world where replacement computers are not only expensive -- they're hard to come by. Or maybe you want to wait as long as possible before sending the lead, mercury, and other toxic materials in your computer into the environment, and using more resources to build a new computer that you may not yet need.

For any of these reasons, you might want to keep your old computer running well, even if it is four, five, or six years old.

(If you're interested in keeping older Macs running, read "Resources for Older Computers" on TechSoup.)

Extending the Usable Life of a Computer

As computers get older, different things can go wrong. You may experience problems with the software, the operating system may respond sluggishly, or you may receive error messages. Maybe you can't open a program, or it crashes unexpectedly. You may also run into hardware problems: the CD-ROM drive won't open, your floppy drive won't reliably read disks, or your modem just stops working.

To extend the life span of a computer, consider what can go wrong, how to prevent and recover from those problems, and how to change the way you use your computer:

What Can Go Wrong with Software?
Preventing Problems with Software
What Can Go Wrong with Hardware?
Preventing Mechanical Hardware Problems
Preventing Electrical Hardware Problems
Upgrading Hardware
Changing Hardware Roles
Changing Operating Systems
Changing Paradigms

What Can Go Wrong with Software?

Problem: Too Much Software
The biggest software problem on old computers is that there is too much of it. When a computer has been in an office for a long time, it tends to accumulate software like the junk drawer in your kitchen. Having too much software can cause a variety of problems.

Unnecessary software can take up too much room on the hard drive. If the hard drive is completely full or nearly full, the operating system won't run well. On a newer computer, having lots of software is less of a problem because new hard drives tend to be big. But on an old computer with a small hard drive, your system may respond sluggishly.

In addition, as programs are added to a computer, they may take up more of its memory. Some programs, particularly little ones downloaded from the Internet, stay active in your system's RAM even when you're not using them in order to open more quickly when you do want to use them. In Windows, these "memory resident" applications can often be seen in the system tray in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. In Mac OS 9, you might have extensions taking up memory that really aren't needed. On a newer computer with RAM to spare, lots of memory resident applications may not be a big deal. But on an old computer with little RAM, you should free up as much memory as possible.

Solution: Remove Unnecessary Software
First, decide what software is necessary. Consider the difference between "need" and "want." Be ruthless. You may want iTunes so you can listen to streaming audio while you work, but do you need it? Old computers can't afford such luxuries; only keep what you really need to do your work.

In Windows, go to the Add/Remove Programs control panel. Determine for certain which software applications you don't need. If you're not sure, make certain that you have the original installation disks so you can reinstall if necessary. Then uninstall the software you don't need.

If software you do need shows up in the system tray, you may be able to disable its tendency to always stay open. For example, in Microsoft Windows you may see the icon for MSN Messenger in your system tray. In the options for the program you can set it not to launch automatically when the computer starts up. This will free up some memory for other purposes.

In Mac OS 9, open the Extensions Manager and disable extensions you don't need. If you don't know what you need and what you don't, consult with an expert.

Problem: New Software, Old Hardware
It's a sad fact, but you can't install just any software on any computer. For example, let's say you have a Pentium II with 128 MB of RAM running Windows 2000. If you use the right software, you won't have problems with this set-up. But if you install the latest version of Photoshop, it just won't work. I frequently find older computers with installed with software that just won't work well -- such as Mac OS X on an original bondi blue iMac. Even if you can install it, that doesn't mean it will run well.

Solution: Stay Within Your Limits
Before installing any new software, check the system requirements. Make sure that it is not more than your computer can handle. Make sure you have enough room on the hard drive and that it is compatible with the operating system you're running. If the software needs more than you're able to provide in terms of system resources, don't install it.

But what if you need to add software to your older computer? For example, let's say you want to add Microsoft Access to a computer in order to open a database. When you go to TechSoup Stock, you find that your nonprofit is eligible to order a donated copy of Microsoft Office Professional, which includes Microsoft Access. But wait -- they only offer Office 2003, which has high system requirements. What to do? You could upgrade your hardware to meet the system requirements (more on that later), or you could pick an earlier version of the software -- say, Office XP.

"But Office XP isn't available through TechSoup Stock!" you wail. I'll let you in on a little secret. When you obtain a software license for Microsoft products through TechSoup Stock, that license entitles you to use older versions of the software. I know this is a little confusing; the point is, eligible organizations can obtain older versions of Microsoft products through TechSoup Stock. (Read more about the process on TechSoup Stock -- although the instructions refer to Windows XP, it works for other Microsoft software, too.) If you're not eligible to order donated software through TechSoup Stock, you may be able to order discounted software from an Open Charity License reseller -- this principle applies to these licenses, too. You can buy Office 2003 and install Office XP.

This act of buying new software but installing older software is sometimes called "downgrading." The rules vary from vendor to vendor, so do some research before assuming you can downgrade.

Problem: Spyware
This is mostly a problem with Windows. Spyware, adware, and other junk software on your computer is always undesirable, regardless of the age of your computer. But again, on an old computer every bit of memory is precious. You cannot allow these invasive programs to steal your valuable system resources.

Solution: Spyware Removal Tool
Use a spyware removal tool such as Spybot Search and Destroy or Ad Aware. A nice feature of Spybot is that it can "innoculate" your computer against future infections. Best of all, it's free. Read more about removing malware on TechSoup.

Problem: Viruses
As with spyware, this problem mostly affects Windows users. (There just aren't that many viruses for the Mac OS.) Viruses are a problem with computers new and old, but they are more likely to turn up on old computers. This is simply because an old computer has been around longer, so it has a greater chance of being infected with a virus. There's also a greater chance users have lapsed on upgrading anti-virus software.

Solution: Anti-Virus Software
If you're going to run an old computer, you have to keep it clean if you expect it to perform. That means having up-to-date anti-virus software.

Preventing Problems with Software

Performing regular maintenance will forestall problems with your operating system and other software. That means installing updates from the software vendor, defragmenting the hard drive, running Scandisk on Windows 98 or chkdsk on Windows 2000 or Windows XP. Be prudent about installing only what you need to do your work. Don't install software just for fun. Ultimately, you'll be a lot happier if your computer is running well.

What Can Go Wrong with Hardware?

There's basically only one thing that goes wrong with hardware: it breaks. If it's not broken, the problem isn't with the hardware. By "broken," I mean worn out, bent, burned up, cracked, smashed, or otherwise inoperable.

So what can break? Just about anything in your computer can break, but the parts that move are more likely to break:

ventilation fans
the fan in the power supply
the fan on the processor
the hard drive
the CD-ROM drive
the floppy drive
moving parts in the printer
moving parts on the mouse

If something appears to be broken, first determine whether it's actually broken. I won't go into detail here on troubleshooting hardware, but suffice to say that cracking open the mouse and cleaning the dust bunnies out of the rollers can make a "broken" mouse work like new.

Preventing Mechanical Hardware Problems

You can help keep moving parts running by using them gently and removing sources of friction. The biggest source of friction is dust, including hair and cigarette ashes.

Keeping your work area clean will prolong the life of your computer. Dust your desk regularly. Vaccuum the floor to reduce the amount of dirt there. Don't smoke in your office: you already know it's not good for you or your coworkers, and now you know it's not good for your computer. Once a year or so, open your computer's case and blow out any dust with a can of compressed air.

Preventing Electrical Hardware Problems

Power surges can break electronics. Test your electrical outlets to see if they are properly grounded, and use a good-quality surge protector to protect your equipment from voltage spikes. Dusting out computers also helps lower their temperature, which improves performance and prolongs the life of electrical components.

Upgrading Hardware

RAM: To see the biggest increase in performance, increase the amount of RAM in an older computer. Put in as much as the computer will support. You can find what kind of RAM you need and how much your computer will support by looking at the documentation for the computer on the manufacturer's Web site. If you have a generic computer or can't find the information, consult with a expert to figure out what you need and where you can find it. Don't assume that just because it fits you can drop a 256MB RAM DIMM in your computer. Make sure that the computer supports the size and the type of the RAM you are installing.
Video card: Replacing the video card with a newer one that has more memory can also improve performance. If your older computer has an AGP slot, replacing a PCI or onboard video adapter with an AGP video card can speed up the computer.
Hard drive: An old hard drive is probably a slow hard drive. Replacing the hard drive in your old computer with a new one will give your machine an added boost. In an older machine with a slow (66 MHz) IDE controller, you should consider adding a PCI IDE 133 expansion card to match a new IDE 133 hard drive. Keep in mind that replacing the hard drive probably means reinstalling the operating system and all your programs, so don't plan on taking this step unless your time (or the environment) is more important to you than your money.
Processor: It's usually more trouble than it's worth to replace the processor or the motherboard.

If you're upgrading on a budget, you may be able to get used parts for free or for cheap from a computer recycling organization.
Changing Hardware Roles

If a computer is too old to be servicable as a desktop computer for one purpose, you may yet find a use for it.

Appropriate assignment: Does your receptionist need to do work with graphics or PowerPoint? Give him your newest computer. Does your intern really only answer e-mail and surf the Web on the computer? An older computer might fit the bill. When a computer is suited to the task at hand, its age doesn't matter as much.
File or print server: An older computer can often make a perfectly adequate file or print server. Windows 98 also doesn't have the same 10-user limit that Windows 2000 imposes.
Firewall or router: You could also put an old computer into service as a firewall or router using Coyote Linux. All you need is any old computer with a working motherboard, two network cards, and a floppy drive. No CD-ROM or hard drive are required.

Changing Operating Systems

One of the best ways to bring new life to an old PC is to erase it and start over with some version of Linux. Some Linux distributions such as Cobind are specifically intended for use on older hardware. Cobind Linux has many features of a modern operating system. Like all versions of Linux, it is unbelievably stable and highly secure. Cobind will run well on a Pentium II 300MHz processor with 64MB of RAM and a 2GB hard drive.

Changing Paradigms

Old computers can make excellent terminals in a thin-client network. In your standard small office environment, programs are run on separate computers: I might run an e-mail program on my computer, while you run a database on your computer. In a thin-client network, all programs are run on one computer, which is connected to many terminals so that multiple users can access that one computer system at once. So instead of replacing old computers with new ones, an organization could use a single higher powered machine as a terminal server, and use the old PCs as terminals. A terminal in a set-up like this doesn't need a hard drive, much of a processor, or memory. It doesn't do any processing at all -- it just provides a window onto the terminal server.

Depending on the applications that staff need to run, an organization could use the same old Pentium II PCs for years. The only reason to finally remove them from service would be hardware failure.