Auracle Infotech Sales & Services [AIS]

Top 5 Cameras under Rs. 10,000

2012-03-03T12:43:00.000+05:30

If one wants to do just basic photography, the high-end cameras feature modes and features that are not really necessary. Even the mobile phone's camera is at hand and is easily accessible, the clarity of the image is drained out due to less mega pixels But here a bring you some feature-packed compact point and shoot cameras. Here are some options that are available under Rs. 10,000 and provide what is advertised.

Canon Powershot A3300 IS - Rs. 7270

With the Powershot A3300IS, Canon have brought 720p HD video recording to their A series of cameras. Point and shoot compacts from this series are well known for good quality casual photography at a lower price point. This camera features a 16 megapixel CCD sensor that is powered by a DIGIC 4 processor. This option also comes with a 5x optical zoom and allows one to click great zoom shots as it comes with an on-board image stabilizer. The camera sports a large 3-inch LCD display that helps in easily reviewing clicked images and if one wants to be a bit artistic in their shots, there are 32 preset shooting modes that help in this feat.

Sony Cybershot DSC-W570 - Rs. 8800

Sony has a really good track record of launching quality cameras at a low price point. The brand has the ability of fitting attractive features in a small form factor. The W570 is no different and in this small frame, Sony have added a 16.1 megapixel CCD sensor that runs on the BIONZ processor. With this, one can capture images with a reduced amount of image noise. The camera also features a 5x optical zoom, along with the Optical SteadyShot feature that helps in reducing the blur in images. Apart from this, one can record HD videos in 720p, shoot images in Panorama mode and capture images using the various scene modes. If that is not reason enough, Sony also bundles a 4GB memory card to store images and videos that are shot from this camera.

Canon Powershot A1200 - Rs. 4360

Very few cameras under the Rs. 5,000 mark can really impress, as usually they are fitted with rather cheap components and the build quality is just not up to the standard. It’s safe to say that the Powershot A1200 can definitely impress and Canon have done well in pricing this camera extremely competitively. The camera sports a 12.1 megapixel CCD sensor, along with a DIGIC 4 processor and the branded have fitted a 4x optical zoom allowing one to get up close with a subject. The camera is extremely easy to use and no matter the age, one can get familiar with this point and shoot within a matter of minutes. This camera also has 720p video recording capabilities allowing one to capture high definition videos by merely turning the dial.

Cannon Powershot SX150 IS - Rs. 9695

The Canon PowerShot SX150 IS is a 14.1 megapixel compact camera featuring a 12x zoom lens complete with optical image stabilizer. Successor to last year’s SX130 model, the Canon SX150 IS offers a versatile focal range of 28-336mm, 3 inch LCD screen, DIGIC 4 image processor, Intelligent IS technology and Face Detection complete with Face Select & Track and Face Self-Timer modes. The SX150 IS has 32 shooting modes including Smart Auto and Easy Mode for complete beginners and full manual control for more experienced photographers. A high ISO setting of 1600, 720p HD movies with stereo sound, SDXC memory card support and power in the form of readily available AA batteries complete the SX150’s headline specifications.

Nikon Coolpix L24 - Rs.5287

Nikon Coolpix L24 is a point and shoot camera from Nikon Lifestyle series. Thispoint and shoot camera has 14 megapixel resolution with CCD sensor with 6.18*4.55 mm dimension. The aspect ratio of this lifestyle series camera is 4:3 and 16:9. This L24 features electronic vibration reduction which controls distortions due to camera shake while taking snaps. Nikon Coolpix L24 has a dimensions of 98 x 61 x 28 mm and weighs 182grams. The 3inch TFT LCD display screen has resolution of 230,000 dot pixels. The internal memory of this Nikon camera is 17MB and external memory can be added through SD and SDHC/SDXC compliant memory cards.

Click on the links below to get full specification of above mentioned Cameras and also to buy them online from Flipkart.com

How To Check If Someone Else Is Accessing Your Facebook Account

2011-04-16T12:44:00.001+05:30

Check If Someone Else Is Accessing Your Facebook Account

What’s the number one issue people have with Facebook? That’s right, privacy. Ever since there’s been a Facebook, people have been voicing their privacy concerns about it. Facebook has recently given us a way to see if someone else has been accessing our Facebook accounts (without our permission). Is that something you’d be interested in? Follow me.

What Does This Mean For Me?

Have you ever suspected that someone else was logging into your Facebook account? It’s not a good feeling, mostly because it would drive you crazy if you were unable to prove it. Whether you have an easy password to guess (like the word “password”) or you accidentally left your login information saved on a public computer somewhere, it would be reassuring to be able to check whether or not anyone has been signing in under your name.

Sure, you could always change your password, but lets face it, you aren’t going to do that unless you absolutely have to – unless your password really is the word “password”, in which you should change it immediately (I’m serious). I don’t blame you, but there has to be another way of uncovering suspicious activity on your account.

The feature I’m about to show you is a nice little security setting built into Facebook that will help you quickly detect if anybody else has been secretly logging into and using your Facebook account.

Where Are These Security Features?

To get to the security settings I’ve been alluding to, log into your Facebook account and click on Account at the top right of the page. When the drop-down box appears, click on Account Settings.

There’s a good chance you know exactly where I’m taking you, but your settings should look a little different this time since the last time you’ve visited.

On your My Account page, scroll down to where it says Account Security and click the change link.

Now you should see a list of all computers (and mobile devices) that have logged into your Facebook account, their location, and when this happened. Rather than an IP address, it displays the approximate geographic location of the device, which is based on the device’s IP.

If you come across an unknown or suspicious device in your list, just click “end activity” on the device and you will automatically be logged out of that machine.

Also, if you would like to add an extra layer of protection on your account, you can enable email/SMS alerts for when someone else tries to log into your account from a previously unknown computer or mobile phone. Features like one-time passwords and secure browsing using the HTTPS protocol are also at your disposal.

Would you like to see all of these advanced security features in action? Check out this YouTube video if you’re seeking further explanation:

Conclusion

I think this is a pretty solid move by Facebook. If you didn’t know these security features were there you may be pleased to find the added level of security that’s there for you to enable. One interesting aspect of this is what you do if you confirm a suspicious machine has been logging into your account and you think it’s someone you know? I’ll leave the creativity up to you, but you could theoretically let it slide, enable alerts, and then catch them in the act the next time it happens. Or something like that.

What do you think of Facebook’s privacy features?

Best Graphic Cards Under Rs. 10,000

2011-03-19T11:12:00.110+05:30

From here starts the holiday season and a special occasion of Holi. The year 2011 which has brought out some of the best games like BulletStorm and Dead Space 2 and coming ahead in the year are Crysis 2, R.A.G.E, NFS Shift 2 and what you need to play these games is a best budget graphic card. The games are easily playable on an HD monitor at a "gamer" setting and resolution of 1920x1080. I've divided the segments in five parts. So have a look and comment.

Under Rs. 3,000
>Stick to On-board Graphics Accelerators
If you're really on a low-budget than advisable for such customers will be sticking on to the on-board graphics which do produce a nice frame rates. But if you really want a graphic card to beef up your rig than what might suit you is the next card.

>Sapphire HD5450 1GB - Rs. 2450

Well this not really a gaming graphic card this is

more of an HTPC graphic mad for watching HD

movies, but what this card can really do is

provide a really good gaming experience but not

for the latest games for games of the past or two

years. With a price of Rs 2450 for the 1GB DDR3

variant it really makes a worth buying for people

who love casual gaming are more on watching

HD movies. But adjusting or compromising is not

your word then check on to the next category.

Under Rs. 5,000

>Sapphire HD5670 1GB - Rs 4900

Who says that great things don't

come cheap on earth. If you don't

believe me then here's the

Sapphire HD 5670 1GB graphic

card which is the best you can get

in this segment. With a price of Rs

4900 for the 1GB DDR5 variant

with core speed of 775 MHz and memory speed of 4000 MHz, it can play all of your best games

you want. So its a best for people who are on a budget and want a best card in this price segment.

Under Rs. 6000
>Sapphire HD5750 1GB - Rs. 5800

Well if you think that I'm a ATI graphic card supporter than its not like that the truth is there arent any nvidia card which come at a low price point and those available are just not worth buying. Here is on card that suits most of the gamers and is very cheap as compared as compared to price but does not compromises in performance. Comes with a core speed of 700 Mhz and memory speed of 4600 Mhz. It's a worth buying if you can add on that extra 900 bucks and instead of buying Sapphire HD 5670 you can this small piece of big performance.

Under Rs. 8000

In this category I've got two worth buying cards.

>Zotac Geforce GTS 450 1GB - Rs. 6500

If there's any Nvidia card you should buy on being on a budget is this card. Its has a memory speed of 3608 MHz and graphic core speed of 810 MHz and what will you get at this price is the best gaming experience you'll ever have by being on budget. The design is perfect and the card is just not bulky and looks best and performs best in its class.

>Sapphire HD5770 1GB Vapor-X Rs.7700

This card is one piece of excellence, the Sapphire HD5770 1GB GDDR5 Vapor-X edition. It comes with a graphic core speed of 850 MHz and memory speed of 4800 MHz. This card is very appealing to the eye and also performs way ahead of its price. And that's why ATI cards are worth buying than any cheap or expensive Nvidia cards. It has VGA [ Via Adapter ] , DVI-I X 1 ,DVI-D X 1, HDMI X 1 , Display Port X 1

Under Rs. 10,000

>Sapphire HD6850 1GB - Rs. 9400

Here is a card which overtakes Nvidia GTX460 and the newly launched Nvidia GTX550-Ti by a

larger margin and is a GDDR5 model with memory speed of 4000 MHz and graphic core speed of

750 MHz and having features like ATI Eyefinity Technology, 3D technology. Also when

overclocked it reaches max. temp. of ~61 C. It consumes about 15W when idle and 127W on max.

and requires a 6-pin power connector. It produces max. of 100 fps at 1920x1080 resolution. And

has length of 8.5 inches so it can easily be fixed in a regular atx cabinet.

So here it ends, if you have any queries about the following cards or any other cards of your choice then you can comment below or email me at ataisinfotech@gmail.com. And be waited for more best categories to come.

Computer Configuration 2011 5/5

2011-01-27T12:15:00.000+05:30

For the Extreme Gamers, Movie Buffs and all other professional Using.

Features:-
> High Performance and heavy duty Intel i5 760 processor for giving high performance while gaming, movies and for multi-threading.
> SAPPHIRE 5750 DDR5 graphic card provides crispier frame rates while gaming and watching 1080i High Definition Movies.
> CoolerMaster Cabinet with Extreme 400W SMPS gives your rig the immense power your rig needs.
> Seagate 1000GB Hard-disk gives you enough space for storage w/ high speed.

Note:-
> Assembling Charges - Rs. 1000, AMC 1 year - Rs. 1200.
> Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 - Rs 400
> Free iBall Live Chat Headphone w/ mic.
> 10 free games.
> 10 Registered Professional Software.

Computer Configuration 2011 4/5

2011-01-10T11:59:00.000+05:30

Mid-Level Gaming Computer.

Note:

> Assembling Charges Extra of Rs. 1000/- and AMC's for 1 year price: Rs 1200/-

> Antivirus: Kaspersky Internet Security 2011: Rs 400/-

> Free Gifts: Iball Live Chat Headphones w/ mic. and 10 Original Games.

> No profits are incurred on the components i.e components are sold w/ 0% profit.

Features:

> Can play High Definition Movies.

> High-end motherboard for overclocking.

> High-level graphic card. Can play games at about 100 - 120 fps.

> Windows Ultimate 64-bit Edition for professional computing and user-friendly interface.

Computer Configuration 2011 3/5

2011-01-09T16:46:00.002+05:30

This is a basic Gaming Computer w/ all the needed componenets from a high level processor and a good graphic card.

Note:

> Assembling Charges Extra of Rs. 1000/- and AMC's for 1 year price: Rs 1200/-

> Antivirus: Kaspersky Internet Security 2011: Rs 400/-

> Free Gifts: Iball Live Chat Headphones w/ mic. and 10 Original Games.

> For Dell 18.5'' LCD Monitor Rs 600/- extra.

> No profits are incurred on components i.e components are sold at 0% profit.

Computer Configuration 2011 2/5

2011-01-09T16:08:00.000+05:30

Basic Computer Desktop Ideal for Casual Games, Movies, Music and all basic needs.

Note:

> Assembling Charges Extra of Rs. 1000/- and AMC's for 1 year price: Rs 1200/-

> Antivirus: Kaspersky Internet Security 2011: Rs 400/-

> Free Gifts: Iball Live Chat Headphones w/ mic. and 10 Original Games.

> For Dell 18.5'' LCD Monitor Rs 600/- extra.

> No profits are incurred on components i.e components are sold at 0% profit.

Computer Configuration 2011 1/5

2011-01-09T12:54:00.000+05:30

Computer Configuration of a basic Home Desktop.

Note:

> Assembling Charges Extra of Rs. 1000/- and AMC's for 1 year price: Rs 1200/-

> Antivirus: Kaspersky Internet Security 2011: Rs 400/-

> Free Gifts: Iball Live Chat Headphones w/ mic. and 10 Original Games.

Best Antivirus To Buy For 2011

2010-12-29T12:07:00.001+05:30

It's the end of the year and maybe the end of the license of your antivirus. The Antivirus you bought last year didn't the work the way you wanted, leaving your system insecure. So here comes the question,

"Which Is The Best Security Software I Can Buy?"
There is no easy answer to this as not every security suite is made equal. In fact, many components within the security suite differ greatly.

Cloud Computing (Security Related)

"Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand, as with the electricity grid." - Wikipedia. In simple terms it means "the wisdom of the many"; in security terms it means that if a file is of questionable nature, Security Software checks it against not only its own anti-virus but also the cloud computing initiative that has a broad set of policies, technologies, controls etc., deployed to protect data and applications.

So if cloud computing answers the file as dangerous because several such instances (users) have had problems with their computers, the file in question is locked down. Different security vendors call it different names and implement it on a different scale. For instance, Norton calls it SONAR.

If you are interested to read a little more about cloud computing, jump to Securelist's "Clear skies ahead: cloud computing and in-the-cloud security" article.

Sandbox
As Wikipedia puts it, "In computer security, a sandbox is a security mechanism for separating running programs." Sandbox is like a controlled test chamber wherein whatever happens within it, stays in it; the effects don't affect the rest of the system. This is especially helpful if the Internet Security Suite doesn't know whether the program is good or bad and therefore needs to run it in the test environment.

Game/Fullscreen Mode

It was introduced a few years back when users complained that Security software was interfering with fullscreen applications such as games and movies. This mode automatically detects fullscreen activity and suppresses alerts and scheduled scans for a more appropriate time.

15 Best Windows 7 Tips and Hacks

2010-12-28T20:22:00.002+05:30

You have upgraded to Windows 7, love the new taskbar, and enjoy the power of using the cool Libraries feature.
But now you want more. You want the cool tips and tricks that make Windows 7 fun!
So here are the best ones to help you get the most out of your new OS. In this article, we will focus on the Windows 7 interface to get you started on the road to becoming a Windows 7 Power User. In Part 2, we will be looking at advanced tips for usability, performance, and security.

1. Use Keyboard Shortcuts

Using the mouse, you can drag-‘n-dock windows to either side of the screen, or drag it to the top to maximize it. These keyboard shortcuts are even faster:

Win+Left Arrow and Win+Right Arrow dock the window to the left and right side of the screen
Win+Up Arrow and Win+Down Arrow maximize and restore/minimize
Win+M minimizes everything
Alt+Up, Alt+Left Arrow, Alt+Right Arrow navigate to parent folder, or browse Back and Forward through folders in Explorer
Win+Home minimizes/restores all open windows except the active window
Alt+Win+# accesses the Jump List of program number ‘#’ on the taskbar

2.Rearrange System Tray Icons

You can rearrange icons on the taskbar as you wish and start new (or switch to running) instances of the first ten taskbar programs using Win+1, Win+2, and so on. The cool thing is you can also rearrange system tray icons. Reorder them on the tray or move them outside or back in the tray. Take control of what you want to always keep an eye on, and from which apps you’ll require notifications.

3. Access Jump Lists with the Left Mouse Button

Jump Lists usually show up when you right-click on a taskbar icon. However, they can also be accessed by holding the left mouse button and dragging upwards. If you’re using a laptop touchpad or a touch screen, this is convenient because you do not have to click any button to access a context menu.

4. Add Any Folder to Favorites

You can add any library or folder to the Favorites section in Windows Explorer. To add a folder, navigate to it in Explorer, right-click Favorites in the left navigation pane, and select Add current location to Favorites. Now you get quick access to your favorite folders in all File->Save As dialogs!

5. Pin Frequently Used Folders to the Taskbar

Right-click, drag, and pin your favorite folders to Windows Explorer on the taskbar. They will now show up in the Jump List when you right click on Explorer giving you quick access to your favorite folders.

6. Pin Control Panel to the Taskbar

You cannot pin the Control Panel to the taskbar via the Start Menu or by drag and drop. Open the Control Panel and right-click its taskbar icon to pin it to the taskbar. An advantage of this is that Control Panel’s Jump List allows quick access to recently used functions.

7. Create Keyboard Shortcuts for Programs

You can create keyboard shortcuts for any program in Windows 7. Right-click the program icon and select Properties. Select the Shortcut tab, click in Shortcut key, to set the keyboard shortcut for that program.

8. Open Command Prompt in Any Folder

Like the command prompt? Miss the ‘Open Command Window Here’ Windows XP power toy? Press ‘Shift’ when right-clicking on a folder to get that option in the context menu. This also works on the desktop. No power toy required!

9. View Expanded ‘Send To’ Menu

Press Shift when right-clicking on a folder to get an expanded Send To menu.

10. Adjust Screen Text with Clear Type

Use Clear Type Tuner for the best look on your LCD monitor or laptop screen. Run ‘cttune.exe’ from the Start Menu search box, or go to the Control Panel Display applet, and select Adjust ClearType Text from the left.

11. Get Exact Colors On Your Screen

If you are an artist or you work with colors, use the Calibrate Color option in the Control Panel Display applet or run dccw.exe from the Start Menu search box. You can adjust gamma, brightness, contrast, and color balance, ensuring that colors are displayed correctly on your screen.

12. Customize the Power Button

If you restart your computer more often than you shut it down, change the default Shutdown power button to Restart. Right-click on Start, select Properties, and choose the Power button action that you use the most.

13. Customize Number of Items in Jump Lists & Start Menu

Right-click Start, select Properties, click Customize and choose the number of recent programs to be shown in the Start Menu and the number of items displayed in Jump Lists from the Start Menu Size section below.

14. Search Internet from the Start Menu

Enable Internet search from the Start Menu using your default browser. Run GPEDIT.MSC from the Start Menu search box to start the Group Policy Editor. In the left pane, go to User Configuration->Administrative Templates->Start Menu and Taskbar. In the right pane, right-click to Edit and Enable Add Search Internet link to Start Menu.

15. Add Videos to Start Menu

Windows 7 does not place a link to your videos on the Start Menu by default. To add a link to your videos on the Start Menu, right-click Start, select Properties, click on Customize. In the Videos section at the bottom, choose Display as a link.

Did you like these tips? Tell us or share your tricks with us in the comments! Don’t forget to watch out for Part 2!

Windows 7 Tip: Get Hidden Themes In Your 7

2010-12-23T13:38:00.003+05:30

Remembered one thing ?? When you first installed Windows 7, during the final setup phase, the interactive setup asked for your langauge, time and currency. Then based on your response, it installed wallpaper set and the corresponding themes based on your location. For example, if you choose, English (United Kingdom) for your time and currency format, then the available themes and backgrounds will include a United Kingdom section and it’s various wallpapers.

Now, the hidden themes, though, are background scenery and themes from other English-speaking countries – Australia, Canada, Great Britain and South Africa. Normally you can’t access those backgrounds or themes, but there is a simple way by which you can install and use them:

1. Press Windows key + R to bring forward the Run dialog box. Type C:\Windows\Globalization\MCT and press Enter (Note: If your Windows is installed on drive other than C:, use that alphabet instead.)

2. Now, Windows Explorer will launch and will show you the list of sub-folders under C:\Windows\Globalization\MCT viz. MCT-AU, MCT-CA, MCT-GB, MCT-US and MCT-ZA. These sub-folders have the wallpapers for a specific country: i.e. AU for Austrialia, CA for Canada, GB for Grait Britain, US for United States and ZA for South Africa.

3. Now, in the search box which is located on the extreme right side of window, type *.theme . After this you would get all the hidden themes with the similar interface as shown:

4. Now, just select all the themes by pressing Control (CTRL) + A and then copy the selected themes to folder C:\Windows\Resources\Themes. After that when you would open personalization gallery, there under the installed themes section, you would see all the hidden themes as shown below:

Now, you can use these newly installed themes as per your liking, by right clicking the desktop, choosing personalize, and then choosing a background or theme. They would be listed in the section ‘Installed Themes’.

23 Ways To Speed WinXP

2010-12-22T16:21:00.000+05:30

Since defragging the disk won't do much to improve Windows XP performance, here are 23 suggestions that will. Each can enhance the performance and reliability of your customers' PCs. Best of all, most of them will cost you nothing.
1.) To decrease a system's boot time and increase system performance, use the money you save by not buying defragmentation software -- the built-in Windows defragmenter works just fine -- and instead equip the computer with an Ultra-133 or Serial ATA hard drive with 8-MB cache buffer.

2.) If a PC has less than 512 MB of RAM, add more memory. This is a relatively inexpensive and easy upgrade that can dramatically improve system performance.

3.) Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you're not sure, here's how to check: First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key. This process may take a while; it's important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.

4.) Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a "searchable keyword index." As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system.

The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP's built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for.

Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you're a typical system builder, most of your clients are small and medium businesses. And if your clients have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it.

Here's how: First, double-click the My Computer icon. Next, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching." Next, apply changes to "C: subfolders and files," and click OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as "Access is denied"), click the Ignore All button.

5.) Update the PC's video and motherboard chipset drivers. Also, update and configure the BIOS. For more information on how to configure your BIOS properly, see this article on my site.

6.) Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can "prefetch" portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That's fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete.

7.) Once a month, run a disk cleanup. Here's how: Double-click the My Computer icon. Then right-click on the C: drive and select Properties. Click the Disk Cleanup button -- it's just to the right of the Capacity pie graph -- and delete all temporary files.

8.) In your Device Manager, double-click on the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device, and ensure that DMA is enabled for each drive you have connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by double-clicking on Primary IDE Channel. Then click the Advanced Settings tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to "DMA if available" for both Device 0 and Device 1. Then repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel.

9.) Upgrade the cabling. As hard-drive technology improves, the cabling requirements to achieve these performance boosts have become more stringent. Be sure to use 80-wire Ultra-133 cables on all of your IDE devices with the connectors properly assigned to the matching Master/Slave/Motherboard sockets. A single device must be at the end of the cable; connecting a single drive to the middle connector on a ribbon cable will cause signaling problems. With Ultra DMA hard drives, these signaling problems will prevent the drive from performing at its maximum potential. Also, because these cables inherently support "cable select," the location of each drive on the cable is important. For these reasons, the cable is designed so drive positioning is explicitly clear.

10.) Remove all spyware from the computer. Use free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Any free software that requires spyware to run will no longer function once the spyware portion has been removed; if your customer really wants the program even though it contains spyware, simply reinstall it. For more information on removing Spyware visit this Web Pro News page.

11.) Remove any unnecessary programs and/or items from Windows Startup routine using the MSCONFIG utility. Here's how: First, click Start, click Run, type MSCONFIG, and click OK. Click the StartUp tab, then uncheck any items you don't want to start when Windows starts. Unsure what some items are? Visit the WinTasks Process Library. It contains known system processes, applications, as well as spyware references and explanations. Or quickly identify them by searching for the filenames using Google or another Web search engine.

12.) Remove any unnecessary or unused programs from the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel.

13.) Turn off any and all unnecessary animations, and disable active desktop. In fact, for optimal performance, turn off all animations. Windows XP offers many different settings in this area. Here's how to do it: First click on the System icon in the Control Panel. Next, click on the Advanced tab. Select the Settings button located under Performance. Feel free to play around with the options offered here, as nothing you can change will alter the reliability of the computer -- only its responsiveness.

14.) If your customer is an advanced user who is comfortable editing their registry, try some of the performance registry tweaks offered at Tweak XP.

15.) Visit Microsoft's Windows update site regularly, and download all updates labeled Critical. Download any optional updates at your discretion.

16.) Update the customer's anti-virus software on a weekly, even daily, basis. Make sure they have only one anti-virus software package installed. Mixing anti-virus software is a sure way to spell disaster for performance and reliability.

17.) Make sure the customer has fewer than 500 type fonts installed on their computer. The more fonts they have, the slower the system will become. While Windows XP handles fonts much more efficiently than did the previous versions of Windows, too many fonts -- that is, anything over 500 -- will noticeably tax the system.

18.) Do not partition the hard drive. Windows XP's NTFS file system runs more efficiently on one large partition. The data is no safer on a separate partition, and a reformat is never necessary to reinstall an operating system. The same excuses people offer for using partitions apply to using a folder instead. For example, instead of putting all your data on the D: drive, put it in a folder called "D drive." You'll achieve the same organizational benefits that a separate partition offers, but without the degradation in system performance. Also, your free space won't be limited by the size of the partition; instead, it will be limited by the size of the entire hard drive. This means you won't need to resize any partitions, ever. That task can be time-consuming and also can result in lost data.

19.) Check the system's RAM to ensure it is operating properly. I recommend using a free program called MemTest86. The download will make a bootable CD or diskette (your choice), which will run 10 extensive tests on the PC's memory automatically after you boot to the disk you created. Allow all tests to run until at least three passes of the 10 tests are completed. If the program encounters any errors, turn off and unplug the computer, remove a stick of memory (assuming you have more than one), and run the test again. Remember, bad memory cannot be repaired, but only replaced.

20.) If the PC has a CD or DVD recorder, check the drive manufacturer's Web site for updated firmware. In some cases you'll be able to upgrade the recorder to a faster speed. Best of all, it's free.

21.) Disable unnecessary services. Windows XP loads a lot of services that your customer most likely does not need. To determine which services you can disable for your client, visit the Black Viper site for Windows XP configurations.

22.) If you're sick of a single Windows Explorer window crashing and then taking the rest of your OS down with it, then follow this tip: open My Computer, click on Tools, then Folder Options. Now click on the View tab. Scroll down to "Launch folder windows in a separate process," and enable this option. You'll have to reboot your machine for this option to take effect.

23.) At least once a year, open the computer's cases and blow out all the dust and debris. While you're in there, check that all the fans are turning properly. Also inspect the motherboard capacitors for bulging or leaks. For more information on this leaking-capacitor phenomena, you can read numerous articles on my site.

Following any of these suggestions should result in noticeable improvements to the performance and reliability of your customers' computers. If you still want to defrag a disk, remember that the main benefit will be to make your data more retrievable in the event of a crashed drive.

10 reasons why PCs crash U must Know

2010-12-22T12:53:00.000+05:30

Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

1 Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2 Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

3 BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4 Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6 Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( www.symantec.com).

7 Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8 Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9 Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

10 Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.