Computers Care

Earn free mobile recharge by sending SMS from ULTOO

2012-09-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Ultoo.com redefining the way of messaging. For all those who are using way2sms etc, here is the best one from which you will be benefited also. It will pay you for your each activity. ULTOO is a brand new SMS sending website with a excellent experience which pays you for each and ever message send by you and you can use that credit to get a free mobile recharge.
The messages are send at the lightning fast speed without any advertisement attached to it. The other ways to earn through ULTOO is by referring a friend you get payed Rs 1 for every friend referral. Friends and all my readers dont worry, it's not fake at all even i got a recharge of rs.30 on my mobile today. So be happy and keep enjoying Ultoo sms services.

Sign Up

Advantages of using ultoo.com

Get 2 paisa for every message you send.
Get 1 Rs. for every friend you invite.
Get 2 Rs. for creating a new account.
Get free recharge for your mobile of a minimum 10 Rs. Balance.
Easily manageable:
you can save your contacts easily and without any delay.
your message will be sent in just no time across INDIA.
Its highly secured and spam free.

Disadvantages of using ultoo.com:

You need to have a minimum of 10 Rs balance to redeem your first recharge.
You cannot send multiple messages and fool them by sending them the same message to your contacts.
You need to send minimum 500 messages to earn 10 Rs and thus it will take nearly 2 hours continuously to earn it.
Again the users sometimes gets irritated for the number of advertisements used on ultoo.com

Definition for DVD-9

2011-10-29T22:47:00.001-07:00

A DVD-9 disc is a data or video DVD with two layers that hold information, allowing it to store approximately twice as much data as a standard single-layer DVD. This increased storage capacity allows you to use fewer discs when backing your computer up, and also allows you to store multiple movies on a single disc. However, DVD-9 discs have cost and speed drawbacks.

A DVD-9 disc -- also known as a dual-layer DVD -- has two surfaces that store data, one under the other. After burning or reading the first layer of a DVD-9 disc, a DVD drive adjusts its laser to access the second layer of the disc without altering the first. When you insert a DVD-9 disc into your computer, Windows reports that it has 7.95GB of available storage. However, the disc's package may display a storage capacity of 8.5GB. This discrepancy is due to the difference between the decimal and binary systems of quantifying computer data.

Hardware manufacturers began to introduce dual-layer DVD drives during the mid-2000s, and now most DVD drives support DVD-9 discs. However, if you have a DVD drive manufactured before the mid-2000s, it may not support DVD-9 discs. Look for an emblem such as "DVD-DL" or "DVD Multi-Recorder" on the bezel of a DVD drive to confirm dual-layer support. In some cases, it may be possible to convert a single-layer DVD drive to a dual-layer drive by installing new firmware.

Even the least expensive modern DVD burners can burn DVD-9 discs. However, a single DVD-9 disc tends to cost slightly more than two DVD-5 discs, so you may spend slightly more money if you exclusively buy DVD-9 discs for data storage. A spindle of 50 DVD-9 discs has a per-unit cost of approximately 64 cents when purchased from a discount retailer, while a spindle of 50 DVD-5 discs has a per unit cost of approximately 22 cents. Speed is an additional drawback of using DVD-9 discs: a typical high-speed DVD burner writes data at up to 24x when using DVD-5 discs, but burns DVD-9 discs at a much slower speed of 12x. Therefore, DVD-9 discs may take up to four times longer than DVD-5 discs to fill completely with data.

A DVD-9 disc holds considerably more data than a DVD-5 disc, which holds 4.37GB. However, it holds slightly less than a DVD-10 disc, which holds 8.75GB, or a DVD-18 disc, which holds 15.9GB. While a DVD-9 disc has one side with two layers, a DVD-10 disc has two sides with one layer each. A DVD-18 disc has two sides with two layers each. The primary benefit of burning content on a DVD-10 disc rather than a DVD-9 disc is compatibility, as some computer DVD drives cannot read or burn content on dual-layer discs. These drives can handle DVD-10 discs because each side is the same as a DVD-5 disc.

Microsoft Outlook shortcut keys

2011-07-30T04:35:00.000-07:00

Below is a listing of all the major shortcut keys in Microsoft Outlook.

Shortcut Keys	Description
Alt + S	Send the e-mail
Ctrl + Enter	Send the e-mail you're composing.
Ctrl + C	Copy selected text.
Ctrl + X	Cut selected text.
Ctrl + P	Print selected text.
Ctrl + K	Complete the name or e-mail being typed in the e-mail address bar.
Ctrl + B	Bold highlighted selection
Ctrl + I	Italic highlighted selection
Ctrl + M	Send and receive all
Ctrl + U	Underline highlighted selection
Ctrl + R	Reply to an e-mail.
Ctrl + F	Forward an e-mail.
Ctrl + N	Create a new e-mail.
Ctrl + Y	Go to folder.
Ctrl + Shift + A	Create a new appointment to your calendar.
Ctrl + Shift + O	Open the Outbox.
Ctrl + Shift + I	Open the Inbox.
Ctrl + Shift + K	Add a new task.
Ctrl + Shift + C	Create a new contact.
Ctrl + Shift + J	Create a new journal entry.
Ctrl + Shift + V	Move folder.

Use e-mail rules / filters to control your e-mail

2011-07-30T04:31:00.000-07:00

Use the Microsoft Outlook Rules Wizard or Mozilla Thunderbird Message Filter to help screen your e-mail and delete e-mail messages that you are not interested in. Often many online services such as Yahoo! mail and Gmail also have filters that can be applied.

Examples of rules that can be setup

Use keywords used in spam e-mails you frequently get, e.g. Viagra.
Move e-mails from certain e-mail addresses such as family and friends to a specific folder.
Block web forwarded e-mails.

Backup Facebook photos, videos, and text

2011-07-30T04:27:00.000-07:00

Facebook offers all its users the ability to backup their photos, videos, and text.

Click Account and go to Account Settings.
Click the Learn more option next to Download Your Information.
Click the Download button.
You will then be prompted with a message indicating that it will take some time to collect all your information. Once that information is ready for download you'll be sent an e-mail with a link to a compressed .zip file containing all your personal information.

Also See :

Determining available hard drive space.

Definitions Of Hard drive or Hard disk drive

Creating a password reset disc in windows 7

Modifier key

2011-07-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

Key on the keyboard that is only used in conjunction with another key. For example, on an IBM compatible computer, the ALT, CTRL, and Shift keys are modifier keys. On the Apple Macintosh computer, the Control, Option, and Shift keys are modifier keys. Modifier keys are often used in conjunction with other keys to perform computer keyboard shortcuts.

Also See :
Top 10 Internet tips and tricks
Repairing Internet Explorer
Top 10 Facebook tips

Find and delete bad Windows shortcuts

2011-07-30T04:13:00.000-07:00

Use the free Bad Shortcut Killer to easily find and delete any bad Microsoft Windows shortcuts that have been left behind by Windows programs that have been uninstalled.

How to use this program

Download Bad Shortcut Killer.
During the install make sure to only keep the checkboxes to install Bing checked if you want Bing to be installed and set as your default search engine.
After the program has been installed and is running click the Find Bad Shortcuts.
Any bad shortcuts that are found will be listed and selected and deleted.

Also See :

What things to do when bored on the Internet.

Top 10 online services and applications

Numeric keypad

2011-07-27T01:39:00.000-07:00

Also referred to as the number pad, the numeric keypad is a 17-key keypad usually found on the far right side of a typical IBM 101 / 2-key keyboard. The U.S. numeric keypad contains the below keys (going from top left to bottom right).

Num Lock
Forward slash (divide)
Star (times)
dash (minus)
numeric 7, also used as the home key
numeric 8, also used as the up arrow key
numeric 9, also used as the page down key
plus (add)
numeric 4, also used as the left arrow key
numeric 5
numeric 6, also used as the right arrow key
numeric 1, also used as the end key
numeric 2, also used as the down arrow key
numeric 3, also used as the page down key
enter key
numeric 0 key, also used as insert
period, also used as a delete key.

Below is a visual example of the Saitek Gamers' keyboard and where the keypad is located on almost every computer keyboard.

How to Add Photos to Facebook Photo Album

2011-07-05T04:03:00.001-07:00

You've just created a Facebook photo album and it looks great, but you forgot to add that hysterical photo of cousin Cindy drinking from a coconut. Don't worry -- adding photos to an existing online photo album is even easier than creating the original album. Follow the simple steps below to learn how to add photos to Facebook album.

Share Photos on Facebook

1. Since many people's friends are on Facebook, it has become a one of the most used photo share websites. Sharing photos is quick and the online photo albums are easy for people to see.

First thing's first, find the photos you want to add to your Facebook album. Put them into a new folder, on your desktop or somewhere you can easily find them.

2. Open your Internet browser and log into your Facebook account.

3. Visit the Facebook "Profile" by clicking on the word "Profile" on the top right of the page.

4. Click on the "Photos" on Facebook Profile page from the tabs which appears below your profile name.

5. Select the album in which you want to add photos. Click on the album and a page will load where you will see all of the existing photos in the album, which you can edit if would like. To add photos, click on the "Add More Photos" tab on the top left of the page.

6. In order to add photos to a Facebook album, you need to click on the drive that appears when the Java upload box appears with a display of all your folders on the left side of the box. Click on your drive and then the folder that contains the photos you want to upload. Once you click on the folder all the photos of the folder will appear on a screen with a selection box on the top left corner of each photo.

7. Select the photos you want to upload. If you want to select all photos in the folder click on "Select All" button that is available on the top of the photo uploading box.

8. Click on "Upload" button. Once you click on "Upload," a small pop-up box will appear showing the upload in progress. Once the upload is complete another pop-up box will appear with a message conveying successful uploading of images.

9. Click on "OK" and another page will load where you can apply captions and tag your friends. with this step you have successfully uploaded your photo to an existing album.

10. Click on the link below that states "Try The Simple Uploader" if you come across any difficulty in this process. Clicking on the link will take you to a page where you will get several "Choose File" buttons. Click on a button to upload the photo you want to upload. Select the photos from the folder and click on "Open". Select as many photos as you want and click on the Upload button below. Provide captions if you'd like and tag your friends. Now you know how to add photos to Facebook album!

Improve a Computer's Performance in Microsoft Vista by Using Task Manager

2011-06-21T00:09:00.000-07:00

The Task Manager is a tool built into the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system that allows you to view information about programs that are running on your computer. You can also view your computer's resource usage to troubleshoot issues, such as when your computer is freezing. Often, a computer freezes because one or more programs are attempting to use too much memory or CPU on your computer. Shutting down programs that are not responding or using up resources can improve your computer's performance.

1. Press the "Ctrl," "Alt" and "Del" keys on your keyboard at the same time.

2. Click "Start Task Manager" from the menu. The Task Manager will appear in a new window.

3. Navigate to the "Applications" tab if it is not already open.

4. Click on any application that is listed as "Not Responding," and then click "End Task" to shut it down. A program that is not responding has crashed or frozen and will cause your computer to run more slowly until you have closed it.

5. Click the "Performance" tab to view charts that display your computer's memory and CPU usage. The closer your computer is to running at 100% for either of these, the slower your computer will run. If you are running at 100% of either, to improve your computer's performance, you need to close down programs that are using a lot of memory or CPU.

6. Navigate to the "Processes" tab to see a list of programs and processes running on your computer.

7. Click the header for the "CPU" or "Memory" column to organize the processes by CPU usage or memory usage. This displays the processes that are using the most resources on your computer.

8. Record the names of the processes and any information in the "Description" column. This helps to determine programs that might cause issues on your computer the next time you boot it up.

9. Click the process name to highlight it, and then click "End Process" to close it. As you close down these processes, your computer's performance will increase.

Also see :

Change Startup programs in windows

Top 10 online services and applications

How to Change a Printer from Offline to Online.

How Can i Remove the Babylon Toolbar

2011-06-19T23:31:00.000-07:00

The Babylon Toolbar is an Internet Explorer add-on application that allows you to type foreign words in the given space and translate them to any language. When you install the Babylon 7 program, the Babylon Toolbar embeds on your Web browser. The Babylon Toolbar allows you to perform translations without having to navigate to the Babylon homepage. If you do not use it or need it, uninstalling the Babylon Toolbar is a quick and simple process.

Instructions :

1. Right click the Babylon icon on the lower right of your screen next to the system clock and click "Exit." Click "Yes" to confirm.

2. Click "Start" on your computer and click "Run."

3. Type "appwiz.cpl" and press "Enter." This will bring you to the programs window that displays programs and applications installed on your computer.

4. Scroll through the programs folder and click "Babylon Toolbar." Click "Remove/Uninstall" and click "Yes" to confirm the uninstall process.

5. Double click "My Computer" on the desktop and double click the "C:" drive. Double click the "Programs Files" folder.

6. Locate the Babylon folder. Right click on it and click "Delete." Confirm "Yes" to delete it. Empty the "Recycle Bin."

Also See :

What are the current available antivirus programs?

Free computer programs for windows

Computer Tips for new users

Top 10 Facebook Tips

Different Parts of the Computer and Their Function

2011-06-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

Computer Case

A computer is made up of many different components. Each part has a specific function. Whether you need to replace a part, are thinking about building a computer, or just looking for some additional information, it's important to understand the basic computer parts and what they do.

Case
The case is the part of your computer that holds all the other parts. Some common types of computer cases are: full-tower, mid-tower, mini-tower, and laptop. If you have a desktop computer, you are likely using a mid-tower; if you are using a notebook computer, you have a laptop case.

Motherboard
The motherboard is the part of your computer that wires all of the other parts together. Every component of your computer, from the DVD burner to the CPU, will connect directly into the motherboard. Motherboard specs are typically designed around which processor (CPU) the computer uses. For example, if your computer uses an Intel processor, you will need an Intel compatible motherboard.

Processor (CPU)
The processor, or CPU, of a computer is basically the brains of the computer. The processor is responsible for interpreting every code it receives from the other computer components, and making it usable to your operating system. Some common types of processors are Intel Core 2 Duo and AMD Phenom. A processor's speed will often determine the overall speed of your computer.

Hard drive
The hard drive part of your computer is very simple. Essentially, it is the part of the computer that stores all your information. If you upload a picture to your computer, it is stored on the hard drive. Hard drive capacity is measure in gigabytes, or GB. There are typically two ways that hard drives can connect to the motherboard: SATA and IDE.

Vedio Cards(Graphic Cards)
A graphic card is the component of your computer that interprets video signal. These cards are necessary so that you can connect a monitor to your computer. There are many types of graphic cards available: anything from high-end gaming cards to TV tuner cards. Some popular graphic card manufacturers are NVIDIA, ATI Etc.

Ram (Memory)
You may have heard of people upgrading the RAM in their computers. RAM is the part of your computer that is used as instant memory. RAM is always in use. For example, if you run many programs at once, you may want to upgrade your RAM because your computer is using more memory. RAM comes in many different configurations, such as DDR2 and DDR3. The type of motherboard you have will determine your RAM.

Optical Drive
The last main part of a computer is the optical drive. An optical drive is many times the drive you would use to burn CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray discs and more. Optical drives can be either slot loading, or tray loading and come in many different configurations. Optical drives connect directly to the motherboard of the computer.

How do I run Microsoft ScanDisk?

2011-06-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

Answer

To run scan disk and check your hard disk drive for errors follow the below steps for your version of Windows. Before running scan disk on the computer, keep in mind that it can take several hours to complete depending on the size of your hard disk drives, and any errors that may exist with the drive.

Before running scandisk we suggest all open programs be closed to help prevent any data loss and prevent any problems during scan. Windows 95, 98, and ME users may even want to boot the computer into Safe Mode before running scandisk.

Microsoft Windows XP, 2000, Vista, and 7 users

Keep in mind that these versions can be a networking operating system and it's possible that the privileges to run scandisk may have revoked by the system administrator. To run Scandisk we recommend you follow the recommend steps.

1. Double-click My Computer
2. Highlight a local hard disk drive by clicking on it once
3. Right-click the highlighted local drive
4. Click Properties
5. Click the Tools tab and click check now to check the drive for errors.
6. The computer will need to restart in order to run scandisk without getting interrupted.

Although not required we suggest having Scandisk automatically find and fix any errors found.

Microsoft Windows 95/98 users

To run scandisk from Windows 95 and 98 follow the below steps.

1. Click Start

2. Click Run and type scandisk in the run box

3. Click ok

4. Within the scandisk window select the drive that you wish to be checked.

5. Choose the option between standard and through. It is recommended you run standard first, if you encounter issues with scandisk using standard, run the through scan.

6. Finally, click start to begin scandisk.

In addition, Windows 95 OSR2 and Windows 98 will run scandisk automatically if the computer is shutdown improperly, to verify whether the hard disk drive encountered issues when the computer was improperly shutdown.

Microsoft Windows NT users

Windows NT is not shipped with Microsoft Scandisk. However, various third-party companies offer utilities that can scandisk and check your hard disk drive for you. Symantec a well respected computer company offers such a program.

Microsoft Windows 3.x / MS-DOS users

Scandisk was first available in MS-DOS 6.2 and was available ever since. If you are running MS-DOS 6.2 or 6.22 and would like to run scandisk, follow the below steps.

1. If you are in Windows 3.x, click File and then Exit to get to the MS-DOS prompt.

2. From MS-DOS, type CD\DOS and press enter.

3. From the C:\DOS> type scandisk and press enter. Scandisk should begin running on the computer.

Finally, some computer manufacturers have changed the installation directory of where scandisk is located; if you are unable to run scandisk from the DOS directory, go to the Windows directory by typing CD\Windows.

Disk Cleanup

2011-06-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

A software utility first introduced with Microsoft Windows 98 and included in all future releases of Microsoft Windows that enables users to quickly remove files that are no longer needed or that can be safely deleted.
As can be seen in the picture to the left Disk Cleanup can quickly delete Temporary Internet Files (associated with Internet Explorer), old downloaded program files, empty the Recycle Bin, and delete Temporary Files. Newer versions of Disk Cleanup (e.g. Windows XP and later) also allow users to delete Offline Webpages, Microsoft Error Reporting Temporary Files, WebClient/Publisher Temporary Files, Compress old files and Catalog files for the Content Indexer

How to open Microsoft Disk Cleanup

Microsoft Disk Cleanup can be opened by following one of the below methods.

Start
Programs, Accessories, System Tools
In System Tools click Disk Cleanup

Start, Run
In the Run line type: cleanmgr

Open My Computer
Right-click the drive you wish to run Disk Cleanup on (e.g. C: drive)
Click the Disk Cleanup button.

What to do in Disk Cleanup

Once Disk Cleanup is open check each of the boxes you wish to run. To the right of each option is the disk drive space each of the items are taking on your hard disk drive.

Note: We highly recommend that users DO NOT check the option to Compress old files. Often this option causes more issues than the small amount of space it recovers is worth.

Once each of the boxes have been checked click Ok to start the cleanup process.

Determining available hard drive space.

2011-06-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

Issue

Determining available hard drive space.

Solution

To determine the available hard disk drive space will vary depending upon the operating system that is currently being used. Below is a listing of various operating systems and the methods of determining how much space is available in that operating system.

Windows Vista and 7 users 1. Open the Computer Icon. In Computer you'll see each drive with a small percentage bar of how much disk space is being used as well as a description of how much is free and the total disk space. If you're wanting additional information right-click the drive and click Properties. Below is an example of what this looks like.

Windows 95, 98, NT 4.x, 2000, ME, and XP users

1.From the Windows desktop open My Computer

2.Within My Computer highlight and right-click the C: Drive or the drive you wish to determine the capacity or available space on the drive.

3.From the menu that appears after right-clicking the drive click Properties.

4.The Properties window will display the used space, free space, and the total capacity of the hard disk drive.

Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP users:

If you're running Windows 2000 or higher My Computer will also display the Total Size and Free Space for each of the drives in the main My Computer Windows. If you wish to display more information as well as a graph of available space follow the above steps.

MS-DOS and Windows command line users

Open the MS-DOS prompt.

To determine the available space on a hard disk drive using MS-DOS we recommend that the 'dir' command be used.

At the MS-DOS prompt type:

dir <press enter>

At the end of the directory listing you will see information similar to the below example.

2 file (s) 578 bytes
15 dir (s) 16,754.78 MB free

As you can see above the hard disk drive has over 16GB of free space. If you wish to see all files and how much space they are occupying type the below commands.

cd\
dir /s

The above command will list all files on your computer (except the hidden files) and give you the total amount of disk space they utilize as well as the free disk space.

Windows 3.x and NT 3.x users

In Windows 3.x or Windows NT 3.x you can determine the available free space by highlighting the C: drive and on the status bar at the bottom of the screen see the available free space and total.

In addition to the steps listed above you can also still view the available space through MS-DOS.

How to Get Rid of a Computer Virus

2011-06-11T08:30:00.000-07:00

Computer viruses come in many forms and can cause various kinds of damage to your system. Fortunately, most viruses are easily dealt with and effective methods for eliminating them are often developed as soon as the viruses are discovered. If you think your computer may be infected, take any necessary steps to clear your system and avoid infecting other

Visit your virus-scan software manufacturer's Web site and install any virus updates that are available. Then run the software. The software may not be able to delete the virus, but it may be able to identify it.
Search the Web for information regarding your specific virus by typing the name of the virus or its associated file into a search engine followed by the word "virus." For example, "Melissa virus," "BubbleBoy virus," etc.
Download and install any patches or other programs that will help you eliminate the virus. Or follow any instructions you find on deleting the virus manually.
Run another virus scan to make sure the virus has been dealt with properly.

Also See :

The First Thing to Do When You Get a Computer Virus
What is a computer virus
What are the current available antivirus programs?

Computer Care and Saftey Rules

2011-06-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

Computers are just like any other pieces of equipment, they need to be cleaned and cared for in order to get the most out of them. Most computers don't really see anything in the way of special care; their owners let them sit on a desk year round to collect dust. In turn, a computer whose internal parts are caked with dust will overheat faster and find itself running a lot slower than it should.

Physical Care

Computers need to be cleaned properly to keep in working order condition. You should clean your computer monitor about once a month by lightly spraying glass cleaner into a soft rag and wiping the monitor down. You should never spray the cleaner onto the monitor itself. Spraying substances onto a monitor will cause streaks, and depending how much substance you use, might permanently streak the monitor. Wipe the keyboard down with disinfectant wipes; you should never use a spray on your keyboard. If you use a spray on your keyboard, you chance having the liquid run down between the keys and damaging the keyboard. If something gets stuck between keys on your keyboard, you should use tweezers to remove it after turning off and unplugging your computer. If you simply try to brush the debris away, you chance knocking it down into the keyboard and losing whichever key it falls under. Once a year, spray down the insides of your computer with a small can of compressed air. Dust will often build up around parts, causing them to overheat easier and slowing down your computer. If you are using a standard mouse, you can remove the bottom frame to take out a small rubber ball. In the mouse where this ball sits are four small tracks. Use a small cotton swab to remove any dust and hairs that are on these tracks.

Internal Maintenance

A computer is a store house for mass amounts of data, so you could say a computer is like a big bookcase. Like real bookcases, they can become cluttered and unorganized, which can be frustrating when you're trying to find something. Having a cluttered computer also slows down the processing time for your normal every day functions. Defragmenting your computer will organize files in a fashion where the computer can easily access everything. This will allow for more RAM, which the computer will use for various tasks throughout its use. Most computers can be set to defrag on a regular routine; this feature is best used to defrag once a week. Besides defragging, the computer should have some kind of anti-virus program on it and perform routine scans to make sure you don't have any spyware or other malicious programs slowing down your computer.

How to Care for a Computer

2011-06-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

Your computer is a valuable piece of machinery and, like your car, needs to be serviced to keep it running smoothly. If you care for your computer on a regular basis, you can ensure that it will be ready when you need it. Learning to maintain your computer can also be a valuable skill you can use to help your friends and co-workers who need help maintaining their computers.

1. Get to know your computer. A manual came with your machine and you should keep it handy in case of problems. You also should skim the sections on areas where you frequently experience difficulty. Also utilize the help feature that comes with your operating system.

2. Be aware of tech resources around you. Technically-savvy friends should be your first line of defense, but don't rely on them all the time since they may get tired of fixing your problems. Online forums and support groups are also especially useful, since someone has usually experienced the same problems you encounter and posted advice.

3 Take precautions to protect the security and health of your computer. Install virus protection software, a firewall, and any other programs that can help protect your computer. Just in case, back up your computer files on a regular schedule. Special software is available to help with back up, or you can duplicate your work on a CD or external hard drive.

4. Know the signs of impending doom. If your computer freezes up, it's trying to tell you something is wrong. While rebooting your computer often solves the problem temporarily, the cause of the problem won't go away so easily. Check that your disk isn't full, since this is a common cause of poor computer performance.

5. Use the system tools that come with your computer. Tools such as ScanDisk and System Defragmenter can be found under the Accessories tab.

6. Maintain your computer on a regular basis to prevent sluggish behavior. Empty your recycle bin and delete bulky files that you aren't using. Clear out your temporary Internet files and delete unwanted emails from your inbox.

7. Organize your desktop each week, moving files into appropriate folders. The "My Documents" folder allows you to organize your computer using a virtual filing cabinet. Your computer desktop should resemble your actual desktop, neat and tidy.

8. Try to fix minor problems yourself. You can end a task by holding down the "Ctrl," "Alt," and "Delete" keys at the same time and then selecting the problem program from the Task Manager window. Also, undo any recent changes, such as the installation of a new program, if that might have caused the problem.

Computer Care Tips for a Flash Drive

2011-06-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Flash drives have become a popular means of storing and transferring data between computers, especially as the amount of storage space on the drives have grown larger. However, flash drive failures are not uncommon and can be especially devastating if you rely on a drive to hold all of your important data. There are a number of things that you can do to take care of your flash drive, extend its life expectancy and keep your data safe.

Moisture, Heat and Cold
Flash drives, like most mechanical devices, don't respond well if submerged in water or exposed to extreme temperatures. Don't leave the drive in a place where you could run the risk of spilling something on it. Also, don't leave it in location with great temperature fluctuations, such as inside a car during the winter or summer.

Flash Drive Storage
If the flash drive has a cap to protect the USB connector, keep the drive capped when not plugged into the computer. Some drives also have the option to extend the USB connector into the drive itself. Keep the flash drive closed if it's not in use.

Defragment Dangers
Never defragment your flash drive. Unlike computer hard drives that should be defragmented as regular maintenance, defragmenting a flash drive does nothing to speed up performance and can actually lessen the life expectancy of the drive.

Limited Allowable Number of Writes
A flash drive has a certain number of allowable writes in its lifetime. This differs depending on the type of drive, but is typically 10,000 or 100,000 writes. Because of this, you should make edits to documents on your computer, and then transfer the finished documents to your flash drive.

Proper Flash Drive Removal
Remember to correctly remove the flash drive from the computer when you are done using it. Shut all open files and folders and make sure the device has been properly stopped in Windows before pulling the drive out of the USB port.

Create a Password Reset Disc in Windows 7

2011-06-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

A great way to protect against a lost or forgotten password in Windows 7 is to create a Password Reset Disc. This will allow you to reset your password should you ever forget it. You'll need a USB flash drive or a floppy disc.

1. You'll need to access your user account by going to "Start" button, which is the "Windows Orb" at the lower left, and choose Control Panel. From the Control Panel, click on "User Accounts and Family Safety", and then on "User Accounts."

2. On the User Accounts screen, click on "Create a password reset disc" on the left panel.

3. The forgotten password wizard will open. Insert your USB flash device, or floppy disc, into your computer and then click "Next."

4. Choose from the drop down list the drive letter of the USB drive or floppy you are using and then click "Next." Enter the current user account password, and then click "Next."

Note: This recovery disc will still work even if you change your password in the future, but will not run if you re-run the the Create Password Reset Disc process again with a different disc.

5. The password recovery reset disc will be created. When the progress bar indicates 100% complete, click "Next."

6. You have successfully created Password Rest Disc. Label the disc if necessary and keep it in a safe place in the event you ever need to reset a lost Windows 7 password
.

How to Choose a Desktop Computer

2011-06-08T00:10:00.000-07:00

Shopping for a computer doesn't need to be hard. First think about what you need. Are you looking for a computer to perform basic tasks or to meet special requirements? Then do a little homework, and finally go shopping armed with that knowledge. You'll get a computer you can be happy with, and you'll get the best value for your money.

Instructions

Before you shop

1. Decide if you're better served by the PC/Windows platform or the Macintosh. You can generally get a faster computer for your money by choosing a Windows machine, but Macs come with more easy-to-use built-in software. Top brands are Dell, Hewlett- Packard, IBM, Gateway and Toshiba. Apple, of course, makes the Macintosh.

2. Think about whether this machine will need to work with your office or school server. Exchanging files between platforms is less of an issue than it used to be, but it's still worth noting.

3. Ask your friends and co-workers in similar lines of work what machines they have, where they bought them, if there were any problems, and whether they're happy with their choices.

4. Expect to spend $500 to $2,000 for a general-purpose machine, although you can find desktop computers for anywhere from $400 to $10,000.

The basics

1. Realize that if you buy a super cheap computer at a warehouse store or discounter, you're going to be on your own. Technical support from the major manufacturers tends to be a lot better.

2. Buy as much random-access memory (RAM), or system memory, as you can afford. At a bare minimum, get 128 megabytes (MB); 256 MB or 512 MB is preferable. (For a Macintosh, get at least 256 MB.) Memory is more critical than a faster processor.

3. Get at least two universal serial bus (USB) connections and a FireWire (also called IEEE 1394) connection. These will connect peripheral devices, such as a printer, PDA, digital cameras and camcorders, scanners and game controllers.

4. Get a CD burner so you can back up valuable data and make your own music Cd's. Look into a DVD burner too if you're involved in film making or editing, but remember that there are multiple competing standards; computer-burned DVDs might not play in your home DVD player. Make sure your machine has a DVD drive if you want to watch movies on your computer.

5. Ask about upgradability if you intend to use this computer for a long time, which is considered three or more years.

6. Choose any current computer model from the major manufacturers with a high degree of confidence if you simply want to send e-mail, surf the Web and do word-processing.

How to Change a Printer from Offline to Online.

2011-06-07T23:41:00.000-07:00

Once you have added either a USB or networked printer to your PC or Mac computer, you can begin sending documents to print. However, on occasion, a print command will create an error on the printer and take it offline, which will prevent all future jobs from printing. To resolve this issue, you will need to change your printer settings from offline to online.

PC Instructions

1. Open the Start menu and click on the "Printers and Faxes" icon. This will open a window with a list of the printers currently set up on your computer.

2. Double-click on the icon of the printer you want to change to online. A pop-up window detailing all current print jobs will open.

3. Go to Printer in the menu bar of the pop-up window and uncheck "Use Printer Offline." This action will change the printer from offline to online.

Mac Instructions

1. Open System Preferences by clicking on the icon in the Dock.

2. Go to the Print & Fax control panel under the Hardware category.

3. Select the printer you want to take online from the list on the left side of the screen. Then click on the "Open Print Queue" button.

4. Click on the "Resume Printer" button at the top of the queue window to change the printer from offline to online.

Save any web page as an image or PDF

2011-06-07T23:11:00.000-07:00

Quickly save any web page as a jpeg or png image file or a PDF file using URLCapt. After the file has been generated using this service you can download the file, share it with others over social networks, or copy the generated URL pointing to the file.

URLCapt

Top 10 Internet tips and tricks

2011-06-06T03:52:00.000-07:00

You don't need the http:// portion of a web page

When typing an Internet address you do not need to type http:// or even www. in the address. For example, if you wanted to visit Computers care you could just type computerscare.blogspot.com and press enter. To make things even quicker, if you're visiting a .com address you can type computerscare.blogspot and then press Ctrl + Enter to type out the full http://www.computerhope.com address.

Quickly move between the fields of a web page

If you're filling out an online form, e-mail, or other text field you can quickly move between each of the fields by pressing the Tab key or Shift + Tab to move back a field. For example, if you're filling out your name and the next field is your e-mail address you can press the Tab key to switch to the e-mail field.

This tip also applies to the buttons, if you press tab and the web developer has designed correctly the button should be selected and will allow you to press the space bar or enter to push the button.

If you have a drop-down box that lists every country or every state you can click that box and then press the letter of the state or country you're looking for. For example, For example in the drop box of states, if u want the states of United States you could press u on the keyboard to quickly scroll to Utah.

Use Internet search engines to their full potential

Make sure to get the most out of every search result. If you're not finding what you want try surrounding the
text in quotes. For example, if you were searching for 'computer help' this actually searches for pages that contain both computer and help and not necessarily pages that have computer and help next to each other. If you search for "computer help" with the quotes around the search query this will only return pages that actually have computer and help next to each other.

Many new computer users also don't realize that every search box allows you to also simply press enter instead of having to move the mouse button over to the Search button.

Top 10 unknown Google tricks

Protecting children from harmful material and people on the Internet.

Know your Internet browser shortcuts

There are dozens of different shortcut keys that can be used with Internet browsers. Below are a few of our top suggested Internet browser shortcuts.

- Pressing Alt + D in any major Internet browser will move the cursor into the address bar. This is a great way to quickly enter an Internet address without having to click the mouse cursor in the address bar.
- Hold down the Ctrl key and press the + or - to increase and decrease the size of text.
- Press the backspace key or hold down the Alt key + left arrow to go back a page.
- Press F5 to refresh or reload a web page.
- Press F11 to make the Internet browser screen full screen.
- Press Ctrl + B to open your Internet bookmarks.
- Press Ctrl + F to open the find box in the browser to search for text within the web page you're looking at.

Take advantage of tabbed browsing

Take full advantage of tabbed browsing in all Internet browsers today. While reading any web page if you come across a link you may be interested in open that link in a new tab so it can be viewed later. A new tab can be opened by holding down the Ctrl key and clicking the link or if you have a mouse with a wheel click the link with the middle mouse button.

Try alternative browsers

Most computer users use the default browser that comes included with the computer, with Microsoft Windows this is Internet Explorer. There are several great alternative browsers that are all free to download and use and may have features your current browser does not include. Below are a few of our favorites, try one or try them all.

Google Chrome
Mozilla Firefox
Opera

Install plugins and add-ons

Each of the above alternative browsers also have a large community of volunteers who develop add-ons and plugins that can be added into the browser. Each of these browsers have hundreds of thousands of these add-ons that can do such things as giving you live weather in your browser window, changing its color, and adding additional functionality.

Make sure your browser and its plugins are up-to-date

Each Internet browser can have several additional plugins that give it additional functionality. For example, Adobe Flash is a great way to bring movies and other animated content to the Internet. Keeping these plugins up-to-date is vital for your computer stability and also security.

Use online services

There are hundreds of free online services that can help make using your computer easier, more productive, and more enjoyable. See our top 10 online services for a listing of our favorites.

Top 10 online services and applications

2011-06-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

Google services

Google has a wealth of free online services and applications that everyone should use. Below is a listing of some of our favorites.

Google Docs - Fantastic collection of free services including a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation service, online forms, drawings, and more. Each of these services can also be viewed and edited between multiple users.

Google Calendar - One of the best if not the best online calendars available to create appointments and even share events between other users.

Google Translate - Another fantastic free service by Google that allows you to translate any text, website, or document into another language with support of over 50 different languages.

Gmail - By far one of the best online free e-mail services with an almost endless list of features and probably the best e-mail spam filter.

Google maps - Excellent maps service that not offers updated maps, directions, satellite views, and even street views of much of the world.

YouTube - The premier location to share and view online videos.

RescueTime

RescueTime is an excellent service that can help keep you focused while on the computer and track how much time you spend on each task. This service keeps you focused while on the computer by only allowing you to perform productive tasks and can prevent you from accessing unproductive programs and websites. In addition, the site offers a wealth of graphs and data to see where you spend your time and can even keep track of how much time you spend on each web page you visit.

Download Windows, Linux, or Mac client and visit page

WOT

An excellent add-on that can be added to any major Internet browser including Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome that alerts you to any Internet page you are visiting that is not safe. This service works by allowing any user to create a comment and rating on any web site, which WOT uses to alert a user if the site is not safe. WOT protects you from any web page with malware, reported scam sites, sites that invade privacy, or conducts other fraudulent activities.

Visit and download WOT

Grammarly

Fantastic service that checks for misspellings, commonly confused words, plagiarism, grammar errors, punctuation, and will even suggest alternative synonyms. A Microsoft Office add-in can also be installed to check any document you're working on within Office. Finally, with each suggested correction an explanation about the problem, examples, and the ability to ask the community is made available.

Visit and try Grammarly

Flickr

The most recognized and used services for exploring, sharing, and storing photos online. Thousands of pictures are uploaded to this website every minute, making it a fantastic place for inspiration for any photographer and a great place to store, show, and print your own images.

Flickr

Skype

Another great online service and tool that allows anyone to make phone calls and video calls between other Skype users over the Internet.

Visit and download Skype

Wikipedia

Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that has been generated using millions of different contributors around the world. Today the site now contains over 3.5 million different English articles on almost every topic imaginable and millions of other topics in dozens of other languages.

Read and edit Wikipedia

Avery

A fantastic online suite of tools including an image editor, effects editor, screen capture, vector image editor, image markup, color editor, and even an audio and music creator. Each of these programs is online and can be used through your browser.

Visit the Avery suite

PayPal

The number one used service for taking and sending payments without using a credit card.

Visit PayPal

Dropbox

Another great tool that allows you to share and sync any file between your PC, Mac, Linux, and Mobile device.

Also See :

Top 10 Facebook tips
What are the current available antivirus programs?

Computers Care

Earn free mobile recharge by sending SMS from ULTOO

Sign Up

Definition for DVD-9

Technical Information

Compatibility

Drawbacks

Comparison With Other Formats

Microsoft Outlook shortcut keys

Use e-mail rules / filters to control your e-mail

Backup Facebook photos, videos, and text

Modifier key

Find and delete bad Windows shortcuts

Numeric keypad

How to Add Photos to Facebook Photo Album

Improve a Computer's Performance in Microsoft Vista by Using Task Manager

How Can i Remove the Babylon Toolbar

Different Parts of the Computer and Their Function

How do I run Microsoft ScanDisk?

Disk Cleanup

Determining available hard drive space.

How to Get Rid of a Computer Virus

Computer Care and Saftey Rules

How to Care for a Computer

Computer Care Tips for a Flash Drive

Create a Password Reset Disc in Windows 7

How to Choose a Desktop Computer

How to Change a Printer from Offline to Online.

Save any web page as an image or PDF

Top 10 Internet tips and tricks

Top 10 online services and applications