HowToDoUseFix

How to learn English online

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 03:55:00 +0000

For more than 10 years now, there has been a trend for non-English speaking countries and people to learn English. They vary in age range from as young as 5 years old to some who are 80 years old or above. This is especially true for Japanese who want learn English or improve on it. South Koreans and Chinese too are groups eager to learn the language.

Global businesses have accepted English as the international language that will improve their communications with other countries. Learning English academically will take several years to speak it comfortably and more years to speak, listen and write it with confidence. Learning English online is an easier way to be conversant in it without having to attend school regularly. The important thing in conversational English is being able to express yourself clearly so people you talk to will be able to understand you well.

The biggest advantage in learning a language online is:

It will cost much less compared to attending school.
A student is able to choose the time convenient to have a lesson.
A student can also cancel a lesson within specific time limits without penalty.
A wide selection of tutors that might even be able to speak your language.
A wide choice of lessons to choose from that does not need to be academic in nature.

Click HERE for more information.

Built-in HDD

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 10:05:00 +0000

For those having problems in upgrading or reformatting their computers, check if your CPU has a built-in HDD. When you check your system it will show as unallocated space in the the HDD. In reality, it is a built-in hard drive in the motherboard or HDD where it has files for the OS of the CPU. This is common with branded computers.

The branded CPUs have their own Windows OS that would have been arranged with Microsoft without necessarily having keys or codes to activate them. Microsoft online will immediately recognize an operating system they have assigned to a manufacturer.

What this manufacturers have not realized is that their computers will be difficult to reformat in the event it is required. They have some files that are not common for market sold OS. When reformatting the market Windows OS might just fail to complete the reformat because it will need drivers only available to the manufacturer.

CMOS error

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 04:36:00 +0000

The trouble with many motherboards of computers is having or showing CMOS error whenever you switch on your PC. It is frustrating when you know your PC is less than a year old and already having that problem.

Manufacturers of motherboards, especially those made in China, have that problem. Usually it should just be updating the BIOS and everything should be alright. But, no, it's not that way anymore. The problem could either be the 'botherboard' needs exactly the 3-volts of the CMOS battery and no less, or, the CMOS battery provides less than 3 volts.

It happened to an EMAXX motherboard and I thought replacing the CMOS battery solved it. The solution was only good for one day. It was the same thing on the second day showing CMOS error but there was actually none. The earlier errors before replacement was the date and time. Now there are no actual errors. Just press on F10 and all is good.

The issue is, if the AVR is turned off, it seems the CMOS battery no longer does the job it needs to do. It does not save the basic info it needs to start the CPU normally. So, if you do not want to getting into BIOS every start up, leave the AVR on. That will save precious minutes of going over BIOS and starting the computer.

Windows 7 boot failure fix

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 04:13:00 +0000

Windows 7 has been a pain in the neck ever since we tried using it at our internet shop. We formatted back all our operating system to Windows XP as we did not have that much of a problem with XP, except for one computer. Two days ago, this computer started having boot failures until it would no longer boot.

We have tried reformatting it back with the Windows 7 CD installer but never succeeded. It had so many excuses. The remedies online were also tried but none of them worked. We have a SATA HDD on the CPU and also with another computer that had XP as operating system.

For fear that the 500 Gig SATA might have gone defective, I installed it on the CPU that has a 250 Gig SATA with Win XP OS. When I started the one with XP, it went to CheckDisk mode on the 500 Gig SATA. It corrected all the disk errors.

When I installed back the 500 Gig SATA to its original computer it booted normally with Windows 7. It first showed "Launch Repair" with "Open Windows normally" and I opted for the latter. Yes, it booted normally with Windows 7 with no problem at all. This simply shows that Windows XP is far superior to Windows 7 as it was able to fix what the Windows 7 installer CD could not.

I hope that Microsoft will continue supporting Windows XP as it shows to be a support for succeeding Windows OS that could not fix their own problems.

How to Start Your Own Car Repair Shop

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 03:05:00 +0000

How to Start Your Own Car Repair Shop - A good business to start with minimal capital is an auto body repair and repainting shop. What is important here is good knowledge with some hands-on experience. A market start-up for the business will be like family, friends or associates, especially if exceptional jobs on their cars are done.

Word-of-mouth marketing is an essential part of this business to be successful. Tie-ups with car body part and paint material suppliers will also be a good strategy to gain more customers.

War Commander FB - fast unit repairs at no cost

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 10:18:00 +0000

The War Commander game at Facebook has earned a big number of enthusiasts. The enthusiasm though is lost for some because of hours of repair time on damaged units. To make instant repairs it will cost money or Facebook credits and many would not want to spend money on playing war games like War Commander.

There is a little trick to shorten the repair time of damaged units. When repair time is less than 5 minutes, repair is free and instant. Riflemen and heavy gunners could be repaired instantly in groups of five or more. A pair Rocket Launcher and Flamethrower can likewise be instantly repaired. Others will take 6 to 9 minutes individually to repair and all you have to do is wait until the last 5 minutes to instantly repair them.

What you need to do is set up a platoon and name it "Repairs". Put in units one at a time that require repair time of less than 5 minutes to repair to make it instant. Move damage units to the barracks so you can proceed repairing them one after another. It takes almost or much less than half the time of standard platoon repairs at no cost at all. You will tend to like War Commander more because you actively participate in quick repairs of units.

How to fix some CPU problems

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 07:56:00 +0000

Many CPU or computer desktop problems can be fixed by simple re-seating and changing of slots. Most motherboards will have 2 to 4 slots for its RAM. Same is true for GPU or video card PCI-e slots. Some problems that can be fixed are like:

Monitor suddenly does not have any display.
CPU starts then shuts down or restarts after being used for a short while.
CPU starts but does not show to boot and monitor does not have any display.
CPU shows error or BSOD shows or freezes on boot up.

When the above happens, re-seat the RAM card. If you have two RAMS or more in each slot and re-seating does not solve the problem, try taking out each card one at a time, then start the CPU each time until you take out all RAM cards. If it still does not work, insert only one card then start the CPU. Do this for each slot. You should be able to find out now which slots are not recognized by the system causing the defect.

If it is not the RAM cards, re-seat the GPU or video graphics card. If it still does not work, test the graphics card on a different CPU compatible with it. You should be able to tell then if it is the graphics card that is at fault or not.

Lastly, check the heat sink and fan of the processor. Chances are dirt and dust have accumulated causing the processor to overheat. Follow instructions from the manual on how to properly remove the fan and/or heat sink. To clean the assembly, use a soft bristle paint brush to get rid of the dirt. If the processor is exposed as with AMD processors, you should be able to see if silicon paste needs to be added for better cooling.

Take time also to inspect the PSU for dirt accumulation. It will also need to be cleaned gently with a paint brush. Take extra precaution in cleaning as some parts of the PSU still hold some high voltage that could give an unpleasant shock or even a bad burn.

I am currently handling and maintaining 12 desktops and 2 laptops at our internet shop and the above were the frequent problems and solutions.

How to Use Silicon paste

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 07:28:00 +0000

Processors and heat sink fans will always need to have Silicon paste applied in between them when being installed. After dis-assembly for cleaning, you will find the paste between to have hardened and have breaks, some stay on the processor and others stick to the heat sink. These will have to removed and the surfaces cleaned well with a cotton bud dipped in rubbing alcohol.

When Silicon paste is not applied during re-assembly, chances are the computer will turn off on its own in a short while. This is because the processor has heated up and can not be cooled down by the heat sink fan.

In applying Silicon paste, it should be well spread out evenly on the surface of the processor. About a millimeter thin film of the paste should do the work to help the heat sink cool down the processor. While too much paste can drip down the processor and could ruin some of parts of the computer motherboard.

How to make printer cartridge recognized

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 04:13:00 +0000

Almost all, if not all, late model printer cartridges have the print heads and contacts integrated in them. So, if you replace an empty cartridge not only do you get a new fully inked one with a new set of contacts and print head. Unlike earlier models, the printer heads were part of the printer assembly and not in the cartridges themselves. Once worn out, most of the time the print head could not be replaced.

With the printer cartridges now, especially those that can be or are being refilled, it is frequent that the printer would show an error that the cartridge is not being recognized or improperly installed. What actually happens is that the contacts are not clean or even smudged by ink. The reason why the printer could not recognize it.

It would be good to try, as remedy, to clean the contacts at the cartridge with cotton by softly wiping it. If the contacts seem dull or have a film over them, use a pencil eraser to clean the contacts much like erasing pencil writing. It often works because contact surface is renewed and can be detected by the printer. This will save a lot of money instead of buying a new printer cartridge.

How to remove crankshaft pulley bolt

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 08:10:00 +0000

The usual tool in mind to loosen the bolt of a crankshaft pulley is an impact wrench. Many though have not been successful in using them. There are other methods that can be used to loosen a crankshaft pulley bolt.

One quick way to do it is fit in a socket or box wrench (usually 19mm size) and let the other end rest against something fixed and sturdy where the engine would rotate. The starter then could be 'flicked' several times until the bolt loosens up. Before flicking the starter make sure that the high tension wire to the distributor is removed so the engine will not run.

When doing this method, make sure no one is around or near where the crankshaft pulley is. There is a tendency for the wrench to fly-off when the crankshaft pulley bolt comes loose.

How to cope with Fibromyalgia

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:02:00 +0000

Fibromyalgia never came to me as disease I had for more than 30 years now. All the while, I also never thought that I was fighting it that made me overcome the feeling of fatigue when I wake up and the entire body pain that I was experiencing in the early stages of it. Often on days I wake up and feel that way, I suspect that I am about to have flu or had one drink too many the previous night.
What was I doing to overcome body pains and the feeling of fatigue? Here is how to:

When I wake up with that feeling, I force myself out of bed, have a cup of coffee then find something to get busy with.
Physical activity makes the pain and feeling of fatigue go away.
I do not take pain killers.
When walking, especially uphill, to avoid pain in the knee and feeling of having cramps on both legs, I rest every 200 meters or less.
I have made longer strides when I walk instead of my usual and normal short steps.
I do not lie down to rest during daytime for more than an hour as it triggers the feeling of fatigue.

Now that I am aware that it is Fibromyalgia that has been causing me this odd feeling, I will no longer wonder why I frequently feel that way. With my age at 58 and getting older, I should be more physically active as fatigue and body pains get lost with the activity.
Unknown cause of disease and no cure: Fibromyalgia

Internet connection or network adapter problem

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Thu, 31 May 2012 08:06:00 +0000

Your computer has been working good and connected to the internet for as long as you know you have been using it. But suddenly, one day, when you switch it on it shows you have no internet connection. What needs to be checked are:

Your cable or wifi connection
Verify with your ISP if there's anything wrong with their service
Check on your network adapter for any flaws

Most likely when you try to establish internet connection through the network it would not go through because of missing requirements. You find this impossible because you are aware that it was working fine and now this! No matter how often you try to install the the network adapter and try several drivers for it, it simply would not work.

That's what exactly happened to one of my CPUs in our network. I almost concluded that it was a motherboard issue. After some thorough research, I found out that there is a reset button or hole near where the headset is being plugged at the rear of the casing! (Most desktops would have and some might not) All that needs to be done is switch off the CPU, unplug the power cord then press the button for a couple of seconds. After that, plug in the CPU and switch it on. It should have the internet connection again. (TIP: If there is a small hole for the reset, use a paper clip to be inserted in the hole to press on reset.

Another possible cause would be the CMOS is corrupted and needs to be reset. If clearing and resetting does not do the job, check on the CMOS battery, chances are it is already drained and will have to be replaced. Symptoms of a CMOS battery going bad is the CPU time always resets to default whenever the computer is turned on.

Home made temporary level

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:14:00 +0000

Times come when you need to level a pool table, a stove or anything that needs to be leveled. They seem to look awkward when tilted to one side. It is irritating to see it is obvious for liquid to flow to just one side or higher on one side in a glass or container.

To make surfaces or things sit squarely flat horizontally, a carpenter's leveling tool is used for that. It is not common household tool so chances are you would not have one at home. How to make a home made temporary one is really easy. Take a glass or plastic jar with a cap. Draw a line about an inch high from the bottom around the jar. Put water in the jar up to the line you have drawn.

By setting the jar in the middle what you want to level, you will see what side needs to be elevated. The lower side will show water in the jar to be higher than the line. That should solve your problem on a surface that needs to be leveled.

Small Frying pan handle remedy

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 06:49:00 +0000

Our smaller stainless steel frying pan is used daily - the reason why its handle gave in earlier. There was no heat-resistant stub that remained as it all crumbled to tiny bits. Anyway it is not being used for prolonged cooking and mostly for heating food or frying eggs.

When I made or fixed the handle, I still had an oxy-acetylene torch set. Instead of doing a full metal weld, I did a bronze weld to preserve the properties of stainless steel. The extended handle was fashioned from a piece of flat stainless steel "folded" to wrap around the original handle stub. This resulted to a handle that does not get heated too much for normal handling.

Do this only if you are familiar with the process as bronze welding require the use of flux for proper adherence of the bronze to the surfaces involved.

Large Frying Pan broken handle

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 05:40:00 +0000

Cook wares outlast their handles most of the time. Like our good large stainless steel frying pan, it would have been outright dumb to dispose of it just because of a broken handle. Fortunately, the stub handle was long enough to do some remedy to attach something to it.

So even with an aluminum square tube, that fits exactly to the heat resistant handle stub, it was just a matter of how to fix it to the stub. As the stub has also lost its stainless steel rivet, I replaced it with aluminum rivets to size. Then I drilled a hole on through the aluminum tube and stub then bonding them with a single rivet. It's been more than 10 years now and the frying pan still is in good use for us at home.

How to use Box Wrench as extension

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 02:08:00 +0000

Open-wrenches are often shorter than Box or Closed-Wrenches. The reason is to prevent over forcing the open-wrench in either tightening or loosening bolts and nuts. Doing so could make corners of bolts and nuts rounded and more difficult to work on.

On some occasions, it is impossible to use a box-wrench in tight spots where only open-wrench can only be inserted but does not have enough length for leverage. A suitable box-wrench of the same size can be used as extension for the open-wrench for more leverage. This can be used to either loosen stubborn bolts and nuts or tighten them. Make sure to use insert the box-wrench properly as shown on the photo.

Headlight Turn Switch fix

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:22:00 +0000

Cars that have their headlight switch on the same lever as the turn signal switch become loose as they become old. In this situation, you could accidentally switch off your headlights at night when signalling left or right turn. Replacing the entire headlight turn signal switch assembly could cost anywhere from $50.00 and above, depending on the car make.

To avoid those costs, I fixed a thin strip of stainless steel at the non-rotating part of the lever extending about half an inch above the rotating switch. On the rotating switch, I formed a flattened sheet that holds umbrella wire frames into a ribbed aluminum band and used superglue to bond it. With that, the headlight switch fix now turns accordingly as it used to switch on the headlights.

Home Repair Tips : How to Use a Rivet Gun

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:53:00 +0000

Please refer to my first post here on what you can do with aluminum rivets and the wire cut from it. View the YouTube video on how to properly use a Rivet gun. There are sizes and lengths of rivets that are appropriate rivets for the thickness of what you have to bind or fasten together.

http://youtu.be/0bGAiC0_i_k?hd=1

Plastic bottle replaces Hose

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:32:00 +0000

When filling plastic or steel drums from a faucet, we normally use a water hose to do the job. It is mostly troublesome to use the entire length of a rubber or plastic garden hose because of its bulk. Cutting from it a short length to reach the drum could just be a waste because the faucet connector will need to be replaced at the main hose. If the tap water faucet has no threads to screw it on makes another problem.

Instead of that, I looked for alternatives on how to get the water from the faucet reach the drum. We had different sizes of plastic bottles and I chose the right size to make it as a conduit in place of the hose. I put a hole the size of the faucet almost at the bottom of the plastic bottle. With that inserted, it is convenient to fill the drum and I could hear water flowing in. Once the deep sound becomes lighter, you know the drum is almost full. Compared to a hose, it is mostly submerged in the drum and you do not hear the water flowing.

Grill charcoal tray hole remedy

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 03:36:00 +0000

The charcoal tray of our griller rusted out with use and had a big hole in the middle. I never considered taking it to a welding shop to have the tray fixed as it will again cost me something I might not be willing to pay. Laying a metal sheet on top of the tray bottom will also work, but the thought of ashes going under it will make things messy, was not a good option.

Instead I thought of forming a galvanized flat sheet with the same dimensions as the inside of the charcoal tray will be better. With my experience in metal sheet working and moulding, it was done in half a day. Trimming sharp corners made it safe from injury when grilling or cleaning the charcoal tray. Excess on the edges were folded out for more convenience in lifting it out for cleaning. It only cost me $1.00 for the piece of galvanized sheet I bought from a welding shop.

Tips on screwing & tightening bolts

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 04:06:00 +0000

Problems with loose or worn out threads with screws, bolts and nuts come at a time when you're about done with a job. It often happens when using metal or aluminum screws on plastic and wood because of over tightening. To avoid this, stop tightening when twisting the screwdriver or wrench finally resists from turning any further. Forcing it will either damage the wood or plastic thread pattern. It also happens when tightening metal-to-metal or aluminum-to-aluminum screws, bolts and nuts.

Never force tighten screws, bolts and nuts beyond reasonable strength. Always bear in mind that only heavy duty equipment and machines would require extra effort in tightening bolts and nuts with the use of a torque wrench. Hexagonal bolts with a cross slot for a Philipps screwdriver do not require extra torque. For this, it is still best to tighten with a screwdriver than a wrench. Avoid using tools like pliers, vise-grip or forcing wrong size wrench for loosening them up unless utterly necessary.

Toilet Shelf from scrap plywood

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 02:07:00 +0000

Our toilet did not have any shelf where we could put stocks of tissue paper and other things. Fortunately a neighbor had lots of large scrap plywood that I was able to salvage. For the base of the shelf, I cut the largest board to 9-3/4" x 22", for the top 5" x 23" and two boards of 11" x 8" for the sides.

The base was cut shorter by 1 inch so I could nail and fasten the two side boards to its side while the top board nailed onto the top of both side boards. The bottom of the shelf was fastened that way so that nails hold it horizontally thus more holding strength. If it were nailed vertically to the bottom sides of the side boards, time will come when the load of the base would slowly undo the nails and board down because of weight.

Fastening the toilet shelf to the wall, I fashioned three cuts of 1/8" x 1" x 3" aluminum flat bars into 2" x 1" 90 degree angle bars. Two for bottom and one for the top. I drilled 1/8" holes to screw them on the shelf then to the wall.

Computer table assorted parts

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 02:41:00 +0000

After buying a new desktop, I had a dilemma on how to fit it next to our other desktop that is on a ready-made computer table. So I had to "trim" down extended parts of the ready-made table. The space next to it now had the same dimensions as where old table is positioned. I have a small table 13.5"wide x 24"length and 26.5" high where tool boxes were on, and in it. Then there is also a 20" x 26" table top covered with formica that I fixed on the small table top. That's a temporary table for the new desktop.

I was considering to buy a computer table or maybe have a custom one made. It took me about two weeks trying to find one with the dimensions needed at the same asking around for the cost of a custom made table. The prices I canvassed were at least Php 2,000.00 ($50.00) and above. Also I did not like the materials they used for ready-made ones, and, custom made with the materials I like will cost at least twice!

Relying on what I know I can do, I found a steel frame of an old CPU, stripped it off until I had only a sturdy 3-sided frame. Installing it upright, it was enough to clear the 20" LCD monitor. The 3 pieces of wood I trimmed off the other table was good to be cut into size to serve as table top of the steel frame where the new CPU is to be put. I joined the 3 pieces of cut wood first with contact cement and screwed on small galvanized plates on the joints. I also supported the top frame with the use of aluminum square tube to fully support the weight of the CPU.

Tool Rack for Screwdrivers & Pliers

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:26:00 +0000

The frequent tools I use at home are a set screwdrivers both cross and flat tip, pliers and metal files. I have several tool boxes and bags where I used to keep them, but always had trouble finding them. Among the scrap I had was a 1-inch x 2-inch x 10-inch softwood. After smoothing out the wood, I drilled 1/4 inch diameter holes at 1 inch intervals in the middle of the 2 inch surface of the wood on its on its length . The holes in the middle were enlarged to accommodate one handle of mechanical pliers and a metal file. To set the rack on the wall, I formed an aluminum flatbar to make two pieces of 1/8-inch x 1-inch x 3-inch aluminum angle bars bent 90 degrees on the one-inch mark. I drilled 1/8 inch holes through the wide side and used wood screw to affix them on the softwood and wall. Presto! I now have a tool rack very convenient to find the tools I use often.

Telephone/Fax Stand

noreply@blogger.com (rbnstr08) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 02:53:00 +0000

The telephone stand as shown on the photo was first made for just a plain telephone with the use of scrap wood, extra metal brackets and aluminum bar for support. It is now mounted with plywood anchored by plastic "L" angle bar, cut from thick plastic casings, to the original stand. Wood screws and metal screws were used where applicable and depending on the need.

The stand is sturdy enough to hold a quite heavy old fax machine and even when a telephone user rests an arm or elbow around it. It is easy to disassemble in case it needs to be moved to another location.