jsix

About friends

2011-09-29T03:06:00.000-07:00

One go and another come....can it be same ??Idont know....

CORSAIR Hydro H70 Water Cooling

2010-10-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

Spec / Special Features :
* Pre-filled, closed-loop system is easy to install
* Copper CPU cooling plate for maximum cooling performance
* Integrated pump and reservoir is sealed for zero maintenance and improved leakage protection
* Large, double-thick 120mm radiator for outstanding heat dissipation
* High-performance, twin 120mm fans offer outrageous airflow in push-pull configuration
* Included step-down adapters let you customize your fan speed for low noise or high performance.
* Two-year warranty
usd350 included shipping

Tunic Thermal Paste

2010-10-16T05:26:00.000-07:00

TX-2 achieves the best interface between your CPU and the heatsinks by its unique designed molecular size and shape. Without any metal or electric conductive, Tuniq TX2 is safe, reliable and the most effective thermal compound for your valuable CPUs and coolers.

Features:
Low thermal resistance for superior heat transfer, 4.5W/mK
Small molecular size makes a better contact between the heatsink and heatsource.
Thin bond line for hi-efficiency conductivity
Low bleed under high pressure
Spreads easy - clean consistency
Help the low-pressure clip design of cooler to achieve better cooling performance.
RoHS compliant
Not Electrically conductive

Overclock Testing Results:
Tuniq TX-2 63.5(load) 38 (idle)
Tuniq TX-1 65.1(load) 38 (idle)
standard thermal grease 69.3 (load) 39 (idle)

*CPU: Intel E 4300 @ 2.7G
*Torture software: SP2004
*Testing Cooler: Sunbeam Silent Whisper 775 Version(Fan speed 2300RPM)
*Room Temperature: 28.5°C

Appearance
Grey

Viscosity
285000 cP

Thermal conductivity
4.5W/mK

Operating temperature
-45°C ~ 200°C

Specific Gravity
3.96 @ 25°C

Volume
3.5g
USD30 included shipping

Do It Your Self

2010-08-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

Computer Secrets Unleashed! 2010

Earn 60%!) All New For 2010! Dont pay a computer guy 100's or 1000's of dollars! A Top I.t. Pro breaks his silence & reveals the Secret techniques to keep your home/office computer screaming fast, free of spyware, viruses & hackers, and 100% backed up!

Click Here!

Check Your Computer Health

2010-08-20T10:33:00.001-07:00

How To Remove Virus From USB Drives

2009-08-31T06:36:00.000-07:00

One of the ways by which a virus can infect your PC is through USBPen drives. Common viruses such as ’Ravmon’ , ‘New Folder.exe’ etc are spreading through USB drives. Most anti virus programs are unable to detect them and even if they do, in most cases they are unable to delete the file, only quarantine it. Here are the things which you can do if you want to remove such viruses from your USB Drive.

Whenever you plug a Pen drive in your system, a window will appear similar to the one shown below

Don’t click on Ok , just choose ‘Cancel’. Open the Command Prompt by typing ‘cmd‘ in the run box. In the command prompt type the drive letter and press enter . Now type dir wa and press enter.

This will display a list of the files in the pen drive. Check whether the following files are there or not

Autorun.inf
Ravmon.exe
New Folder.exe
or any other exe file which may be suspicious.

If any of the above files are there, then probably the USB drive is infected. In command prompt type attrib -r -a -s -h . and press enter. This will remove the Read Only, Archive, System and hidden file attribute from all the files. Now just delete the files using the command del filename. example del Ravmon.exe. Delete all the files that are suspicious. To be on a safer side, just scan the USB drive with an anti virus program to check whether it is free of virus or not. Now remove the drive and plug it again. In most of the cases, the real culprit turns out to be the “Autorun.inf” file which mostly gets executed when someone clicks Ok in the dialog window which appears above. Thus the infections can spread.

After this..go to WINDOWSPrefetch folder..there find .ps files( may be autorun or New folder.exe etc) if any..if present delete them.

And imp is disable autoplay feature of USB drives , u can use tweak ui sw for that.If you disable the Autoplay feature of USB drives, then there are lesser chances of the virus spreading.

Folder Options missing from Tools menu in Windows Explorer

2009-08-30T01:54:00.000-07:00

NoFolderOptions Policy hides Folder Options from Control Panel, and the Folder Options… command under Tools menu in Windows Explorer. The Folder and Search Options command in the Organize menu (in Windows Vista) is grayed out as well.
If your system is not part of any network and this restriction was enabled without your knowledge, it could be caused by Virus or Malware. There are plenty of viruses which enable the NoFolderOptions Policy in the registry, and in addition, hides file extensions for known file types. To get the option back, use one of these methods:
Using Registry Editor
Launch Regedit.exe and navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer
-and-
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ Explorer
Delete the NoFolderOptions value (if found) from the above locations
Exit the Registry Editor.
Using Group Policy Editor
Group Policy Editor is not available in Windows XP Home Edition and Windows Vista Home Editions. For all editions of Windows XP and Windows Vista, you may use the .reg file (under paragraph "Registry fix") to remove the Policy setting.
Note that this only resets the NoFolderOptions per-user Policy, whereas NoFolderOptions can be a per-machine setting as well.
1. Launch GPEDIT.MSC
2. Navigate to the following branch:
User Configuration Administrative Templates Windows Components Windows Explorer
3. Double-click Removes the Folder Options menu item from the Tools menu
4. Set it to Not configured
Registry Fix
Download folderopt.zip, unzip and run the file folderopt.reg.

Fixing Slow Logon Time

2009-08-30T01:50:00.000-07:00

My problem was a 1 min login delay due the aktiveds.dll that loads at startup (thanks to NicTech Networks Inc.). The following advice worked for me so I guess it works for any .dll made by NicTech since they all use the same registry folder....

Open up regedit.exe and find THIS folder. Navigate to it by clicking the +'s to expand
things like you would in Windows explorer:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Notify\Guardian

Right click over "Guardian" in the left pane.
Left click on "Permissions"
Left click "SYSTEM" once to highlight it.
Check "deny" in all boxes that you can at the bottom (Probably only 2)
Left click Apply
Left Click OK

Say "OK" to any warnings about permissions
**Reboot** the system

then problems solved

I had this problem for about six weeks and was just about ready to reformat my hard drive. Worked great for me, hope this helps out somebody else.

How To Fix A PC Which Won't Boot

2009-05-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Computers are the way of the world. But there is nothing more annoying than a broken PC. PC's breakdown from time to time, it happens. This is a guide to repair a desktop computer that won't start up.

1. First of all you have to determine the cause. Constantly restart the PC in order to confirm that it won't boot. Next you should try the PC on it's side to eliminate a connection error. This could either be a burnt out or worn contact or simply a connection which has come loose. After this you can start the process of fixing the problem

2. There are a couple of problems that will cause a computer not to boot these are: Corrupted BIOS, Corrupted Start up files, corrupted hard drive (containing startup files) or a broken motherboard.

3. If absolutely nothing happens when you press the power switch:
* Check that it is plugged in and switched on both at the wall and at the back of the base unit, check that the wall socket has power.
* Check the power supply by removing it and testing it in another machine, if it works fine in another machine, check your power switch connections.
* If the connections are fine it is likely that your motherboard has died.

4. Check for a faulty motherboard.

* Remove every connection and component from your motherboard except for the power, front panel, CPU assembly, RAM and graphics card, switch it on.
* If you have more than one stick of RAM test them one at a time.
* If this works then reconnect your other devices (Switch it off first!) one by one until you find out which one is causing the problem.

5. Replace the Boot Sector.

* Place windows installer disc into drive.
* When prompted, press R to start the recovery console.
* When asked which system you want to log into press 1, then enter.
* You should now have a C:\WINDOWS\ prompt, type fixboot and press enter.
* Type fixmbr and press enter.
* Reboot the machine, if it works, you are done.

6. Check your BIOS settings

* To enter the BIOS menu you must tap a certain key as soon as you switch on the PC, this is usually DEL or F2 but it will say on screen, e.g. 'PRESS DEL FOR SETUP'
* All BIOS menus differ, what you are looking for is a bit called Primary Master, which should have somenumbers after it, if it does, then your drive is not at fault, move on.
* If Primary Master has no information after it your hard drive is not being detected, if you are able, change the setting next to Primary Master so that it says 'Auto'.
* Save and exit the BIOS, if your computer boots, stop here.
* If your hard drive is not detected this time you will need to open up the case and check the connections.

7. Check for a faulty hard drive

* Remove your hard drive and put it in another PC if possible.
* If it does not work in another PC then it is dead, buy a new one.
* If it does work in another PC, try using different cables.
* If different cables make no difference your motherboard may be faulty.

Tips:

* Make sure to buy your components from a reputable dealer, check reviews online and in literature.
* I you have to take the cover off you might as well clean it up a bit, blast all the dust out with a can of compressed air.
* If the PC has stopped working after a recent update (RAM, Hard drive..) remove this and see the problem still exists.
* Remember that Windows XP can only take a maximum of 4 GB of RAM
* If your PC problem is BIOS related, it should boot when the BIOS disc is inserted

Warnings:

* Always turn off and unplug the PC before touching, adding or removing parts within the pc
* Wear an anti-static wrist band or ground yourself by touching the case while the system is plugged in.
* Make sure you do not have excess moisture on your hands, if you get sweaty palms then wear anti-static gloves, e.g. nitrile gloves
* As with any device that plugs into wall current, if during testing you smell ozone or burnt plastic, or hear a "popping" or arcing noise, unplug the device immediatly. Unless you know how to work with electicity safely, an internal short is best repaired by professionals.

How To Move Your Mouse Cursor Without Mouse

2009-05-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

You can control your mouse pointer with keyboard keys in all windows versions. When your mouse stops working, you can enable this keyboard feature to complete your important work. This keyboard mouse can performs all tasks same like a normal mouse.

Follow the given steps to activate the keyboard mouse:

To edit this feature, first you should log onto your computer with administrative rights.

To activate this feature, press Alt+Shift+NumLock keys at once and you will receive a small MouseKey box.

To keep MouseKeys on, click on Ok button or click on cancel button to cancel MouseKeys box.

Click on Settings button, if you want to adjust the mouse cursor detail settings.

Here a new dialog box will appear with the title Settings for MouseKeys", now you can manage all mouse settings for example mouse cursor speed, acceleration and some other features.

Now using Numeric keypad, you can move your mouse pointer. The controls are:

*

1,2,3,4,6,7,8 and 9 keys are used to move the mouse cursor into different directions.
*

Key 5 is used as mouse click button.
*

Insert key used to hold down mouse button.
*

+ Sign used to double click on any object.
*

Delete button used to release the mouse.
*

Click on NumLock button to disable this keyboard mouse feature.

__________________

How To Restore Your Old Windows After Upgrading To Vista

2009-05-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

So you upgraded from XP to Vista or from Windows 2000 to Vista and you have had a bad experience. You want your old Windows back.

Well all is not lost. The following are the steps taken to restore your Old Windows...

Step 1: Determine whether there is a Windows.OLD folder and whether there is sufficient free space on the Windows hard disk

Step 2: Start the Windows Recovery Environment

Step 3: Rename the Windows Vista folders

Step 4: Copy the contents or move the contents of the Windows.OLD folder

Step 5: Restore the boot sector for the previous Windows installation

Step 6: Restore the Boot.ini file for the previous Windows installation of Windows XP or of Windows 2000

Step 7: Close the Command Prompt window, and then click Restart.

Unlock Administrator Account For Vista

2009-05-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

Deep inside the bowels of Windows Vista, there’s a secret Administrator account, and it’s different from the normal administrator account you most likely have set up on your PC. This Administrator account is not part of the Administrator group. (Confused yet? You should be.) It’s a kind of superadministrator, akin to the root account in Unix, and by default it’s turned off and hidden. (In describing this tut, i’ll always use the capital “A” for the secret Administrator account, and a lowercase “a” for a normal administrator account.)

In versions of Windows before Windows Vista, the Administrator account wasn’t hidden, and many people used it as their main or only account. This Administrator account had full rights over the computer.

In Windows Vista, Microsoft changed that. In Vista, the Administrator account is not subject to UAC, but normal administrator accounts are. So the Administrator can make any changes to the system and will see no UAC prompts.

Turning on the Administrator account is straightforward. First, open an elevated command prompt by typing cmd into the Search box on the Start menu, right-clicking the command prompt icon that appears at the top of the Start menu, then selecting Run as administrator — or just use the shortcut you created in the previous hack.

Code:
Then enter this command and press Enter:

Net user administrator /active:yes

From now on, the Administrator account will appear as an option on the Welcome screen, along with any user accounts you may have set up. Use it like any other account. Be aware that it won’t have a password yet, so it’s a good idea to set a password for it.

If you want to disable the account and hide it, enter this command at an elevated command prompt and press Enter:

Net user administrator /active:no

Fried Motherboard

2009-05-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

An old urban myth claims that the microprocessors used in PCs and other consumer electronics are designed to fail within days or weeks of their warranty expiration.

People who bought Dell and HP notebooks whose motherboards fried — often a few weeks after their warranty expired — I will share with you the reasons:

overheating of Nvidia graphics chip. The failure rate is so huge that Nvidia had to take a $196 million charge against earnings in the second quarter of its 2008 fiscal year in anticipation of the reimbursements that would result from the faulty GPU

How HP and Dell handled the complaints from customers with notebooks that failed after their warranties expired?

Charged the victims for repairs or refused service because the systems were past the warranty period.
Continued to sell notebooks with the same Nvidia chip long after the companies were aware of the problem. (Ultimately, Nvidia released a new version of the GPU that didn't cause overheating.)
When the heat from consumer complaints became as hot as the faulty Nvidia chip, HP and Dell relented and published a list of defective model numbers on their Web sites. Dell extended the standard one-year warranty to two years for the systems they identified as having the problem. HP offered a 24-month warranty extension for the specific issue.
merely offered a BIOS upgrade! The "patch" for the affected notebooks made their fans run continuously in an attempt to lower the GPU-induced heat, which was cooking the motherboards onto which the chips were soldered.

This "fix" merely extended the time before the motherboards finally burned out while simultaneously devouring the machines' battery life. Of course, notebook purchasers became further inflamed by the power drain on their systems due to the constantly running fan.

Launch Your Program Faster In Vista

2009-05-19T23:15:00.000-07:00

Use the Start Search to quickly launch programs rather than trawling through your computer to get them. Below are some handy phrases to type into the search to bring up the application straight away. Depending on what you have installed on your computer you may be able to find other phrases to launch your programs with, so it is worth experimenting.

CMD Command prompt
DEV Device Manager
SYS System Restore
NETW Connect to a Network Projector
UPD Windows Update
PROG Default Programs
EVE Event viewer

How to create a Bootable DVD (Windows 7 or Windows Vista)

2009-05-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you'd want to install Windows from a bootable DVD but you just have all the Windows files... I mean, in my case I've got Windows 7 build 7048 (beta drop, but it does not matter), but I currently don't have its related ISO image. So, if I want to install a plain new Windows 7 from scratch (booting & installing from a DVD), guess what you need?, right..., I want to create my own bootable Windows DVD.
In order to do that, we can use several Microsoft tools that come in AIK (Windows Automated Installation Kit), for Windows Vista or Windows 7 (the latest in my case).

Needed Tools you can get once you install AIK:
- oscdimg.exe (usually you can get it from in "%ProgramFiles%\Windows AIK\Tools\x86 )
- etfsboot.com (This is the boot sector file will put into the DVD)

1.- COPY WINDOWS FILES TO A HARD DISK

Of course, you'll need all the Windows 7 or Windows Vista files. For instance, I copied all of them within C:\Win7_7048_EN\x86fre
You could even add more custom files, like drivers or whatever..

2.- GENERATE THE ISO FILE

Open a command prompt console (with Administrator's rights) and go where you have the AIK's tools. Then type the following:

oscdimg -n -m -b"C:\Win7 7048 EN\DVD Bootable Tools\x86_Boot\etfsboot.com" C:\Win7_7048_EN\x86fre C:\Win7_7048_EN_ISO\Win7_7048_x86_EN.iso

You'll get messages like the following:
”OSCDIMG 2.55 CD-ROM and DVD-ROM Premastering Utility
Copyright (C) Microsoft, 1993-2007. All rights reserved.
Licensed only for producing Microsoft authorized content.
Scanning source tree (500 files in 49 directories)
Scanning source tree complete (810 files in 159 directories)
Computing directory information complete
Image file is 2825107456 bytes
Writing 810 files in 159 directories to V:\Win7_7048_EN_ISO\Win7_7048_x86_E
100% complete
Final image file is 2825107456 bytes
Done."

At this time you'll have a new ISO file for Windows 7 or Vista!!. :-)

If you want Windows x64, just use the other file types for x64, like:
oscdimg -n -m -b"C:\Win7 7048 EN\DVD Bootable Tools\x64_Boot\etfsboot.com" C:\Win7_7048_EN\x64fre C:\Win7_7048_EN_ISO\Win7_7048_x64_EN.iso
COMMAND'S MEANING:

-b points to the boot sector file location (etfsboot.com). This file will make the DVD bootable. Do not use a space between b and path!

Then, first path is the location of original Windows DVD files.

Second path points to the directory where the iso file will be created in.

-n makes it possible to use extended file names.

-m allows to create iso files, larger than CD format.

3.- BURN YOUR ISO FILE

Just burn your new ISO image onto a DVD media using any third party software, like NERO, ROXIO, ImageBurn, etc.

BTW, I attach the command tools so you don’t need to get it from AIK (You need to change extension to .RAR).

What's The Difference Between a Virus And a Worm

2009-05-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

A virus is a computer program that attaches itself to a computer system by incorporating a small portion of data into other programs. Once triggered, usually by some action performed on the part of the computer user such as clicking on a file, the virus lies in wait for a command or certain date to deliver its payload, sometimes harmless and other times devastating. Receiving or downloading files such as "AOL4FREE.exe" or free screen savers are more likely to contain viruses than not. "Trust everyone, but brand your cattle!"

A worm is a sub-classification of a virus. A worm contains a small computer program that can replicate itself, and like a worm, wiggles its way through a computer system or network until it finds a way onto the Internet. Many worms have shut down corporate america for days at a time. Microsoft, IBM, and other large businesses have had their e-mail systems literally collapse due to the volume of incoming and outgoing e-mail that these worms generate. The computer user is usually no more the wiser that anything is even happening, when in fact once the user connects to the Internet, the worm goes into action e-mailing itself to the user's family, friends, collegues and any other e-mail address it came across on the user's system or network.

10 Reasons Why PC Crash

2009-05-09T22:59:00.000-07:00

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.

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.
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 , Windows Xp.

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.

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.

See Hidden Files Using DOS

2009-05-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

At command prompt just type
dir /ah
if the list is too long u can use
dir /ah/p/w

How to Speed Up Http Request On The Internet Explorer

2009-05-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

To comply with current Internet standards, Internet Explorer limits the number of simultaneous downloads to two downloads, plus one queued download. This configuration is a function of the browser. However, as connection speeds increase, and the number of total connections that are allowed to Internet servers increase, the two-connection limit may be restrictive.

Please Note: Changing the maximum number of connections beyond two is a violation of Internet standards; use at your own risk!

To increase the number of simultaneous connections that are allowed, follow these steps:

1. Start the Registry Editor
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Internet Settings
3. Select New > DWORD Value from the Edit menu
4. Name the new value MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server
5. Right-click the MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server value and choose Modify
6. Under Base, click the radio button next to Decimal
7. In the Value Data: box enter the number of simultaneous connections you want to set (for example 10 is a good value), and 8. click OK
9. Repeat steps 3 - 7 using the new value MaxConnectionsPerServer
10. Exit the registry editor

Prevent Virus And Malware Spreading Through Usb/Thumbdrives

2009-05-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Removable USB/thumb drives use the Autorun feature to load files when the drives are plugged into the USB port. Malware exploits the Autorun feature to spread from thumb drive to PC. Disable the autorun feature to prevent malware from spreading.

Windows XP Pro users: Click Start and then click Run. Type gpedit.msc and click OK. The Group Policy window will open. In the left pane, double-click Administrative Templates
In the right pane, double-click System, scroll down the list and double-click Turn Off Autoplay
In the Turn Off Autoplay Properties window, select Enabled. From the dropdown next to Turn Off Autoplay on, select All drives and then click OK. Exit Group Policy by selecting File, then choosing Exit from the menu.

XP Home users will need to make the changes by editing the registry directly. To begin, click Start and then click Run
Type regedit and click OK. The Registry Editor window will open.
In the left pane, navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Software
Microsoft
Windows
CurrentVersion
Policies
Explorer.
).
With Explorer highlighted, in the right-pane right click the value NoDriveTypeAutoRun and select Modify from the drop down menu. The base value will be set to Hexadecimal. If not, select Hexadecimal.
Type 95 and click OK.
Note that this will stop Autorun on removable/USB drives, but still allow it on CD ROM drives. If you want to disable autorun on both, substitute b5 for the 95. (Thanks to Ian L. of Manitoba for the tip).
Exit Registry Editor by selecting File, then choosing Exit from the menu.
You will now need to reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.

Using the Windows Vista Tablet PC Input Panel

2009-05-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

Windows Vista offers better support for Tablet PC, including the personalized handwriting recognition and pen a movie updated Tablet PC Input Panel (TIP). The new Vista TIP is integrated into the system, do a better job of recognizing and pen-based input provides a greater capacity for data entry .

Windows Logon Vista .

Open the TIP. In Vista, the Council is docked on the left side of the screen by default. Start the TIP, either by clicking it with mouse or pen or by clicking on the icon of the Council in the task bar, if enabled. TIP To use, place your cursor in an input field data into an application like a word processor, spreadsheet or Web browser. You can change the initial location of the TIP at any point in dragging it left or right of the screen. Select "Tools" then "Options" to access other settings TIP .

Enter the text. The Council is divided into three sections, accessible through the selection of cards simulating a book, a character slot on the keyboard and the pad. Free writing is used in the writing pad, which displays the recognized text on the line directly below. Characters are introduced into the pad character, which also shows the recognized text. The keyboard on the screen simulates a standard QWERTY layout .

Use shortcuts. To the right of each method of entry, a series of context-sensitive shortcuts are available. These shortcuts attempt to predict the most appropriate for a given application. For example, the website listed shortcuts when entering addresses in an Internet browser, providing buttons that automatically add relevant text, including "http://", "www." Y ". Com" before or after a URL manually. Other keyboard shortcuts include setback controls, such as space and delete .

Use gestures to eliminate handwriting or recognized text. A series of gestures are available to clear the recognized text and handwriting in the writing of characters and Pads. The standard method of drawing a gesture in the form of Z is still the Windows XP TIP, gestures, and include an additional strikethrough, vertical scratch in a model M or W, a circular to-zero, zero and an angle of departure.

Edit text. In addition to the gestures, the area includes a correction of the text provides for the editing of words and letters. Select a bad or incorrectly recognized word in the recognition of the panel, which opens the area for correction. Select the correct word, if the word or recommends Dictionary icon. To correct a letter, hover over it with your pen, then rewrite the letter or choose among the alternatives available in the drop-down box. Use the "Clear Text" to delete all text in the area of correction. Click "OK" to return to the top when finished .

Send the text of the application. For writing characters and Pads, press the "Insert" to send recognized text to the application. Enter the text keyboard directly into the application and the keypad buttons are pressed with the pen.

Five Tips To The Best Computer Buy

2009-05-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

It can get confusing for some people who aren't inside the computer world to make the best choice to buy one from the wide range available.
There are actually thousands of different hardware and software products.

Let's see some of the factors to consider when buying a new one:

1# If you travel on business very often, a notebook would be the perfect solution. If you work in an office, the desktop computer is the answer. Although you could use the notebook in the office too, its potential is a bit reduced when comparing to the desktop connections for printers, plotters or other equipments.

2# When buying a computer you got to consider your budget. There is a large variety of desktop and notebooks for all kinds of budget. The desktop can go anywhere between $500 to $2000 (Note that some sites don't include the monitor in the cost, so make sure to check that). The notebook can go from $800 to $2000 or more , and normally includes the carry case.

3# You need to specify what you want to do on your new computer. Is it to play video games, watch movies, and surf on the Internet or you intent to work? Any regular computer will do the basic work but if you intent to play video games for an example, you will need a good video card, high speed processing and a good amount of RAM memory. For business some of these features aren't necessarily needed to be the best on the market like the video card, but a medium-grade computer will do the job.

4# According to the kind of data you are going to store, either photos, music, movies, or documents, you need to determine the size you will need in hard drive space. If you plan to use it for photo storage or office documents, something in 50 to 100Gb will do it, but if you want to store video, music, or video games, you need from 150Gb up, according to your needs.

5# The duration or lifetime of the computer is a very important matter. If you buy a regular model, in a few years it will become "older" and new software or operative systems won't work on it. You will need to upgrade it, and sometimes is better and cheaper to buy a new one. You may buy your complete computer or you can choose the best parts or the components that satisfy your needs. If you buy a ready made one, it's usually harder to upgrade later.

These are the 5 Tips To The Best Computer Buy. These are the most relevant facts to consider when buying your new computer.

NTFS And Fat File System

2009-05-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

To NTFS or not to NTFS—that is the question. But unlike the deeper questions of life, this one isn't really all that hard to answer. For most users running Windows XP, NTFS is the obvious choice. It's more powerful and offers security advantages not found in the other file systems. But let's go over the differences among the files systems so we're all clear about the choice. There are essentially three different file systems available in Windows XP: FAT16, short for File Allocation Table, FAT32, and NTFS, short for NT File System.

FAT16

The FAT16 file system was introduced way back with MS–DOS in 1981, and it's showing its age. It was designed originally to handle files on a floppy drive, and has had minor modifications over the years so it can handle hard disks, and even file names longer than the original limitation of 8.3 characters, but it's still the lowest common denominator. The biggest advantage of FAT16 is that it is compatible across a wide variety of operating systems, including Windows 95/98/Me, OS/2, Linux, and some versions of UNIX. The biggest problem of FAT16 is that it has a fixed maximum number of clusters per partition, so as hard disks get bigger and bigger, the size of each cluster has to get larger. In a 2–GB partition, each cluster is 32 kilobytes, meaning that even the smallest file on the partition will take up 32 KB of space. FAT16 also doesn't support compression, encryption, or advanced security using access control lists.

FAT32

The FAT32 file system, originally introduced in Windows 95 Service Pack 2, is really just an extension of the original FAT16 file system that provides for a much larger number of clusters per partition. As such, it greatly improves the overall disk utilization when compared to a FAT16 file system. However, FAT32 shares all of the other limitations of FAT16, and adds an important additional limitation—many operating systems that can recognize FAT16 will not work with FAT32—most notably Windows NT, but also Linux and UNIX as well. Now this isn't a problem if you're running FAT32 on a Windows XP computer and sharing your drive out to other computers on your network—they don't need to know (and generally don't really care) what your underlying file system is.
The Advantages of NTFSThe NTFS file system, introduced with first version of Windows NT, is a completely different file system from FAT. It provides for greatly increased security, file–by–file compression, quotas, and even encryption. It is the default file system for new installations of Windows XP, and if you're doing an upgrade from a previous version of Windows, you'll be asked if you want to convert your existing file systems to NTFS. Don't worry. If you've already upgraded to Windows XP and didn't do the conversion then, it's not a problem. You can convert FAT16 or FAT32 volumes to NTFS at any point. Just remember that you can't easily go back to FAT or FAT32 (without reformatting the drive or partition), not that I think you'll want to.
The NTFS file system is generally not compatible with other operating systems installed on the same computer, nor is it available when you've booted a computer from a floppy disk. For this reason, many system administrators, myself included, used to recommend that users format at least a small partition at the beginning of their main hard disk as FAT. This partition provided a place to store emergency recovery tools or special drivers needed for reinstallation, and was a mechanism for digging yourself out of the hole you'd just dug into. But with the enhanced recovery abilities built into Windows XP (more on that in a future column), I don't think it's necessary or desirable to create that initial FAT partition.
When to Use FAT or FAT32If you're running more than one operating system on a single computer (see Dual booting in Guides), you will definitely need to format some of your volumes as FAT. Any programs or data that need to be accessed by more than one operating system on that computer should be stored on a FAT16 or possibly FAT32 volume. But keep in mind that you have no security for data on a FAT16 or FAT32 volume—any one with access to the computer can read, change, or even delete any file that is stored on a FAT16 or FAT32 partition. In many cases, this is even possible over a network. So do not store sensitive files on drives or partitions formatted with FAT file systems.

FDISK Tutorial

2009-05-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

The Basics of Fdisk: Primary partitions are the only one that are bootable. They're always the C: drive when active. Normally you can only have one (more with some special tricks etc.) Extended partitions are needed when you want more than one partition. You can only have ONE Extended partition. Logical Drives come into the Extended partition. They are handy since you know that you can only have one Primary and one Extended so you can get more than only two partitions. They would be your D:, E:, etc. drives.

First you need to reboot your system with the Boot Disk inserted.
1.At the A: prompt start "FDISK."
2.If asked to use Large Disc support say Yes.
3.The first screen looks like this:
Create Dos Partition or Logical Drive Set Active Partition Delete Partitions or Logical DOS Drives Display Partition Information Change current fixed drive. (In case you have two or more Hard Drivess) So, to prepare you hopefully did a backup from your data. You did, didn't you ?!
4.Next we need to remove the existing partitions. So go to 3.
5.Next screen like this:
Delete Primary DOS Delete Extended DOS Delete Logical Drives Delete Non-DOS Delete always in the following order
Logical (All) > Extended > Primary (Last)
6.Go back to first screen after all partitions have been removed.
7.Now we need to setup our new partitions. Go to 1.
This screen looks like this:
Create Primary DOS Create Extended DOS Create Logical DOS Drives Here we create in the following order
Primary > Extended > Logical Drives.
8.First create the Primary. If asked to use all space say No and enter the amount you wish for the C: drive. It should be set automatically to be the (only) Active partition. If not it may ask you or you have to select "2. Set active partition" from the main menu.
9.Next create the Extended Partition. Use all space left.
It probably advances automatically to the next step, creating the Logical DOS Drives.
10.Enter the amount you wish for the D: partition and than the rest for the third partition.
Think first about the size for the partitions.

OK now we're finished with FDISK so just exit it. Next you need to reboot with the disc still inserted and Format all partitions (the C: partition might need to be formatted with "format c: /s", check the Win95 tip). Another reboot and you can go ahead and install Windows.
When your system supports booting from CD just insert the Windows CD and reboot. The setup will start.

If not, follow these steps:
Win98: insert Boot Disk and CD, reboot, choose "2. boot with CDROM support" and once you're at the prompt change to your CD-drive letter (depends on your partition setup) and enter "setup". Win95: You must format the C: partition with "Format C: /s"!. Next install your CDROM driver, reboot, insert the Win95 CD, change to the CD-driveletter, enter "setup". I hope I made no mistakes.

Basic Windows Vista Troubleshooting Guide

2009-05-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Troubleshooting a Vista computer system that is having problems can be a difficult task due to the endless software and hardware configuration possibilities on a machine. However, I've put together a basic guide for Vista users that may lend a helping hand in finding out where the trouble lies and how to fix it.

System Restore

If you do not know where to start and you don't have a clue as to why you're having trouble with Vista, then I recommend using System Restore to take your system files back to a time when you were not having any trouble. To use System Restore, follow the instructions below:

1. Go to Start>> All Programs>> Accessories>> System Tools>> System Restore
2. Click Next
3. Select "Choose a different restore point"
4. Click Next
5. Select a date and time that you would like to restore to.
6. Click Next to begin the process
7. In the confirmation prompt, select Yes.

Once system restore has completed the process, your computer will restart.

Identify a Hardware Problem

In this section I will show you how you can identify a hardware problem.

-Memory:

Normally, Vista monitors your installed memory and will notify you when an error occurs. However, for the purpose of troubleshooting it is a good idea to run the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool manually to rule out a possible memory issue. Here's how:

1. Go to Start>> Control Panel>> System and Maintenance>> Administrative Tools>> Memory Diagnostic Tool. You may be prompted for an administrators password or confirmation at this point.
2. Select the option titled: "You can restart your computer and run the tool immediately".

Once the tool has completed the diagnostic process, you will know whether your problem is memory related or not.

-Hard Disk (CHKDSK):

In most cases, problems that develop on a hard disk are from either corrupt system files or physical errors. To identify a possible hard disk problem, you will need to scan your drive for errors. Here's how:

1. Go to Start>> Computer
2. Right click the hard disk that you would like to test.
3. Select Properties
4. Select the Tools tab
5. Click the Check Now button under Error-Checking. You may be prompted for an administrators password or confirmation at this point.

* Select the option: "Automatically fix file system errors"
* Select the option: "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors". Selecting this option will perform a thorough scan of your selected hard disk and attempt to fix any physical errors on the drive. Depending on the size of your hard disk, this could take quite some time to complete. For best results, avoid using your computer system during this process.

6. Click Start

-Devices:

If you have recently installed a new device on your computer. It is possible that the driver for your device is not compatible with Windows Vista. In most cases, downloading an updated driver from the manufactures web site will solve this problem. If you cannot find an updated driver for your device, try removing the device from your system and see if Vista now boots correctly.

Software:

Software that was designed to run in Windows XP will usually run fine in Windows Vista. However, some of the older programs will run poorly or not at all. You can try running the Compatibility Wizard to run the program or use the programs Compatibility tab. For more information click the link below:

I can't get a program to install on Vista

If you still cannot get your software to run in the Vista environment, it may be time to find a suitable replacement or if it is that important a program to your business, you still have options:

* Dual-boot Vista and the older version of Windows that has ran that program.
* Keep an older system that will run that program.

Vista is running slow:

There are many possible causes and remedies for a Vista system that is running poorly.

-Dual Boot or Multi-boot systems:

If your computer is setup to run two or more operating systems, you can select the boot order so that only one operating system will start when your machine is turned on. Here's how:

1. Go to Start>> Control Panel>> System and Maintenance>> System
2. Select Advanced System Settings. You may be prompted for an administrators password or confirmation at this point.
3. Select the Advanced tab
4. Select Settings under Startup and Recovery
5. Under the System startup category you'll find a default operating systems list. Select the operating system that you would like to use when you start your computer.
6. Click OK and exit all windows.

-Using Startup Repair:

If you are sure that your Vista systems poor performance is not hardware or virus related. You can try running the Startup Repair feature to fix system files that may have become corrupt or gone missing. Here's how:

You will need your Vista installation DVD/CD for this task.

1. Insert your installation disk
2. Restart your computer. Your computer should boot to your installation disk. If it won't, you will need to change the boot order in your BIOS. Consult your computer manufactures operating guide for this procedure.
3. You may receive a prompt asking you to press any key to start Windows from the installation disk.
4. Select the language setting and then click Next.
5. Select Repair your computer
6. Select the operating system that you would like to repair and then click Next.
7. Select Startup Repair from the System Recovery Options menu.
8. Follow all of the on-screen prompts and answer the questions accordingly. Your system may restart as repairs are made.

-Using the System File Checker (SFC):

If you are experiencing system lockups or error messages when using Windows applications, you can try running the System File Checker tool to scan your operating system for corrupt files. If the SFC finds any corrupt files, it will automatically replace them with "known" good files. Here's how to use SFC:

1. Go to Start
2. In the Serch field, type in: cmd
3. Right click the "cmd" entry
4. Select "Run as administrator". Continue through any resulting UAC prompts.
5. At the command prompt, type in the following command:

sfc /scannow

6. Press Enter on your keyboard

-Using Safe Mode:

Safe Mode is a very useful diagnostic tool used to troubleshoot system startup problems and performance issues. When you start your system in Safe Mode, Vista will run only the basic default Windows settings, services, devices and drivers. If your system performs fine in Safe Mode but poorly in regular mode, you can eliminate these default settings as the cause. You can access Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key on your keyboard as Windows first begins to boot.