COMPUTER EXPERT

Magnetic recording (hdd)

2011-01-31T21:49:00.002+08:00

HDDs record data by magnetizing ferromagnetic material directionally. Sequential changes in the direction of magnetization represent patterns of binary data bits. The data is read from the disk by detecting the transitions in magnetization and decoding the originally written data. Different encoding schemes, such as Modified Frequency Modulation, group code recording, run-length limited encoding, and others are used.
A typical HDD design consists of a spindle that holds flat circular disks called platters, onto which the data are recorded. The platters are made from a non-magnetic material, usually aluminum alloy or glass, and are coated with a shallow layer of magnetic material typically 10–20 nm in depth, with an outer layer of carbon for protection. For reference, standard copy paper is 0.07–0.18 millimetre (70,000–180,000 nm).^[5]

A cross section of the magnetic surface in action. In this case the binary data are encoded using frequency modulation.

Perpendicular recording

The platters are spun at speeds varying from 3,000 RPM in energy-efficient portable devices, to 15,000 RPM for high performance servers. Information is written to, and read from a platter as it rotates past devices called read-and-write heads that operate very close (tens of nanometers in new drives) over the magnetic surface. The read-and-write head is used to detect and modify the magnetization of the material immediately under it. In modern drives there is one head for each magnetic platter surface on the spindle, mounted on a common arm. An actuator arm (or access arm) moves the heads on an arc (roughly radially) across the platters as they spin, allowing each head to access almost the entire surface of the platter as it spins. The arm is moved using a voice coil actuator or in some older designs a stepper motor.
The magnetic surface of each platter is conceptually divided into many small sub-micrometer-sized magnetic regions referred to as magnetic domains. In older disk designs the regions were oriented horizontally and parallel to the disk surface, but beginning about 2005, the orientation was changed to perpendicular to allow for closer magnetic domain spacing. Due to the polycrystalline nature of the magnetic material each of these magnetic regions is composed of a few hundred magnetic grains. Magnetic grains are typically 10 nm in size and each form a single magnetic domain. Each magnetic region in total forms a magnetic dipole which generates a magnetic field.
For reliable storage of data, the recording material needs to resist self-demagnetization, which occurs when the magnetic domains repel each other. Magnetic domains written too densely together to a weakly magnetizable material will degrade over time due to physical rotation of one or more domains to cancel out these forces. The domains rotate sideways to a halfway position that weakens the readability of the domain and relieves the magnetic stresses. Older hard disks used iron(III) oxide as the magnetic material, but current disks use a cobalt-based alloy.^[6]
A write head magnetizes a region by generating a strong local magnetic field. Early HDDs used an electromagnet both to magnetize the region and to then read its magnetic field by using electromagnetic induction. Later versions of inductive heads included metal in Gap (MIG) heads and thin film heads. As data density increased, read heads using magnetoresistance (MR) came into use; the electrical resistance of the head changed according to the strength of the magnetism from the platter. Later development made use of spintronics; in these heads, the magnetoresistive effect was much greater than in earlier types, and was dubbed "giant" magnetoresistance (GMR). In today's heads, the read and write elements are separate, but in close proximity, on the head portion of an actuator arm. The read element is typically magneto-resistive while the write element is typically thin-film inductive.^[7]
The heads are kept from contacting the platter surface by the air that is extremely close to the platter; that air moves at or near the platter speed. The record and playback head are mounted on a block called a slider, and the surface next to the platter is shaped to keep it just barely out of contact. This forms a type of air bearing.
In modern drives, the small size of the magnetic regions creates the danger that their magnetic state might be lost because of thermal effects. To counter this, the platters are coated with two parallel magnetic layers, separated by a 3-atom layer of the non-magnetic element ruthenium, and the two layers are magnetized in opposite orientation, thus reinforcing each other.^[8] Another technology used to overcome thermal effects to allow greater recording densities is perpendicular recording, first shipped in 2005,^[9] and as of 2007 the technology was used in many HDDs.^[10]^[11]^[12]

[edit] Components

A hard disk drive with the disks and motor hub removed showing the copper colored stator coils surrounding a bearing at the center of the spindle motor. The orange stripe along the side of the arm is a thin printed-circuit cable. The spindle bearing is in the center. The actuator is in the upper left.

A typical hard disk drive has two electric motors; a disk motor to spin the disks and an actuator (motor) to position the read/write head assembly across the spinning disks.
The disk motor has an external rotor attached to the disks; the stator windings are fixed in place.
Opposite the actuator at the end of the head support arm is the read-write head (near center in photo); thin printed-circuit cables connect the read-write heads to amplifier electronics mounted at the pivot of the actuator. A flexible, somewhat U-shaped, ribbon cable, seen edge-on below and to the left of the actuator arm continues the connection to the controller board on the opposite side.
The head support arm is very light, but also stiff; in modern drives, acceleration at the head reaches 550 Gs.
The silver-colored structure at the upper left of the first image is the top plate of the actuator, a permanent-magnet and moving coil motor that swings the heads to the desired position (it is shown removed in the second image). The plate supports a squat neodymium-iron-boron (NIB) high-flux magnet. Beneath this plate is the moving coil, often referred to as the voice coil by analogy to the coil in loudspeakers, which is attached to the actuator hub, and beneath that is a second NIB magnet, mounted on the bottom plate of the motor (some drives only have one magnet).
The voice coil itself is shaped rather like an arrowhead, and made of doubly coated copper magnet wire. The inner layer is insulation, and the outer is thermoplastic, which bonds the coil together after it is wound on a form, making it self-supporting. The portions of the coil along the two sides of the arrowhead (which point to the actuator bearing center) interact with the magnetic field, developing a tangential force that rotates the actuator. Current flowing radially outward along one side of the arrowhead and radially inward on the other produces the tangential force. If the magnetic field were uniform, each side would generate opposing forces that would cancel each other out. Therefore the surface of the magnet is half N pole, half S pole, with the radial dividing line in the middle, causing the two sides of the coil to see opposite magnetic fields and produce forces that add instead of canceling. Currents along the top and bottom of the coil produce radial forces that do not rotate the head.

[edit] Error handling

Modern drives also make extensive use of Error Correcting Codes (ECCs), particularly Reed–Solomon error correction. These techniques store extra bits for each block of data that are determined by mathematical formulas. The extra bits allow many errors to be fixed. While these extra bits take up space on the hard drive, they allow higher recording densities to be employed, resulting in much larger storage capacity for user data.^[13] In 2009, in the newest drives, low-density parity-check codes (LDPC) are supplanting Reed-Solomon. LDPC codes enable performance close to the Shannon Limit and thus allow for the highest storage density available.^[14]
Typical hard drives attempt to "remap" the data in a physical sector that is going bad to a spare physical sector—hopefully while the errors in that bad sector are still few enough that the ECC can recover the data without loss. The S.M.A.R.T. system counts the total number of errors in the entire hard drive fixed by ECC, and the total number of remappings, in an attempt to predict hard drive failure.

[edit] Future development

Because of bit-flipping errors and other issues, perpendicular recording densities may be supplanted by other magnetic recording technologies. Toshiba is promoting bit-patterned recording (BPR),^[15] whiles Xyratex are developing heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR).^[16]

[edit] Capacity

PC hard disk drive capacity (in GB) over time. The vertical axis is logarithmic, so the fit line corresponds to exponential growth.

[edit] Capacity measurements

A disassembled and labeled 1997 hard drive. All major components were placed on a mirror, which created the symmetrical reflections.

Hard disk manufacturers quote disk capacity in multiples of SI-standard powers of 1000, where a terabyte is 1000 gigabytes and a gigabyte is 1000 megabytes. With file systems that report capacity in powers of 1024, available space appears somewhat less than advertised capacity. The discrepancy between the two methods of reporting sizes had serious financial consequences for at least one hard drive manufacturer when a class action suit argued the different methods effectively misled consumers.^[17]
Semiconductor memory chips are organized so that memory sizes are expressed in multiples of powers of two. Hard disks by contrast have no inherent binary size. Capacity is the product of the number of heads, number of tracks, number of sectors per track, and the size of each sector. Sector sizes are standardized for convenience at 256 or 512 and more recently 4096 bytes, which are powers of two. This can cause some confusion because operating systems may report the formatted capacity of a hard drive using binary prefix units which increment by powers of 1024. For example, Microsoft Windows reports disk capacity both in a decimal integer to 12 or more digits and in binary prefix units to three significant digits.
A one terabyte (1 TB) disk drive would be expected to hold around 1 trillion bytes (1,000,000,000,000) or 1000 GB; and indeed most 1 TB hard drives will contain slightly more than this number. However some operating system utilities would report this as around 931 GB or 953,674 MB. (The actual number for a formatted capacity will be somewhat smaller still, depending on the file system.) Following are the several ways of reporting one Terabyte.

SI prefixes (hard drive)	equivalent	Binary prefixes (OS)	equivalent
1 TB (Terabyte)	1 * 1000⁴ B	0.9095 TiB (Tebibyte)	0.9095 * 1024⁴ B
1000 GB (Gigabyte)	1000 * 1000³ B	931.3 GiB (Gibibyte)	931.3 * 1024³ B
1,000,000 MB (Megabyte)	1,000,000 * 1000² B	953,674.3 MiB (Mebibyte)	953,674.3 * 1024² B
1,000,000,000 KB (Kilobyte)	1,000,000,000 * 1000 B	976,562,500 KiB (Kibibyte)	976,562,500 * 1024 B
1,000,000,000,000 B (byte)	-	1,000,000,000,000 B (byte)	-

[edit] Addressing data on large drives

The capacity of an HDD can be calculated by multiplying the number of cylinders by the number of heads by the number of sectors by the number of bytes/sector (most commonly 512). Drives with the ATA interface and a capacity of eight gigabytes or more behave as if they were structured into 16383 cylinders, 16 heads, and 63 sectors, for compatibility with older operating systems. Unlike in the 1980s, the cylinder, head, sector (C/H/S) counts reported to the CPU by a modern ATA drive are no longer actual physical parameters since the reported numbers are constrained by historic operating-system interfaces and with zone bit recording the actual number of sectors varies by zone. Disks with SCSI interface address each sector with a unique integer number; the operating system remains ignorant of their head or cylinder count.
The old C/H/S scheme has been replaced by logical block addressing. In some cases, to try to "force-fit" the C/H/S scheme to large-capacity drives, the number of heads was given as 64, although no modern drive has anywhere near 32 platters.
Not all the space on a hard drive is available for user files. The operating system file system uses some of the disk space to organize files on the disk, recording their file names and the sequence of disk areas that represent the file. Examples of data structures stored on disk to retrieve files include the MS DOS file allocation table (FAT), and UNIX inodes, as well as other operating system data structures. This file system overhead is usually less than 1% on drives larger than 100 MB.
For RAID drives, data integrity and fault-tolerance requirements also reduce the realized capacity. For example, a RAID1 drive will be about half the total capacity as a result of data mirroring. For RAID5 drives with x drives you would lose 1/x of your space to parity. RAID drives are multiple drives that appear to be one drive to the user, but provides some fault-tolerance.
A general rule of thumb to quickly convert the manufacturer's hard disk capacity to the standard Microsoft Windows formatted capacity is 0.93*capacity of HDD from manufacturer for HDDs less than a terabyte and 0.91*capacity of HDD from manufacturer for HDDs equal to or greater than 1 terabyte.

Symptoms Of A Bad Video Card

2011-01-30T13:56:00.000+08:00

What are the symptoms of a bad video card? While it’s easy to assume a video card is bad because there is no video displaying on the monitor, there are several reasons why that might be happening. So how do you narrow it down to the video card itself? There are several troubleshooting techniques to use to determine if a graphics card is bad, such as noting a steady degradation of performance, artifacts jumbling the screen and even failure to boot while hearing a string of beep codes. You can also swap in another card if you have a similar PC. Process of elimination is sometimes the key, as well. If you do not see the BIOS splash screen and eliminate all other possibilities, such as the cables, the power supply, the monitor and the motherboard–then the video card is probably bad.

Troubleshooting A Bad Video Card

If you power on the computer and there is no video, take notice of any unusual beeping from the computer. Depending on your BIOS manufacturer, you will hear a string of beep codes to indicate a video adapter failure, such as one long and two short beeps. If you hear any unusual beeping, look on the motherboard and find the BIOS manufacturer’s name on the BIOS chip. You can then refer to a BIOS beep code chart to determine the affected hardware.
If you see artifacts on your screen or other types of pixelation, your graphics card is probably going bad. Try re-seating the card and check the video card’s fan to make sure it is spinning fast and is clear of dust and other debris.

To rule out the monitor, make sure the brightness is turned all the way up and disconnect the monitor cable at the PC side. Most modern monitors will display a diagnostic screen if it is not receiving a signal. If the monitor displays this, then the problem lies with the computer and not the monitor. If you DO see a BIOS boot screen when the PC begins to boot, but the monitor then goes blank as Windows loads, then you probably have a problem with your settings or driver. try booting into Safe Mode by tapping F8 when booting. From Safe Mode, you will be able to correct any driver or display issues that are causing the screen to go blank in Windows.

Windows 7 Features and Performance

2011-01-29T16:53:00.000+08:00

Windows 7 Features and Performance

ASUS G50V-A1 Gaming Notebook

2011-01-29T16:52:00.000+08:00

ASUS G50V-A1 Gaming Notebook

Google Earth Now Features Rome Reborn 2.0

2011-01-29T16:51:00.001+08:00

Google Earth Now Features Rome Reborn 2.0

UMID UMPC (Mini-Netbook)

2011-01-29T16:51:00.000+08:00

UMID UMPC (Mini-Netbook)

RAM: Add more memory to your computer

2011-01-29T16:31:00.001+08:00

Your computer is a little like your physical work area. The hard drive is the filing cabinet where you store your documents, and memory—or RAM (random access memory)—is the desk where you work. And when your RAM—like a full desktop—isn’t big enough to hold all your work easily, your work slows down and becomes more difficult. A good solution is to expand the space—or install more RAM.

If it suddenly seems that your computer can't keep up and the drive light is flickering like crazy, it's probably time to install RAM. But before you unplug the cables, lug the machine to the car, drive to the computer store, wait to have RAM installed, and pay for the service, read how to install RAM yourself.
Note: Problems with speed can also be caused by viruses, spyware, or other malicious software. Make sure that your virus checker is up to date. Or download Microsoft Security Essentials for free.

Determine how much RAM you have and how much you need

Before you buy anything, you need to know how much memory you have and what type of memory to buy.
Find out how much RAM your computer has
You can find out how much RAM is installed in your computer in two ways. You can open the System Information dialog box to see the installed physical memory, or you can go to Control Panel.
To open System Information, click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click System Information. In the left pane, select System Summary. The Installed Physical Memory (RAM) entry in the list tells you how much RAM your computer has.

The Installed Physical Memory (RAM) entry in the System Information list tells you how much RAM your computer has.

Go to Control Panel in your version of the Windows operating system to find out how much RAM your computer has:

Windows XP

In Windows XP, go to the Start menu, click Settings, and then click Control Panel. Click System, and then select the General tab. At the bottom of the page you will see the amount of RAM.

Find out how much RAM you need
Most games specify the minimum amount of RAM you need to install and play. For example, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban requires 256 megabytes (MB). This amount includes RAM that the computer needs to do its own background work in addition to running the game.
The amount of RAM you need depends on the operating system you are using. For systems running Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, you should have the minimum recommended amount, but more can be better, depending on your needs. If you just use your PC for surfing the Internet and writing letters, you may need only the minimum amount of RAM required to run the version of Windows you have installed on your computer. But for the best performance—especially if you keep several programs open at the same time while you’re working—consider increasing the RAM on your computer to at least 2 gigabytes (GB).
See the minimum amount of RAM required for your version of Windows:

For more RAM-intensive programs, such as games or photo editing, or if you like to use a lot of applications at the same time, such as desktop publishing and video rendering, you may need additional RAM. Individual programs come with system requirements that show both the minimum RAM needed to run the program, and the amount of RAM needed for its best performance.
You can buy RAM modules in a variety of sizes, typically 1-GB, 2-GB, and 4-GB modules.

Figure out what type of RAM you need

To determine the maximum amount of RAM your computer can handle along with the speed, consult your PC owner's manual, which should show you the number of slots (the place where you insert the RAM), how much RAM each can take, and the maximum RAM your system can use.
Contact the manufacturer or use an online memory advisor, such as those from Crucial Technology or Kingston Technology. These memory advisors use information that you enter about your computer model and do a memory check for your specific PC that tells you which products work with your system.
To find out what kind of module you need, you can also open up your computer.

First, turn off the computer, but leave it plugged in so that it's automatically grounded. (Computers that should not remain plugged in will be clearly marked.)
Place the computer on a clean workspace and remove the cover carefully (you may need to use a screwdriver).
Touch the case to ground yourself. When you touch the case, it discharges static electricity that could otherwise damage your computer. (Note that some manuals recommend anti-static wrist straps, but this is not necessary for home users.)
Locate the RAM modules, which are green with black tubes, on the motherboard.
Now determine the type of module you have. You can identify the type by its appearance.
- RDRAM is paired up (you have to put in two at a time) and has metal casing on one side.
- DDR SDRAM is the most popular and looks like regular RAM but has one notch.
- SDRAM (which is being phased out) has two notches.
Also note your RAM speed, which is usually written on the side of the existing chip (either 266 or 333).
If you don't have a free slot, remove one of the memory cards to check the number of notches on it. You will replace the smaller of the two RAM modules.
Buy RAM.

Install your new RAM

Turn off the computer, and touch the metal casing.
Note: If you have a computer that should not remain plugged in while you work on it, turn off the computer and unplug the power cord. Then, press the button that turns on the power to your computer. This action helps you to be sure that there is no residual power to the memory slots or the computer's motherboard. The board also may have an LED light that is lit, which is another indication that there is residual power.
Open the compartment where your RAM is installed. You may have to remove screws to open the compartment. Note that this example is for a laptop computer. If you have a desktop computer, refer to the user manual to locate the RAM. You will have to remove the computer's cover.

You may need to use a screwdriver to open the compartment where RAM modules are installed.
Locate the RAM modules (RAM cards). Find the empty slot where you plan to add a module, or remove the RAM module you are replacing.

This open slot is ready for a 1-GB RAM module.
Line up the notches of the new RAM module, and apply firm pressure to attach.
After you're sure the RAM module is snugly in place, close the latch at either end. If you have clips, they should snap back in place.

The RAM module has been installed and is snugly in place.
Reconnect all the cables, but leave the casing open until you're sure everything is working right.
Turn your computer back on. If the machine starts to beep, the memory is either incompatible or not correctly in its slot. If you've installed everything correctly, the system will detect the new RAM.
Check your system information to see how much RAM you now have. If you replaced a 512-MB module with a 1-GB one, you should have 1 GB (1,024 MB) minus 512 —or 512 MB more RAM than you did previously. If you added the RAM but didn't remove any, you should have 1 GB more RAM, for a total of 1.5 GB.
Try one of your programs that wasn't working well. If it still isn't working, unplug everything again and get back into the computer to check that the RAM modules are firmly secured.

Quick facts about RAM

RAM = random access memory. RAM is the primary working memory in a computer used for the temporary storage of programs and data and in which the data can be accessed directly and modified.
RAM is measured in bytes: 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1,024 megabytes (MB) = 1,048,576 kilobytes (KB)

Shopping checklist

Amount of memory/RAM you have: __ MB
Amount of memory/RAM you require: __ MB
Amount of memory/RAM on each module: __ MB and __ MB
Maximum amount of RAM your computer can handle: __ MB
Amount of memory/RAM you will buy: __ MB
RAM speed for your computer: ___
SDRAM or DDR SDRAM

Back up your data

2011-01-29T16:30:00.000+08:00

Even computer novices know that files should be saved to help prevent them from being lost and so that they can easily be found when needed. But if you don't also back up your files, all that time you spent saving them isn't going to help you find anything if—and when—your computer decides to go on strike.

In this article, I'll explain the basics of backups and show you how to use the Backup and Restore feature in Windows 7 and in Windows Vista. You'll also learn how to back up Microsoft Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010 email so that even if your hard drive crashes suddenly, you've still got access to the email you need. Creating and implementing a backup plan now can save a lot of frustration in the future.

Why backups are important

Files can be lost from your computer in any number of ways—you might accidentally delete a file, or a virus might wipe one out. You can also have a complete hard drive failure. When a hard drive dies an untimely death, it's kind of like having your house burn down. Important personal items are usually gone forever—family photos, significant documents, downloaded music, and more.
Thankfully it's a really simple process these days to back up your content to a second, separate location. By doing so, your files can be protected against viruses or complete computer failure. This makes it easy to retrieve and place them on a new hard drive and get going again.
Today, there are many options for backing up your content. You don't need any sophisticated equipment—you can use CDs, DVDs, external hard drives, flash drives, network drives, or even online storage like Windows Live SkyDrive. It might be a good idea to back up your data to multiple places. For example, you might choose to back up your content onto both an external hard drive and to an online storage site.

Back up files to the cloud

Windows Live SkyDrive is one option available if you choose to back up your data to an online storage space. A couple of additional storage options from Microsoft include Hotmail, which offers enough storage for you to store your email, calendar, and contacts, and Windows Live Mesh, which lets you sync all your files and folders across your PCs and devices and provides enough cloud storage for your most important files. If you need extra space, do a little research, and choose the online storage spot that best fits your needs.

Windows Backup and Restore

Windows comes with a very cool feature called Backup and Restore, which has been improved for Windows 7. To open Backup and Restore in Windows 7, in the Search box, type Backup, and then click the item in the results list. In Windows Vista, click the Start button, and you should see Backup and Restore Center in the menu. Or just type the phrase into the Search box, and click the item from the results to open it.
What makes the Backup and Restore feature so cool is that it simplifies the entire backup process for you. With easy-to-follow steps and prompts, you can decide whether to back up specific files or your entire computer.
It's a good idea to back up your entire computer when you first set it up. This option captures everything from files to software programs to system settings. If your computer ever stops working completely, you can potentially restore it using the initial entire computer backup.
Back up your files

The first time you create a backup, it might take a while, depending on the number of items you need to back up. After that, backups should be quicker.
Restore your files

After you’ve completed your first backup, it’s a good idea to set up an automatic backup schedule so that you don’t have to remember to back things up manually.
Set up or change automatic backup settings

Note: The ability to set up automatic backups is not included in Windows Vista Starter or Windows Vista Home Basic.

Back up email in Microsoft Outlook

Most people don't realize that email isn't necessarily saved in backups the same way that other files are. That's because Outlook saves your emails in a Personal Folder file with a .pst extension that doesn't automatically get caught in normal backups. Unless you're using a Microsoft Exchange Server email account or a third-party HTTP account (like Windows Live Hotmail), you'll need to perform a few extra steps to make sure Outlook emails aren't lost forever if your computer goes belly up.
.Pst files can be quite large, so it's a good idea to make sure your backup location has plenty of room—and that you allow lots of time for an email backup to occur. After you've done that, just follow these steps to back up your Outlook content:

Open Outlook.
In Outlook 2010:
Click the File tab, and in Backstage view, click Open, and then click Import.
In Outlook 2007:
Click File, and then click Import and Export.
In the Choose an action to perform list, click Export to a File, and then click Next.
In the Create a file of type list, click Outlook Data File (.pst) in Outlook 2010 or Personal Folder (.pst) in Outlook 2007, and then click Next.
In the Select the folder to export from list, click the folder you want to export from, such as Inbox or Sent Items, and then click Next.
Browse to and select the location where you want to save the file. Remember, backups should be placed somewhere other than the original location of the source file. For example, if your source file is on your computer’s hard drive, you’ll want to save your backup file to an external source, like a CD or an external hard drive.
Choose the default setting Replace Duplicates with Items Exported.
Click Finish.
At any time, you can restore your file by importing it into Outlook.
Note: If you want to just view or access something in your exported .pst file without importing it back into Outlook, you can simply open the .pst file.
In Outlook 2010:
Click the File tab and, in Backstage view, click Open, and then click Open Outlook Data File.
In Outlook 2007:
Click File, point to Open, and then click Outlook Data File.

In closing
See how quick and easy it is to protect yourself and your data from permanent loss? Backing up your data might take you a couple of extra minutes a few times a month, but you'll be glad you took that time if an emergency ever happens.

Save time with computer shortcuts in Microsoft Office programs

2011-01-29T16:28:00.001+08:00

If you’re like most people, you’re always looking for ways to save time, even when using Microsoft Office software. Keyboard shortcuts could be your new best friend when it comes to time management.

Not everyone uses shortcut keys to save time, but some people find them easier to use than a mouse, especially when spending long stretches of time at the computer.

Ready-made Microsoft Office tools

If the thought of memorizing key combinations makes you wince, you can still save time and effort while working in all Office programs by using these built-in tools.

Shortcut menus. Right-click in any Microsoft Office program to display a shortcut menu that gives you quick access to many of the most commonly used features. If an arrow appears next to your selection, you can click to see more options. For example, right-clicking a Word document displays Paste Options, Look Up, Synonyms, formatting, and other options.

No matter which Microsoft Office program you’re working in, right-clicking is one of the greatest shortcuts available.
KeyTips. Introduced in Microsoft Office 2007, KeyTips are built-in keyboard shortcuts available in all programs that have the Ribbon or the Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar. In Office 2010, KeyTips are also available in the Backstage view. Press Alt to display a letter or number by each Ribbon tab or Quick Access Toolbar command. After you press a letter or number, you get new KeyTips letters and numbers to access each command in the location you selected.

Pressing Alt displays KeyTips that you can press to quickly access any command.
Quick Access Toolbar. Add the commands you use all the time to your Quick Access Toolbar in all Office programs that have the Ribbon. Just right-click almost any Ribbon command, and then click Add to Quick Access Toolbar. This is also a great way to create custom keyboard shortcuts for your favorite commands across all Office programs, since the KeyTips for your Quick Access Toolbar items remain the same as long as the command remains in the same position in the Quick Access Toolbar.
Custom keyboard shortcuts on the Office Ribbon. You can even change shortcut key combinations or create new ones of your own. Here’s how to do it in the latest versions of Microsoft Office.

In Microsoft Office 2010:
1. Click the File tab to open Backstage view, and then click Options.
2. Click Customize Ribbon and then, next to the Keyboard Shortcuts heading, click Customize. You can enter the new key combination here. You can revert to the default key combinations for specific tabs (or for all customizations) by clicking Reset.
In Microsoft Office 2007:
1. Click the Office button , and then, in the lower-right section, click Word Options.
2. In the list, select Customize.
3. In the Customize dialog box, click the Keyboard shortcuts: Customize button.
4. In the Categories listing, select the tab containing the command you want to change.
5. In the Commands list, select the command with the keystroke combination you want to change or create. If a default keystroke combination exists, it appears in the box under "Current keys."
6. In the Press new shortcut key box, enter the new keystroke combination.
7. Click Close.
Whether you want to work more easily and efficiently in Internet Explorer, streamline your Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010 experience, or key international characters into your email messages to Europe, you’ll find lots of shortcuts to help you. Here is a sampling of commonly used standard-keyboard shortcuts, many of which work across all Office programs—from Outlook to Access and from Visio to PowerPoint. You can find a more complete list of built-in keyboard shortcuts for a particular application by searching keyboard shortcuts in Help.

General keyboard shortcuts

To...	Use this shortcut
Open Help	Press F1.
Select all content in a document, window, or text box	Press Ctrl+A.
Search for a file or folder	Press F3. In Windows 7, you can also press the Windows logo key to open the Start menu and then type in the Search box.
Rename a file or folder	Select the file or folder, press F2, and then retype the name.
Find out when the file or folder was created, by whom, and how big it is	Select the file, and then press Alt+Enter.
Display the Start menu	Press Ctrl+Esc. In Windows 7, you can also press the Windows logo key.
Scroll between open windows	Press Alt+Tab, and then hold down Alt while pressing Tab to reach the desired file or program.
Undo an action	Press Ctrl+Z.
Redo an action	Press Ctrl+Y.
Check the spelling of titles or words in any Office application with the Spelling & Grammar checker	Press F7.
Create a shortcut on your desktop to your favorite file or folder	In Windows 7: Right-click the file or folder. On the shortcut menu, click Send to, and then click Desktop (Create shortcut). In Windows Vista: Right-click the file or folder. On the shortcut menu, click Create Shortcut. Drag the new shortcut to your desktop.
Capture a screen shot	Press Alt+Print Screen, and then press Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste.
Lock the computer, switch users, log off the computer, change a password, start Task Manager	In Windows 7, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
Lock the computer	Press the Windows logo key+L.
Quit program	Press Alt+F4.

Working with Microsoft Word

To...	Use this shortcut
Select text	Press Shift+Right Arrow, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow to highlight text. To select one word at a time, press Shift+Ctrl+Arrow. To select to the end of the line, press Shift+End.
Copy selected text	Press Ctrl+C.
Cut selected text	Press Ctrl+X.
Paste selected text	Press Ctrl+V.
Bold text	Press Ctrl+B.
Search for text in a document	Press Ctrl+F.
Find and replace text in a document	Press Ctrl+H.
Got to a page, line, or bookmark in a document	Press Ctrl+G.
Italicize text	Press Ctrl+I.
Underline text	Press Ctrl+U.
Subscript text	Press Ctrl+equal sign (=).
Superscript text	Press Ctrl+plus sign (+).
Center text	Press Ctrl+E.
Align text left	Press Ctrl+L.
Align text right	Press Ctrl+R.
Justify text	Press Ctrl+J.
Decrease the font size	Press Ctrl+Shift+less than sign (<). If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also press Ctrl and scroll down.
Increase the font size	Press Ctrl+Shift+greater than sign (>). If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also press Ctrl and scroll up.
Change the font	Press CTRL+SHIFT+F, and then use the arrow keys to reach the new font.
Change font size	Press Ctrl+Shift+P, and then use the arrow keys to reach the new font size. If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can also press Ctrl and scroll up or down.
Create a page break	Press Ctrl+Enter.
Create a new document	Press Ctrl+N.
Open the My Documents window	Press Ctrl+O.
Close a document	Press Ctrl+W.
Save a document	Press Ctrl+S.
Print a document	Press CTRL+P.
Preview what you're about to print	Press ALT+Ctrl+I. In Windows 7, this keyboard shortcut opens the integrated Print and Preview window, which you can also access by pressing Ctrl+P.
Resize a shape (Office 2010)	Select the shape, and then press Shift+Arrow.
Rotate a shape (Office 2010)	Select the shape, and then hold the Alt key while you press the Left Arrow key or the Right Arrow key.

Accelerating Microsoft Excel

To...	Use this shortcut
Open a new workbook	Press Ctrl+N.
Move left to right, cell by cell	Press Tab, or press the Right Arrow key.
Move right to left, cell by cell	Press Shift+Tab, or press the Left Arrow key.
Move down, cell by cell	Press Enter, or press the Down Arrow key.
Move up, cell by cell	Press Shift+Enter, or press the Up Arrow key.
Move down or up to the last empty or non-empty cell	Press Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow or Up Arrow.
Move to the last empty or non-empty cell to the right or left	Press Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow or Left Arrow.
Erase data in the current cell	Press Backspace.
Insert a return within a cell	Press Alt+Enter.
Return to the beginning of the row	Press HOME.
Advance to the next worksheet	Ctrl+Page Down
Go to the previous worksheet	Ctrl+Page Up
Enter the date	Press Ctrl+Semicolon (;).
Enter the time	Press Ctrl+Shift+Colon (:).
Find out about the style within the cell	Press Alt+Apostrophe (‘).
Display the Format Cells dialog box	Press Ctrl+1.
Apply the general number format	Press Ctrl+Shift+Tilde (~).
Apply the currency number format	Press Ctrl+Shift+Dollar Sign ($).
Apply the percentage number format	Press Ctrl+Shift+Percent (%).
Apply a border	Press Ctrl+Shift+Ampersand (&).
Remove a border	Press Ctrl+Shift+ underscore (_).
Hide the selected columns	Press Ctrl+0 (zero).
Hide the selected rows	Press Ctrl+9.
Unhide hidden rows within a selection	Press Ctrl+Shift+opening parenthesis.

Find more Excel keyboard shortcuts at the MSDN blog.

Expediting Internet Explorer

To...	Use this shortcut
Add sites to your Favorites	Go to the site. Press Ctrl+D to add to your Favorites. Click Favorites, and then, to create a separate folder for the site or to add it to an already-formed list, click Add to Favorites.
Select a home page	Go to the webpage that you would like to make your home page. Open the Tools menu, and select Internet Options. Under Home page, on the General tab, click Use Current.
Use the History function if you visit a few select sites constantly	Press Ctrl+H to open the History pane. Select the site that you would like, right-click the site, and then select Add to Favorites.
Customize your toolbar to the tools you use most frequently	Right-click the command bar. Point to Customize. Click Add or Remove Commands.
Go to your home page	Press Alt+Home.
Switch between tabs	Press Ctrl+Tab.
Move forward through the items on a webpage or the Address bar	Press Tab.
Move back through the items on a webpage or the Address bar	Press Shift+Tab.
Find on this page	Press Ctrl+F.
Stop downloading a page	Press Esc.
Use zoom on a webpage	Increase zoom (+ 10%): Press Ctrl+plus sign (+). Decrease zoom (- 10%): Press Ctrl+minus sign (-). Increase to 100%: Press Ctrl+0.

Find more Internet Explorer 8 keyboard shortcuts.
For Outlook keyboard shortcuts, read the Outlook team blog.
Shortcuts aren’t limited to Word, Excel, and Internet Explorer, of course. Ample time savers are built into many popular Microsoft programs, including Access, Visio, and PowerPoint. For Outlook keyboard shortcuts, read the Outlook team blog.
Another convenient way to save time is to add Office.com and Microsoft Answers to your Favorites in Internet Explorer, so you’ll always have ready help nearby.
The more you use these tools and make Microsoft work for you, the more time you can save. Have fun exploring the options available to you!
Adapted from an article written by Liz Eustace based upon an original piece from Microsoft Home Magazine.

Two monitors are better than one

2011-01-29T16:26:00.000+08:00

You can never have enough screen space, especially when organizing and working on your digital pictures. Instead of buying a larger monitor, if you're using Windows 7, Vista, or XP, you can buy an inexpensive second monitor and connect it to your computer—instantly doubling your desktop space.

Flat panel LCD monitors look great and will save room on your desk; CRT monitors also work well and can be less expensive.
There are several different ways you can make use of this extra screen space when working at home or in your office. If you take a lot of digital pictures, some of the advantages to having dual monitors at your work space include:

When browsing your picture library, you can view the thumbnails on one monitor, and use the second monitor to view pictures full screen to check for proper focus and image quality.
When editing photos, you can use one monitor to browse the pictures with Windows Explorer or a photo library program, and use the second monitor to edit the pictures with your photo-editing software.
If you need to stay on top of your email while working, you can keep your inbox open on one monitor and work on your photos on the other.

Set up two monitors on your desktop computer

Many new desktop computers support dual monitors without requiring any additional hardware. To see if you have more than one monitor connection, look at the back of your computer for two Video Graphics Array (VGA) connectors or two Digital Visual Interface (DVI) connectors or one of each.

Most new desktop computers include two connectors to support dual monitors

If you only have a single VGA or DVI connector, you will need to install a video adapter. You can either install a second video adapter or replace your current video adapter with one that has two VGA or DVI connections. Installing video adapters can be difficult if you're not familiar with the inside of your computer, so you may want to seek assistance from a local computer retailer that offers computer upgrade services.

Add a monitor to your laptop computer

If you have a laptop computer made in the last several years, you can almost certainly support an external monitor by connecting it to the VGA or DVI connector on the back of your computer. The external monitor can act as a second display to your laptop's built-in display. Connect your second monitor. You may have to restart your computer so that it detects the new monitor. After you connect your second monitor, you have to adjust your display settings.
Configuring your displays:

Troubleshooting: If you do not see two monitor icons, your computer might not support multiple displays. First, make sure that you have Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP installed. Then, visit Microsoft Update, click Custom, and install any available hardware updates. You may also need to visit your computer manufacturer's website to install an updated display driver. If you still do not see two monitor icons, you may need to install an additional display adapter.
If necessary, drag the monitor icons so that they are arranged in the same way as the monitors on your desk. Click the Identify Monitors button to verify which monitor is 1 and which monitor is 2.

A dual monitor setup enables you to view the same image side by side.

Once your monitor is set up, you can use your mouse to grab the title bar of a window and drag it to your new display. If a window does not move when you drag it, double-click the title bar first, and then drag it. Having two monitors will forever change the way you work with your computer. Be creative and experiment with the sizing of application windows and what information you can keep in constant view while doing multiple tasks.

5 ways to make your keyboard easier to use

2011-01-29T16:25:00.000+08:00

For most people, the keyboard is the main way to enter information into and control their computer. But are you controlling your keyboard, or is your keyboard controlling you?

If you make typing mistakes or find your keyboard a bit uncomfortable, it’s not hard to correct those problems. Here’s how to quickly and easily change your keyboard settings and comfort options.

1. Get to know your keyboard

Even if you’ve been using a PC for a long time, there may be features on your keyboard you don’t know about. Take a moment to get to know your keyboard so you can be more efficient when you're working.

2. Change keyboard settings

Once you’ve gotten more familiar with your keyboard, there are a few settings you can change to help you work more smoothly.
You can alter:

How long you need to press a key before the keyboard character starts repeating.
The speed at which keyboard characters repeat, which helps you to avoid typing errors.
The rate at which the mouse pointer blinks, which can help its visibility.

Here's how to change keyboard settings in Windows Vista or in Windows XP .

3. Take shortcuts

Even if you're a whiz with the mouse for Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP, keyboard shortcuts are typically a more efficient way to work. They're called shortcuts because they reduce multiple clicks into one quick press of keys, like hitting a chord on a piano.
Getting to know a few keyboard shortcuts for the things you do all the time, like saving or closing files, can make using your PC much easier and faster.
Here are just a few popular keyboard shortcuts that work for both versions of Windows:

Press this	To do this
Windows logo key	Open the Start menu
ALT+TAB	Switch between open programs or windows
CTRL+S	Save the current file or document (works in most programs)
CTRL+C	Copy the selected item
CTRL+Z	Undo an action
Windows logo key +F1	Display Windows Help and Support
ESC	Cancel the current task
Application key	Open a menu of commands related to a selection in a program. Equivalent to right-clicking the selection.

For more, see the detailed list of keyboard shortcuts for Windows Vista, or Windows XP. Note: shortcuts for Windows 7 are the same as those listed for Windows Vista.

4. Make it easier to press multiple keys

Do you find it difficult to press multiple keys at once? For example, if pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL is an acrobatic feat, you can set up Sticky Keys. With Sticky Keys you can hit one key at a time in a keyboard shortcut. You can even set it to make a noise so you know it's working.
You can set up Sticky Keys in Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP. (Hint: Press your “SHIFT” key 5 times in a row, then click on the link, to get going with Sticky Keys in Windows 7 or Windows Vista.)

5. Find a comfortable keyboard

It might also be time for you to evaluate the ergonomics of your desktop. Microsoft offers a full line of Natural and Comfort Curve ergonomic keyboards to ensure you're comfortable when you're working on your computer. Having the right keyboard can really make a difference!
Tips for using your keyboard properly
If a new keyboard isn’t in your future, be sure to use your current keyboard properly to avoid soreness or injury to your wrists, hands, and arms. This is particularly important if you use your computer for long periods of time.
Curious about how to create a more ergonomic work space for yourself? Check out these tips to help you work more comfortably and reduce your risk of painful injuries or disorders.
Here are some general tips to help you avoid problems:

Place your keyboard at elbow level, with your upper arms relaxed at your sides.
Center your keyboard in front of you. If your keyboard has a numeric keypad, you can use the spacebar as the centering point.
While typing, use a light touch and keep your wrists straight.
When you're not typing, relax your arms and hands.
Take short breaks every 15 to 20 minutes.
Type with your hands and wrists floating above the keyboard, so that you can use your whole arm to reach for distant keys instead of stretching your fingers.
Avoid resting your palms or wrists on any type of surface while typing. If your keyboard has a palm rest, use it only during breaks from typing.

Carberp Trojan Removes Anti-Virus Scanners, Other Malware from Host - Security - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

2011-01-29T16:14:00.000+08:00

Carberp Trojan Removes Anti-Virus Scanners, Other Malware from Host - Security - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

salam perkenalan kepada semua

2011-01-28T20:47:00.000+08:00

                                      kita tahu zaman sekarang memang la memerlukan teknologi yang canggih,dan teknologi berkembang setiap masa.Setiap waktu kita akan mendengar ada peralatan,barang baru dalam dunia teknologi.Untuk yang memang berilmu di dalam bidang ini memang bagi kita tidak menjadi masalah.tetapi bagi mereka yang masih lagi berjinak-jinak untuk mendalami ilmu teknologi adalah menjadi masalah kepada mereka.Teknologi mempunyai pelbagai bidang, salah satu ialah bidang komputer.Komputer memang menjadi keperluan pada masa kini.zaman makin canggih la katakan.Peluang di bidang ni memang la berbaloi-baloi,tak kira la kita bekerja sendiri ataupun makan gaji.
   Setiap yang dicipta manusia ada kelebihan dan kekurangannya.Tidak terkecuali juga komputer.Blog saya menyediakan perkhidmatan penyelesaian masalah berkaitan dengan komputer
iaitu dari segi hardware dan software.Nak kata saya ni pandai sangat tak la.Tapi pengalaman saya mungkin mampu menyelesaikan masalah anda.Blog ini juga merupakan salah satu tempat utama bagi kita untuk berkomunikasi dan memberi pandangan di dalam bidang perkomputeran ini.Jangan malu atau segan untuk menceritakan masalah anda.Ingat tujuan kita,untuk belajar.buat apa kita nak hantar ke kedai komputer sedangkan masalah itu kita boleh selesaikan sendiri.
                                      Akhir kata dari saya,saya berharap kita semua tak kira muda ataupun tua,marilah kita sama-sama menggunakan teknologi yang serba canggih ini.Tak rugi kalau kita berkongsi masalah untuk kita mendapatkan ilmu.sekian dari saya.

terima kasih.

COMPUTER EXPERT

Magnetic recording (hdd)

[edit] Components

[edit] Error handling

[edit] Future development

[edit] Capacity

[edit] Capacity measurements

[edit] Addressing data on large drives

Symptoms Of A Bad Video Card

Troubleshooting A Bad Video Card

Windows 7 Features and Performance

ASUS G50V-A1 Gaming Notebook

Google Earth Now Features Rome Reborn 2.0

UMID UMPC (Mini-Netbook)

RAM: Add more memory to your computer

Determine how much RAM you have and how much you need

Windows XP

Figure out what type of RAM you need

Install your new RAM

Quick facts about RAM

Shopping checklist

Back up your data

Why backups are important

Back up files to the cloud

Windows Backup and Restore

Back up email in Microsoft Outlook

Save time with computer shortcuts in Microsoft Office programs

Ready-made Microsoft Office tools

In Microsoft Office 2010:

In Microsoft Office 2007:

General keyboard shortcuts

Working with Microsoft Word

Accelerating Microsoft Excel

Expediting Internet Explorer

Two monitors are better than one

You can never have enough screen space, especially when organizing and working on your digital pictures. Instead of buying a larger monitor, if you're using Windows 7, Vista, or XP, you can buy an inexpensive second monitor and connect it to your computer—instantly doubling your desktop space.

Set up two monitors on your desktop computer

Add a monitor to your laptop computer

5 ways to make your keyboard easier to use

1. Get to know your keyboard

2. Change keyboard settings

3. Take shortcuts

4. Make it easier to press multiple keys

5. Find a comfortable keyboard

Carberp Trojan Removes Anti-Virus Scanners, Other Malware from Host - Security - News & Reviews - eWeek.com

salam perkenalan kepada semua