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Tutorial: Memainkan sound menggunakan Audioplayers di Android dengan Flutter

2020-04-13T04:47:00.001+08:00

Tutorial membuat barcode reader dengan Flutter

2020-04-12T04:40:00.001+08:00

Assalamu'alaikum teman-teman.

Kali ini kita akan belajar pemrograman Android dengan menggunakan Flutter. Saya sebetulnya sudah lama menggunakan Java dan Android Studio dalam mendevelop aplikasi android, namun ada beberapa kendala yang saya hadapi seperti terpisahnya proses pengembangan User Interface (UI) dengan pengembangan Logic pemrogramannya. Dimana, UI dikembangkan dengan XML dan Logicnya dengan Java.

Nah, Flutter yang dikembangkan oleh Tim Google ini keluar dengan konsep Codebased programming. Dimana dalam Flutter, baik itu UI maupun Logicnya ditulis dalam bentuk skrip atau murni berbasis kode dengan menggunakan bahasa DART. Dengan kata lain, dalam Flutter tidak mengenal drap and drop.

Konsep belajar dan sharing tutorial ini saya buat agar kita sama-sama belajar learning by doing, kita ngoding bareng.

Saya asumsikan teman-teman sudah meyiapkan sumber daya untuk memulai ngoding Flutter nya ya. Jadi disini saya tidak menuliskan terkait cara instalasinya.

Kita mulai dengan membuat project baru.

Saya menggunakan Visual Studio Code dan saya rekomendasikan juga untuk teman-teman

Pilih menu View - Command Palette ...

Command palette

cari Flutter: New Project

Flutter: New Project

Masukkan: Nama Project (misalkan 'barcode_reader')

Create projcet

tentukan tempat/folder penyimpanan
tunggu Flutter menyiapkan berkas yang dibutuhkan

Selanjutnya, kita update dependencies di pubspec.yaml nya.

File pubspec.yaml ini mirip-mirip gradle di pengembangan android menggunakan android studio. Yang perlu diperhatikan dalam mengupdate file pubspec.yaml ini adalah tab indent nya, tidak boleh salah.

File pubspec.yaml

di sini kita tambahkan dependencies: barcode_scan: ^2.0.1
Setelah itu kita SAVE, pada saat proses SAVE ini Flutter akan mendownload file yang diperlukan ke dalam project kita. Jadi pastika tidak ada pesan error

Selanjutnya kita masuk ke file main.dart.

Di dalam file main.dart sudah ada code prebuild dari Tim Flutter, jadi kita Select All dan hapus semua saja dan copy paste kode di bawah ini:



import 'package:barcode_scan/barcode_scan.dart';
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:flutter/services.dart';
import 'dart:async';

void main() {
  runApp(new MyApp());
}

class MyApp extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _MyAppState createState() => new _MyAppState();
}

class _MyAppState extends State {
  String barcode = "";

  @override
  initState() {
    super.initState();
  }

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return new MaterialApp(
      home: new Scaffold(
          appBar: new AppBar(
            title: new Text('Barcode Scanner Example'),
          ),
          body: new Center(
            child: new Column(
              children: [
                new Container(
                  child: new RaisedButton(
                      color: Colors.blue,
                      onPressed: scan,
                      child: new Text("Scan")),
                  padding: const EdgeInsets.all(8.0),
                ),
                new Text(barcode),
              ],
            ),
          )),
    );
  }

  Future scan() async {
    try {
      String barcode = await BarcodeScanner.scan();
      setState(() => this.barcode = barcode);
    } on PlatformException catch (e) {
      if (e.code == BarcodeScanner.CameraAccessDenied) {
        setState(() {
          this.barcode = 'User tidak memberi akses ke kamera';
        });
      } else {
        setState(() => this.barcode = 'Unknown error: $e');
      }
    } on FormatException {
      setState(() => this.barcode = 'Tidak ada aktifitas scanning');
    } catch (e) {
      setState(() => this.barcode = 'Unknown error: $e');
    }
  }
}

Kode di atas sudah lengkap teman-teman, artinya sudah bisa kita RUN. Namun karena aplikasi yang kita kembangkan ini barcode reader, maka akan lebih mudah dipraktekkan jika kita RUN ke Device android beneran, bukan emulator.

Saya sudah coba menjalankan aplikasi ini di real device, dokumentasi dan step by step developmnetnya bisa teman-teman cek di link Youtube di bawah ini.

Drum Meister for iPad

2011-06-08T10:59:00.007+08:00

Looking for a realistic game drum application?
Want to organize components as you like?
Would you like to slide and play features with great responsiveness?
That meeting needs all at the same time?
Here is a perfect solution for your ideal drum.
Drum Meister battery will provide you with realistic playing environment at hand.
Play drums with your MP3 songs into your iPhone / iPod.

FEATURES:
* 4 different kit sounds (rock, jazz, dance, electronic)
* 10 basic components of the drum with 12 different sounds played simultaneously
* 8 extra components (4 brushed, side-stick, 2 extra dishes, and a cowbell)
* Organize drum components for comfortable finger
* Edit (Add / Remove / Resize) components Auto
* Drum roll (4, 8, 12, 16, 32 beats)
* Mix the high-quality audio without clipping a telephone pole-end
* 3-D sound positioning
* An adjustable metronome on / off, BPM, beats
* The characteristics of the open hi-hat fast shutdown
* Record and save your own beats
* 40 pre-recorded beats (Rock, Hip Hop, Jazz, Latin, Ballad, Dance, etc.)
* Slide and play
* Turn the motion sensor to play bass drum and cymbals
* Large capacity to respond to fast beats and bass
* Animated visual effect

Turn on your favorite song and enjoy!

Ubuntu promotes OpenJDK

2008-08-21T17:06:00.002+08:00

Users Java and Ubuntu will be happy to know that OpenJDK 6 has been migrated the main repository of distribution "human", becoming the Java Run-Time Environment (JRE) and Java Development Kit (JDK) default Ubuntu 8.10. OpenJDK is the free version of Java born from source version 6 and the work of the community (but also companies like RedHat).

The official announcement of the list architectures affected by this change have been registered in the mailing list ubuntu-devel-announce.

Dell Inspiron 910: Killer Eee PC use Ubuntu

2008-08-21T17:02:00.002+08:00

Missing a few days to the marketing of new netbook Dell, the Inspiron 910, and they are beginning to get the first indiscretions on its technical specifications. Driven by an Intel processor Atom, the mini-Inspiron boasts a 8.9-inch display (capable of a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels), is equipped with 1 GB of RAM and boasts solid-state disks of varying sizes (from 4 to 16 GB). Completing the entire VGA output, a memory card reader, network adapter wi-fi and three USB ports.

The most interesting aspects of this netbook must be sought elsewhere, however, more precisely in the price and the operating system: the Inspiron 910, in fact, should be sold starting at $ 299 (one hopes that is not used at the exchange between 1:1 U.S. dollars and euros) and will be available only with Windows XP, even with Ubuntu 8.04.

We hope that at least this time Italy will not be treated as in the past…

Tips: free for scanning PC errors

2008-06-26T12:15:00.002+08:00

An update of memory may be one of the least expensive methods to improve your computer performance. In addition, an update of your computer's memory can be very simple, even for inexperienced users.

How do the computer's memory is currently?

When the computer starts, it should say how much RAM is installed.
If your computer has already started in Microsoft Windows, you can view your computer memory the following steps:

* start Click.
* Click control panel=""
* Click performance and="" maintenance=""
* Click system
* Search your memory near total at the bottom right of the window. For example, you might say "1.00 GB of RAM."
system>performance>control>start

What kind of memory not to use the computer?

The main key to success for an update of memory is to know what kind of RAM motherboard is currently in use.

This can be very confusing, because if there are many different types of computer memory, including SDR SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, DDR2 and RDRAM.

In addition, each type of RAM will be assessed with a speed. Adding memory fastest computer will work, but you can pay more than necessary for your memory upgrade. Adding slower memory may make your computer work properly or not at all.

One way to determine what kind of RAM your computer is currently in use is to open it and look for the memory stick.

This computer memory, most likely like this DIMM:
DIMM

Reading the mark from your computer memory usually say what type and speed of your computer's memory has.

Another way to discover what kind of memory your computer has is to use the memory Crucial search database. This easy to use tool will help them discover what kind of RAM you should update with.
Your motherboard has opened a memory slot?

If you know what kind of RAM motherboard is currently in use, and if your motherboard has opened a memory slot, then you can just go out and buy a new compatible memory stick and plug into the motherboard.

If the motherboard has not opened a memory slot, then you must take out the current memory and replace it with greater memory capacity. For example, you can replace the DIMM 256 MB to 512MB DIMM, or 512MB DIMM's a 1GB DIMM.

Tutorial: RAM Memory Fundamental

2008-06-26T11:51:00.002+08:00

The RAM is the memory of computers that are the data used during normal use of software. The more great Ram memory of a computer and much more will be fast software installed, which should not store the temporary data on the hard drive. Being a volatile memory the contents of the Ram is temporary and reset for each new turn on your computer.

What Ram for your computer?

Fundamental choose the Ram depends on will of the computer. The choice side technology out there, a computer media power has a memory of 128 MB Ram (Mega Bytes = one million characters) to 256 MB. There are still configurations available with 512 MB or higher. For normal use of Office or other applications commonly used (Internet, email, etc.) is sufficient focus on memories from 256 MB RAM, now considered the minimum needed for modern computers. For more demanding activities such as photo editing and video games is advisable to invest in superior solutions, buying directly from a RAM 512 MB or 1 GB (1024 MB) or on other words you need to add computer RAM (if you are IMAC addict, sure you need to add IMAC memory too)

The amount of memory choice for your computer is very important because the RAM choice will depend most of the performance of the system.

Today, the memories are DIMM RAM type DDR (Double Data Rate). The speed of RAM currently on the market partly by 333 MHz (DDR PC2700 Memory) to 466 (PC3700). The memories modern use the same bus for data transfer in both ways. A big step forward compared to the old RAM "one-way alternating" (eg: SDRAM) in trade a few years ago.

To understand the importances of observing enough RAM access times. The speed of memory varies from 6 ns for the RAM to 333 MHz (PC2700) to 4.5 ns for the RAM to 466 MHz (PC3700). Obviously, a faster equal’s faster performance in software and less waiting time for users of computers.

For the more demanding in terms of performance are also available memory cards type of DDR RAM at speeds of 550 MHz with no loss of stability of calculation and access times reduced to just 3.5 ns, or RAM memories with a great storage capacity, up to 2 GB (2048), particularly suitable for computer graphics and photo professional.

The price is in constant change. It ranges from 30-40 euros for solutions RAM medium and no-brand to 150-200 euros for complex solutions and more efficient. Between the two extremes there is a wide choice term for combining performance with your portfolio.

Tips Tricks: Watch DivX Hollywood/Bollywood movies online for free

2008-06-04T17:26:00.000+08:00

In the mood to watch a full movie online for free? You can use Joox.net to watch Hollywood, Hindi, Anime, Cartoons, TV Shows, Music videos, Documentaries, and foreign movies streaming online with subtitles for free! The site does not actually host any videos itself, but instead bookmarks videos from the site Stage6, which is a video sharing site like YouTube, but for high resolution DivX videos.

In order to watch the videos on Joox.net, you will need to install the DivX plugin from Stage6. Of course, since some stuff may by copyrighted, Stage6 will remove it and it may not work on this site. However, from playing around with it, all of the movies I’ve played so far work fine. The resolution in very high and you can even watch them full screen.

It doesn’t have the latest movies or anything like that, but if you’re in the mood for Casino (1995), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), Psycho (1960), or Schindler’s List, then this is the place to go. Also, I liked their selection of Bollywood movies and comedy/stand-up videos.

You can also download the videos to your computer if you life. And if you know how to create DivX files, you can upload them yourself by creating an account on Stage6. Of course, you can also go to Stage6 itself and watch a host of other high resolution movies and videos there.

Stage6 has many more categories and allows for search by tags or lookup through “channels”, such as Anime, move trailers, music videos, etc. Using Stage6, you can download videos for playback on your computer, TV, or portable media player like the iPod, etc. Lots of free video at very high quality! Enjoy!

Tips: How to convert a PDF file to Word, Excel or JPG format

2008-06-04T17:15:00.002+08:00

One common question I’ve run across a lot these days in the office is how to convert a PDF file to Microsoft Word format (doc), Excel format (xls), or JPG picture format. Usually, people want to know how to convert a file to PDF, but it’s also nice to be able to convert back the other way. Converting to Word is actually pretty simple and can be done directly using an online file conversion service called Zamzar. Going to Excel or JPG is a two step process, but nothing very difficult to follow.

Update: There’s a much easier way to convert a PDF to JPG image format than the method I have mentioned below. Here’s how you can do it using Zamzar.com.

Convert a PDF file to JPG - Easy Way

Go to ZamZar.com, browse for your file and choose PNG format for the format to conver to under Step 2. PNG is another newer picture format that is slowly replacing the JPG format. Most programs that can open JPG files can open PNG. Zamzar automatically converts each page in the PDF document into it’s own PNG picture file. Now you can simply open Microsoft Paint (yes, all you need it Paint!) and choose File - Save As from the menu and choose JPEG from the drop down list of formats.

That’s it! By the way, if youare interested in how to extract the text from a PDF document or how to convert Word files to PDF, etc, check out the links.

Convert PDF to JPG Format - Second Way

The first thing you’ll need to do is download a free software (the only one I could find) that converts PDF documents to JPEG image format automatically. Go to the Omniformat download page and download both Omniformat v8.3 and the PDF995 app. You will need to download and install PDF995 first before installing Omniformat. Once you have both programs installed, go to your Start Menu programs, find the program group Software995 and click on Omniformat.

The only annoying thing about this program is that it requires you to view some ads for about 30 seconds! However, it’s better than paying $20 or $40 for a program just to do a simple conversion! It does pop up another instance of your browser window for the web site of each of the sponsors, but it does not install any spyware onto your computer (no popup ads). Once the program is loaded, you’ll see it has a section called “Watch Folders” and then a button at the bottom titled “Start Monitoring” and “Single Pass“.

Basically the way it works is that you need to COPY the PDF files you want to convert to JPG format to the C:\omniformat\watch folder and then press Single Pass. The program will look in that directory and convert each page of each PDF into a separate JPG file. If you click Start Monitoring, you can keep dropping PDFs into that folder and the program will automatically convert them into JPGs as long as the program is open. Note that the program DELETES the original PDF document that it uses, so that’s why you need to COPY the PDF document to the watch folder, not move it! You should now see your converted files like below:

Convert your PDF to a Word document

Go to Zamzar.com and click the Browse button next to Step 1 and choose your file. By default, Step 2 will be set to DOC format, but you can choose to convert your PDF to other file types such as TXT, HMTL, RTF, etc. Type in your email address for Step 3 and click Convert.

You should receive an email within a few minutes with a download link to your converted file. I have tried out this service on some pretty complex PDF documents with text in multiple columns, multiple images, etc and have been very impressed with it’s conversion accuracy.

Convert a PDF file to Excel format

We will again follow the steps above using Zamzar, but this time choose TXT as the format you want to convert to. Unfortunately, you can’t convert straight to Excel format, so we’ll have to go through the intermediary TXT format. Once you have downloaded the TXT file and saved it on your computer, open Microsoft Excel and go to File - Open and change the Files of Type combo box to All Files.

Now you should see the converted text file in the list of files. Choose it and click Open. You’ll now be brought to the Text Import Wizard. You have to open the file in this manner because if you simply right-click and say Open With Excel, all of the text for each row will appear in the first column and not be separated.

For Step 1, choose Delimited from the two options listed.

Click Next and check off the Space checkbox as one of the delimiters. Each value should now be separated by a vertical line, indicating it’s going to be in a separate column.

Click Next and then click Finish. You can now save the file as an Excel file by going to File - Save As. There are a few drawbacks, however, as this conversion does not always work perfectly! For example, if the original Excel sheet had a column where there was text with spaces included, each word will be separated into it’s own column! Also, you won’t see any formulas or functions that may have been in the original Excel sheet, only the text.

It’s as easy as that! You can use many other image editing programs also such as Photoshop, Corel, etc, etc, but I chose Paint because that is universally available on just about every Windows computer.

Any questions, post a comment!

Tips: Buliding computer for game

2008-05-25T16:57:00.000+08:00

Are you the construction of computer games on a tight budget? Want ideas on how to save some cash? The following tips will help you build a system of play for less.

Reuse your old parts

A good way to save money on your new computer is to reuse the old part where possible. Strip out all the good parts from your old computer, May be able to use these parts in your new PC.

Components such as monitors, keyboards, mouse, disk drive, CD-ROM drive, and computer case are good candidates for reuse. In some cases, may even be able to keep your old video card and sound card, leaving you with only the basic components for substitution, CPU, motherboard, RAM, hard disk.

Expect Sweet Spot in the market

Another good advice for building a cheap computer games is to watch for the 'sweet spot' in the market. The sweet spot is in fact point to specific parts of which are still far behind those with top performance, but which are already at the price drops.

Keep in mind that new hardware releases on the market will cause the old components of a drop in prices. You should hunt for high-quality components that are through these price drops.

Shop Around for components

This is common sense, but there are people who are there do not do that. To get the best bid on your components you need to shop around and compare prices. Avoid buying impulsively, what to do. Instead, become informed and intelligent buyer.

If you want the best bid that will need to put in little effort. Try to compare prices from different sellers over time, perhaps several weeks or so to get an idea of where the hot deals.

Gaming PCs can be quite expensive. If you're like most people, you will not have all the money in the world to spend on your new machine. In this way, use these tips to your advantage and build games on the computer smart way. Always remember, be smart, patient and informed consumer. The money is worth saving.

Tips: Optimizing your computer performance - Again

2008-05-25T16:56:00.000+08:00

Consumer laptop and desktop to the purchase of an all-time low due to the declining economy. Even the company's purchase of these items has been at a record low. With the exception of Apple. Their sales will continue strong. For those of us who are not a luxury that will go out and buy a brand new Apple Computer, or any other computer that matter, let me give you some tips to help you keep your computer running smoothly and quickly.

First of all, seems to one program at a time on your computer. If this is not possible, to carry out less. Cutting down even one or two programs at the same time, can improve the performance of your PC. When you're finished, the program gives you certainly close to it. When you click on the link and it opens a new browser, close to the previous, if you're ready with it.

Another way to assure that your computer is still running efficiently, it is to keep the anti-virus and anti-spyware up to date.

Thirdly, check the programs, the start-up, when you log in to your computer. You can find this information under the Start menu and then click on the "All Programs, then Startup. All the programs will not run automatically every time you log in to your computer. If you do not need the program begins immediately, remove it to this folder. The more programs, which have been in this folder, the longer it will take, a computer is ready for use, when you log in to.

A fourth pointed tip to improve computer performance at cleaning up the computer's registry. That is, if the files have been maintained, that you tell your computer how to run. Over time, these files can be corrupt. Search for the registry cleaning software and download it on top of a computer. This would be in contradiction to, after scanning the computer for viruses.

Finally, the update of RAM (this is the memory of your computer). If there is not enough memory, your computer slows down.

The most important thing is, do not give a declining economic situation prevent you from having a computer, which effectively. Try these instructions, and the computer's performance is guaranteed to improve.

Tips: Optimizing your computer performance

2008-05-25T16:54:00.001+08:00

Sometimes your computer is running slowly. Actually, this happens because of various reasons. Below are some of the reasons and tips for improving the performance of your computer.

1. Spyware, malware and adware

This is one of the reasons why your computer is running slowly. During the installation of suspicious software, these things will also install in the background without you know. Some of these things can be removed if you removed the software that comes with it.

There are also software to remove spyware. As Spybot Search and Destroy. You can use this software for free.

With the help of only one type of spyware removal is not very effective. If you want your computer secure and free of spyware, software use two or more.

Windows Defender is a good option. Use Windows Explorer to your monitor ongoing programs.

2. Registry

Another reason why your computer is slow, because your computer registry is not stable and must be kept clean. To do so, you must register a cleaner software. There are a lot cleaner registry free of charge. I encourage you to use RegSeeker

3. To remove the software that you do not need

You can improve the performance of your computer by deleting the software that you do not need.

Free software can be found somewhere on the Internet. Some of these free software also comes with an attached piece of text such as spyware and adware. So, be careful when installing free software.

4. Get rid of your temporary files

You can use all your temporary files on your computer by rotating the disk cleanup tool. Or you can delete all the files in your "temp" folder. Do not remove the folder. If you can not find it, you can go to My Computer-> Local disk (where your Windows operating system) -> Documents and Settings-> your username-> Local Settings. Sometimes this folder is hidden, you can map your body so you can see this file.

5. Adjust for best performance

You can use your computer so it can be carried out for the best performance. But the appearance will not be very good. If you have Windows XP, you can do so by visiting the panel-> system-> advanced-> performance of the institution-> apply for the best performance.

Tips: Repairing Windows XP Computer

2008-05-25T16:51:00.000+08:00

It is late in the evening and that you are at home, using a computer to update the document you need to work on the next day. You make final changes, save the document, and send ga print. Turn on the printer, only to find nothing there. You print the document again, and again get nothing. Thinking that maybe there is something wrong with the printer connection, you decide to restart the computer. But you are getting error messages that you've never seen before. After clicking on two or three dozen "OK" buttons, your computer is booting finally begins again, and you sigh of relief. Until you start getting error message that certain files are outdated or can not be located. At the end of your computer comes back up, but it seems that all that has gone wonky. Programs load with errors, or loaded and everything. Utilities, which worked fine last night lock when you try to run them, including virus-scanning your software. In short, something very, very wrong.

Ordinarily this would mean taking on your computer and repair the site have tech look at it to determine the problem. Repair could be as simple as running utilities on several computers, or as complex as well as the reconstruction of the hard drive from scratch. Even the simpler solution can be expensive. But if you use Windows XP operating system as yours, May you do not need to go in blind panic. A utility included in Windows XP called System Restore allows you to recover your hard disk from a previous point in time. In effect, turn back the clock to a point in the past in which your computer is working correctly.

Give me a reason

Why would you restore your computer to, say, yesterday afternoon is the setting? There are many reasons you might want or need, in order to do this. The incident described above could be caused by a virus that got through your computer's firewall installed itself on your computer. Remember a new game on a computer installed late last night? This could have a system file was overwritten in the operating system, replacing them with older files, or delete files needed altogether. Maybe someone got a little trigger-happy with the mouse you choose to delete files from the system, deleting the file system required. Then there is always the possibility of "God's work", such as power outage or power surge, which have corrupted the system May data on the computer.

Convinced? Good. So how System Restore? Let's take a look.

Start at the beginning

When Windows XP is installed on a computer system, the utility System Restore is turned on by default, so you do not have to do anything to start the process. System Restore and automatically creates "restore points", a point in time, you can choose a refund of his computer. They usually worked when the new program is installed, or upgrade existing systems are implemented (usually via the Internet). Good news. Unfortunately Windows XP is not consistent with the frequency of creating these restore points. You may go two or three days before the incident occurs where an operating system, believes that it is necessary to create a restore point. No-so-good news. However, you can go in yourself and manually create a restore point for any time you like, say, just before installing the new program. If you are going to do on a regular basis, even once a day, you'll have a good number of points from which to return if ever need.

Good place for recovery

May you want to create a restore point on his own, or need to find a point to restore to the recovery of your system. In both cases, you can begin the same way. In the menu bar at the bottom of the desktop, click on Start, then Help and Support (blue question mark icon). Under the "Select the task" in the right column of the window that appears on the screen, select the option marked Undo changes to your computer with System Restore. This runs the utility System Restore, ga bringing in a new window.

If you want to create a new restore point, select another option in the menu and click on Next. You can enter the appropriate description for this restore point, and then click on Create. Windows XP automatically attaches your description, and date and time from your computer system to restore point, adding that the list of calendars. Click on the Close and that's it - you've created a restore point. You can go on with their work (or play).

When you are, you need some restoration

If it is necessary to restore the system in an earlier date and time, the System Restore menu select the first option in the menu and click on Next. You can use the calendar on the left side of the window and restore points is described on the right side of the window to select a particular point of recovery you want to use. Once you've selected your desired restore point, click Next, Next and then restart the process of returning. Do not power down your computer during this process, as you could end up with some serious issues, if the process does not end up returning. (Helpful tip: Do not do a return, if there is a possibility you might have a power outage, such as during the storm!) Once the return is done, the computer reboots, when you sign up, and there you are - your system is the way in which to the date and time for the restore point.

Useful advice

You will avoid many of pain if you follow a few guidelines when using the System Restore.

Regularly to create a manual restore points. It only takes a minute to create a restore point. Even if you have done so only once or twice a week, it gives that much more options to choose from when it was necessary to select the restore point.

ALWAYS create a restore point before adding anything new to your computer! Whether you're adding a new printer, installing the second hard disk, or upgrading your favorite program for software, to create a restore point before starting the process. If anything happens to a problem, you can go back to your PC so that before the installation began.

Save important information before departure on a single return. Keep in mind that all that has changed in the time between the computer and restore point and the beginning of time and return will be reset to the way in which at the time, and return point. If your restore point is of ten days, every program and data files you added to your computer in the ten-day period will be gone. Files that were on the computer at the time and restore point and that you have cleared since then will return to the computer after returning. So, if you have the files on your computer that you want to keep, copy them to a floppy disk or a stick of RAM, or burn a CD before we start the process of returning.

Not bad for a Freebie

There are commercial programs available, such as Norton's Go-Back, who perform this function much more smoothly and have many more opportunities. But if you do not want to pay $ 50 for the price tag-Go Back, or does not expect that he will recover on your computer on a regular basis, and then XP is the utility System Restore will work just fine for you - and May to finish saving you both time and money in computer repair costs

Tips: Speed up your computer easily

2008-05-25T16:42:00.000+08:00

There are few things in life that are so frustrating as when the computer is grinding along with the speed of a snail. For a few years ago, we did not really have this problem, which was before the computer came true in most houses. The problem of slow computers is not running frustration that most of us have to deal with ever day. Think of when you call someone about some business relationships on the phone, how often they have to hear that you have to wait because their computer is running slow? Here are the most common reasons why your computer is running slowly and how to solve these problems.

1. Spyware Problems - This little invasive programs are such a problem that needed a new word to be added to the dictionary when they arose. It does not matter if you call them spyware or scumware or just a plain ole 'pain in the ass, these programs spring pop-ups in your face, slow your computer to a crawl and cause you to bang your head on the desk repeatedly. Fortunately, there are many programs that are available to download, which will help you to this scourge on your computer, and keep it at a distance.

2. Running Too many at once - Sometimes you shoot yourself in the foot, so to speak. If your system tray (the area next to the clock on your computer) is so full of icons that looks like Grand Central Station in time to stop then you can probably no longer too many programs at once. Try right-clicking on a number of these icons to see what they are and so it is possible that you could live without them.

Keep your computer clean is more or less a full time job if you try to do. Search and find a large number of software to keep your computer clean and running smoothly, and that means that one less thing in life more difficult.

Misc Computer Tips

2008-05-25T16:38:00.000+08:00

Your company need to retain the services of a consulting firm, but you have no idea how to really evaluate "competence"? In the first part of this two-part series on Computer Consulting 101 councils recruitment, we examined why small companies find it so difficult to hire good consultancy firms, as well as four basic questions that you must be addressed when searching for a new computer consulting vendor. Now in his second and final episode of this two-part series on Computer Consulting 101 hiring tips, we'll see how you can evaluate the real, often confusing expenses of the use of a computer consulting company, and how to examine more thoroughly the computer consultancy firm professional credentials and experience.

Dealer, "Pure" Computer Consulting Company, or supplier of hybrid technology

Your company sell various products such as hardware and software? Is it a profit center or do you mind if we shop for our products elsewhere? And if we do shop elsewhere, can we still buy your needs analysis and procurement services?

Are there other providers, such as Internet service providers or telephone companies, that your firm is acting as an agent or partner? In other words, do you accept commissions or referral fees for doing business to certain suppliers?

The costs, hidden fees and billing procedures

What are your payment terms, rates and billing hourly minimum? What is billable and what is not billable?

Do you charge your travel time? The hotline? E-mail/online support? Remote?

Are there any hourly rate billing for the premiums after working hours or emergency service? What constitutes "after hours" or "emergency"?

Do you offer contracts support? What are the costs and benefits?

Accounts reference client, case studies and testimonials

Can you tell me about one of your longer-term small business accounts receivable?

Can you tell me about one of your most-recently signed on to customers? Can you tell me about small businesses a customer who has not worked and why?

Can you provide references?

Research / development of skills and keeping Sharp

How do you keep new technological developments?

What do you invoice customers and what do you absorb it? Are there grey areas?

Approaching the training and knowledge transfer

What do you think of hand and in-depth training with users?

What type of user and technical training can you provide?

Will you train our internal computer administrator to become more self-sufficient, even if it takes away your "job security" and opportunities to bill more hours?

Ultimately,

Do not fall into the ultra-common trap of hiring an independent consultant computer or computer consulting firm that is not a good way for your company. Use the Computer Consulting 101 recruitment and selection issues as the basis to make a more informed hiring decision for your computer consulting suppliers. And if you have any doubts, do not be afraid to seek a second opinion with another computer consulting firm.

Tips before buy a computer - again

2008-05-25T16:36:00.001+08:00

Buying a new PC can become a tedious task these days as many of us tend to be confused or simply do not know how to choose the best computer from a wide spectrum available. Here are 6 tips for how best to buy a computer:

1. The first and logical thing to do is to determine exactly where you will be of use to your computer. Do you plan to use ga at home, or do you travel frequently with the business? After you answer this question if you want to know desktop or laptop computer.

2. The next thing to do is determine the budget. There is a wide range of desktop and portable computers choice in order to cover any budget. Desktop computers can cost anywhere between $ 500 and $ 2000 (Keep in mind that many Web sites do not monitor the list price, so read carefully before you click the button checking), while computers are between $ 800 - $ 2000 +. Decide on how much money you are willing to spend and continue to the next step.

3. Now is the time to determine what shall be used for the computer. Are you buying for your kid to play video games, watch movies or do you plan to use ga for work or surfing the Internet? Of course, you can buy a computer and use ga for all of these things, but for example if you plan to use only for business, then you do not have to buy a computer with the best video cards on the market.

4. Are you going to store photos, Microsoft Office documents, MP3 files, video files, etc.? You must think about how to determine what the hard drive of your computer needs. If you'll be using ga for storing photos and Office files, then you need something in the range of 60GB, but no more. If you plan to store lots of video and audio files and then a 220GB hard drive would be more appropriate.

5. Another very important thing to consider, that many people have, how often you replace your PC? This is very important because most new computers come with a special OEM license for Microsoft software. As this license can not be used in any other computers, if you change your computer often then would be waste of money to buy each end of each of them with software and pay for it every time. If you change your computer often that it would be wise to buy a retail copy of Microsoft software and save money.

6. Buy a ready made computer or the creation of a new PC selecting all parts of yourself? In my opinion, if you have people who change their computer then often buy ready made one is the perfect choice for you. If you do not plan on changing the computer then would be wise to create a local store or even on some Web sites on the Internet. This is because all large companies are using proprietary computer components, and if you are willing to buy no one is usually more difficult to upgrade later.

Tips before buy a computer

2008-05-25T16:35:00.000+08:00

How to choose when buying a computer - is asking "What is the most popular computer" right question? First of all, I found that many people thought the project with a request to do so by "What is the most popular computer?" and rental of a response that will determine the issue for them. This is not necessarily the best idea.

Just because something is popular does not necessarily mean that is the best - for example, fast food restaurants are popular places to go, but I think we all know that does not serve the best food in the world. Here's something to remember when thinking about how to choose when buying a computer - you should generally avoid the big brand names. Yes, this may surprise you but in my opinion, this is usually not a good idea to buy from one of the big companies, brand (there is one exception that I will receive per minute).

Here's why: Dollar for dollar, you will usually get worse deal than if you go with a good reputation "generic" or "white box" store. Many people have a low price because the first thing on their list when we try to figure out how to choose when buying a computer. So they go with the cheaper brand and spend a few hundred dollars for it, and they think that you are a good deal. But what they do not realize is that it is common for many large companies to sell marks that many outdated computers in their lower price ranges, and from what've heard, they also often sell computers with parts they know are bad!

I am not kidding about this - most of the big computer companies in them when they are least expensive computers sold, trying to unload old inventory, which has been collecting dust on their shelves for a long time. They sell it to you, as if this is new, and perhaps this is in effect, never purchased from before, but it is difficult in terms of new technologies. And as in other part of this is that from what they've heard, these computers often have parts in them which are known * * to be bad parts!

You see, when one producer as Intel processor chip makes the computer (for "brain" of the computer), they test to make sure that it works. Makes sense, right? But inevitably, many of them fail these tests. Now maybe you think these bad parts will be discarded, but not - what've heard, what happens is they still sell them in large computer companies in a discount, and those companies that put them in their computers anyway.

What you can do with very bad processor time is set to work slowly, and while he may not run at full speed, it works well enough to undergo the tests. But parts are still bad! Of course, they may work OK for a while (maybe just long enough to do so during the warranty period), but they are less "glitches" and graduated to breaking down as quickly as possible. So if you can find a reputable local company that sells computers to do myself, will get a well-built computer for much less because you are not payments for brand.

Family owned store like this is the only place I would buy a Windows PC, personally. So earlier had mentioned one exception among major brands - if you have been reading my articles or my email newsletter for some time, perhaps already guessed, which is one - Apple.

Apple is the only major brand of computer, I personally to buy (I am writing this on MacBook Pro). To do so, partly because I used many different types of computers over the years, and really do not enjoy much use of Windows. But I also do this because Apple has not knowingly put bad processors in their computers, or try to sell out-of-date computers as new. Some people complain that Apple are Macs overpriced, but it actually does not happen - compared apples with apples (excuse of a pun) they tend to be in that price range as Dell and HP in the same general gallery.

So the bottom line is, here's how to choose when you buy a computer: If you want to stick with Windows, and then support local business and go to good, which is stored on the computer along to you in part. And make sure you ask them to put Windows XP on it, not Windows Vista (for reasons I covered in the previous 3 - part article about the problems with Windows Vista). Or finally away from Windows and switch to Mac.

Anyway you are receiving a better deal. Hope that makes sense and helps with your decisions about how to choose when buying a computer.

Tips: Buying Vista Computer

2008-05-25T16:33:00.000+08:00

As we all know, Computer technology changes rapidly. For this reason, we all run to the nearest trade to a new computer when our machines are obsolete. No matter what financial resources you have, you are not exempt from the obligation to participate in this ritual. Unfortunately, if you're in a tight budget, you have to take into account the decision to buy a new computer, because it will have a greater impact on you economically. Whereas the Vista was released, many people decide to buy a new computer because the operating system is out and need to upgrade anyway. It is time to look at the essential information for anyone who is in this situation, and wonders if that Vista is a reason to upgrade now.

It's all about reports that Vista has its problems. For example, if you use some wireless adapters, you might be zasekl with a computer that can not be connected to the Internet, because the patch or update has not yet been released. Many "experts" warned against purchasing a computer with Windows Vista because it has many bugs and compatibility issues. It is said that everyone should discard the transition from XP to the updated version is based. In addition, many say that Vista takes up entirely too much computer memory and processing capacity. Luckily, someone who decides to buy a new computer with Vista will have enough RAM and other components are perfectly to run Vista. This is the dilemma void for you.

Glitter and the graphics are glorified by all who have witnessed and experienced Microsoft Vista. This is the main attraction of this software. These functions are only in the Home Premium version of Vista. The basic version has a few features and the most exciting optically are not present. Buying software consists of warehouse and modernization of the current machine would mean a lower price for the purchase of basic addition. Luckily for anyone buying a completely new machine, get into practice everything Microsoft has to offer, because they usually come with Home Premium installed. Other features also show through when you talk about Vista. New entertainment features and enhancements to games and other aspects of computer use. With any operating system enhancements are inevitable, and Vista is no exception.

Now that information is set out in simple terms, the decision can be made. Depending on your situation, you can choose to buy a new computer today, and Vista, or you can wait and have the updated version included. In fact, some people say that Vista will be forgotten, as well as Windows ME, which left as quickly as it happened in the These days, nobody can await the outcome of new technologies. If you run an old machine, begging to be upgraded, by all means do so, but if you can wait for the update exercise a little patience. If you are too impulsive, remember computers do not come cheap, but all and you may later regret. On the other hand, if you can afford the cost, by all means go to upgrade, have fun and enjoy.

Tips: Choose good computer

2008-05-25T16:11:00.001+08:00

Are you ready to buy a new computer? Great! The choices can be daunting, though. Just
looking at the price aspect, you can spend anywhere from three hundred to a few euros
one thousand euros, quite easily.

The first choice you have to do is that you buy a desktop or laptop. If you need
any amount of mobility and all, which would suggest a laptop. If you do not plan on moving
about computers or using away from your home or office, you may want to desktop. Desktop
computers are easier to repair and cheaper for what you get.

Next, you'll have to make a choice on some of the main features and components of
computer.

Memory is a big factor in determining how quickly your computer performs tasks - I
do not buy a computer with less than 512 MB of memory. 1 GB of memory will be even better. If
you are planning work on a lot of multimedia work or other tasks which require a lot
operational resources, you should probably get 2 GB of memory. Also keep in mind that memory
speed is classified, as well as the size of storage.

You will also need to decide on what you want to processor and / or needs. If you are not familiar
with the technical aspects of computer processors, and you will need a processor
which is more powerful than standard, you may want to consult a computer expert
Help you make the selection.

You will also need to choose the hard drive size you'll need. This is simply any choice to make
-- Just see how much hard disk space you're using now, add in any increases are expected to
necessary, then add some space for expansion.

There are many, many different components of a computer that you'll have to choose. It's
worth a little time to think about exactly what you need to make the right choice for
the first time.

Tips on computer recording

2008-05-25T11:16:00.000+08:00

Recording your audio is just about like using a cassette tape recorder. There should be a red record button and play, forward, and rewind buttons like you have been used too seeing for years.

Most of the software recording programs works about the same way. The look may be slightly different in each program but most of the basic functions should be similar.

If you are using Audacity there are tutorials all over the Internet. Go to your search engine of choice and type in free Audacity tutorials and you should find an abundance of tutorials to help you along.

Here are some tips to help you create a professional recording.

Try not to get too nervous, it is natural to be somewhat uptight but be as calm as you possibly can.

If you make a mistake don’t stop, you can edit out your mistakes when you edit your recording.

Focus your speaking on getting your listeners attention; you have one shot to get your message across.

Print and read your copy before you hit the record button

Make a test recording, don’t worry about any mistakes

Listen to your recording and decide what sounds good and what does not.
Rewrite your copy using your test recording as a guide.

Rerecord your audio using your improved copy.

Listen to the recording and make sure it has the feel you are looking for.

Recording your own audio on your computer is not nearly as hard as you may think. The main thing is to take action. As long as you are moving forward toward your recording goal it will happen.

Useful keyboard shortcuts

2008-05-25T11:13:00.000+08:00

Alternatives To Using A Mouse All The Time:

Using a mouse 100% of the time is not always a good thing. Studies show that a great deal of people will have "carpal tunnel" within their wrists before they retire from their desk jobs because of the consistent use of a mouse. Learning how to use both hands will help to minimize this risk by offering an alternative to always using a mouse for everything you do.

MICROSOFT KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS:
• Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition

• Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition

• Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition

• Microsoft Windows 95

• Internet Explorer

• Mozilla FireFox

Manipulating Information:

Copy, Cut, Paste, Undo, Redo

When using a computer, we are all subject to copying, pasting, and cutting information from one program to another. The most widely used method of doing this is by highlighting all the information you want > right clicking on your mouse > hitting "copy" > finding another destination for the information > right clicking on your mouse > hitting "paste". All of these steps are done with your mouse only.

Here are some keyboard shortcuts to help ease this process:

1.1) Highlight the information with your mouse

1.2) On your keyboard use these commands instead:

• CTRL+C : Copy

• CTRL+X : Cut

1.3) Find the destination for your information

• CTRL+V : Paste

• CTRL+Z : Undo

• CTRL+SHIFT+V : Redo

As you can see here, we only used the mouse for 2 operations; 1) Highlighting the information, 2) Finding another location for the information. The rest of the work was done with your left hand which relieved some of the work load for your right hand. This may not seem like a lot of work, but if you perform these steps over 100 times a day, it makes a huge difference in the use of your wrists on a consistent basis.

Manipulating Information:

Bold, Italic, Underlined

When creating a word type of document within multiple software's, you can use a certain set of standard shortcuts that help to manipulate the font for you.

Instead of always using your mouse, try to get used to using these keyboard shortcuts:

• CTRL+B : Bold

• CTRL+I : Italic

• CTRL+U : Underline

Manipulating Files:

New, Open, Save, Save As, Print

Creating new files, opening new files, saving a file, or printing a file is usually done by clicking on "FILE" within the top menu and then selecting the option from the drop-down menu. Did you know that there are shortcuts for these tasks as well?

When using a word doc, or another form of file program software, try getting used to using these keyboard shortcuts:

• CTRL+N : New File

• CTRL+O : Open File

• CTRL+S : Save File

• CTRL+P : Print File

These simple shortcuts will allow you to save your information quickly without touching your mouse ever! This is a great tool when writing a lot of information, you don't want to stop typing every time you need to grab your mouse in order to save your file. Simply use CTRL+S and you're done.

Are you starting to see the value in using shortcuts all the time???

Above and beyond these simple shortcuts, Microsoft has an even bigger list of keyboard shortcuts for all sorts of commands, please refer to this page for the entire list:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/126449

MAC COMMAND SHORTCUTS:
File Menu:

Shift-Command+N : New Folder

Command+O : Open

Command+S : Save

Shift-Command+S : Save as

Command+P : Print

Command+W : Close Window

Option-Command+W : Close all Windows

Command+I : Get Info

Option-Command+I : Show Attributes Inspector

Command+D : Duplicate

Command+L : Make Alias

Command+R : Show original

Command+T : Add to Favorites (Mac OS X 10.2.8 or earlier)

Shift-Command+T : Add to Favorites (Mac OS X 10.3 or later)

Command+Delete : Move to Trash

Command+E : Eject

Command+F : Find

Edit Menu:

Command+Z : Undo

Command+X : Cut

Command+C : Copy

Command+V : Paste

Command+A : Select All

View Menu:

Command+1 : View as Icons

Command+2 : View as List

Command+3 : View as Columns

Command+B : Hide Toolbar

Command+J : Show View Options

Go Menu:

Command+[ : Back

Command+] : Forward

Shift-Command+C : Computer

Shift-Command+H : Home

Shift-Command+I : iDisk

Shift-Command+A : Applications

Shift-Command+F : Favorites

Shift-Command+G : Goto Folder

Command+K : Connect to Server

Window Menu:

Command+M : Minimize Window

Option-Command+M : Minimize All Windows

Help Menu:

Command+? : Open Mac Help

Command+Space Open Spotlight (Mac OS X 10.4 or later)

Command+esc

Above and beyond these simple shortcuts, Mac's have an even bigger list of keyboard shortcuts for all sorts of commands, please refer to this page for the entire list:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75459

In Conclusion:

Start using shortcuts to speed up the work you do on your computer, and to save your wrists from carpal tunnel due to consistent use of the mouse. In time, you will appreciate using keyboard shortcuts, they go hand in hand with using a mouse on a consistent basis.

Tips to improve computer game performance

2008-05-25T11:11:00.000+08:00

There are a few simple maintenance tips that will optimize your game experience. These tips are for the computer amateur! Minimal technical details to follow!

* Keep the discs themselves clean. You can purchase disc cleaner/repairer. But preventative maintenance is the better alternative! If you are also using downloaded games it may be necessary to uninstall and reinstall the files after repeated use.

* Close any programs that are not being used. If your computer is trying to run too many programs, use too many of its resources, when also trying to play a graphic intensive game, the graphics will be choppy, and figures will move slowly.

* Download CCleaner for free from www.ccleaner.com. CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your internet history. But the best parts are that it's fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and incredibly simple (double click the icon and then click run). CCleaner contains no spyware or adware. You can run it as often as you like depending on your frequency of computer use.

* Disable anti-virus software. Anti-virus programs can slow down the loading and playing of games. You can disable the anti virus software by right clicking on the icon and choosing disable. Remember to turn it back on when you log back on to the Internet!

* Shutdown your computer properly. By not shutting your computer down using the start button you run the risk of losing data and in turn making files not work as efficiently.

* Take advantage of free operating system updates. Often times you are prompted but in the event that you are not you can easily do a quick search for the latest updates.

Tips and Tricks to Improve Computer Speed

2008-05-25T11:09:00.000+08:00

A Little Bit of My History

The very first time I have my hands on computer was almost 18 years back or so. It was an Apple computer given by my uncle who thought that I might be interested in it. The computer had no hard drive but with two 5 and a half inches floppy drive. The colors supported were black and green. All I did with the computer is to play games.

Later on, my father bought a 80286 system which came with a DOS system menu. I am particularly interested in games and since we had a DOS system, I started borrowing games from my friends. The computer was not considered fast because there were 80486 in the market at that time. Thus, some of the games are either not compatible or too slow to play a 80286 system.

At that time, I discovered that memory is one of the important components to increase the computer speed. Knowing that it was impossible for me to buy additional RAM to add-on, I started looking at DOS utilities. There was a Memory Maker tools which aimed to increase the memory similar of having a virtual memory but there was no significant improvement or I should say there was no improvement at all.

Later on, my father bought a Pentium 133 system with Windows 95. I upgraded it to Windows 98 myself. I went on to study computing in college and had another Celeron 300A system. I tried overclocking but the system just hangs after 333MHz. An increase of 33MHz did not improve much to the overall speed.

THE TOOLS

MSCONFIG

This is one of the most common tools that you can find in all Windows system. Run the tool by typing 'msconfig' from Start Menu --> Run, and a system configuration windows will appear. Click on the startup tab and it contains a list of startup program on your computer. Thus, one of the ways to improve your computer startup speed is to have the least programs to startup automatically with Windows.

Of course, you will want your antivirus to startup together but other than that, I believe that MSN, Skype and other similar tools will slow down your startup tremendously. You might be saying that you will always need to run MSN and Skype but a good practice is to enable them in the startup but prevent them from signing in automatically.

I like my system to startup fast because sometimes I may just want to type some documents or playing games without using other tools. Thus, shortcuts at the desktop are good enough for me as I can choose to launch any programs after startup.

After a fresh installation, the startup tab is normally blank. Hence, you are safe to untick all the programs listed. If you find that your system is not working properly after that, you can always run the system configuration and tick all the startup programs.

Windows Defender

This is a free spyware tool from Microsoft itself. Other than that, it is also a startup manager. Browse through the tools option, and there is a Software Explorer link. It works like a combination of startup manager and task manager. You can view currently running programs, network connected programs, winsock service providers and startup programs. You can choose to remove, disable or enable the programs listed.

However, Windows Defender is available for Windows XP and Vista only.

CCleaner

As time goes by, your copy of Windows may work slower and slower. This is because of the amount of software and games that you have installed in your computer but are not removed properly during uninstallation. During an of software or game, not only the files are installed in the specified folders; several records are also added into Windows registry. Unfortunately, not all the records in the registry are always removed during uninstallation.

"The Windows registry is a directory which stores settings and options for the operating system for Microsoft Windows 32-bit versions, 64-bit versions and Windows Mobile. It contains information and settings for all the hardware, operating system software, most non-operating system software, users, preferences of the PC, etc. Whenever a user makes changes to Control Panel settings, file associations, system policies, or most installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in the registry." - Wikipedia

CCleaner is a piece of freeware which can be used to check any broken links from the registry and thus, offers the option to remove the invalid registry entries. A lot of people are saying that it is dangerous to change registry settings. Indeed, it is dangerous. But I have been using this piece of freeware for quite sometime and I have not encountered any serious problems with it. However, I do notice some improvement in my system speed especially during startup.

As I am using Vista at the moment, I reckon that the software does not work quite well with Vista because some of the options a greyed out.

System Mechanic of IOLO Technologies is a piece of software that done a better job than CCleaner. Well, of course because it is not free. If you manage to get hold of a copy of System Mechanic, you will be surprised how it performed and all the functions it has.

Advance System Properties

If you like the fancy appearance of your Windows right now, you may choose not to change any of the settings here. But there are a few options which you might want to disable and it does not affect the overall appearance of your Windows. To go to the Advance System Properties, right click My Computer and click on properties. For Windows XP, click on the Advance tab while Windows Vista users need to click on the Advance System Properties link at the left column.

In the advance tab, there are three frames, Performance, User Profiles and Startup and Recovery. Click on the Settings button in the Performance frame and you will be shown the Visual Effects tab. To choose for the best performance will untick all the options below and mostly likely, you will get better speed when navigating through Windows. However, if you prefer to have the fancy appearance, you may want to just untick the options for fading and sliding or untick everything except the bottom two options to keep the option of having drop shadow for icon labels and visual styles for windows and buttons.

Files in Desktop and User Account

The size of you user account has some effect on the speed of your computer during startup. You can view your user account size from the User Profiles frame mentioned above. Click on the Settings button in the User Profiles frame and you will see a list of users and the size of each of the users.

My own practice is to avoid storing files such as documents and pictures in my user account folders. Even though the user account has come pre-created with different folders for different types of documents such as the musics, pictures, bookmark favorites, documents and saved games, but I have dealt with problems that resulted from corrupted user profiles and the only way to recover the files is to connect the hard drive to another working machine. Well, that is way too troublesome for some people. In addition, some viruses attack through user profiles.

Desktop files are stored in User Profiles. The more icons and files stored in the desktop, the slower startup you get.

Thus, it will be wise to store the files to another drive or partition which will secure your files and also speed up your system slightly.

Disk Cleanup

Using Disk Cleanup will help you to clean your Internet Temporary Files, Downloaded Program Files, setup Files and compress files. This is another step to clean up your system and it may not help to speed up your system. Well, at least that you know a place to find the files that can be deleted safely. By the way, having enough of free disk space is equally important for your computer to run smoothly.

Tips to improve computer performance

2008-05-25T11:07:00.001+08:00

These 8 simple tips will help clean up your computer and you'll be surprised at the performance improvement!

CLEAN UP YOUR WINDOWS REGISTRY

This essential task is often overlooked but will remarkably improve PC performance. Most PC users don't even know there is such a thing as a Registry much less that that it should be regularly cleaned. In fact, Microsoft doesn't even include a cleanup tool in Windows.

Every time a program is installed or uninstalled changes are made to the Windows Registry which is a huge internal database of Windows' settings. All programs, as well as Windows itself, store a huge amount of information in this database and these entries control the way everything in the computer looks and behaves.

Many times, changes to a computer are not handled correctly leading to conflicts and the slowing of the computer due to a corrupted Registry. Some things which can cause this are:

* frequently installing or uninstalling programs
* removing a program and leaving traces behind
* leftover entries from a hardware uninstall
* power failure or system crash in the midst of updating the registry
* unused drivers on the system
* Spyware or Adware type programs that come back every time the PC is restarted

The Registry can be edited manually using a Windows program called RegEdit, but woe to the novice; this is really a job best left to the experts. Instead, you need to use a special program which makes the cleanup for you.

EMPTY THE RECYCLE BIN

Regularly empty the Windows' Recycle Bin thereby releasing hard drive space and helping to improve performance.

When you delete a file, instead of removing it completely from your computer, Windows puts it into the Recycle Bin. You then can restore these flies from the Recycle Bin back to their original place on your computer if you should need to.

REMOVE UNNECESSARY PROGRAMS

If you're like me and download a lot of free programs or free trials, after a while your computer might begin to slow down. That means it's time to remove some of the old programs you don't use any more (and most you probably only used once just to see how they work).

After installing a program, if you decide you don't need it and won't use it, get it off the computer thereby freeing up system resources. Most programs come with their own uninstaller but if it doesn't you will have to use the Operating System's Add/Remove Programs feature which you can get to through The Control Panel.

Uninstalling unused programs will help speed up your computer, but removing the wrong files can cause you some really big problems. NEVER, NEVER EVER just delete a program file by using the delete key; this can really mess up the Registry. Be careful and if you are not sure, ask for help from someone you know who is more experienced. If you are unsure whether or not to remove a program, it's best to leave it.

Some programs leave uninstalled junk all over the Windows Registry! Therefore, to improve PC performance AFTER AN UNINSTALL, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO CLEAN THE REGISTRY.

RUN DISK CLEAN UP

Windows Disk Clean Up is a great built-in utility that automates regular maintenance tasks to improve PC performance. Whenever you "surf the net", open file attachments, delete files, etc., your computer saves a record of your activity. Most if not all of these files are harmless, and are very small. But if you spend a lot of time on your computer, before long they will use up enough space to slow your computer down a tad.

Double-click My Computer, right click on the 'C:' drive, then click Properties, then click Disk Cleanup. The PC will then spend a few moments analyzing.

When it has completed analyzing, Windows will give you a list of areas where it has found files to cleanup. To clean an area, check the box next to it. To leave something intact, such as Temporary files, just remove the check mark next to the item and click OK.

Your computer will then begin the removal process which can take a good while.

DISK DEFRAGMENTATION

When Windows stores programs and files on your hard disk it saves fragments of files in the nearest empty spaces and then links these pieces together. When the computer needs to retrieve a file, it has to go through the process of chasing these links hunting down the fragments and piecing the file back together. This can really slow down a computer, especially if it has small internal memory and has to do a lot of caching and file swapping.

The cure is to routinely run the Windows Disk Defragmenter which gathers together the fragments of files and puts them back in the right order in as near contiguous space as possible.

This makes it far easier for your computer to find what it's looking for on the hard drive, enabling programs and files to load more quickly.

To defragment your hard disk click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and then Disk Defragment. When the program has loaded, click Defragment. Before starting you need to run "scandisk" which checks for disk errors. Without scanning your disk first for possible errors, defrag may refuse to continue its defragmentation routine.

The process can take over an hour. Because defragmenting your hard disk takes such a long time, you really don't want to go through the process very often; maybe every 3-4 months and it's best not to use the computer while defragmenting

GET A HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTION If you spend a lot of time on the internet, a high speed internet connection is a must. It is more expensive, but for most people the savings in time and effort is worth the added expense.

Some of the advantages to having a high speed internet connection: faster surfing, web pages open more quickly, files download faster, and if you send or receive large files, like pictures or video, they will open in a flash when compared to a slower dialup connection.

If you're already spending money for your dialup connection (through your phone line) then you'll find DSL to be comparable in price, and a lot faster.

A cable internet connection might cost a little more, but it is usually the fastest type of internet connection you can get from home.

REMOVE SPYWARE & ADWARE

If you've ever had spyware or adware on your computer, you know how frustrating it can be. All kinds of strange things happen: your homepage changes seemingly on its own, unwanted and inappropriate popups, unfamiliar icons, and the list goes on.

Spyware or Adware are files that are often downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge (or at least without you knowing what they really are).

Unfortunately, many of these programs "sneak" their way onto your computer, and avoiding them entirely is difficult, especially if you spend a lot of time on your computer, surfing the Internet and downloading new programs and files.

There are ways to remove these unwanted files from your computer.

Check out these 2 adware/spyware removal programs that are simple to use (both are free):

Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/ Spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Adware/Spyware continue to be such a problem because most of these programs make money for the people creating and spreading them. If you find these unwanted intruders on your computer, don't panic. In most cases, it is not vicious like a Virus or Worm. You just have some extra "junk" on your computer. However, keeping it off of your computer will help it perform more efficiently.

ADD MORE INTERNAL MEMORY (RAM) AND A LARGER HARD DRIVE

If you have done all/most of the above and your Computer's performance is still so bad that you are thinking: Gee, I guess I am going to have to buy another computer! If everything else about the computer is satisfactory to you, then you might consider an Upgrade. If the PC is only a couple years old, it can easily be upgraded.

If you still have the manuals that came with it, you can determine the type of memory it uses and buy it off of the internet at a good price. If you don't have the manuals, take it to Best Buy or Circuit City and ask them if it can be upgraded (or take the model and make info to them). Their upgrade cost is not that bad and certainly cheaper than buying a new computer.

Another alternative: if you know a High School Kid who has taken some computer courses, he/she can probably do it real cheap.

I have personally maxed out my computers memory and added another hard drive. Together with the items above, my computer runs like a "Tiger chasing a Scared Bunny".

Tips: Don't try this at your computer

2008-05-25T10:56:00.001+08:00

Stop use of the normal power strip - to buy and install high-quality surge protector

Electrical storms, lighting strikes, power outages and traffic accidents with the participation of all lines can cause immediate surges or voltage spikes. Such uncontrolled spikes may adversely affect the smooth flow of power to your computer (ie smažit components!)

This is why you have to buy and install high-quality surge protector. Good protector should have at least insurer in the Lab standard rating of the 1449th Look at the plate with the inscription: "transient voltage surge suppressor and UL 1449th

Stop "forgetting" to at least weekly backup

The next question I usually ask is "Do you have any backup?" More hang-dog looks and shock of the head, no.

You can recover from 90% to the main computer is not working properly, if (and this is a big "if") you have a backup copy of your operating system and data files. Without the advances, your dead PC is becoming very expensive metal door stop. Remember, the richest man in the world (Bill Gates) made all his wealth with the software ... no hardware.

Buy a good backup program, such as Acronis True Image Home or on-line services such as Mozy.com. Well ... Let's be frank here ... "The best you can do for yourself and your computer is set up a backup system and to hold him!

Stop downloading, installing and uninstalling lots and lots of programs, especially unknown freeware and beta applications.

I know that this is a toughie. The Internet is just full of cool, free and useful software products and services. Hi, I could not run my little home, without some of them. But people, spammers and spyware, the Kings have long since known that all are happy smlouvat. Then write in their "products", as well as free!

Some of the most persistent and difficult to remove spyware / virus I have ever come across from me was getting the case of pigs and download by clicking around the net trying to save money here or there on the "freeware". Certainly I have a murderer freeware, but I also got a murderer adware too!

Then, after I downloaded it I had to go through the pain and difficulties uninstall or running some anti-spyware removed. If there is not freeware from an established as a source of Download.com or SourceForge.net then be very careful what you click.

Stop letting hard drive to obtain full fragmented software files.

The other problem with downloading everything you see that your hard drive fast becoming a full programs, lost snippets of code and blind alley registry files (the registry files are what Windows uses to keep track of what software is installed.)

Uninstalling the program, most of the heavy lifting, but no program really is removed clean. So, time hard drive will become cluttered minefield of broken bits on the use of encryption.
So once a week, if not more, depending on your withdrawal activity, you defrag your hard drive. Now, Windows has its own "Disk Defragmenter" utility built in that this tool works well, but it can be příšerně slow running. So you defragging late at night when sleeping, or in the course, when you are away from home.

Stop the harvest and using weak passwords

Hi, my to do this. We all know that a strong password should have a combination of the lowercase letters, large letters, numbers and symbols, such as this, "2Tech Sign #!" But who the hell could remember some pass word like that?

And so we all just plug into something like, "techlog" that tech savvy 15 years with a free code cracking from the Internet, it may have broken down under 30 seconds. And because we use the same password for email, everything from eBay to bank records, anyone who cracks the password now has access to your entire on-line financial life and identity.

Hackers, crackers and other online thieves are super-geniuses of evil, are to be portrayed in books and films. Certainly, most are smarter than the average man, but as everyone else that they like easy pickings. Why waste all that energy to hack into the bank when you can easily hack Bank Vice President notebook home because they like us, uses the same personal password again and again and again?

So here is what to do. Create different passwords for different functions. Create a really strong alone on your bank, eBay, PayPal accounts. Then use a completely different one for those "subscribe to free offer" website.