Showing posts with label Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tips. Show all posts

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Caring tips Processor (CPU)

Processor as the main brain of the computer can also cause problems for computers, either because they occurred overheating (overheating) so that it can make the computer restarts frequently and may die suddenly.

For that, you need some tips to keep the processor temperature, to ensure cooling processor (headsink) and fan can work properly.


Here are some things that need to be considered related to the processor:

1. Make sure the top of your processor has been smeared with thermal paste. Thermal Grease Thermal Paste or gel is a material that serves to remove heat from the processor to headsink. For silver-colored thermal paste has better quality than the white.

2. Make sure the casing has a current circulation path, because the casing is less circulation will cause the hardware components inside, including a processor, a faster heat.

Three. Trim the wires, particularly the type of ATA cables which are larger in size and width than the SATA cable. Cable tidy can facilitate the flow of air in the casing.

4. For personal computers, you may open the casing adpat, to smooth the effectiveness of air circulation, although perhaps not in accordance with the value of aesthetics and unpleasant because the hardware inside it looks from the outside.


The following key tips for caring for the processor:

1. Or disconnect the electrical contacts from your computer. Let stand a few moments to headsink cooler, then open headsink and fan of the processor.

2. Separate fan and headsink, then wipe with a damp cloth fan. Clean the slit headsink of dust, or wash using a soft brush or a brush. Drain and keep headsink no residual water in cracks headsink to avoid shorting (short).

Three. Put another fan with headsink, then attach them to the processor as in the past.

4. You can do the treatment 3 months, especially in air-conditioned room. However, if the environment a lot of dust, the treatment can be carried out once a month.

Maintain durability Laptop Tips

Electronic goods which laptops are most needed today, especially by students and practitioners of work. Damage to the laptop user can interfere with productivity. Messy work, data - missing data, etc.. Surprisingly, the survey results one leading company in korea laptop states that 68% of damage caused by faulty laptop use and care. Following these tips can avoid premature damage to your laptop and your laptop can maintain durability:

1. Avoid downloading freeware that is not yet clear security.

Many are freeware widespread on the internet. Many are beneficial, but not a few that can cause serious damage to our laptop. Scan first free programs you download before you install it .. Because viruses, worms and other threat-threat as most prefer to infect freeware distribution media.

2. Do not assume your laptop when using it.

Vetilasi hole closed and the laptop could overheat causing the laptop. Consequently the age of the laptop to be reduced significantly.

Three. Always keep your laptop clean

No matter how small the dust that enters at our laptop can cause serious damage. Dust could cause corrosion on metal parts conector laptop, and potentially cause a short circuit on the laptop. If that happens .. .. buuum goodbye dearest laptop ...

4. Do not use a laptop on a soft surface.

Carpets, sofas and beds are favorite places that we often use as a base when the laptop was hilarious. But you know if the laptop could more quickly heat if used in a soft place? That's because the laptop will be blocked so that the ventilation of hot air from inside the laptop can not be transferred out.


5. Use stabilizer

If you're using a laptop without the battery, then use the stabilizer to the laptop is not damaged by the voltage changes abruptly.

6. Istrirahatkan laptop for a few minutes.

If the tasks or jobs are piling up, often laptops have to come to work hard all night. Rest your laptop 15-20 minutes before being used again so that conditions remain optimal laptop.

7. Do not bring a laptop with indiscriminate

Be careful if you bring a laptop. Try not to get scratched or even the part that fell off when you take it.

8. Do not drink, put drinks or other liquid materials on the laptop.

It is feared cairantersebut accidentally spilled on my laptop and make your laptop crashes and even death total.


9. Do not place anything in between the keyboard and the screen because it can create serious scratches on the laptop screen.


10. never try to disassemble your own laptop.

Laptops are very prone to electronic goods. One small mistake you are doing, can have fatal consequences of the age and condition of your laptop. If something happens to your laptop, the wisest action is to take him to the service center is the official manufacturer of the laptop. Hopefully these tips can help keep our laptop durability.

Accelerate Shutdown Windows Tips


This tweaking its function to reduce the waiting time when Windows receives the instruction to shutdown.

1. Click Start ... Run, then type regedit and hit enter ... ..

2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ ControlPanel \ Desktop

3. Double-click the key WaitToKillAppTimeout

4. Zoom out come a 1000 value, and then click OK

5. HungAppTimeout double click and change the key value to 100, and then click OK.


6. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ System \ CurrentControlSet \ Control

7. WaitToKillServiceTimeout double click and change value to 1000

8. Click OK ...

Restart your computer ..

Thursday, June 24, 2010

UltraDefrag, Special Software To Caring Hardisk

Defragment the hard drive is one of the many efforts that dilkukan to your computer hard drive is durable. Yesterday I try to find specific software to defragment the hard drive in google and finally i found one of the special software to defragment the hard drive. The name of the software is UltraDefrag. Perhaps you are wondering why not use windows default disk defrag tool only?. The reason is because the file on my computer hard drive is quite a lot, sometimes I can not get on the hard disk defrag process it is also quite long. Well that's the reason why I use special software defragment.
UltraDefrag is how to use software that is easy, fast and effective way to do defragment your hard disk in Windows-based operating system. With a simple interface, so that everyone can use it.

The benefit of this is that it can defragment your hard disk to improve performance and overall computer speed, because the hard drive is not burdened with a variety of junk files that are stored inside the hard drive.

if you want to download ultra defrag click here

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Tips for Choosing the Best Computer Antivirus


here
I will share some tips for choosing antivirus.

Here are some points that need your attention
in terms of choosing antivirus software for computers,
we just started to learn and share it.

1.
You must be observant in seeing these antivirus,
whether the antivirus is sustainable in terms of
Update its database or not. This could be you
See the official websites such antivirus.

2.
Notice if the antivirus has
RTP engine (RealTimeProtectror) or not, your best
choosing antivirus engines having RTP because
with him there will memprotect Antivirus Engine
your computer from virus attacks, Malware or
Spyware suddenly.

3.
Read on the official website whether antivirus
antivirus that has the additional plugins or not.
With its no extra plugins to the antivirus would be very
useful for you all suppose that such a local antivirus
Ansav, PCMAV, Smadav, Morphost, etc. elkav.

4.
Choose antivirus software that it is not too large size,
His goal is not to your computer to be lelet. In
This thing I wear Avast Home Edition.

5.
Apply Online Update antivirus products that have, this
aimed so that you do not have to bother with finding files
its update.

6.
Choose antivirus software that is user friendly with the intention that
you can wear the most of it to block viruses.

7. Point terakhir dari saya,pilih lah Antivirus yang Freeware
(hahaha):D hanya bercanda, silahkan bila anda memilih antivirus
yang berbayar karena yang berbayar lebih kumplit facilitates nya.


Tuesday, June 22, 2010

8 Tips for Choosing a Notebook


There are many different brands of notebooks that are available on the market. From local brands with prices starting just five millions to brand branded with a price above 10 millions. With so many options available in the market, of course requires you to be clever-clever and observant choose which is most suitable notebook or suitable for your needs. The definition between people who match each other of course is different. Including the right for me, not necessarily well suited for you.

I will provide tips on choosing a good notebook, which is appropriate or can accommodate all your wishes. But before you continue reading this article, if you are still confused or not yet able to distinguish between your notebook to the netbook, please you read my first article "Computers and mobile phones such as the future of what?"

Here are tips on choosing the notebook:

1. Processor.
Processor as the brains of the computer that determines the speed of access to a computer as an important factor that you must see. However, should the processor specs you'll want to adjust to the needs or applications you'll use later. Performance standards for the current processor is a type of Celeron or Core Duo. Processors of this type is sufficient for the use of internet and office applications. But when you use the computer for a higher purpose such as for graphic design, video editing and gaming, choose a high-performance processors such as the type of Centrino, Core 2 Duo, or output the latest Intel Core type series I like i7, i5, and I3.

2. Memory.
Memory or RAM (Random Access Memory), the greater memorynya the sooner it will be the performance of a notebook.
For standard usage, memory with 1Gb capacity is more than enough. But whenever possible, use a larger capacity, especially for design activities, games, and video editing.

3. Battery.
One advantage compared to desktop PC is a notebook page Top with battery power as the power supply. The higher the resistance of a notebook battery, the better. In general, notebook battery endurance ranged from 2-3 hours. If you frequently mobile with your notebook then the choice of notebooks with long battery endurance will be highly suitable for you. In the market there batteraynya notebook that can stand up to 8 hours. Example Timeline Acer notebook series.

4. Display Screen.
There are two choices of notebook screens. Model which is standard and wide screen (wide angle). Options with a wide screen is now more popularly used in notebook computers. For the resolution, which is commonly used format is at least 1024x 768, especially for the website display.

5. Hard disk.
What kind of data you will create and store in a notebook, will determine the required capacity. If just a working document file, hard disk with a capacity of 60-80GB is enough. But if you love to save MP3 song files, video-Youtube vedeo, and photos, find the hard drive with a bigger capacity.

6. Optical Disk Drive.
Optical Drive that serves as an alternative storage media will also need to consider. With a choice of CD / DVD writer, lets you play discs other than the data, also helps you expand the disk space by moving or backing up old data into the form of discs a CD / DVD.

7. Connectivity.
This is important also that you must check. The existence of such connections, USB ports, Bluetooth, LAN port, and WiFi will greatly help the user to interact with a computing device or network. For mobile computing needs, WiFi surely must exist because it lets you access the Internet in the hotspot-hotspot regions are now widely available for free at the mall, cafes, or your campus area for example.

8. Operating System.
You need to ask whether the purchase of notebooks already include the operating systems in what has not been on the market for notebook sales are not included with the operating systems in the alias sold separately.
And the choice of what operating system should be used of course very relative. If you need an easy to operate and the most commonly used, use the Windows OS is sufficient. But if you need a notebook that was powerful OS, can drop the selection on a Mac notebook or use a more secure Linux is famous for surfing on the internet.

How fast is your Internet connection?


Want to know how fast your Internet connection? Does your ISP (internet service provider) to which you now have enough to satisfy you? Did you use a freeware tool for measuring speed internet access on your laptop or desktop PC?

Now with the increasing number of providers that provide a choice of Internet access services to make your course you want an ISP that you choose can really satisfy you, both in terms of the cheap price, speed of access and wide coverage area (for which often mobile) plus a network handalnya minimal disruption of your Internet connection. Because honestly until today I was too hard to be able to find an ISP which can meet the four criteria mentioned at once. Read my post Setbacks 3G Era. But as surely we must be observant customers choose not to disappointed with the ISP service will we choose.

Well, here is a free tool you can use to measure the speed or the speed of your Internet access. Namely software called Bitmeter, a type of open source software bandwidth meter multi-platform because it can be used for Windows computers, Linux and Mac OS and the second is named Netmeter software. But this second trial version for 30 days. If you want to buy the full version pricenya $ 19.95. So I would recommend Bitmeter truly free.

The advantages of this Bitmeter software is among others the following:

1. Can provide information on the speed of a network that is available on a network of your Internet. You will be informed by this program be a number in units of kbps or KBps (depending on settings you choose).

2. Provide information when the download speed or time to load a web page and also the upload speed of data you're currently doing such as data transfer on server FTP (file transfer protocol) to display the line numbers and graphs in real time.

3. Provide logs recording the number of kilobytes that have Internet access you have to do each time you online, so it helps if your internet connection using existing systems and the volume of base quota restrictions.

4. Long duration timer can show you online on the internet just like the look of a stopwatch. Well suited to help remind you if your Internet connection use the system Time Base and no restrictions of time online.

5. In addition to speed monitoring, reporting logs, can also provide a warning alarm notification if the maximum bytes quota settings on the logs of your internet access has reached its limit.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Speed Up Your Computer With Computer RAM Memory


Ever wondered how to increase your computer speed? The foremost thing that comes to the mind is Computer RAM or Computer memory. The RAM or the Random Access Memory can be simply termed as 'data storage in the computer". It can also be referred as a set of integrated circuits through which stored data are accessible at random and in any order.

The fastest method to speed up your computer is through the Computer RAM or Computer memory. The speed and the amount of computer memory that you are using, will certainly allow you to operate your programs faster and more quickly. Computer memory is the main storehouse for all your information when you are using it. More programs can be run more smoothly and efficiently when more memory is being used.

Computer RAM is (in fact after the hard disk), the largest storehouse of memory in the computer. It is a temporary storehouse for current things that are used on the computer. Thus information can be loaded into the computer faster. Computer would be very slow if everything had to be read from the hard disk. However the Computer RAM is not a permanent storage space as when the power is turned off, the information is lost in the memory.

It is at the Central Processing unit (CPU) that the actual computing takes place. The chipset and its controllers control the information traveling between CPU and other components. The chipset has a memory controller whose role is to establish the flow of information between the CPU and memory. A data path called 'bus' comprises of parallel wires that connect the memory, CPU and other devices. From the memory controller the memory bus goes to memory sockets in the computer.

How does the PC get information? A request is sent by the CPU from the memory controller to the memory. It gets a return report of when the information is going to be available. In accordance with memory speed or bus speed this cycle can vary in terms of length. A faster memory technology is a significant contributing factor to the overall system performance. As the CPU processes information that is written/read from the memory, the overall performance of the system depends on how fast information travels between the CPU and the memory modules.

How to Connect An iPhone 4 to a Computer


The iPhone 4 allows you to play and purchase music. Users can connect to iTunes through their device or by connecting the phone to a computer. If you are just looking to purchase new music to play on your phone, browsing songs through your phone is the most efficient way to do this. If you want to transfer mp3 files to your computer, you will have to connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB connection. Errors occur often when you attempt to sync your phone to your computer. If these errors do occur, you can take a few easy steps to get the device to show up in iTunes.

Steps :

1. Disconnect all USB devices from your computer except for the one connecting the phone. Try multiple USB ports on your computer if it still fails to recognize the device.

2. Turn off your phone by pressing and holding the "Sleep" button on the top of the phone and then dragging the slider on the face of the device.

3. Turn your phone back on by pressing and holding the "Sleep" button once again. Sometimes your phone just needs to be turned off and back on again for the computer to properly recognize the phone through iTunes.

4. Make sure your iPhone is charged and still on once it is connected to the computer. Your phone will turn off without warning even if it's plugged into the computer. Make sure it has enough battery to last the entire time you are connected through the USB.

5. Download and then install a new version of iTunes. iTunes is always available through Apple's website.

6. Disconnect the USB connect and restart your computer. Once the computer has rebooted, plug the phone back into the computer

How to Update an iPad


You should frequently update your iPad to make sure you have the most recent version of the software. Updates to your iPad do not affect any personal information, application data or iPad settings. You can use Apple's iTunes software to check for updates and also to install any updates directly to your iPad.

Instructions
1. Open iTunes on your computer. You should be running the most up-to-date version of iTunes.

2. Connect the iPad connector to the computer and the iPad. iTunes should refresh to show your iPad in the "Devices" section of iTunes

3. Click on "iPad" in "Devices."

4. Select the "Summary" tab.

5. Click the "Check for updates" button in the middle of the screen. iTunes will check for updates for your iPad and notify you if any exist.

6. Select "OK" when prompted to install updates for your iPad

How to Maintain A Clean iPad


If you just purchased a new iPad from Apple, proper care and maintenance will help ensure its long life. Protecting an iPad from dirt and dust goes a long way in preventing long-term damage. Avoiding dangerous situations is also essential to the life of an iPad. By taking necessary precautions with your device, you can significantly extend the lifespan of an iPad.

Instructions
1. Purchase a screen protector for the iPad. Many such protectors are available through Apple and other online websites. Make sure the screen protector protects against dirt, dust and especially scratches.

2. Clean the iPad with a soft cloth that will not scratch the screen. Unplug all cords from the device to prevent static electricity during cleaning.

3. Manually turn off the iPad, then wipe down the screen with the soft cloth. A few simple wipes will get the job done.

4. Hold the iPad properly to reduce the risk of dropping or scratching it. Be careful when using the iPad in public to avoid getting bumped.

Tips & Warnings
- Don't use window cleaners. They can permanently damage your screen.
- Don't use clothing to clean the iPad, as they are too rough and could scratch the screen.

How to Maintain and Protect Your New iPhone


You made a fairly substantial investment in your iPhone now you want to preserve its newness by looking after its appearance and any other iPhone maintenance it could benefit from.

Rebooting:
There are some iPhone owners that believe that being as the iPhone is so similar to a mini computer that it requires some regular iPhone maintenance in much the same way a computer would. One of the suggestions they elude to is rebooting your iPhone on a regular basis. The general consensus seems to be once a week, although there are those who suggest that even once a day may be appropriate.

Protection Against The Elements:

You will often observe iPhone being carried out in plain view such as hooked onto an individuals belt, or in a shirt pocket. In these locations they are easily exposed to the weather such as rain, or even the sun. Its easy to protect them against this by using an iPhone case. There are some really impressive types to choose from. Of course they are available in colors and patterns as well. Some have a few added features, for example a place to store your credit cards. Some are cut out so you can utilize the basics of your iPhone. Then there are those that come with clips so you can easily attach it to you belt. Some people complain that the cases make the iPhone too bulky to fit into their pockets comfortably. There are many on the market that are ultra thin, and have addressed this problem.This is just one more way that you provide proper iPhone Maintenance.

Cleaning The Screen:

This is one part of iPhone maintenance that many people are nervous to do. Mainly because the screen is so sensitive to touch. It is a necessity however. The first thing you must be sure of is that you have plenty of time to do this, and you don't rush it. The most important thing to remember is not to use any type of chemicals when cleaning it. Just plain water and a micro fiber cloth is all you require. Do not make the cloth too wet, water can damage the components. Another handy tip is not to rub in circles as this causes streaking. This should be done once a week or at least every two weeks.

Protecting Against Damage:

Its really not a wise idea to leave your iPhone laying around. It can easily get something spilt on it or perhaps get knocked off. These are small compact units and can easily go unseen. If not properly cared for the screen or the back can easily become scratched.

Skins For Protection:
The iPhones are prone to scratches. Although the screens are somewhat protected the backs of these units often end up with unsightly scuffs and scratches. There are numerous skins or protective covers that can be used to prevent this. Take your time and shop around for this item. Although there are lots on the market they are not all exactly the same. Some are contoured better than others. Then there are some that are ultra thin. They vary in price range as well. Eventually though before any damage takes place to your iPhone you need to obtain one.

Battery Maintenance:
If your batteries are not in prime condition then you are not going to get the most from your iPhone. There are a few things you can do to maintain them that will keep them in good working order. The first is the most simplest, use you iPhone. Once a month let the battery completely run out then fully recharge it.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Some tips to safeguard your system from data loss


Some way or the other, we all have suffered the trauma of losing our valuable computer. The data loss can happen to us in miscellaneous ways, whether you are a single user or working in a large company. It is true that a big company would be in a position to spend anything for the data recovery of the valuable data. But if you are a home user, probably you would not spend that much. Hence, it is always better to prepare for such situations than to repent afterwards. But, if you still lose the data then you should use a third-party data recovery software to restore the lost or inaccessible data.

There could be following various reasons for data loss:

User action: Losing data due to deleting a file or application, which may be required later on.
System or infrastructure problems: Losing data due to power breakdowns, faulty hardware components, or software crashes.
External factors: Losing data due to natural disasters such as floods, sabotage, etc.
Accidents: Losing data due to blanket deletion, accidentally formatting an external hard drive, or deleting files in a network.
External interference: Losing data due to virus infections or your system being controlled by a hacker.

You should safeguard your data and organize it against the data loss using some of the following recommended methods:

RAID: It makes redundant copies of the data in multiple disks so that the failure of a single disk does not result in complete data loss.
Journalizing: It includes creating a journal of all the write operations so that you could cross check the journal if the write operation fails.
Antivirus: It ensures that the system does not get corrupted by the viruses.
Firewalls: It acts as a barrier between the various networks by controlling the transfer of data between the networks.
User education: It involves informing the user how to be careful against the data loss situations.

If you have faced data loss even after performing these methods, then you should use a third-party data recovery software to perform data recovery. Such data recovery tools are read-only in nature that recover data using fast and sophisticated scanning algorithms.

Windows Data Recovery is a data recovery software that recovers lost, formatted, or inaccessible data. It is able to recover more than 185 different file types from various storage media such as hard drives, pen drives, external hard disks, etc. In addition, this file recovery tool is capable of performing RAID data recovery on the RAID servers. It is compatible with Windows 7, Vista, Server 2003, XP, and 2000.

Protect Your iPad

If you own an iPad, then you probably want to keep it protected. Surely, you wouldn’t spend hundreds of dollars on a gadget you don’t even plan to take care of. You need to think about how to protect its exterior. You need to consider screen protection. Of course, you also have to think about how to prevent it from getting stolen. Here are some tips on how to protect your iPad:

1. Buy a case.

After purchasing the actual gadget, your next step should be purchasing a protective case for it. A protective case will help prevent any scratches from appearing on the iPad’s exterior. It also serves as extra padding when you and your iPad are in transit. You can choose to get a hard shell case for it or you can choose to get a rubber sleeve. There are plenty of different kinds of cases for electronic gadgets.

Since the iPad is a relatively new toy, there aren’t a whole lot of cases specifically made for this particular device yet. If you can’t find something that’s the perfect fit for your iPad, then make the extra effort to look for a more generic case that’s about the right size.

2. Get a screen protector.

What actually makes the iPad so desirable is it’s big, beautiful screen. Of course, the logical thing to do is to think about the proper screen protection for it. This gadget definitely needs something to cover ipad screen, since it is very vulnerable to scratches. Purchasing a quality screen protector can also help keep this device from breaking when you are in transit with it. Don’t scrimp on this accessory by buying a cheap one, since cheap protectors sometimes do not stick very well on the screen.

3. Don’t leave it unattended.

Of course, keeping an eye on your iPad won’t directly keep it away from scratches. It will, however, keep your gadget from getting stolen. Never bring it out unless you are going to use it. Otherwise, keep it hidden from others. Leaving it out in the open will just tempt others to take it when you aren’t looking. If you really have to leave your iPad in the car, then make sure that it is covered properly and that passers by will not see it.

MODEM CONNECTION – A PROBLEM AT TIMES


Nowadays we get routers that come with inbuilt modem. But, at times, there might be situations where we need to use more than one computer with internet and an external modem. In such a situation, we need to know first, how to set up the modem. The internet connection from the service provider comes to the wall jack, from where it should get connected to the modem. The modem should carry the signal to the WAN port of the router. The router gets its external IP at the WAN port and the two computers concerned can get their LAN IPs when they are connected to the router with either ethernet cables or through wireless. So, get to know your modem connection better for better performance. Need some modem help? Some tech support will help you to know it better.

It may also be possible that other devices like phones, fax and answering machines could be connected to the same line as well with filters and splitters, especially if the connection is DSL. So the best practice to troubleshoot is to eliminate the possibility of interference from other devices due to incompatibility or some other reasons. The reasons and checklist could be as follows:

1) Faulty splitters and filters.

2) Noise level, which can be checked from a different phone set. It can be verified by the ISP also.

3) LEDs on the modem, router, and ethernet ports of the computer.

4) Devices attached to the phone line like phone sets, answering machines and fax machines.

5) For a wireless connection we have to take care of interfering radio waves from cordless phones etc.

6) If there is no router and the computer is directly connected to the modem, the Device Manager entries for the modem need to be checked for problems.

7) If the connection is a dialup, then the protocols and the connectivity at the computer’s end should be checked.

8) The connection speed as shown in the TCP/IP properties could be slowed down if the connection is not stable.

9) Power cycle and modem reset would be the last option, but should not be done without consulting a help desk specialist.

10) If the modem was installed using separate drivers, then uninstalling and reinstalling the modem drivers could do the trick. This is especially helpful when the computer is directly connected to the modem.

Protecting Notebook from Cold


Laptops are designed to work in temperature range of 10 – 35 degrees Celsius. (50 – 95 degrees Fahrenheit). This range is for both optimal and outside environment temperature. It is important that you protect your laptop from your cold weather. Not doing so may reduce the performance of the equipment. Protecting your laptop from cold weather is important and you should know how to protect your laptop from cold weather. Protect yourself and your laptop from the damage cold weather can cause.

Ruggedized Laptops. If your budget allows, purchase or lease a ruggedized laptop if you will be outside in cold temperatures for extended periods of time. Ruggedized laptops have been designed to work under extreme weather conditions. When you rely on your laptop and can’t count on the weather to co-operate – a ruggedized laptop is worth considering. Most ruggedized laptops have been tested according to MIL-STD-810F standards.

Careful storage. Do not leave laptop in trunk of vehicle in freezing weather. This may freeze the laptop and data may also be lost. It is also not advisable even if the device is well padded and insulated.

Let It Warm Up. Once you bring a laptop in from the cold – allow it to warm up to room temperature before booting. The same is true when you go outdoors – allow the laptop to acclimatize to the outside temperature before booting up.

Incorrect warming methods. Do not use pocket warmers or such devices to warm the laptop. These devices may warm the laptop from wrong places causing the components to melt internally.

Laptop Warmers. There are laptop warmers designed specifically for the purpose of keeping a laptop warm and these are what you should use. Laptop warmers have been tested to ensure they will safely protect your laptop and are a wise investment.

Excessive heat build-up. It is not recommended to use your laptop while it is still in its bag because there is no room for air to circulate. Always keep laptop on a raised platform to ensure that there is circulation. This will prevent the laptop from overheating. You can also develop your own box, but make sure that you keep laptop on a raised platform even in the box. The box will keep the heat inside thus keeping the device warm.

Protecting Your Display. Don’t use heating pads or other external sources of heat to warm up or thaw a laptop display. Allow the display to warm on its own and do not boot up a laptop if you suspect the display is frozen.

Stay out of cold. Keeping your laptop away from direct exposure to extreme weather conditions will help the keyboard from freezing. Also it will reduce the likeliness that any other problems related to extreme weather conditions will develop.

Change Power Settings. By changing the power settings from power save mode will help keep the laptop warm as it continues to run. Instead of having the hard drive shut down, keep it spinning. The longer the laptop can be kept left running, the warmer it will stay as it generates its own heat.

Don’t get creative. Do not make or use any devices on your own to keep your laptop warm. It may damage the device internally. Internal components may melt if heating is applied to wrong parts. It may also be damaged beyond repair.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Tips to Speed Up Your Windows Vista


When you first run Windows Vista on your newly built PC, it boots up very quickly. After installing several applications such as anti-virus, spyware, office suite, the performance suddenly become very sluggish. You may be wondering, “What happened to my PC?”

Most people upgrade their PC in the hope of having a faster system. What they didn’t know is that no matter how good their hardware is, if they allow a lot of memory intensive applications to choke up the OS, the performance will still be slow.

If you are using Windows Vista, here are some tips to help you optimize for faster performance.

1) Delete programs you never use

In addition to occupying storage space, miscellaneous programs can also take up a lot of memory space. The more programs you installed, the slower your PC runs. If you have the habit to install lots of programs, then it is time for you to clean up your system now.

* Go to Start->Control Panel
* Select Programs->Programs and Features
* Select the program that you have no use for and click Uninstall.

2) Reduce number of startup programs


The more programs that Vista has to run during startup, the longer the startup process takes. Reduce the number of startup programs and you will see improvement in the boot up time.

The easiest way to check out your startup programs is to look at the taskbar (Right bottom corner). For the programs that you have no need for, right click on the icons and select “Do not load during startup”. If the program does not provide such a disable feature, you can disable it via the Windows Defender.

* Go to Start-> All Programs->Windows Defender.
* Select Tools-> Software Explorer.
* In the Category box, click Startup Programs.
* Select the program that you want to prevent from running, and then click Disable.
* Click Yes to confirm that you want to stop that program from running.

3) Turn off visual effects

Unless you have a really powerful PC, there is always a tradeoff between the visual effect and the performance. If you opt for better performance, you will have to disable some (or all) of the visual effect.

* Go to Start->Control Panel->System and Maintenance
* Select the Performance Information and Tools.
* Click Adjust visual effects.
* Click the Visual Effects tab, click Adjust for best performance, and then click OK. (For a less drastic option, select Let Windows choose what’s best for my computer.)

4) Disable services you don’t need

Vista runs more than 100 services in the background during startup, and this doesn’t include the services that come with the applications that you have installed. These services usually run when the computer starts and end only when the computer is shut down. While some of these services are essential for the running of the OS, some of them are redundant and can be removed

* Go to Start and type services in the search field.
* Select Services.MSC. Within it, you’ll see a list of services. There’s a Description column and a Status column that indicates whether the service has been started. The Startup Type shows how the service starts:
o Disabled means the service will not start under any means.
o Manual means the service will start if another service calls for it.
o Automatic means it starts when Windows Vista starts.
o Automatic (Delayed Start) means it starts a little while after Vista starts.
* You have the power to change the status and startup type of most of the services. You can right-click any service, click Properties, and choose whether to start or stop the service and select its startup type.

For more detail on configuring the services, you can download the Vista_Services word doc on services, provided by Microsoft.

5) Adjust indexing option

If you enable the indexing option, it will be constantly running in the background, waiting, scanning and indexing all the files and folders in the hard disk. While this can help you find what you want easily, most of the time you will not need 95% of the indexed files. What you can do is to adjust the indexing option so that it only focuses on those files and folders that you commonly use.

* Go to Start->Control Panel->System and Maintenance->Indexing Options.
* Click Modify. To remove a location, clear its check box in the Change selected locations list, and then click OK.

T ips Choose the Best Gaming Graphics Card


Choosing the best gaming graphics card is no easy task. There are so many graphics card out there, how do you know which one is the best for you?

Most of the time, people are confused over the technical jargon (such as pixel pipeline, bus interface, SLI, memory bandwidth etc.) that comes with specification. This article will explain the technical terms in the simplest way and guide you through the process of choosing the best gaming graphics card.

The role of Graphics Card

The graphics card plays an important role in gaming. For clear and sharp display of 3D images, you need to have a graphics card that has great processing power. Unless you are willing to compromise on your gaming quality, the graphics card is something that you should not scrimp on.

GPU (Graphical Processing Unit)

When choosing a gaming graphics card, the first thing to look at will be the GPU. This is the chip on the graphics card that is in charge of all the image processing. It’s the single most important component on the graphics card.

Most of the graphics cards in the market are built with nVidia or ATI’s GPU. They are the two main players and have spilt the market between themselves.

Bus Interface

Bus interface refers to the bus (or slot) that connects the graphics card to the motherboard.

There are two types of graphics card slots: AGP and PCI Express. AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) is the older and slower of the two slots (AGP 8x offers maximum bandwidth of 2.1GB/s, compared to 8GB/s for a 16-lane PCI Express).

For best gaming performance, it is best to use graphics card with the PCI Express slot. The reason is simple; PCI Express is much faster than AGP.

Video Memory Size

The amount of video memory on a graphics card determines the maximum resolution the card is capable of displaying. Most of the gaming graphics cards are equipped with at least 128MB of memory while some high-end cards are offering 784MB.

Getting a graphics card with 512MB of memory is not really necessary as it is very expensive and most of the time, the utilization rate is low. Unless you are playing game such as Half-life 2, which demands a lot of processing power, else a 256MB graphics card will be sufficient to meet your gaming needs.

Memory Type

The memory on the graphics card comes in different types. DDR RAM is the most common of all. This type of memory is capable of transferring data on both the rising and falling edge of the clock signal. The later DDR2 and DDR3 version work on the same principle, but they are capable of achieving higher clock speed. The latest GDDR3 RAM is a different memory type from DDR RAM. It is a memory specifically for graphics processing and it requires less power and generates less heat than DDR RAM.

Pixel Pipeline

Graphics card creates images by processing pixels in parallel pipelines. The more pipelines it has, the faster it will be capable of rendering an image. An average graphics card should come with at least 8 pipes while the more advanced one can have up to 48 pipes.

Display Interface

This refers to the ways that the graphics card output images to the monitor. There are several connectors for connecting a display: VGA, DVI, Dual channel DVI and TV-Out/S-Video

VGA – This is the connector used to connect a CRT monitor to the graphics card. It’s meant for analog signal. This type of connector has been the standard for display video output, but it’s slowly phasing out in the market, giving way to digital connection.

DVI – The standard for connecting digital signal to a digital display, such as the LCD monitor.

Dual Channel DVI – Some graphics cards have a pair of DVI port that allows you to connect to two LCD monitors. This is useful for developers or web designers who want to have different views simultaneously.

TV-Out/S-Video – This port is meant to connect the video signal to a TV. If you own a HDTV, you can connect to it through the S-Video port. For older TV using RCA input, you will have to get an S-Video/RCA adaptor.

Choosing the best gaming graphics card

Getting a gaming graphics card is based entirely on one’s preference. It’s definitely not an easy task. A good graphics card will not come cheap. Plan your budget wisely and go for the one that you can afford.

If you are intending to get an ATI graphics card, be sure to get the Raedon X1600 series and above. If you can afford it, the Raedon X1950 series is the best.

For nVidia lovers, getting the GeForce 7 series should be the minimum. I would strongly recommend EVGA 8800 GTX 768MB PCIe. This card is one of the best sellers due to its great performance. It comes with 768MB GDDR3 and produces extremely good 3D performance. In many benchmark tests, this card consistently emerges in the top three. This card will allow you to play all type of 3D game without any glitches.

Hope that this article has given you an insight to the world of graphics card. Use this guide as a reference and you’ll be able to find the best gaming graphics card for your computer very easily.

How Do I Know If I Have a 32-Bit or 64-Bit Processor?

A 64-bit processor is able to operate faster than a 32-bit type. Certain operating systems use 64-bit versions to take advantage of such capabilities. A 64-bit processor can run a 32-bit operating system, and some 32-bit computers are capable of using 64-bit systems. Computers list such processor information. The location of the processor specifications differs slightly between operating systems. Check your system to find out how many bits the processor uses, and if it's able to run a 64-bit system.

Instructions:

1. Check processor architecture using Windows XP. Click the "Start" button. Right-click the "My Computer" icon. Click the "Properties" selection. Look at the figure beside "Processor," under the "Computer" heading. Then check under the system heading. Use a 64-bit system on the computer if "x64 Edition" is listed.

2. Check processor architecture with Windows Vista. Click the "Start" button, and click the "Control Panel" selection. Type the phrase "performance information and tools" into the "Search" box, and then click that listing. Click "View and Print Details" to see the processor information and operating system type currently in use. Use a 64-bit system if a 32-bit system is installed and the tag line shows the computer is 64-bit compatible.

3. Check processor architecture on a Windows 7 system. Click the "Start" button, then click the "Control Panel" option. Type "performance information and tools" in the "Search" box, and click the "performance information and tools" listing. Click "View and Print Detailed Performance and System Information" to see the processor specifications and current system type. Look for the tag line stating "64-bit compatible" before attempting to install a 64-bit system.

Overclock an AMD CPU


Overclocking is a method used to make a CPU run quicker than it normally does. An AMD processor can see a performance increase of up to 25 percent by overclocking, and almost any processor can be overclocked by ten or 15 percent. This extra performance allows most programs to run noticeably quicker.

Step - step :


1. Start the computer and open BIOS. On most computers this is achieved by pressing one of the function keys or the DEL key immediately after the PC begins to boot. If successful, the computer will boot directly into BIOS rather than moving on to its primary operating system.

2. Find the section of BIOS settings that control the operation of the CPU. The name of this section can vary greatly depending on the motherboard manufacturer, so consult the manual. The proper section, once opened, should provide access to a menu that includes settings such as CPU multiplier, DRAM timings and reference clock.

3. Attempt to adjust the CPU multiplier by changing the number listed upwards by 1. For example, if the multiplier is currently 9, change it to 10. If the CPU has an unlocked multiplier then the BIOS should reflect an increase in processor speed measured in megahertz. If the CPU has an unlocked multiplier, skip the next step.

4. Adjust the reference clock upwards by 10Mhz. A change in processor speed should be reflected in the BIOS. The reference clock is the only method that can be used to adjust the processor speed of AMD processors without unlocked multipliers. However, the reference clock will also cause a change in the speed of the hypertransport link and the memory. These changes will be reflected in the BIOS as the reference clock is increased.

5. When the method of overclocking the processor (either by CPU multiplier or reference clock) is apparent, gradually adjust the speed upwards in small steps. If adjusting the CPU multiplier, add 1 to the multiplier number. If adjusting by reference clock, add 25Mhz at once. Once the adjustment is made, save the changes in BIOS and reboot the computer.

6. Continue the upward adjustments of CPU multiplier or reference clock until the system appears to be unstable. This will become apparent because it will freeze or will fail to boot properly. Once this occurs, go back to BIOS and lower the overclock by one step. Then boot into the operating system.

7. Run a stress test on the computer using a program such as OCCT or PCMark. Keep the benchmark running for at least an hour to test basic stability. If the benchmark fails or the PC crashes, back down another step. Continue this until the computer passes the benchmark without any problems. This indicates that the maximum stable overclock has been achieved.