Computer Articles

Title: Computer Rentals For I.T. Evaluation And Staff Training Author: Bruce Dowler Article: A computer rentals arrangement can be a boon for companies introducing new hardware platforms or software applications. Increasingly, companies are turning to short-term or long-term rental agreements, rather than lease or purchase programs in testing, training for and implementing hardware and/or software changes. Corporate testing and training has become a critical growth area both for equipment dealers and for training firms. The transition from one computer platform to another can be a particularly taxing time from an IT standpoint for any organization. Undertaking a major transition - for example from a Mac platform to PC, or vice versa - can be a convoluted and cost-intensive exercise. IT managers are increasingly finding that beta testing a new hardware platform or software system before a company-wide roll out helps in both the planning and implementation phase of such a roll out by identifying obstacles to the roll out and by giving staff - both end users and IT professionals - the opportunity to train and get up to speed on the new system before it goes live. In the testing phase, entering into a rental agreement for the system under consideration and setting up a simulated work environment - whether that is a trading floor or a simple office configuration - gives both end users and a company's technical support staff a chance to evaluate the system under consideration in a mock setting before an expensive and binding purchase agreement is entered into. For software trials, setting up a fleet of rental computers, servers and peripherals configured to run the new system gives a company the experience and feedback it needs in order to make an informed purchase decision. Most business computer rental firms can load and configure a mock system and have it delivered and installed in time for managers and staff to get the hands-on experience that will provide meaningful feedback with which a company can then make a well-informed purchase decision. From a training perspective, the critical time period in any platform or systems transition is the first days and weeks after a system goes live. In the weeks prior to transitioning to a new computing environment, having IT and training professionals set up a fleet of rental computers in a simulated work space can allow the staff who will be transitioning to familiarize themselves with a new system without unduly interfering with day-to-day operations. The feedback from pre-training staff who will be the end users of a new system usually means that costly delays in getting a new system up and running will be minimized. Whether an entire staff is being trained, or whether a core group of staff receives training before a new platform or systems roll-out, the insight a firm's IT support staff get from the training phase prepares them for the inevitable bugs during the first days and weeks following deployment. Often problems and technical glitches that would otherwise be unforeseen come to light in beta testing. Most major suppliers of computer rentals will be able to arrange a short- or long-term rental arrangement that will enable a company to evaluate new systems and train staff before a system or platform is purchased or deployed. The real-time, real-task evaluation of new or proposed systems, and training staff on the new systems or platform, can help a firm pick the optimal system or platform for its business and avoid the costly delays and technical glitches that often-times delay company-wide deployments and throw them off budget. Entering into a computer rentals arrangement before a binding purchase agreement is signed, and before a system is rolled out company-wide, can provide a wealth of information and feedback to avoid costly errors. About the author: For more information on computer rentals visit us at http://www.vernoncomputersource.com/computer-rental/default.htm Title: How to buy the right power supply for your home computer Author: Sandy Lee Article: There are two reasons why you may find yourself wanting, or needing, to buy a new internal computer power supply. The first is that you simply want to upgrade, perhaps you have bought a new device, for example a new DVD drive, and need a further connector. Secondly your existing power supply has become defunked, broken, or given up the ghost. You can probably tell this because your PC is either spluttering to start or completely dead. Either way choosing a new power supply can at first appear baffling but is in fact fairly easy. The first thing that you need to do is establish what wattage computer power supply you need in order to run your PC. This will depend largely on the number of slots on your motherboard that are being used. This means the number of internal devices that you have, all needing a share of the incoming power. The simplest way to find this information out is to look in the manual that came with your computer. Power supply wattages range from 150w to around 400w (although generally most only operate at just over 100w) and you need to bear in mind that you need a power supply with a higher wattage than is necessary; power supplies shouldn't be running to capacity. If you are one of the many people who simply threw the manuals away, then you can always look up your computer online and find the specs. Alternatively you can download some software that can analyse your computer for you. Once you have worked out your wattage requirements you need to know the physical dimension of the power supply you need. Different PCs have room for different power supplies. This is fairly obvious when you consider the numerous tower shapes available, for example there are ones those are flat and others that stand upright. Once again the easiest way to do this is look in the manual for the technical specifications or go online. Another way to do this is to measure your existing power supply. Now that you have the size and power outage you can order your computer power supply. You need to find a specialist dealer who stocks a range of the most common and best power supplies units. If you are still dumbfounded at this stage you can always give such a company a ring for some further support. They will be able to advise fully on the requirements mentioned above. Finally you do not need to be overly worried about the wires coming from the power supply. These are the wires that connect to the motherboard and other hardware. They are conveniently colour coded so that they match up with existing leads inside your computer. This colour coding has been standardised, and is therefore the same in all computers. This makes it extremely easy to connect up and very difficult to take a wrong turn. The wires should however not be pulled taut when connected up. If you need extra length then you should buy adaptors and extra wires. If you follow these simple steps you should find yourself with the correct brand new computer power supply in no time. As you can see finding the right one is fairly straightforward and is really nothing to be overly concerned about. Once you have your power supply you simply need to connect it up in your PC; this is a lot easier than you might think and you should have no problem. About the author: Visit Power Supplies Online for computer power supplies. Permission granted to re-distribute this article granted as long as a link to our website remains. Title: How Do I Speed up My Computer? Author: Jeff Rudgers Article: INTRO You've been using your Windows system for months or years. The drop in its performance is big enough to make you certain you are not imagining things. If you are not knowledgeable about computers you might assume that the slowing down is due to mechanical reasons. But fortunately you do an internet search, come across this article and you learn that computers can be sped up by software methods. You feel relief as you don't have to carry your PC to the repair shop. Read on. STEP1 Make sure your computer is free of viruses, adware or spyware. It is important that you do this before you start doing the optimizations described below. Download any new updates to the program you use for protecting your PC from the above offenses. Use Search and Destroy. STEP2 Open the Control Pannel and uninstall all the programs you are no longer using. STEP3 Use, Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools. Use the Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter utilities, in that order. STEP4 Go to Download.com or Tucows.com and download CCleaner. It is a freeware utility that scans your C Drive and removes useless files. It also removes code bloat from the Registry. The Registry is a database where Windows records information about the software, operating system, hardware, users and preferences. STEP5 Install CCleaner. Launch it. Click on Run cleaner. Click the Issues tab. Click on Scan for issues. STEP6 Click, Tools -> Startup on CCleaner. Select "Delete Entry" for the items you don't need at starbup. Use the "Startup Delayer" option for items you need at startup but not right away. STEP7 Buy extra RAM if you still have a lot of programs installed and are noticing delays during program launches or file operations. RAM is a temporary but extremely fast memory. Its size must be big enough to accommodate the programs that launch on startup so that time consuming data transfers between other memory areas, don't occur. CONCLUSION These steps help a lot of users speed up their PC. If they did not work for you, consider reinstalling everything. Keep in mind that certain gaming applications are very demanding on the graphics card and can seriously tax the system. About the author: Jeff Rudgers is a techie, an avid cyclist and a fan of Electronic Music who lives in Toronto, Canada. He was once broke, and has spent several years investigating business models for making money online. He has concluded that www.onlinewealthfordummies.com is the most sensible entry point into the world of Internet Marketing, for anyone. Title: How to speed up your PC Author: Noko Article: A large number of computer users don't realize that they are probably running a number of unnecessary programs in the background that tie up system resources and slow down the system. As many computer users complain their Windows is slow or their Windows hang up often, here are some tips for these problems. 5 prime criminals for a slow PC. 1. Junk files & Redundant registry Junk files on the hard disks grow gradually with the installation, deletion and uninstallation of all kinds of applications, which will lower the working efficiency of the computer by occupying large space and hindering the speed of Windows. Registry is a hierarchic tree like structure of database system which not only supports Windows system, hard disk and applications but also saves settings. It keeps the record of user's hardware configuration and software information. When you delete an application, you might forget to delete its related information, which can result in redundancy accumulation in registry and lower the speed of registry and system. Therefore, it is necessary to clean registry regularly. 2. Disk fragments Disk fragments grow when system is used for some time. Too many fragments not only bring down the system performance or cause file loss, but also shorten the life of the hard disk. According to Microsoft official document, the more fragments are in the volume, the lower the system input/output performance will be. We can put it this way: Too many disk fragments cause the magnetic head to continually search and read data of the same file from different places, which can bring down the system efficiency and speed. As time goes on, the hard disk life will also be shortened. As stated above, it is necessary for us to analyze and sort out the disk fragments regularly (e.g. once a month). 3. Unnecessary programs & Windows services These programs usually load when Windows initially boot up, and they can be prevented from doing so by deleting all the items in the Startup folder inside the Windows Start Menu. Programs will often setup the 'load on startup' feature automatically unless the option is deselected at some point during the installation process. If the computer had more than a few programs running in the background, this should significantly speed Windows start times and overall efficiency. Windows PCs also have had a long tradition of not managing well long and uninterrupted use across different applications, too many applications when installed and removed from a PC and a slew of processes and services running at all times inside your PC RAM memory but which maybe actually completely unneeded by your computer. Your computer is indeed filled with hidden functions and services whose existence you may barely know. 4. RAM Memory management of Windows is not always effective. You may find Windows runs rather fast upon startup but obviously slower after a while (especially when you exit the large-scale 3D game after you play it for some time). Because the physical memory always has an upper limit, Windows adopts the mechanism of virtual memory page mapping to manage memory (i.e. page system assigns part of the hard disk to be additional memory). When small memory block called page is no longer used, the additional memory can be put on the disk to make more physical memory. When Windows9x starts, the system takes almost 20M physical memory. Once another application is in operation, Windows will keep exchanging memory page between physical memory and virtual memory. NT can reach this amount to 64KB, but Intel CPU only can force to use 4KB page. As time goes on, more and more page fragments will be produced, which gradually results in slower system speed. 5. Spyware & Virus Spyware and virus could also be one of the reasons of a slow PC . Once surfing the web, you will eventually encounter virus and spyware that would attack your PC. Staying out of the internet is not an option instead, you have to make sure that your computer is installed with a virus or spyware scanner in order to prevent any virus attack. How to speed up your PC: It is usually a headache for non-professional PC users to optimize, clean up and maintain their Windows systems, even with various system tools. However, there is a new system utility online which seems to be very popular recently. This utility is called Wopti Utilities It seems to have large popularity on different download sites. After I ran every module of it, it released 3 GBs of disk space and cleaned up 800+ invalid registry keys. It is also specially designed to get a look inside the computer's components that makes it like a combination of Tuneup and Everest! This suite is easy to use with a professional-looking interface, and maintains system at high levels. Wopti is free for download at: http://www.wopti.net Here are some tips for using Wopti Utilities. Step 1: Click "Opti Wizard" of Wopti Utilities Main Menu to enter Automatic Optimization Window. Step 2: You are required to select the items like Internet Access Method for automatically generating optimization schemes. Like Network Optimization Mode, Wopti Utilities also provides users with 7 Internet Access Methods: xDSL, PPPoE, Cable Modem, LAN or Broad Band etc. Please read Network Optimization for details of those 7 access methods. Virtual-Drive users should select "Current system is using virtual drive". And there are two options to select: "Auto Analyze Redundant Information of Registry", and "Auto Analyze Junk File in all drivers". If "Auto Analyze Redundant Information of Registry" is selected, Opti Wizard is to automatically scan and analyze the redundant information in Registry according to the options recommended by Wopti Utilities. If "Auto Analyze Junk File in all drivers" is selected, Opti Wizard is to automatically scan and analyze junk files in various HD areas. Step 3: Display optimization schemes on Opti Wizard Window. Step 4: Start automatic optimization. Step5: Automatically delete the scanned items. Remark: If you do not need to automatically clean some items, you may click "Detailed information" to remove the selected "tick" in front of that item. You are suggested shut down all currently running programs and restart your computer when the Auto Optimization is done for the optimization to take effect instantly, and you can also select Auto Restore to restore the system to default status. After I used Wopti Utilities on my 2-months-used Windows XP: DISK SPACE: Released 3G of disk space REGISTRY: Cleaned 800+ invalid registries keys TRACE: Cleaned 500+ history traces COOKIE: Deleted 600+ IE cookies JUNK FILE: Deleted 1000+ junk files I hope I have been clear enough for you to understand what to do. Enjoy a faster and healthier computer! About the author: Noko gets bachelor degree with a background in Internet marketing and writing for the Web. Noko currently provides PR services and software testing services. For further information, please send e-mail to lovenoko@gmail.com

Title: HOW TO KEEP YOUR COMPUTER SECURE & HEALTHY Author: David Burton Article: A Top 10 List That Can Save Your Computer Many who read this article may find these recommendations to be old news. However, think about the number of family, and friends that ask you for help fixing their PC and this may give them a bit of an aid This list of recommendations for a healthy & secure PC is by no means a complete list of all you can and should do. It is however a good start if you want to keep your computer running good for an acceptable period of time. It will also help stop some of the most common issues related to PC security. 1. Virus & Spyware Protection: The big one; make sure you have installed some sort of anti-virus and spyware protection. Don't just assume that the default configuration of the program is the one best suited for your environment. For instance, I can't tell you how many people I know whose computer has got a serious virus because of just one small but very important task. When the anti-virus software pops up a message and tells you that your subscription is about to expire, don't just hit the ignore button. Take a five minute break from what you are doing and renew your virus signature subscription. Not only will this keep you updated on newer viruses, it will allow your software package to update to newer versions. The same thing goes for spyware protection. There are plenty of free spyware protection solutions out there, none are perfect, but most do the job. 2. Hard Drive Fragmentation: Believe it or not, many people have never even heard of hard drive fragmentation, or the process of Defragmentation. In a nutshell, when you install software or create files and data, the Operating System keeps this data on your hard disk drive. The most efficient way of storing this data would be in one continuous disk file. However, files are not always stored this way, or are initially stored this way and later become split up, or fragmented. Because of this, when the data or file is retrieved, the hard drive must be searched in multiple places just to combine data that makes up one file. This slows things down incredibly. If you are running Windows XP or Windows VISTA, you should perform a disk defrag at least once every two weeks, more if possible. 3. Installing Games & Disk Intensive Software: If you're a gamer, or regularly use disk intensive software, the above Defragmentation process will help. However, you can also take another step to make things move a little faster. If you have two physically separate disk drives in your system, I suggest that you use one primarily for the Operating System and related software, and devote the other physical disk for installing games and other disk intensive applications. This cuts down on the competition for disk resources between your Operating System and other applications. There are other things you could do as well, such as configuring the appropriate type of RAID where multiple disks appear to the operating system as one big logical disk drive. 4. Software & Hardware Firewall Protection: If you are not using a firewall, then you are crazy. Actually, there is a significant chance that your system is already compromised if you have no firewall protection at all. Many cable/DSL router combo devices have built in firewall protection, and this is at least a good start. However, if you have Windows XP SP2, go ahead and enable the built in firewall as it will provide you another level of protection. Oh, yes, and when the system pops up a message about whether or not to allow a certain application or communication to take place, don't just hit the ok button, read it through before making a decision. 5. Updating Drivers: Hardware manufacturers routinely update their drivers. This includes video cards, sounds cards, capture cards, system boards, you name it. Some manufacturers have started to release automatic updates for their hardware, but many have not. Make sure you check these sites on a regular basis and when a driver update is available, install it promptly. 6. What Do Your Children Download: This is another big one. I can't tell you how many times I have been told by people that they have no idea how something got installed on their computer. Usually their second sentence contains one of my children must have downloaded it. The first thing that comes to mind is why do parents let kids download what ever they like in the first place. Not only can this severely impact the security and performance of your computer, who knows what your kids are getting their hands on. Do you know what one of the most frequently installed application installs I see on a teenagers machine is? Kazaa, BearShare, eDonkey are P2P file sharing programs. I don't care what anyone says regarding how convenient and safe these applications are now, they are wrong. Monitor what your children are doing / downloading on the Internet. Install a parental control software package if need be. 7. Rebuilding Your Operating System: If you are not familiar with system imaging software, I suggest you get to know them. One of the most popular packages is bloghost and it's been around for quite some time.Rebuild systems on an annual basis using a imaging package to create a complete image of the basic OS and application install. This allows you to not only re-install the base operating system and applications by hitting just one button, but can save you big time in the event of a system disaster. 8. Installing & Uninstalling Applications: Just about every time you install a new application or piece of software you increase the time it takes to boot your PC and in some cases decrease its performance. One thing that drives me crazy is printing software.It seems they load all kinds of unnecessary real-time running applets. HP printers are notorious for this. Be very aware of what it is you are loading and only load those components that you need. Even some off-the-shelf software packages load adware and other not so helpful applets. Also, when you uninstall software, not all the software gets uninstalled in many cases. One thing I suggest is to purchase a registry cleaner. This can dramatically decrease boot times and in many cases increase the overall performance of your PC. 9.Purchasing & Downloading Items from the Internet: When you download or purchase any software from the Internet, make sure you pay close attention to everything you are agreeing to or checking off on the various pages that lead up to the final purchase or download. As with everything else, make sure you read the fine print. You may be agreeing to download and install something you don't need or may impact the security and performance of you PC. Also, how many more mailing lists do you really need to be on? How many Internet Explorer tool bars do you need? Most of these tool bars should be renamed to loadware / spyware bars 10. Installing Operating System & Application Patches In a nutshell, if you are using Windows XP, make sure that automatic updates are turned on. This is very important. Microsoft releases security and bug fixes routinely and some of them are critical in nature. Something people tend to overlook is updating and patching their applications. For instance, Microsoft Office has critical security patches and performance enhancements available in the form of patches and service packs. It's not just Operating System bugs that can put you at risk, applications can too. These few tips are very basic to the more technological people ,but for the majority of users without computer knowledge these may act as computer saving tips. laptop computers www.discount-notebooks.net About the author: David has been in the engineering field through to government, now getting up to speed with the new age technology laptop computers. www.discount-notebooks.net Title: Virus, Adware, Spyware - How Safe Are You? Author: Michael Clark Article: Do you worry that you will fall victim to this malicious software? In today's fast-paced age of technology, with new advancements emerging every day, it is becoming increasingly important to protect your information. Take some time to educate yourself about the dangers that exist and the steps you can take to keep yourself safe. VIRUS - A virus is a human created and downloaded infection that spreads from computer to computer. They are most commonly spread through emails and software downloads. There are a couple simple things you can do to protect your computer from viruses: 1) Computer maintenance - Programs like Disk Cleanup will keep your computer clutter-free and optimize your computer's performance. Most likely you already have one of these programs installed on your computer. Use it! 2) Most viruses can only spread via email attachments. Never open attachments from people you don't know! ADWARE - Adware is software that causes unwanted advertisements to pop up on your computer. These ads can display on your screen even if you are not browsing the internet. Adware programs can also steal your information. Studies have shown that nearly 90% of computers have been infected by some kind of adware on their hard drive. Most adware programs come bundled in some form of free or low-cost software package. Be sure to check the credibility of a source before downloading anything from it. SPYWARE - Spyware is software designed to be installed on a person's computer (often without their knowledge). It watches and records all of your actions and sends this information to other parties through your internet access. These programs are difficult to find and very hard to remove without damaging your computer. Like adware, spyware often comes bundled with free or low-cost software. Some popular programs that have been found to include spyware are: * Weatherbug * Realplayer media player * Kazaa The best way to protect your computer is with software specifically designed to find and destroy viruses, adware, and spyware. These programs are absolutely essential for any computer owner. If you have not taken time to invest in protection for your computer, I recommend doing so today. About the author: To learn more about protecting your computer and see reviews of today's top anti-virus, anti-adware, and anti-spyware products, visit my blog, PC Guardian http://guardyourpc.blogspot.com/

Title: "Warning! Spyware detected on your computer!" Or not... How to deal with the real danger... Author: Jukka Hakkinen Article: Have you seen a message like the above recently? Has your computer suddenly started complaining that it's infected and you'd better do something about it? If that's the case then you need to read on to discover what's really happening and what you can do about it... If you've seen a message saying something like "Your computer might be infected with spyware or adware !!!", "Warning! You're in danger!" or "Windows has detected spyware infection!" (note enthusiastic use of exclamation marks) then you might be being set up for a sting. These messages are produced by malware (more specifically a trojan) that installs itself on your computer and then tries to scare you into buying fake anti-spyware and PC cleaners. No windows process or software from a legitimate vendor gives you a warning message and then tries to strongarm you into buying a particular product. The recommended products are either useless fakes or just install further malware and advertisements - but the money they try and get from you is very real. So just to recap, this malware installs itself on your PC, nags you with fake warnings to buy a worthless piece of software that does nothing or further compromises the security of your PC (for example, some of this malware reduces the security of Internet Explorer by changing the settings and disables the windows task manager, so you can't shut down rogue processes). Well, now you know that these warnings are fake, you know you shouldn't buy the software. Unfortunately, the malware that generates the warnings is very persistent, intrusive and difficult to get rid of. In some cases, it will produce a fake Blue Screen Of Death (usually a screensaver) or change the desktop background to a big, ugly warning and then disable Desktop Settings, so you can't remove the warning. So what should you do? Well, "Don't Panic". Realise that it will take some persistence to get rid of the fiend but that's all. Step by step you can reclaim your computer. While you are looking at how to remove the trojan, malware or adware, you should take some steps to ensure it doesn't happen again. A lot of this type of malware made use of weaknesses in Sun's Java Runtime Evironment (most especially version 1.5), so make sure your Java is up to date. The next most popular route is through flaws in the Windows OS, now I know you've heard this before, but please make sure you download and apply Microsoft's critical updates. Another, slightly unusual route, is a fake codec for a video. Ever tried to open a video file in Windows Media Player and have it say it doesn't understand the format and do you want to download a codec that can play the file? Unfortunately, that facility was open to abuse and there were a lot of fake files put out with the sole purpose of tricking a user into downloading a fake codec that was really just malware. Of course, the fake video file would be named something like "Angelina Jolie - nude movie". Something that people would really want to see and be willing to go through the trouble of getting a codec for. When you get the codec, you're stuck with nasty malware and a clip of pure garbage. To remove the spyware, you will need a good spyware remover - I recommend you avoid any of the following as they are all associated with being promoted via malware - AdawareDelete, AdwareBazooka, AdwareSheriff, AlfaCleaner, Amaena, Antivirus Pro, BreakSpyware, CurePcSolution, DriveCleaner 2006, ErrorSafe, ExpertAntivirus, PerfectCleaner, SpyAway, SpyCut, SystemDoctor, SystemStable,WinAntiVirus, Winfixer. For a step by step guide to spyware removal, a discussion of spyware tools and what I believe to be the best spyware removal program visit my Squidoo Lens at http://www.squ idoo.com/best-spyware-remover After removing the spyware, use Ccleaner from Piriform to clear up any mess left behind. I suggest you hunt around on their site for the portable version. If you find that you still can't perform certain normal actions like access the task manager or change your desktop settings, then I suggest that you use the fixpolicies tool by Bill Castner at malwareremoval.com After that, I hope that you will keep safe by updating critical system components, as recommended above and make sure you have an up to date browser and firewall. About the author: If you just want to get rid of the spyware on your machine once and for all then please visit my lens "The best spyware remover Hope to see you there soon! Title: How To Clean Up My Computer Registry Author: Andrew Vaughan Article: Are you frustrated with random computer crashes? Inexplicable slow-downs, and programs that mysteriously malfunction? If so, chances are that your computer has errors in its registry. The Registry is a central database that gets modified constantly, by every program installed on the computer. With time, errors tend to pile up, causing your computer to act erratically and in unforeseen ways. Registry cleaners are software solutions that search through your computer's registry and remove any invalid entries or destructive information. While most people are fully aware that they need spyware, adware and something to protect against viruses, they are much less aware of their computer's need for a good registry cleaner. Five Important Reasons for Using a Good Registry Cleaner. 1. Over time, your computer gradually but persistently accumulates registry entries. This occurs every time you download or uninstall programs, visit certain websites, or as you inadvertently accumulate spyware or adware in your computer. 2. Your computer's registry can also become clogged up and disorganized. A good Registry Cleaner will clear out this clutter, fixing problems regarding missing references to files, DLL errors, runtime errors, Active X errors, driver errors and broken software threads. 3. Your registry can also be adversely affected by hackers, Trojans, adware, spyware and viruses. Unwanted and embedded entries that you cannot remove can be stored in your registry, allowing hackers and other undesirables (polite term) to gain access to your computer. 4. Good Registry cleaners are easy to use and do not require a lot of technical knowledge to operate. Downloading and installing a registry cleaner for your computer is very simple and straight forward. 5. It is practically impossible to clean your computer's registry manually. Without the use of a good registry cleaner, manual attempts can sometimes prove impossible - and most often cause more harm than good. Important Factors to Consider before Choosing a Registry Cleaner. Although there is no question to the significant and essential benefits associated with a registry cleaner, there is nonetheless, important advice that you should follow before you download registry cleaner software. Perhaps 'the' most important consideration before you download this type of software, is to make absolutely certain that you only download software that has a proven track record. There have been numerous instances of functionality problems following the down-loading of poor registry cleaners. In essence, certain poor quality applications are sometimes unable to determine whether or not a portion of the registry is still in use by Windows. Problems like these can be easily and efficiently avoided by the use of quality registry cleaner software from vendors that have proven products with track records. A little care taken at the beginning - before you choose your registry cleaner software will be time well spent. Make sure that you obtain registry cleaning software that is compatible to the system configuration of your PC. For example if you have Windows XP as the operating system, you need to get registry fix software that is compatible with XP. Some of the more important features you should look for in your Registry cleaner include - automatic file back-up prior to repair, good support and customer service from the vendor and file edit ability, so you can choose which files to clean and repair. I hope that this article has given you some useful advice on registry cleaning software. About the author: Andrew Vaughan is a successful entrepreneur who writes on various marketing and business related issues. To find out more on this topic you can go to the best Registry Cleaning Sofware Title: There Are Many Reasons Why Your Computer Could Be Running Slow.... Author: Kris Mainieri Article: I'm myself pretty much a hard core computer user, couple of friends have mentioned that if a new computer needs to be tested in just a couple of hours, it should be given to me. Simply because my normal computer workload is pretty much at maximum at all times. I have Mozilla FireFox open with 20-50 different tabs, couple of Adobe Acrobat windows, couple of word files, Editplus (text editor) with 30 tabs, plus of course Adobe Photoshop, mail programs, MSN and these are just the main things. So if a PC has a reason to strike for some reason, it should definitely be my computer. However, luckily I haven't really had any big problems except for speed issues due to my hardcore memory and CPU consumption. Most of the 'computer speed up' software out there focuses only on ONE problem area, but with a user like me, its far from enough. Products like "PC Doctor" and "Registry Fixer" are decent products but they leave a lot of your computer's speed potential unused (I know that after I have tested the product PC Secret Formula). PC Secret Formula system covers all important areas so your computer is literally forced to perform at maximum speed and that's why I would definitely recommend the PC Secret Formula to everyone who feels their computer is running slower than it could be should be. While I use my laptop around 16 hours a day, I haven't really done much to keep it running fast and safe. I run a firewall and anti-virus software. In the past I have tried some spyware software pieces, registry cleaners and so on, but overall they haven't done much good, some of them have actually screwed up my computer. And it makes me happy to see a tested product, which teaches me how to do it all safely. At least for me it worked like a treat, really made my PC faster again and at the same time didn't cause it to blow up or anything like that. Did you know that some anti-virus software might make your computer virus-free but at the same time take up so much of your PC resources that it makes your computer reaaaly slow? Using PC Secret Formula. PC Secret Formula has been designed so that you run through the entire program step by step. First you get your machine cleaned up and to get familiar with software (btw, all the software names there are freeware, so no extra costs). It takes some time the first go around but it's very clearly explained. You'll learn exactly what to do and most importantly, what NOT to do. How to use the software and a number of built-in Windows utilities to fix your slow computer. After that there's a regular maintenance plan outlined that will take much less time but will keep your machine in great shape. Usually people charge a lot for just a registry cleaner, but in this package, its included! With this program you really get your money's worth plus more What I didn't like about PC Secret Formula? After going through the system I'd say there are one thing that I don't like about it. Firstly, being a hardcore computer user I know enough about computers as well as different tasks. What I don't know much about is how to speed my computer, I know a few things but I haven't really had any time to work on obtaining knowledge in that area. And here I'd like to see special chapters that would be combined of the section of the book. There could be like 3 different combinations, one for hardcore users like me, another for intermediate PC user and finally one for hardcore amateur. Right now the sections of PC Secret Formula all together last just a bit less than an hour's read, but for me it would be enough to have a 10-15 to get straight to the point. Overall impression. PC Secret Formula has easy-to-follow, professionally produced and well put together ebook, but in addition to that, every single chapter also has notes attached which provide additional notes that will further enhance your PC's performance. So i f your computer is running slow and you want to speed it up today, PC Secret Formula is the system you should use. pcsecretformula.com About the author: Have been fixing and optimizing computers for 7 years. Have done jobs for many big companies andmost of the cyber cafes his area.

Title: Dell Laptop Computers--Why so Popular? Author: John Mowatt Article: Dell makes a complete range of laptop computers from low priced basic models powered by Intel Celeron or similar processors to high end blazing fast models powered by Intel Core Duo processors. There is a Dell laptop for every need. Whether you are a student,a business person or an internet gamer you will find a Dell laptop to meet your requirements. The home internet surfer,who wants a low priced model to surf the internet and maybe do a bit of word processing can find a Dell laptop that will do these things perfectly and will fit his/her budget. It will be at the lower end of the line with perhaps an Intel Celeron processor and 1 gigabyte of memory. This is more than adequate for this type of use and will not make too big a dent in the bank account. It can be used for casual gaming also of course where top performance is not needed. The business person who needs a good looking laptop which will enhance his personal image can find just the right model in the Dell line. It will probably be a medium priced middle of the road model which has good performance for carrying out business related work. The Vostro series of Dell computers is mainly aimed at the business user. It can be equipped with Microsoft Office software right from the factory and also with book keeping software such as Quicken. It will have a mid range processor perhaps a Celeron or up to the Core Duo. The computer user who has a need for,or perhaps just wants,a high performance computer will find a complete range of Dell products to meet any requirement. Intel core Duo processors are available in several types with increasing performance and of course price. If a top performing computer is required you can expect to pay well in excessof $1000 and even up to more $2000 depending on the features you select. The Dell XPS M1530 series is a very popular range of top performance laptops. Size and weight of a laptop computer is a very important specification for some users. The small notebook computers with 12 inch screens are the lightest and most compact models available.They are easy to carry and take up least space. Their main downside is the small screen which can be challenging to view unless you have excellent vision. They also are not easily upgraded since there is not much room for any additional components. The mid size laptops with 14 to 15.4 inch screen sizes are the most popular choice. They are bigger and weigh more but have greater versatility then the little notebooks. The screen is also much easier on the eyes which is an important consideration if you intend to use the machine a lot. The mid size laptop is a good choice for most users where minimum size and weight are not essential. Dell has a very fine range of laptops in this category. The largest laptops with screen sizes of 17 inches and up are more expensive models. They are also of course bigger and heavier and therefore less easy to carry around. However the big screen is a definite aid to viewing and leads to a lot less eye strain when used for prolonged periods. Computer gamers will find the large screen combined with top performimng components is the ideal laptop for their requirements. Dell computers are renowned for reliability and excellence in factory service and support. Most computer users when choosing a new laptop find that Dell has the best prices available and the biggest line of components to choose from. When you order a Dell you literally select every component in the machine and the laptop is built for you. This is a lot better than walking into a store and buying a ready built computer which offers you no choice of features. It is not hard to see why Dell laptops are the most popular choice. About the author: Would you like to know where you can buy a Dell laptop computer for $100 and up? Look here for a selection of thousands: http://www.laptopbargainsonline.com John Mowatt is the proud owner of several Dell computers and writes about reasons for choosing a Dell. Title: What are the mistakes to avoid when handling a motherboard? Author: Computer Maintenance Article: When handling your motherboard, processor, graphics card, etc. you must be extremely careful. If you are not, you may damage something and cost yourself some money. This next step is very important to the survival of your computer. Handling Motherboards, graphics cards, memory, etc When handling these sorts of components, you need to never touch the connectors (as on graphics cards and memory). Doing so may cause you to damage the connector therefore making the device useless. We suggest holding the device by its edges or underside. With motherboards, graphics cards and the like, placing your hand underneath the board can be painful, with all the connectors poking through, but it is very safe (to the board anyway). You can also place your hands on the edges were there are no connectors, touching VGA ports and things like that is okay. With memory holding the edge opposite the connecting edge is the best way. You mainly want to not hold the item by any part that if damaged would cause the device not to work. For example, if you are holding your motherboard with your hands the on the backside (with all the ports) and the opposite side, and you bend the VGA port a little, you are not doomed. However, if you are carelessly carrying the board with one hand and hit the board on a chair can knock the capacitor loose, you will have major problems. So our point is, just be careful when handling the motherboard and do not swing it all around, just hold it firmly, but not too tightly, in front of you until you reach your destination. Processors are even more delicate than motherboards. When carrying a processor, hold it only by its edges. Be sure not to touch any of the pins, as bending or breaking them will ruin the processor. Always be careful when installing the processor and always set it down gently. Following those guidelines, you should have no problems carrying your computer parts. Again, just use common sense and think of your computer parts as a very expensive eggs you break it, it's gone and you're out of some more money. All the motherboards are prone to some malfunction. Motherboards are not an exception. Motherboards malfunction can prove costly of all of us. Hence it is better you get them maintained regularly. Even if in case you have any motherboards problem, our computer services will take care of your needs. At Save My System Ltd, our highly trained experienced technicians have been providing computer repair services to our customers since many years. Save My System Ltd offer a number of computer repair services as well as laptop motherboard repairs. About the author: We are a London based IT Support company proving support services such as : Computer Maintenance, Windows Vista Computer Support , network setup, hardware and software supply, web design, search engines optimisation and data recovery for home user and small business as well as . contact us for more info: 07917755031 Title: Cleaning Your Computer Hardware Author: David Burton Article: Cleaning you computer hardware Computers, as appose to other electric or electronic devices, are not maintenance free. Quite the reverse, it occasionally needs hardware cleaning. This will not only give your computer top performance, but will also prevent many unforeseen computer breakdowns, The obvious reason is, after we use the computer for 6 - 12 months depending on the environment, it will have a thick layer of dust sitting on it. This happens even when we position our computer in a clean room. The computer parts in my own house always collect a fair amount of dust. It would, therefore, be advisable to give your computer a clean up twice a year or so. But before we do it, we must do some preparation. First, get a piece of paper, a pen, screw driver, brush and a small can of spray that clean the metal parts of the electronic circuit. When we are ready, unplug the computer completely and take only the case out to a well ventilated area. Open the case and take note of what you will be doing below (This is important to help you put it back correctly). 1. Unplug all the devices from the power supply. These include hard disk, floppy disk, DVD Rom, CPU fan, and the main power supply plug from the main board. 2. Take the main board battery off. 3. Unscrew all the attached cards like Monitor, LAN, Modem, USB, Sound, CCTV, if there is any (the newer main mother board now has most of these collectively assembled on the main board) and pull them out carefully. 4. Use the brush to dust off all the computer parts. 5. Erase the bronze color stripe part of the cards. Rub them hard until they shine. 6. Spray clean the main board, IC or chip spikes, and the needle like metal parts of the hard disk, floppy disk and DVD ROM. 7. Spray also all the metal parts that protrude out from the main board at the back of the computer case. (Do not wipe with paper or cloth if you over spray as it may cause damage to it. Just let it dry ). 8. Put back all the cards and screw tight. 9. Plug back all power supply lines. 10. Insert back main board battery. 11. Close the case and take to join back to the monitor, keyboard and mouse. Few words of caution: 1. Please make sure you write down the details when you unplug or unscrew things. You will need them when you put things back. 2. Do it gently and patiently. Do not force your way through in anyof the steps. 3. You know how to reset your CMOS-BIOS after you put back the main board battery. (You may bypass steps 2 & 10 if you do not. But be careful not to spray right on the battery to prevent short circuit) This will restore your computer hardware back to its original new look when you first bought it. Performance will drastically improve also comparing it to before the cleaning was done. It will enhance further with some adjustment to the software. laptop computers www.discount-notebooks.net About the author: David has been in the engineering field through to government, now getting up to speed with the new age technology laptop computers. www.discount-notebooks.net

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