Did this ever happen to you? You turn on your computer and Windows stays at the splash screen and does not boot up. What could be the cause? There are quite a few issues that would not allow Windows to boot. In this article we will examine those issues and give you tips on how to determine what is wrong. Click here to read more..
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Computer Tips: What Causes Windows Not to Boot?
Brief Overview of the AMD Processor
Recently I gave an overview of the different Intel processors. Intel's competitor is AMD (Advanced Micro Devices). AMD has been known for some time by gamers as the processor to own. AMD is not only a good gaming processor but has the power to run almost any application with the same performance as Intel's processors. This article gives you a brief overview of the processors AMD offers and the what they was designed for. Click here to read more...
Problems that Cause Windows to Load Slowly
Is this your computer? Your computer loads very slowly than it used to? How can you fix this and where do you start to look? In this article I will give you tips and where to look and what to do if your computer is loading slowly. Click here to read more...
Friday, November 2, 2007
How to Troubleshoot Your Internet Connection
You have a broadband connection and suddenly your not able to get online. What do you check? Do you call your ISP? Before you call your ISP there are some troubleshooting steps you can do to check if the problem is on your end or not. In this article I intend to walk you through checking your Internet connection. Go here to read more.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Free Internet Speed Test
Want to check your Internet connection for Free? You can do that here. In fact you will find other free tests available from this site. You will also find tips and tweaks that will help you fine tune your computer to run very efficiently. Freeware is available to download as well. There is also a blog were you can find out whats new and tips to help you keep your computer running at peak performance. Take a few minutes to check it out.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
What Computer Technology Needs is Standardizing
What I would like to see would be a computer upgrade store where all the parts are pretty much standardized. How would this be accomplished? In this article I try to emphasize what would be needed to make computers more standardized so that almost anyone can fix or upgrade their computers.
read more | digg story
Beginners Guide to Buying a Gaming Computer
Whether your playing single player or online games buying a simple $500 dollar machine will not cut it. If your building or buying one you can still get one for less than $2000. If you was to build one it would cost you around $800 to $1000. To buy one would cost you a little more reason being cause of warranties and such.
read more | digg story
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Using software to Transfer files from one PC to another
You bought a new computer and you want to move all of your files from your old PC to your new PC. How would you go about doing it? There are software programs that make the task easy.
read more | digg story
Tips for Keeping Track of your Passwords
Having trouble keeping track of all of your passwords? Keeping a log or using sticky notes could be one way to do it but doesn't provide much security. There are software packages that can automate your password keeping.
read more | digg story
Four Main Type of Laptops
If your interested in purchasing a laptop you need to know that there are four basic types. The type of laptop and features determines the price. Whether your a student going off to college, starting a business, or a basic user buying a laptop can be a serious venture. In this article I examine the four basic types and what to expect from each one.
read more | digg story
Friday, August 3, 2007
Why you shouldn't lock your harddrive on laptops
Over my years as tech I have noticed one major problem that some people create for themselves. The create a password to lock the hard drive. Just like on desktops there is away to lock the hard drive by placing a password on the drive. This makes the drive not accessible to anyone who doesn't know the password.
read more | digg story
How to Know if your motherboard has failed
What most people don't realize is that electrical components can fail in an instant. Unlike mechanical which usually gives you signs electronic components can work one day and not the next. Thats the downside to computers things like motherboards can fail without any warning. In this article I will describe some ways you can know when your motherbo
read more | digg story
How to decipher computer beep codes
You turn on your computer one day and your computer is beeping. How can you tell what is wrong? In this article I intend to briefly describe the beep code errors. They differ according to your systems BIOS.
read more | digg story
How to find the best computer components price
If your shopping on the Internet for computers or computer parts you know there are many vendors out there. Which one can you trust? In this article I intend to discuss a search tool that will help you find the best price for what your looking for.
read more | digg story
How to Transfer Data between two computers
When it comes to moving data between two computers you have several options. If you intend to use the one computer as a backup you don't have to transfer it live. What I mean by live is always connected. The option you use depends on what your needs are. In this article I will show you the different ways of moving data from one computer to another.
read more | digg story
Sunday, July 22, 2007
How I Got a Better Computer for $75 - Associated Content
My old computer was dying. The motherboard was old and the power supply was failing. Before long I would not have a computer at all. Using my valuable expertise and experience I used the Internet and my knowledge of computers to find a solution. In this article I show you how easy it is to upgrade to a better system and not spend a fortune. Click here to read it...
How to Reload Your Computer with an Upgrade OS
There is a very easy way to reload your computer with an upgrade operating system. What this means is you don't have a full version of Windows but an upgrade version. In this article I will show you how to use the upgrade version to reload your hard drive. Click here to read it..
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Malfunctiong Power Supply can cause Serious damage to your Computer
One component in your computer can cause so many problems and if not replaced can actually cause other components to fail. Your computers power supply can cause a lot of problems for you when its starting to fail. In this article I discuss in depth the power supply and how, if malfunctioning, can eventually damage your computer. Click here to read it...
Monday, July 2, 2007
How You Can Extend Your Computers Life
Any computer between two years and three years old is a good candidate for upgrades. If your computer is over three years old its not worth sticking a bunch of upgrades in. You can get a new computer pretty cheaply so spending a lot is not worth it. Some upgrades you can make for very little money are highlighted in this article. Click here to read me...
Thursday, June 28, 2007
How to tell if your computer is overheating
There are some basic steps to diagnose whether your computer is overheating. In this article I will give you some tips to to help you diagnose your computer for possible overheating problems. Overheating can cause your computer to reboot or shutdown. Click here to read more...
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Value Notebooks Are They Worth Buying?
Value notebooks are good buy for various reasons. You don't really lose much with value notebooks. The differences in value notebooks and regular notebooks are compared here. You can still get a good value and pay less than $600 under normal circumstances.
Click here to read it
Sunday, May 13, 2007
I love Payperpost
I really love payperpost. It allows me to submit when I want to without any real worries. I haven't made a ton of money only about $23 but I don't post that much. I post when I feel like it and take job opportunites when I can. Ads on blogs from payperpost pays me a little cash now and then. You can submit as much or little as you want. If you want to earn a good income than than you need to blog regularily. If you want to make a little money than you can blog once in awhile. The choice is yours.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Save on Calling International
Save on calling 35 countries at Pingo. You get 4 free hours of international calling just for signing up. Imagine calling friends and relatives around the world and saving big time. Haiti for example you can save money calling with Haiti calling card rates Pingo is calling card service that saves you big everytime you call international. Average mobile users can save up to 90%. Join now and get $5.00 USD in calling just for signing up.
Join now and take advantage of this golden opportunity. You can also join Pingo's affiliate program and earn $15.00 for each customer you refer.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Review My Post
So, you have created a nice blog. Now you neeed readers or traffic. So how do you get this traffic? How do you go about getting readers? Everyone has something to say or something they are very good at. Well, one of the best ways is to use the payperposts review my post program. 
This program pays you everytime someone signs up and reviews your blog. This program is open to all bloggers and is a great program for those who prefer not doing any sponsored posts.
This a great opportunity for blog marketing.
This is a great way to increase your blog traffic. If your already a member just click affiliate tools in your blogger interface than select review my post for details. If your not a member you can join to increase your traffic. This opportunity is free and all bloggers can take part. If you want to increase your traffic than join payperpost today.
Get a New Dell
Did you know you can get a new Dell ? Now is the time to purchase a new Dell. You can get a good deal and Microsoft's new OS (Vista) is included. Don't try running Vista on and older machine when you can get a new Dell. Dell is offering great deals with coupons. Dell has some great machines for less. Plus you can get some great accessories. From desktops to laptops Dell has it all. If you need a printer, digital camera, etc Dell has those too. I have never been displeased with Dell's products. Take that tax money and upgrade your technology and go for that new Computer you have always wanted. With Dell coupons it is affordable.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Vista problems are minimal
After a few months Vista is shaping up to be okay. However, it is still a mmeory hog and should be used on new systems or better systems than average ones. It still takes a good CPU and memory to get the best benefit out of Microsoft's new OS.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
How to Install a Power Supply
Whether your upgrading to higher wattage power supply or replacing an existing one the installation is the same. Just make sure if its an upgrade your motherboard can support it. Most motherboards can handle a 450watt without too much trouble. The purpose in upgrading is to handle the higher wattage newer graphic cards demand.
Step 1 – If your computer is not turned off make sure you properly shutdown your computer. For this article I will assume you have your new power supply and are ready to install it.
Step 2 – Remove the side panel and lay the computer down flat. I find it easier to work on them when they are laying down flat.
Step 3 – Disconnect the power supply from the motherboard. Also, disconnect all the power connectors from the drives. If there is a connector from the power supply to the CPU disconnect it as well.
Step 4 – You should have the power supply cables free and not plugged into any component. Make sure this is done so no cable from the power supply is hooked up to any component. If you need to make a diagram to know what goes where you can do that before you unhook them.
Step 5 – Now you can remove the power supply from the case. On the back of the case there are four screws that need to be removed. There should also be a plate with one screw attached to the inside of the case. Most computers have this and some don't. Just make sure they are all disconnected.
Step 6 – Now that the power supply is uninstalled from the case you can remove it and set it aside.
Step 7 – Take the new power supply and install it the same way the old one was. Screw all screws in and make sure the power supply is secure. It should fit flush to the case.
Step 8 – Connect all the connectors to the motherboard, drives, etc. The connectors only go in one way so you can't hurt it just make sure they are seated properly and all components that were connected before are connected now.
Step 9 – Before you replace the side panel lets give it the power test. Plug your computer in and power it up. If you did everything correctly it should come on. Make sure there is no smoke or burning components. Examine your computer while its running.
Step 10 – Now that you have done the power test and everything is normal you can replace the side panel and hook your computer up. You should be ready to go.
Congratulations you replaced your power supply.
click here for more content
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
How to make sure Your PC is ready for DST
Daylight Savings Time adjust 3 weeks earlier this year. Is your computer ready to go? This change will not only affect your computer but cell phone, PDA, TIVO, etc. Any electronic device that uses a clock.
For this article we will show you how to make sure your computer is ready for the up coming time change.
This won't be as drastic as Y2K was but if you use an appointment calendar on your computer you could be an hour off come this March. Its important if you rely on your computers clock to make sure your ready.
Depending on your operating system there are steps to take to update your computer. Microsoft has set up a support page for this.
First, Click on your clock on your task bar. Click on the tab time zone. Then check the box which says automatically adjust clock for daylight savings time changes.
If you have Windows Vista and you are using Office 2007 there is a patch to update Microsoft Outlook. This will fix Outlook and than everything should be okay for you.
If you are using Windows XP service pack 2 go to windows update and make sure you turn on automatic updates. While you are there get all the updates. You will need to install the DST update.
If you are using Windows XP service pack 1 you will need to update to service pack 2 and install the DST update. Also get all the updates and make sure you have automatic updates turned on.
If you are using Windows 95/98/Millennium you will need to update your clock manually. Also, make sure you have the box checked automatically adjust clock for daylight savings changes.
If you are using Windows outlook 2000, 2002, or 2003 there is also a patch called time zone data update tool for Microsoft Outlook.
If you do not update your computer than it will not adjust for daylight savings time. You will be 3 weeks late in the spring and 1 week early in the fall. If your computer is used for business you will have to manually make adjustments for your time and schedule. This would be a hassle when a simple patch or fix would solve the problem. Keep in mind that any programs that use time based calendars will also be off. Your banking and financial programs would fall into this category. Your emails would be off time wise too.
So, why not take the time now and make sure you are ready for the DST change this spring.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Online Marketing services
Whether your running a website or blog everyone needs SEO services. Not only are those types of services necessary but you can also buy or host ads on your website.
Before people can see your website you would need advertising to let others no what you are offering and who you are. Discount Click offers those type of ad services.
Another thing to consider is links to your site to get the exposure search engines want. Its not how many links you have but how many are linking to you. In order for your page rank to be above a 1 you need others linking to you. This should be qualified targeted links. This is very important for your website to get the exposure it needs to be successful.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Vista Released Today
I said yesterday that unless your PC is new or a few months old I would not recommend upgrading. Let Microsoft iron the kinks out of it first.
If I buy a new PC in the future I will ask for XP Pro instead of Vista. XP take less memory and works just fine. I was always the first one to get on Microsoft's band wagon when they had a new OS coming out, but not this time. I will stick with XP as long as I can.
Have a nice day.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Vista in the News
![Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic UPGRADE [DVD]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000HCZ9AC.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_V46821876_.jpg "Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic UPGRADE [DVD]")
Vista comes out tomorrow. Unless you have a new PC with 1 GB of RAM stay away from it. Your machine should have a vista sticker compatible on it if you bought it within the last few months. Older machines its not worth the hassle plus your machine will run slowly. Vista is a memory hog so I recommend staying away from it.
If you must run Vista than make sure you can. Frankly, Windows XP is good enough for most machines.
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic UPGRADE [DVD]
Sunday, January 28, 2007
PC Annoyances
The other was for spanish users this one is in english and helps with those PC annoyances.
Another Computer Tips book to make your life easier
Here is a book to help you solve PC problems. Sometimes you need extra help and this helps you. If you have enjoyed my computer tips than you will like this product. Most of the info on this blog is free. However, if something is out there that will make your computing easier I will tell you about it on this blog. Everything here is useful or I would not recommend it. (Spanish Version)
Tim
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Conquer Your Computer
Conquer Your Computer: Hot Tips and Clever Shortcuts
Here is a book to help you conquer your computer. Don't get stuck again there are tips and tricks inside to help you learn.
These shortcuts will make using your PC easier. Take advantage of this and get this book.
Tim
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Good Time of Year for Computer Purchase
Its a good time of year to buy that new computer you been wanting. You can use your income tax refund and purchase that new rig. Don't forget to buy an add-on video card if your going to use it for games.
Don't forget to run windows update, install your anti-virus program, and anti-spy-ware program. You need to this before you do anything else. Its always best to protect yourself.
You can get an inexpensive new computer here. If you want a computer with more clout than I would recommend this site Puget-systems.
Tim
Blog Writer its Free
To all you bloggers out there you can use this blog writer which saves you time submitting posts to your blogs. Guess what else its free. You can check it out here.
Tim
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Computer Air Flow
Your case has fans like your power supply fan and cpu fan. Some cases will have more fans to keep the computer cool. Air flow is essential or your computer will over heat. Some people will remove the side panel on warm days but do not do this on a regular basis. Itsa better to install more fans.
Fans are not expensive. You have to go to place that sells accessories online is a good place to shop for those. You may need some help from a friend if you don't know how to attach a fan on the inside of the case.
Make sure there are no wires or cable rubbing against the fan or it will make a lot of noise. Plastic straps are an inexpensive way of tieing back your cables. I will save the ties that come off of computer accessories I purchase. You can use those later to tie back your cables. Some newer machines they usually have already done this for you. Its a good idea so that no wires or cables get in the way.
Dust will collect inside an open case very quickly so don't leave the side panel off for very long in summer months. Its always better to buy extra fans. Windows fans should not be used they make fans for this purpose.
Tim
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Giveaway of the Day
The Giveaway of the day is free today only. Download it while you can. This is good software everyone should have.
I recommend this for you today. Untill next time have a nice day.
Tim
Monday, January 22, 2007
Google Toolbar
There are lot of free toolbars out there. I personally recommend the google toolbar for its functionality and built in pop-up blocker. It works with IE and Firefox. It adds increased security for your browser and your computer. You don't have to add all the toolbars when one will do the job. You can download it here.
I hope this information helps until next time have a nice day.
Tim
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Get your own website easy
I am sure you have heard about myspace but have you heard of Squidoo. Squidoo alllows you to build as many sites as you want for free. They call them lenses instead of sites. Whatever your interests are you can build a lens for free. You can add advertising sections that you can earn money from or give to charity the options are yours. The only thing you promote your lens differently than submitting to search engines cause Squidoo already did that. What you want to do is to promote through friends, forums, etc. There is a forum there to help you with any questions.
Many say that Squidoo helps them get traffic to their main site but I am not really convined yet. I like using blogs better cause unlike Squidoo blogs to a better job of allowing you to add all types of content. Squidoo is a little limited in design options but it is a nice place to talk about your interests and add ads easily.
I hope this info is useful. Until later have a nice day.
Tim
Friday, January 19, 2007
When, Why, and How should I reformat my Hard Drive?
Sometimes we have no choice when it comes to reformatting your hard drive. Just make sure you understand that all your data will be lost unless you take the time to backup files you do not want to lose. This should only be done as a last resort.
When should I reformat my hard drive? If your windows files are corrupted beyond repair or you have files missing and all your attempts to repair have failed. If you have a virus and all your attempts at removal has not worked. Another reason would be if your computer is infected with spy-ware to the point you cannot open Internet Explorer or your computer's performance has slowed considerably. Another reason would be if your computer will not finish a successful de-frag
Why should I reformat my hard drive? One of the biggest complaints I used to get when working with a clients computer was that it was so slow and it used to be a lot faster. Computers will lose performance over many months of use if it has not been de-fragged, multiple spy-ware infections, multiple virus infections, registry errors, files left after we un-installed programs we are not using. All these factors over time will slow your computer to a crawl. It would be a good idea when your computer is to the point that all your attempts to correct the problems have not improved the situation. If your at this point than its time you make preparations to reload your computer.
How should I reformat my hard drive?
1. Before you can begin to reformat your hard drive you must try to backup any files you may want to keep. Keep in mind if your computer is infected so can the files your backing up be infected. Before you proceed with the backup process separate the files you want to keep into a separate folder. Any folders that contain files you want to keep you can drag and drop those into this folder too.
2. Run a scan virus and spy-ware on this folder and make sure these files are not infected. Any files that cannot be repaired get rid of them.
3. You can backup your folder easy if you have CDRW or zip drive. If you have a secondary hard drive you could just drag and drop those files into it. Just make sure you label your folder backup so you can find it easily. Many of you have songs and pictures you want to keep you can backup those too as long as they are clean from infection.
4. Don't forget to backup your history and bookmarks folder if you do not want to los that information. Take inventory of all items you want to keep and put them in this folder and scan them. This should keep your losses to minimum.
5. Your computer manufacturer would have given you a restore CD and driver CD. You should have least one of each depending on the manufacturer you may have more than just two. If you cannot find your CD's or they are damaged you can get replacement from your computer manufacturer for nominal fee. It is a good idea when you first take your computer out of the box to put the CD's in a safe place. You can also make backups of them so if they become damaged you don't have to buy replacements.
6. If your computer came loaded with Windows XP it is very easy to reformat your computer with the CD. Do not copy Windows over Windows always delete the partition when it prompts you and create a new partition. The next step it will ask you to format the drive and it completes these steps easily for you.
7. It will than run Windows setup and load XP back onto your computer.
8. If your computer is older and your running Windows 98/ME the process is basically the same except depending on your computer manufacturers restore disk you may have a some different steps. You may be required to reformat your drive with a DOS boot disk. Consult your manual for instructions.
9. Your computer manufacturer also supplied driver disks and possibly applications disks. Once Windows is loaded you would use your driver disk to load the applicable drivers you need to operate your computer efficiently. Once all your drivers are installed and working correctly you can install any applications.
10. Your computer manufacturer bundled some trial applications with your computer that the licenses have expired putting those back on at this point is not necessary. You do not have to put on any applications you are not using. If your not using them just save the space for other things.
11. Now you can put the backup folder you created back on your computer. Once you have accomplished that you can drag and drop the files and folders into their original positions over writing any folders Windows created.
12. Now you would install your virus and spy-ware program and make sure you can get on the Internet.
13. Once your on the Internet do not do anything else until you have done all the windows updates. This is critical so you get your browsers security updated. Install any service packs and make sure your Windows firewall is activated.
14. Run any virus definition updates and spy-ware updates.
15. This process make take several hours to get everything up and running but it is important that you do this so your computer operates efficiently.
If you have completed all the steps congratulations you just reloaded your computer and your ready to go.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Do you blog or have a website?
Did you know that if you blog or have your own website you could be missing an opportunity to make a few extra bucks? Yes if you use your website for business or personal use you can take the traffic you receive and place ads on your site.
There are many advertisers who will pay you to host some small ads on your website. You normally have all control of where these ads are placed and in most cases you get to decide what ads are acceptable to you. Don't join a program that places ads on your site that you have no deciding factor in what is advertised.
Even Google and Yahoo have a program you can apply for to place ads on your site. these ads pay you when clicked on. Its called PPC or pay-per-click. Some of the ads pay only a few pennies but others, depending on the what advertisers pay, pay you a lot more. Some ads can be very lucrative.
Anyone who blogs will find it very seemless to allow advertisers to place ads on your site.
Even if you know very little about placing ads its cut and paste and almost anyone can place a small code on their webpage.
There are tools that can create web pages and place code where you want it just by dragging the mouse. Building websites is a whole different ballgame when we are talking about computer tips but the web page creator programs have become so easy to use anyone can build a website in minutes.
Its not hard to do and if you feel not very confident there are ebooks and instructions on line that walk you through creating websites in minutes.
Tim
Are you using your computer for business?
No matter what your using you PC for either business or home use online security is very important. If your using your PC for business keeping your virus program and security programs up to date is of the most importance. Make sure you keep windows update up to date. Most browsers already come with 128bit encryption but you should make sure yours is. If your using online processors to handle credit cards you especially need this. To check and make sure your browser is 128bit encryption click on help above navigation tool bar and than click on about Internet Explorer or Firefox whichever one your using. It should say 128bit if it doesn't go and update it immediately.
Also, make sure you have the windows firewall enabled. It would also be a good idea that if your running a business on a family PC you make the investment of another PC for your business. Especially if your business handles credit cards.
Your PC needs to be in a secured location and proper user names and passwords installed. You may be running your business from home or in an office. If your in and office its a good idea to install a screen lock program if your away from your PC for more than a couple of minutes. Its your business and your lively hood protect it the best you can. There are resources in your city or town that can give you extra security measures against a security breach.
Why is all this important? With the recent news events of TJx having a security breach it has put their customers at some risk. When your handling credit cards and debit cards you don't want this to happen to any of your customers.
Even if your using a PC for just home use its still a good idea to protect your private info you have stored in your PC so make sure you always keep security up to date.
Tim
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
CD-ROM Tips
What if your CD-ROM door doesn't open? Most CD-ROM's have a tiny pin hole on the front close by the door. You take a paper clip and bend it and stick it in the hole. If it opens your good to go. Sometimes the doors stick after a CD is inside they usually don't stick when empty. If you can't get the door open you have two options one take it in for servicing or replace it. CD-ROM's don't cost a lot so you could save money by just replacing it yourself.
What if your CD-ROM door gets knocked a jar? This is a tricky one sometimes you can take it apart and re-align it but many times its broken and needs to be replaced. You can take it into a service center and they can try and re-align it. Doors can be knocked ajar if we leave it open and somebody bumps it. So be careful and always close the door don't leave it sitting open.
What if a CD shatters inside the drive? Many times when it shatters the door can get stuck so you can try the paper clip trick. If not you may just need to take it apart or into service to remove the broken CD. CD's are known to sometimes not sit in the tray correctly anditr will jam and the door will not open. A technician can take them apart if you can't. If the CD inside is of value he can try to salvage it for you.
What if your favorite CD is scratched to the point it will not work? There is a product that can restore the CD somewhat so it is playable again. Its not 100% so if you use a CD all the time make a copy of it in case this very thing happens. Clean your CD's and handle them with care. If you purchase a CD and its scratched or not playable out of the box return it at once.
What if your favorite music CD spins but you cannot hear it? Well make sure your sound is functioning normally. Also, make sure your CD volume is not muted in your sound control properties. If that still does not work try it in another source and see if it plays. If it does check to make sure your audio cable on your CD-ROM is connected properly. Very unlikely that it will become loose on its own. Make sure you check out all your sound properties. Also make sure you have sound in CD games.
These are just some quick tips for maintaining your CD-ROM.
I hope this info is helpful.
Tim
Family PC?
If you have a PC that everyone in the family uses make sure you setup individual login and passwords. It would also be a good idea to get software to monitor your children's activities online. Restrict your childs online activities. Don't take for granted your child knows what he or she is doing. They may know how to get around on a PC better than you do but you need to educate yourself so that you know as much as your child or more. Computers are not always safe to use cause a child can give out information or be subject to predators online. What would be a great learning experience for your child could turn into a nightmare. We must take responsibility for what our children do or learn on the internet. Computers are a great tool for learning, education, and fun but they can also be dangerous if used wrong. I cannot stress this enough besides the possibility of your child picking up some malicious software that can destroy all your data thay can open themselves up to be hurt by those who prey on children. I would be remiss if I did not discuss this amongst my readers. The last thing I would never want to see happen is my readers to be harmed in anyway on the internet. Lets help keep the internet safe for all.
I hope this info is useful. Until next time have a very nice day.
Tim
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
If you open the case to service it...
If you open the case at anytime to service it or have it serviced than blow it out with a can of air at that time. Make sure your cables are not in the way when you close the case. Some tech places use air compressors to clean it out which really do a good job. If you open your case in warm weather months, to keep it cool, than make sure you blow it out more often. Dust and smoke are not good for a PC.
Just a little tip.
Tim
No Power?
Has this ever happened to you? You turn on your PC and you get an amber light and nothing else.
Well, I am going to show you how to figure out if its your power supply or Motherboard.
1. First step is your power supply fan running?
2. If it isn't open up your case.
3. There should be a button on the power supply to check it if you push it and the fan runs the cause may possibly be your motherboard.
4. If you push it and the fan does not spin its your power supply that has given up the ghost replace it.
5. Sometimes you can push it and it will run but nothing else it still can be the power supply is not given out enough power to power up or boot the PC. A good way to check this is to try pushing the tray on the cdrom. If it opens replace the motherboard.
6. But we are talking about no power or partial power PC's (amber light on power indicator button). In these cases its most always the power supply.
7. One great thing about a tech he has access to spare power supplies on his bench and he can make sure its one or the other. So if you don't feel confident in your being able to diagnose it take it to somebody who knows before you spend the money on any parts replacement.
8. If you have determined its a power supply they are easy to replace and do not cost a lot. You can get a replacement on the internet for less than $50-60 plus shipping.
I hope this information was helpful. Until next time have a nice day.
Tim
Monday, January 15, 2007
Two Schools of Thought
There has always been two ways of thinking when it comes to turning your PC off or leaving it on to run all the time (just rebooting once in awhile). The idea was that it did not hurt your PC to leave it on all the time other than extra electric bill. Some believed that it was cheaper to purchase a power supply than a hard drive. Hard drive used to costs about one dollar per mb. That is no longer the case. Back in the 1980's a 200mb hard drive would have cost around $200. Today, you can purchase a 160gb hard drive for about $80. They are getting larger and larger capacities and cost less and less. The idea that leaving your machine on caused less wear and tear on the heads of your hard drive. Each time you start your PC the hard drive armature will access the heads. Hard drives are manufactured a lot better than they were years ago so this belief has changed some.
I leave mine on most of the time only rebooting on occasion. If you want to turn yours off or leave it on is just a matter of preference. It is just a question that still gets asked a lot about what is better for your PC.
The power supply still is cheaper than the hard drive and you can purchase a 400W power supply for under $50 with some vendors. Its okay to up your wattage on your power supply if your old one wears out however for older PC's anything past a 400W would be over kill.
During a storm I would turn off my PC though and unplug it from the wall also disconnect it from the internet. Lightning can damage it even when its not turned on so keep that in mind. If you go on vacation turn it off as well no use giving your power company extra cash when your not there.
I hope this info was helpful. Until tomorrow have a nice day.
Tim
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Computer Tip for most everyone?
If you do not listen to music, work with images, play games or use your computer to watch other media than this tip is not for you. When you buy a PC do not buy computers with on board video and sound. What that means is the sound and video are built-in on the motherboard and do not use an expanded card for sound or video. If you listen to music or any of the other things I mentioned you won't get the best from your PC with on board sound or video. The music won't be rich or the video do your games or pictures justice. It does matter what sound card and speakers you use to get the most out of your media you enjoy. Same goes for the video card. Some games won't even play with on board video. Cheap computers you buy at outlets are nothing more than below average PC's that run applications and do your taxes just fine but as media PC's they just don't measure up. Not to say you can't use those PC's for that but you will be frustrated with its limitations. You will spend a little more for a better PC or have one built for less but either way if you want to enjoy your songs, pictures, games, etc. than get a PC that can handle it.
As always if I hope this info is useful to you. Until next time have a nice day.
Tim
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Media Players?
There a many media players online that you can download for free. It all depends basically on which one you want. Windows comes of course with Windows Media Player. Most people will use different players for different things. I like the way Windows Media Player plays movies but I like Winamp for music. I use Real Player for websites that use Real Player. Different sites will give you usually up three options of players to use to watch their content. There are tons of subscription services offered through the different players. If you like online radio or streaming music there are those options as well. Be careful of the peer to peer programs that offer music, videos, etc some contain spyware. I use limewire cause they don't try and install extra programs on my PC.
One of the ways to keep your computer running good is to organize your downloads into one or two folders that you can manage. Songs and movies eat up a lot of space so you want to keep track of what your downloading. If you have extra cash you can get an extra hard drive just for that purpose to store media you want to keep. Some users will have thousands of songs stored on their PC's. Its easy to lose track of what we download so make sure you organize your folders and keep your desktop from being cluttered.
As always I hope this info is usefull. Until later have a nice day and enjoy your weekend.
Tim
Friday, January 12, 2007
Steps to troubleshooting a CD ROM
This happened to me the other day. I turned on my PC and I got a message CD-ROM not found. I intend to give you steps to check what the problem is and to come to a resolution. Sometimes it can be something simple like a loose cable or something. So here are the steps:
1. If you get the message I had restart your PC and enter the setup (bios settings). Depending on your motherboards bios that would be hitting F1, F2, or Del. Most of the time its F2 or Delete. You do this quickly before it goes into windows usually with a few seconds after you turn it on.
2. Basic Bios settings should show the IDE controllers. The hard drive would be the master and usually the CD is on the secondary IDE controller. If you have a DVD and CD-RW combination or CD and CD-RW combination one will be the master and the other the slave.
3. If one of the other is not recognized. Turn off your PC and swap the cables between the two. Never change cables while the PC is turned on. You could damage you motherboard.
4. Once you have swapped the cables turn the system on. If you have only one CD swap it with the hard drive cable and go into bios again. Check to see what is recognized if suddenly the hard drive is missing and CD is recognized you have a bad cable and need to replace it. If the hard drive is on the second and the CD is still not shown turn off the PC and switch back the cables and be sure to check that the tray button on the CD ejects the tray. If it doesn't turn it off and switch the power cables and see if once you turn it on your CD is recognized and the tray opens.
5. If the tray does not open still and it still is not recognized you have a bad CD and it needs to be replaced. Cd's, CDRW, and DVDs vary in price and you can get one for under $50 dollars unless of course your system is under warranty than your PC manufacturer will replace it for you. You can install it yourself if you want to save some money or have a friend do it. Many people just take it to a shop if they don't feel confident doing it themselves.
6. There is one other step I failed to mention that sometimes your secondary port can be defective thus your motherboard would need replacing. One way to check this is to go into windows and if in device manager under IDE it does not show the secondary port as missing or having a splat your motherboard is fine and you need to replace your CD.
7. What if your bios shows the CD and you don't get any message when booting up but when you boot into windows your CD does not work.
8. First thing you want to do is check the IDE settings in device manager if the secondary port is missing or has a splat. If this is the case remove the both primary and secondary your PC will prompt you to restart click okay.
9. Once your PC reboots check it again if everything is fine this time try using your CD if it works than your okay.
10. If it doesn't work try removing the CD in device manager and reboot. If when you reboot everything is fine than your okay. If it still doesn't work which is unlikely than make sure there are no splats at all in device manager and that the CD is reading correctly if its Reading SCSI and you don't have a SCSI remove it and reboot again. If it doesn't work this time replace the CD.
11. If you check the device manager and you have splats on both IDE's try removing the bus mastering and both primary and secondary and reboot your PC.
12. If everything is fine when you reboot than you back in business if it still is splatted than you need to run your virus software. You would be getting a message that your hard drive is running in real mode which is DOS mode. This happens when drivers get corrupted.
13. If running your virus software finds and removes a virus that caused the problem you should be okay. If not I suggest at this point reloading your hard drive. Sometimes this is the only option.
14. If you feel confident in doing these steps congratulations. There is always help somewhere if you do not. Just note if your PC is in warranty contact your PC manufacturer first. If its out of warranty most shops will charge a diagnostic fee plus parts and replacement installation if a replacement is warranted. A computer shop is required to contact you after diagnostics to let you know what costs or estimates will be if further action is needed.
As always I hope this info was helpful. Until later have a nice day.
Tim
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Lose Your Driver Disk?
I was working on a friends older laptop yesterday. He did not have the driver disk and since we reloaded his hard drive we needed the driver disk to make sure all his components would function. The only recourse you have in these cases is to go the manufactureres website. Most PC manufacturers will keep a database of drivers or tell you where to get them. So if your able to get access to the web you can download the drivers you need. If you do not have access to the web you can contact your manufacturer and see if he can send you a disk. If ones is available you can pay from $19.95 up to around $35.00 for a CD. If you have a friend who has access and CDRW you can get the drivers that way. Keep in mind when loading Windows 95/98/ME that Microsoft no longer supports these operating systems and your on your own. If you have problems you can still get help from forums, tech support online and offline, or a friend. It is possible to restore and older PC or laptop to factory settings with or without the driver disk it just takes some patience and places to go for answers. Thats why its always important to keep your disks in a safe place. Also, a good idea is to make backup copies if possible just in case your originals get damaged.
I hope this info is helpful to you as always. Until tomorrow have a nice day.
Tim
P.S. I know I promised to talk about CDROM's and how to troubleshoot them I will cover this topic tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
New Blog added
Check out my new blog I added. This blog will be dedicated to recommending the best software utilities you can use to keep your PC running at peak performance. Go here to check it out.
Until tomorrow have a nice day.
Tim
What if an offered driver does not install?
What if you are running windows update and get an offer to update a driver but it doesn't install? Well there is patch for it to fix it. You can find that patch here . This happens now and then. Instead of reinstalling windows its best to search to find a solution if possible first. If all else fails you can always reinstall windows later. Just make sure you back up any documents, songs, pictures, etc you want to keep. Did you know there are places on the internet you can backup up to 100mb of files you want to keep. This is not a good place for music files but its meant to save your all important documents, bookmarks, history, etc. Some of these places will allow you to create an account for free. If you need more space you can upgrade to get a larger capacity. Not everyone owns a CD-RW so these make storage a no brainer for small amounts you need to backup quickly.
As always I hope you find this info useful tomorrow I want to talk about troubleshooting CDROM's
Untill next time have a nice day.
Tim
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Windows error ?
What if you have a windows error that you cannot figure out or you cannot get rid of? You can search the internet with the error and see if you get any tips or results. You can also type your error in Microsoft's database, but sometimes you get way too many results back that you have to weed through. I recommend this forum Tech Support Forum
as a place to go to get help. Its free and these guys and gals no their stuff and can help you. So, if you have a problem shoot on over there and register and make a post.
I hope this info helps. Until next time have a good day.
Tim
Monday, January 8, 2007
Limited Cash but you need to upgrade your PC?
In an earlier post I talked about updating your RAM. What if you need a new PC bad but you have limited cash. The internet is chuck full of places you can buy components you need. One of the places I recommend is Newegg. One of the things you can do if you have little money is buy a barebones system and transfer your components like harddrive, CD-ROM, sound card, and video card if applicable. A typical barebones comes with motherboard, cpu, power supply, case, and possibly memory. What you purchase depends on your needs and money. Just shop around and get the best deal you can get for your money. Read reviews on different motherboards and their configurations. There are so many options its hard to cover it all in this article. You don't always have to buy from a PC manufacturer to get a good PC. You can put one together yourself or get a friend who is knowledgable to help you. I have priced quite a few configurations and you usually can get a case, motherboard, cpu, and power supply is around $300. Sometimes memory even comes with it. You can build a brand new PC for around $700 and that includes all new components. So you see its possible to build a PC for less than what manufacturer would charge for a brand new system. The only draw back is you don't get the warranty and tech support you would get from a PC manufacturer. You can also try out Tiger Direct they have barebones systems with everything you need.
As always I hope this information is helpful. Until next time have a nice day.
Tim
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Guestbook and Message board added
I added a guestbook and message board to the blog so you could post any questions or comments. Of course you also have the comment section after each posted article here as well. This is a blog about PC problems, fixes, and tips please keep your questions and comments on topic. For you techies out there your input is always appreciated cause no one knows everything. You may have experience with something I don't.
Until next time everyone have a nice day.
Tim
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Do's and Don'ts you need to Know
I thought I would make a list of things to do and not to do when using your computer and getting the best that you can out of it. So here is my list:
1. Do run your anti-spyware and anti-virus software at least once every week. It just makes sense. Also, update your anti-virus and anti-spyware definitions on a daily basis.
2. Do not stack items on top of your monitor or allow your cat to sleep up there. The monitor needs to breathe and overheating lessons its life.
3. Do not use open containers of food or beverage on your desktop. Liquid will damage your keyboard.
4. Do not use household cleaners on your computer components other than glass cleaner made for monitors. Anti-static windex usually does the trick.
5. Do not use a vacuum cleaner on your keyboard get a copy of compressed air to use on it.
6. Do not put your PC in enclosed cabinets where it has little room to breathe. The fans keep your PC from overheating.
7. Do unplug your system during a storm and unplug your modem from the wall outlet. If your using cable internet you can unplug it as well. Lightning can destroy your PC even if its turned off so just unplug it from the wall and remove it from the internetas well just to be on the safe side. Manufacturer warranties do not cover lightning strikes.
8. Do not leave your laptop in a car with the windows rolled up in the summertime. The plastic can melt as well as the screen crack and be damaged. Keyboard on laptops will melt if left in a hot car.
9. Do get the extended warranty on a computer. If you have a laptop its a good idea to get the accidental damage protection just in case. Its a good idea cause accidents do happen. Screen replacements are very expensive.
10. Do check my blog on a daily basis. I will do my best to keep you updated on PC tips and fixes.
As always I hope you find this information useful. Until next time have a good day.
Tim
Friday, January 5, 2007
The best upgrade for older PC's
So your PC is older than 2 years. Whats the best thing you can do to extend its usefulness? Answer is to upgrade your RAM. The first thing you want to do is check your PC manufacturers spec's on your model and configuration. It will tell you what your motherboard can support as far as RAM and how much. Older PC's maximum RAM can usually range from 512MB to 1GB. If it falls below 512MB to 256MB don't even bother you need a new PC. 256MB is even too low to run XP effectively. It will run it but it will be slow. RAM is normally not very expensive for 256 or 512 chips depending what your PC needs to bring it to maximum. This won't be a good gaming machine but it will run most applications you are currently using now. You won't see much speed increase but you will see a performance increase. Thats the important part your looking for. It allows your PC to use more resources. With Windows this is always a good thing.
As always I hope this info helps you. Until next time have a good day.
Tim
How to troubleshoot a computer that has no video?
Did you ever have this happen to you? You turn on your PC and you have no video on your monitor. You have power but no video. There are steps to take to diagnose the problem. You could just take it to the shop unless you feel confident enough to to try some basic troubleshooting on your own. Okay so here are the steps:
1. If you have power and the power supply fan is working you can rule out the power supply as your problem. The power supply can be culprit but generally in this case its not.
2. Take off the side panel and lay the PC on its side if you can. Its best to unplug all mouse, keyboard, internet cable, sound, etc. Leave the monitor and power cord connected.
3. Turn it on if you have video now your mouse or keyboard could be the culprit. It does happen.
4. While its still powered on check to make sure the cpu fan is working and if the graphics card has a fan it is working. If either one is not working you could have a bad Motherboard or graphics card.
5. Next step is pull each board one at a time and turn on after each card is pulled. If you have video after pulling one of the boards than there is your culprit. Modems, sound cards, etc can cause no video if card is defective.
6. You should be down to Motherboard and graphics card if you have not found the problem yet. Now pull the cables CD-ROM, HD, etc and turn it one again. If you have video than you could have a bad IDE cable, HD, or CD-ROM. Normally its not the cable but the hardware itself.
7. As long as you have no video and no beeping we won't deal with the memory. Bad memory stick will cause the PC to beep 3 times when turning on.
8. Most people do not have a spare monitor to try but if you do you can try that first before doing any of these steps.
9. Some newer PC's have on board video and added graphics cards or if you have a spare one you can check whether its your card or not.
10. Usually if the motherboard is defective the cpu fan will not be working but not in every case. If you have pulled all the boards and finally the graphics card and cpu fan does not spin its the motherboard.
Don't feel that you have to run these steps if your not sure you can effectively troubleshoot your PC. Take it to the shop or call your manufacturer if your in warranty. If you are in warranty do not attempt to open the case without your tech support asking you do so some PC manufacturers will not honor the warranty. So its best if your in warranty to contact your tech support first.
I hope this simple guide is helpful. Until next time, happy computing.
Tim
Hard drive failure signs?
You turn on your PC one day and you hear noises from the hard drive. You could hear clicking, buzzing, clanking, grinding, and etc. Buzzing and whirling noises for example hard drives will pass diagnostic tests 95% of the time. These noises are signs of failure which could happen at any time. Grinding and clanking type noises are usually hard drives that have already failed or damaged. Best thing to do is backup your hard drive. You can either do this yourself with a CD-RW or have someone do it for you. If your hard drive is totally failed there are services who can save your files but be prepared to pay through the nose. When your drive starts to show signs of failure thats the time to take action don't wait till it totally fails. Any computer repair shop can backup your important files when the drive is still functioning if your not confident enough to do it yourself. If your PC is under warranty your hardware maunfacturer is only required to replace the drive they will back the old one up but only for a fee. Your data is not under warranty ever. Some make this mistake thinking their warranty covers their data files it doesn't. PC manufacturers will load the OS on replacemant hard drives as a customer convenience and many times they will load some of the programs which came with it but not always. Be prepared to spend a few hours loading programs on your replacement hard drive because your PC manufacturer is only obligated to load the OS. Hard drive failure can happen suddenly with no warning this is rare but it does happen. If your PC is out of warranty and you must purchase a new hard drive you may think about getting a larger capacity drive. Larger drives only cost a few dollars more and a lot of times sellers will have specials that you can get a larger capacity for like few dollars more or they will have a rebate offer. Just make sure you check your PC capabilities. Some newer hard drives use SATA and don't work in older machines. Older machines use IDE so make sure you check what your PC manufacturer recommends if your out of warranty.
As always I hope this information is helpful.
Tim
Thursday, January 4, 2007
To Vista or Not to Vista?
As with any new technology it takes time for all the kinks and bugs to get worked out. If you go the vista route its best to have a new PC or one that is better than average performance. You would need minimum 1 GB of ram just to keep vista from being sluggish. If you have an older PC upgrading is really not an option to take advantage of Vista's capabilities. Other writers support my view in why mess up a good XP machine to run Vista. I made the mistake of loading Vista beta on one of my PC's to try it out. Well, there was no uninstall option after one of games did not work and MSN was not compatible I wanted to remove it. Needless to say the only option I had was to reload my PC. I am really satisfied with XP right now and it will take a lot of fixing on Vista for me to upgrade. Before I would upgrade anyway I would purchase or build a new PC. If you plan on purchasing a PC you can option to have XP pro instead of Vista. Most PC manufacturer's will allow you to choose your OS.
To sum up , unless you think Vista will give you more features your looking for I would recommend staying with XP for at least a year. Let Microsoft work out compatibility issues and security holes that are sure to crop up. Until next time everyone have a good day.
Tim
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Windows Update
Make sure you keep your windows up to date by running windows update. Best way to do this is to turn on automatic updates. This is very important so that you get all the security upadates and latest updates as they are released. It one of the most important functions you can do with your PC. Even if your computer is new and fresh out of the box this needs to be done. It should be done first before you do anything else. If you want to see where and how its done click here for the free video.
Tim
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