Tech Troupe

How to Find Good Computer Support Online

by redgsr

We live in a world of computers and technology. In fact, most of us rely on a computer for either business or pleasure purposes. If you have ever purchased or owned a computer you will have no doubt come across a problem at some point.

Where do you go when you do have a computer problem and how easy is it to rectify? The answer to this obviously depends on who you ask for advice and what advice they give you, but what you should always do is contact some form of computer support.

Any computer support you receive for your problems should be professional, quick and helpful. The last thing you want is to get in touch with some form of support to find it is actually no good for you or your problems. You need technicians who know exactly what your problems are and how to fix them and you need customer support that can guide you through options to see if you can fix the problem without sending your computer away.

Many computer support companies offer services to both home users and to business users, and will tailor their services to match what you need. Home services can offer you certain things to help you protect your computer from things that may happen in the future. Here is what you should expect to find from many support companies:

Virus, spyware and worm removals from your computer: You may have lots of viruses, spyware and worms on your computer at any given time. You may not even know that you have any threats on your computer until it is too late. Broadband and fast internet connections are what most people use these days; it is also these that are prime targets for viruses and spyware. Whether a business or a personal computer gets struck down with any of these, the effects can be catastrophic. Good computer support will be able to provide software and hardware to rid your computer of these forever.

Wireless networking issues: Wireless networking is perfect for running more than one computer from one singular internet connection. This makes working from home easier and means all the family can go on at the same time if needs be. All of the computers that are on the same wireless network can use the same printers, scanners and any other systems without having to hook them up separately. Customer support should walk you through the process of setting this up.

Facilities to back up your data: What would you do if your computer needed rebooting or reformatting and you lost all of the data on your computer? If you use your computer for work or you have precious pictures and videos on there, it may be wise to get computer support to back up all of your data stored on your computer.

Create a recovery system: Good support will be able to implement a recovery system to your computer to stop the loss of any data.

Customer support will offer many other services besides these. Some may offer all, more or just a selection of those described. You may also find such services as modem set up, troubleshooting when your computer suffers a problem or a failure, repairs on and off site, software training, and many other services besides these.

About the Author

If you need Free Tech Support or Free Windows Support for your computer look no further than the PC Help Forum.

Article Source: Populate.NET


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Promoting your business through eBay.

by 16352

Auctions sites are a great way to promote your websites and sell any affiliate product. For example, Ebay, the largest online auction there is, will expose your websites and products to millions of people who use it on a daily basis. People from more than 100 countries use Ebay to either buy or sell products. Ever since its inception in 1995, Ebay had already hosted billions of different auctions and its rate is growing at an incredible 30% a year.

Every week, the site receives 2 billion views and it sells products in 7,800 different categories. Now, even for a traditional brick-and-mortar store, this range of products is impressive. 10 million people make it a point to visit this site at least once every week. Currently Ebay also has 192 registered users, with this kind of market, it is really no wonder that a lot of people decides to explore the potential in Ebay.

But before you start promoting your product and website using Ebay, should first make sure that you completely understand the site rules and regulation. For the most part, all you need to remember is that while Ebay allows you to have your own About Me Page and you can put your website link there, you are not actually allowed to offer your merchandize on that particular page.

For example, Ebay does not permit non-Ebay merchandize to be displayed in the About Me page as well as links to other online auction sites and trading pages. Of course, it is also quite apparent that Ebay would not allow you to link to a site that offers lower prices compared to the one on the site. Even fixed price trading websites cannot be displayed on the About Me page.

So with these kinds of restrictions, how can you effectively promote your website? Well, it previous sentence says it all; you can actually promote your website on Ebay as long as it is not linked within the trading page itself. In fact, you can even link to your individual internet store provided that it is not within other auction sites or the foxed price format. However, if the Ebay rules and regulation are not followed by the internet marketer, his About Me page can immediately be removed.

Aside from the About Me page, another trick you can utilize for promotion is the auction trick. Ebay’s policy actually allows sellers to link to a page that has more images of the actual product you are selling. By simply composing a clickable sentence, you can attract people to visit your website. For example, just saying “Click here to see more images of this antique”, any interested visitor will definitely click on that particular link. Once your prospect clicks on the link though, they should be able to view what they are actually looking for. You can have other links on that page though and if the buyer is interested, you might generate more sales.

The last trick you can use to promote your website in Ebay is the “more information trick”. It strategy mainly works just like the image trick because you are enticing the visitors to know more about the product either by letting them see images or through product descriptions.

For example, if you want to sell something very expensive in Ebay, it is recommended for you not to put everything together in the site all at once. What you can do is to put one or two of this particular product on Ebay and entice the interested buyer to click on a hyperlink for more information or for the story behind the product. Then, once they are at your website, you can put links to more photos and your product catalogues so the buyer will be able to know all the important aspects of your product. Of course, since they are already at your website, you should give these buyers an option to purchase directly from you.

With all these benefits in mind, all online marketers cannot help but conclude that Ebay is indeed not only a tool to generate instant sales through negotiation and trading, it can also be used as an effective promotional tool as well.

About the Author

For more useful tips & hints, please browse for more information at our website: -
www.mining-auction-gold.com www.auction.reprintarticlesite.com

Article Source: Populate.NET


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Spam Email: How To Stop Spam Email In Its Tracks

by iwzone

Many internet users would like to learn how to stop spam from filling up their inboxes. Not to mention the threat of viruses and spyware. Sometime or another we have all or will all have to face this annoying problem. So where do you start? Here are some suggestions for dealing with spam email.

Is your computer running slower than normal? Can’t figure out why? Have you checked your computer for spyware? Spyware may be using your pc’s resources to spy on you! You should install and run a spyware removal program to find and remove these filthy spies!

Spam emails. Enough is enough! Estimates are that 80% of all emails received are reported to be unsolicited. Hotdog! You should definitely have some anti-spam software on your computer right now. If you don’t want to spend any money, don’t worry. There are lots of reliable free spam software available to download, install and use. That’s how much people dislike spam!

Here is a suggestion. Start using a spam filter to sort through your emails. A spam filter does not block suspicious emails like a spam blocker does, but rather sends them automatically into specified folders. You can also edit your list so you can customize the filter as to what you think is junk mail and what is not.

The total volume of spam emails being sent out on a daily basis approaches the 100 billion mark. This type of bulk emails are unsolicited and generally a waste of time. You probably already know that spam is unwanted, but is it illegal? A big problem with spam law is that the world wide web has grown so quickly. Electronic mail spam or junk email is an illegal action whereby nearly the same message is sent to multiple email inboxes. Just remember that junk mail is illegal when unsolicited as well as sent in bulk.

Another suggestion is that instead of just deleting spam mail, you should report it. There are spam laws in place that tries to protect legitimate email users from junk mail. Reporting spam mail may lead to the prosecution and fining of spammers.

You can send a copy of the junk mail you received to the Federal Trade Commission. Your submission is then stored ina database. This database is accessable by various consumer protection and law enforcement agencies.

You can also send a copy of the offending email to your internet service provider and to the internet service provider of the spammer. They will normally be glad to get rid of someone who is using their services to send spam mail. You can also report it to a website such as SpamCop.

Spammers use a variety of methods and techniques in order to get around spam filters. Thankfully email filters are adapted to new techniques and methods. However, they will never be 100% effective all the time.

In the fight to stop spam you should arm yourself first with knowledge and then with the right anti-spam tools. There are many anti-spam software available that may filter and prevent junk mail from reaching your inbox. You can look for the following popular software such as Comodo, Mailwasher, SpamTitan or SpamFighter. Then put your knowledge and tools to good use and stop spam in its dirty little tracks.

About the Author

For more information on how to stop spam, visit http://how-to-stop-spam.com/.

Article Source: Populate.NET


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1.  Don’t panic. Relax. Take a deep breath.

Many computer problems appear more serious than they really are.

It may look like the computer has crashed and all your data is lost forever. But there are a host of problems that keep you from reaching your data or the network that can be fixed, sometimes in a matter of minutes.

Most of the time your data is safely stored on your hard drive, as the problem lies elsewhere.

That’s not to say catastrophic data loss doesn’t happen – it can, but not very often.

2. Make sure there really is a problem.

Can’t start your computer? Check the basics.

1. Examine the cables, connectors, and power cords to make sure they’re plugged in securely.  Often times a loose cable or connector (power, network, keyboard, mouse, speaker, monitor cable, etc.) is the cause of the problem.

2. If you’re using a power strip or a surge protector, make sure it’s on and that it works. Remember that a surge protector may not be working because it is designed to self-destruct. When an electric jolt is too much, your surge protector takes the hit saving your more expensive hardware from the voltage.

3. Try plugging something else directly into the electrical outlet to make sure there isn’t a power problem.

4. Check to see if your monitor is on.  Sounds silly, but it has solved my own problem more than once.

3. Can’t get on to the network or the Internet?

1. Check to see if anyone else around you is having a similar problem. If so, there may be a service outage affecting a wider area

2. Check to make sure the network cable is connected to both the computer and the wall or modem.

3. Check where the network cable connection is made to the back of the computer, you should see a little green light right where the cable connects.  If the light isn’t on or flashing, then you are not getting a signal to the computer.  If rebooting doesn’t fix it, contact the Help Desk or your ISP.

4. Error Messages - Write them down.
         1. What tipped you off to the problem? Sometimes it’s an error code or message displayed on screen. Be sure to write it down — it may describe the problem and how serious it is. Be sure to document the exact wording of any error messages.  This can make the job a professional much faster.
         2. Other times you get no warning — everything just freezes. Message or no message, be sure note what was going on when the problem occurred. Were you starting your computer? Were you on the Windows Desktop? Were you in a particular application? Surfing the Web?

5. Think about what changed recently on your computer.

Try to pinpoint when the trouble first started. Did the problem coincide with any recent changes?

1. Did you change any settings?  If you did you might want to change them back the way they were.

2. Any peripherals been added or removed recently (such as a printer or external Memory Card reader?)

3. Has anyone else been using your computer recently?

4. Have downloaded anything off the Web?  File sharing and free MP3’s are an easy way to get a virus on your machine.

6. The computer is on but…

1. Everything on the screen is frozen and the keyboard and mouse are not responding.

Try tapping on the Num Lock key.  It’s located on the right-hand side of the keyboard above the number 7. While tapping the Num Lock key, notice whether or not the Num Lock light goes on and off. If it doesn’t, the computer is completely locked up.  You’ll have to REBOOT the computer.  If the light does go off and on, wait a minute before giving up hope.  It may come back to life on its own.

2. Pressing Alt + F4

If a software program stops working or freezes up, try pressing the ALT+F4 keys to close the window that you’re currently working in.  This can shut down a frozen window and bring the computer back to life.  If the keyboard is frozen as well, you’ll have to reboot.

 3. The “Blue Screen” has appeared.

The dreaded “Blue Screen of Death”. There’s not a lot to be done except to reboot the machine.  If it keeps occurring, this is an indication of a major problem with the computer.

 4. The computer is on, but there is no sound.

Is there a speaker icon next to the clock on the taskbar? (It’s in the lower right side of the screen)  If you can find it, double click the speaker icon to bring up the audio controls for the computer.  See if any of the volume controls have been muted or turned all the way down.  Uncheck any Mute boxes that are selected.

5. The computer is on, but the keyboard doesn’t work

Swap the keyboard or try plugging the keyboard into another computer. If it doesn’t work on the other computer, there is likely something wrong with the keyboard. If it does work on the other computer, there is likely something wrong on the computer or the connection to the computer.

6. CTRL-ALT-DEL

When you press the Ctrl-Alt-Delete buttons together, you will bring up a control panel where you can select “Task Manager” and see if any of the programs are shown as “not responding”.   You may be able to shut down the offending program from there.  If you can’t get to this screen, you’ll have to reboot.

7. Rebooting can do wonders.

Don’t just pull the plug!

A simple reboot may clear up the problem. Go to the Start Menu and select Shutdown. Didn’t work?

If that didn’t work, you have no choice: you have to turn the computer off manually with the power switch. Hold the power button down (for  about 5 -10 seconds) and the computer will shut down.  Wait at least 10 seconds for the hard drive to stop spinning and then restart the machine.

If the computer starts up, start the applications you were using when the crash occurred. Some programs, like Microsoft Word, make timed backups of your work and may bring up recovered files. If the program notifies you that there is a “recovered document” save the file under a different name and compare them to your previously saved files.

8. Still Stuck??

Call a professional, or a friend, or a friend of a professional. You need somebody to take a look at your computer and hopefully fix it.

Computer Monitor : What is it?

Computer monitors display text and images generated by computers. They usually have plastic or carbon frames and glass viewing screens, which can display graphics in monochrome, gray-scale, and color. Their resolutions range from 1024 x 768 pixels, which is the SVGA standard, to as much as 1600 x 1200 in high-end models. They connect to the computer through VGA port or DVI, and can be placed on desktops, walls, or ceiling mounted.

Kinds of Computer Monitors:

CRT Computer Monitors

CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) computer monitors provide sharp, vibrant displays ideal for home and office use. They are larger and bulkier than the modern LCD or flat screen displays. Some models are made with special screens that eliminate screen glare. They have front buttons located at the bottom for adjusting screen brightness, contrast, position, size, shape, and color. Most models are compatible with Macintosh and PC operating systems.

Flat Screen Computer Monitors

Flat Screen Computer Monitors have larger viewing screens and higher resolutions than CRT monitors. They also have higher contrast ratios up to 1000:1, resulting in sharper images and brighter colors. They can be viewed from horizontal or vertical angles, but tend to distort colors from extreme angles. Some models mount onto walls or cabinets using arm mounts. They can accept standard VGA and digital input from DV cameras and other high-end devices. They usually have built-in speakers, security locks, and removable bases.

LCD Computer Monitors

LCD Computer Monitors use electronic liquid crystals to assign color and brightness to each pixel. They have a minimum contrast ratio of 450:1, providing a wider range of color and high-contrast displays. They can be viewed clearly from up to 170 degrees, making them clearly visible from across large rooms. They may also have built-in speakers, security locks, and removable bases.

TFT Computer Monitors

TFT Computer Monitors use active LCD displays that generate pixels at faster rate. They have a minimum contrast ratio of 500:1 and a response time of about 8 ms. They can be arm- or wall-mounted. They usually have built-in speakers, security locks, and removable bases.

Choosing The Best Monitor

Resolution: For heavy graphics applications, choose a computer monitor with a resolution of 1280×1024 pixels or higher.

Screen size: Choose a computer monitor with a 17-inch screen for home or office use. For professional and multimedia applications, choose a screen between 19 and 20 inches for better photo and image viewing.

Aspect ratio: For home use, get a computer monitor with an aspect ratio of 4:3. For office use, choose a wider unit with an aspect ratio of 15:9 or 16:10, which is ideal for displaying presentations.

Due to the affordability of LCD monitors these days (as well as lower energy consumption) this type of monitor would be your best bet. Just simply select the size and aspect ratio you would like. REMEMBER though that a 19″ wide-screen may look a lot different than a 19″ regular screen. When in doubt do to your nearest electronic store and take a look at the different sizes (then come home and buy it cheaper online!!)

Hope this helps.

Application program: A computer program that accomplishes a task or a group of tasks. Examples are work processors and spreadsheets.Bit: Stands for binary digit. The amount of information obtained by asking a simple yes-or-no question. The smallest unit of information on a computer system, stored as a 0 or a 1.

1,000 bytes=1 kilobyte (K or KB) 

1,000 KB=1 megabyte (MB) 

1,000 MB=1 gigabyte (GB) 

1,000 GB=1 Terabyte (TB)

Cache: Cache is another type of memory kindred to RAM. Cache is used by the computer to quickly move data between the RAM and the CPU.

CD-ROM: A removable disk that stores data. A CD-ROM can only be read. You cannot record (save) data onto it. (However, you can record onto a CD-Rewritable disk.) Often called a CD for short, a CD looks like a music CD, but hold data instead of music. However, you can generally play music CDs on your computer CD drive (if you like to listen to music while you work).

Computer: a collection of electronic parts put together so that the computer can run software programs that perform certain tasks. A computer takes input, manipulates data, stores data, and displays data.

CPU: The CPU, or central processing unit, is the brains of the computer. Most new Windows-based programs use a Pentium processor. New Macs use a different type of CPU called Power PC.

Cursor: A graphical object on the screen that indicates your current position. A mouse has a cursor. Many programs have their own cursors.

Diskette: Same as a floppy disk.

DVD (Digital Versatile Disc): A technology that stores more information than a CD-ROM and can be written upon. The disk resembles a CD-ROM but has 7 times the storage capacity.

File: a collection of data with a name.

Floppy disk drive: The mechanism that reads a floppy disk. (On a PC often called the a: drive.)

Floppy disk: A storage medium for data that you can remove from your computer. It isn’t floppy; rather it is hard and doesn’t bend. (In earlier days there were floppy disks that were bendable and the name stuck.)

Gigabyte: 1,000 megabytes. Abbreviated as GB.

Graphical User Interface (GUI): a program that helps you more easily work with your operating system and application programs by providing pictures and visual clues to help you work. Windows is a GUI. So is Mac OS.

Hard drive: The mechanism that reads the hard disk. (On a PC, sometimes called the c: drive.)

Hard disk space: The amount of permanent storage of data, measured in bytes. This storage is maintained whether the computer is on or off

Hard disk: A storage medium for data inside your computer.

Hardware: any part of the computer that you can physically touch. It includes parts that are attached to the computer, called peripherals (monitor, printer, mouse, keyboard, modem, scanner).

Keyboard: What you use to type in text or other data. Like the keyboard of a typewriter. (Do you know what a typewriter is?)

Kilobyte: 1,000 bytes. Abbreviated as K or KB.

Megabyte: 1,000,000 bytes or 1,000 kilobytes. Abbreviated as MB.

Megahertz (MHz): The clock speed of the microprocessor. The higher the number, the quicker the information is processed. MHz relates to how many millions of instructions can be processed per second.

Memory (RAM): The amount of temporary storage of data that you can use at one time. Memory storage closes down when you turn off the computer. For this reason, you need to save your work before you turn off the computer. Saving transfers data from RAM to a hard or floppy disk. Memory is typically measured in megabytes (MBs).When your computer has more memory, it can hold more programs open at one time and handle more complicated processes, such as 3D graphics and animation.

Modem: A means of transferring data via a phone line, usually via the Internet. It can be attached internally or externally. Some modems can also be used for faxing and as an answering machine.

Monitor: The box with a screen that displays the data on your computer, so you can see what you are doing. Larger monitors cost more. Currently the most common size is 17″ or 19.” Monitors vary not only in their size, but in the resolution they can support. (See Resolution.) There are two monitor types: CRT and LCD. The majority of desktop monitors are CRTs, but the new, thin, and more expensive LCD monitors are beginning to appear on some desktops. Monitors emit radiation, so you shouldn’t sit too close!

Motherboard: The circuit board that everything in the computer plugs into. The CPU, RAM and cache all plug into the motherboard.

Mouse: A peripheral that you use to point at or move over objects on your screen. Moving the mouse moves the mouse cursor on the screen so you can see what you’re pointing at. The mouse has one (Mac) or two (PC) buttons. You click the button to choose an item on the screen. You double-click (click twice rapidly in succession) to open programs or windows.

Multitasking: the ability to do more than one task at a time. Since you can actually only do one thing at a time, it really means that the computer can have more than one program in memory at one time, but only one can be fully active. However, inactive programs can be processing data or doing other tasks in the background.

Network: A group of two or more computers linked together.

NIC (Network Interface Card): A card that goes in your computer and lets you connect to a network.

Operating system: tells the computer how to operate. It is a middleman (or woman) between the hardware and the application programs that you use to do your work. It gives you access to the files on your computer, loads application programs into memory, and closes programs.

Peripheral: Anything that attaches to your computer, such as a keyboard, printer, mouse, or external modem.

Port: A connector on your computer that lets you connect a device, such as a monitor, disk drive, mouse, printer, or keyboard. Some common types of ports are: serial for connecting a modem or mouse; parallel port for connecting a printer, scanner, digital camera, ZIP drive, or other device; SCSI for connecting any device made for a SCSI port (all Macs come with a SCSI port); and USB for connecting a scanner, digital camera, printer or any device made for a USB port (most newer PCs and Macs have a USB port).

RAM: See Memory.

Resolution: The degree of sharpness, or clarity, of what you see on a computer screen. The resolution on computer monitors is measured by the number of dots, or pixels, of color that are displayed across and down the screen. For instance, 800×600-pixel resolution means that there are 800 dots of color across each of 600 rows down the screen. Most screens today let you work at 800×600 or 1024×768. As you increase resolution, the size of the characters and images gets smaller, allowing for more information to be displayed across a certain screen area. Be sure to confirm that your computer’s card can support the same maximum resolution as your monitor. If your monitor can go up to 1,280×1,024 but your video system can only handle 800×600, you won’t be able to take advantage of the monitor’s 1,280×1,024 resolution.

Software: any program/application that helps operates the computer or accomplishes certain tasks.

Sound Card: This device allows your computer to reproduce music, sounds and voices. Make sure you have a sound card if you’re planning to play multimedia games. Many Web sites also include music or sound, requiring a sound card.

System Unit (the computer itself): The box that contains the inner workings of the computer.

Many people have asked me how to make a website. Usually they ask if I can do it for them because they’re too scared to even try. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s it’s actually pretty easy to make, design and build a website, with your own domain name, of course!

The first step to making a website is to decide on a domain name (i.e. yahoo.com, techtroupe.com, etc…). It can be anything you want, assuming the name is available. Go over to 1 and 1 and search for domain names that you might be interested in. We also offer an easy domain name checker below, as well. Check it out! Don’t be discouraged if the names you want are all gone, you may just need to be creative in finding the right name; instead of flowersforyou.com maybe try flowers4you.com or flowers4u.com or even flowers-for-you.com, because all three say the same thing just with different domain names. Good luck and happy searching.

The next step in making a website is to have it hosted somewhere. Personally I like 1and1.combecause they have never, ever given me any problems! They are also one of the cheapest hosting companies out there, plus you get free domain names if you register with them.  So, basically they can register your domain, and host it for you, which makes it very easy for anyone just starting out. Also note that you will be able to have your own email address based on your domain name such as yourname@yourdomain.com. This, of course, will make any business card or company header seem much more professional than using a free email account at yahoo, gmail or hotmail. In fact, you don’t even need to put up a website; simply register your domain and sign up for an email service instead so that you get the great email without having to deal with running a website.

Once you decide on a company you will need to know which plan to select because most hosting companies offer many different plans. If you’re thinking of running a blog like this one then you won’t need much in terms of bandwidth or disk space. ANY plan at 1and1.com will be able to host a blog or small website like this one. Of course if you’re looking to sell items in a webstore then you would need to select and ecommerce-type plan that offers the programs and scripts built-in like item listing and credit card billing. Don’t worry if you select the wrong plan as you can always upgrade, or downgrade, by contacting customer service (and, yes, they have great customer service!).

Once you have a domain name and a hosting plan then the next step is figuring out what you want to do witht site. 1and1.com offers easy to use templates to get your website up and running quickly. You can use those templates or search the web for free ready-made templates to use as your design. You can also create your own design by using a WYSIWYG html editor such as Microsoft Front Page or use a free html editor like Nvu. If you want to run a blog then I would suggest using WordPress as it’s the easiest to install and use.

If you go with a blog, template from the web or you just want to create your own you will need to upload it to the site via FTP. When you signed up for a hosting account they will send you an email message that contains important information and passwords including your FTP account info. You will need to use that info in order to access your website and upload files. Internet Explorer has FTP built-in or you can always download an FTP client from download.com.

VISIT 1AND1.COM FOR MORE INFO

Since writing the first article, about the computer monitor not coming on with the computer, I have come to the realization that the problem with RAM is not ALWAYS the solution (although in my experience it is about 90% of the time). The problems associated with the monitor not coming on could be numerous, so I’ll just go over a couple of them here.

First, it could be your video card. If you have a video card AND on-board graphics the try switching to your onboard graphics to see if your monitor will come on. The problem may be the video is NOT going through your card at all! Simply switch your video cable to the on-board socket (VGA or DVI). Another thing to try is to simply remove your video card and then boot up the computer. The on-board video should be the default video output when your third-party card is removed. If that solves the problem then you know something is most likely wrong with your video card.

(Note: Be sure to check your BIOS settings to make sure that the computer is trying to “see” the AGP, PCI or PCI-Express slot for video output and it’s NOT set to on-board video ONLY)

If you don’t have a video card, or you know that the video card is working properly then there are some more things you can try, like checking your hard drive. Yes, a bad hard drive can wreak havoc on a computer system, especially if it’s “shorting out”. The easiest way to check is to simply remove the hard drive and boot up the computer. The monitor should still come on to give your the “operating system not found” screen. Of course if you now see this screen then the monitor came on and there’s something wrong with your hard drive. I suggest getting a new one, IMMEDIATELY!

Now that you know that a bad hard drive can ruin a system, you should imply that other cards and adapters can as well. If you unplugged the hard drive and still have nothing, then you should begin to take out other non-essential items such as sound cards and USB cards and SATA cards, basically all PCI cards! You can even unplug your CD or DVD drives and floppy drives in order to strip it down the bare essentials; power supply, motherboard and video card. If you have your computer stripped down to those three things (or two, if your don’t have a video card) and the monitor still won’t come on then there’s only one thing left to try, a new power supply.

If you can get your hands on a friends power supply then you can check it yourself, otherwise you may need to bring it in to a computer repair shop and have it tested. Most shops have a small tool that they use to see if a PSU is good or not. If you find out that the power supply is, in fact, good then you know what the problem is, right? Yes, find yourself a new motherboard. If your computer is a few years old then this might be a good opportunity to upgrade with a new motherboard, processor and RAM, especially if you have a board with a socket that is no longer being made or hard to find.

Choosing the right laptop can confusing since there are many, many choices out there. It helps to try narrowing your search to a few basic elements; screen size, cpu and RAM and then finally price.

Laptop screens come in a wide variety of screen sizes ranging from 11″ all the way to 19″. Find out what you want to use the laptop for before deciding on the screen size. If you want to watch movies and play games then you would want a bigger screen. Be careful, though, because a larger screen means a heavier laptop. If you plan on hauling the laptop around to many different places (i.e. school) then you may want to factor in the weight that a large screen brings. On the other hand, a smaller screen will provide ease of portability but not a great entertainment tool. If you’re not sure what screen size you want then stick to somewhere in the middle (i.e. 15″ - 17″).

Once you’ve narrowed down the screen size you’ll want to make sure you have the power capabilities that you want. The CPU and RAM provide the computing power inside of a laptop and will determine the overall speed of the notebook. As I’m writing this, a dual core processor should be the minimum as well as 1GB of RAM. The Pentium dual-core and Intel’s Core Duo are somewhat out-dated processors. Try to stick with Intel’s Core2 Duo or AMD’s X2 Series CPUs. And as stated before, 1GB (gigabyte) of RAM should be the minimum amount of memory. The more RAM you can get the better!

Once you have narrowed down those features, the rest is up to your pocketbook. I would say 99% of the time, you get what you pay for. There is one exception to this rule for buying laptops; Acer brand laptops tend to run cheaper than most but still retain relatively high quality. When was the last time you saw an advertisement for Acer? You haven’t? That’s because they do very little advertising and let word-of-mouth do the selling, while you reap the benifits of their cheaper prices. Be wary of other brands you haven’t heard of, though. Getting replacement parts or service from other off-brands may be near impossible. Do some reasearch before you buy an off-brand laptop (other than Acer, of course).

I have been asked by many, many people “Can you make my computer faster?”. My answer is always an astounding “Yes! But you might not be able to afford it”.

Before you go buying things to make it faster make sure to try these basics.

1. Delete all unnecessary files and folders. I reccommend using ccleaner for all your cleaning needs as it deletes temp files, cookies and history. You can always use the registry cleaner function too as it deletes unncessary registry entries.

2. Check for system errors.

Instructions on how to check for errors: Double-click My Computer, right-click a local hard drive “C:”, then left-click on properties, click the tools tab and under error-checking click “Check Now”. Make sure to check “Automatically fix file system errors” then click “Start”.  Now next time you reboot your computer it will check and fix any errors you may have.

3.  Defrag your hard drive. I’m still amazed that people still don’t know how to use Windows defrag program even though it has been a part of Windows since Windows 95!

Instructions on how to defrag your computer: Double-click My Computer, right-click a local hard drive (usually “C:” is fine), then left-click on properties, click the tools tab and finally click the defragment now button. The program should open and then all you need to do is highlight one of the hard drives and click “Defragment” to begin.

If you have NEVER done any of these steps before then your computer should be much faster now. If you have already done these things then you may want to consider some more drastic changes such as adding RAM or upgrading your motherboard and processor.