Here is help for some basic problems you will have with your computer at some time or another. If this does not solve your problem check our computer tips pages for more help.
by: Priyanka Agarwal
Sue is exasperated. She has to work on her university assignment but her PC is not working properly. For example: She would like to open a single Internet Explorer window but a whole series of windows are opening up. Sue is not alone when it comes to this sort of problem. As a matter of fact, most of us will come across these kinds of problems in our life. When you geetl sick and go to a doctor and he/she asks you some questions as well as taking a look at your case history before giving any medication to you. In a similar way you have to find out what’s wrong with your PC before treating it, if it’s working in an aberrant manner. This article will help you in finding out what’s troubling your PC.
The first symptom that shows us your PC has got some problem is an error message. For example you get a pop-up box on your screen, a Window message, asking you to send an error report and says the application will be subsequently closed. Error messages just tell you that something is wrong so that you can then work at getting to the cause of the problem. When you get an error message try to analyze the situation in respect to what you were doing when you received it. Write down the error code. At times error messages can be very bewildering. For example: you want to open some file but it’s saying some other application is using that specific file. If you do get error messages like this then it is time to question some of your recent activities such as:
Have you installed any software or hardware recently?
Did you download anything from the Internet?
If you have installed some software and after this your PC has become unstable, by using System Restore you can remove any system changes that were made after the last time your PC was working properly. It automatically creates restore points (or system checkpoints) when you make a change to the system. If your PC has become unstable after you made some changes, open system restore, choose a restore point, and return your computer to its previous stable state. To use the System Restore utility:
Click Start
Point your cursor to Programs.
Point to Accessories
Point to System Tools
Click System Restore and follow the instruction on the wizard.
If the error messages or the recent history of your PC doesn’t provide much information to you, you have to explore your PC in some of the following ways:
Scan you system for viruses, Trojan horses, spywares or other malwares.
Use a Process Explorer (freeware program) tool. Windows Task Manager shows which processes and files are currently being used and how much memory they are using, but some process names aren’t clear. Process Explorer not only gives all this information to you but also tells you which application started a process and which resources that particular application is currently using. It also has a potent search capability that quickly shows which processes have particular handles opened or DLLs loaded so that you can close any unwanted application. Process Explorer works on Windows 9x/Me, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Server 2003, and 64-bit versions of Windows for x64 processors.
Go through the error log file created by Dr Watson. Dr. Watson is a program that is used to help detect, debug, and log errors that are encountered while Windows or Windows programs are running. It automatically creates a text file when an error is detected. When running Windows 2000 the error is logged under the file "drwtsn32.log" or "user.dmp", and when running Microsoft Windows 95, 98 or ME the file is logged with a .WLG file extension and stored under the WindowsDrwatson or Documents and SettingsAll UsersDocumentsDrWatson folder.
If you are having a networking-related problem you can use a Network Diagnostics system utility tool. You can run various tests using this so that it can collect different types of information. It scans your system to see whether you have network connectivity, and whether or not your network-related programs and services are running.
By going through these basic procedures hopefully you will find out what’s troubling your PC, and once that is known you can commence treatment.
Source of reference: www.microsoft.com
About The Author
Priyanka Agarwal
http://www.m6.net
Hosting webhelpers
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
A Definition of a Notebook Computer
A notebook computer is: an extremely lightweight personal computer. Notebook computers typically weigh less than 7 pounds and are small enough to fit easily in a briefcase. Aside from size and portability, the principal difference between a notebook computer and a personal computer is the display screen. Notebook computers use a variety of techniques, known as flat-panel technologies, to produce a lightweight and non-bulky display screen.
The quality of notebook display screens can vary considerably. Many notebook display screens are limited to VGA resolution. Active-matrix screens produce very sharp images, but they do not refresh as rapidly as full-size monitors.
In terms of power, modern notebook computer computers are nearly equivalent to personal computers. They have the same CPUs, memory capacity, and disk drives. However, all this power in a small package is expensive.
Notebook computers come with battery packs that enable you to run them without plugging them in. However, the batteries need to be recharged every few hours.
Definition of a notebook computer
The quality of notebook display screens can vary considerably. Many notebook display screens are limited to VGA resolution. Active-matrix screens produce very sharp images, but they do not refresh as rapidly as full-size monitors.
In terms of power, modern notebook computer computers are nearly equivalent to personal computers. They have the same CPUs, memory capacity, and disk drives. However, all this power in a small package is expensive.
Notebook computers come with battery packs that enable you to run them without plugging them in. However, the batteries need to be recharged every few hours.
Definition of a notebook computer
Friday, August 26, 2005
5 "Easy" Steps to Removing PC Clutter
Yes organization does make our life easier and work more smoothly. It works the same for our computers; following the steps below will help your PC to run faster. Organizing your files will help you to work faster and with less aggravation. --A1-Computers--
It’s hard enough as it is these days to get organized and then remain that way for weeks and months down the road. We are all very busy people, some of us with 9-5 jobs and one hour commutes, and others of us busy making our lives at home work for us, with children in tow and a variety of chores to do as well as errands to run.
However, no matter how vastly different our lives may be, we all run into the same problems when dealing with organization, and that’s: KEEPING organized. We need to develop a system that helps your PC remain free of clutter and organized. Granted, this task doesn’t come easy at first, but all it takes is a few extra steps each day, done consistently, that will maximize your results in the long run.
So, let’s say you have disorganized files all over your hard drive that you have difficulty finding when you need them. Your PC keeps catching viruses out of the blue. You don’t know what to do with all your spam mail. You have extra programs and freeware on your PC that you don’t know anything about, and even if you did, you wouldn’t know what to do with them. Here are a few steps to help you get started in the right direction:
1.) Get rid of any unnecessary files or programs that are on your hard drive. This requires a little homework on your part. You’ll need to set aside the time to sit down and actually take a look at all of the files on your PC and delete what you don’t need. A few things to do periodically for optimal performance is to run a disk cleanup, use your system file checker, and defragment your hard drive.
2.) Organize all of your files and folders. Once you’ve deleted everything you don’t need, take a look at what’s left. Is there some way you could organize these in nice categorical folders, so that it’s easier to retrieve them later on? For example, you could create a few folders underneath your My Documents folder, and give them names such as: My Journal, My TV Shows, My Videos, My Business, My Songs, My JobFind, etc. You could then place all respective files underneath these neatly organized folders. You can also take advantage of many of the folders already supplied to you by Microsoft Windows, such as My Pictures and My Music.
3.) Install adware and spyware programs. I don’t think I need to stress how important it is to run antivirus and spyware software. I personally like McAffee because of its wide range of protection services, but Norton AntiVirus works great as well.
4.) Delete unnecessary shareware and freeware files. It’s very important to keep your hard drive as clean and organized as possible. Remember that shareware and freeware can potentially be harmful to your computer (viruses!), depending upon which source you received your shareware from.
5.) Delete unnecessary emails and take control of spam. By now, you know to have antivirus software installed on your PC. That’s a must, and will protect you if you should happen to open emails that have viruses attached to them. Before you open any of your emails, check to be sure you know the sender, and that there are no .zip or .exe attachments. Be very careful about opening files with attachments, especially from senders you don’t know.
I Hope many of these tips will you help you move toward the right direction in de-cluttering your PC, now and for good.
Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of http://www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the founder of http://www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog, and podcast for Christian women.
For more computer tips go to: computer tips
It’s hard enough as it is these days to get organized and then remain that way for weeks and months down the road. We are all very busy people, some of us with 9-5 jobs and one hour commutes, and others of us busy making our lives at home work for us, with children in tow and a variety of chores to do as well as errands to run.
However, no matter how vastly different our lives may be, we all run into the same problems when dealing with organization, and that’s: KEEPING organized. We need to develop a system that helps your PC remain free of clutter and organized. Granted, this task doesn’t come easy at first, but all it takes is a few extra steps each day, done consistently, that will maximize your results in the long run.
So, let’s say you have disorganized files all over your hard drive that you have difficulty finding when you need them. Your PC keeps catching viruses out of the blue. You don’t know what to do with all your spam mail. You have extra programs and freeware on your PC that you don’t know anything about, and even if you did, you wouldn’t know what to do with them. Here are a few steps to help you get started in the right direction:
1.) Get rid of any unnecessary files or programs that are on your hard drive. This requires a little homework on your part. You’ll need to set aside the time to sit down and actually take a look at all of the files on your PC and delete what you don’t need. A few things to do periodically for optimal performance is to run a disk cleanup, use your system file checker, and defragment your hard drive.
2.) Organize all of your files and folders. Once you’ve deleted everything you don’t need, take a look at what’s left. Is there some way you could organize these in nice categorical folders, so that it’s easier to retrieve them later on? For example, you could create a few folders underneath your My Documents folder, and give them names such as: My Journal, My TV Shows, My Videos, My Business, My Songs, My JobFind, etc. You could then place all respective files underneath these neatly organized folders. You can also take advantage of many of the folders already supplied to you by Microsoft Windows, such as My Pictures and My Music.
3.) Install adware and spyware programs. I don’t think I need to stress how important it is to run antivirus and spyware software. I personally like McAffee because of its wide range of protection services, but Norton AntiVirus works great as well.
4.) Delete unnecessary shareware and freeware files. It’s very important to keep your hard drive as clean and organized as possible. Remember that shareware and freeware can potentially be harmful to your computer (viruses!), depending upon which source you received your shareware from.
5.) Delete unnecessary emails and take control of spam. By now, you know to have antivirus software installed on your PC. That’s a must, and will protect you if you should happen to open emails that have viruses attached to them. Before you open any of your emails, check to be sure you know the sender, and that there are no .zip or .exe attachments. Be very careful about opening files with attachments, especially from senders you don’t know.
I Hope many of these tips will you help you move toward the right direction in de-cluttering your PC, now and for good.
Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of http://www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the founder of http://www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog, and podcast for Christian women.
For more computer tips go to: computer tips
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Stop The #1 Cause Of Computer Slow Downs And Crashes!
Wouldnt it be nice if your computer still ran like it did back when you first got it? Before you go and buy a new computer try this key maintenance step you can use to put life back into the computer you've already got.
Imagine that you start up your pc just to find yourself staring at a blue screen with white writing, termed "the blue screen of death" by those at Microsoft.
So you push the power button to shut it down, and when you bring it back up it just crawls. Within a few minutes it goes back to the blue screen of death.
This happened to a friend of mine. When she asked me what she could do, I asked her if she had ever defragmented her pc.
She got that 'deer in the headlight' look, so I knew she had not. Defragmenting her pc, after 3 years of never doing so, took about 14 hours to complete.
To read the rest of this infromative article and learn how to defragment your computer go to: computer slow down
Imagine that you start up your pc just to find yourself staring at a blue screen with white writing, termed "the blue screen of death" by those at Microsoft.
So you push the power button to shut it down, and when you bring it back up it just crawls. Within a few minutes it goes back to the blue screen of death.
This happened to a friend of mine. When she asked me what she could do, I asked her if she had ever defragmented her pc.
She got that 'deer in the headlight' look, so I knew she had not. Defragmenting her pc, after 3 years of never doing so, took about 14 hours to complete.
To read the rest of this infromative article and learn how to defragment your computer go to: computer slow down
Friday, August 19, 2005
Inkjet Printer Lingo
Before purchasing your next inkjet printer please take a quick look at this list of printer terms and acronyms then you will know just what you are looking at as you read what each printer has to offer. Good luck!
Maricon Williams
Don't you think acronyms are fun? LOL. However, they sure can be confusing when selecting printers and inkjet inks. Most sites are good about defining the acronyms they use at least once, but finding that “once” isn’t always as easy as it looks! Knowing how to speak “inkjet” will help you choose both the printer and the inkjet ink you need to get the kind of results you want! Here are a few inkjet acronyms and other terms to help with your searches for inkjet printers and related products:
AIO (all in one) and MFP (Multifunction Printer) — AIO and MFP are often used interchangeably and stand for printers that include a copier, a scanner, and frequently have fax capabilities as well. Relatively new in the marketplace, All-in-Ones are an affordable way to set up a comprehensively equipped home office.
CMYK— Inkjet colors: C=cyan, M=magenta, Y=yellow, and K=black. The first inkjet printers were three-color printers (CMY) that mixed colors to produce black. Today’s printers generally have the capability to simultaneously use both black and colored inks on the same page.
DPI— Dots per inch. Measures the resolution of images produced by printers, scanners, etc. Typically, more dots per inch means that the image will display with more detail.
For the rest of
Inkjet Printer Lingo
Maricon Williams
Don't you think acronyms are fun? LOL. However, they sure can be confusing when selecting printers and inkjet inks. Most sites are good about defining the acronyms they use at least once, but finding that “once” isn’t always as easy as it looks! Knowing how to speak “inkjet” will help you choose both the printer and the inkjet ink you need to get the kind of results you want! Here are a few inkjet acronyms and other terms to help with your searches for inkjet printers and related products:
AIO (all in one) and MFP (Multifunction Printer) — AIO and MFP are often used interchangeably and stand for printers that include a copier, a scanner, and frequently have fax capabilities as well. Relatively new in the marketplace, All-in-Ones are an affordable way to set up a comprehensively equipped home office.
CMYK— Inkjet colors: C=cyan, M=magenta, Y=yellow, and K=black. The first inkjet printers were three-color printers (CMY) that mixed colors to produce black. Today’s printers generally have the capability to simultaneously use both black and colored inks on the same page.
DPI— Dots per inch. Measures the resolution of images produced by printers, scanners, etc. Typically, more dots per inch means that the image will display with more detail.
For the rest of
Inkjet Printer Lingo
Monday, August 15, 2005
Laptop Security: Protect Your Laptop When You Travel
by: Jonathan Chase
Most business people who travel these days have a laptop in tow. Since the workflow does not stop when the need to travel arises, these are necessities that connect them to the rest of the world and allow them to take care of whatever business comes up during the time that they are away. That being the case, there are certain guidelines that should be followed in order to ensure the safety and protection of your laptop when you get called away from the office.
One of the first considerations that should be made is in regard to the laptops security. Since thieves will target these as often as they will cash, jewelry or other valuables, its critical to put as many security measures into place as possible when traveling through airports, bus terminals, train stations and any other form of public travel. Of course, it is never wise to leave your laptop unattended. It is a sad testament to the way of the world, but you can be fairly certain that when you return, your equipment will be gone. . .
Go to laptop security for the rest of the article on keeping your laptop safe.
A1-COMPUTERS
Most business people who travel these days have a laptop in tow. Since the workflow does not stop when the need to travel arises, these are necessities that connect them to the rest of the world and allow them to take care of whatever business comes up during the time that they are away. That being the case, there are certain guidelines that should be followed in order to ensure the safety and protection of your laptop when you get called away from the office.
One of the first considerations that should be made is in regard to the laptops security. Since thieves will target these as often as they will cash, jewelry or other valuables, its critical to put as many security measures into place as possible when traveling through airports, bus terminals, train stations and any other form of public travel. Of course, it is never wise to leave your laptop unattended. It is a sad testament to the way of the world, but you can be fairly certain that when you return, your equipment will be gone. . .
Go to laptop security for the rest of the article on keeping your laptop safe.
A1-COMPUTERS
Friday, August 12, 2005
Thumb Drives - New Technology!
The ability to easily move data from PC to PC with little inconvenience is just another benefit computers have brought to the current business world.
In the past few years, the different options to save and move data have multiplied dramatically. Usually the floppy disk (with it's 1.2 MB limitation), ZIP drives, CD-R's & CD-RW's, and even tape backups are the common ways to move data on non-networked PC's.
The latest innovation; the USB Removable Flash Memory . . .
For the rest of this interesting aritcle go to our thumb drive page.
bonnie--
In the past few years, the different options to save and move data have multiplied dramatically. Usually the floppy disk (with it's 1.2 MB limitation), ZIP drives, CD-R's & CD-RW's, and even tape backups are the common ways to move data on non-networked PC's.
The latest innovation; the USB Removable Flash Memory . . .
For the rest of this interesting aritcle go to our thumb drive page.
bonnie--
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Tame Your Mouse
By Stephen Bucaro
Does your mouse sometimes work erratically? Skip and jump across the
screen? Freeze up? Many problems with the mouse are caused by dirt or miscalibration.
How To Clean Your Mouse
Most mouses (mice?) work by use of a rubber ball that
moves three rollers. It is very common for the rubber ball
to pick up dirt and feed it into the internal mechanism of
the mouse. Tame your mouse by giving it a good cleaning.
To clean a mouse, turn it over and remove the cover that
retains the rubber ball. The cover is usually circular
with groves that let you turn the cover in a counter
clockwise direction for removal. Remove the rubber ball
from the housing, wipe it clean, and blow air into the
mouse housing. Inspect the rollers to make sure they are
free of dirt. Then reassemble the mouse.
Jerky mouse movement can also be caused by the mouse pad.
Most plastic laminate covered mouse pads do not provide
enough friction for the mouse to track reliably. Cloth
covered mouse pads perform much better, although they
don't last as long.
How To Calibrate Your Mouse
If your mouse still does not behave, check it's
calibration. Select Start | Settings | Control Panel, and
open the Mouse utility. In the Mouse Properties dialog
box, select the Buttons tab and move the Double-click
speed slider control to set the time between clicks that
you want to be recognized as a double click.
Then select the Motion tab and adjust the Pointer Speed
slider control to your preference. In the Acceleration
section, set the None radio button, then click on the OK
button.
Checking Your Mouse Driver
On startup, Windows loads a virtual PS2 mouse driver that
is contained (along with other virtual device drivers) in
the file C:Windowssystemvmm32.vxd. If another mouse
driver is located in the folder c:windowssystemvmm32,
Windows will load that one to replace the mouse driver in
vmm32.vxd.
A second mouse driver, or other device driver may be
interfering with the PS2 mouse driver. Use the Device
Manager to troubleshoot errors. To access Device Manager
select Start | Settings | Control Panel, then open the
System utility. Select the Device Manager tab. In the list
of devices, double-click on Mouse. If there is an
exclamation mark (!) or a red “X” on the mouse icon, this
means the mouse has a problem. A PS2 mouse uses IRQ 12.
Make sure no other device is configured to use IRQ 12,
causing a conflict.
A DOS mode mouse driver may be interfering with the
Windows mouse driver. If the file autoexec.bat exists in
the root directory of the C drive, open the file in Windows
Notepad and look for entries like Device=mouse.sys. If the
file config.sys exists in the root directory of the C
drive, open the file in Windows Notepad and look for
entries like c:dosmouse.com. To disable the statement
type the letters REM (for remark) in front of the line.
If the file System.ini exists in the folder c:windows
folder, open the file in Windows Notepad and look in the
[boot] section for the entry Mouse.drv= If the file
win.ini exists in the folder c:windows folder, open the
file in Windows Notepad and look for entries like load=
and run=. If a line refers to a mouse driver, disable the
statement by typing a semicolon (;) in front of the line.
If you operating system is Windows 98/Me/2000, then you
can use the System Configuration utility and the System
Information utility to study the startup configuration of
your computer. To open the System Configuration Utility,
select Start | Run, and type c:windowssystemmsconfig.
To open the System Information Utility select Start |
Programs | Accessories | System Tools and click on System
Information.
Checking The Display Driver
Sometimes a mouse will work erratically because the
display driver is not working properly. The first thing
you can do is disable the graphics drivers hardware
acceleration. Select Start | Settings | Control Panel,
and open the Display utility. In the Display Properties
dialog box, select the Settings tab and click on the
Advanced... button.
In the dialog box which appears, select the Performance
tab and move the hardware acceleration slider control to
None. If this doesn't solve the problem you might try
updating the display driver. After locating a proper
driver, this is done in the same dialog box on the Adapter
tab by clicking the Change button to open the Update
Device Driver Wizard.
Try a New Mouse
Most problems with the mouse are caused by dirt or
miscalibration. If cleaning the mouse doesn't solve the
problem, the procedures described above may guide you to
the source of the problem. However, a computer mouse is a
cheaply manufactured mechanical device. As such they don't
last long. If nothing else works, maybe its time to retire
that old mouse.
Copyright(C)2002 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain
your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web
site and make money on the Web visit:
http://bucarotechelp.com
To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blank
email to bucarotechelp-subscribe@topica.com
About the Author
Stephen Bucaro is the webmaster at bucarotechelp.com
For more mouse information--
Computer Mouse - Three Basic Types
Does your mouse sometimes work erratically? Skip and jump across the
screen? Freeze up? Many problems with the mouse are caused by dirt or miscalibration.
How To Clean Your Mouse
Most mouses (mice?) work by use of a rubber ball that
moves three rollers. It is very common for the rubber ball
to pick up dirt and feed it into the internal mechanism of
the mouse. Tame your mouse by giving it a good cleaning.
To clean a mouse, turn it over and remove the cover that
retains the rubber ball. The cover is usually circular
with groves that let you turn the cover in a counter
clockwise direction for removal. Remove the rubber ball
from the housing, wipe it clean, and blow air into the
mouse housing. Inspect the rollers to make sure they are
free of dirt. Then reassemble the mouse.
Jerky mouse movement can also be caused by the mouse pad.
Most plastic laminate covered mouse pads do not provide
enough friction for the mouse to track reliably. Cloth
covered mouse pads perform much better, although they
don't last as long.
How To Calibrate Your Mouse
If your mouse still does not behave, check it's
calibration. Select Start | Settings | Control Panel, and
open the Mouse utility. In the Mouse Properties dialog
box, select the Buttons tab and move the Double-click
speed slider control to set the time between clicks that
you want to be recognized as a double click.
Then select the Motion tab and adjust the Pointer Speed
slider control to your preference. In the Acceleration
section, set the None radio button, then click on the OK
button.
Checking Your Mouse Driver
On startup, Windows loads a virtual PS2 mouse driver that
is contained (along with other virtual device drivers) in
the file C:Windowssystemvmm32.vxd. If another mouse
driver is located in the folder c:windowssystemvmm32,
Windows will load that one to replace the mouse driver in
vmm32.vxd.
A second mouse driver, or other device driver may be
interfering with the PS2 mouse driver. Use the Device
Manager to troubleshoot errors. To access Device Manager
select Start | Settings | Control Panel, then open the
System utility. Select the Device Manager tab. In the list
of devices, double-click on Mouse. If there is an
exclamation mark (!) or a red “X” on the mouse icon, this
means the mouse has a problem. A PS2 mouse uses IRQ 12.
Make sure no other device is configured to use IRQ 12,
causing a conflict.
A DOS mode mouse driver may be interfering with the
Windows mouse driver. If the file autoexec.bat exists in
the root directory of the C drive, open the file in Windows
Notepad and look for entries like Device=mouse.sys. If the
file config.sys exists in the root directory of the C
drive, open the file in Windows Notepad and look for
entries like c:dosmouse.com. To disable the statement
type the letters REM (for remark) in front of the line.
If the file System.ini exists in the folder c:windows
folder, open the file in Windows Notepad and look in the
[boot] section for the entry Mouse.drv= If the file
win.ini exists in the folder c:windows folder, open the
file in Windows Notepad and look for entries like load=
and run=. If a line refers to a mouse driver, disable the
statement by typing a semicolon (;) in front of the line.
If you operating system is Windows 98/Me/2000, then you
can use the System Configuration utility and the System
Information utility to study the startup configuration of
your computer. To open the System Configuration Utility,
select Start | Run, and type c:windowssystemmsconfig.
To open the System Information Utility select Start |
Programs | Accessories | System Tools and click on System
Information.
Checking The Display Driver
Sometimes a mouse will work erratically because the
display driver is not working properly. The first thing
you can do is disable the graphics drivers hardware
acceleration. Select Start | Settings | Control Panel,
and open the Display utility. In the Display Properties
dialog box, select the Settings tab and click on the
Advanced... button.
In the dialog box which appears, select the Performance
tab and move the hardware acceleration slider control to
None. If this doesn't solve the problem you might try
updating the display driver. After locating a proper
driver, this is done in the same dialog box on the Adapter
tab by clicking the Change button to open the Update
Device Driver Wizard.
Try a New Mouse
Most problems with the mouse are caused by dirt or
miscalibration. If cleaning the mouse doesn't solve the
problem, the procedures described above may guide you to
the source of the problem. However, a computer mouse is a
cheaply manufactured mechanical device. As such they don't
last long. If nothing else works, maybe its time to retire
that old mouse.
Copyright(C)2002 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain
your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web
site and make money on the Web visit:
http://bucarotechelp.com
To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blank
email to bucarotechelp-subscribe@topica.com
About the Author
Stephen Bucaro is the webmaster at bucarotechelp.com
For more mouse information--
Computer Mouse - Three Basic Types
What Is A Mouse?
Who Invented The Mouse?
Sunday, August 07, 2005
PC gamer? Want the best out of your Graphics Card?
Stephen Hames
Introduction
In this article you will learn how to get the most out of your graphics card by installing new drivers and tweaking Windows. The guide is based around Windows XP Professional Edition but you can use the same guide to tweak other Windows operating systems.
Step 1.
The first thing you need to know what graphics card you are using. The most popular graphics card companies are nVidia and ATi. Both these companies have an excellent range of products and offer excellent service. Once you know what graphics card you are using, then head over to the companies website where you can download the latest drivers.
Drivers are software that runs your graphics card, printer or scanner correctly. Being up to date with drivers will help solve issues that may arise with modern PC games. Just recently I had to update my drivers to fix a problem I had with a game I recently purchased, and this solved my problem.
OK once you have downloaded your drivers for your graphics card make sure you create a restore point using the utility System Restore. This can be done my click Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools and then System Restore. Then follow the on screen instructions to create the restore point. By doing this it makes sure that if a problem occurs after you installed the new drivers, you can return to the restore point to see if the problem is the drivers you installed.
Once you’ve finished creating your restore point, you need to install your drivers. This can done by double clicking on the file you downloaded and then you follow the on screen instructions. After you’ve installed your drivers you will have to restart Windows so the changes can take effect.
If everything goes according to plan you should see an increase in performance in your games and you will not need to go back to your restore point. If you do have problems, use your restore point to go back and fix the problems. If the problem persists, then contact the company that made your graphics card.
Step 3. Graphics Card
Introduction
In this article you will learn how to get the most out of your graphics card by installing new drivers and tweaking Windows. The guide is based around Windows XP Professional Edition but you can use the same guide to tweak other Windows operating systems.
Step 1.
The first thing you need to know what graphics card you are using. The most popular graphics card companies are nVidia and ATi. Both these companies have an excellent range of products and offer excellent service. Once you know what graphics card you are using, then head over to the companies website where you can download the latest drivers.
Drivers are software that runs your graphics card, printer or scanner correctly. Being up to date with drivers will help solve issues that may arise with modern PC games. Just recently I had to update my drivers to fix a problem I had with a game I recently purchased, and this solved my problem.
OK once you have downloaded your drivers for your graphics card make sure you create a restore point using the utility System Restore. This can be done my click Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools and then System Restore. Then follow the on screen instructions to create the restore point. By doing this it makes sure that if a problem occurs after you installed the new drivers, you can return to the restore point to see if the problem is the drivers you installed.
Once you’ve finished creating your restore point, you need to install your drivers. This can done by double clicking on the file you downloaded and then you follow the on screen instructions. After you’ve installed your drivers you will have to restart Windows so the changes can take effect.
If everything goes according to plan you should see an increase in performance in your games and you will not need to go back to your restore point. If you do have problems, use your restore point to go back and fix the problems. If the problem persists, then contact the company that made your graphics card.
Step 3. Graphics Card
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Laptop Computer Extras for the Traveler
A laptop computer certainly provides you with an unprecedented level of freedom and mobility away from the office. However there are a few laptop computer extras you might want to bring along on your laptop computer travels:
Extra 1: portable printer
Do you travel a lot? You never know when you might need to commit one of your digital documents to paper. Sure, you can probably find a Kinko's, or even the business center at your hotel, but the experienced business traveler knows you're much better off when you're not at someone else's mercy.
Extra 2: USB hub
When you need to connect to several external devices simultaneously, the one or two USB ports on your laptop may or may not be sufficient. If not, keep an inexpensive four- port USB hub in your laptop case.
For the rest of the story: laptop computer extras
Extra 1: portable printer
Do you travel a lot? You never know when you might need to commit one of your digital documents to paper. Sure, you can probably find a Kinko's, or even the business center at your hotel, but the experienced business traveler knows you're much better off when you're not at someone else's mercy.
Extra 2: USB hub
When you need to connect to several external devices simultaneously, the one or two USB ports on your laptop may or may not be sufficient. If not, keep an inexpensive four- port USB hub in your laptop case.
For the rest of the story: laptop computer extras
Monday, August 01, 2005
Computer Freeze Causes
Lets face it, at one time or another we have all had problems with our computer freezing up on us. No one wants it to happen but it is inevitable. So here is a great article to help you when your computer does not want to co-operate. Computer freeze causes:
How familiar does the following sound? Your computer was working fine, but then suddenly started locking up (aka hanging or freezing), rebooting itself (crashing) or shutting down spontaneously? If you know only too well what I am talking about, then read on! Performing the simple steps below can fix the majority of lockup cases.
1. Check for recently installed software or hardware.
If the lockups started to happen after you installed a new peace of hardware, new software program, or new drivers, uninstall it and see if the problem goes away.
2. Run your antivirus program.
One of the first things to do in the case of sudden lockups is to run your antivirus program. Check your antivirus manufacturer's website for updates and latest virus definition files. (This is absolutely necessary, outdated antivirus is not going to be of any use!) If you don't have antivirus software installed - or if updates are unavailable - run one of the web-based antivirus scans that some major antivirus vendors like Trend Micro are offering for free. You can find a comprehensive list of available web-based scans and free antivirus programs on http://www.free-antivirus.info.
For the rest of the story...Computer freeze causes
Computer Freeze Causes
Computer Accessories
How familiar does the following sound? Your computer was working fine, but then suddenly started locking up (aka hanging or freezing), rebooting itself (crashing) or shutting down spontaneously? If you know only too well what I am talking about, then read on! Performing the simple steps below can fix the majority of lockup cases.
1. Check for recently installed software or hardware.
If the lockups started to happen after you installed a new peace of hardware, new software program, or new drivers, uninstall it and see if the problem goes away.
2. Run your antivirus program.
One of the first things to do in the case of sudden lockups is to run your antivirus program. Check your antivirus manufacturer's website for updates and latest virus definition files. (This is absolutely necessary, outdated antivirus is not going to be of any use!) If you don't have antivirus software installed - or if updates are unavailable - run one of the web-based antivirus scans that some major antivirus vendors like Trend Micro are offering for free. You can find a comprehensive list of available web-based scans and free antivirus programs on http://www.free-antivirus.info.
For the rest of the story...Computer freeze causes
Computer Freeze Causes
Computer Accessories
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