Computer Repair

Owing a computer is almost essential in today’s world. With the introduction of the internet and the convenience of email as a method of communication, it’s easy to see why most people want to have a computer in their home or office.

Computers are like anything else and there are times when they don’t operate as planned. It’s frustrating to be sitting at your desk ready to play a game or work on a document only to find that your computer isn’t being cooperative.

When it comes to computer repair it’s often wise to seek out professional help. A computer technician is specially trained to evaluate the problem and offer the best possible solution.

There are certain types of computer repair that you might want to undertake yourself. These are usually minor fixes that can be handled with a bit of instruction and attention to detail.

A computer repair that you might be able to take care of yourself is the replacement of the computer’s battery or fan. Every desktop computer has a fan inside of it. This fan is used to keep the computer’s components cool. It’s essential that the fan operates efficiently to ensure that the computer doesn’t become overheated.

The first sign that your computer’s fan might not be operating properly is that you’ll notice a different sound when you start or run your computer. Instead of immediately taking it to a computer repair shop, take a moment to test the fan.

Computers typically have two fans. One is used to cool the power supply and the other is used to cool the CPU. Open the cover of the computer and listen. If the sound does appear to be coming from the fan that cools the CPU you’ll want to replace it.

If the computer is still under warranty than this type of computer repair will be done free of charge. Follow the instructions you were given for repairs at the time of purchase. If the warranty period has elapsed you can either take it to a computer repair shop or do it yourself.

The very first and most important step when doing any computer repair is to unplug the computer from the electrical outlet. You’ll then need to examine the fan to see how it’s connected. It will probably be attached by a few small screws. Once these are loosened you’ll need to disconnect the fan from its power supply. This will be one or two small clips. Then take the fan to your computer repair shop and purchase a new one.

After replacing it, reattach the cover and plug the machine in. The fan should operate perfectly now and the noise that you were hearing will have disappeared.

Sometimes a computer will make noises because a piece of hardware isn’t attached properly. One of the likely culprits is the CD-Rom or DVD drive. Again for this type of computer repair, you’ll want to carefully remove the cover and listen for the source of the noise. After tightening the screws that hold the hardware in place and reattaching the cover, plug the machine in and listen if the offending noise is gone.

When it comes to computer repair it’s important to be safe and thorough. Computers are an expensive investment and keeping them running efficiently is crucial. If you are comfortable handling a small computer repair yourself, give it a try. If you’re not comfortable, take the machine to a local computer repair shop and allow the experts to do their job.

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Best Passwords

No sane person would ever like someone else reading her email. You should, therefore, choose a strong, secure password in such a manner that would be a hard nut to crack for others and easy for you to remember. The more random and mixed-up you make it, the harder it is for others to crack. Mind you, if your password is compromised, the password crackers will even take over your identity.

A password, if too short, is vulnerable to attack if an attacker gets hold of the cryptographic hash of the password. Present-day computers are fast enough to try all alphabetic passwords shorter than seven characters. We can call a password weak if it is short or is a default, or which can be rapidly guessed by searching a subset of all possible passwords such as words in the dictionary, proper names, words based on the user name or common variations on these themes.

On the other hand, a strong password would be sufficiently long, random, or which can be produced only by the user who chose it, so that ‘guessing’ for it will require too long a time.

For maximum security, the user should follow some simple guidelines:

1) Passwords should preferably be at least 8 characters long and not more than 14.

2) Passwords should contain a mix of numbers, letters, and special characters (%&3ac_ht4@m7).

3) Passwords should not contain a dictionary word from any dictionary, be it French, Spanish, medical, etc.

4) Each password should be different from the user’s User-ID and any permutation of that User-ID.

5) New passwords and old passwords should differ by at least 3 characters.

6) Avoid picking names or nicknames of people, pets, or places, or personal information that can be easily found out, such as your address etc.

7) It’s wise to stay away from common keyboard sequences, such as dfgh678 or abc345 .

8) Never form a password by appending a digit to a word. That can be easily guessed.

9) Avoid writing your password down or storing it on your computer.

10) Never share your password with anyone else.

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Computer Viruses: The Basics

In its simplest terms a virus is a disruptive computer code period!

A computer virus almost always repeats itself and spreads by attaching itself to other files. Viruses can be made to host a number of harmful things on any computer from disrupting files to crashing networks. It can even be laying dormant, without you knowing it’s there and then attack when least expect it, like right in the middle of downloading a large file or typing a long report.

It can even be made to open at a certain date, sitting like a timebomb until it’s time arrives. As you can see it can be annoying at the very least.

This article do not want go into all the different types of viruses here because there are so many and more are being made everyday.

However, since so many viruses came from unknowingly opening e-mails this article would like to mention some basics here:

Never open e-mail attachments unless you know for sure who it’s from and that it’s safe.

Some mail programs will even ask if you trust the attachment and if you’re sure this you want to do. Your computer software can also scan attachments for viruses.

The danger is that when the attachment is opened the virus can attach itself to your hard drive and damage files. Not only that, it can search your saved e-mail addresses and send itself out to your friends, business partners and whoever is on the list, masking the message to look like a permit one from you. It will probably have an attachment too and when opened will infect other computers.

Many people like to download video, games or other programs from different sites. If it is a site you dealt with before and trust it may be safe ok, but if you’re not sure you can always run a virus scan on the download before installation. (You will need to check the anti-virus program that came with your system on procedures). This security measure is necessary because some downloads may contain virtues, spyware or adware – these last two can collect personal information, note your browsing habits and spam your e-mail with unwanted ads. Some software sites will offer a readme file that shows technical information on the download (if you like tech talk) as well as contact info.

The better sites that offer downloads will test and scan all there software programs before going online with it. As a last resort you can do an internet search for reviews on that particular company to see if others got burned.

This may sound scary to some but the fact is in this world anyone who owns a computer will have to look over there shoulders for hidden attacks when working with online.

That said there are some things should do to prevent viruses from attacking your computer:

* Download the latest virus definition lists ( files that tell your computer what to scan for) that’s used for your anti-virus program.

* Check to see if your internet service provider has tools to stop viruses before they can reach your mailbox.

* Always back-up your computer on CD-R disks or other media in case you loose some or all your data.

* You can scan software for viruses before installing it.

* Set your security settings at the highest level.

* Check your web browser and e-mail settings.

Doing these things at least every week will help keep your computer up to date on Virus protection and running safely.

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Windows Registry Cleaner Checklist

A lot of computers are infected with Adware and spyware. Such software is rarely accompanied by uninstall utility and even when it is it almost always leaves broken Windows Registry keys behind it. Even if you have an anti-spyware tool your Windows Registry might be broken – developers of those tools are focused on removing Adware and spyware functionality, not every trace of software itself.

Another category of software that is known to leave bits and pieces behind on uninstallation is games. There are a lot of special installation systems that creates strange files, unique entries in your registry file as well as changes system dll’s to other versions. Once you uninstall the game a lot of the special installation changes it made will be left behind, causing you problems.

You should run an advanced registry cleaner for Windows that allows you to safely scan, clean, and repair registry problems with a few simple mouse clicks on a regular basis.

Problems with the Windows Registry are a common cause of Windows crashes (blue screens) and error messages (memory as well as disk errors). By using a PC tune-up utility, your system will be more stable, your software will run quicker, and your operating system will boot faster.

Registry problems can occur for many reasons, including references left behind after uninstallation; incorrect removal of software; missing or corrupt hardware drivers; or orphaned start-up programs. With a few easy steps, a good registry cleaner will scan your entire registry for any invalid entries and provide a list of the errors found.

You then can choose to clean each item or automatically repair them all after making a backup without the need for a registry editor such as Regedit.

To help people choose a product, see this short checklist.

A good windows registry clean and repair product should have the following options.

Automatic Scan

To facilitate your windows registry scan. This is the simplest way to clean up the registry. Automatic Scan is recommended for ‘non-technical’ users.

Custom Scans

You customize your search and scan Windows registry for particular types of errors (shared DLLs, missing fonts, invalid start-up entries, etc.).

Manual Cleanup

After the scan is complete, the program should show you a full list of errors with details, broken down by types and let you fix individual invalid entries or all invalid entries of a certain type.

Backup and Undo

Before removing an entry from your registry, should an automatic creation of a backup file be done, that can be used to undo the changes. This to avoid changes without backup.

Scheduler

To schedule the program to scan the registry whenever you start your computer.

Using software like this is not a one time fix. You must run it on a regular basis to keep your registry clean and without errors. This will help the stability and speed of windows.

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3 Simple Ways To Save A Bunch Of Money When Buying A New Computer

Looking to buy a new computer?

Overwhelmed by all of the options available to you?

Stressed by the high cost of computers today?

For most people, buying a new computer does not have to be as stressful as buying a new car. Nor does it have to be as expensive. If you’re like most people, and you have a limited budget for buying a computer, then you need to try to get as much computer for your money as possible.

Here are 3 simple ways anyone can save money when buying a new computer:

1) Shop around for best deal.

Sounds pretty obvious. But many people don’t realize they don’t need the fastest, most expensive computer with the most “extras”. In fact, if you are already using an older computer, even the least expensive new computer will be a big upgrade. If you don’t know a lot about computers, you can learn a lot by shopping around. Ask lots of questions, compare prices, compare features, then find the best price. Shop at your local electronics store, and look for the best deals online. You’ll be surprised at how much money you can save by shopping around!

2) Install your own “extras”

Many computers you will find in a store have a lot of extra software already installed. While this is convenient, it is not always the best way for you to save money. Also, while many of these extras sound good, you don’t always need them. You can often find better deals by shopping around separately for your own software extras (such as a word processor, anti-virus, popup blocker, spyware removal, games, etc). And some of these you can get for free. So before you buy the “fully loaded” computer, ask yourself if you really need all the extras, then shop around to see if you can buy a scaled down computer – and get the extras yourself for much less!

3) Don’t buy extended warranty

If you are not a computer “techie”, the extended warranties offered by the computer retailers often sound like a good idea. After all, who wants to be bothered paying for service on a computer after you buy it. But keep in mind that most computers come with a warranty, and most computer problems will either happen at the beginning (when you still have the warranty in effect) or much later (when it might be cheaper to buy a new computer). Technology changes very quickly these days. So consider whether or not it’s worth the inflated price of the extended warranty. And, if you really feel you need the extended warranty, then ask to purchase it at a lower price. Not all retailers will negotiate on the warranty, but some will. And whether you buy the extended warranty or not, make sure you back up all your files periodically, just in case!

If you do business on the computer, make sure you get what you need, while trying to keep the price down. At any price, buying something that does not fit your needs is not a good deal.

Hope you find these tips helpful, and happy computer shopping!

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Maintain Your Pc S Performance With Pc Programs

Over time, even the most sophisticated, memory packed computer can begin to run slow if we don’t do something to prevent it. The reason why has less to do with how computers are made and how they age and more to do with the way we use them. You see, all of the daily tasks that we do on our PC from running programs to downloading and deleting software can make our computer sluggish.

To keep this from happening, you need to understand the reasons why your PC is getting slower and do something to keep your PC running at its best. You can do this through regular maintenance and PC performance optimization programs.

Before we discuss all of the things that could be affecting your PC’s performance, let’s talk a little about what symptoms a slow computer can have.

In addition to being excruciatingly slow when it comes to opening programs or finishing tasks, your PC may also experience data loss, unwanted shutdowns, Windows crashing and Windows hang up. All of these can be very annoying to deal with and are a sure sign that you need to optimize your PC and maintain it.

There are many reasons why your PC is getting slower and not performing quite the way it used to. Any one of them may be just the thing that is holding your PC back. In some cases, there is more than one culprit at work. But there are solutions to keep your computer from being affected by these nuisances, and we will talk about what you can do to maintain your PC and keep it running smoothly if it encounters any of these problems.

When you download and use programs on your PC, sometimes they are set up to start running as soon as you turn on your computer. These programs may be running in the background without you even knowing it and they use up precious memory needed for other tasks.

To see if you have any programs running in the background, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete at the same time.

A list of all of the currently running programs will appear in a pop up window. You can choose to stop the programs by highlighting the program and clicking “end task.” If you want to keep those programs from starting when you turn on your PC, change the individual settings for each program so that they will not automatically be turned on.

Memory is a computer component that allows it to do all of the various tasks that you require of it. When you start to do a task, a segment of memory is assigned to that task. If you don’t have enough memory and you try to do several tasks at once, you may run out of memory and not be able to perform any tasks properly. In order to optimize and maintain memory, you can use a Memory Optimizer program. This program changes the way that Windows manages memory so that you can use it more efficiently.

Your hard drive is like a huge filing cabinet containing all of the files that you need for your computer to perform properly. When you add programs, files are added to this data base. When you delete data or programs, files are removed. This process results in holes or empty spaces in your filing cabinet.

These holes make it harder for your computer to work because it continuously has to search for information over a larger distance and sometimes search for information that is completely out of order. To combat this, you need to defragment your hard drive. You can do this with your Windows system optimization tools or with a Registry Deffrager and Optimizer. These programs eliminate holes and arrange your files in a sensible order.

Just as your PC’s hard drive could be filed improperly, it can also be too full to work at its best. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 2MB to 3MB of space on your hard drive for your PC to function properly. To free up space, simply delete unused programs on the C: drive.

Maintaining your PC’s performance is vital if you want you computer to always complete tasks at its top speed. While Windows has some system tools to help you do this, they do not work on their own. You have to actually go and start the programs to optimize your computer. And they may not be enough. In this case, you may want to opt for optimization software such as PC Programs to help maintain your PC’s performance.

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Bluetooth: Advantages And Disadvantages

Advantages

Bluetooth has a lot to offer with an increasingly difficult market place. Bluetooth helps to bring with it the promise of freedom from the cables and simplicity in networking that has yet to be matched by LAN (Local Area Network).

In the key marketplace, of wireless and handheld devices, the closest competitor to Bluetooth is infrared. Infrared holds many key features, although the line of sight it provides doesn’t go through walls or through obstacles like that of the Bluetooth technology.

Unlike infrared, Bluetooth isn’t a line of sight and it provides ranges of up to 100 meters. Bluetooth is also low power and low processing with an overhead protocol. What this means, is that it’s ideal for integration into small battery powered devices. To put it short, the applications with Bluetooth are virtually endless.

Disadvantages

Bluetooth has several positive features and one would be extremely hard pressed to find downsides when given the current competition. The only real downsides are the data rate and security. Infrared can have data rates of up to 4 MBps, which provides very fast rates for data transfer, while Bluetooth only offers 1 MBps.

For this very reason, infrared has yet to be dispensed with completely and is considered by many to be the complimentary technology to that of Bluetooth. Infrared has inherent security due to its line of sight.

The greater range and radio frequency (RF) of Bluetooth make it much more open to interception and attack. For this reason, security is a very key aspect to the Bluetooth specification.

Although there are very few disadvantages, Bluetooth still remains the best for short range wireless technology. Those who have tried it love it, and they know for a fact that Bluetooth will be around for years to come.

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