Protect your PC!

Hello again!

Winchell with another tip for ya!

Every time I look at a PC for someone that is having issues the first thing I ask is "what virus and spyware tools are you using?" I get the usual... HUH? A lot of the time people really have no idea about what is going on under the hood so to speak. I was once the "HUH?" guy myself too. But now that I have started using a few different tools I have had less problems in general with my PC.

Now as for which ones to use you can find many resources online to help you decide.

But,

What you should really do is educate yourself! If you look at it like this you might want to:

When you have a problem you usually call up one of the door to door or over the net PC Helpers for around 90 buck an hour! And if your PC is infected then hang on it could be a while!

So you really need to learn how to just maintain it yourself! and for a few $ less then one visit from a IT pro you can learn it too!

Check this out it might save you some $!!!

Click Here!

How to replace or add memory to your PC

How to add memory to your PC. Enjoy!

Here is a video on how to replace a hard drive! Enjoy!

Computer Repair Business Opportunities

With PCs penetrating he remotest corners of the world, business opportunities in computer repair business is booming. Computer users are literally bombarded with advertisements about the tremendous opportunities in this field. Although the demand is great in this field, it is always recommended that you do a thorough analysis of your strengths and weakness before you jump into computer repair business.

You can find comprehensive computer repair business plans through online resources. Most of these online resources will give you a detailed description on the various components that are required to start and sustain a successful computer repair business. You can read various success stories on these web resources and go through business plan templates that come in popular world processor formats. There are also automated financials and easy to use presentation templates that are available online, aimed at arming you with the knowledge you need to start your own venture in computer repairing.

With all these tools at hand, you can now plan your PC repair business like a pro. You can also stay up to date with the real financial situation at all times, and these tools additionally enable you to expand your business at a later point in time.

Needless to say, in case you intend to start your own PC repair venture, you should equip yourself with all the technicalities needed for the business. Since any business venture needs people, you should also be prudent in choosing your team. Your team should consist of qualified people, with at least some amount of experience in the field. With your team in mind, you can then plan your organizational structure, financing, marketing and operations. Once you are clear about your business objectives and financial goals, you are well on your way to a successful business.

Computer Repair provides detailed information on Computer Network Repair, Computer Repair, Computer Repair Services, Computer Repair Software and more. Computer Repair is affiliated with Computer Part Supplies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Morva

Upgrading Your PC for Non-experts

Intro

One of the big advantages of PCs over earlier types of computers is that they’re upgradable. If you get to the point where you need a faster computer, more storage space or whatever, you don’t have to buy a new PC. You can upgrade it by buying just the extra part you need. But sometimes it’s better to just take the plunge and replace it… and how do you know what part to upgrade? Here’s my guide:

Memory

Adding memory is one of the most popular upgrades. It makes a big difference to how fast your PC runs. When your PC runs out of memory for what it’s doing, it stores information on your hard drive instead. Your hard drive is nowhere near as fast as the memory. The more memory you’ve got, the less often your PC will need to store things on the hard drive as it works. So the faster it will go.

How much memory is enough does depend on what version of Windows you’re running. With Windows XP, 256MB is considered a bit on the low side, though it’ll be just about OK. 512MB is decent and 1024MB is really good. If you have Windows 95 or 98, you can get by on 64MB though it's worth going to 128MB even if you just use your PC for basic office work. More will make it really hum along.

It also depends on what you’re using your PC for — if you’re just typing up the odd letter and sending emails, then 256MB will probably do you but if you’re editing video or playing the latest 3D games, it’ll be worth getting the full 1024MB.

If you buy memory, make sure you get the right type for your computer — the best thing to do is go to a shop and get them to pick the right type and to fit it for you. You CAN fit it yourself if you know what you’re doing but be careful!

Hard Drive

Another upgrade that can be worthwhile is a bigger hard drive. If you don’t have enough space for all your files and programs then it’s obviously a good plan! I’d also recommend it if you have only just enough space. When your hard drive is nearly full your PC has to scamper around it trying to find empty space every time it wants to save something… and that takes time.

I’d recommend keeping your existing hard drive and adding a new one instead of actually replacing your existing one. No point in throwing it away if it’s still working!

A typical hard drive nowadays is anywhere from 40GB to 160GB — if you’re getting a new one it might as well be big!

With a hard drive you can either fit it yourself or get a shop to fit it… or there’s a third option. You can buy an external version which plugs into your computer via a USB port. These are great for moving information from one PC to another. If it’s always on one PC, I prefer the hard drive neatly tucked away inside the case… but again, it’s up to you.

Bigger/flat monitor

If you’ve got a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitor (the type with a box sticking out the back, like a television) you might fancy one of those stylish flat ones. It’s not just a fancy gadget, they also fit better on a small desk and you can have it closer to the wall than a big cumbersome CRT.

If you decide to go for it, think about whether you want one with built in speakers. It keeps you desk nice and tidy and looks more stylish. But you can get much better sound quality with separate speakers.

You also could think about what size of screen you want. It’s measured in inches from one corner to the opposite one. 17inch is pretty standard for desktop PCs though the flat screen types tend to seem bigger than the CRT type even when they’re the same size. For normal use, I wouldn’t particularly recommend getting a big one but if you do a lot of design or gaming, it might be worth it.

Processor

I’m not a big fan of processor upgrades. People talk about the processor speed when they’re saying how fast a PC is but there’s a lot more to it. Upgrading the processor without upgrading the other parts doesn’t tend to make much difference. And if you’re going to change the other bits too, you’re probably best off just buying a new PC. It’ll probably be cheaper.

CD Writer/DVD player/DVD writer

This is a simple one. If you don’t have a CD writer and you want to be able to write CDs, get one! As usual, I’d advise you to get it fitted at the shop you buy it at. Or you could get an external one that plugs into a USB port.

If you fancy it you could even get a DVD player or DVD writer, if you want to put your home movies on DVD. Again, you can either get it fitted or buy an external one.

Graphics Card

This is a bit of a specialist one. If you’re into fast 3D games, then it might be worth getting a faster graphics card. If you aren’t, it probably isn’t. A standard graphics card can handle ordinary graphics pretty well. It’s only when the PC throws fast 3D at it that it struggles. Then the PC itself has to do some of the work for it, leaving less time for the PC to work out whether you’ve been clobbered by a goblin.

Epilogue

The crucial point about upgrades is that it really does depend on what you use your PC for. If you’re happy with what your PC is doing for you, don’t let anyone talk you into feeling you have to upgrade.

Tim Wakeling is the Author of Computers One Step at a Time, a home course using plenty of pictures of the screen to show you how to use your PC. He also writes a free monthly newsletter about computers for non-experts. Find out about both at http://www.osaat.co.uk

© Tim Wakeling, UK 2005. You may re-publish this article online and in print as long as you leave it unchanged.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Wakeling

Top 3 Most Important Upgrades For Your PC

There are many people who waste money in purchasing new PC or laptops every year. This is because their computer does not work properly or due to ever changing technology. Instead of purchasing a new PC every year and waste lots of money just upgrade your computer components to keep up with latest technologies. If you regularly upgrade your computer, your computer will never give up.

Fortunately, the main computer parts that help your computer work smoothly and faster can be easily replaced and also at reasonable price. Basically a new PC gets outdated in about six months. You can't control the technological advancement but there are some hardware parts that can be purchased to keep up with the time. So what you can do is just upgrade your computer with these computer parts:

1. The first and most important computer part that maintains speed is RAM memory. It is usually available in 256MB, 512MB, 1024MB and 2048MB chips. You need to know that RAM is the measured speed that a computer uses to retrieve data. If the RAM is higher, the operation will be faster. While upgrading RAM memory it is vital to know - what all the main-board already has. Like, if it has a 256MB, simply add one more memory chip of the same kind. The second way is by taking out the old RAM chip and upgrade with a single megabyte memory slot card.
2. As we all know that the world is becoming digital. Digital photos, music files, movies can occupy a huge space. A cheap and easy computer component to upgrade your PC is by adding an external hard drive. These computer parts can be send from PC to PC and transfer data easily. So you must upgrade your computer for better utility.
3. Another important computer part that can be changed is processor. A PC that works in hard conditions will need a fast processor to run smoothly. Replacing the processor is not a difficult task but it requires certain skill. The computer motherboard is a very significant computer part but you should not replace it unless something has got broken or damaged. In order to replace the motherboard you must hire professional experts.

Hence to make your task faster and better, upgrade your computer with advanced computer parts. If you will upgrade your computer then your PC will never give up or fail.

The best program I have used to repair my personal PC can be read about free below. . You can download the program and get your computer working the way it should in a short amount of time. Click here: http://www.homecomputer-repair.com to download it. No need to stress about your home computer anymore. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Travis_Klein

Why is My Computer So Slow? Four Possible Reasons

Today's computers have faster microprocessors, more memory and bigger hard drives. When you think about the differences between a Pentium 4 and 386, you have to conclude the improvement is astounding! So, why are so many of these modern day miracles running way below their potential?

In this article we will discuss four very common but often overlooked reasons why that rabbit in your PC has turned into a snail and we'll tell you what can be done to get it back up to speed.

You need more memory.

Don't overlook the obvious. Up until recently not having enough memory wasn't a problem. With the price of RAM becoming very affordable, most people were filling their computers with more than enough memory to do the job. Enter Windows Vista! Many computers built to an older spec were loaded with Vista and put on the market.

When the new owner got the computer home and took it for its first joyride it just didn't live up to expectations. The reason for this is, Vista is a resource hog. Many computers now come out of the box with Vista and 512MB of memory. With Vista you need at least 1GB of Ram. If your computer is slow and it has Vista with 512 MB of Ram you need to add more memory.

Spyware and viruses

Speaking of resource hogs. Spyware and viruses steal a lot of your computer's resources. Though it is not their main function to just make your computer run slowly, these programs can bring your computer to a screeching halt.

Of course, you do have a good Spyware/Virus remover. Don't you? Also, you do realize for them to be effective, you have to keep up to date. By up to date, it means up to the minute.

You should have your remover program set to update and run automatically overnight or at some other time you don't regularly use your computer. If you don't, spyware and viruses will eat your computer alive! Slowing down is nothing compared to what could happen to your computer's resources if you don't have a good remover program you update and run daily.

Background programs

When you install new software on your computer, often times you install it to run in the background every time you start up. Most times you do this without knowing it. Look at the bottom right hand side of your screen.

If you see several icons there, you have extra programs running and stealing resources. Right click on these and see if you have the option of closing them. Many times, you can open the program and choose an option to keep these programs from starting automatically. Many times I've seen this move get a PC back to its old fleet footed self.

Corrupted registry

Here's one problem that is mostly overlooked. Any changes you make to your computer effects and actually, corrupts your registry. So, it stands to reason, even when you do something positive; like remove spyware, you end up with a corrupted registry.

After months of corrupting your registry, albeit unintentionally, it will become good and out of whack. This will, in its early stages, cause your computer to slow down. In its advanced stages, it will freeze and crash and do more mysterious and troublesome things.

Many times, I hear people say they have scanned for spyware and viruses and found none, but still the computer runs very slowly. Most times, it isn't until the registry is cleaned out and repaired by a top-notch registry cleaner that the computer's speed is restored. Make sure to run a good registry cleaner every week or so to keep your registry in excellent working order. After all, the registry is what your operating system is made of.

So there you have it. To recap:

• 512MB is usually enough for Windows XP but not Vista.
• Keep your computer free of spyware and viruses.
• Don't let too many programs start automatically, and
• Run a good registry cleaner often.

Keep these key points in mind and put them to use. Then, you'll never have to ask, "Why is my computer so slow?"

The author, Ed Lathrop is an experienced comp TIA A+/Network+ certified computer technician thoroughly familiar with the operation, repair and upkeep of today's modern PC's. His site, Free Use Registry Repair Compare Website rates the latest registry repair programs and gives you an analysis of what is effective and what may, actually be harmful to your computer. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edward_Lathrop

Running Linux On The PlayStation 3 Console

One of the many features of the PlayStation 3 is that it's capable of using Linux, which means that owners of the PS3 can customize their system and get lots more out of it. Game consoles tend to be designed in order to prevent foreign systems from running on them, but Sony have gone in total the opposite direction with the PS3, allowing an experienced Linux user to personalize their system. Most of the gaming systems will be intentionally locked so that other systems will be unable to run, so the PlayStation is unconventional in allowing this. The only thing that is not possible with the PS3 is to run accelerated graphics.

The PlayStation 3 isn't the first gaming system to allow Linux. The Xbox also utilizes this feature, but the PS3 differs in several ways. To start with, the PS3 is more powerful. In addition, the Xbox requires an additional chip to run Linux, whereas the PS3 is capable of running it without. In fact, it's completely free to run Linux on the PlayStation 3.

Here are some options that you have with the Linux on the PlayStation 3:

With an addition of a keyboard and mouse, the PlayStation 3 can be used like a PC. Not all PC programs are able to adapt to the PS3 environment, as least not yet, but Linux enables you many choices.

Run your own operating system. This is a great advantage to those that would prefer to personalize their system.

Make sure of the Internet. You can search the web on your PS3 with the Firefox internet browser.

Use the office software package. Although, at present it's been reported that Windows doesn't run that well on the PS3. However, in the future, Microsoft may consider creating a version of Windows that can run on the PlayStation 3. There is no official word on this at the moment.

Run various kinds of emulators. This will allow you to play of your favourite games of yesteryear on your brand new PlayStation 3.

Play a variety of media types, such as CD's, DVD's and ROM's. With Linux running, you can listen to music or watch movies on your PS3

Connect to share networks. This will enable you to save and retrieve file on a outside server, meaning a saving in memory.

There is one slight problem with getting Linux on your PlayStation 3 console though, and that is because it's difficult to install and hard to use. At this moment, it's pretty much restricted to the programmers and hobbyists. In the future, hopefully, there will be a more user friendly interface to accompany Linux on the games console. Since PS3 emerged, most programmers like to use Fedora Core to run Linux on their PS3's, but there is now a new system in town called Yellow Dog, which is intended to be used specifically on the PS3. Yellow Dog is being highly rated and gaining exposure.

Still, the best thing about Linux is that it's totally free. All you need is a PlayStation 3, the necessary cable, a USB keyboard and mouse, a USB flash drive and various other accessories to make the installation run smoother... ok, so if you don't already have all that stuff, its not really free, but Linux itself certainly is! It may not be that tough to install, if you've used Linux before. There is a wide choice of websites out there that provide tips on installation, and most seem to recommend Yellow Dog. You will also discover many great ideas on how to run Linux in the gaming forums.

For more information on the PlayStation 3 try visiting http://www.andallconsoles.com, a popular games console website that provides console news, tips, and game reviews for the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_Lintern

You can fix it!

Ever have that old computer you never figured out why it wouldn't start up? Or if it did it was as slow as molasses? Well I have too. Until one day I started wondering if there was anything I could do with that thing! There is!

Have you ever heard of Linux? It is a free operating system! Like windows but I think a little better in some ways. You don't have to pay for it being reason #1. Which means you can use it on that dust collector you call your "old computer".

Once it is installed you will be amazed at how that ol PC is kicking again. And it isnt that hard to do either! All you need is a burning program, Internet access and a little patience. And some coffee!!!

First google "linux"

Then when you get to linux's web page, Look for a "Distribution list"

Go there and check a few out. A good one to start with would be "Puppy" linux. It is easy to set up and you can run it without having to install it on your computer. Its what you call a "live cd"

Now you have to download the ISO file from the Puppy website.

Find the download section and find a "final" copy to download. It should end in ISO.

ISO is the file format. It is basically an Image file you burn to disc. You can burn it with Nero or almost any burning program you have.

Once you have downloaded the file to your desktop. Burn the image file to disc on the slowest speed possible. Once you have the disc burned you can turn on the old pc and get started.

Once you start it up hit f2 or f10 or whatever it says to get to the bios setting. Once there look around for a "boot " settings. Make sure the first one is set to CD rom and the last one is set to Hard drive. Then open the cd rom and insert disc. Then exit and save. Usually ESC will do it.

Then it will reboot. And you will see "Press any key to boot from cd" hit any button at that point. Then all you do is follow the directions and it will set it up! Don't worry it wont mess anything up.
And once you are in you can choose to install to your hard drive after you play with it for a while!

You'll be amazed at how many programs are already built in to the cd! You can do lots more than you can with windows!

And they have tons of forums and websites dedicated to helping you learn the Linux operating system.

I suggest you try a couple different live cd's before you install just one. Try UBUNTU. They one is GREAT for the beginner or advanced user!

And its cool as hell if you haven't seen it before!

You could even try it on your newer PC too!

Any questions just add a comment!