Archive for How to technology

How to clean a computer case

There is nothing wrong with leaving spills, dirt, and stains on your computer case. After all isn’t that what the case is for, to protect the electronic components inside from spills and dirt? This is true, but there are still parts of the case that need to be cleaned and checked if you want your computer to live a long and prosperous life.

Unless you like looking at dirt everytime you look at your computer, you should go ahead and clean those spills, stains, and dust off of the case. You can do this with just about any cloth and cleaner. Do not use highly abrasive cleaners that might ruin or mar the surface and do not use solvents on plastic. A wet sponge will even work. Just make sure that the cleaner or any liquid does not seep into the inside through cracks and vents. If there is any possibility that you are going to get that messy, turn off and unplug the computer first and wait to turn it back on until any liquid has had a chance to fully dry.

After you have wiped off the outside, it is time for a little inspection. Look at the blades of the fan in the back of the computer. Also look at any vents. Is there dust there? Is there a lot of dust and grime caked on to it? If so, that is an indicator that the inside also needs to be cleaned (I will tell you how to do that in next week’s article - How to Clean your Motherboard).

Some clean environments never have to have the inside cleaned. Some need it cleaned monthly. When I lived in Russia, even though I didn’t notice it, the air was not clean. The fan on the computer would cake up with dirt and grime after about a month of use. And so I would have to clean the fan, vents, and inside monthly. If I had let it go for several months without cleaning, the fan would have stopped working and the computer would have overheated. Where I now live in the US, the air is clean and I have gone years without having to clean it. Again, the indicator of this is the blades of the fan and the vents. If they are dirty, they need to be cleaned.

You can do some of the cleaning from the outside. First, turn off the computer. Then get out the vacuum sweeper and using the hose, vacuum out the vents and the fan(s). If you have compressed air (you can purchase compressed air from your computer store), you may want to blow air in through the vents (or intake fan if you have one) to loosen the dust and suck it out using the vacuum. If there is still dust or dirt in the vents or on the blades of the fan, you can use a Q-tip to clean them.

If you do not have a vaccum, you can use compressed air alone. Always use short bursts to avoid moisture buildup. Start with the computer off and blow into every hole and vent. Then turn the computer on and blow everything except for the exhaust fan once again.

With the case clean, your computer will look nicer and with the fan and vents cleaned out it will breathe easier and run cooler.
Ray Geide
Author of Ray’s Computer Tips and many top computer software
Super Win Software, Inc.
http://www.superwin.com

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How to try to fix windows registry

Do you have a problem with your computer’s registry and in need to fix the registry? This is vulnerable and important component of the computers operating system and it can get corrupted over time if you do not maintain it. The result is that the computer will become lowered in performance.

The primary database of the operating system of the computer is the computer registry and it is the most important component to maintain of the performance of your PC. The registry commands your computer what to do, when to do it and how to act. It also keeps every piece of information related to user profile. That is why doing tasks like how to fix computer registry is a essential yet very difficult attempt in maintaining the computer. The primary goal of computer registry fix is removing redundant files, repairing errors and reorganizing and updating the mechanism of your computer’s operating system.

Even if you have to fix the computer’s registry regularly, it is not as easy and straightforward as you may think it is to work with it. Extreme care is needed when working with the registry because it is a vital and fundamental component in making your computer run and work smoothly. If you don’t have complete knowledge of what you are trying doing when downloading or installing as well as uninstalling software programs it may turn out to be unsuccessful and even worse, a disastrous activity. With this caution, it is advisable that you should be aware and very careful in performing the activity on how to fix your computer registry.

Why do registry errors occur?

Registry errors occur because of different causes. When you download software’s that are not completely compatible with your computer registry errors can occur. Some are gathered through awful spywares and adware that get bigger in numbers as you browsed certain websites. Still some are viruses that are very successful in penetrating your computer registry, which aims to create chaos in your PC. It causes the computer to exhibit poor performance when these erroneous entries accumulate and that is very obvious and irritating to the computer user.

Like mentioned earlier, registry errors are normal to happen in your computer but the appearance of it is not to be regarded as a very frustrating incident. There is a lot of registry fix and cleaner software available today.
Mehmet Onatli is a computer technology enthusiast and an expert in computer performance optimization. His site is about Computer Registry Fix and gives you simple but effective tips and information on how to maintain your registry

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How to recover deleted images

There can be a few reasons why your images have been lost or just “disappeared”:

Case1. No images on your camera memory card

The first one is that you have not accidentally erased them from your memory card but your playback display states blandly “no images”. The second one is that you have accidentally (or deliberately) erased some or all of the images from your memory card.

In both instances, the images have not actually been erased or deleted - they are still there but your camera will simply not display them. However, the camera software may well overwrite these files if you continue to take pictures.

In view of this is necessary to take immediate action to recover the files before this happens.

If you did not deliberately erase the images yourself, the first thing to try is to switch off your camera. Remove the memory card from the camera and then replace it, switch the camera back on and check to see if the images have returned. This is a similar procedure to re - booting a computer when it throws a wobbly. It works sometimes but not always.

If the images do not reappear, proceed as if you have accidentally erased them as follows:

Go online and use a search engine and type in “free file recovery programmes” to find a programme like “Free Undelete”. Download it and connect your camera to the computer as you would for uploading images from your memory card. Alternatively, you can insert your memory card into the appropriate memory card slot in your computer if you have one.

I have tried this completely free programme and it works well. However, there are several other non - free programmes you can use if you prefer which may be more sophisticated with more features.

Start the programme, select the drive where the memory card is located and click “Scan”. if a folder appears, open it. If the files have not been overwritten, the programme should find them. Note; For Windows Vista users; you may have to right click the program shortcut and select “run as administrator” or it may not work.

Be patient. The programme takes several minutes to completely scan the card and retrieve the files. It lists them with a rating of “poor” or “good”. Select the files you want to restore, click “undelete” and then save them to your computers hard drive in a suitable location.

If you try to save to the memory card you may get a warning that the image may suffer loss of quality. If you definitely want to put these files on to your memory card then save them first to your desktop. Copy these files (right click - copy) and paste them to your memory card (right click - paste). I have done this without any apparent loss of quality.

One thing I noticed with this free programme is that if you click the “help” file on the main menu - nothing happens. To access this you will have to locate the “Free Undelete” folder from the Start - Programmes folder.

Case2. Images lost from computer

Exactly the same procedure is used to recover lost or deleted files on any other drives you have on your computer. Just select the drive where the images were stored before they disappeared. But this time specify the type of file you want to recover. In this case it is a jpeg, so enter “.jpg” as your search filter otherwise you will get every deleted file on your computer listed.

Note: As implied above, this programme will retrieve many other types of files as well, including lost or deleted emails and documents. However, Free Undelete is a utility programme so there is no preview available. If you want all the bells and whistles you may have to purchase a more sophisticated version like “Recover my Files”. This has a preview window and many other features. It is available for a free trial but the save feature is blocked until you purchase it (about $70/£35). There are many other similar programmes available of varying degrees of sophistication - so take a look and find one that suits you.

Happy deleted file recovery
I am a photographer and author who enjoys both digital and film photography. I like writing about photography topics and passing on hints, tips and wrinkles to others based on my experiences.

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How to select technology

The right blend of services, individuals and approach is what makes an e-commerce project successful. Selecting the right supplier to build an online store is a vital part of this process. We point out some important issues you need to consider during this process.

Use a consultant: Strategic thinking is the base on which successful e-commerce sites are founded. It is a good idea to partner with an experienced consultant before selecting a particular supplier. An experienced consultant can set the project criteria on which the supplier’s deliverable and the Web site can be measured. A consultant’s input adds value to the proposed solution.

Specification documents: All e-commerce projects require technical and functional specification documents. These have to be created and agreed upon before any development or designing efforts. The features and functionalities to be implemented within the site are provided in detail in these documents. They act as a blueprint for the whole project. With this type of documentation in place, it is easier to resolve any queries that may arise during the course of the project.

E-marketing: Check whether the e-commerce supplier provides e-marketing as a core service. A large portion of the budget is going to be used for marketing your e-commerce site, and it is essential for you to ensure that the supplier understands this. The marketing and search-engine optimisation aspect has to be built right into the structure of the site.

Supplier appraisal: The efficiency of a supplier can be measured based on the success of past clients and the quality of its portfolio. The factors that are clear indicators of the vendor’s capabilities are overall appeal and clarity of the Web site, inline delivery of the project, diverse market sectors serviced and objectives achieved.

Underlying technology: Ensure that your e-commerce site is driven by a solid business model and not by limitations in technology that have been imposed by the supplier.

Support: Support options and costs should be taken into consideration before a project commences. Verify that the e-commerce supplier is able to handle technical issues and provide the correct application and hosting service level.
e-Commerce Advises

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How to use DIV tags in MySpace layouts

Does your MySpace profile emanate such a stink that your eyes begin to water every time you look at it?

You may due for a change and your ticket out of the most-hideous-web-design contest could be doing a search for ‘myspace div layouts’ or ‘myspace overlays’. Now before your techie-talk alert meter goes jumping into the red and you run away from your computer screaming a string of profanities, let me explain.

First of all, for those of you who have been living in the outer reaches of the galaxy for the past two years, let me get you up to speed on what’s been happening down here on planet earth…

MySpace is a social networking website which allows you to quickly and easily create a free and personal web page. These web pages –which are hosted at MySpace.com– are called MySpace profiles. MySpace layouts –which are widely available all over the internet– are little snippets of HTML/CSS code (mostly CSS) which you can use to instantly customize your profile.

Now, a MySpace DIV layout (a.k.a., MySpace overlay) is just like MySpace layout in that you copy-and-paste it into a box on your ‘Edit Profile’ screen in order to modify your profile’s background image, background colors, fonts and what have you. What differs is how a DIV layout modifies your profile. Typically, MySpace layouts will allow all your default MySpace modules (e.g., your basic info box, contact table, interests box, top friends space, comments section, etc) to show through. MySpace DIV layouts, on the other hand, will hide the default modules on your profile and put a completely different arrangement of columns and data on top.

Traditionally, MySpace DIV layouts hid all your default MySpace modules and then layed a new web design over top (hence ‘overlay’). Some of the more complex overlays required you to write up your own HTML coding in order to rebuild your top friends list from scratch (which is usually several atmospheres above the typical MySpace user’s web design capabilities).

Nowadays, since MySpace has implemented many new CSS classes into the default MySpace template, greater control can be applied to each individual MySpace module. Hence it is now a lot easier to pick and choose which modules to hide or display on your profile using CSS coding.

Hence, a new wave of MySpace DIV layouts are starting to appear where your top friends and/or your friends comments sections are allowed to show through while all other modules on your profile are hidden and replaced with new specially designed sections and columns. This allows for the best of both worlds where the MySpace.com Cold Fusion scripting is permitted to handle the insertion of new friends and comments into the appropriate sections on your profile while the DIV layout CSS code handles all the rest. A good DIV layout will actually make your MySpace profile look like a ‘real’ web page (*chuckle*) with a header banner, a professional-looking vertical menu running down the left side and a content area in the center.

As for the installation of DIV layouts, they do require a little more than just a quick copy-and-paste. Since DIV layouts handle the insertion of all the links that lets other MySpace users message you or add you as a friend or load your pics or blog page, you’ll need a special code which will make all those links work properly. This code is called your ‘friend ID’ and is easily obtained by clicking on the ‘view profile’ link on your MySpace account home page. Once on your profile, you have only to look in the web address box at the top of your web browser and then select and copy all the numbers appearing after ‘friendid=’. This is the so-called friend ID numbered code that you’ll use to create your DIV layout (usually via a DIV layout generator at a MySpace resource site).

And that’s pretty much everything you need to know about this new genre of web designs for MySpace pages. So if you’re tired of using a layout on your profile that looks like it was created by a nose-picking, hyperactive six-year-old, you may want to think about delving into the world of MySpace DIV layouts. It could be just the thing you need to add a touch of class to your little corner of the social networking scene.
Robert Darrell is the chief cook and bottle washer of RobThunder.com where he provides a collection of exceptional MySpace DIV layouts that are very easy to install. These layouts are professional multi-column table less web designs using 100% original background images and cross-browser compatible CSS coding.

Robert has made hundreds of MySpace layouts over the past two years. He also has a collection of traditional MySpace layouts, that are high-quality, free and easy-to-use.

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How to use MySpace

MySpace is a social networking website where millions of individuals around the world share information related to their family, friends, interests, hobbies, work, and more! This international website offers a number of key features and benefits that draw the attention of millions of users on a daily basis. It allows individuals to create a personalized website to do anything that they want with! MySpace users can enjoy interacting with others through email messages, various forums, through a personalized blog, bulletins, various communities, and even music and videos! If you want to be a part of the world’s number one social networking website, we will inform you how to get started on MySpace here!

Account Creation

It is relatively simple to engage in account creation on MySpace. You just need a few minutes, an email address, and the time to provide some pretty basic information about yourself. Once you have done this, it is important and necessary to take the time to read the terms of your membership on this social networking website. Once this is completed, you will be welcomed to the website with open arms! This is done by an activation email. It will be sent to the email address that you used to create your account on MySpace. You simply open and click! Then, you are in! Your door to the world and many of the individuals will be opened so that you can do what you want! Advertise yourself, talk about your career, provide news, even advertise and market your merchandise, videos, and music!

Basic Requirements

In order to join the most popular and fastest growing online community in the world, there are a few basic requirements that must be met. These requirements have been established in order to secure your safety, personal information, and to make your online usage an exciting and rewarding adventure. In addition to this, these requirements have been established to ensure that everyone in the MySpace community can be safe and enjoy their online experience as well. Individuals who join this website should be at least fourteen years old. It is important to keep your personal information private to ensure your safety, and properly protect it - this includes your password. You should also ensure that you do not use MySpace for commercial purposes unless this has been previously approved.

Your Profile

Your profile is the page that visitors will see when they visit your page. Many individuals find that this is a very exciting part of becoming a MySpace member. You can customize this page to display your interests, likes, hobbies, work, personal life, and more! The downfall is that in order to create a truly effective and detailed profile, a basic knowledge of HTML is required. The good thing is, there are many MySpace profile generators that will assist you with nearly every aspect of profile creation when it comes to your MySpace page. This makes it extremely easy to develop and design an artistic profile with little or no experience!

In order to start creating a memorable profile, you would simply visit your home page on MySpace and select ‘Edit Profile’. This will be near the image that you can place on your page. Here, you can type information that is related to you, the things that you enjoy, people that you are looking to meet, your lifestyle, and more! If you like, you can add pictures, videos, and music to your MySpace page as well! What better way to show the world who you are and what you are all about? If you are ready to get started on your MySpace page, simply visit the myspace site.
Discover Kevin Sinclair’s system for making profits regardless of whether anyone joins your network marketing business.

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How to watch sports online

So, it is that time of year again. I am pumped about this year’s super bowl. I am going to give you some information so that you can watch the super bowl online if you are not able to watch it live on TV.

With today’s technology, it is very easy to do a lot of things that we were not used to do. Watching TV online is one of those great things. With new technology, you are now able to watch the super bowl online along with any other sporting event from now on. You will just have to pay a one time small fee.

Last year I missed the super bowl because I had to work. I hated it, so I set out to find out what I could do. I found a great program that let me watch the game right from the office without missing a play!

To do this, you will need a couple of things. First of all you will need a computer that is hooked to the Internet. The other thing that you are going to need is a piece of software that will cost around $50, but that is all you will ever have to pay.

The great thing about it is that once you buy the software, you can use it with lifetime access and watch all kinds of other sporting events online. You can even catch the newest movies.

So, all that you need to do in order to watch the super bowl online, is first a computer. It doesn’t have to be a super computer. One that is no older than around 5 or 6 years should do fine. I use an old Dell that I got around 5 years ago without any problems.

The next thing that you are going to need is an Internet connection. I use an old 3Meg connection that I bought off of my local phone company around 2 years ago. It works great.

The last thing that you need is the software for you to be able to watch the super bowl online. And other than those three things, you are ready to go!

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How to get Free Cable TV

Would you like to know how to get free cable TV? No, I am not talking about pirating cable. I am talking about free, legal, unlimited cable TV access to thousands of cable and satellite TV channels, live, uncensored, and available to you twenty-four hours a day.

How is this possible? The Internet has already begun revolutionizing the way in which we access not only our information but also our entertainment. Thanks to advances in high-speed broadband Internet access and advances in the software technology used to deliver live television content across the Internet, millions of people across the world are already enjoying the benefits of watching free cable and satellite TV directly via their computer.

There is no longer any need for cables, cable boxes, and satellite dishes. There is no longer any need to pay outrages monthly fees for access to a couple hundred TV channels. You can now access thousands of TV channels being broadcast live across the world, absolutely free. All you need is a high-speed Internet connection and a computer or laptop. The mainstream cable and satellite dish operators who hold a monopoly over the delivery of content to our households charge outrages monthly fees for a limited selection of channels. But through the Internet, it is now possible to view content from halfway across the planet, as well as domestic content, without having to pay any monthly subscription fees at all.

You can watch NBC, FOX, CNN, ESPN, QVC, HSN, Comedy Central, NASA TV, the Discovery Channel, and more. You can watch international programming from over 78 countries being broadcast in many different languages: English, Spanish, German, Arabic, French, Dutch, and more.
What are you waiting for? Free, unlimited access to over 3000 satellite and cable TV channels can be yours within minutes! No monthly fees, no hidden charges. All you have to pay for is a one-time fee for the software tuner that lets you select the programs you want to watch. Get free cable TV now at http://www.WebSatellite.tv

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How to watch TV on your computer for pennies

It should not come as a surprise to those interested to watch satellite TV on computers that there are already millions doing so. Billions of video streams are watched every single day and people are getting used to watching entertainment media using their PCs online. Basically, the easiest way around it is to power up your computer with a special satellite TV software. We will find out more in this article about this unique software that can enable you to watch satellite TV on computer through the internet and how it compares with the services you are using today.

The software can be downloaded from retailers online and installed quickly. There are clear instruction manuals that take you through a step-by-step approach. Even the most technically challenged can install software in a few steps. The usage is simple since the navigation is user-friendly. Once you are done with the installation, you can instantly check out the TV channels they offer and find the desired TV program you can watch.

If you have been a satellite TV subscriber for the longest time, you would be glad that there are no monthly costs involved at all. The only cost ever is the one time payment for the software which works out to less than $50 for most software versions and brands. When new programs are added, you also need not top up or pay anything extra. These are all included in the software package.

Since the software is receiving free to air TV feeds from FTA TV stations, the TV channels you can watch on computer are entirely free. A quick comparison between satellite and cable TV versus PC satellite TV would reveal that you are catching maybe 700 channels at max with the monthly services but getting access to over 2000 TV channels with the software. This is the one main reason why people love to use the PC satellite TV software.

Other than the software, you do not need extra equipment or hardware, just a good internet connection will do, be it broadband or dial up. Ideally, you should use broadband for faster speeds of TV feed transmission. You also need to have Macromedia Flash and Windows Media Player installed before you can watch satellite TV on computer.

The software has an intelligent user interface that makes it a breeze to use to search and find TV shows to watch. Once you watched it, click to save the TV channel so that you can come back another day to watch. The whole process is as hassle-free as it can get.

Looking at the software side by side with monthly TV services, it outshines services in terms of affordability, the number of TV channels available and the userability. This probably is the reason why more TV viewers, especially the younger folks now watch TV in this way. Learn more about this new technology and how you can make use of PC satellite TV software to watch satellite TV on computer at home from my TV blog.
Davion is a self-proclaimed TV fanatic. Read more on how you can instantly watch satellite TV on PC, tuning into hundreds of LIVE sports channels, news channels and movies for zilch dollar. Also read his wildly popular article on how to watch satellite TV on PC instantly for pennies.

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