Change the file extension during download in the workplace

One website I find when working at the merestrict download files that have extensions such as. Exe. Avi. Mp4. Mp3 and others.







This website will change the file extension you want to download another file extension. Long as I find this concept consider using other proxy-proxy and allows others to download bypass.

You only need to enter the download link and select your file extension you want to exchange. A link will appear for you to download your file with a suitable new extension.

However, should remind the file actually downloaded the first web server and are advised not sensitive files using the download website.

Download size is allowed when the entry is not only exceed 50MB.

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Manage things to do with TODOLIST

The following software has been of little help me to manage some things to be done such as projects, things of life and others. It is TODOLIST which is a freeware which you can download for free.

Some software I have tried this before as PostItNotes, Total Organizer and others. The merit of this software is simple and suitable for some things and manage development projects other than you it is free. TODOLIST open source by this AbstractSpoon attract many developers create software and plug-lugin of interest that can be tried.




















Many other software for the backlog is also a web-based where you must configure the computer as a server to enable it to function as a local.

Took only that I want to share.

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A Trick to Make Your PC Very Fast

Almost any computer owner will tell you that they want a faster PC, but unless you have $100's to spend on upgrades, most people just have to make do with what they have. However, there is a trick to make your computer run a lot faster, which is so simple to do, even a complete novice can pull it off.

This trick revolves around a part of your system called the 'registry'. The registry is a big database which sits at the heart of your computer, allowing your system to "remember" a variety of different settings and information about your PC. Everything from your latest emails to your computer's IP Address are kept in this database, making it a truly important part of your system.

The registry is so important that it's constantly being used by your PC. Every day, your computer is opening and editing 100's of registry files to help it "remember" all your different settings and personalized aspects of your PC. This is okay, but it also causes a big problem because the registry is being used so much, it's constantly making your computer confused, leading it to many of these files in the wrong way. This is what causes most computers to run slow.

Because the corrupt registry files are like books with their pages mixed up, your computer has to spend longer trying to read them. This is important because the longer your computer takes to process a registry file, the longer it's going to take to load programs and do what you want... making it run slower and slower. And since computers are unable to fix the registry files in their systems, this problem just keeps on getting worse and worse until you end up with 1,000's of corrupt registry files slowing your system down.

Luckily, there's an easy way to fix this. You just need to make your computer clean out all the corrupt registry files from your PC, and to do this, you just need to use a tool called a "registry cleaner". Registry cleaners are software packages designed to scan the entire registry and then fix any of the problems they find. Registry tools are one of the most effective and powerful ways to speed up your PC, considering you have a good one. If you can get a tool which cleans out all of the registry errors on your system, you will end up with a computer that runs like it's new - because new PCs run quickly as they have no corrupt registry files to slow them down.

From our experience, the best registry cleaner to speed up your PC is a tool called RegAce.

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Taking Care of Your Computer - Internet Cleaning

Taking Care of Your Computer - Internet Cleaning It is very important that you do this 5 step process to clean your internet cash to improve your internet speed. To do this you need to do these steps:

1. Right click on Internet Explorer (If it is not a short cut, if it is go to the start button and click on it in the programs area)
2. Click on properties
3. Click on delete cookies
4. Click on Delete files
5. Click on History This will get rid of the built up files held by internet Explorer, now for Firefox it is a little different, there are around 6 steps to do it cleaning:

1. Open Firefox
2. Go to tools
3. Got to options
4. There you will see a list of options
5. Pick privacy
6. There you can choose how you want Firefox to handle your files A lot of viruses can be held in cash and temporary internet files, that is why it is very important for you to clean this area often; the more you use the internet the more often you need to clean this area.

I have seen many computers slow down because of too many cash files and temporary files being stored on the computer, this is no one's fault, it is just part of operating a computer.

Now if you are using IE 8 it is even a little different to clean its files, it takes 6 steps:

1. Open IE 8
2. Got to tools
3. Internet options
4. Click delete
5. Put a check mark into what you want to remove
6. Click delete (this can take some time depending on how many files are in there!

I hope that this information is of help to you, this is just free information I picked up as I work on different computers to help make them run faster and more efficient in our every day usage.
I have been working with computers since 1971 when they used punch cards and one used a tape recorder and a monochrome TV screen, I know that I am dating myself.
I do this because I want to help people for free to be able to enjoy their computing experience all the while being trouble free as much as possible.

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Optimize Your Computer - Tips to Handle Blue Screen of Death

Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) is a disaster for most computer users. As a huge number of reasons can account for such problem, when suffered, users may feel distressed and do not how to deal with the blue screen. Though many users may choose to restart the computers, it can not really help you solve the problem completely.

As I have done some researches on how to handle blue screen, here are some tips that may help you so as to optimize the performance of your computer.

It is to optimize your registry.

In most circumstances, if the registry is missing, broken or crammed with junks, it is vulnerable for your computer to blue screen. When it frequently appears blue screen, you should check and repair the registry immediately in case of greater loss.

If you have already backed up your registry, it is easy for you to restore the registry in your Windows 2000/XP. When starting your computer, press "F8", and choose "Last Known Good Configuration (your most recent settings that worked)" and then press "Enter". After that, your registry is restored to the last state that you succeed in starting your computer.

If not, it is urgent for you to backup your registry as soon as possible. Here is a tip for you to backup registry manually.

Click "Start" > "Run", type "regedit" to start Registry Editor, and then click "file" > "Export". In the dialog box of "Export Registry File", type "regedit" in the "File name", and choose "Registration Files (*.reg) in "Save as type". Then set "All" in the "Export range", choose the position for restoring your folders and click "Save". So, you can save your system registry.

However, if you find it is really tough to backup a registry manually, your can click here to backup your registry in a rather easier way so as to protect your computer from the blue screen.

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How to Completely Uninstall Green AV From Your PC

Green Antivirus / Green AV is a malicious software tool that's spreading like a rampant disease through the Internet. It's a false antivirus scanner, which is designed to post lots of fake scanning stats, scaring you into buying it. The only problem with this software is that it's no more use than a chocolate kettle and it installs itself on your system without your permission. What's more, it can be incredibly difficult to remove... but not if you use this tutorial.

How Do I Know I've Got It?

Green Antivirus acts like a normal antivirus scanner would, installing itself on your PC and then proceeding to perform a fake scan of your computer. You can tell if its Green Antivirus because it is branded - it has its name in the top left hand corner and you should be able to clearly tell what it is. The only problem with it is that when it "scans" your PC, it's not actually finding any sort of problems, it's just displaying an animation whilst it creates a list of random fake problems, in order to scare you into buying it.

How Do I Remove It?

To remove Green AV, you need to treat it like a weed and remove all traces of it. To do this, you first need to remove its program files (which power the program) and then its registry keys (which tell Windows how to work it).

If you are feeling brave, try browsing to C:/Program Files/GAV and pressing SHIFT + DELETE to permanently delete it. Then delete all associated registry values in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder by opening up "regedit.exe" and browsing through there.

Although this manual method will remove Green Antivirus, this software has a nasty habit of coming back again and again. So with cases like this, I elect to automatically remove all traces of the software from my computer with an automated uninstaller program. What's more, if you delete the wrong files inside the registry, you could actually make your computer unable to boot or worse - which would ruin it.

How Do I Remove It NOW?

To remove Green Antivirus right now, you need to use an automated uninstaller tool which can deal with this problem well. Having tested many of these types of programs, we've found one called Wizard Uninstaller works best.

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How to Make YouTube Videos With Windows Movie Maker

To properly create, edit, and upload videos to YouTube is not a difficult process once you do it. Recording the footage, editing it, and uploading it to YouTube can be simple and easy once streamlined. Hopefully the information in this article allows you to streamline this process faster than normal.

First off, you need to record the footage. To do this, I use a the Nikon COOLPIX S550 digital camera. It has a great picture, captures sound really well, has zoom options, and is a great bargain at around $150. If you don' t have a camera currently, you can use a webcam (not recommended) or buy a flip-camera for $100 or so. The most important thing to consider is the whether or not what you want to use has a microphone - that is essential. Once you have the equipment, go to a quiet place. Look directly at the camera, speak clearly, and be yourself! Being yourself is the most powerful marketing tool there is. People are drawn to genuineness. Then record your footage and transfer it from the recording device to a folder on your computer.

After the footage is recorded, I edit it using Windows Movie Maker. Windows Movie Maker is standard on PC's that have Windows Vista. If you don't have Windows Movie Maker, many free video editing programs exist. If you Google "free video editing software" you will find a ton of them. I will be writing this article with Windows Movie Maker in mind, however I'm sure most other editors will have similar functions.

Finally, uploading the video to YouTube is the next step. I recommend you create a YouTube channel if you are going to be uploading many videos as it makes it really easy to keep them organized. If not, just upload it and copy down the URL.

Steps to Uploading a Video to YouTube are as follows:

1. The first thing you will need to do is have a google or YouTube account (if you don't go to youtube.com and create on quick - it's easy to do).

2. The second step is to log into YouTube via youtube.com.

3. Once logged in, there is a big yellow "upload" button at the far right underneath your sign in name and the 'sign out' button.

4. Once clicked, it will take you to the Video File Upload screen. When you get there, click on the yellow button that says "Upload Video".

5. Once you click it, a browser will open up for your computer. Find the video you want to upload, and click open.

*A few things to remember: There is a progress bar in YouTube that shows you how much of the video is uploaded. If your video keeps getting unknown errors, turn this off.

Essentially that is the process for uploading videos to YouTube. While not difficult to figure out, if you record the footage, edit it properly, and upload it to YouTube you will have a very successful channel!

For more tutorials and "how-to" articles and videos, go to http://www.jeffdn02.wordpress.com Thank you, and I hope to join you on your road_2_success!.

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Malware Removal

Nowadays when working with computers you have got to know how to remove malicious software. Most of the orders that we get are computers infected by Malware. The threat today on machines is not really viruses anymore. It is indeed Malware or malicious software.

To effectively remove these unwanted pests of software you need an array of software titles. Don't worry. These software programs are free to use. One program that I have found that is really effective at removing things such as trojans is Trojan Remover. You can download this as a free trial and use it for thirty days. To get your computer clean one good time that is infected with lots of trojans, this is a good choice.

Another great choice of software that is good at removing tough to remove malware is a program called Malwarebytes. It will remove tough hard to get rid programs like the 360 anti-virus messages you may have seen or the Antivirus 2008, and 2009 Malware programs that will install on your machine, but you cannot get them off. Malwarebytes will get rid of these programs once and for all without a whole lot of work on your part involved. I can clean a fairly quick machine in about twenty minutes. When you do a scan with Malewarebytes, be sure to do a thorough scan to be sure that it looks in every folder and directory on your hard drive.

These programs are not going to always get every know piece of malware or trojan from your machine. These two however have proven to be the most effective in my experience. They have saved me numerous time from having to totally reformat a machine and start back over, which can take several hours if you have lots of programs that need to be installed.

Another good way to get rid of Malware and trojans is to not get them in the first place. If you think smart about where you go and the software that you download over the internet and even the e-mails that you open, then your chances of catching one of these little buggy programs is slimmed down a few percent. If you are real careful you might not even need the mentioned software titles above. The safety of the internet really depends on you as a web browser than it does the people who make the software that gets rid of them.

By this I am meaning that once you get infected then you have the chance to infect someone else and then they also have that same chance of infecting another persons machine. Before you know it thousands of people can get infected by what you contracted on your computer and all you had to do was be a little careful and less trigger happy with the mouse. Just think before you click if you don't know who the source is. If you do know the source and trust that source then you should be fine. Please visit my Computer Tech Blog for more tech tips.

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The Fight Against Computer Crime

Computer technology has attracted its fair share of criminal activities from those looking to exploit and capitalise on people's reliance on the computer to run their daily lives. After all, author Jolly John singled Singapore out for being 'the most network-ready country', signifying both our dependence on new-age technology and the capabilities of the talent we have. However, there are dire consequences to be dealt with should the intentions of those with the ability to manipulate the systems deviate to malice.

In their efforts to safeguard against computer crime, the Singapore Government has set up various measures through a multi-pronged approach. The first step is to keep up governing laws with the fast changing developments of technology and the opportunities for dismeanour it presents by passing new legislation. Singapore passed the Computer Misuse Act in 1993, which has since been amended four times.

The Computer Misuse Act punishes perpetrators of computer crime, rather than cyber crime. Computer crime refers to crimes against a computer through acts that attack a computer system. The Act covers unauthorised access to a computer, or computer material without authorisation, modifying the contents of a computer without authorisation, obtaining or intercepting any computer service or function, interfering with or obstructing the lawful use of a computer, impeding or preventing access to or impairing the usefulness or effectiveness of any computer program or data, or disclosing a password, access code, or other means of gaining access to a program or data. To take just the first example, any person who uses a computer to secure access to another computer without authorization shall be guilty of an offence.

On the other hand, the existing Penal Code governs cyber crime, which is traditional crime like fraud, theft or extortion abetted through the computer. As opposed to carrying out crime against a computer, perpetrators carry out their illegal acts through the computer.

Through the Computer Misuse Act, the law punishes and deters computer criminals by meting out harsh penalties including imprisonment and fines. Crimes targeting the bedrock of our nation's critical industries like banking and finance, communications or transportation and public services warrants the harshest punishment - a fine up to $100,000 and/or imprisonment up to 20 years. It is also noteworthy that a Court can order compensation to be paid by the offender for any damage that is caused, and such compensation which is ordered does not prevent or restrict a civil claim for damages which exceeds the compensation amount.

The next step it has taken is to set up agencies that ensure the enforcement of these laws. These specialised agencies include the Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team, Computer Crimes Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Computer Forensics Branch of the Singapore Police.

Operated by professionally-trained tech experts, they can exercise their power with extra-territorial jurisdiction. They are trained in all aspects of computer investigation, one of which is the emerging field of computer forensics. This intricate process of investigation enables the retrieval of consequential data from computers, computer networks, data storage media and related equipment that may contain evidence which can be presented in court. They first analyse the data and meticulously document and preserve the evidence to be presented before court. This operation requires highly trained professionals as it involves delicate procedures where a single wrong move can destroy or modify the evidence.

If one suspects a breach but don't want to bring it directly to the authorities, there is the option of approaching private forensic investigators like Adroit Data Recovery Centre (ADRC). Due to the increase in violations of the Computer Misuse Act, ADRC has set up a forensic investigation department to deal with the influx of such investigative requests.

With more than 10 years of experience in the data recovery market, ADRC is well equipped with certified computer forensic experts who are capable of securing and documenting digital evidence with full audit trail suitable for court submission and performing data recovery under all adverse situations. They also have their own class 100 clean laboratory. Without having to move evidence around, this minimizes the risk of evidence being contaminated.
Computer users should also adopt preventive measures to safeguard their computers against computer crime, which is a very real threat that has the potential to be even more damaging given our reliance on computers these days.
Adroit Data Recovery Centre (ADRC) Pte Ltd is South East Asia's leading data recovery centre equipped with the first Class 100 clean laboratory in Singapore. It has an un-paralleled capability and the setup to acquire and collect the digital evidence from all kinds of working or damaged media while observing the strictest process of computer forensic investigation.

The team of qualified forensic experts is able to provide court-ready reporting of digital evidence for civil and criminal litigation through the installation of rigorous forensic methodologies in order to identify, acquire, preserve, analyze and document digital data (electronically stored information) for use as evidence in court or other legal or administrative proceedings.

Forensic Services Contact
For more information on ADRC's computer forensics services, please contact:
ADRC Hotline: +65 6773 9279 / +65 6773 9277, Email: help@adrc.net
Legal Contact
For more information on legal aspects of computer forensic services, please contact:
Glen Koh Law Firm
DID: 66225610,
Email: legal_consult@adrc.com

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The Five Most Dangerous Internet Security Myths

Eric Larkin in PC World reports that we need to get rid of myths about the internet in order to stay safe online.

Myth #1:
Maladjusted teens vandalize your computer.

Reality #1:
Gone are the days when teenagers looked for 15 minutes of fame. Organized crime is the culprit. They want money. Online black marketers place malware on computers to make money. They take over PCs to send spam, steal logins and credit card information, or hack game accounts. They use stolen webmail accounts to request transfers from contact lists and raid online games to sell the items or the in-game currency for real money. Financial fraud by cyber-criminals have cost consumers and businesses billions of dollars.

Myth #2:
All you need is a good antivirus program.

Reality #2:
Wrong. A good antivirus program will help a good deal, but antivirus companies are locked in a constant battle with cyber-criminals who make every effort to stay one step ahead of antivirus software. Yes, many times the security software can prevent the attacks, but other times there are holes in the software and the criminals get the upper hand. You need more security software than just a good antivirus program to protect you from cyber-crime.

Myth #3:
You're fine if you are just careful where you surf.

Reality #3:
This way of thinking is outdated. Years ago you could tell if a site was dangerous just by looking at it, and if you were careful with your emails, you could go without antivirus software. Not anymore. Now personal pages and big-name company sites are hacked by cybercriminals using flaws in the security software to install malware. You would have to be an expert to recognize a hacked page or an email that was attacked. Besides antivirus software, you need antispyware, antirootkit, and a bidirectional firewall along with a team of techs to protect you from cyber-criminals.

Myth #4:
"If it ain't broke don't fix it" requires knowing when something is broken.

Reality #4:
These days there are malicious hidden processes, threats, files, or registry keys and you need advanced anti-rootkit technology to remove them.

Myth #5:
The worse myth. We're all doomed. Stay offline.

Reality #5:
Yes, you can get hacked, but if you know the risks and prepare adequately you can enjoy what the Web has to offer. By following these simple steps, you can be protected from cybercriminals.

* Install antivirus+antispyware, antirootkit, and a bidirectional firewall onto your computer.

* Make sure your computer has daily security updates, automatic upgrades to new software, and full security software support.

* Have your computer monitored daily for malware and have malicious codes stopped before they can harm your computer.

* Get protection for emails and attachments.

* Have your own team of techs to keep your computer clean and running well.

Don't fall hostage to cybercriminals. Don't accept the worst myth that the crooks own the internet and that the only good option is to use the internet as little as possible.

Log onto my informational blog http://www.crimeandjustice4all.com to learn about a Managed Internet Security Service and how it can protect you, your family, and your business from cybercrime. I am Miriam Bobroff, President and CEO of Bubby's Business, Inc. an international marketing and distribution company that offers education and cutting edge solutions to the problem of Cybercrime. I have always helped people to improve the quality of their lives and I now include a Managed Internet Security Service into my business that helps people fight the war on Cybercrime and keeps them safe and secure from cybercriminals.

For more information, log onto http://www.crimeandjustice4all.com.

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Rundll32-exe Features Analysis - How to Fix Rundll32-exe Error?

What is Rundll32.exe?

Now, let's learn more information about the file Rundll32.exe. The role of Rundll32.exe is to execute the internal function of DLL files, so that in the processes there is only Rundll32.exe, instead of the DLL backdoor, which allows the DLL files to be hidden. If you find that there are several Rundll32.exe in the system, please don not worry, as this just shows how many DLL files have been initiated. Of course, as for what the DLL files executed by Rundll32.exe are, we can find them where the system automatically loads.

Is Rundll32.exe infected?

If your computer has the disguised Rundll32.exe file, the system may have contained several files produced by viruses. Generally, these files survive by attaching to other processes, and they download or upload information in the background of the system, doing relatively great harm to the system. The following is the sum-up of some features of infected Rundll32, which may be good alerts to computer users while using their computers.

Feature One:
As long as opening a website, the computer becomes extremely slow; in the processes of the Task Manager, Rundll32.exe occupies CPU 99%. Meanwhile, there are other processes with strange names which will appear again after being closed. And, the antivirus/anti-spyware software does not seem to work to these processes.

Feature Two:
Download a free Process Viewer tool to see the file path of the process Rundll32.exe. If the file path is not C:windowssystem32, it is usually the case that the virus disguises itself and stores in another file directory. Then, there are always many Rundll32.exe appearing in the system process, while it usually exists as hidden file.

Feature Three:
Check the Registry. If the following keys are added, then your system has been infected.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun]
"TaskMan"="C:WINNTFontsrundll32.exe"
"Explorer"="C:WINNTFontsexplorer.exe"
"messnger"="C:WINNTsystem32Dvldr32.exe"

Feature Four:
Access the computer system; click Run on Start menu; type cmd, and type netstat -an in the opened command window. If a large number of TCP connections to the external port 6667, or TCP port 5800 and 5900 are in monitoring, then your system may have been infected, as follows:
C:>netstat.exe -n
Active Connections
Proto Local Address Foreign Address State
TCP x.x.x.x:1043 149.156.91.2:6667 CLOSE_WAIT
TCP x.x.x.x:1045 198.65.147.245:6667 CLOSE_WAIT
...
TCP x.x.x.x:4811 198.65.147.245:6667 CLOSE_WAIT
TCP x.x.x.x:4887 149.156.91.2:6667 CLOSE_WAIT

Feature Five:
Often disguise itself with different process names, such as rundll132.exe, rundl132.exe, etc. All these need to be carefully viewed with a Process Viewer tool.

Solutions to fix Rundll32.exe

1. Rundll32.exe is a Windows executable file which can be disabled by many viruses. However, there is a virus named "Happy Times" which has the same name and size as Rundll32.exe and it keeps reproducing itself under the root directory of each folder you open. If a large number of this file appears in your computer, then your computer is undoubtedly infected, and usually most antivirus software can not solve this problem. The general solution is, manually bulk deleting all the files with the name Rundll32.exe, and then retrieve from the Windows source program the useful file Rundll32.exe. The way to retrieve it is, taking Windows XP as an example, typing "cmd" in the Run box and pressing Enter; typing:
expand CD-ROM i386rundll32.ex_%Systemroot%rundll32.exe
CD-ROM is the location of the operating system source code, not necessarily the drive.

2. The original file of Rundll32.exe has backup in C:windowssystem32dllcache, where you can make a copy.

3. Download the same file from website and cover it to the directory C:windowssystem32.

4. If you have two computers at home, it is also available by copying and recovering the file from one computer to another.

Please notice that only Rundll32.exe in the same version of system can be recovered, or the system will show an error. Before recovering the process manager should be used first to end the process Rundll32.exe.

If you are still not sure that your Rundll32.exe has got infected after reading the four features above, you can also download Spyware Cease and run the Online Scan function built in, to accurately check and diagnose whether your Rundll32.exe has been infected.

http://www.spywarecease.com
http://www.threatremove.com

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Problems with XP Service Pack 2

Microsoft released Service Pack 2 for Windows XP to increase security and fix bugs.

After installing SP2 I noticed some problems with my computer. I searched the internet and sure enough lots of other people have been having problems too.

"My Computer"

I couldn't fail to notice that after install Windows XP Service Pack 2 that when I clicked on the "My Computer" icon ...

that it took a very long time to list all the drives. Curiously I notice this problem did not exist in my drive manager utility (plug ;-) Drive Manager ) so I knew this had to a problem in Windows and not with any off my drives.

This problem was not just in "My Computer" but also in standard "Save as" dialog
in any program when you click on "My Computer" to change to another drive, so this problem was going to be a huge hindrance.
I have my suspicions that the problem is with my internal 6 in 1 multi card reader which is connected internally to the USB ports on the motherboard.

"Printing"

Another problem I have experienced after installing SP2 is printing to my Canon MPC 200 Multi printer which is also connected to a USB Port.

Uninstalling

After uninstalling SP2 both these problems where resolved.

Solution

This problem was with the Printer. The driver of the particular printer has a problem with Windows XP Service pack 2. The printer (Canon MPC 200) has a built in compact flash card reader. It's this card reader which causes the long delay when clicking on "My Computer". Therefore both these problems were with the printer or more specifically the printer drivers.

There is an updated printer driver on Canon's website http://www.canon.com If you have difficultly finding it and you have this exact model you can download it here mp4x0tmpsxpsp2.zip

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Computer Components and the Hard Disk Drive

When you stop and think about all of the various computer components that make up a modern computer system, it is hard to ignore the importance of the hard disk drive (also known as the HDDD, and often called "hard drive" for short). The hard drive of your computer is the storage area that houses every program and file that you install or create on your computer, as well as changes that you make to them. Without your hard drive, you could still perform the calculations and other processes for which you use your computer - but you would have no place to store the data.

For those of us who remember what personal computers were like a couple of decades ago, the rise of computer components like the hard disk drive has been nothing short of a lifesaver. Gone are the days where everything you did on your computer had to be backed up to a floppy disk because there was no way to store it on the system. Today's computers are awash in storage space, with even the smallest of systems currently boasting had drive space in excess of 160 GB of space.

Information from your hard drive is called upon by the program or document you are working with, then pulled from storage and given to the random access memory for immediate use. Though the hard drive itself is not the most efficient or speedy processor of information, it doesn't need to be. Its main job is to idly hold all of the data until it is needed. Other computer components handle the speed intensive tasks.

There are two main types of hard drives on the market today: the IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) and the SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Architecture). The IDE is the slower and less expensive of these computer components, while the SATA draws upon more power and uses smaller wiring to achieve speeds of 3000 MB per second and higher. Nevertheless, when it comes to computer components, you should never forget that it is not the hard drive that determines the speed and efficiency of your computer system.

Article was written by Jeffrey Frasco. Visit Computer Knowledge For You for information about Basic Computer Components. Computer Knowledge For You also offers information about computer hardware tips, and a tutorial about how to build your own computer.

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The Basics of Computer Components

A computer is made up of thousands of intricate parts that together create the complexity of the computer itself. Computers can have basic components or added components that enhance the computers capabilities of processing more, and performing a broader array of tasks. The basics of computer components though, are really all you need to know.

There are mainly two forms of computers that are manufactured. The laptop which is portable and can run on wireless internet connections, and the desktop which is not portable and is stationary placed. They are made up of the same basic computer components, and are more alike in the way that they store info and perform a various array of tasks.

All computers have a hard drive, a mother board, a keypad, monitor, and mouse.

• The hard drive is the fixture that stores information and all the programs that allow your computer to work effectively.
• The mother board is similar to the hard drive in that it is the main computer component that handles the computers commands, power supply, and any other task menu that exists.
• The keypad is how you type in information or search on the web. It is geared as a communication device in every aspect of a computer.
• The monitor or screen of your computer allows you to view information, data, videos, and all the media that your computer holds.
• The mouse allows you to direct your way through the screen, whether it be through the internet or clicking on programs, files, and locations you need to access.

These are the key computer components that drive the technological device we call a computer. They are what a computer needs to function properly, and to be conformed completely. Computer technology has expanded the world with the abilities to share, inform, and educate.

Article was written by Jeffrey Frasco. Visit Computer Knowledge For You for information about PC Computer Hardware. Computer Knowledge For You also offers information about computer hardware, computer software articles, and a tutorial about how to build your own computer.

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A guide to servicing and speeding up a Windows PC.

If your computer has gradually become slower to operate, respond and the hard disks seems to be accessing all the time then may be your computer is over due for a service. In the past I services people's computers for them on a regular basis and here is a guide as to what to do. I find that if you perform all the these tasks, it will make your PC feel almost like new again. In most cases it can prevent the need to format the hard disk and reinstalling Windows again from scratch.

Run System File Checker.

System File Checker is a utility that comes with Windows that checks the core system files for corruption. If a file is found to be corrupt then it will prompt you to insert your original Windows installation CD into your CD-ROM so it can restore the file. You will need the correct Windows installation CD with the correct level of service pack installed. For example you cannot use Windows XP Professional - Service Pack 2 CD to restore Windows XP Home Service Pack 1.

To run on a Windows 95,98 or ME

1. click Start
2. Programs
3. Accessories
4. System Tools
5. System Info.
6. Then Select System File Check from the tools menu.

To run on Windows 2000 or XP Click S

tart - Run and type in sfc /scannow.

Scan for and remove Spyware and Adware programs.

When you install software sometime along with t

hat software Spyware or Adware programs are install along with it without you knowing. These programs monitor things like your surfing habits and report them back to their creators for marketing research. They can also display internet pop screens will your surfing to advertise other companies products and website. All these extra programs can add up and are taken valuable resources away from your system. Your CPU can end up having to process instructions from hundred or different pieces of Adware and spyware these will all be using up your ram while running and are completely unnecessary. When you are connected to the internet these programs will be calling up ads from other site and reporting your surfing habits back to there databases. This is taking up your internet bandwidth.

To track down and remove all these nasty little piec

es of software there are several programs available to do this.

Spybot Search and Destroy

Ad-aware SE Personal

Microsoft have just released their own spyware scanner / remove which can be downloaded from :-
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx

If you have Windows XP then I highly recommend that y

ou install Service Pack 2. Service pack 2 contains a firewall for blocking unsolicited requests and unauthorised installed objects to your PC from web pages. It also installs a pop-up block in the Internet Explorer.

Clean out system startup.

Some software that you install will add part of itself to your system start-up so that when your when your computer is booted up the software is pre

loaded with a little icon in the system tray. This is something that is sometime done without you knowing about it. If too many things are in your start-up your computer might short of available Ram and need to continually swap things in and out of memory to the hard disk, slowing your computer down. Its worth every so often going through the start-up and removing programs that you don't need preloaded.

To inspect your start-up you can run a program which comes with Windows called MSConfig. You can do this by click START - RUN and typing in msconfig.exe For some reason Windows 2000 does not come with MSConfig so I recommend a program called Startup Control Panel by Mike Lin. This is a very good utility which is only 76k in size. It can be downloaded from http://www.mlin.net/

Clean the registry.

The registry is a database in Windows that stores data and settings for all the hardware, software, and user settings of your software and Windows itself. Lots of programs don't remove their registry entries when they are uninstalled. The registry can get clogged up with orphan, corrupt and used entries. System errors can occur if a file specified in the registry not longer exists on your hard disk.

To clean clean the registry there are lots of programs available that will remove these unneeded registry entries.

Fix the registry.

If your registry becomes corrupt your computer may crash when software tries to access the registry. In this case you will need to either perform a repair on it or replace it with a recent backup.

If your using Windows 98 or Windows ME. You can use "scanreg /opt" and "scanreg /fix" to shrink and repair registries.
For more information see the Microsoft Knowledge base article at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q184023/

Thanks to Craig McAdams for this tip.

Run Norton Windoctor.

If you have a copy of Norton System Works run the Win Doctor program which is part of it. Win Doctor can detect and fix lots of common problems that can occur in Windows. There are also other utilities which come with Norton System Wor

ks which are useful for servicing your PC. I have not yet been able to find a free alternative to Win Doctor but when I do so I will promote it here.

Run Scandisk / Check Disk / Norton Disk Doctor.

Below shows the console version which can be run from the command prompt. With the /F parameter for fix it will repair errors to the hard disk. As shown in the screen shot below it will need to do this on the next reboot.

Before servicing a PC I like to check for any errors that may be on the hard disk. You can do this by running Scandisk which is part of Windows or if you have a copy of Norton System Works you can run Norton Disk Doctor which is much more comprehensive.

Remove temp file, history files and other junk files.

When you use your computer in general a particularly when you surf the internet your computer creates lots of temporary files. Software installs often decompress themselves to a temporary folder which doesn't get cleared down afterwards. Temporary files can add up to hundreds of megabytes and is simply a waste of space. I hav

e also encountered situations where poorly written software uses a sequence of numbers to generate its temporary files and looks through the all the existing temporary files to find the next one in the sequence which is very slow.

Windows has a disk cleanup tool which I find to be very slow. I like Ultra Win Cleaner which is much faster for doing a quick clean up. It also has a registry cleaner. I am currently working of my own PC Servicing tool which will have a disk clean function.

Install Latest Windows Service Packs and security fixes.

Installing to latest Windows service packs and security fixes is a must as Microsoft are frequently finding security holes and bugs and bringing out updates to fix them. This process is also a good way of replacing any corrupt system files you may have on your PC. If you have broadband you can download the latest service packs from www.microsoft.com. If you only have a 56K modem you can often find them on the cover CDs and DVDs of various computer magazines.

Service Packs

If you have a dialup modem instead of broadband an

d find that downloading Microsoft's updates takes a long time then you can order a CD containing a summary of there security fixes from this address http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/cd/order.asp

Update or reinstall the Internet Explorer.

Although this also falls under the heading of the previous section I think it is so important I have given it its own section. You can fixes loads of browsing and stability problems by installing the latest Internet explorer upgrade. If how ever you already have the latest version of the internet explorer installed you can refresh any corrupt files by

performing a reinstall.

Install latest runtime libraries.

This one is optional but if you have a computer which is unstable it may be worth installing the latest runtime libraries for various technologies as this might replace current versions that may have become corrupt. The latest versions may also have bug fixes in them.

Runtime libraries can be downloaded from here

Scan and remove viruses.

This is an obvious one but often when people bring a computer to me to service I find that it has no anti virus software installed and is therefore infected with many viruses. If your computer is infected with a virus or viruses your computer will slow down and become very unstable as the viruses instruct your computer to look for other files or emails to infect and well as the damage they may be doing to your system files.

I currently recommend the Kaspersky Anti-Virus scanner.

If you do not have a virus scanner installed there are a number of online virus scanners:-

http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html

http://www.kaspersky.com/remoteviruschk.html

http://www.kaspersky.com/beta

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/housecall/start_corp.asp

http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym

Sophos do a useful command line virus scanner which can be downloaded for free from :-
http://www.sophos.com/tools/sav32sfx.exe This tool does not disinfect files but will tell you which files are infected to you can delete them yourse

lf if you wish.

The AVG virus scanner has a free edition which can be downloaded from http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/lng/us/tpl/v5. This version allows free updates once a day. With virus scanners like this available no one has any excuse not to have antivirus software installed.

One of the main ways in which viruses spread is through emails. Once your computer becomes infected the virus can read your contacts in outlook and email each of them a copy of itself. To prevent this I recommend disabling the preview pane so that HTML emails which contain viruses attached our not automatically executed before you have had chance to delete them. I also strongly recommend installing Service Pack 2 if

you are running Windows XP.

Perform system tweaks.

There are many tweaks you can perform on your system that can increase performance. Older operating systems such as Windows 98 can have tweaks to increase various cache setting which are set at a lower default setting for the hardware which was current at the time of release. There are also tweaks to remove built it delays and remove unnecessary features. There are a number of programs that can do this. I recommend PCB

ooster.

Defragment your hard disk.

When files are deleted from your hard disk a gap is left where the file used to be. The next time a file is written to the hard disk the gap is filled with part of that new file (if the new file is larger) and the rest in other gaps or spaces which are marked as available. Over a period of time instead of files be stored in a continuous block they are fragmented across the disk. Defragmenting the disk is the process of taking these fragmented files and concatenating them to continuous blocks. This means to hard disk head is not continuously moving about all over the disk to read the files.

This may be obvious to some people but it's amazing how many technical people do not perform this tasks regularly or at all and it can make serious improvements to performance.

To defrag a hard drive simply

1. right click on the drive in My Computer
2. select Properties
3. Tools
4. Defragment Now

Drivers

Make sure all your hardware drivers are installed

and up to date. One of the quickest and easiest way to do this is using the website http://www.driveragent.com

Conclusions

If you perform all the tasks and run all the utilities I have mentioned here you should find that your PC has a much improved performance and stability especially on older operating system such as Windows 98.

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