How To Build Your Own Computer

Building a computer can be a little overwhelming, especially if this is your first time taking on a project such as this. It is also one of the most rewarding and exciting do it your self projects you will ever do. Both tech savvy and technically impaired people alike have considered building their own PC, but never actually go through with the task. While it does take time and effort to build a computer it also has rewards that make it worth that time and that effort. To be successful you must first understand what goes into a computer build, then comprehend what each part does and how it interacts with other pieces of hardware.

Graduating with Technology

Follow @ryderskull88


Provide By:http://www.learnstuff.com/
-->

Keep Your Computer Healthy: How to Avoid Contracting a Virus

Follow @ryderskull88

What do you do to keep yourself healthy? Perhaps you stay active, take vitamin supplements, eat fruits and vegetables and get lots of sleep to keep your immune system strong? If you feel a little run down, you go to bed early and give your body the rest that it needs to fight off an impending illness. However, although you take care of yourself to prevent illness, do you take the time to protect one of your most important possessions; your computer?

Your computer is just like you; if it gets exposed to viruses and it’s immune system is lowered then it is at risk of coming down with an illness. However, rather than causing stomach flu, headache or sore throat, a virus in your computer can compromise your personal information and even destroy the computer completely. Even though viruses have a devastating effect on your device, many people pay very little attention to the health of their personal computer until it is too late.

However, there are many ways that you can keep your computer healthy and ensure that it has a great “immune system” for fighting off potential viruses. Here are a few ideas of what you can do to stay one step ahead of computer viruses and keep your device safe:

Vaccinate with an Anti-Virus Program

When it comes to computers, an anti-virus program is like a vaccination, it allows your computer’s immune system to recognize any invading viruses and stop them before they cause infection. You should always have a quality, trusted anti-virus software installed on your computer from the very first day that you use it. Every time you surf the internet you are exposed to countless malware, viruses and spyware so it is crucial to be protected.

Keep Your Immune System Strong

Every now and then, your anti-virus software will ask you to do an update. You should always click “yes” because this is very important to the strength of your computer immune system. Internet hackers keep coming up with new viruses and so your anti-virus software needs to keep updating itself so that it stays one step ahead of infection. If you miss this step, your computer could be infected by a virus that your anti-virus software doesn’t recognize yet.

Avoid Possibly Infectious Websites

You wouldn’t lick the handrail on the subway, or share a straw with someone in an infectious disease ward, so why would you hang around suspicious websites which could harm your computer? If you have a good virus protection program it will warn you whenever you are visiting a website that will put your computer at risk. Whenever you get this warning, close the browser window or navigate away from the website; it’s not worth the risk.

Be Careful What You Download

If you are like most internet users, you will probably download music, movies and other fun things. However, these downloads could be hiding a virus. Make sure that you only accept them from websites that you trust and that you scan them before you open them.

Know the Symptoms

Sometimes your computer can be ill for a while before you even notice, because you don’t know what symptoms to look for. You should have an idea of what normal pop-up windows on your computer look like and be able to spot the tell-tale signs that your machine is coming down with something. This will help you catch virus risks right away and fix them before they cause too much harm.

These are just a few ways that you can keep your computer strong and healthy and avoid a virus which will erase all of your important data. Your computer is important to you, so take the time to look after its health and it will run smoothly for a long time.

Taking care of your computer’s health such as by installing a program like&McAfee antivirus , will help prevent the loss of your valuable information.

Related articles

• Keep Your Computer Healthy: How to Avoid Contracting a Virus

  ---

• What to Look for in an Anti-virus software?

  ---

• What is Anti-Virus Software?

  ---

• Computer Virus Information

  ---

How to Run a Laptop Cheaply

Follow @ryderskull88

Laptops often prove somewhat of a necessity in the modern world. Conventionally used as portable alternatives to desktop PCs, these days they are often purchased instead of the latter in order to provide the best of both worlds. However, as with any PC they can prove expensive to run, especially if something goes wrong. Not to worry, however, for this guide aims to offer you tips on how to look after your laptop for less (however, if you don’t have a laptop already then you may want to look at a different article in order to help you accrue the funds to get one).

Productivity software

If you’re using a Windows PC and need a word processor, spreadsheet program or similar, then your immediate response is likely to be to turn to Microsoft Office. However, do remember that there are alternatives on offer. One of the most popular of these is OpenOffice, which has programs equivalent to all of those in Microsoft Office. Additionally, OpenOffice is available for a variety of operating systems beyond Windows, including Mac OS X, Linux and UNIX. Why shell out for expensive productivity software when you can get something just as good for free?

Servicing

Laptops have a habit of going wrong, and so this is where a lot of people often lose money when maintaining one. However, if you ask around you might be surprised at who has a hidden knack with computers in your friend group; they may even be able to have a look at your laptop for free (though you might want to give them something for their trouble). If you can’t find anyone who’ll help you with your laptop problems for free then be savvy in your choice of servicing outlet; personal recommendations and knowing at least a little bit about computers can help you avoid being overcharged.

laptops (Photo credit: _escalade328s_)

Don’t let it get stolen!

This may seem an obvious one, but a lot of people neglect a variety of seemingly simple things that in turn put their laptop and other portable electrical items at serious risk of theft. Replacing a laptop is no mean financial feat, and often you also lose irreparable data in the process. As with anything that a passing person might decide they’d like to steal off you, don’t advertise the fact that you’re carrying a laptop around with you if you can help it. Carrying a purpose-made laptop bag, for example, is a dead giveaway, whereas transporting in a more standard rucksack is far more subtle.

Vincent Vance usually writes for Vanquis Ltd, but today is instead trying to stop you from making the same mistakes with your laptop as he did.

Infographics: Star Trek is Just Around the Corner

Are we getting close to some of the technology used in Star Trek shows. The infographics below shows some of the technology used in the show compare to the real life present day technology that we are currently using.

Sortable's High Tech Infographic

Netbook vs. Laptop: Which is Best For Me?

I’m an on-the-go kind of person. I love jumping on a plane for an adventure with nothing but a small carry-on bag and my purse. I am also embarrassingly dependent on my computer; whether at home or lounging around on vacation, you’ll usually find a laptop across my knees. I was recently in the market for a new computer, but instead of paying full price for a new laptop, I opted instead to spend only $300 on a 10 inch ASUS cobalt-blue netbook. The low price was enticing, but what really sold me was the size. Small enough to be carried from room to room balanced easily on the palm of one hand, the tiny netbook was the perfect companion for my always-moving lifestyle.

A friend cautioned me that I might not be satisfied with my purchase. “They don’t have much computing power,” he warned. “No DVD drive, and not a lot of memory. The small screen can also get annoying.” My response in defense of the netbook: “but it fits in my purse!” "Lives in my purse" may have been a more apt description, as I frequently take it with me to coffee shops, board meetings, or even the other side of the United States. It only weighs a few pounds and the battery lasts for 8 hours. Laptops are convenient, but the portability of the netbook is almost unmatched.

netbooks (Photo credit: osde8info)

However, my friend’s cautions against the netbook were not unfounded. My relationship with my netbook, though rosy in the beginning, has had its rough patches. The lack of an optical drive means I can’t easily install software, watch DVDs, or play CDs. Netbooks are not as powerful as laptops unless you spend a considerable amount, so I have been frequently frustrated with slowness, and sometimes non-responsiveness, when I have too many programs running at the same time. The small screen also makes watching YouTube videos less visually exciting than on my old laptop.

Image via Wikipedia

If you love a large screen, want a fast computing experience, and can’t live without extras like a DVD drive, (and have the $500 to $1500 to spend), you are probably better off sticking with a laptop. If portability is your main goal and you mostly use your computer for basics like word processing and the internet, then you will be perfectly happy with a netbook. I still have my old laptop, which lives at my home while my netbook travels around with me. Since the two serve such different functions, you may even be happiest like I am--with one of each!

Austin computer shop in Western Australia offer great prices on all things computers. Checkout their laptop sale to save money on a new high performance laptop computer. Rest assured in the knowledge that every Austin store also has an in-store service center and offer free lifetime phone support on purchases.

Computer Repair 101: Safety First

There are a number of easy computer fixes you can make on your own, such as switching out a hard drive. However, it's important to remember that a computer can hold a lot of electricity, even after it's unplugged. That's why it's important to follow a few simple steps to stay safe. Here are just a few safety rules to follow when repairing computers.

Always Unplug the Computer

You should never work on a computer without powering it off and unplugging it from the wall. This includes just removing the case to check wires. A computer can hold on to a lot of electricity, even after it's unplugged. This is especially true of the capacitors. For this reason, the computer should be powered down and unplugged for several minutes before beginning your work.

Remove Jewelry

In case the computer holds on to electricity, you need to make sure you have removed rings, bracelets and any other metal jewelry that may come in contact with the computer. This is especially true when working with power supplies that may have energy stored for longer periods of time after being unplugged.

Use a Grounding Strap

A grounding strap is exactly what is sounds like. The strap goes around your wrist and attaches to the ground. The strap prevents static electricity from ruining sensitive pieces of equipment, such as hard drives. Grounding straps can be found in most electronics stores and are relatively inexpensive.

Image via Wikipedia

Place Internal Parts on a Static-Free Mat

If you will be removing parts from your computer, such as hard drives, you will want to place those parts on an anti-static mat to prevent damage. For example, if static electricity has built up on your carpet, you could damage the hard drive by placing it directly on the carpet due to the jolt of electricity that will occur when the metal of the hard drive comes in contact with the carpet.

Never Work Inside Monitors

Monitors are something you should never work on. These should only be serviced by professionals due to the high amount of electricity that stays stored in the monitor long after it's unplugged. Trying to repair a monitor when you don't know what you're doing can result in death.

There are many repairs that the average computer user can make. However, you do need to remember to take certain precautions to not only protect yourself, but your computer as well.

About the Author: Myong Morini is a computer repair specialist who advocates computer safety before anything else. He can help to recover deleted files, replace hardware, and remove viruses. If in doubt, seek the help of a professional.

IT Security - How To Prevent Data Hacking

Data hacking is a concern for every business in the world. When you conduct business, you have customers. Your customers trust you to keep their purchasing information safe. This information could contain financial information or other sensitive data. There are a lot of ways that you can keep your IT security up to par, but here are a few suggestions to get you up and running.

 

Hire A Hacker

Certified ethical hackers are employed by a lot of companies to test their firewalls and other IT security implementations. Hackers have inside knowledge on how to crack through the security and get to your sensitive data. If one hacker can do it, another one is surely capable. Be sure that the hacker you employ is certified and has a long-standing record of amicable business. Check their references and make sure that they are legitimate before you give them access to your system. 

Computer security old school (Photo credit: sridgway)

Quality Assessments

Run a quality assessment on your systems. This assessment should review the timelines of data swap between servers or databases. Use an IT security specialist to monitor any security protocols with weaknesses. Also have them check any passwords that are common along the system.

 

Data Touch Points

Create a map of the contributors for the relevant data coming across your system. One of the most common reasons that IT security is breaches is because somebody had access to data when they shouldn’t have. Determine exactly what applications are used in conducting each aspect of your business and give employees access the applications when needed. If the employees do not need access to the applications, implement a group policy to restrict them from accessing the applications. 

Regular System Reviews

When you are upgrading your systems or putting in new hardware, software or operating systems, thing can get very complicated. It’s not unheard of to have a system that is left unsecured during upgrades or downgrades. Conduct regular system reviews to make sure that your systems are not left without the proper IT security.

 

 

Security Policies

Security policy is a very wide spread genre in IT security. Simply implementing a group policy so your employees do not have access to certain programs may not be enough. Think about hiring a professional security vendor who can upgrade your firewalls or install new security policies across your systems. Make these security policies as specific as possible so you know what each employee needs in order to fulfill their job. Having a security vendor that specializes in your business’ niche is a good way to get tailored advice on IT security.

Image via Wikipedia

IT security is a major concern because of online business. Having the ability to keep your customer’s information safe is essential for gaining their trust. Implementing these solutions to your business will not only keep your customers happy, it can bring in new business. Clients want a company that will not leak their information. With top tier IT security, you will never have to worry about this.

Rashed Khan hold an MSc in Software Engineering and enjoys guest posting on business/technology related topics.

How to Secure Your Computer System

As we use the internet more and more for work or other things, the threat of online attacks seems to have increased more. Particularly vulnerable are computer which is least protected from the most common attacks by malware and viruses. Today, more and more people are using their computers for everything from communication to online banking and investing to shopping.   

As we do these things on a more regular basis, we open ourselves up to potential hackers, attackers and crackers.  While some may be looking to phish your personal information and identity for resale, others simply just want to use your computer as a platform from which to attack other unknowing targets.  

Image via Wikipedia

Below are a few easy, cost-effective steps you can take to make your computer more secure.

1.              Always make backups of important information and store in a safe place separate from your computer.

2.              Update and patch your operating system, web browser and software frequently.  If you have a Windows operating system, start by going to www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com and running the update wizard.  This program will help you find the latest patches for your Windows computer.  Also go to www.officeupdate.microsoft.com to locate possible patches for your Office programs.

3.           Install a firewall.  Without a good firewall, viruses, worms, Trojans, malware and adware can all easily access your computer from the Internet.  Consideration should be given to the benefits and differences between hardware and software based firewall programs.

Image via Wikipedia

4.            Review your browser and email settings for optimum security.  Why should you do this?  Active-X and JavaScript are often used by hackers to plant malicious programs into your computers.  While cookies are relatively harmless in terms of security concerns, they do still track your movements on the Internet to build a profile of you.  At a minimum set your security setting for the “internet zone” to High, and your “trusted sites zone” to Medium Low.

5.                Install antivirus software and set for automatic updates so that you receive the most current versions.

6.               Do not open unknown email attachments.  It is simply not enough that you may recognize the address from which it originates because many viruses can spread from a familiar address.    

7.               Do not run programs from unknown origins.  Also, do not send these types of programs to friends and coworkers because they contain funny or amusing stories or jokes.  They may contain a Trojans horse waiting to infect a computer.

Image via Wikipedia

8.              Disable hidden filename extensions.  By default, the Windows operating system is set to “hide file extensions for known file types”.  Disable this option so that file extensions display in Windows.  Some file extensions will, by default, continue to remain hidden, but you are more likely to see any unusual file extensions that do not belong.   

9.               Turn off your computer and disconnect from the network when not using the computer.  A hacker can not attack your computer when you are disconnected from the network or the computer is off.

10.     Consider making a boot disk on a floppy disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised by a malicious program.  Obviously, you need to take this step before you experience a hostile breach of your system. 

As more people uses the internet to access more information the threats of attacks also increases. We must always be vigilant and alert every time we access information in the web.  Instead of getting the correct information sometimes things that we get from the web also have a of other issues that is connected with them, so we must be very careful in what we download into our computer.

Internet Bots, Computer Bots, They can be a Help or Not

Internet bots, also known as web robots, WWW robots or simply bots, are software applications that run automated tasks over the Internet. Typically, bots perform tasks that are both simple and structurally repetitive, at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human alone. The largest use of bots is in web spidering, in which an automated script fetches, analyzes and files information from web servers at many times the speed of a human. Each server can have a file called robots.txt, containing rules for the spidering of that server that the bot is supposed to obey.

A bot is an important thing that a computer uses when on the Internet. A bot is an application that works to run automated activities for maintenance and protection when the user is on the Internet. There are some instances of where bots can be dangerous. So, how can you tell if your computer is bot infected? You can find out when you follow the tips mentioned here.

Image via Wikipedia

How can you tell if your computer is bot infected? You can find out by seeing if your Internet activities have been involuntarily restricted. There are various different types of bots that can be dangerous to a computer. Some bots will cause denial of service attacks to take place. This is where the user who is trying to get it to work cannot access a resource that is on a computer. It will be impossible for you to access certain websites on the Internet. This is one of the main ways of how can you tell if you computer is bot infected.

You can tell if there is a good amount of computer viruses that are found on your computer during a virus scan. Even though a typical antivirus program will update itself often and do automatic scanning and protection, there can be instances where new viruses can sneak onto your computer that are not listed in the definitions that your computer program has. Many malicious bots will have these new viruses on them, so you should especially watch out for these when you are online.

One of the best things to do to find out how can you tell if your computer is bot infected is by checking to see how much spam you are getting in your email account. Bots will be especially effective in creating spam that can be sent to infected computers. This can even affect email servers that have strong spam filters. The reason why these filters will be avoided when bots send spam is that in some cases multiple bots on multiple systems can work together to send different pieces of spam. This takes place through a botnet that can build up when one bot infects a computer and it spreads to other computers.

Image via Wikipedia

Another thing to do is if you live in an area that is near a bot control server. Bots have become a global problem in many countries that have control servers that send bots to other innocent computers. The United States has most of these servers, particularly in the Washington D.C. and Chicago areas. Atlantic Canada, Stockholm and Seoul also have large servers. These are areas that have the highest concern levels.

Are there any products that can help you with understanding about bot infections and that tell you how can you tell if your computer is bot infected? Of course there are. You can check to make sure that your firewall and antivirus programs are fully updated and contain the latest patches. After you update the program, you can run a scan to see if your computer is bot infected.

Prevention is an even more important thing to use though. Having a firewall program is helpful. Protecting personal information that you may be sending online should be used too, as you should only give it to legitimate sites that are trusted. Do not forget to avoid spam emails that may sound like a good deal. This is one of the main ways of how bots can spread onto a computer, and it can indeed be prevented.

How to Protect you Computer from Computer Viruses

Computer virus is just like its human counterpart where it infects quickly to a unprotected person. Computer virus has become synonymous with computer that no matter who you talk to, everyone has either had a computer virus or knows of someone who has gone through the agony of trying to get rid of the problem. Computer viruses are a topic that seems to affect everyone who owns a computer system, whether at work or at home. The companies that produce software programs that catch and delete these computer viruses are constantly updating their databases for virus types and definitions so that they can better protect your system against all the newest viruses. Creating virus protection programs is a multi-billion dollar business that is growing more and more everyday. The number of viruses being created and uploaded to the Internet is growing at an astounding rate of a new one every eighteen seconds! This definitely keeps the virus protection companies on their toes with research and development. 

-->

Because these viruses copy themselves to any computer system they come in contact with, the spread of viruses throughout a computer network or the Internet is a very fast and deadly thing to happen to your computer. Because computer viruses are a hot topic, they routinely are the subject of magazine articles and forum topics online. While some viruses do nothing more than frustrate you with pop-up ads or other messages, others are completely malicious and set out from the start to destroy the files and operating systems of your computer. 

Of the 53,000 viruses that have been identified and classed, more than 80 percent of them have been classed as malicious and capable of harming your computer system or data files. These computer viruses behave in much the same way as biological viruses by contaminating any computer systems they come in contact with. These self-executing programs are generally very small and work at damaging the way your computer works or by damaging or completely removing key system files. 

Computer Virus (Photo credit: willandbeyond)

As more and more people find out about the destructive power of these programs. They look for ways to educate themselves. In this way a great many people find out about virus protection programs and rush out to get the newest protection programs or they ensure that their computer virus protection is up to date. Many magazine and news articles about computer viruses have the effect of sometimes panicking people into believing that their computers are at risk. Having a good anti-virus program and current updates is one of the best ways to protect your computer system against virus attacks. 

This must also be coupled with good file habits such as scanning all downloaded files with the anti-virus program before opening them. It is always a good idea to take the time to ensure that the file you thought you were downloading is indeed the file you have. For instance, a file that labels itself as a movie file and is less than one megabyte in size is not a movie file. Movie files are generally nearly a thousand times that size and therefore, the file you have downloaded is most likely not a movie file and may in fact be a computer virus.

Computer viruses become a problem at the office when a virus attack manages to get past protection protocols put in place by the network administrators. All it takes is one person allowing some executable files they have been sent to open and start replicating itself through the network of computers to make life Hell for that company. Virus attacks can cripple office systems very quickly resulting in lost revenue and consumer confidence which can affect the way that stocks in that company are traded resulting in even further financial losses. That is why it is so important for larger businesses to have comprehensive computer virus protection programs in place. 

Computer Virus (Photo credit: willandbeyond)

These virus programs are much more detailed and powerful than the anti-virus programs that many consumers have protecting their computer systems. Because the fallout from a virus attack is much more financially damaging to a large corporation, the virus protection program needs to be much more robust and capable of protecting multiple systems within the corporation. Computer viruses are a hot topic among businesses simply because of the way that they can affect the company financially.

Exchange mailbox Recovery & Repair

Considering the increasing amount of transactions that people do via mails these days and the importance of the content in those mails, people need an effective way of dealing with all of the mails that they sent and the ones that have been sent to them. Because, as said earlier, if the system goes wayward, then it would all become confusing and things would go bad. Outlook express is one such software which helps you to do the same task in an effective way, making sure that things do not get lost or missed or misplaced.

Image via Wikipedia

Talking about Outlook Express, it is one of the best softwares that have been developed by Microsoft, till date. One of its kinds, the programme incredibly helps you in managing your things in a very much organized manner. First of all, the best use is that Outlook Express helps you to write, compose as well as draft mails. This was a very much effective tool, considering the fact that it helped many of those in corporate world to make mails in a more effective way. Apart from that, using the Outlook Express, you can also schedule your things, make notes, add attachments, make calendars for your use etc. There was no other software, which had so many advantages associated with it, and due to the same reason it became a huge hit.

However, there are some problems associated with Outlook Express though, which might need Exchange mailbox repair to sort them out. There are chances of your mails and files get corrupted, and due to the same reason that people prefer keeping back up in the form of OST files. As a matter of fact, it would be more than good to convert these OST files to PST files, because it is a better way of doing things.

Talking about Exchange mailbox recovery, it is required when the Outlook Mailbox collapses or gets corrupted due to variety of reasons. Now for any individual, the mails would contain lot many important facts, details and other things, which if got lost, may cause lot many problems. This is the reason that people pay lots of attention to Exchange mailbox recovery.

There are varieties of software's available on the internet, which would do the task for you. All that you need to do is get on any of the search engines and look up for the software that you want. Once you have got the software, you would need to download the installation file. After the installation file has been downloaded, you should then install the whole program into your computer and then run it. As soon as you run it the Exchange mailbox repair would be conducted on its own and all of the files and the data would be restored.

Always keep one thing in mind that the software that you are using should come from a trustworthy source. Else you would have the risk of viruses seeping inside your computer, and causing more damage, causing even more troubles.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/exchange-mailbox-recovery-repair-5597167.html

About the Author

EDB to PST is one of the burning issues that people faces day by day and therefore this article has been written describing about the Quick Recovery- Convert EDB to PST as well as Microsoft exchange mail recovery software.

Using the Windows Repair Tool to Fix System File Error

Repairing computer software related error or issues is always difficult especially if the error is about the computer operating system. If a system files is missing or got corrupted by various means then almost always the repair method would be to reinstall the operating system. This is the easiest way to correct any software related problems, re-installation of the software. An added difficulty for operating system re-installation is that the data in the hard drive must keep intact. Formatting the hard drive is out of the picture before any re installation occur.

Before we go into re-formatting any hard drive we must use all means to reactivate the operating system. Based from my experience reformatting any hard rive that contains information is definitely out of the picture unless the owner of the computer gives specific instructions that you can reformat the hard drive. There several possible ways to revive a windows operating system.

Using the windows start-up repair tool.

Startup Repair is a Windows recovery tool that can fix certain system problems that might prevent Windows from starting. Startup Repair scans your computer for the problem and then tries to fix it so your computer can start correctly. Start-up Repair is one of the recovery tools in the System Recovery Options menu. This set of tools is located on your computer's hard disk and on the Windows installation disc.

If a start-up problem is detected, Start-up Repair will start automatically and try to fix the problem.

If the problem is severe enough that Start-up Repair doesn't start on its own and you can't access the System Recovery Options menu on your computer's hard disk, you can get to the menu and start Start-up Repair by using the Windows installation disc or a system repair disc that you created earlier.

Startup Repair can only fix certain problems, such as missing or damaged system files. It can't fix hardware failures, such as a failing hard disk or incompatible memory, nor does it protect against virus attacks. Startup Repair isn't designed to fix Windows installation problems, nor is it a backup tool, so it can't help you recover personal files, such as photos or documents. To help protect your computer, back up your system and files regularly. For more information, search for "backup" in Windows Help and Support.

Using the tool is very intelligence approach to any windows system error. Based from my experience in repair system related error, this tool will fix 98% of the error. After reviving   the Windows operating system. There is a chance the error has more deeply rooted problem and chances are it will come back again. We need to start windows in safe mode, so that we can copy all the important files on the hard drive of the computer. Why but in safe mode? starting windows in safe lessen the driver being loaded  during the start-up process and less processes running while windows is open means more resources for copying of file. That why we need to revive windows using this tool because we need copy all the data in the hard drive just in-case we need to go to the last resort of formatting the hard drive of a computer.

Repairing a computer is not as easy as it looks it take time and patience to really sort out things. The information contained in a hard drive is always the priority. This must be recovered without using data recovery procedure where it will require a costly solution for getting back all the erased files once the hard drive has been formatted.

How to Keep your Old Computer Alive and Kicking

We may be on the second decade of the new millennium and many expect that everyone on this planet has already thrown away their old computer. By computer or technology standard old computer means you computer is more than one year old. But this is not what i am getting into my old computer means ten years or more, yup those Pentium 11, 111 and 4 or it's equivalent in other manufacturer.

Yup somewhere in this planet there are organization that still uses this computer simple because they do not have the financial budget to have a new computer and software. These organization mostly relay on donation by other organization or corporation. Their financial resources are better spend on their main goal or mission.So they cannot afford to but a new computer let alone a new software.

Image by sammyfung via Flickr

Now if your organization falls under these categories and you as the sole IT guy in there need to make sure that everything is all well with this old computer. There is still hope for this old computer as long as those dreaded hardware failure those not creep in. 

How to go about this?

Determine the case to case basis need of every employee of the organization. This should be easy for small organization since there small number of workers and each assign task for them is pretty simple.

Most office works only need a spreadsheet and word processing software. Most of this software can still run on the machine like Pentium II, especially the older software version. These application does not need a lot of memory, 128 or 256 memory is decent enough for the computer to get up and running and storage capacity so a 20 to 40 Gigs of hard disk is enough for this application to work. 

Image via Wikipedia

Give this computer to those whose job is to create documentation and records. Now another life saving and extending measure for you old computer is to prevent or minimize electrical or power outages. To minimize these make sure to check all your electrical outlet for proper grounding. Also use a low priced but quality surge suppressor to minimize power outages. Also regularly cleaning the inside by removing the dust that build up can make the air circulation more effective thereby reducing heat inside the case.

Image via Wikipedia

Now that we have done all we can for the hardware lets now focus on the software. In the long run more software is added in the computer, where this software is not really needed by the user. We need to determined which is the need and the want for the software. Removed all software that are not needed and keep only those that is really needed. In this way we can also save valuable hard disk space for storing more files. Also software that run when computer start-up can occupy large amount of memory. removed or disable this software so that much needed memory resources can be used.

Another thing is do not install new software in the old computer. Yes it might install correctly in this computer but will it run properly. Can your hardware resources handle such an application. It is like driving a sport car, even if you know how to drive standard cars yet if you do not have the abilities to drive and handle this fast pace sport car then do not try one. The same is true with computer do not put high end software on a low end hardware, it will not produced the necessary result. You will just get frustrated.

Image via Wikipedia

Another potential software problem is viruses and spyware. These menace can easily be downloaded and install in seconds if your computer is not properly protected from online treat. This can be prevented or minimize by educating your workers and regularly updating your operating system and anti-virus software to combat these things. Also it will help to keep the hard disk in top shape by regularly scanning and fragmenting them, this is needed to fix loose registry files and correcting file fragmentation.

Another use for old computer is making them terminals where  a new high single computer is used for the server and all information is stored in that server. We only need a network to connect all terminals, and these terminal cam be used to access the information on the server. All the processing and storage is done on the server. The terminals do not need computing and processing power also they do not need storage capability since they will only be used to open files from the the server.

These old computer ca still be used productively we just need to define and find them in our organization, they can still be used longer until the dreaded hardware failure comes in and really end the life of the machine we know as the computer.

Recycling Your Old Computers for a Greener World

In a personal level finding ways for computer parts that has no toxic substance in it is also part of recycling. Take for instance the keyboard or mouse; we can use these two things to redecorate our house. Best of all we do nit to spend a lot of money just to use these two things for decoration. By just not throwing these parts then you already save a lot time and money for just recycling them.

In a more boarder scope many cities, towns and townships are now thinking or have implemented computer recycling as well as TV recycling methods to protect the environment and avoid possible soil contamination. Because computers contain many parts that could release toxins into the soil, city governments are seeking alternative ways to dispose of your old computers as well as all your old electronic equipment. This eventually will become a normal practice as more city governments become aware of the potential danger of dumping computers and all electronic products into a landfill. Many groups are also spreading the word about computer recycling and want to find better ways to dispose of the equipment.

What is Computer Recycling?

Computer recycling or electronic recycling is the recycling or reuse of computers or other electronic devices. It includes both finding another use for materials (such as donation to charity), and having systems dismantled, in a manner that allows for the safe extraction of the constituent materials for reuse in other products.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The issue of recycling computers and other electronics has become a hot computer topic and will continue to be addressed by conservatives and government officials in order to protect the land. Because the monitors as well as televisions have gases and other toxins that if placed in landfill sites could sooner or later release these gases into the atmosphere as well. This is a concern for all who have the ozone and air quality in mind. The gases inside a monitor need to be released safely as you do with a refrigerator or air-conditioner. Without proper release, the air can become filled with these toxic gases.

Image via Wikipedia

When recycling computers, monitors and any printers, people need to take the equipment to a place that is accredited for safely disposing of the equipment in a safe and proper way rather than dumping the equipment in a pile somewhere and hope for the best. It is vital that everyone disposes of their computer equipment properly and take it to a participating recyclers in the area. You may have to pay a small fee to drop off your old electronic equipment, but you will also be spending the money wisely to protect the environment.

One of the issues surrounding computer disposal is the already thousands if not millions of computers, printers and monitors as well as other electronics that are already in landfills all over the world. Many people express concern about ways to clean up landfill sites that already have the electronics dumped there, but the cost would be in the millions to do such a huge project of this sort. Besides the fact that electronics that have been in landfills for some time now have probably already done what harm they could do already.

Image via Wikipedia

Printers just need the ink cartridges and toner cartridges removed before dismantling them. Many stores such as Office Max and other retail electronic stores have barrels for disposing of your old cartridges. Many ink and toner manufactures that sell to stores, supply pre-paid envelopes for sending the old cartridges back for recycling. These practices have been around for quite a while now. This has cut down on ink cartridges and toner cartridges from being pull in landfills. If everyone would learn to recycle computer and electronic equipment, then it will save millions of dollars for future clean up of these landfill sites.

Recycling old computers to save the environment is necessary and everyone has a responsibility to abide by this practice to protect and preserve land and air quality. With the newer computer systems becoming available for an affordable price and the way technology changes daily, people are going to need new computers and other electronic equipment to keep up with the changing world. Recycling is needed to accommodate all the old equipment that will double if not triple over the next few years.

How about you personally any suggestion on how to go about recycling or reusing your old computers and their peripherals?

Three of the Most Influential Gadgets of All Time Part 2

The next gadget is really very revolutionary gadgets where its impact in our day to day activity is still being felt today and will continue for next generation to come. It all started with the need of mankind getting tired of writing everything he knows so he imagine and design gadgets that would make writing so much easier. Thus the type writer was born out of the imagination and perseverance of the human spirit to make doing things a lot easier.  From then on we have seen the type writer’s development and evolution from its humble beginning. But still information had to be type immediately and printed immediately with the type writer. Man needed something that would make editing document very easy and because editing on a type writer was very tasking, we needed to find a way on how to make editing documents very easy before we need to print the final copy of the documents.

Then came the era of small electronic system, suddenly everything that was vacuum tubes turn very small and we could make electronic system on a very small package. This ushered in the new era of a gadget that would make a very deep impact in our daily lives. Before only large corporation or institution could only use these gadgets because of their size. The early computer like the ENIAC where it size is comparable to a small house. Also it would take several people to operate them. Then an idea was born that would make these computer become house hold name and necessity. They make them small and called it Personal Computer and put all software that would make it very useful indeed. Since then the Personal computer has been developed together with all its application, it has become a must have in every places that has electricity on it a must have.

Image via Wikipedia

Today we could do almost anything to a computer except to take bath or wash our dirty laundry. I mean the computer can function as a type writer while making editing very easy. We could listen to it as we do in radio or watch movie or television on it like a television set. With the help of the internet we use the computer to do only transaction from bank or shop online or locate places all around the world best of all we could use it to communicate with our friends and family from anywhere on planet earth. With the advent of different social networking sites like Facebook.com. The importance and need for computer has never been more defined. With all these things coming to us we thought it would be enough for our needs. I mean we have the computer and its sister the laptop for mobile computing needs.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

The computer was excellent but we need to add an additional capability on it to make it the best gadget of all time. I mention we made the computer small but we need it to make smaller then we need to put another gadget into it where this gadget is also a very important to us. We use these gadgets in our daily activities to communicate with each other where ever we are on this planet. That gadget is the telephone and its cord less or wireless cousin the mobile phone. By combining these two gadgets the mobile phone and the laptop we now have a champion gadget called the Smartphone. Pretty nit gadgets, by integrating the telephone into the computer we now have an almost complete gadgets. The explosion of Smartphone in our time is very evident first there was Nokia, then came Apple which really redefined how a Smartphone should look and feel like, then a Korean company known for electronics products gave us the another Smartphone called Samsung Galaxy SII which could compete with the Apple I phone 4 series and many other manufacturer have their own version of the Smartphone.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

The Smartphone could almost do it all except using it as a kitchen sink. By combining all the features of previous gadgets within it we have created a gadget that is more than the sum of its parts. Hmm I wonder where I heard that part. How about you what is your best gadgets of all times?