» Computer Performance

Fast Forward To Faster Internet Speeds

admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 06:01:48 +0000

If you are plagued with a slow bandwidth connection, and if you have a Windows operating system, then there is a simple method by which you increase your internet speed by 20%. This is because almost all newer versions of Windows hold back 20% of the available bandwidth on a computer for updating Windows programs and checking for spyware etcetera. What this means is that you get to use only 80% of your available bandwidth, which turns out to be a major pain if you are already working on a low bandwidth internet connection.

However, if you want to increase the speed of your internet connection by 20%, you can do so by following these steps:

Click on Start, go to Run and Type gpedit.msc, click on OK
Click on Administrative Templates folder in left partition of the dialog box that opens
Click on Network folder in the right pane of the dialog box
Open Qos Packet Scheduler
Select Limit Reservable Bandwidth
Enable the option and set 0% as Bandwidth Limit
Click on Apply to close dialog box
Restart your computer

Once you free up the bandwidth that was earlier reserved by your Windows operating system, you will be able to see a remarkable change in the speed of your internet connection. And why shouldn’t it be, after all you now have 20% more bandwidth available for your work.

Increase Your System’s Speed With 3 Easy Steps

admin — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 03:50:47 +0000

No matter how much RAM you have or how high your processor speed is, you will eventually find that the speed of your system has slowed down than what it was when it was new or newly formatted. As time passes, your computer accumulates a lot of junk and errors that slow down its performance. Not only will you find files saving and opening slower, but opening programs and startup will also start taking long. And the worst part is that your computer will start to ‘hang’ at the most inopportune of moments.

If you have already started experiencing effects of the slowdown, then some quick and easy ways of increasing your system’s speed without reformatting it are given below. Please note that these tips are only for users of Windows based operating systems (Windows 7, Vista and XP).

1.Decrease the Load On Your C: Drive

If your operating system is installed on your C Drive, and that is where you are saving all your data, then it is bound to slow down the performance of your OS. Searching for files as they keep on accumulating on the same partition will go on taking longer and longer as the number of files and programs grows. The first thing to remove from your C Drive should be high volume files like movies, music, videos and games. Once you shift these to another drive, you will instantly see the change in the speed of your OS. Another major advantage of keeping your data on a partition that does not carry your operating system is that you will not end up losing all your data when the OS is corrupted due to a virus attack or a system error.

2. Clean Up Your Hard Disk

The best way to free up disk space is to use the Windows Disk Cleanup tool. This tool checks all your drives for unnecessary data that is taking up disk space and slowing down your system so that you can delete them. To use this utility, go to My Computer, Right Click on the Hard Disk Drive (C, D, E etc) that you want to clean up, go to the General tab in Properties and click on Disk Cleanup.

Once you do this, the program will calculate the amount of disk space that can be freed when you delete some unnecessary files like those populating your recycle bin and temporary internet file folder etcetera. Uncheck any files that you want to save while checking the ones that you want deleted in the Files to Delete list and click on OK. Confirm Yes when asked whether you want those files removed. If you are using Windows 7, then you can also create more space by using the Cleanup System Files option and selecting More Options.

You can often end up clearing up many GBs of disk space by using this utility, and your PC will instantly start running faster.

3. Defragment Your Hard Disk

Data on your hard disk keeps getting saved in unused, empty spaces instead of being stacked back to back. As the number of files on your disk grows, the time taken by your operating system to find and open a file also grows as it searches among piles of unorganized data. Defragmenting your drive lets you remove the empty spaces between data pockets so that it becomes easier for your operating system to locate and open your files.

To defragment you hard disk drive, go to My Computer, Right Click on the Hard Disk Drive (C, D, E etc) that you want to Defragment, go to the Tools tab in Properties, click on Defragment Now and then Analyze Disk. Once the Disk has been Analyzed, you will get a dialog box that lets you choose whether you want to defragment the disk or not. Windows 7 also lets you schedule regular defragmentation. Click on the Configure Schedule button on the Disk Defragmenter dialog box to set a schedule for automatic defragmenting of your disks.

If you have a number of partitions, you will have to clean up and defragment each one separately. You should defragment your disks at least once every two months and carry out a disk cleanup once every week to keep your system from becoming sluggish. Other things that you can also try are checking and eliminating hard disk errors by using the Error Checker tool and using the msconfig utility to stop unnecessary programs from starting up every time you start your computer.

Types of Computer Backup

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:37:54 +0000

Back up is practice of duplicating data in order to keep the data safe from any issues such as loss of data due to computer virus infection, hard disk drive crash etc. There are different types of backup processes available that enables you to save important data to relevant backup storage media. (For information on backup storage Media you can refer to our Major types of Back up storage devices: section). There are different ways of creating back- up which are explained below.

Full backup: Full backup is one of the common types of backup done nowadays in order to keep possible data safe and retrievable in case on any adversities. This generally involves saving files from the existing storage media location to a location on another external storage media. For example files which are saved on hard disk drive of a computer can be backed up by saving them on tape drive or external hard disk drive.

However, it is said that tape drive is the best option for doing full backup. Full backup can be considered as the starting step of all types of backup. These types of backup contain data in form of files and folders. It is believed to be a faster and easier way for restoration operations. it should be understood that other types of backup takes longer time to restore. Evidently full backup is considered to be ideal as these are comprehensive solution for backup. Restoring is considerably faster but the time it takes to create a backup is higher. People who performs full backup for their system usually schedule the backup on weekly or monthly basis due to the time it consumes.

Full backup stores entire data of your system, hence if any trespasser gets access to the storage media he will have access to all possible data in the backup storage device. As said above the best part about full backup is that restoring can be done as faster pace but in the other hand the backing takes time and it requires significantly high amount of space to store all possible data of your system.

Differential backup: Another type of backup is differential backup which is different from full backup and incremental backup. This method is quite intricate as it contains data that have been changed since the latest full backup. This type of backup helps in performing restoration faster as compared to other backup type such namely incremental backup. If differential backup is performed numerous times then the size of the backup will be considerably larger than the full backup. You may find it confusing to differentiate between differential backup and incremental backup as the dissimilarity is intricate.

In case of differential backup the restoring is done faster as only two container files are requires; one is of full backup and latest differential backup. However, as compared to full back up the restoration is done slower. While you perform a Differential backup after full backup you may be actually storing files which have not been modified but were included in early differential backup. To your information performing restoration in Differential backup takes longer time as compared to full backup but faster than incremental backup. However, backing up can be done faster than in the case of full backup but it takes longer time than incremental backup. You may require relatively higher amount of storage space based on the data to be backed- up. However, in comparison with full backup it requires lesser space but higher storage capacity than that required in incremental backup.

Incremental backup: Incremental is the third type of backup process. In this type of backup you can create backup of only those files which have been modified since the latest backup. This type of backup option is useful in cases when not all the data in the backup location is usually modified but the backup is performed usually. It is believed that in this type of backup multiple backup is stored and not merely the latest performed backup. In this method performing backup is faster as compared to other modes of backup as it makes copy of those file which have not been stored as back up. For example, one performed a full backup on Monday and you are planning create a backup on Wednesday, then Wednesdays storage media will contain data which was modified since Monday. If again a backup is done on Saturday then it will contain all the data that has been changed since Wednesday. In case of incremental backup while performing a restore you need to first restore the latest full backup. Once you have restored the backup up then need to store each of the sequential incremental backup till the present day backup. In case any of the file of backup is damaged the restore will be incomplete.

Archive Backup:
Archive is a portal or space that usually keeps information related to different subject that you can access. In simple terms archive holds extensive amount of information and can be utilized to search a retrieve any particular subject from the included data. Data archiving is intricate and is offered by specialized service to competently archive files. File archiving is an added benefit over backup as it reduces cost involved especially for huge companies holding data in huge amount. File archiving is a smart way of data backup as it moves data according to its value. Specialized file archiving provides indexes to organize data efficiently. It also makes use of customized metadata tags by retrieving information from the available content. The type of backup provides quick and easy access to the archived information.

File archiving offers two noticeable features for data backup. First of all it offers faster backup and restore option reducing the impact of data loss and secondly, it offers file indexing or archiving to efficiently manage and manipulate the stored data. Due to its competency this facility is adopted by numerous organizations that holds extensive amount of data.

Off-Line: Off-Line storage is just a term which is used to refer to storage media which is not all the time connected to the computer. In off line storage a executor can perform any one the above mentioned back up types. An example of perfect off line storage is diskette or CD/DVD etc. The best part about these storage media is that these do not get affected by virus as these are not call the time connected to your system.

Online Backup Services: Another form of professional backup service is the online backup service which is also sometimes referred to as remote backup or managed backup. These backups are generally done by specialized companies which may help you to backup essential data. These services utilize a software program especially developed for their clients. This software collects data, reduces its size, encipher it and transfer the data to the storage media. This is done by the software on regular timely basis as scheduled by the administrator. The backup storage media is in a remote location and is generally access through internet.

Know What Is On Your Computer

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:31:29 +0000

There is a need for all of us to own a system these days. Be it just for checking our mails and keeping in touch with friends or shopping online and making the best of your time, a computer seems like a necessity and less of a luxury these days. But not all of us are computer geeks and troubleshooting seems like a feat we dare not try too!

For all of those who want to own a computer but do not know much about it, here are a few tips that will help you know your system better and hence give it a more friendly touch.

Know what it is made of!

You do not have to fret on reading this! It does not mean you need to know your system in and out, it only means you need to know some basic information about it. Just like each of us is identified by a unique name, the computer too will have a unique identity. This is through the serial number and the model number of the system. This information which seems so trivial can actually help the manufacturers know exactly all the components of your system. There are a few among us who love to add and remove various components into the system. If this be the case, make a note of the model number of the components you add to your system. This information will come handy when you call the help-desk for any computer related services or troubleshooting that you may need to do.

Knowing your computer would also mean that you be aware of the hardware and software installed on the system. If you are no computer geek, you may find this task pretty challenging and hence there are programs like Belarc Advisor which will list this information for you and simplify your job. The most obvious threat when using the Internet is that of viruses that may attack our system and render it useless. Even tasks like updating you with the latest anti-virus softwares and installing all their latest fixes is taken care of by this software program.

Knowing your system configuration is another crucial step. In fact, it is best to save this information so that you can keep it handy when talking to the tech-support people for some query. This can be done in a few steps as follows:

If you have Windows 95/98/ME, here are the step to follow:

1) Click on Start

2) Click the option RUN and type SYSEDIT in the window that appears followed by OK

3) You will now see a list of system files which can be transferred to a floppy and kept safely for later use or you could even choose to print all this information

If you have Windows XP/2000 installed, you will have to follow a different set of steps:

1) Click on Start

2) List all programs and among them, click Accessories

3) Now select System Tools and the System Information to get all information on your system configuration.

If you do not have a Windows, but a Mac, then it is not the system files, but the INIT and CDEV files that you must be bothered about. The Extensions Manager Control Panel is Macs comes with the specific purpose of not just listing these extensions for you, but for turning them on or off too. This feature is specially useful when troubleshooting your system.

If you familiarize yourself and keep this basic information of your system handy, it means you have taken the very first step towards knowing your system and safeguarding it too.

Extend The Longevity Of Your Computer With These Simple Tips

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:57:03 +0000

A computer can serve you for years together if you know how to maintain it well and keep it up to date and running with the latest software. In fact, you might be really impressed with how long a computer can actually serve you. In many cases, people have managed to use their computer for 10 or more years. Newer computers will be released annually, but if you learn to take care of your computer, you can be assured of getting a really long service period from your existing machine. Here are some tips that can help you with just that.

Software Maintenance Tips

Tip #1 – Keep your software up to date

The first thing that you should keep in mind is to have software that is up to the date and probably the latest version of. You might not able to visually differentiate between different versions of software, but the differences are very much there. In order to understand the differences, you ought to be technically proficient. This is not required, as the important thing that you should keep in mind is that newer versions of software are equipped with measures to protect your system from attacks. A lot of vulnerabilities are discovered everyday, which required newer versions of software to be released in the market.

Tip #2 – Have all the necessary software installed

More than anything, you should remember to have the right software installed in your system to ward away any problems or threats that might arise from the usage of your computer. If you are not sure about the software that is required for your computer, consult with a computer professional and have him list out the software necessary for the smooth operation of your computer. In fact, certain kinds of software like antivirus software, spyware remover, firewalls and spam filters are all important. If you are unsure about whether or not you have these on your computer, call the person who sold you the computer and ask them about it.

Tip #3 – Install trusted software

It is easy for viruses and malware to disguise themselves as really useful software and attempt to get into your computer. It goes without saying that you ought to avoid all of them and try to simply stick to software that you are familiar with and can trust without any issues. Many people are doubtful about what they might be installing on their computer. If this is the case, you ought to immediately halt whatever it is that you might be doing and ensure that it is safe to install the software. Don’t install anything because it looks like it can help, this is the most popular way for hackers to get into your system.

Tip #4 – Regularly Scan your system

Just installing everything that you need without actually making use of it is not going to guarantee that your computer is going to continue working without any problems. In fact, you should make use of what you have installed. This would mean running the software every now and then and making sure that your computer actually doesn’t have any problems plaguing it. Even if it feels like your computer is running without any problems, you should know that there are a lot of possibilities that viruses might still be in the computer in a dormant state.

Hardware Maintenance Tips

Tip #1 – Get rid of the dust

You need to ensure that your computer is rid of the dust that might be all around it, blocking the vents and exhaust fans. Dust is one of the biggest problems that is plaguing the computer and in a number of cases, it is also responsible for your computer to slow down and give you problems. In most of the cases, dust is also the cause for your components to fail prematurely. System performance degrades because it is not able to get adequate ventilation, which will eventually cause it to slow down completely and eventually come to a halt. Hence, take care of your system and prevent dust from bringing it to a grinding halt.

Tip #2 –Position it correctly

In an effort to make your rooms look good, don’t end up positioning the system in such a way that your computer might not get adequate ventilation and eventually fail due to heating issues. Make sure that there is sufficient breathing room around your computer. Don’t block the exhaust vents with objects and other things like dust covers. When the computer is being used, completely remove the dust cover. The same is true when you are protecting the computer – completely cover it so that the dust cover is actually of use.

Tip #3 – Upgrade sensibly

When upgrading your computer, make sure you do so in a way that is going to ensure compatibility with all components. Installing a component that is too fast for the rest of the system will force the new component to work slower as well. Hence, when you are looking at upgrade options, make sure that you do so in a way that is going to ensure that the computer is going to work without any problems for a long time to come. Many people end up upgrading haphazardly, only to end up with a system that is marginally faster than what they had before. Remember that everything should work in harmony, not fight one another.

The above tips are some of the most effective ones when it comes to computer maintenance. You ought to implement as many of them as possible to ensure that your computer works without any problem. However, if you find that all of them are difficult to adapt to, you could try them out gradually one by one and eventually get to the end of it. If you are doubtful about implementing anything, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a computer expert just to be sure that you are doing the right thing.

BIOS Password Help

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:59:11 +0000

Effacing Unknown or Forgotten Password

There may be times when your system asks you for password while it reboots and you may have forgotten the password or you do not know the password. In such scenarios there are certain measures that can be adopted in order to rectify this technical issue.

Things to remember while you start troubleshooting the issues:

It is always better to adopt easy BIOS password.
There are utilities which are made in order to enable users to bypass BIOS password. One of the efficient utility that can be utilized to decrypt BIOS password is the PC BIOS Security and Maintenance Toolkit.
Another way is by locating BIOS clear jumper or dipswitch and modifying its position. Once the position is altered try to turn on the computer and the password should be cleared. If you find that the problem is fixed, then turn off the computer and place the jumper or dipswitch to its previous position and then restart your computer.
Older computer may have a bypass password which may enable you to enter into BIOS or / and operate your system. This bypass password can only be obtained from the motherboard manufacturer or your system manufacturer.
You can also locate and remove the CMOS battery for at least 10 to 15 minutes so that the system losses its information; however, this tactic may not work with some computers.

In order to successfully alter the location of jumper or dipswitch you should have idea about general positioning of the jumper and dipswitch.

Jumpers are usually located in the edges of the mother enabling users and experts to locate it easily on the motherboard.
There are some manufacturers may implant theses jumpers by the CMOS battery in order to remove BIOS/CMOS password.
You may also find these jumpers by the processor, there may be chances that some jumpers placed, are not to clear password but processor; hence, one needs to be careful.

There is no fixed position where a Jumper will be placed. The position of the jumper may vary according to its manufacture.

However, after following the above mentioned steps you are not able to clear the set unknown password then you may have to visit your engineer or your computer manufacturer.

How To Enter Into BIOS?

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:56:59 +0000

As it is known that BIOS is abbreviation of Basic Input / Output System, it is an important part of computer systems. There may be times when you may have to enter BIOS to do some significant manipulation for appropriate functioning of your system. Hence, it is essential to know how to access BIOS. To your information, the method to access BIOS may vary depending on the system configuration. However below are listed some ways that may help you access BIOS.

It is highly beneficial for computer users nowadays, with latest computer, as entering into BIOS has been made easy. During the booting process (Restarting of your computer) you can enter into BIOS by pressing any of the following key.

F1
F2
Del (Delete on your keyboard)
Esc (Usually found at the top-left corner on your keyboard)
F10

Many times there are messages that prompt you press relevant buttons to enter into BIOS settings. However, the message will appear similar to ‘Press Del to Enter BIOS setup’. There are some old computers that may also depict some flashing cursor or indicators. Computers invented prior to 1995 also had several different methods to enter the BIOS setup. Following is the list of several keys that were generally used to enter into BIOS in case of old computers.

Ctrl+Alt+Enter
Ctrl+Alt+Esc (Esc is the Escape key situated on the Top-left corner of the keyboard)
Crtl+Alt+S
Ctrl+Alt+Ins (Ins is the Insert Key on the keyboard)

Some older computer also allows you to enter into BIOS by pressing PageUp key or PageDown key during rebooting.

It is important to note that sometime there may be situation when you are not unable to enter into BIOS due to password settings. You can view our “BIOS Password Help” section to troubleshoot this issue.

Magical Tip: If you bought a new computer and it enjoys the latest configuration and you are unaware of which key can lead you to BIOS settings during computer reboots, then try keeping one or more key pressed during reboot. This will stimulate a stuck key error which may enable you to enter into setup of BIOS.

BIOS in Acer systems:

There may be times when an Acer BIOS user experiences technical malfunctions wherein his system is not booting or the user wishes to restore its BIOS setting to bootable configuration, then try to keep pressed the F10 key while your system reboots. During the time you are holding F10 key you should be able to hear two beeps which denote that the setting has been successfully restored.

AMI BIOS Restoring:
In case of older systems with AMI BIOS the configuration can be restored by keeping pressed the Ins key (Insert Key) while the computer reboots.

Traditional BIOS / CMOS diskette:
It is assumed that earlier, computers in the series of 486, 286 etc may have utilized floppy disks which are also known as diskettes, in order to successfully enter into BIOS setting. These floppy disks were known as ICU, SCU and BBU disk. These diskettes were distinctive and should be compatible in order to be functional; hence, this diskette should be obtained from your computer dealer.

Nowadays technology has made it significantly easier to enter as well as manipulate with BIOS setting. However, at the same time it should be known that any mistake can lead to bigger problems; hence, consider tweaking on your own only if you possess considerable knowledge and skills of working on intricate technical issues.

What is BIOS?

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:46:05 +0000

BIOS is the short form for Basic Input / Output System which is a significant part of a computer system. BIOS is a chip which is implanted on the mother board of the computer. This chip contains important instructions and setup on how the computer system will boot and functions. It contains instructions on how to install or load common computer hardware. It also has Power On Self Test that aid in validating the booting process of the computer and makes sure that the computer meets the booting requirement. If the computer fails to qualify the POST or Power On Self Test then you will obtain a set of beeps which will depict the technical malfunction causing the issue in the computer.

Four core functions of BIOS:

POST: One of the most significant functions of BIOS is the working of Power On Self Test which in crucial for the start up of the computer system. This test involves examining important computer hardware and confirming that hardware of the system are functioning properly before the loading process of operating system onsets.

Bootstrap Loader – Bootstrap loader is a process wherein operating system is located and if the OS or operating system is find competent then the BIOS will transfer the charge to it.

BIOS- It also manages drivers or software applications that act as an intermediary between hardware and operating system. While you run DOS or Windows on your system you actually utilize BIOS support.

BIOS/CMOS setup: It also manages configuration that enables you to manipulate hardware settings which also includes system confutation or system settings containing passwords of the computer, time and date.

Checking important details of BIOS:

At times you may want to check the manufacturing date of BIOS. Checking manufacturing date of BIOS is not so complicated task. There are two different and user friendly ways used to retrieve manufacturing date of BIOS which are stated below.
The first method is by entering into BIOS and checking the details there are fair possibilities that you may be able to get manufacturing details of your BIOS within your BIOS.
The other method of obtaining manufacturing date of BIOS is by running CMD and typing following commands. In order to access command prompt you have to click on ‘Start’ on the left hand bottom of your screen and select ‘Run’.
In the popped up ‘run’ window type cmd and hit enter.
You will see a new cmd window popped-up, in this window you should type ‘cd\’ and hit enter this will lead the console to the root directory.
You will then see C:\> following which you need to type ‘debug’ and hit enter again and on the next line type – d FFFF : 5 L 8 and press enter. After pressing ‘Enter’ your console will display something like: FFFF: 0000 30 37 2F-30 33 2F 30 38 3/09/10. Wherein the last set of numbers 3/09/10 is the manufacturing date of your BIOS.

» Computer Performance

Fast Forward To Faster Internet Speeds

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Increase Your System’s Speed With 3 Easy Steps

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Types of Computer Backup

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Know What Is On Your Computer

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Extend The Longevity Of Your Computer With These Simple Tips

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BIOS Password Help

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How To Enter Into BIOS?

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What is BIOS?

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