Why Laptops Are So Tough To Repair.
Hi everybody today we are going to talk about why laptops are so tough to repair. As you know, laptops are a great convenience and they make it easy to take your work with you wherever you go. This does come at a price. Laptops are great for convenience but if something goes wrong, they are difficult and expensive to repair.
Because laptop computers are so small, all the components have to be placed in a very small compact area. This makes getting to any of the components very difficult at best. For example, if you are trying to replace the cooling fan, you have to remove a number of components including the screen and keyboard just to gain access to it. This is not for the faint of heart. In addition, most laptop parts are proprietary and you have to pay the company’s price for the part, which is usually very high.
The only parts that are easily replaced on a laptop are confined to the hard drive and the ram. Chips. These components can also be upgraded quite easily as well.
Another reason that many laptops fail prematurely is heat. Since laptop computers have their parts so clustered together, the amount of heat that they generate is quite intense. This heat can degrade the internal components of your system and lead to things like a motherboard failure. If this occurs, it is almost always less expensive to buy a new computer as opposed to having the board replaced. Because of the complexity of the laptop, most of your cost will be labor.
In some cases if your system is newer, you might want to check and see if your system is under warranty or not. The manufacturers warranty will only cover hardware issues and not software issues. If you still have a warranty and your motherboard fries, you will be in luck! All you have to do is send your machine back to the factory and they will replace it. Please remember that is all likelihood, they will reformat your system before it is shipped back to you so always be sure you have a good backup in place.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
How To Recover a Deleted File
Hi everybody, today we will discuss how to recover a deleted file after it is removed from your machine. I have done, you have done it, and essentially everybody has done it. At some point in time, we have hit the delete option and emptied out the recycle bin only to find that an important document or picture has been accidentally deleted. Depending on the importance of the document, panic can start to set in as we realize that something we worked on so hard has been so quickly erased. If you act quickly there are times when these files can be retrieved.
Accidental deletes do not always come from user action, Sometimes a computer crash can occur with an unsaved document and any work on the document is lost when the computer is restarted. Sometimes a Blue Screen might be the thing to dampen your parade. In all cases, once you find that your document is gone, shut down the computer immediately. I will explain why in the next paragraph.
Whenever a file is deleted, it is not actually gone, at least at first. What the deletion process actually does is to mark the sector where the deleted file is as free. This will allow a new file to replace or overwrite the file that you “deleted”. If you continue to use your computer, there is a greater chance that you will overwrite the file and it will be gone forever.
Once you shut down your computer, you are going to have to work from a second computer. You will need to remove the hard drive from the system with the file you are trying to recover and you will need an adapter or an external hard drive enclosure so you can connect that drive to your second computer using a USB port. In addition, you are going to have to download and purchase file recovery software. There are lots of choices with different price ranges so choose one that will fit your budget. Once you have your software installed and the drive attached to your computer, you can start searching using the instructions supplied with your chosen download. The process can be tedious and there is no guarantee that the file will not be corrupted when you finally do find it.
In order to help prevent unintended deletions due to computer crashes, always periodically save your work as you go, especially if it is a large document. This will help to ensure that at least if a crash occurs, you will not loose the entire document.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
The Benefits of an External Hard Drive
Hi everybody, today we are going to talk about the benefits of owning an external hard drive. There are many options you can use for backups but my favorite is by far the external drive.
External hard drives come in all sizes and colors. You can get almost any color you want to match your desk or any other décor you might want to match up. In addition to colors, you can get drives that attach locally through a USB port or you can get a drive that connects directly through your router and can act as an entire network drive for all your computers. Either way, it is the ultimate way to save all your important files.
The first type we are going to talk about is the USB local drive. This is by far the most commonly used and the most practical for most people. This is a great option if you have one computer and you want a place to store all your favorite movies and music. It is a must if you have I Tunes as you can backup all your favorite music to be sure it is not lost if you should encounter a computer crash. Before you make your purchase, you need to decide how much space you need. The drives come anywhere from 250 MB all the way to several Terabytes. Let me put this into prospective. 100 megabytes equals I Gigabyte. 1000 Gigabytes equals 1 Terabyte. A large picture from a good camera can be up to 5 Megs or more and a music file can be 25 Megs or even higher depending on the length and the quality it was recorded at. This might give you a guide as to how much space you will need to store your files.
The second type of drive I would like to talk about is the external network drive. The mechanics of this drive are about the same with the exception that the drive connects through your router instead of a local computer. The drive will be able to be accessed by all computers on the network instead of just on one computer. This is great if you have several computers and they all need files backed up. You can create a folder for each computer on the network so make organizing your files easier. If you go this route, you will want to get a drive as large as you can afford, probably in the order of at least a terabyte if not more.
As you can see, having an external hard drive (or two) can really make sense and should be part of a routine backup program.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
How To Use The System File Checker and Check Disk Utilities
Hi everybody. When was the last time you checked your computer for hard drive errors and bad sectors? If it has been a while, now might be a good time to be sure your disk is in proper condition. The check could take a long time but it just like housework it needs to be done. In this column we are going to guide you through some of the steps that are needed to accomplish this task.
The first place you need to go is to your start menu. From here you will want to go to My Computer. Find the drive you want to check and right click on the drive and select the properties button. Once the drive properties window is open you will want to go to the tab that says Tools. You will see at the top the verbiage “This option will check the drive for errors” Go ahead and click on the “Check Now” button you see. A new window will open with 2 check boxes. Be sure to check both the “Automatically fix file system errors” and “Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors”. Click the “Start” button. You will now get a dialog box that says that Windows cannot check the drive because it is in use message. Click the ”Schedule disk check” button. The next time you start the computer the check disk utility will run. Be advised that it could take hours depending on how much is on the drive.
The reason the utility cannot perform the operation without restarting the computer is because many of the Windows files are in use and when these files are being accessed by Windows, they cannot be checked or modified. When you start the computer, the utility begins before the operating system loads and this allows the check disk utility to do its job.
Windows has another neat safety net for keeping your computer in shape. It is called System File Checker. To do this operation you will need your original Windows Disk. Simply place the disk in your drawer. If the disk tries to open or play simply cancel the operation. You will now need to open a command prompt. In Windows XP, go to the Start menu and click on “Run”. In the Run box type cmd. A black window will pop up that looks like a small DOS window. In Vista and Windows 7, go to the start menu and type CMD in the search box. You will see cmd show up on top of the menu. Right click on cmd and choose “Run as administrator”. In both cases you will have the black DOS window open in front of you. Type this in the window without the quotes: “sfc /scannow”. Note there is a space between c and the slash. The system file checker should start. The operation may take some time so be patient. The utility will check your operating system files with the files originally installed to be sure they are not corrupt. You may see the Windows disk flash from time to time as files are being written to your computer. This process can often repair many types of Windows errors.
As you can see, Microsoft put a lot of thought into the operating system. These are just a couple of the ways you can get out of trouble when your system misbehaves.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
Setting Up Your New Windows 7 Machine
Hi everybody. So you just bought that brand new Windows 7 machine home from your favorite retailer and you ready to get to work. Before you dive into your first project, there are a few things you need to know and do. First and foremost, you want to be sure you have an active anti virus installed on your system. Most computers will come with a trial version of a major virus company such as Norton. These programs will work but we usually recommend the free Microsoft Security Essentials. This product works great in our tests and also uses very little of your computer resources. In our tests, the program did a good job of removing and preventing infections from disabling your computer.
The next thing we need to do is to be sure you don’t have any programs on your new computer that you do not need. Lets go to the Start menu and then click on Control Panel. By default, Control Panel will usually show all the contents in category view. Navigate to the left right corner and under “View By” change the setting to “Large Icons”. Now look for the option called “Programs and Features” in the control panels list of functions. Once open, you will see a list of programs that are installed on your computer. Choose any programs you will never use and use the “uninstall” option. Be careful you do not take out any programs that might be necessary for every day operation. If you are not sure, it is best that you get a professional to do the new computer set up for you. Only uninstall what you know is safe to remove.
Once the computer is cleaned up, it is time to get to work! Here is a quick tip that is a really cool feature in Windows 7. Lets say you have 3 Windows open and you want to close all but one, here is a quick and fun way to do it. Navigate your curser to the top bar of the Window you want to keep open. Right click the mouse and hold the button down. Now shake the Window back and forth a few times. All the Windows except the one you shook will minimize to the taskbar! How cool is that.
Here is another great tip to help you get more productive while you are working. How about searching the Internet from the search bar on your start window. We will have to enable this feature because by default it is not enabled. First we will have to type a command into the Start Menu search box. Type GPEDIT.MSC and press your Enter Key. This will start the Group Policy Editor. Go to User Configuration and then click Administrative Templates and then go to Start Menu and Taskbar. Next, double click on “Add Search Internet Link To Start Menu”. On the screen that will appear next, click on Enabled. Click OK and close the Group Policy Editor.
These are just a few of the things you can do on your new Windows 7 machine. If you just upgraded from XP you will notice some differences in the menu structures but in no time, you will reign as the master.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
Setting up A Wireless Desktop Computer
Hi everybody. If you have a desktop computer that you want to connect to your router but is just too far away to connect with an Ethernet cable, what is the best way to get the computer on the Internet? In this column we will talk about your options and the best way to go about it.
If your desktop computer is located either on a second floor or is in a remote location in your home, you will most likely need to connect using a wireless adapter. Be default, most laptops do not have a wireless card built in. In most cases you will have to purchase either an internal wireless card or a USB wireless card to add to your system. Either one is readily available at most consumer electronic stores and mass retail outlets. If you are not comfortable with removing the side of the computer to add hardware I would recommend the USB option. Before purchasing a card, be sure your router supports wireless connections. The majority of today’s routers will support this function. There are several brands out there and they all will do the job but it is always a good idea to get the same brand as your router for the best compatibility.
Once you purchase your equipment, you will have to use the enclosed disk to install the drivers. Once the drivers are installed you can plug the adapter into a free USB port and the new hardware wizard should install the adapter. In order to connect to the router you will have the use the password you set up for your wireless network in the router. If you do not know the password you will have to access the router (usually http://192.168.1.1) using a different computer that is hard wired to the router. Some routers are set up as http://192.168.2.1. Once you are at the routers homepage you will be asked your user name and password. Now you can view your wireless security settings to see what network password you have set up. Once you know your password, you will be able to enter it in the connection wizard so you can access your network.
Once your connection is established, you will want to check and see that your signal strength is good. You should have at least 3 bars to get decent Internet speed. If you do not have at least three bars then you will have to either adjust the location of the adapter, the computer or the router to help improve the signal strength. Once you have all this set up, you are ready to surf the web with no wires!
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
Should I Upgrade to Windows 8?
Hi everybody. Just as we started to get used to using Windows Vista and Windows 7, Windows 8 is getting ready for its premier. Unlike the other operating system releases, Windows 8 will be a whole different animal and the truth be said, it wont be for everybody. This version of Windows goes to a whole different level and even will use a different file system.
Probably one of the biggest changes users will note is the absence of the Start menu. This version of the OS will have a desktop similar to your Smart Phone. You will use square icons on your desktop to start all your applications. This technology will be great for the new touch screen PC monitors that are being introduced. In fact, this version of Windows will be optimized for such use.
One great feature of Windows 8 is the built in virus protection. If you choose not to install an antivirus program, this version of Windows will automatically activate it’s own Windows Defender and Security Essentials software. Be advised that most installs of Windows 8 will come with a trial from one of the big box companies just like it did with Windows Vista and 7.
For the average person using a conventional computer, Windows 8 will be hard to figure out. The Metro Interface is not very user friendly and those of you upgrading from XP will really have a rough time getting used to this new format. From reading other blogs about user experiences with this new OS, the complaints are high and in one word the best description of the operating system is “confusing”.
The Windows 8 desktop will start your program like your phone starts an APP. You can toggle to a more familiar Windows 7 format, but you are still left without a start menu. In order to get your work done, you often have to toggle between the two interfaces, which is very annoying.
I do not think you can really compare this OS to a Windows 7 computer. I also do not see Windows 8 replacing Windows 7. They are two different animals that work completely different from each other. If you want to go with a portable tablet, the new OS might be for you. If you want a traditional computing experience I would stick with Windows 7. If you are still using Windows XP and you like it, keep using it as long as possible just like we are. I still believe XP is the best software Microsoft has ever made.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
Choosing A Search Engine
Hi everybody. We are often asked what is the best search engine to use when I am looking for information? There are literally hundreds of search engines out there but almost everybody uses the top three or four brands. In this article, we will share our findings but you will have to be the ultimate judge.
The first search engine we tested was Google. Google is by far the most widely used of all thesearch engines. They currently have about 70% of the users but Bing is starting to take some of that away. We will talk about that a bit later. In our tests, we have found the Google searches good for finding all the big companies but many of us want to do business with the often times more personable small business owner instead. It is harder to find these entries on Google, especially since the Penguin update. So depending on what you are looking for, you can decide if Google is the best choice for your needs.
The second search engine we tested was Bing. Bing is one of the main competitors for Google and rightfully so. From the pleasant to look at home page to the great organic results, it is our number one pick. Bing actually stems from the older MSN search that was first introduced by Microsoft. It has great organic results that give you a mix of both the big guys and the smaller hometown businesses. If you happen to deal with their advertising department, even if it is a free local ad, they are courteous and helpful. With the new social media plug in they are introducing, Bing will be a force to be reasoned with. This is our top choice.
The next big gun on the block is Yahoo search. These folks are essentially the same as Bing with only slight differences in the search results. Although not quite as fancy as Bing, the searches are very organic and you get a nice mix of corporate and small business. Yahoo also rates very high with us in our searches. As an added bonus, both MSN and Yahoo make excellent home pages delivering compelling news articles and featured stories.
Sometimes you might want to search all the major search engines all at once. For this you can use a search engine such as Dogpile. This option will combine the top three searches we talked about and consolidate the results. If your job requires you to do searches from multiple sources, this option might be for you. In our tests, the results were quite good and only differed slightly from Bing and Yahoo.
In short, if you want a rock solid search engine that combines great results with style, switch to Bing, our number one choice.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
The Reliability of DSL Versus Cable
Hi everybody. How do you connect to the Internet: DSL, Cable or Satellite? There are many options at our fingertips but which one is the fastest and which one is the most reliable? That will be our dissuasion today in our column.
I can still remember my very first Internet connection. I had with AOL. It was a 56k dial up connection that at the time we thought was fast. Everybody was offering dial up and some plans were even free. Soon after, companies like Bell South began to offer broadband DSL. The speeds at the time were super fast but the ability to surf the Internet and talk on the phone at the same time was a real luxury! No more second phone line. It was just a short time after that all the companies started offering higher speeds like the Extreme 6. At the time, Bell South was one of the biggest suppliers of DSL service. While on the topic of DSL, I would like to add that through the many years that I have used this service, the downtime has been next to zero. During Hurricane Wilma, I lost power cable and telephone but my DSL line kept blinking and never went dark. By generator power, I was able to surf the web and do just about everything I normally would do with my computer as though nothing had happened. I would have to rate DSL service as extremely reliable and rock solid. But it is not the fastest solution.
Your local cable company provides today’s fastest Internet service. Cable can offer speeds that are unmatched by almost any other method. Cable is relatively reliable and usually only goes down after a major storm. In our area, cable appears to have more outages then the DSL counterpart but that might not be the typical scenario in all locations. For a gamer, cable would be a must. All in all for the price and the speed you get, it’s a great deal.
I would also like to talk a bit about satellite Internet connections. If you live in a rural location the only choice you might have for Internet is satellite. Satellite offers different speed packages but from our experience when doing remote repairs, the connections are not consistent. The speed fluctuates from slow to fast then back to slow again. A lot of this is due to weather and atmospheric conditions. I don’t recommend satellite unless it is a last resort option or when other options are not available.
One other option that is out there is provided by ATT and it is called U Verse. U Verse offers speeds that are almost as fast as cable but if you want to use your own router for customizations to your network, you are out of luck. You are going to have to use the proprietary equipment that is supplied with the install. For a simple install, it would probably work fine but for a complex network, I would not recommend it. With cable, it is easy to hook up your own router and switches and you can even purchase your own cable modem if you wish to.
In a nut shell, we found the slower DSL as being the top in reliability but the cable will blow your mind when it comes to speed.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
Choosing Which Updates to Install
Hi everybody. Often times we get lots of things trying to update themselves on your computer. If you are not sure exactly what the update is, there are times that you might decide to simply pass and not do the update at all. In this column, we will discuss what is safe and what you should avoid.
The first thing we are going to discuss are Windows security patches. Once a month on patch Tuesday, Microsoft issues a series of updates for all supported versions of Windows. Patch Tuesday usually falls on the second Tuesday of each month. The type and number of updates that are offered go by operating system and the number of security holes that have to be patched. Usually, these updates are safe to install but there are certain ones you might want to avoid. One of the types that we have seen the most problems with is the .net updates. As of late, these updates have been popping up even after they have been installed and sometimes they simply will not install at all. At present, I would have to advise against trying to install these updates. Another area we often see issues with are with updates for Office. We often see issues where the patches will not install as well. If you encounter an issue while trying to install any patches, it is probably a good idea not to try to force it is as problems with your Windows install could definitely be an issue.
There are two products that you should update every time a new patch is offered they are Flash and Java. These two little gems are what allow you to view multi media items such as movies and slide shows. They also are required for playing many online games like Pogo and Zynga. The patches are usually offered to you automatically and always help to patch known security holes. Always allow these updates when you see them.
Another product that offers security updates is Adobe Reader. Again, it is a good idea to keep this product patched so you can have the best security possible. Quick Time and Real Player will also offer security updates for their products. Since I never really use Real Player anymore, I usually ignore the updates. Quick Tme will also offer updates and patches. When the screen comes to tell you what to update, only check the products that you are using. Often times there will be new software offered that you might not want to install.
Simply stated, always look before you install to be sure it is one of the above programs. Other venders will also offer updates such as HP and Firefox etc. Check to see if the update is a security issue or a program update. If it is a security update, be sure to install it.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
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