computerrepair

RED HERRING AWARDS IYOGI FOR THE 2008 RED HERRING ASIA AMERICA 100

2008-12-12T12:06:27Z

Award Recognizes the 100 “Most Promising” Asian Companies Driving the Future of Technology

Silicon Valley, CA, Dec 9th, 2008— Red Herring today announced that iYogi is a winner of the Red Herring 100 Award, a selection of the 100 most innovative private technology companies based in Asia.

iYogi delivers technical support services directly to consumers and small businesses and is the first, global, technical support brand based out of India with more than 50,000 customers. The company offers consumers an unlimited, annual subscription service for $119.99 per desktop that includes support for a wide range of technologies, including PC hardware, Microsoft Products Support, Windows Operating systems,Computer Support ,Software applications, MP3 players, Networking devices, Digital camera, Printers and scanners etc.

The Red Herring editorial board diligently surveyed the entrepreneurial scene throughout Asia and identified the top 100 out of more than 1,000 closely evaluated companies that are leading the next wave of innovation.

“Our winners and Finalists demonstrate that Asia is increasingly becoming a leader in innovation, contrary to common stereotypes", said Joel Dreyfuss, editor-in-chief of Red Herring. " It was tough to choose just the top 100 finalists from such a large list of excellent contenders, and we are very happy with the quality of the companies we selected as finalists."

“We believe consumers and small business owners should have low-cost access to the highest quality support available on the planet", said Uday Challu, CEO of iYogi. “We are thrilled that our innovative approach to solving everyday technology problems for consumers and our managed services for small businesses has been recognized by Red Herring’s keen-eyed leadership. We are continuously innovating in adding new services that includes PC recovery, anti-virus, anti-spyware, data back-up and PC optimization in providing the best tech support experience for our customers”, adds Uday.

The 100 winning companies have been announced at the Red Herring Asia event in Hong Kong. The CEOs of the winning start ups presented their innovative ideas and technologies to an audience of leading entrepreneurs, financiers, and corporate strategists at the event at the Hong Kong, JW Marriott Hotel earlier this week.

About iYogi

iYogi is the first direct-to-consumer and small business technical support service from India. Providing an annual unlimited subscription to technical support, iYogi now boasts of more than 50,000 customers. The company employs 600 professionals servicing customers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and fast expanding to 12 new geographies across the globe. iYogi’s resolution rate of 87 percent and customer satisfaction rate of 93 percent are amongst the highest published benchmarks in the industry. For further information, please visit www.iyogi.net.

iYogi Contact

Vishal Dhar
President Marketing, iYogi Inc.
Phone: 212 229 0901
Email: vishal@iyogi.net

Bolster Small Business Services by Delivering Server Support

2008-09-23T11:39:10Z

NEW YORK, Sept 17, 2008 -- iYogi, a next generation remote technical support company, announced today the expansion of their small business services to include support for Microsoft Windows 2003 Server, enabling business owners to efficiently maintain their network without maintaining an IT department.

With more than 50,000 customers worldwide, iYogi offers support for more than 72 software applications and peripheral devices and offers specific service packages uniquely geared for small businesses, starting at $119.99 per computer/per year.

"There are currently 2.4 million small businesses in the United States that have server-based LANs," said Merle Sandler, research manager in the SMB program at IDC. "Solving networking -- related problems can be an area of concern for small businesses, which often lack adequate IT resources."

Windows Server 2003 is a multipurpose operating system capable of handling a diverse set of server roles. iYogi provides the following features and support options:

Active Directory
Group Policies
Rights Management
Network set-up
File and print server
Internet based services
Virtual Private Network
Rights Management Services
Terminal server
Remote Access Services

Customers can select from the following pricing plans, paying a flat rate per incident or purchasing an annual subscription.

Single Incident $ 180

One Year, Unlimited Access To Technical Support $ 1999.99

"iYogi leverages India's 20 years of experience in providing excellent technical support to customers across the globe," said President of iYogi, Vishal Dhar.

"We have expanded our personal off shoring model to deliver an incredible experience at a revolutionary price. Our support services for Microsoft Windows 2003 Server are provided by Microsoft Certified professionals with years of experience supporting Microsoft's products. They have a passion for helping small business and enterprise customers develop the potential of their technology investments."

iYogi's Remote Service for Windows 2003 Server along with all of iYogi's services is available to customers in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. With a resolution rate of 86% and customer satisfaction rating of 93%, iYogi provides customers with an inexpensive and consistent option for their technical support needs.

ABOUT iYOGI

Headquartered in Gurgaon, India with offices in New York, NY, iYogi provides personalized computer support for small business and home office users. iYogi offers 24/7 phone and online assistance for technologies we use every day and supports products from a wide range of vendors. Utilizing proprietary technology, iMantra, and a superior Microsoft certified team, iYogi delivers higher resolution benchmarks and service levels than competing services. For more information and a detailed list of supported technologies.

Visit us at : www.iyogibusiness.com Contact Details:
Company Name : iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd

Address : iYogi Inc.

12, Desbrosses Street, 3rd Floor

New York, NY 10013

Toll Free No. : 1-800-237-3901

Work Number : 1-212-229-0901

Fax Number : 1-888-867-2715

E-Mail : awadhesh.singh@iyogi.net

Experience the Best Online Computer Repair & PC Repair with iYogi on 1-800-237-3901

2008-09-01T06:09:50Z

iYogi Announces Launch of Monitoring and Performance Tool For SMBs.

2008-08-27T14:49:41Z

iYogi – a leading provider of technical support services with horizons in the US, UK, Canada and Australia – today announced the launch of its exclusive server monitoring tools for small businesses. The new product offers integrated technology solutions to surmount the users’ unique IT support requirements thereby enabling them to derive and share information, data, enable network performance analysis, and security trends critical to plan and mana ge their set of servers – 24x7.

Uday Challu, iYogi’s CEO commented, “Holding a significant niche for itself in the computer support industry, iYogi has always known to be on the forefront of adapting breakthrough technology to exceed customer service expectations. This time we have developed a tool offering value-add functionality which will help small business customers maximize the business outcomes of IT.”

iYogi’s monitoring tool provides real time observation and monitoring solutions to ensure more robust and reliable IT support and infrastructure for small buinesses. Small Business owners also get a comprehensive assesment of their IT environment to meet technology needs with the scalability for future growth and create preventative measures based on quick analysis of network device alerts, pre-failure indicators, performance benchmark and security issues.

The new Monitoring and performance tool will provide small business with the opportunity to test all technical and non-technical aspects of their servers and help them to strengthen overall IT infrastructure. The array of services will include: Patch Management, Security Auditing, Site Inventory, Real Time Alerting Script Based Management, and Rights Management Services for all critical server issues.

“Irrespective of the business being small or large, when the consumer chooses iYogi, he leverages the potential of an elite taskforce of Microsoft Certified System Engineers and Cisco Certified Network Associates, ready to service their critical assets, using the most advanced network asset tracking and Performance monitoring”, adds Challu.

Another factor where the Company aims to distinguish itself from its competitors is product pricing. Embracing the concept of service quality, iYogi offers competitively priced technical support services at no-haggle, low prices.

As for its small business support, the Company has integrated its exclusive Monitoring and Alerting Services under one price umbrella of just $480 annually. per server i.e. $49.99 per month. The price is certainly hard to find anywhere else.

For more information on iYogi Small Business Support, visit http://www.iyogibusiness.com/

Contact Details:
Company Name: iYogi Technical Services Pvt Ltd
Address: iYogi Inc.
12 Desbrosses Street
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10013
Toll Free no:1-800-237-3901
Work Number: 1-212-229-0901
Fax Number: 1-888-867-2715

12 Top Threats to your Computer

2008-06-23T10:56:26Z

The internet is undoubtedly a fantastic resource for families and offers a rich vein of educational content. However, there are potential dangers - welcome to the seedy world of viruses, spam, trojans, pornography, spyware and other nasties. Here are the Top Twelve Threats No Computer User Should Ignore:

1. Viruses - A computer program that copies itself. They often disrupt your computer system or damage your data. Viruses are usually received by email attachments so be careful opening anything from a dubious source. They can affect anyone, for example, the destructive Mydoom worm affected one out of three small and mid-sized businesses. Install Antivirus and keep updated with it.

2. Spyware - Sends information about you and your computer to somebody else. Be carefull of them and Install Anti Spyware as Spyware may send the addresses of sites you have visited or worse still, transmit personal information. With today's concerns about identify theft this is a real worry. For example, CoolWebSearch may hijack web searches, home page, and other Internet Explorer settings. Spyware is normally received as part of shareware or freeware downloaded from the web.

3. IP Spoofing - A technique to gain unauthorized access to computers, whereby the intruder sends messages to a
computer with an address indicating that the message is coming from a trusted host.

4. Trojans - An apparently legitimate computer program that is really intended to disrupt and damage computer
activity by sending information, perhaps even passwords onto a third party without you knowing. As an example,
recent emails entitled "Osama Bin Laden Captured" attempted to download the "Trj/Small.B." Trojan if the embedded URL
was clicked. This trojan attempts to hijack the PC.

5. Spam - Unsolicited mail often promoting products of a dubious financial or sexual nature. Don't leave your email
address on websites and internet bulletin boards as they are harvested by spammers.

6. Adware - puts advertisements on your screen. These take many forms including popups, popunders and advertisements
that appear later, even if your browser is closed. Some are sent using the Windows Messenger service which allows a
spammer to direct an advertisement straight to your computer by sequentially sending messages to IP addresses.
Always irritating, they are also often of a pornographic nature.

7. Diallers - for those of us still with dial up modems, dialler programs redirect calls to a very expensive number.
You won't know until you get the bill.

8. Hijackers - Hijackers take control of your web browser and may reset your home page, search bar and search pages.
They can redirect you to undesirable sites or stop you going to particular sites.

9. Hackers - With so much personal data available online to anyone with a password you must be sure your password is
secure. If you are using your mother's maiden name, your cat's name or your birthday then your password is at risk.

Here are two tips for making a secure password.

Method One - pick two random unrelated three letter words and two digits. Mix them up and what do you have? A secure password such as "red19cat" or "hotpin73".

Method Two - pick a short sequence of words such as Now Is The Winter Of Our Discontent Made Glorious' and you have a password of "nitwoodmg". You could even change the I's and O's to digits.

10. Phishing - Emails purporting to come from reliable sources such as Paypal, Ebay or your bank. Often wanting
you to verify your account details, they can look very realistic but are generally scams to harvest usernames and
passwords. Always open a new browser winder and type the address there, rather than clicking on the link provided.

11. Hoaxes - Chain letters, scams, false alarms. At best they take up time and bandwidth but at worst vulnerable can
be victims of fraud. Pass it on!

12. Stranger-danger - For those of us with children - do you know what they actually do when they are online? Are they working on homework tasks, downloading illegal music or pornography? Or are they chatting to strangers in chat rooms? You should consider blocking access to undesirable sites and logging their activity with a surveillance tool. Oh, and don't forget that where children are concerned, computers should always be kept in a family room and never in their bedroom.

Three Step Action Plan

There are three essential steps that should be taken to ensure your PC is kept threat-free.

Firstly, be sensible when opening attachments or following email instructions from apparently reputable sites.

Secondly, make sure you are using the latest service pack of Windows as Microsoft is continually closing loopholes to
tighten up security.

Finally, there's a range of low cost tools such as firewalls, antivirus, spam blockers and spyware killers available. Like everything else they vary in quality and you tend to get what you pay for so always do your research first and perhaps try a free trial before getting your credit card out.

Underlying Importance of Computer Support

2008-06-20T04:44:19Z

Computer is simply an electronic machine which works in coordination with its components. Malfunctioning of any hardware or software can hamper efficiency of your computer. If you yourself are not the professional technician who knows to securely get the computer repaired, you would certainly require help. Why to take your computer to any expensive shop when several economical solutions are widely available?

One of such options is avail the services of an efficient remote computer support provider. These online vendors have taken the computer industry by storm and have certainly made the life easier for computer users. Indeed, both the big companies and small home businesses are now embracing this technology to stay productive.

Online technical support providers offer a comprehensive range of services for computer repair. The array generally includes troubleshooting all kinds of computer errors, installation of any operating system or antivirus, treating virus menace, setting multi-functional devices and applications etc. Some of the companies provide technical support for Desktop PCs, Laptops, and their components as a part of their computer repair package.

Also known as computer network vendors, these online PC repairers provide support for all network platforms. They regard security and the confidentiality of data of clients as their prime concern. However, the same should be your top priority as well when choosing the best computer support provider. Always shop around for the most holistic service.

Companies offering computer support have specialists in computer repair for the home and small business. Online PC repair services render an excellent chance for the end users who want to be well versed with computer complexities and their solutions. They can watch and learn to troubleshoot a PC problem with the help of remote computer support services. In addition, they get advice and find solutions to maintain the optimum performance of their PCs.

Those with a computer but no internet connectivity can also avail computer repair services. It has been made possible via phone. PC troubleshooting is a step-by-step process for diagnosing software or hardware problems and fixing them right away. Such services run 24x7 which is actually a major matter of convenience.

source :- http://www.articlepress.org/articledetail.php?artid=32848&catid=250

Remove a Operating System from a Dual Boot Windows XP Computer

2008-06-16T11:23:59Z

In Windows Xp, you can install two operating systems on the same hard disk of one computer.

Whether you have two copies of Windows Xp, or two different operating systems, then you end up with dual boot machine when you restart your Windows Xp computer.

Dual boot means, the system will give you a choice of two operating system. For example, if you have two Windows Xp copies A ans B, the prompt will offer you to choose A or B to boot from.

Also, dual boot machine can be used to have Windows Xp, and Linux O.S. installed on the same computer.

In the case where you have two windows Xp copies on the same hard disk, you will experience a slow performance in your system.

If you need to delete one Windows Xp copies, and leave only one, you dont need a Microsoft Certified Technical Support for that, here is how you do it,

When you restart your system, and you get a choice of two operating systems, you should choose the one you want to keep installed on your machine.

Once the startup process is done, and your computer is ready to accept tasks to perform certain functions, you click on the "My Computer" icon and locate the hard disks, removable storage devices, and more.

In the hard disk box you should see two drive icons, like "C", "D". If the copy you installed later need to be cancelled, it must reside on the "D" part of the hard disk.

This is because the "C" is where you initial copy of the Windows Xp resides, and it is the one you want to keep installed as the only copy on your computer.

The way you should get rid of the "D" copy is to format the "D" part of the hard disk. just right click it, and choose format. This will delete the Windows Xp copy you don't need.

In summary, you can have two operating systems installed on your windows Xp machine, which will offer a choice of loading one of two operating systems.

The good thing is that you can cancel one, and leave the other, and your computer keeps running.

Online Technical Support

2008-06-09T09:52:30Z

Computer support experts are gaining in popularity because of their ability to solve the problem effectively over Internet without having you to leave your premises. They are not the amateurs but certified technicians who resolve your PC issue right in front of your eyes as if it’s some magic.

Technicians offering you support are certified and have the experience to provide assistance to your computer regarding software or hardware issues. Computer Support is a critical need in today's world of communication and information technology. Both at home and business computing, computer users face a number of snags while operating system software and other computer devices.

Gone are the days to run after traditional methods of repairing computer or referring to onsite computer troubleshooting manuals to resolve computer problems.

In case you don’t have the Internet facility at your home, you can also ask for other options like availing the support over phone. If required, you can also ask these technicians to provide suggestions on how to create and manage a new software / hardware or operating system and maintain the system through online technical support.

You can learn a lot about your computer only by looking at the procedure these technicians take up to resolve computer problems.

You can avail real-time advice and search for solutions to verify and tune up your computer for smarter productivity. Moreover, these support workers follow a step-by-step approach to track software or hardware problems and fix them quickly.

With the help of a computer support technician, a user can get appropriate assistance and professional advice in the interactive session. Online computers support services are the most helpful for issues like troubleshooting software errors, computer problems, Spyware Removal, virus removal, and antivirus installation, installation of any operating system, technical problems, and Microsoft Outlook errors.
Moreover, these service providers run their support services for 24x7. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about their availability. Whenever you feel like having problems with your PC, you can contact these online computer support resources. While searching on the Internet, try to use keywords like online computer repair, online computer support, tech support, PC repair services. These keywords will refine your search and will help you to narrow down on the best results.

Article Source : http://www.geckoe.com/index.php?page=article&article_id=30538

Computer Repair

2008-06-06T06:30:11Z

With remote computer support being a new buzzword in the tech industry, you can bring back your slow and dead PC back to life in the convenience of your home.

Remote computer support workers can solve many problems related to small computer glitches. As a customer, you only pay for the service you need. Remote computer repair has increasingly become a preferred choice of customers searching for resources to get their PC repaired. The remote computer repair experts can repair most of your PC problems through remote control, as long as you've a high-speed Internet connection.

One can locate remote computer repair specialists through a simple search on the Internet. Online resources give you a good idea about the computer support services available. A remote computer screen repairperson can watch everything going on your PC while working on your problem.

Technology has advanced so much that you can ever control the scale, just in case you think that there is any security violation. In some cases, instructions are given over the phone, and the user has to follow these guidelines to repair computer.

Most remote computer repairers disconnect the program until and unless you want the program for future use. However, the entire system of remote computer support is gaining in popularity but it is always better that you always get good references of remote repair company. This way you will be able to verify their credentials and ensure security of your data.

Remote computer repair is a great help to fix computer issues like trouble shooting compute errors, virus removal, software installation, upgrading, disk cleaning, and PC optimization. Needless to say, the success rate is also far too high when it comes to repairing computer through remote computer support. Another advantage of remote computer repair is that you save money in long run as you don’t need to haul your PC anywhere and the technicians are working from their own location.

Moreover, these service providers run their support services for 24x7. Therefore, you don’t need to worry about their availability. Whenever you feel like having problems with your PC, you can contact these online computer support resources.

source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/article/149957/Computer%20Repair

Benefits of Availing Support for Antivirus

2008-06-02T07:12:26Z

Your precious computer encounters a new virus each day. This causes your personal information store on the PC's hard drive comes under threat. Computer viruses are malicious programs that can spoil functionality of your computer system through a variety of ways. The tactics can include sending virus through email attachments, spam email or by visiting corrupt, Trojan virus ridden websites.

With the growing malware threats on cyber, antivirus software programs are being popular among computer enthusiasts. These software programs provide your computer a constant level of protection that was never before in days gone by.
Nowadays, the antivirus programs come along with multiple virus scans offering you to scan anytime anywhere. Combating with computer viruses has become a today’s necessity to keep your confidential information confidential. Giving your peace of mind, antivirus programs are to protect you with most updated information while you relax and surf without any malware tension.
Since new virus threats are being created each and everyday, the most effective antivirus software programs offers real time virus updates. Most antivirus software offers this feature as an automatic update service. This means your antivirus software will check regularly (and automatically) with the manufacturer for details on new viruses, providing you with state of the art, high level protection constantly. Now doesn't that give you the peace of mind you deserve?

Although installing any antivirus program is simple but making it work as per your conditions needs technical support. Generally, people ignore configuring their antivirus programs which is though more important than the mere installation. The next step is antivirus updation which should be done on regular basis to make it capable to deal with new viruses.

In case, you are unaware of technical specifications as how to install or configure your antivirus software, you can consider taking the services of any good computer support company. Your support worker will also get you its updation done to help it perform better. There is no dearth of online computer support resources on the Internet. Go through the website of some selected vendors and choose the antivirus installation or PC security services. This will help you become informed of the antivirus software's performance and capabilities.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbasecamp.com/Article/Benefits-of-Availing-Support-for-Antivirus/23980

Are You Fully Armed To Fight Against Computer Errors?

2008-05-21T11:52:14Z

An unexpected computer error or hardware failure could be extremely devastating if you don’t have either the technical help or money set aside to cover your expenses. This makes online computer resources the absolute necessity for computer security as they provide you with assistance to fall back on in such critical situations. And there’s no time like present to get started.

At the critical hour when your computer denies running, you can trust the services of computer support resource. They have got the expertise to nip all computer woes into bud. Their offered facets like quality service, 24x7 availability, and cost effectiveness make them look appealing and attract computer enthusiasts.

With a high proliferation of computer repair vendors on the Internet, choosing the best resource can be a daunting task. But, your goal should take into account the experience and expertise of the vendor rather than how attractive the website is. Well! Thanks to websites like ezinearticles, articles99, You Tube, and other video sharing and hosting services. They let readers know about everything they want to know about. Be it about any recent movie or computer support, there would hardly be any topic left by these resources.

If websites like ezinearticles.com feature articles to offer information about any particular topic, You Tube, a Google acquisition is there to support you with its videos. At You Tube, anyone can upload, view, and share video clips about any relevant and informative product. This has made them incredible popular internet destinations. You can try searching for your computer support resource with these websites. Try entering keywords like Computer Support video, PC Repair Services, Remote Computer Support and Online Technical Support. These words will refine your search and help to narrow down on the desired.

Complete story at its source: Are You Fully Armed To Fight Against Computer Errors?

Online Computer Repair

2008-05-15T07:48:23Z

Online computer repair is the most convenient way to repair computers for individuals and corporate sectors. The main reason is because it is one of the most economical ways to sort out any kind of hardware or software problems. It is also the most self-sufficient service offered to anyone and online help is always fruitful as it enhances one’s knowledge of computers and computer related problems.

Many software problems can readily be solved by getting tutorials online and gathering enough information to identify the problem and there by upgrading your own level of understanding the computer. Most online computer vendors use cutting edge technology to fix computer problems online. Their highly trained technicians use the power of the Internet and specialized software to securely access to your computer. This connection allows them to diagnose computer problems and fix them immediately.

Online services include eliminating computer viruses, enhanced computer performance, troubleshooting and fixing errors, removing spyware and configuring systems.

A new way of getting online computer repair work done is to allow a remote user to take control of your computer. This is done by giving the repair person some basic information about the identity of your computer, which is usually a string of numbers. The repair technician can tell you how to discover those numbers. He or she will then ""meet"" you online and you will allow them to take over your keyboard and mouse from the computer that they are using. This is often done as a diagnostic measure, before going in for onsite repair.

Computer Support provides detailed information on computer repair by microsoft certified technical support, computer repair services, computer repair software and more.

10 reasons why PCs crash U must Know

2008-05-12T05:50:44Z

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death or your machine freeze. Anyone who uses Microft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

1 Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly.

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2 Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

3 BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4 Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6 Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability (remove virus). Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs --> Install Antivirus

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( McAfee - Antivirus Software and Intrusion Prevention Solutions). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( AntiVirus, Anti-Spyware, Endpoint Security, Backup, Storage Solutions | Symantec Corp.).

7 Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on Printer Support.

8 Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system.

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9 Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from ComputerNerd.com ~Welcome ! ! Best Price--Xenion iSD01 6 watt docking speaker system for iPod ! or coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

10 Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.

How to recover the maximum data from Recycle Bin?

2008-05-05T11:28:26Z

The Recycle Bin is a place where all the files and folders that are deleted by the following methods or commands are hold

Deleted files or folders by pressing Delete key on the keyboard.
Dragged files or folder to the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop.
Deleted files or folders by choosing Delete command from the popup menu or edit menu.

You can recover the accidentally deleted files or folders from Recycle Bin folder. The default size of Recycle Bin is equivalent to 10 % of total hard disk size. You can set the maximum size of Recycle Bin is 3.99 GB in all windows version expect windows Vista (Vista default 10% + 5% of total hard disk capacity). If you want to delete a large size file than Recycle Bin size, then file will be deleted permanently, that is why always set the maximum storage size of Recycle Bin in your system for the file size you tend to find deleting.

To change the default size of the Recycle Bin, Performs the following steps:

Before resize starting, empty the Recycle Bin to verify the deleted data.

Right click on Recycle Bin icon and go to Properties option.

Now a new windows dialog box will appear with the title "Recycle Bin Properties". Here in Global mode, you can choose the option "Configure drive independently" or "Use one setting for all drives".

If you want to configure Recycle Bin size separately for each drive then select the option "Configure drive independently". Now select the drive tab and move the slider left or right according to your need.

Press Apply button to save your new setting and Ok button to close the Recycle Bin Properties Window.

Reboot your computer to have Windows fully initiate the necessary changes to your system.

visit for your online data backup needs

Setting up trusted sites in IE

2008-05-02T11:28:52Z

One of the recommended precautions against malicious web sites is to turn off or set to prompt certain scripting and ActiveX options in Internet Explorer . Unfortunately, this can cause a whack-a-mole condition when visiting some web sites. If the site is one that you visit often, such as eBay or PCMag.com, where you want to allow scripting, it can be inconvenient (to say the least) to keep clicking "Yes" (or "No")

Internet Explorer has settings to allow you to manage these 'trusted' sites without compromising general security. To add often-visited web sites to the Trusted category, start by clicking Tools/Internet Options in Internet explorer to bring up an Options dialog box, and click on the Security tab.

You will see several "web content zones". Click on the Trusted site zone icon, and then click on Sites. In the sites dialog, type in the domain of the trusted site, such as "ebay.com", and click Add. IE will automatically insert the "*" wildcard character, though you won't see it until you exit and re-enter. When you're done with the sites, click on OK.

When you put a web site into the trusted zone, it will automatically make it a Low level security zone, which allows downloading content such as ActiveX controls and plug-ins, cookies, and all scripting is allowed. However, it will still block unsigned ActiveX controls.

One caveat, if you've set scripting and ActiveX control download to prompt in the Internet security zone, you may still get warnings when on trusted sites. This is usually because the site supports banners or ads which may be hosted through un-trusted domains.

Importance of PC Health Check Up

2008-04-30T05:14:29Z

Maintenance of your PC done on regular basis helps to prevent system crashes and optimizes its performance. Computer systems can get clogged due to constant installation of programs, internet browsing and other day to day applications.

PC health check up should always be performed by qualified and experienced computer technicians. They ensure complete computer optimization and computer repair including identifying security updates required to be installed on your PC, protection from viruses, spyware, and malware. In addition, you can update your knowledge about any software or hardware that would be beneficial for your computer.

Computer optimization done time to time boost essential utilities for increasing the performance and security of present day’s PCs. The suite of utilities will identify and eliminate problems which hamper the speed of your system.

You can also perform your PC health check up by undertaking following simple yet useful tips for PC optimization:

Perform a daily computer scan after completing your work.
Always first scan the items to be downloaded with your anti-virus software.
The computers which don’t have any anti virus software can be highly prone to virus attacks as a virus replicates itself out by email anytime.
Websites offering free music downloads on the Internet are generally virus infected. If you are downloading from any such sites, run a virus scan along with anti-spyware software.
There are a number of good softwares available which provide data back up on daily basis. You may use flash drivers, memory sticks, and DVDs etc.

PC health check up through an expert technician can bring several advantages to your system. It is most beneficial in case of virus attacks. There are an estimated over 50,000 known viruses in cyberspace. 20 per cent of computers contain viruses even with most having anti-virus software installed.

Computer savvys who get their PC optimization done on regular basis enjoy a hassle free performance, and keep the errors and problems at bay.

Do You Need A Computer Upgrade?

2008-04-23T05:55:11Z

Should you get a computer upgrade or junk it and buy a new one or go with a computer support ? If upgrading your old computer costs roughly half as much as buying a new one then perhaps you should invest the money in a new system.

What if your computer isn’t working well? Will a computer upgrade be worthwhile? Sometimes this could spell disaster. Upgrading a broken computer will do just that. You will have an upgraded broken computer or a very slow computer.

If your computer is in good shape and is just running slow, then a computer upgrade might be just what is needed. It could add a couple of years to your computer’s lifespan.

Computer Support services can assess your computer and let you know if you should upgrade and if so, what upgrades will be best for your computer.

Different Types of Upgrades

* Memory

* Wireless Modem

* Hard Drives

* CD-ROM Drives and DVD Writers

* Wireless Keyboard and Mouse

Memory – adding more RAM memory can help optimize the performance of your computer. 512 Mb is the minimum required for Windows XP running SP2 updates. We recommend 1 Gig minimum for a more reasonable speed.

Wireless Modem – Changing to a wireless G system with speed enhancement can increase the speed of the modem and make internet use quicker.

Hard Drives – Many older computers have small hard drives and can’t fit the newest software programs. By adding a newer and faster drive, you will increase the disk storage space and the speed of the computer.

CD-ROM Drives and DVD Writers – Transferring large files from your hard drive to CD-ROM and/or a DVD writable will free up hard drive space and increase the speed. More information on CD ROM drives.

Wireless Keyboard and Mouse – By changing over to a wireless keyboard and mouse, you’ll be able to bring the keyboard over to a nearby table all without being confined by wires.

Is your PC crashing? Help is here

2008-04-16T04:44:22Z

Eight simple steps to keep your PC healthy

For most of us now, the PC is our life. It is where we work, conduct financial transactions, listen to music and watch movies and chat with friends online. So what happens when your PC crashes?

The work that you do is now lost. All the information that you stored is gone. Almost everyone who owns a computer has had to face this grim reality at least once in his or her PC-owning life. What can you do to make sure it doesn’t happen again?

Follow these computer support tips to make sure that your computer stays healthy:

1. Scan Your Computer Regularly: Using Scandisk to scan your computer every week is extremely important. Scanning corrects errors on the hard disk of your computer.

2. Install Anti Virus: Viruses can wreak havoc on computers. It is among the main causes of system crashes. Installing an anti-virus goes a long way in keeping your PC safe and secure. It is also important to bear in mind that installing an anti virus is not enough, you need to carry out regular anti virus scanning of your computer, and keep the virus definitions updated.

3. Install a Firewall: If you are in the habit of logging on to the Internet regularly, you need to install a firewall. A firewall acts as a barrier preventing any unauthorised intrusion into your computer. It also alerts you if any program is being downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge. A firewall is essential to make sure that your computer is not compromised by spyware or adware (Spyware removal)and one should be aware of the firewall management tool. Windows XP and Vista come with their own built in firewall that you just need to turn on. Vista enables two way firewall control

4. Defrag Your Computer: Defragmentation basically reorganizes your hard disk in a way to make sure your files are stored contiguously. It saves up disk space, improves the performance of your computer and prevents overloading. If you install many programs and uninstall them, or delete files often, you need to defrag the hard disk.

5. Perform Disk Cleanup: Another important thing to do to make sure your PC is running at an optimum level is to perform Disk Cleanup. This deletes the remnants of the files you have already deleted. It also compresses old files. You will be surprised to know how much disk space is freed up by performing a disk cleanup.

6. Download as little from the Internet as possible to prevent malware: Many people download free software from the Net. Many download music illegally from peer to peer sites. A lot of the so-called free software that you download can contain spyware (Install Anti Spyware).

7. Uninstall Programs You Don’t Use: Use the Add/Remove in the Control Panel to remove programs that you don’t use anymore. It cleans up disk space and improves the performance of your hard disk.

8. Clean the Computer Regularly: Make sure dust does not accumulate inside your computer. Clean your computer once a month with a dry cloth. Also make sure that your air vent is not facing a wall, as it is important to keep your computer properly ventilated to keep it cool.

Installing A SATA Hard Drive

2008-04-14T09:53:46Z

Yesterday due to system crash my hard disk just got out of order. Making me too go for a replacement for that. But the best part for that was i was through with my system backup & online data backup last week itself. So it did not left me wondering a lot. Though some of my notes on internet browser problems and small business support kept on missing.

And some how i have to sketch out the details once again before this Monday for a official presentation. But then what i want to share here with you is my experience of sharing the hard disk and providing a computer support assistance.

Installing a Serial ATA hard disk drive is generally easier than an IDE drive, as it is not necessary to configure jumpers. While physically installing the hard drive in the machine is similar, the SATA drives require less configuration and planning. The hard drive will have jumpers at the rear of the drive, but they are used for power management and have nothing to do with Master, Slave and Cable Select as the IDE drives use.

HDD Handling Precautions

1. Turn off and unplug the computer.
2. Wear an anti-static wrist band or make sure you are properly grounded.
3. Do not put stickers or lables on the drive.
4. Do not touch the electronics on the hard drive.

Installing The HDD

You can mount the SATA drive in the computer any way you want (flat, upright, upside down) provided you use the screw mounts on the side or top of the drive. Mount the drive where you will have good air flow and be sure to use the SATA cable that ships with the drive or one that is less than 39 inches, which is within the SATA specification. You can connect the serial cable to a SATA controller on the motherboard, or a controller card if the motherboard does not have an on-board SATA controller.

Next, connect power to the drive using the SATA power connector or the legacy Molex connector. Do not use both at the same time, as this could hurt the hard drive.

Installing a SATA drive is a good idea if you are building a new computer, as they are better at power consumption, have the potential for improvements in speed and have a thin cable, which improves air-flow throughout the case.

Online Technical Support

2008-04-08T04:07:19Z

iYogi provides the world Best online Computer Support and get Online Technical Support, Computer Repair, Computer Support, PC repair Services, Home Computer Repair, Computer Tech Support, remote support, computer problems, it support services, windows server 2003 support, computer maintenance, phone tech support all over the globe by Microsoft Certified Technicians. <lj-embed id=" 1"="1""> [Error: close lj-embed tag without open tag]

Second Set of Hardware Maintenance Tips

2008-04-07T06:06:15Z

Hi Friends here is the second set of Procedures for your hardware maintenance
needs and Computer Support

26. If first get a PC and its both several days off in time and also is an
older system, replace the battery.  Let the system sit overnight "OFF" and
bootup the next day and see if the time is correct.  Sometimes the button
cell circuit goes bad, if so use an external to motherboard battery.  On
most computers there is a 3 or 4 pin array next to the button cell for this
purpose.

27. Note what chkdsk says in DOS.  If it's less than 655,360 bytes you might
have a boot sector virus.  Boot with a clean disk and run an anti-virus
program to double check.  Be careful when using fdisk /mbr as it may wipe
out the data on the drive(s) that are using a disk manager or delete the
code that allows you to run multiple operating systems.

28. On older 286, 386 and 486 system boards, assure that the cache chips on
the motherboard are pushed in all the way if the system is not booting.
They are notorious for popping out due to heat.

29. When you are trying to get an older ISA card to work, assure that the
chips are also in all the way.  They also tend to pop out from heat over
time.

30. If you see a bent capacitor or other electronic item on a system board
or card, leave it be.  Do not straighten it out.

31. Make sure that the power cable to the back of the computer fits in nice
and tight.  If it doesn't, replace it.  It's only a $2 or $3 dollar item and
a loose fitting one is a VERY common cause of random reboots and data loss.

32. If you install a new modem, also make sure you, your friend, or the
customer has a surge protector with a modem circuit.  If not, don't
guarantee the modem as 90% of surges come in via the phone line.  Carry
extra surge protectors that have modem protection sockets with you if you
are in the onsite repair business.  Note that you may experience a slower
connection speed if the modem line has to go through a surge protector but
in the long run it's worth it.

If the system has a cable or DSL modem make sure that both the system and
the modem are OFF before you pull out the cable for Computer Support.

33. Make a note of whether or not the D-Connector(s) on the back of the PC
is for the printer or SCSI scanner.  Mark the back of the case with a
Sharpie Pen or just make a note on the connector itself.  Never connect an
external SCSI drive to a card while the system is ON.

34. After you install a new sound or video card, you might want to run the
highperf goodtime.avi from a Windows CD or other video file to make sure
everything works OK.  Also run dxdiag from the RUN window and do the tests.

35. If there is time after you build a new system or replace a motherboard,
set a screen saver to run overnight.  If in the morning its locked on a
fresh install of Windows, you still have more work ahead of you.  Try new or
swapping RAM or swap the motherboard if possible and try again.  Double
check that the CPU fan is on right and working.

36. Note in your logbook or on the invoice the Windows ProductKey, Com port
settings in CMOS, and any special drivers you had to use for the system you
are repairing.  Provide any drivers to the PC's owner on a floppy or in a
specially named folder on their hard drive.  Of course, you can burn them to
a CD once you verify that you downloaded the correct ones.

37. If you are in business or just starting on the side, be sure to ask for
the customers work and/or cell phone number in addition to their home number.
Also ask them for their email address. Write them down on the invoice or in
your logbook.  Use the email addresses now and then to bulk mail a special
offer or tips or warn them of a new deadly virus and how to avoid catching
it before they update their scanner.

38. Although tempting, do not put the cover back on with the power on.
After you are done with the job, reboot than shut the unit completely off to
make sure you don't have a shutdown problem.  This way you know if any
future shutdown problem is a result of additional software your friend or
customer installed later on.

39. Check keyboard and mouse wires for wear.  It's very common to find
frayed wires where folks run wires through a hole in a desk.  Order some
extra PS/2 extension cables to keep around, as they will come in handy
sooner or later.

40. Always remember to Destatic yourself before you touch any part.  Yes you
can use a wrist strap for extra safety but it's not necessary.  All you need
to do is touch metal before you touch any card or drive.  The case or a
metal desk or file cabinet will do fine.  Put all your parts in anti-static
bags as soon as you remove them, even if it's only temporary.

41. You may have a heat problem even though your CPU fansink is cold. Reason
being, the heatsink may not be making proper contact with the business part
of the CPU.  Remove the heat transfer tape if it's on the sink if you
suspect this.  Clean off the glue.  Apply a small dab of heat transfer
compound or thermal grease.  Electronics stores usually carry the compound
for only a few dollars per tube.

42. If a system has been out in the cold lets say below 40 degrees F for
over 30 minutes, let it sit for an hour before you turn it on.

43. On budget cases there is often lots of play when you snap in a card.
Hold your other hand on the back plate or Mother Board and apply pressure
equally as you put in an adapter.

44. Check the 4 pin power cables for wires that may be coming loose.  You
can just push them back in, use a fresh/unsed connector or better yet, add a
new Y cable spitter so the connections to the drives will be tight.

45. Backup the registry, system.ini, win.ini, autoexec.bat, and config.sys
before you tweak or install any software.  Make another backup once you are
finished with the job.  There are third party utilities that allow you to do
this quite easily.  Of course the files you back up differ depending on what
version of Windows that is on the PC.

46. If a jumper on your motherboard, IDE device, or card seems like it
didn't take any pressure to push on, replace it with tighter fitting jumper.
Replace any smooth jumper [the ones without the fingernail grip] on CD-ROMs
and hard drives with a better one if you have one.  It may save you from
taking out a drive to change a jumper a year from now.  Use a white or red
one on your hard drives if you have them.  Save the white and red ones from
dead motherboards.

47. If you are doing major work inside a system and its over 3 years old
replace the button cell battery also.  It is only a few dollar investment
and it aids in the quality of your work, as it's one less thing to possibly
go bad 3 months after you put in a new drive or do other service inside the
case.

48. Onboard cache ram is famous for going bad on 486s and early Pentiums.
If you are having problems installing windows try disabling the onboard
cache.  It is better than replacing the motherboard if the customer is on a
tight budget.  Some older Pentium class motherboards you have to manually
pull out the cache chip. Most other times you can disable onboard cache in
the CMOS setup.

49. Before you declare a hard drive dead, or have encountered a new virus
that can't be properly detected and/or removed, or has corrupted the boot
sector, don't be afraid to use a zero fill utility you can get from the hard
drive maker's Website.  Some zero fill utilities are even designed just for
the boot sector.  Keep in mind however that a zero fill utility will totally
wipe out all the data and partitions on a drive.

50. Don't forget to do and/or inform your customers to do basic weekly
maintenance, which includes scandisk, deleting all temporary files, deleting
all Internet cache files, and downloading the latest update for your
anti-virus program.

Every month it's also suggested that you look in Add/Remove Programs and
Uninstall any applications that you are not using, then run a registry
cleaner [for experienced users only], and lastly, run defrag.

Have fun and don't get frustrated. A computer is only a tool.

First Set of Hardware Maintenance Tips

2008-04-03T06:10:17Z

Last weekend my computer just surprised me with its.. As usual System Message "DISK BOOT FAILURE"
And that was it and got weired with the day head.. my complete planes was shatered off and i had
a whole 3 hours restless experience in fixing the things...

So just wanted to come up with some thing which can help all of us to get along with
some essential hardware maintenance and computer repair procedure.. Here is some of them

1. Record your hard drive, serial and parallel port, and PCI settings in the
CMOS setup utility in advance of removing the case cover. This is especially
important when changing your motherboard or removing a hard drive that you
plan on using in another system to access the data.

2. Use a voltmeter to check the 4 pin, 5 and 12 volt settings if you are
experiencing random reboots or are seeing parts prematurely fail. If you
see over a .15 range +- seriously consider replacing the power supply. In
other words, the 5-volt setting shouldn't be over 5% off in any direction.
The voltmeter cost about $20 and the best place to find them is at a home
repair or electronics store. I always do this before I install a new Hard
Drive or replace a Motherboard as voltage problems often kill hard drives.

To do this take one of the 4 pin power connectors and look at it. The middle
two Black wires are ground. The Yellow Wire is 12 Volts and the Red wire is
5 Volts. If you are +- 5% in any direction replace the power supply.

3. For a dialup or any modem connection problem, first use a portable phone
or any phone to first listen for a dial tone. Call somebody to make sure you
have a clean line. If you hear static on the line that problem has to be
fixed first. Connect the phone to the exact wire that goes into the modem.
Keep an extra new phone cord with you as well. Also keep in mind that surges
often burn out a phone line splitter. So if you are not getting a dial tone
remove the spitter and connect the wire directly to the wall outlet and see
if that works.

4. Check that your RAM is snapped in all the way. Never force in 72-pin
memory. If it's a tight fit pull back the clips just enough with your nails
as you insert the SIMM. For DIMMS, pull back the clips, carefully insert the
DIMM with modest pressure but not enough to snap it in, then apply enough
pressure to one side at a time till it snaps in.

5. Check that the power cables to the motherboard are in firmly. On AT
systems it's somewhat common for one of the two connectors to pop out a bit.
Remember on ATX style cases there's a clip on the back of the power cord to
the motherboard that you have to depress when pulling it out. And note that
on AT style cases the Black wires go towards the center.

6. Use Compressed Air to blow out the CPU and other case fans. Be sure to
align the plastic tube to properly blow out the CPU heatsink as well as
dust accumulates in the cooling fins. Blow out the dust in the power supply
from both the back of the case and from inside the case. Blow out all the
air vents on the case. The ones in front seem to accumulate the most dust.
This should be done every three months. If the floppy or cdrom drive isn't
working, use Compressed Air to clean them out first often that's all it
takes especially for floppy drives.

7. If you are having hard drive problems, first check how tight the data
cables are fitted into your IDE drives and system board. If they seem too
easy to insert either onto the motherboard or on the device, replace them
with new cables that have a tight fit.

8. Check the nuts on the back of your cards. Use a 3/16ths-nut driver to
tighten them but be careful that you don't overtighten. If a nut is missing,
replace it. Use your finger to hold in the bolts on the inside of the card
when screwing in a very loose nut.

9. See if any loose screws or nuts are rolling around on the bottom of the
case. You often have to turn the unit on its side or upside down to let
them fall out if you hear them but can't see them. This is especially
important if you see that a nut on the back of a card or port is missing.

10. Save any extra metal card cover plates from old systems you about to
discard. If you see an open space at the back of the computer where a card
used to be, use them to insure the case can manage the airflow as it was
designed to do.

11. If the system had a boot sector virus, Install Antivirus and enable
"Virus Detection" in the CMOS or install a background scanner to prevent the
same from happening again. Make a note to scan all the floppy disks near the
system and open the write protect window once you are done or have your friend or
customer do it.

In order to do a proper check for a boot sector virus you have to bootup
with a known clean bootdisk first. This way it's assured that the virus
hasn't had a chance to run yet.

12. Use plastic Zip Ties to tie up any loose power cables inside the case to
prevent them from coming into contact with pin on a card, a system board, or
any of the fan blades. Do not use "bread tie" wires as they have metallic
cores. There really isn't any advantage to tying up a data cable unless it's
preventing the CPU fan from spinning.

13. If the CPU fan is making noise, replace it if you can. To tell if it's
the part making all the racket with the system running stop the fan with
your finger and see if the noise stops. Make sure the fan is spinning fast.
In a bind, you can most often remove the CPU fan, carefully remove the label
on the underside, and use a single drop of any light oil on the bearing,
then replace the label. If you get oil on the label then clean off the fan
and just use any other adhesive label to keep the dust out. Other folks say
that a small dab of heavy automotive engine oil is the way to go. Use what
you have as it's only a temporary measure anyway.

14. Before you are done fixing a friends or clients system, make sure the
computer can connect to the Internet. Don't forget to reboot before you try
to make sure the registry is reset. Browse a page or two also. Assure that
a browser is installed that supports 128-bit cipher strength. check for
Internet Speed

15. Prior to reinstalling Windows or formatting anyones PC, record the
ProductKey because Windows will most likely ask for a key during a reinstall,
and often it demands that you use the original one. It can be found in the
registry or in system.1st on C: if system.1st exists There are of course
third party utilities that can find it even if Windows isn't booting.

16. Make sure there is an audio cable from the CD-ROM to the sound card.
Test any new CD-ROM installs with an audio CD as well as a data CD. Often
the CD that comes will lower end sound cards work perfectly for windows and
game sounds but sometimes not for audio CDs. The common fix is to find
updated drivers.

17. Check the 4 Power Supply screws holding in the power supply on the back
of the case. Tighten them if they are loose.

18. Check the hard drives screws. Make sure you have at least 3, preferably
4 holding in the hard drives. On some systems if you have to remove the
motherboard to use 4 screws when installing a new drive it probably is not
worth the risk.

19. Make sure that all your case screws match as a matter of pride, don't
leave any out. You also don't want the system to rattle in a month or two.

20. Assure that the parallel port works before you're done with a major
upgrade. Either print something or use a loopback plug with a test program.
Also check the COM ports with a loopback plug if you have changed the
motherboard or have just built a new system for somebody.

21. Do a full surface scan from DOS or Safe Mode for bad clusters before
you reinstall Windows on a previously troubled system. This takes time but
it's worth it. You don't want to have to redo the entire system again in 2
weeks just because you have one bad or failing cluster at the beginning of
the drive that you didn't mark bad.

22. Use the floppy drive to make sure it works before you deliver the unit
or leave your friends or clients site. Floppy cables easily come loose when
adding memory or replacing a hard drive.

23. Also test the CD-ROM drive. If possible, assure that the drive letter
is set to what it had been set to before especially if it was set high up
like R or Q. It often drops down into "order' when you install new hard
drives or other IDE devices.

24. Check for conflicts in Device Manager. If you had to tweak settings to
get a particular card to function, write the settings down on in your
logbook or invoice. Leave a copy of the settings with the PC's owner you
are working on.

25. Use Device Manager in Safe Mode and remove all dupes. If Windows is
always finding the same device every time you boot, remove ALL the entries
for it in Safe Mode and reinstall the device according to the docs.

If the tips interest's you be there for another set of maintenance tips

How to Install A scanner

2008-03-28T06:15:25Z

Installing a scanner on newer PCs is pretty straight-forward. If the scanner is a USB device, you’ll need to install the software CD that came with the scanner. These will normally be one or two disks and a few others that usually only prove to be trial software or other programs you do not need. Be wary of installing these third-party CDs, as you likely will never use them and they tend to want to take over the way media is handled on your computer.

First, unpack the scanner from the box. Make sure you have all of the attachments and especially the quick setup instructions if they were in the box. You can assemble the scanner and set if off to the side. You can plug the power cable in, but do not plug the USB cable into the computer.

Boot up the computer and load the scanner software disk into the CD ROM drive. If it does not launch automatically, you can navigate to it through My Computer and click the setup.exe file. If there are additional disks for your scanner that need to be loaded, you will be prompted for them.

Once the software has been installed, you can then attach the USB cable to the computer. Windows should find the new scanner and load the drivers for it automatically.

Troubleshooting Scanner Problems:

If your scanner had worked in the past but has stopped functioning, you can usually unplug the scanner, then go to Add / Remove Programs in the Control Panel and remove the scanning software. Then you can repeat the installation process above.

If the scanner never worked, you may have a problem with the USB port . Check another device to see if it works in that port.

If you have any other questions about scanner or printer setup, please be sure to visit our Online Technical Support Team today.

Replacing Motherboard's CMOS Battery

2008-03-24T05:47:38Z

Computers contains a battery to keep time when the computer is off, much like a watch or some alarm clocks. Just like a watch, the battery needs to be replaced when it runs low on power. You can purchase these batteries in most department or PC specialty shops. For most of us, the computer becomes obsolete long before we need to change the battery, but new technology allows us to keep our systems longer and longer by swapping out components and get along with the computer repair.

How and Where to begin when changing the CMOS battery:

CMOS is an abbreviation for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. You may need to change your CMOS battery if your computer clock isn't accurate when you boot. However, if your pc loses time as the computer runs, that's another problem.

It is important to get into the BIOS settings and write down any special settings. If you remove and replace the battery quick enough, you might not lose your settings, but it's best to write everything down.

Remove the side panel so you have access to the motherboard. You should have the pc unplugged and be wearing an antistatic wrist strap to avoid damaging your boards.

a. Jot down notes if you cannot access the battery directly and need to remove cables. Note the connection and orientation of each cable. Do not unplug anything from the board unless absolutely necessary.

b. The battery is often only held in place by a couple of thin clamps that can be gently slid aside or raised enough to get the battery out. DO NOT BREAK THE CLAMPS.

c. Once the replacement is in, replace any cables, close the case and boot the computer. Go back into the BIOS and restore any settings, if necessary get along with a Online Technical Support.

Discharge the CMOS

It is sometimes necessary to discharge the CMOS. This is done by a set of jumpers on the motherboard, often near the CMOS battery. The small plastic clip is normally on pins 1 and 2. To discharge the CMOS memory, make sure the power is off and move the jumper to pins 2 and 3. You can return the jumper to pins 1-2 after only a few seconds. Now the CMOS memory has been cleared.

How to add another USB device to my computer if I am out of USB ports?

2008-03-20T08:23:53Z

Most computers that we buy today come with only one or two USB sockets. With so many USB devices on the market today, you easily run out of sockets very quickly. For example, on the computer that I am typing on right now, I have a USB printer, a USB scanner, a USB Webcam and a USB network connection. My computer has only one USB connector on it, so the obvious question is, "How do you hook up all the devices?"

The easy solution to the problem is to buy an inexpensive USB hub. The USB standard supports up to 127 devices, and USB hubs are a part of the standard.

A typical USB 4-port hub accepts 4 "A" connections

A hub typically has four new ports, but may have many more. You plug the hub into your computer, and then plug your devices (or other hubs) into the hub. By chaining hubs together, you can build up dozens of available USB ports on a single computer.

Hubs can be powered or unpowered. As you learn in How USB Ports Work, the USB standard allows for devices to draw their power from their USB connection (all USB cables contain two wires -- for +5 volts and ground). A high-power device like a printer or scanner will have its own power supply, but low-power devices like mice and digital cameras get their power from the bus. The power (up to 500 milliamps at 5 volts) comes from the computer. If you have lots of self-powered devices (like printers and scanners), then your hub does not need to be powered -- none of the devices connecting to the hub need additional power, so the computer can handle it. If you have lots of unpowered devices like mice and cameras, you probably need a powered hub. The hub has its own transformer, and it supplies power to the devices that connect to the hub so the devices do not overload the computer's power supply.

The Universal Serial Bus can easily handle both a scanner and a printer, even if you are scanning and printing at the same time. The original USB supports up to 12 megabits per second, and USB 2.0 supports up to 480 megabits per second -- considering that most devices consume only 6 megabits per second, you can definitely run more than one device at a time.

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