Smartdollars: December 2009

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Huge 77 Tips For Windows 7

Edited by Keith Ward

Windows 7 may be Microsoft’s most anticipated product ever. It builds on Windows Vista’s positives, and eliminates many of that OS’s negatives. It adds new functionality, too—all in a package that is less resource-hungry than its predecessor.
And whether or not you're upgrading from Vista or skipping it altogether and moving up from Windows XP, you'll need to know how to make the most of it in your environment. Here are 77 tips and tricks to get you there.

1. Pick Your Edition. Most business users do not need the more expensive Ultimate Edition; stick with Professional unless you specifically need BitLocker.

2. Upgrading? Go 64-bit. As the second major Windows release to fully support 64-bit, the x64 architecture has definitely arrived on the desktop. Don't buy new 32-bit hardware unless it's a netbook.

3. Use Windows XP Mode. Yes, it's only an embedded Virtual PC with a full copy of WinXP—but it's an embedded Virtual PC with a full copy of Windows XP! This is the first profoundly intelligent use of desktop virtualization we've seen—and a great way to move to Windows 7 without giving up full Windows XP compatibility.

4. Use Windows PowerShell v2. More than just a shell, this is the administration tool you've always wanted: Parallel, distributed processing for administrative tasks! Manage 100 machines literally as easily as you manage one with the new Remoting feature. Windows PowerShell v2 ships for the first time in Windows 7, and within six months will be available for older versions of Windows.

5. Use AppLocker. We've been fans of Software Restriction Policies since Windows XP, and AppLocker finally makes application whitelisting possible. Use it to enhance or even replace your anti-virus software, ensuring that only the software you want to run will run.

6. Shift to and from Explorer and CommandPrompt. The classic Windows power toy Open Command Prompt Here is now an integral part of Windows 7 Explorer. Hold down the shift key then right-click a folder to add this option to the property menu. While you're in a command prompt, if you want to open an Explorer window with the focus of the window on the current directory, enter start.

7. Record Problems. The Problem Steps Recorder (PSR) is a great new feature that helps in troubleshooting a system (see Figure 1). At times, Remote Assistance may not be possible. However, if a person types psr in their Instant Search, it will launch the recorder. Now they can perform the actions needed to recreate the problem and each click will record the screen and the step. They can even add comments. Once complete, the PSR compiles the whole thing into an MHTML file and zips it up so that it can be e-mailed for analysis to the network admin (or family problem solver, depending on how it's being used).

8. Make Training Videos. Use a tool like Camtasia to record short, two to three minute video tutorials to help your users find relocated features, operate the new Taskbar and so forth. Get them excited about Windows 7—and prepared for it.

9. Start Thinking About Windows Server 2008 R2. Some of Windows 7's more compelling features, like BranchCache, work in conjunction with the new server OS. The R2 upgrade path is pretty straightforward, so there's little reason not to take advantage of the synergies if you can afford upgrade licenses.

10. Prepare Those XP Machines. There's no in-place upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7, so start planning to migrate user data now, in advance of a Windows 7 upgrade deployment.

11. Consider Clean Installs. Even when upgrading Windows Vista machines, consider a clean install rather than an in-place upgrade. Yes, it's more hassle, but it'll produce a more trouble-free computer in the long run.

12. Consider Upgrade Assurance. Even if you've never bought it before, consider it for your new Windows 7 licenses. Access to the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP), which includes App-V, MED-V and other cool technologies, is worth the premium.

13. Find New Tools. Within Control Panel is a single Troubleshooting link that leads you to all of your diagnostic tools on the system. There are additional tools, however, not installed by default. Selecting the "View all" link in the top left-hand corner will help you to see which troubleshooting packs are local and which ones are online. If you find a tool that you don't have, you can grab it from here.

14. Understand Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). Windows 7 plays an important role in Microsoft's VDI strategy, where virtualized Windows 7 machines are hosted on a central virtualization server using a special blanket "Enterprise Centralized Desktop" license. Read up and figure out if you can take advantage of this new strategy.

15. Prepare for DirectAccess. DirectAccess makes it easier for users to remotely access their office-based resources, without a VPN. DirectAccess also opens up remote computers more fully to Group Policy—but it requires Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2.

16. Employ Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM). If you quickly want to list or manage Windows packages, features or drivers, use the command-line utility DISM. The "image" in the name may fool you into thinking that this is solely a deployment tool. An online command-line switch lets you manage the features in the currently loaded OS. To get a list of the loaded Windows features, enter dism /online /get-features /format:table. To enable a feature, enter dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:.

17. Embrace Troubleshooting Packs. Designed to help users troubleshoot and solve problems on their own, you need to update your support procedures to acknowledge these Packs. For example, don't force users to repeat steps the Pack already walked them through, and consider developing your own Packs (in Windows PowerShell) to support in-house systems.

18. Check Reliability. The Reliability Monitor was introduced in Windows Vista as 'The Reliability and Performance Monitor." In Windows 7 it has been separated from Performance Monitor and moved to a new location under the Action Center. You open the Action Center in Control Panel and then look under the Maintenance options for the "View reliability history" link. You can also just type in Reliability Monitor from the Instant Search

19. Accept Diversity. Not every organization will be ready to move entirely to Windows 7 right away. That's fine—but that shouldn't mean the entire organization stays on Windows XP, either. The myths of the cost savings of having only one OS have been largely disproven or downplayed, so use Windows 7 where it makes sense to do so.

20. Get Snippy. The snipping tool has also been around in various incarnations but it's even easier to use in Windows 7. Launch the tool, then drag and drop any part of your screen. The tool will snip the selection. You can save it as a graphic file or annotate with basic drawing tools. Teach your end users how to use this tool so they can grab the snapshots of their problems and send them to the help desk. Or create your own library of visual notes.

21. Presentation Nirvana. Press Windows+P to access the new Presentation mode, and easily turn on your projector and laptop screen at the same time. No more messing with vendor-specific utilities and arcane keystrokes. (Windows+X accesses the Mobility Center, with additional presentation options.)

22. Cut the Clutter. Press Windows+Home to minimize all but the current window, removig background clutter and letting you focus on that report your boss has been bugging you about.

23. Be a Mouse-Click Administrator. Windows 7 makes it easy to gain admin rights with a keyboard shortcut. Click on Ctrl+Shift on a taskbar-locked icon, and voila! You've launched it with appropriate admin rights.

24. Faster Installations. If your computer is capable of booting from USB, try this: XCopy the Windows 7 installation DVD to a sufficiently large USB drive, boot from that drive, and install Windows from there. It's faster than a spinning platter.

25. Burn Discs with a Click. Or two; double-click an ISO file to burn it to your CD or DVD writer.

26. Restore Point Previews Many of us used to shut off System Restore because we were terrified to actually use it; under Windows 7, we can be much calmer. After selecting a Restore Point, Windows will now offer to show you which files and folders will be affected by restoring to that point.

27. Sync Time Zones. If you work with offices in different time zones and frequently find yourself missing meeting times because you are not in sync with their time zone, try the "Additional Clocks" feature that was first introduced in Vista. Within your Date and Time settings is a tab called Additional Clocks, where you can add two or more clocks to your taskbar time, and set them to provide different time zones from your current time zone.

28. Configure User Account Control (UAC). Even if you're a UAC hater, give it another try. Go to the Control Panel to configure its behavior to something slightly less obnoxious than what Windows Vista had, and see if you can't live with the extra protection it offers

29. RoboCopyCopyCopy. The always-useful Robocopy.exe can now run multi-threaded; run Robocopy /? to review its new parameters (like /MT for multithreading) and make your copies go faster.

30. Remote Desktop Console. Windows 7 Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) does not include a console-based remote desktop utility. And even if it did, the standard remote desktop console has some nagging limitations: It can't move connections around in the list; it can't sort by folders and so forth. If you manage lots of servers from your Windows 7 workstation, try downloading a copy of mRemote from mremote.org. This donation-requested utility allows you to mix together a variety of remote control applications, including Citrix Independent Computing Architecture (ICA), Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Virtual Network Computing (VNC), Secure Shell (SSH) and rlogin. All host names are displayed in a standard tree control that can be divided into folders, sorted alphabetically, and allow you to assign different logon accounts and secure passwords to each connection.

31. Multiple Monitors. Windows 7 makes working with multiple monitors intuitive and flexible. There are a variety of shortcuts and mouse motions that flick windows from monitor to monitor. To make the most of this, you need lots and lots of screen real estate. Try one of the new QWXGA monitors from Samsung (tinyurl.com/qwxgasamsung) or Dell (tinyurl.com/qwxgadell). These 23-inch monitors have a 2048x1152 resolution, making it possible to put two full-sized pages on the same monitor. Pair them together and you'll get enough space to have all your admin tools open along with Office, Visio, your intranet sites and a little note to your mom in Live Mail. Move your taskbar to the left or right side of the window instead of along the bottom to free up even more real estate.

32. Windows PowerShell Scripting. If you want to make the most of Windows PowerShell on Windows 7, you'll need a quick way to build and debug scripts. Windows 7 comes with an interactive editor that allows you to try out cmdlets and test functions on the fly.

33. Drag-and-Drop Notification Icons. The redesigned notification area displays only a minimum number of icons; all other notification icons are moved to a side window. Rather than using the Customize option to select icons for the main display, you can drag-and-drop icons from the side window to the notification area.

34. Add Unindexed Shared Folders to Library. You can add UNC paths such as \\servername\sharename to a Library, but the server must index the folder. If you want to add a UNC path to an unindexed server, you can create a symbolic link to the UNC path, then add the link or links to the library. Use the mklink command. For example, mklink HomeFolder \\ServerName\Homefolder.

35. Simplify Cloned Machine Setups. You can't run Sysinternals' newsid utility to change the identity of a cloned Windows 7 machine (either a virtual machine or imaged PC). Instead, create a template installation then run sysprep /oobe /generalize /reboot /shutdown /unattend:scriptfile. Clone or copy this virtual machine file. When it launches, it will get a new SID and you can fill in the name. The reference for building unattended script files is at tinyurl.com/winunattend.

36. Snap That Aero. The Windows key is great for all your shortcuts. Now you can use it to work with the new AeroSnap feature in Windows 7. Select a window, hit the Windows key and a left or right arrow to snap the window to that half of the screen, or use the up arrow to snap it to the top of the screen.

37. Shortcut the Taskbar. The Windows key is great for shortcuts. You can select the Windows key and a number to correspond to items on your taskbar. So, if IE (for example) is the third icon on your taskbar (not counting the Start button), you can hit the Windows key and the number three to launch or open IE.

38. Manage Passwords. Control Panel includes a new application called Credential Manager. This may appear to be a completely new tool that allows you to save your credentials (usernames and passwords) for Web sites you log into and other resources you connect to (such as other systems). Those credentials are saved in the Windows Vault, which can be backed up and restored. However, you might see this as similar to a tool we have in XP and Vista. From the Instant Search, type in control /userpasswords2 and you will be brought to the Advanced User Accounts Control Panel, where you can also manage passwords for your account

39. Trigger Actions. Event Viewer is closely tied into Task Scheduler. You have the ability to take an event (select it in Event Viewer) and then from the Actions pane, select the option "Attach a Task" to have that event, when it appears, trigger an action. That action can be: launch a program; send an e-mail; or display a message. This feature may be very helpful in troubleshooting a problem.

40. Browse InPrivate. A new feature in IE8 is the ability to open the browser in an InPrivate Browsing session that allows you to perform banking and so forth from a public location without fear of leaving behind any residue. IE will not retain anything you do in an InPrivate Browsing session. You can perform this action if you are already within IE by selecting the Safety button and then InPrivate Browsing. This will open another IE window altogether. However, you can save a few steps by using the shortcut. Right-click the desktop IE icon, click InPrivate and the windows will open in an InPrivate session already.

41. Go Live. Many applications installed on past versions of Windows have been removed. Starting with Windows 7, these applications (and a few others not typically installed with Windows) have been moved into the Live Essentials downloadable applications, at download.live.com. These applications include Messenger, Mail, Writer, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Family Safety and a few others.

42. Remove Apps. Although some applications have been moved off of Windows to become an optional download, other apps, such as IE8, Media Player, Media Center and DVD Maker are still included. In times past, especially when it came to IE, the applications were tied into the OS. However, in Windows 7 you can easily remove them if desired. Head to the Program and Features applet in Control Panel and select the "Turn Windows features on or off" link in the top left-hand corner. Then you can select the checkbox of the features you want to lose or add for your system

43. Are You Windows 7 Experienced? System properties has a rating called the Windows Experience Index (WEI). This rating is a collection of five different ratings that are determined by the Windows System Assessment Tool (WinSAT). The highest rating score is 7.9 (compared to 5.9 in Vista), using the categories of Processor, RAM, Graphics, Gaming Graphics and Primary Hard Disk. The final rating is not an average of all the ratings, but the lowest of the subcomponent scores.

44. Analyze Processes. One of the coolest new features in the revamped Resource Monitor (resmon) is the ability to see the "wait chain traversal." An unresponsive process will be shown in red in the Resource Monitor; right-click the process and choose Analyze Process. This will show the threads in the process and see who holds the resources that are holding up the process itself. You can then kill that part of the process if you like.

45. Create Virtual Worlds. Virtualization capability has been added to the Disk Management tools. If you open Computer Management, go to the Disk Manager tool and then click the Action button at top, you will see the options Create VHD and/or Attach VHD. This allows you to create and mount a virtual hard drive directly from within the GUI. Note: With Windows 7 you even have the ability to boot a Windows 7 VHD

46. Encrypt USB Sticks. Use BitLocker To Go. Maybe you've managed to never misplace or lose a USB key, but for the rest of us mere mortals, it's a fact of life. Most of the time it's no big deal, but what if it contains sensitive data? BitLocker To Go enables you to encrypt data on removable storage devices with a password or a digital certificate stored on a smart card.

47. Lock with Group Policy. Take control through AppLocker application control. AppLocker intercepts kernel calls that try to create new processes or load libraries and ensures the code is allowed to execute. Practically, that means you can eliminate unknown and unwanted software by implementing AppLocker through Group Policy.

48. Be Our Guest. Guest mode proves a convenient method to give a guest or child access to your computer with limits on making system changes, installing software, or writing to the disk outside the user profile. After the user is done and logs off, data saved inside of the user profile is deleted. You cannot use Guest mode in an AD environment.

49. Restore from Backed up Restore Points. You can choose to include restore points in your backups and restore from them when using System Restore. This is convenient if you want to create a baseline of a working configuration and be able to restore to it in the future without overwriting other data on the hard disk.

50. Benefit from BranchCache. BranchCache helps you save on round trips for requested files in remote branch scenarios. If one person requests a file over the WAN, it's cached locally and either distributed across computers at the remote branch or stored on a central server at the remote branch.

51. Disable Search Suggestion Popups. As you type in the Search Box, Windows 7 makes suggestions based on past queries by pulling past queries from the Registry. You can disable this in the Local Group Policy by enabling User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Explorer | Turn Off Display Of Recent Search Entries In the Windows Explorer.

52. Pin Control Panel to Taskbar. If you use the Control Panel frequently, you may have noticed that you cannot simply right-click the Control Panel and select Pin to Taskbar. Instead, you must first Open Control Panel so its icon appears in the taskbar. From there, you can right-click the icon in the taskbar and select Pin this program to taskbar.

53. Leverage Search Connectors. You can now search the Web using the search functionality. Windows 7 includes Federated Search to increase the search scope beyond the local and network resources. Several search connectors are available, such as for YouTube and Twitter, or you can create custom ones to fit your needs.

54. Use Stickier Notes. Even though this feature has existed in previous versions of Windows in one form or another, it's much easier to use in Windows 7. You can stick a note on your desktop for quick reminders. It's a snap to change the font or note color. If you have a note selected, use Ctrl-N to create a new one.

55. Try out Improved WordPad. You probably haven't given much thought to WordPad lately, but the version shipping with Windows 7 has undergone a major renovation. Think of it as a lite version of Microsoft Word. WordPad sports a spiffy ribbon interface, making it a snap to create well-formatted documents. Plus, you are no longer relegated to saving them as .RTF files. WordPad now supports the Office Open XML document (.DOCX) format. This makes it even easier to open .DOCX files created in Word in WordPad.

56. Calculate. Another basic utility that received a major overhaul is the venerable calculator. In addition to standard and scientific views, there are now programmer and statistic modes. You will also love the conversion and calculation features. Want to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit but can never remember the formula? Use the conversion panel. You'll also enjoy the data calculation extension. Quickly find the difference between two dates or calculate a new date by adding or subtracting years, months or days.

57. Manage Services from Task Manager. The Windows 7 Task Manager now includes a tab to manage services. You can quickly see at a glance the status of all services on your machine. Click a column heading to sort. You can even start and stop services with a simple right-click. If you need full-blown service management, use the Services button to launch the Services management console. You may often have the Task Manager running in the system tray; now, having service management access means one less window to have open.

58. Get Under the Hood. Windows 7 offers more ways to peek under the hood without adding third-party solutions. A terrific example is the Resource Monitor. The performance tab in Windows Task Manager is a good start, but sometimes you need more information. Click the Resource Monitor button to get more detailed information and performance graphs for key subsystems like CPU and Disk. You can also find the Resource Monitor under Accessories | System Tools.

59. Check Vital Signs. Another new system tool you'll enjoy is the System Health report. In the Run dialog box, type perfmon /report, which generates a system health report. This report records details about your computer's performance, resource usage and more. The report also includes diagnostic information about things that aren't working as they should and suggested steps to resolve. The reports are saved and can be accessed with the Performance Monitor management console. You can also save as an HTML file or send via e-mail.

60. Get More Windows PowerShell. Windows PowerShell v2 promises to be a game-changer for many system administrators. Many will prefer to use the graphical Windows PowerShell console, also known as the Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE). You'll find this in the Windows PowerShell folder under Accessories. Add a keyboard shortcut of Ctrl+Alt+I to quickly launch it. Run any Windows PowerShell command in the lower panel and see the results in the middle. Create or edit scripts in the top pane. Open multiple Windows PowerShell sessions connected to remote computers. The ISE makes Windows PowerShell v2 easy to use and fun

61. Put It on Old Stuff. One perhaps-not-so-obvious Windows 7 tip is that you should attempt to install it everywhere. One user has a 6-year-old laptop that originally shipped with Windows XP. He could never get Windows Vista to install on it. But Windows 7 installed without complaint and runs extremely smooth. Granted, there are some Windows 7 features he can't take advantage of because the processor lacks certain features, but these are minor issues considering the laptop now has life again.

62. Improve Security. In Vista it was difficult to manage system protection via restore points. The System Protection tab in Windows 7 is a vast improvement. In one spot you can configure how much space to devote to restore points, delete and create restore points or even turn off system protection altogether. This is very useful on older systems where disk space may be at a premium.

63. Actually Use Help and Support. Much of Vista's clutter has been reduced in Windows 7. For instance, the Help and Support page has three links, a search window and a link back to Microsoft's Windows site. It's much less intimidating for end users, so make sure they know about it. Search is much improved as well, making for a better, faster experience.

64. Win+h - Move current window to full screen
65. Win+i - Restore current full screen window to normal size or minimize current window if not full screen
66. Win+Shift+arrow - Move current window to alternate screen
67. Win+D - Minimize all windows and show the desktop
68. Win+E - Launch Explorer with Computer as the focus
69. Win+F - Launch a search window
70. Win+G - Cycle through gadgets
71. Win+L - Lock the desktop
72. Win+M - Minimize the current window
73. Win+R - Open the Run window
74. Win+T - Cycle through task bar opening Aero Peek for each running item
75. Win+U - Open the Ease of Use center
76. Win+Space - Aero Peek the desktop
77. Ctrl+Win+Tab - Open persistent task selection window, roll mouse over each icon to preview item

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The Linksys WRT100-RM RangePlus Wireless Router is really three devices in one box. First, there’s the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect to the network without wires. There’s also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Finally, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network share a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.To help protect your data and privacy, the Router can encode all wireless transmissions with industrial-strength 256-bit encryption. It can serve as your network’s DHCP Server, has a powerful SPI firewall to protect your PCs against intruders and most known Internet attacks, and supports VPN pass-through. Configuration is a snap with the web browser-based configuration utility. With the Linksys RangePlus Wireless Router at the center of your home or office network, you can share a high-speed Internet connection, files, printers, and multiplayer games, and run media-intensive applications at incredible speeds, without thehassle of stringing wires! Features/Specifications: Linksys WRT100-RM 802.11g RangePlus Wireless RouterGeneral Features: Standards IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u LEDs Power, Ethernet (1-4), Internet, Wireless, Security Cabling Type: CAT 5e Two (2) Antennas RF Power (EIRP): 16.5 dBm Antenna Gain: 1.8 dBi UPnP able/cert Able Reset ButtonSecurity Features: Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) Firewall, Internet Policy Wireless Security Wi-Fi Protected Access™ 2 (WPA2), WEP, Wireless MAC Filtering Security Key Bits: 128 Bits, 256 BitsPorts: Internet: One 10/100 RJ-45 Port Ethernet: Four 10/100 RJ-45 Ports One Power PortRegulatory Approvals: FCC cULus Package Includes: Linksys WRT100-RM 802.11g RangePlus Wireless Router AC power adapter (100 -120V, 50/60 Hz) Power cord Ethernet cable Installation CD Additional Information: Notes: Model: WRT100-RMUPC: 7 45883 58492 5Product Requirements: Available power outlet Suitable wireless network environment Computer with Ethernet controller and CD-ROM drive (for initial installation)

4-Port 802.11g 54Mbps Wireless Broadband Router

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Share files, Internet connection, media content and more without wires! This 802.11g Wireless Broadband Router combines a router, 4-port switch and Wireless-G (802.11g) access point in one device! This Wireless Broadband Router is compliant with IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u standards and features four 10/100 Mbps Auto-Negotiation Ethernet LAN ports and one 10/100 Mbps Auto-Negotiation Ethernet WAN port! This Wireless Broadband Router has a built-in Firewall and 64/128/125-bit WEP Encryption to protect you from outside intruders and also works as a DHCP server to assign and manage LAN IP addresses! Features/Specifications: 4-Port 802.11g 54 Mbps Wireless Broadband RouterGeneral Features: All-in-one router, 4-port switch and Wireless-G (802.11g)access point Four (4) 10/100 Mbps Auto-Negotiation Ethernet LAN ports One (1) 10/100 Mbps Auto-Negotiation Ethernet WAN port Compliant with IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u standards High speed wireless connection up to 54 Mbps Operates at 2.4 GHz frequency Supports Auto MDI/MDIX Built-in NAT and DHCP server Supports TCP/IP/DHCP/Static IP/PPPoE client Security Features: Built-in Firewall 64/128/152-bit WEP Encryption WPA/WPA2 WPA-PSK/WPA2/PSK authentication TKIP/AES LEDs: Power Reset WAN Wireless 1/2/3/4Operating Range: Outdoor: 360 m (1181 ft) Indoor: 120 m (393 ft)Unit Dimensions: 1.25 x 7.75 x 4.5-inches (H x W x D, approximate)Regulatory Approvals: FCC CE Package Includes: 4-Port 802.11g 54 Mbps Wireless Broadband Router Power adapter (100 - 240V, 50/60Hz) User Manual Additional Information: Product Requirements: Cable/DSL modem Available power outlet Ethernet cable TCP/IP network protocol for each PC Computer with 802.11b/g wireless adapter or Ethernet NIC installed

D-Link WBR-2310 4-Port Wireless-G 108Mbps Router

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Specification Mfr Part Number: WBR-2310 Features: Create a Faster Wireless Network to Share Your Internet Connection Active Firewall and Easy-to-Use Wireless Security Features High-Speed Wireless Networking for Sharing Files, Music, and Photos Standards: IEEE 802.11b/g, IEEE 802.3/3u Ports: 4x 10/100 Ethernet Ports Wireless Signal Rates (With Automatic Fallback): 108, 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 11, 9, 6, 5.5, 2, 1Mbps Wireless Frequency Range: 2.4 ~ 2.462 GHz Wireless Transmit Power: 15 ▒ 2 dBm External Antenna Type: Single Detachable Reverse SMA Modulation Technology: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) Complementary Code Keying (CCK) Security: 64/128-bit WEP Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA-PSK, WPA-EAP) Advanced Firewall Features: Network Address Translation (NAT) with VPN Pass-through Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) MAC Filtering Website Filtering Scheduling VPN Pass Through/Multi-Sessions: PPTP / L2TP / IPSec Device Management: Internet Explorer v6 or later; or other Java-enabled Browsers DHCP Server and Client LED: Power, Status, WAN, WLAN (Wireless Connection), LAN (10/100) Certifications: FCC Minimum System Requirements: Cable or DSL Modem Windows XP SP2 or Windows 2000 SP4 or Mac OS X (v10.4/v10.3) Internet Explorer 6 or Mozilla Firefox CD-ROM Drive Network Interface Card Dimensions (WxDxH): 4.6 x 7.6 x 1.2 inch Weight: 0.7 lbs Warranty: 1 year

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Specification Mfr Part Number: TEW-430APB Standards IEEE 802.11g (Wireless LAN) IEEE 802.3u (Fast Ethernet) Media Connector: 10/100Mbps, Half/Full Duplex LED Indicators: Power, LAN & WLAN Power: 5V,1.2A External Power Adapter Dimensions: 124 x 86 x 40 mm (4.9 x 3.4 x 1.6 Inches) (Without Antenna) Weight: 118g (0.26 lb) Certifications: CE, FCC Frequency Range: 2.412~2.484 GHz Modulation 802.11b: DSSS 802.11g: DBPSK/DQPSK/CCK/OFDM Protocol: CSMA/CA With ACK Data Rates (Auto Fallback) 802.11b: 11, 5.5, 2 And 1Mbps 802.11g: 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9 And 6Mbps Operating Mode: AP, WDS Bridge & Repeater Channel: 1~14 Channels (Universal Support) Security 64/128-bit WEP (Hex) & WPA 802.1x Authentication & MAC Address Access Control List (ACL) Antenna: 1 x 2dBI Detachable Diversity Antennas With Female Reverse SMA Connector Output Power: 13 dBm (Min) Transmit Power 802.11b: 12dBm (Typically) 802.11g: 15dBm (Typically) Receiving Sensitivity 54Mbps: -68dBm @ 10% PER (Packet Error Rate) 11Mbps: -81dBm @ 8% PER (Packet Error Rate)

SMC SMC2552W-G2 EliteConnect 2.4GHz 802.11g Wireless Access Point

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Specification Mfr Part Number: SMC2552W-G2 Features: IEEE802.11b, and 802.11g compliant Flexible management features Detachable antennas Enterprise level of authentication and encryption security Quality of Service support Power over Ethernet support Standards: IEEE802.11b/g, IEEE802.1x, IEEE802.3, IEEE802.3u, IEEE802.3af Interface: 1x 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX (RJ-45) Port; 1x RS-232c Serial Port; IEEE802.11b/g Wireless LAN Media Access Protocol: CSMA/CA Operational Mode: Infrastructure Mode Max Channels: 802.11b/g FCC/IC: 1~11 ETSI: 1~13 France: 10~13 MKK: 1~14 Taiwan: 1~11 Max Clients: 64 per VAP interface Data Rate: 802.11g: 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54 Mbps per channel 802.11b: 1, 2, 5.5, 11 Mbps per channel Modulation Type: 802.11g: CCK, BPSK, QPSK, OFDM 802.11b: CCK, BPSK, QPSK Operating Frequency: 802.11b/g 2.4 ~ 2.4835 GHz (US, Canada, ETSI) 2.4 ~ 2.497 GHz (Japan) 2.400 ~ 2.4835 GHz (Taiwan) LED Indicators: PWR (Power), Link (Ethernet Link/Activity), 11g (Wireless Link/Activity) Network Management: Web-browser, RS232 console, Telnet, SSH, SNMP (1, 2c, 3) AC Power Adapter: Input: 100~240 AC, 50~60 Hz Output: 5.1 VDC, 3A Power Consumption: 13.2 watts Power Supply: DC Input: 5 VDC, 2A maximum PoE Input: -48 VDC, 0.2A maximum Power Consumption: 9.6W maximum POE (DC): Input voltage- 48V, 0.2A, 12.96W Compliances: FCC Class B (US), ICES-003 (Canada), RTTED 1999/5/EC, VCCI (Japan), RCR STD-33A Radio Signal Certification: FCC Part 15C 15.247, 15.207 (2.4 GHz), FCC part 15E 15.407 (5 GHz), RSS-210 (Canada), EN 301.893, EN 300.328, EN 301.489-1, EN 301.489-17, MPT RCR std.33 (D33 1~13 Channel, T66 Channel 14) Safety: cCSAus(CSA 22.2 No. 60950-1 & UL60950-1), EN60950-1 (TV/GS), IEC60950-1 (CB) Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 1.29 inch / 21.83 x 13.73 x 3.27 cm Weight: 1.642 lbs / 0.745 kg

Netgear WGR614NA 54Mbps Wireless Router with 4-Port 10/100 Mbps Switch

Price $ 58.99
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Specification Mfr Part Number: WGR614NA Key Benefits: Speeds of 802.11g - upto 5x faster than 802.11b 10/100 Mbps on WAN Double Firewall - SPI & NAT Smart WizardÖ automatically detects ISP settings and walks you through installation Compatible with 802.11b devices and 802.11g devices Shares broadband Internet access to every PC in your home Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key (WPA-PSK) Upto 128-bit WEP encryption VPN pass-through support MAC address authentication Routing Protocols: Static & Dynamic Routing with TCP/IP, VPN pass-through (IPSec, L2TP), NAT, PPTP, PPPoE, DHCP (client & server) Functions: Automatically detects and configures your ISP type, Exposed Host (DMZ), MAC address authentication, URL content filtering, logs and e-mail alerts of Internet activity Interface: Internet/WAN: 10/100 Mbps (auto-sensing) Ethernet, RJ-45 LAN: 4 ports 10/100 Mbps (auto-sensing) Ethernet, RJ-45 Wireless: Network Speeds: 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, & 54 Mbps (auto-rate capable) Modulation Type: OFDM with BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, DBPSK, DQPSK, CCK Frequency: 2.412 ~ 2.462 GHz (US) 2.412 ~ 2.484 GHz (Japan) 2.412 ~ 2.472 GHz (Europe ETSI) 2.457 ~ 2.462 GHz (Spain) 2.457 ~ 2.472 GHz (France)Firewall: Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), DoS Attack Detection/Logging, Dropped Packet Log, Security Event Log, E-mail Log Encryption: 40-bit (also called 64-bit), 128-bit, and 152-bit (802.11g only) WEP encryption, WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) Antenna: 2 dBi Power Adapter: 12 VDC Dimensions: 6.9 x 1.1 x 4.7 inch / 175.3 x 27.94 x 119.4 mm Weight: 0.7 lb / 0.3 kg

Sunday, December 20, 2009

ENCORE ENRXWI-G Wireless-G LAN Extender

Price $ 49.99
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Specification Mfr Part Number: ENRXWI-G Features: Provide Ethernet to Wireless LAN bridge fully compatible on Ethernet side and fully IEEE 802.3 compatible on the Ethernet side and fully interoperable with IEEE 802.11g compliant equipment Provide 10/100 BASE-TX Fast Ethernet interface IEEE 802.11g Infrastructure operating mode Dynamic date rate scaling at 54, 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9 and 6Mbps for 802.11g Dynamic date rate scaling at 11, 5.5, 2 and 1Mbps for 802.11b Allow auto fallback data rate for optimized reliability, throughput and transmission range Supports wireless data encryption with 64/128-bit WEP standard for security Supports WDS bridging function Supports AP Client mode Supports wireless security standards WPA, WPA-PSK, WPA2, WPA2-PSK Web-based configuration management Standards: IEEE 802.11b/g (Wireless LAN); IEEE 802.3u (Fast Ethernet) Radio Technology: 802.11b: Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) 802.11g: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) Transmission Rate: 1, 2, 5.5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48, 54Mbps (auto sense) Receiver Sensitivity: 54Mbps: Typical -68dBm @ 10% PER (Packet Error Rate) 11Mbps: Typical -78dBm @ 8% PER (Packet Error Rate) Wireless LAN Frequency Range: 2.412~2.484GHz ISM band (channels 1 ~ 14) Modulation Schemes: DBPSK/ DQPSK/ CCK/ OFDM Media Access Protocol: CSMA/CA w/ ACK Transmit Power: 802.11g - Typical 15dBm; 802.11b - Typical 18dBm Antenna Type: 1x external 2dB dipole antenna Interface: 10/100BASE-TX RJ-45 Ethernet Network Management: Web base configuration via Web Browser Channel: USA: 1 ~ 11 Europe: 1 ~ 13 Japan: 1 ~ 14 Security: 64/128-bits WEP Encryption/Decryption; WPA; WPA2; WPA-PSK; WPA2-PSK Range Coverage: Indoor - Upto 50 meters (depends on environment); Outdoor - Upto 100 meters (depends on environment) Diagnostic LEDs: Power; LAN - Link, ACT; WLAN - ACT Power Adapter: 7.5V / 1A Certifications: FCC Part 15.247 for US; ETS 300 328 for Europe Dimension (WxDxH): 146 x 32 x 113 mm

Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router w/SpeedBooster

Price $ 75.99
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Specification Mfr Part Number: WRT54GS Features: Internet-sharing Router, 4-port Switch, and performance enhanced Wireless-G (802.11g) Access Point Shares a single Internet connection and other resources with Ethernet wired, Wireless-G, -B, and SpeedBooster devices New SpeedBooster technology increases wireless network performance by Upto 35% High security: Industry-leading Parental Control capability, 128-bit wireless encryption, powerful SPI firewall Standards: IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g Channels: 11 Channels (US, Canada), 13 Channels (Europe) Ports: 1x 10/100 RJ-45 Port, 4x 10/100 RJ-45 Switched Ports Buttons: Power Port, Reset Button Cabling Type: UTP CAT 5 LEDs: Power, DMZ, WLAN, LAN (1, 2, 3, 4), Internet Security Features: Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) Firewall, Internet Policy, Parental Control Wireless Security: TKIP, AES, 802.1x, WEP, Wireless MAC Filtering Power: DC 12V 1A Certifications: FCC, IC-03, CE Minimum Requirements: 200 MHz or faster processor 64 MB of RAM Internet Explorer 5.5 or Netscape Navigator 6.1 or higher for webbased configuration Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, or XP Network Adapter Dimension (WxDxH): 7.32 x 7.87 x 1.89 inch / 186 x 200 x 48 mm Weight: 17 oz / 0.482 kg

Netgear WN511T RangeMax Next Wireless-N PCMCIA Card

Price $ 78.99
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Specifications Mfr Part Number: WN511T-100NAS Features: Draft 802.11n compliant Interoperable at 300Mbps speed with products with TopDog Steady-Stream connections 11n-True Test high-performance testing and tuning Advanced MIMO technology: for speed and range Standards: IEEE802.11n draft specification, IEEE802.11b, IEE802.11g, 2.4 GHz Security: WiFi protected Access (WPA2- PSK, WPA- PSK) Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) 64- bit, 128-bit encryption for IEEE 802.11b and IEEE802.11g Wireless Speeds: 802.11b: 1,2,5.5,11 Mbps 802.11g: 6,9,12,18,24,36,48,54 Mbps EWC/ 802.11n Draft: 6, 6.5, 13, 13.5, 19.5, 26, 27, 39, 40.5, 53, 54, 58.5, 65, 78, 81, 104, 108, 117, 121.5, 130, 135, 162, 216, 243, 270, 300Mbps Improves network performance up to 50% when used with legacy 802.11b/ g wireless routers System Requirements: 2.4 GHz 802.11n draft specification wireless network or 2.4 GHz 802.11b/ g wireless network Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 or Windows XP Intel Pentium-class notebook PC of 300 MHz or higher with an available PC Card slot Dimension: 4.84 x 2.13 x 0.33 inch / 123 x 54 x 8.5 mm Weight: 1.0 oz / 56 g Warranty: 1 Year

Asus ATI Radeon HD2600Pro 256MB 2DVI/HDCP PCI-Express Video Card

Price $ 67.99
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Specification Mfr Part Number: EAH2600PRO/HTDI/256M Chipset: Radeon HD2600 Pro Engine Clock: 600 MHz Video Memory: 256MB DDR2 Memory Clock: 1 GHz Memory Interface: 128-bit Bus: PCI-Express x16 RAMDAC: 400 MHz Max. Resolution: 2560 x 1600 Connectors: Dual DVI-I (Support HDMI, Dual VGA); TV-out (HDTV ready) Thermal: Fansink (ASUS Exclusive Fansink Design) Support ATI CrossFire Technology Built-in multi-channel 5.1 surround audio over DVI-HDMI Adaptor Support HDCP - High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection Support Microsoft DirectX 10.0, Shader Model 4.0 and OpenGL 2.0 Built for Microsoft Windows Vista Package: Retail

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

KWorld ATSC 120 PlusTV HD 120 Digital/Analog HDTV PCI TV Tuner

Price $

66.99
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Specifications Mfr Part Number: VS-ATSC120R Feature: Supports Digital TV for ATSC, Analog TV for NTSC and listen to FM Radio Watch HDTV program (ATSC) or Analog (NTSC) TV programs on your PC or Laptop Support upto 1920x1080i (HDTV). Additional AV/S Video input for connecting other video sources. (such as DVD Player/ VCD/ VHS/ Camcorder). Power-Off PC by Remote Control ATSC 120 is fully compatible with Microsoft Windows Media Center ArcSoft TotalMedia Software: User-Friendly interface with powerful functions Supports Time-Shifting and Scheduled Recording function. Auto Channel Scan and Name Recognition. Supports internet EPG (Electronic Program Guide) for analog TV in USA. Supports Real-time video recording in MPEG-2 format. Capture analog and digital Images in JPEG/ BMP/ TIF/ PNG format. Edit the Video and Photo files with a simplified operation. Create beautiful slide show presentations for work or fun. Supports Closed Captioning Burn video files into DVD/VCD Interface: PCI TV Tuner: 75 Ohm (UHF/VHF) TV Antenna (Digital and Analog) Analog: TV Frequency: 55.25~855.25 MHz (NTSC) S-Video Input: 4-Pin Mini Din Composite Input: RCA Jack Audio Input: RCA Jack (L/R Audio Input) Audio Output: RCA Jack Digital: TV Frequency: Terrestrial digital channels (ATSC) Video: 8 bits Vestigial Side-Band Demodulation (8VSB) Audio: Dolby Digital AC3 audio output FM Radio Input (option): FM Input: RCA Jack Frequency: 87.50~108.00 MHz IR: Infrared Remote Control Dimension: 6.5 x 14 cm

Sapphire ATI Radeon 7000 64MB DVI/VGA/TV-out PCI Video Card, Lite Retail

Price $ 41.99
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Specification Mfr Part Number: 100945L Chipset: Radeon 7000 Video Memory: 64MB DDR Memory Interface: 64-bit Bus: PCI Pixel Pipelines: 1 Max. Resolution: 2048 x 1536 Connectors: VGA, DVI, TV-out Thermal: Fanless Microsoft DirectX 7 and OpenGL support Package: Lite Retail

MSI nVidia GeForce 8500GT 256MB DVI/HDTV PCI-Express Video Card

Price $ 66.99
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Specifications Mfr Part Number: NX8500GT-TD256E Chipset: GeForce 8500 GT Engine Clock: 460 MHz Video Memory: 256MB DDR2 Memory Clock: 800 MHz Memory Interface: 128-bit Bus: PCI-Express x16 RAMDAC: 400 MHz Max. Resolution: Analog- 2048 x 1536 @ 85Hz Connectors: VGA, DVI, TV-out (HDTV ready) Thermal: Fansink Support nVidia SLI Technology Support Microsoft DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0 and OpenGL 2.0 Package: Retail

MSI ATI Radeon HD2600Pro 512MB 2DVI/HDCP PCI-Express Video Card

Price $ 73.99
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Specification Mfr Part Number: RX2600PRO-T2D512E Chipset: Radeon HD2600 Pro Engine Clock: 600 MHz Video Memory: 512MB DDR2 Memory Clock: 800 MHz Memory Interface: 128-bit Bus: PCI-Express x16 RAMDAC: 400 MHz Stream Processing Units: 120 Max. Resolution: 3840 x 2400 Connectors: Dual DVI-I (Support Dual VGA), TV-out (HDTV ready) Thermal: Fansink Support ATI CrossFire Technology Built-in HDMI with Multi-channel 5.1 Surround Audio Support HDCP - High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection Support Microsoft DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0 and OpenGL 2.0 Package: Retail

GIGABYTE ATI Radeon HD2400XT 256MB DVI/HDCP PCI-Express Video Card

Price $ 55.99
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Specification Mfr Part Number: GV-RX24T256H Chipset: Radeon HD2400 XT Video Memory: 256MB DDR3 Memory Interface: 64-bit Bus: PCI-Express x16 RAMDAC: 400 MHz Steam Processors: 40 Connectors: VGA, DVI-I (Support Dual VGA); TV-out (HDTV ready) Thermal: Fanless (Unique Screen-Cooling Thermal Design) Support ATI CrossFire Technology Support HDCP - High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection Built-in HDMI with Multi-channel 5.1 Surround Audio Support Microsoft DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0 and OpenGL 2.0 Package: Retail RoHS Compliant

Sunday, December 13, 2009

How to Make Your Laptop Faster - Easy Instructions to Speed Up My Laptop in 3 Simple Steps!

By A. Wood

Slow laptops can prove to be extremely frustrating for people whose work depends on them. However, there are many ways to make your laptop faster. These steps do not require you to be an expert. All you need is basic knowledge that helps you in improving your laptop's performance.

Today, laptops and desktops are an integral part of any organization, big or small, and many people use these personal computers and laptops for individual use. Many home businesses rely on the laptop and the Internet. To access the Internet, your laptop needs to run at a fast speed.

The speed or the performance of a laptop depends on various factors such as disk space, RAM space, operating system, and regular maintenance. Make sure you keep these factors in mind while trying to step up the performance of your laptop. You can increase the speed of your laptop in three easy steps. These steps are:

1. Check the RAM: Your laptop's RAM is an integral part of the system and is responsible for storing the main data for immediate access. Therefore, it is imperative that you upgrade your laptop's RAM after every few years. This is because a lot of the new programs and applications require increased memory to run. A small RAM, therefore, results in slow system speed. However, if you upgrade your RAM to a big one, you can make your laptop faster.

2. Defragment your laptop's hard disk: If you are a regular laptop user, it is imperative for you to be familiar with this term. Defragmentation is important, once in a few months as it helps optimize your laptop and assists you in streamlining all your files for easy access. It serves as mini-maintenance for your system and can make your laptop faster.

3. Run a good registry cleaner: Registry is an important part of your laptop and stores all your login details along with software settings. However, the problem with your laptop's registry is that it can only store files and not delete them. Therefore, over the time, files keep on accumulating on the system's registry, are overwritten a number of times, and thus can be misplaced or corrupted. This causes the laptop to take more time than usual to open different applications. By running a good registry cleaner regularly, you clean up the registry, which can make your laptop run faster.

Follow these three steps religiously to ensure that your laptop runs like it is new. For additional information, visit the following mentioned link:

http://www.expert-product-reviews.net/detect-registry-error.html

Tired of slowing PC performance? Do you want to make your laptop in cheap and fast way? You can scan the registry error in your computer for free and fix them with the best registry cleaner on the market. After scanning and fixing your PC, you will be surprise how fast your computer is.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=A._Wood

Windows XP Slow to Start? 7 Easy Ways to Make Windows Start-Up Faster, Instantly!

By A. Wood

Do you face the frustrating problem of slow Windows XP start-up? Here are some easy steps to follow to speed up the booting process in your computer.

1. Removing virus and cleaning your registry- This is the most important and easiest thing to do! Getting rid of viruses and repairing broken registry files can help in many ways including faster boot ups. You can use registry cleaners to easily and quickly clean Windows registry.

2. Boot defragmenting - when you perform a boot defragment on your system, all the boot files are placed together, right next to each other, on the hard disk. This obviously can speed up the windows xp slow to start problem you face. Usually of course this option is enabled but there is no harm in making sure by running the registry editor, going to the Hkey_local_machine software MS Dfrg BootOptimizeFunction and checking if it is "Y". Else set it to "Y" and reboot your system.

3. Hard disk maintenance - You can start with defragmenting the hard disk. This could give better access to data which in turn makes your computer start faster. When the disk is fragmented, data is stored in multiple areas; this means it has to be searched and put together before being used. You can use the "Disk Defragmenter" option in the System Tools. Hard disks develop bad sectors over a period of time; it will be a good idea to scan for them and repair them. This can be taken up as a periodic exercise to get freedom from windows xp slow to start.

4. Getting more memory or using a Flash memory - installing more RAM instantly speeds up the start up process. You could get a flash drive like a USB thumb drive/ SD card and use special programs to speed up performance using the drive inserted in the USB port.

5. Removing programs during start up - there may be a number of applications that automatically are set to load up when the computer boots. Removing unwanted ones can speed up booting substantially.

6. Display setting optimization - by tweaking the visual effects and toning them down completely you can realize a huge improvement in windows xp slow to start.

7. Doing away with the indexing option - the index option is ON to help you carry out file searches faster. But if you know your file locations you might hardly ever need to search and in such a scenario the indexing option can be OFF. This saves a lot of CPU effort.

You can click the below link to learn more about speeding up your system using registry cleaners and more.

Tired of slowing PC performance? Do you want to repair problem of windows xp slow to start in cheap and fast way? You can scan the registry error in your computer for free and fix them with the best registry cleaner on the market. After scanning and fixing your PC, you will be surprise how fast your computer is.

http://www.expert-product-reviews.net/detect-registry-error.html

About the Author

Ally Wood is a professional software reviewer and has worked in CNET. Now she is working for her own review software company to give feedback to the software creator and has done deep test in registry cleaner software. After reviewing the most popular registry cleaner, she has written complete review on a review site for you that can be accessed for free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=A._Wood

Protect Your PC Using a Registry Cleaner With Good Features

All the processes that go on within your PC are being recorded. The operating system keeps track of the activities that take place within your computer system. To protect this sensitive database of your system, you need to scan it constantly in order to empty it of unwanted and redundant entries. The tool you need to achieve the protection of your Windows registry effectively is a registry cleaner with good features.

What Constitutes Good Featured Registry Cleaner?

If you must settle for registry repair software that will help you achieve protection of your PC; you have to determine the features that a registry fixer of your choice is made of. Some of the essential features to look out for in promising registry clean-up software include;

Compatibility

Have you verified whether the registry cleaning software you seek for is well-matched with the window version that is running in your PC? If you use a program that is not suited with your operating system; you might end up harming your system rather than protecting it.

Ease of Use

A good windows registry cleaner should offer easy and simple interface. A new computer user should be able to use registry repair software with no difficulty. The buttons for executing the scanning and repair should be strategically placed for easy reach and use.

Custom Scan

This is the feature that allows the user to select only the aspect of the windows registry that is to be scanned and cleaned while leaving out the rest of the registry. There should also be the "ignore list" to allow some detected errors to be ignored and then taken care of in subsequent scans.

Backup Features

You would surely not want to watch your system malfunction as a result of accidental lost of vital operating files in the course of scanning and repair of the system's registry. This is why it is important to ensure that the registry cleaner of your choice is equipped with backup features to allow recovery of the system settings in case of error occurrence.

You should also go for a registry repair program that spots almost every error in the registry of the computer system. These features are the basic features that are required in an effective registry cleaner to ensure protection of your system.

Best Registry Cleaner: Serving Over 6 Million IT Professionals Worldwide
William Smith Chris is the head programmer for his software firm, specializing in registry and boosting PC performances. Top Registry Cleaner: As Seen on CNET

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Smith_Chris

How to Fix Windows Registry - Get Rid of Registry Errors and Have Your PC Running As Brand New Again

Many people are unfamiliar of the Windows Registry, the reason why their system keeps going slow by the minute. Unknown to most people, the Windows Registry is the heart and soul of your computer when you're using the Windows operating system. This is the main database where all files and settings are rounded up. As a storehouse, it gets corrupted sometimes, the reason why you must discover how to fix windows registry in order to keep your computer back on track.

There have been a lot of discussions about the legitimacy of registry cleaners in keeping the Windows Registry in top shape. Some say that it's not worth fixing at all, especially since there is no official manual from Microsoft about the differences between an error and a normal file. Others contend that since a lot could go wrong when you do stuff in your computer like when you install and remove applications, it is only reasonable that the registry gets taken care of every now and then.

For most people who have tried, letting a registry cleaner 'clean up' their computer is all worth it because they notice considerable changes in the way it performs. The speed goes back to its original peak, and everything seems to flow and run smoothly after repair. If you want to take a chance, you can simply download any registry cleaner provided it is one of the most recommended by experts.

A lot of controversy surrounding the importance of cleaners is about the proliferation of fake registry cleaners carrying all sorts of viruses and malware. When allowed into your system, they can completely take your computer down, destroying everything, every file, until you resort to reformatting it. Don't let this happen to you. Research thoroughly on the most effective registry cleaners in the market that are totally safe to use. Lurking around computer forums would help a lot in deciding which registry cleaner to choose.

When you run the registry cleaner, it will basically scan every secret place in the registry and present to you its findings. Take note that not all registry cleaners can perfectly spot a true error from a casual file. When a certain cleaner is overly critical of every file, you run the risk of ruining a perfectly normal file. That's why you must examine everything that's on the list presented to you before deciding which ones to finally delete.

A good feature that you should look out for is the cleaner's ability to restore a file that it has deleted. This undo capability is important especially if there's a specific file you wouldn't want to be touched. Learning how to fix windows registry will greatly help you maintain and manage your computer and keep it error-free for the long haul.

Discover how to fix windows registry and get your PC running as brand new again by following this link: How To Fix Registry Errors

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Casey_Gentles

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Where To Find Windows Keyboard Shortcuts

Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V. How many do you know?

We all know that keyboard shortcuts save us heaps of time when using the computer.

Here is how you can find a comprehensive list of all keyboard shortcuts in Windows. And you don’t even have to open your browser.

source : duncsweb.com

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Huge Tips Tricks Help and advice for your Windows 7 PC (01-10)

Windows 7 is out and if you've either just installed it or bought a new PC running Windows 7, then we're here to help you get the most from it.

Look beyond the headlines about interface tweaks and you'll find Windows 7 is crammed with lesser known, but still important, new and enhanced features, which taken together deliver improved performance and productivity, better troubleshooting, stronger security and a whole lot more.

To celebrate the launch of Windows 7, we've updated our Windows 7 tips with a bunch of new ones. Read on for 62 ways in which Windows 7 will make a real difference to your PC.

* 18 cool things Windows 7 does that Vista doesn't

1. Problem Steps Recorder
As the local PC guru you're probably very used to friends and family asking for help with their computer problems, yet having no idea how to clearly describe what's going on. It's frustrating, but Microsoft feels your pain, and Windows 7 will include an excellent new solution in the Problem Steps Recorder.

When any app starts misbehaving under Windows 7 then all your friends need do is click Start, type PSR and press Enter, then click Start Record. If they then work through whatever they're doing then the Problem Steps Recorder will record every click and keypress, take screen grabs, and package everything up into a single zipped MHTML file when they're finished, ready for emailing to you. It's quick, easy and effective, and will save you hours of troubleshooting time.

2. Burn images
Windows 7 finally introduces a feature that other operating systems have had for years - the ability to burn ISO images to CDs or DVDs. And it couldn't be much easier to use. Just double-click the ISO image, choose the drive with the blank disc, click Burn and watch as your disc is created.

3. Create and mount VHD files
Microsoft's Virtual PC creates its virtual machine hard drives in VHD files, and Windows 7 can now mount these directly so you can access them in the host system. Click Start, type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter, then click Action > Attach VHD and choose the file you'd like to mount. It will then appear as a virtual drive in Explorer and can be accessed, copied or written just like any other drive.

Click Action > Create VHD and you can now create a new virtual drive of your own (right-click it, select Initialise Disk, and after it's set up right-click the unallocated space and select New Simple Volume to set this up). Again, you'll be left with a virtual drive that behaves just like any other, where you can drag and drop files, install programs, test partitioning software or do whatever you like. But it's actually just this VHD file on your real hard drive which you can easily back up or share with others. Right-click the disk (that's the left-hand label that says "Disk 2" or whatever) and select Detach VHD to remove it.

The command line DISKPART utility has also been upgraded with tools to detach a VHD file, and an EXPAND command to increase a virtual disk's maximum size. Don't play around with this unless you know what you're doing, though - it's all too easy to trash your system.

4. Troubleshoot problems
If some part of Windows 7 is behaving strangely, and you don't know why, then click Control Panel > Find and fix problems (or 'Troubleshooting') to access the new troubleshooting packs. These are simple wizards that will resolve common problems, check your settings, clean up your system and more.

5. Startup repair
If you've downloaded Windows 7 (and even if you haven't) it's a good idea to create a system repair disc straight away in case you run into problems booting the OS later on. Click Start > Maintenance > Create a System Repair Disc, and let Windows 7 build a bootable emergency disc. If the worst does happen then it could be the only way to get your PC running again.

6. Take control
Tired of the kids installing dubious software or running applications you'd rather they left alone? AppLocker is a new Windows 7 feature that ensures users can only run the programs you specify. Don't worry, that's easier to set up than it sounds: you can create a rule to allow everything signed by a particular publisher, so choose Microsoft, say, and that one rule will let you run all signed Microsoft applications. Launch GPEDIT.MSC and go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Application Control Policies > AppLocker to get a feel for how this works.

7. Calculate more
At first glance the Windows 7 calculator looks just like Vista's version, but explore the Mode menu and you'll see powerful new Statistics and Programmer views. And if you're clueless about bitwise manipulation, then try the Options menu instead. This offers many different unit conversions (length, weight, volume and more), date calculations (how many days between two dates?), and spreadsheet-type templates to help you calculate vehicle mileage, mortgage rates and more.

Don't take any Windows 7 applet at face value, then - there are some very powerful new features hidden in the background. Be sure to explore every option in all Windows applets to ensure you don't miss anything important.

8. Switch to a projector
Windows 7 now provides a standard way to switch your display from one monitor to another, or a projector - just press Win+P or run DisplaySwitch.exe and choose your preferred display. (This will have no effect if you've only one display connected.)

9. Get a power efficiency report
If you have a laptop, you can use the efficiency calculator to get Windows 7 to generate loads of useful information about its power consumption. Used in the right way, this can help you make huge gains in terms of battery life and performance. To do this you must open a command prompt as an administrator by typing 'cmd' in Start Search, and when the cmd icon appears, right-click it and choose Run as administrator.

Then at the command line, just type in 'powercfg -energy' (without quotes) and hit Return, and Windows 7 will scan your system looking for ways to improve power efficiency. It will then publish the results in an HTML file, usually in the System32 folder. Just follow the path it gives you to find your report.

10. Understanding System Restore
Using System Restore in previous versions of Windows has been something of a gamble. There's no way of telling which applications or drivers it might affect - you just have to try it and see.

Windows 7 is different. Right-click Computer, select Properties > System Protection > System Restore > Next, and choose the restore point you'd like to use. Click the new button to 'Scan for affected programs' and Windows will tell you which (if any) programs and drivers will be deleted or recovered by selecting this restore point. (Read our full Windows 7 System Restore tutorial.)

Source : techradar.com

Home Calls For Computers

Having problems with your computer? Live in the Wellington region of New Zealand? Call free: 0800 729 492 or send us an email info@pcwiz2u.com or check out our website http://www.pcwiz2u.co.nz
Home Calls for Computers – Mobile IT Service, IT Support and Computer Repair service for your home or office within the Greater Wellington region.
Our professional Computer Technicians will come to your home or office and take care of your computer problems. Locally owned and operated.
*Computer Repairs *Setting up computers(desktops/laptops – new or reinstall)*Internet or Email setup *Wireless and wired network installations *Virus, spyware and malware prevention, protection and removal *Software & hardware diagnostic & repairs *Setting up Printers & other Peripherals *Data Recovery *Data transfer *Data backup Service *Disaster recovery *Firewalls and system security systems *Windows 7 upgrades *Speed up your computer *Secure USB Flash Drives *IronKey *Helping you decide which computer to buy *Teaching you how to use your computer *Troubleshooting intermittent issues.
Go to http://www.pcwiz2u.co.nz/Testimonials/testimonials.html to see what our customers have to say about us….
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We accept EFTPOS, internet banking transfers, cash, cheques and all major credit cards. All our technicians are equipped with mobile EFTPOS machines.
Areas we service: our PC Wiz technicians will come to your home or office within the Wellington region, including:
Central Wellington: Brooklyn, Happy Valley, Haitaitai, Island Bay, Karori, Kelburn, Kilbirnie, Kowhai Park, Lambton, Lyall Bay, Miramar, Mornington, Mt Victoria, Newtown, Northland, Oriental Parade, Owhiro Bay, Roseneath, Seatoun, Strathmore Park, Te Aro, Thorndon, Vogeltown, Wadestown and Wilton
Crofton Downs, Johnsonville, Khandallah, Ngaio, Newlands, Linden and Tawa
Kapiti Coast / Porirua City: Aotea, Ascot Park, Camborne, Cannons Creek, Elsdon, Karehana Bay, Kuku, MacKays Crossing, Mana, Manakau, Okowai, Otaihanga, Otaki, Paekakariki, Papakowhai, Paraparaumu, Pauatahanui, Plimmerton, Porirua, Pukerua Bay, Ranui Heights, Raumati, Takapuwahia, Te Horo, Titahi Bay, Waikanae, Waitangirua, Waitawa Beach and Whitby
Eastern Bays: Days Bay, Eastbourne, Mahina Bay, Muritai, Runa Bay, Seaview and York Bay
Hutt Valley: Alicetown, Avalon, Belmont, Birchville, Boulcott, Brown Owl, Craigs Flat, Epuni, Fairfield, Gracefield, Habour View, Heretaunga, Holborn, Kelson, Kingsley Heights, Korokoro, Lower Hutt, Manor Park, Maoribank, Maungariki, Naenae, Normandale, Petone, Pinehaven, Silverstream, Taita, Te Marua, Timberlea, Totara Park, Trentham, Upper Hutt, Wallaceville and Woburn
Wainuiomata: Arakura, Glendale, Homedale and Parkway
PCWiz2U, PC Wiz 2U, Home Calls for Computers Ltd
http://www.homecallsforcomputers.co.nz

How To Add A USB 2.0 Hub To Your Computer

Digital and video Cameras, scanners, mp3 players, and just about every other electronic device are designed to be connected to your computer.

And all new computers make it simple to connect these devices with the use of the USB or Universal Serial Bus port. But with the many devices you may have,you can still run short of these ports.

If you find your computer using all of its USB ports, you can get your hands on a USB Hub. This hub contains several usb ports. So rather than unplugging one device to plug in another, a usb hub allows you to connect multiple devices.

To setup a usb hub on your computer you need to be sure your system allow you to connect the hub. If your computer was made before 1997 it most likely won’t support a USB.

Check your computer to see if there is a usb port available. http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/photos.html have photos showing what USB ports look like and where they should be found in any computer.

You should consider the reason you want to purchase a USB hub. This will help in deciding the type of usb hub you want to purchase. And research the device you want to connect, as not all devices can be connected to USB hubs.

The two types of USB hubs are the Self Powered which draws power from an external power supply and the bus powered hub which is inserted in an expansion slot and draws power from the motherboard.

Some devices that use large amounts of power work poorly with bus powered hubs. A scanner for example, will wotk much better connected to a self powered USB hub.

When connecting a device to the USB hub, see what version of usb it may be. USB 1.0 was the first version released and today the fast version is the usb 2.0 All USB 2.0 hubs are backward compatible. This allows them to run the slower USB 1.0 devices.

The price of a hub 2.0 hub varies from about $25.00 to $65.00 and comes in several brands. The price depends on the number of ports you want on the hub.

INSTALLING YOUR NEW USB HUB

Its always a good practice to backup your files before you work in your computer.Remove the hub from its packing and carefully inspect it for damaged and be sure all components are present. Stop and carefully read the hub manual for instructions such as turn the computer off first or that you must install the software before connecting the hub to the computer.

If you have a powered hub, plug the power cord in an outlet and connect the usb cable from the usb hub into an open USB port. With the hub connected place the cdrom that come with the hub and install the software onto the hard drive.

Set the USB hub in a location where you can easily connect your scanner,modem,or other devices. Remember that your computer only runs at the highest usb speed.If your hub is a USB 2.0 but your computer only supports USB 1.0 then the 1.0 connection will be your max speed.

If your USB hub is self powered,install the card in an empty expansion slot by removing the system unit cover, removing the retaining screw and cover from the slot, firmly slide the card in the slot, and use the retaining screw to secure it to the motherboard.

Start your computer and your operating system should recognize the new device. Install any software that came with the hub.You may need to install a device driver to allow the computer to communicate with the hub.

Its that easy and why not make it something fun to do. Learn as you go and be in the state of mind to enjoy your task. You will look forward to perform other tasks in the same state of mind.

Source : gemini777.net

How To Repair Your PC Errors Completely

With thus many computer users online in this day and age, it is inevitable that windows registry can be encountered by most of them from time to time.

A heap of those issues are easily avoided, however that’s simple to mention for someone with technical information and expertise, and not therefore simple for a large number of users who just wish their machines to run as reliably and hassle free as possible.

A nice number of folks don’t even grasp where to begin when it comes to keeping their PC running as sweetly as the day it had been initial plugged in, and over a amount of your time they begin to notice the length of your time it takes else up in the mornings, which it seems reluctant to carry out tasks that after upon a time it simply sailed through. By the point they start to notice this degradation in performance, the workings of their machine have beome horribly clogged with net and software “garbage” that the machine has been accumulating each day for months on end.

There are a selection of reasons for this, but this text aims to accommodate just one in every of them – the Windows Registry – thus long an space excluded to all however the techno geeks among us, with dire warnings of the risks of editing your registry!

This was truthful, because an inexperienced user running rampant with their delete key in the registry minefield will surely spell danger for the unfortunate copy of Windows on their machine. Today, things became a ton easier….

It is quite easy currently for people to appear when their Windows Registry and this is often fortunate indeed, as a result of with high speed net connections permitting people to download and install an entire host of applications and files, it does not take long for the registry to become horribly clogged with extraneous bits and pieces, all of which will slowly but surely degrade performance of your operating system.

If you don’t like the concept of delving around and attempting to perceive the workings of this mysterious space of Windows, there are plenty of affordable registry cleaner solutions out there these days – see the foot of this article for a couple of suggestions. Many will supply free trial periods, and will demonstrate in an simple to perceive format, simply how bad things have become! If you haven’t checked your registry in a very while, or maybe even never, you must serioulsy consider doing so. You’ll in all probability be terribly pleased with the results of an intensive close up, all at the push of a button and without risking the ruination of your valuable Windows operating system.

Just like anti virus, anti spyware/adware programs, a sensible registry leaner ought to be high on your shopping list. Once I’ve shown folks the results of a registry scan once simply one week of web use, they’re extraordinarily shocked by the big range of conflicts thrown up – often into the tons!

Source : gemini777.net

Your computer Computer Boot Up Slowly– How to Will Cure Your Problem

Are you tormented with the slow computer boot up blues? let me tell you there is nothing worse than a slow computer. I had one system I would start up before showering in the morning, that is how slow it had been booting up. So what do you do? Make a pot of coffee while your computer boots up? Well it does not have to be this way. You’ll speed up your pc and restore all that lost functioning you used to have.

Here are a number of tips you’ll follow to speed up that slow computer. 1st of all you would like to get rid of any programs from startup that you are doing not fully would like running. By default a ton of software puts their programming your begin up, it extremely doesn’t need to be running all the time. If you’re not sure what it is to not take away it. You can disable it, and see if you run into any problems.

Next you may need to perform maintenance on your laptop, that you almost certainly haven’t done during a while. Clean out your temporary files, delete your cookies and empty your recycle bin. If you have got never done therefore you’ll wish to defragments your laborious drive. However this takes an awful while therefore you may want to start out it before visiting bed. Last time mine took over twelve hours.

After that you would like to do a full virus scan when updating your definitions. Make sure you’ve got the newest updates. You’ll also want to try and do a full spyware/ad aware scan. Several folks have spyware running on their computer within the background using up a ton of resources and are never alert to it.

Depending on what antivirus program you have, create positive it isn’t your to scan every time your computer starts, this will extremely cause a slow laptop boot up. Thus so much therefore good? Let’s get onto the largest reason computers are slow in addition up. The Windows registry. Registry is like the guts of your operating system at least if you are running Windows. All software must reference the registry for the correct settings and registry keys for your software.

When your computer boots up, load programs or shuts down it’s to reference the registry. Most individuals have a corrupt or bloated registry and do not know it. What happens is when your laptop boots up it comes across these corrupted or orphaned registry keys and tries to reference the software that goes with them. By default Windows can pause to look for the programs before moving on. If you have got several bad registry entries, which you almost certainly do this may take forever for a computer also up.

What you would like to try to to is pack up these corrupted or orphaned registry keys. If you’re a terribly experienced with Windows operating system you’ll do that by hand. It is typically not suggested though. If you delete or alter the incorrect registry key your laptop may become unstable or unusable. It’s a lot of better to use software to try to to the duty for you, safely. If you are doing not have a sensible registry scanner/cleaner you will have to download one since Windows will not offer one.

While the free registry cleaners are tempting I wouldn’t recommend them. Most of them are poorly written and do not do a radical scan of your laptop, on purpose. If they did the job they were supposed to do there would be no reason for you to upgrade to their “skilled version”. Therefore why not just invest in a sensible registry repair program to begin with.

Not sure if you need a registry cleaner? Best manner to find out is download an attempt version and run a scan on your computer. From there you can see how many corrupt or dangerous registry entries you’ve got and decide whether or not you would like a registry cleaner or not. To create the necessary repairs and to cure your slow computer boot up you will have to get the program.

Source : gemini777.net

How to Repair Windows XP Registry

Windows XP Registry repair will be a little bit of a challenge if you are doing not grasp what you are doing. Whereas you’ll get access to the registry and edit it manually we tend to typically do not recommend doing it that way. If you alter or delete the incorrect registry file your computer may become unstable or even unusable. Besides, if you’ve got ever checked out your windows XP registry you recognize there are thousands of files and it becomes very confusing.

Even experienced pc technicians have trouble when it involves Windows registry. But there is a abundant easier solution and that’s registry repair software. Software that’s made for the task can save you lots of your time and aggravation. Plus it is safe. Most smart programs will enable you to backup your entire registry before changing anything, making it nearly foolproof.

Here’s a very little tip for you. We have a tendency to forever advocate that you just avoid the free registry repair programs, as tempting as they’ll be. I love free software but professional Windows XP Registry repair software is well price the investment. You have to ask, why are they free? These companies tempt you by obtaining you to download their free version. Free software isn’t made to try and do a whole or thorough job. If they did you’d have no reason to upgrade to their Professional version.

Do not believe me? Download a free version and run it in repair everything it finds. Download another free registry cleaner and run it. I will virtually guarantee you it’ll realize many a lot of corrupt or bad registry entries, proving the first one did not do its job. I don’t know concerning you but I would rather pay a little money on a sensible professional registry cleaner and recognize that my laptop is absolutely optimized and will keep running smooth.

Another nice feature of paid registry cleaners is that you’ll be able to schedule them to try to to the routine maintenance which you ought to be doing an regular basis. This means once you forget, like I do, the program can remind you to run a scan. Windows XP Registry repair solely takes a few minutes with the correct software. Your laptop will run prefer it did when it absolutely was new and your errors will be eliminated.

Not certain if you’ve got a Windows XP Registry drawback? Download a program and run a scan. From there you’ll tell how many bad entries you’ve got and choose whether or not you wish to get the program or not. Most people are shocked at the quantity of bad registry entries their computer has. The file system becomes bloated and slow once a few years.

Blue screen, freezing, lockups, slow boot up, slow shutdown, software that will not load and alternative such errors are common symptoms of a unhealthy windows XP registry. Do not wait until it’s too late. If you are doing your laptop might simply decide not to start out up in some unspecified time in the future and you may be out looking for a replacement PC.

Check out practical things to know in the sphere of cheap PlayStation 3 – please make sure to go through this web site. The time has come when proper info is really within your reach, use this possibility.

Source : gemini777.net

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Tips Formatting Your Memory Card

By Lance Edwards

If you use a new memory card on your digital camera for the first time you should always format it, or it may not store your photos correctly. It’s very true and serious. Because you will never know when your memory card will be corrupted or become inaccessible from your desktop. Many people hate the pain of losing all their photos and video.

One thing to make sure is to always remember that: never remove your memory card when the camera is still switched on, or switch the camera off while it is still writing to the card after you have taken a photo. Because in either case there is a very high probability that you will get your memory card corrupted or even damaged. Nobody want either situation to happen to themselves.

Sometimes, after recording images for a period of time onto a card you might see error messages on your camera. Often the case, a reformatting of the card should fix this. This is a good habit as it minimizes the risk of communication failures between the card and your camera, esp. if you use the card on different digital cameras. But in no case you should overdo it. You don’t want to reformat your memory too frequently or for too many times because overdo this you will surely damaged your memory card. As each time, your memory card will perform certain actions that will leave tiny infringements.

Due to that fact that different camera may adopt a different data format. Reformatting is also a quick way to delete all your files on memory cards as reformatting clears or overwrites the
all files and directories completely. But please remember that all your files, photos, videos are still there on your memory cards. They just become inactive or inaccessible from your computer system. More details will be explained.

Okay, here comes the headache question. Will, we all have to face it. The question is that "What if I have deleted all my images by mistake or my memory card is corrupted?" Digital Camera manufacturers usually tell you that formatting a memory card "permanently deletes all photographs and other data your memory card may contain". But they are not telling you the whole story. Yes, there is still a remedy.

As a matter of fact, the manufactures’ statement is not typically true as the formatting process only overwrites some kind of marks or maps to tell your computer where your files locates. Your images are usually still there but you cannot access them, because there’s no marks or maps for your computer to navigate and locate your files. A nice photo recovery program can usually retrieve most, if not all, your precious images ,videos and other files.

You may download free software from the web which will help you to restore your lost images. Just Google for Memory Card Recovery Software or Disk Recovery Software and you will find some nice ones.There are a lots of nice and free ones. You don’t speed meaningless money.

source : ewagz.com

Shopping Tips for buy Notebook

There are many choices of notebooks and sometimes it is hard to find the appropriate notebook that represents the true value for money. Deciding whether to buy a full size laptop or ultra weight notebook is a common problem for many. So before making any purchase, considering certain factors of the portable notebook helps in determining the right notebook.

The first factor to be considered is whether the user truly needs a lightweight notebook, and do these sleek and attractive laptops suit their working system. If computing is done in the office or home mostly, understanding the benefits of using a portable, tiny notebook is difficult, mainly because the full size laptop, with its easy to use keyboard and large screen is more convenient.

On the contrary, a busy on the go executive may find the lightweight laptops appropriate to check emails and other applications constantly. In fact, notebooks were designed keeping in mind the road warriors who frequently travel, and the added advantages of a cell phone that is web enabled, with email access, internet surfing, calendar applications and much more altogether weighing only a few pounds.

The second factor worth considering is their low prices. A bit of shopping makes it possible to find lightweight notebooks for few hundred dollars such that they are affordable. Of course, shopping carefully is a must so that a machine featuring a solid processor, plenty of memory and enough extras are purchased making it a true replacement for a laptop or a traditional desktop
computer.

The third factor worth considering is the speed of the processor as lightweight notebooks are less costly in comparison to the traditional laptops, and this is done by skimping the model as well as the processor speed. Hence, looking for a built-in solid and speed processor is the main priority, regardless of its size is worth bearing in mind while shopping.

Fourth factor determinant is the amount of memory that the notebook has, so do not consider skimping on RAM. However, majority of the ultra portables boast good memory such as 4GB and more, yet boosting the installed memory to promote the usefulness and performance of the lightweight notebook is the ideal ways of ensuring a good purchase.

Screen size refers to be the fifth factor as these portable laptops also have easy to carry screen size, and hence shopping should be done after looking a few models with different screen size. The keyboard size is as well a significant factor worth considering and hence prior to purchasing feel the keyboard, its comfort and use so that it truly makes a happy shopping.

Sixth factor is the built-in DVD drive; hence looking for ultra-portable notebook computers featuring playing movies on the go is essential. Similarly, computer shoppers should consider the USB slots, external monitor`s connections, docking stations and more.

Considering all the factors above should certainly enable you to find the right device, whether a netbook or a lightweight or even a full size notebook. The device should have all the features you find to be necessary, and with the price that will fit your budget.

source : ewagz.com