MOST COMMON 5 PROBLEMS IN PC

If you have a PC, then you have most likely suffered from computer problems. Most people have accepted that there PC will eventually crash due to a virus or some massive error. However this is a myth. Your PC is built to last more than a decade. However you must keep well tuned for it to make its third birthday. Nevertheless, most people would rather buy a shiny new PC rather than spend an hour trying to fix computer problems on there 2 year lap top or desktop. After another two year after their purchase lack of maintenance will cause their new PC to lose its performance speed. Whats next you guess, $3000 Windows Vista Ready PC. This is known as the consumer vicious cycle.

Why have does your computer have problems?

Well, the biggest problem that your computer has is its owner. More than 80% of computer problems stem from neglecting to perform simple maintenance task such as cleaning your registry, emptying your cache files and updating software regularly. If these task a perform diligently. You would be reading this article from a five year old machine running on Windows 98 operating system. So, lets take a look at the top five computer problems and how to avoid them.

1. Computer has performance has slowed.

This is the number one complaint from most users. There are several reason why this has occurred. However, most can attributed to lack of maintenance. Fragmented data, corrupted registry, spyware, and load of unnecessary programs and services running can all eat away at your PC speed and performance. Manage your programs and cleaning your registry would easily award you a 30% gain in performance speed. Check out The 4 ways to speed up my computer

2. Lockup, freezes, and blue screens of death.

This is a another common computer problem. However, this particular issue is a bit more serious; therefore, it needs a few diagnostic steps. In most cases this problems are caused by spyware. To avoid this problem update your anti-spyware program daily. Having the most up to date signatures will help you avoid having a serious spyware problem. However, if you have concluded that your PC is spyware free. You should update your hardware drivers. The computer cannot communicate with various hardware components without an up to date driver. When it cannot find a driver, the CPU locks up. Also, increasing your virtual memory can also help to avoid freezes. Virtual Memory will allow to you get more use out your computer's RAM. Check the resource box for more info on the subject.

3. The computer spontaneously reboots or turn itself off.

This computer problem can be usually attributed to a hardware issue. Usually its the power supply is dying or in most cases a dirty or defective cooling fan. The computer trying to cool itself by automatically switching off. So, if you feel a bit of extra heat coming out the computer. Clean the fan and make sure it running properly. If your fan is functional, check your power supply. Also, you will be surprised how many people fail to make sure the cables are attached tightly. This be the cause of this particular computer problem.

4. Strange noises and vibrations.

This is almost totally a hardware issue. You computer is made up of thousands of parts. Its not unheard of that one of them can become unhinged. Overheating can cause expansion of wires and melt some sensitive. High pitch noises such as squealing or whining sounds can be cause electronic components. Whatever the reason, you conduct a small investigation. Remove the case and run the computer to discover the origin of the computer problem. If its not a simple matter such as a loose wire or fan issue, it may be time to call a computer tech.

5. Your home page, default search engine, or web browser has changed itself.

This is also known as "high-jacking". Spyware has been installed on your computer via social networking or from email link. This action has allowed spyware to install a java script into your web browser. The spyware then sends a message to your browser to change your user settings. For example change your home page to another web page.

Common PC Problems Encountered

No sound from speakers: Please check the back of the computer. Some computers may have speaker connections on both the soundcard and modem. You will need to plug the single stereo speaker plug into the socket on the soundcard usually marked Audio Out (or in some cases Speaker)

Computer seems to start up as normal but nothing appears on screen: As obvious as this may sound it is probably a cable not attached correctly, or the monitor power button being turned off. Please unplug all the cables and replace them carefully.

Sometimes my system just crashes for no explicable reason: Welcome to Windows. More help with crashing.

Fuzzy image on monitor: Monitors are sensitive to electro magnetic interference. Ensure that your speakers are not too close to the monitor and that there is no other source of interference, especially from TVs, radios, microwaves, dishwashers and washing machines. Mobile phones are frequently the cause of this problem.

Modem error message says, "No Dial Tone": Do not attempt to change any COM port or other modem settings. This problem is ALWAYS external to the computer. Not all modem cables are the same. Always use the one supplied with your modem. The telephone cable from your wall socket should go into the modem socket marked Line In. Consider that the telephone socket is faulty. It could also be a faulty telephone extension line (just because it works on a phone doesn't necessarily mean it will work on a modem - and don't ask me why), or some other external factor. We repeat: Please do not change any of the modem settings. "No-Dial Tone" is always an external problem.

Modem cuts off frequently: Modems cannot handle the beep on BT's call waiting facility. If you have call waiting on your line you will need to disable it before using the modem.

Colour on screen is limited to 16 colours: The default setting for Windows is 16 colours. You can only get 256 or more colours if you have installed the video drivers correctly. Please see section on installation of video drivers in the hardware help page

CD keeps playing just the first few seconds of every song and then skips: If using the Windows 95 CD player go to Options on the tool bar and uncheck the setting Intro Play. If using some other CD player verify that your settings are for continuous play.

I can't get the pound sign to work; other keys come up with the wrong symbols: When installing Windows 95 the default country is installed as America and the default language is American English. To change the Language and Regional Setting you will need to go into Control Panel. Double click on Keyboard, then Language, choose the Add button, scroll down to English British, click on it and then click on Set as Default. Click on OK to confirm. (You may need your Windows 95 CD/Floppy at this stage). You can similarly change the Regional Settings from the Control Panel. You will have to re-start the computer for the changes to take effect.


Some programs (like games) don't work on my computer: Setting up games and some other multimedia programs to work on a Windows based computer is sometimes a stressful experience. Games programmers try to design games to work on a variety of different computers with different makes of sound and video cards and different settings for these cards. Unfortunately, they don't always get it right. Games that work perfectly well on a lower spec computer may not work at all on this new 'state of the art' machine you've just bought. Occasionally fiddling around with settings in the Control Panel will rectify the problem. (Often fiddling around with settings will cause your computer to crash). If you are running Windows 98/ME on your computer consider buying only games that have the 'designed for Windows 98/ME' logo. Note: 'Compatible with Windows ME' is not the same thing.
Try visiting the web site for the program you are using. There may be some FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) or other general information that may be of help.

Computer completely dead - neither monitor nor base unit will come on: If you bought your computer from Best Price Computers Ltd it is more likely that you've had a power cut than a dead computer. Please check your electric socket, the plug and the fuse before calling us. Try using another cable. Very often cables used for kettles will fit your computer. Note that some computers have a power switch at the back of the unit as well as the front. If you do then that needs to be on before you try the switch at the front.

The screen comes on OK when booting but gets unreadable when in Windows: This could be possibly because you've installed the wrong video drivers and/or have set the resolution/colours/refresh rate too high for your monitor to handle. Fortunately you'll find that you can still start the computer up in safe mode to correct this problem. Hold your "Control" key down and power your PC up. Keep holding the key down till you see the menu offering you the option of starting up in Safe Mode. Once you've started up in safe mode you'll be able to make changes to your video settings and restart the machine for the changes to be recognised. See hardware help page for guide to setting up video drivers.

Error Messages on Start Up: Error messages like nwlink.vxd missing or damaged - press any key to continue may lead you through several messages before starting Windows. It is certainly an inconvenience to keep pressing 8 to 10 keys each time you want to start Windows. This is caused by the incorrect deletion of programs. When removing a program from a computer you need to use the Add/Remove Software in the Control Panel to actually un-install it rather than delete it. Just deleting a program is likely to give you these error messages. Solution: Just don't do it again. (The problem can be solved by editing the ini files and the registry but that as that is a risky proposition you may just want to put up with the inconvenience till you next format your hard disk and re-install Windows). Suggestion: Invest in a good uninstallation program like Cleansweep.

Computer keeps running scandisk on start-up: Windows runs scandisk on start-up when the computer hasn't been shut down properly. Please read your Windows manual for correct method of shutting Windows down before turning the power off. If the problem continues it is possible that your installation of Windows is damaged.

My computer says "press any key" to continue,but I don't have a key with that name: (OK, we didn't actually get that particular complaint :-) ).

RTFM problems: Probably the most common abbreviation used in technical support. It has come to be accepted in some places as Read The "Friendly" Manual. So, the manual is not always easy to understand, but it's there for your help. In fact, it's there to be your first port of call. :-)

I've reinstalled Windows and my sound/video/modem/printer is not working correctly: It is possible that you haven't correctly setup your device. Please click here for link to our hardware help page ........ or here for software help.

Windows 98 SE does not shutdown correctly or it restarts when it should shutdown. Go to Run and type in "MSCONFIG" without the quotes. Click on "advanced" and tick/untick the Enable Fast Shutdown. Restart the computer and see if it shuts down? Still doesn't? Try the BIOS and disable ACPI. Also disable power saving. No joy? Try Microsoft's shutdown utility.

Making Use Of A WaterProof MP3 Player For Swim Training

If you are looking to spice up your swim training then you may want to consider getting a waterproof MP3 player. A waterproof MP3 player can make a normal, boring, swim exercise fly by as you listen to your tunes and swim away. While most waterproof MP3 players would not be classified as cheap MP3 players, generally speaking they are not that expensive. There are plenty of waterproof MP3 players out there, but if you are specifically looking for one for swim training then the SWIMP3 is the one for you. I have tried other waterproof MP3 players but this one is by far the best for training.
Why Choose The SWIMP3 Waterproof MP3 Player?
A variety of reasons come to mind of the choice for a SWIMP3 to be used for you swimming training. The first one is that the device does not utilize earphones. Indeed, it’s strange but yes this particular MP3 player does not need you to put anything in your ear. It works using the bone conduction of sound, being place on any bone of the skull it vibrates the fluid in the inner ear to generate the sounds. This means that the swimmers using the device get to enjoy the clarity of sound even under water.
Many will definitely wonder whether or not the bone conduction method used by this device is safe for them, and in fact it is safe indeed. Being a well established hearing mechanism in humans it allows us to actually leverage the aquatic environment to increas the accuracy of the sounds. The use of this particular technology has brought a new level of audio clarity to swimmers in any level and with great success.
The device is compact and weighs only two ounces. It has a 256 megabyte capacity and recharges by plugging into any USB port. The device can plug directly into any USB port without the need for additional cable or accessories. In addition to this it comes with a wall charger so you can simply plug it in and charge up anywhere you like.
You will notice that this MP3 device has many advantages and this makes it an excellent if not perfect choice for those looking for a waterproof MP3 player they can use when swim training. The cost is around $139, so it is affordable indeed to almost everyone and the features on offer other than being waterproof is simply hard to ignore. This MP3 player is all you really need to peacefully train away without any disturbance and loss of concentration.

Damn Interesting..... Have a Look at It.....

In memory of the infamous and mysterious "H.M."–who sadly passed away last Tuesday–we re-post this elderly article from the archives. R.I.P., H.M. This article was originally published on 06 June 2007.
"I don't remember things," Henry explained to the unfamiliar female interviewer. She seemed very curious about how he spends a typical day, and about what he had eaten for breakfast, but his efforts to summon the information from his mind were fruitless. He could easily answer her questions regarding his childhood and early adult years, but the indefinite expanse of time since then was bereft of memories. In fact, from moment to moment Henry feels almost as though he has just awakened from a deep sleep, with the fleeting remnants of a dream always just beyond his grasp. Each experience, dull or dramatic, evaporates from his memory within a few dozen heartbeats and leaves no trace.
For over fifty years Henry has lived with anterograde amnesia, a form of profound memory loss which prevents new events from reaching his long-term memory. As a result his only memories are those he possessed prior to his amnesia, and the small window of moments immediately preceding the present.

BUYING A DIGITAL CAMERA

I'm the kind of person that is extremely slow to adopt new technology. It took me forever to adopt email as a regular communication method, and I'm just now getting used to the idea of storing all my memos and notes on a PDA rather than in a paper planner. So it comes as no surprise that I've held off buying a digital camera until now -- and that's only because my film-based model finally gave out for good.
Well, if the truth be told, I've actually been thinking about buying a digital camera for a few months now. That's because I've seen the amazing shots that my friends have taken with their cameras, and I want to be able to get the same results. In addition, I'm a bit tired of having to deal with all my film rolls. It's tough to remember which ones are new, which ones have already been used, and what kind of pictures are on them. I've also lost quite a few film rolls while on vacation over the years. I figured I could eliminate these problems by buying a digital camera.

Towards that end, I'd been reading online guides and reviews from people who have experience with buying a digital camera. I've found these articles to be very helpful, as they alert me to the brands that are easy to use, that produce high-quality photos, that come packed with features, and are the best bargains. In fact, these resources made the task of buying a digital camera easier than I imagined it would be.
Since I had done all this research beforehand, I was ready to make my purchase as soon as I decided that buying a digital camera was the right move for me. I had read about people getting fantastic bargains from online stores, so those are the places I checked out first. I had also read store reviews as part of my research into buying a digital camera, so I knew which websites were trustworthy and which ones should be avoided. As a result, I was able to complete my purchase without a single problem.
Now that I've had my new toy for a few days, I really can't remember what was preventing me from buying a digital camera a long time ago! I've been having a lot of fun playing around with the settings, trying out different techniques, and cleaning up my pictures with photo editing software. If you ask me, this is the way photography was meant to be.
If you've been thinking about buying a digital camera, I recommend that you go ahead and do it sooner rather than later. You'll be amazed at how much easier it is to take pictures with this kind of equipment and how much better the pictures turn out.