Sunday, June 28, 2009

If you need help fixing a slow computer. There are a few things you can try yourself. Following the tips in this article will cure most slow computer

First of all you want to start by doing a general cleanup on your computer. Click the my computer icon and find your C drive. Right-click on it and hit properties. There you will find the disk cleanup button. The next thing you want to do is upgrade your anti virus definitions and run a full scan on your PC. You want to make sure you don't have a virus hiding somewhere on your computer.

After that step is completed you want to run a scan for spyware. If you are infected, this can slow your computer down drastically. Spyware will run in the background without you knowing it using up a lot of your resources making it unavailable for other programs to use.

However, the biggest reason a computer will slow down over time is because of a corrupt registry. When your PC boots or starts any application, it has to refer to the registry. If your files are corrupted, damaged, missing, or stuffed with orphaned files that referred to nothing you will need to repair this in order to restore your computers performance.

Anytime you install or uninstall programs you create a new registry key. The uninstall programs that come with most software does not do a complete job, they leave behind files, which makes your registry become bloated after time. Improper shutdowns, power losses, blue screens, or crashes will also corrupt your files.

To repair and restore your registry you'll need a third party software program to do this for you. Windows does not come with any scanner/cleaner for this. Not sure if you have errors? Download one of the free trials and run it. This way, you will know if you need to purchase the full version.

If you have done all of the above and still have a slow running computer. You may need to upgrade your physical memory. Memory is cheap these days, and if you have an empty slot inside your PC. You can usually doubled your memory by inserting a new memory stick. Older and slower hard drives can also cause applications to load slowly. If you are hearing funny noises from inside your computer case like grinding or noisy hard drive. It may be on the verge of going bad. You should consider backing up all of your files just in case.

90% of computer problems can be cured with software though. Once you give your PC a thorough cleaning and tuneup you will be amazed at the increased speed and performance. It should run like it did the day you bought it. So you may not have to buy a new computer after all.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Training in Computer Forensics

There are a lot of different classes and courses that are offered via the internet, one of those kinds of courses is the computer forensics training. Of course, before you sign up for this class, there are a few things that you are going to want to know. One of those things is, what is computer forensics anyway? You are also going to want know why you should take the class in the first place. How is it going to benefit you? Also, you are going to want to know if there are any prerequisites that you may need to have before you join one of these courses. Now, all courses are going to be different, but after reading this information, you will have a better understanding of what most classes are going to ask of you.

So first of all, what is computer forensics? Pretty much, this is the preservation, as well as the identification and extraction, of computer evidence. This can aid in court hearings and provide expert opinions in the court room after finding necessary information. Pretty much, the whole world is turning to computers, and thus, computer forensic training is much needed. The court system needs people that have the ability to find documentation in computers and use it for evidence. There are few people that have the skills that are needed for this kind of job, but it's something that you can learn to do after taking computer forensic training courses.

Now, you know what computer forensics is, but why should you get into this field, what is it going to do for you? Well, this is going to help you with any kind of technology related field of work. For example, it would help you become a new security personnel for a company or may be even an IT security officer. You would be able to work as a network engineer or even the computer administrator of a big business. Most people that get this kind of certification like to become online troubleshooters and technicians. As you can see, there are lots of jobs that you can get after getting this kind of certification, and that is why so many people want to take these courses.

The last question you more than likely have is, are there any prerequisites? Now, this is, of course, going to depend on what course you choose to take. However, some of the courses ask that you have several years of experience in the information technology field. A lot of them like for you to have experience as a windows-based troubleshooter. Of course, people who are good with PC repair or experience as some kind of computer administrator are usually welcome too. They say at the very least, most students will need some kind of A+ certification or experience that is the equivalent to that. Also, courses will have you sign an online copy of a Code of Ethics. This is to insure that you are going to use the information that you gain from that course to better man kin

Thursday, June 11, 2009

How to Personalise Your Computer

This is not an article about Windows. It is not an article about any Operating System. This is about hardware, pure and simple.

Now, "why is he writing about this?", you might be asking yourself. After all, everyone seems to be obsessed about software and the Internet. The hardware is just there to make all that happen, right? As long as the monitor is big and the mouse cordless, that's all that matters as far as style goes...

Well, it hasn't escaped my attention over the years that people seem to have a blindspot when it comes to computer styling. While they spend a great deal of money on their house, furniture, clothes, TV, plants, etc... they opt for an ugly mass-produced computer or sell out and buy an expensive stylish computer (that is identical to millions of others). Hardware personalisation is usually called computer modification, or "Mod".

First of all, let's get the preconceptions out of the way. The computer casing is usually the biggest, and therefore most visible part of your computer. You can try to hide it under the table (let me know if this interests you, then I'll write an article about it). The casing only really serves one purpose: To hold all the pieces together. The outside is not important to the software. Your programs don't run faster because the box is black.

All you need to worry about as far as the casing is concerned, is that the fan ventilation holes are unobstructed and that you can reach all the buttons, USB ports, etc... The computer casing can be any shape, size and colour, within reason.

Let's take a quick example. Say your computer is next to a bookcase. Why not make it look like a giant book? If you like jewellery, why not make it look like a giant diamond? Or even goldplate it? As I said, as long as the ventilation is unaffected, the software doesn't care about external appearance.

Now, I'm not going to go into detail as regards craftwork. What I can do is point out a few of the common mods out there. If you're building your own computer, there are many stylish cases available (mine looks a bit like HAL, the computer with the eye in 2001: A Space Odyssey). If you've bought a ready-made computer, then the first thing you might consider are LEDs. These are lights that glow or flash, and come in different shapes and colours. I guess they're a cheap way to bring some life to your computer's appearance.

However the simplest solutions are sometimes the best. Why not paint your casing? It can also be airbrushed, stencilled, drawn on, etc... You can put pictures on it, even wallpaper. The outer casing doesn't even need to be metal. How about wood, glass, plastic? Make it into the shape of a star, or a heart.

There are also mods for the drive bays (where your CD drive is). A common one is a fan control system, where you can adjust the fan speed. You can also get flashing RAM and glowing fans.

My point is, you don't need to see your computer as an obligatory dull tool. It's not a drain cover or a septic tank. It's a high-tech piece of kit that can be every bit as stylish and desirable as your gigantic TV (well, nearly). Your creativity and resourcefulness will determine how much it costs you.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

How to Make My Computer Run Faster With 3 Simple Steps

Is your computer running too slow for you? Are you finding that it takes a long time to boot up, whereas before it was quick as a rabbit? Are you wondering, "How to make my computer run faster ?"If your computer is running at turtle speed, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will outline three simple steps that you follow to make your computer run faster and more efficiently for your needs.

Step #1 - Maintain Your Computer

Are you ready to get started? Great! The first thing you need to think about is the amount of websites that you visit on a daily basis. Did you know that with each website that you visit, you are literally downloading some of these files in efforts to make your computer load them faster the next time you want to access that same website? You are also downloading cookies from websites and saving a history of each site you visit.

All of these can dramatically affect your computer's speed and slow it down if you do not do something about it. So, to get rid of these things, you should make sure to clean it out. You can do this by making sure that you delete temporary files, browsing history, cookies, and empty out the recycle bin on your computer. This should be done regularly, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. In fact, some people perform this maintenance daily.

Step #2 - Get Rid Of What You Don't Need

If you have too many programs on your computer, this could really put a damper on its speed. The first thing you need to do is delete any programs that you do not use. This can free up space and free up some speed. At the same time, you need to take a look at the items running on your computer at all times. These things, especially if unneeded, could have a major affect on the speed of your computer.

Therefore, you want to prevent unneeded programs from booting with your computer and running in the background. The safest way to do this is to go into the program options and find a box that says "run at startup" or something similar and uncheck the box. There are other ways, but if you do not know the necessary programs that must run on your computer, it is not a good idea to go those routes.

Step #3 - Clean Out Your Registry

This is something that you will want to download a program for. Cleaning out your registry is not something that you want to do yourself. Your registry is basically the hub of your computer, one wrong move and it could render your computer completely useless. However, cleaning out the registry is a big step, one which must be done because it too can affect the speed of your computer. Left over files, errors, or deleted programs can still remain in the registry.

Registry cleaner downloads are available, download and scan your computer. After the scan, let the registry cleaner make the proper corrections.

Now that we've answered the question of "How to make my computer run faster ," it is time to get started. Once you take these steps you will notice that using your computer for the internet, programs, or anything will be much faster and easier.