Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
iPod to Computer Transfer Tutorial - How Can I Copy Songs From My iPod to a New PC?
Not long ago, my hard drive crashed and along with it went my entire iTunes library of nearly 10,000 songs. At first, I panicked, then I remembered that the entire collection was on my iPod. When I got my new PC, I thought I'd be able to install iTunes and sync it back. I was dead wrong.
In its default setting, iTunes only allows the transfer process to go one way - from the computer to your iPod. If your computer music library is empty, it will sync your iPod to the empty library meaning everything on your iPod will be erased. Lucky for me, I figured this out before I clicked the sync button.
After I determined that this was not an option, I hit Google and started searching for solutions. I read several tutorials for how to transfer the data on my own. Unfortunately, I was not comfortable doing it on my own. I have thousands of dollars invested in my music library and I did not trust my own abilities to transfer the songs without screwing something up.
I was relieved when I discovered a handful of programs out there to assist people in the situation I found myself in. I researched several of the programs and read reviews before finally settling on the Lenogo iPod/iPod Touch/iPhone to PC Transfer program. There are actually several highly rated programs out there to get this done. I chose this particular program over the others because it offered a free trial version where I could test it out before buying it and because the reviews were positive.
I was pleasantly surprised with how easy this program was to use. I downloaded the free trial and installed in on my new computer. I then connected my iPod to the computer (shut down iTunes when it tried to automatically load) and then ran the Lenogo program.
Once everything was started up, I was able to see all of the songs on my iPod through the Lenogo software. I then selected all of the songs and chose a folder on my new computer where I wanted them copied. About 15 minutes later, I was done. I had saved all of my songs and now had them backed up to the new computer.
Later I reopened iTunes and imported all of the music from the folder I had saved the music in and re-synced the iPod. It worked without a hitch. If you find yourself in this situation, don't sweat it. Your music is not forever lost!
In its default setting, iTunes only allows the transfer process to go one way - from the computer to your iPod. If your computer music library is empty, it will sync your iPod to the empty library meaning everything on your iPod will be erased. Lucky for me, I figured this out before I clicked the sync button.
After I determined that this was not an option, I hit Google and started searching for solutions. I read several tutorials for how to transfer the data on my own. Unfortunately, I was not comfortable doing it on my own. I have thousands of dollars invested in my music library and I did not trust my own abilities to transfer the songs without screwing something up.
I was relieved when I discovered a handful of programs out there to assist people in the situation I found myself in. I researched several of the programs and read reviews before finally settling on the Lenogo iPod/iPod Touch/iPhone to PC Transfer program. There are actually several highly rated programs out there to get this done. I chose this particular program over the others because it offered a free trial version where I could test it out before buying it and because the reviews were positive.
I was pleasantly surprised with how easy this program was to use. I downloaded the free trial and installed in on my new computer. I then connected my iPod to the computer (shut down iTunes when it tried to automatically load) and then ran the Lenogo program.
Once everything was started up, I was able to see all of the songs on my iPod through the Lenogo software. I then selected all of the songs and chose a folder on my new computer where I wanted them copied. About 15 minutes later, I was done. I had saved all of my songs and now had them backed up to the new computer.
Later I reopened iTunes and imported all of the music from the folder I had saved the music in and re-synced the iPod. It worked without a hitch. If you find yourself in this situation, don't sweat it. Your music is not forever lost!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Best Computer Protection - 5 Tips to Keeping Your PC Virus and Spyware Free
Even the best computer protection isn't 100% effective. It can be exhausting to keep your computer safe from spyware and viruses. As soon as you get online your computer becomes a target for both. The steps below will help you protect your pc from these attacks.
1. Turn on Windows Updates-
It is critical to have the latest security patches and updates for your operating systems. These patches close known holes and problems in the system and can prevent easy access to your computer. The best computer protection is to leave Windows Updates turned on automatic and get all the updates daily.
2. Setup a Free Email Account-
It is highly recommended that you setup an email account with one of the free services like hotmail, yahoo or gmail. While on the Internet, you will find a lot useful information that will require an email address. In some case your email address is sold and is spammed until it shuts down. This free account will allow you to sign up without risking your personal email account.
3. Setup a Personal Firewall-
A personal firewall is the best computer protection available. This software basically makes your pc invisible to viruses, worms, spyware and hackers. Setting up a firewall is the first thing you should do before you connect to the internet. Without this piece of software your computer could be infected in as little as 60 seconds after connecting to the net.
4. Anti-Spyware Software-
Spyware also referred to as malware programs can cause a lot of problems with your computer. They can track your personal information and send it out to anywhere they want. The best computer protection against this is to get this type of software and keep it updated. Some are free and some not. Be sure to investigate before you get either.
5. Anti-Virus Software-
Most new computers come with Anti-Virus software these days. It might be Norton, Kaspersky or any other number of brands. It doesn't matter which one you have, you will have to update it every day. Each day new viruses are created and put on the internet. This is the best computer protection against viruses but, does no good if not kept up to date.
The last three items can be bought together in one package program. Usually this is the best computer protection because the firewall, anti-spyware, and anti-virus are guaranteed to work together properly.
1. Turn on Windows Updates-
It is critical to have the latest security patches and updates for your operating systems. These patches close known holes and problems in the system and can prevent easy access to your computer. The best computer protection is to leave Windows Updates turned on automatic and get all the updates daily.
2. Setup a Free Email Account-
It is highly recommended that you setup an email account with one of the free services like hotmail, yahoo or gmail. While on the Internet, you will find a lot useful information that will require an email address. In some case your email address is sold and is spammed until it shuts down. This free account will allow you to sign up without risking your personal email account.
3. Setup a Personal Firewall-
A personal firewall is the best computer protection available. This software basically makes your pc invisible to viruses, worms, spyware and hackers. Setting up a firewall is the first thing you should do before you connect to the internet. Without this piece of software your computer could be infected in as little as 60 seconds after connecting to the net.
4. Anti-Spyware Software-
Spyware also referred to as malware programs can cause a lot of problems with your computer. They can track your personal information and send it out to anywhere they want. The best computer protection against this is to get this type of software and keep it updated. Some are free and some not. Be sure to investigate before you get either.
5. Anti-Virus Software-
Most new computers come with Anti-Virus software these days. It might be Norton, Kaspersky or any other number of brands. It doesn't matter which one you have, you will have to update it every day. Each day new viruses are created and put on the internet. This is the best computer protection against viruses but, does no good if not kept up to date.
The last three items can be bought together in one package program. Usually this is the best computer protection because the firewall, anti-spyware, and anti-virus are guaranteed to work together properly.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Using Two Monitors on One Computer
You might ask why anyone would use two monitors on one computer but there are reasons. Known as dual computer monitors, these have a number of benefits. One good reason for using two monitors is for anyone in the photography business. For example, individuals working on digital photos, trying to view, study, and arrange, using a second monitor is a great help.
With a dual computer screen, you can indeed double work and also desktop space. One of the most common pc screens is the LCD. These are aesthetically pleasing and they are very space sufficient. Therefore, one who does not have a lot desk area would benefit from the LCD monitor. Now, for people on a budget, a CRT monitor is also a good choice but larger.
When it comes to using a dual computer screen, again the best benefit is for anyone in photography or an individual who works with graphics and digital images. Some of the main benefits include:
Browsing a photo library, putting all pictures on one screen in thumbnail view and then looking at the pictures on a full screen on the second monitor whereby the picture could be focused and manipulated.
Editing photographs is also much easier by using dual computer monitors. For instance, one monitor can be used for browsing photographs on the internet or through some type of photo library and then with the second screen, photos can be edited using a special software program.
Even staying current with email is a benefit of having two screens on one computer. For home businesses or individuals in corporate America, receiving tons of emails is common. With two screens, someone could display all new emails coming in while the other can be used for other types of work.
The bottom line is that dual pc monitors have a number of advantages for home users or individuals in the marketplace. While the pc speed would not increase, productivity would since the person is better equipped to stay better organized and multi task in a way like never before. This direction has become so popular that it is becoming a normal part of buying a computer and screen.
Today, there are a number of pcs on the market that are engineered to support a dual computer screen without having to pay extra cash or time in getting hardware set up. Consequently, if you have a newer pc, you might already have the capacity to work on two monitors on one computer. To check, look at the back part of the pc where you would see two VGA connectors or DVI connectors, or in some cases, both.
If your computer is not engineered with a port for working on dual computer monitors, then you can go to a local pc or electronics store and purchase the needed hardware. For this, sometimes the hardware is something you could install yourself but often times a professional's help is needed.
With a dual computer screen, you can indeed double work and also desktop space. One of the most common pc screens is the LCD. These are aesthetically pleasing and they are very space sufficient. Therefore, one who does not have a lot desk area would benefit from the LCD monitor. Now, for people on a budget, a CRT monitor is also a good choice but larger.
When it comes to using a dual computer screen, again the best benefit is for anyone in photography or an individual who works with graphics and digital images. Some of the main benefits include:
Browsing a photo library, putting all pictures on one screen in thumbnail view and then looking at the pictures on a full screen on the second monitor whereby the picture could be focused and manipulated.
Editing photographs is also much easier by using dual computer monitors. For instance, one monitor can be used for browsing photographs on the internet or through some type of photo library and then with the second screen, photos can be edited using a special software program.
Even staying current with email is a benefit of having two screens on one computer. For home businesses or individuals in corporate America, receiving tons of emails is common. With two screens, someone could display all new emails coming in while the other can be used for other types of work.
The bottom line is that dual pc monitors have a number of advantages for home users or individuals in the marketplace. While the pc speed would not increase, productivity would since the person is better equipped to stay better organized and multi task in a way like never before. This direction has become so popular that it is becoming a normal part of buying a computer and screen.
Today, there are a number of pcs on the market that are engineered to support a dual computer screen without having to pay extra cash or time in getting hardware set up. Consequently, if you have a newer pc, you might already have the capacity to work on two monitors on one computer. To check, look at the back part of the pc where you would see two VGA connectors or DVI connectors, or in some cases, both.
If your computer is not engineered with a port for working on dual computer monitors, then you can go to a local pc or electronics store and purchase the needed hardware. For this, sometimes the hardware is something you could install yourself but often times a professional's help is needed.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Clean Your Computer's Registry With These Easy Steps
You must know that your computer is not just your monitor. You will be really amazed to know how many computer users think that way. They think that the monitor is the only part of their computer because that's the only thing they see. They consider the computer no differently than a television set. But you must know that there is a very lively system working relentlessly to keep your computer working. This is the operating system of your computer. It is your operating system that makes your computer do what it does - each and every single thing. But the OS needs something to fall back upon. This is why the registry is important.
The registry is used like a temporary storage area by the computer OS. The information on every function the computer performs is stored on its registry. This is your computer's back office. This is where the real work happens; what you see on the screen is just the output.
But the registry is prone to being overloaded. As your computer grows older, the OS will use the registry more and more. Shreds of files will remain on the registry. These are unused files or even corrupt files. They happen due to a lot of reasons. If you install a program and then uninstall it improperly, then some files will be left behind. When you use the Internet, a lot of files are stored in the cache memory by the computer to make your browsing easier the next time you visit the site. There are dozens of reasons why these files are created. But the main point is that you need to remove them. If you do not, they will simply overburden your PC and one day, it will refuse to even start.
If you are thinking that it will be a very difficult process to clean computer's registry, you are partly right. And it is risky too. You will have to actually open the registry folder of your computer and check all the files there. Then you will have to judge which of these are the bad files and then delete them. But if you are not too sure, you may delete some useful files that could be very dangerous to your computer.
The best thing to do is to just install a good program that can clean computer's registry. There are several good applications available for download on the Internet, such as Registry Easy, Reg Cure and Error Nuker. Just install one of these programs on your computer and run it once a week. The program will itself scan the registry and find out all errors. It will report these errors to you and you have the option of allowing the program to fix all errors by itself or to fix them manually. Whichever way you choose, your task becomes infinitely easier.
A clean computer's registry means that your computer will perform at its immaculate best. But you should not attempt such cleaning yourself. You may end up losing important files. Let a good software tool do that for you, safely and effectively.
The registry is used like a temporary storage area by the computer OS. The information on every function the computer performs is stored on its registry. This is your computer's back office. This is where the real work happens; what you see on the screen is just the output.
But the registry is prone to being overloaded. As your computer grows older, the OS will use the registry more and more. Shreds of files will remain on the registry. These are unused files or even corrupt files. They happen due to a lot of reasons. If you install a program and then uninstall it improperly, then some files will be left behind. When you use the Internet, a lot of files are stored in the cache memory by the computer to make your browsing easier the next time you visit the site. There are dozens of reasons why these files are created. But the main point is that you need to remove them. If you do not, they will simply overburden your PC and one day, it will refuse to even start.
If you are thinking that it will be a very difficult process to clean computer's registry, you are partly right. And it is risky too. You will have to actually open the registry folder of your computer and check all the files there. Then you will have to judge which of these are the bad files and then delete them. But if you are not too sure, you may delete some useful files that could be very dangerous to your computer.
The best thing to do is to just install a good program that can clean computer's registry. There are several good applications available for download on the Internet, such as Registry Easy, Reg Cure and Error Nuker. Just install one of these programs on your computer and run it once a week. The program will itself scan the registry and find out all errors. It will report these errors to you and you have the option of allowing the program to fix all errors by itself or to fix them manually. Whichever way you choose, your task becomes infinitely easier.
A clean computer's registry means that your computer will perform at its immaculate best. But you should not attempt such cleaning yourself. You may end up losing important files. Let a good software tool do that for you, safely and effectively.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Get Yourselves Computer Savvy With Online Computer Training
If you are a housewife or someone who don't have much knowledge in computers and have been keen to learn computers you can always learn it the easy way that is by way of online computer training. Even since computers have become part of our lives it has become essential for us to learn the basics of computing and it may help in someway in the future.
To start with you will need to learn the basics like using MS word which is nothing but a tool which helps us write or store our writings very similar to the note books that we use in our regular day to day life. Hence it is also essential to get the Microsoft office training which includes learning Word, Excel, Access, and Powerpoint. Word is nothing but the word processing tool while excel is a spreadsheet in which you can do all the account and calculating stuff. And Powerpoint can be used for presentations. MS Access is for advanced users and can be learnt once you have learnt the basics.
Instead of going to a real world computer center to learn computing, you can opt for online computer training simply for the fact that it will save you lot of time and money. It is also available round the clock and hence can be learnt at anytime you wish to. Even Microsoft office training can be learnt through online.
The other advantage of the learning computers online is that most of the time it is free to learn or very cheap to learn when you compare the same with the regular classes if you opt for it. Some even give you free videos to give you the live feeling of learning just like in a classroom. This will make sure that your online computer training teaches you all you need to learn when it comes to learning basics of computers. The same can be easily said with Microsoft office training.
All your queries and questions will be answered either directly or even through email if required and hence making it a viable option in terms of learning the basics through advanced computing.
To make it even more viable you can refer to all the online sources and get your queries answered by way of researching on your own and thus you learn by doing it on your own. Online computer training is the easiest way to become computer savvy.
To start with you will need to learn the basics like using MS word which is nothing but a tool which helps us write or store our writings very similar to the note books that we use in our regular day to day life. Hence it is also essential to get the Microsoft office training which includes learning Word, Excel, Access, and Powerpoint. Word is nothing but the word processing tool while excel is a spreadsheet in which you can do all the account and calculating stuff. And Powerpoint can be used for presentations. MS Access is for advanced users and can be learnt once you have learnt the basics.
Instead of going to a real world computer center to learn computing, you can opt for online computer training simply for the fact that it will save you lot of time and money. It is also available round the clock and hence can be learnt at anytime you wish to. Even Microsoft office training can be learnt through online.
The other advantage of the learning computers online is that most of the time it is free to learn or very cheap to learn when you compare the same with the regular classes if you opt for it. Some even give you free videos to give you the live feeling of learning just like in a classroom. This will make sure that your online computer training teaches you all you need to learn when it comes to learning basics of computers. The same can be easily said with Microsoft office training.
All your queries and questions will be answered either directly or even through email if required and hence making it a viable option in terms of learning the basics through advanced computing.
To make it even more viable you can refer to all the online sources and get your queries answered by way of researching on your own and thus you learn by doing it on your own. Online computer training is the easiest way to become computer savvy.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Help Fix My Computer Quickly and Easily!
Will somebody help fix my computer quickly and easily? I posted that exact same question in forum once. It was a very active forum populated by newbie computer technicians, gadget or technology lovers and even professional computer experts. Within just an hour of my posting that topic, ten people replied, each giving an advice or suggestion on how to best help fix my computer.
Fixing a computer can be such a daunting task especially to a non expert user. When all that you know about computers is to type a document and view websites, you might probably panic with the first few signs of a computer problem.
When I posted the 'help fix my computer' topic on the forum, I was then experiencing a very slow performance from my computer system. My computer is actually more than a year old already and as some people would say it is quite expected for a computer to start to slow down especially if you install a lot of software and use your computer on a regular basis. But that does not mean it cannot be fixed and restored to its previous faster performance.
The first reply I got for my 'help fix my computer' thread was a suggestion from a tech support agent telling me to do a disk error check. This one I already knew and I already tried it but I further asked if there was anything specific that I should do regarding that disk check. The fellow replied and told me how to do it. It was a very basic thing and almost every computer user already knows it but the problem is not everybody uses it. So I proceeded to the next reply.
Another guy suggested that I do a virus scan. He argued that there are a lot of computer viruses who do nothing else but to deliberately slow down the performance of a computer. I followed his suggestion so I installed an anti-virus software, ran it, and the program found about a couple of viruses. It was able to remove the viruses and my computer indeed performed better than before. But still, it was a bit slow so turned back to my 'help fix my computer' forum thread.
Another fellow advised me to defrag my hard drive. Again, this was a very basic thing and I already performed that operation that same day. It took about an hour to defrag my two hard drives, probably because of the size of the disks as well as the number of files that were installed there.
Finally, the one suggestion that truly solved my computer problem was from a guy who told me to download a free registry cleaner and run it on my machine. I was not very familiar with registry cleaners so the fellow walked me through it. I installed the registry cleaner, activated it and it cleaned up my Windows registry. And with just that, my computer was finally working perfectly! It was fast again and now I don't have to wait for minutes and minutes of loading time whenever I open a computer program.
Fixing a computer can be such a daunting task especially to a non expert user. When all that you know about computers is to type a document and view websites, you might probably panic with the first few signs of a computer problem.
When I posted the 'help fix my computer' topic on the forum, I was then experiencing a very slow performance from my computer system. My computer is actually more than a year old already and as some people would say it is quite expected for a computer to start to slow down especially if you install a lot of software and use your computer on a regular basis. But that does not mean it cannot be fixed and restored to its previous faster performance.
The first reply I got for my 'help fix my computer' thread was a suggestion from a tech support agent telling me to do a disk error check. This one I already knew and I already tried it but I further asked if there was anything specific that I should do regarding that disk check. The fellow replied and told me how to do it. It was a very basic thing and almost every computer user already knows it but the problem is not everybody uses it. So I proceeded to the next reply.
Another guy suggested that I do a virus scan. He argued that there are a lot of computer viruses who do nothing else but to deliberately slow down the performance of a computer. I followed his suggestion so I installed an anti-virus software, ran it, and the program found about a couple of viruses. It was able to remove the viruses and my computer indeed performed better than before. But still, it was a bit slow so turned back to my 'help fix my computer' forum thread.
Another fellow advised me to defrag my hard drive. Again, this was a very basic thing and I already performed that operation that same day. It took about an hour to defrag my two hard drives, probably because of the size of the disks as well as the number of files that were installed there.
Finally, the one suggestion that truly solved my computer problem was from a guy who told me to download a free registry cleaner and run it on my machine. I was not very familiar with registry cleaners so the fellow walked me through it. I installed the registry cleaner, activated it and it cleaned up my Windows registry. And with just that, my computer was finally working perfectly! It was fast again and now I don't have to wait for minutes and minutes of loading time whenever I open a computer program.
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