New Computer - Old Email, or How to Back up and Transfer Your Email

If you have a brand new computer, or are thinking about buying one in the near future, one of the things that you will need to consider is how to transfer your emails from the old system to the new system.

At least once a week in my job as a help desk analyst, I am helping a customer set up Outlook Express or Outlook (there are other email clients that are used, but these two are the most popular) on their new computer. Once we are finished with the setup and they open it up to the Inbox the question is asked "where are my old emails?" The simple answer; "on your old computer". Then of course the follow up question is; "how do I get them to the new computer?"

Easy or Hard

The easiest way to do this is to back them up to an external hard drive or a compact disc before you make the switch to the new computer and then copy them over to the new computer in the exact same directory. The harder way is in the case of a crashed computer or the inability to access the files normally. I cover a bit of that in another article called 'Got Backups?' which you can find at my website.

Outlook Express

With Outlook Express your emails/email folders are stored on your hard drive in a directory that is buried way down deep in the Operating System. Instead of me giving you the full path to get there, it's easiest if you have Outlook Express open, click on Tools then Options.

Copy/Paste

Once you are here, click on the Maintenance tab and then click on the Store Folder button. This will pop another window with the location of your emails. Using your mouse, highlight the path and then right click and copy it.

You will then click on the Start button, then click Run, and then right click in the Open box and Paste the path. Click Ok.

This will open another window with your email files. Unless you have added other folders to your Outlook Express, the default folders will be here with a .dbx extension (Folders, Inbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items, and Drafts).

Backup

If you are going to write these files to a CD, you can burn them at this time by using your favorite burning software (providing that you have a CD burner installed in your computer).

To copy them to an external hard drive, you must now connect that device to your computer, create a folder on that drive (I usually call it Email Backups), copy the files from the old computer then paste the files into the Email Backups folder.

Import

Once you have the files copied to the CD or external drive, then you will go to the new installation of Outlook Express and import the messages. It would be nice if you could just copy them to the new OE and be done, but Microsoft doesn't like you to do it that way.

Open up OE and then click on File, Import, Messages. This will open a new window called Outlook Express Import. Choose Microsoft Outlook Express 6 then click Next. Click in the circle that says 'Import mail from an OE6 store directory'. Click OK. Then click 'Browse' and navigate to and select the directory you have saved them to. Click OK. The next window will give you a list of all of the email folders you have previously saved. Keep 'All folders' selected and click Next.

This will begin the process of importing all of your 'old' emails into your 'new' Outlook Express. Once it has finished you will have all of your old emails back! Cool, huh?

Outlook

The procedure to save and then import your emails in Outlook is similar, but different.

To start with, Outlook uses a file extension called pst, or Personal Folder File. Don't ask me why it's called that. Call Bill Gates and ask him.

Export

You will start on the old computer and with Outlook open, click on File, then 'Import and Export'. This opens the Import and Export Wizard. Choose 'Export to a file' then click Next. Choose 'Personal Folder File' here and then click Next. In the Export Personal Folders dialogue box you have your choice of what you want to do. The easiest is to keep the default choice of just the inbox, but if you want your sent items and all the other folders, choose the top item (Personal Folders) and then choose the 'Include subfolders' option and then click Next.

The next window will have a default location listed (usually C:Documents and Settings'your computer name'Local SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOutlookbackup.pst). I would suggest following the same procedure as for OE (see above). Then click 'Finish' and let it do it's thing. Once you have your pst files backed up, move to the new computer and the import process will again be similar to OE.

Connect your external hard drive to your computer or insert the CD into the drive.

Import

Open Outlook, click on File, then Import and Export. In the Import and Export Wizard, this time choose 'Import from another program or file' then click Next. In the 'Import a File' window, scroll down and select Personal Folder File (.pst) and then click Next.

In the 'Import Personal Folders' window, click the Browse button and navigate out to the location of your backed up pst file, choose it and then click Next. Click 'Finish' and it will import all of your messages.

By Ron Barrett

Ron Barrett is the owner of Ron's Computer Service, your online helpdesk for computer related problems. You can subscribe to his weekly newsletter 'Bits and Bytes: Decoding the Digital World' by sending an email to him. He is Certified Help Desk Analyst, CompTIA A+ Certified and has earned a Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology. He has worked in several companies in the role of help desk analyst, desk top support and network/email administrator. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his wife and three boys, working around the house and trying to perfect his golf swing.

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

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Choosing the Right Toner for Your Printer

Quality printing is the lifeblood of many businesses, but finding the right printers and printer supplies can be a real hassle. With so many brands of printers all claiming to the best it can be quite hard for the average business owner to sort out the hype from the reality. One thing that is true, however, is that using the right toner, fuser and other printer consumables is one of the best ways to increase the reliability of the printer and help it last longer. Top quality toner also helps the printer increase its printing capacity, yielding more printouts per cartridge and keeping downtime to a minimum.

In fact many common printer problems, from jammed paper to prematurely worn rollers, can be caused or exacerbated by poor quality printer consumables. From low quality paper whose rough texture can make printer rollers old before their time to improperly packaged generic toner that can leak and cause streaks and other output problems, what you put in your laser printer greatly influences what comes out.

Many business owners have learned this lesson the hard way, after a problem with substandard toner or other poor quality consumables rendered their only printer unusable for days or weeks. With so many businesses relying so heavily on their laser printers to get their jobs done, losing access to these important devices even for a day or two can bring the business to a grinding halt.

In addition, the cost of leasing a replacement printer or having documents printed elsewhere can quickly add up, adding to the cost of doing business and negatively affecting the bottom line. Given the high costs of downtime, it is easy to understand why so many smart business owners are choosing to prevent problems by using only the highest quality toner cartridges in their monochrome and color laser printers.

Using the right toner cartridges can yield huge dividends, both in terms of print quality and reduced downtime. Many business owners have found that the decreased cost of ownership associated with top quality printer cartridges more than makes up for any perceived increase in up front cost. Any good businessperson understands that it is the total cost that is important, not just the upfront capital expenditure. In order to truly evaluate the cost of printing services, a business must consider not only the cost of the printer and related supplies but the costs associated with upkeep, repair and maintenance as well. Top quality toner cartridges help to keep these important costs as low as possible.

By Jessica Mousseau

Choosing the Right Toner for Your Printer a great helper by superwarehouse.com with their Printer Supplies Finder.

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

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Spyware Removal Software - Why You Need It And How Spyware Gets Installed

Did you know that over 90% of computers that have internet connection are currently infected with spyware? That is quite an alarming number considering that a high majority of those infected don't even realize they have a major headache hiding inside their computer. With it being such a threat, you can see why it is critical to have a spyware removal software installed on your computer.

So if I never downloaded any strange programs, then how did it get installed on my computer? Their are many ways that spyware gets installed on a computer. One of the most common ways is through malicious websites. A lot of these websites are just crap websites that are littering the web in the search results. As soon as you click on one of these web pages, it takes control of your computer and automatically installs the program. If you had a spyware removal software installed, it would automatically warn you that the program is about to install.

Another common way to get infected is through downloads. Remember the seemingly harmless program you downloaded? Well, that is probably the cause of your nasty problems. Most of the time it can be thrown in with widely respected programs, as the owners see it as another source of income. They will sell all the personal data collected about you to other companies, or even use it for their own evil ways. If you had a spyware removal software, it would warn you when a program you are installing has spyware.

Another way of infection is through weaknesses in your security. This can be through internet explorer, or through one of your pc ports. Hackers spend all day trying to find a weakness, and when they do, they can use it as a back door into your system. Once they are in, they can mess with your settings, install more malicous programs on your computer, use your computer for their own evil doings, and create more havoc than imaginable. This kind of infection is hardly noticeable due to the hackers hiding their presence. One of the only ways to be sure if you have this kind of infection is to run a scan with a good spyware removal software.

Spyware is a major threat, and not one to be taken lightly. Did you know that over half of the calls that computer repair companies receive are because of these kinds of infections. Just think, these people are paying a computer repair guy $100 an hour for a service that could have been prevented with a simple spyware removal software program.

By Benny C.

Why not solve all of your spyware problems today. Your personal info is at risk, Protect yourself now by going and getting the best spyware remover.

Free spyware removal tools are no longer a viable option.

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

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Top Ways of Backing Up Business Data

Business data is one of the most crucial forms of data that can reside on a computer. Loss of data can destroy a business completely especially when businesses are completely reliant on this data. It is for this reason that all business owners should carry out frequent backups of their data. These backups may take place on a daily or weekly basis depending on their schedules and what they feel comfortable with. With all the backup options that are available a business owner may easily feel very confused about which choice to make. Certain backup options function better than others but some are much easier to use than those that are usually referred to as convenient. If you own a business you would normally prefer a backup solution that offers you reliability as well as convenience. The rest of the article explores various data and backup options that are available to you and how you can implement them properly.

The primary option that can be used to back up data is hard disk imaging otherwise referred to as cloning which can easily be carried out with disk imaging software. Most people usually think of it as the best backup solution because its saves every little bit of data that you have stored on your hard drive. This is great because if you should have any need of restoring your data from scratch due to data loss you can get everything back. Furthermore it is also the quickest and easiest means of backing up your data especially for a person who doesn't really know that much about computers and can't spend a whole day just trying to back up their data.

Another solution for data backup is the remote online backup. What this means is that your data can easily be saved on a server that is quite secure and in a place that is far away from your current location. This is a great idea for so many reasons; the most important of these reasons is that it protects you from losing out in case a disaster occurs which may affect where you work or where you live. If you back up your files online you also achieve what you intend to achieve cheaply and affordably. Online backup companies also make use of various forms of professional hardware and software in order to ensure that you data is stored securely in a digital vault that is very secure.

One other business backup method you can use to secure business data are external storage devices. These devices are rather simple to use and are very useful too. External devices which are capable of data storage come in many different forms. Most of them are usually external hard drives and memory devices called memory sticks. Most people prefer to use memory sticks because they hold a lot more data and can plug into your USB port very easily. They also tend to hold larger amounts of data which is usually sufficient space for whatever it is that you have which requires backup and storage.

By Kelly Hunter

Kelly Hunter operates http://www.disk-imaging-software-guide.com and writes about Disk Imaging Software.

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

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7 Ways To Increase The Speed Of Your PC

If you're tired of having a slow computer that crawls to a halt whenever you open up multiple windows, here are 7 tips guaranteed to increase the speed and performance of your computer.

1) Disk Defragmenter

This comes free with Windows. By analysing your computer files and defragmenting, this puts the files in your computer in order so that the accessing time reduces for the hard disk.

2) Remove Startup programs

Ever experienced long booting times? That's because every time your computer boots up, it has been instructed to load up a software application. Use RegClean to see what these files are and delete them.

3) Turn off visual effects

By going to your control panel and system, you can turn of the visual effects of your computer. Less resources spent on glamour goes to speeding up the opening time of your folders and internet explorer.

4) Overclock your PC

This one is for the pros. Overclocking your PC will give you boost to your computer's speed.

5) Registry Cleaner

A registry cleaner scans for errors in your registry. Your computer registry contains information about your computer and certain data that is no longer required in your computer which is linked to a software stays in your registry even though the software has been uninstalled. The more clutter you have in your computer the more work your hard disk needs to do.

6) Get more RAM

The more RAM, the better. Try to have at least 1Gig of RAM, this will certainly increase the speed of your Microsoft Windows, Excel, Photoshop applications and allow you to open multiple windows without a decrease in speed.

7) Use Reg Cure or Reg Fix

These are the top of the line registry cleaners that clean up the obsolete data in your computer. These registry cleaners scan for errors such as COM/ActiveX Entries, Font Entries, Shared DLLs, Empty Registry Keys, Program Short Cuts that no longer exist and removes them. An additional resource to turbo charge your PC can be found at http://fixbluescreenofdeath.blogspot.com/

By Sherman Choo

Speed up your computer with registry cleaners. http://www.registrycleanercompare.blogspot.com

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

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Five Questions About Data Safety

Just how safe is your computer and the data it contains? Did you know your information is very vulnerable to many lurking issues online? If you double click on an infected file you could delete all your data. This is why you have to think:

Is your machine placed properly?

Overheating and vibrations are two common causes that determine data loss. Make sure your computer is well ventilated, and don't place books on top of it. Keep your computer away from busy areas this will prevent people from kicking it. Don't place your pc directly on the floor because static electricity can also cause data loss.

Is the electricity system that you are using safe?

This is important especially if you are leaving or working in an old house. Check all wires and sockets and if needed replace them because tension breaches and uneven electric power can cause not only data loss, but all total destruction of your hard drive.

Is your computer protected against power black-outs?

A solid electric fuse will protect your computer and all other electric machines in your home or office against black outs. Also, you can consider using an uninterrupted source of electric power like a UPS backup system, or if we are referring to a big company, then you can make use of an electric generator that runs on fuel. Both of them protect the electric machines that are turned on before the black out and automatically switches them to its source of electricity when the main electricity provider is off.

Do you own data protection software?

Data protection software spreads over a large market, from anti-viruses to software that investigates your hard disk drive when the system fails. There are software programs that create copies of your files and will constantly monitor your data. Be careful not to forget to renew your antivirus software every week.

Do you protect your data with back-ups? Where do you store your copies?

The data on your computer should be backed-up weekly, including your agenda, your files, folders, and your calendars; you should back-up everything. Of course, the info that doesn't get modified weekly can be backed-up every month. You can store your backups on a cd or on a reserved hard drive, or even on the internet somewhere where you have some available space.

By Jesse Miller

If you really want to take the work out of looking for that right Spyware Protection from a Spybot go to the Internet and get a Free Spybot Download or a Spybot Search and Destroy to prevent your vital information from being ripped from your computer.

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

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Questions and Answers About Proxy Server

What is a proxy server

A Proxy (proxy server) is a server that acts as mediator between the client (the computer of a user) and server (the computer on the other ends of network connection on which the information requested by the user appears for example web server site.) When clients request data from an Internet resource, traffic goes from your web browser/application first through the proxy before it reaches the requested sources and back through the proxy. Then the proxy will transmit the data (information) to you.

Why I need to use a proxy server

1. Transfer speed improvement. If the file you requested was received before to your proxy server, then proxy server will interrupt this file request and you will receive the file directly from proxy. However need to know, you can got the "speed down" effect. This effect appears when your proxy has long answer time because there is slow connection between you and your proxy server.

2. Security and privacy. Anonymous proxies destroys information about your computer in the requests header. So you can safely surf the net and your information will never be used by hackers and spammers.

3. Sometimes you encounter some problems while accessing to web server (for example, web-chat). You have mistaken while working with some data and / or the server administrator restricted access from your IP. So you can use the anonymous proxy and try to access again.

How can I get fresh proxy server information?

Every proxy server is inclusive of an IP address and a proxy port that is listed next to the address. You can search "free proxy list" on google to get newest proxy servers. Here is a daily updated proxy list I recommend: http://www.aplusproxy.com/proxylist/index.php

How to configure IE 7.0 to use a proxy server?

1. Open Internet Explorer 7.0.

2. Click on the Tools icon from the upper right of the browser and select Internet Options from the menu.

3. Select the Connections tab and click the button for LAN Settings.

4. Click the radio button for Proxy Server. Type the IP number of the proxy In the Address box, and add the port number of the proxy in the Port box.

5. Click the OK button, then OK again.

6. After setting a proxy server, you need to check if that proxy is working. Type www.google.com in your IE7 address bar and see if google index page is loaded for you.

By John Hu

John is the admin of : www.assban.com

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

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Why Is My Computer Slow At Loading?

Is your computer slow at loading nowadays, when it was working perfectly well a couple of days ago? I remember when I had this problem some months ago, when my computer suddenly processes and loads really slowly for seemingly no reason. I got so worried when I realized this problem, and thought I might have to replace my PC with a new one.

1. Reasons For Computer To Slow Down

One of the main reasons why your computer can slow down after a prolonged period of use is due to errors in the registry. This is the area where your computer stores all the software and hardware instructions to run correctly. Over time, the number of errors or bad entries will accumulate in the registry if it is not maintained often.

2. How To Fix The Registry?

If you have the technical experience with cleaning registries, you can clean it yourself, but do be careful because moving the wrong entries can be fatal to the system.

3. Download A Cleaner Software

For a much safer and faster way to clean up your registry, you should download a registry cleaner to scan and fix your PC. Even with a cleaning software, you should still be careful to backup your original settings, just in case something goes wrong during the repair process. The software that I use provides this safety feature that allows me to backup all my settings before running the repair.

Using such software allows you to clean your registry even if you do not have any technical experience. It is a handy tool to maintain your PC and ensure that you have an optimized computer all the time.

4. Functions Of A Registry Cleaner

The software will run a free scan on your PC after you have downloaded it. It then displays to you the number of errors found in your registry, and then categorizes them into their type of errors.

After the scan, you should do a backup before proceeding to run the fix. The whole process took a little over 10 minutes for my computer, but it may be faster or slower based on the number of errors found. In my case, there were about 200 errors found in my registry when I ran the scan. After the fixing process, I was prompted to restart my computer. The startup speed of my computer was significantly faster afterwards, and my PC was running like new again.

5. Conclusion

To be able to cure your slow computer, you need to discover the real causes of your slow computer. It is best to get scanning software to find all the problems on your computer before deciding on the best course of action. Unless you have technical experience with fixing a computer, you should not attempt to do this on your own. You can visit my website link at the end of this article to download the cleaner that I used to repair my computer.

By Austin Porter

Are you looking to speed up your slow computer? Read the author's review of the Best Registry Cleaners on the market now at http://www.review-best.com/registry-cleaner.htm and completely clean up your computer registry in 2 minutes!

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

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Adobe Illustrator CS3 Basics Tutorial

This tutorial will go over the basic aspects of Adobe Illustrator. Within the immediate viewing area of the user a list of buttons and features are available to use on your Adobe Illustrator document. I will be going over the basic uses of these features and how you can implement them.

The first Adobe Illustrator tutorial is the Selection Tool. The Selection Tool is used to select projects on the screen that you may be working on. Usually, a large amount of these can start to form when you are managing a project. You can move the files around to be easily viewed. However, there are limitations to this tool. Adobe has come up with two other Selection Tools that will solve these space issues.

The second Adobe Illustrator tutorials are bundled. They are related to the Selection Tool in terms of operation. They are the Direct Selection Tool and the Group Selection Tool. The Direct Selection Tool is used to reshape an object or image by using its anchor points. It can change the width and height of a segment of an object or change the way it shaped by moving anchor points in a certain direction. The Group Selection Tool allows you to select one object on the first click and if you select again it will target all of the objects that are within its field. This tool helps to organized all the objects so you can select them easily.

Next up is the Adobe Illustrator Magic Wand Tool. The Magic Wand Tool lets you select objects that are similar in stature. You can do this by just selecting one of the targets and the Magic Wand Tool will attach to the others that are similar. You can make the tool look for anything that you can think of within each object to connect the two.

The Lasso Tool is the next feature within Adobe Illustrator’s long list of incredible features. The Lasso Tool allows you to select objects by drawing around them. You don’t have to complete the connection all the way around the objects. Adobe Illustrator will make an educated guess of what you were thinking if you did not finish. Sometimes this is a better way than using the other tools to select objects.

The features listed next are within the Pen Tool family. Most of them are Point Tools that help you manipulate objects. The Pen Tool is probably the most important tool that Adobe Illustrator CS3 has to offer. Anchor Points are used to define the way an object is and can be shaped. You can make very artistic shapes with this single tool. Many professional swear by it. The Add Anchor Point Tool allows you to add anchor points to an existing object. This feature will change the shape of the object indefinitely. It gives you more choices in the way you will your object to look. The Delete Anchor Point Tool deletes any anchor points on an object. This will also drastically change the way the object looks when displayed. The Convert Anchor Point Tool helps you shape objects very cleanly and precisely, so that you can get the most accurate shapes and transformations when you use anchor points.

The Type Tool has a wide assortment of features. The Type Tool makes different types and formats to put them in. You are able to edit these however you like. The Area Type Tool allows you to open up paths that were once areas you could type in to edit it yourself. The Type on a Path Tool allows you to manipulate the path in which the text will take. You can often use it to type around an object. I am sure you have seen typing that is in a spiral shape. The Vertical Type Tool makes it possible for you to type vertically. It is just like what you saw when you watched the matrix. Except those weren’t real language characters. The Vertical Area Type Tool changes paths that were closed to vertical type. You are also given the freedom to edit the type as well. The Vertical Type on a Path Tool makes the path that you chose for the text write in a vertical fashion rather than making the text lay on the line as normal.

The next set of tools provides the user with the ability to make lines in all types of fashions. The Line Segment Tool lets you draw a simple straight line. The Arc Tool is pretty self-explanatory within itself. The Spiral Tool allows you to draw spiral shapes near perfectly and manipulate by using its preset anchor points. It can be a handy tool if you have a reason to make a spiral. The Rectangular Grid Tool allows you to make what looks like a spreadsheet. Like the Rectangular Grid Tool the Polar Grid Tool gives you the ability to make a grid; however, this grid is circular in shape. It is fully configurable using the anchor points.

The next tools are one of my favorites in of the Adobe CS3 Series. These tools are the shape tools. They allow me to make shapes easily and without much attention to detail. I have saved many hours of headache by resorting to these tools. The first one is the Rectangle Tool, which makes a box shape or a rectangle shape. You can manipulate the width and height of the box to your liking. The Rounded Rectangle Tool allows you to make the edges of the box like structure rounded for a more smooth feeling. If you look at my website you can see that I used them a lot. I believe it adds a bit of flavor to the website. Of course, I am always trying new things. When you check again you may find that my website looks totally different. The Ellipse Tool allows you to make seemingly perfect circles. If you have ever tried to freehand draw a perfect circle you know the headaches that I have gotten trying to do it myself. The Polygon Tool lets you make a six-sided object that is configurable for the user. The Star Tool does exactly what it says. It makes stars! The Flare Tool makes objects that look like they have blown up or if you saw a supernova in the sky. So you will see a circle with a lot of lines poking out of it and it will be bright in the center. It is a pretty cool effect to use in many situations.

The Paintbrush Tool is a very old tool in the Adobe and Macromedia line of products. In reality, it is probably one of the first features in the first paint program ever made. It is very simple to use and only does what it says. It paints like a brush in different sizes and tones.

The Pencil Tool like the Paintbrush Tool only does what it says it does. It writes like a pencil in different sizes and tones. The Smooth Tool allows you to straighten out kinks in your drawings by erasing extra anchor points that may be messing up the path that an object would regularly make. If you use the Path Eraser Tool you can erase part of an object by erasing part of its path. If you just erased an anchor point with the Delete Anchor Point tool the object would just reshape into another form; however, with the Path Eraser Tool the object will act like that section doesn’t exist anymore and it will seem as if somebody erased it with an actual eraser!

The Rotate Tool is a simple feature that allows you to rotate any object on the Adobe Illustrator field. Many another Adobe design products have this feature as well. I believe even Macromedia products had it as well. The Reflect Tool allows you to copy the reflection of an object and move it however you like.

The Scaling Tool makes an object increase or decrease in size along the x and y axis. The Shear Tool allows you move an object around on its x and y axis. Like if you set a point in the center of an object and spun the object around it like it was a compact disc. The Reshape Tool allows you to move certain anchor points while keeping the overall integrity of the object.

The Warp Tool allows you to shape objects with your freehand abilities by moving pixels around independently. The Twirl Tool makes an object perform a swirling motion within itself. The Pucker Tool makes it seem that the object is getting the air poked out of it. I would say it’s like the object is imploding on itself. You can do this by simply using the cursor around the edges of the object. The Bloat Tool increases the air in an object and makes it looks like it will explode. The Scallop Tool makes the object looks like it is becoming spiky in nature. If you have seen a blowfish before its transformation from skinny fish to prickly prey is a good interpretation of this. The Crystallize Tool does the same thing as the scallop tool, except it only does it too the outside of the object. The Wrinkle Tool makes an object look like it is wrinkled. You can easily see this if you are using a grid or a line that is straight in nature to start.

The Free Transform Tool is used if you want change the shape of an object freehand. It is pretty simple and it reminds me of a couple other features I have used.

The Symbol Sprayer Tool lies under the symbolism options section of Adobe Illustrator. It has a series of options that you can pick from. The Symbol Sprayer Tool places a series of objects on the screen. The Symbol Shifter Tool is able to move symbol objects around. The Symbol Scruncher Tool moves objects closer to each other or further apart as a group. The Symbol Sizer Tool is able to change the size of the symbol objects. The Symbol Spinner Tool is able to move the symbol object around in a circular fashion. The Symbol Stainer Tool is able to change the color of each individual symbol object. The Symbol Screener Tool gives the symbol object the additional effect of a change in opacity that you are able to control. The Symbol Styler Tool is able to change the style that the object is shown in.

The next sets of tools are graph tools. The Column Graph Tool is just like your standard graph, which has vertical graphs. The Stack Column Graph Tool is similar to the Column Graph Tool except the fact that it can show similarities in certain things by stacking the graphs upon each other. The Bar Graph Tool makes graphs that are horizontal in direction. The Stack Bar Graph Tool is like the other stacked graph except it is horizontal in position. The Line Graph Tool uses a simple line over a period of some type of measurement to show progress. The Area Graph Tool is similar to the Line Graph Tool except fills in the area below it until it reaches the outline of another calculation. The Scatter Graph Tool is a graph that only uses the dots to show pivotal changes in the graph at regular intervals. The Pie Graph Tool is a very popular graph. It is a circular graph that shows the different options in different colors. The Radar Graph Tool makes graphs that take different graph sets and puts them categories that are displayed in a circular fashion.

The Mesh Tool makes meshes and allows you to edit them accordingly.

The Gradient Tool allows you to fully customize the start and ending spots of each gradient that you use.

The Eyedropper Tool is able to take color from one area from an image or an object and apply it somewhere else. The Measure Tool is able to see the length between two objects.

The Blend Tool makes one object into a series of objects. It also makes it look like they are transforming into something else. It is a pretty cool feature that can have some uses with my website now that I think about it.

The Live Paint Bucket Tool is similar to the regular Paint Bucket. The difference is you can fill in areas with the memory from other similar areas.

The Live Paint Selection Tool lets you paint, but it also lets you fill in live areas that are grouped together. The different options are great for painting.

The Crop Area Tool simply lets you cut out and area of an object with fine detail. The Slice Tool allows you to cut images into different sections so they can be put back together on the web. This helps with web downloads most of the time. The Slice Selection Tool allows you to select the slices that you have cut for the web.

The Eraser Tool is exactly what it says it is. It erases everything that it touches. The Scissor Tool will make cuts in an image and allow you to pull that section out. Then you are able to do whatever with the new anchor points that it makes on the object and the cut segment of the object. The Knife Tool cuts object as if you cut them with a knife. Once you do this you are able to pull the objects apart and reform them.

The Hand Tool allows you to move the window that the objects are stored in with the Adobe Illustrator CS3 program. The Page Tool allows you to change how the printed version of the output looks by manipulating the viewing screen.

The Zoom Tool allows you to zoom in on objects within the program.

I hope that you have learned the basics of the Adobe Illustrator CS3 program with this short tutorial. In the near future, I will have picture illustrations of the uses of each option so that you will further grasp what you can do with the program. Of course, this is only a few of the things that you can possibly do with the program. It takes a lot of imagination and hard work to get your thoughts on paper. If you visit my webpage you will be able to see this tutorial with appropriate pictures added. Remember that you can be an Adobe Guru if you try!

By Dwight Norris

Dwight Norris - AST Website Owner
Adobe Software Tutorials.

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

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What is overclocking?

Many people probably don't know what overclocking is but have possibly heard the term used before. To put it in its simplest terms, overclocking is taking a PC component such as a CPU and running at a specification higher than rated by the manufacturer. Every part produced by companies such as Intel and AMD are rated for a specific speeds. They have tested the capabilities of the part and certified it for that given speed. Of course, most parts are underrated for increased reliability. Overclocking a part simply takes advantage of the remaining potential out of a computer part that the manufacturer is unwilling to certify the part for but it is capable of.

Overclocking the CPU

In general CPU chips are tested by the manufacturer to see at what speed they fail at.. They are then rated at a speed one step lower than this. Since the tests are quite stringent the idea is that it may be possible to push the CPU somewhat faster than its rating while maintaining stability in the system. Sometimes, when manufacturers are short on stock, they package faster MHz CPUs as slower ones; overclockers perceive this as a windfall.

Results from overclocking the CPU alone must be balanced against the rest of the system's specifications, namely the bus speed of the motherboard, memory, et cetera. For example, a 20% increase in CPU speed does not usually translate to a 20% overall improvement. The CPU might be running faster than the rest of the system, operating in a "hurry up and wait" environment

Unsuccessful overclocking can result in an unstable system at best, and in the worst case scenario can damage the CPU. Though the latter is less common, it happens. Pushing also reduces the lifetime of the CPU an indeterminable amount, as it forces the CPU to work harder and hotter. Cooling fans and a good heatsink become even more important in this case.

Overclocking the System Bus

Changing the CPU bus speed successfully can create a noticeable improvement on the entire system because all components will run faster. Since the CPU's effectiveness is helped by the bus speed, an improvement here can also utilize the full benefit of the CPU. However, overclocking the PC is risky because it means pushing every PC component on the motherboard.

HEAT!

The biggest obstacle to overclocking the computer system is heat. Today's high-speed computer systems already produce a large amount of heat. Overclocking a computer system just compounds these problems. As a result, anyone planning to overclock their PC should be very aware of the needs for high performance cooling solutions.
The most common form of cooling a computer system is through standard air cooling. This comes in the form of CPU heatsinks and fans, heat spreaders on memory, fans on video cards and case fans. Proper airflow and good conducting metals are key to the performance of air cooling. Large copper heatsinks tend to perform better and the greater number of case fans to pull in air into the system also helps to improve cooling.

Beyond air cooling there is water cooling and phase change cooling. These PCs are far more complex and expensive than standard PC cooling solutions, but they offer a higher performance at heat dissipation and generally lower noise. Well-built systems can allow the overclocker to really push the performance of their hardware to its limits.

If you would like to learn more about overclocking with easy to follow guides taking you through step by step. I would recommend on visiting the link below. This site teach you how to get the most out of your PC without damaging it.

By James Scholes

http://www.overclockyourcpu.co.uk

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

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Some Tips To Consider When Buying A Laptop

Many lap top computers are far more powerful than even high end desk top computers were just a few years ago. So let's take a look at some tips you'll want to be aware of when you go to buy a lap top computer.

As the capacities, power, size and lower cost of laptops continues to improve, laptop computers continue to represent increasing value for the dollar. But there are some important things to be aware of when considering a laptop. This article will focus on some of the primary issues.

The first decision to consider when purchasing a laptop is whether you need or want a Windows, Apple or Linux operating system.

Because the windows operating system has become so pervasive the majority will stick by with a Windows operating system. Windows XP Pro should be minimum and their new VISTA operating system if you can afford it. Keep in mind, if you are going to be dependent on friends and family to help you in getting used to using your new laptop computer, most of them will not have knowledge of the VISTA Operating system until even as late as 2010.

Those who have used Apple in the past, and are more familiar with Apple will have far more limited options, but are probably best off sticking with Apple.

Linux users will need to analyze compatibility issues on Linux forums online.

Again, if you are new to computing, and know you will be dependent on friends, family or even business associates for assistance as you get up to speed on using your computer, they are far more likely to be able to help you if you have a Windows Operating System on your laptop than a Mac or Linux operating system. Not that one operating system is necessarily any better than the other, but windows is known best by most computer users.

Assuming you know what operating system you are looking for, the next step is to set a budget, and determine whether you want a new or used machine. Used laptops represent a good value for machines in the $600 - $700 range and below. However they come with zero warranty. There are some excellent deals that can be found on "Refurbished" laptop computers, but you need to buy them locally, find out what the warranty and support conditions are and whether or not you can pay a little extra to increase the warranty and support period.

If you don't think you need all the bells and whistles of a brand new system, buying a used system through a seller at EBay or from a laptop refurbishing company can make a lot of sense economically. When scouring EBay, look for the Power Sellers who sell many used laptops, and make sure their customer satisfaction and return policies are solid. Don't be tempted to buy systems without enough processing power just because they are cheap. Now days, anything below a Pentium 3 processor is best avoided, as Pentium 3 machines can already be found relatively inexpensively used or refurbished.

Once you have set your budget, determine the minimum memory capacity for your needs. Here I am referring to RAM or Random Access Memory. I would highly recommend setting 512 MegaBytes as your minimum memory capacity. If you are intending to do high end graphic presentations or video presentations 1024 MegaBytes should be your minimum. Stripping memory out of a computer is a common way to sell them at lower prices. But memory is often the weak link in personal computer systems, bringing the performance of the machine down significantly. Lots of memory is the great equalizer in computers, and many people fail to realize that a lower end laptop with lots of memory will often outperform a higher end one without the memory.

Once you have you memory needs and budget set, you can start to compare models for weight, ergonomics, and most importantly, screen size. Finding a size and weight that is acceptable to you is important, but finding the correct screen size should be your primary consideration.

Many people are excited by the larger screened laptops, but fail to fully appreciate the impact of resolutions. Most laptops come with a set with an ideal resolution, and switching to a higher or lower resolution can distort text. Some laptops with large 17 inch screens are set at very high screen resolution, making them difficult to read for long periods of time without some eye strain. Some of the inexpensive laptops with 15 inch screens can also be difficult to read and with on than laptops with larger screens. 1024x768 should be an acceptable screen resolution for most laptop monitors. Avoiding larger screens that require higher resolutions above 1024X768 can save a lot of money, and deliver a machine that is just as easy to work on and read from.

Finally, there are networking considerations. By now, it does not make a lot of sense to purchase any laptop without WiFi wireless networking capabilities. Most new laptops will come with this standard, but with older and used laptops it is an item you need to verify. With the constant increase in wireless accessibility, a laptop without this capability will become obsolete within a few years.

By Dwayne Garrett

Dwayne Garrett is the author of several eBooks and popular software applications, he also offers an affordable IT Resource Guide that will help you to make sense of Information Technology and your business. Visit: http://www.InfoTechForSmallBusiness.com

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

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Free Adware Remover vs. Paid Adware Remover

Although there are several free adware remover programs available on the Internet, but which one do you opt for. Then you need to decide whether a free adware remover can really do the job well, or whether you should really go for a paid service. You will find that most free programs are not really complete programs as they will let you scan your computer and locate the adware, spyware, malware or whatever... but using the free program you may not be able to free your computer from the malicious codes that are running in the background. So perhaps it is advisable to opt for an adware remover program that offers the full service instead of trying to save money on a free version.

An adware can be quite a nuisance really. All of us tend to visit so many websites every day and no one quite likes the idea that their browsing history and pattern is monitored and saved by someone. But that is being done regularly and this is a fact. Like it or not! Then when these guys have gathered enough data on you and have a fair idea of your likes or dislikes, they tend to show you these ads, and in extreme cases even divert your browser to particular websites that are offering these services or products. The program that can do this is an adware, and to stop this, you need an adware remover.

An adware gets silently installed in your computer and works from the background. And sometimes they are not very innocent as they can capture your personal information as well that is not for public sharing. In fact it can be dangerous if this data is out in the open.

An adware remover will scan your computer and try to find out the presence of such programs. And if you are having them (most computers around the world are affected), then the adware remover will report them to you and either ask for your permission to delete them or delete them anyway themselves. The adware remover will also constantly monitor your activity and look out for any malicious code that is trying to gain entry, and stop them as well.

By Mike Barton

Did You Know That Most Adware Removers Don't Work. These are the ones that do.

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

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Can I Build My WiFi Antenna?

As the number of portable computing and communication devices grew, so does the demand to connect them to outside world. To go on line the computers had to be plugged into a telephone wall socket. Requiring a wired connection to fixed network meant that computers were portable, but not mobile.

To achieve true mobility the computers need to use radio(or wireless in that case) signals for communication. . In this manner, dedicated users would be able to read and send email while driving or moving to other rooms etc. A system of portable computers that communicate by radio are known as wireless LAN. Therefore to provide mobility to the systems, wireless local area networks were developed and now a new technology “Wi-Fi” or 802.11x(IEEE standard for wireless LAN setup), has become the most popular worldwide standard for the wireless communication in LAN.. Nowadays all major Laptop manufacturers provide an in built wi-fi system. Work is being done to make various devices like mobile phones, mp3 players etc to be wi-fi enabled.

In order to meet the growing demand for wi fi networks, various public places are provided with them.

In order to enhance the wireless capabilities the antennas are developed and are now available in the market, though they are easy to install but these antennas are very expensive. Hence it would be a great thing if it is possible to make our own antennas with some readily available goods. We would need a cable (also known as pigtail) to connect wireless interface card with the antenna. We would also need two kinds of connectors, a N-male connector to connect one end of the cable to antennas and an appropriate connector to connect the wireless interface card with cable. Since the making of antenna requires wire, we would also need a soldering iron to solder wires.

ADVANTAGES OF DESIGNING OUR OWN ANTENAS

The construction of our own antennas provides various advantages to us. Apart from being cheaper than the antennas available in market they are also easy to configure into our system. So instead of investing huge amounts of money in antennas we can better manage that money by adding them to buy better Laptop systems.

There is also time factor involved in making your own antennas system. Since it is easy and faster to make and install our own antennas, it saves lot of time. Hence designing and making our own antennas would provide a better facility to the total cost involved in configuring the communication system

By David Faulkner

You can also find more info on Get Wi-Fi Antenna and USB Wi-Fi. Topwifireviews.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Wi-Fi Wireless Network Technology.

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

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3 Ways To Protect Data Privacy

After you delete a "sensitive" file, do you rest assured that nobody will ever be able to access that file? Well, think again... because you are not completely safe until you really remove that file!

What happens is that when you delete a file, this operation is translated as:

* mark the disk space occupied by that file as available, so that other files can use it;

* mark the file as gone from the directory it was in, so it won't be listed anymore;

* leave the actual contents of the file on the disk, so it can be recovered;

...and this is happening in many operating systems, like Windows XP (NTFS), Mac OS X (HFS Plus) or GNU/Linux (with a kernel version greater than 2.4).

The last operation is the one causing problems in some cases, although it has its benefits. But it's not that bad, because, along with new bytes getting written to the disk, that disk space marked as available will be used by other files eventually. So, the content of the deleted file is replaced, making it unrecoverable by software means (I've specified software means, because on older hard disks it's possible to recover a deleted file through physical means and with the right equipment, even if new information has been written on that disk).

If you don't want to wait for that, there are some alternatives:

1. File shredding (preferably on the whole partition rather than individual files - disk free space wiping);

2. store the file using strong encryption at all times, in which case there won't be any useful data to recover (if the encryption key is secure enough);

3. destroy the media (incinerate, use acid, degauss the platters);

These last two are very effective alternatives to protect data privacy, though they are much more that an average user needs. And since using file shredder software is sufficient enough to ensure that the data can't be recovered, I think that's the best alternative to use.

File shredding (also called file wiping) signifies secure deletion of a computer file, so that it can not be restored by any means, and it can be done using specialized software - usually called File Shredder.

Tip: Although your computer is telling you that there is a certain amount of free space on your disk, it doesn't necessarily mean that and it's always a good thing to do a free disk space wipe - some people say that it's even better to do it three times in a row!

Tip 2: Before you decide to buy such software, search the Internet for reviews on the most popular file shredders.

Hope it helps!

By Cheles Nicusor

Nickoo Shore is about tourism, Internet, money, programming stuff, sports, funny stuff, games, movies and my life!

Nicusor Cheles

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

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Computer Performance Improvement - 8 Tips to Make Your Computer Purr Like a Kitten

SIGNS OF A COMPUTER WITH PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS!

(If this is indicative of your computer, you need help!)

Programs run slower than they used to.

Frequent freezes or crashes.

Sporadic system instability.

Frequent blue error screens.

Requires frequent reboots because of system hangs.

These 8 simple tips will help clean up your computer and you'll be surprised at the performance improvement!

CLEAN UP YOUR WINDOWS REGISTRY

This essential task is often overlooked but will remarkably improve PC performance. Most PC users don't even know there is such a thing as a Registry much less that that it should be regularly cleaned. In fact, Microsoft doesn't even include a cleanup tool in Windows.

Every time a program is installed or uninstalled changes are made to the Windows Registry which is a huge internal database of Windows' settings. All programs, as well as Windows itself, store a huge amount of information in this database and these entries control the way everything in the computer looks and behaves.

Many times, changes to a computer are not handled correctly leading to conflicts and the slowing of the computer due to a corrupted Registry. Some things which can cause this are:

• frequently installing or uninstalling programs

• removing a program and leaving traces behind

• leftover entries from a hardware uninstall

• power failure or system crash in the midst of updating the registry

• unused drivers on the system

• Spyware or Adware type programs that come back every time the PC is restarted

The Registry can be edited manually using a Windows program called RegEdit, but woe to the novice; this is really a job best left to the experts. Instead, you need to use a special program which makes the cleanup for you.

EMPTY THE RECYCLE BIN

Regularly empty the Windows' Recycle Bin thereby releasing hard drive space and helping to improve performance.

When you delete a file, instead of removing it completely from your computer, Windows puts it into the Recycle Bin. You then can restore these flies from the Recycle Bin back to their original place on your computer if you should need to.

REMOVE UNNECESSARY PROGRAMS

If you're like me and download a lot of free programs or free trials, after a while your computer might begin to slow down. That means it's time to remove some of the old programs you don't use any more (and most you probably only used once just to see how they work).

After installing a program, if you decide you don't need it and won't use it, get it off the computer thereby freeing up system resources. Most programs come with their own uninstaller but if it doesn't you will have to use the Operating System's Add/Remove Programs feature which you can get to through The Control Panel.

Uninstalling unused programs will help speed up your computer, but removing the wrong files can cause you some really big problems. NEVER, NEVER EVER just delete a program file by using the delete key; this can really mess up the Registry. Be careful and if you are not sure, ask for help from someone you know who is more experienced. If you are unsure whether or not to remove a program, it's best to leave it.

Some programs leave uninstalled junk all over the Windows Registry! Therefore, to improve PC performance AFTER AN UNINSTALL, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO CLEAN THE REGISTRY.

RUN DISK CLEAN UP

Windows Disk Clean Up is a great built-in utility that automates regular maintenance tasks to improve PC performance. Whenever you "surf the net", open file attachments, delete files, etc., your computer saves a record of your activity. Most if not all of these files are harmless, and are very small. But if you spend a lot of time on your computer, before long they will use up enough space to slow your computer down a tad.

Double-click My Computer, right click on the 'C:' drive, then click Properties, then click Disk Cleanup. The PC will then spend a few moments analyzing.

When it has completed analyzing, Windows will give you a list of areas where it has found files to cleanup. To clean an area, check the box next to it. To leave something intact, such as Temporary files, just remove the check mark next to the item and click OK.

Your computer will then begin the removal process which can take a good while.

DISK DEFRAGMENTATION

When Windows stores programs and files on your hard disk it saves fragments of files in the nearest empty spaces and then links these pieces together. When the computer needs to retrieve a file, it has to go through the process of chasing these links hunting down the fragments and piecing the file back together. This can really slow down a computer, especially if it has small internal memory and has to do a lot of caching and file swapping.

The cure is to routinely run the Windows Disk Defragmenter which gathers together the fragments of files and puts them back in the right order in as near contiguous space as possible.

This makes it far easier for your computer to find what it's looking for on the hard drive, enabling programs and files to load more quickly.

To defragment your hard disk click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and then Disk Defragment. When the program has loaded, click Defragment. Before starting you need to run "scandisk" which checks for disk errors. Without scanning your disk first for possible errors, defrag may refuse to continue its defragmentation routine.

The process can take over an hour. Because defragmenting your hard disk takes such a long time, you really don't want to go through the process very often; maybe every 3-4 months and it's best not to use the computer while defragmenting

GET A HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTION If you spend a lot of time on the internet, a high speed internet connection is a must. It is more expensive, but for most people the savings in time and effort is worth the added expense.

Some of the advantages to having a high speed internet connection: faster surfing, web pages open more quickly, files download faster, and if you send or receive large files, like pictures or video, they will open in a flash when compared to a slower dialup connection.

If you're already spending money for your dialup connection (through your phone line) then you'll find DSL to be comparable in price, and a lot faster.

A cable internet connection might cost a little more, but it is usually the fastest type of internet connection you can get from home.

REMOVE SPYWARE & ADWARE

If you've ever had spyware or adware on your computer, you know how frustrating it can be. All kinds of strange things happen: your homepage changes seemingly on its own, unwanted and inappropriate popups, unfamiliar icons, and the list goes on.

Spyware or Adware are files that are often downloaded onto your computer without your knowledge (or at least without you knowing what they really are).

Unfortunately, many of these programs "sneak" their way onto your computer, and avoiding them entirely is difficult, especially if you spend a lot of time on your computer, surfing the Internet and downloading new programs and files.

There are ways to remove these unwanted files from your computer.

Check out these 2 adware/spyware removal programs that are simple to use (both are free):

Ad-Aware http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/ Spybot http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Adware/Spyware continue to be such a problem because most of these programs make money for the people creating and spreading them. If you find these unwanted intruders on your computer, don't panic. In most cases, it is not vicious like a Virus or Worm. You just have some extra "junk" on your computer. However, keeping it off of your computer will help it perform more efficiently.

ADD MORE INTERNAL MEMORY (RAM) AND A LARGER HARD DRIVE

If you have done all/most of the above and your Computer's performance is still so bad that you are thinking: Gee, I guess I am going to have to buy another computer! If everything else about the computer is satisfactory to you, then you might consider an Upgrade. If the PC is only a couple years old, it can easily be upgraded.

If you still have the manuals that came with it, you can determine the type of memory it uses and buy it off of the internet at a good price. If you don't have the manuals, take it to Best Buy or Circuit City and ask them if it can be upgraded (or take the model and make info to them). Their upgrade cost is not that bad and certainly cheaper than buying a new computer.

Another alternative: if you know a High School Kid who has taken some computer courses, he/she can probably do it real cheap.

I have personally maxed out my computers memory and added another hard drive. Together with the items above, my computer runs like a "Tiger chasing a Scared Bunny".

I hope this has been of help to you. I have prepared a brief video which depicts the frustration I was having with my computers performance and how I Cured My Computers Performance Problems. You can see it by clicking the link below.

By Gene Higginbotham

The author has spent his entire professional career of over 40 years in the Computer Business where he programmed or managed Computer projects for NASA, U.S. Dept of Defense and as a consultant to private industry. Click this link for a short video of how He cured his computer performance problems -- http://www.RegistryCleaner.factsNinfo.com

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

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Buy Computer Monitor

Buying a computer monitor is becoming more common these days as everyone is upgrading the latest flat screen models, new systems tend to all have these flat screen models attached with them now so the chances are that flat screens will be the industry standard in the future.

Flat screen monitors are becoming the standard because of the features they bring compared to the older CRT models which are heavier and take up more desk space, CRT models also suffer from screen glare which sometimes make them harder to see in a room with lots of natural sun light.

The newer flat screen TFT monitors bring sharper images to the display and also combats screen glare more effectively, they are ideally suited for the office environment as they are light and take up less desk space which means they are more portable and easier to move around such you need to reposition your computer system.

CRT monitors should quickly become obsolete as the prices of TFT monitors drop and become more affordable or perhaps even cheaper than their CRT monitor counterparts.

Another thing to take into consideration when purchasing a computer monitor is the size of the display, many people opt for smaller displays only to find out that it strains there eyes, sometimes people buy large 21 inch displays only to find out that it doesn’t fit in the space they outlined for their monitor to go, its always best to research your needs before you go to a store or website and make your purchase.

By Mick Stafford

To purchase computer monitors why not visit our online store, Buy Computer Monitor.

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

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Fix Blue Screen of Death Error

For non techy people that need a solution because they have a "Blue Screen Error" crash that happens whenever you do the following:

1) Loading Microsoft Applications

2) Playing Games

3) Using a Tally software

4) You moved your mouse

This error that you have is the Blue Screen of Death aka BSOD, where the computer screen turns blue, and asks if you have installed any new hardware or software and informs that you need to reboot your computer to fix this error. Here are a few things that can help you fix the blue screen error.

1)Registry Cleaner software

I prefer to use software and fix any errors before deciding what else to do. Reason for this is that going into hardware is little difficult. Opening up the case, changing ram etc. Sometimes when we install multiple programs or delete programs, this can cause the computer to run very slow. The software runs a scan on your harddisk and clears out errors that are giving your problems.

2) Change the Ram Changing Ram is little inconvenient. You'll need to check it the rams at fault. If its a DIY computer and you have 2 sticks of RAM, remove one and see if the problem comes back. Or download Ram checking software to test if the ram is faulty. If you're using Dell or HP, they should have tech support and their own software inbuilt to test the RAM functionality. So just call them for help.

3) In rare cases, both the above don't solve the Blue Screen problem, then the problem could like with the power supply.

If that's the case, then you'll need to backup important data into a thumbdrive and send your PC for repair. The Blue Screen error will not go away on its own and it will come back to haunt you when you did not save that Microsoft Excel File you had spent 2 hrs working on.

By Sherman Choo

This is the Registry Cleaner Sherman uses to Fix Blue Screen of Death Errors and =>http://bluescreenofdeatherrors.blogspot.com/

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

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External Hard Drive Data Recovery - Not So Different

Internal hard drives. External hard drives. Floppies. CDs. DVDs. They are all great for storing data--until they fail. Nothing is certain in life, and there is no certainty that the means by which you have been storing your important data will not become damaged and require data recovery. You may even be the cause of your lost data, by doing some accidental deleting.

If the data which you are trying to retrieve is stored on an external hard drive, however, the recovery process and can range from simple to highly complicated. But external hard drive data recovery, for the most part, is similar to that used for retrieving lost files no matter where they were originally stored.

Doing Your Own External Hard Drive Data Recovery

If your external hard drive is part of a company network, you will have to attach it to a monitoring system so you can track the progress of t the external hard drive data recovery. Any idle desktop computer or workstation will suffice; you just need to make sure someone is watch dogging the process and can intervene if any glitches occur in the retrieval effort. The last thing you want to have happen is for the external hard drive data recovery process to appear to have finished, and then find that it is still malfunctioning and requires a do-over.

Once the external hard drive data recovery process retrieval is finished, the recovered data will need to be tested for functionality. Begin by checking the operational system files, because without them you will not get far. If they check out, you can go ahead and test the informational files like your business invoices, tax records, spread sheets and databases.

If your general business files are in order, you can branch out and see if the external hard drive data recovery has restored the files with which your company’s different departments work. If all those files are up and running, you can rest assured that the external hard drive recovery went as planned, and you can remove the hard drive from the monitoring station and put it back where it normally belongs.

You can accomplish this by checking various operational and data files that are saved on the external drive. Start out with the operations system first, then move on to some of the larger and more important files, such as your invoicing system. From there you can get into other files that are used fairly often by various persons and departments in your company. Once you are assured that the data is intact, accessible, and working properly, you will know that the recovery was successful and you can return the external drive to its usual station.

When Your Effort Fails

If, however, your efforts at an in-house external had drive data recovery fail, the next step is to take or ship the hard drive to a data recovery specialist. The specialist will examine and evaluate the damage your external hard dive and let you know how much it will cost to perform an external hard drive data recovery, and what you can realistically expect to recover. If your company’s management approves the expense, the specialist will proceed with the recovery attempt and return as much of your data as possible.

By David Faulkner

You can also find more info on Data Recovery After Formatting and Data Recovery Freeware. Pcdatarecoveryhelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Data Recovery.

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

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Must know facts about toner cartridges

Nowadays virtually, every kind of printer from laser printers to inkjet printers is incredibly inexpensive. Fortunately, the toner cartridges that replace the starter cartridges the come with the printer provide a cost-effective solution. There are great deals online if you are in the market for an inkjet printer cartridge or a laser jet toner cartridge. Laser printer toner called as ‘laser printer toner cartridge’ is a dry powder that is electrically charged during the process to transfer onto the paper to complete the printing procedure. Generally, this toner comes in a cartridge inserted in the printer. This single cartridge can be used for printing multiple pages. Replacing or refilling the empty cartridge is an easy process. Replacing a cartridge offers two advantages: portability and speed.

Toner is used in photocopiers and laser printers to structure the images and text on available printed-paper. Previously it was made of carbon powder. Then carbon was combined with polymer to develop the excellence of the printout. The heat of the fuser result melts toner cartridges elements to attach to the paper. The exact polymer used could be a Styrene Acryl ate Copolymer or a Polyester Resin, but it differs accordingly with the producer. Toner cartridges formulations vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and even from one machine to another machine. These formulae differ from each other in the grain size and melt point. To get a best print, some toner companies use a chemical process to grow toner particles. This results in size in more and more consistent shapes of cartridges particles. This lesser uniform shapes allow more accurate color reproduction and well-organized toner use.

Laser printer toners are classified into four categories in the market. First comes the toner cartridges processed by manufacturer under their brand name. These are called OEM, Original Equipment Manufacturer for example, Epson OEM, Canon OEM, HP OEM, and Brother OEM. Compatible or Generic toner cartridges are the second type which are produced to excel or equal the OEM cartridges. They are less expensive than OEM cartridges. The third one comprises the Remanufactured or Refurbished toner cartridge, which are recycled from the OEMs. Finally, the last type is the Refill Kits that is the most economical method to replace the toner cartridge.

Using toner cartridges against the laser cartridges is beneficiary. The laser printer toners are able to print thousands of pages, and are less expensive per page compared to inkjet cartridges. The printing speed is faster than inkjet cartridges while they almost work on every type of paper. In due course, they prove to be much economical if a lot of printing work is involved. A compatible cartridge benefits you with cost savings and at times massive savings up to 50%. It all depends upon your requirements to utilize these toner cartridges to enhance your printing.

By: senthil , Posted On: 2007-08-14

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senthil is a Copywriter of ink cartridges
He written many articles in various topics.For more information visit: Toner cartridges
contact him at senthilalwar@gmail.com

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Troubleshoot Windows with Task Manager

Task Manager is a Windows system utility that displays the
tasks or processes currently running on your computer. To
open Task Manager, press Ctrl+Alt+Del. The Applcations tab
lists the applications currently running on your computer.
A single application may actually consist of several running
processes, and many programs that run in the background are
not listed (you can see icons for some of these programs in
the System Tray).

Note: With Windows 98 and Windows Me, Ctrl+Alt+Del will
open Program Manager, which allows you only to close
aplications. However, you can download one of the many Task
Manager utilities from the Web.

The Processes tab displays a comprehensive list of all the
processes currently running on your computer. This can be
very useful for monitoring your system. The process tab
displays information about the processor useage and memory
usage of each process. The problem is, how to identify a
process. Below is a list of some processes you may see in
Task Managers Processes list.

"System Idle Process"
"System" The Windows System Process
"SMSS.EXE" Session Manager Subsystem
"CSRSS.EXE" Client Server Runtime Subsystem
"WinLOGON.EXE" The Windows Logon process
"SERVICES.EXE" Services Control Manager
"LSASS.EXE" Local Security Authentication Server Service
"svchost.exe" Service Host
"spoolsv.exe" The print spooler service
"explorer.exe" Windows Explorer
"TASKMGR.EXE" The Task Manager
"regsvc.exe" Remote Registry Service

"System Idle Process" is basically another name for the
time when Windows is doing nothing. There are hundreds of
thousands of processes that run on a computer, so you will
definitely find names of many other processess that are
not listed above. For a list of well known processes,
visit www.answersthatwork.com/Tasklist_pages/tasklist.htm
You can also learn about almost any task by using it's
name as a search term in google.

Task Manager can also be used to tweak your system if it's
running slow. The Performance tab displays running graphs
of your computers CPU and memory usage. If the CPU usage
seems to be running over 80 percent most of the time, or if
the memory usage seems to be running higher than the total
physical memory, you may want to shut down some
applications or processes.

On the Process tab, you can identify processes that are
consuming a lot of processor time. Click twice on the CPU
column heading to sort the CPU column so the processes
hogging the most CPU time on top. You can sort the
"Mem Usage" column the same way.

On the Application tab, if you right click on the name of
an application and, in the popup menu that appears, choose
"Go To Process", Task Manager will open the Processes tab
and highlight the process that runs the application. On the
Processes tab, if you right-click on the name of a process,
you can choose "SetPriority" and promote the priority of
the process you need (or demote the priority of a different
process to free up some resources).

If you go to the Application tab and shut down an
application, you will shut down any processes related to
that application. Or, you might choose to shut down a
background process that you can identify. To shut down an
application or process, click on it's name in the list to
highlight it, then click on the End Task button.

On the Processes tab, if you right click on the name of a
process, you can choose "End Process Tree" to kill the
process and any sub-processes started by the process.

Task Manager can also be used for troubleshooting. If an
application freezes up, you can open Task Manager and shut
down the application. If the entire system freezes up, you
can use Task Manager to shut down a process that is hogging
all the CPU time or memory.

If you spend some time monitoring your computer with task
Manager, eventually you will become familiar with the
processes that commonly run. Then, when you see an
unfamiliar process, you can do a little investigation to
make sure it's not a virus. For example, if you see
msblast.exe in the process list, your computer is infected
with the Blaster virus. You might be able to detect and
eliminate a new virus before an antivirus update is available.

By Stephen Bucaro

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your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web
site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com
To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blank
email to subscribe@bucarotechelp.com
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Passwords Used In Microsoft Word Documents

You would like to protect your documents, wouldn't you? Reasons may vary but the problem is the same – you need to protect your Microsoft Word documents from unauthorized editing or viewing. What document protection features does Microsoft® Office Word 2003, a part of Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 provide?

Microsoft Word features for document protection. Microsoft Word offers three types of password protection.

1) Password to open requires a password to open a document. By assigning a password to open a document you deny access to this document to anyone who doesn't know the password.

You may assign a password to open both a new document (Save As > Tools > Security Options) and an existing one (Main Menu > Tools > Options > Security).

2) Password to modify requires password to save currently made changes. Password to modify allows every user to view and to edit a document (with a special read-only setting) but not to save these changes. Only an authorized user is allowed to save changes. Please note that by opening a document as read-only and copying it to a new document with a clipboard it is possible to obtain an unprotected copy of your document.

This password is set the same way and in the same window as password to open.

3) Protect Document – document protection. With this type of protection you prevent your document from any alterations. Any user can freely view it but no one is allowed to edit, copy, or format it. To a certain point it is similar to a pdf file viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

It is possible to set or delete this type of protection with : Tools > Protect Document or Unprotect Document; select exclusions and apply protection.

These are the main features provided by Microsoft Word 2003. It is nice when everything is working fine but what happens if somebody cracks your protection by guessing your password? And what are you going to do if you lose or forget the password for your document? How powerful and reliable is Microsoft Word 2003 protection?

When assigning a password the program warns you not to lose it as you can't recover the password. This is not exactly right. Any password can be cracked. The point is how much time it will take for special program to crack your password. For instance, Protect Document password uses a rather easy protection method and a few seconds is enough to recover this kind of password. It is similar with Password to modify. But it is not that easy with Password to open:

The first versions of Microsoft Word had rather weak security; it took a bit more time to crack it compared to the other types used in Microsoft Word. But starting from Microsoft Word 97 version the situation has been improving. The new version had more cryptoproof security; it would take many years to crack it with the brute-force and PIV computer. Please note that it doesn't apply to Microsoft Word 97 version supplied to the French market as these versions had the old protection from the previous Microsoft Office 95. Cryptoprotection options were further advanced in Microsoft Office XP (realization in Office 2003 is the same). At the moment, the user can chose encryption mode to protect his documents.

This option is customized by assigning password to open (Advanced... button). In the window you will see a list of possible algorithms of document protection. Almost all of them are hard nuts for a hacker; it would take him a long time to crack your document. For more detailed information on password recovery see the article on our resource

By Denis Gladysh

AccentSoft Team is a privately-held information technology company focused on corporate and consumer software development. The company was founded in 1999 by software engineer Denis Gladysh. We specialize in password recovery and digital imaging software development. Our product catalogue features such popular titles as Accent OFFICE Password Recovery, Accent Excel Password Recovery and SnapTouch. These products are consistently recognized for their quality and have been adopted by industry professionals. For more information, visit http://www.AccentSoft.com.

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