Keep your laptop cool

Keeping your laptop cool is essential to lengthening the machine's life. Laptops may overheat for several reasons, the most prevalent being because it is dirty or the fan has malfunctioned. Overheating frequently can cause internal damage to your laptop's motherboard and prevent the computer from functioning properly or at all. Implement these techniques to keep your laptop cool.

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Format a Protected Disk

 

If you have forgotten your password to the disk and want to wipe it clean, work around the protection by using your Windows registry. The Windows registry logs all of the protection on disks and can also turn them off for editing and formatting.

1). Restart your computer and hold down the "F8" key. This will take you into Windows "Advanced Boot Options." Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate to the "Safe Mode" option and then press the "Enter" button.

2). Click the "Start" button and then click the "Search" bar on the menu. Type "regedit" into the "Search" box and press the "Enter" button.

3). Follow this path in the registry from the icons on the left side of the window that appears: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies."

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ANSI Cable Certification Standards

The American National Standards Institute creates standards for a wide range of devices and infrastructure. ANSI standards must be followed during cable installation and certification. ANSI standards 568, 569 and 606 are used for certifying various types of cable installations. Buildings cannot receive certification for use if they do not meet these ANSI standards.

Phases of Cable Installation

The first step of cable installation is the rough-in phase. This is the laying and pulling of cabling into place. The second step of cable installation is the trim-out phase. This is when splicing and terminating of cables is done. The final phase is the finish phase. This is when the testing and certification of the cabling occurs.

ANSI Standard 568A

ANSI standard 568A defines the installation practices and certification of fiber optic cable and unshielded twisted pair cable. This ANSI standard is used only for communication cables. According to "CRC Handbook of Modern Telecommunications, Second Edition", ANSI standard 568A is the definitive guideline to use during the design phase of a building.

ANSI Standard 568B

ANSI / TIA standard 568-B is used for twisted pair cabling. According to "Cisco LAN Switching Fundamentals" by David Barnes and Basir Sakandar, twisted pair cable most commonly comes in the categories 3, 5, 5E, and 6, with these categories representing the certification of the radio frequency capability of the cabling.

ANSI Standard 569

ANSI standard 569 applies to telecommunication room design. For example, according to "Cabling: The Complete Guide to Network Wiring," ANSI standard 569-A states that if a building has more than 70,000 usable square feet, a dedicated and locked room with plywood termination fields on two walls must be included. ANSI standard 569 requires a minimum of one telecommunication closet per floor.

ANSI Standard 606

ANSI standard 606 is the Administrative Standard for the Telecommunications Infrastructure of Commercial Buildings. This standard defines how cabling must be labeled and color coded. ANSI standard 606 states that network connection cables are green while first-level telecommunication cables are white.

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Color Alignment Issues on a Xerox Phaser 6360

The Xerox Phaser 6360 printerproduces high-quality color prints suitable for home and office environments. Once the printer is set up, you might experience undesirable print quality.

Test Print

Print a color test print. If the colors have halos or the lines aren't crisp, inspect the surface on which the printer sits. Move the printer to a solid, flat surface. Uneven surfaces put pressure on the print nozzles and misalign them over time.

Color Registration Page

If the color quality of a print is hazy, print a color registration page. This page will help to realign the print nozzles. From the Xerox Phaser print control panel, click "Troubleshooting," "OK," "Print Quality Problems," "OK," "Color Registration" and "OK." Follow the directions printed on the page.

Color Calibration Page

From the Xerox Phaser print control panel, click "Troubleshooting," "OK," "Print Quality Problems," "OK," "Calibrate Colors," "OK," "Tutorial Page" and "OK." The color calibration page will print out. Follow the directions printed on the page to recalibrate the 6360's color output.

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How to fix Keyboard not detected by the computer:

When you use a wired keyboard, you may experience one or more of the following problems:

• The keyboard is not detected.
• The keys on the keyboard do not work.
• Wrong characters are typed.
• The keyboard shortcuts do not work.

To work around keyboard is not detected, use the following methods

1.      Turn off your computer before troubleshooting. Verify that the keyboard is securely plugged in to your computer. Try another PS/2 or USB port if your computer has more than one, or try the connections on another computer, if applicable. If the keyboard  still doesn't work, then it may be defective and needs to be replaced.

2.      Confirm that the driver software was installed correctly by checking whether there is any error next to keyboard entry in device manager. Some keyboards, especially if they're wireless, require drivers in order to function properly. Also follow the instructions to install any software that came with the keyboard.

3.      Update the driver for your keyboard, if necessary. Open the control panel on your computer, check the hardware settings and then follow the commands to update the driver.

4.      Turn the keyboard upside down to remove any dust, debris or food crumbs. These particles can also prevent the keyboard from working properly. Clean out hard-to-reach areas of the keyboard with an air compressor or a "static-safe" vacuum cleaner.

5.      Fix the keyboard layout if the characters on screen don't match what you type. Select an input language on your computer, then choose the keyboard layout that matches that language from control panel( region and language settings)

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Linksys Wireless N Home Router

Linksys Wireless N Home Router

 

With Linksys WRT150N Wireless-N Home Router, you will be able to do more than just share the Internet. Now you can stream video, share files, listen to digital music, and make Internet phone calls from anywhere in your home, with anyone - all at the same time.

The Access Point built into the Router uses the very latest wireless networking technology: Wireless-N (draft 802.11n). By overlaying the signals of multiple radios, Wireless-N's "Multiple In, Multiple Out" (MIMO) technology multiplies the effective data rate. Unlike ordinary wireless networking technologies that are confused by signal reflections, MIMO actually uses these reflections to increase the range and reduce "dead spots" in the wireless coverage area. The robust signal travels farther, maintaining wireless connections up to 3 times farther than standard Wireless-G.

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D-link Wireless Router

D-link DIR-655 Xtreme N Wireless Router

The D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Wireless Router is a draft 2.0 802.11n compliant device that delivers up to 14x faster speeds and 6x farther range than 802.11g while staying backward compatible with 802.11g devices.

The DIR-655 also includes a 4-port 10/100/1000 Gigabit switch that connects Gigabit wired devices for enjoying lag-free network gaming and faster file transfers. With wireless prioritization technology and our award-winning intelligent QoS engine, jitter-free Internet phone calls (VoIP), high-definition video streaming and Web gaming are achievable on your wired and wireless networks.

The Xtreme N Gigabit Router supports the latest wireless security features to help prevent unauthorized access, be it from over a wireless network or from the Internet. Support for WPA™ and WPA2 standards ensure that you will be able to use the best possible encryption regardless of your client devices. In addition, this Xtreme N router utilizes Dual Active Firewalls (SPI and NAT) to prevent potential attacks from across the Internet. Also, the DIR-655 uses advanced firewall features.

Connect the Xtreme N Gigabit Router to a cable or DSL modem and provide high-speed Internet access to multiple computers, game consoles, and media players. Create a secure wireless network to share photos, files, music, videos, printers, and network storage.

Important Specifications:

Device type :

- Wireless router

Wireless Network Standards:

- IEEE Draft 802.11n

- IEEE 802.11g

- IEEE 802.11b

Wireless Data Transfer Rates:

- 300 Mbps

Ports/Buttons:

- Internet: One 10/100 RJ-45 Port

- LAN: Four 10/100/1000 RJ-45 Switched Ports

- One USB 1.1/2.0 port

- One Reset Button

- One Power Port

Security Features:

- WEP, WPA, WPA2

- Access Control

- Network, website and inbound filter

- SPI firewall

Other Features:

- Application Level Gateway (ALG)

- Wireless Intelligent Stream Handling (WISH)

- Virtual Server

- Port forwarding

- Application rules

- QoS Engine

- DDNS

 

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Linksys Wireless-N Router

Linksys Wireless-N Router

The Linksys E1000 wireless-N router puts the power of Wireless-N technology in your home. Speed up your wireless network with a router that connects your computers, wireless printers, smartphones, and other Wi-Fi devices at up to 300 Mbps. Included Cisco Connect software gets you set up quickly and offers powerful tools for managing your wireless network. This Linksys router gives you basic, quick-to-install Wireless-N connectivity for surfing the Web, sending e-mail, and file sharing.

A variety of security features help to protect your data and your privacy while you are online. Security features include Wi‑Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) security, whichencrypts data on your wireless network; a Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall to help block unauthorized access to your Router; and Network Address Translation (NAT)technology, which enhances network protection by allowing your computers to share Internet access through a single, public Internet IP address. (IP stands for InternetProtocol.)

In addition, you can connect computers or devices to this router by giving them local access (Computers and Devices option)or Guest Access (Guest Access option). Computers and Devices with local access will have access to the Internet and to other devices (shared computers andprinters, etc) on your local network, whereas guest Access allows you to provide guests visiting your home with Internet access only.

Setup and use of the Router is easy using Cisco Connect, the software that is installed when you run the included CD. Advanced configuration of the Router is available through the provided browser‑based utility.

Important Specifications:

Device type:

Wireless router

Wireless Network Standards:

- IEEE 802.11n

- IEEE 802.11g

- IEEE 802.11b

Wireless Data Transfer Rates:

- Up to 300 Mbps

Ports/Buttons:

- Internet: One 10/100 RJ-45 Port

- LAN: Four 10/100 RJ-45 Switched Ports

- One Power Port

- One Reset Button

Security Features:

- Wireless Security Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA, WPA2), WEP

- Wireless MAC Filter

- Firewall, Internet Filters and Web Filters

- Internet Access Policy

Supported VPN Pass-through Features:

- IPSec VPN Pass-through

- PPTP VPN Pass-through

- L2TP VPN Pass-through

Other Features:

- Port Forwarding

- Port Triggering

- DMZ

- DDNS

- Quality of Service (QoS)

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NETGEAR Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router

NETGEAR Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router

The Netgear WNDR3700 RangeMax Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router is the ultimate networking router which offers the high performance wireless Internet access needed for demanding applications, such as streaming HD video and multiplayer gaming. Dual band technology avoids interference, ensuring top speeds and the greatest range, while Gigabit offers ultra-fast wired connections.

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Wireless Access Point

Linksys WAP54G Wireless Access Point

The Linksys WAP54G Wireless Access Point lets you connect Wireless-G (802.11g) or Wireless-B (802.11b) devices to your wired network so you can add PCs to the network with no cabling hassle. Create a "wireless bubble" in that hard-to-wire home or office space, and save the time, hassle, and expense of running cables. Plus, notebook PCs can travel around your home or office and stay connected wherever they go.

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Memory Module

Memory Module

Computer memory is responsible for a wide variety of tasks in the modern computer system.

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Wireless Router

Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless Router

The Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless Router is really three devices in one box. First, there's the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect both screaming fast Wireless-G (802.11g at 54Mbps) and Wireless-B (802.11b at 11Mbps) devices to the network. There's also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Connect four PCs directly, or attach more hubs and switches to create as big a network as you need. Finally, the Router function ties it all together and lets your whole network shares a high-speed cable or DSL Internet connection.

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Disassembling a Computer

5 Tips for Disassembling a Computer System

Disassembling a computer can be a painful task. If you're planning to slot in a new hardware component or want to look inside your PC, disassembly cannot be avoided.

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AMD Motherboards

Top 5 AMD Athlon Motherboards

Many computer enthusiasts like Athlon motherboards. They're cheaper compared to Intel boards and offer exceptional performance. However selecting a board from the vast range of AMD motherboards is a difficult task.

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Inkjet Printers

Top 5 Inkjet Multifunction Printers

Inkjet multifunction printers from Canon, Epson and HP are good additions to any office. A multifunction printer can do all sorts of jobs, from sending and receiving fax messages, making and receiving phone calls, to scanning and printing documents or pictures.

 

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BlueTrack technology Mouse

BlueTrack technology Mouse

Microsoft has introduced its three latest mice that feature with the BlueTrack technology. The BlueTrack Technology is the world most advanced tracking technology, the light beam emanating from the bottom of the mouse is four times larger than the common laser beam used in most of the standard mice. With this technology, it enables to capture a larger image and offers better reflection of the surface over red light and laser. It also works on virtually any surface including carpet, wood table, and armrest at the airport, granite kitchen counter except on the clear glass or mirrored surfaces.

The Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 comes with a Nano transceiver stick, which is less than a centimeter from the USB port. It is a bit smaller in size and convenient the users to pick and best fit in any compact environment.

The Wireless Mouse 2000 comes with a mini-transceiver that placed into the bottom of the mouse when on the go. It is a full size mouse and best to use on larger space such like on the table, bed and so on. It is available in gray color. The Comfort Mouse 4500 has been designed with an ergonomic shape and it is the first wired mouse with BlueTrack technology. The wired Comfort Mouse 4500 helps to eliminate the trouble on frequent battery changes.

According to Microsoft, in a BlueTrack technology mouse, the sensor, the light and the component configuration are optimized for the best possible surface image for a variety of conditions. BlueTrack Technology provides the mouse ASIC and the computer with exceptionally accurate and detailed information for advanced tracking on almost any surface.

A BlueTrack technology mouse uses a Microsoft-designed complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chip with advanced algorithms and pixel architecture for more precise tracking. It is Microsoft's fourth-generation application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) using CMOS technology.

Proprietary high-angle imaging optics generate more exact surface images - even of shiny surfaces such as granite and marble - instead of blurry, out-of-focus images, as can be produced by many of the leading laser mice. And blue light helps create high-resolution, high-contrast images for better navigation. The wider beam enables illumination of a larger surface area and allows more light to return to the sensor. This helps for tracking on irregular surfaces such as carpet, where a smaller beam could get lost between the individual fibers.http://hardwaretexpert.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-to-install-wireless-mouse.html

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PC Case

How to Choose a Good PC Case ?

One of the most important but overlooked components in your PC is the PC case. Selecting a good PC case is an important step in building your computer, since it determines several things.

It determines the number of PC components you can have, as well as how well your system's temperature. Also it determines how good your PC looks.

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How to Use a Digital Camera as a Webcam

How to Use a Digital Camera as a Webcam

• Check the manual of your digital camera to see if it can be used as a webcam. Many digital cameras have this functionality and even come with webcam software. If your camera didn't come with webcam software, use a third party web cam.

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Top 5 Video Cards

Top 5 Video Cards

XFX GeForce 7800 GTX

The XFX GeForce 7800 GTX video card comes with a PCI Express interface, 256MB DDR3 video memory and supports a maximum resolution of 2048 X 1536. Though its price is a bit steep, its one of the fastest video cards on the market right now.

 

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Facts about Thermal grease

        
         The application of thermal grease between a CPU and its cooler is an important step in installing a CPU.

I know this process intimidates many beginners, but it is really simple. Here are some important facts you need to know about applying thermal grease.

Thermal grease application has long been the domain of hardcore computer enthusiasts. But recently, as more people build their own computers, it is becoming more commonplace.Applying thermal grease is important for cooling a CPU

1. Why Use Thermal Grease?

Do you know why we need to use thermal grease when installing CPUs on a motherboard? Well, the reason is simple. Most CPUs come with a cooler. The contact between the CPU and the cooler is not perfect. Hence, thermal grease needs to be applied to close off the contact between the CPU and the cooler.

2. Found in Many Kinds Of Packages

Thermal grease is available in many different forms. It all depends on the brand and quality of grease you are looking for.

3. Remove Original Thermal Grease

One of the most important steps to remember when applying thermal grease between your CPU and its cooler is to remove the original thermal grease. You see, the original CPU packaging may already come with some thermal grease on them. Make sure you remove it before you apply any new thermal grease.

4. Common Mistakes

There are 2 common mistakes I can think of when applying thermal grease. One of them is to apply too much. Using too much thermal grease endangers your system because it could leak out to other components and causes short circuits on the motherboard.

The other common mistake concerns processors with seals on them. When you buy a CPU, please make sure that there is no seal on it. Otherwise, when applying thermal grease, you will have a lot of difficulty.

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