How the Best Registry Cleaners Compete to be the Best?

By: Joey McClaren

Today’s Competition

Designers of the Best Registry Cleaners made a note of the significance of cleaning the registry way back when Windows 95 was the most admired operating system.

The liberation of the Best Registry Cleaners at the time was a straight answer to the users' dilemma in troubleshooting infuriating errors such as blue screens of death and extra unidentified error pop-ups where a repair appears impossible.

Nevertheless, not every registry cleaner perform the work successfully and power users know that interfering with the registry can be dangerous since Windows depends on an error-free configuration for utmost performance and firm constancy.

Depending on registry cleaners that inappropriately repair errors by editing or removing the mistaken entries will do your system no good.

Sorry to say, these designers attempt to promote that their programs are actually the solutions to the crisis. A number of these applications intentionally trick others by introducing malware and spyware for nasty purposes.

With these kinds of rogue registry cleaners out there and various ordinary freeware solutions accessible, it can be tough to distinguish the best registry cleaners that developers work tremendously hard on.

Seeking for a good registry cleaner by means of your preferred search engine can direct to some puzzling consequences because there are several applications out there all with the identical assertion.

Here are a number of ways you can recognize these best registry cleaners from the rest of the group.

Good Features to Look For

One of the most significant attributes of a registry cleaner is how secure the software is to utilize.

Microsoft conceals its Windows Registry Editor for the reason that every careless edits or removal can make the system unbootable and may necessitate you to reinstall Windows once you can no longer get in your system.

You can say that a registry cleaner is safe to apply at a momentary look if you observe that the registry cleaner has a backup function.

No matter how well-advertised the registry cleaner is registry cleaners are always subjected to errors. You cannot test a registry cleaner and conclude that it really works without errors because every system has a different registry structure.

Installing a fresh software already alters the registry considerably so a registry cleaner may believe that the registry entry is an error but it actually isn't.

With a backup function, you can easily bring back the entry if you observe that your system or definite software isn't working correctly after the registry cleaner applied its repairs.

It is better if the backup function executes automatically before registry changes are made so the registry cleaner is totally risk-free.

One more way to observe if the program is one of the best registry cleaners out there is to confirm its website and see its technical support pages.

Legal companies truly care about their clientele and are eager to provide further support in solving problems if the registry cleaner does not execute as anticipated.

The user interface is an additional significant feature because users that will resort to registry cleaning solutions are frequently those that do not recognize how to do basic or advanced troubleshooting methods. Microsoft's Windows operating systems constantly had some basic programs that are all newbie-friendly.

High-quality registry cleaning programs offer a minimal and broad interface where the general functions such as scanning are straight away obtainable from the main screen.

Cleanly designed help menus are also fine to direct new users without instantly depending on online support channels.

There are numerous high ranked registry cleaners out there so you still might be puzzled on which registry cleaner to actually get. Do some background investigation on these best registry cleaners and see what both clients and critics have to utter.

If you do not consider the customer reviews, search in accepted websites such as CNET Downloads and Softpedia and lsearch for editorial reviews. Do not fail to remember that trusted companies never ask for your cash just to try a software. A test edition should constantly be available so you can really look at its features and carry out a free scan to see how well the program can fix your computer.

Prior to installing any registry cleaner, have an anti-spyware and anti-virus scanner installed so the registry cleaner installer can be scanned first to see if it is a malware in camouflage.

Using Best Registry Cleaners Than Manual Method

By: Joey McClaren

About Manual Registry Editing

If you really have an idea where the problem lies, manual registry editing is a great alternative for using the best registry cleaners.

Windows Registry Editor must be launched by just clicking the Start menu and going to “Run” and typing “regedit.exe”

You can browse the tree of registry keys from there and get the entry that you wish to edit.

To get download a REG file from a trusted source online that is meant to commit some changes in the registry is an easier way to manually edit the registry using the Windows Registry Editor.

The changes are initiated by double clicking the file. By opening the REG file in Widows Notepad, you can view keys, values and entries that are edited.

By exporting a key from the Windows Registry Editor for use for other computers, you can even create your own REG file.

When the Best Registry Cleaners Come In

Mistakes can accidentally be made with manual registry editing solution which is a problem.

As it may affect the way certain applications load, this can be dangerous for certain entries.

The system may be rendered unbootable by deleting some critical registry entries and undoing the changes can be difficult if you forgot what you did.

Unlike ordinary registry cleaners, the best registry cleaners take great care in handling your registry entries.

When targeting entries that have problems, they have characteristics of being accurate enough.

Depending on its abilities, these bad entries are deleted or corrected. The entries are backed up before any actions are taken, giving the option for people to restore the old entries in the future.

The Best Registry Cleaners

Because of its ability to correct all kinds of errors in different categories, Perfect Optimizer has been widely praised by reviewers.

Perfect Optimizer detected over 1000 errors when one reviewer set up a typical test machine. That is about three times better than any other competitors is finding errors.

An intuitive interface is incorporated where all of the main components are found on the left side.

When new users need to fix problems quickly, the “quick scan” and “full scan” functions are easily accessible on the bottom.

To further boost the performance, it also contains some nice extras such as DLL repair and registry defragmentation.

With the live chat being the most convenient way, it also features five ways to contact support.

Even though its registry detection capabilities are average, Registry Genius is also part of the best registry cleaners family.

The interface is what really shines in this program because it manages to be easy to use even though there many other extras included in the program.

This cleaner is designed for both experts and novices and since it automatically does back up, the auto scan works well too. Afterwards, the results of the scan are comprehensively displayed and the customer support is pretty good.

If you want something that is easier to use, this is a good alternative to Perfect Optimizer.

Where its interface is quite good as well, Registry Easy falls in the middle. Although Registry Genius has the better interface, Registry Easy can detect over 600 errors outperforming the Registry Genius.

Certain areas of the registry are also targeted by 7 other features. If you need to fix a specific problem, these features may come in handy.

Because of their immediate responses usually under 24 hours, the customer support of Registry Easy is better than the other two registry cleaners as well.

Regsweep, Error Killer, and other the other popular RegCure are also some of the other nice Registry Cleaners.

Look at the screenshots and see how well it solves registry problems when choosing for an application. You can scan your system for errors for free without making any risky changes for most trusted programs.

Best Registry Cleaners and Today’s Computers

By: Joey McClaren

Microsoft never responded with their own registry cleaner while those early best registry cleaners sold well.

So there will no loner be a need to repair the registry, they were more focused on patching security issues instead and fixing bugs, and lessening the occurrences of common critical errors.

Unless their support pages specify otherwise, Microsoft is not very much in favor of manually editing the registry.

Computer users are finally accepting the major changes in design, interface and most importantly in stability now that Windows 7 has been released recently and gaining in market share.

Windows 7 even runs faster the Windows Vista under the same hardware specs. Overall performance isn’t really a big deal unless heavy applications or games are running combined with the latest high speed processors and other system specs.

Buying any of the best registry cleaners may be just a second thought to some users.

Still, the registry structure of the Windows 7 is similar to the previous ones and still lacks a registry cleaning solution so active developers are updating their software to support registry repairs on Windows 7 systems.

If you are using today’s modern computer, there are several characteristics of a registry that you still need to look into.

Compatibility

The most important characteristic of the registry cleaner by far is compatibility. A different registry structure may be used by every operating system and older registry cleaners may not be familiar with how the entries are laid out.

A significant damage may happen if an incompatible registry cleaner marks certain entries as errors.

It is a great hassle to put your system back in order after an unsuccessful registry repair even if back up copies were made.

To make things simple, always check at the system requirements of the registry scanner and see it is compatible with your operating system.

If there is incompatibility in the requirements, go to the homepage of the program and search for the recent edition that supports your system. registry cleaners that are compatible with Windows 7 are top softwares including Perfect Optimizer, Registry Genius, and Registry Easy.

User Interface

Many people like the type of interface incorporated into Windows 7 and new users are getting accustomed to it.

Following their own friendly user interfaces is only fair for the best registry cleaners.

Nowadays, even though there are many people who knows hoe to use a computer, there are still those who are just learning the ropes and knowing how to do maintenance themselves with the help of the registry cleaning software helping them save some money in support costs.

A program that has a presentable interface that you will enjoy is what you have to look for. You might want all of the options up front like Perfect Optimizer if you are an expert computer user.

Newbies are recommended to opt for Registry Easy.

Scanning Accuracy

The most stable operating system by far is the Windows 7 and the performance and stability is not influenced very much even if you installed all kinds of third party programs.

Especially if you are utilizing the 64 bit version, many viruses and other malware hardly function in Windows 7. Scanning accuracy has little importance here but it can still be good to have if you plan on installing this in multiple operating systems or if you badly need a registry scan for slow performance.

Just because a program such as Registry Easy does not report a lot of errors does not mean that it is a terrible program because less error reports reduces the chances of false positives too.

Extra Features

Just in case a simple registry scan is not enough, many of the best registry cleaners come with extra features.

Registry defragmenting, privacy cleaning and DLL fixing may be some of the tools that will enhance its performance.

As long as it is compatible with the operating system it is used on, all of these features are welcome to any registry cleaner.

As long as the latest version is installed, these characteristics conclude that even modern computers can use any of the best registry cleaners.

Some programs allow automatic updates to ensure that they function fine on the latest operating system to make this easier.

As long as it is one of the best and the average asking price is around $35 which is fairly inexpensive, it certainly does not hurt to install a registry cleaner.

How to Solve Poster Printing Problems Over the Internet

by: Kaye Z. Marks

Poster printing is a cinch, especially when you use the Internet to solve problems. That is right! You do not have to suffer problems in printing, software and design when you print posters anymore.

If you have an Internet connection, you can easily solve all your problems over the Internet. Let me give you the facts straight and easy on how this is possible. You do not even have to be an expert to do this!

• Printing problem solved through online printers – One of the first major problems is of course finding the right poster printer. In the yellow pages, you might have a few good listings, but very little information is available in there. When you look for online printing companies through the Internet, though, your options will probably skyrocket.

There are hundreds of printers online and you can easily find extra information about them since you are on the Internet. You can easily see sample prints, printing quotations and their printing options online. Moreover, you can even research for reviews and testimonials of your prospective company to really be sure that they are the ones you need. That is why you will have no problems if you do your project online.

• Design problems solved through online design resources – Now, if your problem is in the design, the Internet has also a few things that can help you. Off the top of my main list, the internet can provide two major things. Those things are templates and images.

o Poster templates – these can really help you develop your design easily. With a template, all you really need to do is to copy and paste your design elements into it. All the major guidelines and dimensions are already set within the template so that your whole draft can be easily ready for poster printing. The great thing is, you can download these templates online from printing companies. So this is really a great tool to use and easy to get as well online.

o Poster images – Images are also freely available on the Internet. There are hundreds if image database sights out there that you can search images from. Most even, offer these using creative commons licenses that are easy to use. Just be sure that you download large high-resolution images and you should be all set.

• Software problems solved through free open source software – Finally, if software is the problem, more particularly the cost of software, then the Internet is here to help you out as well. You can easily download free open source software applications for you to use in poster design. For novices for example, downloading OpenOffice.org and using its Draw application can be enough for you to print good quality posters. For the more experienced designer though, Gimp is nice open source alternative to expensive software like Photoshop or Corel Draw. Therefore, as you can see, even in terms of software, the Internet can solve your poster design problems.

So do not worry about your problems with printing. As long as you have the Internet, you will always have options.

Wipe Out the Harassing Emails of Cyber Stalkers using a Reverse Email Trace

by: Ed Opperman

There are very few families left that do not have at least one computer that is used for the family to surf the World Wide Web. It is a great place for kids and teens to study and research for homework, to play games and have fun, and to perform various needed tasks for work. There are dangers however that lurk in several areas of the web that every parent and individual should always keep an eye out for. Although there are many things that are always being done to keep the Internet a safe place to be, there are still all sorts of problems that can happen.

Stalking is one such problem that has caused frightening problems for a large number of people that regularly get on the Internet. AOL, Yahoo, Gmail, and many other types of email accounts are often the target of criminals that get their kicks from stalking innocent individuals on the web. If this is a problem that you have faced, it is important not to just allow it to happen. First and foremost you should consult the authorities, and then your next step should be to consult with an experienced private investigator. Using a reverse email trace, the knowledge of an investigator can help you to wipe out the harassing emails you have been receiving from cyber stalkers.

This beneficial type of investigation is as easy as supplying an expert with the stalkers email address. A few of the benefits about having a reverse email look-up performed is will not cost you a large amount of money, and the detailed results will be sent to you in a very short period of time. Revealing the identity of a stalker can also help authorities to put a permanent end to the activities the criminal is partaking in. Your entire family will benefit when you make the decision to wipe out the harassing and threatening emails of cyber stalkers that are bothering your family, and you can do this through the use of a reverse email trace.

Some of the detailed information that can be revealed is the name of the stalker that is causing the harassment, the street address where the individual lives, the geographic location where they live, the type of browser that is being used, links to websites they visit, and other forms of helpful information.

Don't waste any time in wiping out the harassing emails of cyber stalkers. Consult with a professional that knows how to use a reverse email trace to put an end to frightening threats

Copyright (c) 2010 Ed Opperman


About The Author

Ed Opperman is President of Opperman Investigations Inc.If you need help with a cyber stalking investigation visit http://www.emailrevealer.com

How to Make that Printing Output Arrive as Fast as Possible

by: Kaye Z. Marks


Engaging on an online printing project is one of the fastest ways to get your prints fast. However, did you know that you could do a few things to make the output arrive faster than it usually would?

It is easy to make prints arrive faster if you know how to work with a printing company. Let me give you a few tips that should expedite your printing output quite well.

• Use the template as guide – A great way to make your printing output arrive faster is to use the online template as your foundation for designs. Whatever kind of material you need to have printed, by using the template provided, you can help speed up the process because everything is already set.

The online template is already pre-designed to make printing easier since it has the proper guidelines, settings and dimensions that the online printer expects. They do not have to convert or alter your design. They just need to load it and it the output would be produced fast.

• Proofread your own work three times over – Proofreading thoroughly is also another important thing to do to make your output arrive faster. Most online printers do some proofreading before they mass-produce. It is only logical to do this since you would not want to waste materials in online printing if there are mistakes in the initial drafts.

By proofreading your own work three times over and making it perfect for printing, you will prevent any situation wherein the blueprint will be sent back for editing. That is why it is good to do a thorough check. You will not need to waste time in going back and forth in proofreading.

• Use standard options when possible – You might also want to consider using standard configurations and settings to make the process faster. Typically, most have preset configurations in their printing machines. These configurations are usually aimed for receiving standard print designs and options for production. By using the online printer’s standard options and minimizing your own options, you should also be able to expedite the process. The printers will not need to readjust their machines and settings for mass production. Since everything is standard in your design, there is nothing to change or customize.

• Set an appropriate arrival schedule – Finally, some printers do offer special services that can help you get the output faster. While some printing companies are content with 3 day or 5 day printing, other companies, offer overnight printing services if you really need the output urgently. It will cost a lot, but if you are in an emergency then having a set delivery date is really useful. So make sure that you choose the right company that will offer you the best schedule.

Great! Just follow those tips and your online prints should be delivered to you extremely fast. You would not have to worry about slow printing anymore.

Karaoke Tips - Creating Karaoke Tracks

By: Manuel Boissiere


In this installment of Karaoke Tips, we're going to cover actually creating your own Karaoke tracks. There is a lot to cover here so grab yourself a cup of your favorite beverage and then we can get started.

There are many ways to create your own karaoke tracks. Some easy, and some not so easy. Some can be done cheaply and other ways cost a pretty penny. What you choose will depend on your tolerance for suffering and your bank account. In this case, there is no free lunch. You get what you pay for.

The ideal way is to get the actual recording of the song you want to sing and then have the vocals ripped from it. The problem with this method is that not all vocal rippers are the same. Some are downright awful. And the really good ones, don't even ask about the price.

Another way is to purchase specially made audio tracks of these songs where the person who made them has this really expensive professional vocal ripper and then charges you an arm and a leg for these songs. One of the problem with this method is piracy. Truth is, you really don't know if the person offering these tracks has the right to do so. A lot of copyright infringement goes on in this business.

Still yet another way is to by a specially made arrangement of the song. It may not sound exactly like the record, but in most cases, it will be close enough. In this case, what you want to do is listen to the song before you make the decision to buy to make sure it sounds good enough for your liking.

Another way to create a karaoke track is from a MIDI file of the song in question. There are plenty of folks out there who actually perform these songs using MIDI instruments and make their own arrangements. Problem with these MIDI files is two fold.

For starters, you have no idea how good the arrangement is going to be until you hear it. And let me tell you, some of them are downright awful.

Another problem is that there is MIDI format 0 and MIDI format 1. You want to look for format 1 because those files have all the tracks separated so that you can remove the melody line if need be. With format 0, you can't do this. Problem here is that not every MIDI creator states what format the file is in, so you have to ask.

As you can see, there are problems with all these methods, either in quality or in the cost to obtain the songs.

I have found the best solution hands down and you can see an overview by following the link in the resource box. Singing Superstar is a fully fledged Karaoke system that harnesses the power of your PC. You can test your skills with real time golden notes, line bonus' and popup's as you sing along with your favorite song.It's affordable, easy and reliable. I highly recommend it.

To YOUR Karaoke success

Manuel Boissiere

Karaoke Tips - Lyrics and Audience

By: Manuel Boissiere

In this installment of Karaoke tips, I want to go over lyrics.

For starters, this is where you really have to know your crowd. If it's going to be a wild and crazy evening where anything goes, then lyric selection isn't as important. In other words, if you want to sing a song that has some risque lyrics, you probably won't get any slack for it.

However, if it's a straight laced crowd then you're probably going to have some trouble pulling off some Green Day tunes. In fact, you might get quite a few stares in the process.

But that's not the only thing to take into account when choosing lyrics.

Sure, you're going to have the screen to look at when singing so you don't have to memorize the lyrics, but let me tell you something. Under pressure, especially with an up tempo tune or one that you are not that familiar with, it is very easy to flub your lyrics. With a slow ballad, not so much because you have time to read and then sing. With fast tunes, the time between reading and singing is greatly diminished and therefore makes it a little tougher. And if you're singing speed metal...you better know that song cold.

What you want to do, before getting to the club where you're going to sing, is go over the lyrics and make sure you know at least most of them. If you only have to look up for a few words or even a few lines, that's not such a big deal. You can probably pull that off. But if you have to read the whole song all the way through, it's going to detract from your performance.

One more thing about lyrics and song selection. A lot of songs have repeating lyrics. This makes it much easier to remember them whereas a song like American Pie, which has who knows how many verses, could be quite a challenge. In other words, the fewer lyrics you have to remember, the better.

Now I want to talk about the audience.

Too many Karaoke folks get all wrapped up in themselves like, "Hey, look at me...I'm cool"

Trust me...you're not.

The audience, big or small, is there for two reasons.

1. They're there to sing their OWN songs. They really don't give a hoot about what YOU are going to sing. Not really. But...

2. They want to be entertained. After all, it's a long night. They get to do one song and might have to wait hours to do it. So in the meantime, they want to be entertained.

You standing up there acting like a jackass is NOT entertainment. Well, maybe to some it will be, but to most, it won't.

What you want to do is show the audience that you're there for them. So, if you can pull it off, get a wireless mic and mingle with the audience while you're singing.

The songs that work best are ones where it is obvious you are singing to another person. For example, take the Cole Porter song that Frank Sinatra made so famous, "I Get A Kick Out Of You." Imagine walking through the audience and when you get to that line, give some cute girl at a table a wink and a nod or maybe just a look.

Think you're not going to make her feel special?

This is the kind of stuff that will really make the audience take a shine to you. In fact, don't be surprised if you get asked to do an encore.

See you next time with more.

To YOUR Karaoke Success,

Manuel Boissiere

Using MP3 Renamers to Save Time and Money

By: Paul F. Wood

Whether music is part of your professional life or just something you love, chances are you have a computer that is overloaded with musical files. And there are probably a variety of places that those music files have come from. Maybe a lot of those files have been imported to your computer from CDs in your own CD collection. Lots of the files may also come from an online music program. Still others you may have been found on various websites or gotten through e-mail from friends.

All of these different types of files piled up on a computer can get quite messy. There is no organization of the files either in the way they are titled or the information within them. If you're ready to make sense of all of this, you have two options. You can always go file by file changing each and every name. The other way to go is using an MP3 renamer.

For many, the idea of changing file names doesn't seem so bad. However, once you multiply the few seconds it takes to change one filename by hundreds or thousands there are many hours lost. Instead, you could use that time for all sorts of other things. Do you have business or personal things you'd rather be doing with this time?

By enlisting the help of an MP3 rename program, you'll be able to make file changes quickly and easily and spend the rest of your time more wisely. How does it work?

Title Changes

The first thing you are going to want to do is make all of your titles make sense. With access to a rename MP3 program, you can highlight an entire group of files and change the names all at the same time. It will then remove the current name and replace it with your text and numbers, sequentially with just one click.

Album and Artist Information

Often, the album and artist information gets lost somewhere in translation as music files are being digitally loaded into a computer. It takes little more than a quick click to be able to highlight a whole group of songs and add that artist in information in with a renamer program.

Text Find and Replace

Did you initially have a system for naming all of the files in your library? Did your music library initially start with a file naming system? But now you'd like to make a few alterations to your old system. Just one action will find and replace words or phrases out your files.

Inserting the Track Numbers

It isn't just a matter of wanting to wipe out the existing name and overwrite it entirely - often you'll just want to use music information in a specific part of the name. A classic example is track numbers - you will probably want to insert them at the beginning, but make sure that you can pull the numbers straight out of each mp3 file and use them in the name; you should also be able to place that information wherever you like.

IDT Windows XP Audio Driver Downloads

By: GiselleS


If you are using the XP operating system and a piece of hardware is not functioning correctly (i.e. there is no sound on your computer) or has not been found during installation then the problem may be related to a one of the Windows XP IDT drivers you have installed.

A device driver is used to control any installed computer hardware. The problem is normally solved by downloading and installing the latest device drivers available from the official IDT website.

You will find that there are a lot of IDT drivers have already been installed on your system. These have usually come direct from a hardware manufacturer, who gave them to Microsoft for inclusion with the operating system. These have been digitally signed by Microsoft as having been tested for Windows XP compatibility and programming solidity.

The driver signing program was instituted after Microsoft had found a problem with buggy software drivers. It created a program in which the makers of hardware equipment to be used with the computers could pay Microsoft to test and certify the safety and stability of their drivers. This has resulted in an overall improvement of the stability of the operating system.

Every now and then, when you try to install the software for a new gadget you will see a warning box. This states that Microsoft has not tested the new driver. If this message appears you should contact the manufacturer (IDT in this case) or their website to find out if an IDT Windows XP certified driver is now available for your hardware.

If there is not a certified driver available, you may as well try to install the driver you have anyway. If it seems to make your system slow or less stable you can always uninstall it. It is possible to wind your entire operating system back to the condition it was in before you installed the questionable driver. This is called system restore or rollback.

This roll back feature will restore any drivers that were replaced during the installation of the suspect one. To find it, open the device manager and double click the component in question. Click the driver tab in the resulting properties dialog box and then click the rollback drive button. The overwritten drivers will be reinstated.

Whenever possible, however, you should always use the drivers that came with your equipment. This is especially true if you got them from the manufacturers website as they are likely to be newer versions than the IDT audio drivers that came with Windows XP.

If you would prefer not to see the unsigned driver message every time you install something you can disable it forever. Conversely you can set it so that your system will never accept unsigned drivers. These options are available in the Driver signing options within the System Properties dialog box.

Finally, there are software programs which automatically detect your computers harwdare and download the correct official IDT drivers for you. In a few clicks, your sound will be in full working order again. This software works with Windows 7, XP and Vista.

A Guide To The Different Types Of Network Servers

By: Vincent Rogers

There are a few different types of network servers, and they are all intended to perform a very specific task. The question that many people have pertains to what exactly a server is, and for that reason we are going to talk about the concept, and then we will take a look at a few of the network servers that perform the various tasks within a business.

A server can refer to a piece of software, or it can refer to an entire computer. When you have an entire computer functioning as a server it is referred to as a dedicated server. If you have a computer housing multiple servers, it is a non-dedicated server. In many cases this is referred to as a 'box', and no business would be complete without at least one of these.

VoIP

The types of servers out there are quite varied. First of all there is the VoIP server. It stands for Voice over IP, or Voice over Internet Protocol. This is not a server type that you would normally see in a private home, but in business you might see it quite a bit. The size and power of a VoIP server will depend highly on the number of users that need to access it.

Web

Another type of server that you will find common in businesses is the HTTP server. This is a fairly powerful type of server that hosts web pages and in some cases can become a file server. It is not often used as a file server however, because this is the job of the FTP server.

File Hosting

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and is used solely for hosting and the distribution of files. FTP can be used for either small or large files, and is available in two varieties: Client and Server. Both of these can be obtained as free open source, or they can be paid for. Paid versions obviously have more support, but free versions have the advantage of being...well...free.

This is a list of some of the more basic servers in a business. The file server will be the most useful in any business as you are no doubt going to find out. The others will come in handy, and web servers will be useful for advertising. There are a number of other different server types out there that you might be interested in using however, among them being a mail server. The important thing to remember is that you should of course only strive to use the servers that your business truly needs. In other words don't overreach, and don't invest in technologies that simply will not be useful to you.

Stick to these guidelines every time you find a new server that may be worth using. Figure out what your exact requirements are and what system would best suit it, then find the quickest way to implement it. You will find that in this modern age of e-commerce, servers are of great use to large and small businesses alike.

Windows Registry Cleaner - 3 Simple Steps to Speed up Your Computer

By: Alex Woods

You know when need to run registry cleaner for Windows. Your computer does not work so quickly and efficiently as it was before, you may even start seeing error messages. If such symptoms are evident, no need to worry. All you need to do - is fix registry in Windows. After reading this article, you’ll be able to remove Windows error and restore Windows Registry in 3 simple steps.

1. Take your time to find and research appropriate programs.

Today’s market has no shortage of programs that can help you troubleshoot problems with the registry. Moreover, the majority programs are offered at an affordable price. It wouldn’t be hard for you to find a suitable way to restore the registry, which would perform the following operations:

- Scan for registry errors;
- Identify existing problems;
- Perform full clean and restore registry in your computer.

A good method of selecting the most appropriate application to restore and remove registry errors from your computer is to check review sites that compare similar applications. Many sites offer a comparative programs description and show the most important features and prices. All of that will help you make the right decision.

2. Download, install and run the program.

This step may seem simple, but it the next move in restoring Windows Registry and it shows how easy it is to eliminate the problems associated with the registry in your computer. Once you select the best suited program for all of your criteria, you would need to do the following:

- Download the selected program from the Internet;
- Install it on your computer;
- Run it.

You will see that this process is simple to complete and takes just a few minutes.

After that, you will need:

- Start scanning your computer's registry, that would identify all the errors in your registry;
- Fix found errors.

When selecting a program look for the one that has automatic error correction. In this case, you can fix registry errors in your computer with a simple mouse click.

3. Run Defragmentation and set schedule for regular cleaning.

Upon completion of the registry restoration your program should offer you to "defragment" registry, as well as set up schedule for regular cleanings. Defragmenting your computer will compress all the space that remains after removing registry errors, and regular cleaning will contribute to the smooth and efficient operation of your computer in the future.

Make sure to set a schedule for regular cleanings and restoration. Every time you make changes to your computer (even something as simple like adding or removing software); you can expose your computer to danger of new registry errors.

Thus, to maintain efficient operation of your system it is important to perform regular cleaning and repair registry in your computer.

If you follow these simple steps to restore the registry in Windows, then your system would return to its former condition, and it would work like new again. This without a doubt would be very easy for you to do and your computer would no longer be cause for irritation.

Learn Email Monitoring Instantly

By: Simona Rusnakova

The electronic based communication has made it very easy for everybody to stay connected with their near and dear ones across the globe. This ease of communication has some side effects also. Earlier the employees of a corporate office never took personal calls during working hours and the office equipment was never used for personal work.

The scenario now has changed drastically, the communication is so easy that employees stay connected to their friends and folk 24X7 and freely communicate with each other during working hours. This communication can take place through various modes such as emails, instant messages, and mobile phone’s messages. Most employers are left confused as to whether they can keep a track of the personal communication of their employees. The answer is yes!

Email Monitoring

An employer can monitor the emails of the employee. The government has authorized the employers for this under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. It is advisable for the managers to draft an email monitoring policy for the employees and keep them regularly updated on the new and old terms of this policy. The email monitoring policy should be very specific and should clearly state the objectives of the policy, the purpose of monitoring the emails and scope of the monitoring system.

The employees should also be told that what all is acceptable regarding the content of the emails, that is they should not be allowed to write in their mails something that is racist, harassing or sexual in nature. Just a tip for the employees, please do not think that you can ever outsmart an email monitoring system, all the unsent mails, incoming mails, out going emails, and even the deleted emails can be viewed by the company officials.

Protect Data

Most companies across the world have adopted the electronic way of communication. This communication though very convenient to use is a very big threat to the company’s confidential data. The IT teams in companies are always seen fighting hard with the external threats to protect data.

These threats can be Trojans, viruses, or bugs. The IT team generally does not pay much attention to the communications that are taking place via emails. An email can be even more dangerous than an external virus attack.

An email possesses the capability to leak out secret information like:

•cerebral property of an organization

•secret information regarding the working policies of the company

•highly confidential data

If the above stated information gets leaked it can be of great threat to the business especially if it lands in the hands of the competitors.

Protect Network

We all know that Internet has now become the backbone of every business. You can not do without Internet if you want your business to prosper. On the contrary Internet is the biggest threat to a company’s security. It is very important and complicated to protect network.

To begin with the process of securing a safe network one should always take into consideration the data and information that needs protection. It is extremely necessary to then install special security software like the firewalls to keep a check on all the incoming data. Also make sure you have proper and automatically updated antivirus.

How to Protect Data With IT Security

By: Simona Rusnakova

In the digital age, information is everything. The scope of any business is not limited and has increased tremendously. The global interaction and scope of any business or company has led to an enormous increase in data.

All business transactions are now conducted through the internet. This means that all transfer of information will take place with the web. While the time involved had been drastically reduced, there are many other critical threats which have come to the fore front.

Corporations are facing data leakage as vital data remain unprotected in their systems. The loss of this data can lead to severe implications in the field of business where a simple leak may prove very expensive. Apart from this, authentic and efficient corporate governance requires that all aspects of the company’s working are in compliance with the rules and regulations. In a workplace, the presence and distribution of an inappropriate image can have several highly undesirable consequences.

The Immediate Need of Porn Detection and Network Protection

The presence of any disturbing or inappropriate image is not just a nuisance. There is much more at stake. The presence as well as the distribution of such images can lead to serious implications for the organization. Loss of corporate goodwill and reputation, violation of corporate policies and criminal or civil suits are all possible. This leads to the need of porn detection. There are many service providers which provide computer tools to enable you to detect porn. These tools act as auditors of images. They scan the systems for any inappropriate image presence. If such an image is detected, the same will be made shown in a gallery. Similar tools for network protection are also available.

Email Employee Monitoring is Crucial

The system tools which are now available provide helpful service in detecting and managing image appropriateness. In a company, monitoring employee email is very necessary. The IT security tools scan all incoming or outgoing emails within the organization network as well as the internet emails to see if they have any inappropriate images. If one is detected, the administrator will be sent a report. This makes employee email monitoring extremely simple.

Constant Email Monitoring to Detect Porn

These tools are helpful in the process of email monitoring of the employees. This ensures that no inappropriate image is present on any system of the organization. These tools and services have the ability to detect porn and destroy such files and images.

You Need to Protect Data Now

The data of any corporation or department is crucial to the company and its working. With the assistance of these tools network protection is now possible. In order to be able to protect data all that is required is that the requisite guidelines be made known. To protect network information, these tools are able to investigate into inappropriate usage of its IT resources. Leakage of data is prevented and the integrity of the corporation is ensured.

The management of security risks and ensuring image appropriateness has a twofold advantage. It makes sure that there is no loss of organizational reputation while all company policies are complied with.

The World of Multifunction Printers

By: Daniel J Kilburn

It can be quite amazing to watch the various generations of office equipment come and go, especially since this seems to be happening at such a quick pace. For those of us who have been there since the beginning of this wild and unpredictable ride in the world of technology, we can honestly say that each generation of equipment seems to be getting more efficient, more powerful and certainly more impressive. How many of us can remember being amazed the first time we used our computers, photocopiers or printers?

Now, thanks to multifunction printers, technology has managed yet again, to get a step ahead and create one device that combines a multitude of functionalities:

- Printing

- Scanning

- Faxing

- Photocopying

- Emailing

There are a variety of multifunction printers available for both home and office. If you have a home office, you might want to consider purchasing a small desktop unit with a print engine that is based on either a home desktop inkjet printer, or a home desktop laser printer offered in black or color.

If you are looking for an office unit, you can easily find a multifunction printer that will meet your needs. multifunction printers have been created to meet the criteria for any type of office, be it a small business or a large corporation. In many medium to large sized companies, the multifunction printers are often used as the main ‘go to’ piece of equipment within the corporation. These are usually large, stand alone units that are programmed as the central printing device(s) or reprographic department device(s) and are particularly relied upon for speed and efficiency.

Thanks to the creation of multifunction printers, you no longer have to worry about purchasing, maintaining and fixing a variety of separate devices. Now, you can benefit from the ease and practicality that a multifunction printer can bring to your personal and work lives.

Maybe it is time to consider investing in a multifunction printer – especially if you are old enough to remember just how impressed you were with that first printer – the one that usually took more than 90 seconds to deliver the page that you printed – how the times have changed.

It pays to look behind the scenes before you purchase a multifunction device. The easiest way is to check on-line or magazine reviews of the printer you are looking to buy. This is because manufacturers will always ensure that their products are always seen in the best possible light – this is all down to the spin that their printer manufacturers’ marketing departments provide. Unfortunately for the end user, this means the printers’ features such as the speed of print, duty cycle and supply costs that printer manufacturers display on their website or in promotional materials will always be best-case scenarios that will rarely reflect use of the printer in the real world. Therefore, the easiest way to get another opinion on the printer you want to buy is to see what the actual product users have to say.

The Risk of Not Using Network Support

By: Derek Rogers

Ever since the introduction of e-commerce, business has changed dramatically. Existing businesses were able to communicate and trade instantly right throughout the world, and of course it allowed the blue collar workers who were previously stuck in their manual labour jobs to suddenly start working at home and do as they pleased. Things have definitely changed, and in the corporate work place, even more so.

In any given work place these days you will find that there are a few common things aside from desks and chairs. There is an intricate network, routers, hubs, and of course computers. There was a time when a business could do without these things, especially at the beginning of the computer age, but now things have changed rather drastically. A business simply cannot operate without a network, and with that in mind, it will of course need network support.

Network support can be obtained in many different ways. For one thing you could hire someone to help take care of the network. Even if you are well versed in computer networking, you probably should not be the one to take care of it. Business networks can be highly complex and if you spend all of your time working on that, then you will not be able to take care of the finer points of your business, most notably improving your bottom line and increasing profits.

You could of course just leave the network alone and pray it works, but even in a UNIX network, there is almost certainly going to be some form of issue or gremlin at some point down the line. Is this really something that you want to leave to chance? Most likely you won't, so you need to search for help. Help comes in the form of network support, and this is a service that is offered by many different companies.

A quick internet search will without a doubt pull up several dozen possibilities and you need to look through each and every one of them. See what types of features and services they offer, then narrow it down to the ones you like the most. Once you have done this, then it is time to interview them. Talk to them, find out who they are, and most importantly find out what they are capable of.

Once again you could try doing this yourself, but if you aren't an expert or simply don't have time, then you could find your entire network falling apart around you, which shouldn't be your goal in any case. When your network fails, your business is going to lose money, and depending on how long your network is down, you could find yourself going out of business. These are the risks you take when you fail to find professional network support, and that being the case it's just not something that you want to risk. So start searching for the right network support team to hire and keep your network running 100% of the time. Your business needs it, and so do you.

What You Need to Know About Document Scanners

By: Brian Offenberger

Over the years, there has been a growing need for scanning important business related documents and organizing them effectively. More companies are generating huge amounts of paperwork and are finding it more important than ever to move towards a paperless office.

Many organizations have chosen to employ document imaging experts that can scan your documents in a timely manner. This makes it much easier locating companies that offer exceptional solutions for your business. Your organization can have your files stored and captured. This would entail capturing both digital and non digital data information. There are many options for any organization because of the opportunity to choose the services needed such as installation, hardware, software, configuration and user training.

Preparing to have documents scanned can be very difficult for any company, large or small. The purpose of this service should be determined prior to making the final decision of having the company’s documents scanned. Whether the company is small, mid size or large they need to invest in a good quality document scanner that is suited to their scanning needs. The document scanner needs to be one that can fulfill the needs of the business. There are three types of scanning capabilities that are offered by most document imaging companies.

The high volume scanners offer a huge selection of time saving features. High volume scanners are also very fast and efficient. The scanners that operate at mid volume are for those companies that do not need a scanner that will operate nonstop around the clock. The low volume scanners are perfect for small businesses that need to scan documents here and there.

Renting a scanner may be an option that fits your business needs. This agreement is great for a company that has needs that are high at one point and very low at others. If your company does not have the desire or the means to secure a permanent piece of equipment, then renting may be an option. With most rental programs a company can rent a table top scanner or a large scanner. It all depends on the project or job that needs to be done. This process is great for companies that may have erratic levels of paperwork. Scanner rental can be a huge cost savings but only if you do not intend to use the scanner regularly.

Some document scanning companies also give their customers the opportunity to purchase pre-owned or demo equipment. In some cases a scanner that is factory re-certified may be found for resale. This is a great way for your business to save money. You are even offered the opportunity by some document scanning companies to help you sell your own equipment.

Whatever system you choose, the benefits of going to a paperless office far outweigh the costs and can be a great boon to any business. If you’re not sure which scanner is right for you, find a trustworthy sales representative that is trained to locate exactly what you are looking for.

How to Upgrade Your Laptop

By: Alison Brundle

Anyone into their technology has messed around with a computer at some stage. Desktop PCs, thanks to their size and design, are ideal for upgrading – new graphics boards, an upgraded motherboard or even something as simple as a flat screen rather than the traditional box. But laptops are a whole other story. Compact microcircuitry dissuades everyone but the most technologically savvy from undoing those screws and opening ‘Pandora’s Laptop’. Slotting in a new graphics or sound card into a laptop is not a simple matter of taking the case off and tricking up the insides of the computer. But there are things you can do to upgrade your laptop that don’t involve a degree in electronic engineering and a very steady hand with a soldering iron.

RAM – Giving your Laptop a Better Memory

Almost every laptop can be given a RAM upgrade, simply by opening a compartment on the bottom of the laptop and inserting a new memory stick. However, before buying a new stick of RAM, it is strongly advisable to check the manufacturer’s guidelines. Many manufacturers make RAM sticks for their own computers, but it is possible to buy ‘generic’ sticks that can fit a range of laptops. If you are unsure as to whether your memory stick is suitable for your laptop, check with the manufacturer.

Processor Power

Upgrading the processor is something that should be thought about carefully before you attempt it. Most modern laptops run dual-core processors, which have enough processing power to run almost any application, including processor-hungry ones like games and graphics programs. It is worth weighing up the cost and time involved in upgrading the processor against the net gain this would achieve. In most cases, the gain will be negligible, and as laptops use microcircuitry to cut down on weight and size, replacing the processor could be described as ‘fiddly’ at best!

Hard Disks

The internal hard disk of a computer is the beating heart of any machine, whether that’s a laptop or a desktop PC. While it is relatively easy to replace the hard disk on a PC, laptops are trickier. In laptops that do allow you to replace the hard disk, it is a relatively straightforward process, though again because of the constraints of size, a pretty fiddly job to do. A better option may be to go for an external hard drive to increase the capacity of your machine such as Firewire or USB drives. Although this might make your laptop bag bulge a little, it’s a cheaper and easier option.

That ‘b’ Word…

Batteries. The bane of all laptop owner’s lives. It is probably the one thing that everyone with a laptop will upgrade at some time, as batteries do have a finite lifespan (as in the number of times that they can be recharged and still hold enough charge to run your laptop for more than half an hour). The advice here is to ensure that any new battery you buy for your laptop is compatible with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

More of a Repair than an Upgrade

The other problem encountered by laptop owners on a regular basis is the ‘blank screen’. The laptop boots up but you’re left staring at a black screen. This usually means that the inverter has failed – one of laptops biggest generic weak spots. Inverters can be relatively easily replaced, but again, check with your manufacturer’s guidelines to ensure that you are buying the right inverter for your make and model.

Finally, consider that any upgrades you carry out on a new laptop may invalidate any manufacturer’s warranty, so check carefully before you start tricking up your laptop.

The Advantages of Using Windows 7 on New Laptops

By: Alison Brundle

Windows 7 was launched in a blaze of publicity, advertising a more ‘user-friendly’ system than its predecessor Vista. But many people found Vista and even XP more than adequate for their needs, so if you’re in the market for a new laptop, why should you think about buying one with the new Windows 7 operating system, rather than the tried and tested Vista or XP?

Future-proofing

Future-proofing is the new buzzword in technology. One of the most frustrating things for people using older machines or operating systems is the incompatibility problems that arise with the latest software systems. Microsoft have invested a huge amount of money and time developing Windows 7, which is why there has been such a delay between the launch of Vista and this latest upgrade. Because of the ‘understanding’ that many manufacturers who use Microsoft have with the company, the launch of Windows 7 is bound to herald a flurry of upgraded laptops designed to use Windows 7 as its primary operating system. So buying a laptop that has Vista or XP rather than Windows 7 could mean that future software designed to run on Windows 7 won’t run on Vista or XP operating systems.

However, if you only intend to use a laptop for web surfing, downloading media, emails and office documents such as Word or Excel, an older operating system could be just as effective as Windows 7. But with the wealth of new features available on Windows 7, it might be worth considering future-proofing yourself from the outset.

Upgrading – not Exactly Easy…

One of the biggest problems with upgrading is the limit imposed by the operating systems on just how easily you can upgrade to Windows 7 without having to do a clean install. That means wiping your hard drive and basically starting again. For Netbook users this presents a huge problem, as many Netbooks do not have CD ROMS, and to do a fresh install you need to be able to slot that operating system CD ROM into the computer.

To avoid all the hassle of clean installs, wiping your hard drive and future-proofing yourself against future upgrades, it’s wiser to start with Windows 7 as your standard operating system.

Security – a New Level

One of the biggest worries for laptop users is the security aspect. Because of their portability, laptops are an easy target for unscrupulous hackers, opportunist thieves or even industrial espionage. One of the primary new features on Windows 7 is an improved level of security, something that’ll make any laptop owner sleep a little better at night.

Windows 7 also offers better taskbar features, an improved version of Windows Explorer to make surfing the ‘Net easier and quicker and interface shortcuts that make it possible to run two applications side by side. For laptop owners with the advantage of dual core processing power, Windows 7 is tailor-made for laptop use. Microsoft have played it clever – they know full well that the market for laptops is a growing one, and Windows 7 is designed to grow with that market in tandem. By incorporating ideas that users actually want in an operating system, it may be some time before we see W8. So if you are thinking about buying a new laptop, it makes sense to get one with Windows 7 rather than the now considerably dated and troublesome Vista operating system.

Wireless Computing on the Go

By: Alison Brundle

Wi-Fi was probably one of the most revolutionary transitions in modern times. Before the advent of Wi-Fi or wireless computing technology, users were tethered to their desks, routing everything through a LAN line and restricted in where they used their faster and more powerful computing technology by how long their cables were. Wi-Fi changed all that. Suddenly, you had a mobile network that allowed people the freedom to roam and still connect to the Internet and their emails.

A Sociological Transformation

It is easy to underestimate the impact of wireless computing. It has become a common sight to see cafés full of people all connected up to a server, yet not a cable in sight. An entire business has grown up around wireless computing – the Internet café – that lets anyone, for a small charge, piggyback the establishment’s Wi-Fi connection and surf to their hearts content. It is even possible to connect wirelessly using a mobile phone – a situation that would have been unthinkable 25 years ago when you were lucky if you could connect to another phone number using the first mobile 'bricks’, let along the fledgling Internet.

It has released the constraints of an old system of doing business. But how does wireless computing actually work?

There are two types of what has become known as ‘wireless’ Internet – either connection through a router (your standard Wi-Fi) or through the mobile phone network. Wireless routers are the most common form of land based system, and are fundamentally a small connection box that allows a signal to be shared between several computers. Basically, computers ‘tap in’ to the signal, which can be made even easier by adding a wireless interface card. These usually come as standard with most new laptops, but can be bought as a separate add-on. USB routers and dongles also give anyone the power to be able to tap into any wireless signal, creating their own ‘access points’ through which the computer can send and receive network data.

Another key component of wireless computing is the actual hardware itself, namely the laptop. There is some contention as to who actually invented the concept of the laptop, but most cite Adam Osborne as the originator of the modern day laptop in 1981, although the ‘clam-shell’ design was attributed to William Moggridge and developed for GRiD Systems Corporation in 1979. It is difficult now to imagine life without laptops, yet it has only been a little over 30 years since their original conception. But probably the biggest influence on wireless computing was the development of WAP for mobile phones, allowing anyone to connect to the Internet using their mobile phone technology. Today, we feel short-changed if our mobile phone can’t connect to the Internet on demand, 24/7.
What future for wireless computing?

The question of wireless computing’s future is uncertain. Many believe that wireless computing has reached its full potential – we now have almost universal coverage thanks to a global satellite system creating a web across the world with very few ‘blind spots’. Smart phones are feature-rich and future-proofed to a certain extent, and laptops are smaller, lighter and more processor powerful than ever. The only area that can really see any form of development to enhance wireless computing is in the field of battery-life. The most up to date laptops and Netbooks can achieve up to nine hours on one battery, but after that you are still forced to tether up to a power source to keep your laptop running – hardly a ‘wireless’ situation by any stretch of the imagination. So for wireless computing to move to a new level and give us true autonomy and control about where and when we use our computers, manufacturers have to address the knotty problem of that infuriating ‘low battery’ symbol. Perhaps then we’ll have truly wireless computing on the go

Discover Ways To Extend Your Computer's Capabilities

By: Colon Bolden

Once your computer knowledge and confidence grows, you will be eager to expand your personal computer's capabilities. A wide range of devices is available that will make working with your computer even more interesting and enjoyable. Here are some extras that can be collected over time:

- Modems. One very important aspect of modems is never try to buy a used one. Because, how are you going to know if its actually going to work, and it could be also missing alot of instructions for installation and might not have the driver software CD that comes with it. A new modem will be more money, but the money you save getting a used modem is not worth the trouble when trying to install right or may wear out much sooner than a new one. Basically, there are two main types of modems. Internal modems are installed inside the system unit in one of the spare slots at the back. External modems sit outside your computer, on your desk, and plug into one of the serial ports at the back of the system unit. Once you have a model, you can connect to the internet, send emails, and send and receive faxes, using your computer as a fax machine.

- Scanners. The basic operation of the scanner is to read the image of the object placed on the scanner pane of optical reading feature which converts the analog code into digitized code. A scanner will transform your paper images and photo prints into graphic files that you can then edit and use on your PC. Flatbed scanners, in which you lay your images face down and a light-sensitive device passes undernealth, are the most versatile and affordable type of scanner. Buy a scanner with a resolution capability of atleast 300dpi.

- Digital Cameras. Digital cameras look similar to ordinary cameras, but take photographs without using any film. The picture is stored as a graphic file that you can transfer directly to your computer through a connection cord. Good quality cameras are quite expensive, but it's worth remembering that you won't need to buy film and get it developed, and you don't need a scanner. Care should be taken while transferring the files from your camera to your computers. Improper transferring may lead to short circuiting of your digital camera. Never try to disconnect your device while transferring files from your digital cameras to the computers.

- Joysticks. If you're a fan of computer games, a joystick is essential. Many home PCs come with their own joystick, but you can also buy joystick with extra feature buttons and better grips. They plug into a port in your system unit. The best joysticks are those that also provide feedback. It's also possible to buy steering wheels and pedals for driving games. If you have the opportunity, you should try to use the joystick in-store before purchasing it. If the joystick is uncomfortable or you are having to use too much force when maneuvering it in different directions, you should probably pass on that model of joystick because it may cause unnecessary wrist strain and leave you unable to have the fast reaction time that new computer age games require.

- Video Cameras. If you mount a small video camera on the top of your computer, you can conduct video conferences. These small cameras are also used for the WebCam sites on the internet. Bear in mind that video conferencing require a powerful PC, and without special high-speed phone lines, the picture can be jerky and the sound can stutter. Looking for the best video cameras often is successfully done with a few simple steps. Know your options in the marketplace and know what features will be important to you. Make sure you have a set price range. Take a look at the reviews as well as talking to people who have purchased and understand how to use a video camera.

- Microphones. They are available for common computer usage like recording a narration. Many computers come with a microphone in the accessories that come with it. Your accessory microphone may be alright to begin with but it probably will not be professional quality but should be ok because it all depends on what your needs are. But it is now possible to use a microphone in conjunction with speech-recognition software. This means that you don't have to type in anything you just have to say it. Unless you spend a long time teaching it to recognize your voice, it may give poor results.

Your added devices can also be bought to make the most of existing on-screen entertainments. The new generation of joysticks for instance, really take game playing to a new dimension. Like I mentioned earlier, you can have all these over time but you don't need to buy everything on the same shopping trip.

Computer Programs That Will Improve Your Computer Skills

By: Colon Bolden

The operating system which helps the elements of your personal computer interact, but it can't perform practical tasks such as letter writing and calculating your bills. For these jobs you need to use additional software called applications or programs which is designed to carry out specific tasks. Here are a few computer programs that will improve your skills:

- Microsoft Word. A powerful word processor that's able to produce written documents of all kinds, including letters, memos, newsletters and posters. You can create documents from scratch yourself or, for many types of document, you can use one of the program's Wizards or templates. The Wizards let you choose the content and how the document looks, while the templates have a preset layout.

- Excel. A spreadsheet program used for organizing and calculating numerical data. It is ideal for keeping track of all types of budgets and accounts. Like all spreadsheets, it takes the form of a grid containing cells into which you input figures and formulas to calculate the figures. Excel allows you to have several spreadsheets or worksheets within the same document, and to enter calculations using figures from each of the worksheets. This is particularly useful when organizing a major event that includes mini-projects.

- Outlook. A desktop information management program that contains an address book into which you can enter contact details for friends, family and business associates. Also has a diary and calendar that will help you to keep track of your current schedule and appointments. Outlook can also be used to send and receive email through the internet or through an internal company network.

- Powerpoint. This is most often used in business. It enables you to create presentations for conferences, company meetings and marketing projects. It helps your business to structure information efficiently and do graphics within your text. It even offers animation effects to maximize the impact of your presentations. You can also use powerpoint at home to make a computerized slide show for your friends and family.

It's always a good ideal to learn different computer programs because knowing what each program, especially in your bundled software package can do will help you decide which will be the most appropriate for the tasks you want to perform.

Fortunately, many people these days have discovered that the best way to learn new skills fast, is through the use of Video Lessons (whenever possible). By using new and improved Video Lessons, you will be able to Master Basic Computer Skills fast. You'll be able to see every step necessary to perform every task you need on your computer. You will drastically improve your learning ability by a hundred folds, if you use video tutorials to learn new skills, compared to someone who still insist on learning new skills from books only (the old fashion way). So many people who have already try learning new skills or learning Basic Computer Skills fast from books only, always end up not acquiring basic Computer Knowledge fast. This is because, the more you read, the more confused you'll become, as you try to understand so many things and terms at the same time. So many things or terms that you probably never heard of before.

Renting Computers and the Benefits

By: Adriana Noton

Renting computers is something that a lot of people have a lot of doubts about. Most of the time, people do not truly think about renting a computer as the computer being theirs and they do not realize any of the benefits of it. Well, that is what this article is going to explore, some of the benefits that surround renting computers and certainly how it can be used for your business or even for your home. We will also talk about how you can find a computer to rent and where you can find it.

Firstly, you need to get into your head that when you rent a computer, it is your computer for the allotted time frame that you have it. You can truly do anything you want to the computer while you have it, besides destroying it of course. You can save things to is and also use all of its features and different benefits. All of the computers that come back after being rented are reformatted, so there is no information on them.

However, if you do have a lot of information that you are saving to the computer that is sensitive and that you do not want anyone to see, you might want to use a thumb drive. This is just a quick way to transport the information from the rented computer to your own computer if you wanted.

Another benefit of renting over buying is that you do not have to worry about upgrading the computer or any of the hardware that might go inside the computer to expand the memory or the RAM. When renting, you are constantly getting the very best computer that you can get and use. That means you will never, ever have an outdated computer again, you will have the latest and greatest technology possible.

Laptops are also computers that can be rented and they are actually one of the most popular rented computers. The reason is because laptops are expensive and if you constantly have to replace your laptop, it can get costly. This is especially true if you do not use your laptop all that often, so renting is a better option a lot of the time.

Right about now, you are probably asking where you can rent yourself a computer or a laptop and that is not all that difficult to find. To be honest, many companies nowadays are offering up computer rentals because it is becoming so popular. There are also stores that are geared specifically toward the rental customer and there are many benefits of these kinds of stores.

For one, you can actually pay your computer off little by little and when you are renting computers that is an awesome benefit. A lot of rental places where you can pick up a computer allow you to pay week by week as well, so you do not have to save up a huge chunk of money at one time, which is certainly a benefit in this day and age.

The cost of computers is constantly growing and increasing, so when you are renting computers, you can pay over time, which is certainly a great benefit!

How to Find the Right Chipset Drivers

By: Charles Carvist

In brief, the chipset drivers are small software programs that help the main board of a computer to work properly. All the chipsets need exactly the driver designed for them so they can interact with the operating system. In a more usual language, the driver is translating the flows of directions between the operating system and the chipset. If the translator is missing or is not working, then the operating system cannot understand what the chipset is saying.

The importance of a chipset driver is very high, if it has problems functioning, then everything else that is connected to it will have problems. An essential thing that everyone has to acknowledge is the diversity of existing drivers. Practically, every piece of hardware has a specific driver, which in turn can be divided into different versions. As there are different operating systems, each has its own set of drivers.

A useful thing that you need to know is that new versions of the existing drivers appear all the time and it is a good idea to update regularly so you will not encounter any problems. New versions are needed either to fix new problems or to add specific new things. So you should always keep searching for new versions.

Next, you can discover some easy steps on how you can find a driver for your new chipset or to update the one you already have. If you ever had troubles finding the right driver or you are new to this field, follow on:

- The first step in finding the best driver for your chipset is to know what you are searching for. The way to do this is by reading the information provided by the supplier of the hardware. It is written on the manual, on the packaging, or even on the chipset itself. If the information is not present, the solution would be to get a program that automatically identifies what you need.

- The second step in finding your driver is to start searching the web by using the data you acquired, and for this you should use your favorite search website. From the results, choose the one that has the best answer. If the company that produces the software is listed, you should try there first. If not, there usually are websites dedicated especially for driver download.

- If you cannot find a solution in the previous steps, you should try to connect with those who made the hardware. If you can provide a proof or a license for your product, most of the times they will provide you with a driver or they will direct you to where you can find one.

If you take the time to go through these recommendations, you should be able to come up with the perfect driver for you. The installation or update of the chipset drivers is usually pretty easy, as there are instructions on how to do that. If the process is completed, you will rest assure that your computer will continue to work.

My Computer Starts Slowly - The DIY Approach to Better Performance

By: Larry Donaldson

Most of us these days love the do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to building, making, fixing, altering anything. There is something very empowering about the DIY approach to life. It offers us a certain sense of empowerment - giving us the feeling that we can do or fix almost anything in our daily lives that we may need or want.

And, there are plenty of companies these days willing to help each of us make that a reality. There are stores for helping you make your own home repairs and improvements. You can change your own automobile oil. You can assemble your own furniture and toys. You can even do maintenance on your own personal computer.

DIY Tune-Ups on Your Personal Computer

When it comes to computers, even the non-technical among us can perform simple DIY-style maintenance and repair work. For example, we can use canned air to spray-clean dust and other particles out of our keyboards or computer case. We can run some built-in utilities like disk defragmenter and disk cleanup in order to improve hard drive efficiency. We can empty our "recycle bin" full of unused files, thereby freeing up room on the hard drive. The slightly better-trained among us may even new memory or replace our processor when it becomes outdated.

My Computer Starts Slowly - What to Do

One commonly-experienced computer problem that does not seem to always have an easy DIY fix is that of a super-slow startup. If you are saying to yourself almost every day, "My computer starts slow," it means that the problem is serious enough to warrant a fix. If your computer is taking more than 2-3 minutes to start up, it is starting too slowly.

The reason why slow computer startups are so frustrating is that when you want to use your computer, you want to use it NOW. Nobody wants to have to wait for the computer to get going just to be able to use it.

What Happens at Computer Startup

To understand why computers sometimes take too long to start up, it is important to get a handle on what happens during startup. The basic process that occurs during startup is:

a. the system is supplied with power

b. the operating system is loaded into the computer's RAM (memory)

c. hardware is connected and made operational

d. any applications that are set to "run at startup" are launched

Why Some Computers Start Up Slowly

Your computer is starting up slowly for one or both of the following reasons. The first reason is that you have too many applications set to run at startup. Over time, most of us install more and more applications onto our computer. Many of them, unbeknownst to us, are set to launch at computer startup. Your computer may be currently launched 10, 20, 30 or more computers at startup. If this is the case with your computer, disable all of the unneeded programs that launch at startup.

The second reason has to do with something called your computer registry. This is a database that acts as a control mechanism for your computer. The registry operates at a level just below that of your operating system (OS) and hardware. It records all of the personal settings and other control features for your OS. The trouble is, over time, every computer registry starts to accumulate a lot of invalid "registry keys" (the files that make up your registry). Having too many invalid or incorrect registry keys can slow the performance of your computer during and even after startup.

How to Fix Your Computer Registry

You can run a reputable registry scan software application that will identify how many registry errors your computer currently has. If more than 20 registry errors are found, you should run the registry fix utility built into the software. This will remove or "clean" the invalid registry keys, helping restore your computer to its previous, faster startup times.

Try these DIY approaches to shortening your computer's startup time.

How to Find the Right Driver Download

By: Charles Carvist

Drivers are essentially a set of instructions that your computer needs to operate hardware, another description is a piece of software that determines how your computer will communicate with a device. If you are not familiar with drivers or a driver download then the following information will help you.

Most hardware devices require a driver in order to operate properly. If you buy a computer brand new, it will already have all the required hardware drivers installed, also your computer should come with a disc containing the drivers.

When you purchase a new piece of hardware, for example a sound card or a printer, it will come with a CD containing the drivers for the device. These drivers are specific to the make and model of your hardware.

Some devices do not come supplied with a driver disc, this could be because the drivers may be an intrinsic property of the device, this means any drivers required are on the hardware. An example is a mobile broadband USB stick. Once the stick is inserted into a USB port, its drivers will auto run and automatically install. It only takes a couple of clicks to confirm where you want the drivers installed, and your new device is ready for use.

Hardware like CD drives and hard drives are simple plug and play, no additional drivers are required. Some gadgets like mp3 players and cell phones come supplied with a driver disc, in many cases your mp3 player or cell phone can be used on your computer without installing any drivers. You may be limited to what functions you can perform. You will be able to perform basic operations like moving music files and pictures etc. But for more in depth activities such as synchronising your device you will need to install the drivers supplied.

There will no doubt come a time when you will need to download a driver. If you take your time to look around the internet you will probably find the driver you need for free. There are hundreds of sites that will let you download drivers for free.

But many sites out there will charge you for downloading drivers. Before paying for drivers always visit the manufacturer web site. Very often they will have drivers for all of their products available for free. When using a search engine to locate the file you want, remember to be specific in your search term. With so many drivers available and probably several different models of your device, it is very easy to download the wrong
one.

If you have exhausted every option and still cannot get your driver for free and your only option is to pay for it, then be sure it is the exact driver you need. Remember drivers are specific to the hardware, if you download the wrong one you will not get a refund, so be careful.

Some manufactures provide updated drivers for your device, these updates can come available some time after you purchased the equipment. So it is always worth checking on their web site for any driver download updates available.