Laptop,Computer,Problem and Solution

Microsoft provides a hotfix to re-establish Internet and wireless connections lost by XP SP3 update

2009-03-23T02:20:00.000-07:00

June 27, 2008. - Microsoft has made a hotfix available for the loss of Internet and wireless network connections reported in mid-May by users who installed the Windows XP SP3 update. The bug empties the Windows Device Driver and deletes network connections. Most of the affected computers use Symantec security software.

Microsoft has not yet begun providing Windows XP SP3 as an automatic update via Windows Update. PCs that have particular security software installed could be prevented from receiving the update in the same way as Microsoft has prevented systems with certain AMD processors from receiving SP3 in order not to install a bug that causes an endless reboot problem.

Click here! to read an article on the endless reboot problem.

Click here! to download the hotfix for the Internet/wireless network bug from Microsoft's site.

Chrome, Google's new web browser, also runs web-based software

2009-03-23T02:09:00.000-07:00

September 2, 2008. - A beta (test) version of Google's new open-source browser, Chrome, was made available as a download today. Several industry observers have seen the new browser more as a weapon aimed at killing Microsoft's Windows operating system than as a challenge to the major web browsers. In short, as an attempt by Google to take the running of software applications to the Internet instead of using an operating system to run them. If software applications can be run from the web, a free operating system, such as Linux, can run the computer, and the paid-for Windows that increases its hardware requirements relentlessly with each new incarnation, will be history.

According to Google, Chrome has a new JavaScript engine (not to be confused with the Java Platform that runs web applications) that can power web applications better and faster than other browsers. Google Gears, which provides offline access to and local storage for web applications, is included as part of the new browser. However, if you visit a site that requires the Java Platform to run an application, the message "No plugin available to display this content" appears instead of the content. A plugin may be available, but I was unable to find any way to install Java.

The Chrome beta can be downloaded from http://www.google.com/chrome.

Google sees new browser displacing desktop software -

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0232438620080903

The following link provides continuously updated coverage of Chrome.

Continuing coverage: Google's Chrome browser -

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?...

Which to buy - a 32-bit or 64-bit PC?

2009-03-23T02:06:00.000-07:00

There is now so much choice in the components installed in a desktop or laptop pc, it can be so confusing to buyers that they just make a choice on purely on price or the advice of vendors - advice that more often than not is provided by people who don't know what they are talking about.

To add to the confusion, you can have a 32-bit system or a 64-bit system. The PC's processor can be a 32-bit processor or a 64-bit processor, and the operating system, which is usually a version of Windows can be a 32-bit or a 64-bit version.

All of the latest processors from the two major manufacturers - AMD and Intel - are 64-bit and will run a 32-bit or a 64-bit operating system (Windows, Linux, Apple OS X). Note that a 32-bit processor cannot run 64-bit software, so it must use a 32-bit operating system.

If you're the average user whose computing needs don't require more than 3.2GB of RAM memory, the limit of a 32-bit operating system, that choice will do just fine. It is compatible with almost all software applications, and compatible hardware device drivers are easily available.

64-bit operating systems will one day be the norm as 32-bit systems are now. However, you should only choose a 64-bit system if the programs you plan to use in the future require a 64-bit system, or more than 3.2GB of RAM memory (i.e., you use 3D-rendering software, intense graphics, etc.). Otherwise, there are currently more drawbacks to running a 64-bit system than there are advantages. The non-availability of 64-bit device drivers for peripherals such as printers, routers, scanners etc., is the major drawback. A 64-bit operating system cannot use 32-bit device drivers, they must all be 64-bit. Note well that although a 64-bit processor can run both 32-bit and 64-bit software, a 64-bit operating system can only run 64-bit software, so your old 32-bit applications will have to be upgraded to their 64-bit versions.

The typical computer user is unlikely to notice any gain in performance from a 64-bit system. Visit the Using Windows Vista for more information on the 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. Only Windows XP Professional Edition has a 64-bit version; Windows XP Home Edition is only available in a 32-bit version.

More information on the 64-bit versions of Windows XP/Vista is provided further down this page.

Office suites/free deskop publishing software

2009-03-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

Most PC users use an office suite. Therefore, they would like to have one preinstalled on a new PC. However, not many new PC s come with the most popular office suite, MS Office, preinstalled unless it is chosen as an optional extra that is paid for. It is done that way in order to keep the cost of PCs as low as possible as the best way of selling them. If you need an office suite and don't want to pay for it, you can use the excellent OpenOffice suite from http://www.openoffice.org/ that has a wordprocessor, spreadsheet, database and presentational application.

If you are a home user, Office 2007 Home & Student Edition, which contains Word (wordprocessor), Excel (spreadsheet), Powerpoint (presentational program) and OneNote (an application for organising notes and important information), is currently (May 2008) available from amazon.co.uk for only £79 (click the link to go to its page). Any home user or student can buy a copy and it comes with three licences, enabling it to be installed on three PCs. It requires product activation, so any PC you install it on should be online. If you are not online, you will have to phone Microsoft for an activation code. If the software is not activated, after 30 days it can only be used to go online for activation.

Here are two free desktop publishing applications:

Scribus Open Source Desktop Publishing - http://www.scribus.net/

Serif PagePlus -

http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/PagePlus/default.asp

To locate reviews of office suites or desktop publishing software, you can enter those words in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).

Intel's new Socket LGA1366 Core i7 quad-core processors due out later this month

2009-03-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

November 5, 2008. - The latest quad-core processor chip from Intel, code-named Nehalem and officially named Core i7, is aimed at high-end desktop PCs for power users and PC gamers. Unlike the Core2 Quad quad-core processors, which are really two dual-core processors connected together, the new processors, like all of AMD's quad-core processors, have four individual cores connected together.

The new processors feature a turbo mode that is not like the turbo mode button found on computers during the 1980s. The turbo mode of Core i7 processors works automatically and results in increased single-core performance when all of the cores are not in use, achieving higher single-core performance.

Instead of the Front Side Bus (FSB) that PCs have been using for decades, the new processors use the new QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) technology to communicate with the motherboard's Northbridge chip.

For the first time, Intel has integrated the memory controller into the processor, which AMD processors have had for several years. Because the new processors have a new socket (Socket LGA1366), use DDR3 RAM memory, and use an integrated memory controller and other new technology, the motherboards that run Core 2 processors are not compatible with the motherboards that run Core i7 processors and vice versa. A processor cooler is included with the retail boxed product.

When Intel launches the range of Core i7 processors officially later this month, several PC manufacturers will begin shipping desktop PCs that run them. The company has been making the new processors available to hardware vendors and websites since September. Test reports are very favourable, describing the performance as blazingly, blindingly and blisteringly fast. However, there is next to no information available on the new processors on Intel's website. That should change after the official release.

Eight-core Core i7 processors and two-core and four-core models for laptop/notebook PCs are expected to be made available in the second half of 2009. Three Core i7 models are to be released initially - the Core i7 920 (2.66 GHz), the Core i7 940 (2.93GHz), and the Core i7 965 Extreme (3.20 GHz).

Intel's new Socket LGA1366 Core i7 quad core desktop PC processors are now available

2009-03-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

November 18, 2008. - Intel has released three of its new Socket LGA1366 quad-core processors. Here is a good review:

Intel Core i7 - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/233892/intel-core-i7.html

And here is the information on the new processors on Intel's website:

Intel® Core™ i7 Processor -

http://www.intel.com/products/processor/corei7/...

The major motherboard manufacturers have brought out motherboards that support the new Intel desktop PC processors.

Asus - http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=179

MSI - http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php...

Gigabyte - http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/...

User manuals are available from all three of those manufacturers, so you can download copies and have a look at what is on offer. The manuals are usually in the form of PDF documents that require a PDF reader, such as the free Foxit Reader.

Intel's new Core i7 quad-core processors - update

2009-03-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

December 5, 2008. - Intel has released three of its new Socket LGA1366 quad-core Core i7 processors.

The new processors, which are built using the latest 45nm fabrication process, differ in several significant ways from Intel's Core 2 Duo dual-core and Core 2 Quad quad-core processors. The traditional frontside bus that links the processor to the RAM memory on the motherboard has been replaced by the new QuickPath interface - a memory controller built into the processor, which operates in a similar way to the HyperTransport memory controller that has been built into AMD processors for several years. Unfortunately, QuickPath only supports the latest DDR3 RAM memory, so you won't be able to reuse any DDR2 memory that you may have. Moreover, the DDR3 memory can be run in triple-channel mode instead of the dual-channel mode that AMD's processors support. This means that instead of using two memory modules in conjunction, as is the case with dual-channel mode, three modules of the same capacity and type can be run from the controller at the same time in order to increase performance. For this reason, Socket 1366 motherboards have six memory slots so that two sets of three modules can be run in triple-channel mode.

As with the Core 2 Quad range of processors, all of the Core i7 processors have four processor cores (in effect four processors housed in a single unit), which makes running multiple applications easy, because each application can have its own core processing it. Moreover, all of the Core i7 processors also use Hyper-Threading Technology that was introduced by Intel's Pentium 4 processors. Using it, each core can process two threads of information at the same time, in effect adding four virtual cores, which boosts performance significantly, but does not double it.

All of the Core i7 processors have 256KB of Level 2 (L2) cache for each core, which share 8MB of Level 3 (L3) cache.

Despite using the same 45nm fabrication process as the latest Core 2 Quad processors, the new Core i7 quad-core processors have a higher power requirement (130W) compared to that of the Core 2 Quad processors (95W), which means that a bigger heatsink-and- fan unit is required to keep the processor cool, which, in turn, means a noisier PC.

Computer Shopper reviewed the Core i7 920, which runs at 2.66GHz, in issue 251. It was only give a a two-star rating due to the high cost of DDR3 memory and the motherboards that run them, plus the fact that the prototype system Computer Shopper used had a lower benchmark performance than an equivalent Core 2 Quad Q9550 processor. The advice given was not to rush out and buy Core i7 until finalised motherboards and updated drivers can be used to put them to the test.

Web users are urged not to use Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser until a major security flaw has been fixed

2009-03-16T12:59:00.001-07:00

December 16, 2008. - Microsoft admitted today that more than two million computers, mainly in China, have been infected via a major security flaw in the company's Internet Explorer web browser, by compromised websites, also mainly located in China.

Microsoft says that so far only attacks against Internet Explorer 7 have been found, and warned that other versions of the browser are "potentially vulnerable".

Many security experts are advising users of the browser to use other browsers, such as Firefox, Opera, Google's Chrome and Safari, until Microsoft issues a patch. However, since I only visit secure websites that I trust and use all the time, the discovery doesn't worry me. It should only be of concern to web surfers who visit random sites by following links to sites that are not well-known and trusted.

Apparently, the security flaw allows criminals to take over computers and steal passwords if the user visits an infected website, most of which are in China and therefore not likely to be a threat to western web users.

Microsoft's John Curran, said the company is working around the clock to fix the problem and stressed that "What we have seen in terms of infection is this is 0.2 per cent of Internet Explorer users."

Microsoft will no doubt be making an emergency patch for the vulnerability available soon. Users of Windows XP and Windows Vista who have Automatic Updates (XP) and Windows Update (Vista) set to download and install updates automatically don't need to take any action unless they want to visit the Microsoft Update site every day to see if the patch is available. The site examines your computer and tells you if there are any patches or updates missing from it.

Update: the patch for said vulnerability was made available today at 18:00 (Wednesday, 17 December, 2008). Computers that are set to install updates automatically should have it installed today. Visit Microsoft Update if you want that site to install it.

Microsoft's Security Bulletin for December 2008

December 10, 2008. - Today is Patch Tuesday. There are 8 new security updates for December 2008, rated Critical or Important. A critical update usually patches code that allows remote code execution that allows unauthorised access to a computer or network from the Internet. The details of the Microsoft software that the updates affect are too complex to summarise here this month. Microsoft has also not summarised it.

If you have Automatic Updates (Windows XP), and Windows Update (Windows Vista) enabled in the Control Panel to install the updates, or inform you of their availability so that you can choose when to download and install them, you need take no other action to install them. However, there might be a delay between the announcement today and when they are made available for automatic download. If that is the case and you want to install them immediately, you can make use of a download facility on the following page that also provides access to the details of the updates. -

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms08-dec.mspx

The technical details of every released security update to date can be found on this page:

Microsoft Security Bulletin Search -

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/current.aspx

Visit the following page if an update refuses to install and keeps being announced as being available to install. You can download and install any particular update manually from there. Scroll down the page for the update links.

Windows service packs & updates for Windows XP and Windows Vista -

http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/index.html

When run, the Belarc Advisor, under FREE DOWNLOAD on http://www.belarc.com/, tells you if your computer has all of the available updates installed. It also provides a System Security Status report that gives your computer a security rating out of 10, created by the benchmark tests of the Center for Internet Security (CIS), which is at http://www.cisecurity.org/, not the cisecurity.com links provided in the Belarc Advisor.

Sony's new mini PC may not be a netbook at all

2009-03-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

We all know that Sony is supposed to be hitting us with its first netbook Vaio PC at CES next month but, amid the various teases, leaks and rumours, how much is clear?

The latest sighting of the machine comes on a Japanese Sony website, which shows a female model slipping it into her handbag. It appears to use a longer design than is common on current netbooks, lending credence to the notion that it will be different in a very Sony way.

Windows Vista

Moreover, a combination of information gleamed from a US regulatory filing and some smart guesswork leads us to conclude that the new computer may not be the low-end model many think it will be.

We already know the processor will be Intel made and that it will run at 1.33GHz. However, the fact that the flavour of Windows on offer is Vista means we're not talking about an Atom chip.

Expensive option

Instead, as Network World says, it's likely to be a more expensive Core2Duo in order to handle the demands of Windows Vista. That's currently almost £170 more expensive to computer manufacturers than the Atom, so the implications for the cost to the end user are obvious.

That and the longer body that allows for a bigger keyboard almost certainly means come 8 January we'll be looking at a powerful computer in a netbook-sized package. For now, however, we'll just have to wait and see.

Information (9) Sony VAIO brand

2009-03-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

Sony is expanding the use of the VAIO label. It can now be found on notebooks, subnotebooks, desktop, media centres, and a hard-disk-based audio player that comes in both 20GB and 40GB variations (called VAIO POCKET player). Network media solutions by Sony will also carry the VAIO brand.

VAIO notebooks are usually shipped with Microsoft Windows Vista Business (Business line) or Windows Vista Home Premium, with the highest end of the AR series spec being the exception, coming with Windows Vista Ultimate.

In mid-2005, all models stopped shipping with a Recovery CD, which was replaced by a hidden partition on the hard drive, accessible at boot via the BIOS or also within Windows via a utility. The partition allows the user to either reimage his hard drive to factory state, or to create recovery media. VAIO users are prompted to create a set of recovery CDs or DVDs as part of the out-of-box experience, along with a prompt to register at My Club Vaio, an internet forum for VAIO users which also provides automatic driver updates and technical support via email, along with exclusive desktop wallpapers and promotional offers.

On recent models, you are also prompted to register your trial versions of Microsoft Office and Norton Anti-Virus upon initial boot. However, Norton is being replaced with McAfee Antivirus on the newest models.

VAIO computers come with components from companies such as Intel processors, Seagate Technology, Fujitsu or Toshiba hard drives, Infineon RAM, Atheros and Intel wireless chipsets, Sony (usually made by Hitachi) or Matsushita optical drives, Intel or NVIDIA graphics processors and Sony speakers. Recent laptops are being shipped with Qimonda RAM, HP speakers with Realtek High Definition Audio Systems, optional Dolby Sound Room technology.

The VAIO brand holds many unique technologies to its name. Some of these are:

Some Sony VAIO models come with Sony's proprietary XBRITE (also named as ClearBright in Japan and Asia-Pacific region) displays. The first model that introduce this feature is the VAIO TR series. It is also the first consumer product to utilize such technology. It is a combination of smooth screen, anti-reflection (AR) coating and high-efficiency lens sheet. Sony claims that the smooth finish provides a sharper screen display, the AR coating prevents external light from scattering when it hits the screen, and the high-efficiency lens sheet provides 1.5 times the brightness improvement over traditional LCD designs, while also extending battery life due to less usage of the LCD backlight. The technology was pioneered by Sony engineer Masaaki Nakagawa, who is in charge of the VAIO TR development. More information can be found here:

The TX series introduced in September 2005 was the first notebook to implement an LED back-lit screen, which provides lower power consumption and greater color reproduction. This technology has been widely adopted by many other notebook manufacturers now. It was also the first to use a 16:9 aspect ratio screen with 1366x768 resolution.

The SZ series was the first to use switchable graphics, integrated Intel and discrete Nvidia graphics. The former could be used for less power consumption and greater battery life whereas the latter would be used when greater graphics processing power was needed. A switch is used to toggle between the graphics but required a cold-boot. The Z series has recently replaced the SZ series but does not require a restart of the system to change graphic modes, it can be done on the fly. This feature has subsequently been used by other manufacturers, including Asus and Alienware.

The high-end AR Series VAIOs were the first to incorporate a Blu-ray Disc burner. This series was designed to be the epitome of high-definition products including a 1080p capable WUXGA (1920 × 1200 pixels) screen, HDMI output and the aforementioned Blu-ray burner. The AR series also include an illuminated logo below the screen. Blu-Ray/HDMI capable models have been the subject of intense promotion since mid-2007, selling with a variety of bundled Blu-Ray discs.
WinDVD BD for VAIO, the Blu-Ray disc playing software for VAIO BD notebooks, running in Windows Vista Home Premium

Another recent addition to the VAIO series is the TZ model. This new design features a 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD) for rapid boot-ups, quicker application launches and greater durability. If selected, a 250GB Hard Drive may also be included in place of the built-in CD/DVD drive to provide room for additional storage. For security this model includes biometric fingerprint sensor and Trusted Platform Module. The TZ offers a Built-in highly miniaturized MOTION EYE camera built into the LCD panel for video conferencing. Additional features include the XBRITE LCD, integrated Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN) technology and Bluetooth technology.

A selection of media centers were added to the VAIO range in 2006. These monitorless units (identified by a product code prefixed by VGX rather than VGN) are designed to be part of a home entertainment system, which typically take input from a TV tuner card, and output video via HDMI or composite video connection to an ideally high-definition television. This range so far includes the XL and TP lines. The VGX-TP line is rather visually unique, featuring a circular, 'biscuit-tin' style design with most features obscured behind panels, rather than the traditional set-top box design.

The VAIO line also features a series of desktop computers, which incorporate motherboard and widescreen LCD monitor into a single unit (in a manner similar to the more recent models of Apple's iMac series). These are identified by VGC in the product code.

Bundled software

Sony has been criticized for loading its VAIO laptops with bloatware, or software that supposedly allows the user to immediately use the laptop for multimedia purposes. Sony forces users to install software such as AOL, Norton, SonicStage, Napster and Roxio, among countless "free trials" and intrusive advertisements. Dell had been accused of the same practice, but after strong customer feedback agreed to offer "limited" pre-installed software on its machines.[1]. The default webcam software in VAIO notebooks is ArcSoft WebCam Companion. It offers a set of special effects called Magic-i visual effects, through which users can enhance the images and videos taken through the webcam. It also features the face detection feature. Certain other Sony proprietary software such as Click to Disc Editor, VAIO Music Box, VAIO Movie Story, VAIO Media Plus are also included in the recent models. Those shipped with ATI Radeon Video cards feature the Catalyst Control Center, which enables the user to adjust the various video features such as brightness, contrast, resolution etc, and also enables connecting with an external display.

Current models

Consumer Laptops

* AW Series - Flagship 18.4" High-end multimedia machine, with 1080P resolution screen and SSD options. Replaces AR series.

* FW Series - The world's first 16.4" notebook, features Blu-ray Disc burner.

* FZ Series - A 15.4" notebook, features Blu-ray Disc burner in high end model. Marketed as the ultimate HD entertainment notebook with HD LCD screen in all the models.

* CR Series - New 14" successor of the C series. Marketed as a 'lifestyle' laptop ("Whether you're studying at the coffee shop or out on the town with friends, the VAIO CR has the head-turning looks to get you noticed"), available in red, blue, pink or white. Sony were one of the first manufacturers to offer notebook computers in multiple colours - a feature later offered by, most notably, Dell, who produced a series of TV advertisements in mid-2008 stressing this feature[citation needed].

* NR Series- 15.4" Entry level Vista laptop for home users

Professional Laptops

* TZ Series- Ultra portable 11.1" professional notebook (1.2kg)
* TT Series-Ultra portable 11.1" professional notebook

It is a new update to the Sony TZ series. It is the smallest laptop to accommodate a Blu-ray Disc drive at 11 inches. It features the new Intel Centrino 2 chip. It will be officially shipped in November.

* Z Series - 13.1" Ultra portable, featuring a WXGA++ display with a 1600 x 900 resolution and integrated WWAN. (Replaces the high-end models of the SZ Series.)
* SR Series - 13.3" Ultra portable, aimed at young professionals for home and business use. (Replaces the low-end models of the SZ Series.)
* BZ Series - Robust business notebooks with Trusted Platform Module and biometric fingerprint security technology. (Replaces the BX Series.)

Heat problems

On September 4th, 2008, Sony announced a worldwide voluntary product inspection and rework program for TZ-series notebook computers manufactured since June 2007. All model numbers beginning with VGN-TZ1 and VGN-TZ2 were eligible, along with some VGN-TZ3 notebooks. The issue involves "a limited number of units" which could potentially "generate heat around the DC jack inlet and frame of LCD screen, which creates the potential of deformation of the plastic casing"[11]. In the United States, the service offered is generally on-site, whilst in the rest of the world the service typically involves collection of the notebook by a courier, often DHL, for servicing in a Sony repair centre. ChannelWeb reports 100,000 have been recalled.

Desktops/Digital Home

* L Series- 19" (LM Series) and 22" (LT Series) All-in-one

* TP Series - Mini PC

* RM Series - HD Workstation

* HS Series - Home Server.

Nearly all Sony VAIO computers have hardware virtualization technology (VT) disabled,[15] the exception being the new BZ range, which uses an Aptio BIOS by American Megatrends, rather than the customized Phoenix BIOS common on older models. The feature can be re-enabled by booting from a DOS disk and manually modifying the BIOS, but it is a relatively advanced and technical task.

The Q2 2008 models (SR, FW, BZ, and Z-series) have all incorporated a cylindrical spine, with no ports on the back of the computer. Generally, the AC adapter port is located on one end of the cylindrical spine, and the power button on the other.

Released in late 2008, the HS series are a fully-featured DLNA Certified media server. It is similar to the TP series in looks, albeit slightly smaller. The main differences from the rest of the VAIO range are that, surprisingly, it runs a VAIO-specific version of Linux rather than the standard Microsoft Windows products, and that it has no video output of its own, so must be accessed via a client machine over a network.

Information (8) What makes Laptops / Notebooks so useful?

2009-03-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

A modern laptop can function as :
An All In One Computer
A Small Business Computer

Laptops or notebooks are increasing in popularity day by day. Now your office workers need not waste valuable time in their cubicles viewing or updating data when they could be out on the field engaging in marketing or other business activities. These workers can view and create business reports, update inventory, take orders right from their customer locations using their laptops or notebooks.

Laptops enable you to be connected all the time from any location via the internet. This is ideal for business travellers. You can use a laptop without electrical power for several hours due to the powerful batteries that laptops and notebooks come equipped with. Also most laptops today come equipped with wireless capabilities. So you can connect to many external devices such as modems, printers, etc... without creating a mess of wires. Laptops and notebooks come in different sizes and if size and weight are a great concern for you then you can opt for an ultra small and very light weight laptop.

The great appeal for laptops today lies in their portability, lower costs and superior processing power compared to earlier versions of laptops. Now even small sized business can afford to equip all their employees with laptops without incurring a heavy cost.

The new low cost laptops are strong and can be fitted in back packs by holiday makers who may want to blog about their adventures while relaxing on the beach. The very cheap laptops, like the ASUS EEE PC, make basic laptop computing including multimedia (listening to music, downloading and watching movies, chatting), working with office tools (such as word processors and spreadsheets) accessible to school and college kids. The new flash drives used in these laptops and notebooks ensure that their will be no data loss even when used in rough environments by school students!

In other words, today a huge range of laptops and notebooks are available to suit all kinds of people (businesses big and small, holiday makers, students, home users requiring basic use to powerful gaming laptops, etc...) and budgets.

When you buy a laptop remember that the computing or processing power of the laptop mainly depends on :
the processor (for example the intel dual core processors are the faster than the earlier intel pentium processors)
The more RAM (memory) your laptop has the better will be its performance
A larger hard disk capacity will allow you to store much more information. (If you plan to store music, videos and other multimedia try and get as much storage capacity as possible)

Their is no end to the list of useful accessories that you can add to a laptop. Most external devices are attached via USB ports. So ensure that your laptop has adequate USB connectivity. Most laptops today are WI-FI enabled. This enables you to operate in wireless mode.

Laptop computer has some problem and solution (4)

2009-03-15T00:40:00.000-07:00

no power
Q: i have a dell latitude laptop and it will not come on i changed the battery and the power pack ...
A: it could be that the motherboard is out, but it could be the jack where the AC adapter plugs into ...

USB data cable for cell...killed my thinkpad
Q: Ok i have an IBM Thinkpad R51 running XP sp2. My phone is an LGVX8100. My friend brought me a data ...
A: look closely at the USB connector on your laptop that you plugged it into. More specifically, look ...

problem starting laptop
Q: i have had my medion laptop for about 2 years and have never had any problems, however i tried to ...
A: Normally when this occurs its actually Windows telling you there is a problem with Windows. Either ...

Laptop & working away from home
Q: and would like to know how and if I can use it to access the Internet away from home. If I take it ...
A: sorry about the late reply. Right here are the basics :) If you have a dial up account with AOL ...

my laptop is acting strange
Q: recently my dell laptop was working fine. i turned it on and left it on the desktop i came bak ...
A: if you left your machine alone and it locked itself, went into powersaving mode or something else ...

Gateway laptops
Q: I have a gateway laptop purchased in 2004?+-. I have been having power issues with it and am now ...
A: No problem! According to the manual, it will run on either AC or battery, like most all laptops. ...

IBM T41 Bios Problem
Q: I was upgrading the bios when I had a power outage. When the computer boots now it's asking me for a ...
A: sorry about the late reply. Narghh i used to remember the default passwords off by heart for these ...

My HDD
Q: I just bought a Lenovo T61 laptop with Windows Vista business. My problem is when I turn it on, ...
A: Well, a gig of ram should be enough to run it. You said you just bought it, I take it that means ...

Sony Vaio Laptop vgn-fs920 running slow
Q: I have a sony vaio laptop. it is a vgn-fs920. it is my first computer and i really not very good ...
A: sorry about the late reply. Well it can be several things but even if you do run the processes you ...

laptop display issues
Q: I am experiencing some issues with my Dell Inspiron 6000's display (6000D it actually says on the ...
A: I would suspect the inverter, or the cable connecting it to the motherboard because of the opening ...

laptop battery
Q: I have an HP Compaq nx7400 notebook computer. The battery capacity has gone from 4 hours to less ...
A: sorry about the late reply. Laptop Batteries are no different from recharable batteries you can buy ...

Compaq laptop won't run unless plugged in
Q: I have a Compaq Presario laptop that's about two years old. For a long time it worked whether ...
A: sorry about the late reply. Batteries can be odd things. Its charge point may read 100% but only ...

white screen laptop
Q: It seems I have the same problem as Akonar. i have a Asus laptop who sometime just falls out with a ...
A: Sounds like your inverter is running your backlighting at full force. If that's what's happening the ...

Initiate a file transfer
Q: I am trying to upload a billing file to Medicare. I need to chose an upload option. The options are ...
A: Wow David, I haven't heard anything about that type of transfer protocol in over a decade! I'll try ...

white screen laptop
Q: It seems I have the same problem as Akonar. i have a Asus laptop who sometime just falls out with a ...
A: this sure sounds like an overheating problem, but it seems odd that it would still work on a regular ...

nc6000 laptop battery problem
Q: Greetings I have an HP Compaq nc6000. My laptop used to work fine, and suddenly today when i ...
A: sorry about the late reply. Well i recently had a run of batteries die on me from laptops. Laptop ...

old laptop error
Q: I know its old but its used just for word processing. I tried to install a larger hard drive but i ...
A: It sounds like something may have gotten jarred loose when you changed the hard drive Jim. Possibly ...

laptop screen
Q: sir/madam, I have a HP pavilion dv8000 series laptop,few days back when i switched on, a white ...
A: sorry about the late reply. if its a strong band that when you press the screen a little doesnt ...

laptops problems
Q: i have a toshiba A55 model and it wont turn on it the power light flashes yellow or orange but ...
A: your flashing light is telling me that your battery is dead/almost no power and your AC adapter is ...

What cdrw/dvd drive for Toshiba 4260DVD?
Q: I have an older Toshiba 4260DVD Satellite Pro Laptop and I would like to install a cdrw/dvd combo ...
A: its a difficult one i give you that, the main reason for it is the power distribution and allocation ...

Laptop boot-up issue
Q: When I initialize my laptop, I can get to my desktop for a brief period (est. 30-60 seconds). I ...
A: blue screens on Windows machines generally have the following phrase associated with them.... "Blue ...

Laptop issues
Q: Just recently my laptop (Area 51 M550) has died! When I try to turn it on the power buttons light up ...
A: i'll be honest, it doesnt sound healthy, sounds like your motherboard is grounding/shorting or is ...

Toshiba satellite problem
Q: My toshiba satellite model ps192e-00g1n-g3 is not booting up...or let me put it this way...when I ...
A: ok you power it on and nothing comes on the display? you can check to see if the laptop is actually ...

laptop keyboard problem
Q: Trying to help my neighbors out with their PC issues. They have a Dell Inspirion Laptop running XP. ...
A: hmm does sound a bit odd, i just had to look at my keyboard just to check something, which normally ...

compaq armada 100S
Q: I have a Compaq Armada 100S with Windows 95; I have not used the computer in about a year because i ...
A: Wow i have not seen a Compaq Armada since...well its been sometime, they are generaly rather robust ...

Laptop failure
Q: I was traveling in Italy in October. I had difficulty accessing the Internet. I arrived home and it ...
A: All that has to work for it to come on, at least to the Compaq logo screen is the power, the ...

HP ze2000 USB Ports not working
Q: I have an HP ze2000 Pavilion laptop and when something is attached to the usb port it is either not ...
A: first i would "reset" your usb ports. best to do this, is go into windows safe mode, go into device ...

update problem
Q: I bought a dell laptop come with vista basic. I want to install vista ultimate but the computer ...
A: what the dell technician should have done is chuckled and said "oh that vista, its such a little ...

OS installation problem on HP compaq nc6400
Q: In reference to this answer you have given: Answer Hello Rotimi, your laptop has a SATA hard drive. ...
A: the drivers may be available on HP's site, or if your computer has the Intel controller, the drivers ...

Laptop won't boot
Q: I have a Compaq nx7400 that I have installed a new HD, but wondows won't load. Where can the ...
A: yes there are ways around using a floppy, but they're not easy or straight forward. One way is to ...

Dell Ispiron E1505 (a.k.a. 6400) Touchpad issues
Q: I run an IT department at a small college and one of the teachers has a dell inspiron e1505 which is ...
A: Touchpads are sensitive indeed and does depend how its being used. If its been used with force, ie ...

HP Laptop Problems
Q: I have a question for you concerning my HP laptop, model # dv5215us. This past Friday evening, ...
A: I would be tempted to agree with you. There's really only three things that need to work to get to ...

Laptop failure
Q: I was traveling in Italy in October. I had difficulty accessing the Internet. I arrived home and it ...
A: this sounds like a power problem. Have you tried it without the battery installed? Any chance you ...

HP laptop power problem
Q: My daughter HP laptop ( 6 months old )stop working with the power supply , but it still works with ...
A: Ok if the laptop is only 6 months old bought from new.. then HP has to provide 1 year warranty ...

Laptop CD drive won't open
Q: I just put a CD into the drive of my Sony Vaio Laptop. It was in pause mode when I put the CD into ...
A: On the cd drive is a small hole, next to the open button, unfold a paper clip and slide it inside, ...

Gateway dislay problem
Q: I have a gateway laptop that is giving me an odd problem. When I start the machine I see the splash ...
A: Normally i would point you in the right direction of a new laptop Catalouge and say.. ooh look at ...

My Laptop.
Q: The right button of my mouse on my Dell laptop isn't working, so how do I fix it?
A: well its either the component that deals with the mouse trackpad is broken or needs replacement, or ...

dell laptop disk drives
Q: My fifteen month old Dell E1505 began to have problems with it's CD/DVD drive. Suddenly it would ...
A: I have never heard of a virus that causes this specific symptom, but there are so many viri, I ...

Blank screen
Q: Dell inspiron 2200 When I start the laptop the first screen appears then everything goes blank..How ...
A: by "the first screen", do you mean the Dell logo screen, or the first Windows screen? If it's the ...

Space Key on Avent7109 Laptop
Q: I have an Advent 7109 Laptop. jut recently Ihave had problems with the space key. when I turn on ...
A: if the space key on your keyboard just randomly starts to work when the machine warms up i am

Laptop, Computer Information (7)

2009-03-15T00:36:00.000-07:00

Sony VAIO FE770G

Product Specification: Sony VAIO FE770GProcessor Brand: Intel
Processor Class: Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 1.83 GHz
Mobile Technology: Intel Centrino Duo
Installed Memory: 1 GB
Hard Drive Capacity: 120 GB
Display Size: 15.4 in.
Display Type: TFT active matrix
Max Battery Life: 4 hrs.
Wireless Technology: Wi-Fi
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
Weight:
Price 6.2 lbs.
$1,598.00 - $1,598.00

Posted by Sarif at 12:19 AM 0 comments
Sunday, November 30, 2008
MacBook Pro Latest Models
ModelsComponent Intel Core 2 Duo
Model Late 2008
Model #s MB470LL/A or MB471LL/A
Display
(all widescreen) 15", glossy glass covered screen, 1440 × 900
with LED backlighting
Graphics nVidia GeForce 9400M with 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory and
nVidia GeForce 9600M GT with 256MB or 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM
and mini Display-Port (supports up to 2560 by 1600 pixels in millions of colors); can switch between one or the other
Hard drive 250GB or 320GB Serial ATA at 5400-rpm.
Optional 250GB at 7200-rpm, 320GB at 7200-rpm or 128GB SSD.
Processor 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 3MB on-chip L2 cache or
2.53GHz with 6MB on-chip L2 cache (P8600/T9400)
Optional 2.8GHz
Memory 2GB (two 1GB) or 4GB (two 2GB) of 1066MHz PC3-8500 DDR3 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable to 4GB as stated by Apple, but expandable to 6GB (using one 4GB and one 2GB)
Front Side Bus 1066MHz
AirPort Extreme Integrated 802.11a/b/g and draft-n (n enabled)
Internal Slot-Loading SuperDrive 4x DVD+R DL writes, 8x DVD+/-R read/write, 8x DVD+RW writes, 6x DVD-RW writes, 24x CD-R, and 16x CD-RW recording
Being SATA, it can be custom-replaced with a SSD/HDD

Posted by Sarif at 11:00 PM 0 comments
MacBook Pro Models

Component Intel Core Duo Intel Core 2 Duo
Model Early 2006 Late 2006 Mid 2007 Early 2008 Late 2008
Model #s MA463LL/A or MA464LL/A; MA600LL or MA601LL MA0922LL/A MA609LL or MA610LL MA895LL or MA896LL; MA895LL/A or MA896LL/A MB133LL/A or MB134LL/A MB166LL/A MB766LL/A
Display
(all widescreen) 15", matte or glossy, LCD, 1440 × 900 17", matte or glossy, LCD, 1680 × 1050 15", matte or glossy, LCD, 1440 × 900 15", matte or glossy, LCD, 1440 × 900
with LED backlight 15", matte or glossy, LCD, 1440 × 900
with LED backlight 17", matte or glossy, LCD, 1680 × 1050
Optional LED-backlit 1920 × 1200 17", matte or glossy, LED-backlit, 1920 × 1200
Graphics
with dual-link DVI ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 128MB or 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM nVidia Geforce 8600M GT with 128MB or 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM nVidia Geforce 8600M GT with 256MB or 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM nVidia Geforce 8600M GT with 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM
Hard drive[a] 80GB, 100GB, Serial ATA, 5400-rpm
Optional 100GB, 7200-rpm. or 120GB, 5400-rpm. 120GB, 160GB, or 200GB Serial ATA, 5400-rpm
Optional 100GB, 7200-rpm. 120GB or 160GB Serial ATA, 5400-rpm
Optional 250GB, 4200-rpm or 160GB, 7200-rpm.
Optional 250GB, 5400-rpm or 200GB, 7200-rpm after November 1, 2007 200GB or 250GB Serial ATA, 5400-rpm
Optional 200GB, 7200-rpm or 300GB, 4200-rpm. 320GB Serial ATA, 5400-rpm
Optional 320GB, 7200-rpm or 128GB SSD.
Processor 1.83GHz (T2400), 2.0GHz (T2500) or 2.16GHz (T2600) Intel Core Duo Yonah 2.16GHz (T2600) Intel Core Duo Yonah 2.16GHz (T7400) or 2.33GHz (T7600) Intel Core 2 Duo Merom 2.2GHz (T7500) & 2.4GHz (T7700) Intel Core 2 Duo Merom
Optional 2.6GHz (T7800) after November 1, 2007 2.4GHz (T8300) & 2.5GHz (T9300) Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn
Optional 2.6GHz (T9500) 2.5GHz (T9300) Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 6MB on-chip L2 cache
Optional 2.6GHz (T9500)
Memory 512MB or 1GB of 667MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable to 2GB 1GB of 667MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable to 2GB 1GB or 2GB of 667MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable to 4GB, but only 3GB addressable 2GB (two 1GB) of 667MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable to 4GB 4GB (two 2GB) of 667MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable to 4GB
AirPort Extreme Integrated 802.11a/b/g Integrated 802.11a/b/g and draft-n (n disabled by default) Integrated 802.11a/b/g and draft-n (n enabled)
Internal Slot-Loading Combo drive 8x DVD read, 24x CD-R and 10x CD-RW recording n/a
Internal Slot-Loading SuperDrive 8x DVD-DL discs reads. 4x DVD+/-R & RW recording. 24x CD-R and 10x CD-RW recording
optional 4x DVD+R writes, 8x DVD+/-R read, 4x DVD+/-RW writes, 24x CD-R, and 10x CD-RW recording 2.4x DVD+R DL writes, 6x DVD+/-R read, 4x DVD+/-RW writes, 24x CD-R, and 10x CD-RW recording

Information (5)

2009-03-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

Laptop Security

There are a number of security concerns of interest to participants in the Student Laptop Initiative. Links to a number of relevant security resources are provided here.

Theft Prevention and Response

UNCG strives to provide a safe and friendly learning environment for its students; however, students should still exercise reasonable caution and common sense to protect their personal safety and that of their property. Your laptop represents a significant investment to you both monetarily and academically.

Here are a few helpful tips for protecting your laptop:

Never leave your laptop unattended.
Like any other valuable piece of equipment, never leave your laptop in plain sight in your car.
When you are working in a single location for any length of time (e.g., your dorm room, the library, a computer lab) take a moment to secure your laptop with a security lock. A laptop security lock is available for purchase when you order your laptop.
Computrace® Personal is a third-party laptop recovery service available through Lenovo. You can read more about it on the Lenovo ThinkVantage Web site. It is available as an option during the laptop purchase or later through the Lenovo Web site.
Back up your important data frequently.

Further information about campus safety and protecting your property while at UNCG can be obtained from the Campus Police Department.

Virus Protection

Keeping your machine virus free not only protects you but everyone else on the network. By following some simple steps, you can keep your virus protection current and clean with scheduled scans. For more information, visit the Symantec Web site.

Malware Protection

Your laptop’s performance could be compromised without your knowledge through malicious software commonly referred to as Malware. There is no single solution which will keep your laptop completely safe, but by following smart computing practices you can help limit the likelihood that you will be compromised. For instructions about protecting your computer, login to 6-TECH Online.

Laptop computer has some problem and solution 3

2009-03-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

latitude d 600 Problem
Q: its get hang suddenly and showing CPU usages 100% .i thought b coz of Virus and i formated but ...
A: when it's pegged at 100% look in task manager to see what is using all the cpu. Then you can ...

acer laptop sound problem
Q: I would like asked re my acer laptop...before i used pcmcia card i can play my music in any media ...
A: this is a driver problem with the sound card, or the sound card is bad. Perhaps you have a driver ...

erratic system behavior
Q: I have an Acer Aspire 5100 with Windows XP. In the past my laptop would start acting a bit weird ...
A: sounds like that BIOS update may have updated the firmware for your trackpad. I would try finding a ...

Laptop failure to display programs/start
Q: I have been given a laptop( Toshiba 430 CDS/1.3 Model# PA 1230U VCD. Ever since i got it, when i ...
A: first I would try plugging in a regular monitor to see if the display works there. If it does, then ...

laptop with no NIC
Q: Okay, stupid question. Someone gave my mother a used Dell Inspiron laptop. She wants DSL, but the ...
A: not a stupid question at all. There's no reason to buy something you don't need. What BestBuy was ...

Laptop mouse
Q: Usually I use the mouse that is roll around but sometimes I have attached a desk mouse to my laptop ...
A: It sounds like the laptop doesn't have a driver that understands the scroll mouse. If there is a ...

Long time to restart
Q: Starting last weekend, my inspiring 1000 running XP, starting to take a longer time to reboot. I ...
A: this could be many, many things, from OS to virus, even hardware, but I would think that would be ...

Laptop not getting power from AC Adapter
Q: I have been using laptop for the past 8 months and it was perfectly fine.Yesterday the battery was ...
A: the laptop should run on the AC Adapter without the battery installed. If it will not, it could be ...

SOUND PROBLEMS
Q: I am getting a chipmunk like sound from my laptop when playing a CD or DVD. Not faster but slightly ...
A: did Acer support have you change the drivers? If you don't already have the latest drivers for your ...

Dell Latitude D600 problem
Q: I have a problem with my Dell Latitude D600. When I turn it on all the loading Dell and Microsoft ...
A: this is really not a nice error to have. Can you boot the computer into safe mode so that you could ...

Laptop dark screen problem
Q: I have an issue with laptop screen going dark. I have an HP Pavilion dv1000, I noticed a few days ...
A: 90% of the time backlighting problems are caused by a bad inverter. They're usually available ...

laptop screen problem
Q: my hp laptop screen suddently blanked when i was using it. when the screen is totaly out i cannot ...
A: is it actually all the way off, or is there a really faint image on the screen? Does it do the same ...
problem?

Q: It used to be fast enough for me but now it is annoying. I noticed that when you start the pc ...
A: Sounds like an overheating problem to me too Alexander. It's possible that the heatspreader has come ...

toshiba M70 display problem
Q: I have a Toshiba Satellite M70, 2 years old. The display went all garbled one day, showing random ...
A: if it does this both on the display and on a monitor, it's most likely a problem with the video ...

Laptop failure to boot
Q: I have been given an E-System laptop and when the power-on button is pressed the hard-drive light ...
A: Glad to help Ray. The hard drive is not required to get the computer to boot up far enough to enter ...

AC Adapter?
Q: I have a three year old Toshiba Satellite laptop (can't remember the exact series number) that ...
A: it could be the ac adapter. It also could be the power settings in the control panel. There are two ...

Toshiba A85-S107 Freezing up
Q: My computer freezes randomly, even if I only have 1 window open, it is 1GB. Here is what has been ...
A: I can't say for sure yet what's causing it to freeze, could be several things, including the ...

Key fell off from keyboard
Q: a while ago I lost the question mark backslah key from my DELL Inspiron 630m laptop. I have managed ...
A: I'm afraid about the only thing to do (other than plug in an external keyboard) is to buy a new ...

Laptop failure to boot
Q: I have been given an E-System laptop and when the power-on button is pressed the hard-drive light ...
A: when the screen lights up are you given the option to press a key to get into the BIOS/Setup? If so, ...

LCD goes dim
Q: My Grand Daughter has a nice dell inspiron 1000 that has given her great service for a couple of ...
A: this sounds like a backlighting problem. Usually caused by the small inverter board inside the case ...

strange noises, strange freezing, strange problem
Q: My laptop has been having this issue about a week now. It's a Dell Inspiron 9300. I'm not sure if ...
A: that does sound like an overheating problem. There are several fans in your case, it's possible one ...

inspiron 6000 display issue'a
Q: I have a Inspiron 6000. The display if plugged in goes black. If running on battery display is red ...
A: sorry to say it, but that red color usually indicates that the display is failing. You could try ...

sudden switch off problem
Q: i hav an compaq pressario v3000, and after having some probem had fomated the system abt 4 times.but ...
A: this could be a virus, or it could be an overheating problem, or, possibly a hardware problem. Have ...

AC Adapter issues...
Q: I have a roughly 2 year old Inspiron e1505 (a freebie from one of those credit-card transfers, so a ...
A: I've seen all kinds of problems with aftermarket generic adapters, ranging from batteries not ...

touchpad not working
Q: I am using HP pavilion 6000 series laptop since three months. Since last week I am not able to press ...
A: I don't have that particular model around to check on, but normally there are adjustments in the ...

Compaq Laptop display problem
Q: I hav a Compaq Presarion V3149AU model. Its just a year old. From the last 10-15 days it is having ...
A: if the battery is bad, you should still be able to remove the battery and run the laptop on the ...

compaq laptop
Q: my screen is black when i turn it on,and in the top left hand corner a message flashes saying ...
A: it sounds like your laptop can't find the hard drive. Maybe the hard drive has gone bad, or maybe ...

Cant Start up Dell D800 Notepad
Q: My pointer would move eratically on the screen but I solved the problem on my Dell D800 by doing the ...
A: disabling the touchpad should not disable the power button. It's more likely a coincidence that ...

Dell Inspiron 1520 with Windows Vista
Q: I have a built in camera on my laptop and I cannot seem to find any possible way to use it. Do I ...
A: yes the camera would need a driver. I'm a little suprised it's not included in Vista, but take a ...

Laptop can not switch on
Q: My laptop automatically switched off and now i cant even switch it on..Already checked the charger ...
A: There could be several reasons for this. If you can borrow that other person's battery and try it ...

my computer wont start up
Q: when i try to turn my computer on the power button just flashes and it will stop flashing and the ...
A: try it runing on AC power with the battery removed. If that doesn't work, try borrowing an AC ...

aptop to TV ( SVideo ) No Video
Q: I am using a Dell Inspiron 6000 and had no problems in the past displaying video from my laptop to ...
A: first, I would check for any updated drivers. If there are none, check to see if you can back-rev ...

hard drive
Q: I bought a used laptop hard drive from ebay. It is a Generic ATA 2.5, 30 gig. It is like the one ...
A: take a look in the BIOS of the laptop and make sure it is set up to automatically detect the hard ...

cd-rw/dvd problem
Q: am having a dell latitude c640 laptop and while trying to update the driver of my samsung cd-rw/dvd ...
A: there are many things that could cause this. Do the drives show up in Device Manager at all? Have ...

Battery Meter crazy with replacement battery
Q: I have a Compaq Presario V2000 series. I just replaced the battery and am working on going through ...
A: hopefully this will just work itself out with the new battery, unless the new battery has a ...

TOUCHPAD
Q: i have purchased a used dell 3500 ts30t for my daughter to use. It has no pointer and the right and ...
A: sure you can download it to a CD and install. You'll want to go to Dell's website here: ...

laptop wont log on
Q: When i type my password into my laptop it simply just doesn't log. what should i do ?
A: you get no messages at all? It just sits there? Have you tried starting the computer in safe mode by ...

Inspiron 6000 laptop
Q: When typing text (word document, e-mail, etc) the cursor will suddenly jump to a random location in ...
A: usually this is a mouse problem. It moves itself where ever it wants and clicks by itself. But ...

Acer aspire 1691 wlmi problem
Q: Seems like I've got a serious problem with my acer aspire 1691 wlmi,the thing is that my display ...
A: there's a couple of things to check, first, plug it into a regular monitor and see if it shuts down ...

Laptop Sound Issues
Q: For two weeks now my laptop has been very slow. I figured because I have a lot of software but it ...
A: since you've already ran the defrag, I'm assuming you should have at least 15% of your hard drive .

Laptop computer has some Problem and Solution 2

2009-03-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

ACER LAPTOP COMPLETLY DEAD
Q: WHILST SEARCHING ON LINE THE OTHER EVENING MY LAPTOP ALL OF A SUDDEN WENT BLANK..AS IF SOMEONE HAD ...
A: when you say no lights nothing i am guessing your talking about the entire laptop and not just the ...

wireless internet
Q: Ok let me see if I can explain this correctly. I have a computer running windows xp. I do some ...
A: that narrows it down quite a bit, we know all of your hardware is working correctly, so it's got to ...

Dell Inspiron not starting
Q: I have a dell inspiron 1000 and it will not always start up. When I start up it will initiate the ...
A: does it do this if you hook it to an external monitor? I'm wondering if the computer is actually ...

Avertec 6200 lcd turns pink than goes 99%blank
Q: Re-boot fine until a few min. into using goes 99%blank. Is this a bad LCD? Thanks ANSWER: Hi Ken, ...
A: I've had LCDs last for a very long time. My current one is 5 years old. But they do go bad. The ...

Avertec 6200 lcd turns pink than goes 99%blank
Q: Re-boot fine until a few min. into using goes 99%blank. Is this a bad LCD? Thanks
A: this could be a bad LCD, but since you mentioned it turning pink, I would want to check the ...
computer won't charge

Q: I have a laptop and it will not charge at all. Using the original battery and an ac adaptor, I left ...
A: Does the laptop work when using just the AC adapter? If not, the AC adapter is probably bad. If it ...
laptop turn on but nothing happend

Q: my problem is that,i but on the cable of the enternet to my laptop and i was working normaly,then a ...
A: to boot your computer into safe mode, press the F8 key repeatedly while the machine is starting up, ...
Laptop power work around

Q: My son's laptop DC in jack socket has broken from the motherboard and try and as I can I cannot see ...
A: the six pins there are used for charging and monitoring circuits to make sure the battery is the ...
Laptop won't restart

Q: I'm on computers a lot but I don't really know much about the inner workings of them, so bear with ...
A: sounds like your Hard Drive partition is either failing or the Hard Drive itself is failing. if you ...
Laptop shuts off

Q: Yesterday I was happily playing my personal addiction, WoW, and suddenly my camera fell of the hutch ...
A: I'm with you, I think something got jarred loose. I would guess, possibly the fan and/or heatsink, ...
modem not connecting

Q: I have a Dell Latitude laptop with Windows XPthat will not ring (no noise)my ISP. Checked the ...
A: the modem should also have a sound device component that will be the part that allows you to hear ...
HP Laptop keys

Q: I own a HP pavillion zt1230 laptop - I know it is an old model - about 4 years old, however it works ...
A: I would suspect this is a hardware issue. Either the keyboard was broken, or the cable connecting it ...
dell portable

Q: my screen is turned sideways do you know how to turn it back?
A: if it's turned exactly 90 degrees, there may be a setting in the display properties to change it. ...
Laptop cannot switch on.

Q: I have a Dell Inspiron 630m laptop. Last night i hibernate the laptop and went to sleep. The next ...
A: It's hard to say exactly what's going on here. Since you've already tried it without the battery, do ...
skipping audio

Q: I have a Dell Latitude c600 laptop I also have 2 hard drives 1 with windows 2000, and 1 with ubuntu ...
A: you'd think so however the read speed for data is different from that of audio. if there was a fault ...

laptop turn on but nothing happend
Q: my problem is that,i but on the cable of the enternet to my laptop and i was working normaly,then a ...
A: the multiple error messages leads me to believe this was caused by a virus. If you can boot into ...
laptop turn on but nothing happend

Q: my problem is that,i but on the cable of the enternet to my laptop and i was working normaly,then a ...
A: is the screen completely black, or is there a real faint image there? You might be able to see it ...

DELL INSPIRON 8200 NOT STARTING
Q: How do I get my dell laptop to start up? My Dell Inspiron 8200 was left on in the case over the ...
A: That depends on your comfort level and expertise Bob. It requires disassembly of the computer, and ...
Toshiba AC Adapter/Charger

Q: This doesn't make sense - Toshiba Satellite P30-S60653, Part No. PSP30U-27W001Z according to the ...
A: I was referring to the difference in battery part number, not laptop part number. The second battery ...

DELL INSPIRON 8200 NOT STARTING
Q: How do I get my dell laptop to start up? My Dell Inspiron 8200 was left on in the case over the ...
A: will it start up if you remove the battery and just use the AC Adapter? It may have just drained the ...

Dell Inspiron 1100 laptop
Q: I have a Dell Inspiron 1100 laptop that was working well. It is about 5 years old. Then the ...
A: the most likely problem here is that the connector on the back of the laptop where the adapter plugs ...
memory

Q: i tried to install two-2 Gb memory in my new laptop but it won't work. my acer travelmate 6291 ...
A: Now I understand. The problem is that 32 bit OS's have a 4 gig memory limitation. It can only use 4 ...

Toshiba AC Adapter/Charger
Q: This doesn't make sense - Toshiba Satellite P30-S60653, Part No. PSP30U-27W001Z according to the ...
A: I agree. Doesn't make much sense. But, the first battery only lasting about 25 minutes or so after ...
memory

Q: i tried to install two-2 Gb memory in my new laptop but it won't work. my acer travelmate 6291 ...
A: what do you mean when you say it doesn't work? It won't turn on at all, or Windows doesn't recognize ...

laptop battery... what wrong with it?
Q: I have a compaq presario 2200, and it is an xp... I was using my laptop and after a lon while, the ...
A: most likely the problem is the power connection on the back of the computer, where you plug your ...

You are here: Experts > Computing/Technology > Focus on PC Support > Laptop Problems

Subject Date Asked Expert
First
Q: I'm helping an ex with her laptop, the first symptom that occurred happened about a few minutes (I'd ...
A: you can download a boot diagnositics disk from Sony Vaio themselves. Basically you boot up to the ...

skipping audio
Q: I have a Dell Latitude c600 laptop I also have 2 hard drives 1 with windows 2000, and 1 with ubuntu ...
A: well i know that these C600. C610's and a few other models from Dell have very tempremental CD/DVD ...

HP PAVILION N5250
Q: Okay well we have a HP Pavilion N5250 and it worked fine. Then a family member decided to re setup ...
A: I hate to tell you this, but you can't put your licensed copy of Windows XP on more than one ...

thanks
Q: about the info on the bottom of the computer it says it comes with windows 2000 professional 1-CPU ...
A: I was hoping maybe it would say it came with XP and you would have a valid license key. No such ...

First "rainbow" screen, now freezes even in BIOS
Q: I'm helping an ex with her laptop, the first symptom that occurred happened about a few minutes (I'd ...
A: Yep i sure think you have a hardware issue. Initially i think your laptop suffered an over heat ...

Dell Inspiron 1000 laptop
Q: Dell inspiron 1000 laptop fan not running all the time. Is this normal
A: let me make sure I understand the question correctly. If you're saying the fan runs some times, but ...

Laptop Display Problems
Q: I have a Samsung M40 laptop. Whilst watching a film I fell asleep, but when I woke up the screen was ...
A: Copying the data off of a good hard drive isn't too hard if you have the right tools available. ...HP Pavilion ZE2000
Q: I have a HP ze2000 and orginially i started having problems with the a/c adapter and after careful ...
A: without seeing the laptop it is impossible for me to tell what actually happened, but I can give you ...

Laptop Display Problems
Q: I have a Samsung M40 laptop. Whilst watching a film I fell asleep, but when I woke up the screen was ...
A: You are correct, if you hooked it to an external monitor and got the same symptoms, even after ...

scrambled screen/monitor
Q: a couple of days ago the setting on my computer changed, i began trying to reset them by clicking ...
A: I would try booting the computer into safe mode by pressing F8 repeatedly as the system boots, ...

Laptop Display Problems
Q: I have a Samsung M40 laptop. Whilst watching a film I fell asleep, but when I woke up the screen was ...
A: is the screen actually 100% black, or is there a very faint image there? Maybe shining a light at it ...

monitor
Q: Please help. I have a lap top but most of the time when I turn it on, my view screen is too large ...
A: try this: Right click on an open spot on the desktop and select properties. Select the Settings Tab ...

laptop keyboard dysfunction
Q: Yesterday I changed my hard drive on my Fry's Electronics generic PC laptop, and formatted it with ...
A: were there any optional hardware updates on Microsoft's site for the keyboard? I'm hoping just ...

Computer Diagnostic
Q: I have a Sony laptop which I purchased in 2002 and it is running 1/4 the speed of when it was new. I ...
A: I don't personally know of anyone out in California to recommend. The only place I know of that does ...

Laptop problems
Q: A few days again, I noticed that when using a search engine online, or when filling out any text box ...
A: unfortunately I have the same feeling you do. It sounds like something is going out in your ...

Laptop won't turn on, HP ze2000
Q: My laptop was overheating pretty bad so I followed the Maintenance and Service Disassembly guide to ...
A: yes, there are things you can check. Especially since you know what happened to make it stop ...

PLEASE HELP ME!!!
Q: I bought a IBM laptop a couple of years ago, it was refurbished and I bought it through ...
A: I agree with you about Windows 2000, I never liked it on a laptop either. Just didn't set well. And ...

blue lines on laptop monitor
Q: We have a Dell Inspiron 9300, two years old. Over the past couple of weeks, very thin vertical blue ...
A: I have a couple of thoughts for things you could try. First, if you have a regular monitor around, ...

dell 3500 will not boot
Q: I lent my 3500 to a relative - i now have it returned and will not boot. Power on machine and the 3 ...
A: sounds like it could be the motherboard. Do you get any video at all? If you get the Dell logo ...

Laptop Won't Start Up
Q: I've got this ThinkPad T23. It was sitting in my bag in my hotel room, and I don't know if the room ...
A: it sounds like you've done a lot of the right troubleshooting steps. With no video, it's hard to see ...

Laptop monitor not coming on most of time, laptop sometimes won't power on
Q: this is my first time asking a question on this website, but unfortunately I'm no stranger to laptop ...
A: no need to apologize for the length, describing the problem in detail is very helpful to us! I ...

acer dvd drive
Q: i have an acer travelmate 2700, the dvd drive recently stopped working (it opens ok but the laptop ...
A: does Windows recognize that the DVD drive is there and just not read the disk, or does it not know ...

Charging the Compaq V2000
Q: I own a Compaq Presario V2000 and I broke the original charger and am now using a "generic" one I ...
A: I think the problem here is that the generic charger just isn't the right one for your computer. ...

activation window xp2000 compaq laptop
Q: Please tell me how can i get the installation ID to activation window by phone .thank you
A: if your copy of windows needs to be activated you can go to Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> ...

sony pcg-k37 laptop
Q: i have a sony viao pcg-k37 i have shortcut button on the keyboard and there are not working these ...
A: normally you need to hold an additional key down while pressing those key in order for them to work. ...

Laptop not charging
Q: I own a compaq laptop and the other day i was trying to turn it on but it would not. the charger was ...
A: Sorry Cajy, without diagnosing the laptop I wouldn't know what's wrong with it, so I couldn't guess ...

Laptop can't see battery
Q: I just installed Windows XP SP2 on my Dell Inspiron 3500 and it can't see the battery. When I unplug ...
A: If you did the install manually, you are probably missing some of the power management drivers. You ...

no sound from laptop
Q: I have a fairly new laptop its an acer.I bought it about 4 months ago and apart from the very ...
A: I can certainly try! You've checked all the sound settings, mute button, that kind of stuff, so ...

word and excel files slow to open
Q: My word and excel files are opening slower than normal. I went in the tasks area and took out some ...
A: The list varies from computer to computer, and even based on what you have open at the time. You ...

hpdv6000
Q: My hpdv6000 laptop is giving me a black screen.Its only 14 months old but when I switch it on it ...
A: three beeps usually indicates a problem with the video card, or with the memory. You may want to ...

Laptop
Q: My laptop is getting very hot lately, and very loud and just shuts down. After it cools I can turn ...
A: the noise you're hearing is probably coming from a faulty fan or a faulty hard drive. If you aren't ...

audio problem
Q: I have a Dell Inspiron 1150,I deleted my sound program.I went on dell web sight and tried to ...
A: you may have to have Microsoft's Universal Audio Architecture installed first. You can find ...

urchase a laptop
Q: I have a pretty simple question...I want to purchase a laptop in the range of $600-$700 that has ...
A: You've asked a really tough question Baby Girl, because what is "good quality" for one person isn't ...

Keyboard/touchpad slow and missing key strokes
Q: I am using a Dell Inspiron E1405 and when I type it is slow and doesn't keep up with my keystrokes. ...
A: is the whole computer slow, or just the keyboard/touch pad? If it's just the keyboard and touch ...

Compaq Presario purchased
Q: While synching my Iphone my Presario touchpad became too hot to touch (estimated temperature greater ...
A: You're right Ken, that's way too hot, and it will damage the computer eventually. The quickest and ...

Laptop Battery Storage
Q: I just brought home my new laptop. It came with a battery (uncharged) which I won't be using much. ...
A: the best way to store it would be to charge it about half way, put it in a ziploc baggie, and put it ...

Pavillion dv9000 idle power shutdown
Q: I have a question related to my HP Pavillion dv9000 laptop, running Vista. After, say half an hour ...
A: you are correct, there is a way to disable this. Vista's not my strong point, but I'm fairly sure ...

Compaq Presario V2000 Laptop
Q: I own a Compaq Presario V2000, its approximately 2 years old. The other day, I went to turn it on ...
A: this is a fairly typical problem with laptops, the backlighting has stopped working. Normally when ...

Windows not loading, computer not working
Q: my windows XP is not loading on my dell inspirion 600m laptop. I was working on it the night before ...
A: this is definitely not a good error, but it could be worse. What it is trying to tell you, in ...

word and excel files slow to open
Q: My word and excel files are opening slower than normal. I went in the tasks area and took out some ...
A: I've got more ideas, but none real easy off the top of my head. If you have a few minutes, try ...

Subject Date Asked Expert
laptop problem
Q: my laptop won't stay on when is not plugged in to the wall
A: sounds like you may have trouble with the battery. If it doesn't stay on at all, not even for a ...

dvd drive in an hp laptop
Q: I have an hp ze2000, the dvd drive stoped playing. I can hear it running when I insert a disk but ...
A: I would try another DVD, which you probably have already done, and a CD. If it won't read either you ...

mouse
Q: I have a Dell Laptop, windows XP. When I scroll down or up using an external mouse the screen does ...
A: I'm not sure what the school's techs did, or if it had anything to do with the current symptom, but ...

Laptop not powering up-power pack fine
Q: My girlfriend owns a vaio laptop, she has tried to turn it on today and nothing happens (no cap lock ...
A: the light coming on is a pretty good indication that the power pack is working, but it's possible ...

Q: Tell me please, how can I restore or remove BIOS password on my laptop:Sony VAIO pcg-r600hmpd ?
A: the password is stored on a security chip on the laptops motherboard and is not stored on the bios ...

horrible noise!
Q: i am asking on behalf of a friend. when he was listening 2 u tube, all of a sudden it freaked out he ...
A: It's hard to say what it was without knowing what it sounded like Anne, but since he was listening ...

\WINDOWS\SYSTEM 32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
Q: Hoping someone can help me. 2 weeks ago I turned my laptop on & received the below error. Took my ...
A: yes there are ways to fix this, but I'm kind of worried that it has happened twice. Did it happen ...

How to open case
Q: We need to replace the hard drive in a Compaq Presario 1700T. Can you tell us how to open the case? ...
A: I don't have a manual for this particular model, but if it's the same as a 1600, you would need to ...

Laptop display problem
Q: my laptop (DELL XPS M140) has a display problem. When I power on the system, the screen lits up ...
A: there are controls to increase and decrease the brightness. They are usually a combination of keys ...

Noise distortion
Q: I own a Sony Vaio, recently it has been slowing down and distorted the sound when I play any sound ...
A: I'm not sure if the two problems are related or not, but they could be. You could try shutting down ...

laptop problem
Q: ive got a problem with my laptop ( windows xp). when i log on it loads up as usual but then i cant ...
A: I didn't realize it was rebooting itself. Does it do this if you start the computer in safe mode by ...

laptop problem
Q: ive got a problem with my laptop ( windows xp). when i log on it loads up as usual but then i cant ...
A: there could be several things going on here, it kind of depends on whether the machine is actually ...

BSOD ERROR MESSAGES
Q: I first started getting the blue screen of death message with the error stop 0x000000f4(0x00000003, ...
A: it sounds to me like your hard drive is going bad. When Windows hits a bad spot on it, or the disk ...

laptop display compatibilty
Q: I need to replace the LP150X08 display on HP nx6110. The tag is A2. Does the replacement need to be ...
A: it is possible that a different A version would work, but I'm not sure which ones. You might try ...

laptop will not boot up
Q: My laptop Dell Latitude D600 was working fine until last night when I tried to power up. When I ...
A: when it did power up, did you happen to notice the charge level in the battery? It sounds like maybe ...

Help, lappy making odd noises.
Q: I have a HP Pavillion DV6000 lappy w/ an amd dual core processor. I have had it for 4 months and it ...
A: Yes it could. If the heatsink is loose, heat will not transfer as well, and the fan would have to ...

Laptop Screen
Q: I'm having problems with my laptop. The screen keeps messing up if I even touch the lid/screen. It ...
A: it sounds like the flexible ribbon cable connecting your screen to your motherboard has gone bad and ...

Help, lappy making odd noises.
Q: I have a HP Pavillion DV6000 lappy w/ an amd dual core processor. I have had it for 4 months and it ...
A: it's really hard to tell without hearing the noise. If you're sure it's not the hard drive, and it's ...

driver
Q: i have Hyundai m-life model:HYM521N laptop the wireless uninstall i search the web for drivers but i ...
A: you could try contacting Hyundai support through their website here: ...

HP Laptop Windows XP starts but won't run
Q: Our laptop starts windows (takes longer than usual) and brings up icons, then when you click on one, ...
A: yes it looks familiar. The first part is telling you that a program written in the Visual C++ ...

Laptop wont go to sleep
Q: My vista laptop recently stopped going in to sleep mode but will shut down fine. I have unistalled ...
A: can you put the computer in sleep mode manually from the menu or by pressing the button? If so, then ...

Presario F500 screen
Q: This Presario we use for the web has a screen in which all of the white background goes magenta. It ...
A: this symptom is indicative of a bad connection, but before you go jumping in, you may want to hook ...

HP Laptop Windows XP starts but won't run
Q: Our laptop starts windows (takes longer than usual) and brings up icons, then when you click on one, ...
A: I've got lots of ideas, but no definite answer yet, so if you don't mind, lets try a few things to ...

Dell Inspiron 1501 CD/DVD won't stay closed?
Q: I just got a Dell Inspiron 1501. Right out of the box it was not rigt. I plugged in the power coard ...
A: the only thing I can think of off the top of my head is a bad installation of Windows, or a bad ...

the keyboard seems to be messed up
Q: I own a Toshiba Satellite A55-S106 and the keyboard types on its own like when I push h it will put ...
A: it does sound like the keyboard is going bad. It's not an unusual thing for them to do that. You ...

laptop won't power up
Q: hope someone can help. I have a Dell Inspiron 5100 - had it for few years. The power supply pack was ...
A: it sounds like your laptop is still not getting power, or at least not the correct power. Can you ...

Q: I have a Dell Inspiron 1705 and it has been spectacular. Unfortunately, the chargers have not been ...
A: do you have access to a meter so you could measure the voltage coming out of the charger? It is ...

laptop display problem
Q: I have a Ibm TP Z61p, the laptop screen is all black, but external display works fine. it seems the ...
A: when you press fn-F7, at least one of those positions should turn the external monitor off, even if ...

Laptop Problem
Q: Currently my optical drive sticks out just a hair, and when I push it in all the way, my laptop ...
A: has the laptop been taken apart? It sounds like the cable may be pinched in behind it, or that ...

Brand New IQON Laptop!, When Turned On Screen Doesnt Work!
Q: I have a Brand New IQON when i first got it i set it up with all the disc then turned it off to go ...
A: there is a combination of buttons on the keyboard that lets you switch between the screen and an ...

track point installation
Q: I am new 2 lap tops and just purchased one on e-bay that has doesn't have track point installed what ...
A: since I don't have the make or model, I can't send you a link to what you need, but all you should ...

White screen error
Q: I've a Compaq Preasario 2555AP Laptop.It has a KB problem so I removed the KB and runs with external ...
A: since it used to do this once in a while, and now does it all the time, I suspect either the the ...

laptop cant turn on
Q: I have a refurbished toshiba portage 7020ct . when i tunr it on the power and monitor indicator led ...
A: there are about three things that could cause this symptom besides power, and the motherboard is one ...

Sony PCG-F304 keeps shutting off when windows loads
Q: seller was no help and neither was ebay well it has windows ME installed when windows starts it just ...
A: it's hard to tell without looking at it, but if you have loaded different OS's on it, and they all ...

toshiba satellite pro 6100 video problems
Q: Toshiba Satellite Pro 6100, Win XP SP2 Display distorted with blue and yellow lines. It's given me a ...
A: if you've already ruled out the driver, and booting to different OS should have done that, I would ...

My laptop will not boot to windows
Q: I have a Samsung R40 plus, It will not start at all. the power light comes on when you switch it on, ...
A: do you get any error messages? what exactly happens, is there any image on the scree at all. First ...

Startup problem
Q: A couple days ago my laptop over heated. I turn on the laptop and first thing i get is the menu for ...
A: the over-heating problem is the place I would start. If it continues it will cause a major failure ...

Laptop reformatted itself
Q: My Toshiba laptop wnet blank in the airport after it was turned on for 10 minutes. All of a sudden ...
A: not sure what you mean went back to DOS. What version of operating system are you using and what is ...

presario v2000,shutdowns before welcome screen
Q: My laptop shutdowns immediately after the screen displays(press f10 to enter set up,ect. )but when ...
A: I'm not sure I understand the question fully, so correct me if I'm not on the right track. If you ...

Dell Laptop
Q: Dell Ispiron 2200 laptop: does not have an external on-off switch. I want to be able to use laptop ...
A: sorry to say I don't know of any way to do this other than a docking station or a computer ...

laptop power connectiont
Q: My wrestling grandkids broke pwr connector on cheap laptop. Puter works if I keep mobo bent. Can I ...
A: no, hooking the AC adapter directly to the battery wouldn't work. There is a battery charging ...

dvd and cd playback
Q: When i play a cd, i have very choppy audio. When i play a dvd, i have very choppy audio and choppy ...
A: what Operating System are you using, Are you using any antivirus software. What software are you ...

Laptop Green Line
Q: I want to ask you if i have to replace my laptop screen because today when i was sitting on it a ...
A: it is possible. You could try reseating the ribbon cable, or replacing it if one is available for ...

Laptop Green Line
Q: I want to ask you if i have to replace my laptop screen because today when i was sitting on it a ...
A: I'm afraid it is probably the screen that is bad. You could try updating the drivers for the video ...

laptop computer
Q: I have a Gateway Laptop, my son has been using at school. He brought it home and it doesn't start ...
A: it could be the AC adapter. Any chance you could borrow one from someone, or connect yours to ...

WinXP laptop cannot get OS to work
Q: I have an Veratec laptop. WinXP. I kept on getting a small window on my monitor and it was annoying ...
A: sorry I missed the brand name in your first post, it's just that I've seen the pop-up window you ...

Trouble starting up
Q: After entering password, a pop-up appears ( this application has failed to start because ...
A: can you start the computer in safe mode by pressing F8 just as Windows is starting up? This may let ...

Laptop/screen problems
Q: I have a HP laptop model ze2000 running windows xp__but Im hoping this is a generalized question. ...
A: the dark images you are seeing are because the backlighting in your display has shut down. If I ...

dim screen display
Q: I purchased hp pavilion dv2110-rs last year(still have warranty on it). It was working fine till ...
A: if you have checked the brightness and contrast, and they are turned up, a very dim, barely readable ...

laptop shuts down
Q: Here is my question with my (Fujitsu Siemens based) laptop: When I start some programs utilizing the ...
A: a CPU limiting program may be of some assistance to you, and I don't see what it could hurt, other ...

Laptop hell
Q: My husband bought me a used dell latitude d600 laptop back in August of this year and it has been ...
A: when the computer shuts itself down, what does it do after that? I'm assuming it won't do anything? ...

on/off button
Q: is there another way to start up laptop other than on/off button? not working
A: Not that I know of Don. The on/off button attaches to a couple of pins on the motherboard. When ...

laptop presario v2000 usb tv box not working with tata sky
Q: tv input input working fine but composite input is working in black and white mode. how fix my ...
A: the most common reason for composite video to show up without color is a setting within the ...

laptop bluegear
Q: I got 2 questions for you. The first question is I bought a used laptop recently and I looked ...
A: I think I need to find out where to get one of those laptops! If it can take that kind of abuse and ...

lap top screen is blank and wont turn on
Q: Well I have my laptop its HP laptop ( cant tell you what model it is) But I can back from class with ...
A: does a regular monitor work when plugged in to the laptop? Is the screen completely blank, or is ...

fingerprint reader and s output
Q: I just bought a T61 thinkpad notebook, with integrated fingerprint reader. from what i read, T61 ...
A: The fingerprint reader certainly allows you to replace your user ID and password when you boot up ...

AC adaptor ground
Q: Suddenly my AC adapter started cutting in an out (the battery indicator keeps coming on and the AC ...
A: The generator if turned off I would not think it could cause this issue as normally you only get ...

noisy screen
Q: im using a compaq presario v6000. my problem is dat my screen makes a sharp cracking noise evrytime ...
A: I believe the problem is that the hinges are getting wore out. Lubricant works, but doesn't last ...

thinkpad T61 fingerprint reader
Q: I just bought a T61 thinkpad notebook, with integrated fingerprint reader. from what i read, T61 ...
A: having never used this feature on laptop I would start with the following. Make sure the ...

VAIO VGN-FS920 - Bios Failure or Other Broblem with Booting
Q: My name is Dillon and I am 15 and I have a Sony VAIO VGN-FS920. Factory defaults (512 ram, windows ...
A: sorry I have taken some time to reply. I would firstly start with these steps. Remove the cd/DVD ...

file system problems?
Q: . not sure your the best person to ask, but hoping you can help. my laptop has 2 hard drives, my ...
A: what version of windows are you using? In windows goto my computer and right click, select manage ...

Laptop mouse movement
Q: My laptp mouse at times is uncontrollable, it moves by itself across the screen,usually ...
A: this is usually a driver problem, especially if it does it with an external mouse too. Try upgrading ...

laptop power adaptor compatibility
Q: I'm out of town and brought my laptop but forgot the adaptor (Gateway 19V-4.74A) but where I'm ...
A: it's not a good idea to use a power adapter with a different voltage/amperage rating. In this case ...

moutse and touchpad
Q: I have a Dell Latitude laptop and all of a sudden, the cursor seems to have a mind of its own. I ...
A: it sounds like your mouse driver may have gotten corrupted. It may be hard to do since the mouse is ...

Laptop battery
Q: Respected Sir, My name is waqas and i am havin hp 6500 special edition laptop i just want to ask ...
A: it is true that batteries will develop a memory, and not maintain their full charge for as long if ...

AC adaptor ground
Q: Suddenly my AC adapter started cutting in an out (the battery indicator keeps coming on and the AC ...
A: It seems unfortunate that a new adapter would just stop working, what make is it and model is it? ...

Start Up
Q: I have a Dell laptop, Latitude C600. When I push the power button the lights turn on but the screen ...
A: Wow, kind of hard to say what exactly is going on here Ty. Can you get into the BIOS setup Ok? ...

Record and view via lan pc
Q: I have a question here. You see, I’m a gamer and I always wanted to record the video of my gaming ...
A: No bother at all Sean! I think you may actually need another piece of hardware for your old PC. A ...

Compaq Presario m2130ea
Q: Thanks
A: the best way to get the right part is to order it from HP (who now owns Compaq). They have new parts ...

thin green line
Q: When I turned my laptop on yesterday a thin green line appeared in middle of screen. It remains ...
A: There are a couple of things you could try Cristina. You could try an external monitor to see if it ...

Blue Screening & won't let me re-install OS
Q: My HP N5000 laptop keeps blue-screening on me. I re-installed the OS & thought all was well....as it ...
A: Sorry NashBash, it sounds to me like the hard drive has had it. It is possible that it wouldn't have ...

USB Port Issue / Laptop wont Start
Q: My son stood on the USB mouse cable and in doing so yanked it out damaging the port. Now the laptop ...
A: that USB port is a powered port. When the port was damaged, it probably shorted some of the metal ...

Laptop Battery at 0% and stuck
Q: My Thinkpad X21 which I recently pulled out of my Mum's cupboard reads 0% battery and won't charge. ...
A: if the laptop runs on the AC adapter, I'd say the chances are pretty good that it's the battery. Any ...

dell laptop battery not charging
Q: I got a dell 600m from my Son and he said I would only need a new battery. I have been operating on ...
A: it could be the charging circuit on the motherboard is bad, or it could be the battery you received. ...

sound problems
Q: i started up my laptop and then i realised there was no sound coming out of my internal speakers? ...
A: please look in the control panel under sounds and audio device (or similar, this is what it's called ...

dell inspiron wont power up
Q: my dell inspiron 1100 with ac adaper and no battery will not stay powered up. I hit the on power ...
A: it's not likely to be overheating in that length of time, however it does seem that there may be a ...

HUAWEI PCMCI UMTS G3
Q: I have a laptop which is latitude D820.I want to connect with G3 Huawei UMTS E-612 but Ican´t.When I ...
A: I don't know of a specific patch or fix for this, but there are some standard things you can try. ...

IBM Laptop Startup Problems - Virus
Q: My IBM laptop T42 is affected by virus, I strongly think. It showed that there was a virus in the ...
A: Avast doesn't have a DOS bootable disk, but there are ways to run it without being in Windows. You ...

AMD Turion64 processor
Q: I have a Fujitsu S Series Lifebook with an AMD Turion 64 processor. My problem is that this ...
A: the Turion processors are high powered, so they're going to produce some heat, but it would be ...

Laptop Will Not Power Up
Q: So wonderful for you to volunteer your expertise and time! My sister has a Toshiba laptop that was ...
A: without my crystal ball you mentioned, it is impossible for me to tell exactly what happened, or ...

"system restore"
Q: I have Dell Latitude c610 and recently the "system restore" feature stopped working. When I put the ...
A: yes, I have several ideas. Have you tried running the restore in safe mode? There are many programs ...

laptop problem
Q: i have a problem with my laptop. firstly it overheats much to quickly and the fan (s) seems to be ...
A: it sounds to me like the laptop is overheating and shutting off to protect itself. We need to solve ...

Display Problems
Q: I have a Dell Onsporon 1200 and the display is hardly visible. The unit was in a car during an ...
A: yes, this sounds like a back lighting problem, so it could be an inverter. It also could be the ...

laptop
Q: my computer keeps telling me to change to outlet power but i dont know how to do that
A: all it's really asking you to do is plug in the AC adapter from the wall to the back of the computer ...

need help changing HD
Q: I have a satellite p15-s409 notebook that needs a hard drive change. I have the new hard drive. I ...
A: I don't have a manual for your model, but I did some digging and found that the hard drive is ...

screen shows many colors
Q: I bought a laptop off of a friend because he dropped it. the screen is when i power it on the screen ...
A: if it works fine connected to a monitor, the motherboard and video card are probably fine - for now. ...

gateway laptop windos xp home editon
Q: my laptop is showing low battery even when plugged in on the outlet and when I giggle The plug on ...
A: sometimes the connector on the back gets broken loose from the motherboard. A good repair shop can ...

laptop shut down
Q: While inserting a DVD in my optical drive, my compaq presario M2000 laptop switched off ...
A: It sounds like either the optical drive itself is bad, or that when you close the door it is hitting ...

Laptop screen repeatedly goes dark when power adapter plugged in
Q: My Dell Latitude D800 laptop screen goes dark unexpectedly when I use my power adapter. I'll be ...
A: I'm not sure why this is happening yet, but I'm fairly sure what is happening. Your back lighting is ...

sound
Q: I just bought a Hp Pavilion dv9000 model. Everything works to spec, but when I play music, it is ...
A: have you tried disabling your antivirus temporarily to see if that's the trouble? If that's not it, ...

Laptop start-up problem
Q: I have a refurbished Lenovo with XP pro that won't start up all the way. I get to the welcome screen ...
A: while you have it booted up in safe mode, go to start>run and type in msconfig then click ok or ...

IBM Thinkpad R50e
Q: I tried pressing F1 and it says " Entering IBM BIOS Setup Utility" and still proceeds to the black ...
A: I certainly don't mind you asking! That's what I'm here for. Unfortunately, I don't believe there ...

IBM Thinkpad has black screen with a lock icon need help ASAP
Q: I have aproblem with my IBM thinkpad. iT starts up with the IBM page and then in stead of proceeding ...
A: I know that prompt, I have a Thinkpad too, but that's not the prompt I was referring to Lauren. It ...

sound
Q: Hey i just got a new laptop and downloaded a few things onto it and i noticed theres no sound on ...
A: I'll probably need some more information, like what make and model, and what operating system you're ...

HD to HD
Q: I loaded pictures from my camera to my laptop to free up the memory card. Ques: can I use a usb ...
A: you can if you're using Windows Vista, and it might work with XP too at some point, but you can ...

Dvd 's not running on Laptop
Q: When i put a dvd in my laptop the computer tries to read it but nothing happens after a while.No ...
A: there may be several solutions here, but at least it sounds like the drive is good. What program ...

laptop problem
Q: I have a major problem. I have a Toshiba Satellite P15-S479 laptop. I just replaced the hard drive ...
A: I hate to send you out to spend money. I would like to say check for a BIOS update that would let ...

Laptop Sound
Q: My laptop sound goes on and off if i move it a certain way one day it will work and the next day it ...
A: sound going out when you move it may be a sign of a loose connection. Does it go out when listening ...

unzipping a self loading file
Q: Helo Shot. I have another question for you. My Dell inspiron 3200 has no floppy. I want to install ...
A: try this: Create a new directory on your hard drive, maybe c:\test. Then open a command window by ...

laptop problem
Q: I have a major problem. I have a Toshiba Satellite P15-S479 laptop. I just replaced the hard drive ...
A: is this external CD a USB CD? If so, this could be a problem, depending on the bios of your laptop. ...

laptop problem
Q: I have a major problem. I have a Toshiba Satellite P15-S479 laptop. I just replaced the hard drive ...
A: this is the screen you get when the laptop is trying to boot from the network card. It does this for ...

HP Pavilion -blue screen - stop: 0x0000007B
Q: My HP Pavilion N5000 laptop first got the blue screen sometimes....but I could still get to the ...
A: I thought this sounded familiar. :-) Yes there's an option on the CD to do repair. Actually, there ...

lop top
Q: I have an IBM thinkpad lop top which some how when I turn it ON instead of going right in to the ...
A: as long as you have the passwords it should be fairly easy. You need to go into the BIOS setup when ...

HP Pavilion -blue screen - stop: 0x0000007B
Q: My HP Pavilion N5000 laptop first got the blue screen sometimes....but I could still get to the ...
A: if you want to try running chkdsk, you could try booting to safe mode-command prompt only, it may ...

Laptop Probz
Q: hey there well i have been using my brothers laptop for a week or so and i went to turn it on today ...
A: this is the startup menu you get by pressing F8 as Windows boots. You should be able to select start ...

Dell inspiron 3200 233
Q: My operating system crapped out on me so I did a clean reinstall of the win 98SE OS. It reinstalled ...
A: this is normally because Windows does not have the right device driver for your video card. If you ...

spacebar, enter and backspace keys stop working
Q: Suddenly my spacebar, enter and backspace keys have stopped working on my Dell Latitude D620 laptop. ...
A: this usually happens when the keyboard is going bad, or when the cable connecting your keyboard has ...

Dell Inspiron E1405 Screen Problem
Q: When I turn my computer on and log in normally into my account. The screen will change from black to ...
A: the blinking black screen is your computer trying to put the regular background up there, and it is ...

laptop does not turn on....
Q: Sometimes - up to a few weeks at a time - my laptop (Dell 600m) does not turn on! When I try, the ...
A: intuition is not always a bad thing! Since I obviously cannot see your computer, a lot of what I go ...

Dell Inspiron AC Adapter
Q: My daughter is in London for her junior year of college and took her Inspiron 9300 over with her. As ...
A: yes I have ran into this! Not personally in London, but in other parts of Europe. Some parts of ...

Dell Inspiron laptop keyboard problem
Q: Many thanks for any help you can give me. I have a Dell Inspiron 2500 laptop. I'm having keyboard ...
A: what's happened is that the number lock got turned on somehow. You'll find the "numlk" key on the ...

laptop does not turn on....
Q: Sometimes - up to a few weeks at a time - my laptop (Dell 600m) does not turn on! When I try, the ...
A: I'm afraid there really isn't an easy way to test these in a laptop unless you have parts to swap. ...

Running software on Inspiron E1505
Q: I have an Inspiron E1505 running Vista, and I'm trying to put a Spanish (legal) CD on the computer. ...
A: at first glance it appears that you may have a bad CD. Can you try it in another computer just to ...

toshiba satellite not turning on
Q: Notebook won't turn on, everything lights up perfectly, but there is a blank screen for a long time ...
A: that churning noise is probably your hard drive, and I have a feeling it may be failing on you. I ...

Screen wont turn on...
Q: I have a Compaq presario F500 and everytime i turn my laptop in, the screen stays black. If i leave ...
A: when the screen stays black, is it completely black, or can you see faint images on it? You may be ...

Beeping Laptop
Q: Our Dell laptop all of a sudden decided to go haywire. On day I cam home from work and pressed the ...
A: kind of a strange symptom you're describing here. The first thing I would do is run a thorough virus ...

Laptop Problem
Q: When i turn it on the power button lights up and the hdd light lights up but nothing else happens ...
A: good luck with your A+ certification, it's a great place to start, and really means something on a ...

laptop quit
Q: my 1277 presario was working fine until i added a desktop monitor. i then turned on the laptop and ...
A: you will need to put the memory back in before it will boot, even far enough to get into the BIOS. ...

Battery problem
Q: I have exactly the same unrecognised new battery problem with an IBM X31 as your recent 16/9/07 ...
A: I am still looking for a solution to the unrecognized batteries, but so far, I have not found ...

Dell Inspiron 5100 problems
Q: Hey, I have a major problem with my laptop, whenever I go to turn it on it does the ordinary load ...
A: can you boot the computer into safe mode by pressing F8 after the POST screen? You may also want to ...

Information Using the Laptop (4)

2009-03-10T03:19:00.000-07:00

Using the Laptop

Below are links that will help you with many of the common things you will want to do with your laptop.

Connect to the wireless network
UNCG is in the process of refreshing its wireless network. For information about the project, go to the Wireless Refresh Project web page.
Connecting from your residence hall room
Students living in the residence halls are provided an Internet connection through Time Waner Cable.
Back up your data
Can you afford to lose that paper that's due tomorrow? Backing up important files is your responsibility, but fortunately there are plenty of ways to protect your files and your peace of mind.
Software
Your laptop comes from the factory loaded with the software listed on the About the Laptops page. If you encounter problems with the software and the built-in help isn't sufficient, you should check our Getting Help page. Also, training for many common programs is available online through the Element K e-learning system. A list of UNCG supported software can be found in the Standards for Computer and Related Technology policy.

A modern personal computer Hardware Information (3)

2009-03-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

University Student Laptop Initiative

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) is committed to providing students with the tools necessary to learn and develop technology skills for the 21st century. In keeping with this commitment, UNCG has reached agreements with IBM/Lenovo and Apple that will provide students with the opportunity to purchase fully-featured wireless laptop computers at discounted prices. Be sure to read through the Frequently Asked Questions related to the Initiative.

Laptop ownership is required for new full-time freshmen beginning with the fall semester of 2007. For more details regarding the University initiative, visit About the Initiative.

Buying a New Laptop

About the Laptops
Get more information regarding the University's current program models and related information to help you decide which laptop is right for you.
Purchase a Laptop
When you are ready to buy, visit the Purchase a Laptop web page and navigate to the vendor-sponsored Web site to make your laptop purchase. This ensures that you will be able to get support for your laptop on campus.

Laptop Support

Getting Help
Looking for technical assistance? You can find it by phone, email, or by visiting the walk-in help center.
Using the Laptop
Learn more about using your new laptop on campus along with its preloaded software and recommended technologies.
Security
A laptop is a big investment in your future. It is strongly recommended that you take measures to safeguard your purchase. This will ensure that it remains a successful tool in your academic career.

The Wireless Network at UNCG

One of the most important enabling technologies for the Student Laptop Initiative is UNCG's wireless network. If you have questions about its use and the available locations on campus, login to 6-TECH Online. Like all computing resources on campus, the use of the network is governed by UNCG's technology policies. Please take the time to review these policies

Information Software (2)

2009-03-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

Software

Computer software is a general term used to describe a collection of computer programs, procedures and documentation that perform some tasks on a computer system. The term includes application software such as word processors which perform productive tasks for users, system software such as operating systems, which interface with hardware to provide the necessary services for application software, and middleware which controls and co-ordinates distributed systems.

Software applications for word processing, Internet browsing, Internet faxing, e-mail and other digital messaging, multimedia playback, computer game play and computer programming are common. The user of a modern personal computer may have significant knowledge of the operating environment and application programs, but is not necessarily interested in programming nor even able to write programs for the computer. Therefore, most software written primarily for personal computers tends to be designed with simplicity of use, or "user-friendliness" in mind. However, the software industry continuously provide a wide range of new products for use in personal computers, targeted at both the expert and the non-expert user.

Operating system

An operating system (OS) manages computer resources and provides programmers with an interface used to access those resources. An operating system processes system data and user input, and responds by allocating and managing tasks and internal system resources as a service to users and programs of the system. An operating system performs basic tasks such as controlling and allocating memory, prioritizing system requests, controlling input and output devices, facilitating computer networking and managing files.

Common contemporary desktop OSes are Microsoft Windows (~91% market share), Mac OS X (~8%), Linix (0.7%), Solaris and PC-BSD. Windows, Mac, and Linux all have server and personal variants. With the exception of Microsoft Windows, the designs of each of the aforementioned OSs were inspired by, or directly inherited from, the Unix operating system. Unix was developed at Bell Labs beginning in the late 1960s and spawned the development of numerous free and proprietary operating systems.

Operating systems that can be found on mobile devices include Symbian OS (45% of market), RIM's Blackberry (17% ), Windows Mobile (12%]), Familiar Linux (7.3%), Palm OS (2%), The Ångström Distribution, and the Darwin (iPhone OS) (0.3%). The Open Handset Alliance's Android is a recent smart phone addition touted by Google and T-Mobil (which launched the G1 phone on October 22, 2008). The OHA hopes Android will gain 4% market share by year's end.

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is the name of several families of software operating systems by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs). The most recent client version of Windows is Vista SP1. The current server version of Windows is Windows Server 2008.

Linux

Linux is a family of Unix-like computer operating systems. Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free software and open source development: typically all underlying source code can be freely modified, used, and redistributed by anyone. The name "Linux" comes from the Linux kernel, started in 1991 by Linus Torvalds. The system's utilities and libraries usually come from the GNU operating system, announced in 1983 by Richard Stallman. The GNU contribution is the basis for the alternative name GNU/Linux.

Predominantly known for its use in servers, Linux is supported by corporations such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Novell, Oracle Corporation, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems. It is used as an operating system for a wide variety of computer hardware, including desktop computers, supercomputers, video game systems, such as the PlayStation 3, several arcade games, and embedded devices such as mobile phones, routers, and stage lighting systems.

Mac OS X

Mac OS X is a line of graphical operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc., the latest of which is pre-loaded on all currently shipping under Macintosh series of personal computers. Mac OS X is the successor to the original Mac OS, which had been Apple's primary operating system since 1984. Unlike its predecessors, Mac OS X is a Unix-based operating system built on technology developed at NeXT from the second half of the 1980s until early 1997, when Apple purchased the company.

The server edition, Mac OS X Server, is architecturally very similar to its desktop counterpart but usually runs on Apple's line of Macintosh server hardware. It includes workgroup management and administration software tools that provide simplified access to key network services, including a mail transfer agent, a Samba server, an LDAP server, a domain name server, and others.

Applications

Application software employs the capabilities of a computer directly and thoroughly to a task that the user wishes to perform. This should be contrasted with system software which is involved in integrating a computer's various capabilities, but typically does not directly apply them in the performance of tasks that benefit the user. In this context the term application refers to both the application software and its implementation. A simple, if imperfect analogy in the world of hardware would be the relationship of an electric light bulb (an application) to an electric power generation plant (a system). The power plant merely generates electricity, not itself of any real use until harnessed to an application like the electric light that performs a service that benefits the user.

Typical examples of software applications are word processors, spreadsheets, and media players. Multiple applications bundled together as a package are sometimes referred to as an application suite. Microsoft Office and OpenOffice.org, which bundle together a word processor, a spreadsheet, and several other discrete applications, are typical examples. The separate applications in a suite usually have a user interface that has some commonality making it easier for the user to learn and use each application. And often they may have some capability to interact with each other in ways beneficial to the user. For example, a spreadsheet might be able to be embedded in a word processor document even though it had been created in the separate spreadsheet application.

End-user development tailors systems to meet the user's specific needs. User-written software include spreadsheet templates, word processor macros, scientific simulations, graphics and animation scripts. Even email filters are a kind of user software. Users create this software themselves and often overlook how important it is.
Posted by Sarif at 12:54 PM 0 comments
Computer case

A computer case is the enclosure that contains the main components of a computer. Cases are usually constructed from steel, aluminum, or plastic, although other materials such as wood, plexiglas or fans[10] have also been used in case designs. Cases can come in many different sizes, or form factors. The size and shape of a computer case is usually determined by the form factor of the motherboard that it is designed to accommodate, since this is the largest and most central component of most computers. Consequently, personal computer form factors typically specify only the internal dimensions and layout of the case. Form factors for rack-mounted and blade servers may include precise external dimensions as well, since these cases must themselves fit in specific enclosures.

Currently, the most popular form factor for desktop computers is ATX, although microATX and small form factors have become very popular for a variety of uses. Companies like Shuttle Inc. and A Open have popularized small cases, for which FlexATX is the most common motherboard size.

Central processing unit

The central processing unit, or CPU, is that part of a computer which executes software program instructions. In older computers this circuitry was formerly on several printed circuit boards, but in PCs is a single integrated circuit. Nearly all PCs contain a type of CPU known as a microprocessor. The microprocessor often plugs into the motherboard using one of many different types of sockets. IBM PC compatible computers use an x86-compatible processor, usually made by Intel, AMD, VIA Technologies or Transmeta. Apple Macintosh computers were initially built with the Motorola 680x0 family of processors, then switched to the PowerPC series (a RISC architecture jointly developed by Apple Computer, IBM and Motorola), but as of 2006, Apple switched again, this time to x86-compatible processors by Intel. Modern CPUs are equipped with a fan attached via heat sink.

Motherboard

The motherboard, also referred to as systemboard or mainboard, is the primary circuit board within a personal computer. Many other components connect directly or indirectly to the motherboard. Motherboards usually contain one or more CPUs, supporting circuitry - usually integrated circuits (ICs) - providing the interface between the CPU memory and input/output peripheral circuits, main memory, and facilities for initial setup of the computer immediately after power-on (often called boot firmware or, in IBM PC compatible computers, a BIOS). In many portable and embedded personal computers, the motherboard houses nearly all of the PC's core components. Often a motherboard will also contain one or more peripheral buses and physical connectors for expansion purposes. Sometimes a secondary daughter board is connected to the motherboard to provide further expandability or to satisfy space constraints.

Main memory

A PC's main memory is fast storage that is directly accessible by the CPU, and is used to store the currently executing program and immediately needed data. PCs use semiconductor random access memory (RAM) of various kinds such as DRAM or SRAM as their primary storage. Which exact kind depends on cost/performance issues at any particular time. Main memory is much faster than mass storage devices like hard disks or optical discs, but is usually volatile, meaning it does not retain its contents (instructions or data) in the absence of power, and is much more expensive for a given capacity than is most mass storage. Main memory is generally not suitable for long-term or archival data storage.

Hard disk

Mass storage devices store programs and data even when the power is off; they do require power to perform read and write functions during usage. Although semiconductor flash memory has dropped in cost, the prevailing form of mass storage in personal computers is still the electromechanical hard disk.

The disk drives use a sealed head/disk assembly (HDA) which was first introduced by IBM's "Winchester" disk system. The use of a sealed assembly allowed the use of positive air pressure to drive out particles from the surface of the disk, which improves reliability.

If the mass storage controller provides for expandability, a PC may also be upgraded by the addition of extra hard disk or optical disc drives. For example, DVD-ROMs, CD-ROMs, and various optical disc recorders may all be added by the user to certain PCs. Standard internal storage device interfaces are ATA, Serial ATA, SCSI, and CF+ type II in 2005.

Video card

The video card - otherwise called a graphics card, graphics adapter or video adapter - processes and renders the graphics output from the computer to the computer display, also called the visual display unit (VDU), and is an essential part of the modern computer. On older models, and today on budget models, graphics circuitry tended to be integrated with the motherboard but, for modern flexible machines, they are supplied in PCI, AGP, or PCI Express format.

When the IBM PC was introduced, most existing business-oriented personal computers used text-only display adapters and had no graphics capability. Home computers at that time had graphics compatible with television signals, but with low resolution by modern standards owing to the limited memory available to the eight-bit processors available at the time.

Visual display unit

A visual display unit (also called monitor) is a piece of electrical equipment, usually separate from the computer case, which displays viewable images generated by a computer without producing a permanent record. The word "monitor" is used in other contexts; in particular in television broadcasting, where a television picture is displayed to a high standard. A computer display device is usually either a cathode ray tube or some form of flat panel such as a TFT LCD. The monitor comprises the display device, circuitry to generate a picture from electronic signals sent by the computer, and an enclosure or case. Within the computer, either as an integral part or a plugged-in interface, there is circuitry to convert internal data to a format compatible with a monitor. The images from monitors originally contained only text, but as Graphical user interfaces emerged and became common, they began to display more images and multimedia content.

Keyboards

In computing, a keyboard is an arrangement of buttons that each correspond to a function, letter, or number. They are the primary devices of inputing text. In most cases, they contain an aray of keys specifically organized with the corresponding letters, numbers, and functions printed or engraved on the button. They are generally designed around an operators language, and many different versions for different languages exist. In English, the most common layout is the QWERTY layout, which was originally used in typewriters. They have evolved over time, and have been modified for use in computers with the addition of function keys, number keys, arrow keys, and OS specific keys. Often, specific functions can be achieved by pressing multiple keys at once or in succession, such as inputing characters with accents or opening a task manager. Programs use keyboard shotcuts very differently and all use different keyboard shortcuts for different program specific operations, such as refreshing a web page in a web browser or selecting all text in a word processor.

Pointing devices

A Mouse on a computer is a small, slidable device that users hold and slide around to point at, click, and sometimes drag objects on screen in a graphical user interface using a pointer on screen. Almost all Personal Computers have mice. It may be plugged into a computer's rear mouse socket, or as a USB device, or, more recently, may be connected wirelessly via a USB antenna or Bluetooth antenna. In the past, they had a single button that users could press down on the device to "click" on whatever the pointer on the screen was hovering over. Now, however, many Mice have two or three buttons; a "right click" function button on the mouse, which performs a secondary action on a selected object, and a scroll wheel, which users can rotate the wheel using their fingers to "scroll" up or down. The scroll wheel can also be pressed down, and therefore be used as a third button. Different programs make use of these functions differently, and may scroll horizontally by default with the scroll wheel, open different menus with different buttons, among others.

Mice traditionally detected movement and communicated with the computer with an internal "mouse ball"; and use optical encoders to detect rotation of the ball and tell the computer where the mouse has moved. However, these systems were subject to low durability and accuracy. Modern mice use optical technology to directly trace movement of the surface under the mouse and are much more accurate and durable. They work on a wider variety of surfaces and can even operate on walls, ceilings or other non-horizontal surfaces.

Mass storage

All computers require either fixed or removable storage for their operating system, programs and user generated material. Formerly the 5 1/4 inch and 3 1/2 inch floppy drive were the principal forms of removable storage for backup of user files and distribution of software.

As memory sizes increased, the capacity of the floppy did not keep pace; the Zip drive and other higher-capacity removable media were introduced but never became as prevalent as the floppy drive.

By the late 1990s the optical drive, in CD and later DVD and Blu-ray Disc, became the main method for software distribution, and writeable media provided backup and file interchange. Floppy drives have become uncommon in desktop personal computers since about 2000, and were dropped from many laptop systems even earlier. [11]

Early home computers used compact audio cassettes for file storage; these were at the time a very low cost storage solution, but were displaced by floppy disk drives when manfacturing costs dropped, by the mid 1980s.

A second generation of tape recorders was provided when Videocassette recorders were pressed into service as backup media for larger disk drives. All these systems were less reliable and slower than purpose-built magnetic tape drives. Such tape drives were uncommon in consumer-type personal computers but were a necessity in business or industrial use.

Interchange of data such as photographs from digital cameras is greatly expedited by installation of a card reader, which often is compatible with several forms of flash memory. It is usually faster and more convenient to move large amounts of data by removing the card from the mobile device, instead of communicating with the mobile device through a USB interface.

A USB flash drive today performs much of the data transfer and backup functions formerly done with floppy drives, Zip disks and other devices. Main-stream current operating systems for personal computers provide standard support for flash drives, allowing interchange even between computers using different processors and operating systems. The compact size and lack of moving parts or dirt-sensitive media, combined with low cost for high capacity, have made flash drives a popular and useful accessory for any personal computer user.

The operating system (e.g.: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, Linux or many others) can be located on any removable storage, but typically it is on one of the hard disks. A Live CD is also possible, but it is very slow and is usually used for installation of the OS, demonstrations, or problem solving. Flash-based memory is currently expensive (as of mid-2008) but is starting to appear in laptop computers because of its low weight and low energy consumption, compared to hard disk storage.

Apple, Laptop, Update Reviews

2009-03-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

Apple LED Cinema Display (24-inch)

A new Cinema Display is certainly welcome, and hints towards more being released at next year's Macworld. We do feel, however, that Apple has shot itself in the foot by only providing a mini-DisplayPort input.

Apple MacBook Pro 2.53GHz

Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pro received a design overhaul and now includes the unibody chassis built from a single piece of aluminium, a multi-touch glass trackpad, a new black screen bezel, and black keys.

Laptop Computer has some Problems and Solution 1

2009-03-06T00:10:00.000-08:00

Laptop Startup
Q: I have a Dell Inspiron 8200 and it comes up with a message after the boot screen asking for an ...
A: hmm lets see... you switch the machine on, says DELL, does a memory count and before going anywhere ...
Toshiba Equium Screen
Q: I have a toshiba equium laptop and recently vertical lines have been appearing on the screen. They ...
A: since these are coming up first thing, before the boot screen and before Windows, we can rule out ...
Error Messages
Q: I have a dell - inspiron 2200, at start up it gives the following error message, its causing ...
A: i dont know what other software you have installed on it, but that is a pretty standard Windows ...

battery indicator always on; shows orange light even after shutdown & plug removed
Q: When I have the IBM Thinkpad R51 laptop on (i.e. running on windows), the sys icon tray shows the 6% ...
A: to be honest the surest way to know if the battery is faulty is to run a multimeter across the ...

Aspire 9410
Q: I was trying to retore windows onto my laptop but it doesnt seem to get any further then the image ...
A: if you have the original memory, try putting that back in and see if it will load. If it still won't ...

Getting internet on IBM Thinkpad
Q: I do not know if you can help or not. I found your site while browsing. I bought my daughter a ...
A: It could be a few things. One of the most common would be that the machine needs to have its ...

battery indicator always on; shows orange light even after shutdown & plug removed
Q: When I have the IBM Thinkpad R51 laptop on (i.e. running on windows), the sys icon tray shows the 6% ...
A: Used to get this occasionally at IBM at was always one of 2 things. The IBM Management software was ...

graphics/display problem
Q: I was playing a PC game and I walked away from it. When I came back it timed out with and error ...
A: I have a couple of thoughts. First, if there is software installed for this game, I would uninstall ...

screen problems
Q: Have a brand new HP laptop for about a year now. One day I tried to turn on the computer, and it did ...
A: The problem is that either the Screen or the Backlight for the screen has died. On newer machines ...

blank screen
Q: my screen goes blank when i attach a projector to the laptop, i.e after pressing Fn +F8
A: in display settings, which is in control panel, you can turn on the option to mirror your existing ...

Laptop will not boot
Q: I have a Toshiba Satellite M35X-S310 that will not boot. I see the Toshiba startup screen, then a ...
A: it sounds like Windows is missing some file, got corrupted files, or has installed a program/virus ...

Installation of OS
Q: I have a laptop precisely HP Compaq nc6400, with Windows XP installed. But I need to format the hard ...
A: your laptop has a SATA hard drive. In order for Windows setup to recognize it you will need to ...

Slow Laptop
Q: my laptop has recently become very slow, it takes ages to lad up simple programs and if i try to ...
A: it might still be worth while to run a virus scan an malware checker just to be sure, but other than ...

laptop won't turn on
Q: my laptop won't turn on, the led light flashes three times radiply and it stays shut off. i have a ...
A: Normally that means that there is no power to the machine at all. well there is a minor amount ...

Toshiba Laptop A-105
Q: I tried to turn my laptop on this morning and the screen came up telling the there was a problem and ...
A: Unmountable boot drive means it cannot find your windows installation and partition. seems the boot ...

laptop Screen is not bright
Q: The computer starts fine when booted, but the screen is dark. I can see the login box come up but ...
A: plug in an external monitor. if the screen is dark on the external monitor you have a problem with ...

Dell d600 network connector bad
Q: Is it possible to replace the network connector on a dell d600 laptop? When I plug a network cable ...
A: I don't see it listed as a replacement part, so it may be built in to the motherboard. You may want ...

presario v2000
Q: my screen fades to white and locks up after I log on. Sometimes it does it right away and other ...
A: quick way to check if its hardware or software is if you have one, plug in an external monitor. If ...

HELP! PC IS DARK!
Q: I have an HP PC notebook. It was working fine until this morning. I turned it on and i could barely ...
A: this is a typical symptom of the backlighting not working on your laptop. There are a few ...

Computer Speed and Backup
Q: I work for a computer company that uses slow computers in their offices in order to save power. ...
A: yes, what you described and what I was referring to are the same. Once you have a good backup of all ...

Internal mouse on my laptop
Q: I have a Compaq Armada laptop, which I bought preowned and refurbished. It has Millenium op sys. ...
A: I download the latest mouse drivers from HP's website and install them. If that doesn't fix it, then ...

Laptop Hard Drive Upgrade
Q: I just upgraded to a new 160G hard drive in my Dell B130 Inspiron Notebook. This is a lower end ...
A: bigger hard drives tend to consume more power unfortunatley and since your laptop HDD has more than ...

laptop
Q: i just received your information regarding batteries, I just have one more question if i use me ...
A: best procedure would be to cycle the battery, by running it down and then recharging. That can be a ...

questn
Q: i just received your information regarding batteries, I just have one more question if i use me ...
A: if your going to be running your laptop for serious periods of time in an ...

drivers
Q: I have upgraded to Vista and it was working great. But then with no warning my dvd/cd drive stopped ...
A: well i have looked everywhere and anywhere. I can find places to buy replacements and i can find ...

Laptop DC to DC power converter
Q: I have a Sony Vaio PCG-9RFL. I use it at remote sites and power it with the AC to DC adapter, ...
A: I'm afraid I can't give you a straight answer on this one because it depends on the tolerances Sony ...

Audio Not Working (speakers & Earphones)
Q: I need your help. My laptop's speakers and my earphones, do not work. I have tried everything ...
A: That would all seem to be in order, so how do we prove it's failed hardware? You said you replaced ...

Audio Not Working (speakers & Earphones)
Q: I need your help. My laptop's speakers and my earphones, do not work. I have tried everything ...
A: yes there is a little program that makes the volume appear on the screen when you adjust it. This ...

Laptop wont boot up
Q: My laptop will turn on and go to the first dell screen, and it looks like its loading but it never ...
A: I can certainly try Brett, but we'll need to do some more digging. Will the computer boot into safe ...

drivers
Q: I have upgraded to Vista and it was working great. But then with no warning my dvd/cd drive stopped ...
A: Would love to help but sony changed the model of drive several times on that model range so it could ...

notebok
Q: would constanlty keepeing it on charge say for 12 housr affect it Thanks
A: Like most batteries they are consumable and any warranty on them generally lasts only 6months. It ...

nc 4000 broken nic
Q: I have a hp nc4000 notebook. The Plastic housing which holds the network cable in place has snapped. ...
A: since this is an integrated NIC, I don't know of a way to replace it. But if this is a common ...

laptop will not always startup-- no power
Q: I have a Dell 600m laptop. The laptop will not always startup. I will hold down the power button ...
A: If you have another HDD Drive avaliable to you it might be worth a shot switching them over. i have ...

Hp laptop
Q: I have an Hp laptop thats about five years old. It gets pretty vigorous use an done day it had ...
A: Your laptop is still using a screen back light instead of more modern technology. Your backlight ...

My external toshiba hard drive has died - important data!
Q: Not so long ago i bought an external Toshiba MK4032GAX (40GB 2.5") drive, and stored all of my 15gb ...
A: Definitley sounds like you have an issue with the drive its self but most likely the circuit board ...

Dvd and Audio
Q: I've been having various problems with my laptop and I'm not sure if they are connected or not so ...
A: its great to know you managed to remove one virus however unfortunatley they rarely come alone and ...

Problem with Dell INSPIRON 630m
Q: I'm currently using a Dell INSPIRON 630m laptop. I switched on the laptop the other time, and I find ...
A: i will be honest, sounds like you have a nasty virus on your machine and the real answer to any ...

Laptop keeps shutting off
Q: My laptop keeps shutting off every few minutes. I tried to run a Virus scan but while it is running ...
A: It actually requires disassembly of the laptop case and a visual inspection. Every one comes apart ...

Toshiba A 85 keys stuck?
Q: I have a toshiba satellite A85 laptop. My question is my arrow keys(down,right) appears to be stuck ...
A: there is a thin rubber membrane under the keys that makes connections for the key to work, and ...

keyboard repeating characters
Q: Brand new Dell Inspiron 1520 (2 days). Charactterrs are repeating despite adjusting repeat rate to ...
A: well if it is repeating almost out of control then i would have said the keyboard is at fault but if ...

speakers for laptop
Q: I have a dell inspirion 6400 laptop with a regular built in soundcard for laptops with only outputs ...
A: You will get a better quality of sound out of speakers when they are plugged into your laptop. your ...

Laptop keeps shutting off
Q: My laptop keeps shutting off every few minutes. I tried to run a Virus scan but while it is running ...
A: first, is the laptop hot? If it is, I would leave it off until you can check out all the fans and ...

laptop will not always startup-- no power
Q: I have a Dell 600m laptop. The laptop will not always startup. I will hold down the power button ...
A: very odd, the technician should have left till it booted correctly on repeated occasions. When you ...

Laptop dark screen
Q: I have a Dell Latitude D800 and before Christmas it was runing ok but just two days ago, I tried to ...
A: if the screen is just really dark, but there is a faint image there, then it's probably a ...

Dell Inspiron 9300 Laptop Broken.
Q: As mentioned in the subject I have a year old Dell Inspiron 9300 laptop which up until 2 weeks ago ...
A: do you get any error messages or beeps, or just it just do nothing? If it just does nothing, I ...

How to access the hidden partition on my harddrive?
Q: I have a sony vaio laptop. Vgn a130b. It has a 40 GB harddisk. I have lost its Drivers CD ...
A: that partition is normally accessable only by the boot cdrom that would have come with your laptop. ...

ze2000
Q: i have a error message file missing or corrupt \window\system32\config\system have tried loading a ...
A: well i take it your trying to recover/restore an operating system instead of just installing a new ...

dell inspiron 1501
Q: after 15 mins my laptop screen just goes blank. I have pressed all the buttons to get the screen to ...
A: If you have access to an external monitor i would suggest plugging it in to see if your machine is ...

Wi-Fi Laptop problems
Q: I have a one year old HP special edition laptop.Last week I found that I could not enable my ...
A: If the card does not show up in the device list, Windows does not know it's there, which probably ...

laptop will not always startup-- no power
Q: I have a Dell 600m laptop. The laptop will not always startup. I will hold down the power button ...
A: well you have an interesting issue indeed and its good to see dell coming out to look at it. I ...

laptop monitor
Q: I have a compaq laptop and it was working just fine, except the monitor starting flickering along ...
A: it can be one of a few things. It can be a hardware failure, either the Graphics Card Chip is ...

Computer Speed and Backup
Q: I work for a computer company that uses slow computers in their offices in order to save power. ...
A: first, I would verify exactly where the files are being stored. If they are on your laptop, you're ...

CD drive
Q: I have a Dell Inspiron E1505 laptop. I've been having problems with the cd drive: first of all it ...
A: you might try cleaning the drive, but it sounds like it may be failing and getting progressively ...

Problems getting laptop onto internet
Q: I have an IBM Thinkpad that my aunt gave me from her work. On Friday I purchased a Belkin G Wireless ...
A: on the underneath of the laptop there should be a model type and serial number sticker. This always ...

sticking laptop keys
Q: i cant seem to get some of my laptop keys to stop sticking. they are just really hard to push down ...
A: best suggestion here is to replace the keyboard. Depending on the make and model, it can be fairly ...

laptop screen brightness
Q: I have approximately a year old hp laptop that has hardly been used, recently loaned it to my mom ...
A: ok basic things to check are in the control panel, power options. If you have a standard HP ...

Problems getting laptop onto internet
Q: I have an IBM Thinkpad that my aunt gave me from her work. On Friday I purchased a Belkin G Wireless ...
A: Totally depends on the Model of the IBM Thinkpad. Not all came with wireless and some came with ...

Acer Laptop USB Ports Problem
Q: None of my USB ports work. They were working the other day and now they are not. I have tried all ...
A: ok first off, if your running a usb optical mouse and the light is coming on, your USB ports are ...

dvd player
Q: i have a mac laptop and i put dvds into it and it just spits them back out i some times have to ...
A: if it does the samething with cd's the the drive is 100% broken and will need replacing. If its just ...

Power cable for laptop
Q: long story, please bear with it, question is at the end. My power cable for my lap top got real hot ...
A: the smell is from the components inside overheating. That box should be no more than warm to the ...

Laptop not recieving power
Q: I have an hp DV6000 laptop thats (or was) in good shape, but one day, I tripped over the cord going ...
A: this happens quite often. What normally happens is the receptacle in the laptop gets broken loose ...

dvd player
Q: i have a mac laptop and i put dvds into it and it just spits them back out i some times have to ...
A: either every dvd your putting into it is dirty, the drive is dirty as in the reading lense or the ...

Hibernatiuon Shut Down
Q: I have an R40 IBM Thinkpad PC with MS XP Professional Operating System. The problem occurs when ...
A: it sounds like Windows can't power this device down properly for some reason. Usually that's a ...

vaio vgn-s does not power up
Q: I have a vgn-s1xp, which one day decided not to power up. I have tried to power it with battery and ...
A: its gonna be a system board replacement last time i checked could get one for about $120 which at ...

screen problems
Q: I have a Presario 700 laptop. Lately sometimes the screen changes colors and then back to normal ...
A: well since plugging it into an external monitor is ok then its going to be a screen/connection ...

keys on my laptop
Q: I've worn off the letters on several keys on my laptop. When I worked in an office with a desktop, ...
A: If you're a good typist, you're going to wear the keys out. It seems that people who watch their ...

laptop fall down
Q: I fall down with the laptop, not hard but i was afraid that there is somthing, i turn it on and its ...
A: Laptop hard-drives are quite fragile and a fall even a soft one doesnt always do it the world of ...

keys on my laptop
Q: I've worn off the letters on several keys on my laptop. When I worked in an office with a desktop, ...
A: yes, I meant you can replace the keyboard, not carry an extra. Although using an external one at ...
login in on my laptop
Q: hey scott i deleted my log in name and so on now when i turn my laptop on i can no longer log in how ...
A: I am guessing its a windows installation? If so did you install the operating system yourself or did ...

SONY VGN FS920 laptop (DEAD) not powering up...
Q: My SONY VGN FS920 laptop stopped working when i connected the power chord directly to the power ...
A: it sounds like your AC Adapter may have gone bad. Do you have a means of measuring the output ...

SONY VGN FS920 laptop (DEAD) not powering up...
Q: My SONY VGN FS920 laptop stopped working when i connected the power chord directly to the power ...
A: Does your AC powerblock, the big brick between your plug socket and the laptop get warm? Its quite ...

keys on my laptop
Q: I've worn off the letters on several keys on my laptop. When I worked in an office with a desktop, ...
A: depending on the model, you may be able to find a keyboard for less than $20 on eBay. But if you ...

Virus
Q: In my laptop i did not installed the antivirus software.so it infected by virus.I unable to install ...
A: first, I would try starting the computer in Safe Mode by pressing F8 at startup. If it will start in ...

dell laptop CP m266 st
Q: I bought a used dell cpm laptop wont fire up tryed ever thing removed ever thing batt. hd floppy ...
A: do you get the Dell splash screen at all so you could try to get into the BIOS by pressing F1? (or ...

Dead e-system 3083 Laptop
Q: My friends e-system 3083 laptop has suddenly died, it was fine one day but come the next day it ...
A: The fact the green light is coming on the laptop adapter is a positive sign, power is at least ...

dsl is driving me crazy...
Q: I have a HP Pavillion DV6000 laptop with a dual core amd processor clocking in at 1.8 ghz, 2 gigs of ...
A: Disable your network connection in control panel, network connections. Sometimes windows gets ...

Wi-Fi Laptop problems
Q: I have a one year old HP special edition laptop.Last week I found that I could not enable my ...
A: That depends on whether you are using Windows to manage your wireless settings, or your card came ...

NOISE DUE TO FAN
Q: MY LAPTOP IS ASUS L400H, WIN XP 32 GENIUNE AND WIN ME,FAT32..IT IS NOISY AND I CAN FEEL VIBRATIONS

...
A: with all laptops once all the screws underneath are removed the next thing to do is flip it over, ...
vaio vgn-s does not power up

Q: I have a vgn-s1xp, which one day decided not to power up. I have tried to power it with battery and ...
A: well the power converter is the big block on the AC Adapater, you can try running an alt meter ...
vaio vgn-s does not power up

Q: I have a vgn-s1xp, which one day decided not to power up. I have tried to power it with battery and ...
A: I actually used to have this model of laptop and it did the exact same thing to me. The system board ...

IBM Z60T Charging problem
Q: In Iraq, my 1 year old IBM Thinkpad experienced 125 degrees in my tent for a few days. I suspected a ...
A: these batteries set on a shelf quite often, and need to be fully charged when you receive them. This ...

Screen Shrunk
Q: Recently while I was on my laptop, I pressed a button or two on the keyboard (not on purpose and I ...
A: it sounds like the resolution size has changed. To change it back, right click on an open spot on ...

Laptop won't boot up
Q: .. Well, when i try to boot my laptop, the power and hard drive light fire up and i can hear the ...
A: a couple of things we can try to get us heading in the right direction. First, try turning it on ...

Wi-Fi Laptop problems
Q: I have a one year old HP special edition laptop.Last week I found that I could not enable my ...
A: it's possible that there was an update to Windows that caused it to stop working. Have you checked ...

Xmas Disaster
Q: The new digital camera took 1st class pictures. However, when the camera... instructions carefully ...
A: Was the laptop running on AC Power or Battery Power at the time? The Camera will have USB 2.0 which ...

screen problems
Q: I have a Presario 700 laptop. Lately sometimes the screen changes colors and then back to normal ...
A: Do you have access to a normal monitor? a CRT, TFT it doesnt matter what type but the best thing to ...

screen problems
Q: I have a Presario 700 laptop. Lately sometimes the screen changes colors and then back to normal ...
A: often these intermittent problems are indicative of a bad or loose cable between the motherboard and ...

NOISE DUE TO FAN
Q: MY LAPTOP IS ASUS L400H, WIN XP 32 GENIUNE AND WIN ME,FAT32..IT IS NOISY AND I CAN FEEL VIBRATIONS

...
A: Fan noise is not related to the battery. I did a little checking up and the age of the Laptop the ...

NOISE DUE TO FAN
Q: MY LAPTOP IS ASUS L400H, WIN XP 32 GENIUNE AND WIN ME,FAT32..IT IS NOISY AND I CAN FEEL VIBRATIONS

...
A: What do you use your machine for and is it constantly making these noises? Some laptops, if put ...

LapTop Battery not recognized
Q: I have a HP/Compaq nc6000 laptop. All of a sudden the battery is not being recognized by the ...
A: are the batteries actually charging? Will the notebook boot and run off of them? If so, I think I'd ...

Dell Inspiron Internet
Q: I have a wireless Dell Inspiron 6000 with a Belkin router. Even though my computer says that my ...
A: It would depend on which firewall you are using. If you are using the firewall provided by the cable ...

Dell Inspiron Internet
Q: I have a wireless Dell Inspiron 6000 with a Belkin router. Even though my computer says that my ...
A: Alright, I think that makes sense. Can you check a couple of other things please? First, I'd like ...

Compaq Laptop
Q: I have a Compaq Laptop model Presario 2200. I had it in a case and in back of my SUV traveling out ...
A: it's hard to answer this one with any certainty, but since you're good with electronics, I would ...

Dell Inspiron not starting
Q: I have a dell inspiron 1000 and it will not always start up. When I start up it will initiate the ...
A: I would think that's still the cable or it's connections Bill, and if it's shorting together, it ...

Dell Inspiron Internet
Q: I have a wireless Dell Inspiron 6000 with a Belkin router. Even though my computer says that my ...
A: my first instinct is to suspect the firewall, but we can check a few things first to see if you're ...

The best way to uninstall programs

2009-03-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

You should never try to remove a program by deleting its folders or files manually. Always use either the Windows Add/Remove Programs utility, or, preferably, the uninstaller that the program itself installs and makes available - usually from the Start => Programs (Windows 95/98/Me) or All Programs menu (Windows XP/Windows Vista).

The Windows 95/98/Me Add/Remove Programs utility in the Control Panel is a very basic uninstaller, so it is always better to use the uninstall feature of the program itself if it has one. The program's uninstaller should be programmed to know exactly how to uninstall the program, and hence be able to handle aspects such as unlocking files in use so they can be deleted, and removing data files specific to the program.

Microsoft has been getting much better at creating its uninstallers. Uninstallers under Windows 95 made a pretty crude job of it, while the uninstallers used by Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista do almost as good a job as the program's own uninstaller

Recovery systems waste space

2009-03-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

It would be much better to have the software disks so that you can delete the master image and restore the software from them instead.

Disk space is not much of a problem nowadays, but on an older system, the loss of 2GB or more of space given over to the master image can be a real handicap, both from a space and performance point of view.

In short, minus the master image, the computer will load its software faster at start-up, can be serviced, and will run much faster - even if you have a monster-sized drive in relation to which two gigabytes represents only 5 to 10% or less of its capacity.

HP, Compaq, Dell, and Packard Bell make use of recovery systems as the cure-all for software problems. Their support staff merely tell clients with software problems to run the recovery procedure, which deletes all of the installed software and replaces it with the master image that was created of the system when it was first installed.

If you have not been provided with backup CDs of this software, all of it will be lost if the computer's hard disk drive dies - an all-too-common occurrence.

Read the complaints with regard to this in the postings in the Compaq and Packard Bell newsgroups. - Click here! for the newsgroup addresses on this site.

Information (1)A modern personal computer Hardware

2009-03-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

An exploded view of a modern personal computer and peripherals:

1. Scanner
2. CPU (Microprocessor)
3. Primary storage (RAM)
4. Expansion cards (graphics cards, etc)
5. Power supply
6. Optical disc drive
7. Secondary storage (Hard disk)
8. Motherboard
9. Speakers
10. Monitor
11. System software
12. Application software
13. Keyboard
14. Mouse
15. External hard disk
16. Printer

Laptop Support

2009-03-04T07:15:00.000-08:00

Getting Help
Looking for technical assistance? You can find it by phone, email, or by visiting the walk-in help center.
Using the Laptop
Learn more about using your new laptop on campus along with its preloaded software and recommended technologies.
Security
A laptop is a big investment in your future. It is strongly recommended that you take measures to safeguard your purchase. This will ensure that it remains a successful tool in your academic career.

Malware Protection

2009-03-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

Virus Protection

2009-03-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

Keeping your machine virus free not only protects you but everyone else on the network. By following some simple steps, you can keep your virus protection current and clean with scheduled scans.

Laptop Security

2009-03-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

There are a number of security concerns of interest to participants in the Student Laptop Initiative. Links to a number of relevant security resources are provided here.

Theft Prevention and Response

Here are a few helpful tips for protecting your laptop:

Never leave your laptop unattended.
Like any other valuable piece of equipment, never leave your laptop in plain sight in your car.
When you are working in a single location for any length of time (e.g., your dorm room, the library, a computer lab) take a moment to secure your laptop with a security lock. A laptop security lock is available for purchase when you order your laptop.
Computrace® Personal is a third-party laptop recovery service available through Lenovo. You can read more about it on the Lenovo ThinkVantage Web site. It is available as an option during the laptop purchase or later through the Lenovo Web site.
Back up your important data frequently