Sony Ericsson C905

Sony Ericsson kembali meluncurkan telpon seluler canggih, yaitu SE C905. C905 memiliki semua fungsi yang dibutuhkan untuk menghasilkan foto yang sempurna, kontras dan cerdas menyeimbangkan cahaya dan warna. Telepon Cyber-shot™ C905 berkekuatan 8,1 megapiksel dilengkapi dengan lampu kilat Xenon dan selalu siap mengabadikan saat-saat terbaik dalam kehidupan Anda. Dengan kecermatan, warna asli dan Smart Contrast, C905 memang kamera luar biasa untuk mengabadikan saat-saat yang istimewa

Dengan C905, Anda memiliki alat penemu arah di saku; telepon seluler ini dilengkapi dengan aGPS built-in. Serahkan kepada Google Maps™ untuk memandu Anda ke tempat tujuan sehingga Anda tidak akan kesasar ke manapun Anda pergi.

Sony Ericsson C905 memiliki dukungan DLNA sehingga Anda dapat terhubung tanpa kabel ke perangkat elektronik lainnya via Wi-Fi. Melihat foto di TV, misalnya, tinggal hubungkan, duduk dan nikmati.

What's new in Windows 7: Faster & easier

Improved taskbar and full-screen previews

The taskbar at the bottom of your screen is what you use to switch between the applications you've got open. In Windows 7 you can set the order in which the icons appear and they'll stay put. They're easier to see, too. Click once on the new large icons or bigger preview thumbnails and you're ready to go. You can even see a full screen preview before switching to the window.



Jump Lists

With Windows 7, we focused on keeping the things you use most right in front of you. One example: The new Jump List feature. It's a handy way to quickly reach the files you've been working with. To see the files you've used recently, just right click on the icon on your taskbar. So right-clicking on the Word icon will show your most recent Word documents. Plus, if there are other files you want to keep handy, you can just pin them to the Jump List.

Zenni Optical in the New York Times

It’s not easy to appear in the New York Times. But in fact… everybody can find Zenni Optical in the New York Times?! As an online store offering many kinds of eyeglasses and frames with affordable prices, Zenni Optical strenghtens its position. Many good quality eyeglasses are offered. Just imagine, you can get prescription eyeglasses for only $8! You don’t need to worry about the quality because Zenni Optical cares about the customers’ satisfaction. Seeing straight without breaking bank is good to describe this.

Axis Network Technology Adds Multi-Carrier Capability to WiMAX Remote Radio Head AYLESBURY

Axis Network Technology Adds Multi-Carrier Capability to WiMAX Remote Radio Head
AYLESBURY, England --(Business Wire)--

Mobile World Congress, Barcelona - Axis Network Technology (AxisNT), a leading provider of compact digital radio platform technology and Remote Radio Heads for current and emerging wireless standards, has announced the addition of multi-carrier technology to its family of MIMO Remote Radio Heads (RRH) for OEM deployment of WiMAX networks. AxisNT now offers 2 x 14W of MIMO multi-carrier RF power using AxisIPR™ Advanced Amplifier Technology. The RRHs are available for both 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz networks, and can be customised to meet the specific interface and packaging requirements of the OEM.

Designing WiMAX basestations using a distributed RRH approach allows the radio to be located alongside the antennas and physically separate from the basestation (BTS), removing the losses associated with long cable runs by replacing them with an optical fibre data interface. This architecture, in combination with highly efficient digital-to-RF conversion and amplification, gives a considerable reduction in both CAPEX and OPEX of the overall system as well as maintenance costs.

The energy efficiency of the basestation is vastly increased by the use of a multi-carrier RRH. This in turn reduces the environmental impact of the basestation, by reducing both its carbon footprint and the physical footprint of the radio mast.

"Axis RRHs are proven to improve basestation efficiency, and to decrease operating and capital costs," commented Simon Mellor, CEO of AxisNT. "Introducing multi-carrier capability allows OEMS even greater flexibility in deployment and increases the opportunity for them to make network savings."

Axis WiMAX RRH models are available for use in the 2.3 - 2.7GHz and 3.3 - 3.8GHz spectrum bands, and Axis radios are configurable for frequencies between 400MHz and 4GHz. Each of the models offers dual channel operation for MIMO, to comply with WiMAX and IEEE 802.16 d/e standards. They are also capable of 4-channel MIMO operation using 2-channel units driven separately from OBSAI/CPRI or daisy chained. Channel bandwidth is variable between 3.5MHz and 20MHz for TDD or FDD air interfaces.

Employing high efficiency advanced power amplifier technologies, the RRH units are available in several options with downlink output power levels of up to 28W. The advanced power amplifier design features include PowerDPD™ Digital Pre-Distortion, digitally controlled Doherty amplifiers and flexible wideband crest factor reduction (CFR).

The RRH also features automatic calibration of transmit, receive and PA bias control loops. It presents flexible multi-gigabit BTS connections, and can be fitted with OBSAI RP3-01, CPRI or custom OEM fibre digital baseband interfaces, with either 1 or 2 optical connectors as required. They integrate an AxisIPR™ configurable IP radio processor, along with an AxisOS™ remote management and local craft interfaces. Support for Adaptive Antenna Systems (AAS) and AISG v2.0 antenna control is provided.

Superior receiver performance of better than -98dBm can be achieved with single channel operation, and better than -100dBm using MIMO. A distributed BTS using 2-channel RRH with 28W downlink power is the equivalent of transmitting 56W downlink power from a traditional ground based BTS (assuming 3dB cable losses). Power consumption is reduced to a fraction of a traditional base station, thus reducing OPEX.

The use of RRHs is a key factor in minimising the environmental impact of wireless communication systems, both in terms of enabling a low carbon footprint radio system and in reducing the physical footprint of the radio mast. Because remote radio configurations both minimise RF losses and maximise multi-antenna efficiency, power consumption is fundamentally reduced. Overall power consumption is also driven down by the use of high efficiency signal processing and power amplification within the RRH itself. The Axis range of RRHs deliver high RF power and high capacity while minimising unwanted spectral emissions.

Axis RRHs reuse around 80% of components and materials between the different models. This common platform strategy and modular design format reduces resources during manufacture as well as those required for equipment support in the field.

Live Video Conference – Advantages of Using Internet Web Conferencing Systems

If you want to avoid driving every time a conference is announced, then live video conferencing is something that you might want to consider. Military, organizations, businesses and even the government use it to talk to each other, instead of getting into an airplane every time something needs discussed face to face, because of its importance.

If you choose to travel each time for meetings, you will lose a lot of time and money this way. Both money and time are saved when you choose to do live video conferences.

Instead of paying each time you need to travel, you pay just once for the software you need. The cost of running a video conference is rather small, as you use the Internet for the connection.

Cisco and Tandberg are just two of the companies that offer the latest live video conference technology available. The Tandberg equipment for example, can be a normal desktop live video conferencing in the cheapest version, or it can come with LCD screens that will show you the other people that take part to the same video conference as you.

Because the compression technology isn’t good enough in the case of videos, if you want to do live video conferencing, you will need a broadband internet connection.

Otherwise you will not be able to see the other people in real time, without interruptions. By doing just a few live video conferences, you will be able to pay the software by avoiding all the travel costs.

Live video conferencing saves even more money and is more important when it’s about the government, talking with officials from other countries. Costs and time that are saved by using video conferences are huge, and in addition, it also insures that the heads of government are more secure.

Security comes from the fact that ministers and presidents don’t need to leave their office to talk to others, so their security is much better. All they need in this case is the hardware, which they can procure from a manufacturer such as Tandberg.

The hardware consists of a microphone, the video screen where you see the other participants and the video camera that allows them to see you. The number of participants to such a video conference isn’t limited by anything.

Both the equipment of live video conferencing and the technology in general, are changing at a rapid rate. If you choose Tandberg as your provider, then there are a number of different equipments that you can choose from.

You can buy a setup that resembles a permanent studio, place it in a conference room, together with LCD screens that allow you to see everyone involved, and do live video conferencing at a very small cost.

MiniSD

MiniSD card memiliki ukuran kurang lebih 60% dari SD card. Mulai diperkenalkan pada tahun 2003. Writing protection switch tidak tersedia pada form ini. Dimensi 21,5x20x1,4 mm dengan berat 1 gram. Kapasitas 16 MB hingga 2 GB.

Sumber: PC Media 12/2006

MicroSD

MicroSD card merupakan form terkecil dari Secure Digital (SD) card. Dikenal juga sebagai TransFlash atau T-Flash. Diperkenalkan tahun 2004. Dimensi 11x15x1 mm dengan berat 0,4 gram. Kapasitas 16 MB - 1 GB.

Sumber: PC Media 12/2006

Secure Digital

Secure Digital (SD) card diperkenalkan tahun 2001 oleh SanDisk Corporation, Matsushita (Panasonic) dan Toshiba. Dikembangkan dari MMC sehingga memiliki banyak kesamaan. Dengan dimensi 32x24x2,1 mm (kurang lebih seukuran perangko), berat sekitar 2 gram. Kapasitas 16 MB hingga 4 GB.

Sumber: PC Media 12/2006

BIOS

dalam dunia komputer, BIOS merupakan singkatan dari Basic Input Output System. BIOS sering disebut system BIOS. Fungsinya menyimpan data dan mengatur selurur komponen yang ada dimaotherboard dan yang terpasang disana.Program dan informasi BIOS disimpan dalam sebuah chip yang didesain agar dapat bekerja dengan berbagai perangkat yang melengkapi sistem.

BIOS bekerja saat komputer dihidupkan,ketika komputeraktif sebelum masuk ke sistem operasi(windows)komputer akan membaca informasi, menguji, lalu menjalankan seluruh perangkat keras sesuai dengan aturan yang telah ditentukan di bios.Proses ini disebut "Booting".

setelah tiba di sistem operasi, komputer juga dapat mengabarkan seluruh informasi bios ke sistem operasi. Setelah itu sistem operasi dan software tertentu dapat mengambil alih peranan BIOS dan mengubah informasi yang ada didalam .

pada komputer masa kini, bios disimpan dalam chip memori flash atau EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). Untuk melakukan program ulang BIOS, Komputer Melakukannya dengan menberikan sejumlah tegangan listrik diatas normal.Tujuan pemrograman ulang BIOS/update BIOS adalah mengoptimalkan kerja perangkat keras atau memperbaiki bug yang ada di BIOS Ver Sebelmnya.

western digital luncurkan hardisk 2TB

Baru-baru ini tepatnya tanggal 27 Januari 2009 meluncurkan produk produk hardisk berkapasitas 2TB pertama didunia.

western digital(WD) cavier green 2TB dilengkapi casing 3.5" ini mengandung empat platter, masing-masing mampu menampung data 500 Gb. konsumsi daya 7.4 watt dalam mode baca/tulis dan 4 watt ketika idle.

tak hanya itu, berbagai teknologi bikinan WD sendiri diaplikasikan di sana seperti stabletrac (mengurangi vibrasi spindle), intellipower(mengontrol kecepatan putar untuk menghemat energi sebisa mungkin),intelliseek (mengirit konsumsi daya,noise, dan vibrasi) ada pula pula fitur bernama notouch yang bertugas memastikan head perekam tidak pernah kontak secara langsung dengan platter untuk mencegah kerusakkan, utamanya ketika anda secara tidak sengaja menjatuhkannya.prosuk ini ramah lingkungan dibuat dan didesain untuk dapat digunakan di USB,FireWire dan eSATA.

Boot Winxp Fast

Boot Winxp Fast

Follow the following steps

1. Open notepad.exe, type "del c:\windows\prefetch\ntosboot-*.* /q" (without the quotes) & save as "ntosboot.bat" in c:\
2. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "gpedit.msc".
3. Double click "Windows Settings" under "Computer Configuration" and double click again on "Shutdown" in the right window.
4. In the new window, click "add", "Browse", locate your "ntosboot.bat" file & click "Open".
5. Click "OK", "Apply" & "OK" once again to exit.
6. From the Start menu, select "Run..." & type "devmgmt.msc".
7. Double click on "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers"
8. Right click on "Primary IDE Channel" and select "Properties".
9. Select the "Advanced Settings" tab then on the device or 1 that doesn't have 'device type' greyed out select 'none' instead of 'autodetect' & click "OK".
10. Right click on "Secondary IDE channel", select "Properties" and repeat step 9.
11. Reboot your computer.

What is spy-ware?

There are a lot of PC users that know little about "Spyware", "Mal-ware", "hijackers", "Dialers" & many more. This will help you avoid pop-ups, spammers and all those baddies.

What is spy-ware?
Spy-ware is Internet jargon for Advertising Supported software (Ad-ware). It is a way for shareware authors to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users. There are several large media companies that offer them to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of the revenue from banner sales. This way, you don't have to pay for the software and the developers are still getting paid. If you find the banners annoying, there is usually an option to remove them, by paying the regular licensing free.

Known spywares
There are thousands out there, new ones are added to the list everyday. But here are a few:
Alexa, Aureate/Radiate, BargainBuddy, ClickTillUWin, Conducent Timesink, Cydoor, Comet Cursor, eZula/KaZaa Toptext, Flashpoint/Flashtrack, Flyswat, Gator, GoHip, Hotbar, ISTbar, Lions Pride Enterprises/Blazing Logic/Trek Blue, Lop (C2Media), Mattel Brodcast, Morpheus, NewDotNet, Realplayer, Songspy, Xupiter, Web3000, WebHancer, Windows Messenger Service.

How to check if a program has spyware?
The is this Little site that keeps a database of programs that are known to install spyware.

Check Here: http://www.spywareguide.com/product_search.php

If you would like to block pop-ups (IE Pop-ups).
There tons of different types out there, but these are the 2 best, i think.

Try: Google Toolbar (http://toolbar.google.com/) This program is Free
Try: AdMuncher (http://www.admuncher.com) This program is Shareware

If you want to remove the "spyware" try these.
Try: Lavasoft Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/) This program is Free
Info: Ad-aware is a multi spyware removal utility, that scans your memory, registry and hard drives for known spyware components and lets you remove them. The included backup-manager lets you reinstall a backup, offers and multi language support.

Try: Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/) This program is Free
Info: Detects and removes spyware of different kinds (dialers, loggers, trojans, user tracks) from your computer. Blocks ActiveX downloads, tracking cookies and other threats. Over 10,000 detection files and entries. Provides detailed information about found problems.

Try: BPS Spyware and Adware Remover (http://www.bulletproofsoft.com/spyware-remover.html) This program is Shareware
Info: Adware, spyware, trackware and big brotherware removal utility with multi-language support. It scans your memory, registry and drives for known spyware and lets you remove them. Displays a list and lets you select the items you'd like to remove.

Try: Spy Sweeper v2.2 (http://www.webroot.com/wb/products/spysweeper/index.php) This program is Shareware
Info: Detects and removes spyware of different kinds (dialers, loggers, trojans, user tracks) from your computer.
The best scanner out there, and updated all the time.

Try: HijackThis 1.97.7 (http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html) This program is Freeware
Info: HijackThis is a tool, that lists all installed browser add-on, buttons, startup items and allows you to inspect them, and optionally remove selected items.


If you would like to prevent "spyware" being install.
Try: SpywareBlaster 2.6.1 (http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareblaster.html) This program is Free
Info: SpywareBlaster doesn`t scan and clean for so-called spyware, but prevents it from being installed in the first place. It achieves this by disabling the CLSIDs of popular spyware ActiveX controls, and also prevents the installation of any of them via a webpage.

Try: SpywareGuard 2.2 (http://www.wilderssecurity.net/spywareguard.html) This program is Free
Info: SpywareGuard provides a real-time protection solution against so-called spyware. It works similar to an anti-virus program, by scanning EXE and CAB files on access and alerting you if known spyware is detected.

Try: XP-AntiSpy (http://www.xp-antispy.org/) This program is Free
Info: XP-AntiSpy is a small utility to quickly disable some built-in update and authentication features in WindowsXP that may rise security or privacy concerns in some people.

Try: SpySites (http://camtech2000.net/Pages/SpySites_Prog...ml#SpySitesFree) This program is Free
Info: SpySites allows you to manage the Internet Explorer Restricted Zone settings and easily add entries from a database of 1500+ sites that are known to use advertising tracking methods or attempt to install third party software.

If you would like more Information about "spyware".
Check these sites.
http://www.spychecker.com/
http://www.spywareguide.com/
http://www.cexx.org/adware.htm
http://www.theinfomaniac.net/infomaniac/co...rsSpyware.shtml
http://www.thiefware.com/links/
http://simplythebest.net/info/spyware.html

Usefull tools...
Try: Stop Windows Messenger Spam 1.10 (http://www.jester2k.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/j...r2ksoftware.htm) This program is Free
Info: "Stop Windows Messenger Spam" stops this Service from running and halts the spammers ability to send you these messages.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
All these softwares will help remove and prevent evil spammers and spywares attacking your PC. I myself recommend getting "spyblaster" "s&d spybot" "spy sweeper" & "admuncher" to protect your PC. A weekly scan is also recommended

Free Virus Scan
Scan for spyware, malware and keyloggers in addition to viruses, worms and trojans. New threats and annoyances are created faster than any individual can keep up with.
http://defender.veloz.com// - 15k


Finding . is a Click Away at 2020Search.com
Having trouble finding what you re looking for on: .? 2020Search will instantly provide you with the result you re looking for by drawing on some of the best search engines the Internet has to offer. Your result is a click away!
http://www.2020search.com// - 43k


Download the BrowserVillage Toolbar.
Customize your Browser! Eliminate Pop-up ads before they start, Quick and easy access to the Web, and much more. Click Here to Install Now!
http://www.browservillage.com/ - 36k

10 reasons why PCs crash U must Know

Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

1 Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2 Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

3 BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4 Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6 Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( www.symantec.com).

7 Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8 Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9 Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

10 Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.