Tips For End Users of Excel 2003 and 2007

Here are some tips for end users of Excel, both the 2003 and 2007 versions. In this article, you will learn how to print a portion of a spreadsheet, print column headings on each page, and change the default font - in both versions of the application.

Excel 2007 - Printing a Portion of a Spreadsheet.

First, select the cell range you would like to print. Then, under "Page Layout," go to the print area icon; select "Set Print Area." Next, print out the worksheet. Finally, select "Clear Print Area" and the entire worksheet will print next time (instead of just the selected area). There is also a section at the end of the article which describes the format painter.

Printing Column Headings on Each Page.

First, go to "Page Layout Menu" and click the "Print Titles" icon; then click the "Sheet" tab. Then, to print column headers on every page, enter the rows containing column labels under "Print titles" under "Rows to repeat." When ready, click "Print."

Changing the Default Font.

In Excel 2007, the default font and size is Calibri 11.

First, click "Microsoft Office" and then click "Excel Options." When creating new workbooks in the "Popular" category, click the font you want to use in the "Use this font" box, then enter the font size you'd like to use in the "Font Size" box.

NOTE: you must restart Excel to use the new default selection, affecting only newly created workbooks.

Excel 2003 - Printing Part of a Spreadsheet.

To begin, select the cell range you'd like to print. For the next step, in the file menu, go to "Print Area." Then click "Set Print Area." After, print the worksheet. When saving, your print area is also saved.

Printing Column Headings on Each Page.

If you have spreadsheet data spanning several pages and want column headings on each, this will help:

First click "Page Setup" on file menu, then click the "Sheet" tab. Next, to print column labels on each page, enter the rows that contain column labels under "Print titles" in the "Rows to repeat at top box." Finally, click "Print."

Changing the Default Font

First, click "Options" on the "Tools" menu. Then click a font in the "Standard font" box on the "General" tab. Finally, click a font size in the "Size" box.

NOTE: You must restart Excel to begin using this new default font and font size. This new default will be effective for new workbooks you create - existing workbooks are not affected.

What is the Format Painter?

Those who prefer to do simple Word documents might not be the heaviest Style users. If you'd like to reuse styles you're already created in a document, the Format Painter is an excellent tool. In order to apply a paragraph style from one paragraph to another one: first put the cursor somewhere in the styled paragraph, then click the Format Painter (Ctrl + Shift + C).

Click the paragraph where you'd like to apply the style. If you'd like to apply the style to multiple paragraphs, just double-click the Formet Painter. Then click in every subsequent paragraph in order to apply this same style.

Nick Pegley is VP Marketing for All Covered: Technology Services Partner for Small Business, providing disaster recovery solutions and technology services in 20 major U.S. metro areas.

Securing Your Mac Against A Virus

In the past, Macintosh users have been mostly spared from malicious worms and viruses. This is both because Mac OS X is fairly secure, as a UNIX application, and the fact that they have had smaller market share. On Valentine's Day 2006 this changed a bit.

A 'latestpics.tgz' file which claims to be a tar-zipped screenshot package (from the Mac OS 10.5), was posted to a popular site of Mac Rumors. Visitors of this site discovered it was a worm rather quickly - it was fairly benign, in that it didn't actually inflict damage on the machine, but rather infects your iChat list of buddies. This trojan only works on PowerPC-based Macs, not Intel machine. This only affects Macs of OS X 10.4 or after.

AV companies such as Sophos and Symantec have already responded, though there's also a simple workaround to use. Apple will most likely have an official security patch for this problem by the time you read this. In the meanwhile, just add a folder action which will alert you if something has been added to your input manager folder - the worm will work on that piece of the operating system.

In order to activate the alert feature:

Go to --> Library/InputManagers/ Right click (or Ctrl click) on the folder. Select 'enable folder actions' if this is not already enabled.

Right click (or Ctrl click) on the folder another time. Select 'attach a folder action.' Select 'add - new item alert script' from the Folder Action Strips folder (default).

By doing this small task, you will be alerted if an item tries to insert itself like a trojan into your InputManagers folder.

NOTE: This is not a solution, but a workaround. If you have an antivirus program which has an actual fix, or if Apple provides a security update, we advise that you rely on these solutions instead of the above fix to solve the issue.

To secure your Mac, follow the tips below:

>> Run AV.

>> Make your computer ask for a password whenever waking from sleep or a screen saver. Apple Menu > System Preferences > Security > Require password...

>> Use a non-administration account. Simply add an admin account for installing software and other tasks. Apple Menu > System Preferences > Accounts > add admin account, then demote to standard. Log out and log in while remembering new password.

>> Use a good password which has numbers, letters and symbols in it. Disable auto-login. /Applications/Utilities/Keychain Access, click on the key in the 'change keychain password dialogue' and select a password type & length in the assistant.

>> Disable unnecessary sharing; turn on firewall Apple Menu, System Preferences, Sharing Services. Uncheck all those you don't need. Apple Menu, System Preferences, Sharing, Firewall, Start!

With these tips, you should be on your way to securing your Mac computer from this another other malicious virues, worms, and trojans. Remember, this is just a work-around; if there is another official fix from Apple, we recommend that you use this fix to help solve the problem.

Nick Pegley is VP Marketing for All Covered: Technology Services Partner for Small Business, providing local disaster recovery consulting and technology services in 20 major U.S. metro areas.

How to Set Up and Install Your Own Home Network

Setting up a home network doesn't have to be difficult. It also depends on what time of home network you want to install. Maybe you want to install a wired network or maybe you want to install a wireless network. It depends on the capabilities of the computers within your home as to what route you're going to take.

The wireless network

The wireless network is probably your easiest network to install. That's because you don't have to hide a cord all the way around your home. As a matter of fact, you just need to have a computer that is wireless capable and a router. Seems easy enough, right? Well, it can still be a bit tricky because you have to program that router so that all of your computers can talk to it.

So let's say that your computer is not wireless capable. What do you do now? Well, you need to get a wireless adapter to plug into the computer or you need to plug it directly into the router with an Ethernet cable. In homes with multiple computers, there is sometimes that one computer that is not wireless capable. If the others are, they can simply talk to the router from wherever they are. If they are not wireless, then Ethernet cables need to be run from those computers to the router. The router is the hub for your network.

Furthermore, you have to set up your Domain Name System so that the router knows what's going on. You also have to set IPs and your Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. If you don't do these things, then your computers are not going to be talking to each other the way you want them to. They have to know who and what they are talking to in order to ensure that permission is granted. You don't want someone to sit outside of your home on a laptop and pull off of your network. They could gain access to very personal and very sensitive information if you don't set everything up the way that it needs to be set up. If you're not sure how to do this, then it is time to seek professional help.

The wired network

This can be a bit more difficult than the wireless network for the simple fact that you have wires you have to hide everywhere. Everything else as far as DNS, IPs, and DHCP applies because someone on the outside could still compromise your network. Again, you don't want that to happen. What if you have financial information on your computer? Someone could very easily get a hold of credit card and bank account numbers. So again, if you have difficulty with setting up your network, it is a good idea to look into having a professional take care of the job for you.

Once you have your network set up, you'll be able to share files with the other computers in your home. You can share video files, music files, and so much more. It is a lot of fun to be able to share all of that information. It is almost like having external hard drives all over your home. You're able to access information beyond your own hard drive and beyond the Internet. Those are the reasons why more and more homes are installing home networks. When something is stored into the "shared" folder on the computer, other computers are able to access it. Permissions can also be set to allow other folders to be accessed from another computer in the home. This is a good way to keep an eye on the kids and see what it is they're downloading while on the Internet.

EasyTechCare for professional network installation

What is the Best Slow Computer Fix?

Let's see if you are familiar with these scenarios. Scenario 1: You start your computer then wait and wait and wait for so many minutes until you see the welcoming image of the Microsoft Windows logo.

How about scenario 2? You click to open a computer program, let's say Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop. You then experience the same situation as scenario one. You wait for like an eternity before the program fully loads and opens. I bet you can stand up, walk towards your kitchen, grab the garbage bag, go out of your house, throw the garbage bag into the garbage gan, walk back in, wash your hands at the sink then sit back in front of your computer and your computer program is still not yet finished opening.

It is these types of situations when you would normally yearn for the best slow computer fix. But rest assured that you are not alone. There are thousands or even millions of computer users all around the globe who are experiencing the same thing. They are also clamoring to get the best slow computer fix, and at often times, for free. It's a great thing that there are a few things that you can try by yourself to help you fix this computer problem.

First things first. When was the last time that you defragged your computer? If you answer more than six months, then defragging your computer would be the first logical thing to do. For most people, just defragging their computer would serve as the best slow computer fix for them. This is especially true if you are a heavy computer user, that is, you use your computer day in and day out, almost 24 hours a week. If you don't defrag, your files willl not be properly saved or categorized and it will take your computer a longer time just to find the right files to open.

Another thing that you should do is to run a disk error check. It is actually one of the best slow computer fix because it can find errors and bad sectors in your hard disk that might be the cause of your computer's slowing down.

Also, you might want to use an anti virus software. Viruses are very common and always pose grave threats to our computers. They are also easily spread especially if you are constantly connected to the Internet. This is another possible type of best slow computer fix because some viruses are known to slow down the performance of computers as well as completely crashing them.

Lastly, there are various computer softwares that you can download from the Internet that will help you diagnose your computer, find its problems then fix it. Should a certain software cannot fix the problem, it can provide a suggestion on what is the best course to take to fix your computer. You can simply make a search for the 'best slow computer fix' or of the specific computer problem you are experiencing and you are sure to find the right tools that you will need.

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Error Smart Registry Cleaner Exposed!

One of the best computer registry cleaners is the Error Smart Registry Cleaner, which has the capacity to scan and search for common errors of desktop computers and laptops. Error Smart Registry Cleaner scans the computer windows registry for unwanted data and unused applications. Your computer windows registry is the heart of any windows operating system. Error Smart Registry Cleaner can scan and eliminate useless items that clog up the windows registry. By using computer registry cleaner such as Error Smart Registry Cleaner, you computer system can function faster and more effectively.

If your windows registry has too many useless information and program applications, your computer may encounter various errors such as system crashes, computer freezing and other problems. Error Smart Registry Cleaner cracks down the origin of these problems and fix errors in your windows registry. The good thing about this registry cleaner is its money back guarantee.

Error Smart provides a user-friendly application that is best for everyone especially for those who are computer beginners. At the top of the graphic, you can find a forward and back arrow, which makes it easier to use. Compared to other registry cleaners, Error Smart can find more system errors with the same amount of time.

Error Smart has four additional features including Startup Program Manager, Full Registry Backup Utility, Browser Helper Object Manager and Add/Remove Program Manager. In addition, Error Smart Registry Cleaner is a lot cheaper than several other registry cleaners in the market are. Error Smart is the best and the complete registry cleaner that can fix your windows registry problems.

Several reviews about Error Smart can attest that it is one of the most trusted registry cleaners in the market. It can scan the hard drive of your computer, determine and analyze the errors as well as repair the problems. With Error Smart, your computer system performance can increase the speed up to seventy percent. This registry cleaner can work on different computer troubles such as failed installations, incomplete installations, virus and spyware infections and driver issues that results to slow down the performance of your computer. Error Smart can provide the most effective way in cleaning your windows registry in no time. Error Smart has an advanced error detection that has the capability to scan and repair computer errors in just several minutes.

Error Smart is the registry cleaner that has the easiest and most effective software interface, which can be used by all people regardless of their level of expertise. Error Smart Registry cleaner has an automated utility that does not require a manual repair. You do not have to worry about complicated instructions. For people who do not want to waste their precious time in understanding complex application procedures, Error Smart is the best option.

Another advantage of Error Smart is their 'live chat' feature, which can provide users the necessary support they need. Unlike other registry cleaners, Error Smart can guarantee the easiest way to repair troubles in your windows registry in a cheaper and faster way possible.

Do you ask yourself why is my computer running slow? You can learn the exact problem and FIX it today using error smart registry cleaner at www.Registry-Cleaners-Exposed.com

Deploying 3D Presentations for Your Projects

We have to accept the fact that presentations are a very big part of our lives. We see it in almost every business. Presentations are made to bosses, clients, project managers, colleagues, and so on. Much of the success of any desired outcome is usually dependent on how good the presentation is. The higher the value of the project, the more is at stake, and the more attention should be paid to the presentations. If the presentations were done poorly, it's almost a guarantee that it would kill any chance of having a project approved. But there are ways to avoid delivering a poor presentation.

Know that the key to success in any presentation is preparation. Now that is a rather general way of putting it, but it's the truth. By preparation, it means taking the time to ensure that all key messages of the presentation are communicated effectively to the target audience. If the messages are somehow skewed, distorted, or delivered poorly, then the presentation is considered a failure. Sometimes, you can see the results from the faces of the audience that you're presenting to, and that, for sure, would be a rather unpleasant experience for everyone.

So be certain to take the time to plan for the presentation. What are the key messages? How are these messages going to be delivered? Does the presentation flow along nicely? Are there any details that are left out? The more time spent on answering these questions, the better the presentation will be.

But to make the transition from a good presentation to a great presentation, presentation aids and tools should be used. There are many types of presentation tools available to help make your presentation more interesting, exciting, and inevitably more effective. The best presenters like to use graphics or pictures as part of their presentations.

These graphics can be in the form of graphs, tables, or you may even consider adding some comics for humor. If you're going to use humor, be sure not to overdo it. After all, if the tone is supposed to be serious, then humor may not even be necessary. So apply your own discretion when it comes to humor.

Still, graphs and tables are traditional graphics. In recent years, technology has taken a great leap, enabling presentations to be conducted in a way never before thought possible. I am talking about 3D presentations. These presentations will simply blow your audience away. The 3D images are highly effective because they are the closest thing to reality. For example, 3D presentations will be most effective for real estate projects, interior design projects, or anything that requires a realistic portrayal of concepts.

In such projects, 3D technology comes in really handy because developers can now use it to test out concepts to see how they will turn out in reality. And home owners can use it to see if they will like the final results. If not, they can always change the concepts and start the project only when they are completely satisfied with the final output.

So the next time a similar project comes up, be sure to consult a professional 3D imaging consultant to find out how they can fill your needs.

For more information on 3D rendering and 3D animations, please visit our resource site.

What To Expect from Computer Forensics Applications

When you hear about computer forensic software, you may be a little confused as to what people are talking about. Some people tend to think that this kind of software is software that is used in forensic cases. However, that is not really the case. This is software hat you can use to help your operating system on your computer to run better. Today we are going to go over just a few of the things that computer forensic software does so that you can better understand it and know if it's the right thing for you to buy or not.

First of all, forensic software can help with data recovery. Now, your computer may have ways to recover files on your computer, but not everything on your computer you may want to recover. Say that you download a virus, and it messes up your system. Well, you are going to want to recover your data, but you are going to want to recover everything except that virus and maybe even other spyware that you have picked up along the way. Thus, you are able to do things like file recovery by name or even file recovery by type. If that is not enough, you are able to also edit your boot sectors, which gives you full boot record recovery. This is something that this kind of software can walk you through.

On top of that, this kind of software also helps out with hard drive cleaning, also called disk wiping on some software sets. Now, you may know that your computer can help you with this, but your computer is not able to get rid of certain things like viruses and other useless files. Whenever you use this kind of software to clean your hard drive, it is going to get rid of tracing cookies, viruses, and diagnostic partitions that could be harming your system. In fact, this kind of cleansing erases specific files on the unused space of your hard drive. This stops it from deleting things that you may need. The good news is, that is where viruses usually hide.

Something else that this software can do is give you media detailed reports about your system. You can tell what is currently active on your hard drive and print off a copy. If this software thinks that there is a problem, it will point it out to you as being something that needs to be looked at. This software also gives you the ability to do simultaneous searches without it crashing your system. Although it may not seem like a lot to some people, others out there are going to be able to see why this kind of software can be very helpful. Of course, the people who do not know how to use this kind of software are in luck. That is because you are able to learn how to use all of this stuff and what it really does. This kind of software is prefect for just about everyone, and that is why it is on the rise on the internet. People want to be able to take control of their computers, not the other way around. This is software that can help you do that.

Kelly Hunter owns and operates http://www.computer-forensics-software.com and writes about Computer Forensics Software

How Do I Remove a Virus From My Computer - Common Computer Viruses Defined

How do I remove a virus from my computer? The first step is finding out the type of virus you have. It helps if you know what you are dealing with. If it is a Trojan horse virus,for instance, you can decide what steps to remove virus from computer are necessary.

Much like viruses in the human body, computer viruses can multiply at an alarming rate when they are allowed to do so. A computer virus can attack your computer but it is very dependent on the type of virus that it is. Every different computer has its own factors and features that make it unique. The better your information, the easier it will be for you to prevent a virus from harming your computer. At the same time, you will also be able to spread your knowledge to others. Knowledge is power! The Main Types Of Computer Viruses:

There are three common types of viruses that can attack your computer. They are Trojan horses, email viruses and worms.

1.) The sneakiest type is the Trojan Horse. Named for the famous tactic used in the Trojan War, it pretends to be a harmless, unassuming computer program. Once the Trojan horse gets into your computer,however,it makes every document and file as vulnerable as possible. Intruders can then use it to gain access to everything you have on your computer.

The Trojan horse is extremely dangerous to your personal security and/or the safety and security of your work files. The best way to avoid the Trojan horse virus is to not download any files or programs from places that you are not completely sure are not infected. This is, of course, easier said than done. This virus is very chameleon like in nature. Beware of its cunning!

2.) Email viruses are able to multiply through the email messages you send and receive. The virus can forward itself to hundreds, even thousands of individuals. This is dependent on the email address that it has infected.

How do I remove a virus from my computer? To prevent your computer from being infected with an email virus, keep your antiviral software as up-to-date as possible. Also, never open attachments from senders you do not recognize or even ones you were not expecting. For added protection, install a spam blocker or spam filter.

3.) The classic Worm virus, gets its name from its ability to worm its way through your computer. It is a virus program that can very easily copy itself and reproduce. It does so by way of flaws in your security system on your computer, as well as through computer networks. Worms are more complex than the Trojan horse, and in most cases they attack systems that are used by more than one person.

They can also spread from one section of a corporate network to others by way of emails. Once the worm multiplies, it then scans the computer network for any and all flaws that it is able to exploit. One of the most well known examples of a computer worm is the ILOVEYOU virus.

Need to know "How do I remove a virus from my computer?" Learn what can and cannot attack your computer, and then prepare for any and all attacks!

Need Help With A Computer Virus? Click Here For More Information

How To Buy The Best External Hard Drives

External Hard Drives for Laptop Computers The technology moves fast and leaves us with gizmos and gadgets, which are more and more functional, and at the same time smaller than we have ever thought they could be. What's more, the technology also adds these gadgets the mobility so that they can be used as and when required, wherever they are required.

One such device following the suit is your hard drive and with the introduction of an external hard drive, what you get is data storage and security with added mobility. These are the hard disk drives (HDD) that are actually placed outside of the computer system. With the data security, mobility and an option to remove this drive, you can take all your data with you.

The external hard drives or HDD are built to perform externally. This means that the HDD comes with built-in cables that allow you to interface with your computer system. While the conventional HDD connectors would use SCSI or SATA cables that connect to a type of HDD connector inside your computer, the new variants of this external HDD uses an innovative and simple method of connecting via the USB or the FireWire.

Most of the external HDD come with the ability to backup the data from your PC. The only limiting factor for the HDD as on today is the cost, as they tend to be more expensive as compared to the internal HDD with the same capacity.

These devices are purely meant for data storage and backup but how much data can it store? There are many options available for you as far as the data storage capability of this device is concerned. Usually, the most common drives are of the same size as a normal hard disk inside your computer.

However, there are many other storage disks that are available at this point of time, with as much as 1000GB of data storage capability. With this amazing speed of the technology, it won't be too long before we move into true Terabyte reign. These huge storage capacities are responsible for this device rapid popularity as popular form of computer backup for the computer users.

The reasons to opt for this particular device are many, for instance, it provides the user with convenience and simplicity of use. This is so as most of the computer owners are not comfortable opening the cases of their computer and installing additional hardware. This is eliminated when you simply opt for this device rather than an internal HDD.

With this particular device there is no need to open the PC case, instead you simply need to plug it in and go. Another advantage of the external HDD is its portability and mobility. Compared to the internal drives, external drives can be moved from PC to PC in a matter of minutes, simply by unplugging them from one and plugging them into another.

Thus the external hard drives are often used in the business world, especially by traveling employees. Traveling employees can instantly sync up the data on an external hard drive with that on their desktop or laptop PC, and then easily carry that data anywhere in the world. This also might eliminate the need of carrying the laptop.

Get laptop hard drive reviews, info about types of hard drives, and learn how to replace your hard drive from laptop-hardrives.net.

Should You Upgrade Your Computer Hardware?

Computer hardware upgrade What if you found that your computer is out of date? You probably want to upgrade your computer since you have no choice to do so. Your works depend on your hardware computer upgrade. That's how you going to have a good result.

But before you make any further step, try to learn about your computer. Search all options and ask for advice. Only after this you can go and buy a new component. It's also useful to check if you really need an upgrade.

Sure, it's not funny if you keep your old computer but you still loose data when you do your works. Its just a matter of time before you experience a hard drive problem when you still using your old computer. You dont want to loose your data, right? Of course most people only think of backing up their data after they experience a problem. Don't set yourself up for a data loss disaster. Check what hardware you need for your computer.

If you have problem with your hard disk, such as crash when you do your work, better you have it renewed. Most people upgrade their hard disk to increase the size so that they can use it for games, movies and playing a lot of music. A 20 GB hard drive is sufficient to keep new office and internet applications, and all your files and data. A medium sized hard drive would be around 40 GB and the maximum would be around 60 - 80 GB.

You can choose which perfect for your work. Of course the price is also depending on the capacity of your hard disk. If you are a gamer, you may want to have high capacity hard disk such as that 60-80 GB. But if you just used it for your writing, a 20 GB is more than enough.

Another hardware you may need to upgrade is the RAM or Random Access Memory. This memory keeps data that is being worked on now and may or may not be transferred to the hard drive that represents the long-term memory of the computer. Current processors can perform an enormous number of operations per second. Almost all computer have 64 MB RAM and often 128 MB. If you want to run newer applications on your PC then you must upgrade to 128/256 MB RAM. A lot of people who upgrade from 98 to Win 2000 discover that their computers lock up very often. This is because they don't have enough RAM.

So, those are only some part of hardware you might want to upgrade. There are others such as motherboard, CPU or port which you can upgrade. Your action depend on your need.

Should You Upgrade Your Computer's Memory?

Computer Memory, Computer Memory Upgrade

If you're looking to increase your computer's performance, then upgrading your computer memory may be the answer for you. Upgrading your computer's memory is often the most economical choice and delivers a significant increase in computer performance that can be immediately seen by the user.

RAM, which can be thought of as your computer's workspace, is where all of the instructions for running your applications are stored temporarily. The memory type is volatile and will not be retained in the event of power interruptions, but it allows the speeds in which you have become accustomed to working with on a daily basis. The amount of RAM that is on your computer directly affects the speed at which you work and the efficiency at which you work. A computer with more RAM can efficiently run more applications with fewer trips to the deeper, slower layers of memory such as that which is found on your hard drive since it can hold or remember more instructions at a time.

Hints that you may want to consider upgrading the amount of RAM on your computer are easily spotted by analyzing your particular usage on a daily, average basis. If you work with large files consistently, the more RAM may be required to help you do your job better. Another indicator is the number of applications you normally have opened at any given time. If you find that you run a number of applications simultaneously on a continuous basis, then you may consider increasing your RAM. Gamers are also prime candidates for increasing RAM as computer games are memory intensive applications and require more RAM than other applications. Video editors also have a greater need for RAM as this type of application is similar in nature to the games in regards to computer memory usage and requirements.

RAM can be purchased from several manufacturers. As with all things, remember that you will get what you pay for and that cheap is not always best. When deciding where to purchase your additional RAM, choose among names you trust and that have a good standing record of customer satisfaction. Some of the unknown, generic brands of RAM are prone to failure issues. There are many that have been over clocked and represent a faster speed than the correctly designated speed. This is done by increasing the system bus's default speed. As many motherboard newsgroups have reported, this creates a situation in which your computer's new memory refuses to work. I cannot stress enough the importance of sticking with well known and trusted manufacturers for just this reason.

Also consider researching the kind of RAM you need. Find out if your system requires buffered or unbuffered formats. Check some motherboard newsgroups out before you purchase to see if there are known problems with some forms or makers of RAM. It can save you a mountain of misery in the end.

Finally, if you aren't comfortable with adding the RAM yourself or cannot make heads or tails out of the types available and the type you need, hire a professional to do it for you. Simply take it to a computer shop that offers such services. The fees you will incur will be much less than the amount you can lose if you accidentally make a mistake. The money you may save from the possibility of wasted RAM is worth the charge.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for computer memory, PC supplies, and computer games. When shopping, we recommend only the best online stores for PC supplies, computer accessories, Upgrading Computer Memory, and used computer games.

Computers - One Stupid Problem Solved

My new laptop computer would not turn off. Every time I turned it off, two minutes later it would recycle and turn back on again. At first I thought I had clicked on the wrong button, but I tried over and over again, and it still wouldn't stay turned off. I asked a computer repairman what might be causing this problem and he said, "It could be one of several things, but it will be expensive to fix." This was obviously not a place where I would want to take my beloved laptop.

My nephew laughed at me, saying that he keeps his computers running all the time. He never turns them off. Yes, but a laptop? That did not sound right to me, so I checked on line to see whether any of the geeks out there had anything to say about this. Oddly enough, computers that refuse to turn off are fairly common. It seems to happen a lot with Windows XP. Now, I have used this operating system almost since it first came out, and I have never seen or heard of that problem before.

One of he experts from Microsoft said that Windows XP needs to be updated to solve this problem. Someone else said that maybe something is running that you don't know about. I talked with my programming wizard nephew and my geek son, and they both said I should take the battery out of the laptop when I want to turn it off. Neither one of them could see anything else to do with it.

I looked at all those alternatives and decided that I did not want to take my chances on an update from Microsoft, and I could not figure out what program might still be running, though I suspect it may have been one of the instant messenger programs. I did not want to open up the computer to try to figure out which piece inside it was the battery, so the advice from my son and nephew wasn't very practical.

The silly thing stayed on all night even though I had turned it off at least a dozen times. The next morning, I looked at everything that was plugged into it, and thought about all those automatic updates and all the stories I've read about back doors being installed on our computers so that the government can keep track of what we do online, and I unplugged it from the internet. This time, when I turned the computer off, it stayed off until I turned it on again. Now, when I want to turn the computer off, I also unplug it from the Internet. It has worked fine ever since.

Genevieve Fosa is a freelance ghostwriter who spends many hours working at her computer writing stories for her clients. In the process, she has had to figure out a few things. If you would like to know more about her writing, please go to www.thebestword.net

A Good Registry Cleaner - Will Fix Windows Errors

If your computer has started running slowly or you've been getting an inordinate amount of errors on your system, you may need a computer registry cleaner. Many people are not aware that these programs are available and by having one of the best registry cleaners on your systems you can fix the many different windows errors that are plaguing your machine. No computer user should be without this computer registry repair program and it could be the one thing that saves your system from that dreaded blue screen of death.

Why do you need a computer registry cleaner? The more you use your computer the more `junk' that collects on it. Whenever you add or remove a program from your system, pieces of the program code are left in the registry. Your computer uses the files in the registry during start-up to tell it what programs to load, what order to load things in, what type of speaker system you have, what kind of internet connection your using and so forth. The registry also operates in the background when you are on the computer telling it how to load your programs and giving you the options you asked for when you initially set the program up.

Eventually, the registry will become bogged down and when this happens, you need to run a registry repair program. This registry repair tool will scan your computer and its registry looking for bits and pieces of obsolete program code that is doing nothing more than sitting on your system taking up space. In essence, a registry scanner like this works in the same way your disk defragmenter works. It gathers up all of the bits and pieces of old programs, malware, adware, and spyware and presents you with a list of the items it's found. You will then be able to delete the items or quarantine them as the program recommends, cleaning the registry and hopefully ending all of the errors you are experiencing.

Top registry cleaners will search your system deep and uncover bits and pieces that you didn't even realize existed. Don't be surprised to see files from computer programs you removed years ago in the list the system registry repair program alerts you to. When you use one of these programs to fix windows errors, you'll also be improving the speed and the overall performance of your computer. If you still have problems with errors and if your computer still seem bogged down, then you will need to look for additional problems, such as malware, adware, and spyware.

~Gregg Brown
Thank You for reading this article. Please visit Registry-Cleaner-Tools.com to Fix Windows Errors.

Who Else Wants Free Open Source Software For Windows?

Free? Can't be any good then!

Not so! The quality, availability and choice of free open source software for windows is excellent and rivals, if not betters some mainstream applications.

So what kind of applications are available?

Just about anything you can think of. I don't intend to list all that's available because it would take hours and you can easily do a standard search in your browser but be prepared for long list to go through.

A good place to start for Windows is www.opensourcewindows.org. This site doesn't list everything rather it lists the most popular.

So let's have a look at some of those.

One of the most popular is Open Office. Which is a big, full featured suite of tools for word processing and spreadsheets. Compatible with and a free replacement for Microsoft Word documents. It also supports the OpenDocument Format and has something that other office suites don't have, the ability to turn your documents into PDF format.

Best of all, OpenOffice can be downloaded and used entirely free of any licence fees. OpenOffice is released under the LGPL licence. This means you may use it for any purpose - private, business, educational, public administration. You may install it on as many PC's as you like. You may make copies and give them away to family, friends, students, employees - anyone you like.

OK, we've roughly saved $500. Let's see what else is available.

There are browsers, email clients, FTP clients, media players, personal finance and so on and on and on.

One of my favourites and one that I use a lot is Gimp. Full name, GNU Image Manipulation Program. It's a lot more than just a manipulation program however. Gimp, in fact is a rival to Photoshop and it's uses extend to graphics creation, photo enhancement, special effects, drawing, the list goes on covering just about any graphical operation you can think of.

One big plus with Gimp is the ability to open Photoshop PSD files along with the layer information enabling you to edit the PSD's quite freely.

I first came across Gimp on the odd occasions that I happened on a Linux system and assumed it was just the Linux version of Windows Paint accessory. Boy, was I wrong!

Whilst it will be fairly easy to start using the Open Office suite Gimp presents a whole new learning curve. It is, after all a fairly comprehensive program. Thankfully the internet is full of tutorials of varying levels and quality covering the different aspects of working with Gimp.

Unfortunately because there are so many it can take hours if not days sorting out the wheat from the chaff and really getting what you need to know to get going. A lot of them are text and screenshots only, which aren't always as easy to follow as video where you can actually see what's happening.

Being a frequent user of Gimp I have put together a series of 12 video tutorials on getting started with Gimp.

Whilst some of these are aimed at creating a salespage the majority cover the essentials of working with Gimp to get you off to a flying start. As well as basic techniques there are advanced techniques covered, such as creating reflections and shadows.

We've now just saved ourselves around $700.

Whilst there are many more open source free applications out there to be reviewed I will have to finish here and cover more of them in other articles, so keep an eye out for those.

It really is worth investigating the open source applications available. Apart from really specialised software you can almost certainly find all the programs you will ever need for free.

Thanks to those programmers who give of their time and talent to create these superb free applications.

Stan Craigie is the creator of Graphics Videos a comprehensive guide to getting started with Gimp. You can find the videos here http://gimpvideos.com

Software Testing Techniques - Making Sure Programs Work Correctly

For most, testing simply means taking all of the bugs and problems out of a specific piece of technology. However, for those that know technology, they also know that there is much more that is involved in making sure that a piece of software works correctly. The software testing techniques that are used in order to make the most of software is one that will allow for a computer, system or gadget to completely function on several levels. Understanding these techniques is one that will allow any technician to further step into the capability to completely test software.

When you are beginning to test, you will begin by learning about the different types of testing that are available. Most technicians will divide the testing into two areas. The first includes black box testing and the second includes white box testing. The difference between these two is related to the approach that is taken towards the testing and allows for the software to be completely compatible after it is finished with the testing.

Beyond this approach towards testing the different types of software, are specific sets of tests that will take place within the box tests. This will include the ability to test the function of the software, combined with the engineering that is used. There will also be specifics to test the relationship of the design and architecture with the software to make sure that everything is compatible. There will also be specific tests that are linked to the software that will be based around the overall functionality in different areas, such as with the computer language that is being used. By moving into the details with these, one is able to completely test the different areas and find any possible bugs.

In order to move into these different types of software testing areas, specific methodologies have to be used. Typically, this will be a set of steps that will need to be followed by software testers in order to find potential problems. Depending on the type of technique that is being used, this will allow the testers to be able to find all of the details that are in the problems by following the specific methods and steps.

With this, most software testing will move a step further. If there is a potential bug or problem, than more methods and techniques will be applied to figure out what the exact problem is and to troubleshoot the problem. This may be done by moving the problem to a different department or by finding the exact glitch that needs to be fixed. This will also be done through a set of techniques, combined with tools that will be used in order to ensure that the testing is being done correctly.

When software testing is done, the ability to follow specific types of testing, as well as step by step guides is what allows for specific bugs to be found and allows for the software to be completely cared for. The different software testing techniques that are used is one that provides for all of the problems and glitches to be completely resolved and to have new options presented in order to make sure that the software is able to be fixed.

Read more about all types of software testing and Software Testing Tutorial information at => http://www.softwaretestingtutorial.com

Different Types of Computers To Choose From

Almost everyone in America has a computer in their home. In fact the World, not everyone will have one, but I bet you there are well over 10 billion people who do have a computer. When you're looking for a computer you have a few choices that you can buy. Plus we're going to go over a few choices that we may not have as consumers yet, but they are really neat.

First off the most popular choice is most likely the desktop computer. This is an independent personal computer or PC. Prior to the spread of PCs computers that would fit a desk would actually considered small. Desktops are smaller versions of computers from days past. You can get a tower in different styles and shapes. Sometimes you can even get specific colors now. Desktop computers specifically apply to a horizontally cased tower. Normally the display screen will be placed on top of the tower to save space.

Another choice that you have is a laptop computer or better known as a laptop, or notebook computer at times. This is a smaller personal computer which is designed for the person who needs mobility. All the hardware needed to operate a laptop is in a smaller space. Laptops do have batteries though; you need to remember to charge them or your going to lose power. In order to save power, weight and even space, most laptops share there RAM with the video channel, it makes there performance a bit slower than a desktop.

Next is one of those cool things it's called a tablet PC, it's a notebook, or perhaps better put a slate-shaped mobile computer. It was first introduced in the 90's, but really I don't think I've ever seen one. Its touch screen technology allows the user to touch the screen for their choices with either there finger or a digital pen, or stylus even. Very neat, it's used where notebooks are normally unable to be used.

Ever hear of the ultra-mobile PC, it's a specification that is used to describe a small form factor tablet PC. First developed jointly by Microsoft, Intel and Samsung. These currently use Windows XP, a special addition for Tablet PCs, Vista, or Linux. They have a very small voltage processor around 1 GHz

How about a home theater PC or HTPC, this is a device convergence of the personal computer and a digital video recorder. You connect it to your TV or a television sized computer display. Normally this is used for digital photos, music, video player, or even a TV receiver. They are referred to as media centers; the goal of an HTPC is to combine many items into one box, thus cutting out clutter. They can be pre-configured upon purchase to match your needs.

Finally we have the pocket PC; it's small, and easily used, running on a Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system. It may have the ability to use alternative systems like Linux. Also it is able to do many things that your normal desktop can. Right now there are thousands of applications that can be added to your pocket pc. Some pocket pc are now combing with mobile phones, giving you a greater usage capability. Most pocket pc's can also have GPS added to it; many probably already have cameras and possibly video cameras.

As you can see when going to purchase a computer you have several choices available to you. Keep in mind what you'll be using it for and if you need the mobility also. Good luck.

Learn more about computers and read through some useful computer articles from his website. He shares some of his things he learned in 10 years experience. Visit: http://www.registryheal.com/articles/computer-articles.html

Using your computer faster and more effectively without a mouse

My dear readers: Although I talk about credit, credit repair, credit score, mortgage interest, financing and credit cards, so that you to become wiser and protect yourself, family and future. But allow this article to be a little different.

Let us move away from Credit Repair, credit and money management, tax liability and other related issues.

This time, I decided to give you a little break by showing you some unique windows keys (few tricks), so that you could maneuver between your windows applications and documents a little easier, faster and WITHOUT reaching for your MOUSE each time. Some of us feel a lot better if we did not have to lift our hands from the keyboard. We got so used to using the keyboard that reaching for a mouse became troublesome for us. And man created the SHORT-CUT keys. Of course, God created the man who created the computer who created the keyboard and the mouse, etc.

First, allow me to give you a few hints in using these keys

I am certain you all know that keyboards have the repeat feature built-in. Meaning that if you press and hold down a letter, a number, or a Function key (F1 thru F12), the characteristic of that key will be repeated (except most Function keys).

In combination keys listed below, you MUST hold down the first key and then press the second key to get the characteristic you want. Hold the first key down and keep on pressing the second key to repeat the process. If the key combination consists of three keys, hold Key 1 and Key 2 then, press (ONCE) and release the third key. IF you want to repeat the process you have just taken then keep pressing the last key OR hold the last key down until you get the result you want.

Whenever I am talking about CTRL or SHIFT, if you hold this key down and repeatedly press on the combination key (the other key that performs a function within these two keys), you will be repeating the same function over and over.

Some of the Windows and combination keys will repeat also

For example:

Windows E will repeat as long as you repeatedly pressed or held the E key while the Windows key is held down. This key combination will open a session of MY Computer showing you your storage devices (drives and main folders under the My Computer ikon.

CTRL (arrow to right) will move the cursor to the right (to the beginning of the next word). Now you hold the keys down and it will automatically repeat the process and your cursor will be moving fast toward the end of the line, sentence, paragraph or end of page.

SHFIT CTRL (left arrow) will highlight to the beginning of the previous word and hold the keys down it will automatically repeat the process as long as the three keys are held down

WINDOWS SHORT CUT KEYS

Windows key (located on the lower part of keyboard) pops up Start list of applications

Windows key- E opens My Computer/ Windows Explorer defaulting to My Computer

Window key- F opens Windows Search from even while within any application

Window key-D minimizes or reopens all existing open Application (showing desktop)

Window key-M minimizes all open Application (showing desktop) can not use with the D key interchangeably

Windows key-L allows login into another user's name on the same computer (if the computer has multi-user login)

F1 starts Help in any application you are working in.

F3 starts Find/Search (in Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox)

Ctrl -S save the file current working (same location-Default location)

Ctrl-Insert copies the highlighted content to a buffer for copying/pasting elsewhere

Shift-Insert pastes content of buffer - pastes the content of CTRL-Insert or Shift-Del

Ctrl C Copies content after highlight

CTRL 1 gives you the checkmark symbol ^

In any application:

Shift and Arrow key will highlight in the direction of the arrow

keep Shift key down & keep pressing Arrow to repeat the highlighting process.

Shift-Ctrl-Arrow will highlight one word at a time in the direction of arrow

CTRL A in ANY application highlights the entire page

In most textual applications, you can use

CTRL Arrow to move between words WITHOUT highlighting words.

CTRL Page UP or CTRL Page Down moves cursor to the beginning or end of a paragraph

In any application that allows font change, the following keys are effective

CTRL B Bolds the area highlighted (see highlighting above) (only text)

CTRL I makes your highlighted area Italic (see highlighting above) (Only Text)

CTRL U makes highlighted words Underlined (see highlighting above) (only Text)

CTRL N will start a NEW application of the same application you are currently working with. Hold the keys down and you will be opening a lot of the same application. (be careful)

CTRL Page Down moves cursor to the next screen size in MOST applications

CTRL Page UP move cursor to the previous screen size up

CTRL Home cursor goes to the top of the document in that application

CTRL End cursor goes to the end of the document in that application Or that you can hold the mouse down forever in order to scroll up or down to get the same result

ALT & a number gives you a character

ALT and the underlined letter of a Menu item or command letter performs that Task e.g. Alt-F will pull down your File menu

ALT-Tab moves between open tasks

CTRL-ALT-DEL (the three-fingered salute-Mother of windows functions)

Knowing some of all these keys will practically keep your hands on the keyboard most or all times and does not require you to move your hand back and forth between the keyboard and the mouse.

There are so much more. Try learning some of your own. Save ALL your work first before testing new things.

I hope you enjoy these key strokes.

Thanks and w/love :)

Mike Samadi

Mike Samadi is an author of several books and is widely known as a credit repair expert. Read Mike's book (Bad Things Happen to Good People. Your Credit = Your Life, Fix It Now! or Saving Your Money) to gain knowledge and experiences needed to overcome your problems. You should also visit the website at http://www.MasterCreditRepair.net to find out more and fix your credit.

For over 12 years he has been assisting consumers

Tips on Fixing Slow Computer Quickly and Easily!

Slow computer and slow Internet browsing are two things that often test our patience and resolve. When the issues on the computer start to get into your nerves, then it's about time to get into the action and do concrete steps in righting the wrongs within your personal computer. You have basically two general options on how to address a slow browse or a slow computer; one way is to trust the expert technician and send your computer to the service hub. The drawback here is that you need to shell out a significant amount of money. If you have the finances, you can always send it to the professional but if budget is an issue then there is nothing to worry since there are available quick fixes out there that you can perform in order to address a slow computer. Fixing slow computer can be done even by a novice like you and that can be done by doing some simple steps.

One simple way that can be done in fixing slow computer is by emptying the trash. This is a simple and a no-brainer activity but some people even forget about this. This simple step can be done by right clicking on the Recycle Bin on the desktop and by choosing Empty Recycle Bin. Clean out and weed out the cookies and the temporary internet files as well.

If you experience some trouble accessing the many websites, then fixing slow computer can be efficiently carried out by ensuring that the Internet Explorer will not store the Temporary Internet Files. Just go to Tools and Internet Options and under Options select the General tab. Click on Settings. At the bottom of the window, you will see the section that says 'Amount of disk space use'. If this is set to 500 megabytes or higher, it is recommended to reset this to 250 megabytes. On the same Internet Tools window, ensure that the Internet Explorer will delete all the temporary internet files every time the browser closes.

Files that are not used or rarely used on the System Tray should be deleted. These programs often start up every time the computer loads and these also slow down the performance of the computer. If you can't afford to lose these programs, then you can simply take them off the System Tray and make sure that these programs will not start up every time the computer loads. Just be sure to carefully do that and only remove those programs that you don't really need.

To make this happen, just go to Start and click on Run. Type msconfig on the text box and press Enter. Proceed to the Startup tab and uncheck the programs that you want to remove. Finish that by clicking on OK. Fixing slow computer can be done as well by using the Task Manager, and by controlling the number of icons on the desktop. If your pc contains 40 icons, then the pc needs to refresh the 40 icons every time. Remove the un-important ones on the desktop and send it to a folder. These are simple steps that a novice like you can do in fixing slow computer.

Tired of your slow computer? Do you wish there was a way you could by fixing slow computer problems? You can by instantly fixing your corrupt registry. Go to www.ComputerProblemFix.com to receive your free download and learn exactly why your computer is running slow.

Tips on Fixing a Slow Computer Quickly and Easily

If you are experiencing slow computer issues, do you know that you can troubleshoot the issues yourself? Here are some tips on fixing a slow computer quickly and easily to resolve your computer issues:

* Start with the hardware itself. Your computer may be running slow due to unnecessary files that are saved and occupy large amount of disk space. In fixing a slow computer due to unnecessary files, follow these easy steps:

1. Click Start. Go to all programs. Go to Accessories. From Accessories, Click System Tools. From System Tools, click Disk Cleanup. Tick all the boxes that appear, and then confirm the operation by hitting yes. This shall take out all the unnecessary files in your computer.

Start>All programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Cleanup

* Defragmenting your hard drive will also result to a faster computer experience, and will prevent computer crash. Here is how to defragment your hard drive:

2. Click Start. Go to all programs. Go to Accessories. From Accessories, Click System Tools. From System Tools, click Disk Defragmenter. Once you have enabled the disk defragmenter, it shall analyze your hard drive and perform the necessary operation.

Start>All programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmenter

* After your cleaning your hard drive, go to your anti-virus program to make sure that your computer is not infected. Slow connectivity is a symptom of virus infection. Fixing a slow computer will require that you have an updated and latest virus definitions or program installed in your system.

* Spyware programs have also the ability to slow your computer. An updated spyware program is necessary in fixing a slow computer. It is prudent that you have an anti-spyware installed as spyware hide in the background so it's quite difficult to determine if your computer is infected. There are several spyware programs that you can download from the internet.

* In fixing a slow computer, it is too frequent that the main culprit is a corrupt registry or registry errors. The registry is the heart and brain of your computer. Whatever you do, like when you open a file or starts any program application, your computer has to communicate to the registry to pull them up. You will have to repair your registry errors to bring back the speed of your computer. There are several registry repair or fix programs that you can find and download from the internet. Most are easy to use with friendly interfaces. Find one that will work best for your needs.

If the above doesn't resolve your concerns in fixing a slow computer, then you may have to unload your computer with some program applications, or if this is not a viable option, you may want to upgrade the physical memory of your computer. But this should only be a last recourse, after the tips mentioned above.

90-95% of computer issues are usually resolved just by cleaning and tuning up you're the hard drive of your computer as well as fixing and optimizing the registry. It's a good thing that the internet will make it easier for you to find good software program for this purpose.

Do you ask yourself how hard it is fixing a slow computer? You can learn the exact problem and FIX it today at www.ComputerProblemFix.com

Know Your Notebook Inside Out

Notebook or Laptop as it is called, is rapidly gaining popularity among people of all age groups because of its easy portability option, ultra user friendly interface, small, smart and slick look, ergonomic keypad and advanced features as compared to desktop computers.

Many might not know that notebooks consume less power and produce less heat as well as less noise than desktop PCs. One can comfortably perform a variety of tasks starting from sending of emails, listening to music, capturing images to other major business operations on a compact notebook PC. The affordable price also acts as catalyst for more and more people to opt for buying notebooks. Different types of notebooks are available like ultra portable, general-purpose, media center, cheap notebook or even gaming notebook. Depending upon one`s need, one can select a notebook.

A general curiosity might arise in a common user`s mind about the components of what constitute a notebook. For starters, a notebook is a compact model and instead of a sizeable case for air circulation, a notebook uses a miniature, flat design in which all the components fit together comfortably. The notebook screen is an integrated built unit and so is its keyboard.

Since in a notebook all the components are arranged in a compact space, to cool the components so that they can give optimum performance, the processors are mounted directly to the motherboard without the use of socket. To reduce the heat generation, some notebooks also use desktop CPUs which usually run at a lower voltage and clock speed, though it reduces the battery life significantly. Notebooks are equipped with small fans, heat spreaders, heat pipes or heat sinks and also the location of CPU near the edge helps to disperse the heat from the CPU. Some expensive models have liquid coolant channels alongside the heat pipe facility to reduce heat.

Memory types used in notebooks can be of four types, namely: Single data rate Synchronous RAM (SDRAM), Dual Data Rate Synchronous RAM (DDR SDRAM), Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module (SODIMM), Proprietary memory modules

The memory of notebook make up for the performance associated with slower processors. Some notebooks have cache memory very near the CPU capacity, so that data can be accessed more quickly while some have larger buses to move data quickly between the processors and motherboard.

The internal hard disk drive of the notebook stores the operating system and data files. Many notebooks allow a variety of drives to fit in the same bay by using the modular design. These drives can be of three types like; cold swappable mode, where the notebook must be switched off during the swap or hot swappable mode in which the notebook can stay on while changing the drive or the warm swappable method in which the bus (the path the drive uses to send data to the CPU) must be inactive while the notebook can stay on while changing the drive.

Unlike some desktops, notebooks display its graphics on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen and the screens measure between 12 and 17 inches. Most notebooks have smaller graphics cards with a Graphics Power Unit (GPU) designed specifically for them and memory is shared between CPU and GPU.

Notebooks have sound cards as well as small, built-in speakers to provide quality sounds. However, external sound controllers can be used to cater to the need of gaming enthusiasts.

Batteries on notebooks can be of Nickel-Cadmium (NiCad) type, Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries or of the latest Lilon batteries type which are light and have long life spans. Lilon batteries can last for 5 hours from about 950 up to 1200 charges.

The key components of a notebook are its processor, memory, hard drive, operating system, graphics card and display units. Mind it! While looking at these lists of features, it is very important to know the fact that notebook PC can not as easily upgraded as desktop computers. Therefore, one must choose a notebook which has power-packed features.

You can have access to portuguese articles about notebooks from page http://www.polomercantil.com.br/notebook.php

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for http://www.polomercantil.com.br