Virus Hoaxes - As Bad As The Real Thing?

A computer virus can cause a great deal of damage to your computer or can lead to the theft of your data. This can result in programs that don't work, real time money that is stolen, and time that is lost.

Hoaxes can cause the same problems.

Typically a hoax will arrive in your email and warn you of a brand new threat to your computer. Once the email outlines how the new virus works it asks you to forward the mail to others in your email address book. This is a chain letter that can cause a great deal of damage.

Virus hoaxes can travel far and wide. If each person who gets it sends it to ten other, and each of these ten people send it to ten more people, the list is endless. Once six generations have passed over one million false email will have been sent. By the seventh generation this number will be ten million. By the eighth generation it will be 100 million emails that have no purpose and are using up space on networks.

This problem can cause routers and servers to crash and slow down.

Many times a hoax will be sent with good intentions. For example, there was a warning in email about a virus that was called the "Deeyenda". It has been circulating since 1995. The email says that the Deeyenda virus is known to the FCC and should be passed on.

This email is false. A virus can't be run and activated just by you reading the email. As well, the FCC does not send out warnings about any viruses. They do send out information about spyware. A last comment: there is no Deeyenda virus.

A hoax can do a lot of damage. Some hoaxes will warn you to delete files on your computer that might have the virus. These files are often unknown to most users and are crucial to the correct running of your computer. If you delete them you might not notice the effect immediately. At least until you reboot your system and it won't start.

How to Fight Virus Hoaxes

The first thing that you have to do is recognize a hoax.

A good clue about a hoax is when a lot of technical words are used. A hoax called "good times" had this warning: "If the program is not stopped, the computer's processor will be placed in an nth-complexity infinite binary loop which can severely damage the processor". Although this might sound impressive there is no nth-complexity infinite binary loop. As well, no computer processor can be harmed if it's used a lot. It may be slow because you're running a lot of processes but it certainly won't stop working.

Some hoaxes will contain a reference to an organization that really exists such as the FCC or a legitimate company that sells antivirus software. You can easily verify this information if it's a real warning. And if it is real you should expect to see references of it somewhere, such as on television, as well as the Internet.

Make sure that you never buy anything from someone who claims they can fix any virus infection your computer might have. There are plenty of authentic vendors of antivirus software, many of whom have products that you can download or have services you can use via the Internet. You can verify all this information by reading trade reviews and testimonials from sources you can trust.

Don't end up being a victim.

Is Your Computer Safe from Hackers

Is Your Computer Safe from Hackers

Is Your Computer Safe From Hackers? Whether you use a computer at home or in the office -- your computer is exposed to more security risks than you could possibly imagine. Deadbeats, criminals and swindlers prey on unsuspecting victims every second of every day.

For a Free Mini-Course:

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This is the stuff that computer consultants won't tell you. Is Your Computer Safe from Hackers will reveal step by step how you can how to take all necessary preventative actions without resorting to outside experts or expensive suites of software.

Here's a very brief synopsis of just some of the threats that are hammering computer users -- both businesses and private -- every hour of every day:

Is Your Computer Safe from Hackers Here is a brief synopsis of what you can expect:

Ø Viruses, worms and Trojans waste hours of your time protecting against them and cleaning up after them. And how good a "cleanup" job are you really doing anyway?

Ø Spyware gathers information about your browsing & online shopping habits, or even personal information about you, and sends it off to "interested parties".

Ø "Script kiddies" steal anything of value and trash the rest.

Ø Identity thieves can empty your bank accounts, max out your credit cards, and grab sensitive information from your emails. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes, both online and off.

Ø Spam is a massive annoyance and time waster and often conceals more insidious threats.

Ø Keyloggers can record every keystroke you type at a keyboard, and pass that mother-lode of information on to anyone from a malevolent "script kiddie" to professional criminals.

Ø "Dumpster divers" can rat through your rubbish bins for clues to passwords, account numbers, identity information, etc. You'd be amazed how an extensive profile can be built up - bit by bit - from seemingly innocuous bits of rubbish found in almost everyone's trash.

Ø Hackers/Crackers seek commercially sensitive information they can sell to your competitors or otherwise use against you

And much much more

Is Your Computer Safe from Hackers

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Are Your Providing Readers With Effective Web Content?

Effective web content is vital when it comes to promoting your business to prospective customers. Your readers need to understand your message if you hope to increase your sales.

The overall success of your online business is more than just marketing, it's about making sales. Marketing is the number one tool that will draw visitors to your website, but it's what they will find on your site that will ultimately determine whether or not you make a sale.

Effective web content is part of the process that will turn visitors into customers; first time customers into repeat customers; and repeat customers to spread the word and create new customers.

The web content you need to feature on your site is as follows:

Clear details about the product and/or services you are selling -Information on how the products work -What they feature - How they can benefit the user - How to order (what type of payments) - etc. Information about you and your company - Who you are (IE expertise, etc.) - When you started your company and its success - Etc. Contact information/customer service - all the different ways customers can contact you.

While the webcontent on your site may also include an F.A.Q page, blogs, etc., the above three elements are a must.

The best way to go about creating effective web content that will attract attention and gain the interest and trust of prospective clients is to:

Create a theme - people like things that are simple and they can follow. Therefore create a website theme that is easy to navigate and features:

Colors - Choose two or three colors, and use these colors as your background and for every webpage. Make sure the colors compliment each other, such as blue and orange or violet and yellow. You can use different shade and hues, just pick something that is easy on the eyes and is a good representation of your business.

Font - You will also want to make sure that your webcontent is written in a font type and size that is inviting and easy to read. Forget the loopy fonts, or really small print. Space out your paragraphs and use short sentences. The last thing you want is to intimidate your customers with an onslaught of words.

In addition, try to break up the web content with pictures or other graphics to keep your website theme looking unique, friendly and professional.

Keep web content relevant - Everything you write should be related to your business. You don't want to make the mistake of confusing or boring the reader with long winded sentences or a puff piece. Your readers must understand what you are talking about so make sure you spell check, grammar check and edit everything you post on your site.

Furthermore, visitors want to know what you are selling and who you are. Therefore, make sure you provide them with the web content details they want to know. This means giving valuable information about the product and not sounding like an infomercial.

Be original - How many online businesses do you think are out there on the web? If you guessed hundreds of millions you'd be right! So what determines the success of one website over another? Originality!

To be original you need to provide visitors with unique webcontent, so brush of the dust from your thesaurus and put it to good use.

Originality is also about using your own thoughts and words instead of someone else's. Talk to your visitors as you would a close friend. The more "real" you are with your web content, the more your customers will come to trust you.

Hire help - If you don't have the writing skills to create effective web content, or are writing in your second language, you may want to hire the skills of a professional ghost writer. These individuals are skilled at writing, and can transform your thoughts and ideas to create engaging webcontent.

Effective web content will mean all of the difference to your sales. Don't underestimate the power of words. They are the most important part of your website and are how you win over prospective customers.

Itay Paz is the founder of Internet Marketing Hype, an online newsletter that discusses the insights and excitement of today's internet marketing including: affiliate marketing, advertising, conferences, seminars, workshops, ebooks and other information products. Itay Paz is now sharing his knowledge with other Internet Marketers through his new Internet Marketing Hype Ezine. Itay's online magazine will provide you with exceptional insights of Internet Marketing in a simple and easy way. Sign up for Itay Paz's Internet Marketing Hype Ezine by visiting his website at http://www.internetmarketinghype.com

Make $50000 in 24 hours

$50,000 in 24 Hours

Okay let me cut the long story and get to the "How to make this cash!"

I know that you know that two of the most search things on the internet are: money, and sex. How ever, more people all over the world search for pleasure rather than wealth(money). I don't know why? This is what i did to start my cash rolling into my bank account.

http://50000in24hrs.blogspot.com/

Armed with the above knowledge that sex is search the most at these search engines,

I started by searching for top paid affiliate sex programs. That offers free memberships

and that pays $30-$50 per sign up. Within their affiliate program and i found this one.

http://50000in24hrs.blogspot.com/

1)First thing i did was i joined it. 2)Then i get an affiliate link. 3)I convert this affiliate link at (tinyurl.com.) 4)Then i paste it into my email and send it to friends. 5)Then ask them to forward it to their friends! 6)Then i jump on to (myspace) and used their traffic to make cash! 7)Then i wrote an article and submit it to goarticles.com

After test this within 7 hours i log into my sex affiliate box and i notices i made $100.00,

for doing nothing. Then, as the time roll on i was making mad -mad $$cash.

Can you do this? if you can just go for is right now while money is on the table and these affiliates are paying $30-$50 per free sign up.

http://50000in24hrs.blogspot.com 2)http://drunkensoccer.com/50000

How Trojan Horse Viruses Can Infect Your Computer

You're probably familiar with the Trojan horse tale. When the city of Troy was captured the Greeks put a huge wooden horse on the outside of the gates as a peace offering. The horse was brought into the city walls at which time it was discovered that it was filled with Greek soldiers who very quickly destroyed Troy.

A Trojan horse in your computer is much the same thing. It looks like it might be harmless and useful but it will have a hidden code that can create great damage in your computer or install some spyware.

A Trojan horse is also known as a virus but is slightly different. A virus can't copy itself and is only created to get into your computer and cause problems, much like the Greek soldiers did to Troy.

Some Trojan horses are spyware and are used to track activity on your computer and then send this information to other parties without your consent or knowledge.

Spyware can also be used to generate pop-up ads, reroute your Internet browser to consumer sites, or log into the private information on your computer, such as your credit card numbers. Vendors on consumer sites have often paid the creator of spyware to get this information from you.

A Trojan horse can also be used to install what is called a "backdoor" in your computer. A backdoor is a way into your computer without the usual login procedure. Many hackers use a backdoor to get into your computer so that they can send spam or to cause other damage. The damage will appear to originate in your comptuter.

Computer geeks think that there is a distinction between a hacker and a cracker. A cracker will get into your computer to do harm while a hacker will just get into your computer in order to understand how the system works. Let's stick with the term hacker.

How Trojans Are Sent

A Trojan horse can be hidden in useful programs. For example, you might download a free utility from a website and then run the program. This is how easily your system can be infected.

Trojan horses can also be included in an email attachment if the attachment has a file that is executable. This program can hold a Trojan which can then cause damage to your computer when it's run.

Sometimes the extensions of executable files (which are .exe) can be altered so that the file looks like it is harmless text. For example a file named computer.exe can be altered to look like computer.txt.exe so that it looks like a text file that you open without hesitation. There are some OS that let you hide extensions so beware of this.

Newer methods hide Trojans in image files. Keep in mind that you should never open any file that comes from someone you don't know or when you're not expecting a file. Viruses are easily passed on this way.

Some Trojans can be passed along in the vulnerabilities of your OS. It's the OS that controls your computer's basic functions. Your computer is connected to the Internet through ports. These ports can be a risk to security. Malware is one way that your computer's vulnerabilities can be tested.

Sub7 is a famous Trojan. Some people say that the Sub7 has some good uses, such as being able to remotely have control over your computer. Your computer can have the Sub7 installed on it and you can access it from a remote location. However, hackers can use this function to steal your credit card numbers.

Fighting Trojans - The modern way Antivirus software can detect and get rid of Trojans. Make sure that you keep your virus software up to date so that you have good protection. There are some antivirus programs that make you manually scan over your attachments as well as other files that are incoming. You'll want one that does this automatically since the cost difference is slight.

Be careful when you open any email attachments even if you're getting them from a source you know. Be suspicious if it's an attachment that you're not expecting.

Use your firewall and keep it closed to limit vulnerabilities to your computer.

Benefits of Resorting to Credit Card Debt Consolidation

The credit card is a very convenient finance tool of today. With the use of a credit card, it is possible to avail of cash even if you have no money with you. It is sort of a mini loan where you can borrow money from the credit card company, to be repaid later. There are fixed limits to individual credit card companies, and you are allowed to borrow to a maximum of that limit.

It is then up to you to repay the money you borrow once you receive your pay, or payments. However, it is when you fail to make regular payments to your credit cards that you end up in credit card debt. And it is credit card debt consolidation that can actually salvage you from credit card debt.

With credit card debt consolidation, you have to approach your credit card companies to have your balances reduced through balance reduction and lowered interest rates. This can be done with the help of an agent from a debt settlement company or debt consolidation company. The credit card companies are usually ready to reduce their balances and interest rates, in the hope of receiving some payment from you, instead of no payments at all.

With credit card debt consolidation, you combine all your credit card debts and make a single payment to the agent, who in turn pays the credit card companies everyday. With credit card debt consolidation, the main benefit is that you don’t have to pay numerous credit card companies their monthly installments. You only have to make a single payment to the credit card consolidation company, and thus reduce the hassles of multiple payments.

Another benefit with credit card debt consolidation is that the payment amount is usually much lower than the combined payments of all the other credit card companies. You can then save money every month, and use this saved money for any other expenses or save it for future use.

With credit card debt consolidation, the lowered balance amount and the lowered interest rate makes it easier to clear all your credit card debt within a span of about five years. Of course, the term depends on the amount you have to pay the credit card companies. The larger is the sum to be paid, the longer you will need to repay the balance.

Moreover, with credit card debt consolidation, you don’t have to face any harassment from your numerous credit card companies. This is because you can have the agent from the credit card consolidation company face them on your behalf. It is he or she who has to answer to the queries of the credit card companies.

And the greatest benefit with credit card debt consolidation lies in the fact that you will be provided with some credit card counseling along with it. With credit card counseling, you learn how to budget your money, how to save and also how to use credit wisely to avoid any future credit card debt.

Gibran Selman takes care of http://debtconsolidationcenter.net a website dedicated to gather information, on and off the internet, about debt consolidation and other related subjects. Visit the website at: http://debtconsolidationcenter.net for hundreds of articles and other resources about debt consolidation.

Security Issues and the Internet

With the age of the personal computer upon us, we must be constantly monitoring the activity of children on the Internet. The World Wide Web is filled with an abundance of unsafe sites that children certainly should not have access to. It is rather unfortunate that many parents simply do not have the knowledge about computers with which to implement proper security systems that restrict the Internet content available for the viewing of young children. In not knowing how to restrict the websites that young children can view, parents can be unintentionally putting their kids in harms way.

There are thousands and thousands of predatory adults lurking around in chat rooms and as such children can easily become entangled with some such adverse character. Laws have actually been established suggesting that a lack of restriction, if done knowingly, could result in fines and/or imprisonment. Thus not only is it important to understand the potential threats on the internet and know how to combat these threats for your children's sake, it is equally as important for your sake. Along with the treats posed by chat rooms the Internet contains a plethora of other offensive materials that, under no circumstances, should be approved for viewing by young children.

Restricting the content is actually a relatively simple task to accomplish. Having some background knowledge with computers will certainly make the process a much more efficient one though. Basically there are a number of ways to go about monitoring and restricting the content available on the Internet and the more direct of which involves consulting and manually adjusting the level of security via the internet options accessed through a web browser. There you will be presented with a number of options to choose from and the process is clearly outlined. The alternative method involves consulting the settings inside the main hard disk drive and it follows in much the same manner as the pervious technique.

Schedule Your Windows Tasks

How many repetitive tasks do you perform manually on your PC at home or work?

What tasks do you perform which need all users to logout of the system during work hours?

If you are working within Windows then you can use Schtasks, which ships with Windows, to perform those tedious tasks for you.

Schtasks is a tool you can use to carry out a task at a particular time, date or day. You can use Schtasks to run VBScripts, Batch files or any kind of executable application that can be fired up from the command line within the console window. For instance, if you have a Windows service running, which for whatever reason needed bouncing every morning or after a weekend power down, you could write a VBScript to bounce the service and schedule it to run at an appropriate time. Here is an example of how you would set a schedule via Schtasks to bounce a service via a VBScript at 3 am every morning on business days Monday to Friday:

schtasks /create /tn bounce_service /sc mon,tue,wed,thu,fri /st 3:00 /tr "c:my scriptsbounce.vbs"

If you are using Schtasks on your PC, and not on a server, then you would not switch off your PC running when you leave work and let SchTasks can run your tasks overnight. Your last task on your PC might be to shutdown your PC. Schtasks does provide the ability to start up your computer at a specific time but I have found this a bit problematic to get working on some PCs.

Here are some ideas for using Schtasks:

• Backup files when your computer is idle or at the end of a working day.
• Run overnight processes when no users are logged onto a server, database or application.
• Start up or shut down your PC.
• Compact databases.
• Compile multi-developer applications.
• Perform web publishing overnight when resources are free.
• FTP data across a network when bandwidth usage is low.
• Start, stop or bounce Windows services.

Using Schtasks will reduce your manual labour, ensure consistent processing without human error, and buy you time to do other things.

For complete instructions on using Schtasks see: http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/schtasks.mspx

Duane Hennessy Senior Software Engineer and Systems Architect Bandicoot Software Tropical Queensland, Australia (ABN: 33 682 969 957) Your own personal library of code snippets. http://www.bandicootsoftware.com.au Moderator of http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AccessDevelopers

7 Things to Look For Before Choosing Your iPod Movie and Music Download Website

There are many sites that will give you everything you need to download millions of media files to your iPod to enjoy at your own convenience.

Some are better than others.

Let's cut straight to the chase.

You should first of all try to locate sites that will give you all of the latest tools for accessing the largest file networks possible. Which leads us to the first thing to look for in a good iPod download website.

1. Variety. Many iPod download sites will give you access to all the necessary tools to search and download all kinds of files for your iPod or computer. Basically, you will be able to find whatever you need for your IPod or computer. This includes games, movies, software, wallpapers, and much more.

2. Compatibility. The second thing to look for when locating a good iPod media download site is one that offers services that are compatible with older iPods.

A few of the better sites will only limit your downloads to what it is your iPod is designed for. For example: if you have an ipod shuffle all you can download is music but if you have an ipod video you can download videos as well.

The best sites will allow you to download music, games, images, wallpapers, screensavers, and software. I've even found a few where the music downloads are available at no extra cost!

The other compatibility issue is your internet connection.

The best iPod download sites will provide down load services whether you have a 56k connection or broadband. Obviously with a 56k connection, the download rate is much lower than the rate of a broadband connection. You can easily download music with out a problem, though it is normally recommended you use a broadband connection when downloading videos.

3. Software. Always make sure the site you're interested in downloading from includes with your membership the movie to iPod transfer software. This software will transfer any movie from your computer to your iPod device.

For instance, let's say you download your favorite movies to your PC. You will then be able to watch them there using a regular media player, or you will be able to record them using the necessary CD / DVD burning software. With the movie to iPod transfer software, you will be able to download all your favorite movies to your PC and transfer them to your iPod.

4. Support. What kind of support does the site offer? Is there someone available around the clock 7 days a week? The best sites will offer full support inside the members area, you should be able to contact them at anytime and submit your questions. You should get clear concise answers back in a timely manner.

5. Confidentiality. As always when doing business on the Net, you should ensure that the registration process and payment pages are 100% secure. Look for secure SSL certification that can be verified.

6. Software Requirements. The Better download websites will not require any extra software. Everything you need should be provided in the members area.

7. Payment. Find out whether or not you will be billed again. Is this a subscription or are the memberships one time fees? Will you have to pay per download?

There you have it. The 7 things to look for when evaluating ipod music and movie download sites.

There are some excellent sites on the Net for downloading media to your iPod. But, as I said at the beginning of the article, some are better than others.

Do a little research and you should do just fine.

For information on the #1 iPod download site. "The Internet's Top Choice", Visit:

http://www.goaddr.com/d9j

Get instant acces to over 95,000,000 media files.

Rodney Brooks is President of Brooks Global eBusiness Solutions

http://www.brooksglobal.blogspot.com

http://www.brooksglobal.wordpress.com

Don't Get Busted For Duplicating DVDs Illegally

Many people do not understand exactly what is considered legal and what is considered illegal where media is concerned. Some common questions include, "Is it legal to copy a song if you own the original already?" "Is it considered illegal if you record your favorite songs from the radio?" "Is it legal to record a movie from the television?" "Am I breaking the law by lending a friend of mine a CD or DVD?" Any of these questions can cause confusion within consumers are a daily basis. Thus the reason for this article, DVD duplication and the law, here we will look into the aspects involved in the subject.

Copyright protection is noticeable on a variety of media including, video, DVDs, printed books, and CDs. Basically the rule of thumb, is that all various types of entertainment are protected under copyright laws. What is copyright? It is protection for the owner or creator of the media, which gives them specific and legal rights to control and distribute it as they deem necessary. However, some owners will give permission for free and legal distribution by anyone. A good example of free distribution would include shareware and freeware software programs. These are software applications built and designed by any person and permission granted to distribute freely for the benefit of many people. Typically, this occurs when the owner is not seeking monetary gain for that product.

In the above case, any person would have rights in DVD duplication of that specific product. Cases where DVD duplication violates the law exist in instances where a person has, without prior consent of the owner, duplicated a movie onto a DVD. This would be consider illegal in accordance with copyright laws and regulations. Examples, of DVD duplication also include instances of download movies from the internet or using peer to peer programs to gain full length movies, these are very illegal and should never be resorted to under any circumstances.

You may have heard the news in recent times of "busts" occurring on those who choose to practice DVD Duplication. Any person caught willfully downloading illegal movies and practicing DVD Duplication could look forward to massive fines and or time in prison for these crimes. They are very serious crimes that are taken personally by the owners of the copyrighted DVDs and movies. The copyright laws are in places to protect owners from illegal activities, support the owners and actors by purchasing the DVD instead of practicing DVD duplication.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about DVD duplication and Movie Downloads at http://www.ezdownloadnow.com

What Is an iPod?

An iPod is a portable music media player designed and marketed by Apple Computer with a huge capacity, a rechargeable battery that lasts between eight to ten hours of playback and it’s currently the world's best-selling digital audio player.

It uses a simple user interface designed around a central scroll wheel (with the exception of the Shuffle) and stores media on a built-in hard drive that serve as an external data storage device when connected to your computer.

Discontinued versions of the iPod include two generations of the popular iPod Mini and four generations of the full-sized iPod, all of which had monochrome screens except for the fourth-generation iPod with color screen.

As of October 2005, the lineup consists of the 5th generation iPod, which has video playback capabilities, the iPod Nano which has a colour screen, and the iPod Shuffle MP3 player; all three models were released in 2005.

iPod uses iTunes for uploading music, photos, and videos. iTunes is a music software application that stores a comprehensive library of the user's music on their computer,and can play and rip music from a CD.

The most recent incarnations of iPod and iTunes have video playing and organization features. iPod's are easy-to-use, it’s stylish and has dominated the MP3 market that has led to a large market specifically dedicated to iPod Accessories.

Operation of the iPod

iPod operation, except the iPod shuffle, have five buttons. The newer version have the buttons integrated into the scroll wheel, to give a minimalist and uncluttered interface. The buttons are:

1. Menu (traverses backwards through the menus).

2. Center (selects a menu item).

3. Play / Pause (doubles as an off switch when held).

4. Fast Forward / Skip Forward.

5. Fast Reverse / Skip Backwards.

A Hold switch also exists on the top of the unit to prevent accidental button presses. Newer iPods automatically pause playback when the headphones are unplugged from the headphone jack. However, playback does not resume when the headphones are re-inserted.

The older iPods with FireWire ports can function as external hard drives without any additional iPod functionality in FireWire Disk Mode. An iPod unable to start due to either a firmware or a hardware problem displays the "Sad iPod" image.

Here is a link in reference to this article iPod

Daniel Dwase is the webmaster and editor of http://www.best-ipod-online a website that provides reviews and buyers guide of iPod Video, Nano, Shuffle and cheap iPod accessories and http://www.ipod-insider.blogspot.com a blog that provides the latest news from Apple Computers about iPods.

How To Speed Up Windows XP

The default install of Windows XP includes features and processes most users don't need. If you're involved in gaming or multimedia, and you can't afford a top-of-the-range PC, here are a few tips to get the most out of your machine.

For beginner users:

1. Go to: Start > Control Panel > Display > Settings.
Select: Resolution 800 x 600 pixels and Colour Quality Medium (16 bit).
Click: Apply.
What it does: Reduces system overhead. Less work for your CPU.

2. Go to: Start.
Right click: My Computer.
Select: Properties > 'Advanced' tab > Performance > 'Settings' button > 'Visual effects' tab.
Select: Adjust for best performance.
Click: Apply.
What it does: Removes unimportant cosmetic effects, thereby reducing system overhead.

3. Go to: Start.
Right click: My Computer.
Select: Properties > 'Advanced' tab > Performance > 'Settings' button > 'Advanced' tab.
Select: Processor scheduling > Programs.
Select: Memory usage > Programs.
Click: Apply. What it does: Prioritises _your_ programs over those that XP _thinks_ are important.

4. Go to: Start > Control Panel > Display > Themes.
Select: Windows Classic.
Click: Apply.
What it does: Cleans up the desktop.

5. Go to: Start > Control Panel > Display > Desktop.
Select: Background - None.
Click: Apply.
What it does: Cleans up the desktop.

6. Go to: Start > Control Panel > Display > Appearance.
Select: Windows Classic Style.
Click: Apply.
What it does: Cleans up the desktop.

For Medium Users:

7. Go to: Start.
Right click: My Computer.
Select: Properties > 'Automatic Updates' tab.
Select: Turn off automatic updates.
Click: Apply.
What it does: Stops Microsoft messing with your computer at inconvenient times. You can re-enable this when _you_ feel like an update.

8. Go to: Start > Run.
Type: msconfig
Select: 'Startup' tab.
Action: Untick all boxes, except those you are certain you need to start when XP boots up.
Click: Apply.
What it does: Stops programs starting when XP does. Frees up system resources.

For Advanced users:

9. Run your favourite program.
Click these buttons on your keyboard simultaneously: ctrl + alt + del (Control + Alt + Delete).
Click: 'Processes' tab.
Right click: The process of your favourite program.
Select: Set priority > Realtime.
What it does: Diverts CPU resources to the selected program.

10. Go to: Start > Run.
Type: services.msc
Right click: Any service you are sure you won't need, like 'Automatic Updates', 'Help and Support' or 'Indexing Services'.
Select: Properties > 'General' tab > Startup type > 'Manual' or 'Disabled'.
Click: Apply.
What it does: Stops processes starting when XP does. Frees up system resources.
Warning: Change one setting here a day. Reboot your system after each one. Run your most popular programs. If they're running normally, try disabling another service the next day. This is to make sure you don't turn off something important. If you're not sure, leave them alone.

Related programs:

Tune XP http://www.driverheaven.net/dforce/
This is freeware and simple to use.

X-Setup Pro http://www.x-setup.net/
This has a 30 day trial, and is for more advanced users.

Enjoy!

About the author: T. O' Donnell ( http://www.tigertom.com/secured-loans-uk.shtml ) is a credit broker and curmudgeon living in London, UK.

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Having Trouble with Your Computer Speed!

When we purchase a computer it works at a fantastic speed but after a couple of months, we feel something is wrong with our computer. It has started working slow each time. It is acting just like the old one. Everything that we do is real slow and the things get stuck or our computer hangs and stops working. Then again we have to restart our computer and again the old story.

Whenever a computer is operating too slowly, just look out how many programs do you have running in start-up on your taskbar. Most of the time people are unaware that they have multiple programs running on their computer at any given time.

There are some programs that are working on the task bar when called upon and some are actually working behind the scenes, unknown to us. Especially anti-viral software programs which are constantly traversing through the system to find any malicious activity.

Whenever these programs are activated, each one is using some portion of your random access memory in your computer. If you have 96 Megs of RAM for example, then this is the amount of memory that operates these existing open programs and their uses.

If you want to know how much RAM is there in your computer, click on Start and then locate 'My Computer'. Left click on your mouse and you will see a small list on your screen. Now, move to the “properties” and click on properties. It will provide you with all the information through small window. It will give you the description of what is in your computer. The RAM or Random Access Memory is usually the last thing on the front page that you will be viewing. At any given time each running program is using up this memory.

When an individual program is running behind the scenes of your system it uses a small percentage of the extra memory that is used to operate that program. A small software program such as ICQ could use as much as 3% of the total RAM available. An anti-viral operation also uses some portion of RAM. The usage depends upon the company of which the software is being used by you.

If there are multiple programs running in your computer at the same time, then it will occupy small segments of your memory and these multiple programs would require so much memory that it will cause your entire system to bog down and literally crash. Now, computers with more RAM are generally preferred. But earlier your computer would be considered smokin' if you had 96MG of RAM!

Today when computers having all the accessories like SPAM control, Virus watch, Hacker alerts etc. It’s normal for a single computer to consume 256 Megs of RAM and the operator would not realize the delays, because they felt since they bought a incredibly fast processor and even some use High Speed Internet, they feel that they got robbed at the store where they purchased their model.

Last year one of my friends bought a super fast speed computer and he almost threw the darn thing out the window because it moved at a snails pace. He even called Computer experts to fix the problem and paid over $300.00. c

Don't let anyone fool you. You just have to check your RAM speed and locate all the programs on your task bar that function openly and behind the scenes. If there are 5 -10 or more running programs active at any given time and the computer is bogging down. Then chances are that there is a RAM problem.

You can fix the RAM problem very easily. If you do not know what your particular computer can handle, simply locate your brand name on the Internet and research Extended Memory for that model. And look out that whether that model can support added memory or not. If it does not it is most likely due to an older model that has been maxed out.

If this is your problem deleting or removing active programs would not be able to help you. May be you could delete an important program instead. Many of these programs are protecting you from outside invaders and removing them could allow a fatal blow from a devious hacker.

iPod: Adventures in Entertainment

There are still millions of people who don't yet own an iPod and there are many who have never experienced the phenomena known as iPod who will debate the purchase of one for somebody they love. For the uninitiated, it often seems that there is a lot of excitement over something that at first glance appears to merely be a digitized and glorified old style tape recorder. It is for those individuals that we review the true meaning and ability of this device for it is truly an entertainment icon.

An iPod plays music, thousands of hours of personalized music, music selected by the user, and played to sound the way the individual prefers it. Yes, this tiny device has its own equalizer and sound controls. Many users have described the exceptional digital sound quality with earbuds to have opened a whole new world of listening. Users can also develop their own play lists so that they listen to a certain genre of music at different times; for instance, rock music when they run and classical when they drive into work.

It is clear that an iPod offers a lightweight, portable way of listening as it weighs only ounces and is a half inch thick. In the home, iPod can even eliminate all of the old stereo components when used with the iPod Hi-Fi. Again, despite the small size of the iPod Hi-Fi, which is 17"x6.6"x6.9", sound quality is exceptional and users are in control with the remote.

Beyond iPod's exceptional musical talents, it also offers the ability to listen to podcasts and audiobooks which can be downloaded off of the internet. Listening is easy and users can book mark the chapters so that they can pick up where they left off without searching.

Current generation iPods offer great video as well through a 2.5" color display screen. iPod can now store up to 25,000 photos and 150 hours of video. Now users can play music video or ad free TV shows wherever they are. For those who prefer a little more active stimulation, iPod also offers games such as Solitaire, Music Quiz, and others.

With all of its impressive entertainment features, it is also important to realize that the tiny iPod is a great little assistant. From offering a Sleep Timer (alarm clock) function to providing access to calendars and contact lists, iPod offers a portable way of staying on top of things. It even has a Notes function to allow users to keep their "To Do List", a stop watch, and a World Clock to check the time anywhere in the world. For active users, iPod even has a link with Nike. Through the iPod sport kit a runner can monitor their speed, distance, and calories burned, sync up with the Nike site, and track their performance over time.

iPod may have started as a simple device for listening to music but it has evolved and its future appears to promise even more entertainment functions. Several major car manufacturers will be offering an iPod integration in some models. Will iPod eventually offer Nintendo Games, videoconferencing, the ability to download entire movies, or access to satellite radio? It's hard to determine, but if the past is a good predictor, it seems likely that more developments are in store for the tiny entertainment device.

Christine Peppler shares information on home entertainment and home electronics products, including iPods, on her website at: http://www.homemedias.info

Technical Support on Using Windows XP's System Restore Function

Recently, Microsoft has launched their Windows XP suite together with a function that should have been integrated already in its predecessors. Now, both Home and Professional versions boasts of the System Restore feature, a technical support tool proven to be useful in altering or reversing the damages made to your computer.

If you know how to use this feature of the operating system, you can have the option of going straight to the system settings before any kind of damage has been done to your computer. Another good thing about this is that you also have the chance to build a restore point and reverse the latest restorations made on your system. The recent restorations may have no significant or subsequent effect on the performance of the computer. Without prior knowledge on the matter, your computer system may experience frequent crashes or contain more unusable files, thereby having your computer in a bad, if not worse, shape. However, if you have the System Restore feature on your Windows XP, there is no need to panic and you can rest with the knowledge that your restore points would be made automatically. The better thing is, you can also customize the restore points on the System Restore function for the flexibility you need from your computer system.

The System Restore function of the Windows XP operating system can actually be found on the Start Menu tab. Navigate on the Programs tab within the Start Menu, then click on the Accessories tab located within it. This action would lead to the appearance of another pop-up. From the menu of the pop-up box, choose the System Tools option. A new pop-up menu selection would appear, containing the System Restore control. Clicking on the System Restore directs you to one dialogue box, which in turn contains a document-styled interface located inside an Explorer window. If you are a newbie in need of computer help and would like to know how to go about the System Restore settings of Windows XP, the aforementioned steps should be simple and easy enough for you to follow.

In this window, there are three options for you to choose from. The first option is to functionally restore the computer system to an earlier time. This option is labeled with maximum readability in mind. The second option on the radio button selection is the function to "Create a Restore Point" and it is labeled just so for maximum usability. The last option on the radio button selection is the "Undo" your last restoration feature. This particular feature is very helpful if you have restored your computer system to an earlier time without any changes being made unto it or if you have a restoration that has worsened your computer system's state.

The System Properties dialogue box has a menu tab labeled System Restore. On this tab are the features for customizing the System Restore settings of each drive. This tab provides you with a list of all the disk drives or disk partitions, that you have on your computer. If you want to monitor all the drives and access the System Restore function in the future, you could go to the default setting of the operating system. It is important to be wary of the system partition because this is the disk partition where the Windows XP is installed. Disabling the monitoring feature on this area subsequently disables the System Restore feature of the operating system. This is not advisable to do so, for the System Restore function of your Windows XP Operating System is very useful in times of viral infections and the like.

You should turn off the System Restore monitoring feature on all disk partitions except on the system drive. This step would bring about the reversal of your entire computer system, excluding the disk partitions. This means that even though there have been changes made to these partitions on the computer, switching off the System Restore of the operating system would not reverse the changes.

Carefully select all your important files on your system partition. Copy them and put all these files in a single folder on another disk drive. From this time on, you should save all your important documents and other equally important files the selected disk drive. This would prevent any document corruption or other file losses after restorations have been made on your computer system.

If this is your first time to access the System Restore function of Windows XP, it is highly advisable for you to create a restore point when your computer is in A1 condition. Just follow the procedures as explained above, and check on the "Create a Restore Point" radio button. Click the Next button to resume. This step would lead you to a new web document styled Explorer window. This window has a text box where you can label the restore point you have chosen to create. Labeling your chosen restore point with something that you can easily remember is highly advisable. After doing so, click on the Next button again. This would take you to the confirmation window, which tells whether your System Restore point creation has been successful or not.

Armed with a restore point that you yourself have created, your computer system is now safe from most, if not all, malware infections and harmful changes that are typical when installing programs. Just remember to regularly create restore points when your computer has new programs and updates installed on it and when the machine itself is still in tiptop condition. If ever your computer system encounters and experiences any malware infection, regular system crashes or speed and performance deterioration, all you have to do is restore the computer to the most recent restore point you have created.

Regularly deleting past restoration points should also be done so as to save precious disk space on your system partition. This could be done by accessing the Disk Cleanup function of your system partition. Go back to your desktop and double click the My Computer icon. This would open an Explorer window, which displays the disk drives and other removable data storage devices on your computer. Right click on your system partition, which is usually a C: or the C drive, and click on the Properties option. Click on the Disk Cleanup button on the Properties tab of your system partition. This would provide you with a new pop-up dialogue box. Click the More Options tab, and select the System Restore Cleanup button. Follow the instructions on the succeeding pop-up dialogue boxes. After doing so, your computer system is now clean from the past restore points that both you and your Windows XP operating system have created on your system partition. You are now left with the most recent restore point you have created, the only computer help function you need to reverse harmful changes that might have an affect on your computer system.

Also remember not to change your computer system's date and time settings before accessing the most recent restore point you have created. Make sure that before establishing a new restore point using the System Restore feature of the operating system, the time and date settings have already been adjusted. Altering these settings in your computer after accessing the most recent restore point you have created would confuse the system and not give you an actual list of the most recent restoration points made.

For more of these highly reliable tips and tricks regarding technical support and computer help, check out this credible website, http://www.pcnineoneone.com

Six Wonderful iPod Accessories

The iPod has spawned an entire market and entranced a generation. The elegance and power of this mighty music player is a thing of beauty. Because of the iPod's popularity, third parties have turned to making iPod accessories in a bewildering array. I thought it would be fun to give you some of the best, most innovative iPod accessories out there.

Pocket Bar & Grill - This is a great little program that, of course, offers up a great array of recipes. Enrique Quintero, the maker, says "Pocket Bar & Grill combines Podtender and PodGourmet into Pocket Bar & Grill. Pocket Bar & Grill has two sections. One is the 'Bar' section with 750 mixed drink recipes from A through Z, each drink individually listed. The other section 'Grill' contains 225 select gourmet recipe with an index in each category with links to the recipes within that category." Enrique also offers a vegan version of the Grill. It Requires Macintosh or PC formatted iPod iPod Firmware 2.0 or later and 3rd, 4th or 5th generation iPod or iPod Mini, Nano. The cost of the program is $10. You can find it at: http://www.enriquequinterodesign.com/pocketbargrill.html

wiPod - If you're a road warrior, you'll appreciate this little proggie. According to wiPod: "Now when you are on the road you can look up a free hotspot quickly and easily right from your iPod. No, the iPod isn't wi-fi enabled (yet). wiPod uses the Notes functionality of the iPod OS to store the database in an easy to use format." And best of all, it's free - you just have to register at: http://anchorfree.com/wipod/

iSubwayMaps - Everyone is calling for more public transit use. iSubwayMaps helps you by offering, drum roll please, subway maps. There are many maps available, such as: Berlin, Germany; Bilbao, Spain; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Hong Kong; London, UK; Los Angeles, CA; Lyon, France; Melbourne, Australia; Milan, Italy; Montreal, QC; Moscow, Russia; New York, NY; Paris, France; Philadelphia, PA; Salt Lake City; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; Seoul, Korea; Singapore; Tokyo, Japan; Toronto, ON; Vancouver, BC; Washington DC. Go get yours - it's free! You can find it at: http://www.isubwaymaps.com/download.php

ClickWheel - If you love comics, then you are going to love clickwheel. Clickwheel "is a whole new way of using your iPod, and a whole new way of reading comics. Looking for a simple innocent laugh? A dry, sophisticated chuckle? A true story of crime, disaster or ordinary life? A brain-bending exercise in comic art? Turn to us and it's all in your hands." That's straight from the funny folks at Clickwheel. If you're a comic creator, you can get your comics listed on here for free - with possible commissions if you're good! Clickwheel is free, get yours at: http://www.clickwheel.net/gallery/list

piPod - New Yorkers love their pizza, there's no doubt about that. piPod gives them pizza options at their fingertips. "Download piPod, and save it to the Notes directory (in the Extras directory) of your iPod. You'll get a series of nested menus directing you to the best pizza in the five boroughs of NYC. Browse by borough or pizzeria name." You have to have an iPod with the notes function. It's free, you can download it at: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/26330

iShield - One of the worst things about owning an iPod is the fear of having it scratched or broken. iShield gives you peace of mind about your iPod (for a full review, see my website below). It is a thin, transparent, durable covering for your iPod. "The invisibleSHIELD is the toughest, most durable screen protector on planet earth. It is made from a film originally created by the military to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades from wear and tear while traveling hundreds of miles per hour!" It costs from $10 to $25, depending on the device you purchase it for. You can find it here: http://www.shieldzone.com/

Copyright 2006 Jack Knows Inc.

Visit PaulTech for more wonderful iPod and technology tips. Visit at: http://www.gopaultech.com

How To Put Videos On Your iPod - 4 Quick Steps

Use These 4 Quick Steps To Put Videos into your iPod:

1. Do compatibility testing.

You can find out if your video is automatically compatible with your iPod. The easiest way to do this is to simply drag and drop your files from your computer to your iPod. Some videos are compatible with iPod, even if they are not labeled as such. If the transfer goes off smoothly, then it’s compatible. However, if it’s not compatible…

(a) Find conversion programs

iPod stores only Mpeg4 (mp4) format video files so if you’re files are not formatted as such, you need to convert them. Most files from the net are either in .avi or .wmv format. Luckily, there are already websites offering mp4 video downloads so if you can find what you want there, then that’s good. But if not, you still do it the hard way.

There are a lot of programs available for download from the internet. There are also products which you can buy. The choice is all up to you.

(b) From other file types to Mp4

The iTunes installer usually has QuickTime Pro with it and you can use this to convert your videos. First, open the file in QuickTime Pro. After the video has loaded, click File menu and choose Export.

From the Export dialog box, select the Movie to iPod option. Then click on the save button. The conversion process begins and QuickTime will launch a progress bard so you’ll see how the process is doing. A big file will need longer time to convert. After that, the file will be found on your desktop. Open it to see if it’s how you wanted it to look.

You can also use iTunes to do the conversion. What you need to do is to add you video to the iTunes library. Right click and select the "Convert to iPod" option. The program will then start the conversion process, albeit slowly.

2. Get your cable and plug your iPod to the computer

3. Transfer your video files from your computer to your iPod

Now, open your iTunes. Click the option "Add file to library" which is found in the File menu. Browse through your files to find the right one. You can also just drag and drop your files towards the iTunes console to put the video to the iPod.

4. Do some testing

Don't be complacent about the whole thing. Immediately test the video file by playing it on your iPod. If there are any errors in playing it, try doing the transfer again. If not, there must still be something wrong with your video file format.

Need an easy solution for transferring video files to your ipod? You can learn more at http://www.Feed-Your-iPod.info/

Fixing PC Errors Quickly

Do you know how much did it cost you the last time when you got your PC Errors fixed up? What about the time you spent up with the technician who had come to solve the problem? The truth is that you could have done that your self, without paying some body else for that task, and could have easily saved up you time. Or may be you could have avoided the whole thing with just one thing- you could have taken a software that could arrange your errors automatically and does not allows any other error to come up!

These days, Software fixing PC problems and quickly solving them out has become a rage with the users around the world. There are in numerable types of computer errors that can not be solved by a common pc holder. All this can be annoying for anybody. Many times, it can loose some of your valuable data, or lead to system crash down!

All these errors, how many they are, the cause behind them is just one- they bring in some kind of virus into your system without your permission, make entry into the hard drive of the system with the virus and thus error is caused.

If you observe, computer is just a simple machine that does what it is told to do in terms of programming. To assist it do this, it has thousands of records and line up files put down away in the hard drive section of the computer system. Most of the time, these files are read by your computer easily, but sometimes the folder system can become corrupt, which makes it hard for the computer to access certain files and folders at ease and quickly or may be not at all. Anytime that your pc has to search for these files or fails to find them an error occurs.

To avoid these errors from occurring again and again, one needs to nail down certain things. The best and the easiest way is to install a software fixing errors PC errors into your system. This prevents from any error further multiplying and eating away at your hard drive. This can be done easily with this software. This particular software has programs installed into it, and these programs watch out for the hidden errors. They even scan the hard drive when necessary. In some cases, you can even get an error scan for free.

The most exciting thing about this software is that you can download these soft wares for free from the internet. For gaining the full access to all the features of the software you would have to spend some money and that too around on two to three dollars.

So don't wait for your system to crash down again, instead enjoy error free smooth running!

Now fixing your pc errors is easy.. download this free software now! click on the website link for download details: Fixing PC Errors Quickly

How to Burn a Downloaded Movie to DVD

It is actually easy to burn a downloaded movie to DVD nowadays. How would one be left out of the burning bandwagon with the vast array of DVD burning software in the market. Most people would just have to download a movie, open a DVD burning software, pop in a blank DVD into their burner, burn the movie, and when it is all done, watch the DVD on their entertainment set.

However, there are many people who encounter some problems while burning their movies into a DVD. Some people end up with non-working DVDs, while others cannot even go through the entire process of burning. Here are some useful tips to be successful in burning a downloaded movie to DVD:

1. It pays not to be stingy with DVDs – the equipment you use should be of high quality to make sure that your DVD burning is seamless. Your burner should be of a reputable brand, as well as your blank discs. Using cheap discs often result into disaster because there may be a lot of defects on the discs that could greatly hinder the burning process from succeeding.

2. Be sure not to touch the writable side of the disc, and keep your discs away from dirt and contaminants. This is a very basic thing that most people dismiss. You should only handle your discs using the outer edges or the middle hole. Contaminants may cause distortion during the burning process.

3. Whenever possible, use the disc-at-once mode when you are burning DVDs. When using the opposite track-at-once mode, there may be some overlapping of sectors between the tracks on the disk, which could hinder the disc from running well on some machines. Use the track-at-once mode only when you need to prevent buffer underruns. If you are not sure what to use, you generally would just need the safer disc-at-once mode.

4. It is better to burn using slower speeds if you want the best quality in your final DVDs. If you are not pressed for time, use slower burning speeds. Slowly burnt discs can be played in more machines than quickly burnt onces.

5. Finalize your burning sessions. While you might still have some space left on your disc even after your downloaded movie is burned, it is always better not to make a multi-session disc for movies to ensure that they will work properly on players. If you think you are wasting valuable DVD space, you may opt to add short video clips to fill in. Otherwise just leave the DVD with some space left to be certain that your DVD would work.

It is not really that difficult to burn downloaded movies to DVD. With just a few tricks at hand, you can be watching your downloaded movies on your entertainment set in no time.

Did you find these tips useful? To learn more tips on how to easily create your own DVD movie collection, please visit http://www.feed-your-dvd.info/

Configuring and Managing User Profiles in the Windows XP Operating System

Microsoft Windows XP supports the following types of profiles:

Local user profile: A local user profile is a computer-based record about a specific user. It is created automatically on the computer's local hard disk the first time when the user logs on to a computer. A local user profile is specific to the computer on which it is created. Both Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional operating systems support the local user profile. In Windows XP, a local user profile is stored in the Documents and Settings folder hierarchy on the system root drive. Whenever a user initially logs on to a computer running Windows XP, Windows creates the user-specific folder in the Documents and Settings folder. Each user profile contains several files and folders that store configuration information including the following:

1. Application Data: This folder is hidden by default and stores the user-specific application configuration information.

2. Cookies: A cookie is a small text file that is created by websites to store the user-specific information and preferences on a local computer.

3. Desktop: This folder stores files, folders, and shortcuts that are placed on a Windows XP desktop.

4. Favorites: This folder stores shortcuts to locations added to the Favorites list by a user in Windows Explorer or Internet Explorer.

5. My Documents: This folder stores documents and other user data.

6. My Recent Documents: This folder contains shortcuts to recently accessed documents and folders. A user can also access such documents from the Start Menu.

7. NTUSER.DAT: This file stores the information about changes made to Windows Explorer, taskbar, user-specific Control Panel, Accessories, and Internet Explorer settings.

8. NTUSER.DAT.LOG: It is a log file that provides help in the recovery of the NTUSER.DAT file when a computer crashes.

9. Templates: This folder is hidden by default and contains the template items created by the user applications. These items are used automatically when a user creates a new document.

10. Printhood: This folder contains the shortcuts to printer folder items.

11. NetHood: This folder contains shortcuts created by the Add Network Place option in My Network Places.

Built-in user profiles: In addition to the user-specific profile, Windows creates two built-in local user profiles at the time of installation:

1. Default User Profile: This profile works as a template to create all new profiles on the computer. A newly logged on user receives a copy of this profile as his or her personal user profile. The default user profile can also be customized in several ways and is stored in the Documents and SettingsDefault User folder, which is hidden by default. A user has to configure the Folder options appropriately to view the Default User folder.

2. All Users profile: The All Users profile contains settings that apply to each user who logs on to the computer. The All Users profile is stored in the Documents and SettingsAll Users folder. The All Users folder contains settings that are common for all the other profiles on the computer. The settings in the All Users folder are merged with the profile of the current user by Windows during the current logon session. If an administrator wants to apply a common setting for every user who logs on to the computer, then the most appropriate way for him is to modify the All Users profile. As an administrator, a user can directly edit the All Users profile to add or remove items as per his requirement.

Roaming profile: Before describing the roaming user profile, it is necessary to understand the meaning of a network client and the server. In a networked environment, a client computer can be defined as a computer that uses the shared network resources provided by another computer. A computer that provides the shared resources to all the client computers on a network is referred to as a server. A user who logs on to the network from different computers at different times is called a roaming user. The roaming profile is a user profile that is stored in a shared folder on a network server and is accessible by any of the clients on the network. When a user logs on to any of the computers in a network, the roaming user profile is downloaded to that computer from the network server. The roaming profile is automatically updated both locally as well as on the server when the user logs off.

Mandatory profile: A mandatory profile is a type of roaming profile that is pre-configured and cannot be modified permanently by a user. Mandatory profiles are generally used to restrict users from making permanent changes to their profiles. Any changes to the mandatory profiles remain till the current session lasts. The original settings are automatically restored as soon as the user logs on again. Mandatory profiles decrease the administrative overhead of managing desktop systems to a great extent. They can be implemented in two ways:

An administrator can either rename the file called NTUSER.DAT to NTUSER.MAN or he can append .MAN to the end of the name of the Roaming User Profile folder. The first option allows users to log on using a locally cached copy of the profile if the network is unavailable and the second approach forbids logging on unless the roaming user profile is accessible on the network. Such profiles are modifiable only by the system administrators and are supported by only the Windows XP Professional operating system.

An administrator or a user with the administrative privilege can manage the user profiles from the System Properties dialog box, which is opened by running Start menu > Control Panel > Systems. An administrator can copy a user profile, delete user profiles stored on the local computer, and create a roaming user profile by copying a local user's profile to a network file share.

Tips for Improving PC Performance

You have probably heard that tweaking your system you can significantly improve your PC’s performance. Although, that statement is true, do not try to do it just by moving settings or altering the system's registry if you have no idea about Computer Diagnostics, or at least the basics of your system settings, use and abuse.

In cases like this, PC diagnostics software is particularly rewarding, because not only you can determine if there is any failure or wrong setting affecting your system performance, but also to find where the settings are that you need to modify manually to improve the performance.

After running the PC diagnostics for the first time, try to clean up your system registry on a daily basis. Most users are unaware of the huge amount of useless information that the registry saves. Computer diagnostics often return a list of "orphan" entries recorded in the registered and staying there forever.

Those orphans are the result of installed and uninstalled programs with information that is retained in the registry, the same as unused drivers, spyware and other issues causing conflicts that slow down the system. Running PC diagnostics software or editing the registry manually using regedit.exe or other utilities will help you to improve performance.

However, be carefully making changes to the system register because you can cause major problems. That is why it is preferred that one uses Computer diagnostics applications instead of doing a manual change of the settings.

Another problem causing system slow down is a Recycled Bin full above the 80% mark. Due to the large amount of data that can be stored on modern hard drives, the Recycled Bin usually sets up automatically a large amount of disk space to let you throw away whatever you do not want... and sometimes what you want, discarded by mistake.

You do not need any PC diagnostics software to know that your desktop trashcan is almost full. Empty your Recycle Bin at least once a week to release hard drive space that improves PC speed performance, even when Computer diagnostics tools are used, as they will not have to scan the useless files when running.

Whether manually or with the aid of PC diagnostics applications, one of the most tedious, but necessary tasks to do in order to improve your PC performance is run your disk defragmentation. Due to the large size of actual hard drives, this process may seem never ending so run it once quarterly, but do it.

Some PC diagnostics software includes a defrag utility, otherwise you need to use that which is part of the Windows operating system, but before starting you need to run another native PC diagnostics application "scandisk". Without scanning your disk first for possible errors, defrag may refuse to continue its defragmentation routine.

Natalie Aranda writes on information technology and computers. After running the PC diagnostics for the first time, try to clean up your system registry on a daily basis. Most users are unaware of the huge amount of useless information that the registry saves. Computer diagnostics often return a list of "orphan" entries recorded in the registered and staying there forever.

How to Add MP3s to Your iPod Using iTunes

Have you ever wanted to add MP3s to your iPod? Maybe you're a student attending classes and you downloaded the MP3 audio of the class from the professor's website. Or maybe the professor has provided you with an MP3 CD containing a lecture you missed. And maybe you want to listen to the lecture on your iPod while you're cruising down the road to take the exam! Well I can't help with your exam, but putting MP3s into your iPod is a snap. I'll tell you how.

You already know that you can play audio files with iTunes on your computer. And the audio files you play can be copied onto your iPod. iTunes keeps a database of songs you've "added" to it. This database is your library. But the iTunes database is basically just pointers to where the audio files are stored. So if you add the same song more than once iTunes is smart enough to just update the pointer (or not). I mention this so that if you have MP3s on a CD or DVD you might want to copy them to your hard drive first. That way iTunes won't have you mount the CD or DVD again when you play them. Just be sure and remember where you copied the MP3s to have iTunes locate them.

Then just fire up trusty old iTunes! From the main menu under File select Add File To Library to add one, or maybe a few MP3s or select Add Folder To Library to add all the MP3s in a folder (or directory for Windows users). Whoosh and it will be added to your library. Then, of course, you will add or synchronize it with your iPod as you usually do!

BlueTooth Technology

Bluetooth is the name given to a new technology standard using short-range radio links, intended to replace the cable(s) connecting portable and fixed electronic devices. The standard defines a uniform structure for a wide range of devices to communicate with each other.

Its important features of Bluetooth are robustness, low complexity, low power and low cost. Bluetooth is considered a wireless PAN technology that offers fast and reliable transmission for both voice and data. Bluetooth offers wireless access to LANs, PSTN, the mobile phone network and the Internet for home or office and other hand held devices.

A complete Bluetooth system will require these elements:

An RF portion for collecting and sending data or information:

A module with a baseband microprocessor for processing function

Memory module

An interface to the electronic device (such as a mobile phone, camera, or PC)

The lower-layer Bluetooth protocols are normally embedded in the baseband module, and the host processor must support the upper-layer protocols (like file transfer). In other words, the RF/baseband solution provides the means to communicate with the host, but need to implement a connection interface, as well as any upper-layer protocols, to use applications supported by the final product.

The higher/upper layers of the Bluetooth technology called as the Bluetooth profiles and these are nothing but a set of protocols. These protocols are optimized for particular applications. In the case of file transfer between two devices, it requires interoperability among devices. Each of the linked devices needs to have similar applications ensures interoperability across a spectrum of devices.

The Bluetooth stack: It has the following components:

RF portion for reception and transmission

Baseband portion with micro controller

Link control unit

Link manager to support lower-layer protocols

Interface to the host device

Host processor to support upper-layer protocols

L2CAP to support upper-layer protocols

The radio frequency (RF) portion provides the digital signal-processing (DSP) component of the system, and the baseband micro controller processes these signals. The link controller handles all the baseband functions and supports the link manager. It sends and receives data, identifies the sending device, performs authentication, and determines the type of frame to use for sending a transmissions. The link controller also directs how devices listen for transmissions from other devices and can move devices into sleep state in order to save power.

The link manager, located on top of the link controller, controls setup, authentication, link configuration, and other low-level protocols. Together, the baseband and the link manager establish connections for the network.

The host controller interface (HCI) communicates the lower-layer protocols to the host device(Like mobile phone, hand held PC etc).The host contains a processor.

L2CAP: it supports the upper-layer protocols and communicates with the lower layers. The Higher/upper-layer protocols consist of service-specific applications that must be integrated into the host application as explained above. RFCOMM protocol, which allows for the emulation of serial ports over the L2CAP, which is also an important part of Bluetooth.

The Service Discovery Protocol (SDP) gives the required services and the properties and characteristic of the service that a particular Bluetooth device is made for.

The ACL Link: Bluetooth uses five logical channels to support transferring of information between devices:

Core Protocols in Bluetooth:

Baseband: The Baseband and Link Control layer enables the physical RF link between Bluetooth forming a piconet. It provides two different kind of physical links with their corresponding baseband packets, Synchronous Connection-Oriented and Asynchronous Connectionless which can be transmitted in a multiplexing manner on the same RF link.Asynchronous Connectionless (ACL) packets are used for the transmission of data only while Synchronous Connection-Oriented can contain either audio or a combination of audio and information.

Link Manager Protocol: The link manager protocol is responsible for link set-up between Bluetooth devices. This includes setting up of security functions like authentication and encryption by generating, exchanging and checking of link and encryption keys and the control, negotiation of baseband packet sizes and duty cycles of the Bluetooth radio device, and the receiving device on the other end.

Logical Link Control and Adaptation Protocol: The Bluetooth logical link control and adaptation protocol (L2CAP) adapts upper layer protocols over the baseband. It can be thought to work in parallel with LMP in difference that L2CAP provides services to the upper layer when the payload data is never sent at LMP messages.

Service Discovery Protocol: Using SDP, device information, services and the characteristics of the services can be queried and after that, a connection between two or more Bluetooth devices can be established.

Telephony and Cable Replacement Protocol:

Telephony Control protocol: Binary (TCS Binary or TCS BIN), a bit oriented protocol, defines the call control signaling for the establishment of speech and data calls between Bluetooth devices.

RFCOMM:It is a serial line emulation protocol and is based on ETSI 07.10 ( European Telecommunications Standardization Institute ) specification. This protocol emulates RS-232 control and data signals over Bluetooth baseband, providing both transport capabilities for upper level services that use serial line as transport mechanism.

Adopted Protocols:

PPP:PPP is the IETF Point-to-Point Protocol (Internet Engineering Task Force, IETF Directory List of RFCs) and PPP-Networking is the means of taking IP packets to/from the PPP layer and placing them onto the LAN.

TCP/UDP/IP: TCP/IP/PPP is used for the all Internet Bridge usage scenarios in Bluetooth 1.0 and for OBEX in future versions. UDP/IP/PPP is also available as transport for WAP.

OBEX Protocol: IrOBEX (Short name is OBEX) is a session protocol developed by the Infrared Data Association (IrDA) to exchange data in a simple and automatic way.

Advantages:

Using peer-to-peer connectivity, Bluetooth technology simplifies personal area wireless connections, enabling all digital devices to communicate automaticaly. Bluetooth technology also provides fast, secure voice and data transmissions. The range for connectivity is less than 10 meters, and line of sight is not required. The Bluetooth radio unit can functions even in noisy radio environments, ensuring audible voice transmissions in severe conditions. It can protect data by using error-correction methods and provides a high transmission rate. It is possible encryption and authentication for privacy in the transmitted data.

In Bluetooth ad hoc networking enables personal devices to automatically exchange information and synchronize with each other.

Jith is an Electrical and Electronic Engineer by profession from Southern india. he has good experience in sensors, Data acquisition systems, communication protocols etc, and can be contact through crsjith@gmail.com

A Buyer's Guide to Sony VAIO Laptops: Series A and B

If you are a fanatic follower of Sony laptops then this guide is definitely going to be of some help (unless, you are so stuck on Sony that you know everything about their laptops!). Specifically, the purpose of this article is to inform you about the various VAIO models; hopefully, it will also assist you in buying the laptop that best matches your character, your needs and your pocket.

First of all, you need to know a few things about Sony’s involvement in the laptop world. Sony is recognized globally as one of the best electronics manufacturers in the world. Regarding the laptop world, although Sony can be considered as a ‘newcomer’, it is a fact nowadays that they are one of the dominant players in this game. The VAIO laptops series by Sony has seen a great success since the very beginning of its lunch and Sonly quickly won a large piece of the sales pie. VAIO laptops are divided into special categories; each category features laptops aimed at a specific characteristic. Without loosing any time, let’s have a quick look at categories A and B. Starting with the VAIO A-series, we will find laptops equipped with Centrino processors and thus, extended wireless capabilities. Those laptops are generally not the ones you would like to move a lot with. They weight a lot and they are pretty large. A - Series laptops are mostly designed towards being a desktop replacement but of course, you can always move them around if you wish to. The processing power of the A series is high enough to substitute this of most desktops and you can always enjoy your multimedia with a 17” screen on them. If you know that you are not going to move a lot with your laptop then this is one of your best choices.

For the VAIO B - Series someone could easily say that the ‘B’ stands for business; that’s probably true. Those small, portable 14” laptops will be your best co-worker while traveling around; they are very portable and they will weight a lot less than the laptops you might have been used to. B series feature a 100+GB HDD and the battery life can last up to 4 hours! Of course, wireless capabilities are a must for any business laptop and this laptop comes equipped with a Centrino processor that will make things even easier for you. If you don’t really mind about large screens and brutal processing power then the B series will be your best choice to get your job done efficiently.

What’s a Kneetop?

For some people, laptops just aren’t small enough. Your average laptop weighs 2-3 kilos, and has a fast processor that eats up battery time and produces enough heat to burn your legs if you’re not careful. It can be a real effort to work with laptops sometime – they’re hardly the dream of portable computing, especially when you have to carry them down the street. They’re just too big.

Because of this, there’s a growing market for even smaller machines, often called subnotebooks, ultraportables or occasionally ‘kneetops’. They have screens about the size of the average laptop keyboard, about 10 inches diagonal, and can weight less than one kilo.

So where’s the downside? Well, apart from the fact that the small screen makes it a little hard to see what you’re doing, it’s also very difficult to make the components that small without the computers becoming really expensive. The speed of most subnotebooks is about where laptops were about five years ago – an absolute lifetime in computing terms. To get that small, they have to use Pentium M processors, which barely scrape over 1GHz, which is a huge disadvantage when it comes to running a modern operating system like Windows XP.

However, that’s not to say that ultraportables are useless – they’re just not well suited for every task. If you’re doing graphics work, for example, or playing games, or generally doing anything that is heavy on processor power and requires a large screen, then you’ll probably find these tiny computers to be more frustrating than anything else. If you use your computer like I do, however, mainly for web browsing, email and word processing, then you’ll find that ultraportables are more than capable of doing those jobs very well indeed, with far less inconvenience than a full-size laptop creates.

How to Clean Your LCD

One of the more expensive parts of your laptop computer is the LCD or liquid crystal display. The LDC display is the ‘eyes’ of your computer and if you damage it by cleaning it, you may be out several hundreds of dollars to replace it.

Most LCD displays are used for laptop computers which unfortunately, apt to be used in more places where the display can be dirtied than your flat display desktop computer. Coffee houses, college dorm rooms and kitchen tables are prime places for spills and smudges to occur on your formally pristine laptop. Cleaning your display can be disastrous, if you treat your LCD the way you would an old fashioned CRT monitor display. Did you know you can destroy the pixels of your display by pressing on the LCD with your fingertips trying to remove the splash of double mocha latte your roommate left on your laptop? Did you know Windex can be poison for your prized wide-display monitor? Here are some tips drawn from the major computer manufacturers on caring and cleaning your LCD.

Check with the manufacturer of your particular monitor before cleaning. Most displays come with written instructions or you can check with tech support.

1) Shut off the laptop and unplug it from the wall. You will be able to see the smudges and streaks easier with the monitor off.

2) Do not touch the display with hard or sharp objects. This includes your fingers!

3) Use a clean, dry, lint-free cloth and gently stroke the cloth in one direction from the top to the bottom of the display.

4) If the display is still dirty after the gentle use of a dry cloth, try using a commercially prepared solution made for cleaning the LCD. Put a small amount of the solution onto the cloth and stroke again in the same direction, from top to bottom.

5) If you don’t have LCD cleaning solution you can try the following: Be sure to check with your manufacturer first. Each one may have different requirements.

water (some manufacturers state to never use plain water, but water with vinegar instead), isoprophyl alcohol, or hexane.

6) Most manufacturers recommend you NEVER use the following:

acetone, ethyl alcohol, toluene, ethyl acid, ammonia, or methyl chloride. This includes regular Windex cleaner. These cleaners contain chemicals that could react with your display causing the pixels to be permanently damaged.

Think of your LCD as a delicate eye for your laptop that needs special care and consideration. And keep your coffee off the screen!

How Do Batteries Work

A battery is a device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy. The basic design of a battery includes two electrodes, an anode (the positive end) and a cathode (the negative end). In between the battery’s two electrodes runs an electrical current caused primarily from a voltage differential between the anode and cathode. The voltage runs through a chemical called an electrolyte (which can be either liquid or solid). This battery consisting of two electrodes is called a voltaic cell.

The first inclination that an electrical path-way from an anode to a cathode within a battery or in this first instance “a frog” occurred in 1786, when Count Luigi Galvani (an Italian anatomist, 1737-1798) found that when the muscles of a dead frog were touched by two pieces of different metals, the muscle tissue twitched.

This led to idea by Count Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta (Feb. 18, 1745- March 5, 1827), an Italian physicist who realized that the twitching was caused by an electrical current that was created by chemicals. Volta’s discovery led to the invention of the chemical battery (also called the voltaic pile) in 1800. His first voltaic piles were made from zinc and silver plates (separated by a cloth) put in a salt water bath. Volta improved the pile, using zinc and copper in a weak sulfuric acid bath and thus invented the first generator of continuous electrical current.

The batteries we use today are simply variations of the early battery or voltaic pile. Today’s battery’s are made up of plates of reactive chemicals separated by barriers, being polarized so all the electrons gather on one side. The side that all the electrons gather on becomes negatively charged, and the other side becomes positively charged. Connecting a device creates a current and the electrons flow through the device to the positive side. At the same time, an electrochemical reaction takes place inside the batteries to replenish the electrons. The effect is a chemical process that creates electrical energy (electrochemical energy).

Now with this backdrop let’s look more closely at one popular battery – the iPAQ Battery 167648 and use this battery as an example of how an electrochemical reaction is occurring inside the battery to create power. Most batteries function in a similar fashion so this example should provide a basic back drop.

You can see a picture of the iPAQ Battery 167648 at: http://www.batteryship.com/htmlos/htmlos.cgi/batteryship/catalog.html?item=167648.

The technical specs are:

• Polymer Lithium

• 3.7 volts

• 1600 mAh

• 100% OEM compatible. IPAQ 167648 Battery is guaranteed to meet or exceed OEM specifications.

• Integrated Power Management Circuits - protect against over-voltage and under-voltage conditions and maximizes battery life between charges, minimizes charging times, and improves overall battery life.

These specifications are actually the measurements of some of the technical operations that are taking place inside the iPAQ 167648 Battery while the battery is powered and they quantify the energy that is used to power your iPAQ 167648 Battery.

The iPAQ 167648 Battery is the power source for the iPAQ 167648 PDA. The iPAQ 167648 battery converts chemical energy into electrical energy and that conversion is the basis of the energy formed to power the iPAQ 167648 Battery and device.

Inside the durable casing of the iPAQ 167648 Battery is an internal system design that includes two electrodes, an electrolyte, plates of reactive chemicals, and a dry cell.

Working in concert with each other each of these parts perform a specific function: to create electrical current to power the IPAQ 167648 Battery and device.

Let’s look closely at the internal design of the iPAQ 167648 battery.

The two electrodes contained within the iPAQ 167648 battery are the anode and the cathode. The anode is the positive electrode and it is where oxidation occurs. During oxidation oxygen is added to the electrode which causes the removal of electrons from the specific chemical compound (e.g. lithium). The cathode is where reduction (gain of electrons) takes place. A Redox reaction is one where electrons are gained from an oxidizing source. In the iPAQ 167648 Battery it is in the anode that oxidation occurs to pass electrons to the cathode.

The passing of electrons from the anode to the cathode is passed through an electrolyte. The electrolyte is a gel-like polymer film that does not conduct electricity but allows ion exchange. The dry polymer electrolyte design offers simplifications with respect to fabrication, ruggedness, safety, a razor thin-profile geometry, and enhanced conductivity. The electrolyte is held within a dry cell which is a galvanic electrochemical cell containing the pasty electrolyte.

As electrons pass through the electrolyte we can measure their volume in amperes (Amps) at a rate of one Amp to every 62,000,000,000,000,000,000 electrons per second.

[One side bar: In the case of iPAQ 167648 Battery the Amp rating is rated as mAh. A milliAmp hour (mAh) is most commonly used notation system for the iPAQ 167648 Battery. Note that 1000 mAh is the same as 1 Ah. (Just as 1000mm equals 1 meter.) Note that Amp hours do not dictate the flow of electrons at any given moment, that is the role of volts. An iPAQ 167648 Battery with a 1 Amp hour rating could deliver ½ Amp of current for 2 hours, or they could provide 2 Amps of current for ½ hour.]

As mentioned above as electrons are passing through the electrolyte of the 167648 Battery an electron flow is created. As the electrons flow from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte the electron flow becomes the current created by your iPAQ 167648 Battery to power your iPAQ 167648 Battery.

Current can be measured in volts, which is the electrical measure of energy potential. You can think of it as the pressure being exerted by all the electrons of your iPAQ 167648 Battery on the cathode as they move from the anode. This “pressure” of electrons are controlled so that just the right amount of current can be sent through your iPAQ 167648 Battery battery.

So as we started with our example of the iPAQ 167648 Battery we see that when the battery is powering your iPAQ 167648 Battery there is quite a lot of controlled work that is taking place, more than we typically realize is going on.

By the way the iPAQ Battery 167648 fits the following models:

IPAQ 3135, IPAQ H3135, IPAQ 3150, IPAQ H3150, IPAQ 3630, IPAQ H3630, IPAQ 3635, IPAQ H3635, IPAQ 3650, IPAQ H3650, IPAQ 3660, IPAQ H3660, IPAQ 3670, IPAQ H3670, IPAQ 3760, IPAQ H3760, IPAQ 3765, IPAQ H3765.

5 Reasons for Buying Refurbished Laptops

As technology advances what happens to the laptop computers that are left in the dust. Thrown to the way side less than a year later because the owner needed the latest updated computer machine. Instead of filling the land fills with used notebook computers a technology exists that can bring them back to like new condition and that will operate just as strong as a new laptop. It is called "Refurbished." That is right. Refurbished laptops are nothing new, but the advanced technology allows them to be even better than ever before.

Here are only a few great reasons for buying refurbished laptops:

1) Cost: The cost of refurbished laptops is significantly less than buying new notebook computers. Some people save as much as 60% off the retail price for a portable computer that might be less than a year old. Why spend all that extra money on the "latest thing". Computer technology moves so fast that by the time a new laptop is paid for there is already a new and improved model. Trying to keep up is impossible and not really necessary.

2) Portability: Take them anywhere. Most refurbished laptops weigh between 5-8lbs. Easily carry them in a backpack, case, or a simple laptop bag. It's like having your desktop computer with you at all times. Sit in class, anywhere in your home or office and still be able to connect to the world. Notebook computers are the most portable computers you can buy.

3) Internet Connection: You can connect to your family, friends, co-workers, business clients and more with ease from almost anywhere in the world. Getting online is now better than ever. You can connect via Wi Fi, DSL, Cable or dial up. The internet is getting faster and easier to connect to and you'll be able to do it from virtually anywhere! Take refurbished laptops to many restaurants, hotels, or schools and get online wirelessly.

4) No Wires: Another great reason laptop computers are a wise investment is the fact that you can operate an entire network without wires. This is probably the best part about owning refurbished laptops. If you have a desktop computer at home, or at the office you know it's impossible to take it with you. Wires, the bulky weight, the need for a plug-in outlet just makes desktops too hard to move from place to place. Well, now you don't have to worry about that. Laptop computers are built and specifically designed for maximum portability. Lightweight and no wires make these the best choice for almost everyone.

5) Space: Take up less space. Thus the term "lap top." Small enough to fit in your lap, a small table or desk, or anywhere. Perfect for dorms, home office, or a professional that is on the move. Laptops offer the most portability and still are able to keep up with a large bulky desktop computer.

Notebook computers are an all around excellent investment for anyone. Refurbished laptops are for those who are savvy with their money, but still want quality. Refurbished laptops are not just new. They are reconditioned and brought back to their original working state. All non-working parts are replaced and they are tested for quality assurance. Millions are bought everyday because people are catching on that newer is not always better. You can save yourself a great deal of money and still get a great quality computer with refurbished laptops.

Online Crazy Deals is a great place for more information on laptops, computer equipment and many more mobile electronics that make your life easier.