September 28th, 2010

I had just purchased a brand new Acer Aspire One laptop and I was thrilled since it is the first laptop I was able to buy out of my own pocket. It looks sleek, glassy and all that. It has an Intel Atom processor and looks really portable. Well, a couple of days went by since I bought it and I did not have any problem with it. Until one day, something unexpected came into reality. No matter how hard I try to reboot and turn on the computer, it just won’t turn on! The blue light on the power button blinks and lights up but the screen was just totally blank. The icon for active hard drive activity also lights up upon initial press of the power button, I was not sure why. Totally disappointed, I decided to bring it back to where I bought it the next day. Before that, though, I tried browsing the internet for possible solutions to the problem and, Lo and Behold, there were more than dozens of people who were experiencing the same issue as I was. I found out later on that one possible cause might be overheating. I noticed that the netbook heats up like crazy when used or charged. One common suggestion that I was able to check online was the BIOS issue. They say that the screen not turning on might be caused by dead bios which can be recovered by doing these steps:

First, you have to format a USB flash drive with FAT.

Download the latest BIOS from the Acer website, and extract all files. The name will be FLASHIT.EXE and name the BIOS file with FD suffix in the root of your flash drive. Remember, the file should be in the root directory, so, the files must not be in a folder. Rename the BIOS file to ZG5IA32.FD before continuing. It only works with this same exact filename so make sure you copy it properly and does misspell anything. Turn the AA1 off, and make sure both battery and AC adapter are plugged in.Press Fn and Esc buttons simultaneously and keep them pressed then press the power button. Release Fn+Esc after a few seconds. You will see the blue power button blink. When that happens, press it once. The AA1 will now access the files on the flash drive and initiate flashing the BIOS. After a while the power button stops blinking, and the AA1 reboots by itself. Just wait patiently. Wait for a few minutes, then retry the power button again.

This is basic instruction on how to fix my computer but I decided against it and brought the laptop back at the store and have it replaced for a totally brand new computer, which they did. I’m not saying the Aspire One is a bad model. In fact, if this problem did not arise, I’d still recommend it. Hopefully, though, I don’t get much problem with it anymore.

Author: Ma Lourdes Torrecarion
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Advice on AdSense

Posted in Computers

September 28th, 2010

Going over netbook reviews will make you learn more about how to use your netbook to its full potential. However, no matter how you intend to use your netbook, there are accessories you need to have in order to maximize its use.

(1) Mouse
Because of the small size of most netbooks, the touch-pads are also small and awkward to use especially if you have to use the device for long periods. A mouse is a simple and a more productive solution. You can even get a wireless one for better maneuverability.

(2) Keyboard
A netbook’s keyboard is naturally small. The keys are crammed with multiple functions, which make it difficult to type. Solve this problem by getting an external keyboard. This will make using the netbook more comfortable. Wireless keyboards are also available so check top netbook reviews for a wide array of choices.

(3) Flash drive
Having a flash drive or an external USB memory stick is a must for people who need a portable storage device and a way to transfer files easily from one computer to another. Flash drives even come in various designs that make them more personalized for the user. On top of that, they are very affordable.

(4) Portable USB 2.0 Hub
More often than not, the two USB 2.0 ports on your netbook are not enough when you have to use many peripherals. If you need to plug in a flash drive, a mouse, and a keyboard all at the same time, you can do so by using a USB 2.0 hub.

(5) Protective bags and covers
A netbook can be easily damaged so take extra care by getting a protective bag in which to stow the netbook when traveling. It’s also great for storing your peripherals. Protective covers will help shield the netbook from scratches, dust, and even fingerprints.

The accessories mentioned above are necessary so you can use your netbook comfortably and productively. There are others like external LCD monitors, printers, and external DVD burners but getting them depends on your requirements. For additional information, check out the best netbook reviews to determine which accessories you need to utilize your device fully.

Matt,
Top Netbook Reviews

Author: Matt Langly
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canada duty

Posted in Computers

September 27th, 2010

One thing that many people worry about are their personal files just vanishing one day if their hard drive bites the dust. Most people go out and purchase a flash drive or an external hard drive and back up all their files. The only problem is the fact that it is an expense. When money gets tight, free is the best price.

I recently came across a website offering 2GB of free space to back my files up. This was fantastic because I love free technology stuff, but also because this ensures that even if the remote hard drive I am backing my files up to dies their technology will still be able to recover all my files. The downside to backing up your files to an external drive, or flash drive, is that if your main HD and your external HD could both go bad, and lose your flash drive, then you would be without any files. Another great thing about this website is that you can access your files from any computer that has an internet connection.

The website is http://www.idrive.com/. When you sign up you automatically get 2GB for free. However, you could get up to 10GB if you put in your email info and SPAM the people in your friends list. If you don’t feel comfortable with that go create a new email address that has no contacts and use that. Easy peasy!

There are a few other websites out there that provide a similar service. This was just my personal favorite because of the ease of use.

Norm
helpmypc@pcbitsandbytes.com
http://www.pcbitsandbytes.com
http://www.pcbitsandbytes.com/2009/11/free-online-computer-backup/

Author: Norm Johnson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Excise Tax

Posted in Computers

September 27th, 2010

If you’ve ever lost hours of work when your computer crashed, you know why you should backup your spreadsheets – frequently. If you haven’t had it happen to you yet, don’t think that it never will. Chances are you’re going to have it happen to you eventually. If and when it does, if you have your spreadsheets and other data backed up, it won’t affect you as bad as if you didn’t have   a backup. Using the three methods below, you should have a pretty airtight plan for backing up your important data, including all your spreadsheets.

Save Often
If you haven’t learned this by now, it’s something you should be doing. Saving your spreadsheet every ten minutes or so will make sure you don’t lose any of your important data. Most people don’t start doing this until AFTER they have lost a file and a few hours of work. With a keyboard combination (Control-S usually), there’s no reason not to save frequently so you don’t lose any data in your spreadsheets. While this is a good idea, it still won’t help if something happens to your computer or your hard drive.

Backup to Flash
Beyond saving your files every ten minutes or so, it’s a good idea to back up to a flash drive at the end of each day when you’re done working. The best way is to keep all your spreadsheets and other files in a single folder than you can just drag and drop to your flash drive, making sure you don’t forget any important files. While flash drives are dependable, you don’t want to put all your faith in them either, especially if your files are irreplaceable.

Backup to DVD
Once a week or once a month, you should backup all your files (including your spreadsheets) to a DVD for more permanent storage. DVDs won’t last forever, but if you’re backing everything up after a month, you can begin to get rid of your older DVD backups, making sure the ones you have are new and won’t give you any problems when you try to read the data on them.

All of our articles are originals, if you liked this, check out backup your files [http://www.onlinebackupsnow.com/] for more information. We have plenty of free data here [http://www.onlinebackupsnow.com/]

Author: Chad R Fisher
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Import duty tariff

Posted in Computers

September 27th, 2010

Portable MP3 Players have taken the world by storm primarily owing to its compact size, solid-state technology and large memory capacity. MP3 Players enjoy distinct advantages compared to portable music players chiefly because there is no room for MP3 players missing whether the user is taking a bumpy car ride, having a jog or cycling on an uneven road or path. All your favourite MP3 songs or other audible forms of media can be normally stored in Flash Memory systems that is either built-in on the Sony Memory Stick, Compact Flash cards or SmartMedia – the same type of cards & sticks we use for digital cameras and that can also be operated with the portable MP3 players in the same manner.

The process of preparing MP3 files has become quite simple these days. First, MP3 files are prepared on a PC by either downloading songs form the Internet, compressing music from a CD format or producing its original source on MP3 software. You can then download the files through the computer’s USB port or parallel port straight away into the MP3 Player or reader or removable drive that accepts the card/stick of choice. Most portable players nowadays are packed with software programs to facilitate the process of downloading.

Compared to CD Players, Portable MP3 Players have solid state memory that determines the amount of data they can store. You can make use of the compression format for compressing a 32MB stored on a CD to 1.6MB that can be stored on a MP3 Player. Therefore, even a low-cost portable MP3 can hold roughly about 4 hours of quality music.

If you are going to use the portable MP3 Player in moving vehicles or carry it around while you are jogging, cycling or walking – a model that has a microdrive is a welcome option. Microdrives like hardrives are used in PCs but they are much smaller.

Similar to a regular hard drive there is a chance of occurrence of a skip in case the MP3 player is jostled. But compared to flash drive, MIicrodrives have the advantages of both storage capacity and is much economical. Like a Flash drive, Microdrives can carry anywhere from 10 to 15 times media clearly making the portable MP3 Player a musical powerhouse.

MP3 Players are now availlable from 1GB to 160GB. You can read reviews on 2GB MP3 Players, 4gb and 8gb Players to choose the best audio player from Sony, Archos, Sandisk, iRiver and all latest models available in the market.

Author: Victor Thomas
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
News of Solar Power and Alternative Engery

Posted in Computers

September 27th, 2010

Some Quick facts: Regardless of what you may think, there are a list of unreliable storage medium that people rely on. Here are a few:

• Your computer Hard Drive – Expected life is about 4 years
• You new cute little flash drive – Sometimes data just vanish for some strange reason or they just become defective after a few uses
• CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, Blue-Ray Disc – Commonsense should tell you if your movies don’t work when there is a scratch on the disc you should expect your data to be safe on it.
• Floppy Disk – If you still use this, you my want to stop reading and get your data off right now!

How does a Remote Backup Service work? Although many may think that the name is self explanatory, this is not the case. A remote backup service, is a service that runs on a client computer based on a set schedule or ran manually be the user. The remote backup service either backs-up change files or every file in the backup set ( list of files pre-selected to be backed up). The client then collects all the data and sends it to the remote storage server for storage and data archiving. Although many professional IT guys may think that transferring your files to your grandmother’s computer across the country via FTP is the same, think again, it is not. The remote backup server usually keeps a catalog of your backup history for later retrieval. Why should I use a Remote Backup Service instead of an external hard drive or flash drive? Aside from the quick facts I mentioned earlier here are a few scenarios that may help:

1. You backed up your school paper, proposal or Quickbooks file on your flash drive on Friday, the following Monday you you made a few changes to the document or file on you desktop. On Tuesday and Wednesday you made a few critical updates to the information then on Thursday your computer failed due to a bad hard drive. The work you did between the Friday you backed up  and the day your hard drive failed will be lost. 
2. You are a college student, you like to party a lot, you are pretty good at getting all your papers done on time. The only thing is that since you never have time to do your backups you made sure that you saved all your documents to your “My Documents folder”. one day, you turned your computer on and you cannot boot, you remembered that your loving parents bought that extended 4 year coverage for you, so you called up technical support. The tech guy walked you through a series of steps to get you back up and running and when you look in your “my documents” folder you realize it’s empty. They erased all your documents.

I can go on, and on. but I think you get the point. A remote backup service never forgets to back up your computer and your files can be recovered to any computer, even the same computer after major computer repair. What you should look for in a Remote Backup Service Provider? Things you should look for:

1. Security –  multiple encryption standards: DES 56 bits, TDES (Triple DES) 168 bits # Rijndael AES (new US Federal Standard) 128 bits # Rijndael AES 192 bits # Rijndael AES 256 bits (most secure) # Blowfish variable key length to 448 bits 
2. Predefine Include/Exclude Files – You can predefine Backup Sets with files preselected for Include or Exclude, AutoSelect ON or OFF, and other Backup Set definitions. This allows building customized client installers designed for a vertical market application or a specific type of client. For example, you can make installers that require no file selection at all by the Client by pre-selecting a set of files to back up, and a set to exclude from backups.
3. Administrator’s Features – Entering the Administrator’s password at the Client opens access to enhanced features on the Client software.
4. Bigger Backups – Unlimited file size and count. RBackup supports backing up hundreds of thousands of files per Backup Set, and file sizes in the terabytes. (one thousand gigabytes)
5. Disaster Recovery System – Clients should make sure their Encryption Keys and Passwords are safe. But, just in case they don’t, RBackup’s Disaster Recovery System makes it easier to restore them from Key Disks that can be generated by the Client.
6. Exclusive IP Detection System – Identifies public IP address behind non-commercial routers. RBackup Servers can now be used behind inexpensive consumer-grade routers like many that are sold at electronics discount stores. Many Internet Service Providers install these routers as part of DSL and Cable Internet connections. Until now, NO Server Software has been able to operate through these non-commercial routers. (Requires our exclusive Server Locator service, a part of your Maintenance Subscription)
7. Copy to Disk – Onsite backups can be done to a series of CDs at the Client, usually as first full backups. CDs are transported to the Server location and copied onto the Server. It’s faster than Remote Backups which may not be practical for large full backups.
8. Scheduled Start Date – Allows scheduling a Backup Set to launch at a future date.
9. Reports Contain Original File Size – This is important for billing, in case you are operating a commercial Remote Backup Service. Clients may not be able to relate to “Compressed File Size,” since it cannot be predicted. Billing on Original File Size (pre-compression) is easier to understand.
10. Reporting Options – Reporting options include the ability to export comma-delimited files for easy import into accounting systems and other software.
11. HIPPA and SOX Compliant. 

I can only recommend what I have used: Remote Backup Service [http://www.worldwidedataservices.net] – World Wide Data Services inc

Remote Backup Service [http://www.worldwidedataservices.net] Remote Backup: Simple. Automatic. Secure

Author: Keshwar White
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
US Dollar credit card

Posted in Computers

September 27th, 2010

Many of us panic when we get a computer infection. We do not know what to do or where to start. Sometimes it can be easy or it can be very hard to remove these infections, depending on the sophistication of the virus.

The first step should be is to disconnect you computer from the internet, and disable it from any network of computers. If possible, try to back up any critical files or data to an external hard drive or USB flash drive.

The next step is to use antivirus software to detect any malware infections. Make sure you have the latest updates. You should not use the infected computer to update the anti virus software. Preferably, try using another computer to download the updates, and copy the updates to CD or USB flash drive to prevent further spreading of the virus. Now you can do a full system scan.

A great emergency tool is to get a portable virus scanner to help scan your infected computer. ClamWin Free Antivirus is a great popular portable antivirus cleaner that has a high detection rate for viruses and spyware. You can place it on a USB flash drive, and scan any computer that is infected. It should not be used as your every day antivirus program, since it does not have on-access real time scanning, but only use it in an emergency.

If for some reason your computer has a severe virus infection, try rebooting your system in safe mode. Running in Safe mode by tapping F8 just before the startup, could help prevent the virus from booting up. After, you can try to perform a full scan with the antivirus software.

Another option is to format the hard drive. I would only use this as a last option when things are corrupt and cannot be fixed. Do a full format and not a quick format, because some virus can still reoccur. A good idea is to partition your hard drive. If your system is infected you most likely do not have to format the entire hard drive, but only the infected partition if necessary.

There are a number of free software antivirus and antispyware programs to help protect your system. Avast Home Edition, Avira AntiVir Personal, Dr.Web CureIt, Spybot – Search & Destroy, SUPERAntiSpyware and Spyware Terminator are all free software. It is important to have more than one scanner because not all scanners can detect everything.

If you are looking for a way to improve your system security, then a firewall is a recommended suggestion. A firewall will monitor and limit connections to your computer from the internet and other users. It can also prevent programs from accessing the internet without your permission.

For more information on where to get free antivirus, antispyware, registry cleaner, firewalls or any software to improve your computer’s performance or protection you can visit my site at http://free-computersoftware.blogspot.com

Author: Mark P
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Creditcard Currency Conversion Fee

Posted in Computers

September 27th, 2010

If you’ve forgotten password on Win Vista and cannot log on your computer again, you need to perform Windows Vista password recovery. But the problem for you is that how can you recover the password and will it be difficult to perform password recovery? Below is a step-by-step guidance for you to recover Windows Vista password with 3 different methods.

Method 1: Perform Windows Vista password recovery with password reset disk

Win Vista allows you to create a password reset disk with a USB flash drive in a few seconds. It can help you reset the login password when you forget it. Just try to recover Windows Vista password as follows if you have a such a disk at hand.

1. Start your computer and get to the Vista login screen.
2. Type a wrong password, and then Reset password link will appear on the Vista login screen.
3. Click Reset password to enter to Password Reset Wizard screen, and then click next.
4. Select the right disk if you have more than one disk, click next.
5. Type in a new password and password hint, click next.
6. Click Finish when you’ve successfully reset the login password.

Method 2: Perform Windows Vista password recovery on safe mode

In addition to reset Vista login password with password reset disk, you can also recover Windows Vista password on safe mode. And the presupposition is that you have can log on computer with another Win Vista administrator account.

1. Press F8 when your Win Vista PC is booting. You will come to the Advanced Boot Options.
2. Select Safe Mode with Command Prompt and press Enter.
3. Enter safe mode with an available admin account. And a command prompt will appear.
4. Type net user in command prompt and press Enter. It will show you all accounts on the Win Vista.
5. Type net user Mike 123456 (Mike is the locked admin account’s name and 123456 is the new password. This depends on the setting of your computer) and press Enter. Now you have successfully created a new password on the locked admin account.
6. Type shutdown -r -t 00 and press Enter.
7. The computer will reboot automatically and then you can log on Win Vista.

Method 3: Perform Windows Vista password recovery with Windows Login Recovery

Windows Login Recovery is efficient Windows password recovery software designed to recover Windows login passwords for any version of Windows, including Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2003, 2000, NT, 2008. It is not necessary for you to reinstall the system when you forgot or lost your Windows login password. But a blank CD/DVD or USB flash drive and an available computer with optical drive is required before starting to perform Win Vista password recovery as below:

1. Download Windows Login Recovery and install it in any available computer.
2. Run the program and insert a blank CD/DVD or USB flash drive into computer. You will see a default path of an ISO image file after running the application.
3. Select CD/DVD or USB drive to burn the ISO image file and click Burn.
4. After burning, insert the CD/DVD or USB drive to your locked computer.
5. Set the locked computer to boot from CD/DVD or USB drive. After setting BIOS to boot from CD/DVD or USB drive, the computer will restart automatically. And then you can recover Windows Vista password under DOS.
6. Choose the installation path of Windows, and enter the ID of the path.
7. All the user names will be displayed for you, and you can select one to remove its password by entering the ID of User Name. And then enter y to confirm your operation.
8. After removing the selected password, you can enter y to continue to reset other passwords, or enter n to finish.
9. After entering n to finish, eject the CD/DVD or USB drive and press any key to restart the computer. Now, you can log on your PC.

The above 3 methods can help you perform Windows Vista password recovery easily and safely. It is no need for you to worry if you forget Vista login password. Why not try this amazing Windows password recovery software to recover Windows Vista password instead of reinstalling computer?

Three windows vista password recovery methods help you recover windows vista password.

Author: Larry D Allen
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Anti-angiogenic Food

Posted in Computers

September 27th, 2010

Harmed information recovery may be possible when you act quickly enough. Essentially, the initial step you should take is not to take action! Really the only method you can seriously impede your likelihood of retrieving data that appears to be lost is actually when you put more info on the hard disk drive. That is due to the way the operating system references the data which is kept on each sector of the hard disk drive. If your Recycle Bin is emptied, or when something goes completely wrong with the operating system, the files itself is not really erased. The files which point to the files, and allow the operating system to reference it, are deleted.

The actual files can still be accessed by any kind of program that is actively looking for them, which, naturally, is precisely what a recovery utility will do. Where the operating system is concerned, although the files aren’t overwritten, they are of no importance anymore. The space that they sit on is regarded as free space cleaned for any future software programs or data to occupy. The existing information will be overwritten and forever lost when the brand new information is actually put on to the hard drive. It cannot be emphasized enough so that you can not write anything to a drive that you are wanting to recover information from.

Precisely what procedures you should take to try to effect your impaired data recovery depend on precisely how the problem transpired in the first place. Did you delete a document you should have kept? Did you have a failure of the operating-system which will now not acknowledge the data? Or maybe is there a mechanical fault with one of your hard disks on which essential information is kept?

Rescuing a computer file which was deleted by mistake is straightforward, unless the drive has since been written to. Simply just download some cost-free recovery software to an alternative computer, move the computer file to a flash drive, and run it from the flash disk drive on your primary computer. This computer software should simply manage to find the missing data files if they have not been overwritten. It could also locate any files which have apparently vanished due to a problem in the operating system.

The hardest problem to solve is one where the hardware has actually been damaged. A single trick which is definitely worth trying is to freeze the drive. If it does function briefly while it is frozen, obtain the data off to a flash drive once you can. The hard drive will shortly warm-up, and could easily stop functioning again. If this crude method doesn’t work, you will likely have to call in an expert, if you feel the data is worth the cost. They’ve the hardware, the computer software, the tools and the knowledge to take care of a damaged files recovery.

To get more information on harddisk recovery and data recovery software visit http://www.datarecoverysoftwaretool.com.

Author: Dave D Duncan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Benefits of electric pressure cooker

Posted in Computers

September 27th, 2010

We’re often asked about what type of backup device would be best for our customers. The advice we gives varies by customer and situation, here are some examples of devices and their uses.

Whatever device you choose for backup, remember the most important part of backing up is to always have more than one copy. Your backup device does you little good if it holds the only copy of your files.

USB Flash drives:

Pro’s……………………………….Cons

Most Inexpensive…………. Easy to damage
Easiest to Transport ………Easy to Lose
High Compatibility …………Difficult to recover
Fast copy speeds

External Hard Drives:

Pro’s ……………………………..Cons

Inexpensive…………………..Some are bulky
Higher Capacity …………….Greater damage if dropped
Easy to transport …………..Can be expensive to recover
High Compatibility…………Some require external power
Faster Copy Speeds
Easier to recover
More rugged

Secondary Hard drive(internal)

Pro’s……………………………….Cons

Inexpensive…………………….Not optional on most laptops
Higher Capacity ………………Not optional on all Desktops
Fully compatible ……………..Can fail simultaneously
Fastest Copy Speeds……..Does not protect data if PC Stolen
Easy to Recover ………………Requires some knowledge to install
More Rugged
Less risk of damage

NAS Box or Small Server

Pro’s ………………………………….Cons

Higher Capacity…………………Higher Cost
Redundancy is Optional …….Requires more knowledge to setup
Accessible to all PC’s on your network at once
Fast Copy Speeds
Low risk of damage
Compatible with most PC

RAID5 NAS or Server

Pro’s …………………………………….Cons

Highest Capacity ………………….Highest Cost
Highest Redundancy……………Requires most knowledge to Setup
Fastest Copy Times……………..Requires specialized equipment or software
Accessible to all PC’s on your network at once …………..Most expensive to recover if failed
Ability to survive single drive failures without data loss.

Now, armed with that short list of options, let’s help you decide which option best suits you. If you move around a lot, you go to school, work out of the office or travel for work a USB flash drive is often the simplest form of backup and allows you to move data between home, office or school without lugging a large drive around. we recommend these as a part of most peoples backup solution. Next you will want a more stable form of backup(harder to damage).

For your tougher backup device you will have to decided what kind of budget you have, how much data will need to be backed up and how often. If you have a great deal of data from several computers in your home or office you will likely want to use a NAS box or setup extra drive(s) in one of your existing desktops to use as a server. If you only have one or two computers or the budget just won’t cover a RAID or NAS solutions you can simply purchase an external USB or eSATA hard drive, usually less than $100. This can be moved between computers and used for backing up.

Now remember to Sync your data. This means anything you update or create while away that is saved on your USB flash needs to be copied into your computer and your computer needs to be backed up onto the external drive or server.

Check back later in the week as we will be posting more detail on how to make and use each of these types of backup.

Chris

Christoper I Moore
Armor-IT Data Recovery

If you want more information on backing up your files visit our blog:

http://www.aitsavemyfiles.com/armor-itrecoveryblog.php

If you have already lost files and need either D-I-Y tips or professional assistance, visit our FAQ below:

http://www.aitsavemyfiles.com/datarecoverybasics.php

Author: Christopher I Moore
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
iPhone iPad apps and games

Posted in Computers