Technology Topics
Vista and FireWire Issues
Written by Administrator  |  Thursday, 25 June 2009
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If you are running Microsoft Windows Vista and you went to your computer and you got the dreaded blue screen error with the message of Driver_Power_State_Failure, you should probably take a deep breath first. The second thing to do is to read on and learn about how to solve this Vista issue.

Vista has a known issue with components such as digital video cameras that plug into your computer using a FireWire connector cable. These cables plug into the IEEE 1394 interface (as opposed to a USB Port) located on the front or back of your CPU. FireWire is the Apple branded name for this connection. They are also known as i.LINK, which is branded by Sony and Lynx, which is owned by Texas Instruments. They are used for devices that need high speed data transfer in real time.

These cables plug into the IEEE 1394 interface (as opposed to a USB Port) located on the front or back of your CPU. FireWire is the Apple branded name for this connection. They are also known as i.LINK, which is branded by Sony and Lynx, which is owned by Texas Instruments. They are used for devices that need high speed data transfer in real time.

If you connect your device to your computer using this type of cable and allow your computer to go into standby mode, you may encounter the ugly error message mentioned above when you “revive” your system. To remedy this situation, you need to shut down your computer by powering off and unplug your device.

There is a download from Microsoft that can fix this problem. Information about the update is located on their support site. Download the update and run it on your computer. The issue lies in your computer’s Sbp2Port.sys driver. It doesn’t really like sleeping computers unless it gets updated. Once you install the update, this Vista issue will be solved and you shouldn’t see this error again.
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What's The Difference Between Spyware and a Computer Virus?
Written by Administrator  |  Wednesday, 24 June 2009
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What's The Difference Between Spyware and a Computer Virus?

Both spyware and computer viruses can wreak havoc on your computer but they are different. This post explains the difference between spyware and a computer virus.

Spyware

Spyware is a program that collects someone's secret information like his or her online banking information or credit card information inappropriately and without proper consent. Spyware can get installed in your computer in many ways. Many of us click ‘OK’ inadvertently while browsing the Internet or at the time of installing or downloading software and thus can be infected with spyware. It can steal information from your computer while you are doing something else.

Computer Virus

A computer virus is a program that can replicate itself on a computer without the permission of the user. Typically, they are created to spread malicious software from one computer to another. This is known as malware. This malicious software can be programmed to damage your important software or delete data saved on your computer. They can be distributed to sometimes millions of computers through covert means, often by email. Both spyware and viruses can cause damage to your computer or cause you to lose important data. Spyware doesn’t have the ability to be spread like a virus, but it can do monetary harm to you by stealing your financial information or identity. One must install anti-spyware software to remove and block spyware while at the same time using effective anti-virus software for prohibiting computer viruses.
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Maintain Windows XP Performance
Written by Administrator  |  Wednesday, 10 June 2009
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How To Keep Your Computer Speedy

If you are running of Microsoft Windows XP and your computer seems slow, there are things you can do to help you tune up your system -- and hopefully restore some or all of your lost performance. In no particular order, here are some things that should be done every so often to keep your system running at top speed.

Free Up Wasted Space

A good way to recover wasted disk space is to use the Disk Cleanup tool by following these steps:

1. Open My Computer

2. Right-click Local Disk

3. Click Properties

4. On the General tab, click the Disk Cleanup button. The Disk Cleanup function will spend a few minutes examining your disk.

5. After the “examination”, the Disk Cleanup dialog box will open.

6. Select the desired check boxes in the Files to Delete list. Our suggestion would be to select any temporary files that you may have.

7. Once you select your files, click OK. Disk Cleanup will spend several minutes clearing space. If you have more than one hard disk, repeat this process for each hard disk listed in My Computer.

Remove Unused Programs

Unused programs can take up valuable space on your computer. They might also be clogging up your registry and hogging valuable system resources. If you aren't using them, you can get rid of them.

1. Go to Start Menu

2. Select Settings

3. Select Control Panel

4. Select Add or Remove Programs

5. Select Programs that you do not use and click the “Remove” button

Defragment Hard Drives

Over time, the files on your drives become more and more fragmented. When a file is fragmented, it takes longer for the computer to read it because it has to skip to different sections of the hard disk. Defragmenting your drives may take some time, but if your files are significantly fragmented, defragging can give you a pretty nice performance boost. The Windows XP defragmentation tool is pretty good to use and gets the job done. To access it:

1. Open My Computer

2. Right-click Local Disk

3. Click Properties

4. On the Tools tab, click Defragment Now

5. After the Disk Defragmenter opens, click your first hard disk, and then click Defragment Disk Defragmenter will work for at least several minutes, though it may take several hours. If you have more than one hard disk, repeat this process for each hard disk.

If you want to upgrade (for free) to a better defragging tool, you can try Auslogic’s Disk Defrag tool at http://www.auslogics.com. From their site: "Auslogics Disk Defrag is extremely simple to use, does not require any analysis phase and is faster than most of the other disk defragmentation software. It will help you get the maximum performance out of your expensive hardware investments. And, what's most important, it's absolutely free."

Update Hardware Drivers

Make sure you have installed the latest versions of all your hardware drivers. Usually these can be downloaded directly from your computer manufacturer's website but if you have added components like a printer to your computer, you may need to go to the company's website for the drivers. You can use your favorite search engine to find your computer manufacturer’s website.

Add Memory

If you don't have at least 512MB of RAM on your computer and you are running Windows XP, you are suffering needlessly. If the memory for your system is fairly inexpensive, you should consider upgrading to 2GB or 4GB for the best performance. To see how much RAM your computer has:

1. Go to Start Menu

2. Select Settings

3. Select Control Panel

4. Select System

5. Your RAM specs should be on the “General” tab

6. Contact your computer’s manufacture to learn more about add more memory.

Install Latest Updates

Make sure you have the latest and greatest operating system updates and service packs installed.

1. Go To Start Menu

2. Select Windows Update

Following any or any of these tips will help speed up Windows XP running on your computer or laptop.
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Vista Vs. Windows 7
Written by Administrator  |  Friday, 29 May 2009
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Is It Worth Upgrading to Vista or Should I Wait for Windows 7?

The question of upgrading to either operating system has been answered in many ways, discussed at length by many IT Gurus, and has been debated on most popular forums. The truth is - there is no “one size fits all” answer for this question. It really depends on three things:

1. Your timing and need

2. Your computer system’s configuration

3. Your usage

Timing and Need

One question that should be answered before asking yourself to choose between Vista and Windows 7 is “When do I need it?” If you have to upgrade now, you want to go with Windows Vista, which is available now. Vista has been around for a while, and most of its most bugs have been fixed and it has a considerably stable operating system.

If you don’t have to upgrade now and can wait another year or so, you should probably wait for Windows 7 to hit the market, and wait a while for the reviews. Considering many are commenting that Windows 7 is supposedly an evolution of Vista, allowing time to pass will help you to make the decision to upgrade to Vista or Windows 7, based on the reviews.

System Configuration

Your system’s configuration is important to consider before making this upgrade decision. Typically, any new operating system from Microsoft tends to have more features than the previous version, but also requires higher system resources to run efficiently. For example, XP would run on a minimum of 128MB RAM, where as Vista needs around 1GB. One should expect that Windows 7 would need even more RAM, a faster CPU, a faster graphics processor, etc. A PC with the best components available today and capable of running Vista may turn out to be the minimum spec required by Windows 7. Look into your system’s configuration and capabilities before making your decision. You can check this by looking right clicking your “My Computer” icon and selecting “Properties.”

Usage

One of the most important factors to consider would be the intended usage. For corporate users or even for personal usage which requires a stable and reliable operating system, Vista would be the way to go. Windows 7 may need some time for most of the security risks to be discovered and plugged.

Although the answer is a complex one, you should be able to make a decision to upgrade to Vista now or wait until Windows 7, depending on your individual case. Hopefully, this analysis can guide you into making an informed decision.
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Best Anti-Virus Software
Written by Administrator  |  Friday, 29 May 2009
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How To Choose The Best Anti-Virus Software

With the increasing use of the Internet, more and more threats like viruses and spyware are hurting our computers and putting our security in danger. Because of this increased risk, it is an intelligent decision to choose the best anti-virus software for your computer. Anti-virus software is a program that scans your computer for viruses and securely eliminates them.

If you are looking for anti-virus software, there are many different choices available. The best anti-virus solution for you should have a number of features. Here are some things you should check before selecting an anti-virus software solution.

Anti-Virus Software Checklist

__ Does it have a real-time scanner?

__ Does it have an on-demand scanner?

__ Does it have a compressed file scanner?

__ Does it have scheduled scans?

__ Does it have an automatic virus updates?

__ Does it have instant messaging protection?

__ Does it have webmail protection?

__ Does it have POP3 email scanning?

__ Does it have script blocking?

You should be able to view the specifications of the software and be able to answer all these questions before you purchase it. Because of all the potential online threats, the software needs to have thorough protection and needs to have all these features. Once you found an anti-virus solution that has all these features, there are other deciding factors to consider.

Other Factors

__ Customer support - The best option is dedicated software support.

__ Customer reviews – Read user comments on their experience using the software.

__ Price – If two solutions have similar features, then price becomes a factor.

The best anti-virus software solution is a personal choice but if you find one with these features and consider support, user reviews, and price, you will be confident in purchasing the best solution for you.
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