1. Physical Memory Dumps (PMD)

    February 27, 2010 by admin

    If you have been using a Microsoft Windows PC-based computer for any length of time, you cannot have escaped a Physical Memory Dump error. It can happen at the most inopportune of moments (in the middle of an important document, a game, a browsing session, etc) and it can happen when your computer is idle as well. Whichever it is, the bottom line is that your computer will crash and you will be left staring at a screen talking about your physical memory being dumped to your hard disk.

    Windows uses the PMD as a final option when it cannot resolve an issue relating to a file, setting or feature. Keep in mind that this is an absolute last resort for the operating system. At this point, it puts everything that is in memory into a temporary file onto the hard disk, hence the term “memory dump”. There are two main causes for this event to occur.

    Hardware incompatibility - If hardware components cannot work together, Windows will use the PMD to cause a physical restart in an attempt to see if the problem can be fixed. If it keeps occurring, try removing the newly installed hardware (sound/ graphics card, USB stick, etc) and the problem should be fixed. However, if a new piece of hardware did not cause the problem it could be because of the other reason.

    Software incompatibility - This is the general culprit that cause PMDs but can be fixed by regularly cleaning your registry. You should also avoid using any pirated software as they are known offenders. In addition to this, you should use malware scanners to remove malicious software that could be residing on your computer. Incorrectly functioning or damaged software will almost always cause PMDs.

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  2. Alternatives to MS Word

    by admin

    For almost two decades Microsoft Word has been the default word processor of choice for millions. It is hard to imagine a time when “word processor” meant an electric typewriter with a tiny display screen that would allow you to see the document one line at a time. It is also hard to imagine that software like Word Perfect which dominated the MS-DOS market is non-existent now. But such is the dominance of Microsoft Word.

    Even with the growing price tag attached to it, MS Word has grown in popularity and market share due several features that make it a versatile application of choice. In the same way that searching on the web has turned into the phrase “Googling”, using a word processor means “type it out on Word”. However, in recent times even that popularity and versatility has been called into question due to the massive price tag placed on it by Microsoft.

    There has been a growing movement online to shift away from MS Word and towards free open source applications that perform the same task. With the global recession sparing no one, this option is now becoming more and more popular. As such there are several alternatives that you can use instead of this expensive and resource hungry software from Microsoft.

    OpenOffice.org Writer, AbiWord, QJot and Jarte are some of the well-known replacements and need to be installed locally on your computer which is similar to MS Word. However, if you wish to work completely online you can try Zoho Writer, ThinkFree Writer, Google Docs and Ajax Write.

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  3. Dual Booting

    February 21, 2010 by admin

    The practice of Dual Booting is used for many purposes. Some use it for fun so that they can have a “Main” operating system which is used for daily work and an “experimental” OS which is used to try out new things. Others use it on a requirement basis. Sometimes software that you really need to use might not work on your existing OS (i.e. require a different version or a completely different OS); so without having to wipe out your hard drive or buy another computer, you can simply create a partition and run the OS that you need to, so that the software works.

    Dual Boot really refers to only two OS’ co-existing on one system. In reality, many OS’ can sit on one computer and when this scenario develops, the Dual Boot turns into a Multi-Boot. This is useful especially in software development where testing on different systems is essential. For example, when developing a Microsoft Windows 7 based application it would be useful to have Windows XP and Vista also on the same computer so that the software could be tested on those OS’ as well. The beauty of the Multi-Boot solution is that the data can remain on the same system without having to be copied out to different systems during testing.

    Dual and Multi-booting is a fantastic way to reduce hardware costs. Although it requires a little bit of technical knowledge to work properly, it is nevertheless, a great solution for developers and other users. This technology is available for both PCs and Macs.

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  4. Basic Components of a Computer

    by admin

    The following can be commonly found inside the casing of most desktop computer systems.

    CPU - The brain of your computer system, the Central Processing Unit is a very powerful microchip that runs the entire computer. Every task related to the operation of the computer has to pass through this to get executed.

    RAM - This is the temporary space used by your computer to store data when it is performing calculations. Random Access Memory (RAM) is solid state hardware which means all data transfer happens at incredible speeds. This is why the more RAM you have, the faster your computer seems.

    Hard Drive - This is the permanent storage space within your computer. It holds the operating system, applications, music, videos, documents, etc. It is called permanent storage because the data is not lost when the computer is shutdown.

    Motherboard - It contains the highways through which information flows from all the components that are attached to the computer.

    Video Card - This is a small circuit board which can be plugged into your motherboard, and which converts the data received from the motherboard into signals that can be interpreted by the Monitor.

    Sound Card - This enables sound to become a feature of your computer. This is also a card that is plugged into the motherboard. However, Video and Sound Cards are increasingly being found integrated (as in-built) with the motherboard itself.

    DVD player/burner - This allows for CD/DVD media to be accessed as well as created on your computer.

    Ethernet Card - This allows you to connect to a network. If you possess a cable modem, it will allow you to connect to the internet. This is also found integrated with the motherboard.

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  5. Troubleshooting Slow Browsing

    February 13, 2010 by admin

    There many times when you feel like pulling your hair. This commonly happens when urgent work and a slow internet connection are involved. At times like these, several remedial measures that can be taken.

    Browsers are usually at fault because over time they tend to get bloated with residual data. Generally with Internet Explorer and Firefox a quick clean up of the Cache, History and Cookies will enable a boost in performance. Another problem here is that both these browsers are resource hungry so they sit on your system in an inefficient way. You might want to consider switching to Google’s Chrome browser or Apple’s Safari browser to speed up your browsing.

    If you are experiencing slow connectivity at home, you should check all the other computers that are attached to the router. Sometimes big downloads that are in progress or even viruses on these computers can be the cause of the problem. A virus scanner will quickly get rid of the malicious software and in the case of downloads, you can always pause them until you are done with your work.

    Sometimes you will notice the connection slowing at particular times. When this happens, you should observe it for a few days and maintain a log of the times. This will be useful when you get your ISP to investigate the matter. In the worst case, there may be something physically wrong with your cable. Your telecom provider will be able to fix the cabling that you had installed at your house. For the internal cabling you, will have to consult a third party who will be able to repair or replace the network cabling that exists currently.

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  6. Avoiding a Corrupt Registry

    by admin

    The Windows Registry is somewhat like the immigration department of the operating system. This is where all the details of all installed software as well as OS-related process are stored. In fact, every little process that executes in Windows, even the ones you do not see, has to have an entry in this system or it will not be allowed to function.

    Since Windows relies on this index so heavily, it is imperative that it stays in good health. Unfortunately, many factors can affect the Registry adversely. Viruses are prime suspects as are other malware. Use a good virus scanner to keep your system and Registry in good working order. A non-threatening way that can disrupt your Registry is the improper removal of software from your system. Manually deleting the folder where the software is located will not get rid of it altogether. Use the uninstall program that came with it or the add/remove option located in the Control Panel.

    Another innocuous way where Registry corruption occurs is due to power outages. If the Registry is being updated at the time of power disruption, it can become corrupted. Using a UPS can help avoid this problem. The best way to keep abreast of these issues is to take regular backups of your registry, especially when the system is in good working order. Setting System Restore points before installing any software or any maintenance work is also a good idea. If you do encounter a corrupted Registry, there are a number of free Registry Scanners available on the internet that can fix your problems easily.

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  7. Why Windows slows down over time

    February 5, 2010 by admin

    Seasoned Windows users have a great solution for a slow Windows PC, along the lines of “format the system and reinstall everything”. Even though this sounds drastic and time consuming, it is actually the best way to go about rectifying the speed problem. However, this is not the solution for everyone as there are other ways to rectify the problem.

    Employ a registry cleaner. Windows registries can become bloated and fragmented over time. Imagine a football-sized filing cabinet, full of files placed in no order and imagine locating five specific files from that gigantic mess. Now that in the virtual world, is what the registry looks like after a long period of use. A good registry cleaning software will soon have you out of this mess. A word of caution, always backup your registry before you begin.

    Another fragmentation culprit is the hard disk. The data on this also becomes fragmented over time due to files being stored, deleted, copied or moved. Using the disk defragmenter that comes with Windows should rectify this issue.

    Uninstall programs you do not use as they load up services and files into memory so that they can function faster. You should run the registry cleaner after this operation, as some entries are not completely removed during the uninstall process.

    A virus scanner and spyware scanner are essential. As more and more of our functions shift toward the internet, we grow ever more reliant on online services. Unfortunately, this opens us up to attack from hackers and other malicious forces on the internet. Viruses and spyware can also be primary causes in slowing down PCs and hence, protection is essential. If possible, you should look into installing a firewall as well.

    These measures should have your PC operating at a decent speed. Regular maintenance will keep your PC in good health and help avoid many problems.

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  8. Firefox increases speed by 15%

    by admin

    Mozilla has been working desperately to stay alive in the browser wars and Mozilla Firefox 3.6 is an improvement over Firefox 3.5 but only just. In the battle for JavaScript rendering Firefox 3.6 is 15 % faster than Firefox 3.5, three times as fast as Opera 10 and over four times as fast as Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8.

    Sadly, the Mozilla browser cannot compare to the browsing giants Safari and Chrome. Apple’s Safari browser is twice as fast as Firefox 3.6 and Chrome is almost at the same level. Between the two giants, Safari is only 6.5% ahead of Google’s Chrome browser according to the last benchmark test that was held between the two by Computerworld in November 2009. It is ironic that Firefox has been beaten at its own game as it was Mozilla about two years ago that was proudly parading the TraceMonkey JavaScript engine, which boosted JavaScript performance.

    Mozilla’s push is a continuing trend in the browser wars; even Microsoft has woken up and announced an expected performance increase in the upcoming version of IE. According to Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft’s president of Windows and Windows Live, IE 9 will give Chrome and Safari a run for their money. Based on the surprising stability and optimization of Windows 7, this bodes well for IE users.
    On the Acid3 benchmark test, Firefox 3.6 scores a respectable 92, only beaten (obviously) by Safari and Chrome who both score the maximum 100 points. IE can only manage 24 points.

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