HardwareProblems.com

As I work on computers as a profession, I thought I’d add some content based on issues that may not be commonly known that I come across on a daily basis. They’ll probably become quite old pretty quick but I thought it would be best to share with everyone so they don’t make the same mistake….

In regards to the Asus Eee PCs, there is an issue with the introduction of the new 900 series of the Eee. The newer Eee PCs require a 12v 3A adapter. The current ’slim’ Eee PC adapters on the market (90-OA00PW0100 and 90-OA00PW0000), which are sold as a seperate accessory, only provide 9.5v 2.5A which is not sufficient to run the 700 series of the Eee PC. Most people will have the units fail to detect that the unit is plugged into an electrical outlet. Some E-tailers are selling the 900s bundled with this adapter so it will be interesting to see how many people start complaining about this issue.

That said, information I have been provided with says that Asus is producing the new adapters with the correct power requirements and they will be available soon. Furthermore, these adapters are supposed to work with the 700 series as well. I’ll try to remember to post up if this is true that the new adapters work with the Eee 700s.

With hard drives being as cheap as they are, some of you have become lazy and have duplicate files all over your PC wasting up space. Sometimes it’s good to do a little housekeeping on your PC but the thought of taking the time to look for these files can be time consuming. A freeware program called DupKiller can make looking for these duplicate files easy.

Click on the program logo to open up the website for DupKiller

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In a previous article we dealt with maintaining the hardware side of your PC. Now we’re going to deal with the software side; in particular, Windows. I could write a multi-page article on how to get your system running smoothly, but if you’re like me, you like simple and easy methods. There are a lot of programs out there that profess to optimize your PC but one I’ve been a fan of for a while now is CCleaner. It‘s easy to use and most importantly, it’s free!

So let’s get down to business. First off, you’ll want to download and install the program. Click the friendly link button below to do so:

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EULA, stands for End User Licensing Agreement. It’s the fine print that a lot of people skip over when they go to install a program. You’ve probably done it yourself, clicked ‘I Agree’ without reading over the licensing agreement. This is fine for well known products but with freeware and trialware that you download from the internet, you need to be careful. Within the license agreement can be a little clause which states that you agree to the install a bundled component that tracks your web surfing habits, pops up annoying advertisements, or other such nefarious little additions. You can use notable spyware prevention programs such as Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy but sometimes the best thing is to read the fine print before you go to install. Unfortunately, some of the language used is intentionally confusing and can make it frustrating to try and comprehend. This is where programs like the one I introduce below can help you out.

EULAlyzer by Javacool Software (http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/eulalyzer.html) helps search though the EULA for common terms and words that can be found in these programs that require your attention. It’s a mere 2.46 MB, installed, and if you like to download and try programs, it’s well worth it. Let’s take a look at the program in action:

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In a previous article we dealt with speeding up the way Windows loads up. In this article we’ll hopefully fix or speed up, as well as clean up, the way Windows XP shuts down. A lot of systems I see often take an unusual amount of time to shut down and usually I see errors in the Event Viewer reporting that the user profile could not be unloaded. The process is quite simple and a lot less involved as improving the boot up time of the system. Just click the link below to download a program from Microsoft that will automatically do this for you.

User Profile Hive Cleanup Service
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=1B286E6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en
(For XP only…. It’s already included with Vista under the User Profile Service)

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Almost everyone has come across a file that cannot be deleted by Windows although you know for a fact that the file is not necessary for any program to run correctly.  Although the message may vary, the simple fact that it’s annoying, like getting gum on the sole of your shoe.

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One of the easiest PC upgrades that results in a noticeable improvement in the performance of a computer is a RAM upgrade. But before you purchase that new RAM, there are a few things that you need to consider. Here’s a quick checklist to help you make the right decision.

1. Determine the type of RAM you have. Depending on if you bought a pre-built system from a major computer manufacturer, a built to order, or assembled the system yourself, you’ll need to find the appropriate manual to determine the type of ram in the system. It’ll be either the owner’s manual for a pre-built, like a Dell or HP, or the motherboard user’s manual if you purchased a built to order or assembled the system yourself. Alternatively, you can call or consult the manufacturer’s website or use a program like PC Wizard 2008 (www.cpuid.com). A computer purchased over the past ten years will have either SDRAM, DDR SDRAM, DDR2 SDRAM, or DDR3 SDRAM. If you have original SDRAM in your system, I’d suggest it’s probably more worthwhile to invest in a new PC than bothering to upgrade the RAM. Note that for laptops, you will require SODIMM which is a smaller form of SDRAM. Regular SDRAM for desktop computers will not fit in laptops.

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You want to download a file or sign up for a website but it requires that you provide an email address to which it will send you a verification email or other such nonsense. The problem with providing your real email address is you start receiving unsolicited email, more commonly known as spam. Many people use a gmail, hotmail, or another free email account they’ve specifically created for such a purpose . But even those free email accounts can become cumbersome too, as the account gets bombarded with unwanted spam that over time you have to filter through to find the email you’re expecting. You can turn up the tolerance level for spam but it also can end up preventing the email you’re expecting from being received by the email client. If you’re looking for a better solution, there’s 10 Minute Mail. As the name suggests, you get an email address that’s good for 10 minutes.

http://10minutemail.com/

All you have to do is click “Get my 10 Minute Mail e-mail address”.  That’s it. Simple enough?

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Many people overlook the fact that a PC needs regular maintenance. Some sites use the analogy that it’s like taking in your car for a tune up, but I’ve never liked it, as it suggests that there is a fair cost associated with it. Consider it more like cleaning your oven or removing the crumbs out of the toaster oven. Yes, it’s a bit more involved, but not by much. You can take it into a computer shop and let them charge you anywhere from $50 to $100, but if you’re looking to save money, read on.

In this article we’ll deal with maintenance for the physical hardware that makes up your computer. So some of you may be wondering why even bothering with maintenance of your PC, considering you’ve never done it in the past. Basically, maintaining it will prolong the life of your PC and help it run smoothly.  It also has a second added benefit of making your living space a healthier place to live.

A Youtube video by online retailer NCIX.com (www.ncix.com), hosted by Linus Sebastien, walks you through the simple task of cleaning out your computer.

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Eventually, the time comes where you need to install, reinstall, or repair your operating system.  Maybe you just bought a new PC and already have a copy of an operating system and have chosen to take on the task of installing the OS on your own. Possibly you’re at the point where your system is running at a crawl or encountering an issue which makes using the computer unbearable and requires a reinstallation or repair to resolve. It can be a daunting task for the everyday user.

I was ready to do a full walkthrough for several operating systems until a fellow colleague mentioned a website that had already done all work already. I went over to look over the site and I’d have to say that it is very well done. So without wasting any more of your time, here’s the link for the website, www.installos.com.

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