Computers: Do You Need An Upgrade? by Michael Quarles
Have changing demands left you unsatisfied with your computer’s performance? An upgrade may be called for. But which should you get to fill your needs? Computer repair shops make their money two ways: by selling their labor, and selling parts. The more parts they install, the more labor... Allow 35 watts for your hard drive, and another 35 for the CD/DVD. ... Hard Drive- You want space for all your stuff, and to be able to get at it fast. ... Try that first, then consider a new drive. ... Getting rid of junk files and programs you don’t use, plus defragmenting your drive, can do wonders.

What Causes "Inaccessible Boot Device" Stop Error 0x0000007B? by Jason Perry
An inaccessible boot device stop error can be caused by any of the following and typically associated with an error in the Windows operating system or hardware upgrade. Some common causes could include: * A boot sector virus * Corrupt Windows registry * Upgrading the motherboard in your... * Moving a boot drive from one computer to another * Bad or partially connected data cables * Bad sectors on the hard drive * Power surge or outage The most commonly recommended solution to this inaccessible boot device error is to format the hard drive and run a fresh reinstall of the operating...

When is Professional Computer Repair Advisable? by Joe Duchesne
There are many computer repairs that the average person can perform without much problem. Things like installing CD-ROM drives, sound cards and other expansion cards don't take much computer knowledge. How can you know though when you are over your head and need professional computer help? ... Now if you don't care about the data on your hard drive, simply re-installing your operating system while making sure to format your hard drive can usually solve a software problem. ... Some intermediate repairs include replacing your hard drive and installing an operating system.

Computers: Understanding the Basics by John Gibb
Computers have a jargon all their own – it’s a truly huge specialist vocabulary, and it can feel like an alien language if you’re not used to it. If you’re buying a computer, though, it helps to have a handle on at least the basics, so let’s see if we can breeze through them for you quickly. ... And then there’s the hard disk, which is a more permanent store of information and files that survives when the computer is turned off. ... CPU speed is measured in gigahertz (Ghz), which is how many billion instructions the computer can process each second.

Data Backup Solution: Why You Need a Backup Plan in Place – Part 2 by Joe Duchesne
In the first part of this article series, I talked about the three main threats to the data on your computer. I talked about the need for a data backup solution that protects your data properly. In this article, I'll outline the most common data backup solution options available to you. ... If cost is an issue, get at least one of your computers installed with a RAID capable hard drive and at least one other hard drive. ... In House Hardware Data Backup Solutions Another data backup solution is to equip your computers with RAID compatible motherboards and install multiple hard drives in...

Data Recovery And Hard Disk Information Retrieval - A Complete Review by Paul I Etkin
Recently my hard drive crashed, hey I don’t mean that windows decided to be bitchy and make me reinstall it – Anyways it’s really been a long time since I’ve been idiot enough to run Microsoft programs, thanks very much! Well I mean that my hard drive, spinning away quietly at speedy away... Fortunately, this is the easy kind - it is even possible to for one to perform the hard disk data recovery with a little know-how and an extra hard drive. ... Of which, one of them is to do a simple software hard disk data recovery, where you pull as much data off of the hard drive as you physically...

3 Inexpensive Ways to Extend the Life of Your Windows PC by Aaron Davis
1. Buy an additional hard drive and dedicate it to your paging file. The paging file is a file on your hard disk that is used when you have no more RAM available to run applications. Windows creates a paging file on your hard drive that simulates RAM. ... Once you have finished this task, defrag the hard drive! ... Clean up your hard drive. ... The article below will help you move the paging file once you have installed and formatted your additional hard drive: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307886/ 2.

Building Computers: Connecting the Case Wires by Michael Quarles
Through most of my articles, I’ve tried to explain just how easy it is to build a computer. But there is one chore harder than the rest, and it’s one that most people don’t give a thought to, until they are confronted by it. This is connecting the case wires to the motherboard. ... For instance, the hard drive LED may be marked “HD”, or it may be marked “IDE”. ... These are the wires that lead to the reset switch, the LEDs for the power and the hard drive, and that annoying little system speaker that beeps at you when you make an error.

Mp3 Player for Running (or Any Exercise) by Charles West
Using an Mp3 Player for exercise, whether we are running or working out in the gym, we like to do it to music. To our favorite music or music we've chosen for what we're doing - possibly vigorous music for aerobics, soothing music for weightlifting, or a good beat for running, snowboarding or... I was discussing these thoughts with a client last week, and was interrupted by a computer technician, I thought whoops what have I said wrong, he then confirmed what I was saying is right, as he had replaced his MP3 player hard drive twice in 2 years.

Magneto-Optical Technology: The UnSub Storage System (Part 1) by Jason Busch
Magneto-Optical storage systems have been around for quite some time but have not penetrated the consumer market like the average 3.5" hard drive has. Medical institutions, US military facilities, and many businesses use the MO technology to reliably backup important documents as additional and... Why buy a drive for $280 and a 5-pack of 5-2.3GB MO disks for another $100, when you can buy a 300GB hard drive for around $250? ... For a technology which is superior and more reliable than the current hard drive in your computer, this is certainly an interesting question.