Computer For All

“Computer Running Slow?…Here’s One Reason!”
copyright 2001-02 John Evans

Just the other day, my computer started running a
little slow. Kind of puzzled me. And I put up with
it for a while.

But then it got a little irritating. While trying
to surf the web, I noticed that web pages were taking
much too long to load. This is always an irritant.
And, Internet Explorer was also taking its time
coming up.

Now, I’m no novice on the computer, but, sometimes
we humans can get a ‘lapse of memory’. Anyway,
that’s my excuse for forgetting one of the basics
of computing; and that is that the computer uses
up SYSTEM RESOURCES.

Every program on the computer, including icons,
uses some SYSTEM RESOURCES.

Whenever a program is started, it loads into your
computer’s memory. Memory is a resource. Some
programs will release the memory it was using, when
you quit the program, and some will not. So, part
of a resource is not being made available to you.
Get enough of these, and guess what? Slow Downs!
Hang-ups (freezes).

I’m not an expert on the subject, but I did a little
experimenting with this. Here’s what I found (remember,
this is only my computer, and yours may vary): After
about 3 hours of operation, I checked my available
resources; down to 58% free. So, from the right-hand
end of my taskbar, I exited the Resource Meter;free
resources now up to 60%. Exited the Pop-Up Stopper;
63% free. Closed Windows Help; 64% free. Closed
Windows Explorer; 66% free. Exited Download
Accelerator; 71% free.

So, from 58% to 71% is a saving of 13%. May not sound
like a whole lot, but it gives you a good idea as to
why your computer may be slowing down.

How do you check your free System Resources? Just go
to Control Panel>System>Performance. If you want to
check it often, then just right-click on the System
icon, choose ‘Create shortcut’. It will appear on
your desktop, and you can drag it down to the left
end of your taskbar. Now it’s available for quick
use. Or…

Use the System Resource Meter. Go to Start>Programs>
Accessories>System Tools, and click on Resource
Meter. The meter will pop up in your task bar (right
side), and you can keep an eye on it. When it starts
to turn red, then your resources are getting low.
But remember, it also is using up some of your
System Resources.

When you restart your computer, these resources will be
returned to you. But, as you again use the computer,
your computer will again use up the resources.

It really is a ‘never-ending’ story, and something we all
have to live with. But, if you’ll restart your computer
every once in a while, you may find that it runs a
little bit faster.

Worth a try.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
copyright2001-02 John Evans
http://www.dailybiz.com/
Want to REALLY make money online? Visit us now.
You can use this article but please leave it intact.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

About the Author

Writing articles is one real pleasure in my life.
Have owned dailybiz.com for several years.

Once you bring your personal computer home from the store or receive it in the mail there is no one around to offer basic personal computer maintenance tips for cleaning up and improving performance of your computer. Maintenance and cleaning up of your PC should be part of a regular routine to ensure that you don�t have any long-term problems with the computer. Unfortunately most basic computer users may not understand the mechanics of a computer or may feel intimidated with the maintenance. There are really simple steps anyone can take to ensure that your computer will continue working at the level it did when you first pulled it out of the box.

One of the first files to become acquainted with on your computer is the System Tools, located under the Start Menu, then Programs, and Accessories. The System Tools houses basic maintenance tools like Disk Defragmenter, Disk Cleanup, Backup, Scheduled Tasks, and System Information and ScanDisk on some Microsoft Windows computers. Strange that these files are located in Accessories because they really are the key to keeping your system running correctly and helping to improve performance as the computer ages.

On a regular basis you want to go to My Computer and then right click on the Local Disk (C Drive) and open up the Properties. This allows you to see how much space you are using and how much you have left to use on your computer. Under Tools in this area you can usually perform a scan of the disk. If you cannot run a disk scan from here, your Microsoft should have a disk scan available under the System Tools. It is important to run this disk scan to determine if there are any errors or problems running on your computer and the disk scan will repair those potential problems. Some experts recommend doing a thorough disk scan the first time and then a basic disk scan up to once a week to keep your computer performing at top conditions.

After this it is important to regularly perform a disk cleanup, which is located either under Properties under the C Drive, or under System Tools. Be aware that both the disk scan and the disk cleanup can take quite a bit of time and it is best to before these maintenance tools when you will not be using the computer. Set a routine with yourself like performing the disk clean up and disk scan on Saturday night while you are watching movies with your family. After a disk cleanup, it also helps to regularly perform a disk defragmentation. A computer hard drive will begin to fragment over time, which means that programs that once worked in conjunction have become separated over time and may not be in the proper place to work well on your computer. This can slow down processes or make using certain programs difficult. Using the disk defragmenter can pull together those pieces again and return things to working order.

Basic maintenance routines that will ensure your computer runs at peak performance start with simply getting rid of files you do not use. If you have old word documents, software programs you have not used in a long time, or pictures and music you are not using, delete them from your computer. Remember that once you delete them, they do not automatically disappear, but instead go to the recycle bin and it is just as important to empty the recycle bin as it is to delete old files.

Old internet files can also cause your computer to slow down. Often with a Disk Cleanup there will be an opportunity for you to get rid of temporary internet files, but you can also get rid of them on your own by going to your Temporary Internet files in Microsoft Explorer. Click on Tools then Internet Options, General Tab, Temporary Internet Files, and Delete Files. As well, take time to clean out any other temporary files you may have acquired, like downloads from the internet. Depending on the model of your computer, the temporary files could be in different locations, but most often when you go to Disk Cleanup and scan there will be an option to get rid of temporary files as well.

A lot of maintenance and pc repair work can be automated by a software utility like the PC Bug Doctor PC Bug Doctor

One of the other helpful and easy ways to maintain your computer�s performance is to always run your protection programs, use a personal firewall when accessing the computer, and always install software updates available for Microsoft and protection programs. Keeping up on regular maintenance and setting a routine for updates on the computer will ensure that your computer performs the way it was intended to when you first brought it home.

Shawn Shellenbarger

Do you find that your computer exhibits one or more of the following behaviors?

- Inexplicable message or warning pop-ups

- Frequent unsolicited reboots

- Your favorite application often crashes

- Applications now start up sluggishly

- Your computer seems to take forever to boot up

- You find new software running which you did not expressly install, and you cannot explain it’s existance

Your computer may simply have become cluttered with software to such a degree that all those programs now fight with each other for resources, or a particular type of software installed (with malicious intent or otherwise) could produce adverse side effects and may even compromise your system’s health and security. Even if your PC does not appear to suffer from any of the symptoms above, chances are over time one or more of these issues will surface.

So where should we look to find the root cause of such problems? In short, we can attribute this abnormal behavior to:

1) Our not being vigilant in monitoring the list of software running (or not running) on our system

2) Not being sufficiently mindful of how the installed software got there and why

Let me explain further. When one purchases a computer (or you inherit that �hand-me-down� from your relative) you will typically find a potpourri of software already installed. Furthermore, you will probably never use 80% of it. In addition, you may find yourself unable to resist the temptation to download and install freeware/shareware from the internet.

All too often we really do not need the programs we download, but refraining from doing so can be difficult due to the software’s enticing promo. And regardless of the utility of these programs, many times we don’t bother to uninstall them, thinking we may find a use for them in the future.

Just recently while browsing through a forum, I saw a post with the following opening line: I just had to reformat the family computer for the second time in three months because of my brother’s blatant ignorance of general computer hygiene. I can assure you that such behavior is commonplace. The various computers in my own home are a prime example. On numerous occasions my two children, who by the way, are old enough to know better, downloaded and installed software which essentially rendered their PCs unusable, thus costing me hours of work to get them back into working condition.

If you take nothing else away from this article, try to embrace the following two thoughts:

- Not being aware of every program installed, and particularly which ones get invoked by default at startup time, could cause your system to become highly unstable, resulting in frequent crashes, loss of data, or possibly even irreparable hardware damage.

- Try at all costs to refrain from installing non-essential software.

While you may very well find an overabundance of non-essential software installed, even more important is the fact that there may NOT be antivirus, firewall, or other security/protection software running. Consider this point CRITICAL. The absence of such software or it being improperly configured can set you up for disaster! In an upcoming article we’ll discuss the various �sleuthing� techniques for determining just what software resides on your computer.

The object of the second point above is to simply use good judgment in deciding which software goes and what stays on your computer. Sure, there’s no harm in keeping reputable software around such as that favorite game or multimedia player, given that you know where it came from and you do at least use it occasionally.

OK, let’s summarize our discussion. Start thinking now about your current software and which programs you consider as really important to you or your family. Remove everything else you can bear to part with. Furthermore, of the types of software you feel you must keep, evaluate it’s �utility�. Some programs you may have obtained and installed, and others were probably just pre-installed on your PC. You may want to consider upgrading existing packages, or particularly in the latter case, other similar software may exist which has a better feature set that can serve you better.

Now go ahead. Take out the trash!

Stay tuned for the next installment coming shortly.

About the Author

Earl Gooch is an engineer who has been involved in the high tech industry for over 23 years, working in various capacities including design of both computer hardware and software, web development, system engineering, customer support, and marketing.
http://www.softwarehelpme.com

Who are these people? If they were profiled by the FBI or some law enforcement agency what would the profile look like? What age group would they fall into and what sort of background would they come from?

In August of 2003 an 18 year old teen was arrested for springing a version of the MSBlaster worm to internet computers by the millions. It is thought that he may have even triggered the blackout that occurred in the US and Canada in that same period.

Only yesterday someone else released a Zotob worm on computers with Windows 2000 operating systems. Big boys like CNN, The Associated Press and The New York Times were all adversely affected. It is said that little permanent damage was done but the systems of these major companies were brought to a screeching halt as computers kept shutting down and rebooting as if little gremlins had their hands on the switch.

Where does it end? As if the computers and the software weren�t expensive enough then it becomes the business and expense of everyone to protect the computer. We need blocks to keep the porn away from the kids. We need blockers to keep the incessant ads from popping up in our faces every nanosecond. Then bring on the personal firewalls the anti-virus software, encryptions, spyware stoppers and perhaps a dose or two of antihistamine to keep our noses clear of the dust that goes airborne from the cooling fans when we start up. It takes no computer genius to know at least two things. One is that the next big operating system will cost a great deal more than our last one. The other is that it will not have the many deterrents and blockers we need, built in. Security must be a wonderful business to be in these days.

To get back to the hack, (no rap intended) where does this breed of cyber-monkey come from? Personally, I envision a teenager locked in his upstairs room with dozens of empty Coke cans and Twinkie wrappers strewn across the floor. With a blank stare fully hypnotized by the Xs and Os dancing across the plasma screen they peck and stab at the keyboard with deliberate, rhythmic intent as if they were submitting to a spirit that gave them auto writing skills as a reward for their simple acquiescence. Then when the cyber moon lines up with the planets they know its time. With one click of the enter key they take down the power in half the United States and transfer the funds of millions of Americans to accounts in the Netherlands. How could you stop this person? Would a simple �Hey, it�s a nice day why don�t you go outside and find something to do� set them off in a new direction?

As a boy our weekly Sunday edition of the paper had a special section in the funnies called, Jimmy Halto�s, �They�ll do it every Time.� Jimmy would point out various absurdities in our society that may occur from time to time. I never anticipated that the day would come when our entire society would become absurd, If Halto were still punching out his weekly syndication today it might be called, �They�ll Do It Once in a While� and it could depict those few normal things that pop up now and then. Like, kids who do go outside and look for something else to do.
We have terrorist alerts to watch for now along with neighborhood watches to help bring down the crime just outside our doors. Add to that a school system that has to use metal detectors, cops, sniffing dogs and cameras just to get the kids through one day of school.
Night time activities almost anywhere USA have now brought dangers that are off the scale. As if all this danger outside wasn�t bad enough now we have to find ways to plan counter moves against hackers who are probably sitting in our own houses plotting the next big blackout or something worse.

Even if I weren�t a preacher of the gospel I would find it hard not to think of a biblical warning about the way things will be in the last days. �Men�s hearts failing them for fear, and looking for those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. Luke 21:26 KJV

About the Author

Rev Bresciani is from New Orleans La and the author of�Hook line and Sinker or What Has Your Church Been Teaching You, PublishAmerica 2005 and�An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ, Xulon Press 2005. His website is,
http://americanprophet.org

Graphic images on your computer come in two different forms, raster images and vector images. Raster images are made by programs such as Photoshop and Corel Photopaint. Vector images are produced by Adobe Illustrator, Freehand, and CorelDraw. While the results from these different programs can look similar, the ways in which they are made are very different.

Raster images are made up of millions of individual squares, or pixels, of various colors. The more pixels you have, the better the image will look. The number of pixels, or resolution, is usually expressed in dots per inch (dpi). Images on the Web are shown at 72 dpi. A high-resolution image would run 300 dpi or higher. Some types of printing can get into the 1600 dpi range. Much like a mosaic, a raster image can look smooth from a distance but as you zoom in closer you can see the individual pixels.

A vector image is drawn from mathematical formulas for lines and curves and is redrawn each time you zoom in for a closer look. The quality of the image stays the same regardless of the level of magnification. Vector files, since they are formulas instead of information on millions of individual pixels, tend to use less memory than raster files.

The edge of a circle, rendered as a raster image, may look smooth initially, but eventually as you zoom in you will see a jagged stairstep edge of the individual square pixels that make up the image. A lower resolution image will look jagged or pixellated much sooner than a high resolution image. A circle’s edge in vector form will always be smooth no matter how close you zoom in since it is recalculated each time you change the view.

Raster based programs are best at working with photo-realistic images and make subtle (or bold) changes in color, shadow and texture. Vector based programs excel at easy control of edges and tend to produce a more graphic style of art. Regardless of the type of image, higher resolution is always better for producing a good result. While your image may be vector or raster, or even a combination of the two, the Art Staff at ExpertShirt.com will work hard to translate it into the best textile printing possible.

About the Author

Mandar is a graphic artist and man-about-town with Expertshirt.com. Design your own custom tshirt online at http://www.expertshirt.com

It has happened! Computer games have started to control my life on and off the screen. No complicated games like Age of Empires, just the simple one of Tetris. You know the one, where different shaped and colored bricks fall out of the sky and you have to arrange them in nice lines at the bottom? Hopefully with the end result of all colors matching in straight lines so that they can be removed and point gained.

Crazy really, it first happened many years ago when I had this stupid bet that I could get more points than the next guy. What that really means is that, “I am going to be up all night playing this game and will be totally incapable of staying awake in the office tomorrow, unless of course I play the game in the office as well”. That�s what computer games do to us. We become machines where food and sleep are secondary items to all else. Just keep on playing………….till you drop.

I managed to get through that episode with only a slight increase in my weight and a damaged back from not having moved anything else except my two fingers for a sustained period of time. The latest episode though has created havoc with my life in more ways than one and I am getting seriously worried about it.

I had been playing that game in the evening for around three hours and had then gone to bed early for a dreamless and normal sleep. All okay and expected you say? Well, the sleep was but when I drove to the office the next day things started to happen that rapidly woke me up to the danger that I was in. There I was in my blue car approaching the traffic lights when all of a sudden I swerved into the other lane thus ending up stopped neatly behind this other blue car. Behind me, confused and irritated drivers with green and red cars tooted their horns angrily wandering what this maniac was doing. But I? I was happy in that I had managed to get the colors arranged and all I needed was another blue car and then we could have a full line…………….oh, no, what is happening to me? I sat there for a while shivering as it dawned on me that I had entered the game itself, it had taken me over………I was a brick!

Yeah, and that was not all. I found myself one afternoon staring inanely at a house wall and following the line of bricks along trying to sort out in my mind which pattern was best and which was not. And at my desk I found that I had arranged all files and papers in a neat pattern according to color and size having totally disregarded any format associated with the importance of in-going, outgoing, urgency, etc. Extremely worrying to say the least!

I have withdrawn from playing Tetris and other games of that sort hoping that I will stop having these off the screen episodes in real life. In the hope that I can return to a normal existence without having off-the-screen battles. Do other people suffer from this or is it just me?

The other game that I played to have a break from Tetris was “Prairie Dog”. One of those annoying games where you have a choice of guns and dogs keep on appearing on the screen. Aim and fire being the next step. Bang, Bang, Bang, another dog bites the dust. Yes, I know, pathetic really, but great fun. Volume up full, there I would be furiously firing at any movement, reloading and starting again and the dogs would make a strangled sound as I hit them. But once again I one day realized that all was not well with me, as I used to sit on my balcony and take imaginary potshots at cars as they appeared on the road. Or in a busy street I would say “bang, bang” and pretend that I had cleared a path for myself through the crowds.

I played that other game Age of Empires many times to. Love that game as it takes s kill and thought as well as two fingers and rapid movement and I became extremely proficient at it as time went by. My computer often struggled to cope with the size of my army and the enemies that I faced. I would sit there for hours on end, maneuvering, shifting, attacking and withdrawing till the sun started to come up on the horizon. It would be then that I would force myself away and climb into bed only to resurface two hours later, make a large urn of coffee and re-attack with a vengeance. Although this game never caused me to start charging at other cars on the highways or lobbing screwed up notes at others in the office it did cause me to take a good look at myself. What would happen if suddenly I started to do this sort of thing in real life? If I started to make deals with my neighbors to attack next door offices or ping elastic bands at the mail delivery boy? I�ve stopped playing games now and have become a serious and boring “been there, done that and cured myself” type of person. I do have long and empty hours where I feel the urge to take up where I left off and I get extremely jealous when others talk about games or I see others playing them but I resist. I think it must be like smoking where one never loses the urge to light up and take a draw � just the one! No, No, I cannot! I now sit there and lecture others on the dangers of playing games and that they should stop before it is too late. And they? They just nod politely and then disappear to talk amongst themselves………….”must be and ex-player”, whisper, whisper, whisper.

Ieuan Dolby, from Scotland is an Engineering Officer in the Merchant Navy. He has been travelling the world for 15yrs on an endless tour of cultural diversification. Currently based in Singapore he writes various articles for magazines and newspapers and is working on a marine glossary.

ieuandolby@lycos.com

Imagine that you have been working on a file for the entire day and there was a power surge that caused your computer to ‘black out’. It would have been a frustrating experience for us as we had put in a lot of time and effort into it. I am sure that many of us would have experienced data loss in some form or another and have learnt to be wiser to backup our data to avoid any form of data loss.

Have you ever thought of a worst case scenario where a fire broke up and destroy your computer or where your laptop got stolen? Should that happen, the first thing that comes into your mind is the thousands of dollars that you spend on your computer or laptop and you would feel very upset about it. However, when you thought for a second moment, you started to realize that what is really valuable are the amount of data that you have built up over the years in it. Though hardware can always be replaced, even at no cost to you if you have insurance, but lost data is gone forever.

Lost data such as the thousands of mp3 and movies that you have downloaded from the Internet, thousands of digital photographs that are impossible to replace are lost in an instant. This form of data loss hits home especially hard when the laptop holds the lifeblood to your business. Imagine all your business contacts documents and contracts that you have painfully built up over the years would be vanished just like that. Your business would be wipe out overnight.

Do not wait for the worst to happen before you start to consider about data backup solution. Having a data backup solution will give you a peace of mind as you know that your data is in safe hand.

About the Author

Justin Koh is a freelance writer whose articles have appear in most major ezines. You can find more of these at: http://www.backupcenter.info

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.