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Now this is one annoying problem you may encounter occasionally when you’re on your computer. Sometime its hard to detect where the problem is coming from because the computers sounds is controlled by one major hardware and a driver to be able to work on that hardware. Firstly, what you will need is a little amount of patience to keep your cool while trying to figure out this tiny bit of a problem.

Check for Power. Make sure your electric cord is connected properly to the socket.
Make sure your speakers are turned ON. Sheesh, right, do that!
Have a headphone in hand and plug it in the headphone jack, if there is sound, you can be pretty sure the problem is with your speakers.
Also, check the Volume Controls on your Windows. Make sure the Mute button is unchecked.

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What to do when your personal computer’s cursor grows big and grows small, some letters font appear and suddenly disappears on its own. Your graphics go crazy. Most of the time, when these strange things happen, the culprit is the graphics card driver. This is the program that allows the harwdware to work with the operating system. The first thing to do is make sure that the graphicsdriver is the reason behind this. You’ll need to install the Windows VGA driver. On the desktop, right click, click Properties, click Settings, click Advanced, click Adapter. Then select Change, the Update Wizard will open. Select Display a List, click on Show all Hardware. You’ll see Manufacturer’s, then select Standard display types and then install the VGA driver.

The new buzz in the world of computers is the new operating system, Windows Vista.

This new operating system has some additional features. Vista’s minimal requirements to run on a computer are an 800 MHz processor and at least 512 MB of RAM.
If you want to get the most out of Windows Vista and utilize the graphical designs, you need some pc tips in order to benefit from them. Hardware requirements, i should say are what this is all about.

• Windows Vista to be able to run in its full glory, your CPU should be about 3GHz and your RAM should be around 2GB.
• In Vista, all the 32-bit versions cannot support more than 4GB of RAM, but some 64-bit versions can support up to 128 GB of RAM.
• Your hard drive needs to be optimized by using disk management options.

Online, you can browse for more ways to boost the efficiency of Vista. You should try tweaking sometimes so you can utilize its maximum potential. Be sure to back up your files though. You’ll never know what might happen.

]]> http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/information/windows-vista-the-new-buzz/feed/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/information/why-business-computers-need-to-be-information-protected/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/information/why-business-computers-need-to-be-information-protected/#comments Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:23:07 +0000 Conrad http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/?p=77
Image source: www.businesscomputereconomyinternet.com

The first issue is simply that most businesses, particularly smaller ones, don’t fully appreciate the value of the information they have stored on their computers and believe that manually retrieving it (presumably by making a few phone calls and checking old paperwork) is a relatively trivial process.

Those that have recognized the need to protect their data are then faced with the challenge of knowing what the threats are and how to protect against them.

Data can vanished through hardware failure, software problems, malicious software such as viruses, theft of equipment, human error or major physical disasters such as fire and flood. Taking into consideration all these issues can be a major challenge in its own right.

The next issue is that backup solutions are notoriously tricky to run and manage dependably - no one wants to take day-to-day accountability for them and all too often they are left flawed for lingering periods.

Finally we have the old favorites: time and money. With all the other pressures placed on small businesses it is usual to put data backup on the “to do” list. Spending money on marketing and sales is seen as more important, so protecting the data will just have to wait… after all, it’s not likely to fail, is it?

]]> http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/information/why-business-computers-need-to-be-information-protected/feed/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/video-card-errors-%e2%80%93-part-2/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/video-card-errors-%e2%80%93-part-2/#comments Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:33:19 +0000 Avatar http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/video-card-errors-%e2%80%93-part-2/ Look for the video card and check if it hasn�t popped out of it�s slot (remember the monitor, the card to which it is connected to is the video card), if so re-seat and try booting up. If the video card is embedded (meaning it is part of the motherboard) it may have failed (sorry, replacement is the only option for this form of motherboard) or if you have a slot for third-party video cards you may purchase one and disable the one embedded within the system.

Note: It is normal for Video Cards to pop out of their slots (AGP or PCI) due to some manufacturers making them with teeny-tiny edges where the contacts are located that fail to seat firmly into the board. They tend to jump out by themselves especially if the PC is used heavily or there is a source of vibration nearby say in an office. The short edges, instead of being grabbed by the connector on the motherboard, sits just above the clamping part which acts as a spring hence the jumping part.

]]> http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/video-card-errors-%e2%80%93-part-2/feed/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/computer-basics-essential-for-troubleshooting-part-1/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/computer-basics-essential-for-troubleshooting-part-1/#comments Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:11:47 +0000 Avatar http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/computer-basics-essential-for-troubleshooting-part-1/ It is true that not many people know how to tinker with their computers which doesn�t mean that one cannot handle minor repairs. Repairs and preventive maintenance such as cleaning can be carried out by you and me with the most elementary of cleaning tools and a little elbow grease to go with them. First, to ensure you experience less problems try to get the computer CPU cleaned at least once a year. If you live in a dusty environment or if you have a Fido or Fifi in he house then this might become a regular routine. Before you take off the cover which is normally screwed down ( be sure to check for any warranty seals on the casing, breaking them would void the warranty terms) with four Phillips type screws be sure the power chord is removed and all devices are unplugged from the respective connections (tip: if you assume that you won�t be able to return all those wires to the proper places, get hold of your camera phone or digital camera and take a few shots as a visual record). Slide the cover off to get a glimpse of the innards of your personal computer.
]]> http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/computer-basics-essential-for-troubleshooting-part-1/feed/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-3/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-3/#comments Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:11:24 +0000 Avatar http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-3/ Commercial polishing compounds in liquid form can be used to polish off lightly scratched disks but do it only in the affected area to see if it works. Use alcohol to remove the glare caused by the cleaner before sticking it into the drive. If that still doesn’t work, the scratch is so deep that there is no turning back and you’d have to go to a friend’s house or buy another copy for your purposes. Good luck and remember, keep all important disks stored in a safe place where they would be easily accessible for future use. If you need drivers, you could search for the in the manufacturer’s site or in the many driver sites such as driversguide.com and others.
]]> http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-3/feed/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-2/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-2/#comments Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:10:36 +0000 Avatar http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-2/ Obtain some alcohol and wet a lint-free piece of cloth (special CD cleaning cloths are available that pick up dirt and cleans without solvents) try to polish the CD from the inner part towards the outer diameter. Scratches that are circular will diffuse further the laser as it tries to read the disk so do it slowly so no new ones are created. If you notice scratches from what you’re doing stop and replace the cloth (a fresh cotton ball would also do). Once all the grime and dirt is removed, try reading it on the PC if the cleaning will do. Commercial coatings that have a thin plastic layer applied to the data layer is available but they still sometimes fail.
]]> http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-2/feed/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-1/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-1/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:09:19 +0000 Avatar http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-1/ There are a lot of instances when we find ourselves looking for a driver or software installation cd that is needed to restore some function you have accidentally removed or uninstalled. Sometimes, they just seem to be hidden so good they defy all searching efforts but sometimes they are right in front of you but with tons of scratches due to your daughter playing with it as you accidentally left in on the computer table. These colorful disks are quite attractive to kids and will be dealt with when seen. Unfortunately, scratches that are deep enough to bend the laser can render a disk useless but shallow ones can be polished off. A warning though, this should only be tried as a last resort for this may also crack the disk or ruin it further.
]]> http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/basic-skills/scratched-cd%e2%80%99s-data-driver-and-software-cd%e2%80%99s-part-1/feed/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/advanced-skills/second-hand-pc-%e2%80%93-success-and-re-configuration/ http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/advanced-skills/second-hand-pc-%e2%80%93-success-and-re-configuration/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:07:19 +0000 Avatar http://pctroubleshootingtips.com/advanced-skills/second-hand-pc-%e2%80%93-success-and-re-configuration/ Some boards may simply have a two-pin configuration which if shorted can remove the errant password. Others motherboards require a few minutes for the BIOS to re-set and some require you to power the system up, then shutdown in order to return the jumper block into its previous position. After this, you would have to re-configure the BIOS to it’s previous settings so it would be a nifty idea to have a copy of these in a safe place. You can always have the manual to get the best optimal settings which would work for your system should you have a need to. The automatic settings that are built into the BIOS are not always the best setting to use but it will get you up and running in no time. Take time to understand each and every setting that you encounter (having the manual by your side makes it easier) and some boards even have descriptors which tells you which does what and what the default settings are.
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