September 02 2011

What to look for when buying Used and Refurbished Computers

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Article by Ajax

Used and refurbished computers are the best choice for those who cannot afford new ones. And if you’re a person, who require computer for just browsing and checking mails then a used or refurbished computer can definitely serve the purpose. There are a lot of used or refurbished computers put up for sale on online wholesale auction sites such as eBay, Liquidation.com, Online Auction, WeBidz, Amazon and so on. However, it is not at all easy to zero in on the right one. Therefore, here’s some help to find a used or refurbished computer that not only saves you hundreds of dollars but also leaves you happy and satisfied about the deal.

Used Computers

Used computers are those computers, which are put on sale by its original owners mainly because they want to buy the newest model in the market. When buying a used computer

a) Ensure that you buy it from someone you know or from anyone you can trust

b) Ensure that there is no physical damage

c) Collect all the documents be it user manual, warranty cards or CDs

d) Make sure that the computer was legally purchased by its previous owner

e) If there is software, ensure that you get all the requisite CDs and also CD-keys for running it

f) Make sure that the speed of the processor is not overclocked by its previous user by taking a look at the processor itself

Refurbished Computers

Mostly computers that have been returned due to reasons as trivial as change in color, specifications etc are known as refurbished computers. Computers that have been once sold cannot be sold again as new even if it has been with the owner only for 2 days. These computers are thoroughly evaluated for any problems before it is sold as refurbished computers. When buying refurbished computers

a) Ensure that you buy it from a reputable dealer

b) Try for extended warranties if the warranty of the computer expires within days or months

c) Make sure that the price of the refurbished computer is not higher by comparing the price with the price of the new model

d) Check that if the spare parts of the computer you intend to buy is easily available

e) Ensure that the operating system is either Windows XP or Windows Vista

f) Ensure that the processor speed is not slow by turning on the computer

g) Beware of the common tactic of overclocking which is nothing but changing the speed of the processor

June 14 2011

My computer is running very slow – Learn how to fix it quickly and easily

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Article by Bruno Wall

It’s utterly frustrating that my computer is running very slow. Admit it – when you first bought your computer, it was in crisp condition. The computer delivered all the requirements stated on the specification. You could work with it efficiently and not run into any problems. Now, a very slow computer is affecting productivity negatively. It takes forever to open a simple application. There are many times when the screen suddenly freezes or shows the dreadful Blue Screen of Death. It’s very taxing to keep on restarting the system. Despite using different operating systems already, it still ends up that way. These are just some of the problems that occur when my computer is running very slow.There are many factors behind a slow-running computer: viruses, spyware, low hard disk memory, hard drive fragmentation, registry problems, etc. The moment the computer acts up, check the source of the problem and act on it immediately. Addressing computer problems in their early stages is better than waiting for the problem to escalate.One simple tip you should follow is to refrain from opening multiple programs at the same time, especially if the program or software consumes a lot of RAM. All the programs that you use in your computer rely on RAM memory. If you want to play games, play music, and surf the web at the same time, you need to increase your RAM.Viruses and spyware can highly affect the speed of your computer. Computers that normally work fine but suddenly slow down are usually affected by a nasty virus or spyware. Virus and spyware steal your computer’s resources, explaining the sudden dip in speed. Be wary of the malicious elements in your computer because they can slow down your computer and destroy your files and folders. My computer is running very slow because it is susceptible to viruses and spyware, thanks to the hours spent downloading files off the Internet. Install a reliable anti-virus and anti-spyware and regularly use them to scan for suspicious culprits in your computer. Keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware software updated so that they can detect the new culprits.When my computer is running very slow, checking the hard drives sometimes help in determining the problem. The hard drive is a storage place for files from your computer. One of the signs is that your hard drive is going beyond 90% storage capacity causing your computer to slow down. Remember, you have to maintain at least 10% free space to ensure that the computer can still run at the desired speed. If you can’t bring yourself to delete files and folders, you can transfer them to an external hard drive or burn them in a CD.One decade ago, defragmentation was the easiest way to rehabilitate a fragmented hard drive. Although defragmentation is an old way of solving computer speed problems, it’s still needed once in a while when files get fragmented badly. Defragmentation will ensure that the files are fragmented efficiently.Lastly, many people should know that many computer speed problems can be attributed to a problematic registry. The registry is where your computer saves its settings and preferences that are required for the computer to function well. When my computer is running slow, seeking the help of a registry cleaner often helps.

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March 20 2011

Interrupted Process of GParted Cause Superblock Corruption and Data Loss in Linux

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In Linux operating system, GPT (GParted) is a useful tool that facilitates you to create, resize, move, delete, copy and check the hard drive partitions/volumes. It also copy file system on newly created partitions. It is helpful to create space to install new operating system, copying data stored on hard drive, mirroring one volume with another and recognizing disk usage. In some cases, using this tool may become problematic. It might damaged Linux superblock and lead to critical situations of system inaccessibility and possibly data loss. At this point, you are required to opt for Linux Data Recovery to get your precious and business-critical data back.

Sometimes, when the disk resizing, copying or any other GParted process is running, few read/write errors might terminate the phenomenon. Subsequent to this serious incident, your hard drive volumes could not mount and you come across a number of error message. In such circumstances, when you run the fsck utility after rebooting the system to check integrity and consistency of file system and hard drive, conditions could remain same. Situation becomes critical on every attempt to fix this issue. Linux operating system superblock may get damaged and give you that indication through following error message:

“superblock corrupted, run with -b 32768”

Superblock is a metadata structure of Linux operating system that keeps record of all file system characteristics such as size, block size, empty and filled blocks, respective counts, location and size of Inode tables, size of block groups, disk block map and the disk usage information. When it gets damaged, you can not access data from your hard drive and Data Recovery Linux is required.

Linux file system keeps redundant copies of the superblock. You can correct the problem by using any of them. You can search and use an alternative superblock with the help of ‘mkfs -n’ command.

If the above method can not help you to sort out the issue, Linux Recovery is the way to go for successful retrieval of your valuable data. Recovery is potential through advanced third-party applications, known as Linux Recovery Software.

The tools powerful and efficient scanning mechanisms to methodically scan whole hard drive and extract all of the lost, missing or inaccessible data from it. With read-only conduct and rich graphical user interface, the software are pretty safe and easy to use.

Stellar Phoenix Linux Data Recovery is an advanced and robust application for assured recovery in all data loss situations. The software recovers data from Ext4, Ext3, Ext2, FAT32, FAT16 and FAT12 file system partitions. It works well with most major distributions of Linux including Debian, SUSE, Red Hat, Fedora and Mandriva.

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March 18 2011

Running Linux And Playing Computer Games – Is It Possible?

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One huge question that many people have about the Linux operating system is how well it can handle games.  There are many who use their computer more for gaming than for other purposes, so gaming is important.  Can Linux play games?

Any game that is based on the browser alone will work fine in Linux.  For browser based games like Farmville, these will all work in browsers as long as there are the Flash and Java plugins.  These work the same in Linux as on any other operating system.

The second type of gaming is open source games.  There are quite a few free games that are made for Linux as well as other operating systems.  Since these are open source, it’s easy for programmers to port various versions of the game for the different operating system choices that exist.

What about commercial Windows games?
Not every single Windows game will work with Linux, but many of the popular ones will.  The first issue is if you have Linux compatible hardware on your system.  If your video card works well with Linux, then you won’t have to worry about performance issues that some meet by not having proper drivers to run advanced 3D graphics.

You can run quite a few games through WineHQ.  This is an application that can run Windows software.  Not everything works, but you can check the site to see which ones do work.

Another option is to use some of the paid programs that will correctly install and run Windows games on your Linux system.  Many don’t want to have to pay for something, but these services do work and have support for many of the more popular games.

For older games, generally you can use applications like DosBox or ScummVM that will emulate the environment the game needs to run in.

September 06 2010

Is Your Computer Running Very Slow? Discover Your Computers Problems Today For Free!

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Is your computer running very slow? Well, you are not the only one experiencing this problem – most computer users deal with it all the time. Like any other machine of human invention, your computer is prone to slowdowns and it will likely run slow as time passes by. Overtime, your computer gets exposed to several dangerous elements; there are external elements such as moisture, heat, and dust, and there are internal elements such as a variety of viruses, malware, and spyware and a disorganized, full registry, among many others. It is essential that these dangerous elements be detected right away to save your computer from crashes and further slowdowns.

Is your computer running very slow? If it is, you probably experience having to wait frustratingly while you click on a program or application and watch your screen for what seems like eternity before the dialog box finally opens. You probably experience suffering for long minutes that seem to stretch on and on as you wait for your command to execute properly. Waiting can be such a punishment, especially in the fast-paced society we live in nowadays. Before you fret, know that your computer’s speed problem can be taken care of and you can discover your computer problems today for free.

There are several classic reasons that can result in a computer running very slow. One of the most common ones is the existence of too many background programs that causes main programs to lose space in your computer’s main memory. If you see an icon in your computer’s system tray, you are seeing a representative of a background program that uses precious space in your memory. If you see icons that signify programs that you have not used in a while or are not planning to use ever again, it would be wise for you to remove these programs. Instead of deleting, which will only put them in the trash bin and still use up memory space, you should uninstall the programs properly. You can also choose the programs that you do not want to run during start up and configure them to fit your purpose.

The presence of viruses, malware, and spyware can greatly affect the performance of your computer. They can cause serious damage and result in a computer running very slow. To keep your computer protected and free from these harmful elements, download and install free yet reliable software for the detection and removal of viruses, malware, and spyware. It is a must that these three be destroyed; so use additional software if one is not enough.

Is your computer running very slow? After you have followed the free tips mentioned above, the only thing left for you to do is to perform maintenance work on your computer. Keep it in a dry, cool place. Use a soft cloth or plastic (or place in its bag, if it’s a laptop) to cover it from dust when not in use. Finally, do not eat while using the computer, lest ants and other insects smell food and raid your computer, leaving it damaged for good.

Is your computer running very slow? You can learn the exact problem and FIX it today at www.ComputerProblemFix.com

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August 24 2010

Speed Up Your Computer Performance Tips

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Are your computers getting slower and slower each time you use it? Do you still acquire the same computer performance even if it is more than 5 to 10 years old already? Well, if your problem is a slow computer performance I have some tips you might need to speed up the process. These tips will help improve your computer’s performance.

First, if your computer is too old I suggest that you burn your files that are less important. Place it on CD or DVD to give more hard disk and memory space. This will help lessen the files that your computer will need to read on. Like on the start up or when running some applications that will need to read the whole files in your computer. It slows the process due to the fact that your PC specs don’t have the capabilities of the new computers being sold in the market right now.

You can also upgrade your computer components to get better performance. However, if you don’t have money, it is not advisable that you buy CD, DVD or any computer components. Don’t worry because there are still other ways to accelerate the performance of your computer.

Some files are still in your computer even if you already uninstall the programs you installed before. Most of us didn’t know that, right? These files are left over by programs we used before. Now, these files are traceable using some free program out there. It’s not easy to trace them or sometimes we are not sure what files to delete so we end up having no choice but not to delete it. We don’t want to remove something we didn’t know because sometimes we are afraid that we might encounter troubles if we will be deleting these files. It might cause us some problems like the computer will not work properly because the files we deleted actually has a major part in our OS but we assume that it has no use. It happened to me before. So I suggest that you must try a Google search first before deleting the files.

Another way is by using programs like CCleaner. It is a tool you can use to remove unused files in your system. This tool allows your windows to run fast and free some space in your hard drive. It has the ability to clean your internet activities as well.

Next is to lessen the startup program. Remove unnecessary programs on startup so it won’t affect the speed of your computer while opening.  Those startup programs make your computer slow while opening because your computer memory has to load those startup programs first. Your memory needs more time to do this that’s why it makes your computer slow. If your memory is not that high, I suggest doing this process to make the loading faster. Well, here is the way how you can lessen your startup programs. Click “start” then go to “run” or on the “search box” of your laptop, type “msconfig”. After that, you will see a pop-up window with lots of choices. Choose the “Startup” tab then uncheck the programs you don’t need to load when your computer starts.

Last thing I know is disk defragmenter. Disk Defragmenter is another computer program designed to increase access speed. Also known as defragmenting, this is the process of rearranging files stored on a disk to occupy contiguous storage locations. The objective of this process is to optimize the time it takes to read and write files to/from the disk. It can be done by minimizing head travel time while maximizing the transfer rate. Disk Defragmenter can also improve the loading time in system startup for computers supported by Windows XP.

As a computer and internet savvy, Rachel Robinson often writes about computer hardware and computer accessories reviews. He also loves creating computer related articles as well as other similar topics to blogs, e-zines and other websites.

August 10 2010

My Computer is Running Too Slow – How Can I Fix it For Free?

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Because computers are only made by humans, it is expected that some problems can occur upon their usage. After all, humans are known to be prone to error and their products inherit this trait. Most people encounter problems with the way their computers work overtime. After a while, computers tend to run slow. In fact, my computer is running too slow and I have taken to research what I can do to solve this problem. If you are facing the same dilemma, then read on and find out what I have learned.

There are many ways with which you can speed up your computer. The first thing you need to do is to accept that there is a problem and that it can be solved. When I first noticed that my computer is running too slow, I waved it away and chalked it up to my computer’s age. Although the struggling speed bothered me, I continued to ignore it until a friend called my attention and told me there are things I could actually do to quicken my computer’s processing capabilities.

That was when I got unsolicited but very good advice. I learned that to speed up my computer, I had to uninstall or remove programs that are unnecessary or unused. If you don’t know how to do this, just visit your computer’s control panel and use the add/remove program you can find in that section. If you’re thinking, “My computer is running too slow,” this simple, free task should do the trick, coupled with cleaning out your computer’s trash bins. Believe me, many people (I used to be one of them) tend to take their trash bins for granted, not knowing that emptying them is one of the easiest ways to speed up a slow computer. Check out your trash bins and keep them from becoming full or even halfway full to maintain your computer’s good speed.

When I acknowledged the fact that my computer is running too slow, I looked for relevant articles on the web. One of the most common tips I came across with was to remove any form of malware, as well as spyware, on my computer. Malware is the most frequent reason why computers slow down; this dangerous software can wreak havoc on your computer and cause stubborn or, worse, permanent damage. Spyware, on the other hand, can put your identity and safety at risk and leak sensitive data from your computer to third parties. There are tried and tested solutions you can employ to remove malware and spyware from your computer, including downloading and installing free programs such as Spybot Search and Destroy and Lavasoft. However, be wary of the free programs you find online. Some are only made up of advertising baloney and do not really work or are also made up of dangerous software.

Most people think that it takes a lot of money to repair and improve their computer’s speed. That’s what I thought too when I first realized that my computer is running too slow. Now, I know better, thanks to the free tips I just shared with you.

My Computer Is Running Too Slow! How Can I Fix It? You can learn the exact problem and FIX it today at www.ComputerProblemFix.com