How to Know if a Laptop Battery Needs to be Changed

When buying a laptop, you should weigh processing power against portability. While desktop computers typically provide faster speeds, larger hard drives and better graphics, laptops come in smaller packages and are imminently more travel-friendly. However, if your laptop battery begins to fail, you've lost the chief benefit of your computer. Checking for battery health regularly can help you avoid losing battery powe

Instructions

Step 1

Complete a system diagnosis on your computer. Most computers come with diagnostic software that will indicate the number of battery cycles you've run on your laptop, and they'll often provide a percentage of how much battery life you have remaining. You can also download software designed for this purpose; thewwwblog.com has such an application.

Step 2

Begin to test the battery life yourself. Disconnect your laptop from your AC adapter or battery pack. On your desktop you should find an indicator showing the remaining life of your battery in terms of a percentage or actual time; you may be able to click on it to cycle through these options. Record how much time your laptop claims your battery should last.

Step 3

Wait it out. Allow your battery to drain to zero capacity and keep track of how long this takes. Depending on your battery health and the model of your laptop, draining the battery could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

Step 4

Compare the actual draining time of your battery to the time indicated in Step 2. Consult your laptop's manual and find out what the ideal battery life should be. If the actual draining time was significantly less than either of these figures, it is likely time to replace your laptop's battery. However, if the battery life continues to meet your personal needs, there's no reason to rush and buy a replacement.

How to Reinstall a Volume Control Device Without the Disk

When you install Windows XP, the Volume Control or sound mixer sometimes does not get installed. The process for installing the volume control is not difficult, once you have the file. The problem comes from having a corrupted version of that file. If you have a Windows XP CD, fixing the corrupted file is simple. If you do not, it becomes a little more challenging, but with the right know-how, you can accomplish it.

Instructions

Step 1

Click the "Start" button and choose the "Run" option. Copy the following command into the box that opens:

mmsys.cpl

Step 2

Mark the check box that says "Place volume icon in the taskbar," if the command runs properly. If you get an error message that says Sndvol32.exe is corrupted or damaged, skip to step 4.

Step 3

Click the "OK" button and check your taskbar to make sure the volume icon is there and the volume control works properly.

Step 4

Download the sndvol32.exe program from a file sharing site like 4shared.com. Microsoft does not provide an official download for sndvol32.exe.

Step 5

Save and expand the downloaded file to the c:\windows\system32\ folder. If you have the file there already, a pop-up window asks if you want to overwrite it. Push the button that indicates you do.

Step 6

Repeat steps 1 through 3 to put the sound icon in the taskbar.

How to Make Your Computer Run Faster

Tired of you computer running slow? Before you throw it out the window, try these simple steps to get it moving again!

Instructions

 
 
 
 
 
 

Step 1

 

Run a virus scan program to make sure you don't have a virus. You can download "AVGFree" or "PCTools" for free. See the resource links below to download these programs.

Step 2

 

Run a malware program to make sure you don't have any malware. You can find a free one called "ThreatFire" in the resource links below.

Step 3

 

Remove Some Programs You Don't Need:

Go to your "Start Menu" in the bottom left hand corner of the screen. Click it, then click "Control Panel", then "Add/Remove Programs." Uninstall any programs you aren't using or don't need by clicking on the program name and clicking the "Uninstall" button at the top of the screen. Confirm that you want to uninstall and repeat for each program you can do without. I highly suggest not uninstalling anything if you don't really know what it is.

Step 4

 

Prevent Unnecessary Programs from Starting up With Windows and Running in the Background:

For Windows xp
Click on the "Start Menu", then click "Run." Type in "msconfig" and press enter. The "System Configuration Utility" will open up. Click on the "Startup" tab. Uncheck any program that you don't want to start with Windows. Once you are done, press "OK."

For Windows Vista
Once you have done this, go out to your desktop (close the "Add/Remove Programs" window). Click on the "Start Menu" at the bottom left again and click "Control Panel." In the control panel, under "Programs" choose "Startup Programs." This will open "Windows Defender" See the program list on the left and click one that you don't need to startup when you turn your computer on. Click the "Disable" button to the right. This will prevent that specific program from running on startup. Too many programs running each time you use your computer can really slow it down. Preventing multiple programs from running when you start your computer is a huge way to make your computer run faster.

Step 5

 

 

Disk Cleanup

Run "Disk Cleanup" to Get Rid of Files You Don't Need:

Open the "Start Menu" at the bottom left of your screen and click "All Programs" or "Programs." Then, click "Accessories", then "System Tools", then "Disc Cleanup." Your computer will calculate how much space you can free up on the old hard drive. Once it is done calculating, choose the files you want to delete and press "OK" This may take a few minutes.

Step 6

 

Run "Disk Defragmenter" to Organize the Files on Your Hard Drive:

Open the "Start Menu" at the bottom left of your screen and click "All Programs" or "Programs." Then, click "Accessories", then "System Tools", then "Disk Defragmenter." Click "Defragment" This could take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours or more, depending on how jumbled up your files are.

Step 7

Watch your computer go!

Tips & Warnings

• If this doesn't work, it might be time for a new computer.

How to Change All File Folder Icons

Instructions
 

Step 1

 

Double-click the "My Computer" icon to open Windows Explorer. For Windows Vista, the icon is labeled "Computer."

Step 2

Click the "View" menu item and then select "Options." In the options window, click the "Folder Types" tab. In this tab, click the "Registered file types" and then click "Edit."

Step 3

 

Click the "Change Icon" button. In the window that opens, select your own .ico file or select one of the internal Windows dll files that contain icons. The shell32.dll file located in the "windows\system32" directory contains shortcut icons.

Step 4

 

Select your icon and press the "OK" button. Reboot the machine to finalize the changes. All your windows folder icons are changed.

How to Speed Up Slow PC

Instructions

 

Step 1

 

Remove all the temporary files from the PC. The temporary files are voracious consumers of system's memory. Therefore, it is a good practice to regularly clean a PC for temporary files.

Step 2

 

Wipe off the computer memory of unnecessary programs or applications which are rarely used.

Step 3

 

Go for regaining the hard disk space in a PC. This can be best achieved with the use of "Disk Cleanup" utility, which comes as a part of Windows operating system.

Step 4

 

Turn on the automatic update feature of Windows to get the latest updates for your computer. The latest update comes with added features which can provide a better protection and support for the computer

Step 5

 

Clean system registry using any registry cleaner software, because registry is a central database for any Windows computer. The registry marks up an entry for every application which is either installed or un-installed from the computer system.

Step 6

 

It is a good practice to install any good security software and update it at regular intervals for the protection against the latest threats that can hamper the performance of computer.

Step 7

It is strongly recommended to perform a backup of your complete system before carrying out any of the steps.

 

Tips & Warnings

• By following these steps you can ensure a better performance for your computer in case it is running slow. The regular maintenance steps are the best way to prohibit and fix the computer problems.

How to Repair Registry Keys

The computer's registry system is a database that contains information important to the maintenance of the computer, such as program settings, runtime information and personal preferences. It may appear as if the registry is a confounding area of values, keys and subkeys. But with the help of a registry editor provided by Windows, you can fix registry key problems. Also, the system restore feature provided by Windows can repair registry key issues.

Instructions

Using Registry Editor

Step 1

 

Open and run "Registry Editor" by clicking on the "Start" button in the lower left corner of the desktop, then select "Run."

Step 2

 

Type "regedit" into the "Run" dialog box.

Step 3

 

Locate the registry value in the registry key tree that needs repair.

Step 4

 

Right click the key located on the left side of the editor, "Explorer" is the lowest key, and choose "Export." Save this file to a location on your hard drive.

Step 5

 

Double click the registry value "NoRecentDocsMenu" to alter it. In the dialog box, change the "Value Data" from the number 0 to the number 1 to disable the "Recent Docs" in the "Start" menu then click on the "OK" button.

Step 6

 

Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Step 1

 

Click the "Start" button located in the lower left corner of the desktop, click "Run", then type in "%SystemRoot%\System32\Restore\Rstrui.exe," and then click the "OK" button.

Step 2

 

Click on "Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time" and then click on "Next" in the "Welcome to System Restore" dialog box, then click on the system checkpoint in the "Select a Restore Point" dialog box.

Step 3

 

Click on an entry that is entitled "Guided Help (Registry Backup)," and then click on the "Next" button in the "On This List Select the Restore Point Area" dialog.

Step 4

 

Click on the "OK" button if the "System Restore" message appears that displays configuration changes that will be made.

Using System Restore

Step 5
Click on the "Next" button in the "Confirm Restore Point Selection" box. Your computer is restored to an earlier Windows XP setup. The computer will restart. Log back on when this occurs. Click the "OK" button in the "System Restore Confirmation" box. Your computer registry system and keys will be fully restored and repaired.

How to Get the Admin Password on a PC

Instructions

Recovering Admin Passwords on a PC

Step 1

 

Contact the network administrator. This is the simplest solution to recovering the admin password. If you are using a company computer or a computer in a library or university, contact the individual or group that oversees network issues. Access to the admin password often means access to areas of a given network or access to areas of a given computer that are protected from the public for reasons of security.

Step 2

 

Contact the customer service department of your PC manufacturer. If you are using your own personal computer, one that is not affiliated with a larger network or on loan from a company, your PC manufacture can often help you recover a lost admin password. On personal computers, admin passwords are often set by the user when they first begin using the machine after purchase. If this password is lost or forgotten, customer service agents may be able to walk you through a series of computing steps through which you can recover or at least create a new password. It may also be possible to reach customer service via email.

Step 3

 

Research a recovery method in an online discussion group or forum. If you still have difficulty recovering the admin password for your personal computer, it may help to access the Internet from a different machine (if you are unable to with yours) and consult an on-line discussion group or user forum. These online communities discuss all types of PC problems and how to troubleshoot them. Use the forum's search field to narrow results and find your particular problem. After some sleuth work, you may come across someone who owns a similar machine and has contended with a similar password problem in the past.

Step 4

 

Download or purchase password recovery software. There is a large number of software programs on the market designed to help computer users recover lost passwords. Some are available as free downloads, while others are available for a fee. It is important that you thoroughly research any software you download prior to introducing it to your machine. The best case scenario is that the software will simply not work while the worst case scenario will introduce your PC to a bad virus or adware bug. One of the most popular free downloads for password recovery is ophcrack.sourceforge.net, although results are not guaranteed

Tips & Warnings

• Admin passwords exist for reasons of security of information and network reliability. Do not try to guess admin passwords or try to figure out admin passwords on machines that you do not personally own. If you do attempt to do this, the odds are you will be caught. Depending on the severity of your offense, you could lose any of the following; your access to the network and computer use privileges, your job, your personal freedom. That's right, messing with the wrong network passwords can definitely lead to jail time.

How to Detect Spyware On Your Computer

"Spyware" is a program that gets installed on your computer without direct permission from you. Spyware will then take over control of your computer, without your permission. Here are a few symptoms

Instructions

 

Step 1

 

Spyware when added to your computer will slow it down or it is hard to start up. Spyware when added to your computer keeps you from accessing pages or sites and your own programs, they come to a standstill or keep crashing.

Step 2

 

Spyware when added to your computer will change your start page without you changing it or without you remembering that you changed it, or you've changed it back and when you go to turn your computer back on again, your start page has changed again.

Step 3

 

Spyware when added to your computer will cause you to jump two or more pages at a time instead of changing from page to page. You may try to go to a site and it keeps taking you to another site that looks just like the one you normally go to, but the ads will be different or the address will be different.

 

How to Block Spyware from Your Computer

Hackers and ad companies, use spyware to gain control of your computer for many illegal uses to find ways to steal information about you and your computer. Spyware is bad for your computer and causes malfunction and can cause it to lock up making it impossible to operate or get into. Here are some helpful hints to keep spyware at bay

Instructions

Step 1

 

Install an antivirus and antispyware program to your computer, and maintain regular updates. It is a program designed for spyware, malware, adware, worm, trojan, crimeware and virus detection and removal. They can infect and spread from computer to computer through any downloads and have hidden agendas, such as getting your bank or credit card information and address and what sites you frequent, or any password or codeword information to gain access to your sites. Run the program on a regular basis, weekly if you are on the internet daily, and remove and destroy anything found. Maintaining updates keeps you current on the latest advances so that nothing gets past your scan and is left open to cause problems or damage or loss to your computer or the information it contains, because new spyware is constantly making advances and being developed to get around or through current blocs and detection. Do your homework and make sure your antispy antivirus program you are installing also knows how to destroy the infecting ware worm or virus, many programs will block them for you but they do not destroy them for you. Do not forget to read reviews on new or available programs to see what is useful or what is necessary for your particular needs.

Step 2

 

Install firewall protection it is designed to protect your computer from adware or spyware or any unauthorized entrance. Firewalls can be hardware or software or a combination of the two. A firewall acts as a filter permiting or rejecting messages as they come through. Maintain your updates for your firewall protection.

Step 3

 

Always scan all downloads, for example, popups and popunders, pictures, videos, e-mails, and files for spyware, adware or viruses and do not permit access from anything that says there may be a possibility of being infected. Some malware can be dected by the symptoms, some go undetected altogether.

 
 

How to Delete Vista Hibernation File Cleaner

Instructions

Step 1

Go to the Vista "Start Orb" at the bottom left of the screen and type in "cmd" (minus the quotes) in the area that says "Start Search." Click the "cmd" icon that appears, and a new black command line box will appear.

Step 2

Type "Regedit.exe" (minus the quotes) into the command line and hit the "Enter" key. The Registry Editor will then open. If you get a message that says "Windows needs your permission to continue," click "Continue."

Step 3

Double-click "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" on the left-hand side of the Registry Editor. Then double-click "Software."

Step 4

Double-click "Microsoft" and then "Windows." Then double-click "CurrentVersion" and "explorer."

Step 5

Double-click "VolumeCaches" within Registry Editor and then double-click "Hibernation File."

Step 6

Click "File > Export" and type in a name, such as "Hib Backup" for the backed-up hibernation file. Creating a backup is a good idea in case something goes wrong.

Step 7

Click "Save." Then right-click the "Hibernation File" icon on the left of the box and select "Delete." Click the "Exit" button (or the "X" button) at the top right of the window and then reboot your computer. Vista Hibernation File Cleaner has been successfully deleted.

How to Remove Background Wallpaper From a Login Screen

Instructions

 

Step 1

Restart your computer and log in using your administrator ID and password. The default ID is "administrator," and password is the one you provided during installation.

Step 2

Create a backup of your Registry file before you make any changes. Export the ".reg" file to a different disk so you can restore the Registry later if it's needed.

Step 3

Click "Start->Run," type in "regedit" in the search box and click "OK." This will open the Windows Registry, which contains all of the Windows settings and options.

Step 4

Navigate to "HKEY_USERS\Default\Control Panel\Desktop" in the Registry window. This is the location where background wallpaper settings and options are stored.

Step 5

Check the settings for the key "Wallpaper" and delete the value in the key. Make sure the value box is set to blank. Close the Registry window.

Step 6

Restart your system and you will notice that the background wallpaper for the login screen has been removed.

How to Set Up a Remote Desktop

Instructions
 

Step 1

 

Sign in to your computer's administrator account. This is the main account on your computer that has the authority to install programs and make changes to your operating system's settings. If you are not logged into your administrator account select "Log Off" from the "Start" menu and sign back in to the appropriate user name.

Step 2

 

Right-click on the icon on your desktop labeled "My Computer." Select "Properties" from the drop-down menu.

Step 3

 

Click on the tab in the "System Properties" window that reads "Remote."

Step 4

 

Check the box next to the option that reads "Allow Remote Assistance Invitations."

Step 5

Click the "OK" button to save your changes. Your computer will now be set up for any remote desktop connections you may require.

 

Tips & Warnings

• If you have an operating system that dates back earlier than Windows 2000, you will not be able to establish a remote desktop connection 

• As a security measure, for remote desktop to work your computer's administrator account must be password protected. If it is not currently password protected you can set one up by going to the "Control Panel" and clicking on the "User Accounts" icon.