Monthly Archives: March 2011

What is a driver?

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For people who don’t understand anything about computers and peripherals this term might be unknown however this software is very useful and essential utility if you want to run a printer off your PC. Usually the relationship between peripheral device drives and the layman is restricted to the fact that somebody will sort it for them.

The good news is that it is not necessary for this to be the case, anybody with even a minimum of PC knowledge can install device drivers and not have to call in their computer maintenance expert neighbour to clear up the mess they’ve made of it all.

 

So let’s make it clear what a driver is.

 

Basically a driver is kind of a software which helps your Operating System (like Windows) to find hardware which you have connected to your PC or Laptop. Without this tiny utility you can’t use your printer, scanner, web camera or any other peripheral.

 

The driver disc is always a part of the printer packaging (or any device, not only printers). All you have to do is to run the disc and follow the step-by-step instructions which will give you all information you need.

 

Quite often though it happens that you don’t have a driver, it might be due to different reasons, you may have lost the original disc or you could have bought the printer secondhand and the driver disc was missing. It’s easy to understand, the disc is small and you don’t use is every day, not even every week. After all you have lots of discs which almost live their own life when they appear and disappear from your desk randomly (with help of other people of course).

 

What to do if you lost a driver?

 

It’s not a problem at all, not now at least. On the internet you can find any driver you need. Before you start looking for a driver make sure you know which one you need. First check the details about printer you have plugged in. When you know the driver you are looking for, you can start searching on driver bases. Usually it’s not difficult to find a driver on internet. There are a lot of web sites which contain thousands of them.

 

A good example is the web site http://www.bravofiles.com/, it’s great for downloading any drivers for many reasons. First of all it’s easy to find the one you need due to the order they are listed in. Secondly it contains about 80 000 drivers free for downloading. And thirdly, the web site is absolutely trustworthy in respect of safety; the possibility to accidentally download a virus with your driver is totally excluded.

 

A lot of sources are not as reliable, before you start downloading, make sure it’s safe. After downloading the driver you need, check the file with your antivirus system. If everything is ok you can happily use the driver.

 

The installation is usually very simple, you don’t have to be a programmer to install them. So don’t be afraid to start maintaining device drivers on your computer, it’s fairly straight forward and you don’t’ have to be an expert.

Common Windows Computer Problems and Solutions

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A computer can encounter many errors in its usual course of function, the nature of which can be attributed either to hardware or software. If you happen to face a hardware error—for instance, if the system refuses to boot up—you will need to consult a specialist and perhaps get the erroneous hardware replaced. However, if it is a software error you are facing, like error 1402, you don’t need to seek the help of an expert, no matter what the various computer magazines and websites might say.

Truth be told, it is very easy to deal with most computer errors on your own, no matter what your skill level.

What causes computer errors:

Errors are caused by various factors, and it is not possible to discuss all of them. However, we will list some examples. Take the rather common msvcp71.dll error. A little research will show that this error is related to the Visual C++ application and is caused when there is an error related to a DLL.

There are also countless of other reasons why you might encounter PC errors: missing files, broken codes, viruses, corrupted file systems, etc., which can cause various error messages and further confuse users.

Dealing with computer errors:

No matter what the error, you don’t have to be a rocket scienctist to deal with them. Just follow the simple steps listed below.

  • Registry cleanup – The registry is a very important part of the Windows system. It can be understood as a master database with a complex indexing system that stores all the information about your programs and settings. But one needs to take care of the registry regularly, as complicated system errors like the ogacheckcontrol.dll error can take place. Invest in a good registry cleaner, so that it can automatically scan and fix the registry as and when required. The operation will be very easy to perform and can be done in a few mouse clicks.
  • Program management – It is common knowledge that new systems replace old ones, and that both can rarely coexist. So is the case with programs that reside on your computer. Very old programs are useless. They not only take up unnecessary disk space, but also cause conflicts during execution and bring up errors when they don’t locate old files that they were designed to work with. You can either remove them yourself, or get a freeware program to suggest which installed programs can be removed.
  • Malware removal – Malware is the collective term for various malicious programs, and are often responsible for numerous errors commonly found in the computer. You should make sure that all of your protective programs are up to date and not subject to harmful malware.

As this article has shown, by following the simple steps mentioned above you can keep your system error free for a long time.

Top 3 Convertible Tablet Laptops

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Convertible tablet computers are becoming increasingly popular because of the versatility and functionality encased in sleek and elegant designs. Convertible laptops incorporate the best qualities of the traditional laptop and slate PCs, converting between them depending on the task in hand through a rotation of the LCD. They are especially popular with the business community because they can be used in all sorts of difficult environments when away from the office.

The screen is rotated from a hinge backwards to create the slate, with the screen facing upward to create the flat writing surface for use with a stylus. This allows for much more control than the finger-operated iPad for example, and the kit can be used as a slate whilst travelling and for taking notes in meetings.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Hands On

This advanced convertible tablet runs on the Android operating system. Weighing in at just 1.23 pounds, it is unusually light for its size when held in the hand, and even the iPad feels bulky and unwieldy in comparison to it. Heavier metal alloys are eschewed in its construction in favour of sturdy plastic, which allows for a portability superior to that of, say, the comparable Motorola Xoom. You still have to use it with both hands, however, and there is a limit to what can be achieved in terms of size and lightness in the laptop tablet field, convertible or not.

The high screen resolution of 1280 by 800 pixels makes this tablet ideal for playing multimedia and browsing the web, as you would expect from any regular desktop or notebook.

One of the most innovative design features with the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the complete absence of buttons at the front, which gives it a sleek and sophisticated appearance. All the functionality is hidden away and protected inside the tough but smooth outer shell.

LG G-Slate Pad Hands On

With an 8.9-inch screen, the G-Slate fits snugly in the hands, fitting neatly into the space between the oversized smart-phone that can be operated with one hand and the full-size laptop that needs both hands holding it. It is less heavy than the iPad and is of solid construction with a robust metal back cover.

On the front of the machine there are no keys, and the G-Slate uses the Honeycomb operating system like the Galaxy and Xoom with full multi-tasking capability to deliver a super-sensitive device that responds instantaneously to applications of stylus to screen and is ideal for both the business and home user.

LG Optimus Pad Hands On

Otherwise known as the Honeycomb Pad because of its use of the Honeycomb OS, the LG Optimus has similar specifications to the G-Slate that received favourable reviews at the Mobile World Congress recently. It comes in a range of colours and incorporates the same hinge mechanism for converting between laptop and tablet modes. As a convertible tablet PC, the Optimus is ideal for anyone wanting to combine the traditional functionality of a laptop with the flexibility and convenience of a tablet PC.

Beware corruption of large downloads

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A colleague purchased a new HP Pavillion DV6 series laptop a couple of months ago which I setup for him here and left him to install his printer.

On Monday he brought the Laptop and his HP C4280 printer to me and explained that the printer worked fine but the scanner did not

I looked at the installation CD and saw it was for XP/Vista but not Win 7 so I suggested this was the problem, so he left it with me.

I removed the printer driver and just for fun, tried the CD install again but it told me that the “Operating System was not supported”

“ODD! How did he get it to work.”

Anyway, using my computer I went to the HP web site and located the correct driver for Win 7 (32 bit) and downloaded it (209 meg!)

I copied it over to the the laptop ran it, but it just opened a Dos like window for 5 seconds then closed it and for the next 30 seconds the Hard Drive activity light flashed.

I tried various things like ‘RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR’ etc but no go.

I decided to phone the HP support line and eventually I got through to the HP help desk and explained the problem.

All the young lady could suggest was to… “Download it again on the Laptop using Internet explorer.”

Interestingly she claimed that sometimes using another computer, or a browser other than Internet Explorer can affect the download.

“Yeah Right, and I’m the Easter Bunny!” was my thought, but I decided to do as she suggested before asking for the problem to be escalated up the chain.

I downloaded it the file and ran it and to my surprise, it installed perfectly.

I then compared it to the earlier one. The properties were identical right down to the last byte so I located a Freeware Checksum Hashing program and tried it.

Low and behold, the Checksums on the 2 files were quite different even though the size was identical.

I have to confess I was amazed and it is certainly something to keep in mind.

Thinking about it afterward, I realised that because the printer worked, he thought he had installed the CD but in fact, Win 7 had loaded an internal basic driver but of course the scanner was unavailable.

How Can I Benefit from Microsoft Training Courses?

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Microsoft training courses are widely available for students of every level of experience. Whether you are looking to get more experience with computers and to learn how to use the basic features of Microsoft Word or you are looking to study for your Microsoft MCSE Certification exams, you can benefit from Microsoft Training Courses. If you are a business owner looking for great training programs for your staff members, this could also be of tremendous benefit for you.

If you want to get the most out of any training course, it is important to select a course based on an honest assessment of your current skills and experience. If you select a course that is too in-depth, you won’t learn anything without an assumed basic knowledge and the course will be a waste of time and money for you. If you select a course that is going to cover things that you already know, then again the course will not be a good fit for you. Be honest when thinking about your experience and skills to get the most benefit from the training courses.

The best thing about Microsoft Training Courses is that you only take classes for things you need to learn. If you need to learn one small aspect of Excel, there are courses for that. This is time and money saver. Additionally, when you take the course, your productivity will increase, in turn increasing profits for your employer.

Most of the courses offered through Microsoft are online courses, designed to make learning more efficient and comfortable for students. Additional, less overhead means lower costs for the courses. At any time, you can see where you stand in terms of progress being made. If you sign up for multiple courses through Microsoft, you can see how you are doing in each. If you are working on completing a series of courses, you will know which ones still remain.

If you are a business owner, you will benefit from Microsoft Training Courses as well. If you want your entire organization to participate in specific training courses, the benefit of online training is that they can complete it at their convenience and you can track their progress. Also, you will save a lot of money with online courses at an enterprise level.

Regardless of whether your employees are all under one roof or they are spread across the globe, this form of training will ensure that everyone has access to the courses. When you need your people up to speed fast and can’t wait for everyone to become available for a training course, online Microsoft Training Courses are the way to get your employees up to speed quickly and efficiently.

 

Remove iphone felt font for notes app

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I’ve found the “felt” font in the iphone (and ipod) notes app annoying, as I cannot change it to something more readable like arial.

After a bit of searching around, I found a few solutions.

Most revolve around adding a Chinese or Japanese keyboard, and then switching keyboards every time a new note is created.

An easier way is to delete the felt font completely.

For this, you will need to be able to delve into the iphones folder structure with something like ifile, or using ssh (ie this works best on a jailbroken iphone/ipod).

I have IOS4.01, so all I needed to do was delete (or preferably rename):

/System/Library/Fonts/Cache/MarkerFeltThin.ttf
/System/Library/Fonts/Cache/MarkerFeltWide.ttf

On other IOS versions, you might also need to delete:

/System/Library/Fonts/MarkerFeltThin.ttf
/System/Library/Fonts/MarkerFeltWide.ttf

The default Arial font was smaller than the felt font (which is what I want anyway).

If in doubt, just rename the font files back to their original name.

Reimage

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I came across this repair software when I was searching for alternatives to reinstalling Windows on a client’s PC. I was pretty sure there were a couple of viruses on the computer, as it was very sluggish, and after doing a few general fixes to the PC, a complete reinstall of the Windows operating system was necessary. At this point I decided to give Reimage a try to save some time.

Here are my findings:

The Reimage Preliminary Scan

I first downloaded Reimage and did the free scan, which took maybe 5 minutes.  This scan is done to compile data about your PC. You get a hardware profile of your PC’s hardware (memory, disk space, CPU temperature), compared to a worldwide average.

Reimage will scan your PC for:

PC Stability –Compiles a graph depicting which programs on your PC crash the most often.

PC Security – Scans for malware threats and uses 3 different ways of checking if your files are indeed a threat to your PC’s security. It then lists all the malicious files it’s found. These files are “tagged” for repair during the repair step.

After the 5 minute quick scan, I got the PC scan summary. I then purchased a license key to start the repair.

Reimage then started to clear all the faulty files found on my client’s computer. There were a few viruses found during the scan, which Reimage quarantined.

Then it was on to repairing damaged files and installing the fresh files from Reimage’s up to date online repository of Windows files. These files are downloaded from their servers (based on my geo-location) and are tailored to the exact Windows operating system the PC was running on.

After the new replacement files were downloaded to the PC, the stability check made sure that all issues were resolved completely. This is done by comparing the now fixed PC to the original scan report.

After being prompted to reboot the PC, the entire repair was done.

Summary

This one program saved me the hassle of doing all this work manually and even saved me from taking days to back up and reinstall the entire operating system. Viruses were quarantined and even the virus damage was completely fixed. After thoroughly checking through system files, everything appears to be intact (no personal files were touched) and it’s almost like a new and complete operating system.