By MICHAEL BUTLER

Tips & Tricks for making your computer go faster

It seems that whenever I listen to complaints from family and friends relating to their computers, they describe it as being “as slow as molasses” or “slower than a
glacier melting”. Yet, when the computer was new, it seemed to perform more quickly. How come the computer slows down over time?

In this article I will focus on the various causes and solutions of computer sluggishness with Microsoft Windows based computers.

1. Installing too much software. Over time, you and your family will have no doubt obtain installed new programs that provide new functionality, whether it be a new game, music player, or production application. Furthermore, printers, digital cameras, MP3 players, and other computer peripherals usually require installation of some software on your computer. The result of all this is that, over time, you will have an assortment of programs, some of them running all the time, when you might not even need them anymore. 

    The solution: Open “Add/Remove Programs” from the Start menu -> Control Panels and see if there are any programs there that you remember using at one time but don’t need anymore. Only remove what you are sure you do not need.

2. Spyware & Adware. These are types of programs that sneak their way into your system, usually by being included with another program that you might want. Some of them are included in web pages that usually trick the user  into clicking “Yes” or “OK” on a prompt. Once in your system, spyware and adware can hog resources by running all the time, and can even provide you with unwanted advertising.

    The solution: Obtain a trusted application like Spybot: Search & Destroy from www.spybot.com. Follow the instructions to simply install it and run a full system scan.

    Get the free McAfee SiteAdvisor at http://www.siteadvisor.com/ that will warn you if you ever go to a known malicious website.   

3. Hard-disk Fragmentation. As more and more files are created and moved around on your computer’s hard drive, the individual parts that make up the digital files begin to get more and more jumbled around. This phenomenon slows down the loading of programs because it takes longer for your computer to find the file.

    The solution: Run the disk defragment tool located at Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Disk Defragmenter. Click the C: drive, and then click Analyze. After a couple of minutes, if it recommends you defragment the drive, click Defragment. This process could take a few hours.

4. Not enough high-speed memory. As programs get more advanced and add more features, they usually require more memory than what your computer originally came with to run smoothly.

    The solution: Installing more (high-speed) memory requires a physical change to your computer which is simple enough for anyone handy with a screwdriver. Alternatively, it may be done by a local professional PC repair service (i.e. On-Site Computer Service http://www.onsitenj.com in Ocean Grove, NJ). Computers produced in the past 5 years use either DDR or DDR2 type memory, and for about 50 to 100 dollars, you could upgrade your PC to 1 or 2 gigabytes of memory, which is the recommended amount now.

5. Dust build up. An often over-looked problem is the physical build up of dust in computer cases. Because computer parts get very hot, they usually require heatsinks and fans to move the heat away. Dust gets sucked in the computer and sticks to the various parts, reducing the cooling capabilities. Believe it or not, a hot computer runs slower than a cool one; it can even crash!

    The solution: Open the computer case according to the manufacturer instructions. Use a can of compressed air and/or vacuum cleaner to force the dust off of the fans and metallic heatsinks. Be careful not to put  pressure or force on any of the internal parts. Computers should be cleaned about twice a year for optimal performance.

Have a question for Michael? He is accepting questions and comments via e-mail.

Cool gadgets for the 2008 holiday season

The economy troubles may be slowing consumer spending, but that won’t stop electronics lovers from wishing for the latest gadgets this holiday season. Here is a list of some high tech electronics in demand this season.

Amazon Kindle – The Amazon Kindle is a revolutionary electronic book (e-book) reading device that provides an high-resolution electronic-paper screen which looks and reads like real paper. It can store about 200 full novels on its internal memory and can go up to a whole week without recharging. The Kindle distinguishes itself from other e-book readers by utilizing a free, widely available wireless cellular connection to download books, web pages, and other content. You also have access to all Wikipedia articles and The New Oxford Dictionary. A computer is not required – everything you need to do is done through the device using the built-in QWERTY keyboard. This allows you to do quickly perform all kinds of book searches – by author, by title, by genre and so on. There are currently more than 190,000 books available for the device, each costing around $9.99.
$359.00

Flip Video Mino Series Camcorder – The Flip Video Mino is an quick and easy device that lets you record videos and share them with friends and family. This compact gadget is about the size of an iPod, so it can fit easily in your pocket. With its fast turn-on time you can power on and be recording in as little as 3 seconds. There are no tapes to deal with, as all the video is stored on the 2 GB internal memory which can store up to 60 minutes of footage. Video content, sized at 640×480 resolution at 30 frames per second, can be transferred using its built-in USB plug to Mac or Windows where you can edit and customize your own movies with music and text. There is also a newer model called the MinoHD which, for about $100 more, will record in full HD format.
$159.99

Apple iPod Touch – Apple has a new line of its digital media playing device, the iPod, just in time for the holiday season. The iPod Touch (2nd Generation) is available in 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB models which can store up to about 1,750; 3,500; or 7,000 songs respectively. But the iPod Touch is more than just a music and video player. With its advanced built-in processor, touch-screen, and WiFi connection, you can browse the internet, check e-mail, get driving directions, watch YouTube videos, play games, and much more. In the presence of a wireless network, having the iPod Touch is like having a portable mini computer. Actually, it is basically an iPhone without access to cellular networks or a built-in camera.
$219.99 - $399.99

Canon PowerShot A590IS 8MP Digital Camera – For those casual photographers on a budget, look no further than the Canon PowerShot A590IS. It takes pictures up to 8 megapixels in size, which is good enough for a 22” x 16” photo print. This model also includes an “Easy Mode” and 19 different preset modes to simplify the shooting process. A 4x optical zoom gives you a little bit more zoom power than the standard 3x that is found on comparable cameras in this price range. Note: the A590IS takes 2 AA batteries, so, if you prefer the built-in lithium-ion type, go with the Canon PowerShot SD1100IS which costs about $50 more, has a 3x zoom, and uses the “deck of cards” form factor.
$113.95

High definition (HD) TV – With so many different brands and styles, choosing the right HDTV for you or your gift recipient may be the most difficult decision compared with other electronics categories. There really is no single best model or brand, but there a few tips you should know before buying one.

Stick with LCD-type TVs – they don’t suffer from possible image burn-in like Plasmas, and are not susceptible to glares in bright rooms.
Make sure it supports 1080p (the ‘p’ stands for progressive, meaning it is a true HD signal) – if it has only up to 1080i, that means it is interlaced and will not display full HD. If that is the case you might as well go for 720p TVs which are cheaper and have a little less picture detail.
Make sure it has HDMI connections – this is the latest connection style for HD equipment, and makes plugging your different equipment into the TV faster and easier at a much higher quality signal.
If you have a digital cable system like Optimum io or Verizon FiOS, you don’t need an HDTV with a built-in HD tuner. Therefore, you could probably save a little bit by getting an HDTV that describes itself as “HD-ready”.
$500-2000

Blu-ray Disc Player – So you already have an HDTV but don’t have a Blu-ray disc (BD) player? What are you waiting for? Blu-ray is to DVD as DVD was to VHS tape. BDs are discs that look and are used just like DVDs, except they allow for a tremendous amount of picture detail, perfect for watching on your big screen HDTV. You might be satisfied with watching DVDs, but once you watch a Blu-ray movie, you’ll never want to go back. Note: a Playstation 3 video game console ($399) is also a BD player.
$150-300

Michael is accepting questions and comments via e-mail.

1. If the printer supports Postscript or PCL, it should work over remote desktop without any additionally configuration, as long as it can print locally.
2. If that doesn’t work or if the printer uses a custom language like GDI, if it is called “host based”, or if it is generally cheap, install the driver on the remote desktop server. Then, add a new local printer to the RDP server and pretend it is connected on LPT3, and choose the correct printer driver/model. This will force windows to load the driver, albeit to a non-existent port.
3. If it still doesn’t work, try making it a shared printer on the client side. Make sure printing is allowed in the Windows Firewall control panel.

On the RDP server, you can also check the Application or System Event Log (Right click My Computer -> Manage). Any printer related errors or warnings are recorded there.

G-Unit

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Nickelback

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PNAC Founder William Kristol

Note: I am actually in this video… I understand that you may be frightened by hearing foreign languages. I appear within the first 1-2 minutes.