Computer Optimization Necessity In Details

Writen by Ted Peterson

It would be much easier to forget about computer optimization if our PCs would stay new and untouched forever. But, unfortunately or not, we use them all the time and, be sure, not everyone of us is a computer specialist or a general troubleshooter. Just as every other needed tool receives its traces from being used too many times, the computer has it vulnerable and most affected parts that would need a special care and a periodic renewal, and I am not talking about the keyboard or mouse!

If you ask yourself how does it happen that your beloved machine started to waste your time and slow down all the processes, you can get easy answers. It is not very clever to think about changing your computer or parts of it every time something goes wrong (or simply slow) cause unlike other home utilities, this one has got a brain! Beings with brain function different! Your machine's thinking organ gets full of small parts of useless information.

Every piece of program or hardware that did ever visit your computer left some kind of trash in it, even after a careful removal. Remember that every apparently unimportant device ever connected to your computer leaves its imprints on the most fragile components of it!

It is not hard to imagine what happens next: you'll wonder why even the simplest tasks take more and more time to get accomplished and why your most indispensable tool doesn't look so friendly anymore! What kind of strange diseases attacked you precious machinery? No need to invest time and money on research, the answer is simple; your little friend is full with impurities and even if it struggles to be as faithful as it intends, it needs a little help and attention from you.

The drama gets bigger in dimensions when you think about the huge sum of goods you invested in your brand new PC expecting an adequate performance.

Another stressful factor is modern communication:

how comes that the internet doesn't cooperate with you easily and you need to wait endlessly until you get the wanted and deserved service from the international web?

Look straight into the future, the need for speed is just around the corner and none of us can be so luxurious in spending time on things that should work in time by their nature.

Your communication device is not able to show its real face; it simply cannot perform its duties at the highest possibilities without your assistance!

You can coop with it in many ways: clean it up manually (daily) or simply decide not to use it anymore!

To bring a little bit of optimism in these computer optimization matters, professionals propose different solutions and as speed is the key, you could speed up your PC with SpeedUpMyPc.

Ted Peterson writes for Core Download, a software archive with over 30,000 software titles to download like SpeedUpMyPC, dvdSanta and Registry Mechanic.

Reliable File And Folder Sharing In Windows Xp

Writen by Varun Sud

This tip is on sharing files and folders on a local network in Windows XP. It has been tested on Windows XP Professional (with and without SP2).

Many users of WinXp have experienced difficulty in sharing files and folders over our college network whether or not simple file sharing is enabled. The approach that I have found to work consistently is:

1. Disable simple file sharing from My Computer --> Tools menu --> Folder Options --> View tab --> Advanced Settings

2. Open Control Panel --> Administrative Tools --> Services. Enable the Server service by making startup Automatic or Manual. This is a standard service needed for sharing files and folders under WinXp.

3. Open Control Panel --> Administrative Tools --> Computer Management. Scroll to System Tools --> Shared Folders --> Shares. From Action menu, select 'Add share' and follow the instructions.

4. You may also want to add users to Administrator or other groups for shared folder access. Under Computer Management, scroll to Local Users and Groups. To add user to Administrator group, select the group name and choose Add from Action menu. It can also be used to add domain users as local admins.

Sharing files on computers directly connected to Internet is not recommended. However, restricting access to specific users using above procedure mitigates security risks.

Varun Sud
Associate Consultant,
Enterprise Solutions,
Infosys Technologies

Cookies What Are They

Writen by Mike Pulli

Cookies, not the kind that Mom makes, but the computer type, what are they and where do they come from. Well let's give you a quick and easy explanation of what they are, where they came from and how to get rid of them.

Cookies are a very small text file placed on your hard drive by a Web Page server. It is essentially your identification card, and cannot be executed as code or deliver viruses - good news. They are uniquely yours and can only be read by the server that gave it to you.They are used to store your information that you furnished on one of your visits to that Web Page.

Cookies Can Save You Time

If you personalize pages, or register for products or services, a cookie helps to remember who you are. Next time you return, they know to show you the information you requested. Or, when you register for another product or service, all you need to do is type in your e-mail address and a password. We then fill in any questions you've already answered. Of course, if you never register or leave personal information, then the server only knows that someone with your cookie has returned to the Web site. You are in charge of deciding whether we know anything about you. But the more you tell us about yourself, the more we can help you find information or products you want.

How to clear (delete) those cookies fast and easy

1. Close all WebPages

2. Go to Start on your PC

3. Go to Control Panel

4. Go to Internet Options (Windows XP – Network and Internet Options)

5. Click the General

6. Select Temporary Internet Files Delete Cookies and Delete Files Click OK

If you do frequent work on your computer. It is a good idea to clean out the cookies daily.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mike Pulli is the owner of http://www.foolishtimes.com/ and invites you to take a look at the services and download free helpful information e-books, articles and more.

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PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link.

Copyright © 2005 – Mike Pulli - Foolish Times. All rights reserved. E-mail notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: mike@foolishtimes.com

Convert Vhs To Dvd

Writen by Bob Rankin

You have several options to convert VHS to DVD. Let's look at them one by one and then you'll be ready to choose the one that's best for you.

Combo Units

If you own a combination DVD and VCR player/recorder, available almost any place where electronics are sold, it's almost painless to pop in the VHS tape and a blank DVD, press a few buttons and directly record the old tape to a shiny new DVD disc. (A slight variant on this method is to connect your VCR to a separate DVD recorder unit.) If you don't need to modify the video at all (editing, adding chapters and custom menus), this method is the easiest and most direct.

Using a Video Camera

Just about any video camera (camcorder) can serve as the tool to help you copy directly from your old VCR into a digital format. Usually it just requires hooking up a cable (may need to be purchased separately) from the VCR's Video Out port (the red, white, yellow connectors) to the Video In port on the camera and pressing a few buttons. Each camera works a bit differently, so follow the instructions in your video camera's manual for recording from an auxiliary input. This is a slow process because it is a re-recording of what is on the tape to the new DVD format, but it is fairly simple and requires no additional hardware if you already own a video camera.

Using a Black Box

Special devices like DVD Xpress or Instant DVD from ADSTech make it easy to transfer directly from VHS tape to a DVD disc. Basically, this is an external device that takes the place of the video camera in the previous scenario. You connect the VCR to the device with a standard red/white/yellow cable and then connect the device to your computer with a USB cable. These devices may be more cost effective than a video camera (about US$100) and a little easier to use.

More Geeky Solutions

Other options exist, for those interested in all the technical bells and whistles of video transfer, conversion and compression. Check out BitYard for a point-by-point, nearly human explanation of using an MPEG-2 capturing device that transfers and compresses the video to a smaller file size.

What Hardware and Software Do I Need?

Most computers sold in the last few years (Windows or Mac) will have the basic system requirements needed for dealing with the digital version of your VHS recording. You should have a Pentium 4 or higher, 1GB or more of RAM and at least 10GB of hard drive space available.

Oh, and a DVD burner of course, and a stack of blank DVD discs. Some computers have combination CD/DVD drives, which may or may not be able to burn a DVD. Don't assume that because you can burn a CD, you can also burn a DVD. Consult the documentation if you're not sure. If you need a DVD burner, the external USB-connected models are very easy to connect.

Once you capture the images on your computer, you can use movie editing programs such as Windows MovieMaker, QuickTime or iMovie to manipulate the video as desired, add subtitles, chapters, etc. Also check out VideoHelp.com for excellent video editing software and tutorials with wonderful step-by-step instructions.

The Low-Tech Solution

A final option for those who don't care to dirty their hands with wires, bits and bytes is a service bureau. Many services offer to receive your VHS tapes by mail and return it with a DVD equivalent. One example is Home Movie Depot. For anywhere from under $20 to a lot more (for damaged tapes) they can walk you through the preparation process and help you get the tapes to them for conversion.

How Long Do DVDs Last?

All that I've read indicates the expected longevity of dye-based DVD discs is anywhere from 20 to 250 years. Some formulations (notably phthalocyanine) are more stable and last longer, so look for those when purchasing DVD discs. However, many manufacturers don't list this on the packaging; so just be aware that some of the el-cheapo DVD discs may last just a few years, and buy quality name-brand discs.

There have been some confusing reports published recently, notably the claim by a guy from IBM Germany that CD and DVD discs will last only 2-5 years. This report has been WIDELY criticized and so far I haven't seen ANYONE come out in support of it. Nonetheless, popular news media (online and offline) trumpet it as fact and then mass confusion ensues...

As far as I'm concerned, the National Institute of Standards and Technology's report on CD/DVD Care & Handling is the most authoritative and accurate source of information on the subject of CD/DVD life expectancy. In that report, they say:

...there is consensus that, under recommended storage conditions, CD-R, DVD-R, and DVD+R discs should have a life expectancy of 100 to 200 years or more; CD-RW, DVD-RW discs should have a life expectancy of 25 years or more.

The useful life span of CD and DVD discs is affected by temperature, humidity, exposure to light and day-to-day use. So keep your DVDs in a cool, dry place, avoid direct exposure to sunlight, and they should last for several decades.

Reprinted from: http://www.askbobrankin.com/convert_vhs_to_dvd.html

BOB RANKIN... is a tech writer and computer programmer who enjoys exploring the Internet and sharing the fruit of his experience with others. His work has appeared in ComputerWorld, NetGuide, and NY Newsday. Bob is publisher of the Internet TOURBUS newsletter, author of several computer books, and creator of the http://LowfatLinux.com website. Visit Bob Rankin's website for more helpful articles and free tech support.