The Top 10 Must-Have Laptop Accessories

You've laid out good money for your laptop computer, but you're not done spending just yet. There are a few more laptop accessories you may want to consider to make the package complete. 1: Laptop Case / Bag As the newest member of the mobile computing force, you're required to take an oath of safe computing. And that starts with investing in the most important of laptop accessories - a laptop bag. You can't very well go traipsing around the world with your laptop exposed to the elements. When it comes to laptop bags, you can spend $25 for a small case made from less expensive materials on up to several hundred dollars for one made of top-grain cowhide. However, in the end, the most important consideration is whether your case can hold your laptop, plus all the other goodies that go with it (like the ones described here). 2: Software Did your laptop come with software? If so, did it come with the right software - the software you actually need to perform whatever tasks you need to perform? Don't just assume you have everything you need. You'll probably need to add some software, as well as go online to update the software that was included. 3: A Real USB Mouse Trackpads and eraser nubs that fill an obvious need. However, given the option, most people would rather user a real mouse. If you stop and think for a moment, you're likely to realize that many places where you'll be computing actually are suitable for a real mouse. So one of the most useful laptop accessories you can buy is a USB mouse, keep it in your bag, and use it whenever you're able. 4: A Cat5 Ethernet Cable Your built-in Ethernet port won't do you much good if you get to your hotel room, discover an Ethernet connection, and don't have a cable. Some hotels provide them; others don't. Always come prepared with the right cable. 5: A Standard Telephone Cable The same holds true for your modem connection. If you don't have a cable to get you from your computer to the phone jack, you're not going anywhere in cyberspace. 6: Disposable Cleansing Cloths Over time, the display on your laptop is going to get dusty, or even smudgy. You're playing Russian roulette with your laptop if you attempt to clean your display with paper towels and spray cleaners. Instead, use disposable cleansing cloths. These essential laptop accessories are designed specifically to clean laptop displays. Always have a stash on hand. 7: USB Drive A USB drive is a storage device about the size of your thumb that plugs directly into a USB port. Capacity-wise, they're relatively small - usually well under 100 MB. However, they're very useful for moving files quickly and easily from one computer to another, e.g., moving a PowerPoint presentation from your laptop to your business associate's laptop. A USB drive also makes a great temporary backup medium for the really important files you create on the road. 8: Blank CD-R Discs You've just finished your big sales presentation. Someone from the audience approaches you afterward and asks for a copy of the presentation. You'll make a better impression if you: a) ask the person for their email address and tell them you'll email the presentation later b) ask for their physical address and tell them you'll mail a CD later c) burn them a CD of the presentation on the spot. In case you didn't figure it out, the answer is c. Always be prepared with these inexpensive laptop accessories. 9: Stereo Headset It's great to be able to watch DVD movies no matter where you are. Imagine watching your favorite flick at 30,000 feet. There's just one problem. The family in the row behind you has absolutely no interest in hearing the dialog from Pulp Fiction. Do yourself and everyone around you a favor. When you're watching movies or listening to music in public, use your headphones. 10: Security Device Laptop security devices come in many shapes and sizes. For example, most laptops include a security dock that allows you to attach your laptop to some immovable object via cable, much like you'd lock up your bicycle outside the grocery store. About The Author Thinking of buying a laptop computer? 'How To Buy A Laptop' is the definitive online guide that will teach you everything you need to know. Don't buy the wrong machine! Check out ==> <a href="http://HowToBuyALaptop.com" target="_new">http://HowToBuyALaptop.com</a>

How to Shop for Inkjet Printer Cartridges

Keeping Shipping Costs Down When shopping for inkjet printer cartridges online keep in mind that postage can add significantly to the cost of a single inkjet cartridge. In some cases the cost of postage can be as much as the cost of the inkjet printer cartridge effectively doubling the price you pay. While this is still often cheaper and more convenient than going to your local office supply shop or newsagent to buy your inkjet cartridges it's not really the best way to maximise your shopping experience. Instead you should always buy a minimum of two especially if you tend to buy printer cartridges on a regular basis. If you don't buy printer cartridges very often then why not combine an order with a friend or group of friends and split the shipping costs. Don't get caught short Have you ever noticed that your inkjet printer cartridge always runs out of ink just when an important document is half way through printing? This means you have to rush out to the nearest stationery shop and pay through the nose for a replacement printer cartridge. The solution to this is simple. Always have a replacement printer cartridge stored in your draw or on the shelf so you can replace it straight away. Then reorder another cartridge straight away. That way you never have to wait or worry if for some reason your printer cartridge delivery is delayed in the postal system. Choosing a printer When shopping for an inkjet printer you should ensure that you take into account the cost and availability of replacement inkjet cartridges. In particular look the availability of compatible inkjet cartridges which will save you substantially over the life of the printer. Remember that OEM inkjet printer cartridges often exceed the cost of the printer after the purchase of a few replacement cartridges. Register and Join the mailing list Most Internet shops give you the option of joining a mailing list and registering when you make your first purchase. Registering saves time as you are not required enter your details every time you visit. The mailing list gives you access to information about regular specials and product updates and information. They are often researching the market to bring you the best available products at the best prices. Stay up to date the easy way. Just remember to check their privacy policy to ensure that they won't sell or pass on your contact information to any one else. By C. Cavallaro of The Inkstop The Inkstop a quality Australian discount inkjet printer cartridge supplier. For more information visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.theinkstop.com.au">http://www.theinkstop.com.au</a>

Build Your First Computer from Hardware Scratches

Wow- if you do it first time and have some asset of time in your disposition ? then go ahead and purchase motherboard, your favorite processor, memory, video card (probably it is better to purchase it external for advanced quality). You will also need computer case ? first computer should probably go to the cheap one ? with USB 2 ports from the front side ? the only question ? you might want to replace noisy cheap power supply with $50 dollars one. Processor fan ? nowadays you will see the variety for all the tastes ? get the one with adjustable spinning speed to regulate noise (if you could not place it into the basement of your house ? I guess you live in apartment or student dormitory). Let's go to details: ? Ahead of Generation. It is not a secret that when you build your own computer ? you might overpay ? in considering to what is available in the stores.. However you usually get ahead of technology. For example ? it is still common when Dell/Compaq/IBM computers use PC2700 standard of memory. If you bought PC3200 ? you have two years of being ahead of the competition ? Processor. If you build your computer from scratches ? you should look into 64-bits processor from the beginning. Get AMD Athlon 64 3400+ at least ? Video Card. For $100 you can get maximum of memory and performance. This is why we recommend to get external videocard ? DVD Writer. RW+/- unfortunately Japanese manufacturers are in the process of decision making on winning standards plus DVD of high density. Get both supported. ? Hard Drive. Decent motherboards support IDE raid and you could experiment with striping (raid 0). Then if you purchase two IDE disks 400 GB each ? you will get 800 GB ? unbelievable for supercomputers ? but you are on your own and cosmopolitan individual ? step forward and be ahead of competition. ? Troubleshooting. Understood and respected. First listen your mother board beeps and refer to its documentation. It might not see memory, graphical card, etc. When you are installing memory ? be very careful to static electricity issue. When you are attaching your mother board to computer case ? the most typical issue is motherboard shorting ? so do not be surprised to try your motherboard first outside the case Andrew is Lead Software Developer in Alba Spectrum Technologies ? USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving clients in Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, Denver, UK, Australia, Canada, Europe and having locations in multiple states and internationally ( <a target="_new" href="http://www.albaspectrum.com">http://www.albaspectrum.com</a> )

Getting A New Laptop At A Great Price

With all the wheeling and dealing that seems to take place on the internet at all times of the day, it can sometimes get confusing just trying to find your own deal. Finding the best price on your new laptop is most likely your highest priority at this point, but there are other important factors as well.<br> In this article I will discuss some of the best ways to ensure that you get the ultimate price on your new beauty, as well as a few other tidbits that shouldn't be left out.<br> I don't know about you, but I always love to first check out prices on eBay. In fact, this is what I recommend that you do also. Head on over to eBay and see what kinds of prices are listed for your specific notebook. I am assuming you are looking for a brand new laptop, so that is what you should look for on eBay. I like to look at the &quot;buy it now&quot; prices, of course making sure that the price listed is for a brand new machine. Alternatively you can look at auctions that are about to end. This method will usually give you a little better indication of what your specific notebook is going for on eBay.<br> eBay is good to look at first, mainly because they usually have the best prices. By finding out what you can get your laptop for on eBay, you will instantly have a lowball figure that others must beat.<br> So what now? I recommend going over to a couple price comparison sites such as shopping.com or pricegrabber.com. What these sites do is list a bunch of merchants that are selling the specific product that you are looking for. What is great about it is that a price is listed by each merchant, as well as customer reviews of the store (merchant).<br> A lot of these price comparison sites will even list the shipping price, and then calculate your total cost for whatever you want? It's a win-win situation for you! So now you are going to want to search for your specific notebook on a few price comparison sites. When the merchant listings come up, look for prices that are better than the ones you got from eBay. You will probably want to skip merchants with a bad rating, or at the most, go in and see why they are rated poorly. One more thing ?- Look at the shipping price? Sometimes you can get free shipping, or shipping at a much better rate than the auctions listed on eBay, which could steer the deal away from them.<br> Hopefully you have found an even better deal at one of the price comparison sites online. If you want, you can even go to some of the big name computer retailers and look at their prices, (even though many of them are listed on the price comparison sites). Sometimes you can find clearances though that will beat any of the prices you have found.<br> One other last point ?- Reliability is very important, especially with a purchase like this. For the eBay auctions you are going to want to look at the seller's feedback rating, and on the price comparison sites you are going to want to look at the merchant's customer ratings.<br> If you take the time to properly use the various resources that are available on the internet, you will find that getting a great deal on a new laptop is a lot easier than one might think. ***************************************************<br> Cody Kahl is creator and writer of Toshiba Laptops Guide ? A site<br> dedicated to providing only the best <a target="_new" href="http://www.toshibalaptopsguide.com/">toshiba laptops</a> information.<br> Cody believes in quality, and this free resource proves it.<br> ***************************************************

Portable MP3 Player Based Education

A revolution in learning technology has taken place. Actually, it took place a few years ago, and I'm only just now catching up. The reason is that no one connected the dots for me, and I guess I'm a bit slow. :) That's the value added I'm giving you here today. I'm connecting the dots for you, in case you haven't yet made the connection. MP3 players have become huge business. The most popular of these, of course, is the IPOD, but you can find many other brands with lots of different features to select from. They mainly get used for entertainment purposes - listening to music on the go, hearing podcasts by your favorite artists, and so forth. But the real revolution for upwardly mobile people is in having portable education that you can take with you most anywhere. I got, as a birthday gift, Creative's MuVo TX FM. If you get this one, and if you have ears anything like mine, be prepared to spend another $10 to get a decent set of headphones, because the ones that come with it physically hurt my ears. Not permanently - just a bit of temporary pain. And since I'm not into avoidable pain, I went to my local Radio Shack and got their "Three-In-One" package - which includes 3 sets of headphones for, like I said, about $10. OK - so having an MP3 player is "dot" number 1. "Dot" number 2 is that you can find huge numbers of MP3 audio files for instruction on almost anything. And you can download these files to your computer. And from your computer, you can transfer these files to your MP3 player. For example, from one of the membership sites I in which I participate, there is an mp3 file of an interview of Brian Keith Voiles, an acknowledged master copywriter. I've had that file on my computer for ages. Never got around to lisening to it. Now it's on my little MuVo and I've started listening while - well, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go to ... "Dot" number 3 is that you can get an adaptor (I got mine, again from Radio Shack) to let you play these audio files in your car over your stereo speakers. Beautiful! Now as I drive around doing errands, I can absorb in the convenience of my car, wihtout breaking any laws, information from copywriting experts or from self-help coaches, and more. I spend a fair amount of time in the car, so this really increases my productivity. But we're not done yet... "Dot" #4 - My little MuVo enables me to go to bed, and continue listening as I drift off into the Land of Nod ... without disturbing my wife! I can walk around the house, go work out, and all kinds of other sundry things - and continue learning. Finally - the unit I bought also enables me to record ideas on the fly and play them back. I haven't fully tested this yet, so I'm not sure about the audio quality - is it suitable for playing to you on my website? I'll be experimenting and report back to you. The MuVo that I got costs about $149 plus whatever tax and shipping applies. Add the new headphones (a must, I'm sad to say) and the car adaptor, and you're looking at a total expenditure of about $180. That may seem like a fair amount of money, but if you spend a lot of time doing mentally deadening things like driving around doing errands or working out while the gym plays the latest in so-called music so that you can't think - well, this may be an incredible value. I can recommend the MuVo (depsite the headphones), but shop around. Lots of folks vouch for the iPod. And others for something called Zen. You'll find lots of options, including price. Something is bound to work for you. And once you have it - watch out. You're brain may just explode with the new wealth of information you'll be painlessly absorbing. =================== This article may be reprinted as long as you keep it intact, unchanged and include this resource box. Bal Simon will help you turn your ideas into money. Visit <a target="_new" href="http://subscribe.wealthcountry.com/home.php">http://subscribe.wealthcountry.com/home.php</a>. You can contact Bal at <a target="_new" href="http://www.wealthcountry.com/contact.html">http://www.wealthcountry.com/contact.html</a>

Got The Message that You Need New Ink Cartridges?

We all know what it is like when that message flashes on the computer screen as you are printing off an important document. Your ink cartridge is low, replace soon! But, do you know what type of ink cartridges your printer needs? Do you know where to find ink cartridges to replace those? Is this going to be a long, difficult search that will cost you dearly? You don't have to dread that message at all. In fact, finding the information you need for the replacement of ink cartridges is simple. First, you need to know what type of ink cartridges you need. To know this, you will need to consult your handbook. Often times this information is listed right on the inside cover of the printer as well. Got that information? Okay, great, you are half way there. Now, you need to find the ink cartridges themselves. You can get in your car, drive across town, and wait in the endless lines at your local office supply store. Perhaps you are feeling lucky? You can then check your local department store to see if they may carry the ink cartridges you need. Or, you can simply sit where you are and find your ink cartridges online. There are many quality websites and web merchants who can supply you with those ink cartridges. Probably one factor in your search is finding the best price on the ink cartridges. If this is the case, then you definitely should utilize the internet to fill your needs. Finding quality and lower prices are just one benefit to finding ink cartridges online. So, the next time you see that message flashing on the computer don't worry! Finding your ink cartridge is going to be a snap! The <a target="_new" href="http://inkcartridge.inquirynet.com" target="_new">Ink Cartridge</a> Resource Site is an all-in-one Resource for Ink Cartridges.

Buying a New Computer

Someone recently asked me "I teach senior citizens in a community based free computer lab. They often ask what to look for when buying a computer, what software they need for email, basic Internet usage, word processing, etc. Many are on a limited budget. What would you suggest they need as a minimum?" Recommendations For a New Computer The good news is that computer prices have dropped a lot over the past few years, and the computing power you get for your money is going up! I don't recommend used computers for anyone, because the rate of change of computer technology will render most systems nearly obsolete within three years. If you're a computer novice, wondering what kind of computer, monitor, hard drive, memory, and operating system to get... here's some advice to get you rolling. Windows or Mac? You may have friends, relatives or neighbors trying to pull you into the "Windows vs. Mac" holy wars. In my opinion, the choice of operating system really doesn't matter. From a beginner's perspective, each has point & click interfaces that are pretty easy to use. Both will take you to the same Internet, and enable you to send and receive email. Both offer word processing, and the documents they create are interchangeable. Because Windows-based computers make up 90% of the market, they are cheaper. It's the law of supply and demand in operation. And in some areas, it may be hard to find technical or repair support for Apple Macintosh computers. So if you're budget-minded, and you don't have any friends willing to help you with Mac issues, I suggest you go with a Windows-based PC. A good entry-level computer with monitor can be purchased for under $400, and sometimes you even get a printer in the deal. So what should a newbie look for in terms of speed, monitor, memory and hard drive specs? It doesn't have to be all that confusing... What about Horsepower? The CPU (central processing unit, or "processor" for short) is the brain of your computer. In general, the faster the better. Processor speeds are measured in gigahertz (GHz) and as of this writing, the fastest models available operate at about 4 GHz. Entry-level machines start at about 1.5 GHz and are more than adequate for web surfing, email and word processing. If you see a computer with a processor that has a speed specified in megahertz (MHz), steer clear -- these are older models. Thanks for the Memory The next decision you have to make is how much RAM memory you need. Don't confuse RAM with hard drive (file storage) space. RAM is the temporary working memory that your computer uses to perform calculations and manipulate files. When you open a document, it is copied from the hard drive into RAM. As you and your word processor work on the file, the modified copy exists only in RAM. When you save the file, it is copied from RAM back to the hard drive, or permanent storage. And as with CPU power, the more RAM you have, the better your computer will perform. I recommend you have a minimum 256 megabytes (MB) of RAM, but with 512 MB you'll notice better performance. Hard (Drive) Decisions The hard drive is your permanent file storage. All of your personal files, such as word processor documents, photos, music, and emails are stored here, in addition to software packages and the operating system. Most new PC's come with a hard drive that's 40 gigabytes (GB) or larger. I recommend you start with a hard drive of 80 GB or more, if you plan to keep lots of photos or music on your computer. Go For a Large Monitor Here's the formula: Larger Monitor = Less Eyestrain and Less Scrolling. I recommend a 17-inch monitor, or even a 19-inch if you don't mind spending a bit more. Don't worry about brand names here, they're all pretty much the same. Stay away from 14 or 15-inch monitors, they're just too small to be practical. What About Software? Most of the software you need will come pre-installed on your new PC. Windows comes with Internet Explorer (for web browsing) and Outlook Express (for email). Many PC systems include a word processor, such as Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or OpenOffice. If your computer doesn't come with any of these, I suggest you purchase Microsoft Works, which will give you MS Word, a spreadsheet similar to MS Excel, and other useful programs. Look for a computer that comes with anti-virus software pre-installed. If yours doesn't come with any anti-virus package, check with your Internet service provider to see if they offer anything for free. Failing that, you can download the free <a target=_blank href="http://free.grisoft.com">AVG package</a>. Summary So in a nutshell, here are my recommendations: <ul> <li>Look for a Windows XP-based PC with monitor for around $400 <li>Processor: 1.5 GHz or better <li>RAM memory: 256 MB or better <li>Hard Drive: 80 GB or better <li>Monitor: 17-inch or larger <li>Software: Microsoft Works and AVG anti-virus </ul> Where to Buy? Look at your local computer store first, they may have some good deals and offer local support. Office supply and electronics stores such as Staples, Office Depot, and Best Buy are good options to explore too. If you're comfortable buying online, check out the Dell.com or Gateway.com offerings. 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 LowfatLinux.com website. For more helpful articles and free tech support, visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.AskBobRankin.com">http://www.AskBobRankin.com</a>

Surge Protector: A Simple Mechanism Description

A surge protector [AKA surge suppressor] is an electrical plug-in device designed to distribute safe electrical voltages to other electrical or electronic devices. Surge protectors resemble power strips in appearance; however, they are more sophisticated and deliver a constant, continuous power supply. In addition to connecting multiple devices to a single power source, surge protectors provide protection from frequent problems that plague conventional utility power. The most common of these problems are surges (temporary increase of voltage) and brownouts (temporary decrease of voltage). These disturbances slowly degrade many power supply units and cause premature equipment failure. The rising demand on our nation's power grids is causing more brownouts than ever before (Gamble; Power Protect Your Computer). The Inside of a Surge Protector Toroidal Choke Coil: The toroidal choke coil is an electromagnet wrapped in wire. It filters out line noise as the hot wire passes through it. Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV's): An MOV has three parts: a piece of metal oxide material in the middle and two semiconductors joined to the hot and ground wire. As a protective connecting unit it shifts unsafe voltage levels to the ground wire. Neutral Wire: The neutral wire is common in modern wiring practices for safety. It is used in conjunction with the hot wire and the ground wire. Hot Wire: The hot wire holds the passing current which contains excess voltage. Fuse: A fuse is a resistor used to protect the wiring from getting too hot. Fuses &quot;blow or burn out&quot;, thereby preventing the electrical current from traveling further. Ground Wire: The ground wire protects users from getting an electrical shock. It receives excess voltage from from the MOVs. Most surge protectors contain a parallel circuit design whereby the extra voltage is fed away from the standard path to another circuit. Another design is a series circuit where the electrical current is slowed; moreover it detects high voltage, stores the electricity, and releases it gradually (Harris). The majority of the electrical currents diversion is done through the metal oxide varistor or MOV. The MOV acts as a pressure-sensitive valve: based on the level of voltage, the electrons in the semiconductors behave differently either creating lower or higher resistance. When the voltage is correct, an MOV doesn't do anything (Harris). Specifications and Quality Considerations Energy Absorption: Surge processors are measured in joules (the amount of energy they can absorb). The higher the number, the better the protection: 200 joules provides basic protection, 400 is good and 600 or high is superior protection. UL1449: Standard rated by Underwriters Laboratories as the minimum protection standards for surge protectors. It rates suppressors by the amount of voltage passage they allow. Protection Indicator: LED indicator as to metal-oxide varistors functioning. MOVs do not last forever ? one lightening strike can fry them out. Line Conditioning: Most surge protectors contain this feature. It filters out line noise using a toroidal choke coil to &quot;condition&quot; the current. Power Switch: There are manual on/off power switches as well as circuit switches. Circuit switches are useful for keeping some components running while others are shut off. Circuit Breaker or Fuse: A fuse is a resistor that can conduct current below a certain level. If the current is higher than acceptable, heat burns the fuse and cuts off the circuit. Breakers are more economical than fuses as they do not have to be replaced. Protection Guarantee: Read the terms and conditions carefully! It is important to understand your consumer rights in the event of damage to devices your surge protector neglects to protect (Kozierok). According to data published on Hewlett Packard's website, recent statistics reveal 63 percent of all electronics casualties are the result of a power related problem. Most affected are devices using computer chips and high-speed microprocessors. Unprotected computers can suffer hardware degradation and extensive damage when exposed to power surges (Power Protect Your Computer). The cost of a surge protector varies greatly depending on user needs. Basic models sell for as low as $10 but one should be cautious as to the capabilities these units offer. NOTE: It is important to connect all peripheral equipment to the surge protector for complete protection. This includes phone jacks, modems, cables, and any other external devices that will receive electrical current. All visuals have been removed from this article to comply with the publishing rules for this site. Additional Resources Gamble, T. &quot;Storm Season&quot; www.bestbuy.com 15 Sep. 2004 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat31600050019&type=category Harris, T. &quot;How Surge Protectors Work&quot; www.computer.howstuffworks.com 15 Sep. 2004 http://computer.howstuffworks.com/surge-protector2.htm Kozierok, C.M. &quot;External Power Problems&quot; www.pcguide.com 15 Sep. 2004, http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/ext/probs.htm Power Protect Your Computer, www.hp.com 15 Sep. 2004 http://h71036.www7.hp.com/hho/cache/764-0-0-225-121.aspx T.L. McMullen<br> Equity Zip Financial<br> No More Fret - I'm Out of Debt!"<br> 888-300-EZIP (3947)<br> <a target="_new" href="http://www.equityzipfinancial.com">http://www.equityzipfinancial.com</a> - Guaranteed Credit Repair<br> <a target="_new" href="http://www.equityzip.com">http://www.equityzip.com</a> - Brixdale Inverse Mortgage

Buying Laser Toner Cartridges

Compatible Laser Toner Cartridges Recently, there has been a huge legal and investigative battle with people selling &quot;compatible&quot; laser toner cartridges. Often, a distributor will sell their defective, ineffective, or even damaging laser toner cartridges to unsuspecting resellers. These cartridges will make weak prints, cause messy ink spray, and may cause serious damage to your printer. So be sure to buy cartridges from an authorized reseller that the manufacturer audits. Check the manufacturer's website to obtain a list of authorized resellers. Beware of laser toner cartridges that are priced way below market standard. Bad or old packaging should also send up a red flag for phony laser toner cartridges. Finally, if your cartridge runs out of ink too quickly, gives messy prints, or damages your printer, don't buy from the same retailer again. This is not to say that all compatible toner cartridges are bunk. But if you're going to spend tens of dollars on a cartridge, why risk it? Remanufactured Laser Toner Cartridges Most manufacturers, and some third-party distributors, will give you money or discounts in exchange for your old laser toner cartridges. They in turn replace the guts of the cartridge, refill it with toner, and resell it at a big discount. In many cases, the quality is almost exactly the same as new. For example, a black-ink cartridge for an Epson Stylus Color 880 costs $27 from Epson, but only $12 from Rhinotek. <a target="_new" href="http://www.e-lasertoner.com">Laser Toner Info</a> provides detailed information about later toner cartridges and refills, as well as reviews of laser toner products. Laser Toner Info is the sister site of <a target="_new" href="http://www.e-brochureprinting.com">Brochure Printing Web</a>.

Thin Clients Benefits are Excellent Options for Computer Homeschools... Just a Suggestion

Wireless Consulting and Solution Providers have always been important to african american small businesses and now after several years of having the most technologically advanced homes in our neighborhood, we are beginning to realize that our neighbors could benefit from the same technology in educating our children. With the future our african american children are facing being dependent on computers and broadband access it is critical to have the proper tools for our children to have the confidence necessary to face the future. Psyche. There is a very good friend that is a Wireless Solution Provider in Chicago, whose wife "suggested" that he share his expertise with a neighbor who had been visiting his family's computer homeschool. Well after one thing led to another he finally enabled about 18 african american computer homeschools in the Chicago area, thus becoming a african american homeschool resource for wireless. This little story is related because while I myself was working in Chicago for 4 years, he came to me for assistance in selecting a networked computer system that would be affordable for his clients. I had success with using thin client computers before with african american owned small businesses, networking them through a small server and then upgrade them to an additional firewall for full strength protection. He tried this with one family and for around $1700 they received 2 thin pc's and a server, they were excited to say the least. The thin pc benefits kept working for him and his clients over and over again when creating a computer homeschool. Now I begin to work in North Texas and my sister "suggests" to me that I consult for a african american single mom in Dallas. *Side note... for those who perhaps may be uninformed about my use of the word "suggest" let me share with you how an african american woman "suggests" anything to men. First she will begin by asking you to handle a certain situation and if you don't respond correctly (never have, never will, women are smarter) the next level of the speech will be at a volume that will make the suggestion clear. Back to the benefits of thin client and how they make an excellent option. Thin clients have no CD drive, floppy drive, and don't look for a hard drive because it's on the server the actual workhorse of the network. The point is that it is 'thin' and most of the really hard work is done by another computer with all the bells and whistles as it needs them to 'manage' the thin pc's. That alone saves you money, and when it comes time to upgrade (and you know it's coming), all your processing power is actually in the server that manages your network. Even if you do have to replace one of your thin pc's, it costs $500 or less and a full blown fat desktop starts at $900 on up. Installing thin client networks are a breeze, setup the server and load it with the software you need to use, plug in the wireless thin client pc's and go for it! Lower upfront costs, easy to upgrade and install makes this a better option for today's computing homeschool. Daviyd Peterson: 10-year consultant, instructor, trainer<br> Helps african american homeschools bridge the digital divide by becoming computer homeschools. Free article on "Computer Homeschooling" and other related articles <a target="_new" href="http://www.homeschoolwireless.com/homeschoolwireless.htm">http://www.homeschoolwireless.com/homeschoolwireless.htm</a>

Ten Ways (plus 1) to Save on Printer Ink and Toner Cartridges

Are you getting tired of the high cost of printing? You're not alone. Many consumers are up in arms. For example, they believe paying $22 per ounce for printer ink and $150 to $300 (or more) for a toner cartridge is way too much. Most of the major printer manufacturers have adopted the same marketing model as the razor blade, TiVo and cell phone industry. Simply stated, they sell you the printer for cost or less in order to sell you printer ink and toner cartridges at huge markups. In many instances, they charge seven to ten times what it costs to manufacture these products. In addition, these major companies spend thousands of dollars trying to convince you to purchase only their products. They strongly criticize printer ink and toner cartridges offered by third party companies. However, did you know that many of these major companies are now selling their own recycled cartridges? and you're still paying full retail price for them! As someone once said, to get a real education, read the fine print on the label. With the advent of online marketing, consumer have more choices than ever. There are a large number of reputable companies that sell printer ink and toner cartridges at significant savings. It is very common to save 50-85% when purchasing your printer supplies. In addition to substantial savings, you'll get a money back guarantee and your order is normally shipped the same day. Ok, here's ten ways (plus 1) to save on printer ink and toner cartridges: 1. Purchase a compatible inkjet cartridge. These are cartridges made from new parts and manufactured to meet or exceed the OEM specifications for you exact printer. 2. Purchase a remanufactured inkjet cartridge. Third party companies collect empty printer ink cartridges. They refill them with ink and test them vigorously to make sure you get exactly the quality and quantity you expect from your inkjet cartridge. 3. Purchase an ink refill kit. You'll get step-by-step instructions, the tools and printer ink you need to refill your ink cartridge in just a few minutes. On the average, you can refill an inkjet cartridge ten times. 4. Your inkjet cartridge will eventually wear out. Instead of purchasing a brand name cartridge, purchase a compatible or remanufactured cartridge. Then, when compatible cartridge is empty, refill it with printer ink just as you did your original. 5. When you're printing, always use draft mode until you're ready for your final print. 6. Whenever possible, select black and white print. If you're final product is to be in color, your draft can be done in black and white until you've double-checked everything. Then, print your final copies in color. 7. Purchase a compatible toner cartridge. Third party companies make these toner cartridges from brand new parts. They are manufactured to be equal to or better than your original toner cartridge. 8. Purchase a remanufactured cartridge. Many companies collect empty toner cartridges. They empty any toner waste and then refill the cartridge. They quality check the drum and other parts of the cartridge to insure maximum performance for the consumer. 9. Purchase a toner refill kit. These kits include the tools and instructions necessary to refill your own toner cartridge. On the average, you can refill a toner cartridge about three times. 10. When you toner cartridge is not producing the quality of print you expect, check to see if you can replace the drum, instead of the entire cartridge. This will keep money in your pocket. 11. Purchase multiple ink and toner cartridges if you can. You will save substantially over the already discounted cost, plus you will probably get Free shipping. By ordering your printer ink, toner or ink cartridge online, you'll experience the best service, the best warranty, and the best products available, for all your printing needs. About The Author Larry Andrew is an educational consultant, author and publisher of <a href="http://www.ez-printer-ink.com" target="_new">www.ez-printer-ink.com</a>. Purchasing printer ink, toner and inkjet cartridges on line should be fast, convenient and cost-effective.

A Short Introduction to Blu Ray

Blu ray is a next generation optical media format developed by the Blu ray disc association, a group of leading consumer electronics and technology companies such as Apple, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sony, TDK to name, but a few. The format was developed for high definition video, as well as storing large amounts of data. A single layer Blu ray disc can hold 25gb of data, which is the equivalent to over 2 hours of high definition television or more than 13 hours of standard definition television. There are also dual layer versions of Blu ray that can hold up to 50Gb of data. While current optical media uses a red laser to read and write data, the new format uses a blue-violet laser instead. Despite the different type of lasers uses, Blu ray drives can be made backwards compatible. The benefit of using a blue laser is that blue light has a shorter wavelength so that it can be focused on a smaller target area than a red light laser. This allows data to be packed in more densely allowing more space for data in the same sized physical space. Blu ray is called Blu ray because it uses a blue light laser to write data onto the disc. Blu ray is expected to replace VCRs and DVD players and recorders over the coming years because Blu ray offers so much more capacity. Although it will take time for Blu ray technology to be come wide spread because the cost of DVD drives and media is so much cheaper than Blu ray at this time. Chuck Red runs several websites including <a target="_new" href="http://blueraystore.co.uk">http://blueraystore.co.uk</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://blueray-media.co.uk">http://blueray-media.co.uk</a>

Hard Drive Selection

Perhaps the biggest mistake people make when building their computer(s) is to underestimate the importance of the hard disk drive (HDD). In our modern society, bigger is synonymous with better, so when you go to buy a hard drive you look at how "big" it is, its data capacity. But is that all you should be considering when buying your hard drive? Like every other component of your computer, the HDD is far too complex a system to describe in any sort of detail here, but hopefully by the end of this article you will know what to look for when you go to buy your new hard drive. There are 4 primary aspects to look at in a hard drive (in order of importance): <li>Rotational frequency and average seek time <li>Buffer size <li>Internal/external transfer rates <li>Capacity Rotational frequency has become a large selling point (5400/7200/10000/15000RPM) recently, so you shouldn't have too much difficulty finding out what the rotational frequency of your HDD is when you go to buy it. Now of course the faster it spins, the faster it can read from the disk (there are other advantages also), but be aware that the faster it spins, the more wear is put on the drive, and the more likely it is to encounter errors and malfunctions later in life. Hard drives are pretty much the only systems within your computer that have moving parts (CD-ROM, floppy disk drives, and fans also have moving parts, but they're all cheap and if they break you won't lose all the data you've accumulated over the course of owning your computer, be sure to back up your data regularly!). If you know anything about physics or engineering, then you know that moving parts produce friction and wear, and a faster spinning platter (the part that holds the data and spins) means more friction, and therefore more wear on your drive. Of course the faster it spins the faster it can read data from the platter. So what can you do? well again you backup your data as much as possible and you get the fastest spinning drive money can buy (which is 7200RPM for ATA devices (the sort you are buying) and 15000RPM for SCSI and some Serial ATA devices (you might get Serial ATA, that depends on your motherboard)). So look for a "7200RPM" label on the drive you're thinking of getting, it's important! The "buffer" I'm referring to is the transfer buffer that temporarily stores data to read from or write to the hard drive. The reason for this is that the bus (data channel between the hard drive and the motherboard) can only handle so much information at a time, and it takes a long time for the data to be found and retrieved from a platter (random seek time), so it takes a big chunk of the requested data and stores it in a very fast data buffer to be sent at the bus's convenience. So with a larger buffer you can queue more data for transfer over the bus without having to keep sending requests to slowly find more data from the platters. Some newer drives come with as much as 8MB of buffer capacity, but it is more common to see 2 or 4MB. Usually a drive with a large amount will use that as a selling point and print it on the box/website, otherwise you can assume it has a 2/4MB buffer. My advice is to find one with as much as you can afford. Now for the transfer rates you're going to need to do some searching, the best way to find these numbers is to go to the manufacturer's website and look at specification sheet for the model you're looking to buy (actually this is the best way to get all the information I've talked about so far). One thing to look out for is that you may read something that says 133MB/s or ATA/133 or SATA150 or 150MB/s, and these are not the numbers you are looking for, those numbers describe the bus connecting the hard drive to the motherboard, and are theoretical peak numbers, which tell us virtually nothing. Also, if you are buying a Maxtor, don't bother looking up actual transfer rates, as Maxtor is apparently afraid to release such information. Not to say Maxtor's are bad drives, actually Maxtor has risen to the top in terms of technical support and they are much more willing to replace broken drives than some other companies, which is important since some ridiculously large amount (something like 10 or 15%) of hard drives are either dead on arrival or die within the first few weeks of use. As with the last two points, when looking at transfer speeds (if you can find them) always try to pick the one with the highest numbers you can afford. Notice that the first three of the 4 major aspects were all speed related? That was done intentionally to give you a sense of the importance of speed in the hard drive, because they are very very slow creatures, and for your gaming experience you don't need an enormous hard drive so much as a fast one. To increase speed substantially more you can set up a RAID, which is a network of hard drives which (in RAID0 mode) share portions of the same data, such that accessing data takes 1/n time (n = number of hard drives attached) compared to 1 hard drive. To do this you really need a hardware RAID chipset, which are commonly included on higher-end mainboards. Finally, capacity is an unnecessary nicety. The smallest hard drives you can buy today that are still within those higher speed classes are all about 30GB, which is more than enough for your games. But since games are not everything, and if you happen to be an iTunes member or like to download anime then you will really want some extra space. So I would recommend getting something between 60 and 120GB, any more and you're going to be paying through your teeth, any less and you might be looking to buy a supplementary hard drive in a couple years. And, oh yeah, 300GB hard drives from Maxtor are out, but they are comparatively slow, so I wouldn't recommend getting one for gaming, I like to stick to single platter drives (40-100GB usually), as they produce less heat and are less likely to break down on me. That is really all you need to know in order to make a good choice when upgrading your hard drive or buying one for a new computer. Of course there are many other resources on the web if you would like more detail on the inner working of hard drives. About The Author J A Carpunky <a href="http://www.computer-gaming-system.com" target="_new">http://www.computer-gaming-system.com</a> - visit our website for further information.

Your Business versus Mother Nature

Business Consultants earn hundreds of thousands of dollars every year showing businesses how to improve their productivity. All business consultants in the Information Technology area agree that the biggest threat to business survival is data loss. There are many different data backup solutions available on the Internet today. Unlike years past there are not only different providers but also many different methods of data backup. Some solutions are &quot;on-site&quot; based methods. These include tape drives or other magnetic storage media, DVD-R and CD-R based methods and NAS (network attached storage) methods of creating local (within the LAN) backups of critical data. These methods of data backup are definitely better than nothing, and can provide protection against user error, data corruption, and in some cases even computer theft (that is if the data backup equipment itself isn't also stolen) and many of the other pitfalls associated with digital media. But what about protection against the most powerful of all forces, Mother Nature? Hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, and other natural disasters are a serious potential threat to the crucial data you have stored within your computer network. Add into the equation the collateral damage of flooding and fire that often comes along with Mother Nature's wrath and you have a recipe for some serious data loss in the unfortunate event that one of these uncommon, but critically devastating, events occur. In most cases your existing backup solution would be useless and would suffer the same peril as your original data. The answer is simple: Have a complete, up-to-date copy of your data stored at a different location. You should back up your data using an offsite data backup service. Offsite data backups allow you to store mission critical digital files in a secure, remote location. When you store data in an offsite location you are doubling the protection of your most import data files and enabling a level of security that even the best on-premises data backup solutions can't provide. Your data is encrypted and backed up over your existing internet connection to a secure server. You can set it up to perform backups at any frequency you wish. You can even set up the system to schedule backups while the office is empty on weekends and evenings, or when the computers are idle for a certain period of time (great for those systems that need to be accessed 24/7 and cannot afford the potential downtime that may be incurred due to backup procedures being run at the time). Mother Nature is a concern for the integrity of your critical data. All smart businesses understand this. Your DATA is your LIFE. Protect it! Harald Anderson is a freelance writer and webmaster for <a target="_new" href="http://www.online-remote-data-backup.com">http://www.online-remote-data-backup.com</a> an online backup service. Experience the Digital Peace of Mind that safe, secure, encrypted online data backups can offer. <a target="_new" href="http://www.online-remote-data-backup.com">Online Backups</a>

Just The Fax, M?am

For years, I smugly prided myself as a non-fax machine person. I felt it beneath my dignity to own such a technical contraption. The quill is more my style than a computer but, being practical, I reluctantly use a computer, casting wistful glances at the dust gathering on my quill. Unfortunately, in the world in which we live, it is necessary to fax some letters or documents to someone in some odd part of the world. I don't like it, but that's just the way it is. On the rare occasion when I must fax some document at an office supply store, I usually sneak in the back way. It has been my experience, when the fax man seeth me cometh, he always raises the price per page. This is just a small service he does for Yours Truly. Then, when paying for this service, the fax man usually says with an impish grin, "When are you going to get a fax machine of your own?" I always flash a smile back at him, but if he knew the thoughts in my head, he would charge me more per page. Silence truly is golden, especially for the person exercising the virtue. Actually, I don't trust machines. I know a mind somewhere is controlling all of these machines - a menacing, mischievous mind dedicated to the simple task of messing up my life. When I eventually break down and buy a fax machine someone will invent something to replace it and I'll have another antique on my hands to put alongside of my Underwood typewriter and boxes of 8-track tapes. This notwithstanding, I ended up buying a fax machine several weeks ago. I didn't want to, but I had no choice in the matter. My printer finally went the way of all printers. I hated to see it go. The left side was cracked where Noah, the original owner, dropped it. For years, it served me quite well. My next printer will have a big ink cartridge to fill. I hate buying replacement equipment. Rarely is the new any better than the old, just more expensive, not to mention complicated. But, necessity is the stepmother of all complications in life, and I set out to buy a new printer. I resolutely did not want to buy a fax machine. Under no circumstance did I want to buy a fax machine. Therefore, I ended up buying a fax machine. It is impossible to buy a printer anymore. In order to buy a printer you must buy a machine that prints/copies/scans/faxes. I think it's a pretty sneaky way to get me to buy a fax machine. Someone "out there" is set on me owning a fax machine even though I don't want to own one. This new machine does everything but vacuum the interior of my car. But it was the cheapest machine I could find. I bought the machine but determined not to use the fax part. After all, somebody has to stand up for what they believe. Not everybody should succumb to the latest trend. I was doing fine until ending up in the hospital. When I got out, I needed to fax a document to the hospital. Now I faced a taxing dilemma. Do I go to the office store and fax my document, or do I try out my new printer/copier/scanner/fax machine? Precedence finally gave way to convenience. I took my document to my new machine and figured out how to fax it to the hospital. Not being confident in my technical knowledge, I called the hospital office to check on the faxed document. Much to my surprise the person on the other end said in a very cheery voice, "Yes, I have the faxed document right here in my hand." I must admit, although I hate doing so, faxing from my house was much easier than going to the office store. I now knew how to fax a document anywhere in the world, but I had nothing to fax to anyone in the world. I just stood there looking at my machine trying to think of something to fax. Even though I knew how to fax a document, I still did not know how to receive a fax. Several days ago, a friend called and said he had a document he wanted me to have right away. He then asked the ominous question, "Do you have a fax machine?" I began to say no, but hesitated and confessed I had a fax machine but did not know how to receive faxes. It was humiliating to make such a confession, but it was true. "It's simple," he said, "hang up the phone and I'll dial again and let the machines talk to one another." This caused no small discomfort. To think these machines are talking to one another behind my back is most disturbing. What are they saying about me behind my back? Now that I come to think about it, I have heard sounds similar to snickering coming from the general direction of my printer/scanner/copier/fax machine. I don't mind Big Brother watching over me, but I do mind some machine making jokes with other machines about me. When it comes to "new things," God is the master. This is what He promises to do for us. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV.) Put that in your printer and fax it. Reverend Snyder is currently ministering at the "Family of God Fellowship" in Ocala, Florida. More of his articles are available for reprint at his website: <a target="_new" href="http://www.godspenman.com/">http://www.godspenman.com/</a> Rev. Snyder is available as a guest speaker. He writes a weekly column and is the author of "You Can Always Tell a Pastor; But Not Very Much" available at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.jamessnyderministries.com/">http://www.jamessnyderministries.com/</a>

Does Size Really Matter In Our Digital Age?

Well, we've all seen the advert, but that's not what I want to talk about, so get that out of your head straight away. No, let's think about what many call the &quot;Queen of Arts&quot; - namely painting. Have you ever wandered around a huge Art Gallery and marvelled at the works by Tintoretto, Raphael, Constable or any master painter who has produced huge canvasses? Then again, we have many fine examples of beautiful artwork in cameos and miniatures. In fact, in all sizes between these two extremes the evidence of creative genius can be found down through the ages. However, it's patently obvious that the correlation between size and creative genius is poor. Mere size on the premise, &quot;never mind the quality feel the width&quot; is not the prime element of a masterpiece. Yes we are fascinated by the Sistine Chapel, for example, by the sheer scale of the paintings, but it's the genius of the painter that draws the eye. It's also true though that the artist tugs at our heartstrings by the wealth of detail that working in a large format permits. In the same way, large format and medium format cameras have traditionally been the working tools of professional photographers for many, many years. In a previous article, I suggested that there would always be room for film, especially for users of the larger formats. Now, we get to the nub of the matter, because in digital parlance, the wealth of detail evident in the larger formats is expressed as the size of the file. Unlike physical dimensions which cannot be changed once the work has been committed to the recording medium, be it film or indeed canvas size, the digital file is not so restricted. Of course, when image size is changed from the original during, say, image compression, there is generally a loss in quality e.g. jpeg Even the use of a lossless transformation doesn't add anything to the image, it merely preserves what's there. However, there is a revolutionary item of image manipulation software that does totally &quot;change the picture&quot; It comes as a Photoshop plug-in with Photoshop 6.0 or higher and it's called &quot;Genuine Fractals&quot; and here is what the originators claim, &quot;It's an indispensable tool for photographers, graphic artists and digital imaging professionals, Genuine Fractals enables you to create resolution-independent images from any size file and lets you print superior quality enlargements without any degradation in image quality&quot; By saving your digital image with this package as a very small stn file, you can create lossless files of up to 70Mb and beyond. After saving and re-opening this file in Photoshop, Genuine Fractal kicks in and you can easily produce files of a specified size I was stunned by this software and began to wonder what the impact might be for both digital photographers and medium/large format professionals. Of course, as already stated, this increased size does NOT put extra information into the shot. There again, neither does making a 67 dupe of a 35mm slide improve image quality and many photographers still do that when submitting to libraries. Digital photographers may get even more benefits by beefing up the file size using Genuine Fractals, before printing out enlargements. This could be very useful for Wedding Photographers who want the convenience of using a digital camera, but are unhappy about the quality of enlargements often requested. Using Genuine Fractals may save time effort and money by eliminating the need for a film backup camera. On the other hand, it may be that Genuine Fractals may produce the best result with photos captured from film and then scanned, because noise in the original image is not removed when enlarged, in fact it will be more obvious. This means that mid-range digital camera shots are likely to fare worse on enlargment than film shots captured with 10 million pixels+ With a new version Genuine Fractals 3.5 just released, it could be worth a test and could be a worthwhile investment too. So, if you want to explore this a little more, get a copy of Amateur Photographer for 23 October 2004 and read their review of this exciting software. You can get a free test copy of the software itself from this link: <a href="http://www.dcp-systems.co.uk" target="_new">http://www.dcp-systems.co.uk</a> Why bother with a medium format camera if 35mm caressed by this Software will do instead? Oh I know I'll get lectures from purists for even suggesting something so daft, given superior lenses and better optics, but for some people that may be just overkill. If this article has opened up the possibility of a better working method for some freelances, that's all that matters. So don't please run around telling your mates that size does not matter and that I've assigned medium format cameras to the dustbin of history. No, I'm just shining the spotlight on that funny old coin digital/film and giving it a flick in the air. Who knows how it will land? At least I've got a 50-50 chance of being right! About The Author One of a series of articles by Robert Hartness, successful freelance and author of an hotlinked, flip-over, e-book, published on the web in October 2004. It offers a step-by-step guide to those on the threshold of freelance photography and is illustrated with 40+ published photographs. Acclaimed as a great reference source for serious freelancers. More information and order link - <a href="http://www.cashfromyourcamera.com" target="_new">http://www.cashfromyourcamera.com</a> Press Release: <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/10/prweb168698.php" target="_new">http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/10/prweb168698.php</a>

Alternatives to Tape Backup

You may ask, isn't tape an anachronism in the age of optical disks, removable hard drives and a plethora of whiz-bang, random-access storage media? In many ways it is, but because of the nature of backup it doesn't really matter that tape is slow and sequential-access. Remember, tape is cheap. Businesses use tape because they find it to be a cost-effective backup solution. However, if you have any problems with tape backup, you'll probably be interested to know that there are several alternatives to tape. Backup to NAS devices NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices are attached directly to your network and can act as a backup store. Obviously, it's very convenient to backup files to NAS, as there are no disks or tapes to insert and remove. There are many NAS devices specially designed for small businesses. NAS is an excellent choice for network backup. Backup to REV drive In April 2004, Iomega released the REV drive -- a new storage device that has greater capacity than tape and is 5 to 8 times faster. Key features are: * Backup to REV drive is much faster than tape backup.<br> * REV drive units are more durable than tape.<br> * While tape requires regular cleaning, no cleaning is required for REV drive units.<br> * Backup to REV drive may in fact prove more cost-effective for your business than tape, depending on your backup scheme and other factors. Otherwise, REV backup is very similar to tape backup in principle. Final notes Several reliable backup software solutions exist. Choosing one is simply a case of deciding which is most suitable for your business. As always, invest in quality <a target="_new" href="http://www.backupassist.com">backup software</a>. Rather than purchasing specialist REV backup software and NAS backup software, your choice in software should allow backup to numerous devices. You will then be able to change your backup hardware in the future without buying new software. Linus Chang is a backup expert and the lead developer of BackupAssist -- backup software that is simple and affordable, and perfect for small and medium businesses. Protect your Windows servers, including SQL Server and Exchange Server, to <a target="_new" href="http://www.backupassist.com/news/tape-backup-software.html">tape, REV drive, hard drive, NAS and more, at a fraction of the cost of other backup programs. It transforms <a target="_new" href="http://www.backupassist.com/news/ntbackup.html">NTBackup</a> into a script-free and simple-to-use tool.

Setting up a Tape Backup Strategy for your Business

So you know a little bit about tape backup, but you're wondering how to set up a tape backup strategy for your business. Well, let's take a look at 3 simple steps to setting up a complete backup solution. Step 1: Purchase your tape backup hardware Firstly, purchase the tape backup hardware. If you need to perform file server backup (or Exchange Server backup or SQL Server backup) for small business, then one of the following tape drives should suffice: * Travan cartridge drive (up to 10 Gb)<br> * DDS tape backup drive (up to 20 Gb)<br> * DDS tape backup drive with hardware data compression (up to 40 Gb)<br> Then purchase the necessary tapes for your backup rotation strategy. A good Grandfather-Father-Child variation will require 10 tapes or 14 tapes. Step 2: Purchase your tape backup software When it comes to tape backup software, one option is to use NTBackup -- the standard Windows backup program. The problem with NTBackup is that it is too hard to use. While an expert should be able to schedule backup jobs using NTBackup, what you really want is something a novice can setup in minutes. What you really want to do is invest in some quality backup software for your business? Well, if you run a small business, you'll want to avoid those expensive brands! They're designed for large corporations. You should really be looking for software for tape backup that does everything you need, but is affordable at the same. Look for a backup program that's designed specially for small business instead. Look for a product that is advertised as being simple to use. Remember, you don't want software that requires an expert to run it. Download a trial version of the backup software and try it out for a month or so. If everything works smoothly and you're happy with the product, go ahead and make a purchase! Step 3: Continually perform your backups So you've attached the tape drive to your server and installed the software. You've configured the software to run your tape rotation scheme and everything's raring to go. So how do you go about performing backups? Well, at the end of each working day, put the tape into the drive. And as obvious as this sounds, the correct tape should be placed in the drive. For example, placing the "Week 2" tape instead of the "Week 3" tape in the tape drive will reduce the effectiveness of your tape rotation strategy! Your tape backup software should take care of the rest. In addition, you should monitor the results of each backup to check for errors. For example, if a tape wears out and data cannot be verified, you need to take action and replace that tape. If some problem prevented a backup from completing, you need to know about it so that you can re-run the backup the next morning. Be sure to also follow your manufacturer's guidelines for drive cleaning and maintenance. Final notes As strange as this seems, you should be at the mercy of your tape backup software. And the more control it exerts over you, the better! Let me explain... NTBackup assumes that you insert the correct tape and it doesn't inform you of any errors. You are responsible for selecting the tape according to your tape rotation scheme, and the onus is on you to read result logs and discover if any errors occurred. This means that the file backup process is tedious and prone to human error. A complete solution for tape backup should take charge of your backup strategy for you. A <a target="_new" href="http://www.backupassist.com/news/tape-backup-software.html">tape backup software</a> should email tape rotation instructions and the results of backups to you or your secretary, making your task far simpler and minimizing the chance of human error. Select the right server backup software and you're already most of the way to implementing a complete tape backup strategy for your business. Linus Chang is a backup expert and the lead developer of BackupAssist -- <a target="_new" href="http://www.backupassist.com">backup software</a> that is simple and affordable, and perfect for small and medium businesses. Protect your Windows servers, including SQL Server and Exchange Server, to tape, REV drive, hard drive, NAS and more, at a fraction of the cost of other backup programs. Transforms <a target="_new" href="http://www.backupassist.com/news/ntbackup.html">NTBackup</a> into a script-free and simple-to-use tool.

How To Take Care Of Your Laptop Computer

As the proud owner of a laptop computer, you'll want to keep your machine in the best possible condition. Aside from cleaning your screen and dusting the keyboard, however, you'll need to take a few extra steps to maintain your laptop's health: -- Play it cool A laptop computer generates a lot of heat, especially when running the latest high-powered software. Too much heat and you risk damaging the internal circuitry. Always try to keep your laptop in a well-ventilated, cool environment. And ensure you don't block the fan grills on the sides, back, or bottom of the machine at any time. -- Handle the screen carefully Avoid touching or playing with your LCD screen. Yes, it might be fun to watch the waves generated by your finger against the screen, but LCD displays are fragile devices that must be cared for. Take care when cleaning the screen too, and use only approved cleaning materials. You won't want to pay the money for screen repairs or, even worse - a new machine entirely. -- Don't drop it Whatever you do, don't drop your laptop computer! Keep it safe inside of a carrying case when moving around or traveling. Don't leave it on the edge of a table or on an unstable support of some kind. One ill fated drop to the floor could spell death for your mobile office. Try to make sure the rubber feet underneath are in good condition and are still attached. This will prevent the device from sliding around accidentally. -- Be careful with those drinks... If you need to have a drink while working or playing, be careful not to spill it. Your laptop computer could suffer the consequences from just a few drops of liquid poured in the right places. While you probably do eat and drink around it regardless, you will want to occasionally wipe down the edges, the keyboard, the touchpad, and maybe even wipe down the screen to keep any dirt from accumulating. -- Just say no to viruses Security wise, make sure you obtain an anti-virus program. Secondly, keep it updated! Buying an anti-virus one month and not updating it for the next six really negates it purpose. Your laptop computer could be exposed to hundreds and thousands of new viruses every month if you don't update your virus definitions. Most anti-virus programs have automatic update methods, eliminating the need for you to have to remember to do it manually. -- Avoid Popups Pop-ups are particularly annoying on a laptop computer. Trying to close a bunch of windows without a regular mouse can be a nuisance. You'll want a pop-up blocker, such as the Google Toolbar (located at http://tools.google.com), to prevent these pop- up ads. Many intrusive forms of advertising, and even some viruses, can install software on your machine by using various forms of pop-ups. It's best to get yourself a blocker and avoid the situation entirely. -- Use a firewall Always utilize a firewall on your Internet or network- enabled laptop computer. Even if you use Windows XP's built- in firewall (or purchase one from such companies as Norton), your security will greatly benefit from it. Blocking out all the unnecessary ports and closing all the loopholes will prevent a hacker or virus from freely entering your hard drive. So there you go. Combine all of the above tactics and help your laptop enjoy a happier and healthier lifestyle! About The Author Joe Chianese is a technical writer and frequent contributor to <a href="http://www.HowToBuyALaptop.com" target="_new">HowToBuyALaptop.com</a>. For advice on how to find the right laptop computer for you, visit our website.

Refurbished Laptop Batteries

There are three refurbished laptop battery types, each named for its component materials: Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) batteries are hardly ever seen anymore. They have dismally low capacities (2000-3000 mAH) and contain heavy metals that harm the environment. Worst of all is the dreaded &quot;memory effect&quot;. When you recharge a NiCad battery before it is completely drained, the longevity of the battery is compromised. That is the memory effect. Nickel Metal Hybrid (NiMH) batteries have twice the capacity of NiCad batteries (4000-6000 mAH) and are half as susceptible to the memory effect. But these too are becoming rare. Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries are today's laptop battery standard. They have all the capacity of a NiMH battery, but zero memory effect and zero toxins. Bonus: Li-Ion batteries weigh half as much as NiMH batteries. In purchasing a battery, the consumer has three options: used, refurbished, or new. Used laptop batteries that are not refurbished will probably only last you 30 minutes to an hour before needing recharging. Refurbished laptop batteries are available from most manufacturers and retailers of refurbished laptops. These batteries are renewed, recharged, and tested. They are much better than plain old used batteries, but not quite as good as new. New laptop batteries last a good couple of years ? 600-800 recharges ? as long as they are properly cared for. Extending Battery Power Whenever you are using your laptop near a power source, use the A/C adaptor. However, sometimes you will be forced to use your laptop with no access to a wall outlet, and the battery will run low. Here are three things you can do to extend the remaining power in the battery: First, if your laptop processor features a power-save mode, switch over to power-save mode. This will slow the laptop by up to 50%, doubling battery life for that time period. Second, turn off extraneous energy-sucking elements. The major power vampires in your laptop are the hard drive, the CD and DVD drives, any networking devices, and any excessively bright screen settings. Third, you can double overall battery capacity by installing a second battery. Your laptop must have a universal bay in order to do this. All you have to do is remove the CD-ROM or floppy drive and put a battery in its place. <a target="_new" href="http://www.i-refurbishedlaptops.com">Refurbished Laptops Info</a> provides detailed information on quality, cheap refurbished laptops by manufacturers like Dell, IBM, Toshiba, and HP, as well as refurbished laptop batteries and related products. Refurbished Laptops Info is the sister site of <a target="_new" href="http://www.e-rackmountcomputer.com">Rack Mount Computers Web</a>.

The Hard Disk

From throwing our unnecessary files, to defragmenting, from partitions to formats-learn how to keep your hard disk in top shape The hard disk is the place where all your programs and data are stored. If the hard disk Stops working you could end up losing all your data. What we'll do here is take you on. A quick tour of the different things you need to know about it, so you can keep it working smoothly. What is the hard disk? The hard disk is a magnetic mass storage device installed in special bays within the system unit. The hard disk could do compared to a large cupboard having several shelves With different items being neatly arranged and stored on each self. The hard disk stored all the data you need to store on your PC-the operating system (for example, Windows), Software program (for example an office suit), business or household applications and data, games, e-mail message, address books and so on. A hard disk off the assembly line is just a mass of magnetic media. The magnetic surface of the hard disk has to be structured into specific areas where data can be stored properly, a process known as formatting. When you buy a new computer, the system comes with a formatted hard disk. A hard disk needs to be divided into partitions before it can be used. The hard disk on a newly purchased computer comes configured with a single large partitions, the primary partition (C: in My Computer) and an extended partition, which may be further subdivided into logical partitions (D: E: and so on in My Computer) if required. Partitioning makes the storage of data more efficient and reduces the access time to retrieve data. The storage capacity of hard disk has increased by leaps and bounds since IBM XT's first 10 MB hard disk. Nowadays, 10GB is the entry level and 17 GB is common. The hard disk communicates with a PC's motherboard through an expansion card or a disk interface card. How does it wok? The disk is formatted to divide its magnetic surface into concentric circular paths called tracks (these are like the grooves on a phonograph record) and wedge-shaped slices called sectors. Data is stored in the form of a file or groups of disk sector called clusters. A disk drive locates data by moving its magnetic read-write head to specific track within a specific sector. When a new file is created in a freshly formatted hard disk, it is assigned cluster numbers in a sequential order. If the file is expanded, then the first available clusters are assigned. When file is deleted, their cluster numbers are simply marked as available. Over course of time, when files grow in size to require additional cluster or are deleted, the perfectly ordered sequence of clusters gets disturbed, a process known as fragmentation. Partitioning the hard disk Partitioning divides a large hard disk into smaller virtual-not physical-hard disk or partitions, leading to an efficient utilization of space and boosting your PC's performance. Partitioning could be very useful in following circumstances: 1-One PC, several users-If several persons have to work on the same PC, partitions could be assigned for each of them so that each person has his or her own &quot;working space.&quot; This could be useful in home setting too, where you could have separate partitions for your spouse, children's games, business applications and data and so on. 2-Work on multiple operating systems-You may want to work on more than one operating system on your PC, for example Win98, Linux and Windows95. (Maybe you have applications that work perfectly in Win95 but suddenly crashed in Win98). You can keep these various operating systems safely on the same hard disk by installing them in separate partitions. Partitioning Tools There're several partitioning tools available for your hard drive. Two of the most popular ones are: 1-PartitionMagic Version 4.o for Windows95 and 98-Partition Magic, from Power Quest is a useful and powerful partitioning program. It effortlessly creates, moves, converts and resizes partitions on your hard disk without the necessity of reformatting the disk of erasing valuable data. 2-FDISK- is a freely available partitioning utility that runs in the DOS environment. Its greatest UPS is that it is available for free. It is cumbersome to use and also requires formatting of the hard disk (perhaps its biggest drawback). Formatting a hard disk As with most mechanical devices, prolonged use of the hard disk results in inevitable wear and tear and malfunction. Repeated adding and deleting of files takes its toll on the hard disk and you may get disk error, including the notorious &quot;fatal error&quot; of Windows. This is an indication that you may need to re-format your hard disk to have it working properly again. However, before deciding to re-format the disk it may be worthwhile to try out other alternative- 1-Run Disk Defragmenter 2-Use a cleanup shareware programs such asregclean.exe, available for download. However, if after trying out these alternatives, you continue to get fatal error message, then you probably need to format your hard disk. The procedure of formatting is simple enough but has to be done carefully. When you format the hard disk, all the data on the disk is lost-Windows operating system, software programs, business applications data, games, e-mails messages. In short everything. How to do the formatting Windows 95 1- Double-click on My Computer icon. Then click the icon for the drive you want to format. (e. g. C:) 2- On the File menu, click Format and follow the instructions. Remember that you can not format a disk if there are files open on that disk. If the disk has been compressed, use Drivespace or other compression to format the disk. Windows 98 1- Click Start, click Shutdown, click Restart, and then click on OK. 2- Press and hold the CTRL key until the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup Menu appears. 3- Select Command prompt only and press Enter. 4- At the C:prompt, type format C: and press ENTER. 5- Follow the instruction on the screen. After formatting you're left with a blank hard disk with more space then before. The next step is to restore the programs you need on your disk. 1- First reinstall Windows and then application programs you use. 2- Restore your backups into appropriate files. If you use a Zip drive or a CD-writer, these need to be installed first. 3- Reinstall all drivers for the printer, modem or other peripherals. Do the defrag A file on your disk may not be stored all in one place or cluster. For example, if you create a Word document and make changes to it at a later date, the change may get saved in a different cluster from the original file. The more often you make changes to a file, the more disorganized the cluster becomes, and the disk becomes fragmented. This makes the magnetic head that reads and writes data to and from the disk, works harder to retrieve the entire file. Fragmentation of hard drive reduces the storage efficiency and then access time for retrieving information. The process of defragging helps to rearrange the files and unused space on your hard disk so that programs run faster. Before Defragging, it may be a good idea to check how much of your hard drive is fragmented. You can do this by running ScanDisk. Empty the temp folders and Recycle Bin before defragging. Windows 95 and Windows 98-: Open the Start Menu, choose Programs, choose Accessories, and choose System Tools and click on Disk Defragmenter. You defragging schedule will depend on how much you use the PC. A good rule of the thumb is to defrag every two weeks. Make sure all your files are closed and then you have turned of the screensaver also. Spring Cleaning No more hard disk space left? Getting disk error or illegal operations? It may be time to clean up your hard disk. A few spring cleaning pointers to help you out. 1- Toss out unwanted applications-: check out all the software applications you have loaded on the PC. Delete the old applications if you have installed newer versions. Go to the Control Panel's Add/Remove program option and uninstall those applications you don't need. 2- Run ScanDisk-: the ScanDisk option in Windows is very useful application which fixes problem like lost clusters, invalid directory entries and physical disk errors. Run ScanDisk once a month. Go to start, choose Programs, choose Accessories, and choose System Tools and click on ScanDisk. Click the drive that contains the folders and files you want to check. 3- Defrag often, once in two weeks. 4- Empty Recycle Bin-: Right-click on Recycle Bin icon on the Desktop and choose Empty Recycle Bin from the dropdown menu. 5- Clean out your folders-: do you really need all those download you had undertaken for a past research project or those games you seldom plays? Delete those folders that are not required. 6- Delete .tmp files and create more space on hard disk. Close all programs. Go to Windows Explorer. Press the key to open find dialog box. Enter *.tmp in the box. Make sure that C: Drive is listed in the Look-in box. Include subfolders by checking them. When .tmp files appear, delete them. 7- Delete temporary Net files to create more space. Go to the temp Internet Files folder in Windows Explorer. Delete all present files. 8- There are several Windows components on your hard disk that you could do without. You could remove these individual components from the Add/Remove Windows setup option and create more space on your disk Some windows components that are not necessary are accessories such as Desktop Wallpapers (a saving of 700kB) and games (a saving of 600kB Before you format?.. 1- Enter the hard drive's technical specifications (number of cylinders, tracks, sectors etc.) into the PC's BIOS setup table so that it is available for the machine's Startup program. 2- Backup all your important data onto another hard disk, recordable CDs, Zip Drive, magnetic tapes or floppies. If you have a sort of backup space or are in hurry, copy only important folders. Backup your e-mail and address books too. After taking the backups, check them out to make sure that they are okay. 3- Backup any folders that you share with others over a network. 4- Keep handy the installation disks or CDs of the application software you use, such as Windows or an office suite. These will have to be re-installed after formatting. 5- Keep handy the driver disks for your printer, sound card, CD ROM driver, modem or other devices. These will have to be re-installed after formatting. FAT Facts When a hard disk is formatted, a File Allocation Table (FAT) is created on the disk. FAT keeps a record of the locations of all the files on the disk FAT 16 is the file allocation system used in DOS and Windows 95. FAT 32 file system is used in Windows 98 or Win 95 OSR 2. FAT 32 is considered to be more efficient as it saves more space on the disk. The performance of hard disk largely affects the overall performance of a PC. Hard disk performance factors include storage capacity, data access time (the time it takes for the read write heads to find a required position on the magnetic surface), data transfer time (measure how many million bit per second can be transferred from disk to RAM) and reliability. TIP Keep your hard disk in tip-top condition and optimize its performance. 1- Create separate folders for each business application, data or for each family member. This will keep your disk clean and organized. 2- Avoid the compression Though file compression increases the amount of storage space, it also considerably slowdown system performance. 3- Keep 10% free. Always keep at least 10% of your hard disk free-filling it beyond 90% of its capacity will lead to system slowdown and potential loss of information. 4- Run the Maintenance Wizard utility of Windows 95 and 98. This utility make your programs run faster, checks your hard disk for problems and free hard disk space. You can schedule it to0 run on a regular basis at a specific time, for example once a week or other interval of your choice. Start maintenance Wizard by clicking on Start, choose Programs, choose Accessories, choose system tools and click on Maintenance Wizard. 5- Use software package that help to optimize your hard disk's performance, e.g. Symantec's Norton Utilities. About The Author Pawan Bangar,<br> Technical Director,<br> Birbals,<br> (Hbirbals,Seobirbals,Ebirbals,Ibirbals)<br> Cell:91-175-3150734<br> Cell:+91-98153-52253<br> email: <a href="mailto:pawan@ebirbals.com">pawan@ebirbals.com</a> Yahoo Messenger:pawanishappy@yahoo.com<br> MSN messenger:ebirbals@hotmail.com

Flash Your ATI Video Cards BIOS

Flash your ATI video card BIOS. You will need the following: 1. 1.44MB FDD (floppy) 2. FLASHROM utility copy 3. Compatible BIOS file for your video card. (search the manufactures website for bios details) 4. Required Drivers. (check manufactures website) Alright now First make an ATI BIOS flash boot disk. -Bios flash operations for video must be performed in DOS. -You will need a DOS boot disk, you can obtain one if you do not already ahve one at bootdisk.com, download there dr DOS image file after that run the .exe file that comes with it. Which will create a clean DOS boot disk. (if any problems folow instruction son the website) -If you need other ways of obtaining a boot disk just post in a related thread. Now that you have a DOS boot disk, copy the BIOS file you downloaded and the FLASHROM.exe file onto the disk. Second <br> Make a backup of your ATI video card BIOS Make a backup of your current video card BIOS before flashing the bios, incase of problems. (better safe than sorry) -boot your computer with the boot flash-disk you had created in the first step. -during the "A:" prompt type "flashrom.exe -s 0 backup.rom" ENTER -now the utlity FLASHROM will make a backup of your video's bios onto the bios flash disk (called backup.rom) -Just in case, if we have to go back to the original bios. Third <br> Flash your ATI video card's bios -at the A: prompt type the following to flash your video bios -"flashbios -p 0 (name of new bios file you downloaded including the extention) hit ENTER (no brackets around the name of your new bios file) -Flashrom will overwrite your odl bios with your new bios. -if any errors ocured do not restart; consult troubleshooting. -if there is a pause in the procedure, for say the bios types do not match you may use a "-f" switch to force the operation (force if certian the bios suits your video card) Forcing the BIOS flash type: During the thrid section instead of typing -"flashbios -p 0 (name of new bios file you downloaded including the extention) Type -"flashrom -f -p 0 (name of new bios file you downloaded including the extention) -If you had made it this far without any errors and everything seems to have gone correctly, than restart your system. -monitor the post screen for the video card info -double check that your procedure worked and your bios has worked correctly. -also watch to see if your OS boots correctly -plz keep in mind that your new bios may need new up to date drivers. Hooray! Congrats! You have successfully changed your video card's BIOS. Jason Barrett <br> <a target="_new" href="http://www.computing-forums.com">http://www.computing-forums.com</a>

Flash Your ATI Video Cards BIOS

Flash your ATI video card BIOS. You will need the following: 1. 1.44MB FDD (floppy) 2. FLASHROM utility copy 3. Compatible BIOS file for your video card. (search the manufactures website for bios details) 4. Required Drivers. (check manufactures website) Alright now First make an ATI BIOS flash boot disk. -Bios flash operations for video must be performed in DOS. -You will need a DOS boot disk, you can obtain one if you do not already ahve one at bootdisk.com, download there dr DOS image file after that run the .exe file that comes with it. Which will create a clean DOS boot disk. (if any problems folow instruction son the website) -If you need other ways of obtaining a boot disk just post in a related thread. Now that you have a DOS boot disk, copy the BIOS file you downloaded and the FLASHROM.exe file onto the disk. Second <br> Make a backup of your ATI video card BIOS Make a backup of your current video card BIOS before flashing the bios, incase of problems. (better safe than sorry) -boot your computer with the boot flash-disk you had created in the first step. -during the "A:" prompt type "flashrom.exe -s 0 backup.rom" ENTER -now the utlity FLASHROM will make a backup of your video's bios onto the bios flash disk (called backup.rom) -Just in case, if we have to go back to the original bios. Third <br> Flash your ATI video card's bios -at the A: prompt type the following to flash your video bios -"flashbios -p 0 (name of new bios file you downloaded including the extention) hit ENTER (no brackets around the name of your new bios file) -Flashrom will overwrite your odl bios with your new bios. -if any errors ocured do not restart; consult troubleshooting. -if there is a pause in the procedure, for say the bios types do not match you may use a "-f" switch to force the operation (force if certian the bios suits your video card) Forcing the BIOS flash type: During the thrid section instead of typing -"flashbios -p 0 (name of new bios file you downloaded including the extention) Type -"flashrom -f -p 0 (name of new bios file you downloaded including the extention) -If you had made it this far without any errors and everything seems to have gone correctly, than restart your system. -monitor the post screen for the video card info -double check that your procedure worked and your bios has worked correctly. -also watch to see if your OS boots correctly -plz keep in mind that your new bios may need new up to date drivers. Hooray! Congrats! You have successfully changed your video card's BIOS. Jason Barrett <br> <a target="_new" href="http://www.computing-forums.com">http://www.computing-forums.com</a>

Learn How To Diagnose Power Supply Problems

The Power Supply convert's your regular household current into low DC voltage used by the computer. When this component fails,there is simply no activity going on wih your computer.Remember to do the easy troubleshooting first.Inspect the Power Supply for any damage.Double-Check all connections. Learning how to check your power supply and how to replace it when needed can be a life saver if you're a computer buff or in business with the trusted PC.Don't take for granted the simple pleasure of turning on your PC and everything works just fine. We turned on one of our computers recently and in about one hour,it just re-booted itself.And it continued doing so about 10 times a day until we found out the power supply was the culprit.Things to look for when your power supply is going bad or just dies on you are the following. NO POWER TO THE COMPUTER Here you must first check the wall outlet for power by connecting another device such as a radio or lamp to be sure power is present.If the computer is connected through a surge protector,check it as well. If the wall out has power,check the power cable going to the PC to see if AC voltage is making its way to the system unit.Do this with the use of a multimeter. If there is power,you will have to open the PC and check for power from the power supply to the motherboard. When using a multimeter to check voltage,be sure you have a good ground for the black lead of the multimeter. RE-BOOTING PROBLEMS One main problem you may face with an ailing Power Supply is that it may re-boot the computer without any warning.All information is lost and it seems as though this happens at the worst possible time. Booting errors when the computer first start's up is another indicator of this component going on the blink. POWER DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS When the power supply begins to fail,you may receive power at one device and not another.For example,the Hard Drive may receive power but the CDROM Drive has nothing at all. Another headache with would cause re-booting is the intermittent power going to the drives or the motherboard itself.Follow the steps below to check your power supply should you experience some of the above problems. CHECKING THE POWER SUPPLY If the wall outlet,and the power cord are good,make sure the connection at the motherboard is secure.Then you may have to face the fact that the power supply itself is bad.If you have a Multimeter you can test the power supply output before purchasing a new one.Simply follow these steps. Turn off the PC,but do not unplug it,open the system unit. Set the multimeter to read DC volts in the next range higher than 12 volts.Locate a power connector similair to the hard drive,or cdrom drive connector that is unused and turn on the PC. You can also unplug a drive connector and use it as well.Turn on the PC and insert the BLACK probe into the power connector on one of the BLACK wires.Touch the RED probe to the YELLOW wire on the power connector. The multimeter reading should be +12 volts Now touch the RED probe to the RED wire and the reading should be +5 volts.If no readings or different readings occured,you'll have to replace the power supply.If the readings were correct,you should check the P8 or P9 connectors at the motherboard. These connectors may also be named P4 and P5.To check these connectors,perform the following... Insert the BLACK probe into P8 at one of the BLACK wires. Insert the RED probe into the P8 connector at the RED wire. The reading on the multimeter should be +5 volts Check the power going to the Motherboard connections by inserting the RED probe into P8 at the YELLOW wire and you should get +12 volts.Leave the BLACK wire touching the black wire at the P8 connector.Check the BLUE wire and the reading should be a -12 volts. Now move the BLACK probe to the BLACK wire on the P9 connector.Test the WHITE wire by inserting the RED probe and the reading should be -5 volts.Check the RED wires on the P9 connector and you should get +5 volts on each red wire.You won't get exactly 5 or 12 volts but the readings will be very close, such as 5.02 volts. If the Power Supply is a couple of volts off,in either direction,such as when the RED wire should be reading -5 volts but it reads -8 volts,or if there are no readings,replace the power supply. DO NOT remove the power supply from the system unit case when performing these tests.DO NOT perform these tests if you do not feel comfortable.Be sure to remove any and all electrical static build-up from your clothes and body BEFORE touching any parts inside the system unit.And NEVER open the power supply case for any reason,since high voltage may be present. About The Author Otis F. Cooper is solely dedicated to boosting the knowledge and confidence of every computer user that is serious about knowing computers.Use his informative articles and videos to understand every aspect about the PC. Read more about his formula for pc training at <a href="http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com" target="_new">http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com</a> <a href="mailto:allaboutpc@juno.com">allaboutpc@juno.com</a>