Laptop computers get hot. All those electronic components crammed solidly into a small space generate lots of excess heat. The heat can shorten the life of the electronics, and it can be uncomfortable for the user balancing a laptop on...
Replacing a hard drive in your desktop or laptop computer is pretty simple. You just have to pay attention to a few details. Here's a step-by-step guide to replacing your hard drive......
Most computer users, and new computers sold, use 32-bit technology and can only run 32-bit Windows. But faster 64-bit computers and 64-bit versions of the Windows operating system are also available. Is moving to 64-bit Windows the right move? Let's...
"I'm getting ready to buy an external hard drive for backups, but I'm confused by all the terminology when it comes to connecting the drive. Should I go for USB, Firewire, or eSATA? What are the pros and cons of...
"My computer sometimes shuts down at random times. A friend said it's probably overheating. How can I find out for sure, and what can be done about overheating?"...
"The fan inside my computer's power supply has started making an awful noise, and I'm afraid it's ready to bite the dust. Is it difficult to replace a power supply?"...
"I'm looking for a surge protector for my computer equipment and I'm wondering if those power strip models with built-in surge protection are any good. What should I look for when trying to protect my computer from lightning strikes?"...
"Sometimes my computer acts weird when it's been running for several days. I've heard about something called 'electron buildup' but I'm not sure I should take it seriously. Can electronic devices really suffer from fatigue if they're on too long?"...
So you want to record movies and your favorite shows from your fancy HD television? Most people think of TiVo first, but you've got options when it comes to selecting a DVR service. Here's the scoop......
"I've been thinking about buying a terabyte hard drive. Right now I have a 500GB drive. Are the terabyte drives as fast and reliable as smaller drives?"...
"What's the difference between virtual memory and real memory? And how can I add more virtual memory to my computer?"...
"What's the best way to watch TV on my computer? I know some websites have selected shows, but I've also heard that you can buy a gadget that will pretty much turn your computer into a television set. What are...
Aside from actually drop-kicking it or smashing it with a sledge hammer, it's fairly difficult to actually "break" a computer. That said, there are a number of ways to render your computer just slightly more useful than a doorstop. Certain...
What exactly does Vista ReadyBoost do? Is it the same as adding RAM, or is it more like a disk cache? I've read varying reports as to whether or not it really boosts performance on Vista. What do you know...
What’s a Hackintosh? Some call it the Frankenstein of the computer world. In short, it means installing and running Mac OS X Leopard on an Intel-based PC built with off-the-shelf parts. Since Apple started creating OS X to run on...
"I've heard that a RAID hard drive is the best solution for automatic backups. What exactly is a RAID, and what are the pros and cons of RAID systems?"...
"My computer is making a loud noise that sounds like a fan going bad. A friend told me I should replace the power supply. Can you give me some tips on installing a new power supply?"...
"I was told that I should have a Firewire cable to transfer videos from my camcorder to my computer. I have USB connectors on my PC, is that the same thing, or can the Firewire plug in to that?"...
If it hasn't happened yet, be sure that it will... you're working away on an important project and the computer freezes. You reboot, but instead of the familiar startup screen, you black screen with one of these ominous messages: DISK...
If your computer seems to stagger under the burden of your commands, responding slowly, freezing or timing you out; if working at your system feels like bicycling uphill, consider adding extra memory. Adding memory to your computer isn't so hard...
"I've heard you can change BIOS settings to affect performance and startup options, but I've always been hesitant to poke around in the BIOS setup screens. Can you demystify this for me?"...
"I want to install the hard drive from my old computer as the secondary hard drive of my new computer. The new computer is an HP with a SATA hard drive. My old hard drive is a Seagate Ultra ATA/100....
"When I go to My Computer the CDROM and DVD icons are gone. They were there yesterday, and working fine. It seems like this happened after I removed some CD burner software. Now I can't install anything from a CDROM,...
"My PC running on Windows XP frequently restarts it self for no apparent reason. Any files or internet pages I have been working on are lost. The PC reboots to the desktop and I have to redo all my work....
Adding a second hard drive to a computer system is an easy way to get around storage problems, and also a good way to protect valuable data. With the cost of hard drives dropping well below $1 per gigabyte, it...
I have an insignia computer and I have tried unsuccessfully to install an additional hard drive. I have a Maxtor Diamond Max 160GB internal hard drive and my question is, is it possible to convert that internal hard drive into...
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