How to take a Screen Shot in XP and Windows 7?

How to take a Screen Shot in XP and Windows 7?

The feature which allows you to take a screen shot in Windows XP is very useful. You can capture the image on your screen as you take a screen shot in Windows XP and save it for later. It can be saved for many reasons. Sometimes you need to save the image of the screen e.g. if you get an error message on your system, you can take a screen shot in Windows XP operating system and send it to your support person. You can show the webpage you are looking at to someone. That way you won’t have to send a link of the web site. Screen shots are very helpful when you want to show how to perform different computer tasks or solve problems while using Windows. Screen shots can demonstrate all these things as you send them via Microsoft Word, instant messaging and e-mails.

This is how you take a screen shot and then save it:

Choose the window you want to take the screen shot of by clicking it. Press ALT+PRINT SCREEN. The PRINT SCREEN key is close to the upper right of the keyboard. If you want to take the screen shot of the entire desktop instead of a single window, you just have to press the PRINT SCREEN key. You won’t need to press the ALT key along with it.

Click on the Start button, from Programs go to Accessories, and click on Paint.

When the Paint window opens, click on Edit, and then choose and click on Paste.

When you see the image in the Paint window, click on File, and then scroll down and click on Save As.

When the Save As dialog box appears, type a name for the screen shot in the File name box.

Click on Save in the end.

Now this picture is like any other picture save on your computer as you can print or e-mail it.

You can take a screen shot in Windows XP whenever you want. But you can’t take a screen shot prior to you logging onto your computer and also while a video is being played in Microsoft Windows Media Player.

How to add background picture to Excel 2007 spreadsheet

You can insert a picture in Word, PowerPoint or Excel 2007 very easily. Many people know how to insert a picture in Excel 2007 spreadsheet but they don’t know how to add background picture to Excel 2007 spreadsheet. Excel 2007 spreadsheets largely consist of numbers, charts, tables etc. You can give your personal creative touch to your work on Excel 2007 if you add background picture to Excel 2007 spreadsheet. After you add background picture to Excel 2007 spreadsheet, you will be able to make it look less boring and much more interesting. Follow these easy and simple steps to add background picture to Excel 2007 spreadsheet.

Open the Excel spreadsheet to which you would like to add the background picture.

Select Page Layout from the ribbon.

Click on Background.

The Sheet Background window pane will appear. Choose the graphics or image you want to add as the background.

Click on Insert at the bottom.

You have successfully added a background image to your Excel 2007 spreadsheet! You can change the colors as well as the font to suit the background picture. It is recommended that you select a very light or a very dark colored picture so that the data on the foreground stands out.

How to clear your sensitive information on system shutdown?

How to clear your sensitive information on system shutdown?

During data processing some operating systems use the hard disk as memory, called virtual memory. During processing, operating system transfers some data and programs from RAM to hard disk and reloads again when required. The data or programs are stored in hard disk in temporary file called the swap file. This technique of swapping data between memory and hard disk is called paging. Operating system spends a lot of time in paging process, instead of executing the application software. But the problem is that while working you use different software programs on computer and page file may contain your confidential information or stored in non encrypted format. To reduce this risk, you can set your computer to clear out page file automatically each time you shutdown your computer.

Perform the given steps to set your system clear page file automatically:

• To enable this feature, you will need to be logged into your computer with administrative rights.

• First click on start button to open control panel and then click here on "Administrative Tools" option.

• Now "Local Security Settings" panel will appear, on lift side of this panel click on "Local Policies".

• Here click on "Security Options" then double click on "Shutdown: Clear virtual memory pagefile" option.

• Now small dialog box will appear with options, "Enabled or Disabled" the page file.

• Select the "Enabled" radio button to set clear page file each time you shutdown computer.

Press Apply button to save settings and then click on Ok button to finish.

How to increase your system performance?

How to increase your system performance?

• Window Disk Cleanup is very useful tool to increase the performance of your system. You can increase also the free space on the hard disk, because Disk Cleanup utility searches many unnecessary programs and files on your hard drive that you can delete. This tool perform many useful tasks to cleanup your hard disk. For example

Delete the temporary internet files

Delete the old windows programs that you are not using.

Delete all temp Downloaded Program files

Delete Office Setup files

Delete Old Chkdsk file

Delete the Recycle Bin items

Delete all Setup log files

Delete the windows temporary files

Delete the Web Client or Publisher Temporary files.

Delete all Catalog file for the content indexer

You can remove the optional windows components that you are not using.

To run the Disk cleanup utility follows the given steps:

Click on Start button, Programs, go to Accessories, and go to System Tools and then click on Disk Cleanup.

Now a window popup will appear to select the hard disk partition with option "Select the drive you want to clean up" for example C, D drive, but you can choose partition one by one for scanning.

Now Disk Cleanup will takes some time to access your system then open a window to show "You can use Disk Cleanup to free up to 112,151 of disk space on drive C" (in this case) available after deleting temporary files. On this window a button "View files" is used to check the detail of the files that you are going to delete.

If you scroll down with in that window, you will get many options to choose, select the all options to clean your system in detail, and then click OK to continue.

On the same window another tab is available with the name "More Options".

Under the more options tab, there are three clean up buttons to clean "Window Components, Installed Programs and System Restore" , select any one of them and press OK to run it.

How to disable/enable the usage of USB storage devices?

How to disable/enable the usage of USB storage devices?

USB drives (also known as flash drive, mobile disk or pen drive) are becoming the most popular standard in these days to store and move data. USB support is available in PCs of both IBM-compatible and Apple computers. USB port support hot plugging and plug & play. The USB allows up to 127 devices to be connected to the bus via a single port. The driver name "usbstor.sys" is used to communicate any USB drives to the operating system.

USB drives are indeed very useful in these days but a user can easily use to transfer any confidential information from your computer to others and can also upload viruses affected files to your computer by accidentally or deliberately. But you can prevent the users to connect any USB drives in the computer by disabling the ability of "usbstor.sys" (USB driver) to load in system. It will block the USB storage devices only and your system USB keyboard, mouse and others USB devices will work properly.

Perform the following steps to block the USB storage devices:

• To edit this feature, you will need to be logged into your computer with administrative rights.

• First click on Start button to open "Run" and type "regedit" then press Ok button to open the Registry Editor.

In registry editor locate the given path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR

Here select the "USBSTOR" folder and in right side of the registry editor panel find the value with name "Start".

Double click on "Start" and then set its value 4 under "Value data" section.

Close the Registry editor and restart your computer for changes to apply.

Now when you want to restore the default setting, open the Registry Editor and set its value back to 3.

Now again close the Registry editor and restart your computer for changes to apply.

How to hide your important data from other users?

Normally when you need to secure your important data from other users, then your first choice is to burn it on CD or put it to removable drive instead of hard drive. But imagine if your data size is more than 100 GB then it is not easy to burn it on CD. No worry, you can save your full drive from other users access using this trick.

Perform the given steps to hide your system data partition:

• To enable this feature, you will need to be logged into your computer with administrative rights.

• First click on Start button to open "Run" and type "CMD" (without the quotes) then press Ok button to open Command Prompt.

Now type diskpart on the blinking cursor and wait for 5 seconds to appear diskpart> utility.

To show the list of volume, type list volume command after the diskpart> prompt, this command will show you all system drives detail.

Now first select the volume that you want to hide, for example,

if you need to hide F drive then first type select volume 2 (in this case) and press enter button.

After loading volume, type remove letter F (in this case) to hide F drive.

Now exit from command prompt and open My Computer to verify drives.

But next time, when you want to unhide the D drive, just run assign drive F command after loading volume 2.

How to clear your sensitive information on system shutdown?

How to clear your sensitive information on system shutdown?

During data processing some operating systems use the hard disk as memory, called virtual memory. During processing, operating system transfers some data and programs from RAM to hard disk and reloads again when required. The data or programs are stored in hard disk in temporary file called the swap file. This technique of swapping data between memory and hard disk is called paging. Operating system spends a lot of time in paging process, instead of executing the application software. But the problem is that while working you use different software programs on computer and page file may contain your confidential information or stored in non encrypted format. To reduce this risk, you can set your computer to clear out page file automatically each time you shutdown your computer.

Perform the given steps to set your system clear page file automatically:

• To enable this feature, you will need to be logged into your computer with administrative rights.

• First click on start button to open control panel and then click here on "Administrative Tools" option.

• Now "Local Security Settings" panel will appear, on lift side of this panel click on "Local Policies".

• Here click on "Security Options" then double click on "Shutdown: Clear virtual memory pagefile" option.

• Now small dialog box will appear with options, "Enabled or Disabled" the page file.

• Select the "Enabled" radio button to set clear page file each time you shutdown computer.

Press Apply button to save settings and then click on Ok button to finish.

How to Change Windows 7 Taskbar to Work like Vista?

A lot of people don’t like the new taskbar feature of Windows 7. Others prefer the old Vista taskbar over the Windows 7 taskbar. You can change Windows 7 taskbar to work like Vista taskbar. It takes some time before you get accustomed to your Windows 7 taskbar. But if you don’t have time to get used to the new version and want your computer to work the same way like before, here is a way to change Windows 7 taskbar to work like Vista

Right-click the empty area on the Taskbar

Select Properties

The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties windows will open. Under the box called “Use small icons” and “Taskbar location on screen”, select the option “Combine when taskbar is full” from the drop down of Taskbar buttons.

Click on the Apply button.

You have successfully changed the Windows 7 taskbar to work like Vista. Now the Taskbar look similar to how it did in Vista. It will not appear very much alike to Vista taskbar, but the functions will be the same.

A different way to achieve the same is by unpinning all the programs from the Windows 7 taskbar.

Add a quick launch bar to Windows 7. This will change the Windows 7 taskbar to work like Vista after the Quick Launch Bar is enabled

Set the Search Screen to the Classic Look

Set the Search Screen to the Classic Look

When I first saw the default search pane in Windows XP, my instinct was to return it to its classic look; that puppy had to go. Of course, I later discovered that a doggie door is built into the applet. Click "Change preferences" then "Without an animated screen character." If you'd rather give it a bare-bones "Windows 2000" look and feel, fire up your Registry editor and navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ CabinetState.

You may need to create a new string value labeled "Use Search Asst" and set it to "no".

How to Remove Windows XP's Messenger

How to Remove Windows XP's Messenger

Theoretically, you can get rid of it (as well as a few other things). Windows 2000 power users should already be familiar with this tweak.

Fire up the Windows Explorer and navigate your way to the %SYSTEMROOT% \ INF folder. What the heck is that thingy with the percentage signs? It's a variable. For most people, %SYSTEMROOT% is C:\Windows. For others, it may be E:\WinXP. Get it? Okay, on with the hack! In the INF folder, open sysoc.inf (but not before making a BACKUP copy first). Before your eyes glaze over, look for the line containing "msmsgs" in it. Near the end of that particular line, you'll notice that the word "hide" is not so hidden. Go ahead and delete "hide" (so that the flanking commas are left sitting next to one another). Save the file and close it. Now, open the Add and Remove Programs applet in the Control Panel. Click the Add / Remove Windows Components icon. You should see "Windows Messenger" in that list. Remove the checkmark from its box, and you should be set. NOTE: there are other hidden system components in that sysoc.inf file, too. Remove "hide" and the subsequent programs at your own risk.

Solution for «Windows cannot find regsvr.exe» Error Message

How to get rid of:

«Windows cannot find regsvr.exe. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search a file, click the Start button, and then click Search»

on Windows startup?

Complete Removal Instructions

This is just an example. Your error message can look differently.

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• Is it annoying and recurring?
• Do you want to get rid of it once and forever?

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Problem description:

What is regsvr.exe?

regsvr.exe is a System required process and it shouldn't be disabled. Please note: regsvr.exe is needed for essential applications to work properly. Pay attention that there are plenty of malicious programs, which try to disguise their files as regsvr.exe - such files should be removed immidiately.

Why is «Windows can't Find regsvr.exe...» message shown whenever Windows starts up?

Reason 1: You have a virus or trojan.

Reason 2: Your antivirus has deleted regsvr.exe because your PC was infected by a malicious program

Reason 3: This is a false error message and some malicious program is going to trick you that way.

How to solve «Windows can't find regsvr.exe. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search a file, click the Start button, and then click Search» warning appearance problem?

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How to fix "Windows cannot find regsvr.exe..." warning screens manually? For advanced users only

This problem can be solved manually by deleting all registry keys and files connected with this software, removing it from starup list and unregistering all corresponding DLLs. Additionally missing DLL's should be restored from distribution in case they are corrupted by Iddono. To fix this threat, you should:

1. Kill the following processes and delete the appropriate files connected with regsvr.exe.

If these files can't be deleted during normal Windows work or recreate themselves, reboot into Safe Mode and repeat deletion. If you do not see all of these files, then they are hiding themselves. You need special software to kill those hidden files.

2. Use startups editing program like HijackThis or Autoruns to locate and delete all registry entries associated with regsvr.exe.

3. If regsvr.exe is a corrupted Windows file, you should restore it from your Windows distribution using sfc.exe utility.

If you are not sure which registry entries to delete, download this program that will fix "Windows cannot find regsvr.exe..." error.

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Windows Tips

Windows Command Prompt

The Microsoft Windows command prompt is an invaluable tool that can be used in conjunction with Windows. Below are some helpful shortcuts and tips that can be used to improve your abilities while in the command prompt. Users not familiar with how to enter the command prompt can find additional information about this in document CHDOS.

1. Press the up arrow key to scroll through all previously typed commands at the prompt. This is helpful for when you need to type long commands in more than once. Note. If
2. Pres the tab key to auto-complete the names of directories or files. For example, at C:\ type: "cd wi", press tab and the command prompt should complete WINDOWS as the name of the directory.
3. Familiarize yourself with the top MS-DOS commands and each of their available switches.

Create Desktop Shortcuts to Your Favorite Web Pages

Easily create Windows desktop shortcuts to your favorite web pages by following the below steps.

1. Open the web page you wish to create a shortcut for.
2. Resize your browser window so it's not maximized.
3. Once in a window mode click the icon to the left of the Internet address in the address bar and drag it to your desktop and let go to create a shortcut.

Create Custom Folder Icons

Create a folder that looks customized in Microsoft windows, by saving one of the images or a copy of an image in the folder as folder.jpg. Once this has been done if you're viewing the folders in Thumbnail view, that folder will display the folder.jpg image on top of the traditional folder.

Windows Snap To feature

Enable the Microsoft Window XP mouse Snap To feature to automatically focus on dialog box buttons. Enabling this feature will automatically move your mouse cursor to the default button on any dialog box that appears on Windows. This is a great way to save a little time and not have to move you mouse cursor to the "Ok" button each time a dialog box appears. To enable this feature follow the below steps.

1. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Mouse icon
3. In the Mouse Properties window click the Pointer Options tab and check the "Automatically move pointer to the default button in a dialog box" option.

Windows Selective Startup

Improve overall system performance, boot time, and get rid of programs you don't want running in the background, by choosing to do a Selective Startup in msconfig.

1. Click Start, Run and type: msconfig and press enter.
2. In the System Configuration Utility click the Startup tab.
3. Uncheck programs you do not wish to load each time your computer starts. Once done click ok and restart the computer. After the computer boots back into Windows you will receive a prompt about Windows being in a selective startup. Check the box to not receive the prompt and click ok.

Saving Windows XP and Later Searches

Save your frequent Windows XP and later version searches for future use by following the below steps.

1. Open the search and enter the search queries you wish to save. For example, you could save a search to find any remix mp3 files by entering: *remix*.mp3 in the all or part of name box.
2. Once the values have been entered test the search and allow you to save the search.
3. In the Search Results window click File and then Save Search.
4. Finally, browse to the location you wish for this file to be saved and name the file with a .fnd extension.

After completing these steps you'll be able to quickly perform a search by simply double-clicking the file.

Determine last modified date of a web page

For web pages that do not list their last modified date, you can quickly determine the exact date and time when a website was last updated or modified by inserting the below string into the address bar.

javascript:alert(document.lastModified)

Move forward and back using the keyboard

In all major Internet browsers you can move move forwards and backwards by pressing and holding the ALT key and then pressing the left or right arrow key. Pressing the left arrow will go back a page and pressing the right will move forward a page.

Increase / decrease web page font size

Quickly increase and decrease the size of the text or fonts on a web page by holding down the CTRL key on the keyboard and scrolling up or down with the wheel on a wheel mouse.

Print only sections of a page

Save on your printer ink by selectively printing in Windows programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Internet Explorer (and other browser), WordPad, Outlook, etc. To do this highlight portions of text you wish to print and click the Print icon or option in the File menu. In the printer dialog window (like the one shown below) under Page Range choose the option Selection.

Open link in new window

Open a link in a new browser window by holding down the shift key on the keyboard and clicking on the link. This works on all major browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

Alternatively a user could right-click on the link and choose Open in New Window.

Automatically complete a URL

Automatically enter the www. and .com into most major browsers URL or address bars by typing the name of the page and pressing CTRL + ENTER on the keyboard. For example, if you type: computerhope and then press CTRL + ENTER you will automatically be sent to www.computerh9s.blogspot.com

Move forward and backward using the mouse wheel

Quickly move forwards and backwards between web pages by holding down the shift key and scrolling up or down on your mouse wheel.

Quickly scroll to an item in a list or drop down

Quickly find text, an icon, or other item in a group or list by highlighting one of the icons or clicking on the list items and pressing the beginning letter of the item you're looking for. Below are some examples of how this could be used.

Internet drop down list

Instead of scrolling through a list of options in an Internet drop down list press the first letter of the option you're looking for. For example, if you wanted to get down on the below list of countries to United States you could click the down arrow and then press U to quickly move down to the first item beginning with U, which in this case is Uganda. If you continued to type United... it would continue to scroll down as long as a result was found.

Windows desktop icons

If you have a lot of icons on your desktop or in another folder highlight one of the icons and press the first letter. For example if you were looking for an icon named "test" highlight any icon and then press the "t" key. Note: you can also press the "t" key multiple times to individually highlight each icon that starts with "t".

Quickly open multiple favorite pages

Open all your favorite daily visited web pages in two clicks. First, create a folder in your bookmarks that contains the web pages you visit daily. Once created you can right-click that folder and click "Open in Tabs" to get all your favorites in the folder opened in a new tab in the current window.

Make the browser window full screen

Make your Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox the full screen without all the toolbars by pressing the F11 key. To restore the window back to how it was press F11 again.

Quickly scroll up and down on a web page

Quickly scroll one page at a time in all major browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox by pressing the spacebar. Move back up the page by pressing Shift + spacebar.

Save any media on a web page

Quickly save any media including embedded content to an alternate source by right-clicking on a page click "View Page Info", click the Media tab, locate the media file you wish to save and click the Save As button.

Note: This does not work all media because of how it may be handled by the website. For example, this will not work with YouTube videos.

Quickly get to the address bar

Quickly get to the address bar in Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox by pressing the F6 key on the top of your keyboard. Opera users can press the F8 key to get to the address bar.

In addition to the above function keys users can also use CTRL + L and/or CTRL+O to quickly get to the browser address bar in almost all browsers.

Quickly bookmark a web page

Quickly bookmark any web page in all major browsers by pressing CTRL + D on your keyboard. Pressing these two keys together will open the bookmarks or favorites for your browser and allow you to quickly place a bookmark for the page you're currently at. For example, pressing the two keys now would bookmark this page.

Undo closed Internet browser tab

Oops did you mistakenly close a tab you didn't want to close? Press CTRL + Shift + T to undo a close tab. Pressing this more than once will undo multiple closed tabs. This feature works in all major browsers including Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Opera.

40 End

Speed up Windows Explorer

Speed up the display load time of Microsoft Windows Explorer by disabling the feature that allows you to search for network printers and folders. By default each time Windows Explorer is opened it will attempt to locate any network printer or folder on your computer network. If your computer is not on a network and/or you have no network printers, folders, or shares disable this option by following the below steps.

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Click the Tools drop down menu and then Folder Options
3. Within the Folder Options tab click the View tab
4. Uncheck "Automatically search for network folders and printers"

Microsoft Windows XP and Vista boot time

If you're running Windows XP or Vista with a computer that has a multiple core processor, such as the Intel Core 2 duo, you can increase how fast your computer boots up by having it use multiple processors for its boot sequence. Following the below steps to have Windows do this for you.

1. Click Start and Run (for XP) and type: msconfig and press enter.
2. Click the BOOT.INI or BOOT tab.
3. XP users highlight the line beginning with "multi" if not already selected and click the Advanced Options button.
4. In the Advanced Options Window for /NUMPROC= or Number of Processors change it to 2.
5. Reboot the computer.

Computer mouse tips

Using the mouse in combination with the keys on your keyboard can give you several different advantages and help improve your overall productivity on the computer. Below are just a few examples.

Almost all text editors

Many text editors or programs that allow you to edit text support the ability to quickly highlight all or portions of text by using the Shift key and the mouse. For example, move the cursor to the beginning of the text you wish to highlight, hold down the shift key, and click at the end of the text you wish to highlight. If supported and done properly this will highlight all text in-between the points you clicked.

Microsoft Word

In Microsoft Word holding down the ALT key on your keyboard while clicking and dragging your mouse and you will be able to drag a box and highlight only portions of text and not the whole line.

Windows Explorer and many other file

Microsoft Windows Explorer and other file managing programs allow users to select multiple files by holding down the CTRL key and clicking each file or folder they wish to select or hold down the shift key and selecting multiple files at once.

Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and other browsers

Users who visit a website with tables and wish to only select one row of that table can hold down the CTRL key and click and drag on the text in the row they wish to copy.

Mozilla Firefox users

Mozilla Firefox users can also hold down the CTRL key and individually click on each cell they wish to copy.

Hide / tweak the Firefox download window

Remove that pesky download window that appears after downloading a file by adding the Firefox Download Statusbar Add-on to your browser. Alternatively editing the about:config settings as shown below can also disable this window from being displayed.

1. Open a new tab in Firefox.
2. In the address bar type: about:config
3. Locate browser.download.manager.showWhenStarting by copying and pasting the bold text into the Filter box.
4. Double-click the name or value to change the value from True to False. Once done close the tab.

If you've hidden your download Window it can still viewed by clicking Tools and then Downloads or pressing Ctrl + J.

Move back faster in your browser

The most commonly used feature in Internet browsers is the back button. However, all browsers also have a small down arrow to the right of thes buttons (as shown in the below picture). This button allows you to easily see the history of the last 5-10 pages you've visited and quickly get back to them. This feature is especially helpful for those pesky pages that forward you back to a page each time you press the back button or for when you wish to move back several pages but don't want to have to press the back button several times.

Browsing only safe Internet web pages

Concerned about the safety of web pages you or others are visiting on your computer? Consider installing the free browser add-on WOT (Web of Trust), when installed this free add-on will display a large warning across the window of any web page that has been poorly rated, contains adware, been known to fraudulently charge visitors, contains malware, and/or is otherwise unsafe. This add-on can be downloaded from their web page.

Tabbed browsing tips

With the introduction of Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 all major browsers now support tabbed browsing. Below are various tips to improve your browsing using tabs.

1. Clicking on any link with your middle mouse button or wheel will open that link in a new tab. Alternatively you can hold down your CTRL key in IE and Firefox and click a link to open that link in a new tab.
2. Clicking on an open tab with your middle mouse button will close that tab.
3. Mozilla Firefox users can middle-click the back button to open a previous page in a new tab.
4. Pressing CTRL + T will open a new tab in IE, Firefox, and Opera.
5. Pressing CTRL + Shift + T will undo the closed tab. Alternatively right clicking on a portion of the tab bar will also display this option.
6. Firefox and IE users can hold down CTRL and press 1 through 0 on their keyboard to open that respected tab.
7. Right-clicking the active tab will give you an option to close all other non-active tabs.

Create a shortcut key for Internet web pages

Create a PC shortcut key to a favorite web page by following the below steps.

Internet Explorer users

Users using Internet Explorer can quickly do this by right-clicking on an empty spot of a web page and click 'Create Shortcut'.

Other Internet browser users

If your browser window is maximized make it a window. Once done click and drag the icon next to the URL and drag it to your desktop or other location you wish to create the shortcut.

Once the shortcut has been created locate the shortcut and right-click it and click Properties. In the shortcut properties assign a new shortcut key and click OK. Now when the shortcut key is pressed the web page will be automatically loaded.

How do I create a Windows shortcut key?

Question:

How do I create a Windows shortcut key?

Answer:

Create a shortcut

1. Open the folder or directory that contains the program you wish to create a shortcut for.
2. Right-click on the program and click Create Shortcut.
3. This will create a shortcut named "Shortcut to " in the directory you are in. If you wish to rename this shortcut, right-click the file and click rename.
4. Once the above steps have been completed, you can copy or cut this shortcut and paste it anywhere to execute this program.

Assign shortcut key to that Windows shortcut

Once the shortcut has been created to assign a shortcut key to that Windows shortcut follow the below steps.

1. Right-click the shortcut and click Properties.
2. Click the Shortcut tab.
3. Click in the Shortcut key box and press a letter. For example, if you press "p" the shortcut key will automatically be made Ctrl + Alt + P. Which means if saved when pressing Ctrl and Alt and "P" all at the same time will run that shortcut.

NOD 32 virus removal tool

NOD 32 virus removal tool
Occasionally, uninstalling an antivirus program using Windows Removal program is not sufficient due to system integration. We may either end up fail to uninstall them completely or in worst case, we don't manage to uninstall a particular software at all. Because of the nature of software and system integration, most antivirus developers has come up with special tool to completely remove their products.

Removing Nod32 is not actually problematic as many people think. Having said that, after we just finish performing a normal uninstallation, you need to remove manually few files in its directory. That shouldn't be a problem but it requires some registry tweaking which in turn demands some advance knowledge.

Nod32 Removal tool v.1.0.0.2 is a small tool developed by Nod32 Netherlands (interface language - Dutch only) that can give you peace of mind. In order to completely remove your NOD32 software simply double click on the NOD32 Removal Tool, select ‘Yes’, and wait for a confirmation before it finishes its job. That's it!

http://blog.eches.net/security/nod32-removal-tool-remove-completely-nod32-antivirus/

Hardware

Hardware is best described as a device that is physically connected to your computer or something that can be physically touched. A CD-ROM, Monitor, Printer, and video Card are all examples of computer hardware. Without any hardware your computer would not exist and software would have nothing to run on. The image to the right is of a webcam, an example of an external hardware peripheral that allows users to make basic videos, transmit videos of themselves over the Internet, and take pictures.
Short for Compact Disc-Read Only Memory, CD-ROM drives are CD players inside computers that can have speeds in the range from 1x and beyond, and have the capability of playing audio CDs and computer data CDs. Below is a picture of the front and back of a standard CD-ROM drive.
Interfaces
Below are the different types of Interfaces that allow a CD-ROM and other disc drives to connect to the computer.
IDE / ATA - One of the most commonly used interfaces used still today to connect disc drives to the computer.
Panasonic - Older proprietary interface.
Parallel - Interface used with old external CD-ROM drives.
PCMCIA (PC Card) - Interface sometimes used to connect external disc drives to laptop computers.
SATA - Quickly replacing IDE as the new standard to connect disc drives.
SCSI- It is highly recommended to get a card that matches the CD-ROM drive as some of the earlier drives had proprietary SCSI interfaces. Otherwise, a SCSI-2 card is recommended.
USB - Interface most commonly used to connect external disc drives.
CD-ROM transfer speeds
Below is the standard transfer rates and access times of the majority of CD-ROM drives. The below figures are averages you can expect to find on each speed of CD-ROM drive. These averages may be slower or faster than your CD-ROM drive and to where the CD-ROM is accessing the data from the CD-ROM. In general the higher this number is the faster the transfer rate or in the case of a disc burner the faster the write rate.
Drive speed---------------- Transfer rate (BPS) ---- Access time (ms)
Single-speed (1x) -------- 153,600------------------- 400
Double-speed (2x)-------- 307,200------------------- 300
Triple-speed (3x)--------- 460,800 -------------------200
Quad-speed (4x)---------- 614,400------------------ 150
Six-speed (6x) -------------921,600 ----------------- 150
Eight-speed (8x)----------- 1,228,800---------------- 100
Ten-speed (10x)----------- 1,536,000---------------- 100
Twelve-speed (12x)-------- 1,843,200 ----------------100
Sixteen-speed (16x) -------2,457,600 -----------------90
Eighteen-speed (18x) ------2,764,800 -----------------90
Twenty-four-speed (24x) - 3,686,400----------------- 90
Thirty-two-speed (32x)---- 4,915,200 -----------------85
One-hundred-speed (100x) --15,360,000 --------------80
CAV drives (12x - 24x) -------1,843,200 - 3,686,400--- 150-90

Monitor

Monitor1. Also called a video display terminal (VDT) a monitor is a video display screen and the hard shell that holds it. In its most common usage, monitor refers only to devices that contain no electronic equipment other than what is essentially needed to display and adjust the characteristics of an image.
Like most TVs, the computer monitor has a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) that is found inside the computer monitor as illustrated in the picture to the right. The CRT is the main component and most expensive part within your computer monitor.


Printers
An external hardware device responsible for taking computer data and generating a hard copy of that data. Printers are one of the most used peripherals on computers and are commonly used to print text, images, and/or photos. The image to the right is a visual example of the Lexmardk Z605 Inkjet printer and is an example of what a printer may look like.
Types of printers
DOT Matrix printer
Inkjet printer Laser Printer
Thermal Printer
LeD printer
Printer interfaces
Firewire
MPP-1150
Parllel port
SCSI
Serial Port
USB

Vedio Cards
Also known as a graphics card, video card, video board, or a video controller, a video adapter is an internal circuit board that allows a display device such as a monitor to display a picture from the computer. Today video cards are most commonly connected to the AGP slot or PCIe slot on the motherboard, however, can also be found on-board or in a PCI slot.
Above is an example image of the ATI Radeon 9600 AGP video card; most video cards today resemble the picture shown below. As can be seen in the above picture this video card has three connections, the standard
VGA connector,S-Video connector, and theDVI connector.

Antivirus Tools Cannot Clean Infected Files in the _Restore Folder

SYMPTOMS

When you run an antivirus program, you may receive a report that indicates that...

When you run an antivirus program, you may receive a report that indicates that one or more files in the _Restore\Temp or the _Restore\Archive folders contain a virus or are infected with a virus. Also, your antivirus program may indicate an inability to remove the virus from the file or files.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because the System Restore feature in Windows Millennium Ed...

This behavior occurs because the System Restore feature in Windows Millennium Edition (Me) protects all folders and files in the _Restore folder on the Windows Me system partition. This folder and all of its subfolders are the data store that the System Restore feature uses to restore your computer's operating system to a previous state from a previous point in time.

Although some antivirus programs may have the ability to work with files that have been compressed or stored in .zip or .cab file format, the System Restore feature does not permit these utilities to manipulate these files within the data store. The data store is protected for data integrity purposes, and the System Restore feature is the only method you can use to obtain access to the data store. Because of this, the antivirus program is unable to remove the virus from the file or files in the data store. The files in the data store are inactive and can be used only by the System Restore feature.

RESOLUTION

To work around this behavior, use the appropriate method. Use the First In First...

To work around this behavior, use the appropriate method.

Use the First In First Out (FIFO) Feature

The FIFO routine purges the oldest restore points so that newer, more current restore points can be added to the data store. FIFO starts automatically when the files in the data store reach 90 percent of the maximum size of the data store. System Restore purges the oldest files first until the files in the data store occupy no more than 50 percent of the maximum size of the data store.

For example, if the maximum size of the data store is 400 megabytes (MB), 90 percent of this is 360 MB and 50 percent is 200 MB. If the data store is 200 MB when you view the properties of the _Restore folder, it is 50 percent of the maximum size. If you adjust the size of the data store to the minimum size of 200 MB, FIFO occurs when you click Apply.

NOTE: If the data store is less than 90 percent (180 MB) of the minimum (200 MB) value, adjusting the size does not have any effect in purging restore points. In this scenario, you must carefully consider the use of the methods that are described in this article.

Over a period of time, the data store purges restore points on a FIFO basis as the maximum size of the data store is reached. There are a few scenarios in which FIFO can be used to purge older restore points to retain more recent restore points on the computer.

FIFO Method 1

No action is required if the system has been cleaned and only the data store is reported by the antivirus tool to have suspicious files. Until all infected files are processed out on a FIFO basis, the antivirus tool may still report that there are infected files that it cannot obtain access to within the data store.

FIFO Method 2

You can trigger the FIFO feature to remove older restore points from the data store by resizing the data store. To use the System Restore feature to adjust the size of the data store:

1. View the properties of the _Restore folder to determine how much data is actually in the data store. You do this to determine if this step will have any effect on the data store. If the data store uses less than 90 percent (less than 180 MB) of the minimum value (200 MB), this method may have no effect on purging the restore points. If less than 90 percent of the data store is used, even at the minimum settings you should consider using FIFO method 1 or using the "Manually Purge the Data Store" method that is listed later in this article.
2. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
3. Double-click System, and then click the Performance tab.
4. Click File System.
5. Adjust the System Restore disk space use slider to the approximate lower amount, and then click Apply.
   
   Note that you can use the System Restore disk space use slider to select the minimum amount of space to allocate for the data store, the maximum amount, or a size in between. Adjusting the slider to a lower value changes the the values that trigger FIFO. You may need to restart your computer for any changes to take effect.
6. Click OK, and then click OK to close System properties.
7. Use the antivirus tool to scan the computer to verify that the virus-infected files have been purged from the data store. If there are still infected files in the data store, repeat the previous steps and lower the data store size until the data store is clear of infected files.
   
   Note that you can also use the calendar page in the System Restore tool to view how far back the restore points were purged.
8. After the infected files have been cleared from the data store by using this method, return the slider to the original or appropriate size, click OK to close any open windows, and then restart your computer.

If there still is an infected file in the data store after you resize the data store to the minimum size, you can either wait for it to be processed out on a FIFO basis (FIFO method 1), or you may want to consider using the "Manually Purge the Data Store" method that is described later in this article to remove all restore points on your computer.

Manually Purge the Data Store

To completely and immediately remove the infected file or files in the data store, disable and re-enable the System Restore feature.

WARNING: Using the following steps will completely remove all restore points from the data store. Do not use this method if this will cause problems. When you enable the System Restore feature again, the System Restore feature will create a new restore point and then resume monitoring your computer.

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click System, and then click the Performance tab.
3. Click File System, and then click the Troubleshooting tab.
4. Click to select the Disable System Restore check box, click Apply, click to clear the Disable System Restore check box, click Apply, and then click OK.
5. Restart the computer when you are prompted to do so. When the computer restarts, the data store is purged and the System Restore feature begins monitoring the system again.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

This behavior is by design.

Computer keyboard shortcut keys

Shortcut keys ABCs

Shortcut keys help provide an easier and usually quicker method of navigating and using computer software programs. Shortcut keys are commonly accessed by using the Alt (on IBM compatible computers), command key (on Apple computers), Ctrl, and/or Shift in conjunction with a single letter. The de facto standard for listing a shortcut is listing the modifier key, a plus symbol, and the single character. Or in other words, "ALT+S" is telling you to press the Alt key and while continuing to hold the Alt key, press the S key to perform the shortcut.

In addition to the shortcuts listed on this page, users can find the shortcut keys to their most popular program by looking for underlined letters in their menus. For example, in the picture to the right you'll can notice that the "F" in File has been underlined. You will then know that you can press the Alt key and F to access the File menu (Note: Some programs require the user press and hold ALT to see the underlined characters). Finally, as can also be seen some of the common features such as Open (Ctrl+O) and Save (Ctrl+S) have shortcut keys assigned to them.

As you begin to work with shortcut keys you will notice that several applications share the same shortcut keys. We have listed many of these keys in our basic PC shortcut keys section.

Note: Users outside the United States or users using a foreign copy of a Microsoft Windows or Microsoft application may not be able to get all the below shortcut keys to perform the function listed below.

Basic PC shortcut keys

The below basic shortcut keys are a listing of shortcut keys that will work with almost all IBM compatible computers and software programs. It is highly recommended that all users keep a good reference of the below short cut keys and/or try to memorize the below keys. Doing so will dramatically increase your productivity.

Shortcut Keys	Description
Alt + F	File menu options in current program.
Alt + E	Edit options in current program
F1	Universal Help in almost every Windows program.
Ctrl + A	Select all text.
Ctrl + X	Cut selected item.
Shift + Del	Cut selected item.
Ctrl + C	Copy selected item.
Ctrl + Ins	Copy selected item
Ctrl + V	Paste
Shift + Ins	Paste
Home	Goes to beginning of current line.
Ctrl + Home	Goes to beginning of document.
End	Goes to end of current line.
Ctrl + End	Goes to end of document.
Shift + Home	Highlights from current position to beginning of line.
Shift + End	Highlights from current position to end of line.
Ctrl + Left arrow	Moves one word to the left at a time.
Ctrl + Right arrow	Moves one word to the right at a time.

Cleaning the computer and its components

Cleaning your computer and your computer components and peripherals helps keep the components and computer in good working condition and helps keep the computers from spreading germs. To the right is an example image of how dirty the inside of your computer case can get. This example is a dirty computer case fan.

Depending on the environment that your computer operates in determines how often you should clean your computer case. The below list is our recommendation and may change depending upon your computer's environment.

How often should I clean my computer?

The frequency of how often you should clean your computer varies on several different factors. To help you determine how often you need to clean your computer we've created the below chart, check each of the boxes below that apply to your computers environment to see how often to clean your computer.

General cleaning Tips

Below is a listing of general tips that should be taken when cleaning any of the components or peripherals of a computer as well as tips to help keep a computer clean.

1. Never spray or squirt any type of liquid onto any computer component. If a spray is needed, spray the liquid onto a cloth and then use that cloth to rub down the component.
2. Users can use a vacuum to suck up dirt, dust, or hair around their computer on the outside case and on their keyboards. However, do not use a vacuum for the inside of your computer as it generates a lot of static electricity that can damage the internal components of your computer. If you need to use a vacuum to clean the inside of your computer, use a portable battery powered vacuum designed to do this job.
3. When cleaning a component and/or the computer, turn it off before cleaning.
4. Never get any component inside the computer or any other circuit board damp or wet.
5. Be cautious when using any type of cleaning solvents; some individuals may have allergic reactions to chemicals in cleaning solvents and some solvents can even damage the case. Try to always use water or a highly diluted solvent.
6. When cleaning, be careful not to accidentally adjust any knobs or controls. In addition, when cleaning the back of the computer, if anything is plugged in, make sure not to disconnect any of the plugs.
7. When cleaning fans, especially the smaller fans within a portable computer or laptop it's suggested that you either hold the fan or place something in-between the fan blades to prevent it from spinning. Spraying compressed air into a fan or cleaning a fan with a vacuum may cause damage to some fans or in some cases cause back voltage.
8. Never eat or drink around the computer.
9. Limit smoking around the computer.

Cleaning tools

Although many companies have created products to help improve the process of cleaning your computer and peripherals, users can also use household items to clean their computers and peripherals. Below is a listing of items you may need or want to use while cleaning your computer or computer peripherals.

Keep in mind that some components in your computer may only be able to be cleaned using a product designed for cleaning that component; if this is the case, it will be mentioned in the cleaning tips.

• Cloth - A cloth is the best tool used when rubbing down a component; although paper towels can be used with most hardware, we recommend using a cloth when ever possible. Caution: We only suggest you use a cloth when cleaning components such as the outside of the case, a drive, mouse, etc. You should not use a cloth to clean any circuitry such as the RAM or motherboard since they can generate ESD that can damage electronics.
• Water or rubbing alcohol - When moistening a cloth, it is best to use water or rubbing alcohol. Other solvents may be bad for the plastics used with your computer.
• Portable Vacuum - Sucking the dust, dirt, hair, cigarette particles, and other particles out of a computer can be one of the best methods of cleaning a computer. Over time, these items can restrict the airflow in a computer and cause circuitry to corrode. Do not use a standard vacuum as it can generate a lot of static electricity that can damage your computer.
• Cotton swabs - Cotton swaps moistened with rubbing alcohol or water are excellent tools for wiping hard to reach areas in your keyboard, mouse, and other locations.
• Foam swabs - Whenever possible, it is better to use lint-free swabs such as foam swabs.

Case cleaning

Why? Keeps the appearance of the computer looking new. During cleaning, if ventilation locations are found, these can be cleaned helping the case keep a steady airflow to the computer, keeping components cool and in good working condition.

Procedure: The plastic case that houses the PC components can be cleaned with a lint-free cloth that has been slightly dampened with water. For stubborn stains, add a little household detergent to the cloth. It is recommended that you never use a solvent cleaner on plastics.

Make sure all vents and air holes are hair and lint free by rubbing a cloth over the holes and vents. It is also helpful to take a vacuum around each of the hole, vents, and crevices on the computer. It is safe to use a standard vacuum when cleaning the outside vents of a computer; however, if you need to clean the inside of the computer, use a portable battery powered vacuum to prevent static electricity.

If you are looking for steps on cleaning the inside of the computer, please see our motherboard cleaning section.

Additional help: Case Page

CD-ROM or other disc drive cleaning

Why? A dirty CD-ROM drive or other disc drive can cause read errors with CD discs. These read errors could cause software installation issues or issues while running the program.

Procedure: To clean the CD-ROM drive we recommend purchasing a CD-ROM cleaner from your local retailer such as a local Radio Shack. Using a CD-ROM cleaner should sufficiently clean the CD-ROM laser from dust, dirt, and hair.

In addition to cleaning the drive with a special disc designed to clean drives users can also use a cloth dampened with water to clean the tray that ejects from the drive. Make sure however that after the tray has been cleaned that it completely dry before putting the tray back into the drive.

Also see our CD cleaning recommendation for steps on cleaning each of your CDs.

Additional help: CD-ROM Page

CD / DVD cleaning

Why? Dirty CDs can cause read errors and/or cause CDs to not work at all.

Procedure: Cleaning CDs and DVDs should be done with a cleaning kit but can also be done with a normal clean cotton cloth or shirt. When doing this with a clean cotton cloth or shirt, wipe against the tracks, starting from the middle of the CD or DVD and wiping towards the outer side as shown in the below picture. Never wipe with the tracks; doing so may put more scratches on the disc.

It is recommended when cleaning a CD that water is used. However, if the substance on a CD cannot be removed using water, pure alcohol can also be used.

Additional help: CD-ROM Page

Floppy drive cleaning

Why? Dirty read/write heads on the floppy drive can cause errors during the reading and/or writing process.

Procedures: The floppy drive can be cleaned two different ways. The first method of cleaning a floppy drive, and our recommended method, is to purchase a kit at your local retail store designed to clean the read/write heads on your floppy drive.

The second method of cleaning the floppy drive is only recommended for experienced computer users. Open the floppy drive casing and physically swab the read/write heads with a lint-free foam swab soaked in pure alcohol, free-on, or trichloroethane. When performing these steps, be extremely careful when cleaning the heads to ensure that you do not lock them out of alignment causing the floppy drive to not work. To help prevent the heads from becoming out of alignment, use a dabbing motion lightly putting the swab on the head and removing it, do not perform a side-to-side motion with the swab.

Additional help: Floppy Drive Page

Hard disk drive cleaning

Why? While hard drives cannot be cleaned physically, they can be cleaned with various utilities on the computer to help it run fast and more efficiently. Utilizing these utilities will prevent the hard drive from slowing down.

Procedure: Refer to our basic troubleshooting section for your operating system for steps that can be done to help improve the performance of your computer.

Additional help: Hard Disk Drive Page

Headphones cleaning

Why? Headphones that are used by multiple people may need to be cleaned frequently to help prevent the spreading of germs and head lice.

Procedure: If the headphones being used are plastic and/or vinyl, moisten a cloth with warm water and rub the head and earpieces of the headphones. As mentioned earlier in our cleaning tips, it is recommended that if your headphones are being used for a library or school that you do not use any type of disinfectant or cleaning solvent as users may have allergic reactions to the chemicals they contain.

Headphones that have cushions also have the availability of having the cushions replaced. Replacing these cushions can also help keep the headphones clean.

Finally, in regards to headphones and the spreading of head lice, if multiple students are using your headphones, you should consider having the students use their own headphones, using bags that are placed over the headphones, or having headphones that can be wiped with warm water after each student has used the headphones.

Keyboard cleaning

Dust, dirt, and bacteria

The computer keyboard is often the most germ infected items in your home or office, often it will contain more bacteria than your toilet seat. Cleaning it can help remove any dangerous bacteria. Dirt, dust and hair can also build up causing the keyboard to not function properly.

Procedure: Before cleaning the keyboard first turn off the computer or if you're using a USB keyboard simply unplug it. Not unplugging the keyboard can result in causing other computer problems as you may press keys that cause the computer to perform a task you don't want it to do.

Many people clean the keyboard by turning it upside down and shaking. A more effective method is to use compressed air. Compressed air is pressurized air contained in a can with a very long nozzle. Simply aim the air between the keys and blow away all of the dust and debris that has gathered there. A vacuum cleaner can also be used, but make sure the keyboard doesn't have loose "pop off" keys that could possibly be sucked up by the vacuum.

After the dust, dirt, and hair has been removed. Spray a disinfectant onto a cloth or use disinfectant cloths and rub each of the keys on the keyboard. As mentioned in our general cleaning tips, never spray any type of liquid onto the keyboard.

Substance spilt into the keyboard

If the keyboard has anything spilt into it (e.g. pop, cola, Pepsi, Coke, beer, wine, coffee, milk, etc.), not taking the proper steps can cause the keyboard to be destroyed.

Procedure: Below are a few recommendations to help prevent a keyboard from becoming bad once a substance has been spilt within it.

If anything is spilt onto the keyboard turn the computer off immediately or at the very least disconnect it from the computer. Once done quickly flip the keyboard over helping to prevent the substance from penetrating circuits. While the keyboard is upside down, shake the keyboard over a surface that can be cleaned later. While still upside down, use a cloth to help clean out what can be reached. After cleaned to the best of your ability leave the keyboard upside down for at least one night allowing it to dry. Once dry, continue cleaning the keyboard with any remaining substance.

If after cleaning the keyboard you have keys that stick remove the keys and clean below the keys and the bottom portion of the key.

Finally, if the keyboard still works but remains dirty or sticky before discarding the keyboard consider trying to wash the keyboard in the dishwasher. This can save some keyboards and is a good last option before resorting to replacing the keyboard.

If after doing all the above steps the keyboard does not function properly or at all it's recommended you discard the keyboard and buy a new one.

LCD cleaning

Why? Dirt, dust, and finger prints can cause the computer screen to be difficult to read.

Procedure: Unlike a computer monitor, the LCD / flat-panel display is not made of glass, therefore requires special cleaning procedures.

When cleaning the LCD screen it is important to remember to not spray any liquids onto the LCD directly, press gently while cleaning, and do not use a paper towel as it may cause the LCD to become scratched.

To clean the LCD screen we recommend that you use a non-rugged microfiber cloth, soft cotton cloth, or Swiffer duster. If a dry cloth does not completely clean the screen, you can apply rubbing alcohol to the cloth and wipe the screen with the damp cloth. Rubbing alcohol is actually used to clean the LCD before it leaves the factory.

Monitor cleaning

Note: This section is for computer monitors if you have a LCD or flat-panel see our LCD cleaning section.

Why? Dirt, dust, and fingerprints can cause the computer screen to be difficult to read.

Procedure: The glass monitor screen can be cleaned with ordinary household glass cleaner*. Be sure to remove power from the monitor and spray the cleaner onto a lint free-cloth so the fluid doesn't leak into the electrical components inside the monitor. Vacuum off any dust that has settled on top of the monitor, and make sure no books or papers have been placed on the air vents. Obstructed monitor vents can cause the monitor to overheat or even catch on fire.

*Warning: We suggest using a cloth dampened with water when cleaning monitor on a screen that is not made of glass or has any type of anti-glare protection on the screen. Using ordinary household glass cleaner on special screens, especially cleaners with ammonia can remove anti-glare protection and/or other special surfaces.

Other good cleaning solutions

• Microfiber Towels
• Swiffer Dusters

Motherboard cleaning

Why? Dust and especially particles of cigarette smoke can build up and corrode circuitry causing various problems such as computer lockups

Note: When inside the computer take the necessary ESD precautions and try to avoid unplugging any cables or other connections.

Procedure: Our recommendation when cleaning the motherboard from dust, dirt, or hair is to use compressed air. When using compressed air, hold it in the up-right position; otherwise, it is possible chemicals may come out of the container that could damage or corrode the Motherboard or other component within the computer. Also, ensure when using compressed air that you always blow the dust or dirt away from the motherboard, or out of the case.

Another good alternative to compressed air is to use a portable battery powered vacuum that can effectively remove the dust, dirt, and hair from the motherboard completely and prevent it from getting trapped within the case. However, do not use a standard electricity powered vacuum as it can cause a lot of static electricity that can damage the computer. When using the vacuum it is vital that you stay a couple inches away from the motherboard and all other components to help prevent contact as well as to help prevent anything from being sucked into the vacuum. Ensure that you do not remove any small components with the vacuum such as jumpers.

Tip: When cleaning the inside of the case also look at any fans and/or heat sinks. Dust, dirt, and hair collects around these components the most.

Mouse cleaning

Why? A dirty optical-mechanical mouse (mouse with a ball) can cause the mouse to be difficult to move as well as cause strange mouse movement.

Procedure: To clean the rollers of an optical-mechanical mouse, you must first remove the bottom cover of the mouse. To do this, examine the bottom of the mouse to see which direction the mouse cover should be rotated. As you can see in the below illustration, the mouse cover must be moved counter clockwise. Place two fingers on the mouse cover and push the direction of the arrows.

Once the cover has rotated about an inch, rotate the mouse into its normal position, covering the bottom of the mouse with one hand and the bottom should fall off including the mouse ball. If this does not occur, attempt to shake the mouse gently.

Once the bottom cover and the ball are removed, you should be able to see three rollers located within the mouse. Use a cotton swab, your finger, and/or fingernail and move in a horizontal direction of the rollers. Usually, there will be a small line of hair and or dirt in the middle of the roller, remove this dirt and/or hair as much as possible.

Once you have removed as much dirt and hair as possible, place the ball back within the mouse and place the cover back on.

If the mouse still appears to be having the same issue, repeat the above process; if after several attempts the mouse is still having the same issues, it's likely that your mouse has other hardware issues and we recommend that it be replaced.

Note: Cleaning your mouse pad with a damp cloth can also help improve a computer's mouse movement.

Why? To help keep a mouse clean and germ free it can be helpful to clean the mouse.

Procedure: Use a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol or warm water and rub the surface of the mouse and each of its buttons.

Palm pilot cleaning

Why? Dirty touch screens can cause difficult navigation.

Procedure: To clean the Palm Pilot Screen, use a soft cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol and rub the screen and the casing of the palm pilot. It is not recommended to use glass cleaner as it could damage plastics over time.

Printer cleaning

Why? Cleaning the outside of a printer can help keep the printer's appearance looking good; and in the case of a printer that is used by many different people, keep the printer clean of germs.

Procedure: First, make sure to turn off the printer before cleaning it. Dampen a cloth with water or rubbing alcohol and wipe the case and each of the buttons or knobs on the printer. As mentioned earlier, never spray any liquid directly onto the printer.

Why? With some printers it may be necessary to clean the inside of the printer to help keep the printer running smoothly.

Procedure: Because of numerous types of printers, different steps in cleaning printers, and printer manufacturer policies on cleaning the inside of the printer, we recommend you obtain the printer cleaning steps from your printer manufactrurer.

Scanner cleaning

Why? Flatbed scanners commonly become dirty with dust, fingerprints, and hair. When a scanner is dirty, the images may have distortions.

Procedure: Clean a flatbed scanner's surface by spraying a window cleaner onto a paper towel or cotton cloth and wipe the glass until clean. As mentioned earlier, never spray a liquid directly onto the component.

To clean the outside of the scanner, the same towel or cotton cloth can be used.

SuperDisk / LS120 cleaning

Why? It is recommended that the SuperDisk / LS120 drive be cleaned regularly to prevent drive heads from becoming dirty.

Procedure: Purchase the SuperDisk cleaning kit available through Imation. Using any other method will void the warranty on your drive.