Friday, April 30, 2010

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.

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.
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.
When cleaning a component and/or the computer, turn it off before cleaning.
Never get any component inside the computer or any other circuit board damp or wet.
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.
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.
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.
Never eat or drink around the computer.
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.

Cleaning a CD and DVD 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.

How do I clean my laptop?

Question:

How do I clean my laptop?

Answer:

Unfortunately, unlike the standard desktop, a laptop is not as easy to open and clean. However, there are still several steps an end-user can do to clean and maintain their laptop or portable device.

Before cleaning any computer, we suggest the computer first be turned off and unplugged. Also, because you're going to be cleaning the laptop, we also suggest you removing the laptop battery.

Cleaning laptop case
Cleaning case openings
Cleaning laptop keyboard
Cleaning laptop mouse (touchpad)
Cleaning LCD display
Cleaning internal laptop components
Other cleaning information and help

Cleaning laptop case

Cleaning the exterior portion of the laptop case can help keep the laptop looking new. The exterior case of a laptop can be cleaned by using a damp cotton cloth that has been dampened with water. It is not recommended that the exterior case of the laptop be cleaned with household cleaning solutions. However, if there is a substance on the laptop that cannot be cleaned with water, we suggest using rubbing alcohol.

Cleaning case openings

If dust, dirt, hair, or other substances are in the case openings, it can prevent air from getting into or out of the laptop. This can cause the overall heat of the laptop to increase, and in some cases may also cause such issues as random reboots.

Look for laptop openings where the laptop draws in cool air from outside or blows out any hot air from the inside of the laptop. These openings are usually on one of the sides, the back, or the bottom of the laptop. Dust, dirt, hair, or other substances can almost always be removed easily using a cotton swab and/or compressed air.

Warning: If you're using compressed air to clean the openings that have fans within them, it's possible that the amount of air blown on the fans can cause them to over spin, damaging or destroying the fan. To help prevent this issue, place something in-between the fan blades, such as a toothpick.

Cleaning laptop keyboard

Like almost everything else on a laptop, a keyboard is also different from the standard computer keyboard. With many laptop keyboards the keys cannot be completely removed. Therefore, we suggest cleaning the keyboard by using the same damp cloth you used to clean the exterior case of the laptop. In addition, compressed air can be used to spray any dust, dirt, or hair from in-between the keys.

If you've spilt something onto the laptop keyboard (like a soda) that's causing the keys to stick and cleaning it does not help we suggest that you have the laptop repaired since the keyboard cannot be replaced.

Cleaning laptop mouse (touchpad)

Cleaning the laptop touchpad can help improve the look of the laptop and also many times will help improve the responsiveness of the touchpad. To clean the touchpad surface, use the same damp cloth used to clean the exterior of the laptop.

Cleaning LCD display

Additional information about cleaning LCD and flat panel displays can be found on our main cleaning page.

Cleaning internal laptop components

Cleaning the inside of a laptop computer can be a difficult task. However, in some situations, it may be necessary because of excessive dust and/or dirt buildup within the computer, such as on the processor's heatsink.

Unfortunately, however, because of the complexity often involved in disassembling the laptop to reach many of these areas, Computer Hope cannot provide this information online for every laptop ever made. If you believe after cleaning your computer that it is still overheating because of dust and/or dirt buildup, we suggest taking the laptop to an authorized repair center.

Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts
Related Tips: General hardware tips

Using keyboard shortcuts can often cut the time it takes to do something on a computer in half. We highly recommend each of our visitors take a few minutes to review and memorize our top 10 keyboard shortcuts everyone should know.

01/2010 - Free information through the phone
Related Tips: Miscellaneous tips

Each time you dial 411 for information you phone bill is automatically charged. Instead of using this service use Google's 411 service: 1-800-GOOG-411 to look up an address or phone number and have Google text you the information or forward you to the number. Other services such as ChaCha: 1-800-2CHACHA allow you to ask any question imaginable and have the answer texted back to you for free. Finally, Free 411: 1-800-FREE-411 and Tellme: 1-800-555-8355 are other free services that provide methods of getting free information as well as things such as the latest news, stock quotes, movies, etc.

New years resolution e-mail

Setting new goals this year for New Years? Why not compose an e-mail to be sent to you at the first of 2011 using futureme.org. Not only is it fun way to see how well you did on your goals.

12/2009 - What to do on the Internet when bored
Related Tips: Internet tips

We often get requests for people looking for things to do on the Internet or claim they're bored on the Internet. This month we'd like to mention document CH000721, which has several dozen links of the best places on the Internet. Simply visiting each of the links on this page is sure to give anyone plenty of things to do and will likely introduce you to the best places to visit on the Internet.

11/2009 - Favorite Windows 7 tips
Related Tips: Microsoft Windows

With Windows 7 officially being released to the public we thought we'd list our top favorite Windows 7 tip pages.

10/2009 - Firefox tabs
Related Tips: Firefox tips

Have all your favorite pages open in tabs each time you open the browser by following the below steps.

Open Firefox and all the tabs you wish to have open each time you open the browser.
Click Tools and then Options.
Within Options click the Main option and then click the "Use Current Pages" button, this will separate each URL with a pipe and will then open each of these tabs each time you open the browser.
Click Ok and the next time you open your browser each tab should also open.

9/2009 - iGoogle
Related Tips: Internet tips

Set your default homepage to iGoogle. A fantastic service from Google that enables users to have all relevant information they're interested in on their home page. Customizing this page you can set such settings as displaying your local weather, stocks, news, Facebook page, Twitter page, RSS feeds from your most popular pages, movies, and much more all on one page. To access this feature follow the below steps.

Open the main Google page.
In the top right portion of the Windows click the iGoogle link. Note: This link will not be visible unless you're logged into Google.
Once you've customized your own personalized iGoogle page simply set your home page as the iGoogle link or if you like the service but don't want it as your home page bookmark it. Information about changing your browser home page can be found on document CH000577.

8/2009 - Windows Vista
Related Tips: Microsoft Windows

Quickly see past problems encountered by Windows Vista and any solutions to those problems by clicking start and typing problem reports and solutions and press enter. In addition to finding solutions to problems this will also allow you to see a complete history of problems reported on the computer. See our Problem Reports and Solutions definition for an example of this screen and related links.

7/2009 - Free anti-virus
Related Tips: Microsoft Windows

Keep your computer safe and do it freely. Today, with the wide variety of free anti-virus programs there is no need to pay for an anti-virus scanner. Save yourself some money and uninstall the anti-virus program you're using and install one of the below free programs, which are just as good and wont expire on you.

6/2009 - Internet
Related Tips: Internet tips

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.

5/2009 - Google search options
Related Tips: Internet tips

Take full advantage of Google's new options feature by clicking the Show options... link at the top of the results. Clicking this link will display a bar to the left side of the results allowing you to refine your results to more of what you're looking for. For example, the video link will display only videos related to your search, the reviews link will show any reviews related to your search, and related searches will show similar search results.

4/2009 - Microsoft Windows XP and Vista boot time
Related Tips: Microsoft Windows

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.

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

3/2009 - Microsoft Windows Explorer
Related Tips: Microsoft Windows

Speed up the display load time of Microsoft Windows Explorer by disabling the feature to search for network printers and folders. By default each time Windows Explorer is opened it'll 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.

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

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Top 10 unknown Google tricks

Top 10 unknown Google tricks

Below is a list of our top ten Google tricks many users don't know about.

1. Definitions - Pull up the definition of the word by typing define followed by the word you want the definition for. For example, typing: define bravura would display the definition of that word.
2. Local search - Visit Google Local enter the area you want to search and the keyword of the place you want to find. For example, typing: restaurant at the above link would display local restaurants.
3. Phone number lookup - Enter a full phone number with area code to display the name and address associated with that phone number.
4. Find weather - Type weather followed by a zip code or city and state to display current weather conditions and forecasts for upcoming days.
5. Track airline flight - Enter the airline and flight number to display the status of an airline flight and it's arrival time. For example, type: delta 123 to display this flight information if available.
6. Track packages - Enter a UPS, FedEx or USPS tracking number to get a direct link to track your packages.
7. Pages linked to you - See what other web pages are linking to your website or blog by typing link: followed by your URL. For example, typing link:http:http://computerh9s.blogspot.com displays all pages linking to Computer Tips
8. Find PDF results only - Add filetype: to your search to display results that only match a certain file type. For example, if you wanted to display PDF results only type: "dell xps" filetype:pdf -- this is a great way to find online manuals.
9. Calculator - Use the Google Search engine as a calculator by typing a math problem in the search. For example, typing: 100 + 200 would display results as 300.
10. Stocks - Quickly get to a stock quote price, chart, and related links by typing the stock symbol in Google. For example, typing: msft will display the stock information for Microsoft.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

How to determine the type of motherboard in the computer.

Below is a short listing of each of the different methods of determining the type of motherboard in your computer.

1. If the motherboard is in a working computer there are several different software programs capable of determining the type of motherboard in the computer. See document CH000017 under third-party programs for a complete listing of these programs.
2. Unfortunately, without any documentation, determining the manufacturer or model of a motherboard can be cumbersome if the above software solutions do not work. If you have lost your documentation and/or your computer did not included any documentation, you can open the computer and visually inspect the motherboard for a manufacturer and model. In many cases, computer hardware, expansion cards, and/or cables may need to be disconnected or removed before you can inspect all portions of the motherboard.

When looking at the motherboard, the model number and/or manufacturer is usually on a white sticker or a silk screen on the very edge of the motherboard that will have a manufacturer, model, and/or part number that can be searched for additional information about the motherboard.
3. If you only need to determine the chipset and not the motherboard manufacturer or model see document CH000634 for additional information.
4. If you are looking for additional information about the type or form factor of the motherboard, please see our motherboard help page and/or form factor definition for additional information about each of the motherboard form factors and information on how to distinguish the type of form factor.
5. If you are unable to locate a manufacturer or model number of the motherboard, but are able to locate a FCC identification number, it is recommended that you perform a FCC search using that number. Additional information about FCC numbers and how to search for information about a FCC number can be found on our FCC dictionary definition page.

Reasoning:

Chipset or driver update

Trying to determine chipset or motherboard information to update the computer motherboard drivers and/or BIOS. See our motherboard driver section for additional information on BIOS updates, chipset updates, and other software updates.

* Additional information and help with BIOS updates can be found on document CH000236.
* Additional information about determining the motherboard's chipset can be found on document CH000634.

Product listing or specifications

If you are trying to list all the specific information about your computer motherboard, specifying the manufacturer, form factor, and specifications of the motherboard is sufficient. Below is an example of how a motherboard could be listed in your system specifications.

Intel D815EGEW ATX using a 1.1GHz processor and 512MB of memory

Replacement or repair

If you are trying to determine the type of motherboard because it needs to be replaced or repaired, it is recommended that the motherboard be replaced. Because of the complexity of today's motherboards, it can be very difficult and costly to repair a motherboard and it will likely be easier and cheaper to simply replace the motherboard.

Friday, April 23, 2010

How to rebuild the Windows boot.ini.

Question:

How to rebuild the Windows boot.ini.

Answer:

Users who have a corrupt or missing boot.ini file, are running Microsoft Windows XP, and have a Microsoft Windows XP CD can rebuild the systems boot.ini file by following the below steps.

Insert the Microsoft Windows XP CD into the computer. Note: If you have a system recovery CD or restore CD (not a Microsoft CD) these steps will likely not work for your computer.
Reboot the computer with the CD and press any key when prompted to press any key to boot from the CD.
Once in the Microsoft Setup menu press R to open the recovery console.
Select the operating system you wish to use; if you only have Windows XP on the computer you will only have one prompt.
Once prompted for the password enter the Admin password and press enter.
Once at the command prompt type bootcfg /rebuild to start the rebuild process.
The rebuild process will step you through a number of steps depending upon how many operating systems you have on the computer and how the computer is setup. Below is a listing of the common steps you are likely going to encounter.

* Prompt for the identified versions of Windows installed. When you receive this prompt press Y if the bootcfg command properly identified each of the Windows operating systems installed on the computer. It is important to realize this command will only detect Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows NT installations.

* Prompt to enter the load identifier. This is the name of the operating system for the boot.ini. For example, Microsoft Windows XP Home users would enter Microsoft Windows XP Home edition.

* Prompt to Enter OS load options. When this prompt is received type /fastdetect to automatically detect the available options.
Once you have completed all the available options in the rebuild and are back at the prompt type exit to reboot the computer.

NTLDR is Missing.

Issue:

NTLDR is Missing.

Related errors:

Below are the full error messages that may be seen when the computer is booting.

NTLDR is Missing
Press any key to restart

Boot: Couldn't find NTLDR
Please insert another disk

NTLDR is missing
Press Ctrl Alt Del to Restart

Causes:

Computer is booting from a non-bootable source.
Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS.
Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file.
Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file.
Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is using FAT32.
New hard disk drive being added.
Corrupt boot sector / master boot record.
Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable.
Failing to enable USB keyboard support in the BIOS.

Solutions:

Computer is booting from a non-bootable source

Many times this error is caused when the computer is attempting to boot from a non-bootable floppy disk or CD-ROM. First verify that no floppy diskette is in the computer, unless you are attempting to boot from a diskette.

If you are attempting to boot from a floppy diskette and are receiving this error message it is likely that the diskette does not have all the necessary files and/or is corrupt.

If you are attempting to install Windows XP or Windows 2000 and are receiving this error message as the computer is booting verify that your computerBIOS has the proper boot settings. For example, if you are attempting to run the install from the CD-ROM make sure the CD-ROM is the first boot device, and not the hard disk drive.

Second, when the computer is booting you should receive the below prompt.

Press any key to boot from the CD

Important: When you see this message press any key such as the Enter key immediately, otherwise it will try booting from the hard drive and likely get the NTLDR error again.

Note: If you are not receiving the above message and your BIOS boot options are set properly it's also possible that your CD-ROM drive may not be booting from the CD-ROM properly. Verify the jumpers are set properly on the CD-ROM drive.

Additional information: This error has also been known to occur when a memory stick is in a card reader and the computer is attempting to boot from it. If you have any type of card reader or flash reader make sure that no memory stick is inside the computer.

Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS

Verify that your computer hard disk drive is properly setup in the BIOS/CMOS setup. Improper settings can cause this error.

Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file

Windows 2000 users

If your computer is using Microsoft Windows 2000 and you are encountering the NTLDR error. Create the below boot.ini file on the floppy diskette drive.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files from another computer using the same operating system. Both of these files are located in the root directory of the primary hard disk drive. For example, C:\NTLDR and C:\NTDETECT.COM should be the locations of these files on many computers.

Please keep in mind that these files are hidden system files,

Once these files have been copied to a floppy diskette reboot the computer and copy the NTLDR and NTDETECT.COM files to the root directory of the primary hard disk drive. Below is an example of what commonly should be performed from the A:\> drive.

copy ntldr c:
copy ntdetect.com c:

After the above two files have been copied, remove the floppy diskette and reboot the computer.

Windows XP users

Insert the Windows XP bootable CD into the computer.
When prompted to press any key to boot from the CD, press any key.
Once in the Windows XP setup menu press the "R" key to repair Windows.
Log into your Windows installation by pressing the "1" key and pressing enter.
You will then be prompted for your administrator password, enter that password.
Copy the below two files to the root directory of the primary hard disk. In the below example we are copying these files from the CD-ROM drive letter, which in this case is "e." This letter may be different on your computer.

copy e:\i386\ntldr c:\
copy e:\i386\ntdetect.com c:\
Once both of these files have been successfully copied, remove the CD from the computer and reboot.

Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file

Edit the boot.ini on the root directory of the hard disk drive and verify that it is pointing to the correct location of your Windows operating system and that the partitions are properly defined.

Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is using FAT32

If you are getting this error message while you are attempting to upgrade to Windows 2000 or Windows XP from Windows95, Windows98, or Windows ME running FAT32 please try the below recommendations.

Boot the computer with a Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows ME bootable diskette.
At the A:\> prompt type:

sys c:
After pressing enter you should receive the "System Transferred" message. Once this has been completed remove the floppy diskette and reboot the computer.

New hard disk drive being added

If you are attempting to add a new hard disk drive to the computer make sure that drive is a blank drive. Adding a new hard disk drive to a computer that already has Windows installed on it may cause the NTLDR error to occur.

If you are unsure if the new drive is blank or not try booting from a bootable diskette and format the new hard disk drive.

Corrupt boot sector / master boot record

It's possible your computer's hard disk drive may have a corrupt boot sector and/or master boot record. These can be repaired through the Microsoft Windows Recovery console by running the fixboot and fixmbr commands.

Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP

If you have tried each of the above recommendations that apply to your situation and you continue to experience this issue it is possible you may have a seriously corrupted version of Microsoft Windows. Therefore we would recommend you reinstall Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

If you are encountering this issue during your setup you may wish to completely erase your computer hard disk drive and all of its existing data and then install Microsoft Windows 2000 / Windows XP.

Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable

This issue has been known to be caused by a loose or fault IDE/EIDE cable. If the above recommendation does not resolve your issue and your computer hard disk drive is using an IDE or EIDE interface. Verify the computer hard disk drive cable is firmly connected by disconnected and reconnecting the cable.

If the issue continues it is also a possibility that the computer has a faulty cable, try replacing the hard disk drive cable with another cable and/or a new cable.

Sneha Biography

Name: Sneha,
Date of Birth: 12 Oct 1981
Place of Birth: Mumbai

Sneha create waves in Mollywood

Popular Tamil actress Sneha is making waves in the Malayalam industry as well. She has already worked on quite a few Malayalam movies, that too with superstar Mammootty.

She recently finished shooting for Vande Matharam, where she stars opposite Mammootty. She is now working on Pramani and is going to begin work for Pokkiri Raja, both opposite Mammootty again

ABOUT SNEHA:

Sneha is a leading actress in South Indian film industry whose family hails from panrutti in Tamil nadu. She was born to Rajaram and Padmavathy in Mumbai and was raised in Dubai. Some of her major films include Autograph, April Madhathil and Vasool Raja MBBS with Kamal Haasan. Sneha was the one of the few actresses in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam movies who refused to take up glamourous roles, as she believed that her 'homely roles' are appreciated by all South Indian audience. Since Chinna, she is increasing her glamourous appearances. She acted in several Tamil and Telugu movies. She also acted in two Malayalam and Kannada movies.

Sneha, began her film career in 2001 film Malayalam film as a supporting artiste, however her major breakthrough came later that year in a Tamil language film, Ennavale opposite Madhavan. Later that year, she starred in the successful venture, Aanandham as well as a prestigious project for K. Balachandar in Parthale Paravasam, she finished the year with a foray into Telugu cinema, making two appearances in notable films.

In 2002, Sneha broke into the "big league". Unlike many other top actresses of her time, her acting was praised, and was likened to a modern day Revathi Menon. A total of 8 films, were released including her first major hit in Telugu with Hanuman Junction as well as other hits in Unnai Ninaithu and April Madhathil. Prestigious films with top actors also followed, such as King and Pammal K. Sambandam with Vikram and Kamal Haasan respectively.

After a successful previous year, Sneha became more aware with her choice of films, with only two releasing in 2003. The first being with a big actor, Vijay in Vaseegara, the second being a heroine-orientated double role in Parthiban Kanavu. The film became a commercial hit as well as winning plaudits for Sneha's portrayal of the double role.

2004 was a mixed year for the actress, with Jana, Bose, Venky and Adhu, a horror film, all failing at the box-office. However, Vasool Raja MBBS opposite Kamal Haasan became a commercial success, while her guest role in Autograph, another successful project, was praised.

Though she has acted in many Telugu films, the success of K Ragavendra Rao-directed mythological movie Sri Ramadasu (2006) helped Sneha to firm up her foothold in Telugu cinema. Her role in the movie, steeped in the bhakti culture, was well appreciated by moviegoers. Meanwhile, her Mollywood flick with Mammootty, Thuruppugulan (2006), was also a big hit. In Pudhupettai (2006), Sneha as a battered and bruised prostitute is a revelation.Then, she acted in Thankar bachan's Pallikoodam in which she played as a village teacher.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

AutuRun inf

Autorun.inf

An autorun.inf file is a text file that can be used by the Auto Run AutoRun and AutoPly components of Microsoft Windows Operating systems. For the file to be discovered and used by these components, it must be located in the root directory of a volume. As Windows has a case-insensitive view of filenames,, the autorun.inf file can be stored as AutoRun.inf or Autorun.INF or any other case combination.

The AutoRun component was introduced in Windows95 as a way of reducing support costs. AutoRun enabled applicationCD-ROMs to automatically launch a program which could then guide the user through the installation process. By placing settings in an autorun.inf file, manufacturers could decide what actions were taken when their CD-ROM was inserted. The simplest autorun.inf files have just two settings: one specifying an icon to represent the CD in Windows Explorer (or "My Computer") and one specifying which application to run.

Extra settings have been added in successive versions of Windows to support AutoPlay and add new features.

The autorun.inf file

autorun.inf is an ASCII text file located in the root folder of a CD-ROM or other volume device media (See AutoPlay # Device types). The structure is that of a classic Windows .ini file, containing information and commands as "key=value" pairs, grouped into sections. These keys specify:

The name and the location of a program to call when the media is inserted (the "AutoRun task").

The name of a file that contains an icon that represents the media in Explorer (instead of the standard drive icon).

Commands for the menu that appears when the user right-clicks the drive icon.

The default command that runs when the user double-clicks the drive icon.

Settings that alter AutoPlay detection routines or search parameters.

Settings that indicate the presence of drivers.

Inf handling

The mere existence of an autorun.inf file on a medium does not mean that Windows will automatically read it or use its settings. How an inf file is handled depends on the version of Windows in use, the volume drive type and certain Registry settings.

Assuming Registry settings allow, the following autorun.inf handling takes place:

Windows versions prior to Windows XP

On any drive type, the autorun.inf is read, parsed and instructions followed immediately and silently

The "AutoRun task" is the application specified by the open or shellexecute keys. If an AutoRun task is specified it is executed immediately without user interaction.

Windows XP, prior to Service Pack 2

Introduction of Autoplay.

Drives of type DRIVE_CDROM invoke AutoPlay if no autorun.inf file is found.

Drives of type DRIVE_REMOVABLE do not use the autorun.inf file. Any discovered removable media are handled by AutoPlay. All other handling is as before.

XP Service Pack 2 and up (includes Vista)

Drives of type DRIVE_FIXED are now handled by AutoPlay. Any specified AutoRun task appears as an option within the AutoPlay dialog together with any text specified by the optional action key.

Drives of type DRIVE_REMOVABLE now use autorun.inf but continue to be handled by AutoPlay. Any specified AutoRun task needs to be paired with the mandatory action key to appear as an option within the AutoPlay dialog. Otherwise the AutoRun task is omitted.

All other handling is as before.

Vista and later

The AutoRun task is no longer automatically and silently executed on any drive type. All volumes are handled by AutoPlay which, by default, will present an appropriate dialog to the user.

Windows 7

For all drive types, except DRIVE_CDROM, the only keys available in the [autorun] section are label and icon. Any other keys in this section will be ignored. Thus only CD and DVD media types can specify an AutoRun task or affect double-click and right-click behaviour.

There is a patch available, KB971029 for Windows XP and later, that will change AutoRun functionality to this behaviour.

A simple example

This simple autorun.inf file specifies setup.exe as the application to run when AutoRun is activated. The first icon stored within the setup.exe itself will represent the drive in Explorer:

[autorun]
open=setup.exe 
icon=setup.exe,0
label=My install CD

Sections

Following are the sections and keys allowed in a valid autorun.inf.There also exist architecture specific section types for systems such as Windows NT 4 running on RISC. However these are long outdated and not described here.

[autorun]

The autorun section contains the default AutoRun commands. An autorun.inf file must contain this section to be valid. Keys allowed are:

action=text
action=@[filepath\]filename,-resourceID

Windows XP SP2 or later; drives of type DRIVE_REMOVABLE and DRIVE_FIXED

Specifies text used in the AutoPlay dialog to represent the program specified in the open or shellexecute keys. The text is expressed as either text or as a resource reference. The icon is displayed next to the text. This item is always first in the AutoPlay dialog and is always selected by default.

If the (action) key does not appear on drives of type:

DRIVE_REMOVABLE		the AutoPlay dialog appears but without additional menu items. Essentially, the AutoRun task is omitted. This makes the action key mandatory for drives of this type.
DRIVE_FIXED		default text is created and used in the AutoPlay dialog.

On all other drive types the key is ignored.

icon=iconfilename[,index]

The name of an file resource containing an icon. This icon replaces the standard drive icon in Windows Explorer. This file must be in the same directory as the file specified by the open key.

label=text

Specifies a text label representing the drive in Windows Explorer.

open=[exepath\]exefile [param1 [param2] ...]

Specifies the path, file name and optional parameters to the application that AutoRun launches when a user inserts a disc in the drive. It is the CreateProcess function that is called by AutoRun.

shellexecute=[filepath\]filename[param1, [param2]...]

Windows 2000, Windows ME or later

Similar to open, but using file association information to run the application. The file name can therefore be an executable or a data file. It is the ShellExecuteEx function that is called by AutoRun.

UseAutoPlay=1

Windows XP or later; drives of type DRIVE_CDROM

Use AutoPlay rather than AutoRun with CD-ROMs. The action taken on CD-ROM insertion will depend on the version of Windows being used.

On versions of Windows earlier than XP, this key has no effect and actions specified by open or shellexecute are performed.

On Windows XP and later, the user will be presented with the AutoPlay dialog and any actions specified by open or shellexecute are ignored.

shell\verb\command=[exepath\]exefile [param1 [param2] ...]

Adds a custom command to the drive's shortcut menu. verb is a string with no embedded spaces. verb is also the text that will appear in the shortcut menu unless specifically altered to some other text. See below for an example.

shell\verb=MenuText

Optionally specify the text displayed in the shortcut menu for the verb above. Use an ampersand (&) to select a hotkey for the menu. See below for an example.

shell=verb

Defines the menu command referred to by shell\verb as the default command in the shortcut menu. The default command is the command executed when the drive icon is double-clicked. If missing, the default menu item will be "AutoPlay", which launches the application specified by the open entry.

Example:

shell\readme\command=notepad readme.txt
shell\readme=Read &Me
shell=readme

[Content]

Windows Vista or later

The Content section allows authors to communicate the type and intent of content to AutoPlay without AutoPlay having to examine the media.

Valid keys are: MusicFiles, PictureFiles, VideoFiles. Each key can be set to indicate true or false values and values are not case sensitive.

true	(or 1, y, yes, t)	:	display the handlers associated with that content type
false	(or 0, n, no, f)	:	do not display the handlers associated with that content type

Example:

[Content]
MusicFiles=Y
PictureFiles=0
VideoFiles=false

[ExclusiveContentPaths]

Windows Vista or later

Limits AutoPlay's content search to only those folders listed, and their subfolders. The folder names are always taken as absolute paths (a path from the root directory of the media) whether or not a leading slash is used.

Example:

[ExclusiveContentPaths]
\pictures
\music
more music\special

[IgnoreContentPaths]

Windows Vista or later

AutoPlay's content search system will not scan the folders listed, nor their subfolders. IgnoreContentPaths takes precedence over ExclusiveContentPaths so if a path given in a [IgnoreContentPaths] section is a subfolder of a path given in an [ExclusiveContentPaths] section it is still ignored.

Example:

[IgnoreContentPaths]
pictures
\music
more music\special

[DeviceInstall]

Windows XP or later

This section is used to indicate where driver files may be located. This prevents a lengthy search through the entire contents of a CD-ROM. Windows XP will fully search:

floppy disks in drives A or B
CD/DVD media less than 1 GB in size.

without this section present. All other media should include this section to have Windows XP autodetect any drivers stored on that media.

The section is not used with AutoRun or AutoPlay and is only referred to during a driver installation phase. The only valid key is:

DriverPath=directorypath

which lists a path Windows will search for driver files. All subdirectories of that path are also searched. Multiple key entries are allowed.

If no DriverPath entry is provided in the [DeviceInstall] section or the DriverPath entry has no value, then that drive is skipped during a search for driver files.

Example:

[DeviceInstall]
DriverPath=drivers\video 
DriverPath=drivers\audio

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Error

If you installed security update 873333 (MS05-012), you may experience one or more of the following problems:

You may receive the following error message after you start the computer:
Generic Host Process for Win32 Services Error
Note This problem only occurs in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).
File names are not displayed in e-mail messages that include file attachments when the following conditions are true:
- The file name contains double-byte character set (DBCS) characters.
- The file name is longer than 42 characters.
Note This problem only occurs when the e-mail message format is Rich Text.
An application that implements the IMallocSpy debugging interface may experience heap corruption after you install security update 873333. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
894194 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894194/ ) An application that implements the IMallocSpy debugging interface may experience heap corruption after you install security update 873333

For more information about security release MS05-012, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

873333 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873333/ ) MS05-012: Vulnerability in OLE and COM could allow remote code execution

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft. For Windows XP SP2, the Generic Host Process error can potentially occur on any system at any time. Although you receive the error message shortly after system startup, the actual error occurred during the previous system shutdown. Because of the broad nature of this issue, this hotfix was made available through Windows Update and distributed to users who have Automatic Updates enabled to eliminate this problem on Windows XP SP2 systems. For Windows XP SP2, you may experience one last Generic Host Process error upon restart after you install this hotfix. This is from the previous system shutdown before the new version installation was completed.

For Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows 2000, this hotfix is only intended to correct the problems that are described in this article. Only apply this hotfix to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Windows service pack that contains this hotfix. To resolve this problem immediately, download the hotfix from the following locations.