Tiplet expert tips & tech support

March 3, 2009

Why and How to Turn Unneeded Services Off in Windows

Filed under: computer performance,Windows — Tags: , — admin @ 2:00 pm

by Tina Gasperson

Services in Windows are executable programs that run in the background without user interaction. Usually, these services facilitate user actions or help other programs run. They can be loaded automatically, disabled, or set to run only when instructed to do so by the computer user. Since each service uses a share of the available system resources, it makes sense to check your services from time to time and shut off the ones you don’t need. Additionally, if you have a lot of services auto-starting at boot time, setting these services not to automatically start can reduce the amount of time it takes to boot up.
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Pros and cons of Solid State Drives

Filed under: computer hardware,computer performance — Tags: , , — admin @ 9:00 am

by David Hakala

Q: What are the pro’s and con’s of switching to a Solid State Hard drive? Is it faster and is it reliable? – Bill.

A Solid State Drive (SSD) is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store data. “Solid-state” means that the device stores data as patterns in the on/off states of transistors. A transistor in its “on” or positively charged state is considered a binary “1” bit, while a transistor in its “off” state is considered a “zero” bit. “Solid” refers to the fact that there are no empty spaces in a transistor for mechanical parts to move around in; the transistor is turned on and off by the application of electricity, not by the electromechanical movement of a physical switch.
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March 2, 2009

Preserving Your Vista Desktop

Filed under: applications,computer performance,Vista — Tags: , , — admin @ 6:00 pm

by Ross M. Greenberg

I’ll be the first to admit it: Vista is not perfect. There. I said it. As much as I admire the product, it has some warts that really bug me. Programmers who worked for me would have been fired if they ever let a product ship with these kinds or this quantity of bugs. Things have certainly gotten better of late but still…

For example when installing a new product — perhaps a flaky one — there is a good chance that my desktop will be screwed up. Some of those carefully placed icons magically shift or disappear or randomly transpose. What should be a quick and easy no-brainer turns into a frustrating humbling and painful experience, annoying to recover from.
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How Do I Add More RAM to My Computer?

Filed under: computer hardware,computer memory — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 2:00 pm

by Tina Gasperson

RAM stands for Random Access Memory. Your computer uses this virtual memory to do computations and calculations while the computer is on. Nothing is ever permanently stored in this memory, yet it is a big factor in the performance quality of your system. Most computer come with at least 1GB of RAM and extra space so you can add more. On older computers with less than 1GB and/or no extra space, you can even take out the existing RAM and replace it with a higher-capacity “stick” of memory.
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How to Get the Codecs You Need to Play Video and Music Files

Filed under: digital media,photos and video — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 9:00 am

by David Hakala

When you try to play a music or video file you may get an error message saying that a “codec” is needed but not found. Well, a codec is a method of compressing a large multimedia file to save disk space and speed downloading (smaller file, less download time). There are many different codecs such as MP3, WMV, AVI, and so on. They are implemented in software packages that plug into your media player software as needed.
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March 1, 2009

How to Use a Regular Computer Monitor or Large Display with Your Laptop Computer Instead of the Built-in Screen

Filed under: computer hardware,Windows — Tags: , , , — admin @ 2:00 pm

by Tina Gasperson

Have you ever wished your laptop had a bigger screen? Maybe you’d like to watch a movie or photo slide show in comfort, or share it with several people in your home. You may not have known that you can plug a standalone monitor or display into the back of your laptop. Take a look at your laptop. In the back, where the power adaptor plugs in, there is at least one other connection. The vast majority of laptops have a female VGA connector, which has 15 little holes in three rows. Some laptops also have an S video connector, which is round and has four tiny holes.
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Using the NAME Function in Excel 97, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2007

Filed under: applications,computer hardware,privacy & security,Windows — Tags: , , , — admin @ 9:00 am

by David Hakala

Excel formulas may require a lot of arguments. It can be hard to remember that “12*4” means 12 monthly payments for four years. It might be easier to read your formula if that argument read, “12Months*Years”. Well, you can give arguments and cells easily remembered names in Excel.
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February 28, 2009

How to Take a Screenshot and Edit It Using Picasa

Filed under: applications,photos and video — Tags: , , , — admin @ 6:00 pm

by Tina Gasperson

Did you ever wish you could share what you’re looking at on your computer screen right now with someone else? Maybe you just beat your all-time high score in Solitaire, or you really like the new theme you just installed on your desktop. Did you know that you can make an image of anything that is displayed on your computer monitor, including Web sites, files, and pictures, manipulate it, and save it onto your hard drive in a format that’s easy to email or upload to the Internet? Taking a screenshot, as this is called, is very easy.
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How and Why to Move the My Documents Folder to Another Drive

Filed under: computer performance,Windows — Tags: , , — admin @ 2:00 pm

by David Hakala

Most Windows users store their personal data in the My Documents folder. By default, this folder is located on the same drive as the Windows operating system, usually the C: drive. This poses certain problems.

First, your data collection – documents, pictures, music, videos, etc. – will keep growing while Windows overall does not. Performance degrades as the drive fills up. Eventually, you will run out of hard disk space. Then you will have to delete some files, a hard choice and a tedious exercise.
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February 27, 2009

How Can I Avoid Being Fooled by Internet Myths?

Filed under: Internet,privacy & security — Tags: , , , — admin @ 6:00 pm

by Gabe Goldberg

The Internet is often like a big echo chamber: some yodels never die out — they echo from user to user, growing ever fainter, until someone sends them to a new mailing list or set of friends and they come roaring noisily back to life. Google “Craig Shergold” for an example of something that was real, is long outdated, and which keeps circulating.

If you’ve been online for a while, you likely receive abundant email every day, including jokes, spam, hoaxes, and alleged urgent warnings of terrible danger. But how can you tell a real threat from a bogus hoax?
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How to Clean the Hardware on the Inside of Your Computer

Filed under: computer hardware,computer performance — Tags: , — admin @ 2:00 pm

by Tina Gasperson

Dust is the enemy of computer components – but ironically, computer components seem to attract an inordinate amount of dust, which traps heat and clogs up the fans that work to keep your system at the right temperature. If your computer gets too hot, it will shut down to protect itself, but it could still be damaged by excessive heat. It’s a good idea to open up your computer from time to time and clean out dust and detritus.

The most useful tool for cleaning out the inside of your computer is a can of compressed air. This is available at most computer supply and office supply stores. Once you have your compressed air, shut the computer down and unplug it. You may want to take the computer outside for cleaning so you don’t spread the dust around your work area.
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