Tiplet expert tips & tech support

July 10, 2009

How Can I Stop the Noise From My Computer’s Fan?

Filed under: computer hardware,computer-related health — Tags: , , — admin @ 1:39 pm

by David Hakala

A noisy computer fan is a constant irritation. Whether it’s a desktop or portable computer, the best thing you can hear from your machine is silence. Here are some things you can do to reduce or eliminate fan noise.

First, the easiest and most obvious thing: move the fan away from your ears. If your desktop computer is on your desktop, consider putting it on the floor under the desk. The vibrations of a fan often set up sympathetic vibrations in pencil cups, paper clip trays, and other desktop items. A fan can even cause a buzzing in the wood of your desktop. Move the computer if you can.
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April 23, 2009

How to Make a New Partition with the Free Space on Your Hard Drive

Filed under: computer performance,Windows — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 8:00 am

by Tina Gasperson

A partition is a special separate place on your hard drive that has its own drive letter – if you only have one partition on your hard drive, then it is probably called C:, or the C drive. It’s handy sometimes to make a new partition on your hard drive – especially if you want to install a separate operating system such as Linux, or an older version of Windows. Another reason to partition your hard drive is to keep your data separate from your applications. That way if you need to reinstall your apps or your operating system, you won’t need to do anything with your data, since a partition is seen by the computer as a separate hard drive.
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April 21, 2009

How to Upgrade Your Laptop Hard Drive

Filed under: computer hardware,computer memory,Windows — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 1:04 pm

by Tina Gasperson

Q: I’d like to upgrade my older laptop’s hard drive from 30GB to 160GB or 250GB. Several companies claim 100 percent compatibility but the specs don’t seem to be compatible. How can I make sure I’m buying the right hard drive? — Mary

The safest route to finding a compatible hard drive to upgrade your laptop is to go to the manufacturer. Turn your laptop upside down and look for the manufacturer name and the model number and write them down. Now, go directly to the official Web site and search for replacement parts for your laptop model. By purchasing your new hard drive from the manufacturer, you can be sure that your upgrade will go as smoothly as possible.
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March 26, 2009

Hard Drive Recovery

Filed under: computer hardware,computer performance,Windows — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 1:06 pm

by David Hakala

Probably the worst sight a computer owner can see is this message on an otherwise black screen:

“No boot device, please insert a bootable media.”

Your hard drive is hosed. Windows won’t start, even as far as the Recovery Console. What is wrong, and what are you going to do?
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March 25, 2009

Upgrading Your Laptop’s Hard Drive for Space and Performance

Filed under: computer hardware,computer memory,computer performance,Linux — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 8:00 am

by Stewart Vardaman

Disks get faster and better constantly, yet they are usually the slowest component in your notebook or PC. The simple truth is, memory speed might be measured in nanoseconds (billions), but disk speed is measured in milliseconds (thousands). That difference is like Bill Gates’s net worth to a working stiff like me.

Speeding up the slowest thing in the chain makes everything else faster. Adding a new disk to an old (or even new) laptop makes for a peppier machine. And you can do it yourself!
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March 23, 2009

How to Erase a Hard Drive Safely and Completely

Filed under: applications,computer hardware,data storage and recovery,privacy & security,Windows — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 1:00 pm

by David Hakala

If you plan to sell, give away, or just toss in the trash an old hard drive, you really should erase your personal data from it first. If you’re like most people, your hard drive contains things you don’t want strangers to see: private correspondence, bank account numbers, passwords, your children’s pictures, names, and where they go to school… think about it, then take a little time to wipe that hard drive really clean!
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March 21, 2009

What to Look for When Searching for an External Hard Drive for Windows XP

Filed under: computer hardware,data storage and recovery — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 5:00 pm

by Tina Gasperson

If you store photos, videos, and other multimedia files on your computer, or you’re a computer gamer, chances are you’ll need extra hard drive space at some point. You don’t have to buy a new computer to gain that space, or install a new interior hard drive. External hard drives are inexpensive, portable, and very easy to use.
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March 16, 2009

How to Transfer Files From Drive to Drive

Filed under: computer hardware,computer performance,data storage and recovery,file transfer,Windows — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 1:00 pm

by David Hakala

Q: I figured it would be cheaper to buy an external hard drive and free up some space on my C: drive and in turn give me more speed and memory back, versus buying a whole new computer. So, my question is: How do I transfer files, programs, etc. from my C: internal hard drive to my new G: external hard drive? – Richard

Richard wants to “free up some disk space” (available memory won’t be affected by moving files) so I would recommend moving only user data files at first. That should free up quite a bit of space. Leave Windows and existing program files where they are. Install new programs on the external drive.

In increasing order of difficulty, here are ways to move user data, program files, and Windows itself:
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March 13, 2009

How to Format or Reformat a Hard Drive

Filed under: computer hardware,Windows — Tags: , , — admin @ 1:00 pm

by David Hakala

Sometimes you have to prepare a brand new hard drive for use. At other times, you may have to reformat a badly messed-up hard drive; that is, wipe it clean and start over with a fresh installation of Windows and all your applications and data. Either need calls for formatting the hard drive. It’s simple, but it takes a bit of time and you have to be careful to preserve irreplaceable data.
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March 12, 2009

How to Replace a Hard Drive

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

by David Hakala

One day you may decide you need a bigger hard drive; a second hard drive so you can keep your data separate from your operating system; or a replacement for a drive that died. Then you will need to perform the following minor surgery on your computer.
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February 27, 2009

How to Compress and Uncompress Archive Files

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

by David Hakala

If your hard drive is filling up, you can recover quite a bit of space by compressing files that you do not use often, or by compressing all the files in selected folders or an entire hard disk. Windows XP Pro and Home Editions support file compression natively. There are a few things to consider before compressing files, however.

You must have your drive volume (i. e., C:) formatted with the NTFS file system. Compression is not supported on FAT16 or FAT32 volumes.
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