CPU (Processor)
This refers to the processor (or brain) in your PC system: Its common components are as follows:
CU - Control Unit, this sequences, controls and times
the other functions of the
CPU. ALU - Arithmetic Logic Unit, this carries out
simple mathematical equations on the binary data stored inside the data
registers.
Registers - these are temporary memory locations which hold binary
data and store the results of
ALU calculations, there are also memory
address registers which as the name suggests hold data concerning where in the
memory certain instructions and data is held.
BUS - this carries data between the memory and registers.
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Processor Clock Speed
Every processor has its own built-in clock, this clock dictates how fast the processor can process the data (0's and 1's), you
will see processors advertised as having a speed of say 2GHz, this measurement
refers to the internal clock. If a processor is advertised as having a
speed of 2GHz this means that it can process data internally 2 billion
times a second (every clock cycle), so if the processor is a 32-bit processor running at 2GHz then it can potentially process 32 bits of data
simultaneously, 2 billion times a second !!
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New microsoft Windows Vista
Is your hardware up to scratch?
pretty pictures pretty pictures pretty pictures
Vista is famous--or, perhaps more accurately, infamous--for its hefty hardware requirements. Certainly, minimum system requirements are more demanding than for any previous Windows operating system. In reality, there are two separate sets of hardware requirements: one for machines that are merely "Vista Capable" and another for those that are "Vista Premium Ready."
Whereas "Premium Ready" requires a 1GHz processor, one gigabyte of RAM and a high-end video card, requirements for "Capable" are a bit more easily (and inexpensively) attainable. It's important to remember that, although the eye candy afforded by Aero Glass is very cool, it's probably not really necessary for most business applications. Before you start making plans to upgrade all your organization's workstations to Vista,
you should check out the exact system requirements and really consider if you need to just
spend money to keep up with the jones
Things get slightly more complicated with Vista. Now there are five editions: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise and Ultimate. Although you probably won't want to use the Home editions on a company network, you may be less certain whether to choose Business, Enterprise or Ultimate.
Business Edition is roughly comparable to XP Pro, whereas Enterprise Edition includes extra features such as BitLocker Drive Encryption (an added layer of security for corporate laptops), application compatibility tools, SUA (Subsystem for Unix-based applications) and advanced multilanguage support. Ultimate is a superset, with all the features of all editions (including Media Center),
which may be more than you need for your business PCs.
© Copyright 1995-2006 FIXYOURPCS.com
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Ditch it throw it away
Microsoft said it would remove the Java Virtual Machine from some products, including Office XP Professional with FrontPage, Publisher 2002, Windows NT 4.0
and Small Business Server 2000. The change will allow customers to download
those products as before.
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Cable
connections
Cable connections are considered one of the best types of internet connection available to the home user, they offer very fast
and reliable connections with a fixed monthly fee. Cable companies
usually offer different packages to suit different internet subscribers, your
choice of package, as with all internet connections will depend on how you
intend to use the internet.
The different packages will offer different
speed specifications and bandwidth limits. Because a cable connection
uses a totally separate medium to transfer data it doesn't affect your ability
to make/receive phone calls.
Cable connection Pros
Speed is a major reason for having a cable
connection, with very high speed packages available it is an excellent choice
for those who don't like to wait around tapping their fingers when downloading
big files such as music or large attachments. Like ADSL connections,
cable connections transfer data digitally, eliminating any digital/analogue
conversion overhead. Cable connections are Always on,
eliminating long waits to make a connection.
Cable connection Cons
Cable connections are not available in every area, you will need to contact the cable company of your choice to ensure that you
have coverage. Because cable connections are Always on you
will need a firewall to protect your PC.
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AMI BIOS ERROR BEEP CODES-3
1Beep - Memory Refresh Failure (check memory)
2Beeps - Memory Parity Error in first 64KB block (check memory)
3Beeps - Memory Read/Write Error in first 64KB block (check memory)
4
Beeps - Motherboard timer not functioning (possible motherboard replacement)
5
Beeps - Processor Error (may need replacement Processor)
6
Beeps - Gate A20/keyboard controller failure (possible motherboard replacement)
7
Beeps - Processor Exception Interrupt Error (may need replacement Processor)
8
Beeps - Display Memory Read/Write Failure (reseat or replace video card)
9
Beeps - ROM checksum Error (replace BIOS chip or motherboard)
10
Beeps - CMOS shutdown Read/Write error (possible motherboard replacement)
11
Beeps - Bad Cache Memory - test failed (replace cache memory)
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CODEC - COmpressor / DECompressor
CODEC in the context of computing is an acronym for COmpressor/DECompressor and refers to a small piece of code (program) which is used to compress and decompress data, you will normally come across these when using Audio and Video. You may be prompted during internet use to download a CODEC if you visit a site that requires a certain CODEC not already installed on your PC.
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Megabytes
or Gigabytes,
The amount of bandwidth you need depends on how you intend to use the internet. For example, if you will be using the internet just to view websites, then you won't need as much bandwidth as someone who is downloading music and video for the same amount of hours. note:
one Megabyte (MB) = 1024 Kilobytes (KB). The average webpage is around 50KB (kilobytes) including images
The average MP3 audio file is around 4MB (Megabyte) So you would use the same amount of bandwidth to download one MP3 audio file as you would to view eighty one webpages (50Kb) on the internet. As you can see it depends greatly on what you are using your internet connection for as to how much bandwidth you will need.
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Microsoft will not fix a serious flaw in Windows 98 and Windows Millennium
Edition because a patch could break other applications.
The security bug relates to Windows Explorer and could let an intruder
commandeer a vulnerable PC, Microsoft
warned in April. The software maker has made fixes available for Windows
Server 2003, Windows XP and Windows 2000, but it has found that eliminating the
vulnerability in Windows 98 and ME is "not feasible," it said. "To do so would require re-engineering a significant amount of a critical
core component of the operating system," Microsoft said in a Thursday update to
its MS06-015
security bulletin. "After such a re-engineering effort, there would be no
assurance that applications designed to run on these platforms would continue to
operate." Instead, Microsoft recommends that people who still use the older operating
systems protect their PCs by using a network firewall that filters traffic on
TCP Port 139. "Such a firewall will block attacks attempting to exploit this
vulnerability from outside of the firewall," it said. The software maker even had trouble with its fix for Windows XP. It had to revise the
update and release it a second time because the patch caused problems
for people who used Hewlett-Packard Share-to-Web software or older Nvidia
graphics drivers.
© Copyright 1995-2006 FIXYOURPCS.com
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Dial-up
connections
Dial-up connections are the most common type of internet connection available from ISPs, they are also the slowest and (usually)
the most inexpensive. A dial-up connection allows you to connect to the
internet via a local server using a standard 56k modem, your PC literally dials
(hence the name) a phone number (provided by your ISP) and connects to the server and
therefore the internet.
ADSL
connections
ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscribers Line) connections are becoming more and more widely available and can provide an
excellent internet connection. The connections work by splitting your
phone line into two separate channels, one for data (internet) and one for voice
(phone calls) which means you can talk on the phone and be connected to the
internet at the same time. You will often see ADSL connection services advertised as having different speed specifications, below are somecommonconfigurations:
256Kbps/
128Kbps
512Kbps/
128Kbps
1Mbps/
AWARD BIOS ERROR BEEP CODES
There are 2 main beep codes for the Award BIOS:
one
long beep and two short beeps - Video error (reseat or replace video card)
two short beeps - Non-FatalError (reseat RAM, check other components)
AMI Motherboard Identification Utility
This utility
is designed to assist users in determining the manufacturer of a motherboard
using AMIBIOS. While this utility will work with any BIOS vendor,
"AMIMBID" can only reliably determine the motherboard vendor on an
AMIBIOS-based system.
Download
AMIMBID
Beep Errors-1
Whena PC is first switched on or reset it performs a special diagnostic test called
a POST (Power-On Self Test), to check all of the components in the PC the POST
program sends out a signal to each device initialising each device's built-in
self test procedure. The POST test is a two stage process, first it will check all of the basiccomponents including amongst other things the system clock, the processor, RAM,
the keyboard controller and the Video Card. When a device fails the first part of the POST, the BIOS will send a series of
beeps from the PC's speaker (internal) to inform the PC user that there is a
problem, these beeps are coded allowing the user to diagnose the troublesome
component. After the video has been tested the BIOS will then indicate any errors
encountered by displaying either a numeric code or a text message on the
screen. When the POST has been completed successfully the PC will make a short beep to
let the user know everything is as it should be.
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Browser
This is the program you use to surf the internet,
i.e. Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Opera etc. Different browsers render
web pages slightly differently, for example some sites may require a certain
browser to function correctly and some sites may not function at all with some
browsers.
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AVI - Audio Video Interleaved
A multimedia file type, the
audio and video elements are interleaved in alternate segments within the AVI
file. This has become a very popular format on the Internet for video distribution due to the fast download
times and reasonable quality reproduction.
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Chat
A way of communicating with other people over the internet using either a chat room (similar to a BBS but in real time) or through an instant messenger program like ICQ or Yahoo Messenger. When you type in a message the other party can see the message instantly and reply using the same method.
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A "critical" Windows patch can cause trouble on computers that run certain
Hewlett-Packard photo-sharing software or the Kerio firewall, Microsoft said.
The MS06-015
patch, designed to plug a flaw in Windows Explorer, can cause a myriad
problems for users of HP printers, scanners and digital cameras, Microsoft said
in an article on its support
Web site dated Saturday. People with Sunbelt Software's Kerio
Personal Firewall also will notice that Windows no longer works as it should
after applying the fix, Microsoft said.
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keyboard short-cuts
a great way to keep things moving when you're using your computer, and they let you perform tasks without lifting your hands from the keyboard.These are some of the basics that you should know--at least if you
want to cut down on the number of times you reach for the mouse every day.
1.Ctrl Alt Del is the mother of all keyboard shortcuts, affectionately known as the "three-fingered salute," since it's so useful when your Windows box locks
up. Pressing the combo once (simultaneously) opens the Windows Task Manager.
(From within the Task Manager, you can force-quit a crashed program, see a list
of processes or applications running on your machine, check performance
parameters such as how hard your CPU is working, or track your network usage.)
Is your machine totally locked up? Reach over, grab the mouse and click Shut
Down.
2.Ctrl S saves the file you're working on. Ever lost your homework, a spreadsheet at work, or some video you've been editing? Hit Ctrl S
(simultaneously) to save. Hit it early and often! (Want to open a file from
within the program you're running? Ctrl O universally opens the File/Open
window.)
3.Ctrl C copies text, files, or icons that you've highlighted, Ctrl V pastes them where you point your mouse (hey, you can't completely eliminate using it),
and Ctrl X cuts whatever you've highlighted out of the document (or folder,
photo, movie clip, or whatever it is you're working on). Ctrl A highlights the
entire file you're working on or everything in a folder or on your
desktop.
4.Alt Tab lets you switch on the fly between all of your open windows. Press the combination once to switch to your last open window or multiple times to
switch to any other open window. Holding down Alt Tab will bring up a system
window that shows you what apps are running and which one you're switching
to.
5.Ever wonder why almost every Windows program has the F in
File underlined, not to mention the E in Edit, and so
on so forth across the top of the Window? Hit Alt that letter to open that
particular menu; you can either use the arrow keys to move around within that
window, or keep your eyes peeled for more underlined letters to use more Alt key
combinations.
6.The Windows key (the one that looks like the Windows logo, or a flag) R opens the Run dialog. From here, you can launch a command-line window by typing
cmd, but you can do a lot more. You can, for example, paste in
a folder path, such as C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\My
Documents\Expenses, and Windows will open it automatically. You can also use the
Run dialog to open Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, or Notepad. Just
type winword to launch Word, type excel to
launch Excel, and notepad to launch Notepad.
7.Windows E launches Windows Explorer, defaulting to My Computer.
8.F2 renames a selected file or folder. (This is so much easier than
right-clicking!)
9.F3 launches Search if you're on the desktop or in a folder.
10.Windows M minimizes all open windows, and Windows D shows your desktop. (These results look similar, but they're slightly different; Windows M minimizes
all windows that support the command, while Windows D actually raises the
desktop to the top.) This is a great one for when the boss pops up in your
cubicle. Once the boss gone, hit Shift Windows M to bring up your minimized windows, or Windows D to drop
your desktop back down again.
© Copyright 1995-2006 FIXYOURPCS.com
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Beep Errors-2
Phoenix
BIOS ERROR BEEP CODES
Phoenix BIOS beep codes are a series of beeps separated by a pause, for
example:
beep --- beep beep --- beep --- beep beep would be 1-2-1-2
1-1-4-1
- Cache Error (level 2)
1-2-2-3
- BIOS ROM Checksum
1-3-1-1
- DRAM Refresh Test
1-3-1-3
- Keyboard controller test
1-3-4-1
- RAM Failure on address line xxxx (check memory)
1-3-4-3
- RAM Failure on data bits xxxx of low byte of memory bus
1-4-1-1
- RAM Failure on data bits xxxx of high byte of memory bus
2-1-2-3
- ROM copyright notice
2-2-3-1
- Test for unexpected interrupts
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