If you have more then one computer at home, you may be considering a home network. This would allow you to share one internet connection between multiple computers.
These instructions are for those with Windows XP Professional on the main computer, and XP Pro or XP Home on the other computers.
You will need.
1 Network Card or Port on each PC (Desktop or laptop)
1 Network Hub, Router or Switch.
Cat 5 Ethernet Network cable.
You can either purchase the cat 5 ethernet cable in premanufactured lengths or you can create your own. Purchasing his highly advisable unless you plan on installing more then one network. example: home, work, friends and family...
A used network hub will do fine. If you find one used without the power supply block, you can usually find a power adapter at an electronics supply store.
Most modern computers (Laptops and Desktops) come with a 10/100 ethernet port in the back of them, however if you need to purchase one, you can get them for as little as $25 new, or less used.
When selecting your ethernet card, ensure that it will access the bandwidth you will require of it.
While you will have limited bandwidth, having additional bandwidth will be helpful if you decide to allow other computers access to larger files on the network.
Your source for informative technology.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Windows Vista - Security at Work
This article looks into the improved security features of Windows Vista, the most secure Windows ever. Most of these features are new to Windows; however, there are some features included in the previous version of Windows, with some modifications.
1.User Account Control (UAC)
This new feature of Windows Vista tracks the user activities, and prompts when a significant system level activity is about to be performed. Vista allows no free user intervention to tasks that require administrative privileges, such as new software or hardware installation, uninstallation, editing system settings, etc. Vista presents a dialog with information as to the impact of the task in the offing, asking user credentials to proceed. Limited users have to enter administrator password, and administrators have to click on the ‘continue’ button presented.
This feature is great since it doesn’t allow any accidental modification to the system due to ignorance or inexperience of the user. Also, the system can be fully managed securely from a standard limited account (tasks requiring elevation may be done by entering the administrator password). It can however be a nuisance since the prompts may come for even very simple tasks, such as changing desktop background, resolution, etc.
2.Bitlocker Drive Encryption
This security feature is used to encrypt the entire system drive (usually the C:\ drive). This is in effect similar to the EFS (Encrypted File System) in XP, but here the entire drive is encrypted. Vista always checks if the system is starting safely and that any of the system files has not been modified. If any malpractice is detected, it will lock the entire system drive and require an encryption password from the user.
3.Address Space Layout Randomizer (ASLR)
In the older versions of Windows, the system files were loaded to a designated memory segment. This actually facilitated the attacks of such systems, since the attackers always knew where the system files reside in the memory. ASLR randomizes the memory location where system files are loaded every time Vista boots up, thus minimizing the possibility of such an attack.
4.Windows Security Center
The first time we saw the Windows Security Center was with XP SP2. In Vista, the Security Center not only monitors the firewall, Auto updates, and antivirus as in XP, it can monitor and control almost all the security features of Vista, such as the UAC, Windows Defender, etc. It works from the tray and pops up whenever a user intervention is required.
5.Windows Defender
Windows Defender, renamed from Windows Antispyware, is not just an antispyware application. It has deeper coverage than that. Windows Defender detects changes to IE settings, installation of add-ons, ActiveX controls, auto-start programs, or system configuration that may be caused by spywares. Defender, however, currently doesn’t give any protection against viruses, Trojans, or worms.
6.Windows Firewall
Windows Firewall, first shipped with XP SP2, incorporates major changes with Vista. The firewall mainly gives the inbound protection and a limited outbound protection, supporting packet filtering, IPv6 connection filtering, and configuration rules.
7.IE7 Protected Mode
Internet Explorer, with the brand new looks and tabbed browsing, which may be an afterthought of Mozilla Firefox’s success, is one of the best browsers out there.
The protected mode of IE7 lets it run with limited control, and thus prevents advanced tasks when browsing the Internet. Any malicious software trying to exploit IE to attack the system will not be successful due to its limited privileges. However, this feature is not available for the standalone IE7 browser supplied for the XP systems.
The protected mode, just like UAC mentioned above, may be an annoyance in the long term, since it blocks you from tasks, such as saving cookies from the sites you trust.
8.Phishing Filter
Phishing is a form of attack in which the attacker presents you a website that masquerades a genuine one. The phishing websites, which look exactly like the original website, might ask you to provide such information as user login, password, email address, credit card numbers, etc. If you provide any such information, the attacker gets them. Such attacks usually start with an email, claiming to be from the genuine party, with a link to the phishing website.
Vista phishing filter links to online database of millions of phishing websites. The feature checks the site status and warns the user if the site is found to be a phishing website.
9.Parental Controls
Parental Controls, which is introduced for the first time in Windows, lets the users control their children’s activities on the system. The parent can specify which of the programs, websites, or games the child has access to, and set time limit for using the system.
10.USB Device Lock Down
Using this feature, administrators can block the users from connecting USB devices, such as iPods, handhelds, cameras, storage devices, etc., to Vista. The corporate customers take advantage of this feature, as the company system administrators can restrict employees, access to the USB devices. This will make the company systems a lot more secure.
11.x64 Features
These features, available only on the 64-bit versions of Vista, are these: PatchGuard (protection from the modifications to the Vista kernel) protects kernel modifications. Digitally Signed Drivers ensures all the drivers in Vista are digitally signed. The removal of 16-bit subsystem (DOS) makes the system simpler and more user friendly, since all the tasks will now be completed through Windows GUI; however, this will reduce the compatibility of older applications in Vista.
1.User Account Control (UAC)
This new feature of Windows Vista tracks the user activities, and prompts when a significant system level activity is about to be performed. Vista allows no free user intervention to tasks that require administrative privileges, such as new software or hardware installation, uninstallation, editing system settings, etc. Vista presents a dialog with information as to the impact of the task in the offing, asking user credentials to proceed. Limited users have to enter administrator password, and administrators have to click on the ‘continue’ button presented.
This feature is great since it doesn’t allow any accidental modification to the system due to ignorance or inexperience of the user. Also, the system can be fully managed securely from a standard limited account (tasks requiring elevation may be done by entering the administrator password). It can however be a nuisance since the prompts may come for even very simple tasks, such as changing desktop background, resolution, etc.
2.Bitlocker Drive Encryption
This security feature is used to encrypt the entire system drive (usually the C:\ drive). This is in effect similar to the EFS (Encrypted File System) in XP, but here the entire drive is encrypted. Vista always checks if the system is starting safely and that any of the system files has not been modified. If any malpractice is detected, it will lock the entire system drive and require an encryption password from the user.
3.Address Space Layout Randomizer (ASLR)
In the older versions of Windows, the system files were loaded to a designated memory segment. This actually facilitated the attacks of such systems, since the attackers always knew where the system files reside in the memory. ASLR randomizes the memory location where system files are loaded every time Vista boots up, thus minimizing the possibility of such an attack.
4.Windows Security Center
The first time we saw the Windows Security Center was with XP SP2. In Vista, the Security Center not only monitors the firewall, Auto updates, and antivirus as in XP, it can monitor and control almost all the security features of Vista, such as the UAC, Windows Defender, etc. It works from the tray and pops up whenever a user intervention is required.
5.Windows Defender
Windows Defender, renamed from Windows Antispyware, is not just an antispyware application. It has deeper coverage than that. Windows Defender detects changes to IE settings, installation of add-ons, ActiveX controls, auto-start programs, or system configuration that may be caused by spywares. Defender, however, currently doesn’t give any protection against viruses, Trojans, or worms.
6.Windows Firewall
Windows Firewall, first shipped with XP SP2, incorporates major changes with Vista. The firewall mainly gives the inbound protection and a limited outbound protection, supporting packet filtering, IPv6 connection filtering, and configuration rules.
7.IE7 Protected Mode
Internet Explorer, with the brand new looks and tabbed browsing, which may be an afterthought of Mozilla Firefox’s success, is one of the best browsers out there.
The protected mode of IE7 lets it run with limited control, and thus prevents advanced tasks when browsing the Internet. Any malicious software trying to exploit IE to attack the system will not be successful due to its limited privileges. However, this feature is not available for the standalone IE7 browser supplied for the XP systems.
The protected mode, just like UAC mentioned above, may be an annoyance in the long term, since it blocks you from tasks, such as saving cookies from the sites you trust.
8.Phishing Filter
Phishing is a form of attack in which the attacker presents you a website that masquerades a genuine one. The phishing websites, which look exactly like the original website, might ask you to provide such information as user login, password, email address, credit card numbers, etc. If you provide any such information, the attacker gets them. Such attacks usually start with an email, claiming to be from the genuine party, with a link to the phishing website.
Vista phishing filter links to online database of millions of phishing websites. The feature checks the site status and warns the user if the site is found to be a phishing website.
9.Parental Controls
Parental Controls, which is introduced for the first time in Windows, lets the users control their children’s activities on the system. The parent can specify which of the programs, websites, or games the child has access to, and set time limit for using the system.
10.USB Device Lock Down
Using this feature, administrators can block the users from connecting USB devices, such as iPods, handhelds, cameras, storage devices, etc., to Vista. The corporate customers take advantage of this feature, as the company system administrators can restrict employees, access to the USB devices. This will make the company systems a lot more secure.
11.x64 Features
These features, available only on the 64-bit versions of Vista, are these: PatchGuard (protection from the modifications to the Vista kernel) protects kernel modifications. Digitally Signed Drivers ensures all the drivers in Vista are digitally signed. The removal of 16-bit subsystem (DOS) makes the system simpler and more user friendly, since all the tasks will now be completed through Windows GUI; however, this will reduce the compatibility of older applications in Vista.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
How to Speed Up Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows Vista is an Operating system par excellence, the most visually stunning OS from the Windows family so far. Microsoft Vista has a wonderful graphical interface (GUI), Microsoft AERO. However, Vista is very resource-thirsty. It needs more than 1 GB of system memory (RAM) and high processor power. Everything about the new Windows is superlative (Windows AERO itself takes up 128 MB of RAM). Hence, it warrants doing some system tweaking to get high performance out of Vista. Here are some tips to increase the speed of MS Vista PCs.
1. Disable Unnecessary Features
Windows AERO interface is a great and visually stunning feature that makes Vista look wonderful. The AERO glass, flip 3D, live thumbnails, etc., make Microsoft Vista a very beautiful OS. But this all are at a price. A very hefty system is required to run AERO alone, which takes up as much system memory as required to run the whole of Microsoft Windows XP. This is why Vista is too heavy to run on ordinary systems. You don’t need AERO if you are not using the system just for visual appeal. Vista’s graphics is stunning even without AERO, and all your programs will run just fine. So you can get rid of Windows AERO. For this, right click desktop and choose Personalize. Click on Window Color and Appearance, and then Open classic appearance properties for more options. Here you can turn off AERO by choosing Windows Vista Basic under color options. Vista AERO is available only in four editions of Vista, Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, Vista Enterprise, and Vista Ultimate; it is not shipped with Vista Home Basic.
Every time Windows starts, Vista gives a welcome screen, Windows Welcome Center. This feature helps the novice Windows users tweak their systems for the first time use. If you are familiar with Vista and want to get rid of the Microsoft Welcome Center, then you can follow this simple Windows registry tweak. Open registry (type ‘regedit’ in Start->Run); search for “Windows Welcome Center” from registry’s Edit->Find menu option; remove the key when you find that under Windows->CurrentVersion->Run.
Another feature that may be turned off for performance boost is UAC (User Account Control). This feature can be turned off from Control Panel. However, this is a great security feature of Vista, and it is not recommended to turn it off completely.
Vista has a Sidebar, which houses some useful widgets on the side of the desktop. These small applications like clock, calendar, currency converter, and more you can download from Microsoft website (Windows Support Website) may be removed safely for a better performance of the system.
You can get a list of all the programs installed with Vista in Control Panel->Uninstall a Program->Turn Windows Features On or Off. In this window, you can view all the applications currently installed in the system. If there is any new feature that you wish to remove, just uncheck it.
2. Disable Unwanted Startup Programs
This is the same with Windows XP Operating System. All Windows versions have some built-in startup programs that are loaded when the OS loads (Windows Live Messenger for instance). These startup programs can be disabled. You can use Windows Defender for this. Windows Defender in Vista is an antispyware application that monitors more than spywares. It monitors Internet Explorer settings, startup programs, system configuration changes, etc. So, make use of Defender for disabling the startup programs that may be running in the background. This can be done from the system tray icon of Defender. Retain only the applications that you need to run Windows effectively.
3. Readyboost
Readyboost and Superfetch are two brand new Microsoft applications supplied with Vista. They are Windows tools, which boost the system performance by optimizing the system memory. This is done with the help of additional storage media like USB Flash drives. Readyboost can use the Flash storage devices and SD cards as system memory, and Superfetch will make the applications more optimized for this memory cache. If you can get a fast Flash drive, you have two uses with that in Vista. One is normal use of data transfer and storage. The second is it can be used as an external RAM cache to supplement the memory capacity of the system. So, get hold on the fastest Flash drive out there, and get it to working.
4. Enable Advanced Disk Performance
Advanced Disk Performance feature, accessible from Disk Management in Device Manager, is a disk write optimizing tool, which enables hard disk write caching. The contents to be written to hard disk are not written directly; instead, it is stored into a cache first. The data are transferred to the hard drive only at the end. This can dramatically improve the performance when applications accessing HDD a lot are being run. However, there is a risk of data loss in cases of power failure. So, this warrants the use of good power supply in the background for the hard disk drive.
This feature can be enabled from Device Manager->Disk Manager->Disk Properties, and then in policies, you can click Advanced Disk Performance option.
These performance tweaking options, when worked along with the other normal performance options for generally all versions of Windows should give you great performance boost in Windows Vista.
1. Disable Unnecessary Features
Windows AERO interface is a great and visually stunning feature that makes Vista look wonderful. The AERO glass, flip 3D, live thumbnails, etc., make Microsoft Vista a very beautiful OS. But this all are at a price. A very hefty system is required to run AERO alone, which takes up as much system memory as required to run the whole of Microsoft Windows XP. This is why Vista is too heavy to run on ordinary systems. You don’t need AERO if you are not using the system just for visual appeal. Vista’s graphics is stunning even without AERO, and all your programs will run just fine. So you can get rid of Windows AERO. For this, right click desktop and choose Personalize. Click on Window Color and Appearance, and then Open classic appearance properties for more options. Here you can turn off AERO by choosing Windows Vista Basic under color options. Vista AERO is available only in four editions of Vista, Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, Vista Enterprise, and Vista Ultimate; it is not shipped with Vista Home Basic.
Every time Windows starts, Vista gives a welcome screen, Windows Welcome Center. This feature helps the novice Windows users tweak their systems for the first time use. If you are familiar with Vista and want to get rid of the Microsoft Welcome Center, then you can follow this simple Windows registry tweak. Open registry (type ‘regedit’ in Start->Run); search for “Windows Welcome Center” from registry’s Edit->Find menu option; remove the key when you find that under Windows->CurrentVersion->Run.
Another feature that may be turned off for performance boost is UAC (User Account Control). This feature can be turned off from Control Panel. However, this is a great security feature of Vista, and it is not recommended to turn it off completely.
Vista has a Sidebar, which houses some useful widgets on the side of the desktop. These small applications like clock, calendar, currency converter, and more you can download from Microsoft website (Windows Support Website) may be removed safely for a better performance of the system.
You can get a list of all the programs installed with Vista in Control Panel->Uninstall a Program->Turn Windows Features On or Off. In this window, you can view all the applications currently installed in the system. If there is any new feature that you wish to remove, just uncheck it.
2. Disable Unwanted Startup Programs
This is the same with Windows XP Operating System. All Windows versions have some built-in startup programs that are loaded when the OS loads (Windows Live Messenger for instance). These startup programs can be disabled. You can use Windows Defender for this. Windows Defender in Vista is an antispyware application that monitors more than spywares. It monitors Internet Explorer settings, startup programs, system configuration changes, etc. So, make use of Defender for disabling the startup programs that may be running in the background. This can be done from the system tray icon of Defender. Retain only the applications that you need to run Windows effectively.
3. Readyboost
Readyboost and Superfetch are two brand new Microsoft applications supplied with Vista. They are Windows tools, which boost the system performance by optimizing the system memory. This is done with the help of additional storage media like USB Flash drives. Readyboost can use the Flash storage devices and SD cards as system memory, and Superfetch will make the applications more optimized for this memory cache. If you can get a fast Flash drive, you have two uses with that in Vista. One is normal use of data transfer and storage. The second is it can be used as an external RAM cache to supplement the memory capacity of the system. So, get hold on the fastest Flash drive out there, and get it to working.
4. Enable Advanced Disk Performance
Advanced Disk Performance feature, accessible from Disk Management in Device Manager, is a disk write optimizing tool, which enables hard disk write caching. The contents to be written to hard disk are not written directly; instead, it is stored into a cache first. The data are transferred to the hard drive only at the end. This can dramatically improve the performance when applications accessing HDD a lot are being run. However, there is a risk of data loss in cases of power failure. So, this warrants the use of good power supply in the background for the hard disk drive.
This feature can be enabled from Device Manager->Disk Manager->Disk Properties, and then in policies, you can click Advanced Disk Performance option.
These performance tweaking options, when worked along with the other normal performance options for generally all versions of Windows should give you great performance boost in Windows Vista.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Windows Vista's Graphics: New AERO Features
Windows has revolutionized its graphics with the new AERO GUI. AERO, which expands as Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, and Open, is the name of the new Windows Graphical User Interface (GUI). AERO features like glass window borders, 3D flip, live thumbnails, etc., make Windows look a lot different and more visually appealing than its previous versions.
AERO is available in these versions of Windows Vista: Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, Vista Enterprise, and Vista Ultimate; the Home Basic version lacks it. The requirements are roughly these: 1 GB of system memory with 128 MB of graphics memory at the minimum, 1GHz processor, DirectX 9 compatible graphics driver with WDDM facility (Windows Display Driver Model) and AGP 8.x or PCI-Extended, Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware, 15 GB HDD free space, DVD-ROM drive, etc.
The Features of AERO
1.Flip-3D: This enables the windows on the desktop to be viewed in three dimensions. When a number of application windows are open in Vista, you can press Windows key + tab. This will show the windows on the screen in a 3D stack, which you can flip through to get to the desired window. Users can flip through the windows using the key combination or by scrolling with the mouse wheel.
2.AERO Glass: The windows in Vista have translucent borders. The borders blur the background to achieve this effect. The window in focus has its close button in red color, helping determine the topmost window in case so many windows are open side by side. The AERO Glass effect is present also on the start menu.
3.Live Thumbnails: You can view what is happening in a particular window, which is minimized, by placing the mouse pointer over its task bar button. This shows the contents of the window live on a thumbnail. The feature is available also when we use Alt + Tab (Windows Flip).
4.Support for High-resolution Monitors: Vista AERO supports high-resolution monitors, so that you can get a visually stunning picture on smaller screens. Vista can boost the graphics of certain programs to as much as 144 dpi (dots-per-inch), thereby making the view rich in detail.
5.High Performance Desktop: AERO supports very high performing and smoother desktops. The open windows glide across the screen smoothly as you move them. They do not show any latency, redraw ‘specters,’ etc., which are common in older GUIs.
Customization:
Is AERO customizable? Absolutely! For this, you have to go to the Control Panel applet, Appearance and Personalization->Personalization, using which you can edit the features in AERO. You can edit anything from Display Settings, Visual Appearance, Desktop Background, Screen Saver, Sound Effects, Mouse Pointers, or Theme from this dialog.
The Visual Appearance link opens a new window allowing deeper customization to AERO, such as Color Schemes (Aero, Frost, Smoke, Seafoam, Heritage, Sky, Heart, or Candy); Enable or Disable Translucent Glass; Color Mixer, which gives more profound customization to the already selected color scheme; and Open classic appearance properties. Color Mixer can also set the brightness, contrast, and saturation.
AERO is great in visual appeal. It will make Vista the most visually stunning OS in the market ever. However, AERO can gorge up much of the resources, thereby making the system performance a little low. This is particularly true in systems fulfilling just enough of the requirements. In such cases, you might want to switch off the AERO feature. This can be done from the Control Panel applet said above, Personalization. From Windows Color and Appearance, you can select the classic theme for Windows.
AERO is available in these versions of Windows Vista: Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, Vista Enterprise, and Vista Ultimate; the Home Basic version lacks it. The requirements are roughly these: 1 GB of system memory with 128 MB of graphics memory at the minimum, 1GHz processor, DirectX 9 compatible graphics driver with WDDM facility (Windows Display Driver Model) and AGP 8.x or PCI-Extended, Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware, 15 GB HDD free space, DVD-ROM drive, etc.
The Features of AERO
1.Flip-3D: This enables the windows on the desktop to be viewed in three dimensions. When a number of application windows are open in Vista, you can press Windows key + tab. This will show the windows on the screen in a 3D stack, which you can flip through to get to the desired window. Users can flip through the windows using the key combination or by scrolling with the mouse wheel.
2.AERO Glass: The windows in Vista have translucent borders. The borders blur the background to achieve this effect. The window in focus has its close button in red color, helping determine the topmost window in case so many windows are open side by side. The AERO Glass effect is present also on the start menu.
3.Live Thumbnails: You can view what is happening in a particular window, which is minimized, by placing the mouse pointer over its task bar button. This shows the contents of the window live on a thumbnail. The feature is available also when we use Alt + Tab (Windows Flip).
4.Support for High-resolution Monitors: Vista AERO supports high-resolution monitors, so that you can get a visually stunning picture on smaller screens. Vista can boost the graphics of certain programs to as much as 144 dpi (dots-per-inch), thereby making the view rich in detail.
5.High Performance Desktop: AERO supports very high performing and smoother desktops. The open windows glide across the screen smoothly as you move them. They do not show any latency, redraw ‘specters,’ etc., which are common in older GUIs.
Customization:
Is AERO customizable? Absolutely! For this, you have to go to the Control Panel applet, Appearance and Personalization->Personalization, using which you can edit the features in AERO. You can edit anything from Display Settings, Visual Appearance, Desktop Background, Screen Saver, Sound Effects, Mouse Pointers, or Theme from this dialog.
The Visual Appearance link opens a new window allowing deeper customization to AERO, such as Color Schemes (Aero, Frost, Smoke, Seafoam, Heritage, Sky, Heart, or Candy); Enable or Disable Translucent Glass; Color Mixer, which gives more profound customization to the already selected color scheme; and Open classic appearance properties. Color Mixer can also set the brightness, contrast, and saturation.
AERO is great in visual appeal. It will make Vista the most visually stunning OS in the market ever. However, AERO can gorge up much of the resources, thereby making the system performance a little low. This is particularly true in systems fulfilling just enough of the requirements. In such cases, you might want to switch off the AERO feature. This can be done from the Control Panel applet said above, Personalization. From Windows Color and Appearance, you can select the classic theme for Windows.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Windows Vista Readyboost and Superfetch
System performance depends on various factors. Microprocessor speed is one thing. System memory or (RAM [Random Access Memory]) is another; cache memory also has a part to play in performance. We have a limit to the processor power, we can’t increase it; we cannot increase also the cache, which resides inside the processor. However, we can increase the system memory and optimize it for better performance. Microsoft Windows Vista has two great built-in applications for memory boosting and high performance. They are Windows Readyboost and Superfetch. These programs of the new Windows are reviewed in this article. In the first part, Microsoft Readyboost is focused on, and the second part is dedicated to Microsoft Superfetch.
Windows Readyboost
In the history of Microsoft Windows, this is the first time that Windows Operating System introduces an artificial RAM addition program. RAM is a very necessary component to boost system performance. And Windows Vista naturally requires a lot of system memory (specifically for its visual appeal, Microsoft AERO). How to supplement this need, when you don’t have enough of system memory? One option is using the virtual memory by configuring the hard drive (it requires a little more technical knowledge!). But the hard disk has limitations in terms of speed and capacity. It is not at all a great replacement to system RAM, and you cannot notice any performance difference by increasing it. In this case, as boon to the low memory systems, Microsoft Windows Vista introduces Readyboost, a memory addition program.
With Readyboost, you can use a non-volatile storage device such as a Flash drive to give more memory to the system. The Flash disk drive, which is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device, can be plugged into the USB slot on the back of your system. USB Flash storage devices are usually very fast with high data transfer rates. So, it can serve as a memory cache, when the normal system RAM is filled up. Since Flash drive is accessible faster than the system hard drives, it is an ideal choice for this purpose. You can also use SD (Secure Digital) memory card.
Using Readyboost is very easy. When you insert a USB Flash drive or SD card, Vista checks whether its performance is good enough for using as RAM. If found OK, you will get an alert asking whether to use the USB storage device as RAM. You can use either the whole drive or part of it for the purpose.
Windows Superfetch
When you work on MS Windows, there may be many background tasks running without your knowledge. These background programs, which usually run from the system tray, use up part of the available RAM, thereby making the system performance lower. In previous versions of MS Windows, these background tasks run randomly accessing the system memory (also the virtual memory). And this can make the system slower.
To fight this issue, Windows introduced a new program along with Readyboost, Microsoft Superfetch. Microsoft Readyboost uses Superfetch to load files and programs into the Flash memory device faster. Superfetch can monitor the user programs and background programs: their memory needs, priority, and frequency of usage.
Superfetch checks which of the applications are used the most by the user, and loads them into the system memory before execution. So, you can get access to them readily whenever you want. Also, Superfetch can make the system performance greater by changing the priority of the programs (user programs have higher priority and system tasks have lower). In this way, Superfetch dramatically increases the system performance by working with Readyboost.
These applications definitely are a welcome addition to Microsoft Vista; they will make working with the system much faster. One major factor is that in Vista, at a designated amount of RAM, the performance you can get is much better than that you can get with Windows XP, at the same amount of memory. So, though Vista is resource-thirsty, it can optimize the performance much better. This is what makes Vista a great OS, in terms of visual appeal (by Microsoft AERO features) and system performance.
Windows Readyboost
In the history of Microsoft Windows, this is the first time that Windows Operating System introduces an artificial RAM addition program. RAM is a very necessary component to boost system performance. And Windows Vista naturally requires a lot of system memory (specifically for its visual appeal, Microsoft AERO). How to supplement this need, when you don’t have enough of system memory? One option is using the virtual memory by configuring the hard drive (it requires a little more technical knowledge!). But the hard disk has limitations in terms of speed and capacity. It is not at all a great replacement to system RAM, and you cannot notice any performance difference by increasing it. In this case, as boon to the low memory systems, Microsoft Windows Vista introduces Readyboost, a memory addition program.
With Readyboost, you can use a non-volatile storage device such as a Flash drive to give more memory to the system. The Flash disk drive, which is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device, can be plugged into the USB slot on the back of your system. USB Flash storage devices are usually very fast with high data transfer rates. So, it can serve as a memory cache, when the normal system RAM is filled up. Since Flash drive is accessible faster than the system hard drives, it is an ideal choice for this purpose. You can also use SD (Secure Digital) memory card.
Using Readyboost is very easy. When you insert a USB Flash drive or SD card, Vista checks whether its performance is good enough for using as RAM. If found OK, you will get an alert asking whether to use the USB storage device as RAM. You can use either the whole drive or part of it for the purpose.
Windows Superfetch
When you work on MS Windows, there may be many background tasks running without your knowledge. These background programs, which usually run from the system tray, use up part of the available RAM, thereby making the system performance lower. In previous versions of MS Windows, these background tasks run randomly accessing the system memory (also the virtual memory). And this can make the system slower.
To fight this issue, Windows introduced a new program along with Readyboost, Microsoft Superfetch. Microsoft Readyboost uses Superfetch to load files and programs into the Flash memory device faster. Superfetch can monitor the user programs and background programs: their memory needs, priority, and frequency of usage.
Superfetch checks which of the applications are used the most by the user, and loads them into the system memory before execution. So, you can get access to them readily whenever you want. Also, Superfetch can make the system performance greater by changing the priority of the programs (user programs have higher priority and system tasks have lower). In this way, Superfetch dramatically increases the system performance by working with Readyboost.
These applications definitely are a welcome addition to Microsoft Vista; they will make working with the system much faster. One major factor is that in Vista, at a designated amount of RAM, the performance you can get is much better than that you can get with Windows XP, at the same amount of memory. So, though Vista is resource-thirsty, it can optimize the performance much better. This is what makes Vista a great OS, in terms of visual appeal (by Microsoft AERO features) and system performance.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Alternative Operating Systems
Are not computers supposed to make our lives easier? Should your computer do what YOU say, and not vice-versa? Why should you have to spend your hard earned cash on a computer that does hat not do what you want, when you want it to? You probably shopped around before buying most of your other household appliances, why not look at some alternatives to Microsoft Windows?
Whether you´re looking for simplicity, security, or just peace of mind, something brought you here. Operating systems aren´t only developed behind the closed doors of Redmond. There exist quite a few alternatives to Windows and some of them you´ve probably heard of. Before getting into the specific alternatives it´s necessary to give a little background information - mainly on Unix and Open Source Software.
Unix was an Operating System originally created by AT&T employees in the 1960´s. It was meant for portability, security, and clarity. The Unix philosophy splits tasks up to be accomplished (and accomplished well) by groups of smaller programs rather than a large complex kernel. There´s a familiar filing system for Unix based Operating Systems; files that configure your computer are editable in plain text. Unix was made to be simple and usable. The Open Group that sets the standards for computing defines Unix with the Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) standards.
When software is free, it can be free as in "FREE BEER!" or free as in "Free to distribute, edit, reproduce, and use" (Open Source). Microsoft Windows is not free in either sense of the word. Much of Windows is closed source and they take great pains to insure their software is not pirated. Some versions of Linux are Open Source - but you have to purchase the software.
Reprinted with permission from Andrew K Nelsen original author
Whether you´re looking for simplicity, security, or just peace of mind, something brought you here. Operating systems aren´t only developed behind the closed doors of Redmond. There exist quite a few alternatives to Windows and some of them you´ve probably heard of. Before getting into the specific alternatives it´s necessary to give a little background information - mainly on Unix and Open Source Software.
Unix was an Operating System originally created by AT&T employees in the 1960´s. It was meant for portability, security, and clarity. The Unix philosophy splits tasks up to be accomplished (and accomplished well) by groups of smaller programs rather than a large complex kernel. There´s a familiar filing system for Unix based Operating Systems; files that configure your computer are editable in plain text. Unix was made to be simple and usable. The Open Group that sets the standards for computing defines Unix with the Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) standards.
When software is free, it can be free as in "FREE BEER!" or free as in "Free to distribute, edit, reproduce, and use" (Open Source). Microsoft Windows is not free in either sense of the word. Much of Windows is closed source and they take great pains to insure their software is not pirated. Some versions of Linux are Open Source - but you have to purchase the software.
Reprinted with permission from Andrew K Nelsen original author
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Windows PC Maintenance: Uninstalling Old Programs
When you haven’t used a program for a few months, you tend to forget that it’s still lurking somewhere on your hard drive. Even if you have plenty of extra space left for more files and programs, you should still clear out some of the clutter from the hard drive. You’ll have more room and your computer will work faster. The less your system wades through to find a file, the faster it can bring that data up on your screen.
Another common problem is that we like to take advantage of trial software to find the right program, but forget all about the several “duds” that we leave on our hard drives. These trial programs need to go as soon as possible. If you find another, similar program that works better, you’re obviously not going to go back and use the others again. These installations waste megabyte after megabyte of space that could be better used.
The best way to uninstall most programs is to go through the “Uninstall Software” menu in your Control Panel. You’ll get an updated list of all the programs on your hard drive. Along with this information, you’ll also find out when you installed that program and how often you use it – rarely, frequently, or somewhere in between. You’ll also find “uninstall” links that remove the program permanently.
However: many programs come with “uninstall” icons, which are often listed in the program group on your Start menu. Use these links if you can’t find the program in the Control Panel’s list.
Before you do that, though, you should know these things:
-If you don’t recognize the program, you should leave it alone. Some of the weird things in the Control Panel’s list of installed software were put there by your computer’s manufacturer or the operating system. They’re vital to your PC, so don’t uninstall or alter them.
-Be sure that you have a copy of the installation file before you delete anything. You might not care for that card game now, but what if you want to play it again in six months? Have the files on hand so that you can reinstall and enjoy again when you want to play.
Now that you know how to remove some of the clutter from your hard drive, spend a few minutes looking for programs that are safe to uninstall. You’ll appreciate the extra space – and not having to wait so long for your hard drive to find the files that you want.
Another common problem is that we like to take advantage of trial software to find the right program, but forget all about the several “duds” that we leave on our hard drives. These trial programs need to go as soon as possible. If you find another, similar program that works better, you’re obviously not going to go back and use the others again. These installations waste megabyte after megabyte of space that could be better used.
The best way to uninstall most programs is to go through the “Uninstall Software” menu in your Control Panel. You’ll get an updated list of all the programs on your hard drive. Along with this information, you’ll also find out when you installed that program and how often you use it – rarely, frequently, or somewhere in between. You’ll also find “uninstall” links that remove the program permanently.
However: many programs come with “uninstall” icons, which are often listed in the program group on your Start menu. Use these links if you can’t find the program in the Control Panel’s list.
Before you do that, though, you should know these things:
-If you don’t recognize the program, you should leave it alone. Some of the weird things in the Control Panel’s list of installed software were put there by your computer’s manufacturer or the operating system. They’re vital to your PC, so don’t uninstall or alter them.
-Be sure that you have a copy of the installation file before you delete anything. You might not care for that card game now, but what if you want to play it again in six months? Have the files on hand so that you can reinstall and enjoy again when you want to play.
Now that you know how to remove some of the clutter from your hard drive, spend a few minutes looking for programs that are safe to uninstall. You’ll appreciate the extra space – and not having to wait so long for your hard drive to find the files that you want.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Tips to Secure a Windows XP System
Securing a Windows system in this era of viruses, hackers, malwares, etc., is a big concern, particularly since Windows is a very insecure Operating System. You might need to do a little more work on your system to get it completely secured (you needn’t do this in case of Linux or Unix based systems). The following are some of the tips you should follow to give the maximum protection to your Windows system.
1. Consider an upgrade: If your OS is safe, its upgraded version is safer. If you are using Windows XP Home edition, then an upgrade to either Professional or Media Center edition is a prudent thing to do. They are obviously more secure than the Home edition. Professional edition is used mainly to serve business needs, and has more security features. Now, since the Windows Service Pack upgrades are available for XP, downloading them makes your system still more secure. One of the features of XP Professional is EFS (Encrypted File System), which is available also in the lower version of Windows, Windows 2000, but ironically, Windows XP Home edition lacks this. The Simple File Sharing system in Windows XP Home, which doesn’t give you much choice on the individual files (like who can open it, and who can change or delete it), is an inadequate security feature. All these clearly point to the need of an upgrade.
2. Use a limited user account for general use: The Windows system gives you several user account types. They are Guest Account, Administrator Account, Limited Account, etc. Limited Account doesn’t have much privileges. It can alter neither the hardware configuration, nor the basic system configuration, but is perfect for a general use of the system. If you are a novice user, or are not in need of much system level tweaking, then you should use a limited user account, and reserve a password protected Administrator Account for advanced tasks.
3. Use a password on Guest Account: The Windows has a guest user account in place. This is for use by the guest users of the system, and is in effect a limited account. The Guest Account is by default disabled. However, you can enable it using the User Accounts module in Control Panel. If many people have to access your system, you should password-protect the Guest Account, so you can be sure that only the authorized people (whom you gave the password) use the system, and skittish kids or unpredictable lot do not access the system and play with your data.
However, keeping the Guest Account disabled will not help you in this regard. The Guest Account never gets actually disabled. The option “Turn off the Guest Account” will only turn off the direct Windows Login with it. But the account will be used, because XP uses it to grant access to the remote users to the shared system resources over a network. Therefore, you cannot fully withhold the effect of the Guest Account. However, Windows doesn’t allow you to choose a password for this account within the User Accounts tool. It should be done through the Command Line. Here is how:
Open the command line console (type “cmd” at Start->Run); type in this command in the console: “net user guest” (without the angle brackets and replacing “password” with your new Guest Account password). This will create a new password for your Guest Account.
4. Private Folders Protect User data: Windows XP has Simple File Sharing feature to share your files over a network. Windows XP Home doesn’t provide you a further customized file sharing, as does Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional. In Windows XP Professional, you can customize the file sharing by unchecking “Use Simple File Sharing” in the Folder Options->View tab. The Folder Options resides in the Control Panel. In Windows XP Home, you can make a folder secure by making it private. View the folder properties; there is a tab, “Sharing and Security.” Here you have the option to make the folder private.
In Windows XP Professional, when you disable the Simple File Sharing, you can get advanced file sharing options. There will be a new tab, “Security” when you view the properties of a folder or file. In this, you can virtually choose which user can do what (read, write, modify, or delete) on the file.
5. Enable ICF: The Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), provided by both Home and Professional editions, is a built-in firewall application. You can enable the firewall for any network connection you make. This can be done from the properties of your new connection. Within the Advanced tab, you can turn on the Windows Firewall and the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). However, you can leave them disabled, and install a third party antivirus and firewall application instead. Also, it is recommended to do so. Windows Firewall, though provided by Microsoft, is not an exhaustive firewall application. It is only better than nothing. Using a professional third party antivirus and security suite, on the other hand, you can get more extensive security to your system at a minimal cost.
It is difficult to achieve high security in Windows; however, the techniques discussed above and many other understood methods should make your system very secure. I needn’t instruct you not to open attachments from unknown emails, not to share important personal information, or regularly update your Antivirus and Firewall software.
1. Consider an upgrade: If your OS is safe, its upgraded version is safer. If you are using Windows XP Home edition, then an upgrade to either Professional or Media Center edition is a prudent thing to do. They are obviously more secure than the Home edition. Professional edition is used mainly to serve business needs, and has more security features. Now, since the Windows Service Pack upgrades are available for XP, downloading them makes your system still more secure. One of the features of XP Professional is EFS (Encrypted File System), which is available also in the lower version of Windows, Windows 2000, but ironically, Windows XP Home edition lacks this. The Simple File Sharing system in Windows XP Home, which doesn’t give you much choice on the individual files (like who can open it, and who can change or delete it), is an inadequate security feature. All these clearly point to the need of an upgrade.
2. Use a limited user account for general use: The Windows system gives you several user account types. They are Guest Account, Administrator Account, Limited Account, etc. Limited Account doesn’t have much privileges. It can alter neither the hardware configuration, nor the basic system configuration, but is perfect for a general use of the system. If you are a novice user, or are not in need of much system level tweaking, then you should use a limited user account, and reserve a password protected Administrator Account for advanced tasks.
3. Use a password on Guest Account: The Windows has a guest user account in place. This is for use by the guest users of the system, and is in effect a limited account. The Guest Account is by default disabled. However, you can enable it using the User Accounts module in Control Panel. If many people have to access your system, you should password-protect the Guest Account, so you can be sure that only the authorized people (whom you gave the password) use the system, and skittish kids or unpredictable lot do not access the system and play with your data.
However, keeping the Guest Account disabled will not help you in this regard. The Guest Account never gets actually disabled. The option “Turn off the Guest Account” will only turn off the direct Windows Login with it. But the account will be used, because XP uses it to grant access to the remote users to the shared system resources over a network. Therefore, you cannot fully withhold the effect of the Guest Account. However, Windows doesn’t allow you to choose a password for this account within the User Accounts tool. It should be done through the Command Line. Here is how:
Open the command line console (type “cmd” at Start->Run); type in this command in the console: “net user guest
4. Private Folders Protect User data: Windows XP has Simple File Sharing feature to share your files over a network. Windows XP Home doesn’t provide you a further customized file sharing, as does Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional. In Windows XP Professional, you can customize the file sharing by unchecking “Use Simple File Sharing” in the Folder Options->View tab. The Folder Options resides in the Control Panel. In Windows XP Home, you can make a folder secure by making it private. View the folder properties; there is a tab, “Sharing and Security.” Here you have the option to make the folder private.
In Windows XP Professional, when you disable the Simple File Sharing, you can get advanced file sharing options. There will be a new tab, “Security” when you view the properties of a folder or file. In this, you can virtually choose which user can do what (read, write, modify, or delete) on the file.
5. Enable ICF: The Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), provided by both Home and Professional editions, is a built-in firewall application. You can enable the firewall for any network connection you make. This can be done from the properties of your new connection. Within the Advanced tab, you can turn on the Windows Firewall and the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). However, you can leave them disabled, and install a third party antivirus and firewall application instead. Also, it is recommended to do so. Windows Firewall, though provided by Microsoft, is not an exhaustive firewall application. It is only better than nothing. Using a professional third party antivirus and security suite, on the other hand, you can get more extensive security to your system at a minimal cost.
It is difficult to achieve high security in Windows; however, the techniques discussed above and many other understood methods should make your system very secure. I needn’t instruct you not to open attachments from unknown emails, not to share important personal information, or regularly update your Antivirus and Firewall software.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Starting Fresh, formating and installing from the Windows XP CD
Straight forward instructions for the user with the Windows XP CD. These work for both Windows XP HOME and Windows XP Professonal.
Occassionally it is good for the consumer to have someone reinstall the Windows operating system for them to help remove all those nasty bugs that tend to crop up. The windows user should follow the instructions below...
Instructions
* STEP 1: This section explains how to reformat a drive from the Windows XP installation CD. This can be used when installing a fresh copy of Windows onto a computer. Here it is especially important to backup all of your important information because upon formatting you will lose EVERYTHING that used to be on the drive. This includes all applications and device drivers, so you must backup everything you can.
* STEP 2: Insert your Windows XP installation disc into your CD drive (Home or Pro it does not matter).
* STEP 3: Restart your computer. On the first screen that comes up as your computer starts it should say at the bottom a key that you can press to change the Boot Sequence (may also be called Boot Device or Boot Order), press whatever key is specified. If your computer does not give you the option to change the boot sequence directly from the startup screen you will need to enter your BIOS Setup by pressing whichever key your computer specifies for Setup, and then from the BIOS setup you need to change your boot order so that the CD drive is before Hard Disks. If all you see right when your computer starts up is a splash screen with the computer manufactuer's name press the 'Esc' key to display which keys to press for boot sequence or BIOS setup.
* STEP 4: Now as you computer boots a little more it will say “Press any key to boot from CD..” press a key to do so.
* STEP 5: The CD will load up a blue screen and then spend a while loading files it needs. When it is finished it will list a few options mainly “Press ENTER to set up Windows XP,” press Enter or Return.
* STEP 6: Now you will be at a screen to select where to install Windows to, this is where you can delete old partitions and format drives. The box in the bottom half of the screen shows all your drives and the partitions that exist on them. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to highlight your “C:” partition and press the 'D' key (if all that shows up is “Unpartitioned space” and you have no C: or D: partitions skip this step). On the next screen press the 'L' key to finalize deleting the partition.
* STEP 7: Now you are back on the screen to choose where to install Windows. The box on the lower half of the screen should no longer show a partition but simply have an entry “Unpartitioned space xxxxxMB.” Select this with the arrow keys and press the 'C' key to create a partition on the drive. The next screen tells you the minimum and maximum sizes the partition can be and lets you pick the size. The default size is the maximum, but double check that the number entered is the maximum and hit enter.
* STEP 8: Now you will again be back at the choose where to install Windows screen only this time you will have a partition that looks something like this “C: Partition1 [New (Raw)] xxxxxxMB.” Highlight this entry and press enter.
* STEP 9: The next screen lets you choose which filesystem to format the drive with. If your computer will be sharing files over a network with a Windows ME, 98, or 95 computer select “FAT32” otherwise choose NTFS as it is faster and more secure. If the drive is brand new and has never been used before then use one of the options that ends in “(Quick)” otherwise choose one of the lower down options. Use the arrow keys to select the proper one and press Enter or Return.
* STEP 10: From here you are all set and the installation of Windows will proceed starting with a format of your drive. This will take a while (over half an hour) so you can go take a little break.
Occassionally it is good for the consumer to have someone reinstall the Windows operating system for them to help remove all those nasty bugs that tend to crop up. The windows user should follow the instructions below...
Instructions
* STEP 1: This section explains how to reformat a drive from the Windows XP installation CD. This can be used when installing a fresh copy of Windows onto a computer. Here it is especially important to backup all of your important information because upon formatting you will lose EVERYTHING that used to be on the drive. This includes all applications and device drivers, so you must backup everything you can.
* STEP 2: Insert your Windows XP installation disc into your CD drive (Home or Pro it does not matter).
* STEP 3: Restart your computer. On the first screen that comes up as your computer starts it should say at the bottom a key that you can press to change the Boot Sequence (may also be called Boot Device or Boot Order), press whatever key is specified. If your computer does not give you the option to change the boot sequence directly from the startup screen you will need to enter your BIOS Setup by pressing whichever key your computer specifies for Setup, and then from the BIOS setup you need to change your boot order so that the CD drive is before Hard Disks. If all you see right when your computer starts up is a splash screen with the computer manufactuer's name press the 'Esc' key to display which keys to press for boot sequence or BIOS setup.
* STEP 4: Now as you computer boots a little more it will say “Press any key to boot from CD..” press a key to do so.
* STEP 5: The CD will load up a blue screen and then spend a while loading files it needs. When it is finished it will list a few options mainly “Press ENTER to set up Windows XP,” press Enter or Return.
* STEP 6: Now you will be at a screen to select where to install Windows to, this is where you can delete old partitions and format drives. The box in the bottom half of the screen shows all your drives and the partitions that exist on them. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to highlight your “C:” partition and press the 'D' key (if all that shows up is “Unpartitioned space” and you have no C: or D: partitions skip this step). On the next screen press the 'L' key to finalize deleting the partition.
* STEP 7: Now you are back on the screen to choose where to install Windows. The box on the lower half of the screen should no longer show a partition but simply have an entry “Unpartitioned space xxxxxMB.” Select this with the arrow keys and press the 'C' key to create a partition on the drive. The next screen tells you the minimum and maximum sizes the partition can be and lets you pick the size. The default size is the maximum, but double check that the number entered is the maximum and hit enter.
* STEP 8: Now you will again be back at the choose where to install Windows screen only this time you will have a partition that looks something like this “C: Partition1 [New (Raw)] xxxxxxMB.” Highlight this entry and press enter.
* STEP 9: The next screen lets you choose which filesystem to format the drive with. If your computer will be sharing files over a network with a Windows ME, 98, or 95 computer select “FAT32” otherwise choose NTFS as it is faster and more secure. If the drive is brand new and has never been used before then use one of the options that ends in “(Quick)” otherwise choose one of the lower down options. Use the arrow keys to select the proper one and press Enter or Return.
* STEP 10: From here you are all set and the installation of Windows will proceed starting with a format of your drive. This will take a while (over half an hour) so you can go take a little break.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
How to Choose a Wireless Network Router for your home
With so many wireless routers on the market, it can be difficult to figure out which one will best fit your home network's needs. The decision can be overwhelming, but these tips will help you narrow down your choices until you find the hardware that will work the best for you.
When you go shopping, consider these factors.
Compatibility
The wireless router that you buy should work with the wireless adaptors in your computers. Make sure that they all operate on the same frequency: otherwise, you'll have big problems.
Number of Connections
How many computers do you want to connect to the wireless network? Make sure that whatever router you buy can support at least that many computers. Many people have found that they later want to add another computer or two. A child in the family gets a PC in the bedroom, maybe, or somebody gets married and the new spouse moves in with another computer. Think about the possibility of adding more computers when you shop.
Wireless Versus Wired
The main computer – the one that is directly connected to your Internet Service Provider's modem – is probably a wired connection. You might have other hard-wired connections in the house as well. Make sure that the router you buy can handle all of these computers in addition to the wireless connections that the other computers will use. You should also remember that you might sometimes transfer between a wireless and a wired connection. Make sure that your router has enough space to do that when needed.
Signal Strength
Before you go shopping, get an idea of how far the wireless signal must travel in your house. Your router needs to push the signal at least that far. Another helpful feature is the adjustable antennae. Being able to move them around to improve the wireless signal is infinitely helpful when you're having problems.
Security Features
Make sure that your router will let you enable the basic security features. You should be able to hide your network name, for example, and use a network key to grant access to authorized computers. Otherwise, your network is wide open: anybody who can acquire a signal can get online through your account.
Setup Procedure
Many routers are very easy to setup. Just pop the CD-ROM into the drive and follow the instructions. Others are not so easy. Find the router that you are most comfortable setting up. There's no need to do things the hard way if you aren't interested in that particular challenge.
Be sure to comparison shop and ask any questions that you might have before you buy the router. Many stores charge a restocking fee if you return something that is not broken or defective, so save yourself that money by knowing what you want and need before you buy.
When you go shopping, consider these factors.
Compatibility
The wireless router that you buy should work with the wireless adaptors in your computers. Make sure that they all operate on the same frequency: otherwise, you'll have big problems.
Number of Connections
How many computers do you want to connect to the wireless network? Make sure that whatever router you buy can support at least that many computers. Many people have found that they later want to add another computer or two. A child in the family gets a PC in the bedroom, maybe, or somebody gets married and the new spouse moves in with another computer. Think about the possibility of adding more computers when you shop.
Wireless Versus Wired
The main computer – the one that is directly connected to your Internet Service Provider's modem – is probably a wired connection. You might have other hard-wired connections in the house as well. Make sure that the router you buy can handle all of these computers in addition to the wireless connections that the other computers will use. You should also remember that you might sometimes transfer between a wireless and a wired connection. Make sure that your router has enough space to do that when needed.
Signal Strength
Before you go shopping, get an idea of how far the wireless signal must travel in your house. Your router needs to push the signal at least that far. Another helpful feature is the adjustable antennae. Being able to move them around to improve the wireless signal is infinitely helpful when you're having problems.
Security Features
Make sure that your router will let you enable the basic security features. You should be able to hide your network name, for example, and use a network key to grant access to authorized computers. Otherwise, your network is wide open: anybody who can acquire a signal can get online through your account.
Setup Procedure
Many routers are very easy to setup. Just pop the CD-ROM into the drive and follow the instructions. Others are not so easy. Find the router that you are most comfortable setting up. There's no need to do things the hard way if you aren't interested in that particular challenge.
Be sure to comparison shop and ask any questions that you might have before you buy the router. Many stores charge a restocking fee if you return something that is not broken or defective, so save yourself that money by knowing what you want and need before you buy.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
And the winner is Sony's Blu-Ray
Toshiba is expected to announce it will get out of the HD DVD business.
With recent events and market changes such as major distributors and studios moving to support only Sony's Blu-Ray disc format, Toshiba seems to have lost the standards race for the next generation.
With recent events and market changes such as major distributors and studios moving to support only Sony's Blu-Ray disc format, Toshiba seems to have lost the standards race for the next generation.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Buy or Build, which is best for you?
Building a Computer -- Is it Right for You?
The parameters used to be a little more clear. You could easily save money by building your own computer. All you needed was the basic know-how, the time and initiative, and wah-la! You had a good computer at a better price than you could buy new.
But things have changed over time. As technology improved and prices dropped, suddenly the the savings benefit seemingly dwindled away. However, that is not always the case and there are still many excellent reasons for building your own computer!
Customize to Your Needs
By building your own computer, you can customize it exactly to your needs. Whether you're into gaming, video production, audio recording, autocad, or just general word processing and internet surfing, you can build a computer specifically suited to your task.
Easier Upgrades
By using non-proprietary, quality parts, your new home-built computer will be much more easy to upgrade than its store-bought counterpart. Many retail computers have proprietary components that are tied together in such a way as to make part replacement or upgrade difficult. Your customized computer should be easy to work on, repair, and upgrade for a good while.
Learning Experience
Building a computer is a great learning experience. You get to see firsthand just what all the parts do and how they work together. Not only is it educational, but it's great fun too! And you get the satisfaction and pride of having a tangible result of your labor at the end of your project.
Drawbacks of a Retail Computer
There are a number of reasons why most store-purchased computers today are inferior to a custom-built machine. Retail computers often come with bundled software packages that are average at best. The quality level of much of the software is quite low, and most of it is probably unnecessary. It's often poorly-written proprietary software (specifically written for that computer manufacturer) and is usually infesting every nook and cranny of the computer, slowing down performance and taking up storage space.
Much of the brand-name software included in these bundles are basic versions and even trial versions. If you need quality software (and who doesn't), you're most likely going to have to buy it separately anyway.
Many of the computer components are also proprietary, making repairs and upgrades difficult. Sometimes off-the-shelf components just won't work well or at all with a retail computer. And they are often not designed for much room to expand or upgrade.
Warranties
One argument for purchasing a computer from a retailer is to obtain a good warranty. This has some merit, but keep in mind that redeeming warranties is usually not a walk in the park! You may also be without your machine for a while during the time it is being repaired or replaced.
Individually-purchased components most likely also come with a warranty, so if one fails there may be recourse for replacement. The warranty issue probably is about equal with either method you choose.
Partial Upgrade vs. Replacement
An alternative to building a computer from stratch is to perform a major upgrade. This should be cheaper compared to total replacement, and can still give you an excellent machine well-suited to your needs. You must already have an upgradeable computer though, and it needs to have a few key components which you can build around. Perform a cost/benefit analysis and determine which method would best serve you.
A Personal Experience
In the late '90's, my Win95 Pentium 100 (retail purchased) desktop computer was getting pretty inadequate. It was virtually non-upgradeable, there was no room for expansion and key components (motherboard, case) were getting obsolete. So I purchased a custom built computer (tower only, no monitor or peripherals) from an experienced friend, and it served me well for a number of years.
Several years later I got into audio recording and upgraded to larger hard drives. I also purchased a larger monitor.
Last year I made significant upgrades, specifically centered around my needs for audio recording. I purchased a new case and motherboard while utilizing my existing hard drives and all peripherals. Down the road I'll upgrade further to more hard drives (the new motherboard is SATA compatible) and a new flat panel monitor.
You can see that over the years I kept my computer system relatively current and meeting my needs for less than I would have spent in complete replacement for a comparable machine. I've had fun and learned a lot in the process, too.
Not only that, but I took the case and motherboard I replaced, bought some used large hard drives from a friend, and turned my old computer into a backup machine. You can see how much flexibility custom computer building can give.
What's Right for You?
That's something only you can decide. But if you have the interest, a willingness to learn, a need for customization, and the desire for a solid, quality system, I believe you're a perfect candidate to build your own computer!
The parameters used to be a little more clear. You could easily save money by building your own computer. All you needed was the basic know-how, the time and initiative, and wah-la! You had a good computer at a better price than you could buy new.
But things have changed over time. As technology improved and prices dropped, suddenly the the savings benefit seemingly dwindled away. However, that is not always the case and there are still many excellent reasons for building your own computer!
Customize to Your Needs
By building your own computer, you can customize it exactly to your needs. Whether you're into gaming, video production, audio recording, autocad, or just general word processing and internet surfing, you can build a computer specifically suited to your task.
Easier Upgrades
By using non-proprietary, quality parts, your new home-built computer will be much more easy to upgrade than its store-bought counterpart. Many retail computers have proprietary components that are tied together in such a way as to make part replacement or upgrade difficult. Your customized computer should be easy to work on, repair, and upgrade for a good while.
Learning Experience
Building a computer is a great learning experience. You get to see firsthand just what all the parts do and how they work together. Not only is it educational, but it's great fun too! And you get the satisfaction and pride of having a tangible result of your labor at the end of your project.
Drawbacks of a Retail Computer
There are a number of reasons why most store-purchased computers today are inferior to a custom-built machine. Retail computers often come with bundled software packages that are average at best. The quality level of much of the software is quite low, and most of it is probably unnecessary. It's often poorly-written proprietary software (specifically written for that computer manufacturer) and is usually infesting every nook and cranny of the computer, slowing down performance and taking up storage space.
Much of the brand-name software included in these bundles are basic versions and even trial versions. If you need quality software (and who doesn't), you're most likely going to have to buy it separately anyway.
Many of the computer components are also proprietary, making repairs and upgrades difficult. Sometimes off-the-shelf components just won't work well or at all with a retail computer. And they are often not designed for much room to expand or upgrade.
Warranties
One argument for purchasing a computer from a retailer is to obtain a good warranty. This has some merit, but keep in mind that redeeming warranties is usually not a walk in the park! You may also be without your machine for a while during the time it is being repaired or replaced.
Individually-purchased components most likely also come with a warranty, so if one fails there may be recourse for replacement. The warranty issue probably is about equal with either method you choose.
Partial Upgrade vs. Replacement
An alternative to building a computer from stratch is to perform a major upgrade. This should be cheaper compared to total replacement, and can still give you an excellent machine well-suited to your needs. You must already have an upgradeable computer though, and it needs to have a few key components which you can build around. Perform a cost/benefit analysis and determine which method would best serve you.
A Personal Experience
In the late '90's, my Win95 Pentium 100 (retail purchased) desktop computer was getting pretty inadequate. It was virtually non-upgradeable, there was no room for expansion and key components (motherboard, case) were getting obsolete. So I purchased a custom built computer (tower only, no monitor or peripherals) from an experienced friend, and it served me well for a number of years.
Several years later I got into audio recording and upgraded to larger hard drives. I also purchased a larger monitor.
Last year I made significant upgrades, specifically centered around my needs for audio recording. I purchased a new case and motherboard while utilizing my existing hard drives and all peripherals. Down the road I'll upgrade further to more hard drives (the new motherboard is SATA compatible) and a new flat panel monitor.
You can see that over the years I kept my computer system relatively current and meeting my needs for less than I would have spent in complete replacement for a comparable machine. I've had fun and learned a lot in the process, too.
Not only that, but I took the case and motherboard I replaced, bought some used large hard drives from a friend, and turned my old computer into a backup machine. You can see how much flexibility custom computer building can give.
What's Right for You?
That's something only you can decide. But if you have the interest, a willingness to learn, a need for customization, and the desire for a solid, quality system, I believe you're a perfect candidate to build your own computer!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Future Proof your Computer
Technology is constantly changing. You can go down to your local computer store and purchase a brand new computer. Within a week to three months your brand new computer will be worth at least half of what you paid for it. Not to mention, it will be old and outdated. So stop buying computers and start building! Building your own computer will give you the ‘know-how’ on how to future proof your computer. Most of the best future proofing hardware and software is not sold to retailers.
Keeping your computer up to date can be an uphill battle; especially if you purchase one from a local retailer. It is these retailers that are the culprits in why your computer is outdated shortly after you bring it home. They sacrifice flexibility and customization for a trade off of cheap parts and cheap prices. While it may seem like great savings, the only thing you’re saving on is the trouble of purchasing and putting one together yourself. Building your own computer is actually rather easy.
There are many places over the net that go into great detail on how to do it. All the documentation you get from each piece of hardware will give you plenty of documentation to assemble it successfully.
In order to future proof your computer, you have to get familiar with the new and upcoming technologies. As of now there are several things that are changing the way computers operate. The first and foremost is the new version of Microsoft Windows is about to be release, sometime in December. The new operating system offers two different types of ‘run modes’. The first is for people that do not have a suitable computer but still wish to use the new version. You will not see the additions or benefits from it if you computer isn’t equipped to run it the way it is meant to be run. One of the major things it will require is a graphics card that is capable of rendering DirectX 9 or higher.
Most store bought computers come with on-board graphics, which is barely good enough to play WinMine. The new operating system is going to be so graphics intense that you will undoubtedly have to update your graphics card. If you open up your computer case you may or may not see a slot to add a graphics card. If you do, good luck finding one good enough for the new operating system that will fit in it. Since many retailers skimp on almost all parts of the system, you may not have the room or capability to upgrade.
Let’s face it, technology changes so quickly that it is almost impossible to keep up with. In fact, it would be ridiculous to even attempt to do so with your computer.
But simply because we can’t all afford to have the most up to date equipment, doesn’t mean we have to be stuck with an outdated piece of machinery. The key to all upgrading flexibility is the motherboard. If you motherboard is capable of supporting the current newest technology then you should be fine, even if you decide
not to buy into the newer technology at this time. All motherboards are made with an ideal CPU in mind. They CPU’s are placed in sockets on the motherboard.
Thankfully, CPU technology has slowed way down over the past few years. CPU manufacturers are utilizing the same socket for a longer period of time. In today’s current state, when a new CPU is released that requires a new socket type, you are usually good for at least 3 months. New CPU will come out but 9 times out of 10, for at least 3 months they will stick to using the new socket type before changing it. Keep this in mind while shopping for motherboards.
The socket type is not the only thing to take into consideration when choosing a motherboard. You also have to be concerned about what type of PCI lanes it has.
To father future proof your computer you will want a motherboard that supports PCI or PCI-Express graphics cards. AGP graphics cards used to be the going norm but are quickly being phased out. But I wouldn’t doubt it if the $400 computer you can buy at Wal-Mart sells computers that still support only the AGP graphics cards. So before you buy, ask!
The last and most important thing you need to look at is the type of RAM the motherboard will support. RAM has gone though some recent changes. The common type, known as DDR, is going to be replaced by better RAM; DDR2. It’s faster and operates smoother. Once again, before you buy, ask!
Keeping ahead of technology is a loosing battle. But by following the above guidelines and staying in touch with technology changes, your computer can last you a lot longer. You can extend the life of your computer by at least 3-6 months before ever having to worry about getting upgrades. So keep these things in mind before you buy!
Keeping your computer up to date can be an uphill battle; especially if you purchase one from a local retailer. It is these retailers that are the culprits in why your computer is outdated shortly after you bring it home. They sacrifice flexibility and customization for a trade off of cheap parts and cheap prices. While it may seem like great savings, the only thing you’re saving on is the trouble of purchasing and putting one together yourself. Building your own computer is actually rather easy.
There are many places over the net that go into great detail on how to do it. All the documentation you get from each piece of hardware will give you plenty of documentation to assemble it successfully.
In order to future proof your computer, you have to get familiar with the new and upcoming technologies. As of now there are several things that are changing the way computers operate. The first and foremost is the new version of Microsoft Windows is about to be release, sometime in December. The new operating system offers two different types of ‘run modes’. The first is for people that do not have a suitable computer but still wish to use the new version. You will not see the additions or benefits from it if you computer isn’t equipped to run it the way it is meant to be run. One of the major things it will require is a graphics card that is capable of rendering DirectX 9 or higher.
Most store bought computers come with on-board graphics, which is barely good enough to play WinMine. The new operating system is going to be so graphics intense that you will undoubtedly have to update your graphics card. If you open up your computer case you may or may not see a slot to add a graphics card. If you do, good luck finding one good enough for the new operating system that will fit in it. Since many retailers skimp on almost all parts of the system, you may not have the room or capability to upgrade.
Let’s face it, technology changes so quickly that it is almost impossible to keep up with. In fact, it would be ridiculous to even attempt to do so with your computer.
But simply because we can’t all afford to have the most up to date equipment, doesn’t mean we have to be stuck with an outdated piece of machinery. The key to all upgrading flexibility is the motherboard. If you motherboard is capable of supporting the current newest technology then you should be fine, even if you decide
not to buy into the newer technology at this time. All motherboards are made with an ideal CPU in mind. They CPU’s are placed in sockets on the motherboard.
Thankfully, CPU technology has slowed way down over the past few years. CPU manufacturers are utilizing the same socket for a longer period of time. In today’s current state, when a new CPU is released that requires a new socket type, you are usually good for at least 3 months. New CPU will come out but 9 times out of 10, for at least 3 months they will stick to using the new socket type before changing it. Keep this in mind while shopping for motherboards.
The socket type is not the only thing to take into consideration when choosing a motherboard. You also have to be concerned about what type of PCI lanes it has.
To father future proof your computer you will want a motherboard that supports PCI or PCI-Express graphics cards. AGP graphics cards used to be the going norm but are quickly being phased out. But I wouldn’t doubt it if the $400 computer you can buy at Wal-Mart sells computers that still support only the AGP graphics cards. So before you buy, ask!
The last and most important thing you need to look at is the type of RAM the motherboard will support. RAM has gone though some recent changes. The common type, known as DDR, is going to be replaced by better RAM; DDR2. It’s faster and operates smoother. Once again, before you buy, ask!
Keeping ahead of technology is a loosing battle. But by following the above guidelines and staying in touch with technology changes, your computer can last you a lot longer. You can extend the life of your computer by at least 3-6 months before ever having to worry about getting upgrades. So keep these things in mind before you buy!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Vista Security at Work
This article looks into the improved security features of Windows Vista, the most secure Windows ever. Most of these features are new to Windows; however, there are some features included in the previous version of Windows, with some modifications.
1.User Account Control (UAC)
This new feature of Windows Vista tracks the user activities, and prompts when a significant system level activity is about to be performed. Vista allows no free user intervention to tasks that require administrative privileges, such as new software or hardware installation, uninstallation, editing system settings, etc. Vista presents a dialog with information as to the impact of the task in the offing, asking user credentials to proceed. Limited users have to enter administrator password, and administrators have to click on the ‘continue’ button presented.
This feature is great since it doesn’t allow any accidental modification to the system due to ignorance or inexperience of the user. Also, the system can be fully managed securely from a standard limited account (tasks requiring elevation may be done by entering the administrator password). It can however be a nuisance since the prompts may come for even very simple tasks, such as changing desktop background, resolution, etc.
2.Bitlocker Drive Encryption
This security feature is used to encrypt the entire system drive (usually the C:\ drive). This is in effect similar to the EFS (Encrypted File System) in XP, but here the entire drive is encrypted. Vista always checks if the system is starting safely and that any of the system files has not been modified. If any malpractice is detected, it will lock the entire system drive and require an encryption password from the user.
3.Address Space Layout Randomizer (ASLR)
In the older versions of Windows, the system files were loaded to a designated memory segment. This actually facilitated the attacks of such systems, since the attackers always knew where the system files reside in the memory. ASLR randomizes the memory location where system files are loaded every time Vista boots up, thus minimizing the possibility of such an attack.
4.Windows Security Center
The first time we saw the Windows Security Center was with XP SP2. In Vista, the Security Center not only monitors the firewall, Auto updates, and antivirus as in XP, it can monitor and control almost all the security features of Vista, such as the UAC, Windows Defender, etc. It works from the tray and pops up whenever a user intervention is required.
5.Windows Defender
Windows Defender, renamed from Windows Antispyware, is not just an antispyware application. It has deeper coverage than that. Windows Defender detects changes to IE settings, installation of add-ons, ActiveX controls, auto-start programs, or system configuration that may be caused by spywares. Defender, however, currently doesn’t give any protection against viruses, Trojans, or worms.
6.Windows Firewall
Windows Firewall, first shipped with XP SP2, incorporates major changes with Vista. The firewall mainly gives the inbound protection and a limited outbound protection, supporting packet filtering, IPv6 connection filtering, and configuration rules.
7.IE7 Protected Mode
Internet Explorer, with the brand new looks and tabbed browsing, which may be an afterthought of Mozilla Firefox’s success, is one of the best browsers out there.
The protected mode of IE7 lets it run with limited control, and thus prevents advanced tasks when browsing the Internet. Any malicious software trying to exploit IE to attack the system will not be successful due to its limited privileges. However, this feature is not available for the standalone IE7 browser supplied for the XP systems.
The protected mode, just like UAC mentioned above, may be an annoyance in the long term, since it blocks you from tasks, such as saving cookies from the sites you trust.
8.Phishing Filter
Phishing is a form of attack in which the attacker presents you a website that masquerades a genuine one. The phishing websites, which look exactly like the original website, might ask you to provide such information as user login, password, email address, credit card numbers, etc. If you provide any such information, the attacker gets them. Such attacks usually start with an email, claiming to be from the genuine party, with a link to the phishing website.
Vista phishing filter links to online database of millions of phishing websites. The feature checks the site status and warns the user if the site is found to be a phishing website.
9.Parental Controls
Parental Controls, which is introduced for the first time in Windows, lets the users control their children’s activities on the system. The parent can specify which of the programs, websites, or games the child has access to, and set time limit for using the system.
10.USB Device Lock Down
Using this feature, administrators can block the users from connecting USB devices, such as iPods, handhelds, cameras, storage devices, etc., to Vista. The corporate customers take advantage of this feature, as the company system administrators can restrict employees, access to the USB devices. This will make the company systems a lot more secure.
11.x64 Features
These features, available only on the 64-bit versions of Vista, are these: PatchGuard (protection from the modifications to the Vista kernel) protects kernel modifications. Digitally Signed Drivers ensures all the drivers in Vista are digitally signed. The removal of 16-bit subsystem (DOS) makes the system simpler and more user friendly, since all the tasks will now be completed through Windows GUI; however, this will reduce the compatibility of older applications in Vista.
1.User Account Control (UAC)
This new feature of Windows Vista tracks the user activities, and prompts when a significant system level activity is about to be performed. Vista allows no free user intervention to tasks that require administrative privileges, such as new software or hardware installation, uninstallation, editing system settings, etc. Vista presents a dialog with information as to the impact of the task in the offing, asking user credentials to proceed. Limited users have to enter administrator password, and administrators have to click on the ‘continue’ button presented.
This feature is great since it doesn’t allow any accidental modification to the system due to ignorance or inexperience of the user. Also, the system can be fully managed securely from a standard limited account (tasks requiring elevation may be done by entering the administrator password). It can however be a nuisance since the prompts may come for even very simple tasks, such as changing desktop background, resolution, etc.
2.Bitlocker Drive Encryption
This security feature is used to encrypt the entire system drive (usually the C:\ drive). This is in effect similar to the EFS (Encrypted File System) in XP, but here the entire drive is encrypted. Vista always checks if the system is starting safely and that any of the system files has not been modified. If any malpractice is detected, it will lock the entire system drive and require an encryption password from the user.
3.Address Space Layout Randomizer (ASLR)
In the older versions of Windows, the system files were loaded to a designated memory segment. This actually facilitated the attacks of such systems, since the attackers always knew where the system files reside in the memory. ASLR randomizes the memory location where system files are loaded every time Vista boots up, thus minimizing the possibility of such an attack.
4.Windows Security Center
The first time we saw the Windows Security Center was with XP SP2. In Vista, the Security Center not only monitors the firewall, Auto updates, and antivirus as in XP, it can monitor and control almost all the security features of Vista, such as the UAC, Windows Defender, etc. It works from the tray and pops up whenever a user intervention is required.
5.Windows Defender
Windows Defender, renamed from Windows Antispyware, is not just an antispyware application. It has deeper coverage than that. Windows Defender detects changes to IE settings, installation of add-ons, ActiveX controls, auto-start programs, or system configuration that may be caused by spywares. Defender, however, currently doesn’t give any protection against viruses, Trojans, or worms.
6.Windows Firewall
Windows Firewall, first shipped with XP SP2, incorporates major changes with Vista. The firewall mainly gives the inbound protection and a limited outbound protection, supporting packet filtering, IPv6 connection filtering, and configuration rules.
7.IE7 Protected Mode
Internet Explorer, with the brand new looks and tabbed browsing, which may be an afterthought of Mozilla Firefox’s success, is one of the best browsers out there.
The protected mode of IE7 lets it run with limited control, and thus prevents advanced tasks when browsing the Internet. Any malicious software trying to exploit IE to attack the system will not be successful due to its limited privileges. However, this feature is not available for the standalone IE7 browser supplied for the XP systems.
The protected mode, just like UAC mentioned above, may be an annoyance in the long term, since it blocks you from tasks, such as saving cookies from the sites you trust.
8.Phishing Filter
Phishing is a form of attack in which the attacker presents you a website that masquerades a genuine one. The phishing websites, which look exactly like the original website, might ask you to provide such information as user login, password, email address, credit card numbers, etc. If you provide any such information, the attacker gets them. Such attacks usually start with an email, claiming to be from the genuine party, with a link to the phishing website.
Vista phishing filter links to online database of millions of phishing websites. The feature checks the site status and warns the user if the site is found to be a phishing website.
9.Parental Controls
Parental Controls, which is introduced for the first time in Windows, lets the users control their children’s activities on the system. The parent can specify which of the programs, websites, or games the child has access to, and set time limit for using the system.
10.USB Device Lock Down
Using this feature, administrators can block the users from connecting USB devices, such as iPods, handhelds, cameras, storage devices, etc., to Vista. The corporate customers take advantage of this feature, as the company system administrators can restrict employees, access to the USB devices. This will make the company systems a lot more secure.
11.x64 Features
These features, available only on the 64-bit versions of Vista, are these: PatchGuard (protection from the modifications to the Vista kernel) protects kernel modifications. Digitally Signed Drivers ensures all the drivers in Vista are digitally signed. The removal of 16-bit subsystem (DOS) makes the system simpler and more user friendly, since all the tasks will now be completed through Windows GUI; however, this will reduce the compatibility of older applications in Vista.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)