Common computer problems and Easy fixes

If you have computer, then you have probably face these computer problems before. Once you purchase a computer, you must accept that sooner or later it will eventually crash due to a virus or some other massive error. If someone told you that your computer will last more than a decade, don’t believe it because it is just a myth or another sales pitch. But of course, you should take care of it if you want it to last for its third year without any defects. However, there are many people that would prefer to buy a new computer than spend some time trying to fix or figure out the problem with their laptop or desktop.
Usually you will need some kind of maintenance because your computer will tend to lose its original speed and performance. Well, here are some if the common problems that a computer user usually experience. Most of the time the biggest problem that your computer has is YOU – the owner or the user. There are many people that neglect the first signs of computer problems. You shouldn’t neglect those simple maintenance tasks that can enhance or prolong the life of your computer.
1. Computer speed or performance has slowed. There are several reasons why this happens to your computer. Lack of maintenance, fragmented data, corrupted registry, spyware, and unnecessary loading of computer programs and services can surely affect your PC speed and performance. Managing your programs and cleaning your registry can easily boost your computer’s performance speed up to 30%.
2. Computer system freezes and blue screens of death. You need to do some serious diagnostic procedures to effectively know the problem with your computer. Computer virus or spyware are maybe some of the reasons to your computer. Update your anti-spyware removal immediately to avoid this kind of problem and thoroughly scan your computer to see if it has any viruses or spywares. If you find that your computer is free from spyware then updating your hardware drive is the next step. Hardware drives makes it easier for your computer to effectively communicate with other hardware components. Without an updated driver the CPU locks up and may cause problems when you are using your computer. If that doesn’t work try to increase your Computer RAM to help avoid computer freezes. By increasing the RAM you get more use out your computer's computing power.
3. The computer keeps on rebooting again and again. This kind of problem is usually associated with hardware issue. Faulty power supply is usually the cause of this problem. Dirty or defective cooling fan is another reason why your computer is rebooting spontaneously. When your computer is trying to cool itself when the fan is defective it automatically switches off. Dust that accumulated in your computer can trap the heat inside which makes it hotter. What you should do is to clean the fan and make sure that it is running properly. Do not forget to check your power supply.
4. Noises and vibrations. This one is almost certainly that you have hardware issue. High pitched noises can be caused by electronic components. Whatever the reason, you conduct a small investigation. Unplug your computer and remove the case and run the computer to discover the origin of noise. If a loose wire or faulty fan is not the one that is making the noise then it may be time to call a computer tech to help you with your problem.
5. Your browser home page changed itself. It is known as "high-jacking" which is also caused by a Spyware installed on your system. The spyware in your computer installed a java script into your web browser that tells your browser to change settings hence changing the default home page of your browser. What you can do is to run an anti-virus or spyware program to remove the spyware from your computer. All of the problems stated in this article can be avoided easily by simply maintaining your computer.

Are you looking antivirus support to remove spyware embedded in PC?

Are you looking antivirus support to remove spyware embedded in PC? The typical computer purchase usually comes with some form of installed antivirus software, but it is worth noting that these programs cannot deal with a wide variety of threats such as adware and spyware simply because they cannot detect and destroy them.

Antivirus support program is capable of detecting them while they run. However, you may also want to take note that different programs have different ways of scanning, with some scanning the system memory that the applications use while others scan the files directly to try to detect malware.

Another way Spyware generally costs the user a lot of time not only by slowing down the PC but also displaying many pop up advertisements that distract the user. Also, people tend to spend a lot of time looking for solutions to spyware removal problems online. There are many programs online that can help you scan your computer system for malware and viruses, but not many can permanently get rid of all the detected malicious software.

Some people want to try removing spyware on their PCs manually but usually do not end up with very good results. Some even end up deleting the wrong entries and damaging their computer permanently.

Are you looking for Spyware Remove?

Find Spyware & Adware Removal support on the market now at http://www.iyogi.ca/virus-removal-support/ first!

Computer install to get the desirous software

In today’s computer world no software is the ultimate one. As developer are working deliberately to give the best to the users. Hence, computer install is an essential part, both for beginner and the experts.
For critical software install user can take the help of reputed organization who are offering remote support for installation purpose. But, you must be aware of some general installation procedure so that you don’t have to frequently call them up.
Let’s get acquittal with installation of some important software program on your computer.
Installation for Security software and web browsers
Users can make use of CD/DVD of the latest security software like Windows Defender, Spyware Doctor, No adware and so on. For browser you have plenty of options, you can go for Firefox, Opera, IE 8. If you have the internet connectivity you may go for online download from authentic sites. General steps can be followed as:
STEP 1. Download and save the startup program to a desired location.
STEP 2. Run the setup file and proceed on following the prompts.
STEP 3. Accept the agreement and enter the suitable key words.
STEP 4. Click on “Finish.” Restart your system.
Communication has been revised well with the latest email clients. Programs like email client can be installed internally from the web browser.IE 8 have been designed to automatically launch your default email client.
However, if you have the ambition to install a different email client on your computer, you can change your default client in the browser's Internet Options menu. Proceed as follow:
STEP 1. Explore the Internet Explorer.
STEP 2. Navigate on to the "Tools" menu and select "Internet Options."
STEP 3. Select the "Programs" tab.
STEP 4. Click the button "Set Programs." Select "Set Your Default Programs" from the window that appears.
STEP 5. Select your email client from the list of programs on the left side of the screen. Next, click "Choose defaults for this program."
STEP 6. Check the box next to "Mailto" and click "Save."
Hence, you have got your preferred email client installed on your computer. Hope, that the above computer install article would be useful for you.

IYogi Press Release: iYogi Acquires Clean Machine Inc.

New York, NY, May 11th, 2009 : iYogi, a global direct to consumer and small business remote technical support provider, today announced it’s acquisition of Clean Machine Inc, a provider of remotely administered PC security and performance management services. Clean Machine will operate as a separate brand under the iYogi services umbrella along with the recently lunched Support Dock (www.supportdock.com) and its comprehensive range of 24/7 technical support services for computers, printers, MP3 players, digital camera, routers, servers and more than 100 software applications. Larry Gordon, Founder of Clean Machine is appointed as the President of Global Channel Sales for iYogi.

iYogi will integrate technology and innovation that Clean Machine Inc. has developed for delivering an enhanced service experience by proactively managing the health and security for PC's and Apple Computers. This acquisition also broadens iYogi's access to key markets through Clean Machine's existing partnerships. Larry Gordon's past experience and successful track record will accelerate iYogi's expansion through his focus on global alliances.

Commenting on the acquisition of Clean Machine Inc., Uday Challu, CEO & Co-founder of iYogi, said,

"This acquisition will help iYogi to enhance our customer experience and extend our market reach to the millions of consumers that are challenged by the increasingly complex technology environment. Clean Machine's proactive maintenance and management of PCs in home and small business environment will be our launch platform for building the next generation of managed services for consumers."

"We are delighted to have Larry spearheading partnerships and global alliances for iYogi. His incredible experience in marketing, sales and building global alliances will help forge partnerships with retailers, multiple service operators, software publishers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and other such companies that are at the frontlines for managing tech support issues for consumers and small businesses",

added Challu.

With more than 20 years of experience, Larry Gordon has played a variety of strategic roles in marketing, sales and building alliances. Larry was the Executive Vice President at Capgemini and Kanbay. He was also VP of Global Marketing for Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leader in global IT services and Director of Marketing for New York based Information Builders.

"I am excited to join a company that shares a common mission to Clean Machine in creating a global brand for delivering the best technical support to consumers and small businesses. We also share a common approach of utilizing highly skilled talent with leading edge tools, thereby delivering services at incredible price-points, with high margins for our partners",

said Larry Gordon, the newly appointed President of Global Channel Sales at iYogi.

ABOUT IYOGI

Headquartered in Gurgaon, India with offices in New York, USA, iYogi provides personalized computer support for consumers and small businesses in United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. IYogi's 24/7 phone and remote technical assistance, spans across a comprehensive range of technologies we use every day from a wide range of vendors. Utilizing its proprietary technology iMantra , and highly qualified technicians, iYogi delivers amongst the highest benchmarks for resolution and customer satisfaction. iYogi is privately held and funded by SAP Ventures, Canaan Partners, and SVB India Capital Partners. iYogi was recently awarded the Red Herring Global 100 Award, recognizing it as one of the 100 most innovative private companies driving the future of technology. For more information on iYogi and a detailed list of technologies supported, visit: www.iyogi.ca.

ABOUT CLEAN MACHINE

Clean Machine Inc. is a NJ-based and incorporated company that helps consumers and small business owners easily manage and protect their computing environments safely and cost effectively. The company is has a unique, powerful and inexpensive PC concierge service. Specifically, each customer is assigned a highly-trained tech concierge who remotely examines their computer system on a scheduled and very secure basis. The PC concierge will immediately fix software-based problems and prevent new threats to the customer's computing environment including offensive pop-ups, browser redirects and slow performance, and then provides a detailed report. Clean Machine's proprietary Radar(TM) technology (Remote Access Detection Audit and Repair) allows its expert technicians to remotely resolve any problems, eliminating the need for customers to go through the frustrating process of speaking with a tech support expert, and still having to do the work themselves. In other words, the Clean Machine PC concierges do it all. For more information on Clean Machine please visit www.pccleanmachine.com.

CONTACT:

iYogi Contact
Vishal Dhar
President Marketing
iYogi Inc.
Phone: 212 229 0901
Email: vishal@iyogi.net

The Press Release is available at its source: iYogi acquires Clean Machine Inc.

The Windows.old folder

Hi, Now i am going to describe Windows.old folder. When you install Windows Vista, the Windows.old folder is created. The Windows Vista installation program creates this folder to store the files from the Windows XP installation. To locate the Windows.old folder in Windows Vista, click Start Collapse this image Expand this Start button

type drive:\windows.old in the Start Search box, and then click Windows.old in the Programs list.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or click Continue.
The Windows.old folder contains the following folders from the Windows XP installation:

1. drive:\Windows.old\Windows
2. drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings
3. drive:\Windows.old\Program Files

The "Documents and Settings" folder Most programs store a user's personal files in the Documents and Settings" folder.

Generally, you do not find personal files in the Windows folder or in the Program Files folder.

The "Documents and Settings" folder contains one folder for each user who logged on to the computer in Windows XP. For example, the following folders appear in the "drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings" folder:

* drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\Administrator

If you did not use the Administrator account to log on to Windows XP, this folder may not contain any personal files.
* drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\All Users

If you used the Shared Files feature in Windows XP, the shared files are located in the All Users folder. For example, this folder contains recorded television shows on computers that are running Windows Media Center Edition 2005. Open the folders in the All Users folder to locate any files you may want to preserve. Then, copy these files to a new location that is outside the Windows.old folder structure.
* drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\UserName

Most personal files are located in folders that are labeled for each user who logged on to the computer in Windows XP.

User folders
Most personal files are located in the following location:
drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\UserName
This folder contains the following three folders:

* drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\UserName\Cookies
* drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\UserName\Start Menu
* drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\UserName\UserData

Typically, these three folders do not contain important user data. The following three folders are also located in the "drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\UserName" folder:

* drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\UserName\Desktop
* drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\UserName\Favorites
* drive:\Windows.old\Documents and Settings\UserName\My Documents

Typically, these three folders contain most of the important personal files from the Windows XP installation.

Why I Didn't Skip Microsoft Vista: Security

After bad reports for microsoft windows vista , there is positive results are coming than vista is more good than xp , users are giving positive feed back , so little hope has come in microsoft for microsoft windows vista.

Microsoft's recent Security Intelligence Report shows that microsoft Windows Vista canada was more resistant to exploits than Windows XP in the first half of 2008.

In addition, veteran Microsoft blogger Ed Bott recently ran some numbers and concluded that Vista has a security edge over Windows XP.

Another security report, from last month, by Jeff Jones, Security Strategy Director in the Microsoft Security Technology Unit, cites that Windows Vista was affected by 50 percent fewer vulnerabilities than other desktop operating systems in the first half of 2008 and had 19 percent fewer vulnerabilities than Windows XP SP2 in the same time period.

Security reports from Microsoft touting its own operating system have been met with endless debate over the metrics used to crown Vista the most secure operating system.

Nevertheless, some IT professionals contacted for this article who have upgraded or are upgrading to Vista point to the OS's security as a major plus as compared to Windows XP.

(For the IT viewpoint from the other side, see our recent article "Why I'm Skipping Vista").

Vista Offers Better Search, Better Security

"The two features of Vista that are significantly better than Windows XP are security and search," says Scott Noles, Director of Technology and Education at Kinex Medical Center, a post-operation rehabilitation facility in Waukesha, Wis.

Kinex, an early adopter of Windows Vista, currently has it installed on 90 desktops, 22 laptops and is in the process of installing Vista on 170 tablet PCs.

Noles says the security features built into Vista's Windows Security Center, including the notorious UAC (User Account Control), have proved effective in protecting his users' desktops. "With Vista we can keep unwanted software and configurations out of our environment without needing third-party tools and with less effort than in previous versions of Windows."

A big part of Noles' job at Kinex Medical Center is making it easier to track and find patient data, and the search capabilities in Vista are more user-friendly and faster than those in XP, he says.

"Vista's ability to find files, applications and pieces of data whether it is in e-mail, network shares or on the local computers has allowed our employees to be more efficient."

Farther south, Jim Osteen, Assistant Director of IT for the City of Miami, is in the process of upgrading to Windows Vista. Currently, Osteen has Vista installed on 100 workstations, with a goal of 900 workstation installations by September, 2009.

Osteen agrees that Vista's search and security features exceed XP's, adding that he believes Microsoft's response times to new security threats in Vista are the best in the industry.

The City of Miami's switch to Vista coincides with its move from a mainframe environment to a Windows Server environment and also a move to a centralized storage infrastructure, he says. Vista's data backup features can do automatic incremental data replication much better than XP, Osteen says. "The replication model of XP was causing bottlenecks," he added.

Osteen expects to save $80,000 in power savings through the use of Vista's GPOs (group policy objects), which enable quick transitions between a computer's active and sleeping states. "Windows Vista has improved sleep mode; with XP, we were always turning computers on, wasting energy and money," he says.

Vista Not Perfect, But We Can't Wait Two Years

Noles and Osteen are not immune to the negative perceptions about Windows Vista. But both attribute most of the negativity to lack of education and testing by users.

With any operating system, Noles says, there are good items and bad items, and the key for businesses is to do complete testing to see if an OS is a good match.

"When we participated in the Vista beta program we tested the operating system in all areas of our business," Noles says. "We were not listening to the press, but testing to make up our own minds whether we wanted to move forward with it. From testing we determined that Vista would be effective in our environment."

Not that Vista has been perfect for either Noles or Osteen. Both have had driver compatibility problems and are disappointed in how long it has taken third-party vendors to release software and hardware that works effectively with Vista.

But Osteen notes that he has seen reliability and compatibility improvements since the release of Vista Service Pack 1 last February.

Source:http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/154250/why_i_didnt_skip_microsoft_vista_security.html#

Microsoft windows vista bizspark

With an initiative called BizSpark, software giant Microsoft is making a new pitch for startups to run their business on Microsoft’s tools.

Microsoft is starting a new free new software package in which all things are included software support , maintaince and all othter things you have to give only $100 when you exit from the program. some experts are saying that microsoft is following the same path which google has adopted that is giving services for free , it may be that in future micrsoft my provide its windows software for free.



“Microsoft BizSpark helps software developers to to develop softwares because it removes many barriers in software development tools.

Microsoft has set some criteria for companies if companies meet those criteria , companies will get a free three-year license to Microsoft windows vista canada software and servers including Visual Studio, Windows Server and Microsoft SQL server, companies will also get technical support for all these softwares , actually microsoft is looking for venture companies.

Microsoft is providing support to startups can choose to build on many competing platforms, and as more and more startups are moving towards a cloud computing model, where Microsoft is playing catch up to companies like Amazon, Google and Rackspace.



Source: http://localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/venture/story/3900821/