Setting up a new computer

Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to avoiding illness in ourselves. Prevention in the computer world is no different. And like a newborn baby, a newly purchased computer is subject to many terrible diseases and problems if not properly cared from the moment it is taken from its cardboard box. I follow these steps when setting up a new computer system for my clients, and recommend this methodology for all new...

Keep track of your original computer documentation...

Lately too many customers have had to wait for repairs on their computers because I needed to order recovery CD sets from the manufacturer. This time and expense can be avoided if you do two simple things when you buy your new computer: 1.  Save all disks and/or documentation that comes in the box 2.  Since most manufacturers no longer send along recovery CDs and operating system CDs, it is up to you make them. Look for a...

Another dead hard drive

External hard drives are spacious, cheap and relatively easy to use, but… I resisted talking about backup this early in the year, but a phone conversation I had today illustrated my philosophy about backup perfectly. The gentleman I spoke with suffered an external hard drive failure, and he used it as the sole storage of his digital photos. Once again, my heart sank with his story of woe. He didn’t want to spend...

Thwarted by online poker

Today marked my second Linux/Ubuntu casualty in almost 2 dozen attempts. As I’ve learned more about Ubuntu the past couple of years, I carefully selected clients who would have little problems dealing with a non-Microsoft operating system. You may have read my take on Ubuntu usage for the average computer user before, but here it is again to setup the rest of the story: I believe that any computer users who uses only...

Curbside Recycling

When I help people setup a new computer, camera or printer, the standard question asked by the new gadget owner is; “What shall I do with the old one?” I think that the value of tech curbside recycling is highly undervalued. Curbside recycling involves hauling your old hardware out to the curb and just leaving it there. In most moderately busy neighborhoods (HOA’s rules aside), a piece of technology on the...

What I like about Windows Vista

Please read the headline of this article correctly – it does not say, "Reasons why you should upgrade to Windows Vista." Windows Vista is still a nasty operating system that hogs resources and hides or eliminates important features, but there are some cool features hidden within and I feel that I must list them here so that I can be fair to Microsoft. If Microsoft had added any or all of these features to XP,...

Mission Accomplished

As I wrote about on Friday, this was a busy work weekend for me. I think three of the computers I worked on offer an interesting comparison in operating systems. One laptop was a brand new HP with 2 GB of RAM and Windows Vista, but the owner wanted me to install Windows XP and take off Windows Vista. He uses it primarily for traveling and downloading his digital photos while traveling and just didn’t like the lack...

HP printer jam recovery

Overall, HP printers are my favorite. They are dependable, they do a great job and they are fairly economical on a price per page basis. I have seen some good things from Canon printers lately, but HPs have a much longer track record. Every brand of printer has its problems and HPs are no exception. One of the biggest problems with HP printers is that they get caught in a loop. If you turn the printer off in the middle of...

Don’t buy the cheapest computer out there

"Buy 'em cheap and buy 'em often" is a phrase that I use alot when helping people understand my approach to computers. Since any computer you buy, no matter how much you spend, is only designed for today's uses, I don't like to over spend on a computer expecting it to last longer. I suggest that you buy your computer based on the most you need right now and when new uses come along in 4-6 years, just...

Changing the XP Startup Logo

Warning: If you mess something up, your operating system may not boot. 1) First, create an image that you want to use. Paint is the easiest to use. It has to be 640X480 and 16 colors(not 16 bit). Save it as “Boot.bmp“. 2) Copy Boot.bmp to the C:\Windows\ directory. 3) Right click on My Computer > Properties > select the Advanced tab > under Start up and Recovery, click on Settings > Click on Edit >...

When it’s gone, it’s gone

Adam eluded to a trend that he has noticed about failing computers and hard drives lately. Indeed, I have seen the same epidemic. My question to you is, do you really know what the hard drive is and what its function is? Some computer users point to the box that sits on their desk or floor and call it a hard drive. Others know that it stores data. I think few understand how important and valuable the hard drive really is and...

Maybe I should run a backup today

I spent much of my day working with a client who had lost everything on his hard drive. The motor died. We checked with a couple of data recovery services on the web and one said it would cost $1100 to recover, the other said the price would start at $599 (lowest possible estimate). I have seen clients lose important information before and it is heart breaking, but it was what my client said later that I think is of...

Ordering HP – Compaq Recovery CD’s

Few computer manufacturers include the original installation disks or even recovery disks for new computers today. Almost every computer user will have a need to access these important disks over the life time of the machine. Most computer makers' web sites allow you to order these recovery CD's via their support sections. Also, you can (and should) make your own set of recovery CD's or DVD's through tools...

Recovering a dead Windows XP

Mark from Canada wrote in and mentioned that some users might want to try this method of restoring a computer that won’t boot (Windows XP) instead of a full blown recovery.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but…

I talk about this almost continuously it seems and hope that I’m preaching to the choir, but the topic comes up constantly in my travels…backup. Backup is probably the least interesting, but certainly the MOST IMPORTANT topic that we can discuss regarding computers. Today, I ran across yet another computer user whose computer wouldn’t boot up and he didn’t have a backup. Fortunately, he knows a smart...