Pinned Computer Help

    • Computer Help

      For anyone who would like to benefit from a faster system then they currently have or would like to make sure they protected and know how to kill a process in an instant or just wants to know more the information below may suit your needs. This was put together by several members which will all be credited at the bottom and this post will change frequently if members like the idea and are willing to help me out. This guide will hopefully hold information for Windows, Mac and Linux.

      What is different between Windows, Mac and Linux?
      To be fair the only knowledge I know is. Windows is more used, Mac is used for people who like a change and Linux is for experiance people who like open sourced things.

      Windows (Comments from other Members)
      I have 2 of these OS's. I love them, but for the people who don't know what to do with their time other than look at naughty stuff.... then its going to be a nightmare as you will easily get infected via trojans, virus, malware/spyware. I personally llike xp because its so user friendly, almost all programs work on it. you can upgrade your windows like you wouldnt believe.

      Mac (Comments from other Members)
      is pretty good because not many viruses were made for mac's so it's on the safe side of security, however many programs weren't made for mac users. strictly windows based. Not to mention if your good @ any adobe product this is the way to go.

      Linux (Comments from other Members)
      Not recommend for the beginner user to the script kiddy. plain and simple. Linux is a complicated OS to use. you must have the knowledge of shell commands etc. Overall the brands i really like fedora for its simplicity, but if you want something hi-tech go for beryll. linux overall is pretty nice, and its a change from the micro$oft and Mac. excellent as u can bypass most restrictions of a xp.

      I will add other peoples comments though if they tell me to, to give you a better answer from multiple people hopefully.


      How can I make my Windows system load up faster at Log in?
      This has to be probably be one of the main things I see on my friends computers, how they've hogged their system down with loads of startup programs; it is really annoying. Here's one of the main things that I believe is one of the most common solutions to help this issue, although it may not always be the case and eventually other solutions will be stated.

      Solution
      Depending on which system you are on depends how you get there. From Win XP systems and below it will be: Start > Run..> (Type in) msconfig
      For Vista and above: Start > (In search) msconfig Vista Image Example

      Now this goes to a warning to inexperianced users and possible new people who are learning, do NOT mess with everything on this window, some things are there for a reason, so just follow this and try not to be smart. In the MsConfig window click the Startup tab. Image Example You will have a list of applications basically and you have the option to remove them. I think this can depend on the system sometimes, I think I recall someone saying once that some things are ment to be there have to be there, so for the sake of them, only uncheck applications you know off. If you don't recognise the Startup Item name, just expand the path and see where it leads to. After doing your business just apply and the next time you boot up only the applications your left checked will load, which may make your system load up faster at the start.

      One of my applications has frozen and I am unable to close it by clicking the "X" in the top right. How else can I close it?
      Well you can either try holding Alt and pressing F4 but that usually runs the same command and may not work. If that fails, you can right click your task bar and click Task Manager. Image Example

      Now that your TaskManager is open, there is two ways of doing this. On your "Applications" tab you can right click the application that is not running and you can close, and click "Goto Process". Image Example From there it will hightlight the selected process it is running on, which you can end and it will close the application.

      More Hints
      If you chose to use Google for your answer make sure your resource is reasonable; and if you are unsure check multiple resources.

      Keep your data backup, this means once a week - a OS re-installation solves 95% of software issues and is the only way to ensure a virus is gone.

      Vista isn't bad at all - everything you hear from your "friends tech guy" isn't true.



      Like I said above, This will gradually be updated and look better if members help in more; hopefully.


      Credit goes to:
      Mattster, ChangeOfHeart, relaxedat909, Foxygamers, Ken_, Jackingthebox, Mikep, DaveTaylor, LOLFag,

      The post was edited 2 times, last by Matt ().

    • Re: Computer Help Info.

      Motherboard: The main circuit board of a microcomputer. The motherboard contains the connectors for attaching additional boards. Typically, the motherboard contains the CPU, BIOS, memory, mass storage interfaces, serial and parallel ports, expansion slots, and all the controllers required to control standard peripheral devices, such as the display screen, keyboard, and disk drive. Collectively, all these chips that reside on the motherboard are known as the motherboard's chipset.

      BIOS: Pronounced "bye-ose," an acronym for basic input/output system. The BIOS is built-in software that determines what a computer can do without accessing programs from a disk. On PCs, the BIOS contains all the code required to control the keyboard, display screen, disk drives, serial communications, and a number of miscellaneous functions.

      CPU: Abbreviation of central processing unit, and pronounced as separate letters. The CPU is the brains of the computer. Sometimes referred to simply as the processor or central processor, the CPU is where most calculations take place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system.

      RAM: random-access memory: the most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on; an integrated circuit memory chip allows information to be stored or accessed in any order and all storage locations are equally accessible

      Monitor: display produced by a device that takes signals and displays them on a television screen or a computer monitor.

      Graphics Card (GFX): A peripheral device that attaches to the PCI or AGP slot in your computer to enable the computer to process and deliver video. Once installed in the computer, a cable is used to attach the graphics card to a computer monitor.

      Hard Drive: A rigid non-removable disk in a computer and the drive that houses it. Hard disks store more data and can be accessed quicker than floppy disks.

      SATA: Often abbreviated SATA or S-ATA, an evolution of the Parallel ATA physical storage interface. Serial ATA is a serial link -- a single cable with a minimum of four wires creates a point-to-point connection between devices. Transfer rates for Serial ATA begin at 150 MBps and SATA II 300MBps. One of the main design advantages of Serial ATA is that the thinner serial cables facilitate more efficient airflow inside a form factor and also allow for smaller chassis designs.

      Heatsink: This is a device that is used to conduct heat away from its source and "spread" the heat over a larger surface area. This will help to dissipate the energy faster, ensuring that the source of the heat is kept cooler.

      FTP (For Tash): File Transfer Protocol. This is the language used for file transfer from computer to computer across the WWW. An anonymous FTP is a file transfer between locations that does not require users to identify themselves with a password or log-in. An anonymous FTP is not secure, because it can be accessed by any other user of the WWW.

      Ghz: A unit of frequency equal to one billion cycles per second.

      IP Address: Each machine connected to the Internet has an address known as an Internet Protocol address (IP address). The IP address takes the form of four numbers separated by dots, for example: 123.45.67.890

      DNS: The Domain Name System is the system that translates Internet domain names into IP numbers. A "DNS Server" is a server that performs this kind of translation.

      ISP: ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. An ISP provides access to the Internet for others via some connectivity service(s). Examples of ISPs include BT, Virgin, and NTL to name a few.

      Local IP: Private IP address space has been allocated via RFC 1918. This means the addresses are available for any use by anyone and therefore the same private IP addresses can be reused. However they are defined as not routable on the public Internet. They are used extensively in private networks due to the shortage of publicly registerable IP addresses and therefore network address translation is required to connect those networks to the Internet.

      WI-FI:
      Short for ‘wireless fidelity’. A term for certain types of wireless local area networks (WLAN) that use specifications conforming to IEEE 802.11b. WiFi has gained acceptance in many environments as an alternative to a wired LAN. Many airports, hotels, and other services offer public access to WiFi networks so people can log onto the Internet and receive emails on the move. These locations are known as hotspots.

      Ethernet (LAN): A local-area network (LAN) protocol developed by Xerox Corporation in cooperation with DEC and Intel in 1976. It is one of the most widely implemented LAN standards.

      WLAN: A wireless LAN is one in which a mobile user can connect to a local area network (LAN) through a wireless (radio) connection. A standard, IEEE 802.11, specifies the technologies for wireless LANs. The standard includes an encryption method, the Wired Equivalent Privacy algorithm.

      Network: A connection of two or more computers so that they can share resources.
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    • Re: Computer Help Info.


      History of OSX

      (Some content from wikipedia)

      Mac OS X Public Beta:


      Mac OS X v10.0 "Cheetah"


      Mac OS X v10.1 "Puma"


      Mac OS X v10.2 "Jaguar"


      Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther"


      Mac OS X v10.4 "Tiger"


      Mac OS X v10.5 "Leopard"


      Intel Movement

      In the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote address on June 6, 2005, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would begin producing Intel-based Mac computers beginning in 2006.


      Targeted at a professional audience, the MacBook Pro (15.4" widescreen) was Apple's first laptop with an Intel microprocessor. It was announced in January 2006, and started shipping two months later. The less expensive MacBook (13.3" widescreen) caters to the consumer market.
      On January 10, 2006, Apple released its first Intel chip computers, a new notebook computer known as the MacBook Pro (with a 15.4" screen) and a new (though cosmetically identical) iMac with purportedly two to three times faster performance compared with its predecessor. Both used Intel's Core Duo chip technology. Through 2006, Apple transitioned the entire Mac product line to Intel chips, retaining the enclosure design while replacing its internal components. The Power Mac brand was retired, with Mac Pro being its successor. Apple also introduced a new piece of software called Boot Camp that helps users install Windows XP on their Intel Mac alongside Mac OS X.

      Apple Products
      iPods/AppleTV


      iPod Shuffle
      Click Here


      iPod Nano
      iPod Nano


      iPod Classic
      Click Here


      iPod Touch (iTouch)
      Click Here


      AppleTV
      Click Here


      Notebooks/Laptops


      Macbook
      Click Here


      Macbook Pro
      Click Here


      Macbook Air
      Click Here



      Desktop Computers


      Mac Mini
      Click Here


      iMac
      Click Here


      Mac Pro
      Click Here


      iPhone



      iPhone
      Click Here




      Speculation was correct with the release of the iPhone 3G:
      iPhone 3G
      Click Here



      Sadly Apple overwrite the old iPhone site with the new one however I have left both links up for the time being.
      Software Packages


      Chat
      Adium
      aMsn
      MercuryIM
      Microsoft Messenger

      Note: aMsn and Mercury support Audio/Visual, which Adium and Microsoft Messenger are still to add in the coming months for both of them.


      Processing Packages
      iWorks
      NeoOffice
      Office '08

      Media
      iLife
      GIMP
      Aperture
      Photoshop CS3

      Useful Links
      Flash Player
      Shockwave (10.4 ONLY!)
      Adobe Reader

      Tips & Tricks


      Leopard Dock
      In 10.5 a tweak to allow customizable docks was found, you can download packs from "Leopard Docks" site:
      Leopard Docks
      Such Programs as CandyBar 3 and Dock Library

      View Hidden files
      Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal) and type in:

      PHP Source Code

      1. defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
      2. killall Finder


      If you wish to revert back to hiding hidden files use:

      PHP Source Code

      1. defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE
      2. killall Finder
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      The post was edited 1 time, last by DaveTaylor ().

    • Re: Computer Help Info.

      CODA
      If you are into website development or simply own a website then Panic's Coda is a sure buy. It simplifies the way you build and manage any website you own with a very Mac OS setup and clean design. It also has Transmit's ftp built in for no extra charge. To download the trial and see for yourself how amazing it is go to Panic - Coda - One-Window Web Development for Mac OS X (the full application is extremely cheap, well worth buying).

      Firebug
      Still on the website side of things, this handy little application allows you to inspect coding and modify it live within the Firefox web browse. It's not a Mac only application however it's still worth a mention as it's what really sets Firefox apart from the crowd. To download go to Firebug - Web Development Evolved.

      Firefox
      The web industries favourite browser looks and works even better on Mac OS. It's simply and sleek design makes it a perfect Safari replacement (please be aware that Safari works even faster than Firefox however doesn't have the plugins you may be familiar with on Firefox). To download go to Firefox web browser | Faster, more secure, & customizable.

      Flip4Mac
      Very simple but very useful. This allows you to watch and hear .WMV files via browser or Quicktime player. To download go to Telestream Products - Overview.

      Flock
      The social scene is improved by Flock by integrating your favourite websites into the actual browser. The problems this browser faces on Windows have been knocked out on the Mac OS version. Also it is built upon Mozilla so you can use any Firefox plugin available to you. To download go to Flock Browser - The Social Web Browser.

      GrabUp
      Screenshots where never easier than with this handy little contraption. All you got to do is take a screenshot either of your own desktop, a window or a selection and GrabUp uploads it to it's hosting. It then automatically pastes the link to the file to your clipboard so you can share with anyone instantly. To download go to GrabUp - Home.

      Growl
      This handy little application provides you with the ability to give numerous Mac OS application notification messages. For instance if someone messages you on Adium or maybe something has finished uploading on Transmit. To download go to Growl.

      Skype
      It's an old dog these days however when used on Mac OS you will love it's design and workings. Just such an improvement from Windows. To download go to Skype official website ? download Skype free now for free calls and internet calls.

      Transmit
      Another one for the website developers/owners. This is another application by Panic which allows easy and fast uploading/downloading of your website's files. All done in a similar layout and design to their app Coda. To download go to Panic - Transmit 3 - The next-generation Mac OS X FTP client!.

      Twitterriffic
      For any Twitter fans this is a must have application. I absolutely adore mine and it allows me to update my Twitter from my desktop as if I was using a messenger. To download go to Twitter / Downloads.

      Wakoopa
      This handy little device tracks all the software you use and displays it online. It's not an essential but it's nice to see what applications you use and helps deciding which are worth buying. To download and register for an account go to Wakoopa - Discover software & games.

      ---------- Post added at 05:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:07 PM ----------

      NOD-32 www.eset.com



      Download : Best Free Antivirus Software Trial: Free Home, Business and Gaming Download from ESET

      This is a 30 day trail, home and buisness downloads are aviable.

      Description 1 NOD32 PC/Workstation Licence:

      1 year: £23.00
      2 years: £35.00
      3 years:£46.00

      I use this AV and there is a update at least once or twice a day to protect againist viruses. This AV works on 32 bit and 64 bit systems. They have already realeased there vista version aswell

      Avast avast! - Download antivirus software for spyware and virus protection

      Download: Free antivirus software download

      This is a 60 day trial before you buy. You have to register to get it for free.

      There is no set price to this product but you can calculate it Here if you wish to buy it

      I used this before i went to Nod-32 and its a good AV and i recommend it aswell, this also works on 32 and 64 bit systems. There is no news on when the vista version is realeased for avast but then again the XP version may work on vista.

      AVG AVG Antivirus and Security Software - Real-time protection against viruses, spyware and malicious websites

      Download : AVG Antivirus and Security Software - Download AVG Trial Versions for Free

      This is a 30 day trial.

      Buy: AVG Antivirus and Security Software - Home and Small Office Security

      There is many versions of this AV and you choose what the best one is for you, the price range varys on which product you buy. I have never used it myself but it has good reviews. I am not sure about a vista realease again it may be the same as avast and may run on vista already

      Free AVG AVG Free - Download Free Antivirus and Antispyware for Windows XP and Vista

      Download: AVG Free - Download installation files & documentation

      This is a simple version of AVG for free.

      Kaspersky Best Anti-Virus Software & Internet Security - Kaspersky Lab

      Download: Free Antivirus: Trial Versions

      This is a 30 day trial.

      Buy: Kaspersky Lab eStore > Buy antivirus software online.

      Again there is differant products for everyone needs, this version does work on vista as my friend uses it, there will be a update for it in a month or so and it will be a vista version. Again i have not used this product but it is known to do its job.

      Norton symantec.com/index.htm

      Download: Download Antivirus - Antivirus Update - Free Antivirus Trial | Norton Downloads

      15 day trials now. Was 30.

      Buy: Internet Security - Spyware Protection - Anti Virus Software | Norton Internet Security

      I used this about 3 years ago it really isnt good if you still have a slow pc, hogs ram and alot of hard drive space. They update daily aswell, this version doesn't currently work on vista but they will realease one soon i guess.

      Zone Alarm Internet Security Products - Antivirus Software, Spyware Removal, Virus Protection - ZoneAlarm

      15 day trial (Zone Alarm Pro.)

      Or, you can download the basic Zone Alarm for free.

      For a full table of details, including prices and packages, Click Here.
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    • Re: Computer Help

      Keyboard The main method of input. Created before the mouse, it initially controlled the computer through DOS commands until Apple developed the mouse. It is used for a wide range of functions, from typing to gaming.

      Mouse The primary method of navigation today. The user's movement is mapped with a Cartesian graph and transmitted to the computer, its path displayed on the screen. It usually consists of a left click, which is used to indicate the user's decision to select something, and a right click (default non-existant in Macs), which is used for secondary options.

      Plug The primary method of powering a computer. Its continuous electrical source gives computers the ability to turn on. Being constantly connected to an outlet, a computer can be turned on indefinately.

      Battery A portable energy storage for laptops. It is light and can be carried anywhere. However, it is important to realize that it has a limit, usually a few hours of normal usage.
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    • Moar useful Mac apps/utilities

      I'm running 10.6 Snow Leopard and can't live without these:

      The Unarchiver - As the name suggests, it's an unarchiving utility. Opens RAR, 7-Zip, tar.gz, tar.bz2 and many more formats.

      X11 Starter - X Window utility. Used to install and switch between different X Window managers on OS X.

      Transmission - Torrent downloader. Written in Objective-C, and 64-bit. Very fast.

      Pixelmator - Photoshop clone that doesn't suck. It isn't free, but significantly cheaper than Photoshop. It's GPU-accelerated, so it's fast even if you have, say, just 1 GB of RAM, or are using an oooold Powerbook. Extremely fast on new Macs.

      Max - Audio converter and CD ripper. Supports a shit-ton of audio formats, such as FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, etc.


      Those are all the ones I can think of for now. I'll be adding moar later as I think of them. :cool:

      The post was edited 1 time, last by xyz123456 ().

    • Re: Computer Help

      Screw - What holds the computer together. It is composed of an incline plane revolved around a cylinder and is used to attach things. A vital component of the computer.

      Wire - Copper pulled into a thin rod, usually micrometers in diameter, this metallic substance can transmit electrons back and forth.
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    • Re: Computer Help

      A few helpful Mac programs.

      Superdocker -
      A program for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or later, which you can use to apply themes to your dock. You simply download the program, and then download a theme from the site.


      Leocolorbar -
      A really simple program. It's used to edit the color of your menubar at the top of your screen. This program is compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or later, because it makes use of the dock transparency feature.
    • Re: Computer Help

      Linux no longer complicated....Ubuntu 10.04.......Wait April 29th 2010!

      Ubuntu 9.10



      UBuntu 9.10 rotating Desktop (Compiz)


      wiki.ubuntu.com/LucidReleaseSchedule
      Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu
      launchpad.net/ubuntu/+specs (blueprints)
      techotopia.com/index.php/The_History_of_Ubuntu_Linux
      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_(operating_system)

      Ubuntu 10.04 will move one more step closer to main stream OSs.



      Supported Release's

      [SIGPIC]Life is so very short ebjoy it while your still existing!;)[/SIGPIC]

      The post was edited 5 times, last by tsm1248 ().

    • Re: Computer Help

      Just going to make a note...>.> Linux is not very complicated at all.

      However, some tips for speeding up Linux, if you happen to use it.

      Choose a window manager instead of a desktop environment. The main desktop environments are, in order of heavy-light KDE, Gnome, Xfce and LXDE. To get even more speed, choose a window manager. The most popular ones are Openbox, Fluxbox, Blackbox, Icewm and FVWM/Crystal.

      Doesn't gain much speed, but another tip is either don't use a desktop manager, or use a lighter one. Heavy-Light KDM, GDM, Slim, XDM. There are more out there, but those are the main ones.

      Use lightweight applications. For instance. Instead of using Nautilus, try Thunar or even more lightweight, Pcmanfm. Lightweight image viewers like gqview should do the trick.

      Try to use Google Chrome or something like Midori instead of Firefox. They are less heavy on resources.

      There are more in-depth tips that are system specific that I'd rather not discuss, because it could get your computer in a mess ;)

      If you want to go truly lightweight, learn to use the command line. That way you won't need GUI apps. Using the command line for unzipping, untaring, file management, etc is rather easy to learn. There is also starting out with a minimal system. That will also help you gain more speed, as well as hard drive space.

      Just a list of my favorite distributions, in order.

      Debian, SliTaz, Xubuntu, Ubuntu, Arch Linux.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by xyz123456: changed font color to black for easier reading :P ().

    • Re: Computer Help

      about computer system softwares, i think that all of them have thei attitudes and pride, cauz all of them have something unique, which others doesnt have. for personal use i prefer Windows7 and fitting it my demandms. also using MAC as laptop, and have no problem with it at all. Linux is the best system for 24/7 servers. simple command line makes it magic ))
      so RESPECTS to all of them.