By admin on May 11, 2010 | In Hardware, Software | No Comments »
Is your computer’s CPU working at 100% all the time? Is the PC slow or non-responsive? There is a good chance that one of your computer’s hardware components is faulty, but if you have no reason to suspect the hardware, it’s more likely that this is a software problem. I’ve seen cases where the CPU or the fan was at fault, but I’ll discuss that in a minute.
First, you should make sure that you check the following:
1. Registry – Problems in the registry could cause the CPU to work overtime. There are many reasons why this happens, but I won’t get into that – you need a solution. So, to fix the registry, use a registry diagnostic and repair program, such as CCleaner, Registry Mechanic or any of the programs I recommended in my top 10 list.
2. Viruses and Spyware – If your PC is infected with malware, this could also cause your CPU usage to be at 100%. Make sure you have a good virus and spyware cleaning program and scan your hard drive. If you don’t want to pay for software, use Avast, AVG or AntiVir (See Resources for links).
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By admin on May 4, 2010 | In Software | No Comments »
There will be a time when you may have to find product key of your installed Windows of Microsoft Office software. This could happen if you have to reinstall your operating system, and you don’t have the original installation CD, or the sticker on your desktop PC is unreadable. You may be able to find an OEM installation CD on the Internet or in a computer store, but you need the right key to complete the installation.
What you need is a program that can access the registry, find this key and show it to you.
Complete keyfinder is one of the tools that can do this. It’s a free program which lets you access this information, and if you register it, it can even show you the product key of any external drive attached to the computer. Thanks to Computer Aid for publishing a post about this wonderful program.
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By admin on Apr 24, 2010 | In Windows XP | No Comments »
If you are selling your old laptop and your user account is active, you will probably want to delete all your private files, Internet browsing history and everything else that can be traced back to you. The easiest way is to format your hard drive, but this may not be possible if you don’t have the Windows XP installation CD to reinstall the operating system. In this case, it’s better to delete your user account and create a new one for the future user. When you delete your account, you will delete all its associated files.
If you are the admin user, you cannot delete your own account. You will have to create a new admin account through which you’ll be able to delete your admin account.
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By admin on Apr 16, 2010 | In Software | No Comments »
SmillaEnlarger is a FREE program that lets you enlarge photos that are too small or parts of larger photos while retaining their original quaility. Such programs are hard to find, and if you do find them, they are usually not free. SmillaEnlarger is open source, which means you can just download it and have your fun with it.
SmillaEnlarger is especially handy when you want to enlarge a portion of the photo so you can recognize faces, or perhaps a number plate on a car, or simply a favorite picture of your partner. The program uses special filters which fill the gaps in the image when it is magnified. This way the photo doesn’t look all fuzzy when you make it bigger.
The program’s interface is easy to use, it supports drag and drop feature and batch processing and it lets you control the zoom area and percentage. All you have to do is adjust the frame size and place it on the image that you want to enlarge. Then simply select the zoom percentage.
SmillaEnlarger is portable, which makes it fast and lightweight. It also lets you control the usual properties such as Sharpness, Flatness, PreSharpen, Dithering, DeNise and FractNoise.
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By admin on Mar 29, 2010 | In Software | No Comments »
Do you still use Windows XP and don’t plan to upgrade any time soon, but are tired of the ‘old’ XP look? If yes, maybe you’d like to try something more modern? If you like the way Windows 7 looks, you can apply a Windows 7 theme in your Windows XP system. By installing a free theme such as the one Vishal Gupta offers, you can make your older (but familiar and stable) XP system look like brand new.
All you have to do to make this change is download the Windows 7 theme, install the required files and apply the new theme.
I just tested it and I must say I like how my new Windows XP looks!
To download the free windows 7 theme, please visit this page. There is no quick way to install it, but if you have 10 minutes time and a little patience, you will be rewarded for the effort. The process isn’t very difficult either.
To read detailed instructions, please visit Vishal Gupta’s Web site or this page. Vishal also shows ways to transform Windows Vista into Windows 7.
