Causes of External Harddisk Failure

Hi, most of the problems I have experienced with harddisk is when its incapable of inner disk revolving due to power failure. Most of the times my clients who have experinced this problem is due to carelessness. If you have experienced this problem do Contact a Data Recovery Company like The East African Data Handlers here in Kenya.

The following are the common causes of harddisk failure:

Power Surges from Lightning Strikes

It is important to always power down and unplug your external hard drive during a lightning storm. A power surge from lightning strikes can cause external hard drive failure by overheating the hard drive.

Twisted Electrical Cords and Cables

Many times, twisted cords and cables can cause an external hard drive to be pulled off a surface onto the floor. It is always important to make sure cords and cables are not twisted and are a sufficient length to reach from the computer to an electrical outlet.

Using the Wrong Power Cord

If you have several different power cords in the vicinity of your external hard drive, it is important to make sure you are using the correct power cord with your hard drive. There have been many instances where a user has plugged a different power cord into their external hard drive causing a power surge which will overheat the hard drive.

Accidentally Dropped the External Hard Drive

There have been many cases where the external drive has been accidentally dropped by the user. Many of these hard drives are designed to sit upright on a flat surface. This can cause the drive to be susceptible to tipping over. The easiest way to prevent this from happening is to allow the external hard drive to lay flat instead of upright. This can prevent tipping. Otherwise, you should place the drive in a safe location away from the edges of a surface.

How to make my word 2007 read only or locked

In order to make your document read only you will need to customize your word:

1.  Go to the  "Office" button (top left office logo)
2.  Choose "Word Options" (buttom right of the menu)
3.  Goto "Customize"
4.  Then at the top TAB choose ALL COMMANDS
5.  Look for "Protect Document" command and add it to the menu
6.  Now, do back to the document where the  "Office" button is and you'll see a green dot - click it
7.  Choose "Read only" and save the doc (You may choose to put a password)

Difference Between Dual Core and Core 2 Duo

Core Duo 2 offers 3 different advantages over regular Core duo. For one Core duo is 32 bit and Core duo 2 is 64 bit. Core duo 2 CPU's are 20% faster per clock. They also have more cache 4MB's vs 2MB's.
Dual core processors are those that contain 2 cores in a single silicon chip while Core 2 Duo is the name given by Intel to its second batch of dual core processors.

The processor wars have hit a major speed bump as clock speeds become harder and harder to push upwards. Because the number of transistors in a single chip continues to follow its upward trend, processor manufacturers like Intel and AMD have decided to go a different route in increasing the performance of their products, adding more cores into a single chip that leads to a performance boost if the OS supports it. Two or more cores can greatly aid in multi-tasking where each core can work independently of each other. All processors that have 2 cores in them are collectively called as dual core processors regardless of which manufacturer it came from, while those that have 4 processors in a single chip are called quad core.

Initially, Intel called their dual core processors as Core Duo, a very obvious reference to two cores, while AMD called theirs the X2. Intel’s dual core processors were simply 2 Pentium 3 processors that were fabricated in a single chip. As they refined their product more, they decided to differentiate their second set of processors from the Core Duo and decided to call it Core 2 Duo.

Basically, the difference between dual core processors and the Core 2 Duo processors is just in the semantics as Core 2 Duo is simply a name given to a more recent family of dual core processors. If we translate this to the single core processors, we can say that Core Duo is Pentium 1 while Core 2 Duo is Pentium 2, while AMD has their own processors with different names; but all these are still single core processors. We can therefore say that Core 2 Duo is simply a subset of all the dual core processors that are out in the market today.

Summary:
1. Dual core is the generic name given to processors that have 2 cores on the same chip
2. Core 2 Duo is the second line of dual core processors from Intel
3. Other dual core processors aside from Core 2 Duo are the Core Duo from Intel and the X2 series from AMD
4. All Core 2 Duo processors are dual core but not all dual core processors are Core 2 Duo

Difference between Duo Core, Core 2 Duo, Quad Core, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7...

Lets first understand some few terminologies used. CPU: The Processor or Central Processing Unit (CPU) component of your PC that carries out instructions given to it by your Operating System (Windows.) Think of the processor as a brain that receives instructions and messages (i.e. “HOT HOT HOT Burning!!!”) and sends out instructions to other hardware (i.e. “Arm: lift hand” or “mouth: open; vocal chords: scream”.)

What is a Core?

A standard processor has one core (single-core.) Single core processors only process one instruction at a time (although they do use pipelines internally, which allow several instructions to be processed together; however, they are still run one at a time.)

What is a Multi-Core Processor?

A multi-core processor is composed of two or more independent cores, each capable of processing individual instructions. A dual-core processor contains two cores, a quad-core processor contains four cores, and a hexa-core processor contains six cores.

Why do I Need Multiple Cores?

Multiple cores can be used to run two programs side by side and when an intensive program is running (AV Scan, Video conversion, CD ripping etc.) you can utilize another core to run your browser to check your email etc.

Multiple cores really shine when you’re using a program that can utilize more than one core (called Parallelization) to improve the program’s efficiency. Programs such as graphic software, games etc. can run multiple instructions at the same time and deliver faster, smoother results.

So if you use CPU-intensive software, multiple cores will likely provide a better experience when using your PC. If you use your PC to check emails and watch the occasional video, you really don’t need a multi-core processor.

How many cores do i3, i5, and i7′s have?

• A Dual-core processor has two cores.
• A Quad-core processor has four cores.
• An i3 processor has 2 cores.
• An i5 processor has 2 or 4 cores (depending on the model you have.)
• An i7 processor has 2, 4 or 6 cores (depending on the model you have.)

How Do Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad Compare with Core i3, i5, and i7?

If you’re looking for a good value PC especially in the Kenyan Market and have decided on a Core 2 Duo, Core i3, or Core i5 (all best in value for casual computer use), please read on:

Core 2 Duo processors run two threads; i3′s and i5′s run four threads. Core 2 Duo processors are socket 775 (45/65nm); Core i3 and i5 processors are socket 1156 (nm) but only work with DDR3 RAM (Some Core 2 Duo’s work with both DDR2 and DDR3.)

For desktops, I’d stay clear of core 2 duos; for laptops, it all depends on your usage. As laptops aren’t as easy to upgrade, buying dated technology might burn you in the future when you find your Core 2 Duo PC’s motherboard only supports 4GB RAM–for example.

i5′s come with “turbo boost”; however, i3′s overclock very well if that’s your thing. That’s where I’d put my money if you’re considering Core 2 Duo, i3, and i5: the i3 provides the best value for most casual PC users.

While I focused on i3, i5, and Core 2 Duo to answer a reader’s question, the principles apply when comparing i5, i7, and Core 2 Quad. I’d go for the i5 unless you are willing to pay a premium for a little more performance.

What Does the “i” Stand for in i3, i5, and i7?

The “i” is just branding that help in marketing but I don't think they have a special meaning.

Do I need a Dual/Quad core or an i3/i5/i7?

The reason you’re reading this guide is to find out which type of processor you need. I want to give a simple answer and, if you have more to add, please let us know in the comments. As with all computer hardware, the type of processor you need depends on your needs, for how long you want your computer to stay current, and your budget.

Here’s a very simple breakdown of what you should look to buy depending on your computing needs. All suggestions assume you are buying a pre-built PC (so you don’t have to worry about motherboard and RAM specs and so you don’t have to worry about upgrade compatibility.)

If you:

• Browse the internet, check email, and play the occasional flash game (like Farmville): Get asingle core netbook or desktop (and don’t spend more than $300 USD — Updated 12/01/21.)
• Do your word processing, spreadsheets etc. on your PC, listen to music often, and watch movies, get a dual core or i3.
• Play the occasional game and are happy with lower resolution and lower quality graphics (my suggestion assumes the graphics processor on the pre-built PC will be well-matched for the processor suggestions), watch HD movies etc., get a dual core or i5.
• If you do graphic publishing, music creation, programming (and compilation), watch HD movies, and like to play visually appealing games, get a Quad core, i5, or i7.
• If you like to have the very best hardware and play the most graphically intense games especially for the EA lovers, get an i7 Extreme.

Computer Graphics Card

Growing Importance of Selecting the Right Video Card

How do you know about the graphics you are using, I mean its type, capacity, speed, and pretty much everything you do on your laptop from using different models of operating systems — making presentations, designing spreadsheets, browsing the Internet, editing photos and watching movies is becoming increasingly visually intensive. And with proliferation of more small businesses using video to communicate through videoconferencing and video email, such as Dell Video Chat, selecting the right graphics card is becoming more important to your overall mobile experience.

The quality of the graphics you experience is only as good as your video card (also known as a graphics card). Selecting the right graphics solution can make these visually intensive tasks come alive and enable a rich, lifelike and more pleasing experience. Along with the display, the video card affects the number of colors available, contrast, resolution and overall performance of your system.

What is the Difference Between Integrated and Discrete Graphics?

Integrated Graphics: An integrated graphics solution shares the system processor (CPU) and memory resources with other programs. While integrated video cards can process some complex graphics such as 3D images, if the CPU and memory are overloaded or busy processing other information, it can sometimes deliver a less-than-optimal video experience, slowing down the graphics and potentially the overall system.

An integrated graphics solution may be adequate for you if you use your notebook for common business tasks that do not require graphic-intensive applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, basic presentations, email and browsing most Internet sites.

Discrete Graphics: Discrete graphics utilize a graphics processor that is separate (or discrete) from the system processor and a memory unit that is separate from system memory. Because this solution does not burden the CPU and system memory, overall performance is likely to be significantly better when performing tasks that require complex graphics or visually intensive applications.

Typically, discrete solutions are more powerful than integrated solutions and are the preferred type of solution if you use your notebook for visually demanding tasks such as videoconferencing, creating and delivering video/graphics heavy presentations, viewing, creating and editing videos/photos and browsing visually intensive Web sites.

How to Remove Write Protection On USB Flash or Memory Card

Write Protection on any portable USB Device can be applied by the physical lock provided on the cardadjuster or some times provided on the pen drives, so make sure to make your drive not write protected by moving the lock in right direction.

But even after moving the physical lock for write protection the problem can happen due to some virus action. This happens when some virus or script which applies the registry hack to make any drive write protect when connected to the computer, In that case follow the procedure below to remove write protection from your pen drive.

1. Open Start Menu >> Run, type regedit and press Enter, this will open the registry editor.

2. Navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

Note: If there registry key StorageDevicePolicies key does not exist, you will need to download a batch file

 called add.bat from here, and double click after download the key will be automatically added to registry. 

Double click the key WriteProtect in the right pane and set the value to 0 in the Value Data Box and press OK button. Exit Registry, restart your computer and then again re-connect your USB pen drive on your computer. That is it, done.

If the above method does not work for you, follow the below steps: 

The above two steps will solve the problem. If you still face the problem, follow the below steps:

1. Goto Start > Run, type cmd and press enter, this will open command prompt.

2. Type the following command on the command prompt replacing X with the drive letter of your pen drive.

CHKDSK X: /F

What is Internet connection speed?

Internet connection speed refers to the data transfer rate from the Internet to your computer. Basically that means the amount of time it takes your computer to download a given amount of data. Internet connection speeds are usually measured in Kbps (kilobits per second, or thousands of bits per second) or KBps (kilobytes per second). Nowadays with the technological improvements in data transfer speeds, Internet connection speeds can also be measured in Mbps (megabits per second, or millions of bits per second) or MBps (megabytes per second). For example, if you had a 28.8K (28,800 bps) modem, then it would take at least 4 - 5 minutes to download a 1MB file. If you had digital subscriber line (DSL), the same 1MB file would take approximately 10 - 20 seconds.

USB 2.0 to IDE Hard Drive / ATAPI CONVERTER ADAPTER CABLE

Tired of buying expensive external hard-disks.... here is an easy way. You can buy this serial adapter - USB to IDE/ Sata which will enable you to connect normal internal harddisks (which are quite cheap to buy compared to external ones) and treat it like an external. The cable may cost around Kshs 1000, but this depends where you buy in Nairob.

Many semiconductor companies have chips that do the conversion between IDE and USB and simplify the way you can connect an IDE device on USB.

Features : -

• Complies with USB 2.0 and backward USB 1.1
• Support Both 2.5" and 3.5" HD Drive
• Complies with ATA / ATAPI - 6 Spe. V1.0
• Complies with USB Storage Class spec. 1.0
• USB 2.0 High Speed (480 Mbit) and full speed (12Mbit) support.
• Supports Self-Power modes
• Supports USB Suspend/Resume Wake-up ability.
• Supports IDE & enhanced IDE hard disk
• Supports ATA/ATAPI CD-ROM/CDR/CDRW/DVD-ROM & more
• Supports Windows 98 SE/ME/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or above
• Supporting system start up (MB must support USB mass storage device boot up!)
• Hot-swappable (Don't have to reboot the computer)
• Plug and Play
• IDE / ATAPI to USB 2.0 Convertor Cable
• Driver CD for WIN98SE

IDE to SATA SATA 2 IDE HDD CONVERTER CABLE ADAPTER

General Features:

• One to One Serial ATA (SATA) to Parallel ATA interface adapter
• Compliant with Serial ATA 1.0 specification
• Supports data rate of 1.5Gb/s for Serial ATA mode transferring
• Supports Ultra ATA 133 and backward compatibility
• Support 3.5� IDE hard drive and 5.25� CDROM
• Power-On and Read/Write access LED indicators
• Driverless (No driver required)

Power adapter Features:

• Convert a single 12V input to FDD and HDD power connectors with 5V and 12V outputs
• Suitable for any 3.5-inch Hard Drives and 5.25-inch Optical devices
• Built-in On/Off switch
• Two LED indicators showing operation status of 5V and 12V
• Specially designed to suit any 12V power supply with at least 1.6 Ampere

Specifications:

• Serial-ATA (SATA) Interface
• Serial-ATA 1.0 specification compliant
• External power connector
• IDE Interface
• Support ATA PIO and UDMA modes
• Support 3.5-inch IDE hard drive and 5.25-inch optical drives

How To Decide On The Best Quality PC Keyboards

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