Save money and upgrade RAM yourself

So, things are tightening up and you really can’t afford a new computer. And the one you have is showing its age. What can you do? Well several upgrades: add more RAM (Random Access Memory), add a video card, or add a hard drive. Since RAM has a direct effect on performance I’m going to start there. It is also one of the easier do-it-yourself upgrades.

Before we start there are a few assumptions we need to make. First, the computer is not more then 3 – 4 years old. Next, you are running WIN XP. For those of you who refuse to give up on WIN 98 or ME your only real choice is a new computer. And last, you have a little mechanical ability.

RAM is what the computer uses to run applications. When the machine was new it came with what was available. That was then this is now. Over the years software has been added, applications have grown and all these use RAM. Add to that tool bars (bad), messangers, and games the RAM gets used up.

First check the RAM. Right click on the Task Bar. Then select Task Manager. When the dialog box opens choose the Performance tab. Here you will see neat little graphs that show how much you have and how much you are using.

The next step is to determine what type of RAM you have. Find this in System Information from the Control Panel, in your computer documentation or online.
You will also need to know the maximum amount the system can support and how many memory slots you have and are being used. You can see this by removing the cover.

Once you have the new RAM it is fairly easy to install if you are careful. ALWAYS remove the power. Lay the computer on its side and remove the cover. Always keep touching metal to discharge static! Line up the notch in the Ram with the notch in the slot and snap it carefully but firmly into the slot. You will here it ‘snap’.

Set the two locks on each side of the slot and you are done. Close it up and boot the system. If all went well the system will see the RAM and you’re on your way. If the boot fails and the machine is beeping like crazy, re-seat the Ram and try again.
Freeing up a resource like RAM goes a long way to overall performance. AND of course if you have any doubts call a professional.

Chris Kaminski is the head designer and web developer at Lone Bird Studio Ltd., an Asheville web design and SEO company in North Carolina. Clients include top companies in North Carolina health insurance, medical, news media, and government. Lone Bird Studio also specializes in creating niche market websites for that realize the necessity of e-commerce as the new marketplace.
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Software problems complicate computer repair and service

Computer service has changed. We’ve gone from hardware based issues to mostly software problems. Basically we went from “something broke” to “how do I do this”. And, the industry has changed too. Plug and play has removed most configuration issues and the cost of computers for the masses has come way down. How does this affect us all? Let’s start with the software.

Today’s programs have become huge and complicated. They are becoming so difficult that it is getting beyond the average user to figure out. Add to this that it is almost impossible to get good support from the vendors users turn to the next person they know, the local repair shop. We are getting everything from “I can’t sync my iPod” to “I can’t log in to my AOL email.”

Because we fix computers we are expected to know every piece of software out there.
This is not possible. We can figure it out but time cost money. And to make it worse the vendors know this, so the larger ones charge a per incident fee knowing you will go to someone less expensive and avoid the phone support run-a-round. It is their way of controlling support cost.

That is the next point, the cost of providing that service. To be able to stay up on everything requires constant training and upgrading and all that cost money. Include the rising cost of running vehicles, insurance (what if I fry your machine), the general costs of doing business and it all adds up. This is what separates the $20/hr technician from the $100 technician, training and experience.

That leads to the final point, the cost of the repair or service. Computers have become so inexpensive that once the machine is a year or two old, many times, the cost of the repair is more than the system is worth. Or in the case of software, a few hours of service can cost as much as the program itself. So what can I do as a service company? I can’t afford not to charge what I need to charge. That leaves few choices. I can absorb some costs thought I couldn’t do that for long. Or, we can cut back on the service we offer which is not good for you.

Your choice is to fix it yourself, deal with the vendor’s support or pay your local tech. It is a true “Catch 22” situation for me the technician and you the customer. No matter which way we go it will cost us both. This is the new face of computer service.

Lone Bird Studio web design is based in Asheville, NC. CEO and head web designer Chris Kaminski built his first website in 1996. He has a passion for computer technology, web design and development and loves to share his knowledge and empower other internet businesses with tips and advice. Feel free to contact Lone Bird Studio with any questions, business or to link up with us!!

Is Vista the next ME?

Remember Windows ME? I can’t really blame you if you don’t and if you do, like me, you are trying to forget. ME was rushed out to fill the gap between WINDOWS98 and 2000 and the release of XP. In fact ME made the #4 spot in “The 25 Worst Tech Products of All Time” (http://www.pcworld.com/article/125772-2/the_25_worst_tech_products_of_all_time.html).
It was only on the shelves a short time, it was buggy and at times hard to work with. But, what I think really helped kill it was that Microsoft was touting XP at the same time it was releasing ME.
Now where am I going with this? I recently had a chance to see a demo of the new Windows 7, yep, another operating system (OS). It was kind of cool but it is still in progress. It has some cool new touch screen support, all new security .. bla .. bla. But nothing to really wow me. If all goes well it should be released some time in 2009. It was while at this demonstration that I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between ME and Vista.
While Microsoft marketing was out pumping the new release of Vista, Bill Gates was on TV announcing that MS would release a new OS every three years.
Now, true XP has been out for seven years and that’s the point. It is relatively stable, everyone has become familiar and comfortable. Why switch now and then have to again in three years. So, for the most part I think Vista is going to get skipped over, just like ME.
Now there are other reasons Vista hasn’t caught on. Reasons like problems with driver support and running legacy software. It is really really top heavy and not meant to upgrade older machines. I also think that there are too many versions and it is just too expensive especially Ultimate. And again, there is nothing to really wow anybody.
The public has resisted Vista so much that MS has extended the life cycle of XP twice. And, to combat poor Vista sales the major manufactures are still offering XP.
So …why give up my XP? The service life of a system is around 5-6 years anyway, why not just wait and upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out next year. Get a new system, get my six years out of it then get upgrade to what ever OS is out then.
I think MS misjudges the public’s willingness and or ability to tear their homes and business apart every three years and learn new software.

Computers Don't Smoke

If you have worked in the electronics field for any length of time you will have heard that you should not smoke around electrical equipment. It was one of those things you hear then quickly forget.

Fast forward a little and now I fix computers and I run across many that are killed by smoking. And I’m sure if you talk to other technicians they will have run across the desktop of a smoker. You remove the cover and everything inside is coated with sticky smelly amber goo. As a non-smoker I have to tell ya, it is not pleasant and it is not at all good for the equipment.

Why you ask? Simple, it is the same tar that is killing you. The same tars and goo that coat your lungs also form a nice consistent coating over everything inside the computer. It coats cables, cards, drives, and the motherboard, behind the motherboard, everything including the sides of the case.

How does it get in? The fans. The fans draw in outside air to cool the components on the inside. Anything in that air is going to be drawn in too. This includes dust, pet hair and smoke.

What kind of damage can it do? Well like I said the goo covers everything. If causes fans to stick, processors overheat, hard drives to stick and fail. Power supplies can overheat or CD/DVD burners stick or their optics fail and this is a short list. We can go into the damage the corrosives in the smoke do to the motherboard and video cards but you get the idea. There is also collateral damage, keyboards stick, monitors overheat or have screen discoloration. External hard drives and game controls gook up and fail, you get the idea here too.

How do you fix it? Generally you can’t. You just replace the part. Sometimes you get lucky by reseating everything cleaning pins, plugs and contact points as you go but that is rare. And if data recovery is involved it can become expensive fast.
How can you prevent it? Short of building an elaborate exhaust system over your head, don’t smoke around the equipment!
So take my advice, if you need to smoke step away from your computer because computers don’t smoke.

Lone Bird Studio web design is based in Asheville, NC. CEO and head web designer Chris Kaminski built his first website in 1996. He has a passion for computer technology, web design and development and loves to share his knowledge and empower other internet businesses with tips and advice. Feel free to contact Lone Bird Studio with any questions, business or to link up with us!!

How to Backup Windows XP

Last week my wife’s computer crashed, and, if you are as an addicted gamer as she is, every hour down is like a junkie waiting for a fix. So needless to say I had to get the system back a.s.a.p. Luckily I used the least used feature XP has, System Backup. I replaced the hard drive, reloaded the OS, ran a backup restore and wam, I was done in 3 hours. I didn’t have to spend days reloading software, favorites, my documents, pretty much everything including desktop icons were restored. Nothing was lost up to the day of the backup.

What is this little known feature and how do I use it? First you need something to back up to. I recommend a stand-a-lone USB drive’though you can also back up to another partition, drive or CD/DVD.

Take stock of how much space your hard drive is using and get a USB device slightly larger. Once you have that you can back up your system. Go to Start / All Programs / Accessories / System Tools / Backup. This will open the Backup Wizard. On the Wizard opening screen just click ‘Next”. On the next screen choose ‘Backup files and settings’. When putting things back you would choose ‘Restore files and settings. On the next screen select ‘All information on this computer’.

Next browse to your backup device then enter a name for your file. I usually use the date. Then click ‘Next’. You will get a window confirming your selections. If they are correct click ‘Finish’, the system will do the rest. Don’t use the system while the backup is being created. How long it will take depends on how much data but figure about 15 minutes to half an hour. It can take longer.
That is about it, now you have a total back up of everything on the computer.

To restore the system backup, reload the operating system if you have to and here is the one catch. It has to be the same OS that was used to create the backup. Navigate back to backup under system tools, select ‘Restore files and settings’ and follow the prompts. When you are done everything will be back where it was at the time the back up was created. For this reason it is a good idea to keep the backup file up to date. I usually run a full system backup twice a month.
So there you have it, should the un-thinkable happen there is no need to panic. Just smile and remember how prepared you are.

Author Chris Kaminski is head web designer at Lone Bird Studio, an Asheville web design and SEO company located in North Carolina.

Use Firewalls for Internet Safety

If you surf online then you know, hopefully, that you need a firewall between you and the outside world. And to be properly protected you should have two, one software and one hardware. This is especially true if you have an ‘Always On” connection like Cable or DSL. With this type of connection, if your computer is turned on then you are online.

An example of software would be ‘Windows Firewall’ which comes with it. An example of a hardware solution could be a router.
Why do you need two? Software on this side of a hardware firewall is mostly to block out going traffic like those Google tool bars you people love so much. The hardware blocks things from getting in.

The hardware firewall isolates your internal IP (Internet Protocol) address. There are special “Firewall Devices” you can purchase but the easiest and least expensive is to get a store bought router. Common brands for example are Linksys or D-Link.

Now here is an important note BEFORE you run out and buy one. Check your Cable/DSL modem. Many of these provide the router function. If it does you already have this level of protection. A quick way to check is to look at your machines IP address. To do this: Start / Run / type CMD in the box and hit OK. When the DOS window opens type “ipconfig /all” (no quotes) at the flashing prompt. If the first three numbers are 192 chances are good that you have a router.

How does a router protect you? They use a protocol called NAT (Network Address Translation). Simply it hides your computer IP address behind the IP address assigned to the router by the service provider. It does this by creating a small network between the computer and the router that is separate from what the outside world sees.

I hope this clears up some of the confusion surrounding firewalls. You should use two. A router is a good choice (even if you only have one computer). You also have the option to add wireless when you purchase a router but that is another article.

Author Chris Kaminski is head web designer at Lone Bird Studio, an Asheville web design and SEO company located in North Carolina.

Terrible Tech Support Is Frustrating

After a tough week of dealing with different tech support groups questions come to my mind. I won’t mention the companies that are the worst because I know many of you use Linksys, Dell, HP, or Microsoft products and don’t want to make them angry.
But, while spending hours on the phone, being hung up on, contacting the same vendor several times in the hope of getting a support agent that spoke English or one that could actually help me, you can’t help but wonder.

1- If Windows is so good, why are there so many updates? This is especially true with XP. XP has been out for over 6 years, you would think they have the bugs out.

2- While we are on the subject of updates, what if the updates themselves cause an issue? One example would be a recent issue with certain Gateway laptops. Windows released an update that caused these machines to ‘loose’ their CD/DVD drives. Turns out you have to edit the registry to fix it. The question is, if the update caused the issue should they be responsible for the repair?

3- What about companies that charge for support? Should you have to pay to get help with a product you bought from them? Microsoft thinks you should. And even though you are paying money you get the same second rate support as the companies that offer it for free.

Poor tech support is not limited to Microsoft or the other companies mentioned above. And it is not limited to the computer industry. Have you ever called a credit card company? Poor tech support has become the norm.

The only reasonable conclusion is that these companies don’t care about helping you. They care only about their bottom line. They offer up poor tech support only to bolster the illusion that they care about you as a customer when the truth is they don’t.

What can we do? That too is tough because we have come to rely on these products. But the only way to get attention is to attack the pocket book and stop supporting companies that don’t measure up.

Author Chris Kaminski is head web designer at Lone Bird Studio, an Asheville web design and SEO company located in North Carolina.