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Aug 11 2008 10:07am
Welcome

I decided to create a FAQ section about computer problems. I hope that this section will be helpful to you and will cut the spam as well as unnecessary threads on computers section of this forum. I’ll be adding new articles all the time. If you have any ideas for new guides – let me know (I’ll make them for you).



Table Of Contents

1.Bsods , Computer Problems - Reference Book
2.Deleted Files , Lost Partition - Reference Book
3.Optimalizing Windows Vista - FAQ
4.Trojan Horses, Viruses, Spyware, Keyloggers - FAQ
5.Can You Run The Game? - Check!
6.Linux – adequate rival for Windows

This post was edited by Balakai on Sep 15 2008 03:20pm
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Sep 10 2008 11:15am

Ad 1.Bsods , Computer Problems - Reference Book


During the critic error of Windows OS our computer restarts by itself or displays BSOD
( blue screen of death). This message contains line of numbers which can help with realizing what is wrong in our PC:

0A – operating memory modulus error – Try to check your memory cards with program named MEMTEST. Probably your RAM dice is broken. If you have more than one dice you should check each one of them. This is the way to eliminate working RAMs and find that broken one.

Did you add RAM to your PC ? That might be a problem. Dice may not be compatible with each other so try to remove one of them.

0D – CPU error – Such an error might be caused by CPU’s overheating or its damage.
Check out quality of CPU’s cooling system, try removing dust from ventilator and radiator.

0E – errors related neither to CPU nor to RAM – Check informations above.

When we know entrire line of error’s numbers we can look for it here :
http:// search.microsoft.com/ or www.google.com.

Microsoft’s forums and google are full of information about such stuff.
A lot of users had same problems and got them solved!


http://www.dashboardwidgets.com/showcase/data/57/BSOD-0p6b.png


1. Hardware overclocking reasons :

a ) Overclocked CPU – unskilfully overclocked CPU causes our that PC is unstable, restarts by itself, displays BSODs.
b ) Overclocked graphic card – unskilful GFX Card overclocking may result in deformed display on our monitor, can also cause restars of our PC.
c ) Overclocked RAM – this may cause CRC problems, errors during copying on HDD, PC may also restars by itself.


2. Non-overclocked hardware reasons :
a) PSU – power supply unit – A lot of people, while buying a PC, think about good CPU, GFX card, RAM but they forget about good PSU that can support such a machine.
Low PSU may not cope that PC and it will get ‘stoned’ or reset while working. It’s really important to buy only brand name PSUs because they will assure proper working of our PC.
List of lower PSUs :
Bestec, Codegen, Colorsit, Feel, Procomp, Ropla, TakeMe, Tracer, Tronje, Q-Tec, Impet, Linkworld, Logic , Medion, Megabajt , Mercury, Modecom FEEL, Mustang.
Those PSU will support only slower PCs like those used in offices which don’t require such an amount of power.
PSUs listed below will support stronger PCs used to play games and GFX works :
Aerocool, Akasa, Amacrox, Antec, BeQuiet, Chieftec, CoolerMaster, Corsair, Silver Power, SilverStone, Tacens, Tagan, ThermalTake, Topower, Yesico, Zalman, Enermax, Etasis, Gigabyte, Hiper, HuntKey, Modecom MC, Mushkin, NeoTEC, OCZ, Pentagram, Seasonic

b ) Memory – like above, test it with MEMTEST program.

c ) CPU – probably it’s overheating – check the cooling system

d ) HDD – probably contains bad sectors – check disk with HD Tune

e) Wires and tapes – very often they are getting used by removing/ plugging in something into our PC. They can be simply replaced by new ones.


3. Viruses, spyware etc.
They can also cause a lot of problems on your Pc. Remember to always have an updated database of your antivirus program. You should use antispyware programs as well.
I recommend those : SpyBot Search and Destroy or Ad-Aware.


4. Drivers.
Remember to always download drivers from producers official download site.
Try to keep them updated, but sometimes, when you have problems with the newest version it’s highly recommended to use the older version which works fine with your hardware.

When you are changing drivers you should use Driver Cleaner which will erase trash left by previous driver on your PC.

5. Registry
It happens very often that something is missing in our registry or few entries are broken. I recommend you to use program Ccleaner which contains registry fixer.



Most important advice as for conslusion :
If you havent found help in my guide try to search for it in www.google.com.
It doesnt bite and helps a lot!

thx to wroniak for translation
Member
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Sep 10 2008 11:19am
Ad 2.Deleted Files , Lost Partition - Reference Book



Even though you deleted important file from your trash bin that doesn't mean it's gone forever!
It is just invisible for you, it can be overwritten later what makes recovering much harder.


1. How to recover lost files ?


I recommend you a program named FreeUndelete.
Run the program > choose a disk you want to look for deleted files on > click Scan.
The program will automatically look for those files which are able to be recovered.
Such a files will be marked as GOOD. Overwritten files will be marked as POOR.
Afterwards you have to choose a folder that you want recovered files to appear in.

Another program you can use to recover files is R-Studio but it's not free but more advanced and in my opinion efficient.

2. How to recover lost photographies ?

You can do it by the same way as described in 1. but you can use other program designed for photos recovering.
PhotoRec is a program which is being ran under DOS. After opening it all disks will appear ( including memory cards).
You have to choose type of the partition :
- if the card was formatted under windows - Intel type
- if the card was formatted under apple - Mac type
You have to choose the device you want to be scanned and format of the files you want to be recovered.

3. How to recover lost partition ?

When your partition has been erased and nobody knows why Partition Manager 8 will help you!
After opening the program click Undelete Partition -> choose the disk and click Next.
After scanning partitions will appear. Mark this one you want to recover then click Next > Finish > Apply.
Partition will be recovered.

This post was edited by ko-wal on Sep 10 2008 11:21am
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Sep 10 2008 11:24am
Ad 3.Optimalizing Windows Vista - FAQ





Windows Vista is a new operating system. Many of you are wondering is Vista worth instaling. Latter I will try to show you how Vista works and help to optimize it.

1. Which of Vistas is the best for me?

There are many types of Vista. Miscrosoft showed the differences beetwen them here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/compare-editions/default.aspx

2. Is Vista worth instaling?

Yes, but only when we have good equipment. I mean at least 2 GB Ram, CPU around 2 Ghz.
Players who want to play with DX 10 also can think about this system.

3.Vista vs XP Test

From the link below you will get to know how effective are Vista and XP in different situations. I hope it will help you with choosing an operating system.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/xp-vs-vista,1531.html


Advices
RMB – Right Mouse Button

B )Turning off the Sidebar

RMB on the system field on Sidebar icon icon_pointr.gif Exit , mark off “start Sidebar when Windows starts” to turn it off and avoid it further showing after system reboot.

c) Turning off the System restore

RMB on My Computer -->Properties -->Remote Setting icon_pointr.gif System Protection icon_pointr.gif mark off the HDD which are under the System Restore Option.

d) Turning off the Remote Control

RMB on My Computer icon_pointr.gif Properties icon_pointr.gif Remote Settings icon_pointr.gif Remote--> mark off “allow Remote Assistance Connections on this Computer”.

e) Turning off User Account Control (UAC)

Start -->Run -->Secpol.msc Security Settings Local Policies -->Secuirty Options

□ User Account Control: Behaviour of the elevation prompt for administrator in Admin Approval Mode
□ User Account Control: Behaviour of the elevation prompt for standard users

RMB icon_pointr.gif Properties icon_pointr.gif Elevate without prompting

Controll Panel icon_pointr.gif User Accounts -->Turn user account controll on or off -->Mark off use user account

f) Turning off

Start icon_pointr.gif Run t--> gpedit.msc icon_pointr.gif Local Computer Policy--> Computer Configuration Administrative Templates Network -->QoS Packet Schedule -->RMB Limit Reservable Bandwidth Properties -->Disabled

g) Turning off Windows Security Center

Start ; Run Cmd

Write in order

cd\\
cd windows\\system32
takeown /f wscapi.dll
takeown /f wscsvc.dll
takeown /f wscui.cpl

In Windows\\System32 directory you can find 3 files: wscapi.dll , wscsvc.dll , wscui.cpl
do the same with every file: RMB Properties Security Edit Administrators We set up “Full Acces”

We change the filename extension to *.bat
We change the security center servive to disable

h) Increasing the NTFS efficiency

Start Run -->Cmd fsutil behavior set disablelastaccess 1

i) Turning off the Hibernation

Start ; Programs - Accessories RMB Command Prompt Run as administrator

powercfg - h off

j) Erasing useless system elements

Control Panel Programs and Features Turn Windows features on or off


EnhanceMyVista 2008 Free is a program that wil help you fit Vista to your needs.

This post was edited by ko-wal on Sep 10 2008 11:38am
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Sep 11 2008 02:25pm
Ad 4.Trojan Horses, Viruses, Spyware, Keyloggers - FAQ



Everyone of us is exposed to many dangers like: viruses, spyware, trojans, keyloggers etc. when we use the Internet?

How to protect our PC?

1. Use different Internet Browsers then IE (Firefox, Opera etc.)
2. Use software like: antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall with newest updates.
3. Scan your computer with those programs at least once a weak.
4. Be careful when you open attachments to your mail.
5. Be careful when you download stuff in P2P webs.
6. Don’t open links send to you by strangers.

Dangers to our PC from trojan horses, viruses, spyware or keyloggers:

1. Loss of important data from the computer.
2. In case of a trojan horse we can lose control of our own PC.
3. Loss of passwords to e-mail accounts, bank accounts etc. (keyloggers)

Below I’ll add a list of free software which will make your computer safe.

Antivirus – computer software created to find, recognize, destroy and secure the PC from dangerous viruses. Many of those antiviruses even repair damage made by viral infections.

1. Free Antivirus Software:


- AVG Antivirus
- Avira Antivir Personal Edition
- Bitdefender 10 Free Edition
- PC Tools AntiVirus
- Dr.Web CureIt!
- Stinger
- ArcaMicroScan 2008
- ActiveVir
- AOL Active Virus Shield
- avast! Home Edition
- Norton AntiVirus 2008
- PC Tools AntiVirus Free Edition

2.Free Anti-Spyware:

- Ad-Aware 2008 Free
- Spybot - Search & Destroy
- AVG Anti-Spyware
- a-squared Free
- 1-2-3 Spyware Free
- Spyware Doctor
- Anti Trojan Elite 4.1.5

3.Free Firewall Software:

- ZoneAlarm
- Ashampoo FireWall
- PC Tools Firewall Plus
- Comodo Firewall Pro
- Sunbelt Personal Firewall
- Sygate Personal Firewall

4.Free On-line Scanners:

Free online scanners enable us to check our PC without installing any software:

BitDefender Online Scanner- http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html
Panda ActiveScan - http://www.pandasecurity.com/activescan/index/
Kaspersky - http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
F- secure - http://support.f-secure.com/enu/home/ols.shtml
Symantec - http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym
McAfee Free Scan - http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs/default.asp?cid=9914

This post was edited by ko-wal on Sep 11 2008 02:29pm
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Posts: 14,423
Joined: Nov 9 2005
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Sep 11 2008 02:30pm
Ad 5.Can You Run the Game? - Check It!



Many of you are thinking about buying a new game, but you are not sure - will my PC be able to manage the game needs?
Now you can check – thanks to this site:

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/referrer/srtest

This site checks our PC and compares them to the minimal needs of a specific game.

This post was edited by ko-wal on Sep 11 2008 02:33pm
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Joined: Nov 9 2005
Gold: 210.64
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Sep 15 2008 03:21pm
Ad 6.Linux – adequate rival for Windows



Linux – from the beginning Linux was controversial for Windows users. Now it’s known around the world and gains new fans every day. I’ll try to present it to you.

Linux’s advantages:

* Stable
* Safe – even without antivirus software
* Free (you have to pay only for some versions)
* Public source code – no secrets about it
* Can be adapted to individual needs
* Made by profesionals collaborating with a world-wide society
* In distribution form contains a lot of useful software from all categories
* Possesses more functions without extra software
* All errors can be analized and fixed by the user or reported to the producer

Now, I’ll describe some of Linux products. I hope that it will be helpful to you. If you are more interested, I encourage you too look for informations in the Internet, because it would take forever to describe them all.

Some of Linux products:

Ubuntu: free product of GNU/Linux made by Mark Shuttleworth with Canonical company. Designers of Ubuntu wanted to make a product simple in usage, functional and with easy software instaling and using proces. Now it’s one of the most popular products all over the world .

Mandriva: one of the leading products for general use. It’s good for beginners and pro users – more popular among beginners and home users looking for a alternative operating system.

openSUSE:
GNU/Linux product sponsored by Novell company mainly used in desktops. It’s a good alternative for Windows XP for a average user. Contains well done grafic configuration tools: YaST and SaX2. openSuse is simple in instalation an usage.

Debian:
uniwersal and stable GNU/Linux product. It has a big mount od packs and a perfect tool for instaling them (APT). Debian is a good choice for a server and a desktop.

Fedora: product for universal usage. It’s also good for a specjal server and a desktop (home or work use). In all those possibilities it will need some changes in default settings – to our personal preferences and needs.

Slackware:
oldest for all working Linux products (first version is from 13 July 1993). Motto of this product “because it works” is a result from a KISS rule (keep it simple stupid). It’s a Debian for pro user, who are not afraid of the console.

MEPIS: another interestign and popular product based on Debian – for rookies. Made in year 2002 by Warren Woodford – MEPIS surprised many users with its functionality and easy usage.

PLD: system for servers and desktops. Popular product among pro user. PLD stands out from other products, because of: poldek, great pack manager, very well writen rc-scripts and default settings.

Grafic Software on Linux – Browse

KDE - description of the most popular grafic software for Linux
GNOME – description of KDE’s rival on desktops
XFCE – description of one of three most popular grafic software
IceWM – manager
WindowMaker – analog desktop based on NextSTEP
Enlightenment – innovative window manager

Office suites in Linux

OpenOffice.org – universal and much expanded office suit
KOffice – office suit for KDE
GNOME Office – office suit in GNOME
Siag Office – pack with minimal equipment needs.

Multimedia in Linux – codecs, enginesa and applications for makin audio and video

Xine - tradicional video player in Linux
VLC – Video Lan Player – multi-platform video player
MPlayer – second, next to Xine traditional video player in Linux
amaroK – modern music player in KDE
Quod Libet – music player in GNOME
Rhythmbox – default player in GNOM

Audio in a console – about audio players controled with comends in a console field

XMMS and Audacious – traditional audio player in Linux
Totem – default video player in GNOME
Kaffeine – default video player in KDE

This post was edited by ko-wal on Sep 15 2008 03:28pm
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