Articles in Category: Hardware

Computers, computer systems and the physical components and accessories that make them what they are.

How Should I Store My Backup Laptop?

Four basic approaches to storing a laptop that isn’t being used.

How Does Secure Delete Work?

There’s deleted, and there’s deleted. Secure delete is one approach to making sure your files can’t be recovered.

My Chromebook-only Trip

I tested a Google Chromebook. On a business trip, can I do every task I need to do, where I need to do it, without major inconvenience?

My Printer Prints Too Small. What Can I Do?

It’s not the printer. Software on your computer controls print size, so you need to investigate the settings on your computer or in the application that you use to print.

Should I Defragment My SSD or USB Flash Drives?

We’ve all been told that defragmenting a hard disk is a good thing for performance – but the same is most definitely not true for solid state drives.

Adjust the Size of What’s on Your Screen in Windows 10

Windows 10 made adjusting the size of items on your display much easier.

Should I Run CHKDSK on My SSD?

CHKDSK and Defrag are different tools for different purposes, and have different side effects. One is OK on any drive; the other should be avoided on SSDs.

How Do I Get the Password for a Computer I Purchased at a Garage Sale?

It’s not difficult to gain access to a used computer without knowing the password. You just don’t want to.

Why, or How, do Files Become Corrupt?

File corruption happens most commonly when there’s a hardware issue or bad sector on your hard drive. I’ll look at implications and preventative steps.

Can a Defrag Cause Data Loss?

Normally, a defrag operation will not cause data loss. Unfortunately, if there’s a pre-existing problem, a defrag could bring data loss to the surface.

Is MAC Address Filtering a Viable Wireless Security Option?

MAC address filtering is a technique that theoretically prevents unauthorized computers from accessing your network. I’ll explain why the theory fails.

How Do I Burn ISO Files?

ISO files are often used to distribute images of CD and DVD data discs. I’ll walk through how to burn ISO files to optical media using ImgBurn.

What’s the difference between SATA and PATA and IDE?

SATA and PATA are two different and incompatible disk drive interfaces. PATA’s the old guard, but SATA’s taking over. I’ll look at the differences.

How Do I Adjust the Brightness of My Screen in Windows?

Adjusting the brightness of a monitor or display can often be done right on the display itself. Sometimes it’s also possible to adjust the brightness in software.

How do I create a new partition on my hard drive?

Multiple partitions can be useful at times. I’ll show you how to create a new partition by “splitting” an existing C: partition.

Should I Get a Dual-Core or a Quad-core Processor?

Processors are generally available with what are called “multiple cores”. We’ll look at what that means, and how you might select which is right for you.

What’s the difference between i3, i5, and i7 processors?

Intel’s Core i3, i5, and i7 processors present a headache-inducing combination of characteristics. I’ll look at what matters and then dig a little deeper.

NAS Drive Failure: How I Dodged a Bullet

I had an impending NAS drive failure. I’ll share how I got there, the mistakes I made, the things I did right, and the lessons I learned.

Why Won’t My Program use More than 25% of the CPU?

Multi-core processors add an additional layer of complexity to software design. Occasionally that can manifest as only 25% of the CPU being used.

What Should I Get with a New Computer?

A new computer is a major purchase, and knowing what to get isn’t easy. I continue my review of some of the important qualities to think about when purchasing.

What Brand of Computer Should I Get?

After deciding on what kind of computer they want, many people ask for recommendations for specific computer brands. That, too, is a tough question to answer.

What Kind of Computer Should I Get?

A new computer is a major purchase and knowing what kind to get isn’t easy. I’ll review some of the important things to think about when deciding, starting with the type of device you’ll want.

How to Monitor Network Activity and Speed up Your Machine’s Connection

Process Monitor is a powerful tool and it can be used to track down exactly what program on your machine is responsible for internet activity.

Why won’t some files defrag?

When you defrag files the pieces of the file are physically arranged for quicker access. But you can’t defrag some files. At least, not easily.

How should I store scans of old photographs?

Long term storage of something as precious as photographs warrants some thought. It’s something I care about, and have thought about a lot.

Is USB Safe?

Recently a flaw given the name “BadUSB” has been found to potentially make many USB devices fundamentally not secure. I’ll look at what the flaw is, and what we know today about its implications.

How Do I Boot from CD/DVD?

Most computers with a CD or DVD drive can boot from that drive, but it frequently takes a small configuration change in the computer’s BIOS.

How do I replace my system hard drive without installation media?

It sounds like your hard drive is dead. You are going to have to dig deep to get the computer going again.

My machine has no optical drive. What if I need one?

It’s probably safe to say that the days of the optical drive are coming to a close. Not this week, not this year, perhaps not even this decade but I think the writing is on the wall. But not to worry.

What do I do if my system asks for a installation disk and I don’t have one?

Computers are being sold without recovery media fairly often. That can create difficulties if you run into major problems.

Will My Old CRT Work with a New Computer?

Of course it depends, but you may be able to get that old monitor working with a new computer.

Do I even need a computer?

You may not need a computer… but don’t think that moving to a tablet is going to be the end to all hassles.

What’s a Dynamic Disk?

Chances are that you have a basic disk, and don’t need the functionality offered by dynamic disk support. Even if that functionality actually is kind of cool.

Can I Make My C: Partition Bigger by Taking Space from D:?

Changing the layout of the hard disk make the C: partition bigger requires a few steps, and occasionally special tools.

Should I backup to an SD Card?

I see the appeal of slipping a little SD card into the slot of your computer for backups, but the safety of your precious data on that card has me worried!

Is Moore’s Law over?

CPUs may not be getting faster as quickly as they once did, but Moore’s law isn’t really about speed; it’s about circuitry. We’re still improving in many other ways.

Why Are Touch Screen Monitors so Much More Vivid?

Touch screens are normal screens with touch detection built in. There’s no obvious reason it would be brighter, but I have a few thoughts.

How Should I Use My SSD and HD Together?

The thing to consider is: what do we love most about solid state drives, and conversely, what would we worry about?

What Do I Do About a Blue Screen on Shutdown?

Blue screen on shutdown could be indicative of an issue with either hardware or software. We’ll walk through some steps you can take to deduce the problem.

Did My Boot Defragmenter Tool Actually Fix My Boot Problems?

A bad sector on your hard drive could be causing strange intermittent problems. I’ll show you an easy way to find out.

What Do I Do If I Can’t Boot from a CD or DVD Drive?

Many computers are now built without DVD drives. This can cause big problems when you need to restore your computer.

How Do I Use My Television Screen with My Laptop?

It is common to use an external screen, or even a projector with a laptop. More than likely you can set up your TV using the same connectors.

If I buy the same model replacement machine, can I just move the hard disk?

Replacing a hard drive on an identical model laptop might just work, but let’s make sure there are no misunderstandings here.

Why does my computer make a grinding noise when starting up?

A grinding noise and slow computer probably indicate the worse. Stop everything right now and back up!

Why Don’t My Speakers Work?

Suddenly losing your computer’s sound can be due to many different things. I’ll point out a common problem that many people aren’t aware of that is very easy to fix.

Would it be worthwhile to upgrade my RAM?

When it comes to things like memory and RAM, more is always better. But you may not need additional RAM just yet.