Computer Upgrades

There may come a time in your life where you will decide to upgrade your computer. There are several reasons for upgrading a computer

• To play the latest game
• To be able to run the latest software
• To increase the speed
• To show off to your neighbour

In your computer there are 4 main components that need to be changed occasionally.

• Ram
• Hard drive
• Processor
• Graphics

Alot of people just decide to buy a new computer when there old one goes out of date. This is a waste of money. There are new system being developed every week. If you rush out to buy the latest system every time you will be out of pocket thousands of pound (Weekly). Upgrading the hardware is cost effective and gives the same end result, A faster system.

There are hundred of different makes of hardware out there. On top of the makes there are also generations. As time progresses the hardware gets better and faster. Don't be caught up in all the jargon and promotions when shopping for new hardware. Hardware is very specific to the computer. If you do not buy the right type it will be not be compatible with the machine and will be a waste of money.
I will now give you a basic guide on what to look out for when buying each different type of hardware starting with RAM.

RAM - When buying RAM the first thing to think about is how much do you need to make your system run correctly. If your system is just running slow i advice that you just get 256mb, this will normally be enough to speed up the system.
If it is a game or software i advice that you get 1gb. 1gb should be enough to run the game/software are medium efficency. Some games and software may be slightly different and require more but check the back on the box at the bottom left and it should tell you.

Hard drive - Hard drive is slightly easier to figure out how much you need. Go to Start menu>My Computer>Right click on harddrive>Properties>
If you have less than 20% free space left on your hard drive it is time for an upgrade. A lot of people would advice that you get another 20gb HD if you do not use your computer much. But the fact is it will cost your near enough the same price for a 20gb as it will cost you for a 120gb one. For the sake of £50 to make sure you wont run outta space for a year it is worth it.

Processor - Processors are tricky when it comes to upgrading them. The speed of a processor really depends on what you intend to use it for. If you are going to use the computer for playing games it is advised that you have a 2.0Ghz dual core. This will allow you to play most current games on the market at an average speed. If you are willing to sink a lot of money into a processor then go for a quad core. If you would just like to speed up your computer a bit i would suggest you go for a single core 3.0 Ghz

Graphics card - Graphics cards are only really upgraded by gamers to play the latest games out. Rarely do systems need new graphics cards to use new software. And it will not effect the speed of the machine doing basic tasks. Basically if you are a gamer and wish to see whether you need to upgrade your system visit http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/referrer/srtest
This site has most listed games and should allow you to see what you need to upgrade.

Finally when it comes to the types of hardware you should get it is impossible to cover it all in this blog. I suggest you look at the serial number on your computer call the company you bought it off and ask them what type of RAM you need. Also don't let them sell it to you. The base company can be the most expensive place to buy. One you have the type of RAM that is needed write it down and search around. Type it in, in google and search through until you find the cheapest. You could also check the local high street but a lot of the time it is cheaper on the Internet.

Computer Physical Cleaning

Cleaning a computer with software will help slow down the damage caused by viruses but will not help with physical dirt. It is suggested by computer professionals to clean a computer every month or less depending on whether or not it is in a well aired area, small area or solid floor rather than carpet. Cleaning a computer is a quick task and will not take more than 15 minutes of your time. Firstly you must check what type of screen you have, each one requires a different type of cleaner: See below:

• LCD - Mix Distilled water, Vinegar in a spray bottle or a cup...Spray or pore onto a soft cloth, NEVER DIRECTLY AT SCREEN, wipe using overlapping lines until clean.
• Glass - Use any type of glass cleaner and it will work fine
  

Once you have cleaned the screen you must then go and clean the keyboard. The keyboard is cleaned the same basic way spray onto cloth and then wipe over the top. It is very important that you do not spray to much on as if any liquid gets below the keyboard it will mess with the electronics and will ruin your keyboard.

Cleaning the computer box is the simplest task as it doesn't really require any special type of cleaning. It can and normally is just cleaned with polish. This is mainly just to take the dust off it. It also to make sure there is no dirt around the air holes. If there is any blockage in the air vents it can cause the computer to heat up and as a result the computer performance will be decreased and permanent damage may occurs.

Well thats the basics make sure to do this regularly.

Installing and using CD/DVD Rewriter.

Installing a DVD rewriter is normally a very simple task as most are plug and play. Basically all you have to do is plug the DVD rewiter into the back of your computer via the USB port normally. Once plugged in, it will probobly take several minutes to install itself. Before you begin to burn using your new drive you must first have some sort of software installed that will let you do so. There are several free pieces of software that allow you to burn to a CD. I find the best all round program to be Windows media player 11. It will let you view all your music, pictures, videos and allow you to play them all through the libary which helps as it catorgises your music into sections and makes it easier to find the songs you are looking for. You can also add songs videos and pictures straight from the libary into the burning que. Once you have all files and folders you like select burn and wait for 10 minutes and it will be finished. You could also use Nero. It is build for burning CD/DVD but that all it can do. It is a waste of memory to have a program just for burning but can sometimes be the only option if you need to burn complex CD/DVD. However there is a third option which is alot simpler. Alot of operating systems nowdays come with a DVD burning build straight into it. Meaning that if you wish to burn something to a CD/DVD you just right click on the file>Send to>CD rewriter.

Plug and Play printer

Any item which is described as plug and play should work as soon as you plug it in to your system, providing all leads have been correctly placed. If you get any product that is described as plug and play just plug it in and wait, on a average performance system it should take no longer than 2 minutes. Once installed the device should automatically bring up a wizard offering you several options with your new printer. Normally giving you the option to print a test page. A test page prints a page of multiple colours, to make sure all colour are correct, not smeared ect ect.

Computer Maintenance

All computers slow down gradually as time goes on. A lifespan of an average computer is about 4 years. After that everything starts to go wrong.

• Viruses start to delete important files due to anti virus software not being available for your computer model as it is out dates.
• Dirt inside and around the computer box starts to overheat the major hardware and therefore slows down the performance of computer.
• Useless files start to build up...Unused programs. Data with reference to files and programs that arnt there anymore e.g. file shortcuts.

All of these things will lower the life of your computer. But what can you do, you don't know anything about how to fix computers. Microsoft has prepared for people that dont know how to use computer and have given to you as a present, with your operations system a cleanup program, a disk defragment program.
You should make using this programs a regular part of your daily or weekly cleanup...When you are going away from the computer for a few minutes run the disk defrag and disk cleanup, when you run them for the first time in a while it will take slightly longer than usual...but if you are using them daily or weekly it shouldnt take more than 10 minutes.
This could extend the life of your computer by years. It would also pay to get an anti virus program and get it to run a weekly scan. At the bottom of this page i've shown you how to install AVG, on the same page i have discribed how to set up a regular scan. See my notes and do the same on your system.

Software Utility Breakdown

Virus Protection - AVG
AVG is a anti virus program. This program deals with the viruses that make it past the firewall into your computer. If you have a good firewall, chances are you will not get very many viruses. Basically once the virus is detected, AVG will try and delete it. If AVG is unable to delete the file it will move it to the virus vault which is basically an isolated folder inside the computer than nothing can get out of...This is why it is important to empty your vault every now and then as they will build up.

Cleanup program - CCleaner

CCleaner is a software utility programs. The purpose of this program is to clean out anything in the computer that does not have to be there such as unused file shortcuts...temporary Internet files...Empties recycle bin ect ect..
It also includes a built in feature than allows you to access the add and removed programs option. This program is useful for people who arnt computer literate as it gives them alot of the complex options in a simple straight forward language.

Benifits of Software

Each of the options i have presented you with today will give you a unique perk to your computer system. I will now go through each piece that i have advised you and tell you specifically how it will help.

AVG - Will neutralise and delete viruses that gain access to your system therefore the hard drive will be under less strain and run faster.

Windows Service pack 3 - The service pack will fix any glitches that may have occurred on your system. It will also make Internet browsing a lot easier as it gives you multiple tabs...multiple sites under one browser.

CCleaner - Will get rid of any temporary, corrupt files. Delete any unused shortcuts or unnecessary files

Zone Alarm - This will prevent viruses from getting into your system....this will boost the overall performance due to no viruses.

Formatting hard drive - This is a good way to start from scratch. This will boost your computers overall performance as it cleans up everything...and starts you with a fresh copy of all your base files.

More utility software

There is several other utility software for each of your needs for example disk cleanup, firewalls, virus protection. Below i will show you a table of all the different types that are commercially availabe.














Check in for my next post to see how the software pieces i have shown will affect the proformance of the computer.

File compression and backups.

Compresing data is like compressing any other physical item. The aim is to make it smaller. The only difference is on a computer it is done digitally. When you compress something on a computer it makes the file or document about 95% small. If something was 1gb it would end up being 50mb. See This makes compression very handy for making backups. In this post i am going to show you how to compress a document, then save it to a CD for a backup.

Step 1.....In fact this is the only step

Go to the file you wish to compress, right click>Send to>Compressed/Zip folder.

And your done.

The compression ratio of most file is something like 80-95%. So you will save allot of space compressing files.

See below for a pic to make it easier.

One you have compressed the file you should see a folder appear with a zip on it. Right click on it again>Sent to CD/DVD drive. If a blank disk is in the drive it should burn straight on. If a disk is not present it will say it is awaiting a disk. Once one is inserted it should begin.

Creating Folders/Copy,deleting files.

After having your computer for a while you will notice that your files start to build up, files can get lost within a mass of random files and pictures...Microsoft solution, folders. Created folders in your computer helps you to manager your files. It also helps keep your files seperate from another user's of the same computer. Folders can be created near enough everywhere in your computer. All you have to do is right click, select "New",Then Folder. You will then get the option to rename it. Give it a name that is relevant to the files in it. Like Holiday pictures....work ect ect....See below for a picture.











Folder can be created within folders. It is often a good idea to make a topology. For example
Your name - Justin
Folder names - Pictures - Videos - Work >>
Inside - Holiday Pictures - School Pictures - Random Pictures
Inside - Family Videos - Holidays
Inside - School work - Homework - Records - Backups

It is also a useful tool to be able to copy and delete files that you no longer need. If you wish to delete a file or folder simply right click on it and select delete or copy. Then to create another copy simply repeat the process and select paste. See below>

Understand...
Well that me for today enjoy.

Drive Formatting

Drive formatting is a seldom used application that is given to us on the computer. Drive formatting allows the user to clean every piece of information of a drive he selects. You can do this on most electronic storage devices such as DVD-R, CD-RW, Hard drives and memory sticks.

This is a good way to clean up an old computer. Also a good way to get rid of viruses if your anti virus programme cannot take care of it.

To format a drive go to >

Start menu >

My computer >

Right Click on the drive you would like to format

Before you do this make sure you have all the disks to restore your computer and programs. Also make sure you have packed up all personal information as formatting the drive will cause you to lose all data on the hard drive.

Service Pack 3

Alot of people decide not to get the service pack updates as they see it as an inconvenience for little benifit. There is truth in this, the service packs take a while to download but the benifits are amazing. You get multiple tabs so you can open more than one internet browser inside one page. For example you could be browsing 5 sites without having to close your previous ones. It also speeds up the computer signifigantly. So in my opinion service pack 3 is a must have for any computer.

I will now show you how to install it.

Step 1

Go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=68C48DAD-BC34-40BE-8D85-6BB4F56F5110&displaylang=en

Step 2

Click download

You will get two options click run.

Step 3

You should now see this screen.

Click Next

Step 4

Once this is finished it will bring you to a final page see below.

Restart the computer now and enjoy your service pack.