Practical Computer Advice

Zip It Up

Looking a free program that can assist you with unzipping , packing , unpacking windows files including rar files.
Then try 7 - Zip a Free program that runs on Windows Programs.

Networking Issues

 
Having networking issues ?
Just remember that up until a few years ago you had to have undergone a university course to have a grasp of the complexities of networks and networking.
There is a great site that can solve and explain a lot of the issues.
Practically Networked
The Troubleshooting and Tutorials section dispenses gives good advice at solving a lot of issues.

Video Card Stability Test

Wondering about how good your video card is ?
Wondering if it has any problems ?
Why not try the Video Card Stability Test
It will benchmark the speed of your card and subject it to a stress test.

Uninstalling Programs

Noticed this program Revo Uninstaller on this weeks episode of Tekzilla installed it and appears to work very well.

Admin Or Limited That Is The Question

When setting up your computer you really should have 2 accounts.

An Administrator account ( Vista & XP )

A Limited User Account ( XP )Standard Account (Vista)

Then for your day to day activities you should run in limited user which will avoid you installing or running unwanted programs and applications that you

Malware and Spyware require you to run in Administration mode as they need to access system files hence running in Limited will enable you to avoid activating these programs.

In Vista the UAC is turned on and should be left on so that unauthorised chnages to your computer are monitored.

Recover That File

Looking for a utility that will recover files from hard drives , flash drives , SD Cards.
Try PC Inspector which has been known to do a good job at recovering all sorts of files.
PC Inspector will support the recovery of
ARJ AVI BMP CDR DOC DXF DBF XLS

EXE GIF HLP HTML HTM JPG LZH MID
However if you have a problem with a drive stop using that drive straight away and then run PC Inspector.
The best thing of all , it's FREE

Has G Mail Captured Your Mail?

I have 3 computers and use G Mail as my primary e mail client.
However recently my  email refused to come down on 2 of my computers saying that my password was not recognized and repeatedly asking for it and still not releasing my email. 
I checked the settings on both machines and even reloaded everything on one machine to no avail.
It is then that I found the solution.
First log out of all G Mail clients.
Then go to https://www.google.com/accounts/DisplayUnlockCaptcha on the computer that is not receiving mail
Enter your user name and password and the letters in the picture ( may take more than 1 go )
After you have successfully completed this ,restart your mail client and you should be able to get your mail.

Have A Computer Problem Let Microsoft Fix It

In the Microsoft Help & Support you will find fixes for known issues with Microsoft software.
However if you are not comfortable with the instructions there is always Microsoft Fix It.
You will need to check the categories and locate your problem.
If your problem is listed you can either follow the instructions or download a file , run it , and an automated fix of the problem will occur.
Remember read the instructions carefully and only proceed if you are comfortable with Microsoft performing the fix.

Free CD , DVD Burner

Looking for a free alternative to Nero for all your CD , DVD burning needs.
Try CD Burner XP
It burns discs , creates boot discs , converts iso's
It is suitable for Windows XP , Vista and even Windows 7

Clean Your Tower

Once a year if you are running a computer with a case / tower / box etc.
It pays to get all the dust and fluff out of them especially if you have pet's.
Get a can of compressed air , most electronic shops will have them.
Disconnect all cables and power.
Take the sides off the case and carefully blow the dust and fluff out.
Remember you are dealing with a sensitive electronic instrument so don't get too carried away and if you are not sure about what you are doing get someone who knows how to do this to complete the job for you.
Here is a link to Computer Cleaning which expands on this post