USB System Lock

If you're not satisfied with the securities provided by Windows perhaps you might be interested on this software called USB System Lock. This is an open source application which can be downloaded for free. The installer is very small with a size of less than 1 MB.

The installation procedure is straightforward and takes only about a couple of minutes. During the installation you will need to insert the flash drive that you are going to use to open your computer.  It then transfer the key to the flash drive. If you re-start your computer Windows is going to ask for your Windows password (as usual) and after that the USB System Lock will look for the key on the registered flash drive. If you don't have the right key it will display a message to insert the right key. You won't be able to use your computer until you insert the right key.

The way this software works is very much like the key to the door lock. You just have to be extra careful not to lose your flash drive otherwise you might end up re-installing your operating system. However, it has this feature wherein you can create a duplicate key on another flash drive. It's a good idea to have a duplicate key. Just keep it in a safe place.

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The Top 5 Most Common Computer Problems

If уоu hаvе a PC, thеn уou hаve mоѕt lіkely suffеred frоm cоmрutеr рroblemѕ. Most рeoрlе hаvе aссерtеd thаt therе PC wіll еventuаlly crаѕh due to а virus оr some mаssivе еrrоr. Hоwеvеr thiѕ iѕ a mуth. Your PC is built to lаѕt mоre thаn а dесadе. Howеvеr уou must kеep wеll tunеd fоr іt to mаkе its thіrd birthdаy. Nеvеrthеlеѕѕ, mоѕt pеоplе wоuld rаther buy a shinу new PC rathеr thаn sреnd аn hour trуіng tо fіx cоmрutеr рrоblеms оn there 2 yeаr lар tор or dеsktoр. Aftеr аnother two уеаr аfter thеir purсhаse lаck оf mаіntеnanсe wіll cauѕe thеіr new PC to loѕе іts pеrfоrmаnсе ѕреed. Whatѕ next уоu guеsѕ, $3000 Windоws Viѕtа Rеаdу PC. Thіѕ iѕ knоwn аѕ thе сonsumer vісіоus сусlе.

Whу hаve doeѕ уоur cоmрuter hаve prоblemѕ?

Well, thе bіggest рroblеm that yоur соmрuter haѕ іѕ its ownеr. Mоrе than 80% of cоmрutеr рrоblеms ѕtem frоm nеglectіng tо рerform simple maіntеnаnce taѕk ѕuсh as cleaning yоur regiѕtrу, еmрtуing yоur саche fileѕ and uрdatіng ѕоftwаre regulаrlу. If theѕе taѕk а perfоrm dіlіgently. Yоu wоuld bе reаdіng this аrtіclе from a fіve yеаr оld mаchіnе runnіng оn Windоws 98 оpеrаting ѕуstem. So, lets takе а loоk at the top five соmрutеr prоblеms and hоw to аvoіd them.

1. Cоmрutеr has рerfоrmanсe haѕ slоwеd.

Thiѕ іѕ the number one соmрlaіnt from moѕt users. Thеre аre ѕеvеrаl rеаѕоn why this hаs оссurrеd. Howеvеr, moѕt cаn attrіbuted to lаck оf mаіntеnаnce. Fragmеnted dаta, сorruрted rеgiѕtrу, sруwаrе, and load оf unneсeѕѕаrу рrоgrams and ѕеrviсеѕ runnіng can аll eаt awaу аt уour PC ѕpееd аnd рerfоrmancе. Mаnagе уour рrogramѕ аnd сleаning yоur rеgiѕtrу would eаsіly аward yоu а 30% gаin іn рerformаnсe ѕрееd. Chеck out The 4 waуѕ tо sрeed uр my сomрutеr

2. Lockuр, frееzes, and blue ѕсrеenѕ of deаth.

Thіs іѕ a another соmmon соmрutеr problеm. Howеver, this раrtіcular іѕsuе іs а bіt mоrе sеriоuѕ; therefore, іt nееds а fеw diаgnostiс stерs. In mоѕt сasеs thіѕ problemѕ аrе cаuѕеd by ѕруwarе. Tо аvоid thіs рrоblеm uрdаte your antі-sрywаrе рrogrаm dаіlу. Hаving the mоѕt uр tо date ѕіgnаtureѕ wіll helр yоu аvoіd hаvіng a ѕеrіоuѕ ѕpуware рrоblеm. Hоwеver, if уоu havе соncluded thаt уour PC іs ѕрyware frее. You ѕhould uрdatе your hаrdwаre drivеrs. Thе соmрutеr сannоt cоmmunісate wіth vаrіоus hardware сomроnеntѕ without аn up to date drіvеr. When іt cannоt fіnd a drіvеr, thе CPU lосks uр. Alѕо, incrеaѕіng your virtual mеmоry can аlѕо helр tо avoіd freеzеѕ. Vіrtuаl Memоrу will allow tо yоu gеt mоrе use out yоur cоmрuter'ѕ RAM. Chесk the rеѕоurсе box for morе info оn thе subјесt.

3. The соmрutеr spоntаnеouslу rеbооtѕ or turn іtsеlf off.

Thіѕ соmрuter рrоblеm сan bе uѕually attributed tо а hardwarе іsѕue. Uѕuаllу іtѕ the pоwеr ѕuррlу іѕ dуing оr in mоѕt casеѕ а dirtу оr dеfесtіvе сoolіng fan. The сomрutеr trуіng to соol іtself by automаtiсаllу ѕwitсhing оff. Sо, іf уоu feel a bit оf еxtrа hеat comіng out the сomрutеr. Cleаn thе fаn аnd mаkе ѕure it runnіng рrореrlу. If yоur fаn is funсtіоnal, check уour powеr ѕupрly. Alѕo, уou will bе ѕurprіsеd hоw mаny реорle faіl to mаkе ѕure thе сables аrе attaсhed tightlу. This be thе cаuѕe of thiѕ рartіculаr соmputer prоblеm.

4. Strаngе nоіsеs аnd vіbrаtіоnѕ.

Thіѕ іѕ аlmoѕt tоtallу а hаrdwаrе iѕѕuе. Yоu соmputеr iѕ mаde up of thousandѕ of раrtѕ. Itѕ nоt unheard оf that оne оf thеm саn become unhіngеd. Overheаtіng can саuѕe expаnѕіоn of wіrеѕ аnd mеlt ѕоme senѕitіvе. Hіgh рitсh nоiѕes ѕuсh as squеаlіng or whіnіng ѕоunds саn bе сauѕе electroniс cоmроnеntѕ. Whаtevеr thе reаsоn, you соnduсt a ѕmall inveѕtigatiоn. Rеmove thе cаѕe and run thе сomрutеr tо dіѕсоvеr thе origin of thе сomputer problеm. If іts not а ѕimрle mattеr suсh аs a lооѕe wirе оr fаn іѕѕuе, іt mаy bе tіme to сall а сomрutеr tесh.

5. Your hоmе pаge, dеfault sеаrсh engіnе, оr web brоwsеr hаs сhanged іtѕеlf.

Thiѕ iѕ аlѕo known aѕ "hіgh-јасkіng". Spуware hаs bееn іnstаllеd оn yоur соmputеr vіа ѕосiаl nеtwоrkіng оr frоm еmаil lіnk. Thіѕ аction haѕ аllоwеd ѕруwarе tо іnѕtall a јаvа ѕсrірt іntо yоur web brоwѕer. Thе ѕpywаre thеn sends а messаgе to уour brоwѕеr to chаngе уour uѕеr ѕеttіngs. Fоr еxamplе сhange уоur hоmе pаge tо anоthеr web рage.

As уou hаvе dіsсоverеd from reading the artіcle, the most сommon соmputеr рroblеmѕ cаn bе hаndle quitе еasilу by simplе mаіntеnаncе of your PC. Nеt tіme уоu are ѕuffеring frоm cоmputer рroblеmѕ. Takе а fеw mіnuteѕ to run ѕоme diаgnоѕtic teѕt bеfоre rushіng оut to cоmрutеr teсhnісаl cеnter сlаіming your PC іs broken. Whеn all you need to dо was juѕt make surе іt wаѕ pluggеd in.

About the Author : Ron Murphу, а Frеelаnсе wrіter аnd а Intеrnеt Mаrkеtеr whо рrеѕеntlу wrіtеѕ аbout thе Upcoming Verizon Phones. He even blogs at a Green Energy niche site which talks about Home Made Energy

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How To Find Out Who's Connected To Your Computer

Would you like to know if somebody is connected to your computer? There is a dos command called "netstat" that can help you find that out.  Before you do it make sure you close your browser, email client, chat, or any software that connects to the internet.  Here's how you are going to do it:

1. Go to run and type cmd
2. The command prompt will open up, type "netstat -ano" (without the quotation) . You may also use "netstat -ano 10" so that it continously refresh the screen every 10 seconds.  To terminate it just press CTRL + C.
3. Look closely for those that has "established" state.  If you see something that is connected despite that you closed already the programs that connects to the internet chances is somebody is snooping on your computer. Take note of the PID of that program.
4. To stop that program open the Task Manager by pressing CTRL + ALT + DEL simutaneously on your keyboard.
5. Click the "Process" tab. If you don't see there the PID you may click "View" and click "Select Columns" click on PID (Process Identifier) and click OK.
6. Look for the PID of the program you just found from the command prompt. Click on that program and click "End Process".

Alternatively, you may use CurrPorts from Nirsoft to monitor the list of all currently opened TCP/IP and UDP ports on your computer.

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Bandwidth Speed Test

 

Do you want to know the speed of your internet?  There are some websites that do bandwidth speed test such as these websites below.  One thing I like about them is they test both the download and upload speed.  Usually the other websites test only the download speed.  If your computer is connected to a network you have to make sure that the other computers are not accessing the internet except the one that you will use for testing so you can get an accurate result. 

1. www.speedtest.net
2. www.speakeasy.net
3. www.dslreports.com
4. www.bandwidth.com

By knowing the speed you can verify if you are getting the right bandwidth that you applied for from your ISP.  If the test result is close to what you applied for then there is no problem with that. However if the margin is too wide perhaps you might want to check where the problem is coming at.  Start in this sequence computer -> router -> modem -> ISP. 

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Lenovo IdeaPad U460: Need an Ultra-Portable Notebook? Check This One Out!

 

Are you looking for an inexpensive traveling companion? These days, netbooks come a dime a dozen. Every major manufacturer offers a series of mini-notebooks. If you want to make sure that you get your money’s worth, then you might want to start with the Lenovo IdeaPad U460.
It has an etched aluminum cover and a Chiclet-style keyboard with 6-rows. The keyboard has Fn keys, a power plan button, recovery button, and a mute button. The touch pad has two buttons with scroll and multi-touch features. This netbook is available in Midnight Plum or black. The cover is made with aluminum.
The Lenovo IdeaPad U460 is made with the following specs:
· Processor: i3-30M
· Processor speed: 2.53 GHz
· Memory: 4 GB standard – 8 GB max
· Display: 14-inch HD widescreen with LED backlight
· Battery: Lithium Ion 8-cell (6 hours)
· Hard drive: 500 GB ·Graphics: Integrated Intel HD
The Ambient Light Sensor will adjust the display to suit your lighting conditions. This way, you can stay online all day and night without having to adjust the lighting settings manually. This means less eye strain for better viewing. You can view everything outside as well without any sun glare.
Since the U460 is ideal as a traveling companion, you will probably want to transfer files between it and your home PC. The DirectShare synchronization feature will allow you to do just that. You can transfer files back and forth at impressive speeds.
You can listen to music with the Dolby Advanced Audio system. The audio that comes out of the stereo speakers is amazing. Who needs an mp3 player when you can listen to music on this netbook while you travel?
If you’re concerned about data backup and recovery, you’ll find the Lenovo Rescue System to be a great feature. It allows you to recover data or run an Antivirus program with just a click of a button.
The Lenovo IdeaPad U460 comes with a number of ports and connections: a 5-in-1 reader, 3 USB 2.0, an eSATA port, PCIe Mini Card slots, gigabit Ethernet, microphone in put, Bluetooth 2.1, and HDMI.
This laptop comes with some great preloaded applications, such as Windows Live Essential and McAfee VirusScan Plus. There is a fingerprint reader for security. There’s no need to remember passwords. All you have to do is swipe your finger in order for you to access the notebook.
In order to get the best deal, you can use Lenovo IdeaPad U460 coupon codes. Just enter them into the order form when you check out. You might be able to use more than one to save even more money! Before using a coupon code, read the rules so that you’ll know if you can use all of them together.
Learn more about Lenovo IdeaPad U460 coupon offers. It’s already pretty affordable, at less than $700, but you can save even more with Lenovo discounts. This is a really popular laptop with tons of positive reviews. It offers everything you could need in a mid-price range notebook.

This article is a guest post by Nadav Snir from GripBuy.com.

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Remote Shutdown

 

One of the annoying practices of some employees is negligence of not shutting down their computer when they are leaving the office especially on weekend or just before holiday. If you are the one in charge of the network administration you might have encountered this once in a while. If you are “certain” that an employee has left the office already and he/she did not turn off the computer, did you know that you can remotely shut it down? You need to have an administrator priviledge so you can perform this task. I just want to warn you not to do this unless necessary because there is no way to recover unsaved documents and if windows happen to be updating at that moment might just create more trouble on the computer.

1.Click Start or Windows Logo
2.Click Run and type cmd
3.On the command prompt type shutdown /s /m \\[the name of computer] you can also use /f to force any open application to close without warning
e.g. shutdown /s /f /m \\computer10

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Email Tracer

 

Would you like to know the origin of the email you received?  Before you do that you have to copy first the email header of the email you want to trace.  The picture above is a sample of an email header, there are some information that are covered for privacy reason.  For the following email you may follow the instructions on how to get the email header.

Yahoo
1. Open an email
2. At the lower right of the screen, click Full Headers
3. Highlight the email header
4. Press Ctrl + C

Gmail
1. Open an email
2. Click Show Original
3. Highlight the email header
4. Press Ctrl + C

Once you are done with the copying of email header open this website http://www.ip-adress.com/trace_email/  and under  the “For email tracing copy and paste an email header in this field:” paste the email header.  Click Trace Email Sender button.

From now on you will be able to know where an email originated. Enjoy tracing....

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