Back up your data
First and foremost, it is absolutely necessary to backup any data you want to save. Usually, reformatting and recovering a Dell system will result in the complete loss of any data added to the hard drive after it shipped from the factory. The usual place for personal data to reside in the My Documents folder. You can burn this info to CD/RW, or if you're on a LAN network, you can transfer the data from the Dell PC to another computer nearby. Do not forget to backup your Favorites folder and your Outlook or Outlook Express files--otherwise your address book and contacts will be lost.
Locate the Recovery Media
Most Dell computers will also have shipped with a software box that contains several types of media. This is the Windows CD and the various application CDs you will use to revert the system. If you cannot find these CDs, you'll need to visit the Dell website and navigate to the support section. Drivers are normally stored on their online database for quick recovery.
Installing XP on a Dell System
When you reboot with the Dell XP CD in the drive, you will come to this screen. It gives you the option to repair the installation or continue reinstalling a fresh copy of the Operating System. The repair will generally preserve your data and attempt to fix any corrupt or missing data. If you decide to proceed with reinstalling the Operating System, all data will be wiped from the ... click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Dell Driver Download
If you have damaged or misplaced your Dell driver disk that shipped with your Dell PC, you can still download the drivers necessary to run the hardware on your computer. Dell makes it easy to obtain this information via their website. You will need to know the model and possibly the serial number of your PC. This information can normally be found on the faceplate of the case, or on a sticker located on the side of the Dell computer.
Finding Dell Drivers for your PC
What are Device Drivers? A driver is a piece of software that controls hardware, such as a printer, sound card, network adapter, etc. When you receive your new Dell, you probably received a couple of disks. One would contain the Operating System and the other would contain the Applications and Drivers. Some newer model Dells may have their recovery software on a hidden partition on the hard drive.
Roll Back a Driver
1. Click Start then click Control Panel.
2. Next, select Pick a Category, and then click Performance and Maintenance.
3. Click System.
4. In the System Properties window, select the Hardware tab.
5. Click Device Manager.
6. Right-click the device you want to fix, then click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
Finding Dell Drivers for your PC
What are Device Drivers? A driver is a piece of software that controls hardware, such as a printer, sound card, network adapter, etc. When you receive your new Dell, you probably received a couple of disks. One would contain the Operating System and the other would contain the Applications and Drivers. Some newer model Dells may have their recovery software on a hidden partition on the hard drive.
Roll Back a Driver
1. Click Start then click Control Panel.
2. Next, select Pick a Category, and then click Performance and Maintenance.
3. Click System.
4. In the System Properties window, select the Hardware tab.
5. Click Device Manager.
6. Right-click the device you want to fix, then click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
Troubleshooting Dell Power Problems
Finding the cause for power issues in PCs has always been difficult. The power supply issues current in several different voltages and can power some components on the motherboad but not others. A partially dead power supply or faulty motherboard can make troubleshooting a frustrating chore. Computer technicians can quickly check voltages with a multimeter, but the average consumer will not have the necessary diagnostic tools to adequately test the components of their computer. Dell has now made this easier.
Dell Power LED Diagnostic
Most newer models of Dell computers now have a diagnostic LED surrounding the power button on the from of the computer. When you press the power button to boot the PC, the light should be green and remain green under normal circumstances. Any other lights will help you troubleshoot the power issue you are having.
A solid green light means the computer is operating normally.
A solid yellow light indicates the power supply is operating normally but the computer is not processing data. This could mean there is a problem with the CPu or another component on the motherboard.
A blinking yellow light indicates the power supply is receiving power from the wall, but not functioning properly. This generally means the power supply itself is bad and should ... click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
Dell Power LED Diagnostic
Most newer models of Dell computers now have a diagnostic LED surrounding the power button on the from of the computer. When you press the power button to boot the PC, the light should be green and remain green under normal circumstances. Any other lights will help you troubleshoot the power issue you are having.
A solid green light means the computer is operating normally.
A solid yellow light indicates the power supply is operating normally but the computer is not processing data. This could mean there is a problem with the CPu or another component on the motherboard.
A blinking yellow light indicates the power supply is receiving power from the wall, but not functioning properly. This generally means the power supply itself is bad and should ... click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
Reap the benefits of a clean Registry
Every time you install an item of hardware or a software application on to your system, information is added to the Registry. However, while you may use the correct procedure to later remove such devices or programs it’s probable that file remnants will be left behind.
It’s important that the Registry is clear of these redundant entries, as they can have a negative effect on your system’s stability. They can slow down program response times and affect overall performance. A clean Registry means fewer system crashes and error messages for you to put up with.
The uninstallation process is far more thorough for some items than it is for others. If files and folders have been left behind you’ll usually find them in C:\Program Files\application name: it’s then a case of deleting them. Nevertheless, certain Registry keys and values may remain. Yet with a little effort they can also be removed.
Manual cleanup
In the last issue we looked at how to delete stubborn applications from the Add or Remove Programs list. You can search your Registry and eliminate other entries that may be related to an application. Open the Registry Editor and highlight My Computer in the left panel. Next, click Edit -> Find and enter a word related to the program you want to remove. This could be the application name itself or the publisher. Check the Keys, Values and Data boxes, then click Find Next.
Look at the first item that’s found and if you don’t need it press [Del]. It’s likely that the search process will find more than a single entry so after removing ... click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
It’s important that the Registry is clear of these redundant entries, as they can have a negative effect on your system’s stability. They can slow down program response times and affect overall performance. A clean Registry means fewer system crashes and error messages for you to put up with.
The uninstallation process is far more thorough for some items than it is for others. If files and folders have been left behind you’ll usually find them in C:\Program Files\application name: it’s then a case of deleting them. Nevertheless, certain Registry keys and values may remain. Yet with a little effort they can also be removed.
Manual cleanup
In the last issue we looked at how to delete stubborn applications from the Add or Remove Programs list. You can search your Registry and eliminate other entries that may be related to an application. Open the Registry Editor and highlight My Computer in the left panel. Next, click Edit -> Find and enter a word related to the program you want to remove. This could be the application name itself or the publisher. Check the Keys, Values and Data boxes, then click Find Next.
Look at the first item that’s found and if you don’t need it press [Del]. It’s likely that the search process will find more than a single entry so after removing ... click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
Free Hard Disk and Partition Imaging and Backup Software
The hard disk and partition imaging software take a snapshot of your hard disk so that you can restore your system at a later time to the exact same state the system was when you imaged the disk or partition. This is useful for system recovery in case of a hard disk disaster. The term "image" is used because such software often copy the state of the hard disk sector by sector to your image. Hence if your hard disk was (say) defragmented with certain software occupying certain sectors when you backed up, it will be returned to that same state when you restore your backup. The image utilities often do not allow fine control what you backup - you can specify the partitions or hard disks to back up, but you usually will not be able to specify which folders to exclude or include. They are useful for backing up your system drive or partition, that is, the drive that you placed your operating system on. Hard disk imaging software are sometimes also used to clone a hard disk to another (useful for the times you change or upgrade your hard disk).
On the other hand, the hard disk, folder and files backup software listed here allow a finer control over what you back up. You can selectively backup and restore (say) your documents and email while omitting other files and directories. Some of the utilities allow you to schedule your backups, so that you can be sure that your important data are backed up periodically (for example, daily, weekly ... click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
On the other hand, the hard disk, folder and files backup software listed here allow a finer control over what you back up. You can selectively backup and restore (say) your documents and email while omitting other files and directories. Some of the utilities allow you to schedule your backups, so that you can be sure that your important data are backed up periodically (for example, daily, weekly ... click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
Hard Drive format in Windows Xp
If you want to format a hard drive while using or installing Windows XP, you've come to the right place. This can be very useful for clearing everything off a secondary drive or when installing a fresh copy of Windows. Formatting a computer hard drive is simple and can help eliminate viruses, storage issues and other hard-to-resolve problems.
If you want to format a hard drive while using or installing Windows XP, you've come to the right place. This can be very useful for clearing everything off a secondary drive or when installing a fresh copy of Windows. Formatting a computer hard drive is simple and can help eliminate viruses, storage issues and other hard-to-resolve problems.
Take a moment to think of anything that you have on the computer that you wouldn't want to lose. Generally, you probably want everything in your My Documents folder, and you also want to save things like your favorites or bookmarks from your Web browser. Remember that each user on the computer has his or her own My Documents folder, Desktop items and Favorites/Bookmarks.
Save everything to a CD, DVD or a hard drive that you won't be formatting.
Right-Click on the “My Computer” icon either on your desktop or in the Start Menu and select “Manage.”
A new window titled “Computer Management” comes up. Select “Storage” from the left hand side by clicking it once, then select “Disk Management(local)” from the right side by double-clicking it.
Now in the lower part of the main frame (right side) of the window you should see a nice visual of all your hard drives. Each line is a different drive. Each box on a line (with a colored ... click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
If you want to format a hard drive while using or installing Windows XP, you've come to the right place. This can be very useful for clearing everything off a secondary drive or when installing a fresh copy of Windows. Formatting a computer hard drive is simple and can help eliminate viruses, storage issues and other hard-to-resolve problems.
Take a moment to think of anything that you have on the computer that you wouldn't want to lose. Generally, you probably want everything in your My Documents folder, and you also want to save things like your favorites or bookmarks from your Web browser. Remember that each user on the computer has his or her own My Documents folder, Desktop items and Favorites/Bookmarks.
Save everything to a CD, DVD or a hard drive that you won't be formatting.
Right-Click on the “My Computer” icon either on your desktop or in the Start Menu and select “Manage.”
A new window titled “Computer Management” comes up. Select “Storage” from the left hand side by clicking it once, then select “Disk Management(local)” from the right side by double-clicking it.
Now in the lower part of the main frame (right side) of the window you should see a nice visual of all your hard drives. Each line is a different drive. Each box on a line (with a colored ... click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
Spyware Protection
What are spyware and adware?
Spyware, also known as adware, is Internet jargon for any data collection program that secretly gathers information about you and relays it to advertisers and other interested parties. You can unknowingly install spyware by installing a new piece of software, most commonly a piece of freeware or shareware (e.g., KaZaA, iMesh, WeatherBug). Many of these programs are intended to track your Internet browsing habits, such as frequented sites and favorite downloads, then provide advertising companies with marketing data.
Some spyware programs, such as CommonName, MarketScore, and Gator, can adversely affect your computer's performance, and may prevent you from accessing secure services.
Unfortunately, you cannot fully remove most spyware programs by using the uninstall option in the Windows Add or Remove Programs control panel. To completely remove spyware from your computer, you need to use one of spyware programs (e.g. Ad-Aware or Spybot - Search & Destroy).
Removal tools for unwanted software
Spyware and adware are moving from nuisance to threat and demand serious countermeasures.
Two of the best are the free Spybot Search & Destroy 1.2 and Spy Sweeper 2.2. Both rated four stars in PC Magazine reviews, and although Spy Sweeper took ... click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
Spyware, also known as adware, is Internet jargon for any data collection program that secretly gathers information about you and relays it to advertisers and other interested parties. You can unknowingly install spyware by installing a new piece of software, most commonly a piece of freeware or shareware (e.g., KaZaA, iMesh, WeatherBug). Many of these programs are intended to track your Internet browsing habits, such as frequented sites and favorite downloads, then provide advertising companies with marketing data.
Some spyware programs, such as CommonName, MarketScore, and Gator, can adversely affect your computer's performance, and may prevent you from accessing secure services.
Unfortunately, you cannot fully remove most spyware programs by using the uninstall option in the Windows Add or Remove Programs control panel. To completely remove spyware from your computer, you need to use one of spyware programs (e.g. Ad-Aware or Spybot - Search & Destroy).
Removal tools for unwanted software
Spyware and adware are moving from nuisance to threat and demand serious countermeasures.
Two of the best are the free Spybot Search & Destroy 1.2 and Spy Sweeper 2.2. Both rated four stars in PC Magazine reviews, and although Spy Sweeper took ... click here to continue reading
Source: http://articles.lapox.com/
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