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My PC Guy'd
 
February 2003 Edition
  
Welcome to the February edition of the My PC Guy'd. This newsletter is filled with useful tips and tricks so you can learn to use your computer effectively. Learn how to fix your slow computer, what to look for in a new computer and many tips on working with your computer. Enjoy the newsletter!

Featured Article - Buying A Computer

Here's what you need to look at when purchasing a new computer:

1. Microprocessor--Chips today range from fast to ridiculous. You should easily find an Intel Pentium 4 2.0 gigahertz chip in a inexpensive machine. If you're running business applications and surfing the Web, a 2.0 chip will be great.

If you're doing lots of photo manipulation or playing high-end games, move up to an Intel Pentium 4 2.6 GHz. This type of computing requires more power.

2. Video chips--Most users only need a 32Mg video card for running business applications and surfing the Web. But if you like to play video games, and will be doing any home video editing, equip your computer with a 64Mg video card. Even better, get 128 MB. Also, be sure to get a digital output if you're buying a digital flat-panel monitor.

3. Hard Drive--Most low-end machines have 40 GB drives. That's more than enough for most people. Don't put an extra dime into this area.

4. RAM--You need 256 MB of RAM. If you want to be on the supersafe side, get 512 MB.

5. Monitor--Here's a good place to invest some money. Minimum, you want a 17-inch CRT (the kind that are about 20 inches deep) or a 15-inch flat panel. Nineteen-inch CRT monitors are common and inexpensive. Those big screens are nice.

If you decide on a flat-panel monitor, get one that is digital. They come in analog and digital flavors. Digital is likely to have a better picture. You'll need digital video outputs on the computer. The digital-analog question does not arise with CRT monitors. They're all analog.

6. CD or DVD Burner--The capability to make CDs or DVDs is very handy,whether you're backing up data or making music. CD-RWs are inexpensive and well suited for music; DVD burners can put much more data on a disk. That could be important for backups, or even for home movies. CD-RWs run less than $100; DVD burners run triple that, or more. But they can make CDs, in addition to DVDs.

7. Warranty--Computers are relatively easy to fix. If you're handy, get a one-year warranty.

You should be able to get an excellent low-end PC for about $1,000. If you need something earth-shaking, a PC should run you about $2,000.

Headlines

Featured Article
Buying a Computer
Ask The Technician
Slow Computer
Office Humor
Prison Vs. Work
Windows Tips & Tricks
Use Windows Like A Pro
Contact Information

Ask The Technician - Slow Computer

Question: Why is it that my computer is so slow? What can I do?

There are many reasons why a computer can run slow, but I'll give you the most common. One could be because your processors Mhz is not fast enough and you have upgraded to Windows98 or higher, requiring more data to be process. Another could be that you have installed software that is running in the background and taking up RAM (memory) and the computer is swapping (using your hard drive as imitation RAM). Also Windows can be corrupt, if you haven't changed or install software but it is running slower now. Check the processor usage (CTRL-ALT-Delete>>Taskmanager>>Performances), if it is constantly processing even when you are not using the computer you may have a program that is corrupt or not working correctly.

Memory manager
First thing you need to do is check to see how much RAM you have left. Click on Start, point to Programs, Accessories, System Tools and click on SystemMmonitor. (If you do not see system monitor, click on add and remove programs in your control panel and select the center tab "Windows setup". Highlight system tools and click Detail. Put a checkmark in system monitor, click OK then click OK again. It should be under system tools now.)
If you've never used system monitor you'll only see "Kernel: processor usage".
You need to add two more graphs. Under EDIT click Add Item then on the left side select "memory manager" and on the right select "Unused physical memory" and click OK. Do the same for "Swapfiles in Use". You should now have the three graphs.

If you take a look at the "Unused physical memory" it will tell you how much RAM is left, this is important because when your RAM gets to low you start to swap heavily. By looking at the "Swap files in Use" you can tell if your swapping. All this means is that when you swap heavily you use your hard drive constantly and that just about the slowest hardware in your computer. You can also open the particular programs that you usually run and check system monitor for details, as you open programs your unused RAM is less. If you're swapping you can add more memory and that should speed up your computer.

Defrag
Disk Defragmenter can speed your drives up by physically putting fragmented data files back together in contiguous clusters. Files become fragmented when you save and edit files, install software and delete files. To access Defrag click on Start, point to Programs, Accessories, System Tools and click Defrag.
TIP: If you have to many programs running in the background (those little Icons on the right of the Taskbar) Defrag will restart over and over and take a long time to finish, so you need to close them.

Also, go to the My PC Guy'd May Edition for more information on fixing your slow computer.

Have a question for the Technician? E-mail us at newsletter@mypcguy.com.

Have a problem and can't wait for the next newsletter, call us at 410-975-9060.

Office Humor -" Work vs. Prison: "

IN PRISON...you spend the majority of your time in an 8X10 cell.
AT WORK... you spend the majority of your time in a 6X8 cubicle.

IN PRISON...you get three meals a day.
AT WORK...you only get a break for one meal and you pay for it.

IN PRISON...you get time off for good behavior.
AT WORK...you get more work for good behavior.

IN PRISON...you can watch TV and play games.
AT WORK...you get fired for watching TV and playing games.

IN PRISON...all expenses are paid by the taxpayers with no work required.
AT WORK...you get to pay all the expenses to go to work and then they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners.

IN PRISON...you must deal with mean wardens.
AT WORK...they are called managers.

Windows Tips & Tricks - Use Windows Like A Pro

Restoring Recently Deleted Files
Double-click the Recycle Bin icon.
When the window is open, single-click the file you want to recover. To select multiple files, just hold down the Ctrl key and single-click the files you want to restore.
Open the File menu and select Restore.
The files will be returned to the original location from where they were deleted.

Having a program launch when you start Windows
You can have a program start every time you start Windows. To do this, simply, drag and drop the file into the Startup folder.

The Startup folder is usually C:\Windows\StartMenu\Programs\Startup.

Listing the print jobs ahead of yours in network printing
If you are using a network printer, it is often convenient to check and see how many print jobs are ahead of yours. You can do this right on your desktop, by looking in the printer queue. To do this simply:

Click the Start button>> Select Settings>> Click Printers>> Double-click the printer that you are using.
In the dialog box there will be a list of all pending print jobs.

Stopping a job from printing once you’ve already sent it to the printer
If you’ve accidentally or mistakenly sent a print job to the printer, you can stop the print job before it starts. To do this, double-click on the Printers icon that will appear on the taskbar when print jobs are waiting. Select the document that you want to cancel, and simply click Cancel from the Documents menu.

Contact Information

For More Information on My PC Guy, contact:

My PC Guy, Inc.
1300 Oak Road
Severna Park, MD 21146

Phone: 410-975-9060
Fax: 410-975-9824
E-mail: info@mypcguy.com
Web Pages: http://www.mypcguy.com

This E-Newsletter is electronically published monthly by My PC Guy, Inc.
Editor: Jennifer Cox
jenc@mypcguy.com
The Editor would love to hear from you!
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