Category Archives: Hardware

Reduce the fan noise coming from your computer

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If you have ever experienced fan noise coming from your computer you know how really annoying it can be. Does the fan run continuously until you turn off the computer and let it cool down? Here are some simple tips to help reduce the noise.

* Allow better air flow: Reduce computer fan noises

Always make sure there is additional space around the computer so there is better airflow. Cooling fans will have to work less if there is adequate airflow.

* Replace with newer model:

If your fan is making too much noise one thing you should consider is a newer model. Old fan models make more noise and if your fans are too old there may be some technical issues. So, it is best to replace the existing old fan with a newer model fan.

* Using soundproofing foam:

You can use soundproofing foam in the interior of the computer. Insert a thin layer on the inside of the computer case. Soundproof padding should help you to reduce your computer fan noises.

* Upgrade the power supply unit:

A Power supply unit can make noises for several reasons. Maybe your power supply is not providing enough wattage therefore it will heat up above a normal temperature. If it’s the power supply they’re not that expensive at all. And, a new one will solve your problems. Otherwise, an old power supply can damage other components inside your computer.

* Area between the fan mounting and the computer case:

Measure the area between the fan and the computer case. Cut a small cloth gasket to place between the fan mounting and the actual computer case. This will reduce computer vibrations and reduce computer noise.

* Have additional heat sinks:

Installing additional heat sinks will draw air away from various parts of your computer that tend to run hot. This will create less noise and your computer will run more efficiently due to less overheating.

* New Computer case:

Buy a new sound resistant case for the computer. This by itself will automatically reduce computer noise.

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What affects my connection speed?

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When you connect to the Internet the speeds that you will experience will vary based on a variety of factors, including the following:

* Configuration of your computer
* Home networking configuration, number of home computers and other networked equipment using the available bandwidth at the same time
* Network or Internet congestion
* Server and router speeds of the Web sites you access
* Condition of the wiring at your location
* A hard wired connection is required to achieve maximum upstream speeds.

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An Easy Way To Protect A Laptop In Public Places

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There is an easy way of making your laptop safer while you’re in a coffee shop,
library or other public place. Chaining up your laptop to a table would be
helpful to protect your laptop. However, if you do not want to carry a heavy
duty laptop cable and lock, you can try free laptop alarm software. There is no
metal cable and lock to buy and carry if you are using the free laptop alarm
software. You simply connect your laptop to a power outlet or fasten your laptop
to a table by using a USB flash drive strap. The alarm software will emit a loud
siren sound when your laptop is disconnected from the power outlet or removed
from the table. For example, a thief snatched your laptop while you’re in
washroom or paying no attention to your laptop.  (See how to fasten a laptop to
a table: www.lalarm.com/en/KB2_Lock_Laptop_Alarm.htm)

In addition to sounding an alarm, the software can send an alert to your mobile
phone. The alarm software also provides other features that could prevent your
sensitive information and your identity from being stolen such as destroying
data in case of laptop theft. The software “LAlarm” is free for personal use and
is available at: www.lalarm.com/LaptopAlarm

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How to Backup Data From A Broken Computer

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1. Go to a Best Buy or any other store that carries a wide variety of computer parts and accessories. Ask the salesperson for a USB Hard Drive Enclosure. They come in a 2 1/2 inch size for laptop hard drives and a 3 1/2 inch size for the larger desktop hard drives.

2. Open the computer chassis to get the hard drive out of the broken computer.

3. Disconnect both cables that are attached to the back of the hard drive. Check for any screws which may still be attached to the hard drive.

4. Now it is time to open up the USB Hard Drive Enclosure box that you bought. There is no need to open the chassis of the working computer. A USB wire should have been included with your kit. You need to attach this wire to the working computers USB port.

5. You should see a message on your screen which reads New Hardware Found. Go to Windows Explorer or My Computer and find the hard drive from the broken computer. Depending on the number of hard drives or CD/DVD drives you already have on the working computer the letter of the newly attached hard drive most likely will be F, G, or H.

6. If the broken computer was truly broken and the hard drive survived you will now be able to move your data over to the working computer. If you receive an error message when trying to access the newly attached drive then the damage to the broken computer may be the drive itself and not a corrupt Operating System.

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Protect and save your PC with a surge suppressor or UPS

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Let’s get one thing out of the way right now. A power strip and a surge suppressor, sometimes called a surge protector, are two different things. A surge suppressor will protect your PC from power surges, spikes, and brown outs caused by lightning storms or low voltage supply due to high power demand in the summer for example. A power strip is simply a device that increases the amount of outlets available to you but offers no surge protection.

In order to protect and save your PC you’ll need either a surge suppressor or an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). Just like any other product on the market the prices will vary and the amount you wish to spend is entirely up to you. With a surge suppressor you can plug your PC devices including your PC, printer, scanner, and monitor into them so that your hardware will be protected.

The surge suppressor can protect your PC from power spikes and sudden fluctuations of power but it will not prevent you from loss of data due to a power failure.

A UPS will provide the protection you need to avoid a power loss and a loss of your valuable data. A UPS is a surge suppressor plus a device that will provide you with back up power due to a power outage.

A Uninterruptible Power Supply will give you enough time to save your data and shutdown your system properly. The device supplies power to your system in the event of a power outage. As I mentioned earlier prices vary and the more money you spend on a UPS the longer amount of time you will have to save and shutdown during an outage. Many UPS systems will come with software that allows you to automatically back up data and shut down hardware in the event that there’s a power outage when you’re not close to your PC.

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How to check your motherboard for failure

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Your motherboard is the main board of your computer in which everything plugs into. If you have ever looked at your motherboard you will see that it is all electronic. Unfortunately the motherboard can quit on you at any time without warning.

When a motherboard fails suddenly your LED lights will blink or turn amber. Your monitor may give a quick impression that your computer is about to boot up but it does not. Many times the power supply fan will work but the computer will not post. Other times your power supply will not function either. If fans run or LEDs turn on it probably is not the power supply. This is where many people think that the computers power supply went out. The motherboard can fail that it will surge and knock out the power supply. Lightning can also damage your motherboard by traveling through the house wiring.

If your computer is dead, or from personal experience when you tried to turn it on one morning and at it started screaming (getting loud) at you, it may very well be that your motherboard is history. But, there are ways to make sure it is the motherboard and not something else.

Though tedious one sure way to tell is by replacing every component on the motherboard except the CPU. If the PC remains dead, the motherboard is history. There are other ways as well to be sure.

Often a dead computer is the result of a single bad connection and not a bad motherboard. This can be checked by reseating the RAM, cable connections, expansion and controller cards, hard drive, and all storage devices. If the PC reboots it is likely that a component had come loose or was not seated properly.

If your computer refuses to start or boot after reseating the components the problem may be with a faulty card. This can be checked by removing one card at a time not required for boot and restarting the PC. These cards include the sound card, modem, network card and any extra added controller cards. If you remove a card and your PC reboots you’ve found the problem. If you have tested all cards and the PC is still not responding your motherboard is history.

Overheating from a faulty power supply is probably the biggest cause of motherboard failure. Look at the motherboard itself for physical damage like fried capacitors or burn marks. You may want to test the voltage of your power supply to make sure that it is not the culprit. Meaning it didn’t over heat and fry your motherboard.

Here is a flowchart to help you diagnose your situation.

robertraglievich

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