MATRIX

In order for a computer to stay fast and reliable it must be well maintained. a computer can stay in good condition for many years if it is properly maintained. Here are ten tips on how to properly maintain your computer.

1. Be sure to have a good antivirus software installed in your computer and make sure that it is always updated. Viruses are among the main causes of computer failure. A complete virus scan should be performed regularly. avoid visiting websites that are suspected to be infested with malware. Do not open e-mails whose sender seemed shady, they could contain deadly malware that can put your system at risk.

2. Defragment your disk regularly. Defragmenting your disk once in every two or three months is a good way to ensure that your computer stays in top condition. Fragmentation happens when your computer’s operating system fail to allocate enough contiguous space to store a complete file as a unit and instead places parts of it in gaps between other files. To illustrate this, let us compare it to a library where some users do not return the books to the proper place after they read them. The books in the library are arranged in a manner that would make it easy to locate any particularly book easily. If many books are no longer in their proper places it would take longer to find them. A fragmented file system is like a library where the books are not in their proper places.Think of defragmentation as a process of returning the books in their proper places so that it will be easier to find them using the card catalog. Windows XP and Vista have their own built in defragmenting software but they are very slow. There are good defragmentation software that can do the job in a fraction of the time it would take for the Windows default defragmenter to finish. I recommend Power Defragmenter and Contig.

3. Clean your Windows Registry regularly. When your Windows registry is clogged with bad keys and entries the performance of your computer will slow down. There manual cleaning of the registry is not advisable to non-experts. There are some good registry cleaners like RegVac and Registry Mechanic that are very easy and safe to use.

4. Regularly get updates for your operating system and other important software. Some softwares do not offer automatic updates so it is advisable to regularly check with their website and download and install updates manually.

5. Delete cookies.It is a good advice to periodically delete internet cookies to ensure that your internet runs at optimum speed. It is easy to delete cookies with Firefox, just go to Tools then click on Options. Select the “Privacy” tab then click the “Show cookies” button. Another box with the “remove cookies” button will pop up. Click on the “remove cookies” button. If you are using Internet Explorer 7, do this: exit Internet Explorer 7 then click start, then click run, then type inetcpl.cpl in the text field and click enter. The General tab will appear. Click “delete” under browsing history in the Internet Properties dialog box. The delete browsing history dialog box appears. Click delete cookies. Click “Yes”.

6. Regularly run Windows XP’s error-checking computer maintenance tool. It can be found by right-clicking the local disk icon in My Computer folder and selecting “Properties”. Click the Tools menu and click on the Error-Checking button. In the dialog box that pops up you can choose to run the error checker and scan for errors, or also fix system errors as it finds them.

7. Uninstall programs that you do not use. These programs occupy space in your hard disk. the more space you have in your hard disk the faster your computer runs.

8. Always run your computer on a UPS. Sudden electric surges are harmful to your computer.

9. If you are familiar with the inside of the casing, physically clean your computer. Remove dust that gather in the casing with cloth or vacuum. Be careful not to damage any part though.

10. Give your computer a rest by turning it off every once in a while.

It is important to maintain your computer. If you follow the above tips you can be assured that your PC will last longer and will always have optimum performance.

Setting up a wireless network to share Internet access, printers, files and more, can be very convenient and cost-effective. Setting up one in your own home or office is even better as you can surf the web anywhere most comfortable for you. Plus, all you need is a router and it’s easier to install than people perceive it to be.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 is not really needed for wireless networking, but it provides the easiest method for networking. It also helps protect against hackers, trojans, worms, and other potential Internet intruders. Here are the four steps in creating your own wireless network:

1. Shop for your wireless equipment.

Of course, wireless networking presupposes the fact that you have a computer system that has wireless network adapter or a built-in networking support hardware and a broadband Internet connection. The main component to shop for is the wireless router, which is the hardware responsible for converting the signals coming from your Internet connection into some form of a wireless broadcast. The network adapter allows the computer to wirelessly connect to the router. (Note: Make sure that you get a wireless router, and not an access point.)

2. Connect the wireless router.

First, you need to locate your cable or DSL modem and unplug it. Next, you must connect your wireless router to your modem (modem must be stay directly connected to the Internet). Do this by plugging one end of a network cable into the modem and plug the other end to the Internet, WAN or WLAN port on the router. After hooking everything up, the computer will automatically connect wirelessly to the router, and the router will consequently send information through your modem to the Internet.

3. Configure the wireless router.

Using another network cable, temporarily connect your computer (through the network adapter) to one of the open network ports on your router (make sure the port is not labelled Internet, WAN or WLAN). When turned on, your computer will automatically connect to the router. Afterwards, open the Internet Explorer on your computer and type in the address in order to configure the router. The address (and password in some cases) varies depending on the brand of your router, so you would need to refer to the instruction manual.

When you reach the router’s configuration page, you would need to configure the following:

- The wireless network name (SSID). This identifies your network so try to choose something unique.

- The Wireless Encryption (WEP)/Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). These two help protect your wireless network through a passphrase that you will provide. You can make the passphrase unique and long, you don’t need to remember it.

- The administrative password. This password controls your wireless network, so choose one that is unique and you will not forget as this is needed to make changes in your router settings.

After filling these up, be sure that you click Save Settings, Apply, or OK to save the information. Afterwards, you may now disconnect the network cable from the computer.

4. Finally, connect your computers.

This method requires Service Pack 2, so if you don’t have it yet, plug your computer into the router and download and install SP2. If your computer runs on a Windows XP SP2, it should directly notify you that a wireless network has been detected. To connect to the wireless network, follow these steps:

- Right click this wireless network icon found in the lower right corner of the screen then click on View Available Wireless Networks.

- The Wireless Network Connection should appear shortly and you should see the network name you specified previously. If you don’t see it, click Refresh network list at the upper left corner of the window. Once you see the name, click on the Connect button on the lower-right.

- You will then be prompted for the password you entered earlier in the Network key and Confirm network key boxes. Type in this key and click on Connect.

- Windows XP will then show connects the computer to your network and you will be connected shortly.

A Note for Computer Newbies

If you are a computer novice, it is best to purchase an ADSL modem with a built-in wireless router to make wireless networking easier and straightforward.

For integrated ADSL modem-wireless router system, network connection can be done in two simple steps:

1. Connect. You first need to connect the Ethernet cable to the router to the PC, the phone cord from the phone socket to your router, and the power supply.

2. Configure. Once everything is connected, switch the unit on, type the IP address of the router into the web browser, select the connection type and enter the username provided by your Internet service provider.