Manipulation Of Technology

HAPPY FASTING!!

2009-08-21T19:43:00.000+08:00

Happy fasting to all blog reader :)

YM Status On Blog?

2009-07-03T16:07:00.004+08:00

Ok,, since many person ask me how to put YM(Yahoo Messenger) status on their blog, in this post i'll show to you how to put it..

Ok, lets start..

1st of all, ur need to put this code. Add ur new HTML/Java script page element.

<a href="ymsgr:sendIM?(yahooID)">
<img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=(yahooID)&m=g&t=19" border="0" /> </a>

Then,, change the text (yahooID)to your Username. If mine, i put buglars. (remove the bracket)

Sometimes u'll get bored and ur widget need to be change.
Change the t=1 to :

t=1

t=2

t=3

t=4

t=5

t=6

t=7

t=8

t=9

t=10

t=11

t=12

t=13

t=14

t=15

t=16

t=17

t=18

t=19

t=20

(sigh).. If i dont want to list anymore,, it will be a long list anyway.. Well.. have a nice day!

see me here!

Windows Media Player 11 non-Genuine?

2009-06-23T16:05:00.004+08:00

Ok, pada post kali nih, aku nk postkan camne nk install WMP 11 (Windows Media Player) dengan pass genuine certificate.. (sesape yg pakai win pirate ler).. Maybe ade sesetengah tu nk sgt WMP 11, tp x leh nk install sbb win x ori.. Haha,, k, aku akn tunjukkan cmne nk buat..

1) Ok,, 1st of all,, korang kene la download WMP 11 kat Microsoft site dlu. Jgn download Beta sudah, download yg latest.

2) Extract kan installer WMP 11 (wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu.exe) yg korang download tadi menggunakan WinRaR kedalam directory.

3) Download LegitLibM.dll dan paste kan kedalam directory yg di extract tadi. Click "yes" jika ditanya mahu overwrite.

4) K, last step, run kan file "setup_wm.exe".

5) Sesudah habis menginstall,, restart pc.

6) Have a good day!

see me here!

Sony Playstation 3

2009-06-22T01:14:00.004+08:00

PlayStation 3 Specifications and Details
Product name: PLAYSTATION 3
CPU: Cell Processor
PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
1 VMX vector unit per core
512KB L2 cache
7 x SPE @3.2GHz
7 x 128b 128 SIMD GPRs
7 x 256KB SRAM for SPE
* 1 of 8 SPEs reserved for redundancy total floating point performance: 218 GFLOPS
GPU: RSX @550MHz
1.8 TFLOPS floating point performance
Full HD (up to 1080p) x 2 channels
Multi-way programmable parallel floating point shader pipelines
Sound: Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-base processing)
Memory:
256MB XDR Main RAM @3.2GHz
256MB GDDR3 VRAM @700MHz
System Bandwidth:
Main RAM: 25.6GB/s
VRAM: 22.4GB/s
RSX: 20GB/s (write) + 15GB/s (read)
SB: 2.5GB/s (write) + 2.5GB/s (read)
System Floating Point Performance: 2 TFLOPS
Storage:
HDD
Detachable 2.5” HDD slot x 1
I/O:
USB: Front x 4, Rear x 2 (USB2.0)
Memory Stick: standard/Duo, PRO x 1
SD: standard/mini x 1
CompactFlash: (Type I, II) x 1
Communication: Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x3 (input x 1 + output x 2)
Wi-Fi: IEEE 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)
Controller:
Bluetooth (up to 7)
USB2.0 (wired)
Wi-Fi (PSP®)
Network (over IP)
AV Output:
Screen size: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI: HDMI out x 2
Analog: AV MULTI OUT x 1
Digital audio: DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x 1
CD Disc media (read only):
PlayStation CD-ROM
PlayStation 2 CD-ROM
CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW
SACD Hybrid (CD layer), SACD HD
DualDisc (audio side), DualDisc (DVD side)
DVD Disc media (read only):
PlayStation 2 DVD-ROM
PLAYSTATION 3 DVD-ROM
DVD-Video: DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW
Blu-ray Disc media (read only):
PLAYSTATION 3 BD-ROM
BD-Video: BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE

seperti wii,PS3 mempunyai slot loading disc drive

Media card reader dan 4 USB port

HDMI di belakang
wireless controller di"charge" melalui penyambungan ke USB port

Dualshock 3 SixAxis controller

seriously,dengan processor CELL(join venture IBM,SONY,TOSHIBA) dlm ps3 nie,
ia jauh lebih hebat dari Xbox-360
a "MUST HAVE" for all gamers
XD

untuk info tambahan sila lawati
http://uk.playstation.com/ps3/

harga dalam malaysia dalam RM1400-1600
~syafeeq~

Kunci Folder Menggunakan Notepad

2009-06-18T15:13:00.000+08:00

Hai...

Pernah terfikir bagaimana untuk mengunci folder anda dengan cara mudah tanpa menggunakan sebarang perisian? Pada entri kali ini, saya akan mendedahkan cara untuk melakukannya percuma untuk anda. Anda tidak memerlukan sebarang kemahiran dalam bidang pengaturcaraan (programming). Hanya ikut langkah yang disediakan.

(Amaran: jangan menggunakan cara ini jika anda tidak tahu apa yang anda buat kecuali anda mengikut langkah berikut dengan betul)

1. Buka perisian Notepad [Start > All Programs > Accesories > Notepad]

2. Copy kod berikut didalam Notepad:

cls
@ECHO OFF
title Folder Locker
if EXIST "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" goto UNLOCK
if NOT EXIST Locker goto MDLOCKER
:CONFIRM
echo Are you sure u want to Lock the folder(Y/N)
set/p "cho=>"
if %cho%==Y goto LOCK
if %cho%==y goto LOCK
if %cho%==n goto END
if %cho%==N goto END
echo Invalid choice.
goto CONFIRM
:LOCK
ren Locker "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
attrib +h +s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
echo Folder locked
goto End
:UNLOCK
echo Enter password to Unlock folder
set/p "pass=>"
if NOT %pass%==type your password here goto FAIL
attrib -h -s "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"
ren "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" Locker
echo Folder Unlocked successfully
goto End
:FAIL
echo Invalid password
goto end
:MDLOCKER
md Locker
echo Locker created successfully
goto End
:End

3) Save as fail anda dengan nama FolderLock.bat
4) Cari fail FolderLock.bat anda semula dan klik kiri 2 kali.
5) Fail itu akan secara automatik mencipta 1 folder baru bernama Locker di lokasi yang sama.
6) Masukkan data yang anda ingin simpan (eg. gambar, lagu, dokumen) kedalam folder Locker.
7) Klik kiri 2 kali pada fail FolderLock.bat sekali lagi untuk mengunci folder tersebut.
8) Selepas itu, pada command prompt yang keluar, taip y dan tekan Enter.

Nota: Untuk membuka kembali folder tersebut, klik kiri 2 kali pada FolderLock.bat, taip y dan tekan Enter. Sila letak fail FolderLock.bat di lokasi lain dalam pc anda untuk memastikan hanya anda yang boleh membuka folder tersebut.

Jangan letak dokumen penting kedalam folder Locker kerana cara ini bukan mengunci folder sepenuhnya.

Mempercepatkan Pc anda:Indexing service

2009-06-12T06:08:00.007+08:00

Terdapat banyak cara g tersembunyi yang membuatkan XP lebih laju dari biasa. Di Microsoft, mereka lebih fokuskan tentang memberikan features baru.Mereka kurang penagmbil perhatian untuk meng"optimize"kannya untuk prestasi yang lebih laju.

Ini adalah salah 1 cara mencepatkan Pc anda dengan menyah-aktifkan indexing system.

XP datang dengan Indexing system untuk membantu kita melakukan pencarian file yg lebih cepat di dalam sistem.Ini agak tidak berguna kerana ia mengambil ruang yg besar, tp kegunaanya amatlah sedikit. Nyah-aktifkan(disable)nya tanpa berfikir dua kali. Ini adalah cara untuk membuatnya:

Pergi ke Start
Klik Settings
Klik Control Panel
Double-Klik Add/Remove Programs
Klik the Add/Remove Window Components
Uncheck Indexing services
Klik Next.

Indexing Service dalam Windows XP

-syafeeq-

HANDS UP!! ALIEN IS LANDING...

2009-06-12T01:11:00.004+08:00

ALIEN!!! LARI!!
Laptop terbaru dari syarikat DELL ..diberi nama DELL ALIENWARE M17X..sebuah GAMING LAPTOP...ini adalah sedikit overview untuk produk bombastik ini...

SPESIFIKASI...

-Processor - Intel® CoreTM 2 Extreme Quad Processor
-OS - Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate 64-bit
-Video Card - SLITM Dual 1GB GDDR3 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 280M
-Port - 4 Hi-speed USB 2.0 ports
1 eSATA/USB 2.0 Combo (2-in-1 port) with PowerShare
IEEE 1394a (4-pin) port
ExpressCard Slot
DisplayPort, HDMI, VGA - Video Output
Front Speakers Audio Out Connector / Headphone Jack
Center Speaker and Subwoofer Audio Out Connector / Headphone Jack
Rear Surround Audio Out Connector
Audio In / Microphone Jack
Two Built-In Front Speakers
-Pilihan Warna- Anodized Aluminum - Space Black
Anodized Aluminum – Lunar Silver
-Audio - Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio
-LCD - 17-inch WideUXGA 1920 x 1200 - (1200p) LCD
-Network - Integrated Gigabit Ethernet RJ-45 (1000 Mbps)
Internal Wireless a/g/draft-n with MIMO (2x2) Technology)
Internal Wireless Bluetooth® 2.1 + EDR
-Optikal - Slot-Loading Dual Layer Blu-ray Combo (BR-ROM, DVD+-RW3, CD-RW)
-Card Reader - Built-In 8-in-1 Media Card Reader
-Memory - 4GB, 6GB, 8GB DDR3 - 1333Mhz
-Keyboard - AlienFXTM Illuminated Keyboard – Exclusive Design
-Hard Disk - 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, 500GB - 7,200RPM
-Battery - 9-cell Lithium-Ion Battery
-RAID 1 - 500GB 7,200RPM (2x500GB)
-RAID 0 - 1TB 7,200RPM - RAID 0 (2x500GB)
-Dimensi - Height: 51.31mm to 53.59mm (2.02 inches to 2.11 inches)
Width: 405.89mm (15.98 inches)
Depth: 321.31mm (12.65 inches)
Weight: Starting at 5.3kg6 (11.68 pounds)
-Harga - RM 8,499...boleh tahan woo...
untuk maklumat lebih lanjut berkenaan produk ini sila lawati http://www.dell.com.my

..::RAFIQUE::..

Memasang Favicon Pada Blog Anda (Blogspot)

2009-06-11T23:44:00.006+08:00

Pada entri kali ini, saya ingin mengetengahkan tutorial instalasi favicon pada blogspot anda. Favicon bermaksud ikon kecil yang akan kelihatan di pelayar web seperti di blog kami ini. Ok. Cukup setakat itu. Jom kita mulakan proses instalasi.

1) Buat satu ikon berformat .png menggunakan Adobe Photoshop (saiz 16 x 16 px) (jika tidak mempunyai kemahiran, image juga boleh diambil melalui carian di Google Image)

2) Muat naik ikon tersebut ke mana-mana server hosting gambar seperti di photobucket.com. (jika ikon itu ciptaan anda sendiri. Jika tidak, langkau ke langkah ke 3)

3) Pergi ke Layout - Edit HTML

4) Dalam ruangan kod template itu, cari kod ini:

<title><data:blog.pagetitle/></title>

5) Copy dan paste kod berikut selepas kod yang anda telah temui sebentar tadi.

<link href='IMAGE_URL ANDA_DISINI' rel='shortcut icon' type='image/x-icon'/>

6) Gantikan IMAGE_URL_ANDA_DISINI dengan image url ikon anda sendiri yang telah dimuat naik ke server photobucket.

7) Simpan (save) template itu.

8) Anda sudah siap!

-skyevo studio-

Mempercepatkan Bandwith anda sebanyak 20%

2009-06-10T04:50:00.000+08:00

Kebiasaanya Windows akan menyimpan 20% bandwidth anda sekaligus mengurangkan kelajuan internet anda. Ini adalah cara untuk mendapatkan ia kembali.

Microsoft menyimpan 20% daripada bandwith anda untuk kegunaan mereka. (disyaki untuk updates dan menyiasat pc anda dll..)

Begini ialah cara untuk mendapatkan ia kembali:

Klik Start-->Run-->taip "gpedit.msc" tanpa "

Ini akan membuka group policy editor(seperti di dalam gambar). Kemudian pergi ke:

Local Computer Policy->Computer Configuration->Administrative Templates->Network->QOS Packet Scheduler->Limit Reservable Bandwidth

Klik 2 kali pada Limit Reservable bandwidth. ia akan menyatakan ia "not configured", tap sebenarnya dalam 'Explain' tab :

"By default, the Packet Scheduler limits the system to 20 percent of the bandwidth of a connection, but you can use this setting to override the default."

"kebiasaannya,Packet Scheduler menghadkan 20% system bandwith sesuatu sambungan(connection),tapi anda boleh menggunakan setting ini untuk menolak(override) kebiasaannya"

Jd tricknya ialah ENABLE(membolehkan) kn bandwidth yg disimpan, dan set ia kepada ZERO(kosong).*seperti dalam gambar

Ini akan membolehkan system untuk tidak menyimpan apa2,berbanding kebiasaannya(default) 20% sekaligus mempercepatkan sambungan internet(internet connection) anda.

Amaran: Jangan menyentuh setting lain di sana kerana dikhuatiri boleh menyebabkan sesuatu yg x baik.lol

-syafeeq-

Labels Cloud Untuk Blogspot

2009-06-09T22:32:00.000+08:00

Labels Cloud ini dikenali sebagai "Blogumulus". Pada asalnya, ia direka untuk blog Wordpress dan dikenali sebagai WP Cumulus. Blogumulus adalah satu animasi dalam bentuk flash yang memaparkan label-label dalam blog anda (dalam bentuk kitaran bulat).

Log masuk ke akaun Blogger anda dan pilih Layout. Seterusnya klik pada Edit HTML

Cari kod ini (atau yang bersamaan):

Contoh:

(Klik pada gambar untuk besarkan)

Seterusnya, copy dan paste kod berikut dibawah kod yang anda telah temui sebentar tadi.

Klik 'preview' untuk melihat blog anda. Sekiranya berjaya, anda akan melihat label cloud itu dibahagian tepi blog anda.

Save template anda.

Sekian, Terima kasih.

-skyevo studio-

Tekken 6 (E3)

2009-06-09T19:23:00.000+08:00

The new installment from Namco Bandai,one of the best fighting series game is back.

here is Tekken 6

Tekken 6 has 40 characters in total, the greatest number in the series to date.

There are in total 8 new character from tekken 5.

Lars, a Swedish fighter sporting a rock star look

Alisa Bosconovitch, a robot who can throw her head at opponents with explosive results, and can fire her limbs off

Bob is an obese, barrel-chested American fighter who deliberately gained weight to improve his performance

Leo is a German kung fu-style fighter with effeminate looks and a questionable gender.

Zafina is the first Middle Eastern character to feature in the game

and the others from Tekken 5: Dark resurrection in PSP..

You'll also be able to pull off some cool taunts. If your character has a gun(new feature,has a gun..cool! ), for instance, you can pull it out and use it as a taunt. Some characters can pick up chickens walking around the stage and make them attack, or you can cast a spell, turning your opponent's head into a stuffed panda in the process.

the health meter will glow red when it drops below a certain point. Attacks will become more powerful when you are low on health, so you'll need to plan your attacks carefully, keeping in mind the system will kick in once your opponent's health drops to a certain level.

Tekken 6 will feature a cooperative Scenario Campaign mode in which you and an online friend can pit your skills against waves of enemies and, oddly, equip your favorite combatant with weapons that include staffs, flamethrowers, and machine guns

I personally will get this game someday.

looks cool and better than Tekken 5

wish i have a ps3 though xD

and here is the Tekken 6 trailer

How To View Hidden Comment From Myspace

2009-06-09T01:13:00.000+08:00

this tutorial for educational purpose only

some of your friends really likes to hide their comment and pictures

and some time i found it hard to view all these stuff

why dont just they make it visible?

thank god there's a solution now

How To View Your Friends Comment In Myspace

First,go to their profile and click on Add Comment

Then,at the url,copy the unique id that is friendID

example: copy "6339604"

then go to your rofile and click my comment

its url should be

http: //comment.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewComments&friendID=79006931 (yourID)

so you delete your id

and becomes like that

http://comment.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewComments&friendID=

then replace yourID with your friends FriendID

and it will become

http://comment.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewComments&friendID=6339604(your FriendID)

and press enter

and you'll get to reach their comment page in no time

New Metal Gear Solid (E3)

2009-06-07T16:50:00.000+08:00

Metal Gear Solid : Arcade

Release dates:N.A

Story:N.A

(sure hard to find in malaysia T.T)

Metal Gear Solid : Peace Walker

Release dates:2010

Platform:Psp

Story: Peace Walker is the “missing chapter” in the Metal Gear saga. Set during the seventies, it is a direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid 3. For those who haven’t played that game, I’ll spare you the reveal concerning Snake, but rest assured its the same character from Snake Eater. The game fills in the gaps, and should answer all our questions regarding the creatin of Outer Haven and nicely setup the events that took place way back when in the original Metal Gear.

Metal Gear Solid : Rising

Story:N.A but the subtitle is "Lightning Bolt Action" rather than the usual "Tactical Espionage Action" which maybe offer different gameplay from previous MGS series.The protagonist alco are expected to be raiden..

release dates:N.A

platform:Xbox 360 Exclusive (no ps3?)

mama..nak xbox360..

New PSPgo (E3)

2009-06-07T16:47:00.000+08:00

Sony’s Kazuo Hirai took the stage at Sony’s E3 conference to officially announce the PSP Go! According to Hirai, the PSP Go! is 50% smaller in size, and 40% lighter, than the PSP-1000. The Go! will feature 16GB of internal storage space, Bluetooth capabilities, and similar features offered on its predecessor models. The Go will feature an M2 memory slot to expand your space as you continuously consume the out-of-the-box storage space.

Along with the release of PSP Go!, Kaz Hirai unveiled Media Go, a PC application that will allow users to download and transfer the downloaded content easily onto the PSP Go. The PSP Go is slated for a release of October 1, 2009 with a price of $249.

mama..nak psp go!...

Final Fantasy: The Crystal Bearers (E3)

2009-06-07T16:35:00.000+08:00

another final fantasy chronicles..
this time its on wii..
the release date are still unknown..
the grafics kinda looks like ps2 despite wii have greater engine than ps2..
im looking forward to play this someday..
this the first footage square show on e3..

mama..nak wii boleh x? xD

Final Fantasy XIV (E3)

2009-06-07T16:00:00.000+08:00

The biggest suprise..here is Final Fantasy XIV
unfortunately it uses mmorpg concept like final fantasy XI(which i think not suitable to FF franchise ==").
It also p2p and and unfortunately also on xbox360 and pc..(i hope this only in ps3 T.T)

this a little bit a bout the conference that tells u about the story of the game
11:57] A question is being asked about old races: "What are the ties to FFXI?"

[11:58] Tanaka says, "These are different races, a different world than FFXI, the name of the world is Eorzea."

[11:58] "The reason we made them similar in FFXI was so that the players who have been playing XI and liked the character can choose a similar type of race," he says.

[11:59] "An example of why we did this," he says, "is like we have one actor in many movies--in one movie he's an assassin robot, in another it's a spy, but it's the same guy. We want you to think of it the same way."

here are some of the Final Fantasy XIV trailer.
enjoy..

"

Video Games | Final Fantasy XIV Online | E3 09: Debut Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Cari movies,mp3,apps guna google.com

2009-06-07T03:22:00.000+08:00

Kalau korang nak cari apps,dvdrip,game,atau mp3,

tp xtau kat mana nak cari,

thank god there is google.com

pegi www.google.com

copy paste benda nie

"parent directory " /appz/ -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums

"parent directory " DVDRip -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums

"parent directory "Xvid -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums

"parent directory " Gamez -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums

"parent directory " Name of Singer or album -xxx -html -htm -php -shtml -opendivx -md5 -md5sums

perasan x aku tuka nama depan tu je? korang leh tuka n cari apa yg korang nak..

byk game aku dpt..hehehe~

Macamana Nak Cepatkan Pc Korang

2009-06-07T03:16:00.001+08:00

Cara nak lajukan pc..

first sekali,kat bawah kanan komputer korang akan nampak banyak icon bila korang start komputer dan ni untuk korang kalau korang xreti nak buang semua benda alah tu ..

Tekan start button(bawah kiri) dan tekan "run"

sekarang type: msconfig

akan ada box yg keluar dan gtau korang banyak benda.

jangan kaco apa2 selain yg dinyatakan disini untuk mengelakkan sebarang masalah.

sekarang,Klik dekat 'startup' tab dekat sebelah atas kanan.

Sekarang korang akan ada box yang penuh dengan filenames n addresses dan banyak box yg ada tanda dengan diorang.Korang pilih application yg korang xselalu guna (contoh nokia configuration,nero,sweetim) dan uncheck box tu..kemudian pc korang kene restart pc..

then bila pc dah start kembali..pilih yes..

tu je..

2009-06-07T03:16:00.000+08:00

10 reasons why PCs crash U must Know

Fatal error: the system has become unstable or is busy," it says. "Enter to return to Windows or press Control-Alt-Delete to restart your computer. If you do this you will lose any unsaved information in all open applications."

You have just been struck by the Blue Screen of Death. Anyone who uses Mcft Windows will be familiar with this. What can you do? More importantly, how can you prevent it happening?

1 Hardware conflict

The number one reason why Windows crashes is hardware conflict. Each hardware device communicates to other devices through an interrupt request channel (IRQ). These are supposed to be unique for each device.

For example, a printer usually connects internally on IRQ 7. The keyboard usually uses IRQ 1 and the floppy disk drive IRQ 6. Each device will try to hog a single IRQ for itself.

If there are a lot of devices, or if they are not installed properly, two of them may end up sharing the same IRQ number. When the user tries to use both devices at the same time, a crash can happen. The way to check if your computer has a hardware conflict is through the following route:

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager.

Often if a device has a problem a yellow '!' appears next to its description in the Device Manager. Highlight Computer (in the Device Manager) and press Properties to see the IRQ numbers used by your computer. If the IRQ number appears twice, two devices may be using it.

Sometimes a device might share an IRQ with something described as 'IRQ holder for PCI steering'. This can be ignored. The best way to fix this problem is to remove the problem device and reinstall it.

Sometimes you may have to find more recent drivers on the internet to make the device function properly. A good resource is www.driverguide.com. If the device is a soundcard, or a modem, it can often be fixed by moving it to a different slot on the motherboard (be careful about opening your computer, as you may void the warranty).

When working inside a computer you should switch it off, unplug the mains lead and touch an unpainted metal surface to discharge any static electricity.

To be fair to Mcft, the problem with IRQ numbers is not of its making. It is a legacy problem going back to the first PC designs using the IBM 8086 chip. Initially there were only eight IRQs. Today there are 16 IRQs in a PC. It is easy to run out of them. There are plans to increase the number of IRQs in future designs.

2 Bad Ram

Ram (random-access memory) problems might bring on the blue screen of death with a message saying Fatal Exception Error. A fatal error indicates a serious hardware problem. Sometimes it may mean a part is damaged and will need replacing.

But a fatal error caused by Ram might be caused by a mismatch of chips. For example, mixing 70-nanosecond (70ns) Ram with 60ns Ram will usually force the computer to run all the Ram at the slower speed. This will often crash the machine if the Ram is overworked.

One way around this problem is to enter the BIOS settings and increase the wait state of the Ram. This can make it more stable. Another way to troubleshoot a suspected Ram problem is to rearrange the Ram chips on the motherboard, or take some of them out. Then try to repeat the circumstances that caused the crash. When handling Ram try not to touch the gold connections, as they can be easily damaged.

Parity error messages also refer to Ram. Modern Ram chips are either parity (ECC) or non parity (non-ECC). It is best not to mix the two types, as this can be a cause of trouble.

EMM386 error messages refer to memory problems but may not be connected to bad Ram. This may be due to free memory problems often linked to old Dos-based programmes.

3 BIOS settings

Every motherboard is supplied with a range of chipset settings that are decided in the factory. A common way to access these settings is to press the F2 or delete button during the first few seconds of a boot-up.

Once inside the BIOS, great care should be taken. It is a good idea to write down on a piece of paper all the settings that appear on the screen. That way, if you change something and the computer becomes more unstable, you will know what settings to revert to.

A common BIOS error concerns the CAS latency. This refers to the Ram. Older EDO (extended data out) Ram has a CAS latency of 3. Newer SDRam has a CAS latency of 2. Setting the wrong figure can cause the Ram to lock up and freeze the computer's display.

Mcft Windows is better at allocating IRQ numbers than any BIOS. If possible set the IRQ numbers to Auto in the BIOS. This will allow Windows to allocate the IRQ numbers (make sure the BIOS setting for Plug and Play OS is switched to 'yes' to allow Windows to do this.).

4 Hard disk drives

After a few weeks, the information on a hard disk drive starts to become piecemeal or fragmented. It is a good idea to defragment the hard disk every week or so, to prevent the disk from causing a screen freeze. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-Disk Defragmenter

This will start the procedure. You will be unable to write data to the hard drive (to save it) while the disk is defragmenting, so it is a good idea to schedule the procedure for a period of inactivity using the Task Scheduler.

The Task Scheduler should be one of the small icons on the bottom right of the Windows opening page (the desktop).

Some lockups and screen freezes caused by hard disk problems can be solved by reducing the read-ahead optimisation. This can be adjusted by going to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System Icon-Performance-File System-Hard Disk.

Hard disks will slow down and crash if they are too full. Do some housekeeping on your hard drive every few months and free some space on it. Open the Windows folder on the C drive and find the Temporary Internet Files folder. Deleting the contents (not the folder) can free a lot of space.

Empty the Recycle Bin every week to free more space. Hard disk drives should be scanned every week for errors or bad sectors. Go to

* Start-Programs-Accessories-System Tools-ScanDisk

Otherwise assign the Task Scheduler to perform this operation at night when the computer is not in use.

5 Fatal OE exceptions and VXD errors

Fatal OE exception errors and VXD errors are often caused by video card problems.

These can often be resolved easily by reducing the resolution of the video display. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Display-Settings

Here you should slide the screen area bar to the left. Take a look at the colour settings on the left of that window. For most desktops, high colour 16-bit depth is adequate.

If the screen freezes or you experience system lockups it might be due to the video card. Make sure it does not have a hardware conflict. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Device Manager

Here, select the + beside Display Adapter. A line of text describing your video card should appear. Select it (make it blue) and press properties. Then select Resources and select each line in the window. Look for a message that says No Conflicts.

If you have video card hardware conflict, you will see it here. Be careful at this point and make a note of everything you do in case you make things worse.

The way to resolve a hardware conflict is to uncheck the Use Automatic Settings box and hit the Change Settings button. You are searching for a setting that will display a No Conflicts message.

Another useful way to resolve video problems is to go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-System-Performance-Graphics

Here you should move the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left. As ever, the most common cause of problems relating to graphics cards is old or faulty drivers (a driver is a small piece of software used by a computer to communicate with a device).

Look up your video card's manufacturer on the internet and search for the most recent drivers for it.

6 Viruses

Often the first sign of a virus infection is instability. Some viruses erase the boot sector of a hard drive, making it impossible to start. This is why it is a good idea to create a Windows start-up disk. Go to

* Start-Settings-Control Panel-Add/Remove Programs

Here, look for the Start Up Disk tab. Virus protection requires constant vigilance.

A virus scanner requires a list of virus signatures in order to be able to identify viruses. These signatures are stored in a DAT file. DAT files should be updated weekly from the website of your antivirus software manufacturer.

An excellent antivirus programme is McAfee VirusScan by Network Associates ( www.nai.com). Another is Norton AntiVirus 2000, made by Symantec ( www.symantec.com).

7 Printers

The action of sending a document to print creates a bigger file, often called a postscript file.

Printers have only a small amount of memory, called a buffer. This can be easily overloaded. Printing a document also uses a considerable amount of CPU power. This will also slow down the computer's performance.

If the printer is trying to print unusual characters, these might not be recognised, and can crash the computer. Sometimes printers will not recover from a crash because of confusion in the buffer. A good way to clear the buffer is to unplug the printer for ten seconds. Booting up from a powerless state, also called a cold boot, will restore the printer's default settings and you may be able to carry on.

8 Software

A common cause of computer crash is faulty or badly-installed software. Often the problem can be cured by uninstalling the software and then reinstalling it. Use Norton Uninstall or Uninstall Shield to remove an application from your system properly. This will also remove references to the programme in the System Registry and leaves the way clear for a completely fresh copy.

The System Registry can be corrupted by old references to obsolete software that you thought was uninstalled. Use Reg Cleaner by Jouni Vuorio to clean up the System Registry and remove obsolete entries. It works on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE (Second Edition), Windows Millennium Edition (ME), NT4 and Windows 2000.

Read the instructions and use it carefully so you don't do permanent damage to the Registry. If the Registry is damaged you will have to reinstall your operating system. Reg Cleaner can be obtained from www.jv16.org

Often a Windows problem can be resolved by entering Safe Mode. This can be done during start-up. When you see the message "Starting Windows" press F4. This should take you into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode loads a minimum of drivers. It allows you to find and fix problems that prevent Windows from loading properly.

Sometimes installing Windows is difficult because of unsuitable BIOS settings. If you keep getting SUWIN error messages (Windows setup) during the Windows installation, then try entering the BIOS and disabling the CPU internal cache. Try to disable the Level 2 (L2) cache if that doesn't work.

Remember to restore all the BIOS settings back to their former settings following installation.

9 Overheating

Central processing units (CPUs) are usually equipped with fans to keep them cool. If the fan fails or if the CPU gets old it may start to overheat and generate a particular kind of error called a kernel error. This is a common problem in chips that have been overclocked to operate at higher speeds than they are supposed to.

One remedy is to get a bigger better fan and install it on top of the CPU. Specialist cooling fans/heatsinks are available from www.computernerd.com or www.coolit.com

CPU problems can often be fixed by disabling the CPU internal cache in the BIOS. This will make the machine run more slowly, but it should also be more stable.

10 Power supply problems

With all the new construction going on around the country the steady supply of electricity has become disrupted. A power surge or spike can crash a computer as easily as a power cut.

If this has become a nuisance for you then consider buying a uninterrupted power supply (UPS). This will give you a clean power supply when there is electricity, and it will give you a few minutes to perform a controlled shutdown in case of a power cut.

It is a good investment if your data are critical, because a power cut will cause any unsaved data to be lost.