Benefits of last bard drives

If you have a large media collection -music, video, or photos -be sure to place them on a fast hard drive, if possible. Most media players and browsers will create a catalogue of your media files and accessing that catalogue can take a lot of time -and slow your PC down -when the media player starts. An alternative to cataloguing a large media collection is to force your media player not to catalogue all of the files. Instead, open the music or video files individually.

BCC e-mails

To send a copy of an e-mail message to one or more additional recipients without the main recipient knowing, use your e-mail program's BCC field. BCC stands for "blind carbon copy" and it's often used to disguise the e-mail addresses of additional recipients. You can even use Bee to hide the addresses of all recipients. To do so, place your own e-mail address in the to field and the e-mail addresses of all recipients in the BCC field.

Speedy surfing

Want to get quickly to a website? Place your cursor in the address bar of your favorite browser, type the name of the site -minus the .com or http://www -and press Ctrl-Enter. Most browsers will automatically add ".com" to the end of the word and ''http://www'' to the beginning

Defrag details

Should you defragment your hard drive? With Windows 7, that question is becoming increasingly irrelevant these days. Disk defragmentation is automatically scheduled in Windows 7 on those drives that need it. With newer solid state disks (SSDs), defragmentation is not recommended at all, since files are stored differently on SSDs than they are on traditional disks. Windows 7 is smart enough to recognise SSDs and will turn off defragmentation by default.

Know what you're getting

When choosing a graphics card, there's more to consider than price. The most expensive cards may give you the impression that they'll be the fastest, but this might be true only for garners, Who require cards that offer high frame rates for the latest 3D games. For typical business applications, you may not notice much performance improvement over less expensive cards. High-end cards notonly cost more, but they also typically run hotter and consume more power. So know what you're getting before you buy.

Change battery

Does your mobile phone battery seem to run down faster than it used to? Try turning off hardware-based features that you don't use, such as built-in Wi-fi or Bluetooth. It's easy to activate these and forget about them. But your mobile phone doesn't and they use power. If that doesn't solve your problem, you may need to swap out the battery for a newer one. Batteries do wear out over time. Buying a replacement could make your phone run like new.

Google alert

Keep up with what's said about you or your company online by setting up a Google alert. The Google Alerts feature (http://www.google.com/alerts) will e-mail you about all new mentions of a particular keyword, including your name or your company's name. You can also use Google Alert to keep up on the latest news, event or your favorite sports team without having to visit a website. 

Buying a Netbook

Netbooks are all the rage today, but they're not all created equal. That's why it's risky to order one over the Internet without having tried it in person. Among attributes that can quickly mean dissatisfaction or satisfaction are the feel of the keyboard, the clarity of the screen. and the responsiveness of the unit. Visit a local computer store to tryout several models. Then, if you find a great deal online, you'll be able to buy with more confidence.

Guard against virus

What's the easiest way to catch a computer virus? Participate in a peer-to-peer file sharing service. These services -with names like BitTorrent and Gnutella -are popular among those who go looking for free software or music files. There's just one problem. aside from the frequently illegal software found on these networks: plenty of viruses are hiding in the files distributed. Not using these services can put you one step ahead in the struggle to maintain a virus free computer.

Check Firmware

Having problems with your wireless router? Check to see whether the unit's firmware is up to·date. Firmware is the software that controls many vital functions of the router. And manufacturers frequently provide updates to this software in order to correct connectivity and other issues. Check the manufacturer's website for the latest firmware. There, You should also find instructions for applying the firmware updates. 

Change Update setting

Windows Update can either be useful or annoying. It's annoying when it's on autopilot, set up to automatically download and install updates, which sometimes require a reboot. Change the Windows Update setting in the Windows Security section of the Control Panel to download updates automatically but them to ask you whether to install them.

Right Posture

If you use a computer for long periods of time, remember that proper posture is crucial to your health. Keep your feet on the floor, arms parallel with the desk, head up, and back straight. It's also a great idea to invest in a high quality office chair, one that provides as many adjustments as possible. Also, if you have short legs, consider adding a footrest to your setup.

Increase Circulation

Sitting at the computer for long hours will take a toll on your body. That's why it's important to get up, stretch, and move your legs from time to time. if you have trouble remembering, download a program such as Stretch Break http://www.paratec.com, which will not only remind you to take breaks but also show you examples of how to move around to increase circulation.

CPU Details

Thinking of upgrading your computer's central  processing unit (CPU) ? Take the guesswork out of finding out which CPU is compatible with your current computer by visiting CPU upgrade.com (http://www.cpu-upgrade.com). The site provides information on exactly which processors your motherboard supports. You can conduct searches by motherboard or by CPU, and links take you to more information about individual processors.