Challenge Software

Most people who use the Windows operating system experience times where their computer will not shut down correctly. Sometimes it freezes while it is shutting down, and in other cases, people experiences that instead of their PC shutting down, it restarts.

There are many causes of why some computer does not shut down correctly. However, here are some of the common solutions available to fix it.

The first is the applications opened and are running in the background. With the number of applications you install, there is a chance that your PC will not shut down correctly because some applications hang up or refuse to turn off. To solve this problem, you can try forcing the application to turn off before you shut down your computer. This normally solves the problem and will let your PC shut down correctly.

You can also alter the startup menu of your computer in order to prevent applications that you do not even need to run in the background, which may cause your computer to not shut down properly.

The system registry can also be the reason for your PC to not shut down properly. For this, you may want to try reinstalling your Windows operating system or you can try patching your Windows operating system to get rid of the bugs.

There are also software programs that can automatically fix the system registry for you. These programs are available for download in the internet and can easily fix your system registry, which will make your computer run faster and also correct any corrupt system registry entries that may cause your computer to not shut down properly.

These are the common causes of why your PC will not shut down correctly. By remembering these things, you can be sure that you will be able to get your PC to turn off properly and avoid damaging the hard drive and other components of your PC as a result of improperly shutting down your PC.

By: Jeff Kiser

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How to choose when buying a computer – is asking “what is the most popular computer” the right question? First off, I’ve found that a lot of people start thinking about this by asking “what is the most popular computer?” and letting the answer to that decide the question for them. Well, this isn’t necessarily the best idea.

Just because something is popular doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best — for example, fast food restaurants are popular places to go, but I think we all know they don’t serve the best food in the world. Here’s the thing to remember when thinking about how to chose when buying a computer — you should generally avoid the big brand names. Yes, this might surprise you, but in my opinion, it’s usually not a good idea to buy from one of the big brand name companies (there’s one exception that I’ll get to in a minute).

Here’s why: dollar for dollar, you’re generally going to get a worse deal than if you go with a reputable “generic” or “white box” store. A lot of people have low price as the first thing on their list when they’re trying to figure out how to chose when buying a computer. So they go with a cheap brand name and spend a few hundred dollars on it, and they think they’re getting a good deal. But what they don’t realize is that it’s common for a lot of the big brand companies to sell very out-of-date computers in their lower price ranges, and from what I’ve heard, they also often sell computers with parts they know are bad!

I’m not kidding about this — most of the big computer companies out there, when they sell their least expensive computers, are trying to unload old inventory that’s been collecting dust on their shelves for a long time. They sell it to you as if it’s new, and maybe it is in the sense of never purchased before, but it’s hardly new in terms of the technology. And the more disturbing part of this is that from what I’ve heard, those computers often have parts in them that are *known* to be bad parts!

You see, when a chip manufacturer like Intel makes a computer processor (the “brain” of the computer), they test it to make sure it works. Makes sense, right? But inevitably, many of them fail these tests. Now you’d think these bad parts would be thrown away, but no — from what I’ve heard, what happens is they still sell them to the big computer companies at a discount, and those companies put them into their computers anyway.

What you can do with a bad processor a lot of the time is set it to run slower, and while it may not be running at full speed, it works well enough to pass the tests. But the parts are still bad! Sure, they may work OK for a while (maybe just long enough to make it through the warranty period) but they have more little “glitches” and end up breaking down sooner. So if you can find a reputable local company that sells computers they assemble themselves, you’ll get a well built computer for a lot less because you’re not paying for the brand name.

A family-owned store like that is the only place I’d buy a Windows PC, personally. So earlier I mentioned there was an exception among the big brand names — if you’ve been reading my articles or my email newsletter for a while, you might have already guessed which one it is — Apple.

Apple is the only big brand name computer I personally would buy (I’m writing this on a MacBook Pro). I do this partially because I’ve used a lot of different types of computers over the years, and really don’t enjoy using Windows much. But I also do this because Apple doesn’t deliberately put bad processors in their computers, or try to sell out-of-date computers as new. Some people complain that Apple’s Macs are overpriced, but that’s actually not the case — when compared apples to apples (excuse the pun) they tend to be in the same price range as a Dell or HP of the same general specs.

So bottom line is, here’s how to chose when you’re buying a computer: if you want to stick with Windows, then support a local business and go to a good store that puts your computer together for you from parts. And make sure you ask them to put Windows XP on it, not Windows Vista (for reasons I’ve covered in a previous 3-part article about the problems with Windows Vista). Or finally get away from Windows and switch to a Mac.

Either way, you’re getting a better deal. Hope that makes sense and helps with your decisions on how to chose when buying a computer.

By: Worth Godwin


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A computer processor is in charge of analyzing data and controlling the flow of data in a computer. Also called the CPU or central processing unit, it is considered to be the brain of the computer since it performs the actual data processing. A computer processor is packaged as a small microchip which is designed to fit a socket of a motherboard. With speeds ranging between 2.66 and 3.66 gigahertz, there are different types of computer processors available.

Different types of computer processors

Some of the types you can choose from include:

Intel computer processors – exclusively designed by Intel, the latest and most popular models of these computer processors include the Pentium 4 processor, Pentium 4 processor with HT Technology, and the Celeron Processor. As for functions, the Pentium 4 model is a powerful processor that’s capable of handling demanding applications like 3D gaming, DVD authoring, and other multimedia applications, while the Pentium 4 with HT Technology is made to run efficiently with lesser response times even though multiple applications are running simultaneously. The Celeron processors, on the other hand, is ideal because it is compatible with all software and computer hardware brands.

AMD computer processors – providing excellent value and performance, these processors are exclusively made by AMD or Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., compatible as well with most off-the-shelf applications and programs. Some of these computer processors are also programmed to include their own anti-virus protection. The most popular models are the Athlon 64 and the Athlon XP. The Athlon 64 is made for more advanced computers, particularly those running 64-bit programs, allowing complex games and other software to be used, while the Athlon XP enhances XP applications with better images and graphics.

How to choose

The different types of computer processors available in the market today all have a particular function that they’re good at. As such, understanding what you require will help you in figuring out the right one for you. If your budget will also allow it, go for the latest models so you don’t have to upgrade frequently.

By: Ilse Hagen

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If it had probably occurred in your computer that a certain application seems to take forever to load, there might be something wrong inside it. In fact, there could be a very big possibility that you could be infected with viruses which could be a very troublesome companion. Here are some tips to increase computer speed, guaranteed!

Get rid of trash. The reason that your computer might be responding in a very sluggish manner could be the presence of too much spam and trash clogging your hard drive that would not increase computer speed in any way. There is no better way to start cleaning up than to empty your recycle bin. To do this, simply right-click on the Recycle Bin icon located in your desktop, and choose ‘Empty Rercycle Bin’. In case you still do not know it, the data stored in the Recycle Bin actually counts to the actual hard disk capacity of your computer. Therefore, it is definitely a must to keep this bin empty to help increase computer speed. Make it a habit to clear it for at least once a day, but make sure that you spare the important files that you might have accidentally thrown to the Recycle Bin. That is because once you have already emptied it, there is no turning back!

Manage your processes. If you happen to open your Task Manager and see too many unrecognized processes running in the background, that could be a very noticeable sign of virus or spyware infection. Also, check which among these are essential in your regular computer processes and simply terminate those that may not be necessary to run in the background the whole time you are loading stuff in your PC. Make sure that you do not pick the important ones, or you will experience a very annoying interruption with your regular PC routine, such as sudden shut-down of applications, missing taskbars, and more. To get help on which processes need not be running 24/7 on your computers, consult the internet. Especially if you are a newbie, do not attempt to terminate processes in the Task Manager by instinct-you could be in worse trouble for that!

Visit startup items. This is usually where the common culprits thrive. They self-launch and multiply the moment their executable files are loaded as early as the computer boots up. If you want to increase computer speed by checking your startup items, get a little help with the list of important Windows processes first before un-checking any of the startup entries. It is very common to some users to mistaken an essential Windows process as a PC culprit, only to end up getting more trouble with loading his program files as the PC boots up. If you do not want any of these things to happen, and if you want to increase computer speed, get acquainted with the essential processes first before changing anything. Then, when you have pointed out the culprit, simply disable that item and perform a quick restart. You will notice that the annoying dialog box should have already disappeared by now. Just be careful not to make a mistake in choosing the startup entries!

By: Kelly Purden

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Are you suffering from the “my computer is running slow” syndrome? Has your computer gotten to the point where you can turn it on, go have your morning coffee, get dressed and by the time you get back to it, find that windows still hasn’t booted? This is when you know that you are suffering from the “My computer is running slow” syndrome.

What causes your computer to slow down?

When you first get a computer, it runs at its optimal settings, but as time goes by you add things to it, and you take things away from it. For example, you put pictures, files, music, documents, and programs on it, and then you take all of those things off again. To put this simply, the computer gets a little messy. Sort of like your old high school binder, when you didn’t clean it out.

What Can You Do to Speed Your Computer Up?

About once a month you should run scan disk and then defragment your hard drive. This will keep your hard drive in optimal conditions and will help keep your computer running smoothly. You can find the scan disk utility and defragmenter under system tools in accessories in your programs tab. While your there you can also run disk clean up.

Another reason your computer may be running slow is because it may have a virus. Just to be on the safe side run your antivirus software, but make sure that you have an updated version, or update it online before running your antivirus software. If it takes a long time to run the program, don’t worry about it, you probably have a lot of files for it to go through. Start up programs may be another reason your computer takes so long to start. These are programs that start with your system and run in the background. You should disable start up programs that you do not use.

Problems in your registry may also cause your computer to run a little slow. You can get rid of this problem by downloading a registry cleaner tools program. You can find a number of these programs online and they are very simple to install and use.

Make sure you have the right hardware

If after doing all of these things your computer is still running slow then you may be running too many programs on the computer and you may need to add more ram memory. You can see how much memory your computer has by going to system tools and looking at system information. If you’re running anything under 256 MB, then you need to add more memory.

Remember maintaining your computer, keeping it clean, running your system tools and doing a virus scan once in a while will help your computer run at optimum speed. When installing a new program, check to see what memory requirements the program requires and don’t install it, unless you have that amount of memory. This is the way you will avoid the “My computer is running slow” syndrome.

By: Michael Baker

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Default wallpapers are used on your computer using a desktop design based on user interface. It is a setting sample found in your computer against the menus, icons and other elements displayed on your computer screen. They are usually in JPEG or GIF formats and can be used with different operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Macintosh Mac OS, Linux and a lot more. However, these default wallpapers could be a little boring. For this, you need something that can make your computer screen scream of excitement and fun.

The different wallpapers you see today are of different designs so they can instantly spice up your plain computer screen. Finding the perfect wallpaper can be easily done as they are widely available in the internet today. So, instead of having a plain background on your computer screen, you can now witness a whole new look. If you think that having wallpapers could cost you a fortune, well think again, you can now download wallpapers for free! Yes, you don’t even have to shell out a cent just to enjoy all the exciting free wallpapers as long as you have access to the internet.

The images used to create free wallpapers are typically raster graphics which usually have the similar dimension as your computer’s display resolution. This will allow the free wallpaper to fill the entire background of your computer. A good number of the screen resolutions of computers today are proportional, the images are scaled to fit the computer screen. Though some wide-screen monitors have different aspect ratio specifications for wallpapers. Meanwhile, the images for the standard monitors can be scaled in order to fit the monitor without sacrificing its quality.

Some free of charge desktop wallpapers can be double-width form. These are used in multi-monitor computers where the picture has the capacity to fill even two monitors. The smaller images on the other hand, can be tiled to serve as your computer’s wallpaper. So, you can say if a wallpaper is of high quality if the images are clear and are nice to look at.

Using free wallpapers are actually easy to use. All you need to do is choose from the different designs of wallpapers that would look perfectly in your computer. There are handful of wallpaper styles you can find today. They can be creating by means of pictures, abstract patters and a lot more. They can also be categorized like holidays, movies, pets, and others. After choosing the wallpaper design, you have to click the link that applies to your screen resolution. After this, a window will pop in your screen. You now have to right click on the wallpaper and select the “set as wallpaper.” Downloading may take time but the final result in your computer screen would be all worth it.

For the perfect wallpaper to fit your computer screen, you can absolutely rely on kewlwallpapers.com. Here, you can find the ideal wallpaper design that best fits your personality. Get the wallpaper of your choice now and get ready to put your computer screen to a notch higher style.

By: Rober Ron

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Have you ever wondered what the names are of the devices connected to, and in, your computer? There are many people out there who have never owned a computer or who have a computer but do not know what the proper terms are for the things that come with it. This article explains what those names are and provides a little bit of information about how they function.

Generally, all computers come with a few basic devices. These usually include a Monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and the computer (also known as the tower or case).

Monitor – The monitor is the device that looks similar to a TV. There are many types of monitors but the most common is a 17 inch CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor. A CRT monitor is very similar to your standard TV. There is a new type of monitor that is becoming very popular, it’s called an LCD monitor. An LCD monitor is quite a bit smaller and the quality is somewhat better.

Keyboard – The keyboard is one of the most basic input devices. This is the device that has all the numbers, letters, and symbols that you use to type words on the computer.

Mouse – This is the other most basic input device. It is a small mouse-like device connected to your computer that lets you move the pointer around the screen and click on icons.

Computer – This is the device that houses the “Guts” of your computer. Inside is where all of the magic happens. Generally, inside a computer case you will find a hard drive, system board, RAM, network card, and all the other devices that let you do all of the fun things that computers nowadays let you do.

Printer – This is the device that lets you turn what you see on your computer, into hard copies on paper. There are many types of printers, such as: ink jet, laser, and dot matrix. Some printers also come with built in scanners (to digitize paper documents), fax machines, and photocopiers.

This is just some basic information that has, hopefully, helped you better understand your computer. You may think that most people should already know this but you might be surprised at how many do not.

By: Dennis DEntremont

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In this part of the article ‘Part 2′, I intend to focus on the classification of computer. It is of great important to know of the classification a particular computer system belongs, as this will help in clear differentiation among them when come across.

Classification of Computer:
In this section, we give the classification of computers by the type of data they process, Purpose and Physical Size.

Classification by Data Process:

Digital Computers:
The digital computers convert all input data into binary form; process the data in binary form but the processed information is converted back to decimal form. The output from digital computers are usually discrete values. Digital computers are very accurate; examples include desk calculators, some personal computers and adding machines. Most business applications use digital computers.

Analogue Computers:
Analogue computers represent data in continuous form using physical quantities. Their accuracy depends upon the measurement made, and so not as accurate as the digital computers. These types of computers are used for scientific or engineering purposes. Examples include petrol pumps, speedometers, voltammeters and all such instruments.

Hybrid Computer:
Hybrid computers combine the best features of analogue and digital computers. Using digitizers, hybrid computers accept analogue inputs and output digital values. They are used in highly scientific environments. The hybrid has the speed of the analogue and the accuracy of the digital computers.

Classification by Purpose
Using this basis, the two major classes are explained below:

Special Purpose Computers:
These are computers designed to carry out specific tasks. They have in-built programs, which are stored in a part of the main memory called Read Only Memory (ROM). The content of this type of memory can be accessed and executed by the computer but cannot be modified by the user. Examples are computers designed for use in digital watches.

General Purpose Computers:
These are computers that are not specifically designed or built for specific jobs. They solve various kinds of problems depending on the program or software loaded into them. Their main memory is typically, Random Access Memory (RAM). Example of these type of computers are found in business, commercial and scientific environment.

Classification by Physical Size:

Microcomputer: Microcomputer is at the lowest end of the computer range in terms of speed and storage capacity. Its CPU is a microprocessor. The first microprocessors were built of 8-bit microprocessor chips. The most common application of personal computers (PC) is in this category. The PC supports a number of input and output devices. Examples of microcomputers are IBM PC, PC-AT etc.

Mini Computer: This is design to support more than one user at a time. It possesses large storage capacity and operates at a higher speed. The mini computer is used in multi-user system in which various users can work at the same time. This type of computer is generally use for processing large volume of data in an organization. They are also use as servers in Local Area Networks (LAN).

Mainframes: These types of computers are generally 32-bit microprocessors. They operate at very high speed, have very large storage capacity and can handle the workload of many users. They are generally use in centralized databases. They are also use as controlling nodes in Wide Area Networks (WAN). Examples are DEC, ICL and IBM 3000 series.

Supercomputer: They are the fastest and most expensive machines. They have high processing speed compared to other computers. They have also multiprocessing technique. One of the ways in which supercomputers are built is by interconnecting hundreds of microprocessors. Supercomputers are mainly being used for weather forecasting, biomedical research, remote sensing, aircraft design and other areas of science and technology. Examples are CRAY YMP, CRAY2, NEC SX-3, CRAY XMP and PARAM from India.

By: Emmanuel Effiong


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When your PC goes wrong and you have lost all hope the normal final stage is to reformat your computer and start afresh. This will most likely resolve any software issues, remove viruses or any other nasties and give you a clean start. But what happens if you have already reformatted and the problem still exists?

This means, most likely, you have a hardware fault. This is where problems can start.

Diagnosing a computer hardware fault can be a right pain as any of the computer components could the cause. Unless you are intending to replace the entire machine you need to carefully diagnose with what components the fault lies with.

I would advise you look at the computer into these main areas to analyse.

Memory / RAM

Power Supply

Hard Disk

Motherboard

This isn’t a complete definitive list, obviously depending on your issue ie if your issue is that you don’t get sound then it could be a sound card issue, similarly if you don’t get a display then graphics could be the culprit. If it is a random fault then either of the above could be the cause.

Memory – this is fortunately quite easy to diagnose. Search the Internet for a memory tester. Generally these can be put onto a CD (or Floppy if you are stuck in the past!!), boot up from the CD which then enters the memory test. This will constantly cycle through, testing the memory for errors. It is wise to leave this on for several hours or even better over night. It will advise you if the memory fails.

Power Supply – this can be a strange one. People generally assume that if the power supply does fail then you would get no life from you computer at all. This sometimes is not true. I have had computers that turn off at random times, computers that have the power light on, but do not start up etc and it has turned out to be the supply – I would advise this should be one of the first things to test as can be a problematic area. Testing it can be difficult without the right equipment. Really the only way is to get a volt tester and check the voltage and current coming out.

Hard Disk – this can be one of the worst problems to have as if your hard disk does fail, unless you have been sensible and done regular backups of your most valuable data, you stand to lose it all. Hard disks can go at any time and usually you will hear a harsh sounding clicking noise that is coming from your computer. If this is the case you need to probably replace the hard disk. Get someone who then knows what they are doing here to try and recover your old data for you.

If none of the above solves your problem then you could possibly be looking at the fault being with the motherboard or any other plug in cards or devices you have. Remove everything to leave only the very basics. Take out all sound cards etc and any other PCI devices that are not essential. If you have more than one stick of ram then leave in only one and see if the problem resolves.

Really, solving hardware issues comes down to a case of trial and error here so take the time to test everything out. Bear in mind that even if your keyboard or mouse is faulty, very strange things can happen to a computer, so if you can, try to remove and test every single item.

By: Olly Fallon

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Is your hard drive acting up? Do you fear the loss of data, downtime, and possible loss of revenue this could bring? Let’s take a look at diagnosing hard drive problems, and what the symptoms are.

The surest sign of a major problem is this: when you write data to the disk, and retrieve it later, errors pop up. It might take the form of small amounts of data going missing, or being turned into gibberish. If this happens in more than one program, disk failure looms in the very near future.

Some users “cure” this problem by reformatting the drive, then re-installing the OS and all programs. Unfortunately, this doesn’t correct the root cause of the trouble, and it will only be a matter of time before it pops up again, perhaps fatally.

Strange noises, particularly high pitched squeaks, are often attributed to the hard drive. In the majority of cases, these squeaks aren’t coming from the drive, but from a case fan, or power supply fan.

Listen closely with one of the side panels removed to zero in on the sound. If necessary, unplug the drive’s power cable, then turn the computer on. If you still hear the squeak, you know it’s a fan. But if the squeak goes away, only to return when you boot the hard drive, you have a very serious problem.

If your hard drive seems to be working too much, constantly chugging away, always sending data to and from RAM, the problem isn’t your drive. The odds are you need more RAM. Today’s giant programs are memory hogs, immense in size, creating multi-megabyte files.

If your hard drive is slowing down there are a number of different causes. These won’t lead to disk failure, but they can be frustrating.

The first, and easiest to deal with, is drive fragmentation. In XP and Vista it’s easy to defragment a drive, requiring only a few mouse clicks, yet most users let months go by without doing it. They wait until their machines have slowed to a crawl before performing this most basic act of computer maintenance.

Another cause is the volume of data stored there. The more data on the disk, the slower retrieval and write-to rates become. The cure is obvious. Either do a bit of house cleaning, removing unneeded files, or add another drive.

Sometimes, a sluggish hard drive can be a symptom of spyware, adware, or a virus. A good security program can scan your drive, and tell you if you have one of these problems.

By: Michael Quarles

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