Saturday, December 4, 2010

Download Your Facebook Profile To Your Computer to save


Did you know that you can download your Facebook profile? Would you like to keep a record of what you have done on Facebook. Other peoples comments and messages to you, even all the pictures you have uploaded and shared. This information is readily available to you and all you have to do is download your Facebook profile.
In this tutorial I will show you how to download your entire Facebook profile to your computer and save it for later. Bare in mind that you will have to do this on a regular basis if you are continually updating your profile with new information.

Download Your Facebook Profile To Your Computer to save

1.  Go to your Facebook account and sign in.
2.  Click on the small drop down arrow next to the account link.
3.  A menu will appear. Choose account settings from the menu. See the screen shot below.
my facebook profile
4.  Now you are in your Facebook account settings.
5.  Make sure you are on the settings tab as shown below.
download your facebook profile
6.  Scroll down the page until you see a heading Download Your Information. See the screen shot below.
download your facebook profile
7.  The next page will appear. Click on the download button.
download your facebook profile to your computer
8.  A message will appear. You will receive an email when your archive is ready for download.
facebook profile
When you receive your email you can unzip the package and open a copy of your Facebook profile in an Internet browser window.

Source BY : tips4pc 

Thursday, December 2, 2010

How To Copy a DVD to a Computer Hard Drive

Digital copies of movies are the way to go now. There is little wonder why Blockbuster is struggling. Everyone would like to have a soft copy of their favorite movies on their computer hard drive. It makes it easy to browse your many movies when they are all on one small portable storage device. For you to copy or transfer a file, from a DVD to an electronic gadget, you must first copy the DVD onto your computer. We also want to let you know that we are in no way condoning the act of pirating DVDs. This guide is made for DVDs you own already.

Decrypting or Ripping the DVD

Unless you have a pirated copy, chances are that the DVD is protected. You will have to decrypt it. To decrypt it, you need software like AndyDVD. This software is not free though. If you don't want to spend money on this kind software, then you can achieve the same task with DVDRip, DVD43, or RipIt4Me. These are free but each individual software package may not work for all DVDs. In our experience, one of these software packages will be able to do the job though. After you have a DVD Decrypting software, it should be pretty easy to rip the DVD to the hard drive.

DVD Conversion

DVD43/DVDRip/RipIt4Me are only for decryption of the DVD. To convert the file to a good format, you will need another piece of software. One such software that we have found to be very useful is Handbrake. This software can help to convert files to suitable file types for iPods / iPhones, smartphones, and other portable devices. After you have the DVD decrypted and on the hard drive, you will want to start up Handbrake. From HandBrake, you can convert to many formats including AVI and mpeg-4. You can also shrink the file down to a smaller size as well which is helpful for many reasons.

The whole process of decrypting and transferring probably takes a decent amount of time, like 3 to 5 hours, give or take. This is dependant on your hardware. Another thing to keep in mind is that a ripped DVD will take up a lot of hard drive space. So, if you plan to rip your whole library, you will need a decent sized hard drive. Now you know how to copy from the DVD to the computer hard drive.

What to look for when buying a new computer

The time often comes when an old computer just isn't cutting it anymore and you need a new pc. The following guide will help you to answer the questions of what you need, what do I upgrade, and more. Also, you may be interested in reading our comprehensive guide to speed up your computer before purchasing a new PC if you would like save money and keep your current computer.

The first thing you need to consider is what you will be doing with the computer. Are you a gamer? Will you be running hardware intensive programs like autocad, animation/design programs that need to render, etc? Will you need to store a lot of video, pictures, and music? Will this be a media center PC? Or will this computer just be a basic email, websurfing, and word processing machine? Answers to all of these questions can help you decide what hardware you need.


Processor

This is the brain of your computer. The two most common brands are Intel and AMD right now. For most people, the processor an average new computer comes with is fine for you. However, if you will be gaming, rendering, or using your computer as a media pc, you may want to upgrade this processor. Right now, Intel makes a better processor for the price. I would recommend a higher speed, multi-core processor if you will be doing any of the cpu intense activities listed above.

Memory (RAM)

This is one area of the computer I would recommend upgrading no matter what you are planning to do with your pc. Many computer slow downs can be attributed to a lack of RAM. I would recommend at least 2 Gigs for Vista and Windows 7. If you can afford to go higher, this is one area I would suggest doing so. It will be worth it in the long run because it will keep your computer running faster longer. Also, before buying a new computer, you may want to ask yourself if a simple memory upgrade will solve your computer slowness.

Video Card

Most average computers don't come with a video card and just come with an onboard graphics card. These are fine for most users. However, if you are a gamer, you will want a video card for sure. New video cards change often and the top of the line cards are very expensive. I would recommend getting something in the middle unless money is not an option. Usually the best price for performance will be in the 150-250 dollar range. Make sure you read reviews of the card before deciding which one to go with.

Hard Disk

The speed of most hard drives is comparable across the board. There are higher end hard drives that are faster, but I have not found these to be worth the price for most people. One exception is if you are planning on running a server. For most people, only the hard disk size is any issue. If you do a lot of multi-media stuff such as taking pictures, downloading or taking video, storing music, etc, you will want to consider a larger hard drive or even a second hard drive. Also, if your new computer is going to be a media pc, you will also want a large hard disk. The reason for this is because recording TV, especially HDTV, takes up a whole lot of hard drive space. You can also check out our hard drive buying guide for more detailed information.

Popular Computer Companies

For most people a basic Dell, IBM, Lenovo, Sony, or HP will be fine. If you are really into design and art, an Apple may be good for you. Dell and Alienware make great gaming computers if you are looking for that. Also, another option is to build a computer yourself. I would only recommend doing this if you know what you are doing and you need a higher end computer. It is not worth building a computer just to check email and browse the web.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Security Tips

How to Protect Your Computer From Viruses

With millions of computer users browsing the web at any given time, there are plenty of targets for malicious coders. While computer experts don’t always know why coders choose to build harmful computer programs, the fact is that it happens all the time. Computer viruses can steal personal information, interfere with normal operations, attract spam and even shut down your computer’s hard drive. Protecting your computer is critical for browsing success.

Start With the Basics

Most computer systems come with security features already in place. For example, the Windows operating system is packaged with Microsoft Windows Security Center. When you first open, boot up and register a new computer, you should make sure that this program is functioning. It will give basic protection against spyware, viruses and malware. In addition, a basic firewall is built into this program, providing additional protection and stops for potentially harmful programs. Upon activation, don’t be surprised if your security system needs immediate updating. Software that protects your computer needs regular and consistent updating to stay useful. Viruses are constantly being generated and the several-month lag between when your computer was made and when you first started using it can mean that the database the security system is loaded with is severely out-of-date.

Upgrade to Meet Your Needs

Many people operate computers for a long time with only basic protection in place. However, heavy computer users or those who have risky browsing habits can sometimes benefit from upgrading their virus, spyware and malware protection, as well as using a fuller-featured firewall; this is especially important if you use a networked computer system. Basic or free virus protection will still scan and update for viruses. Paid programs, however, offer more features, including ease-of-use and convenience features. The most important thing is to verify the publisher and make sure you are getting what is promised. Most well-known virus protection programs, such as AVG and Norton Security, have reviews available to help you make your choice.

Learn About Spyware Risks

Spyware creates risks that many computer users are not aware of. If you are only protecting against viruses, you could be leaving your computer open to damage. Most people are familiar with spyware that initiates and attracts annoying ad programs. Spyware, however, can be much more malicious as well. Your shopping habits can be tracked by spyware. While not exactly harmful, some people consider this a breach of privacy. The worst spyware programs interfere with normal operations and can even track what you type, sending personal information to people who want to steal your identity. Some spyware redirects your browser to different web addresses, increasing your risks of virus infection and fraud.

How Viruses Work

The main difference between spyware and viruses is how they are spread. A virus reproduces itself and attaches to any document that the computer sends, while spyware can be stored as a cookie or tracking code. A virus is most often found traveling with a piece of computer software, such as a document, picture or piece of music. When dealing with email, it is necessary to open an attachment to become infected, indicating that, in most cases, the computer user must somehow invite the malicious software to replicate on their system. Of course, most people have no idea it is there or what is happening. Some of the sneakiest and most harmful viruses actually masquerade as virus protection software, making them extremely hard to detect. Because of this, it’s crucial to be familiar with your particular virus protection program and know what it looks like and what the normal scripts and prompts are during operation. Viruses do some of the same things that spyware does; they just accomplish it differently. An active virus can steal personal information, generate ads or shut down your system, including the very virus protection programs that can fix the issue.

Take Steps For Protection

Like anything, the best way to protect against viruses is to be educated. Become familiar with what malicious software may look like. If you get an email or are asked to download a file that you don’t recognize or looks suspicious, do your homework. Research virus protection, spyware, malware and firewall programs and use them to their fullest capacity. Set the software to update and scan automatically to make sure that the system is constantly monitored. In addition, regularly check on the databases published by various virus protection services; many will provide lists of symptoms and risks, as well as the standard way the file gains access for no cost to the public.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

How to Print a Booklet in MS Word 2007


A very useful feature of Office 2007 is to print a booklet in Word 2007. The feature to print a booklet in Word 2007 lets you make a booklet from an old or new document before printing it. After you finish making the document, you can use this feature to speedily arrange it in a booklet style. You can arrange it in a booklet with folded-over even number of pages. You can later print a booklet in Word 2007.  Follow these steps in order to print a booklet in Word 2007:
Open a new or already existing Word 2007 document.
Select the "Page Layout" tab.
Click on the arrow situated at the bottom of the "Page Setup" group.
 
The Page Setup windows pane will appear. From the Margins tab, choose "Book Fold" from the menu in front of "Multiple pages".
Choose the number of pages that you would like to include in the booklet from the menu in front of "Sheets per booklet".
Click on the "OK" button.
Click on the "Office" button.  
Choose "Print" and click on "Print Preview" from the right hand side of the menu. From here you can see if the layout is all right and that the order of the pages is correct. 
Click on the "Printer" icon on the far left of the Print Preview tab. 
Click on the "OK" button.

How to display the hidden settings of iPhone handsets


today tip will help you to play with your iPhone mobile phones using secrets codes. These secret codes will work on most of the Apple mobile handsets. You can display the hidden information of Apple handsets and troubleshoot the routine problems with the help of these codes.


Follow the list of latest Apple codes list: 
Code                                        Action 
*#06#                             To display the IMEI Number of the mobile  
*225#                           Use to display the balance detail of postpaid number    
*#43#                                           Use to verify if call waiting is enabled
*#61#                                           Verify the number for unanswered calls
*#62#                                           Verify the number for call forwarding if no service is available.
*#67#                                           Verify the number for call forwarding if phone is busy
*#646#                          Use to display the minute detail of postpaid number
*777#                         Use to display the balance detail of prepaid number    
*3001#12345#*                         Display the iphone inner settings
*#33#                                           To verify whether barring is enabled or disabled for outgoing
*#21#                                           To display the settings for your call forwarding

How to Convert PowerPoint to Word in Office 2007


Usually when we want to create a presentation, we prefer PowerPoint 2007 over Word 2007. This is because it is easier to create a presentation in PowerPoint 2007. It is also preferred by the users because it catches the attention of the viewers and conveys the message more efficiently. But sometimes we are bound to give the presentation in Word. In that case, we can convert PowerPoint to Word in Office 2007. The presentation slides of PowerPoint are turned into thumbnails. There is more space for text. It is very easy to convert PowerPoint to Word in Office 2007. Follow these simple steps to convert PowerPoint to Word in Office 2007.
 Click on the "Office" button on the top left corner of PowerPoint.
Click on "Publish" on the left hand side of the menu.
 Click on "Create Handouts in Microsoft Office Word" from the resulting menu.
 The "Send to Microsoft Office Word" dialog box will become visible. Select from the list of given page layouts you need for the document on Word.
Choose "Paste link" or "Paste" under “Add slides to Microsoft Office Word document” at the bottom of this dialog box.
Press on the OK button.
Word 2007 will open automatically which will consist of the PowerPoint slides in Word. If you have chosen the option "Paste," your PowerPoint slide will turn into Word just as it is. If you make alterations to the PowerPoint presentation later, they won’t be visible in the document on Word. However, if you choose "Paste Link," your Word document will be up to date according to the PowerPoint slide presentation.
Source By : computerfreetips


Block a website address from opening in windows


want to block access to particular websites on their system.  Parents can block certain websites from their younger ones. It can also be used in schools and colleges etc….
Trick to block a website in windowsWell this trick is very simple and it goes this way.
1. Open MyComputer
2. Browse C:   (or your Operating system drive)
3. Browse Windows –>System32–>drivers–>etc
so the Location will be C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc
In the etc folder look for the file hosts
4. Open this file hosts with notepad.
5.  Locate the line 127.0.0.1 localhost
6. To block www.google.com for example, just add this text under
127.0.0.1  localhost:
127.0.0.1 www.google.com
127.0.0.1 www.yahoo.com
7. Save the file.
In this way add any number of sites you want,  however you will need to prefix it with “127.0.0.1″.
Note:  This blocks the website from opening in any browser whether it is Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer

Monday, November 29, 2010

Basic network troubleshooting.



Issue:

Basic network troubleshooting.

Cause:

If a computer is unable to connect to a network or see other computers on a network, it may be necessary to troubleshoot the network. A network may not work because of any of the below reasons.
  1. Network card not connected properly.
  2. Bad network card drivers or software settings.
  3. Firewall preventing computers from seeing each other.
  4. Connection related issues.
  5. Bad network hardware.

Solution:

Because of the large variety of network configurations, operating systems, setup, etc... not all of the below information may apply to your network or operating system. If your computer is connected to a company or large network, or you are not the administrator of the network, it is recommended that if you are unable to resolve your issues after following the below recommendations that you contact the network administrator or company representative.
Note: If you are being prompted for a Network password and do not know the password, Computer Hope is unable to assist users with obtaining a new or finding out the old password.
Verify connections / LEDs
Verify that the network cable is properly connected to the back of the computer. In addition, when checking the connection of the network cable, ensure that the LEDs on the network are properly illuminated. For example, a network card with a solid green LED or light usually indicates that the card is either connected or receiving a signal. Note: generally, when the green light is flashing, this is an indication of data being sent or received.
If, however, the card does not have any lights or has orange or red lights, it is possible that either the card is bad, the card is not connected properly, or that the card is not receiving a signal from the network.
If you are on a small or local network and have the capability of checking a hub or switch, verify that the cables are properly connected and that the hub or switch has power.
Adapter resources
Ensure that if this is a new network card being installed into the computer that the card's resources are properly set and/or are not conflicting with any hardware in the computer.
Users who are using Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000 or XP, verify that Device Manager has no conflicts or errors. Additional help and information about Device Manager and resources can be found on our Device Manager page.
Adapter functionality
Verify that the network card is capable of pinging or seeing itself by using the ping command. Windows / MS-DOS users ping the computer from a MS-DOS prompt. Unix / Linux variant users ping the computer from the shell.
To ping the card or the localhost, type either
ping 127.0.0.1
or
ping localhost
This should show a listing of replies from the network card. If you receive an error or if the transmission failed, it is likely that either the network card is not physically installed into the computer correctly, or that the card is bad.
Protocol
Verify that the correct protocols are installed on the computer. Most networks today will utilize TCP/IP, but may also utilize or require IPX/SPX and NetBEUI.
Additional information and help with installing and reinstalling a network protocol can be found on document CH000470.
When the TCP/IP protocol is installed, unless a DNS server or other computer assigns the IPX address, the user must specify an IP address as well as a Subnet Mask. To do this, follow the below instructions.
  1. Click Start / Settings / Control Panel
  2. Double-click the Network icon
  3. Within the configuration tab double-click the TCP/IP protocol icon. Note: Do not click on the PPP or Dial-Up adapter, click on the network card adapter.
  4. In the TCP/IP properties click the IP address tab
  5. Select the option to specify an IP address
  6. Enter the IP address and Subnet Mask address, an example of such an address could be:

    IP Address: 102.55.92.1
    Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.192
  7. When specifying these values, the computers on the network must all have the same Subnet Mask and have a different IP Address. For example, when using the above values on one computer you would want to use an IP address of 102.55.92.2 on another computer and then specify the same Subnet Mask.
Firewall
If your computer network utilizes a firewall, ensure that all ports required are open. If possible, close the firewall software program or disconnect the computer from the firewall to ensure it is not causing the problem.
Additional time
In some cases it may take a computer some additional time to detect or see the network. If after booting the computer you are unable to see the network, give the computer 2-3 minutes to detect the network. Windows users may also want to try pressing the F5 (refresh) key when in Network Neighborhood to refresh the network connections and possibly detect the network.
Additional troubleshooting
If after following or verifying the above recommendations you are still unable to connect or see the network, attempt one or more of the below recommendations.
If you have installed or are using TCP/IP as your protocol you can attempt to ping another computer's IP address to verify if the computer is able to send and receive data. To do this, Windows or MS-DOS users must be at a prompt and Linux / Unix variant users must open or be at a shell.
Once at the prompt assuming, that the address of the computer you wish to attempt to ping is 102.55.92.2, you would type:
ping 102.55.92.2
If you receive a response back from this address (and it is a different computer), this demonstrates that the computer is communicating over the network. If you are still unable to connect or see the network, it is possible that other issues may be present.
Another method of determining network issues is to use the tracert command if you are a MS-DOS or Windows user or the traceroute command if you are a Linux / Unix variant user. To use this command you must be at the command prompt or shell.
Once at the prompt, assuming that the address is again 102.55.92.2, type:
tracert 102.55.92.2
or
traceroute 102.55.92.2
This should begin listing the hops between the computer and network devices. When the connection fails, determine which device is causing the issue by reviewing the traceroute listing.

Source By : computerhope 

Top 10 Twitter tips and tricks


Below is a listing of our top 10 favorite Twitter tips and tricks. These tips will help make your Twitter experience more enjoyable and can help increase your followers.
Customize

  • Change your profile picture. Use a picture of yourself to make it seem more personalized if this is your personal Twitter account.
  • Utilize as much of the 160-character limit Twitter BIO space allows. Include keywords your followers or potential followers may be searching for.
  • Create your own background image. However, do not make the image too much like an ad or sales pitch. The background image must be less than 800k and we recommend a size of 1600x1200 for a large image or smaller if you plan on tiling the image or just having it on the left-hand side. Finally, keep in mind that smaller resolutions and monitor sizes will hide much of the background.
Third-party tools
Take advantage of the hundreds of different third-party online tools and services that enhance your Twitter experience. Below are a few of our favorites.
  • TwitPic - Take advantage of TwitPic to post pictures on your tweets. If you want to post pictures while away from the computer, use the Twitterific app.
  • Qwitter - Great service that sends an e-mail any time someone unsubscribes from your Twitter profile and mentions a possible Twitter post you made that may have caused them to leave.
  • Manageflitter - Fantastic site for managing your followers and getting an easy to read overview of people not following you back, quiet users, and inactive users.
  • SocialOomph - Another great service with a collection of free Twitter tools including the ability to schedule when a tweets gets posted.
  • Tweetbeat - An excellent site that takes the trending topics on Twitter and gives you a clearer explanation of present and past trending topics.
  • Twitter Fan Wiki Apps - Finally, this wiki has a listing of several hundred different Twitter applications and tools for users wanting more.
Use Twitter search
Take full advantage of the Twitter search tool. Below are just a few tips that can help improve your search capabilities on Twitter.
  • Search for your website or blog URL and see if others are mentioning your page.
  • Search for anything near you by adding near:"city state". For example, typing near:"Salt lake city Utah" clubwould return current tweets that have happened in Salt Lake City, Utah with the keyword club in them.
  • Find people who you may enjoy following by searching for keywords that interested you.
  • If you do not want tweets with links add ? -filter:links at the end of your search query.
  • Need more options, use the Advanced Twitter search.
  • Any time you get excellent results click the "Save this search" button to save that search. These searches can then be found under "Saved Searches" on the right-hand part of your profile on the old Twitter interface or under the "Searches" tab next to your timeline on the new Twitter interface.
Followers
  • Engage followers.
  • Do not follow too many people. No one is going to follow someone who is following thousands of people but only has 10 followers.
  • Retweet interesting posts.
  • Retweet and participate in conversations with people with a lot of followers.
  • Realize it is impossible for anyone to read every tweet.
  • When first joining do not follow hundreds of people, doing this may mark you as a bot.
Create useful and interesting tweets
  • Try making all your tweets informative, useful, or funny.
  • Do not post mundane posts, e.g. eating a bowl of cereal.
  • Add hastags to your tweets. For example, if your tweet is about computers, consider adding #computer ithe tweet.
  • Tweet frequently. No one is going to follow someone they do not know who has not tweeted in months. Try at the very least to tweet a few times a week or daily if you can manage.
  • Do not whine or complain. Everyone will unfollow anyone who constantly whines or complains.
  • Try making your valuable tweets during the times people will most likely see them.
  • Keep some space available in your tweet in case someone retweets your post.
  • Use special characters in your tweets.
Know the lingo
Know the Twitter lingo, these are just a few examples: @replyDirect Message (DM)FollowerHashtag,Retweet (RT)Trending Topics, and Tweet. See the Twitter description for a full listing of Twitter terms and Lingo and related terms.
Follow the masters
Following a few of the masters of Twitter and Social Networking will give you an understanding of how to tweet better, posts to RT, and inspiration for tweets of your own. Below are the top ten Twitters we recommend following.
  • Twitaholic - A full listing of the top users on Twitter based off Followers. This is a terrific service to find and follow the top users and possibly incorporate some of the ideas they are doing on their account.
Tip Many of the first few hundred people are celebrities on Twitaholic, if they do not interest you skip the first page.
Create and use lists
Twitter list iconTwitter lists are an excellent method of filtering filter through the people you follow. To create a list, click the Lists link and then Create a list. After creating a list visit the persons profile page you wish to add and click the list icon, as shown in the picture to the right. Our Computers and Tech list is an example of a public list we created.
Go Mobile
Apple iPhones, Blackberry phones, Android phones, Windows phone 7 phones, and most of the other smart phones have Twitter applications. Take full advantage of these applications. For users who do not have smart phones Twitter also has extensive support for SMS, which can send tweets over a text message.
Advertise
  • Mention your Twitter page as many places as you can, e.g. your business card, e-mail signatures, web page, blog, Facebook, etc.
  • Create a tweet button or at least your Twitter name on your pages, similar to the below example
Source By : computerhope