The Random Re-Boot Problem

You may have experienced your computer intermittently re-booting for no apparent reason. This can be annoying, and can mean you have lost valuable work that you we in the process of creating.

If this has happened once, then your chances of explaining the cause are remote in the extreme. If you find it happening regularly, then it is clearly in your interest to find and fix the problem.

There may be a simple explanation. With most modern computers, the system comes with built in circuitry to monitor the state of the computer. One of the checks built into your system include testing the power supply levels. The power supply is not a component most people expect to fail. Most are concerned that their disk drives will be the major cause of failures, but in fact power supply problems are relatively common.

The power supply will communicate to the mother board with a power good signal if the power output is within specification. If this power good signal is not present, the computer will simply not start up. This seems simple enough, however things do not always fit into the good or not good categories. Where you have a power supply that is failing, its outputs can fluctuate. The computer may then boot up correctly, but a little later when the power supply falls out of range the computer will detect this and activate the reset logic. The reset logic shuts the machine down, thus relieving the load on the power supply, which can then support a re-boot. It is the same as if you pushed the reset button yourself, but it appears to you as a random re-boot.

To test the power outputs, you really need access to a multimeter, and know how to use it. This might be something you may prefer to leave to an experienced technician. Alternatively, you can try replacing the power supply with a spare that you know to be working. If this corrects the intermittent re-boot, then you have solved the problem

When replacing a power supply, select a known brand, and I suggest you choose one that is rated to at least 400 watts. This, of course, depends on what load your computer is supporting. Upgrading to a faster processor, installing additional or faster disk drives, or adding other devices can all add to your computer’s power requirements.

The Random Hang-up Problem

You may have experienced having your computer intermittently hangs-up, or may re-boot itself for no apparent reason. This can be annoying, and can mean you have lost valuable work that you we in the process of creating.

If this has happened once, then your chances of explaining the cause are remote in the extreme. If you find it happening regularly, then it is clearly in your interest to find and fix the problem.

There are a few things you can check for yourself that may save you a trip to the repair shop.

With most modern computers, the system comes with built in circuitry to monitor the state of the computer. One of the checks built into your system is to test the operating temperature. The computer may shut down if this moves outside the desirable operating range.

For your system to run at the correct operating temperature it is important that air circulates freely in and around the case. If you have the computer case installed inside an enclosure, then this may be the first thing to consider changing. Similarly, I have seen computers covered with books, manuals and paper documents. These again can hinder air circulation, and these items should be removed. Take a look at the slotted vents in the sides of the case. These slots can become blocked by an accumulation of dust. Because the computer is usually always drawing some power, it has a constant electrostatic charge. A computer is second only to a vacuum cleaner in its ability to suck in dust and fluff.

Taking the cover of the case will also show the dust build-up inside the computer. Be careful removing dust accumulations from internal components. This is probably best done with a soft artist’s brush or an aerosol can of compressed air.

Next, take a look at the internal cooling fans. Modern computer usually have a cooling fan perched on top of the processor. This fan should be clear of dust, and running freely, without obvious scraping noises, when the computer is operating. It is OK to start the computer with the case cover removed, just be careful not to poke things into the various components. There will also be a cooling fan inside or attached to the power supply. This again should be free of dust and running freely. Some computers may also have an additional case fan. This will be screwed on over one of the slotted case vents, and typically be running from a cable connected to the mother board. Not all machines have a separate case fan, but if it is there, it is there for a reason. Apply the same checks to this fan.

If you have identified faults with your cooling fans, this may require a trip to your local repair shop. The repair technician may also suggest that the CPU heat sink be removed and re-placed with fresh heat transfer compound, which is a straightforward job for an experienced repairer.

Review of Star Wars: Battlefront II for PC:

Earlier the Star Wars: Battlefront I for PC enabled its fans to battle through missions and settings pulled straight from the movies. After considering the huge number of requests from their fans, LucasArts and Pandemic now presents ‘Star Wars: Battlefront II for PC’ this holiday season. In order to increase the game's playability and enjoyment, many modifications and upgrades have been made in the Star Wars Battlefront II.

Star Wars: Battlefront II chases away the old Battlefront storyline. Battlefront II is based on a first-person story which follows Darth Vader's elite 501^st Legion of Storm Troopers and is inspired from various books, like Timothy Zahn's and other publications - from the start and through the rest of the movie's storyline satisfying the restless hearts of many hardcore fans.

The new Battlefront II has many new missions and online battles structured in it. Now you just don’t have to destroy and hold a power generator to win online. There is much more than that. Although the continuation in the Star Wars Battlefront II does not raze the exhilaration initiate in the first team-based game to be set in the Star Wars Universe. It contains over twenty different maps, twelve of them land based and on different planets, and eight at various space-based locations. In engages the players constantly in a fight. The objective of that fight is the control of capture points. Players reach the ultimate goal by following various maps. Each map is laid out so that the players can easily strategize a way to achieve the objective. It gives you the full control of both the infantry figures and the war vehicles. Best of all, it provides the players with an attractive objective. It enables you to jump between piloting different types of ships, including TIE Fighters, X-Wings, and a number of other famous Star Wars vessels during the space battles.

Battlefront II also allows you to form boarding parties with your friends and use them to take down an enemy's spacecraft. Or you could simply fight dog fights as per your wish. Both the land and space-based vehicles will have a real upgraded and super fast speed and maneuverability. Moreover, it supports 16 players for PS2, 32 for X-box, and 64 for PC users for online play.
Players can choose one of two different strategies. Those players who enjoy face-to-face combat can employ a series of dogfights as a way to conquer the enemy forces. The vehicles participating in these dogfights could be star destroyers, frigates, or even smaller, flea-like fighters. The game players are free to use any combination of those vehicles that they choose An alternate strategy, one that requires a bit less fighting, involves the use of subterfuge. The player who has chosen this strategy must sneak onto an enemy craft and destroy it from the inside. Battlefront II increases the excitement of this subterfuge by creating ships that are scaled to appear very much like the real thing.

If one is very well skilled at subterfuge, one can even steal fighters. This really adds to the fun of Battlefront II. The one drawback to the game Battlefront II is the fact that it has a limited number of figure types. Players control only pilots and marines. If a fighter needs to be repaired, then the pilot has to repair it himself.

Another complaint expressed by some Battlefront II players is that all of the maps lead to similar multiplayer matches. What changes is the planet over which the battle takes place. And there are 24 different possible battles scenes, 24 different possible planets, including Mustafor, Utapau and Coruscant.

So, if a team of players, or if a single player, is very good at strategizing how to capture points, what do such individuals get as a reward. In Battlefront II the reward for gaining a certain number of points is the chance to have one player as the hero. The number of heroes is limited by the restriction of one hero per side per match. The hero is not that much more powerful than the other characters, but the enemy needs to unite if it wants to succeed at defeating the hero.

CYBER CRIME

There is a very old and correct saying that goes on to say that a coin has two sides. Like a coin almost every aspect of life has two sides. For example the most common example can be taken of the advent of technology and the crime associated with it. With the advent of time and technology, computers have formed an integral part of the working society. Computers along with them have brought greater work and time efficiency in the working circle of the society as a whole. But there comes the twist. Along with all the benefits that computers and technology have brought, there also comes the rising and alarming threat of cyber crime.

Cyber crime in recent times has been credited along with a lot of attention by the general public, thanks to the almost impossible crimes committed by the hackers. The dangers that cyber crime is posing to computers and information in computers has been acknowledged by almost all the countries. Serious concern and alarm have been raised against the growing threat of cyber crime and its potential threat to the information possessed in the computers. The reason that cyber crime is posing a serious threat, is because of the reason that most countries around the world have no existing law that they can exert against cyber crimes. This leaves the businessmen and their business at the mere mercy of the technology that is being used by the businessmen in their business.

The only resort that the individuals have or can take against cyber crime is the way of self protection. Although self protection is the one step that people can take against cyber crimes, but still unfortunately it’s not a full proof safe step. As hackers can easily hack through the computers of others, this makes the information stored in the computer more vulnerable to information leakage. One main reason why cyber crime has been gathering so much of attention, is because of the fact that cyber crime has no boundaries of working or occurring. Cyber crime have been reportedly breaching national barriers at ease there by jeopardizing the political and the defense strategies of the country in front of the other nations, as it has been reported that after committing the crime the hackers sell the leaked information to the rival countries for money.

The other reason as to why cyber crime is posing a serious threat is because of the fact that it is usually very hard to track the hackers as they operate together but from far and different places, making it harder for the law enforcers to track and find them. These hackers usually operate from different and far off places, sometimes even different countries making it almost impossible for anyone to track them.

Thus national bodies and governments should operate together to make a legal framework and structure through which no hackers can slip through after committing cyber crime.

Chossing your PC pheriferials

When buying a computer you must consider not only the quality of the internal components, but also the external ones that make the entire multimedia experience possible.

Computer peripherals, from printers to web cams, are an important part of our lives and activities, if not the most important one, depending on our needs and habits. When you are faced with the situation in which you have to choose peripheries, consider a few aspects before making your move: utility, price/quality combination and purposes they should serve.

Relying on these criteria, when we buy a printer we must think of why we are buying it. For example if it is meant to be an office printer and it will be mostly used to print out contracts and objectives, then the best choice is an all-in-one printer that can print, scan and have the functions of a fax machine at the same time. If however we want a home printer mostly to get copies of our digital photos then considering a color printer is a must and maybe we should think about making it a laser one.

The keyboard and the mouse come first in computer-user relationship and they also add a touch of personality to your personal computer. Browse for complete sets that can include even a mouse pad and try to assort them with the color and shape of your computer case. Nowadays the optical and wireless mice are the best choice, so buying a wireless multimedia keyboard can be of use also.
Communication with loved ones is done through the internet often. Then why not making it perfect by buying a web cam to assure a real time conference between us? Also, we will need a microphone to be able to hear and see at the same time the loved one and then we can talk as if he or she was in the room with us.

There are many types of computer peripherals out there: external hard drives, sound speakers form tiny to extremely large, real 5.1 systems, scanners, card readers for our digital camera and many more. All we have to do is to make of list of the uses we need our PC to have and then go shop for the according peripherals for every purpose. Whenever they can be combined you must diffidently do that to avoid taking up a lot of space.

Become Your Own PC Repairer

If you are like me, you have probably owned quite a few personal computers. You are sure to have had the occasional problem, and rushed the machine off to the repair shop. At the time, the cost of repairs may have seemed a bit high in proportion to the original cost of the machine, and you might not have been quite sure what was actually done.

You can learn to do your own diagnosis and repair work. It is worth while knowing what is going on inside the box, even if you do not do the work yourself. With a good understanding of the likely causes of the hardware problems, you can be a lot more confident that the repairs carried out were reasonable and necessary.

To begin with, a good source of technical information is necessary. You can always ask at your local electronics shop, but if you really don’t know what you are talking about, the embarrassment can be a big turn off. There is an excellent book available called ‘Upgrading and Repairing PCs’ written by Scott Mueller. This is the most complete and most readable ‘how-to’ book I have found, and if you only buy one book on the subject, Scott’s is the one to get you hands on.

The next step is to choose a few projects to get familiar with the hardware. The best way to begin building up your skills is to pull a computer completely apart, and then put it back together. If it still works after that, then you have made a pretty good start. At this stage, you may be thinking ‘hang on a minute, I paid a lot of money for my system - No way am I going to risk messing with that baby’.

No, as a beginner, you definitely should not. You can get hold of some old computers to tear apart and rebuild. Old computers are seen as worthless, and you will find Pentium 1 and 2 machines being discarded as rubbish, even though they are still in good working order. Even a Pentium 3 can be bought very cheaply, and most of these are pretty good performers. A word of warning – be careful how widely you spread the news of you new interest in old computers. You will be surprised how many 486s and older are sitting in cartons in garages and basements; your friends and family will really be delighted to give you an amazing collection of electronic junk.

Get familiar with the various parts, and how they fit together. Learn to identify the different styles of processor chip, RAM, disk drives and other components.

As always, safety is paramount. The computer components themselves operate at low voltages, but you still have the mains strength voltage coming into the back of the computer. Always power off and unplug when you are working on the computer, and be suspicious of any signs of overheating or of burning smells. Enjoy your tinkering.