Monthly Archives: May 2013
Should I Buy A Refurbished Laptop?
Refurbished Laptop PC
What Does Refurbished Mean?
Buying a new laptop can be a daunting task. All the options to consider are potentially overwhelming. One point to consider is buying a refurbished laptop. The term refurbished does not imply the same thing as the term used. A refurbished laptop has passed functionality tests conducted by the manufacturer or vendor. I recommend considering this option because on average you cannot beat the two to three hundred dollars you will save compared to the original price. This will allow you to get some of the better features while still staying within your budget. Some features to keep in mind would be hard drive size, web cam, memory, software and what operating system is it running.
Things To Consider
Be careful when purchasing a refurbished computer. Do your own inspection on the system. The laptop may look brand new or could possibly have some minor bumps or scratches that do not affect functionality. You want to make sure the cosmetics are acceptable to you. The most important thing to remember when shopping for a refurbished laptop is the warranty. Find out how long the warranty lasts and what exactly it covers. Make sure to create a list of features you must have in your computer and be sure the ones you are looking at meet this standard. Always verify that it is in working condition from powering it on to the wireless connectivity.
Where To Look
Another problem would be where to find your refurbished laptop. Look to the manufacturers, authorized refurbishers and other stores for the best prices, warranty, return policies and ability for hands on inspection. While Craigslist and eBay have enticing prices, these items often tend to be used and instead of refurbished. Understanding these few tips can ensure you come out on top when buying a refurbished laptop.
Recover Accidentally Deleted Files
Don’t Let Deleted Files Get You Down
Everyone makes the mistake of deleting files and later realizing their importance. Accidental deletion can be a common occurrence with multiple users on the same computer account or children may cause files to go missing. Fortunately, Windows has a few safeguards against lost, modified, or deleted files. The best way to ensure you don’t lose important data is to create a system backup using the Windows Backup feature. Once you discover that a file is missing, don’t worry, just open the start menu and use Windows Search to try to locate your lost file. Always check the recycle bin if you need to recover a lost or accidentally deleted file. Should you locate the lost file there, simply right-click and select restore to bring the file back.
Using Windows Back Up to Restore Deleted Files
- Open Backup and Restore by clicking the Start button
- Click Control Panel
- Click System and Maintenance
- Click Backup and Restore
- Click Restore my files
To browse through the contents of the backup click browse for files or browse for folders. These two options do two different things. Choosing the browse files option allows you to look through files and choose the individual file to be restored. The browse folders option allows for restoration of entire folders. Using the browse folders option you won’t be able to see the files in that folder unless you go into the browse files option. If files keep disappearing it could be a symptom of a more serious problem like hard drive failure. All these steps could be a little overwhelming for some people to recover deleted files. If that’s the case, you can always refer to Data Recovery Service to restore files for you.
How To Back Up PC Using Windows
Back Up Your Computer
In this time where your entire life is stored on your computer, a backup can save all that you hold dear. Whether it be movies, photos, documents, school work, tax or business records, if you don’t backup your files you risk losing them forever. A computer virus could cripple your everyday life by making your computer unusable. Fortunately, Microsoft included a built-in application without having to purchase another program. I am going to tell you step by step how to create a system backup in Windows 7 to protect yourself from disaster. Other Windows operating systems versions vary.
Backup Using Windows 7
- First, pick a storage device – external hard drive, CD, DVD, or flash drive (Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise offers a network drive backup feature)
DVD, Flash Drive Back Up
- Ensure your chosen media is ready for use
- Now click Start
- Click Control Panel
- Select System and Security
- Click Backup and Restore
- Now choose Set up Backup
- Click the media selected for backup and click Next
- Select Let Windows Choose (recommended)
- Click Next
- You can schedule automatic backups or just simply disable
- Click Save Settings and Exit
- Finally click Backup Now
Depending on how much data you are backing up, this process can take from a few minutes to a few hours. It is really worth the wait for the piece of mind knowing that when the worst happens and the computer crashes the files you backup are still safe and ready for a system restore. Even those who are buying a new PC can take advantage of backing up their old computer and moving things easily to the new PC.
How Often Should I Back Up My Files?
Backing up your PC is not something you should do once in a while. You should complete back ups regularly to ensure your important files, and memories are safe. You never know when something like hard drive failure could happen and your computer just doesn’t start-up the next morning.
Internet Explorer 10
Internet Explorer 10
What’s New In IE10
When a conversation comes up about surfing the web with Internet Explorer there used to be few things said that were flattering. Microsoft hopes to change all that with the launch of its new Internet Explorer 10 which is available for download. Microsoft’s focus for this browser was not to completely reinvent the wheel but to make as many improvements as possible. The changes while subtle make Internet Explorer 10 the Fastest Browser on the market to date.
Improvements
Internet Explorer 10 is the first browser made for Touch Screens. This new browser has two versions one for touch screens and another for standard PC. Using a touch screen you can flip ahead or back a page a with swipe of your finger. Using Windows 7 or 8 you can pin frequently visited websites to your start menu for easier access. The Snap feature allows you to drag the window to the left or right of the screen and it snaps into place taking up half the screen. Sharing is a breeze via social media with the share button. Full screen mode gives you a display of one-box making tablets and touch screens easier to view.
Privacy and Performance
The privacy settings are very impressive. Now you can enable a setting that tells the website you visit Do Not Track. This prevents other sites from tracking webpages you go to online and how often you go there. One feature introduced in Internet Explorer 9 has been dramatically improved upon is the ability to utilize your Graphics Processor to render high-definition streaming video and other graphic media content from the web smoothly at blazing speeds.
With all the improvements to the Internet Explorer browser, upgrading is definite. You may not have a choice in the matter because this new browser is pushed to your computer through Windows Update. Should you choose not to upgrade you must make sure to disable this update to prevent it from installing.
Top 5 Reasons To Wait On Upgrading To Windows 8
Window 8
While Windows 8 was held to be one of Microsoft’s great innovations, here are top 5 reasons it would be a good idea to wait on upgrading.
You Don’t Have A Touch Screen Computer
It is designed with mainly Touch Screen Computers in mind, which are not very widely used although they are quickly becoming the industry standard. Most people are still using a mouse and keyboard for their input needs. That is why the app based interface known as “Metro” seems to be such a hindrance for the average user.
Learning A Completely New Operating System
This is not like when Windows 7 was released and you upgraded from Windows Vista. This is a Completely New Operating System. That means almost everything has been revamped. You will have to lean how to do everything from the advanced tasks to where the start menu is located.
Start Menu Is Totally Different
The feature most used is the Start Menu. Even that has been moved and redesigned. It is no longer just a small menu that open in the bottom left hand corner of the screen. Now it actually takes up the entire screen.
Hardware And Software Compatibility Issues
Windows 8 has been known to have Compatibility Issues with either hardware or software. Mostly due to drivers not being supported for windows 8.
Bugs and Glitches
When a new operating system is release is usually has “bugs” or little glitches that can cause very annoying problems. If you wait to update to Windows 8, the manufacturer usually fixes these issues with the release of a service pack. These issues are already fixed with the current Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
When thinking of upgrading to Windows 8 these are somethings to take into consideration before making that system changing decision. If you are not ready for a big change in the view and use of your computer system then it benefit you to wait before upgrading to Windows 8. Should you choose to upgrade to Windows 8 I would recommend visiting Microsoft’s Compatibility website to assure a smoother transition to the new operating system.
