Cleaning and Maintaining Your Dirty Dirty Computer

A computer is like any other machine, it needs to be properly and regularly maintained to work as it should. Some people don't realize this and think that their computer should run in tip top shape all of the time for years on end, while they continually download programs and install/uninstall multiple drivers. What they fail to understand is that even with just normal computer use spy ware, ad ware, and other scary things are put onto the computer. But alas there is something that can be done! Actually there are a few things that a person should do on a regular basis to keep their computer running nominally. Did you know that some experts suggest formatting your hard drive and reinstalling your operating system every few months?

As I said, there are several things you can do to "maintain" your computer. I will break these down into two groups. The physical side and the software side. On the physical side of things you have the actual components in the computer itself. Depending on your environment the components can get pretty dirty. I would usually recommend using a "duster" spray can that can be purchased at a store like Walmart or any computer store, once every two to three months. Then just open your computer case and spray out the dust and buildup that you see inside. Be sure not to touch any of the components inside with your hands unless you are properly grounded using E.S.D. straps. Also be careful to not spray a bunch of the dust/dirt onto electronic components. Sometimes if there is a lot of buildup inside I will use a dust buster or vacuum cleaner hose above the computer case. That way when I spray the dust/dirt up out of the case it will get sucked up and not fall back down onto the computer or go all over the room.
If you have really dirty components there IS something else you can do, but be cautious when doing it. You can use a solvent like rubbing alcohol or something similar that will evaporate quickly and clean off the components very tediously. This also works well when cleaning out keyboards (when SOMEONE spills soda in them) or for cleaning out your mouse. Remember that anything electronic you touch with something CAN get damaged. I accept no responsibility for any damage you do to your system! I also clean computers among other things for people so if you don't want to do this yourself then send me an email to nebraskacurt@hotmail.com
The software side of things is a bit more time consuming and/or in depth than cleaning the physical components. Not only that but while core fundamentals of this process will be the same, some aspects will vary depending on what operating system you are using. Since some 90% of persons out there are using Windows (yeah I know...yay) I will be covering that operating system. I'm sure that if you are using Linux or some Apple OS like OSX then you will know how to accomplish these same processes. If you don't know exactly how to do the same type of thing on your operating system then I would suggest searching the net for information, contacting your OEM support, or even calling up a local computer shop/store and asking some basic questions regarding this. If they are a good store then they should give you some pointers, if they aren't a good shop then I would hang up...call another shop...and then immediately after that call everyone you know and tell them to napalm the first shop you called. (again, I accept no responsibility for any actions you take and if you don't realize that was a joke then please grab a stick, hit yourself over the head, and yell "NO")
Okay, getting back on track now. There are many different things a person can do to "clean" up the software side of their computer. Oh and from here on out in this article if I say "clean up" I am referring to the software side of things. Now, you can really do this in any order you wish, it doesn't REALLY effect things that much unless you are experiencing a specific problem. If you ARE experiencing an actual problem with your computer (error message, specific things not running properly or not at all, blue screen of death, etc.) then please either contact tech support for your computer or operating system vendor, your network administrator, or a computer repair shop. Or you can be smart about it and send me an email ;) lol.
The first aspect of cleaning you will want to do involves NOT using any third party software programs (programs that are created by another company that is NOT the company that created your operating system or OEM). We will get into some of these programs later on. Now then, what I would do first is to make sure your computer is off. You want to do a cold boot (starting your computer from a completely powerless state) and boot into safe mode with command prompt. You usually do this by holding down the F8 key when your computer is starting up. This will give you a boot menu and you should be able to key down and select 'Safe Mode With Command Prompt'. You CAN just boot into safe mode but I usually boot into safe mode with command prompt just in case I need to use DOS...or command prompt as it is now called. When Windows starts up it should show you the command prompt window. Go ahead and type in 'exit' and hit enter or click the [X] to close the window as we will not be using this right now.

*NOTE: if any of the steps covered in this article do not work in Safe Mode then boot into Windows normally and perform them. I simply advise booting into Safe Mode because it enables you to get rid of files that may be loaded by virii, programs, or other strings of code that you may otherwise not be able to delete.

We will first do some basic cleaning using features that are build into Windows. This will be deleting cookies, temporary internet files, and history. Cookies are small files that hold information on the times and dates you have visited web sites. Other information can also be saved to your hard disk in these files, including information about online purchases, validation information about you for members-only web sites, and more. The only real downside to deleting your cookies is that you will have to enter information into forms on websites when logging in, etc. Regardless to horror stories you may have heard about cookies they are harmless like 95% of the time. Still it is a good idea to delete your cookies every now and again. To do so, make sure you close your web browser first. Then follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type inetcpl.cpl, and then press ENTER
2. On the General tab, click Delete under Browsing History in the Internet Properties dialog box.
3. In the Delete Browsing History dialog box, click Delete Cookies.
4. In the Delete Cookies dialog box, click Yes.

To manually delete cookie files for Windows 98, Internet Explorer 5 or 6 follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type inetcpl.cpl, and then press ENTER.
2. On the General tab, click Delete Cookies in the Internet Properties dialog box, under Temporary Internet Files.
3. In the Delete Files dialog box, click to select the Delete all offline content check box, and then click OK.

To manually delete cookie files for Internet Explorer version 4.01 or version 5.0 for UNIX on HP-UX or Sun Solaris follow these steps:

1. Change to the .microsoft folder in the user's home folder.
2. Change to the Cookies folder in the .microsoft folder.
3. Delete all .txt files that are located in this folder. For example, delete the 'user@www.example.com.txt' file.

You can also follow some steps to verify that the cookies are deleted. To do this for Internet Explorer 7 follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type inetcpl.cpl, and then press ENTER.
2. In the Internet Properties dialog box, on the General tab, click Settings under Browsing History.
3. In the Temporary Internet Files and History Settings dialog box, click View Files. This opens the folder where your cookie files are stored.
4. In the folder that you opened in step 3, verify that there are no .txt files.

To verify that the cookie files are deleted for Windows 98, for Internet Explorer 5/6 follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run, type inetcpl.cpl, and then press ENTER.
2. In the Internet Properties dialog box, on the General tab, click View Files under Temporary Internet Files.
3. In the folder that you opened in step 3, verify that there are no text files.

To verify that the cookie files are deleted for Internet Explorer 4.01 or 5.0 for UNIX on HP-UX or Sun Solaris follow these steps:

1. Change to the .microsoft folder in the user's home folder.
2. Change to the Cookies folder in the .microsoft folder.
3. In the folder that you opened in step 2, verify that there are no .txt files.

If either of these options do not apply to you or do not work, you can search for a folder called 'cookies' and delete all of the .txt files in the folder. Or you can click Start>Control Panel and then go into your internet options. On the General tab there will be a button called 'Delete Cookies'. Click that and you will be prompted to confirm the cookie deletion. Then click the OK button.
Next we will delete your temporary internet files. The Temporary Internet Files (or cache) folder contains Web page content that is stored on your hard disk for quick viewing. This cache permits Internet Explorer or MSN Explorer to download only the content that has changed since you last viewed a Web page, instead of downloading all the content for a page every time it is displayed. To delete the files in the Temporary Internet Files folder, follow these steps:

1. Quit Internet Explorer and quit any instances of Windows Explorer.
2. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Internet Options.
3. On the General tab, click Delete Files, under Temporary Internet Files.
4. In the Delete Files dialog box, click to select the 'Delete all offline content' check box, and then click OK.
5. Click OK.

*NOTE: if the Temporary Internet Files folder contains a significant amount of Web page content, this process may take several minutes to complete.

*NOTE: an administrator can customize your Temporary Internet Files settings and prevent you from changing them (for example, by removing the General tab from the interface in the Internet Options dialog box). If you cannot access the Internet Options dialog box or the General tab, contact your administrator for more information. Or email me ;)

*NOTE: files that start with the word "Cookie" may remain in your Temporary Internet Files folder after you follow these steps. These files are pointers to the actual cookie files that are located in your Cookies folder.

Now that we have deleted cookies and temporary internet files, we will delete your history. This is relatively easy to do by following these steps:

1. Click on the Start button.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Click on Control Panel.
4. Double-click Internet Options.
5. Make sure the General tab is selected.
6. Click Clear History in the History box.
7. Click OK when it asks if you want to delete all items in your history folder.
8. Click OK at the bottom of the General box to exit.

That's it, we have completed the first basic steps to cleaning up junk on your computer by doing some manual steps. Now we will use some automated features built into Windows to go a little more in depth. The first tool we will use is called "Disk Cleanup". The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk by searching your disk for files that you can safely delete. You can choose to delete some or all of the files. Use Disk Cleanup to perform any of the following tasks to free up space on your hard disk:

- Remove temporary internet files
- Remove downloaded program files (ActiveX controls, Java applets, etc.)
- Empty the Recycle Bin
- Remove Windows temporary files
- Remove optional Windows components that you are not using
- Remove installed programs that you no longer use

You can start Disk Cleanup, by doing any of the following:

1. Click Start, and then click Run, in the Open box, type cleanmgr, and then click OK.
2. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup.
3. In Windows Explorer or My Computer, right-click the disk in which you want to free up space, click Properties, click the General tab, and then click Disk Cleanup.

To remove files stored on your hard disk that you no longer use, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. Right-click the disk in which you want to free up space, and then click Properties.
3. Click the General tab, and then click Disk Cleanup.
4. Click the Disk Cleanup tab (if it is not already selected), click to select the check boxes next to the files that you want to remove, and then click OK.
5. Click Yes to the process with this action, and then click OK.

To remove Windows components that you are not using, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. Right-click the disk in which you want to free up space, and then click Properties.
3. Click the General tab, and then click Disk Cleanup.
4. Click the More Options tab, and then under Windows components, click Clean up.

The Windows Components Wizard will then start

5. In the Components list, click to clear the check box next to the component(s) that you want to remove. *A shaded check box next to a component indicates that only some of its subcomponents are installed. If you want to remove a subcomponent, click Details, click to clear the check box next to the subcomponent(s) that you want to remove, and then click OK.
6. Click Next.
7. In the Completing the Windows Components Wizard page, click Finish.
8. Click OK, click Yes to proceed with this action, and then click OK.

To remove programs that you no longer use, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click My Computer.
2. Right-click the disk in which you want to free up space, and then click Properties.
3. Click the General tab, and then click Disk Cleanup.
4. Click the More Options tab, and then under Installed programs, click Clean up.

The Add or Remove Programs dialog box is displayed.

5. In the Currently installed programs list, click the program that you want to remove, and then click Remove (or Change/Remove).
6. If you receive a prompt to confirm the removal of the program, click Yes.
7. Repeat step 5 and 6 to remove other programs that you no longer use, and then click Close.
8. Click OK, click Yes to proceed with this action, and then click OK.

Now that we have completed those steps we will use the Disk Defragment utility to Defrag your hard drive. The defragment utility locates and consolidates fragmented boot files, data files, and folders on local volumes. A volume must have at least 15% free space for a defrag to completely and adequately defragment it. Defrag uses this space as a sorting area for the file fragments. If a volume has less than 15% free space, defrag will only partially defragment it. To increase the free space on a volume, delete unneeded files or move them to another disk. Also, you cannot defragment volumes that the file system has marked as dirty, which indicates possible corruption. You must run CHKDSK on a dirty volume before you can defragment it. You can determine if a volume is dirty by using the fsutil dirty query command. For more information on using that please do a search on it. There are a couple ways to start Disk Defragmenter....

Method 1: Use the Properties of Your Local Disk

1. Open My Computer.
2. Right-click the local disk volume that you want to defragment, and then click Properties.
3. On the Tools tab, click Defragment Now.
4. Click Defragment.

Method 2: Use Computer Management MMC

1. Start Computer Management MMC (Compmgmt.msc).
2. Click Disk Defragmenter.
3. Click the volume that you want to defragment, and then click Defragment.

Method 3: Use Disk Defragmenter MMC

1. Start Disk Defragmenter MMC (Dfrg.msc)
2. Click the volume that you want to defragment, and then click Defragment.


*NOTE: Disk Defragmenter will usually take awhile to run, especially on larger volumes or if you have not run it in awhile.

Well this is about it as far as basic cleaning and maintaining goes. In my next article we will go more in depth into spyware/adware, virii, and registry edits. I mainly just wanted to get some basic steps covered in this article. So look back soon for the second part of this series..

-Curt

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Univ. of Flordia Student Tased for Asking a Question

If you are not already aware, a University of Florida student (Andrew Meyer) was tasered and arrested after asking Senator John Kerry a question about The Order of Skull and Bones and The Bohemian Grove. (The Order of Skull and Bones, once known as The Brotherhood of Death, is a secret society based at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, and is one of the oldest student secret societies in the United States.) Both 2004 Presidential Nominees - Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and now two-term President George W. Bush - were members of Skull and Bones. When asked about the organization by Tim Russert of Meet the Press, both Kerry and Bush declined to give any details.

It was Q&A time after Sen. Kerry spoke to the crowd and went over in the predetermined time frame. It is my understanding that Meyer quickly approached the microphone to ask his question and Sen. Kerry stated that he would answer it. Then as Meyer began to ask about The Skull and Bones and Bohemian Grove, the police told him that he was done speaking and then they began trying to escort him away. As this was happening Meyer was proclaiming that he did nothing wrong and asking why he was being detained. At one point Meyer put his hands in the air and said something to the effect of "Does everyone see this?". The officers then restrained him and repeatedly told him to "stop resisting" even though he was only asking a question. The scuffle then ended up at the back of the room where police officers were holding him down and then ended up tasering him after Meyer's even at one point stated "I am not resisting, if you let me up I will walk out of here with you".

This event has been covered in the major news media but yet again they have failed to speak about the connection between this use of excessive force / denial of rights that is very similar to the way the Gestapo in Nazi Germany operated and the other examples of an ever growing tyrannical government in the United States. If you just search you will find examples of other persons getting arrested JUST for asking questions about such topics as the Skull and Bones, New World Order, and Bohemian Grove. A lot of people are just sitting idly by while our rights and freedoms are slowly being denied to us. Just as with governments in history, our government has used false flag operations and terror to get the public behind "giving up our freedoms for security".

Let me ask you....what has happened since 9/11 when we were promised greater security for reduction in freedoms? Terrorism has increased around the globe! When you give up your rights and freedoms you don't get liberty and security! You get tyranny, control, and invasion/denial of rights and freedoms. Yet our society is still letting these things happen. Either they don't get it, don't care, or actually believe what they are being told by the government and mass media. When all you have to do is look at the facts! Look at events that have happened in this country (gun confiscation, ridiculous arrests and abuse of power, public spying/eavesdropping...etc.) and look at all of the events in history that took place...that 'strangely' are very similar to what we the citizens of the United States are being told and what is happening.

Please people, do your research and look at what is happening to this country! Be patriotic and question what is going on. This nation was founded by people that didn't agree with what was going on in their government, what they were being told, and actions being taken. We can't just sit here like drones and believe everything that is just shown or told to us. Think for yourselves and free your mind!

-Curt

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The New World Order

It amazes me that so many American's either do not know about or care to know about certain aspects of their government. Some college students today don't even know what year the 9/11 tragedy happened. How can we expect the population or the youth of today to question things that they need to be questioning? How can we hope for change?! Our government has such a powerful control over us that most of the population are drones to what they are being told by the mainstream media, and they are so naive that they block out any other information that is brought up that questions the "official story". I get so frustrated by the fact that we have to have an "underground" movement to get the word out about facts and information. I find it a responsibility to let others know about ALL the facts and information or to encourage them to research it on their own. But it just really upsets me that these people cannot think on their own and do this. There is far too much information out there about False Flag operations, the New World Order, Illuminati, Skull and Bones, the Bohemian Grove, etc. to explain it all in this one article. My intent with this blog article is to merely reach people out there, get them to question, and above all to do research on their own and find out the facts. Come to your own conclusion, the truth is in the public domain IF you allow yourself to be receptive to it. Please don't just allow yourself to take in information from one source (mainstream media)!

I'm not going to go into specific details and information regarding events that took place on 9/11/01 nor will I site loads of details on secret organizations. As I have said, my sole purpose is to inform people ABOUT all of this because it is obvious that so many people out there do not know about this information. The latest research polls show that an exponential amount of the United States population believes that this administration lied to us about what took place on 9/11. So it goes without saying that people DO question the "official story", now we just need to get all of those people the information that has not been presented in the mainstream.

If a person takes a look back at history and researches the information in the public domain about events that happened in the past, then they will see that governments using false flag operations is nothing new! For those of you that do not know, a "false flag" operation is defined as: "False flag operations are covert operations conducted by governments, corporations, or other organizations, which are designed to appear as if they are being carried out by other entities. The name is derived from the military concept of flying false colors; that is, flying the flag of a country other than one's own. False flag operations are not limited to war and counter-insurgency operations, and have been used in peace-time." It is undeniable that these operations have taken place in the past by such governments as: The United States, The Soviet Union, Germany (3rd Reich), and even in Roman times with Nero burning the city and blaming it on Christians. These things happen people and STILL ARE HAPPENING! Do your research and look at the facts yourself!

Now, what happens when a person starts to speak out about information like this is that they are labeled unpatriotic or anti-American. This could not be farther from the truth! The patriotic and American way is to be free and to be able to question everything. Our Constitutional rights and our Freedoms are being taken away and only a small group of people are fighting for them! And if you honestly don't see or believe that our freedoms are being taken away then you are more naive then I thought. Do you KNOW what the Patriot Act entails? Do you even know what the Constitution of the United States ACTUALLY says? I dare anyone to read the Constitution and look at what authorities are doing and to say that it is legal. We are constantly being spied on, have to have ID cards in some form, camera's are going up everywhere, any citizen can be taken at anytime against their will without representation and held, and so much more! And our government and other governments of the world participate in false flag operations. An example of a PROVEN false flag operation would be: Operation Gladio, a decades-long covert campaign of terrorism and deceit directed by the intelligence services of the West -- against their own populations. Hundreds of innocent people were killed or maimed in terrorist attacks -- on train stations, supermarkets, cafes and offices -- which were then blamed on "leftist subversives" or other political opponents. The purpose, as stated above in sworn testimony by Gladio agent Vincenzo Vinciguerra, was to demonize designated enemies and frighten the public into supporting ever-increasing powers for government leaders -- and their elitist cronies. First revealed by Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti in 1991, Gladio (from the Latin for "sword") is still protected to this day by its founding patrons, the CIA and MI6. Yet parliamentary investigations in Italy, Switzerland and Belgium have shaken out a few fragments of the truth over the years. These have been gathered in a new book, "NATO's Secret Armies: Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe," by Daniele Ganser, as Lila Rajiva reports on CommonDreams.org. People, these operations are not just plans or mock ups. These false flag operations have been actively used by most all governments, even the United States! Our government structure is not oblivious or immune from corruption! Events such as Pearl Harbor, the Spanish-American War, 9/11/01, and more are examples of these false flag operations. There's loads of evidence either in the public domain or in classified papers about all of these events.
I hear people often talk about how it doesn't matter who we vote for or elect as President of the United States because all of the candidates for lack of a better word...suck. Why do you suppose this is? Do some research please! All of our candidates are preselected, it doesn't matter what party they belong to, they present themselves as varying on different issues but in reality they all are puppets controlled by a bigger organizational structure. Do some research on the Illuminati, Free Masonry, Skull and Bones, and even the Bohemian Grove. There are documentaries, papers, declassified documents, and much more information for the public to research. I bet that you didn't know about the Bohemian Grove, which is a 2700 acre establishment in California that top elite government officials and other various people with power go to for a few weeks every July. During this time they do occult rituals consisting of worshiping an owl idol and burning a "fake" human sacrifice. That is just what happens during ONE night of the 2-3 week long event. This is all available information that you the American Public should be made aware of and research.

A lot of people and a lot of information is available online saying that 9/11 was an inside job. And when you look at the factual information of what happened, when you replay footage in slow motion of the planes hitting the towers, when you question the official story and analyze the facts yourself you begin to see a whole different picture. The American public has been lied to time and time again! PEOPLE, think about WHO benefits from events that have happened. Who benefits from invading Iraq? Who benefits from extending the war in Iraq? Defense contractors, Big Oil, and Politicians....think about it. As a defense contractor that gives money to a political party or as an elected official that has stake in one of these companies, would you benefit from spending one year in Iraq or TEN years? Do your research people...please! There is declassified information out there proclaiming that a "Pearl Harbor" type of event would need to take place so the American people would get behind reasoning to invade Iraq. All of this information is out there if you look for it. I'm not personally going to site in specific detail where this information is...in this article. You can find it yourself, use your brain and do some research! Open up your mind and realize what is happening in YOUR country. Are we as citizens of a supposed free and democratic country going to sit back and let our freedoms be taken away? Are we going to let a secret group of officials that belong to occult based organizations run our lives? This is what is happening and if we do not organize and stand together as people have done in the past, then we are destined to live under tyranny in a New World Order and One World Government. It is happening people...

- Curt

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Alternate Existence

What if the life we live now is an existence that is real to us but is a totally new dimension in space and time? No i'm not talking about an idea like the plot for the movie "The Matrix". Let me give you an example to better explain: you get on a plane to travel to a destination. You arrive safely at the destination, or so YOU think. What if on that plane trip you actually wrecked and died? But in some way your existence in the here and now since arriving at the destination is actually your afterlife. There are theories out there that claim that at every single point in our lives, there is a totally different outcome of the same situation in existence somewhere else. Is it really so hard to believe that there is the possibility that you could have very well "died" many times and in doing so have transitioned into another one of your "existences" that take place somewhere else? Think of the movie "Back to the Future: II", in the movie they find out that by someone else using the time machine to go back and change things, that in doing so he created a totally different "alternate" 1985. What if every single decision that we make, every action we take, and every single possible outcome of ANYTHING we do in our lives, exist somewhere else? And maybe when we have a dejavu we are experiencing that same situation happening somewhere else, like there is some connection made by these two seemingly random situations happening. Like, once in awhile the same outcome or the same situation has happened on one of these other planes of existence and by doing so has left an imprint that we pick up on. Sometimes we realize that this has happened (dejavu) and sometimes that dejavu doesn't turn out to be the same as what we pick up on (because we change the situation by realizing it). Also, I guess what I was trying to say before is that maybe in dying we progress or move into one of those other planes of existence without ever knowing it.

I also think that everything we do and every action we take leaves an imprint of our energy. There have been many thoughts and discussions on this particular matter. Some "ghost hunters" believe that hauntings are actually a result of these imprints made by previous people and situations. What do you believe?

Please be sure to see my post below to see about purchasing my new e-book "How to Be a Better You". It is a great book with a lot of advice on self help, accomplishing goals, and changing your mindset into a positive one that get's things done.

Curt

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-Curt

Help Me, Help You

I received a phone call from one of my friends today because she was down on herself and frustrated with the way things are going in her life right now. She is a very nice and beautiful woman that tries to treat other people with small town hospitality and a smile. You see she just couldn't understand what she had done in her life to cause this series of bad ocurrances to her. She told me that she had a number of unexpected bills come at once, that one of her good friends was not speaking with her, her computer broke down, someone hit her car while it was in the parking lot and took off, and her car battery died, among other small things in the matter of a week. I think that most of us can say that we have had times like these. Where we get into a "rut" and everything bad seems to happen to us at once. Its just not fair! Why me?! What did I do to deserve this? I know I have been there many times and I know that it will happen again. But there is no sense in worrying about it. As the character Van Wilder says in 'Van Wilder' "worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but doesn't accomplish anything". What DOES make a difference is your attitude! If you continue to look at what is happening in your life with a negative or depressed attitude then things will continue to be that way. But believe me, if you try to see any positive in your life and try to see what you can do to break free of the "rut" you are in or make a positive effort to change things for the better then you will see that things will get better. Remember this: things will always get better...always! If its not better then you just haven't arrived there yet. Keep thinking positive no matter what!

One of the problems that my friend has is that she keeps her feelings bottled up inside. She lets her emotions build up until she explodes. This is no way to live! You need to express your feelings and express yourself as well. Find an outlet to get what you have on the inside out. Talk to your family, friends, a religious figure, or a specialist...they are all there for you! If you aren't comfortable talking to someone then find another outlet. This could be through music, art, working on something, or maybe even your own blog! Another problem that she has is that she has a fear of change. She very rarely if ever does anything to make a change, be it for the better or anything at all. Yet she expects things to be different. I ask, how can you expect or want things to change if you are unwilling to take action? Remember this when you find yourself in a bad time or a bad situation in your life. You need to take action to make a change for the better! Now this doesn't mean to do anything drastic, but you CANNOT expect things just to work out the way that you would like them to. You need to take action either directly or indirectly. I keep telling my friend this but she is very stubborn and reluctant to do it. So I help her out when I can in whatever way I can as long as it is productive and beneficial to her.

If you find yourself in a situation where you think that there is no possible solution to the problems and sadness in your life then I would advise you to do a couple of things. The first one being seeking professional help. People and programs are out there to help YOU and remember that. Don't be ashamed or too proud to seek out help. And if you have tried it in the past then try, try, try again! Don't give up! You are stronger than that! There is NEVER a reason to take the easy way out. One of my favorite movies is the 'Rocky' series. While I know that there is a lot to this movie that is fake, it always amazed me how much the lead character "Rocky Balboa" could take, yet he would keep on getting back up again! In the final movie in the series he says something like "its about how much you can take, how badly you can get beaten down, and still get back up". This applies to so many things but it applies to life in general the most. The second thing I would advise you to do if you feel as though you are unable to continue on would be to think about all of the things you would miss out on if you gave up. Don't just sit there all sad and depressed thinking about the negative things that will happen to you in the future. Imagine if you will that this line below is your life time line.
_________________________________________________ Now depending on how old you are, put a mark where your age would be if the beginning is birth. As an example, if you are twenty years old then your mark would be here relatively speaking.. ____________|____________________________________ The moment you are living in now is just a blip on the time line! There are SO many future "blips" or moments left on the time line! And things change so often during your life, do not be so naive to think that things will always be like they are! Remember attitude is important as well. Force yourself to change your mindset. Think positive, be positive, surround yourself with positive and positive will come your way. Also, don't be too quick to give up on yourself. If things don't change right away or if you experience another "rut" don't give up! Remember that things will always get better, I promise! Just stay in the fight! Be proud of past accomplishments, look towards the future with optimism and enthusiasm, and try not to worry.

Well, I hope this post has helped in one way or another. I plan on writing more posts on topics like this in the future so bookmark my site and come back often to read more great articles! Also, if you haven't already please check out my PRODUCTS PAGE for great custom products! I put a lot of time and effort into my blog and other ventures and would love to be reimbursed in some way for it. If you don't want to purchase one of the products then please at the very least click on one of the banner ads on my site. I will also be adding a donation button soon.

Stay positive!

-Curt

Get your own at TextMarks!

Use the System Configuration Utility in Windows to Speed Up Your Computer

There are a few ways to "speeed" up your computer or help it run better by using features that are already a part of Windows. I usually instruct people to use these features first before downloading any 3rd party software. One of the features is called msconfig. This feature allows you to determine, among other things, what programs will load automatically when Windows loads. This feature is also helpful in determining if there are any programs such as virii that are automatically loading up when you start Windows.

To access msconfig first click on the Start button in the lower left hand corner of your screen. Then click on "Run". This will open up a dialog box with an input text box that will enable you to type in the name of a program to run. This is where you want to type in 'msconfig', without the quotes of course. Once you have typed that in simply click on the "OK" or "RUN" button, or just hit 'Enter' on your keyboard. This will bring up the msconfig feature.

Once you have the msconfig feature opened you'll want to click on the tab that says "Startup". This will show you all of the programs that are configured to automatically start up when Windows loads. Go through the list and find programs that you do not want to automatically load. You can move the lines at the top of the window over to uncover all of the information on the various headings if you need to. Then just uncheck the program you do not want to load by clicking once on the checkbox. Be careful because some programs that are in there are supposed to automatically load by default. A lot of those programs will be in the C:\Windows directory. A lot of the programs you have installed will be in the C:\Program Files directory. If you do not know what programs are supposed to automatically load, feel free to do an online search for something like "msconfig windows startup" or something like that. Also, remember that anything you uncheck can be rechecked if you make a mistake.

By unchecking various programs that are automatically loading when Windows starts you will be freeing up valuable system resources. A lot of programs are loaded by default when Windows starts causing your system to slow down a lot during start up while it struggles to load these programs. Furthermore, your system resources are taken up by these programs after being loaded and depending on how many programs there are and the size of them, they can really make your system struggle. Note: you can also click on the 'Services' tab and check the box that says 'Hide all Microsoft Services'. This will hide all the Microsoft services being loaded, enabling you to view services by 3rd party vendors that you may also not want to run automatically on startup. The difference between these and the startup tab programs we worked with earlier are that services are usually things like networking and internet software or printing services. Some of these services may also use up valuable system resources but most of the time the items in here are supposed to be running. Notice I said MOST of the time. Again, if you want to be sure....do an online search to find out which services are supposed to be running.

After you have gone through and unchecked the startup programs and services you no longer want to load automatically you can click the 'Apply' then 'Ok' buttons on the bottom. After you do this Windows will pop up a message saying something like "Some of the changes you have made require you to restart your computer, would you like to restart now or later?" And if you are able to go ahead and restart I would recommend doing it, otherwise you can just restart later. After you restart or the next time you startup your computer a message will pop up that says "You have used the Windows Configuration Utility to make changes to the way Windows starts.....etc." Go ahead and click the checkbox that says "Do not show this message or launch the System Configuration Utility when Windows starts" and click the 'Ok' button.

And that is all there is to it! You have now configured Windows to only load up specific programs and services of your choosing and freed up valuable systm resources as well! This should make a noticable difference in the startup time and overall performance of your computer, based on how many programs you deselected and the size of those programs.

Good luck and Happy computing!

Be sure to check out my cafe press store for great custom made products at Curt's Shirts

-Curt

I Signed Up for Pay Per Post

I signed up for Pay Per Post and you can make money off of your blog through them as well! There are many ways people can monetize their blogs these days. One of the opportunities available is a company called Pay Per Post. I have been with them for only a few days now, a week at the most, and so far it has been great. Basically what you do after you sign up is to add your blog address to your account and it is reviewed/approved. You place a small snippet of code on the page so the company knows it is your blog you are submitting. Then you go through current opportunities and get paid by them and the companies that go through them to write posts in your blog about different topics. Your payment is determined on the company and the topic covered. It is a great opportunity to make money or add another income stream to the ones you already may have!

There are a few limitations that I do not like but will have to work around. If your blog is on a site like mine (blogspot.com) then you are restricted from the good paying companies/opportunities on the site. However I plan on getting my own domain name in the future so this won't be a problem. There are opportunities on the site to write posts about different companies, products, or services and get paid $200 for one post...as an example. It is really a great opportunity and you should check it out! ads on blogs

-Curt

How to Build Your Own Computer

Building your own computer has become fairly easy. It is certainly a whole lot easier than it was when Steve Wazniak (Waz) built the "first" personal computer back in the 70's. His "Homebrew" computer would be the foundation for the company he and Steve Jobs founded (Apple). The availability of computer components today makes it easy to "piece" together your very own computer! The first thing you need to do is figure out what you will be using your computer for. Do you want to use it for school? If so what level of education are you in? Do you want to use it to play PC games on? If so you will need a more powerful computer to run the latest video games and keep up with an ever advancing product line. Do you want to use it for graphic design or other production/design needs? If so you will also need a more powerful computer. Or do you just want a "basic" computer for everyday needs? Determining what you will be using your computer for is one of the, if not the most important step in building your own computer.

The steps that I will outline in this article will assist you in building a computer for whatever needs you will be using it for. The next step that I advise doing is finding a company that you will be ordering your parts from. There are many websites and companies out there to order components from. You could search the usual online auction sites for parts, but these parts aren't usually reliable unless they are brand new and coming from a company. You can also order each separate part from a different company that specializes in making that particular component. This ensures that you get great separate components from reputable companies but also will cost more. What I suggest is finding a company (usually online) that has great prices on reputable individual components. I usually use tigerdirect.com or newegg.com for these individual components. These companies as well as the online auction sites also sell computer cases (towers, mid-towers, and desktops). But you may want a more dramatic or custom case from a site such as frozencpu.com. This is the first component of your computer building experience that you will need to decide upon. This will also effect the overall component factor. A full size pc tower will usually take an ATX motherboard whereas a mid to small size pc tower case will usually require a microATX motherboard. If you are going to be using your computer for gaming or production then I would recommend getting a full size tower.

Now that you have decided what you will be using your computer for and decided on a case you need to decide if you want to go with an Intel or AMD processor. Both companies make great processors and are usually equal as far as current technology. You will find that people will argue up and down over which is better, Intel or AMD. I say that either one is good but based upon what you decide will determine the motherboard you go with. The architecture on the motherboard determines which processor will be used. You see a motherboard that has Intel architecture cannot run an AMD processor and visa versa. Below I will outline the individual components required for the computer you are building.

1. Computer case (which you should now have decided upon)

2. Motherboard (like the "foundation" of your computer, either Intel or AMD architecture)

3. Memory (type of memory used is also dependent on the motherboard chosen)

4. Hard Drive (type chosen based on required storage and performance for your needs)

5. Video Card (again type chosen based on your specific needs)

6. Sound Card (see above)

7. Power Supply (type chosen is usually most dependent on motherboard)

8. CPU/Processor (Intel or AMD dependent on motherboard choice, processor speed and technology is dependent on your particular needs)

9. Fans/Heatsinks (case fans, cpu fans/heatsinks, hard drive cooling, memory/chipset cooling, VGA cooling, and even water cooling are available)

10. Optional Components (DVD Drive, CD-Rom Drive, DVD/CD Burners, Floppy drive, additional USB ports, Ethernet/LAN card, Telephone based modem, and other optional components)

11. Operating System

These are the "basic" components that actually make up the internals of the tower. To have a "fully" working computer you will also obviously need a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. There are other optional peripherals such as a printer, scanner, camera, and more.

I will now go into specific detail on the specifics of each of the individual components covered above. However since I already basically covered the pc tower case, motherboard, and processors I won't go into much more detail on them. I will also detail the process involved in attaching the components together to get your computer up and running.

1. PC Case - As covered above your case is one of the first decisions you need to make on your computer. If you are going to be using your computer for gaming or graphic design/other production services then you will want to go with a full tower case. If you are using your computer for school a full tower case will work as will a mid tower. Very rarely do people go with a "desktop" case anymore. Lastly, if you are using your computer for every day use you can go with any of the above. But if you are budget conscious I would use a mid-tower case. Again, whichever case you decide on will determine what size motherboard you will be getting (ATX, micro-ATX, micro-BTX, mini-itx, or mini-BTX). These different types are called 'Form-Factors'. You can do an online search to get more information on the differences in motherboards.

2. Motherboard - Usually a full or mid tower case will use an ATX or Micro-ATX motherboard. Both of these motherboards are the same except the Micro-ATX motherboard is smaller and usually doesn't offer as many options and performance capabilities as an ATX motherboard. Both ATX and Micro-ATX motherboards will use either Intel or AMD processors. However you will need to decide on whether or not you want to use an AMD or Intel processor and purchase the motherboard that has the architecture for that particular processor. Think of the motherboard as the "foundation" or the "mother" of the computer. It is the component that everything else plugs into. It holds the processor and memory slots as well as all of the connectors to attach your component cards (graphic card, sound card, ethernet card, etc) and all of the connectors your individual components plug into. So you can see that your motherboard decision is very important. You will also need to decide what processor socket you will be going with. Each processor line has a different "socket type". As an example, the new Intel Core 2 Duo processors are usually LGA 775 or socket 478. Most of the sites such as newegg.com and tigerdirect.com offer searches for motherboards or motherboard/cpu packages based on a number of things one of them being socket type. You can go to one of these sites and browse around or do a search to get a better idea on socket type and the corresponding processor/motherboard technology. If you look at the specs of the motherboard they will usually tell you everything you need to know about memory type, number of memory slots, processor architecture, chipset, storage devices, expansion slots, and other things like onboard video, onboard audio, and onboard LAN as well as other various capabilities. Another important thing to consider when purchasing your motherboard is how much memory you will need and the type you will be using. See below for further information on memory.

3. Memory - Most of today's motherboards will support up to four gigabytes of memory and some support way more. The amount of memory you need depends of course on what you will be using your computer for. If you are using it for gaming, design/production, or other performance based needs then you should get a motherboard that supports up to four gigabytes of ram. However to cope with ever advancing technologies and software that will keep using more and more memory, you may want to think about a motherboard that supports up to six or eight gigabytes of ram. Also there are different types of memory that different motherboards use. These are based on pin number and memory type, some of these include but are not limited to the following: 168-Pin SDRAM, 184-Pin DDR SDRAM, 184-Pin RDRAM(16 bit), 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM, and 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM. When choosing your motherboard, the description or specifics section will usually tell you all of the information you need for your other component choices, including what type of memory it uses. Also you should know that "desktop" computers usually use different components, memory included, than laptop computers. I will go into greater detail on memory types below.

* Static RAM (SRAM). This RAM will maintain it's data as long as power is provided to the memory chips. It does not need to be re-written periodically. In fact, the only time the data on the memory is refreshed or changed is when an actual write command is executed. SRAM is very fast, but is much more expensive than DRAM. SRAM is often used as cache memory due to its speed.

There are a few types of SRAM:

Async SRAM. An older type of SRAM used in many PC's for L2 cache. It is asynchronous, meaning that it works independently of the system clock. This means that the CPU found itself waiting for info from the L2 cache.

Sync SRAM. This type of SRAM is synchronous, meaning it is synchronized with the system clock. While this speeds it up, it makes it rather expensive at the same time.

Pipeline Burst SRAM. Commonly used. SRAM requests are pipelined, meaning larger packets of data re sent to the memory at once, and acted on very quickly. This breed of SRAM can operate at bus speeds higher than 66MHz, so is often used.

* Dynamic RAM (DRAM). DRAM, unlike SRAM, must be continually re-written in order for it to maintain its data. This is done by placing the memory on a refresh circuit that re-writes the data several hundred time per second. DRAM is used for most system memory because it is cheap and small.

There are several types of DRAM, complicating the memory scene even more:

Fast Page Mode DRAM (FPM DRAM). FPM DRAM is only slightly faster than regular DRAM. Before there was EDO RAM, FPM RAM was the main type used in PC's. It is pretty slow stuff, with an access time of 120 ns. It was eventually tweaked to 60 ns, but FPM was still too slow to work on the 66MHz system bus. For this reason, FPM RAM was replaced by EDO RAM. FPM RAM is not much used today due to its slow speed, but is almost universally supported.

Extended Data Out DRAM (EDO DRAM). EDO memory incorporates yet another tweak in the method of access. It allows one access to begin while another is being completed. While this might sound ingenious, the performance increase over FPM DRAM is only around 30%. EDO DRAM must be properly supported by the chipset. EDO RAM comes on a SIMM. EDO RAM cannot operate on a bus speed faster than 66MHz, so, with the increasing use of higher bus speeds, EDO RAM has taken the path of FPM RAM.

Burst EDO DRAM (BEDO DRAM). Original EDO RAM was too slow for the newer systems coming out at the time. Therefore, a new method of memory access had to be developed to speed up the memory. Bursting was the method devised. This means that larger blocks of data were sent to the memory at a time, and each "block" of data not only carried the memory address of the immediate page, but info on the next several pages. Therefore, the next few accesses would not experience any delays due to the preceding memory requests. This technology increases EDO RAM speed up to around 10 ns, but it did not give it the ability to operate stably at bus speeds over 66MHz. BEDO RAM was an effort to make EDO RAM compete with SDRAM.

Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM). SDRAM became the new standard after EDO bit the dust. Its speed is synchronous, meaning that it is directly dependent on the clock speed of the entire system. Standard SDRAM can handle higher bus speeds. In theory, it could operate at up to 100MHz, although it was found that many other variable factors went into whether or not it could stabily do so. The actual speed capacity of the module depended on the actual memory chips as well as design factors in the memory PCB itself.

RAMBus DRAM (RDRAM). Developed by Rambus, Inc. and endorsed by Intel as the chosen successor to SDRAM. RDRAM narrows the memory bus to 16-bit and runs at up to 800 MHz. Since this narrow bus takes up less space on the board, systems can get more speed by running multiple channels in parallel. Despite the speed, RDRAM has had a tough time taking off in the market because of compatibility and timing issues. Heat is also an issue, but RDRAM has heatsinks to dissipate this. Cost is a major issue with RDRAM, with manufacturers needing to make major facility changes to make it and the product cost to consumers being too high for people to swallow.

DDR-SDRAM. This type of memory is the natural evolution from SDRAM and most manufacturers prefer this to Rambus because not much needs to be changed to make it. Also, memory makers are free to manufacture it because it is an open standard, whereas they would have to pay license fees to Rambus, Inc. in order make RDRAM. DDR stands for Double Data Rate. DDR shuffles data over the bus over both the rise and fall of the clock cycle, effectively doubling the speed over that of standard SDRAM. Of course, chipset support is necessary. DDR-DRAM is now the new standard in PC memory, with ever increasing speed support coming out, even so that it can compete quite well up against Rambus.

I know all of this information can be confusing but you can learn more about different memory types from searching online. The above information was copied from http://www.pcmech.com/article/memory-types/. I hope that this information is useful to you. Basically what you need to know is that most motherboards today will be using either SDRAM, DDR, DDR2, or DDR3.

4. Hard Drive - The type of hard drive will depend on a few different factors. These factors include the amount of storage you will need, the speed of the hard drive, and the technology involved/interface (IDE ATA, SATA, SCSI, or Serial ATA150). The interface also will vary the transfer rate involved. So as an example if you are using your computer for gaming and price really isn't too much of a factor you would want decent storage capacity with a fast hard drive (10,000 RPM or even 15,000 RPM) and a Serial ATA interface. If you are using your computer for production or things like graphic design you will need even greater storage (250-500GB on a single drive), hard drive speed can be kept at 7,000 RPM's but I would go with 10,000 or 15,000 RPM's if your needs require it, and probably Serial ATA or SCSI interface. However, if you are using your computer for daily or home use you can go with a more basic hard drive setup. This setup would include storage capacities ranging from 80 - 120 gigabytes, default hard drive speed of 7,000 rpm's, and an ATA or SATA interface. If you need more information on hard drives you can also do an online search for information on them or use a site like wikipedia.com to find out further information.

5. Video Card - The type of video card you decide upon, like all other choices made, depends on what you will be using your computer for. If you will be gaming then you obviously will want a highly advanced video card...the latest and greatest technology...one that will give you the best graphics possible. Again if you are using your computer for something like graphic design or other production or editing you will want a top of the line video card. However, if you will be using your computer as a "home" computer for everyday use you can compromise here and go with a more decently priced card. Do not let this fool you though, even the cheaper cards will still give you great graphics if you make a good selection. There are different types of connections involved with video/graphics cards and some will have a couple different connectors on them. Video cards will also come in either an AGP, PCI, or PCI Express interface. The specifics of the motherboard you decide on will tell you which video card interface it accepts. Again, you can find further information on the specifics of video cards by searching. This article is intended to show you how to build your own computer and not intended to teach you about details of specific components. After these brief descriptions of the individual parts involved I will go through the steps to put them all together to build your computer.

6. Sound Card - The sound card choice will not be that big of a deal unless you are using your computer for gaming or video/sound editing. If you are into video/sound editing then I will assume you know what you specifically need as far as the capabilities of a sound card are concerned. If you are going to be using your computer for gaming then I would go with a sound card with 5.1 or 7.1 technology that has surround sound capabilities. And if you are using your computer for regular daily home use I would just get a basic sound card that has a standard output jack for speakers, mic input, etc. These cards usually are in the $10 - $25 range and a good company for any of your needs is Creative. Most sound cards use a PCI interface.

7. Power Supply - Most power supplies are based upon ATX or Micro ATX motherboards and can range in power from 150 - 700 Watts. You will find that the majority of power supplies are in the 500 - 600 Watt range. Your power supply decision is based upon your motherboard form factor and your power needs. Most generally for any of your basic computer needs you will use an ATX 12 Volt or Micro ATX supply in the power range of 500 - 650 Watts.

8. CPU/Processor - Your CPU/Processor decision is a big one and is based on a number of factors. First dependent on your motherboard choice you will need either an AMD or Intel processor with whatever socket type your motherboard takes. Then you will need to decide on how much "power" you need your processor to have based upon your specific needs. If you are gaming or using your computer for large software programs like you would for video editing, graphic design, etc. then you will need a "beefy" processor. This will require you to focus a majority of your budget on a top of the line processor. I would recommend using the latest core 2 duo, core 2 extreme, or even core 2 quad processors. If you are using your computer for basic home use then you can again compromise on price here and go with an Intel Celeron, Pentium 4, Pentium D, or if you want a little more performance an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. On the AMD side you can go with an Opteron, Athlon, or even Sempron...and some of those also come in 64 bit versions as well.

9. Fan/Heatsinks - You will also need to purchase some fans and heatsinks for your computer so that your components don't overheat. Obviously if you are gaming or using big software programs that demand a lot of processor power you will want to use a better cooling system with larger heatsinks and more fans, as well as a hard drive fan, and other options...even water cooling. If you are a basic home user than you can go with your basic case fans, cpu fans/heatsinks, and thats about it unless you want a hard drive cooler as well. Usually when you are searching for these products the website or company will tell you which type of component they go with.

10. Optional Components - Most generally the components you will want to go with here whether you are a gamer, home user, or someone using large software programs...you will want some kind of cd-rom/dvd-rom combo drive, possibly a cd/dvd burner, a floppy drive, an ethernet card for broadband (high speed) internet connectivity, or a regular telephone modem if you are using dial up internet. These components will usually fit into the spaces in your case unless you have a micro-atx case that has limited expansion slots. All of these components will plug into your motherboard.

11. Operating System - The operating system or O.S. is what turns your computer from a box that just powers up into a machine that will run programs and that you can interact with. Some of the more popular operating systems include Windows, Linux, and apple's operating system OS X. Some 90% of the computers in the world use Microsoft's Windows operating system.

Now that we have gone through all of the essential components that you will need to acquire in order to build your computer, I will go through the steps required to put all of these components together to get your computer up and running.

1. The first thing you want to do is to make sure that the space you are going to be building your computer on is free of ESD (Electro Static Discharge). There are a few ways of doing this. The first way is by using an ESD mat on your table or workbench that has a cord to connect to the ground that "grounds" the mat so any electrical charge that is built up is sent down through the cord to the ground. Another way of protecting your parts from E.S.D. is by using E.S.D. straps on your wrists and/or ankles. If you are really paranoid you can spray your clothes and immediate area down with staticguard.

2. Next you will want to prepare your area with all of the tools you will need for your build. I recommend purchasing a small to moderately sized computer repair kit. You can usually find these for a decent price and they have most if not all of the tools you need to work on computers. The tool that you will use the most will be a philips head screwdriver. Most of the screws will be the same size but some may be smaller than the others. You may also need a device to pickup small items that could potentially get dropped inside the computer. You might also need to use a cutting instrument for various things. When you order your computer case and individual components they should send the required screws with them, but if you need any additional screws or other misc. things you can go to a place like Radio Shack to get them.

3. It's much easier to install your processor while the motherboard is outside of the case, as it gives you much more free space in which to work. First, you'll want to make sure that your CPU has either the supplied heatsink and or fan attached (which should have already been done by the OEM). Next, simply plug in your Processor to the CPU connector, usually located in the upper left hand corner of your motherboard. Depending on what type of CPU you are installing, there is only one correct way to install the CPU, gently slide the CPU into position, and check to make sure you have it firmly in place

4. Like the CPU, this should also be done while the motherboard is out of the case. You should usually be able to find your RAM slots located in the upper right hand corner of your motherboard. Most of today's motherboards contain 2-4 DIMM connectors.
Installing the RAM sticks is a snap - literally. By using DIMM modules it does not matter what size (in Megabytes/Gigabytes) they are, or where/what order you position them in as long as you don't skip a slot. I find it best to install the first stick in bank0 (usually the one closest to the CPU) by gently aligning the golden connectors with the slot so that it fits in (don't worry there is only one it can go in, just like the CPU), apply some pressure, but don't force it in. You should hear a click when they are securely fastened into place. Place any other sticks in succession there after, bank1, bank2 and so on. Installation is done in this sequence mainly to avoid any problems that your motherboard may have to your first (or only) stick being in any other bank than bank0.

5. Make sure any jumpers are set properly and that your CPU and RAM have already been installed. Most of today's newer motherboards don't have hardware jumpers, the CPU's Speed/Voltage/FSB settings are all automatically set via the motherboard's own 'soft jumpers' (located in the BIOS). If you do happen to buy a motherboard that requires jumpers to be set, refer to your motherboard's manual, it will guide you through proper jumper setup procedures.

Depending on what type of case you have, you may be lucky enough to have one with a detachable motherboard installation plate. Having one of those makes it much easier to install or remove motherboards. Second, you'll want to check and see what actually connects your motherboard with the installation plate. The most popular (and probably best) method is the use of metal risers. These screw in and out of both the motherboard and the case, providing a good safe hold on the board. The second method is that of using plastic spaces. These snap in and out of your motherboard, but are often easy to break, and can be hard to use.

Now, make sure that you have the motherboard's screw holes properly lined up with the risers or spacers that have been installed on your case's motherboard installation plate (if this has not already been done you need to do this now). Secondly, you'll want to line up the motherboard with the case so that the I/O connectors on the motherboard line up nicely with I/O connectors on the case's I/O shield plate. You'll also want to attach the power supply if your case didn't come with one. Finally, you'll want to connect the case's power supply with the motherboard and do the same with any motherboard fans, etc. This should be very easy to do.

Now, you'll need to plug in the wires that connect the case's LED lights (power, and HD lights), power switch, restart switch and, if applicable, the internal speaker. Every motherboard needs its case wires arranged differently so consult your manual for correct arrangement of these wires. If you don't get any of these steps done right the first time, don't panic, it's easy to re-position your motherboard, or reconnect a wire differently if needed.

6. Installing IDE Devices (hard drive, floppy drive, cd/dvd rom devices) - Most of today's motherboards can support up to four IDE devices. The first thing you'll need to do is set your IDE Devices' jumper settings. You should find three ways to set the jumpers: master device, slave device, or cable select (which does what the name implies). It's always a good idea to setup your Hard Drive as the master device of your first IDE channel and CD-ROM or DVD-ROM IDE device as the master of the second IDE channel. If you are installing any additional IDE devices such as a Zip drive, you will need to set them as slaves to either the first or second IDE channel. Remember each IDE channel can only have one master and one slave device.

Depending on your case's drive bay situation, you'll have either a removable drive bay (these are common in the really nice cases), or a non-removable drive bay. When installing your drives, make sure to space them out for best air flow and make sure that the ribbon cable is able to reach the motherboard.

When attaching the IDE devices with their corresponding ribbon cables make sure that the red line that runs along the side of the cable matches up correctly with the first pin (one closest to power connector) in the drive's pin array. It's also a good idea to place the master device on the end of the ribbon, and any slave devices on the inner most connector of the same ribbon cable. You should now be able to attach the power connectors to the devices; this should be easy to do as the 4-pin connectors were designed to go in only one way.

Installing the 3.5" floppy drive is much the same as installing an IDE device. One notable difference is that they use a different type of power connector (which is smaller) and a lesser 34-pin ribbon cable. Make sure to align the red line on the ribbon cable to the first pin on the back of the 3.5" floppy. Do this, and you should be good to go!

7. Installing AGP/PCI Devices (video card, ethernet card, sound card, etc) - By this point you should give yourself a pat on the back, you're nearly finished. It's a good idea to first install your AGP card and give your machine a little test boot. Installing an AGP video card is easy, you simply slide the card into the AGP port (usually the brownish connector closest to the CPU), make sure it's in firmly, and screw the edge connector into the case. Now you should try booting the computer.

If all goes well (and the computer posts), you can power back down and continue to install your PCI and other cards such as your audio card, modem, and anything else you may need to install. It's a good idea to space out your cards so that you can get a good airflow between them. After this is done, get ready for the first real boot.

8. BIOS Setup - After your computer successfully posts (and you have everything installed correctly), you'll need to setup the BIOS. Pressing either the Delete or F2 key after the computer posts lets you access the computer's BIOS. Flip through your motherboard's manual for the low-down on accessing and configuring the BIOS.

Since my motherboard is jumper-less, the first thing that I'll need to do is check to make sure the CPU's clock speed is correct. The BIOS usually will automatically detect your CPU and set BIOS accordingly, but sometimes it will miss-detect your CPU forcing you to manually set the correct parameters (which is simple as pie, if you refer to your motherboard's manual).

After you have that all squared away, you'll want to set the system clock and check to make sure that all your IDE, and floppy drive settings are correct. Again, most BIOS will be able to auto detect everything, but if for some reason your drives were not properly detected you can set them up here.

9. Operating System Installation - By far, the easiest OS to install is Microsoft Windows. Installation is nothing more than booting your computer using either the supplied floppy or CD, and following the simple on-screen prompts during the installation. You'll need to make sure you have the driver disks present for all your hardware and be ready for when Windows asks for them. You will also need to make sure that you have the full version of Windows (not the cheaper upgrade version) for new installation on a formatted hard drive.

And that is about it, I hope you have gained some knowledge from this article! It really isn't that difficult to build your own computer today. Be sure to visit my blog and bookmark it for more great articles!


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-Curt

Fourth of July

Well people the fourth of July is upon us. As we in the United States of America celebrate our independence there are many things to think about. I feel as though so many of the youth today aren't really grateful for the freedoms that we have today. I for one am very grateful. And in my opinion, whether you are for or against the war, are liberal or conservative (or anywhere on the political fence), I think that as an American you should show support for our troops. Whenever I see someone in b.d.u.'s I always shake their hand and thank them for serving. And the reaction that I usually get is that they don't get that very often.

Back in the day's of World War Two the support of our troops was outstanding. Our servicemen back then were treated like the hero's they were. The mission has not changed but the show of appreciation has. I am always open to information, views, and opinions on all kinds of subjects. But one thing that keeps upsetting me is the lack of support and appreciation for our soldiers. These people are out there putting their lives on the line defending our freedoms and fighting the fight over there so HOPEFULLY civilians here won't get attacked.

While I agree that we should have probably went to war with a different country that posed a greater threat first, I think that removing Saddam from power was a good thing to do. A lot of people always say "what if we had known about Hitler ahead of time and been able to remove him from power before he committed all of those atrocities?" Well in a way that is what we did with Hussein. Unfortunately we didn't remove him before he hurt people but we did remove him and his regime from power before he could become more powerful and get his hands on things he could use to harm even more people. A lot of what you see on television tells us that most of the Iraqi people do not want us there and that they are bent on destruction.

What I have learned from talking to soldiers that have actually been there is that this for the most part isn't true. A lot of Iraqi's are very glad that we liberated them but at the same time they are believing that we are there as conquerers and don't want us to stay there. Most of the Iraqi citizens are not the one's that are trying to kill our soldiers...however there are those of them that are. A lot of the insurgents there now are foreign fighters that have been streaming in to Iraq to fight in the "jihad". At any rate, our soldiers have been and continue to fight to defend our freedoms and to spread those freedoms so that others may know what it is to have them.

Keep in mind that before the Iraqi people were liberated they were not allowed to speak out against their government like you and I can. We have the freedom to voice our opposition to President Bush and his administration. When people in Iraq did that under Hussein's regime they were tortured, murdered, or their whole families "dealt with". The Iraqi people barely had any freedoms at all under his regime. So, you may not think that a soldier in the United States military isn't doing much and you don't owe them anything but it couldn't be further from the truth. Everything we have today that is taken for granted by so many of today's youth was given to us by the soldier doing his/her duty in our military. And everything we have is being protected by today's soldier doing his/her duty. So the next time you see a soldier please go up to them, shake their hand, and say "thank you for serving and defending my freedoms". I know they will appreciate it.

Not only do I get irritated with people not showing appreciation for our soldiers but I also grow tired of hearing people complain about how President Bush and his administration "lied" to us. People keep saying that we were told Iraq had WMD's and our forces didn't find any so we were lied to. There are a couple things about this that people either don't know about or choose not to listen to.

First of all in the 1980's the United States gave chemical and I think biological weapons, along with other weapons to Suddam Hussein and his forces when they were at war with the extremist government of Iran. At the time the greatest threat in the area to the United States was Iran and rather than getting directly involved the United States gave arms to Iraq. Then in the late 80's Saddam Hussein used chemical agents on the people of his own country. The Kurd's in the northern Iraqi city of Halabja were the worst affected. Some five thousand of the Kurdish population were killed. And Saddam used these weapons on around twenty other villages in Iraq in the late eighties. This is one of the facts in the public domain that proves he had weapons of mass destruction.

There was also evidence found and the distinct possibility that in the weeks leading up to the start of the war in 2003 that Saddam had vital weapons, technology, and other resources moved to other countries like Syria. So I fail to see how people can proclaim that President Bush and his administration lied to the American public about this when the information is there in the public domain! One doesn't need to have a Top Secret security clearance to see classified information about this to know he had WMD's.

Another country that we keep hearing about in the news is Iran. We keep hearing about how intelligence suggests that they are seeking to develop nuclear weapons. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at the information available to the public and see that this is most likely true. Before U.N. weapon's inspectors showed up years ago to inspect supposed nuclear weapon development sites in Iran, they completely tore down buildings and rebuild new one's in their places in an attempt to hide the truth.

However, the inspectors sensitive equipment was able to detect radiation and other information at these sites that showed the refinement of uranium on a weapon's grade scale. Iran keeps saying that they are developing nuclear technology for peaceful energy use. I find this statement outlandish in that Iran sits on top of a giant lake of oil! They are one of the biggest producers of oil in the world! They have no need for the development of alternative energy! The situation with Iran needs to be dealt with very carefully.

We need to be careful because the invasion of another middle eastern country by the United States would no doubt be seen by some as "taking over" the middle east. But we also have seen in the past that U.N. sanctions given to a defiant regime do not work. So the task at hand is a delicate one.

As I said, as we celebrate our country's independence we have a lot of things to think about and be thankful for. I thank you for taking the time to read this post and I hope you subscribe to my blog and keep coming back in the future for more great reading!

Happy Independence Day!

-Curt

Making Music

For those of you that don't know me already, I have played guitar for about fourteen years now. Most of my life has been dedicated to and surrounded by music. For a lot of people music is LIFE! I can remember the first time I heard Nirvana's "Bleach" album. From that moment on I was taken by the sheer emotion involved in it. A lot of people have that one particular album that grabbed on to their imaginiation and let them "escape" from their problems and let them relate to what the artist was saying. I am a firm believer that music is a thearaputic tool that is responsible for getting numbers of people through tough times in their lives. Think about your favorite group or band. Don't you feel like you know exactly what they are talking about on a particular song? It is the ability of a lyricist to write what they are going through or write about a subject that is of controversy or "hits home" to many people and write it in a way that makes people feel touched that makes them good at what they do.

If you are familiar with making music and writing lyrics then you know that there is a particular hit song "format" that a lot of people have discovered. There is proof of this from software created that looks at any number of "hit songs" and determined that there is a basic format that they all had in common. I would like to post some snippits of an article previously written by Clive Thompson.

"At the heart of the program is a ''clustering'' algorithm that locates acoustic similarities between songs, like common bits of rhythm, harmonies or keys. The software takes a new tune and compares it with the mathematical signatures of the last 30 years of Top 40 hits. The closer the song is to ''a hit cluster,'' the more likely -- in theory -- that the kids won't be able to resist it. Yet the weird thing is, songs that are mathematically similar don't necessarily sound the same. The scientists found that U2 is similar to Beethoven, and that Van Halen shares qualities with the piano rock of Vanessa Carlton. Even more bizarrely, 50 Cent's throbbing rap tune ''If I Can't'' correlates with ''(There's) No Gettin' Over Me,'' a twangy country ditty by Ronnie Milsap."

"Several record companies began using Hit Song Science to help pick which songs on an album to promote. Others are now using it in the studio, taking a rough mix of a new song, checking to see how hit-worthy it is, then tweaking it until it has ''good mathematics,'' as McCready puts it. He can foresee a day when most major hits will have been vetted by algorithms."

"Which is, depending on how you look at it, either a wonderful breakthrough for science or an incredibly bleak statement about the music industry. Critics for years have complained that record labels produce only bland albums that mimic what's already popular. But Hit Song Science takes that trend to its logical absurdity: it does not merely aim at the middle of the road -- it calculates it, with scientific precision." - Clive Thompson

As the article suggests, one could view this as a breakthrough for figuring out who and what will make a "hit song". Or one could view this as another way the music industry churns out all too familiar music that is less and less "original". There have been countless people for years now that have proclaimed "today's music doesn't say anything" or "they don't make music like they used to". And as I listen to some of the songs on the radio I admit that I would have to agree. However, there are bands today that do make exceptional music and bands that write lyrics with exceptional quality. I don't know where the music and lyrics that I have helped to make with the bands I have been in rate but I will post the lyrics to one of our songs and let you decide for yourself. The song below can also be previewed and is included on a c.d. I put together of my bands' music at This Site

My Pain
Written by Curt Hart of Tonedeaf Mime

I see you standing there before me like I do
I see you just like I do standing there like a prayer
Like the last year, like you killed, because of you, before me
My pain has got the best of me, release, release me
When I see you standing there just like a prayer, I don’t even care
You came back, begged before me, I won’t try to warn you
About the black in my eyes, you will regret, and I will rejoice, I will rejoice
My pain has got the best of me, release, release me
My pain has got the best of me, release, release me
I will never let you go
My eyes turn black like the devil’s soul, black
Your eyes turn red just like your soul, red
Before my friend I turn again, just like our eyes, I want you
My soul burns the last strip, before my friend, I wanna fall
My soul will wait, my soul won’t wait
My pain has got the best of me, release, release me
My pain has got the best of me, release, release me
My pain has got the best of me, release, release me
I will never let you go

Click here to purchase the c.d. with this and other great songs on it!

Some advice I can give to musicians and songwriters out there just getting started would be to write what you know. Write about something that inspires or moves you. If something inspires you then it is a good bet that it will reach out to other people as well. Here are a few tips on songwriting.

1. Start with the title. The title of the song is usually what its all about. It will be your chorus, your hook, and the main idea of the song.

2. Secondly ask questions. Let's say your song title is "Night time car ride". Ask questions about it, what was the reason for the car ride? Why was it at night? What took place during the ride? How you answer these questions will determine what the song is about.

3. Make a list of words, images, and phrases about the song title. After you have a list of related words then make a list of opposites. Use these words to help describe....

4. Lyrics are not poems. Many inexperienced songwriters begin by writing a lyric that looks like a poem, complete with nice rhymes and a regular, sing-song meter. What you get when you write lyrics without music is usually bad poetry. If you do not play an instrument then take a song that is already made and reflects the "feel" of what you are looking for and write new lyrics to the song. This is a good way to practice.


I would like to end this post with a few questions. What do you think of today's music compared to music that was written in the past as far as "saying something" goes? Do you think that today's issues are being accurately voiced by today's musicians? And finally, do you think it is easier today with the technology available and widespread access to outlets of distribution, to become "famous" or well known as a musician? Or do you think it is infact harder because of things like market saturation?

-Thank you for taking the time to read this post
-Curt Hart

Invitation and Intro to my Blog

Hello and welcome to my blog. I would like to take the time in this my first entry to welcome you and introduce you to what my writings will be about. In whatever way you have come across this blog (word of mouth, search, or any number of other methods) I would like to say thank you for coming! In the near future I intend to put up a few ads on here to try and help to raise funds so I can dedicate more time on research, editing, and adding new things. I will also most likely create a cafepress store with some clothing available for purchase. This store may also in the future contain music by my band and/or vocal cd's. Lastly, I will also be putting a paypal donate option on this site so those of you that enjoy reading about what I post can donate funds to help me out. Okay anyway, this blog will be many things for me and I hope a lot of people will get just as many things out of it. For those "die hard" fans that are interested in a particular subject and will want to keep coming back for more on a particular subject I write about...I will do so. The main subjects that I will write about on a regular basis are recent news, politics, theory, philosophy, conspiracies, computers/technology, automobiles, and feelings. Please keep in mind that these are just the general topics I will usually write about and that many subtopics will branch out from these. I will also do what I call "common man reviews". Since I am just your average middle-class white male, I will be reviewing different products as they would be used by the "common person". These reviews will range from automobiles to video games. I will also be posting about various things that just come up. These "rants" could be about everything from something or somebody upsetting me or something happening that I feel people should know about to advice on how to do things or be a better person. I hope to add a few posts every week and it is my goal to attract many visitors to this blog by writing about a multitude of topics that interest numbers of people. It would be nice to make a living from various internet projects but I don't expect that to happen. Anyways, I am going to end this post here but may add more to it later. Future posts will be longer as well. If you have come across this blog as it is now, please bookmark it and come back to see the progression. Maybe the next time you visit there will be a post that greatly sparks your interest. Also, please leave me a comment and let me know what you would like to see me write about or if you have any advice on blogging. I am a musician and write songs/poems. I also am very knowledgable and hope to cover many aspects and views of the topics I will be writing about.

I would also like to invite you to purchase a c.d. I have put together featuring music by two band's I have been in. If you go to the link below you can also preview the songs before purchasing the c.d. It is only $9 and would help me out quite a bit. Thank you!

Click here to purchase great music!