Computer Tips & tricks
How to find a Lost File on your Computer
Change your Screen Size:
Disk CleanUp:
Change your Internet Home Page:
Systems Lock ups, Crashes, Free:
ANTIVIRUS Updating:
SPYWARE Updating:
SPOOFED Web sites
(How to know one & what
they are):
The Secure Site lock icon (What is it):
Backing up your data on USB Flash
Drive:
Backing up your data on CD or
DVD:
How to Check your Router / Modem:
Watch DVD's on your iPOD
Most PC monitors these days have
bigger screens which means that you can change the size of what appears on
the screen in many cases being able to fit more on the page at one time and
a sharper image this is called the Changing the Resolution,
Here is the way to do it ;
- Make sure you are on the Desktop* either close all your open programs or just minimise them OK now you should see the screen that has Icons on it this is the Desktop.
- Right click the mouse button on the screen making sure that you DO NOT click on any Icon (folder) then a window opens giving a list of options select "properties".
- The next window opens called Display Properties click the Settings tab, next screen you see find Screen Resolution move the slider watching the numbers change untill you get to what you need e.g.1024x768. MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PC,MONITOR,& VIDEO CARD CAN HANGLE THE NEW SETTINGS.
- If you are unsure of having a go at this please contact us for advise or help.
- Browse normally to the web page you want as your home page.
- Pull down the "Tools" menu of Browser.
- Select "Internet Options."
- The "General" tab appears.
- You'll see the "Home page" box at the top.
- Click the "Use Current" button in that box.
- Click "OK."
- Close and open Browser. You should
see your new home page
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System Lock ups, Crashes
First of all we must establish WHY?
- The cause of this can be various if you are unsure what it is then contact us so we can help fix the problem.
- If it actually happens to you: Whatever was on the screen at the time of
the lockup remains there, and the computer does not respond to any input
from keyboard or mouse. Unfortunately, you can’t do anything to prevent
a system lockup after one has already happened. The only remedy is a reboot
(restart the computer). You can try restarting the computer by pressing the
CTRL-ALT-DELETE key combination. If that doesn’t work, hold down the
computer’s power button until the machine shuts off, and then give
it a full 10 seconds of rest before starting it again.
This is not the ideal but if it is the only way out you will have to take it.
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This is one of the most important pieces of software on your PC, You must have
some form of ANTIVIRUS on your PC.
Depending on the brand of ANTIVIRUS (SCS actually use & highly recommend
AVG by Grisoft) you have on your PC it would give an indication that it requires
updating, This means that the maker of the program has new "updates" which
are small downloads that you need to keep your ANTIVIRUS up to date so that
it is able to catch and deal with new Viruses that are found on the internet
nearly daily. Below we have a list of how to go about updating your ANTIVIRUS
program.
- First find out what program you have, usually beacuse this
type of program runs all the time it has its own icon (small picture near
the time bottom RIGHT corner of your screen.
Tip: If you hold your mouse over each icon it will tell you the name of the program, if you are still unable to find out please contact us to help work it out. - Once you know the program now we have to check if the program
is up to date, Usually if you right click the mouse button you should get
a menu that gives you options. One of the options will be Check For Updates,
Left clicking this option will connect you to the programs website in order
for you download the updates available giving you back or keeping your security
up to date.
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Spyware has only been around for a short period of time making them
more advanced which means they are much more dangerous .Unlike Viruses which
have to be opened (clicked open by the mouse) to infect your PC Spyware does
not have to be, meaning that you can get Spyware by simply just being on-line.
You dont have to download emails or files off the net as long as you are connected
to the Internet you are vunerable to Spyware infection. The main draw back
with Spyware is that if your PC is infected &
you have no Anti Spyware installed it becomes almost impossible to get rid
of it.
This usually means that the PC has to be reformatted, this is when the PC is
completely wiped and all the data on the PC is deleted EVEYTHING!
With this information we have some outlines you should follow:
- Have installed at least 2 Spyware programs, we have certain programs that are FREE that we have tested and highly recommend. Please contact us so we can determine what setup would be best for your situation.
- Run these program everytime you connect to the internet for the first week, then run the programs at LEAST once a week
- Make sure that the program are up to date, most program
today have automatic updaters. If you are unsure please contact
us for help or advice.
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SPOOFED Web sites (How to know one & what they are):
- The spoofed site is usually designed to look like the legitimate site, sometimes using components from the legitimate site. The best way to verify whether you are at a spoofed site is to verify the certificate.
Do not rely on the text in the address bar as an indication that you are at the site you think you are. There are several ways to get the address bar in a browser to display something other than the site you are on.
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The Secure Site lock icon (What is it):
- *-Situated at the bottom of the broswer window.
It is a picture of a Padlock. If the lock is closed, then the
site uses encryption. Double-click the lock icon to display the security
certificate for the site. This certificate is proof of the identity for
the site.
When you check the certificate, the name following Issued to should match the site you think you are on. If the name differs, you may be on a spoofed site.
- If you are not sure whether a certificate is legitimate, do not enter any personal information. Play it safe and leave the Web site.
- If you are using FIREFOX you can test to see if your Phishing Protection is working by click the test here .
- If you are not using FIREFOX you had better get it from here very
quickly!
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Backing up your data on USB Flash Drive:
First we will do a back up onto a USB Flash Drive by the Drag & Drop method.
- Place the USB Flash drive into a free USB port
- Double Click on My Computer
- You should see an Icon named Removable Disk, This is your USB Drive
- Double Click to see what is on it, a window will open with the files that are on the disk.
- Leave the window to the USB drive open.
- Open the folder that has the files you want to copy or back up.
- Now you can simply drag the files to the USB drive, let them go that's it the files are now on the USB drive.
- You can now remove the USB drive if you have finished or leave it in until you have finished.
- Make sure that you remove the USB drive before you shut the computer down.
Second we will do a back up onto the USB Flash Drive by the Send To method
- If the USB Flash drive is not plugged in, Place the USB Flash drive into a free USB port
- Find the File or Folder you wish to back up
- Move your mouse to the File or Folder you wish to copy or back up
- Right Click the mouse on the File
- A window will open that starts with Open,Explore,Search,etc.
- Move the mouse down the list until you reach the option Send To.
- Left Click the mouse on the Send To
- Move the mouse to the Removable Drive.
- Left Click the mouse this copies the files across.
- You have now copied / backed up your files to the USB Drive.
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Backing up your data on CD or DVD:
There are many different Burning programs. We will focus on Nero Burning Rom this is the most popular program, if you do not have this program please contact us before purchasing it.
- First place a writable disc into your CD or DVD burner
- You will see that all CD-R CD-RW DVD-R DVD-RW DVD+R DVD+RW DVD-RAM have an X after them eg. 12X DVD-R this is the speed at which this disc can burn at. Before you choose the fastest you can find check the speed that your Burning can write at. Most of the new Burners at the moment can burn at 18X, however Burners that are 12 months old maybe only able to write at 4X or 6X.
- the "R" means that they can record ONCE once a disc is full you can't use it anymore.
- the "RW"means that they are re-writable if your Burner is a re-writable you can erase the "RW"disc and use it again & again & again.
- The "+" and "-" formats are alternative recording formats used by different manufacturers, thats all. Neither format (+ or -) is superior to the other.
- With Nero it will open the writing program automatically new versions this is called Nero Smart Start
- With Nero Smart simply follow the on screen instructions.
- If you dont have Nero Smart read on.
- You have to choose what compilation you want to do, eg. Data, Music, Video
- Click File - New Compilation
- Choose what you want to use CD or DVD
- Click the Label Tab. Here you can give the Disc a name.
- Next Click NEW, Now you have a window open on the Left of the program.
- Find the Folders or files in the Right window, Click & hold the mouse button on the Folder or Files & drag them across to the Left window that you created & drop them.
- Now find & click the Burn / Write button on the Tool bar
- the Burn / Write window opens, simply Click the Write Button.
- Your disc is now Burning (not literally) the information.
If you attempt to tackle this task do it a few times one after the other not
once every few months, that way it becomes much easier.
Like always please contact us if
you need help
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How to Check your Router / Modem:
We like to use & recommend Netgear Router / Modems so all the numbers used here are for Netgear products, Please contact us if you need any help or information.
- Open up an internet browser (Firefox or Internet Explorer, We prefer Firefox - safer for the internet).
- In the URL (where you usually type www.) type 192.168.0.1 exactly like
this just numbers. Click Enter.
- Then a window opens that will ask for a username & password.
- All SCS customers will have a YELLOWor WHITE instuction booklet titled Netgear,
time to find this booklet. Remember this would be with the box we give you
full of books & discs that we told you to put in a safe place & Not
to Loose it . :-)
- If you are not a customer hopefully you know your password. If not please contact us so we can help you out.
- SCS Customers on that YELLOW or WHITE booklet it will have your username & password
- Type your username & password to access your router.
- You should now a screen that has the Router status, if the second heading ADSL Port is full of letters & numbers then you are connected to the internet, if from IP Subnet Mask down to Domain Name Server is blank you are disconnected from the internet.
- If you are disconnected from the internet scroll down to the bottom of
the window you should see two button Show Statics & Connection Status
Click on Connection Status. Now click on Connect. After a few seconds you should see the word Connected appear in one of the lines.
- If you have attempted the instrcutions above but you do not get the Connected
message then there is a problem;
You may have a problem between you & your ISP (internet service provider)
You could have spyware If this could be contact us immediately
There could be underlying problem not visable to the average user. In that case contact us
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There are 3 sections in the process:
1. Getting the programs
2. Setting it up
3. Final notes
I promise you that all of this isn't nearly as difficult to do as it seems, and after 2 or 3 movies,
you will be able to do this all without having to consult this guide.
Getting the Programs
There are 2 programs that you will need to do this. One is HandBrake itself, and the other is
DVD43. Both of these are free, and contain no viruses.
HandBrake 2.1
sr55
http://www.sr88.co.uk/verifyDownload.php?id=5
(This download requires a code that you need to input. The code is shown in an image above on
that same page. If the code doesn't work, simply refresh the page to get a new one.)
DVD43 3.9.0
DVD43
http://dvd43.com/
There are a couple of download links about 2/3 of the way down the page. All of these links
will get you to the correct program. You might have to restart your computer afterward.
Setting It Up
First, make sure that DVD43 is running. It runs in the lower right tray of your computer, and
should not have a window open like most programs do. What does DVD43 do, you ask? It sits
quietly in the background and removes the encryption of a DVD disc as soon as you insert it
into your drive. However, it does NOT affect your disc at all, but rather harmlessly tricks your
computer into thinking that there is no copyright protection on the disc, allowing other
programs, such as HandBrake, access to the disc.
Anyway, to see if DVD43 is running, there should be a yellow face in the lower right tray, or a
green smiley face if your DVD is already inserted. If the DVD is not already inserted, please
insert the DVD now, and the face will turn green after a few seconds, meaning that DVD43 is
ready. If DVD43 is not running, open it from the Start Menu.
Now, open HandBrake. It should display a screen with its title and a logo for a few seconds
(called a splash screen), and then the actual program will show up. The main screen might look
daunting right away, but remember, you have this guide to walk you through it.
First, in the first section of the program, labeled .Source., hit the button labeled .Browse.. In
this new little browse window, go to My Computer, and then select the drive which your disc is
in. Usually this is your D or E drive (but not always). In that drive, there should be a folder
called .VIDEO_TS.. Select that, and hit the .OK. button.
Next, hit the button labeled .Read Disc.. A message should come up, and you will hear your
DVD drive churning away as it reads the information on your DVD. Also, notice that a little
black windowed program has appeared on your Task Bar, the bar that runs across the bottom of
your screen. It appears minimized at first, but you can open it up if you want . i t doesn't matter
either way, just pay attention to it. When this little black window closes and disappears from
your task bar, the DVD has been read. On that message screen I just mentioned, hit the .OK.
button now, and a new window will open. In that new window, hit .View Data.. You will be
slammed with a bunch of weird looking data. Under the .Duration. column of that data, look for
the longest length. This length will be the length of your movie, so obviously make sure you
choose the correct one. Once you have found the correct row of information, look at the
information in that row under the .Aspect Ratio. column. Just remember this number, write it
down if you need to. Select that row of information, and hit .Select Title.. That window will
close, and you should now look back to the main window of HandBrake.
In the .Destination. section of HandBrake, hit the .Browse. button. Select where you want your
iPod formatted video to end up. It doesn't matter where you choose, but just make sure you
remember where you put it. Title the file as you wish, and then hit .Save..
Under the option .Encoder., select .H.264 (iPod).. Leave the option .Audio Encoder. at its default
selection, which should be AAC. If it is not set at AAC, change it.
Now, remember I had you remember that number a few steps ago? Well, it should have been a
ratio, something like 1.33:1, 1.78:1, or 2.35:1. If the numbers are slightly off, just pick the
closest one. In the sections labeled .Width. and .Height., fill out the data as follows:
For 1.33:1: 320 x 240
For 1.78:1: 368 x 208
For 2.35:1: 384 x 160
Now, look at the bottom of the program, which is divided into 5 tabs. In the first tab, which is
called .Picture Settings., leave everything as it is. In the second tab, which is called .Video
Settings., you need to make a choice. Do you want to fix the iPod video to a certain size, such as
700 MB, to fit on a CD-R, or do you just want to set the video to a certain quality? If you want to
just use a certain quality (bitrate) and don't want to worry about filesize, fill in the .Video
BitRate. box with your desired bitrate (only write the number).
The newest version of HandBrake supports resolutions and bitrates much higher than previous
versions. Therefore, you have a much larger range of quality that you can choose for your
video. Therefore, my recommendations for bitrate choices may be much different than what you
want. However, I personally use a bitrate of 720-1000 kbps for live action video (films with real
actors), and a bitrate between 520-700 kbps for animated videos (such as cartoons). I know it
sounds weird to use a lower bitrate for animation, but because animations have many less color
variations than real film, you can use a lower bitrate. Of course, you can select any bitrate that
you want, but remember two things:
1. DO NOT go over 1500. A number over 1500 will work on your computer, but the video will
NOT play on your iPod.
2. The higher the bitrate, the better the quality of the video, but also the bigger the filesize. A
90 minute movie at a bitrate of 650 will be around 520 MB, while a 90 minute movie at a bitrate
of 1000 will be around 800 MB.
If you want to set your video at a certain filesize, write the desired number in MB (only the
number) in the .Output Filesize. box. If you want to fit your video to a 700 MB CD-R for
burning, I recommend choosing 690 to write in because it is good to give the program some
room to work with. When I use 690, I usually get a filesize between 685 MB and 695 MB.
Do not touch the .Video Quality. slider, the 4 checkboxes, or the .Video Framerate. box. The 4
checkboxes should NOT be checked.
Skip the .Audio Settings. tab and go right to the .Advanced Settings. tab. If you have a dual core
processor, change that 1 to a 2. This will make the conversion go MUCH faster. If you do not
have a dual core processor, or if you are not sure, just leave it at 1. It will be fine.
Final Notes
Finally, you are ready to start the conversion! Hit .Encode Video. at the bottom of the screen. A
message will come up, just hit .OK.. Now, just like in the step where the program read the DVD,
a little black window will show up, minimized to the task bar. Open it up so you can see it. At
the bottom of that window, it will say .Encoding: task 1 of 1., and then some information. That
percentage is how far the conversion is done. Obviously, when that number has reached 100%,
your video is done. To check how much longer it will take to finish, look at the right side of that
information, where it will say .ETA. and then the remaining time in hours, minutes, and seconds.
01h34m22s means it will take 1 hour, 34 minutes, and 22 seconds to complete. This number
will be anywhere between 30 minutes and 4 hours to complete a movie, depending on the speed
of your computer, and the length of the movie.
When the percentage reaches 100%, wait for the black window to close, and then go to the folder
where you saved your video. It will be there, looking glorious. It should play in iTunes and
Quicktime, and also many other programs such as VLC (but NOT Windows Media Player). Most
importantly, it will play on your iPod. Drag this file into iTunes, update your iPod, and you will
be ready to watch a movie on the go!
Enjoy!
This helps to free up space & speeds up your PC.
Open My Computer,
Click the RIGHT mouse button on "C" drive
You should see a Window Pull Down Menu go to the very bottom
Click on Properties a new window should open.
Across the top of the new window there should be tabs (places to click)
Select the General tab if it is not selected.
You should now see the information about your hard drive,
a Blue square, a Pink square and a Pie Cart,
Below the pie chart there is a tab labelled with Disk Cleanup Click this tab..
A new window will open up with the options of files to delete.
If you know what to delete then select it by ticking the box beside the option if you
are unsure then select:
Downloaded Program Files
Temporary internet Files
Recycle Bin
Temporary Files
If you have any questions or problems with this contact us
How to find a lost file on your Computer?
This Tip will help you to enjoy the quick and easy way to find lost files on your computer. Here I recommends you, try to search a file with its file extensions (for example for word file, type *.doc, Excel *.xls, Acrobat *.pdf, *.ppt and *.exe for executable files. If you don't know the name of file but know that it contains a string of text then try to search for files containing specific text, type the text you want to find from any file or folder. This is time taking process but creates very precise result. In Look in, click the drive, folder, or network you want to search. To save time, always select the specified drive or location instead of whole computer.
Click Start Button, point to Search, and then click For File or Folders, a Search Results dialog box will appear. In Search for files or folders named, type the file name or folder name you want to find in containing text.
To specify additional search criteria, click Search Options, and then click one or more of the following options to narrow your search:
- Select Date to look for files that were created or modified on or between specific dates.
- Select Type to look for files of a specific type, such as a text or WordPad document.
- Select Size to look for files of a specific size.
- Select Advanced Options to specify additional search criteria.
- Click Search now.
If you have any questions or problems with this contact us