PC Buyer Beware! is a PC information website that helps solve hardware and software problems and provides the knowledge required to make sensible buying and upgrading decisions.

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About the PC Buyer Beware! website...

The site is devoted to providing useful and enlightening information on every aspect of personal computers, which include desktop PCs, laptop/notebook PCs, and Media Center PCs.

To get an idea of the coverage, look at the links to the main pages in the orange navigation bar on the left.

Extensive information is provided on all of the internal components of a PC - processors, motherboards, hard disk drives, CD and DVD optical drives, CRT and LCD monitors, video/graphics cards and sound cards, dial-up modems, wired and wireless networking adapters, computer cases, power supply units, and RAM memory. Information is also provided on external peripheral devices - printers, USB and FireWire devices and adapters, wireless network Access Points and routers.

The Software and Diagnostics pages provide information of the various versions of Windows used by home-computer users (including Windows Vista) and software applications, and the Linux pages are devoted to that ever-improving much cheaper alternative to Windows.

The Problems & Solutions pages are devoted to answering the most common kind of problems that desktop and laptop/notebook PC users experience. Security issues are of paramount importance. Extensive information on the subject is provided on the Security section of this site. Other pages on this site well worth reading are: Using Windows Vista, Warranties, Networking, and the Build Your Own PC pages.

Make no mistake about it, buying a personal desktop or laptop/notebook computer, or the components to build a desktop PC, can be an unnecessarily involved or costly minefield.

This site has been designed to provide you - directly or indirectly in the form of links to other sites - with all of the information you need to know about PCs in order banish your ignorance and protect yourself from the spyware, adware, scams, and rip-offs of the vendors and the snoopers out on the web eager for personal marketing information, and from the hackers looking for prey.

Because of the modular design of a desktop PC, there should be no reason why anyone who can use a Philips screwdriver could not easily build one from its components. - Components that you can choose yourself to suit your computing needs instead of any need of vendors to profit from your ignorance.

Computer diagnostics: How to solve or fix common PC problems

To diagnose and troubleshoot specific and general problems with Microsoft's software (Windows 95, 98, Me, and XP, Internet Explorer, and Outlook Express) using the MS Knowledge Base, visit the Diagnostics page on this site.

Click any of the relevant links below to visit the information it describes on this site:

1. - Recover and repair Windows XP when a computer crashes or fails to boot

2. - Windows XP: How to troubleshoot and fix shutdown, restart (reboot), and startup problems

3. - Typical DLL (Dynamic Link Library) device driver problems

4. - Software problems: How to fix problems with Windows, programs, and utilities

Also visit the Software pages on this site for more information on specific software-related information and problems.

5. - Motherboard and power supply problems: How to fix common problems with faulty motherboards (mainboards) and power supplies (PSUs)

6. - RAM memory problems: How to fix problems with the Random Access Memory

7. - Hard disk drive problems: How to fix computer hard disk drive (HDD) problems

8. - CD/DVD drive problems: How to fix problems with CD and DVD drives and discs

9. - Processor problems: How fix common processor (CPU) problems

10. - Video/graphics card problems: How fix common computer video and graphics problems

11. - USB and FireWire problems: - How to fix common USB and FireWire problems

12. - Network problems: How to fix common wired and wireless networking and internet problems

13. - Laptop/notebook problems: How to address or fix the most common laptop/notebook problems

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How to fix problems with device drivers in Windows XP

Although the information on the following page is specific to Windows XP, much of the advice is relevant to the earlier versions of Windows. Click here! to read Troubleshoot Device Driver Problems.

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Visit the Build a PC page for information on how to build a desktop PC and solve self-build problems, and visit the other pages, such as the Video/Graphics, Sound, Motherboards, and Monitors pages for more problem-solving information, all of which can be accessed via the menu items and jump menu on the orange navigation bar, or via the site search engine at the top of each of the main pages.

The Tips & Tricks pages of this site contain additional useful tips, tricks, and problem-solving advice.

Media Center PCs

It is now possible to build your own Media Center PC that is specifically designed to provide home entertainment, because the version of Windows that runs such a computer - Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 - can now be purchased on its own instead of only as part of a Media Center PC.

Visit the Media Center PCs page on this site for information on them.

Upgrade checklists

Visit the Upgrade Checklists pages on this site for checklists and useful information that cover upgrading the main componenents of computers of various ages.

The safest way to upgrade RAM: Use the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors

Paul Mullen, the highly-respected computer guru of the Helpfile at ComputerShopper.co.uk - "I have recently been buying my memory only from Crucial Technology. I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause."

The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista

Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site.

UK - Crucial Memory Advisor - UK

USA - Crucial Memory Advisor - USA

For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.

If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.

Computer Shopper - Reviews: desktop and laptop/ notebook computers

If you need to get a good idea of the components that are used in current desktop and notebook computers, all you need to do is read the reviews of the latest machines on the market. Then you can read the detailed information provided about those components on this site. Here are two links to get you started:

Desktop computers -

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/archiveproductsearch/2/Desktop-computers

Laptop/notebook computers -

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/archiveproductsearch/9/Laptops

Visit the Laptops page on this site for information on laptop/notebook computers.

Using Windows Vista

Click here! to go to the page on this site that deals with Windows Vista, Microsoft's replacement for Windows XP.

COMPUTER SECURITY

For PC security information, visit the Security section of this site, or make use of the site search engine at the top of each of the main pages to search for references to specific information on, say, viruses, firewalls, spyware, adware, etc.

DISCLAIMER

While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained on this site, the author assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

Link to this website

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