PC Buyer Beware! - Don't get ripped off - Forewarned is forearmed

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Other PC Information on the PC Buyer Beware! Site

About the PC Buyer Beware! website...

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

Extensive information is provided on all of the internal components of a PC - processors, motherboards, hard disk drives, CD and DVD disk drives, CRT and LCD monitors, video/graphics 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 adapters, wireless network Access Points and routers.

There Software and Diagnostics pages provide information of the various versions of Windows used by home-computer users, 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 users experience. Security issues are of paramount importance. Extensive information on the subject is provided on the Security page of this site. Other pages on this site well worth reading are: Warranties, the Links to Other Sites pages, and the Build Your Own PC pages.

How to access information on this site from this page

You can access specific computer information on this site from the orange navigation bar by making use of the drop-down menu, CHOOSE A PAGE, in which the contents of the pages are listed in alphabetical order. Alternatively, you can make use of the page links under it.

A Google search box is also provided at the top of this page (and every other page) so that you can conduct your own searches of this site (its www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk radio button is enabled by default), or search the web by clicking its Web radio button.

Microsoft Windows XP Product Activation and the Windows XP Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Windows Product Activation (WPA) is part of Microsoft Product Activation (MPA) that is a feature of several Microsoft products, including MS Office. It is the feature in Windows XP Home and Professional Editions that has to be activated within 30 days if the computers with those versions of Windows installed on them are going to be able to continue using them. It is intended to prevent software piracy. Click here! to go to the page devoted to it on this site.

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Windows XP Help and Support: "The Files and Settings Transfer Wizard helps you move your data files and personal settings from your old computer to your new one, without having to go through much of the same configuration you did with your old computer. For example, you can take your personal display properties, folder and taskbar options, and Internet browser and e-mail settings from your old computer and place them on the new one. The wizard will also move specific files or entire folders, such as My Documents, My Pictures, and Favorites."

There is not much more information than that in Windows XP's Help and Support. Click here! to go to the page devoted to it on this site.

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. - Recovering and repairing Windows XP when a computer crashes or fails to boot

2. - Recovering and repairing Windows Vista when a computer crashes or fails to boot

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

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

5. - 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14. - 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 Google site search engine at the top of each of the main pages.

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

Desktop PCs and laptop/notebook computers

If you need to get a good idea of the components that are used in current desktop PCs and laptop/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 links to review pages and pages on this site on desktop and laptop PCs to get you started:

Reviews of desktop computers -

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

Visit the Desktop PCs page on this site for information on desktop computers.

Reviews of laptop/notebook computers -

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

Visit the Laptop PCs section of this site for information on laptop/notebook computers.

Using Windows Vista

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

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 components of computers of various ages.

Printers, keyboards, and mice

Click here! if you want to read some very useful information on printers, keyboards, and mice.

Build your own computer

Once you have an understanding of all of the aspects of personal computers, there should be no reason why you could not build your own computer.

A step-by-step guide on how you can build your own PC can be found by clicking Build a PC.

Click here! if you are looking for information on dial-up modems.

In my opinion, my guide is better than most of the other guides I have come across, because it leaves no stone unturned, whereas most of the other guides tend to leave out many of the finer details, obviously out of an erroneous assumption that the reader already possesses that knowledge. An all-too-easy thing to do if you have been involved in building computers for many years, as most of these writers have.

COMPUTER SECURITY

For system security information on this site visit the main Security page, 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, etc.

The Linux Operating System: A Viable Alternative to Microsoft's Windows

Some of the numerous distributions of the open-source Linux operating system have become very user-friendly. Visit the Linux pages on this site for more information on Linux iteslf and the free software that can be used with it.

Links to free tools and utilities

Click here! to go directly to a list of excellent free tools and utilities on the fourth Links page on this site.

THE LATEST ADDITIONS

QTParted, a free partitioning utility that works very much like Partition Magic

You can use the QTParted partitioning utility from Knoppix Linux, which runs from a bootable CD/DVD. Download the ISO image free of charge from http://www.knoppix.org/ and use CD/DVD burning software to burn it to a recordable CD/DVD. Your PC's BIOS setup program should be set to boot from a CD/DVD drive in order to boot into Linux at startup without interferring with an installation of Windows XP/Vista. You would place the Knoppix Linux CD/DVD in its drive and reboot the PC. The PC will boot into Knoppix Linux, which looks like Windows. From the Start menu go to System and choose the program QTParted, which looks and works very much like Partition Magic, which costs around £40. It can be used with Windows XP/Vista on NTFS partitions

Foxit, an excellent, free PDF reader

The free Foxit PDF file reader is much smaller than the intrusive and annoying Free Acrobat Reader. You can view and print PDF documents with it. Here is what the product's home page says about it:

"Foxit Reader is small (the download is less than 1MB), so it downloads quickly. It doesn't need any installation, so you can start to run it as soon as you've downloaded it. And It starts up immediately, so you don't need to wait for an annoying "Welcome" screen to disappear. Foxit Reader is extremely easy to use, just double click it to start and then click open button to open your PDF document. If you want to print, click on "Print" button. If you want to change the page layout for printing, select "Print Setup" from "File" menu. Foxit Reader runs on Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP/2003. It is provided by Foxit Software Company free for non-commercial use. This product is provided AS IS without any explicit or implicit warranty."

All you have to do is extract its .exe file from a downloaded zip file to a folder, run it, open the Help menu, and enable Set to Default PDF reader. Download it from this page:

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php

BartPE - an essential recovery and repair utility

BartPE is a free utility that allows you to create a bootable Windows XP CD that operates from the CD completely independently of an installed version of Windows, allowing you to troubleshoot and repair an ailing installation of Windows. For more information on the utility and how to use it to create the bootable CD visit Bart's Preinstalled Environment (BartPE) bootable live windows CD/DVD. -

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

Click here! to read additional information on the BartPE CD, including plugins and add-on programs.

CDBurnerXP Pro 3

If you're using Windows Media dump it and install a decent program. Before you spend money, try the excellent free CDBurnerXP Pro 3 from http://www.cdburnerxp.se/. - The critics are raving about it.

Utilities - reviews

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/shopper/archiveproductsearch/29/Utilities

"The Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder is a freeware utility that retrieves your Product Key (CD key) used to install windows from your registry. It has the options to copy the key to clipboard, save it to a text file, or print it for safekeeping. It works on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Office 97, and Office XP. This version is a quick update to make it work with Windows Server 2003." -

http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml

If you have upgraded to Windows XP SP2, make sure that you are using the latest version.

Sysinternals free utilities

"The Sysinternals [freeware] web site provides you with advanced utilities, technical information, and source code related to Windows NT/2000/XP/2K3 and Windows 9x, Windows Me internals that you won't find anywhere else. Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell alone write and update everything here. We welcome all suggestions and comments."

Sysinternals was an independent organisation but it is now owned by Microsoft. Visit http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/default.mspx for the great free utilities.

Security tools from Gibson Research

Shoot the Messenger - http://www.grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm - helps ensure that the Windows XP Messenger service is disabled so that Messenger-based pop-ups can't get through. Windows Messenger is a system-level network function that is exploited, and is not to be confuse with the MSN Messenger.

UnPlug n' Pray - http://www.grc.com/unpnp/unpnp.htm - and the DCOMbobulator - http://www.grc.com/dcom/ - allow a Windows XP user to disable potentially dangerous services that Windows XP loads at start-up, which most users don't require. The utilities allow a user to re-enable them if they're ever needed.

Click here! to go directly to a list of excellent free tools and utilities on Page 4 of the Links pages of this site.