How to Check windows experience index

Right click on my computer then you will see following image then click on windows experience index which is located under system category

Then this screen will appear then click refresh now button, if you have installed new hardware there will be a message new hardware detected.

now you can see your windows experience index which describe the performance of your computer

What are those indexes means?

1.0 to 1.9 - Basic performance. Even a component with a 1.0 subscore meets the Windows 7 minimum requirements.

2.0 to 2.9 - Enhanced performance. Windows Aero may be available.

3.0 to 3.9 - Windows Aero will be enabled.

4.0 to 4.9 - Good performance with high-resolution displays and multiple displays.

5.0 to 5.9 - Capable of running high-end video games, 3D modeling applications, and high-end video editing applications.

6.0 to 6.9 - Supports DirectX 10 graphics with high frame rates at high resolutions.

7.0 to 7.9 - Highest performance level available. Reserved for systems with SSD hard drive, high-end graphics card, and multi-core (i.e. 8 or more) processor.

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Networks

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Network Basics

Network Basics

Networks begin when two or more computers are connected so that information can be shared. In order to connect to any kind of network, a computer requires a network card and CAT5 or CAT6 cables. (If the computer has a "wireless" network card, radio signals can be used in place of the cables.) A network also requires a piece of equipment called a switch, which acts as a central routing "hub" for the information being shared. A switch is kind of like a mail room in a large company. It makes sure the addressed messages get to the right recipient.

You may have heard the term LAN or WAN. LAN stands for Local Area Network, and usually denotes a network of computers which are fairly close together, say in the same building or office. WAN stands for Wide Area Network. WANs usually connect local area networks which are separated by great distances. (For example, a larger company may have an office LAN in Seattle, and an office LAN in Boston. These two LANs could be connected via a WAN data line.)

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Peer to Peer Networks

The most basic type of network is a called a peer to peer network. This type of network consists of several computers which are connected to each other. The "network" consists of shared folders located on computers within the network.

These folders are set to a "shared" status, so that other people connected to the network can access them. Each shared folder is accessed by the users of the network, who set up a certain drive letter (say H:) as a "pointer" to the shared folders on other computers. In addition, any printers connected to any computer can be shared to other network users.

Here's an example. Susan and Joe work together in a small office and need to look at files on each other's computers. Susan creates a folder called "SusansFiles" on her computer and sets it up as a shared folder. Joe can then use the network connections to "see" the folder called "SusansFiles".

He sets up a permanent shortcut called "H:" drive to the folder called "SusansFiles". Now when he turns his computer on, Windows Explorer will show the folders on his computer's C: drive, the CDROM D: drive and the shared H: drive as his available file locations. Susan can do the same with a folder that Joe shares out from his computer.

Benefits of a Peer to Peer Network:

• A peer to peer network is inexpensive to set up. It uses the built in networking capabilities of Windows XP Professional (or Vista Business), so no special software is needed. It allows for file and printer sharing, and can be an adequate choice for a very small office.

Limits of a Peer to Peer Network

• Peer to peer networks are dependent upon the computer knowledge of each employee, as certain rules must be followed in order to minimize network interruptions. If a user shuts down his machine in the middle of the day, other users on the network lose access to the files in that machine's shared folder. In the picture provided above, the laptop might only connect to the network when an employee is not traveling. Any files stored on that laptop are not available (and may not be backed up) when that employee is out of the office.
• Network and data security are weak.
• Files are not centralized, so getting a back up of all critical files is more difficult.
• Ongoing tasks like anti-virus scanning and Windows updates are localized on each machine. Updating virus definitions and patches has to be done manually at each machine, which is time consuming.

Client Server Networks

A more common type of network is called a client server network. This type of network uses a central server and specialized network software. The server is dedicated and is only used to store files and run server tasks. The computers which connect to the server are called clients and these are the machines the company staff would use.
The server acts as the "hub" of the network, and does most of the "behind the scenes" maintenance and storage. Common server network operating systems include Windows Small Business Server 2003 or 2008, Windows Server or Linux.

Benefits of a Client Server Network

• The server stores all of the shared files for each user.
• The server runs the file backups which can be scheduled in the middle of the night, minimizing network interruptions.
• The server manages user security, and insures that all users who access the network are authorized to do so.
• The server manages printer sharing and acts as a central repository for the printer drivers and settings.
• The server manages other common tasks such as internet access, email routing, Windows updating and anti-virus definition management.
• The server can also share software applications out to multiple users.
• The server can also provide for an "Intranet", an internal website which holds shared company information such as news announcements, HR policies, training documents, and more.
  In short, a client server network provides for easier network administration, and provides a much more robust environment in which provide secure and manageable access to company data.

Limitations of a Client Server Computer NetworkThe benefits of a client server computer network are substantial, but there are some limitations.

• A server based computer network is more expensive to implement. Server computers are powerful machines with built-in redundancy and other hardware to provide data safety. Hence, they cost much more than a simple desktop computer.
• The server network software is also much more powerful, complicated, and must be installed correctly to run all of the required tasks, and so the cost is higher for both the software and installation charges.
• The server is a critical point of failure. If it goes down, the entire network comes to a halt. This drawback can be minimized with the installation of redundant drives in the server (so that if one fails, the others will still be working), and even a second server that can take over if the primary server fails completely. Cost then becomes the only issue.

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Which Computer Network is Best For Your Business?

Peer to peer computer networks are reliant upon the computer users, so employee behavior is a major factor. Peer to peer networking could work for your business if you have the following:

• Computer savvy employees whom you trust.
• Low employee turnover.
• Five or less employees.
• Newer desktop or laptop machines with lots of memory and hard drive space.
• A large capacity portable data storage unit for backing up files and taking them off site.
• Time and motivation to keep the computer patches and maintenance up to date.

A client server computer network is more secure, easier to manage, and would be a better solution for your business if the following is true:

• You want to secure your company data and provide access to certain files and folders to only a few employees.
• Your business experiences high employee turnover.
• You have more than 5 employees.
• A secure, complete backup of all of your critical business data is needed.
• A central information repository for your employees would be helpful.
• You want to have a cohesive email solution using a single domain address (i.e., jack@yourcompany.com, megan@yourcompany.com).

Think of the cost of implementing a network as an investment in your business. As your business grows, implementing a computer network will help your employees share information and resources, and in the long run, will play a major role in the successful growth of your business.

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Recreate a Deleted Shortcut

Recreate a Deleted Shortcut

Let's say you accidentally deleted the shortcut for Spider Solitaire from the All Programs menu. Here's how you get it back:

1. Right Click on the Windows Desktop.
2. On the menu that appears, choose New, then Shortcut.
3. A Create Shortcut dialog box appears.
4. In the shortcut path field, type the path that you see in the picture below:
   
   
5. then click Next.
6. Type Spider Solitaire as the name of the shortcut, then click Finish.
7. You should now have a Spider Solitaire shortcut on your Desktop.

Most of the non-Internet games for Windows are in that Windows System32 folder, so you can use the same steps above add the name of the game that was deleted.

Here are the game names for convenience:

• Hearts: mshearts.exe
• Spider Solitaire: spider.exe
• Solitaire: sol.exe
• MineSweeper: winmine.exe
• Freecell: freecell.exe

Pinball has it's own folder: Look under C: drive, Program Files, Windows NT, Pinball, Pinball.exe

Alternatively, you can remove and re-add them as components of Windows. Go to:

1. Control Panel | Add or Remove Programs
2. Add/Remove Windows Components
3. Accessories and Utilities
4. Details button
5. Games

Uncheck the games you are missing from your Games menu, and OK your way out. Then go back in and check off the same games, and OK your way out. That should put them back in your menu. 

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How to Cut and Paste "Clean" Text from One File to Another in Windows

How to Cut and Paste "Clean" Text from One File to Another in Windows

This Windows Tutorial is one of my most popular.

Say you want to copy some text from a webpage into a Word document. You probably already know that you can copy and paste the text using the generic steps below:

1. Highlight the text you want to cut and paste with your mouse, and then press Control + C on your keyboard.
2. To paste the text, put your cursor in the receiving document, and press Control + V to paste it.

Simple, right? Except that when you copy from a webpage or from another Word document, all the formatting comes with it, and messes up the formatting of the document you're working in. Annoying.

You could paste it into a new page and manually remove all the formatting, but here's an easier way:

1. Highlight the text you want to cut and paste with your mouse, and then press Control + C on your keyboard.
2. Open Word, and click on the Edit menu.
3. Click on Paste Special
4. From the Paste Special dialog box, choose Unformatted Text and click Ok. Voila, nice clean text!

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How to Create Strong Passwords

How to Create Strong Passwords

Choose a password with the following criteria:

• At least 8 characters in length
• At least 1 number
• At least 1 special character like & or *
• Both upper and lowercase characters.

Passwords with difficult combinations make it harder for password cracking tools to figure out your password.

Don't use personal information such as birthdays, children names, or first and last names when creating a password. Avoid using words or phrases that could be found in a dictionary or easily guessed.

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Password Safety 101

Don't share your password with others including your spouse, children, Help Desk personnel or System Administrators at work. IT professionals at your job or Internet Service Provider (ISP) will not normally ask you for your password.

If the IT professionals at your job need it, give it to them in person and ensure you change it as soon as they are done with their task. You may even want to change your password first to something generic, give the IT person THAT password, then change it back when they are done with their task.

Be aware of a common tactic used by hackers, in which they call up unsuspecting users and pretend to be from the computer support staff. This is more likely to happen in very large companies where users might not know everyone on the IT staff.

Another tactic is to send a legitimate looking email asking the user to type their password into what looks like a legitimate site; this practice is known as "phishing." Be aware that a legitimate businesses will NEVER ask you to submit personal information via email.

Also, be vigilant.. these phishing scams are not easy to spot. I make my living as an email administrator, and I was almost taken in by one of these scams. The email was supposedly from my AT&T Internet service account. I pay it each month on one of my credit cards. The email was "notifying" me that my credit card had expired and that I needed to update my credit card information to continue my service. There was just enough truth in the way the email was written that I actually started to click on the button to do it. Thankfully, my brain kicked in and I caught myself before I made the blunder.

If you use the web to access important personal information, such as online banking or health records, ensure that the website offering the service uses some type of secured method of encryption.

You can determine this by checking to see that the website's address (URL) begins with an "https://" (Note the extra "s").

Also, look for a yellow lock in the bottom right hand corner of the website page. That's an indication of SSL security being enforced.

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Computer Hardware maintenance Tips

Computer hardware troubleshooting is a lot easier than software troubleshooting. Either your mouse, monitor or keyboard works or it doesn't. Here's a list of tips, questions and advice to fix your computer hardware problems.

Monitor Questions and Tips

Computer hardware troubleshooting for monitors is complicated by the fact that there are so many different monitor manufacturers.

The hardware questions below are basic and common to most monitors. If you have a monitor issue that isn't addressed here, a good place to check for answers is at the monitor manufacturer's website.

Where do I adjust my monitor settings?

Monitor adjustments are located in the Display properties of Windows. To get there:
• Right click on your Windows desktop and left click Properties.
• Click on Settings and then Advanced button.
• Alternatively, some of the newer monitors install a configuration manager. It would have it's own tab on the Advanced properties window (For example, NVIDIA is common monitor configuration manager).

My monitor display looks strange.

This is one of those computer hardware troubleshooting questions that is best answer in person. However, there are some basics you can check:

If your monitor has black around the edges or the image displayed looks weird, you may have the wrong resolution chosen for that monitor. For instance if you have a wide screen monitor and choose a square resolution like 1024x768, it won't display correctly. In addition, the wrong monitor driver might have gotten installed. Go to the monitor manufacturer's website to download the correct driver and install it.

My computer screen is sideways!

Some computer monitors can be rotated, so there are video cards which support that rotation. For example, web designers and artists use rotating wide screen monitors to look at long pages. To turn ON this feature, you probably pressed CTRL + ALT + Left Arrow. To turn if OFF, simply press CTRL + ALT + Up Arrow instead.

Monitor says "No signal or No signal input".

Usually this means your monitor is turned on, but your computer is not. If your computer is on, and you get this error, it means the cable from the computer to the monitor is loose or unplugged.

How do I change the resolution of my screen?

1. Right click on the Windows desktop (where there is no icon).
2. Click on Properties from the menu that appears.
3. Click on the Settings tab.
4. Slide the resolution bar to where you want it to be. An 800x600 will look larger than a 1024x768 resolution.
5. Click Apply. Windows will give you a dialog box asking if you want to keep the new resolution. Click Yes.

I've got mouse problems.. the cursor is acting strange.
Computer hardware troubleshooting for mice is different for wired versus wireless mice, so I've broken the answer up for both types.
Wireless Mice:

My wireless mouse cursor jumps and won't go where I want it to go. Solution: Turn over the mouse and see if there is lint or hair or something blocking the hole where the optical laser head is located. It will be a hole in the bottom of any optical mouse.Also, make sure you aren't using a reflective mouse pad. Dell used to make a mousepad that had shiny diamond shapes in it.. My optical mouse would act crazy on that pad, because the shiny pattern was interfering with the laser positioning.

Wired Mice:

My wired mouse cursor won't move. Solution: This is usually an issue with the old track ball mice. Gunk builds up on the wheels and ball of the mouse, and causes it to stick. To fix it, unscrew the cap on the bottom of the mouse that holds in the ball, and swab the insides out with a Q-tip soaked in alcohol. Do not wash the mouse in water, unless you want to buy a new mouse.

My new mouse has features I want to turn off or on.

To turn mouse features on or off, go to Start, Control Panel, Mouse. You can see all the tabs and features there.

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Computer hardware troubleshooting can be complicated, but most of the time, the problem is a basic connection or driver issue.
The list above goes over the most common computer hardware troubleshooting problems and answers. I don't profess to be a hardware guru but if you've got a basic question I didn't answer here, let me know, and I'll do my best to help you out.

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