What is the best Codec Pack to use?

A question many friends have asked me! I personally tend to use K Lite Codec Pack (the Mega Version).

Though really it doesn't really matter. Majority of them do tend to have most codecs that you ever need.

Along side K Lite Mega Codec Pack I know that some people tend to use the VideoLAN Player which has some extra features allowing you to play just about anything.

Download Links:

K Lite Codec Packs

VideoLAN (web site so you can learn more for yourself)

The easy way to avoid Windows OS Update after a complete re-install :)

Warning: ALWAYS KEEP YOUR OS UP-TO-DATE !

In a situation whereby you need to reinstall your OS, but afterwards you don't want to bother waiting ages for the Windows Update to download and install all those updates?

Well here is a post which will aid you for the next time, of which will save you considerable time!

When I reinstall my OS (currently XP), before I do so, I make sure I have all the major Service Packs downloaded, the most Recent Internet Explorer (even though I use FireFox), the most recent MS Office Service Pack and of course the latest Windows Media Player etc.

Once finished reinstalling I get the media (I tend to keep them on DVD or Internal / External Hard Disk Drive), install the service packs and drivers etc which saves hours of downloading them from the web! Then once connected to the web I allow the OS to download the smaller updates which takes not so long on a Broadband connection. Only after Windows is completely up-to-date do I install any other software or applications, games etc.

So, where do you get these "Stand alone" service packs and other installations?

Simple, the Microsoft web site of course :D

They tend to name the Windows Service Packs '[Windows OS Version] Service Pack # Five Language Standalone' or '[Windows OS Version] Service Pack # Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers'; or similar.

Listed below are a few direct links to save you time searching their Download Centre section. All links on my blog posts always open in a new window or tab depending on your browsers setup.

However in time you may want to use this page: http://support.microsoft.com/sp. When using that link though, once you have selected the product make sure to look for the heading 'Download ...' so you can download the latest Service Pack rather than having to do it via Windows Update.

If you need to search for some other product or application update to download the installer, use the Download Center Home Page Search Feature.

Windows XP Service Packs (32 bit and 64 bit)

SP2 (Includes SP1) / SP3 (These are for 32 bit ONLY)


SP2 (Includes SP1) /  SP3 NOT AVAILABLE FOR XP 64 bit (These are for 64 bit ONLY)

Windows Vista Service Packs (32 bit and 64 bit)

SP1 / SP2 (These are for 32 bit ONLY)

SP1 / SP2 (These are for 64 bit ONLY)

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

Service Pack 1 (both 32 bit and 64 bit ---> x86 is 32 bit and x64 is 64 bit)
 

Stand Alone Installations (All Window Versions)

Windows Media Player (latest version) / Internet Explorer (latest version)

MS Office Service Pack

MS Office 2003 SP3 (includes SP1 and SP2 also) / MS Office 2007 SP1 Suite

MS Office 2010 SP1 (32 bit) / (64 bit) 

How can I keep my child Safe online?

This is one area I feel very strongly about, even though I am currently not a father, nor an uncle; I feel it is important for other parents to know how they can keep their child(ren) safe when they're online.

Recommended Reading (FREE Programs which can aid you as a parent):

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/parents/childsafety/steps.aspx


Please note that I haven't used these so cannot be sure which is best so please visit each site and learn more for yourself.

http://www.safefamilies.org/

http://www1.k9webprotection.com/getk9/download-software.php

http://support.it-mate.co.uk/?mode=Products&p=bgone


Forum Post - See What Other Parents Preferred:

http://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php?topic=9948


Why not ask the professionals? Make a post on the following forum (you may want to search it first):

http://www.techsupportforum.com/

Operating System Crashed? Lost Everything? Easy way round ...

Have you ever been in a situation whereby you have had a virus infection, or some hardware has caused a system crash? Then as a consequence you have lost all your personal data?

Well there is an easy answer to this and it is one that I have personally used for a long time.

When setting up your PC (doesn't really work on laptops), install two internal hard disk drives; not just one!

Why?

Simple, install the operating system, along with software and possibly games on to the first hard disk drive.

Then any personal files I would recommend saving to the second disk drive.

In the future if your operating system fails or crashes and you have to do a complete reinstall, all your personal data files are still stored on the second disk drive ... AND because you're installing the OS on the first disk drive, you won't over-write your personal data files, hence why they will still be there once the operating system has been re-installed.

Great isn't it!

Build or Buy a new PC? (plus recommended brands)

Build or Buy?

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0tBvm7UbSg

My Recommended Brands for each component (if buying or upgrading):

Case = Antec, Corsair
PSU = Antec
Motherboard: Asus, Gigabyte, MSI
CPU = Either Intel or AMD
RAM = Crucial, Kingston, Corsair
Extra Cooling = Artic Cooling
Sound Card (optional non on-board) = Sound Blaster by Creative
Graphics Cards = Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, EVGA, Sapphire

Best places online to buy: www.ebuyer.com and www.overclockers.co.uk


How to build a new PC Guides:

Watch: Newegg TV Tutorials / Top Tips

Text guides: See Google Results.

Things you need to know before upgrading your Graphics Card(s)!

Before upgrading your graphics card you must check the following:

1) Your PSU Wattage (power supply unit)

- To find out the wattage of your PSU is simple:

WARNING: Children must not do this, please get an adult to do this for you!

a. Turn off your PC. Leave the plug in the wall but switch the power off!
b. Open your case and look on the power supply unit and find a number with the letter W next to it.
c. Note this down. It will more likely be some along the lines of ... 250W, 300W, 350W, 400W, 480W etc ... you may find it to be lower or higher or in-between!

2) The space in your case i.e. Will it fit?
3) Does the new card require certain power cords?
- does it require extra molex cables (power cables)?
- does it require a 12v line cable directly from your PSU?

They are easy to install and I highly recommend watching the following video if you are unsure:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ILrq7lMe-0

nVidia or ATI?

This is one of those questions isn't it!

I personally prefer nVidia as I have always found them to be the ones that are ahead in terms of research compared with ATI.

One question you should ask yourself is who bought out duel graphics out first?

nVidia bought out SLi before Crossfire. Yet it wasn't "invented" exactly by nVidia.

"Scaleable Link Technology or SLI isn't a new technology. The idea of using two graphics cards to improve performance was first developed by a company called 3DFX way back in 1998. 3DFX Interactive specialised in cutting edge 3D graphics cards and dominated the industry through the 1990's until it went bankrupt in 2000. The Voodoo2 graphics card was the first example of connecting two graphics cards together with each card drawing half the scanlines of the screen. For the price of a second card, enthusiasts could double the 3D gaming performance and bump resolutions up to an exciting 1024 x 768. After the company went into liquidation, the technology disappeared for awhile until 2004 when NVIDIA introduced a new technology called SLI (Scalable Link Interface). It didn't take long for ATI came up with their own such solution, which it called CrossFire.", Maxit Mag (entire article).

Even today, you can hook up four graphics cards; however these tend to be only found within massive 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems. Those systems certainly require the power generated by the four cards connected to each other, but operating as one.

Two Articles of interest:

1) Nvidia Quadro FX vs. ATI FirePro

2) DirectX 10 Shootout: Nvidia vs. ATI

Out of ATI (AMD) and nVidia I must say I prefer the latter because I have personally found I got more power for money with them compared with AMD. In today's market it is a case of once you upgrade you will soon not have the most powerful or best for your money as technology is evolving so fast.

Reviews are easy to find on the internet. I would recommend always searching for them. www.tomshardware.co.uk is one site I have always used.

However on YouTube these days you can find some good reviews and benchmarks (tests carried out to see which is best to buy).

I'm no genius when it comes to Graphics cards and I recommend you read my post on Graphic Card manufactures (2013).

http://www.youtube.com/user/TigerDirectBlog is one place I look at before updating my graphics card to see what's new and best for buying. Search their profile for "graphics" and you will get results back ... make sure to search with date added though so you get the most recent reviews.

Then I tend to check www.ebuyer.com and www.overclockers.co.uk for any good deals.

Recommend you view my next post about upgrading hardware though before you make a final decision as you certainly need to know if your system can allow you to upgrade, and what your limits are!

Conclusions ...

Go with what you can afford and what is recommended!

Personally I prefer nVidia cards and have always gone with them as I find they have excellent driver support which can AND DOES improve the performance of them.

Is there another way to safely remove hardware if the icon has disappeared from the taskbar?

Is there another way to safely remove hardware if the icon has disappeared from the task bar?

YES!

However, it depends on the hardware.

For USB Memory Sticks or Externally connected Hard Drives then the best way to safely remove them is:

1) From your start menu, find and execute Run (i.e. run "RUN").
2) Type in the following (or copy and paste) including the spaces:

"RunDll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll"

3) Click 'OK'.
4) A new window will appear. In the bottom left hand side tick the box "Display Device Components".
5) Select the device you wish to safely remove (so it's highlighted), and click on "Stop".
6) Windows should then remove the device safely.

Do I have to keep doing this all the time?

No! You can create a shortcut on the desktop easily:

1) Right click on the desktop, select "New", select "Shortcut"
2) In the location field type in the following and then click on 'Next' (do not click the browse button):

"RunDll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll"

3) Name it 'Safely Remove Hardware', then click on 'Finish'.
4) The shortcut will be on your desktop and you can use this if the icon disappears again in the future.