OK its not hard to find out why people are here and its down to a few things drivers and updates and very few hardware issues.
If you got a PC that is working keep it that way do the following
defrag your system about every two weeks (once fro every 200mb of data on and off inc web history)
clean out your website visit cache ( under tools > options> delete history and cookies
scan system for viruses and spy ware ( anti UPDATED anti virus software, making sure your updating its list of what to look for not the programmes, which i have seen a few times )
Spyware and data watcher removal software. One of the best one is spy bot search and destroy but at your risk as it does need setting up and can kill your PC for you, just as good with some other good toys is system mechanic, you can safely clean the system registry as well as all your junk files and tweak INTERNET connection and more read there web sote as i cant be bothered to type. http://www.iolo.com
if you want a free be that safe for most users try "Ad_Aware" @ http://www.lavasoftusa.com
your system may have things wrong anyway from who ever made it... THIS INC BIG COMPANIES MORE. check your device manager now, too see as this may lead to future problems. your looking for sharing and conflicts and problem devices.
Update all hardware, firmware and software and the BIOS, by keeping all the fixes added to your pc you can atleast know that your limiting downtime, make a list of what you got going to all websites, keep this list just incase something goes wrong as you'll need to redo or find a fault and post the information.
A quick way is to use ADIA32, from adia32.com... it will scan and give you the links for the drivers it knows, or the hardware, but just mark these up if they have not got a "UPDATE" button, found under the help menu
mostly
Use a firewall, there free and can save you form viruses, and hackers trojans, if you dont know what they are web search it. I recomend Sygate personal and ZOnealarm.
clean out your PC about once a month, use a cotton bud on your fans or a old but clean paint brush with natural fiber not plastic/nylon. you will need to clean it more over the summer as it dustier, but you get to know when it will need cleaning.
Clean your mouse and key board. you can get most germs and bacteria on them,
if you want to do it now ill say this, you left your PC some one was on it , they were in the loo, (toilet, WC, bog, jon) the toilet paper ripped , but they were typing on your keyboard,,,, they didnt wash there hands.. yum yum. goes for work as well, cough and sneezes all over them. etc etc.
blast air into the back of the monitor case to remove some dust, but as its hot it tends to stick, but taking the back off for a clean before it gets bad is easyer then when its blown and / from over heating or the dirt is think and wont come off easy.
dont forget other driver updates you may need form time to time, check all your data for your system to make sure you dont miss anything out
XP networking,
setting up a LAN is easy.
if you got network card and the cable (wireless l8r) just pop in the cables to each PC, the master of main pc that is connected to the internet will be all you use for these steps.
open your network connections,. on the left you will see, network sharing, or just search under your F1 key reading this will tell you how anyway.
you will need a blank (and good) floppy disc.
you will bridge a connection between the internet and NIC (net card) this will be done for you. you will need to set a domain and workgroup ( keep record as if your manualy doing this you need them) auto asign any IP's, you will then get a disc to make, make this floppy disc.
leave PC on.
place floppy into the other compter/s and switch on, automaticly you will install all the info onto the second PC, it will now require rebooting, remove the disc first.
now. if you have a firewall on the PC you will find that you cannot access this PC from the other.
INstall proport (availble from the freesoftware list page of mine!) do not connect to the internet.
with both PCs on you will see in pro port a IP number,
make a note.
open your firewall and go to zones, where you should see, this same IP number, if not you will just need to type it in, you may have the option to right click move it into the trusted zone.
once you have moved it into the trusted zone, do the same for the OS under networking options.
also mkae sure that its not set to high as you will not get the access
ONE network.
wireless is set up in the same way. you can pop in the disc, or set up but with the wireless option,.
you will conect to a company network or other computer which accesses the network. then follow the seting as above.
I will add VPN and servers at alater date,
you know sometimes i even get payed large amounts of money to do this!
Nice one... Now how about a quick note about how to install, configure, and make best use of the various distributions of Linux... It'd be kinda helpful...
Yea it would be great, as then I may sort out how to us Linux, its been several year since I used Linux, I have just installed it on my PC but I'm left with using windows as I can come to terms with it.
But to answer the request.
Under the Linux forum, there is a topic that I started "redhat or mandrake9" there is a few links that tell you about network set-up.
I myself wish it were simple and straight forward, but its not,
You need to know the IRQ of the device from the hardware browser.
Then open networking, and manually set it up. Entering the correct modem or device, then IRQ and type, this is different in Linux, such as PPP but you can compile in ADSL pppo & pppoe.
Then work though all the pages to place in the correct information for your computer and settings for the Internet. You must configure the firewall to that your http port is open, by using default firewall settings should work.
You will need to follow the link on these pages of the topic
I installed Redhat 9 a few weeks ago, decided to explore "this Linux nonsense" after far too long in denial. In the interests of learning, I installed absolutely everything, unfortunately on a very old machine with only 64MB RAM - I now have 6GB of operating system, and from power-on to desktop takes about 15 minutes!
Hee hee hee! Still, I don't want to use a GUI, I want to learn the console, and once you take the graphics away, its surprising how little power things need to run. I'm in the process of installing Lotus Domino server for Linux, as you may have noticed if you read the Linux forum... Why will nobody answer my DISPLAY environment variable question?! It can't be complex, surely?!
Very handy little tool if you're fussy, or interested, about internet security! I discovered it on my search for a way to test if my ISP was blocking any ports (incidentally, they're not doing ) but its very handy. In facy, just go to http://grc.com/default.htm and you'll find a load of useful little apps.
Gonna put a post about this somewhere else when I have a free minute, just thought I'd tell Rory about it first...
LAWL
RSS Updates