No Sound? No Problem! –
"Fixing the Audio on your PC"

by Bryan Lambert – June 20, 2010

So you power up your Desktop PC and you get set to listen to some of your favorite MP3s while surfing the web when you suddenly realize that you have no sound. No Windows® start-up music, no clicks and chime, no nothing. In this Tech Tip we’ll take a step by step approach to try to get your sweet sounds working again. While the first few steps may seem basic, you’d be surprised how often "some relative" got into things and did “something” that messed up the sound.

1)Muted sound/sound turned down. Check to see if the sound is muted. Simply click on the speaker icon in the system tray and see if the “mute” box is checked. If the mute box is checked – uncheck it. Also, check your computer speakers, sometimes they can be muted as well. While checking these, also check your volume levels and turn them up if needed.

• TIP: In Windows XP® if there is no speaker box, then go to the control panel and double click on “Sound and Audio Devices” and check to see if the mute box is checked there.
• TIP: If the speaker icon is missing AND the Sound and Audio Devices “mute box” is grayed out, your sound cards drivers may be disabled or not installed properly.

2)Isolated power source. On a desktop, check to see if the speakers power cord is unplugged from the wall or on a switched outlet. If it is plugged in, unplug it and plug it in again. If it is on a switched outlet, make sure that the switch is on. In addition to this, make sure that the speakers are turned on.

3)Isolated sound source. On a desktop, check to see if the speakers are plugged into the "speaker out" port on the PC (usually light green). Also, if one speaker connects to the other or into a subwoofer, be sure that they are all plugged in as well.

4)Troubleshooting step: On a desktop, plug a set of headphones into the speaker out jack to see if it is working correctly. If you get sound, then the issue is with the speakers.

5)Troubleshooting step: On a laptop computer, plug in a set of headphones into the headphone out jack. If you get sound, it may be an issue with the internal speakers or an incorrect playback device being selected.

6)Check your default playback device. Go back to your control panel’s sound panel (In XP labeled as “Sound and Audio Devices” and in Vista and Windows 7® it is simply labeled as “Sound”) and make sure you have the correct “playback device” is enabled.

• TIP: In Vista and 7, it’ll be the one with a check mark by it, usually it’ll be labeled something like “speakers and headphones.”
• TIP: In XP, it’ll be under the "Audio" tab and the “Sound Playback” box. Simply use the drop down menu to choose the sound card that the speakers are attached to.
• TIP: This is also the area where you can manually enable your HDMI audio output – for example, when plugged into a HDTV.]

7)Check your audio drivers installation. In the control panel go to your "Device Manager" and check the settings for your “sound, video and games controllers” area. If you have something there that is not installed correctly, you’ll see either a red “x” for a disabled device or an exclamation point for a device not installed properly (it may also be listed under “Other Devices” as an unknown device). Enable the device if it has a red ‘X” on it or reinstall the drivers for the sound card if it has an exclamation mark on it.

• TIP: You may need to download drivers from the manufacturer of the computer or the manufacturer of the audio card. In a worst case scenario, you may need to go the actual audio chipset manufacturer’s website and download reference drivers.

viagra 100mg 80%; word-spacing: 2px”>By following these steps you will fix a vast majority of audio issues without having to pay a computer technician, however if you do continue to have problems, you may want to consider hiring a technician to take a look at your computer. We hope that you find this Tech Tip helpful in getting your sweet sounds going again so you can rock out with your PC.

32-bit vs. 64-bit Computing –
What's Really The Difference?

by Ryan Morse – June 13, 2010

Sixty four bit computing, has been around since the beginning of computing, but it wasn't in the mainstream consumer marketplace until just a few years ago, while AMD announced AMD64 almost a decade ago. Getting the rest of the market to join up was aided by Intel's own implementation called Intel® 64. From there, you needed an operating system that supported the technology and applications that were compatible to take advantage of it. Before Windows® Vista and OS X 10.6, that was hard to come by. You've probably seen that Windows® 7 comes in 32 and 64-bit version and wondered what the difference is.  Even now, I'm still surprised at how long it's taken to convert everyone over.

Without getting too technical or doing any math, I'll explain the difference and why you should go with it.

The Difference:

In computing architecture, 32-bit and 64-bit refer to the size of data in terms of integers and memory addresses. CPUs and memory simply support 64-bit long values. It's easy to think about it in terms of literal addresses, too. Say you have a phone book, we'll call it a the 32-bit phone book, and the integers are the contact information for people. The 32-bit phone book can list a total of 4 gigabytes (GB) of memory, or over 4 billion integers. So this "32-bit phone book" can hold the names and contact information of all the people on the planet living today. Contrast that with the range of 64-bit addressing, which is over 18 quintillion integers and more memory that you get get right now, and you can say that the "64-bit phone book" would be able to store the names and contact information for all the people that ever were or will be on the planet.

For your computer, this gives you support for more system memory, and that means better multitasking and generally improved performance across the board.

How viagra 100mg tablets to get it:

It's quite easy to get a 64-bit system these days. Most every modern computer, application, and operating system is designed around the 64-bit architecture. Due to both availability and price, your average desktop computer system supports between 8 GB and 16 GB memory maximum, with high-performance motherboards, systems, and servers supporting much higher total, but still nowhere near the theoretical limit of the 64-bit range. That's just fine because buying anything near a petabyte (PB) of memory in this day and age would be a poor decision.

There's still plenty of headroom in the 64-bit architecture to last for many years to come, even considering how fast technology advances. 

Just go with it:

The obvious benefit to having more memory in your system is that it lets you hold more data in a place that the CPU can access quickly. Your RAM is a much faster resource than the virtual memory that your hard drive uses, in part because of the way the data is stored, on chips, and because of the speed of the interfaces. You may notice when your system is low on available RAM, it begins to chug and hang; that's your hard drive trying to keep up with the speedy demands of the CPU.

I was quite familiar with the warning message in Windows XP, telling me I was out of free memory.  While it's generally seen as the sweet spot amount of RAM to have, having more than 4 GB of memory in a 64-bit operating system can make it easier to manage large multimedia files like high definition videos and is essential for high-resolution 3D gaming. Audio and video recording also become more stable because the RAM provides an ample buffer while the hard drive busily spins away recording your data.

Plus, you can do fun things like open every Tech Tip article in your web browser at the same time!

"5" Easy Computer Upgrades and Programs to Make Windows lightning  – FAAASSSST!

by Bryan Lambert – June 6, 2010

One of the greatest frustrations of the computer world is the slow desktop or notebook computer. Whether you’re launching a program, running a bunch of programs at once or just browsing the Internet a slow computer can have a big impact on your overall computing experience. In this week’s Tech Tip we're going to look at some easy upgrades that you or your computer store can do for you.  This Tech Tip is geared toward the Windows crowd (that is – most of you out there) but it can apply to the Apple and Linux crowds too.

1) Best Bang for the Buck – Get More Memory!

Pure and simple, if you increase your computer’s memory, you increase performance.  By computer memory, I am talking about the RAM that your computer has – not the hard drive space. Adding more RAM for your computer is almost always the first step that will give your computer the biggest bang for the buck speed-wise. Surprisingly, this type of upgrade is easier than it sounds and can usually be handled by a novice computer geek.

Here's what you need to do:

1. Find out how much memory you have. You can typically find this information in the specifications that come with the computer.  If you have -Windows Vista or Windows 7 – simply click on “Start” and in the search box type in: "System Information"; then, in the right hand pane, look for the line that says “Installed Physical Memory (RAM)”. If you have Windows XP, right click on "My Computer", and then click on “Properties”.
2. Check to see the maximum amount of memory that your computer can take.  For this, I personally just check out the website www.kingston.com. They not only have a vast database, but they also give you handy information like how many memory slots your computer has.  Just enter your computer’s model number (usually on a tag on the computer). Many modern computers will take two gigabytes (2 GB) or four gigabytes (4 GB); however, some newer units are able to take even more. I'd strongly recommend upgrading to the maximum amount of RAM that your system can handle. A caveat is if you are running a 32-bit version of an operating system (OS), your computer can’t handle amounts above 4 GB. Check this chart on crucial.com for more information on the maximum amount of memory your OS can handle.
3. Buy the memory and install it yourself, or pay a shop to install it for you.  You can do a Bing search to cross check the part number Kingston.com provides you to find the exact specifications of the type of memory you want to use. Voila!  More memory equals better performance!

2) ReadyBoost

Flash memory is cheap, and many of us usually have some old USB flash drives lying around.  Why not put them to good use on your Windows Vista or Windows 7 system by using them as a "ReadyBoost " cache for your computer?  Simply plug-in the flash drive, and a window pops up asking you if you want to use the memory for ReadyBoost.  It is an inexpensive and easy thing to do to get more out of your PC. A bonus with Windows 7 is that it can take more than one memory module.  If you want to "keep it out of sight", use a secure digital card (or similar) flash memory card in your card reader. This type of upgrade is fast and easy.

3) Keeping Your PC Secure

Even with hardware upgrades like we discussed above, your PC’s performance sinks fast if it is plagued with malware.  A lot of the off-the-shelf PC’s will give you a trial program, but I like free things myself.  One free suite that recently became available is "Security Essentials" from Microsoft.  Unfortunately it isn't bundled with Windows, but it is just a click away. Really, if you look around, you'll find that there are many companies that offer free malware protection. If you are partial to some of the paid viagra 100mg dosage suites, by all means give them a go also. Remember to keep those payments current, because you need to be sure to keep it up-to-date.

4) Getting Rid of Old Files and Histories

Running a quick and easy program, such as the free CCleaner from Piriform, can help clean out old files from Windows as well as internet browsers that love to hang around “gunking up the works”.  Best of all, it can do it in one fell swoop – there is no need to clear them out one program at a time.

5) Other Upgrades to Consider

5.1) Upgrading the CPU. Not for the novice but this is relatively easy to do on a desktop. However, it is not always easy to track down exactly "what" will work on your particular computer.

5.2) Upgrading the hard drive.  Installing an SLC based Solid State Drive (SSD) will help with drive access times, and it is something that an intermediate geek can handle.

5.3) Upgrading the video card. "Regular" type programs wouldn't benefit much (web browsing, e-mail, business programs) from this type of upgrade; however gamers need a better video card for a better gaming experience.  This type of upgrade can usually be handled by an intermediate geek.

Summing It Up

More RAM = better performance.
Adding ReadyBoost = better performance. 
Keeping malware off your PC = better performance.
Keeping the gunk cleared off = better performance.
Better performance = one happy user!