Installing Drivers for Optimizing Windows

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We usually have to reinstall Windows after every six months or so just for the sake of improving the performance of operating systems. Pirated Copies of Windows create frequent problem for users as they get infected with malicious software and Trojans that affect overall performance of the system. For that reason, methods should be adopted so as to avoid these problems in the future and to elevate the performance of the operating system as a whole. This article will give the users a walkthrough of installing software and keeping them up to date.

 

Getting rid of an un-licensed Windows copy

The first step of any user should be to un-install the pirated version of Windows from the computer and install a genuine copy. For this purpose, a user can access Microsoft’s website for downloading the original version. Most university students are given a Microsoft ID these days for downloading Windows 7 directly on their computers free of cost.

 

Installing drivers

After a user has installed a fresh copy of genuine Windows, it is time to install the different drivers and softwares that will be needed. Some drivers are optional whereas, others are mandatory softwares that are linked to the Windows’s requirements, and need to be installed.

Install the sound and display drivers for Windows 7 and restart the computer as you do.

Install other software like the Microsoft Office. The computer will be restarted occasionally. It is important to keep in mind that a user puts his or her name in the credentials tab of the Windows and Microsoft Office. Next in line is the installation of a genuine copy of an Antivirus software that can receive regular updates from the server.

After a user has finished installing the software, it is now time to update them. Turn off Windows firewall for the programs that you want to update. This can be done by double clicking on the Control Panel typing ‘firewall’ in the search bar. Turn off the general windows firewall by unchecking the green icon. Now, proceed towards the programs tab to turn off firewall for the programs individually. Uncheck the options one by one and restart the computer. You are now ready to install updates for the programs.

Improving the Windows Gaming Experience

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With the advent of wild processing speeds, the gaming experience has assuredly improved on windows. Every day, new gaming cards, like NVIDIA and ATI Systems, surface the desktop computer market but still some people complain about their computers falling short of the expected performance. It can be attributed to the fact that games sometimes take too much space then one would expect, particularly when they have to be unzipped. This calls for improving the gaming experience by making necessary adjustments in Windows for smoothly operating a game.

From time to time, it is best to take both the external and internal factors into account throughout the search of a solution. The external factors that a person can take into account can be a regular power loss resulting in repeated system reboots, which should be minimized by installing an alternate power source.

The first step involves clearing up the PC of any malicious software or viruses that can potentially damage the computer. Use the Microsoft Security Essentials for the removal of viruses, malwares, or even Trojans.

Turn off all Automatic Updates for the computer. It can be done by clicking on the red balloon and unchecking the automatic updates option. Instead, a user can turn off updates through the Automatic Updates icon in the Control Panel. Turning off the updates is essential, as some users have reported automatic system restart during the course of their gaming session.

Then, put the installation disk in the computer and follow the instructions. Restart the computer upon successful installation of a game and give the computer at least five minutes before you can start playing. Double click on the desktop shortcut icon and navigate to the settings page. Locate the Screen Preferences search bar and reduce the resolution of the monitor without changing the graphics settings.

Apply the settings and navigate out of the game. Press the “shift” button on the keyboard, five times, and the sticky keys option will appear, which is important for players, especially those who are not using a joypad or other gaming controller. Set which keys you use and like for instance GTA San Andreas and some first person shooter games like the Call of Duty series require an extensive use of keys like Shift, Control, and Q. Several other keys might get pressed simultaneously during a gaming session which means that the session will minimize and the user will be redirected to the Stick Keys home page.

 

Finding an IP Address to Optimize LAN Usage for Windows

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Finding an Internet Protocol or IP address was quite difficult in the previous version of windows like windows 98 and 2000. People had to physically locate the IP address of a computer and make the necessary changes. However, this problem has been taken care of in the newer versions of windows and has removed hurdles that posed many problems to users, especially during Online Gaming. IP addresses have been physically made visible to computer users so that they can be conveyed to other users who have previous versions of windows installed on their computers and therefore, to optimize their gaming or Internet usage experience.

 

Locating an IP address of a computer

A dedicated program is installed with the windows 7 installation known as ‘Network and Sharing Center’ that manages all the Internet connection and displays the current available Internet or wireless connections. Double click on the Network and Sharing Center visible on the home screen. A user can also locate it by typing ‘network and sharing’ in the search bar located in My Computer or the Control Panel home menu.

A network icon will be visible on the desktop. If not, you can always set one up in the Network and Sharing Center. Right click on the desktop icon and click on the underlined Network and Sharing Center, if a network appears. A window will pop up showing a general map of the network. Click on the ‘View Full Map’ icon to view the detail network map of the connection. The network lines are indicated that distinguish a correct (operational) connection from an un-operational one.

Trace the operational line to the correct PC and hover the mouse pointer over it. The IP address will be visible to you. Instead, a user can also locate the IP address by right clicking on the icon and clicking on Properties. The process of obtaining an IP address of another computer becomes especially important if you want to create a remote connection for Internet gaming or server gaming (LAN gaming).

Locating an IP address enables windows users to effectively manage their gaming or file sharing tasks between two or more computers easily.

 

Adding Controllers and Printers to Optimize the Work Performance

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Adding devices whether they are printer or controllers can prove to be beneficial for us in their own ways. Being pragmatic, a gaming controller would enable us in improving stats and scores in a particular game. By the same token, adding a fax or a printer would create a work to life balance and enable a user to multi-task in our busy world. As a result, more output is produced for an organization with individual efforts directed towards separate tasks leading to job specialization. We have more computers at homes than at offices, which can be attributed to the fact that office life is made easier through cloud computing and users can access data sitting at home, in any corner of the world.

Adding printers and other devices

Adding a printer to an office inventory relieves us from buying separate printers for all the tables as this printer can be used over a modem (LAN) connection. Costs and redundancies are considerably reduced which enables us to do something more productive. Through windows, three or more users can access a single printer through a ‘one click’ operation. It is accomplished by adding an ordinary printer as a ‘Network Printer’.

The procedure is simple:

  1. Connect a printer to a single computer. It should be installed on the office network.
  2. Find the computer name by double clicking on the System Properties icon in Control Panel and navigate to the Computer Name Tab. A user can find the Network ID of the computer and he or she has the choice to change or rename the ID.
  3. Double click on the Control Panel icon again and enable Printer Sharing. Right click on the printer icon and choose Printer Sharing.
  4. Create a name for the printer and share it over the network.

 

More importantly, you should cross check that all other printers have the same name appearing in the Printer Settings menu and run a quick print test from all the connected computers. Printer manufacturing giants like HP are also developing wireless printers that require no cables, and any device can connect to them through Bluetooth. In the same way, a user can add plug and play controllers by installing drivers from the software installation CD. A controller needs to be calibrated through ‘Gaming Controllers’ icon in the Control Panel menu. Click on Calibrate and adjust the trim, forward, backward, and yaw settings of the controller at least three times to let the changes take effect.

 

Activating System Restore to Optimize the Windows Experience

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Although creating a restore point in Windows is discouraged, particularly due to the fact that it creates an invisible hard drive that stores all the temporary files and data, still this feature has proven to be a life saver. For instance, a computer with vital information in its hard drive, which has been infected with viruses or other malware, can be saved with system restore as it recovers all the data so that a user can make necessary changes.

System Restore is also used for a variety of other reasons. As a case in point, most software installations go smooth and as planned but the tables get turned every once in a while, which means that System Restore will be needed to restore the settings to an already designated restore point. This article is devoted to setting up this life saving restore feature (Time Machine in Mac).

Using the System Restore feature

Click on the My Computer icon and click on the Control Panel icon in Windows. Then, you should locate the System Restore icon and open it. Alternatively, a windows user can always type System Restore in the search bar of the Start Menu. A security bar will pop up asking for permission to continue navigating to this program. Click “ok” and proceed towards the main menu. Now, two options are available for the users.

The first option is restore to a recommended restore point. Windows automatically sets up a restore point according to the previous statistics and restores the computer to that point.

To set a restore point manually, click on the ‘set a different restore point’ icon. You will be directed to a tab that contains all the restore points, with dates of major software installations and scheduled system checkpoints (Windows Update restore points are also created).

A user can always create a restore point beforehand by clicking on the System Properties Tab or by typing in System Properties in the Control Panel search bar. The operator should navigate to System Protection and create a C or Windows drives restore point.

It is imperative for a user to keep in mind that, by using this procedure, changes will be made to the system data and registry files of the computer and malicious software or bugs will not be fixed by the windows.

Get a Faster Computer in Five Minutes Flat!

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In the computer world nowadays, one of the things on every user’s top priority list is having a fast computer. Fast computer usually comes from great computer specifications. Top on the line processors, good video and sound cards, huge RAM, super branded motherboards and so on is the common ground for having a nice and speedy computer system. But if you already have a computer but doesn’t have that much in specifications, the computer doesn’t have to mean it’s slow. Sometimes any computer can be fast like those customized ones. You just have to know the basics in how to make your computer faster. Continue reading →

Four Good Reasons to Update Your Drivers Today

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Oftentimes, you may wonder how exactly a computer controls other devices connected to it and how it runs them properly. The answer is just simple. The computer communicates with the device to send commands through a device driver. A driver is a program or software that allows the computer to take control and communicate with an external device. Some drivers come with the operating system already like the device driver for the keyboard and default mouse. But for others, commonly external device that are connected to the computer, like the sound system or speakers, printer and web camera needs a specific driver for them to be accepted by the computer and for them to function properly. Continue reading →

Fix Hardware Problems by Updating Drivers!

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Are you having problems with the device connected to your computer? Does the attached camera in your computer not functioning properly? Were you having trouble regarding the use of some of the accessories you have connected in your computer system? If your answer is yes even to one of the questions above, then you might be having problems because the drivers for your devices are not updated. Having blue screens are generally caused by outdated drivers too. Hardware problems of your devices may also be caused by having faulty or outdated drivers. Having outdated drivers can cause plenty of trouble for your computer. It can make the computer crash or freeze or you may receive messages on your screen that the device you have is having a hardware problem and cannot be fixed. Continue reading →

Find out How to make your PC Run like New!

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All computer users experience, in one way or another, a decline in their computer’s overall performance. This problem can be connected to how the computer was used and how well it was maintained. This may be the normal wear and tear of the computer or some other reasons. However, there are about a gazillion things that you can do to optimize and make your computer run like new because a computer, like any other machine, also needs regular tweaking and maintenance. Regularly maintaining a computer enhances the computer’s performance and can be made to run like new. Continue reading →

Drive-By Downloads: Avoid these Dangerous Attacks Online

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Web pages with hidden traps are growing at a very alarming rate nowadays. A new tactic has been spreading malware from the internet into unsuspecting users that downloads software from the web to their computers. Cyber crooks use this method to spread their malware via emails and spam advertisements that may be clicked without prior malware protection. Oftentimes, one out of ten spam advertisement emails is loaded with malware. Usually, these malware-loaded emails or software are designed to put those compromised computers under the control and access of hackers. This tactic is commonly known as drive-by download. A drive-by download indicates three things in general but each thing concerns of unintended download of a computer application or software from the internet. Continue reading →