One way to find out is by shutting down your computer and crack open the case. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done if your desktop computer is buried or the thought of opening your laptop, without breaking any tabs, more than once is something you rather avoid.

Instead, there is a much easier way to see inside your computer…without touching it.
While several tools exist that will report the amount and type of memory installed in your computer, the tool I use frequently is Crucial's Memory Advisor.

• Just got to Crucial site (http://www.crucial.com) and click on the "Scan My System" button at the top of the home page.

• On the next page, check the terms and condition box, then click on "Download The Scanner" and save the file to your desktop.

• Now, locate the CrucialScan.exe file and double click on it to begin (no installation is required).

• Next, you will see the scan in progress page…

• …followed by the scan results. As first it looks a little confusing, but if you scroll down to the second boxed results on the page, you will see your computer memory information, including the number of memory slots used and available.

As you can see on my laptop that I am using, both memory slots are being used.

Additional information can be found such as the type of memory to use, max amount of memory that can be added, are matching pairs needed, etc.

While Crucial provides great information, it doesn't identify the exact type of memory that is currently installed.

To find that information, I like to use the awesome SIW (System Information for Windows) tool.

Just go to SIW site and download (http://www.gtopala.com/siw-download.html) the SIW Standalone version, which requires no installation.

After downloading to your desktop, double click on the siw.exe file to run it, then using the left navigation pane, scroll down to the Hardware\Memory section.

Here you will find the type of memory that is currently installed in your computer, including manufacturer, part number, speed, etc.

Once you have gathered all the information using both tools, you can now easily add more memory to your computer the right way without any guess work.

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With a wireless connection you can move your laptop from room to room and still access the web and your email. But keep in mind that by its very nature, a wireless connection is slower than a wired connection.

Having said that, if you're concerned that your wireless internet speed isn't what it should be, there are things you can try to speed it up

Move the wireless router

Your wireless router is the hub for your wireless internet experience. Your wireless signal broadcasts from it, and if it's tucked away in a far corner, you're connection quality can suffer.

Keep in mind, too, that structural elements like wiring and plumbing can interfere with a wireless signal. A building's structure, too, can be sufficient to affect wireless performance.

Remember you can always check your wireless signal strength by hovering your mouse over the wireless internet indicator found in the system tray, near the time of day in the corner of your screen. Generally speaking, the stronger the signal, the better your internet connection. So physically moving the router to a more central location – one away from structural elements – may well help.

Update the wireless driver on your computer

If your driver for your wireless router is out of date, your performance may be enhanced by getting the latest version. There's a reason vendors release new drivers. Often it's to address performance or security issues. Either way, it's a good idea to keep it up to date.

Fortunately, Windows can automatically get the latest driver – with just a bit of help from you. Click on your Windows Start button, and then right-click on My Computer (or just Computer for your Vista and Win 7 users).

In the pop-up menu, select Manage. In the resulting Computer Management screen, click on the plus sign next to Network adapters. Find the entry for your wireless adapter (hint: it will probably contain the word wireless or WLAN) and right-click on it. In the pop-up, select Update Driver Software.

Windows will search the internet for the latest version. In case Windows isn't able to query for the driver, you can always go to the manufacturer's web site and download a setup program for the driver manually.

Upgrade the router's firmware

Just like it's important to keep current on the adapter's driver version, the router's software may well have updated since you installed it. And again, this update may well improve performance or security.

The router's firmware can be upgraded through the router interface. You access that by typing the router's IP address into a web browser. Refer to your router's user guide for further instructions.

Change the router's broadcast channel

Other devices such as cell phones, cordless phones, microwaves or even house wiring can also interfere with the wireless signal. It's for this reason that you have the ability to change the channel that the wireless router uses to broadcast its signal. Frequently, changing the channel on the router will bypass this interference.

Again, you access this feature through the router's web browser interface. And again, refer to your router's user guide for this information.

Purchase a wireless range expander

If your wireless connection overall is good, but there are areas in the building where the signal strength is weak – and you can't move the router to a better location – a wireless range expander may be the solution you need.

A wireless range expander will receive the wireless signal from the router and re-broadcast it. The advantage is, the re-broadcast signal will be as strong as the signal going out from the router. So by installing a wireless range expander in an area that has "fair" or "poor" signal strength, you can improve the strength in that area to "excellent".

Check your internet speed

Finally, you can check your internet speed before and after applying any of these fixes to actually determine if they work for you. There are several free speed tests on the internet. One of The Computer Psychic's favorite can be found at www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/

Author – Steven O Smith – With over 20 years industry experience, Steven O Smith is the owner of The Computer Psychic, providing affordable on-site computer repair to residences and business in the Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR area. Visit http://www.thecomputerpsychic.com for more valuable information and free software.

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Once again a new year is upon us and it's time to take a few days off and enjoy the holiday. So if you somehow can still read this post after ringing in the new year all night long, there is probably one thing on your mind. How to get rid of that hang-over.

Drink a lots of liquids and watch College football all day!

Happy New Year 2010!

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From us to you, Seasons Greetings to everyone from Watching The Net.

It's time to get away from your Computer and Internet problems (Ho Ho Ho, hopefully Santa fixed you Computer today!) and enjoy these great Computer parodies of 'The Night Before Christmas'.

Happy Holidays From Watching The Net

'Twas the Night Before Christmas For Computer Owners
(WTN Comment – floppies!! what are floppies?):

' Twas the night before Christmas and all through the nets
Not a mousie was stirring, not even the pets.
The floppies were stacked by the modem with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The files were nestled all snug in a folder.
The screen saver turned on, the weather was colder….continue reading

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Computer Version 1)
(Scroll down to second version)

' T'was the night before Christmas, and all through the shop,
The computers were whirring; they never do stop.
The power was on and the temperature right,
In hopes that the input would feed back that night.
The system was ready, the program was coded,
And memory drums had been carefully loaded;
While adding a Christmasy glow to the scene,
The lights on the console, flashed red, white and green…continue reading

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Computer Version 2)
(Scroll down to third version)

' Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a peripheral was stirring, not even a mouse.
The modem was plugged to the phone line with care
In hopes that a download soon would be there….continue reading

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Computer Style)

' Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
not a peripheral was stirring, not even the mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that new software soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while visions of the Internet danced in their heads…continue reading

'The Night Before Christmas: Microsoft Version

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, except Papa's mouse.
The computer was humming, the icons were hopping,
As Papa did last-minute Internet shopping…continue reading

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If you are like many users who use Internet based email, most likely you have not changed your password recently, or for that matter, still have the same password since the day you first created the email account.

If you never experienced having your email account hacked, consider yourself lucky. Believe me, you don't want to experience it. Worse, having a false sense of security in thinking that no one will ever find out your email account password is just ridiculous thinking.

The only way to minimize the chances of preventing someone from hacking into your email account (by discovering your password) is to discipline yourself into changing your password every 30, 60 or 90 days along with creating strong passwords that are harder to break.

So, are you an Internet warrior and change your password(s) or do you wing it and never worry about it?

Take the poll and let us know.

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Altering the passwords you currently use by adding a meaningful symbol is one step toward making them difficult for Internet thieves to crack. Here is a list of symbols, some suggested uses, and some examples of how to incorporate them into your passwords:

! excitement, strong emotion
@ the letter A, the word “at”
# number, pound, tic-tac-toe
$ money, value, the letter S
% a part of something
^ raised eyebrow, upside down V
& the word “and”, this and that, twins
( the letter c, the moon
) the moon; anything lunar; crazy
* sunny, bright, starry
+ adding one thing to another
= balance, equanimity, this equals that
< this is less than that, this is younger than that
> this is greater than that, this is older than that
? unknown, variable, questionable
~ water, wind

Here are three examples. When you see the symbol in them, reference the above list to see how it is used.

First example:

1. Your 1st born daughter’s initials are JLM
2. She was born in 1987
3. She has a sunny and bright disposition

Potential password: *1stJ87lm>

Second example:

1. You are a twin
2. Your initials are ABO
3. Your twin’s initials are STO
4. The last two digits of your Social Security Number are: 58

Potential password: Abo58&Sto

Third example:

1. Your oldest child’s initials are MWP
2. Your next oldest child’s initials are SEP
3. They were born in 1981 and 1983, respectively

Potential password: Mwp81>83Sep

Here are six more tips for strong passwords:>

* Spell letters phonetically: the initials ABO can become AyBeeOh
* Use both upper and lower case letters
* Use at least one number
* Do not begin or end the password with a number
* Make the password at least eight characters
* Practice your new password in your word processor; get it to flow smoothly off your fingers

I strongly suggest that you stop everything, go, right now, and change your banking and any financially sensitive passwords. Other types of passwords can wait. Do it now, before you forget.

Author -Do you have a specific accounting or QuickBooks problem? Would you like to see an article written about it? Jennifer A. Thieme invites you to contact her today with your accounting or QuickBooks article suggestion. Resolving accounting or QuickBooks issues is her specialty.Email her today to receive a free initial consultation, free QuickBooks software trial, and a free payroll processing quote.She’s the owner of Solid Rock Accounting Services and has been in the bookkeeping, income tax, and payroll business for nine years. She’s a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor, and a Registered Tax Preparer. Her clients receive QuickBooks training, general bookkeeping, income tax, and/or payroll processing services.

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You heard the old saying "were not alone". Well, the same can be said about your Wireless Home Network.

Have you ever wondered if someone else is on your network, with out your knowledge, watching every site you visit or stealing account information from your GMail or bank account?

Sure you probably went to great lengths to implement and secure your wireless home network, but any Network Security professional will tell you NOTHING is bullet proof.

While nothing is bullet proof, being proactive with monitoring can catch the un-wanted guest…off guard.

So what can you do to monitor and identify if someone is wondering around on your home network?

You can use some simple tools, when combined, will help you see your Network and give you a view of who's online.

NOTE: With these tools chances of identifying someone on your network increases, but will NOT prevent them from gaining access to your Network. Other tools exist than described in this article, but the goal is to show you the different type of tools and how to use them.

1 – Firewall Logs – is a good place to start. If you have a Firewall running on your Computer or on your router, look for suspicious activity by scanning the logs for anything out of the ordinary with inbound and outbound traffic.

One method you can use is to look for patterns. For example, if someone was scanning your computer to see what ports are open, the logs will show continuous activity from the same IP Address (an intruder's computer) sending a stream of data to many different ports to a single IP Address or range of IP Addresses.

Obviously, with a smart hacker, they can do many things to cover their tracks, but one thing is for sure, data must be transmitted to probe your computer, and patterns is one method to use for spotting trouble on your Network.

2 – DHCP Logs – if the unwanted guest is not Network savvy, or security on your router is not up to snuff, they may be able to drop in unannounced, by receiving an IP Address from your wireless DHCP server.

You can easily view a list of active addresses by connecting to your router and checking the DHCP log. For example, on my Linksys router, the log is located in the Wireless MAC Filter tab and is shown in the screen shot below.

I can see and identify all active PC's on my Network. But this does not guarantee that these are the only active PC's on my Network.

Why?

Unfortunately, a more sophisticated hacker can get around the need to rely on DHCP. If they did their homework (you can be sure of that), they probably figured out the range of IP Addresses in use on your Network, found an unused address in that range and configure their PC with the static address.

3 – Check Who's Connecting To Your Computer – Now that you identified the trusted computers are on your network (from the DHCP logs), you can check who is connected to your computer.

To do this, open a command prompt and enter the following command:

netstat -an

where:

a = Displays all connections and listening ports
n = Displays addresses and port numbers in numerical form

Netstat is a useful tool that displays network connections (both incoming and outgoing) on computers. This will allow you to see all IP Addresses that have made a connection to your computer.

Netstat shows you the type of connection (TCP or UDP), IP Address and port number (number after addresses separated by a colon) for both Local (your computer) and Foreign addresses.

To find your IP Address, just enter ipconfig at the command prompt.

You should be able to easily spot any addresses (Foreign column) that is outside the DHCP range on your router and investigate.

You can also see what executable are involved in creating each connection by using the -b switch with the netstat command (netstat -b)

Now this great for checking connections on your Compter, but what if someone is on your Network and not connected to your Computer?

4 – Scanning your entire Network – When Computers communicate with each other, they do so with ports (as you saw with the netstat command). Some ports that may be familiar to you are 80 (HTTP), 443 (SSL). 25 (SMTP), 110 (POP). For example, when your Computer browses a website, it opens up port 80 and sends the request out,

To see open ports on a Computer, a tool called Port Scanner can be used that can scan a Network and identify devices by probing for open ports.

Information that can be found is the connection type (TCP or UDP), type of port and IP Address.

Many Port Scanners exist, such as Advanced Port Scanner (Famatech Software) and can scan a range of IP Addresses as shown in the screen shot below.

By scanning a range of IP Addresses, you can quickly see who is on your Wireless Network what they are doing from the list of open ports.

You can easily find out the entire range of addresses (including addresses outside the DHCP scope) your router uses. To do that, connect to your wireless router administration of interface and look for the router subnet mask information.

On a typical Linksys router (above screen shot), the default setting for the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0. Using a subnet mask calculator you can determine the range of IP Address that can be used on your Network.

For example, the subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 with the IP address of the router – 192.168.1.1 (Class C) has an IP address range of 192.168.1.1 – 192.168.1.254. (Note that DHCP reserves address 192.168.1.100 thru 192.168.1.149 which means all other addressees in that range can be used as static address).

Time To Be Proactive

As you can see some of the methods used above are good for random check ups on your Wireless Home Network.

But just being proactive is not enough and using a combination of monitoring, tightening up security and changing your passwords often, among other items, can help from having your identity stolen.

I'm sure there are Network Security Professionals out there who may have better methods than described in this article. If you are one if them, I welcome you comments and suggestions to provide us with more tips and suggestions.

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There's one thing you must do before giving it away.

Securely erase the hard drive.

It seems every day we hear of computers that have been discarded or donated by banks, hospitals, or others that later turn up only to find out that all sorts of private information that should have been erased first wasn't, and is now in the wrong hands.

It happens all the time, and it's one of the easiest ways to become the victim of identity theft.

What to do is easy: erase the data. How to do it depends on how paranoid you are.

Reformatting your disk is typically considered the right thing to do, and if done properly it's all that most need.

The catch, of course, is that word "properly".

There are two problems.

First, Windows will not actually let you format the drive that's currently running Windows. That's the most common scenario: you have one hard drive and when you start your computer it boots from that drive. In order to reformat it you need to boot from something else. It's too easy to give up at this stage and just hope that erasing files within Windows is enough. Hint: it's not.

Second: the most common kind of format, a "quick format" actually does very little except create an empty root directory on the hard disk and possibly add a label. The rest of the disk isn't touched, and more importantly isn't erased. That's why it's quick. It looks like it's erased, but in a very important way it's not and your data could potentially be recovered.

That's where disk-wiping tools come in.

There are several, and a good, free example is DBAN. Short for Darik's Boot And Nuke, DBAN is available at www.dban.org. It's purpose is simple: after downloading and burning it to a CD, you can boot from it. Once booted, DBAN will completely erase your hard drive, as securely as you like.

It's as simple as that.

There's a frequent recommendation to use a large magnet to erase a hard disk. Forget it. Hard disks are typically encased in shielding enclosures, and any magnets you might have around the house, even the really big ones, aren't likely to have any effect on the data stored on your hard disk.

For the truly paranoid, there's one more option: physical destruction.

Depending on the options chosen and techniques used it's sometimes possible to recover data from an erased hard drive. It's not simple, it's not cheap, it doesn't always work, and it's not something your average hacker can even attempt, but there are data recovery labs that can examine a hard drive in ways that might possibly recover data that had been previously erased.

If you're truly serious, physically destroying the disk platters inside the drive is guaranteed destruction.

Which of course renders your "gift" much less valuable.

For individuals, and even for banks and hospitals, the simpler and more practical approach is to use disk wiping tools like DBAN to overwrite the data securely, and then give away the computer with confidence that you're not including all your personal information as an added bonus.

Just realize that doing nothing, or just "deleting files", is risking complete data exposure.

Author – Get more free tech help and advice from Leo Notenboom by visiting http://ask-leo.com With over 30 years of industry experience, including an 18 year career as a software engineer with Microsoft, Leo gives real answers to real questions from ordinary computer users at Ask Leo! Subscribe to Leo's weekly newsletter now and receive a free ebook: "Internet Safety – Keeping Your Computer Safe on the Internet", a collection of steps, tools and concepts you need to know to keep your computer and your information safe.

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Typically, the average desktop computer has a capacity of 50 or more gigabytes stored onto the hard disk.

All of this information is stored in the form of files, also known as a collection of bytes-which is all a file is at its core. Bytes can be stored in many ways depending on the data contained inside the file for use by the computer.

In text files, for example, bytes are stored in the ASCII codes which are for the characters of a text file while pixels are stored in files for gif or other picture type files. It doesn't really matter what information is held, the file is still a system of bytes that make up the information you need to work with them.

Programs on the computer request files for use based upon the user's needs and the needs of the operational files needed to run the computer in a coherent manner.

When a request is sent from a program, the hard disk retrieves the requested information and sends it to the CPU, one byte at a time. This is similar to chewing your food enough times to swallow. The hard disk sends it in small amounts to the CPU in order for the computer to execute the file correctly. This happens so fast that most users will never realize just how tedious the process is as most files contain a large number of bytes.

If you want to measure the performance of your hard disk, you will need to employ one of two methods.

You can check the data rate, which is the number of bytes per second that the hard disk sends to the CPU. Normal rates are between 5 and 40 megabytes per second, which should give you a good indication as to the performance rate of your computer when compared to the accepted parameters for computer performance.

You can also check the seek time, which is the amount of time between the request of a file by the CPU and the first byte delivered to the CPU by the hard disk based on that request. Common times that indicate a well performing computer is between 10 and 20 milliseconds.

The capacity of the hard drive, which is another very important parameter to computer performance, is the number of bytes that the entire disk can hold at any one time. Once you've checked your computer's performance, you may want to discover this capacity as it will greatly increase your understanding of what your computer can do.

For example, if your hard disk drive is capable of holding 60 gigabytes of information at one time, you may not be able to run multiple processes simultaneously as the capacity of the hard disk is directly related to the amount of available RAM you have to operate your computer.

However, if your computer has the capacity to hold 725 gigabytes of information at one time, then you will probably also have increased RAM capabilities that allow the simultaneous operations of several applications, allowing you to work more efficiently and quickly than with a smaller capacity computer.

Combined with the knowledge of your computer's personal performance and the total capacity that your computer has available, you can determine the best possible results for your computer and upgrade accordingly for your needs.

Author – Victor Epand is an expert consultant for computer memory, PC supplies, and computer games. When shopping, we recommend the best online stores for PC supplies, computer performance, computer memory, RAM.

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Regardless, it's important to read through the bounce message, looking for key phrases and error messages that describe the problem if you're to have a chance of resolving the issue.

Common Error Messages

Mailbox Not Found, invalid mailbox, User unknown, not our customer: these are all saying the same thing. If you've sent email to "someone@example.com" and get a bounce containing one of those complaints, the mail server "example.com" doesn't have an account for anyone with the email name "someone". A couple of common reasons:

* You mistyped the email address. The single most common reason is simply that you made a typographical error in the email name. Check the entire email address for an error. Computers are very picky, and with the exception of upper/lower case email addresses must be exactly correct.

* It's an old address that's no longer in use. Perhaps the person you're attempting to email has changed their email address and you're using an old one which is no longer valid. Make sure what you're using is current.

Mailbox unavailable: 9 times out of 10, this is exactly the same as "mailbox not found". That other 10% of the time it could mean that there's a problem with the recipients email account, though exactly what kind of problem is impossible to say. Check to make sure that you have the email address correct, wait a while and try again, and if it still bounces try contacting the recipient some other way.

Mailbox full, or Quote Exceeded: sometimes this will show up as a part of a "Mailbox unavailable" message. It's fairly clear, though: your recipient has too much email and their server isn't accepting any more. This is most common with web-based email services like Hotmail or Yahoo, which have limits on how much mail you can accumulate. This can also be a sign of an abandoned account – someone's stopped looking at and cleaning out the email. In any case, you'll need to try and contact your recipient through some other email account, or some other way.

Host unknown, Domain Lookup Failed: this means that the mail server you're attempting to use, the "example.com" part doesn't exist. A common reason is, once again, a typo on your part. Make sure you typed it in exactly correct. Another reason are ISPs that change their name and eventually stop supporting the old name. Even though there's typically lots of warning, when the time comes anyone trying to send to an old email address might get this message in return when the switch is finally thrown.

Unable to Relay: this is a terribly obscure error message, but also becoming more and more common as ISPs try to crack down on spam. Mail is sent by relaying email from one server to the next. There could be many servers involved, but typically it's the mail server at your ISP relaying your email to the mail server at your recipients ISP.

In general, a mail server must "know" either the sender of an email, or its recipient, in order to safely transmit mail. Mail servers that do not enforce this requirement are called "open relays" and can be exploited by spammers to send out tons of spam.

Things get complicated because not all ISPs agree on what it means to "know" the sender of an email. All of these might result in an "unable to relay" message, depending entirely on the servers and ISPs involved:
* The "From" address might not match an account on the email server.

* The ISP might require that email comes via a connection (dialup or DSL) actually provided by the ISP – sending using someone else's connection might not be allowed.

* The ISP might require you to authenticate before sending email and you haven't.
* A mail server somewhere could be misconfigured.

There's no blanket answer if "unable to relay" happens only occasionally. Double check the email address you're sending to, for starters.

Temporary Errors: errors like "no adequate servers", "Connection Timed Out", "Resources temporarily unavailable.", "Out of memory" all typically indicate a problem with a mail server that you probably don't have any control over. They are, in general, temporary, and should resolve themselves over time. Look carefully at the bounce message; the email server involved may continue to automatically try to deliver your email without any action required on your part.

Blacklist Filters: If you see messages that indicate your email was "blocked", or "listed in", and references to sites that have things like "spamcop", "dynablock", "blackhole", "spamhaus" and similar in their names, then your email was probably intentionally blocked because the receiving system thinks your ISP's mail server is a source of spam.

Various blacklisting services try to identify servers which are sources of spam. They then make that list available to ISPs, who in turn can block email coming from these sources. The problem is that criteria for addition and removal from these blacklists is vague, at best, and getting a server removed from blacklists can be very difficult. If this happens to mail you send, get in touch with your ISP and explain that their server may be on a blacklist somewhere, and then try to use a different email address, or a different email account of your own, to contact your intended recipient. You might also tell your recipient that their ISP is improperly blocking legitimate email.

Content Filters: Much like blacklists, content filters are an approach many ISPs now implement to stem the tide of spam for their clients. Most will simply discard email that looks like spam, but some servers will actually send a bounce. Phrases in the bounce message like "Message looks like spam", "keywords rejected by the antispam content filter", "scored too high on spam scale" and similar means that your email, for whatever reason, tripped the spam filters on the receiving end. Your email looks too much like spam.

What does it mean to "look like spam"? Here, again, things get vague. That definition will vary greatly based on how your recipient's email server has been configured. Obvious possibilities are the use of pornographic words or phrases, HTML formatted email, currently popular drugs being hawked by spammers, or even having something that looks too much like a sales letter or a scam. The best approach is to scan the bounce for any clues (sometimes there's more information), and then validate your recipient can get any email by sending a simpler message. Assuming that all works, then re-work your message as best you can to not look like spam.

The definition of "a while".

One of the most common solutions for just about any bouncing email problem, after checking that you're sending to the right address, is to "wait a while and try again". The email system, while somewhat random, is also somewhat self-healing. If there's an email server with a problem, chances are it'll get fixed or eventually bypassed, especially if it belongs to a larger ISP. For temporary problems, as noted above, email servers will typically keep trying for up to 4 days before giving up.

My rule of thumb for trying email again, is "one hour, one day, one week". In other words, try again in an hour. There are classes of problems that will resolve themselves that quickly. If that still fails, then I'll try again the next day. If that still fails (and my message can wait that long), I'll try again in a week. If that still fails … I need to find another way to get my message to my recipient.

When a Bounce Isn't Really a Bounce

Be careful! There's a class of viruses these days that propagate by "looking like" bounce messages. They instruct you to open an attachment for more information. Don't. Especially if you don't recall sending the message in the first place. Don't open any attachment, especially one accompanying what looks like an email bounce unless you are absolutely positively certain that it's legitimate.

You may also be getting bounce messages for email you didn't send. There's another class of virus that "spoofs" or fakes the "From" address on email messages, and as a result you could be getting bounce messages that have nothing to do with you. This scenario is sadly common.

Everything Bouncing?

Finally, if every email you send bounces, then you probably have a different problem. Chances are your email client is misconfigured. Double check outgoing or "SMTP" server settings, and double check with your ISP to ensure that you have them set correctly.

Get more free tech help and advice from Leo Notenboom by visiting http://ask-leo.com – With over 30 years of industry experience, including an 18 year career as a software engineer with Microsoft, Leo gives real answers to real questions from ordinary computer users at Ask Leo! Subscribe to Leo's weekly newsletter now and receive a free ebook: "Internet Safety – Keeping Your Computer Safe on the Internet", a collection of steps, tools and concepts you need to know to keep your computer and your information safe.

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Devices or components that are needed to make the computer work as it should, are inbuilt within the motherboard or can be connected to it using a socket or port. Listed below are sockets and ports that are available on the motherboard for connecting devices and , what that they are capable of doing.

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Slot: Supports peripherals like sound cards, DVD decoders, and graphic accelerators with 32 bits at 33Mhz capabilities. There are usually anywhere from 1 to 6 PCI slots available on the motherboard.

AGP (Accelerated Graphic Port): This provides fast bus speed connectivity along with fast access to the main memory. It is designed for video cards that demand higher bandwidth.

Chipset-North Bridge: An integrated circuit that has special duties.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) Socket: A socket specifically for connecting your computer processor.

DIMM (Double Inline Memory Module) slots, SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module) and RIMM: Different types of memory (RAM) can be installed into these slots.

Motherboard Battery: A battery compartment, which stores the battery used for storing data such as system date and time, when you shut down your system.

IDE Connector: Responsible for connecting the IDE cord used for hard disks, CD drives, and DVD drives.

Firewire header (IEEE 1394): A serial bus used to exchange digital and audio data with high performance abilities.

The following listed items are parts that are built within the motherboard with specific connective uses such as keyboards, mouse, and printers.

PS/2 Connectors: Each motherboard usually has 2 PS/2 connectors for the keyboard and the mouse.

USB (Universal Serial Bus) Port: There are usually a couple of these ports located on each motherboard used for connecting pen drives and external hard drives, like Ipods or Mp3 players.

Parallel or (LPT) Port: The place used to connect scanners and printers.

Game Port: The port to connect all gaming devices for example, a joystick.

Sound Card Connectors: Plug in your microphone or speakers here.

Display Connector: Connecting your monitor to the motherboard.

COM (Communication) Port: The port designed to connect your mouse and modem.

Now that you know all the parts and pieces that make up your motherboard, hooking up that new computer system may not be so frustrating. Here are some companies that manufacturer motherboards: Tyan, ASUS, Super Micro, Intel, Iwill, Diamond, First International Computer, Elite Group Computer Systems, American Megatrends, and EFA.

Author – Nanette Aniston is an authority in PC troubleshooting at http://www.pc-error-repair.org For a free driver scan visit http://www.driverscan.org and update all your drivers in 2 minutes.

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Spyware is software created with a malign intent that is installed without your knowledge on your computer. They are designed to hide itself from the average users. They will usually reside in your computer and may track keystrokes, URLs of the websites visited and the kind of products you usually buy.

In addition to spying on your personal preferences, they can also download additional programs, redirect browsers to specific sites or links.

The only way to combat the very real threat presented by spyware to your privacy is by using a spyware removal tools. These removal tools can detect and remove spyware from an infected computer or they may monitor data coming into the computer.

There are many spyware removal tools available in the market today. Both freeware and commercial. Here are some things to look for when you want to get this useful anti spyware tool:.

1. Detection, Removal and Prevention – Be sure to get a spyware cleaner that is capable of preventing installation of further spyware in addition to scanning your computer for spyware and removing them.

2. Modification of Browser Settings – Most spyware operate by modifying browser settings for redirecting to unwanted websites. The tool you get should prevent modification of these settings.

3. Registry Scan – spyware usually modifies all the keys in the Windows registry that can cause programs to start automatically at boot up. Even if a few links to the spyware are deleted in the registry, it can still restore those links. The spyware removal tool should be capable of detecting and removing the links embedded in the registry.

4. Availability of Updates – Like an anti-virus package, a spyware removal tool is effective only if it can be updated regularly to prevent infection due to new spyware.

5. Technical Support – Technical support is essential if the user finds it difficult to use a spyware removal tool or decide what to do when the tool asks him to make a choice regarding deletion of registry entries.

6. User Feedback – Feedback from the users of the tool will give you an idea about the efficacy of the tool in removal of spyware and the ease with which even a novice can use it.

7. Comparative Performance – There are many spyware removal tools available on the market and rather than relying on the claims made by one company, comparing the performance of several tools is important.

Author – Ms. Pinky is a Computer Support Specialist for more than 25 years. Has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Engineering, MS Research work in Systems Engineering. Get more free computer tips on her blog at http://www.computerhelpdeskandsupport.com/

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That's what I noticed about my laptop, which is only sixteen months old. It just was not running as snappy as it did a few months ago.  So I did all the usual clean up tips that you can find anywhere on the Internet in hopes of speeding up my Windows PC.

Ran CCLeaner, removed unused programs, defrag the hard drive, cleaned up my user profiles and desktop, and so on.

Only to have the same problem. A slow computer.

I was about ready to give up by formatting the hard drive and reinstall Windows, when I decided that maybe I should look inside and check things out before I got started with the reinstall.

Well much to my surprise, I found the cause of the performance problem….a dirty computer.

I couldn't believe how much dust had accumulated over time. Now it made sense as to what was causing the poor performance problems.

Over time, your fans will pick up dust which naturally collects on the components inside your computer.  Eventually this will cause cooling problems and make your computer run hot, while reducing efficiency. With the fan running constantly and unable to cool, more heat is being produced which requires more power to run your computer, thus reducing overall performance.

Worse, it can cause components to overheat which will shutdown your computer or cause some components to fail, leaving you with a big repair bill.

So it was time to give the inside a good cleaning. And after I was finished, my laptop was back to it's speedy self again. Without reinstalling Windows, or spending any money.

Now, before you go ahead and attempt tp clean your computer, here are some tips I came across on how to clean a computer without causing any damage to the components inside:

First the precautions…

- Shut Down Your Computer And Unplug It – failure to do so could cause harm to your computer and your self. Be safe by eliminating any electrical shock that can occur if the computer is still plugged in.

– Go Outside – once you get started with cleaning (keep reading for details), you will be surprised by how much of a dust mess is created. If you cannot go outside, try to find another area that you don't mind getting dusty.

- Put Away The Vacuum Cleaner – using a vacuum cleaner can cause static electricity and damage your mother board. Additional damage to fans can occur if you allow the suction of the vacuum to excessively spin the fan blades.

– Do Not Use Liquids – avoid getting any component inside the computer or any other circuit board damp or wet.

..and now it's time to get cleaning.

- Use A Can Of Compressed Air – this is the proper way to clean your computer. A can of compressed air can be found in any electronic or computer store.

– Make Sure You Are Grounded – static electricity is like kryptonite to electronic components. Do everything you can to prevent static electricity from occurring

NOTE: make sure you hold the fan blades to prevent them from spinning.

Start by removing the case lid. Hold your can of compressed air upright and start on the upper region of the computer, then work your way down. In this manner you can sweep out all the dust that settles on lower components at one time. Again try to not cause the fan blades (CPU fan, power supply fan, etc) to spin excessively.

Be through, but do not press on cords or components. Also keep your air source a moderate distance from the components you're working on.

To remove the gunk on the fan blades (that the compressed air cannot clean), use a dry Q-Tip and work each blade as best as you can.

Make sure you clean the power supply, and blow through the internal slits from inside the chassis, aiming so dust will exit the back.

Next, blow into the intake fan (if there is one) to push the dust out the back.

When finished, put the panel back on your computer and reconnect your mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc. Llug the power cord back into your computer and boot it up.

By following these simple guide lines and using common sense, you can significantly increase performance of your computer….with out spending a fortune.

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With the gradual transition to a paperless society, the need for online backup services has never been more felt. All sorts of important information and personal files can be rendered irretrievable in a matter of seconds. But by subscribing to an online storage backup facility, these scenarios could be a thing of the past.

And if you think that backup functions are all these services can offer, think again. Here is a rundown of what other benefits can be had from storing your data "in the cloud".

Data Loss Protection. Computer crashes, hard drive failure, even natural disasters can bring about loss of data. Whether one loses important business documents or personal files, the damage can be just as equally difficult to recover from.

Anytime, Anywhere File Access. External hard drives may be able to provide secure protection from data loss but it does not allow remote access of your files wherever you may be as long as there is an internet connection.

File Sharing. Let family members take a peek at your latest pictures or work colleagues comment on your business proposal. Online storage backups provide for convenient file sharing with other people.

Now the question remains as to what you should look for in a storage service. When comparing backup solutions, ask yourself these five questions:

1. What features come with the package?

The basic features that most online backup services offer are file storage, remote file access, file sharing, automatic backups, and easy file uploading and downloading. Identify the features you need the most and check out which is the best online storage service for that category.

2. Is the service secure?

Security is a big issue for many online storage users. Unlike external hard drives where you have physical control over your files, you may think that online services can put your confidential files at a risk of unauthorized access. The good news is, online storage backups use encryption technology and password protection to ensure that your files are completely secure.

3. Is it the best value-for-money service?

Many online storage services come for free and these may be worth looking into. However, paying a small fee can also give you access to some of the better features such as unlimited storage space.

4. Is it easy to use?

Storage services should be as user-friendly as possible else you risk the possibility of not being able to backup your files properly. If a software seems too complicated to use, by all means scratch it off your list.

5. Is there sufficient technical support?

While using the service you may run into some snags. Prepare yourself for these situations by making sure that the online storage service you choose has a complete tutorial, customer service hotline, or online email or chat support.

Author – Travis Van Slooten – Now that you know what to look for when finding the best online storage service, be sure to read the online backup reviews of the two most popular and widely used companies that provide easy-to-use and dirt cheap online backup for home users!

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But wait – don't open the boxes, plug in the cords, and try to start surfing the Internet just yet! Take a few minutes and follow these 5 steps that can help increase your computer security and possibly remove some potential headaches down the road.

1. Emergency Disks

Some computers come packaged with CDs or DVDs you can use to reinstall the operating system and preinstalled software in case something goes wrong, such as a hard drive hiccup, malware infestation, or an itchy trigger finger that loves pressing the 'Del' key. If such discs are included, place them in a safe place and make copies once the computer is set up.

If these did not come with your computer, read its manual for instructions on how to create them, if possible. Do so ASAP – before you go online, install new software, uninstall software that came prepackaged but you do not need, etc. Better yet, make a second copy of these disks for safe keeping.

2. Install Security Software

Before connecting to the Internet, either via a wired or Wi-Fi connection, make sure you have a working firewall and antivirus software at a BARE minimum; surfing without such programs can open your computer up to all types of nasty malware. If your operating system has a built-in firewall, turn this on if nothing else is available, but do consider downloading a replacement.

If you have another computer, use it to download a firewall, anti-virus, and anti-malware applications. Either burn a CD/DVD or use a USB flash drive to copy them to the new machine. Install this software before you ever connect to the Internet to reduce the chances of problems. Once you are online, immediately download updates as needed.

Note that if your computer comes with security software, you may need to remove these packages first if you decide to install alternatives (see below).

3. Uninstall Software

Go through the list of installed software through the computer's "Add/Remove Programs", "Uninstall or change a program", or similar tool (check the Control Panel). Remove any preinstalled "bloatware", software you may not need such as trial games, photo applications you may never use, website toolbars, links to Internet Service Providers you will never access (especially if you already have one), etc. Do keep the installed security software unless you are offline and ready to install different applications.

4. Consider a New Web Browser

When you go online, you are not stuck with your operating system's default web browser if you want to surf the web. There are plenty of alternatives available such as Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Google Chrome, and using another web browser may increase your overall security.

Even if you install a new web browser, be sure to keep the one that came with your operating system up-to-date to help prevent malware from attacking your system via an exploit.

5. Update All Software

Speaking of doing software updates, after going online but before browsing the web, immediately update your operating system (including the built-in web browser). Check for updates to document readers such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and any installed multimedia players. Plus, look for updates to installed browser plug-ins such as Adobe Flash, Adobe Shockwave, Java, QuickTime, and RealPlayer. Exploits can potentially be found in any software installed on your system; keeping everything up-to-date helps reduce the risk of your computer getting infected by malware.

While you may immediately be ready to unpack and use your new computer, following these five steps will help increase your security when going online. Create or find emergency recovery discs and store them in a safe place in case 'stuff' happens. Install security software such as firewall, antivirus, and anti-spyware applications before you connect to the Internet. Remove unneeded "bloatware" and consider installing an alternate web browser. Finally, before general web surfing or other activities, ensure your operating system and all installed software are up-to-date. By performing these steps, you can start your computer off right, blocking malware and operating well for hopefully years to come.

Author – Andrew Malek owns the MalekTips computer help website at http://www.malektips.com/. MalekTips offers advice on getting the most out of your computer and other technology such as web browser tricks, advice on how to stay safe when online, and digital photography tips.

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