PC Support

Sometimes accessing the BIOS setup screen on your computer is necessary for certain configurations, such as to set up a supervisor password, or to make the computer detect a newly installed hard...

Don't get stuck using Windows Vista on your HP dv7 if you really want XP. It is a little challenging, but completely worth the "downgrade!" You'll learn how to install Windows XP over...

Repairing Windows XP will allow you to fix corrupt files without the need to reformat your computer. All of your hard drive partitions will remain intact, programs will remain installed, and all...

Even a computer with the fastest processor on the market can use a helpful boost with additional tools and software support available on the Internet. Many of these easy-to-use free software...

When your computer is powered up or restarted, it begins booting special firmware called BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) that initiates all your computer's hardware (such as memory, video cards...

When building a computer that contains a Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive, you may experience a problem if the computer's BIOS won't recognize the hard drive. This problem is caused by driver issues....

Your Compaq computer's BIOS stores information about your system's hardware, memory, how the system boots up and how your computer handles power issues like shutting down the hard drive when it's...

Your HP desktop computer goes through a routine called the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) each time you power the system on. The BIOS boots up your HP computer and checks each of the attached...

Computer processors or CPUs (central processing units) act as the brain of a computer by carrying out the calculations necessary to run programs and processes. The type of CPU a computer has...

Phoenix BIOS is a small application that runs when you boot up your computer. It holds crucial information about your computer hardware such as the location of the boot device, port settings and...

Don't feel alone if you are puzzled about DDR and DDR2 RAM; it is a common issue among computer users. Memory modules DDR and DDR2 look the same but are not and can't be interchanged. Determining...

A computer's Basic Input-Output System, or BIOS, is a small application that runs when the user boots the machine. Enter the computer's BIOS setup to adjust settings for RAM, video cards, hard...

Motherboard BIOS manufacturers are easy to identify once you know where to look. In fact, the motherboard BIOS manufacturer is shown every time you boot the computer. A splash screen is shown that...

Wiping a hard drive is typically needed either before selling (throwing) a computer to protect the sensitive personal/business information or to perform clean installation of an operating system...

Latency time is a characteristic of the computer random access memory (RAM) and indicates a delay before a RAM chip returns data requested by a processor. Lower latency time corresponds to better...

Computer repair is a well-defined, methodical system that requires logical deduction and careful documentation. When presented with a system that is not functioning correctly, gather as much...

The Presario 6000 is a desktop computer manufactured by Compaq Corporation in 2002. (Hewlett-Packard has since acquired Compaq and those computers are also referred as "HP"). Equipped with...

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is special motherboard software also called firmware that initiates and tests all installed computer hardware components. BIOS options and layout vary for...

Flashing a motherboard's BIOS can have many positive purposes and can help keep a motherboard compatible with changing technology. PCnineoneone.com says that a proper BIOS flash can introduce...

Budget laptop models typically do not have a dedicated video card; they come with a motherboard integrated video controller (onboard video). Such video uses a certain memory share allocated from...

Wiping out hard drives is a crucial step before computer donation or selling. Identity theft is a fast-growing crime in the U.S., and computers very often contain sensitive personal or business...

The main component of a computer that is bound to fail is the hard drive. The hard drive is made of platters and a reader head, and these parts will fail eventually. Knowing typical hard-drive...

HDD, or hard disk drive, is a computer's data storage device. An HDD password is a security feature implemented on some computer motherboards that prevents access of the hard drive by unauthorized...

The semiconductor chip that stores the BIOS on the system board is referred to as CMOS. The CMOS battery supplies power to keep the BIOS settings while your PC is switched off. When the CMOS...

Unfortunately, if you experience problems with the video card on an HP notebook/laptop, or want more memory, the video card is integrated into the motherboard and cannot be physically replaced. ...

Anyone using a computer for any length of time has experienced the pain of an operating system that doesn't boot up. There are a bunch of reasons why your computer system will not start up and...

Safe mode is a useful feature built into every version of Microsoft Windows. In Windows XP, safe mode is used whenever you have a problem with your computer (such as faulty drivers) and you need...

Motherboards with an integrated video controller (on-board video) are a popular choice for building a budget computer for office or an Internet cafe since they do not require an expensive separate...

Bootable disks are mainly used for troubleshooting purposes in situations where you must solve a problem without loading the operating system. You might want to install, repair or upgrade your...

The BIOS, or Basic Input/Output System, is code on your computer that identifies and initializes the basic hardware components in your computer. For example, the BIOS must identify components such...

CrashFree BIOS from ASUS loads a backup Basic Input/Output System into the the memory of an ASUS computer with corrupted firmware. The utility allows the user to fix a malfunctioning BIOS chip and...

Most operating system installations, as well as many PC troubleshooting utilities, require rebooting the PC in order to boot from a CD or DVD outside of the installed operating system. If you...

Like any electrical device, computer components generate heat as they use electricity. The faster the computer is and the more devices that are installed, the more power it will require, which...

These are the steps to determine whether your computer is not working because of hardware or software. A computer is a physical device composed of a motherboard that holds the CPU (processor),...

The Basic Input Output System (BIOS) chip is located on the motherboard and contains the rudimentary instructions that govern how your computer communicates with its own hardware and other...

The storage devices on a computer, i.e. the floppy disk drive, the hard drive, the CD drive, the USB thumb drive, the USB hard drive, etc.; have a boot order that is stored in the CMOS of the...

The Basic Input Output System (BIOS) on a Dell laptop is used to help hardware communicate with the operating system. You can change many different aspects of your Dell laptop's BIOS such as boot...

The firmware that runs the BIOS on a laptop occasionally needs to be upgraded or replaced. Taking the chip out can be a difficult process and is not recommended for everyone. Fortunately, in most...

Booting to a second or slave hard drive can be a necessity. If your operating system is not functioning properly, booting to your secondary hard drive could be your only solution. You can use the...

Reformatting your computer is often done for many reasons, from just starting fresh with a clean copy of Windows to just wiping your drive clean before you give away or sell your computer. Using a...

BIOS, the acronym for the Basic Input/Output System, is a fundamental part of your computer system containing basic control functions. It is the most basic set of instructions your computer needs...

ROM-BIOS is typically software that has been burned into a chip and built into the motherboard on a computer. Find out how ROM-BIOS represents a level between operating systems and hardware with...

There are times when you will need to secure you computer system(s) from unauthorised access to elivated previlages especially if you share computer or running an internet caffe business. Usually...

A motherboard is the base of the computer, providing power and processing to the hard drive, memory, internal cards and peripherals. If your computer won't boot, cards or peripherals fail or...