PC Support

Windows 7 comes with the built-in ability of being able to create an “image” of your hard drive. Previously you needed a third party commercial application like Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image...

A hard drive is a storage device that stores information contiguously on the platters. The platters are the central component of the hard drive that stores and retrieves the ones and zeros you...

Scrap metal is a big business, and scrap computer parts (such as hard drives) are no exception. Old hard drives from computers can be used for parts and also melted down for their platinum and...

An image of your hard drive serves a slightly different purpose than a simple backup. A drive image includes all user preferences, all software, all tweaks a user has made to the operating system,...

Microsoft Windows in its various forms is the most popular computer operating system in the world. However, many owners of Windows computers face a common problem: the ever-increasing amount of...

None of us has time to waste waiting around while that slow computer loads up and does what you’ve already told it to do—but reinstalling windows, or paying to have your computer fixed for the...

When you purchase a new computer, you may be surprised to learn that the capacity of the hard drive is less than advertised, and that the computer does not include an operating system disc. It is...

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....

IDE external hard drives are great for storing all the extra data needed in our new digital lifestyles. USB connections have made connecting peripherals even easier with their instant plug and...

Computers, like any other tool, can decrease in effectiveness with years of use. Not only does simply using a computer tend to lead to increasing clutter on hard drives, but also computer programs...

A computer's hard drive is a physical disk that stores the operating system, programs, and other data such as documents and media files. As hard drives become full of data, it can take longer to...

One of the most useful features of modern versions of Windows is virtual memory, also known as the "page file" or "swap file." Virtual memory makes it easier to run several programs...

Resetting a hard drive entails completely wiping it of all data and reinstalling the operating system. If the performance of your Gateway laptop has been poor, or you want to start over with a...

Cookies are small text files that websites download on your hard drive to allow you to access and run the websites better. They also come in the form of tracking cookies which, unlike regular...

Defragmenting your computer's hard drive is one way to speed up your computer's response time. Defragmenting is the process of restoring order to a hard disk by retrieving scattered pieces of...

Enhance the way your computer system works by maintaining its hard drive space. A computer usually becomes sluggish and overworked when it has tons of useless information scattered everywhere....

Like any piece of machinery, a computer will last longer with routine maintenance. Over time, computers become cluttered with unneeded data while cases can fill up with dust. Properly maintaining...

Your hard drive just crashed, and you didn't have a backup! Is your data lost forever? Maybe not! Although corrupted system files can prevent your computer from starting, your other files may...

Computers are often used to store important data like financial documents, personal information and family photos. When a computer crashes or fails completely, retrieving important data from the...

External hard drives are great for keeping track of all those extra digital bits and bytes that keep piling up. Installation usually involves nothing more than plugging the drive into your...

Seagate manufactures both internal and external hard drives, and their sleep modes can be managed in different ways. The hard drive is one of the top energy consumers among computer-hardware...

Generally there are only a few areas available as potential hard drive mounting points. The specific hard drive mounting areas differ between case designs; however, this differentiation is usually...

Similar to a physical room, using a computer for work and play inevitably leads to clutter in the form of old programs, unnecessary data and perhaps even malware like viruses. Routinely cleaning...

There are numerous reasons why data can become corrupted or lost. These range from hackers to viruses to physical damage. When your data is lost due to hard drive crashes or by malicious viruses,...

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...

Disk Cleanup allows a user to easily free up space on her hard drive that is occupied by unused or unnecessary files. The tool is designed to automate the process by minimizing the amount of user...

The complexity of a computer is built around a few main components. All computer users can benefit from knowing what these components are and how they function It will help them make buying...

Backups are an important part of data security and integrity. When a hard drive crashes, it can be a sudden occurrence that gives little warning. Without a backup, the data is lost and this can...

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 time that the hard disk defragmentation process takes depends upon a variety of factors as well as the specifications of the computer itself. As a computer goes through its daily tasks it...

There's nothing quite like buying a new computer and booting it up for the first time, knowing that your hard drive is a blank slate that you can fill with whatever programs you desire. The...

The goal is ultimately to manipulate information when you use a computer. That information, depending on what it is and how it is being used, relies on a storage medium in order to be accessed by...

Over time, computers can slow down and not work as optimally as when they were first bought. But although computer slowdown can be frustrating, fixing the problem may not require much time and...

Every device connected to a computer that does not have its own power cord draws electricity from the power supply. Secondary hard drives only use power when their platters are spinning. Most hard...

Since digital cameras are much more prevalent than film cameras and pretty much everyone has a computer; it is pretty safe to say that if you own a computer you probably have a few year’s worth of...

A computer hard drive is a large storage device where programs, applications and system configurations are stored. Because it suffers great usage, it occasionally becomes clogged and causes your...

Data recovery is an integral part of information technology planning. Data recovery involves backups and safe storage of business or personal files and documents. Having sound recovery options on...

You decide to clean your hard drive to free up space, or decide to wipe out everything from your hard drive and sell it to someone. Whatever the reason is, you should make sure it is done the...

Virtual work spaces often become cluttered and disorganized with use just like their physical counterparts. If your computer is running out of hard drive space or operating slower than it used to,...

Reviving a hard drive is not an exact science with guaranteed results, as luck is a definite part of the equation. Mechanical and electrical problems, hardware failures, corrupted software and...

Most people have experienced a hard drive crash at some point. Unfortunately, most have had to learn the hard way that backing up your computer files is crucial. Fortunately, there is a relatively...

Fragmentation is when your files are saved on the hard drive wherever space can be found. The downside is that when this happens, the saved files end up scattered randomly on the hard drive making...

Tips on how to keep your PC running smoothly for years

Backing up the files on a personal computer is one of the most important things a person can do. Failing to back up files can result in you losing important data should your computer ever be...

Hard drives store the operating system, application, and much of the user data. Hard drives are one of the computer components that suffer from mechanical failures due to wear on the parts. These...

Some external hard drives come with pre-installed software, such as backup software that is designed for use with that particular external hard drive. The software usually allows the user to...

Hard drives are where all data and files are stored on a computer. Hard drives can be fragile and do not last forever, so to keep your data and/or programs safe, you will want to copy the files...

External hard drives are an inexpensive hardware add-on that have many potential uses. When it comes to having enough storage to back up files, there is no better way to go. Many use these...

It is recommended that everyone backs up their personal computer files. You never know when your hard drive might die or your files wiped out by an untimely virus. Backing up your computer files...

Serial ATA (SATA) hard disk drives are faster and easier to use than IDE devices. The SATA interface provides the data transfer rate of 300 mbs, and each hard drive is connected to the motherboard...