Computer Hardware

The ability to terminate CAT-5, CAT-5e and the newer CAT-6 data cables can save money by using inexpensive bulk data cable to wire a home or business. With the right tools and a little...

No matter what kind of laptop you currently own, there is most likely a VGA connecting port on it. This port allows you to connect the portable computer to a desktop computer monitor. However, if...

There are literally thousands of sites on the Internet that allow you to download video content. The biggest downside, however, is viewing your videos on your relatively small computer monitor....

Many consumers are now opting to set up their own private networks to share files, Internet connections and play games. One of the most common ways to connect a network is with a coaxial cable....

Attaching your personal computer to your television grants you several advantages. Aside from simply watching TV on your computer, you can record shows and watch them later, or transfer them to a...

Recording content from a computer to a DVD recorder requires a special audio-video cable available at electronics stores. The cable connects to an open USB port on the computer, with standard...

Monitors are necessary for viewing the information stored on a computer. One of the most popular manufacturers of monitors and computers is Dell. To connect a monitor to a computer, you must have...

HP (Hewlett Packard) is one of the largest manufacturers of Windows-based computers and hardware. Although HP does make standalone scanners, many of their printers do have scanner and copier...

USB and Firewire are competing external device connectors. These interfaces are used on everything from digital cameras to flash drives and printers. While many computers come with both USB and...

Before computers came equipped with the versatile USB port, computers had parallel ports. These ports are made up of several pins and allow hardware to connect to the system. It is possible to...

Few things are more frustrating than an input device that won't work. While USB technology has solved a few problems, you can still encounter issues with getting keyboards and mice to work.

Superlink USB may look like any other USB cable. However, it is used to transfer data from one computer to another. Although the cable is a rather simple device, it is possible to run into...

Getting pictures off a swivel camera is no different than taking pictures off any other digital camera. A swivel camera is simply a camera with the ability to flip the preview screen around to the...

Interactive whiteboards need a computer to function. You may find yourself in a room having an interactive whiteboard installed without a computer attached. Older whiteboards used serial ports to...

The SATA specification, released in 2002, ushered in a new era of drive transfer speeds and connectivity. This specification utilized a new cabling scheme which provided for much easier system...

Whether you own a laptop or a desktop computer, it is possible to deliver cable or satellite television signal to your computer without great expense and little technical knowledge about...

Connecting your PC to a TV is not difficult - adapters that allow you to connect a VGA port to an S-Video port on a TV have been around for years. Now, however, you can connect your PC to your...

Personal computer systems are capable of performing many tasks, from handling complex mathematical calculations in spreadsheet programs to creating simple memos and complex legal agreements in...

Ethernet is the most popular cable for networking, surpassing older cabling technologies. Of the standards in Ethernet cabling, Cat 5e remains among the most widely used. Unfortunately, a reliable...

Following a change or upgrade to your computer's hard drive or optical drive, you may receive an error message such as "Primary Slave Not ATAPI Compatible." This happens because of an issue with...

Adding a sound device to your computer can be beneficial for a number of reasons. You could add a high quality speaker system to improve sound, or a microphone to use for voice conferencing. You...

The Sony PlayStation2 gaming system is equipped with standard RCA-type output jacks for connecting to audio/video components that use plug-in jacks. PC monitors may be equipped either with...

SCSI is a data transfer protocol commonly used in servers and older Apple computers. It is far less common than the IDE or SATA protocols and is easily recognized by its smaller-than-average...

Taking apart some laptop computers can be difficult, as is the case with the Dell Inspiron laptop. This computer has so many layers and screws that a person can quickly become confused and...

The Toshiba A85-S107 laptop is one of the easiest laptops on the market to disassemble. Many people have to perform this procedure simply to install memory modules into their computer. If you work...

IDE cables are used to connect DVD, CD and hard drives to computer motherboards. IDE connections are gradually being replaced by SATA and SATA-II connections, but they are still very commonly...

In a retail store, a "barebone" computer is usually a case containing a motherboard, CPU, RAM and a power supply. You must supply your own storage devices, video card (unless you choose integrated...

There are many reasons you may want to connect your laptop to your HDTV, from giving a presentation to a group to sharing pictures and videos with friends and family when you're all together. ...

TiVo or Digital Video Recorders from your cable or satellite companies can cost you every single month. Even $15 a month for these services add up over time. A DVR is basically a glorified...

There was once a time when computer owners couldn't get enough of more speed. Today, many of us have all the speed we could ever want, but we are constantly running out of storage space. Upgrade...

Replacing the Inverter in Dell Inspiron laptops is a process that requires the handling of small parts. It also requires the ability to replace those parts in the proper order. These...

If you want to create backup copies of important files, rip CD data to your hard drive, or burn audio CDs you will need to install a CD-RW unit in your computer. To install a Memorex CD-RW...

Satellite Internet access is a popular option for homeowners, especially those in rural locations. If you are moving into a home with a preinstalled satellite Internet system, you will find it a...

Some computer devices can mysteriously stop working, or you may have difficulty installing them in the first place. If you are having trouble getting an image to show up on your monitor's screen,...

TV tuners are used to watch TV on a computer. They come in two styles, USB and PCI. USB are external; PCI tuners are internal. A digital video recorder, such as TiVo, is provided by the cable or...

Digital Visual Interface (DVI) is a widely used interface for providing high quality video output to LCD displays or TVs. Connecting your DVI cable to your LCD screen can be completed in several...

People are always transferring files from computer to computer, flash drive to laptop, or even just syncing an iPod. Very often, the speeds and transfer rates drop to a sluggish speed, and you...

SATA, or Serial ATA, is a computer standard for connecting the motherboard to an internal component or storage device such as a hard drive. SATA cables are smaller and more flexible than those for...

Qwest DSL is available for home and business users. To best cater to its customers, Qwest offers two installation options. For more experienced users, all equipment can be sent to your home for...

If you would like to upgrade the internal wireless card in your laptop, there is a good chance that you will be working with a Mini PCI card. Although Mini PCI cards can be fragile and may appear...

An FTA receiver is a free-to-air satellite dish receiver you use to pick up channels that individuals and companies broadcast without encrypting them. These satellite dish receivers work exactly...

The Zip 100 is a Iomega floppy drive that is available as an internal or external drive. The Zip 100 uses floppy disk cartridges that can hold 100 MB (megabytes) of storage. This type of media is...

External DVD drives can be purchased in specially-designed enclosures, intended to remain external drives for as long as they are used. However, it is also possible to purchase a universal...

An Xbox hard drive has been created so that it will only work with the video game console that it comes in, so connecting it to a PC will not do anything. To convert an Xbox hard drive so that it...

A television screen can be used as a monitor for your laptop. Modern TV sets have several HDMI, or high-definition multimedia interface, inputs. A typical laptop configuration would include a...

Today's personal computer, known as the PC, has achieved a high profile status within nearly every home and office. Thanks to this newly achieved status, the PC is now able to serve as a powerful...

The video cord for your personal computer is a video graphics array (VGA) cable. These cables are 15 pin plugs that connect the monitor to the computer. If you are looking to connect your computer...

A digital visual interface (DVI) is a video port cable used to connect a computer to a LCD monitor or projector. An ADC, or analog to digital converter, is used to adjust the signal being output...

Videos, music and programs take up a large amount of memory, so running out of hard drive space is not unusual. If that is the case, there is no reason to start deleting files and programs....

Mobile phones are quickly becoming an integral feature of everyday life. They help you keep your appointments, remind you of errands and capture those precious memories. But what happens when you...