How to Prevent Electrical Shock

Electrical accidents are known to occur all the time. But there are ways that can help prevent an accident by being fully aware of managing electricity around you. Add to this a thorough knowledge of how electricity works and you can easily prevent shocks. Whether at home or the workplace, preventing electrical shock is quite possible if you just follow a few ground rules. Electrical shock occurs if a part of your body is instrumental in completing a circuit between two conductors or a grounding source.
Once you suffer a shock, the after-effect will vary as per the current flow and the path of the current through your body. If the voltage is high, then the injuries will certainly be grave. So the best thing is to know how to avoid getting electrical shocks. For one, avoid creating a circuit through yourself between a live and neutral or earth cable. Do not, under any circumstance, touch any electrical appliance with wet hands. And do not operate light switches with wet hands. If you happen to be working with electrical circuits, then you must make sure that the power is off and the fuses withdrawn. Always ascertain before hand that appliances, sockets, switches and flexes are in good condition before using them.
A little education regarding electricity can go a long way. You must be aware that voltage is the force that causes the flow of the current. Current is the amount of electricity that is flowing through the wires. And resistance slows down or stops the flow of current. The greater the resistance, the lower the amount of flow. A ground is a connection between the electrical current and the earth, and electricity always seeks a ground to earth. Remember these important tips when you happen to be working with electricity:
. Whenever you begin working on any electrical equipment, check, then double check, to be sure there is no source of electricity flowing.
. Always have a fire extinguisher within easy reach to use in case of emergency.
. Do not, under any circumstances, assume that someone else would have cut off the power source. You must check things for yourself.
. Contact a professional electrician to do extensive electrical work.
To be completely safe, you must follow these rules as they will help you prevent electrical shocks. Also, remember the little things like never to overload electrical circuits. Always check electrical cords for any signs of fraying or wear and tear. Keep all electronic equipment away from dampness and water. In case of an electrical fire, shut the power off and use a fire extinguisher on the fire. Never ever use water to put out an electrical fire.

General Hardware Troubleshooting Tips

Regardless of the problem there are a few steps that must be taken whenever troubleshooting a hardware problem. These may seem rather insulting to most people, but one must never forget to do them; if they are not done you might very well waste allot of time and possibly create a new problem from fiddling around in your computer chasing down a phantom. Here are some quick steps:

1. Power Cords - Make sure that all of the power cords are firmly in place on all of the devices that could possibly be causing or attributing to the symptoms you are experiencing (i.e. If nothing shows up on the monitor make sure that the cords are attached to both the monitor and the computer itself). Then trace the cords back to the wall and make sure that the other end of the cord is attached to a power outlet or surge protector.
2. Outlet Power - It is not uncommon to blow a fuse; if the outlet in question is not receiving power than you should not expect any of the devices connected to the computer to receive power. You can test this simply by looking at the device and seeing if any LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are lit. If there are no LEDs lit, try pluggin in a device that you know works into the outlet, such as a clock or radio.
3. Power Button - This step goes hand-in-hand with the last step. Many people don't think to check for this because many computer devices stay on all of the time (i.e. monitors, printers, power supplies), and as such do not check the power button. Also, some devices have two power switches on them, and both must be in the "on" position in order for the device to work (i.e. there is a power button both on the front, and on the back of most computers).
4. Communication Connections - Once you've settled that the power to your devices is fine, the next step is to make sure that the device has all of the connections needed for it to communicate. This step consists of making sure that these cables are firmly connected at each end, and that they are connected at the correct port/interface. Do not forget to check internal connections; if your computer has been bumped it is possible for some connections inside to pop loose.
5. Device Configuration - This steps provides both hardware and software configuration. There may be jumpers or switches on the hardware that need to be configured. If these accidentally got moved or switched the device would fail to work properly. Also, most hardware ships with configuration software (i.e. Wireless cards); make sure that the software configurations are compatible with what you are trying to accomplish.
6. Follow Instructions - Computers are not evasive when they report errors; all too often we just do not understand them, or are confused by the amount of information that is given. Many times there are suggestions on how to fix a problem accompanied with an error message. Simply follow the steps the message suggests; even if the suggestion seems to be ridiculous follow it so that you can discard it as a possibility.
7. Windows Recognition - If you go into the Control Panel, open the System dialog, click on the Hardware tab, and then open the Device Manager, you will see a tree-like structure of all of the hardware that is attached to your computer. Look under the appropriate category (Monitors, Graphic Adapters, etc.) and click on the item/items that you are having problems with then click on properties. The dialog that opens will inform you if the operating system is having any know troubles with the device.
8. Update Drivers - If possible, try connecting to the internet and going to the manufacture's web site to download the latest drivers for your hardware (this requires that you now the model specifications of your hardware). Often conflicts can arise when you install new hardware and software; although these are unanticipated, once found the developer will fix the problem and post updated drivers.
9. Refresh Device Manager/Reinstall Device - This step falls into the "I don't care what the problem is, I just want it fixed" category. Open the device manager again and delete the devices that are not working properly. You will probably be prompted to restart your computer, if not restart it manually. When the computer restarts the hardware you deleted will be detected again and be reinstalled with the default configurations. If you cannot find the device in the device manager try to uninstall all software that came with it and reinstall using the disks that were provided.

Specific Hardware Problems

Dead CMOS Battery

On an older PC, it is normal for the CMOS battery to fail at some point in time. They usually last for many years, with over five years being the norm, at least on older machines. On a new motherboard, this sort of problem is usually a sign of a defect, although, you shouldn't worry about it if it appears only the very first time the board is powered up or after you replace the battery. Often, a dying battery will first manifest itself intermittently. Sometimes, you will boot with no problem. At other times, you will see an error indicating that the system doesn't match the configuration or you will see that the Date and Time settings on your computer are wrong. When the battery fails entirely, these errors will either come up every time you reboot, or your BIOS may report an error number with a message stating that the battery is dead. The solution is replacing the battery -- for detailed instructions for replacing the battery see the Replacing Hardware page.

Blank Monitor

This is a very common problem, and most of the time, it has a very easy fix. Follow the below steps:

1. Power - Verify that the monitor has power and the power cord is firmly attached. Detailed instructions for accomplishing this task can be found above.
2. Video Cable - Double check that the video cable is connected to the computer. If the cable has become loose you may need to push it back in and tighten the screws that hold it in place.
3. Brightness & Contrast - Check the brightness and contrast controls on the monitor; It might have gotten bumped or changed accidentally. It may sound stupid, but this was one of the most common causes for people bringing their monitor in for repair when my friend work at a computer store. Most monitors have a button on them to reset all of the settings -- try pushing that.
4. Swap Parts - If possible, try swapping with another monitor that is known to work and vice-versa. If your monitor works on another computer, than the problem, most likely lies with your video card and/or motherboard. If your computer works with another monitor it might be time to invest in a new monitor.
5. Push In Video Card - Open up your machine and firmly push down on your video card so that you are sure that it is making contact with all of the contacts in the slot. If you computer was jumped and the screw that holds it down was not tight enough it could have come loose.

If none of the above fixed your problem you may need to do more research on your problem are use one of the strategies listed earlier.

Dead Hard Drive

Hopefully, the only time you will have encountered this problem is after you have installed a new IDE device, because other than being misconfigured, otherwise, your data is most-likely lost.

Desktop Computer Buying Tips

Quick links

Introduction
New vs. refurbished / used
Mac vs. PC
What to look for
Brand of computer
Scams

Introduction

Purchasing a home or business computer can be a big and sometimes costly decision. Below is a listing of helpful suggestions on what to look for and what to ask when purchasing a new computer.

New vs. refurbished / used

If you're looking to save money buying a used or refurbished computer can save you a lot of money. A refurbished computer is a computer that has been returned to the company has been checked out as good but cannot be sold again as new. All major computer manufacturers will have a refurbished section showing all their available refurbished products. Buying one of these computers instead of a new computer can save you hundreds of dollars.

In addition to refurbished computers individuals and companies for various reasons will also sell their used computers. When buying these look out for the following.

• Verify it has no physical damage by inspecting the ports as well as the inside and the outside of the case.
• Make sure you're getting what you pay for. See the below scams section for additional details.
• Make sure computer comes with any CD's for the operating systems or programs that are promised to be installed.
• Realize that many computer manufacturers will not transfer the computer warranty from the old user to you.

Mac vs. PC

The decision between buying a Macintosh and PC computer running Microsoft Windows is always a heated debate. See document CH001238 for a list of advantages and disadvantages of both of these systems if you're still not decided.

What to look for
When purchasing a computer it is likely that you will have a general idea of what you may like in the computer or how you would like to configure the computer. Below is a listing of the various components likely to be found in a computer and recommendations and tips when considering any of the below components.

Device	Short recommendation
Case	The case or chassis is often overlooked when buying a new computer. Below are some things to think about regarding the case. Do you want a desktop or tower case? Will the case fit on top of or below your desk? Will the drives be accessible or will they be positioned the way you wish them to be positioned? Does the case support the standards of motherboards, for example, the ATX motherboard standard? This is important if you wish to upgrade the computer in the future. Case buying tips page.
CD media	Most newer computers today have an included disc burner in the computer. If you wish to make your own CD's / DVD's make sure the computer supports it. Standard CD-ROM buying tips CD-R / CD-RW buying tips DVD buying tips
Hard drive	The hard drive will be the destination of all your files and information. Make sure you get a hard disk drive that will have plenty of available space and will run at speeds that don't slow the overall computer down. Hard disk drive buying
Memory	Memory is one of the more important purchasing decisions on a computer. The more memory in the computer, the more efficient the computer will run. Memory buying tips
Modem	Depending on how you plan on connecting to the Internet the Modem may not be that important of a buying decision. Most users today are using broadband Internet, which does not require a modem. However, if this is not available in your area make sure your computer includes a modem. Modem buying tips
Network card	Almost all computers today have a network card or network option on the motherboard. The network card is what will allow you to share files between computers in your home and connect to a broadband internet connection. Network card buying tips
Processor	The computer processor is and will always be one of the most important considerations when purchasing a computer. Today, with multiple CPU/Processor manufacturers, it may be more confusing as well as more cost efficient to look at all options for computer processors. CPU / Processor buying tips
Sound card	Today, the standard sound cards that are included with a computer are sufficient for almost all computer users. However, if you plan on doing sound editing / mixing make sure to look at the sound cards capabilities. Sound card buying tips
Video card	For computer gaming the video card has become one of the most important factors behind memory and processor. If you plan on gaming with your computer make sure your video card GPU and video memory meets the requirements. Video card buying tips

Brand of computer
There is no such thing as a computer manufacturer who has a perfect history with all its users. Therefore when it comes to recommending one brand over another it would be impossible for us to say who's better than the other. Instead we'd suggest relying off the below considerations.

Consideration	Explanation
Add-ons	All computer manufacturers will give you the option to buy additional accessories when buying a new computer. Keep the below in mind before buying these add-ons. Make sure your buying accessories you actually need. For example, almost all new computers will include a keyboard and mouse. Also if you're upgrading from an older computer many of your older peripherals and accessories may be compatible with the new computer. If you're buying your computer online, check elsewhere. Many accessories available through the computer manufacturer are sold at a premium price.
Documentation	Most manufacturers today are reducing the amount of documentation included with their computer and substituting that documentation for online documentation. Make sure the documentation found online appears to be sufficient and that software and driver downloads are available if needed.
Hardware	As mentioned in the above above what to look for section, make sure the hardware included with your computer meets your needs.
Return	If the computer is purchased at a local retail store, can the computer be returned if unsatisfactory to that store or does it have to be sent to the computer manufacturer? If the computer is purchased online or through a mail order can it be returned if unsatisfactory?
Service	Is the service onsite, meaning a technician will come to your location to replace or fix a bad component. If the service is onsite, is it for the complete time of the warranty? If onsite is not offered, what is and for how long? Can the computer be taken to a local service center? If yes, what is the closest authorized service center? What is the time frame the service takes to occur? For example, if the computer has a bad component, what is the time it will take for a technician to come onsite and replace that component, or if sent in how long does it take? Finally, if that time frame is not acceptable, what is the company willing to do, for example, are they willing to provide you with a loaned computer.
Software	Does the software include Microsoft Office or Corel Suite? These packages allow you to have a word processor and a spreadsheet. For the most users this should be an important consideration. Is it the full versions of the software or is the software a demo, trial, or shareware? Many companies will include programs that will expire after 30-90 days and require you to purchase the full program.
Support	While you can always contact Computer Hope for support, manufacturer support is also a very important consideration as if an issue arises with the computer you must be able to contact a support representative. Is support open 24 hours, 7 days a week? If not, what are the hours? Is support open on holidays? If not, what days are they closed? What support options are available? Phone? E-mail? Web? Chat?
Upgrade ability	While this option may not be considered at first when purchasing a computer, it is an important consideration. When purchasing a computer make sure the hardware you may want to upgrade can be upgraded. Common upgrades for most users today include: Memory, Video card, and Sound Card.
Warranty	Finally, does the computer manufacturer offer a warranty? How long is the warranty? Does the warranty cover both hardware and software issues?  We highly recommend that a computer only be considered if it has at least an one-year warranty. Many cheap computers will only come with a 90-day warranty. Meaning if a part goes bad, you will have to pay for the part as well as the service. This may not be an issue for users who just need a cheap computer and are willing to replace parts and service the computer themselves.

Scams

Unfortunately, like anything, it is possible to be tricked or for computer companies to scam you. Watch out for the below common scams.

• Get what you pay for - Make sure you're getting what you paid for. A common tactic is to overclock the processor, memory, or other component. This can be done by anyone with a little computer knowledge. For example, you may buy a 733MHz processor but instead get a 500MHz.
  
  To determine the processor speed, open the computer and look at the processor itself. Do not look at the processor through a software program or through BIOS as these values can be changed or tricked.
• Legal software - When purchasing a computer, make sure it was legal purchased and the CD or other disc and its CD-KEY is included. Many end-users or small computer companies who build or sell computers may not provide you with legal copies of the software, which is illegal and may leave you with a fine or the inability to get updates.source

Hardware Maintenance FAQ

New computer equipment is usually sold with a warranty. The warranty typically lasts one year, but some vendors offer multiyear warranties. If the computer fails while it is under warranty, the vendor should resolve the hardware problems at no additional cost.

Q. What happens if the hardware fails after the warranty expires?
You have a problem and you are on your own. Here are some of your options:

• Fix the hardware yourself if possible.
• Pay a company to repair the hardware.
• Replace the entire system.
• Stop using the system.

Q. Should I try to fix the hardware myself?
If you have the technical skills to diagnose the problem, and if you have spare parts or spare systems available, then swapping parts may resolve the problem.
If parts are not available, then you can purchase parts. However, parts can be expensive. There is no guarantee that the part that you purchased will resolve all the problems. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy an entire used system than to buy a part.
You also should decide if you want to spend many hours trying to diagnose a problem.
Q. Why shouldn't I call the vendor and pay them to repair the hardware?
If you have to pay for Time and Materials, the costs can add up very quickly.
It is not unusual to pay $150 per hour or more just for labor. There is no limit to the number of hours that it may take to resolve a problem.
As an example, here are the Time and Materials rates from an unnamed OEM:
$350 for the first 30 minutes of labor.
$64 for each additional 15 minutes of labor or $256 per hour.
Parts are extra.
Some companies charge for travel time and have a minimum charge.
Parts can be expensive. CPU boards, backplanes or power supplies can cost thousands of dollars.
This is an unexpected expense and funds may not have been budgeted for an emergency repair.



Q. Should I replace the entire system instead of repairing it?
If the system is inexpensive, it may be better to replace it rather than to repair it. If an older PC fails, it makes sense to replace it with a new, faster PC that costs a few hundred dollars and that has a warranty.
However, if a server that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars fails, it cannot be easily replaced and should be repaired.
If a new replacement system is not very expensive, say less than $8,000 and if it comes with a three year warranty you should compare the following:

• How much would a maintenance contract cost for three years.
• How much would a new system with a three year warranty cost.

If the difference is not very large, it may be better to buy a new system, and to keep the old system as a backup or for parts.
Q. Should I just dump this broken system.
If you can move the functionality to another system without affecting performance. The broken system can be kept for parts, or can be sold or dumped.
Q. I do not like any of the options above in case of a hardware failure. Is there a better alternative?
You can get a hardware maintenance contract from a company.



Q. What is a hardware maintenance contract?
It is a service sold by a company that protects your computer hardware. If the hardware in a computer fails while it is covered by a maintenance contract, the service company should resolve the problem at no additional cost to you. It is the same concept as an extended warranty. You are basically buying insurance to protect your purchase.
There are two types of maintenance contracts: On-site and Depot.
Q. What is on-site maintenance?
A technician is sent to your location. The technician diagnoses the problem and has or orders the parts. The technician installs the parts and checks that the systems working properly. This is the best type of contract.
Q. What is depot maintenance?
A service company will just ship you the part that you need. You need to first diagnose the problem, call the service company and order a part. Then the part is shipped directly to you and you need to install it in your system. Then you need to pack and ship back the defective part. This can be a time consuming process.
Q. What are the advantages of a hardware maintenance contract?
You do not have to pay for parts or labor every time that the computer breaks down.
The computer is fixed by a technician and you do not have to spend time resolving this problem.
There are fixed yearly costs that can be budgeted. There are no surprise expenses for emergency repairs.


Q. How much does a hardware maintenance contract cost?
Usually between 10% and 20% of the list price of the computer. But of course there are many variables that affect the price, for example your location and service levels.
Q. Why does a hardware maintenance contract cost so much?
Computer services are very profitable for the computer corporations. The OEMs generate revenues by selling services together with the equipment to their customers.
Q. How can I lower the cost of a hardware maintenance contract?
You can get a contract from a third party company. These companies charge much less than the OEMs.
Q. How much can I save by getting a third party contract?
It varies. The prices are negotiable. On volume contracts you could get up to 85% off the list price from the OEM.
Q. How can I get the lowest maintenance prices?
You should get quotes from multiple third party maintenance companies and you should let them bid against each other. These companies will match or beat prices from other companies. It is interesting to watch how low prices can go when there is competition. But you should not expect an OEM to match the low prices from third party companies.
Q. Where can I find a list of third party hardware maintenance companies?
3PHW.com LLC (Third Party HardWare) has a list of these companies. There is a US national category, US regional category and International category. The URL is:
www.3phw.com
This web site can email your quote request to many of the third party hardware maintenance companies, this is a free service. All the information that you need to provide is your email address and the equipment that you would like to put under contract. These companies will then contact you directly.
Q. What should I look for in a third party maintenance company?
You should look for a large company with many technicians. The technicians should be trained to support your equipment. This company should keep spare parts in your area.
Q. What are the advantages of using a third party maintenance company?
Low maintenance prices.
A third party company can support equipment from different manufacturers and can assume responsibility for multivendor problems. It is better to have only one maintenance contract instead of multiple contracts.
Q. What are the disadvantages of using a third party maintenance company?
There could be problems with the quality of the service or the availability of parts.
Q. What about the quality of the service from a third party maintenance company?
It depends on the skills of the technicians in your area. Usually the technicians will have training on equipment from multiple manufacturers. But it general, they will be lower paid technicians and they will not be top notch. However, the most important issue is if they can deliver replacement parts on time.
Some corporations like Sun[TM] do not have they own service technicians. If you get a SunSpectrum[SM] service contract and you place a hardware service call, you will get a third party maintenance technician from companies like Decision One[TM].
Q. What about the availability of parts from a third party maintenance company?
You should find out if parts are stored locally or if they will be flown in. If they are not stored locally, you will not get the parts the same day. Sometimes it is possible to request that spare parts be stored on-site. However you need to have the space and assume the responsibility for these parts.
Small third party maintenance companies may not keep many parts in a warehouse and may have to buy a replacement part when your system fails. That means that your system may be down longer.
You should find out where the replacement parts for your system will be stored and how long it will usually take to deliver them to your site.

Windows 7 - Convert a Dynamic Disk to a Basic Disk

What is Dynamic disk?

A Dynamic disk is a physical disk with features that basic disks do not have, such as support for volumes spanning multiple disks. Dynamic disks use a hidden database to track information about dynamic volumes on the disk and other dynamic disks in the computer. Dynamic disk management is a data/hard disk management method on the Windows platform, first introduced with Windows 2000 operating system.


What is basic disk?

Basic Disk uses Partition Table to manage its partition. One Basic Disk contains both primary partitions and extended partition, and many logical partitions are contained in extended partition.You can see clearly as follow:



What's the difference between Basic and Dynamic Disks in Windows XP/2000/2003/Vista?

Microsoft Windows XP, 2000, Server 2003, and Windows Vista offer two types of disk storage: basic and dynamic disk.

Basic storage uses normal partition tables supported by MS-DOS, Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/Server 2003 and XP.

Dynamic storage is supported in the Windows XP Professional, 2000 and Server 2003. A disk that has been initialized for dynamic storage is called a dynamic disk.
Dynamic disks are not supported on portable computers or on Windows XP Home Edition-based computers.

Why you need to convert dynamic disk to basic?

There are some problems in using dynamic disk, namely the disadvantage of dynamic disk.

1. After you change a basic disk to a dynamic disk, the dynamic disk cannot be changed directly to the basic disk without third-party tools in case.
2. Installing a multi-system on a disk and convert the disk to dynamic disk will lead one of them to be abnormality or failure at startup. so the best way is not to convert basic disk to dynamic disk in multi-system cases(multi-system exists on one disk).
3. Dynamic disks cannot be accessed by Windows 98/XP home and Dos bootable disc. Suppose that there is a problem on your system to startup, here you want to repair the system errors very difficulty.
4. In fact, the superior of dynamic disk can not be brought for the system partition. Spanned Volume and Striped Volume are able to expand the capacity of volume through using the unallocated space of multiple disks.
5. The problem is whether Windows Vista/2008 and Windows 7 can be installed on dynamic disk or not. In order to guarantee data’s security, their installation program dose not allow operating system is installed on dynamic disk. so we suggest that you can first employ Dynamic Disk Converter to convert dynamic back to basic, and then install system to avoid data having been damage.

There are several ways of convert dynamic disk to basic disk

In Windows, it is easy to the conversion of basic disk to dynamic disk, but convert dynamic disk to basic disk very annoying. This topic is the summary about converting dynamic to basic disk. There are the three ways to complete this work for you.

1. Convert to basic disk via deleting all volumes on the dynamic disk.
2. Convert to basic disk via using Partition Recovery Software.
3. Convert to basic disk by using Dynamic Disk Converter.

The first way: Convert to basic disk via deleting all volumes on the dynamic disk

Tip:
This way is the simplest and most commonly, and it most can not guarantee data security, so you need to back up all the data on all the volumes on the dynamic disk you want to convert to a basic disk.

Principle:
After backing up data, delete all the volumes on the dynamic disk by using Windows Disk Management, and then convert dynamic to basic.

1 . First, let us to see the following graph:



By the above graph, we have saw "Convert to Basic Disk" that is unavailable state if there are volumes on the dynamic disk, so we cannot revert it to Basic Disk.


2 . Log on Windows as Administrator Privilege please, click Start Menu -> Run, and type "diskmgmt.msc" to input box, and press Enter key or click OK to open Windows Disk Management as shown:




3 . On Disk Management opened, delete all the volumes on the dynamic disk in turn.



Here, respectively, to delete the volume (I:), volume(F:) and volume (C:) on the dynamic disk.


4 . After the deleting, right-click the gray area that contains the disk title on the left side of the Details pane. For example, right-click Disk 1 as follows:



After does not any volume on the dynamic disk, the "Convert to Basic Disk" item will be available, now you can change the dynamic disk to basic. And then, copy the previous backup data to the basic disk.


Important Note:

The way only suit that there are multiple disks on your system, and you have to boot operating system on other disk to complete this conversion (The other disk means is that the disk you do not want to convert). The main reason is that the volume that the operating system lays can not be deleted. Otherwise, it isn't easy to back up dynamic disk, so you’d better employ like "Copy Dynamic Volume" tool to backup. http://www.bestshareware.net/howto/convert-dynamic-disk-to-basic-disk.htm