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One of the most frustrating problems many users face is that random seeming event when your computer simply will not connect to the internet. You can’t tell why, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong, but no matter what you do, your computer just cannot seem to get online. There are however, a few common culprits that can get between you and the great wide world of web, and luckily they’re pretty easy to remedy as well.

First, do a quick cable check. If you are using a desktop computer, check the cable connections from the back of your tower, to your router (if you have one), to your modem, and finally to your wall. All connections should be tight and secure. If you’re using a laptop on a wireless connection, you should still check the cables from your router, to the modem, and finally to the wall. Also, while you’re checking your modem, check its status lights. Is it sending and receiving information? If it isn’t, you may need to contact your internet service provider.

Another simple cause of connectivity issues that happens more frequently than you’d think is actually having the wireless card enabled. Most laptops will have either a button or switch right near the keyboard to toggle the wireless card on and off. Check that this is in the “on” position. If this doesn’t fix the problem, go into your computer’s device manager and check the status of the wireless card. It may not be functioning properly, or may have been disabled manually while your wireless switch remained in the “on” position.

When in doubt, restart your modem and your router. Sometimes, they just get stuck. Routers are notoriously sensitive machines, and the tiniest thing can throw them off. Usually, unplugging either of these devices for about 10 seconds and then plugging them back in gets them to refresh themselves, which in itself can sometimes fix whatever problem you may be having.

If none of these things work, contact your internet service provider. Many times their technicians will be glad to assist you in checking everything over, and they can double check and confirm the status of your internet service as well.

Extended warranties extend the coverage against defects and problems that a computer may experience for a longer period of time. An accidental damage warranty can cover a computer repair in situations that the standard warranty may not, such as water damage or dropping a laptop on a floor. On the surface, these warranties could save you a lot of money if you need a repair, but are they worth it? Let us look at a few of the factors to consider.

Reliability

Computers tend to be more reliable today than they were even a few years ago. As manufacturing processes improve, the chance of a major failure is less likely.

Cost

When considering whether to purchase an extended warranty or accidental coverage, weigh the cost of the warranty with the likely cost of a major repair and/or the parts needed for that repair. Then consider the likelihood of the repair being necessary. Also consider the replacement cost for a new laptop. Laptops have become increasingly less expensive, often making it cheaper to purchase a new laptop with a new warranty than to pay for a costly repair.

Insurance Coverage

In some cases, home insurance may cover the cost of some computer problems, particularly those caused by lightning damage or other factors associated with your home. Check your policy to see what may already be covered.

Saving Alternatives

You may want to consider skipping an extended warranty, but to put the same amount of money in a savings account. If a repair becomes necessary, the money in the account may be enough to cover it. If a repair is never required, you can use the money to purchase your next computer, or keep it in the savings account for future repairs.

There is no quick and easy answer as to whether or not an extended warranty will be worth the money in every situation. There are many users who have saved a lot of money by utilizing an extended warranty, but also many who paid for one and never used it. Considering the factors listed above can help you to make an informed decision based on your own personal needs.

Sooner or later many users find that their laptop’s hard drive is full, and they begin to wonder if it is possible to upgrade it to a larger drive for more storage space. Not only is replacing your laptop hard drive possible, it is usually quite easy to do. Here are the steps required to replace your laptop’s hard drive with a larger one.

1. Find a replacement drive using an online parts locator

Before you start, you will need to find a compatible drive for your laptop with more storage space. Use an online parts locator tool to see which drives are compatible with your laptop model, as different models require different drive form factors. You will probably also want an external drive enclosure for the cloning process.

2. Clone your drive or Reinstall?

The easiest way to upgrade a laptop hard drive is to clone it with cloning software. This copies all files and partitions from the original drive to the new drive and you can simply boot up the laptop and pick up where you left off. Programs such as Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost can handle the cloning process, and will also expand the partition for the larger drive, allowing you to utilize all of the extra space.

If you choose not to clone the drive, you can simply backup all your important data, install the new drive, install the operating system, then move your files onto the new drive.

3. Find Instructions

The process of replacing the drive is somewhat different for each model, so it is a good idea to find specific instructions for your laptop’s model. Try searching for the term “service manual” along with your laptop’s model for instructions. You may also try a search such as “How to replace hard drive” and you laptop’s make and model.

4. Reuse your old drive

If you have purchased an external enclosure for the cloning process, you can place your old hard drive in this enclosure to use it for extra storage. Once you are sure your old files are backed up, you can delete the files on this drive or reformat to regain space.

Laptop hard drive technology continues to improve. Faster hard drives with more capacity are arriving every year, and it can be difficult to know the difference between different standards. Here is a rundown of the different laptop hard drive technologies used today.

While most desktop hard drives are in the standard 3.5” form factor, nearly all laptop hard drives use the 2.5” form factor. While other standards are sometimes used in the smallest laptops, the vast majority of laptops use the 2.5” hard drive standard.

There a few factors related to the speed of laptop hard drives. The first is the spin speed of the platters in the hard drive which store the data. The most common speed for laptop hard drives is 5400 rpm (revolutions per minute), but 4200 rpm and 7200 rpm drives are also common. Generally, the faster the rotation speed, the faster the access time for the hard drive, but a drive with a faster rotational speed will consume more power and will be noisier during operation. These are reasons why many laptops have 5400 rpm drives instead of the faster 7200 rpm drives. The actual speed of the drive is usually measured in “access time” or data transfer rate. These ratings give buyers a comparison for which drive may perform better.

Most modern hard drives connect through either SATA or PATA (IDE) connections. PATA uses a large ribbon cable for connecting to the motherboard, and was the most common drive connection technology for many years. SATA, or Serial ATA, is a faster connection method, which also uses a smaller port and cable than PATA, making it ideal for the tight spaces of a laptop. SATA offers better access speeds than most other technologies.

A new laptop hard drive technology is emerging, called solid state, which uses flash memory instead of platters. The lack of moving parts results in lower power usage and often faster access times, but the cost of solid state drives is very expensive. As prices come down in the future, it is likely that solid state drives will become the most common technology for laptop hard drives.

There is a lot of talk about solid-state drives or SSD’s in the technology world, but the advantages and disadvantages of this technology are not always clear. Here we will look at how SSD’s are different from traditional hard disk drives, and the advantages and disadvantages that they provide.

A solid-state drive is one that uses solid-state memory instead of a hard disk platters to store and retrieve data. These drives are sometimes referred to as RAM drives, but more often they are simply referred to as SSD’s. SSD’s have no moving parts, unlike hard disk drives, which can encounter a number of problems related to their moving parts, especially when jolted or dropped.

Advantages:

The main advantage of SSD’s are the lack of moving parts, which reduces the chance of failures, as most problems with hard disk drives relate to mechanical failure of one or more moving parts. SSD’s do not need to “seek” data, but instead, can read multiple areas of the drive at once, virtually eliminating seek time. The lack of moving parts also makes the drives much quieter, and start-up time is much faster, as there is no need to wait for platters to spin up to speed.

Disadvantages:

The main disadvantage of SSD’s is that the flash memory used in the drives have a shorter lifetime than hard disk platters. This means that the drive’s memory will fail earlier in its lifetime. This problem has been reduced by the fact that modern drives spread out the read and write tasks across the entire memory of the drive, reducing wear on any one section. With this technology, the drives are capable of the same lifetime as a hard disk drive.

The other main disadvantage of solid-state drives is their high price. Since the drives use a much newer technology and flash memory is expensive, SSD’s are currently much more expensive than equivalent HDD’s. This is already beginning to change, however, and prices are continuing to come down as the process is refined.

While SSD’s are a niche market for those seeking better performance, they are expected to become the norm within a few years. Soon, the majority of computer users will be able to benefit from solid-state drives, without the high prices currently associated with them.

When you are comparing displays for a laptop, desktop computer, or even a flat-screen television, you will often see them referred to as either LCD or LED. You may wonder what the differences between the two technologies are, and which one is better for your needs.

Truthfully, the comparison between LCD and LED displays is a bit tricky, as they can be the same thing. In fact, the terms may be somewhat interchangeable for some models. Confused? You should be.

LCD stands for liquid crystal display, which refers to tiny crystals that make up the pixels of an LCD display. The crystals don’t create light themselves, but instead they filter the light to create colors that combine to make the image on the screen. The light for the picture is actually supplied by the backlight located behind the crystals and the inverter board.

Originally, LCD displays used fluorescent lamps as backlights, which provide a fairly bright light but are prone to uneven lighting and generally use a lot of power. In many cases when someone refers to an LCD display, they are referring to a display that uses fluorescent backlighting. These displays are becoming less common.

LED displays are those that use LED (light emitting diodes) lights as a backlight. LEDs use less power than fluorescent bulbs and usually provide a brighter and more even light for the display. However, LED backlights still shine through LCDs to create the color for the display. This is where much of the confusion between the two technologies happens.

In summary; a display that is referred to as LCD could mean one that uses fluorescent OR LED backlighting, though it generally refers to those with fluorescent backlights. LED refers to a display with LED backlighting, but it is worth knowing that LED displays are still technically LCD displays as well.

While touch screen display laptops are more expensive than their non-interactive counterparts, they are still becoming increasingly popular in today’s market. What makes these machines so much more popular lately? It’s actually a combination of a number of things that add up to a more convenient, intuitive, and easier to use machine.

For one thing, touch screen displays are a lot easier to navigate than even using a traditional mouse. With a touch screen, you simply have to touch what you want to select or interact with, and it’s done. This also allows users to do more delicate tasks than they could with a mouse, as the touch of a finger is easier to coordinate than moving an external mouse to influence the graphical cursor. Eliminating the accommodation for a mouse also frees up hardware space on your laptop, allowing for the keyboard to expand to a fuller size, making it easier to type than on a regular machine.

In fact, the exclusion of a mouse and therefore mouse accessories (such as room for a mouse pad, or a touch pad, or extra USB, serial ports and other parts), actually has the potential to lower the production costs of these machines, which in turn makes them more affordable for consumers. Indeed, as more and more touch screen laptops make their way onto the market, prices are continually dropping and becoming even more accessible for users.

Touch screen laptops also add the convenience of features that traditional laptops cannot. For example, students can use a stylus with their touch screen computers and physically write down their notes on their computers, which can be run through text-recognition software and converted to type, or manipulated by a note taking program that can allow them to manipulate and organize their notes in ways traditional pen and paper nor traditional laptops could. It’s also worth noting that many touch screen laptops also include the functionality of having the LCD screen swivel around to essentially make the machine a convertible Tablet PC, which is an added bonus and makes the machine even more portable and easier to work with.