There are a number of fax programs available for faxing documents electronically using your computer's modem, or simply through the Internet. Some popular fax programs include FaxSTF (Mac) and Fax Wizard (Windows). These programs allow you to fax electronic documents such as Word documents or documents you scan into your computer. I would suggest visiting Download.com for a shareware fax program if you don't have one or visiting eFax.com for more information.

The resources a computer has are mainly processing speed, hard disk storage, and memory. The phrase "low on resources" usually means the computer is running out of memory. The best way to prevent this error from coming up is to install more RAM on your machine. Upgrading your RAM is the best performance booster you can give your computer, and it usually doesn't cost a lot.

"Ripping" refers to extracting audio files off a CD and copying them to your hard drive. After ripping the audio, you can then convert the files to the more compressed MP3 format if you want.
br> "Burning" refers to the process of writing data onto a CD. You can burn both audio and data CDs, as well as DVDs, provided your computer has a CD/DVD burner.

If the cursor on your screen isn't following the movement of your hand, there's a good chance you've got a dirty mouse. No matter how hard you try, it is basically impossible to keep your mouse pad dust and dirt free. And after hours and hours of rolling on a dirty surface, your mouse ball is bound to pick up some gunk. This grime gets twisted around the rollers inside your mouse and prevents them from rolling smoothly against the mouse ball. Since these rollers are what tell your computer what the mouse is doing, it's not good when they don't roll.

So if your cursor isn't moving how you want it to, before you decide to throw your mouse against the wall, check to see how dirty it is. To check the mouse, twist off the cover on the bottom that holds the ball in. Then take out the ball and examine the rollers. If you can see stuff on them, it's time to clean 'em. To clean the inside of your mouse, you can use a Q-tip or even your fingernails to get the dirt off the rollers. Make sure you clean all the way around them. Then blow inside the mouse to make sure everything gets out. Finally, wash off the mouse ball with soap and water and dry it. It is also a good idea to clean off your mouse pad. Once you've done all this, you can put the clean ball back in your clean mouse and experience smooth rolling freedom once again.

Of course, if you have an optical mouse, this should never be a problem. =)

Unfortunately, you can't increase the number of PCI slots inside your computer. The only option you have, other than buying another computer, is to get a PCI tower, which has multiple PCI slots. The tower connects to any PCI slot on your computer's motherboard. (For example, it could turn one slot into six.) However, these are typically only used by people that do high-end video editing, and they are pretty expensive.

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) cards serve the same purpose as PCI graphics cards. However, the AGP interface, which was created by our buddies at Intel, has become the more popular choice for PCs. Part of the reason for this is that AGP cards manage memory better than PCI cards. The AGP interface can actually use your computer's standard memory as well as the video memory to help boost video performance. So, if you have an AGP slot in your computer, I'd go with an AGP card. If you only have PCI slots, however, a PCI graphics card isn't going to be much different.

There are a couple of things that could be wrong with your scanner setup:

1. The drivers may have not been installed correctly (this is the most likely problem). Try reinstalling the software that came with the scanner.

2. The SCSI ID the scanner is using is already in use. Each SCSI device must have a unique ID or conflicts will happen. To change the ID, select a new number (most likely on the the back of the scanner).

3. The scanner or scanner software is incompatible with the computer. Check to see if the computer meets the scanner requirements. Also check for the latest version of drivers at the manufacturer's web site.

4. You don't have a good software program to control and import the scans. If the scanner didn't come with any software programs, the best program to use is Adobe Photoshop. If you just need a simple program that won't empty the bank, try Adobe Photoshop LE, Adobe PhotoDeluxe, or Jasc Paintshop Pro.

First of all, make sure you have the latest driver software for your video card. To get the latest version, you can go to the video card company's web site and download the driver update for free. I would suggest defragmenting the hard drive, since excessive hard disk scanning can prevent smooth audio and video playback. If neither of these options do the trick, try upgrading to the latest version of the software you are using to play the movies. Finally, if that doesn't work, you might just not have enough hardware power to play the video smoothly. That means you need to actually go buy a new video card if you want smooth, high-quality video. Doh.

Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) are the two major manufacturers of processors for PCs. Intel makes the Pentium and Celeron processors; AMD makes the K6 and Athlon processors.

So what's the difference? Well, historically, Pentium processors have had the best overall performance. However, the new AMD processors are faster than their Pentium counterparts in some tests. In general, you'll pay the most for an Intel processor, which means the AMD processors typically have a better price-performance ratio.

Scalable is synonymous with expandable. A computer with a scalable architecture is able to be upgraded easily and for a long time. When buying network equipment, it is especially important that it is scalable so that it can work with the newer systems that may be added on later. The less scalable your equipment is, the sooner you'll be forced to upgrade.

For years, debate has raged on the merits of powering off versus leaving your computer turned on all the time. A new factor should be considered if your computer is connected full-time to the Internet, however. For instance, if you have DSL or a cable modem, your computer may be directly connected to the Internet any time that it's on. For this reason, you may wish to power your computer off completely when you won't be using it for long periods of time (overnight, for instance). After all, if your computer isn't powered on, there is no way for the bad guys out there on the 'net to try to hack into it or crash it.

The BIOS is the first thing loaded on your PC. So, changing a few BIOS settings can definitely help to speed up your boot process. Depending on what type of BIOS you have, (there are lots), there are usually a few similarities in all of them. Depending on the brand of your PC too can determine its boot speed. Most mainstream PCs have hidden BIOS names, versions and etc. by their own self-congratulating slash screens, with their beautiful names on it. Pressing F-10, F-12, DEL, or possibly F2 when it powers on can get you into your BIOS. If the BIOS screen is not hidden by junk, you will know what button to push.

The mainstream systems usually are auto-detecting drives each time it is turned off or rebooted. Usually on the main menu, you will see a list of your fixed drives. It should say or or something of the sort, like I said BIOS are different and plentiful. Telling the computer first off there is not a drive by selecting , increase speed significantly. If you sit at a splash screen or the BIOS loads slow, you might have drive auto detection on, so check it out.

Flashing your BIOS can be a good thing, or a bad one. You flash it correctly your OK, flash it wrong and have a 25lb paperweight, so BEWARE. The first thing you need is the name of your BIOS, after you have that try to find their website. Most of them will simply be their names www.name.com, but if it is not, search for them and you should find it. Once there, try the support or downloads section to find the right utilities. Most manufacturers offer a BIOS verifier and flasher. Run the verifier to see what version and to ensure the brand is correct. They should have a text file with the flasher to instruct you on how to flash you BIOS. Most of the time, the files need to be put on a boot disk and then accessed after you boot from the disk into a DOS prompt. Once at the prompt, type in the program name for your flasher and follow instructions.

By not having a CD in your disk drive, explorer.exe doesn’t have to refresh the CD drive upon startup to verify its contents.

It never hurts to have lots of this.

Sometimes the cause of Windows problems isn't software at all. If you suddenly begin experiencing mysterious crashes, pay attention to when they occur. Overheating inside your computer case can cause memory chips, CPUs, and other heat-sensitive parts to stop functioning properly. If your computer consistently begins crashing a short time after you power on, heat may be the problem. Here's a short list of things you can do to diagnose and repair heat-related problems:

Check the fan and make sure air is blowing from the inside out. A broken fan will cause problems in no time.
If your computer's BIOS includes a temperature reading (many new models do), check it by restarting and going into the BIOS setup after you've been running for a while.
Clean out those dust bunnies! Take your PC's case off and blow out dust that may be clogging up ventilation ports.
With the cover off, check the wires on your CPU fan. This device sits right on your CPU and blows heat away. If it stops working, your computer will, too.

When you're having hardware problems, the first troubleshooting step is to check for an updated device driver. Unfortunately, few hardware makers let you know when they've released a new driver, making your job that much more difficult.

When I'm searching for driver updates, my first stop is a killer Web site called Drivers Headquarters. This well-organized site has links to patches, BIOS updates, and drivers in more than two dozen categories. You can also download a tremendous utility called Driver Detective, which scans for installed drivers on any system, regardless of which Windows version it's running.

If you don't have luck there, try the WinDrivers Driver Search Engine, which lets you look for drivers by company name.

Buying a computer is a big deal for a lot of people, and understandably so. For most people, their computer is a central part of their lives - both at work and at home. Because of this, you should make an educated decision on your computer purchase.

If you are a high-end user and speed is critical, I usually recommend buying the computer model that is one step down from the top-of-the-line model. This is often the best value. Manufacturers often charge a premium for their top model, which may only be slightly faster than the next model down.

If you just need to get a computer that allows you to browse the Web, send e-mail, and write documents, you don't need the best thing out there. However, don't short-change yourself by getting a old model or a generic computer. Try to get something that has been recently introduced, but isn't the fastest in its class. It will probably be faster than old top-of-the-line models, since the internal architecture may be faster. Also, make sure it is upgradable, so you can easily add more RAM, a larger hard drive, and a faster processor if you ever need to. Buying a generic model may seem like a good deal, but non-brand-name computers are much more prone to have hardware problems and issues with device drivers. These problems seldom justify the difference in cost. Do yourself a favor and spend a little extra to get a quality computer.

One more thing that I would recommend is that you buy a computer with as little RAM as possible. That's right -- the less, the better. Then, buy a RAM upgrade separately, since it is important to have a lot of RAM. Buying the RAM separately will typically save you a great deal of money since manufacturers charge the highest price possible for the RAM the include with or add to your computer purchase. You can usually find RAM on the Internet for roughly a third of the price.

Windows or Macintosh? That's a decision I will leave up to you. I'll just say that you owe it to yourself to review both platforms with an open mind and determine which one best suits your needs.

Many people think that there are 1000 bytes in a kilobyte. After all, "kilo" means 1000. In most cases, this approximation is fine for determining how much space a file takes up or how much disk space you have.

But there are really 1024 bytes in a kilobyte. The reason for this is because computers are based on the binary system. That means hard drives and memory are measured in powers of 2. For example,

• 2^0 = 1
• 2^1 = 2
• 2^2 = 4
• 2^3 = 8
• 2^4 = 16
• 2^5 = 32
• 2^6 = 64
• 2^7 = 128
• 2^8 = 256
• 2^9 = 512
• 2^10 = 1024

Notice how 2^10 is 1024. Therefore, 2^10, or 1024 bytes compose one kilobyte. Furthermore, 1024 kilobytes compose one megabyte, and 1024 megabytes compose one gigabyte. For most practical purposes, you can estimate 1024 to 1000. But correcting someone who says there are 1000 bytes in a kilobyte is a great way to impress your friends.