2.) Ensure that Windows XP is utilizing the NTFS file system. If you’re not sure, here’s how to check: First, double-click the My Computer icon, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Next, examine the File System type; if it says FAT32, then back-up any important data. Next, click Start, click Run, type CMD, and then click OK. At the prompt, type CONVERT C: /FS:NTFS and press the Enter key. This process may take a while; it’s important that the computer be uninterrupted and virus-free. The file system used by the bootable drive will be either FAT32 or NTFS. I highly recommend NTFS for its superior security, reliability, and efficiency with larger disk drives.

3.) Disable file indexing. The indexing service extracts information from documents and other files on the hard drive and creates a “searchable keyword index.” As you can imagine, this process can be quite taxing on any system.

The idea is that the user can search for a word, phrase, or property inside a document, should they have hundreds or thousands of documents and not know the file name of the document they want. Windows XP’s built-in search functionality can still perform these kinds of searches without the Indexing service. It just takes longer. The OS has to open each file at the time of the request to help find what the user is looking for.

Most people never need this feature of search. Those who do are typically in a large corporate environment where thousands of documents are located on at least one server. But if you’re a typical system builder, most of your clients are small and medium businesses. And if your clients have no need for this search feature, I recommend disabling it.

Here’s how: First, double-click the My Computer icon. Next, right-click on the C: Drive, then select Properties. Uncheck “Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching.” Next, apply changes to “C: subfolders and files,” and click OK. If a warning or error message appears (such as “Access is denied”), click the Ignore All button.

4.) Update the PC’s video and motherboard chipset drivers. Also, update and configure the BIOS. For more information on how to configure your BIOS properly, see this article on my site.

5.) Empty the Windows Prefetch folder every three months or so. Windows XP can “prefetch” portions of data and applications that are used frequently. This makes processes appear to load faster when called upon by the user. That’s fine. But over time, the prefetch folder may become overloaded with references to files and applications no longer in use. When that happens, Windows XP is wasting time, and slowing system performance, by pre-loading them. Nothing critical is in this folder, and the entire contents are safe to delete.

6.) Once a month, run a disk cleanup. Here’s how: Double-click the My Computer icon. Then right-click on the C: drive and select Properties. Click the Disk Cleanup button — it’s just to the right of the Capacity pie graph — and delete all temporary files.

7.) In your Device Manager, double-click on the IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers device, and ensure that DMA is enabled for each drive you have connected to the Primary and Secondary controller. Do this by double-clicking on Primary IDE Channel. Then click the Advanced Settings tab. Ensure the Transfer Mode is set to “DMA if available” for both Device 0 and Device 1. Then repeat this process with the Secondary IDE Channel.

8.) Upgrade the cabling. As hard-drive technology improves, the cabling requirements to achieve these performance boosts have become more stringent. Be sure to use 80-wire Ultra-133 cables on all of your IDE devices with the connectors properly assigned to the matching Master/Slave/Motherboard sockets. A single device must be at the end of the cable; connecting a single drive to the middle connector on a ribbon cable will cause signaling problems. With Ultra DMA hard drives, these signaling problems will prevent the drive from performing at its maximum potential. Also, because these cables inherently support “cable select,” the location of each drive on the cable is important. For these reasons, the cable is designed so drive positioning is explicitly clear.

9.) Remove all spyware from the computer. Use free programs such as AdAware by Lavasoft or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Once these programs are installed, be sure to check for and download any updates before starting your search. Anything either program finds can be safely removed. Love to hear you feedback …

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A PDA can also play mp3’s if they are stored in the memory of the PDA. Just like a desktop computer, depending on the amount of memory on your PDA. The PDA has a built in windows media player, that allows mp3 files to be played. You can be doing other tasks on your PDA while the mp3’s are playing, however it may slow your PDA down a little. Once again in depends on the amount of memory you have.

Another way to store your mp3’s you want to play on your PDA is by the use of a memory card. The memory card slides into the top of your PDA in most cases, and then using your stylus you simply open the storage card folder and it lists the mp3’s you have on the memory card. If you have enough memory, this is how you also transfer mp3’s to the main memory of the PDA in order to play a specific mp3 at a different time.

You can listen to mp3’s through the speakers that are usually found on both sides of the front of your PDA. Different models vary however. There is a place for a headphone set to be plugged into the PDA as well, so you can listen to mp3’s without disturbing those around you.

Another feature with the PDA referring to mp3’s is the windows media player. When it is showing on the touch screen and you aren’t doing anything else with your PDA, it will display the name of the song that is playing. And, with a simple touch of the touch screen with the stylus the mp3 will be paused. Once the touch screen is tapped again, the mp3 will continue.

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The memory card must be formatted for the PDA specifically and then the MP3’s you want added to the memory card, to play in the PDA itself. Usually if an Mp3 will not play or a .wma file doesn’t play a format error will come up on your PDA screen letting you know.

Mp3 play lists can be created on the PDA as well. Usually the amount of Mp3’s you actually store on the main memory of your PDA depends on other information that might be vital. Otherwise the Mp3’s can easily be stored on the memory card and used for later. They do not have to be erased, unless you need the memory card for different use.

Mp3’s however have to be in a certain format for them to play on your PDA but this depends on what kind of PDA you own as to the format the Mp3’s will play.

Tags: MP3, on, a, PDA

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Almost every PDA available today has the capability to store pictures on them. The picture has to be in the right format in order for the pictures to display properly. Most pictures can actually be saved on the main memory of your PDA, however once again they can be stored on a memory card and viewed this way. The same rule applies; simply use the stylus to open the storage card file and find the picture you would like to view. This is another way to view pictures on your PDA.

Most pictures appear reasonably clear on a PDA, this also depends on the resolution your PDA has on its operating system. Some PDA’s will allow you to place pictures on the main screen that is just like the desktop computer main screen. Pictures that won’t display on your PDA may be too big as well. If this is the case, the picture will come up however you will only see a portion of the picture instead of the entire view.

The PDA that has pictures on the main memory will display the pictures by simply opening the appropriate folder and using the stylus selecting the specific picture and it will be displayed on the screen. If your PDA doesn’t have a lot of memory to spare the picture may load slowly. If this happens, simply close some of the other programs you may have running just as you would with a desktop computer.

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One thing I should mention also is if you let your PDA battery lose its charge completely the pictures you might have saved on the main memory will definitely be lost. You want to keep your PDA battery charged. This way you won’t have to worry about those pictures being deleted and possibly lost for good. This is also considered a good way of being able to not have to carry all those pictures of loved ones and friends that can possibly get damaged in your purse or your wallet. By putting them on a PDA, they are digital and can easily be put right back on if for some reason one or two are accidentally deleted.

People like this feature, whereas they can carry the PDA in their purse or on their belt and have easy access to show off their pictures. As with a journal or the MP3 part of a PDA, some people use the PDA just for pictures, it is like their very own digital picture album and with plenty of space, because this is all the PDA is used for it can hold several pictures, as well as holding pictures on a storage card that can be placed in the PDA as well.

Tags: Viewing, Pictures, with, a, PDA

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Yes, sometimes this does happen. You purchase a program for your PDA and get home just to find out the program doesn’t want to install the way it is supposed to onto your PDA. You have docked it with the desktop computer and still it doesn’t want to install.

There could be a number of reasons as to why it doesn’t want to install the program on your PDA the way it should. Did you read the program before you bought it? Is the program designed for PDA’s or desktop style computers. There is a difference in programming and this is one thing some people make the mistake of doing. They do not check to see if the program is compatible with the PDA.

Another problem some people have is that the program they are trying to install won’t work with say the size of video card in the PDA, or other components such as resolution size. If this is the case the program is not going to run properly and you shouldn’t continue to attempt the cause of installing it on the PDA.

The last problem one might have with installing a program onto their PDA would be lack of space. Or memory that is needed for the program. If this is indeed the situation, the PDA will tell you the program cannot be installed. However, if there are files on your PDA that can be removed or transferred to a desktop computer or memory card to free up space, at that point it may then be possible to install the program.

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The purpose of removing an existing attempt to install the program and resetting your PDA is for the fact that in some instances, when a program is reinstalled overwriting the previous that did not fully install, it can cause the PDA to have some corrupted files within the program and although it installed ok, it may not work the right way.

If you are trying to install a program from one PDA to another PDA by using the infrared port on your PDA, a lot of times this won’t work for several reasons. One main reason is simply because the application is what you are actually transferring from one PDA to another, and not actually the setup program needed for it to run properly.

The best way to solve this, which in some cases it still might not work, is to go into the windows directory or program files on your PDA and see if you can find the setup files for the program you are trying to install by using the infrared procedure. This works occasionally, however, the setup files are sometimes considered temp files and once the program is installed the setup files are automatically deleted.

Tags: PDA, Program, Won\\\'t, Install

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