Some steps you can take:

1. Unplug your computer for about 10 minutes.
2. Check and see if your fan is running and if your computer is running hot.
3. Use a can of aerosol dust spray the dust off your fan, to make sure the fan is turning freely.
4. When you start up your computer run your virus scan.

If all these steps are taken and you still have issues with your computer shutting down, you may have registry errors.

What is the Registry?
Your registry is the core programming language of your Windows operating system. So, if there are files missing, corrupt, or empty registry keys you could start experiencing problems at any time.

The Fix for Stopping Computer Shut Downs
The way to solve registry errors has become easy for any user. There is a new type of program out called a registry cleaner. These programs specialize in repairing corrupt or missing registry keys, and removing empty registry keys.

What are you waiting for? Learn more about problems when your computer shuts down today.

Before you throw out your whole system in pure frustration, do some research and use these strategies to zero in on the cause of your system failures.

Some fixes can be very easy for you, while others might take a bit of patience. Just stick with the process and you should have your computer running without too much unnecessary hassle.

Hardware Problems

While this is the last thing you might want to check, it is the first thing you should be aware of.

First, you’ll want to make sure that you have all the proper updated drivers for your hardware. You can go to the manufacturer’s website to download the most recent drivers for your system.

The next step is a bit more complex. What you’ll eventually want to do, if all else fails, is to take each piece of hardware (video card, hard drive, power supply, RAM, and motherboard) and switch it over to a different system independently.

If your secondary system has problems or locks up with that piece of hardware, then you’ve found the source of your problem.

Run Check Disk for System Errors

If you can boot into Windows (try Safe Mode), you’ll want to run a Check Disk to scan for physical system errors on your hard disk.

It’ll check for errors involving cross-linked files, bad sectors, directory errors, and lost clusters and repair them.

• Double-click My Computer
• Right Click the drive you wish to scan (usually C: )
• Scroll down to Properties
• Click on Tools
• Under Error Checking, click Check Now

Check Further for Registry Errors

Registry errors can be caused by a multitude of problems because many people overlook its importance. The registry is a complex system of file access and storage that can become the target of viruses, or become locked up because of lack of maintenance.

While it is extremely risky to manually manipulate your registry, an excellent program out there will sort and repair your registry files.

A registry cleaner is a fast and easy way to sort and repair your critical system files without worrying about doing lasting damage to your computer.

Be certain to research more about registry repair, maintenance, and other crucial system upkeep. When your PC is not responding, download this registry cleaner so you don’t have to toss your system in complete frustration.

Also, you’ll want to do some general maintenance and repairs with a registry cleaner and a virus scanner to cover all your bases and generally get your computer running in top form.

Google Add-on Toolbar

This little feature is a major known cause for runtime errors. I won’t go into the finer details (you might have a faulty update, certain incarnations are more problematic than others, etc.)

Basically, you’ll want to disable this feature by opening up your Internet Explorer browser and following these steps:

• Click on the Tools tab
• Go to Internet Options
• Manage Add-ons
• Disable the Google Toolbar

While we’re at it, go ahead and disable all your add-ons. You can bring them back up one by one to see which one might be causing your runtime error.

In fact, you should probably just uninstall your Google add-on. You should be able to do this in your add-on menu, but, if you can’t, go to your Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.

This should do a full uninstall of the pesky toolbar.

Resetting Internet Explorer

If you are receiving an error message that looks like the following:

Then you’ll want to reset your Internet Explorer browser by performing these simple steps:

• Close out all your programs (including IE)
• Go to Start > Run > Open
• Type “inetcpl.cpl” into the Start Search box
• Click the Advanced tab on the Internet Options box
• Click Reset under the Reset Internet Explorer Settings header
• Click Reset again
• Click Close and restart IE

This should reset any problematic settings or add-ons that might be causing runtime errors or possible Javascript conflicts.

Enable / Allow Javascript on Your Browser

Make sure that your browser allows full permission for JavaScript. To do this, you’ll want to open up IE and go to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Internet > Custom Level Scripting Java > Enable.

At this point, you shouldn’t be having problems with runtime errors unless it is a particularly tricky registry error or virus.

Download the best registry cleaner on the web to fix runtime errors once and for all and prevent malicious and glitchy file errors for good.

The Subseven virus is the most popular, widely available virus to the public. It is also very dangerous.

It infects any Windows previous to Vista. So, if you are having extreme difficulties deleting this virus, then I suggest upgrading your Windows program to prevent further problems. However, here is some knowledge that you’ll need when deleting the virus.

Effects of Subseven Trojan Virus

The Subseven virus will create a backdoor into your system. This allows a user to gain control over your computer.

They can do several malicious things like take screenshots of your display, log your keystrokes, and even force your computer to do things like print, open programs, and even open and close your CD tray. They can even add and delete programs, as well as log your chats.

Needless to say, this is a high risk infection.

Basically, this program roots itself in your system registry, controlling and editing it to run different processes on startup.

You’ll want to keep an eye out for files running by these names: “WATCHING.DLL, SERVER.EXE, RUNDLL1.EXE, SYSTRAY.DL, TASK_BAR.EXE, FAVPNMCFEE.DLL, MVOKH_32.DLL, and NODLL.EXE”.

Any files by these names are signs of infection and are, at minimal, “at-risk” processes.

Avoiding Subseven Infection

This particular Trojan is usually propagated through email attachment downloads.

Be wary of every program or file attached to emails. Do not open or download any attachment without first scanning it with an up-to-date antivirus program. Usually it is just a matter of right-click and choosing “scan” before you open or download a file.

It sounds simple enough, but sometimes it can catch us off guard, especially if we are receiving emails from people we know that are actually infected.

Always keep a high-security firewall running on your machine. It should go without saying, these days. Some firewalls can be slightly annoying, but I always say it is better to be slightly annoyed than devastatingly sorry.

Scan Your PC with Updated Antivirus Software

Unplug your PC from the internet and boot it up in Safe Mode. Be sure you have the latest update / patch for your software.

Run deep scans on your computer until you find an infection or one of the suspicious files. Delete all instances of the infected processes and files.

Download a registry cleaner to stop runtime error 216 messages on your computer and clean up any damage done from an infected registry.

Microsoft officially announced Windows 7 prices. Most of the retail pricing is below what Windows Vista was when it came out. However the thing that’s really catching eyes is the upgrade pricing programs. From Friday June 26th until Friday July 11th users will be able to get a huge discount on Windows 7.

If you buy a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium you can get it for just $49! If you need Windows 7 Professional you can get that upgrade for just $99! This is good for anyone who uses Windows Vista or Windows XP. The amazing part is this discount. When Windows 7 goes on sale on October 22 it will be $119 for Home Premium, $199 for Professional, and $219 for Windows 7 Ultimate. This means that if you purchase it now you can save over half on the upgrade.

If you’re planning on buying a full version of Windows 7 you may want to consider just buying a new computer as the full versions are set to be expensive. For Home Premium you can expect to pay $199, for professional it will be $299, and for Windows 7 Ultimate it will be $319. These prices seem outrageous compared to the $49 that you can get it at right now. For anyone who’s considering buying a computer you can do it anytime after the 26th. After the 26th anyone who buys a computer is eligible for Microsoft’s upgrade program in which Vista PC buyers will get a free copy of Windows 7. This may be the better route if you need a new computer and you want Windows 7.

Linux is still free though. Many users are still moving towards Linux because of that. Microsoft may want to think of a new strategy if it plans to stay where it is within the next decade.

Source: CNET

AMD and Intel are at it again but this time it’s not on the chip market it’s in court. The ruling of which was surprising and in AMD’s favor. The European Commission decided that Intel had taken part in illegal actions to hurt its rival’s sales. The result was the largest fine in regards to antitrust laws. The fine for breaking these laws was a whopping 1.45 billion dollars.

The case came because Intel was accused, and found guilty, two separate crimes. The first crime was that Intel gave manufacturers special rebates for buying the majority if not all of the x86 type processors from Intel. There were allegations that Intel also made payments to retailers so that they would only stock the Intel version of the x86 chips.

The second crime that the European Commission found Intel guilty of was paying manufacturers to delay the release of competitor’s computers containing the other x86 chips or delay releasing the chips themselves. This occurred from October of ‘02 until December of ‘07!

You may ask yourself how this is harmful to the market. Well besides being a highly unethical practice, the smaller chip makers such as AMD are unable to compete with Intel as their computers are not being sold in the same stores and the manufacturers are being paid to put the Intel chips in rather than a mix of chips.

There were some computer manufacturers that were named as accepting payments from Intel to follow these practices. The larger manufacturers were Acer, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard. There were some less known companies as well that were also named.

In one instance the rebates caused AMD to not even be able to give their CPUs away. The manufacturer (who was unnamed) only took 160,000 x86 chips from AMD because they would have lost their rebate from Intel if they had taken more.  Hopefully Intel will learn a lesson from this and not hurt the consumers further.

Source: CNET

At first glance it appears that the Netbook craze may take over the laptop market. Many consumers are getting involved with Netbooks because of the portability and the cost efficiency of them.

In the economic downturn that exists, many products are losing sales as people tighten up their budgets. Laptop sales for example, are expect to fall by approximately 12 percent in 2009. In the meantime, Netbooks are actually experiencing a dramatic increase of sales. There are supposed to be nearly 21 million Netbooks that ship this year alone. To put that in perspective in terms of growth, that’s nearly double the number of Netbooks that was shipped last year.

Why the explosive growth you may ask? The biggest factor is the price point. Many companies are offering Netbooks at an extremely low cost. One example that you may have heard of is the 2 year plan through AT&T where you can get a Netbook for about $50.

While Netbooks seem to be the product everyone’s turning to, it’s unlikely that we’ll see laptops disappear. A Netbook may seem like a great investment at the time however after hours of use you’ll start to notice the downsides of a Netbook. Since the device is much smaller that means everything that you’re used to is going to be much smaller including the keyboard and screen. This can cause problems if you plan to use your Netbook for business or for extended periods of time as you may start to feel the anti-ergonomic effect of a Netbook.

The bottom line is that Netbooks are here to stay because of their inexpensiveness and their portability. However it’s unlikely that they’ll be the main use of portable devices by consumers that use laptops for work. If you are thinking about a Netbook you will want to weigh the cost effectiveness to the ergonomic disadvantage before you buy one.

Source: PC World

There are many things that you should consider when buying a computer. For many, these things range from peripherals to processors. If you have wads of cash to spare, then you would definitely not settle for anything less than a Creative GigaWorks S750 or a Harman Kardon SoundSticks II for speakers, and the latest Intel Core 2 Duo chip for your PC’s processor.

There’s a very important consideration, though, that lies beneath the glam of the unit, and I’m not talking about the processor. The PC-Mac rivalry isn’t just about which unit has the coolest shell design. Rather, it’s about which architecture can best serve the needs of the user.

Of Frameworks and Platforms

In order for you to be able to distinguish between a PC and a Mac, let me give a brief background as to their origin. While the term “PC” generally refers to any computer, it also has a technical meaning. IBM gave birth to the PC, and as such, the term refers to computers that are based on the IBM design. On the other hand, the Macintosh (Mac) is a computer built by Apple.

The two were made from different blueprints. The PC is based on the Intel model, while the Mac follows the Power PC architecture designed by Apple, Motorola, and also partly by IBM. Since they were made from different frameworks, the two computers cannot run applications designed for a particular architecture. In other words, you cannot run PC-based software on a Mac and vice versa.

An Attempt to Unify

There really isn’t a competition between the two. For one thing, the PC has long captured the market and is the preferred class or architecture. There’s a growing fondness for the Mac, though. However, the Apple fad isn’t strong enough to unseat the PC as the unit of choice.

While the PC and the Mac could definitely coexist, a good number of users of both platforms are clamoring for the unification of the two. Thus, in 2006, Apple boss Steve Jobs announced that the Mac would depart from the Power PC architecture and would already follow the Intel blueprint. The development now makes it possible for Windows to be able to run on the Mac.

The shift was not well received by die hard Mac fans, though. They consider the Macintosh as a novelty that shouldn’t be modified by the PC. This is one of the reasons why the compatibility issue still exists and that Windows still hasn’t invaded the Apple desktops.

Both Vulnerable

Some Mac fans claim that their unit is less vulnerable to malware attack. This may be true, but not due to the reason that their architecture or OS is more barb-wired than the PC. It could just very well be that hackers favor Windows as the object of their affection since it is the most popular operating system in the world. Macs do need protective software like the PC, such as registry cleaners and antivirus programs.

You should definitely consider the compatibility issue when choosing between a Mac and a PC. If you want to play it safe, choose a PC-based unit. It’s the architecture that is widely accepted and used around the world.

Many predict that 2008 will be the year when laptops would finally succeed in their bid to dethrone desktops as the PC of choice. I agree.

For two decades, the desktop has lorded over almost all conceivable machines which could read and process electronic data. It was supposed to be the “future” of data processing. Everybody thought that the size and shape of the PC would not change significantly for generations to come.

Small Enough?

It’s not difficult to see why many didn’t dismiss the desktop as something that’s only transitional. Back when hard disks were still as big as cupboards, many wished for a computer that could easily fit one’s bedroom without having to throw out everything in it, including the bed. It took several decades before that prayer was answered. When IBM came out with a design that perfectly fitted study and office tables, many fostered the conviction that this was what a computer should look like and that any alteration of its structure would considerably diminish its appeal and even functionality.

Of course, being the only constant thing in this world aside from politics, change redefined the looks and functions of the PC. The world shrunk, and time became a very expensive commodity. Everything has to be done fast. While the term “multitasking” was already popular even during the days of Windows 3.1, the word took on a whole new different meaning a decade after the IT industry had started to blabber it as if it was a cuss word.

Run Run Run

As we all know, recent operating systems allow the juggling of different tasks, functions, or programs. Depending on the amount of memory and the type of processor that your computer have, large applications like CAD or multimedia programs could run side by side with other software. Nobody now asks if one could perform several things at the same time on a computer. The question has already been answered a long time ago.

Now that programs could already be ran simultaneously in a single computer, the question that was next asked is if one could still run all of them while he is actually running. As I have intimated a while back, everybody seems to be running after time and running out of it. Eight hours seem to be just eight minutes. It’s not surprising then when people started to wish that they could bring and do their tasks even when they’re out of the office.

Personal Accessory

To inaccurately borrow the words of the HP slogan, laptops made personal computers personal again. While mainframes exponentially shrunk to desktop size, it still isn’t exactly personal and portable as your watch or mobile phone. You simply can’t bring it anywhere, well at least not conveniently.

Everybody is maximizing the use of his or her time. It’s not surprising then if people treat travel time as an extension of their office hours. Laptops are not just becoming more affordable, but more importantly, they are also making time an affordable commodity. Don’t be surprised, then, if laptop sales exceed desktop purchases this year.

Some crashes are even nastier. Not only does it require you to run the program all over again, but it sometimes calls for the complete shut down and rebooting of the whole system. This was the dilemma that many PC users encountered during the days of Windows 95 and 98. Microsoft incorporated a mild solution to the problem by giving the user an option to report the crash to them.

I’m quite shameful to admit that I haven’t tried clicking the “report” button whenever I’m prompted after a crash to send a report about the incident to the OS maker. It’s not that it would entail extra time to fill out some electronic forms for the report. In fact, you don’t need to do anything other than click the button. The reason why I haven’t tried clicking that button yet is because I’m quite skeptical if Microsoft would really work on the problem. Many consumers have already sent complaints to Bill Gate’s company about various problems, but only a few of them were entertained and resolved.

I guess my skepticism is misplaced. Who knows, application crashes might be on top of the OS maker’s “to-do” list. Give it a try. You might just get a solution to that frequent software malfunction that you’re having. But don’t just sit and wait for Microsoft to solve your problem for you. Try to find other solutions. System crashes are also frequently caused by problems in the registry. Run a registry cleaner and see if it fixes your problem. Based from experience, it usually does.