Guides / Tutorials / Tips and Tricks
Useful information and tools to make things easier. If you have a problem with your computer, tablet, phone or and other device check here first to see if we have an article that will help you. If not post in one of the forums and we will help you.
41 topics in this forum
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Free PC Help Forum, a community-driven platform that offers free computer and technology support. The forum covers a wide range of topics, including software, hardware, and operating systems. Key Points The forum hosts various resources, such as forums, blogs, articles, and downloads, to help users with their computer and tech-related issues. The forum covers a variety of topics, including Microsoft products, Linux, Unix, MacOS, and ChromeOS, as well as general tech discussions. The forum has a welcoming community, where new members can introduce themselves, and members can discuss various topics in the "Water Cooler" section. …
Last reply by LilGeek, -
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Windows 10 may be “free,” but there’s a price to pay for claiming your no-cost upgrade from Windows 7 or 8: The operating system’s brimming with ads designed to coax you into buying this app or using that Microsoft service. Some of the ads are pretty unobtrusive, to be fair. Several get right up in your face, however—an unfortunate experience in any case, but one that hurts even more if you’ve already dropped $100-plus on a Windows 10 license rather than snagging a free upgrade. Fortunately, most of Windows 10’s ad pushing can be disabled with a few simple menu tweaks, and it’s worth making the effort to do so, since Windows 10 is the best Windows yet…
Last reply by ZacheryZha, -
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Microsoft.com is the official website of Microsoft Corporation, a leading technology company. The site serves as a hub for information about Microsoft's products and services, including Windows operating systems, Office productivity software, Azure cloud services, and hardware such as Surface devices and Xbox gaming consoles. Key features of the site include: Product Information: Detailed descriptions of software and hardware products, including features, pricing, and support. Services: Information on cloud solutions, enterprise services, and developer tools. Support: Access to customer support, troubleshooting guides, and community forums. …
Last reply by AWS, -
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Xtreme .NET Talk community covers various topics related to .NET development. The forum is divided into different sections, including: Key Points General .NET programming discussions. Windows Forms, ASP.NET, and other .NET technologies. Directory/File IO, Database/XML/Reporting, and other specialized topics. Community resources like the Knowledge Base, Code Library, and Quick Tips. Member discussion areas like the Water Cooler and Leader's Board. View full link
Last reply by AWS, -
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Centmin Mod is a popular LEMP stack installer for CentOS, designed to set up a high-performance web server. Here’s how to install Centmin Mod on a CentOS server: Prerequisites Server: A fresh installation of CentOS 7 or 8 (recommended). SSH Access: Access to your server via SSH. Root Privileges: You should have root access or a user with sudo privileges. Step 1: Update Your System First, log into your server and update the system packages: sudo yum update -y Step 2: Install Required Packages Install the necessary packages: sudo yum install -y git wget gcc make Step 3: Install Centmin Mod Clone the Centmin Mod R…
Last reply by AWS, -
Forum Squared
by AWS- 0 replies
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Forum for forum enthusiasts. View full link
Last reply by AWS, -
SEO help forum. View full link
Last reply by AWS, -
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To install an operating system from a USB thumb drive, follow these general steps. The process may vary slightly depending on the operating system you are installing (e.g., Windows, Linux). Here’s a general guide: Step 1: Prepare the USB Drive Backup Data: Ensure that any important data on the USB drive is backed up, as this process will erase all data on it. Download the OS ISO: For Windows, download the Media Creation Tool from the Microsoft website or the ISO directly. For Linux, download the ISO from the distribution's official website (e.g., Ubuntu, Fedora). Create a Bootable USB Drive: …
Last reply by Trips, -
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Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it: Components Needed Central Processing Unit (CPU): The brain of the computer. Motherboard: The main circuit board that connects all components. RAM (Memory): Temporary storage for data the CPU uses. Storage: SSD or HDD for data storage. Power Supply Unit (PSU): Provides power to the components. Graphics Card (GPU) (if not using integrated graphics): Handles rendering images and video. Computer Case: Enclosure for all components. Cooling System: Fans or liquid cooling to keep components cool. Cables: For connecting components. Tools Needed Screwdriver (usuall…
Last reply by Trips, -
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To install MySQL and PHP on Windows, you can follow these steps: Step 1: Install MySQL Download MySQL Installer: Go to the MySQL Community Downloads page. Download the MySQL Installer for Windows. Run the Installer: Launch the downloaded installer. Choose the "Developer Default" setup type to install MySQL Server and other tools. Follow the Installation Steps: Accept the license agreement. Choose the MySQL Server version you want to install. Configure the server (set the root password and other options). Complete the…
Last reply by AWS, -
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Setting up a LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) with SMTP on Ubuntu involves several steps. Here’s a detailed guide to help you through the process: Step 1: Update Your System First, ensure your system is up to date: sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade Step 2: Install Apache Install the Apache web server: sudo apt install apache2 Start and enable Apache to run on boot: sudo systemctl start apache2 sudo systemctl enable apache2 Step 3: Install MySQL Install MySQL server: sudo apt install mysql-server Secure the MySQL installation: sudo mysql_secure_installation Follow the prompts t…
Last reply by AWS, -
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To install PHP Manager on Windows, follow these steps: Install IIS (Internet Information Services): Open the Control Panel. Go to "Programs" > "Turn Windows features on or off." Check the box for "Internet Information Services" and click OK. Download PHP: Go to the PHP for Windows website. Download the latest Non-Thread Safe version of PHP (usually a zip file). Extract PHP: Extract the downloaded PHP zip file to a folder, e.g., C:\php. Configure PHP: Rename php.ini-development to php.ini. Open php…
Last reply by AWS, -
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Welcome to Pages! Pages extends your site with custom content management designed especially for communities. Create brand new sections of your community using features like blocks, databases and articles, pulling in data from other areas of your community. Create custom pages in your community using our drag'n'drop, WYSIWYG editor. Build blocks that pull in all kinds of data from throughout your community to create dynamic pages, or use one of the ready-made widgets we include with the Invision Community. View our Pages documentation View full article
Last reply by AWS, -
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License keys for Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 can be used to activate a fresh copy of the Windows 10 Creators Update, even if Microsoft has "officially" stopped offering free upgrades to Windows 10 back in the summer of 2016. This means that users who want to update from Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 to the latest Windows 10 version don't need to buy new license keys to activate their new Windows OS. All they have to do is install a fresh copy of the Windows 10 Creators Update, enter their old license key, and enjoy their new OS. Upgrade mechanism continued to work past June 2016 When Microsoft launched Windows 10, it allowed users of older Windows versions a one-year grace …
Last reply by Starbuck, -
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/starbuck50/mbyte_zpssqaph6gd.png http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/starbuck50/main-image_zpssemrmxsr.jpg If you’ve ever downloaded software onto your computer, chances are you’ve unknowingly cluttered your machine with PUPs. Here’s what you need to know about these sneaky programs. What are PUPs? If you're thinking baskets of doe-eyed baby dogs, then you're sadly mistaken. PUPs is the acronym that stands for Potentially Unwanted Programs. Also called bundleware, junkware, or PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications), PUPs are software programs that you likely didn't want installed on your computer. Why not? He…
Last reply by bob12a, -
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This isn't your typical Android security story. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/starbuck50/android-security-audit-100632057-primary.idge_zpsf7qseru6.jpg Most articles about Android security tools focus on malware-scanning suites like Lookout, Norton and AVG. But with the layers of protection already built into the platform, those sorts of apps are arguably unnecessary and often counterproductive -- or even needlessly expensive. For most Android users, the seven tools below should cover all the important bases of device and data security. Some are third-party apps, while others are native parts of the Android operating system. They all, however, will pr…
Last reply by Starbuck, -
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http://i.imgur.com/pYUyGLk.jpg Today, malware is everywhere. Spreading across the web, infecting desktops, mobile, and tablets – it’s the modern, cyber equivalent of the plague. So how did we arrive at this place? A place where it’s estimated that, in 2015 alone, close to half a billion types of malware have been identified – that’s 1.4 million types each day and seven million a week – staggering numbers when put into perspective. Much of this malware is designed and distributed through a complex ecosystem of organised crime, out to attack innocent victims and profit from ordinary people’s lack of knowledge of how to protect themselves online. Well, to underst…
Last reply by Starbuck, -
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An image backup copies everything on your drive—operating system, boot sector, programs, and data files—into one compressed but still very large file. If disaster renders your Windows installation useless, an image backup will allow you to get it up and running again quickly. I recommend you create an image backup, saving it to an external hard drive, three or four times a year. This is in addition to the far more important daily file backup of your data. Note: If using an external drive to store the image, the drive must be re-formatted from Fat32 to NTFS first. Creating an image backup in Windows 10 Plug in your external hard drive…
Last reply by Starbuck, -
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/starbuck50/Windows-10-update-for-Windows-7_zpsd6twrs19.png Microsoft released a new update for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 last night. With the latest update for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, Microsoft says the company has enabled support for some additional upgrade scenarios from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 which will provide a “smoother” experience when your computer fails to install Windows 10 on the first try and has to reinstall Windows 10. Here’s the release note: For those wondering, the update for Windows 8.1 is KB3112336 and the update for Windows 7 is KB3112343. In case you are yet to upgrade to Windows 10, you shou…
Last reply by Starbuck, -
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Getting rid of your Android smartphone or tablet, but want to make sure that all your data has been securely deleted. Here's how you go about the task. Backup all your data; because once it's gone, it's gone. There's no undo button you can press. Next, plug the charger into the device so it's getting power for the deletion process. This is important because the process can take hours. Go to Settings >> Security >> Encrypt phone (or Encrypt tablet) to begin the process on Android 4.4 or lower, or go Settings >> Security >> Screen lock to begin the process on Android 5.0 and higher (this is unnecessary on new devices running Android 6.0 Marshma…
Last reply by Starbuck, -
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Just as the title says, whatever your present system is, Windows 7 or 8.1, do make sure you have either a full image of your system on an external hard drive or a clone on a separate hard drive, or at the very least a full copy of your operating system on disk or flash drive. Like a few others I have seen reported, I am one of those unlucky enough to have suffered a failure to install on my laptop, the end result was that nothing worked. It wouldn't or couldn't even go back to the previous operating system. I am now glad that I practice what I preach and have used an image to restore the laptop back to what it was a few months since. To get Windows 10 it would seem…
Last reply by Plastic Nev, -
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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/starbuck50/get%20windows%2010_zps3vjw5z9s.jpg How To: Using the Get Windows 10 reservation system Just before Microsoft officially announced that Windows 10 will launch on July 29th, Windows 7 and 8.1 users began to notice a new icon in their Notification Area. This Get Windows 10 notification is the tool for reserving your free upgrade for the new operating system and according to the Windows 10 FAQ page there is an advantage to clicking the icon and reserving your copy today if you intend to upgrade. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/starbuck50/notification_zpsgeyrgxso.jpg If you reserve your copy through this syst…
Last reply by Starbuck, -
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Below is a list of free online schools where you can learn such skills and help give back to the community. It is important to note that there is a lot of work and learning involved, but as long as you have the desire and are in it for the long haul, you will be able to get through it. It is preferable to have some knowledge of malware but it is not essential. The training is a steady progress so you wont be dropped into the deep end straight away. How long it takes to graduate is entirely up to you and the time you can devote to it. Some will take 12 months.... others a couple of years. But the time factor is unimportant. None of the schools will rush you .... yo…
Last reply by Starbuck, -
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If your neighbours have a wireless network the chances are that they are broadcasting on the same frequency as you. This is normally OK - but sometimes it can cause a problem .......especially if there are lots using the same frequency. The router actually uses channels. Think of this like radio channels on your car stereo system. If you are getting interference on a radio station you simply change station. You can do this with your router too. Most routers are set to Channel 6 as a default. To check which networks are in your area do the following: ( we need to get to a Command Prompt ) Start ....type in ....cmd.....right click on the cmd.exe that shows …
Last reply by KenB, -
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Update 11 Feb 2015 Windows-7 used to be available for public download on servers owned by Digital River, Microsoft's service provider for e-commerce. As of February 2015, these downloads have been pulled. "Free" access to the OS disk images is somewhat limited now, but a few options remain. The available downloads are now from Micro$oft own site - click here However, you may find that OEM installations ( De11 / HP etc ) are not readily available as a download. If this is the case then you will need to contact M-Soft - see here There is bound to be a fee involved if you require M-Soft to send you a disk. I will leave the tutorial and links below for the time be…
Last reply by KenB,