How to Check the Speed of Netbook USB Ports

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Universal serial bus (USB) ports are a convenient form of host controllers available for desktop and netbook computers. Previous versions of such ports supported data transfer rates of up to 12 Mbps under version 1.1. USB 2.0, however, supports a much higher maximum transfer rate, approximately 480 Mbps. While USB ports do not label their speed version, you can find this information using Windows 7's main device settings.

1). Go to the Start Menu and click the "Computer" icon to open a new Windows Explorer session.

2). Click "System Properties" from the top of the window. Click the "Device Manager" link from the left-side menu options.

3). Expand the "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" section. Look for the word "Enhanced" among the list of USB controller descriptions. While the difference between version 1.1 and 2.0 is not obvious, the keyword "Enhanced" signifies the availability of USB 2.0. If no such description is found, your computer possesses USB 1.1.

Web Monitoring Hardware

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To effectively monitor web activity, most users will turn to the software packages available on the market. While many of these packages are effective, there is an element of risk associated with their reliability and defeat-ability. This is where hardware monitoring tools become extremely effective.

Considerations

For parents looking to monitor their tech savvy children on the Internet, a hardware monitoring device is the definite choice. This is due to the fact that hardware monitoring devices cannot be "hacked" and do not have the vulnerability of a password being guessed or cracked in order to defeat it.

Types

The main type of hardware monitoring device is known as a key logger. This is a small USB device that plugs in between the keyboard and the PC. As the user type information into the keyboard, every key stroke is stored as text within the USB device. The USBdevice can be reviewed by removing it from between the keyboard and PC and plugging it into a USB port to access the contents. The second type is a specialized keyboard that functions the same as the USB device.

Results

The information from the key logger will provide the person monitoring with account passwords, websites visited, chat history, email content and other tidbits of information. This method ensures all information is recorded without the risk of the device being defeated, short of it being physically removed by the target.

Identify Xeon Processors

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The make and model of your computer's CPU is one of the most important things you should know about your computer. This not only helps you understand what software your system can run, but is also a general indicator of overall system performance. One processor in particular, the Intel Xeon, is critical to running many server applications. Understand how to identify this processor to learn more about your computer's configuration.

1). Click the Windows "Start" button to open the "Start" menu. Select "Devices and Printers" on the right side of the menu.

2). Double-click the computer icon. It should be one of the first items on the list under "Devices" and looks just like a PC. It also has a label with your computer name, such as "Daniel-PC" or "Jan's Computer."

3). Click the "Hardware" tab in the dialog box that pops up. Scroll down until you see one or more items with the label "Processors" under "Type."

 

If you have a Xeon processor, you should see "Intel(R) Xeon(TM) CPU" followed by the CPU model number and clock speed. This identifies the exact Xeon model running in your system. Multi-core Xeon owners will see one listing for each core on the CPU.

Check System Specification

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Computer users should familiarize themselves with the specifications of their machines. This information is valuable when it comes time to upgrade components or download new drivers for existing components.

On Windows-based Computers

1). Hold down the "Windows" key and press "Pause/Break." This will open a window listing your basic system properties.

2). Hold down the "Windows" key and press "r" to open the "Run" command dialog box for more detailed specification.

3). Type "dxdiag" in the dialog box and press "Return." This will open the "DirectX Diagnostic Tool," which contains detailed specs on your system, display and sound hardware as well as information on input devices attached to your computer.

View Hardware Components on Your Computer

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If you want to view a comprehensive listing of all of the various hardware components installed inside your computer, you need look no further than the Windows native "System Information" utility. This single utility will allow you to view information about every aspect of your computer, including both hardware and software, as well as detailed information about each and every one of your system resources. The steps work in window XP.

1). Click "Start."

2). Click "All Programs."

3). Click "Accessories."

4). Click "System Tools."

5). Click "System Information”. From the "System Information" window, click on "Components" to view a list of all of the hardware components inside your computer. These components will be separated into sub-categories.

PDA Backup Programs

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 Losing the data in your personal digital assistant, or PDA, is not fun. Whether it's the contact information of clients and colleagues, the settings of a supply management system program or utility meter reading records, losing the data in the PDA can cause serious problems for you and the business for which you work. Thankfully, a wide variety of data backup options are available for PDA users.

Proprietary Desktop Software

PDA data backups can be made directly onto your hard drive with a number of proprietary programs that work for multiple PDA devices.

According to the Sprite Backup company website, 18 million people have used the Sprite Backup for PDA data backup. Sprite Backup is available for Windows Mobile users. Sprite Clone is for businesses looking to give PDAs with identical content to employees, and Sprite Terminator can remotely delete all content on your PDA in the event that it is lost or stolen.

Another option is Spb Backup. This program creates compressed files, which save hard drive space, of your PDA's data directly on your computer and can be set to make the backups automatically.

Free Desktop Software

In addition to Windows, Apple and manufacturer-created operating systems, some PDAs run on Linux, so it's little surprise that some free, open-source data backup programs are available.

DirSync Pro is available for free download and is compatible for PDAs with Windows, Apple and Linux operating systems and backing up the data via USB cord. FlyBackUp is another cross-platform free program, but holds a limit of 50 backups.

As with most free and open-source software, no technical assistance or warranty is offered for free PDA backup desktop software.

Online Backup

Even with file compression, every hard drive has its size limits and sometimes hard drives crash, too. So a number of online PDA backup options keep your data stored on a third-party server either free or with a paid subscription.

How to hard Reset a PDA

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Today's PDAs, smart phones, and pocket PCs are hardy and versatile machines that gain technological ground on their desktop brethren with each generation, but, like desktop PCs, occasionally PDA operating systems glitch and freeze.

1). Locate the owner's manual for the PDA being reset.

2). Read the model-specific "Hard Reset" or "Factory Reset" directions for the PDA. Certain buttons, described in the PDA owner's manual, must be held down while resetting a PDA to perform a hard reset.

3). Unwind a paperclip so that one end is straightened and locate the "Reset Hole" on the rear of the machine.

4). Insert the straightened end of the paperclip into the reset hole while holding down the buttons specified in the owner's manual (typically the "Power" button).

5). Remove the paperclip. The PDA will reset to its original factory settings.