I did this, per the article's instructions, and would have sworn that I saw a good improvement on my home network, but a couple of days later I am not really sure. However, I trust Fred Langa implicitly, so I feel I have improved my network performance. Unlike Fred, I had no benchmarks to measure before and after performance, but the change Fred recommends is very quick and easy and can be reversed just as quickly and easily. Fred's article will describe his benchmark test and the performance improvement that resulted. This is for Windows 7 users.

Simple change in settings pumps up Win7 networks

Is that noise coming from the computer bad?

This is a post form the blog of Call That Girl. It contains some very good information and I have not posted something like this, so please read on for some good tips on keeping that old computer running.

"Probably, but should you do anything about it is the question. I had a client yesterday that told me that her computer has been making noises for a long time. I asked how old it was and she said it was from 2005. Well, it’s five years old now. In computer life, that’s about 80 years old. Just like dogs live every 7 for our 1, computers have even shorter lives that dogs. If an average desktop computer runs 7 years without major malfunction (which most can, if taken care of right), then at age five, the computer is showing signs of aging.

Should this client get it looked at? At this point, it could be a simple fix, or an expensive fix. Would I put the money into it to see if it would last? Probably not too much with it being five years old. I just don’t see it worth it when the next thing that will probably go wrong, it the hard drive. And with labor and new hard drive, that’s approx $150 and up. New desktops that are “average” are $300-$400 brand new. But if you are concerned and want to see if it’s a simple fix, you can try a few things.

The computer may be running hot with processes and programs, so the hardware is working harder. A computer cleaning would maybe help that. During a Call That Girl computer cleaning, we also do a few system/memory checks and help you back up your data, just in case that computer does just shut down one day. (Which is worth it’s weight in gold if you’re not backing up or doing it properly!)

We can also walk you through helping you dust out the inside of the desktop unit or blow out the laptop air vents. Many times, the vents just need a good dusting! Or the desktop computer has TONS of dust in it from years of sitting around. I have seen miracles happen with a can of Dust Air.

If you want to try dusting out the computer yourself, here are some simple ways to do it.

• Unplug all of your cords from the desktop computer/laptop.
• Take the computer outside
• Take off the cover of the computer. For a desktop, there are usually “thumbscrews” (bigger ones) that are on the back side where all the ports/plugs are. Unscrew those 2 big thumbscrews and the cover should now come off, you may need to slide it off.
• Then take a paper towel and grab all the larger pieces of dust you can see.
• Take the can of Dust Air and start spraying at all the areas that are covered in dust. You may not want to be too close, dust will fly everywhere! Make sure to not get the nozzle too close to parts, just close enough to get out the dust. Get all the nooks and cranny corners while you are in there too. Do not get out a wet towel to clean any parts, all you need it Dust Air.
• For laptops, take the can of Dust Air and spray about 4 inches away to the vents. You will see small pops of dust come out. For those that have a lot, continue to spray until the dust it about gone.
• Remember, don’t spray too close and don’t over spray it. Just get the dust out."