Computer Maintenance Tips

Eleven Tips to Keep your Computer Running Smoothly

1. Never, never, turn your computer off with the power switch until Windows has shut down. The one exception to this rule is when your computer locks up and your hard drive is not running (hard drive light is not blinking). In this situation, you can turn the power off without harmful effects to the hard drive. As cutting the power can also result in lost data or Windows files, you should only do this when you have to.

Following this rule will prevent permanent hard drive defects caused by the hard drive heads contacting the surface of the drive disc, and it will prevent a host of Windows problems.

Whenever possible, recover from crashes by pressing the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time. Press them again to reboot your computer.

2. I highly recommend that you purchase an UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for your computer. This will keep your computer from crashing during power outages, and will protect your computer from low and high voltage occurrences.

An UPS is far superior to a surge protector and will save your computer from almost any type of power disaster. (See #1 above for what happens when your computer crashes.)

This is an especially important thing to have if you live or will be living in old houses or apartments. The reason for this is the electrical work in apartments like those can often have faulty wiring that may short out resulting in a damaged computer or loss of information for you. Why have a surge protector when you could put that money towards a UPS?

3. Backup, backup, backup, any data you cannot afford to lose to at least two separate physical drives. So backup data to external hard drives, USB/thumb drives, CD-RW's etc. 

The time to backup is when you create something you can't afford to lose. Don't wait until tomorrow.

5. Never unplug peripherals from the computer when it is powered up. Unplugging with the power on can short out the connector socket or the motherboard. The only exception to this rule is if you know a peripheral is "hot pluggable". If you do not know what "hot pluggable" means then ignore this exception.4. Run Scandisk and Defragment at least once a month. This will keep your hard drive healthy and prevent crashes. Alternatively, purchase a disk utility program and use it to keep your hard drive healthy. These programs are part of Windows and can be found at Start/Computer then Right click on the drive you want to fix. Choose Scandisk or Defragment from the menu.

6. Do keep at least 300 MBs of your C: drive free for Windows to use. If you use Windows XP, Vista, or WIndows 7 then you should have 400-600 MBs of free space on your C: drive.

If you do not have enough free space you will choke Windows and it will start dumping data to your hard drive (or designated virtual drive), or it will just get really, really, slow (you will see your hard drive light on all the time and your computer will be locked up until the drive stops spinning).

Use the ADD/Delete tool in the Windows Control Panel to delete unneeded programs from your drive. 

You can also use disk/utility cleaning programs and speed-up programs to get rid of clutter on your hard drive and to speed up your system, we recommend using a PC speed up program like PC Cleaner. See our review of PC Cleaner for more information.

7. Do not let a lot of programs load up when you start your computer. They use valuable memory and Windows Resources (Windows internal workspace). 

All programs in your Windows System Tray (in the lower left of your screen) are running on your computer. Close them if you don't need them or run them and configure them not to load when you boot up. 

Other programs running in the background can be found by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete at the same time.

8. Do use an antivirus checker regularly. Everyone should have an antivirus checker that boots up when their computer starts. The best type of protection is continuous monitoring from a dedicated anti-virus program (for example Ad Aware Pro, Panda AntiVirus Pro, BitDefender Total Security, Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus). Also, make sure the anti-virus program is set to update automatically. These programs must regularly update their virus definitions to provide the best defense against new viruses and other malware..

9. If you have a high speed Internet connection, you need a firewall program. A firewall program keeps those who want to hijack your computer from gaining access to your system. You really do not want someone else running your computer.

All current versions of Windows come with a built in firewall program. You can access the Windows firewall at Start/Control Panel/Internet Connections/Windows Firewall. This program should always be running unless you choose to use a different firewall program. 

For additional protection, you should consider Internet security software that has firewall programs and other web security tools built-in e.g. PC Tools Internet Security, Panda AntiVirus Pro, and BitDefender Total Security have firewall, antivirus, and other security programs bundled together in one package.

Case in point: When I am online 10 hours or more with my DSL connection, my computer is usually attacked by a hacker at least once. 

Do not think you are safe from hackers!! Hackers use search programs to seek out computers at random. Get a firewall program and use it.

10. Keep track of the software disks you receive with your computer and new peripherals. These disks contain valuable software drivers and programs for Windows and are needed when Windows must be reloaded. Keep these disks and your Windows software disks in a safe, dry, place -- you never know when you will need them.

11. Make sure Windows Update is set to Automatically Update your computer. Windows is frequently updated by Microsoft to prevent virus and malware attacks, to improve Windows performance, and to provide new features. Access Windows Update at Start/Control Panel/System/ Security/Windows Update.

Keeping these computer maintenance tips in mind will keep your PC in top shape and keep you from having an expensive repair bill. If you would like to comment on this article see the comment box below.

Courtesy :  abkantharaja.blogspot.in

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Internet

The advantages of Internet

Following are the advantages provided by the Internet:

1) Information The biggest benefit offered by the Internet is information. It functions as a valuable resource of information. You can find any type of information on any subject with the help of the search engines like Yahoo and Google.

2) Communication The primary goal of the Internet is communication. It has done extremely well in this field, however the development process is still going on to make it more dependable and quick. By sending an e-mail, we can contact a person who is physically present thousand miles away within the fraction of a second’s time.
3) Entertainment Internet functions as a popular medium of entertainment. A wide variety of entertainment including video games, music, movies, chat room, news and others can be accessed through the Internet.

4) E-commerce E-commerce is the idea that is implemented for any form of commercial strategy or business transactions that entails transmission of data from one corner of the world to another. E-commerce has become a fantastic option through which you can shop anything.

5) Formation of communities Internet helps in formation of communities or forums. Here a number of people can participate in different types of debates and discussions, express their views and gather valuable knowledge.

6) Services A variety of services are offered via Internet, for example job searching, online banking, buying movie tickets, hotel reservations and consultation services etc. When you avail these services offline, they become more expensive.

The disadvantages of Internet

Following are the disadvantages of Internet:

1.Spamming: Spamming denotes distribution of unsolicited e-mails in large numbers. They are meaningless and they unnecessarily block the whole system. These activities are treated as illegal.

2) Theft of personal details While using the Internet, there is high probability that your personal details like name, address and credit card number may be accessed by con artists and used for fraudulent purposes.

3) Pornography: Pornography is definitely harmful for your children. There are numerous pornographic sites available over the Internet and watching any of those can have very bad influence on the mental health of your children.

4) Virus threat Virus is a program that interrupts the usual operation of your personal computer system. PCs linked to the Internet have high probability of virus attacks and as a result of this your hard disk can crash, giving you a lot of trouble.

Courtesy : abkantharaja.blogspot.in

CAT-5 CABLE AND RJ45 CONNECTORS

 How to correctly assemble a CAT-5 cable to RJ45 connectors for regular network cables as well as crossover cables.

The CAT-5  is a standard cable which has four twisted pairs of colours. It is easy to crimp a RJ45 connector to CAT-5 cable and make it into a straight cable or cross the cable as required. To make a straight cable, the ends must be crimped in the same way at each end. When making a crossover cable, some wires of certain colours have to be reversed. 

CAT-5 cable is usually divided into 4 twisted pairs of colours:

Orange / orange-white
Green / green-white
Blue / white and blue
Brown / brown-white

Straight Cable Colour Code

To make a straight cable, the tips must be crimped typically the same way ateach end by respecting the twisted pair size.

In general, the colour code used is:

1) orange-white
2) orange
3) green-white
4) Blue
5) blue-white
6) Green
7) brown-white
8) brown

Crossover Cable Colour Code

For a crossover cable, swap 1 with 3, and 2 with 6, in the list above. This gives:

1) green-white
2) green
3) orange and white
4) Blue
5) blue-white
6) orange
7) brown-white
8) brown

Standard EIA / TIA 568 (A &B) Colour Code

Straight cable

1) white-green / white-green
2) green / green
3) white-orange / white-orange
4) Blue / blue
5) white-blue / white-blue
6) Orange / orange
7) white-brown / white-brown
8) brown / brown

Crossover cable 10/100baseT Colour Code

1) white-green / white-orange
2) Green / orange
3) white-orange / white-green
4) Blue / blue
5) white-blue / white-blue
6) Orange / green
7) white-brown / white-brown
8) brown / brown

Complete crossover cable or crossgigabit Colour Code

On Gbic 1000BaseT eg

1) white-green / white-orange
2) Green / orange
3) white-orange / white-green
4) Blue / white-brown
5) white-blue / brown
6) Orange / green
7) white-brown / blue
8) Brown / white-blue

Note:

Many Gigabits (10/100/1000 multi speed) are auto MDI / MDIX and automatically adapt to the type of cable connected.

Courtesy : Foreign Post Office Mumbai

LAUNCHING OF MONEY GRAM IN POST OFFICES

Send cash around the world, quickly and safely from £4.50

• MoneyGram® are located in over 256,000 agent locations in 192 countries and territories worldwide
• securely transfer up to £5,000
• monies typically arrive within 10 minutes¹
• competitive rates for MoneyGram® service
• available at your local  identified Post Office®

HOW TO SEND MONEY

•   visit your local Money gram centre, taking some personal identification² with you
• complete a simple ‘send’ form and hand this in at the counter, along with the money you want to send and the transfer fee³. You can include a short message with every money transfer.
• you will then be given a reference number
• contact the person to whom you’re sending the money, and give them the reference number
• in just 10 minutes¹ the money will be ready to collect

HOW TO RECEIVE MONEY

• ask the person who is sending you money to give you your reference number – this will help speed up your collection
•   visit your local  identified Post Office® taking some identification² and your reference number with you
• complete our simple ‘receive’ form and show your identification – you will then be given your money

FOR  USER MANUAL : View / Download


Courtesy : sysadmindop.blogspot.in

GOVERNMENT FILES APPEAL AGAINST JUDGMENT ON MODIFIED PARITY IN PENSION

GOVERNMENT FILES APPEAL AGAINST PRINCIPAL CAT JUDGMENT ON MODIFIED PARITY IN PENSION TO PRE 1.1.2006 PENSIONERS

The Government has filed an Appeal against the 1ST November 2011 judgment of the Principal Bench of Delhi Central Administrative Tribunal on modified parity in pension to the pensioners retired prior to 1.1.2006. You may remember that the Principal Bench of Delhi CAT had directed implementation of OM dated 1.9.2008 based on the Government's Resolution dated 29.08.2008 accepting the recommendation of 6th CPC for modified parity of pension to pre 1.1.2006 pensioners by nullifying the clarificatory orders issued subsequently that denied the real content of the 6th CPC recommendation as accepted earlier by the Union Cabinet through its Resolution dated 29.08.2008. However now the Government has filed an Appeal against the judgment of the CAT. The legal battle therefore is not over for the pensioners. 

Courtesy : confederationhq.blogspot.com

Installing Active Directory(Domain) in Windows Server 2008

Installing Active Directory Domain Services (AD-DS)

In Windows Server 2008, unlike previous server operating Systems, there is an additional step that needs to be taken before running DCPROMO to promote the server to Domain Controller and installing Active Directory on it. This step is the installation of Active Directory Domain Services (AD-DS) role on the server. In fact, the AD-DS role is what enables the server to act as a Domain Controller, but you will still need to run DCPROMO the regular way.

AD-DS can be installed in one of 3 methods:

Method 1 – Server Manager/Initial Configuration Tasks

Roles can and should be added from Server Manager (but they can also be initiated from the Initial Configuration Tasks wizard that auto-opens the first time you log on to the server).

1. Open Server Manager by clicking the icon in the Quick Launch toolbar, or from the Administrative Tools folder.
2. Wait till it finishes loading, then click on Roles > Add Roles link.

3. In the Before you begin window, click Next.

4. In the Select Server Roles window, click to select Active Directory Domain Services, and then click Next.

5. In the Active Directory Domain Services window read the provided information if you want to, and then click Next.

6. In the Confirm Installation Selections, read the provided information if you want to, and then click Next.

7. Wait till the process completes.

8. When it ends, click Close.

9. Going back to Server Manager, click on the Active Directory Domain Services link, and note that there's no information linked to it, because the DCPROMO command has not been run yet.

10. Now you can click on the DCPROMO link, or read on.
    1. To run DCPROMO, enter the command in the Run command, or click on the DCPROMO link from Server Manager > Roles > Active Directory Domain Services.
    
    2. Depending upon the question if AD-DS was previously installed or not, the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard will appear immediately or after a short while. Click Next.
    
    1. In the Operating System Compatibility window, read the provided information and click Next.
    
    2. In the Choosing Deployment Configuration window, click on "Create a new domain in a new forest" and click Next.
    
    3. Enter an appropriate name for the new domain. Make sure you pick the right domain name, as renaming domains is a task you will not wish to perform on a daily basis. Click Next.
    
    Note: Do NOT use single label domain names such as "mydomain" or similar. You MUST pick a full domain name such as "mydomain.local" or "mydomain.com" and so on.
    The wizard will perform checks to see if the domain name is not already in use on the local network.
    
    4. Pick the right forest function level. Windows 2000 mode is the default, and it allows the addition of Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 Domain Controllers to the forest you're creating. Read my "Understanding Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Domain and Forest Functional Levels" article for more information on that.
    
    5. Pick the right domain function level. Windows 2000 Native mode is the default, and it allows the addition of Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 Domain Controllers to the domain you're creating.
    
    Note: If you select "Windows Server 2008" for the forest function level, you will Not be prompted to pick a domain function level. Read more about domain and forest function levels on my "Understanding Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Domain and Forest Functional Levels" article.
    6. The wizard will perform checks to see if DNS is properly configured on the local network. In this case, no DNS server has been configured, therefore, the wizard will offer to automatically install DNS on this server.
    
    Note: The first DCs must also be a Global Catalog. Also, the first DCs in a forest cannot be a Read Only Domain controller.
    7. It's most likely that you'll get a warning telling you that the server has one or more dynamic IP Addresses. Running IPCONFIG /all will show that this is not the case, because as you can clearly see, I have given the server a static IP Address. So, where did this come from? The answer is IPv6. I did not manually configure the IPv6 Address, hence the warning. In a network where IPv6 is not used, you can safely ignore this warning.
    
    8. You'll probably get a warning about DNS delegation. Since no DNS has been configured yet, you can ignore the message and click Yes.
    
    9. Next, change the paths for the AD database, log files and SYSVOL folder. For large deployments, carefully plan your DC configuration to get the maximum performance. When satisfied, click Next.
    
    10. Enter the password for the Active Directory Recovery Mode. This password must be kept confidential, and because it stays constant while regular domain user passwords expire (based upon the password policy configured for the domain, the default is 42 days), it does not. This password should be complex and at least 7 characters long. I strongly suggest that you do NOT use the regular administrator's password, and that you write it down and securely store it. Click Next.
    
    11. In the Summary window review your selections, and if required, save them to an unattend answer file. When satisfied, click Next.
    
    12. The wizard will begin creating the Active Directory domain, and when finished, you will need to press Finish and reboot your computer.
    
    Ok Click to restart. There you installed the new active directory
    source:www.petri.co.il
    via- sa paravur

New List of Postal Guide - By KAIRALI BOOKS SYNDICATE

KAIRALI BOOKS SYNDICATE, NEW DELHI

Books for Postmaster Grade I in PO’s 

1. V.K.Balan’s Master Guide for DC Exam for the Post of 
Postmaster Grade I in Po’s 2011-12 ed                                 Rs. 875/- 


Books for Postal Operations - For Detailed Study 
1. Nabhi’s RTI Act one should know 2011 ed                       Rs. 190/- 
2. Swamy CCS CCA Rule 2012                                              Rs. 300/- 
3. Swamy CCS Conduct Rule 2012                                         Rs. 175/- 
4. Swamy FHB Vol I 2009 ed                                                  Rs 390/- 
5. DOP’s FHB Vol II 1985 ed                                                Rs. 200/- 
6. Upkar’s Computer General Awareness                             Rs. 40/- 
7. Upkar’s Latest General Knowledge 2011                         Rs. 120/- 
8. Postal Manuals Vol II, III, IV, V, VI, Pt.I, II,III, VII, VIII 
PO Guide Pt I, II, IV (Call for Prices) 


Books for LGO (PA/SA) Exam 
1. V.K. Balan’s Master Guide to LGO’s (PA/SA) 2011-12 (Eng) Rs. 325/- 
2. Kairali’s Master Guide to LGO’s in Hindi 2011-12 ed 
(as per new syllabus) Rs. 350/- 
3. Upkar Vastu Nisht ganith (Objective Arithamatic) ( Hindi) Rs. 215/-
4. Upkar quicker objective arithamatic (English) Rs. 199/-

Help Book 
1. Postal Manual Vol V (Diglot)                                             Rs. 300/- 
2. Postal Manual Vol VII (For RMS) (Diglot)                       Rs. 250/- 
3. Post Office Guide Part I (Diglot)                                       Rs. 350/- 
4. Post Office Guide Part II (Diglot)                                      Rs. 300/- 
5. Post Office Guide Part IV (Diglot)                                     Rs. 200/- 
6. Postal Manual Vol VI Pt I, II, III (Eng & Hindi)               Rs. 800/-each 

Books for PS Group ‘B’/Postmaster Group B Exam 
1. V.K.Balan’s Master Guide for P S Group B/PMs 
(Paper I-II) 2011-12 Under print 
2. Postal Manual Vol II, III, IV, VII, VIII & Post Office Guide 
Part I, Pt II, Pt III (Call for Prices) Hindi/English ed 1985ed 
3. Hand Book for Material Management By S. Gopala Krishnan Rs. 295/- 
4. PO Small Savings Schemes Vol I,II, III By Kawaljeet Singh (ADG) Rs . 620/- 
5. Hand Book PO SSS 2011ed By Kawaljeet Singh Rs. 120/- 
6. Swamy Manual on Office Procedure 2012 Under Print 
7. Swamy Manual on Establishment & Administration 2012ed Rs. 925/- 
8. Upkar’s Ever latest General Knowledge                          Rs. 120/- 
9. Bahari’s Manual on office procedure 2008                       Rs .250/- 

Books for Paper II 
1. Swamy CCS Conduct Rule 2012                                       Rs. 175/- 
2. Swamy CCS CCA Rules 2012                                           Rs. 300/- 
3. Swamy General Financial Rules 2010                               Rs. 230/- 
4. Swamy FRSR Part I 2011 (General Rule)                         Rs. 410/- 
5. Swamy FRSR Part II 2012 (TA Rule)                               Rs. 200/- 
6. Swamy’s FRSR Part III (CCS Leave Rules 2011)           Rs. 150/- 
7. Swamy FRSR Part IV (DA & HRA) 2011                        Rs. 215/- 
8. Swamy FHB Vol I Rs. 390/- 
9. Dop FHB Vol II(Diglot edn) Rs 200/- 

Hand Book 2012 
Swamy Hand Book for Central Government Employees 2012 Rs. 240/- 
Nabhi’s referencer for Central Governmet Employee 2012     Rs.240/- 
Bahari’s Hand Book for Central Government Employee 2012 Rs. 240/- 
Nabhi’s Year Book for C G Employees 2012 (Hindi)                Rs. 240/- 
Bahari’s Kendriya Karmachari Niyamavali 2012                       Rs. 240/- 


Place your order with 

KAIRALI BOOKS SYNDICATE 
251/A, Baba Farid Puri, 
West Patel Nagar, 
New Delhi -110008 
Phone Nos. 9868790657,9810353797, 011-25882753/25880816 
Email ID- kairalibooks@yahoo.com 


Source : http://sapost.blogspot.in/

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONLINE AND OFF-LINE UPS?

Offline UPS

Offline UPS supply grid power to electrical and electronic devices during normal power supply. It switches to battery power only during power failures and other power problems. As the grid power is bypassed to the load during normal power supply, it is known as Offline UPS. As the UPS is used only during power problems it is also known as Standby UPS. Offline UPS is also spelled as Off-Line UPS or Off Line UPS.

Apart from bypassing power to the load, Offline UPS also 

charges the connected batteries during normal power supply. The bypassing of power results in exposing the load to electrical noises and surges. Therefore, they are not recommended for very sensitive and critical electronic devices. During power failures and other power problems, they switch from grid power to battery power fast enough to prevent computers from rebooting. The switch over time is usually between 2 to 20ms.

Online UPS

Online UPS supply power to electrical and electronic devices from batteries all the time. The UPS first converts grid power to charge the batteries and then discharges the batteries to power the load. As the battery power is supplied to the load at all times, it is known as Online UPS. The grid power is converted from (Alternating Current) AC to DC (Direct Current) to charge the battery and the battery power is converted from DC to AC to power the load. Therefore online UPS is also known as Double Conversion UPS.

As Online UPS always provides power from the battery, the load always gets clean power regardless of any power problems. Therefore, Online UPS is recommended for sensitive and critical electronic devices. Online UPS provide a layer of insulation or electric firewall. Any change in the input voltage or frequency does not affect the output voltage and frequency. Therefore, the load is shielded from all power problems.

Courtesy : sysadmindop.blogspot.com