HOW TO: Ghost HDD

Ghost? Scare of ghost? It's not supernatural but it is just a program name from Norton. How does it's work? It's work very simple. Ghost will copy entire file or data from HDD to another HDD. I will teach how to use it. It's very useful for computer technician. Why? Everyday technician will do the same thing. Format and install windows again and again and again everyday same as any days.

STEP 1
- Install windows on HDD-1
- Install all programs what you want
- Don't install any computer drivers (unless you using same hardware)

STEP 2
- Create Startup Disk using floppy disk
- Copy file Ghost (download from my blog)

STEP 3
- Connect HDD-1 as a Primary Master on board
- Connect HDD-2 as a Secondary Master or Secondary Slave

CAUTION: For safety, DON'T connect HDD-2 at Primary Slave or else you will confius and lost you all data.

STEP 4
- Put in floppy disk on
- Boot from floopy disk
- At command prompt, type ghost name file
example: edi

STEP 5
- Select Local > Disk > Partition
- Select source (HDD-1) > ok
- Select target (HDD-2) > ok

Select Local

Select Disk & To Partition

Select Source (HDD-1) & Target (HDD-2)

Ghosting in progress, wait until finish and quit or exit after complete

STEP 6
- Remove HDD-2
- Connect HDD-2 to other system
- System will detect new hardware, let it be, restart system
- Install all driver

Now you need only less than 30 minutes to finish complete system. It's easy to use if you have 10 pc's with same spec.

HOW TO BUY: Notebook

Notebook is very important for everyone specially student. But many peoples doesn't know how to buy. Some people asked someone and get wrong perspective or wrong review. That's what happen today. Yes that's right, before buy we need asked someone but you need to find who have experiences. What we need is, who have a lot of experiences using notebook and using differents notebook. Not who have using notebook for a 5 years but using one brand only. Or else you will get wrong review.

What we need to know before buy notebook (before go to shop) ? It's very simple. You need to know several things like:

1. Purpose
2. Spec
3. Budget

It's very important or else you will not sastified with what you get. They have many purpose example, you need a notebook for do your assignment(typing), or play a game, or do some graphic work, or for surfing internet or for playing a games plus assignment. Then state what type of cpu you prefer example AMD or Intel. Don't forget your budget.

So you can go to any shop which sale a notebook cheaper. So find which one you like. Example I need notebook for do my assignment, play a games and surfing everyday. So what I need is a notebook which have high memory for display. Of course RAM also I need more bigger.

So I'm looking for notebook which have 256mb for display or more and RAM more than 1GB. Normal notebook will have 1GB come from manufacture so I need upgrade plus 1GB and extra money around RM70 for each 1GB. Now I have 2GB RAM. I need cpu high performance example Dual Core or Core 2 Duo if I have more budget. Yes people who support AMD will mad why Intel not AMD? I need a good performance for cpu and I choose Core 2 Duo Intel because Intel C2D have 2mb cache or more. If I really need high performance I can buy C2D with 4mb cache or 8mb cache. Sorry to say, AMD only have 1mb cache or 2mb cache (not sure but some people claim AMD have 2mb).

For wireless internet connection, I need really good signal and technology for my wireless connection. I saw 1 brand got "Signal Up" sticker on it. I can't tell what brand but some people know what I mean >>:)

Some notebook very light but some very heavy. If I, I will looking for 2.4kg or not more than 2.7kg, unless your try to built your muscle hehe. Last 2 weeks, I bought 1 notebook which have 1.86GHz Dual Core, 2gb RAM, 160gb HDD, DVD super multi, 1.3MP webcam, 384mb display. Only RM2,079.

Make sure what type of windows you try to install. Some people will install Windows Vista and downgrade to Winxp. Problem will coming coz don't have driver for winxp. Even in website provider. It's many times happen and you decide carefully before buy a notebook.

HOW TO: Connect HDD

Normal computer will used only 1 hdd. Actually computer can used more than 1 hdd and some others can use 4 hdd or 6 hdd depend on motherboard. But how to use more than 1? 1st hdd which have operating system have not enough capacity.


1. Firstly make sure 1st hdd set as a Master (jumper) and connect with IDE cable with primary connection. 1st IDE cable will connect with motherboard on IDE1 socket.

2. After that 2nd hdd set as Slave (jumper) and connect with IDE cable with secondary connection. This connection using same IDE cable with the 1st hdd.

Refer jumper setting diagram on top of HDD

Jumper setting

if you try connect with 3rd hdd, follow this step

3. Set 3rd hdd as a Master (jumper) and connect with 2nd IDE cable with primary connection. 2nd IDE cable will connect with motherboard on IDE2 soket.

IDE1 & IDE2 connector on motherboard

IDE cable with 2 connector

if you try connect with 4th hdd, follow this step

4. Set your 4th hdd as a Slave (jumper) and connect with 2nd IDE cable with secondary connection.

If you try connect with 5th & 6th hdd using SATA connection, follow this step

5. Just plug in power cable and data cable with SATA hdd and connect with motherboard

Make sure your 1st boot will read from 1st hdd. This is because only 1st hdd have operating system. You can change boot order in BIOS.

tips: use same way to connect more than 1 cdrom drive or using multiply rom drive like cdrom, dvdrom or burner.

HOW TO BUY: Speaker

There have a couple of tips you should know before you buy a speaker. Let say you try to find a new speakers. Before you go to any shops, please check your computer first. Check you sound card. What type or brand doesn't matter, what you need to know is, your sound card support 2.1, 5.1 or 7.1 channel.

How to know that? It's simple, open your motherboard manual book. Example This is mine.


As you can see, my sound card support 5.1 channel. If you really want quality of sound, please buy speaker support 5.1 channel. Don't buy 7.1 channel but you can buy less that 5.1 channel. Example mine is 5.1 channel but I use speaker 2.1 channel. No problem at all.

2.1 channel speaker means 1 woofer speaker and 2 satellite speakers. After that check output speaker. Some speaker have more than 1000watt output. What you need to know is about watt. Actually 200watt RMS is better than 2000watt PMPO. This is because 1watt RMS equal to 20watt PMPO. That means 200watt RMS equal to 4000watt PMPO. Imagine that sound will come out hehe. For more quality, make sure woofer made from solid wood.

HOW TO: Clean up cooler (Notebook)

Have you service your notebook? Not for software but service for hardware. Normally the answer is NO!. Ok I will give tips how to clean up your notebook from dust. Before this I gave step by step for desktop pc. Before that why we need to clean up our notebook? The answer is:

1. less heat
2. long life
3. it's not cheap lol

When we need to service our notebook?

1. after warranty period expired
2. your notebook always shutdown suddenly / automatically
3. you can feel the heat very high

Open the back cover and you will see the fan and heatsink

Take out the heatsink. Normally for notebook fan and heatsink is separately

Wash the heatsink with water and after that dry it up.

Clean up top of cpu and put thermal paste on top.
Clean the fan with brush and put back the cover.

p/s: It's will different with others model but still can use same step

Tweak XP: Performance Increase

Heavy loading? Not enough memory? Don't worry, follow this step

Easy enough tweak to usually find out about it on your own, but still, some of use still don't find it right away. So here it is:

1: Start > Right Click on My Computer and select properties.
2: Click on the "Advanced" tab
3: See the "Performance" section? Click "Settings"
4: Disable all or some of the following:

Fade or slide menus into view
Fade or slide ToolTips into view
Fade out menu items after clicking
Show Shadows under menus
Slide open combo boxes
Slide taskbar buttons
Use a background image for each folder type
Use common tasks in folders

There, now Windows will still look nice and perform faster.

Cooler system

Boring with your pc? Nothing to do? LOL nevermind, let's have some fun with our own pc. Take a look this MSI motherboard.



Ok now i teach how to upgrade you cooler system on your motherboard. Some of motherboard when we running couple of hours, the temperature is low, but some very high. You can try touch top of chipset or cooler. it's very hot. In the picture I marked 2 chipset. First chipset have "VIA" on the top. That we call South bridge controller and the other one (center of motherboard) we call it North bridge controller.

At north bridge have cooler - heatsink already. You can change it with other heatsink with the big one or with whatever you think it's more better than before. Cost only below RM40. Or you can put a fan on the top of cooler. Cost RM10 and just screw on the top. Remember, before you buy a heatsink or fan or both, make sure the cooler for north bridge. Not for south bridge.

For south bridge, base on my experience, some motherboard very high temperature but some others not. It's depent what you did with you pc, surfing will have low temp but when you play a game, the temp very high. Normally for south bridge no need heatsink. But we need some fun and extra cool. Before you buy cooler for south bridge, take a look at your motherboard, is it have a mounting (hole) for south bridge or not. Normally no hehehe

So what we need just buy cooler for south bridge with double sided glue tape. Thats mean you need stick it on the top of chipset. Don't worry, double sided glue tape come with the heatsink. It's already have at bottom of heatsink.

It's really need your attentions if you always play a game with your pc. It's Ok if we not change any things but more better if we did. If you have plan to change your motherboard, better you think about motherboard like this >>:)

It's cool aight?

tips: how to know your computer system having high temperature? It's simple, you can hear of sound from cooling fan. If your cpu very hot, fan will spinning more speed and make more noisy sound. After cpu will drop the temperature, fan will spin at normal level and less sound. But If your fan spinning at top speed none stop, I recommand better you check your cooler before it's too late

HOW TO: Clean up cooler + cpu (P3)

Put back fan with heatsink and after that join back frame with heatsink together

After finish, put heatsink with fan to the motherboard socket. Make sure it's very tight and don't forget connect the power cable back, else your fan will not running

Now turn on you system and check the temperature reading. It's should be show less than before you clean the heatsink.

HOW TO: Clean up cooler + cpu (P2)

Clean up fan from dust using brush

Do Not using water

Clean up heatsink from dust using water

Dry up the heatsink from water before put it back

Clean up bottom of heatsink

Clean up top of cpu

Put a little bit cooler paste

HOW TO: Clean up cooler + cpu (P1)

Temperature very important for computer. Coz of overheat your pc can damage. Now days, modern pc have system which will cut off automatically when temperature very high or reach high level. User can set it up when system will cut off. Example, my pc will cut off when temperature reach 55°C. How ever it's up to you, you can set high or low example 45° or 90°C.

Before start, please turn off all electricity power and remove all cable from cpu, like monitor cable, power cable, keyboard, mouse or any cable attach with pc.

Take a look cpu temperature, it's show 42°C before we clean up the fan, heatsink & cpu

Take out cooler from the motherboard socket

After remove cooler from the socket

Take off frame socket from heatsink carefully

It's look like this after that

Now take off fan from heatsink

It's easy to clean up after take out all of them from heatsink

HOW TO: built own pc with high spec (P2)

On this 2nd part I will give almost complete tips how to built own pc & which one you need to buy.

CPU
- Now days almost all cpu have dual core technology. We need powerful cpu to built the best performance pc. So in this case you need dual core technology too. It's up to you

Intel
1. Dual core 2.0GHz - 2.4GHz (1mb cache)
2. Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz (2mb cache)
3. Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz (3mb cache)
4. Core 2 Duo 2.66GHz (6mb cache)
5. Core 2 Duo 3.00GHz (6mb cache)
6. Core 2 Quad 2.40 X2 GHz (8mb cache)
7. Core 2 Quad 2.40 X2 GHz (8mb cache)
8. Core 2 Quad 2.66GHz (12mb cache)

More high clock value, mean more fast, and more value in cache mean more space and more faster cpu can operate.


MOTHERBOARD
- To decide which mboard you want use, check the manual book include inside the box. We need more maximum memory can put in. 2GB memory max is normal mboard in market. So try find mboard can put 4gb max with PC5300 or higher. Have a PCI-E slot, FSB 1600. Don't forget about north & south bridge coz may be one day you want modify put a cooler or something. So to do that need more space near the chipset.


MEMORY
- If you mboard support PC6400, so you can buy memory DDR2 PC6400. I suggest you use minimum 2gb. I you have good budget, put max in you system >>:)


HDD
- Size doesn't matter but type of connection and speed most important. Use HDD with SATA connection type for best performance and 7200RPM speed.


Display Card
- For best result, put PCI-E display card on your system. For extra high performance, use minimum 512mb and 128bit. Thats the minimum so if you have good budget, buy 1GB with 256bit PCI-E. Brand or what chipset doesn't matter but some people said, NVIDIA chipset is better for PCI-E type.

tips: before this display card use AGP 2X, 4X & 8X. PCI-E use 16X thats why PCI-E is better

HOW TO: built own pc with high spec (P1)

All peoples want the best performance pc but doesn't know how to combine all hardware. From this thread I will give some tips how to do it. We have a list of hardwares need to combine in 1 complete computer system.

To have "the best" result, we need choose the correct combination if not you will think you have the best one but you don't know actually it is not. This is list of hardwares we need to if want assemble 1 unit pc and list number 1, 2, 3, 4 & 9 in high priority.

1. CPU
2. Motherboard
3. Memory
4. HDD
5. FDD
6. CDROM
7. Casing
8. Speaker / sound card
9. Display card
10. Monitor

Why need best performance pc? I don't know but some people saids for play a game, some said for fun so it's up to you what you want give a reason to.

tips: AMD best for game but cache only 1mb. By the way, Intel have 2mb, 3mb, 6mb, 8mb & 12mb. So up to you, you think you have good enough pc? Try this software and see your pc in world ranking Prime Benchmark