Smart Tech Tips

If you have ever gotten rid of a spyware or messed around with a firewall application and lost connection to the internet due to some winsock error, this tool is for you.

It is called winsock xp fix 1.2

BACKGROUND

If you’re wondering why I’m talking about the thing that tell airplanes what speed and direction the wind is blowing, you’re not alone. Winsock is simply a shortened name for windows socket api which tells how windows networks should access the networks services. In the internet age, the specific service we’re interested in is TCP/IP. TCP/IP is the set of communications protocols that the internet need to talk from one computer to another.

When I was still working on windows 98 and early versions of XP, I devised my own quick and dirty way of fixing winsock errors.

SOLUTION

I simply deleted winsock.dll , wsock32.dll, and wsock32n.dll in the /windows directory. Then I typed in ‘regedit’ in the run command box and navigated to hkey_local_machine\system\currentcontrolset\services\winsock2 and deleted everything in that branch.

What this did was made windows restore those files in the next boot-up to their default settings which incidentally fixed any errors that it may have incurred.

Again the site to get the winsock fix program is:

http://majorgeeks.com/download4372.html

If you’re in the market for a new computer from Dell and need help finding the right computer that will match your bedroom curtains, this site is for you.

Dell’s new Della site focused on helping women or the women in you find the right Dell product.

At the bottom, you’ll find links to popular social networks so you can discuss your choice.

Alas, the days of the huge square beige computers are long gone. Long live vibrant colors and abundant choices!

http://content.dell.com/us/en/home/della.aspx

I’m not a big fan of AOL’s software other than the IM. That being said, I found the new 10.1 to be much improved over previous offerings. The 9.x and below took up too much space and added too many ‘hidden’ programs that sucked your computer’s resources. If you are one of those people who still can’t be weened from AOL, you know who you are doctors and lawyers, then give 10.1 a try. First off, it is a fairly lightweight program. Once installed it only has one program that runs all the time instead of like five in the previous versions. You won’t find things like ‘Pure Networks Port Magic’ sucking the life out of your system. I find the speed of the browser surprisingly fast but only because they cache graphics and other often accessed resources. The email part is probably the weakest here. It is peppered with giant ads that take away from an otherwise cleanly laid out program. You can import your other online address to this mix and have it all come into the inbox. If this was five years ago, I was technically challenged and colorblind, I would probably use it if I used AOL for dial-up. But it being 2009, I don’t see a real practical use for this other than to check my @aol.com email. If I had such an address I think the geek police would come and revoke my computer privileges…aol keyword NOOB.

get it here at:
http://daol.aol.com/software/desktop

The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) wants educators to stop ripping DVDs. Their solution is for teachers to play the DVD on screens of TV or computer and record it with a camcorder. Martine Courtant Rife of media literacy research likened this to

typing up a quote from a book, taking it outside, chiseling the words in a rock, photographing the rock, scanning the photo, and running OCR on it. And for what?”

Here is a video of how they want us to approach this great new idea http://vimeo.com/4520463

You’re wondering what does this have to do with a computer site? Funny thing though, it has everything to do with a computer. I was sitting at my desk working away when my wife calls me into the living room. Behind our fish tank she points with an excited look in her eyes. I went to investigate our little intruder. I blocked off the kitchen to where I figured his escape route was and waited. Our little friend darted the other way and went straight into the entrance way closet. Quickly we built a barricade around the door to the closet and was ready to open it up. When we finally opened up the door, our mouse ran straight into a black antec three hundred steel atx mid tower computer case. It had went into an open 5 1/4 bay that use to house a CDROM. This case was one of the pieces of my barricade. I took the case into the bathtub (thinking the slick sides would make it virtually impossible for our friend to escape) and extracted him into a clear plastic container. Right now he’s eating some crackers and peanut butter while sitting in some shredded phone book paper looking up at 6 holes in a lid of a blue tuple-ware.

As for the computer case, it now has another use added to its’ already impressive features. If you ever build a computer on your own, or something happens to your case and you can salvage the inside of an already working one, I highly recommend this case.

It has plenty of fans to cool the components inside and the design is top notch. Unlike most computer cases, this one has the power supply sitting below everything so that the heat it dissipates rises to the top. Most cases has a power supply relatively close to the top back where already hot air is rising to meet it. This can significantly reduce the life of the power supply unit. Finally, this case has plenty of room for as many as 6 internal hard drive including three 5 1/4 bays available. It comes with two fans and no powers supply.

Our little mouse is probably thinking ‘I hope he doesn’t take me on his desk and drag me around a small gray mat while looking at a computer screen all day’