being my techie self..

troubleshooting wireless network connections in Windows XP

December 26, 2007

I find that I am losing patience in trying to assist customers with their wifi connection issues. I just wished that they had the gumption to read THE F**KING MANUAL!!! Or at least do a Google search! <sigh> Sorry. It's just PMS. But anyways, if you're having trouble connecting to wireless internet, try to do the following:

  1. Check if you're wireless antenna is ON. (On some computers, it's a switch or a button. It shouldn't be hard to find since it has the wifi icon on it.)
  2. Check if your wireless network adapter is set to enabled in Device Manager. Just go to Start>Right-click My Computer>Left-click Manage>Device Manager. (Note: If you see a bubble saying "Wireless Networks Available. Not Connected.", you can skip this step.)
  3. Right-click on Wireless Network Connection icon, left-click on View Available Wireless Networks. It should list all available wifi networks in your area.
  4. Click on your wireless network and click on the Connect button at the bottom. (For unsecured wifi networks, you can connect to it. Pwede kang maki-squat sa wifi ng neighbor mo. Security-enabled networks require a network key.)
  5. For error "Windows cannot configure your wireless network settings", make sure that Windows' Wireless Zero Configuration service is started. (Start>Run>type services.msc>look for Wireless Zero Configuration. Restart the service if it is stopped.) If started, go to Change the order of preferred networks (still under View Available Wireless Networks window). Under Wireless Networks tab, make sure that box is checked for "Use windows to configure my wireless network settings". You should be able to pick up wifi networks now.
  6. If you're still unable to pick-up wireless networks in your area, try to uninstall and reinstall the wireless network driver. It will reset any settings you have for the wireless network adapter. You can uninstall and reinstall it in two ways.
    • To uninstall, go to Device Manager>Click on (+) next to Network Adapters, right-click on wifi network adapter and left-click on Uninstall. To reinstall, just restart the notebook.
    • Another way would be to remove the driver completely from the notebook. You have to download wireless network drivers to reinstall it. Save the driver to your desktop for easy access. To uninstall, go to Start>Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs>Click on your wireless network driver/utility>Click on Uninstall. To reinstall it, open up wireless network driver file.
  7. If all else fails, reinstall Windows. Really. Last resort na yan.

Note:

If you have any questions/clarifications and/or violent reactions, you can reach me at my email. :D  

 

Posted by beingmytechieself at 12:58 am | permalink | Add comment

Happy Holidays!!!

December 25, 2007

 

 

Posted by beingmytechieself at 2:47 am | permalink | Add comment

Battery Care for Laptops

December 21, 2007

I know that there are a lot of people complaining about short battery life — mainly because they don't understand how to properly care for their batteries. Below are some tips!

Note: Battery life depends on what applications you are currently running and power management settings.  

  1. DO NOT EXPOSE THE BATTERY TO HEAT - Permanent damage will result if the battery is exposed to temperatures above 110F or 43C. A Battery left in a car in the hot summer sun is the obvious example.
  2. DO NOT OVER CHARGE THE BATTERY - Disconnecting and reconnecting your computer to AC power frequently, without discharging the battery, causes over charging. Note: For NiMh batteries 
  3. CYCLE YOUR BATTERY REGULARLY - You should cycle your battery from a fully charged to a fully discharged state regularly. With a fully charged battery, disconnect AC power and let the computer run until it turns itself off.
  4. DO NOT OVER DISCHARGE THE BATTERY - Your computer consumes battery power even when it is turned off. If you do not use your computer for extended periods of time, a week or more, remove the battery from the unit.


DIFFICULTY HOLDING A CHARGE

If you experience difficulty in charging the battery, or if the battery capacity has decreased over time, the following procedure might re-condition the battery:

  1. Unplug the computer from the AC adapter and turn it on. Let the computer run under battery power until the computer turns off, indicating that the battery is fully discharged.
  2. Remove the battery pack.
  3. Using a soft cloth, wipe off the battery packs connectors and the AC adapters connectors.
  4. Re-insert the battery pack.
  5. Plug the computer into the AC adapter and check the wall outlet, making sure the connection is firm.
  6. With the PC turned off, let the battery charge until the battery status light or icon glows green.
  7. Unplug the AC adapter.
  8. Remove the battery.
  9. Wait 30 seconds and re-insert the battery.
  10. Plug the AC adapter back in.
  11. Let the battery recharge until the battery status light turns green or the icon displays 100%.
  12. Now your battery should be fully charged. Unplug the computer from the AC wall outlet and turn on the PC. You should notice longer battery life.

NOTE:  If the battery has been fully charged and the battery is removed, or not charged further, the battery shelf-life will be approximately 6 to 7 days. 

All batteries hold less charge as they age. Over time, if you attempt to charge a battery and the battery charge indicator does not show a full charge, you may need to purchase a new battery.  The main battery has a warranty of one year.


MORE BATTERY TIPS:

  • Main battery packs are completely discharged at the time of purchase. It is recommended that you charge the battery for at least 12 hours when it is new.
  • A battery pack can be recharged about 500 - 1000 times when used as directed.
  • You can increase portability with additional battery packs. If you have extra battery packs, rotate their use.  The battery operating time decreases as the temperature decreases.
BATTERIES IN YOUR COMPUTER

Main battery pack - this battery is the computer's main power source when the AC adapter is not attached. Leave the computer OFF with the AC adapter attached to fully charge this battery.

Backup battery (Sub-battery) - this battery backs up the main battery pack and provides power for the AutoResume. To charge this battery turn the computer on, and attach the AC adapter for about 8 to 12 hours (maximum 24 hours).

RTC battery/CMOS battery - this battery pack provides power for the internal real time clock, maintains the system configuration and the SETUP program values. It will maintain this data for one month when fully charged. "Error in CMOS" may occur at startup if the RTC battery has discharged. To resolve this, plug the notebook in to an external power source, turn the notebook on, and let the RTC battery charge for 24-48 hours.

 

Source: http://209.167.114.38/support/techsupport/tsbs/all/-TSB000690.htm

Posted by beingmytechieself at 1:47 am | permalink | comments[6]

going mobile (James Bond style!)

December 14, 2007

Check this out people! Found this tiny little dancer on the web. Oops.. Kanta pala yun.. Tiny little gadget pala.. Hehehe..

Presenting…  Touchscreen Cell Phone/PDA Wristwatch  — $199.99

Who can use the Phone?
The Touchscreen Cell Phone/PDA Wristwatch is an unlocked tri-band GSM cell phone with no included SIM card. You will need existing service with either T-Mobile or AT&T/Cingular to use this phone in the USA. It will NOT work with Verizon or Sprint. You can use your existing SIM card from your current cell phone (in which case the watch will just become your cell phone with the same number and same voicemail while the SIM card is inserted.), or buy a pre-paid SIM card from T-Mobile or AT&T/Cingular. If you can't understand the above you may want to reconsider your purchase.

Are you Geeky Enough?
While we think the Touchscreen Cell Phone/PDA Wristwatch is pretty cool, but we don't recommend you buy it as a gift for your Grandma. You need to be comfortable with tasks like swapping SIM cards in and out and transferring files using USB. The manual gets the point across, but leaves much to be desired. This is a toy for geeks, plain and simple. If you're not comfortable figuring out a new user interface and fiddling with a tiny stylus while you navigate oodles of phone settings this might not be the right purchase for you.

Asian Style Sensibilities
The Touchscreen Cell Phone/PDA Wristwatch is designed in Asia, home of many cute things, and has a unisex design. You can wear it as a watch, or as a pendant. Some of the built in graphics and music are a little on the cute side. It looks plenty masculine in the wristwatch format but If you are Mr. Super Manly Man who is a afraid of a little cute… be warned.

Hardware Specifications

  • Watch Size (not including band) 2.43" x 1.68" x 0.63"
  • LCD Size: 1.3 inch, 65K colors, 176220px
  • Ringtone: 64 chord; Ringtone formats: mp3, midi
  • Music: MP3 music background play, built-in equalizer
  • Video: MP4 playback. Supports full screen play
  • Memory: Built-in 60MB of Storage, no extended memory supported
  • Data Transfer: USB Disk Mode. Works with any standard OS
  • Operating Frequency: GSM
  • Network Frequency: 900/1800MHz/1900
  • Network Data: GPRS
  • Talk time: about 100-180 minutes
  • Standby time: 140-200 hours

from http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/9c9d/

Posted by beingmytechieself at 4:46 am | permalink | comments[10]

must-have laptop sleeves

December 11, 2007

These are so kawaii!!! :D That's Japanese for cute by the way. You can blame all the anime series I've been watching this weekend. Hahaha..

I found these on TPC's website (that's TipidPC) when I was looking for something for my lappy.. :D These are custom-made laptop sleeves by roooot. They have pre-made designs or you can actually choose the colors that you want for the sleeves. The sleeves themselves are lined with high quality quilted material to avoid scratches and they're padded with durable material for added protection. They all cost a smacking Php1,800!!! They may be a bit expensive but I'm pretty sure that they're worth it.

Below are their pre-made designs:

 

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Posted by beingmytechieself at 2:50 am | permalink | comments[2]
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