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	<title>PC Curb &#187; General PC Tips</title>
	<atom:link href="http://pccurb.com/category/general-pc-tips/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://pccurb.com</link>
	<description>Take your PC to the nex-G!</description>
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		<title>Disable Programs that Start with Windows</title>
		<link>http://pccurb.com/disable-programs-that-start-with-windows/</link>
		<comments>http://pccurb.com/disable-programs-that-start-with-windows/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:04:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General PC Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PC News]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pccurb.com/?p=266</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[During the installation of software, it is usual for a program to automatically configure itself to initiate once you boot your system. This may cause programs to completely open or open and minimize to the system tray without you even knowing. The more programs that open when the computer is booted, the longer it will [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>During the installation of software, it is usual for a program to automatically configure itself to initiate once you boot your system. This may cause programs to completely open or open and minimize to the system tray without you even knowing. The more programs that open when the computer is booted, the longer it will take before you can use your computer properly. Some of these processes are needed for your computer to run (like drivers etc) however the rest are not needed and slow your computer down.</p>
<p>Using <a href="http://www.pccurb.com/downloads/" target="_blank">CCleaner</a>, it is very simple to disable programs that start with Windows. As long as you are careful to only remove programs that you know are not crucial to the running of your PC, CCleaner can easily disable them. It is also good to use CCleaner as it may be tricky to configure every program by itself and some programs don&#8217;t even give the end user the choice of disabling at start up. Use the following steps to do so:</p>
<p>Open CCleaner &gt; Tools &gt; Startup.</p>
<p>Once here just select a process, click &#8216;disable&#8217; located at the bottom. Just incase you want to change your mind in the future it is a good idea to only disable such processes instead of deleting them. Here is an example below:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pccurb.com/ccleanerstartup.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignnone" title="ccleaner startup" src="http://www.pccurb.com/ccleanerstartup1.jpg" alt="" width="418" height="324" /></a></p>
<p>Click to enlarge.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Reasons Why Your CPU is Running Too Hot or Overheating</title>
		<link>http://pccurb.com/reasons-why-your-cpu-is-running-too-hot-or-overheating/</link>
		<comments>http://pccurb.com/reasons-why-your-cpu-is-running-too-hot-or-overheating/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:01:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General PC Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PC News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amd]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CPU]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cpu fan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[heatsink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[high]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[overheat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[temp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thermal paste]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pccurb.com/?p=272</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you have recently upgraded your CPU and noticed the temperatures are quite high or higher than what others are experiencing with the same CPU, there are a few things to check first.

Make sure you are using  a reliable program to monitor temps like Speedfan or CPU-Z found here.


Your heatsink has poor contact with the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you have recently upgraded your CPU and noticed the temperatures are quite high or higher than what others are experiencing with the same CPU, there are a few things to check first.</p>
<ul>
<li>Make sure you are using  a reliable program to monitor temps like Speedfan or CPU-Z found <a href="http://www.pccurb.com/torture-your-pc-today/" target="_blank">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Your heatsink has poor contact with the CPU and isn&#8217;t providing adequate cooling.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Too much or not enough thermal paste.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Haven&#8217;t pushed all the pins on the heatsink down.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Some CPUs simply run hot. Either from a poor quality batch or some other reason.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>You are overclocking too much.</li>
</ul>
<p>Simply upgrading the cooler and quality of thermal paste will make a major difference to the temperature in which your CPU operates at. Coolers which operate with heat pipes keep your CPU cooler as they disperse the heat better. You can also choose to run liquid cooled setups, but they are generally expensive and dont make that much of a difference from a good Heat pipe fan cooled CPU cooler.</p>
<p>Amongst different components in a computer, the CPU is one of the most important to keep cool. The central processing unit is the place where all your activites are processed. This might be as simple as running a word processor to running a high detail game. This is why it needs high priority to be cooled most efficiently. CPUs are one of the most expensive parts to a computer.  Extra care should always be taken to make sure there is no overheating present, else you could find yourself having to replace it.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Removing Your House From Google Streetview</title>
		<link>http://pccurb.com/removing-your-house-from-google-streetview/</link>
		<comments>http://pccurb.com/removing-your-house-from-google-streetview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:07:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General PC Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google streetview]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[house]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[removing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[streetview]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pccurb.com/?p=118</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In case you haven&#8217;t heard of Google Streetview; it is an itiative setup by Google to give you the freedom to look at any house from closeup. It&#8217;s similar to Google Earth except the images are a lot clearer and of better quality. The quality improvement is because the images weren&#8217;t taken from a satellite, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In case you haven&#8217;t heard of Google Streetview; it is an itiative setup by Google to give you the freedom to look at any house from closeup. It&#8217;s similar to Google Earth except the images are a lot clearer and of better quality. The quality improvement is because the images weren&#8217;t taken from a satellite, but a van similar to this:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pccurb.com/googlevan.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="alignnone" title="google van" src="http://www.pccurb.com/googlevan1.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="143" /></a> Click to Enlarge.</p>
<p>For a lot of people having a closeup photo of their house may be an invasion of privacy. Luckily it is very simple to get your house removed.</p>
<p><strong>Step 1:</strong> Send an email to <a href="mailto:maps-legal@google.com">maps-legal@google.com</a> stating you would like your house removed and provide your name and residential address. Some people say it is required to also attach a photo I.D. but it&#8217;s not always required.</p>
<p><strong>Step 2:</strong> Within a few days you should receive an email with a link to your address on streetview, confirming it is your house/address. Just reply to this email saying that is correct.</p>
<p><strong>Step 3:</strong> Wait another few days until you receive this:</p>
<p><em>According to our records, you recently submitted a report regarding an<br />
inappropriate image in Street View on Google Maps. We&#8217;re currently<br />
reviewing the material you reported to determine whether the image<br />
should be removed from the product. We appreciate your assistance.<br />
Sincerely,</em></span></p>
<p><em>The Google Maps Team</em></p>
<p><strong>Step 4:</strong> If your request is approved, you will receive a final email and all images in streetview featuring your house will be blacked out completely.</p>
<p><em> Hello,</em></p>
<p><em>Our records show that you recently flagged an image within Google<br />
Maps Street View as inappropriate. The image has been removed from<br />
our service.</em></p>
<p><em>We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you and<br />
appreciate your patience while we dealt with this.</em></p>
<p><em>Regards,<br />
The Google Team</em></p>
<p><script type="text/javascript"><!--
digg_url = 'http://www.pccurb.com/removing-your-house-from-google-streetview/';
// --></script><br />
<script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Common solutions for MSN Messenger issues</title>
		<link>http://pccurb.com/common-solutions-for-msn-messenger-issues/</link>
		<comments>http://pccurb.com/common-solutions-for-msn-messenger-issues/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:03:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General PC Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[80072745]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[connect]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[install]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[login]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[msn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[msn messenger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[problem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sign in]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pccurb.com/?p=77</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[MSN Messenger is an instant messaging program and an essential tool for a lot of computers users. However, it can be very disconcerting when problems occur. This includes prevention of installation or sign in issues. MSN Messenger is developed by Microsoft for usage on Windows operating systems. If you are running a pirated copy of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>MSN Messenger is an instant messaging program and an essential tool for a lot of computers users. However, it can be very disconcerting when problems occur. This includes prevention of installation or sign in issues. MSN Messenger is developed by Microsoft for usage on Windows operating systems. If you are running a pirated copy of a Windows operating system, it may be difficult to use this program to it&#8217;s full potential due to Microsofts attempts to decrease piracy of their software. This includes prevention of Windows Updates which can prevent MSN working in some cases.</p>
<p>Problems installing MSN/Windows Live Messenger are quite common but there are many things you can do to troubleshoot the problem. In many cases older versions of MSN will not work, causing users to be prompted to install the latest version. So it would be wise to download <strong><a href="http://get.live.com/messenger/overview" target="_blank">this</a></strong> small 2mb .exe that will allow you to download the full program opposed to downloading an older version and being prompted to download that same file anyway.</p>
<p>If you are trying to install messenger from this .exe and get the following error message:<span style="color: #000000;"><strong> &#8220;To install live programs, you must be online. Please connect to the internet then try again.</strong>&#8221; this problem can be solved by going to the Windows Update website and downloading/installing updates.</span></p>
<p>If you have managed to install but you cannot login properly, try these steps:</p>
<ul>
<li>Re-download and re-install.</li>
<li>Allow MSN access through your firewall, or just disable your firewall altogether. Aswell as your Windows Firewall, some anti-viruses have their own so make sure to check them aswell.</li>
<li>If you are behind a router be sure to forward the ports that MSN uses. An easy guide to this can be found at www.portforward.com</li>
<li>Update to the latest version as some older versions are unsupported.</li>
<li>Check your clock and date is set to the right time.</li>
<li>Perform a Windows Update.</li>
</ul>
<p>If problems persist, <a href="http://webmessenger.msn.com/ " target="_blank">Web Messenger</a> is a temporary solution for your IM needs.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>How to Download Youtube Videos to AVI format.</title>
		<link>http://pccurb.com/how-to-download-youtube-videos-to-avi-format/</link>
		<comments>http://pccurb.com/how-to-download-youtube-videos-to-avi-format/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:37:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General PC Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[avi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[download]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[format]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[videos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[youtube]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pccurb.com/?p=70</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Youtube has never had a download option on their website for people to download videos, however, there are ways to download any video you like. Some people tend to use sites like keepvid.com, which allow you to download videos in FLV format.  However, this method can be quite annoying because you need a special player [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Youtube has never had a download option on their website for people to download videos, however, there are ways to download any video you like. Some people tend to use sites like keepvid.com, which allow you to download videos in FLV format.  However, this method can be quite annoying because you need a special player to play them and the FLV format is not compatible with a lot of other programs.</p>
<p>Downloading videos is easily done with a program called vDownloader. Once you download this tiny program, all you have to do is type in the youtube URL of the video you want, and it will start downloading in AVI format. This is a very popular format and is widely used for videos. if you don&#8217;t like AVI, vDownloader also offers a range of other formats including MPEG, VCD and DVD. Plus you have the freedom to download directly to a mp3 if you are only looking for the audio.</p>
<p>vDownloader is completely free. I recommend you to share this with your friends because no one wants to screw around downloading foreign formats that are hardly used. Plus the fact some people are tricked into paying for FLV to AVI converters. This is purely a waste of money, so spread the word; vDownloader!</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.vdownloader.es/" target="_blank">Download vDownloader for free.</a></h3>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Looking to Buy a Computer; Desktop or Laptop?</title>
		<link>http://pccurb.com/looking-to-buy-a-computer-desktop-or-laptop/</link>
		<comments>http://pccurb.com/looking-to-buy-a-computer-desktop-or-laptop/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2008 09:25:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General PC Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buy laptop or pc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[desktop pc or laptop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[laptop computer]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pccurb.com/?p=62</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Lots of people buy computers everyday, however it is a difficult task for some. Deciding between a laptop and desktop PC is an easy decision once you evaluate what tasks you are going to complete with the computer and where you plan to use it. Things like price, computer specs (specifications), portability and style + [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Lots of people buy computers everyday, however it is a difficult task for some. Deciding between a laptop and desktop PC is an easy decision once you evaluate what tasks you are going to complete with the computer and where you plan to use it. Things like price, computer specs (specifications), portability and style + design are all important factors to consider before purchasing.</p>
<p>One of the most important considerations is; in what environment you are going to use it? If you are just using it at home and don&#8217;t need to move it around a lot, a desktop PC would be ideal. However, if you want to use it in multiple locations eg.(on the train, school, work, lying in bed) a laptop would be more suitable. Ofcourse, if you don&#8217;t want to move it around, a laptop is more compact and will take up less space inside your house.</p>
<p>Better prices and specs are both reasons to get a desktop PC over a laptop. PCs are drastically cheaper than laptops and have better performance for what you pay. If you see a cheap laptop advertised, you will be able to find a better performing PC for a cheaper price. Desktop PCs are also easily upgradeable. This means you can add extra fans, upgrade video card, motherboard and add your own cards into PCI slots. None of this can be done easily with a laptop.</p>
<p>Whether you decide to buy a desktop PC or a laptop make sure you are happy with the specs and design. Be careful to think about what is best for  you before you go into a shop and let a sales person force you into a sale.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sending Money Safely on the Internet</title>
		<link>http://pccurb.com/sending-money-safel-on-the-internet/</link>
		<comments>http://pccurb.com/sending-money-safel-on-the-internet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 May 2008 23:54:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General PC Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[internet safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[payment processor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[secure payments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sending Money]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pccurb.com/?p=60</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Safety is an important issue concerning people when transferring funds online.  No one wants to  be scammed and  lose any money. However, there are many things you can do to to increase the safety of your transactions and protect your account from scammers.
For sending and receiving payments online, Paypal is the best [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Safety is an important issue concerning people when transferring funds online.  No one wants to  be scammed and  lose any money. However, there are many things you can do to to increase the safety of your transactions and protect your account from scammers.</p>
<p>For sending and receiving payments online, Paypal is the best option and probably the most popular. Paypal is free to setup and easy to use once verified. It is highly used within the buying and selling cmmunity at eBay but that is not surprising considering eBay owns Paypal. Users can make secure transactions with their credit card or direct bank balance to avoid keeping any funds in their paypal account. Just like the eBay system, Paypal users build up a reputation the more safe transactions they acquire. This can be useful if a user ever needs to file a dispute against another member to recover funds.</p>
<p>Despite being the best payment processor online, some people still hate it. Most of these people are just unhappy that it isn&#8217;t available in their country or their funds have been ceased for ussing a VCC (virtual credit card) etc. However, any action that is taken, is done so in the best interests of the Paypal community.</p>
<p>There is always a chance you will lose your money no matter what payment processor  you use. The internet can be a dangerous place and you have to be extra careful when handling money because you never know the identity of the person  you are dealing with.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Three simple optimization tips for Windows XP.</title>
		<link>http://pccurb.com/three-simple-optimization-tips-for-windows-xp/</link>
		<comments>http://pccurb.com/three-simple-optimization-tips-for-windows-xp/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:07:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General PC Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[general windows xp optimization tips improve performanc]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.pccurb.com/three-simple-optimization-tips-for-windows-xp/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When using the start menu of an XP computer, you will notice a delay between different programs you scroll across.  To make your computer browsing experience quicker it would be better to eliminate this period of delay so they come up instantly. To do so, follow the steps here. They are completely safe.
Go to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal">When using the start menu of an XP computer, you will notice a delay between different programs you scroll across. <span> </span>To make your computer browsing experience quicker it would be better to eliminate this period of delay so they come up instantly. To do so, follow the steps here. They are completely safe.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in">Go to Start, then Run.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in">Type: ‘Regedit’ and press enter.<br />
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop<br />
Select MenuShowDelay from the list on the right.<br />
Right on it and select Modify.<br />
Change the value to 0.<br />
Restart your computer.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in">You will notice immediately that you can navigate around installed programs a lot faster.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A few random shortcuts to assist you:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Windows Key + E &#8211; Windows Explorer<br />
Windows Key + F &#8211; Launch Find tool<br />
Windows Key + U &#8211; Launch the Utility Manager<br />
Windows Key + Pause/Break &#8211; System Properties<br />
Windows Key + D – Minimize/minimize current all windows.<br />
Windows Key + L &#8211; Quick Log Off</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Windows Key + M &#8211; Minimize all windows</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Windows Key + R &#8211; Launch Run Tool</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lastly, to disable effects Windows XP uses for your own personal convenience or enhanced computer performance, Right click My Computer, go to Properties, then Advanced, then Settings under Performance and have a little play around with these until you are happy.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pccurb.com/systemproperties1.jpg" target="_blank">Image 1</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.pccurb.com/systemproperties2.jpg" target="_blank">Image 2</a></p>
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