How to Reset Linksys Router Password wrt54g and BEFWIIS4

Do you have a Linksys router and you have forgotten your password or you want to reset the password to the default. Firstly you must have physical access to the router. This article is basically for WRT54g and model BEFW11S4
If you have changed the password from the default password and have forgotten the default or your router did not come with any documentation.
To regain access to the router try the following. In the username field leave it blank and in the password field type admin

Username / leave blank
password / admin

The Rest Button on a Linksys Router

To reset the router
While the back of your router might look different, the reset button is usually clearly marked. To reset the router to the default password, insert something thin--like a pencil point--and depress the red button. Hold that for a few seconds. The password for your Linksys router should have reverted to its default.
Try accessing it from a machine that is plugged directly into it. The default address is usually http://192.168.1.1. When you gain access to the router then you can change the password to any word of your choice.

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How to uninstall yahoo messenger without registry tweak

Yahoo messenger no doubt is the most widely used chating software and it is so much fun chating with yahoo messenger. Yahoo also has do greatly by constant upgrade of yahoo messenger to the most current one now that is vista like and has advance functionality but There are some times you may be having problem with yahoo messenger especially yahoo messenger 9.0 beta.

You try uninstalling it and in the process you get stocked and cannot uninstall yahoo messenger. You may want to delete it from the program files and change some registry entries. This will stop yahoo messenger from running but you have also left junks in your computer.

It is a simple process. Click on the start button on the task bar, click control panel, double click add or remove program on the window that will open scroll down to find yahoo messenger then click change/remove this will start the uninstallation process, finally click on finish and it will be uninstalled. Some times when you try to uninstall yahoo messenger it stops on the way or it shows some error messages that it cannot be uninstalled. What you need to do is just install yahoo messenger again on the same computer this will correct any bad file. Then you can now uninstall it.

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How to troubleshoot a Hard Drive

For now there are two type of Hard drive used in computers. The Hard drive in your system may be an IDE or a SATA. IDE is the older variety, with the long, flat ribbon cable connector. SATA drives began appearing a couple of years ago. Gone is the flat ribbon cable. In its place is a thick serial cable.

Your hard drive have jumper on the rear. For the IDE HDD the jumper cap is used to indicate which drive is either the master, slave. You can also configure the IDE to use the ribbon cable as the basis for selecting which is master and which is slave this is call the cable select.

New hard disk installation

If you just bought a new hard drive and you want to install it first if its and IDE hard disk change the jumper cap to master, slave or cable select as you wish. Master is used when you have may be a CD-ROM drive and you are using one ribbon cable, slave is used when you have two IDE hard disk in one computer and you want the other hard disk to be master may be because you want to back up your files then you can put the jumper cap of the new hard disk on the slave pins. Cable select is use when you want the hard disk to be seen according to which part of the ribbon cable is connected to it. If it’s a SATA hard disk, don’t worry about setting the jumper just use its cable and connect it properly.

Old hard disk troubleshooting

Check your power cable
Sometimes a power cable is not properly connected. Make sure that the power cable you are using is good and change the current Molex power cable and use another one to power it

Configure the BIOS
You have to make sure that the hard disk is properly connected and the jumper cap is also properly placed, secondly check the BIOS. You will need to tap a certain key to enter the BIOS settings. This is normally the ESC, F1, F2, F10 or Delete key and is usually indicated on the very first screen when booting the PC. Once in the BIOS make sure the drive shows up in the appropriate place. If the hard disk is the master try detecting it and change the boot sequence to the master as the first boot device, and make sure it is set to Auto Detect the drive.

Check your IDE cable
Sometimes the IDE cable is not properly connected. Get another IDE cable and use it to connect the drives and make sure that it is properly connected.

Check if the drive is spinning
If the hard drive is not spinning, then it may not be getting power. You may need to listen real close to hear it spin, or touch the side with your finger to feel any vibration. If the drive is not spinning, test the power dongle with a multimeter, or try a different power connector. A power supply will often have several Molex connectors not being used. If the hard drive still does not spin up, the drive may be dead.
Sometimes may be something is just wrong with your computer that you can figure, so you have to try the hard disk in another computer before finalizing that its bad.

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How to Install A SATA Hard Drive

Installing a Serial ATA hard disk drive is generally easier than an IDE drive, as it is not necessary to configure jumpers. While physically installing the hard drive in the machine is similar, the SATA drives require fewer configurations and planning. The hard drive has jumpers at the rear of the drive, but they are used for power management and have nothing to do with Master, Slave and Cable Select like the IDE drives use.

Just like any hard drive, there are some precautions you must take when handling a new drive. Before doing anything, read the manufacturer's directions and follow any special instructions that might have been shipped with the HDD.

SATA HDD precautions

• Turn off and unplug the computer.
• Wear an anti-static wrist band or make sure you are properly grounded.
• Do not put stickers or labels on the drive.
• Do not touch the electronics on the hard drive.

Installation process

You can mount the SATA drive in the computer any way you want (flat, upright, and upside down) provided you use the screw mounts on the side or top of the drive. Mount the drive where you will have good air flow and be sure to use the SATA cable that ships with the drive or one that is less than 39 inches, which is within the SATA specification. You can connect the serial cable to a SATA controller on the motherboard, or a controller card if the motherboard does not have an on-board SATA controller.

Next, connect power to the drive using the SATA power connector or the legacy Molex connector. Do not use both at the same time, as this could hurt the hard drive.
SATA hard drive is better than IDE drives both in power consumption and speed. So when next you want to build new computer, consider installing a SATA drive.

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How to partition your hard drive using FDISK

Have ever seen a computer with one hard drive but when you boot the computer you always see two drives. This is usually done using FDISK. FDISK is a utility that let you partition your hard disk. It is also used to delete a partition

Before you can format your hard drive, you must partition it. Most drives only have a Primary partition, but that partition can be split into an Extended partition which can be further divided into Logical Drives. The C: drive is normally the Primary partition. The logical drives after that can be labeled D: E: F: etc. To partition the drive you'll need a boot disk. This disk (sometimes called a Startup Disk) will contain the FDISK utility. We recommend downloading one from bootdisk.com to match your Operating System, or you can get windows 98 bootable CD. You can use FDISK utility.

Creating Partition

Once the boot disk has been created, insert the disk and reboot. You will eventually wind up at the A:/ prompt. Type FDISK and hit enter. You will be taken to a screen with the following options: or you can use windows 98 bootable CD

1. Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive
2. Set active partition
3. Delete Partitions or Logical DOS Drive
4. Display partition information
5. Change current fixed drive

You will choose option one first, then when asked if you want to use the entire amount of space for this you will say Y if you have no intention of partitioning further, or N if you want to create an extended partition (recommended). Your extended partition must take up the remaining space on the disk. You will then be able to create Logical drives.

Your Primary partition should automatically be set as the Active partition. If not, you may need to go to the option 2 to designate it as such.
Keep in mind that there are some restrictions on partition sizes. You may need to partition huge drives into 64 gigs or smaller.

Deleting Partitions

Before creating partitions on older drives, you will have to delete the current partitions. Backup any important data because all data will be lost after deleting a partition. To avoid losing data, you can use non-destructive partitioning software such as Partition Magic--but it's wise to backup just in case.
If you have an NTFS partition on a drive FDISK will not be able to remove it. You'll probably see an error like this NTLDR is missing. Press any key to restart. You can use a utility called delpart.exe to remove the NTFS partition. This is also available at bootdisk.com.

Hard Drive Utilities

Most hard drive manufacturers include partitioning and copying software with the new drives. This will be a disk similar to a boot disk that will provide a graphical interface that walks you through the process of transferring files from one drive to another and partitioning the new disk into the FAT 32 or NTFS format. This is by far the easiest way to go. However, it is still recommended that you know the differences between a Primary, Extended and Logical drive.

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How to Troubleshoot a Motherboard

Troubleshooting is a set of procedures that entails using your mental tools to dictate and rectify a fault on the computer system. The motherboard is the one component that connects to every other component on the system. For that reason it’s also one of the hardest to troubleshoot.

Check the power supply

When trying to diagnose a bad motherboard that will not power up, you must first check the power supply. Use a tester to test the voltage of current supplied to the computer. If the power supply and power pack checks out okay make sure you are plugging the computer directly into a working outlet.
Check your ram
The next step to take is to check and make sure that the ram is ok. To do this note that the motherboard comes with two ram banks (slots).insert the ram into the first bank (slot). It is normally labeled bank 0 and bank 1 or bank 1 and bank 2. Whichever way just make sure that it is occupying the first slot. Power your computer, if it does not come up.

Use isolation method

Remove any add-on card. Like network card, sound etc including any IDE device connected to the board like hard disk, CD-ROM drives and any external device like printer, scanner etc. after isolating these components power the motherboard. If it comes up then connect the devices one after the other.

Look For Physical Defects on the Motherboard

Common problems with motherboards are leaking capacitors. Capacitors help regulate voltage and when they fail, they will often budge and leak. Capacitors look like tiny soda cans and there are often several on a motherboard. If you do not see any bad capacitors, lift the computer and give it a gentle shake. Listen for any screws that may have come loose and work their way between the motherboard and case. This can cause a short that prevents the computer from booting.

Check your CMOS battery

If the motherboard still does not come up, the next step is to check the CMOS battery. The CMOS battery is suppose to read 3 volts, if it reads 2.5 it’s still ok, but if reads less than 2.5 volts then the battery needs to be replace. Change the battery with a new one. Then check the CMOS jumper. If it is in pin 2 and 3 that means it is disabled, correct it to pin 1 and 2. If you have done that power computer. If it does not come up.

Check your processor

Finally check if your processor is good. To do this, uninstall the cooling fan and heat sink but leave only the processor connected. Power your computer, it should come up by now.

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Parental Controls in Internet Explorer 7

The parental controls in Internet Explorer 7 gives you the opportunity to control when your child uses the computer, what time your child uses the computer and the type of content your child views when online. Gaming can even be blocked or controlled by using the Electronic Software Rating Boards review system. This article will explain how to enable the Parental Controls in Vista and Internet Explorer so you can feel better about allowing your child to experience the Internet without fear of being exploited or exposed to mature content.

To setup Parental Controls open Internet Explorer and go to Tools, Internet Options and then click the Content tab. Click the Parental Controls button. You will then see a screen which allows you to make settings for the various usernames you have setup on the computer. Once you select your child's username, you can then toggle on the Parental Controls option and begin configuring the settings.

Time Limits

You can set the hours of the day your child will be able to use the PC by blocking out restricted hours. You will see a grid with the days of the weeks and the hours. If you do not want your child to use the PC after 10 PM every night, setting the parental controls can prevent that activity. Click and drag your mouse pointer over the days and hours you want to restrict your child's usage and the blocks will become blue in color. When finished, click OK to exit this setting.

Game Restrictions

The ESRB rates games and labels them with rating tags. If you want to block violent or provocative games from your child, selecting the ESRB's game level of your child will prevent them from playing games with a mature rating. You can even check boxes that block specific games containing content such as Blood, nudity and bad language.

Viewing the Log

Probably the most important feature of Parental Controls is monitoring the types of content your children are viewing and playing. The activity log files can show you Emails, Instant Messages, top websites visited and other important facts about your childs activity on the computer. Use this information to tweak the Parental Controls so you can give your children the freedom to explore and learn in a safe, controlled environment.

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Step by step guide to map your network drive

The world has become a technology driven environment and computers need to be networked for effective sharing of files. Many homes now contain servers, wireless and more than one computer, In a home or office with more than one computer and wireless Sharing data between these computers becomes very important, so it becomes necessary to create a way to access and share files among these computers. One of the best ways to do this is to map your network drives. Mapping a network drive is a way of making that drive accessible from My computer and assigning a letter to the drive. If you have more than one computer that you will want to share files among themselves or from a server, having it mapped to a specific drive letter on all computers makes that data easily accessible.

To map a network drive in Windows, you first need to know the path to the drive you want to share. E.g. \\computername\drive name so if you want to share drive C: of a computer named MANAGER, the path would be \\office\ C: You can also do it by the computer's IP address if the IP is static. \\192.168.1.5\C:

Note: before mapping a drive on the MANAGER computer that the drive has been shared. To do so, right-click drive C: and select Sharing and Security. In the next Window, specify the share name you want to use on the network.

Once you know the path to the shared folder, you can begin mapping the drive in Windows. To start, right-click My Computer, then select Map Network Drive...You will see a place to indicate a drive letter and a place to designate the folder. You can "Browse" the network to locate the drive, if you can’t find it, you'll need to manually type in the path as we did above i.e. \\computername\drivename.

NOTE: 1. Try and keep the drive letter you assign the same on all machines.
2. Keep Reconnect at Login checked so the computer automatically reconnects to the share when you reboot the computer.

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How to Backup Your Computer Data

Routinely backing up our important data is something we should all do. Unfortunately, we don't realize this until we're scrambling to recover data on a hard drive that has just gone south. Family photos, MP3s, that spreadsheet you've been doing for work--all gone. You can avoid this traumatic experience by using the backup utility that comes with Windows. This article outlines a few simple techniques you can use to make sure your computer data is safe.

Storage locations

Get a CD burner and occasionally drag and drop your files onto a disk using the software that came with the device (Usually something like Roxio Easy CD Creator or Nero). A flaw in this technique is that you will inevitably forget to do this, and before you realize it, it's been a year since your last backup.
If you're determined to use this method, we suggest weekly backups as well as monthly backups, where you physically remove the backed up data from your home or office and store it at another location. A house fire or other disaster could destroy both your PC and your backup sitting beside it on the desk. So you'll increase your odds if you keep a monthly copy in a safe deposit box, at work, or at a family member's home.

Windows Backup

Windows has a backup program ready to go on your system. Navigate to START, PROGRAMS, ACCESSORIES, then SYSTEM TOOLS and you'll find the backup utility. While older versions of this utility will differ slightly from XP Professional's, you'll be able to follow the Wizard when backing up.
You can backup the entire system, which isn't a great idea. Windows and other programs can be reinstalled. So you're probably better off keeping your data in a centralized location, such as your My Documents folder. You can add folders within that directory by opening My Documents and right-clicking an empty space. Name the new folders whatever you want and organize your data. Then use the Windows backup utility to create a backup of your data. Put this file on another hard drive, burn it to disk, or copy it over to another computer on your network.
Also, take a moment to schedule backups. The Windows backup utility will give you a chance to schedule backups automatically. This is normally located under the advanced tab at the end of the backup process. Take a moment to set this up.

Use online storage

If you're having a problem with finding media to backup to, take advantage of free Yahoo Mail, Google Gmail accounts and other free email providers. You can get up to 2 Gigabytes of storage space on these accounts. What does this mean? You can email yourself attachments containing data. So you essentially have an invisible hard drive Out There on the Internet. This is great for temporary or redundant storage, but do not rely on it for the long term.

External disk

Another way to back up your document is to get an external hard disk and always back up to this disk at least once every week

Finally

No matter how you backup, make sure you never rely on a single source. Rotate your backups out of the home, Email them to yourself or place them on a separate partition on your hard drive. Take advantage of the backup utility in Windows and use the scheduler feature to automate things. Be proactive with your data, and you will be better off when your system fails....and it will fail eventually.

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How to share a dial-up internet connection

Do you have a dialup internet on your computer at home or in your office and you want to share it with other computers in your home or office?
In this article I will be sharing with you how to share a dial up internet connection over LAN.
If you are using more than two computers then you need a network switch else you just need to terminate one end of the cable using the standard method and the other end crossed method.
A dial up can come through a USB cable or a network cable. If your dial up comes with a USB cable then you just have to use your onboard network card. If it comes with a network cable, you have to get an add-on network card, one card will be for the internet and the other card will be connected to the network switch.

On the computer with the internet open my network connections, right click on your dial up network and click properties. on the property window, check allow other network users to connect through this computer’s internet connection. Also, check establish a dial up connection whenever a computer on my network attempts to access the internet. But the third unchecked box is a choice you either check it is you trust the people you are sharing with or leave it unchecked. Click ok.
Open control panel click network setup wizard, click next on the first screen you see on the second screen select the second option (this computer connects to the internet through a residential gateway or through another computer on my network), click next the computer description can be blank but you have to enter a computer name for that computer alone (e.g children’s pc, manager, son etc) and click next. For the work group you have to enter a name that is the name of the your network and the name will be used in any other computer that wants to be part of your network. you can use family if this is your house network or your company name if it’s your office network. Then Click next on the next screen select turn on file and printer sharing click next to see the preview your settings lastly click next to setup the network this process will take a little while. Once that is done select just finish the wizard and next, connect the other computers to the network switch.
On the other workstations simply use the network setup wizard to add the computer to the network and remember that the work group name must be the same for them to see themselves.
note that if you are using more than two computers, you have to get a network switch and connect the source out cable to the network switch and connect all the other work stations to the network switch.

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My computer is not browsing

Recently a friend brought his laptop to me and complained that the laptop is connected to a network but it is not browsing. On another occasion a laptop was brought to me in my office with the same problem of not browsing, so I thought I should share it with you.
The above cases had different causes and different solution where applied to them. In this article I will be sharing the solutions to make your computer browse.

Firstly you have to check your network adapter from the device manager if it is well assigned. To do that right click on my computer, click properties, click hardware tab, click device manager
If it is not marked with a yellow question mark then it’s well assigned.
Now open your internet explorer, click on file menu you will see work offline in the drop down menu if it’s checked uncheck it.

Then close the internet explorer and open it again. if your computer is still not browsing click on tools menu, and click internet option from the drop down menu. Click on connection tab and click LAN settings if “use a proxy server for you LAN ………”is checked uncheck it. Then check “Automatically dictate settings” and close the LAN setting Window. Back on the internet option window still on connection tab if you use a dial-up network also, you will see it there and click remove to remove it. But if the dial up is what you are using currently don’t remove it. Just select the dialup network and click setting by your right.
On the settings window also make sure that ”use proxy server for this connection…….” Is not checked and also make sure that automatically dictate settings is checked. Click ok and apply. You will get back to internet option window click general tab and delete all the cookies, temporary internet files and browser history. Restart your computer and connect your LAN or the network that you are using. Launch internet explorer and it should browse by now. If it is still not browsing install a registry cleaner and scan your computer to remove junk registry entries when you are through with that restart your computer. Connect to your network your computer will start browsing.

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