HJDS Computer Services Computer Systems Support and Installation.

The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.
http://hjdsinvestmentgroup.com/blog

Posted under Twitter post

The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.
http://hjdsinvestmentgroup.com/blog

Posted under Twitter post

The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.
http://hjdsinvestmentgroup.com/blog

Posted under Twitter post

Well mail server down this morning. Oh no what do I do now…We are so connected via the net that we are lost with out it.

Posted under Twitter post

Computer errors can pop up when least expected, they can cause the entire system to suddenly shut down, and they can inadvertently corrupt data to the point where it can’t be deciphered. Although they can’t always be avoided, it’s important to remember that computer errors can be corrected. The key is to understand what computer errors are, understand what they mean when they show up, and understand how to minimize their occurrence in the first place.

Basically, computer errors are the result of a number of things that may or may not have anything to do with the way the computer is used. They “operate” whenever there’s a conflict among commands. Remember that computers essentially run off of a series of commands and it’s usually a smooth process. But when one command conflicts with another command – or when one command asks for a process or information that isn’t available, the computer returns results that aren’t useable. That’s an error.

A budding e.g. of this kind of blunder is when users try to make use of module which isn’t germane for their system. Almost all modules accompanies a list of complement mandate which dictates what a mechanism needs to have in sequence for a module to work properly. To minimize errors of this sort, regularly determine which your mechanism has a compulsory components. A plan government module which you’re meddlesome in might need a specific handling system, similar to Windows XP for example. And nonetheless this module might implement usually excellent upon a Windows 98 machine, it will beget a crowd of errors once a started.

Insufficient memory will cause errors as well. That’s why software programs include minimum memory requirements. A program that needs 14MB of memory will generate errors on a computer that only has 4MB of memory if it runs at all. The same goes for disk space, monitor color depth and resolution. In these situations, problems occur the moment that a piece of software attempts to access the things (hardware, memory, space, resolution, etc.) that it cannot find.

Because some programs share common files, errors can also occur when these shared files are not up to date. For instance, let’s say that Program A is already installed on a computer and it’s working just fine. Then let’s say that the individual of that computer downloads and installs Program B. Program B uses a file that Program an installed much earlier, but when Program B is run, errors popup. Those errors are the result of Program B attempting to use an outdated (shared) file that was installed by Program A. In order to fix that problem, the individual would have to download an updated version of the shared file (which to say the least – is not a cushy thing to find or do).

Sometimes, errors occur because a system doesn’t have the required drivers or the drivers that are on the system are the incorrect version. Both errors in these cases can be resolved by updating the computer on a regular basis. Microsoft provides a section on its website that can automatically update a computer online and it does this at no cost in an effort to reduce errors like this. Always try to keep your computer updated so that should a program share a file, it will share a file that has been updated on hundreds of thousands of computers, like yours.

This essay doesn’t even proceed to cover a complete progression of mechanism errors – though one more report per how to get assistance with a mechanism emanate (including mechanism errors) can be found in a essay titled, “Computer Help” no make a difference what a complaint is.

Posted under Software

Excel’s AutoFill feature relies on the program’s ability to recognize patterns in the data that you enter. For example, if you type “Week 1″ in a cell, you can have the program automatically fill in “Week 2″, “Week 3″, etc. by using the AutoFill handle. This is located in the bottom right of the cell. As the cursor moves over it, the cursor changes appearance to a plus sign (+). When it does so you simply click, hold, drag in any direction and Excel will pick up the pattern and extrapolate it to create automatic data entries.

Each time you use the AutoFill handle Excel displays the AutoFill Options drop down menu just below the last cell which has been automatically created. If the program has not entered the data you wanted it to, just choose one of the entries in the AutoFill Options to tell it what you wanted it to do. For example, if you choose Copy Cells, Excel will generate an exact copy of what was in the original cell.

Excel is also capable of automatically entering an arbitrary series of data using a feature called Custom Lists. There are certain lists built into Excel, for example, the months of the year. To use the AutoFill feature, you need to enter the first value in the list, for example, “January” or “Jan”. Next, you drag the AutoFill handle (located in the bottom right of the cell) in any direction to have Excel automatically enter the rest of the custom list.

In addition to these built-in lists Excel allows you to create your own custom lists. For example, suppose we worked for a company that has branches in several towns. It’s almost certain that we would list these towns quite frequently in our spreadsheets. We could therefore save ourselves considerable time by setting this up as a custom list.

To do this, simply select cells in one of your worksheets that contain the information. Next, click on the Office button and choose Excel options. Click on “Edit Custom Lists” in the “Popular” category. Excel displays the contents of the cells that we highlighted. To convert the selected data into a custom list, we simply click on the “Import” button.

Once you’ve created a custom list, it can be used in any of your worksheets, not just the sheet that contained the original information. To generate the entries in the list, simply type the first value. Next, drag the AutoFill handle to conjure up the remaining entries. When using this facility, we can drag in any direction and we don’t have to start with the first member of the custom list.

You can also create custom lists directly in the “Custom Lists” dialog box. Simply click on the “List Entries” button and enter the elements separated by a carriage return. When you have finished entering your list, click on the Add button.

To delete a custom list, simply highlight its name and click on the “Delete” button. Excel checks to see that you really want to delete it. When you click “OK”, the list is permanently deleted.

Posted under Software

External storage devices are becoming more and more popular. With this, manufacturers are constantly attempting to make theirs better than those of their competitors. OWC has managed to do just this, offering one of the largest external storage devices around with the latest release of the Mercury On-The-Go (500GB).

Hitachis TravelStar 5k400 hard drive ensures that the Mercury On-The-Go 500GB, 5400RPM runs at optimal speeds, offering performance like no other. This unit has multiple connectivity ports: FireWire 400, FireWire 800, and a mini USB 2.0 port – all of which is available from the back end of the device. Read / write speeds are phenomenal, on this unit, and typically higher than that of its competitors. Users will notice this difference regardless of the connection type that they are using. There is; however, very little difference, in read / write performance, between the FireWire 800 and FireWire 400 ports.

These ports, both FireWire ports and the USB port, allow consumers to connect – immediately – with any plug-n-play device that also allows for FireWire and USB connectivity. This functionality is beyond useful for those who need to transfer (for backup purposes of just because) their files, from these devices, from wherever they are located.

Whether you have an Apple or Windows computer, the Mercury On-The-Go is compatible with both. This device does not come formatted for either operating system, giving you the flexibility to format it to your needs. One possible downfall; however, is the fact that the Mercury On-The-Go cannot be formatted to connect to both Apple and Windows; it must be one or the other.

Upon opening the box you will find, not only your standard AC adapter and cables, but backup software as well. Backup software is provided for both MAC and Windows machines: NovaStore NovaBackup for Windows, and Prosoft Data Backup for MACs.

On the back of the device, where the USB and FireWire connections are, is also where the power switch is located, making it simple to power down for travel and down time. Additionally, power consumption is low with this unit. Typically, enough power is supplied, to the device, through the USB or FireWire connections (USB 2.0 not USB 1.1).

OWC encased this drive with a clear hard plastic. This allows consumers to visually experience the inner workings of the device, which is needed considering that the only LED light, on the unit, is on the hard drive itself.

Many external storage units fit the bill of compact; however, this one sits on the line at 5.5 x 3 x 1 inch. It is still small enough to travel with but, by far, not the smallest on the market. The overall performance and storage capacity, on the Mercury On-The-Go, overpowers the size of the unit, making this a non-issue for many buyers.

You not only get to take advantage of the 1-year warranty, offered by OWC, but also the 2-year warranty offered by Hitachi on their TravelStar 5K500. For the price of one, you get two warranties, bundled into one device.

The sticker price is nowhere near as compact as the unit at an average of $359.99 per unit. This is a bit higher than many other external drives; however, many are not even in the same ballpark as the Mercury On-The-Go because of the available storage capacity and its read / write speeds. If you are not concerned about functionality, cheaper is the way to go, if you want the top of the line, the Mercury On-The-Go 500GB is the right choice.

Posted under Hardware

Wouldn’t it be great to choose your own iPhone ringtones, instead of letting Apple choose them for you? What if you like to designate a different ringtone for each one of your friends, and you have more than 25 friends? How do you get new iPhone ringtones onto your iPhone?

If you have a song library on your computer, you can create customized iPhone ringtones for your iPhone! All you need to use is your computer and iTunes – no hacking software required! It’s a bit complicated, but if you take it step by step you will end up with your own choice of ringtones!

Step 1. Open iTunes.

Step 2. Right click on whatever song you want to use to create your new iPhone ringtone. Select GET INFO.

Step 3. Go to your OPTIONS tab, and in the menu check the START TIME and STOP TIME checkboxes. Put in a 30 second or less segment of the song into these times. Click OK.

Step 4. Right click on your song segment. Select CONVERT SELECTION TO AAC.

Step 5. When it has finished converting your song segment, go to your iTunes music folder. Browse to your song segment, and drag it to your desktop.

Step 6. Now you want to delete your clipped song segment from your iTunes music folder.

Step 7. Back at your desktop, right click on your song, and click GET INFO.

Step 8. Change the extension at the end of the file name to .M4r.

Step 9. Double click the file. This will include it in your ringtones section of your iTunes library.

Step 10. SYNC your iPhone with iTunes.

That’s all you do! You now have a new, customized iPhone ringtone on your iPhone.

Whew! That was kind of tedious! Seems like a lot of trouble to go to just to get one iPhone ringtone onto your iPhone, doesn’t it?

There is an easier way. If you would like to save yourself a lot of time and trouble, you will be happy to discover that you can pick up thousands of iPhone ringtones, already formatted for your iPhone, over at TheiPhoneDVD. Not only are there thousands of them, but all these ringtones are also stuffed onto the very same DVD. That’s right! The iPhone DVD includes 30,000 iPhone ringtones, all in one place, and all iPhone-ready for you to put right into your own ringtone library. It’s so simple.

So you can get your iPhone ringtones the hard way, by following the 10 steps above, or you can save your energy for more important things and grab The iPhone DVD today. Get your iPhone ringtones the quick and easy way, and add new ringtones to your iPhone at the touch of a button. You’ll be glad you did!

Posted under Software