Use Windows ReadyBoost to Improve PC Performance

How to Use ReadyBoost to Speed Up Windows 7

One of the most useful features of Windows 7 that is often overlooked is ReadyBoost. It was first introduced with Windows Vista but many users found the technology less than impressive. However, Windows 7 has seen a vast improvement and can lead to significant gains in computer speed and data handling.

ReadyBoost is simple to set up and requires no special skills. The only item required is a blank working USB Flash Drive (aka USB Memory Stick) between 1-8Gb in size. Although smaller and larger sizes will work as well.

As the USB drive will be connected to your pc for some considerable time, it would be best to choose a location somewhat out of the way - say, at the rear of your computer.

Ok, let's start:-

1) Plug your USB Flash Drive firmly into the pc and watch for this screen to appear on the monitor:

2) Click on 'Speed Up My System' and the next screen will appear:

3) Choose the option 'Dedicate this device to ReadyBoost' Apply & OK.

ReadyBoost is now set-up and operating.

You will see that in My Computer it shows as a extra drive with a red line underneath it. This informs the user that it cannot be used to store data.

If at anytime the USB Flash Drive is temporarily removed or changed, the ReadyBoost set-up procedure will have to be repeated.

DON'T Change Your Email Password!

This article concerns those users who use a desktop email client such as Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Outlook or Windows Live Mail. In other words, where emails are stored on the computer and not accessed via a webpage.

Every now and then, when you open your email client, you may get a message telling you that your email cannot be downloaded because your username or password is incorrect.

If you've had no problem downloading your email in the past, then this standard message is going to be very misleading. The best advice is NOT to panic and NOT to change any details.

If you can still access the internet through your web browser, then the fault is very likely to lay with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). All ISP's have problems now and again, and these are usually speedily fixed. You should give your ISP at least 12 hours to fix the problem.

Check the Service Status on the ISP's website to confirm any problems they might be experiencing. You could even access your email through the online webmail facility (you will need your username and password to login). 


If the user loses patience and starts to change usernames and passwords, these will be remembered by the email client and when the ISP comes back online, the username and password really will be WRONG!

Laptop Overheating Explained

As a laptop gets older, one of the most common faults is overheating. There are two main causes: blockage of the cooling system by dust and fluff, or a faulty fan. Bad design can also be to blame but we shall not be looking at that cause here.

How Does The Heating System Get Blocked?
Laptops produce a significant amount of heat that is generated by the CPU, GPU and other components; this needs to be evacuated as quickly as possible. Without getting too technical, a fan draws cool air in and directs it over a radiator where the heat has been directed by copper pipes (similar to a car engine).
As a result of the cool air being drawn in by the fan, particles of dust and fluff are also sucked in. It's these particles that collect in front of the radiator, building up over time to form an impenetrable barrier. Cool air cannot pass over the radiator and the components overheat as a result.

Dust and Fluff Can Clearly Be Seen on the Fan Intake

The Cooling Fan
A faulty, or underperforming fan can occur due to a failed motor, missing blade(s), or some form of obstruction. All fans eventually fail and an early replacement can extend the life of a laptop considerably.

This Fan is Totally Chocked With Fluff and Dust!

Signs of Overheating
The laptop base gets VERY hot! It may be too hot to put on your lap!
Little or no air coming from the exhaust port.
The laptop cuts out or throws up a blue screen.
The Laptop becomes very slow.
The fan becomes noisy.

A 'Carpet' of Fluff Completely Blocking the Cooling Radiator 

Consequences of Overheating
Most laptops have a thermal cut-out in place that detects overheating and stops the machine working. However, this is not always quick enough to prevent damage to the CPU or GPU. Once this happens, there is no alternative but to replace the processors (very expensive), or scrap the laptop!
Once a laptop is overheating, its useful life is considerably reduced.

How We Repair
Despite mis-guided advice to the contrary, there is only one solution to this problem, and that is to dismantle the laptop, remove the motherboard and clean out the accumulated dust blockage by hand. It cannot effectively be removed by vacuum cleaner or poking around with a paper clip!
Renewal of a faulty fan also requires the removal of the motherboard.
Our repairs include the complete removal of all particle blockages and a complete cleaning of the internal laptop cavity and components. Should the fan require lubricating or replacing, we can also include that procedure.

Our work is carried out extremely carefully and by our most experienced technician. After the procedure, you will be able to work normally once again, as the operating system and data will be unaffected.

Back-Up Your Data, Now!

At PC Partners we are constantly advising our customers to back-up their data.  The complete loss of pictures, documents and music due to hardware failure can be a real shock.

First of all, let's remind ourselves of what a back-up really is. It's a copy of your data in TWO or more places. It is not a transfer of data to an external storage device that removes it from the original location - unless you are making two or more copies on different devices in separate physical locations.

Even back-up devices can fail and, if you only have one data copy on one device, the risk of losing everything remains the same.

You can back-up to various devices such as an external hard drive, USB memory stick, online cloud-based facilities or optical storage (cd's, dvd's etc.). There are other devices, but you get the idea.

I don't intend to discuss the merits of each device, but I do want to stress that ANY back-up, on ANY device is better than nothing.

Wherever you choose to store your data, make sure you do it regularly. Once a week for the light home user, or everyday for the heavy data generators (authors, etc).

IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE ANY DATA UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES...

Always keep a copy off-site. That is, with a neighbour, a relative or at work.
Accidents can happen - fire, flood, children, parents and dogs have all been known to destroy precious data.

Make your back-up NOW and sleep better at night.

If you think you have lost data, visit our data recovery page, we can help.

Can't Like or Dislike Youtube Videos Anymore?

A recent update by Google has made it seemingly impossible for some users to like or dislike Youtube videos.

The answer is that from now on, you will only be able to like or dislike after you have watched the whole video! And even then the active thumbs up or thumbs down buttons have moved the to top of the finished video.

Don't like this change? You are not alone. Google seem to be making a habit of upsetting users these days with their seemingly arbitrary meddling. All in the name of making even more profits!

More Spam with Outlook.com!

As an IT company we have several Hotmail accounts for testing purposes only.  They have been set-up for years and never used to mail third-parties. Our spam boxes have remained empty up until now.

However, since being transferred to Outlook.com, our spam count has suddenly soared from zero to ten a day, on all accounts!

Is this just coincidence or has the unthinkable happened? Are Microsoft really selling email addresses on?

Has anyone else noticed a sudden increase in spam since the roll-out of Outlook.com? 

Browsing The Internet Without Ads!

We all know how irritating it is when you are bombarded by advertising on practically every website you visit. Sometimes it's even difficult to tell the ads from the content. Let's face it, no one visits a website for the advertising, do they?

Before: Weatherbug site with Three blocks of Ads

What can you do? Here's one of the best solutions; it works and it's free!

First of all, visit here and pick up the latest version of Mozilla Firefox browser. Once you have set up the browser, make sure you right-click on the top bar and put a tick by 'Menu Bar'. You'll then see the standard 'File Edit View' menu appear at the top of the browser.

Secondly, from this top menu, click on Tools and then Add-ons. That will open a new tab for the Add-ons Manager. From the left menu, click on Get Add-ons .

To the top right of the tab, you will see a search box. Type in 'Adblock Plus 2.2.3' (without the ') and click search. If the top results do not show Adblock Plus, click on 'See All 85 Results' at the bottom of the list. The next tab should have Adblock Plus at the top of the list. Click ' +Add to Firefox ' and follow the instructions. Adblock will work after you close down firefox and open it up again.

Go to the website with the advertising that annoys you most and test it out. You should notice a big difference. If you want more ads to disappear, carry out the instructions in the previous paragraph and this time search for and install 'Ads no more 2.1'. It's quite safe to have the two add-ins running at once.

After: Weatherbug site with all ads gone!

The examples shown here with the Weatherbug site illustrate just what can be achieved. There's nothing quite as satisfying as visiting a favourite website that was once infested with ads, to find that they have all disappeared and you're left with pure content...which after all, is what you went there for in the first place!