Q How can I compress MP3 files? Is there a software that I can download for free?

A You can use software like SUPER. It's available free of charge from www.erightsoft.com/SUPER. You can use it to compress your MP3 or even change it from one format to another.

Q I have a Compaq Evo P4 with 2.4 GHz processor, 512 MB Ram and 160 GB hard disk. The problem is that whenever I log on to my Yahoo! mail account and check and send mails or open my contact list, the window stops responding.

A I suggest that you first run both Spybot Search and Destroy and Ad-aware (www.download.com) on your system, followed up by PrevX EDGE (www.prevx.com) and see if they find anything. If they don't, you could try other browsers, such as Firefox. Also, try to upgrade your IE to IE8.0 from www.microsoft.com/downloads.

Q I installed the antivirus Avira AntiVir on my computer which worked quite well for a while. However, a virus attacked my system and it has become very slow. What should I do?

A Your trial to Avira has expired or was cancelled if you used a crack for it. I suggest that you buy a license for Avira Premium for EURO 20 from www.avira.com. But you can use the free version forever and it will keep your system safe.

What I recommend, however, is that you download Comodo (www.comodo.com) as well and install it on your system. You could also use PrevX Edge (www.prevx.com) to scan your system. If it detects viruses, delete the files manually.

For slow boot, type 'Msconfig' in run, go to 'Startup Tab' and disable most of the software (except those required like drivers). Reboot. It also helps if you keep some free space on your hard disk.

Q I am using Windows XP with Internet Explorer v7. The problem is that whenever I close the Internet Explorer it says, “Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close...” How can I control this?

A A repair would work, but it would be better if you could upgrade your Explorer to IE 8 from www.microsoft.com/windows/Internet-explorer/default.aspx.

Q I have an Intel Celeron 2.4 GHz processor, an Asus motherboard and 1024 MB of Ram. I want to know if a 750 GB hard drive is supported on my system or not.

A This depends on the Asus motherboard's number (which you did not give information about). But as a guess if it supports a 2.4 Celeron, then I'm sure it will easily support a 750 GB hard drive. Most new Asus motherboards do.

 
Q I am using Celeron (R), Intel, CPU 1.70 GHz, 256 MB Ram and Win XP. My problem is that sometimes the CPU's lights do not work properly. Should I change the Ram?

A This is a problem with your PSU (Power Supply Unit) or your motherboard. In either case, I suggest you take help of a proper technician.

Q My system is a P4 core2 3.0GHz with 1 MB Ram and an Intel D945GNT motherboard. I am using PTCL broadband connection. The problem is that when I use eMule or uTorrent to download any file, the speed slows down.

A Downloading torrents depends on several factors. Always check the number of seeds displayed for that particular torrent; the more the seeds are, the faster it will work. Visit www.thepiratebay.org or www.btmon.com and find or download any of the torrents for five minutes (the ones with plenty of seeds) and if you are getting a good speed, then the torrent you chose doesn't have enough seeders.

Also, don't cap your upload speed, otherwise some torrentsites / programmes will not download as fast as they can. Your upload speed should be 80 per cent of your connection's speed.

Other problems that you can face are

1) Overloading your modems' NAT table
(http//www.2000trainers.com/cisco-ccna-12/ccna-nat-pat/) or (http//computer.howstuffworks.com/nat2.htm). You'll be required to call your ISPs technical centre to solve this issue.

2) Problems with port forwarding for which you should visit portforward.com

3) Blocking UDP tracker information for which you should check your firewall if you have one.

4) Problem connecting to Tracker, such as “timeout exceeded, HTTP Error 503 Connect failed, [Errno socket error] (10061, 'Connection refused') or (111, 'Connection refused')” for which you should find another torrent.
I suggest that use either uTorrent (www.utorrent.com) or Azueus Vuze (azureus.sourceforge.net/). Both are the best in terms of speed.

Q What is the difference between a laptop and a notebook besides the price?

A Most people use the terms notebook and laptop computer interchangeably and, honestly, with the new generation of devices, there are very few differences left between a laptop and a notebook.

For notebooks, as the term itself connotes, the computer is designed to provide mobile computing that won't break your back, yet offer you all the power that mobile users require for work and some leisure pursuits. This portability normally comes at a price. The level of miniaturisation involved comes at a cost and high end notebooks are quite expensive.

Some of the features that a computer needs to be called a notebook include being ultralight (the less weight the better), four and five hours of battery life, minimal graphics subsystem, 12 to 14 inches screen, the smallest possible keyboard that retains functionality, and low power consumption.

On the other hand, a laptop, as the name suggests, is designed to sit on your lap and you can therefore expect it to be quite large and loaded with features and power. The standard laptop computers usually come with 14 to 17 inches screen, a good graphics subsystem, full-featured keyboards, hi-quality audio system and high performance processors.

In short, notebooks offer reasonable power and extreme portability. Laptops are designed to be capable of replacing an entire desktop PC if necessary while still offering desktop performance in a mobile platform.

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