Wednesday, September 23, 2009

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Take pictures8 tips for super vacation snapshots
8 tips for better holiday photos
Create a stunning photo effect

Watch videosMovies and more with Windows and XBox
Take a Web break: Watch a video, play a game, learn something new
Two monitors are better than one

Listen to musicBuild the ultimate digital music jukebox
Listen to the radio on your computer
Tips for buying music online

Stay in touch with friends7 ways to organize your e-mail
Create an online photo album
Use instant messaging and video to stay in touch

Play games5 cool underrated games
Experience the power of PC gaming
Get your game on

Plan trips and travelFind your way with mapping tools
Share your vacation in real-time
8 tips for better holiday photos

Improve my computer skills4 ways to use Windows Vista at home
10 tips for improving your wireless network
Add more memory to your computer

Fix my computerClean your computer

Optimize your computer for peak performance

Put your PC maintenance routine on autopilot
Customize my PCDownload fun extras for your PC and phone
Save time with quick computer shortcuts
4 reasons to synch your phone with your PC

.
.Put your PC maintenance routine on autopilot
Most people do one of the following when their computer begins to slow down (besides get angry). They either:

1.Improve their computer by buying more memory.

2.Decide to tweak their computer's settings.

3.Figure that their computer is old, there's nothing else they can do, and that it's probably time to buy a new computer.

All these solutions will boost a computer's performance. However, what's to keep your newly blazing PC from slowing down again after a couple months or years? A badly fragmented hard drive will bring even a top-of-the-line new computer to a grinding halt.

One easy option is to try Windows Live OneCare, a new PC care service that helps protect and keep your computer running. OneCare is always on, running in the background. It helps gives you round-the-clock protection and maintenance—virus scanning, firewalls, tune ups, file backups, the whole nine yards. If OneCare detects anything that you can do to improve the health of your computer, the service will automatically show you what action to take and give you a one-click solution. Learn 5 reasons to use OneCare to help protect your computer.

A second option is to create a preventive maintenance plan. One that's easy to set up and set in motion so you never have to think about it again.

The following sections provide information on how to automate a maintenance schedule to keep your PC running smooth. These examples use Microsoft Windows XP. Some of the screens may differ from version to version, but overall you'll find these tasks work for Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Windows 2000, and Windows Vista.

Create a preventive maintenance plan for your computer
When people notice their computer's performance slowing, the most common reason is the hard disk. Your computer's hard disk is a non-removable area that holds all the information available from your computer. Over time, hard disks begin to lose their ability to store data efficiently.

The Windows operating system provides three great tools to help keep your hard drive humming smoothly. These tools are Disk Cleanup, Disk Defragmenter, and Check Disk. Find more information about using these tools to optimize your PC.

Ideally, you should run these tools on the following schedule.

Preventive Maintenance Activity
Recommended Frequency

Clean up the hard disk of temporary files
Weekly

Rearrange (defragment) the hard disk
Monthly

Check the hard disk for errors
Weekly


Of course, who has the time (or the desire) to keep up with this schedule? The best solution is to let Windows do all of the work.

The Windows Scheduler Task Wizard allows you to set up and automate these tasks, so you never have to worry about them again.

Clean up your hard disk (weekly)
Your computer amasses temporary files over time. These files can come from any number of sources—the Web being one of the largest offenders. After a while, these temporary files will slow down your computer.

About every week, you should run the Windows Disk Cleanup utility to clear your PC of these temporary files.

To set up Disk Cleanup to run automatically:

1.On the Start menu, click Control Panel.

2.In Control Panel, double-click Scheduled Tasks.

3.Double-click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard appears, as shown in Figure 1. Click Next.


Figure 1: Accessing the Scheduled Task Wizard.
.4.You'll find a list of applications within the Scheduled Task Wizard. Scroll down this list until you find Disk Cleanup. Click on Disk Wizard to highlight it, as shown in Figure 2. Click Next.


Figure 2: Selecting Disk Cleanup from the Scheduled Task Wizard.
.5.Select a frequency for the Disk Cleanup to run. Running this task weekly is suggested, as shown in Figure 3. Click Next.


Figure 3: Setting the frequency of Disk Cleanup.
.6.Select the best day and time of the week for the Disk Cleanup to run. Pick a time when you know you won't be using your computer, as shown in Figure 4. Click Next.


Figure 4: Picking a day and time for Disk Cleanup to run.
.7.Enter your user name and password (the one you use when you need to log on to your computer). Click Next.


Figure 5: Associating a user with the Disk Cleanup scheduled task.
.Congratulations! You've successfully scheduled your Disk Cleanup to run, as confirmed by the page shown in Figure 6. Your PC will now automatically run Disk Cleanup on the date and time you scheduled—even if you're logged off your computer.

Click Finish to have Windows automate this task.


Figure 6: Successfully scheduling Windows to run Disk Cleanup.
.Rearrange your fragmented files (monthly)
Whenever a file becomes too large to store in a single location on your hard disk, your computer breaks that file into parts (or fragments). Don't worry, though. Your computer keeps track of all these fragments, piecing them together whenever the file is accessed.

However, as fragmented files accumulate on your hard disk, your computer becomes gradually slower. This is because your computer has to go through all these fragmented files in order to piece the correct parts together again.

While there's nothing you can do to prevent the fragmentation of files, Windows does have a utility (Disk Fragmenter) to help deal with this situation. Disk Fragmenter rearranges fragmented files, resulting in increased free space on your hard disk and quicker performance from your PC.

About every month, you should run the Windows Disk Defragmenter utility.

To set up Disk Defragmenter to run automatically:

1.On the Start menu, click Control Panel.

2.In Control Panel, double-click Scheduled Tasks.

3.Double-click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard appears. Click Next.

4.Disk Fragmenter isn't available within the scroll-down list. You'll need to select it manually. Click Browse. Then, navigate to windows\system32\defrag.exe. Select defrag.exe and click Open, as shown in Figure 7.


Figure 7: Navigating to defrag.exe.
.5.The Scheduled Task Wizard asks you to define the frequency for defrag.exe to run. Monthly is suggested. Click Next.

6.You're then asked to select the time and day you wish this task to start. Pick a time you won't likely be using your computer.

If you selected a Monthly time frame, you're able to define what months and what day of the month this task should run. Keep all months selected, and pick a day of the month that works for you, as shown in Figure 8.

7.Select a start time that differs from your other scheduled tasks. That way, you won't have multiple tasks starting at exactly the same time. Click Next.


Figure 8: Picking a time frame for Disk Defragmenter to run.
.8.Enter your user name and password (the one you use when you need to log on to your computer). Click Next.

9.The next dialog box in the wizard states that you've successfully scheduled Disk Fragmenter to run on the time frame you've defined. Click Finish to have Windows automate this task.

Check your hard disk for errors (weekly)
Whenever some program you're using crashes, your computer may create errors on your hard disk. These errors will eventually slow your computer to a crawl.

The good news is that Windows includes a Check Disk program. Check Disk corrects these types of errors from your hard disk—resulting in better PC performance.

About every week, you should run the Check Disk utility.

To set up Check Disk to run automatically:

1.On the Start menu, click Control Panel.

2.In Control Panel, double-click Scheduled Tasks.

3.Double-click Add Scheduled Task. The Scheduled Task Wizard appears. Click Next.

4.Check Disk isn't available within the scroll-down list. You'll need to select it manually. Click Browse. Then, navigate to windows\system32\chkdsk.exe. Select chkdsk.exe and click Open, as shown in Figure 9.


Figure 9: Navigating to chkdsk.exe.
.5.The Scheduled Task Wizard prompts you to define the frequency for chkdsk.exe to run. Select Weekly and click Next.

6.You're then asked to select the time and day you wish this task to start. Select a time you won't likely be using your computer. Make sure this start time differs from your other scheduled tasks. Avoid having your tasks start at the same time.

7.Enter your user name and password (the one you use when you need to log on to your computer). Disk Fragmenter will run as if you started it. Click Next.

8.A wizard page appears, stating that you've successfully scheduled Check Disk to run on the time frame you've defined. Click Finish to have Windows automate this task.


Let Windows do all the work
These automated tasks—while they seem simple enough—are the foundation on which your computer's performance rests. Lucky for us, Windows can completely handle these tasks. You never have to worry about them. You just set up your maintenance tasks once, automate them, and let Windows take care of the rest.

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Author Bio: Chris Tull
Chris Tull is a freelance writer and designer based out of the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He is the author of Web Designer's Guide to Adobe Photoshop (Wordware, 2006).

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.In this article
Create a preventive maintenance plan for your computer

Clean up your hard disk (weekly)

Rearrange your fragmented files (monthly)

Check your hard disk for errors (weekly)
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Put your PC maintenance routine on autopilot

Put your PC maintenance routine on autopilot: "Put your PC maintenance routine on autopilot
Most people do one of the following when their computer begins to slow down (besides get angry). They either:
Improve their computer by buying more memory.
Decide to tweak their computer's settings.
Figure that their computer is old, there's nothing else they can do, and that it's probably time to buy a new computer.
All these solutions will boost a computer's performance. However, what's to keep your newly blazing PC from slowing down again after a couple months or years? A badly fragmented hard drive will bring even a top-of-the-line new computer to a grinding halt.
One easy option is to try Windows Live OneCare, a new PC care service that helps protect and keep your computer running. OneCare is always on, running in the background. It helps gives you round-the-clock protection and maintenance—virus scanning, firewalls, tune ups, file backups, the whole nine yards. If OneCare detects anything that you can do to improve the health of your computer, the service will automatically show you what action to take and give you a one-click solution. Learn 5 reasons to use OneCare to help protect your computer.
A second option is to create a preventive maintenance plan. One that's easy to set up and set in motion so you never have to think about it again.
The following sections provide information on how to automate a maintenance schedule to keep your PC running smooth. These examples use Microsoft Windows XP. Some of the screens may differ from version to version, but overall you'll find these tasks work for Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition (Me), Windows 2000, and Windows Vista."

Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Greatest Name

The Greatest Name "should be found upon thelips in the first awaking moment of early dawn.It should be fed upon by constant use in dailyinvocation, in trouble, under opposition, andshould be the last word breathed when the headrests upon the pillow at night. It is the name ofcomfort, protection, happiness, illumination, loveand unity. "I hope that thou mayest becomeinformed of the concealed mystery and reconditesymbol of the stone of the Most Great Name ...The use of the Greatest Name and dependenceupon it, cause the soul to strip itself of the husksof mortality and to step forth freed, reborn, andnew creature..."
'Abdu'l-Bahá"United States Supplement to Bahá'í NewsNo. 80 p. 2October 1964
"The Greatest Name is the Name of Bahá'u'lláh.Ya Baha'u'l-Abha is an invocation meaning: 'OThou Glory of Glories'! 'Allah-u-Abha' is a greetingwhich means: God the All-Glorious'. Both referto Bahá'u'lláh. By Greatest Name is meant thatBahá'u'lláh has appeared in God's Greatest Name,in other words, that He is the Supreme Manifestationof God."
From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to theNational Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New Zealand,December 26, 1941
(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 266)

Monday, September 14, 2009


Is 'Godliness' Contagious Too?




The New York Times Magazine has a great piece about research on "social contagion". Here is a brief selection:

"...Christakis and Fowler say, they have for the first time found some solid basis for a potentially powerful theory in epidemiology: that good behaviors — like quitting smoking or staying slender or being happy — pass from friend to friend almost as if they were contagious viruses. The Framingham participants, the data suggested, influenced one another’s health just by socializing. And the same was true of bad behaviors — clusters of friends appeared to “infect” each other with obesity, unhappiness and smoking. Staying healthy isn’t just a matter of your genes and your diet, it seems. Good health is also a product, in part, of your sheer proximity to other healthy people". (Read the whole thing here)

If physical or mental health can be spread from person to person through association, how about spiritual health? I'm reminded of Baha'u'llah's emphasis on keeping company with 'godly' folks:

O MY SON! The company of the ungodly increaseth sorrow, whilst fellowship with the righteous cleanseth the rust from off the heart. He that seeketh to commune with God, let him betake himself to the companionship of His loved ones; and he that desireth to hearken unto the word of God, let him give ear to the words of His chosen ones. (Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

O SON OF DUST!
Beware! Walk not with the ungodly and seek not fellowship with him, for such companionship turneth the radiance of the heart into infernal fire. (Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

A simplistic reading of these passages could lead a person to believe that Baha'u'llah is encouraging us to avoid those who don't share our beliefs. However, godliness is not simply a matter of having a certain set of beliefs or membership in a particular faith community. Godliness is about reflecting God's image and likeness as 'Abdu'l-Baha has explained:

"According to the words of the Old Testament God has said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." This indicates that man is of the image and likeness of God -- that is to say, the perfections of God, the divine virtues, are reflected or revealed in the human reality. Just as the light and effulgence of the sun when cast upon a polished mirror are reflected fully, gloriously, so, likewise, the qualities and attributes of Divinity are radiated from the depths of a pure human heart...Let us now discover more specifically how he is the image and likeness of God and what is the standard or criterion by which he can be measured and estimated. This standard can be no other than the divine virtues which are revealed in him. Therefore, every man imbued with divine qualities, who reflects heavenly moralities and perfections, who is the expression of ideal and praiseworthy attributes, is, verily, in the image and likeness of God" (Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 69).

In light of Christakis and Fowler's research, it could be that the wisdom of seeking fellowship with godly people is that it affects our souls in a positive way, that we become spiritually healthier through such associations. Not only that, but other people in our lives may become spiritually healthier as well.

This has implications for the intentional building of spiritual communities, a central part of the Baha'i approach to social change. Community building based on Baha'i teaching could be seen as the weaving of social networks that spread spiritual health from person to person. This has the potential to contribute to an epidemic of godliness.

"If a small number of people gather lovingly together, with absolute purity and sanctity, with their hearts free of the world, experiencing the emotions of the Kingdom and the powerful magnetic forces of the Divine, and being at one in their happy fellowship, that gathering will exert its influence over all the earth" (Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 80).

source ---.>>"Bahá’í Thought"


Friday, September 4, 2009

PRAYING has great power to dissolve troubling feelings.



"Rely upon God, Trust in Him, Praise Him and call Him continually to mind. He verily turneth trouble into ease, and sorrow into solace, and toil into utter peace. He verily hath dominion over all things." ('Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, 178)

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

   
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