I have been trawling through some of my saved URL’s and came across this one. At the time, it was difficult to determine if the website was for real or just an attempt at comedy. Personally, I believe that it was constructed in all good faith that it would be of help to people.I don’t think that Judy Patch is still doing this, thankfully.
Judy Patch was not and is not alone. There are many ‘have a go’ heroes in this world, and some may be living not too far away from you. They are generally recommended by a friend of a friend. Finding a good local computer technician is not always easy to find. In Judy’s case, a look at her website would be enough to set alarm bells ringing.
This is an excerpt from ‘Judy Patch’ self help website. I have made no changes to the content whatsoever. For posterity, you can save a link to what remains of the original website.. http://www.leenks.com/link19958.htm
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Angelfire finally restored my web site, a hacker got into my main frame and got my hard drives Ip Address. Im taking donations at my paypal address so I can recover from this unfortunate event and continue to produce my informational CD about how computers work. If everyone could donate $1 I would be much obliged.
Hello, and welcome to my guide on computer hardware for beginners.
My name is Judy Patch and I have always been fascinated by computers.
I wrote this guide to inform others on the basic hardware components of today's standard home P.C.s
This site is sill a working progress, being my first website, its not perfect. Please email any queries, tips, etc Alternitavely, you can contact me via MSN messenger using this address. Thank you
-Judy
Central Programming Unit
the C.P.U. (or 'motherboard' as it is more commonly known) is the main part of hardware you need to know about. It is a large circuit that is made up of tiny microscopic wires and connections that pass data to different parts of the computer.
All computers have C.P.U.s
The C.P.U. has many plugs and slots for various other pieces of computer hardware such as R.A.M., a chip, cards, FDD disk drives, A.G.P. cards etc...
The C.P.U. looks quite complicated, but is in fact quite simple.
A C.P.U.'s speed is measured by the amount of busses it has. A Bus is a tiny microscopic electronic component that carries computer data. The more busses a cpu has, the more data can be carried at once, the faster it is. Most of today's modern C.P.U.s have over 700 busses.
An image of a typical CPU unit
Chip
The chip is, in a sense, the 'brain' of the computer. it plugs into a special slot in the the C.P.U. and processes all the computers data. The chip's speed is measured in Megahertz (mhz) the more mhz the chip has, the faster it is.
There are three main types of chips, Celeron, Pentium and A.M.D. There are no distinct differences between the three, just different brands, although, Pentium is the most widely known and is suported by most, if not all, software companies.
The chip has many pins on its under-face, these pins slot into the holes of the C.P.U.'s chip-slot so it can communicate with the C.P.U.
A Pentum chip
Random Access Memory
Random access memory, or R.A.M. is used by the computer to store files and data until the P.C. is shut down.
whenever you create a file, edit a document or make any similar changes, all this information is stored in your R.A.M. until you shut down, then it is transferred onto your HDD disk drive. Ofcourse a computer runs better if it has more R.A.M., the standard amout of R.A.M. for todays home P.C.s is about 512 mgb of R.A.M.
There are different types of R.A.M. which include EDO, SD and DDR. There is a new standard of R.A.M. beginning sale this year, it is known as DDR2 which holds more data than normal DDR R.A.M.
DDR3 is also expected to go on sale in early 2007 which will be able to hold even more data than DDR and DDR2.
A R.A.M. unit
HDD Disk Drive
HDD Disk Drives or 'Hard Drives' are where all the computers data is stored when the computer is off.
R.A.M. cannot keep data stored unless it has power, whereas hard drives can hold data even when no power is present. Hard drives come in a range of sizes, but the standard for today is about 80 gb.
Every Hard drive has a unique IP address. An IP address is used by the internet so the governmnet can keep track of you. That way if someone is doing something illegal, such as hacking, the government or police can identify this person by their IP address, simmilar to a cars liscence plate.
Some hackers however, have found ways to steal peoples IP address by using special virusses called trojan horses. Once the hacker has stolen someones IP address, they can use it while hacking to avoid being caught.
stealing IP addresses is illegal and I will not be explaining how to do it here.
A typical HDD Disk Drive
Windows 7 RC users will get notification around Feb 15th that usage of the RC will come to an end.. Details here..
http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/windows7/archive/2010/02/01/important-reminder-regarding-expiration-of-the-windows-7-rc.aspx
Users of Windows 2000 should also be aware that support is coming to a very definite end. Without security updates of any kind, it will be increasingly difficult to maintain any level of safety if the computer is connected to the Internet for any length of time.
My main production machine will be getting an upgrade very soon There will be no new mainboard because my 939 Biostar is ok, but the CPU is a lowly AMD 64 3500+ and the computer has struggled with Vista and Windows 7 multi-tasking. Don’t get me wrong, it has performed incredibly well all things considered. Even games played well on it, which says a lot for the mainboard.
The 939 mainboard had a short production run, being eclipsed by the AM2 slot after one year. As a result, the only place where 939 dual core processors ever seem to appear for sale is eBay. I must have emailed just about every computer dealer in Ontario while looking for an upgrade CPU, and always came up with nothing. They are the equivalent of hen’s teeth in this part of the world.
So what am I getting? An AMD 64 X2 4400+ 939. Please quit from laughing at your earliest convenience. This upgrade is costing me around $100. A full system upgrade would cost more than three times that figure, and I wouldn’t get three times the performance gain. Also, considering what I use this machine to accomplish, $100 is a reasonable amount.
A network printer should not be difficult to install, and my well tried procedure for connecting a network printer across platforms did not work, no matter how I tried.Very disappointing.
Windows 7.. I just had to go for it..
The upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium did not take too long to complete, but there is not much by way of other software installed. There is definitely a speed increase over Vista in general operation and everything works.
Video is reduced to the basic VGA standard which is not particularly good but usable, network speed allows for maximum transmission in and out as allowed by my ISP connection, the Intel 536 EP works, as does the Canon Lide 30 courtesy of Vuescan, and the network printer installed without a hitch. Et voilà, a working fax machine.. :-)
Points to bear in mind..
I did all of the above purely as an exercise. I am not expecting much from this machine. Occasional surfing, email, etc is as much as it will ever do, so hardware does not have to be top notch, Lack of video acceleration brings up a warning even when starting FreeCell and the game is next to unplayable, not important to me would be for most others.
What it proves to me is that machines made before 2006 are best left with whatever operating system was originally installed. The latest and greatest operating system is of no value if it does not allow for good performance. Lack of Windows 7 drivers from a hardware manufacturer is a good sign that performance will be 'not good to not existent'.
With a Windows Experience Index of 1.0, it is never going to be a gaming machine. The ATI 9250 never was an all time great anyway, but it puts up icons on the screen and will easily handle the standard Windows offerings. Tinker and Hold’em are a couple of no-no’s because the 9250, being only 128mb, can’t display them, but SP2 installed with no issues, as have all other updates.
While the performance isn’t lightning fast, it is way more than acceptable and is very smooth as one would expect from Vista. It would have been nice to have been able to install 64-bit, but the lowly AMD CPU is not compliant. Yes, I am pleased with it.
A new Toshiba laptop has become a permanent fixture on the home network here and, as it is new, it came pre-installed with Windows 7. It has the new quad core i3 Intel processor, 4g of DDR2, and it pushes Windows 7 64-bit around very nicely indeed.
This has freed up an aging ECS L7VMM desktop machine running 2gb RAM and XP Pro. Initially, I had thoughts about installing Windows 7 onto this one, but I couldn’t get it to boot from the Windows 7 DVD. So I decided to install my original retail Vista Ultimate. At first, all went well, but during the updates install, there were a few wild minutes where I was wishing that I hadn’t started the venture.
Twenty fours hours later, the machine has stabilized and is running better than I thought that it would, taking into consideration that the ECS L7 really is bottom of the bucket stuff. There is no Vista support for the ATI Radeon 9250, but the integrated network card is holding its own. Windows update has just informed me that Service Pack 2 is ready for installation, so I will see what happens next. It can only get better from here.
So long, Windows XP. You were great in your day but have, by comparison, become something of an incalcitrant child. I knew you well but it is time to for you to go.
Video card is an MSI N6600 – 256mb..
The latest graphics drivers for Windows 7/Vista, version 196.21, have caused me to do a restore back to a previous restore point. Rolling back the driver does NOT work, as IE8 still flickers after doing so.
When the mouse pointer runs across the various items in Pageflakes, Netvibes etc, the IE8 window flickers badly, and is totally unusable. As a result, I am back with version 191.07 which works perfectly..
I have one of these, but it is no longer part of my computer configuration. Why? Well, my humble abode has become a
‘no smoking zone’ since the appearance of my favourite granddaughter. For those of you who are not ‘in the know’, it is a Sunbeam Cigarette Lighter for PC and is Windows 7 compatible (no drivers required).
The biggest problem with the device is that it has to be used in conjunction with accessory cigarettes which tend to produce a lot of smoke and tar deposits. Fortunately for me, I have fast track access to outside, but it is not fast enough to prevent a smoke trail, which is in direct contravention of the ‘no smoke’ regulations. Needless to say, this is NOT the ultimate PC accessory.
And neither is the ubiquitous BiC lighter, as it has no affiliation to anything PC other than the fact that some PC users may own one or two.
So what is the ultimate PC accessory? Drum roll please.. 
Enter the USB cigarette. It is USB 1.1, 2.0 and 3.0 compatible, and will run on any version of Windows or Linux. Available in 35 flavours including tobacco, it will hook up to desktops and laptops (unlike the device pictured above), but it will not work in USB hubs unless of the powered variety.
In actual fact, I think that a powered USB hub on a suitably long cable or a USB extension cable would be useful because the ‘umbilical’ cord could be kept away from tangling with USB wired mice. There is no doubt that the cable could be a distraction while typing, and may bring weird looks from onlookers and passers by if it was being used on a laptop in a public Wi-Fi cafe area. 
There is a mobile version (shown right) which gets over the problems already mentioned, and includes a USB connecter that can be used more surreptitiously in a car or one’s home, courtesy of the other charger adapters included in the full mobile set.
Note that this is one PC accessory which you will NOT find in any of the major PC retailers.
For more information, here is the website.. http://www.thebigspotlight.com/greensmoke_y.html
Many older printers may only have basic driver support, in which case you will lose maintenance utilities which show ink levels etc. Also, 64-bit support may be thin on the ground, and printers without 64-bit support will not work if connected direct or through a network to your new 64-bit operating system.
This is a list of the major printer manufacturer websites where you will either find good news or the prospect of having to buy new..
HP
http://h41112.www4.hp.com/promo/win7web/printer-support/us/en/deskjet.html
Canon - (includes other Canon product lines)
http://www.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/Windows7_compatibility.pdf
Epson – this manufacturer prefers not to produce lists
http://www.epson.ca/cgi-bin/ceStore/support/SupportIndex.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes
Brother
http://www.brother-usa.com/lp/windows7compatibility.aspx
It is called ‘Personal Security’ and it produces its own version of Window’s Security Center which looks almost the same as the real thing except that the ‘Shield’ symbol is a mirror of the real one.
The Personal Security control panel looks like this. Needless to say, this control panel will only allow two functions. One will temporarily hide it, and the other will allow you to pay for the full version.
If you attempt to use Internet Explorer to find fixes that will see it off, PS warns you that the site you are visiting is not safe and, if you continue to download anything which might help you, it ‘red screens’ and that is pretty much it.
When I last saw this crap, it was only infecting Internet Explorer. Laughably, it did not see Firefox as a threat. By downloading and running Firefox, it was possible to get access to any and all tools that help get rid of Personal Security once and for all.
I do believe that I have written about it before, but it is doing the rounds again and a reminder is in order. The good guys at Bleeping Computer have done a nice piece on its removal, so I will not bore you with my own account. Take a look here.. http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-personal-security
Despite the appearance of the PS Security Center, this is NOT a Windows function, and does not come down via Windows Update, so quit blaming Microsoft.
.. but wait.
A short case study
I have an aging Biostar T6100-939, manufactured in the heady days when XP held down 76% of all PC users. Windows support was good, and there were even XP 64 drivers available for it, although I only ever ran XP Pro 32-bit. The chipset is the nVidia nForce 410/6100, all budget stuff. The integrated video part which was billed as 256mb had no real gaming performance, so I fitted an MSI N6600 256mb video card which has performed well enough, giving me good detail and reasonable frame rates when playing CFS 3 and Halo..
When Vista appeared, I initially installed the 32-bit platform, and all was well at a time when many systems got all jiggy and didn’t seem to like Vista one iota. I made the transition to Vista 64, and still all of the hardware performed well. Not bad for a system which had no official Vista support (except for the audio part, strangely) from the manufacturer.
Windows 7 64-bit installed with the same gusto as Vista did back in Nov 2006, and all hardware devices were picked up. Once again, I seemed to have been lucky, but what I did not notice immediately was the nVidia nForce 410/6100 chipset performance. I didn’t notice any change because the most obvious part, the integrated video, was not being used. The nVidia 6600 video card is still on the radar, and I was able to get any video resolution I needed for my two LCD displays and, in this way, all appeared to be well again.
But all was not well. The integrated NIC was still working, but not as it had in the past. Instead of seeing download speeds of almost 10mb in a speed test, it had dropped to just a quarter of that.
For a desktop machine, the above is not too critical because it is easy enough to install a Windows 7 compatible NIC, which I have done now. Laptop owners would not be so lucky because swapping out parts is NOT an option.
This is the first time that any part of my PC has fallen below radar coverage, and it is a reminder that all good things come to am end. While I can replace video cards and NIC’s, what I can’t do is replace the basic chipset. I have a feeling that Windows 7 is the last upgrade that this computer will ever see. Come Windows 8, I can see ‘base system’ errors appearing as more of the nForce 410 chipset gets sidelined, and I don’t want or need that.
I have been seriously thinking about doing a total hardware upgrade recently, but I think that I will hold on to my luck for a couple of years longer and see what transpires, assuming that it does not suffer a serious hardware failure.
By the way, the above is why I don’t buy or use laptops. They go out of fashion way too fast for my liking.
If extended lists scare you, don’t do this. I now have a ‘god mode’ window containing two hundred and sixty nine functions. Fortunately, they are split up into forty five categories..
A quick recap
269 functions spread across 45 categories
OK, this is how you do it.
- Double click on ‘Computer’
- Create a new folder and give it this name (copy it from here and paste the name in)
GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
A split second after the folder creation and paste operation, you will get an icon which looks just like the regular ‘Control Panel’, except for the fact that this one has had a steroid injection..
If you have a ‘user pinned’ section on your task bar, the new icon can be dragged to it, or you can place it wherever is most convenient..
NB. There are rumours that 64-bit IE8 crashes if you open the folder icon.. If you have any problems with it, it can always be deleted as fast as it was created..
When I heard that some were coming back, I can’t say that I was over the moon, but thought that Tinker might make a welcome change from FreeCell. So I waited and waited, checking Windows Update for it, but alas nothing appeared.
Then I found out that I have to join Games For Windows Live, which I duly did, but every time I tried to log in, it sent the rest of the network offline.
ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS PLAY TINKER, JUST LIKE I USED TO PLAY IT IN VISTA.
I have uninstalled all of the crap and will continue to play FreeCell. Thank you for the understanding, but I was quite happy playing Tinker OFFLINE and without the need to share my profile with all and sundry while doing so.
At a personal level..
The year has started well at least with an MVP status re-award for 2010. I am also hoping that I get more business this year, but I face a lot of competition from others who see fit to almost give their services away.
I have no doubt that my eldest grand-daughter will continue to astound and amaze me and all others with whom she comes into contact.
The replacement Jeep works well, certainly better than my old one which was stolen and left for scrap in a field some 30 kilometres from here.
Finally I have found a doctor who will take me on as a regular patient, so I may just get some of my medical problems fixed which would be nice.
On the technical front..
All of my systems here are getting old, and I am pushing them to their limits, but without more work, upgrading is not on the cards..
The oldest computer, running XP in a manner of speaking, is only kept going as a fax machine because I refuse to pay out for a 64-bit compatible internal fax modem or a dedicated fax/phone unit. It really is about time that Fax went the way of the Polaroid Instant Camera.
In general..
The first two days have been ok, one or two ups and no downs so far. There are no resolutions to break because I didn’t make any, which helps keep the number of downs at a more acceptable level, and I am back in the Microsoft Forums, administering my concise (some might use the term ‘terse’) style of answering.
Good luck to all, and I wish you a mediocre year at worst, and a good year assuming that there are some improvements lurking in your shadows..
I need to get a Netbook so that I can look at web sites from wherever I happen to be.The advert says that I should, but wildly scrolling all points of the compass in order to see a complete web page doesn’t appeal somehow. Typing on a full size keyboard is hard enough, but on a keyboard which is only large compared to phones designed for SMS messages? No thanks.
I am quite happy with my desktop. It is large enough that I don’t lose it or forget where I put it, and the twin 19” widescreens enable me to see stuff without wearing the scroll wheel out in a few days.
Maybe I should get a mobile phone c/w with full 104 key micro-keyboard and webcam. All of those tiny keys and they all have letters and numbers on them. If Nokia sold an inconspicuous magnifier that could be clipped to the device such that I could see the keys, I might be tempted, but they don’t.
I have a mobile phone already. It is a Motorola VC60 folding type with a standard large telephone keypad. To communicate, you have to talk through it because it was made at a time when you would ask a waitress in a restaurant for a glass of water, not text message her.for it
I am told that I need a Wii too. Thinking about it, I have been drinking a lot of water today..Back in a tick. ………….. :-) ..
Ha, you didn’t think that I was going to buy an expensive white box and then stand in front of the TV waving a hand held controller around like a clockwork idiot, did you?
A GPS unit for the Jeep would be nice because I want a more scenic route for trips to the gas station a couple of blocks from here.
But I have heard that if you decide to make an impromptu stop before arrival at the pre-programmed destination, the unit does not let you forget that you have not gotten there yet. I have a partner who does that already and without the need for a monthly subscription.
So, my wish list does not include any of the above because they are all fast tracks to frustration. I want to hear my two year old grand-daughter call out to me as she enters my humble abode and to see her happy smiling face.
Seasons Greetings to all of you, and may your wish bring you the same happiness as my wish will bring me..
Those of you who remember this.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Micro .. might also remember this character. His name was Repton, a lizard who had a propensity for wanting to gather jewels. All you 
had to do was to carefully guide him through a maze while avoiding falling boulders, nasty alien insects, skulls, creeping fungus and exploding sprites, all of which would prove fatal without proper advance planning.
When I shut down my BBC Master 512 for the last time in readiness to donate it to a local school. I never thought that I would ever be able to play this game again. Personally, I think that it is probably the most addictive game that I have ever played on a computer. The graphics and sound by today’s standards were incredibly simple, but nobody cared way back then, but while it all looked simple, the game was quite tricky.
Guess what? I have found the game, it is available for the Windows PC and even runs in Windows 7. The game comes in all of the original versions, looks pretty much identical to the original, the soundtrack is more techno than I remember it, and the game is every bit as addictive as ever it was.
Pricing is commensurate for one of the best computer games ever, starting at $19.95, and you can get it here. http://www.superiorinteractive.com/. There are trial versions for those of you who do not believe me.
How quickly it turned into the ‘Whoa’ factor?
I have been working the Microsoft Answers forum for a while now, and there is one forum group, Hardware and Drivers, which demonstrates the above very quickly. The basic claim is that Windows 7 will run on a less powerful machine than Vista ever could.
OK, I have a less powerful machine, but will Windows 7 run on it? I am not even going to try. You see, I know that there are components which are eminently not compatible with Windows 7 and the reason I know this is because manufacturers don’t like supporting older hardware.
The machine in question is a desktop model. One of the MAJOR benefits is that I can replace hardware devices for something that will work, but what if I had a laptop? I hate to think how many owners of older laptops have wasted cash on buying Windows 7 only to find out too late that Windows 7 compatible hardware drivers need to be made available by the respective hardware manufacturers.
OLDER HARDWARE? The adverts didn’t say anything about Windows 7 not running on older hardware. In fact, Microsoft went to some lengths to say that Windows 7 was more compatible with older hardware than Vista was. The problem is that your average computer user does not distinguish between ‘less powerful’ and ‘older’ because older is less powerful, so it should work, yes?
NO!!
There is no easy answer, and I have mixed feelings about the current advertising. Was Windows 7 really MY IDEA? I don’t think so, especially the new menu and task bar. It is about time that advertising rules were re-worked. If a product is worth anything, it will sell on its feature set and merits, not vague claims to greatness which are difficult to substantiate.
However, little Kylie is ok.. See YouTube – Windows 7 adverts because every time I try to paste a link, the video embeds and the blog is hardly able to open.. grrrrrrrrrr
.. essentially any day which ends with the letters ‘….day’, what better than to fire up Halo in a trainer and just shoot everything to pieces. This is what I have used as a stress reliever since the game first appeared in 2001/2002.
Windows XP handled it really well, as did Vista, but the display in Windows 7 on my digital 19” widescreen monitor makes it unplayable, and if I don’t find a way to improve it, I will need to install Halo and shoot everything to pieces.
Oops.. can’t do that..
Fable takes far too long to install, and is too in-depth for a quick swash-buckle. Maybe I should install Zoo Tycoon 2, nurture a few ferocious beasts and then let them out of the cages to consume the first visitors to the zoo.
I mean this is why we play computers games, isn’t it. Well, am I right? Where is Tinker when I need him most? Why wasn’t Tinker included in the standard Windows games. I know that he doesn’t shoot anything, but one’s mind is flexed a little more than when playing FreeCell.
Having promised a 24hr turn around
No original disks.. surprise surprise
Finger marks all over the screen.. again
How do stores get away with selling underpowered junk?
Slow?? It doesn’t even boot !!!!
Oh cool.. the ‘you may have been scammed’ graphic
Ha ha.. soopadoopavirusXPkilla. That will be fun to remove
No disks, no obvious back up device. Why do I have to look for interminable masses of family pics?
If I was to split the charge for the job into an hourly rate, tea pickers in the 19th century were getting more than I am..
Grrrrrrrrrrr..
24 hours later
OK.. all done. Your operating system is no longer ‘illegal’. By the way, who installed it before?
Yes, all of your pictures are safe and sound. Have you thought about copying them to a CD/DVD? You should..
No, its ok. I always stay up into the early hours of the morning.
You should be good to go for at least a year, I have installed good products to keep your computer safe.
oO please please please be good to go for another year Oo
Yesterday, I un-installed Microsoft Office 2007 from my Vista installation. Wow, did that take a time to complete or what. The purpose was to install the newly released Office 2010 Beta.
First attempt – please uninstall FrontPage 2003 and Access server database. More time passed.
Second attempt – it is installing but when will it finish?
It finally did finish, after which I had this unswerving desire to get back to Windows 7. After a few months of using Windows 7, notwithstanding aspects I do not overly like, Windows 7 booted quickly, responded quickly, and was/is a real pleasure. Users with fancy dual core and quad core machines may not notice so much of a difference, but for me and my trusty single core machine, Windows 7 has proved itself to be manna from the skies.
I can see very little reason why, on the right machine, users would not like Windows 7. It looks better and is more secure than XP, and it works faster than Vista. It will breathe new life into the PC market, and anybody who thinks that Mac and Ubuntu will grow in the future are barking up the wrong tree.
Windows 7 is no niche, cutesy or geeky operating system. It carries forward the versatility that Microsoft Windows has always had, and adds stability and speed to the equation. I have said in the not-so-distant past that I would not go back to XP. Well, apart from doing my bit for the Office 2010 Beta, I will not be returning to Vista as an everyday OS.
Footnote - To be honest, I could run the Office 2010 Beta in Windows 7 but would have to use the 32-bit variant because I also run FrontPage 2003, and I want to commit my time to the 64-bit Office 2010..
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