PC Buyer Beware! is a comprehensive PC guide covering desktop and laptop/notebook PCs that provides the knowledge required to make sensible buying, building, upgrading, recovering, repairing and computer-security decisions, helping users to solve hardware and software problems via articles and questions and answers (Q&As). You can access the main sections of this website by making use of the orange navigation bar on the left or by making use of the Search This Site feature below.

WINDOWS 7

Windows 7 - The latest versions of Windows

Click the link to read the article on this website on Windows 7, the latest versions of Windows: Install, Use, Restore, Recover and Repair Windows 7 - Win7: How It Differs from Windows XP and Vista.

Computer diagnostics: How to solve or fix common desktop and laptop PC problems

To diagnose and troubleshoot specific and general problems with Microsoft's software (Windows 95, 98, Me, XP, Vista, Windows 7, Internet Explorer, and Outlook Express) using the MS Knowledge Base, visit the Diagnostics page on this site.

Click a relevant link below to visit the information it describes on this website:

1. - Recovering and repairing Windows XP when a computer crashes or fails to boot

2. - Recovering and repairing Windows Vista when a computer crashes or fails to boot

3. - Windows Vista problems: How to fix problems with Windows Vista

4. - Recover, restore and repair Windows 7 (Win7) when a computer crashes or fails to boot

5. - Windows 7 problems: How to fix problems with Windows 7

6. - Windows XP: How to troubleshoot and fix shutdown, restart (reboot), and startup problems

7. - Typical DLL (Dynamic Link Library) device driver problems

8. - Software problems: How to fix problems with Windows, programs, and utilities

Also visit the Software pages on this site for more information on specific software-related information and problems.

9. - Motherboard and power supply problems: How to fix common problems with faulty motherboards (mainboards) and power supplies (PSUs)

10. - RAM memory problems: How to fix problems with the Random Access Memory

11. - Hard disk drive problems: How to fix computer hard disk drive (HDD) problems

12. - CD/DVD drive problems: How to fix problems with CD and DVD drives and discs

13. - Processor problems: How fix common processor (CPU) problems

14. - Video/graphics card problems: How fix common computer video and graphics problems

15. - USB and FireWire problems: - How to fix common USB and FireWire problems

16. - Network problems: How to fix common wired and wireless networking and internet problems

17. - Laptop/notebook problems: How to address or fix the most common laptop/notebook problems

How to fix problems with device drivers in Windows XP and Windows Vista

Although the information on the following page is specific to Windows XP, much of the advice is relevant to the earlier versions of Windows. Click here! to read Troubleshoot Device Driver Problems. Click here! to go to Tips for fixing common driver problems in Windows Vista. Those tips should also be applicable to Windows 7.

****

Visit the Build a PC page for information on how to build a desktop PC and solve self-build problems, and visit the other pages, such as the Video/Graphics, Sound, Motherboards, and Monitors pages for more problem-solving information, all of which can be accessed via the menu items and jump menu on the orange navigation bar, or via the site search engine at the top of each of the main pages.

The Tips & Tricks pages of this site contain additional useful tips, tricks, and problem-solving advice.

UPGRADE CHECKLISTS

Visit the Upgrade Checklists pages on this site for checklists and useful information that cover upgrading the main componenents of desktop PCs of various ages. Some of the information is applicable when upgrading laptop PCs, such as upgrading Windows to Windows 7.

MEDIA CENTER PCs

It is now possible to build your own Media Center PC that is specifically designed to provide home entertainment, because the version of Windows that runs such a computer - Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 - can now be purchased on its own instead of only as part of a Media Center PC. Moreover, Windows Vista Home and Windows Vista Ultimate editions come with Media Center built into them. The Windows Media Center has been improved in Windows 7. The following page contains a video of the new features. -

Windows 7 features - Windows Media Center -

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/...

How to improve the Windows Media Center in Windows Vista and Windows 7

By improving how Windows Vista and Windows 7 interacts with Media Center and improving the video and sound quality by the addition of third party software you can enhance the experience of using Media Center considerably and make it play video formats other than videos in the WMV format.

Click here! to read an article on this website called How to improve the Windows Media Center in Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Visit the Media Center PCs page on this site for information on them.

Visit the Windows Vista and Windows 7 sections of this site for information on the current versions of Windows.

About the PC Buyer Beware! website...

The comprehensive PC Buyer Beware! PC guide is devoted to providing useful and enlightening information on every aspect of personal computers, which include desktop PCs, laptop/notebook/netbook PCs, and Media Center PCs.

To get an idea of the coverage, look at the links to the main pages in the orange navigation bar on the left.

Extensive information is provided on all of the internal components of a PC - processors, motherboards, hard disk drives, CD and DVD optical drives, CRT and LCD monitors, video/graphics cards and sound cards, dial-up modems, wired and wireless networking adapters, computer cases, power supply units, and RAM memory. Information is also provided on external peripheral devices - printers, USB and FireWire devices and adapters, wireless network Access Points and routers.

The Software and Diagnostics pages provide information of the various versions of Windows used by home-computer users (including Windows Vista) and software applications, and the Linux pages are devoted to that ever-improving much cheaper alternative to Windows.

The Problems & Solutions pages are devoted to answering the most common kind of problems that desktop and laptop/notebook PC users experience. Security issues are of paramount importance. Extensive information on the subject is provided on the Security section of this site. Other pages on this site well worth reading are: Using Windows Vista, Warranties, Networking, and the Build Your Own PC pages.

Make no mistake about it, buying a personal desktop or laptop/notebook computer, or the components to build a desktop PC, can be an unnecessarily involved or costly minefield.

This PC guide has been designed to provide you - directly or indirectly in the form of links to other sites - with all of the information you need to know about PCs in order banish your ignorance and protect yourself from the spyware, adware, scams, and rip-offs of the vendors and the snoopers out on the web eager for personal marketing information - and from the computer hackers looking for prey.

Because of the modular design of a desktop PC, there should be no reason why anyone who can use a Philips screwdriver could not easily build one from its components. - Components that you can choose yourself to suit your computing needs instead of any need of vendors to profit from your ignorance.

The safest way to upgrade RAM memory: Use the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors

Paul Mullen, who was the highly-respected computer guru of the Helpfile at ComputerShopper.co.uk - "I have recently been buying my memory only from Crucial Technology. I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause."

The best way to choose RAM memory for a brand-name desktop or laptop computer, or memory for a particular make/model of PC motherboard is to make use of the Crucial Memory Advisors (provided under the brief guideline on the minimum memory requirements for Windws XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7). If the Crucial memory you receive does not work, you are guaranteed a refund and standard shipping is free.

The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7

Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. Note that if you are using a 64-bit version of Windows, up to 4.0GB, it requires twice the amount of memory as a 32-bit version, which can only use a maximum of about 3.5GB. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site, which includes information on the lower memory requirements of Windows 7.

UK - Crucial Memory Advisor - UK

USA - Crucial Memory Advisor - USA

How to Use the Crucial Memory Advisor

For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.

If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.

Desktop PCs and laptop/notebook computers

If you need to get a good idea of the components that are used in current desktop PCs and laptop/notebook computers, all you need to do is read the reviews of the latest machines on the market. Then you can read the detailed information provided about those components on this website. Here are links to review pages and pages on this website on desktop and laptop PCs to get you started:

Reviews of desktop PCs - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/pcs

Visit the Desktop PCs page on this site for information on desktop computers.

Reviews of laptop/notebook PCs - http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/laptops

Visit the Laptop PCs section of this site for information on laptop/notebook computers.

Using Windows Vista and Windows 7

Click here! to go to the page on this site that deals with Windows Vista, Microsoft's replacement for Windows XP.

Click here! to go to the page on this site that deals with Windows 7, Microsoft's replacement for Windows Vista.

COMPUTER SECURITY

For PC security information, visit the Security section of this site, or make use of the site search engine at the top of each of the main pages to search for references to specific information on, say, viruses, firewalls, spyware, adware, etc.

DISCLAIMER

While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained on this website, the author assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

Link to this website

Click here! to tell a friend about the PC Buyer Beware! website...

If you think that PC Buyer Beware! is a good site that the visitors to your website might profit from visiting, you can place a banner to it on your site by copying and pasting one of the animated GIF files, below, to a suitable space on it. If you link to my website, let me know using the contact form below and I will add a link to your website on a suitable page.

PC Buyer Beware!

PC Buyer Beware! - the site designed to prevent PC users from being ripped off

Here is an example of HTML code that links the top GIF file to my site:

Shared Birthday: sharedbirthday.co.uk

I have created an experimental, interactive site called Shared Birthday that is devoted to finding out if the claims made by astrology have any validity whatsoever. To achieve this, I need volunteers to fill in a completely anonymous form on the site that can provide me with the kind of information that could determine for sure if people who share the same birthday (and usually, but not always, the same astrological sun sign) have as much in common as the astrologers, many of whom make a very lucrative living from belief in astrology, claim that they do... http://www.sharedbirthday.co.uk/

Support this site by making a small donation

If you found the information on this site useful, you might feel inclined to help support it by making a donation via PayPal.

Contact me

Click here! to go to a form that you can fill in if you want to send me a message concerning the PC Buyer Beware! website. Include your e-mail address if you want a reply, because it is an anonymous form, the use of which also prevents spam coming my way.