Windows Product Activation (WPA) is Microsoft’s way of keeping you from installing a copy of Windows Vista on more than one computer. It basically marries the copy of Windows Vista you’ve purchased to the computer’s hardware it’s installed on.
The WPA Process
When you enter the product key three identifiers are generated and collected:
* Hardware ID: A unique identifier that’s generated from information gathered about the computer’s hardware.
* Product ID: A 25-character unique key supplied when you purchase Windows Vista.
* Installation ID: An identifier Windows Vista creates from the hardware ID and product ID. Read More»
Posted in Windows Vista, Windows XP | 1 Comment »
One of the easiest ways to boost performance for any PC is to add memory to the system. But before you go to get that memory upgrade, be sure to gather information about your computer to ensure you get the right memory for your system. You need to know what type of memory the computer uses, the memory module sizes and what already exists in the system.
How Much Memory Do I Have?
Find out how much memory is in the computer by examining the BIOS or operating system. For Windows, this can be located by opening up the System properties from the Control Panel. Also open up the case while the computer is off and find the memory Read More»
Posted in Hardware | 4 Comments »
Here’s another tip for speed demons, determined to shave the last few nanoseconds off their Windows XP boot up times. Truth be told this one probably won’t save more than a second or so but every little helps. The idea is that XP wastes time and resources checking to see if there are any devices connected to empty IDE slots on the PC’s motherboard. Read More»
Posted in Windows XP | No Comments »
One of the most frustrating problems to troubleshoot is a random one, one that doesn’t seem to have one specific cause. The key to troubleshooting such problems is to remember that the symptom is not always directly indicative of the cause. The program or utility that it locks up on is not necessarily the issue.
Suppose Windows starts normally, but then starts crashing, freezing or giving serious error messages shortly afterward. Many times running Scandisk (or Check Disk in Windows 2000/XP) will solve the problem. That’s because such problems are often caused by errors in the FAT or NTFS file system, and this utility will fix them. In Windows 9x/Me, choose Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scandisk. In Windows 2000/XP open My Computer, right-click the drive and choose Properties, and click the Check Now button on the Tools tab. Read More»
Posted in Computer, Hardware | No Comments »
Weblog J2s site has put together a hardware list capable of running Vista in all its Aero glory for just over $500.
This setup should run Vista and pretty much any regular application you need (it won’t necessarily be ready to do anything but light gaming, but hey - we’re not all gamers). All you need to do is put it together. Luckily, we’ve covered almost every step of building a PC here at pctipsbox, from installing your motherboard, CPU and RAM to your hard drives, PCI cards, and power supply. Read More»
Posted in Hardware, Windows Vista | No Comments »
