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I am thinking about buying a secondhand refurbished PC. I am expecting it to have an operating system already installed. Hopefully Windows XP in order to be compatible with some software that I have that is not compatible with Windows 7. My worry is this: How can I completely clear the hard drive from any of uninstalled program and files that may still be lurking on the drive? Is there any software that will do this effectively without uninstalling the operating system, hopefully for free? Also, after I have done this I would like to back up the system and make a recovery disc. What is the best way to do this?

Reformat and Reinstall Windows XP

Hopefully the shop where you purchase your refurbished PC will have already wiped the disk clean and reinstalled the Windows XP operating system from the original discs as part of the refurbish process. If not, and if the computer comes with the installation discs, you can reformat the drive and reinstall Windows XP on your own. The University of Iowa has a decent tutorial outlining how to do so on its IT Services Help site. By doing this, you will get rid of all of the original owner's personal settings, programs, and files and reinstall Windows XP.

However, you will also need to update Windows XP after reinstalling it to make sure it has the most current patches from Microsoft. Microsoft officially stopped supporting Windows XP with Service Pack 2 on July 13, 2010 and will stop supporting Windows XP with Service Pack 3 on April 8, 2014. If the refurbished computer comes with Service Pack 2, you will need to manually update it to Service Pack 3 in order to receive the latest updates. The Service Pack 3 download is available in Microsoft's Download Center. This Microsoft article explains exactly how to download and install Service Pack 3.

Create Backup and Recovery Discs in Windows XP

After installing Windows XP and updating it, you'll want to create a recovery disc. If only it were a simple matter of inserting a disc and clicking a few buttons, but alas, it isn't. PC Magazine wrote a detailed tutorial on how to create a recovery disc for Windows XP Service Pack 3 here.

As you can see, a lot of work goes into reformatting and reinstalling Windows XP and creating a recovery disc for it. As you search for a refurbished PC to buy, the current status of the disk should be an important factor. Most computer shops will have already done this as part of their service. If buying from a private party, it would be in the seller's best interest to wipe their hard disks clean for the sake of their own privacy though not all take the time to do so. Ideally, you'll want to select a refurbished computer with a fresh installation of Windows XP Service Pack 3.  

I would like to clean the dust out of the inside my computer that seems to have accumulated other the last few years. I have read that this can be done by using a can of compressed air. But I have also read that a can of compressed air can be bad for the interior of a computer. Because the gas that sprays from the can is made out of a fluid, and of course if the fluid leaks out of the nozzle it could drip on to the computer's delicate parts. What do you think is the best way to clean a computer's interior? If compressed air from a can is the answer, then can you recommend to me, the name of a good manufacturer, that makes a safe to use quality can of compressed air.

Cleaning Dust from a Computer
Microsoft.com's Microsoft at Home section features a page detailing how to clean a computer, and it recommends using a can of compressed air. If Microsoft is okay with it, the risk of fluid drizzling out and ruining parts is likely minimal. Using compressed air is a standard practice. That said, if you're concerned about this risk, then consider using a low powered vacuum specifically built for computers.

Why Clean Dust from a Computer?
Computers have ventilation systems and fans designed to circulate air and keep the internal components cool. As dust accumulates, the ventilation system has to work harder to cool the PC. Eventually, dust can clog the vents and render the cooling system useless. As components heat up, performance suffers and hardware components become damaged or fail completely. In extreme cases, hardware can smolder or even ignite!

Using Canned Air to Clean the Vents and the Case
It may be necessary to open the computer case and blow out the entire unit, especially if the vents are extremely clogged. Make sure to turn off the computer and physically unplug it from its power source. Remove jewelry as well. If your computer is still under warranty, opening the case may void it so it's smart to check the terms and conditions of your warranty before proceeding. Once you're ready to move forward and have taken the necessary safety precautions, open the case.

Use a cotton swab to gently remove any large chunks of dust, taking care not to touch any physical components. Once the large dust bunnies are cleared out, use your can of compressed air with the long nozzle firmly attached. Microsoft recommends keeping the nozzle four inches away from the machine and blowing the air in such a way that it sweeps debris away from crevices rather than into them.

How Often Should You Clean Dust from a Computer?
If the case sits on the floor, if you smoke, or if you have pets that shed, you should do this every three months. If not, consider blowing out the dust every six to eight months.

Does the EEE pc have a reset button?

EEE PCs Reset Buttons

In short, possibly, yes, there is a reset button on some EEE
pcs, but the catch is that only some EEE personal computer models are built
with this hardware reset feature. The EEE pc reset button is designed to be an
emergency tool in case the computer gets stuck and is unable to power either up
or down. If your computer is hanging, either in its boot up process or in an
attempt to turn it off, you can use the reset button to force it to shutdown
and try again.

Finding your EEE PC Reset Button

Without knowing your EEE personal computer model, I am not
sure whether or not your system is equipped with this reset feature. You can
find out by turning your computer over and looking on the bottom for a very
small button, which will appear as a small hole on the lower right-hand side of
the bottom of your model. If there is a reset button, you can use an unfolded
paperclip or a small pin to depress the button, which is receded into the
computer in order to protect it from accidental depression.

Power Cycle to Resolve Start up Issues

If your computer doesn't have a reset button, there are
still options to reset the system. Some users report issues with the battery
interfering with restarting or shutting down computers properly. To work around
this issue, you can try removing the battery from the underside of the
computer, then unplugging the power supply. Wait for a few minutes, then press
and down down the power button for 5-10 seconds until the computer responds and
shuts down, and then reinstall the battery and reconnect the power cord and
attempt to boot up again.

Reset the Hardware

If these options don't work, and your computer is still
unresponsive, there is also an option to reset the hardware, but it involves
removing the RAM cover, which could nullify your warranty, so proceed with
caution. You should probably consult your user manual, if you want to try this.

I hope that one of these options works to solve your issue,
if not, you can write again with more details about the problem and we can go
from there. Good luck!

Concurrent Versions System Defined

CVS is a computing term that stands for "Concurrent Versions System".

CVS is a source control tool (also known as revision control tool) that has the ability to track changes and revisions made by groups of developers that happen to be working on files at the same time. This allows developers to stay up to date with the most current version of the file. This file revision system was the precursor to subversion which is arguably the most well-known open source version control system available today.

Subversion software addresses many of the issues inherent with CVS.

When using CVS, making a commitment to a set of changes will require each file to be modified separately. In contrast, subversion keeps track of different revisions in real time. With this subversion structure, a revision is basically a representative snapshot of the exact repository structure at any given point in time.

Updating a repository is akin to updating a relational database because either all changes will be updated at the same time or none of the content will be updated when there is a conflict.

Subversion Control Basics

Following is an introduction to the basics of subversion control. For our purposes, setting up your version control software on a Windows or Ubuntu server is out of the scope this article. However, both Linux and Windows commands will be described.

Two different storage systems exist for subversion repositories: Berkeley DB database and FSFS, which is a built on a system of flat files.

1 - Create a repository, using the svnadmin command.

This creates an FSFS repository by default:
 (Linux) $svnadmin create /home/vietma/svn_repository/dev_repos
 (Windows) C:>svnadmin create D:svn_repositorydev_repos

As an alternative, you may use the --fs-type option for specifying a Berkeley DB database:

 (Linux) $svnadmin create --fs-type bdb /home/vietma/svn_repository/dev_repos

2 -  Create a Java project.

Maven 2 Apache is a good way to do this. If you do not have Apache Maven 2, it can be downloaded straight from the Apache website into any Windows directory that you like. For those of you using Linux Ubuntu, the option to use Synaptic Package Manager is available to guide you with the Maven 2 installation.

3 -  Create a temporary folder that will hold the newly created Java project:

 (Windows) D:tmp>mvn archetype:create -DgroupId=com.example.myproject -DartifactId=myproject

 (Linux) $ cd /home/vietma/tmp
  $ mvn archetype :create -DgroupId=com.test.testproject -DartifactId=testproject

4 -  Begin importing the new directory into the Subversion project:

 (Linux) $svn import testproject file:///home/vietma/svn_repository/dev_repos/testproject/trunk -m "Import of testproject"

 (Windows) D:tmp>svn import myproject file:///d:/svn_repository/dev_repos/testproject/trunk -m "Import of testproject"

5 -  Delete the temporary project testproject from the directory /home/vietma/tmp or D:tmp
6 - Check out your Subversion project using source code on your command line:

 (Linux) $ cd /home/vietma/projects
  $ svn checkout file:///home/vietma/svn_repository/dev_repos/testproject/trunk testproject
 (Windows) D:projects>svn checkout file:///d:/svn_repository/dev_repos/testproject/trunk testproject

The option is also available to use TortoiseSVN to check out source code instead of using the command line.

Mp3Musiq - Worth spending money on? Is this a scam?

Mp3Musiq is one of the many sites today that offer music and movie downloads using P2P (peer to peer) networks. As the number of these sites has been exploding online, it is becoming harder and harder to tell which services are actually worth it, and which aren't.

Mp3Musiq, however, looks very promising on the outside. The claims made by Mp3Music.com are that you'll be able to find any file that you're looking for - music or movie. Not only this, but they promise to also provide you with unlimited CD burning software, access to a network of over 250 million users, of which at least 5 million are online at any given time and all this without any problems with spyware and adware. Let's see how Mp3Music stands up to these claims.

You'll be able to find any file that you're looking for

Well, the exact statement on their site is "you're sure to find whatever you're looking for", so I think they give a fairly strong idea that you're guaranteed to find any file on here.

This is a claim that is simply not true.

You might be able to find most of the files out there, but not all by a long shot. this illusion is created by the fact that most people on the P2P networks are looking for content that is rather popular. It is just not accurate to say that you'll be able to find everything. However, you will be able to find quite a bit of content on here, so if you intend on looking for only popular or semi-rare content, you might be alright.

CD Burning software

This is an outright lie too.
 
None of the members have been able to find any sort of CD burning software in the members area. What is available in the members area is a tutorial about how to burn music on your CDs using Windows Media Player. Not only that, but the tutorials available online for free are probably a lot better than the one back here. So that claim that they provide a CD burning software can be thrown out as a straight up lie.

Access to over 250 million users

This is questionable as no one has the accurate statistics on how many people actually are on the P2P network.

At least five million always online

Again, this is questionable, but it is not the important question. The next important question is that of your computer safety.

No problems with spyware and adware

Well, this is probably the most misleading statement on the site.

More often than not, P2P content contains spyware, adware and other malicious content that if you don't protect yourself against, will result in a computer infection. Now if mp3musiq is implying that the software that they provide you with doesn't contain spyware, then they need to clarify it. The problem is that they don't really provide you with any software themselves. They just give you the links to different free programs, like Limewire, Windows Media Player, and some others.

Any reasons to pay? Mp3Musiq.com claims that you are paying for the excellent online support that will help you. Help you do what? That is left up to you to decide. All you are given here are links to free software programs, and some free tutorials that you can find anywhere online easily. The fact that they fail to even the mention the issues with copyrighted material is also very disturbing.

While it is true that file sharing is legal, sharing of copyrighted material via peer networks is still likely illegal and has resulted in many lawsuits. Much of the most popular media online in peer to peer networks is copyrighted, so if you are not careful with what you are downloading, you might be on target for illegal activity.

All in all, Mp3Musiq tries to make money by selling people free information that they can obtain anyway. Not only this, but they also fail to mention the dangers of copyrighted material, the spyware and other malicious content.

As such, it would be best to avoid such as service.

Is it a scam? I think so.

Underground Hypnosis

"There's a sucker born every minute, don't be the next- be informed ..."

Have you ever read a book or watched a show on hypnotism and wished that you, too, could do something like that?  Ever imagined how convenient it would be, to look into someone’s eyes, speak a few words and voila… they were mincemeat in your grasp?   Few children, who have ever watched a magic show, can say that they never thought how neat it would be, to hypnotize someone… and why not?  Not only does it have comedic amusement but just think of how useful it could be, being able to bend the will of others.

Underground Hypnosis claims to be able to teach you the art of hypnosis.  True hypnosis - the kind that is kept in secret, due to its power, rather than its ineffectual cousin and the parlor tricks that are so commonly taught to other people.  But how do you tell one variety of hypnosis from other?  Do any of them really work and, if so, how do I get my hands on a copy?  Let’s face it; being able to hypnotize someone would have so many uses.  Is Underground Hypnosis the real deal or is it yet another internet scam?

Visiting Underground Hypnosis on the web, one is immediately struck by how… plain it is.  If you expect to see all the whistles and bells, you definitely won’t find them here.  In fact, this website is almost painfully understated, to a point of where it’s not hard at all to just out and tag it boring - A plain white-on-white background and simple black lettering that is only occasionally broken up by a little bold or a dash of red highlighting.  In fact, it’s almost reminiscent of that old joke: “What’s black and white and red all over.”  Except for the fact that this site probably doesn’t have that many readers.

But you can’t judge a book by its cover or a hypnotist by his website, so it’s time to delve deeper. 

“These are the covert hypnosis tactics leaked by THE UNDERGROUND,” the website claims, immediately grabbing attention.  Everyone loves to hear about the Underground.  It’s taboo and, therefore, must always have something good, something better than what we all have.  “The astonishing secrets of the most respected…most knowledgeable… and most dangerous hypnotist in the world!”  Making claims like this, this website undoubtedly has to have a small conspiracy theorist following at the very least.

To make it look even more authentic, the website now changes tactics and pretends to be in the form of an in-office memo:

From: The Desk of Taylor Starr
Date: October 29, 2006
Atlanta, GA

Throughout my visit to this website, I couldn’t help but wonder, over and over again, whether or not this was someone’s idea of a joke.  Listening to this person go on about how the underground hypnosis groups are in mayhem, of how they have made “insane” attempts to keep this knowledge from us, and how “the hypnosis world is in shambles,” one can’t help but let go with the occasional chuckle.  It’s hard to read this and not imagine some wild-haired eccentric, climbing atop a soap box.

Offering up information that supposedly scared the author “to death,” Underground Hypnosis relies upon sensationalism, scare-tactics and a degree of talking down to potential clients in order to sell their product.  Informing us that “99% of the ‘hypnosis sites’ out there are complete crap,” Taylor Starr informs us that he cannot reveal the names of his informant or mentors, but instead, we should “trust [him], this is real.  This is almost TOO real.”  Of course, the majority of people I know aren’t inclined to buy something, just because someone says, “trust me,” but then you never know. 

If you’re not completely turned off by the general feeling of being talked down to, or the plethora of secretive comments about covert operations, give this Starr individual time and he’s sure to disappoint and annoy.  At some points, he even resorts to cursing, just to sell his product.  Whatever it takes, apparently, to push the reader into buying his product.

Of course, you’d have to be pushed pretty hard, in order to spend $97 on a product, just because Mr. Starr informs you that you should “trust [him].”  Even better, if you want the super-dooper special version of the lessons, you can get those for $137. 

If you have money to waste, why not go and drop it on a pony at a race track or, better yet, use it to line the toilet in a public restroom.  Surely there are more creative ways of losing your hard-earned cash, rather than resorting to something like this.  Underground Hypnosis is too blatant to even be considered a scam - at best; it’s simply a horrible waste of money.  Starr brags that the techniques he has been taught allowed his mentors to hypnotize him via email… perhaps he should stick a little of that hidden hypnotism into his website and try to sell some of his tapes.  Might work better that way.