2,110 Tutorials

More Peripherals How-To

  • 16 February 2011

  • How-Tos: How to record phone calls to your PC

    I’m looking for a reasonably cheap way to record conversations over a digital enhanced cordless telecommunications (Dect) phone. I tried Googling for answers, but the numerous suggestions have left me bewildered. I need to be able to hook it up to the PC to transcribe conversations.

  • How-Tos: How to add a new wireless router to a network

    I’ve replaced my wireless router with a D-Link DSL-2740R. I followed the quick-setup instructions on the supplied CD and managed to get online using our cable-broadband service. I now want to add my netbook and BlackBerry to the wireless network.

  • How-Tos: How to install a router and dongle on an older laptop

    QUESTION I’ve just installed a D-Link DIR-615 wireless router for my new HP computer and bought a USB Wi-Fi dongle (also D-Link) in order to add an older Sony laptop to the network. However, no software came with the dongle. What should I do next?

  • 25 January 2011

  • How-Tos: How to stream web content to your TV

    Push content from your PC to your TV with QWaves Quicklinks TV. We show you how.

  • 19 January 2011

  • How-Tos: How to convert DVDs to play on a WDTV box

    I need some advice about video conversion. Using DivX Converter, a WDTV Live drive and a large hard drive, I’ve copied my entire DVD collection to disk. I’ve been reading about the H.264 format, however, which apparently retains the same quality at a lower bitrate. I’m interested in switching DivX Converter for Handbrake, which is free. Will it really give me the same quality with smaller file sizes, and is it only beneficial for HD video?

  • How-Tos: How to print to an old printer from Windows 7

    I want to use my new Windows 7 Home Premium PC with my Canon i865 printer, but I can’t find a driver for it.

  • 18 January 2011

  • How-Tos: How to upgrade the memory in a 6-year-old PC

    I want to increase the memory in my six-year-old XP PC from 1GB to 2GB to accommodate Windows 7, but keep getting Memtest errors with the pair of 512MB modules I’m using. I receive multiple error reports when I install them, plus stop errors or sudden shutdowns. The machine seems happy to run three RAM modules, but not four. Crucial advised me to increase the VDIMM from 2.5 to 2.7, which made no difference, and reduce the memory frequency from DDR400 to DDR333 (adjusted to 320MHz), which solves the problem. Why are these problems occurring and how can I run the memory at the correct frequency? Will I need to upgrade my motherboard and processor to install Windows 7?

  • How-Tos: How to fix faulty graphics card drivers in your PC

    I recently bought a Palicomp PC running Windows 7 64bit and a 512MB ATI Radeon HD 5450 graphics card. The screen frequently freezes and reports the error message: 'Display Driver 'AMD driver' stopped responding and has successfully recovered'. Disabling the ATI drivers fixes the problem, but also removes some functionality. Palicomp advised me to uninstall and reinstall the drivers, but this didn’t solve the problem. A Google search for answers has revealed several other users of this graphics card with the same problem. Is there a definitive fix, please?

  • 14 January 2011

  • How-Tos: How to connect a third monitor to your PC

    It's a pretty simple matter to add a second monitor to your PC. But what about a third? That might require a little more doing.

  • 08 December 2010

  • How-Tos: How to fix the audio on a Windows 7 laptop

    I'm unable to hear any sound through the speakers on my Acer Extensa 5630Z Windows 7 laptop. It makes no difference whether I'm listening to MP3 files stored on the hard drive, videos streamed from a website or even system sounds. I can hear very faint audio when I plug in a pair of headphones, but turning up the volume doesn't improve things. The laptop has a Realtek sound card, but reinstalling the drivers hasn't helped. I've also used System Restore, experimented with different headphones and speakers, and tinkered with settings in the Sounds control panel. I'm at a loss as to what to do next.

  • 07 December 2010

  • How-Tos: How to use a 3G dongle with a desktop PC

    I want to connect a 3G dongle to my desktop PC. Will I need to install extra hardware or drivers??

  • 30 November 2010

  • How-Tos: How to create a drive partition using Acronis

    It’s a good idea to have more than one partition on your hard drive. This is a virtual division that Windows regards as a separate drive, and can even be reformatted without affecting the remainder of the drive. We show you how using Acronis Disk Director 11 Home.

  • How-Tos: How to back up your data

    Windows 7 does its best to make backing up your files easy, so there's no excuse for not organising and protecting all your valuable data.

  • 26 November 2010

  • How-Tos: How to get your PC to recognise your printer

    My Canon Pixma iP1900 printer has recently stopped working with my Windows XP computer. I've tried reinstalling the drivers and unplugging and reconnecting the printer. I now get a message at startup reporting that Windows has found new hardware but was unable to install it.

  • How-Tos: How to fix faulty drivers when your headphones cut out

    The sound output to my headphones frequently cuts out while listening to music using Spotify. Error messages report that my sound card isn't working or my headphones haven't been detected, but closing the pop-ups or relaunching Spotify usually fixes the problem.

  • 25 November 2010

  • How-Tos: How to set a second hard drive as your PC's primary drive

    I added a larger hard drive to my PC and installed a second copy of Vista on it. Wanting to remove the old drive, I've changed the boot priority in the Bios. But Windows still looks for it as the primary drive.

  • 22 November 2010

  • How-Tos: How to troubleshoot printer problems

    With some patience and attention, you can probably overcome the printer problem that vexes you - and avoid having the nightmare recur in the future. Here's how to address five of the most common printer complaints

  • 17 November 2010

  • How-Tos: How to clean printer rollers

    My Epson Stylus Color 740 printer has begun producing black lines on anything I print out. How can I clean the rollers? It also has problems printing on the reverse side of 240gsm card – the first side is fine.

  • 04 November 2010

  • How-Tos: How to dial phonecalls from your PC with a USB modem

    I used to be able to dial out to contacts whose numbers were held on Smart Address 2000 (Oakley Data Services), using a PC card modem added to my Windows XP desktop PC. I now have a Windows 7 laptop and, as far as I know, no dial-out facility, although Smart Address 2000 still runs. Is there such a thing as an external USB dial-out modem for my laptop?

  • How-Tos: How to fit a hard drive in a SATA drive bay

    My HP dv9700 Vista laptop has a spare SATA drive bay. A 500GB Hitachi drive has been fitted using the correct caddy and connector, but when I reboot the PC, the drive doesn't appear in Computer. When connected using USB it appears as drive F.

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