How To

How to Copy Windows Drivers from One Computer to Another

Posted in How To, Software, Tools, Windows on December 21st, 2007 by Casey – 1 Comment

Hardware Icon In the following tutorial I would like to show you how to backup Windows drivers so you can copy them over to another computer or restore them back onto the existing computer. This can save you lots of time, especially after a reload. You can also use this same process to backup Windows drivers so you can add them to your Windows unattended installation CDs. read more »

How to Create a Windows Vista Unattended Installation CD

Posted in How To, Windows on December 11th, 2007 by Casey – 9 Comments

CD Icon The other day I showed you how to create a Windows XP unattended installation CD using a program called nLite. Today I would like to show you how to create an unattended installation CD for Windows Vista using a program called vLite. This unattended installation CD works the same way as the one for Windows XP and allows you to automate the whole process of installing Windows, drivers, updates, as well as configuring Windows just the way you like it. read more »

How to Create a Windows XP Unattended Installation CD

Posted in How To, Windows on December 6th, 2007 by Casey – 4 Comments

CD Icon Babysitting a Windows XP installation is no fun. And the installation is just the beginning of it. After it’s finished, you have to install drivers, tweak settings, and then proceed to install what feels like a million Windows updates which are usually accompanied by a couple of reboots. If you are like me and would prefer to have this process automated then you’ve come to the right place. I would like to show you how you can automate this whole process using a great little program called nLite. read more »

How to Remote Control Computers Using PCHelpWare

Posted in How To, Software, Tools on December 1st, 2007 by Casey – 8 Comments

Networking Icon PCHelpWare is a free remote assistance application for Windows that allows you to easily take control of remote computers. This application is great to use when needing to connect to computers in remote offices or when helping out family and friends. With PCHelpWare, you don’t have to worry about the remote users firewall like you do with UltraVNC or other remote assistance applications. Connecting to the remote computer is as easy as having the end user double click a single executable file. In the following tutorial, I would like to walk you through installing, configuring, and using PCHelpWare. read more »

How to Restore Deleted Files After Emptying the Recycle Bin

Posted in How To, Software, Tools, Windows on November 22nd, 2007 by Casey – 2 Comments

Recycle Bin Icon One of my favorite tech tools is called Restoration. It’s a stand-alone Windows based file recovery program. It allows you to restore deleted files even after they have been emptied from the recycle bin. Restoration requires no install and because of this, you can put it on your flash drive and take it with you wherever you go. In the following article I would like to show you how to use it. read more »

How to Test a Power Supply Using the Nspire Power Tester Plus

Posted in Hardware, How To, Tools on November 18th, 2007 by Casey – 4 Comments

Nspire Icon After getting tired of taking power supplies into our local tech shop to be tested, I purchased the Nspire Power Tester Plus. It is very cheap, easy to use, and gets the job done quickly. With it, you can test 20Pin or 24Pin Power Supply Connectors, P4 Power Connectors, Molex Connectors, and Floppy Power Connectors. This is also one of the few testers for this price that has the ability to test S-ATA Power Connectors. Although this walkthrough is specifically for the Nspire Power Tester Plus, I’m sure that the following information can also be applied to other power supply testers as well. read more »

How to Set Up an IT Helpdesk for Free

Posted in How To, Software on November 10th, 2007 by Casey – 1 Comment

Phone Icon If you support multiple users, computers, networks, printers, or servers then you know that keeping track of current problems or keeping inventory on all of your devices can sometimes be overwhelming. It can be even tougher if you have multiple techs and are trying to keep track of what has and hasn’t been done. The good thing is that there is a free solution that will greatly help you with all of this. In the following tutorial, I would like to show you how to set up and use this tool. read more »

How to Set Up Your Own Instant Messaging Server

Posted in How To, Software on November 2nd, 2007 by Casey – Be the first to comment

Chat Icon Instant messaging is not just for personal use. It is also a great way for employees to communicate with one another in the corporate world. If you are in IT, then setting up an instant messaging server can be a great benefit to your company. And the best part is that you can set one up without spending a dime. In the following tutorial, I would like to guide you through the easy process of installing my personal favorite IM server software, Openfire. read more »

How To Automatically Remove Preloaded Software From A New Computer

Posted in How To, Software, Tools on May 31st, 2007 by Casey – 13 Comments

As an IT manager, I am constantly setting up new computers. I wish setting them up was as easy as just plugging them in and turning them over to the user but it’s not. Before I can do this, not only do I have to install all of the typical company software, but I also have remove all of the preloaded trial software. This can take lots of time depending on the manufacturer of the computer and how much software has been preloaded. This is time that I could spend doing other things like managing our servers. In my search to make this process much easier, I have found a program that will automatically uninstall preloaded software for me, and I would like to show you how to use it. read more »

How to Fix a Stuck or Dead Pixel

Posted in Hardware, How To, Tools on April 21st, 2007 by Casey – Be the first to comment

Stuck pixels usually show up as small red, blue, or green dots on your LCD monitor and can be very annoying. The good news is that they can be fixed. In this article, I will give you instructions on how to get rid of them yourself without having to send your monitor off to a repair shop. read more »