How to change (upgrade) desktop PC RAM

Here's how to change or upgrade RAM.

Make sure you know what type of RAM you PC is using.

Here's a reference of RAM type

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR_SDRAM

If you don't know what RAM your PC have, it's a good idea to take out the existing RAM and take a picture and show it to the shop.

Make sure shut down the PC and turn off power supply and unplug the power plug before doing any repair or upgrade operations. Stay safe.

Video how to change motherboard

This is a good video to share with everyone.

How to protect data in my external hard disk?

The story,

The are people having nightmare of losing their external hard disk. Their files and documents all gone to the wrong hands. I recently left mine at our site office and worried that the people there might open my files.

You may try this free open source program called Truecrypt.

Here's a CNET discussion that may interest you.

How can I secure my external hard drive?

How to remove Babylon Search in Internet Explorer

The Story,

My office PC Internet Explorer suddenly gets infected by Babylon Search. It changed my default Google search to Babylon's own.

This is a Malware as I never installed the program myself. Here's a few ways to remove it :-

• Computer newbies forum: Unwanted search site
• How do I remove the Babylon search engine from my browser?

Speed up Firefox

The Story,

My Firefox browser is getting slower and freezes sometimes. Do you have the same problem?

Here's a DIY remedy for you.

A quick-and-dirty way to speed up Firefox (a lot)

Can surge protectors really protect your PC?

The Story,

I am reading this Cnet forum about surge protection "PC hardware forum: Do surge protectors merely give us a false sense of security?"

People doesn't believe that surge protection works.

I can tell you this, if not for lightning surge protectors, all our computers in our construction site would be blown by now.

During bad weather season, our site (the tower and tower cranes) get hits almost every week and the surge will follow the current all the way into the site office.

We may have many equipment burned but those computers protected by the reliable Belkin Surgemaster always survives the hit (most of the time).

Even our CCTV system is protected by Surgemaster and other lightning protectors.

I can tell you that surge protectors won't work 100% of the time as we are dealing with nature (Thor). But better be protector then sorry later.

How to change PC power supply

The story,

Since I have showed you how so check for power supply failure, I should also show you how to change it.

Here's how to do it

1. Turn off AC power to the PC and remove the power cord from the PC power supply.
2. Open the CPU casing
3. Disconnect the connections from the power supply to the motherboard, hard disk, DVD-ROM and any other power connection (Picture 1)
4. Open the 4 screws of the power supply from the back of the CPU (Picture 2)
5. Take out the power supply
6. Attach a new power supply and screw it to the CPU casing (the 4 screws)
7. Connect all the wire connection to the Motherboard, hard disk, DVD-ROM and others.
8. Double check if all the connections are tight and no wires are blocking the CPU fan from spinning
9. Close the CPU casing and plug in the power cord.
10. Turn on the PC and check if it works. If not, check the connections again.

Picture 1

Picture 2