How to fix "NTLDR is Missing" for Win XP

If you get the "NTLDR is Missing" error, follow these instructions:



1. Load Windows XP CD into CD drive.

2. Make sure BIOS is set to boot to CD drive.

3. Boot the computer from CD.

4. At menu, press "R" to load Recovery Console.

5. Select the installation to be fixed.

*The following instructions assume CD-ROM is labeled as drive D and the hard drive partition the windows installation is on is labeled as drive C. Replace the letters accordingly.

6. Type "COPY D:\i386\ntldr C:\" and press ENTER.

7. Type "COPY D:\i386\ntdetect.com C:\" and press ENTER.

8. Remove CD and type "EXIT" and press ENTER (to reboot your computer).

How much you can store on your flash drive?

Comming soon....

Securing Home Modem

	Why should I change default settings in my home modem?
	If you don't change the default password of your modem, it is publicly available in Internet that anyone who come across your modem get easy chances to change the password and can take full control of your home network because your modem is now with default password set by the manufacturer. If that happens then, only way to bring back it to your control is restoring your modem to factory default settings. Remember that millions of IPs are scanned by hackers every day, every hour.
	How do I access my modem?
	1. Identify Modem IP: Check your system's IP details. If your system IP is in the network segment of 192.168.1.0, then by most chances, your modem IP address must be 192.168.1.1. 2. Open Admin Console (Admin console will have all administrative options to effectively configure your modem): Try hitting http://192.168.1.1 in Internet Explorer. For Beetel 440TXI modem, you can access admin console by http://192.168.1.1/html/index1.html. Note: If you receive page cannot be displayed error, search in google ('http access specify_modem_name_ model') for http access to your specific modem model. Someone might have disclosed the information. 3. Identify default Username and Password: Once you get accessed to the console, try username as 'admin' and password as 'password'. Note: You can find default passwords of most of the products in http://www.phenoelit-us.org/dpl/dpl.html. If you are not able to login with default account, then it means either you might have ended up with wrong default account details which is not specific to your modem model or someone have already changed it.
	What default settings should I change?
	1. Change default password: Navigate around all tabs and you will definitely come across an option to change password. Change it immediately. For Beetel 440TXI modem, go to tools > User Management 2. Change default SSID: If you are connecting to your modem through Wi-Fi card, then change SSID from 'default' to your wish. But also remember that once you changed SSID and restarted your modem, you should also change SSID in your Wireless Machine to search and detect your modem or else you won't be able to connect it. For Beetel 440TXI modem, go to Wireless > Wireless Setup 3. Disable DHCP: DHCP enables modem to automatically assign IP address to clients where manually assigning and keeping track of IP address is a big task. But when you connect just 2 or 3 machines to your modem, then you can disable DHCP and manually assign Static IP address in the same segment of your modem otherwise your system and modem won't communicate say IP address: 192.168.150 Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0 Gateway: 192.168.1.1 DNS: 192.168.1.1 It is highly appreciated if you change your whole network segment of modem and system to different private segment (172.17.1.0).
	Is my home network secured now?
	Certainly not.

Courtesy : SKAPadmin.net

10 pieces of hardware you should replace rather than repair

Any time a computer component stops working, or just becomes unstable — as we all know will happen from time to time — we have to decide whether to replace it, have it repaired, or just get by as is with perhaps a temporary fix. Repair or just getting by will nearly always be the cheapest solution, at least in the short run. Replacement, however, will usually provide a good opportunity to upgrade. In fact, given the rate at which the various technologies behind computer hardware are advancing, unless you replace something a week after you buy it, you may almost be forced to upgrade. Following are a few items which, if replaced (and generally upgraded), can provide excellent benefits, from an enhanced user experience to additional compatibility, greater longevity, and stability for the whole system.

#1: Power supply

One of the most overlooked pieces of computer hardware is the power supply unit (PSU). Computer enthusiasts often brag about their blazing fast processors, top-of-the- line video cards, and gigs upon gigs of RAM, but rarely about their great PSUs.

The truth is, the power supply is the last thing we should skimp on when choosing components for our system. If a computer's brain is its processor, its heart is the power supply. And having one that is worn out, underpowered, unstable, or just generally cheap can be a major cause of hardware failure.

Every computer's power requirements are different, but a good minimum for a modern PC is 450 watts. Some systems, especially those with multiple high-end video cards or lots of add-on cards and peripherals may require a PSU rated at 800 watts or more. Replacing a failing or inadequate power supply can make a previously unstable system stable.

Aside from supplying enough power, that power must be supplied stably. A common cause of "unexplained" lockups and system crashes is a drop in voltage supplied to the system when under load, caused by a poorly manufactured PSU. The easiest way to find a quality PSU is to stick to the consistently top brands such as Antec, EnerMax, and PC Power & Cooling.

#2: Fans

As computers have gotten more powerful over the last decades, they have also gotten hotter. Gone are the days of a passively cooled Pentium 100; now we have fans on our massive CPU heatsinks, on our monster video cards, and on intake and outtake vents to our computer cases. All of these fans are playing important roles by keeping our computers safely cooled, and we should try to ensure that they continue doing so.

Fans are one of the few parts that when replaced will not usually be replaced with something better. But they deserve mention because:

• As one of the few moving parts in our system, they are one of the most likely to actually break.
  
• When they break, it's likely to pass unnoticed or not cause much concern.
  

  Also, fans are cheap and easy to replace. It generally takes about 10 dollars, 15 minutes, and a screwdriver to install a new one, so there's really no good excuse for not doing so.
  

  #3: Surge protector / UPS
  

  This is another item that keeps our computers safe and should not be neglected. A surge protector can be a stand-alone power strip, but one is also built into virtually every uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The surge protector guards our devices against spikes in energy that occur in our circuits at the home or office, usually due to lightning or the powering up of high-powered devices, such as hair dryers or refrigerators. Repairing a surge protector would be difficult and expensive at best; replacement is almost always the best option.
  

  It can be tricky to know when it's time to replace a surge protector, because the component inside that diverts excess power from surges to the ground simply wears out with repeated use. However, there is often no interruption of power or other indication that it's done. You may still have juice but not be protected. The cheapest protectors may wear out after fewer than 10 small surges, while the better ones can last through hundreds. The safest thing to do is to get higher quality protectors but still replace them occasionally.
  

  #4: Video card
  

  The video card is one of the most important elements in the performance of your system and overall user experience. Even though it is also one of the priciest components, there are two good reasons to replace it should your old one bite the dust.
  

  First, video cards are one of the components that are being improved upon seemingly every day. Just like with CPUs, a video card that's two years old simply isn't as fast as a current one and won't have the newest features (such as support for DirectX 10).
  

  Also, the video card is the number one hardware stopgap as we migrate to Vista. Manufacturers just aren't providing new Vista-compatible drivers for lots of their old video cards. This means that many of us will have to replace our video cards whether they are broken or not, if we plan to switch to Vista.
  

  #5: Flash media reader
  

  All kinds of devices use flash cards these days: cameras, MP3 players, even cell phones. These small devices let us take our data anywhere easily. Since it seems as if every device uses a different format of flash media, most of us have all-in-one type card readers. If the reader breaks or gets lost (which seems to happen a lot), there are two excellent reasons for upgrading to a newer model instead of trying to repair the old one.
  

  First, many old card readers are USB 1.1. The newer ones use USB 2.0 instead, which is 40 times faster. This is more than enough reason to replace an old reader, even if it's not broken.
  

  In addition, new formats are constantly coming out for flash cards, and when they do, you need a new reader to use them. For example, Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) and xD from Fujifilm are not supported by older readers.
  

  #6: CD/DVD drives
  

  Considering that it has moving, spinning parts, the average CD/DVD drive is actually fairly robust. Because of that, however, many people are still using old read-only (or CD RW) drives instead of amazingly cheap (and handy) DVD writers. If you're still using an old drive and it finally gives up the ghost, you'll probably be glad it did when you replace it with a DVD/CD RW combo drive for less than 50 dollars.
  

  #7: Hard drives
  

  The computer component we all least want to fail is the hard drive. It's easier to cope with the loss of the much more expensive processor or video card as long as we still have our precious data, so your first instinct is to try to repair it. But if you've been practicing good backup habits, you can actually come out of the situation better off when you replace the old drive with something bigger and faster.
  

  The "giant" 100-GB hard drive of a few years ago is no longer so large. Today, you can get 750 GB for less than 200 bucks. In addition to being much, much larger, newer hard drives will generally be Serial ATA II (SATA II), which has a maximum data transfer rate of about 300 MB/s as opposed to SATA I's 150 MB/s and the older Parallel ATA (PATA) rate of 133 MB/s. SATA II is fairly new, so many motherboards don't support it. But even if yours doesn't, the SATA II drives generally have a jumper that can put them in SATA I mode.
  

  TIP: Right now, most SATA II hard drives ship with this limiting jumper in place by default, so if your board does support SATA II, be sure to change the jumper before you install the drive.
  

  #8: Monitor
  

  With the exception of servers, a computer isn't much good without a monitor. Monitors rarely make it all the way to the stage of completely not working, because we replace them when they start to fade. If you replace a monitor that's more than a few years old, the new will likely not much resemble the old.
  

  Any reluctance you may have had to switch from the giant 50-pound cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor to a slim and featherweight liquid crystal display (LCD) should be gone by now. The gap in performance in terms of color rendering and refresh rates between CRTs and LCDs is very small. Unless you're a graphics designer who needs a multi-thousand dollar large screen CRT, the benefits of size, weight, power consumption, and less eye fatigue that LCDs enjoy will far outweigh any small performance advantages of a CRT. With the exception of the extremely high and extremely low end markets, it's quite hard to find a new CRT monitor anyway.
  

  If you were already using an LCD that's a few years old, when you replace it you'll enjoy those leaps in performance that the LCDs have made in the last few years.
  

  #9: Keyboard
  

  Since so many of us spend hours every day banging away at them, it's important to have a keyboard that's comfortable and efficient. And since we use them so much and often so brutally, it is no wonder that they break often. Keys come off, get stuck, or just get really dirty. When these things happen, you should usually go ahead and replace the keyboard rather than live with the hassle.
  

  Today's keyboards have new, handy features. Some have built in user-defined macro keys for often-repeated commands; some can fold up for easy transportability; some have built-in ports so they can double as USB hubs. There is a keyboard with some unique feature to suit nearly anyone's needs.
  

  #10: Motherboard and processor
  

  Replacing the motherboard is always the most involved upgrade. Since it usually means "starting over" with a clean installation of the operating system, lots of people are reluctant to change to a newer board even when the old one gives up the ghost, preferring instead to replace it with the exact same model, thus avoiding having to wipe the OS. However, since a motherboard upgrade is the most involved, it also can give the widest range of benefits.
  

  First and foremost, replacing the motherboard usually gives us the chance to upgrade to the latest processor technology. Today, you can get the benefits of a dual or even quad CPU setup with only one processor, thanks to multi-core technology, in which more than one processing core is placed on a single wafer. In a multitasking or multithreaded environment, this effectively increases your computer's performance by a factor of two or four.
  

Additionally, upgrading the motherboard gives you access to new technologies for other components. PATA and SATA I hard drives (and optical drives) can be upgraded to SATA II. AGP video cards can be upgraded to PCI-E. USB 1.1 ports become USB 2.0. The list goes on for virtually every component. Sometimes, even though it can be a pain, starting over can be the best thing.

Hard Disk Drive Tutorials

Hard Disk Drive:

A hard disk drive (HDD), commonly referred to as a hard drive, hard disk or fixed disk drive, is a non-volatile storage device which stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces. Strictly speaking, "drive" refers to a device distinct from its medium, such as a tape drive and its tape, or a floppy disk drive and its floppy disk. Early HDDs had removable media; however, an HDD today is typically a sealed unit (except for a filtered vent hole to equalize air pressure) with fixed media.

Low-Level Formatting

Low-level formatting is the process of outlining the positions of the tracks and sectors on the hard disk, and writing the control structures that define where the tracks and sectors are. This is often called a "true" formatting operation, because it really creates the physical format that defines where the data is stored on the disk. The first time that a low-level format ("LLF") is performed on a hard disk, the disk's platters start out empty. That's the last time the platters will be empty for the life of the drive. If an LLF is done on a disk with data on it already, the data is permanently erased.

Older disks had the same number of sectors per track, and did not use dedicated controllers. It was necessary for the external controller to do the low-level format, and quite easy to describe the geometry of the drive to the controller so it could do the LLF. Newer disks use many complex internal structures, including zoned bit recording to put more sectors on the outer tracks than the inner ones, and embedded servo data to control the head actuator. They also transparently map out bad sectors. Due to this complexity, all modern hard disks are low-level formatted at the factory for the life of the drive. There's no way for the PC to do an LLF on a modern IDE/ATA or SCSI hard disk, and there's no reason to try to do so.

Older drives needed to be re-low-level-formatted occasionally because of the thermal expansion problems associated with using stepper motor actuators. Over time, the tracks on the platters would move relative to where the heads expected them to be, and errors would result. These could be corrected by doing a low-level format, rewriting the tracks in the new positions that the stepper motor moved the heads to. This is totally unnecessary with modern voice-coil-actuated hard disks.

Warning: You should never attempt to do a low-level format on an IDE/ATA or SCSI hard disk. Do not try to use BIOS-based low-level formatting tools on these newer drives. It's unlikely that you will damage anything if you try to do this (since the drive controller is programmed to ignore any such LLF attempts), but at best you will be wasting your time. A modern disk can usually be restored to "like-new" condition by using a zero-fill utility.

Interleaving

Historically, interleaving was used in ordering block storage on disk-based storage devices such as the floppy disk and the hard disk. The primary purpose of interleaving was to adjust the timing differences between when the computer was ready to transfer data, and when that data was actually arriving at the drive head to be read. Interleaving was very common prior to the 1990s, but faded from use as processing speeds increased. Modern disk storage is not interleaved.

Interleaving was used to arrange the sectors in the most efficient manner possible, so that after reading a sector, time would be permitted for processing, and then the next sector in sequence is ready to be read just as the computer is ready to do so. Matching the sector interleave to the processing speed therefore accelerates the data transfer, but an incorrect interleave can make the system perform markedly slower.

Bad Sector

A bad sector is a sector on a computer's disk drive that cannot be used due to permanent damage, such as physical damage to the disk particles. It is usually detected by a disk utility software such as CHKDSK or SCANDISK on Microsoft systems, or badblocks on Unix-like systems. When found, these programs mark the sectors unusable and the operating system skips them in the future.

A bad sector cannot be repaired, but it can be marked as unusable. Once marked as unusable, the Operating System will know not to attempt to store data in that bad sector. The storage capacity of the disk will be decreased by the amount of storage space in the bad sector

Free education is possible in INDIA

We think free education is not possible especially in countries like INDIA. But all top universities in the world including our IIT's are offering free education to everyone through video lectures, audio lectures and animations ( interactive) . But a few of us know about them. This is an effort to create awareness about the Best free educational resources available in the world.

Here are ....
1. Free video lectures and animations on all subjects Huge Collection. Text materials and videos on all Engineering and Medical Sciences.
2. Joint venture by IIT's and IISc
3. MIT Open Course Text materials, video lectures on all subjects
4. MIT world Video lectures
5. MIT lecture Browser browse video lectures on all topics
6. World Lecture Hall you can find any course here, where ever it is.
7. WGBH Forum Network videos on all subjects
8. Vega Science Trust Physics Special
9. Micro Biology Video Library Biology
10. Animations Genetics, Biochemistry, Immunology, Physiology etc...
11. National Institutes of Health Medicine Special

Business, Management and Leadership
1. HBR Idea Cast Archive
2. Interviews with Great Entrepreneurs
3. HARVARD Working Knowledge
4. Stanford University Videos
5. Knowledge @ Wharton Business
6. Huge Collection of many other including the above all .

Other Useful Search Engines
1. Google Book Search Search the all books.
2. Google Code Search searches public source code
3. Google Scholar Search searches all the Scholar papers.
4. Educational Special Search Engine searches all sites for e-books, study materials, video lectures, animations, including Google videos, Yahoo videos, you tube, Google code search, Scholar, Book search.



What is the motive behind this?

Swami Vivekananda words on Importance of Education and Role of youth in Developing INDIA.

"Education, education, education alone! Traveling through many cities of Europe and observing in them the comforts and education of even the poor people, there was brought to my mind the state of our own poor people, and I used to shed tears. What made the difference? Education was the answer I got ".

And he has also said

"My faith is in the younger generation, out of them will come my workers. They will work out the whole problem"

So it is we, youth who can do something for the nation.

Why should I forward this mail?

1. We may not have time to train or teach people

we may not have money to donate.

But, we can certainly create awareness, by spreading the news, about free educational resources.

2. You will become gentle person as you are sending the most valuable mail.

3. You will reach your goals so early because you are helping others reaching their goals.

4. You are putting efforts in developing the nation, As nation development always depends on quality of education we get.

5. You will be liked by everyone as everyone likes those who help others.

So, send all Educational information to all your friends.

Add new links if you have any and Please forward this to everyone and join the awareness creation camp.
Even one out of 1000 gets benefit we will have 10 lak h people like APJ Abdul Kalam. Then see the future of INDIA..

Assembling a PC: By Arun Mapari

When buying a new PC, everyone is faced with the choice between a branded and an assembled one. Those who don’t want to go through the daunting task of shopping for components and assembling the PC themselves, often choose an easy way out by opting for a branded PC. There are very few adventurous ones who upgrade or build their own PC.

There are more drawbacks than advantages in buying a branded pre-built or a customized PC. No doubt that you won’t have to worry about maintenance. However, you’ll be stranded if the company technician doesn’t turn up on time. Also, you cannot tinker with the hardware or resort to your tech-savvy friends or some technician in case of emergencies. Finally, service and upgrades are heavy on the pocket. With an assembled PC, the biggest advantage is that you can pick the components of your choice to suit your budget and requirements. Unlike branded PCs, you have the freedom to troubleshoot problems and upgrade hardware yourself as and when you like—and that too without paying any service fee.
So how about assembling your own PC?

Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Even if you’re a first timer, you’ll still be able to assemble a PC unerringly by reading this lucid step-by-step guide. This guide can not only be used to build a new PC but also be referred to if you are planning to upgrade a few components such as the processor, memory or graphics card. With regards to choosing the components, you can refer to the PC Configs in the Hardware section of the magazine.
Finally, this guide assumes that you know how to install the operating system. If you don’t know, you can seek the help of a technician or a friend who is willing to spend a couple of hours installing the operating system.
Are you ready for the ride?

So roll up your sleeves, grab a screwdriver and let’s get started!
The ingredients

Just like you need certain ingredients to prepare a dish, you need the following components to build a PC—processor, motherboard, memory (RAM) modules, graphics card, optical drive, PC case, power supply unit, monitor, speakers, mouse, and keyboard. Also, note that you need a graphics card only if your motherboard doesn’t have integrated graphics or if you’re a gamer. Likewise, you need a power supply unit only if your PC case doesn’t come fitted with one. Most entry-level PC cases come fitted with a power supply unit. However, such power supply units are only suitable for entry-level PCs. Therefore we would suggest you invest in a good power supply unit if you want to build a powerful PC. Lastly, you also need a Philips screwdriver and some cable ties.

Preparing for take off

On unpacking the PC case, you will come across a packet that contains screws and mounting nuts. Empty the contents in a small tray. If the bundled power supply unit didn’t come fitted to the PC case, keep it aside. To begin with, unpack the motherboard to find a back plate. This plate is meant for covering the rear panel of the motherboard except the essential ports and connectors so that dust doesn’t creep into the case. The back plate should fit into the slot provided on the rear panel of the case. If you find that the slot is sealed by a metal plate, then you need to extract it using a pair of pliers. While you are fitting the back plate, you must ensure that the openings correspond to the ports and connectors on the motherboard’s rear panel. This is very important because none of the essential ports and connectors should be blocked by the back plate.

Installing the motherboard

In order to fit the motherboard into the case, you first have to fit mounting nuts in the holes provided on the case’s motherboard panel. While you are placing the motherboard on the motherboard panel aligned to the back plate you just fitted, note the spots where you need to fit mounting nuts. You can locate these easily by looking through the screw holes that are provided on the motherboard. After fastening the mounting nuts with a pair of pliers, fit the motherboard into the case using screws that match the screw threading on top of the mounting nuts—note that using wrong screws may result in the screws jamming into the mounting nut. Completely tightening the screws might result in unwanted stress by the graphics card or other add-on cards. Therefore, do not tighten the screws completely. Also, ensure that the screws are used in the right places.

Install the processor

Depending on which processor you have purchased, follow the relevant step: INTEL PROCESSORS: You have to release the lever of the CPU socket and then lift the socket cover that opens up from the opposite side. You will find a golden triangle on one of the top corners of the processor. Align the triangle with a similar golden triangle on the CPU socket and then fit the processor into the socket. Now, close the socket cover and fasten it with the lever. Note that you will find the lever is offering some resistance now.AMD PROCESSORS: With AMD processors, you have to release the lever of the CPU socket. You will find a golden triangle on one of the top corners of the processor. Align the triangle with a similar golden triangle on the CPU socket and then fit the processor into the socket. The processor should gently slide into the socket. Push down the lever into its place.
Install the CPU cooler

If you have purchased an AMD processor, fitting the CPU cooler will be a cakewalk for you. You simply have to place it on the processor with the lever towards the center of the motherboard. Then fit the clips and carefully push the lever down. Finally, you have to connect the fan connector to the CPU fan header on the motherboard.Fitting an Intel CPU cooler is a tricky affair. Place the CPU cooler on the processor with the fasteners on the corners aligned to the holes surrounding the CPU socket. Push down each fastener while holding the CPU cooler in place. You should hear a click when the fasteners clamp to the motherboard. After ensuring that the fasteners are in place, connect the fan to the motherboard’s CPU fan header. The CPU fan header is usually labelled and placed quite close to the CPU socket.

The rest of the artical will be published very soon... So visit again.