Definition for DVD-9

A DVD-9 disc is a data or video DVD with two layers that hold information, allowing it to store approximately twice as much data as a standard single-layer DVD. This increased storage capacity allows you to use fewer discs when backing your computer up, and also allows you to store multiple movies on a single disc. However, DVD-9 discs have cost and speed drawbacks.

Technical Information

• A DVD-9 disc -- also known as a dual-layer DVD -- has two surfaces that store data, one under the other. After burning or reading the first layer of a DVD-9 disc, a DVD drive adjusts its laser to access the second layer of the disc without altering the first. When you insert a DVD-9 disc into your computer, Windows reports that it has 7.95GB of available storage. However, the disc's package may display a storage capacity of 8.5GB. This discrepancy is due to the difference between the decimal and binary systems of quantifying computer data.

Compatibility

• Hardware manufacturers began to introduce dual-layer DVD drives during the mid-2000s, and now most DVD drives support DVD-9 discs. However, if you have a DVD drive manufactured before the mid-2000s, it may not support DVD-9 discs. Look for an emblem such as "DVD-DL" or "DVD Multi-Recorder" on the bezel of a DVD drive to confirm dual-layer support. In some cases, it may be possible to convert a single-layer DVD drive to a dual-layer drive by installing new firmware.

Drawbacks

• Even the least expensive modern DVD burners can burn DVD-9 discs. However, a single DVD-9 disc tends to cost slightly more than two DVD-5 discs, so you may spend slightly more money if you exclusively buy DVD-9 discs for data storage. A spindle of 50 DVD-9 discs has a per-unit cost of approximately 64 cents when purchased from a discount retailer, while a spindle of 50 DVD-5 discs has a per unit cost of approximately 22 cents. Speed is an additional drawback of using DVD-9 discs: a typical high-speed DVD burner writes data at up to 24x when using DVD-5 discs, but burns DVD-9 discs at a much slower speed of 12x. Therefore, DVD-9 discs may take up to four times longer than DVD-5 discs to fill completely with data.

Comparison With Other Formats

• A DVD-9 disc holds considerably more data than a DVD-5 disc, which holds 4.37GB. However, it holds slightly less than a DVD-10 disc, which holds 8.75GB, or a DVD-18 disc, which holds 15.9GB. While a DVD-9 disc has one side with two layers, a DVD-10 disc has two sides with one layer each. A DVD-18 disc has two sides with two layers each. The primary benefit of burning content on a DVD-10 disc rather than a DVD-9 disc is compatibility, as some computer DVD drives cannot read or burn content on dual-layer discs. These drives can handle DVD-10 discs because each side is the same as a DVD-5 disc.

Microsoft Outlook shortcut keys

Below is a listing of all the major shortcut keys in Microsoft Outlook.

Shortcut Keys	Description
Alt + S	Send the e-mail
Ctrl + Enter	Send the e-mail you're composing.
Ctrl + C	Copy selected text.
Ctrl + X	Cut selected text.
Ctrl + P	Print selected text.
Ctrl + K	Complete the name or e-mail being typed in the e-mail address bar.
Ctrl + B	Bold highlighted selection
Ctrl + I	Italic highlighted selection
Ctrl + M	Send and receive all
Ctrl + U	Underline highlighted selection
Ctrl + R	Reply to an e-mail.
Ctrl + F	Forward an e-mail.
Ctrl + N	Create a new e-mail.
Ctrl + Y	Go to folder.
Ctrl + Shift + A	Create a new appointment to your calendar.
Ctrl + Shift + O	Open the Outbox.
Ctrl + Shift + I	Open the Inbox.
Ctrl + Shift + K	Add a new task.
Ctrl + Shift + C	Create a new contact.
Ctrl + Shift + J	Create a new journal entry.
Ctrl + Shift + V	Move folder.

Use e-mail rules / filters to control your e-mail

Use the Microsoft Outlook Rules Wizard or Mozilla Thunderbird Message Filter to help screen your e-mail and delete e-mail messages that you are not interested in. Often many online services such as Yahoo! mail and Gmail also have filters that can be applied.

Examples of rules that can be setup

1. Use keywords used in spam e-mails you frequently get, e.g. Viagra.
2. Move e-mails from certain e-mail addresses such as family and friends to a specific folder.
3. Block web forwarded e-mails.

Backup Facebook photos, videos, and text

Facebook offers all its users the ability to backup their photos, videos, and text.

1. Click Account and go to Account Settings.
2. Click the Learn more option next to Download Your Information.
3. Click the Download button.
4. You will then be prompted with a message indicating that it will take some time to collect all your information. Once that information is ready for download you'll be sent an e-mail with a link to a compressed .zip file containing all your personal information.

Also See :

Determining available hard drive space.

Definitions Of Hard drive or Hard disk drive 

Creating a password reset disc in windows 7

Modifier key

Key on the keyboard that is only used in conjunction with another key. For example, on an IBM compatible computer, the ALT, CTRL, and Shift keys are modifier keys. On the Apple Macintosh computer, the Control, Option, and Shift keys are modifier keys. Modifier keys are often used in conjunction with other keys to perform computer keyboard shortcuts.



Also See :
Top 10 Internet tips and tricks
Repairing Internet Explorer
Top 10 Facebook tips

Find and delete bad Windows shortcuts

Use the free Bad Shortcut Killer to easily find and delete any bad Microsoft Windows shortcuts that have been left behind by Windows programs that have been uninstalled.

How to use this program

1. Download Bad Shortcut Killer.
2. During the install make sure to only keep the checkboxes to install Bing checked if you want Bing to be installed and set as your default search engine.
3. After the program has been installed and is running click the Find Bad Shortcuts.
4. Any bad shortcuts that are found will be listed and selected and deleted.

Also See :

What things to do when bored on the Internet.

Top 10 online services and applications

Numeric keypad

Also referred to as the number pad, the numeric keypad is a 17-key keypad usually found on the far right side of a typical IBM 101 / 2-key keyboard. The U.S. numeric keypad contains the below keys (going from top left to bottom right).

1. Num Lock
2. Forward slash (divide)
3. Star (times)
4. dash (minus)
5. numeric 7, also used as the home key
6. numeric 8, also used as the up arrow key
7. numeric 9, also used as the page down key
8. plus (add)
9. numeric 4, also used as the left arrow key
10. numeric 5
11. numeric 6, also used as the right arrow key
12. numeric 1, also used as the end key
13. numeric 2, also used as the down arrow key
14. numeric 3, also used as the page down key
15. enter key
16. numeric 0 key, also used as insert
17. period, also used as a delete key. 

Below is a visual example of the Saitek Gamers' keyboard and where the keypad is located on almost every computer keyboard.

How to Add Photos to Facebook Photo Album

You've just created a Facebook photo album and it looks great, but you forgot to add that hysterical photo of cousin Cindy drinking from a coconut. Don't worry -- adding photos to an existing online photo album is even easier than creating the original album. Follow the simple steps below to learn how to add photos to Facebook album.

Share Photos on Facebook
 

1. Since many people's friends are on Facebook, it has become a one of the most used photo share websites. Sharing photos is quick and the online photo albums are easy for people to see.

First thing's first, find the photos you want to add to your Facebook album. Put them into a new folder, on your desktop or somewhere you can easily find them.
 

2. Open your Internet browser and log into your Facebook account.
 

3. Visit the Facebook "Profile" by clicking on the word "Profile" on the top right of the page.
 

4. Click on the "Photos" on Facebook Profile page from the tabs which appears below your profile name.
 

5. Select the album in which you want to add photos. Click on the album and a page will load where you will see all of the existing photos in the album, which you can edit if would like. To add photos, click on the "Add More Photos" tab on the top left of the page.
 

6. In order to add photos to a Facebook album, you need to click on the drive that appears when the Java upload box appears with a display of all your folders on the left side of the box. Click on your drive and then the folder that contains the photos you want to upload. Once you click on the folder all the photos of the folder will appear on a screen with a selection box on the top left corner of each photo.
 

7. Select the photos you want to upload. If you want to select all photos in the folder click on "Select All" button that is available on the top of the photo uploading box.
 

8. Click on "Upload" button. Once you click on "Upload," a small pop-up box will appear showing the upload in progress. Once the upload is complete another pop-up box will appear with a message conveying successful uploading of images.
 

9. Click on "OK" and another page will load where you can apply captions and tag your friends. with this step you have successfully uploaded your photo to an existing album.
 

10. Click on the link below that states "Try The Simple Uploader" if you come across any difficulty in this process. Clicking on the link will take you to a page where you will get several "Choose File" buttons. Click on a button to upload the photo you want to upload. Select the photos from the folder and click on "Open". Select as many photos as you want and click on the Upload button below. Provide captions if you'd like and tag your friends. Now you know how to add photos to Facebook album!

Improve a Computer's Performance in Microsoft Vista by Using Task Manager

The Task Manager is a tool built into the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system that allows you to view information about programs that are running on your computer. You can also view your computer's resource usage to troubleshoot issues, such as when your computer is freezing. Often, a computer freezes because one or more programs are attempting to use too much memory or CPU on your computer. Shutting down programs that are not responding or using up resources can improve your computer's performance.

1. Press the "Ctrl," "Alt" and "Del" keys on your keyboard at the same time.

2. Click "Start Task Manager" from the menu. The Task Manager will appear in a new window.

3. Navigate to the "Applications" tab if it is not already open.

4. Click on any application that is listed as "Not Responding," and then click "End Task" to shut it down. A program that is not responding has crashed or frozen and will cause your computer to run more slowly until you have closed it.

5. Click the "Performance" tab to view charts that display your computer's memory and CPU usage. The closer your computer is to running at 100% for either of these, the slower your computer will run. If you are running at 100% of either, to improve your computer's performance, you need to close down programs that are using a lot of memory or CPU.

6. Navigate to the "Processes" tab to see a list of programs and processes running on your computer.

7.  Click the header for the "CPU" or "Memory" column to organize the processes by CPU usage or memory usage. This displays the processes that are using the most resources on your computer.

8. Record the names of the processes and any information in the "Description" column. This helps to determine programs that might cause issues on your computer the next time you boot it up.

9. Click the process name to highlight it, and then click "End Process" to close it. As you close down these processes, your computer's performance will increase.

Also see : 

Change Startup programs in windows

Top 10 online services and applications

How to Change a Printer from Offline to Online.

How Can i Remove the Babylon Toolbar

The Babylon Toolbar is an Internet Explorer add-on application that allows you to type foreign words in the given space and translate them to any language. When you install the Babylon 7 program, the Babylon Toolbar embeds on your Web browser. The Babylon Toolbar allows you to perform translations without having to navigate to the Babylon homepage. If you do not use it or need it, uninstalling the Babylon Toolbar is a quick and simple process.

Instructions :

1. Right click the Babylon icon on the lower right of your screen next to the system clock and click "Exit." Click "Yes" to confirm. 

2. Click "Start" on your computer and click "Run."

3. Type "appwiz.cpl" and press "Enter." This will bring you to the programs window that displays programs and applications installed on your computer.

4. Scroll through the programs folder and click "Babylon Toolbar." Click "Remove/Uninstall" and click "Yes" to confirm the uninstall process.

5. Double click "My Computer" on the desktop and double click the "C:" drive. Double click the "Programs Files" folder.

6. Locate the Babylon folder. Right click on it and click "Delete." Confirm "Yes" to delete it. Empty the "Recycle Bin."

Also See :

What are the current available antivirus programs?

Free computer programs for windows

Computer Tips for new users 

Top 10 Facebook Tips

Different Parts of the Computer and Their Function

Computer Case

A computer is made up of many different components. Each part has a specific function. Whether you need to replace a part, are thinking about building a computer, or just looking for some additional information, it's important to understand the basic computer parts and what they do.

Case
The case is the part of your computer that holds all the other parts. Some common types of computer cases are: full-tower, mid-tower, mini-tower, and laptop. If you have a desktop computer, you are likely using a mid-tower; if you are using a notebook computer, you have a laptop case.

Motherboard
The motherboard is the part of your computer that wires all of the other parts together. Every component of your computer, from the DVD burner to the CPU, will connect directly into the motherboard. Motherboard specs are typically designed around which processor (CPU) the computer uses. For example, if your computer uses an Intel processor, you will need an Intel compatible motherboard.

Processor (CPU)
The processor, or CPU, of a computer is basically the brains of the computer. The processor is responsible for interpreting every code it receives from the other computer components, and making it usable to your operating system. Some common types of processors are Intel Core 2 Duo and AMD Phenom. A processor's speed will often determine the overall speed of your computer.

Hard drive
The hard drive part of your computer is very simple. Essentially, it is the part of the computer that stores all your information. If you upload a picture to your computer, it is stored on the hard drive. Hard drive capacity is measure in gigabytes, or GB. There are typically two ways that hard drives can connect to the motherboard: SATA and IDE.

Vedio Cards(Graphic Cards)
A graphic card is the component of your computer that interprets video signal. These cards are necessary so that you can connect a monitor to your computer. There are many types of graphic cards available: anything from high-end gaming cards to TV tuner cards. Some popular graphic card manufacturers are NVIDIA, ATI Etc.

Ram (Memory)
You may have heard of people upgrading the RAM in their computers. RAM is the part of your computer that is used as instant memory. RAM is always in use. For example, if you run many programs at once, you may want to upgrade your RAM because your computer is using more memory. RAM comes in many different configurations, such as DDR2 and DDR3. The type of motherboard you have will determine your RAM.

Optical Drive
The last main part of a computer is the optical drive. An optical drive is many times the drive you would use to burn CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray discs and more. Optical drives can be either slot loading, or tray loading and come in many different configurations. Optical drives connect directly to the motherboard of the computer.

How do I run Microsoft ScanDisk?

Answer

To run scan disk and check your hard disk drive for errors follow the below steps for your version of Windows. Before running scan disk on the computer, keep in mind that it can take several hours to complete depending on the size of your hard disk drives, and any errors that may exist with the drive.

Before running scandisk we suggest all open programs be closed to help prevent any data loss and prevent any problems during scan. Windows 95, 98, and ME users may even want to boot the computer into Safe Mode before running scandisk.


Microsoft Windows XP, 2000, Vista, and 7 users

Keep in mind that these versions can be a networking operating system and it's possible that the privileges to run scandisk may have revoked by the system administrator. To run Scandisk we recommend you follow the recommend steps.

1. Double-click My Computer
2. Highlight a local hard disk drive by clicking on it once
3. Right-click the highlighted local drive
4. Click Properties
5. Click the Tools tab and click check now to check the drive for errors.
6. The computer will need to restart in order to run scandisk without getting interrupted.

Although not required we suggest having Scandisk automatically find and fix any errors found.

Microsoft Windows 95/98 users

To run scandisk from Windows 95 and 98 follow the below steps.

1. Click Start

2. Click Run and type scandisk in the run box

3. Click ok

4. Within the scandisk window select the drive that you wish to be checked.

5. Choose the option between standard and through. It is recommended you run standard first, if you encounter issues with scandisk using standard, run the through scan.

6. Finally, click start to begin scandisk.

In addition, Windows 95 OSR2 and Windows 98 will run scandisk automatically if the computer is shutdown improperly, to verify whether the hard disk drive encountered issues when the computer was improperly shutdown.

Microsoft Windows NT users

Windows NT is not shipped with Microsoft Scandisk. However, various third-party companies offer utilities that can scandisk and check your hard disk drive for you. Symantec a well respected computer company offers such a program.

Microsoft Windows 3.x / MS-DOS users

Scandisk was first available in MS-DOS 6.2 and was available ever since. If you are running MS-DOS 6.2 or 6.22 and would like to run scandisk, follow the below steps.


1. If you are in Windows 3.x, click File and then Exit to get to the MS-DOS prompt.

2. From MS-DOS, type CD\DOS and press enter.

3. From the C:\DOS> type scandisk and press enter. Scandisk should begin running on the computer.

Finally, some computer manufacturers have changed the installation directory of where scandisk is located; if you are unable to run scandisk from the DOS directory, go to the Windows directory by typing CD\Windows.

Disk Cleanup

A software utility first introduced with Microsoft Windows 98 and included in all future releases of Microsoft Windows that enables users to quickly remove files that are no longer needed or that can be safely deleted.
As can be seen in the picture to the left Disk Cleanup can quickly delete Temporary Internet Files (associated with Internet Explorer), old downloaded program files, empty the Recycle Bin, and delete Temporary Files. Newer versions of Disk Cleanup (e.g. Windows XP and later) also allow users to delete Offline Webpages, Microsoft Error Reporting Temporary Files, WebClient/Publisher Temporary Files, Compress old files and Catalog files for the Content Indexer

How to open Microsoft Disk Cleanup

Microsoft Disk Cleanup can be opened by following one of the below methods.

1. Start
2. Programs, Accessories, System Tools
3. In System Tools click Disk Cleanup

or

1. Start, Run
2. In the Run line type: cleanmgr

or

1. Open My Computer
2. Right-click the drive you wish to run Disk Cleanup on (e.g. C: drive)
3. Click the Disk Cleanup button.

What to do in Disk Cleanup

Once Disk Cleanup is open check each of the boxes you wish to run. To the right of each option is the disk drive space each of the items are taking on your hard disk drive.

Note: We highly recommend that users DO NOT check the option to Compress old files. Often this option causes more issues than the small amount of space it recovers is worth.

Once each of the boxes have been checked click Ok to start the cleanup process.

Determining available hard drive space.

Issue

Determining available hard drive space.

Solution

To determine the available hard disk drive space will vary depending upon the operating system that is currently being used. Below is a listing of various operating systems and the methods of determining how much space is available in that operating system.


Windows Vista and 7 users 1. Open the Computer Icon. In Computer you'll see each drive with a small percentage bar of how much disk space is being used as well as a description of how much is free and the total disk space. If you're wanting additional information right-click the drive and click Properties. Below is an example of what this looks like.

Windows 95, 98, NT 4.x, 2000, ME, and XP users

1.From the Windows desktop open My Computer 

2.Within My Computer highlight and right-click the C: Drive or the drive you wish to determine the capacity or available space on the drive.

3.From the menu that appears after right-clicking the drive click Properties.

4.The Properties window will display the used space, free space, and the total capacity of the hard disk drive.


Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XP users:

If you're running Windows 2000 or higher My Computer will also display the Total Size and Free Space for each of the drives in the main My Computer Windows. If you wish to display more information as well as a graph of available space follow the above steps.



MS-DOS and Windows command line users

Open the MS-DOS prompt.

To determine the available space on a hard disk drive using MS-DOS we recommend that the 'dir' command be used.

At the MS-DOS prompt type:

dir <press enter>

At the end of the directory listing you will see information similar to the below example.

2 file (s)                          578 bytes
15 dir (s)              16,754.78 MB free

As you can see above the hard disk drive has over 16GB of free space. If you wish to see all files and how much space they are occupying type the below commands.

cd\
dir /s

The above command will list all files on your computer (except the hidden files) and give you the total amount of disk space they utilize as well as the free disk space.

Windows 3.x and NT 3.x users

In Windows 3.x or Windows NT 3.x you can determine the available free space by highlighting the C: drive and on the status bar at the bottom of the screen see the available free space and total.

In addition to the steps listed above you can also still view the available space through MS-DOS.

How to Get Rid of a Computer Virus

Computer viruses come in many forms and can cause various kinds of damage to your system. Fortunately, most viruses are easily dealt with and effective methods for eliminating them are often developed as soon as the viruses are discovered. If you think your computer may be infected, take any necessary steps to clear your system and avoid infecting other

1. Visit your virus-scan software manufacturer's Web site and install any virus updates that are available. Then run the software. The software may not be able to delete the virus, but it may be able to identify it. 
2. Search the Web for information regarding your specific virus by typing the name of the virus or its associated file into a search engine followed by the word "virus." For example, "Melissa virus," "BubbleBoy virus," etc. 
3. Download and install any patches or other programs that will help you eliminate the virus. Or follow any instructions you find on deleting the virus manually. 
4. Run another virus scan to make sure the virus has been dealt with properly.

Also See : 

The First Thing to Do When You Get a Computer Virus
What is a computer virus
What are the current available antivirus programs?

Computer Care and Saftey Rules

Computers are just like any other pieces of equipment, they need to be cleaned and cared for in order to get the most out of them. Most computers don't really see anything in the way of special care; their owners let them sit on a desk year round to collect dust. In turn, a computer whose internal parts are caked with dust will overheat faster and find itself running a lot slower than it should.

• Physical Care 

Computers need to be cleaned properly to keep in working order condition. You should clean your computer monitor about once a month by lightly spraying glass cleaner into a soft rag and wiping the monitor down. You should never spray the cleaner onto the monitor itself. Spraying substances onto a monitor will cause streaks, and depending how much substance you use, might permanently streak the monitor. Wipe the keyboard down with disinfectant wipes; you should never use a spray on your keyboard. If you use a spray on your keyboard, you chance having the liquid run down between the keys and damaging the keyboard. If something gets stuck between keys on your keyboard, you should use tweezers to remove it after turning off and unplugging your computer. If you simply try to brush the debris away, you chance knocking it down into the keyboard and losing whichever key it falls under. Once a year, spray down the insides of your computer with a small can of compressed air. Dust will often build up around parts, causing them to overheat easier and slowing down your computer. If you are using a standard mouse, you can remove the bottom frame to take out a small rubber ball. In the mouse where this ball sits are four small tracks. Use a small cotton swab to remove any dust and hairs that are on these tracks.

• Internal Maintenance 

A computer is a store house for mass amounts of data, so you could say a computer is like a big bookcase. Like real bookcases, they can become cluttered and unorganized, which can be frustrating when you're trying to find something. Having a cluttered computer also slows down the processing time for your normal every day functions. Defragmenting your computer will organize files in a fashion where the computer can easily access everything. This will allow for more RAM, which the computer will use for various tasks throughout its use. Most computers can be set to defrag on a regular routine; this feature is best used to defrag once a week. Besides defragging, the computer should have some kind of anti-virus program on it and perform routine scans to make sure you don't have any spyware or other malicious programs slowing down your computer.

How to Care for a Computer

Your computer is a valuable piece of machinery and, like your car, needs to be serviced to keep it running smoothly. If you care for your computer on a regular basis, you can ensure that it will be ready when you need it. Learning to maintain your computer can also be a valuable skill you can use to help your friends and co-workers who need help maintaining their computers.

1. Get to know your computer. A manual came with your machine and you should keep it handy in case of problems. You also should skim the sections on areas where you frequently experience difficulty. Also utilize the help feature that comes with your operating system.

2. Be aware of tech resources around you. Technically-savvy friends should be your first line of defense, but don't rely on them all the time since they may get tired of fixing your problems. Online forums and support groups are also especially useful, since someone has usually experienced the same problems you encounter and posted advice.

3 Take precautions to protect the security and health of your computer. Install virus protection software, a firewall, and any other programs that can help protect your computer. Just in case, back up your computer files on a regular schedule. Special software is available to help with back up, or you can duplicate your work on a CD or external hard drive.

4. Know the signs of impending doom. If your computer freezes up, it's trying to tell you something is wrong. While rebooting your computer often solves the problem temporarily, the cause of the problem won't go away so easily. Check that your disk isn't full, since this is a common cause of poor computer performance.

5. Use the system tools that come with your computer. Tools such as ScanDisk and System Defragmenter can be found under the Accessories tab.

6. Maintain your computer on a regular basis to prevent sluggish behavior. Empty your recycle bin and delete bulky files that you aren't using. Clear out your temporary Internet files and delete unwanted emails from your inbox.

7. Organize your desktop each week, moving files into appropriate folders. The "My Documents" folder allows you to organize your computer using a virtual filing cabinet. Your computer desktop should resemble your actual desktop, neat and tidy.

8. Try to fix minor problems yourself. You can end a task by holding down the "Ctrl," "Alt," and "Delete" keys at the same time and then selecting the problem program from the Task Manager window. Also, undo any recent changes, such as the installation of a new program, if that might have caused the problem.