The slick nMediapc case blends in well with existing AV equipment.

The AVS Gear remote will allow easy access from the couch, just like any other media player.

This Core2Duo processor will handle any HD video I throw at it, making it perfect for HTPC use. The last think I want is jittery video.

This motherboard from Intel has on-board HDMI, making it a perfect fit for my receiver and LCD HDTV. It's got room to grow with plenty of expansion slots for video cards or whatever I may want to add later.

4 GB of this bargain RAM from Crucial is more than enough to handle all of the typical HTPC tasks.

The Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB hard drive with allow quick response and room to grow.

The power supply is overkill for a HTPC, but I like having the room to grow. I'll be able to add another hard drive or a video card later. This power supply is also modular, so I only have to run the cables that I need, leaving a clean installation.

Nice basic wireless keyboard and mouse combo from Logitech.

BluRay would only cost a little more, but my goal with the HTPC is to remain discless, so I just went with a basic DVD burner. I'll need this for loading the operating system and maybe programs later.

If you’re interested in a Home Theater PC, send me an email and let’s talk about it.  A configuration like the one listed above will run you approximately $950 installed.  Higher end systems can be built if you want a killer gaming system connected to your television, or a more entry level system can be built if you’re looking to save money.

The Microcell can go anywhere in your home where you have an internet port, but needs to be near a window to grab a GPS signal.

So, I’ve never been able to make cell calls in my house. I almost always have to walk to the backyard to make a call, and even then it’s hit or miss. AT&T’s Microcell sounded perfect for me.

The Microcell just became available in the Baton Rouge area, and is only available in your local store.  After making a few calls on it, I can happily recommend it.

If you’re interested in a Microcell, but need help installing it, give us a call or email.  One of my technicians or I will be happy to assist.

If you’re experiencing problems, go to the Fix-it Center and check for a related solution.  If you’re not sure what one of the fixes is for, click on ‘show’ under the details column.

After you’ve decided which fix to run, click Run, then follow the directions.

http://fixitcenter.support.microsoft.com/Portal/

For those interested, the class I’m attending is for deploying Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager.  It’s an exciting product, but the class is somewhat boring so far, because my experience level with the product is high.

For those readers with a large number of workstations and/or servers, this is a product line that may be worth checking out.  System Center Essentials is a financially viable option for a small to mid-sized business.  If you have any questions about it or need assistance, just give me a call or email.

http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/en/us/default.aspx

Dealing With a Virus

If you know or suspect that you have a virus on your computer, don’t fret.  Microsoft has released an excellent (and free) antivirus and antimalware program called Security Essentials.

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/

After installing, let it run its updates and perform a full scan.  It really couldn’t be any easier.  If you find that this program can’t fix your current problems, shoot me an email or give me a call.  I can help!

Speed Up Your Computer

Over time, your hard drive can become fragmented, which means there are pieces of a file all over the place.  You may try to open a movie, but your hard drive has to look in hundreds of different places to get all of the bits of the file.  This can cause extreme slowdowns!  Luckily, this is one of the easiest fixes you’ll ever come across.

There are two different programs I’d recommend for this.  First, Windows has a built in defragmenting tool.  You can find it at Start, All Programs, Accessories, Disk Defragmenter.

The other program I’d recommend is Piriform’s Defraggler.  This gives you a lot more control than the built in program, but is really just as easy to use.  Select the disk that you’d like to check, click analyze, view the results, then click defragment.  There are lots more options that you can explore if you feel comfortable.

Remove Unused Programs

This one won’t necessarily speed up your computer, but it should definitely free up some hard drive space.  If you remove a program that launches when you start your computer, you’ll notice a slight speed increase.  Go to Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, and scan the list.  If you see something that you don’t use, remove it!

If You Need Help…

Don’t hesitate to give me a call or email.  My name is Nick and I’ll be glad to provide you with honest assistance.

Small Business

• Install and configure Microsoft Forefront Client Security.  (Demonstrations are available on Microsoft’s site)
• Companies with many computers may want to consider adding the central management server.  The management server will enable you to immediately check the health of your environment.
• Configure Network Access Protection.  If a computer is not receiving its antivirus updates, it will not be allowed on your internal network to avoid the spreading of a virus.  This will isolate the problem to a single computer and avoid any additional lost productivity.

Residential

• Install and configure Microsoft Security Essentials.  This is a free solution from Microsoft and outperforms many paid antivirus/antimalware programs.
• Remove any old antivirus and antimalware applications that you may have installed.  Leaving these programs in place can cause conflicts and slow down your computer.

Configuring a successful antivirus and antimalware solution is critical to your home and business.  If you’re unsure of how to fully protect your computers, I’ll be happy to perform the service for you.  Give me a call or email for a free estimate.

Benefits:

• Completely free product from Microsoft.
• Ensure all computers receive critical and security updates.
• Updates only need to be downloaded once to your WSUS server, then distributed to your computers.  This saves network congestion.
• Quickly review the status of all of your computers.
• Updates workstations and servers.

Ensuring your workstations are up to date is vital to business.  This helps to keep applications and the operating system running smoothly, and helps to protect important data.  Send me a brief description of your computer environment and I’ll gladly work up an estimate for you.