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PCSTATS Beginners Guides explain computers, software, and all those other wonderful things that cause you frustration. PCSTATS offers more content per page than other websites, and these Guides are full of clear and concise information that actually helps you take control.

  1. 10 Steps to a Secure PC
  2. 101 Tips and Tweaks for Windows XP
  3. 104 Killer Tech Tips for Windows XP
  4. 99 Performance Tips for Windows XP
  5. 99 Windows Vista Performance Tips
  6. Annual PC Checkup Checklist
  7. Assembling Your Own PC
  8. Back up and Restore Data in WinXP
  9. Browser Hijacking and How to Stop it
  10. Building a Home Theatre PC / HTPC
  11. Burning CDs and DVDs
  12. Cloning WindowsXP
  13. Converting Videotape Into Video Files
  14. Crash Recovery: The Blue Screen of Death
  15. Creating a Weblog / Blog
  16. Creating MP3 Music Files
  17. Decrypting Lost Document & Zipped File Passwords
  18. Diagnosing Bad Hard Drives
  19. Diagnosing Bad Memory
  20. Downgrading Windows Vista Back To Windows XP
  21. Dual OS Installation of WindowsXP 32-bit/64-bit
  22. Encryption and Online Privacy
  23. Ergonomics & Computers
  24. Flashing a Video Card BIOS
  25. Flash Memory Data Recovery and Protection
  26. Firewalls and Internet Security
  27. Firewall Setup and Configuration
  28. Forgotten Passwords & Recovery Methods
  29. Formatting and Partitioning a Hard Drive
  30. Fundamentals of Upgrading a PC
  31. Hard Drive Data Recovery
  32. Home Networking and File Sharing
  33. How to Install: Intel Socket 775 CPU and Heatsink
  34. How to Install: Intel Socket 1366 CPU and Heatsink
  35. How to Install: Intel Socket 1155 CPU and Heatsink
  36. How to Install: AMD Socket AM3 CPU and Heatsink
  37. How to Install: AMD Socket FM1 CPU and Heatsink
  38. How to Fix Homesite Design Mode to Work in WindowsXP/ Vista
  39. How To Make a Budget Desktop Computer on the Cheap
  40. How to Update a Motherboard BIOS
  41. Installing RAID on Desktop PCs
  42. Installing Windows Vista
  43. Installing Windows XP
  44. Internet Connection Sharing
  45. Legally Copying Software and Music
  46. Linux Part 1: Getting Familiar
  47. Linux Part 2: Installing a PC
  48. Linux Part 3: New Software
  49. Little Known Features of WindowsXP
  50. Making Old Software Compatible with Windows Vista
  51. Making DVD Movies from Video Files
  52. Most Common Ways to Kill a PC
  53. Optical Drives & Recording Formats
  54. Overclocking the CPU, Motherboard & Memory
  55. Overclocking the Videocard
  56. Preventing Data Theft from a Stolen Laptop
  57. Printer Sharing on a Home Network
  58. Quick Guide for Eliminating Spyware and Hijacker Software
  59. RAM, Memory and Upgrading
  60. Registry: Backups, Repairs, and Protection
  61. Remote Access to Computers
  62. RSS Feed Setup & Subscriptions
  63. Safe Mode in Windows Vista For Crash Recovery
  64. Setting up an FTP Server in WinXP
  65. Slipstreaming WindowsXP with Service Pack 2
  66. Spyware Protection and Removal
  67. Stopping Spam
  68. Stopping Vista From Thrashing Hard Disks to Death
  69. Synchronizing Files and Folders
  70. Unattended Windows 2000/XP Installations
  71. Understanding & Creating Batch Files
  72. Understanding & Tweaking WindowsXP Services
  73. Upgrading A Motherboard Without Reinstalling
  74. Upgrading Win98 to Windows XP
  75. USB Memory Drive Projects & Tips
  76. VPNs and Internet Connection Security
  77. Website Hosting From A Home PC
  78. Website Hosting With Apache
  79. Windows Vista Crash Recovery and Repair Install
  80. Windows XP Command Prompt
  81. Windows XP Safe Mode Explained
  82. Wireless Home Networking
  83. Wireless Network Security
"Get the 'Stats and Stay Informed!"








Welcome to the PCSTATS Beginner's Guides!

We pride ourselves on having some of the clearest and easiest to follow how-to articles available on the 'net. From hardware upgrades to home networking to data backups, you'll find it here on PCSTATS.com

What we are trying to do with these guides is to strip the mystery out of computer setup and servicing. The plain fact is, do it yourself computer maintenance just isn't that complicated, and we see no reason why the average computer user should have to pay a service center for help when easy and often free solutions are within reach.

Top 20 Beginners Guides
1. Beginners Guides: 99 Performance Tips for Windows

2. Beginners Guides: Setting up an FTP Server in Windows XP

3. Beginners Guides: Hard Drive Data Recovery

4. Beginners Guides: Crash Recovery & The Blue Screen of Death

5. Beginners Guides: Overclocking the CPU, Motherboard and Memory

6. Beginners Guides: 101 Tech Tips and Tweaks for Windows XP

7. Beginners Guides: Cloning WindowsXP

8. How Motherboards Are Made: A Gigabyte Factory Tour

9. Beginners Guides: Installing RAID on a Desktop PC

10. Beginners Guides: Windows Command Prompt

11. Beginners Guides: Formatting and Partitioning a Hard Drive

12. Beginners Guides: 99 Performance Tips and Tweaks for Windows

13. Beginners Guides: Home Networking and File Sharing

14. Beginners Guides: Most Common Ways to Kill a PC

15. Beginners Guides: Diagnosing Bad Hard Drives

16. Beginners Guides: Unattended Windows 2000/XP Installations

17. Beginners Guides: 104 Tech Tips for Windows XP

18. Beginners Guides: Making DVD Movies from Video Files

19. Beginners Guides: Browser Hijacking & How to Stop It

20. Beginners Guides: Assembling Your Own PC

PCSTATS has worked hard to provide guides that detail every facet of modern computer use. Starting with the basics, PCSTATS covers installing Windows XP and upgrading from Windows 98 to XP. Once you've got XP installed, how about learning about some of its hidden features. Moving on, we tackle some of the most asked computer questions like "how do I create MP3 files from my CDs?", " how do I burn CDs/DVDs and what formats should I use?." We also put you on the right track towards converting your home movies into video files, then turning those video files into DVDs. Most important of all, how should you protect your data? We have some good answers, and more than a few helpful hints to put you on the right track.

A second area PCSTATS Beginners Guides focus on is how to make your computing life easier. For example, spam email has become a painful fact of life for most computer users, but it doesn't have to be such a major irritation. A beginner's guide to stopping spam gives you several easy procedures which will quickly make spam email much less of an obstacle to your use of email. Likewise, the proliferation of viruses and spyware on the Internet threatens everybody. We give you a heads up on computer safety in our guide to firewalls and Internet security , and cover the safe removal of intrusive adware and spyware programs too. Do your wrists and eyes ache from too much computer time? Check out PCSTATS' ergonomics guide for some handy tips towards more comfortable computing.

Increasing your productivity within Windows XP is also a topic covered in several of our guides. If you regularly work at home as well as the office, you'll be interested in our guide to synchronizing files and folders so you'll always have the latest versions of your files at hand with out confusion. Own one of those handy-dandy USB key drives? take a look at a set of cool and clever USB drive projects; you can do a lot more with those things than you might think! Another handy thing to learn is how to create batch files within Windows; these little programs allow you to automate many of your most tedious tasks.

Tired of installing the latest Service Packs in every new Windows XP system you create? Tired of installing Windows XP at all? Check out this pair of guides, both of which are among the most popular articles with overworked IT staff: 'Slipstreaming: creating a Windows XP CD with Service Pack 2 included' guides you through the process of incorporating the latest Windows XP Service Pack right into your operating system CD, while the guide to creating a fully unattended Windows XP installation CD gives you everything you need to know about automating the Windows installation process in one handy location.

If you'd like to be sure that you have the basics of security and computer hygiene nailed down, but don't have the time or the inclination to learn about these subjects, try our quick guides to securing your PC and getting rid of spyware, adware and browser hijackers.

If you want to know more about the guts of your system, the hardware that keeps it going, PCSTATS has a series of articles just the weekend hardware warrior. Take a look at our guide to assembling your own PC for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to building a home computer. Once you have that mastered, you'll find the do-it-yourself guide to building a home theatre PC a snap! The annual PC maintenance checklist helps ensure that your PC will stay in top shape for as long as you own it. Sometimes it's good to go back to basics, and a good way to start is with this guide to computer memory. It explains how RAM works and why you might want more of it if your computer is getting 'slow'. For PC speed freaks, we cover RAID hard drive setups in detail, what they are, and how to set them up. If you are feeling ambitious, how about a bit of video card BIOS flashing?

Would you like to try overclocking but aren't sure where or how to start? This guide to overclocking a videocard will get you moving in the right direction. The companion guide to overclocking the processor, memory and motherboard explains the overclocking process for the rest of the system components; what the benefits are, as well as some of the potential dangers.

Interested in what makes Windows XP tick? Then we have some articles for you; this guide to the Windows XP registry will take you through this storehouse of XP customization settings, while the comprehensive article on Windows XP's Safe Mode will equip you to use this powerful recovery mode to your advantage. I'd also suggest you check out the guide to the Windows XP services for information on what these behind-the-scenes programs do, and how to create your own. If you are experiencing frustrating crashes or errors (and what Windows user hasn't at some point or another?) this handy guide to understanding and resolving the infamous BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) error should be interesting reading. Finally, get to grips with the Windows XP command prompt to increase your knowledge and control of the OS.

Upgrading and updating your PC is another inevitable task that we try to make easier. Take a look at PCSTATS' guide to flashing your motherboard's BIOS for one example. If you've grown used to your Windows XP install and hate the thought of reinstalling to accommodate a new computer system or hard drive, see this time-saving guide to cloning windows XP for another solution... Want to upgrade your system but don't know where to begin? We have the answers in this guide to the fundamentals of updating a PC , and it will certainly give you a helping hand in the right direction. If all you want to do is upgrade your motherboard, we've got an article on handling this complex operation too. No more service charges!

If you are tired of Windows altogether, or wary of Microsoft's operating system validation requirement for downloading patches, why not consider moving to Linux? PCSTATS has written three guides to this alternative OS, covering the basics of getting familiar with the Linux KDE desktop and then moving into the process of installing a Linux PC. In the third installment, we walk you through the task of installing new software in Linux, and where to find some productive programs for free.

Networking is a very important area of computer knowledge, especially as many homes now have more than one computer. Sharing an Internet connection among the computers in your household is a good start. If you're curious, PCSTATS also has guides to home networking, allowing you to share files between the systems in your home, and an article on the benefits of wireless networking. While wireless is extremely easy to set up and use, it has some security concerns that every user should know about. In PCSTATS' wireless security article, we provide any user with the knowledge they need to secure their wireless network from intruders. Advanced users may find this guide to Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and internet connection security especially useful. If you have a printer, why not share it over your network so that anyone in your house can use it? The easy to follow printer sharing guide has the goods.

Once you have a broadband Internet connection, there are a lot of interesting things you can do with Windows XP that are not immediately obvious. For example, how about enabling remote access, so you can work on your desktop from any Internet enabled computer in the world? Or maybe you'd like to create your own FTP server, allowing easy file transfers over the Internet? Perhaps you'd even like to learn how to create your own weblog ('blog') a small personal website. Speaking of websites, this guide to website hosting from a home PC has that critical topic completely covered! It's all here in PCSTATS collection of Beginners Guides. Once you've got a blog or website going, how about setting up an RSS feed so others can track your site easily? If you check out several bookmarks every day, learning about RSS readers could save you a lot of time.

Hardware failure is an unfortunate fact of life for PC owners, and one of the things that keeps computer stores in business. Fortunately there are ways to detect problems before they happen, and reduce the damage if your hardware should fail. Hard drives are one of the focal areas for failure in modern computer systems, due to their mechanical nature. They are also rather easy to erase, accidentally or maliciously. In one of our most popular and acclaimed guides, PCSTATS Beginners Guides looks at ways to restore your lost data in the event of just such a hard drive disaster. On the same topic, our guides to diagnosing bad memory and bad hard drives as well as interpreting your computer's 'beep' error codes will help you troubleshoot your PC at home. If you'd just like to expand the amount of storage space on your PC, well we've covered that aspect too with the guide to formatting and partitioning a hard drive!

Encryption and passwords are important facets of modern computer use, especially where the Internet is concerned. These subjects can be rather hard to understand for the average user, however. We've attempted to set things straight in this walk-through of encryption and online privacy .

Locked yourself out of your computer or file by forgetting a password? In twin guides, PCSTATS' examines the strengths and weaknesses of Windows password security and document password decryption giving you the knowledge you need to reclaim access. Knowing how to break back into Windows, or a locked document or ZIP file isn't something you'll need to know everyday, but when you're in a bind this information can be a life saver. PCSTATS also examines how to 'harden' your laptop computer , so if it is lost or stolen, at least your data will be safe.

For assorted tips and tweaks that can make your Windows XP experience, cleaner, faster and uniquely yours, we present our most popular set of PCSTATS Guides; 101 tips and tweaks for Windows XP, 99 Performance Tips for Windows XP and 104 Great Tech Tips for Windows XP. That's 304 useful tips, every one of them tested. You are sure to find something you like in one of these articles.

For some comic relief, as well as a serious look into the kinds of problems and errors of judgement that may one day destroy your precious computer, take a look at the extremely insightful guide to the most common ways to kill a PC. Why not visit our feedback page and share your own stories once you're finished!?

Please respect our Copyright and the many hours of effort which go into each Beginners Guide. PCSTATS asks that you do not reproduce these articles elsewhere.

Beginners Guide: Flashing a Video Card BIOS Beginners Guide: Slipstreaming a WindowsXP Install CD with Service Pack 2 Beginners Guides:  Ergonomics and Computers Beginners Guides: 101 Tech Tips and Tweaks for Windows XP Beginners Guides: 104 Tech Tips for Windows XP
Beginners Guides: 99 Performance Tips for Windows XP Beginners Guides: 99 Windows Vista Performance Tips and Tweaks Beginners Guides: Annual PC Checkup Checklist Beginners Guides: Assembling Your Own PC Beginners Guides: Back up and Restore Data in WinXP
Beginners Guides: Browser Hijacking & How to Stop It Beginners Guides: Burning CDs and DVDs Beginners Guides: Cloning WindowsXP How To Make a Budget Desktop Computer on the Cheap Beginners Guides: Converting Videotape Into Video Files
Beginners Guides: Crash Recovery & The Blue Screen of Death Beginners Guides: Creating a Weblog / Blog Beginners Guides: Creating MP3 Music Files Beginners Guides: Decrypting Document & File Passwords Beginners Guides: Diagnosing Bad Hard Drives
Beginners Guides: Diagnosing Bad Memory Beginners Guides: Downgrading Windows Vista Back To Windows XP Beginners Guides: Dual OS Installation of WindowsXP 32-bit/64-bit Beginners Guides: Encryption and Online Privacy Beginners Guides: Firewall Setup and Configuration
Beginners Guides: Firewalls and Internet Security Beginners Guides: Flash Memory Data Recovery and Protection Beginners Guides: Flashing a Motherboard BIOS Beginners Guides: Forgotten Passwords & Recovery Methods Beginners Guides: Formatting and Partitioning a Hard Drive
Beginners Guides: Fundamentals of Upgrading a PC Beginners Guides: Hard Drive Data Recovery Beginners Guides: Home Networking and File Sharing Beginners Guides: How to Fix Homesite Design Mode to Work in WindowsXP/ Vista Beginners Guides: Installing RAID on a Desktop PC
Beginners Guides: Installing Windows Vista Beginners Guides: Installing Windows XP Beginners Guides: Internet Connection Sharing Beginners Guides: Legally Copying Software and Music Beginners Guides: Linux Part 1: Getting Familiar
Beginners Guides: Linux Part 2: Installing a PC Beginners Guides: Linux Part 3: Installing New Software Beginners Guides: Little Known Features of WindowsXP Beginners Guides: Making DVD Movies from Video Files Beginners Guides: Making Old Software Compatible with Windows Vista
Beginners Guides: Most Common Ways to Kill a PC Beginners Guides: Optical Drives & Recording Formats Beginners Guides: Overclocking the CPU, Motherboard and Memory Beginners Guides: Overclocking the Videocard Beginners Guides: Preventing Data Theft from a Stolen Laptop
Beginners Guides: Printer Sharing on a Home Network Beginners Guides: RAM, Memory and Upgrading Beginners Guides: Remote Access to Computers Beginners Guides: RSS Feed Setup & Subscriptions Beginners Guides: Safe Mode in Windows Vista For Crash Recovery
Beginners Guides: Securing A Wireless Network Beginners Guides: Setting up an FTP Server in Windows XP Beginners Guides: Spyware Protection and Removal Beginners Guides: Stopping Spam e-Mails Beginners Guides: Stopping Vista From Thrashing Hard Disks to Death
Beginners Guides: Synchronizing Files and Folders Beginners Guides: Ten Steps to a Secure PC Beginners Guides: The Registry: Backups, Repairs, and Protection Beginners Guides: Unattended Windows 2000/XP Installations Beginners Guides: Understanding and Creating Batch Files
Beginners Guides: Understanding and Tweaking WindowsXP Services Beginners Guides: Upgrading A Motherboard Without Reinstalling Beginners Guides: Upgrading Win98 to Windows XP Beginners Guides: USB Memory Drive Projects Beginners Guides: VPNs and Internet Connection Security
Beginners Guides: Website Hosting From A Home PC Beginners Guides: Website Hosting With Apache Beginners Guides: Windows Vista Crash Recovery and Repair Install Beginners Guides: Windows XP Safe Mode Explained Beginners Guides: WindowsXP Command Prompt
Beginners Guides: Wireless Home Networking How To Install An Intel Socket 775 Processor and Heatsink Do-It-Yourself Guide: Building a Home Theatre PC / HTPC

If there is a computing topic you would like to see PCSTATS cover that isn't listed here, please use the Feedback page to let us know.

 
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