Hot Computer Hardware Posts
How To: Clean up your computer keyboard easily
If you want to know how to clean your computer keyboard in 3 simple steps, you should watch this video. To clean your computer keyboard, you will need Hydrogen peroxide, soap dish, spoon, cotton buds, and a small bowl. Just follow these 3 simple steps: Put 1 part soap dish and 1 part Hydrogen peroxide into a small bowl depending on how much you need. Mix it well with a spoon. Dip the tip of the cotton bud into the mixture and scrub it against your dirty computer keyboard. Remember to change t...
How To: Manually open a jammed CD or DVD drive on a computer
This video will show you how to manually open a jammed CD or DVD drive on your computer. Follow these instructions to open up a jammed CD or DVD drive on your computer: You will need a fine tipped Allen wrench, very thin screwdriver or even a paper clip. Find the very small hole on the front of the drive, and carefully insert your screwdriver in there. Push it all the way to the back and the tray will slide out, either half way or all the way.
How To: Tell if a CD is blank
Need to figure out if your cd has been written on or not? Here is a quick way to be able to tell the difference between a blank cd and a cd that has been written on. Obtain the techniques to be able to tell between a dvd and an audio cd that have been written on.
How To: Connect a Nokia Booklet 3G to the internet via a network or 3G connection
If you hit the FN + F10 keys on your Nokia Booklet 3G, you'll see the available internet connections methods for your netbook including Bluetooth, wifi, and 3G.
How To: Replace a key on Samsung Notebook keyboard
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to replace a key on a Samsung notebook keyboard. This task is very fast, easy and simple to do. Begin by placing the small retainer clip into the small areas of the key. Make sure the retainer clip is aligned on top of the keyboard and is securely placed on. Then simply place the key over the retainer clip and press on it. Hold the bottom of the key with one finger and press down the key with another finger. to secure it in place. This video will bene...
How To: Completely format a hard drive
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to completely format a hard drive. Begin by downloading the Knoppix Live Boot CD. Then burn the newly download ISO onto a CD as a bootable disc. Use your BIOS to tell your computer to boot from the CD-ROM instead of the hard drive. With the Knoppix CD still in your CD drive, restart your computer to load up Knoppix. Once loaded, use Knoppix to run the “dd” command and reformat your hard drive. This video will benefit those viewers who want to learn ho...
How To: Repair a Power Mac G5 - Remove hard drive
Want to upgrade your hard drive in your Power Mac? It's a pretty simple task, once you can get inside your computer. See how to remove your hard drive from you Power Mac desktop computer.
How To: Repair a MacBook Air - Replace LCD display & hinges
PowerBook Medic is the ultimate resource for Mac computers and electronics repair. They have helpful tutorials on most Apple products including the MacBook, MacBook Pro, PowerBook, iBook, iPhone, iPod, and more, covering topics from disassemblies, to RAM upgrades, to replacement hard drives.
How To: Recycle gold from old computer parts
Electronic waste is becoming more and more of a problem for the industrialized world, especially since most electronics are full of precious and rare-earth metals that should be recycled. Even gold! Enter this video. It will show you how you can use chemistry to strip the gold from your old computer and other electronic parts and, well, have more gold! Who doesn't want gold?
How To: Hack a CD Rom drive and make it glow
Sometimes it can be annoying to have to put in a cd in the dark. No worries, this tutorial video will help you to illuminate that CD port with a few LED lights.
How To: Save Money Cleaning Your Gadgets' Displays with This DIY Screen-Cleaning Solution
Keeping your computer screen or smartphone display clean is impossible. And those stupid little cloth cleaners that come with your device are about as useful as the new Apple Maps (yes, I am still upset about it).
How To: Mod a 12-volt power adapter onto your PC case
In this case modding video tutorial, you'll learn how to install a cigarette lighter-style 12-volt accessory outlet into a PC case. Charge your cell phone and other accessories directly from your case with the hack outlined in this video. For detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look!
How To: Fax directly from PCs with an Epson All-in-One printer
This is the future, where you can fax not only from a piece of paper, but directly from your computer, too. Whether you have a PC or a Mac, Epson All-in-One printers allow you to send a fax right from your computer.
How To: Remove the logic board from an Apple Mac Pro
Fixing to remove the logic board from your Mac Pro? This brief how-to will guide you through the process, the first necessary step of any upgrade or repair. This tutorial will also be of use to those who wish to learn more about the guts of their Mac Pros without actually disassembling their units.
How To: Get better picture quality from your webcam
This video shows you how to get the most out of your webcam and get some decent picture quality out of it.
How To: Replace a space bar on a Dell laptop keyboard
Is the spacebar on your keyboard out of whack? This simple video will show you how to re-seat it in less than two minutes. Start by using your fingers (or a small screwdriver or spudger if needed) to gently pry up along the top of the spacebar, working from one direction to another. Continue working along the top until the key is free from its mounting clips. Observe the location of the mounting clips. After the key is free from the keyboard, you can also remove the metal support bar from the...
How To: Disassemble & clean a white Apple iMac keyboard
This video is a tutorial on how to disassemble and clean a white Apple keyboard. Most of the keys pop out easily, but the bigger ones have metal clips on the back and need to be removed very carefully. Take a picture of your keyboard to remember where each key goes, and don’t lose any.
How To: Repair scratched CDs and DVDs with sandpaper
Have a Playstation game, or any other disc, that just won't play? In this how-to video, you'll learn how to repair damaged and scratched optical media (e.g., DVDs & CDs) using sandpaper and rubbing compound. Check it out.
How To: Connect a laptop or PC to an LCD monitor without DVI
Have an LCD flat screen monitor, but don't have DVI output on your laptop or desktop computer? That's no problem, because nowadays most LCD flat panel monitors come equipped with both DVI and VGA inputs. If not, you simply need to purchase a VGA to DVI adapter, which are pretty cheap, and connect it to your DVI cable and graphics card on your computer. Patrick from Tekzilla Daily tells you all about it, along with a tip on making sure your resolution stays it best and brightest when hooking u...
How To: Format a memory card using a card reader and a Windows PC
Sometimes it's necessary to format your memory card in your mobile phone or digital camera, just like you need to format a hard drive, because of virus problems or slower speeds. This video will show you the steps to formatting (or reformatting) the SD memory card for a cell phone, using a memory card reader. You'll also get details about a write protect error that could happen.
How To: Repair a Power Mac G5 - Remove the G5 processor
For some reason or another, you might have to remove the processor from your Power Mac. If you don't know how, see how to remove the processor from the Power Mac desktop computer right here.
How To: Repair a Power Mac G5 - Remove side case and fan
Need to fix your Power Mac? Disassembling the Power Mac could be tricky, but not now. See how to remove the side case and fan from the G5 Power Mac desktop computer.
How To: Install a 2.5" hard drive in an external enclosure
In this how-to video, you will learn how to install a 2.5" hard drive into an external closure. This will take only about five minutes. You will need a small Phillips screwdriver. Make sure you use anti-static precautions before performing this procedure. Take off the top of the enclosure. Line the SATA connector of the hard drive to the enclosure. There is a tab on the top part of the enclosure. Make sure that it connects to the other part of the lower part of the enclosure. Take the screws ...
How To: Handwrite on an HP TouchSmart
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to hand-write on an HP Touch Smart computer. The HP Touch Smart is a touchscreen all-in-one desktop computer. The input panel allows users to hand-write or type text right on the screen. There are 3 different writing modes in the input screen. The modes are: writing pad, character pad and on-screen keyboard. It can be used in many HP programs such as the calendar and notes. This video will benefit those viewers who have an HP Touch Smart computer and ...
How To: Refill a black HP ink cartridge in under 5 minutes
Is your HP printer's black ink cartridge spent? Ready to throw it out? Not so fast: This video tutorial provides a short number of simple-to-follow steps for refilling your HP ink cartridge yourself in less than 5 minutes. Save money and reduce waste with this inky how-to.
How To: Use Internet Sharing for a modem
No need for Bluetooth DUN or 3rd party software: it's easy to use Internet Sharing in Windows Mobile so you can tether your phone for use as a modem.
How To: Replace a keyboard for Acer Aspire One 10.1 netbook
In this Computers & Programming video tutorial you will learn how to replace a keyboard for Acer Aspire One 10.1 netbook. Disconnect the netbook from the power supply and remove the battery. You can use a small flat screw driver or a razor blade for replacing the keyboard. You don't have to remove any screws. You need to unlatch three tabs; one located above the f8 key and two on either side of the keyboard. With the razor blade unlatch the tab above f8, and then the two side tabs as shown in...
How To: Power a computer with car batteries
The original idea was to turn a small home UPS into a giant UPS but because the UPS was only able to run the RAID-wielding desktop for three minutes before shutting down, he decided to add two 24V car batteries to the equation (the maximum that his UPS could tolerate). The good news: it worked, and will run his computer for an hour plus.
News: High School Grad Builds 8-Bit Computer from Scratch
Age doesn't matter in the world of programming, only skills, and recent high school grad Jack Eisenmann definitely has them. He recently built a homebrew 8-bit computer from scratch, calling it the DUO Adept. A worn television makes up the monitor and speaker system, an old keyboard acts as the input controller and the actual computer itself is housed inside a clear Rubbermaid container, consisting of 100 TTL chips and a ton of wire.
How To: Find and identify an AGP graphics card slot in your PC
If you haven't been inside a computer before then when you open the side panel, that massive forest of wires might be slightly intimidating for the first time. But it is necessary to eventually begin upgrading your hardware to keep up the todays technology. In this video you will learn how to identify the proper AGP slot on your motherboard where your graphics card is housed and how to remove it properly.
How To: Use multi-touch gestures with a Wacom Bamboo tablet
In this clip, you'll learn how to use multi-touch (or multitouch) gestures on a Wacom Bamboo pen tablet. Happily, it's easy. So easy, in fact, that this video tutorial can present a complete, step-by-step overview of the process in just under four minutes. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started using multi-touch gestures on your own Bamboo tablet, take a look.
How To: Fix a stuck pixel on an LCD monitor
Stuck pixels can be a little annoying. They get jammed and you wind up with a slightly discoloured computer screen image. In this tutorial, learn how to fix a stuck pixel on an LCD Monitor, the easy way.
How To: Hack together a WiFi radio for under $50
In this clip, you'll learn how to create a WiFi radio with an Asus WL-520GU and a WL-520GU-ASUS wireless router. It's an easy process and this video presents a complete guide. For more information, including a full demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this helpful home-computing how-to.
How To: Remove the hard disk drive (HDD) from a G5 iMac
In this how to video, you will learn how to remove your hard drive from an iMac G5. First, open the cover of your iMac. There will be torx screws that have to be removed from the left hand side of the hard drive. Once this is done, you will have to unplug the two cables located on the bottom of the drive. From here, remove the hard drive up and out. Unscrew the screws attaching a bracket to the hard drive. Once this is done, you can swap in your old drive for a new one, or make modifications ...
How To: Resurrect a crashed hard drive
Has your hard drive been broken, overheated, or simply worn down from old age? Learn how to recover data from a crashed hard drive with a few simple tips and utilities. Resurrect a crashed hard drive.
How To: Disable or Enable USB Port in PC
This video will provide an idea how to disable or enable the USB port on your PC. By disabling USB port will restrict people from copying your files into USB devices. This is a very effective trick to save your data. Watch the video and follow all the steps.
How To: Use a Wacom pen tablet with Corel Painter Essentials
In this clip, you'll learn how get started using your Wacom pen tablet with Corel Painter Essentials. It's easy. So easy, in fact, that this video tutorial can present a complete, step-by-step overview of the process in just over five minutes. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look.
How To: Watch and record TV with an HP TouchSmart PC
After you set up live TV on your HP Touchsmart PC, tap the house icon and open the live TV title. In this menu, you can browse different categories and programs of TV, as well as future programs. However, you can't watch one program while you record another. To go into full screen mode, tap the square in the top right of the screen, where several controls are available. To record a program, tap the record button, which is a small red circle. If you want to schedule a recording, go to the "On ...
How To: Replace a hard drive in a 15" macbook Pro
The video starts by informing about the basic safety precautions, tools needed and backing up data prior to hard drive replacement. There are a series of screws which need to be removed in the following order.1. Removing the battery from the back and then remove three screws thereby removing the RAM cover.2. Two more screws to be removed under the RAM cover.3. Two screws from inside front edge.4. Four screws from the bottom rear.5. Two screws each from the slim sides.6. Two screws near the hi...
How To: Safely clean an LCD screen
This video answers the question, how do you safely clean an LCD? Remember that LCD’s do not have glass so you have to be careful how much pressure you apply, as well as the kind of cloth you are using, or you can damage or scratch the screen.