Graphics Cards FAQs

Q: Does my graphics card support ATI CrossFireX/nVidia SLI?
A: In general, most standalone graphics cards support CrossFireX or SLI. Detailed information on whether or not the card supports it will be located on the packaging for the video card.

Q: Will a graphics card with GDDR3/4/5 work with a DDR2 or DDR3 system?
A: Yes, the graphics memory on the card is independent of the system RAM and

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How to Buy the Right Graphics Card

If you have upgraded your display recently, you may have noticed that your graphics aren’t as clear as they should be. This may be due to the legacy video card in your computer. With a minor upgrade to your video card and a little time, you could improve your system’s video output dramatically. Before buying a new graphics card, here are some recommendations to follow when shopping for the right

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Graphics Cards: AGP, PCI and PCI-Express

There are three different interface standards for graphics cards: AGP, PCI or PCI-Express.  AGP or Accelerated Graphics Port is twice as fast as PCI and has direct access to the processor bypassing the PCI bus. It is also capable of utilizing system memory to read textures through a technology known as GART (Graphics Address Mapping Table). GART sets aside areas of the main system memory as

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How to Reset Internet Explorer

Is your Internet Explorer crashing all the time? The browser may have become unstable from too many add-ons causing the program to freeze. IE has a reset option available but should only be used as a last resort to fix major problems. By resetting the browser, IE removes any and all favorites and add-ons previously installed.



To reset IE:
1. Go to Tools » Internet Options.


2. Click on the

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Virus ALERT: Security Shield

There is another rogue anti-virus program called "Security Shield" that infects computers by using bogus security warnings in lure users into downloading the malware. This virus is one of a suite of known malware programs by Virus Doctor. Security Shield or any other Virus Doctor freeware can cause a variety of issues including blocking the system’s ability to connect to the Internet and slow

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Wireless Networking

For Day 3 of our Networking-focused week, we are going to discuss wireless networking. This article explains what is wireless networking and how wireless security works:

What is Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi or Wireless Fidelity is a wireless network connection used both in the home and for business purposes. All laptops and some desktops come equipped with wireless adapters to connect to Wi-Fi networks.

There

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Networking Terms

For Day 2 of Networking 101, we are going to review some basic networking terminology. This information can be useful when configuring your home network and choosing the right hardware.

802.11
A networking standard established by the IEEE for LAN protocols. There are several levels of 802.11 standard: a, b, g, and n. Each represents a different bandwidth, frequency, data rate and network range.

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Networking 101

This week, we are going to focus on networking - specifically setting up your own home network and troubleshooting hardware issues.

Today, we are going to provide some frequently asked questions and solutions for setting up your router:

Q: How can I protect my router from unauthorized wireless access?
A: Wireless routers can be secured from unauthorized access and hackers by adding a wireless

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Creating Recovery Media for Gateway Computers

This article shows how to create the recovery media for a Gateway-brand computer.

Before you begin:
If your computer experiences problems that are not recoverable by other methods, you may need to reinstall the Windows operating system and factory-loaded software and drivers. To reinstall using discs, you must create the set of recovery discs before you have a problem. To ensure that you have

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Malware ALERT: "Security Tool" Virus

Another fake anti-virus program called "Security Tool" has been identified as malware for Windows 7 machines. This software claims to work as a virus scan, and floods the system with bogus messages that your computer is infected with a virus. Similar to the ThinkPoint virus, Security Tool prevents you from running any other programs to fix the issue.

There are several options to remove this

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Creating Recovery Media for Dell Computers

This article shows you how to create recovery media for Dell-brand computers.

Before you begin:

If your computer experiences problems that are not recoverable by other methods, you may need to reinstall the Windows operating system and factory-loaded software and drivers. To reinstall using discs, you must create the set of recovery discs before you have a problem. To ensure that you have

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Creating Recovery Media for Acer Computers

This guide shows how to create the recovery media for an Acer-brand computer.

Before you begin:

If you are creating recovery discs, ensure that you have several blank DVD±R discs. Note that you cannot use DVD±RW or DVD±R Double-Layer discs to create the recovery media.

Close all open applications on the PC. You will not be able to use the computer while it is creating the recovery media.

To

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Virus Alert: ThinkPoint Removal

A new malware tool called "ThinkPoint" has been affecting both Windows 7 and Windows XP systems. This "free" software poses as a virus scanner but actually disables your Windows taskbar and desktop icons. ThinkPoint is also known as "hotfix.exe".

To disable the ThinkPoint application:

1. Press CRL + ALT + DEL to launch the Windows Task Manager.

2. Click on the Processes tab.



3. Find the

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Creating Recovery Media for HP Computers

Before you begin:
If you are creating recovery discs, ensure that you have several blank DVD±R discs. Note that you cannot use DVD±RW or DVD±R DL discs to create the recovery media.

Close all open applications. You will not be able to use the computer while it is creating the recovery media.

You can use HP Recovery Manager to create a personal set of recovery discs. When you select the Recovery

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Creating Recovery Media for eMachine Computers

This week, we are going to focus on creating recovery media for different systems. For Day 1, this article shows you how to make backup discs for eMachine-brand desktops and notebooks.

Before you begin:
If you are creating recovery discs, ensure that you have several blank DVD±R discs. Note that you cannot use DVD±RW or DVD±R Double-Layer discs to create the recovery media.

Close all open

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Windows 7 Software Compatibility

If you have decided to make the upgrade to Windows 7, you should take a moment or two to check your existing software compatibility before installing. With the launch of a new OS, you may find that some of your favorite programs no longer work. Here are a couple of tips to help make the process easier:

Processor Type
Before investing your money into new software, you need to verify what type of

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Optimizing your System with Disk Defragmenter

In Part 2 of optimizing your system, we are going to take a quick look at the Disk Defragmenter utility. This program helps to streamline your hard drive by moving stored data into sequential segments. When data is saved to a hard drive, the data is placed into sectors. As old information is deleted, these blank sectors can become scattered throughout the drive, and it takes longer for the hard

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Optimizing your System with Disk Cleanup

Windows has several built-in tools that can help keep your system running smoothly. One of these tools called Disk Cleanup can remove extraneous files quickly from your computer. To start Disk Cleanup, follow these steps:

1. Go to Start » Accessories » System Tools » Disk Cleanup. Or go to Start, then type in Disk Cleanup in the search bar.

2. In the Disk Cleanup window, select the Files to

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How to: Install Add-ons to Internet Explorer

It’s easy to customize Internet Explorer by using Add-ons to enhance your browser’s functionality. Microsoft provides a library of options for IE from blogging to finance to shopping. To install an Add-on to Internet Explorer, follow these steps:


1. Go to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer Gallery and select an Add-on from the site.

2. Download the file and follow the on-screen instructions. Some

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Tour of ESET CyberSecurity for Mac

One of the advantages of owning a Mac is not having to worry about malware as much as our PC counterparts. Since Mac has grown in popularity over the past few years, Macs are becoming a bigger target for cyber-threats. Just a couple of weeks ago, the “Boonan” trojan was discovered; it disguised itself as a Java applet and would hijack the user’s system account then take control of the machine.

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How to Change your Screen Saver in Windows 7

Windows includes several different options for screen savers within the OS. You also have the choice to download and install a custom screen saver as an alternative to the default options. To change or modify the screen saver settings, you can access the control panel in two ways:

1. Click on the Start button. Select Control Panel. In the search box, type in “screen saver”.  In the results list,

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What is Windows Task Manager?

The Windows Task Manager is an important utility that can help you monitor and repair application issues with your OS. This program shows you what software is currently running on your system in addition to system processes and performance measurement. To optimize your computer, the Windows Task Manager is key to evaluating how well (or not so well) your computer is operating.

There are three

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How to Customize Internet Explorer Appearance

Microsoft Internet Explorer has several features to customize the appearance and improve the browser’s layout. Here are some basic commands to modify the default settings in IE:

Add/Delete Toolbars
1. Scroll to the menu bar at the top of the browser.
2. Right-click to reveal the Toolbar menu options.
3. Select which Toolbars to show or hide within the menu.

Adjust Text Size
There are two

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32 or 64-bit?

A common question that we get here at Tech Support is: how can I tell if my computer is 32 or 64-bit? To find out what type of system that you have is easy. Go to My Computer on your Desktop. Right-click on the icon and select Properties. Under the System component list, look for the System type. The menu should state whether your computer is 32-bit or 64-bit Operating System. An alternate way to

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How to Use the Phishing Filter in IE

It is that time of year where many of us will rely on online shopping to help us through the holidays. Before you click the checkout button, you should be aware of some new features in IE that can help you have a safer shopping experience online. With the launch of Internet Explorer version 7, Microsoft introduced a new feature that blocks phishing sites from your browser. Phishing is a type of

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Bing Bar support for Mozilla Firefox...

As of October 6th, the Bing Bar will no longer be available on Firefox due to a security issue that manifests when running Bing Bar on Firefox. We encourage Firefox customers who’d like to use Bing to use Bing.com as their default search engine through the web browser experience or download the Bing add-on for Firefox here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/10434/. This issue does

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Micro Center Technical Support Online is LIVE!!!

Micro Center Technical Support Online is LIVE!!!


Come visit the Micro Center Knowledge Expert Center. We're lucky to have some of the best minds and resources in computer technology at our fingertips, and we'd like to share these resources with you. Here you will find many self help items such as how-tos, FAQ's, and Technotes to help you with most questions about your product, plus input on

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ShareThis

We have added the power of ShareThis to http://www.mctsol.com/ visit us and share it with your friends!

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Hey if you havent heard yet.... Micro Center Technical Support Online is now LIVE!!

Come visit the Micro Center Knowledge Expert Center and check out the how-tos, FAQ's, Technotes and the Forum.

http://www.mctsol.com/

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Micro Center Technical Support Online is LIVE!!!

Come visit the Micro Center Knowledge Expert Center. We're lucky to have some of the best minds and resources in computer technology at our fingertips, and we'd like to share these resources with you. Here you will find many self help items such as how-tos, FAQ's, and Technotes to help you with most questions about your product, plus input on how to keep things running smoothly down the road.

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So you got that iPad... Do you know how to connect it your wireless network??

Start at the "Home" Screen on the iPad and select the Settings icon.



Next Select "Wi-Fi" to check if wireless is turned on.



If "Wi-Fi" is off, Slide the Wi-Fi button to the right until is states "On".



Once the Wi-Fi is on, the iPad will display all the networks within range.



Select the network you want to connect to.



Now you are connected!  Push the "Home" button and enjoy!

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Hey check our YouTube Channel!!!

Hey check our YouTube Channel!!! We have started posting videos!!

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Having problems installing your wireless Tenda W311U USB adapter??

Tenda W311U USB Adapter installation :

1. Start by inserting the Wireless USB Adapter into the USB port of your computer. You will see the following in the lower right hand side near the time.





 
 
 
 
 


2. "Found New Hardware" dialogue window will appear, select Cancel.





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




3. Insert the included CD-ROM into the optical drive of your

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Want to follow us with RSS? Here is how!!

Microsoft Outlook:
1. On the Tools menu, click Account Settings.
2. On the RSS Feeds tab, click New.
3. In the New RSS Feed dialog box, type or press CTRL+V to paste the URL of the RSS Feed.
    For for this blog, http://microcentertechsupport.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
4. Click Add.
5. Click OK.

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Time to renew ESET Antivirus? Part 3

Part3: Finalize Your Renewal
1. After submitting the registration form, in a few moments a page that looks blank will appear. Scroll up to the top of the page to see the new Username and Password. Also, an email will be sent (up to forty minutes later) with a copy of this new Username and Password in it. Once you have this new Username and Password, the ESET program needs to be updated with

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Time to renew ESET Antivirus? Part 2

Part2: Register Your Renewal
1. After you have purchased a renewal license from Micro Center’s website, you will receive via email two email messages. The second email message will have an “Activate Now” link. Please select this link to be directed to the registration page automatically, and the serial number will be entered for you. I highly recommend using the link in the email due to the

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Time to renew ESET Antivirus? Part 1

Part1: Purchase Your Renewal

1. Use your current Username to access the ESET store. The Username will be a capital EAV- followed by some numbers (e.g. EAV-87654321). The ESET store is found on the front page of Micro Center’s website. Scroll down the Micro Center webpage until you see ESET –renew today- on the RIGHT side of the page. The ESET store is accessed by your current Username OR

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What is HDMI?

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the first and only industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. By delivering crystal-clear, all-digital audio and video via a single cable, HDMI dramatically simplifies cabling and helps provide consumers with the highest-quality home theater experience. HDMI provides an interface between any audio/video source, such as a

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What is Firewire?

FireWire, also known as IEEE-1394 or i.LINK, is a high-speed serial bus found in PC, PC Peripherals and CE devices like Camcorders.The IEEE 1394 multimedia connection enables simple, low-cost, high-bandwidth isochronous (real-time) data interfacing between computers, peripherals, and consumer electronics products such as camcorders, VCRs, printers, PCs, TVs, and digital cameras. With IEEE

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What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth wireless technology is a short-range communications technology intended to replace the cables connecting portable and/or fixed devices while maintaining high levels of security. The key features of Bluetooth technology are robustness, low power, and low cost. The Bluetooth Specification defines a uniform structure for a wide range of devices to connect and communicate with each other.

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