Tech Tip of the Day: How to save space on Solid State Drives (SSDs) - Part Five: User Directories

Description: This is a technical article on the topic of saving space on Solid State Drives. Part five covers moving the user directories.

The purpose of this article series is to show how to save space on Solid State drives, which are typically smaller than standard hard drives. In this article we will use a secondary hard drive, presumed to be larger than the solid state drive, as sort of repository, so we may move files from the faster SSD drive to the bigger standard hard drive.

Backup
Although we haven't had issues in our testing, we do recommend you do a backup of your important files before proceeding.

User Directories
The User Directories are the folders such as Documents, Pictures, Videos, et cetera, which are stored in your user directory. In this document we will move these to save space. We will be moving these directories from the C:\ drive (SSD) to the E:\ drive (HDD). This configuration may differ per system, so make sure the drive letters are right with your system.

1. Go to Start, then click on your Username in the top right.
   
   


2. Right-Click on a folder - we will use My Pictures and choose Properties.
   
   


3. Choose the Location tab, then click Move.
   
   


4. On the left in the new window, select the E:\ drive from the list, under the Computer section.
   
   


5. Once that is selected, select New Folder at the top.
   
   


6. Name the new folder appropriately - typically it would be the same as the username we clicked on earlier. In this case, it is Example.
   
   


7. Open the new folder by double-clicking on it.
8. Create another new folder using the same method, this time naming it My Pictures, or the name of the folder we are moving over.
   • Both of these names can be whatever you like, but this is the best method for keeping things organized.
   
   


9. Highlight the new folder, and then choose Select Folder at the bottom to complete the selection process.
   
   


10. Click on Apply to complete the move process.
11. Repeat this process for any folders in the user directory that need to be moved - anything that takes up substantial amounts of space would be recommended.
12. Once all the selected folders have been moved, restart the computer to complete the process.

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

Tech Tip of the Day: How to save space on Solid State Drives (SSDs) - Part Four: Index

Description: This is a technical article on the topic of saving space on Solid State Drives. Part four covers moving the search index from the C:\ drive to the E:\ drive.

The purpose of this article series is to show how to save space on Solid State drives, which are typically smaller than standard hard drives. In this article we will use a secondary hard drive which is presumed to be larger than the solid state drive as sort of repository for the Windows search index files.

Index
The Search Index is one of the best features of Windows 7 - when you search for anything on your computer, it pops up almost instantly. We certainly don't want to disable this feature, so what we will do is move the index to save space. We will be moving this from the C:\ drive (SSD) to the E:\ drive (HDD). This configuration may differ per system, so make sure the drive letters are right with your system.

Note:
Moving the index from your SSD to your standard hard drive may slow down search results marginally. At worst, the search results would return at the speed of a computer without an SSD.

1. Click on Start, enter Index and select Indexing Options
   
   


2. On this new window, select Advanced towards the bottom.
   • Note: Approve or allow any permission prompts.
   
   


3. Under Index Location, select the Select New option.
   
   


4. Select the E:\ drive, then choose Make New Folder.
   
   


5. Enter Index as the name of the folder, select that folder and then click OK to complete.
   • Note: You can put the Index wherever you like, the above is just an example.
6. Click OK on the Advanced Options window.
7. Restart your computer to complete the process. Once complete, the Index will have been moved from the C:\ to the E:\ drive.

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

Tech Tip of the Day: How to save space on Solid State Drives (SSDs) - Part Three: System Restore

Description: This is a technical article on to the topic of saving space on Solid State Drives. Part three covers limiting the amount of space available for System Restore.

The purpose of this article series is to show how to save space on Solid State Drives, which are typically smaller than standard hard drives. In this article we will limit the amount of space used by System Restore to free up (and prevent further use by System Restore) space on your solid state drive.

System Restore
System Restore is a troubleshooting feature, designed to roll your computer's configuration back to a previous date while not affecting your files. What we will do is limit the ability of System Restore to save restore points, so the end result is instead of being able to restore the computer by a month or more, you will only be able to restore it by a week or so.

1. Go to Start, right-click on Computer and choose Properties.
   
   


2. On the left in this new window, choose System Protection.
   • Note: Approve or allow any permission dialogues.
   
   


3. On this new window, select the Local Disk (C:) and choose Configure.
   
   


4. On this page, you can change the system restore settings or even turn off the feature completely to save the maximum amount of space. We do not recommend turning it off completely unless you are an advanced user who runs regular system image backups.
   
   


5. You can see the current usage, and select the Max Usage option here, as well as delete previous restore points. It is recommended to leave at least 1.5GB to 2GB of space. Once finished, choose Apply to make the changes.
   
   


6. Restart the computer to complete the process.

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

Tech Tip of the Day: How to save space on Solid State Drives (SSDs) - Part Two: Disable Hibernation

**EDITED**


Description: This is a technical article on to the topic of saving space on Solid State Drives. Part Two covers disabling Hibernation mode, which will free up several gigabytes of space on most systems.

The purpose of this article series is to show how to save space on Solid State drives, which are typically smaller than standard hard drives. In this second article we will be disabling Hibernation Mode, which saves several gigabytes of space by removing the hibernation file, which is typically 75% as big as your total system RAM. In other words, if you have 4GB of ram, the hibernation file will be about 3GB in size.

Netbook and Notebook Users
Hibernation is a commonly used feature for notebooks to save battery, and typically is the "go-to" mode for laptops when the battery is running low. If you are using a notebook or netbook, we do not recommend disabling hibernation.

Hibernation File
Let's start by seeing how much space the hibernation file takes up on the system, and then remove it. Note that this document uses the command line. Be sure to enter only and precisely the commands as they are displayed in this document. Failure to do so could result in damage to your system.

Hibernation is a feature that isn't often used - its purpose is to save energy by putting the machine in to a low-power state, but it sometimes takes several minutes to go in to and resume from hibernation and only saves marginally more power than Sleep Mode, which is nearly instant to enter and resume from. For most people, sleep mode is more than sufficient and doesn't take up any of your hard drive space. If you are unsure about whether or not you need the hibernation feature, consult a technician or just skip to the next document.

1. Go to Start, enter CMD, then right-click on it and choose Run As Administrator.
   
   


2. On the new window, enter "CD C:\" (without the quotes) in to the box and press enter. The Command Prompt will return a C:\> prompt.
   
   


3. Enter "dir /as" (without  the quotes) and press enter to see the size of the hibernation file.
   • Note: It displays the size of the file in bytes, so just think of the left-most number (in this case ‘3’) to be roughly the number of gigabytes it is using on your hard drive.
   
   


4. To turn off the hibernation file, enter "powercfg -h off" (without  the quotes) and press enter. It will return a C:\> prompt.
   
   


5. Now enter "dir /as" (without  the quotes) in to the box and press enter. The hiberfil.sys file should now be gone, and the space is freed up on your SSD. If not, then it should disappear after a reboot.
   
   


6. Once this is completed, restart your computer to complete the process. Hibernation is now disabled on the system, and the space is saved on the SSD.

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

Tech Tip of the Day: How to save space on Solid State Drives (SSDs) - Part One: Paging File

Description: This is a technical article on the topic of saving space on Solid State Drives. Part One covers moving the Paging File.

The purpose of this article series is to show how to save space on Solid State drives, which are typically smaller than standard hard drives. In this article we will use a secondary hard drive, presumed to be larger than the solid state drive, as sort of a repository, so we may move files from the faster SSD drive to the bigger standard hard drive.

Paging File
The first, easiest and biggest file to be moved is the paging file. The paging file is a "backup" for the RAM in your computer, so it is a large, mostly empty file that simply waits for Windows to input information to it. We will be moving this from the C:\ drive (SSD) to the E:\ drive (HDD). This configuration may differ per system, so make sure the drive letters are right with your system.

1. Go to Start, right-click Computer and choose
   Properties.
   
   



2. On the new window, choose Advanced System Settings on the left.
   
   
   • Note: Approve or allow any permissions dialogues.
   
   



3. On the new window, choose the Advanced tab, then in the Performance section click on
   Settings.
   
   



4. On the newest window, choose the Advanced tab again, then choose
   Change.
   
   



5. Uncheck the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives box at the top.
   
   



6. Select the secondary drive (E:\ in this case,) choose
   System managed size, then click Set.
   
   



7. Select the C:\ drive, choose No Paging File, then click
   Set.
   
   



8. When prompted, choose Yes to allow the change to go through.
   
   • Don't worry, although Windows doesn't recognize it yet, the new paging file will take all the information Windows needs.
   
   



9. Click OK to proceed through the windows. If prompted to restart, choose the option to
   Restart Now. If not, go ahead and restart your computer to complete the process.
   

For more assistance contact Technical Support, click here.

Know Your PC: Basic Answers you need to be able to tell your "computer geek"

"What kind of PC is it"? "Grey." (An actual answer to an actual question.)

Sooner or later you're going to have a problem with your computer, a question about its operation, or the need to upgrade it for better performance. If you're bringing your computer with you to Micro Center® it's easy for our sales associates to find the right item you need. But what if you're just stopping in to ask a "quick question", or contact our Central Technical Support group? Here are some basic answers you'll want to have stored in your smart phone…

1. What is the Manufacturer, Make, Model, and possibly Variant?

Saying that you have an "HP" computer is like saying you have a "GM" vehicle. Make a note of the information found the sticker on the bottom or back of your computer. So why wouldn't "Compaq Presario" be good enough? Compaq has been using that model name on both its desktops and laptops for many, many years. The full description of your machine will look something like "Compaq Presario laptop model F700, variant F702US". If you can't find the model details, check your vendor's web site for instructions on how to locate the sticker or what details are important.

The HP web site has pictures of where the model information can be found for HP and Compaq computers.

When you do locate the sticker, they identify the important information their service or support people will need.

2. What is your Operating System version, as well as any "major" software packages?

Sometimes your questions will have more to do with the software that's running on your system than the system hardware itself. When this is the case, you'll need to be just as specific on the Operating System (OS) or the software application in question.

Using Microsoft as an example, saying your computer is running "Windows" covers too many decades of products. By convention, when Microsoft says "Windows" they always mean the current version of their OS; otherwise they state the full name of the product.

Windows XP Home, Windows XP Professional, Service Pack 1,2, or 3, Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, 32 or 64 bit, Service Pack 1 or 2, Windows 7 Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, 32 or 64 bit – all of these "answers" to "What OS are your running?" can lead to different solutions.

Right Click on My Computer and select "Properties" to see basic information about your Windows OS, CPU and RAM.

Continuing with the Microsoft example, saying you have "Office" helps somewhat, but not as much as saying Office 2000, Office XP, Office 2003, Office 2007, Office 2010 plus the suite name (Home and Student, Home and Business, Professional, Standard, etc.)... and all of those options are just in the Microsoft world; Apple has its own set of products.

3. How much Memory (RAM) and Storage (Disk Space) do you have?

Rather than rely on a specification sheet for the general answer, it's better to know the amount of memory, also called RAM, and storage, also called disk space or hard drive size. The units of measurement of these two pieces of hardware are similar – they are both measured in gigabytes (GB) or on older system in megabytes (MB). Want to be really prepared to provide this answer? Here are some details for each that are very helpful:

• RAM
  • Total amount (as in 1GB) - This may be displayed in the system information window.
  • Number of "sticks" of memory (as in 1 or 2 or 4)
  • Number of memory slots on your motherboard (as in 2 or 4 on most boards).
• STORAGE
  • The number of hard disk drives in your system
  • The capacity of each drive and if they are IDE (wide grey ribbon cable) or SATA (thin connector)
  • Any special drives, like SSD drives
  • Any special drive configurations such as RAID 0, 1, etc.
    (RAID 0 = two or more "striped" drives for improved performance; RAID 1 = two or more "mirrored" drives for redundancy.)

Some of this information you can determine with system applications that show you details about your computer. Still confused? Just bring the unit into Micro Center and we'll figure it out.

Belarc Advisor is free for personal use.

One helpful tool that you can download from www.belarc.com or download.cnet.com is Belarc Advisor. This tool will scan your Windows computer and report details on the OS, system memory, hard drives, and will also detect many different applications. For programs like Microsoft Office, Belarc Advisor can also report the product key that was used to install the program - all very good to know if you were to have a hard drive fail...

Note: Belarc Advisor is free for personal use, but not permitted for business, educational or government systems; special corporate licensing is available.

4. Who is your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and your service level?

As more of owning a computer means being on the Internet, it's helpful for us to know who is providing your service, what type of service it is (dial-up, DSL, Cable), and what level or speed you have.

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

BYO BSOD: Build Your Own "Blue Screen of Death"

(Micro Center Random Access Newsletter, January 2009)

Prices on hard drives, video cards, and processors continue to fall, and memory prices aren't too bad either. I assembled what should be a decent performance system, using an EVGA 780i motherboard, an Intel 9600 series CPU, 6GB of Corsair 1066 DDR2 memory, a pair of NVIDIA 9800 SLI video cards, and a couple of 1 TB hard drives. What occurred during the OS setup phase were a series of minor annoyances, resulting in enough delays to prevent me from documenting the system for our December newsletter. On the other hand, it allowed me to document few tips that might make your next BYO task just a bit easier.

Some of the features I wanted to include in the system were on-board RAID, eSATA (external SATA) support, SLI dual-video card support, and enough slots to handle both current and legacy technology. Making legacy hardware work with the newer systems can be as frustrating as getting old OS versions like Windows XP to support some of the new hardware; sooner or later, you will find things that just don't play well together.

MEMORY:

Memory issues are the first to appear during the OS install, not necessarily because it is incompatible or that there are timing issues, but when there is too much of it. After installation, 32-bit versions of Windows XP and Vista will not see all of the memory when you have 4 GB or more installed. This is due to the memory map used by the OS, and that there are a certain range of addresses reserved by the OS.

The result is that the OS typically reports somewhere between 3.2 GB and 3.4 GB of memory, and ignores anything more. 64-bit versions of Windows are needed to access 4GB or more. But even 64-bit versions of Windows Vista can have problems during the installation process, causing the Setup program to terminate abnormally and display a "Blue Screen" error message...

A search of the error message includes service pack updates, hot fixes and other solutions, but I finally came across a mention of too much memory. (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929777)



The work-around is simple: remove memory to take it to 3GB or less, install Windows, and then once installed, replace your extra memory. By pulling one or more memory modules, you should then be able to install Windows Vista or XP. In my case, Windows XP still has a problem, but no longer with the memory...

STORAGE:

When installing Windows to drives configured in a RAID array, the simple approach is to configure the drives in the hardware before installing the OS. Some RAID configurations can be implemented after the install, but this is usually an exception. To be able to install an OS to a target RAID array, the setup program must either support the RAID chipset or you must load the drivers as part of the Setup process. Once drives have been configured as RAID, they will not appear as a standard IDE or SATA storage device, causing you to see something like this:

To correct this under a Windows XP Setup, try to load the SATA IDE and or RAID drivers from a floppy disk by pressing F6 at the first setup screen to specify additional drivers. (Even after loading the NVIDIA IDE-SATA driver and the SATA RAID drivers, XP still did not see my array. It turns out that was apparently due to something in my SP3 slipstream image; the original SP2 media worked fine.) One workaround is to use a standard IDE drive or to install a secondary storage adapter and load its drivers during setup. There are reports of setup errors if RAID is set to use "AHCI" instead of ATA mode
in the BIOS. If the driver load does not work, check the BIOS setup to see if there are options available for the onboard RAID configuration or if RAID setup itself has any options. You may also find SATA settings that can impact how Windows Setup sees the drives. Most SATA drives will appear to be just another IDE device reported by the BIOS, but not always.

Remember, XP only supports adding drivers from floppy during Setup. You should be able to use a USB floppy drive if you do not have one attached to the floppy controller of the motherboard. Windows Vista setup allows you to add drivers from CD or other detected storage device including optical disk, hard drive, etc.

There is another potential issue as well: The original install of Windows
XP (pre- Service Pack 2) only supports up to 128 GB drives. The result may be that Setup reports a drive much smaller than the physical capacity, or the resulting installation is not bootable. You must have SP2 or higher to access drives larger than this.

Another installation problem with storage can be triggered by using a SATA optical drive to install from. This may generate a message about the boot device not being available or something like:

Windows XP (32-bit)

A Windows Vista (64-bit) message looks almost identical except for the 64-bit
codes...

The quick fix is to attach an IDE optical drive during the installation process.
Once the OS has been installed and the chipset and storage drivers have been loaded, you can remove the drive and use the SATA optical drive instead.

Other BYO suggestions:

• If planning a Windows multi-boot configuration, install the "oldest" OS version first. Newer versions usually will detect the previous install and give you the option for a new install or to upgrade the previous version. A new install should give you your multi-boot with the fewest issues. (Check compatibility as well - if you can't find chipset or other drivers for your OS, your system may detect, but cannot use device features without them.)


• When selecting a processor for your system board, be sure to check the vendor site for compatibility. If the processor model was released after the system board was manufactured, you may need a BIOS update for it to support the new CPU. In some cases, you must install a supported CPU to flash the BIOS before the system can boot with the newer CPU installed.


• As with the CPU, check your specifications for memory, drives, video, etc. I find nothing worse than sitting down to build a system only to find one or more components are incompatible. For example, many older modems, SCSI adapters, and other hardware that works fine under XP have no support under Windows Vista.


• Build your system with a minimal configuration to install the OS, this makes for fewer things to go wrong or conflicts to occur. When you get to the OS install phase, fewer devices means fewer drivers will be requested. As you
  add new hardware, you will know exactly what drivers Windows (or any other OS for that matter) is requesting.


• Make sure to power off the power supply or surge strip when installing or changing system components. ATX power supplies feed minimal power to the system board as soon as they are connected and turned on.


• Don't forget your anti-static straps when handling components out of their packaging. I have been sparking to every doorknob and piece of electrical equipment, even with the humidifier on "high". Even if you don't feel the spark, static voltages can destroy or shorten the life of your new system if you don't take simple precautions.


• If you are building a system with a USB card reader, don't connect the device before installing Windows. Many Setup programs will support the reader as a removable drive and shift all of the hard drive and optical drive letters up, placing these devices in the first positions along with any floppy drives. On some older system boards, if you have the BIOS boot sequence configured to "Boot Other", card readers have been known to hang at system startup, waiting for the "removable drive" to report it's "ready".

How to Determine the Type of and Maximum Supported Memory for Your Computer

Upgrading the amount of memory installed on your computer often improves system performance. However, installing the wrong type of memory will usually result in the computer not functioning at all. If you install more memory than the system can support, it may result with the same issue.

There are two important features to look for when upgrading the memory: what will your hardware support and operating system limitations. With regard to operating system limitations, Windows and Mac 32-bit operating systems will not support more than approximately 3 gigabytes of memory. Linux 32-bit will support more than 3 gigabytes of memory, but requires recompiling the kernel.

For Windows and Mac operating systems, it is a limitation of the operating system and can only be overcome by changing to a 64-bit operating system. Windows XP uses a 32-bit operating system, with very few exceptions. (Reference: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/32-bit-and-64-bit-Windows-frequently-asked-questions) Windows Vista and Windows 7 can be either 32-bit or 64-bit. Mac OSX 10.5 (Leopard) and above are 64-bit operating systems but earlier versions are 32-bit.

To determine if Windows Vista or Windows 7 is 32-bit or 64-bit:

1. Left-click the Start button.
2. Right-click Computer.
   
   
   
   
3. Left-click Properties. The System Properties are displayed and will show the version of the operating system.
   
   
   

Make note of the Installed Memory (RAM) immediately above the System Type. This will tell you how much memory the system recognizes. NOTE: This information can be affected by memory used for the video.

Once you know what your operating system is the next step is to determine what your hardware will support. There are different ways to do this:

• If you know the manufacturer and model of the computer or motherboard, you can look the information up on the manufacturer’s web site. The information is typically in the technical specifications for that model. Below is an example of the information from Hewlett Packard’s web site:
  
  
  
  
  Note that it shows the memory that came installed on the computer and the type of RAM that is compatible (in this case PC3-8500 and PC3-10600), how many slots are available, and that it is Dual channel. Dual channel memory should be matched for best performance, although it is not required for the computer to operate.
  
• An alternative to the manufacture site or user’s manual is to use a system scanning utility. An example of this is the Crucial memory scan utility available at www.crucial.com. Below is an example of the output from using the Crucial utility:
  
  
  

Once you know your operating system, the type of memory you have, what the maximum supported is, and whether it is dual channel or not, you can purchase your memory.For information on physically installing the memory go to Micro Center Tech Support's Tech Center for more helpful resources: "How to Install RAM Memory", http://www.microcentertech.com/tech_center/DB/read_article.php?faqid=./HowTos/HOW6000032B.htm

How to Install RAM Memory

All computers require some amount of memory or RAM (Random Access Memory). Many motherboards provide slots for as much as 16GB of RAM. Adding more memory can improve performance, allow more multi-tasking, and reduce the time required for intensive processes like video or audio editing.

This guide will show you how to install memory in your motherboard.

Note: Be sure to use proper precautions including an anti-static wristband or an anti-static mat to avoid hardware damage. Before beginning, make sure the memory is the correct type for your motherboard. Avoid touching the metal contacts or chips.

1. Locate the memory slots on the motherboard as shown in the figure below. Note that your motherboard may have two or more slots, and the exact location may differ.
2. Determine which slots you intend to install the memory into. If you are installing one module, it will typically go in to DIMMA1 or a similarly named slot. For more modules, consult the motherboard manual for additional information.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Push the retaining clips outward to allow installation of the memory module.
4. Align the memory module with the slot by using the off-center notch as shown in the figure below.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Insert the memory module and vertically and firmly in to the slot until the retaining clips snap on to the memory module.
   
   
   
   
   

That’s it! Your memory module is now installed. Repeat for additional memory modules if necessary.