How to burn a CD from iTunes

Besides playing music on the iTunes program, anyone can make his very own collection of CDs using Apple's simple method. Follow these steps on how to burn a CD using iTunes.

Step 1: Open up the "iTunes" application on your computer system. On the left side of the screen, double-click on "Playlist." Note: If you have not set up a playlist yet, just go to "File," click on "New Playlist," and you will see a blank box that says, "Untitled Playlist." Afterward, you can create a name for your playlist and also drag and drop the songs into the new playlist using your mouse.

Step 2: Next find a blank CD-R to put in the CD drive, go to "File," then select "Burn Playlist into CD." It may take a few moments for the disc to be read--you will notice it when it says, "Checking Playlist." Depending on how many songs are on the CD, it may take anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes for audio songs to be copied onto the disc.Your CD can hold up to 90 minutes of songs at a time on each disc (if you choose a audio disk).

Step 3: After the process is completed, your songs are now in CD format,You can choose the disc format you wish to burn in by going to "Edit," "Preferences," "Advanced," then selecting "Burning." and you will be able to play them on a CD player.

If you have any Questions starting with how just let me know by commenting down. I love to answer your questions.

How to Download a Windows XP Recovery Disk

If you're running Windows XP and your computer software  crashes or becomes unusable, you may have to run Windows XP recovery to reestablish your software and make your computer usable once again. When purchased, many computers  don't come with a Windows XP recovery disk, but you can download one for free. The Windows XP recovery disk holds almost all of the computer software and files that came loaded with your PC and can assist you in rebuilding your hard drive. Microsoft, the manufacturer of the Windows XP recovery disk, insists that downloading such a disk is only necessary if you're installing a Windows XP full retail version, if your CD drive works, if you can't boot your computer from your CD-ROM drive and if you're able to start your computer from a floppy drive.

Step 1: Place a formatted floppy disk in your floppy disk drive. Click on the "Download a Windows XP recovery disk from Microsoft". Click "Download." Then click "Save." Find your floppy drive on the menu and click "OK."

Step 2: Remove the floppy disk when the Windows XP recovery disk download is complete, and place it in the computer on which you need to use it.

Step 3: Shut down your computer; then turn your computer back on. Your computer will automatically start up running on the Windows XP recovery disk, which will allow you to install Windows XP once again.

If you have any Questions starting with how just let me know by commenting down. I love to answer your questions.

How to Change Startup Programs in Windows 7

With the release of Windows 7, Microsoft has made several changes to the company's operating system. Startup program settings are similar to those of previous operating systems like Vista and XP. Startup programs are saved in a specific folder on the hard drive. When the operating system boots, links placed in this folder start their respective applications. Changing settings for current startup applications is accomplished through the system configuration tool.


Add Startup Program

Step 1: Click the Windows "Start" button and select "All Programs." Right-click the "Startup" folder in the menu and select "Open All Users." This option opens the folder for all users on the computer. Choose "Explore" to open the folder for the currently logged-in user only.

Step 2: Right-click the folder or file you want started when the computer boots. Select "Copy" from the menu.

Step 3: Right-click any white space in the "Startup" folder you opened in Step 1. Select "Paste" from the menu list. The program will now open the next time you start the computer.

Change Current Startup Programs

Step 1: Click the Windows "Start" button and type "msconfig" in the search text box. This opens the System Configuration console.

Step 2: Click the "Startup" tab. This gives you a view of all the programs installed as startup options on your computer.

Step 3: Check boxes of the applications you want to start when you boot the computer. For programs you no longer want to start, clear the check box.

Step 4: Click "Apply" and close the configuration window. A popup window will ask if you want to reboot the computer. Click "Restart" to reboot the computer and save the changes.

If you have any Questions starting with how just let me know by commenting down. I love to answer your questions.

How to Rip DVD Movies into AVI or MP4 format

Many of us download movies from torrents that are usually encoded. But we never bother how did the uploader ripped this DVD into such an amazing size with great quality of video and audio. Follow the following steps to rip a DVD.
STEP 1: First of all you need a software for video encoding. So download Handbrake.
STEP 2: Insert a DVD of your choice.
STEP 3: Run Handbrake. Select Detected volume, as shown in image 1. Then click on Open.

Image 1. Select a video source

STEP 4: Handbrake will detect all the titles on the DVD. If you’re ripping a movie, just select the longest title in the list. If you’re ripping a TV show or something with multiple episodes on one disc, then select the episode you want, as shown in image 2

Image 2. Select a title.

  
STEP 5: In the Destination section, set File Format to MP4, AVI or OGM file, as shown in image 3.

Image 3. Select a desired file format

STEP 6: Set Codecs to MPEG-4 Video / AAC Audio, as shown in image 4. But I have first-hand reports that the MPEG-4 Video codec works correctly and is much faster than other.

Image 4. Select a proper codec

STEP 7: For File, enter the full pathname or browse till wherever you want to save your movie, as shown in image 5.

Image 5. Set the output filename

STEP 8: In the Quality section, set Average bitrate to 400. This can be as high as 768, but you probably won’t see much difference. Higher bitrate = higher quality video = larger file size.

Image 6. Set the average bitrate

STEP 9: Under Quality, select 2-pass encoding, as shown in image 7. This takes twice as long to encode, but it improves the video quality and doesn’t make the file any larger.

Image 7. Enable 2-pass encoding

STEP 10: In the Audio section, for Language 1, select the audio track in your preferred language, as shown in image 8. In the choice given between MPEG and LPCM, choose MPEG.

Image 8. Select a primary language

STEP 11:The Sample rate is entirely up to you. Higher sample rate = higher quality audio = larger file size.

Image 9. Select audio sample rate

STEP 12: For Bitrate, you can keep the default of 128, or select a rate up to 160. Higher rate = higher audio quality = larger file size.

Image 10. Select audio bitrate

STEP 13: Click Picture Settings. In the Picture Settings dialog, decrease Width until either it reads 320. Handbrake will auto-adjust the height to match. For a full-screen movie, the height will end up at 240; for wide-screen movies, it will be lower.

Image 11. Resize video screen

 


STEP 14: Close the Picture Settings dialog and click Rip. Encoding time depends on the speed of your PC, the length of the movie, and whether you selected 2-pass encoding. Handbrake will display a progress bar, as shown in image 12.

Image 12. Encoding process begins

STEP 15: When encoding is finished, quit Handbrake and find the encoded movie in your output folder you specified.

How to Connect PC to HDMI TV

HDMI Connector

There are now many ways to enjoy your favorite movies and television shows over a broadband internet connection on your computer for a small amount of money, or even for free. However if you like to enjoy your entertainment on the big screen in the living room, this guide will detail how to connect a PC to an HDMI

Step 1: Turn your computer off, and turn it around to view the rear of the unit. Find the cable that comes from the computer's monitor, and follow it to the back of the PC. The cable will be plugged into the output of the video card, which will be either a 15-pin VGA port or a 29-pin DVI port. If you are fortunate, there will be a second port directly next to it, of either the DVI or VGA variety. On the newest machines, you may even find a regular HDMI port on the card.

Step 2: Choose the connection for video output. If your computer has an HDMI port, you can simply connect an HDMI cord of the correct length between the computer and the TV. Otherwise, you will need to make a few decisions. If your computer has only a single video output, and it will not be used solely with the television, you may want to invest in a new video card. Purchase one with either a DVI or an HDMI output, and install it in an available slot, according the instructions included with it. If you intend to use the VGA output on a single-output or dual-output card to drive the HDMI display, then a special device will be needed to convert between the formats, and the price of the converter is actually about the same price as an entry-level video card that will be easier to use with your TV. In that case, it may be a wise idea to upgrade the card in order to obtain a DVI or HDMI port. However, if your chosen output port is of the DVI variety, an inexpensive DVI to HDMI cable can be purchased to convert your computer's output into the proper HDMI input for your TV.

Step 3: Connect the HDMI cable from your television to your computer. Install the correct adapter or converter for your computer, if necessary. Unless your computer has HDMI output, cords will also need to be connected from the sound card output to the HDMI video cable or adapter, because HDMI carries both video and audio signals.

Step 4: Boot your PC, and configure the new display, by selecting "Control Panel" from the "Start" Menu. Then double-click the "Display" icon and click the "Settings" tab. The manual for your HDMI TV will list the screen resolutions it supports, along with the refresh rates. Configure the resolution in the "Settings" tab, and then click the "Advanced" button to set the refresh rate. If you are using the HDMI TV as the second monitor, you will also have to configure how it is used by Windows, according to the instructions pertaining to your video card. Most cards offer a "Clone" or "Mirror" mode, where both screens display the same content. Alternately, the "Extended Desktop" mode can be used, in which each monitor will operate independently.

Step 5: Reboot your PC to apply the changes, if necessary, and prepare to relax on your couch and watch your movies on the big-screen HDMI TV.

If you have any Questions starting with how just let me know by commenting down. I love to answer your question

How to Format a Hard Drive With Windows XP

If you want to format a hard drive while using or installing Windows XP, you've come to the right place. This can be very useful for clearing everything off a secondary drive or when installing a fresh copy of Windows. Formatting a computer hard drive is simple and can help eliminate viruses, storage issues and other hard-to-resolve problems.

Preparation

 

Step 1: When you format a computer hard drive you will lose everything that is on the drive. Therefore, it is very important to back up anything you might want later. Additionally, if you are going to be formatting and installing XP you need to make sure you have the discs for any applications or third party hardware you use since you will need to re-install your programs and drivers after re-installing Windows.

 

Step 2: Take a moment to think of anything that you have on the computer that you wouldn't want to lose. Generally, you probably want everything in your My Documents folder, and you also want to save things like your favorites or bookmarks from your Web browser. Remember that each user on the computer has his or her own My Documents folder, Desktop items and Favorites/Bookmarks.

 

Step 3: Save everything to a CD, DVD,Flash Drive or a Hard Drive that you won't be formatting.

 

Formatting a Secondary Hard Drive 

 

Step 1: Right-Click on the "My Computer" icon either on your desktop or in the Start Menu and select "Manage."

 

Step 2: A new window titled "Computer Management" comes up. Select "Storage" from the left hand side by clicking it once, then select "Disk Management(local)" from the right side by double-clicking it.

 

Step 3: Now in the lower part of the main frame (right side) of the window you should see a nice visual of all your hard drives. Each line is a different drive. Each box on a line (with a colored bar at the top and a size displayed in MB or GB) is a partition on the drive. Partitions are separations of space on a drive. Unless you are doing something specific that requires multiple partitions, you only want one partition per drive.

 

Step 4: First you must delete any existing partitions on the drive you are going to format. Do this by right-clicking on the partition's box and selecting "Delete Partition..." Since you already know that you will be deleting everything on the drive, and have already backed everything up, you can safely say yes to any warning the computer presents you with.

 

Step 5: If there are multiple partitions make sure you have saved everything off them since they might each have different drive letters (i.e. "D:" or "F:"). Then repeat the above step for each of them. If you only want to format one partition that is OK and you can continue to the next step without deleting the other partitions.

Step 6: The box for the drive to be formatted should now have a black bar at the top of it and should say "Unallocated" under its size (see picture). Right click on it and select "New Partition..." The New Partition Wizard comes up.

Step 7: In the New Partition Wizard click next. On the next page make sure "Primary Partition" is selected and click next. Now make the size equal to the maximum (it should already be set to it), and click next again. On the next page the computer will automatically choose the first available drive letter for the new drive. However, if you like you can choose another drive letter from the drop-down menu, and then click next.

Step 8: Finally the New Partition Wizard asks if you would like to format the new partition and if so what format. Choose "NTFS" as it is faster and more secure. Leave the "Allocation unit size" as "Default." In the "Volume label" field enter whatever name you want the drive to have. Simple is better. Avoid using spaces. Lastly, if the drive is brand new and has never been used before check the "Perform a quick format" box. If the drive has been used before leave this box unchecked. Leave the "Enable file and folder compression" box unchecked and click next. Then on the next page click finish.  

Step 9: The wizard will now spend a little while formatting the drive. On old or large drives this may take a while. Do not close the "Computer Management" window until it finishes. You will know it is done when the word under the size of the drive changes from "Formatting" to "Healthy" and the name and drive letter you chose for the new drive show up. After it is finished you can proceed to use your newly formatted drive.

Formatting and Installing from the Windows XP CD

Step 1: This section explains how to reformat a drive from the Windows XP installation CD. This can be used when installing a fresh copy of Windows onto a computer. Here it is especially important to backup all of your important information because upon formatting you will lose EVERYTHING that used to be on the drive. This includes all applications and device drivers, so you must back up everything you can.

Step 2: Insert your Windows XP installation disc into your CD drive (Home or Pro--it does not matter).

Step 3: Now as you computer boots a little more it will say "Press any key to boot from CD.." press a key to do so.

 Step 4: The CD will load up a blue screen and then spend a while loading files it needs. When it is finished it will list a few options, mainly "Press ENTER to set up Windows XP." Press Enter or Return.

Step 5: Now you will be at a screen to select where to install Windows to. This is where you can delete old partitions and format drives. The box in the bottom half of the screen shows all your drives and the partitions that exist on them. Use the Up and Down arrow keys to highlight your "C:" partition and press the 'D' key (if all that shows up is "Unpartitioned space" and you have no C: or D: partitions, skip this step). On the next screen press the 'L' key to finalize deleting the partition.

Step 6: Now you are back on the screen to choose where to install Windows. The box on the lower half of the screen should no longer show a partition but simply have an entry "Unpartitioned space xxxxxMB." Select this with the arrow keys and press the 'C' key to create a partition on the drive. The next screen tells you the minimum and maximum sizes the partition can be and lets you pick the size. The default size is the maximum, but double check that the number entered is the maximum and hit enter.

Step 7: Now you will again be back at the choose where to install Windows screen. But this time you will have a partition that looks something like this "C: Partition1 [New (Raw)]xxxxxxMB." Highlight this entry and press enter.

Step 8: The next screen lets you choose which file system to format the drive with. Choose NTFS as it is faster and more secure. If the drive is brand new and has never been used before then use one of the options that ends in "(Quick)." Or, choose one of the lower down options. Use the arrow keys to select the proper one and press Enter or Return.

Step 9: From here you are all set and the installation of Windows will proceed starting with a format of your drive. This will take a while (over half an hour) so you can take a little break.