How to fix computer - can't access windows

Kaboom !!!
I turn on my computer and I got this message on a black screen !!

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

*PANIC PANIC PANIC*
So I searched how to fix that
went to microsoft website, tried their suggestion, DIDN'T WORK
"How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

So I went here and it worked !!
Wehooooo !!! So happy !!!
Thank you nice people on the internet !!
http://www.icompute.info/System_restore_from_xp_cd.htm

so, briefly, here's what i did
You'd need your copy of Windows XP CD, insert
restart, press F8
choose boot from CD
choose R for Recovery
once you're at the Recovery console,
at c:\windows>
type: chkdsk /r (and enter)
after u're done,
type: cd / (and enter)
type another chkdsk /r if you want to
then type: cd system~1\_resto~1
type: dir
there will be lists of restore points folders, rp1, rp2, rp3, rp4 and so on, with dates
choose which date you want to restore back to
type: cd rp"x"
"x" is the corresponding number you choose, don't use the " " sign
type: cd snapshot

since my "system" file is corrupted,
type: copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system
type: exit
my computer restarts and windows is back on
hoooyeaaaa

Go to the link, it's explained more detailed there !!!
http://www.icompute.info/System_restore_from_xp_cd.htm


remember :
note the space when you type !!!
and click enter after typing each command
your problem might be different from mine, but this one works for me :)
good luck

PS. I'm a genius ;)

Which Anti Virus to get for your computer / Laptop ?

and most importantly, Which Affordable (Cheap) but a good quality Anti Virus you should get ?
Actually you should get an Internet Security software instead of just Anti Virus.
So here's the Secret to getting a Cheap Anti Virus, read on to find out how :)

Yes there are Free Anti Virus, Free Firewalls, etc
Yes there are people who use no Anti Virus whatsoever and has never gotten a Virus.
But I just want to be on the safer side.

I used to use Norton, and in 2002 (I think) I got a Virus on my Laptop.
man, that was the worst feeling of not knowing what to do.
then I switched to Mcafee, problem solved

At 2008, I wanted to get Mcafee 2009, but it was out of stock
So I searched for alternative
I was intrigued by Eset Nod32 Antivirus and all the rave reviews.

but I find Eset to be a little too expensive

and I figured it's safer to get more than just an Anti Virus
So I tried Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 (3 User) , because I have 2 laptops.

and It's been fine ever since..... I didn't find any problems with it, installing is easy, and just insert the code that's printed on the CD cover.

However, I just don't know why purchasing it online from the official Kaspersky website is way more expensive.
I got mine for 18.99US$ from Amazon.com and it was a bargain !!
Come one.... 3 computers for less than 20$, okay....add the shipping cost, it's $23 for a whole year of Virus Free, for 3 computers.

So this is the beginning of my second year with Kaspersky Internet Security 2009(KIS 2009)
At first, approaching the "expiry date" of the Kaspersky License, I thought I had to purchase KIS 2010, which was more expensive and I read that it wasn't quite stable yet and I dreaded the fact that I might have to uninstall my existing KIS 2009 and installed a new one, and what if my system crashed bla bla bla.

Well, Good news !!!!!!!!
It turns out, I can still purchase KIS 2009 and use the code to renew my license and stay protected with KIS 2009.
And if I want to upgrade to KIS 2010, I can always download it.
Yes... my License allow me to upgrade to KIS 2010 if I want to.
I find that to be a super bargain.
You can just get Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 for such a low price and decide what you want with it.
As for me, I don't see the need to upgrade to KIS 2010 for now, so I'm good with KIS 2009 for now :)

Which Netbook should I get ?

I want Asus....
Why ?
1. Asus was the first to come up with Netbook (EeePC)
and Why is it called that, instead of some other cooler name, I don't get.
2. My sis has had her Asus notebook for around 8 years now and it's still in a very good condition and battery can still last for around 1 hour.
Although I don't know the lifespan of the EeePC ;p

So.....
Asus it is then.... but which one ?
Okay...
> 10" is a good size
> Color is a matter of choice
> Matte screen / Glossy screen is also a matter of choice
But I definitely prefer Matte screen.
> They all have a battery power ranging from 9-11 hours
but anything over 5 hours is good for me.
> Features are more or less the same, 802.11n, USB ports, some with better Bluetooth, etc etc
> They cost ranging from US$369 - US$420 roughly... Prices may go down in time ;)


Asus EeePC 1000HE

ASUS Eee PC 1000HE 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - 9.5 Hour Battery Life
This is an older model, but I totally prefer this one.
Pros :
Matte screen !!!
Removeable battery, and you can open the Netbook from underneath to upgrade RAM or replace HDD.
Cons :
Weight 1.45kg/3.2 pounds A little heavier, but what is a few pounds/grams
(Although my Fujitsu 14" notebook is approx 1.7 kg ;p)
Older design, a little bulkier than the new Seashell design

I personally think Asus EeePC 1000HE is one to get if you really need Matte screen !!! :)
It's going away soon though, because it's being replaced by the newer 1005HA model
make sure it's 1005HA-P (1.66Ghz N280) not the 1005HA-V (1.6Ghz N270)

Here's a link to a review of Asus EeePC 1000HE I found on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hciamhLW-SM

Asus 1000HE and WINDOWS XP
If I'm not mistaken, for the 1000HE, It takes 30 sec to boot up to Windows and around 40 sec for it to be fully functional.

WINDOWS 7
1 min more to get fully booted up to Win 7

Asus EeePC 1005HA

ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-PU1X-BU 10.1-Inch Blue Netbook - 10.5 Hour Battery Life
If you want a nicer model, and can tolerate glossy screen
then the Asus EeePC 1005HA is the right one for you
Pros :
Seashell design
Weight 1.27kg / 2.8 pounds . Lighter than 1000HE
Better Bluetooth
Removeable battery, and you can open the Netbook from underneath to upgrade RAM
Slightly longer Battery life
Cons :
Glossy screen
Can't open HDD hatch, well.... I can't ;p
1005HA doesn't have an on off for the wireless (I take this as a Con)

So If you don't care the glossy screen and not being able to replace HDD
Then Asus EeePC 1005HA is for you.

Here's a link to a review of Asus EeePC 1005HA I found on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2qL5AV3bHE

Asus EeePC 1008HA

ASUS Eee PC 1008HA Seashell 10.1-Inch Pearl White Netbook - 6 Hour Battery Life
hmmm....
This one is peculiar
Pros :
Nice design
Lighter, 2.4 pounds
Thinner
Cons :
Glossy screen
Non removable battery
and I suppose a clueless girl like me can't DIY to add RAM or replace HDD either
2 USB instead of 3
less battery life
But it's one nice looking netbook though.


Asus EeePC 1101HA

ASUS Eee PC 1101HA-MU1X-BK 11.6-Inch Black Netbook - 11 Hour Battery Life
This is the 11.6 inch model, weight 3.04 lbs
and I'd love to get this one instead of the 10"
It's not entirely bigger in size, it's actually about the same size if you don't really pay detailed attention ;p
But it's a slower machine than the other netbooks (1.3Ghz Z520)
(and some say the image/text on screen might be too small)
So I'll probably wait till a slightly faster one comes out.


Okay.... So....
How do you choose which one is right for you ?
Yes they all have similar features.
Yes they all have glossy surface, so it's going to be gleaming with oily fingerprints, but you can always get skins, yup, it's a sticker you stick on the whole surface of the netbook, and it also says that there won't be any residue when the sticker is removed, so problem solved on dat department.
Noise and Heat ? I've dealt with a noisy & hot (literary) Acer Ferrari notebook, so it's not a biggie.

So The Question is :
What do you need the netbook for ?
Do you need it to take notes in class ?
Do you need to bring it everywhere with you and then transfer data to a more powerful machine at home ?
Well, For me ......
I need a small, portable, cheap Netbook with long battery life that I can bring everywhere.
I need it to write (blog drafts, thoughts, etc)
(I don't like writing on a little book and then I have to retype everything to a computer.)
I need it to go online (blogging, emails, light websurfing)
I need it to temporary store photos, music
And that's about it.
I don't care about benchmark tests, other tests, etc etc, I don't even know what they are ;p
It's a small Netbook, so it's gotta be slower than a Notebook, that's a given.
I don't need a more advanced operating system (Vista, Win7) that may slow down the machine.
I'm not going to play games so I don't mind the lower graphic resolution.
I don't really care about the design, well I do actually, tremendously ;p but I want Matte screen.

So this is my personal choice :
First choice : I'll get the ASUS Eee PC 1000HE, yes for the Matte screen because I will also be using my Netbook outdoors.
If I can't get it....
Second choice : I'll wait for the successor of the ASUS Eee PC 1101HA
, which will hopefully be faster, but I dunno when it's going to come out or if it's coming out at all.
Otherwise
Third choice : I'll just get ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-P
(I find it weird that the newer Asus EeePC 1005HA is slightly cheaper than the older model 1000HE)

But the most important thing to do is have a look at the Netbook
Feel it in your hands,
Can you type with the smaller keyboard size
Can you use the trackpad well
(I got frustrated using my friend's Sony VAIO trackpad while on the otherhand she can use it easily)
If you know that they work well with you
Well... Now it's just a matter of getting them to your home :)

If I don't care about Matte/Glossy screen, then the ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-P would be my best choice. :)
Is there like a screen-size Matte sticker to stick on your screen to make it Matte ?
oooo Actually there is.... a lot of em....Go search "Matte / Anti-Glare Screen Protector"
Just realized if they sell those for cellphones, then they have em for notebook screens too ;p
But I want Matte screen without having to have air bubbles inside the sticker/protector... so...

Actually, If Chinese manufacturers start mass producing Small (10") & Cheap Toy Netbooks for kids and it has a feature that allow me to type stuff and save and transfer it to a Flashdisk/USB Key, then I'm more than happy to buy that one instead ;p
Let's say US$20 ? US$35 perhaps ? ;P

What to do before joining an Affiliate Program

You want to join an affiliate program to earn some extra cash :)

So you've found something interesting that makes you wanna be their affiliate.
Things you should do !!!
Before you go into a deeper research of the quality of the program,
the percentage, the comments and reviews from other affiliates,
before reading the Terms / contract / Rules, etc

You should just check whether your country is eligible for joining that affiliate program.
some may require you to click on the "sign up" button and on the contact information form, check whether your country is listed there.
Sometimes, Not all countries are listed.
and if your country is not listed, you don't have to spend useless time researching about that affiliate program.

But if you've done your research prior to signing up, hey, at least you can blog about it and let other people know :)

Things I Hate on a Website

So I'm on a website and I click on a link
and the browser opens that link on the same page
But when I hit the 'Back' button on the browser.
It wouldn't go back to the initial website !!!
It keeps going back to that link page

It's so bloody annoying !!!!!
then I have to retype the url to go back to the initial website.
uuggghhhh :(

Another thing is
I understand about disabling right click to protect copyright.
But when I try to right click to "open page in a new tab"
and it wouldn't let me and there's a pop up msg that says "copyright bla bla bla"
That is also extremely annoying........
Now I can only have 1 page open from that website.
ugghhh.....
I think you can actually enable the right click on those websites
I'll post here when I find it.

How to get a cheaper price when buying online ?

So you wanna buy anything online.
domain names, webhostings, posters, etc etc.

Before you click "buy"
Go search for coupons on the internet
google it.....
It's everywhere.

You could get $1 discount up to 25% off the listed price, even more.
So.... remember to search for coupons :)

If you already knew it.... then good for you.
But I didn't at first !!
Had somebody told me about it, I would've saved ... err.... $2 ?
hahoahroiahreaur :D

So... even if you don't think that certain company won't have coupons.
Just go search for it first, who knows :)

Laptop Bags

Here are a collection of my Laptop Bags.
Well, two of 'em are mine
The Acer Ferrari bag is the one with Red lining.
The Fujitsu bag is the simple humble thin one on the right.
The Asus bag is the one that looks like an office bag.



and My dog...
Why does she looks so sad there ?
Come here dog *hugz*