Ever notice how each PC has a personality of its own? Or maybe even multiple personalities? In the course of a week, your computer may act friendly, moody, and sometimes downright mean.

However, don’t take a hammer to your PC just yet. The following is a list of common symptoms and treatments to help even the most troublesome PCs. You don’t even have to be a psychologist (at least not yet) to deal with your PC’s neuroses.

Windows 7 and Windows Vista usually manage this automatically, but overall you’ll find that these tips work for all versions of Windows, from Windows 95 to Windows 7.

1. You keep getting a “your system is running low on virtual memory” message

Perhaps you’re more than familiar with this scenario: You’re working on your PC and notice performance getting gradually slower and slower. Programs become harder to open and close. You wait forever for Web pages to be displayed. And then, you get some serious-sounding “virtual memory is too low” message, like the one in the following graphic.

Don’t worry: This message isn’t as scary as it sounds.

Virtual memory low message

Virtual memory is the space your computer uses when it’s short of RAM (Random Access Memory), which is the memory used when running programs like Microsoft Office Word or Microsoft Office PowerPoint.

So what can you do to correct this problem and prevent this message from coming up in the future? The following are some solutions to keep your computer from displaying the “virtual memory minimum is too low” message.

Solution 1: Bump up the virtual memory size on your computer

The first solution is to increase your computer’s virtual memory settings. To do so, you first need to determine how much RAM you currently have.

Windows 7

 

1. On the Start menu, click Control Panel, then click System.
2. In the left pane, click Advanced system settings. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
3. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings.
4. Click the Advanced tab, and then, under Virtual memory, click Change.
5. Clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box.
   Clearing the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box

Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.

Click Custom size, type a new size in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, click Set, and then click OK.

Note Increases in size usually don’t require you to restart your computer for the changes to take effect, but if you decrease the size, you’ll need to restart your computer. We recommend that you don’t disable or delete the paging file.

Solution 2: Add more RAM to your computer

If you keep getting that dreaded “Your system is running low on virtual memory” message—even after you increase your computer’s virtual memory—then you may need to buy more memory for your computer. To really work well:

• Windows 7 needs at least 1 GB of RAM to run. See more system requirements for Windows 7.
• Windows Vista needs at least 512 MB of RAM to run, but for some applications (like gaming) 1 GB or more of RAM is recommended.
• Windows XP needs a minimum of 256 MB of RAM.

The more RAM you have, the better.

If you’re at work, contact your company’s IT administrator before updating the memory on your computer. They may have some memory available and can help you install it.

If you do need to purchase some more memory, fill out the contact information below 

2. Your windows slide off the desktop—and you can’t grab them

3. Your taskbar has disappeared

The taskbar is that horizontal bar at the bottom or your computer screen that displays open programs on your desktop. The taskbar also contains the Start menu, which allows you to navigate to various programs installed on your computer. In many ways, it’s your command central.

Thus, there’s nothing more frustrating than going to start a program, only to find the taskbar gone. A computer without a taskbar will bring you to a grinding halt.

The good news is that the taskbar never disappears—it just hides. It may be hiding behind other open windows, or at the top or side of your screen. You can also (unintentionally) make the taskbar so thin that it seems invisible.

The following are possible reasons why your taskbar has vanished, as well as solutions to keep your taskbar from ever running away again.

Solution 1: Find your taskbar behind other windows

 

• If you don’t see your taskbar, minimize all windows on your desktop. See if your taskbar is hiding behind your open windows.
  Finding your taskbar behind maximized windows

Set your taskbar so it’s always on top of all desktop windows:

1. Right-click the taskbar, and click Properties.
2. Select the Lock the taskbar check box.
3. Make sure the Auto-hide the taskbar check box is not selected.

Locking and keeping the taskbar on top

Now your taskbar will always be visible, no matter how many windows you have open. Locking your taskbar also keeps you from accidentally moving it around.

Several laptop location applications identify a laptop’s location. However, NsideTrack brings laptop security to a new level by giving the laptop owner remote access to the files on the laptop.

“NsideTrack pushes personal and corporate laptop security to a new, affordable level,” notes NsideTrack co-founder and chief engineer, Steve Guerreri. “By providing remote access to the stolen laptop, NsideTrack recognizes that the data on a laptop is an important part of stolen laptop recovery.”

Northside Software, developers of NsideTrack Laptop Tracking Software, have partnered with Skyhook Wireless to provide laptop owners with detailed laptop tracking. Skyhook Wireless drives NsideTrack’s location tracker with its XPS Hybrid Positioning System.

NsideTrack uses Skyhook’s XPS technology to provide detailed location reports, including a digital map, of the laptop’s location. In addition, NsideTrack takes webcam pictures of the laptop thief and screen shots of the thief’s activity. Local police state that NsideTrack’s location reports contain sufficient data to obtain a search warrant.

Click here to read the full story: Laptop Tracking Software Now Provides Remote Access to Stolen Laptop

Press Release Distributed by PR.com

Need to order memory for your computer? Don’t know what you need?
Call the friendly technicians at 574-266-6868 or fill out the form below:
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Professional Computer Repair and Information Technology Specialists Servicing Elkhart, Goshen, South Bend, Warsaw, and southern Michigan

The 8530w starts out at $1,499 but more powerful configurations top out at $3,549.

Our pre-production review unit as configured:

• Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 Processor (2.53GHz, 6MB L2 cache, 1066MHz FSB)
• Microsoft Genuine Windows Vista Business
• 15.4-inch WUXGA+ anti-glare (1920 x 1200)
• 512MB NVIDIA Quadro FX 770M Workstation GPU
• 4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM (2 x 2GB Configuration)
• 160GB 7200RPM Toshiba 2.5″ HDD
• Blu-Ray and DVD+/-RW Optical Drive
• WiFi, Ethernet, Modem, and Bluetooth Connectivity
• 8-Cell 73WHr Battery
• 3-Year on-site Warranty
• Dimensions: 1.1″ x 14.0″ x 10.4″
• Weight: 6.5lbs without power adapter, 8lbs with power adapter

The notebook that was provided to us is a pre-production unit, and this specific configuration for our notebook did not fit any of the preconfigured models available online, but a similar configuration with 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 RAM and a 250GB hard drive would cost $2,549 if ordered via the HP website.

Build and Design 

The HP EliteBook 8530w is a business workstation notebook, and as such consumers and corporations expect the highest quality of materials and the best features and designs for their money.  Does HP deliver? Oh yeah.

 The main body of the laptop is covered in the new “HP DuraCase” and “HP DuraFinish” which is essentially a hard plastic and strong magnesium alloy inner shell much like its predecessor strengthened by a brushed aluminum outer shell that is so scratch resistant you can’t even scratch it with steel wool.  The base of the laptop feels very strong and would definitely survive many bumps and bruises that other laptops might not.  There is no flex in the keyboard, except for a very minor amount of flex around the enter key directly above the optical drive.  The underside of the notebook is also similarly rigid and strong with the exception of the area immediately underneath the notebook’s optical drive.  Although we don’t recommend it, you can stand on this notebook and you’ll barely notice any flex beneath your feet.

The outer shell of the screen casing is made of metal, but the inner screen bezel is plastic.  You’ll also find a convenient keyboard light located at the top of the screen bezel. Just push the button on the top of the screen and a small LED pops out shining a light on your keyboard. This is perfect for typing while traveling in a car or airplane without turning on an overhead light to bother people sitting next to you. The laptop screen housing is also extremely solid and can barely be twisted even when significant force is applied.

On that note, I accidentally discovered how durable the “DuraCase” and “DuraFinish” are during our testing. I was checking something on the bottom of the notebook with the screen open and when I flipped the EliteBook 8530w over it slipped out of my hands and the back of the screen hit my desk with a solid “WACK!” Just so you understand how hard this notebook hit the desk, the impact was loud enough to make all my coworkers stop what they were doing and look to see if I was okay. The back of the LCD lid hit the desk with enough force that if the lid had been made of cheap plastic it would have snapped in half like a dead twig. 

The 8530w survived without a scratch and everything continued to work perfectly.

When HP says that this mobile workstation “has been tested and meets the military standard
MIL-STD 810F tests” they mean this notebook is built to last. The HP engineers responsible for the 8530w certainly impressed the team here at NotebookReview.com.

Additionally, the 8530w also features hard drive shock protection in the form of the new HP 3D DriveGuard which will help to protect your hard drive in the event the laptop gets dropped or violently bumped … or smacks into a desk because an editor wasn’t paying enough attention.

Of course, with all this rugged durability built into the deisgn you have to expect a trade off, and the trade off in this case is weight. If you didn’t already notice, the EliteBook 8530w tips the scales at six and a half pounds! If you add the power adapter your travel weight then becomes a full eight pounds. While this isn’t horrible for a desktop replacement, if you plan to travel with the 8530w you need to be prepared for how massive this mobile workstation really is. Start lifting weights at the gym after you order your EliteBook to prepare yourself.

Finally, in the same way that the gray and black exterior and smooth design suits a professional environment, so do the internals. The EliteBook 8530w uses two simple plastic covers on the bottom of the notebook (each held in place with two Phillips head screws) so that the user or your IT department can easily access the hard drive, wireless cards or RAM for fast upgrades. The rest of the notebook interior is protected by Torx screws which help deter unqualified employees from messing around inside their work-issued notebook. The bottom of the notebook also features a dedicated docking station port, external battery port, and a convenient place to store your business card.

Screen and Speakers

The 8530w comes equipped with a 15.4″ anti-glare widescreen with the highest resolution possible for a screen of this size.  At 1920 x 1200 pixels, this high-definition display is capable of displaying the finest details in workstation applications like Maya, CAD, 3dsMax, and more.  Or course, you can also enjoy this extra resolution for 1080p movies when you use the BluRay optical drive.

 When viewing the screen from straight ahead, colors are rich and the contrast is excellent. High-definition movies (compliments of the BluRay drive) are absolutely stunning.  Horizontal viewing angles are almost as impressive, and the vertical viewing angle from above is likewise impressive. The only time the screen starts to disappoint is when you view it from below … but the overwhelming majority of users will never view the screen in this way.

HP generally impresses our editorial staff with the quality of the speakers used in their notebooks, and the speakers in the 8530w were no exception. The built-in speakers are above average with a good range of highs. middles, and acceptable lows and do not sound tinny at all.  The highest volume settings are more than loud enough to fill an office with sound for a presentation, but are still clear and not distorted. The only negative about the speakers is their location on the front edge of the notebook.

Since the speakers are located on the front edge of the notebook the sound isn’t being directed up and toward the user when the EliteBook is used as a laptop. In fact, our staff usually refers to laptop speakers with this type of placement as “crotch speakers” because the speakers are directing sound to your waist rather than your ears. If you’re using the 8530w on your desk this isn’t a problem, but if you’re a road warrior constantly working from your lap then you might be annoyed by the speaker placement.

The headphone jack on the 8530w works well with the three different brands of earphones I used during the test. No static or other noise was noticed through the jack besides imperfections in the audio source itself.

 Performance and Benchmarks

 Our pre-production EliteBook 8530w came with the Intel T9400 processor, clocking in at 2.53GHz, and jammed packed with 6MB of cache. For graphics, HP included an Nvidia Quadro 770M series video card with 512MB of GDDR3 memory. A fast 160GB 7200 RPM hard drive was also included, which helped applications load without much lag. This workstation consistently exceeded our expectations, thanks in large part to the workstation-class GPU. Serious users will find this machine packs plenty of power for even the most demanding tasks, and “normal” users who are only concerned with working in Microsoft Office and encoding the occassional video for work will have more power than they know what to do with it.

by Jerry Jackson 

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