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Top 10 mistakes to avoid when buying a new laptop

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Buying a new laptop is an important decision. If you don’t choose wisely, you may end up with a laptop that has either too little of what you need or too much of what you don’t need. Below are the top 10 mistakes to avoid to ensure the your laptop is suited to your specific needs.

1. Not knowing the budget

How much you are willing to spend on your new laptop? This is something you must decide beforehand, especially if price is a factor.

2. Not researching what is available

There are many good laptops in all price ranges, but not each one of them will have what you need. Check out the configuration and top features of different laptops beforehand.

3. Buying the wrong screen size

The right size of the screen depends on the purpose for which you will be using it. An 11-inch or 13-inch laptop is suitable for those for whom portability is important. On the other hand, someone in the field of art and design will be much better off buying a laptop with a bigger screen.

4. Ignoring the Durability factor

Some laptops have in-built technologies that protect internal parts during an accidental fall. You should give preference to such a laptop, especially if you do a lot of travelling or if young children will also use the machine.

5. Focusing too much on RAM

The performance of a computer depends on various components. Just having more Gigs of RAM will not turn your laptop into a super computer. The minimum requirement of RAM for Windows 8 is just 1GB. Very few people need laptops with more than 4GB RAM. Anything in the range of 1GB to 4GB is good.

6. Paying for extended warranties

Extended warranties are practically useless if they don’t cover theft and accidental falls. Age-related issues with hardware rarely occur during the extended warranty period. In other words, you will still pay the normal repair charge.

7. Paying for a processor that you don’t need

If you are going to use your laptop for performing everyday tasks, like word processing, web browsing and accessing emails, you don’t need to purchase one with the fastest, latest processor. On the other hand, if the applications that you will use require serious Graphical work like Maya, 3D, or AutoCAD, you must opt for a fast processor and a high-end graphics card.

8. Paying for extra storage space that you won’t use

More is better only if you have a need for it. Most newer laptops by default offer 500GB HDD, which is good enough for most users for music, movies, documents, and photographs.

9. Ignoring the type of ports

The laptop you buy should offer different options for connecting devices. Since the ports cannot be upgraded, you should consider purchasing laptops with USB 3.0, which offer higher transfer speeds and backward compatibility.

10. Ignoring battery backup

Different laptops have different batteries. The 9-cell battery will give more battery backup than the 6-cell battery. If you are always on the move, you should consider buying a laptop with a 9-cell battery.

You can browse the various laptop models on Amazon using the links below:

How to choose a backup solution for your PC

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Data loss occurs more frequently than you think, making a backup solution a must-have for every PC, Mac and Tablet user. The article below will provide you with a guide for choosing the right backup solution for your needs.

Different types of computer backup

Before selecting a backup solution, you need to first understand the different types of backup software available. The three types of backup are full, incremental, and differential.

  • Full backup- takes complete backup of the entire system
  • Differential backup – only back up files that have changed since your last full backup
  • Incremental backup- only back up files that have changed since your last backup( which could be either full backup or differential backup)

The backup solution you choose should support at least full backup and incremental backup.

Features to look for in a backup solution

One click system backup– This is a time saving feature which allows the user to take a complete backup of data stored in the system with a single click.

File-in-use backup – This feature is necessary if you want the backup tool to backup your files every day. This tool backs up files several times a day while your computer is active. The vast majority of the backup tools available will have this feature.

System Image backup – It is also known as complete backup. It saves a copy of the entire hard disk as an image. The backup copy includes operating system, application, drivers, registry and your data files. The system image backup makes the system restoration easy in case system files become corrupt.

Advanced features to look for in a backup solution

The backup solution you choose should go beyond basic functionalities. It should provide you with special tools to deal with unique challenges that you might face.

Backup Data compression– The backup software should offer good compression capabilities in order to save storage space. This feature allows the user to pack more data in the same location.

File Filters – Space is often a constraint. The software should allow a selective backup of files. This feature will allow the user to refine the data that needs to be backed up and also save valuable storage space.

Password protection – There is no reason why you should leave data unguarded when you take backups. The software should provide password protection to prevent unauthorized accesses to the backup data.

While choosing a backup solution for your PC, you need to ensure the software supports automated and scheduled backup. It will help you focus on important things without worrying about data loss.

Resolve PCI Simple Communications Controller driver issues

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PCI communications controller is an interface that allows the modem to communicate with your computer.  Your system needs to have a PCI simple communications controller Driver installed in order to work properly.

Note: PCI Simple Communications Controller is a generic label that Windows gives to PCI boards installed in a PC when the Drivers for the device are not installed.

Cause of PCI simple communications controller Driver error

The primary cause of this error is a missing or an obsolete Driver for the PCI device.

Error Message –
“Found New Hardware Wizard cannot find the Driver for the PCI Simple Communications Controller”

The error means that there is no Driver installed for the PCI Simple Communications Controller.

If you look in the Device Manager under “Other Devices”, you will see a yellow exclamation mark against the PCI Simple Communication Controller. To resolve this, you need to download and install the latest PCI Simple Communications Controller Driver for your computer.

  1. Click the Start button
  2. Click Control Panel > System and Security
  3. Under System – Click Device Manager
  4. If you are prompted for password, type the password. If prompted for confirmation, provide confirmation.
  5. Locate Other Devices, click on “+” sign to expand the list
  6. Look for “PCI Simple Communications Controller” in the list with a yellow exclamation mark

First go to the laptop’s or desktop’s manufacturer’s website. Once there, browse to the Downloads/Support section and look for Drivers for your laptop model/desktop model.

You need to download and install all chipset drivers for the laptop/branded desktop. For assembled systems, you need to use the motherboard Driver CD to reinstall all chipset Drivers.

Alternative way to resolve PCI Simple Communications Controller Driver error

Go to the Device Manager by following the steps given above. Repeat steps 1 to 6.

  1. Right-click PCI Simple Communications Controller, click Properties
  2. A new PCI Simple Communications Controller window will open. Go to the Details tab
  3. From the drop down list, select “Hardware Ids”
  4. Note down the first entry in the list. It tells you about the hardware manufacturer of the PCI device
  5. You can use this information to search for Drivers on the Internet

Manually updating drivers can be time-consuming and there is always a possibility of downloading the wrong drivers that can destabilize your system. Using a good and reliable Driver Update Tool can often be your best option.

To update your PCI simple communications controller Driver automatically, click here to find out more about our driver update tool and run a Free Driver Scan for your PCI communication device.