Hot Computers & Programming How-Tos

How To: Replace a space bar on a Dell laptop keyboard

Is the spacebar on your keyboard out of whack? This simple video will show you how to re-seat it in less than two minutes. Start by using your fingers (or a small screwdriver or spudger if needed) to gently pry up along the top of the spacebar, working from one direction to another. Continue working along the top until the key is free from its mounting clips. Observe the location of the mounting clips. After the key is free from the keyboard, you can also remove the metal support bar from the...

How To: Share Local Drives and Folders using Oracle VM VirtualBox with a Guest Windows OS

There are several virtual machine managers present in the market. However, the main functionality of all VMs are the same. Most people like to get free VM managers, so that they can install as many operating systems as they like over the host operating systems. One of these free VM managers is Oracle's VM VirtualBox, which can be downloaded from Oracle's website for all popular operating systems, such as Linux, Windows and Mac.

How To: Replace a laptop CMOS battery

In this video, we learn how to replace a laptop CMOS battery. First, turn the laptop upside down and remove the screws around the panel you need inside. Set these aside and then pry the top up with a flat screwdriver. Now you will see the CMOS battery, remove this with the tab that is on top of it. Remove the battery from the area it's at and then replace it with the new one. Make sure you place it in just how it was before. After this, replace the panel on the top and screw the screws back i...

How To: Find, download & install Firefox themes or skins

This is a video tutorial in the Computers & Programming category where you are going to learn how to find, download & install Firefox themes or skins. Open up Firefox 3, go to tools, click on "add-ons". On the next window, click on "get add-ons" and click on "browse all add-ons". On the next page, on left hand side scroll down and click on "themes" button. This will display all Firefox 3 themes. Select the theme that you want and click on "add to Firefox" and then click on "install now". You ...

How To: Create a basic array table in Java programming

Want to program your own Java games and applications but don't know beans about object-oriented programming? Never you fear. This free video tutorial from TheNewBoston will have you coding your own Java apps in no time flat. Specifically, this lesson discusses how to display the index of an array in table format when writing code in the Java programming language. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this helpful programmer's guide.

How To: Use HTML and open & closed brackets

To open the body of an HTML first open the HTML document, to do so write an open bracket, then html, the close the bracket. Next press enter. Type another open bracket, then type the word body, then type a closed bracket. Next press enter again. Now you can type an open bracket, then a backwards slash. Next type the word body again. Now type a closed bracket. Press enter once again. Now type another open bracket and then type html. Then type a closed bracket. Now you have just opened and clos...

How To: Find, download & install Firefox 3

In this tutorial the author shows how to find, download and install Firefox 3. He points out to the Mozilla Firefox website which is [www.mozilla.org/firefox]. Now you reach the Firefox web page where there is a link to download the browser. After clicking the link you will be prompted to save the file and now you can download the software. Now after the software gets installed the author guides you through the various steps to get Firefox 3 installed. He also shows how to transfer settings a...

How To: Search for Photos on Your Computer by Exact Dimensions

As a technology writer, phone screenshots can pile up on your computer in no time. Testing out different apps, showing buggy software, and doing step-by-steps can lead to a plethora of mobile screenshots piling up on your computer's desktop. The problem with my screenshots is that they save as photo.png or photo.jpeg, as do many of my other photos. If I haven't finished a project or article, I tend to move them to different folders to save them for later. After a while, the screenshots begin ...

How To: Sort files into folders using Automator on Mac OS X

With OS X, you can use Automator to automate several functions. This nifty little how-to by macmost shows you how to sort files into sub-folders using Automator. You can use Automator to alter what happens when a file is added to a folder. In this example, new files added to a folder are then sorted into subfolders according to their type. You can add multiple actions to a folder and then determine which order they are used.

How To: Take apart a computer's keybaord & clean it

In this video, we learn how to take apart a computer's keyboard & clean it. First, turn the keyboard upside down and remove the screws from the side with a screwdriver. After this, flip it back over and remove the keys from the top. Put the keys into a bowl of soap and water and let them soak. Then, remove the screws from the top of the keyboard and set them aside. Open up the keyboard and then dust and clean the inside of it until clean. Next, you will replace all of the parts you removed in...

How To: Create a free website from scratch

You can create a free website using HTML. HTML is hyper text mark up language. Create a folder "my webpage" with all of the images and information for the webpage. Use notepad to write the HTML for the website. Notepad plus is the best which can be found on Sourceforge. Open the browser and the notepad and begin to construct. These codes will help in the creation of the page: <html> opens instructions </html> closes instructions. These are called tags. One opens the commands or instructions a...

How To: Implement Internet Transfer Control in a Visual Basic application

In this clip, you'll learn how to use Internet Transfer Control within a VB application to the view the source of a web page. Whether you're new to Microsoft's popular event-driven program language & IDE or a seasoned developer merely looking to improve your chops, you're sure to find benefit in this free Visual Basic programming lesson. For more information, including a complete demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look.

How To: Easily open your NAT on a ZyXel router

In this Computers & Programming video tutorial you will learn how to easily open your NAT on a ZyXel router. There are three steps involved in doing this. Open your web browser and type in the router IP address which is normally http://192.168.1.1. Then you will get the log in page. The password is either 1234 or admin. It will be written on the packaging of the router. On the next page click on UPNP, then check all three boxes and click 'apply'. Then you click on NAT and set the start and en...

How To: Uninstall video card drivers on Windows XP

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to uninstall the video card drivers on a Windows computer. Begin by clicking on the Start menu. Then right-click on My Computer and select Properties. Now click on the Hardware tab and click on Device Manager. In the list, click on Display Doctors and select the desired video card. Now double-click on the video card and select the Driver tab. Finally, click on Uninstall and follow the process to remove the drive. This video will benefit those viewers ...

How To: Turn any video into a screensaver on a Windows PC

You can make a screensaver with a MPG you get from the web and use "CamStudio" as one idea. You can use Infanview40, and install it the way you want it to open mpegs and add plug-ins that you get from the homepage.Open Infanview40, right click your .exe file to install in the program. Click "open" and Slide Show on INF.,scroll down to MPG that you want to add for your screensaver. Now the MPG is in the INFanview program,add to the screensaver.Click on "Play in full screen mode. Current Monito...

How To: Unlock Vista's super user mode

Revision3 Internet Television and Tekzilla Daily with Veronica Belmont demonstrate how to unlock Vista's super user mode. First, open the start menu and type CMD. Right click the command prompt and select the run as administrator option. Type the code net user administrator / active:yes. Hit enter. Your system should reply with the command completed successfully message. Then, the next time you restart your system, you'll see the administrator as an option in the welcome screen. If you use th...

How To: Download & install HP printer drivers in Windows XP

This silent video shows you how to install HP printer drivers for Windows XP. Start off by turning on the power on the printer. Do not connect the USB cable to the computer yet, it'll ask you at a later time. Now go to HP's support webpage by typing "www.hp.com/support" on your web browser and then choose the region and language you want the support for. Now click on the "download drivers and software" option and type in your printer's model number. Select the correct printer from the list an...

How To: Make an annoying batch file to prank friends

To make an annoying batch file to prank your friends you need to first right click on your screen and go to New and then Folder. In this New folder make a Text file and type in "for /l %%n in (1,1,10) DO md %%n" and that is it. Now this will loop from 1 - 10 and make a new folder for whatever n is. You can change the command if you would like to! Now, you can change this text file to 'Folder' and allow for this to be clicked. You can change the number "10" to any large number so the folder co...

How To: Delete temporary files in Ubuntu, Linux Mint or Debian

This video tutorial in Computers & Programming category will show you how to delete temporary files in Ubuntu, Linux Mint or Debian. For this you will need the program called bleachbit. You could get it from Bleachbit Sourceforge/ or from Synaptic package manager. For synaptic manager, click on ‘package manager’ in the ‘start’ menu and log into the program by typing your password. Then search for ‘bleachbit’, download and install it. Go to ‘terminal’, type in ‘su’ and enter, then type in your...

How To: Make a calendar in VB.Net

You can create a calendar for your computer using VB.net. It is extremely easy and very quick to make this for yourself. First you're going to select 'month calendar' and click that into your form area. Now center the box closer to the calendar, and change the name of your application to monthly calendar. Now all you need to do is test the application. Go up to the Start Debugging button and make sure everything is good with that. That's all you need to do-now you have your very own little ca...

How To: Use save file & stream writer w/ a list box in VB.Net

In this Computers & Programming video tutorial you will learn how to Use save file dialog and stream writer with a list box in VB.Net. Open up a ListBox and you will have a ListBox1 with a blank text box, Add Item and Save Item buttons on your screen. It will also have a save file button at the bottom. On the top of the panel, click Form1 and thereafter, the video shows the various parts of the code on the screen. Then click on Debugging, and add text in the blank text box and click Add Item....

How To: Make a Celsius to Fahrenheit converter in C++

In this video, the instructor shows how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit using a C++ program. This video shows how to do this by a live example where the instructor writes down the code to do it. First, code the basic structure of a c++ program that contains the include and all other statements. Now accept the value of temperature in Celsius from the standard input. Now multiply that value by 1.8 and add 32 to it to get the value in Fahrenheit. Display the value to the output. Finally, compil...

How To: Align the printhead on your Epson printer

Not aligning your printer before you print is like going to a job interview without brushing your hair: Everything else looks right, but you somehow still look unprepared and messy. Aligning the printhead on your printer will help ensure all text prints out where it's supposed to print out and there's no awkward color blurring with pictures.

How To: Disable secure virtual memory in Mac OS X

This video will show you how to disable secure virtual memory in Mac OS X. From the top left of your screen click on the apple icon. Click on system preferences from the pull down menu. Click on the security icon. Click on the image of the closed lock from the bottom left of the window so that you can change make changes.

How To: Create an SSH tunnel for your Mac Mini server

How to Use Your Mac as a Server: Turn your Mac Mini into a server! Yes, that's right, with a little know-how and a little spunk, you can turn an inexpensive Mac Mini computer into a server to provide services over you network. You won't even need the Mac OS X Server, just the Mac OS X Client, so there is no extra software to buy, just the Mac Mini and it's operating system.

How To: Remotely Monitor Your Kid’S iPhone/iPad

Maybe your kids are using iPhone/iPad too much, as a parent, you want to know what they are having to deal with to help guide them through of that. Here is the tutorial on how you can parental control your kids on iPhone/iPad. You are able to monitor as well as take control of their devices. Kids’ activities on iPhone/iPad like SMS, chats, web browsing will be recorded and you can check them remotely with e-mail without getting access to the devices. OK, here comes the steps: Step 1: