Tame Your Technology - Computer Repair Zone

So you bought an mp3 player but now you need to put some music on it?

Well you’ll be pleased to hear that turning your existing CDs into mp3 files is very easy indeed.

The easiest piece of software to use is Windows Media Player which comes free with Windows.

All you need to do is insert a CD into the CD drive of your computer and Windows Media Player *should* start automatically (if not then locate it in the menu by selecting Start -> etc and once it’s fired up, open up your CD menu from within it).

You will notice that you have the option to “rip” files which is the name given to taking files from a CD and turning them into a digital format.

So select the “rip” option, select the files you’d like to rip (all of them, typically) and click the button.

You’ll see the progress meter moving as the files are created and saved onto your computer.

Then all you need to do is to link your mp3 player to your pc and transfer the files across - job done!

Popularity: 56% [?]

Cell phones have a unique identifying number like the chassis number of your car.

If and one gets stolen it gets blacklisted by the cell phone networks - which stops calls being made on that handset and theres no way to resolve the issue unless the network remove the bar. Bizareely they often *can* send texts, just not make calls.

A common occurence in “cheap” phones bought off a friend, off ebay or suchlike is this very problem.

So if you buy a new phone but can’t make a call when you can send a text think - dodgy phone and get your money back as quickly as possible.

Popularity: 68% [?]

Renting the latest movies has come a long way from the small, dirty video stores we used to frequent years ago.

Now movie rental is huge business, which combined with the power of the internet and the small size of DVDs has resulted in an exciting new way to watch your favourite films.

That is - internet DVD rental.

In short, you sign for an account with one of the various internet DVD rental companies, add on a list of the movies you’d like to see and they post them out to you.

Depending on the plan you opt for you may have 1, 2 or even 3 DVDs at a time.

Whenever you’ve finished watching one, you simply post it back in the prepaid envelope the rental company provides, and they then send out the next one on your list.

It means of course no long walks down to the rental shop, no wasted time, just a constant supply of high quality DVDs through your door.

I personally am a huge fan of online rentals and have been renting movies this way for about 2 years now having jumped between a variety of companies to try out their services.

There are currently dozens of companies offering online dvd rentals but my experience suggests that you’re best to stick to the few main players if you want the best service and selection of DVDs.

The top 3 in the market at the moment are:

Blockbuster - in my opinion the best internet dvd rental company in the UK, Blockbuster combined arguably the largest range of films with monthly packages that start from just 3.99 making them affordable. Best of all they are currently running a time-limited 14 day free trial.

Amazon - currently being taken over by LoveFilm there are some questions about how long the Amazon DVD rental service will continue so while Amazon is where this model first started, I wouldn’t want to spend time finding and then saving lists of DVDs I’m interested in because it may all be for nothing in a few weeks time.

LoveFilm - rapidly growing all the time, I think that in time LoveFilm will grow into the biggest internet dvd rental firm in the UK. Their packages start from just 3.99 - the lowest monthly fees I have seen - though the select of films is smaller than that of Blockbuster and of course

At the end of the day my suggestion to you is to give Blockbuster a spin with their free 14 day trial. I’ve always been happy with their service and you’re risking nothing by trying them out. Find out more by clicking here.

Popularity: 76% [?]

Text messages get routed through a specific number and the single most common reason for your phone to not be sending texts is simply that the number, hidden deep in the menu of your phone, is wrong.

The most common one is it’s missing the last digit because you accidentally changed it when you meant to do something else (did your handset used to send texts then just suddenly stopped?). Other options are that there is no number in the menu at all, or the incorrect number.

What you need to do is to contact your network and find out what the correct *message center number* for texts is on their network.

Then looking in your “Message Settings” in your cell phone look for SMS settings and locate the Message Center Number option.

In 90% of cases you’ll find it’s wrong. Just correct it by typing in the correct number, press save, restart the phone and you’ll likely be sending texts again in no time.

Popularity: 87% [?]

If you’re unable to send picture messages with your phone there are generally only two possible causes  - which are also seen in combination some times.

They are:

1) Handset settings
2) Account settings

Let’s look at each of these in turn…

Handset Settings

In order to send or receive picture messages you will need to have the correct settings installed on your phone. There are a number of reasons why the settings may be wrong - many of them being based on the fact that different networks and different systems use different settings. For example:

- Are you using a contract handset with a pay as you talk sim card (or vice versa)?
- Are you using a handset from one network to try and send picture messages on another network?

Appreciate that on your handset there are settings for both incoming and outgoing messages so if you can do one but not the other it is likely the problem is your settings. These can be updated from the manufacturers website or the network you are trying to send MMS over. They will send out the settings essentially in the form of a text message (so make sure you know your cell phone number!) which you then install easily on your handset - problem solved.

Also, if you could send/receive messages in the past but can’t now, it’s likely you’ve inadvertatently changed a setting when you meant to do something else.

The other option, as I mention, is…

Account Settings

Simply your network must have activated this facility on your account. If in doutb contact them and ask them to double-check.

That’s it! Quite an easy problem to fix generally and one you may even be able to do yourself.

Popularity: 100% [?]