Setting Up an Ideal Power Plan for Your Laptop Computer in Windows

The power plan on a laptop computer refers to the settings that your machine uses in relation to its battery. Certain default power plans are designed for different purposes. For example, a “Power Saver” plan might be designed to disregard your computer’s overall performance and instead focus on saving the battery. A “Performance” plan might strive for increased performance at the expense of overall power. You can customize and set up your own ideal power plan for your laptop computer in just a few basic steps.

Step 1

Click “Start.” Place your cursor inside the “Search” bar and type “Power Options.” Click the green icon labeled “Power Options” in the “Control Panel” section of the “Search” results. The Windows application that manages your laptop battery will open on screen.

Step 2

Click the blue hyperlink labeled “Create a power plan” from the left side of the screen.

Step 3

Pick one of the three power plans on screen that is close to your ideal settings but not exact. You will use the selected plan as a template to create your own. You can choose from a “Balanced” plan, a “Power Saver” plan and a “High Performance” plan. Type a name for your power plan into the “Plan Name” box and click the “Next” button.

Step 4

Use the drop down menus on screen to choose settings for your power plan. Both plans are separated into two columns – one labeled “On battery” and one labeled “Plugged in.” They control settings for when your laptop is using battery power or when it is plugged into a wall outlet, respectively.

Use the drop down menu to choose when your display dims after periods of idle. Also choose when to turn off your display automatically and put your computer to sleep during periods of idle.

Use the horizontal slider to adjust the overall brightness of your laptop screen. Keep in mind that brighter screens are easier to see, but they also use a dramatically larger amount of your laptop’s battery power.

Step 5

Click the button labeled “Create.” Your new power plan will be created and your laptop will immediately begin using it and stop using your existing power plan.

How to Restore Your System in Windows

Microsoft Windows has a built in program called “System Restore” that is designed to help you recover your computer in the event of a catastrophe. If you get a virus or experience other issues that are playing havoc with the way your machine operates, you can run “System Restore” and reverse the whole machine back to a previous state. This will allow your machine to operate the same way it did before the problems ever appeared in the first place. If you want to run “System Restore,” you just have to know where to look for the program. It’s already installed on your computer, so no additional downloads or purchases are required.

Step 1

Open “System Restore” on your Windows computer. This can be accomplished by clicking “Start,” “All Programs,” “Accessories,” “System Tools” and finally on the icon for the program in that order.

Step 2

Click “Next” in the window that appears on screen. This will allow you to view a complete list of all the “Restore Points” that have been created on your computer. These “Restore Points” will be logged in chronological order by date, with the newest point being listed first.

Step 3

Click on the “Restore Point” that you want to use. You should choose a “Restore Point” based on when the problem with your computer first occurred. If you first started experiencing problems on the 10^th of the month, for example, pick any point from the list that is dated before that. Click “Next” to confirm your selection.

Step 4

Click “Finish.” This will begin the process of rolling back your computer to the way it operated on the specified date.

Step 5

Wait patiently for the process to finish. Do not attempt to use your computer or shut it down during this process. Doing so could potentially result in damage to the system files on your machine. When the process is finished you will be notified with an indicator box on screen. You may then go about using your computer as normal, free of the issues you have been having.

How to Automatically Back Up Your Windows Computer

Any number of things can cause you to lose data stored on your computer hard drive. A virus or other calamity could affect certain segments of your hard drive, causing you to lose entire folders filled with important content. Your hard drive could also crash, which could potentially cause you to lose every last bit of data that was stored on it. It is for these reasons that it is extremely important to periodically back up the contents of your Windows computer to avoid hassles later on. Luckily, the Windows operating system includes a free program that lets you do just that. You can also set the program to automatically back up your hard drive at regular intervals, which means that after the initial setup you don’t ever have to think about the process again.

 

Step 1

Click “Start.” Open the Microsoft Windows “All Programs” menu and select the “Maintenance” folder. From here, click “Backup and Restore.” This will launch the automated Windows utility that allows you to back up your computer.

Step 2

Click the “Set up Backup” link on the right side of the screen. This will open a new window on screen. The new window will take a few seconds to fully load, so be patient.

Step 3

Select the destination where you want your computer backup to be stored. If you want to create a backup onto a DVD, for example, insert a blank DVD into your computer’s burner and select the DVD burner drive from the list. Note that you cannot create a backup of your main hard drive on that same drive, as doing so would defeat the purpose of having a backup in the first place. Click “Next” to continue.

Step 4

Select “Let Me Choose” if you want to specify exactly what content you would like to archive. Use the window that opens to select the files, folders and directories that you want to include in the backup. You may also select “Let Windows Choose” to allow your operating system to select for you. Click “Next” to continue.

Step 5

Click “Change Schedule” to select a recurring time for your backup. If you want to archive your hard drive every Wednesday at 11:00am, for example, specify this information on the window that opens. Click the button labeled “Save Settings and Run Backup” to begin the backup process. Depending on the size of your hard drive and the total amount of data you have selected to archive, this could take anywhere from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours. Do not attempt to use your computer during this time, as doing so could dramatically slow and impair the utility’s overall progress.

iTunes Tutorial: What Are Podcasts and How Do I Download Them?

Podcasts are essentially Internet radio shows that you can download on an episode by episode basis the same way you would download something like a song. Podcasts came into prominence with the release of Apple’s iPod in the mid-2000s and are currently more popular than ever. There are a variety of different reasons as to why podcasts are more than worth your time. You can download podcasts quickly and easily using the software that practically invented them - Apple's iTunes.

One of the main benefits of a podcast is that all shows are, for better or worse, completely uncensored. Unlike radio shows, podcasts are distributed solely on the Internet and are therefore not governed by the FCC. This means that podcast hosts and guests can say whatever they want. This results in a more raw and real experience than you could ever find on a terrestrial radio station. Note that this does, however, mean that podcasts marked with an “Explicit” label in iTunes feature harsh language and adult material.

Podcasts aren’t just created by amateurs. A lot of professional entertainers, comedians and general celebrities have their own podcasts. These are people that would never be able to get or sustain a regular radio show but have now been given an outlet for their voice and personality thanks to iTunes and the Internet. This is just one of the many reasons that podcasts are more versatile than radio shows could ever hope to be.

Downloading a podcast is simple. Load the iTunes program on your computer and click on the “iTunes Store” link on the left side of the screen. Select the “Podcast” button from the top to browse podcasts the same way you would music or television shows. You can choose to view podcasts by genre to narrow your selection. For example, if you’re looking for a funny podcast you might select “Comedy.” You can also choose to view a “Weekly Top Shows” list for every category. You can also search for podcasts by keywords that match your interest.

Once you’ve found the page for a podcast you want to download, your two options are to “Get Episode” or “Subscribe.” The first option allows you to download only a single episode. This can be a great way to try out a show to see if you like it. The second option allows all past and future episodes of that particular show to automatically download into your iTunes program. This is similar to the way a magazine would be delivered right to your doorstep.

To listen to a podcast in iTunes, click the “Podcasts” button on the left side of the screen. Double-click the name of a podcast to play it, just like you would play a song in the same program. You can also sync podcasts to your iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad to listen to them on the go.

All podcasts in the iTunes store are completely free of charge. If someone is charging money for a podcast, because of the iTunes terms and conditions it technically stops being a podcast and is then considered to be an “Audiobook.”