Central Processing Unit or CPU. This sounds like a trick question, but it has merit. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is a microprocessor that controls the execution of program instructions. In a computer, it is considered to be the brains. However, other devices such as hard drives and tape drives, employ processors to execute read/write […]
Month: January 2025
Color Codes for a 3-Wire Computer Fan
Image Credit: iskrinka74/iStock/GettyImages Computers and other electronics don’t deal well with water and heavy dust, but those aren’t hazards in most homes and offices. One hazard that’s a much bigger concern is heat because powerful CPUs and video cards generate a lot of it in the course of their normal operation. A laptop can sit […]
How to Do Vector Computations in Excel
A vector is a list of two or more numbers. A row vector has numbers lined up in a row, and a column vector has them lined up in a column. Two vectors can be added or subtracted if they are both the same type of vector and have the same dimension. Two vectors can […]
How to Print Screen Directly to a Printer
Print screens with keyboard shortcuts. The “Print Screen” button isn’t another useless function key even though it was used primarily during the days of DOS-based machines. Nowadays, the print screen command copies an image of your desktop to the clipboard. You can choose to paste the image into an image software program and print it […]
How to Find My SMTP Server Name on My Computer
Image Credit: Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images If you are attempting to configure or troubleshoot your email program, you might be asked to check your SMTP server settings. Knowing how to find this setting and provide the information can save you a lot of time and a lot of hassle. Step 1 Open Internet Explorer, and click […]
How to Turn on Multimedia Keys on a Keyboard
Image Credit: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images Multimedia keyboards have a variety of different hot keys that standard keyboards don’t. These buttons include not only volume control but also playback features (for DVD movies) and even screen brightness control. However, you may find the keyboard’s multimedia keys are not functioning or responding when you press the buttons. If […]