Disk defragmenter is an application that comes installed with the Windows Operating System. The main function of this software utility is to speed up the performance of your computer and also to maximize storage space utilization of your hard drive. For using this utility, you just have to click on Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. You can also access this utility by clicking on “My Computer” and selecting ‘Manage’ from the available options.

After this, you just have to select the Drive or Drives that you want to defrag and click on the ‘Defragment’ button. After this you just need to sit back and relax while the defragmenter does the job for you. You should do this preferably at night because Defragmentation can take several hours depending on the amount of data that you might have on your hard drive.

Using Disk defragmenter from time to time is necessary because as you continue to add and remove files and folders, your hard drive becomes a virtual war zone, scattered with bits and pieces of data everywhere. This slows down your system obviously because the operating system has to work harder to access the data stored in your hard drive.

Using an un-fragmented drive is like reading a book whose pages are strewn all over the floor. In this context, what Disk defragmenter does is that it picks up all the pages from the floor and arranges them together according to the page numbers. In real terms, the defragmenter rearranges files and folders in such a way that it helps in boosting the computer’s processing speed and maximizing space utilization.

For getting the best results, I would recommend that you close all other running programs before starting the Defragmentation process. This would help the Disk Defragmenter to make the most appropriate file allocations and last but not the least, complete the defrag in the shortest possible time.

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The term ‘defragging’ is actually a technical jargon that refers to the “Disk Defragmenter” option available in Windows Operating System. The basic purpose of defragging is to speed up the performance of your computer by arranging files and folders as stored on your hard drive in the most appropriate manner.

Defragging also helps in making the best possible utilization of storage space as might be available on your hard drive. To be able to defrag, you will have to click on Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter. You can also right click on “My Computer” and select ‘Manage’, to get to the Disk Defragmenter option.

To understand how defragging actually works, you first need to have a look at the file allocation system as used by Windows. What Windows does is that it formats your hard drive into thousands of small data clusters that are usually 512 bytes or characters. All your files and folders are stored in these data clusters, but since Windows randomly selects the actual storage point, your hard drive ends up with files and folders that are haphazardly stored all over the place.

Just try imagining reading a book whose pages are strewn all over your home and you will know how difficult it actually is for Windows to read from an un-fragmented hard drive. Defragging in turn would represent your efforts to pick up individual pieces of the book and arrange them in a proper sequence according to the page numbers.

Defragging is something that you need to do from time to time, at least once every quarter. You can do it more frequently if you want, but since doing so every other day will not make much of a difference to your computer’s performance, I would never recommend this. Moreover, since defragging can take several hours depending on the amount of data in your hard drive, I would recommend that you start the Defragmentation process at night. Leave it overnight and when you wake up you will find a computer that’s much faster and smarter.

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An Access Violation error is the abbreviated term for what’s known as a segmentation fault. It is a problem that occurs when a program, or a piece of software, tries to access memory that it doesn’t have permission to use.

It’s the computer equivalent of walking in to a locked door, you could say. The files that you want are protected by a security layer, or are simply locked and inaccessible from your current environment.

Access Violation errors are also a very common trait of software that is configured incorrectly. While UNIX machines will receive a SIGSEGV signal about the invalid memory, users on Microsoft Windows operating systems will be presented with the STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION exception, better known as an Access Violation.

If, for example, you have a hardware device which is recently installed, and software which is used by other programs, it’s possible that you’ll receive an Access Violation when trying to use the new hardware device, if its drivers are being used by another source. These sort of collisions will often result in Access Violations where a piece of software is in demand from two or more pieces of hardware, and it can only feed one at a time.

The memory is thus locked, and any attempt to access the important source files will be blocked out. The Access Violation error is returned, and you, the end user- will be left to scratch your head.

You may have also received an Access Violation exception when attempting to access a typical file or folder that you wouldn’t expect to be involved with any system processes or crucial drivers. In most cases, this is down to the attribute of the file.

If you try to write to a file which is designated as Read-Only, you will be attempting to breach the security permissions of that particular file. This is blocked out by the Access Violation exception. But the good news is, such errors are easy to fix.

To resolve a permission error, we need to enter the Command Prompt and make a change to the attributes of the file. If you can’t open it, we need to make it readable. If you can’t write to it, we need to make it writeable. And so forth.

The Dos command for making changes to the attribute of a file is shown below:

ATTRIB [+R | -R] [+A | -A] [+S | -S] [+H | -H] [[drive:][path]file] [/S]

If this is no more than random gibberish to you, don’t worry. It’s quite simple when broken down.

The plus sign is used to add attributes, and the minus sign takes them away.

R is the READ-ONLY attribute.
A is the ARCHIVE attribute.
S is the SYSTEM FILE attribute.
H is the HIDDEN FILE attribute.

Obviously, if you have a file which is Read-Only, you are not going to be able to make changes or edit the contents. This is probably the number one cause of Access Violation errors.

To get rid of them, you simply need to apply the correct attribute formation so that the file is accessible to your needs.

Next Step:

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Hewlett-Packard is widely recognised as the number one provider of printers, scanners and imaging equipment. The California-based company ships a huge stock of these items every year, and there’s a good chance that if you go out to buy a printer, you’ll be coming home with an HP product.

Given the lofty stature of HP, you shouldn’t encounter too many compatibility problems when it comes to finding the right printer or scanner for your system. The installation doesn’t always run smoothly, however, and we’re going to look at some of the most problems and how to overcome them.

First of all, it’s important to note that all HP printers come with software. It’s not possible to simply “plug ‘n play” as you might do with other hardware devices. Every HP printer, scanner or imaging device will come with a CD. On this CD, you’ll find an installation program and the drivers required to use the hardware.

It’s also important to follow the instructions explicitly and install the software BEFORE you connect the device. To do this, insert the CD and run through the installation procedure. It will copy files to your local drive before telling you when to connect the device. Most printers and scanners use a USB port these days. Once your device is connected, follow the remaining instructions and you’ll usually be asked to restart your system. This validates the new drivers and it will ensure that your hardware is detected in the future.

So what are the most common problems with the installation of a HP device? First and foremost, we have driver issues.

HP can’t release software which is customised for each user’s system configuration, and it’s possible that the printer or scanner drivers may clash. Driver issues are typically marked by a device which fails to connect. If Windows springs up a message that it cannot recognise the hardware device, it’s likely that you’re suffering from either outdated drivers or the wrong driver altogether.

Log on to the HP website and search out your device. It’s here that you’ll be able to download the very latest drivers and patches. Test the different software and attempt to connect to the device with different configurations. If you have a working driver, you’ll be able to connect to the hardware and Windows will detect it automatically.

Sometimes Window will recognise the hardware, but won’t be able to retain the connection. This is another example of a driver incompatibility issue.

Of course, it’s important to check - before purchasing a printer, that the device is compatible with your system. You’ll also need to download different software if you’re working on a Linux platform. The standard Windows package will not work on Linux, and vice versa.

Another common problem stems from wireless printer connectivity. If you’re installing a printer to work on a network, you’ll need to ensure that the computers can connect to it.

If this isn’t happening, try pinging the printer adapter. To do this, you can open up the command shell (c:\windows\system\CMD.exe) and type the following:

ping 192.168.173.1.

If no signal is returned, the printer is failing to connect with your local system. This could be for a number of reasons. You might want to try moving the printer closer to the computer, or checking that radio interference isn’t playing a role. As a last resort, consider replacing the network and printer adapters.

If you’re sure that the printer is installed, yet it fails to print, check that the device isn’t configured to work offline.

Go to Start, then Settings and finally Printers. It’s here that you’ll be able to see if the device is set to work online. It’s also possible that documents may be jammed in a queue. Restart the jobs and wait for the printer to respond.

If your printer shows no sign of connectivity at all, usually displayed by an orange or red light, you could be suffering from a connectivity issue with the hardware itself. It’s possible that the USB cable is faulty and replacing it could fix the problem.

HP provides extensive support for their products so do make sure to check the help archives on their official website. Printers and scanners can be notoriously fiddly to install and it’s likely that if you have a problem, somebody else has experienced it too.

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