Ow-tech Solutions

When it comes to hard drive memory formats, two primary partitioning schemes dominate: MBR (Master Boot Record) and GPT (GUID Partition Table). Both play crucial roles in how data is organized and accessed on storage devices, yet they differ significantly in terms of compatibility, capacity, and functionality.  This blog aims to delve into the distinctions between MBR and GPT partitions, providing a clear understanding of their respective advantages and applications. What is MBR? MBR, or Master Boot Record, has been a standard partitioning scheme since the early days of personal computing. It resides in the first sector (sector 0) of the hard disk, encompassing 512 bytes and containing essential information for bootstrapping the operating system. Key characteristics of MBR partitions include: Compatibility : Widely supported across various operating systems, including older versions of Windows, Linux, and BSD. Limitations : MBR supports up to 2 TB of storage space and a maximum of ...

When installing an operating system on a new drive or on a drive that had a partition that is not compatible with your Operating System disk it is important to know how to covert the drive's partition from MBR to GPT and back. If you try installing the incompatible format, you will get a notification like; "Drive not supported convert to MBR"  Once you have your new drive connect it to another PC with a working operating system using a drive enclosure or the correct cable. A drive enclosure helps you view the contents of a hard disk without inserting it into a PC  After the drive has been detected: 1. Go to the Windows search section and type " cmd" . Right-click on the command prompt window and choose to run as administrator. 2. Wait for the command prompt window to load 3. Type " DISKPART "(can also be in lower case) 4. Type " list disk " to display all the disks connected to your system 5. Identify the disk you would like to format and t...

You may be wondering, what makes web hosting different from SSD hosting?  The terms "SSD hosting" and "web hosting" are related but refer to different aspects of hosting services for websites. Here's a breakdown of the differences: Web Hosting Web hosting is a general term that refers to the service of providing storage space, server resources, and internet connectivity to host websites and make them accessible on the internet. There are various types of web hosting, including: Shared Hosting: Multiple websites share the same server and resources. Cost-effective but may have performance limitations. VPS Hosting (Virtual Private Server): Websites are hosted on virtualized server environments, providing dedicated resources. Offers more control and better performance than shared hosting. Dedicated Hosting: A single website has an entire physical server dedicated to it. High performance and control, but more expensive. Cloud Hosting: Websites are hosted on a networ...

When a disk is write protected, you are only left with the optio to view its content. The Flash disk becomes uneditable(readonly form) You can clearly see that the device has free space when you view it in the list of drives in your pc but you can't access it. For normal write protection locks, it is easy to remove. It becomes harder when your flask disk has a virus. This guide will help you remove write protection from any flash disk in 4 or 5 simple steps. 1. Insert your flash disk to your PC. Ensure it is detected. 2. Go to your windows search page and type command prompt 3. Select run as administrator from the options listed below the app name 4. When the commn prompt window opens, type "diskpart" and press enter. 5. Type "list disk" and press enter. This displays all the disks in your system 6. A list of disks will be displayed as shown: 7. Type "select disk {number" For example  "select disk 2" if it is the disk you would like to remove...

  A corrupt disk can be a big headache to clean or format. Sometimes trying to format a flashdisk, hard disk or memory card(TF card) through normal methods does not work. If you prefer the easy GUI ( Graphical User interface method) do this: 1. Plug in your device to the computer(using the U.S.B port) 2. If you are trying to format a memory card, place it in your phone card slot or use a memory card reader. 3. Your computer detects the plugged in device. Open the disk list and right-click on the preferred drive(Place your mouse pointer on the device and click on  the right button) 4. Select format from the list of options 5. Change and necessary settings and  begin the the formatting. The process should be completed successfully. If it does not work, use the Command Prompt. Formating a disk using command prompt 1. Press Windows button followed by R 2. Typed " cmd "( This opens the command prompt) or 3. Click on the search bar and type "command", the command prompt ...

 Apart from updating your laptop or desktop  BIOS , there are other ways to ensure your device stays updated and fast; updating your PC's drivers. Updating device drivers, can be approached in two ways: On the first method; 1. Click on the start menu of your computer and search for "Device management"(Updated to Computer management in newer versions of windows.) 2. Select and expand the specific device driver that you would like to update. 3. From the options, you either select install from local storage(if you have the updated installation file) or download and install from the web. The second option will require internet connection. 4. Proceed to download and install the specific drivers following the given installation wizard. If the drivers are up to date, you will get notified. The second Method involves using a third party app or website. To do this: 1. Open your web browser and type " Driver Pack " 2. Select either driverpack solutions online and offline....

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are trying to install an application on your mobile device but can't? This happens quite often with devices that have a lower storage capacity or when you have to many files in your phone's storage. The experience can be disturbing especially when you really need to install an application. When ths happens, it is usually because of two possible reasons: 1. The application is not compatible with the phone's system 2. Your device does not have enough storage. How do you fix this? The first thing that you need to do is ensuring that the application you are trying to install is compatible with your device. Usually it is indicated if you install the app through google playstore. If the app is compatible but you still can't install it, your device memory could be the issue. To fix this, check through the following and remove what you do not need: 1. Old applications that you rare use - Find apps that are not important to y...

 You may be asking, when do I ever need to access and use boot mode? The answer is, anytime. If you use your laptop a lot, getting to understand how it actually works is a must-learn for you.  Picture this; your laptop suddenly goes blank and you have no idea about what's within yourr device or how to do simple troubleshooting, how will you feel? You are not only likely to pay ridiculous amount to a technician to fix it for you, but may also damage the computer even more. This guide takes you through the simple steps to get acess to boot mode option on your device: 1. Save your files and shutdown the PC. 2. As soon as the compueter restarts, press the F9 key to enter boot mode. 3. Let the page load. Use the arow keys to select your preferred settings. 4. From the boot section, ensure you have selected your prefered boot device. 5. Press enter and let the booting process begin. If you are installing a new Operating system from a flash disk, make it is plugged in before step1or ...

What is BIOS?  BIOS stands for Basic Input Output System. It is a firmware program embedded on a computer's motherboard that initializes and tests hardware componentsduring startup and loads the OS(operating system) from the hard drive. Some summarized  functions of BIOS include: 1. System configuration: This feature allows users to adjust settings like boot order, date and time. 2. Power-On-Self-Test: Helps with checking hardware components for functionality 3. Bootstrapping: Loads the operating system from the main drive in the PC To update BIOS for your HP laptop: 1. Go to Hp support website 2. Select Software and Drivers 3. Choose device or product type from the list(Laptop/Desktop) 4. Enter the product serial number or use hp assistant to autodetect your device(You must  download and install  HP assistant ) 5. Check if there is an updated version of BIOS and download it 6. Run the .exe file as an administrator(Locate the downloaded file right click on it and sel...

Turbo Boost technology is a crucial feature for enhancing the performance of your laptop's processor, ensuring smoother multitasking and better overall speed. In this guide, we'll look into the features of Turbo Boost, how to check if your laptop supports it, and step-by-step instructions on enabling it for both Windows and macOS systems. What is Turbo Boost? Turbo Boost is an Intel technology designed to dynamically increase the clock speed of a processor when it detects that the workload demands additional performance beyond the base frequency. This means, it only works on intel processors Why is Turbo Boost  important for Laptop Performance For laptop users, Turbo Boost is particularly beneficial as it allows the processor to operate at higher speeds when running demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, or rendering, resulting in improved performance and responsiveness. How Does Turbo Boost Work? When the processor detects that certain conditions are met, such as tempe...

Have you ever wondered why  your laptop heats up to an abnormal level? Whenever this happens, there are a number of possible reasons and it is important to act as soon as you can. Before we talk about the solutions to a heating laptop, what makes your laptop get heated? 1. Poor Ventilation. If you work in an environment with dirt or dust, your laptop fan or vents may become clogged and prevent airflow. This affects the cooling efficency making the laptop become hot or heat up. 2. Fan Failure Every electronic device gets damaged at some point depending on the level of usage or how it is taken care of. A laptop fan is an important part of the device and one of the most actively used part by the PC. This means it can easily stop working without any physical damage. Fan failure will mean that your laptop is not cooled and that can result to further damage to the laptop motherboard. 3. Processor settings If you apply settings such as turbo boost , the laptop is likely to get hot due to ...

What runs through your mind when you start your PC or laptop and get welcomed by an unfriendly blue screen? The first time I experienced this, I felt like I had damaged the computer. It's even worse if your computer just seemed okay the last time you used it. When this happens, there's no need to worry. There are 3 possible reasons for this: 1. Your Operating system may be corrupt 2. The main disk on your PC may be damaged 3. There could be a corrupt application affecting normal startup. It is normal to panic in such cases, especially when you have little to no experience handling computers. Before you phone that repair guy or throw your computer into the trash, try out these troubleshooting tips. 1. Disconnect all peripherals, the power connection and shut down the PC by long pressing the power button.  2. Wait for 5 minutes and power up the computer.  3. If that does not work, think about reinstalling a new Operating system. You can do so from a Bootable Flash Disk or a Co...

When it comes to PC storage devices, two prominent contenders vie for supremacy: the traditional Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and the modern Solid-State Drive (SSD). Understanding the differences between these two options is crucial when deciding which one suits your needs best. Let's start with the basics. HDDs have been around for decades and rely on spinning magnetic disks to store data. Think of them as the classic record player, with a needle reading information from the rotating platter. On the other hand, SSDs are a newer technology that utilizes flash memory chips, same as the storage in your smartphone or USB drive, offering faster access times and no moving parts. One of the most significant differences between the two lies in their speed. SSDs are notably faster than HDDs due to their lack of moving parts. With no need to wait for a mechanical arm to find and read data, SSDs boast lightning-fast read and write speeds, resulting in quicker boot times, application launches, and f...

The first time I saw this light I was surprised. I wasn't sure what it was for and for a second I thought my laptop had a problem. Turns out the light on a hp laptop touchpad indicates whether the touchpad is active or turned off. When you see the light on, it means that you won't be able to use the touchpad. If you have an external mouse plugged in, you won't have any problems but if you don't, the mouse pointer will not move. How do you fix this? It is simple, all you have to do is double tap on the top left-hand side of the pad to activate on deactivate the touchpad. Most Hp laptops used to have a button for activating or deactivating the touchpad somewhere around the power button, but this has changed.  The next time you notice the light and learn that your touchpad is not working, simply double that top left side here the light is on the touchpad.  If you have any questions feel free to ask. Created by Francis Onyach. Related articles: How to take good care of your...

Whether you have forgotten  your password or would just like to clear out your phone and start a fresh, you need to know how to perfom a factory reset. If your device is on, it is usually easy. In this case for most phones, you can access the factory reset option from the settings app on your device. Navigate to the settings app, find system and look for reset factory settings or default settings. If your device is off and you do not have a password, there's a different way of doing it.  1. Turn off your device 2. Hold the power button and (volume up/volume down)  together until the phone starts 3. When the phone starts use the volume up and volume down to select the factory reset option 4. Press the power button to confirm your choice. 5. Allow the phone to run the formatting , you will see a confirmation showing you that the reset is complete. 6. Restart the device and use your initially used google account. You will have completed your phone's hard reset.

  Introduction to Laptop RAMs : What is DDR4? Understanding DDR3 RAM Definition and Features Advantages and DisadvantagesDefinition and Features Evolution to DDR4 RAM Advantages and Disadvantages Comparison between DDR3 and DDR4 Speed Power Consumption Compatibility Cost Choosing the Right RAM for Your Laptop DDR3 vs. DDR4: Which is Better? Future Trends in Laptop RAM Technology Conclusion FAQs I ntroduction to Laptop RAMs Random Access Memory (RAM) is an essential component of any computer system, including laptops. It serves as temporary storage for data that the CPU needs to access quickly. When it comes to laptop RAMs, two common types are DDR3 and DDR4. Understanding DDR3 RAM DDR3, which stands for Double Data Rate 3, has been a staple in laptop memory for several years. It offers significant improvements over its predecessors, DDR and DDR2. DDR3 RAM operates at lower voltages compared to its predecessors, which results in reduced power consumption and heat generation. It is c...