Uninstalling a Windows application leaves multiple traces such as abandoned registry keys, configuration files and shared libraries that are no longer used by any application. When you are looking for a perfect solution to your problem, you are typically downloading and testing dozens of different applications distributed on the try-before-you-buy basis. After you complete your search, you’ll decide on just one application, and will want to remove the other products you’ve tested. But do you realize how much garbage they leave behind even after being ‘completely’ uninstalled?

If you install a comprehensive suite created by a big-name company, you’re getting the best quality software that surely knows how to behave and how to clean up after itself, right? Wrong! Many if not all products leave behind them multiple traces that are more than likely to make your computer behave odd, or even lead to problems that are impossible to predict and hard to resolve.

Want examples? How about a firewall that forgets to remove a system-level driver that filters IP packets? After uninstalling the product, the driver just sits there, doing nothing except slowing down the performance of your PC. Try another one of those firewalls and stack an extra system-level driver on top, and you’ll get connectivity problems that are very hard to resolve if you’re not an experienced system administrator.

Did you use any tools to make backups of your CDs and DVDs? There’s a bunch of tools on the market that shamelessly leave behind the drivers they use to access the disks directly, and, let’s nail it, circumvent their copy protection. Each of these drivers slows down access to optical disks and makes reads and writes less stable. You might get many coasters just because of these extra links in the driver chain.

Simple utilities created by small companies and independent software vendors are very likely to leave traces behind in many places on your computer. Being time-limited by their definition, they try to hide information about their installation date and usage in obscure places, making it deliberately difficult to trace and clean up. There’s nothing wrong with protecting intellectual property, but what if you test a bunch of applications, and decide on a single app to do the job? Do you really have to bring all the garbage in house in order to buy just one tool?

If you start thinking that the only way to keep your computer clean is by not installing anything on it, think again! There’s a great solution to these kind of problems made by ChemTable. Reg Organizer helps you clean sweep your computer and keeps it in pristine clean condition by removing any traces left behind after you uninstall a product.

It works simply, quietly, and with no magic. Reg Organizer makes snapshots of your system before you install an application and immediately after. Comparing the two snapshots discovers all changes that were made to the files on your hard drives and Windows Registry settings. Uninstalling an application in Reg Organizer sweeps your computer pristine clean, allowing for no traces to be left behind on the PC and effectively making it the way it was before you installed the application.

No more abandoned files, no hidden registry settings, and no quirky drivers to harm your PC performance! With Reg Organizer you can try as many tools, utilities and packages as you please without slowing down your PC or littering its hard disk.

Are you a Reg Organizer user already? Open Reg Organizer, open the “Mode” menu, and select “Application Uninstall”. From there you will be able to remove applications and all of their files, registry settings, and other traces, effectively restoring your computer into the state it was in before installing the program.

Not running Reg Organizer yet? Get your free evaluation copy right away at:

http://www.chemtable.com/files/regon.zip

Information technology has transformed the way we live and the way we do business. ERP, or Enterprise Resource Planning, is one of most widely implemented business software systems in a wide variety of industries and organizations. In this short article, we’ll try to concisely explain the basic yet important concepts relevant to ERP.

What is ERP – ERP is the acronym of Enterprise Resource Planning. ERP definition refers to both ERP software and business strategies that implement ERP systems. ERP implementation utilizes various ERP software applications to improve the performance of organizations for 1) resource planning, 2) management control and 3) operational control. ERP software consists of multiple software modules that integrates activities across functional departments – from product planning, parts purchasing, inventory control, product distribution, to order tracking. Most ERP software systems include application modules to support common business activities – finance, accounting and human resources.

ERP Systems – ERP is much more than a piece of computer software. A ERP System includes ERP Software, Business Processes, Users and Hardware that run the ERP software. An ERP system is more than the sum of its parts or components. Those components interact together to achieve a common goal – streamline and improve organizations’ business processes.

History of ERP – Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is the evolution of Manufacturing Requirements Planning (MRP) II in 1980s, while MRP is the evolution of Inventory Management & Control conceived in 1960s. ERP has expanded from coordination of manufacturing processes to the integration of enterprise-wide backend processes. In terms of technology, ERP has evolved from legacy implementation to more flexible tiered client-server architecture.

Benefits of ERP – ERP software attempts to integrate business processes across departments onto a single enterprise-wide information system. The major benefits of ERP are improved coordination across functional departments and increased efficiencies of doing business. The implementation of ERP systems help facilitate day-to-day management as well. ERP software systems is originally and ambitiously designed to support resource planning portion of strategic planning. In reality, resource planning has been the weakest link in ERP practice due to the complexity of strategic planning and lack of adequate integration of ERP with Decision Support Systems (DSS).

ERP Failures – We couldn’t conclude our brief guide to ERP without mentioning ERP failures. The failure of multi-million dollar ERP projects are reported once in a while even after 20 years of ERP implementation. We have identified the four components of an ERP System – 1) ERP software, 2) Business Processes that ERP software supports, 3) Users of ERP systems, and 4) Hardware and Operating Systems that run ERP applications. The failures in one or more of those four components could cause the failure of an ERP project.

Copryright @2006, 4th-Media Corporation

The motherboard is the heart of any computer. It is that big flat board inside the computer that everything is connected to. It performs the role directing information and connecting components.  A motherboard is often overlooked when choosing components.  This is a scary thought as the motherboard determines system performance as much as every other component.

Choosing the right motherboard does not have to be a problem, even though there is a lot to consider. We will start off with the larger parts and move onto the things that are less essential.

Firstly is the socket type.  The socket is  where the processor (CPU) connects to the motherboard. There is no compatiblility between sockets, so it has to be the right one. The socket connection needs to match the connection of the processor you have or the one you intend to buy for the computer.
Most older Intel Pentium 4s utilize socket 478. Newer ones use socket 775. AMD chips utilised socket A for a long time, but now the AMD Athlon 64 series and Semprons use socket 939. Just check with someone as to what yours or your intended one will have.

Your choice of chip will have a lot to do with your needs, but choosing one with an up to date socket type will ensure slightly longer motherboard life as you can upgrade the chip for a while.

DDR is the RAM of choice for most systems, but some newer systems, which includes all Pentiums with socket 775 use DDR2. These two kinds are not interchangable and have a different number of pins. Both DDR and DDR2 come in different speed ratings measured in MHz. DDR has a usual 400MHz denoted as DDR400 or PC3200, while DDR2 can go a little higher and comes in slightly faster speeds. Just make it match what the board needs.

A motherboard must be chosen carefully, to both match all the other components and fit in the case you choose.  A little bit of research before you buy will save a lot of hassle later on.