What's My Computer Doing

To see what programs are running in the background and how much memory and CPU they are using, open Task Manager. If you are running Windows 7 or higher, run Resmon to get a better understanding of how your computer resources are used.

Outlook.com / Hotmail.com is a free, web-based email service from Microsoft. Because Outlook.com is a service that you access over the Internet, it is not installed on your computer, and doesn't have version information.

You cannot use Outlook on the web to import or export your contacts and email. To import or export your contacts, you must use the Outlook app, either version 2016, 2013, 2010, or 2007. After the Outlook app is installed on your computer, here's what you do:

iCloud Photos and Shared Albums: View photos and videos stored in iCloud Photos directly on your Windows computer. You can also create Shared Albums and view and comment on the albums you share with other people.

Many people connect using public Wi-Fi in cafes, restaurants or stores, but these unsecured networks can leave your phone, tablet or computer susceptible to viruses. Instead, consider using a personal hotspot to connect to the internet. If public Wi-Fi is your only option, use a VPN to better protect your device and data.

If you think your computer has been infected, start by running a full system scan using your antivirus software and an anti-malware program. Review the threats and take any action that you can (the software should guide you through this). If you are unable to delete the virus or infected files from your software, try restoring your computer to an earlier back-up before you began having problems.

Another strategy to try is deleting all of the temporary files on your computer. The method of clearing those files differs between systems but these processes are easy enough to research and implement for the average user. If your computer is malfunctioning and preventing you from accessing files to delete, you can try booting up in safe mode. Safe mode restricts certain programs so you can work to fix the issue without interruption.

All in all, prevention and education are the most effective ways to stop your computer from getting infected by a virus. Know the basics of staying safe online and share articles like these with family, friends and colleagues.

Almost any computer can be used to live stream today. Even something as simple as a Chromebook can be used with cloud based video production solutions such as Restream.io, StreamYard and EasyLive. With that being said, every computer has its limitations with what it is capable of handling.

For example, Wirecast recommends an i5 computer processor @ 2.5 Ghz for streaming in 720p and an i7 computer processor @ 3.0 Ghz for 1080p streaming. Each of these specifications also requires a minimum of 4GB of ram and 2 gigabytes of free hard drive space.

The 4-16 core range of CPUs offers the best, streaming applicable performance relative to the price for the average live stream. Where your use case falls on this spectrum is determined by the amount of multitasking you plan on doing during your live streams as well as the stream quality you wish to achieve. If you are streaming with only 1 program open and 1 or 2 cameras at 1080p, 4-6 cores is all you need. If you plan on having multiple programs open at once and/or streaming with multiple cameras you will likely need 6-10 cores to achieve smooth performance. 10-16 core CPUs are only necessary for semi-professional productions using more than 6 cameras which are often utilizing CPU intensive programs simultaneously, such as video editing software, or 3D/CGI programs.

Another important component of most live streaming computers is the graphics card. For example, vMix recommends an NVIDIA GTX 1660 for live streaming systems using 4 1080p cameras and an NVIDIA 2080 Ti graphics card for up to 6 4K cameras. Graphics cards are essential to most live streaming software solutions because they take the processing off your main CPU and handle it in the graphics card. This can result in a reduction of dropped frames for video game streamers, as well as reduced rendering times for 3d programs during a stream.

Pro Tip: Make sure to go into your live streaming software and ensure that you have enabled your software to use your graphics card. Even some simple Intel NUC and laptop computers have integrated Intel Graphics that can be utilized.

The type of storage you choose for your live streaming PC will have very little effect on your live stream performance. In general SSDs are better in almost every way than HDDs, however buying a HDD instead of an SSD can be a good way to save money on a streaming computer without losing streaming performance. Using a HDD over an SSD WILL however affect the performance of some non streaming tasks, so an SSD is always recommended over a HDD if your budget allows for it. They are also significantly quieter than HDDs as they have no moving parts, which can be a benefit for live productions requiring quiet on set.

Finally, you can use additional video switching hardware to take the processing load off of your computer and handle it in hardware. For example, if you need to set up a 6-camera live streaming system, you can do most of the video processing and switching using a Blackmagic ATEM switcher; then you can use a simple computer to capture a single mixed output with a capture card into a software like OBS. This approach is nice because hardware switchers rarely have computer issues they work with extremely low latency. The ATEM Mini is a perfect example of an affordable 4-input switcher with a built-in USB output for streaming or recording. The trade off with hardware systems is the lack of flexibility that software switchers provide given their access to multiple cameras.

It is definitley the hard drive. It is just running some secret little job that waits until the computer is not being used. It could be doing anything from a virus or spyware scan to indexing of files. Most computers with lots of utlities on them do that. My computer is set to do backups to an external hard drive and it does the same thing.

Checking recent activity on your computer allows you to see how the devices in your network have been used, allowing you to investigate suspicious activity such as web browsing and changes to files during periods where nobody should have been accessing the PC.

If you are concerned that someone else has been using your computer, Windows includes free tools that you can use to check recent activity on your computer. If you discover events that occurred when you were not using your computer, it could be an indication that your computer was used without your knowledge.

Viewing recently edited files on your Windows machine will allow you to see what files were opened on your computer. If you find files that were recently modified when you were not using your PC, this could mean that someone else was on your computer.

The fastest way to track web and application activity on your computer will be to perform a standalone installation of CurrentWare by installing BrowseReporter, the CurrentWare server, the CurrentWare console, and CurrentWare client on the same device.

If you will be managing multiple devices you will benefit greatly from the included central console as it allows you to manage all of your devices remotely rather than checking each computer manually.

This allows you to set a time-limited policy exemption for a specific computer. The access code generator does not require internet access to work, making it the ideal solution for travelling users and other special circumstances.

If you are monitoring USB activities on a standalone machine and you do not need real-time alerts or detailed file transfer history, you can use Windows Event Viewer to view events where USB devices have been connected and disconnected from the computer.

If you would like more detailed information about how USB devices are used on your endpoint devices, you can use AccessPatrol for monitoring computer activities such as portable storage file operations and device usage history.

There are a wide array of use cases for monitoring computer activities in your network. With the tips listed in this article you will be able to track web browsing history, determine if someone has been using your computer, investigate employee data theft, and track logon events.

In certain scenarios, IT or your local IT support might ask you for your computer's assigned name in order to troubleshoot an issue or make software available to you for download/installation. To find your computer's name, select your Operating System from the choices shown below:

IMPORTANT: If you are faculty or professional staff with a Drexel-owned computer, please do not change the computer's name under any circumstances. If you have any questions regarding the computer's name, please contact IT or your college's IT support.

OK, this step is obvious, but there is often confusion here. Some people think they have to pull the computer's power plug or flip the switch on the power strip. Instead, hold the computer's power button for five to 10 seconds to power it off.

If the computer starts up fine, don't just move on without second thought. This is an excellent reminder to back up your important information if a serious problem is on the way. Otherwise, you could find yourself scrambling through more complicated ways to get files off a dead computer.

While restarting, the computer might indicate an error with Windows and ask if you want to start normally or in Safe Mode. Choose to start Windows normally. Then back up your data and see if it freezes again.

There could be corrupt data on your hard drive, and the computer is trying to repair that data. If so, it will start with a check disk. You mustn't interrupt this process, or you risk further data loss.

Start using your computer as usual, but keep an eye on the CPU, memory, and disk categories. If the computer freezes and one of these is really high, that could be your answer. Make a note of which area was high, then restart the computer and open Task Manager again. 2b1af7f3a8