The operating system reports the capacity of the hard drive using the assumption that 1MB is equal to 1,048,576 bytes. This is technically correct. The hardware manufacturers compute the size a bit differently. They consider 1MB to be equal to 1,000,000 bytes. You can see how this can cause confusion! If the drive is advertised as 20.0GB (20,000,000,000 bytes), the operating system will see it as approximately 19.07GB (20,000,000,000 / 1,048,576 / 1000=19.07). The full 20,000,000,000 bytes are really there.

There are several steps you can take to help you get maximum performance from your battery:

• Prevent the Memory Effect - Keep the battery healthy by fully charging and then fully discharging it at least once every three weeks. Exceptions to the rule are lithium ion batteries which do not suffer from the memory effect.
• Keep the Batteries Clean - It's a good idea to clean dirty battery contacts with a cotton swab and alcohol. This helps maintain a good connection between the battery and the portable device.
• Exercise the Battery - Do not leave the battery dormant for long periods of time. We recommend using the battery at least once every three weeks. If a battery has not been used for a long period of time, perform the new battery break in procedure described above.
• Battery Storage - If you don't plan on using the battery for a month or more, store it in a clean, dry, cool place away from heat and metal objects. NiCad, NiMH and Li-Ion batteries will self-discharge during storage; remember to recharge the batteries before use.

New batteries arrive in a discharged state and must be fully charged before use. It is recommended that new batteries be fully charged and discharged two to four times to reach maximum rated capacity.

Battery Reconditioning

Place a non-system disk into the floppy drive (a blank disk will do fine).

Boot the system without any AC power (just running off of battery power).

What will appear on the screen, is a non-system disk error that will tell you to replace the disk and hit any key. DO NOT DO THIS!!!

Let the error message sit on the screen until the system has died because there is no power going to the unit.

When the battery has been totally drained, reconnect the AC power and recharge the battery with the computer off.

Repeat steps 1-5 at least two more times. With each recharge cycle, you should notice an improvement in the magnitude of charge that the battery will hold.

 My battery life is very short, is there something I can do?

I hear scratchy noises from my speakers, what could be wrong?

Sounds like what the music industry refers to a closed ground loop back feed. In other words you have ground that is picking up other electrical noises and it feedbacks

through your speakers. Not much different then when you turn on a blender and the TV goes haywire. First thing is to check your outlets for ground. Then find you ground

stake wherever you live and see about driving another ground stake in at least 10 feet from all other stakes or wires, then you can have the ground transferred. The ground

may be fine for grounding purposes but when it was installed there was no need to concern themselves with were it was installed. Too close to your electric service or the

grounding stakes and it can pick up that EFI and feed it back to your sensitive computer components. You can also buy a power supply that filters for EFI and RFI. that

may prove to be your easiest solution.
 

You can also see if a different outlet helps. Sometimes sharing a circuit with a refrigerator or other heavy appliance can cause EFI and make this noise.
 

If you feel none of these are the answer then feel free to call your tech support at 888-576-6776

*In this article What are the signs of low memory?
*Why do low memory problems occur?
*How to prevent low memory problems

When your computer doesn't have enough memory for all of the actions it's trying to perform, Windows and your programs can stop working. To help prevent information loss, Windows will notify you when your computer is low on memory. You can also learn to recognize the signs of low memory and take steps to prevent the problem.

What are the signs of low memory?
Signs of low memory include poor performance, low-memory or out-of-memory notifications, and display problems. For example, if you try to open a menu in a program when your computer is low on memory, the program might respond slowly or appear to stop responding. If the menu appears, it might not respond when you try to click an item or it might not display all items. If you click a menu item, the menu might also disappear and leave a blank area on the screen instead of displaying the contents of the document or file you're working in.

Why do low memory problems occur?
Your computer has two types of memory, random access memory (RAM) and virtual memory. All programs use RAM, but when there isn't enough RAM for the program you're trying to run, Windows temporarily moves information that would normally be stored in RAM to a file on your hard disk called a paging file. The amount of information temporarily stored in a paging file is also referred to as virtual memory. Using virtual memory—in other words, moving information to and from the paging file—frees up enough RAM for programs to run correctly.

Low memory problems occur when your computer runs out of RAM and becomes low on virtual memory. This can happen when you run more programs than the RAM installed on the computer is designed to support. Low memory problems can also occur when a program doesn't free up memory that it no longer needs. This problem is called memory overuse or a memory leak.

How to prevent low memory problems
Running fewer programs at one time can help prevent low memory problems and information loss. It's a good idea to observe which programs show signs of low memory conditions and try not to run them at the same time.

However, it’s not always convenient or practical to run a limited number of programs. Signs of low memory can indicate that the computer needs more RAM to support the programs you use. Here are the recommended ways to solve or prevent low memory problems:

Increase the paging file (virtual memory) size

Windows automatically attempts to increase the paging file size the first time your computer becomes low on memory, but you can also manually increase it up to a maximum size that is determined by the amount of RAM installed. Although increasing the paging file size can help prevent low memory problems, it can also make your programs run more slowly. Because your computer reads information from RAM much faster than from a hard disk (where the paging file is), making too much virtual memory available to programs will slow them down.

For more information, see Change the size of virtual memory.

Install more RAM

If you see signs of low memory, or if Windows warns you about a low memory problem, check the information that came with your computer or contact the computer manufacturer to determine which type of RAM is compatible with your computer, and then install more RAM. To install RAM, check the information provided by the manufacturer.

For more information, see Find out how much RAM your computer has.

Determine if a program overuses memory

If the computer becomes low on memory whenever you run certain programs, one or more of those programs might have a memory leak. To stop a memory leak, you need to close the program. To repair a memory leak, you need to check for updates for the program or contact the publisher of the software.

To determine which program is using the most memory, follow these steps:

Click to open Task Manager.

Click the Processes tab.

To sort programs by memory usage, click Memory (Private Working Set).

You can also check for program errors and troubleshooting information using Event Viewer.

Click to open Event Viewer.‌ If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

In the left pane, click Applications and Services Logs to view error events. To see a description of the problem, double-click the event. To see if troubleshooting information is available, look for a link to online Help.