What is a Machine ID (Computer Name) and How It Can Be Changed?

What is a Machine ID or Computer Name?

 

A Machine ID or Computer Name in a nutshell, is the name that a computer uses to identify itself from the other machines on a given network.  There is also such a thing as a virtual name or id, but that is not the same thing as a computer name and is another lesson for another day. For example: I have a desktop computer, two laptops, a cell phone and a printer on my network.  The name of my network workgrouop is Camelot.  The names that identify the individual devices (Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and Galahad) on the Camelot workgroup are known as machine id’s. The name that your computer has by "default" when you buy it is basically unnecessary once you have made your purchase and can be pretty ugly and difficult to remember, so changing it to something that you will remember and that represents you and/or your company may hold some obvious attraction for you.

To take this concept one step further, let’s say that my network was the internet  domain named camelot.org.  The computer name or machine id will often stand as the host name of a particular machine on the network. One host or machine name might be www aka www.camelot.org, another might be lancelot, lancelot.camelot.org, etc. Often virtual host names are given to a machine within a domain so that it may use several different names on the network.

 

Changing Your Computer Name

 

Changing your computer name is generally an easy feat in Windows XP, 7 or Vista. When changing your computer name or machine ID, keep in mind that computers may have only 15 alpha-numeric characters per name(a-z and 0-9). Special characters are not allowed.

To change your computer name in:

Windows XP

  From the desktop:

1. Right click on My Computer
2. Choose Properties. 
3. At the top of the screen click the Computer Name tab
4. In the center click on the Change button
5. Change the name in the top box
6. Be sure to choose domain or workgroup and add the appropriate information

Windows 7 or Vista

From the start menu:

1. Right-click on Computer.
2. On the left, choose Advanced System Settings.
3. On the titlebar, you should see "System Properties". Verify that you are on the Computer Name tab.
4. In the center click on the Change button.
5. Change the name in the top box.
6. Be sure to choose domain or workgroup and add the appropriate information.

So, there you have it. Now you know just what a computer name is, what it does and how to change it to something of your liking, rather than some silly and difficult to remember default name, provided by your OEM.

Source: http://factoidz.com

Upgrading Your Home Computer, What To Upgrade And How To Do It

Did you know that even a five year old home computer can be brought to life by just replacing some components? It’s true, and it’s quite easy too! Replacing old computer components will help make your computer respond faster, run your favorite games on a higher speed or it can lower the noise in your computer, you can also replace your hard drive so you will have more space to save files on. These are some of the computer components you can replace:

Video Card: If you’re going to replace this one you will need to thoroughly check the system requirements for your newly bought card, so you don’t end up crashing your system, especially check the required wattage, because it could be possible that your video card needs more wattage then you  are currently delivering, however you can also replace the computer component which takes care of the power. You can also choose to run two video cards at once, however this requires special technology such as the ATI Crossfire Technology

How to do it: Replacing your video card is really easy, and almost anyone can do it! Usually there’s a guide included with your product that explains everything you need to do, but if you haven’t got one, here is one:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2026285_replace-video-card.html

• Adding Memory: Adding memory is one of the ways to make your computer software run faster, do note that you cannot add as much memory as you want, it is possible, especially in newer machines, that you are already at the machines highest memory capacity.

How to do it: Adding memory can only be done as long as there is a free memory slot available on your computer and if your computer isn’t already at it’s maximum memory capacity, here’s a Microsoft guide:

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/setup/addmemory.aspx

• Replacing your monitor

If you’re still using an old CRT screen (it’s a very big monitor which is not flat at all) you might consider changing it to a more modern monitor. If you replace your monitor you could end up with a higher resolution on your computer screen, so you can display more information than on a lower resolution. Replacing your monitor can also give your computer a performance boost.

How to do it: Replacing your monitor is just as easy as connecting a SCART cable from your TV to your DVD player, connect the (usually blue or red) cable from your monitor to your computer (use a converter if necessary) and connect the plug from your monitor to an empty socket in a thing like this.

Source- http://factoidz.com/