38 Cool way to rescue a hard drive

When you keep getting an error message that your hard disk drive has failed or has an error reading, you do not necessarily need to break the bank to retrieve lost data.

First, try the deep freeze trick. Strange but true.

Remove the hard disk drive from the system and put it in a Ziploc bag, the kind meant for freezer use. To minimise condensation, chuck in some dessicant - those tiny packets of small beads like the kind often found in bottles of vitamins and other supplements - and wrap the drive in paper towel or something absorbent.

Seal the bag securely and put the hard drive into the freezer for four to five hours.

Set up your system so that it is ready to go as soon as the frozen hard drive is plugged in.

Before you try to reboot, ensure that you have enough backup storage available to quickly copy or back up the data.

This method shakes the system awake and may recover "lost" files.

39 Rate your PC

You may have just bought the coolest looking laptop in the world but it is what is inside that really matters.

Question is: How do you compare the performance of one machine against another when there are so many different components within a PC?

If you are on Windows Vista or Windows 7, use the built-in Windows Experience Index to rate your PC.

The program scans the PC's innards - processor, RAM, graphics card and hard disk - and gives a score to each of these parts. Within these parts, there are five sub-scores: one for each of the parts except for the graphics card, which has two.

The software then tallies the points for the sub-scores and assigns the final number based on the lowest of the five sub-scores.

On Vista, the scores range from 1.0 to 5.9 but on Windows 7, this goes up to 7.9.

Here is how to run the index scan: Go to Start, then Computer. On the row of tabs at the top of the screen, click on System Properties. You will now see a page that details the different parts of your system.

Look for the index score. If there is no score, it means you need to run a scan to get the score. If you want even more granular benchmarks, you can try PC Vantage and 3DMark Vantage (both have free basic versions) at www.futuremark.com.

40 Do away with the bird's nest

Before you start building that computer, think about how you will wire up.

Many first-timers end up with a PC that works but is a bird's nest of wires inside.

The problem goes beyond looks. A cluttered interior restricts airflow, creating a hot zone inside your PC that will resist the fastest fan.

By tidying up your wires, you make your case look good and also allow cool air to flow through it. This means your components run cooler.

Before installing the components, work out where to hide the cables.

Nowadays, casings often come with holes in the motherboard tray for running cables at the back of a chassis instead of over the components. Every case can be tidied up.

Get advice at www.xtremesystems.org, a hub for hardcore builders, or head to www.million-dollar-pc.com for ideas from the best-looking DIY PCs.