PC Peripherals: How To - The Tech Lounge

How to Clean a Trackball Mouse

Uneeb Asim — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 16:26:22 +0000

Dust particles can pour into your trackball or mouse and accumulate over time, just like they can on any other electrical equipment. The longer you use your trackball without cleaning it, the more likely you will have issues with your sensor’s tracking ability.

This article will show you how to clean a trackball mouse in just a few minutes thoroughly. Your trackball mouse does not need to be completely dismantled or disassembled because it can be done quickly, efficiently, and safely.

Recommended Tools For Cleaning Your Trackball

Microfiber – used to clean the plastic surfaces.
Q-tips – for cleaning bearings and other difficult-to-reach places
Air Sweeper – to clear dust from the sensor and housing
A brush – to clean the joints and tiny crevices.
Tiny screwdriver (optional) – to access the trackball and clean it thoroughly.
Tweezers (optional) – to aid in the removal of stickers and the disconnection of ribbon cables. Take the toothpick and glass cleaner as well.

Now that we have all we require. Let’s begin the cleaning.

Note: Before you begin, make sure your trackball is switched off or disconnected and the batteries have been removed.

Pre-Clean Wipedown

Get your microfiber cloth and wipe off the surfaces of your mouse if your trackball hasn’t been cleaned in a while. Make sure your towel is just a little moist, and not completely saturated.

If you’re going to use a disinfectant spray, make sure it’s okay for plastic and spray the towel instead of the trackball.

Cleaning the Trackball

If the ball is sticky or extremely greasy, cleaning the ball and everything in the housing cup underneath it is an excellent idea.

Step 01: Pop-out Trackball

Based on the trackball, this might require popping the ball out via the access hole with a pen or finger or just tipping your gadget upside-down & allowing gravity to do the job.

There may even be a stylish eject button on some newer models. Whatever method you choose, make sure your trackball is loose and out.

Step 02: Wipe Down With Wet Microfiber

Take your microfiber cloth and wipe off the ball if it’s extremely sticky or oily now that we’re free-balling.

While the oils on your skin and fingertips aid in the smooth rolling of the ball, too much attract dust and filth. A microfiber cloth, moist or dry, will assist wipe anything off the surface.

Cleaning Mouse Buttons

Cleaning the buttons is a little more difficult since you risk damaging them if you don’t do it correctly.

So, to do this correctly, unplug your mouse from the equipment and carefully wipe any dust particles or dirt and grime. It may have piled up inside the corners surrounding the buttons that it might otherwise not be possible to access.

Next, disinfect the buttons with rubbing alcohol and remove any lubricant or dust that has developed over time.

How To Clean Bearings and Sensor

Three roller bearings, as well as a sensor, may be found in the socket cup under your trackball.

The bearings may accumulate a lot of dust, filth, grease, oil, and anything else that finds its way beneath the trackball over time, especially in dustier conditions.

To retain a smooth trackball, it’s critical to wipe down these areas on a routine basis.

1. Clean the Bearings and Sensor

Clean out any filth on top of the bearings with a Q-tip, tiny brush, or the similar microfiber as previously.

Because some bearings roll while others don’t, you may need to use a brush or toothpick to wipe down both the bearing as well as the housing if other techniques fail to reach the nooks and crannies.

If you have an air duster, use this to sweep aside any particles that have found their way into the sensor cavity. Not only should your balls ride on clear bearings, but the sensor should be able to sense the ball properly as well.

Start giving the cup a final wipedown with your microfiber before replacing the trackball in its housing.

Deep Cleaning

It is important to remember that if your warranty hasn’t already gone, this will most certainly void it, so continue around your own risk.

Remove the rubber feet and stickers from your trackball.
Open up your mouse by loosening and removing all screws with a small screwdriver, most likely a Philips head #1.

Measures to Take While Cleaning Trackball Mouse

You must not allow the hardware inside of the trackball mouse to become wet while cleaning it. To clean each part, just use rubbing alcohol or water, and make sure the cloth is not soaked with these fluids.

Cleaning your trackball mouse on a routine basis is also necessary. It will become more accurate and efficient as you clean it. The timeline varies, but if you clean the trackball once every six months, it will work at full capacity.

Conclusion

Mouse, gaming or otherwise, get filthy, and a trackball mouse is not an exception.

It’s crucial to have a clean mouse not only for hygienic reasons but also for performance, comfort, and mouse longevity. It would be best if you also had a clean mouse-pad to prevent the trackball mouse from dust.

How to Clean a Trackball Mouse

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How to Use Your PC Webcam as a Surveillance Camera

Uneeb Asim — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 15:35:45 +0000

Suppose you want to surveil your house or you want to keep an eye on your office while you are away. In that case, you need a Security camera for such kind of task. Get a surveillance camera! But they do not come any cheap nowadays.

What if there is a cheaper solution, a free solution available to your problem. It is a solution that uses your PC webcam as a surveillance camera. This post will enable you to use your PC or laptop Webcam as a surveillance camera.

Where to Start?

Many people wonder about the process involved in using this method. There’s more to the story than just randomly going through the camera’s settings in your PC’s operating system and having an instant ready-to-go camera. You will have to install dedicated software that will allow you to use your laptop’s webcam as a reliable security camera.

You can find the software available online, all of which vary in functionality, some with more features than others. Though some in comparison may be limited in functionality, they are free to use.

What Kind of Computer Do I Need for This Task?

It doesn’t matter if you are using a Windows or Mac operating system as the software is readily available for both. This task in hand needs a PC or laptop with a built-in webcam or a USB-connected webcam. The software must record the feed from a webcam when the motion is detected. There are some high-quality webcams available that are usually used from streaming but will be more than capable for surveillance too.

You have to make sure that the PC or laptop camera is not too old. Models from the early to mid-2000s do not have sufficient resolution for proper surveillance. As such, the image will be distorted and almost useless.

An Important Thing Before Installation

Before we can choose and install the software. We need to change some settings in your operating system power-saving settings.

It ensures that your laptop doesn’t shut down or put itself to sleep while recording. Follow these instructions below, which are available for Windows and Mac operating systems.

For a Windows User

There are four simple steps involved on Windows 10.

Get access to the Start Menu by clicking on the window icon and then clicking on the Windows Settings option.
Access the System option at the very top.
A bar with multiple options will appear on the left. Click on Power & Sleep settings.
Screen and Sleep options will appear. Click on When plugged in, turn off after, scroll down and select the Never option.

For a MAC User

It also has four steps.

Access the Apple Menu tab.
Click on System Preferences.
Select the Energy Saver option from the tab.
And check the Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off option.

Install a Suitable Software

The software for surveillance comes in both free and premium, varying in features. Some allow you to capture pictures and email, and some will enable access to management through your mobile phones and tablets as well.

We will look at Yawcam, an excellent free option to use your PC or laptop as a surveillance camera. Here is a step-by-step guide to using it.

STEP 1: Download Yawcam Software and Install It

Yawcam is a free Java webcam software that enables you to use the camera attached to your PC or laptop. It captures a live feed and publishes the live video from the website-connected PC or laptop.

Go to your browser and run a Google search for Yawcam. A link to Yawcam is in the above paragraph; download the software using the official website of Yawcam.

Once the downloading is complete, click on the wizard to install Yawcam. Ensure that the webcam(s) you want to use is correctly plugged in and the drivers are installed. Then, launch Yawcam.

STEP 2: Configure Your Webcam in Yawcam Software

Next comes the configuration of your webcam in Yawcam software. For that, access the software, and click on Settings options. You can then choose the camera that you want to use with Yawcam.

If you have an integrated camera option, click on it. Yawcam will detect your camera and open a new window to show you the live video feed.

STEP 3: Turn on the Motion Detection Feature

After configuring your webcam, configure the motion detection feature. It is done by clicking on the Window menu. A list of options will appear; you have to select motion detection.

The window will show you an example of the motion being detected live by your camera. You can fine-tune motion detection features by accessing the Setting menu option.

You can try different settings and confine the motion detection to a particular camera image area. Additionally, you can change the sensitivity level of the camera as well.

STEP 4: Set up Email Notification for Yawcam Software

After completing all the above steps, your PC or laptop will now act as a surveillance camera for you in your absence. Remember that if your camera will be on for long periods, you must protect your webcam from being hacked as well.

It remains essential to set up an email notification function to monitor what is happening around when you are away.

Yawcam will send you a notification alert on the provided email whenever it detects motion. It also has a feature that allows you to get Snaps and screenshots whenever the motion detection is triggered.

Go to the Settings option and click on the Action tab to enable this helpful feature. A list of check options will appear; check the option Send email and proceed with the settings as per your email account type to receive the notification alerts.

Conclusion

So, setting up your PC or laptop’s webcam as a surveillance camera is relatively easy, and anyone with a bit of know-how of computers can do it.

There is multiple software available online to get you started. If you value camera surveillance and cannot afford to install expensive cameras, it is best to use your laptop’s webcam. However, the quality of dedicated webcams cannot be matched by almost any built-in webcam.

The post How to Use Your PC Webcam as a Surveillance Camera first appeared on The Tech Lounge.

How to Check Mouse DPI on Windows 10?

Miodrag Matović — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 12:11:02 +0000

If you need or want to know your mouse DPI, you can always check it online, on the manufacturer’s website, or use the manufacturer’s software that should probably have such information written somewhere. Also, you can always use some of the DPI analyzer websites that should allow you to figure out that type of data.

However, what if you have no internet, or are just curious and want to find it yourself, you should know that there is an option that will let you do that, and this is what you need to do.

How to Check Mouse DPI on Windows 10

Checking your mouse DPI is a process that involves the following steps:

First, you have to run Mouse Settings, by typing “Mouse settings” in the Search box

and left-clicking them when they appear in the results.

Once you do that, select “Mouse” from the left-side menu,

scroll down until you get to “Additional mouse options” and enter them.

Select the “Pointers Options” tab and uncheck the square next to “Enhance Pointer Precision”

and press “Apply” and “OK”.

Open MS Paint, either by typing “MS Paint” in the Search box

and left-clicking it when it shows up in the results,

or by going to Start > Windows Accessories > Paint.

When the Paint opens, check if it is zoomed to 100% and, fix it if it isn’t.

Select any Brush Tool and move your mouse horizontally, for six-seven centimeters, from 0-5 pixels

and make sure you remember the number written in the left-bottom corner.

Repeat this process multiple times (at least three), calculate the average value of the measurements and there you go. The number that you get should represent your mouse DPI value.

The post How to Check Mouse DPI on Windows 10? first appeared on The Tech Lounge.

How to Protect Your Webcam from Being Hacked

Uneeb Asim — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 20:38:14 +0000

“Camfecting” is a form of Cybercrime in which a hacker attacks your PC’s webcam and gains remote control access to it.

Camfecting has skyrocketed in the last few years or so. The fact that it centers around invading your privacy and using it for blackmailing you into handing over a specific amount of money makes it all the more important to steer clear of it.

There are many signs that you can look into to know whether or not your webcam is hacked. However, you should try your best to make sure it doesn’t come to that. Just for that reason, below, you’ll find assorted ways to help protect your webcam from getting hacked.

Protect Your Webcam From Hacking – Things that You Need to Do!

First things first, you need to test your webcam and make sure whether it is functional or not.

Having done that, you can move on to the following steps:

Cover Up Your Webcam

One of the simplest ways of preventing your webcam from being hacked is by covering your webcam with a webcam cover, paper, or black tape.

It is essentially an indirect method of protecting your webcam since in this case, the hacker might still have remote control access to your webcam. However, he’ll be unable to retrieve any of your private data since the webcam won’t show him anything, rendering any recording useless.

In the past, celebrities like Mark Zuckerberg and ex-FBI Director James Comey have been known to use this trick to protect their PCs from any sort of webcam scam.

Update Your Video Streaming Apps

If you’re in the possession of any kind of video streaming or video conferencing applications, then you need to make sure that you keep them up to date.

These apps often have some troubling features, for instance, the video conferencing app Zoom was found to have a weakness in a feature last year that allowed people to join meetings instantly.

Consequently, many hackers were exploiting this weakness to hack into the webcams of different people’s PCs. An update was later launched to resolve this issue. Some Zoom users had to manually download and install this update to finally get rid of this nightmare.

(Note: If you require any such webcam streaming app, always download them from the official site of the app.)

Use a Strong Antivirus Software

The process of hacking into your webcam requires a hacker to install some sort of a virus in your PC. This serves as a pathway to your webcam. So, it’s important to have very strong antivirus software installed on your PC.

Many reputable antivirus software have a webcam security feature as well. They will prevent malware from infecting your webcam and alert you if they detect any suspicious activity.

Update Your Operating System

It doesn’t matter if you are a Windows, Android, or an IOS user, you need to make sure that your Operating System is up-to-date.

This is especially significant because many features of an operating system get outdated as time goes on and to replace these features, the producers of these operating systems launch updates.

If these updates are not downloaded and installed immediately, there’s a good chance that hackers will use the loopholes in the outdated version of your operating system to hack into your device and take over your webcam.

In short, instead of ignoring the seemingly annoying popup messages of windows/software update, if you do follow up with them for once, you can save yourself a whole lot of trouble down the road.

Keep an Eye Out For Suspicious Links and Emails!

Spam emails are common nowadays, often proclaiming that you can make thousands of dollars with a simple trick.

Such links are usually a scam. When you click on these links, malware may be installed on your PC. This would give the hackers a pathway to access your data.

The hackers can then control your webcam to collect private information. Reporting such messages is best as you are less likely to receive them in the future as a result.

Use a VPN

One of the best methods that you can apply to protect your webcam from being hacked involves using a trusted and high-quality VPN.

A VPN does this by encrypting all your data online which means that it blocks the pathway of a hacker into your PC. If there’s no connection between the hacker’s PC and that of yours, then you can be assured that your webcam is secure.

Use a High-Quality Webcam Software

Last but not least, you should ensure that you have the best available webcam software at your disposal.

Even though the small-sized webcam software that your Operating System comes with seems to get the job done, but when it comes to the security features, your best bet is to replace it with a more advanced software.

Not only will it better protect your PC from intrusions, but you’ll also get better quality videos and pictures.

The post How to Protect Your Webcam from Being Hacked first appeared on The Tech Lounge.

How to Tell if Your Webcam is Hacked

Uneeb Asim — Sat, 28 Nov 2020 20:38:13 +0000

Hacking into someone’s webcam, or in simple words, “Camfecting”, is getting more common day by day. What happens is that the hacker uses the webcam on your PC to retrieve your private data. He can then use this data for all sorts of nefarious purposes.

To make sure your PC never falls prey to Camfecting, you should have a high-quality anti-malware software installed on your PC. Regardless of this, it is also mandatory for your security that you are aware when your webcam has been hacked into.

Below, you will find a variety of ways through which you can test your webcam and tell if your webcam is hacked.

Is My Webcam Hacked? Things That You Need to Look Into!

Check the Light Near Your Webcam

There’s a small LED light near your PC’s webcam which serves as an indicator that your webcam is active.

If you notice this light flashing now and then, or even glowing steadily, it most probably hints that your webcam is under the control of an external party and that party is using it to invade your privacy (unless you are using the webcam yourself).

Whenever you see this happening, quickly check the settings of all the opened apps to make sure that they are not responsible for the activation of your webcam. Try restarting your PC and if the problem persists, then you know something fishy is going on.

In case that your webcam’s indicator is faulty, remember to get it fixed as soon as possible because otherwise, you won’t get any noticeable clue that your webcam is accessed by someone else. Make no mistake, even the best webcams (such as those for streaming content) can be hacked.

Check Video Files in Your Hard Drive

Even if the hackers get remote control access to your webcam without you knowing, one thing they might not have access to is your hard drive.

If you’re not sure why your webcam is behaving strangely, just head into the folder of webcam recorded files and check to see if there’s any recorded video that you didn’t consent to.

The hackers are likely to give these recorded videos unusual names so notice if anything seems out of place.

Also, the hackers might have hacked into the settings of your webcam and changed the videos folder so be sure to check all the video files on your computer before you consider yourself safe.

Check Your Webcam’s Security Settings

Another way of checking whether your webcam is being hacked or not is by navigating to the security settings of your webcam software.

See if there’s anything suspicious at all; any unknown apps granted permission, any passwords recently changed or removed etc.

Furthermore, if you have an antivirus with the webcam security feature, go and see whether it’s enabled or not. If you find it to be disabled, then, unless you’ve done it yourself, there’s something wrong because this feature is enabled by default.

Also, you should make it your practice to check your windows security and firewall settings from time to time. If you see these settings disabled and you don’t remember doing that, there’s a good chance that a malware has affected your PC.

Run an Antivirus Scan

Most of the good antivirus software nowadays can detect any kind of malware or suspicious files on your PC. So, if you do possess such an antivirus, go ahead and run a manual scan.

In the scan report, check to see if any malware detected is related to your webcam. It will usually resemble the word RAT. If you do see any such threat, it means that your webcam is under an attack.

RAT is installed by webcam malware to gain access to your webcam. In the past, notorious malware attacks like Blackshades, Rbot-GR, Mirai, and InvisiMole were based on this tactic.

Regardless of what you found, remove everything declared as a threat in the scan.

Check Browser Extensions and Add-Ons

Some extensions and add-ons in internet browsers also have a tendency to use your webcam. So, if you experience something odd with your webcam while browsing, take a pause, close your browser and restart your PC.

Once your computer is up and running, launch your internet browser. If the light indicator near your webcam starts glowing as soon as you do that, then it’s the telltale sign that some extension or add-on in that browser is causing that.

Check for Unknown Applications

Many of the apps that you download contain viruses. These viruses find a way to slip into your PC and take over your webcam.

As a result, when you try to launch your webcam, the message that pops up reads that the webcam is already in use.

To find out whether the application using your webcam is an unknown one containing malware or not, track down all the applications in your computer that are using your webcam and you’ll be able to find the answer you’re looking for.

Following any of the methods above, whether your webcam turned out to be hacked or not, you need to take some serious countermeasures to make sure that your webcam is protected from any attacks in the future.

The post How to Tell if Your Webcam is Hacked first appeared on The Tech Lounge.

How to Connect PS4 Controller to PC

Uneeb Asim — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 15:17:02 +0000

Can you use a PS4 controller on PCs? The answer is yes! Who would’ve thought that in the PC VS. Console debate, the surprising middle ground was to connect a PS4 controller to your PC. Knowing how to use PS4 Controllers on PCs is surprisingly easy, and this article will go into it in some detail.

How to Connect a PS4 Controller to Your PC

There are two major ways to connect a PS4 controller to a PC and both of them are fairly simple. DS4Windows lets you use your controller with any PC game, and will be perfect for emulators and such. The better way though, is to link it to Steam.

If your gaming platform of choice is Steam and you want to connect your DualShock controller, you can use a USB Cable – it’ll be picked up instantaneously through the plug-and-play model for any and all games on Steam with controller support. Outside of Steam, you can still use a USB cable with the help of a (free) software, or you can connect it through Bluetooth (a feature that most of the best gaming PCs include).

What to Get to Connect A PS4 Controller To a PC

We’re assuming you’d have most of what you need to make this happen – for example, a PC and the PS4 controller in question. We recommend the DualShock 4 (considered to be one of the best controllers for PCs) and a micro-USB cable that you’d need to connect it.

If the Bluetooth option seems better, you could purchase a Dualshock 4 wireless Bluetooth adapter as well, for as much as a little over 50 bucks. Of course, many PCs and pretty much all laptops have Bluetooth built into them. In case you were wondering, remember that motherboards with Bluetooth built into them usually function better than adapters.

Additionally, the software DS4Windows (and the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 to make it work) and, in the case of Windows 7, the controller driver for Xbox 360.

How DS4Windows Works

DS4Windows “reads” your DualShock controller as if it were a Microsoft XBOX controller.

Almost all PC games can support an Xbox controller, but this also means you’d need to set up your settings before you can comfortably start gaming, including remapping buttons and adjusting sensitivity directly through the controller via the Profiles tab in the software.

You can click on the virtual controller on the screen that shows up and then click the button you want to switch, then on the second screen that pops up, click what you want your selected button from the first screen to act as. You can save these profiles and swap between them easily via the Controllers tab.

When DS4Windows is installed and ready to go, it’ll prompt you to Install the DS4 Driver (if on Windows 7 or older, the aforementioned Xbox drivers will be needed, for which most versions of DS4Windows have an option to Install an Xbox 360 Driver).

DS4Windows allows you to connect both via Bluetooth, or USB cable. A micro USB cable is needed, and all you’d need to do after installing DS4Windows is to plug it in. For Bluetooth, you can use an adapter such as the Tiny USB 2.0 Bluetooth Mini-Wireless Adapter which you can get for under 10 dollars. However, remember that the official Sony dongle will get you the most reliable performance.

Using Bluetooth to Connect PS4 Controller to PCs

From either going to Windows Settings via the Start Menu or by typing it in the Search box, search for Bluetooth until you see an option titled “Bluetooth and other device settings”. Here, turn Bluetooth on (which means the button should be switched to the right).

It’s important to make sure that the PS4 controller isn’t actively connected to your console. Either turn the console off or put it in rest mode. Press and hold two buttons on the controller, the PS, and share buttons, for at least three seconds. You should be able to see the light-bar at the top of the controller flashing. This puts the controller in Pairing Mode.

On the computer screen, click on the Add Bluetooth Device option. On the page that shows up (“Add a device”, select Bluetooth – you might also see a speech bubble icon in the Taskbar on the bottom right. This opens the Action Center, where you can click on Bluetooth in the same way) – and click Wireless Controller in the list of devices that show up. If prompted to enter a code, just type 0000 and voila, you’ll see that your controller is connected automatically.

How to Use Your PS4 Controller With Steam

We left this bit until the end since this is quite simple. Thankfully, it is now possible for you to directly link your PS4 controller to Steam, and it will work with most games.

Simply open Steam and head to the ‘Big-Picture’ mode by clicking the controller icon on the top right. From here, head to settings>Controller, and select your controller. Your controller should already be connected via the micro-usb cable or through Bluetooth (ideally the official Sony dongle).

Once you select a controller, you can then set up its name and a few basic settings. After that, it is ready to be used.

The good thing about this method is that you have complete control over your DS4. You can customize everything by heading to the settings and fiddling about!

Conclusion

From the two methods, the Steam one is obviously the better choice. It has a lot more functionality and is generally more reliable.

However, those who have non-steam games or want to use their controller for emulators can still use DS4Windows. While it may not be perfect, it is good enough for you to get by.

The post How to Connect PS4 Controller to PC first appeared on The Tech Lounge.

How to Clean a Mechanical Keyboard

Uneeb Asim — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 15:15:43 +0000

If your mechanical keyboard has been looking a bit disgusting lately, or it has simply been a while since you last cleaned it, it’s time to get to work. Good news though, mechanical keyboards are relatively easy to clean, especially compared to membrane keyboards, thanks to the raised keycaps and larger spaces between keys. So unless there’s been a spill, which we’ll discuss later, the job shouldn’t be too complicated.

Tools Needed to Clean a Mechanical Keyboard

Before you begin, there are some things you ought to keep handy. The first is a keycap puller, which you may already have if it came with your keyboard, but if you don’t you can buy one from Amazon or Newegg. You’ll also need a vacuum, preferably a compressed air one to remove debris when you don’t want to remove the keycaps themselves.

Next, you should have a microfiber cloth, some rubbing alcohol, some dish soap, and some cyber clean compound. This last item is optional and can be replaced with cotton swabs, but those might take a bit longer to get the job done.

How to Clean Your Mechanical Keyboard as a Preventive Measure

Regardless of whether you use your keyboard for intense things like gaming, or just some light typing, you ought to do some light cleaning on a regular basis as a preventative measure. This method is also fine if your keyboard is just slightly dirty right now.

How often you need to do this depends on how much you use your keyboard and whether you eat or drink around it. The place where you keep your PC also determines the level of dust that may settle into your keyboard. You can reduce the general dust in the room by routine vacuuming and dusting, or by installing an air purifier in the room. It is also generally advisable to wash your hands before using your keyboard.

Before you begin cleaning, unplug your keyboard – unless you have a wireless one. Don’t clean it next to the rest of your PC; take it to a wider workspace. First, you must get rid of loose dust. Turn it upside down and give shake it lightly, and then use your compressed air vacuum to clean between the keys. Make sure to move the vacuum in the same direction and towards the same end of the keyboard.

Next, use your microfiber cloth with a bit of rubbing alcohol to gently scrub the keycaps without removing them, as well as the other outer surfaces of the keyboard. This will also disinfect the keys.

How to Deep Clean Your Mechanical Keyboard

Assuming that your keyboard needs deeper cleaning than this, you can now start removing the keycaps to clean them and the switches. Removing the keycaps is usually easy, although the bigger ones like the spacebar can be more stubborn. Take a picture of your keyboard to help you reassemble it afterward, and pull out the keycaps using your keycap puller.

How to Clean a Mechanical Keyboard’s Keycaps

To clean the keycaps, put them in a large bowl filled with warm water and some dish soap, and allow them to soak for a while. At least a couple of hours is the recommended duration, but you can tweak this according to you. Once you take them out, dry them gently with the microfiber cloth and lay them out to dry overnight.

How to Clean Mechanical Keyboard Switches

You can clean the switches while the keycaps are soaking. To do this, use cotton swabs soaked in a bit of rubbing alcohol – or you can use Cyber Clean putty if you have it – to remove any dirt, dust, or debris stuck in between the key switches. Next, give the switch plate another run you’re your vacuum for good measure. Once you’re done, place the keyboard face down so dust doesn’t further accumulate into it while you wait for the keycaps to dry.

How to Clean a Sticky Mechanical Keyboard

Now we come to the more dreaded of all possible outcomes, and the one most likely to make your keyboard sticky, a spill. Spills are a disaster because they do so much more than making a keyboard sticky – they can lead to short circuits and a destroyed keyboard as well. The substance you spill will determine the damage done – water isn’t overly risky if there isn’t much of it, but other things like a beer can spell the end of your keyboard.

While there is no guarantee that you resuscitate a keyboard after a spill, there are some things you can do to clean it and minimize the damage done. Firstly, don’t try to move the keyboard – flipping or tilting the keyboard might make things first if the liquid seeps into the switches. Remove the keycaps though, so you can assess the severity of the spill.

If it appears that the spill is contained or limited to one area and hasn’t gotten to the switches yet, then you can just clean the affected areas using rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs, or even follow the deep cleaning method we just discussed. But if the damage is greater, you may have to seek professional help.

Things to Avoid When Cleaning a Mechanical Keyboard

There are certain things you should avoid doing so that you do not end up making things worse for yourself and the keyboard. For one thing, do not use any sort of high-pressure spray, like a water hose, because this can damage the keyboard springs or make them rust. This can also damage the underlying PCBs – even in keyboards that have plastic covers to protect the PCB from spills. These covers may not protect them from high-pressure blasting.

When using cleaning liquids, don’t reconnect the keyboard until it is completely dry. This will prevent short-circuiting. If you use a cleaning compound, don’t get one that is too sticky because it can leave a residue that leads to the switches sticking. Check user reviews when buying such compounds to make sure this doesn’t happen to you!

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How to Turn Off Mouse Acceleration in Windows 10

Miodrag Matović — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 13:37:18 +0000

Although “mouse acceleration” may be an unfamiliar term for you, fact is that it can play an important role in your overall gaming performance, as well as general mouse use.

The reason for that is mouse behavior, which differs depending on whether the acceleration is on or off. To be precise, when the acceleration is on and you slowly move your mouse, the cursor will replicate your hand movement.

However, if you speed things up and start moving the mouse much faster, the cursor will fly over the screen. In other words, the faster you move your mouse, the further the cursor will go on the screen, which may be very beneficial for spaces that allow limited hand movement.

On the other hand, when acceleration is off, the cursor fully reflects the mouse movement and delivers much better overall precision that may prove to be crucial in saving your head in FPS titles.

Now that we have explained what the role of mouse acceleration is, it is time to explain how you can turn it off or on.

How to Turn Off Mouse Acceleration in Windows 10

In order for you to begin this process, you first need to enter the “Mouse settings”. There are numerous ways to manage that; however, the easiest is to:

Type “Mouse settings” in the search bar.

When “Mouse settings” show up, click on them.

In the newly opened window select “Additional mouse options”.

Now, you will see a new window with “Mouse Properties”.

Select the “Pointer Options” tab and there you have it.

If you want to turn off mouse acceleration, un-check the square in front of “Enhance pointer precision” and if you want it enabled, leave the square checked and select the desired mouse speed and that is it.

The post How to Turn Off Mouse Acceleration in Windows 10 first appeared on The Tech Lounge.

How to Check and Change a Monitor’s Refresh Rate in Windows 10

Miodrag Matović — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 14:07:46 +0000

Although the refresh rate isn’t as important as, for instance, a monitor’s resolution or color accuracy, it still plays an important role in the overall viewing experience, especially when it comes to gaming.

A higher refresh rate means that your monitor’s image will update faster and, as a result, provide a smoother picture.

Everyday office or home monitors have a refresh rate of 60Hz or around that number, which means that they are updating their image 60 times in a second, while, for instance, gaming monitors have a refresh rate of 144Hz or even 240Hz, which is four times as much.

In other words, investment in high refresh rate gaming monitors makes sense for die-hard gamers, but for regular users, it is overkill.

Even though modern-day monitors automatically select the highest refresh rate, there are still occasions when you have to do it manually, which may present an issue for many, especially if you are not familiar with your OS eco-system, such as, for example, Windows 10. If that is the case, the following lines will clear your doubts about it.

How to Check and Change a Monitor’s Refresh Rate in Windows 10

To check/change your monitor’s refresh rate, you need to go to “Display Settings”. There are a couple of ways you can manage that and here are the two most common ones:

Go to your desktop, right-click with your mouse and select “Display Settings”.

Type “Display Settings” in your Windows search.

When you see it among the search results, just click on it.

Scroll down until you see “Advanced Display Settings” link in a newly opened window and click on it.

Right now, you will have all your display’s major characteristics in front of you, including the “Refresh rate”.
If you also want to change it, you need to click on “Display Adapter Properties” link.

After that go to the “Monitor” tab and select it.

Now, you will have your “Screen Refresh Rate” ready to change.

Select the desired refresh rate from the “Screen Refresh Rate” box. Press “OK” and that is it.

The post How to Check and Change a Monitor’s Refresh Rate in Windows 10 first appeared on The Tech Lounge.

How to Clean a Mouse Pad

Uneeb Asim — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 15:45:57 +0000

You might know how to clean your screen, give your keyboard a thorough scrub, and even the ins and outs of keeping a PC running in perfect health – but when we take a break from all this, we realize that the mouse pad has, in our neglect, become a part of that cesspool exemplifying the point of no return.

Or, you know, it’s not that dramatic and we can guide you how to clean a mouse pad, right here, right now.

The Importance of Knowing How to Clean a Mouse Pad

Even the best gaming mouse pad isn’t impervious to the occasional Mountain Dew spill, nor from the residual build-up of all sorts of grime, food crumbs, oily skin follicles, or any other gross thing you can think of on your own.

The tightrope you’ll have to walk here is knowing how to clean a gaming mouse pad without messing it up.

This is especially important if you’re wanting to learn how to clean a cloth mouse pad (or, specifically, how to clean a white mouse pad) since the damage will be more visible on these as opposed to one with a darker, deeper design.

The Precautions on How to Clean a Mouse Pad

This section and this advice can also work as instructions on what to do and how to clean your mouse pad, but your mileage may vary (especially viz-a-viz the specific fabrics of your mousepad).

Make sure you have hot water and dish soap.
Soak the mouse pad in a solution consisting of these two, preferably in a sink.
Make sure to rub the mouse pad’s surface but lightly, and with your hands.
Rinse the mouse pad.
Make sure the soap bubbles are thoroughly rinsed out.
Leave the mousepad to dry for at least 24 hours after this cleaning. This can be done either after air drying it or leaving it by an open window.

The simplest method, then, is just to use hand soap (milder as compared to dish soap) and a cloth, rubbed down until the mouse pad is clean.

A note of extreme caution: some pads might have a glued-on surface with an adhesive that can start to come off if soaked. Scrubbing is recommended, thus far.

How to Clean a Mouse Pad at Early Stages of Damages

Let’s say there are four levels to the dirtiness of your mouse pad: light dirt, dirty cloth, rugged hard surface, and replaceable (this last one should be very easy to follow through on).

For light dirt, we can use a microfiber cloth. If it fails to get the job done, a vacuum cleaner should be employed. At this stage, we’ll assume all the mouse pad has is some residue from food crumbs, dust, hair (or even dandruff), and only needs a wiping down.

Some would also recommend using a baby wipe for doing the wiping down at such an early stage.

How to Clean a Mouse Pad in The Washing Machine

Being the most-often used but simultaneously under-looked part of something such as a gaming system, it’s entirely possible that the mouse pad is far too gone before you notice you really should’ve cleaned it a long time back.

However, before throwing it straight in the washing machine, consider the method we listed in the precautionary section as the first thing you should try: warm water and dish soap in a sink, enter mouse pad, soak, scrub, drain, rinse, dry overnight and leave alone for twenty-four hours.

The washing machine should then be used as a last resort.

Make sure the water isn’t too hot, and that you’re washing the mouse pad only on its own, instead of with other clothes and types of fabrics – also make sure the machine is set to its lightest cycle.

Using the cold-warm setting (or even cold water) will also help with the aforementioned problem of the adhesives coming apart.

How to Clean a Cloth Mouse Pad

Luckily, no matter how dirty these get (and we’re talking months of carelessness and misuse, even), there are easy ways to clean them right out.

The trick for cloth mouse pads is using either shampoo or whatever household washing liquid you rely on, as well as water that’s not too hot nor too cold – hot can be scalding and make matters worse, whereas cold can be inefficient.

Other than that, it’s a similar process of some soaking followed by soft scrubbing and massaging, either by a cloth or a towel or a soft brush.

A final note of caution; make sure not to scrub away at the bottom of the mousepad. Some might consider it a rookie mistake while others would think of it as an honest one. Regardless, this leads to the mousepad losing friction, something that’ll come back to haunt you in a gaming session when you might least expect it!

The post How to Clean a Mouse Pad first appeared on The Tech Lounge.

How to Test a Webcam

Uneeb Asim — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 15:45:49 +0000

Webcams have many uses but are of no use when they keep bombarding you with error upon error. While there are alternatives that let you avoid this problem in and of itself, the usual smart choice is to test your webcam either after you set it up or before you’re going to be using it, just so you can take care of any problems beforehand and not have to deal with them when you’re in the middle of something.

Setting up A Webcam

When plugged in, your PC should recognize the webcam immediately. You just need to either install it manually or wait for the installer to launch itself. Then reboot your PC, and you’re good to go. If the image is blurry at first, you can adjust resolution settings and such, but again, you won’t be aware of this problem until you test your webcam.

How to Test a Webcam Online

The easiest way to check a webcam is to use an online checker. Just Google ‘webcam test.’ You’ll find a bunch of websites that work for both the OS X and Windows. You go to one of these (for example this one), click the ‘Check My Webcam’ button or the equivalent and give the website permission to do so.

The site then shows your webcam stream on one side of the page, so you can get an idea of the display quality and such. Things should be in order if yours is just a default laptop webcam, but if it’s an external one you’re using and the stream appears blank here, then there’s a problem. Try reconnecting the webcam and setting it up again to see if it works.

How to Test a Webcam Offline

Yes, online webcam tests sound fishy and many of you might not want to go there. This is totally fine because you can test your webcam offline just as well, and without having to worry about your privacy. Unlike online tests, this one is a bit different depending on your operating system but still quite simple.

For a Mac, go to ‘Applications’ using the ‘Finder’ bar and open the ‘Photo Booth’ app. For an external webcam, you’ll have to tweak the settings a bit. Once you’re done, you can access your camera’s screen. For Windows users, let Cortana find you the ‘Camera’ app, grant it permission, and take a look at your camera feed.

How to Test a Webcam with Skype

You can use Skype as a tester for your webcam too. You launch the app, go to preferences/options, and then click Audio and Video/Video Settings (the names vary depending on the operating system). The same process can be used with other apps like Google Hangouts and Facetime, but the reason we’ve brought up Skype is that it can have a lot of issues working with webcams.

Solutions For When Testing Confirms Negative Results

So your webcam didn’t pass the test. Now what?

The Skype issues mentioned above can be resolved by a simple Skype update or even a system update. Many apps running in the background can also create trouble. And it’s always worthwhile to turn your system off and on or disconnect and reconnect your webcam if it’s an external one.

Similarly, Windows 10 tends to have issues with the webcam because it often disables the webcam apps by itself. Some ways to resolve these are to check your settings and your webcam drivers.

So, first head over to privacy settings and check the app permissions for the Camera app. If camera access is off, then your webcam is disabled and you will need to turn it on first. If this doesn’t work, you can check if your webcam is enabled in the Windows Device Manager. Sometimes, you may need to update the drivers as well. In business laptops, webcams can be enabled/disabled through the BIOS or UEFI firmware.

Double-checking any physical connections is always a good idea, and so is making sure that your webcam or any other streaming device you’re using is compatible with your PC.

Conclusion

Many people would argue that using a webcam in and of itself is a safety threat, but if you do need to use one, and are using a VPN and/or other security measures to protect yourself, simple steps such as the ones mentioned here can make the whole process much smoother.

The post How to Test a Webcam first appeared on The Tech Lounge.

How to Calibrate a Monitor

Uneeb Asim — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 14:18:29 +0000

In the 4k vs. 1080p debate the key is knowing how to calibrate these displays. It doesn’t matter if your monitor is low-end or high-end: without suitable monitor calibration, or without using the right monitor calibration tools, even the latest and heftiest 4K display won’t be of much use to you.

While it’s also important to learn about things such as TN, IPS, or VA (and other monitor-related tech jargon), monitor calibration is the fastest and most automatic route to get the most out of your monitor right here, right now.

How to Color Calibrate Monitors

Not checking to calibrate monitors for photography can be a disastrous thing, both for photographers or any other creatives that deal with prints, getting feedback on prototypes and samples, or working with different mediums where consistency between these displays and forms of pictures are important.

Luckily, the process has never been cheaper – and easier. While post-production software can enhance the image itself or offer built-in “calibration” tools, there are so many factors going into your art: color saturation, contrast, monochrome tonality, color cast, and color balance.

Of course, it’s not just artists that need to color calibrate their monitors. Gamers and film buffs might notice a lack of color, washed-out tones, inconsistent palettes, and way more visual weirdness without a properly calibrated monitor.

To calibrate a monitor for photo editing (taking that as the ultimate end-goal possibility for color correction), the magic tool is a color calibrator, also known as a colorimeter. Stick these on to the front of your monitor and let technology work its magic.

What is a Colorimeter?

Colorimeters make for accurate and consistent continuity, taking the guesswork and head-scratching out of color calibration.

While a typical colorimeter has pretty standard rules on how to operate it, such as presented in many online guides, the variations of your specific product will still be minor deviations with easy-to-follow steps that’ll make your work easier, instead of more complex.

Color calibrators also work better than taking it to a professional and getting a one-time tune-up. This is because colorimeters can even detect ambient lighting in the room and base the accuracy of your colors on the environment that you’re in, no matter how much that changes.

This also helps reduce eye strain, making these important not just for creatives, but any job where you’re used to long hours in front of the screen, be it in a design firm or an accountancy firm!

Most users will find the X-Rite ColorMunki colorimeters appropriate for a wide range of needs, with their Smile model being a great plug-and-play budget tool and the Design tool being… well, designed with the needs of the strictest professional in mind, with the ability to calibrate projectors and printers as well, along with all sorts of customization and synchronization for your specifically-designed and saved color palettes.

Another popular option is the Datacolor SpyderX Pro, priced in-between the two X-Rite models we mentioned, and yet another is the Pantone ColorMunki. Your choice will depend on your specific needs.

Calibrate Monitor in Windows 10

If you’re worried about having to spend upwards of a hundred dollars (although not necessary) for a colorimeter, especially when you just paid for a Windows license, Microsoft comes to the rescue for users of their latest OS with a built-in tool.

A simple search for “calibrate” in the search box next to the Windows icon on the taskbar should bring up an option titled ‘Display Color Calibration’. The process is intuitive and guided, giving instructions on each step telling you what to do.

There’s also an option for ClearType present after calibrating, which will help make the written text more legible on your screen and make sure your monitor is working at its native resolution.

The Windows calibrator tool helps you adjust gamma, brightness and contrast, color cast, and any remnants of bad display choices that you might not even have noticed are affecting your work and experience.

A word of advice: make sure your computer screen has been on for at least half an hour before you set about calibrating it so that the display is at its normal operating conditions (such as temperature) and your eyes are used to how it ‘looks right’. After the process is done, you can compare the before and after images.

However, it is important to note that this will only make your display look better to you in the present moment. This is the issue with software calibration, as we can’t compare how it should look with real colors or optimum preferred colors. It’s also speedier and can be done reliably and often.

How to Calibrate Monitor for Gaming

If you’ve read this far, you might be able to tell that calibration is basically the first step in setting up a monitor, perhaps after literally physically setting it up with wires and all that. As such, no monitor looks perfect freshly unboxed and plugged in.

For gamers, sites such as TFTCentral should be your go-to for monitor reviews that’ll let you know the ideal ICC color management profiles for your choice of monitor. Most websites provide these ICC profiles for download: once download, you can install them from Color Management in the Control Panel.

Some sites are offering manual tests (Lagom and Blur Busters) which are well worth your time if you’re a gamer looking to get the maximum out of your investment. They can help you manually calibrate your monitor and tell if it’s working as you want it to.

Conclusion

Everyone should know how to calibrate a monitor regardless of what they use their computer for. Whether it’s the best gaming monitor or an ultrawide monitor you’re going for, knowing how to treat them right is primary. With this guide, you’re now all set on the basics, with near-infinite room to play.

The post How to Calibrate a Monitor first appeared on The Tech Lounge.