Drive maker Western Digital was hardest hit by the flooding, with research firm IDC predicting that up to 75% of the company’s production lines were temporarily shut down.

According to new information from ecommerce tracking site Dynamite Data , the top 50 hard drives on sites such as Newegg.com and Tigerdirect.com , leaped in price by 50% to 150% after the flooding. The price jump was kicked off in October when drive inventory levels plummeted 90% in less than a week, according to Kristopher Kubicki, data architect at Dynamite Data.

Hard disk drive inventories plummeted in October. (Source: Dynamite Data)

“The first flooding was Oct. 8 and within a week, two weeks at the most, almost all that inventory at distribution had dried up,” Kubicki said. “I’m not sure if that was distributors getting the inventory recalled from them or if it was getting purchased that fast. I think consciously people moved it out of distribution and into system manufacturers.”

Over the past few weeks, hard drive prices have leveled off and have begun to drop slowly, according to Dyanamyte’s data.

“For first time, less than week after Western Digital’s first [fabrication plant] went back on line, drive inventory began increasing at both distributors and ecommerce sites, and index prices began coming down a little too,” Kubicki said.

IDC has predicted that hard disk drive supply shortages in the wake of Thailand flooding would affect consumers, computer system manufacturers and corporate IT shops into 2013.

After floods hit a dozen manufacturing facilities in Thailand, hard drive prices skyrocketed. More recently, however, prices have begun to settle down. (Source: Dynamite Data)

Fang Zhang, an analyst with market research firm IHS iSuppli, said he also saw “a few” HDD price drops — especially in the retail market this month — from the historical highs after the floods.

However, Zhang cautioned that certain drive inventories are still short, such as 500GB and 1TB capacity models for both desktop and notebook PCs.

Zhang said he expects hard drive supplies to be at their low point next quarter, but he said prices will begin to decline in the latter part of the first quarter of 2012.

“And the trend will continue throughout 2012,” he said in an email reply to Computerworld. “HDD Supply could meet demand in [the third quarter of 2012] because production volumes will start to increase in [the first quarter of 2012].”

SSD prices have dropped in the past year, most recently correlating with the increase in hard drive prices (Source: Dynamite Data)

The drop in hard drive availability in October also correlated with a sharp drop in solid-state drive (SSD) prices, according to Dynamite’s data. SSD prices fell 23% online over the past year, despite a brief price increase in November, Kubicki’s data showed.

Data from DRAMeXchange also showed that rush orders for SSDs increased after the Thailand flooding disrupted hard disk drive supplies.

According to DRAMeXchange, a research division of TrendForce, rush orders for SSDs rose even as shipments of end-market products, including PCs, smartphones and tablet PCs, remained slugish because of slow economic conditions.

Kubicki also noted that the number of ecommerce SSD reviews has increased faster than HDD reviews over the past year.

While vendors are expected to keep their most valuable customers — computer system manufacturers — supplied with inventory, the consumer retail market will likely be hit by shortages and price increases, analysts say.

Two industry research firms, IHS iSuppli and IDC, have predicted that the overall market shortfall due to factory flooding in Thailand will reach 25% to 28% over the next six months.

Lucas Mearian covers storage, disaster recovery and business continuity, financial services infrastructure and health care IT for Computerworld. Follow Lucas on Twitter at @lucasmearian or subscribe to Lucas’s RSS feed . His e-mail address is lmearian@computerworld.com .

Source:-  http://www.itnews.com/desktop-pcs/40283/hard-drive-prices-slide-thai-flood-aftermath-subsidest

Windows XP Blue Screen of Death STOP Codes

When Windows XP detects a problem from which it cannot recover, it displays Stop messages. These are text-mode error messages that report information about the condition.

Stop messages, sometimes referred to as blue screens (BSoD), contain specific information that can help you diagnose and possibly resolve the problem detected by the Windows kernel.

This list describes these messages and helps you understand and interpret them.

This list is NOT exhaustive or meant to resolve EVERY error.
This list of messages is a guide to individual messages and their possible causes and resolutions… Having a basic understanding of these error messages enables you to communicate with your technical support professional more effectively too.

With all these Stop messages, you can pretty much assume someone else has encountered the problem before you. That is why tying in the error message into www.google.com , posting a notice for help on a relevant newsgroup and entering the stop code into the “Microsoft Knowledge Base” can yield help just when you need it!

Here is the (long) list:

Stop 0x0000000A or IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

The Stop 0xA message indicates that a kernel-mode process or driver attempted to access a memory location to which it did not have permission, or at a kernel interrupt request level (IRQL) that was too high. A kernel-mode process can access only other processes that have an IRQL lower than, or equal to, its own. This Stop message is typically due to faulty or incompatible hardware or software.

Possible Resolutions:

• A Stop 0xA message might occur after installing a faulty device driver, system service, or firmware. If a Stop message lists a driver by name, disable, remove, or roll back the driver to correct the problem. If disabling or removing drivers resolves the issues, contact the manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, and CD mastering tools.

• A Stop 0xA message might also be due to failing or defective hardware. If a Stop message points to a category of devices (video or disk adapters, for example), try removing or replacing the hardware to determine if it is causing the problem.

• If you encounter a Stop 0xA message while upgrading to Windows XPl, the problem might be due to an incompatible driver, system service, virus scanner, or backup. To avoid problems while upgrading, simplify your hardware configuration and remove all third-party device drivers and system services (including virus scanners) prior to running setup. After you have successfully installed Windows XP, contact the hardware manufacturer to obtain compatible updates.

Stop 0x0000001E or KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED

The Stop 0x1E message indicates that the Windows XP kernel detected an illegal or unknown processor instruction. The problems that cause Stop 0x1E messages share similarities with those that generate Stop 0xA errors in that they can be due to invalid memory and access violations. This default Windows XP error handler typically intercepts these problems if error-handling routines are not present in the code itself.

Possible Resolutions:

• Stop 0x1E messages typically occur after installing faulty drivers or system services, or they can indicate hardware problems, such as memory and IRQ conflicts. If a Stop message lists a driver by name, disable, remove, or roll it back to correct the problem. If disabling or removing applications and drivers resolves the issue, contact the hardware manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, and CD mastering tools.

• If the Stop message mentions the file Win32k.sys, the source of the error might be a third-party “remote control” program. If such software is installed, you might be able to disable it by starting the system in safe mode. If not, use Recovery Console to manually delete the system service file that is causing the problem.

• Problems can result from system firmware incompatibilities. Many Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) issues can be resolved by updating to the latest firmware.

• Other possible causes include insufficient disk space while installing applications or performing certain functions that require more memory. You can free up space by deleting unneeded files. Use Disk Cleanup to increase available disk space. From Recovery Console, remove temporary files (those with .tmp file extensions), Internet cache files, application backup files, and .tmp files generated by Chkdsk.exe or Autochk.exe. You can also choose to install additional applications to another hard disk with more free space or move data files, paging files, and so on.

• The problem might be due to a memory leak caused by an application or service that is not releasing memory correctly. Poolmon (Poolmon.exe) helps you to isolate the components that are causing kernel memory leaks. For more information about troubleshooting memory leaks, see Microsoft Knowledgebase articles Q177415, “How to Use Poolmon to Troubleshoot Kernel Mode Memory Leaks,” and Q298102, “Finding Pool Tags Used by Third Party Files Without Using the Debugger.”

Stop 0×00000024 or NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM

The Stop 0×24 message indicates that a problem occurred within Ntfs.sys, the driver file that allows the system to read and write to NTFS file system drives. A similar Stop message, 0×23, exists for the file allocation table (FAT16 or FAT32) file systems.

Possible Resolutions:

• Malfunctioning SCSI and Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) hardware or drivers can also adversely affect the system’s ability to read and write to disk, causing errors. If using SCSI hard disks, check for cabling and termination problems between the SCSI controller and the disks. Periodically check Event Viewer for error messages related to SCSI or FASTFAT in the System log or Autochk in the Application log.

• Verify that the tools you use to continually monitor your system, such as virus scanners, backup programs, or disk defragmenters are compatible with Windows XP. Some disks and adapters come packaged with diagnostic software that you can use to run hardware tests.
To test hard disk or volume integrity

Method 1:

1. In the Run dialog box, in the Open box type:
cmd

2. Start the Chkdsk tool, which detects and attempts to resolve file system structural corruption. At the command prompt type:
chkdsk drive: /f

Method 2:

1. Double-click My Computer, and then select the hard disk you want to check.
2. On the File menu, click Properties.
3. Click the Tools tab.
4. In the Error-checking box, click Check Now.
5. In Check disk options, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box. You can also select the Automatically fix file system errors check box.

If the volume you are checking is in use, a message asks whether you want to delay disk error checking until the next time you restart your computer. After you restart, disk error checking runs and the volume chosen is not available to run other tasks during this process. If you cannot restart the computer due to the error, use safe mode or Recovery Console.

If you are not using the NTFS file system, and the system partition is formatted with the file allocation table (FAT16 or FAT32) file system, long file name (LFN) information can be lost if hard disk tools are started from an MS-DOS command prompt. A command prompt appears when using a startup floppy disk or when using the command prompt startup option on multiple boot systems that use FAT16 or FAT32 partitions with Microsoft® Windows® 95 OEM Service Release 2 (OSR2), Microsoft® Windows® 98, or Microsoft® Windows® Millennium Edition (Me) installed. Do not use tools meant for other operating systems on Windows XP partitions!

• Nonpaged pool memory might be depleted, which can cause the system to stop. You can resolve this situation by adding more RAM, which increases the quantity of nonpaged pool memory available to the kernel.

Stop 0x0000002E or DATA_BUS_ERROR

The Stop 0x2E message indicates a system memory parity error. The cause is typically failed or defective RAM (including motherboard, Level 2 cache, or video memory), incompatible or mismatched memory hardware, or when a device driver attempts to access an address in the 0x8xxxxxxx range that does not exist (does not map to a physical address). A Stop 0x2E message can also indicate hard disk damage caused by viruses or other problems.

Possible Resolutions:

• Stop 0x2E is typically due to defective, malfunctioning, or failed memory hardware, such as memory modules, Level 2 (L2) SRAM cache, or video adapter RAM. If you added new hardware recently, remove and replace it to determine if it is causing or contributing to the problem. Run diagnostics software supplied by the system manufacturer to determine if the component has failed.

• Stop 0x2E messages can also occur after installing faulty drivers or system services. If a file name is given, you need to disable, remove, or roll back that driver. Disable the service or application and confirm that this resolves the error. If so, contact the hardware manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, and CD mastering tools.

• Hard disk corruption can also cause this Stop message.

• The problem might also be due to cracks, scratched traces, or defective components on the motherboard. If all else fails, take the system motherboard to a repair facility for diagnostic testing.

Stop 0x0000003F or NO_MORE_SYSTEM_PTES

The Stop 0x3F message indicates one or more of the following problems:

• The system Page Table Entries (PTEs) are depleted or fragmented due to the system performing a large number of input/output (I/O) actions.

• A faulty device driver is not managing memory properly.

• An application, such as a backup program, is improperly allocating large amounts of kernel memory.

Possible Resolutions:

• Stop 0x3F messages can occur after installing faulty drivers or system services. If a file name is given, you need to disable, remove, or roll back that driver. Disable the service or application and confirm that this resolves the error. If so, contact the hardware manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, and CD mastering tools.

• The system might not actually be out of PTEs, but a contiguous memory block of sufficient size is not available to satisfy a driver or application request. Check for the availability of updated driver or application files and consult the hardware or program documentation for minimum system requirements.

• Another cause is excessive demands for system PTE by applications. This situation is more common in server environments. Windows XP Professional provides a registry entry, SystemPages, that you can use to increase the number of PTEs allocated.
Caution

o Do not edit the registry unless you have no alternative. The registry editor bypasses standard safeguards, allowing settings that can damage your system, or even require you to reinstall Windows. If you must edit the registry, back it up first…

To increase the number of PTEs allocated in the registry
1. In the Run dialog box, and in the Open box, type: regedit

2. In the registry editor, navigate to the subkey HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\
Session Manager\Memory Management.

3. Double-click on PagedPoolSize and SystemPages to view the value for each entry.

4. If PagedPoolSize is not zero, assign a value of 0.

5. If SystemPages is not zero, assign a value of 40000 for systems with 128 MB (or less) of memory, or 110000 for systems with 128 MB to 256 MB of memory. For systems with more memory, do not increase the SystemPages value above 110000 without contacting Microsoft technical support.

6. Click OK, and then close the registry editor.

7. Restart your computer.

Stop 0×00000050 or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

The Stop 0×50 message indicates that requested data was not in memory. The system generates an exception error when using a reference to an invalid system memory address. Defective memory (including main memory, L2 RAM cache, video RAM) or incompatible software (including remote control and antivirus software) might cause Stop 0×50 messages.

Possible Resolutions:

• If you added new hardware recently, remove and replace the hardware to determine if it is causing or contributing to the problem. Run diagnostics software supplied by the hardware manufacturer to determine if the component has failed.

• Stop 0×50 messages can also occur after installing faulty drivers or system services. If the file name is listed, you need to disable, remove, or roll back that driver. If not, disable the recently installed service or application to determine if this resolves the error. If this does not resolve the problem, contact the hardware manufacturer for updates. Using updated drivers and software is especially important for network interface cards, video adapters, backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, and CD mastering tools. If an updated driver is not available, attempt to use a driver from a similar device in the same family. For example, if printing to a Model 1100C printer causes Stop 0×50 errors, using a printer driver meant for a Model 1100A or Model 1000 might temporarily resolve the problem.

Stop 0×00000077 or KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR

The Stop 0×77 message indicates that a page of kernel data requested from the paging (virtual memory) file could not be found or read into memory. This Stop message can also indicate disk hardware failure, disk data corruption, or possible virus infection.
Possible Resolutions:

• Stop 0×77 messages can be caused by bad sectors in the virtual memory paging file or a disk controller error. In extremely rare cases, depleted nonpaged pool resources can cause this error. If the first and third parameters are zero, the stack signature in the kernel stack is missing, which is an error typically caused by defective hardware. If the I/O status is 0xC0000185 and the paging file is on a SCSI disk, check for cabling and termination issues. An I/O status code of 0xC000009C or 0xC000016A indicates that the requested data could not be found. You can try to correct this by restarting the computer. If a problem with disk integrity exists, Autochk, a program that attempts to mark bad disk sectors as defective so that they are not used in the future, starts automatically. If Autochk fails to run, you can manually perform the integrity check yourself by following the instructions to run Chkdsk provided in “Stop 0×00000024 or NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM” earlier in this list.

• Another cause of Stop 0×77 messages is defective, malfunctioning, or failed memory hardware, such as memory modules, Level 2 (L2) SRAM cache, or video adapter RAM. If you added new hardware recently, remove and replace it to determine if it is causing or contributing to the problem. Run diagnostics software supplied by the system manufacturer to determine if the component has failed.

• The problem might also be due to cracks, scratched traces, or defective components on the motherboard. If all else fails, take the system motherboard to a repair facility for diagnostic testing.

• Problems that cause Stop 0×77 messages can also cause Stop 0x7A messages. For more information about Stop 0x7A messages, see “Stop 0x0000007A or KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR” later in this list.

Stop 0×00000079 or MISMATCHED_HAL

The Stop 0×79 message indicates that the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) and the kernel type for the computer do not match. This error most often occurs when ACPI firmware settings are changed. For example, you might install Windows XP on an x86-based computer with the firmware ACPI enable option enabled and later decide to disable it. This error can also result when mismatched single and multi-processor configuration files are copied to the system.

Possible Resolutions:

• A Stop 0×79 message occurs when the system is using out-of-date Ntoskrnl.exe or Hal.dll files. This can occur after manual repairs that involve copying incorrect files to the system. This error also occurs when using mismatched files, such as copying a multiprocessor HAL on to a system using a single-processor kernel (or vice versa). The kernel and HAL files for single-processor and multiprocessor systems are stored on the Windows XP Professional operating system CD using two different file names. For example, the single and multi-processor versions of the kernel, named Ntoskrnl.exe and Ntkrnlmp.exe respectively. Setup copies either Ntoskrnl.exe or Ntkrnlmp.exe to your system as Ntoskrnl.exe. In Recovery Console, you can use the Copy command to copy the correct HAL or kernel files from the CD to the appropriate folder on the hard disk.

• If you experience Stop 0×79 messages after changing firmware settings, restore the original settings used during Windows XP Professional Setup.

Because systems that use the ACPI HAL ignore IRQ assignments stored in firmware, you can only manually change IRQ settings for non-ACPI (Standard PC HAL) systems. Some x86-based provide the option to toggle ACPI functionality. To disable or re-enable ACPI, you must change firmware settings and reinstall Windows XP. Because of the numerous registry and system file changes required, you must run Setup again (an upgrade installation does not work).

Stop 0x0000007A or KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR

The Stop 0x7A message indicates that a page of kernel data was not found in the paging (virtual memory) file and could not be read into memory. This might be due to incompatible disk or controller drivers, firmware, or hardware.

Frequently, the cause of this error can be determined from the second parameter, the I/O status code. Some common status codes are:

• 0xC000009A, or STATUS_INSUFFICIENT_RESOURCES, indicates a lack of nonpaged pool resources.

• 0xC000009C, or STATUS_DEVICE_DATA_ERROR, indicates bad blocks (sectors) on the hard disk.

• 0xC000009D, or STATUS_DEVICE_NOT_CONNECTED, indicates defective or loose data or power cables, a problem with SCSI termination, or improper controller or disk configuration.

• 0xC000016A, or STATUS_DISK_OPERATION_FAILED, indicates bad blocks (sectors) on the hard disk.

• 0xC0000185, or STATUS_IO_DEVICE_ERROR, indicates improper termination, defective storage controller hardware, or defective disk cabling, or two devices attempting to use the same resources.

Possible Resolutions:

• Stop 0x7A can be caused by bad sectors in the virtual memory paging file, disk controller error, virus infection, or memory hardware problems. In extremely rare cases, depleted nonpaged pool resources can cause this error. If the first and third parameters are zero, the stack signature in the kernel stack is missing, an error typically caused by defective hardware. If the I/O status is 0xC0000185 and the paging file is on a SCSI disk, check for cabling and termination issues. An I/O status code of 0xC000009C or 0xC000016A indicates that the requested data could not be found. You can try to correct this by restarting the computer. If a problem with disk integrity exists, Autochk, a program that attempts to mark bad disk sectors as defective so that they are not used in the future, starts automatically. If Autochk fails to run, you can manually perform the integrity check yourself by following the instructions to run Chkdsk provided in “Stop 0×00000024 or NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM” earlier in this appendix.

• Another cause of Stop 0x7A messages is defective, malfunctioning, or failed memory hardware, such as memory modules, Level 2 (L2) SRAM cache, or video adapter RAM. If you added new hardware recently, remove and replace it to determine if it is causing or contributing to the problem. Run diagnostics software supplied by the system manufacturer to determine if the component has failed.

• Check the hardware manufacturer’s Web site for updates to disk adapter firmware or drivers that improve compatibility. Verify that your disks and controller support the same set of advanced features, such as higher transfer rates. If necessary, select a slower transfer rate if an update is not yet available. Consult your hardware or device documentation for more information.

IMPORTANT
o You can install disk controller drivers not present on the Windows XP Professional operating system CD by responding to the following prompt shortly after starting Setup:

o Press F6 if you need to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver.

o Press F6, and when prompted, provide the appropriate storage controller driver (ATA or SCSI) supplied by the manufacturer.

• The problem might also be due to cracks, scratched traces, or defective components on the motherboard. If all else fails, take the system motherboard to a repair facility for diagnostic testing.

• Problems that cause Stop 0x7A messages can also cause Stop 0×77 messages. For more information about Stop 0×77 messages, see “Stop 0×00000077 or KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR” earlier in this list.

Stop 0x0000007B or INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

The Stop 0x7B message indicates that Windows XP has lost access to the system partition or boot volume during the startup process. Installing incorrect device drivers when installing or upgrading storage adapter hardware typically causes stop 0x7B errors. Stop 0x7B errors could also indicate possible virus infection.

The second parameter is very important because it can indicate whether the 0x7B Stop message was caused by file system issues or problems with storage hardware and drivers. Values of 0xC000034 or 0xC000000E typically indicate:

• Disks or storage controllers that are failing, defective, or improperly configured.

• Storage-related drivers or programs (tape management software, for example) that are not fully compatible with Windows XP Professional.

Possible Resolutions:

• During I/O system initialization, the controller or driver for the startup device (typically the hard disk) might have failed to initialize the necessary hardware. File system initialization might have failed because of disk or controller failure, or because the file system did not recognize the data on the boot device.

• Repartitioning disks, adding new disks, or upgrading to a new disk controller might cause the information in the Boot.ini file, or Boot Manager, to become outdated. If this Stop message occurs after installing new disks to your system, edit the Boot.ini file or adjust the Boot Manager parameters to allow the system to start. If the error occurs after upgrading the disk controller, verify that the new hardware is functioning and correctly configured.

• Verify that the system firmware and disk controller BIOS settings are correct and that the storage device was properly installed. If you are unsure, consult your computer’s documentation about restoring default firmware settings or configuring your system to auto-detect settings. If the error occurs during Windows XP Professional setup, the problem might be due to unsupported disk controller hardware. In some cases, drivers for new hardware are not in the Windows XP Professional Driver.cab library, and you need to provide additional drivers to complete the Windows XP setup successfully. If this is the case, follow the hardware manufacturer’s instructions when installing drivers. Periodically check for driver and firmware updates.

• Hard disk corruption can also cause this Stop message. For more information about checking hard disk integrity, see the instructions provided in “Stop 0×00000024 or NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM” earlier in this list.

• Problems that cause 0x7B errors might also cause Stop 0xED errors. For more information about 0xED Stop messages, see “Stop 0x0000007B or INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE” later in this list.

Stop 0x0000007F or UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP

The Stop 0x7F message indicates that one of three types of problems occurred in kernel-mode:

• A condition that the kernel is not allowed to have or intercept (also known as a bound trap).

• Software problems.

• Hardware failures.

Possible Resolutions:

• Stop 0x7F messages are typically due to defective, malfunctioning, or failed memory hardware. If you added new hardware recently, remove and replace it to determine if it is causing or contributing to the problem. Run diagnostics software supplied by the system manufacturer to determine if the component has failed.

• Running the CPU beyond the rated specification, known as “overclocking,” can cause Stop 0x7F or other error messages due to heat buildup. When diagnosing problems on overclocked systems, first restore all clock and bus speed settings to the manufacturer recommended values to determine if this resolves the issues.

• The problem might also be due to cracks, scratched traces, or defective components on the motherboard. If all else fails, take the system motherboard to a repair facility for diagnostic testing.

• Stop 0x7F messages can occur after installing incompatible applications, drivers, or system services. Contact the software manufacturer about possible Windows XP specific updates. Using updated software is especially important for backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, and CD mastering tools.

Stop 0x0000009F or DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE

The Stop 0x9F message indicates that a driver is in an inconsistent or invalid power state.

Possible Resolutions:

• Stop 0x9F messages can occur after installing faulty applications or drivers or system services. If a file is listed by name and you can associate it with an application, uninstall the application. For drivers, disable, remove, or roll back that driver to to determine if this resolves the error. If it does, contact the hardware manufacturer for a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, and CD mastering tools.

• For information about troubleshooting standby and hibernate mode issues, see KB article Q266169, “How to Troubleshoot Problems with Standby Mode, Hibernate Mode, and Shutting Down Your Computer in Windows 2000.”

Stop 0xBE or ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORY

The Stop 0xBE message indicates that a driver attempted to write to read-only memory.

Possible Resolutions:

• A Stop 0xBE message might occur after installing a faulty device driver, system service, or firmware. If a Stop message lists a driver by name, disable, remove, or roll back the driver to correct the problem. If disabling or removing drivers resolves the issues, contact the manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, DVD playback, and CD mastering tools.

Stop 0xC2 or BAD_POOL_CALLER

The Stop 0xC2 message indicates that a kernel-mode process or driver incorrectly attempted to perform memory operations in the following ways:

• By allocating a memory pool size of zero bytes.
• By allocating a memory pool that does not exist.
• By attempting to free a memory pool that is already free.
• By allocating or freeing a memory pool at an IRQL that was too high.

This Stop message is typically due to a faulty driver or software.

Possible Resolutions:

• A Stop 0xC2 messages might occur after installing a faulty device driver, system service, or firmware. If a Stop message lists a driver by name, disable, remove, or roll back the driver to correct the problem. If disabling or removing drivers resolves the issues, contact the manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, DVD playback, and CD mastering tools.

• A Stop 0xC2 messages might also be due to failing or defective hardware. If a Stop message points to a category of devices (such as disk controllers, for example), try removing or replacing the hardware to determine if it is causing the problem.

• If you encounter a Stop 0xC2 message while upgrading to Windows XP, the problem might be due to an incompatible driver, system service, virus scanner, or backup. To avoid problems while upgrading, simplify your hardware configuration and remove all third-party device drivers and system services (including virus scanners) prior to running setup. After you have successfully installed Windows XP, contact the hardware manufacturer to obtain compatible updates.

Stop 0x000000CE or DRIVER_UNLOADED_WITHOUT
_CANCELLING_PENDING_OPERATIONS

This Stop messages indicates that a driver failed to cancel pending operations before exiting.

Possible Resolutions:

• Stop 0xCE messages can occur after installing faulty drivers or system services. If a driver is listed by name, disable, remove, or roll back that driver to confirm that this resolves the error. If so, contact the manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, DVD playback, and CD mastering tools.

Stop 0x000000D1 or DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

The Stop 0xD1 messages indicates that the system attempted to access pageable memory using a kernel process IRQL that was too high. Drivers that have used improper addresses typically cause this error.

Possible Resolutions:

• Stop 0xD1 messages can occur after installing faulty drivers or system services. If a driver is listed by name, disable, remove, or roll back that driver to confirm that this resolves the error. If so, contact the manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, DVD playback, and CD mastering tools.

Stop 0x000000EA or THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER

A device driver problem is causing the system to pause indefinitely. Typically, this problem is caused by a display driver waiting for the video hardware to enter an idle state. This might indicate a hardware problem with the video adapter or a faulty video driver.

Possible Resolutions:

• Stop 0xD1 messages can occur after installing faulty drivers (especially video drivers) or system services. If a driver is listed by name, disable, remove, or roll back that driver to confirm that this resolves the error. If so, contact the manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, DVD playback, and CD mastering tools.

Stop 0x000000ED or UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME

The kernel mode I/O subsystem attempted to mount the boot volume and it failed. This error might also occur during an upgrade to Windows XP Professional on systems that use higher throughput ATA disks or controllers with incorrect cabling. In some cases, your system might appear to work normally after you restart.

Possible Resolutions:

• If using higher throughput ATA disks and controllers, those capable of data transfer rates above 33.3 megabytes per second, replace the standard 40-pin cable with an 80-pin cable. Using an 80-pin cable is optional for transfer rates up to and including 33.3 megabytes per second, but is mandatory for higher transfer rates. The additional grounded pins are required to avoid data loss.

• Some firmware enables you to force higher transfer rates even when you are using the incorrect cable type. Your firmware might issue a warning but allow the startup process to proceed. Restore the default firmware setting for ATA cable detection.

• Problems that cause 0xED errors might also cause Stop 0x7B errors. For more information about 0x7B Stop messages, see “Stop 0x0000007B or INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE” earlier in this appendix.

Stop 0xC0000221 or STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH

This Stop message indicates driver, system file, or disk corruption problems (such as a damaged paging file). Faulty memory hardware can also cause this Stop message to appear.

Possible Resolutions:

• You can use Driver Rollback or System Restore from safe mode, to restore a previous driver. You can also use Windows XP Professional recovery features such as the Last Known Good Configuration startup option, Backup, or Automated System Recovery to restore a previous working configuration. After restoring from backup media, you might need to reapply service packs or hotfixes, depending on when the backups were made.

• If the Stop message names the specific file, try replacing it manually with a fresh copy from the Windows XP Professional operating system CD using safe mode or Recovery Console. For systems using the FAT16 or FAT32 file system, you have the option of using a Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition Emergency Boot Disk to access the hard disk.
If the original file from the operating system CD has a file name that ends with an underscore (_) character, you cannot use the file until it is uncompressed. The Recovery Console’s Copy command is ideal for copying compressed files because it detects and expands them. If you do not specify a destination file name, you must rename the expanded file with the correct extension before using it. From safe mode or Recovery Console, you can use the Expand command to uncompress and copy a file to a destination location. In Recovery Console, the expanded file is given the correct name after being copied to the destination location. For more information about the Copy or Expand commands, see Windows XP Help and Support Centre.

Source: http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/43519-windows-xp-blue-screen-of-death-stop-codes/

The files and folders of your Joomla application contain the scripts and core application code.
The Joomla database contains all records for your website such as your site sections, categories, articles, etc.

Let’s assume that you are running your own *LAMP or *WAMP webserver or you have a hosting account with another company. You should know the root directory where your Joomla installation resides. It is often called httpdocs, public_html or www. Those are the so-called web server root directories. So let’s suppose that your Joomla application in installed under your web server root directory.

The first thing you have to do when you want to transfer your Joomla applications to your CG Computers  server, is to copy the entire content of your web server root directory straight into the public_html folder of your CG Computers  hosting account.

If you are running your own server probably you have already had your Joomla site files on your hard drive. In case you are hosting your account on a remote machine, simply download your Joomla site files and directories (please mind that you should keep the directory structure in tact) on your desktop PC by using your favorite FTP client.

Once the download is finished, you should connect to your CG Computers FTP account, change your current working directory to the public_html one (this is the root/main folder for your website) and drag and drop your Joomla files and folders from your desktop PC to your public_html folder.

The next step you should follow is to create a full dump of your Joomla MySQL database. If you are running your own *WAMP or *LAMP server probbably you already have the phpMyadmin installed. If you are using different web hosting provider they should provide you with access to a database manipulation tool. You should ask them for further assistance. Here we assume that you are managing your databases with the phpMyadmin tool as it is the most popular tool for administrating MySQL databases.

Once you are logged in into your phpMyadmin tool, backing up (exporting) your database is simple. First choose your database from the left menu. Then click the Export tab. Select all the tables, check Add DROP TABLE and Save as file. Leave all other options untouched. Finally click on Go and the database dump will be downloaded to your PC.

To do that, please, go to your Web Hosting Control Panel and create a brand new database with a name of your choice. Please mind that you can create databases only from your Web Hosting Control Panel. You cannot execute CREATE database; MySQL statement from the phpMyadmin tool. Once you’ve created your new database, please create a new database username and add it to the database you have created during the previous step.

We assume that you have created your MySQL database and the next step is to go into your CG Computers phpMyadmin interface.

To restore (import) a database in phpMyAdmin, first choose the database you’ll be restoring from the left menu. Then click the Import tab. You have the option of importing a .sql file. Use the “Browse” button to find it on your PC and then click “Go” at the bottom.

If you receive an error message which says access denied, you should open the database dump file you have downloaded on your desktop PC with your favorite text editor and look for lines that may contain CREATE database db_name; and/or USE db_name; mysql statements. If you find any simply delete them and try to re-import the dump. If you run into troubles our friendly technical support team is available 24/7 and ready to help you.

The final step is to adjust the core settings which are defined in your main Joomla configuration.php file. Go to your Web Hosting Control Panel File Manager, change the current working directory to public_html and if you have followed the steps  mentioned above correctly you should be able to easily locate configuration.php file in there. Open it for editing.

Below are the main variables you need to adjust so they can fit to your new CG Computers hosting enviroment:

 

var $host = ‘localhost’; // Leave it to localhost if you are unsure
var $user = ‘your-database-user’; // This should be changed to yours
var $password = ‘yourpass’; // Change it to the password for the database user
var $db = ‘your-database-name’; // Change it to the name of your database

var $log_path = ‘/home/youruser/public_html/logs’; // This path varies for your webroot
var $tmp_path = ‘/home/youruser/public_html/tmp’;

Delegate
It can be hard to prise yourself away from your business, especially in the early days, and trusting others with tasks can be difficult. But to grow your business, you have to delegate effectively and avoid the mentality that you have to do everything yourself to ensure it’s done properly. If you’re rushed off your feet but can’t afford a full time employee, look for a reliable freelancer, virtual assistant or student that can work on an ad hoc basis when you need them.

Use your money wisely
Planning your budget is arguably the most important aspect of your business; the old adage ‘if you run out of money, you run out of time’ often rings true. Continue to reinvest profit in your business and make wise investments to build it before you think about paying yourself a good salary or treating yourself to an expensive holiday. Always think about ways you can cut down on your outgoings, for example, do you really need an office building to yourself or can you opt for a virtual tenancy or shared office space?

Develop strong foundations
Many businesses don’t realise that their systems don’t do what they want until it’s too late. Put the time and money in to ensure that you don’t face problems further down the line, particularly when using pre-built or outsourced software and services. How scalable is your system? How easy is it to change the functionality? Can it be integrated easily into other areas of your business? If it’s a website, do you own the code? What happens if the business/product/service you rely on is shut down or discontinued at some point in the future? If you know you’ve already made a mistake, face up to it, fix it and move on – it may set you back a bit, but the problem’s not going to disappear on its own.

Be proactive
‘If you build it, they will come’ doesn’t apply – you need to go beyond your own four walls or your own website to market and promote effectively. Don’t just wait for people to come to you. Being proactive doesn’t have to be about the hard sell, particularly if you’re an online business. If you don’t have the budget for web or print advertising, offer advice, tips and resources for free to help develop your reputation, and get actively involved in communities where people need what you offer. Some of the biggest opportunities come from the most unexpected places, so don’t be dismissive or quick to turn down a lead or opportunity unless it’s completely impractical.

Get the work/life balance right
It’s easy to overwork and get run down, or underwork and become too reliant on one or two people running your business for you. Delegation and organisation will help you to avoid overworking, but it’s important that you know what’s happening within your business and what decisions are being made.

Get feedback from your customers
It’s not always possible or practical to implement all the changes suggested, but taking on board what people want from your services and products will help you to stand out in your market and encourage natural growth as well as giving you ideas for moving forward. Be proud to mention that you’re making a change or adding a feature because it’s been requested – let your customers know you care.

Fill the gaps
No one’s good at everything, so look to employ people with different skillsets to you to fill the gaps. Know what your strengths and weaknesses are across every aspect of your business, from budget planning to pitching to clients. It also helps to know what your employees’ and colleagues’ strengths and weaknesses are so you know who approach for advice or ideas in any given area.

Find out what your employees want
It doesn’t have to take a pay rise to make your employees more satisfied – simple things like improving resources, clarifying processes, or even just offering a friendly ear can make all the difference. You can’t pay your employees to care or be motivated, but you can create the conditions for it to happen automatically. Simply asking, ‘What would improve your job?’ is enough to get the ball rolling, and asking via email or even a poll can help avoid awkwardness and make it easy to compare suggestions.

Take a step back occasionally
It’s easy to become completely immersed in your business, particularly if there’s only one or two people involved. Ask unbiased people to review your website, assess how you come across and make some suggestions for change. Avoid getting complacent; there’s always room for improvement, and just because you’re ahead of a competitor now doesn’t mean you will be in the future.

What’s your top tip for starting or growing your own business? Leave a comment below!

1. Lack of inspiration
If you’re suffering from this, the first step is to find out why. Have you exhausted your niche? If so, it’s time to branch out and rethink your blog’s topic(s). Have you used your best ideas already? Go through the last twenty or so posts you’ve written, pulling out details you could have explained in more depth to see if you can use any of these as a topic on their own, or develop them into a series. What was your most popular blog post? Can you write some more in the same area? Carry a notebook, phone or tablet to record ideas as you think of them, and have a shortlist of blogs to visit regularly for inspiration.

2. No time
This is one of the most common reasons for blog abandonment, particularly if you aren’t a full-time blogger or you have multiple websites to run. WordPress’s scheduling feature is a great way to keep on track, and organisational tools such as Remember the Milk and Workflowy help you list and check off tasks. Invite guest bloggers to take off some of the pressure, and learn to recognise when you’re taking on too much. If at the end of all that you still feel pushed for time, then assess your motivation instead. If you really want to get blog entries out there, then chances are you’ll make the time.

3. No purpose or goal
Even if you don’t blog for profit, you should still set achievable, measurable goals to give you an incentive. Maybe you want to increase the number of social media shares you get, or vary the styles of your posts, or increase the number of comments you get. Whether you’re successful or not, you’ll have learned something along the way (and at the very least you can blog about it). You should be able to answer the questions ‘Why do I have a blog?’ and ‘What do I want for my blog?’ without thinking twice.

4. Design/development issues
Even something simple like putting up a new theme or layout can provide you with blogging inspiration and help attract more visitors – it’s almost like having a brand new site. Having a good theme can also save you endless manual formatting time and increase your guest post requests. If you aren’t confident with web design/development, try to avoid commonly used free themes and templates and buy one from a reputable source instead; they’re cheap and can end up paying for themselves. It’s also worth making design and development contacts who can help you out if you’re struggling. An attractive website and a fresh theme every so often will help motivate you to work on your site and keep visitors coming back.

5. No interaction
Lack of visitor interaction is a problem frequently faced by new blogs, and it’s the reason why a lot of people lose interest fast. The first step is to ramp up your own involvement with thoughtful content, and try to provide advice or resources for your visitors. Leaving plenty of comments on related blogs and forums straight after you’ve blogged helps too, as many blog owners will return the favour and comment back. It’s cyclical, so continue to boost engagement by leaving comments on other sites and sharing the content of bloggers you find particularly useful or interesting. Setting your blog comments to ‘dofollow’ can help increase the amount of comments you get massively, even if you’re working on commercial sites in less buzz-friendly industries such as this carport one or this LED lights site. Getting yourself known in your niche and developing a reputation is often the hardest part, but the rewards are limitless. You can extend your reach further using social media – check out the Twitter lists of authority bloggers in your field and create your own to manage interaction. If you have the time, find blogs that accept guest posts to help market yourself and your website, and give yourself at least six months to get your blog off the ground and established.

Because we manage all this in-house and don’t use a 3^rd party like fantastico, we can pick and choose the best software and make sure it is always up to date! We currently have over 66 one click install web apps to choose from (and each of them running from the latest versions) including:

- WordPress 3.2.1
– Joomla 1.7.1
– Drupal 7.8
– AWStats 7.0
– Open Web Analytics V1.4.1
– OpenCart 1.5.1.3
– Concrete 5.4.2.1
– Prestashop 1.4.4.1
– phpBB 3.0.9
– And many (many) more!

If there are any you would like to see installed let us know and we will look in to it.

If you have a content-rich index page or feature multiple hi-res images, make sure they’re optimised for the web. There are also various browser plugins and online tools you can use to test your page loading speeds. Social media plugins can slow down your site a lot, so make sure you only include buttons visitors actually use.

Bonus tip: Try to host scripts and images on your own site. Otherwise, if an external site is slow or down, it will impact your page speed times. It helps to keep the number of plugins, hacks and add-ons you use to a minimum.

2. Pay attention to tone

Visitors will get their first impression of you and your website in a few seconds, so if the first thing they see is a cheesy photo of you or a clichéd tagline, they’re going to be put off.

Bonus tip: Talk directly to your visitors to avoid coming across as cold – use ‘you’ and ‘your’ to make it more personal, and ask questions where appropriate.

3. Avoid excessive advertising

…especially pop ups. In particular, avoid running ads with sound and monitor them closely to ensure they don’t crash browsers or break your website. Too many ads can affect your search engine positions as Google factors into account the ratio of ads to other content on your page.

Bonus tip: Integrating your ads into your content effectively can add that element of trust and lead to a higher CTR (click through rate), so avoid having them float around your sidebar if you can.

4. Keep your site clean

Even if you’re not the best web designer in the world, keeping your design clean and avoiding attention-seeking animations will give visitors a good first impression. It’s important to get the balance right and inject a little personality into your homepage design too though; you don’t want your website to look abandoned or boring.

Bonus tip: Keeping your site simple will also help optimise its speed.

5. Check your spelling and grammar

Spelling and grammar aren’t everyone’s strong point, so proof read your content in an editing program, glance over it once it’s live on your website, and then get a friend to check it over for good measure.

Bonus tip: It helps if you know what your weaknesses are so you can look out for those whenever you write something.

6. Keep it simple

Giving your visitors too many options can be a bad thing, especially on the homepage. Make it clear what your website is about and what you offer at a glance. Even if you have lots of links, make sure they’re clearly laid out and follow a theme or purpose, for example directing visitors to relevant blog posts or sales pages.

Bonus tip: Avoid eye-catching links to other sites from the homepage if you can, because visitors are more likely to leave your website without investigating further.

7. Keep an eye out for broken links

Make sure all your links are correct. You can monitor these in Google’s Webmaster Tools, or if you’re running WordPress try the Broken Link Checker plugin.

Bonus tip: Make sure you create an attractive 404 page with a clear call to action so if your visitor does end up on a broken page, they will know where to go/be able to find something else of interest on your site rather than just closing it.

The graphics are stunning, and the game itself is very easy to play.  Your aim is simply to get the ball into the hole each time.  So position your mouse pointer at the desired point around the ball in order to select your angle, choose the strength of your shot according to how far away from the ball you put the cursor, and then press the mouse button to putt.  You’ll need no more than 30 seconds to get the hang of it.

One word of warning.  There’s background music by default, though you can turn it off.  But if you’re playing in the office, turn the speakers down before you go to the Wonderputt site!

Enjoy.

The Internet makes it easier to accomplish many things — banking, research, travel, and shopping are all at our virtual fingertips. And just as the Internet makes it easier for legitmate pursuits, it also makes it easier for scammers, con artists, and other online miscreants to carry out their virtual crimes- – impacting our real life finances, security, and peace of mind. Online scams are constantly evolving, but here are the most common ones today.

1. Phishing scams

Phishing email try to trick the intended victim into visiting a fraudulent website disguised to look like a valid eCommerce or banking site. The victim thinks they are logging into their real account, but instead everything they enter on the fake site is being sent to the scammers. Armed with this information, the scammer can wipe out the victim’s accounts, run up their credit cards, or even steal their identity.

2. Nigerian 419 Scams

Nigerian 419 scams (aka Advanced Fee Fraud) date back to the days when fax machines and snail mail were the primary business communication tools. Today, email is the preferred method of these scammers and there are more Nigerian 419 Advanced Fee Fraud scams – and victims – than ever before.

3. Greeting Card Scams

Greeting card scams arrive in email pretending to be from a friend or family member. Clicking the link to view the card typically leads to a booby-trapped web page that downloads Trojans and other malicious software onto the systems of the unsuspecting.

6. Lottery Winning Scams

Lottery winner scams attempt to trick recipients into believing they have won large sums of cash, and then bilks them out of their own dough in a similar fashion to the Nigerian 419 scam.

7. Pump and Dump Stock Scams

Pump and dump scams send large volumes of email that pretend to disclose confidential information about a particular stock in an attempt to inflate the price.

8. Fraudulent Link Scams

Scams, in general, are the new malware delivery method. Social engineering is the norm. Falsifying a link is the hallmark of phishing scams, seeded downloader Trojans, and other web-based malware. And it’s all trivially easy to do, using basic HTML.

Getting started with Google Adsense

If you’ve never used Adsense before, have a look through Google’s helpful support articles to set it up for your website. It’s vital that your website and your use of the programme adhere to Google’s Adsense policies to avoid your account being disabled.

Test your way to success

If you read any other Google Adsense tips articles on the web, you’ll notice there are a lot of contradictions between them. One post may say ‘Make your ad stand out on the page’ whereas another will say ‘Integrate your ads so they blend into your website’ and so on. The best thing to do is test, test and retest for yourself to find out what works for you and your site. It’s worth doing tests fairly regularly even after you’ve settled on colours and positions just so your visitors don’t develop ad blindness by becoming to accustomed to them.

Attract relevant adverts

Make sure your visitors see the most relevant ads possible on each page. To do this, ensure that each page you display Google ads one is centred around a particular theme. It also helps if your site is centred around one specific topic, but this isn’t always practical. Mention words and phrases related to the ads you want to display in the content of the page, for example if you want to display ads about garages, you will want to have body copy about cars, carports, vehicle storage etc. as well as garages. This way you should get a slightly more varied selection of ads that are still relevant for your visitors. It also reduces the possibility that Google will show completely unrelated ads in the event that they can’t make a ‘match’ of things to show.

You can tell Google which content to focus on for keywords and which to ignore, which is particularly useful if you need to have non-keyword content on the page (for example if you have instructions or call to actions). You can find out more here.

Bear in mind that your domain name may also have some impact on what ads are shown if Google isn’t getting strong enough on-page signals or your website doesn’t have a theme that is readily translated into a commercial ad. You can block ad sources in the Adsense control panel if you find you’re getting irrelevant ads. If you’re concerned that Google isn’t finding enough relevant ads, you can specify a source which will be displayed when Google can’t find ads – but remember that you aren’t allowed to display ads from networks such as the Yahoo Publisher network on the same page.

Choosing and styling your ads

Many people have found that using the same font for Adsense and the text on your website helps you to get clicks. Whilst you don’t want to deliberately try and mislead visitors by making ads indistinguishable from your content, you equally don’t want to turn them into something that your visitors will avoid (either consciously or subconsciously).

If you want to make your ads stand out, then use attractive colours which are in keeping with the shades of your website. You don’t need to use lime green and orange to give your ads high visibility!

Experiment with image ads and text ads. Adsense gives you the option of displaying either, or a mix of both, so monitor displays and clicks carefully to see which works best. Many people prefer text ads to avoid the banner blindness black hole, but it’s really up to you.

Google recommends certain ad sizes, and general consensus is that the large 336 x 280 rectangle is the best choice, particularly if you’re displaying text ads.
Positioning your ads

Play with your ad positions, and vary them throughout the page. If you only keep ads at the top of your page, e.g. with the intro text and in the sidebar, then visitors reading to the end of the article won’t be encouraged to click an ad. But it really depends on the structure and content of your site.

If your primary aim is to get visitors to click an ad, then cut down on your distractions. Instead of persuading them to sign up to your newsletter, view another page or leave a comment, keep it simple. Avoid call to actions at the bottom of posts that link to external sites and will encourage visitors to leave.

Some people find that positioning their ads one or two paragraphs down the page is the best place as visitors have often decided what they want/whether to keep reading quite early on. You can get more tips and advice on ad positioning using Google’s optimizer tool.

Watch your content to advert ratio

It’s common advice that a very simple website with minimal styling and colour encourages visitors to click ads to leave the site. However, the danger is that visitors will simply close the tab and never return. If you rely on repeat visitors (as opposed to first-time visitors finding your website via high Google rankings) this could be quite damaging in the long run. Developing a website that looks and feels like a quality source of information means you’re more likely to get repeat visitors and links from other sites.

Remember than advertising isn’t the be-all and end-all of your site, and to rank well in the search engines you need good quality, unique content updated on a regular basis. Don’t just create a website to earn money from ads.

Google is also increasingly focusing on ad to text/content ratios, so even though more ads may increase your CTR, you may find your rankings drop from Google’s updates. Aim to have at least 300 words (500 or more is better) on a page, and don’t have more ad space than content space. This is especially true if your pages contain other types of advertising; you may view them as individual ads, but your visitors will just see them as ‘a lot of ads’.
Cull underperforming ads

Monitor how each block of ads is performing on your page. It’s tempting to go for the maximum of three blocks, but more ads on show means more lower-paying ads will be displayed, causing you to earn less when people click through.

For most websites, getting the positioning right is the more important factor. The first ad block on your page will give you the best-paying clicks, so make sure it has the best position. Some people choose to block ads which pay less via the Adsense control panel, but ads can pay out different amounts in different countries so be careful.

Although your earnings will be capped to some degree by the amount of traffic your site gets, it also depends on how targeted that traffic is. Even if you only get 20 or 30 visitors a day, you can still earn a reasonable amount of money per month if your visitors are targeted and your click through rate is high (it also helps you to have a site focused around high-paying keywords of course!).

Don’t spread yourself too thin

Once you have some money coming in, it’s common to think that you should create more websites and increase your earnings that way. However, remember that more sites mean a lot more work, particularly if you want to keep them competitive with fresh content. Work on improving your first site’s rankings and ensure you get a site well-established before moving on.

Don’t be fooled into thinking you’re working in a small market if you’re not earning very much – earnings drop massively after the first two or three positions for a search term. Improving search results for your chosen terms or running a cheap pay-per-click advertising campaign can make all the difference.

Monitor carefully

Use Adsense tools, Google Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics to track which pages have the highest click through rates. Transfer ideas and layout to the pages with the lowest click through rates. In particular, compare what keywords you’ve used, where you’ve linked to the page within your website, where the ads are located etc.

Use heat maps to find out where your visitors are looking and clicking when deciding/altering the positions of your ads. If your ads are on the left but your visitors are looking and clicking on the right of the page, you’re likely to miss out on clicks. Google Analytics has heat map functionality, as does Open Web Analytics (which is available as a one-click install via your eXtend control panel).