I don’t own a new computer so I have to use an old tecra A3 with an old HDD but a very good screen 15″ with a huge resolution: 1400×1050.

Because the hard drive is so slow Adobe Reader 9 starts in several seconds after I double click the pdf file.
So, if you have to read docs this a little bit annoying to have to wait a lot just to start Adobe.
After Reader is loaded the pdf file is loaded quite faster…

So I have googled a bit and I have found a few software apps to speed up adobe reader at start up.
But. Why to install another piece of software when you can do it yourself?!?

Here is how if you only want to read docs, no search, no other stuff:

Go to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\ and create a directory “old” or “backup”.
Move the following directories in it: plug_ins, plug_ins3d and SPPlugins.

Start Adobe Reader. How is it? Mine it starts in lass than a second.

Here is how if you want to read docs and you want “Comment and markup” toolbar to be available:
Move all plugin dirs as you read before, but, keep in the plug_ins dir the following files:
AcroForm.api
AcroSign.prc
Annots.api
EScript.api
IA32.api
Search.api
Search5.api
weblink.api

Start Adobe Reader, read your books, educate yourself.

HTH and enjoy.

Later edit:
You can use PDF-XChange Viewer to view, markup text or add comments to your pdf files.

Disclaimer: this information is only for advanced users. I cannot be made resposible for any damage may result by using information from this post. Read your manual and the producer’s website before doing anything.

Sometimes, you have to (and I don’t know why) do a BIOS update. The reason could be one of the following: MB problems, new feaures added, you are just bore.

You have downloaded (and you are sure about this) the proper BIOS version (the last stable version) for you MB. But, after reboot the computer doesn’t want to start.

Now, there are four possibilities to recover:

• Do a short clear CMOS as described in the MB’s manual;
• Do a long clear CMOS (I read that it might help), I not so sure about this, but, anyway: unplug the power, remove all unneeded hardware (video card, HDD, FDD, etc) put the jumper in the clear CMOS position, remove the battery and wait at least 12 hours;
• Remove unneeded hardware, replace RAM with the newest you have (533MHz with 667MHz, e.g.), this tend to be so common;
• Buy another one, because the new MB have the BISO chip soldered and it cannot be removed to be rewriten.

You are lucky if you MB give sound alerts or it has LEDs. Try to interpret this information using the Troubleshooting section in your manual.

As a backup measure you verify if your MB have dual BIOS or quad BIOS feature enabled (as gigabyte have), or something similar.

Good luck, you need it.

Let’s assume you have a network with a dhcp service (on linux) distributing IPs for your computers.
Suddenly, nobody gets IP from the DHCP.
Probably, you’ll check logs to see whats wrong.
In the logs everything looks normal, except the high number of requests from every computer using dhcp in the network.

dhcpd: DHCPDISCOVER from 00:00:00:00:00:00 via eth0
dhcpd: DHCPOFFER on 192.168.x.x to 00:00:00:00:00:00 via eth0
dhcpd: DHCPREQUEST
dhcpd: DHCPACK

Static IP computers are working as expected.

The next thing you should do is to start wireshark or tcpdump (or any similar application).
Check for errors and odd messages.
In my case it was a second dhcpd service running for the same subnet on another server.