Windows XP:

1. Press ctrl+r to bring the run dialogue box.

2. Now type in cmd to open command prompt.

3. Without worrying about where the cursor is, just type in systeminfo.

4. Scroll the generated information to find a row containing the system uptime.

Windows vista and 7

For windows vista and seven you can simply check the uptime in the task manager.

1. Press ctrl+shift+esc to open up the task manager directly in vista and seven. (no intermediate screen). If your task manager has been disabled due to a bug attack you can use this to enable it once again.

2. Now go to the performance tab.

3. You can find the system uptime below the real time graphs.

In vista and Windows 7 the XP method works but it won’t tell you the uptime directly. That method tells you when you last switched ON your computer (the date and time). The math is left for you to be done.

Google introduced a public global DNS (domain name system). Its free to use. What more? It has a non-messy address:

8.8.8.8   OR    8.8.4.4

Advantages:

• Speed up your browsing experience.
• Improve your security.
• Get the results you expect with absolutely no redirection.

So what’s all the fuss about, huh? Well, like google says “The DNS protocol is an important part of the web’s infrastructure, serving as the Internet’s phone book: every time you visit a website, your computer performs a DNS lookup. Complex pages often require multiple DNS lookups before they start loading, so your computer may be performing hundreds of lookups a day.“  [Here]

Setting it up:

Now comes the important part, setting it up! Using it to speed up your internet. How to Geek explains it in a detailed manner (with couple of screenshots). It covers setting the new public DNS for vista (almost the same for XP), Ubuntu and also adding the DNS to your DSL router. MacOSX users may go HERE for a setup guide.

Need DNS telephone support? Call google:

• 877-590-4367 in the U.S.
• 770-200-1201 outside the U.S.