Windows XP Texpert

I can't get my scanner or camera to install

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:21:00 +0530

Cause: If you are having problems installing the scanner or camera, make certain that you are following the manufacturer instructions provided with the device and that the scanner or camera is connected to the computer correctly. USB devices may require that you install the drivers before plugging in the device, so check the documentation for details. If you are sure that you have followed the instructions and that your device is compatible with Windows XP, you can use the Add an Imaging Device Wizard to help you.

To add an imaging device, follow these steps:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel (Classic view)--> Scanners and Cameras.

2. In the Scanners and Cameras window--> click the Add an Imaging Device option under Imaging Tasks.

3. The Scanner and Camera Installation Wizard appears--> Click Next on the Welcome screen.

4. In the provided list--> choose the manufacturer and model of the scanner or camera that you want to install. If you have an installation disk--> click the Have Disk button--> Click Next.

5. In the next screen, make sure the device is connected to your computer and choose the Automatic Port Detection option--> Click Next.

6. Type a name for the device--> and then click Next.

7. Click Finish.

My printer color or fonts do not look good

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Tue, 9 Aug 2011 20:32:00 +0530

Cause: This problem typically occurs if incorrect settings are configured for the printer or setup has gone haywire.

Solution:

Since the solution to these kinds of problems varies from printer to printer, you'll need to check the printer manufacturer's instructions or the manufacturer's Web site for help. Usually, there are settings that you can change in order to improve the quality or actions you can take, such as replacing the ink cartridge.

I can't stop a document from printing

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Mon, 8 Aug 2011 23:59:00 +0530

Cause: If you chose to print a document and now you want it to stop printing, you can use the print queue. The print queue is particularly helpful when you have a long document that you no longer want to print.

Solution:

To stop a document from printing, follow these steps:

1. In the notification area of the Windows XP taskbar (at the lower-right corner of your screen)--> right-click the printer icon--> click Open All Active Printers and Faxes.

2. Select the document you want to stop from printing--> then click the Document menu and choose Cancel. If your printer has memory, another page or two may still print after you have clicked Cancel. You can easily stop this by removing the paper from the tray.

My printer works very slowly

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Mon, 8 Aug 2011 23:39:00 +0530

Cause: If printing files seems to be very slow, you may be running low of system resources, such as RAM or hard disk space.

Solution:

Try closing other programs when you print to see if it makes a difference. If you continue to have problems, you may need some hardware upgrades. If your computer barely meets the recommended hardware requirements for Windows XP, printing will slow everything down, I'm afraid.

A certain file will not print

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Mon, 8 Aug 2011 19:40:00 +0530

Cause: If a certain file type will not print, but other documents print fine, there is probably some kind of software problem between the application you are using and your operating system. This happens sometimes with games and programs that have print features, especially if those games were written for a different operating system.

Example: We have a "My Pretty Pony CD" that works fine on Windows 9x/Me. It also works on XP, but when tried to print something, it just prints a bunch of lines.

Solution:

Since this is a software compatibility problem, I'm afraid there is not much you can do except to try and get a software upgrade so that the software will work fully with Windows XP.

One of my Game Controlers wont work

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Fri, 5 Aug 2011 01:00:00 +0530

Cause: When you have more than one game controller, the computer will typically default to the first one you installed. However, you can change the default game controller so that the one you want to use always comes up first.

Follow these steps to adjust the game controller default:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Game Controllers.

2. Click the Advanced button.

3. From the Preferred Device drop-down menu in the Advanced Settings dialog box--> select the device that you want to use and click OK.

My printer prints garbled text

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Thu, 4 Aug 2011 21:00:00 +0530

Cause: If your printer prints garbled text, it is almost always a sign of a bad or corrupt driver. Even if you installed the correct driver, it may have become corrupt over time. In this case, you need to reinstall the driver for the printer.

To update the printer driver, follow these steps:

1. Download a new copy of the printer driver from the manufacturer's Web site. You can also use the installation CD; but if you have Internet access, always check the manufacturer's Web site first because you will get the latest driver and information from the site.

2. Click Start--> Control Panel (Classic view)--> Printers and Faxes.

3. Right-click the desired printer icon--> click Properties.

4. Click the Advanced tab--> then click the New Driver button.

5. The Add Printer Driver Wizard appears--> Click Next.

6. In the Printer Driver Selection screen, choose the manufacturer and model of your printer--> or click the Have Disk button to install the driver from the floppy or CD-ROM drive (or from the hard drive, if you downloaded the driver)--> Click Next.

7. Click Finish.

Prevention: Remember, any time you hav,e garbled text or the printer just does not work well with the computer (such as in the case of communication errors), the driver is commonly the problem.

My USB printer does not work

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Thu, 4 Aug 2011 05:15:00 +0530

Cause: USB hubs allow a number of different devices to connect to them, but some devices can pull too much power, causing other devices not to work or not to work well.

Solution:

Plug the printer into a different USB port. If that does not work, unplug some of the other USB devices. If the printer now works, you may need to consider installing an additional USB hub or a self-powered USB hub.

I cannot get an older printer to work with Windows XP

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Thu, 4 Aug 2011 04:14:00 +0530

Cause: Hardware, such as a printer, has to be compatible with Windows XP. You may be able to get an older model printer to work with Windows XP, but you will often need an updated driver.

Solution:
To get an updated driver: visit the manufacturer's Web site and see if a new driver for the printer model has been developed. If there is a printer driver for Windows 2000 but not for XP, the 2000 driver may work on XP. Download the new driver, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for installation.

Note: Always remember, the driver is the key to good compatibility with virtually all hardware. If Windows XP does not have a good driver for the hardware you are trying to use, you will probably have difficulties.

Click here to install a new driver

Difficulties with Game Controllers

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:30:00 +0530

With the popularity of computer games comes the onslaught of game controllers. There are all kinds of available game controllers, including joysticks, flight yokes, gamepads, and others. Most of the game controllers are hooked up to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, or they can function over an infrared port if your computer is equipped with one. Generally, they work like any other peripheral.

My game controller does not work.

Cause: As with any hardware, you need to make sure that the game controller you want to use is compatible with Windows XP. If compatibility does not seem to be an issue, then Plug and Play may have a difficult time detecting the device for one reason or another or may have trouble installing the correct driver. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s setup instructions.

You can try to use the Game Controllers tool in Control Panel to install the device:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Game Controllers.

2. In the Game Controllers window--> see if the device is listed and connected--> If not, go to Step 3.

3. Click the Add button--> In the Add Game Controller window--> select the type of game controller you want to install and click OK.

4. If the game controller still does not work--> you should call the manufacturer’s help line or visit the manufacturer’s Web site for help.

I am having problems with a wireless mouse & keyboard

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:23:00 +0530

Cause: A number of wireless mice and keyboards are available, all of which work with your computer’s infrared port. These devices are great because they allow you flexibility and a computing experience without aggravating wires. However, you can have some problems with infrared devices.

There are some common reasons and solutions for infrared problems:

• Distance/obstruction: In order for infrared devices to work--> the mouse or keyboard must be within range of the infrared port--> and other objects must not be blocking the infrared beams.

• Unconfigured infrared port: If the devices do not work at all--> you may need to configure your infrared port--> You’ll need to check both your computer’s documentation and your keyboard or mouse documentation for configuration assistance.

I have problems using a mouse because of a disability

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 19:23:00 +0530

Cause: The mouse is a major input device on any computer. However, if you have a disability that makes using the mouse difficult, you can check for alternative devices at your local computer store. Also, you can use the MouseKeys feature, which allows you to use the numeric keypad on your keyboard as input for the mouse movement. Finally, you may consider trying a trackball, which does the same thing as a mouse but is easier to use.

To use MouseKeys, follow these steps:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Accessibility Options.

2. Click the Mouse tab--> select the Use MouseKeys check box. Click the Settings tab--> adjust how fast you want the pointer to move. The Top Speed slider bar determines the maximum speed at which the pointer moves when you hold down the key. The Acceleration slider bar determines how quickly the mouse accelerates when using the mouse key-->When you are done--> click OK.

My mouse wheel makes entire pages scroll

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:19:00 +0530

Cause: Most mice have a scroll wheel that is located between the two keys. This makes scrolling through documents and Web pages easier. However, if the setting it too high, you may have difficulty scrolling.

To prevent the mouse wheel from scrolling too quickly, follow these steps:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Mouse.

2. Click the Wheel tab--> Instead of using the One Screen at a Time button--> choose the Following Number of Lines at a Time option and configure it for three lines at a time.This scroll setting works best for most people.

My mouse pointer disappears when I am typing

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:00:00 +0530

Cause: Mouse pointers typically remain available when you are typing on the keyboard; however, a setting can be selected that makes the mouse pointer disappear when you are typing.

To prevent the mouse pointer from disappearing, follow these steps:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Mouse.

2. Click the Pointer Options tab--> Under Visibility--> clear the Hide Pointer While Typing check box and click OK.

My mouse pointer moves too fast/slow

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 01:00:00 +0530

Cause: Mouse pointer speed can be a real pain if it is not configured correctly. Fortunately, if your mouse pointer moves too quickly or too slowly on the screen, you can easily fix the problem.

To adjust pointer speed, follow these steps:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Mouse.

2. Click the Pointer Options tab--> Under Motion--> adjust the slider bar until the mouse pointer moves at the speed you want. You should also make sure the Enhance Pointer Precision check box is selected. This selection gives you greater control over the mouse pointer on the screen--> Click OK.

My mouse pointer creates a trailing effect when I move it

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0530

Cause: Your mouse pointer can be configured to trail when it is moved, which just gives it a blurring movement effect. Some people like this; others get a feeling of motion sickness. If you don’t like it, you can easily stop the behavior.

To stop the mouse trail effect, follow these steps:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Mouse.

2. Click the Pointer Options tab--> Under Visibility--> clear the Display Pointer Trails check box and click OK.

My mouse pointer is too small/large

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:24:00 +0530

Cause: The mouse pointers that you see on your computer screen are the pointers for the default Windows mouse pointer scheme. The scheme tells Windows the kind of pointer to display when you are moving your mouse, when the system is busy, when you are working in the background, and in a number of other situations as well. If you do not like the default Windows scheme, you can choose another one or even customize different pointer options so that the mouse pointers work well for you.

To change the mouse pointers, follow these steps:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Mouse.

2. Click the Pointers tab--> The Pointers tab shows you the default scheme and the appearance of the pointers under that scheme. The Windows Default scheme is automatically configured, but you can click the Scheme drop-down menu and select one of the many other schemes available. Some schemes make pointers larger or smaller, and some simply make the pointers more fun. For example, I have selected the Dinosaur scheme.

3. Once you find a scheme that you like--> just click OK to begin using it. You can return to the Pointers tab at any time and change the scheme to something else.

4. Another possibility is that you might find a scheme you like, but decide one of the pointer options is not right for you. You can customize that particular pointer and save your own scheme. First, select the pointer that you want to change in the Customize box--> and then click Browse.

5. The Browse window appears, showing all of the available cursor files--> Choose a pointer that you want to use and click Open. This will return you to the Pointers tab--> and the cursor you selected will now be in place.

6. Click the Save As button--> give your modified scheme a name (anything will do), and click OK. You now have your own customized scheme.

Prevention: You can also use pointer files that you download from the Internet, but Windows will only use pointers that are animation files or cursor files. In other words, if you download a pointer called CoolPointer from the Internet, the pointer must be a CoolPointer.ani or CoolPointer.cur file in order to work with Windows XP.

Double-clicking does not work well

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 07:30:00 +0530

Cause: The double-click response rate is determined by a setting in the Mouse Properties window. If the double-click feature is too fast or too slow, you can adjust it to meet your needs.

To adjust the double-click speed, follow these steps.

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Click Mouse.

2. On the Buttons tab--> adjust the Double-Click Speed slider bar until you find the setting that is right for you--> and click OK.

I am left-handed, and I find right-clicking difficult

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 03:00:00 +0530

Cause: Mouse keys provide right and left buttons; but to left-handed people, who use the mouse on the left side, it sometimes feels wrong to find the right-click features on the right side. The good news is that you can easily reverse the keys so that the left key is the primary key and the right key is the secondary key. This means that right-click features will work on the left key and left-click features will work on the right key.

To change the primary and secondary button configuration on your mouse, follow these steps.

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Mouse.

2. On the Buttons tab--> select the Switch Primary and Secondary Buttons check box--> click OK.

My mouse keeps sticking

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 01:00:00 +0530

Cause: If your mouse pointer seems to stick on the screen when you move the mouse, there are two possible problems:

The mouse ball has collected gunk over time and needs to be cleaned.
The mouse ball is wearing out and is not communicating movement to the computer.

To fix the problem, you’ll need one of these solutions:

You can clean the mouse ball gently with an alcohol pad, or you can buy cleaner at a computer store. If this does not work, go to the second solution.
Mice get a lot of use and abuse and do not last forever. If you are having a lot of tracking problems, you might just want to buy a new one. A good mouse usually costs under $30. Make sure you buy one that is compatible with Windows (most are). Also, consider buying an optical mouse, which is not as susceptible to gunk buildup and wear and tear.

My cursor blinks too fast or slow

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0530

Cause: The cursor’s blink rate is usually set to a middle configuration between no blinking at all and fast blinking. However, you can adjust how your cursor blinks so that it works the way you want it to.

To adjust the cursor blink rate, follow these steps:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Keyboard.

2. On the Speed tab--> you’ll see a Cursor Blink Rate slider bar. Adjust the slider bar until the cursor blinks at a rate that is pleasing to you--> Click OK when you are done.

Note: The cursor blink rate does not affect how fast you can type. In other words, a slow cursor blink rate simply means that the cursor blinks slowly; it does not mean that the keyboard responds slowly.

The keyboard works too slowly

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:00:00 +0530

Cause: Keyboard settings determine how fast keystrokes appear on your screen when you touch the keyboard. If the keyboard is working too slowly, you can adjust the keyboard stroke speed.

Note: All Control Panel instructions in this chapter assume you are using the Classic view. If you are not, just Click Start--> Control Panel--> and then click the option in the left portion of the window to use Classic view.

To adjust the keyboard speed, follow these steps:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> Keyboard.

2. On the Speed tab--> adjust the Repeat Delay and Repeat Rate settings so that they are longer or shorter and slower or faster, respectively. You can use the repeat box, to test the repeat rate setting:

3. Click OK when you are done.

Tip: Keep in mind that you can return to this window and adjust the settings again if you still do not like the performance.

My keyboard does not work

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 01:00:00 +0530

Cause: If your keyboard does not respond at all, there is a communication problem between the keyboard and your computer, and a few possible explanations.

Try these solutions:

1. Check the connection on the keyboard port. The keyboard may not be plugged in. If your keyboard has worked previously, this most often is the cause of the problem. Just plug the keyboard in securely, and the keyboard should start working.

2. If the keyboard is plugged in correctly but still not working, reboot your computer and see if Windows XP can redetect and install it.

3. If this does not work, you may need to get a keyboard driver from the keyboard manufacturer or get technical support help to solve the problem.

Note: Keep in mind that you cannot install new hardware unless you are logged on with an administrator account.

Region error message when I try to use the DVD player

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0530

Cause: DVD players function by regions because many DVDs are imprinted with a code that controls which geographical region they can be played in. To make sure your DVD is using the correct region, follow the below steps.

To make sure your DVD drive is using the correct region, follow these steps:

1. Click Start--> Control Panel--> System.

Note: These steps assume you are using the Classic view of Control Panel which shows you all the icon options.

If you are not sure if you are using the Classic view of Control Panel:

click Start--> Control Panel. In the left window pane--> click the Switch to Classic View option.

2. Click the Hardware tab--> click the Device Manager button.

3. Expand the DVD/CD-ROM Drives category--> Right-click the icon for your DVD player--> then click Properties.

4. On the DVD Region tab--> the current region is displayed--> Click a geographic area in the list and look in the New Region field to see the region code of the geographic area you need to use to change the currently configured code--> Click OK when you are done.

5. A message appears asking “Are you sure you want to change your DVD drive region setting to region x?”--> Click OK.

Tip: If you cannot change the code, then your DVD does not support other regions. The only solution is to purchase a DVD-ROM drive for the region in which you now reside.

When I try to play my DVD, the screen becomes black

noreply@blogger.com (Windows XP Texpert) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 21:00:00 +0530

Cause: In order for DVD playback to work correctly, you need to ensure that two or more programs using video overlay are not running at the same time (for example, WebTV and Microsoft NetMeeting).

Solution: Make sure all of your programs are closed, and then try running the DVD again.