Ask the Computer Geek

How To Prevent and Remove Autorun Spyware/Virus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 02:17:00 +0000

You need to download this little programs.

AutoRuns download here
System Explorer (optional) download here
Unlocker (optional) download here

Simple step on how to prevent and remove autorun spyware/virus manually from removable disk
1. You need to disabled your Autorun/Autoplay
2. Kill the program that process in your system
3. Delete the files and remove in the startup programs

What is Autorun/Autoplay?
Autorun/Autoplay is the ability of many modern computer operating systems to automatically take some action upon the insertion of removable media such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or flash media. - wikipedia

The disadvantage of Autorun is it can pose a security threat, when the user does not expect or intend to run the software, such as in the case of some viruses and spyware, which take advantage of this feature to propagate. Imagine that the program runs in your computer without your knowledge, so here's how to disable Autorun/Autoplay using Group Policy

1. Click Start button > Run > type gpedit.msc then click OK

2. In Group Policy, expand User Configuration > Administrative Templates > System then double click Turn off Autoplay

3. Select Enabled and All Drives in Turn of Autoplay Properties, click Apply > OK

Since you disable the Autorun/Autoplay, you need to open the removable media manually to play like when insert a audio cd or video cd.

How to remove autorun spyware/virus in your hard drive or USB drive manually
In order to make a demo, I enabled my Autorun/Autoplay and insert a USB Drive infected with spyware and let the spyware run on my computer system. And now I want to remove it manually, here's how...

1. Show the hidden files and protected operating system files
Open My Computer, in Tools Menu select Folder Options....

In Folder Options, select Show Hidden files and folders and then unchecked Hide protected operating system files > Apply > OK

Other spyware hide the Folder Options, in this case you need to run Group Policy (gpedit.msc)
Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Explorer then select Disabled in the Remove the Folder Options menu item from the Tools menu > Apply > OK

2. Look for autorun.inf
Now open USB Drive, you can see the autorun.inf file and open it ( you also see this file in your Hard disk drive)

Be aware of New Folder or have a folder icon in your USB Drive like you see above, actually this is not a folder it is a executable program that use the icon of a folder. Sometimes it use notepad, yahoo messenger, microsoft word icon and other system icon to hide. Here's how to determine if it is a real folder or an executable program

Before you open the folder, in your mouse right click the folder and click Properties

This is a real folder, you can see the Sharing and Customize Tab

While an executable program have a Version and Compatibility Tab

Remember all the file, in this case it's only one "SCVVHSOT.exe" but when it's already running in your system it has the ability to generate another file (Recycler) or call a executable program (like the New Folder.exe) hide in the USB Drive. Other autorun.inf have more files like in the bar311 virus (bar311.exe, password_viewer.exe, photos.zip.exe and pc-off.bat)

3. End the Process
Go to Task Manager or press “Ctrl + Alt + Del” keys, in Processes Tab select the file that you see in the autorun.inf then click End Process. If you get this message

Run Group Policy (gpedit.msc)
Go to User Configuration > Administrative Templates> System > Ctrl+Alt+Delete options > Remove Task Manager, select Disabled in the Remove Task Manager Option > Apply > OK

For me I use Process Explorer to kill the process

4. Remove the file in the Startup Programs
You can remove it by using Autoruns, check the process programs in the Logon Tab

Click image to enlarge

Now you can see the path of the file where it hide, follow the path in my computer and then delete all the files. Delete also files that process like the New Folder.exe and Recycler in the USB Drive. Most of this files hide in this directory

Root directory (drive C, drive D etc..)
x:\windows
x:\windows\system32

x = where you install the windows

Other case you cannot delete the files because there is a message that the program is running, in this case you can use Unlocker. Unlocker has the ability to delete the file even if it is running.

In the Autoruns, Delete or you can unchecked programs so that it will not run again when the computer restart

Checked also Scheduled Tasks tab, delete the file At1.job (something like that)

This article is an alternative way to remove spyware and virus. If you want to see the full article CLICK HERE!

All About BIOS

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 07:21:00 +0000

When you press the power button on your computer, the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is the first thing to swing into action. The BIOS is actually a piece of software stored on a chip built in to the motherboard that is responsible for booting your computer and making sure all of the devices work. At startup, the BIOS initiates a multistage process, which includes testing the hardware and loading the OS. The testing stage, or POST (power on self test), scans your devices and system to see if everything is communicating properly. BIOS manufacturers have created a code system to communicate the POST status in the form of BIOS beeps. Some newer motherboards include a voice recording that literally tells you the status of your computer. In most cases, however, we are pleasantly unaware of the BIOS and its low-tech language. If everything is working like it’s supposed to, all you hear is a beep, and the computer starts.

All Beep & No Work
In the event of a critical error during the POST, most BIOSes use beeps via the internal speaker (or external speakers in the case of voiced messages) to alert you to what’s wrong. This communication is very rudimentary. During the startup process think of your system as a metal primate, only instead of using grunts to communicate territorial rights, your PC resorts to beeps or a combination of beeps and pauses to indicate it has encountered specific problems. The “language” your PC uses depends on what type of BIOS it has. You have to translate beep codes based on the model and manufacturer. The two most dominant BIOS manufacturers are AMI (American Megatrends, Inc.) and Phoenix Technologies, but there are many others.

Click image to enlarge

To determine your BIOS manufacturer and version number, click Start and Programs (All Programs if you’re using Windows XP). Navigate to Accessories, click System Tools, and then click System Information. In the System Information window, scan the right pane for BIOS Version/Date under the Item column. In the adjacent Value column, you will find the manufacturer and version of your BIOS.

Configure Your BIOS
Most computers have the default BIOS configuration set up so that the POST Status (sometimes called Power On Status, which is essentially the beep code) is enabled. If you don’t hear a beep during a normal boot, check your BIOS configuration to make sure POST Status is enabled. The users manual that came with your computer is your best source for information on how to access the BIOS setup utility. You can’t assume that one Phoenix or AMI BIOS setup utility will look the same as any other setup utility by Phoenix or AMI; the setup utilities can vary in appearance depending on your system’s hardware and BIOS version. If you need to enable your POST status (beep codes) look for something to the effect of POST Status or POST Notification in your setup utility, and enable it by using the appropriate key commands, checkboxes, or selectable options. Your system’s manual will likely describe the features of your BIOS and include the settings that work best for your computer. Take caution when changing your BIOS settings because the improper configuration can prevent the system from recognizing your peripherals or even from booting. Typically pressing and holding (or pressing repeatedly) a designated key such as ESC, DELETE, F1, or F2 as the computer starts up will display the BIOS setup utility. Your manual will tell you which key to use.

What’s That Beep?
Occasionally an add-in card may issue beep codes during the POST that are not directly associated with the BIOS, which would explain why your system is operational despite emitting more than one beep. If you start hearing beeps and your system fails to fully boot, the problem is not necessarily that your hardware is faulty. You may simply have jostled components out of place by moving your system. You can sometimes solve the problem by reseating (removing and reinserting) memory modules or other hardware cards within your computer’s case. Always practice extreme caution when working with the inner components of your case, and make sure to eliminate static electricity by touching a metal surface before handling any piece of your computer’s hardware. Also be sure to unplug your computer.

Decode That Code
■ American Megatrends Inc. If your computer came with an AMI BIOS, and it fails to boot after your internal speaker emits one, two, or three beeps, then the problem most likely lies with your memory modules. Open your computer case (remembering to dissipate static electricity by touching a grounded piece of metal). Replace one module at a time and turn your system on. If the computer boots up, then you know the memory module you just inserted is operational. Next, insert another module and start your system again. Repeat this process until all modules are replaced or until the beep code reoccurs and the boot process fails. If that happens, you can conclude that the module you put in last is faulty. Replace it with a new module and your system should be fine.

When your system fails to boot after four to seven, or nine to 11 beeps, it indicates a problem with your motherboard or your expansion cards. As before, dispel static electricity and carefully remove all expansion cards (except the video adapter) and boot the system. In the event that the error code occurs again, there is little you can do but contact the manufacturer of your motherboard or system. If the error does not occur, replace the expansion cards one by one, starting the system after each new card. Using this process of elimination, you can determine which card is causing the problem. If your AMI BIOS beeps five times, you may be looking at a processor error. At this point you should contact the manufacturer of your computer, though the company will likely tell you that you need to get a new CPU. In instances where a serious error such as this occurs which requires a significant investment to repair, you should attempt to duplicate the error several times to eliminate any other (possibly cheaper) possibilities. Another reason for this error could be that the CPU fan has failed, so check to see if it is rotating. Reseating the CPU may also solve your problem.

If your AMI BIOS beeps eight times, direct your attention to the system video adapter. In the event that your video adapter is integrated with your motherboard, the board may be faulty. If the video adapter is an expansion card, remove it (again dissipate static electricity first) and start your system. If all goes well, reseat the video adapter card and start your system. If the beep code reoccurs and the system fails to boot, then your card is likely to blame. If the system boots fully, then reseating the card solved the problem.

■ Phoenix Technologies. If your computer came with a Phoenix BIOS, the beep codes consist of a series of beeps and pauses, which will direct your attention to the appropriate aspect of your system that is malfunctioning. In the event that your Phoenix BIOS beeps once, pauses, beeps twice, pauses, beeps twice, pauses, and beeps three more times, direct your attention to the BIOS itself. If your BIOS is upgradeable, you may need to flash update it to solve this problem. You can visit your motherboard manufacturer’s (not the BIOS manufacturer’s) Web site for information on how to update your BIOS, should it require an update. Reseating or checking the expansion cards may also lead to an answer to the problem. Again, make sure to dissipate static electricity prior to handling your computer’s internal components. You might need to replace the BIOS should the beeps persist, in which case you should contact your motherboard manufacturer. A Phoenix BIOS that beeps once, pauses, beeps four times, pauses, beeps twice, pauses, and then beeps once more is alerting you to a problem with the CMOS (complementary metaloxide semiconductor), which is the memory that stores the BIOS. Attempt to remove all expansion cards (except the video card) and then reseat them one at a time. If the error still occurs, contact your motherboard’s manufacturer as you probably need to replace the CMOS . When your Phoenix BIOS beeps once, pauses, beeps three times, pauses, beeps once, pauses, and beeps one more time, the error lies with the memory modules. You should check to see if your motherboard supports the installed memory, or reseat the memory modules one at a time, restarting your system after each reseat.

Post Script
The lack of an industry wide standard for BIOS beeps means that to successfully troubleshoot your beeps you need to look up your BIOS manufacturer’s beep code list for your particular BIOS version. Phoenix and AMI both have downloadable PDF documents that detail beep codes and what they refer to.

Windows XP Hardware Errors

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 06:44:00 +0000

Error Message: CD or DVD drive is not recognized as installed.

Translation: After performing a System Restore, the CD-RW or DVD+RW drives are no longer recognized on the computer.

Solution: Attach CD/DVD drives to a ribbon cable (different drive controller header on the mother board) that does not connect to the hard drive.

Error Message: “System Restore cannot run until you restart the computer.”

Translation: When you attempt to run System Restore, this error message may appear. This can happen if a Wininit.ini file is present in the Windows directory.

Solution: To fix this, restart the computer. If the error appears again, search the hard drive for the presence of the Wininit.ini file, and then rename it. To do so, follow these steps: Restart your computer in Safe or DOS Mode. Click Start. Point to Search. Click For Files or Folders. In the Named box, type wininit.ini. In the Look in box, click Local Hard Drives. Click Find Now, right-click the Wininit.ini file, click Rename, and then type wininit.xxx. Click OK. Close the Find Files window, and then run System Restore again. If that doesn’t fix the problem, run the following command to repair the damaged portions of your Registry: scanreg /fix

Error Message: “Services.exe - Application Error. The application failed to initialize (0xc0000006).”

Translation: When the computer is started, the desktop appears without the icons, and a message box appears with the title of “Services.exe - Application Error” and the above error. After clicking OK, nothing appears on the screen and the Desktop is blank. If the Services.exe file is renamed or removed, the message box doesn’t appear, but the computer is still on the Desktop without the icons.

Solution: Services.exe is an Application used only in Windows NT4/2000/XP for starting, stopping, and interacting with system services. To resolve the issue, reinstall the operating system.(NOTE: This is really called an “in-place upgrade” and should only have the effect of repairing the current installation.) Refer to the link for more details: support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

Error Message: After you install a new hardware device or new software, your computer may start to restart spontaneously, or you may receive error messages on a blue screen.

Translation: This is usually caused by a device driver that doesn’t match the version of Windows on which it is installed. Or just a poorly written driver.

Solution: Check third party software or drivers. Try removing any third party software or drivers recently installed or disabling them so that they do not load. Then, restart the computer to see whether that cures the problem. If that cures it, report the problem to the manufacturer of the software of driver. If you can’t restart WinXP after you install the software or drivers, use one of these methods to restore Windows:
• Try using the Roll Back Driver feature.
• Try using the WinXP System Restore feature.
• Try using Recovery Console.
• Try starting MS-DOS: If Windows is installed on a partition that uses the FAT file system, try starting your computer to MS-DOS and then renaming the problem software or driver.

Windows XP Startup & Shutdown Errors

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 05:59:00 +0000

Error Message: “Non-System disk or disk error . . . Replace and strike a key when ready.”

Translation: This simply means that WinXP is attempting to boot from a disk (be it a floppy diskette or one of your hard disks) that doesn’t contain the system files WinXP needs to start. WinXP needs access to certain bits of information when it starts up. Your hard drive’s boot sector, a specific location on the disk, contains the startup files WinXP needs to continue the boot process. If WinXP can’t find those files, the boot process stops cold.

Solution: This one is either a simple mistake or a catastrophe. First, check to see if you have a floppy diskette in your drive. Nine times out of 10, this error is caused when you leave a floppy in the disk drive, turn off the computer, and then turn it on again without taking the diskette out of the drive. If the floppy is not a system disk with the required boot files, WinXP won’t launch. Check the floppy drive, and if there is a diskette in it, remove it and press any key on your keyboard. Windows should now start up normally. If a forgotten floppy disk is not the cause, then you’ve got a much bigger problem on your hands. Somehow, your hard drive’s boot sector has been damaged or erased. This is typically caused by either a boot-sector virus or a hard drive failure. Most antivirus programs let you create a rescue disk designed specifically for those times when a virus renders your computer unbootable.
If you created a rescue diskette, insert it into your floppy drive, restart the computer, and follow the antivirus software’s instructions to clean the boot-sector infection and restore your computer. If you don’t have a rescue diskette, go to a friend or co-worker who has one and either use his or use his antivirus software to create one, even if you use different antivirus programs. Right now, your main focus should be on disinfecting and booting your computer.
If a boot-sector virus is not the cause, the hard drive’s boot sector, for some reason or another, has been damaged. WinXP’s Recovery Console has two utilities you can use to try to repair your boot sector: FIXBOOT or FIXMBR. FIXBOOT writes an entirely new boot sector, while FIXMBR repairs the MBR (master boot record) in the boot sector. To run the Recovery Console, boot into your WinXP setup CD and press r when prompted. To boot into your WinXP installation CD, restart the computer and enter your Setup (BIOS [Basic Input/Output System])
program. Your BIOS should have a menu where you can change the sequence of boot devices for your computer. By default, your computer looks for a bootable disk in your floppy drive first, your hard drive second, and your CD drive last. Adjust the boot sequence in your BIOS so your computer searches for a bootable disc in your CD drive first (leave the hard drive as the second choice), insert your WinXP installation disc into your CD drive, and restart the computer. Because BIOS programs vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, consult your BIOS’ documentation to find out how to change the boot device sequence.
To run FIXBOOT, type FIXBOOT [drive] at the command prompt, where drive is the drive letter for your boot drive (usually C:). To run FIXMBR, type FIXMBR [device name], where device name is the nomenclature the Recovery Console’s MAP command uses to describe the various hardware devices in your computer. For example, you might type FIXMBR \device\HardDisk0 to restore your boot record’s MBR. If you don’t enter a device name, FIXMBR repairs the MBR of the default system disk.

Error Message: “STOP: 0xc000026C [Unable to load device driver] Driver” or “STOP: 0xv0000221 [Unable to load device driver] Driver” or “STOP: 0xv0000221. Bad image check sum, the image user32.dll is possibly corrupt. The header check sum does not match the computed check sum.”

Translation: These errors have two possible root causes: As the first two message simply, the errors can be caused by a device driver file (*.SYS) that is missing or has been corrupted. The third message is pretty straightforward, also: Again, something’s gone awry with a file—this time with USER32.DLL. This is one of those critical system files containing information that WinXP absolutely needs to run properly.
In a nutshell, a DLL (dynamic-link library) is a file containing information that another program (this time, it is Windows itself) needs to run properly. For example, a DLL file may contain additional functions that another program’s code may call as the program runs. Programmers love DLLs because they let them simply call functions from within their code instead of having to code them from scratch. This particular DLL provides functionality related to the WinXP API (Application Programming Interface). Bottom line is, USER32.DLL is very important to WinXP.

Solution: system. This is done using WinXP’s Recovery The solution to this problem is to restore the missing or corrupted files to your Console. In the solution to the last message, we discussed how to access the Recovery Console. At the Recovery Console’s command prompt, type the following commands to restore the required files. First, how to restore the drivers:

1. Type cd windows\system32\drivers at the command prompt to open that directory.
2. Type ren DRIVER.SYS DRIVER.BAK to rename the corrupted copy of the driver (if the problem is a corrupted driver; if the driver is just missing, skip this step and proceed to step 3).
3. Type copy [CD drive letter]:\i386 DRIVER.SYS to copy a fresh, functional copy of the driver from your WinXP installation CD to the WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Drivers directory.
4. Type exit and then press the ENTER key to exit the Recovery Console.

Second, let’s restore USER32.DLL:
1. Browse to the required directory by typing cd [drive letter]:\windows\system32 at the command prompt.
2. If you have a copy of USER32.DLL in the windows\system32 directory that you suspect is corrupt, type ren USER32.DLL USER32.BAK to rename the file. If the file is missing, skip to step 3.
3. Type expand [CD drive letter]:\i386\USER32.DLL_ [drive letter]:\windows\system32 to copy the new USER32.DLL file to your Windows directory.

Error Message: “The file C:\windows\system32\c_1252.nls is missing or corrupt.”

Translation: As WinXP error messages go, this is one of the most straightforward. WinXP is simply reporting that the strangely named file c_1252.nls has gone AWOL.

Solution: The strategy to solve this problem is the same as in the “STOP: 0xc000026C [Unable to load device driver] Driver” error: Restore a fresh copy of the missing or corrupted file from your WinXP installation CD. Again, you must use the Recovery Console to do this. Once in the Recovery Console’s command prompt, type the following commands:

• cd C:\windows\system32—opens the system32 folder in C:\Windows; this is the default location of the file.
• ren c_1252.nls c_1252.bak—The approach here is to give the existing copy of the file an extension that disables it by preventing WinXP from finding the corrupted file at startup. If the file is missing, this step is not necessary.
• expand [CD drive letter]:\i386\USER32.DL_ [drive letter]:\windows\system32—This copies a pristine copy of the file from the WinXP installation CD to the WINDOWS/System32folder.
• Do as usual to exit the Recovery Console.

Error Message: “Devices or applications disabled. CD Recording software will cause Windows to become unstable. Windows has prevented these drivers from loading. Click here for more details.”

Translation: WinXP doesn’t get along very well with older versions of Easy CD Creator software. If you upgraded to WinXP and didn’t remove your older copy of Easy CD Creator software, WinXP detects this incompatible program and lets you know about it with the above message.

Solution: The solution here is to purge your system of all traces of the program. This problem illustrates a tried-and-true principle of Windows computing: When upgrading to a new Windows version, always perform a “clean” upgrade. In other words, format your hard drive to wipe it clean and then upgrade.
The first step is removing Easy CD Creator. Click Start and Control Panel and double-click the Add or Remove Programs icon. Locate the Easy CD Creator program on the list and click Remove.
The next step is to disable any drivers Easy CD Creator copied to your system. Click Start, Search, and All Files And Folders. Type cdr*.sys in the All Or Part Of The File Name box, select your C: drive in the Look In dropdown menu, and click Search. If Search finds any files called Cdr4_2K.sys or Cdralw2k.sys, right-click the file names, click Rename, and change each file name to Cd*.old.
Finally, you must remove any keys in your Windows Registry that reference Easy CD Creator files. Keep in mind, modifying the Registry is dangerous, so tread with care. A misstep here and you can easily end up with a very sick system. OK, on with our Registry surgery: Click Start and Run, type regedit in the Open textbox, and click OK. In the Registry editor, find the following key and click it to highlight it: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\
CONTROL\CLASS\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} If you see a value called UpperFilters on the Registry editor’s right pane, delete it by right-clicking it and clicking Delete. Click Yes to confirm.
Likewise, if you see a LowerFilters value, use the same procedure to delete it. Now, delete the following Registry keys. To delete a key, locate it, right-click, and click Delete. Click Yes to confirm the deletion:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES\Cdr4_2K
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES \Cdralw2k
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES \Cdudf
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES\UdfReadr

Error Message: “Hard disk drive failure”

Translation: This one is self-explanatory: WinXP is reporting a problem with your hard drive.

Solution: This is a hardware problem, so the solution is to determine whether your hard drive is permanently damaged or whether the hard drive information in your system’s BIOS is incorrect. The first step is to reboot the computer, enter your computer’s BIOS Setup program, and verify the settings for your hard drive. If everything looks OK in the BIOS, you may have a damaged hard drive. In this case, we hope that you have backed up your data because most likely the data on the damaged drive may be very difficult, if not impossible, to recover.

Error Message: “Fatal System Error: 0x000000a0 (0x00000002, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)”

Translation: This one is fairly straightforward: WinXP reports a serious crash along with a memory address. The question is, what exactly is this telling you? Reporting a hexadecimal memory address without further detail is no help at all in deciphering this message.

Solution: According to Microsoft, this error occurs if you have a Microsoft Sidewinder Gamepad Pro USB device, and you unplug it during the boot process. The solution? Simple, really. Don’t unplug your Gamepad Pro during startup.

Error Message: Here, you can’t see the message; instead, you briefly see a blue screen and then Windows automatically restarts.

Translation: The reason Windows is quickly restarting when the error occurs, without giving you enough time to see the error message, is that the system is configured to automatically restart when a system error occurs. When a STOP error occurs, Windows restarts so rapidly you have no time to look at the message. This behavior is quite disconcerting because you can’t get the error message information you desperately need to troubleshoot the problem.

Solution: Before any troubleshooting effort can begin, you need to configure WinXP so it won’t automatically restart when the error occurs. Right-click My Computer, click Properties, and click the Advanced tab. Click the Settings button in the Startup and Recovery option groups and click the Automatically Restart checkbox in the System Failure option group to clear it. Click OK to accept your changes. WinXP now displays the error message, and you can troubleshoot the problem.

Error Message: No message here, just a symptom: After connecting a USB device, your computer hangs when you try to shut it down.

Solution: The root cause of this problem is the fact that a USB device is configured for selective suspend, but the device doesn’t support it. The Selective-Suspend feature allows Windows to turn a device (a USB mouse or keyboard, for example) off to conserve power. This is especially useful in notebook computers, where conserving battery power is a primary goal. But for this feature to work, of course, the device must support it. To resolve the problem, right-click My Computer, click Properties, and then click the Hardware tab. Click the Device Manager button and scroll down the devices list until you find the Universal Serial Bus Controllers entry.
Click the plus sign to the left of the entry to expand it, right-click the USB Root Hub entry, and click Properties. Click the Power Management tab on the USB Root Hub Properties window and click the Allow The Computer To Turn Off This Device To Save Power checkbox to clear it. Click OK to accept your changes and then exit the Device Manager.

Powerful Free Programs #6

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:59:00 +0000

UNLOCKER

Get rid of error message like Error deleting file or folder, cannot delete folder: it's being used by another person or program

Unlocker application was designed to be a very useful Windows Explorer extension allowing users with a simple right-click on a file or folder to easily get rid of error message such as error deleting file or folder, cannot delete folder: it's being used by another person or program.

Helps delete locked files with error messages like:
· Cannot delete file: Access is denied
· There has been a sharing violation.
· The source or destination file may be in use.
· The file is in use by another program or user.
· Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.

DOWNLOAD

Computer Troubleshooting - Graphics Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:17:00 +0000

Your graphics card, or graphics adapter, is the component of your PC responsible for processing everything you see on the computer’s display, including your operating system’s GUI (graphical user interface), software applications, videos, still images, and text. Depending on your computer, your graphics adapter is either a standalone graphics card or an integrated chip built into the motherboard. For instance, most desktop PCs feature graphics cards plugged into a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect), AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port), or PCI Express slot on your computer’s motherboard. On the other hand, notebooks and small form factor systems commonly use integrated graphics adapters.

Problem: The PC seems to boot, but the display is blank.

Solution 1: Check your display. Make sure your monitor is plugged into a working power outlet, connected to the appropriate VGA or DVI port on the graphics card or motherboard, and powered on. Also, check the VGA or DVI cable connectors for bent pins that may interfere with your video signal.

Solution 2: Inspect your connections. Check to make sure the graphics card is fully inserted into the motherboard’s PCI, AGP, or PCIE slot. To check and reseat a standalone graphics card, start by shutting the computer down, unplugging it, unplugging the monitor cable, and removing the PC’s side panel. Touch a grounded piece of metal to dissipate static electricity before touching any internal component. Unless you have a tool-free case, use a screwdriver to remove the screw that secures the card bracket to the case’s rear panel. If your graphics card requires one or two power connectors, disconnect them before removing the card from the slot. Next, examine the slot that the graphics card is plugged into. AGP and PCI-E ports typically have some form of locking mechanism that holds the card in place. Unlock the card by sliding, pushing, or pulling the latch. On some motherboards, you’ll need to gently bend a tab while pulling the card out of the slot. Slowly and carefully pull the card straight out of the slot and examine it for damage or other obvious problems. Remove dust from the card and slot with a clean, dry cloth and reinstall the graphics card, making sure to insert the card fully into its slot. Plug in all the power connectors that you unplugged and restart the computer.

Problem: Your system crashes intermittently or when running graphics-intensive applications.

Solution 1: Check your card’s cooling. Your graphics card produces a lot of heat under normal conditions. That heat output can dramatically increase when running 3D games and other graphically demanding applications. Some computers feature built-in sensors that let you monitor your case temperatures. If applicable, consult your documentation for information about your PC’s temperature monitoring capabilities. Video cards all have different recommended operating temperatures, so consult your computer or video card documentation for the recommended ranges. To resolve the problem, remove the side panel from your case and examine the graphics card for dust buildup. Use a dry cloth or canned air to remove the dust from your fans, vents, and components. Start the PC again to make sure your case fans and graphics card fan are working properly.

Solution 2: Check your power supply. If the video card has one or more power connectors, make sure they are plugged into the power supply. Intermittent restarts can also be the result of an overtaxed power supply. Consult the documentation that came with your computer or power supply to determine its wattage capabilities and then make sure your graphics card doesn’t push your system over that limit.

Problem: Your system intermittently freezes, reboots, or displays poor graphics performance.

Solution 1: Verify compatibility. Before purchasing any new component, you should always make sure that it will work with your existing hardware and software. Even if you’ve installed a PCI, AGP, or PCI-E graphics card into the appropriate slot types in your PC, you may still encounter problems. For instance, an AGP 1.0-compatible motherboard can typically run an AGP 8X-compatible graphics card, but it will only run at slower 1X or 2X AGP speeds, resulting in poor graphics performance. Also, newer motherboards may have multiple slots that a PCI-E graphics card will fit into, but these slots may operate at different speeds. You’ll typically want to install a PCI-E graphics card in the fastest slot available. You may need to consult your documentation or a manufacturer’s Web site for these details.

Solution 2: Resolve driver conflicts. Make sure you uninstall the old graphics card driver and configuration software before installing a new graphics card or the latest graphics driver for your existing card. Even if you already installed the new card or driver without uninstalling the old drivers, it’s best to download the latest driver for your new graphics card from the manufacturer’s Web site (if you haven’t already done so), uninstall the existing driver, and then reinstall the latest driver. Both Nvidia (www.nvidia.com) and ATI (ati.amd.com) offer unified drivers that work for all graphics card models of the same series, such as GeForce and Radeon. If you plan to play games, download the latest version of DirectX at www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx before uninstalling the old graphics driver. Save the latest driver and DirectX executable files to your Desktop and then uninstall the old graphics card driver and configuration software. Installing the latest driver can also resolve graphics issues that sometimes appear after installing Windows XP’s Service Pack 2. To uninstall the old driver and configuration software, use the Add Or Remove Programs utility. In WinXP, click Start, Control Panel, and then click (double-click in Classic View) Add Or Remove Programs. If you’re using Windows 98/2000, click Start, Settings, and Control Panel and then double-click the Add Or Remove Programs icon. Scan the Currently Installed Programs list for the graphics card’s manufacturer and then click the Remove or Change/Remove button on all items that pertain to the graphics card. Now you can double-click the new driver’s executable file to install it. If applicable, install the graphics card configuration software and DirectX.

Solution 3: Install new motherboard chipset drivers. The chipset on the motherboard is responsible for communications between the CPU and graphics card slot. For this reason, you may be able to resolve some graphics card problems by installing the latest version of your motherboard chipset’s driver. To determine your chipset driver, click the Start button, right-click My Computer, click Manage, select Device Manager from the left pane of the Computer Management Window, and then click the plus (+) sign in front of System Devices. Your chipset should appear as multiple entries in this list. For instance, if you see “Intel® 955X Processor to I/O Controller – 2774,” then your chipset is the Intel 955X Express. Visit the motherboard or computer manufacturer’s Web site to download the driver. Install it and restart
your computer.

Solution 4: Try another graphics card. If you have access to a spare graphics card, you can eliminate the possibility that another aspect of your system is causing the problem by swapping the problematic card with the spare. Shut the computer down, dissipate static electricity by touching a metal portion of the case, and then unplug it. Next, remove the monitor cable from the back of the graphics card, remove the existing graphics card (making sure to open the locking mechanism on the slot), insert the other graphics card, and lock it in place. Plug in any necessary power cables, close the case, connect the monitor, and restart the computer. Once Windows loads, install the appropriate driver and reboot. If everything goes smoothly, you can assume that your existing card is the cause of the problem. If the same glitch occurs, you may need to troubleshoot another aspect of the system. If the problems started after you installed a new graphics card, try the old card again to eliminate the possibility that the new card is damaged. Uninstall the new card’s drivers, shut the system down, remove the new card, insert the old card, restart the system, and reinstall the old card’s driver. If the problem is resolved after you reinstall the old card’s driver, and you have eliminated the possibility that there is a hardware or software conflict, then you can assume that the new card is faulty or has been damaged.

Solution 5: Reset the BIOS to defaults. Often, improper settings in the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) utility can wreak havoc on your system. Always exercise caution when changing the BIOS settings, as one wrong move can cause your computer to fail to boot. Restart your computer and enter the BIOS utility, commonly by pressing DELETE, ESC, F1, or F2. You may need to consult your computer or motherboard manual for which key to press. Press the function key that loads the default settings and then press the designated Save And Exit key, which typically appears somewhere on the BIOS screen. Your PC should load Windows after you exit the BIOS, and you can then find out whether resetting the BIOS fixed your problem.

Problem: The display flickers continuously.

Solution: Adjust the refresh rate. A low refresh rate can cause CRT (cathode-ray-tube) monitors to flicker. To change the refresh rate, right-click anywhere on the Desktop, click Properties, and click the Settings tab. Click the Advanced button and the Monitor tab and then click the Hide Modes That This Monitor Cannot Display checkbox to select it. You may need to consult your monitor’s documentation or the manufacturer’s Web site to determine the refresh rates your monitor supports. Use the drop-down box to choose a higher supported refresh rate. A refresh rate of 75Hz or faster should prevent screen flicker. Click Apply, click OK, and close the Display Properties dialog box.

Computer Troubleshooting - Inkjet Printers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:16:00 +0000

Most of us have experienced the frustration of encountering a printer error just as we attempt to print a quick copy of a document. It seems that printer problems never occur at a convenient time, but at least with the right knowledge and a little bit of effort, you can troubleshoot your way through most of your inkjet printer woes.

Problem: When I send a document to the printer, nothing happens. I don’t hear the printer charge the ink, attempt to pull paper through its rollers, or anything.

Solution: As you should with any troubleshooting venture, start by checking the simplest things. Start by verifying that the power cable is plugged into the printer and a wall outlet, power strip, or surge protector. Next, make sure the printer’s power button is turned on and that the printer’s data cable is connected to both the printer and your PC. Next, make sure there isn’t a sheet of paper stuck in the printer. If there was a paper jam earlier, your printer may not even attempt to print any more documents until you remove the paper that’s stuck.

Problem: My document won’t print, and there’s a light flashing on the body of the printer.

Solution: When a light flashes on the face of the printer, it usually means that the printer has encountered an error. That’s the bad news. The good news is that you can usually learn more about the nature of the error by examining how many times the light blinks or by launching the printer utility that came with your printer. First, consult your users manual or the manufacturer’s Web site and look for “Blink codes,” “LED (light-emitting diode) status codes,” or similar guidelines to printer errors. You may learn, for instance, that a certain number of blinks indicates that the printer is out of paper and that a different number of blinks means that there’s a paper jam. If your printer doesn’t have LED codes, launch the printer utility that came with your printer. Often, this tool provides valuable information about the type of error your printer encountered. For example, the printer utility may tell you that one of your ink cartridges is empty, that your printer lost its connection to your PC, or that a necessary driver is missing.

Problem: There are tiny, blurry smudges across my print.

Solution: Usually, if you see small smudges across your prints, some type of lint or other debris has worked its way into your printer. As the ink heads deposit ink, some of it soaks the small bits of debris, which are then forced through the printer’s components along with the paper. As a result, you’ll see smudges of ink on the paper where the ink-soaked debris rubbed against the sheet of paper. The key to handling such ink smudges is first to ensure that you keep your printer clean and free of debris. Next, make sure that you only use papers which are safe to use in your printer. For example, if you want to use a cloth-based paper, such as a velvet or canvas, check your documentation or call the manufacturer to confirm that this type of paper will work with your printer. If your printer has already accumulated debris, the best way to clean things up is to clean the print head. The procedure for cleaning the print head is different for each printer, but usually you do this either by pressing a button on the face of the printer or by clicking a button such as Clean Print Head in the printer utility. You may need to clean the print head several times to remove debris if your printer is especially dirty. Cleaning the print head consumes some ink, so plan to use up a bit of the ink in your cartridges. If cleaning the print head does not clean the printer enough to remove smudges from prints, you will need to call an authorized repair center. Do not try to disassemble and clean the printer yourself.

Problem: There are small, white lines or gaps in my print.

Solution: When you see small gaps in your printouts, this, too, usually means that it’s time to clean the print head. See the previous problem and solution for more information about cleaning the print head. Rarely, gaps in printing occur because a print head is out of alignment. Again, your printer utility should have a tool for aligning the print head. If you’ve cleaned and realigned the print head but you’re still having problem with gaps in prints, you should either take your printer to an authorized repair center or buy a new printer. (Keep in mind that inkjet printers aren’t very expensive, so it may be cheaper to buy a new printer than to repair your current printer.)

Problem: My prints have a severe color cast. The overall tint seems to be more red, yellow, green, or blue than it should be.

Solution: You’re likely to see a color cast in your prints if you haven’t used your printer for several weeks or months. This is because the nozzles of the ink cartridges can dry out if they aren’t used periodically. If one or more of the ink heads is dry and clogged, your printer cannot deposit the proper proportions of colored ink on the paper. If you notice a color cast, the first thing to do is clean the print head, as we discussed earlier in this article. If the color cast continues after you clean the print head a few times, you should buy a new cartridge to replace the one that you suspect is dried out. To avoid such problems in the future, try to print something at least once every week or two. You don’t need to use a lot of ink to do this. You can print a test page from your printer or a very small document. You may even conserve ink by printing in draft mode. The important thing is that every so often, the ink cartridge dispenses some ink so that the ink heads don’t get clogged with dried ink. Besides dried-out ink cartridges, there are a couple of other things that can cause a color cast. First, an improperly calibrated monitor may display colors that are quite different than the colors that print. Calibration is a complicated topic that requires more space than what we have here. Finally, some printer manufacturers have specially formulated inks that do not appear as the correct colors unless they are used with the manufacturer’s proprietary inkjet papers. For example, if you use Canon paper in an Epson printer, some of the colors may look funny. The best option in this case is to buy the paper that the manufacturer recommends.

Problem: There’s a slight difference between how my photos looked on my computer monitor and how they look when I print them. Specifically, it seems as if some colors are darker or lighter than they were on the screen.

Solution: Start by cleaning the print head and calibrating your monitor. Also, though, check your print settings. Make sure that you have selected the right type of paper, the desired print quality, and the correct color settings (if the option is available). If you have not selected the right type of paper in the Print Setup or Print Properties dialog boxes, your printer may deposit the wrong amount of ink on the page. For example, if the Print dialog box indicates that you’ll print on glossy photo paper but you insert standard inkjet paper, your printer will likely print much too heavily for the weight and finish of the standard inkjet paper. Likewise, if the Print Properties dialog box says that you will print on transparency paper, your printer will leave much less ink on the page than it would if it were printing on standard paper. Always make sure that you’ve selected the right type of paper before you begin printing. Paper Problems

Problem: A sheet of paper is stuck in the printer.

Solution: Unfortunately, most of us have had a sheet of paper get stuck in the printer at some time. It can be a very common occurrence. To resolve a paper jam, you usually gently pull the sheet of paper back out of the printer and then reset the printer. However, to avoid damage to your printer, you should consult the users manual to first ensure that you remove the paper jam in a way that is safe for your printer.

Problem: The printer feeds more than one sheet through at a time.

Solution: If your printer pulls more than one sheet of paper through at a time, there are three likely causes. The first is that you’re using a paper type or thickness that your printer doesn’t support. (Check your documentation to determine if the paper is the problem.) The second possible cause is humidity. If your printer is in a humid room, the sheets of paper may become slightly moist and curl or stick together, causing them to feed through the printer improperly. You have a few options to fix this problem. First, you can run an air conditioner or a dehumidifier in the room. This will remove excess moisture from the air. Second, you can move your printer to a room where the air is drier. Third, you can store your paper in a dry location and retrieve paper only when you’re ready to use it. The third cause of a printer grabbing more than one sheet of paper at a time is a malfunction. It’s possible that the rollers that grasp the paper may need an adjustment. If you can find no other logical reason for the misfeeds, you should contact an authorized repair center to do this work for you.

Problem: My printer supports borderless photo printing, but there’s a gap around the edges of the pictures I print.

Solution: First, make sure that you’ve selected the proper paper size, such as Borderless 4x6, in the Page Setup and Print Properties dialog boxes. Then look for your printer’s Expansion setting. The name may be slightly different depending on the make and model of your printer. If you can’t find this setting, consult your users manual. Many printers that support borderless printing let you configure the degree to which your printer should expand your images to make sure that they print all the way to the edges of the paper you’re using. If the current expansion setting is too low, increase the expansion setting a little bit and try again. This should fix the problem.

Computer Troubleshooting - Mother Board

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:15:00 +0000

The motherboard is the large circuit board that every other computer component connects to, and it serves as the sole communications conduit between those devices. When the memory banks need some data from the hard drive, when a video game needs information from the video card, a key is pressed, the mouse is moved, or any other action is performed by any piece of hardware, the motherboard routes the output to the appropriate input. This universal role means that when something goes wrong with the computer, it could be a bad piece of connected hardware, or it could be a malfunctioning motherboard.

Problem: Nothing happens when I press the power button.

Solution: In rare cases, the power button itself breaks, so open the case and inspect the button for damage before trying anything else. If that isn’t the cause, then the motherboard may be fried due to electrical damage, but this problem most often happens after you install a hardware component and accidentally unseat the motherboard’s internal power plug from its socket. The size and shape of this socket (and sometimes there are two separate sockets) varies depending on the type and age of your motherboard, but the documentation that came with your computer should let you know where to look. You are looking for the power supply’s ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) plug, which has either 20 or 24 pins, and the ATX socket, which has an equal number of holes to accommodate the power pins. Some motherboards that have 20-pin ATX sockets also have a 4-pin ATX socket located elsewhere on the board, and both of these must be powered by separate cables for the motherboard to function. All you need to do is make sure the power plugs are fully seated in the sockets and the computer should boot.

Problem: When I press the power button, nothing appears on the monitor and the computer begins to beep.

Solution: Those beeps you hear are diagnostic codes that indicate the motherboard has detected some serious trouble. The beeping patterns and their meanings differ depending on the type of motherboard you have, so you’ll need to refer to the motherboard’s documentation or contact the manufacturer to find out the specifics.

Problem: When I press the power button, the computer seems to boot (the fans run properly, for example) but nothing appears on the monitor.

Solution: video rather than a separate video This indicates a problem with the video card, the monitor, or the motherboard’s integrated video or video expansion card slot. Check the cable between the video output and the monitor, make sure the monitor is turned on and set to the appropriate input, and reboot the computer. If there is still no video, open the case to make sure your add-in video card (if you have one) is seated properly and secured into place. If that’s not the problem, remove the video card according to the instructions it came with, connect the monitor to the motherboard’s integrated video output (if your motherboard has an integrated video output—not all do), making sure to enable the appropriate BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) setting as detailed in the computer’s manual, and see if that works. If your system uses the motherboard’s integrated card, install a video card in the motherboard’s video expansion slot and change the BIOS setting to bypass the integrated video hardware. If none of those options work, you may need to replace your system’s motherboard.

Problem: I just installed a new video card or sound card but the new one isn’t detected.

Solution: Many motherboards have integrated sound and video hardware, and the problem in this scenario is that the motherboard isn’t switching audio or video responsibilities over to the new hardware device. To force your motherboard to relinquish control to the new add-in card, you must disable the integrated audio or video hardware using the motherboard’s BIOS settings. This procedure differs from motherboard to motherboard so you’ll need to consult the computer’s manual.

Problem: I have to install a new hardware component or remove an old one, but the force needed to insert or remove it seems excessive, and I’m afraid I’ll crack the board.

Solution: No component should cause the motherboard to flex when it is inserted or removed, let alone cause enough force to threaten cracking the board. If this problem arises when inserting memory modules, check the edges of the memory slot to make sure any locking clips are completely opened. Most memory module clips are designed to lock into place automatically when the module is fully seated in the slot, but you may need to manually push each clip into its completely locked position. Another common problem when inserting memory modules is that some are designed to be pressed straight down into the slot while others are designed to be inserted at a slight angle and then swung into a vertical position, where they lock into place. Look at the instructions that came with the modules or the documentation that came with the motherboard to see which insertion method your memory slots require. When inserting expansion cards, particularly video cards, look for locking clips that must be opened before the card is inserted or held open as the card is inserted. Most modern motherboards have video card slots with locking mechanisms that must be manually held open when a card is removed, so look for one before accidentally applying excessive force when you remove the card. Never rock an expansion card or memory module back and forth to get it into place or you risk damaging the metal contacts, and never put pressure on the side of the card or the memory module or you’ll risk breaking off the delicate plastic slot. Don’t touch any metal contacts on the motherboard or the hardware, and be extremely careful when screwing or unscrewing expansion cards into place, because if the screwdriver slips it can scratch and ruin the motherboard.

Problem: I just installed a new hardware component that requires a power connection, and now the PC won’t boot or reboots itself at random times.

Solution: Inexpensive computers often come with very basic power supplies that can’t provide enough electricity to accommodate the fastest video cards, multiple hard drives, or other power-hungry components. Unfortunately the total wattage ratings most power supply manufacturers apply to their products overstate the amount of electricity they can consistently output, so even if you add up all of the wattage used by your components and it comes in under the stated output of the power supply, these types of problems can still happen. First you should remove the newly added hardware and see if the computer runs in its original configuration. If it does, you’ll likely need to upgrade to a new power supply or replace the new component with something that uses less wattage. Be sure to check carefully with the manufacturer before ordering a new power supply because some motherboards, like those found in a lot of Dell systems, use proprietary connections that prevent the installation of a third-party power supply.

Problem: I installed more memory but Windows doesn’t recognize it.

Solution: Bad memory modules aren’t very common, but test the computer with a different module if possible to see if the one you originally installed was a dud. The most common cause of this problem is that some motherboards require that memory modules be installed in pairs. Most RIMM memory modules, for example, must be installed in pairs that match exactly in speed and capacity or they won’t work. Newer systems that support dual-channel DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) modules will work when the memory modules are installed singly, but performance is enhanced (sometimes dramatically) if you install matched pairs of RAM modules instead (i.e. you get better performance using two 512MB modules than from using a single 1GB module, even though the overall memory capacity remains the same). Check the manual carefully when installing memory to make sure you place the modules in the correct slots.

Problem: The computer never keeps track of time properly.

Solution: Motherboards have a CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) memory area that is used to store the time, date, and essential data the PC used when starting up. The CMOS must be constantly powered to retain data, even when the PC is turned off or unplugged, so it is attached to a small battery. Open the case, find the small silver battery on the motherboard, and remove it carefully. Take it to a battery or electronics store to find an exact replacement, put the new one in, and access the BIOS or CMOS setup screen to make any necessary changes to the BIOS, as those settings are lost when the battery is removed. If you don’t see a silver battery, the motherboard may use a soldered- on battery, in which case you’ll need to have it professionally replaced or purchase a new motherboard.

Computer Troubleshooting - Audio Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:13:00 +0000

The function of an audio card, or sound card, is pretty self-defining: It sends an audio signal out of (and may allow one into) your PC. In addition to analog signals, some sound cards send and receive digital audio through coaxial and/or optical jacks. Many sound cards also handle MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), a protocol for controlling and synchronizing electronic music gear and software.

Problem: I’m not getting any sound at all . . . or I’m getting sound from some audio sources, but not others.

Solution 1: A problem this nebulous can stem from one of several causes, so first eliminate the things that would make you slap your forehead if you discovered them after an hour of serious effort. Software settings are a good place to start. Open the System Tray at the end of the Taskbar, click the Volume icon, and make sure the slider isn’t set to zero or the Mute box checked.

Solution 2: For a more thorough look at things, right-click the Volume icon and select Adjust Audio Properties. This opens the Sounds And Audio Devices Properties dialog. Under the Volume tab, click Advanced. Now you’ll see a Volume Control mixer. This includes sliders and mute boxes not only for the master volume, but also for components such as CD audio and the line input for an external device. Make sure these channels aren’t set to silence one or more sources. Also, if necessary, click the Audio tab and make sure that the expected sound card is the device selected under Sound Playback.

Solution 3: Make sure that your audio card’s driver is properly installed. Navigate to Windows’ Device Manager by right-clicking the My Computer icon and selecting Properties. Click the Hardware tab followed by the Device Manager button and open the Sound, Video And Game Controllers list. If you see a question mark or an exclamation point next to your card’s listing, or if you don’t see it listed at all, reinstall the sound card’s driver.

Solution 4: Give your connections a thorough inspection. Make sure all cables are firmly seated in their jacks. And if the cables are exposed, make sure they’re not frayed or damaged pets and small children can be effective gremlins. If you have an audio system that requires its own power, such as a 2.1 speaker system with a subwoofer, make sure it’s plugged in and turned on, with the volume up.

Solution 5: Try plugging the audio card into another PCI slot. It’s possible that the card is fine, but the slot itself, or the bus that serves it, has failed. If you’re using an external sound card, try a different USB or FireWire cable, in case the original has gone bad, as well as plugging the cable into different jacks on each end.

Solution 6: If you would like Windows to provide a guided walkthrough to pinpoint a problem, open Sounds And Audio Devices Properties as described in Solution 2, then click the Hardware tab, select your audio card in the list, and click the Troubleshoot button.

Problem: I’ve performed an operating system upgrade or installed other software, and now my sound card isn’t working the way it used to or doesn’t work with the new program I installed.

Solution: You may have introduced a software incompatibility to what had been a stable setup. First, check your card driver’s version number. Go to Windows’ Device Manager, right-click your sound card’s listing, and, from the pop-up menu, choose Properties, then click the Driver tab. Now visit your audio card manufacturer’s Web site and see if they’ve issued any updated drivers for your card. If they have, download and install the latest driver. Check the release notes to see if they specifically cover what you might have installed to cause the incompatibility.

Problem: My audio has low levels of hiss, static, or crackling.

Solution: Internal sound cards can be sensitive to EMF (electromagnetic field) interference caused by such system components as the power supply and other circuitry. Fortunately, increasing the distance between components by even a small amount can eliminate, or at least minimize, EMF problems. Try isolating your sound card by moving it to another slot, as far from other components as possible. EMF problems can also come from external devices: fluorescent lamps, cell phones, home entertainment gear, and other gadgets. If you’ve recently placed anything of the sort in your computer’s vicinity, unplug or move it and see if that makes a difference in your audio performance. If your PC came with an integrated sound card, and you’ve determined that the problem is internal interference, you’re not going to have a quick fix. An integrated sound card is hardwired in as part of the motherboard, which helps lower the price tag but introduces a greater possibility of EMF interference. If you can’t live with it, you’ll need to install a different card.

Problem: I’ve tried replacing the integrated card with a new, better PCI card, but it seems to operate erratically or not at all.

Solution: Before installing a new audio card, disable the integrated audio card. Begin by deleting its driver. Navigate to Windows’ Device Manager (right click My Computer, select Properties, click the Hardware tab and then the Device Manager button) and expand the Sound, Video And Game Controllers list. Right-click the driver and, from the pop-up menu that appears, click the Uninstall option. Next, disengage the integrated audio card by restarting your PC. As your system reboots, press and hold the proper key to access your BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) settings. This varies according to manufacturer, but the DELETE key is the most common. Once you’re in the BIOS, select the Advanced option (although we have found the audio card under a category labeled Integrated Peripherals). Whichever location you go to, look for an item called Onboard Audio, Audio Device, or something similar. Choose its disable option, then press Escape and select Save And Exit from the main BIOS menu. After your PC boots into Windows, shut it down, install the new sound card, restart the PC, and install the drivers for the new sound card.

Problem: I’ve properly installed a new sound card, but it seems dead, or the sound gets stuck on a small snippet of audio, or the machine manifests some other bizarre hardware behavior.

Solution: This sounds like an IRQ (Interrupt Request) conflict between the card and another hardware device or component. Windows’ IRQ system is its means of handling the continual stream of requests for the processor’s attention. For smooth operation, components need a unique identifying number. If two devices end up with the same number, they’re asking for trouble.

Problem: I’m trying to run an audio signal into or out of a digital jack on my sound card, but I’m getting ugly noise in the signal, or no sound.

Solution: First, let’s address how digital audio differs from analog audio. Digital audio is a data stream with two settings, one of which is crucial to establishing a digital connection. The first setting is the sample rate. This denotes how many times per second an analog audio signal has its picture taken, so to speak, during the conversion process. Music CDs use a sample rate of 44.1kHz—each second consists of 44,100 slices of audio data. The second setting is bit depth. This denotes the resolution for the volume of each sample. The higher the bit depth, the greater the resolution, the smoother the sound, and the greater its dynamic range. Music CDs are 16-bit. For two digital audio devices to communicate successfully—one sending, the other receiving—they need to communicate at the same sample rate. When they are, they’re considered locked. Some digital devices automatically reset to the sample rate they’re receiving; others must be set manually. Where your PC is concerned, you’ll likely set the sample rate in the sound card driver’s control panel or in the software you’re using, such as recording software. Also, some sound cards that offer both coaxial and optical connections permit only one to be active at a time. Check the card’s control panel to ascertain that the connection you want to use is the designated choice. As for bit depth, devices communicating at different rates will still be compatible, but it’s better to send a lower rate signal to a higher rate destination. If, say, a 16-bit signal flows into a 24-bit destination, such as a recording application, you’ll capture the audio in full fidelity. Record a 24-bit signal as a 16-bit file, however, and you’ll be lopping off 8 bits of data, which can degrade audio quality.

Computer Troubleshooting - Hard Drives

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:11:00 +0000

Your PC’s hard drive affects nearly everything your computer does. It stores your operating system, your applications, your games, and your personal files. If it “forgets” a few bytes of data, you’ll get errors, hangs, and possibly a loss of any documents or photos you haven’t backed up yet.

Problem: Your computer seems to run slower over time.

Solution: After checking for errors, run Disk Cleanup (in My Computer, right-click C: or another drive letter, then choose Properties and Disk Cleanup) to free up storage space. Make sure there’s at least 1GB of unused space on the drive, or Windows won’t run as fast as it should. After Disk Cleanup, defragment your drive so that it stores data in a more orderly manner. In Windows XP, right-click the drive letter, choose Properties, and click the Tools tab and Defragment Now. The nice thing about third-party programs such as Diskeeper (www.diskeeper.com) or Raxco PerfectDisk (www.raxco.com) is that most can move the apps you use most to areas of the hard drive that take less time to access. This can shave a second or two off the time it takes to launch an app. Watch out, though—on rare occasions, defragging the partition with the currently running OS (operating system) on it, such as the C: drive, can cause problems such as file system errors.

Problem: Your hard drive is suddenly much slower.

Solution: To check an IDE hard drive, launch the Device Manager. Under IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers, right-click Primary IDE Channel (this may be called Parallel ATA Controller on some motherboards, such as those using nForce chipsets). Next, choose Properties and click the Advanced Settings tab (or the Primary Channel or Secondary Channel tabs, if present). Make sure that your hard drive’s Transfer Mode is some variation on Ultra DMA. You may first need to set the Transfer Mode to DMA If Available or uncheck the Let BIOS Select Transfer Mode box, depending on the settings available to you. SATA drives can run slightly slower without certain settings enabled, too. Under IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers in the Device Manager, right-click a SATA Controller entry and choose Properties. In its Advanced Settings, Primary Channel, or Secondary Channel tabs, as applicable, make sure that read and write caching are enabled, as well as Command Queueing.

Problem: Your computer suddenly doesn’t recognize a drive previously in use.

Solution: If you’ve recently worked inside your computer, you might have inadvertently bumped a data cable loose. It’s very easy to nudge a SATA data cable out of place, so check that these are snug. In one isolated case, we once found a drive’s SATA power connector to be unreliable. If your SATA hard drive has both SATA and Molex (4-pin) power connectors, unhook the former and connect the latter. You should never attach both types of power hookups to a drive, however.

Problem: Your computer doesn’t recognize a new hard drive you’ve just added.

Solution: For an IDE drive, verify that you’ve moved its plastic jumper near the power and data ports to the correct pins. Set the drive on the end connector of the data cable to Master (a boot drive may work best as the Master device on the Primary Channel), and any other hard drive or CD/DVD drive on the middle data cable connector to the Slave setting. Don’t use the Cable Select jumper setting unless it’s necessary to solve a drive problem. However, if you’ve just built an external drive out of a spare hard drive and an enclosure kit, the kit manufacturer might recommend Cable Select for best results. You may also need to update your motherboard’s BIOS to the latest version. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter. Often, installing a SATA or ATA/133 controller card solves a lot of compatibility issues, especially on an older motherboard. After you install the controller card according to its instructions, connect the hard drive’s data cable to the card instead of the motherboard. To get a recent, high-capacity IDE hard drive to work on an older motherboard without a card, try limiting the drive’s capacity to 137GB with a jumper setting, if present. If it works after changing the jumper setting, install a controller card that circumvents the motherboard’s 137GB limitation. For a 3Gbps (gigabits per second). SATA hard drive, you might need to set a jumper on it to change it to 1.5Gbps (150MBps [megabits per second]) mode to get an older controller to recognize it. This will limit the drive’s speed negligibly, if at all, but it may solve a compatibility issue with a 1.5Gbps controller.

Problem: Your PC doesn’t power on or occasionally crashes after you add a hard drive.

Solution: If your power supply unit doesn’t have enough amperage on the 12V and 5V rails to fire up your PC with the addition of a new drive, consider removing less important devices or upgrading your PSU (power supply unit). Flip forward to “Basic Troubleshooting: Power Supplies” on page 93 in this issue for some tips.

Problem: After a hard drive is disconnected from and then reconnected to your PC, the computer won’t load the OS and reports that there’s no boot device.

Solution: When some BIOSes detect that a hard drive is removed, they automatically change the devices in the boot priority list. However, most of these BIOSes don’t reverse the changes when the missing device is reattached. During your PC’s POST (power on self test) when you first turn it on, press DELETE or the indicated key to enter your BIOS setup. Find the boot priority device list, adjust it, and save your changes when you exit. If you have multiple hard drives, you may need to choose which drive is the boot device in a separate setting.

Problem: A drive is noisy.

Solution: If it’s a new noise, especially a loud or unusual one, the hard drive could be failing. Make sure it’s not just a fan or an imbalanced disc in your DVD drive that’s whining or howling. If your hard drive is only noisy during periods of heavy seek activity, check to see whether the manufacturer offers a download that can change your drive from its performance mode to a quieter mode with acoustically optimized seeks. The drive will act slightly slower after the change, but it shouldn’t be as loud. Certain drives such as the Maxtor D740X with standard bearings are audible even when idle. Most current drives use fluid dynamic bearings, which help eliminate the whine that older drives can emit. You can replace the drive with a quieter model, such as a Seagate drive. Look for a maximum dB (decibel) rating in the 28dB or lower range for near silent operation.

Computer Troubleshooting - Processor

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:09:00 +0000

Technology writers often refer to the processor as a computer’s “brain” because it handles much of your system’s data processing. The similarity doesn’t end there: as with a brain, the processor is extremely fragile. You can damage it by bending its pins, by gouging its protective casing, or by running the processor without a heatsink.

Problem: I recently installed a new processor. Now my PC runs slowly.

Solution: Reseat the processor in the motherboard’s CPU socket. Whether you installed a new CPU or a new heatsink, you may not have seated the processor correctly. This problem affects both CPUs that have pins and CPUs that lack pins; if the processor sits at even a slight angle, the heatsink won’t sit flush against the CPU’s protective shield. Even small gaps between the heatsink and the processor will reduce your heatsink’s ability to adequately cool your CPU. Remove your heatsink and then inspect the CPU and CPU socket. Although motherboard sockets vary by motherboard manufacturer (and socket type), most have a lever or similar mechanism that locks the processor firmly into the socket. Lift this lever and then press the edges of the processor gently to make sure it is flush with the socket. Next, snap the lever back into place, according to your motherboard’s instructions. Be sure to secure the lever gently to avoid jolting the CPU out of place. Next, you’ll need to remove the thermal paste (or thermal pad) from the top of the CPU and bottom of the heatsink. To remove the old thermal material, drip rubbing alcohol onto a lint-free cloth (PC enthusiasts often use coffee filters) and then rub the CPU and heatsink lightly. Once the alcohol dries, you can apply new thermal paste (follow the thermal paste’s instructions to make sure you apply the appropriate amount of paste). If your old heatsink included a thermal pad, instead of thermal paste, consider buying a new heatsink: once the thermal pad softens (from your CPU’s heat), it fills the heatsink’s microscopic divots. Thoroughly removing a used thermal pad is more difficult than removing used thermal paste. Finally, reattach the heatsink according to its instructions. Make sure the heatsink sits flush against the processor. Before you power on your system, check to see if the heatsink’s power cable is connected to the motherboard’s connector (your heatsink won’t do much good if the fan doesn’t spin to dissipate the heat). If your computer still runs slowly, the CPU isn’t the problem.

Problem: My computer sometimes crashes or freezes, or displays other odd behavior.

Solution: Check for and fix overheating problems. Heat is your computer’s worst enemy, whether you live in hot or moderate climates. If your PC doesn’t have a strong airflow, susceptible components, such as the hard drives, video cards, and the CPU, will behave erratically or slowly. Although newer CPUs have much better protection against heat than their older counterparts (most new processors have heat shields that cover the processor die and help rapidly distribute heat to the PC’s heatsink), all processors suffer when their temps rise too high. We’ll show you how to identify common heat issues.

Step 1: Check the CPU temp via the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). Your motherboard has a built-in feature that determines your processor’s temperature. Although CPU manufacturers offer max temperatures for individual processor lines, you can generally expect your CPU to operate efficiently at temperatures in the 40 to 45 degree Celsius range. To check your CPU temperature, press DELETE as the PC boots to enter your BIOS. When the BIOS appears, use the arrow keys to find your BIOS’ Status or Health section, which should display your CPU’s temperature.

Step 2: Check the CPU heatsink/fan. Your processor’s metal heatsink quickly pulls heat away from the CPU. The fan, which sits at the top (or, on some models, the side) of the heatsink, forces cool air through the heatsink’s fins to remove heat from the heatsink. If your heatsink fan power cable detaches from the motherboard, the fan won’t spin and the processor will quickly overheat. Make sure the heatsink fan’s power connector is plugged into the motherboard connector marked CPU and then power on your system without replacing the PC’s side panel so you can make sure that the fan is spinning.

Step 3: Dust your PC. Although a PC that stands on the floor will suck up more dirt and pet hair than a PC on a desk, your system is vulnerable to dust no matter where it stands. Dust collects on components and traps the heat, reducing the effectiveness of your PC’s fans. Speaking of those fans, many PCs have a filter that sits between the PC’s front fans and its front panel. If you haven’t cleaned this filter (you can usually pull it from the bottom of the front panel), your dirt-laden filter may be causing airflow problems. Use a can of compressed air to clean out your system; be sure to spray out the spaces between the CPU heatsink’s fins.

Step 4: Check your system’s airflow. Although fancy PCs sometimes have exotic cooling systems, such as special fan designs or watercooling, most PCs have a standard cooling setup: one or two intake fans at the lower-front portion of the PC suck cool air through the front panel and push it over the hard drives and into the system. Then, a fan at the upperback portion of the case sucks the internal air (including the hot air coming from the CPU heatsink) and exhausts it out the rear of the PC. Make sure your fans are functioning and that cables aren’t disrupting the airflow from the front to the back of the PC. You can use plastic cable ties to bunch cables together and run them away from the PC’s center.

Computer Troubleshooting - Memory (RAM)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:07:00 +0000

When you boot your OS (operating system) or launch an application, your computer grabs data off the hard drive and stores most of it in solid state RAM, or random-access memory. RAM is much faster than a hard drive or other storage medium, so it makes a computing session more responsive and the user more productive. However, if there’s a minuscule defect anywhere in a RAM module’s silicon chips, and it drops a 0 or a 1, the file stored in that location becomes corrupted. The result is that your OS or application will crash, freeze, or report errors.

Problem: Errors start only after the PC has been running for a few minutes or during heavy workloads.

Solution: Check that the PC’s fans are all running and that there is decent airflow over the RAM and other devices. Carefully blow out any dust. Also, verify in the BIOS that the RAM is running at its specified voltage, such as 2.2v.

Problem: Your RAM works with one motherboard, but not another.

Solution: Check the motherboard manufacturer’s site for compatibility with specific brands and model numbers of RAM modules. Note that some motherboards may be compatible with particular sticks of memory only at slower timings (such as a CAS [column address strobe] setting of 4 or 5) or FSB (front side bus)/system bus/Hyper-Transport speeds, such as 667MHz. Timings refer to how often (usually in CPU clock cycles) different operations happen in the RAM, whereas the FSB/system bus/HT speed describes the rate of data transfer between the RAM and the CPU. You may be able to change some or all of these settings in the BIOS. Other boards may require you to slightly increase the voltage to the DIMM slots in order to get the RAM to run stably.

Problem: The RAM is approved for your motherboard, but it’s still causing problems.

Solution: Try different DIMM slot(s). Consult the motherboard’s documentation to determine which slots should work best with the number and size of your RAM module(s).

Problem: You can’t run your RAM in dual channel mode, which allows the CPU to access both sticks simultaneously for a slight performance gain.

Solution: Both the motherboard and processor must support dual channel memory access. For example, a 939-pin Athlon 64 CPU supports dual channel, but a 754-pin Athlon 64 CPU can’t. Also, you must place the pair(s) of DIMMs in particular slots, which are color-coded on some motherboards. Dual channel mode may not work well unless you use identical RAM modules.

Problem: The metal heat spreader covering the module doesn’t touch all the chips.

Solution: Your best option is to send the RAM module back for replacement, if it’s still under warranty. If your warranty coverage has run out, you can try removing and reseating the heat spreader. Buy some double-sided thermal tape from an enthusiast site such as FrozenCPU.com. Next, carefully work off the heat spreader’s clips with a small screwdriver. Remove the metal heat spreader halves, then clean the old tape residue from it and the DIMM’s chips with isopropyl alcohol. If either heat spreader piece is bent, straighten it so that it will make better contact with the chips. Apply new thermal tape to the heat spreader halves, then attach them to the RAM module in the correct positions. Squeeze the spreader halves firmly over each pair of chips to help the thermal tape adhere, then reattach the spreader’s clips.

Computer Troubleshooting - Monitors

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:05:00 +0000

Unlike other PC components, when your monitor isn’t working exactly the way you expect it to, it’s relatively easy to see what’s wrong. Blank screens, oversaturated displays, wavy lines, and other issues are easy to spot. The cure, though, isn’t always as evident.

Problem: I can see the images on my display, but the display is either too light or too dark.

Solution: Get to know your onscreen display controls. Almost all monitors have an OSD (on-screen display) function, or a list of image quality adjustments, that is controlled by a button on the monitor’s bezel. OSDs let you change settings including contrast and brightness. Because OSDs vary from one manufacturer to the next, we recommend you view your product documentation or visit the manufacturer’s Web site for a description of how to use the OSD for your monitor. In addition, overhead lighting, especially fluorescent light, or outdoor light streaming into in your office may create a glare that makes the display appear washed out. (NOTE: With fluorescent lighting, try to sit facing the same direction as the length of the bulbs. This can help minimize eyestrain and headaches.)

Problem: The image isn’t centered on the screen, and there’s a black border along the sides (or one side) of the screen.

Solution: Along with controlling a display’s contrast and brightness, the on-screen display typically controls how the entire display appears on your screen. In a perfect world, the display will cover the screen entirely, with no black borders. Sometimes, however, the display is shifted horizontally or vertically. That’s where the OSD comes in handy, because it has a vertical or horizontal adjustment control. Again, if you don’t know how to work your display’s OSD, consult your monitor manufacturer’s documentation for instructions.

Problem: The image colors aren’t very sharp, or I see faint flickering, or my application windows are too large or too small.

Solution: While these problems may seem unconnected, they likely have one thing in common: the method for solving them. The Windows Display Properties feature regulates many items relating to how images appear on your display. Right-click the Desktop and select Properties from the context menu. In the Display Properties dialog box, select the Settings tab. If your monitor’s image colors are somewhat muted, it could be that you aren’t taking full advantage of the available color depth. In the Color Quality dropdown menu, select the highest available option. For newer systems, this is 32-bit color. On the other hand, if the program windows are too large or too small, you’ll want to change the screen resolution settings. The optimal setting will depend upon several factors, including your eyesight and your monitor’s native resolution (if you’re using an LCD monitor). You’ll find the appropriate setting with a bit of trial and error. Remember that the higher the resolution, the sharper (and smaller) the images. Move the Screen Resolution slider bar in the desired direction and click Apply. If the problem is screen flicker, it could be that the refresh rate, or the rate at which the monitor redraws the screen, is set too low. Click Advanced in the Settings tab of the Display Properties dialog box. Click the Monitor tab and check the Hide Modes That This Monitor Cannot Display checkbox to select it. From the Screen Refresh Rate drop-down menu, select the highest available speed. Click OK. Close the Display Properties dialog box.

Problem: An “out of range” message appears on the LCD.

Solution: As with many monitor problems, if you see an “out of range” error message on your display, your first step should be to check the cables and make sure all connections are secure. If they are, it could be because your monitor is trying to display data but can’t because it doesn’t work with your computer’s settings. This is more typically the case with LCD screens, and it happens when the PC’s settings for the screen resolution and refresh rates do not work with the monitor. In this case, start the PC in Safe Mode. When booting the machine, press the F8 key until the Startup menu appears. Select Safe Mode. When the Desktop appears, open the Control Panel. In Classic View, double-click the Display icon. Select the Settings tab. Move the Screen Resolution slider bar to the monitor’s native resolution (check your monitor manufacturer’s instructions or Web site if you don’t know the monitor’s native resolution). Click Apply.

Problem: A snowy display, streaking colors, or other unclear display. I’ve tried the above solutions, but nothing seems to work.

Solution: Your monitor’s hardware isn’t the only thing that affects your display. Sometimes the fault lies with the graphics card, in which case no amount of fiddling with the monitor will fix an unacceptable display.

Problem: I turned on the computer, but all I see is a black screen.

Solution: When faced with a “dead” monitor, it may be easier to bring it back to life than you think. Before you place that frantic phone call to tech support, take a good look at your hardware setup. Even we (yes, we freely admit it) have been momentarily stumped by a blank screen, only to realize that a co-worker (or child, or spouse, or cat, or you name it) has hit the power switch on the monitor, inadvertently or perhaps intentionally turning the unit off. Check the cable that runs between the monitor and the PC, and unplug and replug it to verify the connections are solid. Also, check the power supply and ensure it is firmly connected both to the monitor and to the outlet.

Problem: The monitor tends to turn off unexpectedly.

Solution: Assuming the cable connecting the PC to the monitor is firmly in place (if not, this can also cause the monitor to shut down), the solution likely lies in the Power Saver settings. Windows PCs have a power saving feature that powers down your monitor after a predetermined amount of time. You may wish to disable this feature completely. To do so, open the Control Panel. (If using Windows XP, for the purpose of this exercise, switch to Classic View.) Double-click the Power Options icon. Select the Power Schemes tab. From the Turn Off Monitor drop-down menu, select Never. Click OK. (NOTE: Even if you want to keep the power saver feature enabled, keep in mind the system generates a power surge when the monitor turns back on. Setting the monitor to shut off after a short time, of, say, 10 minutes, is counterproductive.)

Problem: The images are fluctuating. One second they’re there, and the next they’re not.

Solution: If the connection between your PC and your monitor isn’t perfect, the data may have difficulty making its way from the computer to the screen. Take a look at the cable running between the PC and the monitor. Is it bent or crimped? Are the pins not straight? Are the connectors loose? If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may need to replace or secure the cable.

Problem: I see dead pixels on my LCD monitor.

Solution: Dead pixels, or tiny spots on the monitor that do not display the correct color, can be an annoyance, and too many of them can be a significant problem. You shouldn’t attempt to fix this on your own, but you may be able to get a replacement monitor from the manufacturer. Manufacturers have varying standards for what constitutes an unacceptable monitor when it comes to dead pixels, and most of them lay out that information in black and white on their Web sites. HP, for instance, notes that LCD monitors under warranty are allowed a maximum of three bright pixel defects (a bright pixel on a dark background), five dark pixel defects (a dark pixel on a light background) or a combination of five pixel defects total. If your HP monitor falls above that threshold, you may be entitled to a replacement monitor.

Problem: I see distortion or wavy lines on the screen.

Solution: Computers are sensitive to other electronic devices. If you keep a fan near your desk, or another monitor, or a television, or another piece of electronic equipment, the device may be interfering with your monitor’s ability to do its job. We recommend you move such items several feet from the monitor. If that doesn’t do the trick, it’s also possible the power source is the culprit. Some electricity lines, especially those in older homes, are susceptible to line noise problems. Try powering up your PC in another location.

Problem: Photos and other images that look great on the display don’t look as good when I print them.

Solution: Invest in high-quality paper and fresh ink . . . and know that there’s no perfect solution to this problem. It’s just a fact of life; what you see on the screen does not always match what you print. This may not matter much when you’re printing text documents, but when you’re printing photographs, we know how frustrating it can be to spend time fiddling with photo-editing software to achieve the perfect color and light balance only to have the photo look far different from what you expect. Avoid using plain (non-photo) inkjet paper, which tends to show colors at their dullest. Purchase fresh ink. Study your monitor’s documentation and calibrate it so the colors display as accurately as possible. Lastly, look at your printer’s and image-editing software’s documentation and help files and experiment with various color options. If the latter becomes too laborious, you’re better off accepting the discrepancies between the monitor output and the printer output.

Computer Troubleshooting - Keyboards

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:02:00 +0000

Imagine a computing world without a keyboard. Doesn’t seem plausible, does it? Though they’re often taken for granted, keyboards are vital toward helping us input data into email, Word and Excel documents, Web sites, and more. They also let us quickly open Windows programs, execute commands, control multimedia content, and play games. If you’ve experienced a keyboard related problem, you know computing life seemingly stops until the problem is rectified.

Problem: Your keyboard only types capital letters or the numeric keypad won’t display numbers or text you enter overwrites existing characters.

Solution: These problems are usually caused by keys with functions you can toggle on and off. For example, if the keyboard only displays capital letters, the CAPS LOCK key is probably on. Press it to turn the function off. The same applies to the NUM LOCK, INSERT, and SCROLL LOCK keys.

Problem: You’ve spilled fluid on the keyboard.

Solution: Drink enough coffee, soda, or other beverage around your computer, and accidents are bound to happen including spilling liquid on your keyboard. If this happens, acting quickly is imperative, as the underlying circuitry is in immediate risk of being permanently damaged. To (hopefully) rescue the keyboard, first shut your system down to turn off electricity to it and then tip the keyboard to drain as much fluid as possible. Follow up by wiping it with a dry rag or towel. If the fluid was something other than water, use warm water to wipe the board clean. Some experts advise rinsing the entire board. If you do, make certain the keyboard is completely dry before plugging it back in, as electricity and water don’t mix. Using a hair dryer can accelerate the drying process, especially underneath the keys, but take care not to damage the circuitry with excessive heat. For safety reasons, consider waiting several days before using the keyboard again. If these steps don’t do the trick, a replacement is probably necessary.

Problem: Certain keys stick when you press them.

Solution: Your keyboard will usually let you know if a key is sticking by ringing out a continuous beep, indicating the keyboard’s memory buffer is packed. Otherwise, characters may display erratically, or you’ll physically feel the key is stuck. Keys stick for several reasons, including if the board is particularly dirty. Over time, keyboards accumulate significant dirt, dust, and debris on and under keys. A cloth tissue with a little water usually is enough to clean the board’s surface, and using a can of compressed air will clear most junk from underneath the keys. If you still notice keys sticking, power your system down and try to gently pry off the stuck key with a flathead screwdriver, cleaning the space with a cotton ball and some isopropyl alcohol.

Problem: Your computer isn’t recognizing your keyboard.

Solution: If Windows displays an error message that a keyboard isn’t present or characters you type aren’t displaying on-screen, check the connection to the computer. Shut your system down and then look at its back to make sure the connector is securely plugged into the proper PS/2 or USB port. PS/2 keyboard ports are typically colored purple, and the connector will only fit one way. Check also that the connector’s pins aren’t bent or broken. It’s possible to gently bend a pin back in place, but if it’s broken, replacing the keyboard is your only option. If the pins are fine but you suspect the board isn’t receiving power, plug another keyboard into the computer. If it works, your keyboard’s circuitry may be damaged, and you’ll likely need a replacement. If the substitute also fails, the PS/2 or USB port or a motherboard controller may be bad, and it’s possible you’ll have to replace the motherboard. Finally, if the keyboard is plugged into a USB hub, the hub may not be capable of supplying sufficient power to the keyboard. Try connecting the keyboard directly to a dedicated USB port.

Problem: The multimedia or quick-launch keys won’t work.

Solution: Many keyboards include special keys for controlling multimedia content, such as adjusting volume levels, or for opening commonly used programs, such as a Web browser. Accessing these functions or customizing the keys usually requires installing proprietary software and a device driver that the keyboard’s manufacturer provides. If these keys aren’t working, check that the software is installed and the configurations set correctly. Check also that the keyboard meets Microsoft’s compatible tests. If your board isn’t listed, check with your manufacturer for updated software.

Problem: You accidentally turned on StickyKeys and can’t turn it off.

Solution: Windows provides the StickyKeys tool for those who have trouble holding down two keys at once, such as CTRL-Z. With Sticky- Keys turned on, you can push one key one at a time to perform a key combination. Pressing the SHIFT key five times turn StickyKeys on. Pressing SHIFT five times again turns it off.

Problem: Characters repeat onscreen when you type.

Solution: If characters consistently and unintentionally repeat on-screen, adjusting the sensitivity of your keyboard’s keys can help. Do this in Windows XP by clicking Start and Control Panel and then double-clicking Keyboard. On the Speed tab, use the sliders under Repeat Delay and Repeat Rate to experiment with how long you have to hold a key down before it repeats and the rate at which repeated characters display. When you find a setting you’re comfortable with, click OK.

Computer Troubleshooting - Power Supply

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:00:00 +0000

Many computer users never know what a PSU (power supply unit) is until they have a problem with one. Most of the time, a power supply just works, which is why users who don’t tinker with their PCs may have never noticed that they own one. If your computer suddenly stops working, starts to generate errors, or randomly shuts down (especially after you install a new device), the PSU should be one of the first suspects on your list.

Problem: The PC doesn’t turn on.

Solution: Before you try a different PSU or a tester as described above, check that the master switch on the back of the PSU is turned on. Make sure the cord is firmly plugged in on both ends, and that your surge protector is powered on. If the surge protector has tripped due to a power spike, its reset button may be sticking out. If so, buy a new one. Most consumer surge protectors aren’t meant to be reused after they’ve taken one for the team. If other devices or room lights aren’t working either, check your home’s breaker switches. If none have tripped, try another outlet, then another power cord. Your next steps require a tester device or a spare PSU as outlined above, or a repair shop.

Problem: Brownouts, weird errors, or a dead PC since a new device was added.

Solution: A common problem with a premade computer from a major manufacturer is a power supply that’s just good enough for the devices that shipped with the PC. Add a new multicore processor or a hot new video card or two, and you might find that the computer works erratically under load, if at all. If your upgraded system dies every time you start up a taxing game such as F.E.A.R., for example, you might need a stronger PSU. And if your PC doesn’t work at all after the upgrade, either the new device is defective enough to cause a major electrical problem, or the total wattage your PC now requires to run is more than the PSU can supply. Also, make sure that your PC’s fans provide enough airflow. As mentioned above, a hot power supply doesn’t provide as much current as a cooler one, all else being equal. Note that your power supply may be ready and willing to supply more current to devices that run on 5V or 3.3V power, but that doesn’t matter if the 12V devices overwhelm the 12V rail’s capability. Most power-hungry devices, from the CPU to the graphics card to hard drives and DVD/CD drives, require 12 volts to run. For this reason, many servers start up their hard drives in a staggered sequence so that they don’t overtax the PSU. This feature is possible with SATA (Serial ATA) hard drives, but as yet, staggered spinup isn’t commonly supported in desktop PCs.

Problem: The PSU sparks, makes noise, or smokes.

Solution: Sometimes, power supplies die quietly. At other times, they go out with a bit of drama. If there’s a popping noise, a burning smell, smoke, or sparks when your PC suddenly stops working (usually when you turn it on), immediately unplug it. Make sure that nothing is on fire, then open the computer case. See whether anything looks scorched or blackened, especially on the motherboard. If not, perhaps your power supply failed. Your main concern now is to make sure that it didn’t take other devices with it. If you have a spare PSU, replace the old one and its power cord. Only connect the replacement to the motherboard, the video card (if necessary), and the floppy or CD drive. Plug in your computer, insert a bootable floppy or disc, and try to start your PC. If possible, use a floppy made with MemTest86 (www.memtest86.com) because this utility will test your CPU, RAM (try installing only one RAM module at a time if you encounter errors), and motherboard for problems. If your PC boots, and a few minutes of MemTest86 indicates no problems, shut the system off. Reconnect one device (such as the hard drive) and boot the PC. If that device seems OK, repeat the process until you’ve discovered any damaged components. Hopefully, you’ll only have to replace the old power supply. Don’t forget to throw away the dead PSU’s power cord, too.

Problem: The PC’s case fans are too loud.

Solution: Some PSUs’ “Fan Only” line supplies 12V to fans with Molex connectors, which runs them at full speed; others send a lower voltage for quieter operation albeit with less airflow. Some power supplies adjust the power on the Fan Only circuit by case temperature. If your Molex-style fans run too loud, install a fan controller in a drive bay. You’ll find them on major reseller sites such as Newegg (www.newegg.com) as well as on enthusiast sites such as FrozenCPU.com. Intrepid tinkerers with pin removal tools from Frozen-CPU.com might reverse the pins in the fan’s connector so that it takes 5V (from the red wire) instead of 12V (from the yellow wire). Most fans will run very quietly on 5V, although they won’t move as much air. If you do this, switch the pins for the black ground wires on the inside of the connector, too. Note that bigger fans, such as 120mm, may not run on 5V.

Problem: Your computer requires connectors the PSU doesn’t have.

Solution: Current PSUs have a variety of plugs to support recent and near-future motherboard requirements, such as a 24-pin main power connector that splits off 4 pins to fit in an older 20-pin socket. On the other hand, a cutting-edge PSU might not have a plug that a 6-year-old motherboard needs. For older motherboard connections, you will need to research and buy a PSU with the correct plugs. Device connections are more forgiving. You’ll find many inexpensive adapters for sale online or at computer stores. Many adapters, such as Molexto-PCI-Express and Molexto-SATA, are included with particular graphics cards or motherboards. Note that some SATA hard drives can accept either SATA or Molex power connectors, but you should never attach both to a drive at the same time.

Problem: Molex connectors don’t fit together easily.

Solution: This problem seems to crop up more and more in recent years, and it happens with PSUs from well-respected vendors as well as value brands. The trouble seems to be that the male and female metal pins inside the connectors just don’t seem to fit as snugly as in Molex connectors of yesteryear. Each pin has “wings” that flare out after the pin is inserted into the plastic connector during manufacture. These wings act like the barb on a fishhook, making it difficult for the pin to come back out of the connector. If OEMs make the pins out of thinner metal to cut costs, the wings won’t be as rigid. The result is pins that “float” around in the connector instead of staying centered. Obviously, this makes it harder to connect two plugs. Try grasping the juncture of the wires and the base of the connector using your thumb and forefinger. Usually, this puts pressure on the pins so that they all point in roughly the same direction. As you attach the connector to a device’s plug, wiggle it a little. Assuming the pins aren’t damaged, the connector should slide in.

Computer Troubleshooting - CD/DVD Drives

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:58:00 +0000

Problem: Recording doesn’t always work correctly with a particular burning utility.

Solution: Check the software developer’s site for updates. The site might also have a forum or knowledgebase that could help you with error messages. Also, search for keywords such as the brands and types of your drive and the discs you’re using, such as Verbatim DVD+R 16X or Plextor PX-716. Next, check your software’s settings to find the cache or temp folder it uses to temporarily store files on the hard drive before burning them to disc. You should maintain unused space on that hard drive partition (such as C:) to give the cached data somewhere to go. Plan on at least 800MB of free space before you burn a CD, 5GB for a DVD, and at least 9GB if you’re writing a DL (double-layer) disc. Defragment the partition before you burn the disc to keep the hard drive from scattering the data and slowing down the process.

Problem: Recording doesn’t work correctly with a particular drive.

Solution: A firmware update may solve certain problems with your burner and/or expand its compatibility with various brands and speeds of media. If the drive manufacturer’s site lists a newer firmware version than the one InfoTool says your drive is using, consider downloading it and updating your drive (called flashing the firmware). The drawback is that if the flashing session fails or is interrupted, your CD/DVD drive might be useless afterward. Hey, at least new drives are cheap. First, be certain that the firmware is for your specific drive model. Also, closely follow the instructions in the update’s Readme file or on the download page. For example, some LG drives require you to place them as the Master, and only, device on the IDE data cable during a flash update. Also, many firmware update utilities require you to turn off your antivirus, antispyware, and other security applications during the update process.

Problem: A DVD you’ve burned doesn’t play back in a consumer player. The video or menu may freeze after a few seconds, or it may generate an “unknown disc” error.

Solution: In general, the newer the player, the more formats and types of media it will support. Some players at the low end may sacrifice some compatibility for an inexpensive price, however. And some standalone recorders might require that you pay extra to use recordable media marked “for video” as a sort of pre-emptive tax on unauthorized copying. The discs most likely to play back without problems in consumer players are DVD-R, DVD+R, and DVD+RW, in that order. DVD-RW wasn’t initially designed to be a video playback format, although some consumer recorders may support it. If you want to make DVD-Video discs with DVD+R/RW media, your drive might hold the key to better compatibility. Some DVD burners can change the book type of DVD+R/RW/DL discs, making them seem to be DVD-Rs or DVD-ROMs to players and drives. If your drive can do this, called bitsetting, you’ll see Book Type-related settings in recent versions of burning software. Set the Book Type to DVD-ROM or DVD-R, and your disc should stand a better chance of playback in more players.

Problem: Either an SVCD (Super Video CD) or VCD (Video CD) doesn’t play in a consumer DVD player or on a computer with DVD playback software, plays with video errors, or is only recognized as an MP3 audio file disc.

Solution: Some DVD players simply don’t support these types of discs. Others may play VCDs or SVCDs only if the discs were authored with certain settings, which the VCD/SVCD/DVD creation software may point out. The same goes for DVD playback software, although the developer may provide a patch or plug-in to enable this functionality. First, consult the DVD player’s documentation for VCD/SVCD support. If your DVD player allows firmware updates, as some DVD recorders do, try updating it. Update your DVD playback software if there’s a later version you can download. You can also try burning a new disc at a slower speed and/or using a different brand of CD-R. You might find that different burning software, even from the same developer, may make discs that are compatible with your player. For an Apex DVD player with a checkered history of disc compatibility, as an example, we created compatible SVCDs with Nero 7 Ultra Edition’s NeroVision Express, but not with Nero Express. Read up on your disc authoring software’s settings for VCDs and SVCDs in its help file and options, as well as the support section of the developer’s Web site. Try different settings related to disc compatibility. If all else fails, try options that make nonstandard discs.

Problem: A CD-RW or DVD±RW drive will not read prerecorded CD-ROMs faster than 40X, although the drive’s rated 48X or 52X.

Solution: This behavior is intentional in many drives. Because prerecorded CD-ROMs’ data layers are generally made of aluminum with pits stamped into it, some discs may be slightly out of balance and/or might have structural weaknesses. At rotation speeds above 40X, some might even fly apart, damaging the drive and possibly injuring someone in front of the drive. Plextor has even gone as far as to build tougher bezels that are designed to contain plastic shrapnel from disintegrating media. CD-R/RWs use a dye-based recording layer, and don’t seem to be as vulnerable to this phenomenon as CD-ROMs. However, improperly applied labels can throw any disc out of balance. Also, any cracks in a disc can come under stress at high rotational speeds, causing the disc to shatter. You can force some 48X and 52X drives to temporarily bypass the 40X limitation by following the manufacturer’s directions. This usually involves holding down the drive’s eject button for a few seconds until the activity LED (light emitting diode) blinks and then inserting the CD-ROM you want to read at high speed. Plextor calls this feature SpeedRead; other manufacturers use different marketing terms, if they draw attention to this safety feature workaround at all. Most drives will revert to 40X max speed after you eject the disc. Note that most drives can only read an optical disc at the maximum rated speed near the outer edge. The edge of the disc is the last section to be recorded, so if a disc isn’t full, you’ll never see those 48X or 52X transfer rates from it. Therefore, you may not notice much of a speed difference during typical use, although you may shave some seconds off of a CD rip or software installation. Of course, if a $50 game CD-ROM does fly apart in your $35 drive, that’s $85 down the drain. In general, setting read speeds above 40X isn’t really worth the risk.

Problem: Pops and/or other noises when playing back a music CD you’ve burned.

Solution: The write speed may have been too fast in comparison to the data supplied by the original CD or hard drive. Try recording at a slower speed, especially if your burner is too old to have buffer underrun protection, and leave the computer alone until the new disc is finished. If you’re copying one CD to another on a computer, set the burning software to cache the music data on the hard drive before writing it to the blank disc. A hard drive will typically be faster than the optical drive reading the original CD, so it shouldn’t let the data stream dry up during a burn. Defragment the hard drive partition designated for this cache, and make sure there’s at least 800MB of free space on it. If these steps don’t help, try a different brand of CD-R. Verify that the drive’s data cable is connected securely and shows no visible damage. Make sure that the optical drive’s jumpers are set correctly, meaning that it’s the Master device if it’s on the end connector on the data cable or the Slave device if it’s on the middle connector. Also, check for updates to your burning software. Samsung adds that some CD recorders don’t write audio frame headers on music CDs, which can cause noises during playback.

Problem: Your drive theoretically supports a new type of media, but it won’t burn it at its top speed.

Solution: This is the type of problem that a firmware update might fix, as mentioned above. If there isn’t one available yet, try another brand of media.

Problem: Your brand new Blu-ray or HD DVD drive doesn’t read or write to CDs.

Solution: The first generation of BD and HD DVD drives don’t support CD media. Fortunately, recordable DVD drives do. Many cost less than $35 online, so if your computer has room, run a DVD burner alongside your blue laser unit.

Problem: Your car stereo can only play MP3s on a CD-R from one folder at a time, not from all the folders on the disc in one playlist.

Solution: Some car stereos and other CD players are MP3-compatible but nevertheless can’t handle folders very well. Many music lovers store each album in a separate folder on their hard drives, so it’s tempting, but not advisable, to create MP3 discs with the same folder structure. The best way to make an MP3 disc is to use Nero’s or Roxio’s suggested applications. You can also drag and drop files to a CD-R in Windows XP or Vista. If you do the latter, only transfer files to the disc, not the folders they’re in. Your goal is a disc with all of its songs in its root directory.

Problem: A drive doesn’t read or write discs properly, and may freeze the PC temporarily, when set to the Master or Slave jumper settings.

Solution: Some drives work best with their jumpers set to the CS (Cable Select) setting. One such drive was Sony’s DRU-820A with its initial firmware version. Shut off your PC. Move the DVD drive’s jumper to the CS setting, then reboot. If problems persist, turn off the PC and try a different data cable.

Problem: Other owners of the same drive report faster burning times and read rates.

Solution: Until recently, DVD and CD burners could get by with old 40-wire ATA-33 data cables because they weren’t capable of sending more than 33MBps. Today, some drives only work properly with 80-wire ATA-66/100/133 cables, which actually still use the same 39- or 40-pin connectors as ATA-33 cables (the extra wires are for grounding). The rule of thumb is that when you install a new drive, use the cable that came with it. Also, know that different media, firmware versions, and burning software versions will have an effect on how fast your drive writes discs, as will your overall system speed.

Problem: You’ve downloaded an ISO file, but you can’t seem to burn the disc image it contains onto a CD or DVD instead of the ISO itself.

Solution: When you start a project or compilation in your burning software, enable the option or setting to “Burn Image,” “Burn From Disc Image,” “Record Disc From Image,” or something similar.

Computer Troubleshooting - External Storage

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:53:00 +0000

The large storage capacity and portability of external hard drives and flash drives make external storage an extremely convenient way to back up, transport, and swap files. Many of us now rely solely on external storage to back up our internal hard drive or to transport multimedia libraries on our key chain. However, when the external storage device you’ve come to depend on is operating poorly or not at all, it can be frustrating and inconvenient—especially if the drive contains important work documents or the entire contents of your hard drive. The following troubleshooting tips can help you restore and improve your external storage drive’s swapping and storing capabilities.

Problem: My external storage device isn’t listed in My Computer.

Solution: Partially connected USB or FireWire connectors (or devices that are inadvertently unplugged) are a common cause of undetected drives. The plug may appear firmly seated, but you should disconnect and reconnect the USB or FireWire connector to ensure the drive is plugged in. If your external storage drive connects to a USB or FireWire hub, ensure the hub has power and that its connector is plugged into the computer. Note that some external storage devices work poorly or not at all when connected to a hub; try connecting the drive directly to a port on the computer. If the drive still isn’t detected, test an external hard drive’s cable by switching it with another USB or FireWire cable.

Problem: My external storage device is connected but not recognized by Windows.

Solution: If you use an external hard drive, ensure the AC power cord and any subsequently connected power strip securely plugs into the power outlet and that both are switched on. Eliminate the port as the source of the problem by connecting your flash drive or external hard drive to another port. If the external storage isn’t recognized in another port, open Device Manger to determine if your port or drive has a system conflict. Select the Start button, Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click System, select the Hardware tab, and then click the Device Manager button. Click the plus sign (+) next to Universal Serial Bus Controllers for a drive that connects via USB and the plus sign next to IEEE 1394 Bus Host Controllers for a FireWire connected drive. A yellow exclamation point signifies the port has a driver conflict, and a red “X” indicates the port has been disabled. Right-click and select Enable to reopen a disabled port. To resolve a port conflict, right-click and choose Uninstall for each controller until all the USB or IEEE 1394 Controllers are removed. After you uninstall each controller, restart your computer and it will reinstall the proper Bus Host Controllers. To check for an external storage conflict, select the Disk Drives heading and find your external storage drive. If the drive has a conflict, you may need to install its included software and proprietary driver for the computer to recognize the device. If the drive still can’t be detected, uninstall the external drive and then reboot the computer to facilitate its detection.

Problem: My flash drive works fine at home, but isn’t recognized on my work computer.

Solution: Many office networks use mapped network drives that override Windows’ drive lettering system for removable devices. Through the Disk Management utility you can manually assign a drive letter to your flash storage device. Right-click the My Computer icon, select Manage, and then double-click Disk Management. Right-click your flash drive and choose Change Drive Letter And Path. Select an unused drive letter from the dropdown list and click OK. You should now see the flash drive listed under that drive letter in My Computer.

Problem: My external storage device shows up in My Computer, but I can’t access or write to the drive.

Solution: The drive may be incorrectly formatted for Windows or have a corrupt partition. Windows 2000 and XP feature a utility called Disk Management that analyzes your external drive and assigns it an Online, Healthy, or Unreadable status. Open the utility by right-clicking the My Computer icon and selecting Manage. Under the Storage heading, double-click Disk Management to view your external storage drive’s status. If it has an Unreadable status, you need to format the drive to remove the corrupt partition or incompatible Windows file format. Before you do, attempt to transfer the drive’s data onto another computer because formatting completely erases the files on the drive. To format, simply right-click the external hard drive and click Format.

Problem: My external storage device works with Windows, but I can’t access it on Macintosh operating systems.

Solution: You drive is most likely formatted in the NTFS (NT file system) file format. To use external storage on both Windows and Macintosh operating systems, it must be in the FAT32 (32-bit file allocation table) format. You’ll need to reformat the drive and choose FAT32 when prompted for a file format. To reformat the drive, right-click it in My Computer and click Format.

Problem: My new external storage device is USB 2.0 compatible but my files don’t transfer any faster than they did with the USB 1.1 external storage device.

Solution: At 480Mbps (megabits per second), USB 2.0 can transfer up to 40 times faster than USB 1.1. But both your computer and any connected hub must have USB 2.0 hardware to perform the higher-speed transfer. If you’re unsure of the computer’s USB capabilities, look under the Universal Serial Bus Controllers in Device Manager. USB 2.0 is denoted by either Standard Enhanced or USB 2.0 Enhanced. If your computer doesn’t support USB 2.0, you can install an add-on card to take advantage of the greater transfer speed. Note that for Windows to support USB 2.0, you must install Service Pack 2 for WinXP or Service Pack 4 for Win2000.

Problem: My FireWire external storage device transfers slowly.

Solution: FireWire 800 (also known as IEEE 1394b) can only transfer at 800Mbps when used with a 9-pin to 9-pin FireWire cable. A 9-pin to 6-pin cable allows for backward compatibility between older FireWire devices, but it only transfers data at 400Mbps. A major benefit of FireWire devices is that you can connect them in a chain, meaning you can connect your digital camcorder to your external hard drive and expect both to communicate with your computer. However, the entire FireWire chain shares the same bandwidth, and if multiple devices are active, you can significantly reduce your transfer speed. If you must daisychain FireWire devices, connect the external hard drive to the computer and place the slower FireWire devices at the end of the chain. In this fashion, your external drive’s data won’t have to pass through the slower devices.

Problem: My external storage drive accesses data slowly when it’s full.

Solution: You can improve your external drive’s performance by running Windows’ Disk Defragmenter utility to better organize the files on your drive. Select the Start menu, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter. In the Disk Defragmenter window, select your external drive and then click Analyze. Although Windows may indicate the drive doesn’t need to be defragmented, doing so may still improve its performance. Check Disk (or ScanDisk as it’s known in older versions of Windows) is another helpful utility that locates errors and bad sectors on your drive. Open My Computer and find the icon for your external storage device. Right-click the icon, select Properties, and then click the Tools tab. Click the Check Now button and select Automatically Fix File System Errors and Scan For And Attempt Recovery Of Bad Sectors. During the repair, Check Disk may stop to give you the option to save unrecoverable data. This data is an indecipherable jumble of characters that won’t provide any usable files—don’t recover the data and let Check Disk continue the repair.

Problem: Windows reports my USB or FireWire flash drive is write-protected.

Solution: Some flash drives have a write-protect switch located on the side of the drive that locks data from being written to it. Use a ballpoint pen or small object to unlock the drive’s write-protection. It’s also possible to trigger write-protection by unplugging a drive in the process of writing data. Although it’s typically fine to remove an idle flash drive, the Safely Remove Hardware tool in the taskbar is designed to stop Windows from accessing the drive. You can click this icon, even after the error has occurred, to remove the write-protection from the drive. If the drive is still protected, you may need to connect the flash drive to another port and reboot your computer to reset the flash drive’s settings.

Problem: Windows reports that my external storage is full even when it has more than enough free space.

Solution: If your drive uses the FAT32 file format, Disk Is Full or Not Enough Space error messages can occur when you transfer files larger than 4GB. Although FAT32 can’t work with files over 4GB, the NTFS file format can. Win2000 and XP feature a converter tool that lets you convert a drive from FAT32 to NTFS without removing any files from the drive. Before running the converter tool, Windows advises you to back up the drive’s data because an error during the conversion process could corrupt it. Click the Start menu, select Run, type cmd, and then click OK. At the DOS prompt, type convert (drive letter): /fs:ntfs and press Enter. For example, if your external drive’s letter is E, type convert E:/fs:ntfs to change it from FAT32 to NTFS. After you enter the command line, you may be required to enter the drive’s volume name, which will be listed in My Computer next to the external drive’s letter.

How to Speed Up Browsing your Internet using Mozilla Firefox

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:29:00 +0000

#1 SECURITY TIP FOR INTERNET

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

FireFox Load Time double or triple 100% Working!

1. Type "about:config" into the address bar and hit Enter. Scroll down and look for the following entries:

network.http.pipelining
network.http.proxy.pipelining
network.http.pipelining.maxrequests

Normally the browser will make one request to a web page at a time.
When you enable pipelining it will make several at once, which really speeds up page loading.

2. Alter the entries as follows:

Set "network.http.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.proxy.pipelining" to "true"

Set "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" to some number like 30. This means it will make 30 requests at once.

3. Lastly right-click anywhere and select New-> Integer.
Name it "nglayout.initialpaint.delay" and set its value to "0".
This value is the amount of time the browser waits before it acts on information it receives.

If you're using a broadband connection you'll load pages 2-3 times faster now.

Powerful Free Programs #5

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:58:00 +0000

HijackThis

A general homepage hijackers detector and remover. Initially based on the article Hijacked!, but expanded with a lot of other checks against hijacker tricks. It is continually updated to detect and remove new hijacks. It does not target specific programs/URLs, just the methods used by hijackers to force you onto their sites.

As a result, false positives are imminent, and unless you are sure what you're doing, you should always consult with knowledgable folks before deleting anything.

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Myths About Computer Viruses

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 07:08:00 +0000

My Computer Stopped — I Must Have a Virus
If your computer stops, it could be because of a virus, but I doubt it. Bottom line: It’s in a virus’s best interest to let the computer continue to operate so the virus can continue to use the computer to spread itself to other computers. The “best” biological viruses in nature (what a concept) are like this, too. If they kill their host too quickly, there goes their opportunity to spread. A “better” biological virus — like a computer virus — will perhaps just make its host sick, but still well enough to keep spreading the virus.

That said, a virus writer could construct a virus that caused severe data damage only after it had been on the computer for an extended period of time. However, there is the risk (to the virus writer) that the virus might be detected and eliminated by antivirus software prior to the time it is programmed to inflict damage. If my computer stopped, I’d suspect hardware or Windows, in that order. I keep my antivirus program, firewalls (hardware and software), and antispyware software in good working order, so I’d suspect a virus last of all.

I Have Antivirus Software, So My Computer Can’t Get a Virus
Wrong answer. Even with antivirus software, several different factors can still mean that a virus can get in and/or hide in your computer:

_ If you fail to keep your antivirus signatures up to date, then any new virus may be able to get inside your computer.
_ If the “real-time” antivirus mechanism in your antivirus software is turned off or deactivated (this can and does happen in the real world from time to time), then the virus can walk right into your computer while the antivirus program is sleeping.
_ A brand-new virus can get into your computer even if you keep your antivirus signatures up to date. Remember, it can take a few days or longer for the antivirus software companies to detect, capture, and dissect new viruses before they can update their signature files. Even then, your computer will be protected only after it downloads the new signature file from the antivirus software company.
_ If you’ve been running your computer prior to getting antivirus software and you’ve put any files on it from any outside source — even if you’ve never connected to the Internet — there could already be a virus on your computer. If you don’t follow the installation procedures and skip the all-computer scan that most antivirus programs want to do when they’re first installed, it’s possible that a virus that you caught earlier is still be lurking in there.

All Viruses Are Destructive
I disagree with all statements that say all. (Well, most of them anyway.) Okay, word games aside, some viruses exist only to replicate themselves, and other than that, they do nothing harmful. But a purist would say that even these are harmful, because they upset their computers’ feng shui. A system with even a benign virus is tainted, and there could someday be some unintended consequence of that. Bottom line: This one’s arguable either way. Wanna have some fun? Get a couple of cyber-philosophers in a room and watch them argue this one for a couple of hours.

Viruses Can Damage Computer Hardware
I know I’m going to get into trouble with this one. Some expert out there is going to have a good counter-argument, but for the most part, this fear is false. Here’s how it looks from the virus writer’s perspective: Why aim for the hardware when there’s so much brittle software that can be damaged? Go for the easy target first. Besides, if the virus hurts the hardware, how’s it going to spread itself any further? The purist would argue that a virus can damage computer hardware by giving it instructions that make the system misuse some part of itself (for example, by writing excessively to the hard drive), but few such hardware-eating viruses have been released. This is partly because there are so many different types, makers, and formats of computer hardware that one virus would be hard put to trash all of them. Besides, nearly all computer hardware has built-in safeguards that prevent any real damage. But if you do get a virus and see sparks or flames shooting out of your computer or keyboard, please catch it on video and send it to me.

Viruses Can Hide inside Data Files
Hmmmm, well, this is theoretically possible, but I have not heard of such a virus. Yet. For now, viruses hide inside computer programs — and in the places where programs normally hang out (such as the boot sector of a floppy disk or a hard drive). By definition, data files aren’t executable, and viruses have to be executed. It’s safest to say that viruses hide only in executable program files. But wait. . . . Macro viruses are found in Word and Excel documents, so if this is what you mean by data files, then you’re correct. Other than this, generally viruses do not live inside data files.

Pictures Can Give You Computer Viruses
Nope. Well, not yet. Pictures are just data files that are read by special programs. But, someday, someone may come up with a picture file format that accommodates the inclusion of computer instructions — for whatever purpose someone dreams up. Are you thinking “macro virus” right now? So am I. Anytime someone comes up with a way to store data that includes a place for simple computer instructions (like Microsoft Word and Excel do), then the risk of malicious instructions becomes a real risk.

I Need More Than One Antivirus Software Program to Be Fully Protected
No, and no. Here’s what I mean. As long as you stick with one of well-known brands of antivirus programs, you’ll find that they all develop new virus signatures at about the same time. So if you’re thinking of switching from to because you think that gets their virus definitions out sooner, I personally wouldn’t waste my time.

You Can’t Get a Virus from an Official Software CD
I wish. It’s rare, but it has happened, and it very well could happen again. The big software companies have very good and almost byte-tight procedures that eliminate the possibility that a virus can sneak into a software development lab and from there to a CD master. It can happen. I wouldn’t laugh at you if you scanned CDs for viruses before installing software from them. Promise.

Antivirus Software Companies Create Viruses
To put it kindly, I don’t think so. Do the math: The antivirus companies have enough business trying to keep up with viruses “in the wild” that they’d be idiots to risk causing trouble for themselves. This sounds as crazy as Microsoft and Intel being in cahoots to keep us buying newer computers! Makes an entertaining (if trite) premise for a movie, maybe; doesn’t hold up so well in reality.

Some Countries Sponsor Virus Writers and Hackers
Gotcha. This one’s actually true. Three or four countries do have state-sponsored hackers. I shouldn’t name these countries by name, but many of them are known to be hostile to the United States in other ways. Some of these same countries sponsor hackers in order to give us a little trouble. Official attempts to disrupt and break into foreign information technology go back at least as far as the British code breakers who figured out the Nazi “Enigma” encryption machine in World War II. The adversaries have changed over the years, but their struggle has kept pace with the development of cyberspace, and it continues today.

Does My Computer Have a Virus?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 06:27:00 +0000

Does your computer have a virus? Or are you just afraid that your computer has a virus? Either way, you’ve come to the right place. If your computer has started to act funny — if it just doesn’t feel right — then it’s possible (but not certain) that your computer has a virus. I’ll give you the information necessary to help you determine whether your computer has a virus, and then points you in the right direction to find out what to do next. Just remember this: Nobody deserves to get a computer virus. If you do have a virus, batten down the hatches and brace for a fight — viruses are a pain in the neck at best, and they can be much worse.

Looking at Common Virus Symptoms
Stalking the wild computer virus starts with observation: There are a lot of ways that a computer can begin to act strangely for no apparent reason. These changes in behavior may be the result of a virus, but there are other possible explanations as well. The following are some typical virus-induced symptoms, as well as some ways to determine whether a virus is responsible for your computer’s symptoms.

Computer too slow
The first thing to check when your computer is slow is to make sure that your computer isn’t in a school zone. Seriously, a slowing in your computer can be the result of a number of circumstances — and a virus is definitely among them. The following list provides some considerations for making an educated guess as to why your computer is slowing down:

Have you made any changes to your computer lately? For instance, have you upgraded to Windows 2000 or Windows XP? These newer operating systems require a lot more memory than their predecessors.

Have you upgraded a program? Like Windows 2000 and Windows XP, newer versions of many other programs like Microsoft Office and Microsoft Works require a lot more memory than earlier versions.

Have you or a loved one downloaded a lot of “nature”pictures or other information? Pictures and music take up space. If your hard drive is almost full, your computer will definitely run slower. If you’re sure you haven’t made any changes, then you may have a virus. You’ll have to check your computer’s behavior and run a number of simple tests before you can be sure.

Unexplained activity
Does your hard-drive or network-activity light flicker for no apparent reason? While there may be a legitimate reason for it, this could also be a sign that a virus or a hacker’s back-door program (a devious little program that allows secret access without your permission) is running on your computer. You might be donating some of your computer resources to a hacker and be largely unaware of it. Here are some examples of what could be going on if a hacker has gotten control of your computer:

_ The hacker could be using your computer to send thousands, even millions, of those annoying spam messages to people all over the Internet.
_ The hacker could be using your computer to launch attacks on corporate computing networks. In a DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack, for example, a hacker instructs thousands of “zombie” computers (like yours, perhaps) to send lots of messages to a particular corporate Web site, glutting its communications and knocking it off the Internet.
_ The hacker could be using your computer to scan other networks, hunting for vulnerable ports (communication channels for particular computer processes) that can mean more potential-victim computers.
_ The hacker may have installed spyware that reports back to the bad guys without the victim’s (your) knowledge.
One example is a key logger — a small program that records every key press and mouse movement in an attempt to learn your bank-account numbers, credit-card numbers, and other sensitive information that you probably don’t want strangers to know about.

Crashes or hangs
Does your computer crash often? Does it just stop responding? Do you often get the Blue Screen of Death? Again, there are many possible explanations. Crashing, hanging, and blue screens may be virus-induced, but they’re probably not. These maladies are more likely the result of new software, new drivers, or even a hardware component that’s beginning to fail. Check out those possibilities first.

Will not boot
Boot used to be a noun — the leather thing you put on your foot to protect it from rough terrain. These days boot is a verb just as often; it’s the process that your computer performs to start itself when you turn it on or press Ctrl+Alt+Del (the
“three-finger salute”). You guessed it — just because your computer won’t boot, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your computer has a virus. Maybe yes, maybe no. There are several other likely explanations — for example, a corrupted master boot record (the part of the hard drive that your computer uses to start up), or damage to an important file that your computer uses to start up.If either of these was the case, you’d probably have to rebuild your computer’s operating system and file system from scratch — not fun, even for the experts — and recovering any lost data could get dicey in a hurry. But you know, if you’re running Windows and have to reinstall your computer’s operating system, here are a couple of basic improvements to consider:

_ What better time to upgrade to Windows 2000 or Windows XP (unless you’re already running one of those)?
_ What better excuse to curl up with a good book — say, whichever Windows For Dummies book covers your newly installed version? This could be the perfect opportunity to read up on Windows while you’re waiting for the install to finish.

Strange computer behavior
Okay, computers sometimes behave inscrutably, but their behavior should be predictable. Same deal for viruses — which means they can’t completely conceal their activities. You can look for the devil in the details. Perhaps the signs are obvious (the colors go all weird, the computer puts words on-screen by itself, or it makes strange noises) or relatively subtle (your screen borders pinch inward for an instant just before you send e-mail). Time to observe closely and take notes. For openers, consider some “obvious” symptoms:

_ Files are not where you left them, and can’t be found on your computer. If your computer has become a Bermuda
Triangle that is eating your files, even some of your software, you might have a virus.
_ You can find the file, but its size or date stamp is suspiciously different. Viruses that infect program files may make the files bigger or smaller than they should be, or change their date stamps. Date stamps don’t ordinarily change on program files — ever — unless an official software patch changes them.
_ On-screen text starts to change by itself. In the old days of the DOS command prompt, one virus made the letters in on-screen text seem to move around “by themselves.” Sometimes they changed colors, or started consuming each other like Pac-Man. Bad sign. But you knew that.
_ An out-of-context message appears on-screen. Some viruses announce their presence by taunting the user. If you are greeted with a message such as Your computer is now Stoned!, you probably have a virus. Consider whether the message is out of context — for example, does it look like someone’s trying to cap a practical joke with a punch line? Not funny at all.

Too many pop-up windows
While I can’t prove it, I’d suspect that in some cases, Web sites that flood you with pop-up windows could also be attempting to download some malicious program(s) into your computer. Web sites that pump pop-ups into people’s computers are notorious for attempting to change the configuration of your Web browser and other parts of your computer — by remote control, without your knowledge or permission.

How Spyware Gets In

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 05:27:00 +0000

Spyware infiltrates a user’s computer via a number of methods. The most obvious sources are the other scum that are designed to wreak binary havoc: Some viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are designed to install spyware on victim computers either by carrying the spyware directly as a part of its payload or by downloading it after the virus has successfully implanted itself. Other sources aren’t so obvious to the untrained or unsuspecting user. The following sections explain what these common methods are and how they work so that you understand how your network and users are vulnerable.

Finding holes in the Web browser
The spyware taking up residence in a computer may be an ActiveX control, a browser snap-in (intended to extend browser functions), a browser helper object, or a standalone executable that is loaded into the user’s computer when he or she visits a Web site that contains the spyware. The spyware may load because of a security setting that is too lax, such as permitting the downloading of unsigned ActiveX controls. Spyware can also install itself via one of many vulnerabilities that have been discovered in recent years. For instance, it could be an ActiveX control that is specially designed to fool the browser into thinking that the control is coming from a Trusted Sites Zone or Intranet Zone instead of the Internet Zone.

Tagging along in e-mail
E-mail programs that display HTML e-mail (such as Outlook, Outlook Express, and Mozilla Thunderbird) are often subject to the same vulnerabilities that have beset Microsoft Internet Explorer in recent years. Often, just displaying a mail message is sufficient for the spyware to get loaded in the user’s computer. This is because Outlook is using the same vulnerable DLLs to display HTML as is used by Internet Explorer.

Hiding in software downloads
Many downloadable software programs — and programs that you can purchase online or over the counter — contain spyware programs that are silently installed when you install the software. Sometimes (but not always), the software’s
End User License Agreement (EULA) states that “other programs may be installed.” How many people read the fine print? I must admit that I don’t always read the EULA before installing software. Maybe you should add “carefully read all license agreements” to your list of New Year’s resolutions, no matter what time of year it is now.

Peer-to-peer file sharing
Although nothing is inherently wrong with peer-to-peer file sharing, almost all its actual uses are illegal, and as the saying goes, “If you play with fire, you will get burned.” The predominant use of peer-to-peer file sharing is to share music files and other protected or copyrighted content, typically illegally, with others on the peer-to-peer network. Legal problems aside, the software for these peer-to-peer networks leaves a computer or network open to spyware in the following ways:

- The software doesn’t limit the files that might be shared to just music, so frequently what comes down the peer-to-peer pipe is spyware.

-Some peer-to-peer programs themselves have spyware bundled with them that gets installed when the peer-to-peer program is installed. The result is a pretty ugly situation. Not only does the peer-to-peer software poke several holes in your system, enabling spyware to seep in, but some software also contains vulnerabilities that allow people to retrieve any file they choose to from the peer computer. Is it any wonder, then, that many companies forbid the use of peer-to-peer sharing programs?

How Spyware Gets Information from Your Computer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 04:57:00 +0000

Spyware creators have an arsenal of tricks for extracting information from a user’s computer. Most utilize a Web browser as a coconspirator, but spyware can also sneak in when other programs are installed, as well as if a virus or worm successfully lodges itself in a user’s computer.

Hijacking cookies
A Web site can attempt to access a cookie that is associated with another Web site (in case you’re not familiar with how cookies work, one Web site is not supposed to be able to access any cookies except for those it left there earlier). For example, if you’re visiting www.scumads.com (not a real site), that site may try to retrieve your Yahoo! or Google cookie by impersonating the original Yahoo! or Google site in particular ways.

Executing programs
Running a program on your computer might be what’s needed to install certain spyware, but running a program could also be what the spyware does after it’s installed. A vulnerability in Internet Explorer can permit a Web site to download and execute a malicious ActiveX control that, in turn, can do pretty much anything it wants on a user’s computer, including run other programs or download additional programs and files to the user’s computer.

Reading the Clipboard
Another one of those supposedly friendly features of Internet Explorer is its ability for Web sites to read the contents of your Clipboard. Although I can imagine the potential usefulness of sharing the Clipboard, in my mind this also spells trouble. Who knows what could be on your Clipboard at any given time? Do you ever copy pathnames, URLs, user IDs, passwords, or paragraphs of confidential information? I can smell the potential danger, and I hope you do, too.

Accessing the hard drive
An ActiveX control on a Web page can not only access the user’s hard drive, but also read and write data on that hard drive. Combined with other vulnerabilities, scripting on a Web page can cause any data on a user’s hard drive to be moved, altered, destroyed, or copied over the Internet to any location.

Spoofing well-known Web pages
A cleverly (or, I should say, diabolically) coded Web page can impersonate a well-known Web page, including the URL in the browser’s address bar! The vulnerabilities that permit this gave rise to many successful phishing scams. (A phishing scam is typified by official-looking e-mail messages that lure unsuspecting victims to Web sites where they are asked to surrender sensitive information, such as financial institution user IDs and passwords, or perhaps credit card or bank account numbers.)

Tracing A Hacker

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Sometimes, it's just not enough to simply know that there's a Trojan or Virus onboard. Sometimes you need to know exactly why that file is onboard, how it got there - but most importantly, who put it there. By enumerating the attacker in the same way that they have enumerated the victim, you will be able to see the bigger picture and establish what you're up against. But how can you do this?

Read on...

Connections Make the World Go Round
The computer world, at any rate. Every single time you open up a website, send an email or upload your web pages into cyberspace, you are connecting to another machine in order to get the job done. This, of course, presents a major problem, because this simple act is what allows malicious users to target a machine in the first place.

How do these people find their victim?
Well, first of all, they need to get hold of the victim's IP Address. Your IP (Internet Protocol) address reveals your point of entry to the Internet and can be used in many ways to cause your online activities many, many problems. It may not reveal you by name, but it may be uniquely identifiable and it represents your digital ID while you are online (especially so if you're on a fixed IP / DSL etc).

With an IP address, a Hacker can find out all sorts of weird and wonderful things about their victim (as well as causing all kinds of other trouble, the biggest two being Portnukes/Trojans and the dreaded DoS ((Denial of Service)) attack). Some Hackers like to collect IP Addresses like badges, and like to go back to old targets, messing them around every so often. An IP address is incredibly easy to obtain - until recently, many real time chat applications (such as MSN) were goldmines of information. Your IP Address is contained as part of the Header Code on all emails that you send and WebPages that you visit can store all kinds of information about you. A common trick is for the Hacker to go into a Chat room, paste his supposed website address all over the place, and when the unsuspecting victim visits, everything about your computer from the operating system to the screen resolution can be logged...and, of course, the all important IP address. In addition, a simple network-wide port scan will reveal vulnerable target machines, and a war-dialler will scan thousands of lines for exposed modems that the hacker can exploit.

So now that you know some of the basic dangers, you're probably wondering how these people connect to a victim's machine?

Virtual and Physical Ports

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:53:00 +0000

Everything that you receive over the Internet comes as a result of other machines connecting to your computer's ports. You have two types; Physical are the holes in the back of your machine, but the important ones are Virtual. These allow transfer of data between your computer and the outside world, some with allocated functions, some without, but knowing how these work is the first step to discovering who is attacking you; you simply MUST have a basic knowledge of this, or you won't get much further.

What the phrases TCP/UDP actually means
TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol, a TCP/IP packet is a block of data which is compressed, then a header is put on it and it is sent to another computer (UDP stands for User Datagram Protocol). This is how ALL internet transfers occur, by sending packets. The header in a packet contains the IP address of the one who originally sent you it. Now, your computer comes with an excellent (and free) tool that allows you to see anything that is connected (or is attempting to connect) to you, although bear in mind that it offers no blocking protection; it simply tells you what is going on, and that tool is NETSTAT.