Q:
Why does my monitor go black after about 15 minutes of not using the computer?
A:
Windows has a Power Management setting that will shut your monitor off after a specified amount of time. If you don’t like when it’s shutting the monitor off, you can change it by doing the following:
In Windows XP:
1. Hit the Start>Control Panel , then go to Performance and Maintenance
System Password Protection
*This tip is for advanced users only. If you try it and mess your computer up, don’t come crying to me.
Password protecting Windows will keep most people out of your computer, it won’t stop ‘em all. I can get into a password protected Windows computer in less than 2 minutes. For obvious liability reasons, I’m not going to tell you how, but rest assured I (and… Continue reading
Keep It Clean
When it comes to our computers, all we tend to think about is the stuff we see on the screen — the software. Most of us tend to neglect the computer itself.
What can you do with your computer to make it run longer? As I just mentioned above, keep it clean.
I can’t tell you the number of computers I’ve opened that have… Continue reading
Q:
Help! My computer just started making a strange sound when I turn it on. It sounds like rapid ticking or rattling (not hard drive sounds either) and goes away after a few minutes. Any ideas?
A:
Sounds like a problem with one of your fans (no, not the people who love you, the ones that blow air).
Your computer probably has two internal fans – one that… Continue reading
Updating Windows
If you’re running a newer version of Windows, you’ve probably noticed the Windows Update item when you press your Start button. What is that all about?
Windows update is actually a really cool little feature. You know how Windows tends to have a few bugs? Well, these updates take care of bugs, security holes, and lots of other problematic stuff. Who knows, if you’re having problems, this may… Continue reading
Q:
Why doesn’t my Windows XP have Control+Alt+Delete ?
A:
This could be caused by a virus, b ut before you panic, it could also be missing if, for some unknown reason, Task Manager did not install or was deleted. So, first you should find out if it’s there:
Start / Search “all files & folders” for ” taskmgr.exe “. This file should be located on your C… Continue reading
Q:
How do I enable File Compression in Windows XP?
A:
If you are using Windows XP, chances are your hard drive uses the NTFS filing system. If you are in NTFS, you can save space on your hard drive by using File Compression.
First, open My Computer and double-click a drive or folder.
Right-click the file or folder… Continue reading
Q:
I was trying to play an old game on Windows XP, but it won’t work. I hear sound, but the screen is blank. Why can’t I see the graphics?
A:
I ran into this the other day with an old program that my kids love. It turns out that we had to change the screen resolution to 256 colors.
What you could do is look for the… Continue reading
If you’re planning on messing with your Windows Registry, it’s probably a good idea to back it up first!
Here’s how:
Click Start /Run and type in “regedit” (no quotes). (If you’re in Windows Vista or 7, just type it into the search box.)
Next, click the File menu, then ” Export“.
Select a location from the resulting box and give your backup… Continue reading
Q:
I deleted a program but it still shows up on my Add/Remove Programs list. How can I get rid of it?
A:
I get this ghost story all the time. The program is gone, but its entry is still there. Who you gonna call?
When that happens, most people click the program, hit the Add / Remove button and end up with an error. And… Continue reading
Prefetch Clutter
Do you find that it takes longer and longer for applications to open when you boot Windows XP? One common cause is the Win XP prefetch system.
“What’s Prefetch?” you ask. It’s a way for Windows to pre-load the data needed for running applications before you launch them. It’s supposed to make them launch quicker. What actually happens is that programs you hardly ever use take… Continue reading
Get Your Money’s Worth
We often mention various Windows tools only get emails from readers who say those tools are missing. Many times this happens because the feature is not installed (for instance Task Manager in XP—see 8/4/04 ). Especially if your system came with the OS already on it, you might not have all the tools and toys available.
What to do?
Go to Control Panel… Continue reading
Q:
My firewall keeps telling me that someone is trying to get into my computer, but all it shows are a bunch of numbers. Is there a way to find out who this is?
A:
This digital trick is actually pretty easy to pull off:
For Windows Xp users:
1. Hit the Start Button / Run . Type… Continue reading
Win XP Time Travel
Have you ever made a change to your computer that messed everything up? A great feature of Windows XP is System Restore. You can go back to a previous setup without losing your documents, jpegs, emails, or other files. It keeps track of changes in your system and automatically creates what are called “restore points”. These points allow you to travel back in time to when… Continue reading
Q:
What does it mean to Partition your hard drive?
A:
When you partition something in a computer, you divide it into isolated sections. For the most part, when you’re talking about partitions, you’re talking about hard drive partitions, so we’ll take a closer look at those.
First off, when you partition a drive, each partition will act as an… Continue reading
Windows XP can automatically update itself. That means any time you go online it will look for any new Hotfixes that you might need. But, what if you don’t want more control over the updating? Maybe you want to see what the hotfix does before you install it. Guess what? You can.
Right-click “My Computer” and choose “Properties“. Click on the “Automatic Updates” tab. There you’ll find… Continue reading
Q:
Help! I just installed Windows XP Service Pack 2 and now I don’t see any pictures in your newsletters—only a red X. Is there a way to fix this?
A:
This security feature only affects Outlook Express users. All you need to do is click the bar under the subject line in the preview pane that says, “Some pictures have been blocked…Click here to download pictures.”
Updating Drivers
Keeping drivers up to date can help your computer run better, add features to your existing equipment, and/or make the device run faster. Of course, it can also make a piece of hardware compatible with a new operating system (like if you’ve gone from Win 98 to XP) or if you add a critical update to your OS like Service Pack 2 for… Continue reading
Burt from Montana asks:
How do I know if I have Service Pack 3 on my Windows XP computer?
A:
It’s easy, burt. Just right-click “My Computer” and choose “Properties“. In the System Properties box look under “System“.
If you see “Service Pack 3″ listed there, then it is installed
~David… Continue reading
SP2 Hardware & Software Conflicts
So, you’re about to install Win XP Service Pack 2 . I suggest you find out if there are any measures you should take before installing. Head over to the web site for your computer’s manufacturer first.
Dell: Dude, if you got a Dell there are some hoops you need to jump through before installing SP2. Check out their page or get whacked…… Continue reading
Q:
How do I get rid of MSN Messenger in Windows XP?
A:
Microsoft decided to make MSN Messenger a built-in default feature in XP. A nice gesture, but for some, yet another useless feature that gets in your face.
Well, if you just remove it from your system you might run into trouble. This is part of Microsoft’s “make it an ‘integrated’… Continue reading
Do you have programs you no longer use taking up space on your hard drive? Maybe you didn’t like a particular program and want it off your computer, or worse, it messed up your system. Well, here are some ways to get ‘em out…
1. The first thing to do is click Start /Programs then hunt for the program you want to delete. Oftentimes, you’ll find an Uninstall program under… Continue reading
Q:
What is script debugging? I have been told to select “no” when a screen pops up at work. Is there a risk to it, or is it just a waste of time?
A:
Before I learned how to shut off this “feature”, I too would be surfing along when suddenly an error message would pop up on a website asking me if… Continue reading
Illegal Operations
Don’t you hate it when you see this error:
“This program has preformed an illegal operation and will be shut down”.
It can happen for a variety of reasons. In my experience, most of the time it’s due to a software conflict of some sort, usually with a program that’s running in the background.
If you find you have a bunch of stuff sitting in your system… Continue reading
Q:
When I try to run Scan Disk it keeps resetting. How can I get it to run?
A:
For anyone out there unfamiliar with Scan Disk, I will begin by explaining how to run it first.
Scan Disk will keep resetting if Windows is performing background tasks. Many times you are not even aware that these are happening, nevertheless they are… Continue reading
I know that a command prompt has something to do with MS-DOS, but what is it?
A Command Prompt is where you enter text commands to the computer. This type of entry was used prior to graphical user interfaces (GUI). Although it isn’t often used in Windows, it is still the preferred method of input for certain operating systems like Linux and Unix.… Continue reading
Q:
When installing a new program in Windows it is recommended that you close all running programs. I have never done it, because I do not know how to do it. My question is: How do I close all running programs?
A:
Actually, you probably don’t need to close each and every program on your system. I do installs all the time with… Continue reading
