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Common Problems and Frequently Asked Questions

To look up specific error messages, click here.

Computer Drives / Storage Printers & Printing Security / Privacy Voice / Telephony

Operating System Video & Photography Input Devices Networking Miscellaneous / Other

Software Audio Internet / Web Handheld / Mobile Computing

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Computer

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Common Problems: After installation of a substantially more powerful video card or processor, or an additional internal hard drive, a PC no longer starts properly. After starting an Intel-based Mac (such as the iMac G5), you experience one of two situations. In the first situation, the screen stays black, but the power LED on the iMac’s front will blink ... Error messages on blue screen, after you install a new hardware device or new software Hard disk may become corrupted when entering standby or hibernation. Lockups, freezes, and crashes - How to prevent them. My computer accesses my floppy drive when I try to open a Corel document or program. PC does not enter into Standby mode or immediately awakens as soon as you place it on Standby. PC is SLOW - runs slowly, starts slowly, or shuts down slowly. PC restarts spontaneously, after you install a new hardware device or new software. PC won't BOOT PC won't SHUT DOWN PC won't TURN ON - when pressing the power button on computer, the power LED lights up but nothing else Power Supply - Computer is hot to the touch, you smell burnt plastic, or you see smoke after you switch off your computer Power Supply - Not all of your computer’s internal components start at the same time (for instance, your hard drives and/or fan). Power Supply - PC makes a loud whining or grinding noise when starting up or shutting down. Power Supply - Power supply fan is not working, not blowing very hard, or operating sporadically. Power Supply - Your computer spontaneously reboots or doesn’t boot at all. Power Supply - Your system fails to start up or randomly locks up. Reboot - What to do if your computer continually reboots. Safe Mode - How to start your computer in Safe Mode Safe Mode - What to do once your system has booted up in Safe Mode Standby Mode - How to get in and out of Standby Mode. Standby Mode - PC returns to full power mode when you attempt to enter Standby or Hibernate Modes (when PC has 64MB of memory or less). Standby Mode - Windows Me computer fails to enter into Standby or Hibernate mode when you connect it to a network. You are using an iMac G5 computer, and it unexpectedly loses power. You plug your JVC XA-HD500 into a USB 2.0 hub that’s connected to your PC and your PC doesn’t recognize the device. Frequently Asked Questions: Beeps occur when starting PC - What do they mean? BIOS - How do I upgrade my BIOS? BIOS - What is it and how can I make changes to it? CMOS Battery - How do I fix my PC's clock if it loses time or is set to the wrong time? Do Hi-Speed USB devices work with older USB ports? Do I really need to give my new gaming PC all the space that its manual suggests, or can I just place it in my desk's opening like my current PC tower? How can I tell which BIOS my computer has now? How can I tell which USB version is which? How can you correct a distorted image? How do I upgrade firmware, and what should I watch out for? How do you change the resolution and refresh rate? How do you use the monitor controls? How long should my laptop's battery last? When is it time to replace it? What can I do to extend my battery's life? I installed a secondary video card to add a second monitor, but now I don't see a display at all after the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) banner. Did I do something wrong? I installed more memory, but now the system isn't booting up. What did I do wrong? I lost power during a firmware upgrade and now my system won't run. What happened, and how do I fix it? I need more performance from my PC, and I think a CPU upgrade might do the trick. How do I know which CPUs my system supports? I replaced my CPU and had no problems starting the system, so do I really need to configure my PC to accommodate the new CPU? I replaced my CPU and the PC seemed to work fine, but then it crashed after running for several minutes. What did I do wrong? I'm trying to replace my CPU, but I can't seem to get it out of its socket. What's the trick to this, and what should I do with the old CPU once I'm done? Is it necessary to go through the hassle of backing up an entire PC, or are there only specific items that I should worry about? Memory - How do I know what to buy? Memory - Is installing memory difficult? Memory - What kind of memory does my system use? How do I know how much I currently have? Memory - Why does my computer list installed RAM as less than the amount I’ve installed? Migrate to new PC - How do I do it? My backup software says I need 32 CD-RWs (CD-rewriteables) for a complete backup. How can I do this with fewer discs? My laptop only connects to my wireless router at 11Mbps (megabits per second). How can I increase this speed for faster downloads, Internet gaming, and other things? PC - Should I leave it on or turn it off? PC Problems - How do I tell if the Hardware or Software is causing problems? PC Specifications - How do I find out what they are on my machine? Should I turn off my PC or leave it running all the time? Should I upgrade my BIOS? Is there ever a time when this is necessary? Surge Protectors - Do they really do anything to protect your PC? The bottom of my laptop becomes extremely hot. How can I prevent the heat from damaging the laptop? What are flash memory cards, and how do they work? What are the buttons on a monitor for? What are the different USB versions? What do I need in order to add a second monitor to my PC, and how do I select multi-monitor modes such as span or clone? What does it mean to restore or reimage a PC? What do I need and when should I do it? Can I use my Windows CD, or do I need something else? What does it mean when my hard drive starts making noise? What hardware and software should I use to create backups? Which do I really need: backup software or a ghosting application? How are these different? What is firmware and what does it do in the computer? What is the BIOS? Why is it important to the PC? What is the difference between Standby and Hibernation? How do I set up my PC for Standby? What is USB? When should I upgrade firmware, and how do I know that such an upgrade is needed? Why does my System Properties dialog box show less RAM than the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) does when my system starts up? Why is my sound distorted when I play a DVD movie on my second monitor? Is there anything I can do to fix that? Why won’t my PC go into Hibernate mode? Why would a screen need adjusting?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Notebook Computers Motherboard Power Supply RAM Ports IRQ BIOS

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Operating System

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To look up specific error messages, click here.

Common Problems: Activate WinXP - What to do when the OS requires you to activate WinXP. After reinstalling Windows XP, a second hard drive no longer appears in My Computer or Windows Explorer. Missing Icons on Desktop - How to get missing or hidden icons back on your desktop Product Key & Setup-While you’re entering the Product Key during Setup while upgrading from Win98/Me, Setup cycles back to the Welcome to Setup screen. Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Win XP - How to manage the Windows Firewall. Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Win XP - How to uninstall SP2. Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Win XP - Some programs seem to stop working. Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Win XP - Started the installation, but it was not completed successfully. When you start your computer, Windows XP’s startup screen appears, but your PC restarts without loading the WinXP logon screen. While using a computer with Windows XP, Explorer.exe unexpectedly quits during a file search. Rkadmin.dll is noted in the information from the error report. Windows Taskbar - How you can get it back or move it to the bottom of your screen. Windows XP cannot open a large ZIP file, claiming that it’s corrupted or invalid. Windows XP does not recognize my hard drive. Windows XP freezes during bootup on a system with HP's Share-To-Web application installed. The Desktop appears, but blue blocks obscure the Start button and Taskbar. Windows XP now challenges you for your username and password at bootup instead of going straight to your Desktop. WinXP & Temporary Passwords-WinXP installation is complete, but when you reboot the computer, you discover that WinXP assigned passwords to all user accounts. Because you don’t know the password ... Frequently Asked Questions: Administrator and User Accounts - What is the difference? How do I know which account I am logged in with? Automatic Updates - How do I turn them on? Automatic Updates – How do I set up automatic notifications and manual updates? Automatic Updates – How do I uninstall or deactivate an update? Boot Disk - How do I create one? Clean Install - How do I do it? Clipboard - What is it and how do I use it? Copy, Cut & Paste - How do I do it? CTRL-ALT-DELETE - What does it do and how do I use it? Desktop - How do I clean it up? Desktop - How do I customize Display Settings? Device Manager - Where do I find it, and how do I use it? Drivers - How do I find and install them? I really messed up. I started tinkering with my CMOS Setup, and now I can't get Windows to boot. Is there any way that I can fix this? I'm getting a "CMOS battery" error on my laptop, but because my laptop is plugged into a wall outlet, it's not even using the battery. Why is it doing this? Icons are too big or too small - How do I change them? My co-worker says that I can improve my PC's performance by changing some of the settings in its "Setup menu". Where is the setup menu, and what settings should I change? My Windows XP Desktop seems slow as it displays all the sliding windows, fades, and other bells and whistles. How can I speed it up? Reformat Hard Drive and Reinstall Operating System - When is it necessary and how is it done? Registry - How can I change the Registry size if I need to, for installation of another program? Registry - Where is it and how do I access it? Service Pack 2 (SP2) - How can I find out if I have Service Pack 2 (SP2) or other Windows Updates installed? Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Win XP - Do I have to install Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) before I install SP2? Does SP2 include the same fixes as Service Pack 1 (SP1)? Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Win XP - How do I get it? Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Win XP - I'm concerned that my dialup modem cannot handle the extended download time Windows XP Update for SP2. Where can I get a CD for the XP SP2 upgrade? Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Win XP - Should I wait to install SP2 until refinements and bug fixes have been made? If so, how long should I wait? Startup Menu - How can I add/remove programs to help speed it up? System Restore - What is it and how do I use it? Taskbar - How do I add or change toolbars? (Including Icons and System Tray/Notification Area) Upgrading my Operating System to Win XP - What are the issues? Upgrading Operating Systems - Which OS is best for me and what can my computer handle? Wallpaper - How do I change it in Windows? What is the difference between CMOS and BIOS? When installing WinXP on a computer with two processors, how does WinXP recognize multiple processors? Windows Games missing - How can I get them back? Windows Messenger - Do I need it? How can I disable it? Windows XP Forgotten Password Wizard - What is it and how do I use it?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Win98 WinMe WinNT Win2000 WinXP Error Terror Big, Bad & Blue Coping With PC Anxiety Solving Application Errors

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Software

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Common Problems: A full version of WinDVD resorts to a trial version after changing your computer’s time zone. Abiword can’t save page numbers that don’t begin with 1 on the first page of a document, such as when the document is a second or subsequent chapter of a larger work. Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader may appear to freeze when opened. After installing Norton Ghost 9.0 on a computer running Windows XP Service Pack 2, you get a blue screen. Corel Photo Album 6 crashes when attempting to send an E-Card project. During installation of Nero version 7.0.0.0 from the retail CD, the File Association window’s tabs are blank instead of listing file formats. I cannot start Corel WordPerfect Mail I need to back up my WordPerfect Mail emails before I reinstall Windows. In Outlook 2003 on a system running Windows XP System Pack 2, the preview pane’s scrollable viewing area gradually shrinks until just a few lines of text are visible. Installing and running older, 16-bit or MS-DOS software - Problems encountered by Win XP users. iTunes installation window disappears right after Publishing Product Information message appears on screen but before installation is complete. iTunes is not installed. McAfee SecurityCenter won’t open. Musicmatch creates long pauses between songs on burned CDs. Musicmatch Jukebox won’t download songs. Nero 7 CoverDesigner displays and prints boxes around text entered with the Text Box Tool, but there’s no obvious way to hide the boxes. Nero 7’s registration Web page for the LAME PowerPack MP3 encoder plug-in doesn’t work, and displays a wrong character in the serial number. This prevents you from making MP3 files with Nero. Nero doesn’t have any predefined paper stocks in the Nero Cover Designer. NoClone 4’s splash screen displays when you launch the program, but the main interface doesn’t appear. Outlook 2003 doesn’t show any email messages in the Deleted Items folder, even though they weren’t permanently deleted, and Outlook has not been set to delete messages outright and bypass Deleted ... Passwords - What to do if you can't remember your password (including Windows login password). PDF files linked in a Microsoft Office document do not open when you click the link. Quicken will not print more than seven checks. ScanDisk or a similar hard-drive scanning or error-fixing utility such as Norton Disk Doctor, a disk cloning software, encryption software, antivirus program, or a disc defragmenter, fails. Some system shell associations refer to “Corel PerfectScript” rather than “Perfect Script.” You may not be able to start a macro by double-clicking its Desktop icon. The EPSON Scan software included with your EPSON scanner works improperly or won’t open at all. When viewing a document in Adobe Acrobat Reader, the pages are blank or black. When you open images saved in Canon’s ZoomBrowser EX 2.0/3.0 software with ZoomBrowser EX 4.0, you can’t view titles and messages associated with the images. When you send and receive instant messages in Yahoo! Messenger, the message window doesn’t appear. Windows Messenger gives an error during installation. Windows XP’s Picture & Fax Viewer and Preview context menu function don’t work after you installed Ilfak Guilfanov’s “Hexblog14” unofficial patch (Wmffix_hexblog14.exe) for the WMF vulnerability ... WordPerfect hangs (freezes) or displays an error message when I try to open it. WordPerfect X3 won’t uninstall You are unable to install the software included with your Kodak EASYSHARE-ONE Zoom digital camera on a Windows 2000-based PC. You receive an error that the version of the Windows Thin Host has expired when using Symantec’s pcAnywhere version 11.5. Your games run slowly or stutter like a slideshow of still images rather than displaying as a smooth animation. Frequently Asked Questions: Can I force a program to use the new memory that I've installed? Can I upgrade from WinXP Home or Professional Edition to MCE? Can I use PCI Express cards in my PCI slots (or vice versa)? How can I get PCI Express devices working on my PC? Compatibility - How can I open old files/programs that aren't compatible with new versions of Windows? Compatibility - How do I know if a certain type of software will work on my current system? Compressing and Decompressing files - How do I do it? Graphics File Extensions - What do they all mean? How do I copy audio tracks from my CDs? Is it legal? How do I know what memory devices will work on my system? Can I mix different memory devices? What if my PC's memory slots are filled? How do I remove the Office Assistant from Microsoft Office 2000? How fast do PCI Express cards work? How does this relate to AGP or PCI cards? Is the Media Center PC a major innovation or just hype? Is there a way to eliminate hisses and/or clicks from CDs? One of the little locking tabs broke off of a memory slot when I installed some memory. What can I do about this? Outlook & Outlook Express - Where can I find spell checker? Outlook Express to Outlook - How do I upgrade? Personal Templates - How do I create them, using Microsoft Works? Remove Programs - How do I manually remove programs from the Add or Remove Programs Tool? Uninstall - How do I uninstall a program and ensure it is completely removed? Version - How can I tell which version of a program I have? What are the various CD formats? What are the various DVD formats? What companies make Media Center PCs, and how much do they cost? What does the X mean in terms of speed? What is a Media Center PC? What is PCI Express, and what does it do for PCs? What is Windows XP Media Center Edition? What's the difference between "ripping" and "encoding", and must I do both before burning files onto CD-Rs? What's the difference between CDs and DVDs? Will I have trouble using PCI Express devices with Windows? Will my PC run faster if I add more memory to it? Will more RAM enhance Web browsing?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Microsoft WORD Microsoft EXCEL Microsoft POWERPOINT Microsoft ACCESS Other

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Drives / Storage

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Common Problems: CD and/or DVD recording doesn’t always work correctly in a CD-RW, rewritable DVD drive, or standalone device. CD or DVD drive-Is not recognized as installed. CDs and DVDs - How you can avoid common problems when creating and burning. Compress Hard Drive - Definition of compression and how to do it. Defrag (Disk Defragmenter) - Program hangs or isn't working properly. Defrag - The Defrag program just keeps starting over without ever finishing. (This may or may not be accompanied by the screen message, "Drive's contents have changed. Restarting.") Defrag Hard Drive - System still runs slow after defrag. Drive - What to do if your computer can't detect your newly installed drive. Drive Won't Open DVD-R/-RW drive can read DVDs but nothing else. How you can transfer or clone a hard drive from one computer to another. ScanDisk hangs or isn't working properly. When I put a DVD-R, DVD+R, or CD-R in my optical drive, it causes the computer to be unresponsive. When set to the Master or Slave jumper settings, a DVD drive doesn’t read or write discs properly and may freeze the PC temporarily. Windows can’t detect my CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive after I install Nero. Windows XP automatically installs incorrect Mass USB Storage Device drivers for your MP3 player. You suspect a SATA (Serial ATA) hard drive is running too slow. Your Xbox 360’s disc tray doesn’t open when you press the Eject button or when you select the Open Tray option from the console’s menu. Frequently Asked Questions: Backup - How do I backup individual files or the entire hard drive? Backup Media - What are my options and which one is best? Bad Sectors - What are they and what should I do if I have them? Can I improve my hard drive's performance by increasing Windows' DMA (Direct Memory Access) mode? CD and DVD formats - What is the difference among them? CD Authoring Programs - Is it safe to install multiple CD Authoring Programs (i.e. Roxio and Nero) on one PC? Will it cause problems? CD-RW - Why won't a certain brand of CD play in my CD-RW? CD-RW Burning - Why do I have trouble burning a certain brand of CD in my CD-RW? Drive Imaging or Ghosting - How do I do it? DVD Drives- How is a DVD-ROM drive different from a CD-ROM drive? DVD Drives- How much data can you store on a DVD-ROM? DVD Drives- How much do DVD-ROM drives and recordable DVD drives cost? DVD Drives- What is a decoder, and why do you need one for a DVD drive? DVD Drives- What recordable DVDformats are currently available, and how do they differ? EIDE and SATA Drives - What is the difference between them? Hard Drive - Why doesn't my formatted hard drive have as much space available as it should? Hard Drive Maintenance using Disk Defragmenter, Scandisk/Error-Checking, and Disk Cleanup- What are these utilities and how do I use them? Hard drive RUNS CONSTANTLY - What causes that and is it normal? How can I get SATA, ATA, and CD/DVD drives to co-exist in the same PC? How do hard drives work with data? How do I know when my laptop's hard drive is about to fail, and what should I do to replace it? How do you install drivers? How do you install drivers? How do you make sure you have the right driver for a particular device? How do you make sure you have the right driver for a particular device? How do you update drivers? How do you update drivers? How fast will USB flash drives transfer data, and how much data will they store? How long will this data last, and how secure is it? I hear that SATA drives are faster than ordinary ATA drives, but how can that be possible if a SATA drive only transfers data one bit at a time? I installed a second hard drive, but Windows doesn’t see it. What am I doing wrong? I installed more RAM, but now the hard drive isn't recognized. What's wrong? I'm constantly in need of more drive space, but how do I know what files are safe to delete? Is it better to add a second hard drive or just shift my data to a larger hard drive? Lost Clusters - What are they and what should I do with them? Master/Slave Drives - What is the difference and how do I configure them? My current hard drive is only 80GB. Can I replace it with a huge 200GB or 250GB drive? My favorite DVD stutters and displays numerous colored blocks at various parts of the film. Is the problem with the DVD drive or the disc? My old PC is making a "clat-at-tat" sound whenever I load or save files. Is the hard drive going bad or is something else going on? NTFS and FAT32 - What is the difference between them? Partition Hard Drive - When is it useful and how do I do it? Replace Hard Drive - When is it time and how do I do it? Scandisk - What does it do and how do I access it? Should I back up my system before attempting a factory restoration? Someone told me that I’m not supposed to put a hard drive and an optical drive on the same cable. Is that true? What are IDE, EIDE, ATA, Ultra ATA, and Serial ATA? What are SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) drives, and how are they different than the ATA drives inside my PC now? What are USB flash drives? What are they used for? What can I do with an old hard drive? What do I need in order to use a USB flash drive? Is the speed dependent on the USB port? What do I need to install a SATA hard drive? Can I install a SATA drive in my older PC? What is a device driver? What is a device driver? What is a hard drive? What is capacity? What is fragmentation? Does it affect the performance of my hard drive? What makes a good hard drive? What's the difference between a master and a slave drive? When I restore my PC, what will happen to all the system drivers and other software that I’ve installed? Why won’t the drive tray open when I press the Eject button?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Hard Drives CD / DVD DVD - Converting VHS Tapes

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Video & Photography

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Common Problems: After installing new graphics drivers, my PC doesn’t work correctly. An LCD/TFT display exhibits burn-in, or retains an image even after the picture changes or the unit is turned off. Corel Photo Album 6 displays the product key activation page in Italian. Digital Camera/Camcorder - Encountering problems when connecting my digital camera/camcorder to my PC. Monitor - How to adjust my monitor. Monitor - Monitor is dark / won't come on. Monitor - Screen is flickering. My HDTV is being used as a display for my computer, and the image from the ATI video card is not properly centered and needs to be adjusted. My PC has an ATI video card and runs Windows Media Center Edition 2005, and I’m experiencing corrupt or choppy DVD playback. The computer does a poor job of playing DVD movies. The video of a program recorded with a set-top box/PVR freezes, but the audio continues to play. When trying to open a file created in Casio’s Photo Loader software that contains active content on a system running Windows XP Service Pack 2, Internet Explorer displays a security protection ... You are trying to view a video from a projector and on your notebook’s display simultaneously, but a black box replaces the video on either your notebook’s display or the projected image. The ... You cannot record TV with the ATI All-In-Wonder Series Multimedia Center because the Start Recording button is gray in the TV player toolbar. You get poor image quality on a Samsung monitor. You have two ATI video cards that both use an ATI Remote Wonder series remote, and when you use one of the remotes, the signal is received by both ATI video cards. Your Casio EXILIM EX-600 digital camera sporadically freezes midway through a slideshow, and camera button operations also cease to function; however, this problem only occurs when you have the ... Frequently Asked Questions: DVD Movies - How can I make DVDs out of my VHS home movies? How can I extend my digital camera’s battery life and save money? How can you tell how bright a digital projector's image will be? How do I get the latest version of DirectX? How do I know what print size I can get from a particular image? Which resolutions are recommended for various sizes of prints? How do I know what version of DirectX to use, and how do I check my current DirectX version? How many photos can I fit on a memory card? How much do DVRs cost? How much recording space does a DVR have? I have a device that’s compatible with USB 2.0, but will it work with a USB 1.1 port? I have an older digital camera that works fine, but I no longer use a PC with a serial port to transfer the camera’s images. Is there any other way to transfer the camera’s images to my new PC? I heard that BDs won't display properly on my PC. Is that true? I just replaced my AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) video card and installed new drivers for it, but now my system hangs periodically. What should I do to correct this? I understand that video clips require a lot of hard drive space. How much space should I have for video? I'd like to edit some movies of our family vacations and put them on DVD. Can you suggest an easy way to handle the capture without a complicated PC upgrade? What type of PC system requirements ... I'm trying to capture video from my camcorder, but I'm not seeing any video in the preview window. What can I do about this? Is there a way to read flash memory cards outside of a digital camera? Multiple Monitors - How do I hook up multiple monitors to one computer? Slides - How do I convert them to digital format? TV - How can I watch TV through my computer monitor? What are CRT and LCD projectors? What can I do with a DVR? What do I need to use a DVR? What factors should I consider when buying a digital projector? What happens if I'm using an older version of DirectX? What is a digital projector? What is a digital video recorder? What is Blu-ray, and how does it compare to HD DVD? What is DirectX, and why is it so important? What is resolution? What's a DLP projector? What’s the difference between USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 connections? Where can I get Blu-ray drives for my PC? Why do high-resolution cameras seem to only have room for a few photos? Is there some way to calculate the number of pictures a camera can store? Why does my streaming video playback frame rate seem so much smoother on one PC when compared to another computer? Why does my Windows XP system seem slower after I install new video card drivers? Will Blu-ray drives still support ordinary DVDs/CDs in my PC?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Video Cards Digital Cameras Camcorders Web Cams Software

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Audio

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Common Problems: A CD-RW or DVD±RW drive doesn’t read prerecorded CD-ROMs faster than 40X, even though it’s rated as a 48X or 52X reader. A DVD player takes a long time to try to read a disc, but finally gives up and says “No Disc” or equivalent. Audio CD is in the drive, and the drive is flashing, but you’re not getting sound. iPod nano does not play some songs. iTunes may unexpectedly quit when you open a radio stream. iTunes quits unexpectedly when optimizing photos for your iPod. My iTrip Auto does not transmit audio over the FM signal. No sound Sound is not working after downloading critical windows updates to WinXP Pro. Speakers in the side or rear sections of your 5.1- or 4.1-channel PC surround sound system seem too quiet during games or movies. When you connect your iPod to a Windows-based laptop’s USB port, the laptop doesn’t recognize it. You can’t connect to the CDDB database. You hear pops and/or other noises when playing back a music CD you’ve burned. Your CD-RW drive ejects a blank CD instead of burning songs. Your computer displays continual audio popping during playback of a DVD movie. Your Xbox 360 is connected to your audio system or TV but produces no audio or sounds less than ideal. Frequently Asked Questions: Audio CD - How do I create one? Audio DVD - Is it possible to create one? If so, how do I do it? Can I burn 80-minute discs with my CD-R/RW drive? How about 90- or 99-minute discs? Do I need special software to burn CDs, or can I simply drag and drop files to the disc through Windows? Which is better? Event Sounds - How do I change the sounds my system plays when performing various events? How can I convert vinyl records and tapes to CDs? How do I choose the best format? How much do blank DVDs cost? Media Player - How can I change my default media player? Media Player- What else can I do with a media player? Media Players- Can I use a media player to download audio and video files from the Internet? Media Players- Can I use media player software to rip audio CDs? Media Players- How much do media players cost? Media Players- What is a “skin”? Media Players- What is a media player? Media Players- What kind of media files can they play? MP3 CD - What's the difference between compressed and uncompressed? How do I convert an uncompressed CD to compressed? Should I test every disc before writing to it or is this just a big waste of time? Volume Control - How do I use this feature? What are the different DVD formats, and why are there so many? What is a DVD? Windows Media Player - What should I do if I'm having trouble creating (burning) an audio CD?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Audio Cards & Speakers Audio Software

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Printers & Printing

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Common Problems: An office printer cannot handle a certain weight of paper, such as 80 pounds, even though it is rated to use heavier stock, such as 110 pounds. Envelopes have problems printing correctly. I can’t print anything after I install McAfee VirusScan Multifunction Device (MFD) - How you can maintain it. Photo prints have bands across them - what you should do. Preprinted letterhead or specialty papers cause a printer to jam after a number of pages. Printer isn't recognized by PC. Printer won't print in color. Printer won't print. Printing from the Internet - When I print a Web page, the right margin is always cut off. How to fix this when it happens. The power LED (light-emitting diode) blinks, once in green, five times in orange, and then repeats. Toner easily rubs off of finished copies or laser prints. You only want to print the material on a certain page or pages and not the entire document. Frequently Asked Questions: How do I print to one printer from multiple computers? I do a lot of color photo prints, and the ink is costing me a small fortune. Is it safe to refill ink cartridges? Are there any bulk ink systems around? I'm printing black-and-white photos, so why do I see traces of color in the print? I've had my color printer for a while, and it's been working great, but lately I've noticed that the ink seems to bleed or smear back and forth across the print. What can I do about that? Inkjet Ink Cartridges - How can I conserve them? My laser printer is a bit old, and lately I’ve noticed ugly marks repeating every few inches down the page. Can you tell me what the problem is? New printer cartridges vs. Refill old ones - Which is better? Printing Photos - How can I get the best results? Printing Photos from a camera - Can I do that? Some of the colors appear wrong in the image I just printed, but my photo printer works fine, and the photo looks good on my screen. What's going on? Toner is very expensive. Are there any steps that I can take to save toner? Why does toner seem to rub off on my fingers as I handle printed pages? It isn’t supposed to do that, is it?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Printers & Printing

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Input Devices

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Common Problems: Keyboard has a sticky key - How you can fix it. Mouse isn't working correctly - Here is how to clean it. Mouse Pointer has changed to a new icon - How to change it back. When you scan a photo or other document with your Canon scanner, the scanned image is completely black. Your Xbox 360 Wireless Controller fails to turn on or connect to your Xbox 360 when you press and hold the controller’s Guide button. Frequently Asked Questions: Cleaning Keyboard - How should I do it? Function (F) keys - What do they do? Hotkeys - How do I assign them to different programs? Keyboard - How can I adjust the sensitivity? Keyboard Shortcuts - What are some of the popular shortcuts? Mouse pointer - How do I adjust the speed? Right-click and Left-click - What is the difference? Scanning (digitizing) Slides - How do I do it? Upgrade from USB 1.0 to USB 2.0 - How do I do it? USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 - What is the difference? What is 802.11n, and what do I need to get it working in my home? Is it compatible with my existing 802.11g wireless device? What's the difference between 802.11n and other lables, including "pre-n", SRX, and Super G? Will I need new Windows drivers for 802.11n wireless devices?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Scanners Keyboard / Mouse / Trackball

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Internet / Web

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Common Problems: (For information on viruses, etc., see Security / Privacy below.) Any one of multiple error messages appear when starting Yahoo! Messenger. Browser Address Bar is missing - How you can get it back. Browser Hijack – Your browser’s default home page suddenly changed without any input from you. You even re-selected the Web page you want, but the incorrect Web site appears. Here is how to fix it. Buttons do not appear in the VirusScan window. Can't connect to the Internet. Dial-Up Modem isn't working. Duplicate emails appear when downloading mail in Thunderbird. Email - When I close Outlook Express, a message displays that says “Outlook Express can compact messages. This may take up to a few minutes.” Email - You get messages from a mailer daemon or a mail administrator saying that your email couldn’t be delivered. Here is what to do. Firefox asks you for a Master Password that you do not know and cannot change. Hotmail - When attempting to forward an attachment through Hotmail, the attachments appear as text only. Here is what to do. Internet Usernames and Passwords - How you can manage them. New browser window appears and then disappears when opening a PDF file in Internet Explorer. Opera’s Back button does not return the browser to recently visited Web pages. Smart Auto Complete does not offer certain names when I send emails. The computer dials out to check for McAfee software updates even after you disable SecurityCenter’s Automatic Updates feature. There are no fonts listed in the Letter Creator of IncrediMail. Thunderbird does not respond and may use 100% of system resources. Web pages don’t display all their photos and icons or, in some cases, display a red X rather than an image or graphic. When opening a PDF in your browser, you see either a blank page or a red X. When you are using Internet Explorer and scrolling through a Web page, other programs become dreadfully slow or unresponsive. For example, you might experience distorted sound while ... When you send an email with a sound background that contains MP3 or WMA files, Windows indicates “one or more of the pictures in this message could not be found.” When you try to access Xbox Live on either your Xbox or Xbox 360 console using AOL’s High-Speed Broadband cable service, it fails to establish a connection. When you try to connect to your financial account through MSN Money or Microsoft Money, you are unable to login because the password you typically use does not work. You can’t download or update McAfee software. You have installed either Internet Explorer 6 SP1 (Service Pack 1) or Windows XP SP1 (both of these Service Packs contain Outlook Express 6 SP1), and Outlook Express is denying you access to some ... You have tried to access a page that you are not authorized to display and were stopped by the SAS Proxy. You’re unable to send email using Mozilla Thunderbird. Frequently Asked Questions: "Do you wish to debug?" - What does this Internet Explorer prompt mean? Address Book - How can I import/export from one email application to another? AutoFill / AutoComplete Feature - How do I clear unwanted autofill entries that appear in the drop-down box in Internet Explorer, when entering information into a form? Browser Windows - I upgraded a program and now my browser window won't open to maximum size. What can I do? Can you cover wireless standards and tell me what data rates I should expect while using wireless devices? Cookies - Can I manage them on a per-site basis? Cookies - How can I change my computer's privacy settings? Cookies - How do I delete them? Dial-Up - How can I speed up my dial-up Internet connection? Dial-Up - Why is my dial-up Internet disconnecting? Email - How do I email a really large file? Email - How do I include a hyperlink to a Web site or email address? Email - How do I insert a picture in an email message? Favorites - How can I alphabetize my Favorites folders and links in Internet Explorer? Favorites - How do I add, organize or delete them in Internet Explorer? Favorites - How do I import/export them? Firefox - How do I manage bookmarks in Firefox browser? Firefox and Internet Explorer (IE) Browsers - How can I set or change my default browser? Firefox and Internet Explorer (IE) Browsers - What are the differences? Firefox Browser and Updates - If Firefox is the default browser, will it have any effect on Microsoft's Automatic Updates and Symantec's Norton LiveUpdate? Font Size on Web Page - How can I increase/decrease it? High Speed Connections (DSL, Cable) - What are the differences and which is the best? Home Page - How can I change the default home page on my browser? Hotmail - How do I open an attachment? I've heard some conflicting stories about the amount of wireless range that's available indoors. What kind of range should I expect, and what factors affect wireless range indoors? Internet Connection Sharing - How can I get Internet acccess on more than one computer in my home? Internet Explorer - How do I download a new version? Is VoIP cheaper than a regular phone? Do I still need to pay for VoIP service if I already pay for Internet access? Kids & the Internet - How can I see what my kids are doing on the Web? My broadband cable connection seems awfully slow. Is there a way to measure the speed of my connection before I complain to the cable company? Red X in Web site and/or email - What does it mean? What happens to the VoIP phone if you lose power? Can I still call 911 or run my home alarm? What is Ethernet? What is VoIP, how does it work, and can I use it on my PC? What is WEP and WPA? How are they different and when should I use them?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Dial-Up Cable / DSL Email & Instant Messaging Browsers

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Security / Privacy

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Common Problems: A virus has infected your Windows System Restore file. DSO Exploit - What this means. Norton AntiVirus 2004 - The Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect icon is no longer in the system tray or has a red x through it. Auto-Protect is not working, and attempts to enable it fail. In the ... Nothing happens when you try to download updates for Spybot Search & Destroy. Pop-Up Ads - How to deal with them. Spoof Email and Phishing - How to know when an email you receive from someone is really from them. Spybot asks you whether to allow a Registry change, but the option buttons (Allow Change and Deny Change) are only partially shown and are unreadable. Spybot S&D 1.3 has issues running under Windows 95. Viruses, Worms and Trojan Horses - What to do to fight them. Viruses, Worms, and Trojan Horses - Definition of what they are. Viruses, Worms, and Trojan Horses - How to know if your computer has one. Frequently Asked Questions: ActiveX controls and plug-ins, Java, and Scripts - What are they? Antivirus Programs - Is it better to run just one program or multiple programs? Completely clean off hard drive - How do I do this before getting rid of it? Cookies - Is it safe to accept them? Ecommerce - How do I know if a site is safe for online shopping? Firewalls - Installed a software firewall and now, several times per day, the firewall alerts me to intrusion attempts. Are there that many hackers lurking about, and am I getting sniffed or hacked th Firewalls - What features do I need? Firewalls - Who needs a firewall? How can I prevent identity theft? How could someone steal my identity? How often should I update my antivirus software and scan my system? I use passwords to access my bank’s site and various other sites. Is it really necessary to change my passwords and usernames periodically? I was surfing the Web when my antivirus program reported a Trojan horse. I didn’t think that viruses could infect my system via Web sites. How do I fix this and stop it from happening again? I’m now using a broadband service, and it’s great, but because I’m always connected to the Internet, is there a chance that someone may break into my PC? If so, how can I prevent that? I’ve read that some programs try to send data back across the Internet. How can I find out which programs are sending data, and how can I stop them? Identity Theft - How can I protect myself while online? Is there any point to quarantining potentially infected files? Shouldn’t I just delete them? What’s the best way to handle infected files? Patches & Fixes - How do I know that I am downloading the right fix and not one from a scammer? Spam - How do I deal with and avoid it? Spyware - How can I guard against spyware programs being installed on my PC when I'm surfing the Internet? Spyware, Adware, Sneakware, Malware, Cookies - What is the difference? Trojan Horse - What is it? Should I be worried if my virus scan program detects one? What is identity theft? Why should I worry about identity theft? Why won’t my antivirus utility let me reinstall my favorite programs?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Virus / Worm Spyware / Adware Spam Pop-ups

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Networking

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Common Problems: Network doesn’t work at all or doesn’t work between certain connected PCs. When you attempt to install an HP All-in-One Photosmart device, you are unable to find it on the network. Wireless router- You installed a new wireless router and now you cannot connect to the Internet Frequently Asked Questions: I connected my PC’s network adapter to a hub, but I thought the 10/100 LED (light-emitting diode) was supposed to come on. What’s the problem? Home Network - What are the advantages and how do I set one up? Map a drive - How do I map a drive or access a drive on a network? Secure Network - How do I set up a secure network? What is a hub? What is a network? What is a NIC? What is a router? What is a switch? What is RJ-45? Wireless Network - What are the advantages and how do I set one up?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Hardware Software

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Handheld / Mobile Computing

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Common Problems: When entering or editing contacts in the Palm Desktop application, some fields overlap and you can’t see all the text within each field. When performing a Network HotSync, the software cannot find the PC on the network. Your Palm OS-based PDA freezes up immediately following the HotSync operation, freezes or resets when opening an application, operates sluggishly, exhibits an unusual display or inconsistent ... Your PalmOne Tungsten T3, Tungsten T5, Tungsten E, Zire 72, Zire 31, or Treo 650 keeps turning itself on. Frequently Asked Questions: Transfer Email/Contact information from PC to PDA - How do I do it?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles PDA

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Voice / Telephony

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Frequently Asked Questions: TTS Systems- How do I make my computer 'talk'?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Cell Phones

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Miscellaneous / Other

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Common Problems: A CD or DVD is cracked, but you need to retrieve information from it. A connected Xbox 360 peripheral fails to work. A digital photo is partially covered by random pixels or large blocks of one or more colors. A digital projector may not be able to focus properly after installation of an accessory lens. A digital projector’s image has a strange, red tint. A digital projector’s image is blank or only shows an enlarged part of the image coming from the source computer. A digital projector’s lamp frequently burns out and needs replacement. A game, DVD movie, audio CD, or photo CD fails to play on your Xbox 360. A Sharp digital projector’s remote control doesn’t work even though it has fresh batteries and the Mouse/Adjustment switch is correctly set to ADJ. Fax machine puts black lines on the document images it sends. If the fax is part of a multifunction device, the black lines may also appear on scanned images and copies. No image. SkinIt gift certificate does not appear when printing the gift certificate email. The image from a digital projector appears too pink or too green. The remote mouse for a digital projector doesn’t work. There are no presents from Santa under your tree this year. In rare cases, your fireplace may suddenly not be working properly. Video CDs and Super Video CDs: A VCD or SVCD 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 ... When I play Half-Life 2, the game freezes during the initial Loading screen, although it used to work fine earlier. When you attempt to access Microsoft’s Xbox Live online gaming service with your Xbox 360, your system can’t connect. You perform a network test on the Xbox 360’s Dashboard, and your system fails ... When you power on your Xbox 360 console, its RoL (Ring of Light—the lights that normally make a green circle on the front of the console) flashes red. The only light that doesn’t flash red is the ... You can’t save your game progress when using your Xbox 360 console. You get no picture on your TV after powering on your Xbox 360 console and TV. Your HP PhotoSmart 850 digital camera won’t read a 128MB Kingston SD (Secure Digital) memory card. The camera displays a message that the card is unreadable. Your remote control for home theatre devices is not functioning properly. Your screen freezes while you are starting your Xbox 360 console, navigating through the Dashboard, or already playing a game, and the Xbox 360 does not display any error messages or flash any ... Your Xbox 360 console isn’t getting power. Your Xbox 360 Headset isn’t transmitting sound or allowing you to speak to people on Xbox Live. Frequently Asked Questions: Converting Files- How do I convert a file from Mac to PC or PC to Mac? DLL files - How do I determine the version of a DLL and how do I replace it? DLL files - What are they and how do I find them? Fax through PC - How do I do it? I'm confused by today's memory lingo. Can you explain the difference between labels such as PC2700 and DDR 333? My favorite game stutters when I run it under OpenGL, but it runs fine under DirectX. Is there a way to fix this? My laptop display and keyboard get terribly dusty. What is the best way to keep them clean? My rewriteable disc is failing with read errors when I try to read it. Is there a way to recover the disc without trashing it and starting over? TEMP folder has all kinds of documents in it - Which files are safe to delete? Visually Impaired - How can I make my computer and programs more accessible? What do I need to support a USB 2.0 port on my PC? Do I need special cables to connect USB 2.0 devices? What does the graphics hardware acceleration slider do, and when should I use it? Why can I send files to a CD-RW through Windows XP, but I can’t erase or alter the files later? Why can’t I fit 650MB of data on my CD-RW (CD-rewriteable)? Can I fit more than 650MB on a rewriteable CD? Why do I keep seeing a note about "lost allocation units" every time I run ScanDisk? With all of the USB ports on today’s PCs, do I really need a hub?

Basic Troubleshooting Articles Home Theater

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