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Showing posts with label Windows. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows. Show all posts

How to Make your computer Fast?

August 26, 2013 Add Comment

How to Make your computer Fast?





Whenever you start your computer, you are faced with a few moments of thumb twiddling while Windows XP boots and prompts you to log on. Although you should expect to wait for a few moments, sometimes Windows XP seems to boot rather slowly. In fact, you may notice that over a period of time the PC that used to roar to life seems a bit sluggish instead. Fortunately, you can perform several techniques that help Windows XP get the boot up speed you want. This chapter explores how to put these techniques to work.

Some of the things may already have been discussed in some threads earlier.

Stopping Unneeded Startup Services


Along with the core operating system and programs that Windows XP runs when it starts, there is also a host of services involved. Many of these services are necessary for Windows XP to operate correctly. However, many of them are for features in Windows XP that you may not use at all. You can peruse the services and disable any service that you do not want to run. The fewer services that run, the more quickly Windows XP will boot.

Caution: Exercise caution when stopping services. If you do not know what a service does or are unsure of the ramifications of stopping the service, leave it alone. Some services are critical to Windows XP's operations, so make sure you understand what the service is before you disable it.

To reduce the number of services that start on bootup, you can access two different areas of Windows XP. The first is the System Configuration Utility. The Services tab shows you the services that start when the computer boots.

You can stop a service from starting by simply clearing the check box next to the service and clicking OK. However, before you do so, there is another way to disable services that you may prefer because the interface gives you more information about the service in question.

Open Control Panel/Administrative ToolsServices or else select Start/Run, type services.msc, and click OK. Either way, you see the Services console.

I prefer to use the Services console instead of the System Configuration Utility because it describes what the service does. Additionally, you can double-click a service and examine its properties.

Notice the Startup Type column in Figure 4-2. This information lists whether the service is automatic or manual. Manual services are only started in Windows XP when you start a process that requires the service. Some other process may require the service that has a "dependency" relationship with it; in this case, the dependency service will start, as well. Because these services do not start automatically when you boot Windows XP, you do not need to do anything with manual services.

However, all services listed as automatic start when Windows XP boots. These are the services that increase boot time. As I have mentioned, many of them are necessary and important, so you should not stop automatic services from booting unless you are sure of the ramifications. You can get this information by looking at the Description column. Here's a quick look at common services you may want to live without:

Automatic Updates: This service enables Windows XP to check the Web automatically for updates. If you don't want to use
Automatic Updates, you can disable the service. You can always check for updates manually at the Windows Update Web site.

Computer Browser: If your computer is not on a network, you don't need this service. If you are on a network, leave it alone.

DHCP Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are on a small workgroup, you can still increase boot time by configuring manual IP addresses (which I explore later in this chapter).

DNS Client: If you are not on a network, you do not need this service. If you are, leave it alone.

Error Reporting and Event Log: You don't have to use these services but they can be very helpful, so I would leave them configured as automatic.

Fax: If you don't use your computer for fax services, you can disable this one. Help and Support: If you never use the Windows XP

Help and Support Center (found on the Start menu), you can disable this service.

IMAPI CD-Burning COM: This service enables you to burn CDs on your computer. If you never burn CDs, you can disable the service.

Indexing Service: Your computer keeps an index of files but if you rarely search for files, the service is just a resource hog. You can stop it and turn the service to manual.

Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing: If you do not use these features, you can disable them.

Infrared Monitor: If you do not use infrared devices, you can disable this service.

Messenger: This service sends alert messages on a local area network (it is not the same as Windows Messenger). If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

Print Spooler: If you do not do any printing from the computer, you can disable this service. If you print, make sure you leave it as automatic.

Remote Registry: This service allows remote users to modify the Registry on your computer. If you are not on a network, you can disable this service.

System Restore Service: This service allows you to use System Restore. If you have turned off System Restore anyway, you do not need to turn off the service. If you do, you turn off System Restore.

Themes: If you do not use themes, you can disable this service.

Windows Image Acquisition: If you do not use scanners or digital cameras, you can disable this service.

Wireless Zero Configuration: If do not use wireless networking devices, you can disable this service.

You may have a number of other automatic services, depending on software and other configurations on your computer. So it's a good idea to look through the services and learn more about them. If you double-click a service, a Properties dialog box appears

Notice that on the General tab, you see a Startup Type drop-down menu. If you want to change an automatic service to manual, select Manual here and click OK. As a general rule, don't disable a service unless you are sure you will never use it.

However, manual configuration allows the service to be started when you find it necessary, thus speeding up your boot time. However, before you change a service to manual, look at the Dependencies tab (see Figure 4-4). This tab shows you which other services depend upon the service you are considering changing.

Keep in mind that services are necessary for the vast functionality you get with Windows XP. Change only those services that you understand and do not use. How you use your Windows XP computer should be the best guide in terms of optional startup services.

Tip:

The Indexing service and the System Restore service take up a lot of disk space and system resources across the board.

You can live without the Indexing service but I suggest that you keep using System Restore. It works great when you are in a bind and this is one case where the loss of speed may not be worth the ramifications of not using System Restore. 
Speed Tips and Tricks for Windows XP Star tup Aside from star tup programs, services, and the Prefetch folder, there are a number of other start up procedures and issues you can modify to help Windows XP start faster. The following sections explore those tips and tricks. 
Manual IP Addressing on Small Office/Home Networks Windows XP is configured to help you take care of networking. It uses the TCP/IP protocol for networking in work groups  or what you might call small office or home networks that do not use a dedicated server. The problem is that automatic IP addressing can be slow. 
When your computer boots, it has to query the network to see what IP addresses are already in use and then assign itself one. If you want to speed up the boot time a bit, consider manually assigning IP addresses to all computers on the network. 
This way, the network computers do not have to worry about locating an automatic IP address. Because one is manually configured, the operating system doesn't have to spend time solving this problem. This isn't a networking book, however, so I won't delve into the implications of using a manual IP address, but if you are using a computer that functions as a host computer to the Internet (using Internet Connection Sharing [ICS]), you can get into connectivity problems if you change the configuration of the IP address. However, you can still work around this problem by starting with the ICS host computer. Select Start/Connect To/Show All Connections. Right-click your network adapter card and click Properties. On the General tab, select TCP/IP in the list of services and click the Properties button. In the TCP/IP properties, you can see if you use an automatic or manual IP address. In the example in Figure 4-5, I have configured a manual IP address of 90.0.0.1 and a default subnet mask. The other computers on my office network each use a different IP address in the same class, such as 90.0.0.2, 90.0.0.3, 90.0.0.4, and so on. This way, each computer has a permanent IP address, which helps increase boot time. Note that if you change the IP addresses of your computers, they must all use the same subnet mask. A default subject mask of 255.255.255.0 will keep you in good shape. Make sure you understand the implications of changing IP addresses on your network. 
If you have no networking experience at all, you may be wiser to leave the automatic IP addressing as is and try to gain some speed using the additional suggestions in this chapter. Disabling Recent Documents History Windows XP includes a feature that keeps track of all recent documents you have opened or used. The idea is that you can select Start/Recent Documents History and quickly reopen any document you have recently used. I use many documents each day and never use the feature myself. 
In my opinion, I can keep up with what I want to use without Windows XP doing it for me. The bad thing about Recent Documents History is that Windows XP has to calculate what should be put there each time you boot Windows, which can slow things down. So, if you never use the Recent Documents History, it's a good idea to disable it.

How???


  1. Open the Registry Editor (select Start/Run, type regedit, and click OK).
  2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mcft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer.
  3. Create a NoRecentDocsHistory D_WORD key. Double-click the value to open it once it is created.
  4. Set the Data Value to 1 to enable the restriction.
  5. Click OK and close the Registry Editor. You'll need to restart the computer for the change to take effect. Disabling the Boot Logo You can remove the boot logo that appears when you start Windows XP. This little tweak probably shaves only a few seconds off your boot time but seconds count if you are serious about trying to get Windows XP up and running as quickly as possible. The only negative is that if you remove the boot logo, you will also not see any boot messages, such as check disk. (But if you are not having problems with your computer, this isn't such a big deal.)

To remove the boot logo, follow these steps:

  • 1. Select Start/Run, type msconfig, and click OK.
  • 2. In the System Configuration Utility, click the BOOT.INI tab.
  • 3. On the BOOT.INI tab, click the NOGUIBOOT check box option. Click OK. Removing Unwanted Fonts One trick that increases your boot time a bit is to lose any fonts in the Fonts folder in Control Panel that you never use. The more fonts you have, the more processing Windows XP has to do to prep all of those fonts for use. You must be a bit careful here to not remove fonts that you might want, but there is a good chance that you can live without many of them. For instance, you may have foreign language fonts and other symbol fonts (such as Wingdings) that you never use. To delete unneeded fonts, follow these steps:
  1. Open the Fonts folder in Control Panel.
  2. Select Edit/Select All and then Edit/Copy.
  3. Create a new folder on your desktop, open it, and select Edit/Paste.
  4. In this new folder, delete any of the fonts you do not want.
  5. Return to the Fonts folder in Control Panel. Right-click the selected fonts and click Delete.
  6. Go back to your new desktop folder and click Edit/Select All.
  7. Return to your Fonts folder and click Edit/Paste. You now have only the desired fonts in the Fonts folder. Tip: You can directly delete fonts from the Fonts folder without creating the secondary folder. However, I recommend the preceding steps to help ensure that you do not make a mistake in the deletion process. Stopping Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Sharing In Windows XP Professional, you have two remote networking features called Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop Sharing. These remote networking features are very helpful in a variety of situations but if you don't use them, it is good idea to disable them to save boot time. You can always enable them later if you want to use them. Note: If you are interested in using Remote Desktop or Remote Assistance, see my book Windows XP for Power Users: Power Pack published by John Wiley & Sons.

1. Open the Start menu, right-click My Computer, and choose Properties.
2. Click the Remote Tab.
3. Clear both check boxes to disable Remote Assistance and Remote Desktop. Speeding Up the Dual-Boot Timeout If you dual-boot your computer with Windows XP and another operating system, you see an operating system selection menu on startup. If you typically boot into Windows XP and not the other operating system, you can speed up the dual-boot timeout value so that you do not wait so long for the boot process to select your default operating system and continue with the boot process. The default timeout value is 30 seconds but you can change this setting to 10. This gives you enough time to select the alternate operating system if you want but also speeds up the boot process. You can skip this section if you do not use a dual-boot configuration.


Follow these steps:
  1. Locate the boot.ini file on your computer. It is a hidden file by default; mine is located in C:\boot.ini.
  2. Open the file with Notepad (which is what opens it by default).
  3. Change the Timeout value to 10 (see Figure 4-11).
  4. Select File/Save and close Notepad. Speeding Up Your PPPoE Connection If you use a Point-to-Point Protocol connection over Ethernet (PPPoE), you may notice a delay in using the PPPoE connection after startup. By default, there is a 120 second delay but you can stop this behavior by manually configuring an IP address for the network adapter card. If you do not use a PPPoE connection, you can skip this section.


  1. Select Start/Connect to/Show All Connections.
  2. 2. Open the TCP/IP properties for your LAN network interface card.
  3. 3. Manually set the IP address on the TCP/IP properties to an appropriate IP address and subnet mask for your network. Reducing the Wait Time When you start to shut down Windows XP, it has to quit, or "kill," any live applications or processes that are currently running. So close all applications first. However, some applications and processes are always running in the background. You can reduce the amount of time that Windows XP waits for those applications and processes to close before Windows XP kills them. Edit three different Registry settings to change this:

  • Open the Registry Editor.
  • Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Select WaitToKillAppTimeout and set the value to 1000.
  • Select the HungAppTimeout value and set it to 1000 as well. Navigate to HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Desktop. Set the WaitToKillAppTimeout and set the value to 1000. Select the HungAppTimeout \newline value and set it to 1000 as well.
  • Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Contro l. Select the WaitToKillServiceTimeout value and set it to 1000.
  • Close the Registry Editor. Automatically Killing Tasks on Shutdown You know the drill. You start to shut down the computer, you wait a few moments, and then you see a dialog box asking if you want to kill an application or service that is running. Instead of prompting you, you can make Windows XP take care of the kill task automatically. Here's how:
1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.
3. Highlight the value AutoEndTasks and change the value to 1.
4. Close the Registry Editor.


Note: All information are for education purpose, try its all on your own risk, Regedit - is most important part of windows XP, if any mistake to configurate - windows can be crash down.. we are not responsible for any damage.

How to customize command Prompt in Windows 7

February 10, 2012 Add Comment

How to customize command Prompt in Windows 7




You can customize the appearance of a Command Prompt window, changing its size, font, and even colors. And you can save these settings independently for each shortcut that launches a Command Prompt so that you can make appropriate settings for different tasks. 

To customize a Command Prompt window, you make settings in the Properties dialog box that you can reach in three ways:

Right-clicking on a shortcut for a Command Prompt provides the Properties option. Changes you make here affect all future Command Prompt sessions launched from that particular shortcut.

Clicking the Control menu icon in a Command Prompt window offers access to the Properties dialog box. (If Command Prompt is running in full-screen mode, press Alt+Enter to switch to window display.) Changes you make here affect the current session. When you leave the properties dialog box, you’ll be given the option of propagating your changes to the shortcut from which this session was launched. If you accept, all future sessions launched from that shortcut will also use the new settings.

Clicking the Control menu icon in a Command Prompt window and choosing Defaults from the Control menu lets you make changes that will not affect the current session but instead will affect all future sessions (except for those launched from a shortcut whose properties have been customized). These changes also affect future sessions in character-mode, MS-DOS-based applications that do not have a program-information file (PIF) and do not store their own settings.

Tweaking Edit Options


The Options tab offers a variety of options that affect how your Command Prompt window operates. Notably, you can enable or disable Quick Edit Mode. This option provides an easy way to copy text from (and paste text into) Command Prompt windows with a mouse. If you don’t select Quick Edit Mode, you can use commands on the Control menu for copying and pasting text. You can also enable or disable Insert Mode. This setting (which is on by default) allows you to insert text at the cursor position. Clearing the Insert Mode check box setting will allow you to over strike characters instead. 

Note that when you use the third method, choosing Defaults, you also get the option to enable and disable the Auto Complete option, which is enabled by default. 

Change View of Windows XP

September 01, 2009 Add Comment

Change View of Windows XP


Do you want to change the icon, animation, theme, and some applications in Windows XP to make it more interesting? You can try Xpize application freeware. Which is designed to change the view that there are some applications on Windows XP. As usual, the installation process you can do as the software installation process in general. There are several options that are arranged in categories of themes, bitmaps, welcome screen, wallpaper, and also visual style.

To view a more complete selection, you can click which will display advanced extra options in more detail. On the left is shown also Preview the area, so we can see the display change to happen. In order for the installation process goes smoothly and safely, there is a choice here Undo Changes. After the installation is complete, you are prompted to reboot, initial startup will be slow, and because it would alter the look Xpize determined that takes several minutes to an ongoing process. But do not worry, after this process is complete, Windows will run normally again. There are no other applications except against Task Switch XP Pro that appears in the system tray.

Task Switch XP Pro only duty is to replace a task switcher with a more attractive appearance. You can turn off without turning off the Xpize applications that have been installed. In the final version, in 1200 there were approximately 600 icons and bitmaps with the view that more new and exciting. In order to run smoothly, you should adopt Windows Net.Framework 2.0 SP1 application.

How to Reduce file size?

June 18, 2009 Add Comment

How to Reduce file size?


You may often save the file, file the form whether music, video, data, or perhaps a picture. Often we are not aware, that the number of files that we have in the computer create storage capacity of hard disk becomes full. And if we leave this case, the performance may not be getting our computer slow. Many things can we do to our computer's performance does not diminish, especially related to the size of the file that we have on the computer. One of the tools available and you may also already know this application, because this ZIP application is very commonly used by computer users in general. Application is a simple program that we know the ZIP term. And where the functions of this application is in order to save disk capacity on our computer without deleting the file itself. The simple application can be explained that this will be the size of the file, but does not reduce the number of the file.


Some of the benefits that can be obtained with the application of which is the hard disk capacity can be sparing about 20 percent. And I think this is enough to help us to overcome the problems associated with the storage capacity. There are many applications of this type is that you can get through the Internet, such as winzip, winrar, and several other applications. And if you are interested to use this application, the first thing you should note is the operating system used on your computer. Whether based on Windows, Linux, Mac OS, or other applications. Because each application usually exists in the use frequently between different operating system is one with the other.

SECURITY GUARD WITH THE XP DISK

June 12, 2009 Add Comment

SECURITY GUARD WITH THE XP DISK




There is still using floppy disks? According to Microsoft there is still likely. Evidence, that Windows 7 will be launched around the end of this year still have features that use floppy disks. This feature is used to secure the Windows. This feature is obtained easily and, most importantly, free. How do I? Provide enough blank floppy, and do the following steps:

Click (start) and fill "syskey" in the search text box. A new Window with the name of "securing the Windows account database" will open. Select option (encryption enabled). After that click the button (update) which is right at the bottom of the Window. In the "start up key" that appears there are two options, (password start up) and (system generated password). Select the second option, (system generated password) to the Windows automatically create a unique password.
When you select option (system generated password), the two new options will appear: (store the start up key on Floppy disk) and (store start up key locally). Select option (store the start up key on Floppy disk) in order to ask the windows key diskette is inserted when the Windows began to run.

It's time you insert a blank floppy diskette has been prepared to drive. After that click (ok) key to start your process. If the disk has been the creation is complete, remove the diskette and close the program syskey. If the diskette has been created, you must insert a floppy diskette as a key.

How to Go Fast Applications : Certainly has all the features in the function of Run, Search, and the Command Prompt is available in the start menu. This feature is used to run the file or the desired application by typing the name and address of the file or application you want to be called.

In some files or applications, you can be called only by typing the name only, for example mspaint.exe, without the path. General or application specific files such as this are put on the Windows folder or the system 32.

To have your application behave the same, you can copy the application to the Windows folder or to a sub folder in the system 32. But just imagine if all the programs are copied to it. The size of the folder Windows will turn safety and of course loading Windows will get slow. Practically tricks, just try to register or file applications to the registry. So, the Windows will immediately recognize the name of the program and who want to be called directly in the execution. Here are his steps:

Run the registry editor by typing "regedit" in the start menu and press (enter), Into sub key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ current version \ app path, and create a new sub key with the name you want, for example, "application.exe, and the last step is double click data named (default) value to the contents and location of the file or application.

Printer Troubleshooting Tips

December 21, 2008 Add Comment

Printer Troubleshooting Tips


Ever have blinking lights on your inkjet or laser printer that just will not go away? Ever install a new ink cartridge in your printer and it still thinks the old one is there? Well, instead of just getting angry at the printer or hunting around for your manual, you can try one simple thing: unplug it.

This technique has a few names that all mean the same thing: cycling the printer, resetting the printer or clearing the printer’s memory. Now unplugging your printer may seem like a low-tech solution to complex problems, and in reality it is. But, for problems like blinking error lights it is the only solution and also, it is typically the first one that will be recommended to you by a technician working for HP, Lexmark, Epson etc. They will recommend it right away if you install a new cartridge and it is registering as empty. If your printer isn’t registering it full, then that means it still thinks the old cartridge is in there and the memory needs to be cleared by unplugging it.

The first thing to remember about this solution is that unplugging the printer is not the same as turning the printer off. If you have error messages or cartridge communication problems, then turning off the printer is not going to do anything. It has to be physically unplugged from the wall or the back of the printer itself (you don’t have to unplug the printer from the computer). The second and most important thing is that the printer must be unplugged for at least one minute. It takes at least one minute for all the electricity to be cut off from the printer to allow it to completely reset and clear its memory. If you just unplug it for a few seconds, when it comes back on it is going to pick up right where it left off.

While this technique will not fix every problem, it is still a very quick and easy solution to a lot of annoying printer problems and it is always the best place to start when one of those problems arises.

How quickly shut down the system

November 22, 2008 Add Comment

How quickly shut down the system 


Turn the computer from the start menu is quick and easy, but do not know a command prompt for the same thing. Also offers a shutdown command parameters for the user log off from your account, restart the computer, and turn off the system and cancellations. When you have experienced to be booting to the command line (command line) to overcome a problem, know how to work this command will be useful for you.

Close all open programs to prevent data loss. Open command prompt from the Start menu * All Programs *Accessories, and click Command Prompt. At the command prompt, type shutdown-s. Press enter or return on the keyboard. Shutdown dialog box will appear. To cancel the shutdown is in progress, at the 

command prompt, type shutdown-a.

Other options are-r to restart the system,-m \ \ computer name to turn a remote computer, and-l to log off the computer. To see all the options, type shutdown /? at the command prompt. Congratulations to try.

Changing the performance of the program 

You can adjust the performance of programs that are open and which are working in the background so that better. Open the Control Panel in the system. Advanced tab, Performance section, click Settings. Go to the advanced tab, the Processor scheduling; click Programs, to determine more processor resources to programs that are open to the program of work in the background. Click the background 
service for a set of resources equivalent to the entire program.

Choosing the option Programs, response time will produce a more subtle and more quickly to programs that are currently active. If you want the task of working in the background, such as the Backup utility, to work more quickly, choose Back-ground service.

fatal error blue screen windows xp

September 07, 2008 Add Comment

fatal error blue screen windows xp


Blue Screen errors (Also known as bug checks)occur when the system encounters a condition that compromises safe operations. As a result, the system is halted and the “blue screen” with the bug check information or STOP error is displayed. These types of errors can occur for several reasons:

* Software defects in drivers or core system services cause an invalid instruction to be sent to the processor.
* Defective hardware causes unhandled messages to be sent to the operating system.
* Core system services have been terminated (e.g., Local Security Authority or Client/Server Runtime Subsystem).

Bug checks provide diagnostic information such as STOP codes and driver names that can help lead to problem resolution. Because of the volatile state of the system, this information cannot always be recorded when the event occurs. It is important that you record the information associated with the bug check and driver information sections. Many of the bug check messages have relevant information that you should read and understand if they apply to your situation. Finally, if you have enabled memory dumps, wait until the dump is complete before restarting the computer (if you do not have automatic restart enabled). Your device vendor and/or Microsoft use the memory dumps to help understand the state of the system at the time that the bug check occurred. You can change the memory dump settings through the Startup and Recovery button in the System Properties’ Advanced tab, while the STOP messages might not always indicate the root cause of the problem, in combination with other sources of data; it can help direct a trained support technician to track down the root cause of the problem. 

Hard Disk Drives troubleshooting

August 07, 2008 Add Comment

Hard Disk Drives troubleshooting



# Basic Troubleshooting Tips after Installing a New Hard Drive
Based on Seagate IDE hard drives.

If you have installed your drive and it does not function properly, perform the following basic checks:

Warning: Always turn off your computer before changing jumpers or unplugging cables and cards. Wear a ground strap or use other anti static precautions while working on your computer or handling your drive.

* Verify compatibility. Verify that the host adapter and drive are appropriately matched to each other and to your computer. Refer to the relevant documentation for details.
* Check all cards. Verify that all the cards are seated in their slots on the motherboard and secured with mounting screws.
* Check all connectors and cables. Make sure all ribbon and power cables are securely connected. Ribbon cables are easily damaged, especially at the connector. Try a new cable that you know is good. Make sure no connector pins are bent. Verify that pin 1 on the interface cable is aligned with pin 1 on the drive and host adapter.
* Verify jumper settings. Review the instructions in this guide and in your host adapter installation guide. Make sure all appropriate jumpers are installed or removed as necessary.
* Check your power supply specifications. Each time you add a new device to your computer, make sure your computer?s internal power supply can support the total power demand. If necessary, consult your dealer for a new power supply.
* Verify the drive-type settings in the system setup program. The drive-type settings in the system BIOS must not exceed the physical specifications of your drive. Also, the settings must not exceed the limitations set by the operating system and BIOS.
* Check for viruses. Before you use someone else?s diskette in your system for the first time, scan the diskette for viruses.


Additional Troubleshooting Tips

If you have performed the preceding basic checks but the problem persists, follow these guidelines for troubleshooting specific cases:

* After you install your new drive, your computer will not boot, and no error message appears on the screen.
* The screen remains blank when you power up the system.
* The system does not recognize the drive.
* The dealer partitioned and formatted the drive for you in the store, but the drive does not respond when you install it.
* The system hangs in FDISK or fails to create or save the partition record.
* The system error message, ?Drive not Ready,? appears.
* The FDISK error message, ?No Fixed Disk Present,? appears.
* The drive does not format to full capacity.
* The DOS message, ?Disk Boot Failure,? ?Non-System Disk? or ?No ROM Basic-SYSTEM HALTED? appears.
* The system error message, ?HDD controller failure? appears.


# After you install your new drive, your computer will not boot, and no error message appears on the screen.

Check your computer manual or BIOS manufacturer to determine whether your BIOS support drive that have more than 4,092 cylinders. If your system has this limitation, use the following procedure to configure your computer:

1. Turn off your computer, open the case, and remove your new drive.

CAUTION: To avoid electrostatic discharge damage to your computer or hard drive, make sure you are well grounded before touching the drive, cable, connector or jumpers.

2. Move the jumper on the alternate-capacity jumper. This causes the drive to appear to your BIOS as having a 2.1-Gbyte capacity (4,092cylinders, 16heads, 63sectors per track). You may need third party partitioning software, such as Disk Manager, to achieve full capacity of the drive.
3. Remount your drive in the computer and replace the computer drive.
4. Insert a bootable system diskette into drive A and turn on the computer. It should boot from drive A and automatically detect the new drive as a 2.1-Gbyte drive.
5. Insert your Disc Wizard diskette into drive A and type A: XDM. Then press ENTER. This runs the Disk Manager program.
6. Follow the Disk Manager instructions to install the dynamic drive overlay and to partition and format your new drive to its full capacity.
7. After Disk Manager is done, reboot your system. You should see the Disk Manager banner and be able to access the full capacity of your new drive.


# The screen remains blank when you power up the system.

If the steps listed above do not remedy this problem, try the following:

* Make sure the monitor is plugged in and turned on.
* Check all cards.
* Make sure the video card is seated in its slot and secured with mounting screws.
* Turn off the computer and remove the drive host adapter. If the screen turns on after you reboot, the host adapter may be incompatible or defective. If so, see your dealer.


# The system does not recognize the drive.

* Check all cables.
* Make sure the power supply is adequate for system needs.
* Reboot the computer and listen to make sure the drive motor starts up. If the drive is very quiet, it may be difficult to hear its disc reach operating speed. If the drive motor does not start up, recheck all drives cables.
* Verify that for each drive, a drive-type is listed in the system setup program.
* Try rebooting your computer by pressing the CTLR, ALT and DELETE keys simultaneously. If the drive is recognized after you reboot the system, the computer BIOS test may be completing before the drive is ready. One solution is to slow the processor speed during startup. If your computer has a turbo switch, set it to slow speed before turning the computer on. If there is no turbo switch, you may be able to use keyboard commands; see your computer manual for details. After the computer is up and running, return the processor to the fast speed. Another solution is too warm-boot your computer after every power on.
* Check for I/O address conflicts. To isolate the conflicts, verify that the drive and host adapter are compatible with your computer. Turn off the computer and remove all the peripheral adapter cards except for the video card and the host adapter. If the computer recognizes the drive when you reboot the computer, turn off the computer. Reinstall the other peripheral cards, one at a time, until the conflict reoccurs. After you have isolated the source of the address conflict, you can resolve the conflict by changing the 1/0 address of the peripheral that appears to cause the conflict.
* If Disk Manager has installed the DDO on your hard drive and you have booted directly from a diskette, the information in the boot record for the drive may not have been loaded. Make sure there is no diskette in drive A and reboot. If you want to boot from the diskette, follow the ?Booting with a Diskette? instructions under ?Advanced Disk Manager Options?


# The dealer partitioned and formatted the drive for you in the store, but the drive does not respond when you install it.

* Reboot the computer and make sure the drive spins up.
* Check all cables.
* Make sure the power supply is adequate for system needs.
* Make sure the DOS or Windows version the dealer used to partition and format the drive is the same version you have installed in your computer. If it isn?t, see your dealer.
* Verify the drive-type values in the system setup program. You must install the drive using the same drive-type values your dealer used to partition the drive.
* Check for 1/0 address conflicts between the peripheral cards.
* Check for viruses.


# The system hangs in FDISK or fails to create or save the partition record.

* Check all cables.
* Your setup system diskette may be corrupted. Try using a backup diskette.
* Make the partitions smaller.
* Change the interrupt jumper setting on the host adapter.
* Some BIOS have a Track 0 protection feature that protects Track 0 from viruses. This may cause FDISK to hang the system. You must disable this feature in the system setup program before you can use FDISK. See your computer reference guide for assistance. Be sure to re-enable this important feature when FDISK is done.


# The system error message, ?Drive not ready,? appears.

* Check all cable connections. Make sure pin 1 of the drive is connected to pin 1 of the hard-disc controller or host adapter.
* Make sure the power supply is adequate for system needs.
* Reboot the computer and make sure the drive spins up.


# The FDISK error message, ?No Fixed Disk Present,? appears.

* Make sure the power supply is adequate for system needs.
* Verify the drive-type values in the system setup program.
* Check for 1/0 address conflicts.


# The drive does not format to full capacity.

* Verify the drive-type values in the system setup program. One of the following problems may have occurred:
* The values may be set with an incorrect translation characteristic.
* You may have entered a parameter value that exceeds the physical capacity of the drive.
* You entered a translation characteristic that does not take full advantage of the drive?s capacity.
* The drive?s physical specifications exceed the translation limits imposed by the BIOS.

CAUTION: If you change the drive-type values in the system setup program, you must partition and format the drive again. This erases data on the drive.

* If you have partitioned the drive into individual logical drives, you may need to make the partitions smaller to access the full drive capacity.
* If your computer supports LBA mode, you may need to enable LBA mode in the system setup program to access the full capacity of the drive. Refer to your computer?s reference guide to find out how to enable LBA.
* Your computer may not support drives that have more than 4,092 cylinders. Follow the instructions on page 25 for after you install your new drive, your computer will not boot, and no error message appears on the screen.


# The DOS message ?Disk Boot Failure,? ?Non-System Disk? or ?No ROM Basic-SYSTEM HALTED? appears.

* Reinstall the DOS system files using the DOS SYS utility.
* Check all cables.
* Use FDISK to verify that the primary partition is active.
* Check for viruses.


# The system error message, ?HDD controller failure? appears.

* Confirm the jumper settings on the drive.
* Verify the drive-type settings in the system setup program. 

Windows XP - windows installer errors

July 17, 2008 Add Comment
Windows XP - windows installer errors

Re-register the Windows Installer components.

1. Open My Computer or Windows Explorer
2. Browse to the Windows\System32 folder and make sure that the application file msiexec.exe is there.
3. Start the Registry Editor. Click on Start, Run, type in regedit and click Ok.
4. Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSIServer.
5. Select MSIServer, then make sure the value ImagePath contains C:\WINDOWS\system32\msiexec.exe /V
6. Restart your computer in Safe Mode.
Click on Start, then Run and type msiexec /regserver and click Ok.
7. Restart the computer.

If that doesn’t work then you can try to reinstall the Windows Installer.

Download and install the latest version of the Windows Installer. 

System Instability, Reboots and Crashes Trouble Shooting

February 17, 2008 Add Comment

Explanation: The system is booting up and starting to work correctly, but on occasion it either reboots without warning, or seizes hard (no mouse or keyboard response, and a reboot is necessary). These symptoms occur over a period of time.

Diagnosis: This is, unfortunately, one of the most difficult of all problems to troubleshoot on the PC. The reason is twofold: first, these problems are usually intermittent, and therefore hard to pin down to any particular cause, and second, there is a really large variety of problems that can cause this sort of behavior. It is necessary to narrow done the specific circumstances in order to have a better chance at finding the problem. See below for possible causes, which are listed with the recommendations to possibly solve them.

Recommendation: Follow the questions and suggestions below to try to identify the cause of the problem:


  • Did you remember to scan the system for viruses? Lockups and instability are "classic" virus infection behavior.
  • Make sure that you disable all power management options in the BIOS setup program. They can cause spurious behavior, particularly on some motherboards.
  • Are you getting error messages when the problem occurs? If so, try to find the error message here.
  • Are you experiencing this problem only when running a specific application program? If so, it may be the application itself that is causing the problem.
  • If the problem occurs only when you use a specific peripheral, such as a mouse or modem, there are three typical possible causes specific to this situation. First, there may be a problem with the particular peripheral you are trying to use. Second, you may have a resource conflict that is causing the system to lock up when you try to have two devices access the same resources. Finally, there may be a driver problem with the device, if it is something that uses a driver in the operating system you are using. Look in this section for specific troubleshooting information for various devices. Use the resource conflict troubleshooter.
  • If the problem occurs only when the system is warmed up (meaning not within the first few minutes that the PC is turned on, but only afterwards), or if the problem occurs only when the room where the PC is located is hot, it is likely that the problem is hardware-related and probably something to do with the motherboard, processor or another system component that is running too hot. I would suggest that you refer to this section, which describes checking for overheating components inside the box, and follow the recommendations there.
  • Are you running a VESA local bus video card on a motherboard that supports both VESA and PCI? If so, you should realize that this combination has been known in the past to cause instability. Try replacing the VESA video card with an inexpensive PCI video card and see if the problem goes away.
  • If you have just bought or assembled this PC, or performed an upgrade to it, check this list of possible candidate causes of system problems that is related to new installs.
  • If the problem occurs when you lean against the system box or when you put the monitor on top of it, try here.
  • If you are running Windows 3.x, does the problem seem to occur after using the system for a long time, or if you use a large number of applications simultaneously? If so, go to the Program Manager, click "Help", then "About Program Manager". Check the number listed for system resources. If it is below about 20-30%, that may be the cause of your problem. Try rebooting and checking the value, to see if it increases, and see if the system runs better. I recommend rebooting Windows 3.x daily if it is heavily used. Check this section for ideas on dealing with system resources under Windows 3.x.
  • If the problem is occurring under Windows 3.x or Windows 95, try using just DOS software for a while and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then you may have a problem with your installation of Windows, although it could still be a hardware problem (Windows is more sensitive to these than DOS is).
  • If you have a network card, check your network settings. Sometimes the built-in networking in Windows will spend a great deal of time "looking" for a network when one is not there, which causes the system to lock up and then unlock periodically. If you are using TCP/IP or another protocol, try disabling the protocol and see if that fixes the problem. You may need to contact your network card manufacturer or Microsoft for more assistance if this is the case.
  • If you have recently changed any BIOS settings--especially those that control system timing--and the problem has started since around that time, try changing the BIOS setting back to the previous value, or resetting the BIOS settings to low-risk defaults to see if the problem goes away. You may also want to follow this procedure to set your key BIOS settings to safe values.
  • Scan the hard disk for file system corruption and check for bad sectors as well.
  • Drivers can cause seemingly random glitches and lockups if they are poorly written, especially the video driver. Try running the system with a "slow but sure" default driver or a different version obtained from the manufacturer. Sound card drivers can also be touchy in this way. Try turning off hardware acceleration in Windows 95 by selecting System in the Control Panel, then selecting the Performance tab and clicking "Graphics".
  • Unreliable power can cause all sorts of strange system problems. A common problem is having the input voltage selection on the back of the power supply set to 220V when it should be 110V. If possible, try running the system off a UPS and see if the problem goes away. If practical, try swapping in a new power supply. If you notice the lights dim briefly at around the time that this problem occurs, this is a power problem.
  • Try using less aggressive BIOS settings for items such as memory timing and hard disk timing. For example, set the BIOS memory access settings to the slowest possible. Disable any performance-enhancing BIOS options (such as those described here) to see if the instability goes away. Try running the hard disks at a lower PIO mode to see if IDE timing might be causing the problem. 

How Does Shortcut work on Windows

February 04, 2008 Add Comment

How Does Shortcut work on Windows



A shortcut may be a link that you have created somewhere, usually on the desktop, or may be a combination of keys to launch a program. Shortcuts will all be registered in the registry and clutter it up as and when you keep on adding the shortcuts to the computer. The registry thus needs to be cleaned up regularly with a registry cleaner.

There are two types of shortcuts in windows operating system environment. On shortcut is a link created and placed anywhere. This is mainly placed where one can see it such as on the desktop. Right clicking on the desktop and selecting -New - Shortcut can create a shortcut link on the desktop. Then browsing through the next window to get to the file or program that you want to create a shortcut link on the desktop to.

Once you have selected the object for the shortcut you click finish and a link is created on the desktop. Clicking on this link will open the file. Another way is to navigate or browse to the file or program on the PC and right click and select 'create shortcut'. The system will warn you that the short cut will be placed on the desktop for the particular object. Clicking 'ok' will accomplish the task. Now that you know what a shortcut is and how it works, you should also know the impact it may have on the registry of the system and why the registry has to be cleaned with a registry cleaner from time to time.

Some shortcuts can be created with the help of the windows keyboard. Presetting a set of control Alt (Key) will start up a program without you having to navigate to where the program is stored to get it up and running. However these shortcuts will all be registered in the registry and clutter it up as and when you keep on adding the shortcuts to the computer.

The registry is a central database of all the activity on the system and needs to be cleaned up regularly with a registry cleaner because as the registry grows older and is used more often it slows. When a shortcut key is pressed the shortcut keys refer to the registry for information on where to locate the program or file to launch. The registry in turn goes through its entire database in the section to locate the data being queried. So, if the registry is large with useless shortcuts, it will take a very long time to locate the shortcut that is being sought. This is the reason that the registry must be cleaned with a windows registry cleaner on a regular basis.

There are many free windows registry cleaners on the Internet. So go on and make your choice. It can only be of help to speeding up the system and making the operating system run error free and more efficiently with as few headaches as possible.

System Restore points Troubles

January 07, 2008 Add Comment

System Restore points Troubles


Method 1: Make sure that the System Restore service is running
To do this, use one of the following methods:

*  Look in Control Panel. To do this, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, click Run, and then type compmgmt.msc in the Open box, and then press Enter.
  2. Expand Services, and then click System Restore Services..


If the Status of System Restore Service is not Started, click Start on the toolbar to start it.
* Open a Command Prompt window. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, click Run, type CMD in the Open box, and then press Enter.
2. Type Net Start at the command prompt to make sure that the System Restore Service is up and is running.

If the System Restore Service is not listed, type net start "System Restore Service", and then press Enter.


Method 2: Make sure that System Restore is enabled on the drives where you want System Restore enabled
To do this follow these steps:

1. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. Click the System Restore tab.
3. If the System Restore is enabled, the Status column of a drive will show Monitoring.
If not, you can clear to clear the Turn off System Restore on all drives, and then click OK to enable it.


Method 3: Make sure that you have sufficient disk space on all the drives where System Restore is enabled
To do this, follow these steps:

1. To check for free disk space, click Start, click Run, type diskmgmt.msc and then press Enter. Look at each drive System Restore is monitoring for free space.
2. If the free space on any partition system restore is monitoring falls lower than 50 MB, System Restore will suspend and remove all restore points to free disk space. You should have already received a low free disk space message by now. System Restore will resume monitoring when free disk space reaches 200 MB.

Note In most cases you do not have to have System Restore monitor Partitions/drives other than the one Windows is installed on. System Restore does not monitor data files.


Method 4: View the event logs to investigate System Restore service errors
To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type eventvwr.msc /s in the Open box, and then press Enter.
2. Click the System category.
3. Click the Source tab to sort by name, and then look for "sr" or "srservice." Double-click each of these services, and then evaluate the event description for any indication of the cause of the problem.


Method 5: Boot in safe mode and run the System Restore tool
To boot in safe mode follow these steps:

  1. Restart the computer. Immediately after the screen goes blank for the first time, or after the BIOS post ends, start taping the F8 key repeatedly. The Windows Advanced Options menu appears. If the menu does not appear, restart the computer and try again.
  2. Select Safe Mode, and then press ENTER. As files load they will scroll down the screen. Note Safe mode uses a minimal set of device drivers and services to start Windows. The default Microsoft VGA driver is used for display at 640 X480 resolution and in 16 colors.
  3. Log on to the Administrator account. If a password was never set, leave the password blank and press ENTER or click the green arrow.
  4. Click No in the safe mode information screen to start System Restore.
  5. Select Restore my computer to an earlier time, and then click Next to proceed to select a date with restore points available.
  6. Click Next to begin restoring the system to a previous state. 
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