Tag Archives: Troubleshoot

Q. How can I make my machine run faster?

Posted on May 27, 2011 by quill

Actually, this isn’t about making a machine faster, but about removing the things that are slowing the machine down. Before we get started, make sure you have a current backup of all of your data files. First step is to … Continue reading →

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Q. I can’t read new Word docx files in my older Word

Posted on May 27, 2011 by quill

With Office 2007 (Win) 2008 (Mac) and later, Microsoft has moved to new file formats for documents – .docx instead of .doc for Word, .xlsx for .xls in Excel, .pptx for .ppt in PowerPoint.  Older versions of Office applications cannot … Continue reading →

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Q. Help I spilled liquid on my machine

Posted on May 27, 2011 by quill

Liquids and electricity don’t mix.  Keep drinks, potted plants, etc. away from your computer. The first thing if there is a spill is: Immediately turn the computer off, unplug it (or remove the battery if it is a laptop). Wireless … Continue reading →

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Q. My Mac just has a question mark on the screen

Posted on May 22, 2011 by quill

The ? means that the machine cannot find a drive with a valid operating system. This means either that your hard drive has failed, or the operating system on it is damaged. What to do: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1411?viewlocale=en_US Safe Mode: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1564 (Starting … Continue reading →

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Favorite: Windows utilities from Piriform

Posted on May 18, 2011 by quill

Some utilities you use once in a blue moon. Some utilities you end up using every day until they become indispensable.  One company that makes shareware that is part of my everyday toolkit is Piriform. CCleaner cleans out cache files, … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer Questions and Answers, Favorites, Free stuff, Software, Windows questions | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Q. What is running on my PC?

Posted on May 17, 2011 by quill

How do I tell what programs are running on my machine that aren’t listed on the Task Bar? Hit Control – Alt – Delete — this brings up the Task Manager. Windows XP http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/taskman.htm Windows 7 http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/window-on-windows/reap-the-benefits-of-windows-7s-task-manager/2576 You can now … Continue reading →

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Q. My HP computer didn’t come with disks

Posted on May 14, 2011 by quill

Hewlett-Packard, like many manufacturers, is saving money by not including Windows recovery or install DVDs with new machines.  The customer is expected to spend a couple of hours when they first unpack the machine, and burn their own disks.  Guess … Continue reading →

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Q. My computer is broken and I need the data

Posted on May 14, 2011 by quill

If your computer has a broken screen, failed motherboard or bad power supply, the data on the hard drive is probably still OK – so you want to be able to get it copied to a new machine or another … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer Questions and Answers, General Computer, Hard Drives and SSD, Mac questions, Windows questions | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Q. What is a Rootkit?

Posted on May 14, 2011 by quill

A rootkit is a persistent virus that is much harder to remove than a normal virus because it gains privileged access to the machine, modifies the system at a low level and cloaks its visibility. Once established, rootkit infections often … Continue reading →

Posted in Computer Questions and Answers, Security, Viruses and malware, Windows questions | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

iMac 2011 models, the end of upgrading?

Posted on May 13, 2011 by quill

Apple has thrown a curve ball at iMac owners with the latest 2011 “Thunderbolt” models.  The 2011 models use pins on the SATA power connector to transmit SMART temperature information from the drive to the iMac motherboard (previously, the temperature … Continue reading →

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Q. Why is there a time delay when I am recording sound?

Posted on May 12, 2011 by quill

The time lag between playing and the sound coming back out is called Latency — it is the time required for you interface to digitize the sound, buffer it, the computer to read the buffer, process it, write the results … Continue reading →

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Q. My external hard drive won’t mount

Posted on May 12, 2011 by quill

Try replugging the cables and connections first before concluding that it has failed – half of all ‘failures’ are problems with connections.  Or shut down the machine, turn off the hard drive. Now turn on the hard drive first, let … Continue reading →

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Favorite Sites: ehMac for Canadian Macintosh owners

Posted on May 12, 2011 by quill

If you are a Macintosh owner or fan in Canada, then ehMac http://www.ehmac.ca is a must-bookmark site. The ehMac forum has discussions about Macintoshes, Mac troubleshooting, software, and opinions, plus wide ranging threads about everything Canadian, from the weather to … Continue reading →

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Q. My screen is rotated clockwise 90 degrees how do i restore this?

Posted on May 11, 2011 by quill

In Windows, turning the desktop sideways is a feature that supports monitors with rotatable screens (with compatible graphics cards and display drivers).  What probably happened is that you accidentally hit some key combinations, or your cat walked across the keyboard. … Continue reading →

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Q. How do I recover a Microsoft Word file I was working on when the machine crashed?

Posted on May 11, 2011 by quill

Microsoft Word saves temporary files of your work in progress, so you may be able to get back your document. How to use AutoRecover files Word 2010 office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/recover-earlier-versions-of-a-file-in-office-2010-HA010356735.aspx Word 2003 and 2007: support.microsoft.com/kb/827099 Word 2002: support.microsoft.com/kb/316951 Word 2000: support.microsoft.com/kb/316950 Word … Continue reading →

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