Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it

Quickly solve a stubborn PC, Windows hangs, network breaks, stubborn printers and common everyday problems. PC as well as small children, often crouching, whiny and petty.

Most software problems, hardware can solve in a few minutes even though the actual repair time depends on each system.  With the following 37 quick solutions, you will have nothing to worry about everyday problems such as PC hangs, less compatible Windows updates, network disconnection, broken Word files. , .

WINDOWS

Keep up to date

Phenomenon: Sometimes Windows becomes irritable, you can't run the application or stop the program.

Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 1 Figure 1: Bring the PC back to a healthy time using System Restore of Windows XP.  

Quick processing # 1: You can visit the Microsoft website (windowsupdate.microsoft.com) to download the latest Windows fixes. If you want to set up Windows XP in automatic update mode, right-click My Computer icon, select Properties.Automatic Updates then Automatic (recommended). With Windows 2000 or Win Me, open the Control Panel window, double-click Automatic Updates, check the 'Keep my computer up to date' section and select one of the three options in Settings. For Windows 98, visit the Microsoft website to download the Critical Update Notification utility.

Most Windows fixes are focused on security holes, while the update service helps support updating Bluetooth technology, WiFi, DirectX, .

If the tip doesn't work, you can restore the previous Windows XP (or Win Me) parameters using the System Restore function.From the Windows screen, click Start.All Programs.Accessories.System Tools.System Restore, select 'Restore my computer to an earlier time' and then click Next.After that, you select the closest date (Figure 1) and complete the remaining steps.

Quick processing # 2: Bring Windows 2000 / XP back to the nearest good working configuration in Safe Mode. You restart the computer and press the key to activate the Windows Advance option, select 'Last Known Good Configuration' and press Enter.

Is Windows XP SP2 really perfect?

Phenomenon: Since Windows XP Service Pack 2 has been installed, your computer seems to be slowing down and some programs operate abnormally.

  Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 2

Quick processing: Usually fixes are like driver updates for devices: they may not be compatible with some software available on the device. You can visit the website find.pcworld.com/45308 to see a list of Microsoft that lists programs compatible with Service Pack 2, an improved part of Windows XP, though not really getting the best results. Is Windows XP Service Pack 2 reliable enough? 'On TGVT A 11/2005). To remove SP2 from the system, open Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs, select Windows XP Servive Pack 2 and click Remove. Note that all programs used with SP2 also need to be reinstalled.

PRINTED NIGHTFUL PRINTED

Printer becomes proof

Phenomenon: Click the Print command but the printer still does not work even after checking the input power and make sure the two ends of the cable are securely plugged in.

Diagnosis: Give the printer a self-test using the built-in diagnostic utility.Activation is usually instructed in the document, but usually, you only have to hold down a button on the machine for a few seconds when booting the machine.If the test utility is successful, you can identify whether the problem is in the connection or the software.

Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 3 Figure 2: Deleting an old print job in a queue may cause the printer to run normally.  

Quick processing # 1: You should delete all print jobs in the queue because it is possible for a print command to fail and cause a blockage. With Windows XP and 2000, open the Control Panel, double-click Printers and Faxes (or Printers in Windows 2000). Next, double-click the printer icon to open the print queue window. Delete any print jobs that have not been processed by selecting Printer.Cancel All Documents (Figure 2). With Windows 98 or Me, open Control Panel, double-click Printers and select Purge Print Documents.

Quick processing # 2: Remove and re-attach the printer cable firmly. If using a printer using a USB cable and the first USB device to use, check the Device Manager list. With Windows XP and 2000, right-click the My Computer icon, select Properties, click the Hardware item, and select Device Manager. With Windows 98 (or Me), right-click the My Computer icon, select Properties and click the Device Manager tab. Look under 'Universial Serial Bus controllers', if you see a yellow circle icon with an inside question mark or a red X, it indicates that the corresponding device is having trouble. Select the device name, select the Genaral tab and find the error in the 'Device status' dialog box.

Ink is also money

Phenomenon: Your printer works well, but the printout has some blur.

Quick processing: This often happens when the ink in your laser printer cartridge is low, so the ink is unevenly loaded. First, remove the cartridge from the machine and hold it across the front with both hands. Shake the catrridge up and down as slowly as turning the car, lifting and lowering to about 10 cm. Doing so several times can take a significant amount of ink in the old catridge before you replace them.

KEEP THE INTELLIGENT NETWORK

Server causes trouble

Phenomenon: You are passionate about surfing the web.It's annoying!

  Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 4 Figure 3: Enhance wireless signal quality with Linksys Wireless-G Range Expander

Quick processing: If your computer is connected to the Internet through a DHCP Server, the IP address provided by the server automatically so the connection between your computer and the server may be problematic. To restore IP addresses when using Windows XP and 2000, click Start, Run, type cmd and press Enter. At the prompt, type ipconfig / release and press Enter. Then, type ipconfig / renew and press Enter.

For Windows 98 and Win Me, click Start, Run, type command and press Enter. Then type winipcfg / release and enter Enter. Next, type winipcfg / renew and press Enter.

The fastidious WiFi network

Phenomenon: The 802.11b / g standard wireless network operates year-round without any problems. Suddenly, all connections become slow despite the test results of all installations and devices are good.

Quick processing: Some electrical devices may interfere with your wireless network signal. Bluetooth networks, mobile phones and microwaves all operate at 2.4 GHz with your wireless network. If wireless routers and access points are located near these devices, try to move them as far as possible. To reduce interference with mobile phones, you can change the wireless channel (channel) by reconfiguring the router and access point. Besides, you can increase the WiFi signal quality by using an additional repeater like the Linksys Wireless-G Range Expander device (Figure 3).


ADDING FOR OFFICE

First aid office application

Phenomenon: Incidentally you cannot open files in Word, Excel, Outlook and other Microsoft Office applications.

Quick processing # 1: Select the Help.Detect and Repair menu to run the file repair utility. Uncheck 'Discard my customized settings and restore default settings' and click Start. This utility can fix file interruptions. Remember to be prepared with the Office installation disc before proceeding.

Quick processing # 2: In case the Office application is not running, open Control Panel, open the Add or Remove Programs window. In Microsoft Office, click on the message 'Click here for support information', then select Repair to reinstall the Office suite (Figure 4).

Restore files

Symptoms: Sometimes Word files display content that is full of errors, even if you can't open them.

  Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 5 Figure 4: Office application does not start? Click the Repair button.

Quick processing: In Winword 2002 and 2003, select File, Open, click the down arrow next to the Open button and select Open and Repair. If the above steps do not resolve the problem, copy all the contents of the file except the last paragraph and paste it into other white text. If unsuccessful, choose File, Open and in the 'Files of type' dialog box select Recover Text from Any File (*. *) And click Open. This function will restore the text in an unformatted format. If Word continues to be unable to read the file, select Tools.Options.General and select the Confirm conversion at Open item and click OK. Finally, use the 'Recover Text' option to reopen the file.


DOWNLOAD SECURE LETTER

Unnecessary protection

Phenomenon: You are checking email and notice that Outlook blocks the download of attachments.

Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 6 Figure 5: Remove this option so that Outlook Express no longer controls attachment.  

Quick processing # 1: The new Outlook version prohibits the opening of an attachment with an .exe or .vbs extension to avoid virus infection. To change this default in Outlook, select Tools.Options.Mail Setup.Send / Receive.Edit. Download complete item including attachments. In addition, you can use Attachment Options utility (free download) to control and only file formats are allowed to download.

Quick processing # 2: If you encounter this problem in Outlook Express 6, select Tools, Options, Security and uncheck the item option 'Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could be a virus' (Figure 5)


IMPORT AND EXPORT EQUIPMENT IS EASY

Slower still more

Phenomenon: Turn on the computer and suddenly you see the mouse cursor jumping on the screen. Is it infected with a virus?

Quick processing: The answer is no. You may be having trouble with the graphics card. Right-click the screen, select Properties, Settings, Advanced, Trouble and then click Troubleshoot (Windows XP) or Performance (Windows 98). Move the slider next to 'Hardware acceleration' on each step to the left (Figure 6). If you see the mouse stable again, you can keep it at this level; But you need to know that some graphics acceleration features in Windows will be disabled.

Long-term processing: Ideally, you should find and install new drivers for your graphics card and mouse so as not to reduce system performance.

Waterless keyboard

  Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 7 Figure 6: To keep the mouse pointer from jumping, drag the graphics hardware acceleration bar to the left.

Phenomenon: You accidentally spilled coffee on the keyboard. Don't rush to change!

Quick processing: Quickly remove the keyboard from the machine as quickly as possible and turn it upside down so that the liquid drains out. Then let the keyboard dry for a few hours (although this is not fast, but rather than replacing another keyboard). You can shorten the time by using a fan or a hair dryer to dry it but remember not to turn on the hot mode. For oily liquids, remove each key and wipe it off by gently pulling each key up. Notice that the space keys, the backspace key, the Shift key and some other large keys are quite difficult to remove.

MEDICINE FOR PC

Guess the computer disease

Phenomenon: You turn on your computer and don't see anything but a dark screen.

Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 8 Figure 7: ATX Power Supply Tester from Antec.  

Quick processing: First of all, put your ear into the case and try to listen to the source fan or hard drive? If there is nothing but silence, then your computer may not be powered. Please check the power cable for the device and monitor carefully; Even the circuit breaker and fuse need to be checked. To diagnose the power supply status, you can use a dedicated device like the ATX Power Supply Tester for $ 15 from Antec (find.pcworld.com/45200, Figure 7). If the power supply does not work, you need to replace it. In the event that everything is fine and the screen is still dark, check the position of the brightness and contrast buttons so that they are not at the highest or lowest. You can also attach this monitor to another computer. If the screen is still displayed, the problem may be due to the motherboard or the graphics card of the device. And once you've checked your hard drive, power supply, and monitor and haven't found the cause of the problem, call the nearest technical support.

OPTIMIZED PROGRAMMING

Relocate the IE window

Phenomenon: Internet Explorer 6 browser screen is full of toolbars.

  Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 9 Figure 8: Save the toolbar size in IE by selecting 'No text labels' and 'Small icons'.

Quick processing: Hide the toolbars and tasks temporarily by pressing the key, the zoom function button and the web page full of screens. Press again to return to the original state. To disable a toolbar, right-click the toolbar and uncheck the box (make sure to uncheck the 'Lock the toolbars' checkbox before doing so).

Method 2: To arrange many neat tools on a row, right-click any tool bar and uncheck the 'Lock the Toolbars' check box. Move the mouse pointer to the far left of the toolbar and drag them upwards, and drag horizontally to adjust the width of each toolbar. To further reduce the toolbar size, right-click the toolbar, select Customize, then select No text labels in the 'Text options' dialog box and select Small icons in the 'Icon options' dialog box (Figure 8)

Uninvited guests

Phenomenon: The browser suddenly opens a website you've never seen before.

Quick processing: Download and scan your computer with one of the two free anti-spyware programs Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy . You can also download a trial version of the $ 40 PestPatrol program at find.pcworld.com/45310

FLEXIBLE HANDHELD EQUIPMENT

Backup battery power for PDA

Phenomenon: The PDA is about to run out of battery and you can't find a place to recharge it.

Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 10 Figure 9: Belkin's 9-volt Emergency switch  

Quick processing: You can extend battery life by reducing energy. If you are using a monochrome screen, you should reduce or even turn off the backlight; If you're using a color screen, reduce the brightness to the lowest possible level. Run as few applications as possible because the battery power consumption depends on the amount of applications running. Turn off periodic functions such as email checking, etc. Similarly, you should turn off other functions such as WiFi, Bluetooth, and phones that are integrated in the PDA if not used.

Prevention is better than cure: If a PDA uses a removable battery, you should bring a spare battery pack. If it is a rechargeable battery, you should bring a charger or purchase accessories that allow charging in a car or airplane. You can also use an extended battery pack such as Belkin's Emergency 9-volt Power Adapter ($ 23, find.pcworld.com/45224) to convert a standard 9 volt battery current into a suitable current for for PDA devices (Figure 9).

Frustrated with Pocket PC

Phenomenon: Sometimes Windows XP does not recognize Pocket PC. This phenomenon may also occur when you turn on / off the PDA while connecting to the computer.

Quick processing: This is an error that has been identified in Windows XP / 2000 and you can update the fix at Microsoft Download Center (find.pcworld.com/45312).

Hot-Sync failed

Phenomenon: You cannot synchronize data for PDA PalmOne.

Quick processing # 1: Check if you have run the HotSync Manager application on a PC or PDA that has been plugged into the sync base yet?

Quick processing # 2: Resetting the device can also solve the problem. The reset button is usually very small and located behind the device so you often have to use paper clips or PDA pens.

Long-term processing: If the above 2 ways still do not solve the problem, you need to use to reset the system, reset on the sole and turn off the computer. More seriously, you may have to 'hard reset' and lose all data and programs. See how to reset the PalmOne PDA at find.pcworld.com/45330.

OPTICAL BOXES

Scary silence

Phenomenon: You put the CD in the player and run the music application, but all the speakers are silent like rice.

Diagnosis: Please plug the headset into the headset hole on the disk reader (usually arranged just below the disc tray), adjust the side volume button at a moderate level and let the music play.If you hear the sound, it means the CD player still works well.

  Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 11 Figure 10: Check Volume Control when the PC loses sound.

Quick processing: Check speaker volume control, Volume Control in Windows and music player software. Double-click the speaker icon in the system tray or click Start, All Programs.Accessories.Entertainment.Volume Control and check that no Mute options are unchecked (Figure 10). Typically, audio signals from a CD drive to a sound card (or audio chip integrated on the main board) are transmitted via a small cable, different from an EIDE cable or a power cable. Make sure this cable is plugged in at both ends.

UTILITIES

Sound flicker

Phenomenon: Music CD recorded with Windows Media Player 9 at a young age.

Quick processing: TweakMP Powertoy for Windows XP software with many tools to compensate for Media Player 9. One of the valuable features is balancing the volume of evil when creating music CDs. TweakMP is free, but not supported by Microsoft. If you lack Windows Media Player 9, you can download it from the Windows Media Player.

Charge your mobile phone battery with your laptop

Phenomenon: You want to charge your cell phone anywhere anytime. Not too hard!

Quick processing: If you're using a laptop, you can do that by using the $ 20 USB MobilePhone Charger cable from APC (find.pcworld.com/45234).

SCREEN CUSTOM

Show sharper

Phenomenon: LCD display text is coarse and unclear.

Quick processing: In Windows XP, select Clear Type mode. Right-click the screen and select Properties.Appearance.ffects. Next select Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts and ClearType in the drop-down menu. With Windows 98 / Me) and Windows 2000, right-click the screen, select Properties.Effects, and check Smooth edges of screen fonts.

CRT screen flashing

Phenomenon: Your eyes feel uncomfortable when watching the CRT monitor.

  Fix Windows and network: 5 minutes - that's it Picture 12 Figure 11: Find the optimal scan frequency in Display Settings

Quick processing: CRT screen redraws several times a second. If the screen performs scans less than 72 times per second (72Hz), you may notice that the screen is blinking and feels uncomfortable. In case the graphics card and the monitor support the refresh rate (refresh rate), increase the scan frequency by right-clicking on the screen, then selecting Properties.Settings.Advanced.Monitor or (Adapter for Windows 98). Next is to choose the highest scan frequency at the 'Screen refresh rate' drop-down menu. You can also increase the scanning frequency in Windows XP / 2000 by reducing screen resolution and display color quality. Choose Adapter.List All Modes and see the scan frequency list for each screen resolution and color quality (see Figure 11).

Mr. Khoa - According to PCWorld Vietnam
PC World America 1/2005