Sunday, February 27, 2011

How To Troubleshoot a Computer That Won't Turn On

It's a dreadful way to start a day - you press the power button on your computer and nothing happens. Few computer problems are more frustrating than when your computer won't boot.



There are many reasons why a computer won't turn on and often very few clues about what might be the problem. The only symptom is usually the simple fact that "nothing works" which isn't much to go on.
Add to this the fact that whatever is wrong could be an expensive part of your PC to replace - like the motherboard or CPU.
Do not fear because all may not be lost! Here's what you need to do:
  1. Read #1 below (it'll make you feel better).
  2. Pick the best troubleshooting guide (#2 - #9) based on how your computer is acting or #10 if your PC stops at any point because of an error message.
Note: All of these "computer won't start" troubleshooting guides apply no matter what Windows operating system you have installed on your hard drive, including Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. Steps 1 through 5 even apply to other PC operating systems like Linux.

1. Don't Panic! Your Files are Probably OK

Files and Folders - Your Files are Probably OKWhen faced with a computer that won't start most people tend to panic, worried that all the data on their PC is gone forever.
It's true that the most common reason a computer won't start is because a piece of hardware has failed or is causing a problem but that hardware isn't usually a hard drive, the part of your computer that stores all of your files.
In other words, your music, documents, emails, and videos are probably safe - just not accessible at the moment.
So take a deep breath and try to relax. There's a good chance you can figure out exactly why your computer won't start and then get it back up and running.

2. Computer Shows No Sign of Power

Computer Shows No Sign of PowerTry these steps if your computer will not turn on and is showing no sign at all of receiving power - no fans running and no lights on the computer case.
Important: You may or may not see a light on the back of your PC depending on the kind of power supply you have and the exact cause of the problem.
Note: Don't worry about the monitor yet. If the computer is not turning on because of a power issue then the monitor certainly can't display anything from the computer. Your monitor light will likely be amber/yellow if your computer has stopped sending information to it.

3. Computer Powers On... and Then Off

Computer Powers On and Then OffFollow these steps if, when you turn your computer on, it promptly powers back off.
You'll probably hear the fans inside your computer turn on, see the lights on the front of your computer turn on or flash, and then it will all stop. You won't see anything on the monitor and you may or may not hear beeps coming from the computer before it shuts off by itself.
Note: As in the previous scenario, don't worry about the state your monitor is in. You may have a monitor issue as well but it's not possible to troubleshoot it quite yet.

4. Computer Powers On But Nothing Happens

Computer Powers On But Nothing HappensIf your computer seems to be receiving power after turning it on but you don't see anything on your monitor, try these troubleshooting steps.
In these situations, the power lights will stay on, you'll likely hear the fans inside your PC running, and you may or may not hear one or more beeps coming from the computer.
This situation is probably the most common in my experience working with computers that won't start. Unfortunately it's also one of the most difficult to troubleshoot.

5. Computer Stops or Continuously Reboots During the POST

Computer Stops or Continuously Reboots During the POSTUse this guide when your computer powers on, shows at least something on the monitor, but then stops, freezes, or reboots over and over again during the Power On Self Test (POST).
The POST on your computer may look like the screenshot to your left or may instead simply show your computer maker's logo.
Important: Don't use this troubleshooting guide if you encounter an issue during the loading of the operating system, which occurs after the Power On Self Test is complete. Troubleshooting Windows related reasons why your computer won't turn on begin with #6 below.

6. Windows Begins to Load But Stops or Reboots on a BSOD

BSOD - Computer Turns On But an Error Prevents Windows From LoadingIf your computer begins to load Windows but then stops and displays a blue screen with information on it then try these steps. You may or may not see the Windows splash screen before the blue screen appears.
This kind of error is called a STOP error but is more commonly referred to as a Blue Screen of Death or a BSOD. Receiving a BSOD error is a common reason why a computer won't turn on.
Important: Choose this troubleshooting guide even if the BSOD flashes on screen and your PC restarts automatically without giving you time to read what it says.

7. Windows Begins to Load But Stops or Reboots Without an Error

Try these steps when your computer powers on, starts to load Windows, but then freezes, stops, or reboots over and over again without generating any kind of error message.
Windows Begins to Load But Stops or Reboots Without an ErrorThe stopping, freezing, or reboot loop may happen on the Windows splash screen as shown to the left or even on a black screen, with or without a flashing cursor.
Note: If your computer won't start and you see a blue screen flash or remain on the screen, you're experiencing a Blue Screen of Death and should use troubleshooting guide #6 above.
Important: If you suspect that the Power On Self Test is still going on and that Windows has not yet started to boot, a better troubleshooting guide for why your computer won't turn on might be #5 above. It's a fine line and sometimes hard to tell.

8. Windows Repeatedly Returns to the Advanced Boot Options Screen

Windows Repeatedly Returns to the Advanced Boot Options ScreenUse this guide when nothing but the Advanced Boot Options screen appears every time your restart your computer and none of the Windows startup options work.
In this situation, no matter which Safe Mode option you choose, your computer eventually stops, freezes, or restarts on its own, after which you find yourself right back at the Advanced Boot Options menu.
This is a particularly annoying way in which your computer won't turn on because you're trying to use Window's built-in ways to solve your problem but you're getting nowhere with them.



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Resource: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/findbysymptom/tp/computer-wont-turn-on.htm

Thursday, February 24, 2011

How to install Windows 7 using bootable USB drive

We have been using CDs and DVDs to install operating systems on our computers for quite some time now. With the ever increasing popularity of netbooks, things are about to change. In such cases, an external optical drive or a USB drive is required.
There are a few situations where the use of USB drive brings a certain benefit:
(1)When you want to create a live USB from an ISO image
(2)You can protect your original install media from wear and tear.
(3)When you are trying to install Windows on a netbook or your optical drive is broken.
For starters, not every PC is capable of booting from a USB flash drive. For the most part, computers manufactured within the last two years are generally able to boot from a flash drive.The pen drive capacity must be a minimum of 4 gb.
Now the following are the steps required to install windows using a bootable USB:
(1)First install the boot files onto it by following either of these methods.
  • Using Windows 7 USB creator tool :How to create bootable USB Windows 7
  • Manually : How to create bootable Windows 7 USB manually
(2)The next thing that you must do is to configure your PC to allow you to boot from the flash drive. This is all done through the computer’s BIOS Setup.
(3)You can access your computer’s BIOS by pressing a specific key immediately after you turn the PC on. The key varies, but it is usually either [F1], [F2], [Delete].
(4)Once you are in the BIOS Setup, you should verify that all of your computer’s USB options are enabled. This might include things like support for legacy USB devices or support for USB 2.0.
(5)If there is a time out setting for USB devices, you should set it to the max to insure that the system doesn’t time out while waiting on the USB device to boot.
(6)Next, find the section on boot device priority. Normally, a USB flash drive (which is usually listed as USB-HDD, but may be listed as a removable device) will have a very low boot priority.
(7)If the USB flash drive’s boot priority is lower than the hard disk (listed as HDD) then the only time the computer would ever boot off of the USB flash drive is if the system were to fail to boot from the hard disk. You must therefore rearrange the boot device priority so that the flash drive has a higher priority than the hard drive.
(8)After configuring the PC reboot the system and insert the USB pendrive onto which the boot files are created and install the new WINDOWS 7.
Resource: http://www.comptalks.com/how-to-install-windows-7-using-bootable-usb-drive/

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Microsoft: Fix It For Me Now!

It does not matter how something on a person's computer broke. It could be the result of a malware infection, a conflict with a third-party application, or self-help that backfired. Regardless of the source of the problem, we all want Microsoft to Fix it and to Fix it Now.

Although Microsoft has long provided Knowledge Base articles with detailed instructions for repairing problems such as those mentioned above, the instructions generally involve registry edits -- which is understandably something the average home user generally will shy away from doing.
Along comes Microsoft Fix it, a tool to automate those fixes that you want now, relieving you from worrying about messing up a registry edit that could result in your computer in worse condition than before you attempted the fix.

The Fix it Team has created a wide range of fixes covering problems in Windows, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office programs such as Excel and Word, Outlook, Windows Media Player, Zune and a whole lot more. Many of those fixes are a result of Windows Error Reporting (WER) where people like you and I allow the submission of crash reports to Microsoft. By submitting those reports, Microsoft Product Support Reports (MPSReports) is able to analyze the results and fixes for repeated problems are added.

To check that Windows Error Reporting (WER) is enabled, do the following:

Windows Vista
:

    Click Control Panel > System and Maintenance > Problem Reports and Solutions > Change settings > Advanced settings > Select "Automatically check for solutions".

Windows XP:

    Click Start > Right-click My Computer > Properties > Advanced Tab > Error Reporting.

If you are not sure where to start, you can try Microsoft Automated Troubleshooting Services (Microsoft ATS) to detect problems on your machine and automatically fix any common problems.

The Fix it Team has provided multiple resources to assist you in locating a Fix it solution:

   1. Fix it for me blog
   2. Fix it Gadget (Download link)
   3. Fix it Solutions Page
   4. Microsoft Fix it Solutions Center

The next time you need a solution for a problem, let Microsoft Fix it for you.



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 install Windows 7 using bootable USB drive

Resource: http://www.landzdown.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=f1473f3791c673af02d98f6ca153f272&topic=33357.0

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

How to solve system problems?

If you have a computer or PC, it will surely help in easing most of your problems. But with every computer comes along many headaches and complications, sooner or later. A computer is a machine and every machine breaks down sometime or the other. You do not need to run to the computer technician every time your PC crashes or is attached by a malicious software. If you know some simple solutions to the most common computer problems, it will help you save a lot of time and money. There are number of common computer problems and solutions that are simple and involve glitches that can be solved by a common person like you and me in the world of computers.

There are many PC owners who think every time they face a problem with computer, they should contact professional help. True, but not every problem needs to be addressed by a computer expert. You just need to know how to fix computer problems. This article will help you recognize common problems with computer and learn about computer problems troubleshooting. The following are a few common computer problems and solutions that will help you know more on how to fix computer problems.

How to Fix Computer Problems?

Problems with computer are basically divided into two groups, i.e., hardware problems and software problems. The hardware problems are related to the peripheral parts of the computer like the CD drive, hard disk, monitor, keyboard, etc. You can read more in detail about computer hardware basic information related to computer hardware troubleshooting. The software problems are more complicated. These problems include problems like modem problems, Windows not starting, drivers not found, etc. The first step to fix computer problems is computer problems troubleshooting. Understand what is causing the glitch and follow the standard procedure to solve the problem. The following are a few common computer problems and solutions to help you overcome the technical snag. You can read more in detail regarding:
·         Computer Hardware Repair and Maintenance
·         Computer Hardware Troubleshooting Tips and Tools
·         Computer Repair
Computer Problem # 1 ~ Computer Problems after Power Outage
Today there are many sudden power outages, voltage problems and spikes that can damage computers. These damages cause many technical and software snags and interrupt your work. This leads to loss of data, damage to the hardware, etc. due to sudden power outage. This is a common computer problem and solution to this trouble is use of uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The UPS can provide a constant flow of energy to the computer, even if you encounter a sudden power outage. This will provide you with ample time to save your data and shut down your PC, if needed. You can get some more idea on computer power supply unit in the article titled how to buy a computer power supply.

Computer Problem # 2 ~ Computer Performance has Slowed Down
You may notice your computer has slowed down considerably and even a simple command execution takes ages. This is because your computer is loaded with unnecessary files, fragmented data, corrupted registry, spyware programs, services, software, etc. that makes your computer slow down. Thus, you need to manage your programs and delete unnecessary data and software that you do not use or need, clean your registry regularly to help boost at least 30% of your computer performance speed. You can understand more in detail about what is a computer virus.

Computer Problem # 3 ~ No Sound from Speakers
You are in the mood to listen to some groovy music on your PC, but you get no sound from speakers, the solution to is to check the back of the computer and see if all the connectors are properly connected. The speaker or single stereo speaker plug should be put into the socket on the soundcard that has a mark Audio Out.

Computer Problem # 4 ~ Computer Monitor Displays Fuzzy Images
A computer monitor is the display unit of the computer that is sensitive to electro-magnetic radiations. These electro-magnetic radiations are transmitted from the TV, radio, microwaves, dishwashers, washing machines, speakers, etc. Mobile phones transmit electro-magnetic radiations that is one of the main cause of monitor displaying fuzzy images. Thus, move away these disturbances away from the monitor and this problem with computer monitor will be fixed. You can read more detailed solutions in the article on computer display problems.

Computer Problem # 5 ~ Computer Freezes with Blue Screen Hijacking Your Display
There are many problems that can cause your computer screen to freeze and blue screen to appear. This may be due to a spyware or computer viruses that have affected your computer. You need to update your anti-spyware and scan your computer for any viruses. If your computer is free from any such malicious software, then you may need to update your hardware drive. A hardware drive that is not updated may cause the CPU to lock up and interrupt working of the computer. If you find the problem cropping up even after a hardware drive update, then you may need to increase computer RAM. When you increase the RAM, the computing power increases and you will also be able to avoid the computer freeze.

Computer Problem # 6 ~ Computer Reboots Itself Again and Again
Another one of the many common problems with computer. In order to fix computer problem of rebooting itself again and again, you will need to check the hardware. You may have a faulty power supply, defective or dirty cooling fan, etc., that may cause the computer to reboot again and again. The dust that accumulates on the fan, makes it heat up faster and in order to cool down the computer automatically switches off. Thus, clean the fan and check for power supply. Following these simple steps will help you to solve this problems with computer.

Computer Problem # 7 ~ Computer Makes Strange Noises
Noises and vibrations from your computer are basically a hardware problem. Many electronic parts can make high pitch noises. You need to switch off your computer and unplug it from the power supply. Now remove the case from the CPU and restart your computer. Locate the origin of noise and then switch off the computer and unplug it. It may be a faulty fan, loose wire or screw. This means you will need to call the computer technician to help you solve your problems with computer, regarding these type of problems.

Computer Problem # 8 ~ Windows Having Problems in Shutting Down Properly
You may have come across the message 'Windows Shutting Down' instead of 'It is now safe to switch off you computer'. This is because a program has not unloaded itself properly that makes the computer insist to run a scandisk the next time you switch on. You need to close all the programs before your shut down your PC and if it is not done, the computer waits for the program to close. It may happen you get the message 'Do you want to shut this program down or wait' or you may not. When you don't get such a message it results in what we call the hanging of the operating system. The solution is not to install Direct X whenever you install a game. Most games have their version of Direct X that makes the files out of sync. Thus, install the latest version of Direct X and not the games version. You may need to also check USB devices, task schedulers, virus scanners, etc. and reinstall them if necessary. This will lead to correct installation and the problems with computer may reduce.

These were just a few common computer problems and solutions that you may encounter. You can avoid these problems if you are aware of the various steps needed for computer maintenance. You should read the manual given with computer before you begin using it. Yes, the manual may sound Greek to you, but its always better to know the simple precautions to be taken. Computer problems troubleshooting is not a easy task. You should be able to diagnose the problem to be able to correctly fix computer problem. If you do not understand anything or are still apprehensive about computer problem troubleshooting, then it is a better idea to consult a computer technician. You have many articles on the Internet that help you find solutions to various problems with computer. You do not need to be genius to diagnose and troubleshoot a simple computer problem. Many times a little bit of presence of mind and common sense will help you overcome obstacles of the technical world.
Resourse: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/computer-problems-and-solutions.html

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

How to Get Rid of HDD Plus Virus?

HDD Plus Virus is not a legitimate Antispyware Program but itself a malware, more precisely a new kind of rogue antivirus program from the same household of Win HDD, HDD Defragmenter, HDD Scan. The only difference being the core files are altered a little bit and the name is changed to hide it’s detection by real Antivirus programs installed on your personal computer.

This program is distributed with the help of trojans. When the trojan is started, it will automatically download and set up HDD Plus Virus onto your PC without your permission and knowledge and configure it to run when you start operating system.

When HDD Plus Virus is commenced, it will imitate a system scan and find a lot of various infections that will not be fixed unless you first purchase the program. Important to know, all of these reported infections are scam and don’t actually exist on your computer! So you can safely ignore the scan results.

While HDD Plus Virus is running, it will stop the ability to run any programs as a procedure to frighten you into thinking that your PC is infected with malware.

The following warnings will be shown

Windows detected a hard drive problem.
A hard drive error occurred while starting the application.

Or

Windows cannot find notepad. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then click Search.

Fix Disk
Windows Disk Diagnostics will scan the system to identify performance problems.
Start or Cancel
Requested registry access is not allowed. Registry defragmentation required
Read time of hard drive clusters less than 500 ms
32% of HDD space is unreadable
Bad sectors on hard drive or damaged file allocation table
GPU RAM temperature is critically high. Urgent RAM memory optimization is required to prevent system crash
Drive C initializing error
Ram Temperature is 83 C. Optimization is required for normal operation.
Hard drive doesn’t respond to system commands
Data Safety Problem. System integrity is at risk.
Registry Error – Critical Error

Critical Error!
Damaged hard drive clusters detected. Private data is at risk.

Critical Error
Hard Drive not found. Missing hard drive.

Critical Error
RAM memory usage is critically high. RAM memory failure.

Critical Error
Windows can’t find hard disk space. Hard drive error

Critical Error!
Windows was unable to save all the data for the file System32496A8300. The data has been lost. This error may be caused by a failure of your computer hardware.

Critical Error
A critical error has occurred while indexing data stored on hard drive. System restart required.

System Restore
The system has been restored after a critical error. Data integrity and hard drive integrity verification required

Understand these are all scam alerts and make sure you do not take any action on these warning messages. Follow the below instructions to remove these fake antivirus alerts.

And now coming back on How to eliminate HDD Plus Virus, you need a strong program to repair the damages, the rogue has caused. It changes files, folders,permissions and registry keys altogether….to rejuvenate your PC from malicious trojans that may still reside and make your PC slow and to stop from getting re-infected.

How to removeHDD Plus Virus manually.

In order to get rid of HDD Plus Virus altogether, start your PC in safe mode with networking, by pressing F8 key. Clean your Windows temp folder.

Windows Temp folder.

By default, this is C:/Windows/Temp for Windows 95/98/ME, C:/DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS/ProfileName/LOCAL SETTINGS/Temp for Windows 2000/XP, and C:/Users/ProfileName/AppData/Local/Temp for Windows Vista and Windows 7

HDD Plus Virus stores its files in Windows temp folder. You need to delete these files.

Affected Registry Entries, Files and Folders.

%Temp%[Random Characters]
%Temp%[Random Characters].exe
%Temp%dfrg
%Temp%dfrgr
%Temp%[Random Characters].dll
%Temp%[Random Characters].exe
%Temp%tmp2.tmp

And also

%UserProfile%DesktopHDD Plus.lnk
%UserProfile%Start MenuProgramsHDD Plus
%UserProfile%Start MenuProgramsHDD PlusHDD Plus.lnk
%UserProfile%Start MenuProgramsHDD PlusUninstall HDD Plus.lnk

%UserProfile% is C:/Documents and Settings for Windows 2000/XP & C:Users for Windows Vista/7

%Temp% is C:/DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS/ProfileName/LOCAL SETTINGS/Temp for Windows 2000/XP & C:/UsersProfile/Name/AppData/Local/Temp for Windows Vista and Windows 7

Registry Entries:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun “[Random Characters]“
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionRun “[Random Characters].exe”

Processes:
[Random Characters.exe]

Get rid of the below files and registry entries. If you do not have adequate expertise in dealing with computer files, folders, processes, DLL files, services & registry entries, please take assistance from some one who can does this for you because manual deletion is a tedious process and does not always assure that the deletion of the spyware antivirus is absolute

If not Get Reimage key by going to PC Reimage in order to get rid of HDD Plus Virus.

If you can`t run the IE, then you should repair the proxy settings of Internet Explorer.

Run Internet Explorer,

Click Tools -> Internet Options

Choose Connections Tab

Click LAN Settings button.

Uncheck “Use a proxy server” box. Click OK.

Click Apply.

Click OK.

Reimage works by comparing each and every Windows system files with the correct files from a system repository of 25 million OS components. (since Reimage works by comparing with correct file, it can easily find the hiding rootkit, infact this is what a rootkit remover do……dumps a list of files from your hard disk drive and compares it with the list from the recovery console in order to find a hiding virus) This is the sole reason you can get a PC as good as new once you run Reimage, all other antivirus and antimalware programs just delete the virus….but they don’t fix the damage…which results in re-infection and slow performing PC.

Reimage first scans your PC exhaustively; all the files, folders, registry keys and values, drivers, softwares, stacks and then either fix or remove those stuffs that should be there. But it’s not just that it does. They have an enormous web repository of application, drivers, system objects, etc. from where they compare your PC’s files and if corrupt replace it with the healthy ones.

Go to Reimage For a Complete Scan Now to Get Rid of HDD Plus Virus Completely

Mike J Bennett is a Software System Architect, who has more than 15 years of experience. He has wide knowledge on System Security Visit PC Reimage to remove all your fake antiviruses
Source:-http://www.articlesinaclick.com/computers-and-technology/how-to-get-rid-of-hdd-plus-virus-eliminate-and-remove-hdd-plus-virus-fake-antivirus-completely-and-manually/


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