Articles in Category: Administration
Items related to Leo, Ask Leo! and overall website and related operations and administrivia.
How do I open .doc or .docx files in Windows Mail?
In order to open these attachments, you need to have an application installed
on your computer that understands those types of files.
After resuming from Sleep keyboard works in Linux but no longer in Windows. What should I do?
Booting into Linux to test the keyboard gives us the information we need to
know: that this is a software issue in Windows.
Can I delete the preloaded backup software from a new external drive?
There’s nothing that says you have to use what’s on that hard disk. Either
ignore it or delete it and use Macrium.
Can I use this other Windows XP Setup Disk on a different computer?
It’s certainly worth a try, but there are a few possibilities that may cause
it to fail.
What should I do when my browser tells me a script is unresponsive?
This is usually a side effect of JavaScript taking longer than the browser
expects and it’s probably worthwhile letting them continue to try for
awhile.
How can I retrieve some photos on a failed hard drive?
This disk is definitely on the verge… in fact, it’s probably over the
verge. Clearly, you can’t get your data off of it and recovery options are
limited.
What does “the path is not of a legal form” mean?
I can’t really answer where it’s coming from or even what to do about it,
but I can talk about what it means for a path to be of a legal form.
Can I prevent something from being forwarded by adding a legal statement to my message?
Ultimately, I think the best thing to do is realize that it can be forwarded,
regardless of what technology you use.
Why I’m not a fan of System Restore *discs*
System Restore discs allow you to reset your system to the state it was in when delivered from the manufacturer. That is, when they work. Because of that uncertainty, I much prefer a different approach.
Why does my computer sound like it’s running away sometimes?
What this normally means is that there is some software on your computer
that is essentially trying to hog all the CPU.
Is there a backup solution that will keep files I delete forever?
Set up your own system and backed up files will be kept as long as you keep
them. It’s totally in your control.
My Facebook account was hacked. How do I get it back?
Free online services do not provide any customer support. So, my
recommendation is essentially not a very pleasant one.
Why does printing take so long to start?
There are a lot of different things that can impact the printing process,
everything from large graphics to disk overload.
Does using a Linux Live CD protect me from keyloggers on public computers?
I do need to point out that there’s never going to be an absolute “safe” when using a public computer. You’ll see why in a moment.
Why is my WiFi signal stronger and weaker at different times?
Two factors affecting Wi-Fi strength could be the amount of metal construction or
the number of electronic devices between the antenna and the computer.
How do I switch to an encrypted connection to my ISP’s email servers?
Encrypting a connection to your mail server requires more than just checking
a box. Different ISPs have enabled it in different ways and on different
ports.
How do I tell if my ethernet is encrypted?
Ethernet LAN does not imply (or provide) any encryption. It is simply a method to get
data packets from point A to Point B. It’s up to you to set up any
encryption.
Defragging my hard disk blue screens, what do I do?
The big risk is that this kind of a blue screen (when you’re defragging)
indicates a physical problem with the hard disk. Backup right away!
How do I prevent pictures of my paintings for sale on eBay from being copied?
The best you can do is to work with the system and display images in a way that works in your favor.
Why does my audio echo and reverb when I play video clips?
Sometimes audio hardware can be instructed to loop an output back into an
input, which can result in the audio feedback that you’ve just described.
Why does my ISP-given email account fill up if I don’t use it?
Different ISPs keep your email for different lengths of time… but you
really needn’t worry about it!
Microsoft Security Essentials says I’m at risk, but won’t scan because it’s out of date. What do I do?
Normally, Microsoft Security Essentials should handle updating itself
properly, but reinstalling might do the trick.
How Do Different Memory Options Interact with One Another?
There’s memory and then there’s memory. I’ll look at the difference between system RAM and video memory and how they’re used. And ReadyBoost makes an appearance.
How do I disable the touchpad if it’s not in my Control Panel?
The first suggestion is to make sure that you’ve got the correct device
drivers installed for your mouse and track pad.
Google search does nothing. How do I fix that?
Sometimes “drive-by toolbar downloads” can interfere with the way that your
browser handles search and/or the Google.com page. We’ll look for a fix.
How do I resize this partition that Windows can only resize so far?
What’s probably happening is that some files are in the way that Windows
either won’t or can’t move.
Why doesn’t Flash work in IE9?
Something’s wrong with Internet Explorer in this case. There’s certainly
no easy way to replace it, but it can possibly be repaired.
If I don’t login to my Hotmail account, will it take up any space on my computer?
Hotmail is a web-based service. As long as you don’t login to Hotmail,
there’s nothing that’s going to get downloaded to your computer.
Why are you using Chrome instead of Firefox?
It really boils down to personal preference. Today, I really have no problems
with people using any of the big three browsers.
I can’t activate Windows and I can’t access my data. What do I do?
We can (probably) recover those files, but… your data is only
in one place and you’ve run the risk of losing everything for a very long
time!
Is downloading .torrent files without downloading the files they point to a problem?
Torrent files by themselves are pretty benign. It’s the files they point to that may hold copyrights and legal implications.
How do I uninstall this search hijack that came along with another install?
Unwanted and even malicious tools can be downloaded along with free or
upgraded software. Time to run some anti-malware tools.
Why don’t email filtering rules work in my browser?
Many email services have the ability to set up rules to filter out unwanted
emails. There are many different ways to do it.
Why do some blogs have pictures next to some people’s comments?
Many blogs are using a service that associates pictures with the email addresses people use when they leave a comment. I recently added this to Ask Leo!
My computer won’t boot and I’m being advised to reformat, but that will erase my data. What do I do?
If you can’t boot your computer, that’s a problem that may only be
resolved by reinstalling the operating system.
Will installing Windows 8 clear up the errors I’m having in Windows 7?
I would not perform an upgrade of Windows 8 with the expectation that it
will make your problems go away. Best to clean up first.
Why do navigation buttons not show up on some websites?
This sounds like your screen resolution is set smaller than the minimum
required for those web pages to work, or it’s pushed off the screen.
Why does Save-As… not work in my web browser?
Save As works differently in different browsers. Printing to pdf might be a better solution.
How do I identify this flashing window at boot time?
A flashing message during boot-up is not necessarily worrisome, but it is worth
investigating.
My machine is slower than a snail. What can I do?
There are many different things that could be contributing to your system
being slow. Everything from malware to running too much software at the same
time.
Can a TV get malware from my PC?
This does not sound like a malware issue at all. I think its something much
more mundane, probably related to your power.
Why does it take so long for webpages to load?
The three top culprits to look for are: connection overload, toolbar
applications, and inadequate memory and/or caching.
How do I merge applications and settings from my old hard drive into my new?
Trying to merge desktop and application settings is more prone to failure
than anything else. A clean set-up will get you what you want.
How do I exclude irrelevant yet matching pages from a search?
It depends on where you’re doing your search. Different search engines have
different approaches to specifying “negative matches.”
What happens to streaming video if my internet connection doesn’t meet the requirements?
Short on speed? Exactly what effect that has will depend on the
technology being used by the various streaming services you’re talking
about.
Can my Wi-Fi slow down my internet browsing?
Several things can slow a browsing session. Wi-Fi is one of them, but I certainly
wouldn’t limit my investigations to just the Wi-Fi.
Why do I keep getting these illegible letters I’m supposed to decipher when sending email?
Those are CAPTCHA tests are to prove that you are a real human and not an
automated computer trying to send spam, but it shouldn’t happen on every email.
How do I go back to plain http for Google Plus?
It should be completely transparent. Without knowing exactly why you
consider it to be annoying, I’m going to recommend that you leave it set.
Word’s Save-As menu disappeared. How to I repair it?
Microsoft Office programs menus are completely customizable. I’m not exactly sure
what happened to you, but it should be something you can fix.
Can’t we just charge spammers per email they send?
Unfortunately, there is no simple way to trace spam to a specific place and
charge them. There just isn’t.
