Articles in Category: Windows

How do I get Office if I’m on dial-up?

Software packages, more and more, are coming as large download files – I wouldn’t even attempt to do it on dial-up! There may be a few options for you that will work.

Can I Isolate Windows XP in a Virtual Machine to Stay Safe?

Unfortunately, as Microsoft ends support for XP any strategy to make it 100% safe will also render it virtually useless. A virtual machine does add some protection, just know the pitfalls.

Why can’t I get software on CDs or DVDs?

Software vendors seem to think these days that everyone has high speed internet for downloading large files. What happens if you don’t?

What to Do About Windows XP

I recently posted a video summarizing my opinion of the options available to those who are currently using Windows XP, and those who plan to continue using it past its end-of-support date.

What about all those cash machines running Windows XP?

The end of support for Windows XP could create security concerns way beyond personal machines. What about banks, and small business systems?

Could I just keep using XP for storing pictures and playing games?

Limiting the use of an old XP machine could make it less vulnerable. Heck, you could just turn the computer off to keep it safe… but how useful is that going to be?

How do I migrate to a new machine?

Moving to a new operating system is rarely “seamless”. But if you go about it step by step you’ll end up with a stable system that will last for years.

I Don’t Have Installation Media for Windows. What If I Need It?

At some point, you’re going to need your Windows installation CD/DVD. If you don’t have it, you could be severely out of luck. I’ll review alternatives.

I have an important MS DOS program that won’t run in Win 7 – what do I do?

Sometimes you need an old program that won’t run on your current operating system. No Problem! Virtual machines to the rescue.

How do I protect my Windows XP after they stop sending updates?

When Microsoft stops support for XP your computer will keep working. The big problem is unsupported vulnerabilities.

Will Macrium Reflect Free keep working in XP?

Current versions will continue to work. The real problem is what happens with future versions.

How can I track what programs come and go on my machine?

Windows is constantly starting and stopping programs as part of its normal operations. You can see exactly what programs are being run using a Windows technique called process auditing.

Why Am I Getting the “USB Inserted” Sound When I Haven’t Inserted Anything?

This is a system sound that could even be indicating an internal event. We’ll try to track down its source.

Can I Combine Two Drives into One?

You can put whatever you want on your new computer; it’s just a matter of transferring the data and organizing it!

How Do I Keep a Program from Loading at Startup?

Be careful what you disable from starting up with your computer. You might end up with unexpected results.

Why Does Microsoft Security Essentials seem to Interfere with System Restore?

System restore just doesn’t seem to work reliably. There is actually a much better way to protect your system from corruption and mistakes.

How can I prevent someone from installing random stuff?

Protecting a computer from its user can be difficult, verging on near-to-impossible. But there are a few ways to minimize the damage.

Why Does My Sound Quality Degrade over Time?

The system degrading over time sounds like a software problem. So how do we find out what’s using the CPU?

Why are applications and operating systems hiding so much these days?

A lot of thought really does go into decisions around feature design. You may think it’s silly, but you have to look at the big picture.

What do I do if SFC detects but cannot fix a problem?

Unfortunately, the full solution to this problem can be quite painful. We’ll start with some easier fixes.

How costly would it be for Microsoft to keep supporting XP?

Microsoft does a lot of work behind the scenes to keep an operating system going. At some point, the cost of maintaining an old operating system simply becomes too great.

Can I move Office 2010 to another computer?

Moving Microsoft Office to a new computer is usually an easy process as long as you follow a few steps.

Will Anti-virus Programs for Windows XP Stop Being Updated when Microsoft Drops Support?

When support for XP ends, you may find yourself open to unpatched vulnerabilities. Having an updated anti-malware tool is your first line of defense.

Why did my pictures disappear?

Think of your computer’s hard drive as a temporary solution for any files. It’s not a matter of if things will disappear, but when. Regular readers can guess what I’m going to say next…

Why Does My Internet Slow to a Crawl When My Desktop Is Turned On?

Many things can cause one computer to hog your bandwidth. But there’s a useful Windows 7 utility that may show you where the bandwidth is going.

Can I Put Everything but the Operating System on an External Drive?

Using an external drive is not going to work like you think in the long run. In the end, a backup image is the most convenient tool to use when reinstalling Windows.

How Do I Prevent this Folder from Opening on Startup?

The symptom described is usually a leftover startup entry. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to remove this.

Why Is My Partially Recovered Document Still Not Readable?

Writing over a file is a good way to lose data, but if you are willing to dive into some command line programs, you may be able to recover some of it.

Does Windows 8 Have XP Mode?

Older games need a different operating system than the one provided by Windows 7 or 8. With a virtual machine, you can run Windows XP  (and your games) on any machine that has enough power.

Scheduling CCleaner

CCleaner is a useful and powerful system-cleaning tool that can help recover disk space as well as clear general clutter. It can be run manually, but in this article, I’ll show you how to set it up to run once a week automatically.

How risky will it be to keep running Windows XP?

Support for Windows XP ends in April of 2014. An effort by Microsoft to make people aware of the risks in using it thereafter has been misinterpreted by some as an intentional threat. I’ll cut through the hyperbole and examine the real risks.

Can I Move an Installed Program from One Drive to Another?

The key is in understanding how a program is set up. If you had to run a setup wizard to install the program, then you will need to set it up again on a new drive.

Why Do Different Defrag Programs Give Different Results?

While defrag programs use different algorithms to defragment your machine, one thing is for sure – they won’t defrag your machine 100%. But is it worth it to be that thorough?

Defragging in Windows 7 (and later)

Disk fragmentation can adversely impact overall system performance. Defragmenting your hard disk periodically can help. Even better, Windows may already be doing it for you.

Why is Windows using more memory over time?

It’s best not to read too much into available memory. Windows memory management is the stuff of nightmares even for the people who understand it. For the rest of us, it’s just magic.

Why Is My Computer’s Fan Coming On?

You’ve checked for dust, but the computer is still running hot. I’ll point you in the direction of a few more things that could be causing this heat wave… including a heat wave itself.

Does an Unstable System Imply a Hardware Problem?

System instability is often the result of what we call “software rot.” It can be the result of installing and uninstalling lots of programs – and the cure isn’t easy.

Should I upgrade to a 64-bit operating system?

You may want to switch to 64-bit just for the speed that comes from being able to use all of the RAM on your computer. Ultimately, it comes down to what you use your machine for and your own time and resources.

Checking and Repairing a Disk with CHKDSK

The Windows system utility CHKDSK is a powerful and useful tool in diagnosing and repairing certain types of disk problems. I’ll review several ways to run it, and try and describe what it does.

Will Existing Updates Still Be Available after Windows XP Support Ends?

Someday, Windows XP critical update files will cease to be available. You can continue to use them as long as they are available, and I’ll show you a permanent solution.

How do I remove a failed Windows XP install?

Installing a new operating system wipes the old files out with no path for reconstruction. I’ll give you three options for moving forward.

How Do I Shut Down Windows 8?

It’s not at all obvious to new users how to shut down Windows 8. I’ll quickly walk you through the steps to locate the option to shut down or restart Windows 8.

Why Did I Lose Applications After My Machine was Formatted?

By definition, reformatting a hard drive erases everything. The big question is, why didn’t the technician tell you that?!

I Can’t Upgrade to the Latest Windows. Should I Switch to Linux?

Switching to a Linux product depends on how you use your computer. The good news is that you can try it for free, without making any changes, to see if you like it.