The Little Geeni

Are you frustrated with your PC that it runs so slow even though you have just bought it a few days ago? You don’t have all the time in the world to bring your PC back and forth to the manufacturer even when it is still covered by warranty. Do you know that you can resolve the slow speed of your PC on your own when you have the right tools? Here’s everything you need to know in troubleshooting your slow PC.

In troubleshooting your slow PC, one of the basic things but oftentimes the most crucial thing is to isolate the problem. Make sure that you rule out everything including your internet connectivity, wireless o wired, as the culprit in slowing down your PC. When you have done so, check your hard disk as it may have too much of unnecessary files that eat up the space and the memory. What you can do instantly is to use the system tools that come with your windows operating system like the disk clean up and disk defragmenter to eliminate these unwanted files, start > accessories > system tools > disk clean up or disk defragmenter. You may also wish to optimize your browser.

Next, see if there are just too many programs installed on your computer that are already unnecessary and which you do not need. You can uninstall these programs to save space and to speed up your computer in the process. You can do this by accessing the Control Panel > add/remove programs. It is important that when you uninstall programs in your computer, you should use this utility to correctly remove the programs and prevent fragments that may cause errors in your computer.

This leads us to the next but very crucial step in troubleshooting your slow PC. Are you aware that majority if not all slow speed issues of your computer are due to a corrupted registry? What this means is that either the registry has missing files or it is cluttered with too much junk that your computer accumulates over time especially when you frequently install as well as uninstall programs. The errors in your registry are considered as the culprit in slowing down the speed and performance of your PC.

There are several tools that you can download from the internet that will help fix registry errors. There are anti-viruses and spyware that are necessary since these malware loves to attack and hide in the registry of your computer. The best thing you can do is to prevent the entrance of these malware through regular and real time scanning of your computer using the latest and updated versions of these programs.

But these anti-malware programs are not sufficient to remove all errors in the registry and therefore you will benefit more in troubleshooting your slow pc with a proven and reliable registry cleaner where you can say goodbye to all your computer problems. All you have to do is to search the internet and find your registry cleaner software that will speed up your PC and ensure that the registry is free from errors.

Troubleshooting Everything, Know, Need, Slow, Troubleshooting

Here are some troubleshooting guides for particular topics.

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(1) Your Virtual Network Connection

(2) VPN Troubleshooting Error Messages

(3) VPN Modems Troubleshooting Guide

(4) VPN ISP Troubleshooting Guide.

(1) Your Virtual Private Network Connection

Having trouble connecting to the Internet at home try these steps before calling for help.

1. Do you have an IP address? Try ipconfig /all. If you do not have an IP address reboot your PC. If that doesnt work power cycle your Cable/DSL modem and routers and reboot your PC again after the network devices are up and stable. Be sure all of your network cables are plugged in tight.

2. After your PC reboots check that your network adapter is active and packets are flowing. Perform the ipconfig /all check again.

3. Check your connectivity by pinging several Internet sites. If that does not work, ping the loopback address 127.0.0.1. If that fails, your adapter may not be working or it is not properly configured.

To check your IP address. From command prompt enter ipconfig /all (as shown in the picture) you should see an IP Address and several DNS Server addresses. The domain name system (DNS) is the way that Internet domain names are located and translated into IP addresses and is required for browsing the Internet.

Ping 127.0.0.1 – loopback Test (as shown in the picture). The loopback test is used to check if the IP stack is responding. If it times out or you get an error the problem may occur if any one or more of the following conditions is true:

*The TCP drivers are corrupted

*The network adapter is not working

*Another service is interfering with IP

Check your network adapter, click the Start menu, Settings, Control Panel, and select Network Connections. Double click on the Local Area Connection or the Wireless Adapter whichever one you are using. Be sure its Connected. If you have multiple network cards disable the one you are not using.

There should be Packets displayed in both the Sent and Received counters. If the Received counter is 0 check that the adapter has an IP address. Select Properties.

Click the check boxes for Show icon and Notify me below. A twin PC icon will appear on the lower right portion of the taskbar in the tray area and will flash while sending and receiving packets. You can place your mouse over the icon to get the status and click on it to get more details.

Tracert displays the connection path to the target location and the number of hops. Each hop is the trip from one router to another. Tracert is a handy tool both for understanding where problems are in the network and for determining latency between hops.

Ping is used to determine whether a host exists and is active on the network and can determine the round trip time to the device. You can enter a host name or an IP address if you know it. If the request times out then the host is not reachable because it’s offline or there is a problem with the connection. Try several sites, if none work then ping the loopback address 127.0.0.1 Also, if your DNS is not working or properly configured you can only ping the host with an IP address and you will not be able to browse the Internet.

If you are having intermittent problems, perform a ping –t for 5 to 6 minutes then hit CTRL C to see the results of the test to determine if you are dropping network packets (lost packets). If you are, this usually indicates an ISP problem or Cable/DSL modem problem. See VPN ISP Troubleshooting Guide

(2) VPN Troubleshooting Error Messages

Q1 Error Message: Remote Host not responding: or Unable to Resolve the IP address of the Remote Server

Cause: This indicates that the Contivity VPN Switch never responded to the connection attempt. The problem could either be with the Contivity switch itself, (switch may be down) or your machine may be having a problem resolving the IP address.

Action: Try pinging your destination name (Example: VPN.something.com). If you received a message that says “Request Timed Out” from the ping command, call your ISP to make sure that their DNS is functioning correctly.

Q2 Error Message: Maximum number of sessions reached

Cause: This indicates that the maximum number of users for the account you are using are currently logged on.

Action: If you are the only user with VPN to your account, it is possible to get this error if you restarted a connection immediately after losing the dial-up connection to your ISP. This is because the Contivity VPN Switch takes up to one hour to determine that your connection has been dropped and log you off from your account.

Q3 Error Message: Login failed, Please consult the switch log for further information

Cause: The User Name or the Password is incorrect for the user name entered.

Action: Verify that the User Name you entered is correct and retype the Password before trying the connection again.

Q4 Error Message: The physical connection has been lost

Cause: Your connection to your ISP was disconnected.

Action: Re-establish your connection to your ISP before you re-establish the Contivity connection to the remote network.

Q5 Error Message: The secure Contivity connection has been lost

This message can result due to a number of different reasons, and there are several recommended actions you can take to try and re-connect.

Cause(s):

If you receive this error before the client connects then something is blocking a necessary port (such as ESP port 50). This can result if your firewall is not configured properly and is restricting the necessary port(s).

If you receive this error during a connection and you suddenly get the error it may mean one of the following:

1. Something closed the connection;

2. The VPN Contivity switch where you were trying to connect to thought your client was down or timed out;

3. Your local ISP did something that interrupted your network connection long enough for the VPN Contivity switch to identify your client was not responding;

4. The VPN Contivity switch that you are connected to has either logged your connection off or the Switch is no longer responding, or a device that does not support IPSEC NAT Traversal is causing the connection failure.

Action(s):

1. Try re-establishing the Contivity connection by clicking the Connect button. If this works, the connection was probably lost due to the Idle Timeout configured on the Contivity VPN Switch. If no data is transferred through the Contivity connection for a long period of time, 15 minutes or more, the Contivity VPN Switch automatically disconnects the connection;

2. If you were unable to successfully re-establish the Contivity Connection, the dial-up connection may be preventing data from traveling between the Contivity VPN Client and the Contivity VPN Switch. Hang up the dial-up connection and reconnect before you try to re-establish a connection to the Contivity VPN Switch;

3. If you are still unable to connect to the Contivity VPN Switch, open a Command Prompt and try pinging the Contivity VPN Switch using the host name or address that you specified in the Destination field.

(a) If you receive a “Destination Unreachable error” there is a routing problem at the ISP.

(b) If you receive a “Request Timed Out” error message, the Contivity VPN Switch is probably not available, and you should contact your Network Administrator.

4. If you keep getting this message and are unable to connect, then it may indicate that the Contivity VPN Switch is unable to communicate with the client because it is behind some kind of NAT (Network Address Translation) device. NAT (Network Address Translation) Traversal allows a number of devices on a private network to access the Internet simultaneously without each requiring its own external IP address. Most hotels and airports that provide Internet connectivity use NAT to connect to the Internet.

Q6 Error Message: Cannot Alter Routing Table

Cause: Message means the you the user, an application on your machine, or your ISP attempted to change the routing table via an ICMP redirect attempt and it was not successful. The client detects the attempt to make the change, determines it’s a security breach and shuts down the client’s connection. Any time you make a VPN connection, you cannot change the routing table, because the VPN Client views this as a security risk and you will get disconnected.

Some applications require an ICMP redirection in order to work such as a game or other third party software.

Action: If you receive this error and cant connect due to an ICMP redirect attempt, shut down any other applications you are using which may be causing the ICMP redirect attempt. If it is the ISP that is doing it, you will need to block the ICMP redirect request. You can identify that ICMP redirect has occurred, by seeing a message saying there has been an IP address routing table change.

Q7 Error Message: Receiving Banner Text Information

Cause: Message means you are experiencing a Banner Sock issue, and will see a window displaying the “Receiving Banner Text” message and then gets disconnected.

Actions:

1. Disable the firewall completely to test. This is a port 500 issue and often means that the you have a personal Firewall that is blocking port 500 or you have a router that does not support IPSEC pass-through, and the you are connecting to a VPN switch that does not have NAT Traversal enabled.

2. If using wireless, temporarily remove Wireless from the picture and focus on the Ethernet card. Check the Ethernet card speed and duplex parameters and then make sure that the hub, switch, or router that is on the other end has the same parameters. If not, the VPN connection will drop as the link goes up and down, or due to a large number of errors on the port from a duplex and or speed mismatch.

3. Firewall that blocks the connection, such that system will crash. (This will rarely happen) NSDF (Norton Symantec Desktop Firewall) and NSPF (Norton Symantec Personal Firewall) can do this though, if you do not trust the IP address of the VPN connection.

If you do not trust the VPN address of the VPN client, the firewall will cause you to crash. In your Internet browser click on “Tools > Internet Options > Security > Trusted Sites > Sites” and add the destination VPN address(es) to your trusted sites.

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Q8 Error Message: You already have the maximum number of adapters installed

Cause: You may have installed to many virtual adapters in your IP Stack

Actions:

1. Remove any unnecessary adapters;

2. Create multiple boot scenarios disabling the adapters that are not required for that function;

3. You may also get Banner Sock errors on Win 95 & 98 units with this condition;

4. For more information, see this Microsoft article: KB217744: Unable to Bind Protocols to More Than 5 Network Adapters (copy and paste into the search tool bar > enter).

Q9 Upgrade Errors: The following are some errors that may occur when trying to upgrade / install the Nortel VPN Client 4.65

Error (1): Failed to get Registry key value for NT_IPSECSHM

Cause: This is caused because an important registry key that cannot be found in the system registry.

Actions:

1. Uninstall and Reinstall the VPN Software

Error (2): Login Failure due to: Driver Failure

Cause: This is generally caused by either not having Admin rights to the PC or by trying to install/use a Nortel VPN client that predates the operating system.

Actions:

1. Ensure that you have admin rights to the PC.

2. Update/Install the most current version of the Nortel VPN client.

Error (3): Create socket failed with 10048.

Cause: This problem generally will occur whenever you have another VPN client software installed on the system. The most noted conflicting clients are: AOL, Cisco VPN Client(s), SSH Sentinel and PGP.

Actions:

1. Removing these clients will in most cases, resolve the issue.

(3) VPN Modems Troubleshooting Guide

Q1 Are Cable Modems supported for VPN Access?

Yes, you can use cable modems for VPN access. However you must be aware of the following conditions and be able to work within them:

*Some cable modems require that you log into an NT network to get authenticated.

*Some cable modems use a client similar to the Extranet Client for VPN and both will not run at the same time.

*Some cable modem Contracts/Acceptable Use Policies specify that you cannot use them for business purposes or they want to charge you another fee to use them for business purposes. Make sure you read your contract thoroughly.

*Your Cable modem provider is your ISP. Please see the VPN-connection-guide.html”>ISP Troubleshooting Guide for more information.

Q2 Why does my modem seem to perform erratically?

Always make sure that you do not let the operating system select a generic modem. If required, go to the appropriate web site for the vendor of the modem and get the updated INF file so that the proper parameters are configured for the modem.

Q3 Why do I always seem to get a slower connection speed than others with the same modem?

1. Always check the modem configuration to verify that its maximum speed has been selected.

2. It is common when auto-installing modems that the highest speed is not selected automatically.

3. Do not check the box that says run at maximum speed only.

Q4 I plugged my modem into the phone line at the hotel or customers office and now it does not work.

Always make sure that the phone line you are plugging into when visiting somewhere is an analog line not a digital one. Plugging into a digital line can permanently damage your modem, requiring a replacement unit. To avoid these situations please contact the local site phone support personnel.

Q5 Why cant I get a 56Kb V.90 connection from some locations that I go to?

Here are some of the reasons why you might not get a 56K connection:

1. You are located more than 3 ½ miles from your telephone companys central office (CO).

2. A SLICK or Subscriber Loop System is used in your area.

3. You are calling from a digital PBX system, which creates a Digital to Analog conversion and then an Analog to Digital conversion.

4. Your line contains digital pads or Robbed Bit Signaling (RBS), which can degrade your connection speeds.

5. Your wiring may be of poor quality.

6. Your modem’s firmware may not be up-to-date. Check that your modem has the newest V.90 code installed with all the patches from the vendor’s web site.

Q6 Why cant I get higher speed on my 56K v.90 modem into some NAG?

Here are some possible reasons:

1. A 56k v.90 modem is asymmetric by design where download speed can be as much as 56k but upload speed will be up to 33.6bps. For 56k to work, there must be only one analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion in your local phone loop. Thus when modems at both ends are analogue, 56k speeds will never be achieved as most PSTN exchanges run digital routing between the exchanges.

2. Some NAG sites use analog phone lines with Cisco and standard 56k modems, and most PC’s dial-ups use a similar modem. Between the two modems, it limits the download speed to about 33.6kbps maximum.

3. Also, many users might experience lower connection speeds due to other reasons, such as more poor line quality. These factors will also contribute to the quality and speed of the line.

(4) VPN ISP Troubleshooting Guide

Q1 If you are getting the message “Unable to Resolve the IP address of the Remote Server. Verify the Host Name in the destination field is correct.” when trying to connect with the Extranet Client.

Try pinging your destination name (Example: VPN.something.com) and if it fails call your ISP to make sure that their DNS is functioning correctly.

Q2 Why do I get No Domain Available when dialing my ISP?

On your Internet Service Providers (ISP) dial connection. Right click the mouse and select the properties button. Click on the Server Type tab and make sure that the Log On To Network box is unchecked.

Q3 Why do I seem to be running slowly through my VPN connection?

Try turning off the Software Compression option on your Internet Service Providers (ISP) dial connection as the VPN client has it’s own compression. Right click the mouse and select the properties button. Click on the Server Type tab and uncheck the

Q4 I keep getting busy signals when trying to connect to my ISP, what should I do?

Contact your ISP giving the numbers you are trying to connect to. Many times you will find that can give you an alternate number not published yet that will work just fine. If not you may need to find another ISP that provides better service.

Q5 When configuring the dial icon for my ISP what should I put in the DNS/WINS settings?

Your ISP should supply you with the DNS/WINS settings of your dial connection. Most only give you DNS, in this case just leave the WINS settings blank.

Q6 Why when I load the Extranet Client on my PC and Winpoet is installed on my machine it crashes or does not work properly?

There are issues running Winpoet software on the PC with the Nortel Extranet (VPN) Client.

To repair your system, boot in safe mode and uninstall the Winpoet Software.

A simple solution is to install the Linksys BEFSR41 hardware router. It has a firmware PPPOE connector, which eliminates Winpoet from the PC and provides the added benefit a NAT firewall with the ability to hook up to three other PCs.

A second option is to find a PPPOE Client that does not interfere with VPN Clients.

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Troubleshooting Guide, Treo, Troubleshooting

Computer errors generally occur due to faulty hardware or software. When such a thing occurs, the best and the fastest way to get it repaired are to consult any person having tech knowledge. In case, you are not able to make it, you can try searching for computer troubleshooting companies. Type the keywords such as online computer support, tech support, or online computer repair on Google. It will refine your search results and will help you to narrow down on the best support resources.

These resources offer tech support for everything related to your PC. Whether your computer problem is as simple as computer installation error or as complex as blue screen of error, you can look forward to these support resources. They are 24×7 available and can be reached through a simple call. You will find contacting these technicians the best course of action.

Before hiring any tech for your problem whether it is computer support, computer repair, spyware removal etc. then you must ask him/her about the experience s/he holds. You may start confirming about the kind of certifications. There are numerous tech support companies which offer in hem repair by sending their technicians at your premises. However, this could be an expensive choice as they charge on the basis of per hour. On the other hand, if you avail on phone or remote support, there are the chances that you can pay according to the services.

There is a plethora of computer support services which offer quality services at cheaper rates. They take care of everything; be it diagnosis or treatment over a secure Internet connection. The technicians temporarily handle over your mouse and keyboard controls to someone in another part of the country or even the world. In this, the users give technicians a permission to search through your computer via their own computer, for the purpose of seeking out whatever is ailing your computer. This option is not possible unless you are able to get online, so if the issue is one of connectivity, a personal visit will definitely be required.

Many problems dealing with operating systems, multimedia software, music software, image creating and visual effects software, various hardware elements and virus protections can be taken care of under the direction of a qualified technician.

Troubleshooting Computer, Errors, Popup, Troubleshooting

If you are someone having a PS3 then there is some good news waiting for you. No longer do you need to worry about spending money on the repairs to your PS3. There is no need to panic and run to the nearest technician for PS3 troubleshooting, with some handy PS3 repair guides available on Internet.

The internet is full of useful information that you can use for PS3 troubleshooting. There are many websites where you can find how different repairs of PS3 can be fixed without having to take it to the manufacturer or a technician. Most of the sites will have detailed videos or diagrams that can help you fix some common repairs yourself.

Some of the common problems that you can fix include, freezing games or movies and fixing the Bluetooth controller issue. All that you need to do is to follow the instructions given on these online sources and you can have your PS3 up and running in next to no time. You can save major money by undertaking some of the common repairs yourself.

You no longer need to worry about PS3 troubleshooting. A little bit of effort on your part is all that is needed to fix any repair in your PS3. You can now fix problems such as no display and blinking of the PS3 screen, all by yourself. Remember the manufacturer of PS3 does not want you to know this secret. Once you get to know basic PS3 troubleshooting you can do anything from enjoying your favorite games to watching your favorite movies on your PS3. You can even transfer movies from your iPod or PC to your PS3 too. With a little bit of knowledge about installing Linux, you can even make your PS3 double up as your PC too.

Troubleshooting Away, Clicks, help, Only, Troubleshooting

The most amazing thing about Remote PC Repair is that the customer has to just sit in front of his system and watch the remote professional doing the physical repairing job on his PC.

It is known that major share of all PC related troubles do not occur by hardware reasons but are generated by software related issues. Despite the fact that, the major work includes repairing of computers software application and this does not require technician to handle the keyboard, mouse or any other Computer Hardware. Also it helps in avoiding the hassles of taking disconnecting all the cables and taking it physically to computer repair shop.

Even doing this work does not help us in saving the cost of repair technician. And it is facts that, Remote Computer Repair can save a PC owner a lot of cost which is otherwise heavily charged when PC is taken to a traditional repair shop.

Some areas which Remote desktop technicians are proficient in are: Software Issues/Driver installation or repair/Hardware problems etc.; performance optimization; resolving of crashing and hanging problems; upgradation; and sometimes provide 24×7 support.

The only prerequisite for the remote service is that the client computer should have High Speed Internet Service and the remote software installed on their computer.

No matter dial up service can also work, but for diagnosis work, high speed internet is required. Many computer users may be anxious about the trustworthiness or proficiency of a Remote Computer Repair engineer, but one can easily find the type of services one provides, and it is better to check the company before providing your credit card information or sending online payments.

It’s known that in this time of recession, wasting money on gasoline while searching for repair shop is nothing but just a waste of money. Most Remote Computer Repair engineers can resolve the PC problem before the PC user is finished with having breakfast or just a cup of tea.

Ask PC Experts also has an extensive Knowledge Base of computer problem resolutions and tips to make computer fast. You can also find various useful computer troubleshooting articles for your PC diagnosis. However it is available to subscribers of  Ask PC Experts service. The service can be subscribed to by signing up.

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Times are Uncertain – do you really need that upgrade or new PC?

Our customers and prospective customers frequently come to us and ask that we suggest either upgrades or whole new PC’s that will solve their current non-performance nightmare with an aging PC.  It’s quite amazing how sometimes as the conversation and understanding of requirements and problems experienced proceeds we discover that actually the PC they already have may just still have a few laps around the circuit left in its tired chassis.  In this article we will explain how you can diagnose your performance woes, streamline and tune them up.  You’d be surprised just how much more you can get out of what you have.

Tip!  Before making any serious system changes such as some of these are its wise to take a backup or restore point of your system before each change.  Then should you subsequently find something is ‘broken’ you can restore back to a previous working configuration.

Analyse the problem before implementing the solution…

Use monitoring tools regularly – get in the habit of watching Task Manager and lookout for tasks and processes that are hogging your system memory or CPU.  Task manager displays both in the process view as you can see below, you can also sort by clicking on the column headings.  Even if you only use the Internet and eMail both these applications are renowned for memory leaks and processor bound loops (see an explanation of these problems in the next section).

Monitor Free Disk Space – ensure you have at least 20% disk space, preferably 30% or more should be free.  If you don’t the file system struggles to operate as it needs some space in order to allocate and deallocate files the operating system and applications require while in use.  Imagine walking into a hall full of boxes and you need to order them all by colour, in a room 70% full you’ve got 30% free space to temporarily put things in while you move other stuff around, in a room 99% full you may have no room at all to use as a temporary store.  Use our earlier tip for reducing disk space consumption by eliminating unused installed programs or disk space is cheap these days with 1TB at under £100, upgrade your disk.

New Software invariably uses more Memory – finally, if you need an upgrade the one that makes the biggest difference in 80% of cases is simply adding more memory.  RAM is now fairly cheap and you should consider 2GB to be the minimum of practical RAM to have installed.  Every time you upgrade it try to double it or you’re unlikely to really notice the difference.  On 32-bit systems there is little advantage to having more than 3GB of memory but usually it makes sense to upgrade to 4GB due to the size of memory kits available.  If you need more than 4GB you will also need to upgrade to a 64-bit operating system.  You can see your memory utilisation by consulting the Task Manager, ctrl-alt-del presents you an option to start the task manager.

In a typical example 2GB of physical memory is installed, of which roughly 1GB is available, although windows is misleading us a bit here as it will always make sure some memory remains available or it will simply cease to function.  So don’t look for 0 available free memory as an indicator that you need more, it never will be allowed to reach 0 as windows will swap a process out into the page file to free more memory up.  There is 1.11GB of memory currently consumed (in the page file ‘PF Usage’, Commit Charge – Total).  The page file is actually virtual memory on disk as tasks become active and inactive they may be swapped into and out of memory into the page file, hence that pause sometimes when you switch to another task as the disk is accessed to bring it back out of the page file.  Activity in the page file and virtual memory is complex and I won’t go into any more of that here as it doesn’t help you with performance issues.  The key point to remember is if Windows is swapping memory out to the page file on disk then your system will be going a lot slower as you can be sure however fast your disk is it’s an awful lot slower than physical memory.

What we care most about is activity in real physical memory and the point at which we might run out of it and the page file becomes more active hence slowing down the system.  Crucially the Commit Charge Peak should balance the physical memory available otherwise it means an awful lot of page file swapping is going on (known as ‘Page Faults’).  If it was the yellow line in Page File Usage history would be bouncing around, or worse just steadily increasing.   

Adjust Total Page File size – following on from the point above if your system page file size is too small your system will slow down or even fail to start tasks (usually with a system message to tell you the computer is out of memory).  You can check this by looking at the Page File Total versus Peak size.  If they are close to each other then you need to increase your page file size.  With most windows default configurations this will happen automatically.

The exotic world of Deadlocks, Infinite Loops and Cartesian products – are all programming jargon that essentially describe bugs (though not always).  The programmer of an application or product you’re using (and that includes the ones you take for granted like Windows and Device drivers) has likely made an error in designing or implementing the code such that logically it can never get past a certain point in its execution.  The consequence of this poorly designed code can be that the processor cycles used in this ‘loop’ consume all the available resources of your PC (check your task manager, which process is using 99-100% of the processor!? Or just ‘not responding’).  You will notice this as your machine will suddenly lock-up, go dead slow, or the application in question will just hang.  Thankfully with multi-core PC’s hanging is less of a problem as the other free cores can be used to KILL the task off and bring your PC back to life…

Run concurrently as few tasks as you need – each time you open up a task remember each one is using up a little more memory.  If your memory or processing power is limited try to keep open only what you regularly need and close what you don’t it doesn’t take so long to reopen, and if it does it probably means you have too many open already!  Also bear in mind just because you can’t see an application doesn’t mean it’s not using up any processing cycles, it will be.  All applications process events which might be system activity, emails being sent/received, diary alarms going off, keyboard or mouse movements, activity from external devices like printers and USB drives.  They also monitor activity in the background even when you aren’t doing anything with them.  This consumes more of those valuable clock cycles…

Typical solutions to try or consider

De-install and delete any unused software – take a look at your control panel Add/Remove Software icon and go through the list of installed applications line by line.  If you don’t need or use it remove it.  It may be taking up valuable space or cycles on your machine.

Disable Windows Defender – For Vista users there are a number of new Windows ‘features’ that if you are an experienced PC User who understands how to roam the internet or email and download files safely you do not need. Windows Defender and Firewall are such services, if you have a third party or router firewall you more than likely just don’t need this services enabled.  To disable windows defender, go to control panel->administrative tools -> services -> windows defender and stop the service, setting it to disabled or manual so that it does not restart on reboot.

Disable UAC (User Access Control) – To experienced Windows XP users this feature has won a thousand polls as the most annoying new feature. Whenever you execute anything which affects system configuration or the filesystem (which is just about everything you might want to do that’s useful!), a modal popup asks whether you want the operation to proceed.  Again use your judgement on your experience and competency with Windows, inexperienced users should probably leave it as is otherwise you will want to disable it.  To disable user access control, go to control panel->user account->turn user account control off.  You can also disable it using the msconfig.exe utility on the Tools tab, or directly in the registry.

Optmise the Windows GUI – Windows Vista Premium and above has by default the Aero user interface enabled, this uses the 3D capabilities of your graphics card and will use up some precious CPU cycles.  Unless you love the new look interface feel free to reduce load on your processor and memory and turn it off.  To optimise system configuration for maximum performance, go to control panel->performance information and tools-> advanced tools-> adjust the appearance and performance of windows-> Select Adjust for best performance radio button and hit Apply.

Remove Startup programs – A lot of applications helpfully install themselves on your machine to startup and drop into the System Tools tray as your machine boots or, or as you log in depending on how they are configured.  Almost none of these programs will actually be required and they are only installed this way to save on the time taken for their first execution (as they are already in memory, in theory).  Our recommendations are you remove all programs to reduce startup time, reduce memory overhead and to improve overall system performance. You can change startup programs using msconfig.exe or directly in the registry with the regedit command (alter the registry with caution!).  Our recommendation is that you use msconfig.exe (pictured below, Windows XP version) and scroll through the list of startup programs unchecking anything you know you don’t use or need to startup on boot/login.  In the registry find the startup programs under Computer-> HKEY_CURRENT_USER->Software-> Microsoft-> Windows-> CurrentVersion-> Run.  In Windows XP you can safely remove ALL startup programs without it being terminal, you need to be a bit more careful with Vista. 

AntiVirus (AV) – programs are notorious for reducing system performance and increasing hard disk load.  Take a long and careful look at the configuration of your AV product and turn off any scanning or intervention that is unnecessary, turning off any supplementary tools, and any duplication of tools such as double spam checking etc.  Typically you should treat AV as your second line of defence behind the firewall.  You are only really likely to get a virus from outside the secure zone that is ‘Your PC’, unless you’re in the habit of writing your own.  So a viral attack is only likely to come from a software download, a rogue floppy or CD install, or a malicious Browser add on from the Internet.  Some scare mongers have led us to believe that the viruses crawl down the wires and install themselves on your PC, they don’t, they only get installed from outside and only then if you allow it.

For this protection all you need virus scanned is inbound email, inbound software installs from removable media (CD, DVD, USB, eSATA, Firewire, Blu-Ray, Floppy etc.).  We recommend turning off automated and scheduled scans, these are real system hogs and should be totally unnecessary if all inbound scans are working as they should be.  Instead manually choose for yourself when you would like a total system scan just in case something was missed as it came in.  We like minimalist AV tools that just do the simple jobs well and no more.  A good AntiVirus should be like good children, nice to know you have it, but invisible and unobtrusive.

Disable unnecessary services – Your system might have a lot of services which you may not need. But identifying them may not be very easy.  Open up control panel-> administrative tools-> services and stop/disable services. Some of the services which should be disabled are Windows Search, Windows Defender, Windows Cardspace, and usually a number of third party tools such as HP print managers, Adobe tools, Real player, MSN, Google toolbar, Antivirus control panels etc.

Windows Search Indexing – A tricky one as it sometimes speeds things up, but at other times can slow things down.  In theory it only runs when your machine is idle, but we’ve found that is not always the case and it can also consume shared network bandwidth.  We suggest you disable Windows Search indexing as it may improve performance substantially, especially if you have a new system as it will expend a considerable amount of system resources building indexes. However, once the indexes are built it will reduce the time to find files with a file search (if you do that much?) considerably.  So, if this something you do a lot you should turn it off while you are using the PC then turn it on again when you’re done and just leave it running.  Windows Search will then just happily build indexes in the background while the PC is idle.  Eventually you will have a fully populated index and you can just leave it on so that the index is automatically maintained.

Defragment hard drive – perhaps one of the oldest tricks in the book.  As you install, deinstall, and move files around on your PC clusters of files and parts of files get distributed all over the disks surface.  Over time this gets worse and worse, more and more fragmented.  Every time you read a file of the disk the disk head has to reposition to pickup all these different fragments which slows down file access radically.  The ideal scenario is to have all files contiguous, no fragmentation, and have the most frequently used files around the centre of the disk to minimise average head movement time (seek time).  The defragmentation tool analyses and then defragments the disk for you and is available on the tools tab of the disk properties option (right click on your disk, select properties).  You need to defragment roughly every two to three months, more often if you install and reinstall a lot of programs and files.  It’s a good idea to run Error Check (also on the tools tab) and close all tasks and as many services as you can before defragmenting.  Files currently open or in use cannot be moved…

Check for BIOS updates – For an experienced overclocker BIOS updates are a no brainer as they usually fix performance holes or issues with the motherboard.  For most users we recommend if you have no known BIOS issues then do not update it.  Either way close all programs before flashing an update to the BIOS, should the BIOS flash fail, be interrupted, or get corrupted (and you would be surprised how easily this can happen!) then your PC will be dead and you will need a new BIOS chip.

Check for chipset and operating system updates – Often new drivers or windows updates can speed things up a little or a lot.  Windows Update is a blessing and a curse.  With Vista you are now able to do ALL updates with the Windows update tool, including many third party drivers.  Our usual recommendation is to leave it on Automatic, however, sometimes a new update can introduce instability or worse.  If this happens revert to the last Restore point.  If you are an experienced power user we recommend you manually run Windows Update and carefully select updates you know are comfortable with or know you need.

Easy performance boost – Vista’s ReadyBoost feature allows you to plug in a USB flash drive or a flash memory card and use its available capacity to cache frequently used files, augmenting the system file cache in main memory.  Though slower than main memory Flash memory is an awful lot faster than the hard disk and will speed up general file access markedly.  Even quite large Flash drives are now very inexpensive.

Restart regularly – Even large Enterprises and Government datacentres have a regular restart regime to clear down processes that have been executing memory for some time and refresh the operating systems own memory and programming state.  Any problems with stale resources or processes is compounded by possible memory leaks and memory fragmentation occurring over time (which happens in the same way as disks can get fragmented).  If you find your PC is getting slower the longer its left on you probably have some runaway process or processes eating up memory or cycles and you can either kill the processes or restart the whole machine.  If you are monitoring your process and memory utilisation as we discussed earlier you will have noticed this happening.  If it’s a problem deep in Windows that’s causing a performance problem over time then it’s unlikely you will be able to diagnose it and only a restart will fix it.  Generally you should be looking to restart your PC at least once a week.  We restart non critical desktops and servers daily, our long term benchmark tests can run for up to a month non-stop without a restart.  In the latter case we use a stripped down Windows build that we have tested as stable for at least a month.  Remember Hibernate or Standy shutdowns are NOT a reboot, only Shutdown or Restart.  Preferably do a cold reboot by shutting down and switching off completely and leaving for 10 minutes before powering on.  This will also reinitialise your BIOS and all PC hardware.

 

Troubleshooting Assets, Optimisation, Performance, Sweat, Troubleshooting, Windows

What happens when you experience problems with your computer hardware? Do you panic and battle to make sense of what is happening, or can you clearly relate to your computer technician what went wrong and where you believe the problem could be? In this article we will teach you some basic steps for hardware troubleshooting in order to save you from unnecessary expenses and to help you feel more confident when working with your computer.

To avoid problems if your hardware does crash, it is best to have a backup routine in place. Then, if you have backed up all your files, you do not need to fear losing any important documents and by following a few simple steps you should soon have your computer in working order.

Start by checking whether there are any minor problems which could be causing your computer not to work, such as a loose cable, lack of power, etc. If everything appears to be plugged in properly then check that your electric outlet is working properly by plugging a lamp into it. If you are still not sure where the problem lies you are going to need to do some more basic hardware troubleshooting.

Then you can switch on your computer and watch what happens. A number of things should take place:

1. Firstly, when you start your computer the power-supply fan should activate

2. The light on your keyboard should flash

3. A BIOS message should come up on your computer screen

4. A memory test should flicker on the screen

5. The floppy disk light should flicker briefly

6. The hard drive light should flicker

7. The system will make a beeping sound once it has completed the initialization process

8. The floppy disk drive light will flash again before it switches to the hard drive

9. If you are running Windows you should now see the starting Windows message

Determine which of these steps take place and which do not you are able to see where the problem lies and do your own basic hardware troubleshooting. For example, if the light on your keyboard doesn’t flash then there is probably a problem between your keyboard and the computer. You wouldn’t replace a disk drive if there is a problem with the memory test, etc.

By observing what happens, you are able to do basic hardware troubleshooting and even if you are unable to fix it yourself, you will be more knowledgeable when approaching a PC technician to tell them what is wrong with your computer. You can tell them why you believe there is a problem and then they can give you advice in line with that without wasting your time and money trying to figure it out.

If you are still encountering problems, try starting your computer in safe mode. If you can start your computer in safe mode it means that the problem you are experiencing probably has to do with a recent change in hardware/software. Think about what changes you have implemented recently and if possible try to do undo them. You should test your computer after you have undone each recent change and you may find the problem.

So the next time you appear to have a problem with your PC hardware start by checking the obvious things such as the electric outlet, power supply and whether the cables are properly plugged in. If the problem does not lie in these obvious areas then switch your PC on and observe what happens. Make a note of what you do not see occurring or start your computer in safe mode to see if you find the fault that way. The more information you are able to give your computer technician the better they will be able to help you, minimize your expenditure and the amount of downtime your business experiences.

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In addition to being informative, your online computer repair session can save you both the efforts and money. As a sincere computer enthusiast, you cannot compromise your PC’s safety. When it comes to pesky technical errors, the ideal way to make sure your PC is protected against virus, spyware and other security threats.

Computer support technicians working with these online support resources are certified and hold immense expertise to offer you with computer help for your desktops, laptops, software, hardware and peripherals. This is why they are gaining in popularity with computer users as well as small businesses. These techs opt for the safest, easiest way to provide Computer Troubleshooting right over the internet.

One of the biggest advantages of choosing online service is the convenience. You get everything done right before your eyes within minutes. No waiting around for your PC or taking appointments.
Well! You need to be highly meticulous while choosing your computer support provider. Your choice should be according to your business needs and personal computing requirements. However, every other computer support company provides same service. The only difference is the quality and the price. Make note of each and every detail before you subscribe.

Also, ensure to take a route of the vendor’s website before subscribing for the service. This will help you to have a fair idea about their services. Checking out the section containing frequently asked questions is also a good idea. Often, there are some questions which can be similar to your problem. You will get a readymade answer there.

If you are seriously thinking about buying online computer support services, think about pricing, delivery, and features offered. Then put them with your technology requirements.  Don’t ignore the idea of shopping around and compare the services & prices. Some vendors may offer you a better and more cost effective support package, while some might rather charge additional for the same features and benefits.

If you know your requirements, you will be able to narrow down on the best. So be watchful while choosing your computer support partner. Make a thorough search on the Internet. Keywords like online computer support, online PC repair, PC repair services, troubleshoot PC online, and fix my PC etc can be highly useful.

Troubleshooting Computer, Tips, Troubleshooting

In addition to being informative, your online computer repair session can save you both the efforts and money. As a sincere computer enthusiast, you cannot compromise your PC’s safety. When it comes to pesky technical errors, the ideal way to make sure your PC is protected against virus, spyware and other security threats.

Computer support technicians working with these online support resources are certified and hold immense expertise to offer you with computer help for your desktops, laptops, software, hardware and peripherals. This is why they are gaining in popularity with computer users as well as small businesses. These techs opt for the safest, easiest way to provide Computer Troubleshooting right over the internet.

One of the biggest advantages of choosing online service is the convenience. You get everything done right before your eyes within minutes. No waiting around for your PC or taking appointments.
Well! You need to be highly meticulous while choosing your computer support provider. Your choice should be according to your business needs and personal computing requirements. However, every other computer support company provides same service. The only difference is the quality and the price. Make note of each and every detail before you subscribe.

Also, ensure to take a route of the vendor’s website before subscribing for the service. This will help you to have a fair idea about their services. Checking out the section containing frequently asked questions is also a good idea. Often, there are some questions which can be similar to your problem. You will get a readymade answer there.

If you are seriously thinking about buying online computer support services, think about pricing, delivery, and features offered. Then put them with your technology requirements.  Don’t ignore the idea of shopping around and compare the services & prices. Some vendors may offer you a better and more cost effective support package, while some might rather charge additional for the same features and benefits.

If you know your requirements, you will be able to narrow down on the best. So be watchful while choosing your computer support partner. Make a thorough search on the Internet. Keywords like online computer support, online PC repair, PC repair services, troubleshoot PC online, and fix my PC etc can be highly useful.

Troubleshooting Computer, Tips, Troubleshooting

It’s only been a day since you last turned your PC on but you notice that it’s getting slower and you have no idea what’s going on. You check the Internet for possible answers and come across a man who can fix the problem by paying him at least a hundred dollars or so, and this further gave you a headache. Why should you be spending any penny over your once fast and brand new computer that used to open programs in a snap? You want to do it your own but you just don’t know where to start. Troubleshooting slow PC isn’t troublesome at all; just continue reading and you will be guided step by step with where you should look first, and what you should do before starting to panic.

Troubleshooting slow PC starts with looking at the macro side of your computer: your hard disk. This is where you store important data, services and applications that are very essential to your computer’s processes. Examine if it’s already full, and check for bad sectors or disk errors. Do this by right-clicking on the disk, choose ‘Properties’, hit the ‘Tools’ tab and let Windows inspect for volume errors or damaged sectors of the disk. If you experience more serious problems during troubleshooting slow PC, such as getting a blue screen with displayed series of errors, or frequent boot failure, perhaps your hard disk is too old or worn out and a replacement would be necessary.

Check your security. You might be keeping a wide variety of viruses and spyware without you even knowing it. In troubleshooting slow PC, make sure you run a regular system scan with reliable antivirus software available for free download. Like an alphabet, you can choose from Avast to Zhengbo. Keep an eye on suspicious software that might be running in the background. Go to the Task Manager and disable these applications whenever possible. Be careful with opening hideous executable files that might destroy your entire system. In troubleshooting slow PC, it is also recommended to disable auto-play of removable disks as it leaves your system vulnerable to any virus attack that can be launched as quickly as completing the auto-run function of your thumb drives. If severe symptoms occur due to virus attacks, it is advisable to secure a fresh installation of Windows to let your computer start anew. This is guaranteed to make your computer work faster, but don’t forget to backup your files neat and clean.

Finally, check your directory of installed programs (under the Control Panel) and running services (under the Task Manager) and see if you can eliminate some of the unused applications. The amount of RAM consumed by these running services limit the optimal performance of the system, thus compromising the speed of your PC. Also, troubleshooting slow PC includes managing your list of startup items. Choose only the essential processes to run in the startup each time the computer boots up. This will definitely give your system a boost in speed and performance. Make it a daily habit to empty the Recycle Bin, as its stored files counts up to the consumed disk space of your local drive. Regularly run the ‘Disk Defragmenter’ and ‘Disk Cleanup’, both are found under the System Tools in the Accessories submenu in the Start programs.

Start exploring your own PC; never be afraid to try it yourself because you don’t need to be a computer genius to figure the way out. If you follow those tips, you will be surprised to find out that even amateur home users can do this simple trick.

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