I have been around computers for years. I even teach on Introduction to Computers class at a four-year university. Despite my knowledge of computers, I was not immune to the problems that viruses^ and spyware can do to a computer. My computer was attacked and it was so bad I ended up replacing my hard drive. Does that sound scary to you? If so, I apologize. At the same time, I hope that my experience can benefit you.While many computer users are familiar with the term virus, not as many understand the term spyware. Simply put,...
Over the years, the beauty of the Internet has opened many different doors pertaining to socializing, networking, and the overall art of communication. Today, computer users of all ages are exploring the possibilities associated with chat rooms, discussion boards, forums, and online personals. Sending emails, instant messaging family and friends, and relaying text messages across the World Wide Web are also popular forms of contact. Despite the fact that users are unseen behind the guise of their computer, there is still a written...
It's been years since blogging has been practiced. But it's just recently that it has been considered as one of the addicting fads. Many teenagers have resorted to blogging as an outlet for their emotions, a little online nook where they can blurt out whatever just bugs them or whatever makes them feel elated. Savvy marketers have discovered that blogging is one of the best Internet marketing methods that won't cost you a cent.What exactly is blogging? Blog is the widely used term that refers to web log. Basically, a blog is...
Internet has greatly changed the shopping habits of the people precisely because of the convenience it provides in terms of saving time and money. You do not have to travel from one shop to the other; you can simply sit in the comfort of your home and browse through the various websites, do a comparison shopping and buy the goods online using your credit card. That said, there is a catch and that is online frauds. Today, making money online is very easy and there are lots of opportunities available on internet. Online retailers...
Have you ever wanted to find someone's name with an email address but didn't know quite how to do it? If so, you'll be pleased to know that this is such a simple process, even a moron can do it!With the technology available today, public information is easy to obtain if you have the right tools.There are several reasons you might want to find someone's name with an email address. First, if someone keeps spamming you, you can find out their identity and report them to the proper authorities.Second, if you are having issues with...
What is the Conficker Virus? The Conficker virus (aka Downup virus, Downandup virus, Conflicker virus, and Kido virus) is a worm. A worm is a type of virus that spreads itself through networks. Basically someone starts it up and it starts looking around a network that it is connected to - including the Internet - to find computers that are vulnerable to infection.What computers are vulnerable to the Conficker virus? Any computer that is or has been connected to a network (including the Internet) and running the following version...
Question:Windows restarts without warning.Additional information:• This document is about computers that are restarting or rebooting by themselves.• Some of the below steps in the answer require you open your computer and remove hardware devices, while in the computer make sure you're aware of ESD. Cause:This issue could be caused by any of the below possibilities.1. Software issue or error. 2. Hardware issue or error. 3. Heat related issue. 4. Computer virus. 5. Issue with operating system. Answer:Software issue or errorErrors...
Question:Windows freezes or stops responding frequently.Cause:This issue could be caused by any of the below possibilities.1. Software related issue. 2. Driver related issue. 3. Operating system related issue. 4. Heat related issue. 5. Hardware issue. 6. Serious issue with Windows 7. Hardware failure. Answer:This document contains recommendations on what to do if the computer frequently freezes or completely halts. An easy way to determine if your computer is in this situation is by pressing the Num Lock button on the keyboard...
Issue:Why do Windows programs stop responding?Additional information:A computer, operating system, software program or driver may stop responding or cause other programs to stop responding because of several possible reasons, such as a confliction of software or hardware resources between two programs, lack of system resources, or a bug in the software or drivers.Solution:To recover from a program that has stopped responding, a user can generally press the CTRL + ALT + DEL keys on his or her keyboards to open the "Close Program"...
Question:What should I do when a computer freezes?Answer:This document contains recommendations on what to do if the computer frequently freezes or completely halts. An easy way to determine if your computer is in this situation is by pressing the Num Lock button on the keyboard and watching the Num Lock led (light) to see if it turns off and/or on. If you're able to get the light to turn off and on and are running Microsoft Windows, press CTRL + ALT + DEL and attempt to end task the program. Make sure the computer is really...
Issue:Regaining computer hard disk drive space.Answers:Microsoft Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP and Vista usersRun the Disk Cleanup option1. Open My Computer. 2. Right-click on the hard disk drive that you wish to regain hard disk drive space. For example, right-click on the C: drive. 3. Click Properties. 4. Within the General tab, click the "Disk Cleanup" button located next to the pie chart. 5. Windows will scan the computer for all files available to clean up. 6. Once in the Disk Cleanup window check each of the boxes (except "compress...
Issue:I have problems in Windows after installing new software.Cause:After installing any type of utility, driver or other software program on a computer you can encounter an almost endless list of issues that can be caused by any of the below reasons.1. Confliction with other software installed on the computer. 2. Issue with program. 3. Improper installation or problems with installation. Solution:Reinstall or uninstall the programIf you're encountering problems with your computer or other programs after installing new software...
Question:Not a valid Win32 application.Additional information:Often this error message will be similar to the below error message.C:\Program Files\myprogram\program.exe is not a valid Win32 application.Cause:This issue can be caused by any of the below possibilities.1. File is corrupt, bad, or missing. 2. File is not designed for your version of Windows. 3. File is a virus, worm, or other malware file. 4. Hardware incompatibility. Answer:File is corrupt, bad, or missingIf the file or program you're attempting to run is corrupt...
Issue:My computer is running slow what steps can I do to fix it?Cause:This issue can be caused by any of the below possibilities.1. Hard disk drive is short on available disk space. 2. Several software programs have been installed/uninstalled leaving behind bad files and/or confusing the software. 3. Data Corruption. 4. Computer is overheating. 5. Bad Hardware. Additional information:If your Internet is slow this document does not contain information about this issue. PC Solution:Below are steps for Microsoft Windows that should...
Question:Missing Microsoft Windows .dll files.Cause:A missing or corrupt .dll file can be caused by any of the below possibilities.1. Another program was uninstalled that removed a .dll file that was required by another program or the operating system. 2. A program was installed that overwrote the .dll file with either an older version or a version that is incompatible with other programs causing .dll errors. 3. A bad installation of a program corrupted one or more files causing the .dll errors. 4. Another user or program maliciously...
Issue:Issues relating to msgsrv32.Additional information:Note: It is known that users may confuse msgsrv32 with msgrv32. While msgrv32 is a spelling error, it is related to this document.The file Microsoft msgsrv32.exe or msgsrv32.dll is a file located in the C:\Windows\SYSTEM directory placed on the computer during the Windows installation. The description of this file is "Windows 32-bit VxD Message Server" and is responsible for such Windows tasks as:• Handle Plug and Play messages between various parts of the operating system....
Issue:How to fix an invalid page fault.Additional information:An invalid page fault is caused when the operating system or a software program attempts to store or call a segment or block of the computer's memory that does not exist. Because of the invalid call, the program will generate an invalid page fault error message and terminate the program or process to prevent additional issues.Cause:There are several reasons a computer may generate an Invalid Page fault error. Below are few of those possibilities.1. Incompatibility...
Issue:How to fix a general protection fault.Cause:There are several possibilities and reasons a computer receives a General Protection Fault error, below is a listing of some of the more common reasons.1. The program being used is calling a section of memory that is already being used by another program or TSR. 2. The program has not been programmed properly or is still in testing and is calling an invalid portion of memory. Solution:The following are recommendations into finding the cause of a GPF and or resolving a GPF. It...
Issue:How to fix a fatal exception error.Additional information:Windows and software now commonly use exceptions which allow Windows or other software to communicate in layers and communicate errors or exceptions. If a program is given an exception that is invalid or unknown, the program or operating system will generate a fatal exception. Fatal exceptions are also commonly referred to as a Fatal OE, as the OE error is one of the more commonly experienced fatal exception error messages. Fatal exception error messages are generated...
Issue:How do I fix Illegal Operations?Cause:Illegal Operations can be caused by several different factors. Below is a listing of the more commonly known reasons for getting an Illegal Operations.1. TSR's or Third-party programs causing memory conflicts or other types of conflicts with the program or programs attempting to be run. 2. Data not being read properly from source. Running a program or game with a dirty CD can cause the CD to be read improperly causing Illegal Operations. Floppy diskettes which may contain errors can...
Issue:Divide error.Note: This document also applies to the error messages "Divide by Zero", "Divide by 0" or "Divide Overflow" error messages.Additional information:The divide error messages are caused when the computer or software attempts run a process that attempts to perform a mathematical division by zero, which is an illegal operation. This error message could also be caused by a computer or software limitation or conflict with computer memory. Cause:This issue can be caused by any of the below possibilities.1. Hardware...
Question:Computer turns off without warning.Cause:This issue could be caused by any of the below possibilities.1. Heat related issue. 2. Hardware issue or error. 3. Computer virus. 4. Issue with operating system. 5. Other failing hardware Additional information:Some of the below steps in the answer require you open your computer and remove hardware devices. While in the computer, make sure you're aware of ESD.Answer:Heat related issueA computer that turns off without warning is often a heat related issue. Many computers today...
Question:Computer turns off without warning.Cause:This issue could be caused by any of the below possibilities.1. Heat related issue. 2. Hardware issue or error. 3. Computer virus. 4. Issue with operating system. 5. Other failing hardware Additional information:Some of the below steps in the answer require you open your computer and remove hardware devices. While in the computer, make sure you're aware of ESD.Answer:Heat related issueA computer that turns off without warning is often a heat related issue. Many computers today...