PROBLEM SOLUTION

If your computer does not start,

begin by checking the power cord
Power button will not start
to confirm that it is plugged
computer
securely into the back of the
computer case and the power
outlet.

application is running slowly

Close and reopen the application.

Force quit the

application. On a PC,
you can press (and
application is frozen
hold) Ctrl+Alt+Delete
(the Control, Alt, and
Delete keys) on your
keyboard to open
the Task Manager. On
a Mac, press and
hold Command+Optio
n+Esc. You can then
select the unresponsive
application and
click End
task (or Force Quit on
a Mac) to close it.

Run a virus scanner.

the computer run
You may
slowly
Power button will not start
computer
The mouse or keyboard has
topsped working
application is frozen
have malware running
in the background that
is slowing things down.
If it is plugged into an
outlet, make sure it is
a working outlet. To
check your outlet, you
can plug in
another electrical
device, such as a lamp.
If you're using
a wired mouse or
keyboard, make sure it's
correctly plugged into
the computer.
Press and hold the
Power button. The
Power button is usually
located on the front or
side of the computer,
typically indicated by
the power symbol.
Press and hold the
Power button for 5 to
10 seconds to force
the computer to shut
 down.

Connect headphones to
The sound isn't
the computer to find out
working
if you can hear sound
through the
headphones.

Solution 2: Update
the application. To do
this, click
application is running slowly
the Help menu and
look for an option to
check for Updates. If
you don't find this
option, another idea
is to run an online
search for application
updates.

Check the cables.

The sound isn't
Make sure external
working
speakers plugged in,
turned are on, and
connected to the
correct audio port or a
USB port. If your
computer has color-
coded ports, the
audio output port will
usually be green.
 Your computer may
be running out of
the computer run hard drive space.
slowly Try deleting any files
or programs you don't
need.

The computer may be

in Sleep mode. Click
The screen is blank the mouse or press
any key on the
keyboard to wake it.

Restart the computer.

application is frozen
Trying to delete a file results in an
error that statesthe file or folder is
still in use by another program or
user
If you are unable to
force quit an
application, restartin
g your computer will
close all open apps.
Usually this problem occurs simply
because youre trying to delete a le
thats in useby another program you have
loaded but forgot about.Shutting down
the program with the currently open le
will solve the issue in most cases. In
somerare instances, however, you may nd
that you still receive the error. If youre certain
the leneeds to be gone you can try using
a program such as Unlocker
[1]
to circumvent the error, or youcan try
 rebooting into safe mode.

If the computer is
plugged in to a surge
protector, verify that
Power button will not start
it is turned on. You
computer
may have
to reset the surge
protector by turning it
off and then back on.
You can also plug a
lamp or other device
into the surge
protector to verify
that it's working
correctly.

If the computer still

won't shut down, you
can unplug the
application is frozen
power cable from
the electrical outlet. If
you're using a laptop,
you may be able to
remove the battery to
force the computer to
turn off. Note: This
solution should be
your last resort after
trying the other
suggestions above.

If you're using a
The screen is
desktop, make sure
blank
 the monitor cable is
properly connected to
the computer tower
and the monitor

The mouse or keyboard has
stopped working
If you're using
a wireless mouse or
keyboard, make sure
it's turned on and that
its batteries are
charged.

Check the volume level. Click the

The sound isn't audio button in the top-right or
working bottom-right corner of the screen
to make sure the sound is turned
on and that the volume is up.

Make sure the monitor

The screen is blank is plugged
in and turned on.

Check the audio player

controls. Many audio and
The sound isn't video players will have
working their own separate audio
controls. Make sure the
sound is turned on and
that the volume is turned
up in the player.
 Solution 4: If you are
using a laptop,
the battery may not be
Power button will not start
charged. Plug the AC
computer
adapter into the wall,
then try to turn on the
laptop. If it still doesn't
start up, you may need to
wait a few minutes and
try again.

If you're using a PC, you

can run Disk
the computer run slowly Defragmenter. To learn
more about Disk
Defragmenter, check
out our lesson
on Protecting Your
Computer.

Check the cables. Make

sure external speakers
are plugged in, turned on,
The sound isn't and connected to the
working correct audio port or a
USB port. If your
computer has color-
coded ports, the audio
output port will usually
be green.

Make sure the computer

The screen is
is plugged
blank
in and turned on.

The screen is
blank
My media player says that I
am missing requiredcodecs
Missing Taskbar icons
If you're using a desktop,
make sure the monitor
cable is properly
connected to the
computer tower and the
monitor.
Codecs are various, and unfortunatelythe error
message you receive may not tell youthe exact
codec you need. Try downloading theK-Lite
Codec Pack
rst, and if that doesntwork, try examining
the video le with a program
like VideoInspector
. This should tell you theexact codec required.
Alternatively, you may use a third party video player
like VLC
If icons have disappeared from the
Taskbar's notification area, there are two
things to try: first, press the Windows key
and [R], type "regedit" and press [Enter].
Browse to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\
Software\Classes\Local
Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\TrayNotify, and delete
both IconStreams and PastIconsStream
values.
 Reboot, or log off and back on again. If
the problem persists in XP, and you can
live without it, open the Add or Remove
Programs Control Panel, click
Add/Remove Windows Components,
expand Networking Services, and untick
"UPnP User Interface". Then click OK >
Next.

If your PC won't stay asleep it's often

because a device is configured to bring it
out of standby when triggered. Identify the
culprit by pressing the Windows key and
PC won't sleep [R], type "cmd" and press [Enter].

Type the following line and press [Enter]:

powercfg devicequery wake_armed

Now press the Windows key and [R]

again, but this time type "devmgmt.msc"
to open Device Manager. Find any
devices listed earlier, then double-click
them and look for an Advanced or Power
Management tab.

Check if the device is allowed to bring the

PC out of standby if it is, untick all the
boxes that wake it. Click OK, close Device
Manager and test it worked; repeat the
process if necessary.

Quick fixes
Microsoft has developed the Fix It Center
tool, which includes all of the automated
fixes for various Windows problems it has
 released over the last few years.
Download and install it from http://
fixitcenter.support.microsoft.com,
then launch the tool from its desktop
shortcut.

A list of available troubleshooters for your

version of Windows will be listed; if one
describes the problem you're having then
click the Run button next to it and see if it
can resolve your problem.

Remove printer drivers

To ensure all traces of an old printer are
removed from your PC, open Printers or
Printers and Faxes. Right-click blank
space in the Printers Control Panel and
choose Server Properties (in XP) or Run
as Administrator > Server Properties >
Continue (in Vista).

Switch to the Driver tab if your driver is

still present, select it and click Remove. If
you're using Vista you should leave
"Remove driver only" selected only if the
drivers were provided by Windows. Click
OK followed by Yes > Close.

Verify system files

The System File Checker (SFC) tool
enables you to scan for and replace
corrupt and missing fi les. If you use XP
you can use it to scan your entire drive,
while in Vista and Windows 7 it can verify
individual fi les and folders too. If you
 have an installation CD, keep it handy in
case it's needed.

Program compatibility
problems If you have issues with a program check
its website or Google the program's name,
version number and your version of
Windows to see if there are any issues
with it.

Avoid installing system software not listed

as compatible with your version of
Windows, otherwise try installing it as
normal; if it fails, Windows 7 may offer to
apply compatibility settings to it see if
these work.

If the program installs but won't run, right-

click its program shortcut and choose
Properties > Compatibility Settings. Select
your old version of Windows from the list
and click OK.

If this fails, try ticking "Run this program

as an administrator"; in Windows 7 you
can also click "Help me choose the
settings" to gain access to the Program
Compatibility Troubleshooter.

PC keeps rebooting
after Windows Update If your PC gets stuck in a cycle of
rebooting during the update process, you
need to undo the updates using System
Restore. If your computer came without a
Windows disc, look for an option to
access recovery options, or tap [F8]
 before Windows starts loading, and then
choose "Repair your computer".

If you have an installation disc, boot from

it, select your language and then choose
"Repair your computer". In both cases,
when the menu appears, choose System
Restore to undo the update.

System Restore not If you're having problems restoring your

working computer to an earlier state, try booting
into Safe Mode (tap [F8] as your PC
restarts) and running System Restore
from there.

In Vista and Windows 7 there's also

another option: you can also run the tool
directly from your Windows disc (see tip
seven, above) if you can't access
Windows

Windows Media Player Tracks missing from Windows Media

missing songs Player? Try clicking Start > All Programs >
Accessories. If you're using XP you
should select the Command Prompt, or in
Vista or Windows 7 right-click it and
choose Run as Administrator.

Switch to the folder containing your music

using the cd command (for example, cd
music cd my documents\my music), then
type "attrib -s *.* /d /s" and press
[Enter].

Once complete, open Media Player and

press [F3], or choose Tools > Advanced >
 Restore Media Library (in Windows 7) to
access all your music again
Action Center
Click the flag icon in the Taskbar's
notification area to access the Action
Center. Here you can get an at-a-glance
look at problems, plus launch a series of
troubleshooters to help quickly fix the
problems that plague you, without getting
your hands dirty.

Show printer ink levels

If you've just upgraded to a new version of
Windows and can't access your printer's
ink levels, the bad news is that Windows
installed a basic driver without the
function.

Fix Windows driver

problems If you've just upgraded to a new version of
Windows and can't access your printer's
ink levels, the bad news is that Windows
installed a basic driver without the
function.

Resolve ReadyBoost
conflict Your PC can only use one ReadyBoost
device at a time, and some computers
come with built-in flash memory already
configured for use with ReadyBoost.

To resolve this conflict click Start,

rightclick Computer and select Manage,
then under Storage choose "Disk
Management" to verify the existence of
such a drive. Look for a program called
 Intel Turbo Memory Console (type "Intel"
into the Start menu's Search box) and
open this to disable the built-in drive in
favour of your own.

Folder settings not

remembered If you find you can no longer customise
folders to look and behave how you want,
the solution involves some editing of with
two Registry subkeys BagMRU and
Bags which are found in two separate
locations: Shell and ShellNoRoam under
HKEY_ CURRENT_USER\Software\
Microsoft\Windows.

PC keeps rebooting
If your PC restarts unexpectedly after
briefly displaying a blue screen, then it's
encountered a STOP error. If this keeps
occurring you need to identify it.

In Vista and Windows 7 you can stop

Windows automatically restarting from the
Windows boot menu that should appear; if
you use XP click Start, right-click My
Computer and select Properties >
Advanced tab. Click Settings under
"Startup and Recovery" and untick
"Automatically restart" before clicking OK
twice.

Now when the STOP error occurs you'll

see a blue screen with details of the error
message; note down the description, any
files it refers to, and the STOP error code.
 Then search the web for these terms to
hopefully find a solution.

Blocked startup
programs If you get this message after starting
Windows, it means one of the programs
set to start with it is attempting to work
with elevated privileges. This is
symptomatic of older programs, so either
source an update or an alternative
program if you can.

Right-click the message, choose "Run

blocked program" and select the errant
tool in question. Then click Continue when
prompted.

Verify your PCs are on the same network

wireless or wired and all on the same
workgroup (click Start, right-click
Fix file-sharing Computer and select Properties; in XP
problems you need the Computer Name tab). Is File
and Printer Sharing enabled?Check from
the Network and Sharing Center in
Vista/Windows 7 ensure your network is
Home or Work. In Windows 7 click
Choose homegroup and sharing options >
Change advanced sharing settings; in XP
right-click a folder and choose Properties
> Sharing tab.

Disable password protected filesharing in

Vista or Windows 7 if sharing with PCs
running XP, and check your firewall has
 placed your network in a trusted zone.

Access denied error on

system files Not long ago dealing with "access denied"
errors relating to system files or the
Registry involved downloading a tool and
typing out a complex script.

Now you can resolve this issue

sometimes found when installing SP3 by
downloading a dedicated fix-it tool
from http://go.microsoft.com/?
linkid=9730795
Low memory error
Fix this problem by making sure Windows
is set to handle your virtual memory
settings; open the System Control Panel
and either click "Advanced system
settings" or switch to the Advanced tab.

Then under Performance click Settings,

select Advanced and click Change. You
need to verify that either "Automatically
manage paging file for all drives" (in Vista
or Windows 7) or "System managed size"
(in Windows XP) is selected, then if
necessary click Set > OK, rebooting when
prompted.

No sound in Windows
Before running the Microsoft Fix It Center
tool (see tip three), open the "Sound" or
"Sounds and Audio Devices" Control
Panel.

Select the Playback or Audio tab, and

verify the device is set to be the default; if
not, select it from the list to fix the
problem.