Did this ever happen to you? You turn on your computer and Windows stays at the splash screen and does not boot up. What could be the cause? There are quite a few issues that would not allow Windows to boot. In this article we will examine those issues and give you tips on how to determine what is wrong.
The first thing you need to consider is when was the last time your computer booted into windows normally? What were you doing? Did you download anything? These are all factors to determine when the problem occurred and why. Sometimes things just happen and hardware can malfunction from one minute to the next. Since we are dealing with electronic components they don't need an excuse to stop working.
The first step to take when determining what is wrong is to try and boot into safe mode. If your computer will boot into safe mode than most likely you have a hardware conflict or bad board. If you installed an add on board or changed any hardware recently this would be a good place to start.
Before you start removing boards you should go into device manager while in safe mode. Click start/control panel/system/hardware/device manager if your running XP. Check to see you have any conflicts or splats. If you do remove them and try to boot into normal mode. Many times this will fix the problem. If it boots normally than the problem is solved. If you see nothing abnormal in device manager than you can try reverting back to a restore point that you know your computer was working normally. Sometimes doing a restore will solve many problems that have occurred.
If you still cannot boot into normal mode than you will need to remove boards one at a time and booting after each time. If at any time you boot normally than you have found your culprit. Don't rule out mice and keyboards they can also cause computers not to boot properly. The best way to rule them out is to unplug them and than try to boot.
What if your computer will not boot in normal mode or safe mode but just stays at the splash screen. This is normally not a hardware problem but Windows system files somehow has been corrupted. You could have downloaded something that had a virus in it. Windows will not boot if its main files where damaged or corrupted. Under this type of conditions you will have to reload your computer. You try a repair before actually wiping out your drive. If you are able to do this with no errors and the system runs fine than you good to go. Many times however Windows needs a fresh install.
A friend recently had this happen to her when she downloaded something from a website. She picked up a Trojan which damaged her system files and her computer had to be reloaded the repair would not fix it. This can happen to anyone when they are not careful online. Its always best to backup important data in case this ever happens to you.
These tips should help you if you ever have a problem where your system will not boot into Windows normally.
By: Yuriy Goncharuk
Control your PC securely and reliably from anywhere in the world no matter how many miles away you are going.
Many travelers set up their desktop PCs to accept connections with Remote Desktop software built into latest versions of Windows only to find out in a hard way that they can’t access their computer from where they are. This is a very common problem because of the complexity of modern networks and the Internet itself. Just about anything can prevent you from accessing your desktop remotely: a firewall securing your LAN, an Internet provider blocking everything except Web sites, or any of the numerous reasons that exist in different segments of the Internet. These are all important and valid causes of connection problems, but the number one reason is much simpler and has nothing to do with the complexity of the Internet.
Depending on the Internet provider, your home computer can get a different Internet address every once in a while. This type of addresses is referred as 'dynamic', and is a common practice among practically all Internet access providers, except if you pay extra for a 'static', thus permanent, address. But even if you secure a permanent IP address for your PC, the firewalls will still stand in the way of establishing a successful connection between your PC and your location while on the go.
Anyplace Control by http://www.anyplace-control.com offers a revolutionary new approach to bypassing all the obstacles and remotely controlling your PC from anywhere in the world. Leave your heavy desktop computer at home while you are traveling! No need to carry even a notebook! Gain immediate control over your home PC desktop and its files while on the go with Anyplace Control!
Accessing your PC remotely works in a few very simple steps and does not require complex setup or expert network configuration whatsoever. You simply create an Internet account with Anyplace Control, and assign a name to your PC. When you need to access your computer from a remote location, you simply enter your PC name into the small and lightweight program, and Anyplace Control manages the rest. No need to configure network settings on the remote computer, and no need to worry about the firewalls and other obstacles!
With Anyplace Control you can see remote desktop and control your PC with keyboard and mouse as if you were there, or use Drag and Drop operation to copy files between your local and remote computers. Anyplace Control uses state of the art encryption and latest security approaches to protect your home PC from remote attacks. Finally, Anyplace Control saves your network bandwidth by consuming minimum traffic, allowing the fastest response times even on slower connections.
While travelling, especially to developing countries, you may find that their computers are not the same state-of-the-art computers you are used to see at home. Internet cafes may have old, slow PCs running operating systems as old as Windows 95. If you were using Microsoft Remote Desktop application to access your computer, you’d be out of luck!
Anyplace Control does not use Microsoft Remote Desktop, and hence is compatible with all Windows systems, not just those supporting the Remote Desktop Technology. You can run Anyplace Control on Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, 2003 Server, and Vista.
Get ready for your next trip! Download your free trial version of Anyplace Control now from http://www.anyplace-control.com/, and access your PC remotely from anywhere in the world!
By: Afonin Oleg
Recording telephone conversations used to require expensive hardware and dedicated recording equipment. On the low end, one could use a simple wire to connect a phone handset with a tape recorder. An office with multiple phone lines would need expensive solutions that integrate a PBX with call recording. PBXpress www.callcorder.com is a great example of this approach, providing effective simultaneous recording of analog and digital (VoIP) telephone conversations over multiple lines.
But what if you only need to tap certain conversations once in a while? Purchasing expensive hardware is not nearly cost-effective in this case. Using a tape recorder is always an option, but it does not give you the convenience of digital, its user-friendly instant navigation and transparent search.
Using a computer to handle the recording is perfect for the purpose. Surprisingly, you might already have the necessary equipment to start recording phone conversations immediately. A simple voice modem is the only hardware you need. It is fully capable and sufficient to record your phone conversations. Have a close look at your modem. If it is marked "Voice" or "Data/Fax/Voice", you can use this modem for tapping. If, however, it is labeled as "Data/Fax" or "Fax Modem", then most probably your modem does not support the necessary voice features, and therefore it won't be able to record.
Having a voice modem alone is not enough to record calls. You need call recording software to complement your modem. The software would control your modem, record and store conversations on your hard disk. In the past, modem manufacturers used to bundle such software with their modems, but this is not the case today. Currently, you are on your own if you need software that can record your calls.
Call Corder (www.callcorder.com) by Pingram Software is one of such products. Its purpose is recording telephone conversations, compressing them, and storing in Windows compatible sound files that can be played back with Windows Media Player, Winamp, or any other music player.
Call Corder supports most brands of modemd. If it can't find an exact match for your hardware, it defaults to the closest generic device. If you are recording an incoming call, Call Corder will log Caller ID information provided by your modem. This usually includes caller's name and number. In order to receive this call information, you have to subscribe to the Caller ID service offered by your phone company. If you do not have Caller ID, you can always fill in the caller data by hand.
Make marks and memos about the conversation while you're recording or when you're finished. You can conveniently search for a particular call by typing any word or phrase that's in the call's memo, and Call Corder will automatically show you all conversations containing this information. Of course, you can also search by the telephone number or the name of the caller.
Try Call Corder free for 30 days to ensure that your modem is compatible! Download your free evaluation copy from www.callcorder.com
By: Sean Tan
If you want to speed up your PC, there are many options advantageous to you. Some of them are completely simple to do, and predictable, but the others would want you to certainly put in some efforts. Here is a brief analysis of dissimilar PC speed up techniques and what effects they will actually have on your computer:
(i) Increasing RAM. Many people, when their computers become slow, update their random access memories. This is where the impermanent files are placed by programs that run on the computer. Increasing RAM does show a quantitative increase in your PC's performance. But there are chances that this pepped up speed will not last for a long time. Within a couple of months, your computer could again become slow. The reason is that, the programs that will be writing on your RAM will continue to write new files. There are glitches in many programs that do not allow the old files to be deleted when new ones are written. Consequently, the new RAM will also soon be cluttered with needless files. Increasing RAM is needed for updating your computer, but it won't work for speeding up your PC for the long term.
(ii) Deleting programs from the computer. You can get a short spurt of additional speed on your PC by deleting some of the programs that are utilizing a great deal of space. You can easily delete programs from your computer's hard disk using the options in the Control Panel. But the problem is, most programs will not be deleted completely. Temporary files will need to be removed manually. In short, every program leaves some traces on the computer's memory.
(iii) Deleting temporary files. You can delete temporary files from the computer's program folders. This will free up some resources and speed up PC. But remember that you will not be able to find and remove each temp file that exists. Also, it will be easier to remove the temp Internet usage files, but much more difficult to remove temp program files.
(iv) Formatting PC. Many people use this PC speed up method as the last resort. This is when nothing else works. So many files are written on the computer that they just add up to the space. There may also be viruses come from the Internet, that automatically download files from the Internet and install them on the hard disk. If that happens, that can interminably slow down your PC. The result is to format the PC and make it like brand new once again. But you must bear in mind that formatting the PC will take a toll on its resources and also have you lose some data if it is present on the drive you are formatting.
(v) Memory optimization. This is by far the best PC speed up technique available today. This is a software tool that can be installed on your PC and can be kept running. It will work continuously at deleting the temporary files that accumulate on your PC and free up good space for new files to come in. As a result, your PC gets cleaned up, without needing to resort to drastic damaging techniques like formatting.
Sean is an expert on computer hardware and he usually discusses about PC Speed Up methods. He has also written some professional articles on the subject, which you can read about at the following link: www.memoryoptimizerreview.com
If you’re like most small business owners, your computer data backups are one of those things that you rarely pay attention to. Computer data backups are kind of like flossing your teeth and eating low-fat, high-fiber foods... everyone knows what they’re supposed to do... but how many REALLY do these things religiously?!?
Unfortunately when it comes to your computer data backups however, complacency can be very dangerous. Of course, it’s always a good idea to have a local computer service company that you can rely on for advice on selecting and maintaining your computer data backups. But, unless you’re prepared to put a full-time PC support person on your company’s payroll, it’s really important that you get some basic understanding of the major issues with computer data backups.
So here’s a compilation of some really crucial tips on computer data backups that I’ve put together, after nearly 15 years of helping small businesses protect their valuable computer data files.
Test your computer data backups regularly and monitor their log files.
To be effective, computer data backups must be highly automated to ensure that jobs are launched consistently and correctly, but your computer data backup system also needs to be watched over diligently to make sure it continues to function reliably.
Unfortunately, monitoring the computer data backup system generally isn’t a priority until something goes wrong. By then it’s too late. Like the article title says, "Test Now or Cry Later!"
People have a strong tendency with a computer data backup system to set it and forget it. Automation clearly has many benefits, but a totally hands-off approach can be very dangerous if no one is overseeing your computer data backup process.
Test and Then Test Again: VERY Important with Computer Data Backup Systems
With any newly installed computer data backup system, don't assume everything works correctly right out of the box. Even more important, don't take for granted that your backup system will continue working indefinitely. You need periodically to restore some folders and files from your backup media to validate that your computer data backup system still works.
If your automated computer data backup routine is configured to include a verify run with each backup job, testing a sample restore job monthly should be adequate. However, if you have an extremely low tolerance for risk, you may want to simulate a sample restore job once a week.
The Hazard of Moving Parts and Open Design with Computer Backup Systems
Why do you need to take these precautions if you’re purchasing a reliable, business-class computer data backup system to start with? Typically, a tape drive or other backup device is one of the few components in a PC or server that still have moving parts.
As a result, it’s more prone to mechanical failure. In addition, because a backup device generally is open, as opposed to the sealed design of a hard drive, it’s easy for the inside of the computer data backup system device to attract a significant dust buildup in a relatively short period of time.
Sample Restore Jobs and Cleaning Tape Heads of Computer Data Backup Systems
Testing a tape for a sample restore job is also a great time to clean the heads of the backup drive if your backup system requires this kind of maintenance.
Restoring a few hundred megabytes (MB) of data to a scratch directory and running a head-cleaning tape should take no more than 15 to 30 minutes.
When running a test restore job, always restore the data to an alternate server folder path, so as not to disrupt the use of any shared folders.
Building a Computer System Backup and Restore Procedure Checklist In times of crisis, the most crucial issue becomes how quickly you can get the data back onto your system, undamaged. So, as you build your computer data backup system, be sure to document your test procedures into handy checklists.
This documentation also can be great for cross-training and crucial for avoiding panic during an emergency. Be sure you have a hard copy of this documentation next to your system and stored off-site with your backup media.
Watching the Log Files of Your Computer Data Backup System
In addition to running test restore jobs, you must inspect your computer data backup system log files daily. When the backup system is first installed, take time to get familiar with the way log files look when everything is working. This way, if something goes awry, you’ll be better prepared to pinpoint the nature of the problem immediately.
As network operating system (NOS) suites and backup software have become more sophisticated, it’s now possible to monitor backup system log files remotely and more proactively. In most cases, the backup system log files are just plain text (.txt) files.
Many third-party tools and utilities, as well as those included with Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server (SBS) and Microsoft BackOffice Server, can automatically e- mail or fax a backup system log file at a preconfigured time.
Automatically and Remotely Monitoring Tape Backup Log Files
Many computer consultants have their small business clients’ log files automatically e-mailed to them daily, so the consultants proactively can watch out for potential problems with the computer data backup system.
However, don’t think this proactive monitoring is limited to professional consultants. If your company has one or more branch offices you support from a centralized location, you also can use a similar method to monitor backup system health in remote locations.
For greater flexibility, you can set up an e-mail alias so the computer data backup system log file automatically is sent to you, your second-in-command and perhaps an external computer consultant... so you are all kept in the loop. Also, this way, monitoring continues even when you’re out of the office or on vacation.
The Bottom Line
If your small business depends greatly on its computer systems, backing up your data is not optional... and it is not something that can be casually brushed to the back burner.
Use the computer data backup tips in the articles to help you become a more IT-aware small business owner. And remember, when it comes to computer data backups, "Test Now or Cry Later". The choice is yours.
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About the Author
Joshua Feinberg is a 15-year veteran computer consultant, an internationally recognized expert on small business computer consulting.
He has appeared in dozens of business and IT trade publications including American Express OPEN Platinum Ventures, Entrepreneur, Inc, SCORE, Small Business Computing, and USA Today. To learn more about Joshua’s money-savings tips for small business PC support, visit his site at http://www.PCSupportTips.com
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