FAQs by Topic

Unless your hard drive has mechanically failed we can normally back up all your important documents before we work on your machine

Normally we do not. On special order we can build a machine to your specifications.

Depending on what is wrong with your machine it normally takes three to five business days unless parts have to be specially ordered.

We charge $60 an hour to work on your machine. Parts are billed at our cost plus 10%. There is a $25 diagnosis charge if you do not have the work performed by us.

We can fix most computer problems and work on PCs only.

The Registry is a database of nearly all the settings for Windows and your installed applications.

In Windows 95, 98, and Me, the Registry is contained in two hidden files in your Windows directory, called USER.DAT and SYSTEM.DAT.   In Windows 2000 and Windows XP, the Registry is stored in several Hives, located in the \windows\system32\config   and    \Documents and Settings\{username} folders.

The Registry has a hierarchal structure, like the directories on your hard disk. Each branch (denoted by a folder icon in the Registry Editor, see below) is called a Key. Each key can contain other keys, as well as Values. Each value contains the actual information stored in the Registry. There are three types of values; String, Binary, and DWORD - the use of these depends upon the context.

There are six main branches (five in Windows 2000 and Windows XP), each containing a specific portion of the information stored in the Registry. They are as follows:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT - this branch contains all of your file types as well as OLE information for all your OLE-aware applications.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER - this branch points to the part of HKEY_USERS appropriate for the current user.
 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE - this branch contains information about all of the hardware and software installed on your computer. Since you can specify multiple hardware configurations, the current hardware configuration is specified in HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG.

HKEY_USERS - this branch contains certain preferences (such as colors and control panel settings) for each of the users of the computer. In Windows 95/98/Me, the default branch here contains the currently-logged in user. In Windows 2000/XP, the default branch here contains a template to be used for newly-added users.

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG - this branch points to the part of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE appropriate for the current hardware configuration.

HKEY_DYN_DATA (Windows 95/98/Me only) - this branch points to the part of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, for use with Windows' Plug-&-Play subsystem.

 

 

 

Intuitively, when you drag a file from one place to another, it would seem reasonable that the file will be moved, not copied. That is, when you see an object disappear from a location, it shouldn't still be there next time you look. One of the worst inconsistencies in Windows is what actually happens to files when they're dragged. Dragging from one place to another on the same disk ends up moving the files, while dragging from one disk to another copies them. If you're just dragging EXE files, a shortcut is created, and the file is neither copied nor moved. The only consistency here is that this same design flaw is duplicated on Macintosh and OS/2. To cope with this, follow the following instructions:

To copy a file under any situation, hold the Ctrl key while dragging.
To move a file under any situation, hold the Shift key while dragging.
To choose what happens to dragged files, drag them with the right mouse-button, and a menu will appear when the files are dropped.

Note: Notice that the mouse cursor changes depending on the action being taken. A small plus (+) appears when copying, and a curved arrow appears when creating a shortcut.

Sharing of files and folders can be managed in two ways. If you chose simplified file sharing, your folders can be shared with everyone on your network or workgroup, or you can make your folders private. (This is how folders are shared in Windows 2000.) However, in Windows XP Professional, you can also set folder permissions for specific users or groups. To do this, you must first change the default setting, which is simple file sharing. To change this setting, follow these steps:

* Open Control Panel, click Tools, and then click Folder Options.
* Click the View tab, and scroll to the bottom of the Advanced Settings list.
* Clear the Use simple file sharing (Recommended) check box.


To manage folder permissions, browse to the folder in Windows Explorer, right–click the folder, and then click Properties. Click the Security tab, and assign permissions, such as Full Control, Modify, Read, and/or Write, to specific users.

You can set file and folder permissions only on drives formatted to use NTFS, and you must be the owner or have been granted permission to do so by the owner.

Windows XP & Windows Me makes it easy for you to take a snapshot of critical system files before you make any major changes, such as installing new software, adding hardware devices, or changing the registry. Windows XP and Windows Me automatically creates system restore points, called system checkpoints, but you can create your own to make it even easier to recover your system in case of a failure.

Note that using restore points doesn’t affect your personal files, such as the My Documents or Favorites folders. To create restore points:

* Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore.
* In the System Restore dialog box, click Create a restore point, and then click Next.
* Type a description for your restore point, such as "Before Office XP", then click Create.


Note: If your system fails, press F8 in the boot menu, and then click Last known good configuration. Windows XP restores your system to the most recent restore point.

One feature that we can do without is error reporting. Every time a program crashes I do not want to send a report to microsoft. Read below to find out how to disable this stupid feature.

Open Control Panel
Click on Preformance and Maintenance.
Click on System.
Then click on the Advanced tab
Click on the error reporting button on the bottom of the windows.
Select Disable error reporting.
Click OK
Click OK

These days, using the mouse, you can right-click almost anything in almost any window or program and bring up a "context menu." This is a small list of things that you can do to the object that you right-clicked. For example, you can right-click a file, and choose Properties from the context menu that appears.

If you are used to using the keyboard, and try to avoid moving your hands off the keyboard to the mouse, then you will love this tip! You can bring up the context menu on any selected item by pressing Shift-F10. This is exactly the same as right-clicking with the mouse, and should work almost anywhere that right-clicking works.

One of the consequences of being able to customize the Windows XP interface so much is that it's easy to get loose things. The Taskbar is a good example. One thing that's good to remember is that you can always bring the Taskbar up by pressing Ctrl-Esc. Even if you hide the Taskbar, or move it to a different part of the screen, you will always be able to find it (and the Start button, etc.), by pressing Ctrl and Esc together.

Notepad is a handy little application that you can use for editing simple text files. It is often used by seasoned computer professionals for quick and easy editing of everything from script files to log files. Here's a tip that can make Notepad even handier. Simply pressing F5 will insert a time and date stamp. This can be a great time-saver when entering comments or when trying to leave an audit trail of changes to a file. You can also find this option on the Edit menu in Notepad.

If you've used the Windows Calculator (under Accessories on the Start Menu), you may think that you have only the most basic and lackluster calculating tool for your use. There's where you'd be wrong. By default, the Calculator starts up in Standard Mode, but you can switch to Scientific Mode from the view menu.

This gives you a much more functional calculator that can handle computations in decimal, binary, hex, and octal. It also offers many other advanced features that I clearly remember paying HP hundreds of dollars for in college. For some of them, such as the statistical calculations, you may wish to read the help file for advice on how to use them properly.

Also from the View menu, you can choose Digit Grouping, which will insert commas when calculating in decimal, and spaces when calculating in hex. This makes it much easier to read.

A couple of versions ago, Microsoft added a clicking noise to Internet Explorer, so that each time you click on a link with the mouse, you hear an audible click. You may find it annoying after a while. This feature can be turned off in the Control Panel. In Windows XP open the Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices (it's just Sounds & Multimedia in Windows 2000) then Sounds and Audio Devices, then on the Sounds tab, scroll down to the section for Windows Explorer. Click the event called "Start Navigation," and change the setting to "none" from the dropdown box. Click OK to apply the change, and from now on you can navigate clicklessly through cyberspace.

Right-click on everything. You can't really do any damage with the right mouse button in Windows, because it's designed only to show a context menu (a list of options appropriate for the selected object). One of the options is usually Properties, which gives you access to lots of settings and information.

Your mouse tells you what's happening. Look closely at your mouse cursor while you're moving it around - it's not always an arrow. For example, when you're dragging a file, Windows gives you a clue as to what's going to happen when you drop it depending on what's currently underneath the cursor.

Help is near. Pressing F1 in most situations will either display detailed instructions or brief descriptions of the controls. The help has a search feature, too, allowing you to find desired information by typing in a keyword.

Generally speaking, adware is hidden in advertising-supported software. Adware is an application (AKA: program) within an application for the purpose of delivering advertisements, and can be installed together via active-X controls on the Internet. This additional programming-code can display new (AKA: Pop-up) windows, or fill-in the ad-banner rectangles in an open browser window. This helps offset the cost of programs and websites, even to the point of making it free to all users. Additionally, the ad-banner itself can install adware simply by allowing the browser to display the ad.

Typically, adware is attached to an intentionally installed program. Freeware (software available at no cost) is one of the most common ways adware is installed on a machine. Installers of freeware unwittingly sign up for an infinite supply of pop-up ads. Here are some common examples of freeware that may include adware:

• A better, more advanced search engine
• Tool bars
• Unusual mouse pointers
• Instant news, and weather updates
• Computer games, screen savers, and desktop enhancements
• Applications to improve your computer’s efficiency (Repair Utilities)
• File-sharing resources for digital photos or music
• Emoticons, little smileys, or other facial expressions used in email
• Running chatroom and Instant Messenger programs

It is also very common that adware programs are very poorly written and in many instances contain bugs that cause your computer to malfunction.

Adware can do a number of different things to your system.

More likely, it will simply monitor and profile your web usage and direct pop-up ads based on your surfing habits. Most peer-to-peer file sharing programs (IE: LimeWire and KaZaA) come bundled with Adware and the user is only notified of this in the fine print of the End User License Agreement (EULA). Adware is not as dangerous as other infections, but it can be incredibly annoying.

Often, an adware-infected freeware or shareware program downloads files onto your computer and states they are necessary for certain websites or the free programs to work correctly. While some people consider this a great concept to take advantage of quality software products without having to pay for them, many others are concerned about privacy issues involving the data that is processed for statistics and targeting.

Yes, we can set up both wired and wireless networks for PCs.

Running out of room on your hard disk? Need some extra space to install a new program? Don't worry, Windows XP comes to the rescue. Both Windows XP Professional and Home Edition now include a zip compression utility that you can use to compress files and folders on your hard disk. To compress a file or folder:

* Right–click the file or folder.
* Point to Send To.
* Then click Compressed (zipped) Folder.


This will make a compressed folder, identified by a zipper icon, which displays the same name as the file you compressed. You can also make a compressed folder from scratch, by following these steps:

* Right–click the desktop.
* Point to New.
* Click Compressed (zipped) Folder.

Open the new compressed folder and drag files inside that you would like compressed.