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Using outdated drivers can make your computer unreliable and harm its performance. But finding the latest drivers and installing them can be tricky. That's where Driver Detective can help.
Driver Detective makes it easy to keep your PC updated with the latest drivers for your hardware. Just click Scan Now and the software scans your system and identifies the drivers that need updating. If you tell it the exact make and model of your computer, Driver Detective can determine the exact manufacturer-recommended drivers that are needed, avoiding the problems that can occur if you install generic or untested drivers.
If you have put off updating the drivers on your computer because it seemed too difficult, get Driver Detective and experience your PC running at peak performance.
Solution
This behavior can be prevented in the Firefox configuration.
- Enter about:config into the address bar and press Enter.
- Search for mousewheel.horizscroll.withnokey.action.
- Double-click this item and set its value to 0.
- Search for mousewheel.horizscroll.withnokey.sysnumlines.
- Double-click it to change the value from false to true.
Applies to
- Mozilla Firefox
It is important to understand that if you remove these folders then it will not be possible to uninstall the corresponding Windows updates. However, it is rarely necessary to remove Windows updates, and when it is necessary, this usually becomes apparent immediately after installation of the update. There is very little risk involved in removing updates that have been installed and in use for more than a couple of weeks.
Solution
You can simply delete the folders with names starting with $NtUninstall. However, Windows Update creates a log of the installation, as well as entries in the registry that allow the update to be removed using Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs. These entries need to be removed as well, in order to avoid leaving invalid uninstall information.
Method 1
Removing the folders and registry entries manually.
- In Windows Explorer, click on Tools, Folder Options and select the View tab.
- Ensure that Show hidden files and folders is selected.
- Open the Windows folder.
- Locate a $NtUninstall... folder.
- Note the name or KB number that follows Uninstall.
- Delete the folder.
- Delete the .log file with the name noted above.
- Start the Registry Editor.
- Expand SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
- Delete the subkey with the name noted above.
- Expand SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Management\ARPCache
- Delete the subkey with the name noted above.
Method 2
Use the free utility Windows XP Update Remover.
Applies to:
- Windows XP
Solution
Unfortunately, a repair installation can only be carried out if you have a Windows XP installation CD.
- Insert the Windows installation CD in the drive and start the computer.
- When prompted to do so, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.
- When the message To setup Windows XP now appears, press Enter.
- When the Welcome to Setup screen appears, press Enter.
- When the Windows XP Licensing Agreement appears, press F8 to agree.
- Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected, then press R to repair Windows XP.
- Follow the instructions to complete the repair installation.
Applies to
- Microsoft Windows XP
This error message will occur if Windows does not find the critical system file hal.dll in the location specified in the boot.ini file. This usually occurs because something (such as Bios settings changes) may have changed the drive letter allocations so the Windows folder is no longer C:\Windows (or whatever it was.) Another possibility is that the boot.ini file has been corrupted or changed. A slight possibility is that the file hal.dll is corrupted.
Method 1
- Check the system Bios settings to ensure that the drive settings have not changed.
If this does not resolve the problem, try Method 2.
Method 2
Repair using Spotmau PowerSuite boot CD. This is the easiest method.
- Insert the Spotmau PowerSuite boot CD and start the computer.
- Select Windows Recovery.
- Select Windows NT/2000/XP/2003.
- Select Recover HAL and SYSTEM.
- Choose the correct Windows version, e.g. Windows XP.
- Click Recover.
Alternatively, try Method 3.
Method 3
This method requires a Windows XP CD-ROM.
- Insert the Windows XP CD and start the computer
- Press R to repair Windows when prompted to do so.
- Select the Windows installation that you want to repair.
- Type the administrator password when prompted to do so.
- At the command prompt type bootcfg /rebuild and press Enter.
- When Add installation to boot list? is displayed, type Y.
- When Enter Load Identifier: is displayed, type the name of the operating system, e.g. Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition.
- When Enter OS Load options: is displayed, just press Enter, leaving the field blank.
- Restart the computer and select the first item on the boot menu. Windows XP should now start normally.
- Click Start, Run, type msconfig.exe and press Enter.
- Select the Boot.ini tab.
- Click Check All Boot Paths to remove the incorrect entry.
Applies to
- Microsoft Windows NT
- Microsoft Windows 2000
- Microsoft Windows XP
Spotmau PowerSuite 2008 is an essential tool that will help you recover from some of the worst problems that can happen to a Windows PC.Spotmau PowerSuite 2008 is a CD that has two components. The first, a utility called WinCares, is installed on your computer. You use it to back up key system files such as the hard drive partition table, registry and device drivers. WinCares has many other useful functions, too, such as the ability to securely erase (shred) or encrypt private files, clear browsing history tracks, and recover deleted files. It isn't something you would only need in an emergency.
The second key component is the CD itself, which is bootable. If your hard disk or system files are corrupted or damaged and Windows won't start, you can boot the computer and repair the damage. You can restore the registry or partition table using backups previously created with WinCares. There are also tools that can fix other common Windows boot errors with a couple of mouse clicks. Manually recovering from such errors can be difficult and technical, and often means taking the computer to the repair shop, so Spotmau PowerSuite 2008 can save both time and money.
If you can't restore Windows, you can use Spotmau PowerSuite 2008 to copy your personal files to another drive. It will even help you reinstall Windows. There is also a partition manager, a tool to scan your hard disk for errors, a file recovery utility, a Windows password resetting tool and much more.
Spotmau PowerSuite 2008 deserves a place in every PC user's toolkit. It will be a boon for beginners and a time-saver for experts.
- Order Spotmau PowerSuite 2008 now. (Basic product is a downloadable ISO file from which you can burn your own CD. Ready to use CD shipped to your home is available at extra cost.)
This is the result of a corrupt or invalid registry entry, which may have been changed by a virus or spyware. Therefore you are strongly advised to scan your computer for viruses and spyware as soon as possible.
Solution
Method 1
Try this method if you can start Windows in safe mode:
- Boot into safe mode.
- Click Start, Run and enter regedit
- Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft \Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
- Select the Winlogon folder.
- If the right-hand pane contains an entry named OldUserinit:
- delete the entry named Userinit
- rename OldUserinit to Userinit. - Check that the value of Userinit is "C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe," (the comma at the end of the string is important.) Note: if your Windows folder is not C:\Windows, modify the path accordingly.
Method 2
If you have a Microsoft Windows installation CD:
- Perform a repair installation.
Method 3
Try taking the hard drive and attaching it to another Windows XP computer as a slave, or by using a USB-to-IDE adapter. Alternatively you can try making a BartPE recovery CD and booting the computer from that. Any method can be used that gives you read/write access to the hard drive.
Often, the registry entry referred to above has been changed from userinit.exe to wsaupdater.exe. Therefore you have a good chance of success if you just copy Windows\System32\userinit.exe to Windows\System32\wsaupdater.exe
Method 4
Gain read/write access to your hard drive from another computer running the same version of Windows.
- Log in as administrator.
- Ensure that Windows Explorer folder options have enabled Show hidden files and folders.
- Click Start, Run and enter regedit
- Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- Click File, Load Hive, then navigate to Windows\System32\Config on your hard drive (not the host system!)
- Select system and click Open.
- For Enter a Key name type anything.
- Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft \Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
- Select the Winlogon folder.
- If the right-hand pane contains an entry named OldUserinit:
- delete the entry named Userinit
- rename OldUserinit to Userinit. - Check that the value of Userinit is "C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe," (the comma at the end of the string is important.) Note: if your Windows folder is not C:\Windows, modify the path accordingly. This is the Windows path when the drive is in use in your computer, not the drive letter it has currently.
- When you have made the changes click File, Unload Hive.
Applies to
- Microsoft Windows 2000
- Microsoft Windows XP
This message means that the Windows boot loader cannot be found. This is often the result of trying to boot from a disk that is not a boot disk. If not, it means that the boot loader file has been lost or corrupted.
Solution
Method 1
Disonnect any removable drives, and check that there are no CDs or DVDs in the CD/DVD drives, then restart.
If this does not resolve the problem, try Method 2.
Method 2
Repair using Spotmau PowerSuite boot CD.
- Insert the Spotmau PowerSuite boot CD and start the computer.
- Select Windows Recovery.
- Select Windows NT/2000/XP/2003.
- Select Recover NTLDR and NTDETECT.
- Choose the correct Windows version, e.g. Windows XP.
- Click Recover.
Alternatively, follow the instructions on this page.
Applies to
- Microsoft Windows 2000
- Microsoft Windows XP
Solution
This solution uses a video conversion software DVD to iPod Converter. It's very easy to use and you don't need to know about frame rates and other settings. Download and install the trial version to follow the steps below.
- Start DVD to iPod Converter.
- Insert the DVD in your computer's DVD drive, then press and hold the Shift key to stop Windows launching the default DVD player.
- Click Open DVD. Select the DVD drive, and then the folder (usually VIDEO_TS) where the video is kept.
- Click OK. The DVD menu should appear on the player screen of the software.
- Using the mouse on the DVD menu screen, select what you want to play and start the movie.
- Click Convert. A dialog box will appear to start the recording.
- Select Record from the beginning. Note that you can also record from the current time, which would allow you to record favorite moments from the movie, instead of the whole thing.
- Click Yes to start the recording. The player will skip back to the start of the movie and start the recording. Recording will take place in approximately real time. You will not hear the sound during the recording.
- When the recording has finished, you will see a message box saying Conversion Done! and you will be asked if you want to open iTunes to upload the converted video to your iPod.
Applies to:
- Windows XP
- Windows Vista
Even normal web addresses can be a problem if you have to read them over the phone, or put them in an ad or print article. People may type them incorrectly, and perhaps end up at another site entirely.
Solution
The answer is to use an URL shortener like xaddr.com. This is a service that converts any web address to one that's much shorter, like this xaddr.com/a and then redirects people who use this short address to the original one.
There are many URL shortening services on the Internet. The best-known is TinyURL.com. However, unscrupulous people have exploited the fact that short addresses hide the true identity of a site, to trick people into visiting sites infested with pop-ups, spyware and offensive content. Some URL shorteners now offer an option of a preview page that lets you see where you are going to be taken before you go there. But you still need to know about this option before you can use it, and those who are most vulnerable to such trickery are often the least knowledgeable computer users.
The xaddr.com URL shortening service is provided by Tech-Pro.net, creators of The PC Guru. It aims to create safer short URLs that you can trust in several ways. Addresses are screened before creation so that links to spam advertised sites are prevented. The short URLs created by xaddr.com always open a preview page, and the user must click on the link on the preview page to reach the destination. The address is checked a second time, and users are also given a link that will show them the SiteAdvisor rating for the destination.
Applies to:
- all platforms
This problem often occurs after a virus or spyware maliciously changes Windows security settings.
Solution
Method 1
- Click to download the file dwpfix.reg
- Run the file
- Respond Yes to the prompt to merge the file with the registry.
Method 2
This describes how to manually perform the same actions carried out by the file downloaded above.
- Click Start, Run and enter regedit
- Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Policies
- If folder Policies contains a folder named ActiveDesktop, select and delete it.
- Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
- If folder Policies contains a folder named ActiveDesktop, select and delete it.
Applies to
- Microsoft Windows XP
Hard drives fail, viruses destroy files and computers get stolen. So what would you say to a service that lets you back up 2GB of files securely on a remote server, via the Internet, completely free? Just click here to sign up.Mozy is an online backup service. You install a small backup application on your PC, and tell it what files and folders you want to back up. The files are encrypted and compressed, and uploaded to Mozy's secure backup servers using your broadband internet connection.
Backups are made automatically, while your computer is idle, or at a set time each day. You don't need to think about it. Mozy watches to see when a file is changed, or a new one is created, and automatically adds it to the backup. There's no need to remember to run a backup, and no need to buy CDs or DVDs. If you need to back up less than 2GB of files, Mozy is completely free. For greater storage capacity, it costs just $4.95 a month.
Restoring your backed up files is easy, too. You can restore the previously saved version of a file just by right-clicking the file in Windows Explorer. Your Mozy virtual backup drive appears in My Computer, allowing you to browse your backups and restore any file or folder. By logging in to your Mozy account in a web browser you can restore files to any other computer.
With Mozy online backup you need never worry about losing important files or irreplaceable photos ever again. Whether your hard drive breaks or your computer is stolen, your files will still be safe and secure on Mozy's backup servers.
Solution
Method 1
The Security tab is visible in Windows XP Home only when Safe mode is used.
Method 2
Download and install the Security Configuration Manager from Microsoft.
- Click on this link, and save the download somewhere handy.
- Run the downloaded file, which is a self extracting archive.
- Choose a suitable empty folder to hold the extracted files (by default the self-extractor uses the location it is run from) and click OK.
- Open the folder containing the extracted files.
- Locate the file named setup or setup.inf.
- Right-click this file, and select Install.
- A progress window will appear, and you will be prompted to restart the computer.
- Restart Windows.
Upon restart, file and folder properties dialogs should have a Security tab showing their access permissions.
Applies to:
- Windows XP Home Edition
If you've ever wondered what the processes shown in Windows Task Manager actually do, click here to get a free Process Library add-in. It's a tiny program that adds an "information" icon beside each item in the Task Manager window.To find out about a process, just click the icon to open a description of it in your web browser.
Process Library has information about most well-known programs and services, as well as many spyware and malware items, so it can help you determine whether a process is potentially harmful. It can also help you tune your computer for faster performance by identifying processes that don't need to be running.
This is a great little free program that every Windows user should have on their computer!
A firewall is an essential security measure for any computer that is connected to the Internet. Cost is no longer an excuse for not using one. Online security firm Comodo has produced Comodo Personal Firewall, a top-class Windows personal firewall that's free for life for both personal and business use.Comodo Personal Firewall is one of the best firewalls you can get, at any price. It's easy to install, and to use. It starts off in learning mode, where it asks for an OK whenever a program tries to connect to the Internet. Comodo is building a database of safe applications, so you won't get asked when known programs like your web browser or mail client try to connect. Once Comodo Personal Firewall has learned all the Internet programs you use, you can just leave it to get on with its job.
Comodo Personal Firewall has a great-looking user interface that is easy to use, and keeps you informed about what is going on. You don't need to be a networking expert to set it up. If you have a network, the Trusted Zones Wizard automatically creates rules to allow communication from other computers on the LAN through.
Comodo Personal Firewall provides much better protection than the built-in Windows firewall, at no extra cost. Don't delay, get protected today!
The registry is the part of Windows in which all configuration data and user preferences are stored. By cleaning out redundant data, you can make Windows run faster and more reliably. Registry Mechanic is one of the most widely used and trusted registry cleaners.Registry Mechanic performs three basic tasks to get your computer running better. It scans the registry checking every item of information. Invalid items are marked for repair or removal. It optimizes your computer by applying a set of registry tweaks designed to improve performance. It also saves space and improves access time to the registry by compacting it when the data becomes fragmented due to deletions and changes.
Have you ever wished for a spell checker that worked in your web browser, your email, in Notepad, in fact anywhere you type? Then stop cursing at the keyboard and try As-U-Type!As-U-Type checks your typing as you type, in any Windows program, dialog box or web form (including email services like Hotmail.) It can also correct common typing or spelling errors automatically, on the fly. When As-U-Type spots a mistake, it's easy – usually just one or two keystrokes – to pick the correct text, or add it to the list of mistakes that it will correct automatically. As-U-Type will save you time, frustration and the embarrassment of undetected spelling errors.
But the benefits don't stop there. As-U-Type's auto-correct function can be used to create shortcuts for things you often type, like company names, web addresses, boilerplate texts or signatures in emails. It can also be used to insert accented characters that you can't type on your keyboard.
Startup Organizer lets you speed up the time it takes Windows to load by giving you control over the processes that run at start-up. It allows you to disable unnecessary tasks and delay the starting of others so that it takes less time to load your desktop.Startup Organizer shows the programs that Windows runs at startup, and gives you control over how they are run. Programs can be enabled or disabled, or moved between categories so that programs in the StartUp menu folder are only run for users who need them.
Controlled Startup lets you specify the order in which programs are started, and lets you specify a delay between each one. You can have some programs run only when a key is pressed during start-up. This reduces the processor load during Windows start-up, which means that your desktop is on-screen quicker.
Startup Organizer can monitor the configuration areas used to start programs, and warn you when there are changes. This can alert you to the presence of viruses and spyware.
Startup Organizer gives you more control over your computer's start-up activity than any other similar program.