Wednesday, December 22, 2010

ome of the color problems happens in PC

PC screens sometimes experience discolorations. They are more common in CRT monitors than flat panel LCD displays, but both types of monitors suffer from their own special problems. The most common problems are magnetic fields, loose cords and damaged pixels for LCD flat panel displays.

    1.Loose Monitor Cables

  1. Sometimes the colors on a CRT screen will appear to be slightly off because the monitor's cable is loose. To fix this problem, you should check the cable. Make sure the cable is firmly attached to the back of the video card of the computer.
  2. 2.Degaussing

  3. CRT monitors tend to be vulnerable to magnetic fields. Most CRT monitors allow the user to "degauss" the monitor to remove this sort of build-up. The fields build up over a long period and can affect the color on your monitor. This discoloration often shows up first on the edges of the screen. Using the degauss feature regularly on a CRT monitor will prevent this. The function essentially sends a burst of energy across a CRT monitor's screen to demagnetize the screen.
  4. 3.PC Speaker Magnetic Fields

  5. New, more powerful speakers can add that extra effect to computer games or help you enjoy multimedia entertainment more. More powerful speakers often contain more powerful magnets. If the colors at the edges of the screen show up as a little bluer than usual, try moving the speakers away from the computer (see link in References). Be sure to use shielded speakers if you must have speakers close to the computer.
  6. 4.Over-Saturated Colors

  7. If a red pixel appears pink, the monitor may have problems with over-saturated colors. Wide gamut monitors often have the colors appear as the wrong hue. The emerging technology makes this a hardware problem. Software tools allow the user to manage the colors on these displays better.

    Wide gamut monitors allow for richer color depth than standard LCD and CRT displays, by allowing a new RGB method developed by Adobe. Not all software supports this newer technology, and Windows XP has limited support for it. Sometimes the problems for Windows XP users with wide gamut monitors can be solved by upgrading to a later version.
  8. 5.Damaged Pixels

  9. Burnt-out pixels only affect LCD monitors, and technically would not be considered a color problem. The pixel on the monitor no longer functions or does not function in the full range of colors. A few damaged pixels may not be a problem. It may become necessary for the user to replace the screen. Damaged pixels occur most commonly on laptop screens.

PC Bioshock Problems

2k Games' BioShock, an atmospheric and horrifying first-person shooter, launched to critical acclaim on Aug. 21st, 2007 and went on to become one of the year's most popular console and PC games. For the most part, BioShock was released bug free, from a software perspective. As a result, the majority of reported problems range from server communication restrictions to install limitations, all of which have been corrected through easy end-user solutions.

    1.Cause of the Error(s)

  1. According to the BioShock Support site, the cause of most BioShock errors is attributable to known end-user issues and their personal PC or network settings.
  2. 2.History of BioShock PC Error(s)

  3. All PCs are not built to the same specifications; therefore, it is virtually impossible for a PC game to release bug free.As a result, 2K Games began immediate work on a support site addressing the most commonly reported out-of-the-box glitches. Fortunately, for the developers and support team, the majority of issues were all traced back to end-user issues and general fixes through end-user system settings.

    In addition, upon initial release, BioShock was limited to installation on two PCs. As a result, if a user tried to install it on a third PC, then an error message was received restricting the install and activation. This limitation created a problem for many people who purchased the game. As a result, 2K Games, through their association with SecurROM, eventually removed the install limitations.
  4. 3.Minimum System Requirements

  5. BioShock requires a fairly advanced and powerful computing environment for the game to run without graphical glitches. Therefore, if you are experiencing any PC issues related to resolution, low frame rates, tearing or the game crashing, then it could be a result of the minimum requirements not being met. To verify your PC meets the minimum system requirements visit BioShock's online support site. See Resources.
  6. 4.Nonresponsive Server Issues

  7. This known issue is the result of an end-user firewall or LAN setting that restricts network communication with the BioShock download and authentication servers. If you have a firewall installed, then the use of a proxy server may be necessary. If a proxy server is in use, the correct settings can be obtained from your Internet browser settings, under the "connection" tab.
  8. 5.Disc Authentication Errors

  9. The known disc authentication issue is a case-by-case problem that results from time to time.- If this is received, then specific instructions for performing a system analysis is documented on the 2K Games website. See Resources for more information on how to zip the analysis report and send it to BioShock's support team for error correction details.

Pc micro phone problems

PC microphones allow us to record our voices and chat over long distances using programs such as Skype or the recently unveiled Google Voice. Most people will plug their microphones into their sound card or their USB port without any problems. A few complications may prevent this otherwise simple process from occurring.

    1.Check the Obvious First

  1. If a PC microphone does not work after the user plugs it into the sound card, he should check to make sure he has it plugged into the jack labeled "mic." The line-in jack will not work for a PC microphone. If the user cannot read the labels, he can simply switch the jack the cord is plugged into and see if it works. (This step does not work for USB microphones.)
  2. 2.Is the Microphone Volume Muted?

  3. Windows, Linux and the Macintosh operating systems separate the volume controls into separate areas. Find the relevant panel and adjust the microphone volume. If there is a check mark in the muted box, click the check mark and the microphone should work.
  4. 3.Do You Have the Microphone Set to Playback and Record?

  5. Make sure that you have set your operating system settings so that the microphone can play back and record. If you forget one or the other, the microphone will not work properly.
  6. 4.Sound Card Driver Problems

  7. If you are using an outdated or incorrect driver for your sound card, it is possible (although unlikely) that the sound card will work and your microphone will not. Check the manufacturer's website to see if it released any driver updates for your sound card.
  8. 5.Defective Microphone

  9. If you have ruled out all possible hardware and software issues that might cause your microphone not to work, it is possible the unit is broken or defective. A loose wire in the microphone might prevent the microphone from picking up sound and recording. If the microphone itself does not work, the user should buy a replacement.

Solutions to pc "clock problems"

The PC clock that appears in the system tray on most Windows task bars is a convenient feature. It shows time, and often syncs with additional software. The PC clock is easy to set, but a multitude of problems arise when it consistently reverts to an incorrect time. Fortunately, many of these problems are easy to fix.

    1.Network

  1. For computers on a local area network, the time displayed in the PC clock is often set by a central server, and it cannot be changed on any individual computer. Network time configuration may thus both create or resolve a PC clock discrepancy. If the network synchronization between a computer and a server fails, then a correct network time may not appear on a PC clock, preventing Windows from always having the correct time. Or, the synchronization may work fine, but the server's time setting is incorrect, causing the PC clock to be wrong as well.
  2. 2.Daylight Savings

  3. Windows XP has a particularly well-known problem with incorrect PC time due to a bug in its daylight savings time settings. For part of the year, when daylight savings time is not in effect, the PC clock will not associate the correct time with the relevant time zone configured. Even if the PC clock is changed to display the correct time, it will not register this setting in other software. To fix this, Microsoft released a patch for Windows XP that adjusts the operating system's handling of daylight savings. The patch is a quick download and resolves many PC clock problems related to this.
  4. 3.Battery

  5. When a computer is turned off or unplugged, it still retains the correct time setting. This is due to a battery which powers a small chip to maintain vital system information. A variety of battery types are used in PCs and most are easily replaced. In some cases, the battery is attached to a housing from which it cannot be separated, thus replacing the entire housing is necessary. Fortunately, most battery replacements, including housing when necessary, are quick and inexpensive.
  6. 4.Internet Sync

  7. In some cases, a PC cannot maintain the correct time despite a working battery and fully functional operating system. The cause is often due to a problematic CMOS chip, which regulates PC time. This chip simply may not keep time well. In such cases, the PC can be synchronized with a time server, much like PCs on a network. To turn on Internet sync, double-click the clock and switch to the "Internet Time" tab. Enable the feature, and verify that a server is listed and selected.
  8. 5.Software

  9. In rare cases, third-party software running on a Windows computer can interact with the PC clock and change its time (see the Resource section). If the problem is new, consider any applications that were recently installed and are known to always run in the background. System utilities and antivirus software are possible causes. If a program meets these criteria, disable it from running automatically, and monitor any changes in PC clock performance to verify this cause.


First Aid:Protect Computer and Information With Safe Browsing

There are 1000s of viruses being made every single day. Whenever you browse the internet there is a chance you can get a harmful file even if you were to go to a relatively "safe" site. Find out what the current cyberspace environment is like now and how you can protect yourself.

People have no idea how dangerous the computer has become. It is no wonder computer repair and virus removal are becoming one of the most lucrative businesses to be in. Everyday thousands of people, most of them in foreign countries, are making tools and programs that steal personal information from unsuspecting citizens. Nigeria, Russia, and the Philippians are the worse but there are other countries whose citizens are engaging in this behavior without any repercussions (or very little) as well

1)  You need to be on guard when you are surfing the net. It started out as a safe place. In the mid to late nineties you had to watch out for sites that had pornography on them and certain e-mails you got with attachments. There were not that many of them and the task of avoiding them was small.

2)  The scene has totally changed. It is what keeps computer virus removal and repair companies in the black all year round. Viruses, adware, malware, and spyware are all over the place. There is no safe place. Large highly reputable sites get attacked all the time. You can get some damaging files just while shopping on Disney. 1000s of these harmful files are being created everyday and this trend does not seem to be slowing at all.

3)  You need to really careful. You may not realize it but people have literally gotten their bank accounts drained in several days. When you pay with your debit card online you open yourself up to all kinds of trouble if someone were to get a hold of that number.

4)  A friend of mine in Vancouver, WA also purchased all of his tools online. He was a carpenter. I told him not to use his debit card online and to make certain that his computer had the proper protection before he bought anything online. As usual he never listened. One week he went on a fishing trip and as he was driving back his debit card was declined when he tried to get some fuel. Luckily he had cash on him to buy gas to get back into town. When he gets back in town he goes to the bank to look at his account. This is a guy who always is loaded and pays all of his bills like clockwork so you can imagine his confusion. He finds out that someone has drained his bank account. Over the four days he was fly fishing someone was stealing his money, piece by piece. Someone had gotten a hold of his card number when he was buying a tool on the internet.

5)  It is imperative for people to use good judgment when they are doing anything on the internet. Just browsing around can lead you to sites with malicious files. It might not even be the sites fault. There may be content on there that the webmaster does not even know about.

6)  I recommend everyone to bring their hardware to a computer repair technician for regular maintenance every couple months. You want to prevent bad files from taking a hold of your computer. They spread like diseases and can very quickly travel through your network corrupting your files and stealing your information.

7)  Bring your computer to someone who knows how to scan your PC and delete any files that could be harmful to you. Be proactive and become very discriminate about where you go online. If there is an e-mail you are suspicion about do not open it. Do not download any files from any source that has a very high reputation. Torrent sites as well as P2P sites like Lime wire are breeding grounds for viruses. Stay away from them.

8)  Take whatever stops necessary to prevent your computer from being corrupted. We all depend on our computers now in 2010 but we have to understand the environment we are living in and be careful.

Some Little Known Ways to Repair Your PC!

1)Defragging PC's memory

Over the time and with regular use, files and folders on your PC's memory break down or become fragmented. This can cause your system to run more slowly and to experience processing problems. By defragging your memory it will allow files to be accessed more efficiently as it puts your data back into chronologically order. I recommend you to get out of any applications before defragging a memory, just to be safe.

2)Unwanted installed programs
Sometimes, newly installed software and programs could be the reason of PC slowing down. Over the time a lot of your hard driver space could just be occupied by unwanted programs, such as old programs that you just left them on your PC. Over the time these programs add up and you probably didn't know that this is slowing down your PC! Not only it will improve performance but you will also have more room for data you need. Another thing you can check out your start up menu for unwanted programs, and keep the ones you need more often.

3)Upgrade your memory
If your PC is slow and no matter what you do it just still the same, instead of buying a new one why not think about upgrading. So what is the easiest way you can upgrade and at the same time gets significant improvement? Well you will be surprised what some extra RAM will significantly speed up you PC.

4)Registry need to be cleaned
Windows Registry is a huge bank of information about everything that's going on in your computer. What ever you do on your PC the registry gets involved. We can say that the Registry is a bit like the nerve center of your PC. Problems in the registry begin when you uninstall a program, delete a folder or do any one of a number of pretty ordinary tasks that we do every day. Registry doesn't do a very good job at optimizing and cleaning itself. And bits get left uncleaned. So what can you do about it? All you need to do is downloading a bit of software, click on the 'Scan' button and so on.

5)Your PC got infected
Don't forget to do a virus and spyware scan as this does not just protect you data and private information but may also help to speed up your PC.

Well these are the basic steps to repair your PC, if you want to learn more about how to repair your PC, follow the link below.

Things to do before taking pc to a repair man

No one likes to get their computer fixed. It's a big headache carting that heavy thing into a repair shop and waiting days or even weeks to get it back. It's an overall painful experience, so I've done what I can and compiled this little list of things everyone should do before calling in the techs just to make the whole ordeal as painless as it can possibly be.

1)Restart your computer.
You may think this is a little silly, but there are a lot of people out there who never EVER turn off their computers. I know because my dear mother is one of them. It just doesn't occur to them. You wouldn't leave your car on overnight idling would you? So why do the same to your computer? Many times problems can go away simply by restarting your computer so the system can un-gum all its pathways and start fresh.

2) Make sure your computer is on.
This might seem like a joke, but I've known enough tech support personnel to learn that it isn't, often monitors can get unplugged randomly so it's always a good idea to make sure everything is connected.

3) Make sure EVERYTHING is connected.
Your computer has wires. Lots of wires. Power wires, internet cables, USB plugs, mouse and keyboard connections... and quite often more. It's so easy to nudge something and a connection to come loose. Make sure everything is where it should be and in the right plug, and you'll avoid lots of headaches. My other articles will go into a little more depth on what to do for more specific problems.

4) Check for manufacturer's warranty because repairs are often covered.
Especially if you've bought your computer within the last 6 months to a year, repair will be covered on your warranty for unexpected glitches. Then it's just a matter of putting it into a box and letting FedEx take care of the rest, because good manufacturers will take care of all those costs too.

5)Backup your data if you can.
These days more and more people are storing very sensitive information on their computers. Even at a repair shop, things can go wrong and your information can be lost. It is an EXTREMELY good idea to backup your important files whether by burning them to CD or DVD, or transferring them to an external memory drive. External Hard Drives are excellent for this, and they're getting cheaper all the time. They plug into a USB port, and you can store all your information on these so if your computer goes out you won't have to worry about anything going wrong and losing your information.

6)Delete anything you wouldn't want someone else to see
This is similar to point number 6. Don't blindly trust strangers with your information. If you have anything on your computer that anyone could use against you, make sure it isn't there when you take it in by backing it up somewhere else and deleting it from your computer until it's fixed.

7)Organize any system info you have, papers ect.
When you first buy your computer it comes with a lot of things. Warranty papers, system info, driver CD's, stickers with model numbers ect. If you can have all of this stuff handy when you take it to your repair guy, it will make your life, and his, a LOT easier, and the time he doesn't spend figuring out that information without the papers, is money that's not coming out of your pocket.

8) Check this website!
There are lots of useful tidbits in the articles on www.fasteasycomputerrepair.com, and more are being added as they're thought of. If it can solve even a tiny problem for you, then your life is that much easier and I can be content with the knowledge that I've made someone's life a little bit better.

9)If you know of anyone more tech-savvy then you, ask them about it.
Now I'm going to put an asterisk on this one. If you have a friend who knows what they're doing, let them take a look at it and they might be able to help you. However, you should not let them take apart and do any real fiddling unless you know they really do know their stuff. As in they've taken courses on computer repair or are actually techs themselves. There are so many times a simple problem was made worse because a friend took a look and "fixed" the problem. It's a balance between saving on labor and potential for more damage. Even repair shops can break computers. The difference is, the shops have to reimburse you.

10)Check around.
Not all repair shops are created equal. Do your research, otherwise you may be stuck with a shoddy hack job while paying through the nose for it. Think of them like mechanics for computers. Some of them are good and honest, and some of them will do whatever they can to get more dollars out of you. I go into more detail about this here.

Well there you have it. These 10 simple rules have saved many people I know a little money and a lot of stress, so I hope that in putting this up, they can help out that many more. (Tell your friends, they may just thank you for it.)

If print screen not working.

It is really frustrating when simple functions on a computer don't work. 'Print Screen' is one of them. In this article I discuss simple ways of fixing the 'Print Screen Not Working' problem that crops up sometimes.

Many desktop or laptop computer users prefer to operate completely through the keyboard. Most do not need a mouse to operate as it is completely possible to carry out all functions using the keyboard. This is made possible by the various shortcut keys provided on the computer keyboard. There are some that function directly, like the letter keys.

Some functions are carried out by keyboard keys combination like 'Ctrl + Alt + Delete' (the most famous keyboard combination ever!), some are carried out by a devoted keyboard button like the 'Print Screen' key. By learning how to use print screen, you can easily take a screen shot of your desktop. This function is often helpful while recording errors on Windows and other operating systems. It can also be helpful when saving a webpage snapshot as a record.

I recently faced a problem of print screen command key not working properly. When I searched online, there was hardly any useful information presented, that could solve the problem. Finally, I had to gather bits and pieces from several computer forums to find an effective solution to 'print screen not working' on laptop. I decided to share these tips on solving the screen capture not working problem here. It bugs many people using a laptop which is Windows based.

Print Screen not Working - What to Do?

To get a screen shot, all you have to do is hit 'PrtScn' button and using 'Ctrl + V', you can paste that image in any image editor to save. Often the problem of print screen not working in Windows Vista or Windows 7 crops up when you want to copy the screen shots to paint or to Adobe Photoshop. I assume that you already know how to take a screenshot on a laptop or desktop computer. Here are some ways in which you can take care of the problem quite effectively. One of these fixes is bound to work for you.

1)Just Restart the Computer
Sometimes the 'print screen not working' problem is at a hardware level, where the keyboard entries are not mapping properly. Simply restarting your computer might restore the functionality of the computer.

2)Turn F Lock Off
Microsoft introduced the F Lock function to provide alternate application based tasks to the function keys (F1 - F12). It was later incorporated by keyboard manufacturers with a special key devoted to it. In case F lock is turned on, the print screen functionality may get disabled. Turning off the F lock key will restore functionality.

3)Press Fn Key
If you find keyboard print screen command not working on your laptop, you may need to use the 'Fn' key. In some laptops, you have to press the Fn key, along with the printscreen key to get the job done. The Fn key, in case you haven't noticed, is located between the control and Windows key at the bottom left corner of the key board. That should solve your problem.

Use Snipping Tool
If you find print screen not working in Windows 7 or Windows Vista, there is an alternative way that you can take. Use the 'Snipping Tool' utility. Go to All Programs > Accessories > Snipping Tool. Using this program which is a special tool developed by Microsoft, you can take screen shots of whole or part of the desktop. It lets you crop certain parts when taking a screen shot.

4)Download and Install Gadwin
If you are using Windows XP, then the snipping tool won't be available. If you are wondering how to take a screenshot in Windows XP, there is another way. Just download and install 'Gadwin', a freeware utility that can easily get screen shots for you. This is not really a fix of the print screen button not working problem, but an alternative that can save you time.

Hope, these tips on fixing the print screen not working in Windows XP or later versions of Windows were helpful. As I have suggested before, if the incompatibility problem persists, there are plenty of software program options that can do the job of taking screen shots for you.

Monday, April 26, 2010

monitor has power but the th monitor stays blank

First check the power cable for the monitor plugged correctly..check whether the video card seated properly..is the cable from the video card to the monitor plugged correctly..check whether the monitor turned on..

If everything is connected and then powered up correctly, push the power button again and pay close attention: do any lights on the front of the PC blink or light up... Does the fan in the power supply start whirring.. This could indicate a hardware problem. Try to think what happened right before the problem started. Did you add a new piece of hardware... If so, it might be faulty or not installed right. Remove it, then try again. If everything is fine without the hardware, try to reinstall and configure the hardware again. If that does not help, try exchanging it and see if that corrects the problem. If the error persists, narrow it down systematically. Remove everything but the CPU, memory, keyboard, and video card, then boot again. Does the error still occur... If not, then add one piece of hardware and try again. Repeat until one new component causes the error and you now know who the culprit is. If yes, then reseat your CPU, memory and video card and try again. If the error still happens, try replacing the CPU, video card and memory one by one to see if one of them is the troublemaker. If that does not help, you could have a bad motherboard. Check the motherboard carefully for any signs of damage. Also check for shorts, a metallic object could have found its way onto the motherboard, or the motherboard is not installed correctly and touches the case somewhere.

Another possible cause could be incorrect CPU settings. If you replaced the CPU with a different one, be sure to choose the correct settings for multiplier and bus speed, either via jumpers on the motherboard or a menu in the BIOS. Consult the manual for the correct setup. If you can't even get into the BIOS to change the settings, use the jumper on the motherboard to clear the BIOS and load the default settings, it should allow you to boot.