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ComRutingl REFERENCE SERIES A Viinihilh ['uolniliDii What To Do When . . . Your PC Shuts Down Slowly Or Won't Shut Down At All Your PC Runs Slowly Or Erratically Your PC Internet Connection Is Slow You Can't Open Email Attachments You Accidentally Deleted Something Your Printer Won't Print Your System Restore Won't Work You Have Wireless Access Problems Your Browser Has Been "Hijacked" You're Pestered By Popup Ads You Can't Send Or Receive Email SAVE MONEY! SOLVE YOUR OWN PC PROBLEMS! You're Having Video Problems You're Having Audio Problems You Can't Install Something You Can't Delete Something You Have Network Problems Your PC Has A Virus Your PC Won't Start Your PC Starts Slowly You Can't Go Online Display Until 5/26/07 ?'■>! U.S. $195 $11.95 Canada What are you paying for tech support? Virus & Spyware Removal Smart Computing Tech Support Center FREE Other On-Site Tech Support Services $229 Set Up Wireless Network FREE $159 Install Operating System FREE $229 Install Additional Memory FREE $129 Install Hard Drive FREE $129 Operating System Service FREE $229 Data Migration FREE $229 Why pay a company to come to your home, perform these tasks, and charge you an arm and a leg for their services? The resources available atSmartComputingxom will enable you to accomplish these tasks yourself for free. Save money Save time. And do work you can be proud of f with our help. "In a time when customer service is hard to fmd, along comes Smart Computing offering FREE tech support This is OUTSTANDING, and you will have me as a subscriber for life" "Just wanted to pass along a thank you and I'm IMPRESSED! with your technical support hotline. . . Everyone was courteous and professional-l will recommendSmart Computing to all my friends and colleagues." "Just wanted to let you know that 1 so appreciated the help I got from your staff, one who called me and guided me through to the resolution of the problem. You get an Win my book Thanks once again." Smart Computing's FREE! [800] 368-8304 www. smartcomputing . com/techsupport Rx Your Own PC Computers are wonderful tools that occasionally refuse to work the way they should. When something does go wrong, you can avoid frustrating [and costly] downtime by learning to fix your own PC. Use the basic troubleshooting techniques and step-by- step instructions in this issue to solve hundreds of common hardware and software problems. Fix Your PC 3 The Tao Of Troubleshooting Pinpoint The Source Of Your Computer Problem 7 How To Handle Error Messages Computers Say the Darnedest Things What To Do When 10 Your PC Won't Start 14 Your Printer Won't Print 18 You Can't Get Online 22 Your Browser Has Been Hijacked 25 You're Pestered By Pop-up Ads 27 Your PC Has A Virus 30 Your LAN Isn't Working 33 You Can't Access AWLAN 37 You Can't Send Or Receive Email 40 You Can't Open Email Attachments 42 You're Having Video Problems 46 You're Having Audio Problems 50 You Can't Install Something 52 You Can't Delete Something 54 You Accidentally Delete Something 56 Your PC Starts Slowly 59 Your PC Runs Slowly Or Erratically 63 Your PC Internet Connection Is Slow 66 Your PC Shuts Down Slowly Or Won't Shut Down At All 68 You Can't Burn A CD/DVD 71 Your System Restore Won't Work 73 Your Cell Phone Won't Work Table Of Contents I Reference Series Volume 1 1, Issue 1 Basic Troubleshooting PC Compone nts 75 Audio Cards 78 CD/DVD Drives 82 Graphics Cards 85 Hard Drives 88 Motherboards 91 Ports 93 Power Supplies 96 Processors 98 RAM 100 Screens & Monitors IP Software Networking Components 145 Antivirus Software 149 Browsers 153 Email 157 Firewalls Editorial Staff: Ronald D. Kobler / Rod Scher / Sally Curran / Linne Ourada / Corey Russman / Christopher Trumble / Calvin Clinchard / Katie Sommer / Katie Dolan / Raejean Brooks / Michael Sweet / Nate Hoppe / Trista Kunce / Sheila Allen / Joy Martin / Vince Cogley / Ashley Finter / Tara Simmons / Leah Houchin / Patrick Kean / Marty Sems / Blaine Flamig / Kylee Dickey / Josh Gulick / Andrew Leibman /Jennifer Johnson / Nathan Lake / Holly Zach / Barbara Ball Web Staff. Dorene Krausnick / Laura Curry / Kristen Miller /Jessie Danekas Subscription Renewals: Connie Beatty / Charmaine Vondra / Linda Miner / Miden Ebert / Kathy DeCoito / Stephanie Contreras / Katie Bunkers / Scott McHenry Art & Design: Lesa Call / Fred Schneider / Carrie Benes / Ginger Falldorf / Sonja Warner / Aaron Weston / Aaron D. Clark / Lori Garris / Jason Codr / Andria Cogley / Erin Rodriguez / Lindsay Anker Marketing: Mark Peery / Bob Chester / Marcy Kremer / Kelly Richardson / Matt Boiling / Greg Krzycki / Chad Hanthom /Jen Clausen / Scot Banks / Travis Brock / Lindsay Albers / Lana Matic / Jeff Ashelford / Brynn Burtwistle / Toni Hinn / Thomas Trumble Advertising Sales: Susan Miller / Grant Ossenkop / Julie Lausterer / Eric Cobb / David Bartholomai / Rob Downey / Blake Johnston / Joy Caldwell / Matt Johns Copyright 2007 by Sandhills Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in Smart Computing REFERENCE SERIES: Fix Your Own PC is strictly prohibited without written permission. Printed in the U.S.A. GST # 123482788RT0001. Smart Computing is published monthly by Sandhills Publishing Company. 131 West Grand Drive, P.O. Box 85380, Lincoln, NE 68501. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Smart Computing, P.O. Box 85380, Lincoln, NE 68501 . 103 Cable Modems 106 DSL Modems 109 Dial-up Modems 112 Network Interface Cards 114 Routers & Hubs 117 Wireless Access Cards Peripherals Online-Only 119 Digital Cameras 122 Inkjet Printers 126 Keyboards 128 Laser Printers 132 Multifunction Devices 136 Scanners 140 Speakers 142 External Storage The following troubleshooting material is avail- able online at SmartComputing.com as an extra bonus to our readers. You do not need to sub- scribe to Smart Computing to read this material; just browse to the address indicated BIOS www.smartcomputing.com/rs1 1 01 /bios Cables & Connectors www.smartcomputing.com/rs1 1 01 /cables Camcorders www.smartcomputing.com/rs1 101 /camcorders Cellphones www.smartcomputing.com/rs1 1 01 /cellphones IRQs www.smartcomputing.com/rs1 1 01 /irq Mice & Trackballs www.smartcomputing.com/rs1101/mice Notebook PCs www.smartcomputing.com/rs1 1 01 /notebooks Web Services [For questions about our Web site.] webhelp@smartcomputing.com [800] 368-8304 Customer Service [For questions about your subscription.] customer.service@smartcomputing.com Smart Computing P.O. Box 85380 Lincoln, NE 68501-5308 Hours Mon. - Fri.: 7a.m. to 8p.m. [CST] Sat.: 8a.m. to 4p.m. [CST] To Place An Order Or Change An Address [800] 733-3809 FAX: [402] 479-2193 Subscription Renewals [800] 424-7900 FAX: [402] 479-2193 www.smartcomputing.com Authorization For Reprints Reprint Management Services Toll Free: [800] 290-5460 [717] 399-1900 ext. 100 FAX: [717] 399-8900 Editorial Staff editor@smartcomputing.com FAX: [402] 479-2104 131 W.Grand Drive Lincoln, NE 68521 Advertising Staff [800] 848-1478 120 W. Harvest Dr. Lincoln, NE 68521 FAX: [402] 479-2193 FIX YO UR PC The Tao Of Troubleshooting Pinpoint The Source Of Your Computer Problem As time goes on, PCs continue to in- crease in complexity and our reliance upon them continues to grow. More often than not, both increases are per- fectly complementary, as millions of people across the globe turn their computers on each day to use them for research, leisure, entertainment, or learning. But that paired reliance — us relying on our PCs and our PCs relying on us for mainte- nance — isn't always a happy fairy tale; sometimes the experience breeds frustration, especially when the PC just doesn't work, and we don't know why. Thankfully, however, troubleshooting a PC is largely an exercise in the process of elimination; fol- lowing a standardized procedure with the right tools can go a long way toward diagnosing your comput- er's ailment and getting you back on the right track. Knowing what is broken is the cornerstone of knowing how to fix it, so read on to become a pro at investigating your problem and discovering that crucial cornerstone. Before You Dive In Although it's tempting to start troubleshooting your PC as soon as it displays symptoms, you'll save yourself a potential headache if you back up your digital valuables first [assuming that your PC's problem doesn't prevent you from doing so]. Sure, the average software conflict, driver reinstallation, or loose monitor cord isn't much of a threat to your files, but we've seen seemingly small problems turn into PC-crippling disasters before. If you're in the "better safe than sorry" camp, jot down a quick list of the files you want to protect: documents, music or video files, emails, and maybe that list of Internet Explorer Favorites you've built up over the years [in Internet Explorer, click File, Import And Export to start the wizard that lets you ^ back up Favorites]. Move them to removable media or [if you don't suspect that ^ your PC has a virus] to ^k another PC on your net- A work. Now you can tackle B your PC's problem with- ■ ■ out worrying about losing your data. Hardware Or Software? It's not always easy to determine whether your hardware or software is to blame, but it's a good place to start trouble- shooting: If you're fairly confident that the prob- lem is one or the other, you've eliminated several troubleshooting steps. Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 3 FIX YO UR PC Troubleshooting Basics Ruling out causes is the best path to troubleshooting success. Look for common hardware symp- toms. Hardware problems, such as damaged components or loose cables, generally cause obvious, dramatic problems. For example, if your com- puter won't power on at all, you're looking at a hardware problem, rather than software. You should also sus- pect a hardware problem if your com- puter powers on, but no images appear on your monitor. If you can't '" ' ' ;■•■ i .'■''.''.." -' ' ' '' ...... ;.- ;:.. .. ,,.':. ■ .. , ...'.■■,• ■ Folder [gjiisg Mm p F \WINDOW5\Fonts •ie» i 9\ °\ i ,ll g\ £| I i ^ Agency FB B Algerian Boldfjr... [TrueType] ■; "■ '•'"'.. 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   1 d\ ■! B i 1 The Fonts folder in Windows XP Home will show you whether the fonts in your document are TrueType [highly compatible] fonts or some other type of fonts. and graphics are improperly posi- tioned on the page, it may be a problem with your printer. However, first check the printer settings in Windows. From the program in which you are trying to print, open the Print display and click Properties. Note that if you want to change these settings on a global rather than a doc- ument level, open Printers And Faxes, right-click your printer's icon, and se- lect Printing Preferences. [NOTE: The following options listed may vary de- pending on printer type. ] For problems with color or print quality, click the Paper/Quality tab Layout Paper/Quality Paper Source: Automatically Select -1 Media: Plain Paper v| If your document does print, but the quality or colors are off or the text The Advanced printing settings in Printers And Faxes may help you eliminate a plethora of color and print quality problems. :i HPDeskJel nt Settings
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   Print Color as Gray: No :!on Halftoning: Allow and make sure the color set- ting is correct. Use the drop- down menu to ensure the media type is correct. Click the Advanced tab. Look for choices relating to print quality [choose High Qual- ity or Fine if print quality is poor], font substitution [don't allow substitution with device fonts if text is not printing in the right typeface], and other op- tions. Your printer's manual may help you sort through these options. If your pages are printing but appear cut off, click the Layout tab and check the paper orientation. You also may have created a page larger than your printer can repro- duce. In the main Print display, under Zoom, set Scale To Paper Size to match the size of your printer sheet. If the settings are correct, check your printer to see if it needs mainte- nance. You may need to replace ex- hausted print cartridges, clean or align the printer heads, and perform other tasks. [Refer to your printer's documentation for help with this.] If your printer offers the option to print a test page from the controls on the printer, do so and check the color quality and alignment. Finally, using low-quality paper can reduce print quality. Use high-quality printing paper, not copy paper. The Printer Is Not Available Open the Print display, and if your printer does not appear in the Name field, click the drop-down ar- row to the right. Look for it there. Another program may have installed a printer driver that moved your 16 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC WHAT TO DO WHE N... Your Printer Won't Print ./ HP DeskJet

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   — J 1 1 1 1 1 II 1 1 II 1 1 II 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 J J 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 J =£— ^-s— — »— Sa— V u IBM '"•"'LCTT mLiiM PACKARD Most printers have one or more test pages [pictured is a color alignment test page] they can print to determine if things are working properly on their ends. printer down the list. If you see it, select it. If you do not see your printer listed, it may not be installed properly or you may have accidentally deleted it. Open the Printers And Faxes win- dow. If you see your printer listed, right-click its icon and select Delete. Select Server Properties from the File menu, click the Drivers tab, and se- lect your printer. Click Remove and confirm your decision [this forces Windows to extract a clean driver file]. Shut down Windows and turn off the printer. Make sure your printer and PC are securely con- nected and then turn the printer back on and wait until it indicates a state of readiness. Restart Windows. Windows should locate and install the printer automatically. If not, check with the printer's manufacturer for updated installa- tion or driver files. If there is an up- dated executable [containing the .EXE file extension] installation pro- gram, download it to your PC, click the Start menu, select Run, and navi- gate to the file to install it. If not, check the printer's documentation to see if there are special installation instructions [if so, follow them]. Otherwise, return to the Printers And Faxes window and click Add Printer [under Printer Tasks in the left pane]. Follow the instructions to add the printer, allowing Windows to detect the printer automatically. Provide either the updated driver files or the files you originally in- stalled if Windows prompts you to do so. After installation, locate the printer in the Printers And Faxes window, right- click it, and select Set As Default Printer. Your printer should now ap- pear in all Print dialog boxes and function correctly. Error Messages Printing error messages fall into two categories: generic and model-specific. If you do not see your error message listed here, it is likely specific to your printer. Query the Microsoft Knowledge Base [support.microsoft.com] using the exact error message as your search string, or contact the printer's manufacturer for further assistance. Generic printing messages in WinXP Home are fairly un- usual, but you may encounter the ones listed below. Device Is Not Ready. This mes- sage indicates that Windows does not recognize the print- er as being ready to accept data. Check the printer power and cable and make sure it is turned on and online. If you are using a network printer, make sure the network is up and you have the appropriate print permissions. [NOTE: There are other, similar vari- ants to this message, as well ] Incompatible Print Driver. You'll see this error if you upgrade to WinXP and the ex- isting printer driver is not compat- ible. Contact the manufacturer for an updated driver, delete the print- er as described above, reinstall it, Local oi Network Printer " " ' . ■'::■ M ..,- !!»;■;• ];/■■■ .'.■:.' . •■■ ..- ., . . . .. J Local pri i; computer M Automatical!', J Play printer O A network p
9. use the "Local printer" option. < Back || Next > Jt Canoe, j If Windows does not locate and install your printer automatically, try using the Add Printer Wizard to install it manually. Forms Ports Drivers Advanced -rinter drivers: Name Environment Version DF Converter AdobePSGenec ^ostSc ti PDF Driver Intel Intel Intel Windows 200C Window 2000 or XP Windows 2000 or XP Office Docum... Intel Windows 2000 or XP Add... J [ Remove J Replace | | Prope When you delete and reinstall your printer, delete your printer's driver, as well, to force Windows to replace the driver file. and then provide the new driver during installation. Out Of Resources. This message indicates you have insufficient memory or hard drive space. Close programs, free some drive space, and try to print again. Final Thoughts The suggestions we have offered here should resolve 95% of printer woes. If not, try using the printer with another PC. If it doesn't work, contact the print- er's manufacturer for further assis- tance. If it does work, then con- sider reinstalling Windows. If you think your prob- lem may be specifi- cally related to ink- jet printers, laser printers, or MFDs [multifunction de- vices], other arti- cles in this issue may help, as well. See "Basic Trou- bleshooting: Inkjet Printers" on page 122; see "Basic Troubleshooting: Laser Printers" on page 128; and see "Basic Trou- bleshooting: MFDs" on page 132. [jjs] by Jennifer Farwell Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 17 WHAT TO DO WHE N... What To Do When... You Can't Get Online Getting online is fast becoming the main reason people use computers these days. Sure, we still do our taxes, write letters to loved ones in Microsoft Word, and play computer games occasionally. Still, perhaps the most interesting activity on a PC is browsing the Web, finding unusual news stories, chat- ting over instant messaging, or just checking our email. Perhaps that's what makes a dead connection so frustrating. You double-click your browser's icon on your Desktop, wait a few seconds, and nothing. For some unknown reason, you can't tap into your favorite shopping Web site or search Google.com. What do you do when you can't get online? Often, the easiest fix involves re- booting your hardware. You may also have to reboot your PC. Resetting these hardware devices works in many cases because in most cases the Internet con- nection has a conflict on your network or with your PC, and resetting your equipment can re- solve these issues. Of course, this solu- tion doesn't always work. In this problem-solving guide, we'll cover some of the common problems that prevent you from getting online, including how to reset hardware. Most of these instruc- tions apply to Windows XP, but the concept can apply broadly to Macs and will work with most makes and models of modems and routers, such as those from Belkin, Netgear, and Linksys. Hardware Trouble If a problem with your system's hardware prevents you from accessing the Internet, rebooting hardware will reset the device and may correct any problems. Modem and router fixes. Whether you have a cable or DSL [Digital Sub- scriber Line] modem or a home router, you'll want to unplug the power cable, wait at least 15 seconds or up to a minute, and then reinsert the cable. The device will refresh itself and the IP [Internet Protocol] ad- dress [a unique number the device File Edit Viet'-. anted Help ^Back - JD Search [£> Folders [777] - V ■"■•.' ' LAM or High-Speed Internet Windows Firewall settings H

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   Ch«k your ln;'rie; • ft*Cyp The Jddmi. -c -■:.i !--e yc- a-e The wireless connection on your laptop is not configured properly. You may have trouble connecting to the Internet because your system isn't connected wirelessly to a router. In this situation, your laptop con- nects to the router, which itself con- nects to a cable or DSL modem and then connects to the Internet. So, if your laptop can't make the connec- tion, the Internet will be unavailable to you. Often, a wireless connection configured incorrectly is the cause of this type of problem. For example, you may be connecting to the wrong SSID [Service Set Identifier; the wire- less network name that the router uses] or attempting to connect to an
10. llg network with an 802.11b client adapter. The solutions: Connect to a wire- less router that provides Internet ac- cess or configure the router to allow clients to connect over 802.11b. Router configuration is an advanced process but usually involves enabling or disabling options. You can access your router by typing its IP ad- dress into Internet Explorer. To find the router's IP address, consult the router's manual. For more information regarding wireless network troubleshooting, in- cluding how to check for Internet- re- lated problems, see "You Can't Access AWLAN"onpage33. Get Back Online For many of us, getting online is something we do every day without any trouble. When problems do arise, such as a loose cable or a Web site that is temporarily unavailable, the fix is usually quick and solves the problem completely. Some pesky problems do persist, but you can resolve those is- sues with a repair or by replacing the device. And then it's back to Web surfing, instant messaging, and all the other activities we rely on during our online escapades. Qjs] by John Brandon Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 21 WHAT TO DO WHE N... What To Do When... Your Browser Has Been Hijacked You open up your Web brow- ser, just like any other day, but something's not right. The page that always loads when the browser starts is different. There are shortcuts in your Favorites folder that you can't recall putting there, and other abnormal things happen when you browse. Worst of all, even though you manually switch everything back to the original settings, the changes don't stick. Or maybe the options to revert to the old settings aren't even there at all. Your browser has been hijacked, and although most hijackers are not interested in destroying files or doing the malicious things associated with other attacks, such as that of viruses, a hijacked browser is still a major problem that must be handled immediately. Hi- jackers are designed to redi- rect your Web browser to Web sites of the hijacker's choosing to direct more traffic to specific sites so that they can generate more advertising revenue. Hijack Basics Browsers may be hijacked in a number of ways. The most basic at- tack is triggered when you view a Web page and code within that page [or code that is automatically down- loaded when the page is viewed] uses a security loophole to change your de- fault home page, default search page, and browser settings. It doesn't do anything other than that, meaning you can fix the problem by changing those entries back to their original settings [which we'll discuss later]. Many hijackers rely on users in- stalling software, either inadvertently or on purpose, that gives them broad- er access to the system. Some of these hijackers prevent you from changing your home page or search engine back to what you want by completely disabling those settings in Inter- net Explorer. Others do even worse things, for instance, causing pop-up advertisements to appear even when you aren't browsing the Web. An Ounce Of Prevention One of the easiest ways to practi- cally eliminate the potential for being hijacked is to switch from Internet Explorer to an alternative Web browser such as Firefox 2 [free; www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox] or Opera 9 [free; www.opera.com]. Hi- jackers focus their efforts on IE be- cause so many people use it, and programs designed to exploit flaws in IE won't work when applied to other browsers. Firefox and Opera continue to gain in popularity, and this may in- crease to a point where those browsers become targets, as well. But for now, if you currently use IE, switching over to a different browser comes with im- mense security benefits. If you use IE, make sure to keep it as up-to-date as possible because Microsoft constantly identifies and fixes security holes. To do so, open IE, expand the Tools menu, and click Windows Update. Click either Ex- press or Custom [or update the Win- dows Update software, if necessary] and install all of the patches that are available for Internet Explorer. No matter what Web browser you use, it is extremely important to install multiple antispyware applications on your computer and regularly update them. These programs scan for current problems, and many of them also lock down the computer so hijackers can't easily use the most common routes of entry. You can use as many antispyware applications on the same computer that you want to [unlike antivirus software, where you must stick to a single program]. We recommend Windows Defender [free; www.mi crosoft.com/athome/security/spy ware/software/default.mspx] , Spybot Search & Destroy [free; www.safer- networking.org], Ad-Aware [free; www.lavasoftusa.com], and Spy- wareBlaster [free; www.javacoolsoft ware.com/spywareblaster.html]. Update these programs at least once per month if they don't come with the ability to do so automatically. Also, we recommend downloading and running BugOff [free; www.spy wareinfo.com/~merijn/programs.php], which fixes a lot of exploits commonly 22 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC WHAT TO DO WHE N... Your Browser Has Been Hijacked •z..... ss .. .. - ?: ..S£5 v. -£-c3 ;es '■/:e , 'e:ix:j-e- --s:e?c ;o ~s: :o": :s s e-:. S :e sj"; ;•'" ;-sse exoo ;s -eve ',0" pee 1 " p?::'-ec p--" '■ :-oso £ ; ye;. ;•- s ?pp p-ovoes ■? ;e*po-f v so.. ;o- c o- :'-ese .we-ip :££- ^c«: -c rev. :"er*p.e V.'vcov = lo-po'-e-;', -o-.v ;o ._::-£: :: c z< 'z ssp e' 'o- e- ■■/ :e-f- ;-■?; -e e-spec. "Note the fe:e; ?::e e"e::5 ;-£,■ 533 y ;o yo.. co -0; csaoe re :e-' " C c-se 5. cO". 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    n 2005] {update 3 of 9, 30 MB of 14,80 MB Use Windows Update to keep Windows XP and your Web browser as up-to-date as possible. used by hijackers. BugOff is trickier to use than the other programs men- tioned because you must enable or dis- able entries manually and doing so can have impact on programs you actually want to use. When running BugOff, the goal is to click Disable for as many entries as possible but check the Side Effects text closely to make sure doing so won't interfere with your applica- tions. For example, disabling the Microsoft.XMLHTTP Object closes a hole that a hijacker can use, but it also prevents Windows Update and Gmail from working properly, so leaving it enabled is probably worth the risk. Clicking the Disable button instantly makes the change, so simply close the program when you are finished. Finally, always be on your guard when browsing or clicking links in emails or other documents that open Web pages in your browser. The worst hijackers gain access to the computer because people unknow- ingly install them on their computers by clicking a button or link in a pop-up window that appears while browsing or by installing down- loaded software that lets the hijacker get a piggyback ride onto the hard drive. Don't blindly click links in- cluded in emails and never click any- where in a pop-up advertisement [you can press CTRL-W to close an IE window without having to click to close it]. Also, be on the lookout for pop-ups that look like alerts from Windows but are actually disguises designed to get you to click a button, inadvertently giving your permission to download whatever the hijacker wants to install. A Pound Of Cure Heading off the hijackers doesn't take a lot of work, but you have real problems if the browser has already been infiltrated. Before getting into specific fixes, it is important to note that the steps provided in this article apply to the latest version of Inter- net Explorer 7. If you use an earlier version of IE, you should upgrade to the latest version or use an alternative browser for secu- rity reasons. If you're lucky and the hijacker simply changed your IE settings without installing any other software on your computer, you can easily revert to the settings you want to use. To establish the default home page, open IE, navigate to the page you want to use for a home page, ex- pand the Tools menu, click Internet Options, and select the General tab. Click Use Current, and the page you TREND MICRO"CWShreddBr>«P This tool will find and destroy the CoolWebSearch [CWS] browser hijacker on your system. Symplon include: « Redirections to CoolWebSearch related pages < Redirections when mistyping URLs

    =:.eci-e:tic is 1=1 ■■isitng C-ocgle « Enormous IE slowdowns when typing . IE start page/search page changing on reboot S:=-0-/ C-e::=o-^p::s;ej I Create Report I | Fix -> | CWShredder detects and removes all known versions of the annoying CoolWebSearch hijacker from your computer. navigated to becomes the default home page, or you can enter it manu- ally [such as entering www. google .com if you want to use Google as your home page]. Click Apply when you're finished. Click the Settings button in the Search section to re-establish your de- fault search settings. Click to highlight the incorrect search entry, click Re- move, and then highlight the entry you want to use and click Set Default. Click OK. If the search service you want to use doesn't appear on the list, click Find More Providers, click the entry for the service you want to add, follow any prompts that are provided [if any], and the service should now be available when you establish de- fault settings. There is also a Create Your Own option on this page that lets you add any search service that isn't represented on Microsoft's master list. If you think your browser has been hijacked, checking to see if the culprit is the oft-used CoolWebSearch hijacker or one of its myriad offshoots should be your first priority. These hijackers are designed to drive Web traffic to www.coolwebsearch.com [don't type that address into your Web browser!] or other advertising sites. They accom- plish this using many means, ranging from making the compu- ter think that popular sites such as Yahoo! Search don't exist [and instead redi- recting you to an ad site] to making IE think that restrict- ed Web sites should be trusted. Fortunately, there is a free tool called CWShredder that will detect and remove all known ver- sions of this annoying hijacker. To use the tool, download it from www. inter mute.com/spysubtract/cwshredder_ download.html, double-click the file's Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 23 WHAT TO DO WHE N... Your Browser Has Been Hijacked icon, and click I Agree. Click Check For Update, click Fix, and then click OK to scan the computer for the CoolWebSearch software and eradi- cate it if it is discovered. Sometimes hijack attempts aren't reversed this easily, and you'll need specialized tools and a lot of help to complete the job. The best tool by far is HijackThis [free; www .tomcoyote.org/hjt], which thor- oughly scans the computer to find everything that is taking advantage of a known security loophole in Internet Explorer and Windows. HijackThis is an extremely powerful tool, which is its biggest drawback. Scans return information on legiti- mate programs, as well as hijackers, and there's no way for a novice to know what to fix and what to leave alone. Fortunately, there are loads of experts ready to offer free help, day SpywflreRlastftr Upriatps Dnwnla. Itfu.lrtVl.pH.KilW.HW*,! Villous rfcrturly nnj »iir[ fKjtiiE """ Update your antispyware software, such as SpywareBlaster shown here, regularly to ensure the best possible protection. or night, at the TomCoyote.com Web forums. If you've just performed a spy- ware scan using any antispyware tool, reboot the computer before using HijackThis. To download the software, go to the aforementioned Web site and click the HijackThis download button. The software is stored in a compressed ZIP file, so you'll need to use a utility such as IZArc [free; www.izarc.org] or the built-in ZIP utility included with Windows Me/XP to extract it. Once the HighjackThis.exe file is moved from the ZIP archive to the Desk- top [or any other folder you like], double-click HighjackThis.exe and click Do A System Scan And Save A Log File. Wait for the scan to complete, and a new file should appear on the Desktop [or in the folder where you ran Hijack- This] that is labeled Hijackthis.log. This is the magic data you need to get help at the forums. To use the forums, go to www.tomcoyote .org and click the Fo- rums link near the top of the page. Look for a Register link in the Welcome screen, click it, and sign up for a free user ac- count [you can't post about your problem unless you reg- ister]. Be sure to enter a valid email ad- dress when signing up because a confirmation email is sent to make sure your registration is legitimate. When the email arrives, open it, click the acti- vation link, and sign in using the in- formation you entered during the registration process. Scroll down to the Computer Help section and click the HijackThis Logs And Spyware/ Malware Removal link. Be sure to read the Welcome New Members post in the Important Topics section before proceeding. To post your specific log, click the New Topic button. Enter a brief de- scription of your problem in the Topic Title box and then provide more detailed information in the white text box. You now need to copy and paste the contents of the log file you just generated, so double-click it [it should open in Notepad], open the Edit menu, click Select All, open the Edit menu again, and click Copy. Switch back to your forum post, click in the white text box where you want the log file to be C-e^e'T 5s:,.-;-/ -'■■.?:>' Czr;z-t C ::■£:;::■:-;-

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    | CCcrs || Languages || Fonts 1 OK || C ,nce, | If your browser is hijacked, pray it is a program that only changes your default home page and search page settings because that problem is very easy to fix. inserted, open the Edit menu, and click Paste. Click Post New Topic when you are finished. Be extremely patient and courteous when waiting for a response. The fo- rums are run by vol- unteer experts and are extremely busy, and it may take days for them to get back to you, so check the forums every so often to see if your topic has any new posts. When you do get a response, follow the instructions the ex- pert provides to the letter, and they'll let you know if they need any additional information or logs to get to the bottom of the problem. Once you know what to disable, fixing things using HijackThis is very easy. Run the pro- gram, perform another scan, and select the checkboxes next to any entries you want to remove. Click Fix Checked, click Yes to delete the items, and then click Yes again to reboot the computer and see if the problem is fixed. If it isn't, you can always head back to the forums. Bottom Line Avoiding a hijacked browser is not impossible if you take preventa- tive steps and use caution while browsing the Web. The bottom line is that you don't want to let your browser be hijacked, and if it does happen, you want to fix the prob- lem as soon as possible. We're confi- dent that our provided suggestions will work, but if you're still having problems, be sure to read "Basic Troubleshooting: Browsers" on page 149 to see if your browser woes aren't related to hijackers at all. H by Tracy Baker 24 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC WHAT TO DO WHE N... What To Do When . . . You're Pestered By Pop-up Ads Pop-up ads are intrusive, both- ersome, and annoying. Given that many pop -up ads contain scams, it's no wonder we don't like these unfriendly windows. Whether your computer displays large quanti- ties of pop-up ads incessantly or you see one pop-up ad while browsing the Web, all of us want to eliminate pop-ups so we can use our computer in peace. Fortunately, you can re- move and prevent pop-ups. Let's explore some of the things we can do to eliminate and guard from pop- up ads. If you've ever tried to close persis- tent pop-up ads, you know it can be a futile effort. Instead of clicking the red X located in the upper-right corner of most windows, press ALT and F4 on your keyboard to close a pop-up ad. Alternatively, you can use the Windows Task Manager to close pop-up ads, but be careful not to close critical Windows processes or legiti- mate applications that are currently in use. Play I Spy Many persistent pop-up ads are the result of spyware or adware on your com- puter. In addition to dis- playing pop-up ads, these malicious programs can wreak havoc on your ma- chine. They can slow down your computer, change your home page settings, and report ac tivity from your computer, includin username and password information, to the writers of the spyware or ad- ware. Spyware and adware are serious threats to your computer and to your personal identity. To check your computer for spy- ware or adware, download and install an antispyware program. There are a number of free antispyware pro- grams, including Lavasoft's Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition [www.lavasoft usa.com] and Javacool's Spyware- Blaster [www.javacoolsoftware.com] . You may also want to install an anti- spyware program that can guard your computer from spyware before it is downloaded to your system, such as Spybot - Search & Destroy [free; www.safer-networking.org] or CounterSpy [$19.95; www. sunbelt software.com]. Unlike antivirus programs, you can have more than one antispyware pro- gram installed on your computer at the same time. Although it doesn't hurt to have more than one antispy- ware program, there's no reason to go overboard and install countless anti- spyware programs, either. Before run- ning a scan using your antispyware program, update the program with the latest malware definitions. Most antispyware programs will examine all running processes on your computer. If you're curious as to what programs and processes are running on your computer, use the Windows Task Manager to find out. Open the Windows Task Manager in Windows XP by right-clicking the Taskbar and then selecting Task Manager. The Applications tab will list all running programs. On the Processes tab, you'll see all of the processes running on your com- puter. Because many of these pro- cesses have vague names, do not end a process unless you're sure you know what it does. Stay Healthy In addition to adware and spyware protection, you'll need an antivirus program that will check to see if there are any viruses, worms, or Trojan horses on your com- puter. Viruses, worms, or Trojan horses can cause pop- up ads and can prevent your system from func- tioning. Just as a cold can pass from one mem- ber of your family to another, a virus can transfer from your com- puter to other com- puters on the network or to your friends via email or IM [instant messaging] programs. Pop-up ads caused by viruses can be more harm- ful than other pop-up ads because of a virus' ability to Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 25 WHAT TO DO WHE N... You're Pestered By Pop-up Ads spread and cause additional damage. If you don't al- ready have one, install a reliable antivirus program, such as Norton Antivirus 2007 [$39.99; www.symantec.com], McAfee VirusScan Plus [$39.99; us.mcafee .com], or AVG Anti- Virus Free Edi- tion [free; www3.grisoft.com]. In ad- dition to virus protection, McAfee VirusScan Plus includes firewall and antispyware protection. In order to be effective, you must update an antivirus program on a reg- ular basis. Because most antivirus programs conflict with one another, never install more than one antivirus program at a given time. If you choose to switch from one antivirus program to another, first uninstall the existing program and then install the new program. A Toolbar With Protection Another way to shield from pop-ups is to install a toolbar that has built- in pop-up protection. The Google Toolbar [free; toolbar.google.com] and the Yahoo! Toolbar [free; tool bar.yahoo.com] have built-in pop-up blockers. These toolbars will automati- cally block pop-ups. When necessary, jL T http,,: om/main,html The Internet Explorer pop-up blocker lets you choose to allow pop-ups from specific sites. Links jlj SC Diet g SC TS & =£ l@KXKT-FMthekat.com .. and then click Close. 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11. Microsoft claims the Internet Explorer Pop-up Blocker is smart enough to know not to block pop -up windows that you have opened inten- tionally by clicking a link. For ex- ample, if you are on a shopping site and click a link to open a pop-up window containing your receipt, the pop-up window will open because you opened it on purpose. When Internet Explorer blocks a pop -up ad, you'll see a notification in the Information Bar located below the Address Bar. If you want to allow a pop -up for a particular site, you can click the Information Bar and choose whether to allow pop-ups from that site on a temporary or permanent basis. You can also access other set- tings for the pop -up blocker through this Information Bar. Stop Immediate Loading Some spyware and virus programs will run automatically when you boot your computer. In addition to anti- spyware and antivirus programs, '
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    v| Go o gj t 1 1091 blocked} " Check t \ AutoLink t J AutoFill The Google Toolbar keeps a running total of all pop-ups it has blocked. you can allow individual sites to dis- play pop-ups. This allows you to see pop-ups when necessary, and avoid them otherwise. Built-in Protection Many Web browsers now protect against pop-up ads. The Microsoft pop-up blocker for Internet Explorer comes with Windows XP Service Pack Settings advanced users may want to look at the number of programs that start up automatically when you boot your computer. Click Start and then select Run. In the Run dialog box, type msconfig and click the OK button. The System Configuration Utility will appear. You can prevent certain pro- grams from starting up automatically using the Startup tab. When you're finished making changes, click Apply appears and asks you to restart the computer, click the Restart button. Add-ons Can Cause Problems Add-ons are special programs that work inside of Internet Explorer and other browsers. Add-ons can include search toolbars, games, and programs that let you view Web sites offline. However, add-ons can also invade your privacy, especially when spyware or adware installs them without your knowledge or permission. The Internet Explorer Add-on Manager lists all add-ons installed on your computer that are used by Internet Explorer. You can use the Internet Explorer Add-on Manager to enable or disable each add-on indi- vidually. To access the Internet Explorer Add-on Manager in Internet Explorer 7, click Tools, Manage Add- ons and then select Enable Or Disable Add-ons. If you want to disable an add-on, click to select it and then click the radio button next to Disable in the Settings area of the Manage Add-ons window. When you're fin- ished changing the add-on settings, click OK. You may need to restart Internet Explorer in order for the changes to take effect. Pop-up Free Although everyone is likely to see a pop-up ad from time to time, pop-up ads should not overrun your computer. By removing adware, spyware, viruses, and other malicious software from your machine, you can decrease the amount of pop-up ads you see. With fewer pop- ups, you can use your computer and surf the Web without interruption, [itsl by Jennifer Johnson 26 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC WHAT TO DO WHE N... What To Do When . . . Your PC Has A Virus Whether you suspect that a virus is causing your PC to behave oddly or your an- tivirus software finds a bug lurking on your computer, it's hard to think about anything else until you've re- moved the virus. Because your com- puter isn't healthy, your valuable documents, music and video files, and email are at risk. In theory, removing a virus should be easy: Run your antivirus software's virus scanner until it locates the bug and then zap it. Although antivirus programs can indeed catch and kill many of the viruses that find their way to your PC from the Web, there are plenty of elusive bugs that can evade your antivirus software for one reason or another. We'll show you how to use two popular antivirus ap- plications to catch and kill viruses, and we'll also provide tips for re- moving the bugs that refuse to budge. Step A BackUp, Back Up, Back Up If your PC has any files you don't want to lose, resist the temptation to hunt for that virus right away. Although your antivirus software may be able to remove the problem without disturbing your OS [operating sys- tem], you can't predict the sorts of trouble you may run into. This is an especially important step if you haven't yet installed antivirus software. Al- though most program installations go smoothly, we've experienced more than our fair share of software and hardware installations that crippled our test PCs' operating systems. Back up your files to a CD, DVD, or other removable media — not to an- other PC. Some viruses infect docu- ments and other popular file types, which means that your own files may carry the virus to the removable media. You'll need to scan your backup media with an antivirus program before you return the files to your computer or move them to another PC. Step Q Update Your Virus Definitions Antivirus software publishers create massive databases of virus defi- nitions that help your software iden- tify the bugs. Because malicious users regularly create new viruses [and pub- lishers regularly create new virus defi- nitions to catch them], your antivirus software is out of date as soon as you install it. You'll need to download the latest definitions from the software publisher before you run your an- tivirus scan — otherwise, the program may miss a new virus. Many antivirus applications include a 12 -month sub- scription to the publisher's antivirus definitions; if your subscription has expired, the software may instruct you to pay for a new subscription. McAfee VirusScan Plus. VirusScan updates definitions automatically, but you can check to make sure you have the latest updates. The McAfee Se- curityCenter, which is the software's main window, lets you know whether your system's virus definitions and other components are up-to-date. To download virus definitions and any other updates, click the Update button. A small icon that has an arrow will appear in the System Tray while McAfee searches for updates. The process won't take long [about 15 seconds, in our experience] over a broadband connection. Once the defi- nition update completes, you are ready to scan your computer for viruses. Symantec Norton Antivirus 2007. Norton automatically updates its defi- nitions, as well. If your virus defini- tions are out of date, The Norton Protection Center will display a red X next to Protection Updates [which in- cludes the virus definitions]. To download the Protection Updates, click Run LiveUpdate in the Quick Tasks menu on the left side of the Norton Protection Center. When the LiveUpdate tool opens, click the Next button and then wait for the tool to check Symantec's servers. The tool will display all of the components it can update, including Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 27 WHAT TO DO WHE N... Your PC Has A Virus your virus definitions. When you click Next again, the tool will automatically download and install all of the de- finitions. Once you click the Finish button, Norton Antivirus may restart your computer. You are now ready to scan your computer for viruses. UlGp O Scan Your Computer When you run a virus scan, your antivirus software scours your com- puter in search of files that match its virus definitions. You don't need to sit by your computer as it scans: It will identify viruses and display a re- port once it completes the scan. McAfee VirusScan Plus. To scan your computer for viruses, click the Scan link, which appears on the left side of the SecurityCenter [if you're using SecurityCenter's Advanced in- terface, the Scan link is under Home]. Once the Scan page opens, you can configure your scan. Check the My Norton 1 Ba&ie PC Security Cieu X Pic:-?[Hon UpflalBS 1 r'jll : i V Kprp^jip! Pri.v, Inn V Wlwlir.tr; jiliirn.ilii: Upil.il Drowslnn A « ouMHimle Jilnii Online L — Trans action Security Norton Antivirus 2007's Norton Protection Center tells you which security features need your attention. You can look at this window to quickly determine whether you have the latest Protection Updates. Computer box in the Locations To Scan area if you want to ensure that the entire system, including any re- movable media in your optical and floppy drives, is included in the scan. The Options section lets you fine- tune the scan. If you want to run a full-system scan, check all of the boxes in this section. However, if you're searching only for viruses, uncheck the Scan And Remove Tracking Cookies box. Once you've configured the scan op- tions, click Scan Now. You can work on other pro- grams while your virus scan runs in the background. Simply click the Minimize icon in the upper- right corner of the window. If you need to devote your PC's re- sources to a particularly resource- intensive application, click the scan's Pause button. Click the Resume button to start the scan where it stopped. Symantec Norton Antivirus
13. Norton Antivirus offers two types of scans: a Quick Scan, which checks commonly infected files, and Full System Scan, which of- fers a thorough scan of your entire PC. To run a Quick Scan, click the Scan Now link, which appears under Quick Tasks in the Norton Protection Center. To run a Full System Scan, click the Norton Antivirus tab [next to the Protection Center tab] and then click Tasks & Scans. Next, click Run A Scan and then click Run Full System Scan. Scan times vary from one PC to the next — the scan may finish in a minute, or it may take several minutes. If you want to work while the scan runs in the background, click the Minimize icon at the top of the scan window. When the Perform Background Scan? Window appears, check the Do Not Ask Me Again box and then click the Yes button. Now you can mini- mize the scan at any time and focus on your other tasks while the scan runs. The scan's window will pop up again when the scan completes. The Results Summary page appears in the scan's window when the scan finishes. If the scan finds viruses, you'll see a number in the pink Total Items That Require Attention bar. Click the Attention Required tab at Norton Anti irij 3uh t «i m 3QS © Scan complete. There are items requiring attention. Attention Required [1 Q Total items scanned: Files t Directories Registry Entries Processes & Start-up Items Network & Browser Items Potential Unknown Threats Other | Detailed Results 6907 4082 B Total security risks detected: a Total items resolved: Total items that require attention : Once your scan completes, Norton Antivirus 2007 displays a report that identifies threats. Click the Attention Required tab to learn more about the malicious files and determine how to remove them. — I the top of the window. You're ready to remove the virus. Step 4 Remove The Virus Today's software makes removing most threats a breeze. Many applica- tions can automatically remove minor threats or suggest removal actions. McAfee VirusScan Plus. Once the virus scan completes, an alert will ap- pear and the SecurityCenter will display basic information about the threats the scan found and actions it took. To view the individual threats and specify actions, click View Details. This page names each threat, displays its category [such as Potentially Unwanted Pro- gram] and displays the file path so you can see where the threat sat on your computer. VirusScan Plus can automat- ically fix some problems [including un- wanted tracking cookies], but if you want to take a particular action, you can use the I Want To section. VirusScan automatically removes some unwanted threats. Rather than deleting these files, it moves them to the Quarantined Programs And Tracking Cookies section. To view the files and delete them [or restore them, if you decided you want certain cookies, for example], click the Advanced Menu link at the bottom of the SecurityCenter and then click the 28 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC WHAT TO DO WHE N... Your PC Has A Virus Restore button. You can now view in- formation about quarantined items without harming your PC. Symantec Norton Antivirus 2007. The Attention Required tab in the scan's Results Summary window lists each threat [including nonvirus threats, such as cookies] and suggests an action in the Action column. You can use the drop-down menu to select an action [such as Fix, Ignore, or Exclude], or you can leave the suggested action in place. When you're ready to remove the threats, click the Apply Actions button. In some cases, Norton Antivirus may not be able to automatically fix the problems it finds. If it finds virus infec- tions in system files, for example, it McAfee FreeScan [us.mcafee.com /root/mfs/default.asp] and Symantec also has a Spyware & Viruses scan [www.symantec.com/home_home office/support/index_virus.jsp] . You can also use these tools if you think your existing antivirus software hasn't caught a virus on your PC. Some lesser-known publishers also offer online scanners. If you choose to use a scanner you don't recognize, search the Web for other users' opin- ions. Malicious users can create legiti- mate-looking security programs that "find" phantom viruses and ask you to pay for the software to remove it. Once you know the name of your PC's virus, you can Ad-Aware SE Personal [www.lavasoft usa.com] and Grisoft's AVG Anti- Virus Free [free.grisoft.com]. When All Else Fails If your antivirus and other apps fail to remove your PC of its malady, it may be time to wipe the system clean and re- install your OS. Be sure that once your fresh OS is installed, you update Windows completely and install your antivirus software before you reintro- duce your backed up files to your PC. After all, they may still carry viruses. by Joshua Gulick may recommend that you use your OS installation CD to replace a damaged file. You'll find information about the problem in the Attention Required tab. If you think that a particular file is infected, but Norton doesn't flag it as suspicious, you can move it to the Quarantine, which is a protected en- vironment that won't let the file do any further damage. Click the Norton Antivirus tab and then click Tasks & Scans. Click Manage Quarantined search for information about removing it. Some software publishers offer special, downloadable tools for nasty viruses. In some cases, you'll need to install a full an- tivirus program to de- stroy the virus. Viruses vs. Adware & Spyware Many antivirus ap- plications don't search for adware and spy- ware. If you've run an- tivirus scanners without any luck, the program that's causing your computer to behave oddly may fall into the adware or spyware cate- gory. Several security publishers offer free an- tispyware/adware pro- grams such as Lavasoft's Protect Your PC £ everal security software publishers offer J free or trial versions of their antivirus and antispyware/adware applications. Here are some popular programs that can help rid your system of unwanted bugs. Comodo www.comodogroup.com Comodo Antivirus [Free] Items and click Go To Quarantine. When the Security History: Quar- antine window appears, you can click Add Item To Quarantine to use the Manual Quarantine tool, which lets you browse for the suspicious file. Online Resources Don't panic if you think you have a virus but don't already have antivirus software. Some antivirus software publishers offer free online scanning Grisoft www.grisoft.com free.grisoft.com AVG Internet Security 7.5 [30-day trial] AVG Anti-Malware 7.5 [30-day trial] AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5 [30-day trial] AVG Anti-Virus Free [Free] AVG Anti-Spyware Free [Free] Lavasoft www.lavasoftusa.com Ad-Aware SE Personal [Free] tools that can search your computer in minutes. McAfee, for example, offers McAfee us.mcafee.com McAfee Internet Security Suite 2007 [30-day trial] McAfee VirusScan Plus [30-day trial] One At A Time A Ithough it's certainly tempting to 1 #% best antivirus programs you can fir with a single program. As with firewall s programs may cause conflicts that creai the problems your virus stirred up. 1 oad your PC with all of the id, you're much better off oftware, multiple antivirus :e more trouble— on top of Symantec www.symantec.com Norton Internet Security 2007 [1 5-day trial] Norton Antivirus 2007 [1 5-day trial] Norton AntiSpam 2005 [1 5-day trial] Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 29 WHAT TO DO WHE N... What To Do When... Your LAN Isn't Working If you asked somebody how to successfully do a jigsaw puzzle, they'd probably tell you match whatever you can, and good luck. Think that's a good analogy to trouble- shooting LANs [local-area networks]? We'd need to throw in half a dozen or more puzzles, together. The field is filled with software and hard- ware designed to build and maintain networks, similar in generalities but often very unalike in detail. This makes offering prob- lem-solving adice that's applicable to all LANs very challenging. But there are some difficulties that repeat between networks, and some conditions that hold true for all be- cause they involve Windows XP or good basic maintenance practices. So while we can't guarantee that this ar- ticle will make your network problem- free, we think it provides a good chance of fixing things before you get into the rocket science of unique network complexities. Problem: I've got a wireless net- work, and my connection is spotty at best. Solution: Wireless connections can be tricky. Sometimes they can work over relatively long distances but fail across the room. If your clients are within signal range of your router, begin by looking for other electronic devices that can generate electronic interference. Microwaves are frequent culprits; others are additional wire- less units, such as wireless speakers, Bluetooth devices, and cordless phones. Even wireless mice, garage door remotes, and brick walls have been known to cause problems. In short, overlook nothing and test everything if your wireless LAN expe- riences periodic performance drops. Found the problem? Just because interference is present, that doesn't mean it's omnipresent. Try moving your router. Raise it several feet, or put it in an area away from other electronic gear. Even a difference of a few inches may make the differ- ence between a good, solid connec- tion and a poor, spotty one. Or lacking that, try moving your wire- less clients away from interference- causing devices. Another solution is to upgrade the antenna on your router, or add a range extender. Some antennas are re- movable, and you can purchase more powerful models. Problem: We had a brief blackout, and I had to reset my main computer. When it came back up, though, I was unable to access the Web, and my personal LAN can't, either. Solution: It sounds as though your computer has temporarily lost its IP [Internet Protocol] address and can't identify itself to your ISP [Internet ser- vice provider]. Several conditions can cause this problem. The first thing to try is a normal Windows reboot, as the OS [oper- ating system] doesn't respond well to sudden interruptions in service and may not have come back cor- rectly. Shut down your PC and manually turn off your cable/ DSL [Digital Subscriber Line] modem and router. Wait about a minute, then start up your computer and turn those de- vices back on. Wait a couple minutes and see if the restart was sufficient to reset your IP address. If not, click Start and Run, then type ipconfig/ release in the Open field of the Run dialog box and press ENTER or click OK. This sends a request to your provider's DHCP [Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol] server to blank or uncon- figure your IP address. Wait a few sec- onds and then click Start and Run again, only this time type ipconfig/ renew and click OK. The DHCP server will now attempt to establish a new IP address for your computer. You may need to reboot at the end of this process, but either way you should once more be able to communicate with your provider. Problem: My networked computers have suddenly stopped communi- cating with one another. Are there any possibilities I can look into before getting help from someone more technically savvy than myself? Solution: Sometimes the most straightforward solution is the right one, and because it's so obvious it goes overlooked. So start by doing the ob- vious: Check the cables that connect 30 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC WHAT TO DO WHE N... Your LAN Isn't Working your router or hub with your PCs. While unconnected cables should show up in your Network Communi- cations window or as a faulty device in your Device Manager, a partially seated or damaged cable may not. Don't just check visually. Make sure the cables are well-seated by hand. If you feel a lot of give, the plug or its corresponding port may be poorly se- cured. Try reconnecting to a different port, then try using a different net- work cable. Make sure that all devices are properly powered up. It's not un- heard of for power cords to come loose as a result of movement or the addition or subtraction of other power cords to or from an outlet, or perhaps someone "borrowed" the power outlet your small network de- pends upon. If this reveals nothing, check out the status of all your de- vices' LEDs. Green is usually good, but orange, red, or anything that flickers between orange or red and another color isn't. Problem: Fm trying to print a doc- ument from a computer on my net- work other than the one it's connected to and it won't work. Everything else works fine. Solution: This sounds like an issue with a Windows networking compo- nent called File And Printer Sharing For Microsoft Networks. Is it installed and enabled? Some people deliber- ately leave it disabled because of fears that it permits breaches to security. This is inaccurate, because you'd have to fulfill a number of other important conditions to leave your computer open to general access. Make sure that the files you want to print can be shared; use Windows Explorer to locate them, then right- click each one and select Properties in the pop-up menu that appears. In each file's Properties dialog box, click the Sharing tab and make sure the Local Sharing And Security op- tion isn't checked. Instead, select the Network Sharing And Security checkbox. Finally, note at the bottom of the Sharing tab whether your fire- wall is configured to permit network sharing of that file or folder. Windows Firewall has an option to disallow this because it assumes you might be accessing your computer at times in less secure locations, such as airports, offices, and cars. If you're using a third-party firewall, you'll want to make sure it's set to allow network sharing, as well. I SBB m General Advanced Driver Details R ■ :- : ' '": . : , ' ". .wider: Marvell Driver Date: 10/2/2003 Driver Version: 6.30.0.0 .... .... Driver Details... j To view details about the driver files. ". ; ,if'G.i;fe "■•:' ■::■-■•!'::■• '•■A ■!■!; ■r.i-;::.i' ,:•■:[.•-..' iht:- -.1,1'vt.-: :>,u- J rrf: '..«:■"■:>•.■> ,irj,T" ; mode, :!i;:,;t" c ■• • :•/ • ;; :. s , : :,v ai : :il;i ; : tate, click No , Yes 1; No il When you see this pop-up, click No to launch System Restore from Safe Mode. close the case, plug in the PC, and restart. You may need to press a key while the computer boots to acknowl- edge that the settings have been reset to the factory defaults. Windows Won't Boot Use the last known good configu- ration. Sometimes, after installing a graphics card driver, you'll be unable to boot into Windows. Restart your computer and, as the computer boots, repeatedly press the F8 key until you see the Windows Advanced Options Menu. Use the arrow key to highlight the Last Known Good Configuration option and then press ENTER. Use a system restore point. Restart your computer and, as the computer boots, repeatedly press the F8 key until you see the Windows Advanced Options Menu. Use the arrow key to highlight the Safe Mode option and then press ENTER. Log on to your computer as you normally would. Before you see the Windows Desk- top, you'll see the Windows Is Run- ning In Safe Mode pop-up. Click No. In the System Restore dialog box, make sure the Restore My Computer To An Earlier Time radio button is enabled and click Next. Select a Restore Point from the calendar on the left, particularly one that was saved prior to when you first encountered the problem, and then click Next. Click Next to restore your computer. Trouble With New Video Cards Reboot your computer. If you re- cently installed a new video card and driver, then your computer will rely on the generic VGA driver until you reboot the system. To start using your new card to its full potential, reboot the system. Uninstall the current graphics card driver and install an updated driver. If you didn't uninstall the previous driver, then your system probably opted to use the generic VGA driver when it determined that the current graphics card wasn't designed to run with the installed driver. Even if you installed the graphics driver from the disc that ac- companied your new graphics card, it may not have been the most up-to- date version available. Any time you upgrade hardware, it's a good idea to download the latest driver from the manufacturer's Web site [if you haven't already done so] and save it to your Desktop. Top graphics card manufacturers Nvidia [www.nvidia.com] and ATI [ati.amd .com] make finding the right graphics card driver easy. From Nvidia's site, click the Download Drivers link at the top of the page and follow the on- screen instructions for downloading the appropriate driver. From ATI's site, click the Drivers & Software icon, click Find A Driver, and then click the appropriate options to download the latest driver for your video card. Next, uninstall the existing driver, as well as any related graphics config- uration software, using the Add Or Remove Programs utility. In WinXP, click Start and Control Panel and then click [double-click in Classic View] Add Or Remove Programs. If you're using Win98/2000, click Start, Settings, Control Panel and then double-click the Add Or Remove Programs icon. Scan the Currently Installed Programs list for the graphics card's manufacturer and then click the Remove or Change /Remove button on all items that pertain to the graphics card. Restart the computer and double- click the executable files for the new graphics card drivers you previously downloaded. Follow the on-screen in- structions to install the driver and restart the computer. Check the BIOS. Sometimes, im- proper BIOS settings can result in a conflict between AGP and PCI graphics cards. To make sure your BIOS is properly configured, restart your PC and immediately begin press- ing the designated key that grants you access to the BIOS. This key varies from system to system, so check your computer or motherboard manual for information about which key to press. You may also see instructions for ac- cessing the BIOS appear on-screen as 44 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC WHAT TO DO WHE N... You're Having Video Problems PhoenixBIOS Setup Utility Item Specific Help System Time: 121:36:47] System Date: 101/10/2005] Selects floppy type. Legacy Diskette ft: 11.44/1.25 MB 3%"] Note that 1.25 MB 3%" HiiEsiaraD references a 1024 byte/ sector Japanese media ► Primary Master [None] format. The 1.25 MB, ► Primary Slaue [None] 3%" diskette requires ► Secondary Master [None] a 3-Mode floppy-disk ► Secondary Slaue [None! driue. ► Keyboard Features System Memory: 640 KB Extended Memory: 1047552 KB Boot-tine Diagnostic Screen: [Enabled] Help Select Item Change Ualues Setup Defaults Exit Select Menu Select ► Sub-Menu Saue and Exit Instructions for navigating and changing settings in the BIOS [Basic Input/Output System] typically appear at the bottom or on the right side of the screen. the computer boots. Some common keys are DELETE, ESC, Fl, or F2. If you're required to press a function key, make sure you don't have F-LOCK en- abled on your keyboard. Press the key repeatedly until you enter the BIOS. Changing BIOS settings can cause your computer to fail to boot, so exer- cise caution. If you're using an AGP or PCI graphics card, make sure the BIOS is configured to initialize the display with whichever type of card you use. Some older PCs are set by default to recognize PCI graphics cards before AGP graphics cards. Examine the BIOS menus for an option that lets you change this to the appropriate setting for your graphics card. Individual menu and options names : J.';^T■■■■ :--e:-:jc-::s :?:sc s-c ■=: : :?:s alend n programs are installed],
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15. On this list, click a restore point. < H H > ■e:-:o-e - -e-f -e .'. 2 z- -::■:-&- c-r-.- =-c : -es-e oz:.. 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 -J -'■ 21 :: ::
16. Select a bolded date from the calendar on the left and click Next to use a Restore Point to restore your computer. vary greatly by PC, so con- sult the documentation that came with your computer or motherboard. Once you've changed the settings, press the Save And Exit key, typically F10. If at any point you made a change to the BIOS that you want to undo, you can reset the BIOS by pressing the designated Load De- faults key. The Save And Exit and Load Defaults keys usually appear on the main BIOS options screen. For more information on troubleshooting BIOS issues, refer to "Basic Troubleshooting: BIOS" at SmartComputing.com. Roll back your driver. Sometimes, installing an updated graphics driver will actually cause more problems than it solves. Although this is a rare occurrence, it may force you to use an older graphics driver until a fixed one becomes available. To perform this step, you'll need to be able to access your Windows Desktop. Click Start, right-click My Computer, click Manage, click Device Manager from the left pane of the Computer Management window, and then click the plus [+] symbol in front of Display Adapters in the right pane. Right-click the graphics adapter, click Properties, click the Driver tab, and then click the Roll Back Driver button. Click Yes to continue on the Are You Sure You Would Like To Roll Back To The Previous Driver window. If at one time you installed an old- er driver, the Roll Back procedure will restore it as the main graphics adapter driver. If not, Roll Back will remove the current driver and begin using the generic VGA driver. Click Close to complete the process. Click OK in the System Properties dialog box and then close the Device Man- ager window. The Desktop Doesn't Look Right Adjust the display settings. If you can see your Windows Desktop when you boot the PC, then open the display properties and adjust the settings. Right-click anywhere on the Desktop, click Properties, and click the Settings tab. Here you'll find the Display, Screen Resolution, and Color Quality settings. If your computer is configured to use multiple monitors, make sure you select the appropriate one from the Display drop box. Adjust the Screen Resolution and Color Quality settings to the highest settings that your mon- itor supports. You may need to consult the documentation or manufacturer's Web site to determine these settings for your monitor. Click Apply and then click Yes if the Desktop looks sat- isfactory. If the icons and text appear too small, move the Screen Resolution slider to the left one increment, click Apply, and then click Yes if you pre- fer the new setting. If not, click No, and move the slider an additional increment. Continue this trial and error process until you find a setting that works. Common resolutions sup- ported by most 17-inch or larger moni- tors include 800 x 600, 1,024 x 768, and 1,280x1,024. Occasionally, the Screen Resolutions on the Display Properties box don't match those supported by your mon- itor. If you choose a setting that isn't supported, and the monitor goes blank, wait 14 seconds to allow the system to reset your monitor to the previous setting. Often the monitor will display a message such as No Connection, No Input, or No Signal during this short interval. Typically, you'll want to set the Color Quality to the highest available setting, which is usually Highest [32- bit]. Some software applications re- quire lower Color Quality settings, so if you see errors pertaining to Color Quality when running a given applica- tion, adjust the setting accordingly. H by Andrew Leibman Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 45 WHAT TO DO WHE N... What To Do When... You're Having Audio Problems As computers and notebooks evolve into multimedia play- back centers, reliable, quality sound becomes ever more important. Alas, many problems with your com- puter's audio can arise at any mo- ment. Audio troubles can originate from hardware and software sources, and you can even track these issues back into your computer's most basic operating code, the BIOS [Basic Input/Output System]. If your com- puter's audio doesn't sound quite right or isn't making any sounds at all, try walking through these audio troubleshooting basics. When Silence Is Not Golden The most common audio frustra- tion seems to be not being able to get any audio at all. Unfortunately, there are many sources of this problem, from the embarrassingly obvious to the most technically daunting. First, check your hardware: Make sure that you've correctly connected the speakers to the audio outputs of the computer and that you properly power up the entire set. Most external PC speakers require their own power source that you need to plug in and turn on. After power outages, for in- stance, when you turn your comput- er back on, your speakers may not power back up unless you do so man- ually. Also, make sure that you turn the speaker volume back up to au- dible levels. These may seem like painfully obvious solutions, but in our experiences we can trace back many "no sound" problems to the simplest oversights. Next, check to make sure that Win- dows recognizes your audio hardware. Click the Start menu, select Settings, and click Control Panel. In the Con- trol Panel window, double-click the System icon. In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab and then under Device Manager, click the Device Manager button. This window shows an outline of your hardware and the software drivers that make them work properly with Windows. Double-click Sound, Video And Game Controllers to check to make sure none of your audio devices has a red X on it. If you see a red X, this means that your computer recognizes the audio hardware, but the drivers are not properly installed. In this case, you'll need to reinstall your audio controller drivers. To do this, please see "Basic Troubleshooting: Audio Cards" on page 75. If all of the hardware is operating correctly and you still can't hear any- thing, then you need to check the volume settings in Windows XP. First, open up Windows Media Player [or a music player of your choice] and 46 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC WHAT TO DO WHE N... You're Having Audio Problems Options Help Play Control Balance: Wave CD Player Microphone Auxiliary Line-In MIDI Synth Digital-ln Balance: Balance: Balance: Balance: Balance: Balance: Balance: p -Q- t;5e :vt::>'uj:; cf.-'U'r '-i;m- ''■■'/■-c::-i [?;:\ : ,■..■■...■ Creative Technology Ltd 1,220 K 0DkService.exe 1324 DKSERVICE.EXE Executive Software Intern... 6,1 28 K fyNPROTECT.E... 1420 section 3 tatus Symantec Corporation 3,428 K a™™™,™. 1720 916K gNOPDB.EXE 1096 NOPDB Symantec Corporation 2,61 6 K a S vch 0S te« e 1124 |™lvmware-authd.... 1968 5ei 1 VMwaie, Inc. 3,372 K QvnMt™ 1232 ■ VMwaie, Inc. gMsPMSPSv.ene 1392 MSP Service Microsoft Corporation 1,440 K -,'■ SymWSC.exe 1932 Norton Security Center Service Symantec Corporation 2,028 K Zlvmn e tdhcp. eKe 1972 M i- Mnet DHCP service 1,588 K iPodService.exe 388 'ice Module Apple Computer, Inc. 3,428 K Qalg-exe 2808 , Microsoft Corporation 3,428 K ai sas , e « e 764 Export Version] Microsoft Corporation 876 K EJari2evxx.exe 484 . .', :..,;.\ : , ATI Technologies Inc. 2,1 68 K B .j explore,. 580 Windows Explorer Microsoft Corporation iTunesHs riper Module Apple Computer, Inc. 3,876 K [Trundll32.exe 112 Run a DLL as an App Microsoft Corporation 2,888 K tfrtwae 840 ATI Tray Tools Ray Adams 2,732 K :. CopernicDeskl Copanic Desktop Search Copernic Technologies Inc 18,1 56 K 1M.VirtualDesktop.exe 816 tual Desktop Enable Software Ptji Ltd 3,656 K 1044 Loadout Manager 4,832 K ■ speedfan.exe 1052 Almico Software [www.alm... 1,752 K IWOHD.EXE 3672 Mi oft ordfor indow Microsoft Corporation 20,832 K ijfpSP.EXE 756 10.364K f rlrefox.exe 2196 Firefox Mozilla Corporation 86,320 K JEJtaskmgr.eKe 2984 askManager iji i 5,060 K 3090 : : . : ■ 5,244 K IWINZIP32.EXE 3192 . 10,1 08 K & procexp.exe 3044 0.77 Sysinternals 10.444K Qem exec.exe 672 3,728 K — r CPU Usage: 0.77% Commit Charge: 1 2.59% |Proc es se S :47| A If you need help deciphering the processes running on your system, Microsoft's Process Explorer will track down the original program that's running a background program. to www.almico.com/speedfan.php. Click Download and SpeedFan 4.31. Choose where you'd like to download the installer file and double- click the installer file's icon once it has fully downloaded. The installation wizard will guide you through the process; open SpeedFan when you have in- stalled it. SpeedFan's Reading tab should display your CPU's current temperature. Be sure to check your CPU's temperature during idle and after you've placed it under load. [Playing a demanding 3D video game is a good way to do this.] Although CPU manufacturers list the maximum recommended temper- atures for their CPUs, as a general rule of thumb, any CPU temp higher than 64 degrees Celsius is cause for concern. You should look into replacing a mal- functioning fan, installing a better heatsink/fan combination if your stock fan is working fine, or look for some other cooling problem. If your CPU temperatures are lower than its max- imum rating, then overheating isn't causing your system's slowdowns. Clear Out The Software Nasties After you've verified there aren't any hardware problems or corrected any problems you did find, focus on software. And whenever you deal with software problems and weird slowdowns, computer viruses and spyware should imme- diately come to mind. Fortunately, there are a lot of automated tools to help clear out this pesky malware. Viruses are constantly evolving, so there's a good chance your an- tivirus program isn't catching everything if you haven't up- dated your antivirus definitions in a little while. Therefore, start by up- dating your antivirus software and doing a full scan. If you've let your an- tivirus subscription lapse and don't want to pay for a renewal, consider using a free tool such as AVG Free [free.grisoft.com] or AOL's Active Virus Shield [www.activevirusshield .com], which features the excellent Kaspersky antivirus engine. If your updated antivirus program detects and cleans anything, be sure to reboot a few times and repeat the scan; stubborn viruses may find a way to evade just one cleaning. If repeated cleanings won't take care of a virus, it may have weaved itself into Windows and become impossible to clean with Windows running. In these cases, your best bet is to either transfer the hard drive to a second computer for scanning or use a self-booting CD with antivirus tools, the Ultimate Boot CD. Just remember, like any an- tivirus application, the Ultimate Boot CD's included antivirus software will eventually become outdated, re- quiring you to manually download an updated version. Spyware can also slow things down when it kicks into gear and starts doing its job. You should obviously remove spyware along with any viruses you might find. Two free scanners, Ad- Aware SE [www.lavasoftusa.com] and Spybot Search & Destroy [www.safer- networking.org] do a pretty good job of clearing out most basic spyware, while Webroot's Spy Sweeper [www .webroot.com/consumer/products/spy sweeper] does an excellent job of clear- ing stubborn spyware infestations. Identify & Solve Core Windows Problems All versions of Windows have many programs running in the back- ground, including drivers, services, and other applications. Occasionally, one or more of these programs begins having trouble and makes your whole system start acting oddly. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to see if any of these core applications are having problems and to take corrective action. Start by running the Event Viewer, which you can access by right- clicking the My Computer icon and clicking Manage from the pop -up menu. Then Progi^m view Service AVG Anti-Viru Free Edi g Help Topics 4p Check - You can also protec data against spy wai hackers andspaim Extend your protect Program Tests Results Service Infc J AVG I Anti-Virus Free Edition Control Center |& Virus Vault @ Help Topics © Scheduler U, Test Results Attention: You can exteitdyour protection level witfr AnH-Spyware, Persoital Firewall or Art-Spam! Click here to leant more... Security status ■ . ■ ' m No threats found yet. ; ■ .■■•.• ; • ■ ■. :. - ;■•:•„ .. ,. :: ... ... ,..,. ,.. ,.,,. -54:: _l • , AVG Free is free antivirus software that should clear out any pesky viruses that have infiltrated your system. Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 61 WHAT TO DO WHE N... Your PC Runs Slowly Or Erratically General j 5Y5TEM.INI | WIN. INI ! BOOT, INI | Services Startup | Startup Item 1 Command l L0Cati ° n JWIJllFFFHIiLIIinilll' Q iTunesHelper ":'::'> i ' . ' - ■ ' HI L! 11,5' jF i ,w ■ 'luftentwef Rundll32P17 Rundll32P17.dll,P17H,.. HKLM\SOFT WARE ws\CurrentVer , El HKLM\SOFT WAREl ■,'s\CurrentVer , — ' Q atitray "' .'' :.. /: . : ,:•.': -l.-iV HKCU\SOFTWAPf TA^CurrentVer. ' .'.C.r.i; . :-:■: . . : '■ V '• ■ ' . HKCU\SOFTWARI ; l '/js\CurrentVer. .»' ■ : •:. ■■■ ' j, ;'.\v: JRA-1\ENABL... : on Startup oadout Manager E:\PROGRA~l Bi Common Startup SpeedFan FA-HSpeed... Startup □ Acrotray ' .; ■■ ■ . v.-,' : SOFTWARE\Micn: ,irrentVersion\Ru D CTCMSGo !:: •: ■;'•■"■' - i : -;V- '• '!■ SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ru Q CTSysVol ■ ■■: . ■■'.■ ;':•: ' "•:.: SOFT WARE\Micrc jr rentVersion\Ru *j c-ves fe^l Human Interfr :e Ds: :es Q IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers ,-> Keyboards Mice and o ;-£■■ so - : -c rev :es J. Modems L, Agere Systems AC'97 Modem £» PANTCCH PC Card '^ Monitors V Network adapters Sj PCMCIA adapters jij PCMCIA and Flash memory devices Jf Ports [COM a LPT] ■♦ Processors ;;:. sOc ;■? -ds; :C'-;-d e-s 5o_". v::eo-r-:-::-r-e ::■-;-:■ e-s . System devices [% .-:ve'S.r Se-=. E.s :o;-o g-s To find out your modem's name, model number, and man- ufacturer, open the Windows Device Manager and look in the Modems section. your modem is connecting to another computer — is a key step in the con- nection process. It helps your modem identify connection settings and error correction rates [error correction lets your modem deal with a change in the quality of the phone line's signal with- out disconnecting the call]. There are two types of error correc- tion: hardware and software, of which hardware is far and away the best. Check your modem's users guide to see which type of error correction you have. If it's software, consider buying a different modem, as software-based error correction can slow down data rates drastically. If your modem's error correction feature is hardware-based, update your firmware using the directions outlined above. Old firmware is a common cause of long handshakes. Problem: When I try to connect, I'm told there's no dial tone. Solution: Have you checked the phone line itself? If your phones get a dial tone but your modem doesn't, check your modem's connection to the wall jack. Make sure it's tight. If you have an external modem, check your modem's power cable and power supply. If they all check out, you may have too much line noise in your connection, or your modem it- self may need to be replaced. Problem: When I try to connect, I see a message that says "A dial-up connection could not be established" or "The protocol is not configured." Solution: You may have a problem with your network protocols. A pro- tocol is simply a convention used to govern the connection between devices. Common protocol names are TCP/IP [Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol], IPX/SPX [Internetwork Packet Exchange/ Sequenced Packet Exchange], and Client for Microsoft Networks. Dif- ferent ISPs use a different blend of protocols to let your modem connect to their machines; if you receive an error message that mentions proto- cols, call your ISP's help desk to see which protocols they use, then turn off extra protocols that can interfere with a connection. [Often, your ISP won't need the IPX/SPX protocol, which Windows turns on by default.] To turn off a protocol, click Start, Control Panel. Double-click the Network Connections icon and right- click your modem's dial-up connec- tion. Choose Properties from the context menu. In the section named Use These Components With this Connection, click the Networking tab and uncheck the box next to any pro- tocol you don't want. If you need to add a protocol, click the Add button and select your protocol type from the list. Then follow the prompts to add it to your system. If all else fails, call your ISP's help desk again and report the problem in detail. Often they're a better source of advice than your modem's manufacturer because they deal with modem problems day in, day out, all year long. With some luck you'll get your problem fixed and be surfing in no time. Qjs] by David Garrett Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 111 NETWORK COMPONENTS Basic Troubleshooting Network Interface Cards Whether you have a home network or are among the ever-increasing number of people signing up for broadband Internet access, your computer's NIC [Network Interface Card] is its lifeline to the rest of the world. Making sure your NIC runs at peak performance [or runs at all] is a big priority for any PC user, and doing so has become increasingly difficult be- cause of the problems associated with wireless NICs. Most of today's computers have a NIC integrated directly into the com- puter's motherboard. If you have an older computer, the NIC is most likely installed in a PCI [Peripheral Component Interconnect] slot, or it may have an external NIC that at- taches to a USB port. If the computer has a wired NIC, you can identify it by looking for an Ethernet port, which looks like an oversized phone jack and has lights above or below it that flash to indicate network activity. An Ethernet cable at- taches to the jack, and then the other end of the cable attaches to a broad- band modem or to a router [also called a gateway or access point] if you have a home network. Wireless NICs typically attach to one of the computer's USB ports [or slide into an expansion bay if you have a notebook computer], al- though some wireless NICs designed for desktop PCs use a PCI slot and have an antenna instead of an Ethernet port. The NIC is just one link in the chain between the computer and the Internet or network, so it's sometimes difficult to tell if the NIC is respon- sible when those types of connections go haywire. With wired and wireless NICs, if the connection is working but seems very slow [especially over the network], then the NIC is likely to blame. If there is no connection at all, check the router and broadband modem first to make sure they are plugged in and operational. Wired NICs are incredibly reliable, while wireless NICs are notoriously unreli- able, so keep that in mind when de- termining what is responsible for network and Internet problems. If the router and broadband mo- dem seem to be working properly and you don't see any lights blinking on the NIC, the NIC is likely dead and needs to be replaced. Beyond that, there are several common trou- bleshooting steps you can take that will clear up most problems. All of the following tips apply to Windows XP but will work with other versions of Windows with slight modifications. General Troubleshooting Problem: The NIC doesn't run as fast as advertised. Solution: Click Start, Control Pan- el, and Switch To Classic View [if nec- essary], and double-click Network Connections. Right-click Local Area Connection, click Properties, and click Configure. Select the Advanced tab and click the speed-related entry in the Property box [on our PC it was labeled Link Speed & Duplex, but this may vary depending on the NIC that is installed]. Use the Value drop- down box to select the fastest speed your NIC supports, which is likely 10/ 100Mbps [megabits per second] Full Duplex but may be 1,000Mbps Full Duplex if you have a Gigabit Ethernet card in- stalled. Click OK and reboot the computer. The card should operate at its full speed, assuming your router and the network computer you're con- necting to also support that speed. The speed of a wireless NIC depends mainly on the strength of the wireless signal it receives. You can get a quick read of the strength of your NICs wire- less connection by hovering the mouse cursor over the wireless icon in the system tray and waiting for a balloon to appear that tells you the overall signal strength. If it doesn't say Excellent or Very Good, then you may need to move the computer closer to the wire- less router, upgrade the router, or in- vest in an antenna that attaches to the router and boosts the signal. Problem: The NIC has power [the lights blink], but my computer won't connect to the network or to the Internet. Solution: Sometimes the NIC must be "reset" so the router recognizes it. Click Start, Control Panel, and Switch To Classic View [if necessary], and double-click Network Connections. Click Repair This Connection in the 112 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC NETWORK COMPONENTS Network Interface Cards Network Tasks box, wait for the process to complete, and click Close. If the connection still doesn't work, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the NIC according to the instructions it came with. Problem: My NIC has an inherent problem that I've heard is fixable by applying a driver and/or firmware up- date, but I don't know how to do this. Solution: Drivers are software that Windows uses to communicate with your hardware, while firmware is soft- ware that is installed in a special memory chip on the NIC and that con- trols all aspects of the NICs operation. Updating to the latest drivers and firmware revisions can fix bugs, en- hance compatibility, and add new fea- tures to the NIC that can help you avoid further trouble. You must down- load the latest drivers and firmware from the manufacturer's Web site, and when doing so you must make sure it matches up with the exact make and model of NIC you use. To find out this information, look for a sticker on the bottom of an external NIC. For in- ternal NICs, click Start, right-click My Computer, click Properties, and select the Hardware tab. Click Device Man- ager, expand the Network Adapters entry by clicking the plus [+] sign next to it, and write down the exact name that appears there. Use the instructions provided by the manufacturer to install the drivers or firmware. This is especially impor- tant during firmware upgrades as mistakes during the process can render the NIC useless. Troubleshooting Wireless NICs Problem: I attached a wireless NIC to a device [such as a game console or digital video recorder], but the device does not have access to my home net- work or to the Internet. Solution: The first thing to do is to determine whether the device is compatible with a NIC, because there's a good chance it needs a The easiest way to spot most integrated NICs [Network Interface Cards] or standard wired NICs is to look for the port that looks like a large phone jack wireless bridge. Bridges are a lot like wireless NICs except they have more internal hardware that lets them act as a sort of wireless cable. This means bridges work with just about every type of network-enabled product, whereas wireless NICs only work with products that have enough inte- grated networking hardware to rec- ognize the NIC and manage the network connection. If the device requires a bridge, you'll need to buy one, attach it to your router, and configure it to work with your network according to the instructions provided with the router. Once you configure the bridge, it should work with all of your network- enabled devices simply by plugging it into their Ethernet ports. If the device is supposed to work with a wireless NIC, then it must have some network setup menu that you can access to input network settings such as the network name and pass- word. Check the documentation that came with the device to figure out how to enter this data, which must match the settings that were estab- lished when you set up and secured your wireless router. Problem: I booted the computer but can't access either the network or the Internet. Solution: Sometimes the wireless NIC simply doesn't turn on or fails to connect to the network on its ini- tial attempt. When this happens, the wireless icon in the system tray has a red X next to it, so right-click the icon and click Repair. If that doesn't establish the connection, right-click the icon and click View Available Wireless Networks. Find your net- work on the list, click its entry, and click Connect. Problem: My NIC says it supports speeds that are much faster than the
17. llg or 802.11a specifications

    allow, but I never achieve those high speeds when transferring network files. Solution: 802.1 lg and 802.11a [the two most popular high-speed wire- less Ethernet standards] operate at up to 54Mbps [megabits per second], but most manufacturers add speed- boosting technology to their wireless products that allow for much faster speeds. Unfortunately, these tech- nologies are not standardized and therefore do not work with similar products from other manufacturers, so stick to products from the same company [that use the exact same speed-boosting technology] to benefit from a faster connection. H by Tracy Baker Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 113 NETWORK COMPONENTS Basic Troubleshooting Routers & Hubs A router or hub is the corner- stone of the average home network. An Ethernet hub, which has several Ethernet ports, lets users share folders and files among all of the computers con- nected to the home network. A router generally has a built-in hub and also has features that let it share a broadband Internet connection with the networked PCs. Routers also usually include other features, such as wireless connectivity and a hardware fire- wall that can protect your computers from many of the digital threats floating around the Web. Because the router is the center of your network, many network problems can be traced back to it. A defective de- vice, bad settings, old firmware, and firewall issues can all put your network on the blink. We'll show you how to troubleshoot your router or hub so you can spot and fix common problems. Know Your Model Some of our problem/solutions below may send you to the router or hub manufacturer's Web site to download product updates. To down- load the right updates, you'll need to know the unit manufacturer and model number of your device. Many routers and hubs bear the model number on the front panel and other information [such as the serial num- ber] on the bottom of the device. How To Tell If The Router Or Hub Is The Problem You can determine whether your router is the source of your network troubles by eliminating other net- work devices as the problem sources. Chances are, there're only a few poten- tial troublemakers beyond your router: the connection from your ISP [Internet service provider] to your home, the broadband modem that translates the data from your phone or cable line, or a troubled network card. You can rule out the first two problem sources easily enough [see "Basic Troubleshooting: Network Interface Cards" on page 112 for network adapter troubleshooting]. To determine whether your cable modem is the problem, you'll need to reset it. If your cable [or DSL [Digital Subscriber Line]] modem doesn't have a reset button, you can probably reset it by unplugging the power cord from the device for a few minutes. Once you plug the power cord back into the cable modem, it will try to reconnect to your ISP. If the reset doesn't solve the prob- lem, call your ISP's tech support number. The representative will let you know if Internet access is down in your area and can test the connection from the ISP to your modem to make sure it's working properly. The repre- sentative can probably even test your modem remotely, as well. Once you've determined that the ISP and modem are not to blame, disconnect your computer from the router and instead plug the PC's Ethernet cable directly into the mo- dem. Be sure to enable your firewall software before you try this test, as you'll bypass the router [and its built-in hardware firewall] com- pletely. [You can use Windows XP's built-in Firewall: Open the Control Panel, double-click Windows Firewall, and then choose the On radio button.] If your computer can connect to the Internet, you're looking at a router problem. If the PC still won't connect to the Internet, you'll need to troubleshoot the PC itself. Problem: My firmware is not up- to-date. Solution: Before you dive into the specific problems and solutions below, make sure your router's firm- ware is up-to-date. This step is im- portant — in fact, we provide all other solutions in this article under the as- sumption that you have already up- dated your router's firmware without solving the problem. Unlike peripherals, which require drivers to communicate with your PC, your router needs only firmware, which is a small program stored in the device's memory. Firmware controls the device and provides a menu of features that you can access via an Internet browser. As they do with drivers, device manufacturers often release updated versions of firmware that fix bugs and add new features. If you're experi- encing any problems with your router, you should kick off your trou- bleshooting session by making sure that the device has the most recent firmware release — after all, the new firmware version may fix the problem 114 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC NETWORK COMPONENTS Routers & Hubs Routers and hubs usually have multiple LEDs that indicate data transfer activity, transfer speed and other information. Check out your manual to learn more about your device's lights. automatically or provide tools that will let you fix the problem. To determine the router's current firmware version, you'll need to open the firmware menu. Open your Internet browser [such as Firefox or Internet Explorer] and then enter the router's IP [Internet Protocol] address in the browser's Address bar. Your router's users manual will come in handy here [if you don't have it any longer, download the manual from the Support section of the manufacturer's Web site], as it will include the router's IP address [such as 192.168.1.1]. You will almost certainly see a login screen before the menu appears. Con- sult your manual for the login information if you haven't already changed the username and password [and don't forget to change the username and password later on — default login info leaves your network open to even the most inexperi- enced hackers]. You can visit the router's IP address via your Internet browser whether your Internet connection is working or not: the data travels between your PC and the router via your Ethernet cable. When the firm- ware menu appears in your browser, look for the firmware ver- sion number, which generally appears on the front page of the menu. If you don't see the firmware version, check your manual — the manufacturer likely placed the version number somewhere else in the menu. Once you have your current firm- ware version number, visit the router manufacturer's Web site and head for the Support section. Look up your router's model number to see whether the manufacturer has a more recent version available for download. Don't panic if you don't have the latest version: Downloading , , ■ , intern

    Conne ■tionType Optional Settings — Networ Address gs [DHCP] [Automatic [ion - DHCP Router Name WRT54G 1 1 Domain Name 1 1 MTU: Auto v Size: fi^r ' i:,V:r->« : ess: [I92].[l6i,0.0 2E5 .255. 255.0 v| DHCP Server: ©Enable O Disable Starting IP Address: 1 92.1 68.1 . | 100 1 StaticDNSI: [Q.[d3[d3[P One of the easiest hardware fixes around is the firmware update. New firmware releases often contain fixes that address common problems with PC hardware. and installing it is a very simple process. Once you've downloaded the new firmware, check your man- ual for installation instructions. In our experience, the manual will tell you to return to your router's ex- isting firmware and use a built-in update feature that can automati- cally update the device via the file you just downloaded. Problem: I can access the Internet when I connect directly to my broad- band modem, but not when I put a router between the modem and my PC. Solution 1: Update your firmware by following our instructions in the previous problem and solution, as buggy firmware might be the problem. If you already have the latest version of the router's firmware, use the firmware menu to return all of the features to their default settings. If this solves the connection prob- lem, be sure to make future settings changes one at a time so you'll know what setting causes trouble if you encounter problems again. Solution 2: Reset your network de- vices. This gives them the chance to reassign IP addresses and connect to each other without conflicts. To com- pletely reset your network devices, power off your PC and then unplug your broadband modem and router. Leave the units unplugged for a few minutes. Consult your device manuals to determine whether you need to perform any addi- tional tasks to reset the devices [some units have Reset buttons, for example]. Finally, plug in and power on your devices, starting with the broadband modem, then your router, and then your PC. Problem: I can't access cer- tain Web sites from computers on my network. Solution: Chances are good that your software firewall is the culprit, rather than your router. Software firewalls might Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 115 NETWORK COMPONENTS Routers & Hubs block your access to certain Web sites for a variety of rea- sons. If your computer runs a software firewall, start your troubleshooting by first dis- abling the software firewall and then visiting the Web site again. If you still can't access the site, enter your router's firmware menu and then navi- gate to its filtering settings. Anyone who can log into your router's firmware [via the user- name and password you de- fined] can use the router's filtering features to create a list of Web sites that the router will block access to. As we mentioned, this is a much less likely scenario than your soft- ware firewall detecting something on the Web site that triggers its own blocking features. Problem: All of my computers can access the Internet via the router, but they can't see each other. Solution: You can easily solve this problem by configuring your PCs to recognize each other [and share files, folders, and printers] over the net- work. Although your computers are physically networked, they may not yet belong to a specific network group and may lack other settings [such as file sharing settings]. Some net- working devices include file- sharing P^ ! n !H Reassign IP addresses to break your router free of a dropped wireless connection. In our experience, we've had the best luck by powering off the computer that dropped the connection before forcing the DHCP release. Other Internet connection methods... . . ...... . . ■ i . .... on rmji network also cc I ■ ffui I & Processors
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    MacOSX s Microsoft Windows 2000 ■a Microsoft Windows 98 » Microsoft Windows ME ;■ I, Hero soft vYindows NT 4.0 Make sure your MFD [multifunction device] device drivers are up-to-date by downloading the latest drivers and patches from the manufacturer's Web site. *Mm\timm*mm*»MMm>mmfm ^ Problem: Paper is feeding through the machine, but the output is entirely blank. Solution: This is a problem with many possible solutions. The first one is to make sure you follow the manufacturer's procedures for re- placing and properly installing the ink cartridges. If that doesn't do the trick, check your devices' software. Have
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24. 100 1 [25-400?;:] Tropes, I Advance To cure slow copying woes, change your MFD [multifunction device] settings to a faster setting. you installed the latest print drivers? Is the MFD selected as the default printer? Are the settings appropriate for the paper size you're using? If you've answered yes to all three ques- tions, it's time to check the print heads. Many MFDs have utilities that clean print head nozzles. Visit the manufacturer's Web site for detailed instructions on how to clean the nozzles. Problem: I'm able to get paper to feed through the ma- chine and ink to print onto the paper, but the output is fuzzy or the print quality is otherwise poor. Solution: This is another problem that may need multiple troubleshooting steps to solve. First, keep in mind that with re- gards to print quality, there are two main types of MFDs: inkjet and laser printers. If you are using the wrong paper for your device, the output may be blurred. [Plus, you run the risk of using unnecessarily excessive amounts of ink when you print from an inkjet device onto paper designed for a laser machine or vice versa.] Also, check the soft- ware settings and make sure that you have them set for the highest desired quality rather than the Draft or other "low-quality" set- ting. In addition, most MFDs have some type of check that you can run to verify the device is performing up to par. For ex- ample, when you open a Dell unit's Control Panel software ap- plication for many of the Dell all- in-one models, press the Main- tenance button. You can select from a variety of options, in- cluding Clean To Fix Horizontal Streaks, which may improve print quality. Explore your own device's software cleaning op- tions. If this fails, you may need to clean the unit's print head nozzles; visit the manufacturer's Web site for instructions. Scanning & Copying Some MFD users think of their de- vices as glorified printers, but when 134 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC PERIPHERALS Multifunction Devices you rely on the scanning and copying components, it can be frustrating when they aren't working as expected. Problem: The scan output is dis- playing bizarre characters that weren't in the original, printed document. Solution: Scanning software appli- cations can treat files in one of two pri- mary ways: as images or as text documents. When scanning a text doc- ument, if you don't want the option of editing the text of the scanned file, your best option is to scan it as an image file rather than a document. This helps en- sure the scanned output is nearly iden- tical to the original file. If you're scanning the document as a text file, the software's OCR [optical character recognition] function kick in. The text is scanned one character at a time, and the OCR software translates the char- acter images into ASCII [American Standard Code for Information 1 If your PC has a fax utility, you may be able to fax from your MFD [multifunction device] even if it doesn't have a telephone handset. Interchange], which the computer can read. If the OCR software isn't up to snuff, you may end up with "mistrans- lated" text characters. Investing in some high-quality OCR software should solve this problem. Problem: When I try to scan an image directly into my third-party photo-editing software, it takes what seems like an eternity. Solution: Many MFDs let you scan images directly into a photo-editing Installing an inexpensive DSL [Digital Subscriber Line] filter can get your MFD's [multifunction device's] fax component operational. application, which can be convenient if you plan to edit or otherwise manipu- late an image. There are some known conflicts, however. For instance, users of some Dell units report that when they try to scan an image into Paint Shop Pro Studio, the system runs slowly or stops running altogether. One work- around is to scan the photo into another application or simply to scan it onto your PC's hard drive, and then to launch Paint Shop Pro Studio [or similar image-editing application] and open the scanned image from within that application. Problem: The copying function of my MFD is much too slow. Solution: Keep in mind that the more complex the original document, the longer it will take to copy. Plus, other variables af- fect copy speed, some of which you can manipulate to make the copying process proceed more quickly. Check your product's documentation for instructions on how to determine if the copying function is running in the fastest possible operation mode. Then, time the copying process. If it is significantly lengthier than the manufacturer's specifications, testing and cleaning the hardware may solve your problem. Wipe down the scanner glass with a cloth lightly covered with glass cleaner, making sure no cleaner drips into the unit. Then, follow your manufacturer's instructions for cleaning the con- tacts of the ink cartridges. Faxing Faxing has become less popular now that it's so easy to email files to remote locations, but faxing still has its place. Whether you need to send or receive a fax, it's critical to be able to rely upon your MFD's fax capabili- ties [assuming the unit has them]. Problem: The product's Web site says I can use my MFD as a fax ma- chine, but there's no telephone or fax function button. How does this work? Solution: Some MFDs, even those without telephone handsets, can act as virtual fax machines, provided your MFD is connected to a PC that is equipped with a fax modem. The exact procedure for sending a fax will vary according to the MFD, but here's one example. Suppose you have an Epson MFD that advertises virtual fax capa- bilities. Before installing the Epson, make sure your PC already has a fax utility. [WinXP comes bundled with such a program, called Fax Services.] Then, after the MFD installation, place the document on the MFD's glass "table," press the keypad numbers on the unit to enter the fax number, and press the Start button. The image is scanned and converted to a fax image. Problem: I'm trying to fax over a telephone line that is connected to a DSL [Digital Subscriber Line] modem, and there's too much interference. Solution: Depending upon your MFD, you may be trying to send a fax through a machine designed to handle analog data, while your DSL setup is delivering digital data to your PC via the phone line. Installing a DSL filter on the line can eliminate unwanted interference. [For detailed instructions on how to do this, read the article "Good Connections: Get The Vibe For Fast, Reliable Internet Access" online at www.smartcom puting.com/2006/internetaccess. ] [rs] by Heidi Anderson Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 135 PERIPHERALS Basic Troubleshooting Scanners Scanners convert text docu- ments, paper photographs and images, slides and negatives, and even small three-dimensional ob- jects into digital files. Essentially elec- tronic copy machines, most scanners come in three main types: flatbed scanners, sheetfed scanners, and mul- tifunction/all-in-one devices. A flatbed scanner features a hori- zontal glass pane, usually in letter or legal size, on which you place a docu- ment for scanning. Scanners with an ADF [automatic document feeder; a slanted tray that holds documents for scanning] are sheetfed scan- ners. A sheetfed scanner may or may not include the flat- bed component, and de- pending on the scanner model, you can place one or more documents to scan in the ADF. Finally, many multifunction or all-in-one machines include scanning capabilities, together with other features such as copying, printing, and faxing. In addition to the hardware, most scanners come with software for editing images, previewing scans, and setting scan properties. To con- vert documents into digital text, many scanners include OCR [optical character recognition] software. To identify your scanner's manu- facturer and model information, first check the exterior of the scanner for brand and model labeling. If you cannot locate identifying infor- mation on the scanner itself, try the Windows Device Manager. To open the Device Manager, right-click My Computer, click Properties, select the Hardware tab, and click Device Manager. Expand the Imaging Dev- ices section to view a list of installed devices, including scanners. Typically, scanner problems are re- lated to one or more of four general areas: a faulty cable or connection, is- sues with the scanner software settings or the driver, physical characteristics of the document to be scanned, or main- tenance/cleaning issues. The following troubleshooting section discusses typ- ical scanner problems and provides multiple solutions. If none of the sug- gestions work, contact the scanner manufacturer for assistance in case the scanner needs repairs or replacement. Steps For Troubleshooting Typical Scanner Problems Because most scanner problems have multiple solutions, we list a se- ries of troubleshooting actions for each problem. Try the actions in the order presented, testing after each. If the action taken does not resolve your problem, move on to the next action. Problem: My computer can't find the scanner or the scanner doesn't start scanning. Solution 1: Check the power supply and cable. Verify that the power light is on and the scanner is ready. Make sure to use the power equipment that came with the scanner. If the power supply is plugged into a power strip or surge protector, try plugging it di- rectly into the wall. Solution 2: Check the USB cable, if applicable. If your scanner is con- nected to the computer with a USB cable, use the cable that came with the scanner. If you are using a dif- ferent USB cable, it should be no more than 6-feet long. Try plugging the USB cable into a different USB port on the PC. If the USB cable is plugged into a USB hub, try connecting the cable di- rectly to the computer. If you have another compat- ible cable, try replacing the current cable. Solution 3: Check the SCSI or Fire Wire cable, if applicable. Some high- capacity scanners use a SCSI or FireWire interface. Use the cable that came with the scanner, and double- check the connections on your computer and the scanner itself. Try disconnecting and reconnecting the cables. If you have another compatible cable, try replacing the current cable. Solution 4: Check the shipping lock. If the scanner has a shipping lock, verify that it is in the unlocked position. The shipping lock prevents carriage damage to the scanner during shipping. 136 www.smartcomputing.com / Fix Your Own PC PERIPHERALS Scanners The Kodak il 50 scanner uses an ADF [automatic document feeder] to load documents for scanning. Solution 5: Reset the scanner. Follow the manufacturer's instruc- tions to reset the scanner. If you do not have instructions, disconnect the cable that connects the scanner to the computer. Disconnect the scanner power cable to turn the scanner off. Turn off the computer and wait a couple of minutes. Turn on the com- puter, reconnect the scanner power cable to turn the scanner on, and re- connect the cable that connects the scanner to the computer. Solution 6: Update the scanner driver and software. Check for updates to device drivers and new software patches. Install the updates as in- structed by the manufacturer. Solution 7: Check the device driver in the Windows Device Manager. To open the Device Manager, right-click My Computer, click Properties, select the Hardware tab, and click Device Manager. Look in the Imaging Devices section for a yellow exclamation mark or red X indicating a problem with the device or driver. If a problem is indi- cated, right-click the scanner and click Properties. In the Device Status box, look for any messages about problems with the scanner, or click the Trouble- shooting button for additional help. Solution 8: Verify scanning software settings. Most scanning software auto- matically opens when you attempt to perform a scan. If yours does not, open the software manually. If you don't know the correct software settings, change the settings to the factory de- fault, or refer to the software's online help or support information. Solution 9: Close all open pro- grams and disable antivirus software. If this solves the problem, the an- tivirus software may be interfering with the scanning software. Check with the antivirus software manufac- turer to resolve the conflict. Solution 10: Try repairing the scanner software. Click Start, Control Panel, and Add Or Remove Programs. Select the scanning software and click Change or Repair. Follow the on- screen instructions. Solution 11: Uninstall and reinstall scanner software. Click Start, Control Panel, and Add Or Remove Programs. Select the scanning software and click Remove. Follow the on-screen in- structions to remove the software. Reinstall the scanner software using the original installation CD. Problem: I don't have enough disk space, or memory errors occur when I use my scanner. Solution 1: Try scanning to a lower resolution. Most scanners let you scan at different resolutions. Image resolution is measured in dpi [dots per inch], which is sometimes re- ferred to as ppi [pixels per inch]. As dpi/ppi increases, so do image quality and file sizes. How you plan to use the scanned image dictates the dpi/ppi level to use. Ideally, you can use the following guidelines for dpi/ppi set- tings. If your computer is running out of memory or hard drive space, how- ever, try a lower setting. Image for email or CRT [cathode- ray tube] display: 75dpi/ppi Image for on-screen LCD display: 200dpi/ppi Text documents and medium- quality images for printing: 300dpi /ppi High-quality images for printing: 600dpi/ppi High-quality images for enlarging: l,200dpi/ppi [may require 100MB or more of drive space] Solution 2: Reduce memory use. Close all unnecessary applications, such as email and word processing software. You can also reduce the number appli- cations running in the background with the Windows configuration tool. To do this, click Start and Run. In the Open dialogue box, type msconfig and click OK. Select the Startup tab and re- move the checks from any applications you do not want your computer to start automatically. If you're not sure, do not remove the check — write down the name of the item and research it later. When you have completed unchecking items, click OK and restart your computer. Windows restarts in the Selective Startup state. If your system does not operate correctly in Selective Startup or you want to return to the previous state, select Normal Startup and restart Windows again. Solution 3: Increase hard drive space. To up the amount of space available on your computer's hard drive, start by emptying the Recycle Bin. To do this, right- click the Recycle Bin on the Windows Desktop and click Empty. You can also run the Disk Cleanup utility. To do this, click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and Disk Cleanup. Follow the on-screen prompts to select files to remove. You can free additional space by removing applications you do not need. Click Start, Settings, Control Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 137 PERIPHERALS Scanners Panel, and Add Or Remove Pro- grams. For each application you no longer need, select the application and click Remove. Problem: My ADF is experiencing feed errors and paper jams. Solution 1: Inspect documents for obstructions. Make sure the docu- ments you are attempting to scan do not have staples, paper clips, binder holes, glued edges, punch holes, tears, or other characteristics that interfere with the ADF. Solution 2: Check document com- patibility. Do not place documents in the feeder that the ADF is not de- signed to handle, such as multipart forms. If you're scanning a document that's not a standard size, check the scanner documentation to verify the sizes it supports. Solution 3: Confirm ADF installa- tion and document placement. Verify the ADF is installed properly and in the correct position. If you are scan- ning multiple documents, do not ex- ceed the recommended ADF capacity, and fan the pages prior to placing them in the ADF to separate them. Solution 4: Work with different types of documents and sizes. If you are scanning pages of different sizes, try scanning only the same size pages at the same time, or scan each page one at a time. If the paper has a glossy or semi-glossy coating, try non-glossy paper. Solution 5: Clean the ADF. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning the ADF assembly. If parts such as pads or rollers appear worn, refer to the manufacturer's in- structions for replacing them. Solution 5: Check the scanning software. Verify that photo scanning is not selected for text or line draw- ings and vice versa. Solution 6: Check for bleed through. If the original document is General j SYSTEM, INI | WIN. INI ; BOOT. INI | Services Startup | Problem: My scans are blank or of poor quality. Solution 1: Check ADF docu- ment placement. If you are using an ADF, make sure you have placed the documents cor- rectly in the ADF. For example, make sure it is facing up or down, as indicated in the manu- facturer's directions. Solution 2: Inspect the orig- inal document or image. Verify that the original is clear and not distorted or damaged. Solution 3: Clean the scanner glass. Most manufacturers recom- mend cleaning with a lint-free cloth and nonabrasive glass cleaner or iso- propyl alcohol. Solution 4: Preview the scan. If available, use your scanning soft- ware's preview feature to verify the scan quality. Adjust software settings to increase sharpness and/or resolu- tion. For color images, use 24-bit output, and for black and white use 256 shades of gray [8-bit grayscale]. El SNDMon : ■ " ■ : M durnprep -k ccApp ' ' .' ' □ DirectCD □ CREATE- 1 □ wcescomm □ HPWuSchd2 □ OneTouch 1J :; f v.O= , :. .-•■ . "' :'■"■ ' . " ■ " : ' ' ■ ■'■■':;.>/!-!.-:; ' '■: :-.i. :;•■ P f.i . . if.-i . : ■ •'.: lis. Li '.'■'..'..■ . ' :. : load the executable at www. microsoft .com/windows/ie /downloads. [If you don't have another browser installed, use another system to download the exe- cutable, then copy it to your primary PC.] Then, if you can, uninstall IE 7. Click the Start button and select Control Panel /Add Or Remove Programs. [Remem- ber, Control Panel may be nested in the Settings menu. If IE 7 came installed with your PC, you may not be able to uninstall it using the Add Or Remove Programs window. If this is the case, then skip this step.] Then, click on the listing for Internet Explorer 7 and click Remove. After clicking through the removal routine, run the IE 7 exe- cutable that you downloaded. Solutions for Firefox: Try each of these steps and, after each, see if Firefox starts correctly.
25. Reboot. First restart your com- puter and see if the browser will work after rebooting.
26. Check for malware. Update your antispyware and antivirus software and do complete antivirus and spy- ware checks on your PC. If malware is found, remove it and then try to start Firefox.
27. Try starting in Safe Mode. From the Start/ All Programs [or Pro- grams ]/Mozilla Firefox menu, select Mozilla Firefox [Safe Mode]. If you can get Firefox run- ning in Safe Mode, try steps 4 and 5 under the "Problem: A page does not behave cor- rectly ..." section — if that doesn't help, con- tinue with step 4. General Security . .: i . "3 J

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    Controlling IE. Select Internet Tools from the Control Panel to get to the General tab, where you can reset your home page and clear out your cache.
28. Clear all cached data. Click the Start button and select My Computer. Go to the folder C:\Documents and Settings[Your Username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Fire- fox\Profiles. Under each folder in Pro- files, delete the Cache folder. Then go to C:\Documents and Settings\ [ Your User- name] \Application Data\Mozilla\Fire- fox\Profiles. Delete the History.dat file from each folder in the Profiles folder. Try to start Firefox.
29. Remove extensions and plugins. Using My Computer as shown in Step 4, delete the contents of the C:\ Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\Ex- tensions but not the folder itself. Delete the contents of the C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\Plugins folder but not the folder itself. [If Firefox is installed in a different folder, you will need to change the C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox above to corre- spond to the folder in which you in- stalled Firefox.]
30. Reinstall. If none of these steps work, reinstall Firefox. First, using IE, download the executable at www .mozilla.com. Uninstall Mozilla. Click U u Feeds Privacy Securit W Block pop-up '.. Exceptions,.. 1^ Load images automatically Exceptions,.. | v Enable JavaScript W Enable Java Advanced...

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    j Size: | 16 _^J Colors... :: |l.i ;■! ■■■ '''..' '.. ■' ' :. '■ . ..". . .: ■:■. Address of web site: : '::•■-.'- ■ Remove All Sites Allowing pop-ups in Firefox. If you don't allow pop-up windows, some Web sites won't work correctly. the Start button and select Control Panel/Add Or Remove Programs. Then click on the listing for Mozilla Firefox and click Remove. After clicking through the removal routine, run the Firefox executable that you downloaded. Problem: A page does not behave correctly — the formatting is messed up or it just doesn't work properly. If you have a problem with a spe- cific Web page, it is generally a con- figuration problem, or there may be an incompatibility with the browser you're using. Solutions for Internet Explorer: Try each of these steps in turn and see if it corrects the problem.
32. If you have Firefox installed, try it for the Web site in question. This can allow you to work around the problem if nothing else helps, as some sites work better in Firefox than in IE.
33. Reboot. First restart your com- puter and see if the browser will work after rebooting.
34. Check for malware. Update your antispyware and antivirus software and do complete antivirus and spy- ware checks on your PC.
35. Clear all cached data. Follow the cache clearing instructions in the "Browser won't start" section above.
36. Pop-ups. Select Internet Options from the Tools menu. Then click the Privacy tab. If the Turn On Pop-up Blocker box is unchecked, go to the next step. Otherwise, click the Settings button immediately next to Block Pop-up Windows. In the window that ap- pears, enter the do- main of the Web site that you are having a problem with in the Address Of Website To Allow box and then click Add. Click Close, then OK.
37. Reset Security. Click Tools/Internet Options. Click the Security tab. Click on Reference Series / Fix Your Own PC 151 SOFTW ARE Browsers General Set ■ et programs HTML editor: Newsgroups: Internet Call: Calendar: {>■ ;:.-.:-••: : :■:. ■ ■ ' ■ • " : . "': T3 11 [Outlook Express |NetMeeting ~3 ~3 r [Address Book ~3 ' ■■ !: ':