15 Windows problems and solutions

  15 Windows problems and solutions

 

 15 Windows problems and solutions

 

 

1. Protect your data

USB flash drives are convenient, portable, and very easy to lose. Which is a problem, especially if they're carrying sensitive data. Fortunately Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise have the solution: encrypt your documents with an extension of Microsoft's BitLocker technology, and only someone with the password will be able to access it. Right-click your USB flash drive, select Turn on BitLocker and follow the instructions to protect your private files.

2. Minimise quickly with shake

If you have multiple windows open on your desktop and things are getting too cluttered, it used to be a time-consuming process to close them all down. In Windows 7 you can use the Aero Shake feature to minimise everything in seconds, using a cool mouse gesture. Grab the title bar of the window you wish to keep open and give it a shake, and rejoice in a clear desktop area.

3. Configure your favourite music

The Windows 7 Media Centre now comes with an option to play your favourite music, which by default creates a changing list of songs based on your ratings, how often you play them, and when they were added (it's assumed you'll prefer songs you've added in the last 30 days). If this doesn't work then you can tweak how Media Centre decides what a favourite tune is- click Tasks > Settings > Music > Favourite Music and configure the program to suit your needs.

4. Customise System Restore(Windows problems and solutions)

There was very little you could do to configure System Restore in Vista, but Windows 7 improves the situation with a couple of useful setup options.
Click the Start orb, right-click Computer and select Properties > System Protection > Configure, and set the Max Usage value to a size that suits your needs (larger to hold more restore points, smaller to save disk space).
And if you don't need System Restore to save Windows settings then choose the option to Only Restore Previous Versions of Files. Windows 7 won't back up your Registry, which means you'll squeeze more restore points and file backups into the available disk space. System Restore is much less likely to get an unbootable PC working again, though, so use this trick at your own risk.
nd this will take effect after you next reboot.

5. Tweak PC volume

By default Windows 7 will now automatically reduce the volume of your PC's sounds whenever it detects you're making or receiving PC-based phone calls. If this proves annoying (or maybe you'd like it to turn off other sounds altogether) then you can easily change the settings accordingly. Just right-click the speaker icon in your taskbar, select Sounds > Communications, and tell Windows what you'd like it to do.

6. Rearrange the system tray

With Windows 7 we finally see system tray icons behave in a similar way to everything else on the taskbar. So if you want to rearrange them, then go right ahead, just drag and drop them into the order you like. You can even move important icons outside of the tray, drop them onto the desktop, then put them back when you no longer need to keep an eye on them.

7. Extend your battery life

Windows 7 includes new power options that will help to improve your notebook's battery life. To see them, click Start, type Power Options and click the Power Options link, then click Change Plan Settings for your current plan and select Change Advanced Settings. Expand Multimedia Settings, for instance, and you'll see a new Playing Video setting that can be set to optimise power savings rather than performance. Browse through the other settings and ensure they're set up to suit your needs.

8. Write crash dump files(Windows problems and solutions)

Windows 7 won't create memory.dmp crash files if you've less than 25GB of free hard drive space, annoying if you've installed the Windows debugging tools and want to diagnose your crashes. You can turn this feature off, though: browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CrashControl, create a new DWORD value called AlwaysKeepMemoryDump, set it to 1, and the crash dump file will now always be saved.

9. Repair your PC(Windows problems and solutions)

If Windows 7 won't start, you may not need an installation or repair disc any more, as the repair environment is now usually installed on your hard drive. Press [F8] as your PC starts, and if you see a Repair Your Computer option, choose that to see the full range of Windows 7 recovery tools.

10. Action Center(Windows problems and solutions)

Version: 7

Click the flag icon in the Taskbar's notification area to access the Action Center. Here you can get an at-a-glance look at problems, plus launch a series of troubleshooters to help quickly fix the problems that plague you, without getting your hands dirty.
11. Show printer ink levels(Windows problems and solutions)

Version: XP, Vista, 7
If you've just upgraded to a new version of Windows and can't access your printer's ink levels, the bad news is that Windows installed a basic driver without the function.
Check the manufacturer's site for a dedicated driver and – if it exists – install that.
12. Fix Windows driver problems
Version: XP, Vista, 7
Most hardware problems can be traced to the drivers, the software that enables them to work with Windows. When it comes to tracking down problems, the first port of call should be Windows' own Device Manager – here's how to troubleshoot problems using this useful tool.
Step 1. Open Device Manager

Press [Windows] + [R], type "devmgmt. msc" and press [Enter]. Look for yellow exclamation marks next to troublesome hardware devices and double-click one.
Step 2. Get error details

Look on the General tab for an error code and description of the problem – if a troubleshoot button is present, click it to see if you can fi x the problem easily.
Step 3. Search online

If no fix is forthcoming, use the error details as part of your web search – try a general search first, then add your hardware's make and model if necessary.
13. Resolve ReadyBoost conflict (Windows problems and solutions)

Version: Vista, 7
Your PC can only use one ReadyBoost device at a time, and some computers come with built-in flash memory already configured for use with ReadyBoost.
To resolve this conflict click Start, rightclick Computer and select Manage, then under Storage choose "Disk Management" to verify the existence of such a drive. Look for a program called Intel Turbo Memory Console (type "Intel" into the Start menu's Search box) and open this to disable the built-in drive in favour of your own.
14. Folder settings not remembered(Windows problems and solutions)

Version: XP, Vista, 7
If you find you can no longer customise folders to look and behave how you want, the solution involves some editing of with two Registry subkeys – BagMRU and Bags – which are found in two separate locations: Shell and ShellNoRoam under HKEY_ CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft\Windows.
Think this sounds like too much hassle? No problem, just open the Microsoft Fix It Center tool (see tip three) and run the "Diagnose and repair Windows Files and Folder Problems" wizard. This will do the hard work for you.
15. PC keeps rebooting
Version: XP, Vista, 7
If your PC restarts unexpectedly after briefly displaying a blue screen, then it's encountered a STOP error. If this keeps occurring you need to identify it.

In Vista and Windows 7 you can stop Windows automatically restarting from the Windows boot menu that should appear; if you use XP click Start, right-click My Computer and select Properties > Advanced tab. Click Settings under "Startup and Recovery" and untick "Automatically restart" before clicking OK twice.
Now when the STOP error occurs you'll see a blue screen with details of the error message; note down the description, any files it refers to, and the STOP error code. Then search the web for these terms to hopefully find a solution.(Windows problems and solutions)