PC Memoirs

When you first turn on your PC and load your Windows system, several applications are set to start automatically. Besides essential system files, they can include antivirus programs, communicators, media players and file sharing programs. You can find these programs or taskbar icons in the lower right corner. Usually you want them there, especially the antivirus program, messenger or volume icon, because you use them all the time or it’s just the way they work. Some programs, however, don’t need to be there as they can take up resources (RAM) and slow down your computer.

This is why you should inspect all your taskbar icons and decide if you really need them there. Once you do this, you can use the System Configuration Utility and untick these programs from the startup menu. This is how it’s done: Go to the Start menu, click on Run, type msconfig and when the next window opens, go to the Startup tab. In the list you will see programs that you will recognise and some that you may not. If you know which program you are after, simply untick it and it won’t run at startup after the next reboot. If you are not sure, leave it or type the file name in Google and find out what it does first.

Read the rest »

Windows XP sometimes displays the following error message: “Windows Installer service could not be accessed. This can occur if you are running in Safe Mode or if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed.”

This was probably caused by a damaged registration service. To repair the registration service, follow these steps:

• Open cmd.exe by clicking Start, then Run and typing cmd. Alternatively, you can find cmd in Start, All Programs, Accessories and selecting Command Prompt.
• type msiexec /unregister and press Enter
• type msiexec /regserver and press Enter
• close cmd window

This should resolve the problem.

Read the rest »

Just the other day one of my friends had trouble viewing videos in Windows Vista. When she clicked on a video file, she saw the following error message: COM surrogate has stopped working. This happened with every other video file. She asked me for help.

I did some research on the Internet and found out that this happens a lot in Windows Vista and it’s usually caused by NERO software or by some fault in the codec. I suggested to her to uninstall Nero and see whether the error still appears. She did this and later informed me that the error did not show up again. She could view video files without problems.

So, all you need to do is uninstall Nero (Control Panel, Remove a program, find Nero on the list and select Uninstall) or download and install the latest version. If this doesn’t help, try the same with the DivX software.

Read the rest »

Here are some very useful keyboard shortcuts, to help you perform your tasks quicker and easier. For a complete list of all shortcuts, please visit this Microsoft Web page.

Happy testing!

• ALT+TAB = switch between running programs (windows in taskbar)
• ALT+F4 = close running program or window
• ALT+down arrow = open drop down list box
• ALT+ENTER = open properties for the selected object
• F1 = help
• F5 = refresh current page
• SHIFT+DELETE = permanently delete
• SPACE = select radio button, checkbox or option
• CTRL+ENTER = opens a web site that ends with .com after typing the domain name (example: type CNN in the address bar of your browser, then press CTRL+ENTER and this will automatically add http://www in front and .com at the end)   Read the rest »

It is time to start reviewing the new operating system from Microsoft, as I’m sure many PC users are eager to find out what Windows 7 has to offer. For everyone that wasn’t able to download the new beta version or test the new system yet, I have put together a summary of major changes compared to Windows Vista.

Speed: Windows 7 seems to be faster and it uses less resources than Windows Vista. It also includes fewer bundled programs (such as Windows Messenger), which makes it load and run faster.

Design: The new interface is designed to reduce clicks and make content more accessible (some people suggested this system would see the end of the computer mouse). The resource-hogging sidebar has been removed and there are simplified shutdown controls with textual menus. It also includes an Action Center for pulling security and maintenance features into a single menu for simpler management. Another major change is the inclusion of the ‘ribbon’ with shortcuts to favorite programs at the base of the screen.

Read the rest »