This particular problem is commonly identified with the Windows Operating System. More stable systems like Linux and Unix generally do not have this problem. In any case, the architecture of the various operating systems are different and as such each has its own share of problems at one time or another. “My Computer Keeps Restarting After Software Installation” is one of the more common concerns that I have encountered people having from time to time. In most cases, the reason why this happens is that a System file may have become corrupted as a result of the installation or the installation was not done properly or that it was not meant for the particular operating system that it was installed on. There are times too when the installation files themselves may be corrupt and as a result disrupt the normal operation of the operating system. Some of the times simply uninstalling the software solves the problem, but there are times when that alone is not enough.

What would you do in such a case? The quickest and usually more effective thing to do is to use the System Restore feature that comes with the Windows OS. It allows you to roll back to a time when the computer was working fine so that you will be able to use the computer again. I have spoken about it before in one of my previous posts entitled System Restore. You may read it to see how to perform the operation. One way to help prevent a recurrence of the problem is to follow all the installation instructions carefully. All too often people believe that because they have years of experience using computers that they know it all. None of us are too old to learn. In addition, always ensure that the software you are going to install is compatible with the Operating System that you are using. Conflicts can result in your computer restarting by itself from now till eternity. These few tips can help save you hours (or even days) worth of headache trying to rectify a problem you could have prevented in the first place.

Once we use the internet, there is the possibility of our computers being exposed to the threat of viruses. No matter how sophisticated an antivirus program we may have is, viruses have been known to seep through. It is important, though, to know what signs to look out for just in case an infection has proliferated on our computer. Knowing them can be the difference between saving a computer from early or having to salvage what is left of your files and hardware. Here are a few things to look out for (these problems can also be caused by other factors but these are mainly associated with a virus infestation):

- The computer suddenly becomes sluggish while in operation
- The CPU Usage Monitor (Ctrl+Alt+Del then Task Manager then Performance tab) shows 100% usage when you are doing nothing
- The operating system takes forever to load, or never loads at all
- Opening a program proves to be very time consuming
- The mouse pointer starts behaving irratically and moves by itself
- Keyboard lights go on and off by themselves without user intervention
- Your antivirus program trips in very frequently advising you of a threat on your machine
- When saving documents, either it refuses to save or takes a very long time
- The computer keeps shutting down without user or timed inervention
- When you turn the computer on, once it reaches the Windows (or Mac) screen during bootup, it just keeps restarting
- Programs and files on your machine suddenly “disappear” (they were there the day before and you did not remove them)
- You see programs installed on your machine that you did not put there

The list above is in no way exhausted as there are many other things you can look out for. It is still essential to install an antivirus program, nonetheless. And always ensure that its virus signatures are up to date.

Windows has been the only Operating System that I have been consistently using over the past twenty years. I have been through Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 to Windows 98 to Windows ME to Windows 2000 to Windows 2003 Server to Windows XP. Problems with each – been there, done that! The most stable I have ever experienced among the lot was Windows 98, which I would still be using if it was supported by most of the software and programs that I currently use. Windows XP is now my OS of choice. I may try Vista some time in the future, after most of the bugs have been killed.

This point brings me Windows 2000. I have been using it for a few years now without much problem, until recently. There were warnings that I was not paying attention, like funny mouse movements and longer periods to load, and so on. No, defragmentation nor viruses were not the cause. Eventually, I got one of those “blue screens of death” which virtually rendered the OS inoperable. It came to the point where I had to give Microsoft a call to aid in rectifying the problem. Though their service was speedy and friendly, nothing that they told me to try worked. The long and short of it is that I eventually ended figuring out what to do.

Troubleshooting took a few days until I was able to figure out my way out of the mess. The NTFS format was somehow causing a problem. Seeing that not even reformatting using the Windows 2000 disk even helped, I was forced to boot from my trusty Windows 98 CD, re-format my hard drive to FAT32 status, and then install Windows 98. I then immediately upgraded to Windows XP. Problem solved! What I am saying here is if all else fails, use a Windows 98 CD to boot from and do a re-format, then Install Win 98. Then (if you want to) upgrade to a higher OS of your choice. Worked for me and I am sure it can work for you.

This is an error many of us have gotten from time to time. We want to use a particular program or piece of software and when we try to open it, Windows tells us that it is in use by another application. That makes no sense. After all, we are just about to use it and have not been using previously. So how could that be the case? It is as puzzling to figure out as it is to solve. Generally, though, there are some things that are taking place behind the scenes that is causing this error.

I have found that at times when the amount of memory in use has been depleted to a certain value, this type of error tends to appear. Also, it seems that at times there are other background programs that use a file or two that the program we want to use needs to operate. There are also times when we may have previoulsy used the program and ‘thought’ that we shut it down properly, but when we look in the Task Manager we see it still running. In this instance, closing the program from the Task Manager should solve the problem. But, the majority of the times that the problem is resolved is by restarting the computer.

As this error continues to occur, always check to see if the application is already running and close it or simply restart your computer. The problem should be fixed once the OS finishes loading.

This is the final of the three part series on Common PC Problems and Their Solutions. As promised we are going to take a look at the wireless keyboard and wireless mouse.

This will be a bit easier than their wired counterparts as usually one of four things would generally have gone wrong for either wireless mouse or keyboard not to work. These are:

1. The infrared (IR) line-of-sight is being blocked
2. The IR port has not been activated in the BIOS
3. The wireless device itself is defective
4. Improper driver installation of the IR communications device on the computer

Let us now focus on dealing with the problems:

Problem 1 – Ensure that nothing is blocking the IR line-of-sight either in front of the mouse or keyboard and also on the computer. If something is blocking it, common sense prevailing, simply remove the object.
Problem 2 - Start up your computer and press ‘F1′ or ‘Delete’ or whatever other key allows you to enter your BIOS settings. Look for ‘Advanced Configuration’ (or something similar) and search for ‘Enable IR Port’ (or something similar). Then press ‘F10′ and choose ‘Save Configuration Changes and Exit’. Once your machine has retsarted and your operating system loads, the devices should work.
Problem 3 – If you suspect that the wireless keyboard or mouse is defective, have it checked out by a professional (if you know what to do, then by all means go ahead). The device may need to be repaired or replaced. Based on the choices presented to you, you have to decide. In any case, the end result should be that you have a fully functional keyboard and mouse.
Problem 4 – If the driver installation for the IR communications device was corrupted in some way, uninstall the present driver, restart your computer, and then re-install the driver.

I hope that the three part series I presented has been of some help to you. By no means is this the last article on dealing with computer related problems and how to fix them. From time to time I will bring you more of these articles.

If there is something that you want me to research and discuss on this blog, please send me a note. In order to prevent phishing, I will not post my email address here. To contact me, please [Click here to register a helpdesk account]. Then login and send me your request.

This is part two of how to address common PC problems and the solutions to them. In this round we will talk about problems related to the keyboard and mouse.

Now, these are two integral pieces of hardware that are used to interact with the computer. As of late, many keyboards and mouses (or is it mice?) are wireless, i.e. they use infrared technology to communicate with the computer. Let us consider the problems related to both the wired and wireless keyboards and mouses (once again, or is it mice? – the English language can be so cruel!).

WIRED KEYBOARD

No Response: First of all, check to ensure that the keyboard connection at the back of your PC is not loose or has not fallen out. If either is the case then push it back in place. Press the Caps Lock or Num Lock key to see if the LED for each lights up. If there is still no response, restart your computer. Normally, this tactic should resolve the issue.

If after restart you still have the problem, unplug the keyboard from your PC and shut down the machine. Then re-attach the keyboard to the computer and turn it on. Still no response? If your keyboard uses a Serial Port simply plug it into another Serial Port to see if the problem persists. If it is a PS2 connection, get it checked out. If all else fails, get a new keyboard or have someone check it out for you.

Sticking Keys: Pull your keyboard open and clean out the inside. Many times dirt and moisture accumulate under the keys, so a regular cleaning out under them should prevent the keys from sticking in the future, unless there has been some serious damage done to the keyboard.

Keyboard Error on Machine Bootup: Check to ensure that the keyboard is firmly connected to the port at the back of your computer.

Consistent Beep When Computer Is On: Make sure that there is nothing resting on the keys of the keyboard. A weighty object resting on any key for a prolonged period can cause the computer to start beeping.

Capital Letters Are Typed Even Though Caps Lock Is Off and I am Not Holding Down The Shift Key While Typing: I have found that this generally happens after a few successive cut and paste operations while editing a document. To remedy this problem, hold down the Right SHIFT Key and press the LEFT Mouse Button a few times. Release all keys and start typing again. Everything should be back to normal now.

WIRED MOUSE

No Response: First of all, check to ensure that the mouse connection at the back of your PC is not loose or has not fallen out. If either is the case then push it back in place. If there is still no respose, restart your computer. If it still does not work after restart, disconnect it from the PC while it is on and then shutdown the machine. Reconnect it to the computer and start it up.

A persistent problem would indicate a defective mouse. Seek a replacement as soon as possible.

Erratic Mouse Movements (Cursor Movement Seems Weird): This generally indicates a dirty mouse wheel (does not apply to an optical mouse). To remedy this problem, turn the mouse upside down and unscrew the area around the ball (ususally shows two arrows so you know which direction to turn it). Remove the ball and then take a flat object that is small enough to fit into the space where you took the ball from. Gently scrape off any trace of dirt on the rollers inside the mouse. Be careful not to let the dirt fall into the mouse. If this happens, flip the mouse right side up and knock it out. Then replace the ball and ball lock piece. The mouse should be fine after this.

If the problem recurrs later, repeat the steps I have just outlined.

In part 3 we will look at problems with the Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mouse.

At some point in time we all encounter relatively simple to resolve problems with our PC’s. That is only part of the problem. The other part is how to solve the problems themselves. Even the most computer savvy individual at one time or another faces embarassingly easy to fix problems, the solution being quite obvious.

Now, let us delve into the vault of ridiculously simple to fix ‘problems’ that many people seem to have with their computers/PC’s. In this issue, we will talk about the Speakers, Monitor, Microphone, and Auxilllary Audio (Line Out):

No Audio From Speakers: Now, this is quite common. First of all, check to ensure that your speakers are plugged into the back of the PC and in the correct port. Some computers have it color-coded purple. Others have a symbol of a musical symbol beside the correct port. If everything looks okay, check to ensure that your volume control is not turned all the way down and that it is not muted. If it is, turn it up and uncheck mute check box. If you have powered speakers, make sure that they are plugged into an outlet and that they are on and the volume turned up.

On a more complex note, there are times when the sound card may be bad. Simply buy a new one at the computer store and discard your old one. If your sound card is on-board (built onto the motherboard), ensure that it is set to ON in the BIOS settings.

No Video on Monitor: First and foremeost, ensure that the monitor is plugged in. Then check to see if it is off. If it is, turn it on. Also check to ensue that the video cable from the monitor is properly connected to the Video Card at the back of your PC. If all this has been done and it still does not come on, check to see if their is any power (electricity) in the outlet that it is plugged into. If not, find an alternate source of power.

If all else fails, your Video Card may be be faulty or your monitor may have lived its days. In either case, get a new one installed.

No Input From Microphone: Make sure it is plugged into the color-coded orange port. If it is, then check to ensure that the Microphone audio is not muted in the Volume Control panel.

No Auxillary Audio (Line Out): Make sure that audio cable is properly plugged into the Line Out Port. Some computers have a symbol of an arrow pointing away from the port with two or three brackets (to depict sound leaving the computer). Also ensure that the device that the Line Out audio is passing through is on.

We will discuss other PC problems and their solutions in Part 2.
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