Category Archives: DIY
Speed Up a Computer That Is Too Slow
LifeHacker recently ran an article on “How Can I Diagnose and Fix My Slow Computer?” Mostly it’s pushing a couple of utilities they are fond of, though. On the other hand, I am testing out one of them, Soluto, as it sounds like it could be handy. For instance, I found that Google Update was running even though I didn’t know it was in the computer startup (why is it that applications seem to think they have the right to put themselves back into startup after you take them out?).
For the most part, though, you can perform your own maintenance and keep your computer running fairly well even without utilities. At very least, some of these will reduce problems and trips to your computer shop.
Geek Friday: A Cool PC Cooling System
Well, there’s cool, and then there’s cool. PCWorld recently published a do-it-yourself article on a “PC Liquid Cooling System: Build It Yourself. If you are handy with tools and you are into overclocking, then this might be just what you need to keep your rig from overheating.
Geek Friday: Windows Vista Continuous Restart Loop, Chkdsk Loop, Service Pack 1 and Windows Update Issues
Sorry about the long title, but good SEO means putting relevant information where it can be found. SEO can not only help people find you, but, as in this case, it can also help point the way to relevant information. This was a particularly troublesome problem, as there are a lot of postings with this issue but only a handful of solutions that are only of a marginal help and a couple that aren’t even helpful at all.
OK, this is not so much a Geek Friday as a fix it yourself article. However, this particular one took me hours to find! I had to babysit a machine. For me, it all started with cleaning a virus and doing the subsequent security checks. However, this particular machine didn’t even have Windows Vista service pack 1 (SP1) on it, so it evidently had not done an update in over 2 years!
So, I diligently installed SP1. When it finally finished, I clicked on Restart. It ran through several items, came up and said, “Configuring Updates”. It went through a few stages, then it got stuck on “3 of 3 – 100%” for at least ten minutes. Then, BSOD!
“Oh, no!” went through my mind at once.
It rebooted, ran chkdsk, and then proceeded to jump right to “3 of 3” in configuring updates. Well, it jumped up to 99%, sat there for five minutes, changed to 100% for about three minutes, and then rebooted. It didn’t run chkdsk again (not yet, that comes later!), but it went back to “Configuring Updates: Stage 3 of 3”, lathered, rinsed, repeated, over and over and over again.
I looked all over the net, and I was amazed at how many articles with conflicting information came up. One “fix” was to boot up Vista and literally reinstall it; not even an “in-place upgrade” (and, this was from e-How … great job, guys – NOT).
Well, to make a very long story short, I found out you can delete the pending.xml file in C:WindowsWinsxs (assuming your OS is on drive C:). I think I had to go to a System Recovery Options, open up a commandline window to do this. There are various ways to get to it.
Well, that ended the endless configuration boot loop problem, but now I had 2 more. Windows Update would not now run at all. Worse, chkdsk wanted to check the disk on every restart.
Well, one thing that is key is that whenever you have Windows Update issues, you should clear out your update cache. Again, there are several ways to do it, but no matter what it will probably leave a few things behind. Not to worry, as it seemed to work anyhow. The following assumes the OS is on C: drive again.
- Open a commandline prompt. You need to do this with elevated privileges, so do not use the Start | Run and typing “cmd” trick. Instead go to All Programs | Accessories and right-mouse-click on Command Prompt. From the context menu, choose Run as Administrator. Play with UAC, and the commandline window will open up.
- Type:
net stop wuauserv
c:
cd %windir%
cd SoftwareDistribution
del *.* /s
- Press the [Y] key as it will ask a few times
- Type: net start wuauserv
However, that did not clear it up. Yet, it would seem to clear up some update problems on some systems.
I was beginning to fear the worst, as none of these helped:
- I downloaded the latest Windows Update program, which would not install.
- In typical Vista fashion, System File Check is a wonderful idea with a poor implementation. SFC /SCANNOW would not run to completion. Under a normal boot, it kept complaining about needing to run chkdsk. That’s the problem I’m trying to fix! Finally, under System Recovery Options, it told me that “Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation.” Grrrr.
- I scheduled a complete CHKDSK to run at startup (you know, the 5 stage one). It found no problems, but the cycle continues.
All the advice I could find pointed to doing an in-place upgrade. Reluctantly, I put in a Vista DVD and started running it. After about an hour of churning, it decided it couldn’t update the system?
Well, this wasn’t looking good. So, I decided it was time to backup the system. I fully anticipated this was going to be a factory restore operation.
So, while the backup was running, I made a list of things to do once it was complete. Registry cleaner (who knows?), uninstall antivirus, disable startup programs, etc. None of these really did anything, of course, but while grasping at straws …
I gave Google one more shot. I typed in every symptom I was seeing instead of just the current one. Amazingly, on the first page came up “Tool To Repair Windows Updates errors in Vista” on the Windows Reference site. I had not noticed this one before, and it gave instructions for using a Microsoft tool called Check for System Update Readiness (CheckSUR). None of the other sites mentioned this tool.
Well, as I was trying out different things, why not? I followed the directions on the Windows Reference site, and I downloaded and ran the tool. It ran for a while, and then it asked permission to run a hotfix. That took quite a while, so I was getting nervous enough to get up and leave for a while. When I came back, it said it had finished.
“Well, this is encouraging,” I told myself.
Just to be sure, I downloaded all the Dell updated drives I could find. Last, I manually downloaded Service Pack 2 and ran it. It seemed to be chugging away, so I went to bed.
In the morning, not only had SP2 completed successfully, but I saw that several updates had been applied as well.
I have seen chkdsk run once upon startup since, but at least it’s not every time. I guess time will tell whether or not the system is truly stable, but at least now the user can get to their data and back it up properly.
Anyhow, about once a month one comes along like this where you are left scratching your head for quite some time. Hopefully, this will help highlight a solution to those who are searching Google for it and need it.
Geek Friday: Roll Your Own PC Time Limits
Earlier this week, I posted a review of a couple of parental control programs that seek to limit the time that your kid (or perhaps yourself if you aren’t very well disciplined!) spends on the computer. Well, you might think it strange that this isn’t just built into the operating system.
Well, in a way, it is. It isn’t without some effort, though.
You can limit when a user can login via the NET USER command. Using the /times:xxxx command.
BUT, and this is a big one, it will not logoff a user that is already logged on. So, it might keep Johnny from logging onto the computer at midnight, but he decides to stay logged on past his bedtime, then it will do no good. Seems strange, I know, but that is how the command works.
Yet, you can use some batch files to tell the computer to log someone off and set the Windows scheduler to run the command at the appropriate time.
There’s a pretty good write-up on this for Windows XP at GrownUp Geek in “How To Specify Logon Hours and Force Logoff When Time is UP”. It should work in Vista and Windows 7, from what I can see.
For it to work, you should be a little familiar with Task Scheduler, which isn’t too difficult to grasp. Be sure you run the task only when the user is logged in, or else it might kick you off instead!
Geek Friday: Paper Jam Clearing Tool
OK, this might not be as geeky as some of the other items, but it is downright useful. If you remember my earlier trials with the disposable printer, then you can see why I would have appreciated a tool to clear a jam without ripping the printer apart.
Well, the good folks at FixYourOwnPrinter.com have just such a “Paper Jam Clearing Tool“. It is plastic, which makes it sturdy yet flexible. It pushes items out of the printer. For only $3.00, I’m putting this on my list of items to get.
Internet TV Not Ready for Dinner Time?
Well, there seems to be all sorts of services for prime time viewers so that you can ditch the cable and still watch your favorite TV shows. And, why not? You’re already paying for Internet, and it seems that the switch to digital has just given cable companies an excuse to jack up costs.
Well, that’s OK, as long as you are only interested in the national or even the international shows. In fact, it really surprised me how much easier it is to watch a channel over in Pakistan than to watch the local news right here in Cleveland. When are the local stations going to wake up and start offering something more?
Well, I finally got exhausted with it all. As regular readers are aware, I’ve been looking for alternatives for some time. Now that my cable company has decided it wants to jack up my bill $5 per month for less service, it’s time to make some sort of change.
Well, I decided to look into over the air (OTA) antennas. I looked at review after review, and what surprised me time and time again was the number of reviewers who had problems with some of these “high tech” antennas. More than one on more than one occasion solved their problem with good old rabbit ears with an additional hoop antenna! The nice part about these is that it won’t cost over $40. I even saw one go for $90! $90? For an antenna?
Well, I decided cheap is definitely worth a try. After all, if I only spend a few bucks, I won’t feel quite so bad if it doesn’t work. I settled on the Belkin PureAV HDTV / VHF / UHF / FM Amplified Indoor Antenna available from Meritline.com. One place had it cheaper, but after adding in the cost of shipping, I would only save $0.02. At least I’m familiar with Meritline.com, having ordered a couple of items from them, so $0.02 seemed like a small price for familiarity.
If that doesn’t work out, though, there is another low-cost solution. You could always “Build Your Own DTV Antenna”. I honestly considered doing this first, seeing as I have all sorts of leftover lumber to mount the coat hangers on. My main problem, believe it or not, is a lack of coat hangers. A lot of ours is plastic. Still, it was tempting, and I might still try it for the living room. 
Of course, finding time to do it is the big enemy.
In any event, I’ll let you know how this all turns out. I’m still eager to try some Internet TV because there are shows in Thailand that might be interesting. For now, though, it has dropped in priority.
Best Computer Diagnostic Tool?
While we are on the subject of fixing your own PC problems today, LifeHacker had an article a while back titled, “Best Computer Diagnostic Tool: Google”.
And, why shouldn’t it be? I mean, millions use it to look up images, maps, reference material, even medical advice, every day!
Is there a file on your hard drive, and you don’t know what it is? Chances are, Google does! Windows throwing some weird error code at you, and you don’t know what it means? Chances are, Google does!
Of course, like any advice on the ‘net, you should make sure it is a trustworthy source of information. These days, it is a real good idea to run any unknown site through McAfee SiteAdvisor before visiting it.
However, at the end of the day, computers have become so complex and capable of doing so many things that no one person can know it all. With a little background knowledge, Google can help you to troubleshoot most errors so at least you know what the problem is.
Geek Friday: Fix Your Own PC Problems
Windows giving you a hard time? Your PC just not working right? Well, Microsoft has an article on “Fix common PC problems” at the microsoft at home site. It has been updated for Windows 7.
For example, some people still don’t know that the [F1] key is their friend in time of need. When IBM first came out with the PC, the function keys were supposed to have standard meanings, but the only one that really did become standard was [F1] for help. It can help you with all sorts of obstacles and roadblocks with an application.
The article also guides you to resources for hardware issues and the Microsoft FixIt program. It even tells you steps to go through if there is an overall system failure.
Geek Friday: Windows 7 System Restore
One of the great things about Windows 7 is the ability to create and restore from a system image. Rather than requiring external utilities, they come with the OS.
So, what do you do when the inevitable happens? Well, first off, you need to make sure you’ve already created a system repair disc and a system image. If you don’t already have these, it is already too late once the system is down.
The How-To Geek has an excellent tutorial with links to preparing the image and rescue disc in “How To Restore Windows 7 from a System Image”.
Memory Upgrades: What You Need to Know
I often get asked, “Can I upgrade my memory?” Sometimes the question is more in the form of, “Will more memory make my PC faster?”
Well, one of the main criteria is knowing what you already have in the machine and what the maximum memory is. Well, it looks like Crucial.com, a company that specializes in memory, has just the tool you need! They have a Crucial System Scanner tool that you can use to view your current configuation and make recommendations for upgrades.
Click on the Terms and Conditions link to view the agreement, click on the checkbox saying you agree to them, and then click on the Download the Scanner button. If you are using Firefox, you’ll have to save the file before running it.
Once you run it and get past the user access control boxes (on Vista and Windows 7), it will scan your system.
Once it is done, it will display the results.
As you can see, it identified that this system has the maximum it can take. It also identified the number of memory slots.
However, even if this wasn’t the max for the machine, I am running a 32-bit version of Windows, so the max I could go to in any event would be 3 GB. How do I know? The tool told me under “Q: Will my system recognize the maximum upgrade?”
Hopefully, others will get some benefit out of this tool as well.
BTW, this post was not endorsed by Crucial, nor was their permission sought beforehand. However, I do want to add that I have used the tools on their site about 4 different times, and I did wind up ordering memory from them one of those times. The memory worked out great and the price was right too!
