Topics

1

Feedback & Suggestions / What did I do?

« on: November 01, 2015, 08:24:57 am »

Hey Shane ...

It's been a long time since I talked to you.  I had some health issues, moved to a new apartment, got to know my Mac a little better and here we are.  I am getting the old Windows laptop out again.  Just a glutton for punishment, I guess.

I can't remember where I stood with you back then.  I do remember sending you a few bucks a couple times but I don't remember if I had access to the Pro version or not.  Do you have a way to check?

Also, I am way behind on the news so pardon me if I ask a dumb question.  Does your lattest version cover Windows 10? 

I hope you and the family are well and everything is going your way. 

Best Wishes,

John Washbush

2

General Computer Support / Win Vista wil not boot ...

« on: November 18, 2014, 02:54:18 pm »

Windows Vista will not boot.  There is power, the boot-up begins, the second fan comes on strong, and then ... it stops the bootup.  Fans are still running, so there is still power there.

I am on another computer so I can download something to a flash drive if it will help boot up the pc.  Any suggestions?

JW

3

General Computer Support / Processor Speed ...

« on: June 06, 2014, 04:21:26 pm »

Here is an End of the Semester Bonus Exam for you ....

1.  What conditions might act on the processor and cause it to run slow?

2.  What actions can be taken to cause a slow processor to run faster?

3.  In a machine with multi core, multi processors, can some of them be disabled somehow?

Bonus Bonus Question  (25 Points)

What would cause a machine to not complete a shutdown but only if it is asked to reboot?  If it is told to simply shut down, it does so properly.  (Hint:  There are four green lights on the back panel that are labeled A, B, C, D.  When told to reboot, the computer shuts down the display and goes no further.  At that point lights A and C are green, lights B and D are yellow.)

Hand in your test answers before leaving.  Best wishes for a great Summer Vacation!

Professor Jobs
 

4

General Computer Support / "Shockwave has stopped working ...

« on: June 03, 2014, 12:47:53 pm »

I have been seeing this message quite often lately ... "Shockwave has stopped working." It goes on to ask me if I want to close it or wait for it. 

I have always had problems with anything from Adobe.  Is there something I can do to fix this?  Better yet, is there something else that I can use in place of Shockwave?

Thanks

John

5

General Computer Support / Lock up, slow down, won't cooperate, acts like a 2 year old ...

« on: May 06, 2014, 04:19:17 pm »

I just acquired a new video board with more grunt and I am looking forward to putting it in.  But, this same old problem is driving me nuts and I think it should be fixed first.  Here is what I know ... a.) the computer will not reboot.  When asked to reboot, it runs through the shut down process but, at some point, the monitor is shut off but the keyboard isn't.  There it sits.  I then shut down and restart by hand.  b.)  I get messages saying "Such-n-such is not responding".  It could be Firebird, it could be Pandora, it could be anything.  This morning it was Google Mail.  Sometimes it get's going on its own, but usually I have to Contol-Alt-Delete.  c.)  I think that there are problems in the services and whatever all is running in the background. d.)  When I check, I find that a lot of what is going on is related to the CPU running at 100%.  It somehow creeps up to 100% and gets stuck there.  I know that means that there is a problem but I have absolutely no idea what to look for.  I would like to shut down a lot of the services, but I have no idea what they are.  (Might be a need for a fix in this somewhere.  I can't find any help on which services to leave on and which to turn off.) 

I have tried all the common cures for slow, jumpy video, siezes, etc and nothing helps.  I have run test after test only to see "No problems found."  It seems that when I run System Mechanic Pro, it helps but the assist doesn't last long.  In two or three days I am back at the problem again.

Any suggestions?

John

6

General Computer Support / "ALL PROGRAMS" only shows a few original files ...

« on: April 09, 2014, 08:15:05 am »

I am still playing with this old DELL Dimension 8250.  With the help of your Advanced and Simple Tweaks, (I have started to call them "Big Tweaks" and "Little Tweaks"), the old critter is doing much more than I expected.  It is strong enough that I spent a few bucks on eBay and bought enough additional memory to run it up to 2GB.  Next I want to increase the video memory too.

The obvious glitch to all of this is on the Start Menu under "ALL PROGRAMS".  The list is very, very short.  It looks as if nothing has been added to the list since the original installation of Vista.  Do you have any suggestions as to what might be responsible for that? 

Otherwise, all is well and I am having a good time with this machine.  I am going places and trying things that I never would have done before knowing that even if I make a big mistake I haven't lost anything valuable and I have Big and Little to come to the rescue if I need them. I am really getting to like this stuff.  Thanks again for all of your fantastic work.

John
 

7

General Computer Support / A white screen of death?

« on: April 01, 2014, 11:08:17 am »

Hi gang ...

I have been bragging up the great help I have had here at Tweaking.Com and so I have become a computer expert. 

An email from a friend last night ... the question:  My computer just stops in the middle of whatever I am doing.  Nothing moves except sometimes the mouse pointer will move a little but it is very jerky.  Usually the top line says "google.com - or whatever I am doing - not responding" or something like that.  If I click the mouse a couple times, or tap enter a couple times, the entire screen goes to an opaque white and now everything is stuck.  When I get tired of waiting, I shutdown and then restart.  It does not want to respond to "reboot" in that situation either.  I know I have been having trouble with my ATT U-verse (internet only) connection, and I have always felt that it was very slow.  But, they say it is OK.  Could it be my ATT service is slowing or stopping, or could it be the computer itself?" 

I told her I would post a message and then tonight I will go over and help her get Simple and Big installed and run.  Any hints from anyone?

Thanks for everything ...

John

8

General Computer Support / Is my hard drive really failing ... ?

« on: March 10, 2014, 12:04:58 pm »

Greetings Everyone ...


Over the last week or so, I have spent a lot of time with almost all of the Tweaking.Com products.  If I could buy Tweaking.Com a drink, I would.  You, Tweaking.Com, have taken an almost abandoned HP Presario 2212us lap top and restored it to pretty darn near new performance.  The only way I can tell you how impressed I am is to simply say "I AM impressed".  So, Thank You.


At no time during that week, did your software give me any idea of a failing hard drive.  I did mention that I had seen the rotating blue circle more than I though I should.  However, whenever I asked for it, Windows had never failed to run ckdsk successfully and send me off for another day in the digital sandbox. 


Until today, that is.


This morning I went through the entire rig-a-marole that comes along with Windows trying to alert me to the fact that the death of my hard drive is just seconds away. It was very hard to follow, especially since a person would tend to be a little bit anxious at that moment anyway.  I made the decision that since the old lap top didn't have much on it that I couldn't live without, I made a quick DVD with my good stuff and decided to let the issue play itself out and see what happens.  The blue indicator light that shows HD activity is blinking away just like it always did. I see nothing at all, but, from time to time, even my typing slows down.  But, then it speeds right back up and, so far, so good.  The HP is clicking along like a warm spoon in a bucket of strawberry ripple.


So, I would like to ask you help with two things that might show this problem to be what it really is.


First, at some time in the past, before I put this laptop into retirement, I did some HD clean up.  I removed a lot of stuff.  It looks now like one of the things I removed is something that windows wants to run during bootup.  At every boot up I get this message ... "  *** ".  I am sure that I removed this by mistake.  So, the first question is, "How do I put it back?"


Second, at the moment the only access I have to the Internet is wireless.  I have ATT Universe service that is supposed to be 6 mbs and the only outlet in the entire apartment is behind the desk in another room.  I have this lap top in the kitchen operating off the modem that ATT provided.  Is there any possibility that an irregular signal or an irregular modem/router would effect the computer enough to see the spinning blue wheel or provoke the HD problem routine from Windows. 


While I am thinking about it, could it be a virus that is mimicking a Windows message trying to trick me into thinking I need to buy something?


I am going to post this, and then run both the Quickie and the Full Boat fixes and I will let you know what happens.


Thanks all ...


John Washbush
Bloomington, Indiana

9

General Computer Support / Greetings Everyone ...

« on: February 26, 2014, 09:40:01 am »

Greetings Everyone ...

I may be the newest newby onboard.  I did the installation yesterday, ran it for the first time last night, and followed up with a second full run this morning.  Absolutely no problems at all.  I am sure that I will have lots of questions as I go along, but, as of now, the OK ... that's Old Klunker ... seems to be noticably more perky at the moment.  So, thank you for that.  The OK is a seven year old HP Presario 2400us laptop with 2GB of memory.  Otherwise, it is as it came out of the box, except for software.  Even though I am supposed to have lots and lots of problems, I seem to be successfull (in my opinion) running Windows 7 Home.  The OK is at the end of a wireless connection, and the only real complaint I have has to do with streaming video.  I have the start/stop, jerky, stand still and balk problems.  Try and watch an auto race under those conditions.  The Olympics were impossible. My hopes are that by tweaking as much as I can, I will be able to reduce that to bare minimum.  Also, I seem to be getting the BCF (Blue Circle of Frustration) much too often, and recently for a longer amount of time, in addition to the fact that it seems to want to run as slow as molassis off and on.  If I can clear up some of these issues and keep it usable but less annoying, it will save me the cost of another unit, which, when the time comes, might just be an iPad. 


I'd like to hear from anyone near Bloomington, Indiana. 


Keep up the excellent work.  I am very impressed so far.  The GIU is terriffic.


John


Oh, I can tell already, I am going to learn to hate that Verification Nonsense very quickly.