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4 Common Ways To Password Protect Your Windows User Account

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:47:06 +0000

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ChangeDefaultPassword01.png" alt="how to password protect computer" border="0" />Protecting your computer with a password should be common practice, especially if many people potentially have physical access to it. Windows provides several levels on which you can set passwords to lock your user account. This article will introduce you to all common options and hopefully one will work for you.

Before we even start with password protecting your computer, please make sure you understand how to create a strong password. Here are a few articles to help you out:

title="5 Free Password Generators For Nearly Unhackable Passwords" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-websites-to-generate-a-safe-and-strong-password/">5 Free Password Generators For Nearly Unhackable Passwords
title="How To Create A Good Password That You Will Not Forget" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/create-strong-password-forget/">How To Create A Good Password That You Will Not Forget
title="How To Create Strong Passwords That You Can Remember Easily" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-create-strong-password-that-you-can-remember-easily/">How To Create Strong Passwords That You Can Remember Easily

If you believe you have a reasonably good password, you may want to title="Put Your Passwords Through The Crack Test With These Five Password Strength Tools" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/put-passwords-crack-test-password-strength-tools/">put it through the crack test.

Set Windows User Account / Logon Password

Now I admit setting a Windows password is not very creative, but this is a method worth mentioning nevertheless. Why? Not only will this password be required when the computer is booted, you can also protect an active session in many different ways.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ChangeDefaultPassword02.png" alt="how to password protect computer" border="0" />

To set an account password in Windows 7, go to your User Accounts via the Control Panel and ‘change’ your password. Moreover, you should make sure a password is set to title="3 Default Passwords You Must Change & Why" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-default-passwords-change/">protect your Administrator account.

Note that a Windows logon password is a very weak defense since it is rather easy to crack, as outlined in these articles:

title="3 Ways to Reset Forgotten Windows Administrator Password" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-ways-to-reset-the-forgotten-windows-administrator-password/">3 Ways to Reset Forgotten Windows Administrator Password
title="5 Tips To Reset The Administrator Password in Windows XP" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-tips-to-help-you-reset-a-forgotten-windows-xp-password/">5 Tips To Reset The Administrator Password in Windows XP

Lock Active Session

Clicking the [Windows]+[L] keyboard shortcut will lock your active Windows session. To get back to your desktop requires the Windows password.

For a more ‘transparent’ desktop lock, check out title="ClearLock" href="http://www.swanrivercomputers.com/programs/clearlock">ClearLock, which was reviewed in title="ClearLock – A Cool Transparent Desktop Lock For Windows" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/clearlock-cool-transparent-desktop-lock-windows/">this article.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/02a-The-computer-is-locked.jpg" alt="how to password protect your computer" border="0" />

Enable Wakeup Password

Do you use Hibernate or Sleep? Enable a password on wakeup in your title="Windows 7 Power Options And Sleep Modes Explained" href="Windows 7 Power Options And Sleep Modes Explained">Power Plan’s advanced power settings.

Search and open > Power Plan from the Windows 7 start menu, then click > Change plan settings on your present Power Plan, click > Change advanced power settings in the bottom left. Expand the first item within the Power Options advanced settings and select > Yes. Click > OK and > Save changes.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CreativePassword02.png" alt="how to password protect computer" border="0" />

Enable Screen Saver Password

To set a password when returning to the desktop from the screensaver, right-click your desktop and select > Personalize. Click on > Screen Saver in the bottom right. In the Screen Saver Settings check the box next to > On resume, display login screen. Click > Apply or > OK to save changes.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/CreativePassword03.png" alt="screen saver password" border="0" />

Password-Free Lock Options

If you’re not keen on using passwords, but do want to lock your computer, have a look at these alternative methods:

title="Two Unique Ways To Log Into Your Windows Computer Without Typing A Password" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/unique-ways-log-windows-computer-typing-password/">Two Unique Ways To Log Into Your Windows Computer Without Typing A Password
title="Lock Your Computer with Bluetooth Proximity Lock Utility" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/lock-windows-computer-bluetooth-proximity-lock-utility/">Lock Your Computer with Bluetooth Proximity Lock Utility
title="3 Ways To Lock Your Keyboard & Mouse And Keep Your Computer Safe From Unwanted Guests [Windows]" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-ways-lock-keyboard-mouse-computer-safe-unwanted-guests-windows/">3 Ways To Lock Your Keyboard & Mouse And Keep Your Computer Safe From Unwanted Guests

Conclusion

There are many ways and places to set passwords. They will certainly keep the average user from accessing your computer and getting hold of your data. However, as mentioned above, it’s possible to hack, crack, or circumvent passwords and often this is an easy task for an experienced user. The following articles highlight this dilemma:

title="Ophcrack – A Password Hack Tool to Crack Almost Any Windows Password" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/hack-windows-passwords-with-ophcrack/">Ophcrack – A Password Hack Tool to Crack Almost Any Windows Password
title="How To View Passwords Hidden Behind Asterisk Characters" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-recover-passwords-from-asterisk-characters/">How To View Passwords Hidden Behind Asterisk Characters
title="6 Free Password Recovery Tools for Windows" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-free-password-recovery-tools-for-windows/">6 Free Password Recovery Tools for Windows

Rather than depending on a single password, be sure to secure your data in many different ways and consider to title="TrueCrypt" href="http://www.truecrypt.org/">encrypt your confidential and sensitive data.

Do you even bother settings standard Windows passwords? Do you use any alternative or creative methods of securing your computer?

Image credits: title="Password Lock" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=44569345">myVector

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4 Common YouTube Annoyances & How To Get Rid Of Them With Userscripts

admin — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 13:47:09 +0000

class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/youtube-annoyances.jpg" alt="youtube annoyance" width="260" height="223" />We do love YouTube and the awesome user-generated resource of cool timely videos it has grown into over time. We love its variety and flexibility: we have seen already how to href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/search-youtube-pro-google-advanced-operators/">search YouTube like a PRO, how to href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/comprehensive-guide-youtube-player-keyboard-shortcuts/">control the player using keyboard shortcuts and href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/youtube-video-editor/">how to use YouTube Editor. There is really something for anyone there.

However you can’t please everyone all the time and there are many people who find some of YouTube’s features annoying (while loving the resource overall). Let’s try to cope with the most popular YouTube annoyances:

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1. Autoplay

As well as the buffering feature which forces the video to play immediately once the page loads, and then stops the video frequently to buffer it.

2. Video quality

There is no good way to choose the default quality of a video (based on your preferences and connection settings).

3. Advertisements Embedded Within A Video

Clicking X to close an advert again and again in each video you watch is really disturbing.

4. No Way To Easily Access Some Great Built-In Features

For example, there is no way to loop videos selectively.

Here are a few userscripts that cope with all of these annoyances effectively:

YouTube HD Ultimate

href="http://userscripts.wikia.com/wiki/YouTube_HD_Ultimate">YouTube HD Ultimate is a userscript which forces YouTube to select the highest video quality a user’s computer can handle (with options to lower it if the computer has problems playing 1080px videos).

Supported Browsers

FireFox (via href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/greasemonkey/">Greasemonkey) and Opera.

Options

Options can be found in the upper-right-hand corner of a YouTube page:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/youtube-annoyances-01.jpg" alt="youtube annoyance" width="540" height="416" />

From there (among other things) you can:

Set the default quality of each video;
Enable / disable autoplay;
Hide / show annotations.

If you hover over any option settings, you’ll see a short explanation as well as the general recommendations as to how to use each one:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/youtube-annoyances-02.jpg" alt="annoying things about youtube" width="531" height="110" />

YouTube Enhancer

href="http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/33042">YouTube Enhancer is a feature-rich userscript similar to the above one with more cross-browser compatibility options and a different feature layout.

Supported Browsers

FireFox (via href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/greasemonkey/">Greasemonkey), Opera, Google Chrome (the latest version), Flock, Safari, SeaMonkey ( href="http://userscripts.org/topics/38360?page=1#posts-197377">with a patch).

The script installs its own player controls that allow to play, pause, loop, rewind, download and even convert the current video as well as set the quality:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/youtube-annoyances-05.jpg" alt="Youtube Enhancer" width="540" height="268" />

The script also has global options for all YouTube videos accessed via the “General options” link on top of the video:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/youtube-annoyances-06.jpg" alt="annoying things about youtube" width="540" height="319" />

YouTube Auto Buffer & Auto HD & Remove Ads

href="http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/49366">YouTube Auto Buffer & Auto HD & Remove Ads is a userscript whose name speaks pretty much for itself. Its main feature is removing adverts embedded into the videos. Besides that, it buffers the video without autoplaying and puts it in HD if the option is on.

Supported Browsers

FireFox (via href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/greasemonkey/">Greasemonkey) and Opera (with some href="http://userscripts.org/scripts/reviews/49366">reported issues with Autobuffer Options).

The script options are nicely integrated into the YouTube interface allowing you to:

Choose between autoplay / autobuffer options;
Set the default quality;
Hide in-video ads:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/youtube-annoyances-03.jpg" alt="youtube annoyance" width="412" height="293" />

Note: there’s one minor annoyance with the tool which you may notice: the script allows the video to play for a second and then pauses it.

Endless YouTube

href="http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/38011">Endless YouTube: If you are one of those people who tend to watch or listen to one and the same music / video clip over and over again, this script is right for you. It enables you to loop the whole video or a part of it for it to play over and over until you close the tab.

Supported Browser

FireFox (via href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/greasemonkey/">Greasemonkey).

Just set the time interval you want to loop or click “Loop video” to play the whole clip again and again:

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/youtube-annoyances-04.jpg" alt="Endless Youtube" width="489" height="189" />

Are there any other YouTube annoyances you wish you could cope with? Let’s try to find the solutions together!

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4 Common YouTube Annoyances & How To Get Rid Of Them With Userscripts

admin — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:47:54 +0000

id="more-65431">

1. Autoplay

As well as the buffering feature which forces the video to play immediately once the page loads, and then stops the video frequently to buffer it.

2. Video quality

There is no good way to choose the default quality of a video (based on your preferences and connection settings).

3. Advertisements Embedded Within A Video

Clicking X to close an advert again and again in each video you watch is really disturbing.

4. No Way To Easily Access Some Great Built-In Features

For example, there is no way to loop videos selectively.

Here are a few userscripts that cope with all of these annoyances effectively:

YouTube HD Ultimate

Supported Browsers

FireFox (via href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/greasemonkey/">Greasemonkey) and Opera.

Options

Options can be found in the upper-right-hand corner of a YouTube page:

From there (among other things) you can:

Set the default quality of each video;
Enable / disable autoplay;
Hide / show annotations.

If you hover over any option settings, you’ll see a short explanation as well as the general recommendations as to how to use each one:

YouTube Enhancer

href="http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/33042">YouTube Enhancer is a feature-rich userscript similar to the above one with more cross-browser compatibility options and a different feature layout.

Supported Browsers

The script installs its own player controls that allow to play, pause, loop, rewind, download and even convert the current video as well as set the quality:

The script also has global options for all YouTube videos accessed via the “General options” link on top of the video:

YouTube Auto Buffer & Auto HD & Remove Ads

Supported Browsers

FireFox (via href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/greasemonkey/">Greasemonkey) and Opera (with some href="http://userscripts.org/scripts/reviews/49366">reported issues with Autobuffer Options).

The script options are nicely integrated into the YouTube interface allowing you to:

Choose between autoplay / autobuffer options;
Set the default quality;
Hide in-video ads:

Note: there’s one minor annoyance with the tool which you may notice: the script allows the video to play for a second and then pauses it.

Endless YouTube

Supported Browser

FireFox (via href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/greasemonkey/">Greasemonkey).

Just set the time interval you want to loop or click “Loop video” to play the whole clip again and again:

Are there any other YouTube annoyances you wish you could cope with? Let’s try to find the solutions together! />
/>Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on href="http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/">MakeUseOf Answers! />
/>

12 Most Common iPod Sync Problems & How to Fix Them

admin — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:47:37 +0000

class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/shutterstock_52271518-300.png" alt="ipod sync problems" width="260" height="190" />Are you having iPod sync problems? Does iTunes keep giving you a weird error number that you don’t understand? Have you searched through many an iPod/iTunes forum looking for answers and yet still don’t know what’s wrong? Yeah, I’ve been there before. I know it well.

The most frustrating thing is to wade through idea after idea, gradually considering the XYZ things you might need to do just to get your iPod to sync. You think there has to be an easier way. Surely someone at iTunes had this version of iPod and used XP too? Surely they didn’t have to resort to registry hacking to fix this? Well, we can hope. In the meantime, here’s a compiled list of the most common iPod sync problems and the easiest steps you can take to work out how to fix them. Hopefully it will have you sorted out in no time.

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1. Back Up Before You Try Anything

It’s advised that you do an iTunes backup and an class="vt-p" href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766 ">iPod/iPhone backup before you try any fixes.

2. Are You New To iPods?

If you’ve never had an iPod before, quickly check this class="vt-p" href="http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1351">basic user guide to make sure you know how it’s supposed to be syncing.

3. Restore & Update

iTunes encourage users to class="vt-p" href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1481">restore and update their iPods if there are any sync problems. Often your problem can be resolved easily this way, so give it a go. Connect your iPod, open iTunes, then choose “Check for update” to ensure you have the latest version of the software.

To back up your iPod, Right-Click (or CTRL-Click) your device in iTunes when connected and choose “Back Up“.

4. Beware Of Applications Which Change Computer Appearance

Skins and other class="vt-p" href="http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1539 ">appearance-changing software can have undesired consequences with iTunes, so try uninstalling them. You might find a quick fix to your problems!

5. Enable Disc Use

This might help if you’ve seen any of the following errors:

Unknown iPod Error (-50).
An unknown error occurred (-50)
The iPod cannot be synced. The required disk cannot be found.

These errors occur a lot under Windows XP and are often fixed by class="vt-p" href="http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=653201&tstart=30 ">enabling disk use on your iPod.

You need to click “enable disc use” then “apply” really quickly. Then you need to do something to make XP recognise the drive ASAP. The easiest way is to have Device Manager open and ready, then click class="vt-p" href="http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6854405&tstart=0">“Scan For Hardware Changes” or “Add New Hardware“.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/iPod_Scan_For_Hardware_Changes.png" alt="ipod sync problems" />

6. Deselect Music Sync / Deselect Voice Memo Sync

You may be able to pinpoint the problem by class="vt-p" href="http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2830 ">deselecting various sync checkboxes (eg. Voice Memo or Music Sync) before attempting a sync.

7. Try Syncing With A New Admin Account

Create a new admin account on your machine, open iTunes (which will be a new library), then attempt to class="vt-p" href="http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2830 "> sync your iPod with this new library. If it works, you can at least eliminate hardware conflicts and iPod failure. It is likely to be a problem with the library, a corrupt file you’re trying to transfer or a program automatically running in your normal profile.

8. Run Disc Utility / Repair Disc / Error Checking

It might be the case that your iPod needs to have the class="vt-p" href="http://www.chromewalker.com/cw_six/?p=148 ">disc repaired. Make sure the iPod is set to “enable disc use” but not to start iTunes when plugged in, then shut iTunes and eject the iPod. When you re-connect, run Disc Utility / Repair Disc on the iPod. Then try syncing in iTunes – you might have to run Repair Disc again.

Also try going to the iPod in My Computer. Right click and choose Properties > Tools > Error Checking.

style="text-align: center;"> class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Ipod_Error_Checking.png" alt="ipod sync problems" />

9. Fix Digital Signing Of Windows Drivers

This might be required if you’ve seen one of the following errors:

The iPod could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (-124 , 1418, 1429, 1430, 1436 or 1439).

It’s possible that your registry files have been corrupted in some way. So, class="vt-p" href="http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1539 ">iTunes have written out the content of a batch file for you to create and run. Don’t forget to back up first! They also suggest doing a virus check afterwards just in case that was what caused your problem in the first place.

10. Verify MobileMe Settings

To class="vt-p" href="http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1672 ">verify your MobileMe settings are correct, ensure your Internet connection is working then connect for a sync. If it’s not syncing (or has finished) check that the MobileMe contacts and calendar data is correct. Also check your MobileMe email as that will let you know if your password is correctly entered. Then click on “fetch new data” and ensure push is turned “ON”.

11. Corrupt Files and Hardware Conflicts

Have you seen “sync error -69″?

Every now and then, you might find a corrupt MP3 file or photo in your collection. If that happens, iTunes will throw an error message at you, but not necessarily explain why. Check to see if you can pinpoint a particular song it’s trying to transfer. Or, try class="vt-p" href="http://forums.ilounge.com/itunes-mac-pc/12262-error-69-cant-sync-ipod.html ">deleting your photo cache. Note, this could also be caused by a hardware conflict.

12. It Might Just Be iTunes

Don’t forget that it might just be a problem with iTunes itself. Try going through these class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-top-itunes-troubleshooting-tips-tricks/">iTunes fixes to see if you can get your iTunes working properly.

More on iTunes

If you love class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/itunes/">iTunes, here’s some more articles for you to read:

class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-big-book-of-itunes/">The BIG Book of iTunes [Free PDF Download]
class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-itunes-tips-ipad-mac/">5 iTunes Tips For Your iPad [Mac]
class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/6-ways-to-sync-music-to-your-iphone-without-itunes/">6 Ways To Sync Music To Your iPhone Without iTunes
class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/itunes-genius-mixes-personal-music-dj/">Use iTunes Genius Mixes As Your Personal Music DJ
class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/basics-syncing-ipad-itunes-part/">The Basics Of Syncing Your iPad with iTunes
class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/effectively-remove-duplicate-tracks-itunes-windows/">How to Easily Remove Duplicate Tracks on iTunes [Windows]
class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/automatically-import-downloaded-music-itunes-mac/">How To Automatically Import Downloaded Music To iTunes [Mac]

Image Credit: class="vt-p" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-52271518/stock-vector-note-and-sound-waves-music-background.html">Shutterstock

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The 3 Most Common Solutions To Fix A Windows Computer That Is Always Freezing Up

admin — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:47:45 +0000

class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ComputerFreeze01.png" border="0" alt="fix computer freezing" width="245" height="228" />Does your computer freeze randomly? Do you face the class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-tips-fix-blue-screen-error">Blue Screen Of Death almost every day? Don’t let your computer terrify you!

Take action, track down what causes your computer to lock up on you and how you can stop it from happening. We have previously introduced class="vt-p" title="Common Reasons Why Windows Can Get Unresponsive" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-common-reasons-why-your-system-is-irresponsive-how-to-solve-them/">7 Common Reasons Why Windows Can Get Unresponsive. This article examines how you can troubleshoot the causes for a freezing computer and what you can do to fix it.

If you’re struggling with a slow and unresponsive system, we will shortly be publishing a PDF manual called Windows on Speed which will help you learn what makes your system become sluggish and how you can regain a top Windows performance. Make sure you subscribe to MakeUseOf so you don’t miss the manual when it comes out!

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Prelude: Make a Backup

The very first thing you need to do when your computer starts acting up is to create a backup of your personal data. Don’t waste time trying to troubleshoot or fix anything. Just make a backup. Right NOW!

class="vt-p" title="Best Backup Software" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/3-backup-tools/">The Best free Backup Software for your PC by Aibek
class="vt-p" title="Top 10 Backup Software for PC" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-10-backup-software-for-pc/">Top 10 Backup Software Apps For Your PC by Justin

You should consider logging into Safe Mode to perform the backup. You may find that it makes your system a lot more stable! That would also be a first step in troubleshooting.

class="vt-p" title="How To Start Windows in Safe Mode and Why" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/start-windows-safe-mode/">How To Start In Windows Safe Mode & Its Uses by Tina

Now that you have your personal data backed up, let’s start troubleshooting and resolving the issues.

1. Troubleshoot Software Issues

A freezing operating system may have a lot of underlying issues. To verify whether or not your freezes are software-induced, boot your system into Safe Mode.

Safe Mode is a boot option that launches your computer in a very limited state. Only the most basic files and drivers absolutely necessary to run the operating system are loaded. If your system appears stable in Safe Mode, it is very likely that you have software issues, like driver conflicts or malware.

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The article below explains how to boot into Safe Mode:

class="vt-p" title="How To Start Windows in Safe Mode and Why" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/start-windows-safe-mode/">How To Start In Windows Safe Mode & Its Uses by Tina

If you do not see an improvement in Safe Mode, proceed to point 2.

If you do see an improvement, try the following:

uninstall recently installed devices and their drivers.
make sure you only have one antivirus program installed.
perform a Windows upgrade.
update any programs you are using regularly and all hardware drivers.
if running a specific program causes the freezes, try to update, uninstall, and reinstall the program.
in Safe Mode, scan your system for malware and remove anything you find.
perform general system maintenance.

Here are some useful resources for the above steps:

class="vt-p" title="How To Uninstall Applications Efficiently" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-uninstall-applications-efficiently-and-remove-obsolete-files/">How To Uninstall Applications Efficiently And Remove Obsolete Files by Stefan
class="vt-p" title="Malwarebytes Spyware Removal Tool" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/stop-and-delete-spyware-with-malwarebytes-windows-only/">Stop & Delete Spyware With Malwarebytes [Windows] by Jimmy
class="vt-p" title="Essential Must Have Security Tools" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/7-security-tools-you-absolutely-must-have/">7 Essential Security Downloads You MUST Have Installed by Aibek
class="vt-p" title="Quick Fixes to Make your Windows Computer Faster" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-quick-fixes-to-make-your-windows-computer-faster/">10 Quick Fixes to Make your Windows Computer Faster by Shankar
class="vt-p" title="How To Speed Up Windows 7" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/guide-speeding-windows-7-machine/">Speeding Up Windows 7: Everything You Need to Know by Mahendra

2. Troubleshoot Hardware Issues

The Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD) is a strong sign for a hardware incompatibility. The displayed error code provides a clue for what caused the computer to crash. Subsequently, you should analyze the error reports that Windows stores in response to a BSOD crash.

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The following resources will help:

class="vt-p" title="How To Fix Windows Blue Screen Errors" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/4-tips-fix-blue-screen-error/">4 Tips To Help You Fix The Windows Blue Screen Error by Ryan
class="vt-p" title="How To FInd BSOD Error Messages" href="http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic74712.html">How to Find BSOD (Blue Screen) Error Messages
class="vt-p" title="How To Use Windows Debugging Tools to Analyze a Crash Dumb (BSOD)" href="http://thebackroomtech.com/2008/01/31/howto-use-the-windows-debugging-tools-to-analyze-a-crash-dump-bsod/">How To Use the Windows Debugging Tools to Analyze Crash Dump (BSOD)

If updating or removing hardware drivers didn’t work and in case you don’t get a BSOD, you need to examine potential physical causes. Your computer could be overheating, a device could be damaged and dying, or a cable could be loose. Before you touch your hardware, however, make sure your class="vt-p" title="How to Turn Off Your Computer" href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4731202_turn-off-computer.html">computer is properly turned off to protect yourself. You must also class="vt-p" title="How To Ground Yourself when Working on a Computer" href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5899400_ground-yourself-working-computer.html">ground yourself to avoid a discharge of static electricity, which could (further) damage your hardware.

The best way to troubleshoot hardware issues is to…

physically clean your hardware, i.e. free fans and power supply from dust.
check all cables for damage or loose connections.
check whether hardware components like the graphics card are properly plugged into the motherboard.
remove or replace single components like RAM modules and boot the computer without them.

The last point will reveal whether one of these components is broken.

3. Restore Windows

Windows can create restore points that allow you to roll back your entire system to a previous stable state. Make use of this feature and go back to a restore point where your system did not freeze or crash. The best thing is that you won’t lose your personal files.

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This articles explains how it’s done:

class="vt-p" title="Fix Yor PC Using Windows Restore in XP, Vista, and 7" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fix-computer-windows-restore-xp-vista-7/">How To Fix Your PC Using Windows Restore in XP, Vista & 7 by Jack

Last Resort: Repair Or Reinstall Windows

The easiest way to resolve issues with a Windows operating system that constantly freezes is a fresh installation. It is normal to reinstall Windows every 6 months to 2 years. If you’re running an older installation, it’s about time that you give it a fresh start!

class="vt-p" title="How To Reinstall Windows Without Losing Your Data" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-reinstall-windows-without-losing-your-data/">How To Reinstall Windows Without Losing Your Data by Jorge
class="vt-p" title="Prepare for a System Restore and Reinstallation" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-prepare-yourself-for-system-restore-from-scratch/">How to Prepare Yourself for System Restore From Scratch by Tina

Did this article help you to fix your computer from freezing? Please report your experiences!

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Disc Scratches

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Most of the time, the drive isn’t even the problem! Discs become class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fix-unreadable-cds-or-dvds-in-windows">scratched fairly easily and this can cause a lot of read problems on the drive. The way to check is two-fold:

visually inspect the disc to see if there are any scratches.
check the drive with another disc, alternatively try the disc in another drive.

Once you have confirmed the disc is scratched you can try a few things to fix the problem.

The first is to use a wet or dry cloth to clean the disc. Use circular motions to clean it, or wipe from out-to-inside or inside to out. Never wipe in the direction around the tracks, as this can cause track skippage and actually make the problem worse.

The second is to use some sort of abrasive compound, such as class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/geeks-weigh-in-can-you-fix-a-scratched-cd-with-toothpaste-nb">toothpaste (not gel) to grind out scratches. I’ve never actually used this method but I have heard it works well.

The final one, and preferred, is to use a motorized disc cleaner. They are available from retail stores for about $20-$30 and automate the above procedures for maximum effect. I think this is the safest way to clean a disk, as there is less chance of human error.

Is Your Firmware Old?

Sometimes there are bugs within the firmware of the optical drive. The firmware is like an operating system for the drive, telling it when to spin, where to move the read/write head, and so on. Sometimes this is a last ditch effort but updating the firmware has raised several drives from the dead for me.

Check the manufacturer’s website to see if there are firmware updates. It might involve burning a CD with the firmware and rebooting the computer or player off of the disc, or there might be a way to update it right in your normal OS – it just depends on the manufacturer’s process.

If you have a Blu-Ray drive – in your PC or as a Home Theater component – then there is a good chance you will need to flash new firmware. This is due to the encryption keys stored on the drive. New protections are put out all of the time on new discs and if you have an older drive you simply might not have the right keys to decrypt the disc. A sign of this is if you have no problem playing older Blu-Rays, but new ones simply don’t work.

Is It A Hardware Problem?

class="alignleft" style="margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 5px; border: 0px none initial;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/monitorsmash.jpg" alt="fix dvd drive errors" width="138" height="267" />Finally if all else fails, you could simply have a hardware problem. This goes anywhere from a cable that was unseated, to a bad drive or motherboard connection somewhere down the line.

The first step is to try a new cable and connection port on the motherboard to see if that fixes your problem. If it doesn’t you can try to plug another know-good drive in to see if the problem is coming from the old drive or the motherboard.

If it turns out that your DVD or Blu-Ray drive is bad, then it is bad. You can try to send it in for warranty service, but depending on the age of the drive and how much it would cost to replace it, it could just make sense to buy a new one. Buying a new one has other benefits: faster access times, transfer speeds and new features.

Whatever the issue, the steps above should be enough to try to fix your DVD drive on your own. Let us know your own tips and tricks to reviving zombie DVD drives!

Photo Credits: class="vt-p" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/williamhook/513845749/">William Hook, class="vt-p" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/czarcats/2763944155/">czarcats, class="vt-p" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7762644@N04/2533281806">nickwheeleroz, and class="vt-p" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ultimateslug/109566859/">Don Fulano. />
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6 Quick Fixes To Common Cell Phone Camera Problems

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:47:26 +0000

Back in May, MakeUseOf published 10 Tips to Take Better Digital Pictures With Your Phone’s Camera.

In this article, I will address some particular common cell phone problems that users run into when taking photos with a cell phone camera; and we all know, there are plenty.

The problems addressed in these article will apply to most any cell phone camera, though I use the iPhone 3G camera for illustration.

Blurry Images

The easiest and probably most common cell phone problem with cell phone photos is they end up blurry. This occurs for a couple of reasons.

Cell phone cameras need to be properly held. You always want to hold the camera steady with both hands. The tricky part is clicking the shutter button after holding and composing a shot. So one thing to remember is that typically the shutter of the camera does not activate until the button is released. That means you can first push and hold down the button, frame your shot, and then release the button to release the shutter. Avoid trying to frame the shot while you push down the button.

Also try to rest part of your phone on one of your fingers or in the palm of your hand to get a firm grip.
You might also try bracing your camera against a wall or on a table to help you steady a shot. Even setting up a tripod for your cell phone camera is a useful idea for portrait and group shots.
The less ambient light you’re shooting in, the more likely you’re going to get blurry photos. Because you can’t increase the shutter speed or open the aperture wider on a cell phone camera, you need to shoot in the brightest area possible, or use a flash if your camera has one.
If the shot is not blurry but still not as sharp as it needs to be, you can try using an image editor to sharpen the images — but this is less than ideal.

Shooting Moving Subjects

Because cell phone cameras have slow shutter speeds, it’s nearly impossible to capture moving subjects. To address this problem, you might try using an iPhone camera application that delivers multiple shots (or what is called burst mode) after the shutter is pressed. Check out this article for a couple of great iPhone photography apps: The Best Free Alternatives To Top Commercial iPhone Photography Apps

Furthermore, to shoot moving subjects like children you definitely want to shoot in the brightest possible light to compensate for the slower shutter speed. The photo below is an example of the type of moving subjects that are nearly impossible to freeze capture using a cell phone camera.

Photos Lack Contrast

As with most digital photography, photos typically lack good contrast especially when shot in low light settings. The best solution for this is using an image editor and processing photos after they are taken.

Image editors such as the free iPhone app, Photoshop Mobile, have automatic brightness/contrast tools that can make the colors in your photos pop.

Subject Looks Too Small

There’s an easy solution to this one. Shoot close. You need to zoom in with your feet, even if you camera has a digital zoom. Fill the frame with the subject of the image. This is something that you do no matter what you’re using. In an image editor, you can also crop your images to make the subjects closer; however, because cell phone cameras have lower resolution than many point-and-shoot cameras, cropping too much may result in increased pixilation, especially when photos are printed. So zoom with your feet, instead of the lens, to get the best close-up you can. Experiment with shooting from different angles to get a better shot.

Images Are Dark

The obvious problem with dark photos is that there was not enough light when you took the shot. If your camera does not have a flash and you’re shooting in a low light area without a flash, there’s really nothing you can do to address this problem except get more light on the subject. Indoor lights at night are typically not enough light for cell phone cameras. You will need a flash.

Backlight

Also, watch for what is called backlighting. That is, when there’s more light in the back of the subject than there is facing the subject. So make sure the light is coming from behind you and is facing the subject.

In my experience, camera apps like the free and pro version of Camera Plus for the iPhone address some the problems described above. While cell phone cameras may never be a good replacement for point-and-shoot cameras, the portability of mobile cameras make learning how to use them more effectively worth the effort.

Let us know how you fix particular common cell phone camera problems. Have you found an application or two that is helpful for your camera photography?

Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on MakeUseOf Answers!

Common Sense on Anti-virus Software

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:31:37 +0000

Many people have anti-virus software installed on their computers. They trust their anti-virus software and rely on these intelligent and powerful tools to protect their system security. However, how do you know about anti-virus software? Is anti-virus software always mighty in protecting your computer? See what you will get here.

Anti-virus Software, or Safe-defend Software, is a kind of program tool being able to get rid of all the program codes, such as virus and Trojans, etc., which are harmful to a computer.

In recent years, many terms such as Internet Security Suite, Overall Security Suite appear one after another, are also a kind of software used to clean computer viruses, Trojans and malicious software. Anti-virus Software usually integrates utilities including monitoring and identifying, virus scan and removal, as well as automatic update, etc., while some other anti-virus software also has utility on data restoring.

1. It is impossible for anti-virus software to remove all the viruses.

2. The anti-virus software is not always able to remove any virus it has found.

3. On a computer, for each operating system, there should not be two or more anti-virus software installed at the same time.(Exception is for anti-virus software that are compatible or produced by the same developer.)

4. At present, there are several ways that anti-virus software may use to deal with the infected file:

1) Clean up. The anti-virus software does not delete the infected file, but tries to clean up the virus codes from the infected file. Therefore, this way is also called Repair.

2) Remove. The anti-virus software removes the infected file detected completely.

3) Rename. The anti-virus software renames the infected file, so that the virus program won’t be able to execute as it can’t find a corresponding file.

4) Ignore. The anti-virus software can not clean up the infected file with different methods, or users choose not to deal with the file.)

To sum up, users should be clear that the anti-virus software is always lagging behind the computer viruses. Therefore, along with updating the version of anti-virus software at real time and scanning your computer regularly, users should learn more about the computer security and network security. And, do not open an unknown file or an unsafe website; do not visit the unhealthy website; remember to update your own private password if necessary, etc. Only in this way can your computer and network security be protected and guaranteed.

Specifically for the rapid growing of all kinds of viruses, Trojans or spyware, etc., there are many anti-virus/anti-spyware software in the security market. Kaspersky, AVG are some of them which lead ahead, while there are also some new growing star, such as Spyware Cease, which has impressed many computer users by its profound security utilities and dedicated after-sales service.

Common Windows XP Errors

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:39:54 +0000

Experiencing Windows XP errors? You are not alone. For most of us who upgraded to Windows XP from our old days of ’98 and even ’95, we expected the new operating system to be problem free. I mean the company touted the new upgraded operating system as a more ‘efficient’ and ‘reliable’ operating system with newfangled security and safeguard messages that will eliminate those buggy crashes and blue screens that Windows is so famous for.

Of course we all took that corporate marketing with a pinch of salt, as no sooner were we riding on the waves of a new shell, new technology and new possibilities, did we find ourselves in a deep sea of the all familiar blue, followed by the all annoying, siren of the sea ‘ding!’, that accompanies every other error message on Windows. This article will discuss some of the more common Windows XP errors, and how you can go about avoiding them. Many technical and support forums for Windows XP users list down more than 800 known problems with this operating system and that is a long, long list. I think one of the most common problems anyone will encounter is the infamous Rundll errors.

Till this day, there are more than 318 known rundll errors that run commonly across most platforms using Windows XP. The root of the problem lie in corruptions in the Visual Basics Library, Active X files, Java, device driver signatures and corrupt or missing command lines for programme execution. The second tier of problems lie when Windows updates itself with new security fixes and programme updates, which then will eventually turn into conflicts with existing signature and system core files.

Any install of new hardware or external devices can also lead to common Windows XP errors, which can range to icons missing, explorer hanging and a refusal to shut down. Inevitably, any and all of these problems will result in a global slowdown of the system, which is the most common problem in any platform and computer running any version of Windows. This problem affects the entire family of the Windows range, and is always found to be more of a software problem than a hardware one. Sure, installing innovative software with mismatched hardware will cause specific slowdowns, but build-up of clutter and errors in the computer memory banks and registry will lead to a universal slowdown of all critical systems.

Truth be told, resolving common Windows XP errors is really easier than you might think. All you need to do is get a good PC cleaner or a good registry cleaner. Once you have swept your system areas with a good cleaner and removed all the corrupt and bad data from your registry, you will definitely feel a difference in the speed and responsiveness of your computer. It is all down to maintenance, just like you would your car or your house – ensuring it runs smoothly, and devoid of errors.

So what are you waiting for? Download a reliable registry cleaner today to avoid encountering common XP errors.

APPnox » Common

4 Common Ways To Password Protect Your Windows User Account

Set Windows User Account / Logon Password

Lock Active Session

Enable Wakeup Password

Enable Screen Saver Password

Password-Free Lock Options

Conclusion

4 Common YouTube Annoyances & How To Get Rid Of Them With Userscripts

1. Autoplay

2. Video quality

3. Advertisements Embedded Within A Video

4. No Way To Easily Access Some Great Built-In Features

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1. Back Up Before You Try Anything

2. Are You New To iPods?

3. Restore & Update

4. Beware Of Applications Which Change Computer Appearance

5. Enable Disc Use

6. Deselect Music Sync / Deselect Voice Memo Sync

7. Try Syncing With A New Admin Account

8. Run Disc Utility / Repair Disc / Error Checking

9. Fix Digital Signing Of Windows Drivers

10. Verify MobileMe Settings

11. Corrupt Files and Hardware Conflicts

12. It Might Just Be iTunes

More on iTunes

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Blurry Images

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