Tech Help and Discussions

When i get a notice that my question has been responded to, I can't find the response even when i search using the exact question? -- Brother Raphael

hi every, im running a vista premium, and recently ive noticed that my taskbar is acting weird. 1 - the taskbar thumbnail preview works, but it doesnt minimize after i move the mouse away from it 2 - there is a problem highlighting the current running windows (the blue shadow highlighting). like for example, when i switch between windows using the alt+tab, or when i switch manually, buy clicking on the window header without clicking on the taskbar, the highlight remains on the previous window... please help!!! :)

I have a Toshiba Satellite A135, running Vista Home Premium. I am trying to connect a Samsung Syncmaster 203b monitor to it, but the display isn't showing up right on the external monitor, I get what's on the laptop, but have a black bar across the top & bottom. Trying different settings in the display properties, I can get the full screen display on external monitor, but only the toshiba spash screen. What am I missing,? -- The intelligent man wins his battles with pointed words. I'm sorry -- I meant sticks. Pointed sticks.

i've tried everything i've read about: editing the registry, uninstalling in safe mode, etc and nothing works. I started having problems with my computer when bestbuy decided to go against my wishes and install service pack 2. i'm unable to use msn messenger now, and flashplayer updates will not download. i tried to restore my computer to a previous point with system restore, but that didn't work either. also, when i try to download and install windows updates, i get an error message from microsoft saying i dont have a valid copy of windows. but i know i do the sticker is on the bottom of my computer and i paid for it fair and square. my question is about perfor…

I want to move my Vista Ultimate license to a new pc. My original install is 32 bit. My new rig install is 64 bit. My intention is to retire the old pc. When i try to activate the new pc i get the already in use message about the product id. All i am running into is prompts to buy another license which i do not want to do. What is the best way to contact Microsoft to kill the old install and activate the new? And will the transfer of licence disable the old install? I still have stuff to migrate. My license is a retail upgrade.

I am the only user on my laptop, (vista home premuim) and recently after downloading a couple of free games from windows market place i was unable to delete them after realising they were rubbish. I needed permissions apparantly. Right clicking on the files then selecting properties took me to permissions where i selected the security tab. As far as i could see, everything was as it should be. So i am now confused as to why i am unable to delete these files. I then used a system restore point which seemed to take me back but another file now wont delete. i shouldnt have to go to a previous restore point everytime i want rid of files. Please help. TI…

This is quite an unusual problem. Occasionally, while I am trying to run just about anything (even wordpad) something unusual happens. From what I've managed to piece together with unlimited patience, my computer suddenly usues up all its RAM on no-op commands and other useless stuff. I've run continuous virus scans and I'm fully up-to-date with all known ones, but there doesn't appear to be any viruses. I've tried sharing files with another one of my computers (one I use to test for viral activity, of course nothing works as well as a culture sample) and there are no symptoms. I do not think it is viral, yet my RAM keeps getting flooded with no-ops and ra…

Hi all, This tool was installed automatically on my PC on 7/3. Since then I get messages where where HPIZ423 needs to be installed when using various components of Windows (IE, My Computer, Word) as well as other installed products on my PC such as Quicken. The installation always prompts me to install a disk which I have no clue as to what to insert. And I don't understand why something needs to be installed when it is already there. I always cancel out and everything works fine. But the pop-ups regarding installation are annoying. Then I also get from time to time messages where an Unload is being done. Again this gets nowhere since I have to …

Motorola is an exceptional company with top notch employees. They got Kevin John Panzke, the right wing wacko in a tizzy because of their use of Windows Server 2008 Beta Public Beta . Just FYI. Oh, one more thing. Everyone should remove Vista from their system and install Windows Server 2008 Beta Public Beta. Kevin will be hosting a forum on how to do this. Just FYI. When the BETA expires, he will personally come over to everyones house and reinstall Vista and all their data. Just FYI. Just FYI.

Whenever I try to install a new program (i.e. itunes) it completely downloads the file, but just before it would install, a window pops up saying that another installation is in progress, and that it must be completed first. I happen to know that installations dont last 6 weeks, which is how long ive been having this problem. If anyone could give me directions as of how to cancel the "installation" that is already in progress, or another means of stopping the problem, this would be greatly appreciated (note: i am not the smartest when it comes to computers, so please explainit in step-by-step directions if possible) thank you

Whenever I try to install a new program (i.e. itunes) it completely downloads the file, but just before it would install, a window pops up saying that another installation is in progress, and that it must be completed first. I happen to know that installations dont last 6 weeks, which is how long ive been having this problem. If anyone could give me directions as of how to cancel the "installation" that is already in progress, or another means of stopping the problem, this would be greatly appreciated (note: i am not the smartest when it comes to computers, so please explainit in step-by-step directions if possible) thank you

When I open System Restore there are Checkpoint listings and Software Distribution Service 3.0 listings. I know what the checkpoints are but can someone please explain what the other item is? Thanks. Stan

When I open System Restore there are Checkpoint listings and Software Distribution Service 3.0 listings. I know what the checkpoints are but can someone please explain what the other item is? Thanks. Stan

I am trying to log on to a website for a company that has issued me a user id and password, but every time I type in the user id and password a message pops up that says "Input validation rues is undefined" I am not real knowledgable about how to adjust the settings, can anyone help me? I am using MS Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002

I've tried everything that was posted here, as well as on several othere boards (including re-registering the atl.dll) and it still doesn't work. Are there any other suggestions out there? "counter-strike nerd" wrote: > Solution (http://www.petri.co.il): > This problem can be corrected by re-registering the various dll files that > Windows Update requires to run. > > To do this firstly click on the “Start†button then “Run†and enter the > following command into the “Run†dialog box > > · regsvr32 wuapi.dll > > You should then receive a message to say it was successful. The above > process then needs to…

Not urgent or important, just curious: Xp Pro w/service pack 2. I got tired of looking at the boring manilla folder icon and decided to switch it to a pretty blue folder instead. Went to control panel/folder options/file types. Selected "File Folder", Advanced, "Change Icon". Selected my pretty blue folder and clicked "ok". After that when I double clicked on a folder rather than opening, it launced my VLC media player which is an option in my context menu. Repeated all the steps above and switched it back to boring manilla icon. VLC media player still launches instead of opening folder anyway. Didn't feel like fighting with it so I used system restore to ro…

How would I set up a desktop shortcut for System Restore? And while I'm at it, how about Restart and Sleep? Thanks! -- Whenever I dwell for any length of time on my own shortcomings, they gradually begin to seem mild, harmless, rather engaging little things, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters. ....Margaret Halsey

1st off this is a program that UAC blocks until I tell it to run. I gave up on UAC and turned it off. Now the program runs fine. So does the rest of the machine with UAC off now. Naturally I have the red X icon for the past few months telling me what I know about UAC. Can't get rid of that at all. Anyway's the icon that just recently disappeared is a necessity. I use it daily at a minimum. How do I get the icon back ? I tried running the program directly, it normally boots with the computer. The program runs, but I have no access to the interface that comes with the tray icon. -- more pix @ http://members.toast.net/cbminfo/index.html

This may same real lame but I cannot find a way to sort and order files and subfolders by name, date etc. How do you do this in Vista? TIA Geoff

Message: I am trying to use the XP Windows Explorer search function. I am trying to search documents, including Microsoft Outlook email documents (.msg) that I copied from Outlook to My Documents directory. Windows Explorer "Search" can not find simple strings that are contained in the documents. I looked at the document format. It seems that these documents are using Unicode format. Mr Gates, Please fix. All I want is to search the Unicode documents for Ascii text. I am looking for the document that contains the name "Fooks" for example. Your search function should translate the Unicode to Ascii for searching purposes.

Message: I am trying to use the XP Windows Explorer search function. I am trying to search documents, including Microsoft Outlook email documents (.msg) that I copied from Outlook to My Documents directory. Windows Explorer "Search" can not find simple strings that are contained in the documents. I looked at the document format. It seems that these documents are using Unicode format. Mr Gates, Please fix. All I want is to search the Unicode documents for Ascii text. I am looking for the document that contains the name "Fooks" for example. Your search function should translate the Unicode to Ascii for searching purposes.

Apart from winrar & Winzip softwares .... Can any one suggest me vista compatible Unrar software...............

I have good reason to believe that a hacker in my company hacked windows vista ultimate and changed the security settings of my USB hard drive. I have been working flawlessly for over 2 month with my USB hard drive. After receiving a threat from a hacker, I was no longer able to move files on my USB hard drive and my Visual Studio Key of my VB project stopped working. Is there a way for a VB.Net client to SQL Server 2005 to authenticate itself to SQL Server using a certificate, thereby garanteeing that only that application can connect to SQL Server 2005? I need to protect my Windows Vista Ultimate server & SQL Server 2005 from hackers. What c…

hi all. Oh dear! I tracked a problem, but I need more help in fixing it. I just bought a new sapphire 9600xt, to replace a "crappy" nividia gf5200. [yes, the graphic improvements are Treeeemendus!] I was somewhat mystified when my Gothic II would stop at the game loading screen when the exe called it up, even though this old card would not work well, i expected to be able to get maybe to the loading screen, at least. my new 9600xt has the same problem! also morrowind will also not load. but baldurs gate II and neverwinter nights will load. at first i thought this was an issue with the new cd-rw rom. The morrowind files has a "program flow" sheet…

hi all. Oh dear! I tracked a problem, but I need more help in fixing it. I just bought a new sapphire 9600xt, to replace a "crappy" nividia gf5200. [yes, the graphic improvements are Treeeemendus!] I was somewhat mystified when my Gothic II would stop at the game loading screen when the exe called it up, even though this old card would not work well, i expected to be able to get maybe to the loading screen, at least. my new 9600xt has the same problem! also morrowind will also not load. but baldurs gate II and neverwinter nights will load. at first i thought this was an issue with the new cd-rw rom. The morrowind files has a "program flow" sheet…