tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1936941982429487192012-01-18T12:10:07.159+08:00PC troubleshooting, repair and programming - Eric Chen has over a decade of experience with Microsoft Windows and computers. He shares computer tips on how to get Microsoft Windows to work effectively and efficiently.Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-6661663658575519862010-08-07T14:45:00.002+08:002010-08-07T14:55:53.580+08:00

When trying to register, renew or transfer a domain name at GoDaddy, you can encounter a page that says "Registration Process Expired".Although it claims that there is something in your shopping cart, you find that there is nothing.What's more, the following did not work:Clear your browser's cache (temporary internet files)Clear all cookiesAdd http://*.godaddy.com and https://*.godaddy.com to

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-21192843903864017162010-08-07T14:00:00.004+08:002010-08-07T15:29:51.799+08:00

Microsoft Office 2007 and newer saves its files in a different format. In order to open them on Office 2003 and below, you will have to download a free special file converter from Microsoft. If you are using a Mac user, don't worry. You can get a free Mac file converter too. Word 2007+ Extension Document .docx Macro-enabled document

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-69690542568645280232010-05-03T21:17:00.004+08:002010-05-03T21:24:07.469+08:00

Microsoft Word has an annoying bug that displays the following error message when you try to save a document: “The document was saved, but data for speech recognition was lost because there was not enough space to store it. Be sure to turn off the microphone when not recording and check the available storage space on disk.” “文書は保存されましたが、音声認識データを保存する十分な空き領域がないため、データは失われました。録音していないときは、必ずマイクをオフに し

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-66588938500592795632009-10-01T20:20:00.018+08:002009-10-01T21:36:35.022+08:00

I have made my own set of mistakes when purchasing computers both for myself and for other people. In this post, I hope to educate most people about how to make a good purchase.When you buy a computer, remember that you can only choose 2 of the 3 factors below:High SpeedGood MobilityCheap PriceYou must make up your mind about which one of them you do not want. Otherwise, you may regret your

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-30367886794198977862009-08-22T10:21:00.022+08:002009-08-22T19:08:39.204+08:00

Have you ever purchased a computer which ran blazing fast, but which then slowed to a snail's pace 2 years later? In desperation, you upgraded the RAM and changed to a new hard disk, but the PC still remained very slow.Based on my 12 years' experience with PCs, I have identified a few causes of chronically slow windows:Parasitic Software (very common)Startup Programs (very common)Poor Maintenance

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-53177621003717841782009-08-21T22:30:00.001+08:002009-08-22T10:20:43.526+08:00

Tired of seeing constant nag screens like this when using Vista? One way is to use the freeware TweakUAC to disable such screens.For those who prefer to do it themselves, simply follow the simple steps below:Go to Control PanelType in UAC into the search boxClick on the link for “Turn User Account Control (UAC) on or off”Uncheck the box for Use User Account Control (UAC)Click on the OK

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-42419593117944967182008-12-03T20:34:00.004+08:002008-12-03T20:47:04.279+08:00

After installing the Classroom Performance System software on 32 bits Windows XP, I encountered the following error message:CPS encountered an error attempting to initialize the main form.Exception -- System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException: Class not registered (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80040154 (REGDB_E_CLASSNOTREG))Message -- Class not registered (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80040154 (

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-52981808141665207652008-07-27T20:30:00.003+08:002009-11-21T18:43:30.261+08:00

This may be a blog about Windows, but sometimes, I think it is OK to post a Mac tip or two.Scenario: One day, you find that your Mac computer has mysteriously got stuck at startup screen, or is showing some odd error message.You call in a technician, and he says that you need to reformat the hard drive and reinstall the entire Mac OS. And he suggests that you buy a new Mac from him to save

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-73033035966870894242008-07-20T13:45:00.001+08:002008-07-27T20:00:09.260+08:00

Here is a scenario I have seen many times: You have a computer that keeps giving you blue screens of death (i.e. error messages that show up as a blue screen).You follow standard advice:1) You have scanned for viruses and spyware2) You have disconnected your computer from the Internet3) You have reinstalled WindowsBut the computer crashes keep coming. At this point, many computer technicians will

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-82134945547836772482008-07-13T19:45:00.001+08:002008-07-27T19:59:56.632+08:00

Recently, I observed this mysterious phenomena on a few computers, including my sister's laptop: One fine day, the computer begins to stutter, literally. When you play a piece of music or a movie, the sound will be chopped up and it will repeat itself.Sometimes the problems will go away when you install an "important update" from Microsoft. Other times, you can only clear the problem with a

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-68767765696843940922008-06-23T21:37:00.005+08:002008-06-23T21:57:47.600+08:00

Unable to process request at this time -- error 999Unfortunately, we are unable to process your request at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please try again later.Yahoo Error 999 is an enigma that often defies explanation. I believe that it is a bug caused by Yahoo. Some people speculate that this is Yahoo's attempt to block people accessing too much of their bandwidth to prevent

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-73816859362268608852008-03-02T18:00:00.008+08:002008-11-28T17:14:04.767+08:00

Building a website used to take a lot of effort and technical skills. Now, even a computer newbie can set up a webpage easily. Below are some useful resources for getting started.----- Explanations ------ The Basics of a Website- What is a domain vs. a subdomain----- Useful Services -----Disclaimer: I do not receive any commission or revenue by introducing these services.- Domain Names:

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-52533613590857554932008-02-24T16:53:00.027+08:002010-07-17T18:24:50.096+08:00

----- Free Internet Access -----If you have a notebook computer with wireless networking, you can get free Internet access in Singapore:- Wireless@SG- Apply for free Internet----- Phone Service -----You can SMS Singapore Friends for free on the Internet:- Singtel Users- M1 Users [I am using this provider.]- StarHub UsersWhen you switch on your phone in Singapore, select Starhub as your roaming

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-55071094916451328652008-01-02T11:08:00.000+08:002008-01-02T11:22:42.337+08:00

Earlier, I wrote about giving teens and children their own computer to use. A fellow blogger then suggested using child protection software.While child protection software may help, we better not underestimate the ability of teens and children to disable such protection, and then hide the fact that they did so.After all, the information on how to do these is often publicly available - http://

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-12681696254260292022007-08-03T20:17:00.000+08:002007-08-03T20:46:13.134+08:00

I find it common that people, including some who work in the Army, letting their children and teenagers use their work computers for fun and entertainment.The younger users often install their favorite games, chat messengers, file sharing, browser toolbars and other software without permission from their parents.As a result, the computers become infected with spyware, trojan horses and other

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-2054844559977850872007-05-07T00:00:00.000+08:002007-05-09T18:55:20.327+08:00

Do you want to help find a cure for AIDS and stop malaria? Do you want to help scientists understand global warming? Do you want to help astronomers explore the stars and find new alien civilizations?You can participate in these projects and more, just by downloading a special piece of software called BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing).http://boinc.berkeley.eduBOINC will

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-1044484980690522522007-03-29T00:00:00.002+08:002008-06-06T20:26:23.500+08:00

Huge PowerPoint files are often a nightmare to send by email. Fortunately, I know a few ways to reduce their size to manageable limits. [Mac users click here]1) Use "Insert Picture"Go to Insert > Picture > From File and select the picture you want to add. Never copy and paste the picture from elsewhere. This will cut as much as 90% off the file size.2) Use JPEG format instead of BMPIf you

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-89774067558606434122007-03-27T00:00:00.001+08:002008-06-06T20:28:43.944+08:00

If you are going to send many large Word files by email, I have some tips to share with you to cut down on their file size.1) Use "Insert Picture"Go to Insert > Picture > From File and select the picture you want to add. Never copy and paste the picture from elsewhere. This will cut as much as 90% off the file size.2) Use JPEG format instead of BMPIf you encounter a BMP picture file that you need

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-19114330281600189722007-03-22T00:00:00.000+08:002007-04-19T15:55:11.111+08:00

Type Long Web Mails in Word - I know someone who spent a few hours writing a long email, and when she tried to send it she received an error message. Apparently, her Internet connection had timed out. When she clicked on the "back" button, her message was nowhere to be found. If you like to use web mail, open a new document on your hard drive and write your mail there first. After that, cut and

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-1493800405078167442007-03-19T00:00:00.000+08:002007-04-19T15:02:18.239+08:00

I never failed to be amazed at how poor most people's computer security is. A computer should have a few layers of defenses:1) Good passwords - Choose long, memorable and not easily guessed passwords. Even better, add numbers and punctuation to them. For example, 23WhatTheHeck!Use at least 3 passwords, one for unsecured sites like mailing lists, one for medium security sites like web mail and the

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-43480218943300738682007-03-18T00:00:00.000+08:002007-04-19T15:30:32.189+08:00

“Removable media” inclues floppy disks, CD-ROMs, Zip or Jaz disks and USB thumb drives, because they are not permanently attached to the computer. Accidents often happen when using such media. Network servers are also removable media, which some of us will find out the hard way when the server crashes or the network goes offline.If you have files stored on removable media, use Windows Explorer to

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-43660328091842036072007-03-10T00:00:00.000+08:002007-04-19T17:40:15.119+08:00

1) You can use the same casing for multiple portable hard disks, if you don't mind taking them in and out. That would save quite some money, especially if you are backing up data to many 3.5" drives.2) You can copy data from one hard disk to another, even ensuring that you make the exact copy of Windows and everything. The process is called cloning. Those in the know always do this so that every

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-44682689607276919082007-03-06T00:00:00.000+08:002007-04-19T15:30:13.962+08:00

If you are using Outlook Express, I advise switching to Microsoft Outlook or another mail client. Still, Outlook has its own problems too.If you store more than 2GB of mail in Outlook, it will stop working as a result. Fortunately, there is a way to get back most of the data.Just to be safe, it is best to delete unnecessary mail, and empty the recycle bin in your mailbox. Here are some ways to

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-42297854400246875882007-03-05T00:00:00.000+08:002007-04-19T15:30:17.895+08:00

Microsoft Outlook Express is one of the more problematic clients. I call it "Look Out Express" because of its irritating tendencies to frustrate users.For instance, it likes to take a long time to compact folders. While its compacting, users often think it has crashed. If they force it to close, then goodbye data.Another especially evil trick is that it will stop working for no reason and require

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-43337631453619557462007-03-02T00:00:00.000+08:002007-04-18T22:55:28.530+08:00

Perhaps it is too late for you to take preventative measures because your computer problem has occurred. Here are 3 ways to do data recovery:- Get a professional to do it- Low level hardware recovery (e.g. Spinrite 6)- General recovery (e.g. Easy Recovery Pro, Recover My Files)Generally, it is useful to get general recovery software. There are also free alternatives like Free Undelete, PC

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193694198242948719.post-43485783096894514142007-03-01T00:00:00.000+08:002007-04-18T22:48:40.999+08:00

Backup data - I aim to keep at least 3 backups of my data. I use thumb drives, portable hard disks and other computers. For longer term data, I use CDs and DVDs. Because it is very troublesome to manually synchronize the data, I use a freeware program called Syncback.I recommend that every time you work on a document, ZIP a second copy and save both copies onto a thumb drive.If you have Windows

Indigo Ericnoreply@blogger.com0