Common PC problems

Computers are highly complex and things can easily go wrong. We look at 50 of the most common problems and provide the answers

With computers, as with most things in life, knowledge is power. Arm yourself with a comprehensive knowledge of the workings of your PC and peripherals and you should be able to solve most common computer conundrums and fix frequently encountered PC ailments without a problem.
Following on from the troubleshooting guide we ran in June, we've put together a guide to solving 50 more problems you may well encounter with your PC. So if your computer is misbehaving and the solution wasn't included in our first guide, don't panic: you may well find the answer you need in this feature.
It's funny how much easier computer problems are to solve when you have all of the answers. If you find you have a problem that is not covered here, don't forget you can use the internet to search for answers either by looking on manufacturers' websites or making a general search using a search engine such as Google. And there's an army of your fellow readers on hand to help out at the Computeractive Readers to the Rescue forum.
WINDOWS
Every time I start my computer, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) prompts me to connect to the internet. How can I stop this from happening?Press F3 to open the Preferences window in AIM. Click on Sign On/Off on the left-hand side of the Window and click in the box labelled Start AIM when Windows starts, then click on OK.
The Taskbar has moved to one side of the screen. How can I move it back?Click on an empty part of the taskbar and drag it to the bottom of the screen.
I am planning to upgrade my computer soon. How can I copy Desktop files and settings to my new PC?Run the File and Settings Transfer Wizard on the new computer to save a special file and settings transfer program onto a blank disc. To run the wizard, click on the Start button, then All Programs, Accessories and then File and Settings Transfer Wizard. Run this program on your old PC to save your files and settings.
Due to poor eyesight I have difficulty reading onscreen. Is there anything I can do to make it easier to use my computer?Click on Start, All Programs, Accessories, Accessibility and then Accessibility Wizard. This will help you change the settings on your computer to display larger fonts or set the Magnifier tool to magnify the area of the screen around the cursor.
What program should I use to open a file with the file extension .rar?RAR files are compressed files similar to the more common ZIP files. Use the free program 7-Zip to reverse the compression process. You can download it here.
I need to update my copy of Windows XP but only have a dial-up internet connection. Can I download updates to a friend's computer and copy them to my PC?Go to Windows Update on your computer and note down the numbers of the updates you need. Use a computer with a broadband internet connection to visit Windows Update and select Administrator Options. Click on Find updates for Microsoft Windows operating systems. Select your version of Windows from the list and click on search. You can now select the relevant updates, download them and save them to a CD to be transferred to your own computer.
Can I move the My Documents folder to make it easier to back up?You can change the location of My Documents in Windows XP. Right-click on the My Documents icon and select Properties from the menu. Click on the Target tab then click on the Move button and select a new location. Windows will copy all of your files to the new location.
SECURITY
I have Automatic Updates turned on for Windows XP but do I need to lookfor updates for the other applications that are loaded on my computer?Most software developers release updates to their products if they discover security problems and you should check regularly for updates for any programs that connect to the internet. For Microsoft Office, for example, click on the Help menu and select Check for updates. Office will open Internet Explorer at the Office Update page. Follow the instructions to find and install updates.
I can't find a way of deleting emails without their contents appearing in the preview pane of Outlook Express 6 first. I'm worried that this might pose a security threat. What can I do?To turn the Preview pane off, double-click on it and then click on the View menu and select Layout. Uncheck the Show preview pane box under Preview Pane options to remove the tick and click on OK.
How can I stop other users of my computer from reading my emails in Outlook Express, as we use a single set of login details for Windows XP?You can set up multiple users within Outlook Express called Identities, which can be password-protected. Click on the File menu, Identities and then Manage Identities. Click on the Add Identity button to create a new user and set a password for it.
Is there any way I can stop the other people who use my shared computer from reading my documents?You can scramble the contents of files so that they can only be read with a password. Try using Axcrypt for this, which can be downloaded here.
When I updated to the latest version of AVG Anti-virus my computer started rebooting. It prompts me to return to the last known good configuration or Safe Mode. How can I use Windows again?This problem occurs if you are using Roxio CD Burner as well as the AVG software. There is an update for the Roxio program here.
APPLICATIONS
When I edit photos in Paint Shop Pro they always look great on screen but the colours never seem the same when I print them? What am I doing wrong?Colours appear slightly different on screen than they do on paper but all good photo-editing programs should adjust your pictures to take account of this. In Paint Shop Pro, click on the Enhance Photo button and select One Step Photo fix.
I write a monthly newsletter for a local association and would like to personalise it to include people's names at the top. How can I do this?Create a table in Word or Excel containing all the information you need to personalise your letters with and then write your newsletter as normal. Then click on the Tools menu, Letters and mailings and select Mail Merge and follow the instructions in the onscreen wizard.
I have some symptoms of RSI in my wrists and would like to reduce the amount of typing I have to do. What software do I need to use speech recognition with Microsoft Office?If you have a version of Office later than Office XP the software you need is already on your computer. In Word, click on the Tools menu and select Speech. The Language bar will appear at the top of the screen. You can switch between dictation and Voice commands by clicking on the buttons. You could buy a dedicated voice recognition program such as Dragon Naturally Speaking 8.
I have a number of classic DOS games that I would like to be able to play on my new computer. I have tried the Compatibility mode but that has not worked. What can I do?If Compatibility mode does not work you could try running a software emulator, a program that fools the game into thinking it is running in DOS. Try DOSBox from Sourceforge.net.
Why can't I play my music files on a friend's computer?If you are using Windows Media Player to create files from your own CDs, it may be using copyright protection so the music can only be played on one PC. To turn copy protection off, click on Tools, Options and then on the Rip Music tab. Uncheck the Copy protect music box. If you have downloaded the tracks from a paid-for service, they will play on your PC only.
MODEMS AND THE INTERNET
Sometimes there are blank spaces in websites, often where I think ads are supposed to be. I also get errors when I try to play games on web pages.Download the Flash or Shockwave plug-ins for your browser.
I have made the move away from Internet Explorer to Opera but now I cannot access some websites. What can I do?Some websites will only work with a particular browser, most often Internet Explorer. To set Opera to impersonate Internet Explorer, click on the Tools menu, select Quick Preferences and then click on Identify as Internet Explorer.
I added my email address to a mailing list by mistake. Is there any way I can automatically delete these emails with Outlook Express?You can add the sender to the Blocked senders list and Outlook will automatically delete these emails. Click on the email to select it, click on the Messages menu and select Block Sender. To review the list click on the Tools menu, Message rules and then Blocked senders list.
I have downloaded Mozilla Thunderbird email software to take advantage of the spam filter included but I am worried that some of my important emails may get deleted. What can I do?Click on the Tools menu and select Junk Mail Controls. Click on the option 'Do not mark messages as junk mail if the sender is in my address book' and make sure that Personal Address Book is selected underneath.
I have created my own website but am having trouble saving it to the hosting company. Apparently I need an FTP program. What is it and where can I get one?FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a way of moving files around on the internet. Filezilla is easy to use and free to download.
PRINTING
I have an old laser printer, which is very economical to run but connects to a computer with a parallel socket. My new PC does not have one of these. Is there any way that I can still use this printer?Yes, but you'll need a USB-to-parallel adaptor. Belkin makes one, which you can buy from http://www.dabs.com/ for about £20.
I often have to print out large documents but I would like to reduce the amount of paper that I use in doing so. I cannot change the size of the text in the documents. Is there any other way I can fit more on a page?Most printers can print what is called N-Up, where pages are shrunk to fit several onto one sheet of paper. Click on the File menu and then Print and in the Print dialogue box click on the Properties button. You should find the settings for N-Up printing here.
I have a large collection of photograph negatives, which I want to scan onto my computer. Do I need a special scanner and how do I convert the colours back to normal?You can buy special scanners to scan negatives and film, such as the Plustek OpticFilm 7200. The software supplied with the scanner will convert negative images back into normal colours.
When I start a scan the software asks me what resolution I want to use. What should I do?Images for use on the web will be fine at 100 dots per inch (dpi). If you want to print the picture out you should use a minimum of 300dpi but there is no point scanning at a resolution higher than the maximum resolution of your printer.
My scanning software gives me the choice between JPG and BMP files for my scans. What is the difference?JPG images take up much less disk space than BMP but they manage this by compressing the picture so that some quality is lost. Every time you save a JPG image more image quality is lost so, if you are going to edit the image, you should save it as a BMP.