Tiplet expert tips & tech support

January 11, 2009

Figuring Out Windows Programs When You Can’t Find the Manual

Filed under: applications,Windows — Tags: , , — admin @ 2:56 pm

by Gabe Goldberg

Which Beatles song describes an under-used PC resource for solving problems and answering questions? It’s not “Ask Me Why?” or “Do You Want to Know a Secret.” It’s “Help”!

Since Windows’ early days, Windows itself and most applications have included information on setting configuration options, usage, and problem determination. Being able to access this material lets you deal with problems whenever they occur, rather than waiting to call an expensive or frustrating support line during working hours. It leads to better productivity, can be faster than Google searching or pestering friends, is available when you’re offline, and it can even make PC use more enjoyable by revealing techniques which impress those around you.
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January 9, 2009

CD or DVD Drive Not Recognized As Writable

Filed under: Windows — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 9:00 am

by David Hakala

It’s frustrating to get an error message when you try to burn files to a new, blank CD or DVD disc: “There is no disc in the drive. Please insert a writable CD into drive.” You know your drive writes and you know the disc is good. Why Windows doesn’t “get it” sometimes is a mystery. But the fix is here.

The problem is mistaken identity. When your writable drive was installed, Windows created a registry entry noting, “This drive is writable.” Or maybe it didn’t, or the entry got corrupted somehow, or Windows is misreading the entry. In any case, you need to edit that entry so Windows recognizes your drive as writable. Here is how to do it:
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January 4, 2009

Applications That Optimize Windows

Filed under: applications — Tags: , , — admin @ 8:00 am

by David Hakala

There are hundreds of ways to customize Windows and speed up system performance. Whether you should implement one method usually depends upon what hardware, software, and other Windows features you are using. Several third-party applications relieve you of these many decisions, scanning your system to see what it’s using and optimizing Windows settings automatically.

Many optimization apps also find and correct configuration errors that slow performance, shutdown, and startup. Some include performance-enhancing features such as file system optimization and RAM optimization.
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