Over a couple dozen times I’ve experienced this issue first-hand. After downloading and installing Windows XP Service Pack 3, if even on a brand-new or reimaged machine, neither Automatic Updates, Windows Updates nor Microsoft Updates work. Often, neither do Windows Defender updates work either, for that matter, following XP SP3 installation. Several solutions are available, [...]

If you’re a ZoneAlarm firewall user, a new Microsoft security update is making your life difficult. Here’s what you need to know. On Tuesday, July 8th, Microsoft released security patch MS08-037. That patch is a critical fix designed to protect against Windows Domain Name System (DNS) exploits. Following the patch’s installation, ZoneAlarm users are reporting [...]

Consumer Reports, in a new survey, ranks Apple first in technical support among PC manufacturers. Apple scored the first place ranking in both the magazine’s Desktop and Laptop categories. Apple earned first place in the Desktop category with an 81% satisfaction rating. Dell was a far second, scoring 56%. In the Laptop category, Apple scored [...]

Frequently I hear the same complaint from Microsoft Office 2007 users. The problem is Microsoft’s newest Office suite (including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft PowerPoint) automatically saves files using Office’s new XML-based file formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx and .pubx). Consquently, without Microsoft’s Compatibility Kit, staff, clients and colleagues using older versions of [...]

Many computer users–due either to incompatibility fears, a desire to maintain standardized networks or just personal preferences–prefer to purchase new computer systems with Windows XP, as opposed to Windows Vista. More than a year ago, most big box retailers (Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, Office Max, etc.) began carrying mostly systems with Windows Vista. That [...]

Almost all computer users have heard of the importance of defragmenting hard disk drives. As computers create and delete files, fragments of an individual file can be spread out across a hard disk. Performance then suffers, as the hard disk must read data from multiple locations on the disk, as opposed to data stored in [...]

Microsoft Windows systems typically automatically begin making use of new memory when additional RAM is installed in a PC. However, Windows does NOT automatically adjust its configuration settings to optimize performance as a result of the new memory. Say that again? When you install new memory in a Windows PC, the operating system recognizes the [...]

Several Louisville clients have experienced Windows Update errors following installation of Service Pack 3. First SP3 installs, then it completes without error. But upon rebooting many Windows systems will no longer download or install updates. After much research (and trial and error), many IT professionals recommend a fix: Dial-A-Fix. Dial-A-Fix repairs such Windows problems as corrupted updates [...]

Louisvillian’s aren’t safe from Hong Kong’s dangers. So, too, do China, the Phillipines and Romania threaten those in the Derby City. McAfee Inc. yesterday released the results of a new study showing that Web sites hosted in Hong Kong pose the greatest challenge to computer users. The most risky Internet domains – in other words, [...]

Many users ask us how they can adjust the screen size within Windows. Microsoft and other refer to the screen’s “size” as screen resolution. You can adjust this setting within Windows XP by: 1. Right-clicking an empty portion of the Windows desktop. 2. Selecting Properties from the pop-up menu. 3. Clicking the Settings tab. 4. Adjusting [...]