Faster Windows 7 shutdown using REGEDIT

For the first hack, click the key combination > [WINDOWS] + [R], type > regedit into the text field, and click > OK to launch the registry editor.
In the registry editor, navigate to this folder:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control

Within that folder (on the right) find and double-click the string > WaitToKillServiceTimeout.
In the > Edit String window, change the > Value data from the default of 12000 (12 seconds) to 2000 (2 seconds). Click > OK to save the change.

For the second hack, navigate to the following location via the registry editor:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

On the right, find and double-click the string > WaitToKillAppTimeout.

If this entry does not exist, you can create it. Right-click into the folder and click through > New > String Value, and name it > WaitToKillAppTimeout.
Set > Value data to 2000, click > OK.
In the same registry folder, if you see an entry called > AutoEndTasks, set its > Value data to 1, then close the registry editor.
Shutdown time: 27 seconds

 COMPUTERS

A computer is a general purpose device which can be programmed to carry out a finite set of arithmetic or logical operations. Since a sequence of operations can be readily changed, the computer can solve more than one kind of problem. The essential point of a computer is to implement an idea, the terms of which are satisfied by Alan Turing's Universal Turing machine.
Conventionally, a computer consists of at least one processing element and some form of memory. The processing element carries out arithmetic and logic operations, and a sequencing and control unit that can change the order of operations based on stored information. Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved from an external source, and the result of operations saved.
A computer's processing unit executes a series of instructions that make it read, manipulate and then store data. Conditional instructions change the sequence of instructions as a function of the current state of the machine or its environment.
In order to interact with such a machine, programmers and engineers developed the concept of a user interface in order to accept input from humans and return results for human consumption.
The first electronic digital computers were developed between 1940 and 1945 in the United Kingdom and United States. Originally, they were the size of a large room, consuming as much power as several hundred modern personal computers (PCs).^[1] In this era mechanical analog computers were used for military applications.
Modern computers based on integrated circuits are millions to billions of times more capable than the early machines, and occupy a fraction of the space.^[2] Simple computers are small enough to fit into mobile devices, and mobile computers can be powered by small batteries. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of the Information Age and are what most people think of as "computers". However, the embedded computers found in many devices from mp3 players to fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are the most numerous.

Missing or lost sound in Windows.

Cause

This issue could be caused by any of the below possibilities.

1. Bad software settings.
2. Corrupt or missing sound drivers.
3. Compatibility issues with the operating system or other hardware.
4. Speaker related issues.
5. Bad or missing sound card.

Solution

Verify software volume control settings

First verify you see a small sound icon or in the Windows notification area (bottom right-hand corner of your screen). If this icon is missing, follow the below steps.

Windows XP

1. Open the Control panel
2. Open the "Sounds and Audio Devices" icon.
3. Verify the "Place volume icon in the taskbar" checkbox is checked. If this option is not available or is grayed out, skip to the next section of this document.
4. If you were able to check this box, click ok and close out of this window and the Control Panel.
5. Double-click the sound icon in the Systray and verify that all the sound volumes are mid-way or higher.

Windows 2000

1. Open the Control panel
2. Open the "Sounds and Multimedia" icon.
3. Verify the "Show volume control on the taskbar" checkbox is checked. If this option is not available or is grayed out, skip to the next section of this document.
4. If you were able to check this box, click ok and close out of this window and the Control Panel.
5. Double-click the sound icon in the Systray and verify that all the sound volumes are mid-way or higher.

Windows 95, 98, or ME

1. Open the Control panel
2. Open the "Multimedia" icon.
3. Check the checkbox for "Show volume control on the taskbar." If this section is grayed out, change the Playback "Preferred device" by clicking the down arrow and changing to an alternate selection. If that is also grayed out, skip to the next section of this document.
4. If you were able to check this box, click ok and close out of this window and the Control Panel.
5. Double-click the sound icon in the Systray and verify that all the sound volumes are mid-way or higher.

Verify the installed driver settings

1. Open the Windows Device Manager
2. Verify there are no conflicts or errors listed anywhere in Device Manager. If conflicts exist skip down to conflicts section.
3. Verify no other devices are listed. If other devices are listed skip down to other devices section.
4. Verify that your "Sound, video and game controllers" category is listed, if not skip down to the missing sound card section.
5. If no conflicts or other devices are listed and your sound card is listed with no conflicts, skip to the next section.

Conflicts section

If conflicts exists with your sound card or other devices installed in your computer it is likely that either the drivers are not properly installed for that device or the sound card or other devices are conflicting. If you open the properties of the device that is conflicting and view the properties, additional details about the conflict can be found. Additional information about error codes as well as help with Device Manager can be found on our Device Manager section.

If you are unable to locate additional information about your issue or are unable to resolve the issue, follow the below steps.

1. Under Sound, Video and game controllers highlight each device and press the delete key to remove the device.
2. Reboot the computer.
3. As the computer is booting the system will detect the sound card and any of it's devices and re-install those devices. If prompted for a location of drivers, try pointing it to your sound card CD or your Windows CD. If this does not work or is unable to locate the proper files, you will need to get the latest sound drivers from your sound card manufacturer.

Other devices section

If other devices are listed, it is possible that these other devices could be the sound card or other devices conflicting with the sound card. If any other devices are listed it is recommended you remove those devices, reboot the computer and let Windows redetect the devices.

If this does not work, determine what device is not being detected and resolve that issue first.

Missing sound card section.

If you are missing the "Sound, video and game controllers" category in Device Manager, it is likely that the sound card drivers are not installed properly, sound card has been disabled, sound card is bad, or no sound card is available in the computer. First, verify no conflicts or other devices are present in the Device Manager; if these are present it is likely they are the sound card or devices causing the sound card not to be detected. Second, verify that the computer has a sound card and that the sound card is enabled on the computer.

If this is an on-board sound card you can verify that it is enabled in CMOS setup.

If you have no adapters or cannot click the down arrow to select the correct adapter, close out of this Window. In Control Panel double-click the System icon, click the Device Manager tab within Device Manager and ensure there are no yellow ! or red X.

If you have either of these on any of your sound devices, remove everything under Sound Video game controllers and reboot the computer. If after rebooting the computer you still have the same conflicts, double-click on the conflicting device and refer to our Device Manager error code section giving you additional information on the error code you are experiencing.

Verify speaker connections

Verify the speakers settings and speakers are not at fault by running through computer speaker troubleshooting.

Sound card drivers

If you have followed the above recommendations and you are still unable to get the sound card to work, in Device Manager remove all sound video and game controllers and reboot the computer. This should cause Windows to reinstall all missing drivers and often can correct corrupt drivers. If this does not work after rebooting the computer download and install the latest sound card drivers from the computer or sound card manufacturer. A listing of sound card drivers can be found on our sound card driver page.

Defective hardware

Finally, if all of the above recommendations do not resolve your issue it is likely that either the sound card is physically bad or that the operating system is severely corrupt. We recommend you contact the manufacturer of the sound card or computer for a replacement or additional recommendations.

What Is a Virus?

A computer virus is code — a program — that can be recognized and run by your computer, causing the code to reproduce. Just like a virus in a human, the computer virus may be innocuous, bothersome or deadly. Yet in all cases, the virus occupies precious computer memory space. Just cycling through the program, no matter how ineffective it may be, could impair the functions of your legitimate applications.

How to prevent.. 

How can we prevent computer viruses is the big question that millions of users make everyday. The first rule in this eternal battle for computer security is to have an up-to-date antivirus. Notice the word up-to-date. That means that your antivirus software needs to be updated every day. Viruses are always appearing, so do not sub estimate them. In less than 24 hours your antivirus could be obsolete.

The next important rule is still related to actualizations. Although you may have your antivirus updated, that doesn't mean that there are other weaknesses in your system. As a matter of fact, there isn't an unbreachable computer. Even the most expensive system can be cracked by an expert.

So, it doesn't matter if you have a guardian dog tied at the front entrance of your house if your windows are open. That's why the rest of your software needs to be updated. The first piece of software that needs to be actualized is the operating system.

Almost eighty percent of the world uses Microsoft software. Hence, it is the favorite victim of black hat hackers. Configure your Windows configuration so it can make automatic actualizations that can prevent computer viruses.

The same thing goes for productivity software like Microsoft Office or even entertainment software like computer games. All software is under constant changes once it is delivered into the market. Consider the millions of possible configurations that a computer program needs to affront once it is introduced.
 

REPAIR WINDOWS XP

1. Boot the computer using the XP CD. You may need to change the boot order in the system BIOS so the CD boots before the hard drive. Check your system documentation for steps to access the BIOS and change the boot order.
2. When you see the "Welcome To Setup" screen, you will see the options below   This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft
      Windows XP to run on your computer:
   
      To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.
   
      To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.
   
      To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
   
3. Press Enter to start the Windows Setup.
    
   do not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press  R", (you Do Not want to load Recovery Console). I repeat, do not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press  R". 
4. Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows installations.
5. Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and press R to start the repair. If Repair is not one of the options, END setup. After the reboot read  Warning#2!
6. Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot.  Do not press any key to boot from CD when the message appears. Setup will continue as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will remain intact.

Topic of the Day

How To Fix The Blue Screen Error

Check the safe mode 
The first step is to determine the real cause of the blue screen which you should do by trying to establish whether the problem is software or hardware related. This you do by checking if the PC functions in safe mode or not. If it goes ahead to work as usual in safe mode without crashing, the most likely cause of the blue screen error is software related, which you can effectively fix with steps 2&3 below. If on the other hand when setting the safe mode the screen brings up a blue screen, the most probable cause of the error is hardware related, which should be fixed by a qualified technician.

Uninstall the culprit program
More often than not, it is a specific software program that causes the error you are experiencing with your PC. Perhaps the errors are coming from such programs as games or recently installed programs, your best bet would be to try and uninstall the culprit software program, restart the machine and see if the error will still appear. In many cases, the solution to the screen of death error simply lies in a faulty program file, or its settings and a simple un-installation process fixes the problem. At other times though, it can be very hard to clearly pinpoint the culprit software. This is always characterized by many random blue screen errors. If this is the case, proceed onto the next step.

Clean the registry 
As mentioned, at times your computer can experience very many random blue screen errors which if not fixed can render your PC useless. The main cause of these random errors is in a very important part of your PC known as the ‘registry’. The registry is simply a central part of a computer that stores a database of all settings of your PC, and all information that the computer needs to function and run smoothly. This is arguably the most important part of a PC’s Windows System.

If you are experiencing the blue screen errors, it is a clear indication that your registry needs a fix and a quick one at that lest it crashes completely. This is when you need to invest in a good quality registry cleaner program. These programs are designed in such a way that they will automatically scan through the entire registry and fix any damaged entries on the registry that are causing the problems. This they do by even deleting entries that are no longer in use. A good registry cleaner will make your Windows system run a lot faster and become more reliable because the last thing you would want is to lose important information and data from your PC due to the screen of death.

No Display on the Monitor

Cause

1. Monitor is not ON.
2. Computer is Asleep
3. Connections not connected properly
4. Monitor settings are not correct
5. No Post
6. Hardware Issue

Solution

Tip: The following is monitor troubleshooting and not for users who get readable picture when it is first load but then gets distorted when opening Windows.

Monitor is not on

Make sure the monitor is on. If no power light (green or orange light) is seen on the monitor display try pressing the power button until it comes on. If no light comes on after several attempts continue below.

Computer is asleep

If your computer monitor was on and you stepped away from the computer and upon returning it was black it's likely that the computer is asleep. Try moving your mouse, clicking the mouse buttons, or pressing any key (space bar) on the keyboard to wake it up.

Connections not connected properly

Make sure that you are connecting the monitor to the back of the computer in the 15-pin connector as shown to the right or older computer 9-pin connection.

If the computer is properly plugged in, make sure it's getting getting power.

If you are not receiving power from a known working wall outlet and if the power cord is removable, replace it with the one connected to the computer and power on the monitor again. If the monitor still does not get power or it is not removable, it is recommended that the monitor be replaced or serviced at a local TV or computer repair shop.

If the monitor is receiving power, check the status light.

If the light is orange or flashing ensure that the monitor is not in a suspend mode by moving the mouse or pressing a key on the keyboard. If the computer does not get a display by moving the mouse or touching the keyboard, turn off the computer and monitor and reconnect the data cable from the back of the computer, and if removable, the back of the monitor. Turn the computer back on; if you still encounter the same issue, continue reading through the other possibilities.

Monitor settings are not correct

Verify the brightness and contrast is turned up or adjust the brightness and contrast. If adjusting the brightness or contrast has no affect on the monitor continue reading through the other possibilities.

No Post

Does the computer beep when it is powered on or does it appear that the computer has activity? If the computer does not beep or beeps abnormally it is possible that the computer itself is experiencing a hardware issue or is exhibiting a No Post. 

Hardware Issue

If you have followed the above recommendations and are still encountering the same issue, it is likely that the computer may have either a bad video card or monitor. The best method of determining this is to do one or both of the following:Disconnect your monitor and connect it to another computer. Borrow a computer monitor and connect it to your computer. This will not harm the other computer monitor in any way.

If your monitor works on another computer it is safe to assume that the video card or potentially the motherboard within the computer is bad.

This may also be caused by a loosened memory card. Open your system unit, remove the memory card from the slot and put it back again.

EASY REFORMAT OF COMPUTER


1) All computer has BIOS ( Basic input/output system). Here, you can set up how your PC will run. It is a blue colored full screen with different tabs like general, exit, devices and many more. Go to BIOS by simply hitting del (delete) continuously after restarting your computer.

2) Once in BIOS, look for the booting set up. Listed there are the devices which computer normally boots. ( Harddisk, CD-rom, Floopy Disk and Network)

3) Place the CD-Rom as the first boot and see to it that the bootable CD of Operating system you want is inserted in the CD-Rom. Then Place harddisk as the second booting device. Third and fourth booting devices are not usually important.

4) Save the changes and Exit. This will restart your computer automatically.

5) When your computer restarts wait until you see a message saying.........
Boot to CD........<----if this showed up hit any key to boot to CD. This will make your computer refer to the CD.

6) They will ask you if you want to delete or to create a new partition. For me just delete the partition and do not create anymore partitions. This will only slows your computer down. 

7) After Deleting the partitions, they will ask you if you wanted to format you PC. There are 4 choices in there:

a. Quick format (FAT)
b. Format (FAT)
c. Quick format (NTSF)
d. Format (NTSF)

Choose the format either NTSF or FAT. Sometimes quick formatting result to corruption of some files.

8) The computer will copy the contents needed from the CD to your PC and installs it. Windows will appear but i know when you see one you can understand what to do. It will just ask for date and time and user name if you want to.

9) After the installation is complete the computer will automatically restart.

10) Once restarted, set the display in your choice. You can do anything now. Congratulations, you now can reformat PC.