Ask A Geek

Q: I have Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 3. After installation of updates my computer is not booting up/starting and I am getting an error message saying I should uninstall updates is showing. What should I do?

Q: I recently switched from cable to DSL. I have three computers. This PC is older with 11g hard drive. I installed free AVG virus program scan found 6 infections. Now I can’t access things like “RUN”, “RESTORE”, or windows update. I can access the Internet. Also the email page on ATT inbox page is so huge only a few letters show. I have lost my Windows XP disc. Should I run Restore from the CC program I just downloaded?

Q: I downloaded registry mechanic and was trying to save used space. At the same time there was a windows update going on and it would say stage 3 of 3 and continue to restart but wouldn’t finish update afterwards I had to system restore and now I can’t access my downloads from when I downloaded registry mechanic. What can I do to get access to registry mechanic again?

Q: I have an HP Pavillion dv9000 laptop with Vista installed. I’ve been getting pop-ups that Windows Automatic Updates has stopped working, then the HP assistant (a toolbar type of thing on the desktop) stopped working, then the CaTrayLauncher stopped, and now Internet Explorer takes several attempts before it finally opens.

My Norton360 says everything is fine. What do you think is causing it? What can I do if it is a virus? I don’t use Vongo, can I delete it and the tray thing?

Q: Every time I hook my Dell c640 laptop running Windows XP Pro to the Internet it starts downloading something. I suspect it is a windows update. After 3 days and nearly 100 million bites later it is still downloading. The thing downloads incredibly slow despite being on a cable connection. Everything else I do on it is fast just not this download.

I don’t remember starting a windows update. Is there any way I can see what website IP the machine is connecting to while it downloads stuff in the background? Is there anyway to determine what file is being brought over?

Q: Recently, a search option has been opening on my desktop every time I startup my Windows XP computer. How do I stop this from happening and how did it start?

A: Microsoft recently provided an update to Windows XP called Windows Search 4.0. By default, this new search tool appears every time you log onto your computer.

According to my research, the easiest way to keep Windows Search 4.0 from turning on automatically in Windows XP is to right-click on the Taskbar (the bar at the bottom of your screen). From the list that appears, go into Toolbars and uncheck Windows Search Deskbar. Then, restart your computer. Read the rest of this entry »

Q: My computer has crashed several times since I installed Service Pack 2 and several other hot fixes in Windows XP. How can I keep my computer from crashing?

A: Service Pack 2 for Windows XP is actually old technology. In 2008, Microsoft released Service Pack 3 for Windows XP. One nice thing about Service Pack 3 is that increases system stability & reliability. You should do some maintenance to the software on your computer before you install the latest service pack. Read the rest of this entry »

Q: On trying to set up my win. Xp it kept flashing me the message that it could not copy the file comadmin.dl-. What would be the location of this file and do you know of anyway to get through this hump.

A: 1. Download the Security Update for Windows XP (KB828741) file to your desktop.

2. Restart your computer.

3. Keep pressing the F8 key until the Windows Startup menu appears.

4. Select to boot up in Safe Mode.

5. Press Enter.

6. Double click the setup file on your desktop.

7. Installation should work without the error message. Once installed then reboot and do not choose safe mode just let the computer boot like normal.

Q: My PC was off for 6 months while I was away. I turned it on, and updates will not download. I click the icon, it says it is, but the update # is always the same. I have Windows XP Home.

A: A computer hard drive is a magnetically based storage medium. One negative consequence of this property is that if a hard drive remains unused for a long enough period of time, the data on that drive can become somewhat difficult for a computer to access. Except for very extreme circumstances, this is something that can be fixed rather easily by running some routine maintenance in Windows XP. A procedure for your particular problem follows:

1. Disconnect your computer from the internet so that you don’t risk getting a computer virus during the maintenance. This can be accomplished by unplugging the cable that brings internet to your computer or by going Control Panel -> Network and Internet Connections -> right click on all active connections -> Disable.
2. Disable automatic updates by right clicking on the My Computer icon -> Properties -> Automatic Updates. Select the option with the red symbol.
3. Deactivate all of the programs running in your system tray, which is probably located in the lower right hand corner of your screen. To disable a program in your system tray, right click on the program’s icon and choose Exit or a similar option. The icon should then disappear or change to signify that it has been turned off.
4. Run the Disk Cleanup utility by going My Computer -> right click on your hard drive (probably drive letter C) -> Properties -> Disk Cleanup. A window with tabs should appear. You will want to check all of the boxes in the Disk Cleanup tab except “Compress old files” when you run this utility. Don’t worry about any of the other tabs in the window. Among other things, running Disk Cleanup forces Windows to erase any half-downloaded updates that may be failing to install.
5. Return to My Computer -> right click on the same hard drive again -> Properties -> Tools tab. Go into Error-checking and check both boxes. Clicking Start should prompt you to schedule an error-check for the next time your computer restarts. Accept the message.
6. Go into defragmentation and defragment your main hard drive. This will help Windows to locate any data that became difficult to access during the 6 months you were away.
7. When Windows reports that your hard drive has been successfully defragmented, restart your computer.
8. Repeat steps 1 through 7 for all other hard drives in your computer, if you have more than one hard drive that is.
9. Enable your internet connection by doing the opposite of step 1.
10. Then go to Start -> All Programs -> Windows Update (probably at the top of the list). This will allow you to manually update Windows XP. While in Windows Update you may wish to install Microsoft Update. Microsoft Update allows Windows to update other Microsoft products, such as Office.
11. Reactivate Automatic Updates by returning to the Automatic Updates tab described in step 2. I recommend the setting that asks for your permission before downloading and installing the updates.

Your computer should now be in good working order!