I get many calls from people telling me that their computer powers up, but that their Windows OS won’t boot up properly. This usually happens because of a bad hard drive and in most cases can be fixed by running a built in Windows utility called CHKDSK. CHKDSKis a utility that checks the computer’s hard disk drives’ status for any cross-linked or any additional errors with the hard disk drive.
Just this morning I fixed a clients computer by booting from a Windows XP CD and using “chkdsk /r” in the WindowsRecovery Console. “CHKDSK /R” locates bad sectors and recovers readable information while fixing any error on the disk. Here are the exact steps that I used this morning:
1) Boot your computer from the Windows Installation CD that came with your computer. Put the disk in the CD-ROM drive, turn on the computer, and when you see the menu, choose boot from CD (don’t choose boot from hard drive). If you don’t know how to configure your computer to boot from a CD/DVD, see this article.
2) Your computer will boot up and you’ll then see a screen with various choices. Press the keyboard letter “R” and you will access the Windows Recovery Console tool.
3) As you are going to the Recovery Console the setup disk may ask you which partition to boot into. Type 1 or 2 (the number that corresponds to the partition containing your NTFS partition) and then press enter to continue. If you use and are asked for an administrator password, type it in and press enter. If you don’t use an administrator password just press enter.
4) You should now be at the command prompt (blinking cursor). Type the command “chkdsk /r” (without the quotes), and then press enter.
5) The disk check will begin and may take quite some time to complete (especially if you have a large hard drive). The CHKDSK test looks for errors on the hard drive and repairs them.
6) When the test finishes you should be able to boot up your computer. Take out the Windows Installation CD from the CD-ROM drive and restart the PC (at the blinking cursor command prompt type “exit“, then press “enter” to restart the computer).
You’re done! Your Windows Desktop will come up and you will be able to use your computer like always. If I were you I’d back up any important data because your hard drive may “go south” at any moment!
Professor Randy says:When your OS won’t boot, don’t panic! Remember to run “chkdsk /r” in Windows Recovery Console and you will be booting up once again in no time at all!
Today guest blogger Jorge R. Hernandez of 123ComputerRepair gives us a great tip about a discovery he made while downgrading to Windows XP from Windows Vista on a Toshiba laptop. Jorge is a skilled and experienced computer technician who runs a home based family operated business in Coconut Creek, Florida. Thanks Jorge!
“Downgrading a Toshiba Satellite (A205-S5855) laptop from VISTA to XP should be a simple thing to do right? Well, not so fast.
If you attempt to install XP you will get this error message:
You must have the necessary drivers needed for the SATA drive that is on the laptop.
Toshiba is not very helpful when trying to find drivers on their website. In my case I had to go to the manufacturer’s website instead (Intel). Use “Device Manager” in order to get the Hardware ID for the device in question.
I downloaded the “Intel Storage Manager” driver and proceeded to install XP on the laptop using the F6 approach which allows 3rd party drivers to be used via a Floppy drive.
This is the first time I had come across such a problem and wanted to share it with all of our readers (just in case).
Here is a link to the article I found on Toshiba’s website.”
Professor Randy says:Hands-on experience makes all the difference when you want your computer fixed right. Seek out a tech who has the proper training and preparation and you’ll eventually be satisfied with the results!
There is a lot of extremely interesting tech news “out there” so today I’m giving you fifteen more great links that will take you to it. Enjoy and have a great weekend!
If you are like many people, you have probably bought more than a few movies on DVD. At a cost of $15, $20, or more per movie you can eventually build up an expensive investment.
These DVD movies are quite fragile and can easily become scratched and/or damaged (especially if you have young children or grandchildren), which will render them unusable. What to do?
Today I’m going to show you how to make a perfect backup copy of any DVD movie. The programs that I will be referring to are not free but in my opinion are well worth the money because if you have backup copies of just a couple of damaged DVD movies then you will have paid for the software.
1) Go to SlySoft.com and buy, download, and run their program AnyDVD.
“AnyDVD works in the background to automatically remove the copy protection of a DVD movie as soon as it’s inserted into the drive, allowing you then to backup the movie using a DVD backup tool. You can also remove the RPC region code, thereby making the movie region free and viewable on any DVD player and with any DVD player software”.
2) Go once again to SlySoft.com and buy, download, and run their program CloneDVD:
“CloneDVD copies movies to create unparalleled picture quality DVD backups, whether it’s the main title you’re copying or the complete DVD. CloneDVD will compress long footage at high speed to the highest of quality using specialised transcoding technology, allowing you to select your audio and language settings and also the final target size”.
That’s it! You now will have a perfect backup copy of your expensive and valuable DVD movie!
Professor Randy says:Don’t let your costly investment go to waste! Protect your valuable DVD movies by backing them up in just two easy steps!
Many of the people in my area of the country don’t always apply the Microsoft Security Updates (Patches). So that they may better understand, this is what I tell them:
Just kind of close your eyes for a moment and imagine the following:
You live in a beautiful house that has a beautiful backyard.
Your backyard is spacious, fertile, beautiful, but it is full of insects.
The back door which opens into your backyard is a screen door.
From time to time the back door screen becomes torn and punctured.
Through these tears and punctures the insects from your beautiful backyard enter into your beautiful house.
It’s not your fault that the insects enter – the screen door is defective and damaged.
A repairman comes and closes up the tears and punctures in the back door screen and the insects can no longer get into your beautiful house. Your house is once again safe and secure!
Are you still with me? Do you see where I’m heading? Bear with me and let’s continue!
You have a beautiful computer that has a wonderful OS (Windows XP, Vista, 7).
The Internet is global, full of ideas, knowledge, leisure. Oh so beautiful – but it is full of “bugs”.
The door which opens you up to the Internet is your Operating System.
From time to time “holes” begin to appear in your Operating System.
Through these “holes” the “bugs” from the beautiful Internet enter into your beautiful computer, into your wonderful Operating System.
It’s not your fault that the Internet “bugs” enter – the OS is defective, insecure, “porous”.
Microsoft comes and “patches” the “holes” in your Operating System and the Internet “bugs” can no longer get into your beautiful computer and wonderful OS. Your computer is once again safe and secure, protected from security exploits and vulnerabilities!
Now do you see where I’m heading? All that for this:
1) The very first thing that you must do to keep your system “safe and secure” is to allow Microsoft Windows Update to download the latest security “patches” and “fixes” for your system. Go to Microsoft Windows Update or click your computers Startbutton, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update. Use Internet Explorer to access the Microsoft site (or use method #2).
2) If you are the forgetful type or just don’t want to be bothered, I recommend that you configure Windows Update to “install updates automatically”. On the second Tuesday of each month (sometimes more often), Microsoft will “patch” your system thus eliminating any “hole” in your OS.
a) Click Start, click Control Panel, and then find Security Center.
b) Click Security Center, and then make sure Automatic updating is turned on.
Professor Randy says:You can keep your beautiful computer safe and secure! Keep the “bugs” out by allowing Microsoft Update to “patch” your system every month!
Do you ever have a desire or need to visit the more “dangerous” places on the Internet? You know – places like peer-to-peer file sharing networks, BitTorrent sites, and even Internet banking sites?
These places are “dangerous” because virus authors are notorious for posting virus laden downloads on these sites which masquerade as legitimate software. The various Windows Operating Systems have been around for so long that they are easily exploited. Most malicious attacks are on Windows machines.
Today I’m going to show you how you can go to your bank or search around any P2P “pirate” sites and yet stay totally safe:
1) Go to Ubuntu and download the free Operating System (you can also order the Ubuntu DVD free of charge).
2) Burn the Ubuntu .ISO files to a DVD disc (you may want to use CDBurnerXP to do this).
3) Boot your computer from the Ubuntu DVDnot from your computers hard drive (set this up in the Bios).
4) Now surf the Internet and you are no longer vulnerable to malicious attacks!
Running from a DVD is a little slow but now you’re running Linux and you’re running it on a medium that can’t be modified (unlike a hard drive) by the “bad guys”. Bad guys can’t get onto a DVD – they have nothing to attack – HOW CAN THEY MODIFY A DVD? They simply cannot!
Professor Randy says:Be smart! By using a bootable Linux Ubuntu DVD you can now take a walk on the Internet “wild side” and not be vulnerable to malicious attacks!
There is so much incredibly interesting tech information available that it’s hard to keep up with it all! Today I’m giving you fifteen more great links that will help you stay informed with the latest tech news. Enjoy!
Professor Randy quotes George Lucas:“You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don’t have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you’ll stop at the first giant hurdle.”
This post/video is just for fun. Try these “practical tech jokes” and you will definitely have some fun – but you may lose some friends! Thanks to Tom Merritt of CNET.
Professor Randy says:Have some fun with tech – tech can be really fun too! Have a great weekend!
