A third of Vista PCs downgraded to XP

According to The Register, “In a survey of more than 3,000 computers, performance testing software developer Devil Mountain Software estimated that more than one in three new machines had either been downgraded by vendors such as Dell, or by customers once they bought the PC.

The results were garnered by the research firm’s CTO Craig Barth in collaboration with InfoWorld. He based the numbers on Devil Mountain’s Exo.performance.network by collating the vendor and system model number with computer vendors’ catalogues.”

Access Motherboard BIOS

omputer  Vendor	Keyboard Commands
Acer®	F1, F2, CTRL+ALT+ESC
ARI®	CTRL+ALT+ESC, CTRL+ALT+DEL
AST®	CTRL+ALT+ESC, CTRL+ALT+DEL
Compaq® 8700	F10
CompUSA®	DEL
Cybermax®	ESC
Dell BIOS web site search links	For models not listed below.
Dell® 400	F3, F1
Dell 4400	F12
Dell Dimension®	F2 or DEL
Dell Inspiron®	F2
Dell Latitude	Fn+F1 (while booted)
Dell Latitude	F2 (on boot)
Dell Optiplex	DEL
Dell Optiplex	F2
Dell Precision™	F2
eMachine®	DEL , F 2
Fujutsu Manuals & BIOS	Manuals & BIOS Download
Gateway® 2000 1440	F1
Gateway 2000 Solo™	F2
HP® (Hewlett-Packard)	F1, F2 (Laptop, ESC)
IBM®	F1
E-pro Laptop	F2
IBM PS/2®	CTRL+ALT+INS after CTRL+ALT+DEL
IBM Thinkpad® (newer)	Windows: Programs-Thinkpad CFG.
Intel® Tangent	DEL
Lenovo(formerly IBM)	Lenovo BIOS Access page
Micron®	F1, F2, or DEL
Packard Bell®	F1, F2, Del
Seanix	DEL
Sony® VAIO	F2
Sony VAIO	F3
Tiger	DEL
Toshiba® 335 CDS	ESC
Toshiba Protege	ESC
Toshiba Satellite 205 CDS	F1
Toshiba Tecra	ESC then F1 or F2
Toshiba Notebook [Newer models]	1. Turn on computer by Holding down power button while pressing the ESC key. The machine will beep, then display: Check System, then press [F1] key. 2. Release ESC key 3. Press F1 key

Extend the Life of Your Printer

• Clean the inside of your printer
• Refrain from using bent, torn, or used paper
• Use high-quality paper
• Don’t fan paper before loading
• Store paper in a low-humidity environment
• Use high-quality labels
• Use straightest paper path for labels
• Replace old and worn rollers
• Use care when replacing parts
  
• Close the manual feed tray when not in use

STOP 0X0000008E BSOD: not always a hardware problem

This PC would start, briefly display the windows startup splash screen, and then restart.

Once it restarted a few times, I pressed F8, and tried safe mode: but it also restarted.

Next step: F8 again, and try “disable automatic restart…”

I see a blue screen, and the main error is: STOP 0×0000008E

I lookup the 8E error, and it looks like a hardware error (most likely RAM).

I do a RAM test, and the RAM passes with no fault.

I try booting a Mepis Cd (and also UBCD4Win), and they boot just fine… and UBCD4Win can also display the contents of the main hard drive.

OK, a hardware fault is looking very unlikely at the moment.

So I take out the hard drive, plug it into my main system, and do a scan.

Antivir finds (and quarantines) about 16 infected files.

After that, defender finds and cleans an extra 2 spyware infections.

Put the HDD back in the original PC, and it now boots correctly (and I also notice its got IE6 and a counterfeit version of XP).

I upgrade IE6 to IE7, install antivir, and thats about all I can do with the system for the moment.

Customer says she will get me to install a legit XP sometime in the future.

The risk of using bigpond webmail within outlook (0X80070057)

Customer was using outlook (NOT outlook express), as his email client.

I’ve not yet seen outlook configured to download from a webmail account before.

The account information seems simple enough, but every time outlook goes to download emails, it throws up the error: 0×80070057

The net doesn’t have any answers, so I decide to try the webmail directly vie ie7.

Thats when the bigpond login repies with: incorrect email or password.

OK, looks like a wrong password. But the password within the modem is correct (as we can still get to the internet).

Oh well, a password reset should fix it.

Once contacting bigpond support, we find out that the broadband was setup by my curtomers son (who is overseas, and unreachable)… and only his son is allowed to do stuff like request a password reset.

Nevertheless, the tech support lady is helpful. She explains that bigpond webmail will lock the email account if it receives more than 3 failed password attempts.

Now that explains why the internet still works, while the email doesn’t.

I try setting up a pop account within outlook, but doesn’t work either.

Looks like the customer doesn’t have any choice, but to wait for his son to get back in touch with him!

Do you ask yourself who is the best out there?

Considering all of the computer repair services available now, we understand that you have many choices for your computer technical needs. We want you to know how much we appreciate that you visited FIXMEIN.com.

• At FIXMEIN.com we have a passion for our customer satisfaction and for what we do. We are confident that we will be the best!
• FIXMEIN specializes in the ultimate technology Remote Computer Support Services. With our dedicated team of professional Engineers, we are committed to deliver fast and reliable online solutions.
• Our goal is to have you enjoy the comfort of your home/business while we are solving your computer problems.
• FIXMEIN is devoted to excellence providing service the way you want it without hefty costs, infrastructure and hassles. We offer a safe and convenient online remote PC repair.

Errors When Windows is Loading

If your system freezes while Windows is loading, an error in the registry is most likely the cause. An error in the registry may occur if:

• There is some problem with the application or update that you have installed before restarting your PC.
• A hardware device or its driver has gone faulty.
• You have recently performed system changes that are either not working properly or are not compatible with your hardware. For instance, you may change the display settings to something your monitor does not support.
• A recently installed driver or software is conflicting with already existing software on your PC.

If the problem has occurred soon after you made a configuration change, try to restart your PC with the last known good configuration. To do this, restart your PC and press F8 as soon as the boot screen disappears—and before Windows starts loading. Use our Down Arrow key to move down and select the “Last Known Good Configuration” option.

If the problem has occurred soon after you have installed an application or have updated a driver or software, then you may try to uninstall this application or update and reinstall it once again. However, if the error is not allowing you to reboot in Normal mode, you will have to start in Safe Mode. In Safe Mode your system loads only the essential services and processes; this makes the uninstallation process simple and efficient. After you have uninstalled the software, it is recommended that you use a registry cleaner tool to scan and remove any related left over or erroneous entry from the registry. Once the uninstall is complete, you may restart your PC in Normal mode to reinstall your software.

If the above two steps do not fix your PC, then you may choose to perform System Restore—a feature in Windows XP enables you to rollback your PC to last known good configuration in case of a problem. You can start System Restore from Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.

Errors While the System is Running

Many types of errors may occur when your system is functional. For instance, an OCX error may occur, if an OCX file is incorrectly registered or is corrupt, and a code 10 error may occur due to problems with a device driver.

To prevent these problems:

• Ensure that your system is updated with latest software patches, updates, and service packs.
• Regularly scan and repair registry errors—you may use a registry cleaner tool to perform the task quickly, easily, and efficiently.
• Perform regular antivirus and antispyware scan to ensure that your PC is free from malware, such as viruses, spyware, and Trojans.
• Keep your hard disk free from errors and unwanted files, by using the tools such as Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter.

Above all, to prevent PC errors, be a vigilant user, be careful about the Web sites you browse, email—and email attachments—you open, and software you install on your PC. Additionally, perform regular preventive PC maintenance and ensure yourself a healthy, error-free PC.