Web 2.0 Blog

Computer Startup Problems And Solutions

If you have been working with computers for a while now, you may have had the misfortune of experiencing PC startup problems. These errors can be quite scary as one is not sure of the cause of the problem. Startup problems can be of various kinds and show different symptoms. You could encounter some error messages including exe file errors while booting. Some users may find that their computer keeps rebooting after every few minutes or even shutdown while starting. All in all, startup problems can be very annoying for users.

PC startup problems usually indicate the presence of a virus but there are a host of other reasons that can be behind these problems too. Other reasons, although not very common, include problems with the power connection, dust inside the CPU and malfunctioning memory chips. You need to cover all the possibilities while troubleshooting for startup problems before rushing to a computer expert for rescue.

Many programs load automatically when you start your system, consuming important system resources. Therefore, it is imperative that you keep only the essential programs in your system startup sequence. Non-essential programs, such as qttask.exe hamper the system startup process, especially when the files are corrupt or outdated. For instance, qttask.exe problems may display various error messages at system startup. You may use the System Configuration Utility that comes built-in with Windows to disable non-essential programs at system startup. If you find this utility confusing then you may use a third-party startup program manager tool to manage your startup programs.

You may also encounter startup problems if your software contains outdated or corrupt files. For instance, you may experience svchost.exe errors at system startup if the files of the Automatic Update utility on your computer are corrupt or some of the dependent services are unable to start. You can fix this problem by replacing the bad Automatic Update files on your system with healthy files on your CD.

Virus infections may also cause startup errors. It is important that you use an efficient security tool to shield your computer from malicious programs, such as viruses, spywares, and adwares. Also, schedule regular full system scans, and keep your security tool updated with the latest virus definitions and security updates to protect your computer from the latest malware.

You may also face system startup issues due to bad drivers. You may use the Device Manager utility, which is a built-in feature in Windows to identify the hardware that is causing the trouble. After you have identified the hardware, uninstall its driver and reinstall it to replace the damaged files. If outdated driver files are causing the error then you can download and install the latest updates from the driver manufacturer’s website to repair the error. Alternately, you can use a good driver scanner tool to ensure your drivers are always up-to-date.

Registry problems may also cause startup errors. In fact, a severely damaged or corrupt registry may even prevent your computer from booting. To prevent this situation, you may use an advanced registry cleaning utility to keep your system registry compact and error-free.

Last.fm has become one of my favourite new websites of recent times. It is the first site of it’s kind - a social network with the emphasis on music. There’s something addictive about discovering how much music you listen to, and which artists are dominating your playlists. It tells you who your favourite artists are, how much you’ve listened to them, which are your favourite songs and albums, and you can spend ages just reading all the stats.

I have to announce my disappointment however at the social side of Last.fm, something which could have been great. With the ability to create groups, join forums and make friends with people who share your musical tastes, it’s very disappointing to find this aspect so greatly neglected by its users. Sure there’s a small number who make an effort, but I guess ultimately that there’s just not enough reward or purpose for the users to engage in any meaningful discussion anywhere on the site, which means once you look past the stats, you’ve looked past Last.fm.

Another issue I would like to address is that I like many others of recent times have become annoyed by the site’s scrobbling inconsistency. I’m talking about iPod scrobbling, something which most of the time it doesn’t want to do but every now and again it will. The dreaded ‘no ipod library found’ message is an all too familiar sight.

What annoys me most is that this problem is well documented, yet Last.fm have done nothing about it for a long, long time. At the end of the day Last.fm has limited uses, so what it does do, it needs to do well. This just isn’t the case. Last.fm is a unique site with the ability to do great things - it’s partnership with iTunes and Amazon is an indication of its potential - but someone really needs to get behind it and make it a more desireable, rewarding tool.

On a single computer there are several applications running at one time. Some of these, such as Internet Explorer are an essential part of your Windows operating system and some are installed by you according to your needs.Application errors usually occur when something goes wrong with the files that belong to it. For example, iexplore.exe application error occurs when there is some problem with the browser help objects, such as BuyersPort and Morpheus added to it. Malware infections, registry problems, outdated applications and incorrect PC configuration are some of the other causes of application errors. For example, you may face problems with files, such as mstask.exe if you fail to update your operating system by installing the latest service packs. On the other hand, to fix sdtrayapp.exe error that might prevent your PC Tools’ Spyware Doctor from working normally, you may need to fix the incorrect registry entries.

Now that you have seen some of the common causes of application errors, let’s have a look at some of the tips that you can use to prevent them.

Tip # 1: You must install only legitimate versions of software on your computer and stay away from pirated versions. Pirated software, especially the ones you download from the Internet can be infected with malware. If you frequently download freeware and shareware applications, you must do it only from reliable web sites.

Tip # 2: Check your installation files and the external media from which you are installing to ensure that there are no problems with it. Scratched CD/DVDs and bad downloads may cause problems with your applications.

Tip # 3: Before installing a program, ensure that your PC meets the minimum requirements for that program to run. If your PC fails to meet these requirements the application may fail to run and generate errors.

Tip # 4: Many times, when you install programs, such as instant messengers, some additional packages, such as Internet Explorer toolbar may come packaged with it. If you are not careful while selecting your options, these packages may install and unnecessarily put an extra load on your PC. So, when you install anything, be careful and select only those options that you need.

Tip # 5: Get yourself good virus and spyware scanners tools. Keep these tools updated and schedule them to run regularly to ensure that your PC stays free from viruses. For better protection, choose tools that provide real-time protection. This way, your computer will always be ready to combat viruses and other malware that may damage you applications.

Tip # 6: To prevent application errors due to a damaged and corrupt registry, you must scan and clean your registry on a regular basis. A simple and efficient method to do this is to use a good registry cleaner tool.

Tip # 7: Make sure to install the latest updates and service packs to ensure that any bugs in the applications on your computer are patched up. Updates also help in incorporating new features and securing your PC from malware. Some of the tools that you can use to update software are Automatic Update—built-in Windows tool, update tool built into third-party applications, and third-party driver scanner tools that help update your drivers.

Due to increasing interest, I’ll be publishing articles relating to computing as well as those concerned with Web 2.0. This can include web design, Internet technologies, usability, computing, multimdeia and HCI design. Look out for new posts on a range of different subjects. I will still be writing about any Web 2.0 news and features that interest me.

Adam

Today, one of my Ebay items I was selling was due to end after having been on sale for seven days, and literally a couple of hours before it was due to end I received an email from Ebay stating that the item had been removed from sale as a result of ‘keyword spamming’.

Apparently the use of the word ‘As New’ at any point in the title is considered  to be “using brand names or other inappropriate keywords in an item title or description for the purpose of gaining attention or diverting buyers to a listing”.

A couple of points:

• Why wasn’t this breach made more while going through the listing proceedure? Surely Ebay could invest in software which detects if these words are used, which could then automatically inform the user?
• Why wasn’t I informed earlier? This item has been on sale seven days and it had bids placed on it. They could have contacted me a long time ago which would have given me time to adjust the listing without effecting the bidders.

I know that Ebay have got to have rules and regulations and I’m sure it’s mentioned in their user agreements and policies, but when something so simple and unharmful can cost a user a sale,  instant removal of a listing with no prior warning is a poor method of managing the issue, on top of the bad usability to start with.

If you’re clearly taking the piss with a page title then fine, but I think lesser punishments and warnings would be more suitable for people who make a mistake for the first time. Read Ebay’s largely unknown keyword spamming tutorial here. I’ll not complain because believe it or not the 10p listing fee isn’t a big deal, but I thought people should know what Ebay considers ‘keyword spamming’.