I installed more memory but Windows doesn’t recognize it

Bad memory modules aren't very common, but test the computer with a different module if possible to see if the one you originally installed was a dud. The most common cause of this problem is that some motherboards require that memory modules be installed in pairs. Most RIMM memory modules, for example, must be installed in pairs that match exactly in speed and capacity or they won’t work. Newer systems that support dual-channel DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) modules will work when the memory modules are installed singly, but performance is enhanced (sometimes dramatically) if you install matched pairs of RAM modules instead (i.e. you get better performance using two 512MB modules than from using a single 1GB module, even though the overall memory capacity remains the same). Check the manual carefully when installing memory to make sure you place the modules in the correct slots.

Why Power Button Doesn't Work

In rare cases, the power button itself breaks, so open the case and inspect the button for damage before trying anything else. If that isn’t the cause, then the motherboard may be fried due to electrical damage, but this problem most often happens after you install a hardware component and accidentally unseat the motherboard’s internal power plug from its socket. The size and shape of this socket (and sometimes there are two separate sockets) varies depending on the type and age of your motherboard, but the documentation that came with your computer should let you know where to look. You are looking for the power supply’s ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) plug, which has either 20 or 24 pins, and the ATX socket, which has an equal number of holes to accommodate the power pins. Some motherboards that have 20-pin ATX sockets also have a 4-pin ATX socket located elsewhere on the board, and both of these must be powered by separate cables for the motherboard to function. All you need to do is make sure the power plugs are fully seated in the sockets and the computer should boot.

Audio problems even after Drivers are Installing

If all of the hardware is operating correctly and you still can’t hear anything, then you need to check the volume settings in Windows XP/7. First, open up Windows Media Player (or a music player of your choice) and start playing a song so you have a constant audio stream for testing. Click the Start menu, select Settings, and then click Control Panel. In the Control Panel window, double-click Sounds And Audio Devices. In the Sounds And Audio Devices Properties window under Device Volume, look to see if there’s a check mark in the Mute box; if there is, click the box to unchecked it. In this same area, move the Device Volume setting to High. If this doesn't work, then click the Advanced button in this area. In the Play Control window, you’ll see different sliders that control the various channels of your audio. The Play Control slider (far left) is for overall output level, but other sliders regulate the output for specific audio types. Most of your Windows sound effects and media playback come through the Wave channel, and some CD's play through the CD Player channel. Make sure there are not check marks in these channels’ Mute boxes and set the sliders to about 70% (a line or two away from the top). If this doesn't work, you will have to make sure that the PC knows you have speakers connected. In the Sounds And Audio Devices Properties window, click the Advanced button in the Speaker Settings box. In the Speaker tab, if the Speaker Setup field says No Speakers, then your PC may not be driving any sound to the output channels. Click the drop down arrow to select the setup that WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . You’re Having Audio Problems It all sounds like one output channel, but PC audio is made up of many audio channels where things can go wrong. matches your speaker configuration and then click OK. 

I Can't hear any sound from my PC, why ?

The most common audio frustration seems to be not being able to get any audio at all. Unfortunately, there are many sources of this problem, from the embarrassingly obvious to the most technically daunting. First, check your hardware: Make sure that you've correctly connected the speakers to the audio outputs of the computer and that you properly power up the entire set. Most external PC speakers require their own power source that you need to plug in and turn on. After power outages, for instance, when you turn your computer back on, your speakers may not power back up unless you do so manually. Also, make sure that you turn the speaker volume back up to audible levels. These may seem like painfully obvious solutions, but in our experiences we can trace back many “no sound” problems to the simplest oversights. Next, check to make sure that Windows recognizes your audio hardware. Click the Start menu, select Settings, and click Control Panel. In the Control Panel window, double-click the System icon. In the System Properties window, click the Hardware tab and then under Device Manager, click the Device Manager button. This window shows an outline of your hardware and the software drivers that make them work properly with Windows. Double-click Sound, Video And Game Controllers to check to make sure none of your audio devices has a red X on it. If you see a red X, this means that your computer recognizes the audio hardware, but the drivers are not properly installed. In this case, you’ll need to re-install your audio controller drivers.

Solve Drive Insufficient Space Error

One of the most common problems is insufficient drive space. A minimum of 200MB on the drive the service is running is required for System Restore to properly operate. Once you free up the required space, which you can do by using the Disk Cleanup tool or by manually deleting needless files, folders, or programs from the drive, System Restore should function again. Insufficient drive space can cause a second, more serious problem with System Restore. When drive space reaches 50MB on the drive that the service is running, System Restore will be suspended across the entire system, meaning that no Restore Points will be created from there on out. So even when you free 200MB to allow the System Restore service to engage, there may be missing restore points due to the service shutting down. To avoid this problem, especially on smaller drives that do not require backup, you can turn off System Restore for that particular drive. You can do this by accessing System Restore through the System Properties dialog box. Go to Control Panel, double-click the System icon, and choose the System Restore Tab. Then select the appropriate drive, click Settings, and in the box that pops up, click the checkbox for Turn off System Restore on this drive. If the System Restore service is automatically running and drive space isn’t the issue, try installing an older restore point. Sometimes this is where users also run into challenges. If the System Restore disk space usage for a certain drive is set too low in the System Restore tab under System Properties, the number of restore points may be significantly reduced, leaving few restore point options. Unfortunately, older restore points are not always available. System Restore uses a First In, First Out process for decreasing the size of the data store to 75% of the total size when the data store reaches 90% of its What To Do When . . . Your System Restore Won’t Work WHAT TO DO WHEN . . .total allotment—either by default or that set by the user. This deletion is automatic regardless of the amount of total disk space available. Restore points have a life span of 90 days, so if the restore point is past this mark, it will be automatically deleted and thus unavailable. 

Delete a windows system folder re-born

You keep deleting a file in one of your Windows system folders, but whenever you open the folder that contained the file, the file is there again. What’s going on? 

To prevent users from accidentally destroying their Windows installations, Win2000/XP contains a feature  which is enabled by default called Windows File Protection. (The feature is called System File Protection in WinMe.) If you delete a file that Windows deems important, that file is automatically restored to its proper location from a cache of critical files that Windows keeps on your hard drive. If you’re trying to delete a file located in any of the Windows system folders, chances are you won’t be able to do it unless you disable Windows File Protection. And disabling Windows File Protection, while straightforward, requires some editing of a DLL file using a hex editor. Unless you have a really good reason to do this, you’re better off leaving Windows File Protection alone. It’s there for your protection. Only technically savvy users who are very experienced at tweaking and customizing their systems should attempt to remove Windows File Protection and delete files stored in the Windows system folders.

BIOS : Basic Input Output System Problems

Sometimes, improper BIOS settings can result in a conflict between AGP and PCI graphics cards. To make sure your BIOS is properly configured, restart your PC and immediately begin pressing the designated key that grants you access to the BIOS. This key varies from system to system, so check your computer or motherboard manual for information about which key to press. You may also see instructions for accessing the BIOS appear on-screen as WHAT TO DO WHEN . . . 
You’re Having Video Problems When you see this pop-up, click No to launch System Restore from Safe Mode. the computer boots. 
Some common keys are DELETE, ESC, F1, or F2. If you’re required to press a function key, make sure you don’t have F-LOCK enabled on your keyboard. Press the key repeatedly until you enter the BIOS. Changing BIOS settings can cause your computer to fail to boot, so exercise caution. If you’re using an AGP or PCI graphics card, make sure the BIOS is configured to initialize the display with whichever type of card you use. Some older PCs are set by default to recognize PCI graphics cards before AGP graphics cards. Examine the BIOS menus for an option that lets you change this to the appropriate setting for your graphics card. Individual menu and options names vary greatly by PC, so consult the documentation that came with your computer or motherboard. Once you’ve changed the settings, press the Save And Exit key, typically F10. If at any point you made a change to the BIOS that you want to undo, you can reset the BIOS by pressing the designated Load Defaults key. The Save And Exit and Load Defaults keys usually appear on the main BIOS options screen.

Windows can't start booting problem

Use the last known good configuration. Sometimes, after installing a graphics card driver, you’ll be unable to boot into Windows. Restart your computer and, as the computer boots, repeatedly press the F8 key until you see the Windows Advanced Options Menu. Use the arrow key to highlight the Last Known Good Configuration option and then press ENTER.

Use a system restore point. Restart your computer and, as the computer boots, repeatedly press the F8 key until you see the Windows Advanced Options Menu. Use the arrow key to highlight the Safe Mode option and then press ENTER. 

Log on to your computer as you normally would. 

Before you see the Windows Desktop, you’ll see the Windows Is Running In Safe Mode pop-up. Click No.

In the System Restore dialog box, make sure the Restore My Computer To An Earlier Time radio button is enabled and click Next. Select a Restore Point from the calendar on the left, particularly one that was saved prior to when you first encountered the problem, and then click Next. Click Next to restore your computer.

Beep Error in Computer Systems

Should something go wrong during the boot process that prevents the computer from even sending data to the monitor or starting the computer, you need some way to identify the problem. When something goes wrong that causes the BIOS to be unable to start the computer properly, it uses specific patterns of beeps to give you clues to what the underlying problem is. New hardware. It’s easy to accidentally bump something while working inside a computer. Retrace your steps and ensure everything is firmly in place. Reboot your computer. If the beeping continues, remove the new hardware and see if the beeping goes away. Beep codes. There aren’t any standard beep patterns. To make sense of the beeps, you first need to identify your BIOS. The documentation for your motherboard likely contains this information. With this data in hand, search online for the meanings behind the beeps. Many sites offer such information. Defective components. 

If your problem persists, it’s time to look at replacing the troublesome component. If your beep codes indicate that the RAM is failing, you might need to first figure out which module in particular is the problem, because most computers have more than one memory module installed. Depending on how old the computer is, you should be able to take out the memory modules one at a time and reboot the computer to see if the problem goes away; doing so will identify the problematic stick of RAM. If your video card is the problem, swap it out with a new one and see if the problem continues. Make sure that the video card you choose to troubleshoot or replace yours with is compatible with your motherboard and your operating system— otherwise, you will only create new problems. For troubleshooting purposes, it is helpful to have another computer you can borrow parts from. It is best to work through the troubleshooting and be fairly confident of your diagnosis before you run down to the local computer retailer and start buying replacements. If the new parts don’t fix the problem, you may be stuck with parts you can’t return. 

How to solve Blue Screen Error on Computers

The most infamous error message is the Blue Screen Of Death. It’s so wellknown that it has crept into the vernacular: “Aw, man! I was almost finished with my term paper when I got bluescreened!” The phenomenon is also known by its acronym, BSOD. The conditions that cause a blue screen have changed since the days of Windows 95/98, as has what it means. In either case, chances are pretty good that, if you get bluescreened, any unsaved work will be lost, as either Windows (in NT/2000/XP) or your application (in 95/98) has been shut down. 

The BSOD is perhaps the most despised error not only because it has wiped away countless hours of work over the years, but because of the obtuse way in which it does so. The messages delivered in the typical blue screen are meant for developers more than end users. For example, a blue screen delivered by Windows may deliver a message such as the following: “0x0000001E, KMODE_EXCEPTION _NOT_HANDLED.”

And if you don’t find that sufficiently informative, you’ll see four variables in parentheses to help developers figure out what’s happening. Again, none of this will mean much to most of us, but a support rep or developer can often learn a great deal from such cryptic messages. Fortunately, blue screens are rare in recent versions of Windows and may disappear after a reboot. But if the problem recurs, you could have a real problem. Here are some troubleshooting steps to follow if you encounter a BSOD: While your system is booting, press F8 and select Safe Boot Mode, which loads a subset of Windows with minimal drivers. If things run smoothly in Safe Mode, you likely have a software problem with a recently installed application. Try to decipher the error message to see if you can trace it to a specific program. If all else fails, uninstall your most recently-installed application. If you still see blue screen errors in Safe Mode, restart again and use F8 to get to the advanced options. This time, choose Restore Last Known Good Configuration, which is a snapshot of your system as it existed before you last installed any rivers or other software. 

You will lose any system changes you’ve made since that point, but your documents will normally remain untouched by this process. If you’re still having problems, you are likely suffering from a hardware problem or a corruption of vital system files. Again, any hints that you can glean from the error message could help you (or a tech support rep) trace the source of the problem. Remove any recently installed hardware and try booting again. In the worst case, it’s not uncommon to have to resort to reinstalling device drivers or even the whole operating system.

Ultimately, the best cure for the BSOD is prevention:

Save often, create frequent backups, and burn a little incense to curry favor with capricious PC spirits.