This message cannot be stressed enough: PC’s come with great technology and great risks, ?the former offers the user access to tons of information and the ability to run a company, manage finances, and reach?amazing features. However, ?the latter puts all that ease and comfort on a tight-wire, balancing over the black abyss which all the saved programs and files will fall into if the user is not careful. This happens time and time again when the belief that “my system will never fail” is shattered and the person has to come to terms with either throwing the computer away or paying hundreds of dollars to fix?it.
There is a way out. If your system is about to fall off or has already fell and needs to be repaired, Computer Geeks Blog has the key to recovery.
What you will need:
E?xternal Hard Drive: these can be found at your nearest computer store, Staples, Best Buy, anywhere they sell computer electronics. This will allow you to copy all of your original files from your old hard drive. You will need this if you want to keep all your existing files, music, documents, and information.
Recovery Tool: can be found in your Windows computer, search for it on the Start Menu. If you cannot find it, then contact your manufacturer to see what can be done. Usually the recovery tool is a CD that came with your computer, if you still have them, take a look at those and see if it is there. This tool will enable you to reinstall Windows. If all else fails, try TotalRecovery, for $50 dollars you can have a fail-safe recovery tool.
The Process:
Launch the back-up tool that is on your computer, TotalRecovery, or any back-up tool you can find. Clone, or copy your hard drive to the external hard drive that is connected via USB. The external hard drive is easy to see on the “My Computer” screen as an external drive. Now you have what ?you need to reboot and reinstall.
Depending on whether your recovery tool is from Windows or is an external program, find the option that says “installation”. It usually is processed by a?Wizard, no not from Harry Potter, but a step-by-step guide so you do not screw things up even more. Follow the?Wizard to boot Windows in a safe environment.
After this is done, you will be asked what kind of Windows would you like to be installed. You want a fresh start right? There should be a “Custom” ?option, click that.
Run the Windows Update that is already on your computer, that way your computer will stay fresh. Next you will need to reinstall your drivers, these can be found with the discs that came with your computer. If you do not have them, use the ones you cloned or copied to the external hard drive. What usually is the case is that a back-up folder is created, so when you are ready to copy the old files to the newly cleaned hard drive, you can just click and drag them over to folders located in C:
When picking the right programs to install, choose the security options first. If you do not have any anti-virus software, go online and download Avast or AVG. Most of the programs will ask you to restart the computer to finish the installation. Do not wait, just do it. After your firewall and internet security is in place, go for the Windows basic programs to install.
After you have created a new Windows, and all the programs you want are installed, make sure you back it up! Use the same tool you used at the beginning to clone your new, fresh hard drive so that IF this problem comes up again, you will have this as a fall back plan.
Problems are attached to your PC from?the?day?you buy one, it is as natural as nature, but what can you do about them to?minimize??the problem and make it does not turn into one you cannot solve? There are a couple actions you can take to ensure peace of mind and comfort of use knowing that the machine you paid $2,ooo dollars will not be breaking down anytime soon.
Most of the time, it is not being skilled enough or able to intellectually solve the problem yourself, it is not knowing where to look. Fixing your computer should not be such a hard task that leaves you feeling powerless and overwhelmed. When calling the “support” number for the computer, which usually fuels the frustration, does not work and you need help fixing it, read this blog.
If you cannot get out of the program you are running because it is?frozen, stuck and not moving at all, press these keys down in order: Ctrl-Alt-Delete. This little trick will solve this problem like magic. A task manager window will open up, displaying all of the programs you are running with the status of each next to them. You will see different status’ if one is acting funny, such as “program not responding”. Highlight that program, and on the bottom of the task manager, click the “End Task” button. Wait for the magic to happen, and resume your activity on the computer.
Most people in these “modern” times we all live in, amidst all the emerging technology and fast growing trends, are trying to keep up with the?crazy?pace. Not everyone knows about fixing what may seem like simple problems to tech-savvy people, are complicated to those who are not.
That is our goal here at Computer Geeks: self-knowledge, giving the customer the know-how to fix problems on their own to maybe save a few bucks in these tough economic times.
Back to problem solving. If you notice the speed of your internet not up to par, there is a quick easy solution for this one. Temporary files are things like history, cookies, and downloads which are saved to your computer. Maintenance is a good idea to keep this issue from happening. I have noticed with some people who let this go, and there internet is so slow I could write a book on blogging before they check their email it is that filled with crap.
Solution: Go to the search box located on the Start Menu and type?’.tmp’, it will pull up all the temporary files. Right click the mouse on each one, or select them all by selecting one and then,?holding the shift key,?going down to the last one. Hit the delete button, you are on your way to faster surfing instantly.
Troubleshooting the PC can lead to even more problems if you go beyond your skill level and end up really screwing things up! Make sure you know the limit of your knowledge, for example if it involves going inside your computer or trying to delete or mess with programs that you do not know the importance of.
Call Computer Geeks at 1-800-433-5435 and the nice people on the phone will direct your problem towards the solution!
At one point in the life of computing, everyone has mistakenly deleted a file. Does that mean the files we delete are permanently gone for good, with no chance of ever seeing them again? Not necessarily.
There are ways to recover the deleted files. Sometimes the file is still in the Recycling Bin, in which that is easy to recover.?When you “remove” a file from the Bin, it is still on your hard drive, just not accessible from the folders that you use while on the computer. Using a file recovery program will get back what you lost in no time and no worry at all. The best chances of recovering a file as with saving a life, is the sooner you get to it after you delete it the better.
Recuva is the best program out there for recovering lost or misplaced data. It is also free, and real easy to use as it gives you a?wizard that guides you through the process while it does all the hard work behind the scenes. The maker is a trusted source of computer helpers, Piriform also made CCleaner and Defraggler, which are recommended programs to keep your computer running fast and smooth. What Recuva does is go into the place where all the “permanently” deleted files are, or free space on the hard drive, and brings them back to used space. The only catch is that if you do not get there in time, Windows 7 or your Operating System might have already written over the file it saw as free space, in which data recovery is impossible.
What often is the case is that you did not even delete the file but your hard drive was or computer was damaged in some way, making it hard for you to get all those music files from iTunes or the business contacts saved on the hard drive. This is where the data recovery comes in to save the day. The easiest way to describe the process of recovery is the use of a live cd, or bootable operating system that mounts the system drive and moves it to a backup disc.
Examples of physical recovery procedures are: removing a damaged PCB (printed circuit board) and replacing it with a matching PCB from a healthy drive, performing a live PCB swap (in which the System Area of the HDD is damaged on the target drive which is then instead read from the donor drive, the PCB then disconnected while still under power and transferred to the target drive),?read/write head assembly with matching parts from a healthy drive, removing the?hard disk platters from the original damaged drive and installing them into a healthy drive, and often a combination of all of these procedures. Some data recovery companies have procedures that are highly technical in nature and are not recommended for an untrained individual.
If you are faced with such a problem, you know who to call. The Geeks at Computer Geeks: 1 800 433 5435. We can recover what is lost, and make sure you have an easy and stress free day by solving the problem for you.
The Blue Screen of Death is one of the most common errors you can encounter on a computer running the Microsoft Windows operating system. Unfortunately, this is also one of the most severe. The frustrating part about the menacing blue screen is that it could point to a number of different problems. Fortunately, these messages include stop error codes that are useful in troubleshooting the error, as is the case with the “Inaccessible Boot Device” stop error.
Inaccessible Boot Device: Common Causes
The inaccessible boot device message represents a blue screen error that has been known to wreak havoc on Windows computers. This particular error has several causes; however, it is typically associated with hardware upgrades and operating system reinstallations. Other common culprits include:
- A boot sector infection caused by a virus.
- Corruption in the Windows registry.
- Corrupted sectors on the hard drive.
- A failed motherboard upgrade.
- Faulty or improperly connected hard drive cable.
- A power surge or outage.
- Physical damage to the hard disk drive.
How to Stop Inaccessible Boot Device Error
Many recommend that you perform a reinstallation of Windows when encountering an inaccessible boot device error. This resolution usually works but there is one big problem: it will erase all of your data.
You should only proceed with this step when you are absolutely sure that you can do without the information contained on the drive. If you perform regular backups of your data, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, you should know that there is always a risk that your data will not be recovered after a drive is either reformatted or receives a fresh Windows installation. If you are not a tech Computer Geeks ALWAYS recommends that you contact us FIRST.
When the Hard Drive Fails
If you suspect that the inaccessible boot device blue screen error is due to a hard drive failure, the most important thing you should know is that there is no need to panic. Even if this is the case, there is still a good chance that the data on the hard drive can be recovered. The first step to troubleshooting this is making sure your hard drive cables are properly connected. After doing so, you can try one of the following methods.
Disconnect the hard drive, reconnect it and try booting the machine again. If you are still presented with the inaccessible boot device error and you have another PC on the network, disconnect your hard drive from the affected machine, and then install it as the slave drive on another computer.
After booting up the alternate PC and reaching the Windows desktop, you should then be able to determine whether the hard drive is working. If it is, the drive should be detected as the drive letter “D” (i.e., if the master drive is “C”).
If it is not detected, it is very likely that your hard drive has failed. If you reach this point, I?m afraid your next course of action should be to utilize a software solution to try to recover your data, seek the aid of a professional technician or install a new hard drive altogether.
Ensuring that the latest drivers are installed on your computer can go quite a distance towards shielding you against the much dreaded ?Blue Screen of Death.? Drivers are files? upon which your software and hardware depend, facilitating conflict-free communication between the various programs and devices comprising your computer system.
For streamlined solutions that scan your computer for outdated drivers and provide the necessary updates, you?re usually looking at a fee. However, there is one solution that comes at no expense to you, provided as an absolutely free alternative that effectively assesses and addresses your driver needs.
Called Device Doctor, this utility is very easy to use, limited to just one screen from which you?ll be able to see what drivers are needed and how to obtain them. All you need to do is click the ?Begin Scan? button, which will commence with a thorough appraisal of your system?s drivers, ending with a list that shows you which drivers needed to be updated. After the scan is complete, you?re prompted to download each update.
Although the drivers aren?t installed automatically, it?s still fairly straightforward, with very little chance of error. On the page for downloads, you simply click on that driver you want to install and sit back while it updates the driver.
With such a staggering variety of hardware all serving the same essential purpose, the number of drivers is just as varied, requiring you to be attentive to just what it is you?re updating. There is always the slight chance of Device Doctor linking you to an incorrect driver or one that has since been replaced by a more current one. If that happens, they provide a link for you to alert the developers of this utility to the error.
Saving you the time of hunting down each specific driver, this is a great tool that simplifies and hastens the important process of updating your drivers.
