Monthly Archives: December 2008

bigpond nextG 7.2 MF636 usb modem: Vista problems

Computer Aid Posted on by

Another problem with the bigpond 7.2 usb modems. This time its a Vista problem.

Customer has an intel-based laptop (HP), but cannot seem to make it work.

Whats supposed to happen: plug in the usb modem, and at first, it will appears to the computer as a USB drive, and it will auto-run the install software.

What actually happens: Vista cannot detect the USB drive (so it cannot auto-run the setup application). In fact I cannot even manually copy the setup files from the USB drive.

I plug the 7.2 USB drive into my XP laptop, and it tries to run the Bigpond setup files automatically. OK, I cancel the Setup, and copy the Bigpond setup files to my own usb drive.

I plug both my USB drive, and the bigpond 7.2 USB into the Vista laptop.

I manually run the setup. It doesn’t seem to work correctly, but at least I can now go into the Control Panel -> Programs and settings … and uninstall the bigpond software correctly.

After a reboot, I can now plug in the Bigpond 7.2 USB drive, and its detected correctly. It auto-runs the setup, and before long, the bigpond software is running almost normally.

The problem now, is that the bigpond software wants to register with bigpond… fine, but after a short while, the software says that the registration failed.

I call Bigpond support, and I get some interesting solutions:

Shift-Click on the Options tab on the Bigpond Status window… This reveals a hidden diagnosis tab.

In the diagnosis tab, I tick the box that says: “signup has been completed for this device”.

I’m then told to go to the Account tab, and to enter the username (email address), and password.

After that, I can finally connect to the internet…

Installing XP onto SATA hard drive

Computer Aid Posted on by

What sounds like a simple task can sometime end up being more complicated than you think.

In this case, a customer purchased a new PC, which had a new SATA2 hard drive and a SATA DVD-RW.

But he couldn’t install XP.

Either the XP CD would say “Setup did not find any disk drives installed in your computer” or:

Sometime XP would install, but after a reboot, XP would Generate a blue screen error (BSOD).

The first thing I did was to go into the BIOS and change the HDD SATA mode from enhanced to “compatible”. This makes the BIOS treat the SATA hard drive as an older IDE HDD.

But even after that, the BIOS would sometimes not detect the CD drive or the HDD or both (depending on which sata socket the devices were plugged into).

There were 4 SATA plugs on the motherboard… 2 red and 2 black

It seemed obvious that the SATA plugs were mapped as the old IDE master and slave setup. The red plugs were the primary drives, while the black plugs were the secondary drives.

After a while I noticed that the SATA drives were only detected if they were in the “master” plug.

After some careful thought, I realised the hard drive and/or the DVD-RW might be trying to run in “SATA2” mode (ie Sata 300), but the motherboard/BIOS might not work properly when it is set to compatibility/ATA mode.

So I pull out the HDD and DVD-RW drive, and I see that the HDD has a jumper to force it to work in SATA 150 mode. I install the jumper.

After that, XP installed without a hitch.

So remember: Don’t just change the BIOS SATA settings, you might also need to add a jumper to the HDD itself.

Regular beep beep at computer startup

Computer Aid Posted on by

This happens quite a lot.

Almost as soon as the computer is switched on, it starts a slow regular beep beep sound.

Normally, the screen is blank, and there is no indication of what the problem might be.

This usually indicates a severe hardware problem, but from experience, I’ve found that about 3 out of 4 times, its just some dust that has caused a RAM module to lose contact on one of it pins (a RAM module can have 240 pins).

If just one pin doesn’t make good electrical contact, then the computer will usually fail to start.

For the technically minded, the solution is simple: open up the PC, and reseat the RAM module (ie take it out, clean it, and re-insert it. Remember to use anti-static precautions… a small static electricity spark can ruin the RAM.

For the not so technically minded, you might be able to get the PC going temporarily (while waiting for a technician to come and reseat the RAM).

To do this:

  • turn off the PC, and disconnect it from power.
  • Whack the computer case with your hand (either from the side, or from the top)
  • It might be tempting, but don’t hit too hard… I’m not responsible if you hit it hard enough to knock the PC over (or off your desk).

The reason this works is that you might dislodge the dust slightly (enough to get electrical contact again).

How about that! I never thought I’d be telling people to hit their computer if it doesn’t work 🙂

Steps To Completely Uninstall Programs From Your PC

Computer Aid Posted on by

To keep their system up to date users regularly need to install new software and uninstall any outdated or old software. Uninstalling a software program is easy but has to be done carefully. The most important task while removing or uninstalling any program is to decide which files to delete. It is essential that while uninstalling a program that all files associated with it are deleted and removed completely. Also, you must ensure that you don’t delete any files that are required for the smooth running of your system.

Many computer users believe that deleting a program’s icon from the folder will delete the whole program, but that is not actually the case. A software program can be removed either by using the Add/Remove program utility or by using the Program Uninstall option. If these two utilities do not remove a software completely, you can use a third-party program uninstaller tool to perform the task. It is also recommended that you use a reliable registry cleaner tool after uninstalling a software to ensure that any left over, orphaned program entries are removed.

The Add or Remove Program utility is the easiest and the most commonly used method to uninstall a software program. You can access the utility from the Windows Control Panel. Most programs installed on your system are listed in the Currently installed programs list of this utility. To uninstall a program, open Add or Remove Programs, and then select the program you want to remove. For example, if you want to uninstall Yahoo Messenger, select the Yahoo! Messenger option and then select the Change/Remove button. Next, follow the screen instructions to complete the removal process.

Many software programs come with a Program Uninstall option. The shortcut to this option is added to the Program’s folder in the Start menu. You may also choose to browse the program’s folder in Windows Explorer and then double click on the uninstall file to launch the program uninstaller.

At times, you may find it difficult to get rid of a program if there is a problem with the program’s files. For example, error 25002 may appear when you try to uninstall (or install) the Symantec Antivirus Client. This error usually occurs due to damaged program files or incorrect registry entries. The error may also appear if the user with which you are logged on, does not have sufficient permissions to the system. In this case, first log on to the system as a user that has the required permissions to remove programs. You may use a registry cleaner tool to resolve registry problems. Additionally, try to first install the program you are trying remove. Doing this, will help you fix any damaged files that may interfere with the removal process. You may also download a program uninstaller tool, if available, from the program’s manufacturer’s website to perform a complete program removal.

Spyware programs such as the mirar toolbar are known to add several registry entries and files that makes it impossible to get rid of such programs completely by using the Add or Remove Programs utility. To get rid of these programs, you must use a good and efficient antispyware tool. These tools are programmed to perform a thorough scan of your computer and weed out all spyware information from it. You must also follow up antispyware scans with a thorough registry scan to ensure that all malicious entries are swept away from the registry.

Vista update error 8024402C

Computer Aid Posted on by

This customer had just changed ISP, but wants me to setup the modem.

I figure this should be easy (famous last words 🙁 ).

After a few hiccups with the ISP username, I quickly manage to get the PC back onto the internet (it was off the net for about 3 weeks).

I start doing the antivirus updates, but the vista/defender updates don’t work.

Looking on the net I find a few possible answers:

– turn on network discovery

– antivirus is blocking update downloads

I eventually find the answer when I see someone mention disabling the norton firewall…

This PC is using the Vista firewall… but in the past, I have needed to set the XP firewall back to its default settings.

So I do the same with the vista firewall, and that fixed the problem.

While writing this post, I have a Homer d’oh! moment. I’ve already solved this problem before, and I’ve already written about it at:

http://www.computer-aid.com.au/blog/2007/10/03/vista-update-code-8024402c-and-windows-defender-0x8024402f/

D’OH D’OH D’OH!

stop 0X000000EA ati2dvag.dll blue screen

Computer Aid Posted on by

This started out as an annoying “PC won’t start” problem.

I say annoying because I saw no problem after 1 hour in front of the PC.

So I did some tuning and some stress testing during that time.

About 2 weeks later I’m called back again, as the PC is not starting again.

This time I can see the problem: PC gets most of the way to starting XP, and then re-starts.

I’m tempted to say: power supply.

But I decide to try safe mode first: and safe mode works perfectly.

OK, at the next restart, I hit F8, and then choose: “disable automatic restart…”

Now I get to see the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD)

The important bits are: 0X000000EA ati2dvag.dll

Now its obvious: its the ATI video card.

I replace it with an Nvidia card, but now the PC refuses to start at all.

Hmmm, I take a closer look at the case and AGP slot, and it looks like the MOBO and case are slightly out of alignment… the AGP card doesn’t slide in as easily as it should.

After some careful adjustments, I eventually get the card to slide in correctly, and the PC start correctly.

I run the kids “spiderman” game for a few minutes to make sure, and I have no further problems!

bigpond nextG 7.2 MF636 usb modem doesn’t like an AMD PC

Computer Aid Posted on by

A customer recently got a bigpond MF636 USB modem for her Compaq desktop PS (she can’t get ADSL).

She Installs the modem, and it works for about an hour, and then stops connecting to the internet.

I’ve not seen this model before, and find it works in an iteresting way:

– When you first plug it in, it acts like a USB drive, with the all the driver software automatically installing itself.

– After the driver software installs, it resets itself into USB modem mode (and the USB drive is no longer visible).

In this case, however, the software says that it can see the modem, it detects a signal strength of 4/5 bars, but pressing the connect button will have different effects, depending on which usb port you plug it into.

Mostly, it will appear to be connected, but no browsing, no ping, no email.

At first I thought: its trend thats interfering as usual.

But removing trend and resetting the windows firewall doesn’t fix anything.

I eventually start running out of ideas.

The only thing thats unusual about this PC is that it uses an AMD CPU, and that the USB modem (and the drivers) are probably less than 1 year old.

So its possible that the modem drivers have not been tested much on AMD hardware.

All I can suggest is that the customer returns the modem, and gets a different brand (a few days later, I’m told that the different modem worked correctly).

print spooler service keeps stopping (error 7034)

Computer Aid Posted on by

This PC wasn’t printing, and had some strange issues connecting to the internet.

I had worked on this PC about 1 year ago (setup antivir, and windows defender).

But when I got called back, windows looked different:

  • antivir and windows defender had been uninstalled.
  • spyware doctor had been installed
  • Norton IS 2009 had been installed
  • Existing canon pixma printer was still connected (but not printing)
  • A lexmark X1100 printer had been installed (but not printing)
  • At startup, I can see a windows with a iebtm.exe error
  • At startup, I can also see a windows with the error: pctssvc.exe unable to locate component
  • Some applications would generate: unable to locate component, snmpapi.dll was not found

I was told that the lexmark X1100 series printer was bought so she could send faxes.

Unfortunately, the X1100 series are crap (they do not have a real fax component). Sending faxes relies on the PC having a fax-modem. Of course this PC doesn’t have a fax-modem, since its been a broadband PC from the beginning.

The changes to the security software is mostly due to the advice of friends.

So my first steps are to remove norton & spyware doctor, and then install antivir and defender.

Next, I fix various errors (mostly due to missing/removed programs tying to run at system startup).

I then check that the internet is going, and finally take a look at the printers.

That’s odd. “Printers and faxes” (under control panel) just shows an empty window… no printers, and no “add printer” icon.

I find that the print spooler isn’t running (even though its set to automatic).

I try starting it manually, but it seems to stop a few seconds later.

I take a look at Event viewer, and I see a lot of messages about “print spooler service terminated unexpectedly” and the event ID is 7034.

A quick look around the internet finds a few things to try:

– delete the .spl and .shd files from c:windowsSystem32SpoolPrinters

– various registry hacks (didn’t work)

– sfc /scannow (but customer cannot find her XP CD… so I use mine)… but still no luck

– uninstall the lexmark and canon print software, then reinstall the canon software.

– The Lexmark printer was not new, so customer didn’t get a set of driver CDs… OK download them from the net and install.

In the end, I need to take the PC back to the office and I try a few more things (including a windows repair install).

At this point, There is only 1 more thing to try: reimage (from reimage.com).

I tried reimage a few months back (http://www.computer-aid.com.au/blog/2008/09/26/no-taskbar-no-desktop-icons-no-right-click/), without any success, so I decided to give it another go.

This time it actually fixed the spooler system.

I installed my own printer, and did a successful test print.

When I took it back to the customer, it was a partial success:

– the canon software installed correctly (and it detected the printer correctly), but no printer icon showed up in the printer section of control panel, and the scanning software couldn’t detect the printers scanner.

– The lexmark printer actually worked (after a new set of ink cartridges).

If I had known how difficult this was going to be, I would have just wiped the PC and started with a fresh install of XP.

Google toolbar add-on slows ie7

Computer Aid Posted on by

Its not often that I have bad things to say about Google.

In this case, a customers ie7 had slowed down to slower than dialup speeds (and would often give a webpage not found error).

However, email, ping, messenger, etc all works perfectly.

Her husbands PC also worked perfectly using ie7.

So the problem was only on her PC, and with ie7 specifically.

My first step was to clear the browser cache.

That didn’t work, so the next step was to start ie7 in no add-ons mode (start -> programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Internet explorer (no add-ons) )

And now ie7 worked at full speed.

Since I’ve seen this happen a few time before, I decided to find out exactly which add-on was causing this problem.

Luckily there weren’t many add-ons, so it didn’t take long to find the culprit: the Google toolbar add-on

The problem would always dissappear if the add-on was disabled.

Since the customer actually needed the google toolbar (she had a lot of favorites/bookmarks saved via the google toolbar), I needed to fix it.

The only thing to do was to uninstall (and reinstall) the toolbar. I was sure that the bookmarks wouldn’t be lost (they are saved by google… or maybe locally), but uninstalling the toolbar shouldn’t remove them.

Sure enough, after reinstalling the toolbar, ie7 works normally again, and all the bookmarks are still there.

Vodafone RAS error code 619 on E220 modem

Computer Aid Posted on by

A business customer told me that a company laptop would no longer connect to the internet using the Vodafone wireless 3G USB modem (an E220 modem)

The Vodafone software would generate a RAS error code 619, and would suggest re-enabling the modem, re-installing the driver, etc.

I tried all the suggestions, plus anything else I could find on the Net, but to no avail.

I eventually called Vodafone tech support, and I’m told the account is under review.

I’ve not heard that expression before, so I had to ask: What does that mean?

The tech politely suggested that there might have been a problem with the payments on the account.

Thats when the penny dropped: the company hadn’t paid their Vodafone account!

I thought it was a technical problem, and it turned out to be a financial problem (double for the company involved, as they effectively paid me just to tell them they hadn’t paid an internet account).

Vista SP1 error 80073712 and dialup internet (!)

Computer Aid Posted on by

This laptop was seriously confused.

The customer lives in a remote area (no broadband, only dialup internet).

He occasionally works in an office, where the laptop gets a chance at operating in a broadband internet environment.

I got called when the PC started behaving strangely (slow startup/shutdown; constant attemts to download and install SP1, error 80073712 during updates, etc).

I try sfc /scannow, but it ends with:

Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix them

A quick look on the net find a suggestion to try the following from a cmd prompt:

reg delete HKLMCOMPONENTS /v StoreDirty

But it doesn’t work for me.

I try all sorts of ways around this… mostly revolving around trying to remove pending.xml files

I eventually find a solution that works:

Manually download the Vista SP1 standalone install file. Then run the installer, and it seems to take over and correctly install SP1 (even though the automated windows update had previously failed).