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What To Do When You Get An Error Code On Your Computer

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Computer error codes can leave you feeling very confused and overwhelmed. The reason behind this is that they are usually written by the coders for the coders. It looks like there is an attempt to keep a common PC user out of the error resolution process. The good news is that a large percentage of errors are not as disastrous as they sound. However, at the same time each error indicates an issue that needs to be looked into. 

Essentially, the error codes can be classified into three types:

  1. Hardware error codes – Probably the most dangerous as this may lead to serious loss of data and equipment.
  2. Operating System error codes – These may include problems with your registry or system files.
  3. Software applications error codes – These are caused due to corrupt, invalid, or obsolete files or due to conflict between files.

The preparation to deal with these computer errors involves preventing as well as troubleshooting methods which have been provided in this article below.

Avoid User Errors

You must be careful while working on your computer. If you are not careful then issues, such as error 1706 http—generates if you do not provide the correct source to the Windows Installer—may occur.

Update your Software

Outdated operating system, applications and device drivers are one of the most common causes of computer error codes. An example is error code 39 that is generated when your CD-ROM driver is outdated and you attempt to access the drive. To prevent errors due to outdated files, it is essential for you to take measures to keep your PC software up-to-date. Although it may sound difficult, in reality, it is not. For instance, you just need to ensure that Windows Automatic Update tool is enabled to ensure that all your Microsoft products, including the Windows operating system stays updated at all times. Most of the third-party software also comprises options that enable you to update them automatically or manually. Use these options to keep these products updated. Also, to keep your drivers updated, you may seek help of a good driver scanner tool. Driver scanner tools are quite helpful as they automatically scan your PC for outdated drivers and update them.

Get Rid of Viruses

Virus and spyware infections are also common causes of several computer errors, such as runtime error 216. Virus programs are known to infect your program files and cause them to behave erratically. These malicious programs fill your registry with several entries and prevent several of your applications from running normally. To get rid of these infections, it is essential for you to have reliable antivirus and antispyware tools on your computer. To ensure that these tools are at their best in keeping your PC safe, you must ensure that they are updated on a regular basis. Also, opt for tools with real-time protection so that you can stop these malicious programs from infiltrating your PC in the first place.

Clean your Registry

In addition to malware, the registry may also get filled up over time when you install and uninstall programs, update your software, install new hardware, and perform various tasks on your PC. Over time, the registry bloats up, and easily gets corrupt and fragmented. A thus damaged registry not only causes slow computer problems, but also starts generating different types of computer errors. To prevent these issues and to ensure that your registry stays error-free at all times, it is recommended that you use a good registry cleaner to regularly scan and clean your registry. Cleaning the registry on a regular basis will enable you to maintain a high-performance and error-free computer for a long time.

Tips To Prevent DLL Errors

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Computer errors, such as rundll and shell32 errors bring a smile on the face of computer maintenance professionals across the world. These errors mean money in their pockets, as most PC users are not equipped with the knowledge on how to resolve these errors and instead just call the experts.  These types of errors have the potential of causing huge information and money loss for the computer owner. In order to save time, money and important data it is therefore recommended that all computer users should have basic knowledge of resolving errors that they frequently encounter.

The DLL error is one such error that appears on computers running the Windows operating system. The name itself may sound scary to any computer user but these errors can be easily resolved once the user understands their nature and causes.

The term DLL is the short form for Dynamic Link Library. This library was created by Microsoft in order to reduce memory and hard disk space that the programs and operating system take up while running, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the computer. This was crucial in the days when the memory and hard disk space were limited. So, whenever a common process was required by multiple programs, its programming code was placed in a separate file that was referred to as DLL or Dynamic Link Library. So, instead of uploading the process separately for different programs, the operating system uploads the DLL file only once.

DLL files have been acclaimed as a good idea but like all things related to technology, it may develop problems or sometimes malfunction. Some of the reasons why a DLL error occurs are:

  1. A user may unknowingly uninstall a DLL file.
  2. A user may be trying to install a DLL file which is already corrupt
  3. Problems in the hard drive may cause damage to a DLL file.
  4. Malware infection may corrupt a DLL file.

A computer user can prevent DLL errors by following the tips given below:

  1. Be careful while uninstalling a program and do not let it uninstall any DLL file before making sure that DLL file is not required by other programs on the computer.
  2. Avoid installing programs unless they are absolutely required. Rampant installation of applications and programs is a common cause of DLL errors.
  3. It is a good idea to first install a new program in a backup PC if it is available. This would ensure that the program is safe to install and will not cause errors.
  4. Computer owners must install a good anti-virus software as well as anti-spyware. In addition to preventing viruses and other malware from entering the system, they will help prevent DLL errors.
  5. A user can opt to use services of websites that offer to scan DLL errors in your computer for free. However, the user may be required to purchase the software as only scanning is free and not the repair.
  6. If a user has come across the DLL error while trying to install a new program, one should uninstall the program and check to see if the error is removed. It may be a good idea to contact the manufacturer of that program for a resolution to the error.
  7. Registry cleaner software are great tools that automatically prevent and remove DLL errors.  These tools save the user from the cumbersome task of manually searching for DLL errors.

Steps To Completely Uninstall Programs From Your PC

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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.

5 Steps To Speed Up Your PC

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Do you want to speed up your slow computer? Given here are 5 steps that will not only help your speed up your PC, but also enable you to fix several computer errors.

Remove Virus and Spyware

Virus and spyware programs are one of the most common causes of deteriorated PC performance. In fact, if your PC slows down suddenly, it is most probably infected by a virus or a spyware program. These programs add several infected files, processes, and registry entries in the system that not only deteriorate the performance, but also generate several errors on the system. To prevent these programs from infiltrating your system, you must keep your antivirus and antispyware tools updated with the latest definitions and run regular full system scans to detect and remove any malicious information that would have got on to the system.

Manage Startup Programs

Startup programs are those that are loaded when you boot your Windows system. Many of these programs are essential for the functioning of your Windows system. However, there are some that are added by various applications that you install later on the PC. Many of these startup programs are not required unless you are using the application and therefore, they unnecessarily eat up system resources. You can disable unwanted startup programs by using the System Configuration utility (msconfig). You can also check the Startup option in the Start menu, and delete any shortcuts to the programs you don’t want to load at start up.

Clean Windows Registry

A bloated and damaged Windows registry may also slow down your PC. Registry bloatoccurs due to the accumulation of a large amount of unwanted and invalid information in the registry. Many computer errors, such as driver errors, DLL errors, runtime errors, and ActiveX errors are also generated due to incorrect entries in the registry. To resolve these errors and repair the registry, you need to regularly scan the registry for this unwanted and incorrect information and repair it. You can do this easily with the help of a reliable registry cleaner program. Registry cleaners automate the process of repairing registry problems, making registry backups, and defragging the registry to consolidate its files and reduce the size of the registry. Cleaning and defragging the registry helps in speeding up registry access, which, in turn, speeds up your PC.

Uninstall Unwanted Programs

One of the popular methods to speed up your PC is to uninstall unwanted applications from it. This not only helps in freeing up space on the hard disk, but also helps in controlling the size of the registry. While uninstalling, you must ensure that you use legitimate methods to perform the uninstallation. Also, it is recommended that you follow up the uninstallation process with a registry cleanup to ensure that there are no orphan entries left behind in the registry by the uninstalled application.

Clean the Hard Disk

After you have removed virus and spyware programs, gotten rid of unwanted startup programs, cleaned the registry and uninstalled unwanted applications, it is time to use the Disk Cleanup tool to remove any other unwanted information on the hard disk. The Disk Cleanup tool is the one stop tool to empty the Recycle Bin, clear unwanted Internet Explorer files, and delete unwanted program setup files. You can also use this tool to uninstall unwanted applications and remove obsolete System Restore points.

Finally, use the Disk Defragmenter tool to consolidate the files on the hard disk to make them contiguous and thus enhance the performance of your PC.

Common Computer Errors And How To Fix Them

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Common Computer Errors And How To Fix Them

Troublesome computer errors may not only hamper your work, but may also cause physical damage to your system. There are many different types of errors that you may encounter while working on your PC. In this article, we are going to investigate some of the common computer errors, and the steps to fix these errors.

Code 10 Error and Code 39 Error

Code 10 error and Code 39 error usually occur when a driver is missing, corrupt, or incomplete. To fix these errors, you must update the driver of the device that is displaying the error. To do this, perform the following steps:

  1. Open the Start menu and select the Control Panel command.
  2. Select the Performance and Maintenance link and then select the System link.
  3. In the System Properties dialog box, on the Hardware tab, select the Device Manager button.
  4. Scroll down the installed hardware list in the Device Manager window and identify the faulty drivers depicted by a yellow triangle containing a black exclamation mark.
  5. Double-click on the device to open its properties tab.
  6. Here, on the Driver tab, select the Update Driver button and follow the screen instructions to complete the process.

 Spoolsv.exe Error

All printing related tasks on your Windows PC are handled by the Spoolsv.exe file.

 Spoolsv.exe errorusually occurs when many .SHD and .SPL files accumulate in the spool directory. These files are used by the Print Spooler to save the print spool data and job setting information of your print job. Therefore, to fix the error, you will have to delete these files from the spool folder. Perform the following steps to delete these files.

  • From the Performance and Monitoring Control Panel window, select Administrative Tools, and the select Services.
  • In the Services management console that opens, search for and right-click on the Print Spooler service and select the Stop command.
  • Next, open Windows Explorer and navigate to the C:WindowsSystem32SpoolPrinters folder.
  • Here, delete all the .SHD and .SPL files.
  • Now, open the Temp folder and delete all files you do not require.
  • Restart thePrint Spooler service from the Services management console.

If this does not work, use the Windows XP System Restore feature to rollback your computer to the time when your system was working fine.

DLL Errors

DLLs are dynamic libraries used by Windows operating systems to save functions and codes that are loaded by the operating system and software installed on it to perform specific tasks.

DLL errors usually occur when:

  • A DLL incompatible with your operating system is registered with your PC.
  • A current version of DLL is overwritten by an older version. usually happens when you install a software application.
  • A DLL required by an application is missing or corrupt – the DLL may get deleted when you uninstall an application using it, or may get corrupt by a faulty application or malware.
  • One or more DLLs used by an application are not properly registered on the system.
  • A hardware that is using the DLL generating the error is faulty or a there is problem in its driver.
  • Registry entry for the malfunctioning DLL(s) is corrupt.

DLL errors are fixed according to their cause. To fix DLL errorsthat occur due to missing, corrupt, or outdated DLLs, you may need to restore the problematic DLL. To do this, search for and download the DLL from the Internet, and copy it to its original location on the computer.

If a DLL is overwritten, search on the application manufacturers website, to see if any updates for the product are available. If yes, then download and update the product to fix the DLL error.

To fix DLL errors due to hardware, first try to update the driver for the hardware. If this does not work, then check the hardware itself as it might be faulty. If it is, either repair or replace the hardware to fix the error.

90 percent of computer errors, including DLL errors, are usually caused by malware infection and registry problems. Therefore, you must take appropriate measures to keep your PC free from these problems. To prevent and remove malware, you may use reliable antivirus and antispyware utilities. You must regularly scan your PC with these tools to ensure that your PC is not infected, and also update them regularly to ensure that you are protected against the latest malware. Additionally, you must get yourself a dependable registry cleaner tool to regularly scan and remove errors and unwanted information from the registry.