Random computer rebooting can also be an indication of a blue screen error. You see, by default, Windows XP is configured to automatically restart when a blue screen is encountered, so this may appear as random booting.

Experiencing a Windows blue screen means the system has run into a critical error, also called a stop error. Normally the system will be halted and your system will reboot.

What Causes Blue Screens?

Possible causes of Windows blue screen errors are:

• Virus infection – Virus and Spyware can cause your PC to behave quite unpredictable, inducing blue screen errors.
• Hardware failure – This can mean CPU problems, memory problems, or a specific hardware device that is not functioning properly.
• Hard disk error – Although this is also a hardware problem, hard disk errors can often be solved by scanning and fixing the disk. The hard disk does not need to be removed for this.
• Configuration problems – Failing hardware can also be caused by incorrect settings in the system BIOS. Perhaps the CPU is over-clocked and overheating, or the memory access is set too fast.
• Software problems – In most cases this means that the device drivers for your hardware are either not the correct ones, or outdated versions. As a result Windows cannot communicate with the hardware properly.
• Registry errors – A corrupt registry can result in unpredictable results. The Windows registry contains the complete system configuration, including the hardware configuration and device driver registration. Errors in the registry can easily cause the system to malfunction and lead to a blue screen error, so ensuring the registry is clutter-free is important.

How to Solve Windows Blue Screen Problems

Since Windows blue screen errors can have such a variety of causes, solving them is not straightforward. We will give a number of things to try, which can be used in any order. Consider the changes to your system to determine which steps are most likely going to help you solve these errors.

If your system is simply rebooting, first change the automatic reboot option in the Windows Control Panel. You will find the Startup and Recovery option in the Advanced tab of the System dialog box.

Clear the Automatic restart checkbox.

If you are using Windows Restore Points, and you can still start Windows, try restoring the previous restore points to see if you have a saved configuration that works. For erratic blue screen errors this is more difficult as it will be more difficult to determine if the problem is solved. Many people also disable the restore point functionality to save disk space and processing time, in which case the restore point approach will not be possible.

System Restore can be accessed from the Control Panel. Select Performance and Maintenance and then select System Restore in the task pane on the left-hand side.

Virus scan and removal.

If you are able to boot Windows in Safe Mode (F8 key during startup), run a virus scan and spyware scan to ensure your system is free of viruses. Use the latest updates for your antivirus software, so it will recognize the newest viruses. Run a virus scan first, followed by a spyware scan.

BIOS updates.

Always check if you have the latest BIOS version. In many cases, an update can solve your problems. The BIOS version is often displayed during the PC startup process. When you go into the Bios (Esc or F2 key during boot), you can certainly see the version. Check the BIOS manufacturer’s website to see if there is an update, and try the update if available. Updating the BIOS should be done with care, so if you are not comfortable with it, ask a PC technician.

The most common Bios versions:

• Phoenix / Award Bios
• AmiBios

Some computer manufacturers have their own support for updating the Bios in their systems:

• AsusTek Bios updates.
• Dell Bios updates.
• HP Bios updates require you to search for the computer model first.
• Fujitsu-Siemens Bios updates work the same, find your PC type and model and then select the Bios updates.

Once you have the latest Bios version, load the default settings of the Bios. Most modern Bios versions have a lot of tweaking options, which allow you to change the hardware configuration. But over-clocking the CPU or trying to increase memory access speeds does not improve the system stability, so use the default Bios settings to start your PC.

Hardware compatibility.

If you have added any new hardware, try to remove that and see if the blue screen error persists. Compatibility issues between the hardware and the operating system can be a problem, but even conflicts with existing hardware can happen. Especially older hardware can suffer from this kind of conflict. Sometimes jumper or port settings can fix the conflict. Using plug-and-play hardware will reduce the chances of hardware conflicts as the Bios or Windows will configure the hardware.

To make sure your computer’s memory (RAM) is okay, you can run a memory test. Most Bios versions allow you to configure an extensive memory test, but there also software programs to test your PC memory. A few are:

Microsoft Windows Memory Diagnostic
MemTest86
MemScope

Something often forgotten is the simple fact that new hardware uses power. So make sure your power supply in the computer is adequate for the new configuration.

Hard disk check.

If the system does not boot, you will need a Windows boot CD. Using the recovery console, you can run a Chkdsk. Use the command “CHKDSK /F /R” to scan the disk and automatically fix errors. If you can boot in safe mode, you can use the graphical user interface. Right-click the drive icon, and select Properties. In the Properties dialog box, select the Tools tab and then select Check Now. Make sure you select the checkboxes for recovering bad sectors and fix file system errors.

Update device drivers.

The next step is to ensure you have the correct drivers, including the correct version. You can manually check and update your drivers, as long as you know the hardware manufacturer and the device type and model. Go to the manufacturer’s website and search for the correct device drivers.

If you are not too familiar with hardware and driver details, you can use a commercial driver scanner. A driver scanner is a sophisticated software tool that checks your hardware configuration and ensures you have all the right device drivers.

Updating your device drivers means you need to be able to start Windows, so use the Safe Mode (F8 key during startup) if you cannot start normally.

Scan and fix the Windows registry.

Once you drivers are up to date, and the blue screen errors keep occurring, you can try to scan and fix your registry. Use a good registry cleaner tool, as it will scan, fix and clean your registry. Any remaining problems with your computer related to the registry will be fixed by a registry tool.

Use the Memory Dump.

One of the last options is to use the memory dump that Windows creates during a blue screen error. The memory dump file can be used by specialists to analyze the error and possibly provide a solution. You need to contact Microsoft Support for this. The path for the memory dump can be obtained from the Startup and Recovery dialog box that was discussed earlier. This is also where you can change the type of memory dump created. The default memory dump is actually a minidump, which includes only limited information.

If you change the type of memory dump, make sure the system paging file is large enough, it should be larger than the size of the internal RAM.

There you have it! Several ways you can solve a blue screen error from occuring. I hope you’ve been able to use any of them to solve those ‘dreaded blue screen’ occurrences for you.

Your webcam most likely will have a USB connection cord. You must first install the webcam drivers, before plugging in your new webcam. Insert the installation CD into your CD-ROM drive. The setup screen should automatically appear. If your operating system did not pick up the auto run feature, you may load the setup yourself. You can follow these simple steps to get to your webcam drivers setup.

• Click Start.
• Click Run.
• Click Browse.
• Choose your CD-ROM drive from the drop down box.
• Highlight the SETUP.EXE or INSTALL.EXE.
• Click Open.

You should now have the setup screen showing. The steps are simple and the on screen prompts will walk you through loading your webcam drivers. Once all your webcam drivers have been loaded successfully, you will be prompted to restart your system. After you have rebooted and are back into Windows, you will be asked to plug in your webcam. All your webcam drivers should be loaded and your webcam working properly!

Missing Webcam Drivers Installation Disk?

If you have purchased a webcam without an installation disk (or lost the disk), you will need to find the necessary webcam drivers yourself. You can go to the manufacturer’s web site and usually find the webcam drivers. If the manufacturer does not have the webcam drivers you are looking for, search the net. You can search with the major search engines to locate the webcam driver’s specific to your operating system. You can also seek out forums or blog posts that may relate to your webcam (links to your webcam drivers may be found here).

Why You Need to Update Your Webcam Drivers

True, the required drivers are on the installation disk of your webcam when you bought it but guess what? These drivers may not be the latest drivers at all.

You see, that installation disk was compiled when the webcam was produced. Now, consider warehouse time, delivery time to stores, time on the shelf, and others, and many months – even years – may have passed. Since then, the webcam maker may have released several updated versions of the driver already.

In addition, if you install new software or change to a new operating system, the webcam drivers may need updates to suit these changes.

You can find updated webcam drivers on the manufacturer’s site. You can also find the webcam drivers online via forums and driver-related blogs. You can also use a third-party tool such as DriverScanner, which can scan your PC for webcam drivers and check if you need updated ones.

As a result, you can not simply uninstall the antivirus client software from your PC, at least not without entering a password. Although the default password is “symantec”, chances are your system administrator changed the default to something else.

Apart from probably not getting updated antivirus definitions, you can also not install other antivirus software. Ideally you would ask the system administrator to remove the Symantec antivirus client software from your computer on the Symantec System Center, which is used on the server. But if this is not possible for whatever reason, you need an alternative.

How to Use the Registry to Deactivate the Symantec Uninstall Password

If uninstalling Symantec antivirus from the server is no longer possible, you need to deactivate the uninstall password. Follow the steps below to disable the password.

1. From the Start menu, select Run.
2. In the Run dialog box, type regedit and press Enter.
3. In the Registry Editor, locate and open the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\INTEL\LANDesk\VirusProtect6\ CurrentVersion\Administrator Only\Security
4. In this registry key, locate the entry called UseVPUninstallPassword.
5. Right-click the entry and select Modify in the popup menu. Change the Value from 1 to 0.
6. Close the Registry Editor.

Now you can try to uninstall the Symantec antivirus client from your computer. Simply by using the Control Panel’s Add or Remove Programs.

Good luck!

To prove my point, Jon Perlow, a Google Gmail engineer, wrote on his blog, “sometimes I send messages I shouldn’t send. Like the time I told that girl I had a crush on her over text message. Or the time I sent that late night email to my ex-girlfriend that we should get back together. Gmail can’t always prevent you from sending messages you might later regret, but today we’re launching a new Labs feature I wrote called Mail Goggles which may help.”

Mail Goggles, a Google Gmail new feature, is a new tool designed to force Gmail emailers to answer a few easy math problems before sending an email. Users can change which days this new tool operates, the level of math asked and other basic features. If the math problems are not answered within a specified amount of time, the email can not be sent.

So next time you decide to drink a few too many and you’re on Gmail emailing away, just remember that Google’s new tool, Mail Goggles, will be the savior you need for the next morning.

I’ve been checking out some of the comments in other blogs and forums and it seems that these new ads (not the Seinfeld ones) are really connecting to people all over the globe. How so? Well, it’s just that the PC is more ingrained in our lives today than you may be thinking of… and these ads say, there’s no shame in that at all. In fact, be proud of it.

So what do you think of the new Microsoft ads?

According to CNET, eBay also plans on buying Bill Me Later, an online payments business, for $820 million in cash and an additional $125 million in outstanding options. The article states that eBay will also be purchasing Den Bla Avis and BilBasen as well.

“eBay said its workforce reduction, which cuts about 1,000 jobs, will result in a pretax restructuring charge of between $70 million and $80 million, which will be taken in the fourth quarter of 2008, eBay said. The online retailer will also let go several hundred temporary workers and reduce the number of open positions,” states CNET’s reporters.

As we’ve discussed before on PC Authorities before, Microsoft has continually pushed the date back for Windows XP’s death. Mostly due to public attention on this matter, it seems Microsoft is beginning to cave. 

This announcement surprises many PC blogging enthusiasts due to the fact that Microsoft has spent millions of dollars on campaigning for Vista, but in this latest move it seems Microsoft may allow users to go from XP to Windows 7 and skip the dreaded Windows Vista.

As HP’s data storage demand increases, they are looking to expand their data storage capacities which is why they are purchasing LeftHand. According to the article, “the all-cash deal is expected to close in the first quarter of HP’s fiscal year 2009. LeftHand will be integrated into the StorageWorks division of HP’s Technology Solutions Group.”

LeftHand Networks has 215 employees and was founded in 1999 in Boulder, Colorado.

The normal IE8 uninstall

Normally you can uninstall software through the Control Panel. The Add or Remove Programs section should contain an entry for “Windows Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2”. If this is the case, you can simply select it and click the Remove button.

Uninstalling IE8 manually

If the entry does not exist, you can try to locate the Internet Explorer 8 update on disk and run the uninstaller. This is a bit tricky since the folder names are not that intuitive. Look in your Windows folder, and open the “ie8” folder. Most likely it is hidden, so make sure you enable the Windows explorer to show hidden files.

In the “ie8” folder there is a subdirectory called “spuninst”. Open that folder and then double-click a file called “spuninst.exe”.

This will start the IE8 uninstaller wizard.

Click Next and wait for the Windows Internet Explorer 8 Removal Wizard to uninstall IE8 from your computer. Depending on your system this can take a little time…

Of course this requires a restart in Windows XP, so click Finish when the wizard shows the screen below.

Once complete, you should be back at your previous version of Internet Explorer.

Uninstall IE8 from Vista

In Windows Vista, you should also be able to uninstall Internet Explorer 8 from the Control Panel. Select Uninstall a program under Programs, and then make sure you select View installed updates in the Tasks pane on the left. This is the catch, IE8 is listed under updates rather than as a regular program.

After this, the “Windows Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2″ entry can be right-clicked, after which you can select Uninstall in the popup.

According to PC Magazine, Nero AG launches LiquidTV|TiVo PC today. The article reports, “the bundle comes in two flavors: a $199.99 retail package that includes both a TiVo PC remote with transceiver, plus a TV tuner card. Both that and a $99.99 software-only downloadable version come with 12 months of TiVo service – already a savings versus the annual $129 TiVo service plan, and you don’t have to buy the set-top box, which starts at $149.99.”

This product allows the same functionality as TiVo users with the set-top box on top of their TVs. The software supports HD recording and viewing as well. Finally, one of the best functions of this new product, a user may use their new LiquidTV|TiVo PC to record their favorite show and then transfer the show to their favorite iPods, iPhones or Sony PSPs. 

You must have a dual core PC in order for this product to work. Happy TiVo’ing!