system

Infopackets Reader 'Frank' writes: " Dear Dennis, I was wondering if I can hire you to fix a laptop with a ransom virus infection. The reason I'm asking is because as soon as the system boots up, the virus is there [with a message stating the ... computer has been locked down]. There is no desktop, meaning I can't open anything. What can I do? " My response: Unfortunately, if you cannot boot into the Windows desktop, then I cannot dial into the laptop to fix it via remote desktop support . The virus you have may be repairable depending on what you're infected with, and whether or not the virus is ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'pthamilton' writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a Dell XPS M1330 laptop computer. I get frequently recurring messages that my D drive (recovery drive) is full. Can I delete files on my recovery drive? Also, if I upgrade to Windows 7 or ... Windows 8, will it stop the 'disk is full' error messages? Thank You. " My Response: In general, it is not recommended that you delete any files from the recovery drive, as it contains disk image files used to restore your system to default configuration when you first purchased the computer. If you downloaded or copied files onto the D drive, you ... (view more)

Earlier this year, a hack was discovered that would allow Windows XP users to continue receiving security updates , despite Microsoft no longer officially supporting the system . However, experts are now warning users that the hack guarantees ... neither security, nor stable computing. Windows XP: No More Security Updates Microsoft finally pulled the plug on Windows XP in April this year , including all future security updates. The problem is that many people still continue to use the operating system, despite significant security risks . The Windows Embedded hack essentially tricks Windows XP ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'gfaas' writes: " Dear Dennis, What is your opinion of having two antivirus programs installed instead of one? I have Microsoft Security Essentials and Grisoft AVG antivirus. " My response: In my opinion, using two antivirus / ... antimalware programs is better than one for the same reason you would seek the advice of two independent doctors for a life threatening illness. That said, I suggest that you ensure both antivirus / antimalware programs do not conflict with each other, or you will run into resource issues that will cause your computer to slow to a ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'mg_barrett' writes: " Dear Dennis, Is there a way to show a list of running processes (programs) in Windows? Also, how do I determine if a process is active or not? " My response: A process is said to be active if there is CPU or ... memory activity associated with the process. The opposite is also true; if there is no CPU or memory activity reported by a process, then it is considered to be an idle process. Process activity can be determined using various utilities mentioned below. How to View Active and Idle Processes in Windows You can use Windows Task Manager to view all ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Dan F. writes: " Dear Dennis, When I run Windows Update, it tells me there are .NET Framework 3.5 updates available. Should I install these Windows Updates, even though my computer has .NET framework 4.5? Also, should I remove old ... .NET framework (versions 1, 2, etc) from the Windows Control Panel? Or will it cause problems? " My response: I recommend installing Windows Updates as soon as they are available (for the reasons I outlined in the comments section of yesterday's article), as the latest Windows Updates usually address bug fixes or security-related ... (view more)

A new report suggests that many users who use the Windows Update feature to automatically download and install the latest security patches from Microsoft do not have an up-to-date operating system. Windows Update gives users two options: manual and ... automatic updates. With the manual option, users must initiate security downloads themselves, which can be carried out when it's most convenient. On the other hand, the automatic option alerts users to necessary updates and begins the download and installation process without requiring user input. Most Windows Users Delay Automatic Updates The ... (view more)

A visitor chatted with me on the web site other day, and he had a question about the Windows Page file. He wrote: " I have a question in regard to optimizing Windows and its 'page file'. I have Windows 7 Professional (64 bit) with a 1 terabyte (TB) ... hard drive, and 8 gigabytes of RAM. My system uses a newer generation Intel processor (Core i5 or Core i7). My question is: do I really need a page file when I have 8GB of memory? In your opinion, which is better: having Windows manage my page file, or should I define a custom page file, or use no page file? " My Response: The short answer is that ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'Sprenger' writes: " Dear Dennis, I have four hard drives in my PC and four different operating systems. My main hard drive has Windows XP, then my second drive has Vista Ultimate, the third has Windows 7 Ultimate, and the fourth ... has Windows 8.1. I want to get rid of the Windows XP drive, but if I disconnect it, none of my other hard drives will boot. What should I do? I prefer to have Windows 7 as the default operating system. I want to avoid formatting all my hard drives just to get them working again. Any suggestions? " My Response: It sounds like your Windows XP drive ... (view more)

There's been much talk about Windows 10 beta, otherwise known as the "Technical Preview." The good news is that Windows 10 Technical Preview is now available for download to the general public, and it's absolutely free. But before you rush off to ... download Microsoft's latest offering, please take a few moments to consider some important details. Things to Consider before Downloading Windows 10 Technical Preview First, the Windows 10 Technical Preview is still in early development. That means the software is inherently buggy and prone to crashing, and can result in data ... (view more)