Simple solutions that may or may not help
By following instructions on this page you agree that neither Palisades Computer Repair nor it’s repair tech are legally liable for ANYTHING, including any loss, alteration or corruption of data, nor any loss of time, business, anticipatory profits, or special or consequential damages.
Some changes were made to my Windows XP computer. Now my computer has become very unstable or won't start to the desktop.
If you know a thing or two about computers and you are feeling brave, you can try restarting the computer while pressing F8 several times until you get to the blue "advanced options" menu, then use the up / down arrow keys to highlight "last known good configuration" and press the "enter" key. Do this at your own risk. This may or may not fix the problem. If you have already restarted your computer to the desktop then this recovery method will likely not help. NOTES: A reset to "Last Known Good Configuration" can only successfully fix a problem IF you didn’t have any issues the last time you started Windows. "Last Known Good Configuration" only modifies the registry. It does NOT affect user data such as your personal photos, MP3's, documents, etc.
Or use "system restore" on Windows XP if…
* Problems started to occur after you installed a program, Windows update, software update, or a driver.
* You accidentally removed or modified an important system file that is causing the system not to function properly.
How do I navigate to "system restore" in Windows XP?
1) START > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore > select "restore my computer to an earlier time".
2) If your computer won't boot to the desktop, first try booting in SAFE MODE by pressing F8 at startup, then navigate to system restore.
NOTES: System restore modifies not just parts of the registry, but changes system files (extensions: EXE, BAT, DLL, .com, .drv, .sys, etc…), drivers, and more.
It never touches file formats related to things like documents, email, music, and a few others that aren’t critical to the system’s operability. It also ignores things placed in “My Documents”.
It uninstalls all programs installed after the selected restore point rollback.
Don't use system restore if you have important files placed throughout your computer, and you’re not sure if system restore will ignore them. On Windows XP computers, place all of your important personal files into the “My Documents” folder to ensure that they are protected.
Computer screen is black
Have you tried restarting the computer a couple of times?
Is the monitor really getting power from the wall outlet or power strip? Is the monitor power light on?
Is the monitor data cable securely connected at both ends (at monitor and the computer)?
Did the monitor fail? Try swapping out a known working monitor.
Is the computer itself really getting power? Do you see lights on the computer, hear the hard drive spinning, hear the fan running and/or hear test "beeps" after starting up? If there are no signs of any power then make sure the power connector is securely plugged into the computer as well as to the outlet. Test to see that the power strip or power outlet is indeed working by plugging a known working light into it. It is common that some or all outlets along a power strip can fail.
For laptop computers try pressing the "Fn" key (located below the left "Shift" key) or try pressing Fn + F7. These keys (when accidentally pressed) can cause the monitor to turn off. These keys may "toggle" the monitor back and forth between "on" and "off". Don't forget to toggle back.
For laptop computers check to see if the lid switch is somehow pressed in (and thus causing the monitor to turn off).
Can't log on to desktop with my password
Is your "Cap Locks" engaged? If so disengage it. Passwords are case sensitive. The "Cap Lock" key is located above the left "Shift" key. When the Cap Locks is turned on, a light illuminates. On most keyboards this light is usually located somewhere above the "Home" key, and it causes letters to be entered as UPPER case. Otherwise PCR can either recover or reset your password for only $20 (or on site for $40) in 15 minutes to 1 hour.
Computer is sometimes sluggish and slow. Virus?
Not necessarily. Sometimes this is simply due to normal processes that occasionally or always automatically run in the "background", such as anti-virus software updates or Windows updates that are being downloaded, or due to an automatic virus scan that is running. Often these processes run when you first turn on your computer or after a specific time every day. If they are running it may take unusually long to do something as simple as opening up your web browser or email program. If your computer is acting sluggish, often you can simply hold your mouse pointer over one of the task bar items found in the lower right hand corner of your desktop and discover that a program is running in the "background". You may hear the hard drive "working". In this example (to the right) the anti-virus software was running an automatic scan.
Do you have less than 15% space remaining on your drive?
This can really slow a computer down.
START > My Computer > Right click your hard drive and select "properties"
Sometimes you can fix a problem by using the Windows "Help and Support Center"
START > Help & Support > Fixing a problem
