I've come up against a number of problems over the years, and I'm proud to say I have a pretty good success rate. But there have been a few problems that have eluded me over the years.
I'm calling these, my UNSOLVED MYSTERIES!
File Association
When you double click on a file, the program associated with it will open up. For example, double click on any picture on your computer will open up your picture viewing program, songs and movies will open with your media player, and so on.
To see what programs are associated with what files, I am a fan of Windows Explorer and will use it. But in Windows, there are more than one way to do anything.
Click on Start, then Run, and in the box type in explorer.exe, or if you have the My Computer icon on your desktop, just right-click on it and chose Explore from the menu. Different versions of Windows it might be slightly different.
Across the menu at the top click on Tools then Folder Options and in the resulting window click on the tab called File Types - here you will see all the potential file types and what programs open what files.
If you can't see the file extensions in your explorer browser, click on the view tab in this same window and uncheck the option to Hide extensions for known file types. You may then have to press the F5 key to refresh your explorer display.
So if you had a picture called my fishing trip, now you might see it displayed as my fishing trip.jpg, the .jpg tells you and your computer what type of format it is and what program to open it up with.
A brief course in file extensions - and now my problem:
My computer has a bad habit of putting an hidden quotation mark or " on the end of some of my files and I don't understand why. For example if I check through my list of extensions I have the following doubles:
CSV
CSV"
DAT
DAT"
HTM
HTM"
ISO
ISO"
JPG
JPG"
MID
MID"
MKV
MKV"
RTF
RTF"
SWF
SWF"
WMV
WMV"
ZIP
ZIP"
Deleting them doesn't do any good because eventually my computer will again ask to associate this file with whatever program. I'm dealing with WinXP Home Edition, but it's not just an XP problem. I've had this problem with every version way back to Win98. I can't remember if I had it with Win95 - way to long ago.
I'm going to use SWF from the list as an example. Its a Shockwave Flash file and I previously associated it with my web browser - currently, Opera 9.20. It was working OK at first, then all of a sudden, when I double-clicked on a Shockwave Flash file my computer would ask me to associate it with a program to open, only it was listing the extension as SWF". It put a quotation mark at the end and treated it has a completely different file.
Even with my explorer set to show all extensions (again back to your explorer browser on the view tab) and to show all hidden files including system files, the " at the end did not display.
To download and install Shockwave and or Flash players: (I always thought they where the same thing at one time)
For all browsers just download and run the install for Shockwave Flash and the Flash player available from - http://www.adobe.com/
note for IE users: To install the Shockwave Player for Internet Explorer just download and run the install program but for Flash player it must be installed directly through Internet Explorer. So in IE go to http://messenger.msn.com/flash/. This is also needed for some functions of MSN Messenger to work properly - link winks.
Account Mystery
I can not change my Account settings.
Usually, you can change your account settings by clicking on Start, then Settings, then Control Panel.
Then double-click on User accounts - Here you can change the behavior of your accounts, add new ones, delete old ones, change account pictures and so on....
...but on mine instead opens up notepad with a error message window in front that says:
Cannot open the res://C:\WINDOWS\system32\nusrmgr.cpl/nusrmgr.htm file.
Make sure a disk is in the drive you specified.
The only solution I've found online was to replace the nusrmgr.cpl, with a fresh copy from my install CD. The nusrmgr.htm file doesn't seem to exist on the Windows install CD. Or click on Start then Run and type in sfc /scannow. This will scan your system and replace any missing or altered files. But if I understand it correctly, it may require you to reinstall some updates after.
Both of my computers are set up just for one account. My personal computer in my bedroom I used exclusively by myself. My second computer, in the living room, used by everybody else. Still, no fooling around with setting up personal accounts for anybody. No rules here, just depends on your personal tastes.
MY ONLY THEORY - I believe that My Computers should work the way I WANT them to work, not the way BIG BROTHER Microsoft wants them to so I use more than one utility to customize my setup. I think my efforts may have led to this problem and the pre-mentioned account problem, but like i said, no fooling around because its not an issue with me.
I think that's why I haven't found out how to fix this problem. I haven't been trying and I just don't care.
minor update notice - 9:31 AM May 6, 2007
If you read any of my previous posts you know that I have had a number of problems trying to keep my network working. Actually my internet connection on my client computer. I decided to try the sfc /scannow. It didn't fix my network connection but it did fix the account issues mentioned above.
sfc stands for Sytem File Checker - learn more:
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html
msconfig.exe
Windows has a built in utility called MSCONFIG. You can get to it by clicking on Start and Run and typing in msconfig. This brings up a the utility where you can see whats going on in the background, allowing you to change the way your computer boots up, and so on.
On my computer, when I type in msconfig, a blank windows opens instead, with the word msconfig in the top left-hand title bar, and nothing else.
Never been able to fix it but there are ways to work around it.
C:\WINDOWS\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\BINARIES\msconfig.exe
C:\WINDOWS\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\BINARIES\msconfig.exe
MY ONLY THEORY - I think to many items on my computer never get fixed because there are to many ways to work-around it. Warning that this behaviour can be caused by some malware and/or trojans. keep your antivirus and adware programs up-to-date.
undeletable/movable folders
You try to delete or move a file or folder but you cant you get an error message:
Cannot delete Folder: It is being used by another person or program. Close any programs that might be using the file and try again.
I currently have Windows XP Home Edition and I've never had so many problems with files and folders that seem to be locked. Not even with older versions of Windows.
I did find an utility that help me solve that problem. A simple program called Unlocker from:
http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/#description
And after just downloading it I had the opportunity to use it with a .htm file (web page) that I had saved on my computer. I wanted to delete it but couldn't. I had closed down Opera but discovered using this program the file was still locked by Opera.
The instructions to use Unlocker on right on first page of the company web site. Basically, you right-click on the file or folder, then chose the unlocker option in the menu.
When the program window opens, just click on the unlock button or unlock all button.
Before this, in some cases, I had to delete, sub-folders within a folder before I could delete the main one. I also had situations where I had to delete individual files within folders before deleting a folder. I hoping this little FREE utility will solve these annoyances in the long run should they arise again, I know they will.
Missing In Action...Ahead Nero INCD!!!
I admit I'm somewhat of a download junkie. I usually end up downloading every game, program and/or utility that I think I or someone else might need, want, or use. Since I became the guy next door that everybody calls to fix their computers, that has become especially true when it comes to programs for fixing computers.
My first burner, and still only, is a LG 8x4x32. I have both Easy CD Creator - - www.roxio.com and NERO - from http://www.nero.com/enu/index.html . Easy CD 4 was my main program for years.
When I downloaded a program of the internet I would first burn it of on a CDRW (rewritable cds) . To do this you need some packet-writing software. Easy CD comes with Direct CD, while INCD comes with Nero.
This software allows you to use CDRW disks like you would a hard drive or a floppy disk - remember those? You can write and erase and/or overwrite files already there.
Once I filled up a CDRW disk I would copy all of the files to my hard drive and then burn them of on a CDR (write only) disk. Then I would format the CDRW disk and start all over again.
I used Easy CD's Direct CD for years but when I upgraded to Windows XP I discovered that Easy Cd would not work on WinXP. At least not any version earlier than 6. So I had to switch to Nero and INCD. It works OK, when its availble to work.
I don't know how to explain but I keep losing it. The program installs and sets up no problem but then a few days later, usually after having to restart my system for some reason, its gone. The icon is gone from the system tray and my CDRWs are treated like CDRs by the system.
All the files are still on the computer and the services are still listed in taskmanger, but it just will not work. I've checked on the internet for a possible solution, but nothing similar to this problem.
I did find out that some people where having other problems and one suggestion was to install it in compatibility mode - just right-click on a file or shortcut and click on the compatibility tab and chose Windows 2000 in this case.
I also did the actual install in safe mode. It seemed to work for a while but it keeps happening.
Disappearing Network
And yet another disappearing act.
I did not lose my network in this case just the ability to access the controls. By going to Start Settings and Control Panel and the Network Connections icon - I experienced this situation twice where the Network Connections folder was completely blank, with no connections listed what-so-ever.
Even the New Connections Wizard and the Network setup Wizard icons where missing.
The first time was on my own computer, the second was on someone else who has a dial-up connection. They lost there dial-up connection shortcut of their desktop and couldn't get it back. That's when I discovered they had the same problem. In both cases, I ended up having to repair install of Windows. (sfc didn't work in these cases)
You need to start up your computer by booting of your WinXP CD or boot up with a floppy disk with CDROM support. Then switch to your CDROM drive into the i386 folder and run winnt (just type winnt at the prompt and press enter). (you would have to change your BIOS options to boot of a your CD).
booting of a CDROM -(examples)
http://www.hiren.info/pages/bios-boot-cdrom
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_enable_cdrom_support_i.htm
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/articles/bios/
I was trying to boot into safe mode to fix a guys computer by pressing F8 continuously while the computer was starting up, in theory to force the boot menu to come up but apparently I pressed it to soon and I would get a menu to boot of another device.
I chose the CDROM drive and this came up: Press any key to boot from CD press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.
Then came up the message:
To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.
You should see an option to press R to enter the Recovery Console is displayed. Doing this will take you to a dos like screen with a number of different options available. Didn't have a clue what to do there. So do not select this option.
Instead wait for the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement. Then select your current installation of Windows XP is selection box, and only then press the R key to repair Windows XP.
Just follow through with the instructions from there.
Of course you could just use System Restore.
To use System Restore click on Startthen Programs then Accessories then System tools
Then on the Welcome screen, click Restore my computer to an earlier time, and then click Next.
On the Select a Restore Point page, select the date from the calendar that shows the point you'd like to restore then click Next.
Just follow through with the instructions from there.
some system restore links:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/getstarted/ballew_03may19.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/systemrestore.mspx
http://camtech2000.net/Pages/System_Restore.htm
You can also start System Restore from the msconfig utility. (see notes above). You can get to it by clicking on Start and Run and typing in msconfig just click on the Launch System Restore button and follow through.
Send me an email if you need more info or better yet, do what I do when I don't have the answer right of, go to your best online friend - namely:
... or whatever your favorite search engin is.