Filesharing & Network Mapping Issues with a File Server
The other day I got a call from a customer who was using a fairly decent system for file sharing in a small office of 4 people.

She told me that she was having issues connecting to the network drive where the coworkers shared their documents. This was strange because we had all the network drives mapped and they had always connected fast without issues in the past.

The server had been up and running for about a month now so I was concerned that something was going on and offered to stop [...] Continue Reading…

Change the Ribbon Menu in Microsoft Office to Classic Display
If you are like many users out there you are probably not happy with the new Microsoft Office “Ribbon” interface that completely changes the way your menus look at the top of the page.

While Microsoft made this change to improve productivity, some people really don’t like the new layout and I don’t blame them.

In several cases customers I was working with even asked me if there was a way to disable the ribbon menu and change it back to the classic Office 2003 menu.

Unfortunately there isn’t an easy way to [...] Continue Reading…

Windows Phone 7 Changes the Way We Interact With Smart Phones
With the pending release of the Windows 7 Phone many users have been wondering about the functionality and interface of this new Smart Phone driven by Microsoft technology. Now with MIX 10 in session some of our questions are finally being answered… along with new questions being posed.

First off (for those who don’t already know) what is Windows Phone 7?

Windows Phone 7 series is the latest release of the Microsoft Windows Phone operating system. While the name implies similarities to Windows 7 the best way to look at this [...] Continue Reading…

My Computer Won’t Turn On… Is My Power Supply Faulty?
Troubleshooting a Bad Power Supply is pretty straight forward. Since the Power Supply is self contained issues with the PSU are not usually the result of a configuration issue.

There are several you can check though before deciding the power supply is faulty. The first and foremost method is to use a power supply tester to check for a faulty PSU. Unfortunately not people own one until they need one, so there are some manual troubleshooting steps you can perform to check for a bad power supply.
How To Troubleshoot a Bad [...] Continue Reading…

Windows XP BSOD Error while Installing on an Intel Motherboard
Hey guys, here’s a quick one I ran across the other day that could give people massive headaches because it’s such an obtuse issue.

While installing Windows XP SP1 one onto an Intel motherboard I received a Blue Screen of Death error with a mention or IRQL in the dump.

I did a memory diagnostic test which came back error free. I reseated the CPU, and checked the cooler to make sure it was not overheating. I even tried a different hard drives and cables.

It turns out that many Intel Motherboards will [...] Continue Reading…