Windows 7 Does Not Come Out of Sleep Mode (Hibernation / Stand By)

With Windows 7 Microsoft took the sleep mode / power saving options a little to the extreme. Because of this some users have been having issues getting their PC to come out of sleep mode. After working with Windows 7 for awhile I have come up with several common fixes that users can try if they are running into these problems.
Using the Power Button to Wake to the PC with Windows 7
In some cases with Hibernation / Sleep mode under Windows 7 waking the PC by jiggling [...] Continue Reading…

Installing a New Copy of Microsoft Windows XP on a PC
From time to time it can be really useful to reinstall Windows onto a PC. Doing a clean install once a year can help keep your system running smoothly, and wipe out a lot of the junk that you may have accumulated over time.

As with any type of OS installation make sure that prior to doing this you have backed up any important data you do not want to lose.

Once your data has been backed up you are ready to do a clean install of Windows. Whether you are [...] Continue Reading…

How to Set the Boot Order in Your BIOS
I have had several people asking me lately about how to setup the Boot Order in the BIOS.

This is important to do because many installation disks, diagnostic utilities and other programs require a specific boot order to operate.

The main thing you need to do is make sure the CD-ROM is setup to load before the hard drive in your system. This way you can boot disks, and diagnostic tools prior to loading into Windows.

This is important if you are reinstalling Windows or doing a Memory Diagnostic on your system.
To Set the [...] Continue Reading…

Reset the CMOS on PC to Restore Default Settings in the BIOS
I have had several people asking me lately about problems with their PC not booting, or hanging up before loading into Windows.

In most of these cases based on what they are describing to me it sounded as though there could be a configuration issue with the BIOS on the computer.

It is not uncommon to make changes to the BIOS on your system. In many cases these changes can improve or customize the performance of your PC. But in some cases the changes that are made can lead to [...] Continue Reading…

My Computer Shocks Me When I Touch It – Is This a Ground Issue?
Yes… most likely. It might not be but there are a few questions we can ask to narrow down if it is or not.

Is this a PC you just built? If so does it fail the POST test?
Is the computer locking up or freezing when it happens?
Does the computer reboot when it happens?

If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions you may very well be running into a shorting or grounding issue with your computer.
Information on Grounding Issues in a PC
Ground issues can be [...] Continue Reading…