|
|
| |
Sugerencias para solucionar problemas comunes de Windows
Microsoft UAA Bus problems
Checking the installation of Microsoft's UAA Bus driver on Windows
The 'Microsoft UAA Bus driver for High Definition Audio' must be correctly installed or you will not be able to use your PC's High Definition audio feature. To find out if it is working correctly, open the Device Manager. Start by opening Windows Explorer and right-clicking on My Computer. Click the Hardware tab, followed by the Device Manager button. About half-way down the list you should see a heading 'System devices.' Click the small plus sign next to it. This menu will expand to reveal one or more listings. To see if you have the Microsoft UAA Bus driver, look for a line that says 'Microsoft UAA Bus driver for High Definition Audio'. See the screenshot below for an example of how it may look.
| |
|
If you see a yellow exclamation mark,  , next to the 'Microsoft UAA Bus driver for High Definition Audio' listing, then there is a problem affecting the UAA Bus driver on your system. To fix the issue, there are three steps to follow.
1. If you are using XP, installing Windows XP Service Pack 3 can frequently fix the problem.
2. If installing Windows XP SP3 didn't correct the issue, or you are using Windows XP Service Pack 1 or 2, Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003, then you will need to download a special Microsoft UAA Bus driver update (see related links, above, for the download link) and restart your system. |
 After installing the patch, go back to the Device Manager and check the status of your Microsoft UAA Bus Driver. If the Microsoft UAA Bus driver has appeared without the yellow symbol (pictured right), you should now be ready for the next step: installing the High Definition audio driver.
There are different manufacturers of High Definition audio controllers (sound cards) and you will need to determine which controller is on your system, then visit the manufacturer's site for an update or special instructions. By far, the most common is Realtek's High Definition Audio controller, and you can download this driver by following the link at the top of this page. To check the status of the audio driver on your system, open the Device Manager again and click on the heading 'Sound Video and Game controllers.' Once again, a yellow exclamation mark means there is a problem and it's time to hit the Troubleshoot button or download a new driver.
3. Finally, if downloading the drivers didn't help (remember to restart your computer), go back to the Device Manager, right click on the 'Microsoft UAA Bus driver for High Definition Audio' entry and select Properties. Click on the 'Troubleshoot' button and follow the prompts. In most cases this will help find a solution. Alternatively, right-click and select 'Update driver' while your computer is connected to the Internet.
Windows won't let you delete a file?
Despite all its quirks, Windows does do some things for a good reason. Some files need to be locked down when they are in use, otherwise you risk damaging the file or harming the Operating System. Unfortunately Windows XP seems to be plagued by files that cannot be deleted. These are frequently simple files like videos (AVI), MP3s or other seemingly harmless files. You try to delete the file, Windows waits a few seconds before announcing that access is denied, the file is currently in use and cannot be deleted. However, you know it's not in use and you just want it deleted.
If you have encountered this problem, here is a step-by-step process for trying to purge the files you can't delete. It starts with the basics for Windows XP and moves on to more involved tricks. The process will work for all recent Windows releases, but Windows XP has been causing the most the problems, so we will focus on it. Please note: we are assuming that the file is not crucial to the operation of Windows - deleting important system files can cause havoc. |
- Is the file in use? It sounds obvious but it happens. If it is being used or open, close the file and the application that opened it. For example, if it is a Word document, close Microsoft Word.
- If the file was opened in an application (and subsequently closed), but the program is still running, try quitting the program. Windows will lock a file because the application hasn't yet released it. This is not always Windows fault and can be the fault of the program.
- If the file is an AVI, in particular a DivX AVI, try renaming it and then deleting it. DivX files don't get on very well with Windows XP and sometimes renaming the file can trick Windows into releasing it.
- Reboot your PC and don't start any programs. Go directly to the file and delete it.
- In Windows Explorer, switch to View-Details and then select View-Choose Details. Uncheck everything except the file name. This stops Windows XP trying to read the file - this problem affects many video, audio and graphics files.
- Still no luck? OK, here is the best trick of all. Most sites give you cryptic Windows registry and DOS commands to remove a file, but the answer is so much simpler. Get a copy of MoveOnBoot. It's free and this simple tool allows you to Move, Copy or Delete files before Windows can lock or alter the files. The changes are made to your hard drive before Windows starts, hence it requires a restart of your system after you give MoveOnBoot its instructions. There are no messy boot or DOS commands, just a simple 3-step process.
Step 1: Locate the name of the file that is causing your problems.
Step 2: Decide if you want to copy, move or delete the file.
Step 3. Choose a destination for moving the file, or a new file name for the rename option (this option won't appear if you are deleting a file).
Click OK to confirm you want to process. The nice thing is that the program doesn't make you reboot straight away. It's a good idea to reboot ASAP, but if you are in the middle of something and want to wait, the program will simply run next time you start Windows.
- If the file reappears again (check its creation date to ensure it is being recreated) and you can't make it budge, you may have trouble with spyware or a virus on your system (don't overlook the possibility it may also be an important system file). In this case you should get a good spyware removal program to scan your system.
DOWNLOAD
MoveOnBoot
Flash installation issues
Understanding Flash Player
Why does the installation on Adobe's site fail?
Well, it could be a range of issues. Here are some common ones:
- Security software is interfering with the installation
- User rights are not set at the correct level
- There is an unknown bug on the Adobe site
- For some reason, the Flash ActiveX files are not properly registered on the system (common in Internet Explorer 7 and Vista)
- There is some other Windows Vista or Internet Explorer 7 issue
- ActiveX controls or security levels in Internet Explorer are set in a way that prevents the installation
- The protected zone in Windows Vista is causing the problem
- Something is wrong with the existing version of Flash on your computer. It is probably corrupted and this is preventing the proper installation of the latest Flash player.
- For the Youtube error 'Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Macromedia's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player', this is mainly due to a corrupted installation of the Flash Player.
Solution to all of the above: get the standalone Flash Player installation file (links are at the top of this page). There are two types: one for Internet Explorer, the other is for Mozilla/Firefox/Netscape.
Something seems to have gone wrong
Okay, you downloaded the standalone installation and the Flash Player is still not working properly. Did you run the installation file you downloaded and close all open windows - including your Web browser? Silly as it may seem, some people forget these steps. Otherwise, it may be an older or corrupt version of Flash that is causing the issue.
Solution: Adobe - and many of our visitors - advise you to use the Flash Player uninstall tool (see the top of this page). Restart your computer and try running the standalone installation file again.
Determining what version of Flash is on your system
A highly frustrating aspect of Flash is that sometimes you think you have installed one version, yet you are being told something different on various web sites. You need to cross check two things. Most issues relate to Internet Explorer, so we'll deal with it here. This is going to be a marathon - stay in there...
Start Internet Explorer and from the menu click Tools-Internet Options. Click the General Tab, followed by the Settings button about half-way down the window on the right. Now click the View Objects button. You should see an option called 'Shockwave Flash Object'. Right-click on the file and choose Properties. Finally, click the Version tab. Now go to Adobe's version check
(this link opens in a new window). Do the two version numbers match and are they the latest version? If yes, you should be OK to view content. If not - or there is still a problem - use the Flash Player uninstall tool (see the top of this page) and try reinstalling the player.
Related links:
How to create your own free CD autorun for HTML and most file types.
Create your own autorun CD or DVD
So why can't an autorun open a HTML directly? It is because a Windows autorun can only open an application (program) not a data file (eg HTML). You cannot tell an autorun to directly open a HTML file. Try it, and nothing will happen. To get around his problem, we are using a .bat file which Windows will treat as a program. This special file will then open the HTML file.
Assembling the CD
Download and copy the files to your root directory of the CD. These are: autorun.inf, autorun.bat and index.html. You can put all sorts of files on the rest of the CD. They won't affect the autorun. You can test the autorun by burning the three files to the root directory of a test CD-R. Open the CD drive and close it again. Viola, you have just created your own autorun HTML CD. You should change the contents of index.html to whatever you need. The index.html supplied is only a test page.
Changes you can make
The autorun can open any type of file and display any message you want. To make changes, open Windows Notepad (do not use Word, WordPad or other Word processors). Now open the autorun.bat file from within Notepad. The order is important, if you double-click the autorun.bat file, it will try to run. So open NotePad and select File-Open and choose the autorun.bat file. You'll see four lines of code.
The first line after @echo (remember the space) will appear as a comment in the autorun launch Window. This comment will be seen very briefly by your end-users. It can be changed to anything you want, but since it only appears for a second or less, don't make it too wordy. If you wanted to say 'The CD is loading now...', the first line of code will look like:
@echo The CD is loading now...
The second line of the code tells the .bat file to open to your index.html file. If want to open a file by another file (eg readme.txt), then it would read:
@start readme.txt
Make sure you leave the last two lines untouched (@cls and @exit) - they must always appear last. Save the changes and you are done. That that's all you need to create your own HTML autorun CD
Related link: Autorun files (2Kb)
USB 2.0 on Windows XP and 2000
There are many reasons why problems with USB devices can occur. Keep in mind that USB Controllers are small pieces of hardware that allow your computer to operate USB connections. These Controllers need software drivers to operate properly. That's why your first step is to check that you have the latest USB 2.0 drivers on your system.
 If you do see a yellow exclamation next to any of the USB entries, especially the USB2 Enhanced Controller, then there is a problem affecting the USB 2.0 driver on your system. To fix the problem, right click on the entry and select Properties. Click on the 'Troubleshoot' button and follow the prompts. In most cases this will help find a solution. The alternative is to right-click and select 'Update driver' while your computer is connected to the Internet.
OK, what if you look down the USB list and there is no entry with 'USB2 Enhanced Controller'? This generally means that you do not have the USB 2.0 driver installed. There are two steps you need to follow. Firstly you must ensure that you have installed either Windows XP Service Pack 3 or Windows 2000 Service Pack 4. Technically, XP users only need Windows XP Service Pack 1, but this would be risky as it leaves your system exposed to numerous security threats fixed with Service Pack 2.
If needed, download and install the Service Pack, then restart your system. Go back to the Device Manager - as shown in the first paragraph - and check the status of your USB controllers. If the USB2 Enhanced Controller has appeared without the yellow symbol, you should be ready to use USB 2.0. If not, you will need the specific USB 2.0 driver for your system. There are only six manufacturers of USB 2.0 controllers: Acer Labs, Intel, NEC, SiS, VIA and nVidia (which may appear as 'Standard Controller'), but sometimes they are re-branded by other companies. In this case, you will need to find out which Controller is on your system and visit the manufacturers site for an update or special instructions. For example, if you have the Via USB Controller, you will need the Via USB 2.0 driver.
DOWNLOAD
VIA USB 2.0 Driver 2.7
Hiberfil.sys: What is it's function? How do I use it? How to delete it?
The mysterious hiberfil.sys
It happens to most users of Windows XP. One day you are searching for a file or cleaning up the PC's hard drive and you encounter a huge file - hiberfil.sys.
| |
Normally located at C:hiberfil.sys, its size can vary from 250MB to over 2GB. You try to delete the file - it's not a good idea to delete files you don't understand - but Windows won't oblige anyway. That's why you are here.
Windows XP has a feature that is not very well documented and it will be totally new to users of older systems such as Windows 95 or 98. This feature introduced to most users for the first time in XP is called Windows hibernation. Instead of shutting down and restarting your computer, Windows takes a snapshot of everything running on your system, copies it to the hard drive and then turns off most of your hardware. To wake up from hibernation you normally move the mouse or hit the spacebar on the keyboard.
|
In theory, it is supposed to be a quick shortcut or power saving option that allows you to leave your PC in suspended animation until you are ready to work again. However, in practice, most people find little time difference between shutting down and using hibernation. For people who use drive imaging to backup their system, the hiberfil.sys file can bloat the backup files - making them larger (sometimes over 1GB bigger) and therefore slower to copy/restore.
Hibernation temporarily 'freezes' the computer when the PC becomes inactive, so it won't work if you have tasks running constantly (eg downloading files). However it can be handy if you want the computer to sleep after a task has completed (such as creating a video).
OK, that's the role of hibernation - so what is the hiberfil.sys file and why is it so big? Hibernation takes everything in memory and writes it to your hard drive as the hiberfil.sys file. If you have 512MB of memory, then hiberfil.sys will be about 512MB. If you have 2GB, the file will be around 2GB. The important point to remember is that even if you don't use hibernation, hiberfil.sys will still take up this huge amount of disk space. The way to remove the file is to turn off the hibernation feature (by default, hibernate is activated automatically when XP is installed). Here's how to do it:
- Open the Windows Control Panel
- Double-click Power Options
- Click the Hibernate tab, de-select the 'Enable hibernate support' check box, and then click Apply.
- Restart your computer and hiberfil.sys should be automatically deleted (this is not always the case - simply delete it if Windows didn't do it for you).
- If you change your mind in the future and would like to use hibernation, go back to the Hibernate tab as described in the first three steps and check the box 'enable hibernation'.
Data error - cyclic redundancy check
What does 'cyclic redundancy check error' mean?
| |
|
There are plenty of technical resources on the Web that discuss cyclic redundancy checks (CRCs). Most times you won't need to worry about this technobabble. That is, until one it day it suddenly appears and you think - what the hell does that mean? In simple terms, a CRC is bit of mathematics used to ensure that your data is OK when being transfered. It's a checking procedure that quickly identifies when data has been damaged. If you get this message, it means that the file being read by your PC or software is corrupted. However, it does not mean all the data is lost forever. When data is transfered, it is usually in small blocks and each block is given a CRC value. If something goes wrong with the data between the time it leaves the source and arrives at its destination, the CRC sent at the source will no longer match the one that is calculated when the data arrives - this is when the cyclic redundancy check error will appear. |
The most common time you will see the cyclic redundancy check error message is when trying to read data from a damaged CD or DVD. Just before it appears, your CD/DVD drive will probably grind and whirl away - your PC may also become a little slugglish.
Less frequent causes are the result of system crashes, and buggy software (hello Microsoft), incomplete downloads (often identified by the misleading message 'This is not a valid Windows file', 'This is not a valid win32 application' or 'Corrupt Zip file'). If this problem happens frequently with downloads, try using a download manager.
For CDs and DVDs, the problem is a little different. Normally, when CD/DVD drives get a CRC message from a disc, they try to read the disc again - hence the grinding sound. After several failed attempts, they give up and display the redundancy check error. The problem can be hardware (loose cables, failing drive), software or damaged media. In most cases checking and cleaning the disc is the easiest way to overcome the problem. If different clean discs produce the same error, it is likely to be a hardware issue (check the discs in another drive). Another common cause of these errors is poorly burnt CDs and DVDs - especially those that had numerous or severe buffer underuns. USB burners suffer from this problem when the burn speed is too high (generally above 4X-8X)
If the discs are damaged, you'll probably need a recovery tool to get back your data. CDCheck 3 will work for CDs and DVDs. First it will check the media, and then you have the option to recover the files. It's free for personal use and has saved many people heartache when it comes to recovering lost digital images and videos from damaged CDs.
DOWNLOAD
CDCHECK 3
File recovery for all needs
It's something that's happened to everyone. In a brief lapse we've responded to yet another Windows question and sent important files into oblivion. At other times, it's simply not our fault. Software crashes, hardware fails and some CDs/DVDs can have lives shorter than a housefly. It is possible to recover files from these diasters, but you have to act quickly. For hard drives and memory cards, don't write any more files to the media until you can run a recovery program.
If the problem is with a CD or DVD, keep it in a cool, dark place since heat and sunlight can accelerate data loss. Some times a CD can work in another drive without problem, or a gentle clean with a proper CD cleaning kit may dislodge dirty and grit. Also try the local video store - many have CD/DVD polishing systems that can bring back life to a scratched disc.
To get back your lost files, you'll need file recovery software. These three programs are free and will work for most types of media:
All three programs are free for personal use and the links above have more details about each. Keep them handy for when disaster strikes.
DirectX
If you have an older version of DirectX and a program needs a newer release, you will often see errors like:
- Unable to find file d3d8.dll, ddraw.dll or d3d9.dll
- Cannot intialize dinput9.dll
- This application has failed to start because d3d9.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.
- dplay.dll has performed an illegal operation
- Fatal Exception error in dplayx.dll
- Access violation error in DirectX file D3D8.DLL
- A required .DLL File, D3D9.DLL, was not found
- Black/empty screen display
- Looping audio, pulsing sound or no sound at all
To fix most of these problems, all you need to do is make sure that you have downloaded the latest version on your system.
How do you check which version of DirectX is on your system: click the Start menu, then choose Run. In the box type dxdiag and press Enter on your keyboard. A new Window will appear and your version of DirectX will be listed at the bottom.
If you have an earlier version of DirectX installed on your system and install the latest version, you will see little difference in available space on your hard drive following the installation. However, DirectX 9 will overwrite any earlier versions and you cannot 'officially' remove it. There are many third-party utilities that may perform this task - this can help if your installation was corrupted. Search Google for 'DirectX Uninstaller'.
One annoying part of the DirectX active download available from Microsoft's site is that you can't save the files you downloaded. If you want to install the DirectX package on another PC, you'll have to download it each time. One solution is to get the 'redist' version - all files are downloaded in one package (rather than an active download). See above for download links to this package.
Operating system notes: you can't update DirectX on Windows NT. The latest version available for Windows 98 or Me is DirectX 8.1. All other releases of Windows should use the DirectX 9 update listed above.
Related link:
Download DirectX 9 (full package)
lsass.exe or isass.exe - virus or system file?
Viruses and i (I), l (L) and 1 (one).
| |
|
Virus and spyware writers are getting more cunning. They are now disguising their viruses to look or sound like Windows system files. Quick quiz: out of the following, which of the files is the spyware (browser hijack), virus (Trojan) and the crucial system file?
- Isass.exe
- lsass.exe
- Win32.exe
Hey, wait a minute, the first two files are the same! Well, they are not. The first starts with the letter capital i (I) and second starts with the letter lowercase l (L). The one starting with i (isass.exe) is a virus/Trojan but Windows users may easily mistake it for the very important security process, lsass.exe (starts with a lowercase L, as in lucky). And yes Win32.exe is a browser hijack program that will keep taking charge of your browser home page.
|
More to it
Needless to say, you need to be extremely careful that you don't make assumptions when investigating files on your system. The substitution is used in other areas too. The virus, Backdoor.NetDevil, is copied onto a computer with the filename of Kernel.dlI - except that the last letter is a capital i. So, because of the way fonts are displayed, Kernel.dlI (the ending here is .DLI) can look identical the all important Kernel.dll (ending is DLL).
How to properly identify processes
As you can see, it is very easy to overlook or confuse the processes running on your system. You can try typing each process into Google, but be careful not to make a mistake. One solution is to try changing your system fonts to a serif font such as Times or Bookman, but that can look a little ugly (a serif is the little curly bit on your letters - it makes Isass.exe look like Isass.exe rather than Isass.exe). Another solution is to get an anti-spyware program that can help identify the nasties.
When searching for problematic files, always be careful about making assumptions. Get to learn what processes are running on your system and check each one. Be suspicious about double entries, particularly if the process has an 'i' in its name. Note: it is common to see multiple entries of svchost.exe and other programs running in several windows such as explorer.exe.
About:Blank - fix and remove the About Blank adware attack
About:Blank - adware pest removal
| |
|
Here's the problem - Internet Explorer seems to have decided that the home page About:blank is what will greet you every time you open a new browser window. You try to change it back but either your Internet Options are greyed out or you change the page back, only to find next time you start Internet Explorer the dreaded About:blank has returned.
There are many possible causes for this behaviour and most are evil. One possible cause is a virus, but this is not very common. The most likely culprit is an adware/browser hijack program - in particular, CoolWebSearch.
The symptom that identifies the CoolWebSearch or a close variation is that About:Blank appears as the address, but in the background a window pops up stating that spyware, adware or something similar has been found on your system. CoolWebSearch is a browser hijack program - it takes over your home page, and keeps changing it back. Its purpose is to show you advertising, or flog you an over-priced piece of software to fix the issue CoolWebSearch has created. The About:Blank change is a trick designed to confuse users - regrettably, it is very successful!
|
The simplest way to remove the About:Blank adware is to use a specially designed tool and clean up your system. Step one is to flush out all the temp files on your system: Cookies, Temporary Internet Files and Temp files (you can do this via Internet Explorer's Tools-Internet Options or for a more thorough clean, use a privacy eraser tool. Next up, get a copy of CWShredder. This should kill CoolWebSearch and allow you to change your home page from About:Blank, plus it will kill those pop up windows.
If these options don't work, you may need a more in-depth tool .
The About:Blank deception is devious enough already - it may be altered in the future, so keep an eye out for other programs that contain it (main sources: free programs with adware files) - and stay clear. Finally, consider adding an anti-adware tool to work next to your anti-virus software.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
