2,138 Tutorials

More Desktop PCs How-To

  • 24 June 2010

  • Video: How to build a PC, Part 3: Installing the processor

    We demonstrate how to install your PC's processor

  • Video: How to build a PC, Part 2: Installing the motherboard

    We demonstrate how to fit your PC's motherboard

  • 18 June 2010

  • Video: How to build a PC, Part 1: Choosing components

    We take you through building your own system

  • 10 June 2010

  • How-Tos: How to fix a faulty laptop trackpad

    QUESTION My laptop’s touchpad is jerky and scrolling doesn’t work in Internet Explorer 8.0. Can you help?

  • How-Tos: How to delete a program that won't uninstall

    I’m trying to uninstall Pinnacle Studio 11.0, but it has no uninstall option and isn’t visible in the Add/Remove Programs menu.

  • How-Tos: How to access files on a defunct PC

    The motherboard on my old PC died, but I need to access a folder on the hard drive. I used a drive enclosure to access the data from another machine but, when I attempt to open the My Documents folder on one of the user accounts, Windows reports: ‘J:\Documents and Settings\Neil is not accessible. Access is denied’. Can you help?

  • 09 June 2010

  • How-Tos: How to fix a PC that won't let you log in

    I can no longer log into Windows on my XP laptop. It accepts the password, flashes up the wallpaper screen, then immediately logs me out. If it comes to it, will I be able to sync the tracks on my iPhone to an iTunes account on a new machine?

  • How-Tos: How to fix a broken USB thumb drive

    Windows Explorer no longer displays the icon for my external USB drive. Device Manager tells me ‘This device is working normally’, but uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers hasn’t brought back my icon. I use Avast, Spysweeper, A-Squared Malwarebytes, Spybot and Windows Defender.

  • How-Tos: How to delete a file that just won't die

    I have a file in My Documents that arrived when I saved an email attachment. The attachment itself has been deleted, but this file cannot be deleted, dragged or moved. It has zero content and no file suffix, and no information is given in the Properties box.

  • How-Tos: How to fix a flat laptop battery

    I can’t charge the battery in my Dell laptop unless I first remove it and blow on it. Replacing the original battery hasn’t fixed the problem.

  • 07 June 2010

  • How-Tos: How to sync data between two devices

    What software is available to synchronise data between two devices? I currently use Windows Briefcase and sync to a USB drive, but this creates orphan files.

  • 04 June 2010

  • How-Tos: How to find drivers for your hard drive

    I backed up my Windows XP PC to a portable hard drive. This drive appears in Device Manager and Disk Management, but not in My Computer. My Creative sound system failed at the same time. The Hardware Wizard was unable to locate new drivers for the hard drive, USB ports or sound entries in Device Manager.

  • 03 June 2010

  • How-Tos: How to fix Backup & Restore when it won't start

    QUESTION When I try to start the Backup & Restore utility on my new hard drive I get the error message: ‘The backup application could not start due to an internal error – Server execution failed (0x800800005)’.

  • 01 June 2010

  • How-Tos: How to solve a PC power problem

    My PC automatically shuts down 15 minutes after startup. I’ve replaced the power supply, but it hasn’t solved the problem.

  • How-Tos: How to sync the Windows clock correctly

    Windows 7 has many likable and successful elements, but its clock doesn’t keep good time. In essence, Windows’ default time server isn’t good enough.

  • 29 May 2010

  • How-Tos: How to choose a netbook

    There's currently a huge number of machines to choose from in the netbook market. A quick glance at the specs of the current crop might lead you to believe that they're more alike than different.

  • 26 May 2010

  • How-Tos: How to install a solid-state drive

    Plenty of software is designed to improve PC performance, but what if that speed boost leaves you hungry for more? A speed boost can be gained with the installation of a solid-state drive (SSD).

  • 19 May 2010

  • How-Tos: How to fix a broken USB port

    My Windows 7 desktop PC has four USB ports, all of which are in use. However, no peripherals are automatically visible in Explorer.

  • How-Tos: How to uninstall trial software

    My Vista laptop came with a 60-day trial of Microsoft Office. I'd like to remove this, since I've never used it and it takes up a lot of disk space. Is there any reason why I shouldn't? I don't have a Windows CD to restore the OS should I mess things up.

  • 18 May 2010

  • How-Tos: How to solve Windows 7 memory allocation problems

    When browsing the web on my brand-new laptop I get warnings that the memory is running low and that I should close some programs. On Startup a Performance Options window appears. This allocates processor resources to adjust performance for programs or background services. Having already set and applied my changes, I have to go through the same process every time I start up the machine.

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