Thursday, June 30, 2011

Blame it on the Storm

Has your computer stopped working properly? Often times a severe thunder and lightning storm can wreak havoc on your computer. Following a storm if you find that your computer is not working the way it was a few days prior, the damage from the storm could be the culprit. There are a few common issues that indicate that your computer may have suffered from lightning damage following a storm. Depending on the issue and the damage some of these errors are easily fixable while others may be a sign of more serious internal damage to your system. There are ways to prevent lightening damage to your system.

Here are a few common issues that result from storm damage:
  • No power to your computer is indicative of power supply cord damage. Your computer fails to turn on when you boot up, or will turn on and shut off immediately.
  • Motherboard damage. Your system is not displaying information correctly, is slow or
  • Modem damage. You are unable to connect to the internet or your system is displaying error codes or freezing up during connection. .
  • Processor damage. Your system may run much slower, you may find that you are missing files, receiving error messages when attempting to open certain programs.
The best thing you can hope for is that your power supply cord was fried. This is very common after a lightning storm and is something that you can repair yourself for a small price. If you have access to another power supply cord that you know is working properly, attempt to reboot your computer with the working cord and see if makes a difference. If the computer is still not working with the good cord the damage probably extended beyond the power supply.

You can pick up a new power supply cord for about $100.00 with universal tips that can be adapted to all of your computers. Replace your cord and hopefully this will work. If you do not have access to another cord and don’t want to purchase a universal before knowing if this is the issue you can take your entire hard drive and the cord to your local computer repair shop.

Most computer repair shops will allow you to take your hard drive into the shop and test it with a different cord for free, that way you will know right there if you have an internal issue that need repair by a technician. Issues with your motherboard, modem and processor may be mild and will probably require the assistance of a trained technician who can check the part for damage. It is possible that lightning did mild damage to a part and it can be repaired for a low cost. The probability is that if your system was fried by lightning the part that received the damage will have to be replaced completely which unfortunately can be costly and may run you the cost of a whole other computer. The best advice is to prevent this from happening by protecting your system from storm damage ahead of time.

Prevention:
  • Ensure that you have a surge protector for your power supply.
  • Always unplug your system off during a severe thunder and lightning storm. Do not just log off but rather shut your system down completely and unplug it to prevent lightening damage to the internal working of your computer.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

ActiveX is Preventing a Website from Opening

ActiveX is a Microsoft technology that allows interactive content from the web to show up on your computer screen. ActiveX allows content such as music, videos and graphics to come alive using the features enabled in the ActiveX programs. Without ActiveX Windows users may not be able to utilize some of the technology available on certain websites.

Troubleshooting through the issue of ActiveX preventing you from opening certain websites is not as complex as you may think. Any roadblock can be frustrating when dealing with your computer time because it gets in the way of you doing what you need to do. For those of us that use our computers for enjoyment the last thing we want to encounter is an issue with one of the programs that we need to use to complete our task.

Simply put, you have to download ActiveX and then ensure that it is enabled on your machine before it will work. Users who do not have this feature will be prompted to download it. Even after download users may still have to either enable or allow ActiveX to run on your computer by following a series of steps.
If ActiveX is not on your system or not enabled you may get an error message that states “ActiveX is preventing the opening of this site,” “You are unable to open this site” or “This site might require the following ActiveX control.” If you do receive one of these errors you will know that you need to do something if you want to view the website. If ActiveX is not installed and you need it for a site you are trying to view the internet explorer information bar at the top of your screen will prompt you to install ActiveX and walk you through the following steps:
  • Double click on the information bar across the top of your screen which will be prompting you to install ActiveX.
  • Select Install ActiveX Control.
  • Follow the steps as they are provided to you.
  • When prompted to do so, click Install.
If you take the steps above and are met with failure you will have to ensure that ActiveX is enabled on your system. To enable ActiveX, take the following steps:
  • Open your browser.
  • Go to Tools.
  • Click on Internet Options.
  • Click on Security.
  • Click on Custom Level.
  • Under the ActiveX controls and plug-ins check the box that says Enable for Automatic prompting for ActiveX controls.
  • You will then get a warning that asks “Are you sure you want to change the settings for this zone?” Click Yes.
While this process may seem tedious just to open up a program, Windows is trying to protect your system by sending these error messages and then allowing you the information to fix them if you should choose to proceed with opening the website that requires ActiveX. You should only have to install and enable ActiveX on one occasion and you should not be met with any error messages in the future.

Monday, June 20, 2011

iPhone Error 3 – Unable to Join a Network

iPhones are a great invention but not without their share of trouble. Much like computers, iPhones offer the best that technology has to offer but not without a certain share of headaches once in a while. Most would still agree that this high tech device is well worth the small issues that arise once in awhile.

Wi-Fi networks are the lifeblood of the iPhone and sometimes Wi-Fi networks fail, have issues or are clogged up preventing the iPhone user from connecting as they normally would. The error message “Unable to Join Network Failure” (error-3) is an example of one of those small headaches that will require some troubleshooting. Just as a PC fails to connect the iPhone uses the same type of connections and requires the same method of connection.

If your iPhone suddenly displays the “Unable to Join a Network” or Error 3 there are a few simple steps you can take to quickly get your trusty device back up and running to keep you connected. If you are connecting to your iPHone through a router or Wi-Fi setting, it is always important to know your SSID in the event that you have trouble connecting.

The first step you will want to take is to renew the hotspot’s DHCP lease. You can do this by taking the following steps:
  • Tap Settings.
  • Tap Wi-Fi Networks.
  • Pick the network you are trying to connect to (i.e. Starbucks, Borders).
  • Go to the DHCP panel.
  • Click Renew Lease.
If this does not help you reconnect you should take the next steps:

Check the network name or (SSID) setting. SSID stands for Service Set Identifier which is the name of the network. The network and the device you are using must have the same SSID to allow the network and the device to properly communicate with each other. The SSID can be set manually or will be automatically entered if you leave the SSID blank. Make sure that it matches the network of the Wi-Fi or hotspot access point that you are using.

Check your iPhone security configuration to make sure that your WEP or WPA parameters match the access point. WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy and WAP stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access both of which are part of the security settings.

To check your settings you can do the following:
  1. Go to Settings
  2. Wi-Fi Networks
  3. Other
  4. Under the Choose a Network tab
  5. Enter or select the Wi-Fi Network Name (SSID)
  6. Select your security setting
  7. Enter your password
If all else fails you can try a different location or if you are connecting via a router you can contact the iPhone support for assistance with more troubleshooting options.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

hpqste08.exe Error

The hpqste08.exe is a normal process that is installed onto your computer system for Hewlett Packard imaging. Most likely the software was installed on your computer system before you purchased it. The program itself is considered a non-essential process. This means that the computer can function properly without this file but some of the features related to digital imaging that you use on your computer may require this program to work properly. Errors generally occur when something goes wrong with the process or the originally installed file.

The hpqste08.exe error is not a damaging error nor is it a dangerous virus, spyware or malware but it may cause problems on your system if issues occur that corrupt the program. Generally fragmentation and errors may accumulate on any software that is installed. If this occurs it may cause the program to start showing error codes, running slow or simply stop working. hpqste08.exe errors may occur when something goes amiss with the program.

It is very common to receive a hpqste08.exe error and most people who have spent a few hours on the computer have probably encountered it at one time or another. While this error is annoying it is not necessarily harmful and doesn’t set you back hours trying to find a way to correct it. Generally errors will be the result of either conflicting software applications or applications such as HP imaging that has become fragmented or damaged in some way.

The best way to resolve an hpqste08.exe error is to first identify that the exe file is located in the correct place. It is common for malware to disguise itself as legitimate files and attach to your computer causing issues. While this particular error in its original form is not harmful you still want to ensure that the file is legitimate. You can do so by checking your task list. The common path for hpsqte08.exe is at C:\rogram Files\HP\Digital Imaging\bin\hpqSTE08.exe.To check your task list you can press the ctrl+alt+del key. This will display your task manager. You can then click on the processes tab which will show all of the files that are running on your computer with exception of the DLL files. Check to ensure that only hpqste08.exe is located there. If you see something else that looks similar it you should delete it leaving only the exact file as specified above.

Next you should uninstall any programs or applications you are not currently using. These may be causing errors because they are interfering with the hpqste08.exe process. If you started receiving these errors after installing new software try uninstalling that software and reinstalling it. Once you do this restart your system.

One of these suggestions should assist you in resolving the errors related to hqqste08.exe, if not you can refer to your operating system support or Hewlett Packard support to assist with further troubleshooting options.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Apple iTouch Error 1604

It is not uncommon that you may receive an error code when trying to restore your Apple device. There are a few products known to be affected by this certain error code known as the Apple iTouch Error 1604.The products known to be affected are the iTouch, the iPhone and iTunes 7.4.3 and earlier.

When trying to restore your Apple iTouch you may one of the following message codes indicating that there is a problem:
  • An unknown error occurred.
  • Error 1604.
  • The iPhone could not be restored.
If you receive one of the error codes listed above there are a few simple solutions you can try to quickly get yourself back on track. These are in no particular order. Once the issue resolves and the error code goes away you will not have to proceed with the remaining troubleshooting options.
  • Update to iTunes 7.5 or later. This may resolve the error and you will not have to continue through the rest of the troubleshooting process.
  • Restart your computer. Sometimes simply restarting your computer will resolve the issue.
  • Try connecting your device to a different USB port and try again to restore your device in iTunes.
  • Remove all of your extra USB devices and try restoring your iPod or iPhone directly from the port to the computer.
  • Try restoring your device on a different computer to see if this works. If this does work there may be an issue with your computer or your USB connection.
  • Create a new user account and then attempt to restore your device. This will determine if it is an account issue a computer issue or a device issue.
  • Uninstall the apple mobile device support, apple software and iTunes. You can do this by going to your control panel add/remove programs and uninstalling these selections. Restart your computer and then download iTunes 7.5 or later. Get your device to the restore mode and open iTunes. Plug in your device and follow the steps to install iTunes.
Hopefully one of the options will resolve your issue and the error code will go away. If these steps do not successfully resolve the issue you should contact your Apple support to assist you.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Google Black Screen

The term BSOD holds a meaning that sends a shiver down the spine of most computer users. The acronym BSOD means either blue screen of death or black screen of death and never has anything good come out of getting to the bottom of this issue. Typically when you see any colored screen be it blue, black or red it means trouble.

We all are probably familiar with the issue and if we are lucky have not encountered it. Usually it occurs because of an issue with an operating system or a virus but not always. It seems that Google programs have become increasingly more familiar with the BSOD since the introduction of Google Earth. Luckily for Google users the BSOD that is associated with Google is less damaging than when it is associated with a problem in the operating system.

If you are using Google Earth on a Mac and end up with a colored screen or a blank screen it does indicate a problem, but a very benign one. Usually with a Mac it means that the Mac web browser is blocking your cookies. It tends to occur with Mozilla Firefox 1.0.7 and later and Safari 2.0.2 and later. A few simple steps will resolve the issue and eliminate the colored screen allowing you to be back in business.

To resolve the issue if you are using Mozilla Firefox, take the following steps:
  • In Firefox, click on the Firefox menu.
  • Click Preferences on the menu which will open a new window.
  • On the left section of the window click Privacy.
  • Check Allow sites to set Cookies.
  • Click OK to save changes.
To resolve the issue if you are using Safari take the following steps:
  • In Safari click on the Safari menu.
  • In the menu click Preferences which will open a new window.
  • Click Security.
  • Make sure that under the Accept Cookies tab the Always or Only from sites you navigate to is selected.
  • Click OK to save changes.
You should only have to make these adjustments only one time and it should eliminate the black screen when you use Google Earth.