Friday, August 21, 2009

Touchpad not working on Lenovo laptop.

Last night my daughter asked me if she could borrow my laptop to check her Facebook for five minutes.  She suddenly started complaining about the mouse being frozen.  I was not surprised because the Synaptics Alps touchpad on this lenovo notebook has always been a problem.  The problem is more with the sensitivity.  No matter how I adjust the settings, the pointer is too sensitive and ends up being somewhere else on the page from where I am typing.

That was not the problem my daughter was currently having, so after surfing the net for a few minutes, I found the solution.  If you have a similiar problem, try this before you spin your wheels looking for another driver or something more time consuming. It worked for me, like a charm.

There is a small touchad on the laptop right above the Pause/Break key on the top right hand side (right above Backspace key).  This touchpad turns the main mouse pad on and off.  It is to the right of the N 500 logo and the touchpads for the volume controls.  Push that and voila!  You now have an activated mouse!

I found the solution at this link:

http://www.fixya.com/support/t2621356-touchpad_not_wirking


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Thursday, August 20, 2009

Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 System File Checker (Sfc.exe)

BEIJING, CHINA-OCTOBER 23: A woman holds the n...Image by Getty Images via @daylife
System File Checker is a very useful tool when the Windows operating system is having problems. The utility replaces corrupt or missing system files. It retrieves the correct version of the file from the hidden cache folder contained in the %Systemroot%\System32\Dllcache or the Windows installation source files and replaces the problem file, if it finds one.



Sometimes you are able to fix your system problems very quickly without much effort, just by running the sfc.exe scan utility. I highly recommend you try this before resorting to a Windows reinstall or other drastic measures. Click on the link below for detail instructions on how to use System File Checker. 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/222471

Another link that explains the sfc.exe utility in even greater detail and lists problems and questions in a user friendly format is the link listed below:

http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html










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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Troubleshoot TCPIP connectivity with Windows XP

Useful tools to determine the cause of your Internet and Network connectivity problems for Windows XP.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314067

Understanding TCP/IP addressing and subnetting basics

Monday, August 17, 2009

Plug and Play services causing Windows slow startup

When you start the computer, it now takes 20 minutes to complete the logon process. Once the computer is started, you cannot use any hardware connected to the computer. You discover the Plug and Play service is stopped, but you cannot get it started.


Explanation:

The Plug and Play service is the basis of all Windows services and must be running to have a stable system. However, once Windows is started, the service cannot be started.


First, you should start the computer from a bootable Windows XP Professional CD-ROM. Enter the Recovery Console before Windows starts. Enter R to repair the installation when the Welcome to Setup screen appears.


Choose the Windows installation to repair and enter the Administrator password.


You will be taken to the command prompt. At the prompt, type ENABLE PlugPlay SERVICE_AUTO_START. This command configures the registry to start the Plug and Play service automatically right after Windows starts but before the logon process. You should then restart the computer by typing EXIT.