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Steps To Solving PC Problems Caused By Missing DLL Files

Posted by Guest Post On December - 15 - 20095 COMMENTS

In this guest post, James Ricketts explores steps to solve common DLL errors. Learn more about James at the conclusion of this post.

When something goes missing you can either look for it randomly or go about your search in a systematic, step-wise manner. Obviously, in the second case, the efforts involved will be much less and the chances of success higher. What if you are asked to search something you have never seen or heard about? In such a case you should first take some time to gather some basic information about the missing item that will help you ascertain its origin and why it could have gone missing.

So, before you go ahead and start searching for a file that may have gone missing on your computer without any prior warning, it is of utmost importance that you begin by understanding a few basic facts. These include knowing the purpose of this file, and usual reasons for a file to go missing. This article will make you aware of DLL files, causes for their disappearance and finally steps to solve such problems.

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Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc [How To]

Posted by Rich On October - 19 - 200915 COMMENTS

260 Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc [How To]Please note: You cannot use the disc to install Windows 7 from scratch or reinstall Windows.

Looking for Windows Vista instructions? Create a Windows Vista Recovery Disc. Don’t have a disc drive and need to make a USB version?

Burn a Windows 7 Repair Disc

To burn your own Windows repair disc:

1. Click Start, type create and click Create a System Repair Disc 

create system repair disc Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc [How To]

2. Insert a CD/DVD, choose the DVD drive in which the disc resides and click Create Disc

create system repair disc 2 Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc [How To]

Once the disc is finished, I recommend booting from the disc to test it—before you really need it.

Learn how to boot from your disc and understand what the disc can do to fix your PC: Use a Windows Repair Disc or USB Drive to Fix Your Broken PC.

Windows Guides reader, TheManRetired, offers two guides to help users who are new to Windows. The first guide covers installation of Ashampoo Burning Studio 6 Free. This second guide covers setting up your first backup to CD or DVD. If you’d like to provide help (simple, advanced etc., let me know.)

Hopefully you have the program installed but if you don’t I have written up an installation document that shows how to install it and where to get the program with a link to site that I know has it, so here we are going to start using the program. The screen shot here are made using the FastStone Capture program. With Burning Studio you can backup just about anything that is on your hard drive but I suggest only backing up what you have created as you can never get all the files and registry setting for programs and it is safer and better to reinstall the programs anyway so they set right and work and you don’t have to try and find out why they are not working like before. Here I am backing some music files that I ripped from my cd’s but the principles apply to all your files, you will just have to change the location of where you get the files to places on your hard drive and sorry this document will not go into all the places on your hard drive that the files are, most of them on a windows system will be in my documents(or just documents depending on your version) and most of them are located under your user account in either Documents and Settings or under Users depending on your version of windows, I am not going into any Linux or Mac systems as I don’t have them but if you want to give me one I would be happy to write up a document like this for those systems.

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Securely Backup Your Data Online for Free [How To]

Posted by Rich On September - 8 - 200918 COMMENTS

backup Securely Backup Your Data Online for Free [How To]

This is an excerpt from the Windows Guides PC Security Handbook. To learn more or find out other security-related tips, download the PC Security Handbook now.

Data backup is essential. If you’d like to explore local backup options, download my Windows pocket guides. I strongly recommend using online (off-site) backups. Backing up your data online prevents data loss if your computer is damaged or stolen—or if your data is wiped by malware.

Online Data Backup

By far my favorite solution for online backup is Mozy. Mozy offers free online storage (up to 2GB with paid options too.) I’ve had Mozy installed on my laptop for over two years and it has saved me on more than a handful of occasions.

Setup is simple and after downloading Mozy, you can specify what you want to back up and when. Mozy will automate your backups and let you decide when it backs up (specific times), what causes it to back up (low CPU usage), and how often (one, two, three etc. times a day.)

I just let Mozy run and it alerts me after a successful backup:

mozy backup01 Securely Backup Your Data Online for Free [How To]

You can specify what types of files to backup or specify folders— it’s up to you:

mozy backup02 Securely Backup Your Data Online for Free [How To]

Mozy even integrates into My Computer so you can browse and restore your backed up files (even ones you’ve deleted from your computer):

mozy backup03 Securely Backup Your Data Online for Free [How To]

MozyHome Features

  • Open/locked file support: Mozy will back up your documents whether they’re open or closed.
  • 128-bit SSL encryption: The same technology used by banks secures your data during the backup process.
  • 448-bit Blowfish encryption: Secures your files while in storage, providing peace of mind that your private data is safe from hackers.
  • Automatic: Schedule the times to back up and MozyHome does the rest.
  • New and changed file detection: MozyHome finds and saves the smallest changes.
  • Backs up Outlook files: Disaster-proof email protection.
  • Block-level incremental backup: After the initial backup, MozyHome only backs up files that have been added or changed, making subsequent backups lightning fast.

Download Mozy for Free

download64 Securely Backup Your Data Online for Free [How To]

Download MozyHome Free

243 Change & Limit System Restore In Windows 7 [How To]

System restore can quickly swallow up a large portion of your hard drive.

System restore in Windows 7 is more customisable than before.  You can specify how much space is taken by system restore, and how it backs you up.

This guide will walk you through the custom options and show you how to change & limit system restore (yes i am fed up of writing system restore!)

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The Windows Disk Cleanup Wizard will delete your temporary files, but only if they are over a week old. To create a simple batch script that will clean up your temporary directories, do the following (Vista instructions):

Creating the Batch File to Clean Temporary Files

  1. Open Notepad and type the following:

    cd C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local
    rmdir /S /Q Temp

  2. Save the file as cleantemp.bat
    cleantemp Automatically Delete Temporary Files in Windows 7 [How To]
  3. Now double click on the file to remove your temporary files and free up space on your computer

If this doesn’t work and gives an access error, try replacing %username% with you windows login username.

Automating the Process of Deleting Temporary Files

To automate this process, so you do not need to remember to run it, do the following:

  1. Right click on the batch file and select create shortcut
  2. Place the shortcut in your startup folder in the start menu

Now when you log in to Windows 7, your temporary files will be deleted.


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