GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS TO ALL OF OUR VISITORS AND GUESTS!!!!

So, what is "I.G. Headquarters" & just exactly what do we do? We are a multi-purpose and multi-service company. Although we primarily deal with computer service and repair - we also deal with computer training, website design & building, PC & website consultation, software creations (Some of the software's you will find here are created by us). In this general area of services, I.G. Headquarters is operated by it's owner who oversees our employees run by PC Service / Repair Shop Owners & Technicians who volunteer their free time to help other people with computer service and repair needs. Any certified technician / shop owner who wishes to volunteer their time to help others may contact us -  and through a series of questions and brief testing, may become part of our volunteer team. The idea is to get you the PC service you need for free. Now, this is going to sound really strange, but our company also deals with surveillance, investigations, photography/video, background checks and skip tracing and many more cool "spy stuff".... In this general area of service, we have volunteer Detectives, Law Enforcement and Investigative Companies who give their free time to help others regarding this side of the business, also free of charge. But this does not mean that they perform surveillances and investigations for others free of charge.... The volunteer services performed in this area of business is to help point you in the right direction, give you tips or advice regarding the use of one of our toolbars, called "The Net Detective Toolbar". Please do not confuse this with "The Net Detective Program", by the Fontana Partners. The name may be spelled similar and may seem similar - but THEY CHARGE FOR THEIR PROGRAM, SOFTWARE & SERVICES..... WE DO NOT. There is a big difference between the way we do business and the way they do business. By now you're probably thinking "Why in the world do you perform services from one end of the spectrum to the other?". Well, for years - we've been tinkering with gadgets and electronics, working with computers and building our own "hidden cameras" and many other types of surveillance equipment as we were involved in the area of Law Enforcement. Catching the "bad guys" and putting them away - chipping in our efforts to help do our part in creating a better world... Yet, at the same time, everyone knows that wonderful feeling of "Helping Someone in need". You know what we mean - mowing the neighbors lawn for them, taking out the trash for the little, old lady next door, fixing your friends PC and putting your gifts to good use... EVERYONE HAS GIFTS / TALENTS in which we perform exceptionally well - the trick is finding your place in this world and making good use of it. Be it for profit or for free. We chose to use our gifts and talents to help and serve others.... Our gifts / talents are put to use in many areas. Years ago, fascinated by electronics, gadgets and technology, we learned very early about how many different types of electronics things work. We've stripped computers down to the bone and separated the parts, categorized them - organized them and put them back together in a manner with the idea to create the ideal computer. We've done this many times with outstanding results and it's just plain "fun" to work with your hands - to produce something of value out of things that were once thought of as "outdated" or "obsolete". We designed this website for the sole purpose of doing the ONE THING that gives us our greatest high.... HELPING PEOPLE. But it's not just helping people - it's the fact that we do it for FREE. That's right. FREE. We will even extend our efforts in other areas as well as we can to the best of our abilities to not only help people by providing services - but products too! We've built computers just for the purpose of giving them away, designed software so that people can do what they like most, free of charge. Watching movies online, getting free drivers for your computers, printers, cameras, storage devices, dongles, routers, modems, etc.... Whatever you need - we do our best to help you find it - BUT TO FIND IT FREE OF CHARGE...

We have some decent software downloads on our website. We like to collect software that REALLY grabs our attention, software that packs a punch or does something of good value. Some softwares, we have created ourselves, while others were obtained from our years of surfing the net. ANY software that you find on our website is software that we are all currently using on our own computers or have used on our computers at one time or another as it fit our needs at the time. We've tested it, installed it, uninstalled it, used it, threw it around the room, beat it to death and just about everything you can think of just to find out how worthy it was or how fun it was or if it stood up to the "Power User" type of PC user as well as the "Gentle & Easy" type of PC user. When it comes right down to it - we even have software programs for little babies and kids who don't know any better but to bang on the keyboard with their hands or heads!!!!! The cool part is that they can't mess up your PC by banging on those keyboards either - cause the software was designed to protect your PC from those little rug rats who climb up on your chair while you're in the kitchen grabbing a soda and they're laughing away as they pound on your keyboards like a set of drums!!!  However, you must now be warned: Most (Probably 96% - 97%) of the software you find on this site is made by other manufactorers and publishers. And these guys have their own privacy policies, rules, regulations, or other editorial justifications for their links or software downloads. We'll let you know which software is ours - but nevertheless - whatever you download and install... You must do so at your own risk. We cannot be held responsible for nor can we provide support for any modifications that you do to the software here or anywhere.... WE WILL, of course offer you any support you need in fixing your PC if you mess it up - but we just need to tell you that whatever conditions or policies that come with the softwares you download.... It's up to you to follow their rules.  Microsoft®, Windows®, and Windows NT® are all registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Corporation in no way endorses or is affiliated with ig-headquarters.com. All other trademarks of any other software or links are the sole property of their respective owners..... ig-headquarters.com is NOT responsible for the quality or performance of any of the software applications (Except for our own stuff), programs or services included anywhere in these linked websites, web pages or the actual program's pages, text files or help files. I.G. Headquarters cannot be held responsible for damages or problems of any kind which may result from their use. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that you read the section towards the bottom of our home page that is titled: "The Frustrations of the installations / uninstallations of ANY SOFTWARE PROGRAM". That is probably going to be one of the most important things that you will have ever read about computers.... About understanding WHY your computer breaks down and that it is not always right to blame most PC problems on programs that you have tested or tried to use. You will be quite surprised at what you will find by reading that article.

Let it be known that you agree to all of these policies the very moment you finish reading this or click on any links or download / install any programs / files, etc, etc, etc....

Yeah, that sounds scary - and some of you are probably leaving already. But hey, We have to say all that because we're only providing a free, non-profit, voluntary service. We're doing all of this work just to do something nice for you. We've got access to more than 15 years worth of software for every version of windows (IBM PC compatable, that is... Not Mac - sorry to all you Mac users) and those of you who stay will find that a great deal of these programs and links are REALLY COOL! So... Be safe, DO NOT FORGET TO READ what you choose to click on or download, READ ALL WINDOWS OF ANY SOFTWARE INSTALLATION PROCESS (As well as all windows of the "uninstallation process)  -  WHY? -  Because sometimes when you intend to install just ONE program, you get two or more...... Because sometimes programs tell you that they are going to change your search engine, or computer settings or even your "fonts" - and you might not want that to happen... Because programs can sneak in little boxes that you either have to "put the check in the box" or that you have to "take the check mark out of the box" in or to authorize or even "prevent" them from making changes that you might not want them to make. We can all sometimes get into the habit of just clicking "next" or "ok" cause we're either excited and want to see the program and use it - or because we've seen these installation & uninstallation windows so many times that we get tired of reading them..... We forget how important they really are.... Excercise wisdom and have fun! A little helpful info: Although many of you are experienced web surfers and do not need to be told this - Any wording you see in color (Any other color different than the general color of the surrounding paragraph or words) or any wording you see underlined or in bold or even both or even all three options... This usually means that it is either a "link" to take you somewhere or a download link (Except for the area above describing the policies of this website). It doesn't always have to be blue in color either. Anyway, another hint of this is that when you point to it or rest your pointer on it, you may see your mouse pointer change shape slightly (Depending of course, on your desktop theme or choice of icons / pointers you use). Not everyone knows this - so just another way of showing a little 'sensitivity'. Before we forget  - there is something important that we must share with our potential customers... Please remember that our technicians and representatives are REAL PEOPLE who take time away from their paying jobs and families just so they can offer someone help when they need it. 95% of all computer problems / issues that we have experienced helping "new customers" with over the years have been problems directly related to the way that the computer owner runs and maintains their computer. Yes - we know that seems outrageous, but it is really and honestly true. There are areas of our website where we have articles written that can help you understand your computer much better than you do now.... We tried our best to write these articles in terms and descriptions that we hope will be the best way to give you a more "clear mental picture" of what happens when you install or uninstall ANY COMPUTER SOFTWARE PROGRAM. In most cases, we have learned that the greater number of people who have read our articles have been able to understand their computers much better. In addition, to this very date - 100% of all customers who have followed our recommendations for proper PC maintenance with the help of our technicians in regards to "proper & efficient settings & options" have reported their computers to be "running like new"... And that they stay that way with continued proper PC maintenance and use.

There is a part of our services that we empathize the most with our customers.... And that is the fact that a PC that is not working right can be frustrating to deal with. Trying to fix, adjust or repair a PC problem without success can push some people to the point of anger. The worst part is that people do not realize that the problems they experience with their PC are mostly a direct result of they way they use and maintain their PC. WOW - DID THAT FREAK YOU OUT OR WHAT??? Yeah, we know it's not always easy to hear, read or even believe - because people actually prefer to believe that their PC problems are a direct result of some other computer software or program... And that is where trouble mostly begins. Sure - there are many PC programs out there that are truly harmful to a computer. But those types of programs are actually very few and far between. Truly harmful programs are mostly programs that come without license agreements or have false EULA licenses. These types of bad programs usually come from websites that do not posess any type of "certification" as a trusted, verified or proven website. Look at the very top and bottom of our web pages... Do you see the little, white box that says "Starfield" in it? It has a small, horizontal bar going through it that says "Domain Origination Certified". It has a diagonal stamp in it that says "Certified". Some similar website and software  certificates come from other companies like "Veritrust", "Truste", etc.... The point is - people do not always know about looking for these types of certifications.... And for those who do know, sometimes they just aren't looking or paying attention. And for people who download and install uncertified software from uncertified websites - you're just rolling the dice and taking chances. It's easy to become angry, thinking it's the program that caused your troubles... Often times, when people come to us for PC assistance, they forget that we are here to help. They forget that we volunteer our time to help when we could be home at peace with our families or putting in time at our jobs to earn money to make a living.. Sometimes, this same anger is taken out on our technicians or customer service representatives... Please do not take this the wrong way - but if a customer cannot control their anger or language during the course of our volunteering help to serve you - then we cannot obligate ourselves to continue service. So please.... We beg of you, whatever your troubles may be - no matter how severe - please keep in mind that we only have the best intentions to serve you and to help you to the best of our abilities. We are here for the sole purpose of helping you and providing you with the things you need or desire. We understand completely how frustrating computers can be - especially if there is an error within it. Whatever computer problems you are facing - please take into consideration that we are helping approximately anywhere from 10 to 50 other people or more each and every hour that are either experiencing the very same problems as you or even worse. This does not include the great numbers of people that are also contacting us at the same time just for simple advice - people who are just looking for answers on which port in the back of their computer they can plug their USB mouse into..... People who are just wanting to know if it's "OK" to put a DVD in their computer to watch a movie on their PC.... People who even just call in to say "Thank you" for help we provided them with the other day... There is no problem too small for us to help you with. As for problems that are large, not every "BIG" problem can be fixed by email, chat room or instant messaging...There can be issues that cannot be handled except to have the troubled PC physically here in our shop to examine... It all depends on the severity of the issue at hand. So, if you feel anger creeping up on you, if you feel it grabing you and squeezing you as if you were going to explode - think about the fact that you are dealing with your single issue while our technicians are dealing with dozens, even a hundred issues within a single day. Then imagine what kind of pressure that would have on you.... Perhaps then you might think better of the kind of day our tech's "voluntarily" put themselves through..... All because they care enough to stick around - just to help you.

However, there are more ways to fix your computer issues other than contacting our tech department.... All over our website (And even on our home page) there are many sections that give step-by-step instructions on how to take advantage of the automatic repair and maintenance functions that are built right into Windows.... We even have other step-by-step instructions on how to use non-windows programs for service / repair and maintenance on your PC. We get literally hundreds of emails continuously from people who have reported their gratitude for posting such instructions on our website as it helped them overcome the problems they were having.... Even though our typical response time to any computer service request is 24 - 48 hours (72 hours tops), we respond to several emails on a daily basis where we are contacting a customer who put in a request for help to fix their PC - only to find that they had already completed the repairs all by themselves because they saw one of the step-by-step service / repair / maintenance features on our website. Sometimes, people do not have enough faith in their abilities to accomplish a task like "fixing a computer problem". Sometimes, people think that computers are far too complex that they should try to handle it on their own. You would be quite surprised at what you can accomplish!!! Yes, computers are very, extremely complex. But we do try our very best to explain them in a manner that we hope you can relate to and understand. You are much more intelligent than you give yourself credit for. If you read every article on our website from the very beginning to the very end - we know that you will eventually come across an article or two that you may not fully understand... But we also know that after you had actually accomplished reading from the beginning to the end - that you will be a much better computer operator - a much more efficient computer user - a much more established and skilled individual with computers and computer technology. There is enough information on our website for a person who only knows the basic functions of the mouse and how to turn a PC on or off, a person who only uses a PC to go online and get their email - - - enough information on our site to turn that kind of a person into a much more proficient, knowledgeable and educated computer user. We've seen it happen. Even many of the family members of the volunteer technicians who knew little or less about computers have achieved goals worthy of mention in the areas of computers. You have the ability to be anything you wish as long as you can open your mind to the possibility. There is a phrase similar to this one that is commonly used with customers that request help with PC issues. Having convinced themselves that their issues were directly related to some software program they installed or uninstalled - they were angry and expressed a desire to write the author of the software to express their disappointment... But as we have said - most PC problems are the result of the way the computer has been used and maintained.... That the software they installed or uninstalled was not the issue. As long as you can open your mind to the possibility that you are wrong. As long as you can open your mind to see what ALL SOFTWARE installations and uninstallations can do to a computer (Even Windows installations / uninstallations)... Then you will have become one of the members of "The Educated Class". To be educated is to open your mind to learn. Hey - we all once thought the world was flat..... That you would fall off the edge if you went too close. We once thought that traveling to the moon was impossible.... Man has, since the beginning of time, expressed that he was certain of a great deal many things in life... And as we have evolved and grown through the years, decades and centuries we have proven ourselves wrong about a great deal many things... We know better now because we have opened our minds to the possibilities.... And thus, we have learned... We have achieved... For those of you who have placed your trust in us, we thank you for the PRIVILEGE of being able to serve you and help you with your PC and PC related needs. For those of you who are looking to us for help for the first time, we are glad to have the PRIVILEGE to serve you as we work hard to earn your trust. Thank you for visiting the I.G. Headquarters website! We are very happy to have you here and we welcome you openly.

What is the System File Checker (SFC) command on a Windows 2000/XP/2003 computer?

The System File Checker tool gives an administrator the ability to scan all of the protected files to verify their versions. The System File Checker tool also checks and repopulates the %SystemRoot%\System32\Dllcache folder. If the Dllcache folder becomes damaged or unusable, you can use either the sfc /scanonce or sfc /scanboot command to repair the contents of the folder.

You must be logged on as an administrator or as a member of the Administrators group to run System File Checker.

System File Checker Tool Syntax

Open a command prompt and type SFC followed by one or more of the following switches:

For all W2K, XP and Windows Server 2003 systems:

The /scannow command scans all protected system files and replaces incorrect versions with correct Microsoft versions. This command also repopulates the DLLCache folder with the most recent versions of protected files. This requires access to the Windows installation source files and also the installed Service Pack files. You are usually prompted for the location of these files during the scan operation.

The /scanonce command scans all protected system files once. This command requires access to the Windows installation source files.

The /scanboot command scans all protected system files every time that you start your computer. This command requires access to the Windows installation source files.

The /cancel command cancels all pending scans of protected system files.

The /enable command enables WFP for normal operation.

The /purgecache command purges the file cache and scans all of the protected system files immediately. This command requires access to the Windows installation source files. This command is required after you run the /cachesize=x command.

The /cachesize=x command sets the file cache size in megabytes (MB). This command requires a reboot followed by a /purgecache command to adjust the size of the on-disk cache.

This command sets the SfcQuota DWORD value to x in the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

MORE INFORMATION

System File Checker Tool Syntax

The SFC utility allows administrators to perform a scan of all protected resources to verify that they are the correct version. If SFC should find any incorrect versions in any of these protected resources, SFC will replace them with the correct versions.

Here's how to use the System File Checker:

1. Click the Windows button>> All Programs>> Accessories.
2. Right click the Command Prompt option and then select "Run as administrator" from the resulting menu.
3. With the Command Prompt window showing, type in: sfc /scannow [Enter]
4. You will now receive a message that states the scan will now begin. If SFC should find any rogue files that need to be replaced, you may be asked to insert your Windows CD. If the SFC scans without finding any problems, you will receive the following message: "Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations".
5. Close the command prompt window.

Is your PC running a bit slow or sluggish? You might just require a quick "clean-up", scandisk or defragmentation. Allow us to show you how.

Using Disk Cleanup, Scandisk And Defrag In Windows XP

If you use your computer a lot you should clean up your temp files daily and check your hard drive with the error checking selection in XP (ScanDisk in earlier versions of Windows) about once a month. You should also check to see if your drive needs to be defragged at least once a month. If this is not done your computer can slow down,

Disk Cleanup

Step 1 

To clean up your temp files on your drive (which will slow your computer down if these files get too big), Click on Windows Start, then "My Computer", when selections appear for your drives right click on Local Disk (c:) then left click on properties then click on Disk Cleanup next to the graphical display of your hard drive capacity.

Step 2 

After you click on Disk Cleanup, Another window will be displayed. Make sure you have a check mark in Temporary Internet Files, Temporary files and the recycle bin.  Click on Ok and these temp files will be cleaned up on your drive.

ScanDisk (Error Checking)

Before using ScanDisk now called error checking in Windows XP or Defrag make sure you close all your programs that are running. You can do this by pressing the Ctrl Alt Delete keys. Click on each item to highlight it and then click on end task for each program except for Explorer and Systray. You will have to keep doing this for each program one at a time until they are closed.

(Note - Safe Mode)

You can also run your computer in safe mode by pressing and holding F8 while your computer is booting and then selecting Safe Mode with the up and down arrow keys keys on your keyboard then pressing the enter key.  Running your computer in safe mode will only load those files necessary to run windows. Some people do their disk cleanup, scan and defrag in this mode in older versions of Windows.. This is the method I had used on my old computer to run my scan and defrag and other programs did not hinder Defrag or Scandisk from running.  I have no problems with my new computer and XP running Error checking or Defrag in the normal mode.

Step 1 

Click on Windows Start, then move your mouse cursor to  "My Computer", when selections appear for your drives right click on Local Disk (c:) then left click on properties then click on tools.

Step 2

Click on the Tools tab

Step 3

Under Error-checking, click on the Check Now Button.

Step 4

A new box will appear called "Check disk options".  Put a check mark in both of the options.

Step 5

After you click Ok, a box will pop up saying you cannot run disk check at this time, and do you want to start it the next time your computer restarts. Click on OK then restart your computer.

Defrag

You should run error checking on your drive before running defrag.

Step 1

Click on Windows Start, then move your mouse cursor to  "My Computer", when selections appear for your drives right click on Local Disk (c:) then left click on properties then click on tools.

Step 2

Under Defragmentation, click on the Defragment Now button.

Step 3

After you click on ok, the previous display will be shown again, just click on OK again to start the Defrag for your Drive C.

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If you've tried all of that - and it didn't help much, there may be a problem beyond those methods of maintenance. Try system restore. Be certain to save and back up any important data to CD, Floppy, Flash drive or memory disk (Whatever you have for storage)

Windows XP: How To Use System Restore

If your computer starts acting funny you may be able to restore your system settings back to when it was running good if you are using Windows XP. You can also create restore points. Restore points are good if you are installing a new program or changing a windows setting and you are not sure how your computer will run with the new change, You can make a restore point right before you do this and if your computer does not run right you can use the system restore to take your computer back to when it was running good.

Step 1  

Left Click on Windows start, click on programs then Accessories, System Tools then System Restore.

Step 2

Next just follow the prompts

See also Windows XP Expert Zone article 

Windows XP System Restore Is Easy to Use

Faxing in Windows XP

I

If you're running Windows XP, you can finally donate that old fax machine to a local charity and use the desk space for something more valuable—like a box of doughnuts. An easy-to-use fax service is built into Windows XP so you can send and receive faxes from your computer.

There are a number of advantages to moving to a Windows XP-based fax system, the main one being no wasted paper. No need to print documents before faxing them. You can read, save, delete, or attach incoming faxes to e-mail—all without using a single piece of paper. Of course, you can print them too.

Although you don't need a fax machine, you'll need a phone line, a modem, and a scanner to send and receive faxes from your computer. For faxing, the modem and scanner don't have to be anything special. Even a 33.6 bps modem will dispatch a multi-page letter in a minute or two. As to the scanner, faxes are sent in black and white and usually at a default resolution of no better than 150 X 150 dpi. Any working scanner can manage that.

Setting Up and Configuring Windows XP Fax

The fax service isn't automatically installed in Windows XP. To install the fax component:

After the fax component is installed, the next step is configuring it. You configure the Fax service in the Fax Console, the center for faxing tasks. To configure the Fax Console:

When you want to change or verify any of these settings, simply run the Fax Configuration Wizard again. To open the wizard, on the Tools menu of the Fax Console, click Configure Fax.

Sending Faxes from Your Computer

You can fax a document that's stored on your computer or you can scan a document and fax it by sending to your fax printer. In this section, I'll explain how to fax a document from your computer. If you can print a document, you can fax it.

The Windows XP Fax service uses the Windows Address Book (WAB) as its default address book for fax numbers. When you install Outlook 2000 or Outlook 2002, the fax service switches to the Outlook Address Book (OAB) as its source for fax addresses. So you don't need to maintain two address books—just one will do.

To fax a document stored on your computer:

If you're sending the fax right away, the Fax Monitor, shown below, will start when the dialing does.

Faxing Scanned Documents

The second way to send a fax is to scan a document and then send it to your fax printer. The software that came with your scanner can help you set up this kind of fax and send it directly to your fax printer. However, you can also fax from a scanner using the tools in Windows XP:

When you finish the Photo Printing Wizard, the Send Fax Wizard opens and you proceed as described in the procedure for sending a fax from your computer.

Faxing from Outlook

To send faxes from Outlook, you have to add the Fax Transport Service as an e-mail account. To add Fax Transport Services in Outlook 2002, follow these steps:

(For Outlook 2000, on the Tools menu, click Services, and add Fax Mail Transport there.)

To send a fax from Outlook, follow these steps:

You can't automatically have incoming faxes transferred to your Outlook Inbox when you're using Windows XP. Received faxes can go only to the inbox of the Fax Console and to another folder, if you specify one. (See the Knowledge Base article, Windows XP-Based Fax Service Does Not Transfer Incoming Faxes to Your Inbox in Outlook 2000 or Outlook 2002, for more information.) However, if you copy incoming faxes to a folder, you can send them as attachments to e-mail messages just as you would any other file.

Troubleshooting Fax Transmissions

Sometimes the fax doesn't make it. When that happens, you'll want to try again. You can specify how many times to retry, how many minutes apart the attempts should be, and request notification of the success or failure of the transmission. These settings are amazingly well hidden, so just follow me:

On the Tracking tab, there's also a Configure Sound Settings button. No point in going there because it doesn't matter what those settings are. The settings for fax events in Sounds in Control Panel take precedence.

Receiving Faxes

After you've installed and configured the fax services, receiving faxes is as easy as falling off a log. Easier.

When you configured the Fax service, you specified how you wanted the faxes answered and where they should be deposited. By default, the Fax Monitor opens automatically when the modem detects an incoming fax. You can change when and why it opens on the Tracking tab of the Fax Properties dialog box (mentioned in the procedure for troubleshooting fax transmissions).

To view an incoming fax, go to the Fax Console, and click Inbox. Double-click an entry to see the fax in Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. Faxes are image files in the TIFF format, so they can't be edited as a text file can be. But you can view, rotate, and perform basic tasks with your fax document without opening an image-editing program. To print a fax, right-click it, and click Print. To send a fax as an e-mail attachment, right-click it, point to Send To, and then click Mail Recipient.

Faxing Options for DSL or Cable Modems

You can't use your DSL or cable connection for faxing. A new technology, Voice over IP (VoIP) will undoubtedly make this possible in the future. VoIP is an inexpensive alternative to traditional telephone communication that operates over the public switched telephone network (PSTN). VoIP covers computer-to-computer, computer-to-telephone, and telephone-based communications. For more information about VoIP, read the Voice-over-IP Overview and the VoIP FAQ from DSL Reports.

If you're without a modem or you don't want to tie up your phone line, an Internet-based fax service might work best for you. Visit the sites of Internet faxing services, among them eFax, and Faxaway and read their FAQs. Which service you choose depends on your pattern of fax usage. Some have excellent international rates, for example, but if you don't send faxes to other countries that probably doesn't matter to you. Also some services require that you use their software to read incoming faxes.

How to enable and configure the Fax service in Windows XP

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Troubleshooting  Your Computer With Windows 95, 98, XP & Vista

If you are using Windows 98 see this help page for Windows 98. You can keep the troubleshooting wizards open while you follow the steps listed until you are done.

Another great tool is the Microsoft Knowledge Base, where you can search for the problem you are having trouble with.

To start your Windows troubleshooting wizards (May not work for all versions of Windows): 

Step One

Click on Windows Start on the lower left of your computer screen and select Help.

Step Two

Type "Troubleshooters" in the search box and hit your enter key or the green arrow to start the search

Step Three

Click on List of Troubleshooters..

Step Four

Next Click on the subject on the right side of the window that you are having trouble with. Some people may have trouble with Startup or Shutdown on their computers so we will click on Startup and Shutdown in this example. Click on Startup/Shutdown on the right side of the window.

Step Five

The Troubleshooter will be displayed

 Step Six

Then click on "My computer stops responding when I try to shut down Windows.

Step 7

Then just follow the prompts or suggestions.

How To Use Your Computer Without A Mouse

Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows Users

Here is how to navigate Windows if your mouse has stopped working or if you want to save time by not moving your hand back and forth. When Windows first starts up and your desktop is displayed, an icon is already highlighted in order to select other icons, use your arrow keys to move among the icons. Once they are highlighted, you can hit your enter key instead of double-clicking them with your mouse. To access the start menu, most keyboards have a window key that you can use to open the start menu. If your keyboard doesn't have a windows key, you can hit ctrl and esc to open it. Once the start menu is open, you can use your arrow keys to move among the items and use your enter key to open the items. When you are at a dialog window you can move through all the option areas by hitting tab. Once you are at the area that you want to be in, use your arrow keys and your enter key to open the item. If you want to check or uncheck a box with your keyboard, get to that area by using tab and then click your spacebar to check or uncheck.

Here are more keyboard commands:

CTRL+ TAB - Move forward through tabs.
CTRL+ SHIFT + TAB - Move backward through tabs.
TAB - Move forward through options.
SHIFT+ TAB - Move backward through options.
ALT+ Underlined letter - Carry out the corresponding command or select the corresponding option.
ENTER - Carry out the command for the active option or button.
SPACEBAR - Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box.
Arrow keys - Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons.
F1 - Display help.
F4 - Display the items in the active list.
BACKSPACE - Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open dialog box.
CTRL + C - Copy
CTRL+ X - Cut
CTRL+ V - Paste
CTRL+ Z - Undo
DELETE - Delete
SHIFT+ DELETE - Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin
CTRL while dragging an item - Copy selected item.
CTRL+ SHIFT while dragging an item - Create shortcut to selected item.
F2 - Rename selected item.
CTRL+ RIGHT ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word.
CTRL+ LEFT ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word.
CTRL+ DOWN ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph.
CTRL+ UP ARROW - Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
CTRL+ SHIFT with any of the arrow keys - Highlight a block of text.
SHIFT with any of the arrow keys - Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop,or select text within a document.
CTRL+ A - Select all.
F3 - Search for a file or folder.
ALT+ ENTER - View properties for the selected item.
ALT+F4 - Close the active item, or quit the active program.
ALT+ Enter - Displays the properties of the selected object.
ALT+ SPACEBAR - Opens the shortcut menu for the active window.
CTRL+F4 - close the active document in programs that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously.
ALT+ TAB - Switch between open items.
ALT+ ESC - Cycle through items in the order they were opened.
F6 - Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop.
F4 - Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer.
SHIFT+F10 - Display the shortcut menu for the selected item.
ALT+ SPACEBAR - Display the System menu for the active window.
CTRL+ ESC - Display the Start menu.
ALT+ Underlined letter in a menu name - Display the corresponding menu Underlined letter in a command name on an open menu - Carry out the corresponding demand.
F10 - Activate the menu bar in the active program.
RIGHT ARROW - Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu.
LEFT ARROW - Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu.
F5 - Refresh the active window.
BACKSPACE - View the folder one level up in My computer or Windows Explorer.
ESC - Cancel the current task.
SHIFT when you insert a CD into the CD-Rom drive - Prevent the CD from automatically playing.
Windows Key - Display or hide the Start menu.
Windows Key+ BREAK - Display the System Properties dialog box.
Windows Key+ D - Show the desktop.
Windows Key+ M - Minimize all windows.
Windows Key+ Shift+ M - Restores minimized windows.
Windows Key+ E - Open My Computer.
Windows Key+ F - Search for a file or folder.
CTRL+ Windows Key+ F - Search for computers.
Windows Key+F1 - Display Windows Help.
Windows Key+ L - Lock your computer if you are connected to a network domain, or switch users if you are not connected to a network domain.
Windows Key+ R - Open the Run dialog box.
Windows Key+ U - Open Utility Manager.

Remember that some of these commands will only work in some versions of Windows (i.e. 95, 98, ME, XP, 2000).

There may come a time when you may want to use your computer without a mouse.  OR WORSE - that you may not have a choice as something may have happened which prevents you from using your mouse. You can buy a touch pad instead of a mouse or use a laptop or notebook computer. You can also use a Touch screen which can be a lot more costly. You can also use a trackball which is like a mouse but instead of moving the mouse around on a mouse pad you use your finger to move a rubber ball mounted on top of the base. You might  have a mouse problem or a corrupted. mouse driver. You could try and reinstall your driver or use Windows System Restore.  By pressing the "tab" button on your keyboard, you may notice how some items on your screen may become highlighted. When an item becomes highlighted, you can press the "enter" key to activate an action similar to 'left-clicking' a mouse.
Pressing the key that has the "Windows Logo" imprinted on it ( ) will allow your start menu to pop up, giving you the opportunity to use the 'tab' button to manipulate a shut-down or restart. You may also press the "Ctrl", "Alt" & "Delete" buttons simultaneously to bring up the task manager, using 'tab' to highlight features or menus and 'enter' to activate a command / click. Another option is to set up your Windows to use your keyboard instead of a mouse with MouseKeys. For those of you who wish to be prepared for any possible future mouse break downs, set up your "Mouse Keys" feature, built into windows.Until your able to get another mouse, fix it or clean it,  using MouseKeys might be an answer..  If you have your computer set up before hand to use MouseKeys you will be able to move your mouse pointer and use keys on your keyboard to click instead of the mouse.  To set up Windows to use MouseKeys follow the steps listed below:

Step One

Click on Windows Start, Settings, Control Panel then Double Click on Accessibility Options.

Step Two

Click on the Mouse Tab when the Accessibility Properties Display appears.

Click on the Box to the left of "Use MouseKeys"  to put a checkmark in it.

Step Three

Click on Settings on this same display and the Settings for MouseKeys display will appear.

Step Four

Left Click on the small boxes to the left of everything on this display to turn everything on and to be able to use all the shortcuts for MouseKeys.

Left click on the small box labeled yes for "Use MouseKeys when Numlock (Number Lock) is on" to check it. Click Ok.

To turn the Mousekeys feature on

Note - Depending on how your mousekey settings have been set up in the control panel you may have to press your num lock key to turn num lock on or off. If these commands do not work try pressing your num lock again and then try the commands again.

 Related sites and Information on  your mouse:

Keyboard Shortcuts: how to navigate Windows if your mouse has stopped working From.  Click Here

 How to protect your children on the internet without having to purchase expensive "parental advisory" programs.

Protect Your Children On The Internet

Step One

Bring up your internet explorer and click on Tools  at the top of your display then click on Internet Options.  

Step Two

Click on the Content tab then click on Enable under Content Advisor

The Content Advisor display will then appear and you can change the settings for each of the four subjects  by clicking on the slider and moving it from left to right.

Step Three

Once you have each of your settings the way you want , you will have to turn it on.  Click on the General tab. Put a check mark in the box to the left of "Supervisor password. Click on "Change Password" to enter a password and turn this feature on. Now this is where you enter a password. Write this down and put it in a safe place.

When someone tries to bring up a web site that contain content you have disallowed with your settings they will see a window pop up and will have to enter the password you chose.

If you use internet explorer you can control the content that anyone sees on your computer on the internet when they are using internet explorer.  Setting this up on your computer will let you control what your children see on the interWebWatchernet. You will have to use a password to enable it and you have to be very careful in setting it up.

Important Note

It is very important you do not forget your Content Advisor Password, because if you make a mistake and do not remember your password you will not be able to change the settings.

 I had my settings to where I could not even see pages that were not rated and I forgot my password and I could not bring up any web pages at all.  Be very careful if you set this up!  

If you loose your Content Advisor Password, you might try restoring your previous internet explorer settings by going to the control panel and add/remove programs then double left click on internet explorer in your program list under the Install./Uninstall tab and select "restore previous windows configuration", then click on Ok.