Author: shantanu

  • Fix : Pictures not showing thumbnail view / thumbnail view not working in Windows 7

    Fix : Pictures not showing thumbnail view / thumbnail view not working in Windows 7

    After reading this post you will be able to fix an issue with your Windows 7 computer, where when you open up a pictures folder or library you are unable to view thumbnail view even on selecting thumbnail view as an option from the view menu.

    Note: Make sure you are using Windows Aero as the theme.

    To Check;

    • Right Click on Desktop
    • Click on Personalize
    • Make sure one of the themes from Aero section is selected. Refer screenshot below

    aero

     

    FIX : If Aero is already selected

    Method 1

    • Go to the pictures library
    • Click on organize( left side )
    • Folder and search options
    • Click on View tab
    • uncheck the checkbox that says “Always shows icons and not thumbnails”
    • Click Apply, OK ( Refer Screenshot below )

    thumb

     

    Method 2

    • Right Click the computer icon
    • Click on Properties
    • From the links on the left hand side
    • select advanced system settings
    • Click on advanced
    • Click on performance
    • Click on Let windows choose what’s best for my computer
    • OR
    • Select “ Adjust for best appearance”
    • Refer screenshot below

    system

     

    Method 3

    • Go to the start menu
    • Type run
    • Right Click the run program & Click on run as administrator (make sure you are the administrator)
    • type gpedit.msc
    • User Configuration
    • Administrative Templates
    • Start Menu and Taskbar
    • Turn off Taskbar Thumbnails
    • Click on enable, if it’s disabled or click on disable if it’s already enabled.
    • Restart you computer
    • Follow the steps mentioned above to get to “ Turn off taskbar thumbnails”
    • Click on not configured
    • Apply, OK

    General Instructions

    • Make sure your computer’s display / graphic card drivers are installed and updated
    • Download and install the latest drivers from your motherboard / Computer Manufacturer’s website
    • Run Windows Update to update your windows installation for best results
  • Fix : Drag & drop functionality not working in Windows 7 , Vista, XP

    Fix : Drag & drop functionality not working in Windows 7 , Vista, XP

    After reading this post you will be fix a problem where you cannot use the drag & drop functionality with your Windows based computer. Drag & Drop is a essential feature associated with the file explorer in Windows. This feature helps you move files with ease without having to go through multiple steps to cut & paste files & folders.

    General Fix

    • Use Windows Update to Download & install all necessary updates & recent driver updates for your system
    • If the functionality was working before & it suddenly stopped, you can try using system restore

    Windows XP

    • Go to start menu
    • click on run
    • Insert the Windows XP CD
    • Type SFC /SCANNOW

    Windows 7/Vista

    • Go to Control Panel
    • on the right hand- top side
    • Click on view & click on small icons
    • locate programs & features
    • Find Keyboard /Mouse drivers, if any
    • Click on Uninstall
    • Restart your computer & let windows install the drivers
    • Alternatively
    • Go to Device Manager in Control Panel
    • Expand Keyboard
    • Click On uninstall
    • Expand Mice & other pointing devices
    • Right Click your mouse name
    • Click on Uninstall
    • Restart your computer

    Fix by Microsoft Answers Forum

    • Left /Right Click any file or folder
    • Press Esc key
    • Press Ctrl key
    • Release the mouse button
  • Fix : Alt + Tab does not work / does not show on top of other programs in Windows 7

    Fix : Alt + Tab does not work / does not show on top of other programs in Windows 7

    After reading this post you will be able to fix an issue with your windows 7 computer, where on pressing Alt + Tab does not retain the required functionality of switching between programs, alternatively in some cases the list containing the programs does show, but does not open on top of all the programs, making it impossible for the user to know which program they are selecting.

    There are a few solutions to this problem, follow the steps on order to fix this issue to retain the Alt + tab functionality.

    Install Graphic / Display adapter drivers

    • Go to your system / motherboard manufacturers support site
    • Select your product with proper variants / version where applicable
    • download & install the graphic / display adapter drivers
    • restart your computer

    Enable / Disable Aero Peek

    • Sometimes this problem is solved when the user either enables the Aero Peek feature in Windows & sometimes the problem is solved on disabling this feature.
    • To Enable / Disable Aero peek
    • Go to desktop
    • Right Click
    • Click on personalize
    • Go to Left bottom corner
    • Click on Taskbar & Start menu
    • Check / Uncheck the checkbox saying Use Aero Peek to preview the desktop
    • System File Checker
    • Go to Start Menu
    • start typing run
    • Right Click the run program & click on run as administrator
    • Type SFC /SCANNOW
    • This process will take some time & will check and fix any corrupted system files
  • Fix: Hardware devices not working or not detecting in Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista & XP

    Fix: Hardware devices not working or not detecting in Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista & XP

    After reading this you will be able solve a problem where Windows might not detect one or multiple of your hardware devices. These devices might be running properly on other computers, but does not work or get detect on a specific Windows computer. This type of problem might occur for a number of reasons. Some of the causes of this type of problem are mentioned below:

    • System File corruption
    • Out of date or corrupted drivers
    • Malware/ Spyware / Virus infections
    • Hardware issues

    The very first step ( For Windows 7 & earlier editions )

    Microsoft FixIt

    fixit2

    If Microsoft Fixit does not solve your issue follow the steps below :-

    • uninstall any of the previous drivers you have for this device. To do this :-
    • Go to Device Manager ( in Control Panel )
    • Right Click the hardware if listed there & click on uninstall
    • OR
    • Go to Add/Remove Programs ( in Windows XP) Programs & Features ( Windows Vista & later)
    • Remove any software & drivers linked to your hardware device
    • Restart your computer
    • Plug in your hardware, if not already plugged in.
    • If it’s a USB device or PCI device, try changing the slot
    • Download & Install latest drivers from the hardware manufacturer’s website.
    • Also make sure, that your motherboard ( chipset & other ) essential drivers are up to date.
    • You can also try running SFC /SCANNOW ( type the command in run ) ( This will check your system files & repair them if necessary.)
    • If your hardware was working properly & now suddenly it’s malfunctioning, you can always use system restore to roll back your settings to a time where everything was working perfectly. ( Guide to system restore )
    • Try plugging your device into another computer system to make sure that your hardware device is not at fault.
    • Scan your computer system with a good Anti virus/ Anti malware software.
  • Guide to finding and fixing dead or stuck pixels on your LCD monitor

    Guide to finding and fixing dead or stuck pixels on your LCD monitor

    This guide is intended for users facing dead or stuck pixel on their LCD monitors. Sometimes we notice a little dampened area on our screen, or we see a bunch of spots where display is completely missing or is of some random colour ( Red, Green, blue ). Almost every screen out there has a few dead pixels or overtime you might notice a dead or stuck pixel on your screen.

    Difference between dead & stuck pixel

    A dead pixel can be seen a black dot on your screen. There can be one dead pixel or it may be a bunch of dead pixels.

    Whereas a stuck pixel is a dot with either of the three colours i.e. red, green or blue.

    Here are a few tools that will help in reducing or sometimes even almost fixing the issue to an extent & making it bearable to watch.

    • JScreenFix
      I found this program very useful. My new laptop screen suddenly started showing me some dead pixels at random places. My warranty does not cover a few stuck or dead pixels. This program came to me as a life saver.
      Run this program from the owner’s website here. After Just start the app & keep it running for a while. It took me about 2 hours & almost all of my stuck pixels were gone.
    • UDPixel
      This tool is almost equally useful & is very easy to use. Just head over to the official website by following this link. download and install the program. The best part about this program is that it helps you find dead or stuck pixels. If you see any dead or stuck pixel, just select the same amount of flash windows & place them where your dead or stuck pixels are and click on start.
  • Workaround : Unable to sync mails with new outlook.com email address in Windows 8 mail app

    Workaround : Unable to sync mails with new outlook.com email address in Windows 8 mail app

    After reading this you will be able to solve an issue where you cannot sync emails on your Windows 8 PC with the Windows 8 mail app. This might happen when you switch from an old Microsoft Account email address to another Microsoft Account ID. For example you switch from [email protected] to [email protected] . We found a very simple workaround for this issue.

    Follow the guide below step by step. Refer screenshots.

    • Go to the start screen & type users
    • Click on settings in the right hand side pane
    • click on users
    • users
    • Click on Add a user
    • pc_settings
    • Follow the onscreen wizard to add your new Microsoft Account.
    • You can delete the previous account or let it be.
    • Remember to add your Windows 8 PC as Trusted PC in your online account settings.
    • Your Mails should be synchronising.
  • Fix : Stuck brightness controls / hotkeys not working in Windows 8 , 7 , Vista & XP

    Fix : Stuck brightness controls / hotkeys not working in Windows 8 , 7 , Vista & XP

    After reading this post you will be able to solve a problem where you cannot use the hotkeys on your keyboard to adjust brightness controls, volume controls etc. These hotkeys mostly located on your functions keys & are activated by a key marked as Fn on your keyboard. These keys are colour coded for user’s reference. Many time due to a software glitch these keys stop working & with that otherwise functionality that these hotkeys render is left unusable. Follow the steps below to fix the above said problem:

    • Only sleep & no shutdown
    • sometimes when we just let our computer sleep when we don’t use it & we do not use shutdown for a long time, this type of problem might occur due to data corruption. a simple restart should solve your problem right here.

     

    • Buggy Drivers
    • Try updating the following drivers :
    • Power manager driver ( if any )
    • Chipset drivers ( make sure you are installing the complete package )
    • Graphic Drivers
    • You can run Windows update or any system update program that came with your computer.
    • A better idea is to uninstall the current set of drivers & then download / install fresh / updated drivers from your system / motherboard manufacturer.

    • Hotkey management software
    • Almost every manufacturer provides a proper hotkey management software that can be download off their support website.
    • Make sure to checkout any Microsoft package that might be required by your computer for proper hotkey integration ( refer documentation / support site )

    • BIOS Update
    • If this is a frequent problem with your system, do check out your system manufacturer’s support site for any BIOS updates.
    • Refer the documentation first and/or make sure to read any related support forums for bug check.
    • Note : BIOS update might harm your computer & you should perform the BIOS update procedure at your own risk.

     

    • Checking Services
    • Go to run ( Windows key + R )
    • type services.msc
    • press ctrl + shift + enter
    • Look for hotkey start-up services or HID Human Interface services
    • Double click
    • set the startup type to automatic
    • Restart your computer
  • Fix : External USB Hard Disk drive not detecting / not working properly problem in Windows 8 , 7 , Vista & XP

    Fix : External USB Hard Disk drive not detecting / not working properly problem in Windows 8 , 7 , Vista & XP

    After reading this article you will be able to fix some of the problems that stop a user from using their external USB hard disk drives properly & will also help in the situation where your Windows Operating system based computer does not detect your external Hard disk drive.

    There are quite a few explanations for this problem & I have compiled this guide to address almost all of the known issues & help a user get rid of these problems for a smoother computing experience.

    This guide addresses the most basic & the complex procedures to resolve some problems with your external hard disk drive. Follow the steps below:

    Checking USB Connection

    • If you External drive is USB powered, make sure that your cable is connected properly and the USB slot is a powered slot.
    • Try replacing the USB Cable
    • If your external drive is powered through an adapter, make sure your adapter is working fine, replace and check, if necessary.
    • Try plugging your drive into another USB port

    USB Drivers

    • Always make sure that you have the latest USB & Chipset drivers installed in your computer.
    • To check, run windows update to update your computer
    • or
    • Go to your motherboard / system manufacturer’s support website, download & install the latest drivers from there.

    Device Management

    • If you plug-in your device & it does not show up in my computer. The first thing to check is that whether your device has been detected in your computer or not.
    • To check
    • Go to start menu & type Device Manager
    • device_m
    • Now, there are two things to check here. The first thing is whether your device is listed within disk drives of not. Check the screenshot above to confirm that my Seagate Go Flex USB device is listed there. In a similar way, you external USB device should be listed here.
    • Just to make sure click the last button, just under Help menu, to refresh the hardware listed there & to install any newly added device.
    • Second, thing to check is your Universal Serial Bus Controllers, list therein ( device manager ) & make sure all USB ports and enabled and are working properly.

    Now,

    • Go to start menu and type device management or right click the computer icon and click on device management ( you might have to provide administrator password here )
    • Double click on storage
    • Double Click on Disk Management
    • management
    • Refer the screenshot above and make sure all of your drives listed here have a drive letter assigned to them,
    • if you see a drive that does not has a drive letter assigned to them
    • Right Click that drive
    • Click on Change Drive letters & paths
    • Now, add a drive letter here.

    Running Disk Diagnostics

    • Sometimes due to a error in file system or on the disk, your hard disk might just fail to detect in your computer system.
    • An easy way is to gain access to a diagnostic software that might be available free to you on the hard disk manufacturer’s website.
    • Download & install such software.
    • Run the software to detect issues with your drive

    Using a Live Disk, just to check

    • If you have any live disk with you, you can boot from that disk to check if it detects external drive.
    • Gparted live CD is a good tool to start with
    • If a Live CD detects your drive, it’s time to repair your Windows installation.
    • Check your disk for errors before exiting the live CD

    Repairing Windows File System

    • If you have a Windows CD / DVD with you or if you have a Windows 7 repair disc, boot from it
    • On the first menu press Shift + F10
    • This will open up the command prompt
    • type diskpart
    • type list disk
    • If you see your external disk here
    • type select disk n ( n being the no. example 0 , 1 ,2 listed besides your disk )
    • if everything seems fine here ( size, file system etc. )
    • type exit
    • type exit again
    • Run CHKDSK with the drive letter
    • Boot back into Windows
    • Go to, Run ( Windows key + R )
    • Type, SFC /SCANNOW
    • wait for the process to complete

    IF this does not solve your problem

    • check if you can open up your external enclosure
    • Take your drive out and plug it directly into your computer system
    • If your drive works, backup your data
    • Buy another External enclosure
    • Plugin your drive to check if it works
    • Make sure you backup your data before doing any of this.
    • Format your drive ( repartitioning is also recommended )
    • NOTE: Do any of the above said steps at your own risk. Do not open your computer hardware or your HDD external enclosure, if you are not comfortable with it. Hire a professional to do it instead. If any damage or warranty violations occur, the author of this article will not be held responsible for it.
  • Glorious Roadmap of Internet Explorer

    Glorious Roadmap of Internet Explorer

    Microsoft, the big software giant is well known for its range of products from Windows, Server, Office & Internet Explorer. Every big leap over the years has led to something new & useful for the software masses. Many of us know about the browser wars in the 90’s and about the success of Internet Explorer in the market. Way back in 1995 when IE was first introduced as a add-on with Windows 95 Plus! Pack, From then Internet Explorer has come a long way down the line and has transformed the online world to a common gateway for users around the world. People got a Platform that made internet accessible for them.

    If we talk about the development and starting point for Internet Explorer, it goes back to 1987 when Mosaic was developed, Which was in fact the first web browser to use the graphical user Interface. Mosaic belonged to a company founded in 1980 called spyglass who later licensed the source code for Mosaic to Microsoft and we got our very own Internet Explorer. Since then IE has come a long back and now is the most secure and fastest browser anyone has ever used. Let me share with you the past which has given us the browser we call IE9.

    Internet Explorer 1

    Internet Explorer 1 came out with Windows 95 as a add-on ! IE 1.0 used to be just over 1 megabyte in size and enabled the user then to surf Internet easily. IE then didn’t had anything like a video or music playback option or even reading newsgroups or viewing graphics was not possible. Here goes a small preview of IE back then :

    IE1

    Internet Explorer 2.0

    Soon after Internet Explorer 1.0, came Internet Explorer 2.0 within the same year 1995. Internet Explorer 2.0 included a lot more rich features like Support for JS (JavaScript), frames, cookies & designers tools for web developers to design much more secure and media-rich websites with tracking abilities. Internet Explorer was the very first cross-platform browser supporting both Windows & Mac.

    IE2

     

    Internet Explorer 3.0

    Following the lead of Internet Explorer 2.0, the next year 1996 Microsoft came out with new & improved web browser which offered Internet mail & News 1.0. Internet Explorer revolutionized the world & more than 32000 copies were downloaded in the six hours of its release. More than 1 million copies were downloaded within the first week itself. Internet Explorer 3.0 was also able to display graphics and play audio file which was a big deal back then.

    IE3

     

    Internet Explorer 4.0

    The very next year after the release of IE3.0 came Internet Explorer 4.0. With the release of IE4.0 Internet came to life when menus expanded with a click and images could be dragged. Active desktop was a Unique feature included in Internet Explorer 4.0 which enabled users to display Internet content on their desktop & used to update automatically as the content changed.

    IE4

    Internet Explorer 5.0

    The Year 1999 came with a new era for browser industry. With the release of Internet Explorer 5.0 & its expanded programming capabilities e-commerce got supported. IE5 also supported bi-directional text which made IE5 the first ever browser to feature this important update for the International users who’s languages were written from right to left.

    IE5

    Internet Explorer 6.0

    Internet Explorer 6 released in 2001 being a major change to how browsers behaved. IE6 attained a total market share of 90% during 2002 -2003. IE6 became the most widely used browser during its tenure surpassing IE 5.0. Internet Explorer 6 had Auto Image Resize, Images toolbar, Print preview and Media bar making it the entire Fun browser. IE6 came as the default browser with Windows XP. Some People around the world are still using IE6 which is on its countdown.

    IE6

     

    Internet Explorer 7

    Internet Explorer 7 was a major update to how users surfed the web. IE 7 gave new dimensions to secure surfing with phishing filter, better & stronger Encryption. Internet Explorer 7 had a delete browsing history button which made Internet Privacy better in its own ways. Internet Explorer 7 also introduced tabbed browsing that helped users get more in less time. Internet Explorer 7 gave its users the true Web 2.0 experience.

    ie7

     

    Internet Explorer 8.0

    The year 2009 came with one of the most secured browsers the IE8 that has revolutionary security and privacy features like InPrivate browsing & SmartScreen Phishing filter protection. Internet Explorer 8 introduced some great new features like Web Slices, Accelerators & automatic tab crash recovery. IE8 still being on the market and being one of the most commonly used browsers changed the way we surf Internet

    IE8

     

    Internet Explorer 9

    Windows Internet Explorer 9 has a streamlined look and many new features that speed up your web browsing experience. IE9 features new browser controls. You can find most command bar functions, like Print or Zoom when you click the Tools button and your favourites and feeds appear when you click the Favourites button. Internet Explorer 9 also enables you to Pin your most regularly used websites to taskbar. Internet Explorer 9 also features a download manager that helps you download and keep track of all your downloads.

    Internet Explorer 9 supports several CSS3 properties and has improved JavaScript performance. IE is also the first hardware-accelerated graphics, text & video rendering browser. IE9 also supports HTML 5 standards and has Web Open Font Format.

    IE9

    Internet Explorer 10

    Internet Explorer 10 is the next & latest version of IE that is available right now with Windows 8 operating system as a default Install.

    IE 10 has refined all the features of IE9 & adding features like Adobe Flash Integration. IE 10 also has a Windows 8 UI type browser edition and a standard one.

    As Interesting feature in IE 10 is called Flip Ahead, that enables a user to view a multiple page website easily, letting the user to flip through pages instantly.

    Internet Explorer 10 “Windows 8 UI” or “Metro” Screenshot

    TroubleShootWindows_metro

  • Steps to Fix Laptop  / Desktop Computer Thermal Shutdown

    Steps to Fix Laptop / Desktop Computer Thermal Shutdown

    One of the most common reasons behind sudden shutdown of a computer system is heat. When the processor of a Laptop or Desktop Computer heats up, either due to dust or improper ventilation, a computer system puts itself into a thermal shutdown to avoid any damage to the hardware in your computer system. If proper maintenance is not provided to the computer overtime even the slightest change in weather conditions or even room temperature can add to the heating up of your computer processor triggering a thermal shutdown. Here are a few steps that can be applied to any computer, be it a laptop ( portable computer ) or even your home /office desktop.

    • Keeping it Clean
    • Many companies out there have a standard computer cleaning toolkit that you can buy. These cleaning toolkits come specifically for either a laptop or a desktop.
    • Wipe the dirt of processor fan ( in a desktop )
    • If you do not fear opening up your laptop a bit, open it & clean the Fan blades, Heat Vent & the Heat Sink with either a soft brush or a lint free cloth.
    • Note: you should open your computer system at your own risk & author of this article will not be liable for any damage occurred while this operation.
    • Using a Laptop /Notebook Cooler
    • Lot of people use a External Notebook cooler that helps circulate air & keeps your laptop cool.
    • Companies Like Cooler Master offer very good quality notebook coolers ( Cooling Pads )
    • System Beeps & says CPU is heating up
    • This is the point where you take your Laptop for a check-up at the Authorized Service Centre.

    Desktop Systems

    • For a Desktop system, you can clean almost every part very easily, specially the CPU Fan
    • You can also try putting some thermal compound on your processor ( if you don’t know what & how thermal compound is applied, ask a expert professional or Search the internet for DIY guides)
    • Install a better CPU cooler
    • A lot of variety exists in Desktop CPU Cooler Range, select from simple Air Coolers or a Liquid Cooling solution.
    • In some rare cases a failing Processor ( CPU ) might actually be the case for a thermal shutdown.