Category: Windows 7

This post will help you fix / troubleshoot an issue with your Windows PC, where, after login or at welcome screen your keyboard and mouse stops working. This can happen with either a USB interface keyboard / mouse or even with a PS2 Keyboard and mouse. Do remember that your keyboard will work in your BIOS & both your keyboard / mouse will work with a Live CD too. In some cases your Keyboard and mouse will start to work in Safe Mode.

The Methods mentioned herein are based on both the scenarios where your keyboard & mouse will or won’t work in safe mode

Method 1

• Sometime a LAN ( Network connection ) can be a culprit for this problem

• Disconnect your LAN ( network wire ) from your computer
• Start your computer
• Check if your keyboard /mouse are working
• If yes,
• Go to Command Prompt ( with administrator privileges )
• To know how to open command prompt with administrator privilege : Follow this article
• In the command prompt : type ipconfig /flushdns
• Also, use some means to connect to the internet (not on this PC)
• Download and install the latest drivers for your network adapter
• Also, Unplug & non-essential USB /HDMI or other peripheral device & check if your keyboard /mouse work

 

Method 2

• Enabling Legacy USB support in BIOS

• Enter your BIOS setup by pressing DEL , F2 or F10 ( or any other key which your computer specifies ) (Refer documentation)
• Now, Locate an option that says Legacy USB support  and set it to enable
• Also, make sure that your USB speed is set to high speed
• Make sure USB simulation is disabled

Method 3

• Updating USB / Chipset / Keyboard- Mouse drivers

• You can use some other means to connect to Internet
• Download and install the latest Chipset / USB drivers
• Also, if your keyboard /mouse require some specific drivers to run properly, make sure that you have installed those
• You can use Safe mode to uninstall the previous drivers & then boot into windows normally to update the newer drivers

Method 4 ( TIPS )

• Try setting your computer to High Performance in Power Options ( windows Vista, 7 , 8 ) (control panel –> power options )
• Go to Device Manager in Control Panel
• Expand Universal Serial Bus
• Right Click Usb Root Hub (all of them)
• Go to Power management tab
• Uncheck the box that says “Allow the system to turn off this device to save power”
• Click OK

Windows 8

• On the desktop
• Press Windows Logo Key + X
• Click on Command Prompt (Admin)

 

Windows 7 / Vista

• Go to start menu
• In the start menu search box, type : Command Prompt
• Right click the command prompt
• Click on Run as administrator

This post contains steps  to turn off the Autorun feature in Windows. Autorun feature allows any autorun enabled / programmed drivesto run the specific programmed instructions files when the drive is opened or inserted. This can be a fixed drive, a removable drive or any sort of disk drive. Many Malicious software programs use autorun to plant their files & code into your system. These set of instructions can be stored into a autorun.inf file in the root of the drive. By turning off the autorun feature you can, to an extent, avoid such malicious programs to infect your Windows PC.

 

Windows XP, Vista

Editing Your Registry

Note : Before Editing your registry, please backup your registry ( Follow this guide )

Now,

• Press Windows Logo Key + R to open RUN
• Type REGEDIT
• Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer\NoDriveTypeAutorun
• Right-Click the NoDriveTypeAutorun
• Click on modify
• Type 0XFF

 

Windows 7

Windows 7 Users can use Microsoft Fixit Tool to Enable or Disable Autorun

• To Enable Autorun Click here
• To Disable Autorun Click Here

After reading this post you should be able to fix a problem where your mouse or touchpad pointer jumps while you type. This creates an unwanted disturbance while typing. The problem usually occurs in Laptop ( portable computers ), but can also occur with a desktop computer. Below are the steps for both scenarios, i.e. Desktop & laptop computers.

Universal Solution

• Go to Control Panel ( in start menu )
• Find Mouse options

• Now, Click on Pointer Options
• uncheck the checkbox Hide Pointer While typing
• If the Pointer speed has been set to Fast, try reducing it & see if that helps.

 

Method 2

Download & Install navigation ( keyboard mouse software )

• Almost all the Computer Manufacturer’s ( Portable / laptop ones) , provide hotkeys & navigation / multimedia integration software for your touchpad or mouse.
• Go to your Computer or product manufacturer’s support website.
• Locate the software for your Model
• Download & Install
• Now,

As, I have a Lenovo ThinkPad, i am using a UltraNav software with my Windows PC. I will be outlining a few features that you can compare with ones in your computer & choose to turn them off.

• Coasting – Turn Off
• Touch Sensitivity – Choose this options according to your needs
• Momentum – Though this feature tends to decrease the overall effort while using the touchpad, it can cause your pointer to jumps out of control while typing (Turn it off)
• Gestures – I have hardly seen any touchpad perform a perfect gesture. I choose to turn them off.

 

Method 3

• Check if the problem comes while plugged in to charge or not
• The Charger for your laptop could be causing your touchpad to malfunction.
• Get your charger checked at a Authorized service centre of your Compute Manufacturer
• Replace if necessary

Hope this post proves to be useful for you. For any questions and queries please use the comment section.

After reading this post you will learn a few ways to troubleshoot the frequent “not responding” problem with your Windows computer. This post applies to fixing those Windows PCs which often show the not responding message for the opened Windows or programs. If it’s a rare problem, I am sure you don’t need to read any further. Your PC is just fine & does not need any fixing. On the other hand, if you are facing this issue quiet often you should follow the steps mentioned herein:

Check Your Hard Drive

• Make sure you have enough space available on your hard disk, to do this :

• Go to Computer
• Right Click your root drive ( C: or any partition where you have installed Windows )
• Click on Properties
• Check the used & free space

 

• Check your Drive for errors

• Go to command prompt by typing command in your start menu search box ( right Click –> run as administrator )
• Navigate to your system partition by typing the drive letter of your system partition ( example : C:\ )
• type CHKDSK /f
• type CHKDSK /r
• You might get a message that disk check will be scheduled on next reboot

 

• Also, make sure that your hard disk drive is defragmented

• Type defragment in start menu search box
• Run disk defragmenter
• If it’s a desktop computer

• Try changing the hard disk data cable

• NOTE: If you don’t know how to change the HDD cable, get it done by a computer hardware professional.

 

Check your RAM ( Memory )

• If you have a demanding usage of system resources & you like to multitask

• make sure that you have adequate RAM installed.

 

• Check your system RAM for errors

• Go to start menu
• type Windows Memory diagnostics (in the start menu search box)
• Run the program
• This will restart your computer
• Check your RAM for errors & display a report after you login the next time.

 

Windows Update

• Make sure your Windows is up to date

• Go to start menu
• In the start menu search box type Windows Update
• Click on Check for updates
• Select recommended updates
• also select any driver updates from Optional updates section

 

Drivers & BIOS

NOTE: Please perform any BIOS update operation at your OWN risk, BIOS update, if not done properly, or for any other reason, it fails, can crash your computer system & damage your hardware. Troubleshootwindows.com or I, the author of this post will not be responsible for any damage whatsoever.

• SATA/AHCI drivers

• Go to your motherboard / system manufacturer’s support website
• Locate the support page for your computer /motherboard model
• Download and Install the SATA / AHCI / IDE ( STORAGE drivers )
• & also install the latest chipset & Display drivers from that support site.

 

• BIOS updates

• You can check the support site, if any new BIOS updates for your system has been released.
• Read the documentation associated with the BIOS release to make sure that it addresses any problems that your might be facing.

After reading this post you will be able to fix some issues that you might be facing while trying to connect to a wireless network in Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista or XP. There are quite a few issues that might restrict you from using a wireless network properly. Most of the times it’s bad drivers installed for your device, misconfiguration or just a simple software interrupting with your Wi-Fi connection in windows.

Follow the steps mentioned herein one by one:

Method 1

Press of a button

• If you are using a laptop to connect to a Wi-fi / wireless connection. Your wireless was working just fine & now without a cause it has stopped working.
• The first thing to check is small wireless on / off button on most laptops
• It can be a dedicated on/off type switch on the side of your laptop
• or
• i could be a key amongst your Function keys on top.
• There would be a wireless sign imprinted on that particular key ( refer screenshot )

• Your key sign might look like the ones above or it might be anything that would suggest a wireless connection
• Try pressing that key or if it’s a switch, try turning it on.
• The wireless key / wireless sign might be in a different colour suggesting that it can be used by pressing a FN key located mostly on the left hand side of your keyboard near CTRL , ALT buttons.

Check if the problem is solved

• On your taskbar right hand side
• locate this icon
• Click on it to see this menu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• If you see available networks here, you have successfully solved the problem.

 

 

Method 2

Checking the Drivers

• It’s always a good idea to update your drivers at a good interval
• To make sure you have updated / proper drivers installed for your hardware device, you can choose:
  • Run Windows Update
  • Select your driver updates from optional updates section
• OR
• Go to your computer manufacturer’s support website
• navigate to downloads section
• locate the drivers for your particular hardware
• download & install
• It’s also a good idea to, first uninstall the previously installed drivers
  • to do that: Go to Control panel
  • Programs & Features
  • Locate your Wireless Lan drivers
  • Uninstall

Method 3

Check your router

• Make sure that your router is broadcasting your network’s SSID.
• To check that :
  • Connect your router directly to your computer using a LAN cable
  • Check the documentation provided with your router to get the login IP address
  • for example we take 192.168.1.1 as a router’s login IP
  • Go to your browser and type this IP in the address bar:

• Type in the username & password for logging into the router’s panel

• refer the screenshot above
• make sure your SSID broadcast is enabled.

Method 4

Connecting to a hidden network

Click here for the guide on connecting to a hidden network in Windows

Before connecting to a hidden network, note down the following information:

• Your Network SSID
• Security key
• Security type ( WEP, WPA etc.)
• Encryption type

Now,

• Go to Network & sharing center (control panel –> network & internet )

• Click on setup a new connection or network
• Click on Manually connect to a wireless network

• Type in all the information as required by this wizard.
• Finish the wizard to connect to this network.