Expert computing advice
(Part 2)
A mess in console session
My Windows 7 required me to run console
session in order to run the SFC utility. I didn’t know anything about it.
In the recent versions of Windows, the
administration sign in isn’t enough in administrator privilege in dealing with
system activities. This is for protecting you from doing dangerous activities
by accident and preventing malwares from imitating you and proceeding system
changes.
In dealing with such issues, you have to
upgrade you to the Administrator. “Console session” mentioned here is a command
prompt with activated Administrator privilege. Click Start, type cmd in the
field of “Search”, right click on cmd.exe in the given results and choose “Run
as Administrator”. You can run the SFC utility from now on.
Trouble with admin account
My XP PC didn’t recognize command
sfc/scannow. I found that because I didn’t sign in as an Administrator and
tried to change the standard user account by using that command lines but it
didn’t allow me to enter password. Typing on the keyboard was also useless.
An error occurred seldom in XP can prevent
you from entering password in the Welcome screen. Microsoft recommend you
Classic login screen. You said that your keyboard didn’t work at that moment
but it’s worth a try: press Ctrl, Alt, and Del simultaneously twice in the
log-in reminder.
The Classic login screen will appear -
which requires you to type username and password. You can read further detailed
information about this method on the supporting website of Windows.
However, you don’t need to log in as an
Administrator to run SFC on the XP PC. We doubt that command prompt can’t read
the file. You can direct it to run SFC.exe by typing cd C:\windows\system32 and
then insert you request (replace C: by your drive which Windows was installed
if needed).
LED light performance of the Mainboard
My Asus M4A88T-M Motherboard was
equipped with a Realtek LAN adaptor. After the recent updates, I recognized
that its LED light was on no matter the cable was plugged or not. But it didn’t
happen with other PCs.
Network Diagnostics announced “Windows
doesn’t detect the suitable installed adapter. In case you have the network
adapter, you have to re-install your driver”. I did as it said, then
continuously receive the message “Realte Network Controller can’t be found. If
the Deep sleep mode is activated, please plug the cable”.
I neither activated deep sleep mode nor
knew what I ought to do. I tried to start up the computer without plugging LAN
cable and again with it. There was no result for both.
My online research helped me to find
that some other people met up with the same problem but their recommend methods
– demounting the memory and battery, and deleting CMOS – all didn’t work at
all.
The issue in network adapter is really
tricky, and a wide range of methods are used to solve this with different level
of success. This happens right after the updates, which implies that it is the
problem with driver or software rather than physical damage with network
adapter. The motherboard mount will useful if it can cheat Windows to accept
any driver which having problems.
First of all, try to start the live version
of Linux, such as Ubuntu, which is free of charge. You can download, burn in CD
and then start it up. There is a possibility that your built-in network adapter
can work well with Ubuntu. If so, we know that it is the problem of Windows
configuration and your current issue is driver is not suitable with your
network hardware.
If you come up with this problem, you need
to download and install the latest driver for your motherboard. You can
download it from Realtek website at tinyurl.com/La9ey. In order to suitable
with your motherboard, you will need RTL8111E.
How to buy Panda
The Panda Internet Security 2012 review
of PC Advisor didn’t tell where to buy it. I tried to buy it in PCWorld.co.uk,
but couldn’t find it there. Where can I buy it?
Panda Internet Security is available in
many online stores, from the Panda Security store, even in our website.
However, before rushing to buy it, please take a look in other current Internet
security packages.
GWBasic on Windows 64bit
Thanks for recently held seminars on
SmallBasic. I am familiar with GWBasic. Does it work on Windows 64bit?
GWBasic was written by using 16bit. It
can’t be used on the 64bit Windows version without emulation softwares.
If you currently use Professional Edition
version of Windows 7, please download and install Windows XP Mode. It will
allow you to run GWBasic in virtual Windows XP environment. (You don’t have to
Window XP buy licence to use this software).
If you currently use Home Premium version
of this operation system, please download and install Virtual PC. Notice that
you have to provide your 32bit operation system to install on the virtual
computer.
Oracle Virtualbox is another good pick. You
can simulate a virtual PC with Virtualbox, then install 32bit operation and run
GWBasic on it.
A quicker solution is downloading a DOS
emulator such as DOSBox. Using this, you don’t need to install the second copy
of Windows.
Install and run the applications, you’ll
see the DOS reminder. At this time, you can map the virtual drive within DOSbox
to a real folder in your hard drive by using mount command.
Supposing that all GWBasic files are saved
in a folder named C:\GWBasic on Windows PC. Open DOSBox and type mount C:
C:\GWBasic. Click Enter.
Now DOSBox has the virtual C drive, in
reality from the GWBasic folder in Windows. Within DOSBox, type C:, press Enter
to access C drive. Then, type GWBasic to run GWBasic. Any DOS programs that you
put inside the C:\GWBasic Windows folder can be accessed in this way.
