Is your computer slow to start or shutdown?

Does your computer slow down considerably when you load multiple applications?

Does your computer freeze often or do you experience frequent software crashes?

If you replied YES to any of the above questions, then chances are that one or more running processes on your computer are eating into your system resources. In this article, we will discuss how you can resolve high CPU usage problems on a Windows PC.

High CPU usage issues can occur when:

• Your PC is infected with malware.
• Legitimate process(s) by design or owing to some problem consume inappropriate CPU resources.

When facing symptoms of high CPU consumption, such as ones listed above, we recommend you perform the following steps sequentially to resolve high CPU usage issues on your PC:

Step #1 – Perform a malware scan

Processes related to malicious programs often by design consume huge amounts of resources, causing your system to behave erratically. Perform a malware scan on your entire system using your protective suite to check if a malicious process, such as the csrrss.exe process, is present on your computer. In case the scan results show the presence of a threat, then take the appropriate action to sanitize your computer and restore its integrity. Restart your computer after you have removed the found threats and check to see if the issue has been resolved.

In case no threats were found, move to the next step.

Step #2 – Identify the culprit process

To identify which process is consuming huge amounts of resources, perform the following steps the next time your computer freezes or you encounter a software crash.

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del.
2. Click the Processes tab in the Windows Task Manager window that opens.
3. Check the CPU consumption of each resource and write down the name of the processes that are reporting uncharacteristic CPU usage.

Next, you need to identify the program to which the culprit process belongs to. If you can identify this right away, good, otherwise type the name of the culprit process in a search engine, such as Google, to get the necessary information. After you have identified the culprit process, move to the next step.

Download the latest software update

Processes of outdated software may behave erratically due to compatibility issues with other running processes or installed applications. To fix the matter, visit the software manufacturer’s website and install the latest available updates. For instance, if you notice that the ekrn.exe process, (the process that belongs to ESET protection software), is consuming high CPU resources, then updating the software might help you to restore normalcy.

Identify the conflicting process and disable it

If the error persists after updating the software, chances are that some other running process or processes are conflicting with the process that is reporting high CPU usage and preventing it from behaving normally.

For example, Windows users that use Windows Defender and/or Windows Live OneCare, often complain of high CPU consumption by one of the process, msmpeng.exe, which is associated with both these programs. This behavior typically occurs not because of the msmpeng.exe process, but because some other running process is conflicting with this process.

To identify the conflicting process, perform the following steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type msconfig, and press Enter.
2. Click Startup.
3. Clear all listed entries and click Apply to save your changes.
4. Reboot Windows and check to see if your PC behaves normally.
5. Now, repeat steps 1 and 2 and select the first listed entry.
6. Reboot Windows and check your PC behavior again.

Repeat steps 5 and 6 for each entry in the Startup list. Once you have identified the process that is causing the problem, disable it and restart Windows.

Since the advent of the Internet, the number of times a common computer user approaches an expert for resolutions to PC errors has decreased significantly. This is due to two major reasons. First, it has become possible for software manufacturers to constantly make their products more robust and error-free by regularly releasing updates and patches. The second and more important reason is that the Internet has opened up a whole new world for computer users to explore, evaluate, discuss, and seek help to solve common PC errors.

In this article, we will discuss tips that enable you to troubleshoot common computer errors:

Install reliable antimalware tools

More often than not, malware programs, such as viruses, rootkits, trojans, worms, and spyware are found to be the root cause of common computer errors, such as error 1316 and error 2739.

To prevent and fix computer errors that are the result of malware infection, scan your entire computer using advanced and robust antivirus and antispyware tools. Further, to ensure that your computer’s security is not breached in the future, regularly update your security tools with the latest malware definitions and security updates.

Perform regular registry scans

If the performance of your computer has dropped significantly or you are frequently receiving errors, such as error 0×80040702, chances are that your system registry is damaged or corrupt.

A drop in computer performance and increase in the frequency of computer errors are all symptoms of a bad registry. We implore you not to ignore these signs and to immediately perform a registry scan using a top-rated registry cleaning tool to fix registry-related issues.

Update your operating system, software, and driver files

The errors that you are facing could also be due to use of outdated files. This is why experts recommend that you should regularly download and install new updates and security patches that are periodically released by the manufacturers of these products.

If you use Windows XP or Windows Vista, you should ensure that the built-in Automatic Update feature is always enabled. This useful feature facilitates automatic downloads and installation of new Windows updates. To keep your driver files automatically updated, you may use a reliable and easy to use driver scanner tool.

Run the Chkdsk command

Run the chkdsk command to repair errors related to bad sectors, lost clusters, and cross-linked files. Also, regularly defrag your hard drives to efficiently manage the data stored on them, as well as to prevent hard-disk related errors from occurring. Run the free, built-in Disk Defragmenter utility at least once in a month to ensure that data is stored on your hard drive as continuous blocks of information.

Ensure complete removal of unwanted programs or software

When you uninstall a program, ensure that all the files and registry entries related to the program are also completely removed from your system. Incomplete unisntallation of programs may lead to a situation where leftover processes conflict with other running processes and cause errors. If you receive an application error or a file error that is related to the program you recently uninstalled, then reinstall the program and then uninstall it again. To ensure complete removal of programs you may also use an efficient third-party uninstaller tool to perform the task.

The iPhone Alarm Clock stopped working over the weekend. The bug exists only for one off alarms and can be solved temporarily by making the alarm occur on more than 1 day. Under repeat just select the day you want the alarm to go off and any other day.

iPhone Alarm Clock Bug

Many file types are exclusive to a particular operating system, meaning they do not have multi-platform acceptability and are meant to be used only on a single platform. For instance, files with the .DS_Store file extension are found only on Mac OS computers. On the other hand, there are certain file types that though were primarily created for a particular operating system can be used on other operating systems as well with the help of the right software.

In this article, we focus our energy on 3 popular file types associated with Mac computers and various issues you may face while using these file types.

I’m a Mac user and have come across a file with the .DS_Store extension – what is this file, its purpose and how do I open it?

A file with the .DS_Store extension is actually not a file, but rather the name of a file generated by Mac OS X. Typically, these files are hidden files.

.DS_Store files store custom attributes of a folder and information stored in these files determine the shape and size of the folder window when you open a folder, as well as the position of the folder window on your desktop. Every viewed folder on your Mac computer will have an associated .DS_Store file. In case you happen to delete a folder’s .DS_Store file, do not panic, a new .DS_Store file will be recreated the next time you open the folder.

Now, coming to the last question – how to open a .DS_Store file, the answer is that these files are not meant to be opened manually. .DS_Store files do not store any information that may be useful to you and there is no practical need to view these files.

What is a .mov file and can I open it in Windows?

The .mov file type is associated with QuickTime, which is an immensely popular and widely-used multimedia/video/audio format from Apple Inc.

Primarily .mov files are used for sharing multimedia content over the Internet. There are many advantages of using .mov files to share, store, and record multimedia content. This file type stores multiple audio and video content which are independent of each other. The .mov file type is supported by both Mac and Windows operating systems.

A Windows user – just like a Mac OS user – may use Apple QuickTime Player to play a .mov file. Another thing worth mentioning is that QuickTime Player is not the only media player that can play files with the .mov file extension, many other popular media players, such as Roxio Creator 2010 can play .mov files as well.

Which offers better quality, .m4p audio files, or an .mp3 audio track?

Most users are of the view that an .m4p audio track offers better quality than its counterpart file format .mp3 at a similar file size. Files with the .m4p file extension are commonly referred to as Apple iTunes audio files. Both Windows and Mac users can play an .m4p file using either iTunes or QuickTime Player. Moreover, if your opinion differs from the majority, you may use iTunes to convert an .m4p audio file to the .mp3 format for free.

There was a time when malware problems were not so rampant and only occurred on a minority of computers. Then came the internet and almost overnight online criminals were gifted a media that enabled them to penetrate thousands of computers with a single click. Today, the magnitude of malware problems is such that the losses it causes run into billions of dollars.

Quite often, users are not aware of the existence of malware on their PC. In other cases, they are made aware of the evil presence by manifestation of computer problems.

Here are some easy steps to follow in order to repair computer problems caused by malware and prevent them from occurring in the future:

Install a robust anti-virus and use it

The first and most important step to prevent as well as repair existing computer problems caused by malware is to install the latest version of a robust anti-virus. As soon as you install it update it with the latest virus definitions to protect your system from the latest threats.

Next, perform a complete system scan including all drives and folders to ensure that any virus hiding in your system is detected and dealt with. These days viruses can hide themselves very well under different file names. One such malicious process that can entrench itself at various locations is the Sysvxd.exe file.

Once you have swept your PC clean of malware, you must schedule a regular automatic thorough scan of the system so that anti-virus tool runs checks on your system at frequent intervals. You must also keep the online protection option turned ON so that no virus is allowed entry into your system and that you are adequately protected.

Install a reliable antispyware

The frequent use of the internet has made the problem of spyware an epidemic. The chances of your system being infected by a spyware are even more than the virus. Spyware can have various malicious objectives ranging from monitoring your activity to stealing information. Therefore, it is crucial that you do not ignore this potential threat and arm yourself adequately with an advanced anti-spyware. The guidelines for using anti-spyware is the same as using an anti-virus.

There are certain file types like Brastk.exe which are associated with multiple malicious programs and can be both a virus as well as spyware. A reliable antispyware can detect and eliminate such rogue software in a few moments.

Clean System Registry

Today’s malware are so sophisticated and stubborn that many times antimalware tools alone are not enough to eliminate them. This is because not only do they have the ability to hide themselves, but many rogue malware like Av360.exe also leave their footprint in the system registry. This means until their traces are removed from the Windows registry, they will remain inside your computer and keep tormenting you. Therefore, to ascertain complete removal of malware from your system, it is important that you regularly use the services of an advanced registry cleaning software.

Regular antivirus and antispyware scans along with regular registry clean up are a sure shot way to keep your PC running at its best for a long time.

It is a common occurrence to see the msvcr71.dll, advrcntr3.dll, or the ntdll.dll error during the normal course of a day working on your Windows PC. There are many reasons for their happening, but don’t let this discourage you. Dealing with these problems and improving your system’s performance is actually really very easy:

• Update drivers : Even though people treat drivers like all-powerful, super-programs, the fact is that they are as modest in their working as the fabled Notepad. Just like other software, drivers too grow outdated and need to be updated for improved hardware performance.

  It would be wise for you to invest in a good driver-update tool from a trusted third-party, which will scan and ensure that your drivers are in top shape. A reliable driver update tool automatically scans you device drivers and updates them, as and when needed. Updated drivers equal better hardware performance, less resource conflicts and fewer application errors.

• Registry cleanup : As mighty as the registry is, it is not free from problems. Being the master index of the system, the registry, over time, falls prey to a plethora of incorrect entries and broken references, which becomes a burden for it to manage and drains system resources.

  To combat these types of issues, it would be a good decision to purchase a good-quality registry cleaner that will do all the scanning and optimizing for you. Failure to maintain your registry can result in a system crash.

• Firewall : Another very important system-protection tool is the firewall. A firewall is a network traffic filter and monitor. It sits between your system and outside networks, and filters all data packets to check hacking attempts and unauthorized access. Even if there is no one making serious hijacking attempts on your system, the most obvious advantage of investing in a good firewall is that it will block all malicious programs from connecting to the internet and choking the bandwidth.

Managing computer performance problems on your own is not a complex task. Use the tips above to handle PC issues and boost computer performance.

A custom installation is more complex, and it can sometimes take a couple of hours to complete. We created this five-step tutorial to help guide you through the entire process each step of the way.
What you need

An external hard disk. You’ll need to move your files off of your PC before you install Windows 7. To make this easier, we recommend a free download called Windows Easy Transfer, which will require an external hard disk. They’re readily available at electronics and office supply stores, and they provide an easy way to add additional storage space to your computer.
The original installation discs or setup files for the programs that you want to use with Windows 7. You’ll need to reinstall your programs by hand after installing Windows 7. When you run Windows Easy Transfer you will get a report that lists the programs that you are currently using with Windows XP.
32-bit or 64-bit: Which version of Windows 7 to install?

Both 32-bit and 64-bit installation discs are included in the Windows 7 package. 64-bit operating systems can handle large amounts of memory—typically 4 gigabytes (GB) of random access memory (RAM) or more—more efficiently than 32-bit operating systems. However, not all computers are 64-bit capable. For more information, see 32-bit and 64-bit Windows: frequently asked questions.

You’ll probably need the 32-bit version, but to make sure right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
If you don’t see “x64 Edition” listed, then you’re running the 32-bit version of Windows XP. Step 1 of this tutorial will show you how to run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, which can let you know if your computer is capable of running the 64-bit version of Windows 7.
If “x64 Edition” is listed under System, you’re running the 64-bit version of Windows XP and can run the 64-bit version of Windows 7.

Limited one-finger touch capability has been available in Windows for years. But Windows 7 is the first to fully embrace multitouch technology. Need to zoom in on something? Place two fingers on the screen of a multitouch-compatible PC and spread them apart. To right‑click a file, touch it with one finger and tap the screen with a second.

Windows Touch—available only in the Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate editions of Windows 7—is fun to learn and easy to use. The Start menu and taskbar now sport larger, fingertip-friendly icons. All your favorite Windows 7 programs are also touch-ready. You can even finger-paint in Paint!

To find out which displays are compatible with Windows Touch, go to the Windows 7 Compatibility Center website.