Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.
Double click the recycle bin icon on your desktop, here you will see all of the files within your bin. Select the files you wish to recover, right click and choose restore.
There are many reasons a computer can be slower than when it was new. Windows computers tend to get slower over time as programs are added and removed and changes are made to the software and operating system. You can maintain it as much as you like but it always will get a little slower as it’s used. Think of it as a car that you tune up over and over but it never runs like it did when it was new.
You can perform various maintenance procedures like cleaning up unnecessary files such as temp files and log files. Windows has a built in disk clean-up utility or you can use a third party application like the free Ccleaner which does a better job.
One of the main reasons for computer slowdowns is caused by spyware infections that you get from downloading things from the internet that you may or may not even know were being installed. There are many free anti spyware/malware programs that you can download and install to scan your system for infections.
Users should not simply press the power button or restart the computer while Windows is still running unless there is an issue with the computer. Microsoft has included the shut down feature because it enables a computer to go through all the necessary steps that are required before turning off the computer. In fact many versions of Microsoft Windows will check the computer for any problems if the computer is not shut down properly.
A computer shutting down or rebooting can be caused by a few different things. The 3 most common are:
- A power supply going bad, motherboard going bad or the computer overheating. If it’s just shutting down then it may be a case of it over heating. You can go into the BIOS and see if you have anything set to shut off the computer at a certain temperature. This setting is to prevent the computer from being damaged from overheating. You can also let it run in the BIOS and watch the displayed temperature and see if it keeps rising
- When your power supply is going bad. The power supply provides power to all of your hardware components. If it is going bad then it can just shut off as if you had unplugged the computer
- The worst case scenario and unfortunately the most common is a failing motherboard. This will cause random shutdowns, reboots and Windows errors. There is no real method to check the motherboard at home and if it’s bad then it’s the hardest part to replace since everything else is connected to it. You can also look at your Windows Event Viewer to see if it tells you any issues that were happening around the time of the shutdowns.
There are many reasons why a computer may just stop working or “freeze”. Most of the time there isn’t much we can do about it, it is a fact of life that computer programs have become so complex that occasionally users will experience problems even when performing common tasks. When your computer no longer responds to keyboard commands your best bet is to re-boot the computer.
First check the computer’s power cord to make sure it is completely plugged into the wall socket. If you are using a plug strip, make sure it is completely plugged into the wall socket and that the power switch on the plug strip is turned on. Some plug strips also have a built in circuit breaker which usually looks like a black or red button near the power switch. Press the button to reset it and see if that solves the problem.
When printing on untraditional paper your printer may experience smudges, un-even or crooked text, and/or text that runs off the edges of the paper. Your printer may be printing fuzzy, blurry, and/or other faint text because of dirty print heads. All modern printers have some type of printer cleaning, self-test, and/or diagnose mode that can be performed to check and clean the printers print heads and other internal equipment used to print.
Just like an Internet URL no spaces are allowed in an e-mail address. However, names can be broken up using a period; for example, John Smith may have an e-mail address: john.smith@dovesupport.co.uk or john.s@dovesupport.co.uk