Sorry for the long break in posting. I've been very busy in the past few weeks. Mostly moving into my very first home! Well, back to business, I have had some interesting computer problems at work lately so I will be posting the computer troubleshooting steps I took to fix them.
In the meantime...checkout the cool tool that was posted on Technibble this week. Bluescreens happen, period....there is no way to not get one if you are using any Microsoft Windows flavor. From windows 95 to Windows 7, bluescreens happen. The below listed tool may help figure out what caused the bluescreen which might help you troubleshoot the issue further to resolve the problem.
Check out the article here: BlueScreenView
Publisher 2007 hotfix now available
As promised, Microsoft finally released the Publisher 2007 hotfix. The fix is due to an issue that Microsoft actually "broke" while releasing Office 2007 SP2. In my opinion, this issue should have been fixed sooner but Microsoft would rather you uninstall SP2 while waiting for them to work out the details with the hotfix. Why would you want to uninstall a Service Pack, which is usually includes security updates? By doing so, we (the Office 2007 users) could potentially corrupt our PCs or make them vulnerable for attack because of an issue that Microsoft themselves caused in the first place? I know, they have to cover themselves, but at least they could have acknowledged the fact that there was an issue.
Anyway, enough ranting... here is the link to the hofix: Publisher 2007 hotfix.
Are you tired of issues like this? There are free office suites out there. Check them out if you are not happy with Microsoft Office.
Anyway, enough ranting... here is the link to the hofix: Publisher 2007 hotfix.
Are you tired of issues like this? There are free office suites out there. Check them out if you are not happy with Microsoft Office.
Office 2007 SP2 breaks Publisher files
I know what you are thinking, "Why would Microsoft release a major Service Pack that might cause an issue?" It does happen every so often and its not usually known in the public because of course that would make the company look bad. But that is not even the issue here, let me give you the whole story:
Within the past month, Office 2007 SP2 was released through Windows Updates. Most likely, everyone installed the update without any trouble. But suddenly, you attempt to open one of your MS Publisher files and get an error message like this: "Publisher can not open the file." You click OK and then the application closes. Apparently, the Office 2007 SP2 install has somehow denied the ability to open Publisher files, including a brand new file that you save. Once that new file is saved and you attempt to open it again, NOPE, it doesn't open. Of course I started the usual google search for this problem and I came across a forum (actually its the Microsoft Technet forum) and beginning around the end of May is when people starting complaining.
Well almost a month has gone by and yup, you guessed it, no public word from Microsoft on the issue. So I contacted them and this is exactly what they said: "We are aware of the Office 2007 Publisher issues after installing SP2. This issue will be resolved and released into Windows Updates by the end of June." The end of June??? That is basically 2 weeks from now! The only possible workaround they mentioned was to remove SP2 but then it will just reinstall itself again through Windows Updates unless you block it until the fix is released.
I understand things break sometimes, but just be honest about it. The fact that Microsoft has not publicly responded just shows that they could care less about customer service. Not to mention we (the Office 2007 users) have to wait for a fix that they broke to begin with. Maybe its time to be reminded of other office suites, free ones for that matter.
Has the installation of Office 2007 SP2 affected you at all? Let me know.
Update: Microsoft has released the Publisher 2007 hotfix
Within the past month, Office 2007 SP2 was released through Windows Updates. Most likely, everyone installed the update without any trouble. But suddenly, you attempt to open one of your MS Publisher files and get an error message like this: "Publisher can not open the file." You click OK and then the application closes. Apparently, the Office 2007 SP2 install has somehow denied the ability to open Publisher files, including a brand new file that you save. Once that new file is saved and you attempt to open it again, NOPE, it doesn't open. Of course I started the usual google search for this problem and I came across a forum (actually its the Microsoft Technet forum) and beginning around the end of May is when people starting complaining.
Well almost a month has gone by and yup, you guessed it, no public word from Microsoft on the issue. So I contacted them and this is exactly what they said: "We are aware of the Office 2007 Publisher issues after installing SP2. This issue will be resolved and released into Windows Updates by the end of June." The end of June??? That is basically 2 weeks from now! The only possible workaround they mentioned was to remove SP2 but then it will just reinstall itself again through Windows Updates unless you block it until the fix is released.
I understand things break sometimes, but just be honest about it. The fact that Microsoft has not publicly responded just shows that they could care less about customer service. Not to mention we (the Office 2007 users) have to wait for a fix that they broke to begin with. Maybe its time to be reminded of other office suites, free ones for that matter.
Has the installation of Office 2007 SP2 affected you at all? Let me know.
Update: Microsoft has released the Publisher 2007 hotfix
PC Maintenance tip of the week: Defrag PC
Is it time to defrag your PC? Overtime, files get fragmented due to copying & moving files around, deleting files or installing applications on the hard drive. For example, let's say you had lots of music on the hard drive but decided to delete it. Now, all of the space where the music was is empty and ready for more files to be stored. Problem is that depending on how big the next program or file you attempt to install is, it may just not "fit" into the empty space vacated by the previous music files. Windows may have to find the next available space to finish the install of the program or file. This is what causes the fragmentation of the hard drive, which can cause the PC to respond slower because it has to work harder to find all of the files related to the program or application you are trying to access.
Solution: Defrag PC on a regular basis if you do alot of moving, copying or deleting of files or programs. On Windows XP, you can schedule a defrag or start one manually. Windows Vista attempts to automatically defrag when the PC is idle (but it is also scheduled to defrag as well by default).
Solution: Defrag PC on a regular basis if you do alot of moving, copying or deleting of files or programs. On Windows XP, you can schedule a defrag or start one manually. Windows Vista attempts to automatically defrag when the PC is idle (but it is also scheduled to defrag as well by default).
HP System Recovery Actually Works
Most name brand PCs out there come with some type of System Recovery feature. I recently repaired a co-worker's PC by using the HP system Recovery option by pressing F10 during the initial HP boot screen. Basically, it was a last resort option for me. I tried every computer troubleshooting technique that I knew to fix this problem which happened to be the fact that the PC would not boot completely to the desktop. No icons or shortcuts, just a desktop background and that's it. I tried safe-mode, last-known good configuration, XP System Restore and nothing worked. I even tried creating a new user profile......same problem. I knew that I could still run the HP System Recovery option so I went ahead and backed up all of the data on another hard drive. I always back up the data first, just in case something goes wrong.
The next step was to restore the data. I reinstalled the hard drive, then powered on the PC. I pressed F10 to begin the HP System Recovery process. During the process, I was reminded that the data would be lost Windows XP would be reinstalled along with any original HP applications that came with the PC during initial purchase. All other applications would have to be reinstalled. The whole process took one hour from start to finish.
Then to my surprise, when I returned to check the PC, all of the data was still there! And the System Recovery process completed successfully. Maybe I did not read the entire warning message correctly but I thought the data would be deleted. It saved my 3 hours of restoring the data. Everything was then back to normal. My co-worker was happy and so was I!
Have you had any success restoring PCs? Let me know.
The next step was to restore the data. I reinstalled the hard drive, then powered on the PC. I pressed F10 to begin the HP System Recovery process. During the process, I was reminded that the data would be lost Windows XP would be reinstalled along with any original HP applications that came with the PC during initial purchase. All other applications would have to be reinstalled. The whole process took one hour from start to finish.
Then to my surprise, when I returned to check the PC, all of the data was still there! And the System Recovery process completed successfully. Maybe I did not read the entire warning message correctly but I thought the data would be deleted. It saved my 3 hours of restoring the data. Everything was then back to normal. My co-worker was happy and so was I!
Have you had any success restoring PCs? Let me know.
IE8 SmartScreen Filter blocks malware
Windows XP or Windows Vista users who have their automatic software update turned on will be notified that Internet Explorer version 8 is now available for download.
The new version runs faster and smoother than version 7 according to the author of the article at The Washington Post.
One of the new features is called SmartScreen Filter. This feature blocks phishing sites but the article mentions that this does not work well against the top sites that distribute rogue anti-virus products. Of course Microsoft believes otherwise, take a look at what they say the filter does:
SmartScreen’s malware protection focuses on identifying and blocking sites on the web that are distributing malicious software. As a reputation-based feature, SmartScreen can block new threats from existing malicious sites, even if those threats are not yet blocked by traditional anti-virus or anti-malware signatures. In this way, the SmartScreen filter complements traditional anti-virus products by providing additional dimensions for both identification and protection. For comprehensive protection from malware, we highly recommend that users also install traditional anti-virus products and keep them up to date.You can read more about Internet Explorer 8 and its SmartScreen filter here: IE8
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Google uses the Doubleclick DART cookie to serve ads across it's Adsense network and you can get further information regarding the DART cookie at Doubleclick as well as opt out options at Google's Privacy Center
Privacy
I respect your privacy and I am committed to safeguarding your privacy while online at this site. The following discloses how I gather and disseminate information for this Blog.
RSS Feeds and Email Updates
If a user wishes to subscribe to my RSS Feeds or Email Updates (powered by Feedburner), I ask for contact information such as name and email address. Users may opt-out of these communications at any time. Your personal information will never be sold or given to a third party. (You will never be spammed by me - ever)
Log Files and Stats
Like most blogging platforms I use log files, in this case Statcounter.com. This stores information such as internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring, exit and visited pages, platform used, date/time stamp, track user’s movement in the whole, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses etc. are not linked to personally identifiable information.
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RChase Computer Consulting uses outside ad companies to display ads on this blog. These ads may contain cookies and are collected by the advertising companies and I do not have access to this information. I work with the following advertising companies: Google Adsense, BlueHost, and possibly Project Payday. Please check the advertisers websites for respective privacy policies.
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