Windows Treatments A Stitch in Time

If you ask me, the worst thing about PCs is that things go wrong more often than Ben Affleck makes bad career choices. The best thing? The machines are usually pretty easy to fix. In fact, you can solve the most common hardware and software problems in just a few minutes (though the actual repair time will vary from system to system). We've collected 37 lightning -fast fixes for a locked-up PC, a Windows update gone awry, a lost network link, a corrupted Word document, and the other glitches you're most likely to encounter.

Windows Treatments A Stitch in Time

Problem: Windows has become cranky. Sometimes application don't launch, sometimes programs don't close, and sometimes they just don't work at all.

Quick fix #1: Go to the Windows Update site to download the latest patches for your version. To configure Windows XP to automatically download and install updates, right-click My computer, select Properties, Automatic Updates, and click Automatic (recommended). In Windows 2000 and Windows Me, open Control Panel, double-click Automatic updates, make sure "Keep my computer up to date" is checked, and Settings. For Windows 98, go to the Windows Update site and download the Critical Update Notification utility.

Most Windows patches deal with security holes, but the update service also adds support for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, the latest DirectX versions, and other new technologies.

Quick fix #2: Roll back Windows 2000 or XP to the last time your PC worked by launching in Safe Mode. Restart your Pc and press F8 to bring up the Windows Advanced Options. Select last know Good Configuration (your most recent setting that worked) and press Enter.

If that doesn't do the trick, you can restore even earlier settings in Windows XP and Windows Me, by using System Restore . Click start , All programs (Programs in Me), Accessories, System Tools , System Restore and choose Restore my computer to an earlier time. Click Next, select a recent date checkpoint, and then proceed through the rest of the System Restore wizard.