Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Computer Issues and resolutions

Computer issues and their resolution can be frustrating and time-consuming and if you are non-computer savvy, expensive.

Searching through forums can a big waste of time, although you just may sometimes find a solution. Most of the people who respond to these forums have no clue what your problem is and furthermore have not read what you have described as your problem. This includes so-called experts from software developers and manufacturers. More and more irrelevant questions are asked. Some armchair technicians will tell you that all your problems are the result of a virus or malware.

I worked in computer support for many years and I prided myself in finding solutions, not work around’s. I will share what I have found.

Remember you must use logic to solve issues.

If you make music or films you will have to deal with computers. Knowing something about them will save you time and money.

power supply issue

USB ports not recognizing some devices.

Test the same devices on another computer. If they work in another, then they work, simple.

Hard drives are slow to sort files.

If you can, try the hard drive on another machine. A great device is a hard drive docking station that allows you to test an uninstalled hard drive via USB. This can also serve as a backup drive.

hard drive docking station
hard drive docking station

Hard drives disappearing from Windows Explorer.

This can also be caused by a failing drive. In my case, it was not always the same drive that went AWOL.

windows explorer showing hard drives
windows explorer

 

my setup.

Main Computer:   HP Z240 Tower Workstation

Runs 7 days a week for a minimum of 19 hours

processor  i7 6700 CPU 3.40 GHz 8 core

MB:  Gigabyte Z77-D3H   rev 1.0

Memory 32 GB ram DDR4

HD   500GB   500GB   1 TB

Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB

Windows 10

Secondary Computer

Processor i7-3770 3.40 GHz

Memory 16GB ram DDR3

Graphics NVIDIA GTX 1060 3GB

Details of my USB problem

For several months my front case USB port would only recognize passive USB devices such as thumb drives.

Hard drives were slow to sort files ( changing the view to sort by date ).

My passive Seagate 1TB USB backup drive was not recognized on any USB port. Nor did my ports always recognize my Lumix camera.

The Mouse was freezing every few seconds for a millisecond or so.

I read online forums and articles. Everyone seemed to point to Motherboard and USB issues.

I reinstalled my USB drivers. I had a USB controller that had the yellow. in Device Manager.

I re-installed the BIOS.

Still no go. I just lived with the issues until my main HD started to fail. I tried cloning it but it was too late. So I installed a new drive. Installed a clean version of Windows 7.  Copied my files and then re-installed my programs.

Still, I had the same issues. So I just lived with the issues.

Then after removing a failing 250 GB drive and installing a 1TB drive, the 1TB drive would disappear when moving a large amount of files to it. ( 35 GB-60 GB)

Other drives too could disappear.

a few BSOD’s

typical blue screen of death BSOD computer
the typical blue screen of death BSOD computer

After reading many computer forums and manufacturer/developer sites. I finally found about two people who suggested looking at the power supply. I had seen power supplies die but it never occurred to me that they weakened.

If I had used logic I may have figured this out sooner. Passive USB devices use the computer’s power. Thumb drives use very little. My Backup drive uses a lot.

So I installed a new 500-watt power supply.

Computer power supply
Computer power supply

Results

None of the drives disappear.

My backup drive is now recognized.

File sorts are super fast.

Mouse seems to be OK

I still have a USB controller that had the yellow. in Device Manager. Maybe I’ll figure this out one day.

So it seems that the problem was the power supply. I hope this can help some of you experiencing similar issues.

USB port not recognizing devices

This also can cause some USB devices not to be recognized.

Click on Start, then Computer, then system properties Then advanced system settings, then device installation settings

Make sure that ” Yes, do this automatically ( recommended) is checked.

Due to current my setup, I am not able to easily access my USB ports. My main PC has only 1 USB port on the front and it has not worked correctly in years. So I had to run extension cables to the ports in the rear. This turned out to be my major problem. The three feet long cables appear to cause a loss of current. My back -up drive did not work, my DSLR camera was not always recognized, my USB-powered scanner did not work etc. So I thought about it and added an old powered USB hub. I used a 5-volt power supply to power it. It’s an old Dynex with 7 ports. Now all my USB issues are history.

Still another issue. Some USB cables work to charge your devices but do not seem to carry data. I have yet to investigate more thoroughly.

 

Cakewalk error

“Unable to open audio record device “ click on this link for a solution that worked for me. This occurred when I tried to playback an older recorded project.

Old HP laserjet printers with Windows 10

Someone gave me an old HP Laserjet 1012 probably because it would no longer work when they installed either Win 7 or Windows 10. If you go to the HP site you will see where HP techs state that these old printers will not work on Windows 10. This is NOT true. Most companies are not interested in fixing your problems. They do not care about customer service. All they want to do is have you shell out your hard-earned cash.

Have an old HP LaserJet 1012 printer you want to use with your new Windows 10 machine? Here’s how to get it working,

Source: Installing HP LaserJet 1012 on Windows 10 – Dave Mroz

I followed Dave Mroz’s instructions and my old reliable printer works great. I use it to print PCB patterns on inkjet photo paper in order to iron on the patterns onto copper-clad boards. I also use this old machine to print most of my work as long as I do not require colour. For that, I have an inkjet colour machine.

The link for drivers in Dave’s article no longer works. I used the HP drivers found here “drivers” 

HP laserjet problem with printouts

So I used the printer listed above for 6 years without issues. Then my printouts began to fade. I had a brand-new toner cartridge that I had bought at a yard sale for about $ 10. So I replaced it. The results were the same. So I went online to see what could be the cause. Someone suggested checking the fuser. So I took the beast apart and checked and cleaned the fuser mirrors etc. I struggled to get the machine back together. I did have the service manual. Once almost correctly re-assembled I ran the tests again. The same results were had. So I read some more. Someone suggested cleaning or changing the transfer roller. I first cleaned it and had the same results. So I ordered a replacement for under $15.00. Once installed I had the same results. Somewhere I had read that toner doesn’t expire. So I gave up. Recently I started checking out my problem again. I found an article that stated that toner does expire. So I check the date on that brand new sealed one that I had installed. The box showed 2006. It’s 2022 at the time of this writing.  That’s 16 years !!!  So I ordered a toner for about $ 22 on Amazon.  The new toner improved my issue. TONER DOES EXPIRE !!!!!

Although my printouts were much improved, they were nowhere close to what I used to get. I recently bought a newer (old) HP laserjet at it works great. So maybe you need the original HP tones carts and not aftermarket ones. I’m not sure.

Garbled audio when any secondary program or browser operates.

Recently I’ve been experiencing garbled audio and video out of sync. Everything starts out OK but then it got worse. I did all the proposed fixes without success. There was a workaround that I had to do to get things straight. This was to switch my computer audio from my Focusrite interface to my built-in speaker and then back. Also, a reboot helped. Since I was experiencing the same issue with both sound players I assumed that it was a motherboard issue. Now my MB is getting long in the tooth. It’s a 2015 Gigabyte Z77. My audio drivers are constantly being updated so I decided to install the original drivers. So far so good although I did experience some motor-boating at one point. This will be an ongoing test. So far I still have problems. They seem to be related to my Focusrite interface.

Update. I bought a used i7-6700 with 32GB of ram. At first I experienced a bit of the same audio problems, freezing and garbling. It seemed related to the internet browsers. Then I had this idea of checking my WiFi signal. I ran an app called Netspot free edition. It show your WiFi signal strength. I live in a 7 story Apartment building so there are many WiFi signals in close vicinity.  Much to my surprise the two strongest signals belong to my upstairs and downstairs neighbours. My signal was poor. My router is two rooms away. So I sourced some WiFi boosters. I choose this one for about $16 from Aliexpress.   Not only did my signal improve but It seems to have solved my audio problems.

 

High Speed WiFi extender
High Speed WiFi extender

Computer Maintenance.

Dust can slow down and even kill your computer etc. I have used compressed air in the past but cans of air are increasing in price. So I discovered this wonderful gadget. It’s compressed air tool that is wireless and has three levels of force. It looks like a mini hair dryer. It too came from Aliexpress under $20.00 . It will pay for it’s self in no time.

Ordering direct from China has improved. Most of my orders arrive within 9-14 days and many times the shipping is free.

Compressed Air Duster
Compressed Air Duster

One of the problems with computers is that the internal fans get clogged up with dust. You have to blow that dust away. Sometime it’s a good idea to re-seat you CPU with fresh heat sink compound. The above duster helps.

 

Programs slow to open after computer has been running for a a while

I had this annoying problem on my secondary computer. After the computer was up and running for a while it became slow to respond when I tried to open a browser of a folder. I was able to remedy by re-booting. This is not a solution. I searched high and low without success for a solution. Then on day I have an idea. I was running an older version of  Zone labs firewall. I upgraded to the latest version and my problem was solved.

Computer BSOD often when I clicked n a web link either in my email or within a browser. I eventually found an article that pointed to AVG anti-virus. I uninstalled AVG. My problem wasn’t totally solved but there was a vast improvement.

Internet connection slows down as the day progresses.

My internet plan allows me 30-34Mbps. When I booted up my main computer in the morning and tested the connection it would read 34Mbps. In would get progressively slower as the day went on. At 9:57 one day it was 0. I thought it was my Wifi dongle , so I swapped it and still had the same issues. I updated the drivers. I switched to Ethernet all with the same results. I updated my Windows. Still the same. I read tonnes of forums. Nothing. Then I had a Eureka moment. Could Zone labs be the culprit. I uninstalled Zone labs. So far my connection speed has been constant and the computer has not crashed.I may have also solved my sound garbling and out of sync issues.

I have been using AVG and Zone labs for years and had never experienced any issues. I don’t know what they have done but it ain’t good.

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