IT Queries: Computer problems answered

I’m trying to share files between Windows XP machines. When I try to access anything on the computers I get an error saying “You may not have permission to use this network resource”.

I’ve shared my folders but still can’t seem to access anything?

There’s a number of issues that can be causing it. Microsoft have a comprehensive run down on the common causes for this problem on their website.

If none of the solutions on that page fix the problem, you may want to check if you have a firewall blocking the file sharing service. If you do, you’ll have to allow file sharing or add your network to firewall’s trusted zone.

I am looking to buy a new laptop. It will be used for powerful programs like achicad, film editing, musical applications etc. I’ve already found a suitable model with enough power (Toshiba A300/M00), but it comes with Vista Home Premium built in.

Would you recommend Vista yet, or would you hold off for a while until Microsoft releases more software updates?

Also is there a way to change the operating system of a laptop with Vista already pre packaged?

You can “downgrade” a computer to Windows XP but it’s time consuming and expensive. Generally our advice is to stick with the operating system that comes with the computer.

The important thing with Vista is to make sure you have plenty of memory on the system and good fast hard drive. The Toshiba M300/M00 is a reasonably well specified machine that shouldn’t have any problems with Vista.

We would recommend getting the three year Toshiba extended warranty on the unit and, if the budget allows, upgrade the memory to 4Gb.

The only way you’ll come unstuck with Vista is if you are trying to connect to older equipment or install software that’s not the current edition. Many packages struggle with Vista’s security measures.

If you have an adequate computer and you are using newer technology, then there should be no problem with Vista.

I have a new HP tablet/notebook running Windows Vista Home Premium. When I start it up I get the error message “Wmdsync.exe – unable to locate component. This application failed to start because re. Re-installing the application may fix this problem”.

I suspect it happened because I installed ActiveSync, then realised I didn’t need it, then uninstalled it. I have tried installing the latest version of Windows Mobile Centre, but it has not fixed the problem. Any advice please? Regards Wendy

Hi Wendy,

The problem is ActiveSync still want to start but Vista, correctly won’t let you install the required dll.

To fix the error message, open the system configuration tool, select the Start Up tab and take the tick off Wmdsync.exe. This  will fix the error message.

You may need to install the Windows Mobile Device Center which is the Vista replacement for Active Synch. You can get the latest update from the Microsoft website.

I have a new computer with Vista in the place. When I am typing emails, the lines jump up all over the place. I have contacted their service dept but their advice did not help. as you can see it has jumped during this email (fortunately only once) but it usually goes all over the place. taking me ages to type and fix. any suggestions?

If this is a laptop, what you’ll probably find is the touchpad at the front of the keyboard is too sensitive and when brush it while typing it moves the cursor.

Depending on the brand, there will be a way to change this either using the system software or by changing the mouse sensitivity in the Control Panel. To do the latter, Microsoft have the instructions on their website.

Some people have found problems with the “tap to click” functions on  HP and Toshiba laptops. It’s worthwhile disabling those in the software settings if this is a problem.

Is it possible to have the default for all files in my Documents and elsewhere to appear in the list option?  This used to happen but since my computer crashed it now defaults to icons and I find them hard to rcognise.  I know that I can chance them BUT I hope that there is a way to set the default.

First get the view you want. Open My Computer, click View and select either List or Details.

Then click Tools, Folder Options and the View tab. Click the Apply to all folders button.

I have just bought a laptop that comes with Vista. I am having trouble downloading my old Blackberry Curve 8310 Driver into the new laptop, and hence have not been able to sync with Microsoft Outlook to stay on top my of schedules efficiently.

It can be a bit tricky setting up the software to work on Vista. It’s not actually the drivers that cause the problem, but the installation program for the Blackberry Desktop Manager that tries to find a program that isn’t always installed on Vista.

To fix this first download the latest Blackberry Desktop Manager.

Then click the Start button, select find and type regsvr32 vbscript.dll. You’ll be asked a number of times for your Administrator password by Vista .

Reboot your computer and install the Desktop Manager software.

Plug in your Blackberry and it should work fine.

Whenever I click any drive (C: or D: ) to open, it asks me to choose a programme to open the file (drive), is this some virus?

No, the problem is more mundane. You have inf files in the root directory of the drives. Inf files are used to run programs when you open a drive or folder. It’s how CDs run automatically when you put them into your Windows computer.

In your case some of these inf files have found their way onto the C: and D: drives, probably through a mistake while downloading or opening files.

To fix this, simply search your hard drives for any files finishing in .inf and rename them to something like .in0.  Remember you should only rename the files you find in the root directory and not in any subdirectories or you may find programs might stop working.

I have Windows XP Pro, SP2. On startup I get the error: “Windows cannot load the user’s profile but has logged you on with the default profile for the system.” “Insufficient system resources exist to complete the required service.”

This happens to all users when computer is first started. Then try restart and same problem. Tried shut down, reboot and still same problem.

The problem is caused by Windows not being able to open the user profiles on the computer. This is often due to damage on the hard drive.

Our first suggestion would be to back up all important data and then scan the drive for errors. If bad blocks are found during the scan, you’ll need to replace the hard drive.

Checking for malware is another useful step which may resolve the “insufficient system resources” error but usually doesn’t cause the profile problem.

If problems continue, the next step is to create a new user in the system and see if the problem continues. If it does, there may be user permission issues on the Documents and Settings folder and it’s probably best to contact a repair service to see about resolving this problem.

We have a computer which we are intending to sell. Could you please advise how to clear the hard drive of all info prior to selling?

The answer depends on who you are selling it to and what state you want it in when it’s sold.

You can wipe the computer hard drive completely, repartition the drive and reinstall the operating system. This is a long winded way of doing things however it’s probably the best if you are selling it on the open market. It also requires some degree of computer knowledge.

A quicker fix is to simply delete the user profiles currently on the system.

In Windows go to the Control Panel, click User Accounts and add a new user. Choose to make the user an Administrator. Log off and log back on as the new user,  go back to the user accounts and delete the accounts you currently use, choose to delete all user data when it asks you.

On the Mac, go into System Preferences and open the Accounts settings. Create a new user and give them rights to adminsister the computer. Log off and log back on as the new user and go back to the accounts. Select the user accounts you want to delete, then click Delete then Delete Immediately.

On both systems you’ll need to explore the hard drive to see if any applications have left data in other locations. Some programs, particularly accounting packages, have a habit of not storing data in the user folders.

Once you’ve deleted the data, you may want to ensure it’s securely deleted by running erasing software across the hard drives. Free programs include Eraser for Windows and Permanent Eraser for the Mac.

Remember to make sure any important data has been backed up before you do any of this.

I have Windows XP and Office 2003. I can’t open tif. documents when sent via email, unless I buy Winzip which I don’t particularly want to do….is there another option please?

 Winzip probably won’t help you with this either. You need an image viewing progam that can handle .tif programs.

The built in graphics editing program on Windows XP, MS Paint, will do this. When opening the file, right click it and choose Open With. In the list of programs that appears, choose Paint.

Some email programs require you to save the attachment before doing this, if that happens save the file to a location you’ll remember then open it through the Paint program.

If you’re prompted to always open with this program, click yes and you shouldn’t have this problem again.