IT Queries: Computer problems answered

Operating System: Windows XP SP3
Windows Media Player is default media player.
On saving email attachments that are in Adobe Acrobat Reader format, they show up as _auto_file with the WMP icon and can’t be read unless I go through the process of choosing to open them in Adobe Reader.
A further file type that is defaulting to the WMP icon is PDS for home movie editing. This particular type of file becomes inaccessible and also shows up as _auto_file.
How can I stop the _auto_file function occurring and return the affected files to the correct formats?
Look forward to your advice. Regards Jen

Hi Jen,

In Windows XP you can change the file association simply by saving one of your PDF attachments to a directory or your desktop, then going to that directory or the desktop right-clicking the file and choose Open With in the menu.

Then select Choose Program and select the correct application from the list and tick the box reading Always use the selected program to open this kind of file. Click OK and the problem will be fixed for that particular file.

You might want to check your computer hasn’t had a virus infection as this problem is common after a malware attack, to scan your system visit our Removing a Trojan page.

When I start my computer a message appears saying “ntldr is missing. Press any key to restart”. The machine won’t do anything else.

NTLDR is the key file that Windows needs to load when it starts, if the computer can’t find this then it will sit there waiting for it.

The most common cause of this problem is that a removable drive such as a USB drive or a DVD disk is confusing the system on where it should look for NTLDR. So the first step is to disconnect any USB device and remove any CD or DVD disks.

If the problem still happens on restart, then there is a problem either with the Windows installation or the hard drive. The website Computer Hope has some suggestions of the specific problems and fixes but all of them require some computer knowledge and are best done by a technician.

I use windows XP and have used Incredimail for years without problem, since upgrading to Incredimail 2 as suggested in October, the computer continually closes down with a message the system has recovered from a serious error.

I again upgraded and am still having the same problem The error signature is BC Code14, BCP1 00000003, BCP2 859D9020, BCP3 859D9194, BCP4 8060577E, OS Ver 5_1_2600, SP3_0, Product 768_1 Can you advise me what the problem is please and how do I fix it.

Thanks Denise

Denise, it sounds like the problem isn’t related to Incredimail, it’s more likely to be a hardware problem, possibly a hard drive problem, a memory defect or simply some dust causing the system to overheat.

You can check some of these things yourself by following our instructions in the “System Has Recovered From A Serious Error Message” post, however it’s very likely you’ll need to take your system to a computer technician for a check up.

An anti-virus program called Smart Engine has been installed on my pc

I have sent 3 e-mails to them find how to remove it – the 3rd answer gave a link to an uninstall file however Windows Defender says the file is infectected with the Win32/FileVimes trojan & will not allow me to download the full file – smart Engine advised me to turn off Windows Defender to allow the uninstall file to be installed – this does not sound like a good idea to me

Can you please give me any advise on how to remove this program?

It’s not worth calling Smart Engine an anti-virus. It’s actually a scam that claims you’re infected with all manner of viruses and asks you to pay them to remove the non-existent malware. If anything, it’s more likely to be adding viruses than removing them.

The best way to deal with this program is to download Malware Bytes and follow the instructions in our Removing a Trojan post. This will clean it off.

Before doing it, it’s worthwhile backing up important data just in case something serious goes wrong.

I am using windows 7.  Everytime I open a file that has winrar file in it I get this error message “COM surrogate has stopped working” I have searched Microsoft and the web and have not found a solution to the problem. I have just updated to the lastest winrar, but this didn’t fix the problem. I don’t know what else to do.

I did read to in file options to turn on always show icons,never thumbnails, but because i am into photography this does not suit me. I also tried turning off the com surrogate, but that did not work either. Unlike most people I only have the problem when using winrar.

The “COM surrogate has stopped working error” is related to the way Windows shows files, particularly images and movies.

If a program wants to preview files when you look at them isn’t compatible with your version of Windows then it will cause this crash.

You can change the Windows7 settings by opening the Default Programs applet by following Microsoft’s Change which programs Windows uses by default instructions and setting program access and computer defaults back to the original Microsoft settings.

If it is WinRAR causing the problem, the first step is to completely remove it by going into “Programs and Features” and running the Add/Remove Programs function.

Once you’ve uninstalled the program, restart the system and check the COM surrogate problem has gone away. If it hasn’t you need to start considering what other programs are causing the error, these can include Nero and Adobe products along with any video and picture viewer programs.

When you identify which program is causing the problem you need to then consider whether you should continue using that application. If you choose to use it, then make sure you have the latest, Windows 7 compatible version of the program.

During the installation you should be asked if you want to run a custom install. Select that option and in the associated files list that appears only select archive files such as ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZ, ACE, UUE, BZ2, JAR, ISO, 7Z, Z. Take the ticks off other options such as cab and db.

This should clear the problem. If the error reappears after reinstalling the program, you’ll need to contact the software developer.

I use an 8GB Lexar USB drive to transfer downloaded shows from my Mac Mini to my HDD.

The problem is that when the USB is inserted in the computer and I delete some or all items from it, the info shows that the number of bytes available does not alter and I am unable to add any items.

I have deleted all the downloads from the USB, so it should be blank, but it does not acknowledge this and reports that “the item cannot be copied because their is not enough free space”. I have just copied an item of 366.6MB and the Info says there is 25.5MB available, and 7.98GB used in disk. It is the only item on the disc.

Are you able to tell me how to clear the previous content from the USB?

You should be able to clear this by emptying the Trash Bin on a Mac or the Recycle Bin on a Windows System.

On a Windows computer, right click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin. It should then clear all your deleted files off all drives.

It’s a similar process for the Mac, either right click on the Taskbar’s Trash Bin icon and select Empty Trash or click on the desktop, then select the Finder menu and click Empty Trash.

If neither of those work, then you may have to follow our reformatting a USB drive instructions.

Somehow I downloaded a program called Playitall. It started to take over my computer, first by, when starting media player, pop ups occured asking for Playitall instead. I searched out this program within the computer and found it in program files and in documents and settings.

I went to add and remove and removed the program and then searched out any other programs with the same name in Explorer. Entrees that I found I deleted. I then went to the Registry and did the same.
I restarted the computer and was unable to start any programs.

All the Icons on the desktop were labled with .lnk. I did a sfc and that did not work. After all my efforts to restore .exe files, I installed my XP disk and did a total repair of the operating system (not Format). After this I downloaded all updates and service packs. Once completed< Playitall was back. I have researched this on Mcaffe, Norton,and AVG and also google and not come up with any answers. the research I have found is there are other people out there with the same problem but no answers.

The problem is PlayItAll is a poorly designed program that damages your critical file associations which means Windows doesn’t know what to open programs with.

To fix it, you’ll have to download a couple of the File Association fixes from Doug Knox’s excellent site. Specifically the ZIP Folder Association Fix, REG File Association Fix,EXE File Association Fix and the LNK (Shortcut) File Association Fix. Save all of these to a folder you can access easily.

Uninstall PlayItAll and follow Doug’s instructions on running the two fixes from the Command Line as they won’t work without the file associations.

You can then fix the problem by running first the Zip folder which will mean you can unzip the other three fixes.

Once you’ve unzipped the REG, EXE and LNK fixes, click CTR-ALT-DEL and choose File and New Task the type regedit into the box.

In the registry editor, choose File and import then select the REG fix that you unzipped earlier. Import the file and click Exit.

Once you’ve exited the Registry Editor you should be able to just click the EXE and LNK files for them to be automatically run, if not re-open REGEDIT and import them the same way as you did for the REG fix.

When finished, exit registry editor and reboot your computer. You may find some of the other file associations may need to be fixed as well. In the worst case, some programs may have to be reinstalled.

We’ve covered a similar problem in our Cannot Open Programs post.

Purchased brand new desktop with Windows7 pre-installed, and I am unable to activate the product key the technician and I wrote down, as one  message says it it not genuine. A message in the bottom right hand corner reads “Windows7  Build 7600  This copy of Windows is not genuine”

The system cost was over $2000 from a reputable national chain. No back-up disc included.

To make matters worse, when turned off, next morning I find the console is on again – seems to have a mind of its own.

What can I do as I work full time and have never had such problems with a new computer?

Normally there is a sticker on the side of the computer with the authorisation number. That number should verify the system when it first runs.

In this case, either the wrong number has been put it or the number supplied wasn’t correct.

You’ll have to check with the store you bought it from as this is their problem.

Be careful though, the store’s first reaction will be to refer you either to Microsoft or to the manufacturer of the computer. Given the system has been like this since you’ve bought it, this is the retailer’s problem.

You don’t say if you bought this on a discount as floor or returned stock and it may be that somebody has tampered with the computer before you bought it.

Unfortunately in this case, you’re going to have to stand up against the store. You might want to follow our sister site’s checklist for dealing with disputes. Good luck.

I run Windows Vista Home Basic. Around June, I could no longer view my emails using Web Access for Outlook. All toolbars and folder trees were visible but the main area to view the list of emails in any folder is empty with the statement across the top saying – There are no items to view. Using my desktop, I don’t have a problem. Seems to be a change to my laptop in recent months. Our IT dept is unable to suggest a fix after many hours of review. Can you make a suggestion?

The obvious problem is a security patch or update to your system has blocked something on the laptop. You may want to ask your IT department to have a look at the security settings on your system and add your organisation’s server address to the “whitelists”, the list of sites trusted by your laptop’s security programs.

It may also be that your server address has somehow got onto a blocked list in your program settings. If you are using Internet Explorer on Windows Vista, follow these instructions from Microsoft on how to resolve the problem.

You many also want to try another web browser, although  Outlook Web Access works best on Internet Explorer.

please list current free anti virus software downloads that are thorough and efficient for windows 7 home?

The free anti virus programs we’d suggest for Windows 7 Home users are the following;

Microsoft Security Essentials: Microsot’s free anti-virus program for Windows XP, Vista and 7.
AntiVir: Will offer to give you the Premium edition for free as well, but we don’t like the sign up process
AVG Free: The sign up will also try to steer you towards the paid for package
Avast!: Avast is one of the longest standing free products

While AVG pushes their paid for version the hardest during the download process, all of the free versions are loss leaders for their paid versions.

The paid versions are good value for money compared to the bigger brand name products and give you more features than the free version and tech support for when there are problems.

We’d recommend the paid versions of all of these programs as well.

Note that all of these programs, with the exception of Microsoft Security Essentials, are free only for personal use; if you want to use them in a business you have to shell out for the paid versions.