I have been looking for Windows XP Service Pack 2 on the Windows Update website, but can only find minor updates for SP2 as opposed to the full upgrade. How do I obtain Service Pack 2? (more…)

My Windows XP computer is setup with 6 different users. Whenever I change between the users the computer reboots. (more…)

Whenever I try to boot my old computer running Windows Me, a message displays on the monitor ‘NO SIGNAL. 12 PRESET MODE MAX. 16 USER MODE’. As a result, I cannot use the computer. In the past I could press the Reset button and the monitor would work correctly, but lately this has not worked. The computer is also difficult to turn off, and I usually need to hold the on/off button for 5 seconds before the computer will power-down. Can you suggest how I can get the computer working, as I need to transfer data from this computer to my new computer. (more…)

When using my computer to convert a home made movie (on PAL VHS tape) to a DVD, there is picture but no sound. I can get around this issue by playing the tape to a Sony Digital NTSC camcorder, and then outputting the camera to the computer. While this does work, the double-handling involved in this process is a hassle. Can I output the video directory from the VHS player to the computer? A second (unrelated) problem is when playing movies from my laptop to TV there is sound but no stable picture on the TV. The TV is a multisystem and changing the format on the TV (PAL, NTSC, SECAM) does not fix the issue. (more…)

It is very important that all Windows computers have the latest patches and updates to fix known issues and security vulnerabilities. In older versions of Windows, the common way to update Windows is with regular visits to the Windows Update website (windowsupdate.microsoft.com). This site determines which updates are required to be installed and will then give the option to install these updates. However, there is a much easier and more convenient way to update Windows XP. The Automatic Updates feature will automatically download and install critical updates, without user interaction. To enable Automatic Updates in Windows XP, go to the ‘Start’ menu > ‘Control Panel’ and open the ‘System’ control panel (you may need to first click the ‘Performance and Maintenance’ category). In the window that appears, click the ‘Automatic Updates’ tab and enable ‘Automatic (recommended)’. You will also need to configure the time of day for the updates to be downloaded and installed. This should be set for a time when your computer will be turned on and connected to the internet. For more information on Automatic Updates, have a look at support.microsoft.com/kb/306525. (more…)