The new version of Ubuntu Linux (version 9.10) was recently released. This version is much more user-friendly than other Linux variants, particularly in the guided installation which helps people not familiar with Linux to achieve a working installation of the product. If you are interested in trying out Linux then Ubuntu is a great place to start. You can download Ubuntu for free at www.ubuntu.com . You can burn Ubuntu to a live CD allowing you to try Ubuntu without installing anything on your computer. However, if you do wish to install Linux, but still need to use Windows, you could try virtualising Ubuntu within Windows using software such as VirtualBox (www.virtualbox.org).

After installing a new DVD writer on my Windows XP computer whenever the computer boots the blue screen of death appears and the computer immediately restarts. This is completely preventing me from using the computer. I have tried unplugging the DVD writer but the problem continues. (more…)

During the Windows XP Service Pack 3 installation a message appears saying “An error occurred while copying file beethov9.wma. Cannot copy file to destination directory click Retry or Cancel”. Clicking the “Retry” button does not work and the message reappears, so I need to abort the installation. I found references on the internet to other people who have the same problem and the resolution involves altering file permissions. However, I am wary of this process and would appreciate your comments and a more detail explanation of this approach. Would it help if I tried to install the update through Windows Safe Mode? (more…)

Windows 7 introduces some great new major features, but in many cases it is the little improvements which make a new operating system better over its predecessors. In the case of Windows 7 a really good new feature, which has been available on other operating systems for a long time, is the ability to directly burn ISO images to CDs and DVDs. It is an incredibly easy process as well. Double-click on the ISO file on your computer and then select the CD/DVD drive you would like to use to write the ISO file. You can even select whether you would like to verify the CD/DVD after the burn has completed.

My computer is running Mac OS X 10.5.6 with Safari as the web browser. When returning to a previous page on a particular bank website a message appears saying “Are you sure you want to send a form again”. I appreciate that this is normal and part of the use protection process. However, recently the message has started appearing multiple times, requiring me to keep clicking the “Send” button. As this bank website is constantly updated, it requires frequent fresh updates involving going back to pages. As you can imagine, this message is getting quite frustrating. How can I fix this problem? (more…)