Resources

Contact Wolf

Contact Wolf is a popular software program from Lone Wolf software company. It is a contact management database that keeps records including addresses, phone numbers, Internet information and family and business contacts. If you are looking for a simple address book, this program may be overkill, although it has received good reviews from people using it in their businesses for contact management.

I wasn’t able to find any uninstall problems with Contact Wolf in general, but that doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. The file may be corrupt or the uninstall program isn’t working for some unknown reason. Whatever the reason that you can’t uninstall the program, there are ways around it.

Simple Solutions

I’m sure that this isn’t your problem, but I have to ask - is Contact Wolf running in the background when you are trying to remove it? Programs have to be closed before they can be removed.

Is the Add/Remove program giving you any particular error messages? It is easy to find the problem if the system points you in the right direction.

Delete Contact Wolf Manually

The best way to get around Add/Remove program problems is to delete it through the registry. Make sure that you have given yourself a restore point in case you run into any problems.

To set a restore point:

1. Go to Start, then Programs and then Accessories.
2. Open System Tools.
3. Start System Restore.
4. Pick the option for Setting a System Restore Point.
5. Click Next.
6. Name the restore point so you can find it easily later.
7. Click Create, then Close.

Once you have set a system restore point, you can get into the registry:

1. Go to Start, then Run.
2. Type in regedit.
3. Search for the Contact Wolf software by entering the name of the program.
4. Delete anything that is associated with this program.

Using System Restore

If for some reason, uninstalling through the registry doesn’t work, you can go back to a previous restore point (not the one you just set up) to get back to a point before you installed the Contact Wolf program.

1. Follow the above directions through number 3, getting into System Restore.
2. Click on ‘Restore my computer to an earlier time’.
3. Click Next. See the Select a Restore Point page.
4. Select the Date you want to restore to. This should be a date just before you installed Contact Wolf. Any programs you installed after this date will have to be reinstalled.
5. Confirm the date, click Next.
6. The computer will shut down and reboot. You will see the “Restoration Complete” page. Click Ok.

One of these solutions should work for you. You can also use a software uninstaller program such as Perfect Uninstaller.

Why Won’t My CD Rip to My Hard Drive?

Even though digital music downloads are gaining popularity, you still own CDs. You might even buy new releases on CD even though you have an MP3 player. But for some reason, you can’t rip certain CDs to your hard drive. This is frustrating, to say the very least. All you want is to transfer your music so that you can enjoy it in your MP3 player or computer.

Here are some reasons why CDs won’t rip. Fortunately, these problems are easy to fix, even if you’re not the most-advanced PC user on the planet. Your music should be on your hard drive very soon.

You might not be able to rip your CDs if: 

• You’re trying to rip a copy-protected CD. Sometimes the CD ripper that you’re trying to use just won’t work with the disc’s protection. The easiest fix is to use different software. Apple’s iTunes is free and has few problems with copy-protected CDs. You can also try Windows Media Player, which is already on your computer if you have a Windows operating system. Be sure to update any ripper that you use: this way, you’ll get the latest version with the most bug fixes and patches.

• There’s a problem with the software settings. Each program has a different setup and user interface, but some things are common to most programs. Check the preferences or options menu for things like the file format, quality, and destination. You can also read the program’s Help files and troubleshooting sections for assistance that’s specific to that program.

• The computer needs to restart. This is the magic cure for many computer problems. Save all your work, reboot your system and try again.

• Your CD is scratched, scuffed or otherwise damaged. Scratches and scuffs can be repaired. If your CD has pinholes - that is, light shining through on the play side - you can’t do much to fix the problem. You can try using a CD ripper with error-correction capabilities to recover as many of the songs as possible, but there are no guarantees that this will work for every file. If this does work, it’s wise to burn a copy of the album so that you have a “good” copy on hand.

• Your CD is smudged or covered with other gunk. Fingerprints, smudges and other messes are easy to clean off. Just give the CD a bath in lukewarm water. Dry it with a lint-free cloth and try ripping again.

• Your CD-ROM drive is dirty or damaged. You can use a laser lens cleaner to eliminate many read errors. If that doesn’t help, you might have a damaged drive. You can confirm that the drive is the problem by trying to play other discs. If they all give you the same errors or problems, then you should consider calling your computer’s manufacturer for technical support.

• Somebody sold you a bootleg. This happens more often than you might think. Some fakes look very much like the real thing, so it’s easy to pick up a bad copy. Because these CDs aren’t regulated or subject to quality control, some won’t rip to your hard drive. Many of these knockoff discs are full of errors, in fact, so intentionally buying them to save money is rarely a good idea.

If your CD still won’t rip, you can try calling the record label’s toll-free number. Somebody there should be able to tell you what, if any, problems have been reported by other buyers - and tell you what to do about it. Hopefully, though, you won’t have to worry about that. In most cases, the problem is easily fixed, leaving you free to rip and enjoy your music.

Windows Vista comes with a variety of built-in diagnostics tools that you can use to troubleshoot problems. Unfortunately, they’re well hidden and few users are aware of them. Let me share a few that I’ve discovered.

Memory Diagnostics is a built-in tool that will run when your computer is having trouble with the memory. When Windows detects a memory issue, you’ll be prompted to run this test. However, you don’t have to wait for problems to manifest. You can run the Memory Diagnostics tool at any time. Simply go to the Start button, type Memory Diagnostics in the Search bar and follow the prompts.

Another neat tool is the System Health Report. This is part of the Reliability and Performance Monitor. Go to the Control Panel, click on Performance Information and Tools, and then click on Advanced Tools. Here, you’ll see a list of useful options including Generate a System Health Report. The utility then run a series of tests on your computer and compile a detailed report covering just about everything you can imagine. Not only will you be able to diagnose problems, the report will offer suggestions for correcting them or improving overall performance.

Among the test categories in the System Health Report are: operating system checks, disk checks, memory checks, security checks, hardware and device driver checks, system service checks, resource overview, software configuration, hardware configuration, statistics, and more. The system diagnostics report lists all warnings and errors at the top of the report along with their symptoms, cause, details, resolutions, and links for further information.

This tool takes several minutes to run because dozens of tests take place. It’s well worth the time investment though. For example, I just ran the System Health Report and have discovered that several of my devices are either disabled or cannot start including my printer. Likewise, my CPU is overloaded with a CPU load of 92%. The report tells me to investigate top processes. Something, possibly malware, is hogging my computer’s CPU.

The Windows Security Center provides you with a one-stop location for making sure that your operating system is secure. You can access the Security Center via the Control Panel or by typing Security Center into the Search bar. Here you’ll find links to: Windows Update, Windows Firewall, Windows Defender, Internet Options, and Microsoft security and virus information. In addition, you’ll see the current status of security essentials including whether your computer is protected by a firewall, malware, and other settings.

Another useful tool is the System Configuration utility. This isn’t unique to Windows Vista but it’s still invaluable. Here, you can control which programs start up automatically, disable services, and tell the computer to start up in diagnostic mode. In addition, you’ll find shortcuts to even more diagnostic tools.

The next time you need to speak with technical support, be prepared by having detailed information about your computer including your operating system and version, computer manufacturer and model number, BIOS version, processor, boot device, physical and virtual memory, and more. Sound like a lot of work? Don’t worry; it’s easy to find out this information once you know where to look.

Start by going to the Start button, clicking Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information. This launches a screen that details your computer’s specific configuration. You can also launch System Information by typing msinfo32.exe in the Run box (Start >Run).

The first screen provides a summary of your system with most of the information you’ll be asked to provide. You can print this information out by going to the File menu and choosing Print. You can also highlight the information and click Control + A (to select All), Control + C (to copy) and then paste the information into a document by clicking Control + V (to paste).

While the opening screen provides you with more information than you probably had before, there’s more. In the left pane, you’ll see three categories: Hardware Resources, Components, and Software Environment. You can expand each of these categories to view specific details about your hardware, components, and software.

For example, under Components, you’ll find a listing for “problem devices.” This is useful when you suspect something is wrong with one of your peripherals but aren’t quite sure what. Simply check this listing to see any problem devices that your computer has identified along with related error codes.

Want to know who manufactured your hard disk along with detailed information about partitions, size, cylinders, sectors, tracks, and more? Go to Components, click on Storage, and click on Disks. Allow the system to refresh the display and you’ll see all kinds of details about your hard drive. The Components section also lists information about multimedia codecs, CD-ROM, sound devices, display devices, infrared devices, input devices, modems, network settings, ports, printers, and USB ports.

The Hardware section also provides you with a wealth of information about your computer’s hardware including I/O ports, memory address, and IRQ settings for various devices. While much of this information will be meaningless to you, it could provide clues to technical support personnel trying to troubleshoot your problem.

Want to see all of the system drivers? Go down to the Software Environment section and click on System Drivers. Likewise, you can click on Signed Drivers to see other device drivers from various manufacturers. The Software Environment section also lists environmental variables, print jobs, network connections, running tasks, loaded modules, services, program groups, startup programs, OLE registration, and Windows Error Reporting.  

While you can’t do much within System Information besides view data about your computer and its installed components, this is a one-stop destination when you need system details.

View the whole series of System Tools Articles:

• System Tools: Disk Cleanup
• System Tools: Defragmenter
• System Tools: System Restore
• System Tools: Backup and Restore
• System Tools: System Information
• System Tools: Windows Easy Transfer
• System Tools: Control Panel
• System Tools: Task Scheduler

When troubleshooting computer errors, I will often ask myself, “Did I overlook something?” Sometimes a solution is so obvious that it’s nearly impossible to see. I’m not going to double check the power cord because of course it’s plugged in. I’m smarter than that, right? Recently, minor computer problems struck close to home, clearly illustrating how important it is to consider obvious causes.

First, I have a two-year-old boy in my house. Anyone with a toddler underfoot knows that everything is fair game. A few months ago, about six keys from my daughter’s keyboard had mysteriously disappeared. It doesn’t take an ace detective to figure out who made off with them.

But when my wireless network and Internet access went down last week, the antics of my little guy where a distant memory. I’m a “Tech Jock” by golly and I was on the job. I rebooted my cable modem and wireless router as that often solves these issues. I went into the Networking and Sharing Center and “refreshed” the network. I double checked my network protocol settings. You name it, I did it.

Next, I checked the other computers on the network to see if they were experiencing network connectivity problems. They could connect just fine. Since my other computers could connect, I knew the problem wasn’t with my ISP. Plus, I had Internet access! This meant I could further research my problem. Just as I was getting ready to dig in and figure out my problem, guess who toddled in and plopped himself down in front of my computer?

Was the solution really as obvious as it looked? Yes. My two-year-old son had flipped the wireless access switch (which is conveniently located on the front of my laptop with a pretty orange indicator light) to the “off” position. All I had to do flip the switch back to “on” and I was back in business.

Computers don’t care how young, old, or experienced you are; they affect everyone. Last week, my 70-year-old father had a problem resetting his wireless keyboard after the batteries died. He replaced the batteries but couldn’t re-establish wireless communication. He fiddled a bit before calling tech support. After 45 minutes of checking device drivers and other troubleshooting steps, he finally gave up and called his favorite local computer repair tech.

The tech arrived and spent at least one, if not two, billable hours fiddling with the system, checking settings and drivers, and running diagnostic tests. Finally, he decided to check the obvious: the batteries. Yes. The solution was as obvious as it looked. My father had installed the batteries upside down.

Let my father’s $200 plus computer repair bill be a lesson to you all. Don’t be afraid to check the obvious. In fact, whenever you’re faced with a computer error, check the obvious. Is the computer plugged in? Is the switch in the “on” position? Are the batteries installed correctly? Are the batteries any good? Am I logged on with the correct privileges? Did I recently make a change to the system? Is the printer connected on both ends? Do I have an ink cartridge installed? Is a floppy disk inserted in the drive?

I’m a “Tech Jock” and I overlooked the obvious. Want to know what my father is? He’s a detective! If we can miss these basic clues, so can you. When computer problems strike, start with the obvious. You may just crack the case!