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I recently installed Windows 7 and I am trying to clean up my machine. When I boot up, after the Dell screen my machine is taken over by the Paragon boot manager. It is a bunch of junk and how do I remove it? The uninstaller doesn’t see it and I used Agent Ransack to find it, no luck. How can I remove it? I uninstalled the Paragon partition software I had, hoping it would go and no luck. Can you help? My new problem is in loading Windows 7. I only have Win 7 on my machine but when it boots up it loads the Windows Boot Manager with the one choice Windows 7. I want to skip this and just load Windows normally, any ideas. Thank you.

There seems to be a quirk with the Paragon Boot Manager whereby it gets stuck and resists any attempts to remove it from the computer. The Paragon Boot Manager is located on your hard drive. Fortunately, you should be able to deactivate or remove it readily enough. Read through the suggestions here and try whichever one you are most comfortable with. If that does not work, move on to another suggestion.

How to Deactivate Paragon Boot Manager

Deactivating Paragon Boot Manager can be accomplished using the Paragon HDM bootable CD. This option is only available for those who have versions 1 through 6 as the bootable CD is not provided for later versions. If you have it available, follow these steps:

1. Boot up your machine using the Paragon HDM (Hard Disk Manager) CD.
2. Look for and select the phrase “Find OSes on my hard drive.”
3. Look for and select the Windows icon with the name of your hard drive.
4. Select enter to boot up. Boot up using your Windows 7 operating system.
5. Start up HDM.
6. Select “Paragon Boot Manager.”
7. Select “Next.”
8. In the selection box that appears, select the option to “Deactivate.”
9. Select “ok.”

How to Remove Paragon Boot Manager: “Last Known Good Configuration”

One strategy that you can try is to use “Last Known Good Configuration” to go back to a time when you did not have this problem. Simply click “F8″ during the booting up of your machine and select “Last Known Good Configuration.” If you use this option, you will have to reinstall any software that was installed after the date that you select. All of your documents, etc should remain available to you.

How to Remove Paragon Boot Manager: Repair the OS

If you have your Windows 7 system recovery CD, you can use it to repair the operating system. Select the “Fix start up issues” option. This strategy should remover Paragon Boot Manager from your machine. If this strategy does not work for you, bring up a DOS prompt and enter he following command, bootrec /fixmbr.

How to Disable the Windows Boot Manager

Follow these steps to disable the Windows Boot Manager and boot directly into the OS.

1. Click Start.
2. Select Control Panel.
3. Select System.
4. Select System Properties.
5. Select Advances, then Startup and Recovery, and Settings.
6. Remove the check mark in front of “Time to display list of operating systems.”
7. Make sure that Windows 7 is designated as your default operating system.

If I am downloading and shut my computer, will it still load?

Computer Standby and Hibernation Modes

Most, if not all of the time, laptop and notebook computers are pre-programmed to go into a standby mode when the lid is closed. In this case any active downloads will be paused because the Internet connection is interrupted and because the computer goes into an inactive state. Standby and Hibernate modes are useful for saving power and for putting your computer in a suspended state for traveling.

Change the Windows Power Option Settings

There is a setting in Windows that you can use to override and reset the power options, allowing the computer to stay active even when the lid is shut. You can use these settings to change the computer’s behavior when the lid is closed or when you press the Sleep or Start buttons. Here’s how to change the settings for a closed lid in XP:

1. Click Start, then Control Panel
2. Choose Power Options, then click the Advanced tab
3. This should allow you the option to choose the computer’s behavior when the lid is closed
4. Select ”Do Nothing” so that the computer stays active at all times
5. Click OK or Apply to set the changes

In Windows Vista:

1. Click Start, then Control Panel
2. Choose System and Maintenance, and then Power Options
3. From the Select a Power Plan page, select Choose What Closing the Lid Does
4. On the next page, beside When I Close the Lid, select the option to keep the computer active - both for the battery and the power adapter

Download Interruptions in Standby and Hibernation Modes

If you don’t change these settings, then the download will be interrupted when the lid is closed. When the computer goes into standby or hibernation mode the Internet connection is severed, so the downloads are stopped. Normally, when downloading and the lid is closed, the download will become inactive until the computer wakes up and the Internet connection is resumed. In some cases the download is still viable and will resume when the Internet connection is restored, but in other cases, you may need to start the download over from the beginning.

It would be easier to diagnose the problem if the exact scenario were known. Are you having problems downloading everything or just certain types of files? Is the issue related to one specific website or to each website that you attempt to download from? I’ll provide a few suggestions that you can use to try and resolve the issue.

Common Scenarios that Create Problems Downloading Files

Several different issues can be at fault when downloading becomes difficult. If you have recently updated your operating system or browser or if someone else uses your computer, any one of the following issues could be the problem. Additionally, if you are only having difficulty downloading from a particular website, the issue might not have arisen prior to this. Read through and follow the tips:

• Disable pop up blockers. The browser settings might need to allow pop ups in order to download from certain websites.
• Set the browser to allow cookies.
• Disable your anti-virus/anti-spyware application temporarily and try to complete the download. Make sure that you enable the application once you are finished attempting the download.
• Add the website to your list of trusted sites in your browser.
• Enable notifications for downloads in the browser.
• If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser, you might need to adjust the security settings as follows: Navigate to “Tools,” select “Internet Options,” select “Custom level” under “Security,” Navigate to “Download” and enable “File download” and “Automatic Prompting.” Click “ok.”
• Update all drivers for your system this includes the operating system and your Web browser.

Contact Customer Service

If the downloading problem is related to a specific website, contact their customer service department or look through their list of FAQs.

Clean the Registry

One of the first steps to take when one of your programs isn’t working is to clean the registry. It is possible that one or more of the files in the registry have become corrupted. Since the registry keeps tabs on all of your programs including the downloader, it is critical that the registry is kept in good shape. I recommend getting a reliable registry cleaner such as RegCure and using it whenever your computer starts to have problems such as the one that you are experiencing now.

Check for Spyware and Viruses

The presence of spyware or a virus can upset the functioning of the computer. If you have an anti-virus/anti-spyware application, try using it now. If you don’t have one, I can recommend getting a reliable one such as Anti-Virus PLUS. Read the review and see if this is something that could be useful to you. Of course, since spyware and viruses are mutated in an effort to slip by anti-virus/anti-spyware applications, you need to stay current with your updates on this type of application. If you already have one, check for updates before running it on your computer.

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Java

Java is technology originally developed by Sun Microsystems that allows software that is written for an idealized “virtual machine” to run on a variety of different computer operating systems. Many websites and interactive programs use Java to run. Java can also be used to create “applets” that are small programs that can be embedded in websites such as a clock or weather map.

Java Downloads

You can download Java by clicking on the link and going to the Java website. The download is free and it is a good idea to keep your Java updated so that you are using the latest and greatest program. If you are not sure if you have Java installed, you can test the Java version you have installed on the website automatically. You can also choose if you want to download the new version of Java online, or choose to install it offline and then go to your computer and load it manually.

Run the Installer

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Once you click on the download button, you may be asked to confirm that this is what you want to do. You will then be asked to save the file. Go ahead and do that, and download the program. On your desktop, open the dialog box and click Ok to run the installer. The program will then “unpack” what it needs to run and should only take a few minutes. Accept the licensing agreement and it should be running. You may need to close and reopen the browser in order to fully install Java.

Updating Java

Many users have reported issues with newer versions of Java. In general, when you want to download a newer version of Java, you should first uninstall the current installation. Using the Add and Remove Programs (or Programs and Features if you have Windows Vista) option is the first step. Uninstall the old edition of Java, and then head over to the Java download center. You’ll have a cleaner install and fewer problems.

If you have further questions about Java or your download, go to the Java support portion of the site and they should be able to assist you.

Windows Installer keeps popping up when I open MS products (Office 2007 programs, IE, etc.). It says, “Preparing to install…” and then goes away after a few seconds. Some programs (like IE) it pops up more than once before going away. All these programs do load fine, just the irritating Windows Installer keeps popping up. This all started when I decided to remove programs I no longer use. I did use System Restore to restore to before the uninstalls, but that didn’t fix the problem. The programs that this affects were not included in the programs I removed/restored. I have and use RegCure (purchased this first). It makes no difference. I also have Max Registry Cleaner, same thing - makes no difference. I was going to download the file from MS to fix (clean?) this problem (sorry, can’t remember the name of the file), but it is not to be used with Office 2007, which I have. Oh! And to top it off, my Office 2007 help files are now not working. Can you help, please? Thank you!

Troubleshooting a Windows Installer error pop-up

Uninstall and Reinstall Office

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As complicated as this problem sounds, I am going to suggest a simple solution - remove Microsoft Office completely and then reinstall. It sounds like there was a problem during your removal of programs, but at this point I think that a clean install is the best course of action. First things first though, make sure that you create back up files of all your Office documents before you remove the programs, just in case. Make back up files to a removable device, like a CD or a USB flash drive, and then take the steps below to reinstall your Office suite.

How to Uninstall Office

First, use Windows Add/Remove to delete all the Office programs that are still on your system, the same way that you did to remove the programs that you didn’t want before. To do this, the steps are slightly different for Vista and XP or earlier operating systems. If you are running Vista:

1. Click the Start button, then enter programs and features in the dialog box to open, and select Enter.
2. From the application list that appears, select the 2007 Office listing and then select Uninstall/Change from the toolbar.

For Windows XP and earlier systems:

1. Click the Start button, then Run, and then enter control appwiz.cpl in the dialog box to open, and select Enter.
2. From the application list that appears, select the 2007 Office listing and then select Remove.

Make Sure that the Program is Completely Removed

1. The key to making sure that your uninstall is clean, and that your computer is in good shape for your reinstall, is to completely remove all the registry keys and other residual code that might be stuck on your system. And you might still have problems with bits of applications unless the programs are properly removed. To troubleshoot your uninstall, you should run RegCure at this point to make sure that the program has been completely uninstalled.

Reinstall Office

Now that you have removed the program from your computer, you can reinstall it and, if all goes well, the clean install will solve all your problems. Here is a link to the Microsoft Support Page that details the steps to remove the unwanted Office programs and personally configure your Office Settings.

Random numbers appear in text when I type and NUMLOCK is not on. Help?

I have a few ideas to offer you for solving this problem. Read through what I have to say and you might be surprised as I was when I made my discovery. I doubt very much that it is related to a virus or the NUMLOCK key.

Are the Numbers Random?

If you look through your text and break it down, you will see that the numbers only appear for the letters that you type in the “Qwerty” row. Plus, the numbers that appear with each letter from that row are the ones that are positioned above them. For example, with “W@he3n”

• the uppercase “W” produced the @, which is the symbol that you would get if you hit shift and that key.
• the letter “h” did not produce a number or symbol because it is not from the Qwerty row.
• The letter “e” produced the number 3, which is the number positioned above the 3.
• The letter “n” did not produce a number or symbol because it is not from the Qwerty row.

Troubleshooting Tips

Unfortunately, I think that you are probably going to have to replace the keyboard with a new one. If you are using a laptop, then you are probably going to have to have the keyboard repaired. At any rate, try these suggestions first.

• Clean the keyboard thoroughly. Turn it over and gently tap it to remove loose crumbs.
• Look for signs of sticky residue in between the keys on the Qwerty row and the keys with the numbers.
• Pay attention to the location of your fingertips when typing on the Qwerty row. If you have fake nails, the tips could be hitting the number keys when you are typing.
• Check each of the keys on the keyboard to determine whether any of them are stuck. Gently loosen any keys that you find that appear to be stuck out of position.
• Use a special key removal tool to take out the keys and clean more thoroughly if you suspect deeper areas of dirt. This task needs to be done carefully. You can use a can of compressed air to clean the area beneath the keys. I do not recommend removing all of the keys at once. Do not remove the space bar.
• Borrow another keyboard from elsewhere and see if that has the same problem with the computer that you are using. Even if you have a laptop, you can use a USB keyboard for troubleshooting this issue. If the problem does not occur with a different keyboard, the problem is with the original keyboard.
• Try hitting any of the following combinations: “shift and numlock,” “function and numlock,” “control and numlock.”

Use the Device Manager to Check the Status of the Keyboard

I recommend going into the Device Manager and looking to see what the status of the keyboard is. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click Start.
2. Click My Computer.
3. Click Manage or System Information.
4. Click Hardware.
5. Click Device Manager.
6. Click Keyboards.
7. Double-click the keyboard that displays in the list - any error messages?

Use the Regional and Language Option to Check the Language Status of the Keyboard

This next task is a stab in the dark, but it doesn’t hurt anything to try. I recommend going into the Regional and Language Option and looking to see what the status of the keyboard is. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click Start.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click Control Panel.
4. Click Regional and Language Option.
5. Click Language.
6. Click Details.
7. In the dialog box that pops open, make sure that the English/United States has been selected for the keyboard.
8. Click OK.

I am sorry to say that if none of the above has worked for you, your keyboard probably has a faulty connection. Your remaining choices are to replace it or repair it.