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I have an older Gateway computer. When I turn it on, it goes to the Microsoft screen and you can see it loading, then it goes to the user screen. But lately it gets stuck on the Microsoft screen. You can see the line going across, and across, but it never changes. Eventually, if it finally loads, I end up leaving my computer on because I am afraid it’s not going to start next time. What kinds of things can cause this?

Windows Slow Startup

I don’t blame you for leaving your computer running. After all, who has the free time to wait for Windows to load? However, something is going wrong somewhere. Let’s take a look at some of the more common causes behind slow startup times.

Causes for Slow Startup Times

Many culprits can be to blame including a fragmented hard drive, a nearly full hard drive, excessive startup programs, a bloated Windows registry, spyware and viruses, and failing hardware. Your computer could have a combination of these errors.

Disk Cleanup and Defragmenter

Since your computer is currently running, let’s first do some basic maintenance by cleaning up the hard drive and defragging it. Your computer needs a certain amount of free disk space in order to function, so this is a good place to start. First, double-click on My Computer and look at the C:\ drive. Is it nearly full? If so, then that’s not helping matters. Right-click the C:\ drive and choose Properties. Click Disk Cleanup and clear up as much space as possible.

Once the drive has been cleaned up, use the Disk Defragmenter utility to defrag it. This article describes this tool:

System Tools: Defragmenter

Excessive Startup Programs

Another common contributor to startup issues is having too many programs loading up at boot up. It’s hard enough for Windows to load itself let alone all those extra computer programs. This article describes how to manage startup programs in detail:

Managing Startup Items

Bloated Windows Registry

The Windows registry is a huge index containing nearly all of the instructions that Windows needs in order to work with the computer’s installed components. It is constantly growing as new programs are installed, old ones removed, new hardware added, user settings changed, and so on. Unfortunately, when it gets too large, computer performance suffers. Plus, many of the instructions end up becoming obsolete or even damaged.

For example, what if you’ve since uninstalled a program, but the uninstallation didn’t complete successfully? Partial instructions could be left behind. When Windows starts up and receives those instructions, it tries its best to carry them out but since the program has been partially installed, it can’t find what it needs in order to carry out the mission. Windows may get stuck, generate an error, or work slowly as it goes through a series of unnecessary steps.

Because your computer is having major startup problems, I highly recommend a good registry cleaning. The article, Why Use a Registry Cleaning Tool, explains registry issues in greater detail.

Spyware and Viruses

Spyware and computer viruses are notorious for damaging system files and interfering with performance. If you have a reputable antivirus product on your computer, update it and run a full system scan. If you’re unsure about the reliability of your product, any of the following free tools would be a good place to start.

• Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool
• BitDefender Scan Online
• Trend Micro House Call
• McAfee Free Scan

Failing Hardware

Finally, failing hardware can lead to slow start times. A qualified computer technician can diagnose your hardware to see if any of the computer’s components is failing. If your computer continues having startup issues after freeing disk space, removing startup items, cleaning the registry, and removing malware, then it’s time to let a professional take a look.

How do I know if I’m operating in Safe Mode and how do I change that? I am having problems with installer also.

Using Safe Mode

One of the first steps in most computer troubleshooting scenarios is to boot the computer into Safe Mode. This mode loads only the most basic services and device drivers. By running only basics, interference and conflicts from other components are minimized while system resources are maximized which makes it easier to begin troubleshooting the problem. For example, if a computer is running excessively slow and you want to defrag its hard drive but can’t because it takes forever to respond, going into Safe Mode is a good idea.

Getting into Safe Mode

You must reboot your computer in order to load it into Safe Mode. As the computer begins booting up, press the F8 key (you may have to tap F8 several times). The Windows Advanced Options menu will display. If you cannot manage to force your computer into Safe Mode by using the F8 key, turn off your computer before it fully boots. When you turn it back on, Windows should automatically display this screen because it did not successfully boot up.

Safe Mode Options

Once you see the Advanced Options Menu, use your arrow keys to choose one of the following Safe Mode options:

• Safe Mode
• Safe Mode with Command Prompt
• Safe Mode with Networking
• Last Known Good Configuration

Each option serves a specific purpose. For general troubleshooting, standard Safe Mode is fine. However, if your computer won’t even load Windows after choosing that option, you may need to enter Safe Mode with Command Prompt. This takes you directly to a command prompt where you can enter commands such as %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe (this is the command for launching System Restore from a command prompt).

If you need to access the Internet or connect to your network while working in Safe Mode, choose Safe Mode with Networking. For instance, if you want to run an online virus scan or update your operating system while in Safe Mode, you will need to connect to the Internet.

The Last Known Good Configuration option is a good choice under certain circumstances. For example, if your computer was running fine yesterday but Windows won’t load today, choosing the Last Known Good Configuration will restore the settings from the last time Windows successfully loaded. It does not delete any data though you may need to reinstall any software loaded since then.

How to Tell if your Computer is in Safe Mode

When your computer is in Safe Mode, it’s usually fairly obvious. Because Safe Modes loads the most basic of drivers, the video display is your first clue. Safe Mode loads a VGA driver that displays just 16 colors in a 640 x 480 resolution. This means that the screen will appear larger than normal with bold colors. In addition, the words “Safe Mode” will appear in the corners of the screen.

If the display does not have the words “Safe Mode” in the corners and the screen resolution hasn’t reverted to its normal settings, then your computer is not in Safe Mode. You will need to go into the Display Settings dialog and manually change your screen resolution back to your preferred settings. Do this by clicking the Display icon in the Control Panel and going to the Settings tab. From there adjust your color settings and screen resolution size.

My computer has a nasty virus and I want to do a restore. I have done this twice in the past with no problems; however this time the computer does not recognize the restore disc. Other CDs work but it won’t start the restore upon startup or if I try explore after it starts.

Since you’ve completed this task twice before, it sounds as though you know what you are doing. The best tip that I can offer might very well be to tell you to find a replacement restore disc for the computer. In the meantime, you should make run a good virus cleaner to rid your computer of the infection. One question I might ask is whether or not you checked to make sure the computer is set to boot from the CD, because if it hasn’t been set to do so, it won’t be able to do so. Another option that you have is to run an anti-spyware/anti-virus application to get rid of any bugs your computer might have that could be preventing you from restoring the computer.

Computer Recovery

In general, the best way to protect your computer is to run a virus scan on a regular basis so that you can remove any infections before they create too much damage. If any residual damage occurs, then you can use a registry cleaner or utilize the chkdsk utility to clean up the damage and double check the health of the hard drive. If you can complete a startup repair, it will fix your computer so that it works properly.

Restore Computer

If your computer is experiencing another type of problem, it could be interfering with the recovery CD. Try disconnecting any unnecessary peripherals from the computer and attempt to use your recovery CD again. It’s a long shot, but worth a try.

If your computer came with a preinstalled version of Windows, the manufacturer might have included system recovery options on your hard disc. It’s worth checking it out just in case they are there.

Replace Recovery Disc

It sounds as though the recovery disc might have become corrupt, making it unreadable. This does happen with discs. Is the disc readable on other computers? Depending on the operating system/computer system that you are using, you should be able to replace the recovery disc by contacting the manufacturer. If your computer is still under warranty, you can contact the company that you purchased it from. Since I don’t know what version you are using, the best I can do is to offer you this link for Microsoft. It provides specific contact information for a wide variety of locations and items.

I have a Windows 98 computer and want it to be able to access the Internet. I bought an Ethernet card, but it had no drivers for Windows 98. I purchased a different card with the appropriate drivers but the 3.5 floppy disk is blank. Next, I downloaded the driver off the website onto my USB 2.0 removable hard drive. However, my Windows 98 machine says it needs compatible drivers to read the USB hard drive which didn’t come with software. Where or how can I solve this problem?

Aye, this is tricky indeed! I assume that your Windows 98 machine doesn’t have a CD-ROM drive either? If it does, I’d try burning the Ethernet drivers to CD and then installing them off of that disc. The other easy option is contacting the manufacturer of the Ethernet card for a replacement 3.5″ floppy. If neither of those are options, we do have a few other steps we can try.

USB and Windows 98

Windows 98 does support USB, so technically, you should be able to attach an external USB hard drive to the system. USB devices are plug and play devices, so the hardware is theoretically already on your computer. However, because this is an old operating system, it’s questionable that your new hard drive supports Windows 98. Even if it does, since your Windows 98 computer does not currently have Internet access, it most likely lacks the required drivers. That’s because plug and play drivers arrive on your machine as they are released via Windows updates. If your computer hasn’t been updated, it will lack drivers.

First, I’d check with your hard drive’s manufacturer to see if Windows 98 drivers are even offered. Even so, you’d still have the dilemma of how to get the drivers from here to there. If it does support Windows 98 or use generic drivers supplied with Windows 98, the next thing you can try is a different USB cable. Are you using a high speed hard drive with a low speed USB cable? Next, if you’re using a hub, try connecting directly to the computer, completely bypassing any hub.

Another option is to try an inexpensive USB flash drive that supports Windows 98. But again, you will need to deal with getting the drivers on your Windows 98 machine.

Windows 98 Modem and Dial-up

Does your Windows 98 machine have a modem? Have you ever set up a dialup account with this machine? If you can get online using dial-up, then you’ll have more options.

For example, if you can find a free dialup service such as Netzero, Juno, or AOL on floppy disk (check your computer, you may already have a trial version installed from the factory), try connecting to the Internet temporarily. Once online, you can download the drivers you need directly from the manufacturer’s Web site.

Is the 3.5 Floppy Really Blank?

Some older 3.5 drives can’t read the data created by newer 3.5 floppy drives. This could mean that the disk has the drivers you need, but your drive can’t read the disk. If you have a friend with a computer that has a 3.5 floppy drive, see if his computer can detect anything on the floppy. If so, have him copy the files to a new floppy disk, preferably one formatted by your drive, and see if your computer can read that one.

This is a tough one made harder due to incompatibility issues. Hopefully it will be a simple matter of getting a replacement floppy that isn’t blank from the Ethernet card’s manufacturer.

My WAVE volume control in Windows XP default sound controls lowers all the way down even if I set it on high. When I turn it all the way up and close the controls it defaults back. I have an AC97 audio card built into my MSI motherboard, but those controls are not controlling anything.

Update your Sound Card Drivers for System Stability

This is an often-reported problem, with several potential solutions. One suggestion is that recent Microsoft Service Packs for XP or Vista might be uncooperative with older sound card drivers. While you are right that the drivers aren’t directly responsible for the sound control, an incompatibility might be throwing the settings out of whack. You can use Device Manager to find the sound card listing and update the drivers.

Remove Conflicting Programs from Startup

It is more likely that another sound program is interfering with and overriding the Windows sound settings. Since the settings are resetting every time you boot your computer, it is most likely that there is an audio program loading at startup that is responsible. To monitor and configure your auto launch programs in Vista:

1. Click Start to open the menu
2. In the search bar type msconfig and click Enter
3. Choose Continue to accept the user control prompt
4. Choose the Startup tab
5. Look through the list and see if there are any audio programs - you can now troubleshoot the audio problem by removing the suspicious programs one at a time and track the changes. Uncheck any programs that you want to remove
6. Click OK
7. The next time you turn your computer on you will see a popup from the system tray at the bottom of the screen that says Windows has blocked some startup programs - click the icon
8. Click Run a Blocked Program, then System Configuration Utility
9. In the System Configuration window, click OK to bypass the blocked program message
10. Click OK and close the boxes - repeat for the programs you want to disable

Undo Changes with Windows System Restore

Another option is to use System Restore to set your computer back to a previous configuration. If the problem is recent and you thing a recent audio program install or process might have altered the registry and interfered with the master volume control, using System Restore effectively reverts the computer to a previous reality.

1. Click Start - in the Search bar, type restore then select System Restore when it appears at the top of the menu
2. Choose Recommended Restore, then Next, for an auto restore point
3. To choose a specific restore point, select Choose a Different Restore Point
4. Click one and confirm the Restore
5. Keep in mind that this process also removes any positive changes you’ve made, so make sure to reinstall any updates and security software

I can’t find the Windows installation disc to do the repair. I want to format the c drive back to factory settings. I copied files that I wanted to keep to another computer and when I tried to format the drive it said I couldn’t as there was a precautionary measure in place to stop me from deleting Windows (I’m using Windows Vista.) Is there any way around this without having the installation disc? Can I buy a new one cheap?

Vista Reformat Precautions

The most likely cause of this message is that either the computer is still running Windows at the time you are trying to reformat the drive or that you aren’t signed in as an administrator. This is a security measure that is designed to prevent accidental deletion of Windows from your computer. Vista reformat precautions are designed as protective measures rather than as restrictive ones. If you have more than one user account, sign in as administrator when reformatting.

Reformat Hard Drive

Typically, the easiest way to reformat the hard drive is to use the installation discs that came with the computer. However, if you don’t have the discs, there are other options including purchasing replacement discs or wiping the drive clean and starting over with a new installation of Windows (you’d need to buy a Windows CD for this). Another possibility is to see if your computer has a hidden partition with an e-Recovery option. So, yes, you have options.

Check for eRecovery Options

Many manufacturers no longer ship their computers with recovery discs. Instead, the recovery tools are located on a hidden partition of the hard drive which is usually entered into using a special keyboard combination. Check your computer’s documentation to see your computer has this feature, and if so, how to use it. If you no longer have the manual, visit your computer manufacturer’s Web site and look up your computer model. Once your model is listed, explore the various options and see if there’s any information covering system recoveries.

Replacement Windows Installation or Recovery Discs

If your computer does not have an eRecovery feature, you can likely buy a recovery CD directly from the computer manufacturer. If the computer manufacturer doesn’t offer these, other companies sell generic recovery discs. Another place to look for recovery CDs for your exact computer is eBay.

How to Reformat Vista Hard Drive through the Control Panel

For users who want to reformat a hard drive, such as in preparation for an alternative operating system, this can be done through the Control Panel. However, this will only reformat the drive, it will not reinstall the operating system, device drivers, and factory installed software.  

As you already know, reformatting an existing drive will destroy or remove all of your existing data. Double check to make sure that you have backed up everything that you wanted to save. Note: The following reformat option does not reset the computer to factory settings; it strictly reformats the hard disk or partition.  

Follow these steps to reformat Vista hard drive through the Control Panel:

• 1. Navigate to the “Start” button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen and click.
• 2. Select the “Control Panel.”
• 3. Select “System and Maintenance.”
• 4. Select “Administrative Tools.”
• 5. Double click on “Computer Management” to open it. If you receive the prompt for a password or to identify yourself as an administrator, you need to do so at this point or you will not be able to complete the reformatting of the hard drive.
• 6. Select “Disk Management” beneath the heading of “Storage.”
• 7. Select the volume that you need to format by right-clicking on it and click on “Format.”
• 8. Now you need to select “OK” in the Format dialog box in order to revert to the default settings.
• 9. Select “OK.”

If these steps do not work the first time that you try them, you can try entering the “Command Prompt” by following these steps first: Turn the computer on. Immediately press the “F8″ key so you can access the “Command Prompt” sector and at the DOS command center, you enter the following command: format C: /Q command for a quick format.