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There is a thin blue line that appears vertically on the right of my screen on my laptop when I turn it on. What is it and how do I get it to go away?

Check the Laptop Screen and Case for Wear

A thin, colored line on your laptop screen could really be caused by a number of things. For starters, the process of opening and closing the lid of your laptop can create wear and tear for your monitor screen. If you are pulling up on the case, it might be stressing the screen underneath. Start by checking out the screen and case connections manually. Does it get any better or worse if you gently bend the screen and case? If so, you might be able to repair it by tightening the screen casing and being a little more gentle when you open it. You will likely need to take it in to a technician unless you can mend the seams and the connection yourself. Or, if the problem is a cracked ribbon or solder joint, you will definitely need to have it repaired professionally.

Remove and Reinstall your Video Card Drivers

It is also possible that your video or graphics card needs either driver updates or replacement. You can test this theory by uninstalling and then reinstalling your drivers. If this doesn’t help, then you might need a new card, but a tech will be able to tell you for sure.

1. Click Start, then Control Panel
2. Choose System, then Hardware, then Device Manager
3. Scroll through and look for your video or graphics card
4. If there are any yellow or red !s or ?s, then there are likely driver issues
5. If you are using the cards that came stock with your computer, you can click remove drivers, then reboot the computer and Windows should automatically re-install the drivers
6. You can then repeat the steps back to Device Manager to check the status and click Update to get the latest drivers for your card

If you are still having the same issues, you will likely need to take it in to a shop. If you want to try, you can use your laptop user manual to find and remove and reseat the video card cables to see if this helps, but opening your computer’s case will likely nullify the warranty, so be careful. Depending on the age and use of your computer, it is likely a screen or LCD issue that a repair could solve. Good luck!

I’m not sure if it’s the software but there is a vertical black flashing bar on my monitor. Sometimes it goes pitch black and it’s really annoying. Can you help me, please?

Troubleshoot your Monitor

The monitor distortion you are seeing could be a result of a monitor failure. The easiest way to approach the problem is by trying another monitor on your computer to see if it works. If you can connect and use another monitor without a problem, then the issue is most likely your monitor, and it might need to be replaced. You can go one step further and connect your monitor to another computer as well and see if it works there.

Refresh the Screen Resolution

You can also try troubleshooting the monitor resolution and see if that takes care of the lines.

1. Right click on the desktop, then choose Properties
2. Next, click the Settings tab, and then Advanced
3. Choose Monitor
4. When you see the Screen Refresh Rate listing, click the arrow for the drop down menu
5. Choose either 60 Hertz or the Monitor Default
6. Reboot and see if there in an improvement

Update your Drivers

If the monitor isn’t the problem, it could be a video or graphics card issue. The easiest way to troubleshoot hardware devices like monitors is through the Windows utility Device Manager. To open Device Manager, follow these directions.

1. Click Start, then Control Panel, then System
2. Select Hardware and then Device Manager

Now, using the device manager listings, scroll through and look for your video or graphics card entry. You can click the + beside the listings to expand them. When you find the listing for your video card, right click it to display more details about your card. You can click Update to get the latest results. You might also want to remove the drivers first and then reload them. If you can’t get the latest drivers with the Windows Updater, you can also go to the manufacturer’s website and look on the downloads and drivers page. You can also repeat these steps to update the monitor drivers, which could also be the problem. I hope this helps. If you go through these steps and are still having the same problem, write us again and we can go from there. Good luck!

My computer is displaying an ialmrnt5 error message. I brought my computer to my sister’s house to see if I could use her Internet on it. I don’t know how to set that up. Help?

What is the “ialmrnt5″ Error?

The ialmrnt5 error indicates a problem with the graphics card’s device drivers. You will need to update your card’s drivers which should solve the problem. However, since you don’t have Internet access, this may be easier said than done.

Where to Get Updated Drivers

The easiest way to get the drivers that your card needs is through your computer manufacturer’s Web site (unless you have a custom built computer or have since upgraded graphics cards). Since your laptop doesn’t appear to have Internet access, your best bet is to borrow your sister’s computer and go to the Web site for your laptop. For example, if you have a Dell computer, go to Dell.com and find the drivers and download area. You’ll then enter your laptop’s model information and be shown a list of available downloads. Look for a graphics card driver and download the file to a CD or removable USB stick. Make sure to choose the appropriate driver for your exact operating system. You’ll use the CD or stick to install the driver on your laptop.

Updating the Graphics Card Driver from CD or USB Stick

Once you have the download on the CD or USB stick, insert the media into your laptop. Go to Start > Control Panel > System > Device Manager and click on Display Adapters. From there, double-click your graphics card and click on the Driver tab. Click Update Driver and choose the Browse My Computer option. Now, navigate to the CD or USB stick and select the file you just downloaded. Follow the prompts to update your graphics card driver. You will need to reboot the computer for the change to take place.

Note: You may need to unzip the download to your computer before updating the driver. If so, then make a note of the location where the files were unzipped and then browse to the appropriate file. Also, if the download is a self-executing file, you may not need Device Manager at all. In that case, simply click the icon and follow the prompts.

I don’t know what to do to fix my laptop. It turns on like usual, but before it loads completely, the screen goes black. I need to be able to use my computer and I don’t want to have to pay for expensive help if I don’t need it.

Any one of a number of problems could be creating this scenario for you so you’ll need to do a bit of troubleshooting. Most likely, however, the problem is related to a corrupted registry file. Start with the first suggestion and work your way through the list.

Troubleshooting Black Screen on Laptop Startup: Power/Memory

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Make sure that you are getting power to the laptop. Look for the lights and see if they are on. If they aren’t showing, then you need to check your power cord/plug to make sure that it is securely plugged into the electrical power.

If you recently added memory to the laptop, make sure that it is securely seated in the proper place.

Troubleshooting Black Screen on Laptop Startup: Last Known Good Configuration

Starting the laptop up and choosing “Last Known Good Configuration” should restore your laptop unless it has been damaged too severely by a virus. To do so, you’ll need to see if you can boot up in “Safe Mode.” This mode uses the fewest number of programs, so it often works when nothing else will. Turn the power on for the laptop and as soon as you here noise, begin to press one of the following keys on the laptop, “F2,” “F8,” or “F12.” Select the option for “Last Known Good Configuration.”

Troubleshooting Black Screen on Laptop Startup: Installation CD

If you have the installation CD for the laptop, you can use it to boot up the laptop. Insert the installation CD into the laptop and turn the power on. If you Press the “ESC” key and then the “F1″ key, the words “Check System” should appear on the screen. Follow the prompt to change the setting for start up from hard drive to the CD drive. Follow the directions for using “System Restore” in order to get your laptop functioning properly.

How to Use “System Restore”:

1. Click on the “Start” button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.
2. Click on the option “All Programs.”
3. Click on the option for “Accessories.”
4. Click on the option “System Tools.”
5. Click on the option for “System Restore.”
6. Select “Restore my computer to an earlier time,” and click on next.
7. Follow the prompts.

Troubleshooting Black Screen on Laptop Startup: Update the Video Driver

If you can get the laptop started in “Safe Mode with Networking” or if you can get it started with the installation CD, then you can access the “Device Manager” which is located in the Control Panel and check on the Video driver. If a problem is indicated, right-click on it and select “update driver.”

Troubleshooting Black Screen on Laptop Startup: Vista

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If you are having difficulty booting up in “Safe Mode,” other users have noted that turning the power on and off will eventually lead to the laptop offering the option to turn on in “Safe Mode.”

After Restoring the Screen

Once you have been able to get the laptop monitor working, you might want to check a few other things:

• Scan the computer for viruses and spyware.
• Scan the computer with a reliable registry cleaner.
• Delete unwanted files and programs to free up memory.

Can’t download ANY FILES AT ALL. Please advise what to do and HOW to do it.

What’s the Difference between Downloading and Uploading Files?

If you send a file to another computer, you are uploading the file. If you are moving the file from another computer onto your computer, you are downloading it.

User Permissions for Downloading and Uploading Files on Networked Computers

On networked computers, the user permissions are sometimes set up to prevent certain users from downloading anything from the Internet. If you believe this might be the case, then you need to contact the administrator of the network. Likewise, if you share a computer and do not have administrative rights, you may be restricted from downloading files.

Selecting Files to Download

Today, most websites have made it easy to download a file. You simply select the file that you want to download and either click on a live link. The link is usually the name of the file or the word “download.”  Usually, you also get a choice to either save the file or open it. In general, saving the file, scanning it for viruses, and then opening it is the best strategy. However, in order for this to work, a few things need to be in place.

Enabling Your Browser for Downloads: Security Settings

Microsoft Internet Explorer has security settings that disable the ability to download files. This could be the problem, so I think you should check whether downloads have been disabled by following these directions. Open Internet Explorer→ Click Tools→ Click Internet Options→ Click Security→ Select Internet zone and click Custom Level. At this point, a list of the available security settings for Internet appears. In IE 7, go to the Downloads section and make sure that File Download is marked enabled. In addition, go to “Launching applications and unsafe files.”

If these prompts are disabled, then you will not be able to download any files or launch the related .exe files once downloaded. Instead, enable file downloads and select “Prompt” for the launching applications and unsafe file settings. This setting prompt you with questions such as “Are you sure you want to download this file” or something to that effect. However, it also allows you to download and execute the files that you select.

Enabling Your Browser for Downloads: Enable ActiveX

In order to display and download files from the Web, it is important that ActiveX controls have been enabled. In order to do so, follow these directions: Open Internet Explorer→ Click Tools→ Click Internet Options→ Click Security→ Select Internet zone. Look for the slider bar and set it to the medium setting to enable downloads from the Web. Make sure that you click “OK” before exiting the window.

Enabling Your Browser for Downloads: PDF Files

In order to download Portable Document Files or PDFs, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. This is a free download that you get simply by visiting the Adobe.com website.

Enabling Your Browser for Downloads: Java

If the files that you want to download offer a prompt that you need to have Java in order to complete the download, you must have Java installed and enabled on your browser. In order to find out how to enable Java with your browser, visit this link to Java’s website for specific instructions by browser: Java.