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The last few weeks when I try to view my Youtube or play one of my online games the screen will freeze. The music or sound continues. If I move my mouse, the picture continues again and then will freeze at a random time again until I move the mouse. If I keep moving the mouse on the screen, no stops. I have reinstalled Flash Player in case it was that and it is still happening. I am truthfully at a loss. Maybe one of the last updates? Any ideas? I have Adobe Flash Player, Windows 7, and my laptop is a new Qosmio (10 months), and everything is updated.

Flash Won't Work Unless Mouse Moves
In researching this problem, it appears that you're not alone. It also appears that opinions and possible solutions are all over the place. For example, some believe that this is an ISP problem related to bandwidth restriction and "traffic shaping." Other users have overcome the problem by disabling and re-enabling the Flash plugin. With these two theories in mind, we can try a couple of different things.

Since switching ISPs is more drastic than fiddling with browser plugins, let's start with your Web browser. Flash Player isn't a standalone piece of software; it's a Web browser add-on / plugin. When you download it, it integrates with your Web browser and allows you to watch Flash content directly within webpages.

Try Using the Chrome Web Browser
Flash is a separate download for most Web browsers but it comes integrated with the Chrome Web browser. If you haven't tried Chrome, you might want to try it. Its Flash-related files and DLLs are stored in different folders than your traditionally downloaded Flash Player files for Internet Explorer. If Flash works fine in Chrome but not in Internet Explorer, that will tell us that the problem isn't the ISP but rather an issue with the local installation of Flash Player. From there, you can decide whether to stick with Chrome or try to fix the Internet Explorer Flash issue.

Disable and Re-enable the Flash Plugin
If you're currently using Internet Explorer and want to fix Flash, you can disable and re-enable Flash by going to the Gear icon > Manage Add-ons and clicking the disable/enable buttons. Perhaps this will refresh Flash, though it's doubtful (but worth a try). The more likely solution will involve a complete uninstall followed by a clean install of the latest version of Flash Player.

Clean Flash Player Installation
Adobe provides specific steps for doing a clean install at: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/clean-install-flash-player.html.

In general, Adobe recommends:
• Downloading the Flash uninstaller
• Exiting all browsers and programs that run Flash Player
• Running the uninstaller (and deleting specific files)
• Verifying that FlashPlayerCPLApp.cpl, FlashPlayerApp.exe, and FlashPlayerInstaller.exe have been deleted from the C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ folder (64-bit computers) C:\Window\system32\ folder (32-bit computers)
• Downloading and installing the latest version of Flash Player

Trying an Alternative ISP
Since your computer is a laptop, you might want to try connecting to a different ISP to rule out issues with your Internet Service Provider. Try a few different free Wi-Fi spots in your community and see if you can play Flash videos when connected to a different network. Your public library or local coffee houses are two to try.

I can't open my cellphone inbox. I think it is a virus! How can I remove a cellphone virus?

Antivirus Software for Cell Phones

Unfortunately, virus and malware developers have kept up with the latest trends just as the rest of the world moves toward a mobile Web. Viruses can and do infect cell phones. While not nearly as rampant as viruses targeting the Windows operating system, there are malicious programs that target the operating systems of popular mobile phones. Just as the best defense in a PC virus attack is antivirus software, the same is true of antivirus software for cell phones. Most antivirus software for cell phones will include solutions for wiping out know virus infections, making getting your hands on one of these programs a must.

First, you'll need to know what operating system your phone runs on such as Android or Windows Mobile. From there, start your search at well-known antivirus developers such as Kaspersky, Bit Defender, or AVG. Many of the major computer security developers are creating antivirus software specifically for cell phones. Like their PC cousins, these solutions have a variety of desirable features such as real-time blocking and automatic updates. Some also include useful functions designed specifically for the mobile nature of these devices such as remote "find" and remote "locking" should your phone be misplaced or stolen.

As with PC-based antivirus tools, costs vary from one developer to the next. If you already own a computer Internet security tool, you may want to start there as your existing program may have some mobile features built in. For example, Trend Micro's Titanium Security (Maximum Security edition) protects mobile devices as well as PCs.

Flashing Your Cell Phone

Another option is to "flash" or reformat your cell phone which essentially resets it to its factory condition. This is a drastic measure that will remove all of your custom settings and any apps you may have installed. If you don't have many customizations, such as if the phone is relatively new, then this might be the easiest option. Refer to your cell phone's user manual for instructions on how to perform a "factory reset."

I had a tech working on my Pogo games because I cannot play most of them. He turned off my sound. How do I get it back?

Restoring Pogo Games Sound

Most Pogo games feature a mute button, allowing you to mute the sound if desired. This is accomplished by clicking an icon that looks like a tiny speaker inside the game window of a Pogo game. Unfortunately, muting a single Pogo game actually mutes all of them. Fortunately, getting your sound back is usually as easy as clicking that speaker icon once again.

While the solution may seem obvious once you find that icon, sound issues in Pogo games have tripped up plenty of users. Some think it's an issue with the computer and start looking in the computer's sound settings for a solution. Others search their Pogo accounts for settings that might affect the sound. Meanwhile, the icon remains elusive. To turn your sound back on, you'll need to open an actual Pogo game and then look for the speaker icon.

When the sound in a Pogo game is on, the speaker icon will show little curved lines representing sound waves coming out of the speaker. When the sound has been muted, these lines disappear. Toggling back and forth should turn the sound on and off.

Troubleshooting Other Pogo Game Issues

Hopefully the speaker icon trick will restore your Pogo sounds. If you need help troubleshooting other issues with Pogo games, Electronics Arts' Help page recommends several initial steps such as clearing the browser's Java cache (go to Start > Control Panel > Java and click the General tab. From there, find Temporary Internet Files > Settings and click Delete Files), updating or installing Java, and running Microsoft Security Essentials. Sometimes these initial troubleshooting steps will resolve problems such as errors with games loading.

I downloaded a Firefox update (13?) and that disabled my Earthlink toolbar. Now my usual Earthlink connection can no longer access my non-email accounts such as my online banking account. How do I fix this?

The Earthlink Toolbar

The Earthlink toolbar is a free browser add-on that includes a number of useful features such as pop-up blockers, privacy tools, spyware scan, maps and driving directions, and even a "fast sites" tool that quickly loads slimmed down versions of websites without slow-loading graphics. The Earthlink toolbar was originally made available for various Web browsers including Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Today, however, the current download featured on Earthlink's support page is for Internet Explorer only.

The Earthlink Toolbar and Firefox

In the case of Mozilla Firefox, the Earthlink toolbar is known as an "add-on." Therefore, tasks related to managing the toolbar are handled in the Manage Add-ons section of Firefox.

Why Did the Firefox Update Disable the Toolbar?

According to Mozilla Support, add-ons are automatically made compatible with new versions of Firefox whenever possible. However, not all add-ons can be automatically be made to be compatible with each update. When Firefox encounters an add-on it can't automatically change during an update, it will disable it.

When this happens, you will need to manually check for new updates to the add-on in question. If an update exists, you will need to update the add-on manually.

Checking for Add-on Updates

To check for an update, go to your Mozilla start page and click Add-ons. Click the gear icon and choose "Check for updates." If Firefox finds the Earthlink update, it will automatically download and install it.

If it doesn't find an update, the next step is to go to the add-on's website. Do this directly from the Add-on manager by clicking the Earthlink toolbar description, clicking More, and clicking the link to the add-on's home page. If all goes well, you should see an updated Earthlink toolbar and instructions on how to load and enable it.

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as though Earthlink has updated the toolbar for some time. You might want to contact Earthlink support (866-383-3080) about an update. In the meantime, you could enter the website addresses to your online banking and other important accounts the old-fashioned way by typing the URL in Firefox's address bar. Alternately, you could use Internet Explorer with the IE version of Earthlink toolbar installed.

If you prefer to rollback your Firefox to the way it used to be, you could try using Windows built-in System Restore (if enabled) to roll your computer's settings back to their pre-update settings.

I have an Acer Aspire One with a blank screen error. I have been told to download BIOS onto a USB stick. Where do I find this info?

Acer Aspire One BIOS Blank Screen

Blank screen errors with the Acer Aspire One AOA110 and AOA150 can be resolved by using a USB stick to "flash" the BIOS. If you have one of these models, an update to BIOS version 3310 or above will likely solve the problem. However, it is crucial to get the correct BIOS version for your exact model. Whether you have one of these models or a different Aspire One model, the best place to go is to Acer's support website at Acer.com.

Selecting the Acer Aspire Model

Once you arrive, choose your country from the list and then navigate to the Support > Drivers and Downloads section. Using the U.S. site as an example, this will take you to a section where you are prompted to enter the model name or serial number of your computer. Alternately, you can select your computer by choosing the product family (in this case Netbook > Aspire One) and drilling down to find your exact model. Make sure to select the exact model and the exact operating system because downloads are product-specific. Choosing the wrong download could be disastrous.

Finding the BIOS

From there, you'll see a table with a series of tabs labeled Application, BIOS, Document, Driver, and Patch. Click BIOS and you should see a series of downloads with the newest version listed at the top. Click the newest version and click the download button.

The download file is usually a zipped file containing an executable BIOS file as well as a Readme file. In some cases, you may need to rename the BIOS file before copying it to the USB drive, so check the Readme file for instructions. For example, if you have an Acer Aspire One AOA110 or AOA150, you will need to rename the 3310.fd file to ZG5IA32.FD (in all caps). From there, you will need to copy the renamed file and the Flashit.exe file (which is included in the download) to a USB stick. However, that particular instruction is specific to those particular models, making it important to follow instructions specific to your computer's exact model.

Assuming you need to flash either an Acer Aspire One AOA110 or AOA150, you can find step-by-step instructions on Acer's Support page. If you have a different model, use the Acer Answers section to search for BIOS update instructions specific to your exact model.

Can you tell me how I can set as a default setting the following program: Windows Picture & Fax Viewer on Windows XP?

What is Windows Picture and Fax Viewer?

Windows Picture and Fax Viewer is a built-in utility that comes with Microsoft Windows including Windows XP. It is used to work with photo files without having to open an image editing program such as Adobe Photoshop. It is primarily a viewer that allows you to quickly view, save, print, or delete photos. You can, however, perform some minor changes to files including changing a file's size or rotation. You can also use Windows Picture and Fax Viewer to view slideshows of your photos as well as view incoming faxes which typically arrive as TIFF files. When viewing fax files, the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer's annotation toolbar allows you to add textual notations, draw lines, and highlight portions of the fax.

Is Windows Picture and Fax Viewer the Default Photo Viewer?

Windows Picture and Fax Viewer is normally the default photo viewer for Windows XP. However, it's not unusual for newly installed software to change Windows XP's settings so that the new software becomes the new default. This is great if you like the new software better than the built-in utility but no-so-great if you'd prefer to use Windows Picture and Fax Viewer.

Making Windows Picture and Fax Viewer the Default

To change it back to the default, you'll need to go into the Control Panel (Start > Control Panel) and click the Folder Options icon (you may need to switch to Classic View). Once opened, click on the File Types tab and scroll down until you see JPEG. Highlight JPEG and look under "Details." What does it say the file opens with? If anything other than Windows Picture and Fax Viewer is listed, click the Change button and choose Windows Picture and Fax Viewer from the list. Look for additional settings (such as "always use this") that prompt you to make this the new default and confirm your choice. Repeat this process for other image files such as JPG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF.