After an extended period of inactivity computers have a tendency to go into sleep mode.  This would not be a problem if not for the fact that sometimes they don’t come back out of it. This can be frustrating and worrisome to the user because they have no idea what’s going on. Try the following steps to see why your computer won’t come out of sleep mode.

Why is this happening?

When a computer fails to return to activity, it could be a result of a bad memory module.  The only solution to this would be replacement for the malfunctioning part.  Another possibility is that the power source has failed in which case the same solution applies- replacement.

This problem seems to be quite common with the Windows operating systems especially Windows 7 and Vista.  The updates for such programs may be flawed and so you should be cautious when renewing them. If this is a reoccurring problem that cannot be fixed you should call the manufacturing company in order to get a replacement or to get more in depth assistance.

How can the problem be fixed?

First you should try to move the mouse, hit a few keys and wait a little while.  Your computer may have slower reactions than you expect.  If nothing continues to happen then the next step would be to hold the power button down and turn the computer completely off.  This will allow your computer to reboot properly.  When restarting your computer you should repeatedly hit the f8 button in order to enact safe mode.  This will help to prevent additional problems. If your computer has the setting make sure the wake button is pressed so that you aren’t unnecessarily turning your computer on and off.

Can I prevent future problems?

In order to prevent this from happening again you should go into power management settings from your control panel and turn off this feature altogether. Furthermore, you use hibernation over standby if you need something because this way all your stored data is written onto the RAM in non volatile storage.

What if it continues to happen?

This kind of problem may be more serious if it continues to occur.  In such a case you may be in need of professional help.  Try TalkLocal to find someone to help you solve your computer problems. TalkLocal can connect you with the most qualified local technicians and IT people immediately, saving you both time and money.

Are your keyboard keys sticking together? Set a time to clean your keyboard. Make sure you are not rushed and have enough time to do a thorough job. Doing the job in a hurry could potentially damage your computer.  Here is what to do when the keyboard keys keep sticking.

Most of the time, there is one simple step. Using compressed air helps clean any food, dirt, or anything else that may be stuck under a key. If this step does not work, here are other steps to un-stick a key.

First read your User’s Manual. This will let you know if the keyboard keys can be removed for cleaning.

Materials you need for cleaning:

– Cotton swabs

– Paper towels

– Rubbing alcohol

– Water

– Tweezers

– Kitchen strainer

– Windex or similar household cleaning product

– Super Lube Dry Film spray

Steps:

1. DISASSEMBLE: Carefully pry off each key. You can use a small screwdriver. The keys should pop off. Do not use excessive force, you may break something. Notice that there is a small rubber piece for each key. Take these off and place in a different container.

2. CLEAN KEYBOARD: Slightly dampen a paper towel or cotton swabs with water. Clean and wipe down the keyless keyboard. This will clean all water soluble contents such as sugary drinks. Use tweezers and the air compressor to remove all small contents that may be stuck. Repeat this procedure again using rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs.

3. CLEAN KEYS: Some keys may have grease on them, clean these first with cotton swabs and naptha (lighter fluid). Then place all keys in a kitchen strainer. Spray with household cleaner and leave for at least 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with hot water, then place keys on paper towels to dry.

4. STRAIN RUBBER COMPONENTS: Place all rubber components in a kitchen strainer. Spray with household cleaner and leave for 5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and place on paper towels. Fold the towels over and press to squeeze out the water. Dry completely.

5. LUBRICATE KEYS: Place all keys bottom-up on a paper bag. Lightly coat the keys, at a 45 degree angle with Super Lube Dry Film lubricant. Do this from all 4 sides. DO NOT overdue as the solvent may affect the plastic.

6. LUBRICATE KEYBOARD: Apply lubricant to the keyboard and let dry.

7. REASSEMBLE: Place all rubber components into the keyboard. Press down key with force to snap on keys. Remember to place keys in the appropriate places.

Hint: IBM laptops have a built in drain in the keyboard. IBM recommends pouring water in the keyboard to drain any sticky liquids, dirt, crumbs, etc. Don’t forget to air-dry.

A fuzzy computer monitor can be incredibly distracting and headache-inducing. Usually, the problem is due to setting an incorrect resolution for the computer monitor or installing the wrong driver for the graphics card.

How to change the resolution

Windows XP

1.  Click Start.

2.  Click Control Panel.

3.  Click Appearance and Themes.

4.  Click Display.

5.  Select the Settings tab.

6.  Under Screen Resolution, drag the slider until the screen is not fuzzy.

7.  Within the next 15 seconds, click Yes to confirm the change.

Windows Vista

1.  Right click the desktop.

2.  Select Personalize.

3.  Click on the Display Settings icon.

4.  Under Resolution, drag the slider until the screen is not fuzzy.

5.  Click Apply.

Windows 7

1.  Right click the desktop.

2.  Select Personalize.

3.  Click on Display.

4.  Click on Adjust Resolution.

5.  For the Resolution dropdown menu, drag the slider until the screen is not fuzzy.

6.  Click Apply.

Driver Issues

Outdated video card drivers may result in display issues as well. Try updating your video card drivers. If you have a laptop, visit the manufacturer’s website to download the latest driver. If you have a desktop, follow these instructions to find out the type of graphics card you have installed.

1.  Click Start.

2.  On the Start menu, click Run.

3.  In the Open box, type “dxdiag“.

4.  Click OK.

5.  When the DirectX Diagnostic Tool opens, click the Display tab. Information about your graphics card is shown in the Device section. You can see the name of your card, as well as how much video memory it has.

NVIDIA Graphics Card

Computers with a NVIDIA graphics card may have washed out colors in addition to a fuzzy screen. This is due to driver installation issues, but these instructions may solve your problem. Be warned, they’re quite technical!

How to fix NVIDIA fuzzy screen or text

Still can’t figure out your monitor issue? Use TalkLocal to find a quality computer repair technician right now!

Have you ever felt like your webcam is watching you when you aren’t using it? You are not alone. There are many people who feel uncomfortable about the fact that a webcam could possibly be broadcasting you without you knowing it. If your webcam is giving you the creeps, it never hurts to simply unplug it when you are not using it.  But if you do actually need to use it and are wondering, “is my web cam working?”, here are some tips that can help you figure this out.

We hate to add to your uneasiness, but the truth is, if you feel like your webcam is watching you, you may be right! While webcams will never broadcast you without your permission by themselves, there are programs out there that can.  Camfrog and AnyCam are the names of a couple of these type of programs. In order to make sure your webcam is NOT broadcasting you without you knowing it, make sure no suspicious programs or unfamiliar programs are starting up when you turn on your computer.  You can view your running processes by:

– Pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL if you are a PC user

– Pressing COMMAND+OPT+ESC if you are a MAC

If you notice suspicious programs running on your computer, or if you have reason to believe that somebody has hacked into your computer and has control of your webcam, you may have a very serious problem on your hands. You may need to try the following approaches:

– Reset your IP Address — You can do this by simply unplugging your internet modem for the night and plugging it in again in the morning.

– Wipe your Hard Drive — This is a last resort. Any files that you do not backup will be lost forever. Only do this in case of a real emergency.

If you have found suspicious programs—webcam related or not—running on your computer, need help with wiping your hard drive, or have any other computer problems, visit TalkLocal. This free service will find you local computer repair professionals and have them call you back within minutes.

Computer cookies, unlike real cookies, are not something you want to have.  Computer cookies can be annoying to deal with and harmful to your computer. These cookies are supposed to tailor your Internet experience based on previous sessions, however they are not always helpful.  Here is some information and steps on deleting cookies on a Mac.

What is a cookie and why is it used?

Cookies are small files that are stored on your computer. They are designed to allow the server to deliver pages that are tailored to you personally. These cookies are a convenient way to carry information between Internet sessions.  However, some cookies will retain information that you might not want them to such as usernames, passwords and other personal identifiers.  A tracking cookie will trace what you do during your online session as well as view your browsing history.  This particular cookie is seen as an invasion of privacy because it allows the advertisers who sent the tracking cookies to build profiles of the users without consent or knowledge.

Types of Cookies

Generally, there are two types: first party cookies and third party cookies. First party cookies are from the websites you ask your browser to fetch.  These cookies are helpful and harmless, and are required to interact with the site.  Third party cookies, however, are not beneficial to your computer. These are usually sent by advertisers and have the “tracking” ability.  They can also have malware, which can be detrimental to your computer. Regardless of the type of cookie, you should always clean your computer every once in a while.

Deleting Cookies

When using a Mac, the process of deleting cookies depends on what Internet browser you use. If you’re using Safari, go to the menu, pull down preferences and click on “show cookies” under security. Clicking on this will allow you to see all of the currently active cookies and clear them as needed. If your browser of choice is Internet Explorer, go to preferences, select “receiving files options”, hit “cookies,” and highlight the cookies you want to delete.

If the problem persists, you may need to seek the help of a professional.  Go to TalkLocal to find someone to help you with your exact issue in a fast and easy manner. Simply type in your problem along with your availability, and TalkLocal will do the rest. You’ll be connected to a reliable local IT professional within minutes.

So is sharing your Netflix password allowed?  On June 2nd, 2011, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed a bill that banned sharing passwords for Netflix, Hulu, Rhapsody, and any other subscription-based website.  The bill, which was in effect on July 1st, 2011, was primarily targeted at hackers who steal usernames and password to subscription sites and sell them in bulk.  However, ordinary subscribers who share their passwords with friends and family could also be subject to legal action. In a statement to the Associated Press, Rep. Gerald McCormick explained, “what becomes not legal is if you send your user name and password to all your friends so they can get free subscriptions.”

Violations involving less than $500 worth of entertainment are classified as misdemeanors; they are punishable by fines of $2,500 and up to one year in jail.  The penalty for second offenses and violation involving entertainment valued above $500 is even steeper — and may involve a felony charge.

Many have said the new law is unnecessary. Jared Newman of PCworld even went so far as to say the law went against the nature of subscription-based websites.  He also pointed out that websites like Netflix already have measures in place to keep many people from using the same password, including limiting the number of devices that can stream content from one subscription at once.  Netflix agreed with him saying in a statement reported by Tom Cheredar of MediaBeat that “Netflix already has provisions in its Terms of Use that restrict passwords to the member’s household.”

But Tennessee lawmakers maintain that the bill is an important step in stopping piracy. Cheredar speculates that they were especially concerned with protecting the music industry because it has a sizeable presence in the state and has much to lose from pirating.  But only time will tell what effect— if any — the law will have on the industry and consumer.

Screen space is always at a premium, and larger monitors tend to be very expensive.  However, a simple solution is to set up an inexpensive additional monitor. This gives you two screens to organize your workspace, (instead of switching back and forth between windows) and greatly increases productivity. Setting up two monitors might seem complex, but in actuality anyone can do it.   You might be wondering, “how can I set up two monitors?”.  If you have a PC, here’s how to do this:

Hardware:

Check if you have an additional monitor port in the same shape as the monitor plug on the sides of your laptop. If you don’t have one, you will need to install an additional video card for the second monitor.

Windows XP:

1. Click Start

2. Click Control Panel.

3. Click Appearance and Themes

4. Click Display.

5. Click on the Settings tab

6. Click Identify to display a large number on each of your monitors. This shows which monitor corresponds with each icon.

7. Choose your secondary monitor, and check the Extend the desktop onto this monitor box

8. Click the monitor icons and drag them to positions that represent how you want to move items from one monitor to another, and then click OK or Apply to view changes.

Windows Vista:

1. Right click the desktop

2. Click Personalize

3. Click on the Display Settings icon

4. Click Identify Monitors to display a large number on each of your monitors. This shows which monitor corresponds with each icon.

5. Choose your secondary monitor, and check the Extend the desktop onto this monitor box

6. Click the monitor icons and drag them to positions that represent how you want to move items from one monitor to another, and then click Apply to view changes.

Windows 7:

1. Right click the desktop

2. Click Personalize

3. Click on Display

4. Click on Change Display Settings

5. Click on Detect, and then Identify

6. For the Multiple Displays dropdown menu, choose Extend these displays

7. Click the monitor icons and drag them to positions that represent how you want to move items from one monitor to another, and then click Apply to view changes.

Can’t get that second monitor to work? Need help installing another video card? Use TalkLocal to find a computer technician to install that second monitor for you right now, at no additional cost!

There is always that one rogue program that freezes and refuses to cooperate. How do you force quit this troublemaker? PC’s use the Ctrl-Alt-Del command to summon a task manager, where users can kill unresponsive processes.  But how do you do a Ctrl-Alt-Del on a Mac?  To do this, use a Cmmd-Opt-Esc command. This is the same as Cmmd-Alt-Esc because the “opt” or option key is also the “alt” key.

This brings up a sort of Mac Task Manager that is titled “Force Quit Applications.” Simply select the program that is giving you problems and then select “Force Quit.”

You can also access this Task Manager by clicking on the Apple sign on the upper left hand corner of your screen and selecting “Force Quit.” The same “Force Quit Applications” box will pop up. Follow the same procedure as above and select the application you want to force quit.

If this method does not work and your computer remains frozen, call an IT technician through TalkLocal‘s easy-to-use service that connects you with the right professional at your convenience. Just fill out a short request online and–within minutes–a high quality service provider will call you! It’s that simple.

With the expansion of social networking sites like Facebook came a a large expansion of applications.  Whether you like games, quizzes, or photos, apps are an excellent way to stay entertained on Facebook.  Anyone can create an app and they spread quite quickly through series of friends–giving them potential for scam-related activities so you should show caution with Facebook apps.

In order for you to use an application, it must access certain information from your profile.  No one wants their private information floating around, so Facebook allows applications to access only what they need from you.  As with everything, though, there are ways around the rules, and this is where Facebook scams come in. Although Facebook is constantly updating its privacy policies to protect you against these types of activities, some hacking does get through.

Some Facebook scams are much more dangerous than others.  You may be familiar with the recent security leaks claimed by some users.  It is alleged that certain applications were leaking user information to advertising agencies, who then performed target advertising on the users’ pages.  This is fairly harmless, but nonetheless discomforting to most.  On a more serious scale, scams trick users into sharing private information to fraud artists or downloading viruses or malware. However, if you follow a few simple rules and stay smart on the Internet, you can keep your private information and computer safe.

If you are afraid any of these scam-related activities have already occurred on your machine, it is always safest to have your computer analyzed by a professional.  TalkLocal can easily connect you to a computer repair service to help correct damage or prevent future mishaps.

Have you ever had a problem with your computer not working? All you want to do is go on Facebook, check your email, and listen to some music on iTunes or Spotify. You go to turn on your computer and nothing happens. You can’t access any information, data, pictures, or other files you want from your Windows or Mac computer. What to do?

The first thing to check is your power source. If you’re using a laptop computer, make sure your computer is charged. If you’re using a desktop computer, make sure the cord is plugged in. Both of these may sound silly, but it’s always good to double-check. You may be having a problem with your outlet and not your computer, so try plugging into a different one.

If your computer won’t turn on at all, no lights, no fans, you might have to replace your computer’s power cable or power supply. The power cable is the cable that runs between the computer case and the power source.  If it is a laptop, try using a friend’s cable. If it is a desktop computer, switch the power cable from your monitor to the computer.  The power supply is inside the computer and usually shaped like a box. If it is not functioning properly, it needs to be replaced.

If that doesn’t work it may be time to call for some help. TalkLocal, a free online service, can connect you to high quality computer repair businesses in your area within minutes. Just fill out a short form stating your problem, location, and availability and you will be talking with a service provider who can fix your specific problem.