Looking for good system monitoring / task scheduling software to run on Windows for server monitoring as well as running custom scripts for keeping track application specific metrics. [more inside]
posted by Nothing on Dec 22, 2009 - 2 answers

When I run some programs in full screen under Windows 7, they either crash or have odd colour effects. [more inside]
posted by Pope Guilty on Dec 4, 2009 - 5 answers

How to have a window in the back while another in the front in Windows 7, much like a mac. [more inside]
posted by dolemite01 on Nov 2, 2009 - 8 answers

Why do large file downloads stall (with no error message or any feedback)? [more inside]
posted by bradn on Oct 28, 2009 - 7 answers

I used to feel pretty confident with computers / IT in general (80s child). Now I need a boost to get back up to speed, especially digging around in the OS / filesystem. Recommend me a good book / website / hands-on project? [more inside]
posted by KMH on Aug 6, 2009 - 7 answers

I have a 300gb SATA drive, NTFS formatted, that has most of my movies & music on it. After a lengthy move and installing a new operating system on a different drive, it's done something I never have seen before: about half the files on the disk point to some random location of the disk, so movie files go to the middle of MP3s, MP3s go to random places in entirely unrelated MP3s, etc. It's a massive mess. I ran the NTFS repair utility (without doing a backup, stupid) and it only had the effect of setting about half of the affected files' sizes to zero. I'm fairly sure at this point it's a lost cause, and I'll save what I can & reformat, but has anyone run into this problem before? Is there some magical way out? What on earth could have caused it?
posted by devilsbrigade on Jul 11, 2009 - 6 answers

my computer intermittently becomes nearly unusable. google-fu has failed me. help! [more inside]
posted by ripple on Jun 4, 2009 - 14 answers

Is there software or some automated method to audit the entire startup process of a Windows XP computer to find why startup is slow? [more inside]
posted by joshrholloway on May 15, 2009 - 11 answers

What is the specific technical reason Windows machines get gradually more sluggish over time (and without a reformat and reinstall) whereas Macs don't seem to? [more inside]
posted by colinmarshall on Mar 1, 2009 - 16 answers

How can I easily tile my windows in OS X like I do in MS Windows? [more inside]
posted by creeront on Dec 12, 2008 - 7 answers

Does the "new" Windows Search installed on XP need to have Indexing Service checked on? [more inside]
posted by Rad_Boy on Nov 12, 2008 - 4 answers

A few years ago I came across an alternative to Windows Explorer that let you browse the contents of your drives by disk space used. The display was a kind of Mondrian grid, with the files and folders taking up the most disk space having the largest area on the display. Can anyone point me to this utility (or something similar)?
posted by Lokheed on Aug 24, 2008 - 5 answers

I'm helping out an elderly lady who is using a laptop with XP which is showing signs of unreliability. It is now permanently sat on a table so it doesn't get moved around. She is especially concerned about a failure leading to a loss of outlook express e-mails. This person is easily confused by all things computer related so it has to work with minimum intervention and be as simple as possible. I was thinking of using an external drive and Acronis true image 11 home. I would set up True image to mirror on to the external drive. I was also thinking of automatically forwarding all outlook express mails to a web mail account - yahoo mail - as she has a yahoo account already. Being able to read from a webmail account would allow uninteruped service should anything go wrong. Is there anything wrong with this?
posted by conrad101 on Aug 18, 2008 - 11 answers

Windows Server 2003 - Best way to see what files (and their locations) disk quotas are counting against a user? [more inside]
posted by dozo on Jul 23, 2008 - 4 answers

Can anyone help with a program to show total drive space in a PC across multiple drives? [more inside]
posted by mrbenn on Mar 30, 2008 - 4 answers

I checked "Don't ask me again" when dragging one artist into another in WMP11 on vista in order to change all the names from one to another (to combine "the beatles" and "beatles" into one, in this case), expecting it to just do it without asking in the future, but now I've lost this functionality altogether. How can I re-enable it?
posted by lrodman on Mar 22, 2008 - 1 answer

Can I upgrade my motherboard and CPU without reinstalling Vista? [more inside]
posted by adi on Mar 3, 2008 - 6 answers

How to recover from sync-ing a RAID 1 the wrong way? [more inside]
posted by notsnot on Feb 6, 2008 - 11 answers

Is Dell Support lying when they say that their new XPS laptop is not WinXP-compatible? [more inside]
posted by Fferret on Nov 26, 2007 - 13 answers

A friend bought an extended service plan (the top level) on an HP computer from Staples. They are now telling her that by wiping the drive before bringing it in for service she voided the warranty. [more inside]
posted by cedar on Nov 9, 2007 - 13 answers

Is there a utility (freeware or not) that will allow me to specify a directory in Windows XP and monitor that directory for any changes to files (access time, modified time, etc..)? [more inside]
posted by KevinSkomsvold on Oct 8, 2007 - 7 answers

Hard Drive Filter: Someone explain to me how SATA and AHCI work. [more inside]
posted by lou on Aug 28, 2007 - 10 answers

What the crap? Vista won't let me delete a folder extracted from a .rar file. [more inside]
posted by heavenstobetsy on Aug 13, 2007 - 26 answers

What would make an old Windows computer stop accepting input for short periods of time (2-3 minutes)? [more inside]
posted by SansPoint on Aug 6, 2007 - 8 answers

BSODFilter: I tried to install a RAM upgrade in my girlfriend's Dell Inspiron 1100 laptop, and got nothing on screen after powerup. So I replaced the old DIMM, and got the BSOD -- the file that was missing was a driver for the Intel video adapter. Long story short, it's still not working. [more inside]
posted by YoungAmerican on Aug 2, 2007 - 10 answers

Administrator has prohibited access to CD/DVD ROM drives [more inside]
posted by KRS on Jul 16, 2007 - 3 answers

In the rare times I've needed to hit ctrl-alt-delete within the past few months, the task manager window pops up, but it lacks the little tabs at the top and the useful little X in the upper right that actually allows me to CLOSE the task manager. What happened? [more inside]
posted by Verdandi on Jun 12, 2007 - 13 answers

Help me to fix/setup/keep running a network of 4 computers the easy way. [more inside]
posted by djstig on Jun 3, 2007 - 4 answers

Windows XP / Explorer: MPG and WMV file thumbnails constantly crash Explorer, sometimes taking the entire OS with it. How can I fix this? [more inside]
posted by bradn on May 11, 2007 - 2 answers

I have a bunch of files, in a nested directory structure. I'd like to collapse the directory structure and move all the files into one folder, preferably sorting them by file extension or name. How do I do this as quickly and easily as possible in WinXP? (Using Cygwin is OK if that's the only way to do it.) [more inside]
posted by Kadin2048 on May 9, 2007 - 7 answers

How does my Windows Mobile PDA communicate with our office Exchange Server successfully without using a VPN, when I have to use a VPN with Microsoft Outlook to get at it? (And then are there any PC-based programs that can use the same technique as the PDA?)
posted by blue_wardrobe on Apr 21, 2007 - 13 answers

I have a legal copy of Windows XP running as my OS right now, the problem is I no longer have the original installation disks. Is there a way for me to somehow make a copy ... [more inside]
posted by 517 on Apr 19, 2007 - 20 answers

Help! Windows won't let me install downloaded programs. [more inside]
posted by dagnyscott on Feb 24, 2007 - 8 answers

What could cause every desktop computer in the same house to begin randomly powering down on their own? [more inside]
posted by Teevee's Bella on Feb 22, 2007 - 18 answers

Where has my Outlook New Mail notification on the taskbar gone? [more inside]
posted by antifuse on Feb 22, 2007 - 5 answers

I've got a touch screen PC that I'm setting up for a commercial demo and I've got a couple questions that I've been unable to figure out on my own during the last couple days, and I'm hoping someone here can help. [more inside]
posted by quadrinary on Feb 12, 2007 - 3 answers

Please help me figure out what’s wrong with my PC. [more inside]
posted by aceyim on Jan 11, 2007 - 8 answers

My mom's computer won't re-install an older version of Windows XP. This is actually a timely, pressing problem. [more inside]
posted by jeffmshaw on Nov 27, 2006 - 8 answers

Is there a way for me to restart Windows Explorer (the shell) when it crashes, eliminates my taskbar and all desktop icons, but otherwise my open programs are working fine? Don't want to have to restart everything. [more inside]
posted by kookoobirdz on Oct 13, 2006 - 23 answers

TechSupportFilter: having problems with an ata harddrive [more inside]
posted by willmillar on Aug 23, 2006 - 9 answers

"I want to come with you to Redmond and learn the ways of the Registry. I want to be Teh Haxorz, like my father before me." [more inside]
posted by EatTheWeak on Aug 11, 2006 - 15 answers

I want to learn to create simple Windows desktop applications for my own personal use. What programming language should I start learning? [more inside]
posted by LeeJay on Jul 21, 2006 - 21 answers

Windows dialog box question - can I customize the way File Open, File Save, etc. dialogs are organized when they open? [more inside]
posted by hwestiii on Jul 7, 2006 - 5 answers

Please recommend or disparage your supposedly "quiet" or "silent" XP desktop computer; unlike some recent posts here, pre-assembled rather than home-brew. Have you used a Dell XPS 400 or Dimension 5150 in a quiet bedroom? I'd appreciate advice based on recent personal experience. I'm aware of endpcnoise and quietpcreview. [more inside]
posted by Dave 9 on Jun 25, 2006 - 22 answers

I am looking for a Windows app that provides an onscreen visual cue when any sounds are played. It would be nice if the cue happened regardless of the status of the master mute. I'm having a tough time searching for this type of app without getting volume control widgets, etc. [more inside]
posted by ding3r on Apr 19, 2006 - 4 answers

I never restart the computer when I install things on Windows XP. I go weeks without rebooting, installing multiple programs. I've never had a problem. Two questions: 1) Why do so many programs require this? and 2) What's the potential for harm from ignoring their suggestion?
posted by pornucopia on Apr 19, 2006 - 9 answers

Windows XP: Annoying window "re-draw" animation, make it stop! [more inside]
posted by bradn on Apr 18, 2006 - 11 answers

My Windows 2000 system has started spontaneously reducing the key-repeat rate and the rate at which windows scroll, slowing each to a crawl. Other weirdness accompanies this. [more inside]
posted by Tubes on Apr 4, 2006 - 9 answers

I'm getting the blue screen of death right after reinstalling windows XP and the drivers [more inside]
posted by BigBrownBear on Mar 2, 2006 - 4 answers

This may be slightly premature, but would it possible to install Windows onto one of the new Macintel platforms and so have an OS X/XP dualbooting machine? [more inside]
posted by Tikirific on Jan 11, 2006 - 20 answers