Microsoft Updates causing lockups with ATI Catalyst Control Center

.Net framework and security update issues with ATI Catalyst software
Microsoft has released a .net framework update and a security patch KB958690. Some of the Dell systems with ATI 2400 XT or Pro cards running XP SP3 may freeze after this update upon reboot. Users can boot to Safe Mode with no issues. This may affect other ATI cards or SP2 users as well, but has not been reported yet. Follow these steps to resolve:
1. Boot the system into Safe Mode.
2. Click Start, Run, type msconfig, click OK.
3. On the Services tab, put the check in Hide all Microsoft Services. Uncheck all ATI entries. Click Apply, then the Startup tab on the top of the window. Uncheck all ATI entries. Click Apply, then close. Reboot.
4. Once back in Windows, download the latest ATI driver from support.dell.com and update the driver.

Office 2007 troubleshooting tip (Printer Drivers causes MS Office to crash)

This is an interesting issue, as the problem manifested in many forms and no issue seemed to be related to the next. I began to notice issues with some office applications. Here are some examples:

1. I could not paste anything from the clipboard to a new or existing Word or Excel Document.
2. Saving or editing some existing documents would cause a crash and Word/Excel would restart then crash again (looped)
3. I could make minor changes to some existing documents, but inserting anything from the clipboard of any size would cause a crash/loop.

How did I try to fix it?

1. Searched Google, Microsoft data bases tryed different fourms for the error codes generated during the crash and found nothing.
2. I tried the Office repair tool
3. I uninstalled/reinstalled MS Office
4. Deleted the Default Word template.
5. Cleared all caches and clipboard files.

None of this had any effect.

Today, I had a minor epiphany and remembered an issue I resolved few years ago in Office 95 and I tried the fix on this system and the issue got resolved. What was the cause of all my Office 2007 issues.....?????

The PRINTER DRIVER

I uninstalled all printers and deleted residual files in the spooler cache then rebooted my system and the issue was resolved.

Moral of this story: If you have unusual issues with an OFFICE Application, try uninstalling the printer, rebooting and installing the latest printer driver.

When selecting options in Power Management for actions when you close the lid, Hibernate is not listed on the drop down menu.

Issue is caused by the POWERCFG Command having been run at the command line to disable Hibernate. Even if hibernate in enabled in Windows Power options (Vista) the actual hibernate option at (Close lid for example) will not be available. This issue can be resolved by the following steps:
1. Click the start button, type CMD in the search line.
2. CMD will appear in the Programs Menu list above the search window, right-click CMD and Click Run as Administrator on the drop down menu. This will open a COMMAND WINDOW (With Admin rights.)
3. Type the following Command: powercfg /hibernate ON then press the key.
4. Type exit then press the key. This will close the command window.
Reboot the system. Hibernate should now be an available option.

On-line Streaming Content (An Error Occurred when attempting to view the content)

Solution 1: Set your preferred web browser as the system default.
To set a system default web browser on Windows Vista:
1. Close all applications.
2. Choose Start > Control Panel.
3. Do one of following:
o If the Control Panel is in a Control Panel Home view, then click Programs. On the next screen, click Default Programs.
o If the Control Panel is in Classic View, then double-click Default Programs.
4. Select Set Program Access And Computer Defaults.
5. In the Choose A Configuration list, click Custom.
6. Under Choose A Default Web Browser, select Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, or Opera.
7. Click OK.
To set a system default web browser on Windows XP:
1. Close all applications.
2. Choose Start > Control Panel (or Start > Settings > Control Panel).
3. Double-click Add Or Remove Programs.
4. On the left-hand pane of Add Or Remove Programs, select Set Program Access And Defaults.
5. In the Choose A Configuration list, click Custom.
6. Under Choose A Default Web Browser, select Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, or Safari.
7. Click OK.

Solution 2: Re-create the HTTP key in the Windows registry.
Disclaimer: The steps in this solution require you to modify the Windows registry. The registry contains system-related information that is critical to your computer and applications. Before modifying the registry, always make a backup copy of it. Adobe doesn't provide support for problems that arise from improperly modifying the registry. For information about the Windows registry, see the documentation in Windows or contact Microsoft Technical Support or your computer's manufacturer.
1. Close all applications.
2. Do one of the following:
o Windows Vista: Choose Start > All Programs > Accessories. Then right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run As Administrator.
o Windows XP: Choose Start > All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command exactly as it appears and then press Enter:

reg export HKCR\http "%userprofile%\AdobeHelpBackup.reg"
Note: Command Prompt may return the error "The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value." This is an expected message if the HTTP key is missing from the Windows registry. If this error appears, then go to Step 6; otherwise, proceed to Step 5.
4. Type the following command exactly as it appears and then press Enter:

reg delete HKCR\http /f
5. Type one of the following commands exactly as it appears and then press Enter (type the command that corresponds with the browser in which you would like to view the video content):

Note: If you choose a browser other than Internet Explorer, then that browser must be installed before you type the command.

o Internet Explorer
reg add HKCR\http\shell\open\command /ve /f /d "\"%programfiles%\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe\" "\"%1\""
o Firefox
reg copy HKCR\FirefoxURL\shell HKCR\http\shell /s /f
o Opera
reg copy HKCR\Opera.HTML\shell HKCR\http\shell /s /f
o Safari
reg copy HKCR\SafariURL\shell HKCR\http\shell /s /f
o Google Chrome
reg copy HKCR\ChromeHTML\shell HKCR\http\shell /s /f

6. Close the Command Prompt window.

Slow Internet Connectivity on Windows Vista

People using Windows Vista may report Slow Internet Connectivity especially while browsing Web Pages with out the presence of On-line Pop-ups. Just two steps listed below can help resolve the issue. These steps should be performed after a Disk Clean-up. A Spyware/Malware Scan is not required.

Step 1
Use the Elevated Command Prompt to Turn off TCP/IP Tuning (netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled)

To disable TCP/IP autotunning, in "Elevated" Command Prompt type:

netsh interface tcp set global autotuning=disabled

To verify that it is dsabled:

netsh interface tcp show global

To set back to the default Windows Vista behavior:

netsh interface tcp set global autotuningl=normal


Note: To get elevated command prompt (admin priviledges), you may need to do the following:
- Click the Start button
- In the Search box, type: Command Prompt
- Right-click on the Command Prompt icon and select "Run as administrator"

Step2
Internet Explorer Tools=> Internet Options=> Advanced=> In the Security Section Check Enable SSL 2.0, Use SSL 3.0 and Disable TLS 1.0

In spite of this McAfee Virus Protection along with Vista can result into Slow Internet Connectivity especially with the Phishing Filter.

Cannot Delete Window Old Folder After Performing Windows Vista Custom Installation


After performing a Custom Installation (Parallel) of Windows Vista the Window Old Folder cannot be deleted the conventional way. To delete the Old Installation of Windows Vista follow the procedure listed below

1. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, and then click System Tools.
2. Click Disk Cleanup.
3. In the Disk Cleanup Options dialog box, click Files from all users on this computer.

Note If the User Account Control dialog box appears, type the administrator password, and then click OK. Otherwise, click Continue.
4. In the Disk Cleanup:Drive Selection dialog box, select the hard disk drive that you want to clean up, and then click OK. Wait while the system scans the computer for unnecessary files.
5. Click the Disk Cleanup tab, and then look for the Previous Windows installations check box.
6. If you find the Previous Windows installations check box, click to select it, and then click OK.

If you do not find this check box, go to step 7.
7. When you are prompted to confirm the removal of files, click Delete Files.
8. Wait while the system removes the files. You have now removed the Windows.old folder.